One surfing the net in the recent year could see a major influx of podcasts containing Black content.
One could also give DJ Vlad of the Vlad TV podcast credit for inspiring this new movement. DJ Vlad, a white Jewish hip-hop D.J. of Russian descent was born in the Ukraine and built his reputation as a mixtape D.J. in California.
DJ Vlad, born Vladimir Lyubovny launched his You Tube channel in 2008 and after about five years, Vlad TV became the top podcasts for interviews as he was able to procure them with members of Public Enemy, Treach of Naughty By Nature, Redman, Boosie, Young Buck, Mc Serch of 3rd Bass, members of 2Pac’s Outlawz and an endless stream of rap stars. Vlad also would interview porn stars, ex mafia members, hit-men, drug dealers and gang members. Vlad seemed hell-bent on exploring the seedier side of life for shock value.
For instance, he often asked rap artists about absentee fathers, law-suits and arrests. He would often invite members of The Nation Of Islam on and try to railroad them into making anti-white and anti-Semitic statements.
When he had on Native Tongue rapper Chi Ali, he was obsessed with getting the New York rapper to give a play-by-play account of the 2000 murder he committed in The Bronx, of which he served 12 years of a 14-year sentence.
So when he chose to repudiate Nation Of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan for anti-Semitic remarks, that the 88-year-old leader allegedly made in a speech last summer, it caused an uproar and an uprising.
After it had been established that the alleged comments by Minister Farrakhan actually had never been said, Vlad was advised by two of regular interviewees to issue an apology online.
Lord Jamar of the legendary socially conscious 5% rap group Brand Nubian started doing interviews on Vlad TV dating back to about 2013. Comedian Godfrey began bringing his hilarious take of social issues not long after.
Both Godfrey and Lord Jamar quickly asked Vlad to take back his repudiation of Minister Farrakhan publicly. Vlad agreed only to take back his comments if the minister appeared as a guest on his show.
Jamar and Godfrey both decided to leave Vlad TV and launch The Yanadameen Godcast on YouTube.
Joining them was legendary female MC Rah Digga of Busta Rhymes’ now defunct collective Flipmode Squad.
Instead of trying to procure interviews with some of the more commercially known artists that Vlad had, The Yanadameen Godcast went straight to the roots of hip-hop.
The Godcast would feature interviews with pioneering legends like; Grandmaster Caz, Mic Geronimo, Cold 187 Um, Chuck D. of Public Enemy, producer Keith Shocklee on The Bomb Squad and Talib Kweli just to name a few.
Most recently, they featured Brother J. of the legendary X-Clan.
The Godcast has also featured contemporary rap stars like T.I., Bun B. And Royce The 5’9, who has publicly supported Jamar and Godfrey’s break from Vlad as a sort of revolution or uprising. Royce has also publicly repudiated Vlad for his false reporting of Minster Farrakhan.
The Yanadameen Godcast was named in reference to Lord Jamar being of The Nation Of Gods And Earths. Also known as Five Percenters or of The Five Per Cent Nation, they’re an off-shoot of The Nation Of Islam, founded by an ex-communicated member Clarence 13 X. , who served under Malcolm X, at the famed Temple No.7 in Harlem, New York in the 1960s.
The Nation of Gods And Earths use the biblical Psalm 82:6 to teach that all Black men are gods and all Black women are earths.
Jamar brings his no nonsense pro-Black approach to the conversation while Godfrey tempers it with his comedic flare much like Flavor Flav did with Chuck D. in Public Enemy and Professor X. with Brother J. in X-Clan.
Rah Digga brings the whole balance and the narrative to fruition the way only a strong Black woman can.
In Solidarity with The Yanadameen Godcast is Drink Champs with N.O.R.E., formerly of Capone-N-Noreage and Miami’s DJ EFN. Drink Champs is easily the podcast with the biggest names in hip-hop as guests, most notably a recent interview with Kanye West. Although Drink Champs has been around a bit longer than The Godcast, N.O.R.E. has also supported Jamar and company and has also supported The Godcast’s request to the Black community to boycott Vlad TV.
Probably the Cadillac of recent Black podcasts is Talib Kweli’s The People’s Party, which not only features rap legends but actors, comedians and musicians. Talib’s encyclopedic knowledge of music and the research he conducts of his guests is extraordinarily prolific and uncanny.
Hot Boxin’ With Mike Tyson is one of the most watched podcasts on YouTube with the former legendary heavyweight champion showing off his often-ignored intellect.
Other interesting Black podcasts of high-quality content are:
* The Flavor Flav Show, (while although not possessing high-quality journalism, it’s saved by Flav’s infectious personality and down-to-earth attitude lovable attitude)
* The Star Report with former Hot 97 and Source magazine personality Troi Torain (a former Vlad TV associate whose show has now taken a Blacker turn)
* Willie D,(of The Geto Boys) and No More Talk, Sway In The Morning (from Sirius XM)
* The Breakfast Club with Charlemagne Tha God, DJ Envee and Angela Yee. (which is drawn from the Power 105FM morning radio show in New York City and Hot 97’s Ebro In The Morning , also from The Big Apple.
They are dozens more, too many to name here but all can be found by surfing YouTube.
A revolution in podcasts is just one example of how Black Power can manifest through unity.
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