Dear Culture

For months, BIG3 co-founder and legendary rapper Ice Cube has accused the NBA of working against his basketball league to stunt their growth, stop advertising opportunities, and eliminate them entirely. TMZ Sports is reporting that the United States Department of Justice has launched an official investigation to determine if the National Basketball Association committed antitrust violations. Ice C...

Rapper Mickey Factz joins Panama Jackson to give a rundown of the online school for aspiring lyricists he founded in 2021. Pendulum Ink Academy provides a one-of-a-kind education in hip-hop that allows its students to learn from the best. Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Rah Digga, and Cory Gunz are just some of the guest lectures passing on their knowledge of the rap game. Productive mental health pra...

Poetic Justice, starring Janet Jackson, Tupac Shakur, and Regina King, was John Singleton's second film following Boyz n the Hood. At the time, it was a hit, but was it all that great? Thirty years after its release, Panama Jackson isn't sure the film holds up to its original hype. Author and poet Bassey Ikpi joins the conversation to discuss the film's successes and failures. 

Dear Culture was on location at Morehouse College during Spelhouse Homecoming 2022 to talk with alumni about their professional success and the benefits of an HBCU education. Panama Jackson is joined by five guests who share career tips and personal experiences in front of a live audience of students. 

theGrio Black Podcast Network is proud to announce that two of our original podcasts, Being Black: The '80s and theGrio Daily, have received nominations from The Lovie Awards for their outstanding work. Click here to vote for Touré and here to vote for Michael Harriot and spread the word! Let's show the world we value Black storytelling. 

Was September 29, 1998, the most significant album release date in hip-hop history? Cultural writer and critic Jacinta Howard joins Panama Jackson to answer that question. Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, Outkast, Brand Nubian, and Black Star all released albums that day that shaped their careers in significant ways, and it may have been the last time that a Tuesday drop had that kind of star power. 

Panama Jackson invites his boys back, all of whom were college athletes, for a Deion Sanders convo following the University of Colorado's first loss of the football season. Expectations, showmanship, and race are all hot topics that make for an intense debate. 

The Netflix original film They Cloned Tyrone came out swinging, delivering a unique Black story that combined sci-fi, comedy, and impressive cast chemistry. Dear Culture welcomes the film's director and co-writer, Juel Taylor, and producers, Mark Wright and Stephen "Dr" Love to discuss the behind-the-scenes movie magic that included Jamie Foxx and the struggles to release a film during a tense Hol...

Dear Culture's satire series returns with an investigative report about Nike's Triple Black Air Force Ones. John Gustav, aka Panama Jackson, explores the criminal underworld to discover why the sneaker is the top choice for criminals. 

The wild story of the fake Ohio high school Bishop Sycamore, who was playing football games despite not being a real school, has people shook. How could something like this happen? Who's to blame? Why is Roy Johnson not in jail? Panama Jackson is joined by podcaster and former LSU athlete Corey Wilson to dive into the madness and discuss why America's unhealthy obsession with sports is central to...

Panama Jackson shows his love for the classic Black films that impacted culture with The Tru'ish Black Stories series. Dear Culture uses hilarious commentary to highlight the dance battle movie of the early 2000s 'You Got Served,' proving these dance moves were about more than just bragging rights. 

Michael Harriot joins Panama Jackson for an entertaining game of "One Gotta Go." The pair go back and forth about some of the most iconic songs in Black culture in front of a live audience at the National Association of Black Journalists Conference and Career Fair in Birmingham, Alabama. Artists like Whitney Houston, New Edition, and Lauryn Hill are all on the chopping block. Play along and join i...

Since becoming a fan favorite on Living Single more than 30 years ago, Erika Alexander has remained a constant fixture in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. And in recent years, she's shifted her focus to the fight for equality, specifically, the push for reparations. She joins Dear Culture to discuss her current TV and film projects and her dedication to positively impacting cultu...

Comedian Roy Wood Jr. and fellow podcast host Michael Harriot join Panama Jackson for a special edition of Dear Culture recorded live in Birmingham, Alabama, at the National Association of Black Journalists conference. All three men have strong ties to Alabama, and they dig into the state's complicated past and what it means to make it out of the South. They also highlight the good-natured Black f...

With more than 30 years in the game, hip-hop legend Ice Cube discusses the current state of rap music and reflects on his role as a genre pioneer. As Dear Culture celebrates the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, Panama Jackson and Cube talk about his new album in the works, the significance of loyal fans, and what it takes to create a hit. 

Actress Kyla Pratt joins Dear Culture to defend her spelling bee skills as Panama Jackson looks back at Akeelah's spelling bee journey and analyzes what her co-championship win meant for the culture.

It's comedy month at theGrio, and Dear Culture promises laughs with the original series Tru'ish Black Stories. Is Randy Watson's rendition of "The Greatest Love of All" better than Whitney's? It's the pop culture debate you didn't know you needed, as Panama Jackson analyzes classic Black films that impacted the culture.

Dear Culture takes a look at classic Black films that have shaped the culture and we start with John Singleton's 'Boyz N The Hood.' More specifically the story of Ricky Baker, who died on the streets of South Central Los Angeles in the early ’90s. With the help of various guests including Doughboy aka Ice Cube, Panama Jackson examines what Ricky's tragic death meant to the Black community. 

BIG3 basketball league co-founder Ice Cube shares his frustration about the NBA's lack of respect. The legendary rapper, producer, and actor doesn't hold back as he shares his thoughts with Panama Jackson about the roadblocks he believes are being put in place to stunt BIG3's success. Subscribe to Dear Culture so you don't miss part two of this conversation. Ice Cube will discuss his iconic music...

As we close out Black Music Month, journalist and author Justin Tinsley joins Dear Culture to talk about Christopher Wallace's impact on hip-hop. It's an endearing conversation as both Panama and Tinsley are huge fans of Biggie Smalls and you'll likely learn things about the larger-than-life rapper that you didn't know before now. Tinsley will also discuss his book "It Was All A Dream" and share s...

We can't highlight Black Music Month without talking about Michael Jackson. Undoubtedly one of the most famous people to ever live, Jackson's impact on music is unmeasurable but as fans know it hasn't always been a smooth ride. Panama Jackson welcomes the hosts of the Wondery and Audible podcast "Think Twice: Michael Jackson" to discuss some of the biggest takeaways from their in-depth podcast tha...

As we celebrate Juneteenth, Dear Culture invites you to debate the Blackest songs of all time! Our people are so talented and it was hard to narrow them down but host Panama Jackson is joined by hip-hop heads Yinka and Outlaw to rank some of the best tracks created by Black artists.

Funk legend Bootsy Collins and his wife Patti join Dear Culture during Black Music Month to talk about the launch of their anti-violence initiative, "Funk Not Fight" which is giving amateur musicians a chance to have their music heard by the masses. Bootsy also shares stories from his iconic career including working with James Brown and discusses his impressive music catalog that is still sampled...

As Dear Culture continues to celebrate Black Music Month, host Panama Jackson has an enlightening conversation with country music artist Rissi Palmer. The pair talk about the repeated racist incidents Palmer has been forced to endure and discuss what's needed to bridge the racial gap in country music, something she's working towards with her Apple Music Radio show "Color Me Country." Palmer also s...

Dear Culture kicks off Black Music Month with an epic debate that covers everyone from Nas and Lauryn Hill to Ice Cube and Drake. Both self-proclaimed hip-hop heads, host Panama Jackson and veteran music journalist Touré can't seem to agree on pretty much anything.