Heard!: Afros & Audio Interview Series with Talib Jasir

In Episode 27 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Nyasha Hatendi to discuss Sacrilege: Curse of the Mbirwi , the Audible Original supernatural thriller set in Zimbabwe. Sacrilege follows an American family whose luxury safari turns into a fight for survival after disturbing sacred ground and awakening an ancient spirit known as the Mbirwi. Produced in Dolby Atmos, t...

In Episode 26 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Denzell Turner, founder and host of the Black Fridays Podcast, to discuss podcast monetization, community wealth, and building a business platform rooted in Detroit entrepreneurship. Launched during the 2020 Blackout Tuesday movement, Black Fridays Podcast began as a way to spotlight Black-owned businesses and founde...

In Episode 25 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Keisha "TK" Dutes to discuss The Secret Life of TK , a narrative podcast exploring burnout, media industry pressure, and creative sovereignty in audio storytelling. TK is a veteran audio producer whose career spans terrestrial radio, streaming platforms, and podcasting. In this conversation, she reflects on shifting...

In Episode 24 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Leo Ra'Chel to explore her journey from BlogTalk Radio in 2011 to building PGC Media (Phat Girl Chronicles), a podcast network grounded in authenticity, culture, and long-term impact. Before podcasting became mainstream, Leo was already creating audio spaces for conversation, community, and plus-size empowerment. Ove...

In Episode 23 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Aaron David Harris, Ambie Award–winning audio drama creator and producer of the fiction podcast Tales of Fists & Fireballs . Aaron's series blends martial arts, anime-inspired storytelling, and character-driven narrative into what he calls "anime for your ears." In this conversation, we explore how audio drama create...

In Episode 22 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Angel Livas, Founder and Owner of Alive Podcast Network, on the 4-Year Anniversary of the network's launch. Alive Podcast Network was built to create ownership, monetization, and community for Black podcast creators. In this conversation, Angel reflects on four years of building an ecosystem where creators can grow t...

In Episode 21 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Mike Sargent to explore media credibility, cultural commentary, and building longevity across film, radio, television, and podcasting. Mike is an award-winning cultural critic, filmmaker, journalist, and broadcaster whose career spans decades of multimedia storytelling. As a Black film critic covering all cinema, he...

In Episode 20 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Toni Blackman to explore cultural bridges, global storytelling, and creative sovereignty through music and media. Toni shares the vision behind her upcoming podcast TOALA, short for Travels of a Lyrical Ambassador , an audio project centered on African music, Afrobeats, hip hop culture, and diaspora connection. Drawi...

In Episode 19 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Eteng Ettah, host of Consider This for Comfort , a podcast exploring comfort TV, media literacy, and cultural commentary. Why do certain television shows become emotional refuge? What does comfort TV reveal about nostalgia, connection, and identity? How does pop culture shape the way we understand society? Eteng is a...

In Episode 18 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir speaks with Dr. Briana Barner, Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland and creator of the Black Podcast course. What is a Black podcast? How should Black podcasts be preserved? What does it mean to study podcasting through race, identity, and cultural production? Dr. Barner teaches a university cours...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Minista Jazz, founder of Much Different World, to examine voice ownership, consent, and intellectual property in the age of artificial intelligence. Minista shares how a personal experience with image theft led her to build infrastructure designed to protect creators from unauthorized use of their voice and...

In this episode of  Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Christabel Nsiah-Buadi, founder of Your Podcast Pipeline and executive editorial strategist, to discuss narrative clarity, audience development, and building sustainable podcast ecosystems. Christabel shares insights from her background in journalism and major media institutions, offering a grounded perspec...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Derrick Young, co-founder of MahoganyBooks , to discuss Black literature, media ownership, book bans, and building a lasting cultural institution. Mahogany Books began as an online Black-owned bookstore and has grown into a physical retail space, community hub, and podcast network committed to preserving and...

Brandon Collins on Drunk Black History, Comedy, and Building a Live Podcast Audience | Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series – Season 4 In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with writer, comedian, and producer Brandon Collins, creator of Drunk Black History , to explore how comedy, education, and live podcasting intersect to tell powerful Black stori...

In Episode 13 of  Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir speaks with Fanshen Cox, Charlie T. Savage, and Ashanti Groves, the creators of  Sista Brunch to explore how intentional conversation builds community through podcasting. This episode centers the power of Black women-led audio platforms, the responsibility of holding space in public dialogue, and the balance between creativ...

Content Note: This episode includes open conversation about depression, mental health challenges, and suicide. If this topic is sensitive for you, please take care while listening. If you or someone you know needs support in the U.S., you can call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In this episode of  Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Blake Johnson...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Tonya McKenzie , PR strategist, community leader, and founder of Sand & Shores , for a grounded conversation about narrative control, credibility, and visibility in media-driven spaces. Tonya brings nearly three decades of experience across public relations, sports media, nonprofit leadership, and public ser...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Relando for an honest conversation about creative independence, cultural responsibility, and building meaningful work without waiting for permission. Relando reflects on his path through podcasting, media, and community-centered storytelling, sharing what it takes to remain grounded while creating outside tr...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Tamika Carlton, creator and host of The Real Connect , for an honest conversation about connection, care, and what it means to build relationships in a time defined by distance and distraction. Tamika reflects on how her life across Seattle, Chicago, and Atlanta shaped her perspective on community and belong...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with writer and podcast producer Baudelaire for a wide-ranging conversation on Black liberation, audio storytelling, and the responsibility that comes with telling cultural history. Baudelaire shares his journey from producing award-winning shows like Atlas Obscura to developing The Vodou Project , a long-form au...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Faybeo'n Mickens , a award-winning audio marketing creative and podcast growth strategist, former music marketer, and the founder of PodBae, an emerging AI-powered revenue and matchmaking platform for independent podcasters. Fay shares her perspective on why micro and nano podcasters often hold deeper audien...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Stephanie Graham , a Chicago-based artist, filmmaker, and the creator of the podcast Nosy AF: conversations about art, activism, and social change . Stephanie shares how her podcast centers honest conversations with artists, organizers, and changemakers navigating creativity, labor, money, and sustainability...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir sits down with Colah B. Tawkin , creator and host of Black In the Garden , for a grounded conversation about culture, land, representation, and creative sustainability. Colah shares how the absence of Black voices in gardening and nature media inspired her to create a podcast that connects Black culture and horticulture. T...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir speaks with Robin Kinnie , founder of Motor City Woman and Audio Engineers of Detroit, about broadcasting, podcasting, and building sustainable audio communities. Robin shares how Detroit's broadcasting legacy and the influence of Martha Jean "The Queen" Steinberg shaped her approach to voice, ownership, and community. The...

In this episode of Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series , host Talib Jasir speaks with founder and media strategist Kenneth Groom , creator of Beyond Normal Media, about podcasting, storytelling, and supporting small business owners and founders through audio. Kenny shares his transition from data analytics and banking into media and storytelling, and how Beyond Normal Media grew from a podcast i...