Unglossy

Michael Ford, the Hip Hop Architect, joins Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank to connect bars to blueprints. From the Hip Hop Architecture Camp to leading The Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx, Ford shows how rap lyrics inspire real spaces, why representation matters when only 2 percent of architects are Black, and how collabs with Shaw and Herman Miller turn design into community impact. Plus his nex...

Some producers make beats. Pete Rock built a blueprint. On this episode of Unglossy, Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank sit down with the legendary producer, DJ, and MC for a wide-ranging conversation that runs from his Mount Vernon roots all the way to the present moment. Pete takes us back to coming up under Heavy D, spinning on WBLS next to Marley Marl at 13 years old, and the basement studio...

Showtime Shawn Porter sits down with Tom, Bun B, and Jeffrey for a conversation that goes well beyond the highlights reel. From training under his father Kenny at age four, to sparring Manny Pacquiao, to the real story behind that final round against Terence Crawford — Shawn holds nothing back. Plus: the state of boxing today, Floyd's real work ethic, and what he's building next including a docume...

This week on Unglossy, Jemele Hill joins the fellas for an unfiltered ride through her come-up from Detroit to ESPN, the tweet that changed everything, and the pivot to The Atlantic, Uphill, and Flagrant and Funny with Cari Champion. Plus Dwight Howard's Top 75 snub, Kobe stories, Skip Bayless, the Pistons, and whether Anthony Davis is a Wizard next year. Honest, funny, and Detroit to the core. Un...

The NBA's Sr. VP of Communications, Tim Frank, makes history as Unglossy's first two-time guest. Twenty-two years at NBA headquarters, an NBA Championship in year one with the Houston Rockets, four straight WNBA titles with the Comets — Tim has seen it all and isn't afraid to talk about it. Tom, Bun B, and Jeffrey go deep on the Playoffs, the truth behind the Draft Lottery, the new TV rights deal,...

This week on Unglossy, the fellas sit down with Mark Isham — Grammy-nominated composer and trumpeter behind some of Hollywood's most iconic scores, including Crash, A River Runs Through It, Point Break, and 42. Mark traces the journey from San Francisco's jazz scene to landing a $35 million Disney film with no formal training and 90 bucks in the bank — and how a home-duplicated cassette changed ev...

This week on Unglossy, Bomani Jones joins the fellas and turns a conversation about the NBA Playoffs and NFL Draft into a deeper look at the business of sports—streaming chaos, rising costs, and why access isn’t what it used to be. From there, it goes where it wants: travel, chasing awe around the world, and why a waterfall might hit harder than front-row seats. Plus a no-holds debate on Prince vs...

Most actors wait. Mark Elias builds. On this episode of Unglossy, the 9-1-1: Lone Star and Lucifer actor breaks down his journey from Houston roots to Hollywood—then the pivot from chasing roles to creating them. We get into his film We Could Be Heroes, raising money through WeFunder, and what it actually takes to go from idea to screen—plus why ownership changes everything. It all leads to his ne...

Most people chase the spotlight. Michelle Delamor learned how to own it. This week on Unglossy, we sit down with the former American Idol standout turned founder, studio executive, and creator of Amazon Prime’s 60 Day Hustle to unpack what really happens after the cameras stop rolling. From auditioning alongside 110,000 hopefuls to navigating the machine of the music industry, Michelle shares how...

On this episode of Unglossy, we sit down with legendary producer Don Vito for a wide-ranging conversation about hustle, reinvention, and the long road behind the hits. From growing up in Gary, Indiana, to serving in the Marine Corps, to finding his way into Atlanta’s exploding music scene, Don shares the unconventional path that led him to work with artists like Nelly, Ciara, Bow Wow, Cherish, and...

Where you’re from doesn’t just shape you — it frames how you understand power, loyalty, and loss. Bun B is Houston to the core. Jeffrey Sledge carries New York City wherever he goes. And for Tom Frank, everything starts in State College, Pennsylvania — a town where fall Saturdays felt sacred, Penn State football felt pure, and Happy Valley felt like a place untouched by the rest of the world. Toda...

Originally released February 25, 2025 Tom, Mickey and Jeffrey are back for a new season of Unglossy. In this compelling episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson opens up about his remarkable journey from the tough streets of Portland, Oregon, to becoming a celebrated writer and educator. Mitchell shares intimate stories of balancing street life with academics, the transformative...

Originally released April 18, 2024 "I recently stumbled across the Unglossy podcast – specifically the episode with Marcus Samuelsson. So tasty. I love how he explains cooking through sound." - Leon G. Witness culture and the unexpected converge, revealing the medley of tastes, sounds and experiences that influence the brand that is— Marcus Samuelsson . From a young age, Marcus aspired to be great...

Originally released March 21, 2025 In this episode of Unglossy, Tom and Jeffrey sit down with Keenan Scott II, a prolific playwright, poet, actor, director, and producer from Queens, New York. Keenan delves into his artistic journey, beginning with his early passion for visual arts and comic books, and transitioning into poetry and performance as he navigated his formative years in Maryland. His e...

This might be the wildest story we’ve ever told on Unglossy — and that’s saying something. This week, Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank sit down with Owen Hanson, better known as The California Kid or The Cocaine Quarterback. Once a USC walk-on turned national champion, Owen’s life took a sharp left turn from the football field into international drug trafficking, cartel money, federal prison,...

This week on Unglossy, we get rare, front-row access to hip-hop happening in real time. Tom and Jeffrey go full fly-on-the-wall as Bun B and Statik Selektah build TrillStatik 5 from scratch—live, unannounced, and completely unscripted—during Art Basel weekend in Miami. From surprise guests walking straight off the street into the booth, to verses written, recorded, and sequenced on the spot, this...

Tom Frank, Bun B, and Jeffrey Sledge sit down with Soufiane “Souf” Bernoukh — the mind behind Halal Wrist and one of the most original voices in sports entertainment today. Souf shares how a childhood full of jokes, a late start in basketball, and the hustle of Division III ball shaped his creative path. He unpacks the creation of his signature trick shot, the midnight hotel-shift videos that igni...

This week on Unglossy, Tom, Bun B, and Jeff pull up chairs with DC’s own Noochie—the mind, mic, and movement behind Live From the Front Porch. What starts as a freestyle on his stoop evolves into one of the most important new stages in contemporary culture, drawing everyone from Big G and Raheem DeVaughn to Robin Thicke, George Clinton, and Snoop in a borrowed wheelchair. Noochie walks us through...

Before algorithms and playlists decided what we liked, DJs like Greg Street were the algorithm — breaking artists, building cities, and defining what hip hop felt like. In this episode, Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank sit down with the legendary DJ and radio personality whose career runs through every chapter of Southern music history. From Mississippi to Houston, Dallas to Atlanta, Street un...

In this special drop, Tom, Jeff, and Bun B introduce Two Mothers, One Aché: A Grief Dialogue, a powerful new series from Merrick Studios about love, loss, and the courage to heal out loud. You’ll hear why this show matters, why it belongs on our network, and why Bun is stepping up not just as a co-sign—but as a future guest. Then we get into last week’s headline: VIBE Magazine is teaming up with R...

A stretch limo, three kids on bikes, and Pete Rock’s block—by the time the crew steps out, half the neighborhood’s there. That’s the energy of this Unglossy crossover: Tat Wza, Mickey Factz, Pete Rock, Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank colliding over comics, hip-hop, and the MCU with zero small talk. They go from childhood comics and bodega mystery packs to hot takes on Feige, Hulk’s nerfing, a...

No guest, no fluff—just Bun B, Tom Frank, and Jeffrey Sledge turning up the signal and turning down the noise. We kick off with what’s cooking at Merrick Studios (Unglossy, Mixed & Mastered, Our Love/Hate Relationship with Comic Culture, Pitch Lab) and why podcasts are becoming the new cable. Then it’s Cardi B at Trill Burgers and the rise of celebrity cosigns as cultural currency. We get into...

This week on Unglossy, Bun B, Tom Frank, and Jeffrey Sledge sit down with Michael Ford, The Hip Hop Architect—a designer using rhythm and rhyme to reshape skylines. From leading tThe Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx to launching the Hip Hop Architecture Camp, Ford proves design can be culture, not just construction. He shares how rap lyrics inspire real-world spaces, why representation matters in archi...

James Beard winner Chris Shepherd pulls up to Unglossy with Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank to talk real kitchen life—no foam, all flame. He traces the glide path from Tulsa dishwasher to Houston icon, why cooking clicked when school didn’t, and how using all five senses beats any recipe card. We dig into Underbelly’s whole-animal, write-the-menu-daily chaos; the gloriously unhinged One Fifth...

On this episode of Unglossy, hosts Bun B, Jeffrey Sledge, and Tom Frank welcome Hawaii Mike, a creative force whose journey spans road managing Mobb Deep to editing at The Source. Today, he is the founder of Chef for Higher, where hip hop, cannabis, and culinary arts come together to create community through dining.  Together the crew reflects on the growth of the Unglossy network and dive deep in...