Yore On Smith Street

Send us Fan Mail The biggest lie we tell ourselves as creators is that we need more inspiration, when what we really need is a system. For our season finale, we get honest about what seven weeks of building a podcast taught us about the social media algorithm, engagement, and the small choices that quietly decide whether people stop scrolling or never notice you at all. We talk through the shift f...

Send us Fan Mail You ever publish something you know is good, then watch it land with a thud? That moment can mess with your head fast, especially when you’re trying to grow, stay consistent, and build something real. We get honest about that frustration and the doubts that follow, then pull it apart piece by piece so it turns into fuel instead of a dead end.  We dig into what consistency actually...

Send us Fan Mail If your entire online presence vanished tomorrow, would your work still have a way to reach the people who support you? That question is the heartbeat of this Smith Street conversation, sparked by the noise around LaRussell stepping back from social media after backlash. What catches my attention isn’t the hot takes; it’s the leverage: selling 30,000 copies independently means you...

Send us Fan Mail We lean into “The Paint Is Still Wet” as a metaphor for being kids under construction, where progress is real even when the process is messy. We also talk music takes, creative expression, and the DIY work we do to keep our space and our sound moving forward.  • being under construction and choosing progress over perfection  • why building anything gets messy before it gets better...

Send us Fan Mail Independent rapper LaRussell reportedly sold around 30,000 albums directly to fans , an impressive milestone for any independent artist. But when those numbers were submitted to Billboard, the sales reportedly didn’t qualify for the charts due to how the project was marketed. In this episode, I talk about what this situation reveals about how music charts actually work, including...

Send us Fan Mail We honor 100 years since Negro History Week began and trace how labels, laws, and headlines shape what we remember and what we hear. From the Neo-Soul naming debate to a high‑profile music lawsuit and a personal live-music high, we tie culture to care. • origins of Black History Month and why it matters  • how Neo Soul emerged from live, organic roots  • the industry label debate...

Send us Fan Mail [00:00 – 02:00] Welcome & Intention 1.    Launching the first professional episode ·        Why independence matters ·        Releasing during Black History Month ·        Building without a middleman [02:00 – 06:00] Gatekeeping & Power Dynamics ·        Revisiting America's Next Top Model as an adult ·        Mentorship vs. control ·        Power imbalance in enterta...