Comedian Ian Lara joins me for a conversation about identity, creativity, first-gen expectations and learning to become more yourself.

Born to Dominican parents and raised in Queens, Ian reflects on growing up Afro-Latino, navigating the complexity of identity, and the experience of leaving New York and realizing how often people outside of his community misunderstood who he was.

In this episode, he talks about studying political science and economics with plans for law school to pursuing stand-up comedy after discovering a passion for the craft. What followed were years of open mics, writing, performing and slowly building a career that eventually led to Comedy Central, The Tonight Show and his HBO special Romantic Comedy.

We get into the reality of making a living as a creative, the importance of repetition and practice, and why Ian believes pursuing a creative career requires a balance of delusion and self-doubt.

Tune in to hear about all things comedy, dating, Dominican culture, colorism, representation, and the process of figuring out what parts of ourselves we want to carry forward and the parts we're ready to redefine.

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Follow Hella Latin@ for more updates on upcoming episodes and events. Connect on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠, and learn more at ⁠⁠hellalatina.com⁠⁠.

Episode filmed live at Sueños Social Club in LA.

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Some artists write about who they are, others write about who they’ll become. Bucki Sugar documents the experience at both ends and the one in between.

In this Hella Latin@ episode, Odalys Jasmine sits down with Los Angeles rapper, producer, and songwriter Bucki Sugar for one of the most thoughtful conversations on creativity, identity, faith, and transformation.

Born to Egyptian parents and raised between Florida and Egypt, Bucki reflects on what it means to grow up between cultures, navigate questions of identity, and carry the dreams of immigrant parents while finding your own voice.

Together, they explore how music became more than self-expression, it became a practice of healing.

Bucki opens up about writing through grief, learning to create from a place of hope instead of self-destruction, and why his music captures not only who he is today, but every version of himself along the way.

We also dive into spirituality, patience, vulnerability, and the creative process. If you've ever wondered how artists turn life into art or how people become who they're meant to be — this conversation is for you.

About Bucki Sugar:

The Los Angeles based rapper / producer / songwriter approaches hip-hop as a process of transformation, using vivid imagery, layered lyricism, and soulful, atmospheric production to explore the moments that reshape a person. His music moves through grief, faith, memory, identity, and self-discovery. Not only as fixed ideas but as evolving states of being.

Bucki Sugar embraces life’s uncertainty and it comes through in his artistry. His songs reward repeat listens, revealing new connections between personal reflection and universal experience, while remaining emotionally direct at their core. The result is music that feels lived-in — intimate enough to resemble journal entries, yet expansive enough for listeners to find their own stories within them.

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In this episode, Odalys Jasmine sits with 3 Bronx natives — Joél Leon, Naley by Nature, and Jasmine Ruíz — to talk liberation, capitalism, healing, and imagining new systems.

Together, we explore how their personal journeys from navigating diaspora identity and systemic oppression to embracing spirituality and community, have shaped their understanding of freedom.

The conversation asks deeper questions like:

• How do we liberate ourselves from the systems we've internalized?
• How do we practice mercy in a culture built on punishment?
• And what kind of world are we actually trying to build after the systems we're fighting to abolish are gone?

From Puerto Rican identity and post-9/11 experiences to mindfulness, social media, faith, conflict resolution, and the contradictions of this modern life, this episode is an invitation to slow down, get curious, and imagine a better world for the collective. It also challenges us to think beyond systems of oppression and ask: What are we building instead?

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Joel Leon is a Bronx-born writer, performer, storyteller, father, and creative facilitator whose work explores healing, identity, vulnerability, and collective liberation. Through poetry, performance, and community engagement, he creates spaces for deeper conversations around emotional well-being, masculinity, and human connection.

Jasmine Ruiz is a Puerto Rican content creator, actress, comedian, and writer from the Bronx. Known for her humorous and insightful commentary on family dynamics, cycle breaking, first-generation experiences, and navigating adulthood, she uses storytelling and comedy to make difficult conversations more accessible.

Naley is the founder of Naley by Nature. She's a storyteller, writer, and geopolitical content creator whose work bridges politics, spirituality, culture, and global liberation movements. Through thoughtful analysis and compassionate storytelling, she helps audiences connect world events to larger questions of humanity, justice, and collective responsibility.

This conversation with Joel, Jasmine, and Naley reminds us that liberation is a constant practice.

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Follow Hella Latin@ for more updates on upcoming episodes and events. Connect on ⁠Instagram⁠ and ⁠TikTok⁠, join the conversation on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, and learn more at ⁠odalysjasmine.com⁠.

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