In this episode of Uncommon Naledge, Dr. Jabari Evans sits down with Chicago Sun-Times arts and culture reporter Erica Thompson for a wide-ranging conversation about journalism, Black cultural memory, celebrity access, and the evolving media landscape.

They discuss how arts journalism can function as accountability reporting, the contraction of race and equity beats, the challenge of maintaining critical distance while interviewing celebrities, and the value of trained journalism in an era of content creators, AI summaries, and shrinking newsrooms. Erica also reflects on the complexity of covering Black Chicago and why local reporting must resist flattening communities into familiar narratives.

The conversation closes with Erica’s scholarship on Prince, including his fight for ownership of his work, his spiritual evolution, and the tension between the sacred and the profane throughout his music and public life.

A thoughtful discussion about who gets to tell the story, who owns the archive, and what journalism is responsible for preserving.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans and edited and produced by Ava Strauss.

Follow @naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram.

Original music for introduction and outro produced by Michael "Double 0" Aguilar.

Dr. Evans sits down with Columbia, SC cultural connector Preach Jacobs, a journalist, rapper, DJ, curator, event producer, and founder of SoulHAUS.

They discuss Columbia’s creative identity, “low city self-esteem,” the power of staying and building in the South, and how SoulHAUS became a platform for Black art, storytelling, and community.

The discussion also turns to the relationship between the University of South Carolina and Black Columbia, the responsibilities institutions have to local communities, and the role of critique in creating meaningful change. They close by discussing South Carolina politics, generational engagement, and why analog forms of community building, from potlucks to door knocking, may matter even more in an increasingly digital world.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans and edited and produced by Ava Strauss.

Follow @naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram.

Original music for introduction and outro produced by Michael "Double 0" Aguilar.

In this episode of Uncommon Naledge, Dr. Jabari Evans talks with Sowmya Krishnamurthy, a journalist and author. The discussion centers on Sowmya's forthcoming book, The Blueprint: Inside the Business of Roc-A-Fella Records, which reframes Roc-A-Fella Records not merely as a rap label but as a legitimate startup and business case study. The conversation explores the entrepreneurial foundations of the label, the roles of its three founders — Jay-Z, Dame Dash, and Biggs — and the broader cultural and economic significance of hip-hop as an industry.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans and edited and produced by Ava Strauss.

Follow @naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram.

Original music for introduction and outro produced by Michael "Double 0" Aguilar.