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.

In this episode of Uncommon Naledge, Dr. Jabari Evans speaks with Dr. Lambros Fatsis—Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Sussex, award-winning educator, and lifelong champion of Black musical cultures. Fusing the lens of cultural criminology with the radical traditions of the Black diaspora, Dr. Fatsis’ work traces the criminalisation of Black/Afro-diasporic music culture from the era of colonial slavery to the present day, with a sharp focus on how policing practices reproduce racial injustice.

Their conversation unpacks the systemic surveillance of genres like reggae, grime, and drill, exploring how the same creative expressions that foster community and joy are often targeted as threats. Dr. Fatsis shares why understanding music as a site of both cultural innovation and political struggle is essential for dismantling institutional racism.

But the discussion doesn’t stop at theory. Lambros opens up about his parallel life as a dedicated vinyl collector and all-vinyl DJ—performing under Boulevard Soundsystem and collaborating with some of the most respected voices in the UK and European reggae scene.

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 sits down with Dr. Kalonji Nzinga—interdisciplinary scholar, educator, and cultural worker—to explore the rich intersections between Hip-Hop, moral education, and Black cultural futurism. An assistant professor at the University of Colorado Boulder with appointments in Ethnic Studies and Information Science, Kalonji’s work examines how youth use Black popular culture, especially Hip-Hop, to develop moral frameworks and civic identities.

Together, Dr. Nzinga and Dr. Evans reflect on the philosophical and political stakes of teaching with and through Hip-Hop in both formal and informal educational settings. Kalonji shares insights from his research on how rap lyrics, digital platforms, and street culture shape young people’s conceptions of justice, identity, and belonging—especially within Black communities. They also discuss the role of narrative, storytelling, and aesthetics in liberatory pedagogy and the challenges of translating Black creative expression into academic language without extraction.

Later in the episode, Kalonji opens up about how he balances his academic life with his creative practices as a poet, performer, and thinker rooted in community. From his commitments to public scholarship to his reflections on the spiritual and ethical dimensions of Hip-Hop, this is a deeply generative conversation for anyone interested in education, cultural production, and transformative justice.

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, Dr. Evans sits down with Justin Hunte, a journalist, producer, and former investment banker who’s redefined what it means to be a cultural commentator in the digital age. From his early days as a VP at Bank of America Merrill Lynch to becoming the Editor-in-Chief at HipHopDX, Justin’s story is one of strategic reinvention, relentless drive, and cultural commitment. Best known for his his popular YouTube series The Breakdown, Justin unpacks his journey from finance to becoming one of hip-hop journalism’s most distinctive voices. Hunte also opens up about the changing landscape of hip-hop media, the importance of sustaining critical cultural commentary in rap music, and how storytelling continues to evolve across digital platforms.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans. This episode was edited by Logan Ruiter.

Follow @naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram.

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

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In this episode of Uncommon Naledge, Dr. Jabari Evans is joined by Dr. Zari A. Taylor, critical cultural studies scholar and Assistant Professor at NYU, whose work explores how race, beauty, celebrity culture, and the creator economy intersect in digital and popular culture. Dr. Taylor, a core member of the Content Creator Scholar Network (CCSN) and Global Member of the TikTok Cultures Research Network, brings an incisive lens to how marginalized communities both shape and are shaped by the evolving dynamics of media and identity.

Dr. Taylor unpacks themes from her published work in Social Media + Society, Information, Communication & Society, and the International Journal of Communication—and offers reflections on how power and aesthetics operate within the influencer space, particularly for Black women and femmes online.

Together, they discuss the politics of beauty algorithms, the labor of digital visibility, and the risks and rewards of scholarly engagement in public-facing platforms. It’s a wide-ranging and timely conversation about digital culture’s most pressing questions.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans and edited and produced by Phillip Schlies.

@naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram

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

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In this episode of Uncommon Naledge, Dr. Jabari Evans sits down with Dr. Kareem Edouard, assistant professor at Drexel University’s School of Education and a leading researcher at the Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center. Dr. Edouard is also the founder of the ILLEST Lab—a research space dedicated to designing Inclusive Learning environments and Leveraging Equitable STEM Technologies for students of color.

Together, they explore how culturally responsive pedagogy, informal learning environments, and maker spaces can be used to reframe STEM education for underserved communities. Dr. Edouard breaks down his work on integrating digital video, social networks, and virtual reality into STEM learning—and why honoring students' racial and cultural identities is essential for sustainable engagement.

Uncommon Naledge is hosted by Dr. Jabari Evans and edited and produced by Phillip Schlies.

@naledgesince82 on Twitter and Instagram

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

This podcast is powered by Pinecast.