Rich Wallace is a solid dude and brilliant organizer who has built EAT Chicago, a non-profit, community-led organization founded by and for post-incarcerated people, to build social and economic equity for Black workers engaged in the informal economy. He talks about his winding path to this revolutionary work, the joyous days as a member of legendary Chicago rap crew BBU, how to keep the work grounded toward reparation and healing, and how these nonprofits can end up screwing up that work for everyone. Plus, we break down the challenge of pants in this economy and ecology.SHOW NOTESListen to Rich's first appearance on the show from 2019 - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-184-rich-wallace/id1016530091?i=1000435251670Plug in with EAT Chicago - https://www.instagram.com/eatorgchicago/?hl=enDonate - https://eatchicago-bloom.kindful.com/?campaign=1267668Follow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - contact@respairmedia.com CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker
No matter how politically focused AirGo gets, our roots are always in Chicago's music and arts community. As the scene shifts and new artists emerge, we try to keep an ear on who is making good music in our city, a task that's MUCH easier because of the excellent curation and coverage the Real Ones crew provides. A Chicago music discovery platform that produces events, hosts interviews, and covers the scene, Real Ones is a passion project driven by some very passionate curators and community members. We welcome a few of them–Ben, Alejandro, and Tyrel–to the studio to talk about the role of curation in this algo-driven world, the inherent coolness of being on tour, and the songs that make them feel alive.EPISODE PLAYLIST:Summer Love by BlackpartyDistant Lover by BlackpartyAcho Puñeta by Gomba JahbariSanguine Paradise by Lil Uzi VertHillbillies by Kendrick Lamar ft. Baby KeemThank Allah by NiontayMOSHPIT by Baby KeemRetrograde by James BlakeU Know How Dis Go - TyriqueOrDieJohnny P's Caddy by Benny the Butcher ft. J. ColePercy by Mick JenkinsNumb Numb Juice by ScHoolboy QControl by Big Sean ft. Kendrick Lamar & Jay ElctronicaOne Mic by Naseuphoria by Kendrick LamarYeah Right by Vince Staples ft. Kendrick LamarJoanne and Julia by Stan GetzChrono Trigger by Tommy RichmanHeavy Metal by Paris, TexasTezeta (Nostalgia) by Mulatu AsatkeSHOW NOTESPlug in with Real Ones - https://www.instagram.com/realonesshow/?hl=enFind some new music on their Coldest in Chicago playlist - https://realonesshow.com/playlistsWatch their interviews - https://www.youtube.com/@realonesshowFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - contact@respairmedia.com CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker
Tonika Lewis Johnson is about real repair. The photographer, social practice artist, and Macarthur genius grant recipient has spent the last decade building innovative, rooted projects that connect Chicagoans across racial divides, make legible the histories of structural violence, and create new versions of what healing can look like.She joins the guys to talk about how her art has moved from documentation to actual repair, the unlikely connections that emerge when Chicagoans gather, and the beautiful reality that is Unblocked Englewood, a groundbreaking partnership with the Chicago Bungalow Association that addresses the personal and systemic consequences of Chicago’s segregation.Through strategic home repairs, block beautification, and community-building, UnBlocked Englewood offers a powerful blueprint for restoring dignity and wealth to historically disinvested neighborhoods, and is one of the most tangible examples of community care and reparative culture-making we've ever seen. Plus, we get into some spicy AI debate at the end!SHOW NOTESLearn about UnBlocked Englewood - https://www.chicagobungalow.org/unblockedFollow Tonika on IG - https://www.instagram.com/tonikaj/?hl=enFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - contact@respairmedia.com CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker
How do most people learn about the world these days? And how do we, as a movement, make sure we're in their ears, gaze, and algorithm? Conscious Lee is an educator, facilitator, and content creator who has built a platform around direct, rooted critique of our culture. His work is rooted in transforming through consciousness-raising, using dialogue to uncover what needs to change.We talk about Black masculinity and feminism, how he's making sense of our moment of decay, and which debate archetypes JD Vance and Ben Shapiro are.SHOW NOTESFollow Conscious Lee - https://www.instagram.com/theconsciousleePlug in on Substack - https://substack.com/@theconsciouslee?r=5gijv&utm_medium=iosFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - contact@respairmedia.com CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker
The histories of our city shape our lives as Chicagoans, whether we know it or not. City stalwart and self-taught historian Dilla has made a life and livelihood peeling back the layers of Chicago and showing us how dope and impactful the city has been around the world. He sheds light on the roots of his curiosity, what he discovered through doing his genetic ancestry testing, and some of the best hidden histories he's found about the Chicago phenomens we love and hate.SHOW NOTESLink with Dilla - https://www.instagram.com/6figga_dilla/Sign up for one of his tours - https://www.chicagomahogany.com/Photo by Ash Lane via the TriibeFollow AirGo - instagram.com/airgoradiobsky.app/profile/respairmedia.bsky.socialFind us live! - www.respairmedia.com/events Bring us to your community by hitting us up - contact@respairmedia.com CREDITSHosts & Exec. Producers - Damon Williams and Daniel Kisslinger Associate Producers - Cin Pimentel & Rocío SantosVideo Post-Production Producer - Troi VallesLead Editor - Troi VallesDigital Media Producer - Troi VallesEngagement Producer - Rivka Yeker