Being Black- The '80s

theGrio Black Podcast Network is proud to announce that Being Black: The '80s has received a Lovie Awards nomination. Click here to vote in the Arts, Entertainment & Sports category to help Touré bring home the win!

Being Black: The '80s has been nominated for a Signal Award! Help us win the People's Choice award for best Limited Series: Music, by voting here: https://tinyurl.com/bb80sSignal 

Star Stories with Touré is an animated series about the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievable backstage interactions with some of the most iconic men in music of the modern era. These animated stories are unforgettable recollections of the larger-than-life experiences with music journalist Touré . To hear the podcast visit: https://pod.link/1697986415 To watch the series visit: https://thegrio.com/starstories/ Touré played poker with Jay-Z one night in a swanky Manhattan penthouse suite. Each hand was worth thousands of dollars. Why was Touré in the game? He’s not rich enough for a game like that. It could have bankrupted him. The answer: He’s insane. Also, he was willing to risk everything to glean the very interesting bit of psychological insight he could get from being head-to-head in a hand of poker with Jay-Z.   Watch here:  https://thegrio.com/starstories/1368617/#sp=star%20stories   Credits: The Takeover Writer: JAY-Z & Kanye West Label: Roc-A-Fella Records Publisher: Roc The World    The Story of OJ  Writer: JAY-Z, No I.D., Nina Simone, Gene Redd Jr. & Jimmy Crosby Label: Roc Nation Publisher: Carter Boys Music, Sony Music Entertainment, Virgin Records, EMI Longitude Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, EMI Music Publishing Group, Filmtrax, Eleven East Music, Bucky Music, Rolls Royce Music Company, BMG, Let The Story Begin Publishing, EMI Waterford Music, BMG Monarch, Warner/Chappell, Delightful Music, Round Hill Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Corp., Carbert Music & Stephanye Music

NWA's Ice Cube talks about the influence of crack on their hit song “Dopeman” and the contradiction of how drug money destroyed the community and propelled his career. “Dopeman” Is one of the illest songs ever made because it takes you deep into the drug dealer’s perspective on selling drugs. The crack dealer was evil but we should still seek to understand what drove him and when we look into his soul we find that like the fiends he served, he too was an addict, but he was addicted to power and money. Crack dealers and their culture had a deep influence on hiphop culture and the Black community. In this ep we go into "Dopeman” with The D.O.C. from NWA and talk to several former drug dealers about how dealers changed the world around them.   Guests: Nelson George, Filmmaker Royce Da 5’9, Rapper Biba Adams, Writer The D.O.C., Rapper Samson Styles, Journalist and Filmmaker Kevin Chiles, CEO Don Diva Magazine Jim Jones, Rapper Credits: NWA - Dope Man Writer: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Sugarfoot, Junie Morrison, Marshall “Rock” Jones, Greg Webster, Ralph Middlebrooks, Marvin Pierce, Norman Napier & Andrew Noland  Label: Ruthless Records Publisher: Ruthless Attack Muzick & Bridgeport Music    NWA - Fuck Tha Police Writer: The D.O.C., Ice Cube & MC Ren Label: Universal Music Group, Ruthless Records & Priority Records Publisher: Universal Music Group   Notorious BIG - The Ten Crack Commandments Writer: The Notorious B.I.G. & DJ Premier Label: Bad Boy Entertainment Publisher: B.I.G. Poppa Music, Gifted Pearl Music, Justin Combs Music & EMI April Music   Alpo Martinez, FEDS Magazine

Star Stories with Toure` is an animated series about the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievable backstage interactions with some of the most iconic men in music today. These animated stories are unforgettable recollections of the larger-than-life experiences with music journalist Toure` and Black celebrities. “I spent over two decades working in music journalism, and it left me with a wealth of awesome stories about the time I spent hanging out with many intriguing stars. I played basketball with Prince. I played poker with Jay-Z. I went jewelry shopping with Kanye. I was briefly kidnapped and threatened with torture by Suge Knight. All these stories reveal something interesting, funny, or real about these stars. There is also a contrast between the life of a star and the life of a journalist. It is centered around true stories, which are definitely for adults, not kids."     Toure`

Tracy Chapman became one of the biggest musicians in the world thanks to two critical 80s concepts—affirmative action and the diasporic mindset. Because of the diasporic mindset, many Americans thought of Africa as part of their world, as if Africa’s problems are our own, and we are not truly free until South Africans suffering under Apartheid are free. And affirmative action did nothing less than change Chapman’s life. We’ll explore how those ideas  helped Chapman and how they relate to "Fast Car." We’ll also look at what Chapman’s life might have been like if she’d never been helped by affirmative action. Guests: Jelani Cobb, Dean, Columbia Journalism School Credits:  Tracy Chapman - Fast Car Label: Elektra Writer: Tracy Chapman  Publisher: PURPLE RABBIT MUSIC Tracy Chapman - Fast Car (Live Version) Label: Elektra Writer: Tracy Chapman  Publisher: Purple Rabbit Music Elizabeth Cotten - Freight Train Writer: Elizabeth Cotten, James Paul, William Frederick Label: Folkways Records FG 3526 Publisher: Figs D Music Elizabeth Cotten - Goin Down the Road Feelin Bad Writer: Elizabeth Cotten Label: Folkways Records FG 3526 Publisher: Folkways Records FG 3526 Tracy Chapman | Rare Interview, Planet Rock Profiles Tracy Chapman 1996, Charlie Rose Tracy Chapman Talks Bob Dylan, Tracy Chapman Online Elizabeth Cotten, Series Down Home Elizabeth Cotten, Rainbow Quest TV I Am Somebody, Jesse Jackson LP, Respect Records (1971) Living History presents Jesse Jackson, Rutherford Living History

"My Brother’s A Basehead” is a true story. Posdnous from De La Soul had an older brother who had a crack addiction and it was very damaging for the whole family. For Pos and his parents, crack was literally in the house just as it was in many houses and many families during the crack era. Crack decimated many families and De La Soul made one of the most powerful songs about all that. In this episode we talk about how crack destroyed families and what went into the making of "My Brother’s A Basehead.” We talk to Prince Paul, De La Soul’s producer who’s sometimes called the 4th member of the group. We also talk about a very different song about crack users, Public Enemy’s Night of the Living Baseheads, which looked down on people who used crack while one of the members of PE was a crack addict. PE's producer Hank Shocklee joins us for that.     Guests: Prince Paul, Producer - De La Soul is Dead Hank Shocklee, Producer - Public Enemy Credits: De La Soul - My Brothers a Basehead Writer: Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, Prince Paul, Maseo, Clint Ballard Jr. & Robby Krieger Label: Tommy Boy Records Publisher: Tee Girl Music, MCA Music, Shapiro Bernstein & Doors Music Co. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5 - The Message  Writer: Clifton ‘’Jiggs’’ Chase, Sylvia Robinson, Duke Bootee & Grandmaster Melle Mel Label: Sugar Hill Records Publisher: Sugar Hill Records   De La Soul - Me Myself and I Writer: Posdnuos, Trugoy the Dove, Prince Paul, Maseo, George Clinton & Philippe Wynne  Label: Tommy Boy Records Publisher: Birdsong Edwin Music Pub, Bridgeport Music Inc, Daisy Age Music, Warner-Tamerlane Publishing Co   De La Soul - Potholes on My Lawn Writer: P. Huston, K. Mercer, D. Jolicoeur, V. Mason Label: Tommy Boy Records Publisher: Tommy Boy Music   Public Enemy - Night of the Living Baseheads Writer: Chuck D, Eric Sadler & Hank Shocklee Label: Def Jam Recordings Publisher: Def American Songs Inc, Reach Global Songs, Shocklee Music, Songs Of Reach Music, Terrordome Music Publishing Llc, Your Mother S Music Inc Crack User in the 80’s epic interview, EurointheCut What is the Drug War? With Jay-Z & Molly Crabapple, Drug Policy Alliance Lawn Order, 99 Percent Invisible Toure: Why I Quit, Touré Speaking Freely: Chuck D, Freedom Forum Malcolm X’s Fiery Speech Addressing Police Brutality, Smithsonian Channel  

N.W.A’s “Dopeman” Is one of the illest songs ever made because it takes you deep into the drug dealer’s perspective on selling drugs. The crack dealer was evil but we should still seek to understand what drove him and when we look into his soul we find that like the fiends he served, he too was an addict, but he was addicted to power and money. Crack dealers and their culture had a deep influence on hiphop culture and the Black community. In this ep we go into "Dopeman” with The D.O.C. from NWA and talk to several former drug dealers about how dealers changed the world around them. Guests: Nelson George, Filmmaker Royce Da 5’9, Rapper Biba Adams, Writer The D.O.C., Rapper Samson Styles, Journalist and Filmmaker Kevin Chiles, CEO Don Diva Magazine Jim Jones, Rapper Credits: NWA - Dope Man Writer: Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Sugarfoot, Junie Morrison, Marshall “Rock” Jones, Greg Webster, Ralph Middlebrooks, Marvin Pierce, Norman Napier & Andrew Noland  Label: Ruthless Records Publisher: Ruthless Attack Muzick & Bridgeport Music    NWA - Fuck Tha Police Writer: ​The D.O.C., Ice Cube & MC Ren Label: Universal Music Group, Ruthless Records & Priority Records Publisher: Universal Music Group   Notorius BIG - The Ten Crack Commandments Writer: The Notorious B.I.G. & DJ Premier Label: Bad Boy Entertainment Publisher: B.I.G. Poppa Music, Gifted Pearl Music, Justin Combs Music & EMI April Music   Alpo Martinez, FEDS Magazine

“Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos” is Public Enemy’s look at prison and mass incarceration. In this episode, we leap from that song into talking about the New Jim Crow and mass incarceration and how being in America is like being in a prison. Guests: Dr. Christina Greer, Fordham Professor Hank Shocklee, Producer Adam Bernstein, Director, Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos Jim Jones, Rapper  Credits: Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos Writer: Chuck D, Eric Sadler, Hank Shocklee & Flavor Flav Label: Def Jam Recordings & Columbia Records Publisher: Shocklee Music, Songs Of Reach Music, Songs Of Universal Inc, Terrordome Music Publishing Llc, Your Mother S Music Inc   Public Enemy - Fight The power Writer: Flavor Flav, Gary G-Wiz, Chuck D, Hank Shocklee, Eric Sadler & Keith Shocklee Label:  Def Jam Recordings Publisher:  Reach Global Songs, Shocklee Music, Songs Of Reach Music, Songs Of Universal Inc, Terrordome Music Publishing Llc, Your Mother S Music Inc   Public Enemy - Burn Hollywood Burn Writer: Ice Cube, Big Daddy Kane, Chuck D, Keith Shocklee & Eric Sadler Label: Def Jam Recordings & Columbia Records Publisher: Cold Chillin' Music Publishing Inc, Gangsta Boogie Music, Universal Music Corporation   Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet Writer: Chuck D, Eric Sadler & Keith Shocklee Label: Def Jam Recordings and Columbia Records Publisher: Bridgeport Music Inc, Reach Global Songs, Songs Of Universal Inc   Jay Z - 99 Problems  Writer: JAY-Z, Rick Rubin, Ice-T, DJ Aladdin, Kenneth Gamble, Leon Huff, N.D. Smart II, Leslie West, Bun B, John Ventura, Norman Landsberg, Billy Squier & Felix Pappalardi Label: Def Jam Recordings & Roc-A-Fella Records Publisher: Carter Boys Music, EMI April Music, Rhyme Syndicate Music, Copyright Control, Ammo Dump Music, Carrumba Music, Songs of the Knight, Spirit Two Music, Warner Music Group, Universal - Songs of Polygram International, BMG & Careers-BMG Music Publishing   Muhammad Ali Gives His Stance On The Vietnam War, The Dick Cavett Show Muhammad Ali Refuses Induction, Opposing Vietnam War, The Boys Who Said NO! Michelle Alexander Extended Interview, Religion and Ethics Weekly, PBS Speaking Freely: Chuck D, Freedom Forum House Negro/Field Negro, Malcolm X Message To The Grassroots

Stevie’s legendary song “Happy Birthday” was originally part of the long, hard battle to turn Dr. King’s birthday into a national holiday. When Dr. King was assassinated, his approval rating with white people was very low. At that point, he was not beloved by them. It took a lot of careful, steady, thoughtful, diplomatic work by Coretta Scott King to change his image and win over politicians. Stevie Wonder was committed to that struggle and this song is just one of the things he did for Dr. King. In this episode, we talk to King's daughter Bernice as well as the engineers who worked with Stevie on the song. We talk about how they got us to having a King holiday and what that fight meant to Stevie. And why he usually records in the middle of the night.   Guests: Dr. Chrissy Greer, Professor, Fordham University  Jelani Cobb, Professor, Columbia University  Lon Neumann, Recording Engineer, Happy Birthday Gary Adante, Lead Engineer, Happy Birthday Dr. Bernice King, CEO The King Center  Reverend Dr. Barbara Reynolds, Journalist   Credits: Stevie Wonder - Happy Birthday  Writer: Stevie Wonder Label: Motown Records Publisher: Black Bull Music Inc, Jobete Music Co Inc   Public Enemy - By the Time I Get to Arizona Writer: Chuck D, Neftali Santiago, Mandrill, Stuart Robertz, G-Wiz & C-Dawg Label: Def Jam and Colombia Records Publisher: Sony Music Entertainment   Stevie Wonder sings "Happy Birthday" Martin Luther King, CSPAN Stevie Wonder on creating Martin Luther King Day 1983, CNN Public Enemy, Arsenio Hall (1993) Martin Luther King, Jr. on Income Inequality and Redistribution of Wealth, Insaaf Blog Harold Washington, CBS Chicago Republican President Reagan’s Jaw-Dropping Press Conference the Day Martin Luther King Holiday Was Passed, Mediaite Public Enemy Chuck D Interview, ABC News (1992) 

“I’m Coming Out” was meant to be a gay liberation song but the song’s writer and producer Nile Rodgers didn’t tell Diana Ross that. Which led to a whole thing. It’s a crazy story. The origin of the song is fascinating but more interesting is how disco in general was part of the gay rights movement. We chart the rise of disco and look at the way it dovetailed with the struggle for LGBTQ rights and how being gay is so different for Sylvester than for Tyler the Creator.    Guests: Wesley Morris, Critic, New York Times Craig Seymour, Music Critic and Activist  Nile Rodgers, Record Producer and Chic Founder Bill Coleman, Artist Manager  DJ Jellybean Benitez, Deejay Nelson George, Filmmaker and Author    Credits: Diana Ross - I'm Coming Out  Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers Label: Motown Records Publisher: Chic Music, Inc   Chic - Le Freak Writer: Bernard Edwards & Nile Rodgers Label: Atlantic Records Publisher: Chic Music & Cotillion Records Sylvester - You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real) Writer: Sylvester & James Wirrick Label: Fantasy Publisher: Bee Keeper Music, Tipsyl Music   Barry White - You’re The First, My Last, My Everything Writer: Peter Sterling Radcliffe, Tony Sepe & Barry White Label:  20th Century Fox Records Publisher: SaVette Music Co.   Diana Ross - Love Hangover Writer: Pam Sawyer & Marilyn McLeod Label: Motown Records Publisher: Jobete Music Co. INC   A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie Writer: Perry Kibble & Janice Marie Johnson Label: Capitol Records Publisher: On Time Music, INC   Donna Summer - Love to Love You Baby Writer: Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder & Pete Bellotte Label: Casablanca, Oasis Publisher: Saturday Music and Cafe Americana   Grace Jones - Pull up to the Bumper Writer: Sly Dunbar, Alex Sadkin, Chris Blackwell, Sly & Robbie & Grace Jones Label: Island Publisher: EMI Music Publishing Ltd   Candi Stanton - Young Hearts Run Free Writer: Dave Crawford Label: Warner Bros. Publisher: Ghati Music Inc   Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive Writer: Dino Fekaris & Freddie Perren Label: Polydor Records Publisher: Perren-Vibes Music Co.    Tyler the Creator - I Ain’t Got Time Writer: Tyler, The Creator Label: Columbia Records Publisher:  Columbia Records & Sony Music Entertainment   Tyler, The Creator Used To Be Accused of Homophobia, Now Raps About “Kissing White Boys”, Genius Tyler The Creator And Funk Flex Have an Honest Conversation Plus, Hot 97

“She Works Hard for the Money,” is Donna Summer’s classic that was born when she saw a waitress sleeping during her shift and thought, damn she works hard for the money. In this episode we talk about the birth of the song with Summer’s husband and we talk about Black women’s economic issues and how Black women can accrue more wealth and what society needs to do for Black women and how sisters can get more venture capital funds so they can start and grow their own businesses.  Guests: Bruce Sudano, Donna Summer’s Husband   Omi Bell, CEO, Black Girl Ventures Foundation Lauren Maillian, CEO, Digital Undivided  Nina Banks, Professor Bucknell University   Credits: Donna Summer - MacArthur Park Writer: Jimmy Webb Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc. Publisher: Canopy Music   Donna Summer - Hot Stuff Writer: Keith Forsey, Harold Faltermeyer & Pete Bellotte Label: Casablanca Records Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music    Donna Summer - Bad Girls  Writer: Joe Esposito, Edward Hokenson, Bruce Sudano & Donna Summer Label: Casablanca Records Publisher: Sweet Summer Night Music    Donna Summer - She Works Hard For the Money  Writer: Michael Omartian & Donna Summer Label: Casablanca Record and Filmworks Inc. Publisher: Phonogram International B.V.   Gwen Guthrie - Ain't Nothin Goin On But The Rent  Writer: Gwen Guthrie Label: Polydor Publisher: Universal Polygram International Publishing Inc

“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers is one of the ultimate songs about the Black spirit and the immense determination that has gotten us through life in America. I’m talking about a specifically Black determination that has powered our resistance and carried us through life in America. A sense of Black determination that we hear in Redemption Song as well as Sam Cookie’s “A Change Gonna Come,” Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise,” and Kendrick’s “Alright.” No matter how hard things have been we have always been certain that one day we would overcome.  Guests: Roger Steffens, Author, So Much Things to Say Michael Eric Dyson, Professor, Princeton University Credits: Bob Marley and The Wailer's - Redemption Song  Writer: Bob Marley Label: Tuff Gong & Island Records Publisher: Fifty Six Hope Road Music Limited, Primary Wave/Blue Mountain   Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come Writer: Sam Cooke Label: RCA Victor Publisher: Kegs Music Corp.  Kendrick Lamar - Alright  Writer: Kawan Prather, Kendrick Lamar, Pharrell Williams & Sounwave Label: Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment & Interscope Records Publisher: EMI April Music, New World Music, Warner Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, EMI Music Publishing Group, PECF, BMG Firefly, BMG, Warner/Chappell, Top Dawg Entertainment, Sony/ATV Allegro, In Thee Face Music Publishing, Hard Working Black Folks Publishing, BMG Gold Songs, Beat Bully Productions, More Water From Nazareth & EMI Pop Music Publishing Still I Rise, Maya Angelou Yvonne Orji, The Toure Show #TrumpRally protesters chant "We gonna be alright", Chicago Reader