One 54 Podcast

Mena Massoud joins One54 Africa for a conversation about his Egyptian roots, growing up in Canada, and his journey from studying neuroscience at the University of Toronto to becoming the star of Disney’s Aladdin alongside Will Smith. The Egyptian-Canadian actor opens up about creating Dharma Gin with his wife, blending Egyptian and Indian cultural influences into their spirit, and sharing his favorite Egyptian foods. Mena shares what it was like growing up in a predominantly white Canadian community, learning English through ESL, and navigating the cultural expectations of an immigrant family. He and Godfrey discuss the pressure to become a doctor, the shame associated with pursuing acting, and the difficult conversation with his parents after choosing theater school over neuroscience. He reflects on childhood trauma, self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the pressure to always be better, while exploring how those experiences shaped his career and personal growth. Mena takes us behind the scenes of his breakout role as Aladdin, from booking Jack Ryan with John Krasinski to landing the Disney film after months of auditions. He reveals how theater school prepared him for singing, dancing, camel riding, and the underwater drowning scene, which helped save the production $200,000. He also discusses working with Will Smith, the reality of Aladdin grossing over $1 billion at the box office, and why that massive success did not translate into a massive payday. The actor opens up about the dark place he experienced after Aladdin and how reconnecting with his love for acting helped him regain his confidence. He shares what it was like living in a closet in West Hollywood before booking Jack Ryan and Aladdin, navigating Hollywood as an Egyptian actor. Mena also discusses his new biblical film, Daniel: The Fiery Furnace, his Coptic Christian upbringing, and the importance of standing up for your faith and identity. They explore Egyptian history, the pyramids, the diversity of Africa, and what it means to experience Egypt beyond the tourist attractions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mena Massoud joins One54 Africa for a conversation about his Egyptian roots, growing up in Canada, and his journey from studying neuroscience at the University of Toronto to becoming the star of Disney’s Aladdin alongside Will Smith. The Egyptian-Canadian actor opens up about creating Dharma Gin with his wife, blending Egyptian and Indian cultural influences into their spirit, and sharing his favorite Egyptian foods. Mena shares what it was like growing up in a predominantly white Canadian community, learning English through ESL, and navigating the cultural expectations of an immigrant family. He and Godfrey discuss the pressure to become a doctor, the shame associated with pursuing acting, and the difficult conversation with his parents after choosing theater school over neuroscience. He reflects on childhood trauma, self-doubt, people-pleasing, and the pressure to always be better, while exploring how those experiences shaped his career and personal growth. Mena takes us behind the scenes of his breakout role as Aladdin, from booking Jack Ryan with John Krasinski to landing the Disney film after months of auditions. He reveals how theater school prepared him for singing, dancing, camel riding, and the underwater drowning scene, which helped save the production $200,000. He also discusses working with Will Smith, the reality of Aladdin grossing over $1 billion at the box office, and why that massive success did not translate into a massive payday. The actor opens up about the dark place he experienced after Aladdin and how reconnecting with his love for acting helped him regain his confidence. He shares what it was like living in a closet in West Hollywood before booking Jack Ryan and Aladdin, navigating Hollywood as an Egyptian actor. Mena also discusses his new biblical film, Daniel: The Fiery Furnace, his Coptic Christian upbringing, and the importance of standing up for your faith and identity. They explore Egyptian history, the pyramids, the diversity of Africa, and what it means to experience Egypt beyond the tourist attractions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adekunle Gold, also known as AG Baby, joins One54 Africa for conversation about his Nigerian roots, music career, creativity, family, and the global rise of Afrobeats. The award-winning Afrobeat superstar, singer, songwriter, designer, painter, sculptor, philanthropist, and performer opens up about his Kosoko family’s royal history in Lagos.    Adekunle Gold reflects on growing up in Lagos, his communal childhood, his family’s religious background, and how singing in church sparked his passion for music. He shares his experience auditioning for MTN Project Fame, and the breakthrough that came after releasing his cover of One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” “Sade.” He also discusses his early work as a graphic designer, being known as the “King of Photoshop.” AG Baby takes viewers through his evolution as an artist, including his experiences working alongside Nigerian stars such as Skales and Wizkid. He explains how he developed his sound through Nigerian genres including Highlife, Fuji, Juju, Sakara, and Afrobeat. He also discusses the power of melodies and lyrics in Yoruba, and why African artists should not feel pressured to translate their music for Western audiences. Adekunle Gold opens up about his relationship with Pharrell Williams, including how a Pharrell tweet changed the way he viewed himself as an artist. He explains his unique songwriting process, describing how he spends hours finding melodies before choosing the right one. The conversation then explores his time signed to Def Jam, creative control, owning masters, artist development, and why young artists need to build themselves beyond having one viral hit. Adekunle Gold reveals how watching Beyoncé perform at Coachella inspired him to completely rethink his own live shows. AG Baby also discusses writing for Beyoncé and the emotional story behind a song he originally wrote for the Lion King project after losing his father. He talks about Rihanna, Beyoncé, Bill Withers, and the complicated process of clearing interpolations for his album Fuji. He also reflects on family, marriage, fatherhood, misinformation surrounding his children, and his commitment to giving back through his sickle cell foundation. To close, Adekunle Gold discusses the explosive worldwide growth of Afrobeats and what it means to see African music embraced globally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adekunle Gold, also known as AG Baby, joins One54 Africa for conversation about his Nigerian roots, music career, creativity, family, and the global rise of Afrobeats. The award-winning Afrobeat superstar, singer, songwriter, designer, painter, sculptor, philanthropist, and performer opens up about his Kosoko family’s royal history in Lagos.    Adekunle Gold reflects on growing up in Lagos, his communal childhood, his family’s religious background, and how singing in church sparked his passion for music. He shares his experience auditioning for MTN Project Fame, and the breakthrough that came after releasing his cover of One Direction’s “Story of My Life,” “Sade.” He also discusses his early work as a graphic designer, being known as the “King of Photoshop.” AG Baby takes viewers through his evolution as an artist, including his experiences working alongside Nigerian stars such as Skales and Wizkid. He explains how he developed his sound through Nigerian genres including Highlife, Fuji, Juju, Sakara, and Afrobeat. He also discusses the power of melodies and lyrics in Yoruba, and why African artists should not feel pressured to translate their music for Western audiences. Adekunle Gold opens up about his relationship with Pharrell Williams, including how a Pharrell tweet changed the way he viewed himself as an artist. He explains his unique songwriting process, describing how he spends hours finding melodies before choosing the right one. The conversation then explores his time signed to Def Jam, creative control, owning masters, artist development, and why young artists need to build themselves beyond having one viral hit. Adekunle Gold reveals how watching Beyoncé perform at Coachella inspired him to completely rethink his own live shows. AG Baby also discusses writing for Beyoncé and the emotional story behind a song he originally wrote for the Lion King project after losing his father. He talks about Rihanna, Beyoncé, Bill Withers, and the complicated process of clearing interpolations for his album Fuji. He also reflects on family, marriage, fatherhood, misinformation surrounding his children, and his commitment to giving back through his sickle cell foundation. To close, Adekunle Gold discusses the explosive worldwide growth of Afrobeats and what it means to see African music embraced globally. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Josh Okogie joins One54 Africa for a conversation about his Nigerian roots, NBA journey, basketball career, Nigerian culture, and representing Nigeria on the international stage. The Nigerian American NBA veteran and Utah Jazz player opens up about his identity, growing up between Nigerian and American cultures, and why returning to Nigeria helped him embrace his heritage with confidence. Josh Okogie reflects on his first trip back to Nigeria after leaving as a child, reconnecting with family, visiting Lagos, Abuja and his village, and traveling across different parts of the country while playing for the Nigerian national team. He also talks Nigerian food, including jollof rice, garri, meat pies, chin chin, puff puff and assorted meats, along with his family’s influence and the challenges of maintaining a Nigerian diet during an NBA season. The conversation then turns to Josh Okogie’s childhood and how basketball became his passion. He explains how his older brother’s basketball goal introduced him to the game, his first dunk in eighth grade, and the moment he realized he could take basketball beyond high school. Okogie discusses playing for Chris Paul’s AAU team, competing against some of the best young players in the country, and how those experiences changed his mindset about reaching the NBA. Josh Okogie also shares his college experience at Georgia Tech, his decision to leave college after two seasons for the NBA, and the importance of trusting his opportunity. He reflects on learning from Chris Paul, eventually becoming his teammate in Phoenix, and the full-circle experience of going from being mentored by CP3 as a young player to sharing an NBA locker room with him. They explore Okogie’s NBA career, his versatility as a two-way player, joining the Utah Jazz, and his perspective on the evolution of NBA positions and basketball. He discusses Utah Jazz history, John Stockton and Karl Malone, while also sharing stories about meeting Nigerian basketball legend Hakeem Olajuwon and studying Hakeem’s famous Dream Shake. Okogie recalls playing against Jaylen Brown in high school in an unforgettable triple-overtime game and explains why he believes Jaylen Brown is often misunderstood. He also discusses Jimmy Butler, his rookie-season experience in Minnesota, and what he learned from Butler’s approach to basketball and leadership. The conversation ultimately returns to Nigeria and Okogie’s decision to represent the Nigerian national team after previously playing for USA Basketball. He explains how he switched his international basketball eligibility, played for Nigeria at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and experienced the unique bond of playing alongside other Nigerian players. Okogie was also part of the Nigerian team that stunned Kevin Durant and Team USA in a memorable exhibition victory in Las Vegas. Josh Okogie closes by discussing the Okogie Family Foundation, giving back to children and underserved communities, his annual community carnival in Snellville, Georgia, and his desire to use basketball as a tool to mentor young people and help the next generation.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.