Words Matter Pod w/ Akil Pinnock

We’re back. In the second and final part of episode 42, Mr. Allen and I speak about Hip-Hop being the most honest genre of music, the difference between public relations and journalism, why he made the subject of the project turtablism instead of any of the other three elements of Hip-Hop. He spoke about creating a DJ septet as a Hip-Hop re-imagining of a big band, the erasure of the DJ in rap groups, and sending records to space. Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter. CHECK OUT HARRY'S HARBANGER COLLOQUIUM!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnbDwvCj4vk&t=5413sSUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en

We got another two parter y’all! We have Harry Allen, one of three of the 2024-2025 Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellows from the Harvard Hip Hop Archive. Mr. Allen is a longtime Hip-Hop journalist, media personality, educator, and member of the legendary Public Enemy. Today, we’re here to speak about his fellowship project harbanger. In his own words, harbanger is a turntablist septet, and an experimental hip-hop research project created at MIT in 2020 designed to investigate turntable polyphony, polyrhythm, and polysemantics. This may sound like a foreign language to most so we get into that during this interview. In part one of this week’s episode, Mr. Allen explains how harbanger represents an alternate reality of hip-hop being taken seriously when it was formed instead of initially being written off as a silly fad like most things that Black people create. He spoke about the difference between “art music” and “commerce music,” commercialization of Hip-Hop, what “crossing over” means, his relationship with Chuck D and Public Enemy, what being the “Media Assassin” meant, hip-hop being “reasonable,” and so much more. Stay tuned for part two coming next week. Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter. CHECK OUT HARRY'S HARBANGER COLLOQUIUM!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnbDwvCj4vk&t=5413sSUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en

This week’s guest is James Pitt, founder of American Felon TV. American Felon TV is a social media and YouTube platform that documents crimes and landmark events in his life and Rockland County, NY. While I understand many in the comments may interpret the existence of American Felon TV as a platform that’s stuck in the past and glorifies crime, to Pitt, he’s telling these stories as a method to deter youth from a life of crime and incarceration, as well as highlighting and interviewing felons who have turned their life around. Pitt talks about how growing up being poor and the ridicule that comes with that, led to him eventually fighting back which led to a life of crime and violence. We spoke about handling his newfound fame and dealing with online trolls, re-adjusting to the free world, fighting recidivism, the difference between glorification and documentation, what he had to unlearn from prison, and much more. I say this all the time but this was a really great episode and when the American Felon TV Instagram page was brought to my attention, I instantly knew that this was someone that we needed to interview. Relative to the world of crime, these stories aren’t the most unique, but within the context of our hometown of Spring Valley, NY, these are the stories of our community that need to be told. The suburbs experience some of the same hardships that people from the cities experience such as, the school-to-prison pipeline, crime, homelessness, underfunded public school districts, and gentrification. Hopefully this channel and interview can be informative to listeners like you and contribute to everyone understanding each other just a little better so that we can co-exist without judgement. Please LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter. SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/jelaniaswad/INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Welcome back. As promised, we’re back with part two of Crunk as a Resistance w/ Dr. Kevin C. Holt. In part two, Dr. Holt speaks about the Memphis sound of Three 6 Mafia and Miami Bass being the forefathers of Crunk, Atlanta’s local Bass artists becoming local celebrities, how Atlanta’s version of Bass turned into Crunk, Lil Jon being the face of Crunk, Atlanta’s wealth gap, Kendrick Lamar’s last verse on “Not Like Us,” and so much more. Please LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

We got another two parter and it’s very nerdy! Today’s guest is Dr. Kevin C. Holt, Assistant Professor of Critical Music Studies at SUNY Stony Brook University,  one of three of Harvard Universities 2024-2025 Nasir Jones Hip-Hop Fellows, and author of I Bet You Won’t Get Crunk! The Performative Resistance of Atlanta Hip-Hop Party Music. In part one of this interview, Dr. Holt and I speak about the enormity of a Harvard fellowship being named after Nas, the elitist nature of Hip-Hop analysis in academia, Crunk as a resistance to the status quo, it's connection to Freaknik, and Hip-Hop helping change the perception of the south. After listening to this podcast you can see why Dr. Holt is who he is. Not many can make the connections he makes to understand the things you may consume passively on a daily basis. He’s a wealth of knowledge and I hope that whoever listened or watched part one of the interview can leave with a different perspective on what we’ve discussed, specifically Crunk music, it’s origins and what it represented. If you enjoyed part one of this interview, then you’ll enjoy part two next week. Please LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Today’s guest is Brian ‘Z’ Zisook. Co-founder and Senior Vice President of Global Operations and head of Artist and Label Services at Audiomack, an artist first music streaming platform that allows artists to upload music and fans to stream and download songs. He is also one of the founders of DJ Booth, a mixtape hosting streaming service and later, an industry leader in music journalism that entered into a content partnership with Audiomack in 2020. Z and I discussed the platform he’s created for himself on X (formerly known as Twitter) as a beacon of music business education, being a true advocate for artists and attributing that to why he’s never wanted to start a label, what his intentions were when creating Audiomack, carrying yourself with integrity as a white person in Hip-Hop, fans focusing heavily on sales and accolades, and more. Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE!SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE!https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS!Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

In part two, Dr. Boyd and I discuss the complicated legacy of Sylvia Robinson, founder of Sugarhill Records and if The Sugarhill Gang are “industry plants,” the kinship between hip-hop and jazz and why ultimately, hip-hop will be heard in the same prestigious cultural venues as jazz music. He also spoke on why MCing and DJing are the only elements of Hip-Hop that can be commodified, lyrics being used to incriminate rappers, hip-hop being aspirational, why people should read Rappers Deluxe, and much more. Please LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter  SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS! Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Today’s guest is none other than The Notorious PhD, Dr. Todd Boyd. Outside of his informative cultural commentary on basically every documentary ever made, Dr. Boyd has been a tenured professor in The University of Southern California's Cinematic Arts department for over 30 years. He’s written various articles and essay’s, co-wrote and produced 1999’s cult-classic, The Wood, and is the author of eight books, including his most recent offering, Rappers Deluxe: How Hip Hop Made The World. In part one of this two part interview, Dr. Boyd revealed that his inspiration for wanting to earn his PhD didn’t come from other PhD’s, but ironically from being a fan of how sportscasters spoke with respect about basketball Hall of Famer, Julius “Dr. J” Erving, during a time when Black men were commonly demeaned in the media. Dr. Boyd couldn’t play like Dr. J, but that led to him eventually earning that respect years down the line, after earning a PhD. Dr. Boyd spoke about how he’s subconsciously been writing this book since he was 9 years old and how his lifelong love of sports, film, television, politics, music, magazines and overall culture laid the foundation of everything he’s done in his professional career. Later in college, Dr. Boyd realized that he could make a living intellectualizing all the media he consumed. He later spoke about how rhyming has always been apart of Black culture even before hip-hop, being a pioneer in collegiate hip-hop education, the performative nature of his teaching style, how hip-hop made the world, people critiquing materialism in hip-hop, and people falling victim to their own nostalgia. I know everyone will enjoy Dr. Boyd’s candor, humor and knowledge as I did but it doesn’t stop there. Look out for part two next week. Please LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter.  SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS! Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

For the second time, we have Blvk H3ro. By the time this episode is released, H3ro will be on tour for his debut album, On A Mission, so I was happy he was able to sit down with Words Matter Pod before he got super busy on the road. In this week’s episode, we spoke about what it feels like to release your debut album, his music reflecting his personal growth, bridging the gap between the younger and older generation of reggae artists, the significance of the Grammy’s to Jamaicans and so much more. It’s Always good to sit down with H3ro and get his unique perspective. On A Mission out now on all DSP’s. Words Matter. SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS! Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

It’s good to be back! This week we have licensed psychotherapist, public speaker, podcaster, stand-up comic and author of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy with Clients Managing Trauma, The Solution Focused Marriage: 5 Simple Habits That Will Bring Out the Best in Your Relationship, Solution Building in Couples Therapy, The Art of Solution Focused Therapy and the Solution Focused Brief Therapy Diamond, Elliott Connie. Connie spoke about his tough upbringing, being s*icidal as a child, normalizing psychotherapy in the Black community, children advocating for themselves, solution focused people vs. “woe is me” people, and of course, much more. I had a lot of insightful fun listening to Mr. Connie’s perspective. It’s a breath of fresh air to speak to a person with what some would consider unconventional ideas have the knowledge and credentials to back their theories. Much respect to Mr. Elliot Connie. Please LIKE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter. SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS! Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

And we're back for part two. In the second and my favorite part of "The only thing constant is change," w/ film and tv editor Kristin Valentine. Valentine spoke about the intricacies of editing process as well as her favorite part of the process. She had a long list of editors she admires, she brought up a common but accurate cliché regarding editing being the final re-write of the script, and we spoke about arguably the biggest topic in Hollywood today, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike and MUCH MORE. Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter. SUBSCRIBE TO WORDS MATTER NETWORK ONLINE! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a CHECK US OUT ON SOCIALS! Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en VIDEO EDIT: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ INSTRUMENTAL: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Sorry for the hiatus y'all, but today's episode is worth the wait. We had the pleasure of interviewing film and television editor, Kristin Valentine. Hailing from Indianapolis, Indiana, Valentine spoke about being a mathematician by trade as a data analyst for the Department of Defense before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in Hollywood. In part one of this interview, we spent some time speaking on Valentine developing her love for film and TV from her parents, how it's possible for someone to be right and left-brained, the unexpected loss of a close friend who encouraged her to be in the film business pushing Valentine to enroll in a summer film class at USC, and much more! Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter. Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

We’re back at CREATIVE SOUNDZ RECORDING STUDIOS, this time with owner, overall renaissance man, Grammy Award winner, Pusha Rod. Rod spoke about growing up on the East Side of South Central Los Angeles, but never allowing the negative stereotypes about his community define him, while also taking accountability for the roles he's played in his life. After spending so much of his youth involved in crime as a means of survival, Rod finally begun to embrace his artistic abilities when his friend and rapper YG gave him an ultimatum to change his life during his own ascent. Rod later leveraged his valued opinions in studio sessions with YG and Mustard as a self-proclaimed “professional homie,” into eventually becoming an A&R at Interscope Records and ended up managing his friend YG down the line. Later, we briefly spoke about Rod’s time at Interscope, finally receiving his Grammy in the mail for being a co-writer on Ella Mai’s 2018 hit Boo’d Up, what it means to be a hustler, what Rod learned from all of the different business ventures he’s been apart of and much more. Much love to Pusha Rod for allowing me into his place of business to conduct this interview and for being so transparent with me. For any singer/songwriter or rapper in LA, check out CREATIVE SOUNDZ STUDIOS. Please LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter. Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Carl LeGrett is Senior Director of A&R/Publishing at Create Music Group, an independent data-driven media and technology company, that focuses on transparency with its creators. Aside from his work of finding talent, LeGrett has uncovered millions of dollars in unclaimed royalties for Create's artists, a practice not often synonymous with traditional record label structure. Last week, I sat down with LeGrett at Create's offices in Hollywood, where we spoke about him falling in love with Hip-Hop production from watching Hoopmixtape basketball highlights, the "Type Beat" production world, the importance of finding artists unclaimed royalties as well so much more important music business jewels. PLEASE RATE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE and remember. Words Matter. Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

As promised, we’re back with Part. II of Rebel with a Cause w/ Grammy Award nominated reggae artist, Blvk H3ro. In the second and final part of this episode, H3ro speaks about what it means to be an independent reggae artist in this digital age, the Jamaican music business, non-Black artists making Black music, what it takes to be a professional musician, smoking a spliff with Sir Paul McCartney and so much more. I had a great time interviewing Blvk H3ro. It’s definitely one of my favorite interviews I’ve conducted thus far. He was insightful and I learned a lot from his perspective on music and specifically, the state of music in his native Jamaica. And I forgot, cause I didn’t do it last week, but I’d like to give a special shoutout to my sister Jendayi. My actual blood sister, for allowing me to use her crib for the interview. You can check out Blvk H3ro’s music on every digital streaming platform as well as social media. Please RATE, COMMENT AND SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter! Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

It's only right that the longest Words Matter Pod episode thus far is a reflection of host, Akil Pinnock's Jamaican roots. Today's episode features reggae artist Blvk H3ro, who at the 65th Grammy Awards, was nominated for Best Global Music Performance for his feature on Ghanaian artist Rocky Dawuni's "Neva Bow Down." In part 1 of the almost 2 and a half hour interview, Blvk H3ro speaks about his musical beginnings in church, leaving music as a teen to then come back to it in through an unlikely setting, the unglamorous parts of being a recording artist; having respect , and much more! Stay tuned for part 2 of today's episode next week! PLEASE RATE, COMMENT, AND SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter! Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

Last week we took a trip to Creative Soundz Recording studios in the heart of L.A. to speak to Brandon Brown, Vice President of A&R at Interscope Records. Brown, a native of Compton, CA, a city with a rich Hip-Hop history recalls seeing Eazy-E drive down the street, growing up a half a mile away from where Straight Outta Compton was recorded, and learning what an A&R was through the popular Hip-Hop magazines of the time. Later, Brown went into detail about what exactly an A&R is, the steps he took to become one and much more. Please RATE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE. Words Matter! Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

A few weeks back we took a trip to East LA College where I interviewed John Mosley Jr., Head Coach of their Men's Basketball team. For two seasons, Mosley and crew have been the subject of Last Chance U: Basketball, a Netflix original series that covered the lives of these student athletes, the coaching staff and all the moving parts of the team. Fresh off an unfortunate State Final Four Loss, Coach Mosley sat down with host Akil Pinnock, where he spoke about avoiding negative influences while growing up in a tough community, learning that you can be yourself and still serve the Lord while attending a Christian College, having reservations about being covered by the show, the impact of the show, coaching difficult players, and sacrificing "me time" to pour into his family and players. PLEASE LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter! Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

We're back for part 2 of "The Visual Language of Photography," with longtime New York City street Photographer, Jamel Shabazz. In the second part of our two hour interview, Mr. Shabazz spoke on the intent in which he traveled with as he walked the streets taking photographs, giving visibility to a community that was often invisible, a time in New York before and after The War on Drugs and the Crack and AIDS epidemic, what's next in his story, as well as much more. Please, LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE! Words Matter. Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/

After months of communication, this past November we finally had the honor of interviewing Jamel Shabazz. Shabazz, a Brooklyn, NY native, is a renowned fashion, fine art, documentary and street style photographer as well as the author of Back in the Days, The Last Sunday in June, Seconds of my Life, Sights in the City: New York Street Photographs, Back in the Days: Remix, and most recently, A Time Before Crack: Photographs from the 1980s. Mr. Shabazz is a wealth of knowledge. In part 1 of this extensive interview, Shabazz talks about developing a love of photography from his father, as well as an unlikely neighborhood hero of his. He reflected on developing a sense of consciousness as a black man through photography, but also being lured into the streets before being enlightened by a mentor. In the wake of dropping out of high school, Shabazz enlisted in the Army where he temporarily put the camera down and educated himself through music and literature while stationed in Europe. After completing his duty, he came back to Brooklyn in the early 1980s to a whole new world. Words Matter. Subscribe to Words Matter Network online! https://www.wordsmatternetwork.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIOx5HG9rmDOwly5N0XISw/videos Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/words-matter-pod-w-akil-pinnock/id1617394062 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0YvGpb3HRumh4B6CDtKAom?si=f4272d0c0c644e1a Check us out on Socials Host: https://www.instagram.com/akngozi/ Words Matter Pod: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatterpod/ Words Matter Network: https://www.instagram.com/wordsmatternetwork/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/_AkNgozi TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@wordsmatterpod?lang=en Video edit: https://www.instagram.com/magnet_vibez/ Instrumental: https://www.instagram.com/hegot_flame/