Commuter Vibes: Four Podcasts for the Culture

I’ve been an avid podcast listener for about three years now. I started listening as a lunchtime ritual back when I was living in a very white town. I would use my 30 mins (sometimes an hour if I wasn’t feeling like working) to listen to some podcasts and escape to a place where black voices were the only ones I heard.

Now as an NYC commuter, I take the time during my daily rides to let these voices guide my journey. Take a listen and introduce these podcasts into your weekly rotation.

Bodega Boys 

New Episodes on Monday’s with The Illustrious, Desus Nice and the Kid Mero.

Yerrrrrr, this podcast is so New York. Everything about this show is NYC, BX all day. The speed at which they talk, the energy, the flagrant disrespect to any and everyone for no reason. I’ve you’ve never been to NYC but have wondered what dudes from the hood talk shit about on their stoops, this is the podcast for you. There is no script, no segments, no order. This podcast is not for the faint of heart, these boys are problematic AF and they know it. Nothing is off limits, everyone’s getting roasted, no topic is too far. If there is a line, Desus and Mero cross it every time. Each episode brings to you a an often intoxicated conscious stream of thought from the greatest comedy duo this era. Desus and Mero are comedy game changers. The brand is strong.

If you can’t get enough of them on Mondays you can also tune into their two-times a week #1 show in late night TV show of the same name.

Sooo Many White Guys 

Episodes drop on Tuesdays with host Pheobe Robinson and a special guest who is typically not a white guy. 

You may know her from her other fantastic but now defunct podcast, 2 Dope Queens, but in this podcast Phoebes mission is simple. This podcast is all about exposure and the amplification of marginalized voices in media. There are so many damn white guys with podcasts, why not make one for everyone else? Each week Pheobe hosts intimate, honest, and hilarious conversations with artists and industry folk just trying to make a name for themselves in a sea of white mediocrity. A special bonus: each season also presents one “token white guy” for the very last episode.

The Friendzone 

New Episodes on Wednesday’s with co-hosts HeyFranHey, Assante, and Dustin Ross. 

I’ll be honest, I really thought this podcast was about how to move out of the “Friend Zone”. After one episode I realized I was very wrong and liked what I was listening to much better than what I was expected it to be. The Friendzone podcast is truly a space where three friends with distinctly unique personalities gather to chat about everything. Categories range from wellness, to pop culture, black business, and so much more. Each week I’m singing along with Assante’s impromptu flashbacks to hits of the past, cracking up at Dustin’s witty one-liners, and becoming more zen as Fran breaks down the science of living a holistic life.

In January 2019, co-host Dustin started the “This is a Story” segment where week by week he tells a chapter of an ongoing soap opera that he created. The story is juicy too! I think the Friendzone tagline sums up why I love this podcast so much. “The Friendzone is a weekly look into all things mental health, mental wellness, and mental hygiene; cuz who in the hell wants a musty brain?!” Quality time with quality people always is a welcome refreshment.

The Read 

Episodes drop on Thursday’s with hosts Crissle and Kid Fury  

The Read Black Queer Culture at it’s finest. A weekly celebration of all those who live on the fringe.  Weekly segments include Black Excellence, Hot Topics and Bottoms of the week, Listener Letters and the titular segment, The Read. For those not down with the culture, the Read is better known as a verbal assault or dragging of someone you are not a fan of. Recipients of the Read range from terrible politicians to problematic teachers, terrible neighbors, and overall horrible human beings. The Listener Letters are always a hot damn mess with writers almost always questioning, “Should I stay with my lown down dirty no good trifling boyfriend” the response always elicits a swift, “Break up with him girl!”.

Now The Read is taking their talents to TV too! The series premiere of their TV show The Read airs at 11 PM starting Friday October 11, 2019.

The Breakfast Club

Daily episodes with hosts, DJ Envy, Angela Yee, and Charlamagne tha God on Power 105.1 in NYC and iHeart Radio nationally

BONUS! Though technically not a podcast, The Breakfast Club is a nationally syndicated morning radio show and is unarguably the hottest source for all things Black Culture. It airs entirely too early for me to listen in real-time but you can catch their long-form interviews and daily segments on YouTube typically within a few hours after it airs.

What are your favorite podcasts to listen to? Let me know in the comments below!