By Maurita Salkey
In today’s day and age, it’s all about creating your own opportunity. From having your own YouTube channel to hosting your own podcast, many are using their talents and skills to level up. We’ve witnessed many stars such as Cardi B, Taxstone, and DC Young Fly use social and digital media platforms as well as their personality to become a powerful and budding voice in the entertainment industry.
Podcasts have undeniably become the new wave of storytelling in the millennial generation. From spilling the details on bad first dates to sharing life goals and dreams, here are the top 4 podcasts to look out for in 2017 that will surely get you through the day—other than (of course) REVOLT TV’s Drink Champs.
Black Girl Podcast: This new audio series shares the POV of five women in the entertainment industry, all hailing from the legendary hip-hop station Hot 97. Gia Peppers, Sapphira Martin, Deanii “Scottie Beam” Scott, Alysha Pamphile, and Rebecca “Bex” Francois all offer raw accounts on their personal life experiences, give hilarious commentary on pop culture news, and offer a little inspiration that we all need to navigate the path to success, especially in the entertainment industry. Real and uncut, Black Girl Podcast hosts gives us a closer look into their busy lives from sharing past heartbreaks to discussing the importance of mental health and celibacy. In an interview with The Grio, Francois revealed that while her colleagues may seem like they have it all together, not everything in their lives are perfect. “We’re trying to teach everyone lessons that we’ve been through. It’s that we’re literally trying to figure it out as we go,” Francois says. “A part of what makes the show relatable is that we don’t have all the answers, but we’re asking the questions that maybe you have asked and what you aren’t asking yourself.”
He Man Woman Haters Club: For creator Mouse Jones, creating his own podcast was nothing short of destiny. After a short stint performing stand-up comedy, Mouse soon realized his passion would fall into the podcast arena. After blowing off the idea for some time, Mouse finally decided to give it a shot in May 2015. “People kept telling me I should have my own podcast,” Mouse says. After listening to The Brilliant Idiot and The Read (see below) and seeing their successful launches, Mouse took a leap of faith and created He Man Woman Haters Club. The podcast, featuring Mouse and co-host Reek, covers everything and anything. The hosts provide viewers with over-the-top commentary on the double standards in dating, discuss the most common issues men and women face in their 20s, and usually surprise viewers with special guests in the entertainment industry. “I am not really worried about the numbers, I am more focused on making an impact,” Mouse says. “A lot of people can have huge numbers but make no impact.” Mouse isn’t looking for quick come up, but more of establishing a voice in the industry that can make a difference. “I don’t want to be recognized on solely who I am, but more so on how my conversation impacted their way of thinking or point of view.”
The Read: This hilarious pop culture comedy podcast, which started in 2013, stars two friends who used their unique sense of humor and candid commentary to rack over 57,000 followers on SoundCloud and an average of 200- to 300,000-plus plays on each episode. Hosted by Chrissle and Kid Fury, The Read breaks down into four segments. First, Kid Fury picks the latest pop culture news to discuss. Crissle then brings out listener letters with questions for the duo to answer. Next is the Black Excellence segment in which Kid Fury selects someone in the black community to celebrate. And finally, the two hosts then “read” someone or something. The show garnered such a huge social media following that the duo started hosting live shows in major cities, all of which by have sold out to capacity. The Read will be celebrating its 4-year anniversary with a live show in NYC late February.
The Combat Jack Show: The Combat Jack Show tells the uncensored and unrehearsed tales of legendary icons Russell Simmons, Chuck D, Damon Dash, RZA, Scarface, D-Nice and more. These men share their personal life experiences, viewpoints, and take on today’s pop culture news.
Tune in to Drink Champs every Thursday at 11 PM ET on REVOLT. Be sure to catch the re-air Saturday nights at midnight ET.