A conversation with journalist George Chidi. We discuss his path to journalism, from dropping out of college and joining the military to writing for a small North Carolina paper to getting an MBA and more. We also discuss the YSL RICO case and the intersection of hip-hop and violence. Follow George on Instagram @g_chidi. Follow Damilare @dsonoiki

(0:00) Intro
(2:57) Having a really good year
(3:42) Living in Pine Lake, GA and serving on the city council
(7:58) Being a “screw up” and joining the army
(13:32) Running for a seat in the Massachusetts legislature
(17:04) Writing for the Rocky Mount Telegram in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
(27:35) Covering crime at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
(37:35) Getting an MBA at Georgia Tech, graduating into the financial crisis, and floating around without a stable job, getting involved with the Occupy movement
(48:34) Getting into a street fight
(55:40) Violent crime going up over the course of the pandemic
(1:05:50) Putting the pieces together regarding the YSL and YFN war
(1:12:09) Being criticized by ADOS /  FBA (American Descendants of Slavery / Foundational Black Americans
(1:24:02) How connected the streets and hip-hop are
(1:43:08) Life insurance on rappers
(1:50:10) Chiraqology, Atlantology, and other street and music subreddits
(1:56:16) PTSD among rappers and people in the streets
(2:05:44) Current work