Trevor Wentt is a visual storyteller, photographer, and artist who makes art to challenge perspectives and give hope to the marginalized and oppressed. Trevor comes through to bless the pod and break down the power of visual storytelling, his moving #FreshnessFridaze IG project, and the albums that uplift and inspire him. 

Don't sleep on this one, y'all. 

Music by Yondo Beats

Portland rapper, Shaun Lamott comes through to talk about his new EP 'Fragile' and the hip hop scene in Portland. We also talked about his experience of opening for Damian Lilliard and why Shaun seeks to be so vulnerable and transparent in his music. We open with a snippet of "Dreams," one of the standout records from the EP. You'll enjoy this one, folks.

Fragile is available here and on all music outlets.

Season two of BRL is upon us. We're kicking things off with an artist interview with Joanna Lee of S A I T, an eclectic and soulful group from Boston. We give a preview of their extremely dope track, "Angel in My Mind," and discuss her creative process, inspirations, and their upcoming release, the Desert EP.

S A I T has a campaign going to finish their EP, so if you like what you hear, go some show support here!

Follow S A I T on facebook and IG

Hey folks,

We've got two special announcements for you -- one about our next run of episodes for Season 2 of the podcast and one about a contest to help the pod and get a run of bonus episodes on a very special topic. Do yourself a favor and listen in!

Thanks for all the support!

Here is Side B of our Best Books of 2017 episode. Find out the respective top five books from Claude and guest of the pod, Joe Volk. We'll help you start the new year with book recommendations to get your 2018 reading off to a strong start.

We also want to hear from YOU...What were your top five reads of 2017? Hit us up on Facebook or Twitter.

As always, leave us a review of the show or share the show with that nerdy friend who'd dig what we're dishing out.

 

 

 

Music by Yondo Beats

The end of the year means one thing: best of lists! Friend of the pod, Joe Volk swings through to share his top books of the year alongside Claude's top picks. What author found a spot on Claude's top 5 and on his most disappointing list? You can only find out by tuning in. Let our picks help you find some new books to enjoy in 2018.

Be sure to peep Side B for our top 5 selections.

Books Mentioned:

Resonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences by Nancy Duarte

Decisive: How to Make Better Decisions in Life and Work by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Deep Work - Cal Newport

1Q84 - Murakami

The Fire Next Time - Baldwin

Tears We Cannot Stop - Dyson

How Black in the Gospel - Skinner

Introducing Black Theology - Fields

A Black Theology of Liberation - Cone

 Lives Other Than My Own by Emmanuel Carrere

The Southern Reach Trilogy  by Jeff VanderMeer

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright

Kareem Manuel (@kareem_manuel), Founder and CEO of We.Society, comes through to drop wisdom about entreprenuership, faith and activism, and the inspiring story of how he started We Apparel, a clothing company that has become a key movement for justice and dignity. Don't miss this one! 

Links

weapparel.co

Kareem's Interview with Let's Give a Damn

Follow Kareem on Twitter and Instagram. Follow We. on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Support We by purchasing some gear!

Rapper, producer, and engineer, Cole Mize comes through to talk about the art of rap. Cole breaks it all down...from what makes a verse dope to the nebulous concept of flow and cadence to the literary power of rap. Cole even blesses us a little demonstration of a slept-on rap technique. Whether you're a hip-hop head or a casual fan, expect to learn a ton about the art of rap from one of the leading educational figures in the rap community. Cole and Claude also discuss some of their favorite rappers -- DMX, Lupe Fiasco, Eminem, Field Mob -- and the techniques that make them unique before diving into Cole's work as a rap coach.

LINKS 

Vox: Rap Deconstructed

 

5 steps to learning how to rap: http://colemizestudios.com/guide-on-how-to-rap-and-write-songs/

 

Cole's 5 step blueprint for writing catchy songs: http://colemizestudios.com/blueprint-for-writing-rap-songs/

 

Where people can join Cole's mailing list: http://colemizestudios.com/howtorap

 

Where people can book a coaching session with Cole: http://colemizestudios.com/coaching

 

Follow BRL on Twitter, FB, and IG.

 

Intro/Outro Music by 88 Keys

Kaleb Mitchell comes through to talk about his recent mixtape, So Help Me God, which debuted at #7 on iTunes' Rap/Hip-Hop charts. Kaleb shares about the success of the mixtape, opens up about his musical inspirations and shares some of writing process for the standout track, "Halfway There," which we play a snippet of. If you haven't checked out his work, consider this a formal introduction to one of hip-hop's best new young artists. Here's a link to the freestyle Kaleb dropped today. Stay in the loop with him on Twitter at @kalebmitchell.

Enjoy and be sure to RATE and REVIEW the show if you're digging what you hear!

EMAIL US: [email protected]

FOLLOW US: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

Claude and Joe dig into world literature by listing and discussing their favorite works of African literature. Joe breaks down two metaphors that highlight the benefits of reading world literature and shares three important tips to consider when reading books from different countries or cultures. And, Claude makes a big promise for the show once we hit 15 iTunes reviews. TONS of book recommendations on this episode (see full episode description)! Enjoy and be sure to RATE and REVIEW the show if you're digging what you hear!

EMAIL US: [email protected]

FOLLOW US: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Things Fall Apart - Chinua Abeche

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

The Joys of Motherhood - Buchi Emecheta

The River Between - Ngugi Wa Thiong'o

Aya - Maguerite Abouchet

Teju Cole - Open City

Patrice Nganang - Dog Days

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie- Americanah

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - Half of a Yellow Sun

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie - The Danger of a Single Story (Ted Talk)