Prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who has represented the families of Trayvon Martin, Botham Jean, and Tamir Rice, among others, joins Jemele to discuss his new book “Open Season,” and how black people are being destroyed by the criminal justice system. Crump also explains the missteps made by the prosecution in the Martin case, how the Michael Brown case in Ferguson inspired him, and what black people should do if they’re pulled over by police. Crump also breaks down why the police aren’t held accountable for the brutality they inflict on black and brown communities, and how the system uses felony convictions to disenfranchise marginalized people. 

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Author Damon Young, whose memoir “What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker” was nominated for a NAACP Image award, joins Jemele to discuss the success of his book, and the origin story behind him starting the site Very Smart Brothas. Young also gets candid about the financial pressures that black men face, including how he handled being evicted and not having a driver’s license until late in adulthood. Plus, he responds to the backlash he received for a column he wrote entitled, “Straight Black Men Are The White People of Black People.”

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Renowned journalist Ed Gordon joins Jemele to talk about his new book, “Conversations in Black,” in which he gathered some of the most influential and high-profile black figures to discuss the critical and nuanced issues in the African-American community that often are discussed in private. Ed also discusses his celebrated career at BET, where he became the face of the entertainment network’s once prominent news coverage. He also shares stories and insights from some of his most talked about interviews, which included Tupac Shakur, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson, Nelson Mandela and R. Kelly, among others. Plus, Ed gives his thoughts on the controversy involving CBS anchor Gayle King. 

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Rapper Rapsody joins Jemele to discuss her critically-acclaimed album, “Eve,” which was an ode to some of the most influential and creative black women of our time. Rapsody shares why she decided to create a rap album dedicated entirely to black women, and why she named her upcoming tour, “A Black Woman Created This.” Rapsody also discusses her relationship with respected producer 9th Wonder, clamoring for respect in a male-dominated industry, and what it meant to get a huge co-sign from megastar Cardi B. 

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Comedian Haha Davis joins Jemele to discuss his incredible Internet stardom, and how he’s transitioned his social media success into an entertainment career. He also shares the difficulty of gaining respect in the stand-up comedy world as a “Internet comedian,” and how he comes up with some his famous slogans. Plus, Haha remembers his friend Juice WRLD, who passed away last December.

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Actress Meagan Good joins Jemele to discuss her 30-year acting career and what helped her transition smoothly from child to adult actor. She also discusses how her Christian faith helps her stay grounded in her career and marriage. She reveals why her and husband, motivational speaker and author, Devon Franklin, decided to disclose the fact they were celibate before marriage and if their openness about their faith has placed any additional pressure on their marriage. Plus, Meagan shares why, despite her strong faith, she doesn’t attend church as much as she once did.

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Hip hop scholar and producer extraordinaire 9th Wonder joins Jemele to discuss hip hop as a genius art form, why today’s hip-hop fans have a different relationship with music than first generation fans, and why it was important for him to teach the history of hip-hop at Duke and North Carolina Central. He also shares the remarkable story of how he came to produce “Threat” on Jay-Z’s “The Black Album, and he makes the definitive case for why his fellow homegrown native Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player ever.

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Rapper Freddie Gibbs joins Jemele to discuss his journey as an independent artist, and how it felt to have several media outlets name his album “Bandana,” as one of the best hip-hop albums of 2019. He also shares what it was like growing up in Gary, Indiana, and tells the story of how Michael Jackson and his father were once rivals — and why Freddie ultimately aided with Michael Jackson.

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Jemele reacts to the tragic death of Kobe Bryant, and explains the unique way their relationship formed. She is later joined by R & B singer Luke James, who opens up to Jemele about going through a period of not feeling appreciated by the music industry, and how that impacted his ability to create. He also shares the story of how Tyrese discovered him, what it was like going through a New Edition boot camp to prepare for his role as Johnny Gill in the BET biopic, and how he handled opening up for Beyoncé.

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Jackie Christie, who stars in the hit VH-1 reality series ‘Basketball Wives,’ joins Jemele to discuss why Basketball Wives has become a fixture in popular culture and whether the criticisms that the show fuels negative perceptions of black women are fair. Jackie also discusses some of the explosive storylines from season 8, including a cast member’s claim that show engages in colorist. She also shares her real life love story with former NBA player Doug Christie, and how they’ve maintained a marriage of nearly 25 years. 

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