Making

Hear the story of how a legendary athlete climbed the NBA's mountaintop of

greats. It's a story that takes asymmetrical turns before ending tragically and

prematurely.

On this episode of Making, we look at the whole picture of Kobe Bean Bryant. Join

Making host Brandon Pope for a conversation about Bryant's origin story with his

high school basketball coach, Gregg Downer, and Bryant biographer Mike Sielski.

Then, Pope leads a conversation on the complex second half of Bryant's life, with

ESPN senior writer David Dennis Jr. and former sports radio host, attorney and

author Julie DiCaro.

Before there was Barack Obama on the ballot, there was Jesse Jackson.

Preacher, civil rights soldier and activist, Jackson ran two memorable campaigns for

the American presidency.

“Our time has come,” Jackson declared during his famous 'David and Goliath' speech

while he was running for the Democratic nomination in 1984. “Red, yellow, black and

white, we're all precious in God's sight! Our time has come.”

But what ingredients create a civil rights legend? Join biographer Barbara Ann

Reynolds, long-time friend and collaborator Frank Watkins and Jackson's son,

Jonathan Jackson, in conversation with host Brandon Pope. They dissect Jackson's

decades-long career – as a mentee of Martin Luther King Jr., as the leader of

Rainbow PUSH and as a renowned orator – on the latest episode of Making.

Robyn Rihanna Fenty was just 16 when she signed a record deal with Jay-Z.

She was 19 when her smash hit “Umbrella” took the world by storm. Now at 34, she is

not only known as a popstar but also a fashion mogul and billionaire.

But how did she get here? On this week's episode of Making, host Brandon Pope

explores Rihanna's origin story with music journalist Bill Werde, Vogue.com editor

Chioma Nnadi and record producer Evan Rogers, who discovered Rihanna in Barbados in

2003.

“I warned her it's a roller coaster, you're gonna get kicked in the gut. Are you

sure?” Rogers recalls asking the then-15-year old. “And I'll never forget, with no

hesitation it was like, 'It's all I've ever wanted.'”

Featuring exclusive archival tape of Rihanna's early rehearsals, learn how Rihanna

became a global icon.

Serena Williams is a household name. The recently retired tennis legend has

won 23 Grand Slam titles – more than any player in the Open era. But before becoming

one of the most dominant athletes of all-time, Serena was a girl from Compton with a

dream.

In the Season 4 premiere of WBEZ's Making podcast, host Brandon Pope revisits the

years before anyone knew Serena's name. Hear from the people in the room and on the

court during her evolution to tennis prodigy, including her sister Isha Price,

former tennis pro Chanda Rubin, and childhood coach Rick Macci.

From the creators of Making Oprah, Obama and Beyoncé, WBEZ brings you a new season of its hit bio-podcast series, Making.

With new host Brandon Pope, each episode tells the origin story of a different iconic Black figure. Through inner circle interviews and exclusive archival tape, this series looks at Serena Williams, Kanye West, Maya Angelou and many more. The years before they skyrocketed to success – the making years.

Former President Barack Obama recently spoke with Aarti Shahani, host of

WBEZ's Art of Power podcast, about masculinity in the post-Donald Trump era. Obama

said society has made progress in recognizing the most toxic elements of bad

behavior by men. But now he wants to flip the focus.

“What are the positive values that we're trying to instill in our boys?” he said.

“Showing compassion is not weakness. Listening is as important as talking.”

We're bringing you this exclusive interview with the former president as a bonus to

the Making Obama podcast series. Hear the former president explain his experience

balancing ambition with family obligations and how he wants to expand the definition

of what it means to be a man. And if you like what you hear, subscribe to WBEZ's Art

of Power podcast for more conversations with people who have changed the world.

in Love, a lot was at stake. She was hoping to break out not only as a

solo artist, but as a star on multiple levels — music, endorsements and film. Along

the way she'd find love, but she'd also have to battle doubt, even within the record

label.

building their new group, Destiny's Child. Finally, things start to click.

Girls Tyme try another avenue to success: a TV talent competition. The girls are

poised and ready for the national spotlight, but tensions in the group are rising

behind the scenes.

Child, there was just a shy girl growing up in Houston. We follow Beyoncé Knowles

from the stages of local talent shows to her first crack at a record deal with the

group Girls Tyme.