The Higher Valleys Podcast

Shut up and Listen


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Spencer and Jelani unpack Super Bowl LX, Bad Bunny's historic halftime show, and the predictable white fragility backlash amid rising nationalism and ICE raids. They celebrate J. Cole's The Fall Off—a project that demands stillness in an anxious world—while grappling with their own drained social batteries: Spencer juggling grad school and Super Bowl hosting, Jelani going weeks without personal time. The conversation moves through parenting moments (teaching kids not to open doors, fielding questions about God and free will), political resistance (ICE pushback in LA, calling out performative allyship), and the intellectual humility required to listen when out of your depth. They close on a through-line: nobody is coming to save us, so we build the foundation ourselves—through pressure, repetition, and free will shaped by love.

Topics Covered

  • Super Bowl LX: Seattle's defense, Mike MacDonald (36), Patriots vs. Seahawks
  • Bad Bunny halftime show: Album of the Year winner, white fragility backlash, political statement amid ICE raids
  • J. Cole's The Fall Off: beat variance critique, lyrical swordsmanship, graceful exit from Drake beef
  • Parenting: teaching kids not to open doors, Roblox predators, Cairo's free will question during My Wife and Kids
  • Drained social batteries: Spencer's grad school + Super Bowl hosting, Jelani's 3-4 weeks without personal time
  • Politics: Andrew Schultz's Trump pivot, ICE resistance in LA, Mexican American resilience
  • Deante Kyle video debate, Spencer's call with Black intellectual, knowing when to listen
  • "Nobody is coming to save us"—building foundations through pressure, repetition, and free will shaped by love

Highlight Quotes

  • "Bad Bunny had white people in a blender for 12 minutes. They rely on words to tell them when to dance."
  • "Nobody is coming to save us. I'm not talking about money—I'm talking about my happiness, my soul, my legacy."
  • "You need to understand when to shut the fuck up and just listen. I chose to shut up, and I learned something."

Where to Find Us

Instagram: @highervalleyspodcast

TikTok: @highervalleys

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The Higher Valleys PodcastBy Spencer Paysinger & Jelani Jenkins