Stir Crazy

In this Martin Luther King, Jr. Day episode the week of Joe Biden's inauguration, Rev. Dr. Willie Dwayne Francois III joins host JP Reynolds to talk about abolition, situational wokeness, and Christianity's relationship to white supremacy.

About Rev. Dr. Willie Dwayne Francois III:

A native of Galveston, Texas, Willie Dwayne Francois III is a 2009 Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College with a Bachelor of Arts in History and Religion, named the ranking scholar in both departments. While at Morehouse, he served as the president of the Martin Luther King Jr. International Chapel Assistants Program and was named the 2009 Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar. Francois received a Master of Divinity from Harvard University's Divinity School, where he received the Hopkins Shareholders Award—the school's highest academic recognition—and served as the class of 2012 commencement speaker. In 2020 Francois completed a Doctor of Ministry degree at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology. Called to empower people through transformative preaching, teaching, and organizing, Francois serves as the Senior Pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church of Pleasantville, NJ.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Topics of Conversation:

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? (2:08)・How Will History Look Back at This Moment (7:27)・Truth Telling in the Off-Season (13:52)・Situational Wokeness (21:04)・Police v. Public Safety (23:21)・Prophethood of All Believers (30:48)・Chickens Come Home: Accountability, Jobs, Reparations (35:12)・White Supremacy's Dependence on Christianity (40:44)・Exorcising the Demon on Whiteness (47:33)・Joy (50:13)・Growing Areas (53:56)

Book Choices:

Black Theology Black Power by James Cone

The Prophethood of All Believers by James Luther Adams

Outing White Supremacy by James W. Perkison

Where Have All the Prophets Gone? by Marvin A. McMickle

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Writer-Director Sontenish Myers joins host JP Reynolds to talk about the roots underneath storytelling, creating for the moment and finding your voice.

About Sontenish Myers:

Sontenish Myers is a Jamaican-American writer-director based in Harlem, NY. She is a graduate of NYU's Graduate Film program where she’s now an adjunct professor.  In her work, racial identity, womanhood, power dynamics, and the heroic journey are often explored. She is particularly interested in doing so across genres, from dramas, science fiction/fantasy, to dark comedies. Her most recent short film, Cross My Heart, won the Vimeo Staff Pick Award at Hamptons International Film Festival for its “outstanding performances from its two young leads and a nuanced directorial approach.”

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Topics of Conversation:

The Power of Storytelling (3:18)・Shaping Our Voice (8:14)・The Spectrum from Art to Entertainment (9:51)・Ontological Guilt (14:03)・Creating for the Moment (17:31)・What's Love Got to Do with It? (22:44)・How to Get This Grant Money (26:30)・Shedding Ego (33:41)・Sources of Inspiration (38:44)・The Future of Experiencing Film (43:06)・Joy (48:03)

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

To kick off 2021 with some money talk, wealth management advisor Travis Henry joins host JP Reynolds as the first guest to return to the podcast. They discuss entrepreneurship, ownership, and the Black Ambition Prize - a Pharrell Williams powered opportunity that Travis help bring to life.

About Travis Henry:

Travis is a Vice President at True Capital Management (TRUE). As an advisor to sudden wealth clients, he navigates complex financial, business, and life challenges for professional athletes, entertainers, entrepreneurs, lottery winners, and inheritors. A native of Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, Travis received his B.A. from Yale University, where he organized and led mentoring initiatives for local underserved youth. He was also a four-year letterman and All Ivy League selection, helping Yale win the 2006 Ivy League Football Championship.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

Sudden Wealth and How Investors Think  (3:24) • Economic Equity (6:32) • Real Estate's Impact on The Wealth Gap + Its Relationship to Venture Capitalism (10:32) • Are You Ready for Investment? (16:18) • Unchecked Capitalism (20:14) • Value and Ownership (27:33) • Accessible Ownership (36:45) • Spectrum of Investing: Public Stock, Venture Capitalism, Private Equity (41:50) • How Important is Mentorship? (44:09) • What's at Stake for Black Economic Empowerment (47:50) • Joy, Empathy and Compassion (55:51)

App Recommendations:

Robin Hood • Stash • Public App

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

This barbershop style bonus episode features an unfiltered and stimulating conversation between host JP Reynolds and his four fraternity brothers. Just in time for the new year.  

Topics of Conversation:

Black Famous v. Famous (6:38) ・Evolving Work Communities (21:02) ・ Learning As We Go (39:24)  ・ The North Star (50:26) ・ The Opps (1:02:26) ・ What Have You Overcome? (1:07:49) ・ Was This Episode Too Tame? (1:29:04)  

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Professor and speaker Shantae J. Edwards joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about the benefits of personal rituals, the generational impact of our moves, and the power of 'what if.'

About Shantae J. Edwards:

Shantae J. Edwards is a native of Chicago, first of seven children, and first-generation college graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As a speaker, professor, coach and trainer Shantae helps people who are struggling with recognition, meaning and fulfillment in the workplace. In addition, Shantae helps organizations who are struggling with inclusion, team building, and employee engagement and productivity in the workplace.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

What Have You Not Considered (5:52) • The Benefit of Personal Rituals (14:10) • Anger, Fear and Mistrust (20:46) • Generational Impact of Our Moves (26:15) • The Power of 'What If' (32:34) •  Live, Beautiful Human (41:02) • Joy (47:33)

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Lead Pastor of Elm City Vineyard Church Joshua Williams joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about hope, reconciliation, and cultivating a lifestyle of compassion.

About Joshua Williams:

Joshua Williams is the lead pastor of Elm City Vineyard Church in New Haven, CT. Originally from Iowa, Josh moved to New Haven for school. After graduating from Yale in the spring of 2008, he decided to stay in New Haven to go to Yale Divinity School for a M.Div, to pursue his future wife, and to invest further in New Haven. He is thankful and excited for how God is maturing ECV’s vision and taking the community to new places.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

Is There a Balm? (4:30) • Religious Manipulation (7:56) • The Complexity of Reconciliation (10:51) • Cultivating a Lifestyle of Compassion (17:32) • Keeping That Same Energy (24:30) • Faithfulness in Your Calling (32:04) • Here's the Good News (49:51) • Joy (56:31)

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Mental health professionals and twin founders of Unearth + Bloom, Khadijah & Zakiyyah Abdul-Mateen join host JP Reynolds for a conversation about intergenerational healing, meaningful liberation, and ancestral rhythms.

About Unearth + Bloom:

Khadijah and Zakiyyah are a twin sister team and founders of Unearth and Bloom. They have created a business, which focuses on the many ways trauma affects the mental, emotional and physical well-being amongst people of African descent. Zakiyyah is an EMDR-Trained Child, Adolescent and Young Adult Psychotherapist, who uses child-centered meditative practices to reduce anxiety associated with traumatic memory. In her private practice, she is intentional about normalizing mental health in black and brown communities and using a culturally sensitive approach. She is also a part of a team who engages in international work, which includes providing mental health trainings to adults and community leaders in Haiti. Khadijah is a Mental Health Professional and International Yoga instructor who uses yoga and meditative practices, which centers movement and connections to the body, as a way to respond and release, stored trauma--much of which is intergenerational. Khadijah is the Founder of the "OM in Africa" project, which centers intergenerational healing throughout Africa. She has collaborated with yoga instructors in Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, and Botswana to provide yoga and healing circles to women in prison, juvenile centers (boy and girls), schools, and local communities. Together they use a holistic approach to illuminate health and wellness by conducting talk therapy groups and yoga to address trauma in the mind and the body. Our belief is that Trauma mustn’t only be released in the mind through talk therapy but also in the body through breathing and movement. This provides access to achieve total healing of our traumatic past.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

Unearth + Bloom Grounding Ritual (1:48) • Intergenerational Healing (6:59) • What Do We Mean When We Say We Want Freedom? (12:35) • Rejecting Urgency (20:24) • The Messiness of Breakthrough (25:36) • Music, Healing and Ancestral Rhythm (33:16) •  Normalizing Authenticity and Therapy (51:58) • How Are You Experiencing Joy? (60:09)

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Hip-Hop archivist Syreeta Gates joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about family, legacy and the power of crafting our own narratives.

About Syreeta Gates:

Syreeta Gates is a creative, art collector, and archivist committed to preserving hip-hop culture. As a collector, Syreeta curates collections that capture the music and movement of hip hop. Her curation extends into building the hip hop movements through creating experiences. Syreeta drives innovation in culture through building strategic connections around hip hop. Gates' archival work includes research for “The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion”, “A Ballerina's Tale” and support for films, including “Finding the Funk” and “The Triptych.” Gates was awarded Glamour Magazine's "Top 20 Under 25." She has been featured in Forbes, RedBull, Black Enterprise, and many other outlets.  Syreeta holds a Bachelor’s degree in Urban Youth Culture from Hunter College and a Master’s degree in Moving Image Archiving and Preservation from New York University. A native New Yorker, Syreeta is based in Queens, New York.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

Archiving as a Statement of Value (7:20) • The Urgency of Holding On (14:17) • Present, Future, and Past (19:31) • Syreeta's Road to Becoming an Archivist (24:39) • Building Legacy (32:04) •  Faith, Confidence + Wonder (47:37)

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

Casey Gerald, author of "There Will Be No Miracles Here," joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about ancestors, hope, and the nature of time.

About Casey Gerald:

Casey Gerald is the author of There Will Be No Miracles Here, a memoir that stands the American Dream narrative on its head, while straddling the complex intersection of race, class, religion and sexuality. TWBNMH was named a Best Book of 2018 by NPR and The New York Times, among others. It received starred reviews from Kirkus, Shelf Awareness, and Booklist, and was the December 2018 pick for the PBS NewsHour-New York Times Book Club. Casey most recently published “The Black Art of Escape: A New Vision for Black Americans” in New York Magazine, which reflects on the 400th anniversary of the first enslaved Africans’ arrival in Virginia, in 1619. Prior to his writing career, Casey co-founded and served as CEO of MBAs Across America, a national movement of business students and entrepreneurs working together to revitalize communities. A native of Oak Cliff, Texas, Casey attended Dallas Public Schools before college at Yale, where he played varsity football and co-founded the Yale Black Men's Union. He later received an MBA from Harvard Business School. He serves on the board of Kickstarter, PBC.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

Why You Should Nap (4:02) • Rethinking the Hope of Our Ancestors (11:33) • Vehicles, Drivers, and The Great Beyond (23:19) • Casting Down Idols v. Calling Up Love (33:20) • Is Time Linear? (44:13) • Finding Inspiration (51:12)

Reading Recommendations:

"There Will Be No Miracles Here" by Casey Gerald  

 "The Black Art of Escape" by Casey Gerald

 "Return to Love"  by Marianne Williamson

"The Mirror of Simple Soul" by Marguerite Porete

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds

During the process of developing a new book creative, writer, and educator Kleaver Cruz joins host JP Reynolds for an exchange about imagination, liberation, and the complexities of black joy.

About Kleaver Cruz:

From Uptown, NYC Kleaver is a Black queer Dominican-American creative, writer and educator. Kleaver’s work has been featured in various publications in print and online. Cruz is also one half of the poetic duo, The Delta, which has performed at The Nuyorican Poet’s Café and Bowery Poetry Club, among other spaces. Kleaver is an alum of the VONA/Voices of Our Nation Foundation's Emerging Writer's Non-Fiction and Kenyon Review Writer’s Fiction Workshops.  Cruz has presented and conducted work across the African Diaspora in South Africa, France, Brazil and other countries. Cruz is the creator of The Black Joy Project, a digital and real-world affirmation that Black joy is resistance. Kleaver is also a member of We Are All Dominican--A U.S.-based grassroots collective that works in solidarity with movements led by Dominicans of Haitian descent fighting for inclusion and citizenship rights in the Dominican Republic. Cruz believes in the power of words as the means to write the stories that did not exist when Cruz needed them the most.

About JP Reynolds:

Called “remarkably special” by AllHipHop, JP Reynolds is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. The creator of “rap gumbo,” his music is a powerful blend of jazz, funk, gospel and soul. In addition to music JP is an entrepreneur, coach, activist, and minister. In 2012, he created Peace and Power Media, an artistic hub that produces music and multimedia content. Since 2014, JP has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. JP holds a Bachelor of Arts in African-American Studies and a Master of Divinity from Yale University.

Conversation Topics:

The "Yes-And" of Black Joy (3:54) • Equality v. Liberation (11:38) • Abundance of Life (16:40) • How Much Imagination Do We Really Need? (22:38) • Black Expression and Social Media (29:49) • Black Joy to Complicate the Narrative of Suffering (33:12) • Why a Global Perspective is Important (39:58) • The Role of Artistry (45:55) • Joy, Healing, and AfroFutures (50:58) • Kleaver's New Book (58:56)

Reading Recommendations:

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

“National Liberation and Culture” by Amilcar Cabral

Theme Songs:

"Reset (Hold Your Horse)" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

"Elevate" - JP Reynolds + BACHTROY

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Support JP's work with the podcast on Patreon!

https://www.patreon.com/jpreynolds