SubwayTakes with Kareem Rahma

In this episode of SubwayTakes Uncut, Brittany Broski (Royal Court, The Broski Report) sits down with Kareem Rahma and breaks down her 5 hottest takes on AI, immortality, classical music, internet fame, and why the world needs more whimsy. From why AI art misses what makes creativity human, to why living forever might actually be a curse, to how going viral can shape (or derail) a career. Brittany also talks about:

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In this episode of SubwayTakes Uncut, Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) sits down with Kareem Rahma and breaks down his 4 hottest takes on fame, politics, media, creativity, and the future of society. From why success shouldn’t be the goal, to whether left vs. right politics misses the bigger picture, to what’s broken about modern media and technology. Julian also talks about:

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Actor and activist Woody Harrelson (True Detective, Now You See Me) boards the New York City subway with Kareem Rahma for an unfiltered 15-minute conversation about anarchy, class systems, and the absurdity of modern life.
From airplane boarding policies and “psychological class warfare” to his belief that government doesn’t work, Woody says exactly what he thinks with the charm and chaos only he can deliver. Along the way, he talks about living off the grid, raising kids, and why fruit might be the answer to everything.
Produced on the New York City subway.
Host: Kareem Rahma
Creators and Producers: Kareem Rahma & Andrew Kuo
Creative Producer and Editor: Tyler Christie
Associate Producer: Ramy Shafi
Associate Producer: Woody Harrelson
Camera: Anthony DiMieri & Tian Sippel & Jake Lazovick
Interstitial Footage: Jake Lazovick
Mixer: Dale Eisinger
Artwork: Andrew Lawandus
Theme Music: Tyler McCauley

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Director, producer, and cultural icon Spike Lee (Do the Right Thing, Highest to Lowest) boards the New York City subway with Kareem Rahma for an unfiltered 15-minute conversation about movies, art, legacy, and the city that shaped him. From fatherhood and fashion to why he still believes film matters, Spike keeps it honest, sharp, and full of perspective… the way only he can.

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Radio host, producer, and storytelling legend Ira Glass (This American Life) rides the subway with Kareem Rahma for a conversation about listening, storytelling, and the strange ways we consume media now. From defending listening to podcasts at 2x speed to declaring war on dream sequences, Ira breaks down how we’ve all been doing it wrong.

Produced on the New York City subway.

Host: Kareem Rahma
Creators and Producers: Kareem Rahma & Andrew Kuo
Creative Producer and Editor: Tyler Christie
Associate Producer: Ramy Shafi
Camera: Anthony DiMieri & Tian Sippel & Jake Lazovick
Interstitial Footage: Jake Lazovick
Mixer: Dale Eisinger
Artwork: Andrew Lawandus
Theme Music: Tyler McCauley

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Subscribe to ⁠Fela Kuti: Fear No Man.⁠

Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed?

In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton’s America—tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy’ traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat.

For years, the world’s biggest stars made pilgrimages to Nigeria to experience Fela’s Shrine, the epicenter of his musical revolution. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire.

Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is an uncategorizable mix of oral history, musicology, deep dive journalism, and cutting edge sound design that takes listeners deep inside Fela’s life, music, and legacy.

Drawing from over 200 interviews with Fela Kuti’s family, friends, as well as scholars, activists, and luminaries like Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Santigold, and former President Barack Obama (just to name a few), Fela Kuti: Fear No Man journeys deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in this current moment of global unrest.

An Audible Original presented by Audible and Higher Ground. Produced by Western Sound and Talkhouse.

©2025 Higher Ground, LLC (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.

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Actor, director, and podcast host Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Black Rabbit, SmartLess) boards the subway with Kareem Rahma for an unfiltered conversation about germs, fame, and what it means to stay grounded. From public transit anxiety to his lifelong battle with hand sanitizer, Jason opens up about why he stopped drinking, why he doesn’t dance, and how he’s learned to live with life’s mess—literally and figuratively.

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Actor, writer, and director Ethan Hawke (Before Sunrise, Training Day, Dead Poets Society) rides the subway with Kareem Rahma for a raw conversation about art, fame, and what really matters. He breaks down why chasing money ruins creativity, why fame is a trap, and why true artists make work for the love of it, not for applause. Along the way, Ethan reflects on The Beatles, humility, and the idea that the real miracle isn’t walking on water, it’s walking at all.

SubwayTakes Uncut is like SubwayTakes, but longer, looser, and with more stops, more takes, and more room to go deeper.

Host: Kareem Rahma

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