The Style & Vibes Podcast

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Swizz Beatz and Timbaland took their Verzuz platform to the next level utilizing dancehall once again and organized the Verzuz Iconz concert the night before KRS One Verzuz Big Daddy Kane. Held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY dancehall legend Super Cat headlined the concert with special guests including Wyclef & the Refugee Sound, TeeJay, Kranium, Dexta Daps, Konshens, Baby Cham, Barrington Levy, King Addies Sound System and Smif n Wessun.

This was great for the culture! In this episode i’m breaking down everything that went well and opportunities to improve including:

• Verzuz concert series
• Why it was good for the culture
• Super Cat and guests’ performances
• Stage show and soundclash basics and more

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Produced by Breadfruit Media

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With a background in media and event production, Althea Blackford is the founder of Boston Caribbean Fashion Week. She has worked with many emerging and established designers over her two decade fashion career. With a cultural background from Barbados and Jamaica, Althea wanted to create an event that celebrates her Caribbean heritage and culture while providing a platform for designers to showcase their collection and connect with other fashion professionals. She created the Boston Caribbean Fashion Week in August 2013.

In this episode we talk a bit about her career and why she started Boston Caribbean Fashion Week, challenges and pivoting the event during COVID and where designers need the most support. 

Follow Boston Caribbean Fashion Week on social: Instagram | Facebook

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Edley Shine is ½ of the 90s Dancehall/Hip-Hop duo, Born Jamericans. Edley Shine has perfected an Adult Contemporary Dancehall space with his music, style and vibes. The amazing artist, of Born Jamerican fame, notably dubbed “Da Big Voice,” once again proves that he can deliver grown up and entertaining music with his red-hot Summer Series of music releases, includes "Money Face," "Cloud 9," Sweet Baby Pt. 2 (Inna Dem Town) and the latest song and visual "Glow Party," which is lighting up this summer.

In this episode we discuss Born Jamericans as one of the first groups to proudly represent both cultures. Edley discussed what his childhood was like as a first generation Jamaican-American, how he worked at his Dad’s record shop in Washington D.C. and got familiar with how to compose music, how the group formed and disbanded and going independent and making music on his own terms.

Follow Edley on Social Media Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

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Every year Labor Day Weekend in New York, the city comes alive with all things Caribbean. If you have never been, it’s truly a great experience, even if you just get a chupes of the vibes. For the second year in a row, due to COVID-19 the West Indian American Day Parade has been canceled, but this year the events are still keeping with limitations. With a history dating back to the 1940’s the West Indian American Day Parade holds so many memories for people including myself. In this episode, I share my first parade experience. 

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Produced by Breadfruit Media

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In the bonus episode, we’re back with another feed drop this time from Breadfruit Media family and Style & Vibes executive producer Kerry Ann’s podcast Carry on Friends! This was a particularly educational episode on Race, Ethnicity and Nationality with special guest host Chris Williams of Where Itz At Magazine and Jennifer Tomlinson, professor and interim dean of learning support at Valencia College. They discuss:

• The true definitions of Race, Ethnicity and Nationality.
• Intersectionality of Identity
• Discontent within the Black Diaspora (Caribbean, Black Americans, Africans)
• How to be an ally and much more!

Listen to Carry On Friends The Caribbean American Podcast

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In the bonus episode, I’m collaborating with the Breadfruit Media family, sharing a full episode of Strictly Facts, hosted by Alexandria Miller. You heard a snippet from her in my last episode on Reggae & Spirituality. This episode is focused on the history carnival, fetes and the distinction of Barbados’ Crop Over with PhD candidate in Cultural Studies Shauna Rigaud. I hope you enjoy it.

Listen to Strictly Facts: A Guide to Caribbean History & Culture

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Reggae music and spirituality go hand-in-hand. The music has always been a source of storytelling, inspiration and motivation; which contributes to its mass appeal of a global audience. While “Good Vibes Only” is a great hashtag on social media, it’s real foundation is rooted in the admiration of the simplistic, laid back connection Reggae has on the world by the experience people feel listening to Reggae music. 

In this episode I’m sharing my personal connection to Reggae on a spiritual level. Inspired by my attendance of Sizzla’s listening session for his upcoming album On a High, where his elderly wisdom and connection to community reminded me of how much his earlier albums inspired me as an adolescent coming into my own spiritual journey. I talk about my love for Reggae’s lyrics and riddims over gospel, connection with Rastafarianism, how I experienced Reggae in Dancehall spaces and more.

I also mention a Strictly Facts episode on Caribbean Religions, make sure you check that out too. 

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On Juneteenth actor Michael B. Jordan launched his new rum, J’ouvert. Caribbeans had a field day debating whether or not he should have named his rum J’ouvert with no visible connection to the cultural tradition originating in Trinidad & Tobago, and celebrated across the Caribbean and other countries in lieu of pre-carnival festivities. Some people were calling it cultural appropriation, while others were not bothered by the name nor Michel B. Jordan using it.  In this episode I breakdown the details of the fiasco with details around his connections, the issues surrounding the trademark and revisit Caribbean Cultural Currency as a commodity that the region and diaspora take seriously.

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We’re continuing our conversation with the e Stush an’ Bush podcast crew, Khadieme and Robert, as we explore the complicated relationship between Dancehall and the LGBTQ+ Community. In the episode we get more specific.  Citing lyrics and expressions commonly used in Dancehall, how lyrical content has evolved over the years, lyrics possibly contributing to sexual curiosity and exploration, violent acts particularly impact certain communities and the impact global involvement has had on the Queeribean community. 

Check out Stush an' Bush Podcast | Instagram
Hosts Instagram: Robert | Khadieme

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In this episode I’m joined by the dynamic duo of the Stush an’ Bush podcast, Khadieme and Robert, as we explore the complicated relationship between Dancehall and the LGBTQ+ Community. This isn’t an episode attacking the genre or they lyrics, it rather and exploration and thought starter on how the music, specifically the reference to #2 being associated with gay male activities has helped maintain social and religious ideologies around being a gay man. We use the lyrics to explore ideas of queerness in Dancehall, our complex experience in hearing homophobic lyrics and liking the music anyway, male queerness and female misogyny and shifts around the work being done culturally.

Check out Stush an' Bush Podcast | Instagram
Hosts Instagram: Robert | Khadieme

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Style & Vibes: Website |  Newsletter | Youtube  |  Instagram |  Facebook

Produced by Breadfruit Media