On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Rondel Holder (@kingronthedon), founder of Soul Society 101 and documentarian to chat about the pilgrimage he took to Africa after receiving the results of a DNA test he took. We discuss his experience going to Benin & Togo after learning his DNA results, why the Black community is hesitant about DNA testing companies, his perspective on Black people traveling back to Africa, and whether or not the trip "home" has changed him. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Rondel Holder (instagram.com/kingronthedon) Website: rondelholder.com Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Shoe Dog, a book by Phil Knight Tugela Fairy by Simmy Abducted in Plain Sight on Netflix African Ancestry DNA Testing (http://www.africanancestry.com) Watch Rondel's Heritage Journey documentary here: I Traced My Roots to Africa: Heritage Journey with Rondel Holder | Part 1: Lome, Togo Part 2: Finding my Roots Part 2: Benin | Heritage Journey with Rondel Holder Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected].

Ndaba: a Zulu word, meaning "a meeting of the minds to discuss a very important topic." On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Bheki Dube (@bhekidup), owner of Curiocity, a network of hostels in South Africa and Vuyo Mpantsha & Fhatuwani Mukheli of I See A Different You (@iseeadifferentyou), a marketing & design firm dedicated to sharing uniquely South African stories to chat about exposing the world to Johannesburg's buzzing creative scene. We discuss how media often negatively influences the world's view of Africa and why people should meet South Africa for themselves, how Soweto and the Maboneng District are two areas that define the creative pulse of Johannesburg, why the vibe in Joburg can't be duplicated and the feeling as a creative when your idea has been copied. Listen and give us your opinion! Guests: Bheki Dube (instagram.com/bhekidup), owner of Curiocity, a network of hostels in South Africa andVuyo Mpantsha & Fhatuwani Mukheliof I See A Different You (instagram.com/iseeadifferentyou) Websites: Learn more about Curiocity Hostels at curiocity.africa and learn more about I See A Different You at iseeadifferentyou.com. Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Forbes' 12 Coolest Neighborhoods Around the World Episode Powered by: South African Tourism and the #meetsouthafrica campaign Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected].

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Kellita Smith (@kellitasmith1), Peabody Award winning actress for her role on the Emmy award winning Bernie Mac show, and current lead actress on SyFy's Z Nation to chat about being the first Black lead actor in a series on the network. We discuss how Hollywood still has quite a way to go for Black women, what it's like transitioning from comedic roles to science fiction, when she found out she was the first Black actor (male or female) in a lead role on the network, what position she'd play in her survival squad if a zombie apocalypse really jumped off, and Kellita drops gems about finding your passion that you need to hear. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Kellita Smith (https://www.instagram.com/kellitasmith1) Website: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808917/ Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Shirley Horne You can catch Kellita on Bounce TV's In The Cut and SyFy's Z Nation, which is now in season 5. Catch up on past seasons of Z Nation on Netflix. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected].

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Chris Classic (@mrchrisclassic), the American Music Award winner, creator of the fragrance Savoir Faire and social media maven to chat about the ups and downs of being a social media "influencer" for the Black community. We discuss how the Black community creates & consumes media, his perspective on social media as an individual with a massive following, and the moment when people share a little too much online. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Chris Classic (instagram.com/mrchrisclassic) Website: mrchrisclassic.com Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Cautious Clay Neilsen's report on Black Consumers & Creators The Social Media Habits of the Average Consumer You can find out more about Chris' fragrance, Savoir Faire at https://savoirfaire.store. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected].

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Jason Swann (@risingroutes), founder of Rising Routes to talk about the Black community's relationship with hiking and nature based activities. We discuss why nature based activities are automatically labeled as "white people stuff," how Black women lead the charge of connecting with nature, and the unforgettable experience that pushed him to create his company. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Jason Swann (instagram.com/risingroutes) Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Outside is For Everyone: An Open Letter from the CEO of MEC Nature Based Groups/Clubs for People of Color: Outdoor Afro Melanin Base Camp Brown Girls Climb You can find out more about Jason's company, Rising Routes at risingroutes.com. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected]. Episode Sponsor: Black & Abroad Theme Music by Nas550 (www.soundcloud.com/nas550)

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Fredara Hadley (@fredara), Doctor of Ethnomusicology, and noted professor of Black music to talk about the theory that we all stop checking for new music at the age of 33 and the impact of 90s R&B on Black culture. We discuss research done by Spotify on the listening habits of adults, why our teenage years build our love for music, how 90s R&B fits into the lives of Black 30-somethings, and why our demographic was never supposed to two step to Lil Uzi Vert. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Dr. Fredara Hadley (instagram.com/fredara) Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Amber Mark's "Put You On" feat. Dram When Do We Stop Keeping Up With New Music? by Ajay Kalia Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected]. Theme Music by Nas550 (www.soundcloud.com/nas550)

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Jerris Madison (@jerrismogul), photographer, creative director, and Editor in Chief of Obvious Magazine to chat about his life-changing experience of becoming one of the least represented types of amputees. We discuss his discovery that he was living with the incredibly rare cancer Chondrosarcoma, the problem with medical misdiagnosis for Black patients, what he did when he first learned he'd have to receive an amputation, and where he's at 4 years after the procedure. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Jerris Madison (instagram.com/jerrismogul) Website: obviousmag.com Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson Amber Mark's "Put You On" feat. Dram Chondrosarcoma American Cancer Society You can find out more about Jerris' magazine, Obvious at obviousmag.com. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected]. Theme Music by Nas550 (www.soundcloud.com/nas550)

On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Tanisha Colon-Bibb (@tanishacolonbibb), the entrepreneur who recently wrote an article about why she changed her name to something "less black" to avoid racism & discrimination in the workplace and get ahead in business, and her journey back to using her original name. We discuss the response she got from her article, Black-on-Black name discrimination, the history of "ghetto" names in the Black community, and whether or not Oprah's resume would get tossed in the trash. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Tanisha Colon-Bibb (instagram.com/tanishacolonbibb) Website: therebelleagency.com Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: Two applicants receive rejections letters stating their names are "too ghetto": https://thegrio.com/2018/08/15/mantality-health-accused-of-dismissing-black-woman-applicant-ghetto-name/ Tanisha's article on why she changed her name to something "less black" to be successful: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-changed-my-name-something-less-black-get-ahead-tanisha-colon-bibb/ Episode 012 of UNGENTRIFIED, where I discuss the history of the movie Boomerang with entertainment writer Kay-B. Episode 019 of UNGENTRIFIED, where I chat with Cindy Wilson, a Korean woman who was adopted by a Black family when she was a baby, and ended up coming of age in the deep South. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected]. Episode Sponsor: CULTURECON Theme Music by Nas550 (www.soundcloud.com/nas550)

Episode 022: HAIRLINE FRACTURE On this episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I am joined by Wade Menendez (@wadethebarber), business owner, philanthropist, celebrity barber and one of the first to offer custom hair units for men, also known as the "man-weave." We discuss the fear of losing your hairline, what goes into getting a "man-weave," and which celebrity he'd design a custom hair unit for. Listen and give us your opinion! Guest: Wade Menendez (instagram.com/wadethebarber) Website: wadethebarber.com Resources/People/Articles Mentioned in Podcast: The Daniel Fast You can find out more about Wade's services, including his instructional courses at wadethebarber.com. Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected].

INSECURE SEASON 3, EPISODE 8 RECAP: GHOST-LIKE On a very special episode of UNGENTRIFIED, I recap the eighth episode (and season finale) of Insecure's Season 3, "Ghost-Like," with my best friend, Bianca. Check out our thoughts on this episode, the entire third season and our predictions for the next season! Follow the conversation: @ungentrifiedpod on Instagram/Twitter @kentwjohnson on Instagram/Twitter ungentrifiedpodcast.com #ungentrifiedpod www.kentwjohnson.com Email us your questions/comments at [email protected]. Theme Music by Nas550 (www.soundcloud.com/nas550)