For our 12th episode of Working Vacation, we are joined by special guest Rudy Ray, a Juno Award winning musician/actor based in Toronto who has worked with a variety of A-list and overall talented individuals across both disciplines. 

We go on to to discuss:

- His initial interest in the field of neuroscience and the circumstances that led to his shift in focus towards music

- His love for jazz and the trumpet, the move from Ghana to Toronto and his university experience at UTSC

- The beginnings of his first forays into session music/studio work/album placements: namely playing the trumpet on Drake's 'Trophies' and J Cole's 'Middle Child'

- The realities that session musicians/instrumentalists face in the music industry, ghostwriting, why receiving credit can be more important than a onetime cheque as well as his love and appreciation for the Wu-Tang Clan

- His initial break into the film industry and the difference between being represented by an agency and not having any professional representation

- The differences in the US and Canadian film industries regarding black-led productions and the continued need for equal representation

- What he's learned from finding himself on productions with high level actors/actresses/directors such as Octavia Spencer, Tiffany Haddish, Guillermo del Toro, Bradley Cooper, Hiro Murai and many more

- His experience going back to Ghana for the first time since his initial departure as a teenager more than 10 years ago, the importance of connecting with your roots by visiting the motherland

- Hopes for future collaborations, advice to young artists and an impromptu performance!

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

Check us out on instagram @workingvacay

Check out our guest on instagram @rudyraykwaku

Check out our sponsors on instagram @redowlboxing

For our 11th episode of Working Vacation, we are joined by special guest Marcus Medford Kerr, a freelance journalist based in Toronto who currently works for the CBC as an Editorial Assistant.

We go on to to discuss:

- His earliest inspirations as someone interested in writing and multimedia from an early age

- The challenges and triumphs he faced during his come-up at UTSC/Centennial along side one of our podcast co-hosts

- The realities behind sensationalism, social media and cultural insensitivity as a result of a lack of representation 

- The pressures a black person can come across in the field of journalism and importance of reporting vs analysis

- Truth vs Honesty and how closely that dichotomy mirrors Fact vs Opinion

- The changing of the old guard in the journalism industry and the opportunities that exist for young journalists of colour 

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

Check us out on instagram @workingvacay

Check out our guest on instagram @marsthepoet

Check out our sponsors on instagram @redowlboxing

For our 10th episode of Working Vacation, we are joined by special guests Yasin and Anwar of Rootworks, a non-profit organization based around providing sustainable clean drinking water through the building of sand dams in East Africa.

We go on to to discuss:  

- How their initial desire to do a road trip in Africa snowballed into the creation of the Water Project and the eventual formation of Rootworks  

- The logistical challenges that came with starting up a non-profit organization (i.e. the filming, the fundraising process, location scouting, etc.)  

- What it was like to see their hard work gradually come to fruition  

- How faith played a major role in keeping their intentions pure  

- The realities of marriage as well as the importance of responsibility and identity  

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

Check us out on instagram @workingvacay

Check out our sponsors in instagram @redowlboxing

Check out Rootworks on instagram @rootworks_

Check out The Water Project Documentary here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kId2Ub6ACqA

In our ninth episode of Working Vacation we discuss: 

- The spectacle of modern boxing and mixed martial arts (i.e. Paul Brothers, Nate Robinson, Mayweather, McGregor, Khabib, etc.)

- Kyrie sitting out the NBA season in protest against the vaccine mandate (overall look into the polarization/politicization of this issue)

- Facebook whistleblower as well as the ethical implications of their algorithm and data/privacy issues

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our eighth episode of Working Vacation we discuss: 

- The VERZUZ platform and its benefits for legacy acts/international stars

- Most anticipated VERZUZ matchups

- CEO Talk: management deals, label deals, distribution & partnerships

- Building infrastructure: What Toronto can learn from the self-sufficiency of the UK music scene

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our seventh episode of Working Vacation we discuss:   

- Predictions/expectations of Drake’s Certified Lover Boy album  

- Missed opportunities: Chief Keef turning down the chance to be Apple Music’s flagship artist and his overall career trajectory  

- Types of music careers: high peaks vs grounded consistency (i.e. DMX & Jay Z)  

- The approach of personalized labels/agencies (i.e. Roc Nation and Clutch Sports)  

- The hip hop genre standards for success, ticket sales/touring & international demographics

- Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our sixth episode of Working Vacation we discuss: 

- Kwame Brown clapping back at his haters

- Harmful narratives & their effects

- Responsible media coverage vs sensationalism

- Umar Johnson vs Kevin Samuels

- The elevation of entertainers over professionals in today’s society

Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our 7th episode of Working Vacation we discuss:

- Nikola Jokic’s NBA MVP win:

• Are white athletes often underestimated due to a preceived lack of athleticism?

• The discrepancy in media coverage/discourse of black & white athletes with similar play styles

• Did Jokic win purely based off of availability (due to much of his competition being sidelined by injuries, COVID, etc.)?

- The legitimacy of this year’s NBA season/playoffs in comparison to the last year’s ‘Bubble’

- Is Kevin Durant truly the best basketball player in the world?

- Can LeBron win another ring?

- The changing of the NBA guard:

• The attendance of this year’s Olympics

• The new crop of stars currently making waves

• The potential rule change with regards to drawing fouls

• The overall evolution of the game

Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our fifth episode of Working Vacation, we discuss:    

 - The recent discovery of the remains of hundreds of Indigenous children at the sites of former residential schools in British Columbia and Manitoba as well the targeted terror attack against a Muslim family in London, Ontario not long afterwards:   

• How racist is Canada truly?   

• How much does Canada benefit from this progressive & inclusive image they actively promote to the rest of the world?   

- Types of government structures and their differing policies  

- Declining birth rates in advanced societies  

- The concept of Yin and Yang in regards to masculine and feminine energies   

- Compound Living vs Individualistic lifestyles (limitations, mindset and approach) as well as the realities of single parenthood

Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!

In our fourth episode of Working Vacation:   

- We discuss Doug Ford and the nonstop government shutdowns of Toronto (longest in all of North America) 

- Are there any agendas behind the coronavirus (Covid-19) that the government is not telling us? 

- The passing of the legend DMX, the sad realities of addiction, unworthy OGs in the hood and how they are impacting the next generation 

- The Daunte Wright shooting right on the heels of the Derek Chauvin Trial, police training and how to potentially prevent tragedies like this from continuing to happen

Grab a seat, eat some popcorn and enjoy!