PODCAST · music
Being Black- The '80s
by theGrio
Black music by the decades. Each season will deconstruct the most popular Black music of the decade, including what was happening in Black America at each moment in time. Each episode of this audio docuseries focuses on a single song that defined a decade and changed the world. This music series explores cultural, political, and creative change one decade at a time. The first season will explore the Black music of the 80s and the sociopolitical roots of that music. Each episode looks at a single song from the era and what was happening socially at the moment that led to that song. We tell the story of each decade through music. Our host and lead writer Touré, interviews experts, cultural commentators, academics, and political thinkers, who will leave you feeling like you learned more about the music of the period.
Episodes
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Feelin' Love from the Lovies
theGrio Black Podcast Network is proud to announce that Being Black: The '80s has received a Lovie Awards nomination. Click here to vote in the Arts, Entertainment & Sports category to help Touré bring home the win!
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Vote For Being Black: The '80s
Being Black: The '80s has been nominated for a Signal Award! Help us win the People's Choice award for best Limited Series: Music, by voting here: https://tinyurl.com/bb80sSignal
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Jay-Z Almost Bankrupted Me
Star Stories with Touré is an animated series about the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievable backstage interactions with some of the most iconic men in music of the modern era. These animated stories are unforgettable recollections of the larger-than-life experiences with music journalist…
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Ice Cube x Dopeman: The Good, The Bad, & The Crazy
NWA's Ice Cube talks about the influence of crack on their hit song “Dopeman” and the contradiction of how drug money destroyed the community and propelled his career. “Dopeman” Is one of the illest songs ever made because it takes you deep into the drug dealer’s perspective on selling drugs. The...
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Star Stories with Toure` Coming August 1st
Star Stories with Toure` is an animated series about the unpredictable and sometimes unbelievable backstage interactions with some of the most iconic men in music today. These animated stories are unforgettable recollections of the larger-than-life experiences with music journalist Toure` and…
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Tracy Chapman x Affirmative Action
Tracy Chapman became one of the biggest musicians in the world thanks to two critical 80s concepts—affirmative action and the diasporic mindset. Because of the diasporic mindset, many Americans thought of Africa as part of their world, as if Africa’s problems are our own, and we are not truly…
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De La Soul x Crack
"My Brother’s A Basehead” is a true story. Posdnous from De La Soul had an older brother who had a crack addiction and it was very damaging for the whole family. For Pos and his parents, crack was literally in the house just as it was in many houses and many families during the crack era. Crack...
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NWA x Selling Crack
N.W.A’s “Dopeman” Is one of the illest songs ever made because it takes you deep into the drug dealer’s perspective on selling drugs. The crack dealer was evil but we should still seek to understand what drove him and when we look into his soul we find that like the fiends he served, he too was…
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Public Enemy x Mass Incarceration
“Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos” is Public Enemy’s look at prison and mass incarceration. In this episode, we leap from that song into talking about the New Jim Crow and mass incarceration and how being in America is like being in a prison. Guests: Dr. Christina Greer, Fordham Professor Hank...
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Stevie Wonder x MLK
Stevie’s legendary song “Happy Birthday” was originally part of the long, hard battle to turn Dr. King’s birthday into a national holiday. When Dr. King was assassinated, his approval rating with white people was very low. At that point, he was not beloved by them. It took a lot of careful…
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Diana Ross x Gay Liberation
“I’m Coming Out” was meant to be a gay liberation song but the song’s writer and producer Nile Rodgers didn’t tell Diana Ross that. Which led to a whole thing. It’s a crazy story. The origin of the song is fascinating but more interesting is how disco in general was part of the gay rights…
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Donna Summer x Women’s Liberation
“She Works Hard for the Money,” is Donna Summer’s classic that was born when she saw a waitress sleeping during her shift and thought, damn she works hard for the money. In this episode we talk about the birth of the song with Summer’s husband and we talk about Black women’s economic issues and…
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Bob Marley x Black Determination
“Redemption Song” by Bob Marley and the Wailers is one of the ultimate songs about the Black spirit and the immense determination that has gotten us through life in America. I’m talking about a specifically Black determination that has powered our resistance and carried us through life in…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Black music by the decades. Each season will deconstruct the most popular Black music of the decade, including what was happening in Black America at each moment in time. Each episode of this audio docuseries focuses on a single song that defined a decade and changed the world. This music series explores cultural, political, and creative change one decade at a time. The first season will explore the Black music of the 80s and the sociopolitical roots of that music. Each episode looks at a single song from the era and what was happening socially at the moment that led to that song. We tell the story of each decade through music. Our host and lead writer Touré, interviews experts, cultural commentators, academics, and political thinkers, who will leave you feeling like you learned more about the music of the period.
HOSTED BY
theGrio
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Being Black- The '80s have?
Being Black- The '80s currently has 15 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Being Black- The '80s about?
Black music by the decades. Each season will deconstruct the most popular Black music of the decade, including what was happening in Black America at each moment in time. Each episode of this audio docuseries focuses on a single song that defined a decade and changed the world. This music series...
How often does Being Black- The '80s release new episodes?
Being Black- The '80s has 15 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Being Black- The '80s?
You can listen to Being Black- The '80s on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Being Black- The '80s?
Being Black- The '80s is created and hosted by theGrio.
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