Lemme Ask You This

On episode 13 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, the guest is Coltrane Curtis from Team Epiphany. The conversation starts with Talib asking Coltrane about his recent international trip and how America is viewed overseas in the MAGA era. Coltrane talks about the challenges of explaining fascism to his children. Coltrane talks about how partying in NYC led to the formation of his marketing company, Team Epiphany. Talib asks Coltrane about lessons he learned from his father. Coltrane talks about how celebrity is engineered and explains how his team came up with the term "influencer." Tef asks Coltrane about niche marketing and the conversation turns to the cultural currency of Future's Dirty Sprite Ballet. Talib asks about focus groups and Coltrane talks about how his team created a way to use data to measure cultural currency. Talib shares his experience with working on the Getting Up video game and thanks Coltrane for the work they did together with Marc Eckō. Tef brings up how popular G Unit gear was and Coltrane breaks down how when people stole those clothes it made the brand cool. The conversation turns towards Coltrane's time at Ralph Lauren and the legacy of the Lo Lifes. Talib asks why rappers didn't wear their own brands. Coltrane tells stories about his dad and explains the need for having hard skills. Coltrane explains why Team Ephipany hires writers and the importance of the book Positioning. Coltrane thanks his family for putting him in the right positions. Tef breaks down the Pooh Shiesty/Gucci Mane situation. Talib asks Coltrane about his college years in Atlanta and about the importance of HBCUs. Coltrane talks about how COVID impacted his business. Tef asks Coltrane about the challenges of being a marketing person with morals. Talib asks Coltrane about his time as a host on MTV, which leads to a conversation about the challenges of being seen at a Kanye West show. Talib brings up the Jay Z GQ interview, which leads to a discussion about the tactical nature of magazines and the importance of reading. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Episode 12 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe features Blu and Exile. We start by introducing Blu and Exile and getting into a conversation about their new album, Time Heals Everything. Talib asks about Blu and Exile's relationship with Fashawn and shares Fashawn stories. Blu and Exile explain how the online leak of Below The Heavens helped make that album successful and then talk about how it was inspired by Reflection Eternal. The conversation then begins to center on west coast hiphop luminaries like King Tee and Self Scientific. Blu and Exile break down the making of their song Dancin' In The Rain. Exile talks about selling mixtapes while being in a group with Aloe Blacc, which leads to Talib sharing a story about a bus trip to California in 1995. Blu talks about how he stays so prolific and then gets into a story about how he almost signed to Death Row. Tef Poe asks Blu and Exile about how they keep their musical reputation so in tact, which leads to a discussion about their love for jazz music. Talib asks Blu if having the name Blu has ever created an issue for him with LA gangs. Blu breaks down his friendship with Miguel. Exile talks about his Exile Radio albums which leads to a discussion about his spirituality. Tef asks Blu and Exile to give an advice for people who want to follow in their path. Talib asks Blu about his album with Nottz, Africa. Blu talks about working with Med and Madlib and Exile goes deeper into his relationship with Aloe Blacc. Talib asks Blu and Exile how they are able to stay so connected with Los Angeles' underground hiphop scene. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Episode 11 - One Rap Battle After Another ft Nicole Duncan-SmithFor episode 11 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, friend of the show Nicole Duncan-Smith returns. The show starts with Nicole talking about the need for more conscious content. Talib ask Nicole about how she became involved in battle rap culture. Nicole recounts witnessing the battle between Keith Murray and Fredro Starr and then describes being at all female rap battle events. Talib asks Nicole if battle rap culture is more misogynistic than mainstream hiphop culture and Tef talks about how female battle rappers get to respond. Tef and Talib talk about how challenging battle rap culture actually is. Nicole talks about watching rappers battle to get on in the industry. Talib asks if today's battle rappers understand the history of battle rap and then a discussion is had about the history of the Bridge Wars. Nicole shows love to Roxanne Shante. Tef Poe explains how the Bridge Wars seem to set a precedent for rap beefs outside of NYC. Nicole talks about her work with the Hip Hop Museum. Tef asks Nicole about her favorite female battle rappers which leads to a discussion about how fans of music should explore outside of the mainstream more often. Nicole and Tef explain Jae Millz recent run to Talib. Nicole and Talib talk about how they met. Talib talks about the first time he met Russell Simmons and the conversation turns to Affion Crockett's A Hip Hop Story movie. Tef talks about how Jae Millz using Ron Browz beats is adding to his recent resurgence. Talib asks about the importance of Black Media and Nicole breaks down the history of Black journalism. Tef asks what the current version of Unsigned Hype is. Talib talks about the challenges of being a legacy artist in an online ecosystem. Nicole explains how the algorithm is the new Unsigned Hype and how she focused on shining light on up and coming artists. Tef and Nicole discuss how using inventive ways and not relying on standard practices to get your music out there is necessary. Talib asks Nicole about her work with Health, Hope and HipHop. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Episode 10 - Ignorantly Delivering Knowledge featuring IDKEpisode 10 of Lemme Ask You This with Tef Poe and Talib Kweli begins with IDK talking about being born in London and how Talib and IDK met. Talib asks IDK about how he gets so many great features. IDK talks about the OGs in his life that he gets advice from. Tef asks IDK about his musical curation process. IDK breaks down how being an only child drove him to be more creative. IDK talks about how he never lets outside circumstances get in the way of his goals. Tef and IDK talk about working at Harvard University. Talib asks IDK about how being incarcerated as a young man impacted his drive and the discussion turns towards how artists operated during COVID lockdown. IDK talks about navigating jealousy from people in the industry and how sobriety helps him stay focused. IDK talks about his belief in the intangible and why he thinks believing in a higher power is intelligent. The conversation turns towards the similarities between science and religion and how fear of the unknown causes violence between human beings. IDK breaks down how growing up in diverse communities helps him to be more musically diverse and then talks about how he created the song Red with Mike Jones, MF DOOM, Westside Gunn and Jay Electronica. Talib asks IDK about working with Young Thug and Tef asks IDK about what he sees next for hiphop and IDK talks about rebuilding himself as an artist. Talib talks about the challenges of experimenting as a conscious artist. IDK explains how science is an art. Talib asks about who has the best jollof rice before talking about how Ghana is pushing for reparations. Tef asks IDK if being a deep thinker has hindered his success in a vapid industry and IDK explains why he is a good bet. The conversation turns towards the impact of Lofi and how different generations discovered the music of J Dilla, Madlib and MF DOOM thru Adult Swim. Talib talks about doing a TV show in Tanzania with Cameron Diaz. IDK talks about performing on the Tonight Show with Black Thought and Kaytranada.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

On Episode 9 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, we welcome Los Angeles raised artist and executive Chace Infinite. Talib asks Chace about being a conscious record executive. Chace breaks down how the music industry is not designed to help artists. Tef asks Chace about his selfless nature. Talib asks Chace about the legacy of his group with DJ Khalil, Self Scientific. Chace talks about how he misses Talib being on social media and then breaks down his working relationship with Wyatt Waddell. Chace and Talib discuss whether or not hiphop will remain relevant and how it's always been for young people. Chace talks about how record companies are relying on TikTok to find new artists. Tef asks Chace to define talent, and then Talib asks Chace about how much of a factor talent is when it comes to being a successful artist. Chace talks about his working relationships with A$AP Rocky and Westside Gunn. Talib Kweli asks Chace how he feels about Jack Harlow's recent controversy and then tells a story about how he learned about Jack Harlow. The conversation starts to be about white privilege in hiphop spaces. Tef asks Chace about artists creating controversy for clickbait. Talib points out the similarities in what Jack Harlow and LaRussell have been criticized for saying. Tef, Talib and Chace discuss the Afroman situation and call him a hero before debating which Jay-Z album is the best. Chace talks about his Harun Coffee shop and how it adds to the legacy of Leimert Park before breaking down the unique history of Leimert Park. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Talib and Tef introduce themselves and talk about the intention behind the podcast. Talib talks about how people perceive him on social media and how there is a white supremacist problem in America. Tef asks Talib about how he navigated the trappings of fame and Talib reflects on his time in Hollywood. Talib breaks down the history of conscious hiphop and talks about how Black Star was influenced by the conscious artists who came before them. Tef asks Talib about how he met Yasiin Bey. Talib talks about having the confidence of knowing he would succeed. Tef asks Talib about the battle rap scene in NYC and the conversation turns towards the Lyricist Lounge. Tef talks about the St. Louis version of the Lyricist Lounge. Talib talks about the unsung heroes behind the scenes in hiphop. Talib and Tef talk about the need to leave smaller markets in order to make it in the music industry. Tef talks about the tough love he faced from his OGs and cheating his way thru 106 and Park Freestyle Fridays. Tef and Talib give El-P his flowers.  Talib talks about what's expected of conscious MCs and tells a story about going to strip clubs. Talib and Tef then talk about people they recently lost. Talib recounts his history with John Forte and then talks about the health challenges that Black people face. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

For the last show from this Minneapolis run, Talib decides to interview Tef Poe. Talib and Tef start out by showing love to Minneapolis and then they discuss Dave Chappelle's Minneapolis show. Tef tells a story about a conservative Chappelle fan he met.  Dave Chappelle's politics are discussed which becomes a conversation about the similarities between comedy and battle rap. Talib begins to interview Tef. Tef talks about growing up in St. Louis and being inspired by his brother, Black Spade. Talib and Tef show love to MC Hammer while talking about how elitist NYC hiphop can be. Tef talks about rapping in chat rooms and on message boards and then talks about how hard he used to go to promote his own music. Talib asks about Tef's Cheers For The Villian album. Tef breaks down his journey to NY for 106 and Park Freestyle Fridays and talks about his connection to battle rap. Tef and Talib recount how they met. Tef and Talib discuss respectability politics and the pros and cons of organization building. Tef talks about how his trip to Palestine changed him and why he pulled back from music in favor of activism work. The conversation then turns to Tef's Black Julian albums and his time being a Nas fellow at Harvard University. Talib asks Tef about his diss songs aimed at St. Louis politicians and about going from an independent artist to signing with Tommy Boy. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

It's Episode 6 and the LAYT Gang is still in Minneapolis. On this episode we meet Minneapolis artist and activist Toussaint Morrison from On Site Public Media. Toussaint talks about originally being from New Orleans and then him and Tef have a conversation about balancing being an artist with being an activist. Tef talks about how conscious artists are not given enough room to experiment artistically. Toussaint talks about walking away from his job at PBS due to racist experiences and the value of activist journalism. Talib talks about how white people often treat police as personal bodyguards and the group has a discussion about the inherent racism of white liberals. Toussaint recounts a story about a run in with Gwen Walz which leads to a conversation about how racist the prison system is. Tef asks Toussaint about which Minneapolis activists he's been inspired by. Talib asks Toussaint about how his training as an actor informs his activist work and Tef shows love to Prince Paul. Toussaint uses an anecdote about an overzealous ICE agent he has named "Captain Ray Bans" to highlight the moral depravity of ICE. This leads to a conversation about censorship around Palestinian issues. Talib asks Toussaint about the importance of not depending on social media for your content. Talib talks about why he joined Substack and Toussaint talks about the "copaganda" that permeates Minneapolis. Tef asks Toussaint why he stays in the Midwest. Talib brings up political violence and how the right wing is responsible for most of it. Tef talks about Dave Chappelle's MAGA fans and how people act when they regret voting for Donald Trump. Toussaint talks about the hypocrisy of Minnesota democrats and the ineffectiveness of elected officials. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Episode 5 - The Language Of The Unheard Featuring Wintana Melekin and Rod AdamsEpisode 5 of Lemme Ask You This With Talib Kweli and Tef Poe finds the LAYT gang in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The special guests are activists and organizers Wintana Melekin from Groundwork Institute and Rod Adams from New Justice Project Minnesota. After the guests tell us a little about themselves, Talib asks Wintana to talk about the functions of the Groundwork Institute and then she talks about how we win by resisting. Rod breaks down the similarities between the Minneapolis and Ferguson uprisings. Tef asks Talib why he does activist work and Talib breaks down how rewarding activist work can be rewarding if you make the revolution irresistible. Tef asks Wintana about how she engages with artists around social justice work and she talks about how artists have a history of supporting activist work. Wintana talks about how Black immigrants are affected by racist policing in Minnesota and Rod how tax dollars should go to things that help the community instead of to more policing. The LAYT gang discussing the intricacies of defunding the police and how modern policing starts with slave patrols. Talib asks about the similarities between the police and the KKK. Tef asks Wintana about her trip to DC to confront lawmakers about funding ICE. Wintana and Rod advocate for voting. Tef asks Wintana and Rod about how Minneapolis activists work so well together, which leads to a larger conversation about how to agree to disagree with other activists while navigating this era of social media. Talib asks the group if Black people should continue to protest or sit this one out. Wintana and Tef break down how the people who complain the most about activism are the ones who don't do the work. Tef and Rod talk about how Black women are the ones leading the revolution and Wintana says some of their names.  Wintana and Rod break down transformative justice and restorative justice.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

On Episode 4 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, Distractions, the guys send rest in peace shouts out to Mr. Complex and James Van Der Beek. Talib talks about his friendship with James and about the need for universal healthcare in America. Talib talks about how systems of white supremacy fail without accomplices of color and then breaks down why Black Star did a deal with Luminary. Tef breaks down how Sauce Walka inspired his DIY hustle and the guys talk about how Jimmy Iovine says that streaming will soon be obsolete. The guys discuss the recent G-Unit vs Ja Rule plane incident. Talib criticizes DJ Vlad's troll tweets and Tef criticizes Vlad for using a Black women's pain as a source of humor. Talib and Tef talk about how and why celebrity names pop up in the Epstein files and pivot into how troll culture is being celebrated. Tef tells a story about how a post of his was taken the wrong way.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

Episode 3 - Dilla Day ft. Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey Smith - Lemme Ask you This Podcast with Talib Kweli & Tef Poe On episode 3 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, the LAYT gang celebrates Dilla Day 2026 by having J Dilla's mom, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey Smith, as a special guest. Ma Dukes reminisces with Talib about Dave NY and then talks about her love for classical music. Ma Dukes talks about helping children reach their full creative potential and then talks about finding out that both her and Dilla had lupus. Talib talks about meeting Nina Simone. Ma Dukes talks about how Detroit inspired Dilla and breaks down how he heard samples differently. Ma Dukes tells us about Dilla's spiritual side and breaks down how her generation misunderstood hiphop. Ma Dukes tells us what she learned while running a daycare center. Ma Dukes shares a story about Amp Fiddler and then Talib asked her about how she deals with interlopers who seek to exploit Dilla. Talib and Ma Dukes talk about how Dilla was not impressed with awards and Tef brings up how Dilla's music sounds like love. The show ends with shouts out to Reggie "Combat Jack" Ossé and the J Dilla Foundation. https://www.jamesdyanceyfoundation.org Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

On the second episode, Talib and Tef introduce their guests, LG and Nicole Duncan Smith. Talib asks if Mike Epps is right when he says that street dudes love Donald Trump. Tef starts a debate about government interference in hiphop culture. The LAYT gang talks about Nicki Minaj’s embrace of MAGA. Talib asks if the Kendrick vs Drake battle was strictly organic or were there outside factors at play. The LAYT gang debates J Cole’s departure from the battle and Talib tells a story about seeing J Cole on the street. Nicole asks Talib to break down his rap genealogy. The LAYT gang shows love to Vic Mensa and then weighs in on whether or not the phrase "ride or die" applies to your people even when they are wrong. Talib asks the LAYT gang if they think Kanye meant his apology.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast

In the debut episode of Lemme Ask You This featuring Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, Talib and Tef discuss how they met during the Ferguson uprising, Talib asks Tef about his trip to Palestine, Tef breaks down what it's like to grow up in St. Louis, the guys talk about protecting conscious artists, Talib recounts his experiences with fundraising, the guys dive into the Black Thought vs Jay Z debate, Tef starts a Biggie vs Kendrick debate, the guys talk about the impact of Don Lemon's recent arrest and then discuss the controversy surrounding activist Paul Birdsong of the Black Lions. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcastThreads https://www.threads.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/lemmeaskyouthispod/Substack https://lemmeaskyouthis.substack.com/Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@lemmeaskyouthispodcast