In Episode 20 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Toni Blackman to explore cultural bridges, global storytelling, and creative sovereignty through music and media.

Toni shares the vision behind her upcoming podcast TOALA, short for Travels of a Lyrical Ambassador, an audio project centered on African music, Afrobeats, hip hop culture, and diaspora connection. Drawing from her experiences traveling across Senegal, Ghana, Kenya, Angola, China, and beyond, she reflects on how artists build cultural bridges that transcend geography.

This conversation moves through African music's global impact, diaspora identity, creative discipline, and the responsibility that comes with storytelling across borders. Toni speaks about trusting intuition over validation, practicing as a daily discipline, and protecting creative sovereignty in an attention-driven media landscape.

We also discuss Bloom Afrique Microfund and her work supporting African entrepreneurs, the role of artists in shaping cultural narratives, and why global storytelling requires both humility and leadership.

This episode is for podcasters, artists, cultural strategists, and entrepreneurs interested in African music, diaspora storytelling, creative leadership, and building media platforms rooted in vision.

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you stream.

Podcast: TOALA (Travels of a Lyrical Ambassador)

00:00 – Introduction: Toni Blackman, First U.S. Hip Hop Ambassador
05:00 – African Music, Senegal & Expanding the Diaspora Through Sound
10:00 – Touring Africa, Global Hip Hop & Cultural Diplomacy
15:00 – Diaspora Identity, Afrobeats & Reframing Black History
20:00 – Creative Discipline, Freestyle Speaking & Practice Over Performance
25:00 – Trusting Vision, Micro Content Strategy & Launching TOALA
30:00 – Artists vs Institutions: Why Creators Build Connection Differently
35:00 – Bloom Afrique Microfund & Investing in African Entrepreneurs
40:00 – Leadership, Fear, Mentorship & Generational Disruption
45:00 – Opening Your World Through Music & Diaspora Exploration
50:00 – Meditation Projects, Healing Work & Final Reflections

Spotify Artist Link: https://open.spotify.com/artist/48ho4Mg0LK4KH5D7y6tOEs?si=IUY1TEThT_6XSZja-tyI_g

Connect with Toni Blackman: Bloom Afrique Microfund and collaborations: hello@toniblackman.com

Follow on Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/toniblackman/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MissBlackman1/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@toniblackman5

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/toniblackman/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ToniBlackman

Check the links below to learn more about the artists Toni mentioned in the episode:

Orchestra Baobab: https://youtu.be/m4yFmRNcX3I?si=quMufW_iHbk1jPFH

M.anifest: https://youtu.be/ibEc2aLamCk?si=cdKzlWyQJPl9YeLZ

Fritz Francois: https://youtu.be/aXjYp8GIGos?si=oek_Scj_dlIT0GE5

Breez Evahflowin': https://youtu.be/pm_Zv2ZCinY?si=EVDTOYnqmoww48fc

Rhyme Like a Girl Nairobi: https://youtu.be/SYK7_JmgKkE?si=DLfn0LPw3DmDDTu9

Franck Biyong: https://youtu.be/c6nUhLVcSSk?si=CeyoLoohOWwOygeT

Fid Q: https://youtu.be/e5Imz9qzxFw?si=JS-nF-J6W5wMYjvX

In Episode 19 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir sits with Eteng Ettah, host of Consider This for Comfort, a podcast exploring comfort TV, media literacy, and cultural commentary.

Why do certain television shows become emotional refuge?
What does comfort TV reveal about nostalgia, connection, and identity?
How does pop culture shape the way we understand society?

Eteng is a brand and cultural strategist who examines the intersection of television, media, and social meaning. In this conversation, she explains how comfort television can regulate emotion, create communal experiences, and offer insight into what people are carrying in uncertain times.

We discuss media literacy in the age of misinformation, doom scrolling versus intentional consumption, the power of nostalgia in streaming culture, and why creators must build from what they genuinely want to make instead of chasing trends.

Eteng also shares how she structures Consider This for Comfort using a seasonal format, experiments with collaborative award-season episodes, and expands her work into a companion newsletter, Ateng's Edit, to build a broader cultural ecosystem.

This episode is for podcasters, newsletter writers, media creators, cultural commentators, and anyone interested in comfort TV, pop culture analysis, and building independent media platforms with intention.

00:00 – Introduction to Eteng Ettah & Consider This for Comfort
05:00 – Media Responsibility, Journalism & Podcasting Access
10:00 – What Is Comfort TV and Why It Resonates
15:00 – Emotional Refuge, Nervous System Regulation & Storytelling
20:00 – Creative Control, Ownership & Building a Podcast From Scratch
25:00 – Moving Beyond Friends & Family Guests
30:00 – Experimenting With Emmy Specials & Collaborative Episodes
35:00 – Creating What You Want vs Chasing Trends
40:00 – Comfort TV, Nostalgia & The Need for Connection
45:00 – Expanding Into Newsletters & Building a Cultural Ecosystem
50:00 – Collaboration, Creative Sovereignty & What's Next

To learn more about Eteng Ettah visit: https://www.etengettah.com

Listen to Consider This for Comfort on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6FyAIKf2vjkjoC7eFRYFTp?

Follow on Instagram: www.instagram.com/considercomfortpod

This episode is brought to you by CON417 "Where Music Never Sleeps!"

Visit: www.edgarsdiaz.com

Follow on Instagram @edgarsdiazmusic

Listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you stream.

In Episode 18 of the Heard! Afros & Audio Interview Series, Talib Jasir speaks with Dr. Briana Barner, Assistant Professor of Communication at the University of Maryland and creator of the Black Podcast course.

What is a Black podcast?
How should Black podcasts be preserved?
What does it mean to study podcasting through race, identity, and cultural production?

Dr. Barner teaches a university course focused on Black podcasts as cultural artifacts. In this conversation, she explains how podcasting functions as an extension of Black oral storytelling traditions, why representation in media still matters, and how students navigate race, code-switching, and identity in academic spaces.

We also discuss:

• Defining Black podcasts beyond the race of the host
• Combat Jack and the preservation of hip hop podcast history
• Why Serial is often credited as the beginning of podcasting and what that erases
• Misogynoir, digital media, and the cancellation of Louder Than a Riot
• The politics of editing, authenticity, and "brand safety"
• Why podcast archiving is urgent in a shifting political and digital landscape

This episode is essential listening for podcast creators, media scholars, journalism students, digital archivists, and anyone interested in Black podcast history and cultural criticism.

Dr. Briana Barner's research focuses on Black podcasts, digital media, preservation, and Black feminism. She is currently writing a book on Black podcasting as cultural production.

00:00 – Introduction to Dr. Briana Barner & Black Podcast Studies
05:00 – What Makes a Podcast "Black"? Challenging Definitions
10:00 – Teaching Black Podcasting in a Majority-White Classroom
15:00 – Cultural Production, Sound, and Audience Identity
20:00 – Representation, Bad Bunny, and Cultural Moments in Media
25:00 – Students Producing Podcasts in Real Time
30:00 – Code-Switching, Identity, and Classroom Breakthroughs
35:00 – Combat Jack and Preserving Black Podcast History
40:00 – Louder Than a Riot, Misogynoir & NPR Cancellation
45:00 – Black Feminism, Digital Harm & Podcast Freedom
50:00 – Authenticity, Editing Choices & The Politics of Sound
55:00 – Why Black Podcast Archiving Matters Now
1:00:00 – Final Reflections on Media, Identity & Creator Autonomy

Listen to the Black Podclass on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/black-pod-class/id1733359998

Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackpodclass

Listen, subscribe, and share.