This week on Unruly Subjects, Chenjerai is joined by his close friend Professor D Noble to unpack the viral fallout surrounding white rapper Jack Harlow. Following Harlow’s move into Neo Soul with his new album Monica, Chenjerai and Professor Noble dive into the controversy sparked by Harlow’s recent interview on the New York Times’ Popcast, where he claimed he has "gotten Blacker."

Go beyond the individual critiques of Harlow and go deeper to analyze how the "post-Not Like Us" landscape has changed the rules for artists, and who actually controls the means of Black cultural production. In other words who really controls access to the "Cookout?” And, of course, it wouldn't be Unruly Subjects without some levity—Chenjerai and D Noble spend some time riffing on the hilarious and biting nicknames that have popped up as the internet trolls Harlow, including Jan 6 Mafia, A Clan Called Quest, and Musiq Rothschild.

☎️ Got a better nickname for Jack Harlow than Jan 6 Mafia?
Call the UNRULY HOTLINE and let us know—we might play the best ones on the next episode: 215-436-9212

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com.

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

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This episode is all about the fight against data centers. Specifically, we’re sharing the story of how the residents of Monterey Park, California waged a successful campaign against the construction of a data center in their town. Chenjerai interviews Hrag Balian and Steven Kung, co-founders of No Data Centers in Monterey Park and Claire Wang, an independent journalist who has been covering the anti-data center movement for The Guardian and other outlets.

☎️ Call our UNRULY HOTLINE: Have something you want to ask Chenjerai? Something you want us to cover on Unruly Subjects? Have a good joke? Leave us a message here: 215-436-9212

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Go there now to hear Chenjerai and his friend D Noble dissect what's going on with the "rapper" Jack Harlow.

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com.

Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode:

Rage against the machine: a California community rallied against a datacenter – and won, The Guardian

After a White Town Rejected a Data Center, Developers Targeted a Black Area, Capital B News

Trump releases AI policy for Congress to pre-empt state rules, Reuters

Trump’s AI Order Is More Bark than Bite

While the executive order has created uncertainty for the many states that have passed artificial intelligence policies to protect their residents, its impact falls short of its menacing rhetoric.

Data Center Watch

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This week, Chenjerai drives down to Philly to break bread with his friend - community activist and advocate April Lee. They visit Black Dragon, an innovative takeout spot in West Philly featuring Black Chinese cuisine from the mind of Chef Kurt Evans. Over noodles and spring rolls, April gives her analysis of the family policing system and talks about survival, structural violence, parenting, and about what real community care actually requires.

Also, Chenjerai calls up his friend Professor D Noble to find out what’s going on with the white rapper Jack Harlow and his comments about “getting Blacker” for his new album.

☎️ Call our UNRULY HOTLINE: Have something you want to ask Chenjerai? Something you want us to cover on Unruly Subjects? Have a good joke? Leave us a message here: 215-436-9212

We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently - support the show on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects Go there now to hear Chenjerai’s interview with New York assembly member Phara Souffant.

Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com.

Listen to Proxy created & hosted by our friend Yowei Shaw.

Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz

Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions

Further reading & sources from this episode

Learn more about April Lee’s organization Philly Voice for Change

https://phillyvoiceforchange.org/

Inside Black Dragon, the New Black American Chinese Takeout in West Philly

https://philly.eater.com/2024/8/29/24231141/black-dragon-new-american-chinese-food-takeout-west-philly

Support NYU ‘s Contract Faculty

https://nyucontractfacultyunion.org/

Center for Family Representation

https://cfrny.org/

See Clips from Family Advocacy Day on C4FR’s Instagram page

https://www.instagram.com/p/DVOrs-EEcf_/

Support the show