Enongo Lumumba-Kasongo is a scholar and professor of music at Brown University who also performs as the dynamic rapper and producer Sammus. Sammus explores themes of anxiety, awkwardness, Afro-futurism, and activism in three full-length albums, three EPs, a beat tape, and several collaborations with notable artists.

As a Brown Practitioner Fellow, Lumumba-Kasongo’s research expands the bounds of Black feminist sound and hip-hop studies. In this episode, Lumumba-Kasongo talks about how she crafted “elsewhere spaces” in her childhood, where she dreamt up cartoons, video games, and music — which in turn helped her to navigate nervousness. She also shares how she learned to reconcile her love of being an unapologetic nerd with her drive to be an M.C., and what it means to show up as a socially conscious artist, both individually and as a member of her generation.

Whitney White is an actor, singer, Obie Award winner, and winner of the Lilly Award, which recognizes extraordinary women in theater. White has directed productions of James Baldwin’s The Amen Corner; Aleshea Harris’ What to Send Up When It Goes Down, a work about the victims of racialized violence; and Jocelyn Bioh’s Broadway play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding. She also directed productions of Shakespeare’s Richard III and Othello. In this episode, White shares how powerful moments on stage often originate in the body, not the mind. She also talks about how she preserves her inner self amidst the demands of large-scale productions, and what it means to embrace and live in her full self.