
People's Party with Talib Kweli
UPROXX·Hosted by Talib Kweli·97 episodes
People’s Party is a weekly interview show hosted by hip-hop legend Talib Kweli. The show features big-name guests exploring hip-hop, culture, and politics.
Why listen
People's Party with Talib Kweli gives hip-hop fans long, insider conversations with the artists, producers, comedians, journalists, and activists who shaped the culture. Kweli brings lived history to the interviews, so episodes often move from classic records and rap lore into politics, race, creativity, and industry survival. It is a strong fit for listeners who want first-person hip-hop history with room for tangents and context.
Episodes
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with the famed group Arrested Development to discuss the impact of their hit songs "Tennessee" and "People Everyday," religion and spirituality, and the group as a response to gangsta rap.
In this new episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with Masta Killa of the Wu-Tang Clan to discuss making "36 Chambers," the impact of "Triumph," remembering ODB, and much, much more.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with The Luniz to discuss how their timeless hit "I Got 5 On It" got made, "operation stackola," Oakland life, and much more.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with U-God of the Wu-Tang Clan to discuss the formation of the group and making "36 Chambers," RZA's genius, Method Man's talent, memories of ODB, and much more.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with Tiffany Dena Loftin to Black-Palestinian solidarity, student loan forgiveness, and fighting against the death penalty.
In this episode of People's Party filmed live in Miami, Talib Kweli sits down with NORE to discuss all things Drink Champs, rapping on Pharrell beats, Lil Kim/Foxy beef, and much more.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli sits down with Tash from Tha Alkaholiks to discuss working with Pharrell, Bow Wow performing Tash's rhymes, King Tee, and much more.
In this episode of People's Party, filmed live from Miami, Talib Kweli sits down with Lil' Cease of Junior M.A.F.I.A. fame to discuss Biggie, coastal beefs, Lil' Kim, and more.
In this episode of People's Party, filmed live from the birthplace of Hip-Hop -- 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx -- Talib Kweli sits down with Steffanie Christi'an And Jessica Care Moore to discuss their forming of "We Are Scorpio, female rappers, the power of art, and more.
In this episode of People's Party, filmed live from the birthplace of Hip-Hop -- 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx -- Talib Kweli sits down with the legendary Grandmaster Caz to talk Hip-Hop 50, Jay-Z, "Rapper's Delight," the first rap battles, Cold Crush, and much more.
In this episode of "People's Party with Talib Kweli" filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, Kweli sits down with Affion Crocket to receive a social media intervention, witness Affion's Jay-Z impersonation, and more.
In this episode of "People's Party with Talib Kweli" filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, Kweli sits down with attorney, journalist, and host of MSNBC's "The Beat" -- Ari Melber -- to dive deep on Jay-Z's genius, discuss quoting rap, and talk about the platforming bigots and the rise of antisemitism.
In this episode of "People's Party with Talib Kweli" filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, Kweli sits down with Parliament Funkadelic icon George Clinton to discuss the development of his style, his influence on rap, writing music on acid, fighting for royalties, the history of "(Not Just) Knee Deep," and so much more.
In this episode of "People's Party with Talib Kweli" filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, Kweli sits down with legendary Grammy award-winning musician Robert Glasper to discuss Spotify money, working with rappers, modern jazz, and his Chris Brown beef.
In this episode of "People's Party with Talib Kweli" filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Festival in Napa Valley, De La Soul talk about early days, the story behind Native Tongues, the reaction to "De La Soul Is Dead," the process behind making "Stakes Is High," why they had to fight for control of their catalog, and losing David Jolicoeur.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, Kweli sits down with Buckshot. The two discuss working Q-Tip's influence on Buck's jazzy style, the formation of Duck Down Records, and truth vs fiction when it comes to Tupac and Biggie.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, Kweli sits down with hip-hop legend and member of The Lox, Styles P. The two discuss working with DMX early on, making "24 Hours To Live," the impact of "I'm Black," and what it's like being locked up while famous.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, Kweli sits down with legendary producer Large Professor to discuss the working with Nas, Rakim & Eric B, and his own legacy in hip-hop.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, Kweli sits down with Havoc from the legendary Mobb Deep. The two discuss the impact of "Shook Ones" and producing for hip-hop's most influential artists.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," filmed live at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC, Kweli sits down with Sheek Louch from the legendary LOX. The two discuss Biggie, Puffy, Suge, MJB, and so much more.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli" filmed at the Blue Note, Kweli sits down with legendary rapper and Diplomats group member, Jim Jones.
In this episode of "People's Party With Talib Kweli," Kweli sits down with rapper, singer, actor, author and lead emcee of the legendary Philadelphia-based hip hop collective The Roots: BLACK THOUGHT"
Check out this single from my new album Liberation 2, available now, only on Luminary. https://luminary.link/liberation2 Ft. Amani Fela (Talib Kweli Greene, Otis Jackson, Jr., Amani Fela Greene, Homer Banks, Carl Hampton, Raymond Jackson) Produced by Madlib. Recorded and mixed by Federico "c sik'' Lopez. Pen Skills Music (BMI) Songs of Windswept Pacific (BMI) all rights administered by BMG Rights Management (US) LLC, Loop Digga Publishing (BMI) administered by Sony/ATV Songs LLC. AMANIAINTHERE ASCAP 6845284. Samples a portion of “I'm Trying to Sing A Message To You"' By Luther Ingram, published by Irving c/o UMPG / Malaco. Sample Clearances by DMG Clearances, Inc. A&R Administration by Donna Dragotta
Bob Saget. You might know him as America’s dad. We know him as a bold, hilarious, often-profane comic—loved by his peers and committed to his craft. In this episode, Saget talks about the irony of being mentored by Rodney Dangerfield then becoming “America’s Dad” on Full House, getting pigeonholed in his career, fighting cancel culture, hanging with John Mayer, and so much more. This is a deep dive into a 90s icon, one of the funniest, most self-effacing comics working, and a huge rap fan.
In this episode of 'People's Party,' Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, author, actor, activist, filmmaker and college professor -- NARCY The topics covered in this deeply profound and insightful discussion include the culture shock that Narcy experienced with his move from Dubai to Montreal, Canada at age 5. They also go on to talk about Narcy directing some of Talib's music videos, the racism that Narcy had to endure during the first Iraq war as well as following the 911 attacks. They touch on the influence of Malcolm X, dangers of the 'deep fake' era, the famous 13th century Muslim poet Rumi, internet becoming a basic human need, Narcy's album 'SpaceTime', the effectiveness of comedy in hip hop, Narcy's song 'Hamdulillah', Narcy's book 'Text Messages: or How I Found Myself Time Traveling', Narcy teaching as a hip hop professor at Concordia, how deeply he has been influenced by the Wu-Tang Clan, and much more.
In this episode of 'People's Party,' Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with co-founder of the Los Angeles chapter of Black Lives Matter and professor of Pan-African Studies at California State University, Los Angeles -- Melina Abdullah The deeply insightful conversation begins with Melina, Jasmin, and Talib discussing her Ted Talk 'Resistance as the New Normal' speech. They also reflect on the story of MarShawn McCarrel, expand on the racial wealth gap in America and how to correct it, as well as the stock market and how it perpetuates systematic racism. They explore Melina's upbringing in East Oakland and that community's rich legacy of protesting, as well as discuss the meaning of 'Pan-Africanism'. Melina responds to those accusing her of being a Marxist, they talk about the liberal debate of class vs. race discrimination, and Melina illustrates how shows like 'Good Trouble' that she has appeared in have been so important to the cause, picking up where mainstream media has failed.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with actor, comedian, writer, producer and activist Orlando Jones. This interview highlights some great moments in the career of a guy that defines versatility in Hollywood. Topics include his 'Homeboy's Productions' Ad company he created while he was in college, he gives his take on diversity in 'Star Wars', and speaks on gaining commercial appeal as the 7UP spokesman. He also talks about his work on the comedy sketch show 'MADtv' and explains why he decided to leave, he talks about becoming friends with Mike Judge and getting a role in the cult classic 'Office Space', his role in Biker Boyz, as well as his role as Dr. James Lee in 'DrumLine'.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper/writer, as well as one of Queensbridge's finest - CAPONE. Naturally this interview begins with Capone breaking down the elements that turned Queens into such an epicenter for hip hop excellence. Capone goes into how he met Noreaga in '92 while incarcerated, the two finding kinship through their shared hometown of Queensbridge and love of basketball. He also tells about his meeting the Central Park 5 while locked up, how he became close friends with Big L, as well as the lasting Influence and legacy of Tragedy aka Intelligent Hoodlum and what he meant to the success of C-N-N. Capone speaks on Noreaga's gift of slang, he reflects on Biggie wanting to recruit him into the Junior M.A.F.I.A. collective, he talks about his struggle with leaving the street life behind him after achieving success, and they discuss things surrounding his and Noreaga's record 'LA, LA', in response to Dogg Pound's 'New York, New York'.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, songwriter, producer, and one of your favorite emcee's favorite emcees -- ROYCE DA 5'9". The deep level of mutual respect is clear as Talib opens up by telling Royce how much his work has impacted him and his own evolution as an lyricist. Then show kicks off with talk about the history of Detroit hip hop and the infamous Hip Hop Shop. They go on to discuss and dissect Royce's song 'Tabernacle', Royce's path to sobriety, where he speaks to if he feels he's become a better artist because of it. Royce also talks about his longtime friendship with his manager Kino, he answers the question of if he regrets not signing on with Dr. Dre's Aftermath Records. They discuss Royce's long-time friendship with Eminem, and he's asked if there's anything he hasn't shared about Em, and if he thinks it's true that their styles mirror each other, he shares how he feels about the old tapes of Em disrespecting black women, they discuss Em owning up to white privilege and Royce answers to why he felt the need to speak out against Lord Jamar and his public criticism of Em's relevance to the culture.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, writer, and producer -- Hannibal Buress. The amusing episode has plenty of insightful moments including talk about Hannibal's latest comedy special 'Miami Nights' now available on YouTube. They also go on to discuss the Twitter drama over people criticizing him over his landlord status, people not believing his real name is Hannibal, his growing up in Chicago and the hometown comedians that most influenced him, how he overcame his drinking problem, dealing with color-ism growing up, his work with Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, and how his mother being a teacher impacted him on his path to success.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with stand-up comedian, writer, and actor -- Mo Amer. The conversation that follows covers a wide array of subjects. They discuss Mo's moving from Kuwait to Houston, Texas at 9 years old during the first Iraq war, and the culture shock he found when arriving in the states. They talk about the impact of George Floyd's death on the Houston community, and Mo shares his thoughts on the problems with how police operate. He also speaks on his profound love of hip hop, and shows deep gratitude to a teacher that changed his life by encouraging him to embrace his strengths as a performer.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor -- Miguel. The extensive conversation covers a multitude of topics. All beginning with talk of how he navigated growing up in LA with a Black/Mexican mixed heritage. He goes on to talk about his childhood friendship with rapper Blu, they draw comparisons of Miguel to Marvin Gaye in how they evolved as artists, they discuss Miguel's love for hip hop, his sampling of J-Dilla's 'Crushing', J Cole being accused of misogynistic statements, as well Miguel's infamous accidental leg drop/kick on two women during his performance at the Billboard Awards.
In this episode of the People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh talk to DJ, comedian and TV personality Cipha.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh sit down British-born rapper, actress, radio personality, and fully-fledged member of the Native Tongues collective -- Monie Love. The conversation with Monie evolves into a wide-ranging discussion starting with her childhood, growing up in London, and being heavily influenced by her father's Jamaican heritage. She goes on to give her unique perspective on the current anti-immigration sentiments being spread by groups like ADOS, she tells the story of how she came to be part of the Native Tongues collective at the age of 16, and outlines that organic induction being based on "vibes". Monie also goes on to illustrate the importance of DJ Red Alert, him being the conduit for so many of the greats that are now house-hold names, including herself, and they explore the evolution of Chris Lightly, from security detail for Red Alert to Violator Records executive.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down Grammy Award-winning rapper, musician, producer, actor, and activist -- Wyclef Jean. This thorough interview covers his ambitious career that influenced and inspired so many with his signature success in pushing the multi-cultural boundaries within hip hop.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with actress, comedian, and author -- Tiffany Haddish. The thoughtful and hilarious conversation begins with talk about how both Tiffany and Talib met and became friends with Jasmin. Tiffany goes on to talk about being raised in South Central, she tells about her love of the movie "Roger Rabbit'' and reveals the line from the film that changed her life. She also reflects on her harsh upbringing with her mother suffering a serious brain injury due to a car accident that her stepfather caused. Tiffany talks about using comedy as a coping mechanism to get through hard times, explains how she's been helping push the industry to establish more positive black narratives in film, and speaks on her work in the documentary "Lost In America" bringing awareness to youth homelessness, a cause close to her heart, herself being homeless at one time. Tiffany is also asked how she commands such a strong presence in her performances, if she enjoys the competitive side of comedy, and what it was like working with Ice Cube and Mike Epps in "Janky Promoters".
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, actor, author, activist, philanthropist, and winner of a Grammy, Emmy, Golden Globe and an Oscar -- Common Common and Kweli's many years of collaborating and touring together, as well as remaining close friends gave way for one incredible interview. Things get started with talk about their original collab together with the recording of Black Star's classic song and video "Respiration". They then go on to discuss Common's mother Dr. Mahalia Ann Hines and her influence on him growing up as a teacher, as well as his father Lonnie "Pops" Lynn, who was famously featured on Common's "Resurrection" album. They also touch on the importance of HBCUs, and his hometown of Chicago being weaponized by politicians. Common gets to reflect on the making of one of the greatest concept records of all-time in "I Used To Love H.E.R.". He digs into all the things that compelled him to write that song, and the profound influence it had on the culture, which naturally leads into talk about his past beef with Ice Cube stemming from a perceived diss to the west coast within those lyrics. He details where he was when he heard the first shot from Cube, the point in time when he felt he had to fire back with his own diss track, and how they eventually reconciled with the help of Minister Farrakhan. Common and Talib go on to reflect on their shared experience of meeting with activist Assata Shakur in Cuba through the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, as well as discuss recording at the famous Electric Lady Studios and how special that place is.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, and radio host -- Donnell 'I'm Rich Biaaaaatch!' Rawlings. The hilarity ensues from the jump as Donnell calls out Talib for disrespecting him during a recent comedy event they attended with Dave Chappelle. They go on to discuss Donnell's stand-up philosophy of challenging himself to the fullest with every performance, they dig into the elements that went into creating sketches on Chappelle Show like the all-time classic "Player Hater's Ball," he talks about some of his first appearances on TV with the "Ricki Lake Show," and sneaking onto People's Court every chance he could. Donnell also reflects on his early days doing stand-up in D.C. where he was born and raised, and what brought him to Brooklyn, New York where he would seek out gigs anywhere he could, until eventually landing a spot on Def Comedy Jam. He gives his thoughts on his stint in the military and then goes to expand on his "go hard or go home" hustler mentality that he's maintained over the years which he credits to his success.
In this special episode of ‘People’s Party with Talib Kweli,’ Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh invite CNN’s Don Lemon to the show. This shortened episode drops with a whole lot of subtext. Lemon and Kweli got into a heated argument in Ferguson, MO in 2014 -- when both men were in town because of the shooting of Mike Brown, with Kweli protesting in the streets and Lemon covering for CNN.Now, six years later, they’ve come back together on ‘People’s Party’, focused on unity and healing in the wake of further police violence. The conversation is illuminating, thoughtful, and full of insight on Trump, Bubba Wallace, black men supporting one another, the protest/ defund conversation, and Lemon’s own storied career.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with internationally renowned poet, playwright, performance artist, producer and close friend of Talib -- Jessica Care Moore. This interview spans the course of her long and illustrious career as not just a performer, but as someone that also helped spark the success of so many others. The discussion starts with her hometown of Detroit and how growing up in the 313 has impacted her approach to the arts. They go on to talk about her famed poem 'Black Statue Of Liberty,' which got her a 5-time win at the Apollo Theater, her push for diversity in the school curriculum, realizing the power of back ownership and then turning down big-label company's offers to establish her own company in Moore Black Press. Jessica also touches on her strong connection to the hip-hop community. They discuss Detroit's 'Hip-Hop Shop' it's legacy of historic freestyle battles, DJing, dancing, and poetry, and they talk about her friendships with J-Dilla and Proof.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with rapper, actor, producer, founding member of legendary super-group Wu-Tang Clan, and one of the most recognizable figures in hip-hop -- Method Man.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with stand-up comedian, actor, writer, and Saturday Night Live star Michael Che. The result is a hilarious, yet insightful conversation. Topics include Michael growing up in Manhattan's Lower East Side, the gentrification of Brooklyn, his father naming him after revolutionary Che Guevara, how Michael approaches politics in his comedy from a know-nothing perspective, and sticking to facts in comedy while maintaining artistic freedom. Che also goes into his time spent at LaGuardia High School, comedy not being on his radar until later, and he details his biggest takeaways and life-lessons learned there.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh talk to actor and musician Rick Gonzalez.
In this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with comedian, actor, writer, producer, and musician Eric Andre. The hilarious-yet-insightful discussion kicks off with Kweli recalling his own appearance on Eric's show where he was viciously tased with a cattle prod by Murs. They dive into great advice Eric got from Dave Chappelle, his biggest influences, crate-digging for records, and his close friendship with comedian Hannibal Burress. Later, the trio discusses the professionalism of Ice Cube, unhappy celebs over the chaos they were subjected to on 'The Eric Andre Show,' and someone brandishing a knife on Eric during the filming of 'Bad Trip.'
On this episode of the People's Party, Talib Kweli and co-host Jasmin Leigh talk to director, writer and producer Reginald Hudlin.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with actor, filmmaker, and activist Matthew Modine. This wide-ranging interview begins with his early years, growing up in Utah, being the youngest of seven, living next to a drive-in theater that his father managed, then moving to San Diego where he attended high school while working at his parent's Mexican restaurant. He reflects on what compelled his move to New York at age 17, where he worked as a chef, went to acting school, and met his wife. Matthew also digs into eye opening moments in his life that changed his perspective on US history, and the realization of it's dark past, leading him to note his fears of us falling back towards those times with Trump's "manifest destiny". They also discuss Muhammad Ali's inspiring courage of speaking out during the Vietnam war, working with a young Nicholas Cage in the film 'Birdy', and Matthew's starring in the 80's film 'Vision Quest'. The actor also speaks on the United States and it's failure to fully acknowledge it's atrocities of black people and Native Americans, and breaks down how and when he came to understand the term white privilege.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with former NBA star, talk show host, actor, vegan activist, and all-around renaissance man John Salley. With a resume as long as John's, the crew has plenty to discuss. The conversion jumps off with Talib mentioning his first performance on TV being on BET Live -- with John as the host. They talk about basketball not being Salley's first career choice and his ambitions in the arts. He also details being the first to sign Slum Village and J-Dilla to a record deal, the current battle rap scene, and playing on the Detroit Pistons during their 'Bad Boys' years. Fan's of "The Last Dance" will be glad to see Salley dispute the fact that Michael Jordan hated the Pistons.
On this episode of People's Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down Grammy-winning producer, rapper, and very close friend of Kweli -- 88-Keys. In this comprehensive discussion, we get to hear the timeline of how 88 carved out his niche in the game, becoming one of the most sought after hip-hop producers in the industry. The trio discusses 88's upbringing in the Bronx, New York, and move to Long Island, where he attended high school. The producer/rapper details the huge influence that the Native Tongues movement had on him with groups like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul deeply inspiring his love for hip-hop culture. He talks about how he met record dealer John Carrero, who gave him his first job cleaning records, and eventually became the ear to find all the best beats for sampling -- which John would then market at record shows to legends like Q-Tip, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and others. This would lead to 88 meeting Q-Tip who showed him how to work a beat machine. 88 also gets into the difference between looping and chopping when making beats, his production on Black Star's 'Thieves In The Night', his methods and motivations for sending his works out as demos, and the importance of trusting your ears.
In this episode of People’s Party, Talib Kweli and Jasmin Leigh sit down with the multi-talented actor, writer, and entrepreneur Allen Maldonado. During this all-encompassing interview, the trio discusses Allen's upbringing in Compton (CA) until he was 7, and his move to Rialto after a neighbor was killed. He tells the story of a marathon he competed in with no prior training -- including breaking his foot before crossing the finish line in last place. Allen reflects on his recent visit to Spain, and having an awakening there, returning home with a new perspective on balancing work and personal life. Later the conversation touches on Allen's love of short films, the influence producer Kenya Barris is having on American culture, and how 'Black-ish' has been so successful in tackling difficult social topics.
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