Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted

(Charles) Jermaine Jones on the Ghetto

I discuss From Poverty to Prosperity: A Ghetto Exit Strategy as a Rite of Passage, with the author (Charles) Jermaine Jones.  Jermaine flew over from his home in DC to London for the event, which was in front of a live studio audience at New Beacon Books (North London) as part of its 60th anniversary celebrations. The event was a success: it was informative, there was laughter, but also tears as Jermaine shared with us some life-changing decisions taken by people close to him. As I wanted to leave enough time for Q& As, we only discussed the topics that came out of From Poverty to Prosperity. In a second episode, we will discuss one of Jermaine's artistic inspirations.

Malik Al Nasir on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 8

In this podcast I chat to Malik Al Nasir, who kindly sent me an advance copy of his second memoir: Searching for My Slave Roots : From Guyana’s Sugar Plantations to Cambridge.  Malik has had a remarkable life, not least because he was mentored by the late Gil Scott-Heron (listen here to my previous podcast with him ⁠https://www.mixcloud.com/MorleyRadio/morley-prize-podcast-series-2-episode-4/⁠ [https://www.mixcloud.com/MorleyRadio/morley-prize-podcast-series-2-episode-4/]).  Searching for My Slave Roots and this latest interview are really insightful. Malik discusses his own family background, but because some members were British establishment figures (or connected to them), we learn a lot about how the profits of Atlantic chattel slavery established modern UK institutions.  A must-listen for those interested in British and Caribbean history.

Acantha Lang on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 7

In this episode, I speak to New Orleans-born London-based soul singer Acantha Lang.  Joining me in the recording studio, Acantha chats about one of her inspirations: the legendary Mavis Staples, as well as her own journey into the music industry. This episode was recorded at the end of 2025. Since then, Acantha has released another beautiful single: Til I Get It Right (see podcast cover photo). When I caught up with her recently, she mentioned a few upcoming performances with her 7-piece band - must-sees if you're in London or Luton: Saturday 30 May at Red Rooster Festival (Euston London), stage time 5:30 pm, Sunday 31 May at Bear Club Luton,  stage time 3:30 pm and Sunday 21 June at Ronnie Scott’s (Upstairs), stage time 8 pm.  Look out for Acantha's collab Grocery Store, to be released at the end of May.  I can't wait for her second album Ain’t That The Truth, coming out at the end of this year.  Sign up to her mailing list to be the first to know about new music and upcoming shows: acanthalang.com [http://acanthalang.com/]. Happy listening!

Dorothy Lennon on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 6

In this episode, I chat to non-fiction short story writer Dorothy Lennon. We talk about Kiese Laymon's powerful memoir Heavy: An American Memoir and how its honesty liberated Dorothy as a non-fiction writer.  Related to Kiese's work and one of the interesting elements of our conversation for me as a linguist are Dorothy's insights on African American vernacular expression.  Dorothy shares some of her own writing, including the hilarious non-fiction short story 'Momma Sounds Like a White Girl'. I can't wait for her forthcoming short story 'The Closets of Others' to come out.

Performance Poet Desree on Black Artistry: Inspiration Recrafted Episode 5

In this podcast, I chat to spoken word artist and self-defined diva Desree. She talks about the influence of Dizzee Rascal's Sittin Here from his debut album Boy in da Corner, which seemed to define the mood of his generation and signalled a revolution in music production.  We discuss Desree's launch into performance poetry as well as the ethics that motivate and guide her work.