Jason Veasey on Artistic Freedom, Identity, and How 'A Strange Loop' Changed His Life

Jason Veasey on Artistic Freedom, Identity, and How 'A Strange Loop' Changed His Life

In this episode of Odejuma, Harry speaks with renowned theater actor Jason Veasey. He reflects on growing up as a military kid who moved across countries and cultures before finding a stage. Jason built his foundation quietly, through regional theater, before Broadway ever called. This conversation traces that arc up to his nearly decade-long run in the critically acclaimed show A Strange Loop, before it became history. He talks about what it means to be a Black queer man in rooms not built for you, the stories he protects, and the ones he refuses to let die. There's humor here, and tenderness, and the particular wisdom of someone who has learned the difference between success and freedom. Jason Veasey is a man becoming, and this is a conversation worth sitting with. Connect with Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veaseyville Connect with Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryitie For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/ Fact-check: The Lion King out-of-town tryouts were held at the Orpheum Theatre, not the Guthrie. Easy mix-up between two of Minneapolis's most iconic venues.

Rashad Jiles Is Using Food to Understand the World

In this episode of Odejuma, Harry sits down with Rashad Jiles, known across social media as 'rashadeatstheworld.' Rashad traces his journey from flight attendant to culinary storyteller and how a pandemic that grounded everyone gave him permission to finally land somewhere true to himself. He talks about the family table that shaped his palate, the losses that quietly reshaped his creative work, and what it actually means to use food to understand the world. He keeps it real about burnout, staying inspired, and what it looks like to build something that actually feels like you. Connect with Rashad on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rashadeatstheworld/ Connect with Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryitie For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/

Tolu Ekisola on Yoruba Culture and the Art of Community Organizing

In this episode of Odejuma, Harry chats with Tolu Ekisola, a Nigerian-American artist and community organizer based in Minneapolis. In this conversation, she talks about growing up as a Nigerian kid in suburban Minnesota, navigating predominantly white spaces while carrying a whole world inside her, and what it took to move from that tension into purpose, from founding CAARE Production Company, building Yoruba language programs, and organizing community at the intersection of art and public health for the Black and Indigenous diaspora. She reflects on why culture is worth preserving, what storytelling has healed in her personally, and what she means when she says she wants people to feel seen and cared for. "Our culture is truly unique and special," she says, and the way she says it makes you feel the weight of everything she's built to protect it. Because that's what love for your people looks like when it becomes action. Connect with Tolu via the links below: www.toluekisola.com [http://www.toluekisola.com/] www.caareproductions.org [http://www.caareproductions.org/] www.royalcoilsblog.wordpress.com [http://www.royalcoilsblog.wordpress.com/] www.mixedblood.com/engagement [http://www.mixedblood.com/engagement] Connect with Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryitie For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/

Chasing Atlanta's Samii Austin on Owning His Story and What It Means to Show Up Fully

In this episode of Odejuma, Harry chats with Samii Austin, music artist and star of Chasing Atlanta Season 7. In this conversation, Samii traces the journey from Tampa to Atlanta, from choir kid to rapper to reality star, and talks about what it actually costs to show up fully as a Black queer artist in spaces that weren't designed with you in mind. He reflects on what Chasing Atlanta revealed about him, why the community he has built in Atlanta is worth protecting, and what it means to want to give back to underground LGBT artists who are doing the work without the resources to match. There's joy here, and there's grit. And underneath both, the quiet insistence that being exactly who you are is the whole point. Because the stage was always big enough and all you had to do was claim it. Connect with Samii on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whois_samiiaustin/ Get Samii's Merch here: https://austarz-by-samii-austin.myshopify.com/ Connect with Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryitie For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/

Victor Jackson on Faith, Loss, and What It Means to Trust Your Own Voice

For the Season 2 premiere of Odejuma, Harry chats with Victor Jackson, also known as Mr. GlamRockSoul, a creative director and artist who embodies Black queer magic. After his brother's passing and seven years away from music, a single moment in a rehearsal room changed everything. In this conversation, Victor traces the long road from a childhood in a church choir to standing fully in his own light as a Black queer man in the performing arts. He talks about faith, grief, and the particular labor of building safe spaces for yourself when the world isn't always willing to do so. There's tenderness here, and there's fire. And underneath it all, a reminder that your story, however ordinary it might feel from the inside, is worth telling. Because you deserve to live, to love, and to dance. For Victor’s music and more: https://www.mrglamrocksoul.com/ [https://www.mrglamrocksoul.com/] Connect with Victor on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrglamrocksoul [https://www.instagram.com/mrglamrocksoul] Subscribe to his Substack here: https://substack.com/@mrglamrocksoul [https://substack.com/@mrglamrocksoul] For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/ [https://www.harryitie.com/]