Being Dope, Staying Unruly: Why We Need Hip-Hop to Understand Power, to Build Power and to Fight the Power

On the ground at the Delaney Hall Detention Center in Newark, NJ

Text the Unruly Hotline Here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518143/fan_mail/new] This week, Chenjerai reports from ground zero outside Delaney Hall, the detention facility in Newark, NJ where hundreds of ICE detainees have been on hunger strike due to the horrible, egregious conditions. You’ll hear an interview that Chenjerai recorded with Sally Pillay, an immigration activist with the Eyes on Ice Coalition who volunteers outside the detention center, helping to support the families visiting the facility.   🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  [https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects] 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform]. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai [https://www.instagram.com/chenjerai] and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chenjerai.bsky.social]and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod [https://www.instagram.com/unrulysubjectspod/]. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com [unrulysubjects@gmail.com]. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects [https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects] Additional Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions [https://rowhomeproductions.com/] Further reading & sources from this episode Support our families Linktree [https://linktr.ee/SupportOurFamilies?fbclid=IwY2xjawSNzIpleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFydEdTSllORnRBUTJFZEFpc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHpGLLqjsCeFBBCRWul_u6xGkd2__g_b2j40XsZQ7kbC4GJ6fV0QVetdKZSdG_aem_UJAbX3W-YjD1DPKAzMuW7Q] Letters from Detainees  https://www.lahuelga.com/freedom [https://www.lahuelga.com/freedom] About Eyes on ICE NJ Coalition  https://www.facebook.com/PaxNJ/posts/eyes-on-ice-is-a-broad-based-coalition-of-dozens-of-orgs-with-a-broad-network-of/948292381077652/ [https://www.facebook.com/PaxNJ/posts/eyes-on-ice-is-a-broad-based-coalition-of-dozens-of-orgs-with-a-broad-network-of/948292381077652/] Mami Chelo Foundation   https://mamichelo.org/what-we-do/ [https://mamichelo.org/what-we-do/] Support the show [http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects]

From Detention Centers to Data Centers: Why the Fight Against Data Centers is a Fight for Democracy

Text the Unruly Hotline Here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518143/fan_mail/new] 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  [https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects] This week, Unruly Subjects is diving back into one of our most popular and urgent topics: the explosive growth of corporate data centers and the community-led movements rising up to stop them. We are joined by Astra Taylor (writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of the Debt Collective) and Saul Levin (environmental policy advocate and host of the new podcast The Hum [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hum/id1895877050]). Drawing from their co-authored article in The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/08/ai-datacenters-democracy], they break down why the battle over AI infrastructure isn’t just an environmental issue—it’s a fundamental battle for democracy, human labor, and the future of our communities. But first, host Chenjerai tells the story of what he saw on the frontlines while visiting Delaney Hall, an ICE detention center in Newark, NJ, where detainees have launched a hunger strike. Hear Chenjerai read a letter [https://www.patreon.com/posts/letter-from-hall-159442165] written by one of the men detained at Delaney Hall. Plus, stick around until the end to hear a performance from 11-year-old hip hop phenom RoqueStarz, son of RodrigoStarz of Rebel Diaz. 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform]. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai [https://www.instagram.com/chenjerai] and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chenjerai.bsky.social]and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod [https://www.instagram.com/unrulysubjectspod/]. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com [unrulysubjects@gmail.com]. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects [https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects] Additional Music in this episode is from Blue Dot Sessions Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions [https://rowhomeproductions.com/] Further reading & sources from this episode Saul Levin’s Podcast: The Hum [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2614473/episodes/19098778-introducing-the-hum] Erin Brockovich Launches Data Center Map [https://www.newsweek.com/erin-brockovich-asks-americans-for-help-as-she-launches-data-center-map-11989813] Take Back The Land (People’s Remix) by Rebel Diaz [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUWe6liQ5aM] Astra Taylor and Saul Levin’s Article from The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/may/08/ai-datacenters-democracy] Hear Chenjerai Read "Our Cry: A Letter From Inside Delaney Hall" [https://www.patreon.com/posts/letter-from-hall-159442165] Support the show [http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects]

How the Informed Consent Coalition is Fighting the Family Policing System in Hospitals and Beyond

Text the Unruly Hotline Here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518143/fan_mail/new] This week’s show is about informed consent, pregnancy, drug testing, hospitals, and the family policing system. Specifically, we break down a form of surveillance called “test-and-report” that's being used to punish parents and newborns in medical settings. And we hear from a coalition that's been organizing against it. 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform]. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  [https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects] Chenjerai interviews Dr. Erinma Ukoha and Desseray Wright about their work with the Informed Consent Coalition [https://www.informedconsentny.com/] and their fight against the family policing policy of "test-and-report". Desseray Wright is a Parent and Policy advocate at the Bronx Defenders, where she works to challenge and transform the family regulation system. Dr. Ukoha is a board-certified obstetrician, gynecologist, and maternal fetal medicine specialist at the Mount Sinai Hospital. This interview was recorded just before Mother’s Day.  We also give you a sneak preview of the new season of Scene on Radio [https://sceneonradio.org/], which premieres on May 27th.  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai [https://www.instagram.com/chenjerai] and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chenjerai.bsky.social]and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod [https://www.instagram.com/unrulysubjectspod/]. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com [unrulysubjects@gmail.com]. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects [https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects] Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions [https://rowhomeproductions.com/] Further reading & sources from this episode Informed Consent New York https://www.informedconsentny.com/ [https://www.informedconsentny.com/] Bronx Defenders  https://www.instagram.com/bronxdefenders/ [https://www.instagram.com/bronxdefenders/] Movement for Family Power   https://www.movementforfamilypower.org/ [https://www.movementforfamilypower.org/] Support the show [http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects]

Locked Up for Being Poor: The Reality of Cash Bail and the Copaganda Machine

Text the Unruly Hotline Here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518143/fan_mail/new] This week, we hear the story of how the "punishment bureaucracy" uses narrative and media to maintain state violence. We’re looking at the devastating impact of jailing someone simply because they cannot afford to pay bail. We dive into how punishment systems defend themselves and the stories that police, prosecutors, politicians, and media institutions tell in order to make cages sound like safety. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects [https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects]. First, Chenjerai talks with Alec Karakatsanis, founder of Civil Rights Corps [https://civilrightscorps.org/team/alec-karakatsanis/] and author of the book Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our News. Alec tells the story of the fight against wealth-based detention—from the devastating reality of the cash bail system to the ways "copaganda" is used to attack reform victories and justify the jailing of people because they are poor. Later, Chenjerai is out for a ride in New York City when his bike breaks down, leading to an encounter that sticks with him. He meets a bike mechanic who is clearly living without much of a safety net, but who carries an incredible archive of skill, a set of tools and a deep willingness to help others. It’s a reflection on the genius that lives all around us, and the uncomfortable reality of the city’s inequality. 📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform]. Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai [https://www.instagram.com/chenjerai/] and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chenjerai.bsky.social] and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod [https://www.instagram.com/unrulysubjectspod/]. Get in touch at unrulysubjects@gmail.com. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects [https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects] Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions [https://rowhomeproductions.com/] Further reading & sources from this episode * Alec Karakatsanis’s book: Copaganda: How Police and Media Manipulate Our News [https://thenewpress.org/books/copaganda/] * Civil Rights Corps: Learn more about their litigation and advocacy work [https://civilrightscorps.org/] * The Puerto Rico Report: The Transformation of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau [https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5af199815cfd796ad4930e20/t/69b8931e7a26ee7eaf0def30/1773703967016/K0-informe-2026-LARGO.pdf] * The Body Camera: The Language of our Dreams by Alec Karakatsanis [https://campuspress.yale.edu/yjll/volume-4/4/] * The California Supreme Court Ruling: https://www.google.com/search?q=https://www.themarshallproject.org/2021/03/25/california-supreme-court-rules-judges-must-consider-ability-to-pay-when-setting-bailThe Marshall Project [https://www.themarshallproject.org/2026/05/09/california-money-bail-reform-decision] * Debt Collective: Carceral Debt [https://debtcollective.org/campaigns/carceral-debt/] Support the show [http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects]

Being Dope, Staying Unruly: Why We Need Hip-Hop to Understand Power, to Build Power and to Fight the Power

Text the Unruly Hotline Here [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2518143/fan_mail/new] Before he was a scholar, journalist, and podcast host, Chenjerai was a rapper. And this week’s show is all about how hip-hop is connected to our larger political struggles.  📝 Got a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself?  Take the Unruly Subjects Audience Survey [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2yAl6HSeeImYB94zgMHftklj_hVArDjRY4Q3fJQ57UgA_hA/viewform]. 🙏 We make Unruly Subjects 100% independently! Support the show on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects  [https://www.patreon.com/UnrulySubjects] First, Chenjerai interviews his friend, the scholar, rapper, and UVA professor A.D. Carson [https://music.virginia.edu/people/ad-carson]. He's the author of Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir. In their conversation, they talk about what it means to take rap seriously on its own terms and why it's worthy of scholarly analysis, and how A.D’s work applies to the Afroman case.  Second, Chenjerai talks with RodStarz, ½ of  the political rap duo Rebel Diaz [https://rebeldiaz.com/]. They discuss the group's history, their political education, the Rebel Diaz Arts Collective, and how they understood hip hop not just as music, but as actual infrastructure.  Also, P-Dawg calls in, News Fiend, & more…  Follow Chenjerai on Instagram @chenjerai [https://www.instagram.com/chenjerai] and Bluesky @chenjerai.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/chenjerai.bsky.social]and follow Unruly Subjects @unrulysubjectspod [https://www.instagram.com/unrulysubjectspod/]. Get in touch unrulysubjects@gmail.com [unrulysubjects@gmail.com]. Unruly Subjects is also now on YouTube! Subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects [https://www.youtube.com/@UnrulySubjects] Additional Music by Blue Dot Sessions and Grizzly Beatz Unruly Subjects is created in partnership with Rowhome Productions [https://rowhomeproductions.com/] Further reading & sources from this episode Buy A.D’s book:  Being Dope: Hip Hop and Theory through Mixtape Memoir https://academic.oup.com/book/61518?login=false [https://academic.oup.com/book/61518?login=false] A.D. Carson’s hot off the presses article on the use of James Broadnax lyris to sentence him to death. https://theconversation.com/after-the-execution-of-james-g-broadnax-in-texas-questions-persist-over-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-280901 [https://theconversation.com/after-the-execution-of-james-g-broadnax-in-texas-questions-persist-over-use-of-rap-lyrics-as-evidence-280901] Some of A.D. Carson’s other writing  https://aydeethegreat.com/printed-words/ [https://aydeethegreat.com/printed-words/] Rebel Diaz “Chicago Teacher” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yN7cRZP58k] Rebel Diaz on a legacy of activism through music http://bronxink.org/2011/10/12/17578-rebel-diaz-passing-on-a-legacy-of-activism-through-music/ [http://bronxink.org/2011/10/12/17578-rebel-diaz-passing-on-a-legacy-of-activism-through-music/] Support the show [http://patreon.com/unrulysubjects]