In recent years, podcasts have grown to become one of the most bankable industries in the world. With over 2 million podcasts to choose from, you can find shows that focus on sports, comedy, and history, down to interests such as planting and sexual health. Now, there have been plenty Black creatives that are building success in the field of podcasting.
To celebrate the beginning of the NFL season, shows like I AM ATHLETE’s Paper Route and My Main Man Michael Smith will serve as entertaining and informational programs for your favorite sports. The Amplify Color podcast will tell the story of how Charlamagne tha God, Wendy Williams, Big Boy, Sway Calloway, and Petey Greene all have left an undeniable impact on the radio industry.
With the fall season on the horizon, here are some of the best Black podcasts to add to your rotation.
Produced by Issa Rae’s Raedio company, The Scottie and Sylvia Show covers a range of important topics from colorism to imposter syndrome and romance and vulnerability, with celebrity guests and gamified segments inviting listeners into their admirable friendship. Scottie and Sylvia represent authentic, multi-faceted expressions of Black joy while they cover the latest hot topics and share their unpopular opinions.
Earlier this year, comedian and former host of The Daily Show signed a deal with Spotify for a weekly podcast set for release at a later date. This show will blend Noah’s “signature humor and razor-sharp wit with his global perspective to deliver a unique take on the hottest and most captivating topics of the moment,” according to Spotify. The series (whose name is TBD) will also feature in-depth interviews between Noah and “some of the most influential and interesting figures around the world,” the company said.
The podcast, available exclusively on creator platform Patreon, takes a unique “fly on the wall” approach to capturing Elliott Wilson’s conversations with his guests. Each episode gives viewers a front row seat to Elliott’s everyday life, whose three-decade-year-career has provided him with unparalleled access to the talent who have shaped the music industry as we know it.
The 14-episode series, produced by Double Elvis and hosted by Ryan Cameron, a 2x Emmy winner, the host of “Voice of Atlanta,” a member of the Georgia and Black Radio Hall of Fame, and long-time Atlanta DJ tells the stories of how trailblazers like Charlamagne tha God, Wendy Williams, Big Boy, Sway Calloway, and Petey Greene have left an undeniable impact on the radio industry.
Hosted by Nyla Symone, We Need To Talk is bringing you weekly interviews and candid conversations with your favorite stars, along with stories that you’ve never heard before.
Paper Route is a daily show focusing on the intersection of sports, culture, and style hosted by Brandon Marshall, Ashley Nicole Moss, Corey Holmes, with special co-hosts Stephen Jackson, DeSean Jackson and special appearances by athletes and celebrities.
From Michael Harriot comes a history podcast like none other. He combines his detailed research, unique humor, and collection of celebrity guests to provide listeners with a comprehensive and hilarious account of Black history.
Every week, cultural commentator and editorialist Panama Jackson will be a tour guide through some intersection of Blackness and culture. Bringing his years of journalistic experience to the masses, Dear Culture, the podcast version of the conversations you’re already having with the people you don’t even realize you know.
My Main Man Michael Smith is a one-of-a-kind show that features insightful interviews and cutting-edge commentary on all things sports and pop culture – along with side portions of politics and parenthood.
On this weekly podcast hosted by Shannon Sharpe, he will sit down with athletes, celebrities and influencers to break down, analyze and discuss the latest headlines in sports, pop culture and everything in-between.
