Chaos & Culture

Picking up where we left off on Episode 12 about the Black gatekeepers within pop culture, we dig deep into the challenges Black showrunners have in getting their ideas greenlit by producers and the expectation to write every show with a singular Black storyline. This episode was inspired by an article recently written by Hannah Giorgis for The Atlantic titled "Not Enough Has Changed Since Sanford and Son: The Unwritten Rules of Black TV" -...

Black food anthropology and media is a big deal these days. Think books like Michael W. Twitty's 'The Cooking Gene' and Bryant Terry's 'Black Food' or Netflix shows like High On the Hog and Fresh, Fried and Crispy, to name a few. There are also numerous social media accounts dedicated to Black food from around the Diaspora, be it chefs of all types and foodies alike. One account that has recently caught my eye is Black Food Fridays, an initiative that encourages everyone to support...

During the almost 18 months of varying social restrictions, a number of changes occurred among hospitality staff and patrons alike. Many within the hospitality industry were laid off, with countless employees leaving the industry altogether. People who'd normally not cook or drink at home began doing so in great numbers as well. Acosta, a CPG sales and marketing firm, found in a study conducted in May 2021 called "COVID Dining Journey: Eating at Home and Away From Home" that 92% of families...

An article called "Who Actually Gets to Create Black Pop Culture?" was recently penned by writer Bertrand Cooper critiquing the commercial access to and gatekeeping of our pop culture expressions by the so-called "Black Elite." This is a topic I've spent much time thinking about and decided to open the stage up to three guests instead of one this time so you can hear diversity in the opinions. BeMo Brown returns along with another friend of the show, diversified photographer Dee Dwyer. If...

"Urban" as a descriptor is often used to refer to Black people, particularly in the marketing of fashion and music. On the contrary, I often explain the use of the word when speaking on my work in culture and lifestyle to mean "city living". Considering the digital interconnectivity of society, I recently began questioning if the "urban" descriptor in its current use in marketing is too limiting. My guest this episode is Karim Lateef - award winning consumer brand strategist, authority on...

Life in Western society is convenient, yet challenging. We're constantly being told to produce in a standard way first, enjoy the results later. This way of life works well for some and is tolerated by most. For the few who choose to detach from this expectation to make their own way, it requires a high level of determination, mental agility, and tenacity most humans don't possess. Add in a [non]traditional spiritual practice for extra support and you're liable to raise countless eyebrows in...

For the record, I'm not a fan of cancel culture. I also only believe in one agenda - the mainstream media's agenda to divide and polarize. But what makes both so genius is how the perpetrators are able to keep us so preoccupied with cancelling, who got cancelled, and every fill-in-the-blank agenda that's supposedly ruining society. This episode might get a little colorful and Earthy Hood Joint has some choice words about the matter. Chaos & Culture: Musings From the Mind of Geronimo Knows...

T-Pain had a conniption about it on IG Live. Willie D and Scarface expressed their disappointment about it during a recent appearance on The Breakfast Club. "It" is what I call the suppression of Black music's collective dynamism. The variety of sounds heard in the records created by popular hip-hop and R&B artists has become rare. However, this same variety can be found among many independent artists in these genres. Unfortunately, music discovery is an act reserved for few. Is it possible...

No not THAT type of adult playtime, but the playtime that will reconnect us with our inner child. Even prior to reaching age 18, humans are expected to leave our child-like ways behind to make room for the responsibility and rigidity of adulthood. Yet people confuse being child-like for childish, immature, and naive. Being child-like, however, means still being curious about the world and not always taking life so seriously to the point of day-in, day-out redundance. Ananda Free joins me in...

Yahoo! Finance published its 2021 list of the 100 Greatest Things About America on Independence Day weekend and of course I had mixed feelings. Some mentions I was familiar with and others I had no clue why they made the list prior to doing last-minute pop culture research. My good friend and journalist Marcus K. Dowling joins me to make sense of the names on the list and whether or not they are some of the greatest things about this country. Top ten names (Full list -...

Have you ever been in an emotionally intimate, non-sexual relationship? If so, would you admit to it? Because an intimate relationship without sex is merely a friendship, right? Not so fast. In a recent Drink Champs interview, Miss Jones (think AZ's "Sugar Hill" and Queen of morning radio in NYC & Philly in the 2000s) revealed she was in a years-long emotional, non-sexual relationship with Big Pun who upon his passing left her a portion of his publishing - a portion large enough to support...

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion aka DEI - An abbreviation purposed with good intent or a performative apology, depending on your ethos. Speaking of ethos, this episode was inspired by a recent Instagram post on the Ethos Decorum page which stated, "Would have loved to see more independent and minority designers highlighted on the BET Red Carpet and Awards Show." This isn't new. Being a hip, early adopter of a brand looks great on paper but in practice is often a lonely road. That is unless...

I'm calling this one "Badussy Discipline" because this applies to everyone no matter how you have sex, what your gender identity is, or where you fall on the feminine/masculine energy spectrum. When it comes to sex, many of us strive to show we're similar to the "thrilla in Manila." The more sex we're having, in particular with more people, the more our perceived attractiveness increases. An increased risk of contracting STDs and unplanned pregnancies aside, few people consider the exchange...

BeMo joins me again to add his perspective on "culture as genuine expression" vs "culture as a commodity". You know this will be another high-energy episode, so tune in. Chaos & Culture: Musings From the Mind of Geronimo Knows is a weekly show with candid conversations and objective opinions about culture, lifestyle, and spirituality. Subscribe today and hit the notification bell so you won't miss future episodes! Follow us on...

People around the world use cultural expression to share their creativity and traditions, sometimes making money in the process. Others see cultural expressions as nothing more than a commodity. We live in a world where everyone and everything is for sale, including creole words referencing what was once a horrific practice during slavery and is now known as an outdoor celebration breaking dawn. What I'm speaking of is "J'Ouvert", the trademark of the word by Michael B. Jordan and business...

We often hear Black Americans say, "We have our own culture," but never hear much detail about what the culture is. Some point to hip-hop, others point to the style trends we influence; yet these are examples of pop culture and not examples of cultural traditions which make the foundation of any ethnic group. I believe our inability to easily name those cultural traditions is why we continue to have arguments about our identity to this day. I brought in my guy Bryant "BeMo" Brown - producer,...

Guess who decided to talk publicly with the people again? I thought my days of public conversations were done but here I am with a new show called 'Chaos & Culture: Musings From the Mind of Geronimo Knows'. I called on my good friend and spiritualist Sheba The Healer to help (re)introduce who I am beyond the urban culture & lifestyle enthusiast many know me as. Warning - Things will get real colorful. Learn more about Sheba's work at ShebaTheHealer.com. What can you expect from this show?...

$1.3 trillion of Black buying power - Fact or Fiction? Geronimo Knows is joined by Akil Wilson (The BlvckBroadway Show), Anika Hobbs (Nubian Hueman), and journalist Marcus K. Dowling to talk with Dr. Jared A. Ball about his book, 'The Myth and Propaganda of Black Buying Power,' where he uncovers the facts behind the fiction. #NecessaryListening Dr. Jared A. Ball is a Professor of Communications at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. He is also founder of I Mix What I Like, "a...

We're back with a special one-time episode of The All the Fly Kids Show to have a conversation with Philadelphia-based activist Maj Toure. He's best known as the founder of Black Guns Matter, an organization focused on education people in urban communities in all 50 states on their 2nd amendment rights and responsibilities through firearms training and education. Maj has dedicated the better part of the last four years to educating Black people around the country about firearms and the...

This episode is about the quality standards of fashion, film, and tv created by Black people and consumer expectations. What influenced this conversation? Netflix’s #blackAF (created by Kenya Barris) and Wale’s “Sue Me” video (directed by Kerby Jean-Raymond of Pyer Moss). While the two are different on the surface, both are dealing with socioeconomics and race with fashion playing a supporting role all throughout. To flesh out some perspectives, Geronimo brought in some brilliant minds who...