BLACK, GAY, stuck at home: The Once and Future of Queer Community

It’s interesting times that we’re living in. Hip-hop legend Cakes Da Killa made a tweet that we felt like we needed to explore a bit more - “Imagine doing something that wasn’t  considered cool for years to then have it become cool years later and people tell you NOW you have to play by the rules set by people who didn’t even pioneer the shit in the first place.” For this show we are exploring history and asking the question “can Black folks be culture vultures too?”

Joining us to thread this delicate needle are two of our favorite music heads, Joshua Henry Jenkins and Michael Ward of Black, Gay, stuck at home. We’re going to discuss their upcoming event, what they’re currently listening to and more!

Black queer women are leading the way in 2023 by both releasing new and compelling music and visuals, and also being part of the pop culture conversation. From Janelle Monae’s “Lipstick Lover” to Da Brat’s pregnancy, we’ve been inspired watching the moves these ladies are making. Join us as we discuss some history of Black queer women in music and the foundation they laid for today’s artists.

Ambie Award-winning podcast producer and host Anna DeShawn will be joining us to discuss her work, the app she co-founded, The Qube, and her podcast Queer News.

Queue Points is proud to present part 3 of our Country music series featuring Mike “Big Mike” Bryant. We had so much more ground that we wanted to cover so Big Mike is back to help us unpack the impact of Black musicians on Country music. There’s so much to cover, and we only scratch the surface.

For this episode we land on the amazing Amazon documentary For Love & Country. The film, directed by Joshua Kissi, features Black musicians revolutionizing Country music by being exactly who they are. The Queue Points crew dive in, and discuss the film and its implications.

This week DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray discuss the magnitude of the Summer of Soul documentary, and music industry copy cat artists of the 90s.

Samora Pinderhughes is using his music to talk to us about our current moment, and calling back to a long, and important history of social justice in music. On this special episode of Queue Points, Pinderhughes sits down with Jay Ray to discuss his inspirations, his process and his hopes for how his music will impact the world.

The Healing Project is Pinderhughes’ multidisciplinary art project - “a digital archive, music album, and physical exhibition created and brought to life by hundreds of people across the U.S. through word, sound, song, and visuals.” 

Award-winning podcaster, DJ, musician and journalist, Mr. Al Pete, stopped by Queue Points. Mr. Al Pete is the 2022 Black Podcasting Awards Best Music Podcast winner for his podcast The Tables Might Wobble. He not only joined us for our core topic, but, in this segment, tells us a bit about how The Tables Might Wobble was born, his history in hip-hop and how he got started DJing.

In this video, Malika Redmond talks about the importance of voting and Black liberation. Redmond is the CEO and co-founder of Women Engaged, an organization that supports the power-building of Black women, femmes and young adults. 

Election Day is Tuesday, November 8th, and Queue Points is encouraging you to "Queue Up The Vote!" 

Malika joins Jay Ray for this lively conversation about civic engagement, the important work of Black women for Black liberation, and why it's important for all of us to vote.

Queue Points has made no secret about our support of Singer/Songwriter Rob Milton. Milton recently was part of the writing team for Monica's latest hit featuring Ty Dolla $ign called "Friends," and we invited Rob to join us to talk about his career so far. We got into conversations about the importance of getting songs placed, how he collaborates, and his thoughts on the ongoing conversation "is R&B dead?"

This week Queue Points learned about the water crisis in Jackson, MS, and we were super upset about it. We asked Queue Points listener Marq McPherson if they'd be willing to come on and update us on the state of water in their city. During our chat Marq informed us about growing and always having to worry about water, how this storm might bring about much needed change, and what song is keeping them inspired during this time.