This week, we’re sharing an episode from Making from WBEZ. Before becoming a cultural lightning rod, Kanye West was a self-confident teenager, handing out mixtapes on the South and West sides of Chicago. In the first episode of this two-part podcast series, they track Kanye’s meteoric rise from uncredited producer to headlining star.   Hear about his rise in this special episode. And if you enjoy it, you can hear about his fall in part two by finding Making from WBEZ.     Making tells the...

Check out this special preview of the new podcast, Well-Read Black Girl from Pushkin Industries. Well-Read Black Girl is the literary kickback you never knew you needed. Glory Edim, author and founder of the Well-Read Black Girl community, sits in deep, honest and close conversation with authors like Tarana Burke, Anita Hill, Gabrielle Union, Nikole Hannah-Jones, and more. You’ll also meet book club members, literacy advocates, and Black booksellers to hear what they’re reading and what it...

Toure sits down with super producer Jermaine Dupree to discuss Prince, his music and inspiration. He also shares his personal insights on who Prince really was.

Prince’s death was traumatic for all of us who loved him. But for the people in his inner circle, who saw it coming, it hit really hard. They knew there was a drug problem and they tried to help but all they could do was watch him spiral down. We talk about Prince’s drug problem and what it was like to watch him near the end and how the people who loved him responded to his death. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron...

Prince was the love God so we have to ask—What was it like to date him? What was it like to be proposed to by him? What was it like to be in bed with him? We talk to women who dated him, who were engaged to him, who slept with him about what he was like as a lover. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributor: DCP Entertainment Hosted by: Touré

Prince’s clothes and his hair were everything. He had his own in-house fashion team that designed and constructed clothes for him. But who and what influenced his looks? We talk about Prince’s style and his aesthetics as well as the unspoken vibe that existed between him and his favorite collaborators. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributor: DCP Entertainment Hosted by: Touré

What was it like to work for Prince? It could be Heaven, it could be Hell. He gave people opportunities to succeed and to do jobs that they would not have gotten from anyone else. He changed people’s careers by elevating them to roles they didn’t know they could fulfill. But he could also be a very tough, demanding boss. He could make people cry. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributor: DCP Entertainment Hosted...

What musicians influenced Prince? Who shaped him and his music? The list is long and varied and includes some surprising names. Yeah, you can see the influence of James Brown and Jimi Hendrix, but there’s another musician who’s an even more powerful influence, someone who seems like Prince’s cultural father.  Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributor: DCP Entertainment Hosted by: Touré

Prince’s youth was painful and traumatizing. He left his Mom's house because he felt unloved and then he got kicked out of his Dad’s house because, well, you’ll see. He was 13 years old and adrift in the world and angry at his parents but once he found a place to live with was a loving, surrogate mom, he began to flourish. But his drive to become a superstar begins there, at age 13. He needs revenge—he had to prove to his parents that he was worthy of love. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris...

Prince was truly the hardest working man in showbiz. He played almost every instrument, he made a song a day, and his recording sessions routinely lasted 24 or 48 hours. Sometimes 72 hours. We talk to people who were in the studio making music with Prince to dive into what it was like being in the studio with him. Executive Producers: Touré, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributor: DCP Entertainment Hosted by: Touré

Prince was complex. He had multiple personalities—the band had names for each of them. But he could also be a joy to be around. Toure once played one on one and two on two basketball with him at Paisley Park. Host: Toure Executive Producers: Toure, Chris Colbert, Adell Coleman, & Ryan Woodhall Technical Producer: Byron Hunt Distributed by DCP Entertainment

Who Was Prince? is an epic 8-part series where we talk to Prince's collaborators, girlfriends, managers, all sorts of people who were close to him to find out who he really was. Who Was Prince? Find out on June 21st, 2021!

Who Was Prince? is an 8-part series about the legendary and mysterious musician, Prince. We'll hear from his friends, lovers, bandmates, and more as we take a deep dive into the world of the Purple One. Who Was Prince? Find out on June 19th, 2021! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re taking the stage for Podapalooza on April 25th and 26th, a virtual podcast festival for the benefit of COVID-19 relief.  Purchase tickets here: plza.org All proceeds of your purchase of a Podapalooza Pass go to Give Directly. Give Directly delivers cash payments of $1,000 to vulnerable households in areas affected by COVID-19. Learn more about Give Directly here: givedirectly.org/

Who Was Prince? is the ultimate look at the greatest and most mysterious musician of the modern era. Prince was a genius singer, songwriter, guitarist, and performer but how did he create so much music, what was he like as a person, what was his childhood like? This eight episode series is built on interviews with people who were close to him—people who played in his bands, managed his career, engineered his music, or dated him. We explore his multiple personalities, his love of basketball,...