June 1, 2025 • 26 mins
Episode 2: Creating The Fussings and Building Afros & Audio
What happens when you stop waiting and just start?
Talib Jasir shares how a 90-day challenge sparked the creation of his first audio drama, The Fussings, and how that single leap shaped what would become the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival. From self-doubt to community wins, this episode captures the messy, magic-filled journey of creating without a blueprint—and reminds us that becoming often begins with saying yes before you're ready.
Timestamps:
- 00:00 Introduction and Theme of Becoming
- 00:18 The Momentum Education Experience
- 00:55 The Birth of The Fussings
- 04:34 Casting and Production Challenges
- 06:07 Community and Support
- 07:53 Debut and Personal Reflections
- 10:03 Building Afros & Audio
- 15:21 Meeting Minista Jazz and Further Growth
- 23:23 Final Thoughts on Becoming and Legacy
- 28:13 Closing Remarks and Call to Action
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome back to Grumpy Wizdom. A theme of these first few episodes is on becoming, and I wanna share a story about who I am today and how it all came about in 2017. I was privileged to attend, momentum Education in New York City, and inside of that I. Shout out to anybody who knows Momentum Education, and it's in multiple states and cities and states, but my experiences in New York, inside of it, we had to, identify goals and go after 'em. And these goals were meant to be. Things that we always wanted to do, but for whatever our reasons, we never got up to it. And these goals were also meant to be something that you wouldn't ordinarily do without this program. The support, the resources, the accountability, and. One of the goals that I put on this list was The
Fussings (01:00):
Until One of Us is Dead. Although it wasn't called that at the time, it was just called, I wanna do an audio drama because I've always wanted to do one. And for some reason I just never felt like I could. So I wrote this down on my piece of paper and I turned it in to my coach that I had at the time, shout out to Brent and right before this list of goals because it was more things based on different sectors of our life, relationships, finances, career, uh, creativity, whatever it is that we want it to be up to right before this. Paper was to be approved and signed off on, and that I could get started on my 90 days of possibilities. On my 90 days of new possibilities for my life, I reached out to my coach and I said, you know what, Brent, let's take the audio drama off because I can't do that. Like I've been thinking about it and it's just too massive. I don't even know where to start, so let's just take that off and I'll
(02:00):
handle everything else. And Brent, instantly enough, was a disruptor that I needed at the time, and he says to me, very cool and calm, but assertive. He says, don't tell me what you can't do in 90 days and you haven't even started. And I'm thinking to myself don't tell me what to do. My, my dude, like I said, take the shit off and that's what I'm aiming to do. And he said, it will not come off. Don't say what you can't do, and you've never even tried. Are we done? I grumbled a little bit and I got off the phone like think, what? Anyway, just taking me back to where I'm like, oh. So anyway, I kept it on one 'cause Brent ain't gave me no damn choice. And so I. This 90 days was going by and I was knocking out goals. I'm a person who is, has a high
(03:00):
value in accountability. If you hold me accountable, I got you. If you don't hold me accountable, and it's just left up to me, I don't got me. So three weeks before this 90 days were up, I was like, oh shit, I still and done this audio drama. What am I gonna do? Because I'm determined to get everything on my, list of achievements done. And so I decided, okay, I'm gonna have to do this quickly, so I'm gonna have to do a rewrite, like a revamping of something. Because. I need to do a series of this and right now, three weeks in, it's a lot of pressure. I don't have the mindset for it. So let me go back into this exhaustive library of white folks who had the privilege of doing radio dramas back in the day and see if I can find something that calls out to me. And I did. And I wrote rewrote. These stories and there's so many more of them. I just called in like the four that I could rock with and recreate and transform from a
1920s and thirties comedy series on the radio to a 19, no, to a 2017 storyline with black folks. And I did. It's called The Fussings (04:00):
Until One of Us is Dead. Get it. To death was part same damn thing. So anyway, I start rewriting these stories and some of 'em work and some of 'em don't work. And finally I feel good. I got four episodes that I feel good about. I've pretty much rewritten the whole thing. Some of the, this is a completely different story, but I remixed what was, and turned into something brand new. So now I've finished my writing. Now I've gotta find a cast. 'Cause what the hell? How you supposed to do this? So I start casting folks and luckily I'm a part of Momentum Education. We all are a part of a community who wants to see each other win, so I was able to pull directly from those folks and say, okay, I need this character, this character, this character who from my. Momentum Crew wants to be a part of this. Okay, I got this person, and that person. Dope. All right, so now I need my star. And she wasn't a
(05:00):
part of my momentum crew. She was a part of momentum. And someone said, why don't you reach out to her? So I reached out to her, boom, she's in, and now I've got to find my main character, who's a male and. I'm looking. I'm interviewing people and they're just not it. They're just not it. And so I have a friend, who I met when I was in New York, and his name is Brian. Michael and Brian's an actor. For any of you who know or don't know the name, look him up. He's a dope person and I've got the honor and privilege of being one of his friends and I was talking to him about it and he's just listening. And then I'm like bro, do me a favor, because if I do it, I'm gonna sound like an asshole. So can you just do the reading with the woman that I've pulled in for the main character. And he's like, all right, I got you. So he does the reading with her and he is like, oh bro, this is funny. I'll do it. Like I knew that's what I
(06:00):
thought you'd say, but I had to sneak it in. So anyway, Brian and, Gerina, they are my main characters. So shout out to the support and cast that was, part of my momentum crew. I. And we go to Brian's house and we, record in his house. He borrows some podcast equipment from a friend. Like literally I didn't even have that. So we're in there with these two microphones. I'm directing, don't know how to direct, don't know how to produce, but it's getting done. I. They're reading a script. It's funny, we have outtakes. It's hilarious. We we get these done, we record 'em, send 'em over to someone else, a part of momentum, not a part of my actual crew. And when I say that we have leadership teams, that the universe aligns us all with, and my leadership team, was amazing. Shout out to LT 1 46. So anyway. This other person is a part of Momentum. He's a audio producer. Okay? I don't know who this man is, but somebody puts me in touch
(07:00):
with him and I'm like, okay, bro, how much am I gonna owe you? He's bro, this is on the house. Like we are part of and community and I wanna see you win. You see the connection here, intentionality and how I move with people. And so get all these edits done, get all the, get it all laid down and put together and then I send it off to, the editor. So he does his thing. Meantime, I've got a coworker whose son is making beats. And so shout out to Kari., He's got several songs on Deck. And his mother, she comes to work and she says, Kari wants to help and he's got these songs. Just listen to a few of 'em and see if any of 'em work for the fuss. And so I listened and one of 'em worked, and that's the beat that you hear under the Fussings now. So I've got all this support, all these resources, all this provision, and now I've got a final product, the Fussings. And what's interesting is that I got to debut it on a momentum night where
(08:00):
everybody got to show off some of the work that they did throughout this 90 days. And so I got to do this, and it's the first time that I am in front of a crowd because I've made it my life's mission to be behind a curtain. I. So I remember and I started the video. I remember them calling me up and I sit into, sit in a director's seat and I shout out Brent for making me go through with this. And I play some excerpts of the Fussings and people are laughing and enjoying it. And when I sit back down, my daughter and my wife are there. My daughter, I think she's. Possibly 16 at the time, maybe 17. She leans over and she's like, I'm proud of you. Now, what's cool about that is that now what's cool about that is I've been getting up and going to work every day of her life, subduing my creativity. Not doing that at all. Just doing what I've been socialized to do. And that to be scarce and believe that the only way to survive in this here America is to
(09:00):
work, get a paycheck, pay my taxes, and get the hell up outta here when it's time. So for her to say, I'm proud of you in that moment, I'm like, oh, it's the creativity that you fuck with. She's a creative. And that gave me my extra boost to be like, let's go. The fussing is out. Boom, it's done. The next thing I wanna do is build community. Because I did this dope thing, it made me feel like I was living. Finally, I was doing my creative work. I was in it. Now, my first book, also Advisor to the Throne, I'd also written that book in the same time period. No actually my second advisor, throne Advisor to Throne Valium two was done in 2017. The first one was written in 2015. So I'd written that book. I had written the Fussings and put that out there. So I'm feeling like a real creator now. Like all of my life. Me trying to escape my artistry and my creativity, it's finally full
(10:00):
circle and I couldn't be happier. Now I want to find community around that. I wanna find other black folks in this space who are creating audio fiction. Who did I find? I found bronzeville that starred Lawrence, Loren Tate and Lawrence Fishburne. I found Issa Rae's Fruit, and then there was the Fussings. I'm not saying there weren't other, audio fiction out at that time. Written by, written and created and produced and directed by black folks, but I didn't see 'em, and I wanted to find, and I wanted to build a community that I had yet I didn't, that I was seeking, but couldn't find. Afros in Audio was registered as a business in 2018, and it was for a while, an online community for other audio fiction creators that looked like me. In that time, audio fiction is not what it is today, and couldn't get in contact with Lorenz or Lawrence. Not that I tried. So it was just me out here trying to figure out a way to discover more folks and pull them in closer so that I could provide support and resources with
(11:00):
the limited things that I knew and I could get it from them. That went nowhere. Let's just be plain. Today we've got black audio dramas exist. Shout out to experience Jay and Aisha, who co-created. That co-founded Black audio dramas exists, but at that time, nothing crickets for a year. Then I reached out to someone and that's a part of my community who was part of Mastermind at the time. His name is Simeon. Shout out to Simeon. And he is co-host of Mixed Company podcast. So I went up to him one day, I was like, bro, I need to meet with you. I knew he was a podcaster. That's pretty much all I knew. And. He said, all right, boom. I'll be at my coworking space. I'm in the middle of Manhattan, come through. I might only have 30 minutes. I'm, I'll take it. I'll be right there. So I get there. And I'm telling him my dilemma, bro. I've created this Afros and audio. See, the logo is dope. Actually the logo was created by my actual partner in the lt. Shout out to El Stefan. He's the one who helped
(12:00):
me to bring the Afros and audio. Logo to life. I drew it, which was not good. I'm not a good drawer. Conceptualize it and then I told him how I wanted it and then we made it red and we made the ampersand sign for the necklace. And it just became what it is today. And, again, community support. And so I go and, ion and he says I'm like, bro, I don't want to afros an audio. I'm like, you see this logo, this name? I don't wanna do what I normally do as a creative, which it didn't work. I'm out like I tried. Something about this just stuck it. It wouldn't leave me alone, and I didn't wanna leave it alone. So I went to Simeon. I said, what do you think I can do in the podcasting space now because this part didn't work? And he said, maybe you should think about events. And people have heard me say this forever and hopefully, I don't know if Simeon's heard me say it yet, but I think he meant he could correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he meant two hour meetups. 'cause at the time, that was the thing, meetup was all the rage
(13:00):
and I left there and that 25 minutes that we met saying, or actually being downloaded with the idea of a two day conference. So I left there and I said, I'm gonna create a two day conference. For podcast creators. And then maybe a week or two later, I'm sitting amongst my mastermind, community and we're sitting in an incubator that we curated for a night to just talk about business and what we were, our plans were and how we could support each other. Again, intentionality. So I sit at this table and I looked to my brothers and I said. I am gonna create the first podcast conference for and by Black podcast creators. And then I just looked at 'em and they looked at me, because what I knew in that moment was that saying it out loud, I have a big thing about when words leave my mouth, that it is
(14:00):
a commitment. Or else I keep that shit to myself if I don't think I could commit to it, if I don't think that it's possible. Meaning that even if I don't know what to do, I'm gonna figure it out because that's my way. And my A-D-H-D-I knew that they would hold me accountable to it and they would have my back because intentionality of the people in my circle. So I say this and we all agree that, okay, boom, this is what Talib is fitting to do. And then it started, the story I want to tell y'all in this moment is related just as much to divine timing. What's meant for us when we lock in and when we are attuned to. The life path that is set out for us, catching up to destiny, so to speak, answering the call and actually going for what we've been downloaded mentally, spiritually.
(15:00):
And so I set out to begin to organize this conference. And on the way. Doing different things. All things that I didn't really know how to do or what to do, but I had friends and community and support and they supported me throughout the journey. I met two folks. Shout out to Wise and QA wise Gazette, the founder of Indie Creative Network, and Kwana founder of Carefree Black Girl. And before I met them, they had met the sister named Minista Jazz. And the funny part about Minista and myself is that two things that are crazy. One is that I was, because I've been a life coach since 2015, I was doing workshops at the time and some of my promotion was
(16:00):
finding images of folks to share, joy, peace, going after their goals, all of these things. And one of those images was Minista jazz, but I had no idea. But she was a part of. That carousel of images that I created, see the universe, and I told her this later, I was like, woman, I called you from, I called you out of the universe because two years before I ever even met her, I was using her image and she reached out to me again. Don't know who this woman is. She sends me a quick note, Hey, I have this space in, Brooklyn, New York that I am managing. Where are you having afros and audio? And so I told her where I was having it at the time, and she says, okay.
(17:00):
And that was the last of our conversation. Then a couple weeks later, Quana reaches out to me and she says, I want you to meet somebody. She's throwing an event and she needs speakers. So why don't you go over there and meet her, because this will be a good way for you to promote Afros and audio. Thank you, Quana. I will do that. Reached out to Minista Jazz. Had no idea that she was the person who reached out to me a week before, a couple of weeks before asking me where the Afros audio first, Afros audio was gonna be. Nor did I have any idea, even when I met her, that she was the woman in the image that I pulled for my forward movement, workshop. And so I meet Minista, I go in there and by myself, she's by herself, and we meet. And I said, okay, what do you need me to do? And she says, whatever you feel led to do, okay. I ain't led to do shit, but come in here and ask you what you want me to do. But okay, so am I
(18:00):
auditioning? Whatever you wanna do. Okay, gimme a minute. So I wonder what am I. So I said, all right, I got you. Now, this wasn't something I would ordinarily ever do because I, did not understand who I was at the time. I clueless about who I was at the time. Like I knew I was good with words. I knew that I could tell a good story, write a good poem. Now, I knew that I could do a good audio drama, but I didn't quite know what, who I am, and why I am until more, more recently, and we'll get into that. But this is about becoming, and so I said, okay, I got you. Where you want me to go? I. On the stage, there's one single chair up there. So I sit down and I said,
(19:00):
okay, I'm gonna read you something that I wrote years ago. And she says, all right, so I started and I'm gonna do this for you all now. Love does not begin and end in the way we think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Lovers are growing up. James Baldwin. You got to carry this blood, carry it deep in the inner arteries and muscles that tie all of your organs together. Yeah, even that one, you must believe that truth is truth, especially when it leaves you alone, confused and feeling like the shit that you know yourself to be. And a motherfucker. She just called you through tears and clenched teeth. At 15, you learn the fragile dance of being both cause and effect, fighting with your twin sister, the only feminine energy in your world, formidable enough to be your arch enemy, long battles and vicious grudges. Off the end with apology letters from her,
(20:00):
you see somewhere you learned that you were too powerful to concede around the same time she learned to sacrifice her peace with, I'm sorry. Too much time will pass before you both realize a socialized injustice. Yeah, love is a battle and you are misguided and therefore couldn't conquer. But that didn't stop you from trying. At 27, you found out just how far love could go and how quickly it can disappear. That indeed it is a war as you promised things physically, emotionally, and spiritually that you were ill-equipped to even own. Never intended to give and it pissed her the fuck off. Love is a growing up. As you journey into that 19th year with your lover quietly stepping over the fallen relationships on the battlefield, the years have been sublime and injurious, but they have taught you that while functioning and dysfunction works, it does not sustain and will inevitably take your ass out. And while you toy with the title of that
(21:00):
Chris Rock movie, I think I love my wife. She will self-destruct and renew. And if you aren't paying attention, you'll not only lose, but remain the same. What's the moral of this fucking story you'll ass yourself through? Clinched teeth and tears. What's the moral of this? Fucked up a story and there is a moral blood. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is a growing up. Know that or die. Trying love will absolutely not end the way you think it does. And as you shrug that, jewel off like the ass, you're so proud to be none last forever. Remember the battle cry of all your asshole ancestors before you as they look upon you, young, foolish, and so fucking full of yourself. Love young brother. Love the only battle. War grow up. And so I read that to Minista and I stood up and she said, okay, thank you. And I got called back for her event called Juxtaposition. And I got called back for her
(22:00):
event called, and I got called back for her event. She titled Juxtaposition. It was a good time and when I left she said to her friends and her biological sister was there. She's like, this is my brother. Like I knew hi. I knew he was my brother the first time I met him. And I'm like, okay, if I'm your, if I'm your brother, then you, my sis. And we've been rocking ever since. And I tell that story on this theme that I've called on becoming, because it was the start of me pushing beyond my self-imposed limitations and idea of myself. It didn't change or transform it. It was just the acts of showing up for others, showing up for myself, being intentional, moving towards what I wanted in this life. Not based on need or supposed to, or should or
(23:00):
have to. Just moving in the direction that I choose and parts of me became now, it would take several more years, almost another decade before I began to embody. Who I was becoming at the time. But I say all that, and the grumpy Wizdom to pull from this story is that, is this, I have a philosophy that as you manifest your vision, your vision begins to manifest you. I. That's aligned with The Alchemist by Paolo, that's aligned with the Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo, if anyone is familiar. And it simply means that as you step inside of the game, no longer on the sidelines, no longer waiting, like you, like that two step jump. Before jumping into the double Dutch ropes, which I've never been able to do that's what it's like. That
(24:00):
person just standing there and doing that dance and waiting to jump in and missing perfect moments, and finally jumping in and doing their thing. This was me finally jumping in. Not knowing what I was doing, not feeling secure, not understanding what would be, but without the work that I did with Momentum, the Fussings would've never been created and without the Fussings, the online community would've never went. And without the online community not doing well, Afros and Audio Podcast Festival would never have existed. And without Afros and Audio Podcast Festival, I would've never met Minista Jazz, who was my dear friend To this day, I would've never created a space for folks to come and
(25:00):
be in community. Collaborate partner, win awards, gain friendships, have a safe space of belonging and celebration. I would've never met half the people that I know now, like Wise and Ana, and the list goes on and on. KO and aj. And Sean, who was there with me for the first conference and all the names that I could list that have come into my world because I made a choice and that choice was to begin to manifest the vision of myself. And then that vision began to manifest me into the person that you see here today. Still healing, still growing, still learning, understanding. Becoming, get in the game. Start to see yourself bigger than how
(26:00):
you could have ever imagined, because what will happen is there is no finish line. So as you reach that one goal, you'll notice that there's new people entering you never met before, and now they have opportunities and propositions and places that you can go and more people to meet opportunities that you didn't have when you were sitting. On the sidelines now are there because people see who you are and what you do and what you're about, and they begin to see how you fit into their world. And now here's an opportunity for you. This is how life unfolds. And forever until we are outta here, life will continue to unfold, but only if you are playing the game and the game is life. That's all it is. It's how you position yourself on this board called society and decide how you are going to show up,
(27:00):
decide on the impact you're gonna make, the mark that you're gonna leave, the legacy is out there. The legacy is one day my obituary be read and they'll tell and list all the things and all the people that I've impacted and all the love that I've shown other folks and that they've shown me will be there waiting. That's if I don't live until I'm in my nineties, which the way my family goes. We all live close to a hundred. Therefore, none of y'all may be there, but the things that I did in this world, will remain. And that's the point. And the last episode I talked about how people are the point in community. And this episode I'm talking about how our life's work, our audacity. Our willingness to go as far as we can possibly go in this lifetime, this one life that we have in this moment. Being present to the opportunities,
recognizing that it's all about what you do and what you create, and how you love, and how you speak and care for others as well as caring for yourself. This is grumpy Wizdom. I'm Talib Jasir. Until next time. Peace. Talib (28:00):
Ayo! If this episode sparked something in you don't keep it to yourself, follow or subscribe, rate the show, drop a review, and pass it on. Wanna see the episode videos? Become a member of the Grumpy Wizdom Inner Circle on Patreon to unlock exclusive content, early access, and a fresh Zine every three episodes. Join now at patreon.com/grumpy-wizdom to explore more of my creative work or connect professionally head to talibjasir.com. And podcast fam, if you create, produce, or move in audio. Don't miss the 7th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival, October 16th through the 19th in Baltimore. Details at afrosaudio.com. All links are in the show notes. Thank you for listening. Let's ride.
Welcome back to Grumpy Wizdom. A theme of these first few episodes is on becoming, and I wanna share a story about who I am today and how it all came about in 2017. I was privileged to attend, momentum Education in New York City, and inside of that I. Shout out to anybody who knows Momentum Education, and it's in multiple states and cities and states, but my experiences in New York, inside of it, we had to, identify goals and go after 'em. And these goals were meant to be. Things that we always wanted to do, but for whatever our reasons, we never got up to it. And these goals were also meant to be something that you wouldn't ordinarily do without this program. The support, the resources, the accountability, and. One of the goals that I put on this list was The
Fussings (01:00):
Until One of Us is Dead. Although it wasn't called that at the time, it was just called, I wanna do an audio drama because I've always wanted to do one. And for some reason I just never felt like I could. So I wrote this down on my piece of paper and I turned it in to my coach that I had at the time, shout out to Brent and right before this list of goals because it was more things based on different sectors of our life, relationships, finances, career, uh, creativity, whatever it is that we want it to be up to right before this. Paper was to be approved and signed off on, and that I could get started on my 90 days of possibilities. On my 90 days of new possibilities for my life, I reached out to my coach and I said, you know what, Brent, let's take the audio drama off because I can't do that. Like I've been thinking about it and it's just too massive. I don't even know where to start, so let's just take that off and I'll
(02:00):
handle everything else. And Brent, instantly enough, was a disruptor that I needed at the time, and he says to me, very cool and calm, but assertive. He says, don't tell me what you can't do in 90 days and you haven't even started. And I'm thinking to myself don't tell me what to do. My, my dude, like I said, take the shit off and that's what I'm aiming to do. And he said, it will not come off. Don't say what you can't do, and you've never even tried. Are we done? I grumbled a little bit and I got off the phone like think, what? Anyway, just taking me back to where I'm like, oh. So anyway, I kept it on one 'cause Brent ain't gave me no damn choice. And so I. This 90 days was going by and I was knocking out goals. I'm a person who is, has a high
(03:00):
value in accountability. If you hold me accountable, I got you. If you don't hold me accountable, and it's just left up to me, I don't got me. So three weeks before this 90 days were up, I was like, oh shit, I still and done this audio drama. What am I gonna do? Because I'm determined to get everything on my, list of achievements done. And so I decided, okay, I'm gonna have to do this quickly, so I'm gonna have to do a rewrite, like a revamping of something. Because. I need to do a series of this and right now, three weeks in, it's a lot of pressure. I don't have the mindset for it. So let me go back into this exhaustive library of white folks who had the privilege of doing radio dramas back in the day and see if I can find something that calls out to me. And I did. And I wrote rewrote. These stories and there's so many more of them. I just called in like the four that I could rock with and recreate and transform from a
1920s and thirties comedy series on the radio to a 19, no, to a 2017 storyline with black folks. And I did. It's called The Fussings (04:00):
Until One of Us is Dead. Get it. To death was part same damn thing. So anyway, I start rewriting these stories and some of 'em work and some of 'em don't work. And finally I feel good. I got four episodes that I feel good about. I've pretty much rewritten the whole thing. Some of the, this is a completely different story, but I remixed what was, and turned into something brand new. So now I've finished my writing. Now I've gotta find a cast. 'Cause what the hell? How you supposed to do this? So I start casting folks and luckily I'm a part of Momentum Education. We all are a part of a community who wants to see each other win, so I was able to pull directly from those folks and say, okay, I need this character, this character, this character who from my. Momentum Crew wants to be a part of this. Okay, I got this person, and that person. Dope. All right, so now I need my star. And she wasn't a
(05:00):
part of my momentum crew. She was a part of momentum. And someone said, why don't you reach out to her? So I reached out to her, boom, she's in, and now I've got to find my main character, who's a male and. I'm looking. I'm interviewing people and they're just not it. They're just not it. And so I have a friend, who I met when I was in New York, and his name is Brian. Michael and Brian's an actor. For any of you who know or don't know the name, look him up. He's a dope person and I've got the honor and privilege of being one of his friends and I was talking to him about it and he's just listening. And then I'm like bro, do me a favor, because if I do it, I'm gonna sound like an asshole. So can you just do the reading with the woman that I've pulled in for the main character. And he's like, all right, I got you. So he does the reading with her and he is like, oh bro, this is funny. I'll do it. Like I knew that's what I
(06:00):
thought you'd say, but I had to sneak it in. So anyway, Brian and, Gerina, they are my main characters. So shout out to the support and cast that was, part of my momentum crew. I. And we go to Brian's house and we, record in his house. He borrows some podcast equipment from a friend. Like literally I didn't even have that. So we're in there with these two microphones. I'm directing, don't know how to direct, don't know how to produce, but it's getting done. I. They're reading a script. It's funny, we have outtakes. It's hilarious. We we get these done, we record 'em, send 'em over to someone else, a part of momentum, not a part of my actual crew. And when I say that we have leadership teams, that the universe aligns us all with, and my leadership team, was amazing. Shout out to LT 1 46. So anyway. This other person is a part of Momentum. He's a audio producer. Okay? I don't know who this man is, but somebody puts me in touch
(07:00):
with him and I'm like, okay, bro, how much am I gonna owe you? He's bro, this is on the house. Like we are part of and community and I wanna see you win. You see the connection here, intentionality and how I move with people. And so get all these edits done, get all the, get it all laid down and put together and then I send it off to, the editor. So he does his thing. Meantime, I've got a coworker whose son is making beats. And so shout out to Kari., He's got several songs on Deck. And his mother, she comes to work and she says, Kari wants to help and he's got these songs. Just listen to a few of 'em and see if any of 'em work for the fuss. And so I listened and one of 'em worked, and that's the beat that you hear under the Fussings now. So I've got all this support, all these resources, all this provision, and now I've got a final product, the Fussings. And what's interesting is that I got to debut it on a momentum night where
(08:00):
everybody got to show off some of the work that they did throughout this 90 days. And so I got to do this, and it's the first time that I am in front of a crowd because I've made it my life's mission to be behind a curtain. I. So I remember and I started the video. I remember them calling me up and I sit into, sit in a director's seat and I shout out Brent for making me go through with this. And I play some excerpts of the Fussings and people are laughing and enjoying it. And when I sit back down, my daughter and my wife are there. My daughter, I think she's. Possibly 16 at the time, maybe 17. She leans over and she's like, I'm proud of you. Now, what's cool about that is that now what's cool about that is I've been getting up and going to work every day of her life, subduing my creativity. Not doing that at all. Just doing what I've been socialized to do. And that to be scarce and believe that the only way to survive in this here America is to
(09:00):
work, get a paycheck, pay my taxes, and get the hell up outta here when it's time. So for her to say, I'm proud of you in that moment, I'm like, oh, it's the creativity that you fuck with. She's a creative. And that gave me my extra boost to be like, let's go. The fussing is out. Boom, it's done. The next thing I wanna do is build community. Because I did this dope thing, it made me feel like I was living. Finally, I was doing my creative work. I was in it. Now, my first book, also Advisor to the Throne, I'd also written that book in the same time period. No actually my second advisor, throne Advisor to Throne Valium two was done in 2017. The first one was written in 2015. So I'd written that book. I had written the Fussings and put that out there. So I'm feeling like a real creator now. Like all of my life. Me trying to escape my artistry and my creativity, it's finally full
(10:00):
circle and I couldn't be happier. Now I want to find community around that. I wanna find other black folks in this space who are creating audio fiction. Who did I find? I found bronzeville that starred Lawrence, Loren Tate and Lawrence Fishburne. I found Issa Rae's Fruit, and then there was the Fussings. I'm not saying there weren't other, audio fiction out at that time. Written by, written and created and produced and directed by black folks, but I didn't see 'em, and I wanted to find, and I wanted to build a community that I had yet I didn't, that I was seeking, but couldn't find. Afros in Audio was registered as a business in 2018, and it was for a while, an online community for other audio fiction creators that looked like me. In that time, audio fiction is not what it is today, and couldn't get in contact with Lorenz or Lawrence. Not that I tried. So it was just me out here trying to figure out a way to discover more folks and pull them in closer so that I could provide support and resources with
(11:00):
the limited things that I knew and I could get it from them. That went nowhere. Let's just be plain. Today we've got black audio dramas exist. Shout out to experience Jay and Aisha, who co-created. That co-founded Black audio dramas exists, but at that time, nothing crickets for a year. Then I reached out to someone and that's a part of my community who was part of Mastermind at the time. His name is Simeon. Shout out to Simeon. And he is co-host of Mixed Company podcast. So I went up to him one day, I was like, bro, I need to meet with you. I knew he was a podcaster. That's pretty much all I knew. And. He said, all right, boom. I'll be at my coworking space. I'm in the middle of Manhattan, come through. I might only have 30 minutes. I'm, I'll take it. I'll be right there. So I get there. And I'm telling him my dilemma, bro. I've created this Afros and audio. See, the logo is dope. Actually the logo was created by my actual partner in the lt. Shout out to El Stefan. He's the one who helped
(12:00):
me to bring the Afros and audio. Logo to life. I drew it, which was not good. I'm not a good drawer. Conceptualize it and then I told him how I wanted it and then we made it red and we made the ampersand sign for the necklace. And it just became what it is today. And, again, community support. And so I go and, ion and he says I'm like, bro, I don't want to afros an audio. I'm like, you see this logo, this name? I don't wanna do what I normally do as a creative, which it didn't work. I'm out like I tried. Something about this just stuck it. It wouldn't leave me alone, and I didn't wanna leave it alone. So I went to Simeon. I said, what do you think I can do in the podcasting space now because this part didn't work? And he said, maybe you should think about events. And people have heard me say this forever and hopefully, I don't know if Simeon's heard me say it yet, but I think he meant he could correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he meant two hour meetups. 'cause at the time, that was the thing, meetup was all the rage
(13:00):
and I left there and that 25 minutes that we met saying, or actually being downloaded with the idea of a two day conference. So I left there and I said, I'm gonna create a two day conference. For podcast creators. And then maybe a week or two later, I'm sitting amongst my mastermind, community and we're sitting in an incubator that we curated for a night to just talk about business and what we were, our plans were and how we could support each other. Again, intentionality. So I sit at this table and I looked to my brothers and I said. I am gonna create the first podcast conference for and by Black podcast creators. And then I just looked at 'em and they looked at me, because what I knew in that moment was that saying it out loud, I have a big thing about when words leave my mouth, that it is
(14:00):
a commitment. Or else I keep that shit to myself if I don't think I could commit to it, if I don't think that it's possible. Meaning that even if I don't know what to do, I'm gonna figure it out because that's my way. And my A-D-H-D-I knew that they would hold me accountable to it and they would have my back because intentionality of the people in my circle. So I say this and we all agree that, okay, boom, this is what Talib is fitting to do. And then it started, the story I want to tell y'all in this moment is related just as much to divine timing. What's meant for us when we lock in and when we are attuned to. The life path that is set out for us, catching up to destiny, so to speak, answering the call and actually going for what we've been downloaded mentally, spiritually.
(15:00):
And so I set out to begin to organize this conference. And on the way. Doing different things. All things that I didn't really know how to do or what to do, but I had friends and community and support and they supported me throughout the journey. I met two folks. Shout out to Wise and QA wise Gazette, the founder of Indie Creative Network, and Kwana founder of Carefree Black Girl. And before I met them, they had met the sister named Minista Jazz. And the funny part about Minista and myself is that two things that are crazy. One is that I was, because I've been a life coach since 2015, I was doing workshops at the time and some of my promotion was
(16:00):
finding images of folks to share, joy, peace, going after their goals, all of these things. And one of those images was Minista jazz, but I had no idea. But she was a part of. That carousel of images that I created, see the universe, and I told her this later, I was like, woman, I called you from, I called you out of the universe because two years before I ever even met her, I was using her image and she reached out to me again. Don't know who this woman is. She sends me a quick note, Hey, I have this space in, Brooklyn, New York that I am managing. Where are you having afros and audio? And so I told her where I was having it at the time, and she says, okay.
(17:00):
And that was the last of our conversation. Then a couple weeks later, Quana reaches out to me and she says, I want you to meet somebody. She's throwing an event and she needs speakers. So why don't you go over there and meet her, because this will be a good way for you to promote Afros and audio. Thank you, Quana. I will do that. Reached out to Minista Jazz. Had no idea that she was the person who reached out to me a week before, a couple of weeks before asking me where the Afros audio first, Afros audio was gonna be. Nor did I have any idea, even when I met her, that she was the woman in the image that I pulled for my forward movement, workshop. And so I meet Minista, I go in there and by myself, she's by herself, and we meet. And I said, okay, what do you need me to do? And she says, whatever you feel led to do, okay. I ain't led to do shit, but come in here and ask you what you want me to do. But okay, so am I
(18:00):
auditioning? Whatever you wanna do. Okay, gimme a minute. So I wonder what am I. So I said, all right, I got you. Now, this wasn't something I would ordinarily ever do because I, did not understand who I was at the time. I clueless about who I was at the time. Like I knew I was good with words. I knew that I could tell a good story, write a good poem. Now, I knew that I could do a good audio drama, but I didn't quite know what, who I am, and why I am until more, more recently, and we'll get into that. But this is about becoming, and so I said, okay, I got you. Where you want me to go? I. On the stage, there's one single chair up there. So I sit down and I said,
(19:00):
okay, I'm gonna read you something that I wrote years ago. And she says, all right, so I started and I'm gonna do this for you all now. Love does not begin and end in the way we think it does. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Lovers are growing up. James Baldwin. You got to carry this blood, carry it deep in the inner arteries and muscles that tie all of your organs together. Yeah, even that one, you must believe that truth is truth, especially when it leaves you alone, confused and feeling like the shit that you know yourself to be. And a motherfucker. She just called you through tears and clenched teeth. At 15, you learn the fragile dance of being both cause and effect, fighting with your twin sister, the only feminine energy in your world, formidable enough to be your arch enemy, long battles and vicious grudges. Off the end with apology letters from her,
(20:00):
you see somewhere you learned that you were too powerful to concede around the same time she learned to sacrifice her peace with, I'm sorry. Too much time will pass before you both realize a socialized injustice. Yeah, love is a battle and you are misguided and therefore couldn't conquer. But that didn't stop you from trying. At 27, you found out just how far love could go and how quickly it can disappear. That indeed it is a war as you promised things physically, emotionally, and spiritually that you were ill-equipped to even own. Never intended to give and it pissed her the fuck off. Love is a growing up. As you journey into that 19th year with your lover quietly stepping over the fallen relationships on the battlefield, the years have been sublime and injurious, but they have taught you that while functioning and dysfunction works, it does not sustain and will inevitably take your ass out. And while you toy with the title of that
(21:00):
Chris Rock movie, I think I love my wife. She will self-destruct and renew. And if you aren't paying attention, you'll not only lose, but remain the same. What's the moral of this fucking story you'll ass yourself through? Clinched teeth and tears. What's the moral of this? Fucked up a story and there is a moral blood. Love is a battle. Love is a war. Love is a growing up. Know that or die. Trying love will absolutely not end the way you think it does. And as you shrug that, jewel off like the ass, you're so proud to be none last forever. Remember the battle cry of all your asshole ancestors before you as they look upon you, young, foolish, and so fucking full of yourself. Love young brother. Love the only battle. War grow up. And so I read that to Minista and I stood up and she said, okay, thank you. And I got called back for her event called Juxtaposition. And I got called back for her
(22:00):
event called, and I got called back for her event. She titled Juxtaposition. It was a good time and when I left she said to her friends and her biological sister was there. She's like, this is my brother. Like I knew hi. I knew he was my brother the first time I met him. And I'm like, okay, if I'm your, if I'm your brother, then you, my sis. And we've been rocking ever since. And I tell that story on this theme that I've called on becoming, because it was the start of me pushing beyond my self-imposed limitations and idea of myself. It didn't change or transform it. It was just the acts of showing up for others, showing up for myself, being intentional, moving towards what I wanted in this life. Not based on need or supposed to, or should or
(23:00):
have to. Just moving in the direction that I choose and parts of me became now, it would take several more years, almost another decade before I began to embody. Who I was becoming at the time. But I say all that, and the grumpy Wizdom to pull from this story is that, is this, I have a philosophy that as you manifest your vision, your vision begins to manifest you. I. That's aligned with The Alchemist by Paolo, that's aligned with the Alchemist, Paulo Coehlo, if anyone is familiar. And it simply means that as you step inside of the game, no longer on the sidelines, no longer waiting, like you, like that two step jump. Before jumping into the double Dutch ropes, which I've never been able to do that's what it's like. That
(24:00):
person just standing there and doing that dance and waiting to jump in and missing perfect moments, and finally jumping in and doing their thing. This was me finally jumping in. Not knowing what I was doing, not feeling secure, not understanding what would be, but without the work that I did with Momentum, the Fussings would've never been created and without the Fussings, the online community would've never went. And without the online community not doing well, Afros and Audio Podcast Festival would never have existed. And without Afros and Audio Podcast Festival, I would've never met Minista Jazz, who was my dear friend To this day, I would've never created a space for folks to come and
(25:00):
be in community. Collaborate partner, win awards, gain friendships, have a safe space of belonging and celebration. I would've never met half the people that I know now, like Wise and Ana, and the list goes on and on. KO and aj. And Sean, who was there with me for the first conference and all the names that I could list that have come into my world because I made a choice and that choice was to begin to manifest the vision of myself. And then that vision began to manifest me into the person that you see here today. Still healing, still growing, still learning, understanding. Becoming, get in the game. Start to see yourself bigger than how
(26:00):
you could have ever imagined, because what will happen is there is no finish line. So as you reach that one goal, you'll notice that there's new people entering you never met before, and now they have opportunities and propositions and places that you can go and more people to meet opportunities that you didn't have when you were sitting. On the sidelines now are there because people see who you are and what you do and what you're about, and they begin to see how you fit into their world. And now here's an opportunity for you. This is how life unfolds. And forever until we are outta here, life will continue to unfold, but only if you are playing the game and the game is life. That's all it is. It's how you position yourself on this board called society and decide how you are going to show up,
(27:00):
decide on the impact you're gonna make, the mark that you're gonna leave, the legacy is out there. The legacy is one day my obituary be read and they'll tell and list all the things and all the people that I've impacted and all the love that I've shown other folks and that they've shown me will be there waiting. That's if I don't live until I'm in my nineties, which the way my family goes. We all live close to a hundred. Therefore, none of y'all may be there, but the things that I did in this world, will remain. And that's the point. And the last episode I talked about how people are the point in community. And this episode I'm talking about how our life's work, our audacity. Our willingness to go as far as we can possibly go in this lifetime, this one life that we have in this moment. Being present to the opportunities,
recognizing that it's all about what you do and what you create, and how you love, and how you speak and care for others as well as caring for yourself. This is grumpy Wizdom. I'm Talib Jasir. Until next time. Peace. Talib (28:00):
Ayo! If this episode sparked something in you don't keep it to yourself, follow or subscribe, rate the show, drop a review, and pass it on. Wanna see the episode videos? Become a member of the Grumpy Wizdom Inner Circle on Patreon to unlock exclusive content, early access, and a fresh Zine every three episodes. Join now at patreon.com/grumpy-wizdom to explore more of my creative work or connect professionally head to talibjasir.com. And podcast fam, if you create, produce, or move in audio. Don't miss the 7th Annual Afros & Audio Podcast Festival, October 16th through the 19th in Baltimore. Details at afrosaudio.com. All links are in the show notes. Thank you for listening. Let's ride.
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