March 17, 2025 • 42 mins
On this episode, Talib Jasir shares his journey creating Afros & Audio Podcast Festival, building community for Black creators, and becoming a liberated creator through multiple mediums. Talib's vision as a storyteller, podcaster, and author demonstrates how his creative work serves as both personal liberation and community building.
Find Talib's books on Amazon and at talibjasir.com. Learn more about the Afros & Audio Podcast Festival at afrosinaudio.com and explore his storytelling projects at vanguardpn.com. Follow Talib on social media @TalibJasir and @AfrosandAudio.
Watch this episode on YouTube!
Related Episode:
Heard! Afros & Audio’s Black History Month Series with Talib Jasir: Redefining Creativity: Aliya Brown on Creativity, Growth & Purposeful Connections [listen here or watch the full episode on YouTube]
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Festivities in Belize by RAGE Productions
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Aliya Cheyanne (00:00):
Hey friend, welcome back to the show.
I'm so glad that you're here.
I'm so excited to be joined byTalib Jasir today.
Talib is the founder andcreator of Afros and Audio
Podcast Festival.
He is also an author, acreative, a podcaster, a life
coach and so much more.
(00:20):
I recently had the opportunityto be interviewed and included
on the Afros and Audio interviewseries called Heard, and now
I'm so excited and honored tohave an episode with Talib on
the Prolific Hub podcast.
So, without further ado, let'sjump into today's conversation.
(00:41):
Hi everyone, Welcome back tothe Prolific Hub podcast.
I'm your host, Aaliyah Cheyenne, and I'm so excited today to be
joined by Talib Jasir.
Hi, Talib.
Talib Jasir (00:50):
Hi, how are you?
Aliya Cheyanne (00:52):
I'm good.
How are you?
Talib Jasir (00:54):
Good good.
Aliya Cheyanne (00:55):
I'm super excited to have you on the show
today.
I always like to share withguests how and where I had the
opportunity to learn about youand to meet you.
So my first introduction to youwas actually at Podcast
Movement in 2024.
You were hosting a specialpanel and a special workshop and
I got to attend that.
(01:15):
And I had also seen a panellater on in the conference with
yourself and a few otherincredible Black creators and I
was excited to meet you.
Then other incredible Blackcreators and I was excited to
meet you.
Then Super excited to be aguest on your podcast Heard, the
Black History Month interviewseries, Afros and Audio, and
then also to have you on thisshow.
(01:36):
It's so full circle and it's socool.
So thank you for being here.
Talib Jasir (01:40):
Thank you.
Aliya Cheyanne (01:41):
So for folks who may not know you, who may not
be aware of your work just yet,can you tell us a little bit
more about who you are in theworld today, how you'd like to
be known?
Talib Jasir (01:52):
Sure, so I am an author.
I start with that because I'm astoryteller and a writer, and
that was the catalyst even forAfros in Audio, the podcast
festival, having created anaudio fiction podcast that I
wrote and directed and producedin 2017, which led to Afros in
Audio podcast festival down theline.
(02:14):
I'm a visionary.
I am an advocate for the people.
I believe in the power of us asa collective, but also as
individuals, but also asindividuals.
A podcast producer I run apodcast network called Vanguard
Podcast Network, where we dooriginal audio storytelling as
well as nonprofit podcasts forsocial justice and yeah, I mean
(02:36):
there's a few more things, butthat's where we are right now.
Aliya Cheyanne (02:40):
Yes, amazing.
And you say all that like it'slike no sweat off your back, but
it's so much so.
Thank you for sharing that, andyou shared a little piece of my
next question, which is thatyou are a visionary and a
storyteller and in doing youraudio series, your storytelling
series, that kind of kickstarted this idea behind doing
(03:02):
the Afros and Audio Festival thevery first one, and which is
now I think your seventh one iscoming up this year in 2025.
So that's no small feat, but Iwould like to hear a little bit
more about what sort of inspiredyou to even create Afros and
Audio and, like, put it togetheras a festival, because it's one
thing to go from doing an audiostorytelling podcast to saying,
(03:26):
hey, I want to make this a muchbigger event with a bunch of
other storytellers and creatives.
So can you talk, walk usthrough a little bit more of
that thought process?
Talib Jasir (03:35):
Sure.
So in 2017, I created a veryshort, four-part, limited series
called the Fussings, until Oneof Us Is Dead.
It's a rom-com audio fiction,and it caused me to want to see
and be around others audiofiction creators that look like
(03:56):
me.
At the time there was IssaRae's Fruit Out, and also
another one called Bronzevillethat had Lawrence Tate and
Lawrence Fishburne in it, andthen there was me, the Fussings,
and I was looking to find morecreatives that much like Afro's,
an audio podcast festival,where support and resources
(04:17):
could be provided but alsoreceived, and at the time, the
market just wasn't there.
And so I'm the type of personthat, because I come from a very
strong community, if I don'tsee it, it's like okay, well,
let's build it.
Then let's create it 2017,again into 2018, there really
(04:37):
wasn't a market for what I wasspecifically looking to do, and
so I created it, registered abusiness, set up an online
community for it and no one came.
So that old saying about if youbuild it, they will come not
necessarily.
So in 2018, I would say aroundthe end of it, I began to pivot,
(04:58):
just kind of wondering what todo now, since my original idea
didn't work and, as a creative.
I'm very clear on how to pickthings up and put them down if I
don't feel like they work.
But it was something aboutAfrozen Audio, something about
the logo, the intention, thedesire to still be a community
for podcasters.
It just needed to pivot fromaudio fiction specific, and so I
(05:21):
reached out to a friend of minewho's also a podcaster.
He mentioned maybe do events.
I think he meant to our meetup.
But when I left there I saidI'm going to do a two day event
which will be the first one forblack podcast creators and audio
professionals.
And the rest is history, sevenyears later.
Aliya Cheyanne (06:06):
So that's amazing.
I think about even the story ofdoing the first one and people
not showing up, and theperseverance and the resilience
to continue anyway, because alot of folks now you're seven
years deep and that's no smallfeat.
That's really exciting.
So kudos to you andcongratulations to you for
seeing your vision through.
Talib Jasir (06:15):
Appreciate it, thank you.
Aliya Cheyanne (06:17):
Yes, Okay.
So I would love to ask you justa little bit more of just the
insights that you've developedover the years.
I think launching your ownbusiness and bringing your own
vision to life challenges you ina lot of ways professionally,
but it can also challenge you ina lot of ways personally.
So I would love to hear alittle bit more of just like the
(06:37):
lessons you've learned alongthe way not every single one,
but maybe a few that kind ofstick out to you right now that
you can think of that might alsoinspire or help someone else
who's thinking about a visionthat they want to bring to life.
Talib Jasir (06:51):
Well, it has been a lot, and some good, some not so
good.
Some never want to live throughthat experience again, but for
me it was the aspect of, as Imentioned, being a visionary for
this industry in general.
And so what I've gained and it'swhy I also do the HERD Afros in
(07:11):
Audio interview series is thatwhen bringing a community of
creatives, innovators, geniusesI'll go quite as far to say when
we're in the building, it'salways transformative.
It has that way of touching,moving and inspiring folks,
including myself.
I feel like Afro's in audiobecause of the nature of it,
(07:34):
which is that it is by and forBlack podcast creators and audio
professionals.
I, too, am a Black podcastcreator and audio professional,
which makes me a part of thecommunity, not separate from it,
and so I learn from everyonewho attends, speaks, shows up
every year.
It supports me, and that's whatthe goal was always.
(07:55):
The day after the conference,we know how to have events.
That's not, I mean, it's hardas hell, but it can be done.
We know how to get together andthings that we choose, but what
about the day after?
How do we stay in community,how do we stay collaborative?
How do we stay supporting oneanother?
And that was really the goal ofthe conference to believe in
(08:21):
something, believe in people andjump in.
As I mentioned when I asked myfriend you know what?
What should I do?
I'm looking to pivot Events wasnot.
When I first registered Afrosand Audio, the festival was
never on my mind Like it.
The furthest thing from my mind.
I've never done an event.
I don't know what I'm like.
(08:42):
Okay, thank you for that, butis there anything else you think
I should do?
Because I don't know how to dothat, and so I've learned as
I've gone and that's what you do.
And so I think a lot of peoplehave an idea, get stuck in how
this is going to work.
How is this going to happen?
Who am I to even do it?
Right?
(09:02):
There's a lot of that inside ofour stories, because we've been
socialized and we haveconstructs that we live in and
we decide what, and we letothers externally tell us who we
are and what we can do, and soI've simply been willing to grow
and explore and experiencemyself and others throughout
this process.
(09:22):
And it's still a struggle.
But what is it?
Aliya Cheyanne (09:26):
Right, right, that's the nature of the game.
But I also love in you sharingyour experience with the
festival.
You also mentioning theinterview series Afro's and
Audio's interview series becauseI imagine there's a lot of
overlap in the sense that thepeople who were showing up to
the festival, the people thatyou're talking to, on that
(09:48):
series, there's a lot ofinspiration, there's connection
in that, there's a lot ofcreativity in that, and I love
even you framing it as geniuses,like when we show up to a space
, when we gather, when wecongregate, there's a lot of
genius and brilliance andeverything else in the room too.
(10:09):
So thank you for sharing that.
And I want to pivot a littlebit to talk more about you being
an author, because, in additionto podcasting, being an editor
and being the creator of thisfestival and putting on events
and being a life coach, you arealso an author and I would love
to talk a little bit more aboutwhat that experience has been
like for you, and particularlyone project which you also have
an accompanying podcast for yourbook Take what's Yours and
(10:33):
going through just the fiveelements around creativity for
that book too.
So can you tell us a little bitmore about your journey as an
author.
What that's looked like for youover the years.
Talib Jasir (10:43):
Sure, I wrote my first book in 2015 and is the
first volume of a series that iscalled Advisor to the Throne,
and Advisor to the Throne issimply a playoff of the saying
your crown is already out andpaid for, we just have to put it
on, and it's been attributed toDr Maya Angelou and James
(11:08):
Baldwin so they can fight it out.
I don't know which one said it,but that's really.
What it is is that we alreadyhave these abilities, these
capabilities and this extensionof the life coaching work in the
self-development mindset,self-image.
It's all a part of thatconversation that there has been
a lot of deliberateness to tomake us lose sight of who we are
(11:29):
, who we get to be in this world, particularly for ourselves,
forget everyone else in a in alot of ways, and so, um, that's
that book.
That's in 2015, and then,moving on, I've written the
second book for that in 2015,and then, moving on, I've
written the second book for thatin 2017.
And then again, I have mylatest project out, but in 2023,
(11:51):
I created another book Say LessCall it Justice and that's more
of a short prose book.
I would call it haikus, butanybody who knows what a haiku
is would say stop book, I wouldcall it haikus.
But anybody who knows what ahaiku is would say stop.
So I don't call it haikus.
But you get the point.
That's what kind of book thatis, and that also has its
(12:13):
accompanying ebook that'sanimated.
So there's a physical bookwhere you just see the images
and the words, and then theebook is actually animation of
those images and words, and thenthere's also a soundtrack to it
.
I had a friend of mine who Isaid you know, listen to this
and give me a musicalinterpretation, and he did, and
so that was cool.
And I say all that to say thismy author journey has been
(12:37):
almost a becoming for myself,because before the first book, I
truly believe, because of myown trauma and abuse and the
things that I went through as akid, that I wasn't really
deserving or worthy or smartenough to do things.
And it was sort of my firsttesting of the theory, like you
(12:58):
keep saying that to yourself andyou keep sitting here and
holding yourself small, but whydon't we test it out?
Like let's, let's see if that'strue Turns out it wasn't, but I
needed to test that out, and sothat's been really the journey
of simply being creative, whichhas always been who I am, but
being willing to put it outthere and be enough for my own
(13:22):
genius, and that's what this hasbeen.
And so the latest project, takewhat's Sure, is becoming a
liberated creator.
With the podcast, the theme ismultimedia.
I mean, we're in 2025.
Things are changing and I feellike the more a creative has
different touch points toconnect folks with, but also
leaning into the aspect thatthere's so many ways to be a
(13:44):
creative and we don't have tojust be one of those things
because externally we heard justbe one Like forget that, do
whatever you want.
Aliya Cheyanne (13:53):
Yeah, that's really powerful and thank you
for showing up vulnerably andsharing that as well.
I know it's not easy to talkabout things we've been through
in the past and how they shapeour lives now, but I think it's
so meaningful and important toshare that because someone else
might see themselves in yourstory and maybe there is someone
(14:15):
out there who's also tellingthemselves that they can't
they're not a creative or theycan't do it for maybe some of
the same reasons they don't feelsmart enough or that they
deserve it.
And we know that that's farfrom the truth.
And working through thosethings to pour out into the
world creatively, all of thosethings that you bottle up inside
(14:36):
, is no small feat, and I alwayssay that it's a disservice to
the world for you to not useyour gifts.
So I'm glad that you've tappedinto yours and I hope that
anyone else who might be feelingthe same way listening to you
learn to tap into their giftstoo.
So thank you for sharing thatFor sure, for sure, and
definitely wanted to plug theaccompanying podcast.
Talib Jasir (14:57):
Take what's.
Aliya Cheyanne (14:58):
Yourscoming Liberated Greater, because I
enjoyed that series a lot and Ithink it's worth checking out.
So I'll make sure to link thatas well, along with all of your
other work things pulling at youthat you're pouring into A lot
(15:20):
of hats that you have to jugglewith, all of your creative
projects, your personal projects, your personal life.
So what does balance look liketo you personally in this season
?
I think anyone who's read yourbook or listened to the Tick
what's Yours podcast series likethey would care a little bit
more about just balance.
But I think it would be greatfor you to share a little bit
(15:41):
about what balance looks like toyou right now, in this season
of your life.
Talib Jasir (15:45):
Sure?
Well, first, I think, to becomebalanced, you must first
experience imbalance or receivefeedback that you're not as
balanced as you might think thatyou are, and so I've had both
experiences.
Other people in my life willsay to me you need to come up
for air and do somethingdifferent, and I'm like, oh,
thank you.
(16:05):
I needed that disruptionbecause I understand that I was
not breathing and doing allthese things every day.
So that's important.
But also I think energy is big,and especially for me.
I'm an energetic person, so Ican tell when things are off as
well.
And so for me, it's aboutexploring that for ourselves.
There is no other individual.
(16:28):
We can get insight from someoneelse's journey and experiences,
but essentially it's up to usto discover what works for us
and what doesn't, and I trulybelieve that we each get to find
our own North Star and followit.
According to us, nothing or noone else.
And so for me, in this season,there's still a lot of imbalance
(16:50):
because of the nature of thebeast and the work and the
things that have to happen, andthe work and the things that
have to happen.
But I feel very at peace, verycalm, despite all the chaos and
the confusion, not just in theworld but also in the
uncertainty of where things aregoing to be.
But I'm chilling, you know, in alot of ways, because I've grown
(17:14):
up inside of a lot of stuff alot of chaos, confusion, and so
now I can say pretty much forthe first time in my life I've
started to really understandthat life is going to do
whatever it does, and the natureof people is that they will.
People.
And so how do I, you know, howdo I stand in this?
(17:36):
We are going to forever be theonly constant in our world.
They say the only constant ischange.
The only constant is us, andinside of that change, even with
all the changes, I'm the onethat's still standing in it and
still dealing with it andexperiencing it.
So that means that I'm thepriority here and because I
(17:57):
recognize that now I take thosemoments to ride skateboard, get
on my bike, take my walks, vegout, be creative, be productive,
I take those times moreintentionally now that and I
(18:19):
completely agree with you Notonly are people going to people,
but life is going to life.
Aliya Cheyanne (18:21):
You know there's a lot going on right now period
all across the world,especially where we are right
now in America.
I think just being mindful ofhow you take care of yourself,
how you take care of your people, is so important, and I know
from listening to your otherwork, from us doing an episode
on your podcast and even youmentioning just now, like
getting out on your bike, likegoing for a walk.
(18:43):
I know that you're big intonature as well.
Can you share more about howthat brings you peace and keeps
you grounded and centered andsome of the activities that you
do in that area?
Talib Jasir (18:54):
Absolutely.
You see, I started Somali.
Yes, nature is definitely myNorth Star.
I grew up on a farm on theeastern shore of Maryland and
also near water, so not only didwe fish and crab and we grow
own crops, rode my bike, Ilooked at the stars in the sky
(19:16):
as a kid and I could do thatbecause there wasn't much else
to do.
I grew up, you know, at thetime I grew up, so it's always
been my center.
And more recently, I would sayin the last 10 years, but more
approximately seven or eight, Istarted camping with some of my
Mastermind Connect brothers,which is an organization I'm a
(19:37):
part of, and then we also.
So I got my outdoor leadershiptraining and we take young kids
out from the city New York aswell as Denver, when we take
them for a weekend to camp andday hike and these sorts of
things and just seeing how ittransforms them, especially New
York.
New Yorkers hardly see the skyat night, the stars in the sky
(20:01):
at night.
I should say it's a concretejungle.
There's buildings everywhere,very nature deprived first time,
or them hiking and being afraidof things, and now they're
leading and they can't wait tocome back or they don't want to
(20:23):
leave.
We've had 17, 18-year-olds juststart crying the night before
we're leaving, because they knowthat they're going back to not
this, not peace, and so it'sjust such a transformative sense
of belonging to take ourselvesback to the earth, to be in
nature, because and I'll end itwith this when you think about
(20:45):
camping and other things thatare about nature, even in the
advertisement or thecommercialization of it, you
very rarely see us there as therepresentation, and so it's
important to know that itbelongs to us, we belong to it
and we get to do it anytime wewant and however we want to do
it.
And so that is also therebellious nature in me.
(21:05):
Is that this mind, and I'mgoing to be here.
Aliya Cheyanne (21:08):
Yes, oh, I love that.
I got to chill and I resonatewith you on that so much I feel
so connected to nature.
It's so important to me, withyou on that, so much I feel so
connected to nature.
It's so important to me.
It's part of what keeps megrounded and, as someone who is
in NYC, I hear you on that.
We talk a lot about from likean economic perspective, but
(21:28):
also like a sociologicalperspective.
We're losing a lot of thirdspaces as a people, like the
places that you and I went togrowing up to hang out, like
congregate with friends, likethose spaces are fading more and
more and more.
If you want to go to certainspaces, you can't really do it
for free all the time anymore.
Like so many places charge anexorbitant amount of money just
(21:51):
for you to have like a thirdspace with friends to hang out
and feel like nature is stillone of the few places that to
some degree, we can do atminimal cost, like whether it's
our own backyards, if it'spossible, whether that's a park
nearby, whether that's findingan organization that can support
you to get out in nature orspending some money on your own
(22:14):
to go out somewhere where youcan reconnect with nature.
So I agree with you 100% andlike it warms my heart to hear
you say like as a child you didthat, like looked up at the
stars because there was nothingelse to do.
But then you have theseexperience, experiences with
these young people who are notused to that either and they're
doing that for the first time onthis camping trip and I think
(22:36):
about myself at my big age, likehow much I love to stare up at
the stars, especially because ofwhere I am there's not like, in
particular, like the borough Italk about.
(22:57):
That just really hits home andI'm glad that you use nature as
a tool to keep yourself centered, but also to let the world know
that you deserve to be in it asmuch as anybody else and it's
yours and you have a right to bethere.
So shout out to you for that.
I would love to pivot back alittle bit to podcasting,
(23:21):
because I know most of us whoare podcasters also consume
other podcasts, like we listento other shows too.
So I would love to hear alittle bit more about maybe one
or two shows that you'relistening to right now that
you're really into, that youlike to share with others.
Talib Jasir (23:34):
Sure, well, I listen to a wide variety.
One of them I love ShannonCason's storytelling Homemade
Stories.
He was actually a guest thisyear on the podcast.
I'm a big fan of Tea with Queenand Jay, who were actually our
first keynotes ever when we hadour conference in Brooklyn, but
(23:55):
also just a podcast that I thinkis so necessary for today and
the conversations that they have.
I listen to a lot.
I listen to there's one byBruce Lee's daughter and a
co-host that I really enjoy andthere's one by Toshi Reagan
(24:18):
that's about Octavia Butler'sbook Parable of the Sower and
they talk about that and kind ofanalyze and break it down.
So things like that.
I'm into intellectual andinspirational podcasts, but also
revolutionary podcasts.
Aliya Cheyanne (24:35):
Yeah, that part.
Yeah, Thank you for sharingthat.
I would love to ask you alittle bit more, especially as a
visionary, as someone who hashopes for this industry, has
hopes for more creatives like usgetting in this space Afros and
Audio Podcast Festival how youmight see that evolving and
(24:59):
growing over the next few years,but then also just your hopes
and your vision as the industryof podcasting.
It's a little bit twofold.
Talib Jasir (25:10):
Well for the Afros and Audio Podcast Festival.
I hope to continue to exist inthe space.
Right now, with the climate ofthe world, it's, it's looking
how it looks, but again, I'mmore focused on us and doing
what we have to do than that.
(25:30):
So I just simply want to remainin the space because I think
it's necessary and important forus as creators.
I think it's necessary andimportant for us as creators.
The reason for the community isthat I want something where
people have access to each other.
It's truly a game changer whencreatives get to talk and share
(25:51):
knowledge and experiences, andone thing I know about this
industry and any other industry,is that we have to know how to
navigate it.
We have to know our path tosuccess.
It is not going to look likethe article or the blog or
anything else that they mightsay it's going to look like,
because we have to navigate anyand everything differently, and
(26:12):
so, for me, afros and Audio isreally a place where we can
strategize, we can talk with oneanother, stay connected again
the day after, and I just hopethat it continues, that it grows
, that more people get toexperience it.
But I also believe that theright energies are in the space
at any given time and there's afoundation being built here, and
(26:35):
so, even though I want morepeople to experience it, I want
people that you know want toexperience it and, essentially,
that the intentionality of theconference is being inclusive,
accessible, loving, somewherewhere people can truly come and
feel like the people there wantto see them win Nobody's there
(26:57):
being influenced out of theirmoney by influencers and just
really genuinely have anexperience that transforms them
but also fills them up.
Fills them into a world that weget thrown right back out into.
That doesn't love us, thatcould care less if we create, if
we stop, if we quit, if wenever opened our mouth again and
(27:19):
advocacy for ourselves.
This gets to be a space wherethat is encouraged and fostered,
and so I just wanted to growand I want more people to
experience it.
Aliya Cheyanne (27:29):
Yeah.
Talib Jasir (27:30):
That's Afro's Audio Podcast Festival For the
industry itself.
One of the main missions isthat we increase our voices in
the space.
There are a lot of podcasts outthere.
Some people might think it'ssaturated, but not with us.
We're still a very less thantwo-digit percentage of active
podcasts in the global market,and so there's so much room for
(27:52):
us to continue to share ourstories, our experiences and our
beliefs.
Perspective.
All of that is what I believepodcasting is.
People can look at it asdifferent things.
Obviously, there's a definitionof it for it, but I see it as
us, as a people laying down arecord of us existing and saying
(28:12):
this is who we are, this is whowe have been, this is who we
will be as we continue to shareour stories on the mic.
And it all matters to me.
It really does, and, if I canhave anything to do with us
staying in the space beingsustainable and that's why the
conference is for creatives andalso audio professionals this is
(28:34):
an ecosystem we have to knoweach other exists.
We have to know what each otherup to in order for us to be
collaborative and supportive toone another and provide the
resources that are out there.
So that's the goal is that weare here and we don't leave this
space because, again, thatwould not be a bad thing for
others, but it would definitelynot be good for us.
Aliya Cheyanne (28:55):
Yeah, yeah, wow.
You said so much in that.
I love you just reiterating andreaffirming the fact that
spaces where creatives canconnect is so important and you
doing that with the Afros andAudio Podcast Festival is so
important, but also just thepoints you bring up about the
industry as a whole and the factthat we are such a small
(29:15):
percentage of you know thenumber of active podcasts out
there and that's that's so true.
I saw something the other daythat was like there's literally
no industry you can think of,podcasting or other where it's
oversaturated with with us.
Well, maybe there are a coupleof exceptions, but for most
(29:36):
industries if you think aboutdoctors, lawyers podcasts like
it doesn't matter, like we're sounderrepresented and for folks
to feel deterred before theyeven start or feeling like their
voice doesn't matter.
It's so important to be presentand say that we existed and that
we were here.
And one of the ways I describethis show even is that it's, you
(29:58):
know, a digital archive.
Like it's showing that I washere, that my guests, their
voices, were here, like thesestories were here.
It's chronicling the times thatwe're existing in.
It's talking about creativityand all these things and I think
, the way that we accomplishthat with our various shows is
so important because we may notunderstand now the impact it
(30:18):
might have later, but at somepoint, like even if it's not in
this moment, it's going tomatter so much to each of us, to
our legacies, to the future ofhumanity, to Black voices that
come online someday.
So what you shared is soimpactful and so important.
So thank you for sharing that.
Talib Jasir (30:35):
Thank you Absolutely.
You know, if you think aboutthe opportunities that you have
to listen back to enslavedAfricans and from the
generations, from the first tothe ones that were emancipated,
and you get to hear thesestories, that is an audio, you
know, archive of that time.
(30:55):
You think about any other timein our lives or our experience
here in America?
And of course we're global andwe're starting to show up in
that space as well in the pastseveral years, which is very
exciting as well, because wedon't all talk about the same
things.
We don't all believe or thinkor experience the same things,
and so that's why it's soimportant to expand our
(31:17):
worldview, to see therepresentation of us and to know
that we are.
We're laying it right now, andthis is historical.
Every day that goes past whatwe said the day before becomes a
part of history, and every lifeand experience that exists gets
to be represented throughstorytelling, whatever that
(31:38):
looks like, from the ratchet tothe I'm not listening to that to
the ones that I'm drawn to.
Aliya Cheyanne (31:45):
Yes.
Talib Jasir (31:45):
It all matters, because someone exists in that
way.
Aliya Cheyanne (31:48):
Yes, yes.
What you're talking about anddescribing is reminding me of a
podcast that I just startedlistening to, recently.
Actually, it's called ourancestors were messy.
I don't know if you've everheard of it.
Yes, I did, but yeah like I lovethe storytelling, I love the
(32:09):
structure of the show, um, Ilove that the host like pulls
newspaper clippings from like1850 or like 1920 to tell the
stories of these people, who mayhave been lesser known to us
now, but they existed, they hadstories, they lived whole lives.
And podcast does a really goodjob of like painting a story of
(32:34):
that person's life and tellingit in a really engaging way,
like with beautiful sound,engineering and everything else,
and even in you talking aboutand referring to things that we
listen to now that our ancestorsmight have experienced, whether
it's the music, whether it'sold footage, whether it's
stories that have been passeddown verbally, like whatever it
is like this is another form ofthat for our generation and I
(32:57):
think that's what's so powerfulabout podcasting.
Like I feel sometimes I lovetalking to other podcasters
because I feel like when I'm notlike people don't get it or
they're not as enthusiasticabout it in the way that I am,
but it's we're literally doingthis for our generation now,
like someday our descendants aregoing to be looking back at
(33:17):
this like we were the ancestors,telling the stories of our time
and the way that we do, and Ithink it's so powerful and in
that way I feel so deeplyconnected to the past, present
and future.
That is Afrofuturism too, sothis is a part of it.
Talib Jasir (33:32):
Yes, yeah, for sure , yeah, you get it.
Aliya Cheyanne (33:51):
I could go on and on, but I won't.
Yeah, good stuff, you get itfor a long period of time.
For someone who may be juststarting out, who has an idea,
hasn't kicked it off the groundyet and is curious about what to
do next, where to go next, Ialways love to ask if there's a
piece of advice that you wishyou would have had when you
first started out on yourjourney or anything you'd like
(34:11):
to offer up now.
Is there anything you'd like toshare to that creative who's
just getting started?
Talib Jasir (34:17):
Yeah, yeah, there's a few things and it's all a
part of my philosophy and insome way or another it's in the
Say Less book because, they'reshort, and so one of those
things is that our greatnessisn't about us in any way, and
somewhere someone is waiting forus to get that, so that they
can come out of the shadows too,is waiting for us to get that,
(34:40):
so that they can come out of theshadows too, when we decide
that it's not about us.
It's for those that we willtouch and move, motivate,
inspire, share knowledge with.
Those are the people that it'sfor, and so, you know, give
thanks that we have it and canshare it.
So that part, I think that aswe manifest the vision that we
have for ourselves, thosevisions will manifest us, and we
(35:04):
talked about I talked about mystory, you talked about in yours
, even on this episode how,without the four-part limited
series rom-com that I did, afrosand Audio wouldn't even exist.
And so it's just an unfolding,a consistent unfolding.
I don't know who I'm going tomeet, I don't know the
opportunities are going to come,but they will come the moment I
(35:26):
get off the sidelines and Istep into the game and start
playing myself, and so and youmentioned us meeting at podcast
movement and then and then andthen you know.
So just allow space for that.
And the last thing I'll say isthat they say life is short, but
it is the longest thing thatyou or I are going to actually
ever experience, and so whatthat means is that we have to be
(35:49):
.
We get to be in pursuit of allof the things that we want to
experience in this particularlifetime that we're in.
The longer we stay outside ofthese opportunities that we have
for ourselves and the downloadsthat we receive to just do
those things and be in pursuitof our own happiness and liberty
and contentment satisfaction.
(36:10):
We're just letting time pass.
Be, in pursuit Be urgent becausewe don't know when this ends,
so we get to be in pursuit ofand actually have the experience
we want now.
Aliya Cheyanne (36:24):
Yes, yes, and I fully resonate with that.
So you're sharing it withothers, but I receive it too, so
thank you.
Talib Jasir (36:30):
Thank you Appreciate it.
Aliya Cheyanne (36:32):
Well, this has been really incredible.
I really enjoyed chatting withyou and learning more about your
work and your story, so thankyou so much for showing up today
and just sharing a bit of yourmagic with everyone.
Can you let folks know where tosupport your work, where to
find you, where to follow you?
All of the things?
Sure.
Talib Jasir (36:52):
Well, all of my books are on Amazon.
I don't know for how long, butthey're on Amazon, right now
They'll be there.
Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to makea mass exodus from all these
spaces that I don't want to be apart of anymore, but anyway
they're there right now.
They're also available on mysite, talibjasircom, where
you'll see some more of mywriting and just find out more
(37:15):
about me.
There's afrosinaudiocom tolearn more about the conference.
Vanguardpncom for VanguardPodcast Network.
That's where you'll find thestorytelling audio projects that
we've done, including thefussings.
It's there my 2017 audiofiction on social media, talib
Jassir and Afros in Audio.
Aliya Cheyanne (37:35):
Amazing.
Thank you so much and I'll besure to link all of that in the
show notes so it's easy forfolks to find your work and
support you and buy the booksand all of the things.
Thank you so much.
This was really great, thankyou.
What an incredible conversationwith Talib Talib.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story, for showing up so
(37:56):
vulnerably on the podcast, forsharing a little bit of your
light and your inspiration forall of the creatives out there.
If you enjoyed this episode,please be sure to leave a
five-star rating and positivewritten review for the podcast
and to share this episode with afriend.
I appreciate you for tuning inand for listening.
Thank you for lending me yourtime, your energy and your ears,
(38:19):
and I will catch you on thenext episode.
Bye.
Hey friend, welcome back to the show.
I'm so glad that you're here.
I'm so excited to be joined byTalib Jasir today.
Talib is the founder andcreator of Afros and Audio
Podcast Festival.
He is also an author, acreative, a podcaster, a life
coach and so much more.
(00:20):
I recently had the opportunityto be interviewed and included
on the Afros and Audio interviewseries called Heard, and now
I'm so excited and honored tohave an episode with Talib on
the Prolific Hub podcast.
So, without further ado, let'sjump into today's conversation.
(00:41):
Hi everyone, Welcome back tothe Prolific Hub podcast.
I'm your host, Aaliyah Cheyenne, and I'm so excited today to be
joined by Talib Jasir.
Hi, Talib.
Talib Jasir (00:50):
Hi, how are you?
Aliya Cheyanne (00:52):
I'm good.
How are you?
Talib Jasir (00:54):
Good good.
Aliya Cheyanne (00:55):
I'm super excited to have you on the show
today.
I always like to share withguests how and where I had the
opportunity to learn about youand to meet you.
So my first introduction to youwas actually at Podcast
Movement in 2024.
You were hosting a specialpanel and a special workshop and
I got to attend that.
(01:15):
And I had also seen a panellater on in the conference with
yourself and a few otherincredible Black creators and I
was excited to meet you.
Then other incredible Blackcreators and I was excited to
meet you.
Then Super excited to be aguest on your podcast Heard, the
Black History Month interviewseries, Afros and Audio, and
then also to have you on thisshow.
(01:36):
It's so full circle and it's socool.
So thank you for being here.
Talib Jasir (01:40):
Thank you.
Aliya Cheyanne (01:41):
So for folks who may not know you, who may not
be aware of your work just yet,can you tell us a little bit
more about who you are in theworld today, how you'd like to
be known?
Talib Jasir (01:52):
Sure, so I am an author.
I start with that because I'm astoryteller and a writer, and
that was the catalyst even forAfros in Audio, the podcast
festival, having created anaudio fiction podcast that I
wrote and directed and producedin 2017, which led to Afros in
Audio podcast festival down theline.
(02:14):
I'm a visionary.
I am an advocate for the people.
I believe in the power of us asa collective, but also as
individuals, but also asindividuals.
A podcast producer I run apodcast network called Vanguard
Podcast Network, where we dooriginal audio storytelling as
well as nonprofit podcasts forsocial justice and yeah, I mean
(02:36):
there's a few more things, butthat's where we are right now.
Aliya Cheyanne (02:40):
Yes, amazing.
And you say all that like it'slike no sweat off your back, but
it's so much so.
Thank you for sharing that, andyou shared a little piece of my
next question, which is thatyou are a visionary and a
storyteller and in doing youraudio series, your storytelling
series, that kind of kickstarted this idea behind doing
(03:02):
the Afros and Audio Festival thevery first one, and which is
now I think your seventh one iscoming up this year in 2025.
So that's no small feat, but Iwould like to hear a little bit
more about what sort of inspiredyou to even create Afros and
Audio and, like, put it togetheras a festival, because it's one
thing to go from doing an audiostorytelling podcast to saying,
(03:26):
hey, I want to make this a muchbigger event with a bunch of
other storytellers and creatives.
So can you talk, walk usthrough a little bit more of
that thought process?
Talib Jasir (03:35):
Sure.
So in 2017, I created a veryshort, four-part, limited series
called the Fussings, until Oneof Us Is Dead.
It's a rom-com audio fiction,and it caused me to want to see
and be around others audiofiction creators that look like
(03:56):
me.
At the time there was IssaRae's Fruit Out, and also
another one called Bronzevillethat had Lawrence Tate and
Lawrence Fishburne in it, andthen there was me, the Fussings,
and I was looking to find morecreatives that much like Afro's,
an audio podcast festival,where support and resources
(04:17):
could be provided but alsoreceived, and at the time, the
market just wasn't there.
And so I'm the type of personthat, because I come from a very
strong community, if I don'tsee it, it's like okay, well,
let's build it.
Then let's create it 2017,again into 2018, there really
(04:37):
wasn't a market for what I wasspecifically looking to do, and
so I created it, registered abusiness, set up an online
community for it and no one came.
So that old saying about if youbuild it, they will come not
necessarily.
So in 2018, I would say aroundthe end of it, I began to pivot,
(04:58):
just kind of wondering what todo now, since my original idea
didn't work and, as a creative.
I'm very clear on how to pickthings up and put them down if I
don't feel like they work.
But it was something aboutAfrozen Audio, something about
the logo, the intention, thedesire to still be a community
for podcasters.
It just needed to pivot fromaudio fiction specific, and so I
(05:21):
reached out to a friend of minewho's also a podcaster.
He mentioned maybe do events.
I think he meant to our meetup.
But when I left there I saidI'm going to do a two day event
which will be the first one forblack podcast creators and audio
professionals.
And the rest is history, sevenyears later.
Aliya Cheyanne (06:06):
So that's amazing.
I think about even the story ofdoing the first one and people
not showing up, and theperseverance and the resilience
to continue anyway, because alot of folks now you're seven
years deep and that's no smallfeat.
That's really exciting.
So kudos to you andcongratulations to you for
seeing your vision through.
Talib Jasir (06:15):
Appreciate it, thank you.
Aliya Cheyanne (06:17):
Yes, Okay.
So I would love to ask you justa little bit more of just the
insights that you've developedover the years.
I think launching your ownbusiness and bringing your own
vision to life challenges you ina lot of ways professionally,
but it can also challenge you ina lot of ways personally.
So I would love to hear alittle bit more of just like the
(06:37):
lessons you've learned alongthe way not every single one,
but maybe a few that kind ofstick out to you right now that
you can think of that might alsoinspire or help someone else
who's thinking about a visionthat they want to bring to life.
Talib Jasir (06:51):
Well, it has been a lot, and some good, some not so
good.
Some never want to live throughthat experience again, but for
me it was the aspect of, as Imentioned, being a visionary for
this industry in general.
And so what I've gained and it'swhy I also do the HERD Afros in
(07:11):
Audio interview series is thatwhen bringing a community of
creatives, innovators, geniusesI'll go quite as far to say when
we're in the building, it'salways transformative.
It has that way of touching,moving and inspiring folks,
including myself.
I feel like Afro's in audiobecause of the nature of it,
(07:34):
which is that it is by and forBlack podcast creators and audio
professionals.
I, too, am a Black podcastcreator and audio professional,
which makes me a part of thecommunity, not separate from it,
and so I learn from everyonewho attends, speaks, shows up
every year.
It supports me, and that's whatthe goal was always.
(07:55):
The day after the conference,we know how to have events.
That's not, I mean, it's hardas hell, but it can be done.
We know how to get together andthings that we choose, but what
about the day after?
How do we stay in community,how do we stay collaborative?
How do we stay supporting oneanother?
And that was really the goal ofthe conference to believe in
(08:21):
something, believe in people andjump in.
As I mentioned when I asked myfriend you know what?
What should I do?
I'm looking to pivot Events wasnot.
When I first registered Afrosand Audio, the festival was
never on my mind Like it.
The furthest thing from my mind.
I've never done an event.
I don't know what I'm like.
(08:42):
Okay, thank you for that, butis there anything else you think
I should do?
Because I don't know how to dothat, and so I've learned as
I've gone and that's what you do.
And so I think a lot of peoplehave an idea, get stuck in how
this is going to work.
How is this going to happen?
Who am I to even do it?
Right?
(09:02):
There's a lot of that inside ofour stories, because we've been
socialized and we haveconstructs that we live in and
we decide what, and we letothers externally tell us who we
are and what we can do, and soI've simply been willing to grow
and explore and experiencemyself and others throughout
this process.
(09:22):
And it's still a struggle.
But what is it?
Aliya Cheyanne (09:26):
Right, right, that's the nature of the game.
But I also love in you sharingyour experience with the
festival.
You also mentioning theinterview series Afro's and
Audio's interview series becauseI imagine there's a lot of
overlap in the sense that thepeople who were showing up to
the festival, the people thatyou're talking to, on that
(09:48):
series, there's a lot ofinspiration, there's connection
in that, there's a lot ofcreativity in that, and I love
even you framing it as geniuses,like when we show up to a space
, when we gather, when wecongregate, there's a lot of
genius and brilliance andeverything else in the room too.
(10:09):
So thank you for sharing that.
And I want to pivot a littlebit to talk more about you being
an author, because, in additionto podcasting, being an editor
and being the creator of thisfestival and putting on events
and being a life coach, you arealso an author and I would love
to talk a little bit more aboutwhat that experience has been
like for you, and particularlyone project which you also have
an accompanying podcast for yourbook Take what's Yours and
(10:33):
going through just the fiveelements around creativity for
that book too.
So can you tell us a little bitmore about your journey as an
author.
What that's looked like for youover the years.
Talib Jasir (10:43):
Sure, I wrote my first book in 2015 and is the
first volume of a series that iscalled Advisor to the Throne,
and Advisor to the Throne issimply a playoff of the saying
your crown is already out andpaid for, we just have to put it
on, and it's been attributed toDr Maya Angelou and James
(11:08):
Baldwin so they can fight it out.
I don't know which one said it,but that's really.
What it is is that we alreadyhave these abilities, these
capabilities and this extensionof the life coaching work in the
self-development mindset,self-image.
It's all a part of thatconversation that there has been
a lot of deliberateness to tomake us lose sight of who we are
(11:29):
, who we get to be in this world, particularly for ourselves,
forget everyone else in a in alot of ways, and so, um, that's
that book.
That's in 2015, and then,moving on, I've written the
second book for that in 2015,and then, moving on, I've
written the second book for thatin 2017.
And then again, I have mylatest project out, but in 2023,
(11:51):
I created another book Say LessCall it Justice and that's more
of a short prose book.
I would call it haikus, butanybody who knows what a haiku
is would say stop book, I wouldcall it haikus.
But anybody who knows what ahaiku is would say stop.
So I don't call it haikus.
But you get the point.
That's what kind of book thatis, and that also has its
(12:13):
accompanying ebook that'sanimated.
So there's a physical bookwhere you just see the images
and the words, and then theebook is actually animation of
those images and words, and thenthere's also a soundtrack to it
.
I had a friend of mine who Isaid you know, listen to this
and give me a musicalinterpretation, and he did, and
so that was cool.
And I say all that to say thismy author journey has been
(12:37):
almost a becoming for myself,because before the first book, I
truly believe, because of myown trauma and abuse and the
things that I went through as akid, that I wasn't really
deserving or worthy or smartenough to do things.
And it was sort of my firsttesting of the theory, like you
(12:58):
keep saying that to yourself andyou keep sitting here and
holding yourself small, but whydon't we test it out?
Like let's, let's see if that'strue Turns out it wasn't, but I
needed to test that out, and sothat's been really the journey
of simply being creative, whichhas always been who I am, but
being willing to put it outthere and be enough for my own
(13:22):
genius, and that's what this hasbeen.
And so the latest project, takewhat's Sure, is becoming a
liberated creator.
With the podcast, the theme ismultimedia.
I mean, we're in 2025.
Things are changing and I feellike the more a creative has
different touch points toconnect folks with, but also
leaning into the aspect thatthere's so many ways to be a
(13:44):
creative and we don't have tojust be one of those things
because externally we heard justbe one Like forget that, do
whatever you want.
Aliya Cheyanne (13:53):
Yeah, that's really powerful and thank you
for showing up vulnerably andsharing that as well.
I know it's not easy to talkabout things we've been through
in the past and how they shapeour lives now, but I think it's
so meaningful and important toshare that because someone else
might see themselves in yourstory and maybe there is someone
(14:15):
out there who's also tellingthemselves that they can't
they're not a creative or theycan't do it for maybe some of
the same reasons they don't feelsmart enough or that they
deserve it.
And we know that that's farfrom the truth.
And working through thosethings to pour out into the
world creatively, all of thosethings that you bottle up inside
(14:36):
, is no small feat, and I alwayssay that it's a disservice to
the world for you to not useyour gifts.
So I'm glad that you've tappedinto yours and I hope that
anyone else who might be feelingthe same way listening to you
learn to tap into their giftstoo.
So thank you for sharing thatFor sure, for sure, and
definitely wanted to plug theaccompanying podcast.
Talib Jasir (14:57):
Take what's.
Aliya Cheyanne (14:58):
Yourscoming Liberated Greater, because I
enjoyed that series a lot and Ithink it's worth checking out.
So I'll make sure to link thatas well, along with all of your
other work things pulling at youthat you're pouring into A lot
(15:20):
of hats that you have to jugglewith, all of your creative
projects, your personal projects, your personal life.
So what does balance look liketo you personally in this season
?
I think anyone who's read yourbook or listened to the Tick
what's Yours podcast series likethey would care a little bit
more about just balance.
But I think it would be greatfor you to share a little bit
(15:41):
about what balance looks like toyou right now, in this season
of your life.
Talib Jasir (15:45):
Sure?
Well, first, I think, to becomebalanced, you must first
experience imbalance or receivefeedback that you're not as
balanced as you might think thatyou are, and so I've had both
experiences.
Other people in my life willsay to me you need to come up
for air and do somethingdifferent, and I'm like, oh,
thank you.
(16:05):
I needed that disruptionbecause I understand that I was
not breathing and doing allthese things every day.
So that's important.
But also I think energy is big,and especially for me.
I'm an energetic person, so Ican tell when things are off as
well.
And so for me, it's aboutexploring that for ourselves.
There is no other individual.
(16:28):
We can get insight from someoneelse's journey and experiences,
but essentially it's up to usto discover what works for us
and what doesn't, and I trulybelieve that we each get to find
our own North Star and followit.
According to us, nothing or noone else.
And so for me, in this season,there's still a lot of imbalance
(16:50):
because of the nature of thebeast and the work and the
things that have to happen, andthe work and the things that
have to happen.
But I feel very at peace, verycalm, despite all the chaos and
the confusion, not just in theworld but also in the
uncertainty of where things aregoing to be.
But I'm chilling, you know, in alot of ways, because I've grown
(17:14):
up inside of a lot of stuff alot of chaos, confusion, and so
now I can say pretty much forthe first time in my life I've
started to really understandthat life is going to do
whatever it does, and the natureof people is that they will.
People.
And so how do I, you know, howdo I stand in this?
(17:36):
We are going to forever be theonly constant in our world.
They say the only constant ischange.
The only constant is us, andinside of that change, even with
all the changes, I'm the onethat's still standing in it and
still dealing with it andexperiencing it.
So that means that I'm thepriority here and because I
(17:57):
recognize that now I take thosemoments to ride skateboard, get
on my bike, take my walks, vegout, be creative, be productive,
I take those times moreintentionally now that and I
(18:19):
completely agree with you Notonly are people going to people,
but life is going to life.
Aliya Cheyanne (18:21):
You know there's a lot going on right now period
all across the world,especially where we are right
now in America.
I think just being mindful ofhow you take care of yourself,
how you take care of your people, is so important, and I know
from listening to your otherwork, from us doing an episode
on your podcast and even youmentioning just now, like
getting out on your bike, likegoing for a walk.
(18:43):
I know that you're big intonature as well.
Can you share more about howthat brings you peace and keeps
you grounded and centered andsome of the activities that you
do in that area?
Talib Jasir (18:54):
Absolutely.
You see, I started Somali.
Yes, nature is definitely myNorth Star.
I grew up on a farm on theeastern shore of Maryland and
also near water, so not only didwe fish and crab and we grow
own crops, rode my bike, Ilooked at the stars in the sky
(19:16):
as a kid and I could do thatbecause there wasn't much else
to do.
I grew up, you know, at thetime I grew up, so it's always
been my center.
And more recently, I would sayin the last 10 years, but more
approximately seven or eight, Istarted camping with some of my
Mastermind Connect brothers,which is an organization I'm a
(19:37):
part of, and then we also.
So I got my outdoor leadershiptraining and we take young kids
out from the city New York aswell as Denver, when we take
them for a weekend to camp andday hike and these sorts of
things and just seeing how ittransforms them, especially New
York.
New Yorkers hardly see the skyat night, the stars in the sky
(20:01):
at night.
I should say it's a concretejungle.
There's buildings everywhere,very nature deprived first time,
or them hiking and being afraidof things, and now they're
leading and they can't wait tocome back or they don't want to
(20:23):
leave.
We've had 17, 18-year-olds juststart crying the night before
we're leaving, because they knowthat they're going back to not
this, not peace, and so it'sjust such a transformative sense
of belonging to take ourselvesback to the earth, to be in
nature, because and I'll end itwith this when you think about
(20:45):
camping and other things thatare about nature, even in the
advertisement or thecommercialization of it, you
very rarely see us there as therepresentation, and so it's
important to know that itbelongs to us, we belong to it
and we get to do it anytime wewant and however we want to do
it.
And so that is also therebellious nature in me.
(21:05):
Is that this mind, and I'mgoing to be here.
Aliya Cheyanne (21:08):
Yes, oh, I love that.
I got to chill and I resonatewith you on that so much I feel
so connected to nature.
It's so important to me, withyou on that, so much I feel so
connected to nature.
It's so important to me.
It's part of what keeps megrounded and, as someone who is
in NYC, I hear you on that.
We talk a lot about from likean economic perspective, but
(21:28):
also like a sociologicalperspective.
We're losing a lot of thirdspaces as a people, like the
places that you and I went togrowing up to hang out, like
congregate with friends, likethose spaces are fading more and
more and more.
If you want to go to certainspaces, you can't really do it
for free all the time anymore.
Like so many places charge anexorbitant amount of money just
(21:51):
for you to have like a thirdspace with friends to hang out
and feel like nature is stillone of the few places that to
some degree, we can do atminimal cost, like whether it's
our own backyards, if it'spossible, whether that's a park
nearby, whether that's findingan organization that can support
you to get out in nature orspending some money on your own
(22:14):
to go out somewhere where youcan reconnect with nature.
So I agree with you 100% andlike it warms my heart to hear
you say like as a child you didthat, like looked up at the
stars because there was nothingelse to do.
But then you have theseexperience, experiences with
these young people who are notused to that either and they're
doing that for the first time onthis camping trip and I think
(22:36):
about myself at my big age, likehow much I love to stare up at
the stars, especially because ofwhere I am there's not like, in
particular, like the borough Italk about.
(22:57):
That just really hits home andI'm glad that you use nature as
a tool to keep yourself centered, but also to let the world know
that you deserve to be in it asmuch as anybody else and it's
yours and you have a right to bethere.
So shout out to you for that.
I would love to pivot back alittle bit to podcasting,
(23:21):
because I know most of us whoare podcasters also consume
other podcasts, like we listento other shows too.
So I would love to hear alittle bit more about maybe one
or two shows that you'relistening to right now that
you're really into, that youlike to share with others.
Talib Jasir (23:34):
Sure, well, I listen to a wide variety.
One of them I love ShannonCason's storytelling Homemade
Stories.
He was actually a guest thisyear on the podcast.
I'm a big fan of Tea with Queenand Jay, who were actually our
first keynotes ever when we hadour conference in Brooklyn, but
(23:55):
also just a podcast that I thinkis so necessary for today and
the conversations that they have.
I listen to a lot.
I listen to there's one byBruce Lee's daughter and a
co-host that I really enjoy andthere's one by Toshi Reagan
(24:18):
that's about Octavia Butler'sbook Parable of the Sower and
they talk about that and kind ofanalyze and break it down.
So things like that.
I'm into intellectual andinspirational podcasts, but also
revolutionary podcasts.
Aliya Cheyanne (24:35):
Yeah, that part.
Yeah, Thank you for sharingthat.
I would love to ask you alittle bit more, especially as a
visionary, as someone who hashopes for this industry, has
hopes for more creatives like usgetting in this space Afros and
Audio Podcast Festival how youmight see that evolving and
(24:59):
growing over the next few years,but then also just your hopes
and your vision as the industryof podcasting.
It's a little bit twofold.
Talib Jasir (25:10):
Well for the Afros and Audio Podcast Festival.
I hope to continue to exist inthe space.
Right now, with the climate ofthe world, it's, it's looking
how it looks, but again, I'mmore focused on us and doing
what we have to do than that.
(25:30):
So I just simply want to remainin the space because I think
it's necessary and important forus as creators.
I think it's necessary andimportant for us as creators.
The reason for the community isthat I want something where
people have access to each other.
It's truly a game changer whencreatives get to talk and share
(25:51):
knowledge and experiences, andone thing I know about this
industry and any other industry,is that we have to know how to
navigate it.
We have to know our path tosuccess.
It is not going to look likethe article or the blog or
anything else that they mightsay it's going to look like,
because we have to navigate anyand everything differently, and
(26:12):
so, for me, afros and Audio isreally a place where we can
strategize, we can talk with oneanother, stay connected again
the day after, and I just hopethat it continues, that it grows
, that more people get toexperience it.
But I also believe that theright energies are in the space
at any given time and there's afoundation being built here, and
(26:35):
so, even though I want morepeople to experience it, I want
people that you know want toexperience it and, essentially,
that the intentionality of theconference is being inclusive,
accessible, loving, somewherewhere people can truly come and
feel like the people there wantto see them win Nobody's there
(26:57):
being influenced out of theirmoney by influencers and just
really genuinely have anexperience that transforms them
but also fills them up.
Fills them into a world that weget thrown right back out into.
That doesn't love us, thatcould care less if we create, if
we stop, if we quit, if wenever opened our mouth again and
(27:19):
advocacy for ourselves.
This gets to be a space wherethat is encouraged and fostered,
and so I just wanted to growand I want more people to
experience it.
Aliya Cheyanne (27:29):
Yeah.
Talib Jasir (27:30):
That's Afro's Audio Podcast Festival For the
industry itself.
One of the main missions isthat we increase our voices in
the space.
There are a lot of podcasts outthere.
Some people might think it'ssaturated, but not with us.
We're still a very less thantwo-digit percentage of active
podcasts in the global market,and so there's so much room for
(27:52):
us to continue to share ourstories, our experiences and our
beliefs.
Perspective.
All of that is what I believepodcasting is.
People can look at it asdifferent things.
Obviously, there's a definitionof it for it, but I see it as
us, as a people laying down arecord of us existing and saying
(28:12):
this is who we are, this is whowe have been, this is who we
will be as we continue to shareour stories on the mic.
And it all matters to me.
It really does, and, if I canhave anything to do with us
staying in the space beingsustainable and that's why the
conference is for creatives andalso audio professionals this is
(28:34):
an ecosystem we have to knoweach other exists.
We have to know what each otherup to in order for us to be
collaborative and supportive toone another and provide the
resources that are out there.
So that's the goal is that weare here and we don't leave this
space because, again, thatwould not be a bad thing for
others, but it would definitelynot be good for us.
Aliya Cheyanne (28:55):
Yeah, yeah, wow.
You said so much in that.
I love you just reiterating andreaffirming the fact that
spaces where creatives canconnect is so important and you
doing that with the Afros andAudio Podcast Festival is so
important, but also just thepoints you bring up about the
industry as a whole and the factthat we are such a small
(29:15):
percentage of you know thenumber of active podcasts out
there and that's that's so true.
I saw something the other daythat was like there's literally
no industry you can think of,podcasting or other where it's
oversaturated with with us.
Well, maybe there are a coupleof exceptions, but for most
(29:36):
industries if you think aboutdoctors, lawyers podcasts like
it doesn't matter, like we're sounderrepresented and for folks
to feel deterred before theyeven start or feeling like their
voice doesn't matter.
It's so important to be presentand say that we existed and that
we were here.
And one of the ways I describethis show even is that it's, you
(29:58):
know, a digital archive.
Like it's showing that I washere, that my guests, their
voices, were here, like thesestories were here.
It's chronicling the times thatwe're existing in.
It's talking about creativityand all these things and I think
, the way that we accomplishthat with our various shows is
so important because we may notunderstand now the impact it
(30:18):
might have later, but at somepoint, like even if it's not in
this moment, it's going tomatter so much to each of us, to
our legacies, to the future ofhumanity, to Black voices that
come online someday.
So what you shared is soimpactful and so important.
So thank you for sharing that.
Talib Jasir (30:35):
Thank you Absolutely.
You know, if you think aboutthe opportunities that you have
to listen back to enslavedAfricans and from the
generations, from the first tothe ones that were emancipated,
and you get to hear thesestories, that is an audio, you
know, archive of that time.
(30:55):
You think about any other timein our lives or our experience
here in America?
And of course we're global andwe're starting to show up in
that space as well in the pastseveral years, which is very
exciting as well, because wedon't all talk about the same
things.
We don't all believe or thinkor experience the same things,
and so that's why it's soimportant to expand our
(31:17):
worldview, to see therepresentation of us and to know
that we are.
We're laying it right now, andthis is historical.
Every day that goes past whatwe said the day before becomes a
part of history, and every lifeand experience that exists gets
to be represented throughstorytelling, whatever that
(31:38):
looks like, from the ratchet tothe I'm not listening to that to
the ones that I'm drawn to.
Aliya Cheyanne (31:45):
Yes.
Talib Jasir (31:45):
It all matters, because someone exists in that
way.
Aliya Cheyanne (31:48):
Yes, yes.
What you're talking about anddescribing is reminding me of a
podcast that I just startedlistening to, recently.
Actually, it's called ourancestors were messy.
I don't know if you've everheard of it.
Yes, I did, but yeah like I lovethe storytelling, I love the
(32:09):
structure of the show, um, Ilove that the host like pulls
newspaper clippings from like1850 or like 1920 to tell the
stories of these people, who mayhave been lesser known to us
now, but they existed, they hadstories, they lived whole lives.
And podcast does a really goodjob of like painting a story of
(32:34):
that person's life and tellingit in a really engaging way,
like with beautiful sound,engineering and everything else,
and even in you talking aboutand referring to things that we
listen to now that our ancestorsmight have experienced, whether
it's the music, whether it'sold footage, whether it's
stories that have been passeddown verbally, like whatever it
is like this is another form ofthat for our generation and I
(32:57):
think that's what's so powerfulabout podcasting.
Like I feel sometimes I lovetalking to other podcasters
because I feel like when I'm notlike people don't get it or
they're not as enthusiasticabout it in the way that I am,
but it's we're literally doingthis for our generation now,
like someday our descendants aregoing to be looking back at
(33:17):
this like we were the ancestors,telling the stories of our time
and the way that we do, and Ithink it's so powerful and in
that way I feel so deeplyconnected to the past, present
and future.
That is Afrofuturism too, sothis is a part of it.
Talib Jasir (33:32):
Yes, yeah, for sure , yeah, you get it.
Aliya Cheyanne (33:51):
I could go on and on, but I won't.
Yeah, good stuff, you get itfor a long period of time.
For someone who may be juststarting out, who has an idea,
hasn't kicked it off the groundyet and is curious about what to
do next, where to go next, Ialways love to ask if there's a
piece of advice that you wishyou would have had when you
first started out on yourjourney or anything you'd like
(34:11):
to offer up now.
Is there anything you'd like toshare to that creative who's
just getting started?
Talib Jasir (34:17):
Yeah, yeah, there's a few things and it's all a
part of my philosophy and insome way or another it's in the
Say Less book because, they'reshort, and so one of those
things is that our greatnessisn't about us in any way, and
somewhere someone is waiting forus to get that, so that they
can come out of the shadows too,is waiting for us to get that,
(34:40):
so that they can come out of theshadows too, when we decide
that it's not about us.
It's for those that we willtouch and move, motivate,
inspire, share knowledge with.
Those are the people that it'sfor, and so, you know, give
thanks that we have it and canshare it.
So that part, I think that aswe manifest the vision that we
have for ourselves, thosevisions will manifest us, and we
(35:04):
talked about I talked about mystory, you talked about in yours
, even on this episode how,without the four-part limited
series rom-com that I did, afrosand Audio wouldn't even exist.
And so it's just an unfolding,a consistent unfolding.
I don't know who I'm going tomeet, I don't know the
opportunities are going to come,but they will come the moment I
(35:26):
get off the sidelines and Istep into the game and start
playing myself, and so and youmentioned us meeting at podcast
movement and then and then andthen you know.
So just allow space for that.
And the last thing I'll say isthat they say life is short, but
it is the longest thing thatyou or I are going to actually
ever experience, and so whatthat means is that we have to be
(35:49):
.
We get to be in pursuit of allof the things that we want to
experience in this particularlifetime that we're in.
The longer we stay outside ofthese opportunities that we have
for ourselves and the downloadsthat we receive to just do
those things and be in pursuitof our own happiness and liberty
and contentment satisfaction.
(36:10):
We're just letting time pass.
Be, in pursuit Be urgent becausewe don't know when this ends,
so we get to be in pursuit ofand actually have the experience
we want now.
Aliya Cheyanne (36:24):
Yes, yes, and I fully resonate with that.
So you're sharing it withothers, but I receive it too, so
thank you.
Talib Jasir (36:30):
Thank you Appreciate it.
Aliya Cheyanne (36:32):
Well, this has been really incredible.
I really enjoyed chatting withyou and learning more about your
work and your story, so thankyou so much for showing up today
and just sharing a bit of yourmagic with everyone.
Can you let folks know where tosupport your work, where to
find you, where to follow you?
All of the things?
Sure.
Talib Jasir (36:52):
Well, all of my books are on Amazon.
I don't know for how long, butthey're on Amazon, right now
They'll be there.
Yeah, yeah, I'm trying to makea mass exodus from all these
spaces that I don't want to be apart of anymore, but anyway
they're there right now.
They're also available on mysite, talibjasircom, where
you'll see some more of mywriting and just find out more
(37:15):
about me.
There's afrosinaudiocom tolearn more about the conference.
Vanguardpncom for VanguardPodcast Network.
That's where you'll find thestorytelling audio projects that
we've done, including thefussings.
It's there my 2017 audiofiction on social media, talib
Jassir and Afros in Audio.
Aliya Cheyanne (37:35):
Amazing.
Thank you so much and I'll besure to link all of that in the
show notes so it's easy forfolks to find your work and
support you and buy the booksand all of the things.
Thank you so much.
This was really great, thankyou.
What an incredible conversationwith Talib Talib.
Thank you so much for sharingyour story, for showing up so
(37:56):
vulnerably on the podcast, forsharing a little bit of your
light and your inspiration forall of the creatives out there.
If you enjoyed this episode,please be sure to leave a
five-star rating and positivewritten review for the podcast
and to share this episode with afriend.
I appreciate you for tuning inand for listening.
Thank you for lending me yourtime, your energy and your ears,
(38:19):
and I will catch you on thenext episode.
Bye.
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