My Foray into Podcast Listening So Far
This is just a breakdown of some of the Podcasts that I have listened to over the years. I mainstay these days is The Joe Budden Podcast and The Brilliant Idiots. This means I commit at least 5 hours a week to podcasts.
A great podcast consists of great hosts and engaging topics and questions. No one wants basic questions like what’s your favourite colour, Dafuq!! Having one host is just a no go area and I need podcasts that are at least an hour in length anything less than that leaves me feeling unsatisfied. Unfortunately I’m still on the hunt for good African podcasts to occupy the space. So without further ado here are some podcasts I have listened to and some I really fuck with. Plus some honorable mentions.
This is the podcast that started it all in 2011. Someone told me about the website and I loved their articles and quickly became a fan. The Arseblog is all Arsenal by a dedicated Arsenal fan and team. I saw that they had a blog and downloaded just to occupy the time. One listen and I was hooked. The podcast was funny, informative and really spoke from a fan’s perspective. What makes it even better is that its from fans in the UK, so the hate for other clubs is palpable and the love for Arsenal players is just as special. Some of the player nicknames that I heard will forever be etched in my mind forever. BFG (Big Fucking German) for Per Mertesacker and Handsome French Bloke for Giroud. All these names and the hate for Mourinho and Spuds really made this special as a fan. The podcast became so good, they started producing the podcast twice a week.
I started listening to this podcast since its inception and it has given many laughs and a multitude of gems. Charlamagne the God and Andrew Schulz make for a great team because they are idiots and can also be brilliant. They tackle news and issues in entertainment by giving their own comical takes. They invite some guests once in a while to bring some freshness to the show. This is a mainstay podcast for me and if an episode is below 2 hours I become disappointed because I know what they can do in 2 hours. When I listen to it in the gym, people think I am crazy because I be laughing by myself.
Over the years the quality of the podcast has gone down a bit simply because Charlamagne and Schulz have become busier and have more on their plate. They not as consistent as before but it’s still a great listen.
Joe Budden Podcast Featuring Rory and Mal
This podcast was first called “I’ll Name This Podcast Later” and I tuned in because I’m a big fan of Joe Buddens music. The podcast was fair but it greatly lacked structure and this made topics difficult to follow. The hosts would jump from topic to topic without any cohesion. This is frustrating for any listener and I spotted paying attention. After a two year sabbatical and a name change I decided to tune in again and WOW…the show now has cohesion and structure. The structure has allowed the show to flourish and the funny is able to come out. This podcast is just a couple of friends getting together to have conversations about music, movies, tv, sport, life and life in general. I cant go a week without it and Joe Buddens rants are legendary.
When you listen to this show you realise why Spotify cut a check and made this show exclusive to Spotify. It comes out twice a week and episodes can be 3 hours plus and 140mins is generally the minimum length. Parks really needs to say more for me but nonetheless this is a great podcast that will only grow.
Combat Jack Show
When I was looking for hip hop podcasts I bumped into this podcast. I had never heard of the famous hip hop lawyer Reggie Osse but I just gave it a listen. Combat would interview people from the hip hop community who were popular and relatively unknown people in the background that have compelling stories. Along with his co-host Premium Pete before they had a disagreement and left, this was the podcast about hip hop for a mature audience. Combat was in his 50s and therefore it was grown man talk. A great listen and Combat even did a show just after having surgery for cancer. RIP Combat
As I got deeper into the Podcast world I heard other pods talking about NORE and his podcast so I found time to listen. The podcast follows a simple format, get a guest, give them liquor and then let the interview flow. I hated all the clapping after saying something great. It really was underwhelming for me. After that I decided the show wasn’t for me and kept it moving.
Hosted by Adam 22 who is considered the Combat Jack for mumble rappers and the new wave of rappers. I first heard about Lil Pump on this podcast and I thought it was a joke. Adam has a very chilled style and depending on the guest on the episode you will either like it or not. His XXXtentacion interview is pretty bone chilling and it shows that his relaxed style allows guests to be very comfortable in his presence.
This is the granddaddy of podcasts. Joe Rogan is next level, not just because each episode is close to 3 hours but the content ranges from pop cultures all the way through to politics. He has guests from both sides of the political spectrum and this creates extremely well rounded conversations. I’m an MMA fan so sometimes he has fighters as guests and you go behind the person. His friends like Joey Diaz and Brendan Schaub add to the conversations occasionally. This podcast is such a behemoth and I just catch the clips on youtube because Joe produces an enormous amount of content. When he announced Kanye would be a guest on his podcast it almost broke the internet, unfortunately this interview has not happened yet. When it does it will be huge. Joe Rogan is such an organic interviewer and everything is so natural that the guest feels like they are with their good friend. If you want to start listening to Podcasts this is one of the best places to start.
This podcast is for the sexually liberated woman and man. The hosts Mandy and Weezy talk everything that has to do with sex. Nothing is off limits. They have actors as guests and pornstars as well. If you want to know what happens in Dubai then this your podcast. Definitely not for the faint hearted.
Revisionist History by Malcolm Gladwell
I was excited to find this podcast even though I have never read any of his books. Gladwell uses history to tell stories and whilst the story was interesting the episode was relatively short at 30 mins and it mainly comprised of one voice. Without a co-host it can become pretty mundane to listen to. One listen and I moved on. Gladwell has a rich depth of information so it would be good easy listen.
Marc Maron is notable comedian so I gave this a listen just based on that. His style of comedy is not for me and after one episode and
Another Loud Speakers Network podcast, I pressed play, listened and nothing resonated with me. Didn’t find it funny or insightful, it was a bit bland so I kept it moving. Not my cup of tea.
I heard about this podcast making moves from other podcasts that I listen to and I decided to give it a chance…WoW…Desus and Mero’s introduction of themselves literally takes 10mins as they rattle through all their aliases. It sounds funny first time but after a few listens, it would probably be nauseating. After getting past that I tried listening to the content and they weren’t funny to me at all. These are two New York dudes talking about their city and their country. If you don’t know what a Bodega is, you may not get the gist of it.
They have gone on to have a show on Vice and now Showtime and this shows that the Brand is Indeed Strong.
The name drew me to this one more than anything else. I listened to the 2 ladies and while it was cool this podcast didn’t excite me too much. It clearly has an audience because it has transitioned to a show on HBO and that’s big time. The two ladies are funny and the podcast is a good listen for anyone.
Tax Season
This podcast was interesting and it made Taxstone a big name in the media. His brash style of questioning and how he got along with his guests made this something to pay attention to. He called everyone Beloved and given more time online, he may have blown up even more. Unfortunately hes now awaiting trial for murder.
I love the 30 for 30 ESPN documentary series and this was an easy transition. If you love sports stories then this is for you. There are so many wide ranging sports stories on offer that you are spoilt for choice, but most of the content is geared towards American sports so it could be off putting for some. Where the films succeed is that you may not be a fan of the sport but the visuals will draw you in and the podcast can’t do that.
Other Notable Podcasts that I Gave A Listen
My Dad Wrote a Porno
Guys we F****d
Ear Worm
The Tim Ferris Show
Jordan Harbinger Podcast
Premium Pete Show
