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    Comedy

    Conversation For Adults

    Culture-critic Jimi Izrael rediscovers America by talking to people you may or may not know, about everything. What comes up, comes out. Lots of fun. No filter.

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    Latest Episodes:
    113. Tommy Chong: On The Way Life Is Feb 09, 2022

    Tommy Chong (@heytommychong), comedian, actor, and pot smoker, is a national treasure and speaks with the kind of thoughtful introspection you’d expect from a life-long marijuana enthusiast. In this episode, he educates me on the purpose of life, the role of good and evil, and what I’m missing out on by choosing pussy over weed.

    Resources:

    • Instagram:@heytommychong + @tommychongcannabis


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    112. Jasmyne Cannick: My Queer Work-Wife Jan 31, 2022

    Jasmyne Cannick is a queer community activist, politician, journalist, commentator, my first internet work-wife and – not for nothing – my #1 lesbian crush. We get fired up on cancel culture, activism, body positivity, and intersectionality in the queer world. She made 2021 the year of the bikini. Will 2022 be the year she dabbles with the D? Bruh – it’s #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Website: iamjasmyne.com
    • Instagram: @hellojasmyne

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    111. Christa Freehands: Chaos Before Creation Jan 24, 2022

    Artist Christa Freehands and I connect on how emotions flow through art and discover the roots of her artistic process through the use of symbolism in her work.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @Christafreehands

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    110. Aja Grant: CommUNITY Reverence Dec 13, 2021

    I had the pleasure of speaking to Aja Grant, a Cleveland-based photographer who challenges White supremacy in the art world by exclusively shooting Black subjects. She shares her creative process behind the lens and why it’s so important to put Black people – as examples of power and influence – in front of the camera.

    Resources:

    • Website: ajajoiphoto.com
    • Instagram: @joi_shoots

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    109. Phillip Morris: A Plain Dealer Dec 06, 2021

    For 30 years, Phillip Morris wrote as columnist and editorial board member of Cleveland’s daily newspaper, The Plain Dealer. After Dick Feagler, maybe the best production writer Cleveland has ever produced. Today, we talk about his journey, writing about race, life since getting fired by The Plain Dealer, his note to his daughter and how the onus to recover and repair the relationship with my daughter is on me, which -- of course -- it isn’t.

    Resources:

    • Twitter:@phillipfmorris
    • FB: Phillip Morris


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    108. Butters: Losing Your Religion Nov 15, 2021

    In 2013, Charles Ramsey helped rescue three young women from a neighbor’s house and in a split second, he went from outsider to American Hero. Chris Gresham, aka Butters -- a hapless co-worker-- went along for the ride and got Chuck as a roommate on the other side -- Oy vey.

    Butters, joins me to talk about what happened after the day a pretty white girl ran into a black man’s arms, Convincing Chuck NOT to get his tooth/teeth fixed (#branding), what he discovered about America and himself, also what he’s learned about life since then. You can always count on a coworker to pull you into a world of shit. And if Anderson Cooper, Snoop Dogg, BMWs and liquor are involved, that’s a #deadgiveaway -- you KNOW it’s #conversationforadults.

    BUTTER’S IMDB

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    107. Eric Brewer: on Trump, Russia and Negroes Nov 01, 2021

    Eric Brewer, returns to Conversation For Adults. This time around, we’re taking a forensic look at the city of Cleveland, the political dynamics of what it means to be free and rooted in American values, and the concept of The Negro Consciousness.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    106. Rhonda Crowder: The Ex-Files Oct 25, 2021

    Rhonda Crowder’s back and we dig into politics, her ex-files, explore what went wrong with the frogs of her past, and go on a tangent about why big girls are winning the game right now. It’s #conversationforadults

    Resources:

    • Rhonda Crowder LLC: https://www.rhondacrowderllc.com/
    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rhonda_Crowder
    • IG: https://twitter.com/Rhonda_Crowder


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    105. Cobbski: Black Conservatism Oct 18, 2021

    Michael David Cobb Bowen (Cobbski to me) and I go back to when the Internets was young. We talk art, reflect on his father and life living in the legacy of the Forrest Gumps of Black respectability, unleash his conservative-ish voice online, and follow the crumbs that took him from Black nationalism to conservatism. It’s #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Mdcbowen.substack.com
    • freeblackthought.com
    • mdcbowen.info

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    104. Shalira Taylor: Republican. That Chick Oct 11, 2021

    Shalira Taylor’s back, and we’re lucky to have her -- she runs her business, runs for office, and she’s running a relationship she can’t talk about (much). She SAYS she didn’t run into The Capitol on January 6th to support her dear President Donald J. Trump. I’m not so sure -- you be the judge.

    We talk politics, Black banking and bullets. Shalira Taylor returns to #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Website: st4oh.info
    • Instagram: @st4oh
    • Twitter: @shalirataylor

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    103. Champagne Smith: Life, Love + Lyrics Oct 04, 2021

    Madd glamorous poet, Champagne Smith, connects with me for a no-holds-barred conversation about family struggles, literary triumphs, and the artistic credibility of Lizzo.

    We talk family drama and the cycle of bad parenting, helping a partner through trauma and debate if there is any truth in treating a black woman too well (hey, don’t shoot the messenger).

    Resources:

    • Website: champagnesmith.com
    • Instagram: @champagne_poetry

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    102. Genna + Dave: Cuter Than You Deserve Sep 20, 2021

    Genna P is a gift that keeps on giving. This episode marks the third time she’s been back on the show – and we still have shit to talk about! Mark my words; this is about as cozy as it gets here on Conversations for Adults.

    A lot has changed since our last rendezvous. Join us as we catch up on the usual stuff. You know -- slave ownership, COVID, shacking up, sex education, death, divorce, and the beauty of the modern family.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    101. Nina Foxx Writes And Damn near Everything Else Sep 13, 2021

    Nina Foxx, author, podcaster, mother, and thirst-trap Instagrammer, chats about creating quality, publishing, and what goes on behind the scenes at Jack and Jill of America, Inc.

    A tech entrepreneur, cancer survivor, and blended family parent, this woman inspires everyone to become a multi-disciplinary master of some kind. Also, owns a parrot, which -- I dunno. I can’t call that one.

    Resources:

    • Website: ninafoxx.com/web/ + writingsisterssummit.com
    • Facebook: facebook.com/nina.foxx
    • Instagram: @writerninafoxx

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    100. Carmen Lane: Makes It Plain. Aug 31, 2021

    Open, raw dialogue that pushes our comfortable edges is everything Conversation for Adults is about. I’m grateful to artist, writer, and doula Carmen Lane for going all the way with me on some tough topics. Join us as we chat – and clash – over sexuality, queer identity, the difference between harassment, and hollering before coming together to talk about origin stories, the miracle of life and death, and why we all need to wash our mouths out with soap when we utter the word, b***h.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: mcarmenlane.com/prjcts
    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    99. Veronica Thornton: Everything Beyond the Surface Aug 23, 2021

    Life for Veronica Thornton is pretty hectic. She has her fingers in lots of pies – from economics and black empowerment to writing. She’s on her second book right now and thinks The Age of Aquarius brought us together. I beg to differ.

    Join me as I catch up with a perfect stranger to talk about everything from poetry to parenthood – and Huggy Bear from Starsky and Hutch.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    98. Timothy Roberts: From Law Enforcement to Education Aug 16, 2021

    Timothy Roberts’ father was shot dead outside a bar when he was 19. With the weight of his family heavy on his shoulders, he was inspired to become a police officer before turning his attention to education.

    We hone in on the act of pulling out a gun – with or without the badge – and explore the cases of Tamir Rice and Ma'Khia Bryant from the perspective of a Black cop. Plus, why education is the real driving force for evolution and why his school has "colored only" signs on their bathrooms.

    Resources:

    • Website: wingsacademies.org

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    97. Jason B. Allen: On Critical Race Theory in the Classroom Aug 09, 2021

    For advocate, education leader, and teacher, Jason B Allen, Atlanta is home, and the classroom is a space to mentor the next generation of humanity. Sit with us as we attempt to understand how whiteness is expressed in the education system, and the potential for Critical Race Theory being included in the curriculum. If you don't think this guy deserves to run his own charter school after this episode, you most definitely need to go back to school. #conversationforadults

    Resources:

    • Twitter: @jballen5

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    96. Byron Crawford. Author, Blogger, Provocateur. Aug 02, 2021

    Meet Byron Crawford. Since 2001, he’s been the best writer on the internets, pound for pound. No pleasantries required with this dude; we dive straight into the good shit about what makes good internet commentary, censorship, self-publishing (he’s written an assload of books), and why the girls go crazy for his glasses.

    Resources:

    • Website: byroncrawford.com
    • Sign up for Bryon’s newsletter: newsletter.byroncrawford.com
    • Twitter: @byroncrawford


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    95. Dave Ramsey: Do the Art Thing! Creating a Black Art Economy Jul 26, 2021

    Dave Ramsey creates space for Black and brown artists to showcase their art free from whitewashing. Located in Fairfax, the Cleveland ‘hood, The Deep Roots Experience gallery is for and literally rooted in the Black community. We talk about how the world of art in Cleveland is a racially divided one, the artists changing the cultural landscape of the city, and his current mission to recycle the Black dollar in every aspect of his business.

    Resources:

    • Website: deeprootsexperience.com + higherartlife.org
    • Instagram: @higherartlife + @deeprootsexperience

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    94. Rosebudd: It’s a Hard Pimp’s Life Jul 19, 2021

    Rosebudd is one of America’s most famous pimps – a term he does not take lightly. He got to the top of his game with a targeted skill set and a sharp-as-nails, entrepreneurial attitude reserved for his coterie of hoes.

    Now he’s passing on the baton as the dean and professor of SideWalk University, where he has created a male-centric curriculum that teaches the art of confidence from a pimp’s perspective.

    We butt heads over his career trajectory from pimp to professor, and he helps me answer the age-old question: can a hoe ever become a housewife?

    Resources:

    • Website: askrosebudd.com/sidewalkuniversity

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    93. Rev. Ron Buford: Racists Anonymous Jul 12, 2021

    Rev. Ron beams a light and love that sees the good in everybody – even racists. His 12-step program, Racist Anonymous (yes, you read that correctly), helps people exorcise the prejudice that (apparently) is inside us all. Racist Anonymous is helping people around the US (and beyond). Rev. Ron Buford and I actually go back -- we connect to discuss sex, community, coming out, my time with the United Church of Christ, blended families to interracial barbershops and LGBTQ.

    Hallelujah! -- it’s #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Racist Anonymous Website: rainternational.org

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    92. Latoya Davis: A Study in Evolution Jul 05, 2021

    By the time you finish this episode, it's highly likely that Latoya Davis has already evolved into something else. Here is a woman who lives life on her watch (which, FYI, needs an upgrade). She likes to keep things moving – and if you're not here for her growth, well... then she's not here for you. Period.

    Latoya kindly tolerated me in her crystal-adorned home as we explored the circadian rhythms of life and what it means to outstay your welcome in relationships – and get-the-fuck-out-season needs to become a thing. It’s #conversationforadults

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    91. Antwoine Washington: Art Strokes for Black Folks Jun 28, 2021

    Antwoine Washington is a Michigan-born artist with a mission to create a collaborative platform for black voices. The Museum of Creative Human Art is a safe space for local artists to empower themselves and find solutions to the entrenched problems plaguing the community.

    For a long time he silenced himself, spending years slogging away at a post office like a black Buckowski, before stepping into the role as a full-time artist. We talk about his creative drive, why he can’t find funding within the black community, and his plans to independently scale his project to get more kids off the street and onto canvas.

    Resources:

    • Website. Antwoinewashington.com + creativehumanart.com
    • Instagram: @antwoinewashington


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    90. Andy Kindler: Actually, Everybody Loves Andy, Amirite? Jun 21, 2021

    I discovered Andy Kindler as the other funny guy on “Everybody Loves Raymond.” Currently, he voices Mort the mortician on “Bob’s Burgers,” which I don’t fuck with, but I may now on principle. In this episode, we dig deep: why he's been in bed with me a lot lately, his OCD, his writing, traditional Jewish humor, my crush on Kristen Schaal, the omnipresent H. Jon Benjamin (who I’ve loved since “Dr. Katz” and “Hey Monie!”, but enough already, with the this, the THAT, the ARBY’S and the jock-itch cream-- yeesh) and his fond memories of summer camps (mine, notsomuch). But he takes me on his journey, and we talk comedy, my adopted Jewish grandfather, writer Harvey Pekar, and the artistic merit behind everyone’s favorite sitcoms and films. What -- I should say more? It’s #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Twitter: @AndyKindler
    • Instagram: @andykindlersuperstar
    • Album: “Hence the Humor”
    • Website: Andy Kindler.com

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    89. Mark E. Howard Paints Religiously Jun 14, 2021

    Mark E. Howard’s work is everywhere, particularly in Cleveland. He’s done murals, garbage cans and other public art that is all over the city, from Hopkins Airport to the Federal Building to 55th and Euclid and beyond -- but finding him? That’s another matter. Somehow, I do and we explore his creative projects – past and present – and discuss how religious themes express themselves in his work. Plus: why he has taken an intentional hiatus, away from the art scene. Also, and exclusive on his foot -- doesn’t get any deeper than this. #conversationforadults

    Resources:

    • Instagram:
    • Facebook:
    • CAN Journal: Mark E. Howard Paints Religiously
    • Artist Mark Howard's public art projects shine across Cleveland, elsewhere

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    88. Effie Brown: Breakthroughs, Breakdowns and Black Hollywood Jun 07, 2021

    Film producer, Effie Brown, lifts the lid on Black Hollywood, recalling her experience navigating LA-LA land as a strong, black female who isn’t here to sell cookie cutter, white savior, black poverty porn narratives.

    We pitch and fantasize about Black people getting funky on-screen, educating, entertaining by elevating marginalized groups – on and off-screen, the time and place to pitch to producers, and the crucial difference between fuckable dudes and marriageable guys.

    Resources:

    • Website: gamechanger-films.com
    • Instagram: @gamechangerfilms

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    87. Cindy Likes to Be Spanked . . . and Shared. May 31, 2021

    Cindy likes to swing -- she’s in The Lifestyle. She’s a swinger: polyamorous and all that. For CFA, we disguise her voice because, hello? (and MY voice sometimes gets caught in the wash) as she speaks up for the thriving, pulsating Black kink community. Cindy talks about married life, her Five Guys (not the burger place), her favorite gangbang, bondage and Shabari ropes, double penetration and spanking. Yup. She recounts the highlights from her archives and reveals her biggest taboo: intimacy.

    This is #conversationforadults.

    Let’s Talk:


    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    86. Patrice Hampton: Cigars, Dates & Applebee’s May 24, 2021

    For Patrice Hampton, 2020 was a sticky stew of endings and beginnings.

    We discuss death from a position of equal and profound loss and we delve into widowhood and life after death for the living. The Patrice of today is a woman who knows who she is, what she’s looking for in a partnership, and where she’s going – and it sure as hell ain't an Applebees. We talk about being too picky and her life in cigars, and why women smoke them in the first place.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @aladyandhercigar

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    85. Liz Burr: Family, Feminism & Finding Your Fire May 17, 2021

    Liz Burr and I go back -- we met online when the Internet was young.

    Today, we talk offline. From blended families and absent fathers to (toxic) male/female characteristics and our collective connection to tech, be it swiping dating apps, calling someone out online, or understanding the interpersonal dynamics of POC-founded start-ups. Also, Very Smart Brothers and Bossip.

    Resources:

    • Website: lizburr.com
    • Instagram: @calinative
    • Twitter: @lizburr


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    84. Craig Serluco: The Italian son I never had -- from Russia with Love May 10, 2021

    Craig Serluco is a gamer and story wizard who ran to Russia in pursuit of employment and ultimately, love.

    In this episode, he shares his tale as an American in the land of Putin and perogis and gives his insights into the cultural fabric of a country most of us only see through our TV screens. We talk Trump, weed, whiskey, #popcorn and Black Russians.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @heyheycraig
    • Twitch: @heyheycraig
    • Facebook: @heyheycraig


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    83. Sheila Bee: In the Smoking Room with a Pretty Ash Lady May 03, 2021

    Sheila Bee, a confessed “alpha female,” has a foxy mouth and a penchant for cigars. She works hard, plays harder, but has struggled to receive the same from men. Fortunately, she’s found her female tribe with her smoking buddies at Pretty Ash Ladies Club in Cleveland, Ohio.

    We talk about wigs, work, motherhood and what makes a good cigar.

    Resources:

    • Instagram:@prettyash2018
    • Facebook: Pretty Ash Lady Cigar Club
    • Sheila’s Hat Shop: Queen of Topz


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    82. Bahjah Eckstein & Co: Republicanism, Relationships and Real Life Apr 26, 2021

    I’m getting real on republicanism and relationship politics with the ladies of this roundtable debate, delving into the complex umbrella of right-wing politics and finding Mr. Right as a single, black, educated woman in America.

    Lady Bahjah and her +1 give me the scoop on their recent experiences in Cleveland, confronting the Karens of the Trump era, and how they’re carving out space to show up authentically as confident WOC in a diverse dating scene.

    Resources

    Facebook: lady.bahjah

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    81. Marcus Alan Ward: The Mind as a Creative Universe Apr 19, 2021

    Self-taught musician Marcus Alan Ward and I butt heads on the credentials of mainstream hip-hop culture and what it means to be a creative in the Midwest.

    We map out his journey, learning instruments as a young outsider in Bedford, Ohio, and hustling as a touring musician before making money moves as a filmmaker. As he settles comfortably into the swing of his 30’s, he shares how he’s made his way back to music with God by his side and an evolved mindset as his guide.

    Resources:

    • Website: longdivisioncreative.com
    • Website: marcusalanward.com
    • Instagram:@marcusalanward

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    80. Tonia Primm: Sewing Your Life Back Together Again Apr 12, 2021

    Making a family work isn’t easy. There’s no solution or approach that’s one-size-fits-all. Pregnancies can end in abortions; marriages curdle into divorce – modern family dynamics are straight-up fucked up. Broken homes, traumatized kids, child-support manhunts – the list goes on.

    I talk to Tonia Primm, a (single) mother of three, fashion designer, and CEO of Sew Diva about what it means to bring up the next generation of girls and boys without forcing them to live out your dreams or repeat your mistakes.

    Resources:

    • Facebook: The Sew Diva
    • Instagram: @thesewdiva
    • Blog: thesewdiva.com


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    79. Eric Freeman: Satan Saves the Streets of Cleveland with House of Wills Mar 29, 2021

    Eric Freeman is not a spawn of Satan, exactly.

    Instead, he’s bringing that big devil energy to talk about House of Wills: an Addams-Family-style-house built in the 1900s. Rest assured, this is not some sick-ass Satan school (although plenty of people have questioned his motives). Once you get over the fact that he’s a Satanist, you can get on board with good intentions.

    He reveals why he spent $20,000 on a pile of historical rubble, and the philanthropic goals he has for the community. This guy is genuinely here to serve the city's people and pump pride into a disenfranchised neighborhood. Who knew it would take a devil to help bring the people of Cleveland together again?

    Resources:

    • Visit the house: https://www.keepclevelandcreepy.com
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheHouseOfWills666
    • Instagram: @house_of_wills_cle
    • Twitter: @darklord1000000


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    78. DJ Freekie London: Behind the Scenes of the Viral "New York Thug vs. Arizona Trucker" Video, Mar 22, 2021

    DJ Freekie London Johnson’s worst day has been seen by millions and millions of people world-wide on World Star Hip-Hop, but there is so much more to him than that. London comes on CFA to talk about his life, fatherhood, his passion for cooking, his porno, and why he turned down a rematch and coaching from the Gracies — the first family of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Also, in this CFA exclusive, he gives a blow by blow breakdown of the infamous “New York thug vs Arizona trucker” clip. Despite it all, DJ Freekie London stands tall and undefeated … on #conversationforadults.

    77. Lester Jay: One of the Hardest Relationship Conversations You’ll Ever Have, Educating Yourself When a Loved One is Transitioning, and Black Masculinity on Trial Mar 15, 2021

    Last month, Lester Jay came through to talk about spirituality, sexuality, faith, family, and House music. Today, he returns to talk about having one of the biggest conversations you can have with a significant other: The Transition Talk. Lester gets into what the experience has been like from his side of the relationship, what surprised him most, and what you can do to support a loved one who is transitioning. We’re also dropping our first musical collab — a house’d version of “Anyone (who had a heart)” by Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach — on Friday (3.19).

    Resources:

    • My new label: forsheema
    • Lester’s music: SoundCloud | Spotify | Apple Music
    • Instagram: @lesterjayofficial
    • Facebook: facebook.com/Lesterjaymusic


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    76. Garrett McQueen: On Decolonizing Classical Music, Creating a Black Public Radio Aesthetic, TRILLOQUY, and Should We Cancel Seduction? Mar 08, 2021

    Garrett McQueen is a classically-trained Bassoonist who performs everywhere, giving voice and offering space to music by Black and contemporary composers. We talk about how isolating it can be to be a professional Black performer in classical music, and how he’s decolonizing the phrase “classical music” with TRILLOQUY. We also get into the controversy following his firing from Minnesota Public Radio, the DJ who was fired for sexual assault allegations afterward, and I ask the young head to school me on the difference between sexual harassment, abuse, and manipulation. It’s an intriguing talk on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • www.garrettmcqueen.com
    • TRILLOQUY
    • Instagram: @garrettmcqueen
    • Facebook: facebook.com/garrettmcqueen
    • Twitter: @garrettmcqueen


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    75. What’s the Difference Between Dicks and Assholes? Mar 01, 2021

    Let’s be real: everybody’s got a COVID boo. But your boo may have a boo, too… and while everyone’s worried about ‘The Virus,’ you can’t forget about the bacteria. So today, B. Cleveland is going to share the cautionary tale of what it’s like to get the clap while you're just trying to stay sane during COVID. You can take some medicine to clear up the drip in a few days, but that drama sticks around for a minute.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: instagram.com/brittany_cleve
    • The Broke Fame Life
    • Broke Fame on YouTube


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    74. Derek Hess: Growing Up an Atomic Punk, Creating Art That Outlives You, Reckoning with Alcoholism, The Best Drugs, and a Captain America Art Heist Feb 22, 2021

    Derek Hess is a self-described “superhero and overrated artist” and a mental health advocate. His work has been featured on album covers, installations in the Louvre, human skin, comic books, and the walls of Jimi Izrael’s home. I kick things off with an apology, then we get into his Atomic Punk days: dysfunctional underage drinking communities, the best drugs for a 10-year bender, why his first time dropping acid was the best day of high school he ever had, and sharing his struggles with alcoholism and bipolar disorder in a documentary. Then we shift to his lifelong history as an artist, how relationships factor into the art equation, creating shit that will outlive you, and the never-solved heist of his Captain America comic covers.

    Resources:

    • derekhess.com
    • Instagram: @derekhess
    • Facebook: facebook.com/derekhessart
    • Twitter: @derekhessart
    • Watch “Forced Perspective” on Amazon
    • Hear Derek’s radio show at wcsb.org


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    73. Lester Jay: Spirituality and Sexuality, Faith and Family, House and Hip-Hop Feb 15, 2021

    Lester Jay is a vocalist who blends old-school church vocals, hip-hop hooks, and pop production to create his upbeat brand of House music. But before we get into music, we have to talk family and faith: the family that ain’t kin and the kin that ain’t family, navigating spirituality outside the heterornormative bubble, and coming out to your people. Then we explore the how Lester discovered he was a vocalist and performer in church, why he fell for House music, why I stopped DJ, and why I’m anticipating our forthcoming collab. If I ever bummed you out with one of my late DJ sets, that’s my bad.

    Resources:

    • Lester’s music: SoundCloud | Spotify | Apple Music
    • Instagram: @lesterjayofficial
    • Facebook: facebook.com/Lesterjaymusic


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    72. Dan Curtin, DJ: Influencing Modern Techno, The Evolution of House, and Why There’s No Cleveland Sound Feb 08, 2021

    Dan Curtin, DJ and creator of Metamorphic Recordings, is one of the key players in creating the sound of modern techno over the last three decades. Dan shares stories from Cleveland to Berlin, from breakdancing in his parents’ basement to spinning in European nightclubs, from choosing between buying cat food or human food to starting his own label. Curtin also gives us a rundown of what it takes to get started in the scene today: starting a label, blowing up your tracks, and making house and techno music that does’t suck.

    Resources:

    • dancurtin.com
    • SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/dan-curtin
    • Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/3346lOPGfAtx8KV1bEJhFD
    • Instagram: @dancurtinx
    • Facebook: facebook.com/dancurtinmusic
    • Twitter: @DanCurtinMusic
    • Metamorphic Recordings
    • FAT OF EXCELLENCE Production Services
    • Hardgroove Mastering

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    71. Christine Jones Woods: A Jersey Diva in Rome Jan 25, 2021

    Christine Jones Woods is a professional opera and jazz vocalist who has performed on stages across the U.S. and Europe. We talk about the first time she opened her mouth to sing, and trace her career from New Jersey to Rome and back. Then, we talk about the romantic night she met her husband, the brothers dissing big girls, and her unlikely ranking of our bedroom shenanigans. Her date with Mike Tyson and onscreen, with Adam Driver. All love, all the time, from our girl in Rome, and all that jazz … on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Hear Christine sing on YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCAr5_EbHhF3lIr5UuOlyw3A
    • Instagram: @christinewoods3140
    • Facebook: facebook.com/christine.j.woods.1
    • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/christine-jones-woods-56047480


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    70. Michael Gill: on CAN Journal, elder care and White People Jan 18, 2021

    Michael Gill MFA is the Editor and Publisher of CAN Journal, the collaborative arts magazine of the Collective Arts Network and, a few days after Christine Priola, Susan Allan Brock and other Donald Trump supporters try to take the U.S. Capitol hostage, answers the musical question “what the hell is going on with white people?” We talk about why liberals love James Baldwin and Ta-nehisi Coates, how white women try to restrain black opportunity (#Karen) and the two types of whiteness. Also, taking care of the edlerly and the rules to handling a Black Man’s Money. It’s cocksuckery, printmaking and white accountability -- at last-- on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Canjournal.org
    • Michael on FB: facebook.com/michael.gill.7547
    • Read my articles in CAN Journal


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    69. Angelique Kingsbury, The Saucy Dame: A Minneapolitan Report on George Floyd Protests, #BLM, “Purple Rain,” and Why Blogs Are Dead Jan 11, 2021

    Angelique Kingsbury is a former blogger and e-acquaintance I haven't talked to in about a decade. We talk about not letting anyone sew a scarlet letter on her breast, the difference between North and South Minneapolis, dealing with colorism, and advice for maintaining relationships with adult children. Angelique also shares her on-the-ground report of the George Floyd’s protests: his GFs, the pattern of police violence beforehand, the Purge-like scene at the 3rd Police Precinct, and the conflict over defunding the police. It’s line-dancing teeth, Prince and too many blogs … on #conversationforadults

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @quintessential_minneapolitan


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    68. Michelangelo Lovelace: Outsider Artist, Hustlin’ Since Birth, Paints Life As he Knows It Jan 04, 2021

    Artist Michelangelo Lovelace’s paintings depict the soul of the streets: real life in America. We talk about being raised to hustle, belt vs. extension cord whoopings, meeting his first wife (who is also his fourth wife), how many jobs a man really needs, and why it’s never Momma’s fault. What artist and mentor Reverend Albert Wagner taught him about life, paint, and sex. Then, we explore the life of an outsider artist, from selling his work in the streets to selling at Tina Knowles’s benefit and collectors abroad, and all of the rejections and hustles in between. It’s vodka love, Superman, and Black Kryptonite ... on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • www.lovelaceart.com
    • Michelangelo’s recent online gallery: “Nightshift” at Fort Gansevoort
    • Write-up in the New Yorker
    • Explore more of his pieces on IG: #michelangelolovelace
    • Rev. Albert Wagner

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    67. Aunt Maisy: Unboxing Decades of Family Beef, Spanking White Kids for $5, Octogenarian Life, and a 90-Year-Old’s Thoughts on COVID Dec 21, 2020

    I never knew much about my Great Aunt Maisy. My grandmother’s oldest sister, they had been fighting since the 40s. So I went down to the house she’s lived in for 57 years to get her side of the story and chat about what she’s seen over the last 90 years. We share stories about taking care of your siblings, white people not raising their own children, why the coronavirus is the new flood, the only four things Aunt Maisy needs in life, family that only has a problem until they need some cash, and two big things we have in common: stepping up to fill a parental role real young and losing your spouse. And we really get into the beef; Aunt Maisy always tells it like it is, but her daughter Cassandra comes in with the assist to spill all the tea.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    66. Anastasia Pantsios: Photographing 50 Years of Rock, Race Politics, Getting Radiaclized, Underground Abortions, and Jimi’s Almost-Groupie Moment Dec 14, 2020

    Freddie Mercury, Waylon Jennings, Gene Simmons, Joan Jett, Dolly Parton, Todd Rundgren, Alice Cooper, Rod Stewart, Meatloaf: that’s just an abbreviated list of the music legends that Anastasia Pantsios has photographed over the last 50 years. We talk about growing up in the middle of Chicago’s redlining (five blocks from Michelle Obama), witnessing segregation in action, Cleveland’s porn days, a white woman’s take on Blaxploitation, and growing up when women were given three choices out of college: marry, teach, or grad school. Then we share stories about how Anastasia became a rock photographer, the most scandalous situations she witnessed, why she was always the consummate professional, how Linda McCartney gave female photographers a bad rap, and my almost-groupie moment with Samantha Fox.

    Resources:

    • Check out Anastasia’s photos: soniciconic.shootproof.com
    • Instagram: @ajpanastasia
    • Facebook: facebook.com/anastasia.pantsios
    • LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anastasia-pantsios-b2739b12
    • anastasiapantsios.com (under construction at the time of publication)
    • Read Anastasia’s articles on EcoWatch.com
    • Read Anastasia’s articles on CoolCleveland.com


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    65. Denise Oliver: Authenticity, Modern-Day Colonialism, Communism, Feminism, #MeToo, Misogyny, BDSM, Swirling and What It’s Like to Date Jimi Izrael? Dec 07, 2020

    I first met Denise Oliver when I was a solid B+ student in her English 099 class, but we went on to become peers, engage in a brief romantic interlude, and, years later, sit down in my home for a conversation — my first with an “ex” of any kind. We talk about writing, colonialism, why you can’t be an effective agent for change in the Black community with a white partner, and if that is fair or not. Then we get into relationships: her swirl year with a white boy, me getting caught up in some BDSM raceplay, how a Case history major grows up to date a truck driver, dating and mating within your caste and she rates our romantic sojourn, which makes me feel some type of way. It’s a walk down memory lane … on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • “The Denzel Principle” by Jimi Izrael


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    64. Kisha Foster: Making Love, Wu-Tang Tattoos, Groupie Vs. Fan, & the Cleveland Arts Prize for Emerging Artists Nov 30, 2020

    Kisha Foster returns, and a lot has changed since she last appeared: she had a daughter named Love, published "Poems 1999-2014," and won the Cleveland Arts Prize for Emerging Artist in Literature. We talk about co-parenting and why you can’t throw sex into the co-parenting mix, why she loves Ghostface Killer and why someone gets seven Wu-Tang tattoos. What makes a great poet? She tells us about what it took to win the Cleveland Arts Prize. The president is temporary but Wu-Tang is forever… this is #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Facebook: facebook.com/kisha.n.foster
    • Instagram: @iamkishanicolefoster/
    • "Poems 1999-2014" by Kisha Nicole Foster
    • Episode 9: “Kisha Foster Knows Lesbian Secrets”
    • Twelve Literary and Performing Arts Incubator
    • "Cleveland Arts Prize helps poet Kisha Nicole Foster ‘move one step up.’"


    Let’s Talk:


    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    63. Jalen Izrael: Our Father-Son Relationship, Advice for Stepparents, The Jimi Show, “Hamilton” is for White People, and Parents Don’t Get No Respect Nov 23, 2020

    Jalen Izrael took a break from 10-hour shifts in the Bezos mines for a conversation with his dad (and dinner). We talk about what he remembers from his childhood, the disillusionment that led to getting his GED and a job instead of finishing high school, the Arby’s-to-Coco-Bread Spectrum of female genitalia, and why “Hamilton” is for white people. Then we get into family: my role in his life, his siblings, his advice for stepparents, and the thankless job of parenting. I didn’t get rated a 10, but hey, I ranked infinitely better than “Hamilton.”

    Resources:

    • Jalen’s SoundCloud
    • Dummart
    • Hermit and the Recluse
    • “Some Rap Songs” by Earl Sweatshirt
    • “Fraudulent Activity” by TeejayX6
    • “Graduation” by Kanye West
    • “ZUU” by Denzel Curry
    • "Native Son" by Richard Wright

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    60. Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett: Anxiety Disorders, Carrying a Boujie Card, “Acting White,” & the Story of Karen Nov 16, 2020

    Dr. Angela Neal-Barnett is a professor in Kent State University’s Department of Psychology, where she is Director of the Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans (PRADAA), and the author of "Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman's Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear." We talk about growing up in a rural town where your family IS the Black community, being forced to reckon with your Blackness, and having to choose: get mad about institutional racism in psychology or do the research. Then we hash out how and why Dr. Angela thinks Black men give Black women the blues, my theory on why Black women can’t find good Black men, the myth of “acting white,” and the one indisputable fact about being Black in America. Also, my “Boujie Card” and why she would be reticent to fix me up with any of her friends, beyond the obvious. It’s #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Twitter: @dranjela
    • "Soothe Your Nerves: The Black Woman's Guide to Understanding and Overcoming Anxiety, Panic, and Fear" by Angela Neal-Barnett
    • “The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men” by jimi izrael
    • The PRADAA Lab (Program for Research on Anxiety Disorders among African Americans)


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    61. Damentia Wright: Flipping East Cleveland, The Secret of Co-Parenting, Free Sugar at the Children’s Salon, and Hood Stories From Behind Bars (feat. D. M. Gaines) Nov 09, 2020

    Damentia Wright is the (recently married) owner of Wright Cummings Property Management and an 18-year Army veteran. That’s D-A—mentia, not d-E—mentia; don’t get it twisted. We talk about working with international investors from everywhere but Mars, opening a children-only hair salon, the secret to co-parenting a 16-year-old valedictorian with two businesses, and messing around with folks who have master degrees and PhDs, not EBTs and STDs. Then we’re joined by a special guest, D. M. “Donny” Gaines, who tells us about the novels he wrote during an 18-year stint in prison and the woman who stole his publishing money. Then, Damentia flexes her parenting skills a bit more.

    Resources:

    • Wright Cummings Property Management
    • Rated G Styling Studio
    • D. M. Gaines’ books


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    60. John “Yungdresscode” Boles: Widowers, Crackers, and Communists… Oh My! Nov 02, 2020

    John Boles is, to dramatically oversimplify things, a communist: the red menace that American politicians have been using as a boogieman since the end of World War 2. But it doesn’t matter what label you use or identify with — Socialist, Leftist, Commie — it still scares the shit out of folks in this country. We go beyond the label to talk about what his political beliefs actually are, class issues, disentangling class and race, the problem with allyship, the big blob of bullshit that is the healthcare-industrial complex, political trauma, and the etymology of “cracker.” We also talk about another label that we both wear, widower, what his wife was like in high school, getting married at 19, supporting her through mental health crises, the bar she still haunts, and his advice for other men who have lost their wife.

    Resources:

    • Twitter: https://twitter.com/yungdresscode
    • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbLCyQcwO3DYUnLmd2YG5yQ

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    59. Shalira Taylor: Black Republican, remembering the Black Tail Magazine Talent Search, Archie Bunker Racism, Dog Whistles, & Trump’s unabiding love of Black People Oct 26, 2020

    Shalira Taylor is the owner of DMT Cleveland and a rising GOP politico — she ran three times for two Republican positions. We talk about how we met at a talent search for Black Tail Magazine, doing makeup for "The New Binky Show" and “#POPCORN (APOTHEOSIS),” and growing up as a popular unpopular kid. Then, unlike President Donald Trump, Shalira answers the hard questions: Did Trump grab her booty? Does Trump have any Black friends? Is he racist, and how do Black Republicans reconcile Trump’s attitude towards black people? Also, could Trump “get it?” She’s black, fine and #MAGA … on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @st4oh
    • Facebook: facebook.com/shalira.taylor
    • Twitter: @st4oh
    • DMT Cleveland
    • Watch: “The New Binky Show INTRO”
    • Watch: “#POPCORN (APOTHEOSIS)”
    • Read: “Booty Queens”

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    58. Erykah “E.T.” Townsend, Pop Artist: Dr. Seuss, Surrealism, The Art of Curly Fries, Misery Gospel, & Getting Karen’d Oct 19, 2020

    Erykah “E.T.” Townsend is a pop artist using pop-culture imagery to comment on consumerism, breaking down traditions, and life in general — her work picks up where Andres Serrano, Jean Michel Basquiat, and Andy Warhol left off. We talk about being Afropunk, Freak Stylee and exploring creative identity, and how to be “Boujie.” We explore the Dirty Bubble, the Plain White World, getting bullied (and revenge) at Arby’s, Mr. Rogers, the challenge of parenting a young creative Black child, the everyday knee on the neck, and when this dude tried to Karen me. It’s the cool life on #conversationforadults

    Resources:

    • E.T.’s art: milkcrate.studio
    • Instagram: @milk__crate
    • “38. Photographer Amber Ford: Ebony Eyes”


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    57. Toni Blackman: Finding Peace During a Pandemic, Making Amends With Your People, The Art of Simping, Toxic Relationships and Loyalty vs. Faithfulness Oct 12, 2020

    Toni Blackman is a poet, global music educator, and Hip-Hop Ambassador. We reminisce about when meeting and getting money when the Black Internets was young, how gentrification killed the gypsy cabs, and that time in Denver she curved me like Bubba Wallace #daytona500. We the man who seduced her with his cooking and other fly exes (except the one that gave her a wrinkle), the choices she makes in relationships, being single, finding peace with her Pops and whether any man, woman, or otherwise is really loyal. Black Women’s Inspirational Booties, what Toni is looking for in a man (asking for a friend) and convincing me I owe my ex an apology for that book … we go there on #conversationforadults #ImNotBeingSued for this.

    Resources:

    • toniblackmanpresents.com
    • Instagram: @toniblackman
    • Facebook: facebook.com/ToniBlackman4
    • Twitter: @ToniBlackman
    • YouTube: youtube.com/user/ToniB104/videos
    • Rhyme Like a Girl
    • #LyricalDebate
    • “The Denzel Principle: Why Black Women Can't Find Good Black Men” by Jimi Izrael

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults

    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    56. RA Washington: on Black Poetic Society, The Most Villainous Stepparent In Modern History, Mourning [A] BLKstar, Facebook Lynching and “He Said / She Said” Oct 05, 2020

    RA Washington was a child preacher at tent revivals all over the South who found a calling in music, poetry, and prose. We talk feminism, young black men suffering abuse at the hands of caregivers (and how being a rape victim affects manhood), the history of the Black Poetic Society, and that time I bought an 18-dollar “artisan chocolate” candy bar — WTF? Oh snap! — I know his sister?! Then we address the controversy and accusations that rocked the relationship with his band, Mourning [A] BLKstar, and table the “he said/she said/they said” beef between the two of us I had no idea existed. Jehovah’s Witnesses, college life and low-key shade … brothers gonna work it out … on #conversationforadults.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @clevelandtapes
    • Facebook: facebook.com/rafeeqwashington
    • Twitter: @clevelandtapes
    • Find R.A. Washington’s books
    • clevelandtapes.us
    • guidetokulchur.org
    • Listen to my eps with Mekkah: conversationforadults.com/episodes/26-27


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    55. Miss Wanda: On Love, Sex and How Life Is Sep 28, 2020

    Miss Wanda is an amazing woman with a bright smile and warm spirit. We talk about growing up in the projects, meeting her husband at a fruit stand and why her marriage ended. We talk about vaginismus, sexual trauma and having difficult conversations about intimacy in relationships. Then, she asks for advice on three situations: the widower on the love boat, the plumber who may want to lay some pipe, and Dude with an extra ticket to Jamaica. Signals get crossed, cues are misconstrued and ulterior motives are revealed, to Miss Wanda’s surprise. It’s like “Love and Hip-Hop” with none of either on a very special #conversationforadults.

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    54. Vonda Gardner: Clearing Up the Spirit Airlines Scissor Stabbing Incident, the Difference Between Black and White Households, Interracial Relationships, Co-Parenting, and Not Going to Jail Sep 21, 2020

    The first time I saw Vonda Gardner, she was a stranger on the street. The second time I saw Vonda, her mugshot was in the news. The third time I saw her, she was sitting behind a microphone in my apartment. We talk about the Spirit Airlines scissors incident, making your own fun and sandwiches as a poor kid, and all the folks she saw come through while living above Kermit “The Super Star Maker” Henderson’s record store: Will Smith, En Vogue, Too Short, Queen Latifah, The Fat Boys. Then we get into the conversations Black people won’t have around white people, co-parenting with multiple partners, and the video that vindicated Vonda.

    Resources:

    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vondagardnerwadley
    • “The Denzel Principle”

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    53. Jonathan Mannion: From Aaliyah to Jay-Z, the Anne Leibovitz of Hip-Hop, Lessons on How to Hustle, How to Be White Within The Culture and the 3 Secrets to Portraits Sep 14, 2020

    You probably have Jonathan Mannion’s work in your home. Jay-Z, Dr. Dre, Aaliyah, Outkast, Nas, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, MGK – D.J. Khaled? Yep. That’s his work on the CD cover — he’s the Annie Leibovitz of Hip-Hop. We chat about growing up the son of creatives, his first shot, being his authentic self, and studying with legendary photographer Richard Avedon. Then, we hit the highlights, including shooting the cover of “Reasonable Doubt” in Conan O'Brien’s (soon-to-be) crib and working on the Beats by Dre “Straight Outta _____” campaign.

    Resources:

    • jonathanmannion.com
    • Instagram: @jonathanmannion
    • Facebook: facebook.com/MANNIONphoto
    • Twitter: @JonathanMannion


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    52. Eugene S. Robinson: Lover, fighter, editor, hardcore writer, post-punk avant garde. Sep 08, 2020

    Eugene S. Robinson is a multihyphenate of the highest order — a singer-writer-artist-punk-ass-kicker-Editor-at-Large — and the first dude I’m going to call if I get into a fight. We talk about starting a hardcore band at 19, Black “authenticity,” life at Stanford University and getting invited to an orgy at 18-year-olds. We finally talk about the rise and fall of Code Magazine, and how Lenny Kravitz’ nipple may have short-circuited the greatest men’s magazine in history. I ask what Franz Fanon would think of an Oxbow show and Eugene has a really good reason for disliking Ohio.”

    Resources:

    • Twitter: @eugeneSrobinson
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EugeneSRobinson
    • Buy some cool shit: oxbow.merchtable.com
    • Listen to Oxbow on Spotify
    • The Show Stomper
    • “Fight: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Ass-Kicking But Were Afraid You'd Get Your Ass Kicked for Asking”
    • “A Long Slow Screw”
    • “The Inimitable Sounds of Love: A Threesome in Four Acts”


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    51. Jamilah Lemieux: Corona Life 2.0, Black Love, The Sexiest Part of Beyoncé’s Brand, Accountability and R. Kelly, and Revisiting “The Denzel Principle” 10 Years Later Aug 31, 2020

    When my book was published, Jamilah Lemieux was one of the first critics to come out swinging. 10 years later, she’s one of the leading writers and critics discussing race, gender, and sexuality for the Millennial market. We converse about how “The Denzel Principle” was received by women (and how those women will receive Jamilah coming on this show), why you won’t find Jimi anywhere near the Dick Pic Defense Force, and the tangled web of father-daughter relationships. And we post up in different corners to weigh in on some big questions: Is Black Love dead? Has three generations of rap contributed to our culture’s transactional cynicism? Will you buy Jamilah a drink as your patriarchal sales tax or tell her how you’re going to burn that shit down? It’s a dichotomous conversation to make Dres and Mista Lawnge proud. Who’s right? The choice is yours.

    Resources:

    • www.jamilahlemieux.com
    • Instagram: @jamilahlemieux
    • Facebook: facebook.com/JamilahLemieux
    • Twitter: @jamilahlemieux
    • Jamilah’s weekly column
    • Listen: Mom and Dad Are Fighting

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    50. Dallas Penn: The Combat Jack Show, Sneakerheads, and The Internets Aug 24, 2020

    Dallas Penn is a scholar, griot and certified keeper of the culture: the current co-host of The Internets Podcast, past lieutenant of the legendary Combat Jack Show, we talk about getting on with the inlaws, the potential colorism politics of marriage, Michael Jordan, trappin’ and the Blackness of sneakerhead culture (and why white kids eat that shit up), and the Holy Trinity of Black Twitter. Also, Chocolate Snowflake, the woman who saved his life. Then we get off into the Nixon, Ford, Carter and Reagan-era politics that seeded hip-hop culture, how The Combat Jack Show began, and then slowly came apart. Dallas rates my sneakers, then turns the tables … and makes a grown man cry.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @dallas_penn
    • The Internets Pod: allmylinks.com/internetspodcast
    • Twitter: @dallas_penn
    • Read: “The Denzel Principle”
    • Byron Crawford: byroncrawford.com
    • The Combat Jack Show: pod.link/412308823

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    49. Erin O'Brien: Honoring The Dead, Finding Hope on a Burlesque Stage Aug 17, 2020

    Erin O'Brien is an engineer-turned-writer, with the Fall calendar on her résumé to prove it, and the co-author of “Rust Belt Burlesque: The Softer Side of a Heavy Metal Town.” We talk about honoring her brother, John O'Brien, the gifts left behind by tragedy, and finding hope in the most unsuspecting place: a Rust Belt city’s Burlesque scene. Shout out to Bella Sin. We chat about who Erin might match with on Tinder, some good old-fashioned cuckolding by some good old boys, and how to guerilla market your interracial gangbang Down South. It’s sex and dead folks all the way down.

    Resources:

    • Erinobrien.us
    • “Rust Belt Burlesque: The Softer Side of a Heavy Metal Town” by Bob Perkoski and Erin O'Brien
    • Instagram: @erinobrien007
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/eobnow
    • Twitter: @erin__obrien
    • “Leaving Las Vegas” by John O’Brien

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    48. Mike Paramore Jr., Comedian: The Art of the Clapback, The #1 Rule of Cruise Ship Comedy, and Finding the Right #CoronaBoo Aug 11, 2020

    Mike Paramore Jr. is a good dude who stumbled into comedy. We talk about building the bridge between who you were and who you are, and my (alleged) stint as a white-collar high school hustler. We also chat about becoming a comedian the hard way: a knee injury, finding God on your sister’s couch (if any of you find him, let me know, dude owes me money), and getting signed up for a comedy contest behind your back. Finally, looking for the right boo to ride out the rest of this pandemic? We got you. #coronaboo

    Resources:

    • See Mike this weekend (8/13-8/15): Get your tickets here
    • www.mikeparamore.com
    • Instagram: @mikeparamorejr
    • Watch Mike’s Dry Bar Comedy Special: “You’ve Just Been Flirted With”
    • Listen to “The Things We Tell Ourselves” on Amazon, iTunes, or Spotify
    • Watch Mike’s other comedy
    • Accidental Comedy Fest: www.accidentalcomedy.com
    • Tony Baker: www.tonybakercomedy.com

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    47. Derf: on Jeffrey Dahmer, his book on the Kent State Massacre, & groupies Aug 03, 2020

    Derf sells a nude portrait of his sixth-grade teacher for $2 and starts his career as a cartoonist-turned-bomb thrower who could be found in the pages of that “other” newspaper you saw at off-brand coffee shops. We talk about Mad Magazine, National Lampoon, and the rest of the cartoon underground, and how a grown-ass man draws cartoons for a living. Then we dive into Derf’s graphic novel and subsequent movie about his high school days with serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, his new book about the untold story behind the Kent State Massacre and the death of White Innocence, and how the cycle comes full circle 50 years later. Finally, who gets better groupies: talking-head journalists, cartoonists, or Van Halen? We investigate.

    Resources:

    • www.derfcity.com
    • "Kent State: Four Dead in Ohio"
    • “My Friend Dahmer”
    • Instagram: instagram.com/derf_backderf
    • Twitter: twitter.com/DerfBackderf
    • Facebook: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008691630090


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    46. Betsy Banks: Bigamy, Body Butter, Eggplant Emojis, & Rebirth (Part 2 of 2) Jul 27, 2020

    One year and some change after our first conversation, Betsy Gates returns to CFA all Patti LaBelle’d up with a new attitude, a new name, new stories, and a surprise guest-- her 16-year-old daughter. Betsy and I talk about the drunk-text from 8,000 miles away about drugs, extra “wives,” stray babies(?) and “wyd?” Also, the daughter gives her take on the entanglement, parental respect and a forgive-but-sure-as-hell-don’t-forget approach to healing. In the aftermath, Betsy discovers Bumble, Tinder and other dating apps after 21 years of marriage and wonders “why does Date #3 keep texting me an eggplant emoji?” Maybe he’s a gardener. But not likely.

    This special two-part episode of CFA is sponsored by Simply Betsy Company, where you can use the promo code CONVO to buy four bars of soap and get one free.

    Resources:

    • Simply Betsy Company
    • Instagram: @simplybetsycompany
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/SimplyBetsy

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    45. Betsy Gates, Faithful Wife, Doting Mother, Huxtable prototype, Entrepreneur (Part 1 of 2) Jul 20, 2020

    Betsy Gates is a wife and mother who owns The Simply Betsy Company, her own soap and oil imprint --- she was Denise Huxtable before Denise Huxtable. In Part 1 of this two-part opus, we discuss white flight, Bobby Brown, and how civilized people have sex. Then, we dive into how she met her (then) husband and why she’s okay with his abscond to South Africa to coach basketball in the name of Jesus Christ, like Shaquille O’Neal as, say, a recently converted, over-zealous Kwai Chang Caine. Could this get “entangled?” Oh Boy.

    This special two-part episode of CFA is sponsored by Simply Betsy Company, where you can use the promo code CONVO to buy four bars of soap and get one free. .

    Resources:

    • Simply Betsy Company
    • Cleveland City Voter Hot List: cleveland.cityvoter.com/simply-betsy-company/biz/695686
    • Instagram: @simplybetsycompany
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/SimplyBetsy

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    44. Frank Lewis: Real Journalist, Real Good Guy, Real into Eric Brewer Jul 13, 2020

    Frank Lewis is a veteran journalist and the editor-in-chief of Storylogic Media. We chat about why journalists are natural hipsters and that time he stole my signed copy of Black Tail Magazine (for research purposes, he says). We reminisce about the stories he edited for me — like the one about Elecia Battle, the *alleged* (wink-wink) blackmailer and lottery ticket liar and among the first American media misfits to “go viral.” We laugh about that time he watched me get fired, and how American treasure, amazing writer and journalist Scott Raab got on a very short list. On a related note, we discuss why it’s sometimes OK to be tokened by your white friends, in the name of “diversity.” There may or may not have been whiskey involved in this conversation.

    Resources:

    • www.storylogicmedia.com
    • Instagram: @djflew
    • Twitter: @frankwlewis
    • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djflew
    • Listen: “Eric Brewer Doesn't Care What You Think About His Life OR His Eyeliner”
    • Read: “Booty Queens”
    • Read: “The Ticket”
    • Read: “The Quiet Man”
    • Read: “Armed and Fabulous”


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    43. Kevin Harris: Coronavirus Warrior, Oprah Guest, OG Ponzi-Schemer Jul 06, 2020

    Kevin Harris is the fifth person infected with COVID-19 in Ohio. Live from quarantine, we talk about “colorblind” white people -- the most dangerous people on the planet. We share stories about our kids, the difference between white vs. black Baby-Mommas, Oprah and his kidnapped children, and his prison bid for a $483M Ponzi scheme. Oh yeah -- we talk about fighting COVID-19 and how this could help him with the ladies. A true prince among men who’s lived three life’s worth of adventure, Kevin Harris may have the best worst luck in America.

    Resources:

    • Instagram: @kevinharris_majestic
    • Facebook: Kevin Harris on Facebook
    • YouTube: Kevin Harris: Coronavirus Warrior
    • Twitter: @kevmaj1
    • Email: 1036majestic@gmail.com


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    42. Tyisha Blade: Black Girl Magic Jun 29, 2020

    Tyisha Blade is a freelance journalist and daisy-fresh college-graduate celebrating her birthday with CFA. Recovering from a house fire, we sip whiskey and talk about the fire, fixing family and figuring out who’s to blame for R. Kelly. Oddly, when we met, I thought she’d been hitting on me, but her Black Girl Magic rightly pulls the wig off my ego with pomp and aplomb.

    Resources:

    • Read Tyisha’s work at www.clevescene.com/author/tyisha-blade & muckrack.com/tyishablade


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    41. Eris Eady: Sister Warrior, Everywoman Jun 22, 2020

    Eris Eady, “Non-Binary, Bisexual, Black Femme of center writer, artist and advocate operating under the auspice of Black Womanhood & the glory it brings” is the cape-less superhero you’ve been waiting for. While she hides her lollipop, we talk about re-homing a cat, marriage and divorce, resisting the binary, and my lame, white woman-esque politics. And I get educated on why being an LGBTQ ally — if that’s your thing — just isn’t enough. She drops a poem too, FTW.

    Resources:

    • www.eriseady.com
    • Read: “Journey To Whole: Excerpts, Essays and Exhales”
    • Read: “BRUH: poems to pay for alimony”
    • Instagram: www.instagram.com/eriseady
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/eriseady
    • Twitter: twitter.com/eriseady

    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    40. Aaron Sechrist aka OKPants: Mensch, artist and designer who makes things cool Jun 15, 2020

    Aaron Sechrist, best known as Pants (alternately, okPants), is an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, and actor. His art is bold, simple and everywhere -- album covers, beer cans, t-shirts, magazines and restaurants-- alluding to a psychedelic anime slash graffiti edge paired with clean, principled design sensibilities. But beyond the art, Pants is a sweet guy: a working artist in a working man’s town.

    We talk about what “good design” really means, not shitting on Wendy’s napkins, art school girls, not getting hit on when you’re not happy, getting laid (or not) in Mike Tyson’s mansion, the subliminal racial metaphors of the movie “Gremlins,” and the thanklessness of fatherhood.

    Full disclosure: okPANTS’ work hangs in my living room, home office AND the shitter, FTW, plus he’s responsible for CFA’s podcast cover art, which is why it looks so dope.

    Resources:

    • Check out his art: www.okpants.com
    • Instagram: instagram.com/okpants
    • Twitter: twitter.com/okpants

    Conversations for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    39. Dj Dean Rufus: The White Voice of Black Radio Jun 08, 2020

    Cleveland born and raised, @deanrufus is a nationally-known and respected OG who helped craft the sound of Black radio in the 80s and 90s. Currently the eponymous owner of The Dean Rufus House Of Fun, a fixture in Hingetown for the past eleven years and music lover, as the voice of 108 WDMT and the master of the mix behind the Clubstyle show back in the day, Dean Rufus gave the Midwest a sound of its own.

    Mostly a recluse, Dean came out to talk about family secrets, what brought him to his eclectic mix of hip-hop, soul, funk, new wave and disco for mainstream radio, falling in and out of love with radio, sex drugs and Cher and offers me a free bottle of Fuck Water. OK.


    Resources:

    • Instagram: www.instagram.com/deanrufus
    • Facebook: www.facebook.com/The-Dean-Rufus-House-Of-Fun-178933882134861


    Conversations for Adults is a production of Crate Media


    38. Photographer Amber Ford: Ebony Eyes Jun 01, 2020

    A 2016 graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Art, Amber Ford is a photographer with an eye for portraiture (what she describes as “collaborative engagement between photographer and sitter.”) We conversate* about Cleveland, black art in white spaces, why Instagram doesn’t make you a photographer, her biggest artistic risk, and the nude pictures of me that sold for lots and lots of money.

    *Conversate is not a word

    Resources:

    • www.ambernford.com
    • Instagram: @ambern.ford
    • Read: “AMBER FORD WANTS TO CONVERSATE*”


    Let’s Talk:

    • Website: conversationforadults.com
    • Instagram: @conversationforadults
    • Facebook: facebook.com/conversationforadultswithjimiizrael
    • Twitter: @convoforadults


    Conversation for Adults is a production of Crate Media

    37. Yofreeka, the Drag Queen with A Porno Moustache Jan 28, 2019

    Kedarrow Brown, aka Yofreeka, was Cleveland's premier drag queen before drag became a Rupaul, cable TV thing. We talk about house music, the time the gays protested me, how he was gay, growing up gay in rural Ohio, and how Yofreeka - the black drag queen with a Lamont Sanford moustache - was born. Also, I discover "shade."

    36. Barber Lathan Bennett pt. 2: Live From the Barbershop Jan 14, 2019

    This is part two of the conversation with Lathan Bennett - this one recorded live at Professional Polish, his barbershop on Larchemere in Cleveland. We talk watches, shoplife, white people and women in the black barbershop (and why they have no business there), the difference between plaids and argyles, and the straight razor shave. Also, I nearly get shot, kinda. This isn't a public radio play - this is authentic barbershop banter. Square biz.

    35. Barber Lathan Bennett pt. 1: His Mother Was A Gangster Dec 24, 2018

    Lathan Bennett is a father, veteran, and barbershop co-owner; he cut my hair from 2013 to 2016-ish. This two-parter evokes the conversation like the kind we had back in the day: we talk about the barber hustle, the projects, divorce, racism during his military service, excavating and interrogating manhood as the product of single mothers, Kim Kardashian's secret, drug dealers, hood chicks = good chicks, and "young, dumb and full of cum." Also, baby-mamas and the family courts vs. The Good Guy.

    34. Fayola Shakes, Rattles, and Rolls Dec 03, 2018

    Fayola Shakes is a writer and journalist from Cleveland and I'm a big fan of her work. We talk about her Jamaican roots, writing in search of the truth, her Tinder date, and handling family with mental issues. Also, Anthony Sowell and that curious implant some Cuban men put on their penis.

    33. Rhonda Crowder Worked For Don King, lol Nov 05, 2018

    Rhonda Crowder is an author and journalist, and we talk about her book, her work at Cleveland's black newspaper "The Call and Post" under its current owner, Don King, and her #MeToo moments there, sibling rivalries and her father's fidelity issues, why she cooks, and the difference between the "hood" and "down-the-way." Also, the legend of white women who prowl the ghetto stealing black men from black women.

    32. Eric Brewer Doesn't Care What You Think About His Life OR His Eyeliner Oct 15, 2018

    Eric J. Brewer is the former mayor of East Cleveland and the politically-brazen black male consciousness of Cleveland's inner city who just happens to wear a dress when it suits him. We talk about Vietnam, old-school Cleveland politics, Cleveland's porn history, St. Louis, movie producer Reggie Hudlin, Hillary Clinton, his father, bowel movements, the real story of "Erica," and what his son said when he saw his father on the national news in drag. He finally tells the whole story about how those pics came out. Also, that time I danced with drag queen RuPaul all night.

    31. MC Chill pt. 2: Beyoncé's Choreographer, and Dude, Who Stole My G-Ma? Oct 01, 2018

    In part two of this conversation, MC chill and I talk about the sound of Cleveland, Todd Samms - the Clevelander (by way of Shaker Heights) who started out dancing for Levert and ended up teaching Beyoncé - Usher and Chris Brown, how to dance, and the epic true story of the time Art McCoy of Black on Black Crime Inc. (Cleveland's answer to Al Sharpton) stole my grandmother.

    30. MC Chill pt. 1: He Was Almost Will Smith, Maybe Sep 18, 2018

    Kevin Heard - aka MC Chill - was Cleveland's first rapper to get a national record deal. In many ways, MC Chill was the prototype for the nice-guy, middle-American, aspirational rapper like Philadelphia's Will Smith. We talk about the real MC Chill, his connection to Roxanne Shante, working with Melle Mel, dropping out of college to be an emcee, and why the Midwest has no distinct hip-hop sound of its own.

    29. Scott Muscatello: Trent Reznor Bent His Wookiee :( Aug 27, 2018

    Scott Muscatello is a club kid turned urban planner. We talk about Cleveland club life, his foray into the gangster life (#nobody), DJ Rob Sherwood (RIP), the death of disco, why not name your daughter "Cocaine?," and also that time Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor stole his girl.

    28. MC Squirt Emcees, DJs, But Not That Other Thing Aug 13, 2018

    Arguably, Rhonda Saxton-Sheron - aka MC Squirt - is Cleveland's first female emcee. She was on the "OH-10," the rap compilation released in the 80s, and has done touring and the whole nine. She has the bonafides. We talk about her start in hip-hop, her life in a group home, her move into internet radio, and how she evolved into DJ Squirt.

    27. Mekkah pt. 2: The Creative's Life, with Kids Jul 16, 2018

    Mekkah picks up where she left off talking about her creative evolution, men like me who have their "pick of the litter" (such that it is), why single black women have it so tough (t'yeah) and what they REALLY want, partner parenting, my perfect match, and all the people she loves.

    26. Mekkah pt. 1: Rebuking Your Lesbian Assumptions Jul 02, 2018

    Mekkah is one of Cleveland's best-known voices from college radio and the poetry scene of the 90s. She fell off the radar for years and then I saw her at Wal-mart and invited her in for a two-parter - a first for my show. In part one, we talk about how she made me hate poetry and my penis all in the same night, KRS-One tough-talking an infant, "I'm not Jimmy Woody," co-parenting, men and their lesbian assumptions, feminism, and the repressed sexual abuse of men.

    25. Dr. Lyz Bly Split My Pants Jun 08, 2018

    Feminist thug and intellectual Dr. Lyz Bly returns and we talk about Oprah Winfrey's friend Gayle King's butt, black women's jealousy, women scoring other women's butts, her free-range chickens vs. the cops, and that time I had to euthanize one of her chickens. She schools me about feminism, as usual.

    24. Steve Presser Sells Toys, Tells Funny Stories May 21, 2018

    After Steve Presser announced he was closing Big Fun - his store full of classic toys, video games, antiques, nerdabilia, and ephemera on Cleveland Heights' storied Coventry Road - I brought him over to talk Cleveland Jews, collecting, his favorite toy, the Coventry Riots, meeting Muhammad Ali, that time his daughter moved a brother in, and how he met his wife.

    23. Sandra Bishop Is Too Many Things, All Good May 07, 2018

    Not sure what to say about Sandra. We met when I was on my book tour and somehow have managed to stay in touch ever since. She comes over and we sing, we dance, we laugh. Men, politics, sex and barbershops - this conversation goes everywhere.

    22. Rich Cihlar Literally Fought To Get His Wife Back Apr 23, 2018

    Rich is a good dude whom I've come to dig a lot - he's a teacher and artist. He qualifies as a "virtual stranger" because we only know each other professionally. We talk about the Cleveland art scene, barroom brawling, getting his hot wife back, and epidermolysis bullosa, which is kinda like osteogenesis imperfecta (aka "Mr. Glass" disease), but not.

    21. Gina P. Will Watch Your Cat, Because Why? Apr 09, 2018

    Gina P. returns to discuss the cat-sitting hustle, defend Kim Kardashian, and kinda give the finger to Lena Dunham. Gina tells me about making out dressed as the McDonald's "Hamburglar," her choice in men, and economic compatibility. She meets my cat and I give her something special.

    20. DJ Lady Skill, the Voice of Cleveland Radio Mar 12, 2018

    Lady Skill was a DJ and definitely one of the original fly girls in Cleveland's hip-hop heyday. She came by and we talked about integrating Cleveland Heights, jumping rope, when Cleveland was an influential music city, and the evolution of rap radio and rap music in general.

    19. Michael Oatman Casts Biff To Play MLK Feb 21, 2018

    Michael Oatman, classic guest on Bill Maher's "Politically Incorrect" and award-winning playwright and reformed journalist, filled Langston Hughes' shoes at the world-famous Karamu Theater. Unlike other guests, we've known each other a long, long, long time. We talk about marriage, I roleplay as political garbage man and firestarter Eric Brewer. We rap on white people, gays, Cosby and the cult of black disbelief, rumors about my penis, Trump and conservative blacks, "The Dutchman," and how casting a white man as Martin Luther King Jr. in his Kent State production of Katori Hall's epic "The Moutaintop" killed his career.

    18. Cody Boyce Talks Star Wars, Beer, and Life in Trump Country Feb 07, 2018

    Cody Boyce is a super-sweet kid from Trump Country, Ohio, and also the boss of Crate Media, the podcasting agency that co-produces this show. By "kid", I mean Cody is the same age as my oldest son. Truth to tell, he's a grown-ass man with a tiny, smokin'-hot wife, amazing ambition and good home training - he brought beer, after all. I am a client, but we'd never met until I invited him over. Cody came by the pad and we talked about the business of podcasting, his life as a hip-hop producer, The Trump Effect, beer, Star Wars, freemasons, his people, and particularly his father, Craig "Ace" Boyce.

    17. Johnny Coggins, Gay Play-Uncle and Drag Show Producer Jan 22, 2018

    Johnny Coggins is not blood, but he is family to me: I can't remember a time he and his brother LeBron didn't live down the street from my maternal grandmother. I didn't know Johnny was gay until I bumped into him during my 4-year DJ residency at Numbers, a gay bar in Cleveland, back in the mid-90s. We sat down at the loft and I ask him if his brother ever learned his ABCs. I tell him about the protest around having a straight DJ (me) at a gay bar. We talk about why a drag queen with a Lamont Sanford mustache makes (queer) sense, white-flight and classism in Cleveland, his father's barbecue business, and homophobia(?). Also, Johnny and I talk about that time Janet Jackson (imposter) grabbed my package, men having sex on the sink in the men's' room, leaving steaming piles of "chocolate passion" on the floor while i'm trying to piss (ijs), and how while working in a gay bar for four years, I only got hit on a handful of times. I mean, I'm kinda handsome - wtf?! Our conversation is not intentionally about his sexuality, but it comes up a bit, and he lets me ask stupid questions. Johnny, the gay uncle I never knew I needed, patiently explains it all, and more.

    16. Greg Murray Makes Happiness From Dogs and Peanut Butter Jan 08, 2018

    Photographer Greg Murray takes dog pictures, and he's brilliant. We talk about his life as a big brother in Philly, his first pet, my robot cat, and how he got a whiff of my underwear. Also, a preview of his amazing book "Peanut Butter Dogs," which will make you smile so hard, it'll hurt.

    15. Deena Nyer Mendlowitz Almost Killed Herself Dec 19, 2017

    Deena Nyer Mendlowitz is a fine writer and comedian living her best life with mental illness. Deena and I talk about Jewish life, Kosher foods, her improv show "Mental Illness and Friends", and her bisexual ex-husband and parenting partner. We talk about the 28 minutes it took to buy a gun to kill herself with. Also, about waking up with sperm in her hair, my experience with PTSD, and EDMR and her loss of memory of her son and everything else that counts while doing The McMurphy - also known as Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), aka shock treatment.

    14. Alex Sukhoy: Mother, Author, and Friend Dec 04, 2017

    Alex Sukhoy of Creative Cadence and I have a great chat about the 90s, her return to Chicago, being a good parenting partner, and she becomes the first guest who I (unintentionally) make cry by flippantly mischaracterizing a very sacred Jewish ritual and birthright.

    13. Monique Judge: Her Gun, Her Men, and Her Poison Pen Nov 20, 2017

    Monique Judge - aka The Journalista and staff writer at The Root.Com - hails from California and is only the second non-Clevelander I've had on the podcast thus far. We talk about her sex life, her time as a side-chick and advice I should give my daughter, guns, social justice, and getting our nails done. Also, about the love I want her to have. She's also got company - and the bruise to prove it.

    12. Butters + Charles Ramsey, American Hero Nov 06, 2017

    Chris Gresham starred alongside John Travolta's awful hairpiece in "Criminal Activities," but that's not how I know him. I met him while hanging with Charles Ramsey, American Hero, who freed Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, & Michelle Rodriguez from over a decade of captivity on Cleveland's west side. Butters is maybe one of the nicest people I have met in Cleveland ever; a sweet human being. So I got to his place, and we start talking, then his roommate Charles bursts in. Butters and I talk about movies, Judaism, racism, weed, and Cleveland, before Charles suggests that Donald Trump's strongest qualification for president is his whiteness.

    11. Sid Allen: O.G. Hip-Hop Writer Oct 23, 2017

    Clevelander Sid Allen is the writer and publisher of "It's A Rap," one of hip-hop culture's first magazines. Allen talks how rap freestyling started in Cleveland, smoking weed with Biggie, how the Midwestern work ethic killed the rap business, Cleveland gang history, and rare book-hunting.

    10. Anna Krogern, ex-Jehovah's Witness, Makes Jesus Cry Oct 09, 2017

    Anna Krogern is an ex-Jehovah's Witness and complete stranger. She comes by the pad and we talk about the history of the JWs, old JW print propaganda, JW lawsuits, how she got flim-flammed into marriage by #Jesus, JWs who didn't go to college because #Jesus (haha), why angels cry every time you give or get head, plus she pitches something she can't talk about. We roleplay, wherein she plays the proselytizing Jehovah's Witness. Also, we exchange hood names and credentials. She was the "ghetto" white girl in her crew. OK. I won't judge that.

    9. Kisha Foster Knows Lesbian Secrets Sep 25, 2017

    Kisha Foster is one of Cleveland's best-known, most well-traveled poets - she's not a stranger, but we've never talked for so long about so much. She talks about her book, the late-night fellatio habits of lesbians and other queer theory culled from Facebook, how she came to poetry as her life, her stay at Pink Doors (a woman's literary retreat), the definition of feminism, and losing her father and her son.

    8. Cocoa Brown Talks Comedy, Tragedy, and Hollywood Sep 11, 2017

    Actor and comedian Cocoa Brown takes some time to talk about her road from tragedy to comedy. We talk about me meeting her parents, and my grandmother's pitch to her boss, Tyler Perry.

    7. Dr. Lester Spence Gets #Trumped On A Bet Aug 28, 2017

    Dr. Lester Spence is a public intellectual, author, and Associate Professor of Political Science and Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University and the Center for Emerging Media Scholar in Residence. When NPR's Michel Martin asked me to put together a squad, he was the first call I made. Not a stranger, strictly speaking, but in 15 years, we'd only met four times, and never had a one-on-one conversation longer than 10 minutes. In Cleveland, on his book tour, he sits in my kitchen and tries to steal a few grapes while we talk about politics, NPR, how "The Barbershop" changed radio and television, my phat child support earnings, divorce and fatherhood, and why Donald Trump would never be elected president. Also, he talks about being there the moment I met my future wife, Teshima Izrael.

    6. Donna Nowak Is Hypnotic, Trust Me Aug 14, 2017

    Donna Nowak is mesmerizing - see what I did there? She is a consulting hypnotist, regression therapist, and ballroom dancer. We talk about her journey from corporate America into hypnosis, how she met her husband, hypnotizing racism out of people, and we talk about Trump as if he were a client of hers. Donna and I were virtual strangers before this sit-down.

    5. Dr. Lyz Bly, Feminist Thug, Knuckles-Up On Misogyny Jul 31, 2017

    Dr. Lyz Bly's work and study is centered on gender, race, sexuality, and popular culture in post-World War II United States. She's the author of a new book, "Diary Of A Feminist Thug." She comes to the loft to talk about feminism, her love of black men, and that time she tried to Bigfoot me into giving her kid a better grade, which is technically how we met.

    4. Caroline Renko, Super Genius Jul 17, 2017

    Caroline Renko is a physics and philosophy major from Zimbabwe, and she also voices the drops for Conversation For Adults. Her accent is mellifluously nondescript. We know each other directly, but not well, so she is virtually a stranger. She comes by the loft to talk about fitting in, African vs. Black American work ethic, dating Black American guys, Al Sharpton, how many planes are in an African air force (more than one), why I can't holla at her moms, and the correct pronunciation of her first name. I am the ugly, ignorant Black American and she is not.

    3. Gina P.: Holly Go-Lovely, Woman About Town Jul 03, 2017

    Gina P. is everywhere there is sun in Cleveland, which as it turns out is mostly at Cleveland Flea, better dinner parties, and hipster bars. She comes by the loft and we talk about being Italian, my robot cats, pet sitting - hustle, scam, or both? - her love/lust of Jewish nerds, and my public radio (non-)fame.

    2. DJ Swamp Chose Beck Over Eminem, No Regrets Jun 19, 2017

    DJ Swamp is the Marilyn Manson of turntablism and DJ culture, and his incredible show takes him all around the world. Swamp came by the loft and talked about his years of bitter struggle, making his own big break as a (fake) hip-hop news reporter, why he turned down a gig with Eminem, street-sweeping, classic DJ equipment, playing the Grammy Awards, and why successful people always leave Cleveland.

    1. Marc Face Knows Her Feet Better Than You Jun 14, 2017

    Marc Face is the owner and operator of Everything By Face, maybe the hottest hair and nail salon in Cleveland. Like me, he's been known to wear a wrap skirt in the summer. I invite him to the loft to talk about the hustle in Cleveland, Kent State, club parties, and how he ended up giving pedicures for a living. He knows my ex, so we talked about HER feet for lolz. My oldest son is here, and he wants ANOTHER cat. Also, Marc and I have a "watch battle" - his toy Apple Watch vs. my Citizen Eco-Drive. Guess who wins.

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