The Limits with Jay Williams

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Amanda Seales on Black Hollywood, therapy, and authenticity Oct 11, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay speaks with comedian Amanda Seales. Formerly known as "Amanda Diva," she has worn many hats in entertainment: acting, singing, hosting, and stand-up.
She might be best known for starring as Tiffany DuBois on Issa Rae's Insecure. But in 2019, she became the second Black woman to ever have her own comedy special on HBO, I Be Knowin'. She has her own podcast, Small Doses: Potent Truths for Everyday Use. And now she's back on the road, touring with her wildly popular variety game show, Smart, Funny, and Black.
Amanda always tells it like it is, and this episode was no different. She talked to Jay about the realities of Black Hollywood, the downsides of "doing it all," and how she keeps a healthy mind in difficult times.
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Magic Johnson on basketball, business, and being the face of HIV Oct 04, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay speaks with the legendary Earvin "Magic" Johnson. Often called the greatest point guard in NBA history, Magic earned five titles over the course of 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers – and changed the nature of the game, too.
But before he was "Magic," he was just Earvin: a kid from East Lansing, Michigan. As he carved out a name for himself on and off the court, he learned how to navigate his public and private personas. But Magic's private life became very public in 1991. That's when he was diagnosed with HIV. He immediately retired from the game he loved, but he didn't back down; he became an outspoken advocate and entrepreneur.
Magic spoke with Jay about everything from his past rivalry with Larry Bird, how he turned his devastating HIV diagnosis into an opportunity to educate the public, and the importance of his investments in Black and brown communities. Ultimately, behind all his success is a man who loves to spend time with his family.
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Scooter Braun on the lessons he's learned while defying expectations Sep 28, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay speaks with his old friend, Scott "Scooter" Braun. Scooter is an entrepreneur, investor, and one of the most well-known talent managers in Hollywood today.
Scooter first got his start when he dropped out of college to pursue a professional career in marketing, after organizing a successful trail of parties for high-profile musicians. But today, he's probably best known for recognizing talent; after first seeing a video of young Justin Bieber on YouTube, he "saw clearly that [Justin] could be one of the biggest artists in the world." From there on, he continued to be a visionary – going on to manage stars like Ariana Grande, J Balvin, and Demi Lovato.
Jay spoke with the man behind the curtain about everything from his biggest challenges in work and life to his relationship with his kids, and his constant quest for self-improvement. Having already achieved major success, the one thing Scooter wants now is to be present.
Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus.
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Instant Replay: Kelly Rowland on being the ultimate working mom Sep 20, 2022

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This week, we're in instant replay mode. Jay is revisiting his conversation with the one and only Kelly Rowland. In your mind, she might be the teenager of Destiny's Child fame, or the solo artist with dance floor anthems like "Commander."
But these days, Kelly's much more than a pop star. She's an entrepreneur, philanthropist, writer, and mother of two beautiful children. She recently published a children's book called Always with You, Always with Me, her ode to working moms. She's also due to star in a new Halloween movie this fall called The Curse Of Bridge Hollow.
In the episode, Jay and Kelly explore motherhood: how Kelly juggles being a good mom with her career, how she strives to be transparent with her children about fame and celebrity, and how she cared for her own late mother in her final days.
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. On this week's Plus episode, Kelly takes it back to her early days with Destiny's Child, and how her experience as a child star impacts her life today.
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Cari Champion on the power of Black women in sports—including herself Sep 13, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay speaks with his longtime friend and former colleague, Cari Champion. Cari has hosted flagship ESPN shows like First Take and SportsCenter, and currently hosts her own podcasts, Naked with Cari Champion and The Brownprint.
She's also shattered glass ceilings as a Black woman in sports journalism by staying committed to speaking her truth. She's done this from the start; when her on-air candor about a local news story got her fired early in her career, Cari doubled down and became even more committed to honest and impassioned journalism. She started reporting with the Tennis Channel and, in a parallel to her own career, covered extensively the white elitism–and sometimes blatant racism– Serena Williams faced on and off the court.
Cari spoke with Jay about the retirement of both Serena and record-breaking track star Allyson Felix, highlighting the contributions both women have made to Black women's maternal health. She and Jay also got into it about mental health in sports, the double standards that female athletes face, and what she has been most proud of in her career thus far.
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Cari and Charlamagne tha God reflect on the importance of authenticity in your professional and personal life.
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Dave Zirin on the risks and rewards for the activist athlete Sep 06, 2022

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This week on The Limits, Jay talks to author and editor Dave Zirin about the intersection of sports and politics. Dave has written 11 books on these topics, covering the many ways that activist athletes have unveiled larger systemic issues of racism and injustice in America.
Dave gets into it with Jay on overlooked female athletes like Wyomia Tyus and Brittney Griner, on whether the NFL is better safeguarding players from longterm brain damage, and the hypocrisy of criticizing the business of sports while remaining a lifelong fan.
Dave also talks to Jay about Colin Kaepernick, whose taking of the knee in 2016 sparked protests across America, and the framing of Dave's latest book, The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World. Dave has a different take on Kap's NFL journey than last week's guest, Stephen A. Smith. He argues instead that the NFL was setting Colin Kaepernick up to participate in a media circus--and Kap has chosen not to be a clown.
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Dave talks more about how Colin Kaepernick's taking of the knee inspired his predecessors to speak out more about their own history of activism.
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Stephen A. Smith on redefining sports broadcasting Aug 31, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay talks to his ESPN colleague and longtime friend, Stephen A. Smith. The First Take co-host and network star has reinvented how sports, politics, and candor can go together on the air. As one veteran executive told him shortly after his 2003 ESPN audition, "It was the greatest audition I have ever seen in the history of this business."
When the studio lights come on, Stephen A. Smith is always ready. But he stumbled in his early career, letting his ego get the best of him after the cameras were off. He was temporarily let go from ESPN in 2009, and his mom made him literally look in the mirror and reevaluate what he was willing to put into--and get out of--his professional path.
That wisdom has paid off, and Stephen A. is now one of the highest-paid sports analysts in history. He talks to Jay about how he remains fearless in linking sports and politics, the responsibility he feels as a Black man to use his platform and be heard, and his controversial opinions on Colin Kaepernick.
Stephen A. Smith's memoir, Straight Shooter: A Memoir of Second Chances and First Takes, is now available for pre-order and releases on January 17, 2023.
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Stephen A. continues to unpack the link between sports and politics in America.
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Tracy Oliver on navigating Hollywood by embracing the unexpected Aug 23, 2022

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Hollywood powerhouse Tracy Oliver sums up her career simply. "When people go right, I always tend to go left." She wrote the hit 2017 film Girls Trip, becoming the first Black woman to pen a movie that grossed over $100 million at the box office. On today's episode of The Limits, Tracy tells Jay how she has navigated her biggest Hollywood successes, from an eight-figure deal with Apple, to creating and executive producing the Amazon series, Harlem.
Tracy credits a lot of her wins to her contrarian streak, which she's had from a young age. She tells Jay how she randomly started wearing a Stanford sweatshirt while growing up in South Carolina–then ended up attending. That's where Tracy met Issa Rae, and the two began collaborating. In the relatively early days of Youtube, they created the popular web series, The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.
The Internet was wowed by their presence, but multiple studio executives laughed them out of the room with blatant sexism and racism. Tracy stayed on track, steadily building her portfolio as a writer focused on the friendships of Black women, and the joy of the Black experience. Today, her career is a blueprint for so many aspiring creatives of color, and Tracy has shown time and time again that Black stories are anything but niche.
For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus. This week, Tracy talks about mentorship in Hollywood.
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Mixtape: Charlamagne tha God, Brian Flores and Coach K Aug 16, 2022

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This week, Jay is in mixtape mode, pulling together three of his favorite conversations on The Limits. With The Breakfast Club losing co-host Angela Yee to do her own show, Charlamagne tha God shows what it means to be proud of longtime colleagues as they move on to other things. He talked to Jay about his own journey of education and discipline, from jail to finding his voice on the mic as a now-legendary interviewer.
Next, with the NFL pre-season underway, Jay revisits his conversation with Brian Flores. He's the former Miami Dolphins head coach who believes he was fired for refusing to lose games on purpose. Flores is suing three NFL franchises and the league itself, alleging racial bias and discrimination in hiring practices. He's committed to exposing the truth of what went down and underscoring the importance of how much representation matters, especially in leadership.
And speaking of coaches who stand by their principles, Jay closes out the mixtape with his conversation with Mike Krzyzewski, legendary former head coach of Duke Men's Basketball. "Coach K" guided Jay to a national championship back in 2001 and would win five in total. He also coached the U.S. men's team to multiple Olympic gold medals. He discusses his toughest moments in his career, and what he's enjoying in his first year of retirement.
Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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Desus and Mero on the Wild West of media Aug 09, 2022

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On this week's episode of The Limits, Jay looks back on his conversation with a recently split, beloved comedy duo. For years, Desus Nice and The Kid Mero lived the lives of many struggling New Yorkers: juggling multiple odd jobs, battling roaches, and just trying to make ends meet in the Bronx. But they also spent plenty of time online, where their constant back and forth on Twitter was so funny that followers demanded they make a podcast.
Their eponymous show, Desus and Mero, has since exploded over the last decade from podcasting into television, culminating in a successful four-season Showtime run.
Desus and Mero talk about that journey, and the kind of hustle and hard work it takes to make for good podcasting and longevity in show business. Plus, they don't hold back with Jay, getting into it on the NBA, the best rappers in the game...and the virtues of the Filet-O-Fish.
This episode first aired in May 2022, before Desus and Mero announced their split.
CONTENT WARNING: This episode contains explicit language and material suited for mature audiences.
Follow Jay on Instagram and Twitter. Email us at thelimits@npr.org. For sponsor-free episodes, weekly bonus content, and more, subscribe to The Limits Plus.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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