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Speaker 1: What's up.

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Speaker 2: It's way up with angela ye, and I'm here getting

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Speaker 2: advice from iushous to say thank you so much. He also, well,

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Speaker 2: she's changing my life already for the better. But I'm

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Speaker 2: just so honored to have you here today. I told

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Speaker 2: you I really admire the work that you've been doing

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Speaker 2: ever since I first seen you.

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Speaker 1: Want CNN thank you.

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Speaker 2: And you know you have an you have a book

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Speaker 2: out called Beneath the Tearmentry that came out some years ago.

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Speaker 2: But you're a person that's been highlighting stories that other

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Speaker 2: people don't touch.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I think the way I look at it,

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Speaker 3: I think journey speaking. When it comes to stories about

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Speaker 3: black women and girls, journey speaking, they don't get as

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Speaker 3: much attention, if they get attention at all. So as

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Speaker 3: a black woman, and also specifically as a black woman

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Speaker 3: from Africa, I feel that, having been blessed to have

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Speaker 3: some form of platform and exposure, I need to use

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Speaker 3: my voice.

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Speaker 2: And you are from Sierra Leone and then you moved

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Speaker 2: to the UK for it was it for.

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Speaker 3: School, So it's some sort of a little bit the

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Speaker 3: other way around. I was born in the My parents

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Speaker 3: are from Serralian both of them. I was born in

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Speaker 3: the UK when they were doing second degrees. You know

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Speaker 3: that old post colonialism story where these countries had you know,

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Speaker 3: European or French overlords, if you will, and then those

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Speaker 3: people that those countries could go broad and study. So

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Speaker 3: my parents went to the UK. They had us there, myself,

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Speaker 3: my brother and sister, and when I was seven, they

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Speaker 3: moved us back to Serrali and so I lived there

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Speaker 3: from seven to sixteen, then went back.

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Speaker 1: Why did they move back?

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Speaker 3: You know, it's really interesting because and I think about

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Speaker 3: this a lot, because it has meant so much to

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Speaker 3: me and who I am to date. They moved us

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Speaker 3: back because they very much wanted us to grow up

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Speaker 3: in Africa, to feel rooted, to feel connected, to never

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Speaker 3: feel feel like outsiders, and to also, and now when

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Speaker 3: I look at it, to grow up in a place

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Speaker 3: that was majority black, where you know, my notion of

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Speaker 3: what is beautiful, my notion of what is valuable, my

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Speaker 3: notion of my own safety are paramount, right, which in

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Speaker 3: other places like the US and the UK is not

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Speaker 3: the case. Right, We are battling notions. Many black girls

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Speaker 3: are dealing with that issue. Am I pretty enough? My

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Speaker 3: hair isn't the norm. How do I show up? How

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Speaker 3: am I see reflected back to me myself on screen

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Speaker 3: on social So anyway, my parents gave me what I

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Speaker 3: think is the biggest gift.

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Speaker 1: That's great.

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Speaker 2: Were they did they see something You're the middle Are

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Speaker 2: you the middle town?

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Speaker 1: Okay? So did they?

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Speaker 2: Did they have experiences there that they were like, we

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Speaker 2: don't want I don't know.

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Speaker 3: If they if I don't know if they could pinpoint

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Speaker 3: something that happened to them that led them to the

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Speaker 3: conclusion that it was important for their kids to be

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Speaker 3: raised elsewhere or specifically in Africa. I think they just

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Speaker 3: themselves just felt fiercely connected to Africa and wanted their

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Speaker 3: kids to have that.

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Speaker 1: Okay now.

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Speaker 2: Also, I didn't even start with why we're here today though,

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Speaker 2: as we're talking about Okay Africa Okay Player, but it's

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Speaker 2: under a new name now, Arraya Media, so just for

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Speaker 2: people who are listening okay Player. I remember when Quest

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Speaker 2: Love launched okay Player twenty six years that is crazy.

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Speaker 2: He was so early and ahead of the curve, and

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Speaker 2: I feel like he's like that with a lot of things.

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Speaker 2: But when he first launched that, it was kind of

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Speaker 2: more like a connecting.

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Speaker 3: Music the music community, right. It was those who were

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Speaker 3: passionate about music, passionate about the culture. It was a

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Speaker 3: safe space for lovers of music and makers of music

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Speaker 3: to come together and share opinion, vibe, disagree, talk shack

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Speaker 3: to each other. And that's what they did. And in

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Speaker 3: a way it with like early social media, right, and

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Speaker 3: it existed on something called the boards.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, and I remember those boards, those.

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Speaker 3: Boards, right, and they're still going. And I tip my

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Speaker 3: hat to quest Love just the foresight to understand that

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Speaker 3: we need those spaces.

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Speaker 2: I just think back to how things used to because

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Speaker 2: we didn't have Twitter, Instagram, YouTube the time.

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Speaker 1: Simple. So yeah, definitely the simpler.

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Speaker 2: But now it is also I think leveled us out

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Speaker 2: in certain areas where people who didn't have access to

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Speaker 2: be able to produce or do certain things, or do

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Speaker 2: an interview with a magazine that's gonna come out, you know,

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Speaker 2: two to three months from now to promote.

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Speaker 1: It does give people who are creatives.

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Speaker 3: I agree with that so so much. I think also

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Speaker 3: when you think about people of color, their access to opportunity,

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Speaker 3: which is large, they've largely been kept out of by gatekeepers, right,

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Speaker 3: who all too often, particularly in media, don't look like us.

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Speaker 3: That has held back a lot of creatives and a

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Speaker 3: lot of people with immense talent who just maybe haven't

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Speaker 3: had the connections with the opportunity to be in the

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Speaker 3: room and to build. Social media has eliminated those gatekeepers

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Speaker 3: in many regards and has allowed people to get in

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Speaker 3: there and basically chart their own course. And it's amazing.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's amazing and get some instant feedback.

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Speaker 3: And it's a fare. I mean, I'm watching people do

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Speaker 3: things on social media. I'm like, we're how did they

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Speaker 3: come up with that? Sometimes I can barely post.

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Speaker 1: And you're like, and I have a space for them

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Speaker 1: now at a rage?

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Speaker 3: I do? I do? And I think that's the other thing.

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Speaker 3: You know, it's been such a blessing to go from

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Speaker 3: being at CNN for thirteen and a half years, where

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Speaker 3: you know, you're largely at the beck and call of

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Speaker 3: the executives who tell you where to be, how to look,

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Speaker 3: what to say, what to do, to having your own

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Speaker 3: autonomy and being able to lead an organization that is

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Speaker 3: specifically created to uplift black voices and create a space

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Speaker 3: for black creatives. That's amazing.

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Speaker 2: I think what is amazing about that is also being

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Speaker 2: able to tell stories from our voices. Yes, and that's

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Speaker 2: important too because I also feel media is so powerful

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Speaker 2: because they can choose what stories to highlight, but also

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Speaker 2: choose how those stories.

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Speaker 1: Are presented completely.

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Speaker 2: So depending on what you watch on the news, you'll

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Speaker 2: have a whole different view of what's happening in this

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Speaker 2: country and around the world.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think that. I think that so much. I mean,

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Speaker 3: depending on where you go in terms of the media landscape,

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Speaker 3: where you're consuming your news, you are consuming it through

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Speaker 3: a lens, a particular lens, particular POV and so you

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Speaker 3: know it is and again, very often it is not

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Speaker 3: with the too often it's not with us in mind

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Speaker 3: right in terms of how those stories are being told.

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Speaker 3: A lot of stories, you know, particularly if we talk

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Speaker 3: about Africa, for instance, maybe about war, tragedy, disease, you know, desperation, trauma,

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Speaker 3: paorn if you will, It's very different. When you get

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Speaker 3: to be in the position where you get to commission

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Speaker 3: stories and commission how what is told and how it

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Speaker 3: is shaped, it's deeply empowering.

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Speaker 2: It's interesting now because I feel like narratives have shifted.

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Speaker 2: I see so many people are like, I want to

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Speaker 2: buy land in Africa. I want to do this. Everybody

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Speaker 2: was going Aghana, yes, did you do that?

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Speaker 1: I did not.

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Speaker 2: I actually would rather go when everyone's not going. So

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Speaker 2: I was talking about that the only place I've been

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Speaker 2: is to South Africa and Johannesburg, and so that was

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Speaker 2: an amazing experience.

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Speaker 3: It's beautiful, Yeah, I mean, I do say it so

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Speaker 3: Africa for beginners though.

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Speaker 1: Yeah.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I was there for an event and for a

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Speaker 2: women's event.

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Speaker 1: But I also know that like that flight is no,

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Speaker 1: it is long. You gotta have like because I.

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Speaker 2: Was only there for a few days and I was like,

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Speaker 2: next time I go back, I need to be able

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Speaker 2: to be here for at least a couple of weeks.

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Speaker 3: You do, and to soak it up and to move

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Speaker 3: between Cape Town and Johannes Bug and you know, do

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Speaker 3: wine country. It is stunning. The people are amazing. But

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Speaker 3: I do think that again I'm biased. I'm West African.

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Speaker 3: I like I fly my West African bias. I fly

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Speaker 3: that flag proudly. You need to come to West Africa.

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Speaker 3: You need to come. You need to come to Cirlian

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Speaker 3: for the food and for the beaches, and then obviously

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Speaker 3: you need to do Nigeria. And Ghana.

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Speaker 2: I want to say, when it came to the food there,

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Speaker 2: everything tastes so much more fresh. And I just think

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Speaker 2: about how there's certain things that we eat here that

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Speaker 2: are not even allowed, oh yeah, in other countries. And

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Speaker 2: it's like, I feel like America is the worst at

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Speaker 2: that when it comes to like what is the cheapest

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Speaker 2: way to get this done, to preserve it for the longest,

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Speaker 2: no matter what risk it is to our health.

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Speaker 1: And that's not just our food but also everything.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, everything, everything from our products, what we put in

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Speaker 3: on our skin, what we ingest pharmaceutically, what we eat

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Speaker 3: on our dinner tables. Everything. The level of regulation here

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Speaker 3: is so prone to manipulation, you know. And these large

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Speaker 3: corporations how they move is is they move here so

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Speaker 3: differently from the way they move in Europe and other

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Speaker 3: possible We know that just in terms of the OPI

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Speaker 3: old crisis, right, what they were able to get on

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Speaker 3: shelves here that they weren't able to get on shelves

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Speaker 3: in Europe. So we know that our regulation there is

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Speaker 3: there's some gaps which ultimately leave us as the victims.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I tasted the difference.

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Speaker 2: You can taste it in the food, I was like this,

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Speaker 2: it just feels amazing.

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Speaker 3: You know. I'll also say this like just being in Africa,

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Speaker 3: the sun, the vibe, like the food just feels it tastes,

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Speaker 3: everything feels different, tastes differently. Your sensations are rewired to

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Speaker 3: experience life differently.

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Speaker 2: And yeah, and I think even with movies, with media

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Speaker 2: with people actually traveling and going and the music, I

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Speaker 2: mean when it comes to afrobeats and how that's also

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Speaker 2: united everybody and made people feel like this is where

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Speaker 2: I want to be and I want to go here.

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Speaker 1: I think that also our plays a large part.

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Speaker 3: Listen, the music and the afrobeats being the export, like

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Speaker 3: the continent's biggest creative export at this moment in time

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Speaker 3: is amazing to watch. I mean, we have a podcast

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Speaker 3: that we're doing as under the Okay Africa banner, Afrobeats Intelligence,

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Speaker 3: posted by Joey Aikhon, and it is an amazing show

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Speaker 3: where he gives you a front row view to how

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Speaker 3: the industry is being shaped, that the executives, the artists.

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Speaker 3: We just shot with you a Savage a few days ago.

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Speaker 3: Joe boy loj like great guests in this season and

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Speaker 3: just to hear and in those conversations how it has

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Speaker 3: moved from back in twenty sixteen when it really start

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Speaker 3: to take off to where it is now where people

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Speaker 3: are selling out MSG right.

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Speaker 1: Right, that's wild. Yeah, like breaking records.

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Speaker 3: Breaking records, seeing you know, burna Boy doing boss you

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Speaker 3: know campaigns, and you know, seeing you know Thames on

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Speaker 3: the red carpet at the met Gala. You know, these

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Speaker 3: people have become global superstars and it's not just the

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Speaker 3: music they're bringing, it's the culture right and opening a

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Speaker 3: window to Africa for people, And as an African, I mean,

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Speaker 3: that's that's just beautiful.

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Speaker 2: Even seeing like you know what I was just thinking

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Speaker 2: about culturally too, sometimes like what happens in certain parts

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Speaker 2: of Africa and how we perceive it here is just

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Speaker 2: so different. And I think that's you know too, even

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Speaker 2: like if we look at how we use words here

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Speaker 2: and how they're Yeah, you know what, but we also

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Speaker 2: have to be accepting of that, because I do think

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Speaker 2: sometimes Americans can be really arrogant and thinking that we're

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Speaker 2: the center of everything. Yeah, I mean, I mean it's

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Speaker 2: the truth when I travel, because I also think traveling

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Speaker 2: and for you, it's fascinating to me because You've lived

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Speaker 2: in all these different places, right, so you're a person

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Speaker 2: that's culture. But I also feel like that makes you

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Speaker 2: also have a lot more acceptance and understanding of people

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Speaker 2: who are different than you.

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Speaker 3: I am so grateful for my journey. You know, I

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Speaker 3: was born in England, my parents are from Sera Leone.

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Speaker 3: I live in America, so I'm what they call third culture, right,

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Speaker 3: and now I have a daughter who was born in America.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna talk about that in a set and.

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Speaker 3: So you know, it is amazing to have experienced all

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Speaker 3: these different cultures and to have that understanding, that insight,

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Speaker 3: and I think it makes you more empathetic. I think

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Speaker 3: it makes you more open minded. I think that's what

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Speaker 3: travel does, and it allows me. I like to think

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Speaker 3: it allows me to move through the world with a

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Speaker 3: level of ease, is you know, just by virtue of

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Speaker 3: those different experiences.

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Speaker 2: Now, you just mentioned your daughter, and when I first

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Speaker 2: met you, I had to come up to you and

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Speaker 2: tell you that that story to me is something that

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Speaker 2: is just beautiful. You decided you wanted to have a baby,

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Speaker 2: but you had gotten divorced. Yeah, I saw you posting

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Speaker 2: on Valentine's Day wedding dress from.

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Speaker 1: Out of storage. I seen it until that day, that's

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Speaker 1: you know.

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Speaker 3: But there was like the box came out and I

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Speaker 3: was like, oh, that's where it is. I wonder that

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Speaker 3: had gone and what condition it was in. And I

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Speaker 3: pulled out the dress and I was like, whoa. I

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Speaker 3: like a different time and place and when I you know,

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Speaker 3: I wore it. Well, first of all, my life was

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Speaker 3: so different. I think I got married in my very

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Speaker 3: late Thursday. I think I might have been thirty seven,

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Speaker 3: and at that point I thought, you know, it's going

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Speaker 3: to get married and have a baby and it would

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Speaker 3: just be very straightforward. My mom walked me down the aisle.

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Speaker 3: At age forty, I was getting a divorce. So it

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Speaker 3: was a very short lived marriage. I have like closed

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Speaker 3: that are older than my then the marriage no shade

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Speaker 3: to my ex husband, who's a good, good man, just

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Speaker 3: not my man, as I like to say. And by

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Speaker 3: forty I was divorced and my mom had a catastrophic stroke.

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Speaker 3: And then I spent like six years really just focused

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Speaker 3: on her recovery, which sadly just did not go as planned.

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Speaker 3: And I got to like forty six and I thought, wow, like,

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Speaker 3: first of all, where did six years go and I

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Speaker 3: my mother's illness did a lot for me. It really

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Speaker 3: gave me, and it gave me important perspective. My mother

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Speaker 3: was an incredibly accomplished politician, academic, the first woman to

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Speaker 3: be on the ticket to be vice president in our country,

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Speaker 3: and so she helped me write the constitution, She helped

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Speaker 3: mediate peace when there was a civil war. She did

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Speaker 3: tremendous things. But here's the thing. I say all of that,

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Speaker 3: but when she took ill and had this catastrophic stroke,

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Speaker 3: it meant nothing, right, meant absolutely nothing. We strive for

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Speaker 3: these accolades, we strive to be in the room, we

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Speaker 3: strive for the assignments and these moments in the light.

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Speaker 3: But A, your health is everything. B. When you take ill,

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Speaker 3: it's really your family who are there for you if

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Speaker 3: they are right. And I realized that I was a

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Speaker 3: person who was there for my mum. And six years on,

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Speaker 3: I realized that CNN, all of this stuff that I've

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Speaker 3: done means nothing. I want to have a kid like.

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Speaker 3: It really grounded me and helped me understand what is important.

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Speaker 3: And I realized that my greatest regret in life. You know,

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Speaker 3: if I came to the end of my life, and

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Speaker 3: I was asked, what did I regret? It would have

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Speaker 3: been not having become a mother because I was chasing

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Speaker 3: glory or you know.

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Speaker 2: And that's an issue a lot of very accomplished and

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Speaker 2: successful women have, is that you kind of keep on

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Speaker 2: putting it off. Now, the conversation about freezing eggs is

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Speaker 2: such a way more something I never even thought about

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Speaker 2: when I was younger. Okay, so then you decided to.

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Speaker 3: So here's the thing. So I got to forty six,

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Speaker 3: and then I started dating an actor and you had

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Speaker 3: to curse on the show. Yes, okay, he was so shitty.

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Speaker 1: Right, but he still was like I was like.

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Speaker 3: But you know, and I was like forty six, forty

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Speaker 3: seven and I was like, okay, so let's see where

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Speaker 3: this is going. Could he be? I mean, he was

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Speaker 3: never going to be the one. I mean he was

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Speaker 3: again good guy but way too broken. But I was like,

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Speaker 3: in this really tortuous relationship which triggered all of my

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Speaker 3: like abandonment issues and just like it was just a lot,

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Speaker 3: and the relationship ended and I'll never forget. Like he

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Speaker 3: was like we was supposed to hang out and then

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Speaker 3: I lost min He's like I can't and I was

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Speaker 3: like boiling my eyes out and I was just like,

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Speaker 3: this is shit. And I remember I was in New

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Speaker 3: York at the time. It's like I'm going back to LA,

325
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Speaker 3: packed my bags, got to LA, and I thought, I

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Speaker 3: can't do this. Not only can I not do this relationship,

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Speaker 3: I can't wait for another shitty guy to like waste

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Speaker 3: more of my time. I'm just gonna have a kid.

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Speaker 3: I'm just like it was literally and I actually call

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Speaker 3: him my buddha. I call this guy my budder because

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Speaker 3: it was my path to enlighten me, Like I'm not mad.

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Speaker 1: At serve the purpose.

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Speaker 2: He served the purpose of you realizing what it is

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Speaker 2: that you wanted to do and to ass her because

335
00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:21,520
Speaker 2: you could have said, well, because a lot of times

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Speaker 2: I'm gonna do this too. You're like, I got to

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Speaker 2: hurry up and have a kid. Whoever i'm with, I'm

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Speaker 2: just gonna totally yeah. And then now I have to

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Speaker 2: deal with this person totally right.

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Speaker 3: And then I did see him while I was pregnant

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Speaker 3: and I said to him, I was like, he came

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Speaker 3: around and I was like, thank you so much for

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00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:37,520
Speaker 3: being so shitty, because you know, you led me to

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Speaker 3: this place. And he was like, can I be godparent?

345
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Speaker 3: I was like, fuck, no, you gotta be God god parism,

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Speaker 3: Oh you can't be god parents. So Menn like literally, so,

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Speaker 3: but now I have a twenty six month old beautiful girl.

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Speaker 1: I'm so cute. She has your whole face.

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Speaker 3: Thank you. I used a donor. I went through the site.

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00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,240
Speaker 3: I looked them up. Now so amazing. You can hear

351
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Speaker 3: their voices, they give them questions, they do all the screening,

352
00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:06,679
Speaker 3: all the testing. It's like it's a thing. It's not like,

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Speaker 3: oh those shoes sort of loo.

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Speaker 1: Can hear their voyage?

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00:17:09,080 --> 00:17:10,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, you can hear their voice.

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Speaker 1: Do you get to keep that?

357
00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:15,439
Speaker 3: So? Yeah? And you get baby pictures? And and for me,

358
00:17:15,680 --> 00:17:18,679
Speaker 3: the donor that I chose, I was struck by his

359
00:17:18,960 --> 00:17:24,000
Speaker 3: acknowledgments of the importance and the power of Africa and

360
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Speaker 3: how it's like at the center of civilization and how

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Speaker 3: more people should go And I just found that really

362
00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:31,760
Speaker 3: that is amazing, really touching that he had that do they.

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Speaker 1: Have the aption of if they went to ever meet? Okay?

364
00:17:34,400 --> 00:17:35,119
Speaker 1: Did he want to?

365
00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:35,479
Speaker 3: No?

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Speaker 1: Okay?

367
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Speaker 3: And I chose him because of that, Like this macket,

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00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:44,200
Speaker 3: all right, that's what that I can deal with. You so,

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00:17:44,560 --> 00:17:46,480
Speaker 3: but you know, I also am aware of the fact

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Speaker 3: that where we are with genetics and things, you know,

371
00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,879
Speaker 3: ten years from now, she will if she wants to,

372
00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:53,840
Speaker 3: probably be able to find him if she wants to,

373
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Speaker 3: right right, just by virtue of the way science.

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Speaker 1: Because he do that.

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Speaker 3: My cousin's cousin.

376
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Speaker 2: People find out who their parents aren't to I know,

377
00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:09,280
Speaker 2: say that happen like my whole life.

378
00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:10,439
Speaker 1: This was my dad and.

379
00:18:11,119 --> 00:18:16,800
Speaker 3: It's my uncle. So I'm grateful. People often ask me,

380
00:18:16,840 --> 00:18:19,080
Speaker 3: They're like, do you do you miss not having a

381
00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,040
Speaker 3: man as part of the experience, but you can't miss

382
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Speaker 3: what you never had. And I have a lot. I

383
00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:27,720
Speaker 3: have a really great village around me that were around

384
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:31,080
Speaker 3: me as I was going through the pregnancy, and I

385
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Speaker 3: you know, I had my baby, and my daughter has

386
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Speaker 3: a lot of like I have a brother. I have

387
00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:39,080
Speaker 3: lots of great men in my life who provide that

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Speaker 3: male figure.

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Speaker 1: Did you date while you were pregnant?

390
00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:45,360
Speaker 2: I'm just asking because some people would feel, like I've

391
00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:46,600
Speaker 2: seen it in movies that yeah.

392
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Speaker 3: And they feel vulnerable and they want you know when

393
00:18:48,480 --> 00:18:53,800
Speaker 3: I get it. I get it. No, No, no, I didn't.

394
00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,439
Speaker 3: And even now I think a lot about people ask me.

395
00:18:56,440 --> 00:18:58,440
Speaker 3: They're like, will you remarry? Like, how do you feel

396
00:18:58,480 --> 00:19:02,879
Speaker 3: about dating? I'm totally open to it, but I always

397
00:19:02,880 --> 00:19:05,879
Speaker 3: say he has to be worthy of us, and he

398
00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,560
Speaker 3: has to be a person of great moral character, someone

399
00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,200
Speaker 3: who's stable and settled, preferably someone who's been married before

400
00:19:13,440 --> 00:19:17,480
Speaker 3: so they've done this before. But yeah, and someone who's

401
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,480
Speaker 3: just not out looking to run streets.

402
00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:22,119
Speaker 1: Okay, so maybe not somebody younger.

403
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:24,600
Speaker 3: Funnily enough, all the men I end up like dating.

404
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,040
Speaker 1: Ten to be younger than you look very young.

405
00:19:26,160 --> 00:19:29,840
Speaker 3: I mean I'm forty nine, which is great, so thank you.

406
00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:32,360
Speaker 3: So most of the time it meant ask slightly. Even

407
00:19:32,359 --> 00:19:34,879
Speaker 3: my ex husband was slightly younger than me. But it's

408
00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:37,680
Speaker 3: I think they just have to pass or cross certain

409
00:19:37,720 --> 00:19:41,800
Speaker 3: thresholds of life, have been through certain trials at which

410
00:19:41,840 --> 00:19:44,600
Speaker 3: point it's not the age per se, it's the life experience,

411
00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:46,439
Speaker 3: which if they've done those things.

412
00:19:46,840 --> 00:19:50,160
Speaker 2: Yeah, Because I think people in different, even in different

413
00:19:50,520 --> 00:19:53,840
Speaker 2: cities here in the US, they're different when it comes

414
00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:54,760
Speaker 2: to maturity.

415
00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:57,639
Speaker 3: Yes, you tell me about that. What are you thinking?

416
00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:00,920
Speaker 3: Like between let's say New York, New yor New York Atlanta.

417
00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:03,400
Speaker 2: I feel like in New York people get married later

418
00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,080
Speaker 2: than they do, and say the Midwest, I feel like

419
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,000
Speaker 2: family starting earlier is more of a thing. Yes, like

420
00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:11,960
Speaker 2: people set it down earlier. And I also feel like

421
00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,000
Speaker 2: that about like, you know, further South. Great, but I

422
00:20:15,000 --> 00:20:17,199
Speaker 2: feel like New York might be the last place and

423
00:20:17,240 --> 00:20:19,280
Speaker 2: maybe La too, like people wait later.

424
00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:22,000
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean I would absolutely agree with that. I

425
00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:25,800
Speaker 3: think there's definitely a sense. I think maybe maybe it's

426
00:20:25,800 --> 00:20:27,320
Speaker 3: just there's so much more to do, there's so much

427
00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:30,120
Speaker 3: more life to be experienced. Yeah, I lived in Atlanta

428
00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:32,400
Speaker 3: for ten years. No shade to the folks in Atlanta,

429
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:34,040
Speaker 3: but it's like, what else am I going to do

430
00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:37,520
Speaker 3: if I don't get married round here? Right? So it's

431
00:20:37,560 --> 00:20:39,639
Speaker 3: just and I got married in Atlanta, So I'm speaking

432
00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,520
Speaker 3: from experience. That's you know, and so but in New York.

433
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Speaker 2: But and even for you making this decision right with IVF,

434
00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:48,879
Speaker 2: I know there's a lot of judgment that comes to that,

435
00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:52,280
Speaker 2: especially age wise, because people would be like, how dare

436
00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:55,520
Speaker 2: she you have a Yeah, baby, that's so selfish when

437
00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:58,399
Speaker 2: you're this, I've seen all of it online and so

438
00:20:58,760 --> 00:21:02,040
Speaker 2: not about you, but just in I probably say that

439
00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:04,080
Speaker 2: when somebody's like, I'm pregnant this is something we should

440
00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:07,320
Speaker 2: celebrate because, to be honest, you know, I was talking

441
00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:09,479
Speaker 2: to my girl laid them who's a doula. We had

442
00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:13,120
Speaker 2: this whole conversation about it, and yes, MAMAA love her.

443
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:14,520
Speaker 1: And she was just.

444
00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,560
Speaker 2: Saying how back in the day, people were dying a

445
00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:21,159
Speaker 2: lot earlier diseases. They weren't having the modern technology, the

446
00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,879
Speaker 2: science that we have now. So yes, it was a

447
00:21:23,880 --> 00:21:27,280
Speaker 2: lot riskier. But nowadays, if you take care of yourself,

448
00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:29,560
Speaker 2: and there's so many things that you can do, you

449
00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:32,320
Speaker 2: can be forty seven years old and.

450
00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:36,120
Speaker 3: Have a baby and live, you know, a long healthy

451
00:21:36,200 --> 00:21:39,280
Speaker 3: life and you know, God willing and be there for

452
00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:41,800
Speaker 3: your child till they reach you know, a level of

453
00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,960
Speaker 3: like adulthood, right, And so I don't think I you know, listen,

454
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:50,040
Speaker 3: my mother had me young, and now my mother's incapacitated, right,

455
00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,400
Speaker 3: So who knows how the dice is gonna roll? Right,

456
00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:55,440
Speaker 3: So there's someone who had a baby young and now

457
00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:56,520
Speaker 3: she's not here. Right.

458
00:21:56,560 --> 00:21:58,680
Speaker 1: You can't predict what's gonna happen and if it's.

459
00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:00,320
Speaker 3: Going to happen, and so you can't live in that

460
00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:02,840
Speaker 3: space of fear. I think all you can do is

461
00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:04,720
Speaker 3: make sure that the time you have with your child,

462
00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:08,560
Speaker 3: you are very present and you pour into them, and

463
00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:13,320
Speaker 3: you you you prioritize them, and you will be you

464
00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:16,720
Speaker 3: will be doing your part to create an amazing human being, right,

465
00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:18,400
Speaker 3: a good a person who does good in this world,

466
00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:21,240
Speaker 3: who brings light into this world. And the rest it's

467
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:22,200
Speaker 3: beyond your control.

468
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:25,439
Speaker 2: Now, your other baby is a ray of media. So

469
00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:27,679
Speaker 2: I want to make sure we discuss that you change.

470
00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:33,040
Speaker 2: So as far as creating something new and evolving what

471
00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:36,080
Speaker 2: that is as a media conglomorate, what made you say

472
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:37,600
Speaker 2: is time to change it in because I know there

473
00:22:37,640 --> 00:22:40,960
Speaker 2: was like some drama with the previous CEO saw Quest

474
00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,320
Speaker 2: Love even when he had posted there were some issues there.

475
00:22:44,200 --> 00:22:47,400
Speaker 3: Yeah, there was some. There was there was some there

476
00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:52,879
Speaker 3: was some darkness there in terms of chapters of past chapters.

477
00:22:52,920 --> 00:22:55,960
Speaker 3: Before I joined the company, and so it was previously

478
00:22:56,000 --> 00:22:58,359
Speaker 3: known as Okay Media, which is really a riff on

479
00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:00,919
Speaker 3: Okay Player Okay Africa, and so it was called Okay

480
00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:05,720
Speaker 3: Media and then there was this unfortunate chapter that you know,

481
00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:09,440
Speaker 3: brought a lot of disruption to the company, and the

482
00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,760
Speaker 3: person before me in this role left and so when

483
00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:18,480
Speaker 3: I joined the company, candidly, you know, I'm not one

484
00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,119
Speaker 3: for living my life in half measures of like just

485
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,879
Speaker 3: being okay, right, and so for me, the name always

486
00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,560
Speaker 3: felt a little bit kind of felt a little a

487
00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:32,240
Speaker 3: little just mediocre, like the brands themselves mean something, you know,

488
00:23:32,359 --> 00:23:36,159
Speaker 3: okay player, okay Africa, like they meant something, but okay media.

489
00:23:36,280 --> 00:23:38,119
Speaker 3: In and of itself, I always thought there could be

490
00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,840
Speaker 3: a more dynamic name, there could be something that means more,

491
00:23:41,240 --> 00:23:43,520
Speaker 3: and so, in light of everything that had gone on,

492
00:23:44,359 --> 00:23:47,240
Speaker 3: I really just did not want to take that baggage

493
00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,760
Speaker 3: on myself, and so I came across the name A Rare,

494
00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:55,520
Speaker 3: which means sunshine and light, which to me was a

495
00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:58,600
Speaker 3: beautiful way of turning the page on the darkness that

496
00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,520
Speaker 3: had come before that dark chat perfect and I thought,

497
00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:05,040
Speaker 3: I also felt that it's also part of the mission,

498
00:24:05,119 --> 00:24:08,320
Speaker 3: right to bring our stories into the light. And so

499
00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,320
Speaker 3: that's why I settled on that name. And you again,

500
00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:13,680
Speaker 3: people always like, why did you change it? We needed

501
00:24:13,680 --> 00:24:14,760
Speaker 3: a new beginning.

502
00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:15,400
Speaker 1: You know what. I love.

503
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:17,640
Speaker 2: I saw an interview where you said you were wanted

504
00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,880
Speaker 2: to focus on meaningful work versus controversial and I think

505
00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:26,080
Speaker 2: that's a big significant difference because sometimes people think in

506
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:28,520
Speaker 2: order for it to hit. It's got to be controversy

507
00:24:28,680 --> 00:24:30,040
Speaker 2: because controversy sells.

508
00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:31,960
Speaker 1: And we see these you know.

509
00:24:32,440 --> 00:24:36,440
Speaker 2: These headlines that are just shocking that will make people

510
00:24:36,480 --> 00:24:39,320
Speaker 2: be like, it's clickbaity, and that's what gets people going.

511
00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:41,960
Speaker 2: But for you, it's more about being meaningful. It doesn't

512
00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:43,320
Speaker 2: have to be controversial.

513
00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's more about being meaningful, being impactful, right, I

514
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,320
Speaker 3: would say, you know, what we want to entertain, we

515
00:24:50,359 --> 00:24:53,160
Speaker 3: want to inform an uplift as well, and so it's

516
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,120
Speaker 3: really important that the work we do kind of broadens

517
00:24:56,119 --> 00:24:59,080
Speaker 3: people to rise and provides a different perspective, deepens their

518
00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:02,199
Speaker 3: knowledge and the in You can go other places if

519
00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,840
Speaker 3: you want clickbait stuff and listen, I'll click on it myself.

520
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:06,960
Speaker 1: But that doesn't mean I want to grow through social media.

521
00:25:07,000 --> 00:25:08,640
Speaker 3: I mean I want to be the producer of it.

522
00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:13,760
Speaker 3: And you know, again, people can chase numbers, and I

523
00:25:13,800 --> 00:25:16,760
Speaker 3: get it, media companies. You want audience, you want reach,

524
00:25:16,840 --> 00:25:20,880
Speaker 3: you want impressions. That's all important. But I would ask

525
00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:27,720
Speaker 3: whether I would question the durability or I'd question the

526
00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:32,120
Speaker 3: loyalty of those audiences and the sustainability of those things.

527
00:25:32,440 --> 00:25:34,000
Speaker 3: What we're trying to do is build I mean we're

528
00:25:34,040 --> 00:25:37,119
Speaker 3: twenty six years old. We're building something that endures because

529
00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:41,639
Speaker 3: it's meaningful, because it's high quality, because we are doing

530
00:25:41,680 --> 00:25:44,360
Speaker 3: it to serve a higher purpose.

531
00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:46,280
Speaker 1: What do you think about now?

532
00:25:46,320 --> 00:25:50,000
Speaker 2: Even just talking about journalistic integrity and things that are happening,

533
00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:52,399
Speaker 2: a lot of people are also covering this ditty trial,

534
00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:56,440
Speaker 2: and I'm seeing so many things online and a.

535
00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:59,640
Speaker 3: Lot of jokes too, and really troubling, and.

536
00:25:59,480 --> 00:26:02,480
Speaker 2: A lot of of incorrect reporting or people that maybe

537
00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:07,760
Speaker 2: aren't I could say, yeah, they're not necessarily qualified to

538
00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:11,480
Speaker 2: be able to explain what's really happening, because it also

539
00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:14,520
Speaker 2: gets very distracting, and people also will be reading things

540
00:26:14,560 --> 00:26:19,200
Speaker 2: that are just simply incorrect, so responsibly reporting on that

541
00:26:19,240 --> 00:26:23,000
Speaker 2: because everybody now is like online like girl in court today,

542
00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:25,480
Speaker 2: let me tell you, you know. And it's starting to

543
00:26:25,480 --> 00:26:30,000
Speaker 2: feel a little bit like people are also thinking, well,

544
00:26:30,000 --> 00:26:32,160
Speaker 2: what did he do wrong? He just was having freequfs.

545
00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,400
Speaker 2: He just likes to have sex. But they're not understanding

546
00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:36,919
Speaker 2: how this is all unfolding and working. Like even in

547
00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:40,320
Speaker 2: the first couple of days, I saw people just acting like, ah,

548
00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,359
Speaker 2: this is a why she's getting off Scott free.

549
00:26:42,359 --> 00:26:43,840
Speaker 1: But it's so early to be able to tell.

550
00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:46,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, I mean, I just think that the Diddy trial

551
00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:51,960
Speaker 3: is so I find it so disheartening in terms of

552
00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,439
Speaker 3: the reactions that have been online to Cassie's testimony and

553
00:26:56,480 --> 00:27:02,320
Speaker 3: how people have minimized this woman's trauma. And you know,

554
00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:05,959
Speaker 3: in some way, it's almost like in some places lionized.

555
00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:07,080
Speaker 1: You know, like she got thirty.

556
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,920
Speaker 3: But about you know, and it's you have all these

557
00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:14,920
Speaker 3: people now in the space where the bar to entry

558
00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:17,879
Speaker 3: for media and having your own platform has been lowered

559
00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,400
Speaker 3: through social media, everyone can click their camera and turn

560
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,399
Speaker 3: it on themselves and they can speak. You know, while

561
00:27:24,480 --> 00:27:30,119
Speaker 3: we love the democratization of access, it it comes with

562
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:32,479
Speaker 3: responsibility and the cost when now you have people who

563
00:27:32,560 --> 00:27:36,800
Speaker 3: are ill informed, ill prepared to deal with something as

564
00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:43,160
Speaker 3: complex and tragic as this, just spouting right and spouting

565
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:49,080
Speaker 3: wrong information, helping form really really wrong headed notions about this,

566
00:27:49,720 --> 00:27:53,199
Speaker 3: not legally trained, not in any way even mindful of

567
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:54,959
Speaker 3: the fact that some of the things are saying are

568
00:27:55,000 --> 00:27:59,240
Speaker 3: triggering to other survivors out there, like it's just the

569
00:27:59,320 --> 00:28:04,199
Speaker 3: whole thing. It's just to me, it's actually it's just

570
00:28:04,240 --> 00:28:07,639
Speaker 3: really disturbing to me. As you can tell this is

571
00:28:07,680 --> 00:28:10,639
Speaker 3: something that you know, I'm not saying you can't have

572
00:28:10,680 --> 00:28:14,040
Speaker 3: an opinion, but what people aren't doing is putting that caveat.

573
00:28:14,280 --> 00:28:17,800
Speaker 3: I'm not a lawyer, just my opinion, right and kind

574
00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:20,560
Speaker 3: of like and knowing how far to go right?

575
00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:20,880
Speaker 1: Right?

576
00:28:21,040 --> 00:28:22,600
Speaker 3: So do you have people like, as you say, saying, oh,

577
00:28:22,600 --> 00:28:24,440
Speaker 3: he's going to get off. They haven't proved that. It's

578
00:28:24,680 --> 00:28:29,159
Speaker 3: you know, ricompos rockets like what what do you know?

579
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:33,200
Speaker 1: Right? And it's still nowhere near It's nowhere done. Yeah,

580
00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:33,840
Speaker 1: nowhere near.

581
00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:34,840
Speaker 3: It's nowhere near done.

582
00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:37,720
Speaker 1: People were mad that kid Cutty took the stance, I know, but.

583
00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,720
Speaker 3: What does that say about? What does that say about

584
00:28:40,760 --> 00:28:44,840
Speaker 3: society that people mad that Kid Cutty spoke out and

585
00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:47,560
Speaker 3: people are mad that he's been that they're trying to

586
00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,560
Speaker 3: hold this man accountable? Why?

587
00:28:51,000 --> 00:28:51,720
Speaker 1: Right? Right?

588
00:28:52,040 --> 00:28:54,520
Speaker 3: Why? What does that say about how they value women

589
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,040
Speaker 3: or how they value our places and our safety and

590
00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:57,760
Speaker 3: our voices.

591
00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,640
Speaker 2: You know, it's interesting to see this happenings parallel with

592
00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,440
Speaker 2: you know, Meganistallion and people are attacking her at the

593
00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:05,040
Speaker 2: same time.

594
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,600
Speaker 3: Yeah, it is, it is, it is, you know, But

595
00:29:08,680 --> 00:29:10,400
Speaker 3: also it was just comes back to this thing, you know,

596
00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,680
Speaker 3: in terms of the value of black women's lives and

597
00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,640
Speaker 3: our safety, you know, and our bodily integrity, and how

598
00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:20,040
Speaker 3: somehow that's a toss up, like, you know, how much

599
00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:21,880
Speaker 3: do we care about them? Like how much do we

600
00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:24,280
Speaker 3: want to protect them versus you know, particularly if a

601
00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:29,280
Speaker 3: man's position is on the line or certainly being challenged.

602
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:33,640
Speaker 3: And I just find it like and I don't know

603
00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,720
Speaker 3: how we are going to correct that. I don't know

604
00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:38,800
Speaker 3: how we're going to correct that to have black men

605
00:29:38,960 --> 00:29:42,400
Speaker 3: understand that they should want us to be safe and

606
00:29:42,440 --> 00:29:44,800
Speaker 3: they should want to see the men who harm has

607
00:29:45,000 --> 00:29:48,920
Speaker 3: held accountable. You know, I don't know how we make

608
00:29:49,080 --> 00:29:52,840
Speaker 3: that the norm versus it always being about let's protect

609
00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,840
Speaker 3: powerful black men, right right, And I don't know what

610
00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:58,760
Speaker 3: that is about. I don't know why it is why

611
00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:03,160
Speaker 3: they are considered more important and that they feel that

612
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:05,440
Speaker 3: they should be able to get away with bad behavior.

613
00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:07,480
Speaker 3: I mean the R. Kelly thing as well, right.

614
00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:09,959
Speaker 2: And people don't understand why women are so find it

615
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,040
Speaker 2: difficult to even to.

616
00:30:11,960 --> 00:30:14,240
Speaker 3: Speak up when this is the reaction. When they're going

617
00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:14,640
Speaker 3: to able to.

618
00:30:14,720 --> 00:30:16,480
Speaker 1: Do speak, People have jokes.

619
00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,040
Speaker 2: People are attacking you, People are saying it's your part.

620
00:30:19,080 --> 00:30:21,320
Speaker 2: People are saying you wanted it. People are saying, well,

621
00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:25,280
Speaker 2: why didn't you say something the moment that it happened, And.

622
00:30:25,160 --> 00:30:26,160
Speaker 1: There's a lot of reasons.

623
00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,440
Speaker 3: There's a lot of reasons because there is the fear

624
00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,760
Speaker 3: of not being believed. There's the fact that you've in

625
00:30:32,840 --> 00:30:36,360
Speaker 3: many cases been groomed and psychologically broken to not even

626
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,120
Speaker 3: realize extent of the abuse you're enjuring, to somehow even

627
00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:42,280
Speaker 3: take on the blame that maybe in some cases of violence,

628
00:30:42,280 --> 00:30:44,680
Speaker 3: that somehow you ask for it and you're deserving of it.

629
00:30:44,760 --> 00:30:47,000
Speaker 3: To feel that there's you know, the shame if it

630
00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:50,120
Speaker 3: got out. There's so many complex reasons, and I just

631
00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:54,640
Speaker 3: wish those would be acknowledged. And then again, even when

632
00:30:54,800 --> 00:30:57,960
Speaker 3: first it goes and there's a range it's chi lying,

633
00:30:58,680 --> 00:31:01,400
Speaker 3: then it's oh she's telling the truth, but she deserves it,

634
00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,080
Speaker 3: or oh she's telling the truth, you don't deserve it, but

635
00:31:05,080 --> 00:31:05,920
Speaker 3: it ain't that bad.

636
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:07,840
Speaker 1: She got her money.

637
00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:08,560
Speaker 3: She got her money.

638
00:31:09,280 --> 00:31:12,200
Speaker 2: Because I think the other misconception is people think that

639
00:31:12,440 --> 00:31:15,640
Speaker 2: if you're doing a civil suit for money, that means

640
00:31:15,680 --> 00:31:18,600
Speaker 2: that's all you want. And that's the truth is that

641
00:31:18,880 --> 00:31:22,120
Speaker 2: certain cases like rape, it's very hard to prove. So

642
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,200
Speaker 2: a lot of times you have to because you can't

643
00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:26,920
Speaker 2: prove it beyond a reasonable That doesn't mean yeah.

644
00:31:26,920 --> 00:31:28,080
Speaker 3: You have to go, you have to go to the

645
00:31:28,120 --> 00:31:30,400
Speaker 3: civil right. And I will say this, and I said

646
00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:35,840
Speaker 3: I've said this before, my level of admiration for Cassie,

647
00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:41,680
Speaker 3: my level of deep appreciation for what she did, because

648
00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,680
Speaker 3: you we all have to acknowledge that what she did

649
00:31:45,200 --> 00:31:48,520
Speaker 3: wasn't just even about her. It was about every other

650
00:31:48,600 --> 00:31:51,960
Speaker 3: survivor and helping them understand that you don't have to

651
00:31:52,000 --> 00:31:54,680
Speaker 3: live in shame. Your life isn't over. You can start

652
00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:59,440
Speaker 3: again and you can rebuild. And that was the most

653
00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:04,160
Speaker 3: powerful example of that. And I am in deep, deep

654
00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,160
Speaker 3: awe of that woman and the strength it took at

655
00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:11,840
Speaker 3: her stage of pregnancy to do that and to look

656
00:32:11,920 --> 00:32:14,240
Speaker 3: him in the eye and say, this is what you

657
00:32:14,360 --> 00:32:16,720
Speaker 3: did to me. Now, it's a whole other case that

658
00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,120
Speaker 3: they have to prove, but the fact that she got

659
00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:23,000
Speaker 3: to say her part, right, I I you know, I

660
00:32:24,880 --> 00:32:27,080
Speaker 3: think she should be a Woman of the Year. I

661
00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:27,520
Speaker 3: really do.

662
00:32:27,680 --> 00:32:29,960
Speaker 2: I just I think, Okay, I mean, that was a

663
00:32:29,960 --> 00:32:31,560
Speaker 2: lot of things to have to get up there in

664
00:32:31,600 --> 00:32:34,680
Speaker 2: front of the world and say and be honest about.

665
00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:36,240
Speaker 3: In front of your parents, in front of your husband,

666
00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,640
Speaker 3: you know, even if they knew, even but to have

667
00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,920
Speaker 3: to say it publicly, knowing that the people who are

668
00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:44,840
Speaker 3: going to be judging her and looking at her. But

669
00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,400
Speaker 3: you know, I think what her husband said was again

670
00:32:47,520 --> 00:32:50,560
Speaker 3: also incredibly beautiful and moving. He did not heal her,

671
00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:52,160
Speaker 3: She healed herself.

672
00:32:52,520 --> 00:32:54,640
Speaker 2: And So for you thinking about now, like you said,

673
00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:59,040
Speaker 2: bringing that darkness that was with the previous CEO, and

674
00:32:59,040 --> 00:33:01,480
Speaker 2: how your style of leadership is and how you are

675
00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:07,120
Speaker 2: restructuring things at ARRAYA aka Okay Player and Okay Africa,

676
00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:08,800
Speaker 2: what can we look forward to?

677
00:33:09,560 --> 00:33:12,480
Speaker 3: Oh gosh, just so much. I mean we before these,

678
00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:14,760
Speaker 3: you know, in the last couple of years, before I joined,

679
00:33:14,800 --> 00:33:19,600
Speaker 3: these were straightforward, like just digital outlets, digital publications, websites.

680
00:33:19,680 --> 00:33:22,320
Speaker 3: Basically you could access us by going to our dot

681
00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:24,520
Speaker 3: coms or you could just go through to our socials.

682
00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:26,840
Speaker 3: But in the four years that I've been in the

683
00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:29,880
Speaker 3: CEO chair, the focus really has been on turning it

684
00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,000
Speaker 3: into a multimedia company. And so aside from the dot

685
00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:36,280
Speaker 3: coms and the socials we now have we have our

686
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:40,240
Speaker 3: own studios, Okay Player studios where we have digital originals

687
00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,280
Speaker 3: like digging, so any you know artists out there who

688
00:33:43,360 --> 00:33:44,840
Speaker 3: want to come in and then be part of the

689
00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:47,240
Speaker 3: show where you dig through creative records and talk about

690
00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:49,520
Speaker 3: what they mean to you. You get to pick your selection.

691
00:33:50,000 --> 00:33:52,360
Speaker 3: We have Okay, that's funny, our own comedy shows, so

692
00:33:52,360 --> 00:33:54,680
Speaker 3: we have digital originals, a whole slate of this, and

693
00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:59,520
Speaker 3: I started a podcast division with Almanac of Rap hosted

694
00:33:59,520 --> 00:34:01,719
Speaker 3: by Donald Well being our very first one.

695
00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:05,640
Speaker 1: That just want a web be congratulations. That's a big deal,

696
00:34:05,720 --> 00:34:06,120
Speaker 1: Thank you.

697
00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,040
Speaker 3: Thank you. And now we have a whole new state

698
00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:12,480
Speaker 3: of shows that are dropping in May, including Afrobeats Intelligence

699
00:34:12,520 --> 00:34:15,799
Speaker 3: that we talked about to be clear, hosted by Door

700
00:34:15,880 --> 00:34:17,800
Speaker 3: Montgomery with Freddie b TV.

701
00:34:18,280 --> 00:34:20,520
Speaker 1: I saw them at the event, which is amazing.

702
00:34:20,600 --> 00:34:23,520
Speaker 3: They are such a talented duo, sort of giving you

703
00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:27,040
Speaker 3: that that take on the news and what's happening through

704
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,960
Speaker 3: their own lens, sharp that they're funny and they're smart,

705
00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,319
Speaker 3: they're wicked smart. And then another show called Noahala, which

706
00:34:34,360 --> 00:34:37,440
Speaker 3: is sort of like a comedy skits show like Young Diasporan,

707
00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:40,319
Speaker 3: sort of like daily show, like just that kind of

708
00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:43,239
Speaker 3: witty take on what's happening. And then we also have

709
00:34:43,280 --> 00:34:45,440
Speaker 3: a show coming out much later in the year. We've

710
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:49,640
Speaker 3: shown COOTI for the Kuti's son that is going to

711
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,960
Speaker 3: take on more in Africa view and a kind of

712
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:55,440
Speaker 3: some might say a controversial view of some of the

713
00:34:55,520 --> 00:34:56,920
Speaker 3: narratives around Africa.

714
00:34:57,040 --> 00:34:59,880
Speaker 2: Okay, I'm looking forward to all of this, and I

715
00:35:00,000 --> 00:35:01,399
Speaker 2: I know when I was there, they're like, so, if

716
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:03,520
Speaker 2: you know anybody that you know has a.

717
00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:05,719
Speaker 3: Who wants to do a new show, who's got some

718
00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:08,799
Speaker 3: show ideas, somebody might want to partner, Like, we have

719
00:35:08,880 --> 00:35:13,359
Speaker 3: full production services, we have a great team. Obviously, we

720
00:35:13,440 --> 00:35:16,600
Speaker 3: have vibrant socials with big with big audience, big reach,

721
00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:17,800
Speaker 3: so we're looking to partner.

722
00:35:18,640 --> 00:35:21,040
Speaker 2: I love that and it's interesting. I was having this

723
00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:26,240
Speaker 2: conversation with people who are also starting podcasts or thinking

724
00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:29,279
Speaker 2: about it, and so some people feel like, well, it's

725
00:35:29,320 --> 00:35:32,680
Speaker 2: oversaturated right now, and I don't feel like there's space.

726
00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:35,359
Speaker 2: But I feel like things always break through when they're

727
00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:36,960
Speaker 2: really great and they're consistent.

728
00:35:37,160 --> 00:35:39,840
Speaker 3: Yes, I think I think that's the key. Consistency and

729
00:35:39,880 --> 00:35:44,440
Speaker 3: also patience. Yeah, overnight success.

730
00:35:44,040 --> 00:35:46,080
Speaker 2: People be thinking like, oh man, this only guy x

731
00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:47,360
Speaker 2: amount of these it is not working.

732
00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,400
Speaker 1: But it takes a while.

733
00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:50,520
Speaker 3: It takes one. When you look at the top ten

734
00:35:50,920 --> 00:35:54,200
Speaker 3: of podcasts currently, when you look at you know, whether

735
00:35:54,239 --> 00:35:57,000
Speaker 3: it's Omta Experts or whatever it is, they've been around

736
00:35:57,080 --> 00:35:59,920
Speaker 3: for a minute. None of those shows just like popped

737
00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:02,080
Speaker 3: up and just you know, storm to the top of

738
00:36:02,120 --> 00:36:05,080
Speaker 3: the charts. So it takes time. And also it takes

739
00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:07,760
Speaker 3: time for you to define, to like refine your craft

740
00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,040
Speaker 3: and your voice and really figure out what the show's

741
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:15,720
Speaker 3: hook is. And sometimes that's that iterative process takes time.

742
00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:17,239
Speaker 1: But this is great.

743
00:36:17,239 --> 00:36:18,920
Speaker 2: How do you see this growing in the future too,

744
00:36:18,960 --> 00:36:20,919
Speaker 2: because I know you already have plans. I mean you've

745
00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,600
Speaker 2: been there, you've been restructuring. It's kind of like a

746
00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:29,399
Speaker 2: full rebrand. And also, like we said, evolution is important too,

747
00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:32,200
Speaker 2: so taking it from what it was. It's been around,

748
00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:35,560
Speaker 2: as we know, for twenty six years, which is quite

749
00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:39,040
Speaker 2: some time. But in order to continue to grow, it's

750
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:39,840
Speaker 2: got to evolve.

751
00:36:40,040 --> 00:36:42,040
Speaker 3: It's got to evolve. It's got to evolve, and you know,

752
00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:44,680
Speaker 3: we want to make sure that we have a slate

753
00:36:44,719 --> 00:36:47,920
Speaker 3: of programming. I always say that now they're not a

754
00:36:47,960 --> 00:36:50,759
Speaker 3: great analogy today because share price continues to draw, but

755
00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:52,600
Speaker 3: like I would say that we're a little bit like Nike,

756
00:36:52,880 --> 00:36:57,200
Speaker 3: Like we are that brand where whether you're listening to

757
00:36:57,239 --> 00:36:59,840
Speaker 3: our podcast you're buying our merch you're getting our newsletter,

758
00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:02,320
Speaker 3: you're checking out on so there's something for you here.

759
00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:05,360
Speaker 3: And my mission is basically to make us a daily

760
00:37:05,400 --> 00:37:08,200
Speaker 3: habit for folks, a household name, so that at some

761
00:37:08,280 --> 00:37:11,560
Speaker 3: point in the day you are engaging with our content.

762
00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:16,040
Speaker 2: That newsletter helps. You know that newsletter. I get the newsletter.

763
00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:17,600
Speaker 2: It's quest left still involved.

764
00:37:18,719 --> 00:37:21,200
Speaker 3: You know. You know that man is one you know

765
00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:25,320
Speaker 3: for Oscars, and he's busy on the road producing multile films,

766
00:37:25,320 --> 00:37:27,839
Speaker 3: so he's not involved in the day to day, but

767
00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:29,560
Speaker 3: we like to think of him more like as a

768
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:33,160
Speaker 3: kind of like our spiritual godfather. Right at the stage,

769
00:37:33,600 --> 00:37:34,160
Speaker 3: all right.

770
00:37:34,080 --> 00:37:35,719
Speaker 2: Love it well, I said, thank you so much for

771
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:38,800
Speaker 2: coming through and when things are happening, whatever you need

772
00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,560
Speaker 2: for us to amplify. I know we're going to be

773
00:37:41,560 --> 00:37:43,759
Speaker 2: working with some of your podcasts two to come on

774
00:37:44,239 --> 00:37:46,520
Speaker 2: as on my podcast lip Service. We're going to have

775
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:48,440
Speaker 2: them on there too, because I do want to make

776
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:50,799
Speaker 2: sure that I'm working to us to elevate what's going on.

777
00:37:50,800 --> 00:37:53,759
Speaker 1: There and what you have, because I think you're amazing saying.

778
00:37:53,719 --> 00:37:55,799
Speaker 3: I think you're amazing too, And this has been such

779
00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,600
Speaker 3: a tread and super excited to see all the things

780
00:37:58,640 --> 00:38:00,799
Speaker 3: you're doing, and also just to congruct you for the

781
00:38:00,840 --> 00:38:03,120
Speaker 3: moves you've made to step into your own life.

782
00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:03,520
Speaker 1: Thank you.

783
00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:05,120
Speaker 2: You want a Gracy I just got back from the

784
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,600
Speaker 2: Gracies way. I just want to Gracie as well, so

785
00:38:07,719 --> 00:38:10,000
Speaker 2: we're proud of that. But the work that you've done,

786
00:38:10,719 --> 00:38:13,640
Speaker 2: you know, listen the Gracy Awards. I love that is

787
00:38:13,640 --> 00:38:16,480
Speaker 2: an amazing space to be in to see all these

788
00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:20,120
Speaker 2: other women who are empowering each other and so just

789
00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,359
Speaker 2: things like that I think are so important. But how

790
00:38:22,360 --> 00:38:24,640
Speaker 2: can people reach you if they're like or your team,

791
00:38:25,080 --> 00:38:25,960
Speaker 2: if they want to reach out?

792
00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:26,680
Speaker 1: What's the best way?

793
00:38:26,840 --> 00:38:32,560
Speaker 3: I think the West Listen, I mean slimantarium, You've a

794
00:38:32,640 --> 00:38:36,520
Speaker 3: clean slim and toar DMS, I am I am ixious

795
00:38:36,600 --> 00:38:39,560
Speaker 3: to say on ig reach out to us and you

796
00:38:39,600 --> 00:38:44,160
Speaker 3: know again we have reach out to Okay Player Online

797
00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,879
Speaker 3: or Okay Africa. You can directly DM the teams we're

798
00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:51,879
Speaker 3: constantly checking. But seriously, if you we're looking to grow

799
00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:54,440
Speaker 3: this family and we want more diverse voices, all ages,

800
00:38:54,480 --> 00:38:58,319
Speaker 3: all generations, as many stories as we can tell because

801
00:38:58,320 --> 00:39:00,040
Speaker 3: we're building something special.

802
00:39:00,040 --> 00:39:02,480
Speaker 2: All right, we might have something for you. Okay, perfect

803
00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:07,000
Speaker 2: all right when it's way up, way up,