El Jones

Jay Smooth, hip-hop broadcaster and culture critic, offers media and propaganda analysis. El Jones, poet and politics professor, links race, protest and scholarship. Lyz Lenz, Midwestern author and reporter, describes on-the-ground Minnesota scenes. They discuss surveillance, who controls images, how dystopian touchstones like 1984 shape meaning, and the power and limits of violent or viral footage.

Kathryn VanArendonk, a culture critic from Vulture, discusses the political nuances of 'The Diplomat' and compares it to the 'West Wing.' El Jones, a poet and political commentator, explores how U.S. politics influences geopolitical narratives in film. They also analyze Catherine Bigelow's 'A House of Dynamite' and its portrayal of military narratives. Music journalist Natalie Harmsen reviews Daniel Caesar's new album, highlighting its spiritual themes and family influences, while critiquing the lyrical depth compared to his previous works.

Radheyan Simonpillai talks with El Jones, a Halifax poet and professor who brings African Nova Scotian history and literary context; Reanna Cruz, a music critic who dissects performance and cultural politics; and Rosa Clemente, an organizer and Afro-Latinx political commentator. They debate Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language Super Bowl halftime performance, its political symbolism and production, and unpack Aquakultre’s history-rich album 1783.