Grits and Eggs Podcast

T.I., American rapper, actor, and entrepreneur known as a Southern hip-hop pioneer, shares his pivot into comedy and the therapeutic power of stand-up. He talks building reputation versus tearing others down. He reflects on pausing retirement, planning a final album with legendary collaborators, and why killing the ego leads to humility and growth.

Tye Harris, a classically trained pianist-turned-rapper from Dallas, blends piano performance with hard-hitting rap. He discusses crafting piano-plus-DJ live shows, navigating racism and club culture, protecting entertainers on tour, and dreaming of orchestras and symphony halls. Conversations touch on teaching himself piano, surprising audience reactions, and ambitious collaborations.

They unpack what it means to call America a war machine and map steps for surviving its influence. Conversations move from geopolitics and Iran-Israel tensions to critiques of institutions like the FBI. Community, radicalization, and organizing models such as NOI and FOI get highlighted. Listeners hear practical calls about housing, careers, and local politics.

DeRay Mckesson is the Executive Director of Campaign Zero, a social justice organization leading nationwide structural change to create equity and justice in our criminal legal system. He is an American civil rights activist, progressive podcaster, and former school administrator. An early supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement, he has been active in the protests in Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore, Maryland and on social media outlets such as Twitter and Instagram. He came with the facts and numbers! He was literally blowing my mind! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FD Signifier, a YouTube video essayist who turns scholarly critique into accessible radical commentary. Conversations range from parenting and gaming culture to building longform media, navigating online backlash, algorithmic limits on radical Black thought, and a deep preview of an upcoming Tyler Perry video essay.

Ashley Allison is a media entrepreneur, creator, advocate, organizer and thought leader, who seamlessly bridges the gap between culture and politics. She is the Founder and CEO of Watering Hole Media, a social impact media company driving cultural conversations and specializing in video-first content for diverse audiences. Ashley is also a political commentator for CNN. Ashley previously served as a senior advisor in the Obama-Biden White House. As the National Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris 2020 presidential campaign, she led nearly 500 staff to activate the most robust coalition of voters in modern history. Ashley’s background also includes her tenure as the Executive Vice President for The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, where she spearheaded campaigns to protect the right to vote for millions of Americans and helped to get the citizen question removed from the 2020 census form. Ashley began her career as a high school special education teacher in Bedford Stuyvesant Brooklyn, New York and earned her master’s in education. She earned her law degree, with a specialty in public interest law from Brooklyn Law School, and her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University. And so much more, enjoy the episode Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Justin Scott, a writer and commentator known for viral video essays and political analysis, discusses selfhood, isolation, and how systems erase personhood. Short, punchy conversations cover joy as resistance, narrative warfare and democracy’s weaponized stories. They also unpack capitalism’s instrumentality, media limits, and reclaiming agency to say no.

Bri (Bree) Woodson, a mental health pro, creator known as the "controversial blonde," and congressional candidate in Georgia. She talks about running as a young Black woman across a 22-county rural district. Conversations cover TikTok-fueled grassroots fundraising, rural healthcare and broadband gaps, parity in mental health coverage, and balancing campaigning with self-care and creativity.

A lively rundown of Black music pioneers and Detroit's role in punk and techno. A deep dive into house music's Chicago origins and cultural theft debates. Raw reactions to a major rap release and stories about comedy tapings and indie touring. A fiery rant calling for accountability, previews of political conversation, and practical parenting and safety advice.

Dr. Taylor Cummings, educational psychologist and researcher focused on decolonizing education and Black belonging. Conversations cover slowing down as resistance, reclaiming belonging to self over institutions, creating community spaces like Soul Sunday and The Lab, protecting intellectual ownership, music and healing, and practical strategies for survival, solidarity, and accessible teaching.