Episode 122: Thembisa Mshaka

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This week, we talk to Thembisa Mshaka. Thembisa is an author, journalist, copywriter, filmmaker, and pretty much anything else you can imagine. In her career, she’s given the likes of Common and D’Angelo their first magazine covers as the rap editor of The Gavin Report; helped people like Nas, Lauryn Hill, and Beyonce sell over 150 million records during her time writing ad copy at Sony; and wrote and directed multiple film projects, from shorts to documentaries to features.

As if that wasn’t enough, she also found time to write the definitive how-to book for women in the entertainment business, Put Your Dreams First: Handle Your [entertainment] Business. Her latest film, Biscuit, has its New York City premiere this Saturday, October 3rd, at NYC’s Ocktober Film Festival.

Tracks featured in this episode:

1. The Click, “Mic Check”
2. Suga T, “Billy Badass”
3. MC Hammer, “Ring Em”
4. Too Short, “The Bitch Suck Dick”
5. Del the Funky Homosapien, “Catch A Bad One”
6. Freedom Troop 187, “Sad Song”
7. African Identity, “You Won’t Come to my Funeral”
8. Sway and King Tech, “The Anthem”
9. Method Man f/Mary J. Blige, “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By”
10. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, “1st Of Tha Month”
11. The Lady of Rage, “Afro Puffs”
12. Scarface, “A Minute to Pray and a Second to Die”
13. Illmatic 10th Anniversary promo
14. Nas, “Ether”
15. Jermaine Dupri f/Jay Z, “Money Ain’t a Thang”
16. Beyoncé Dangerously In Love promo
17. Throwing Shade: House of New York Trailer
18. Madonna, “Vogue”
19. The Notorious B.I.G., “Big Poppa”

Show notes:

1. Forbes, “#GrapeGate: An Old Lyric Inspires Renewed Debate”