Share

cover art for Profiling Britain's Biggest Rap And Grime Stars | Writer Aniefiok ‘Neef’ Ekpoudom

Storyteller with Lisa Golden

Profiling Britain's Biggest Rap And Grime Stars | Writer Aniefiok ‘Neef’ Ekpoudom

Season 2, Ep. 1
•

We are starting season two with our feet planted firmly in 2021. I want to use this podcast to learn more about the world and the wonderful people who occupy it. I hope by following my curiosity, scratching my own itch, I can make something of value that will help expand how you see the world. 


The world of music is one I’ve never been super engaged in. I’ve never been ahead of the curve, I tend to find out about artists a few years after everyone else. I have the 80s Hits playlist on repeat on Spotify. Any vaguely cool music I like was collected in my early twenties. And I’m fine with that. I knew I officially became old when I looked at the red carpet to the last MET Gala and didn’t know who most of the people were. I was excited to see Rihanna. 


But what was really grabbing my interest was the bevy of music talents who dominate the British music charts and are finding success all around the world. J-Hus. Kano. The rapper Pa Salieu topped the BBC Sound of 2021, an honour given to artists like Sam Smith, Michael Kiwanuka and Adele. 


While I don’t know the scene well, I do know that art reflects society, and I want to know more about the Britain that these genres, rap, grime, drill, dancehall, reflect about celebrity and culture of this strange island in these strange, unsettling times. 


This week’s guest is Aniefiok ‘Neef’ Ekpoudom, a writer who focuses on the ties between British music and culture. His works spans a variety of formats but he caught my eye with his compelling, sensitively written profiles of some of the biggest names in British music today.


There were two things I wanted to learn more about from Neef - firstly, what it means to profile celebrities in an age where they can choose to give away so much of their lives on social media, and why it’s important to place them in a wider context of society. And secondly, I wanted to hear his thoughts on the music scene some of the biggest stars he’s profiled are creating and coming from. 


SHOW NOTES:

Follow Neef on Twitter here and see more of his work here on his website

Find his Guardian pieces here


Send host Lisa Golden your thoughts about the show on

Twitter @lisajozi or @storytellerpod1

Instagram @lisagoldenjozi or @storyteller_pod


More episodes

View all episodes

  • 8. Millennials Seeking Spirituality | Former Chosen Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids Philip Carr-Gomm

    49:19||Season 2, Ep. 8
    Do you consider yourself a spiritual person? This week on Storyteller, host Lisa Golden speaks to author, psychologist and former Chosen Chief of The Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Philip Carr-Gomm, about what modern spirituality looks like for those who've moved away from the formal religions of their childhoods. In this wide-ranging topic they cover the background and foundation of the modern Druid order, if more millennials are seeking religion after the isolation and reconnection with nature brought on by the pandemic, and why Carr-Gomm describes himself as an "incurable optimist."

  • The Love Interest | Storyteller Basics

    30:33||Season 2
    Are you ready for some storytelling school? Today's class - the love interestQueer Creative's founder Cathie Swan takes us on a deep-dive into how the deepest human desire to find love has been used to write some truly terrible love interests over the years. Using 2007's blockbuster hit Next starring Nicolas Cage and Jessica Biel, Cathie guides us through this peak of speechless, directionless female love interests in big Hollywood movies. Lisa and Cathie discuss how love interests can be sufficiently developed alongside a protagonist when time and attention is limited, the cheesy awfulness of 2000s movie trailers and if in general love interests are getting more interesting in the 2020s. All the links you could possibly want below:Storyteller websiteStoryteller InstagramStoryteller TwitterLisa InstagramLisa TwitterQueer Creatives websiteQueer Creatives TwitterQueer Creatives InstagramCathie Twitter

  • 7. The Evolving Meaning Of Burnout | Professor Gail Kinman

    48:39||Season 2, Ep. 7
    Are we all burnt out?The term became so ubiquitous during the pandemic it came close to losing its meaning. However for many people struggling to managing the stresses of lockdown, childcare, demanding jobs and economic uncertainty, it became a way to communicate something quickly and with limited vulnerability. "I'm burned out" became a way to say many other things. Burnout does have a clear definition though. This week on the podcast, occupational health psychologist and researcher Professor Gail Kinman guides us through what we mean we we say burnout. Host Does using it as a catch-all phrase make is meaningless? What is emotional labour? And very importantly - what's going on when we cry at work?You can follow Prof Kinman on Twitter hereFor more episodes of Storyteller or to drop us message, go to https://www.welcometostoryteller.uk/

  • Storyteller is back! (An apology)

    03:40||Season 2
    Hello fellow Storytellers!This is a quick updates and apology for the pause in interviews. Lisa is back next week with some of the world's most interesting and dynamic storytellers, as well as new episodes of Storyteller Basics where we can all learn more about the craft of storytelling. Thank you for your patience and please check out the new website for the show.Onwards!

  • The Hero’s Journey with The Matrix | Storyteller Basics

    35:22||Season 2
    We’re trying something new over at Storyteller HQ! After the success of the Story Spine episode, host Lisa Golden and Cathie Swan from Queer Creatives UK are back to cover some of the most interesting storytelling basics!This week we dig into The Hero’s Journey. This storytelling framework is part theory, part philosophy.Lisa takes Cathie through the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey, using the 1999 blockbuster hit The Matrix as an example. How does one of the most famous storytelling tools show up in Hollywood, why do our mentors need to be mystical and is this all linked to psychedelics or the Men’s Rights Movement?

  • 6. The Stories Of Our Panic Years | Writer Nell Frizzell

    56:22||Season 2, Ep. 6
    The story of motherhood is one of the most powerful narratives in women’s lives from a very early age. Whether you dream of a large brood or are determined to never have kids, the question becomes magnified when you reach your late twenties and early thirties. Writer Nell Frizzell has written about the pressure of this period in her and other women’s lives, aptly naming them, The Panic Years. In this episode of Storyteller, Frizzell shares her process of writing the book, how the pandemic has increased these pressures on many people and the wonder of both giving birth and then writing it in all its vivid, heroic glory.Show notes:Buy The Panic Years at Bookshop.org (support independent book shops!), Waterstones or Amazon.Find out more about Nell Frizzell on her website, follow her on Twitter and listen to her podcast.  Listen to Storyteller anywhere you get podcastsFollow Storyteller on Instagram @storyteller_pod and on Twitter @storytellerpod1Follow host Lisa Golden on Instagram @lisagoldenjozi and Twitter @lisajoziEmail the show at storytellerpod[@]gmail.com

  • 5. What's Your Money Story? | Pennies To Pounds Founder Kia Commodore

    32:36||Season 2, Ep. 5
    Do you find it hard to talk about money? In the household where you grew up, did the adults talk about money? Was it a source of stress, or a source of power?Money can sometimes seem like it’s not from the world of storytelling. It’s cold, hard. Lines on a sheet. Digital transactions whooshing around the globe. But the stories we learn and we tell about money dominate a huge portion of our lives. For some, it measures our worth. For others, our vulnerability. Issues around money can be deeply interwoven with shame, secrecy. If money is unfeeling, transactional, clinical, our feelings are anything but. Which is why I was so glad to have Kia Commodore on the podcast this week. Kia is the founder of Pennies to Pounds, a financial literacy platform which makes learning about money straightforward, clear and manageable. I first heard Kia on her podcast of the same name. I was impressed by her caring directness, and the engaged and excited reaction she was getting online showed that she had tapped into something that a generation that is living in an ever-more complex world of financial tools was desperate for someone to guide them through. So whether you're struggling or a financial whizz, I hope you can take something away from Kia’s cool-headed, but warm-hearted approach to finances. Show notes:Pennies to Pounds WebsitePennies to Pounds TwitterPennies to Pounds InstagramKia Commodore on LinkedInKia Commodore on TwitterKia Commodore on InstagramListen to Storyteller anywhere you get podcastsFollow Storyteller on Instagram @storyteller_pod and on Twitter @storytellerpod1Follow host Lisa Golden on Instagram @lisagoldenjozi and Twitter @lisajoziEmail the show at storytellerpod[@]gmail.com

  • 4. Can You Challenge Your Perceptions? | Writer, Podcaster and Coach Tiffany Philippou

    42:44||Season 2, Ep. 4
    How can we challenge our perceptions around work, love and life that may not be serving us?Writer and podcast host Tiffany Philippou bases her various forms of storytelling from this perspective. From taking on the messy parts of work on her podcast Is This Working?, to her weekly newsletter, to working as a coach, Tiffany is looking for ways to make life better for all of us. We speak about Tiffany’s upcoming memoir, Unspoken: what one person’s death taught me about life, which covers the tragic death of her boyfriend in university by suicide and the decade that followed. Show notes:Learn more about Tiffany Philippou at her websiteLearn more about her upcoming memoir, Unspoken: what one person’s death taught me about life Follow Tiffany on Instagram here and on Twitter hereListen to Is This Working? hereSign up for The Tiff Weekly hereIf you or anyone you know needs to speak to someone, you can phone the Samaritans in the UK at 116 123. If you’re in the US, The Naitonal Suicide Prevention Hotline is 1-800-273-8255And here is the handy Pomodoro timer! If you want to listen to last week's podcast with Sam Furness, have a listen here. Listen to Storyteller anywhere you get podcastsFollow Storyteller on Instagram @storyteller_pod and on Twitter @storytellerpod1Follow host Lisa Golden on Instagram @lisagoldenjozi and Twitter @lisajoziEmail the show at storytellerpod[@]gmail.com

  • 3. Sparking Your Creative Curiosity | Artist and Channel Twelve Founder Sam Furness

    49:39||Season 2, Ep. 3
    How do you cultivate creativity in your everyday life?This week on the pod, founder and quest leader at Channel Twelve, Sam Furness, tells us about his journey to becoming a “parallel pather”. Alongside his work as a music artist manager at Everybody’s Management, Sam started experimenting with ways to bring curiosity and creativity into his everyday life. Lisa and Sam talk about his love of songwriting, what it means to hold space for people to explore and finding inspiration in Zen Buddhism and Eclecticism.Show notes:Find out more atChannel Twelve websiteChannel Twelve on InstagramTo find out more about the creative quests sign up for the newsletter hereSam Furness websiteSam Furness InstagramListen to Storyteller anywhere you get podcastsFollow Storyteller on Instagram @storyteller_pod and on Twitter @storytellerpod1Follow host Lisa Golden on Instagram @lisagoldenjozi and Twitter @lisajoziEmail the show at storytellerpod[@]gmail.com