Love + Grit

The Roots Picnic was loaded with legends and Black-owned businesses! Creative ambassadors Tina Dixon Spence, Shanti Mayers, Thomas (Tom) Davis and Kimberly McGlonn join Justin and Laiya for Philly trivia live on the Roots Picnic podcast stage. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, we had to ask questions around Philly’s musical influences. Can you finish the lyrics to Eve’s Grammy award winning “Let Me Blow Ya Mind?” Can you name the song that won the first award for Best Rap Performance presented to DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince? And it wouldn’t be Philly trivia without asking one of our audience members to list three of the best cheesesteak spots in Philadelphia. 

We’re listening back at some of our favorite interviews and this week we have three dope guests: VINCINT, Dyana Williams and Charisse McGill! First up we’re celebrating Pride with VINCINT. You know him from the hit show The Four and hearing his voice in the theme song of Queer Eye that was based in Philadelphia. We’re also celebrating Dyana Williams aka the mother of Black Music Month discussing how Black music has touched everyone in some way. And it wouldn’t be love or grit without celebrating food! Charisse McGill, the first Black woman to vend at Spruce Street Harbor Park and the first Black woman in Pennsylvania with her own craft beer, was recently featured on NBC’s The Today Show. 

We’re listening back at some of our favorite interviews and this week we have Ellen Yin and Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon! Ellen Yin’s name is synonymous with the hospitality industry. She recently celebrated 25 years of Fork, one of her many restaurants under the High Street Hospitality Group ownership. Ellen is also up for Outstanding Restaurateur in this year’s James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. Another James Beard Award nominee, Chef Chutatip "Nok" Suntaranon recently moved her Kalaya Thai restaurant to the bustling Fishtown neighborhood. And Chef Nok is no stranger to accolades. In 2020, Esquire named Kalaya the Best Restaurant in America. 

We’re listening back at some of our favorite episodes and this week we have Questlove and Roberto Lugo! Did you know Roberto Lugo, born in the Kensington neighborhood of Philly, has been featured in museums across the country including the Metropolitan Museum of Art? He’s also behind the Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter mural right outside the Clay Studio building. Yes, Black Thought from the Legendary Roots Crew who Questlove is also a member of. And just in case you needed a reminder of who Questlove is: musical director of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; cofounder of digital music and media platforms Okayplayer and OkayAfrica; a James Beard Award-nominated cookbook author; plant-based cheesesteak maker and more.  

James Jones, Lawrence Harrington and George Morse are representing Philly locally and nationally. First up, Harrington and Morse, both captains of the local Black Men Run chapter, explain the ins and outs of one of Philly's favorite running clubs which has been making its mark on the streets and communities of Philadelphia for over a decade. However, their mission goes beyond running, taking their core values of Brotherhood, Unity, and Health into the communities they run through. Next up, Jones was planning events in Philly before becoming a contestant on CBS's Survivor season 43. Spoiler alert: Although he didn’t win the $1 million cash prize, he is now curating vibes for all in our city.  

Kimberly McGlonn and Jill Scott are two Philly queens making great moves in the “City of Sisterly Affection.” Black Ivy Thrift Store is an innovative shoppable museum that honors our past. You may remember McGlonn from her activism work and especially for her super dope store, Grant Blvd. McGlonn returns to the Love + Grit podcast to talk about her new project. Next up, Laiya has a one-on-one session with Philly’s own Grammy-award winning Jill Scott! She recently kicked off her anniversary tour in Philly, is putting the finishing touches on her upcoming album, and dedicates time to her almost two-decade old Blues Babe Foundation - a launch pad for Philly’s young brilliance. 

Do what you love...that’s what Victor Tejada and Samantha Smith do. Tejada is improving small businesses through Delivery Guys, his food-delivery business. Launched during the pandemic, Tejada and his start-up have since been able to offer drivers significantly more opportunities, help small business owners keep more profit and employ drivers in the communities where they live. Next up, Samantha Smith is a young Philly actress who stole our hearts in the Peacock Original limited series, The Best Man: Final Chapters. Working in the industry for half of her life, Smith has booked national commercials, many voiceover gigs and a supporting role on The Last O.G. 

Although he needs no introduction, DJ Jazzy Jeff “The Magnificent” is one of the most legendary artists to come out of Philadelphia becoming the first hip-hop recording to win a Grammy for best rap performance. DJ Jazzy Jeff is also one of the first hip-hop artists to take over our television screens. But there’s so much more to one of our favorite DJs, making history today during a groundbreaking performance celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. And yes, you’ll find out why the Philadelphia Eagles NFC Championship was Jeff’s first Eagles’ game he ever attended.  

King Saladeen and Tiffani Barbour are taking Philadelphia’s arts & culture scene to the screen and Broadway! Self-taught and world-renowned visual artist King Saladeen not only recently worked on artwork for Netflix's ‘You People,’ but has also collaborated with the New York Stock Exchange, Neiman Marcus and much more! Also, the 1776 musical is launching its national tour in Philadelphia at the Forrest Theatre. Tiffani Barbour discusses the importance of having an all-female, transgender, and non-binary cast in a musical about the founding fathers discussing the declaration of independence.  

Love + Grit is celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop and continuing to tell Philly's most phenomenal stories. Musical mastermind Adam Blackstone joins the Love + Grit family for many reasons. To name a few: he is the reason many performers (Rihanna, Justin Timberlake, among others) are your favorite live show artist, he is the reason that you are still thinking about many Super Bowl Halftime shows, and most importantly he is Philly. And now after releasing his first studio album Legacy, he’s on the verge of winning a Grammy Award for Best Traditional R&B. Should we go on?