Queue Points
by Queue Points
Latest episode
Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle
Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle
About this podcast
Queue Points is the Black Podcasting Award and Ambie Award-nominated music podcast that is dropping the needle on Black Music history and celebrating Black music through meaningful dialogue. The show is hosted by DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray. Follow us on social media @queuepointspod everywhere.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 268 episodes
- Shannon's "Let the Music Play" and the Birth of Freestyle · 24 min · Episode 247DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray ride the subway back to 1983 New York for Shannon's "Let the Music Play," the debut single that topped the Billboard dance chart, reached No. 2 R&B and…
- Soundscapes of Chester, PA Pt. 1: ‘Engineered Grace’ & Memory · 40 min · Episode 246Jay Ray sits down with Christopher R. Rogers, Ph.D., and DJ Naij B, two-thirds of the Chester Gifted Program sound system, to talk about Engineered Grace Vol. 1, their EP built…
- Freddie Jackson: Quiet Storm, Rock Me Tonight & Harlem Legacy · 31 min · Episode 245Following the passing of R&B vocalist Freddie Jackson, DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray examine the artist’s impact on 1980s Quiet Storm, R&B chart history, and Harlem’s musical…
- Young Thug, Chuck D, Gamble & Huff & The NYT Greatest Songwriter List · 27 min · Episode 244Prompted by The New York Times list of the greatest living American songwriters, DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray analyze the criteria behind modern music canonization and legacy…
- Protest Music History: Marvin Gaye to Kendrick Lamar · 32 min · Episode 243Black protest music has evolved significantly from the Vietnam War-era anthems of Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield to modern social commentary from Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monáe…
- John Crooms on Archiving Atlanta's Black Music Nightlife · 53 min · Episode 242Veteran photographer and documentarian John Crooms joins hosts DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray to examine over three decades of capturing Atlanta's Black music nightlife and…
- Fat Joe, the N-Word & Hip-Hop's Reckoning · 43 min · Episode 241Hosts DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray address Fat Joe's public defense of his N-word usage, examining how his Bronx hip-hop heritage intersects with accountability, racial identity…
- Krate Digga & Dominic Lawson on 'The Krate Doc' Film · 1 h 2 min · Episode 240This episode centers on The Krate Doc, the new documentary from The Ummah Creative Group that follows DJ Krate Digga through five gigs in a single weekend in Columbus, Ohio. DJ…
- Nicki Minaj, Whitney Houston & the Business of Trauma Commerce · 32 min · Episode 239DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray examine how celebrity culture turned personal trauma into a marketing tool, tracing the shift from the mystique of stars like Michael Jackson, Prince…
- Kim Wayans Parodies: From Crystal Waters to Vanessa Williams · 34 min · Episode 238DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray examine Kim Wayans' run of music parodies on "In Living Color" and trace how her characters critiqued the treatment of Black women in pop music while…
- MTV Unplugged Helped Redefine the New Jack Swing Era · 43 min · Episode 237DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray trace MTV Unplugged from its late-1989 launch through its rise in popularity as the Milli Vanilli lip-syncing scandal put a spotlight on which artists…
- Sly Stone, D'Angelo & the Myth of Black Genius · 33 min · Episode 236DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray use the Hulu documentary on Sly Stone as a jumping-off point to examine the label of "Black genius" and what it costs the artists who carry it. The…
- Faith Evans' Faith Turns 30: An R&B Masterpiece · 25 min · Episode 235DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray mark the 30th anniversary of Faith Evans' 1995 debut album Faith by asking whether it stands as a stronger debut than Mary J. Blige's What's the 411…
- Chaka Khan's Rock Era: 1986, Bowie, Palmer, and Winwood · 38 min · Episode 234DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray examine Chaka Khan's standing as a rock and roll artist, tracing her genre-crossing career from her 1973 arrival as Rufus's lead singer through her…
- Dame Dash: From Harlem Hustler to Hip-Hop Villain · 28 min · Episode 233Queue Points hosts DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray dig into the career and reputation of Dame Dash, the Harlem-born co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records and Rocawear, tracing his rise…
- Remembering Sparky D: Golden Era Battle Rap Queen · 37 min · Episode 232DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray dedicate this episode to Sparky D, born Doreen Broadnax, tracing her run from Brownsville, Brooklyn dancer to one of hip-hop's first female battle…
- Cold Chillin Records: The Juice Crew, Big Daddy Kane, Roxanne Shanté And Biz Markie · 41 min · Episode 231DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray break down the history of Cold Chillin' Records, the Warner Brothers-distributed label that gave street rappers major-label reach. They trace the…
- Waiting to Exhale Soundtrack: 1995 Black Music Landmark · 26 min · Episode 230The 1995 Waiting to Exhale soundtrack sits at the intersection of Black film history, R&B's commercial peak, and one producer's singular creative vision. DJ Sir Daniel and Jay…
- Got That Oil: Gospel Roots of Black Music · 34 min · Episode 229Black music has always had a spiritual center — and DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray dig into why that's not an accident. This episode traces the sacred roots of soul, R&B, hip-hop, and…
- 2 Live Crew: Pioneers of Miami Bass and Free Speech · 50 min · Episode 228Listener discretion advised. This episode contains explicit lyric discussion intended for mature audiences. DJ Sir Daniel and Jay Ray mark the 40th anniversary of The 2 Live Crew…
