Flowers have been a symbol for many things over the years and above all they signify beauty. A city with a garden of flowers is a dream Walker Marsh had, and instead of thinking about it he set out to do it. There were a lot of setbacks and failures for Walker, but they all helped build a mindset of resilience and perseverance. Tha Flower Factory is his baby, and he wants to watch it grow into something beautiful.

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Music:

Game Hen, Enter the Mind’s Eye, Ooo Wee – James Pants

Self reflection can come at any time. For Justin Temple, it comes several times a day. As a yoga teacher and student, Justin believes principles taught in yoga have crept into his everyday life. He thinks it’s making him a better person. Yoga has international appeal but it wasn’t always this way. Two Indian yogis brought the ancient art to the West and now, yoga’s come under fire as appropriation. Justin explains that yoga wasn’t some secret ripped from the hands of its forefathers; rather a gift that one culture gave to the world, and smiles at its spread across the globe.

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Music

Mangoes, Right Shake (demo) and Light My Fire – James Pants

**note**
I had the mic levels a little too high on this one, so my narration will sound scratchy/gainy. Everyone’s riding their own horse.

C Harvey’s hustle is undeniable. She was a working professional at age 19, but the cold unflinching hand of life grabbed her by the neck and in its own special way told her, “be yourself”. After much hardship including abusing synthetic drugs, C. got back on track and is living her truth. We talk about being chin checked by reality, learning that you really really need to crawl before you can walk, practicing stillness, hard lessons for Baltimore’s arts scene, and taking up space to better the community.

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Music:

Broken Bells – James Pants

Something Wicked Crawled Through My Window – James Pants

Forbidden Island – James Pants

​​​​I’m a fan of The Crown (the other one, not the Netflix show) and every so often when I go there, either Abdu is about to go on stage or he just ripped another set. His presence in Baltimore’s music and arts scene is well known, so I was excited to sit down and talk with him. He told me up front he would know if I wasn’t thorough in my research, so I made sure to do my homework and ask questions that’d get him talking. Hit Abdu on the gram, that’s where you’ll usually find him: @abdu_ali (it might be two underscores).

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Music:
Banjee Music – Abdu Ali
I, Exist – Abdu Ali
Did Dat(Nu Bmore Club Edit) – Abdu Ali x DJ Juwan

Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur nowadays; in lieu of becoming an actor or musician, some of us think it’s easier to build a business or start a podcast that gets wildly popular overnight (it’s not easier). Enter McKeever Conwell. The college dropout turned tech investor started  his career at the Department of Defense. By his mid 20s he was making more money annually than most people his age, and even older! Sounds glamorous right? Well as McKeever tells it, there’s a darker side to entrepreneurship, but it can pay dividends if you’ve got the stuff. Follow McKeever on Twitter

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Music:

“The Dark Seed” – Pocketmaster, off “#010010”

Rest of the tracks by Visager

Chef Green’s always on the move. If she isn’t working a food demo and showing people how to cook vegan and vegetarian inspired meals, she works as a private chef for her clients in the DC area. I met Chef Green at a gallery opening for local artist and previous guest on the pod, Jerrell Gibbs. We talked about meatless eating and though she didn’t convert me, I was interested enough in her story to set up an interview. A Brooklyn native, Green has solidified herself as an accomplished and knowledgeable chef, who shows no signs of slowing down. We talk Ital eating, her travels in West Africa, and the dark side of falling asleep after a big meal of that soul food. Here’s the Wikipedia article about  the science behind “the itis”.

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Music:

“Sweet Potato Pudding Dub” – Red Star Martyrs

“Suede Head” – Red Star Martyrs

From this point on, assume 25% of the guests on the podcast I met at Dovecote Café; it’s where I met Randi. Randi’s venture into community building and education with Art of Healthcare represents a union between community based care with professional and practical training. We talk about growing up in West Baltimore, her choice to attend Western All Girls, and how we can all reach our “glory zones”. Learn more about Randi and AoH on the company website. It’s cold out now but you’ll probably see Randi running at Druid Lake Park in the near future.

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Music:

“Soul High” – Ryan Little, from “Before Dawn II”

“Nothing Else Matters” – Mystery Mammal, from “Bulkhead”

“Falling Down” – Ryan Little, from “Before Dawn”

Jess’s name definitely rings out in Black Baltimore’s arts and culture scenes. She’s always on the move working on creating. After years of nonprofit work and consulting  Jess struck out on her own with Art in Praxis. AiP is a consulting and creative firm that works with companies to develop better working conditions through art and understanding. Her journey from consultant to boss is an interesting one filled with field trips, starting a theater company, and a visit from everyone’s favorite alphabet agency, the IRS. Click here to visit AiP’s website, and reach out to Jess on social media, @jesssolomon(.)

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Music:

“Gurl U Playin” – NO FUTURE, from “Roxo02” off Monster Jinx Records

“Cosmic Kiten” – Letmeknowyouanatole, from “Horizon” off soo.su Records

“PC III” – Exit Exit, from “Exit Exit”

“I Really Hope” – Roger Plexico, from “Roxo02” offMonster Jinx Records