“Midnight Miracle”
Dave Chappelle is joined by Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey on this conversational podcast recorded last summer in the midst of Chappelle’s Summer Camp run of outdoor shows in Ohio. Philly music alert: The first episode came together just as the trio learned of the death of Malik B., the rapper who split front-man duties with Black Thought in the early days of the Roots. Bey delivers a Malik B. appreciation and raps thrillingly over The Roots “100% Dundee.” This first episode is widely available, but next three are only for subscribers to the Luminary app.
“Dissect”
Each season of Cole Cuchna’s podcast fastidiously breaks down one album, with an emphasis on hip-hop and R&B. He began with Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp a Butterfly” and has devoted subsequent series to Beyonce, Frank Ocean, Childish Gambino and Tyler, the Creator. Cuchna previously zeroed in on Kanye West’s 2010 “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” and the current eighth season examines West’s 2013 confrontational tour de force “Yeezus.” The stellar season closed out Monday with Yeezus’ final song, “Bound 2.” Previous seasons are widely available, but this one is only on Spotify.
“Difficult Artist”
“How do brilliant, creative minds do what they do?” Author and University of Pennsylvania grad Lizzy Goodman aims to answer that question on this new podcast. She’s best known for her oral history “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” about the New York rock scene in the ‘00s, but “Difficult Artist” goes beyond music. The first is with Maggie Rogers, and subsequent ones are shows with Trent Reznor, Liz Phair, visual artist Shantell Martin and comedian Whitney Cummings.
“Songs in the Key of Death”
Hosted by Courtney E. Smith, this is a true-crime and music podcast about murder ballads, the traditional folk and country songs that often romanticize cold-blooded killers. The first episode, which debuts June 16, concerns “Delia’s Gone,” which helped revive Johnny Cash’s career on his 1994 “American Recordings.” Smith goes back to 1900 to bring to life Delia Green, the Black teenager who was the original inspiration for the song. Sadie Dupuis, the Philadelphia songwriter who records as Sad13, sings a new version, in which Delia’s death is avenged. Dupuis and Bonnie Prince Billy will take turns recording new versions in subsequent episodes.