NO GPS

NO GPS | African-American Fiction? | Ep17

In this episode of NO GPS, Mez & Aharon discuss the Oscar-nominated film 'American Fiction,' directed & written by Cord Jefferson, featuring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, Issa Rae & Myra Lucretia Taylor. The guys delve into the artistry of the film. They question the reasoning for making a film like this in 2024. Given that the film deals with similar themes and tropes of one-dimensional portrayals of Black characters in the mold of Robert Townsend's Hollywood Shuffle & Spike Lee's Bamboozled. 
What we see in the film is the Obamesque desire for a type of negritude display of Black elite life. That is to say that the film gives in to the new Black(ish) want to be disabused of the notion of race, to be SEEN as they truly are. Yet this bad faith effort to escape the facts of life leads to many false starts and misunderstandings in American Fiction. The main character Thelonious Monk Ellison gets no respite in either his professional or personal life because of his resentment of the book publishing world as well as academia. The family melodrama, though, that the film is ensconced within shows the complexity of Black life that Black millennials have been starved to see reflected on movie screens. This is where we see the true genius of Cord Jefferson at work; namely, his ability to create portraits of Black family life that are discordant yet redemptive.
Lastly, the connection between Jeffrey Wright's Thelonious Monk Ellison and his portrayal of Basquiat was crystallized in the (paraphrased) line shared between the two films: "His art gives voice to the gutter." This line connects the two films intertextually - showing the full circle connection between the two characters and the artistic drive of Jeffrey Wright to play roles that are self-agental and not bound by societal conventions. This gives much deserved light and shine to the magnificent and often underappreciated film oeuvre of Jeffrey Wright. 
Recommended films to watch: Hollywood Shuffle, Bamboozled & The Inkwell.
Intro and outro song: Tequila No Chase by Aharon, https://open.spotify.com/track/03gfonQpnThqb1ONS52wAu?si=B5JuFKiiTCmySGtvUT5gKQ.
Recommended reading: In Defence of #blackaf's Celebration of Mediocrity by Aharon Joseph, https://nsjcp.journals.yorku.ca/index.php/default/article/view/95/37.

NO GPS | Professor Daniel McNeil Discusses 'Thinking While Black' | Ep16

In this intellectually stimulating episode of NO GPS, Mez & Aharon engage in a profound discussion with special guest Professor Daniel McNeil, delving into the nuanced themes of his seminal work, 'Thinking While Black.' This conversation transcends the ordinary and navigates the complex waters of the Black Atlantic, touching upon its historical, cultural, and philosophical underpinnings.
The groundwork for this enlightening dialogue was laid in the thought-provoking 3-part series, 'The Soul Rebel Generation,' which is available on various platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Throughout this series, Mez & Aharon wrestled with the rich and deep meanings laden in 'Thinking While Black,' setting the stage for this episode's deep and immersive conversation.
Mez, Aharon, and Professor Daniel McNeil explore the depths of Black Canadian expressive cultures, seeking out the authentic and transformative experiences that lie beyond the confines of institutionalized multicultural events like Caribana. Professor McNeil's profound insights shed light on Canada's cultural landscape, offering a perspective that transcends the conventional narratives.
The conversation also touches upon the imperative of carrying forward the cultural legacy of previous generations, translating their political struggles into contemporary contexts and building upon their foundations of freedom fighting. Lastly, we hope this discussion leaves you with a renewed perspective on Black Atlantic cultural productions, politics and histories.
And yes, Professor Daniel McNeil does know Canada better than Canadians!
Produced by Soker.
Music provided by TrethWest.

After Sunset | Lovers In A Dangerous Time | EP 5

We have been living through the throes of a Love Apocalypse since 1986, when Zapp & Roger released Computer Love, and 1995 when the first online dating site was created.
In this episode of NO GPS After Sunset Aharon talks about catching the lovebug via social media and online dating sites. Catching a lovebug that brings on cravings to ghost and troll one's love interests. Strategies on how to de-bug-ify and battle the Love Apocalypse are discussed in depth. 
We’ve got special performances from Aharon & the Love Savers, our resident poet A. Love and the Love Anthropologist himself, Professor Jemer.
Lastly, We never thought we would go from checking for tender-rooni’s to tinder-rooni’s! We went from being stood up on blind date’s to getting catfished for a year (sorry, Manti Te’O). People can’t even tell the difference between Valentine’s Day and Halloween anymore because they’ve been ghosted so many times! 
Enjoy this episode of NO GPS After Sunset. And remember never to forget Love, even when it is absent. 
Produced by Soker.
Music provided by TrethWest.

NO GPS | The end of a Golden Era? | Ep15

Mez & Aharon are back for their first pod of 2024. The guys get into the thick of things when they start out with the recent trade of Pascal Siakam. They speculate to the effect this trade and that of OG Anunoby to Atlantic Division rivals the New York Knicks - yes, the Raptors have finally went all in on a rebuild (our hope: that it is done with taste, Indiana Pacer style) - will have on the Afro-Diasporic formation of the Raptors squad. 
 
Could Toronto be the new San Antonio? Spreading a more multicultural and liberal model? A new system of player and coach development that spreads its DNA to the rest of the NBA for decades to come.
 
And lastly, is this the end of the Golden era of the Golden State Warriors? The guys think so and are deflated at the thought of it all being over. They have some interestingly off the cuff insights on the team or teams that can take the mantle.
 
Welcome back to NO GPS! 
 
Produced by Soker.
Music by TrethWest.
 

After Sunset | Home Alone for the Holidays | EP 4

The John Hughes produced 1990 film Home Alone is a Christmas Holiday classic. A staple in the holiday film diet of millions of people, maybe even billions. But I have a sneaking suspicion that the film is not simply a feel-good spectacle meant for the anchor spot in Christmas movie marathons. I think it speaks to our present life situation in very interesting and revelatory ways.
But why is it such an apt expression of our current plight of loneliness in this age of hyperconnectivity? Why is it the perfect analog for our times? 
In this episode I describe why...you filthy animals. And oh yeah, Happy Holidays from us at Soker!
Produced by Soker.
Music provided by TrethWest.

After Sunset | I Bleed Toronto Raptor Purple | EP 3

This episode of NO GPS After Sunset has Aharon recounting his very strange and weird Toronto Raptor fan experience (like seriously, I did not think a podcast on the Raptors would ever make mention of the film The Land Before Time). Part 1 of I Bleed Toronto Raptor Purple gives insight into the more personal and formative experiences mediated by the play of the Raptors that shaped Aharon's perspective on life. 
 
This 3 part series is going to showcase 3 things:
 
1. The way a personal coming of age story is paralleled with the Raptors rise to Championship glory.
 
2. How the play of pro sports teams like the Raptors reflect the values and spirit of the city they represent.
 
3. How the Raptors' reluctance to go full-blown rebuild is characteristic of the city of Toronto's reluctance to rebuild its decaying and bloated (amalgamated) municipal governance scheme - and why global cities, such as Toronto, are a thing of the past. 
 
Produced by Soker
Music by Trethwest
 
Recommended reading: https://open.substack.com/pub/soker/p/i-bleed-toronto-raptor-purple?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17h7cm

After Sunset | Draymond the Raging Intellectual | EP 2

In this episode Aharon delivers commentary and deep analysis into the current world zeitgeist via the innovative, albeit sometimes troublesome, play and post-game analysis of Draymond Green. 
 
In a very discreet way Aharon shows what casual forces may be behind the current crisis in personal and group identity - and why choosing your identity, not simply going by what the world determines you to be, is the norm in the world today.
 
At the end of the episode Aharon explains why we are all becoming more and more like Draymond - who Aharon has dubbed The Raging Intellectual.
 
Recommended reading: https://open.substack.com/pub/soker/p/draymond-green-reaching-for-infinity?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17h7cm

After Sunset | One Piece of a Parentless World & Techno-Cultural Fallacies | EP 1

In this inaugural episode of NO GPS After Sunset Aharon is going in on our new Techno Feudal Lords. He figures out, in episode 1 (the gall of this guy!), that the meaning of life is to find meaning in life - in his usual roundabout way.
A Podcast related article to read is: https://open.substack.com/pub/soker/p/re-post-around-the-world-in-a-day?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=17h7cm
Show produced by Matt J.Music by TrethWest (Aharon - All In: https://spotify.link/lAqnp3XU8Db)

NO GPS AfterSunset | Trailer

NO GPS After Sunset is a bi-weekly show hosted by Aharon. It will work as a compliment to the flagship NO GPS show with co-host Mez. This show will take a look at current world affairs and the hottest topics of the day. Aharon will be discussing everything you think he shouldn't be discussing! Hold on to your seats and enjoy the ride.
 
Intro: 0:00-0:28, Paid Promo (Spoof): 0:29-1:31, AfterSunset Promo: 1:35-2:29
 
Produced by: Matt J.
Music provided by: TrethWest

Part 3 - The Soul Rebel Generation | Ep14

In today's episode Mez & Aharon get into the last part of Daniel McNeil's magistral book 'Thinking While Black'. McNeil's book does away with the binary Black progressive vs. Black conservative conceptual framework while discussing both Armond White and Paul Gilroy's work as cultural critics. What we get is an expansive overview of Black thought that is elucidating and instructive.
Join us as both Mez & Aharon nerd out on a vast array of ideas that make the Black Atlantic, well, the Black Atlantic.
Podcast produced by Matt J.
Cover art by Matt J.
Music provided by TrethWest.