Welcome to the truth in this art, your source for
Rob Lee: conversations connecting arts, culture, and community. These are stories that matter and I am your host Rob Lee. Thank you for joining me. Today, I'm excited, thrilled, over the moon even to welcome my next guest onto the podcast. She is a radio and podcast personality, a producer, and a voice artist. Also, she's been the co-host and strategic talent booker for award-winning podcasts like Questlove Supreme and Jill Scott Presents J.I .L.
the podcast. So please welcome onto the program, Laiya St. Clair. So before we dive in, I want to, I need to remiss what I'm mentioning, in today's media environment, it's so important to take ownership of our stories and control our own narratives. So if you will, could you introduce yourself in your own words and what should people know about you as we kind of start off, introductory speaking?
laiya st clair: Good thing I listened to this podcast first because I didn't know that was coming. I was like, how am I going to do this? I would say I'm describing myself a Capricorn Aquarius, DC-born Philly bread radio girl at heart who was born to be a creative. And as you may know me as a radio girl have now transitioned into podcast, host podcast, creator podcast, producer, voiceover artists. I also am the manager of the St. Clair collection, my father's photography catalog. I am his manager and his partner. I'm forgetting something. I produce, I make things and usually it involves highlighting blackness and all the dope things that we do because black come first because I'm from DC.
Rob Lee: I love the intro. It is always a thing where I think when we do those intros, it's like, what am I forgetting? Great.
laiya st clair: And for me, I always forget stuff and I feel like I always have to remind the world of all the things that I'm able to do because I'm doing a lot of things at one time and I forget in the moment.
Rob Lee: We're high performing individuals, multi-taskers if you will.
laiya st clair: I'm also the MC, mistress of ceremonies for Jazzy Jeffs playlist retreat.
Rob Lee: It's a long list. It's a long list. I was playing and doing some of the research. I was just typing in, I was on YouTube and I was hosting. I was like, come on. And in many ways, we were talking about this a little bit before we got started, it's just I'm inspired by a lot of the stuff that I've seen in your background and this full arc. And I think, and we'll definitely touch on this in the conversation, I think it's just very valuable to be able to have these conversations, to have someone like you on this podcast.
laiya st clair: I appreciate feeling valuable. And it's funny, but it's so real. We'll get into it.
Rob Lee: We will. So in that, in your introduction, you talked about the DC ties and there's also sort of this time in Atlanta, right?
laiya st clair: And then... Yeah, college. Also, don't forget Rob, me and you directly related there. I'm a Morgan State alumnus as well.
Rob Lee: We have the overlap. So let's talk about sort of that journey, the different cities that are there, quote, unquote, they're black cities, obviously. Yeah. So talk a bit about that, the DC to Atlanta, Baltimore, Philly.
laiya st clair: Oh my gosh. Yeah, that's what I love to. I used to love telling people why I transferred from Morgan State, but also why I loved it, you know, in the sense of, so first of all, let me keep it funky. I went to a academic high school in DC, Benjamin Bannaker, a very smart black kid school where it wasn't about if you're going to college, it was like, which one are you going to?
Okay. And by the time I got to that high school, I was educationally, I know that ain't a word, tired because I had skipped a grade and started school early. So I started high school at 12. So I'm saying that to say I graduated when I was 16. My grades weren't that great in high school. So when it came time for the school counselor to suggest colleges, she was like, okay, so you got Prairie State, Shaw, and Morgan is because you could get that good in state tuition as a mail-in. And so I was like, what do you mean I'm going to Atlanta?
And she was like, no, you're not. And so I love my time at Morgan State. Worked at WEEE, E-E-E-E-A, right? Dr. Barber, the head of communications there, but I always wanted to go away to college. And a lot of my friends in DC, I had a huge group of friends in DC that went to Clark and Morehouse. So I remember being in school at Morgan and talking to them on the phone and they were having the time of their life. And it wasn't that I wasn't, it was just that I was 30 minutes away from home.
I would go home on the weekends. And I just had this idea in my head where you were supposed to go away. And so when I realized that I didn't, you could just transfer to college from another college instead, I was like, wait, so I was like, okay, so I'm going to transfer to Clark Atlanta. And I did. And let me tell you about this culture shock, Rob.
Let me tell you about this Atlanta culture shock because being in Baltimore, going to Morgan State, it was like we all in a nest together. You know, if you had a car, you was the man. But if you was taking the bus to the party, it wasn't nothing wrong with it. You know, the shuttle, not the city bus, but the shuttle from Morgan. When I got on the campus of Clark Atlanta University and understand this is the Atlanta University Center, this is Clark Atlanta, Morehouse, Spelman and Morris Ground. And I forget, there's a religious school in there somewhere. I was in pure shock because it was like kids with these cars and this money and this access. And at the time I remember going to school with Evan Cosby and Keisha Nipoleum. I'm not going to school with Rudy and the girl she played. Right.
What? So and the and and and and Evan, bless her, your mama name right on the building that your school is right there. So it was a, even though I'm born and raised in DC and I've seen, you know, black affluence and all that. And I was running from it.
Cause I was, I was over it. I had never seen nothing like that before. And that was kind of a shock. So when you talk about those cities, that was what stood out for me.
Well, it was after the Olympics. It was so, so, so deaf is bubbling. LaFace is bubbling. You might see Goody Mop on Spellman's campus.
And I don't know why they're there, but they there. It was, it was DJ drama is my, is my classmate. It was, it was a good time to be in Atlanta as well in that way.
Rob Lee: That's, that makes sense. And, you know, I think it's a really good point you were making there as far as the, the Morgan piece and just being so close, you know, to home. Like this is like, I loved on campus, you know, definitely had that vibe. We were isolated. I was in the inaugural, like, uh, like Arna's program and the business school.
laiya st clair: So it was, wait, did you go to Morgan Rock? I did. Oh, I didn't. I just said Baltimore, but I didn't realize you went to Morgan. That's dope.
Rob Lee: Absolutely. Uh, classes of three. And it's, is it one of them? Oh no, sorry, sorry. 2007. I was starting that. Um, but it's, but it's one of those things where, you know, I just remember going there and it was just like similar conversation. I had decent grades and all of that stuff. Um, but it was just sort of like, all right, I had this idea of where I was going to go.
It's like, I'm going to university Miami, like the rock because I was 18 and dumb. That's what my goal was. And they were like, yeah, what do you have major in? I was like robotics.
They're like, you know, Morgan is literally like right here. Right. And I ended up doing that. And my whole path from, you know, from city college to, to Morgan, to my, my first job and all of that stuff out of college was very straight line, but I didn't really have to work for it. I didn't really have to go anywhere. You know, I was just like, literally city is down the street from Morgan and Morgan was a 20 minute walk from my house. When I had the opportunity to, you know, work at my, my first job out of college, it was in, it was in DC, it was greenbelt and that sort of area all down there. And really it was a little bit of a stretch, but you know, I was at this point where I was like, what do I want to do?
And I want to say maybe at like 24, I was at this stage where I was just like, all right, this is fine. This is settled. This is a path. I chose something that was a little easier, but I want to pursue something that's very much mine. And that's how podcasting came along.
laiya st clair: Ah, yeah. Because of when you came out, you, you skipped even the option of radio. Yes.
Rob Lee: I was a.
laiya st clair: I can't even imagine. Like my, my major was radio TV film. Like, what is it called now?
Rob Lee: I'll say this though, I'll say this. When I had a telecom class and this was that Super Bowl with Timberlake and Janet Jackson, as you remember, like this, this class left such a big mark on me. And I was like, maybe I could do this.
I had an appearance through the program I was in at Morgan to be on WVAA. And I'm like, oh, he's kind of cool. Yeah, you got a radio voice. And one of my buddies, um, he, he had that sort of major. He was, he's a producer, um, I had been radio now. And he was just like, you know, once we, you know, graduated, I was in this sort of job, the first job, he was like, I see, did you do this podcast? He's like, you want to just come down to the studio and he was working with CBS at the time. And I was like, I would love that. I was just going there, getting the four radio treatment. It was like a real show happening next. So I've always, I mean, faders,
laiya st clair: faders there, they have to have faders. Right. Like, I'm sorry.
Rob Lee: Something, it was something. It was, um, it was definitely one of those experiences, but, you know, and I'll just say it now, just to kind of close off on this point is, you know, having that, that arc and that trajectory, that sort of, I feel that vibe of, you know, it's like I'm here and almost running away from it in a sense, because it was too easy, it was too close. And now going this and it being sort of me making a path, like at a podcast for 16 years, so it wasn't a thing, you know, 2009.
laiya st clair: Wasn't it? Yeah, I forgot to do that math. That was on there. That was a long time. Hey, yeah, you granddaddy. You're great.
Rob Lee: And being able to chase that now and being able to have conversations with all of those years invested with folks like you, folks that are in the media who are, you know, radio like legends, like Frank Lash is what it is. And being able to not necessarily hold my own, but feel like, Oh, no, you actually do this. You, you do.
And it's, and it's, it's really dope and having those opportunities to explore some of that, as I call it, Aquarius Wonderlust. I love that. We do have that. Absolutely. Yeah.
So in that, the same thing, I want to go back into the, into the questions because I can just ramble on. So, you know, could you share an experience from like your earlier days working in radio, I believe is what Atlanta initially or?
laiya st clair: Well, Rob, I started, I mean, you tell my worker for money or just working in a radio station, cause those are two different answers. I started working in a radio station when I was 12 in DC at Cathy Hughes's first station.
Rob Lee: So yeah. Tell me, tell me about both of them. The sort of the, the first and then the first sort of like paid one up. You're the person who's answered it like that. The other one was as well as D. Watkins. He's like the first time writing for money or just the first time writing.
laiya st clair: Because there was the time when interns were allowed to not be paid. And I'm know that this is not a thing. Oh my God. I always say I'm aging in real life in real time. So I just be freaking out like, okay. So to your point, back to your point.
So the, so at my academic high school, Benjamin Bannaker, they were certain nerdy that they were like, every kid had to do a community service. And if you could find one great, if not, they're going to find one for you. So I've known from an early age that I wanted to be my Godmother. Her name is Deanna Williams. She is, most people know her as the, either the co-founder of Black Music Month or the unsung lady, because she's on a lot of unsung episodes. But initially she too is a radio lady. She comes from WBLS. She did radio in DC, at AQR. So because I wanted to be like her, I said, I want to work at a radio station. And her best friend is Cathy Hughes. So I asked that.
So I was, my first job was to assist the receptionist. Oh my God, listen to the duty. Because this is going to tell you different time, Rob. My job was to make cassette tapes of shows. Because remember, Cathy, she initially had WOL and WMMJ. WOL was the talk station. So people would come and this was a storefront radio station. This was not in a big building that's tall and you go into the 10th floor. No, this was a beautiful dope storefront where you could see your favorite radio DJ on the air as you walk past him walking on the street.
Oh, I miss it. But so there, so I would assist the receptionist and people would come by and be like, I want to tape of that show. Do y'all have a tape?
Because I heard someone that show and I want to hear it. And I would just sit there and make it. And so that was my first radio job doing community service. And I think, man, when I tell you it was some jobs in between, man, because of course it's college, right?
So I told you, WCA, WCA said, there's WCLK at Clark. Because of course I had to work at all the radio stations I went to school. And then I also interned at V103 in Atlanta. And I think at some point I transitioned, I did. I think at some point I transitioned out of intern for Sideman Baby, may he rest in peace to a production assistant. Because when I entered radio, I was like, I'm not going to be like all the other girls. I'm going to be the head of production. There are no women in production. And I'm going to know everything about production.
I want to make commercials. I'm talking about carts, Rob. Do you know the cart that he put in a machine?
And they had to tape it in the inside. I mean, I never had to edit real to real at WCLK. You understand what I'm saying?
Like with the marking pen and the razor blades. So I'm glad I did because now you can hear the edit. You know what you're looking for. You're listening for. So yeah, I think my first pay gig was probably V103 as a production assistant.
Rob Lee: I like in it because you look at the editing piece, right? You were touching on, you know, because I used to edit what, five different podcasts and this, you know, I was doing five a week at a point.
It was just different shows. And I'm like, I'm in too many of these, but in it, you know, when I bring on an editor, I'll bring on someone I'm working with because I've spent so much time editing. Kind of like, oh, I know where that cut goes.
I know where you should trip. But, you know, with something like this, you want to keep what feels like a conversation. It's just like, most of it stays in, but some of the imperfections perhaps come out, but the conversation pretty much stays intact because that's the natural flow of it.
laiya st clair: Natural breath, keeping natural breath.
Rob Lee: Yeah. And, you know, in teaching, you know, which is a thing that I've been doing over the last few years, I tell my students that I was like, what is the intent of what you're trying to do? Is it a conversation or is it just questions with answers behind it? Because those are two different types of edits. And they're like, what do you mean? It's like, isn't all the same that is like, it is not.
laiya st clair: It is not. How do you, that does that sound how you speak? Does that sound like, OK. Right. They all kick, kick, kick on. Yeah. That's that's what we're going to top up words.
Rob Lee: But I think, you know, having that experience in coming from like the being young and having the internship experience and then working at different stations and then having some of those like really meticulous jobs, I would imagine that that has a impact on how you view your work even to this day and how you go about your work. Yeah.
laiya st clair: And how I treat people at work. Yeah. Majorly, I mean, I've worked in some so after those paid jobs, like when I finally moved to Philadelphia, I started a radio as a promotion assistant. And it was at a time when like Wendy Williams was our morning show host, you know. So going on, I was an observer going on appearances with her and watching how she treated people, watching how everybody, all the personalities treated folks.
Like that was it's always been a big deal to me. But I've always said, like, you know, from the intern to the president, you get the same treatment for me. Like, you know, at some point that might switch. And it usually does. I mean, you don't go, they don't go back. But yes, you and everybody's ever an intern for the rest of their life. So yes, I think I did not use it. Your question. I think you did.
Rob Lee: It's your question. Okay. You did. Here's the thing that you're doing. You're doing the thing that I really like because it's like, you know, you know, you're saying you're a pro at this, you know, it's future questions of being teased a little bit, which I like, like, like pending, I was like, all right, go back to that one, don't skip ahead.
Don't move things around too much. But one of the things you were talking about was Philadelphia there a second ago. So, you know, let's, let's go into that because here's the thing, right?
You ever watch those like, um, like crime dramas and then looking for like the serial killer and you have the strings that connects everyone together. That's what it was. Philadelphia. Yeah.
That's what it was when I was in Philly during those interviews for a couple of years. And I was like, who is this person? And I started doing details. I was like, huh, cause I would see people that I've interviewed and then they've been on love and grid. They've, they, they've been on these, these, these different things.
And then I started just like looking you up and I was like, we have the same birthday. Morgan. Nope.
I refuse. And then when I reached out and then you responded back and now we're here. So let's, let's talk about sort of, you know, your time in Philly, sort of that, that media scene and, you know, how that should have shaped, you know, your connection with sort of the media and the arts and the culture in Philly.
laiya st clair: I'll tell you, I'm kind of getting emotional because I'm usually the person asking the questions. And as a radio person born in bread, we are trained to keep our commentary. Short. I mean, if you're not on a morning show, especially short, we're talking 30 seconds, you know, if you're on a morning show, maybe, you know, two minutes, you know, so sometimes I get the emotional. I'm in this moment.
I'm getting emotional. Number one, cause I get to answer these questions that I've, I've, I've, I've loved answering and talking about these moments, but also because I'm allowed to speak at my own pace and that is a freedom that a lot of radio people don't have. And so even in your real life, you find yourself shortening things because you don't know if people will pay attention past a certain time. So I just want to thank you for that. And I think podcasting for that cause I talked shit about podcasting, but the one thing I can't speak negatively on is that you have the right to speak about what you want to and at length.
And that is just mind blowing. Also because Rob, I've been on podcast with other people, my whole podcasting career. So I'm still limited to thinking how much somebody wants to hear from me, especially because two of those podcasts have famous people leading them. I know I'm messing with you and you know, you're good.
You're good. So I'll go back to your question though about Philadelphia and it's a loaded question. My relationship with Philadelphia is loaded because a lot of people don't know. Number one, I have first cousins from Philadelphia. I didn't visit them a lot, but I knew that they were there. Who I did visit a lot with my godmother my whole life, my godmother and my godbrothers and sisters. And I would, when I would come to Philadelphia, it might be, you know, they had this thing called unity day where it was a shut down the city and it was better than everything. It was family, black family reunion and keep in mind, and I will watch my godmother moving around because she was a person that was important to the city and things of that nature.
So it was always ready. Something Philadelphia in me. When I graduated college, I didn't want to go back home because not put someone out in my mind again, go do something somewhere else, but I want to be close enough.
I'm the only child to my parents that if they needed me, I could be there. Yeah. So where is that Philadelphia? I got family there already. I got a godmother who's already doing a lot of things that I would love to be doing. So I asked her, can I come live with you and my god sister, my godbrothers? And she was like, yeah, come on.
Now, before all that, I'm who the context? I should also tell you that my godmother used to have these music conferences called I am. She would have them either DC or Philadelphia.
These are, and I mean, don't music conferences where I'm talking from Whitney Houston to New Edition, because again, her relationship as a radio host, her relationship as the creator, the co-creator of Black Music Month and all the things in between. So I quest love. I'm leaving.
I'm going somewhere. I met quest love officially when I was probably 16 in DC. However, he had seen me running around. I am because he had been introduced to that entity in different ways. He initially came in as an intern, right? And then the next year he came in, maybe I'm shortening things, but maybe he came in and did the showcase with the roots, right? And then the year after that date, the roots got bigger.
And so he's doing the tribute to Jazzy Jeff, right? The roots are. But I talked to him the first time I met him was in my godmother's penthouse suite. She said, so these big after parties after the gala. And there was a line of people waiting to talk to Stevie Wonder. And so because my cousin had played drums with Stevie Wonder for 15, 20 years, I when I was a much emboldened 15, 16 year old, I was like, I'm a waiting line and talk to Stevie. It was that one time I was at rehearsals and I was acting like I was singing backstage. He remembers.
So I'm near the back of me and we start talking and we become friends. And as the years went on, I would take him out to the clubs and DC had no business. So then I moved to Philadelphia, so fast forward out of college. I'm in Philadelphia at my godmother's house and I want to work in radio. And she's like, all right, we'll go to the radio stations and try to get you a job. Fast forward promotions assistant. And this ride is so crazy, Rob, because I went from promotions assistant to like off because when I got the job, somebody said, listen, if you want to be a promotion assistant and everybody who knows these are the street team people at the radio station that you see at your stores, your sprint or at concerts with their shirts on.
And they're like, you might want to hurry up and get finished this before winter because you don't want to be outside. You had to figure out what you want to do. And that's when I applied for the office manager job in the promotions office. Long story short, I became the producer of the new night show, which was Mike and pooch in the morning and on power 99. And so things started moving from there. And I was the producer of the show. Then, you know, me, I'm loud. And so then they're like, why you come to the mic? I'm a girl due to entertainment news.
What's so funny to me? And just different, like, you know, life starts moving. It's like, so I'm realizing I got to get out of Deanna's house. I got to get my own place. I got to get another job. Well, my boss, my former boss just became the president of rough nation records, which used to be rough house.
Oh, wow. Chris Schwartz, see, looking for office office manager. I could do that.
And I could still get to my night job, but my Mike, Mike, you dread and pooch man, the hot boys. Yeah. So I did. I'm just giving you the fast, like the whole, the Philly story and how it's everything is connected. So I'm on the radio. This is what? 2000, 99, 2000.
Think about Black Lily, right? So I'm in my 20s. That's about to be bubbling. Like it started in New York. So I guess in the early part, it's still in New York.
But at some point, it does, you know, they come to Philly and it's every Tuesday in Philly. Now, as that's moving, my career is moving. So Chris Schwartz has now moved out of this building and another record company has inherited me and they're as their office manager, right? Oh, disc. I learned publishing.
Right. Oh, this is a publishing house. So I learned about publishing in the past, men book and how this works.
And I'm, I'm, I'm dating Dice Ross, Dice Roth from the roots. And so I'm like, Hey, you should get a publishing deal. So I helped him get his first publishing deal. And he little people know that he's made a lot of money with songs placed in different TV shows and whatnot.
Twenty years ago. Again, you know, things are happening concurrently. So it's like, and again, the Black Lily is happening, but on the radio side of things, I'm still at that hip hop station.
So beanie seagull is bubbling. Jay-Z is the number one and number one artist in Philadelphia. No matter how hard the roots fucking try, this chick named Jill Scott is the bubbling and everybody's asking who is Jill Scott, but I know who she is because she comes to the Lily every once and again. But we, you know, but we got her, we got flowetry. We got Kendra, the family soul.
We got Jaguar, right? You know, this is all happening at the same time. And so I'm starting to get more on airtime. I have moved now to be doing voice tracking for the night for the night show, the two a.m. to five. Now my boss is seeing me and she's like, well, how about you voice that? Well, I'm voicing it, but I'm also as the morning show comes on at five. I know they're listening as they're driving in and I'm talking shit about them.
Like, oh, Moni and Pooch on their way in. Well, they need a producer. Laia, you are always the one that has all the good entertainment news and those what's going on in the world. You said, can you produce this show? Moni, Moni love and Pooch man. Sure. But I'm still loud and I'm in the back like no, no, no, no, no, no.
So it becomes Moni Pooch and and Laia. We got a commercial. We on the done. We on the things we do on the thing.
He just doing the things and I'm doing a morning show. So now all my people that I love that aren't getting major play, like, you know, there's the roots and all these black lily people. I'm still a person as like in my music director's ear and my program director's ear to the point where my program director at some point had to say, Laia, stop pushing the roots. I don't know why you love them so much.
They have no personality. There's nothing we think is about to happen with you chasing the roots as he chased Jay-Z. And I but that's OK because at some point I get a job with my own specialty show. There's a specialty show called Inner City in Philadelphia that was hosted by beautiful woman named Tiffany Bacon. This is the show that put everybody on that was in that soul scene at the time. She was the only person who had a show like this on a major radio station. She was on Power 99 and I worked at the same station and I would just on Sundays. I would come sit with her just to hear the interviews, just being the vibe and stuff like that. And so at some point fast forward, I'll go to the competing radio station and there's an opportunity for me to do my own show like that. It doesn't compete against her show.
It's during the day because she's a night. So now I have my own show where I can play the people that I've been rocking with this whole time. So now I'm like, anytime people come into town, I'm like, you should come to the radio station, we need to do this. Or if you're at the radio station, do you know about the black Lilly? Alicia Keys, you don't know about the black Lilly girl.
I'm going to take you and your whole crew to the black Lilly. So these things are all happening as the roots are growing. And now they're not at the Lilly every week because they're getting bigger.
Jill is not there because she's getting bigger, but Kendrick is now taking the stage and everybody is there every Tuesday to see Kendrick. It was a time and I didn't, I don't know how to shorten that. So I was like, I got to tell you all these things because so now when you know that I ended up producing and co-hosting plus love show and producing and co-hosting Jill's show and even the loving Brit, it kind of became that I became a bigger fan of Philadelphia. I always say that I'm a bigger fan of Philadelphia than Philadelphia is of itself.
Philadelphia is an underdog. They don't, like I said, Jay-Z was number one. The roof was like five. Again, remember the Philadelphia program director is like, Laia, get off, take dick, but be any secret, you can come in here any damn time you want to and wreck the place. You know, so this is what we were. Yeah. And I just bet on the right bet. I feel like I cultivated the right, the right relationship with the people that I thought was talented.
Rob Lee: I mean, as I've said it before, and thank you for, for going through the, because it's, you know, it's a lot in there. I'm just like, you're in the scene, you're doing this, you're moving around. There's so many things that are happening. And I can see the, the, the overlap, the synchronicity that I'm curious about things that make sense. It's like, oh yeah, that makes sense. That is your career trajectory. That sounds about right.
laiya st clair: Like Donovan McNabb was the quarterback. I mean, all these things are layered. It was an interesting time, Rob. Yeah.
Rob Lee: And I think that's one of the things like, and in going up there and doing the, the trip. So I give you this context, you know, when I started this podcast, it was 2019.
It was sort of the, the person that in some ways helped prompt my energy towards this podcast. He spun the block and he's back in the office. I just put it that way, right? And in that, his sort of commentary about Baltimore City's overrides, right? And I was in that same time where he was taking shots at silly, right?
laiya st clair: Wait, he said Baltimore is still, say that again? It's just the city's overrides. Oh, I thought that's what you said. Okay.
Rob Lee: And, you know, sort of now it's just a hellhole, you know, that whole thing. No. So what my thinking was, it's like, all right, I know enough people, Baltimore's small enough and I think community oriented enough that I can reach out to folks, have them come on and try to counter that narrative, you know, like having that narrative be baked in and almost any interaction I've had over now, 40 years, right? You're from Baltimore. Man, I'm surprised you didn't get a bullet hole. See, I was like, I did. What? Or even at Morgan, I remember some dude from DC. I remember I was just telling them different parts of the Baltimore lives.
laiya st clair: Oh, go ahead. What do you say?
Rob Lee: He was like, you know, all the drug spots. I was like, yeah.
laiya st clair: Oh, you white? No, you say that to me?
Rob Lee: I know you was, but I'm like, real estate, he's a real estate guy. And I was just like DCing that far from it. I like y'all have a better public.
laiya st clair: We were the murder capital. We are like, are you kidding?
Rob Lee: But my thing is, and I think you can relate to this, it's like, I rather disprove it, like in a little logical way, like here's proof positive of it. And I thought the best way to do that was through sort of conversations from folks that are of a place and like sort of what their truth is and what their life is. And it's like, this person makes these really great frescoes. They're really good artists. They need me. I don't know if they're out here murdering, you know what I mean? I don't know if that's a thing and that's a part of what
laiya st clair: makes you know what I just thought of. As you said that, I thought, I thought about going to Morgan with Nibasha and watching the beautiful evolution of her. And like, she's a beautiful example of Baltimore to me. I mean, rest in peace fertile ground, but I'm sorry. But yeah, Baltimore looks different.
Rob Lee: Yeah. And I think in going up to Philly, I did that. I was going up every two weeks, starting in 2022, right? And I reached out to some of my folks in sort of the radio space, and I was just like, yo, if I do this, like I'm doing all these interviews in Baltimore, and I'm thinking of chasing that wanderlust. And I was like, it's almost the reverse of like, you know, I'm going to be close to home.
I'm still kind of close, but it's just up the road. Let me make up to Philly and do those interviews on site. And I was doing them in the fashion district and, you know, I wrecked Philly and doing all of those interviews every two weeks. And I started just seeing that overlap. That's where your name kept coming up.
Speaker 3: And I was just looking at... Yeah, wrecked Philly is my voice.
Rob Lee: Exactly. You know, I'm connected with sort of the right people having the right conversations.
Speaker 3: And you know, and doing it, and here's the funniest part about it, right? Falling in love with the city, because I'd only really been up there for wrestling shows. I was going to like see wrestling shows at ECW Arena. Oh, that's hilarious. So that's what it was. And I was up there doing, you know, because the sports stuff in there Philly is wild, but up there, I think it was maybe...
I learned sports in Philly. Exactly. And, you know, being up there and seeing how things are done and then seeing the similarities, you know, with Baltimore and sort of Philadelphia. And it's just like... They're similar cities. Oh, very similar.
And I was just like, okay, cool. This makes sense. And being able to connect with folks. And now I make it a point from a social standpoint, not even recording, to like go up there and connect because and see people that I'm friends with up there because it's like, hey, you did this pod. It wasn't just one of these disposable things. We've established a connection, a rapport. So I got to serve that and cultivate that.
laiya st clair: Yeah, that's definitely... I mean, just don't eat too much because I always tell people, you know, Philly is a food capital of the world. It is some of the best food I've ever tasted in my life. And I've been a few places friends. So you'd be careful. Yes. People are big and Philly for a reason. That thing tastes good.
Rob Lee: I dropped some weight over the last year and changed like a fair amount of weight. But some of the things I was seeing up there, it was wild. You know, I would go there to the famous market over there.
laiya st clair: Red and Terminal, come on, Red and Terminal.
Rob Lee: That's a wonder. I was like, yeah, it's 9.30 a.m. How are you double-fifth in ice cream cones, my G? Like what are we doing?
laiya st clair: Oh, yeah, you can't have it all, man. You want the best food. No, I love Philly. It made it, like you said, and when you started this question, that's why I was so dope that you asked me that because I wouldn't be where I am today if not for that city in all the ways. Yeah. I get all the ways.
Rob Lee: So you touched on it a little bit in sharing the story, the Philly stories. I want to add this piece to it. You've also worked on shows with Questlove, with Jill Scott, and Philly icons that you were going through, the story there. The podcast world is a newer world for you. You're a radio girl, as you said. And this lane, this podcast space feels like crowded yet still niche. So how do you find your lane in it and sort of like what opportunity?
laiya st clair: Don't be asking me that, Rob. You know I haven't found it. What you mean? I'm overthinking everything. I'm sitting here listening and you are taking notes and working on confidence. What are you saying? I don't know. I know it's funny. I have several podcast ideas. I just overthink them and I have some shit. Rob, I just need to throw it at you.
Rob Lee: We will absolutely talk about these things. I have some ideas I want to float out there as well. But I think. I also miss radio though. Look. Don't tell nobody. But I think.
Tell everybody. I think the thing that's in there and what I was hearing and correct me if I'm wrong here but I think so that niche and that lane is in this vein of authenticity. That's the lane I try to play in. I think that's the lane that you're playing and with these award winning podcasts that you've worked with, you've already had standing relationships with folks versus just, hey, I'm going to come in and here's this sort of setup and this plan. But it's just like their friendship there and the connectivity there. Yes.
laiya st clair: Well, let me say this. Lord, thank you for Jill Scott because I remember Jill said to me way before we ever executed it or thought to that she wasn't going to do a podcast without me.
And that's like important because here's the deal Rob. As many times as I was on the radio, every opportunity I had to be on the radio meant every opportunity that my friends who had talent had to be on the radio. I would find all kinds of reasons to call up quest love and put him on the radio. Like, I'll be like, you going to the Grammys, I need you to tell me what it's about. Call with radio, with just like anything.
You got a new project. I heard, okay, we're going to talk about it on the radio. So the funny part is, and this is you lucky that this title of your podcast is the truth. The word is in the truth. And so you didn't ask this question, but I'm going to just answer it on how it goes came about. So I told you with the Jill one for the quest level, which is my first podcast.
Shonji. So, you know, it's important to know, you know, it's cool to know artists. What is even cooler to know managers and the people who make the things happen. And for me and Shonji, who most people know as the president of Live Nation Urban, who started out as the Roots business manager, who is Black Thought's cousin. Our relationship was essential to me getting on quest love Supreme because honey, I had called, I remember, let me tell you, I remember one day I was driving from DC to Philly, and I heard Q-Tip, his show on Apple. Remember he had a show on Apple Music for a minute. It was called like Q-Tip Basement or something like that.
And he would just spin records and talk. And I just loved it. And so I remember hitting up a mirror quest level and being like, oh, we should do this. And he said, oh, you know what? I got something in the works right now to where I'm working on that. I said, oh, was you thinking about involving me in it? Oh, I don't know.
Well, we'll see what we're going to see. And before he knew it, Shon had already called me about four months into them doing recordings. Because if you are a hardcore quest love Supreme fan, you know, I'm not on the first few episodes. But Shon called me one night and was like, we need you, who are a radio person, who knows us, who we can trust with our contacts because we are building this show up and we're going to be reaching out to people and we want to know whoever is reaching out to them on our behalf.
We can trust. Yeah. And so that's how I became the producer and co-host of quest love Supreme. Supreme, much of the surprise of quest love. Wow. Wow. So, yeah. So, so yes. And eight years later, and a lot of webby awards and an image award. We did pretty good.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah. I think I answered it.
Rob Lee: You did. You did. And I think like I love that because you, you know, the booking piece, the connection piece, it's about connections, about relationships. And, you know, so often I'll have folks reach out to me to connect me to this person, connect me to that person. I'm like, I don't know if that's what I'm doing with the contacts here. You start asking those sorts of questions because reputation, you know, being personable sort of whatever wants to make it corporate speak, whatever one's brand is, that's important, especially if you're bringing someone together. And I'll have.
laiya st clair: What are you going to do with those contacts once you leave that entity too?
Rob Lee: Exactly. And I find like, you know, folks will reach out and say, oh, well, we know. And she'll say, sure, I don't know if you actually even shared your episode. You know, so what do you, what are you asking me about? But I try to, especially now, you know, leverage community, leverage those connections, not all work, some do.
And I was sharing a bit of that earlier about some of these opportunities with SPX and CXC that I'm going to be doing later in a year. That's a straight. Very dope. And thank you. So in that, I definitely want to hear your take in this area because the conversations I've had, people generally like me, I guess. You know, I think that media industry and sort of these connections thrive on relationships. You know, I see strong connections and a great reputation reflected in your work. So in what ways do reputation, personability and a sense of humor, because you're a bit of a card there. How do those like sort of show up and really foster and cultivate those still strong relationships that are there?
laiya st clair: I mean, it's essential and not just surfaced. See, like I try to remind myself, like I remind myself to call and hit certain people. And then, you know, you have different levels of what people mean to you in that way too. I mean, when you're talking about Quest or Jill or even Asia and Fatim from Kindred to Family Soul, these are relationships.
Like Amir always says, I'm his oldest friend because they're, yes, I'm still around. And the same thing goes for them. So that is different in that way where you mind yourself to constantly check on them.
But then there's the middle, then there are like your publicists and the folks who have been reaching out and the same thing kind of goes to them. I feel like periodically you do a temperature check and it's nice when you hit people and you don't want nothing. I eat. When you, I mean, people feel so good when you're just like, Hey, and they're like, Hey, what can I do for you?
Like nothing just checking on you, maybe you're all good. Exactly. That's, I mean, I know I love it. So yeah, that's important. I mean, a sense of humor because you have to have a sense of humor because you also know that sometimes when you lose certain gigs, the phone might not get picked up from people who was anxious to pick up your phone call before. So you have to laugh at that, but you also have to take note because that helps you refine your collective.
I might, I mean, now that I know that's who you are, I'm not doing the check-ins like that. You know what I mean? I'm not giving my energy. We, me and you both know as January 20th babies, we have to protect our energy because we will give it to everybody and have nothing left for ourselves. So I'm literally in the midst of auditing that in a way.
Rob Lee: I love, I love the auditing piece. Like I do that all the time. I have this running bit and I said to certain people, I'm like, I have one and a half friends and they're like, where am I at in this half?
Am I the half? Like what's happening? And, but it's, it's sort of true. It's also facetious, but it's sort of true in that there are layers to those connections and you know, sometimes I'll see people that I think, Hey, I think we're kind of cool. You know, you know, but they won't even speak to you in, you know, in public.
laiya st clair: They wouldn't even know. No, we're not cool.
Rob Lee: And, and he's the kicker. I'm very noted. I'm six, four, like two, four. I'm a giant man. So, so when someone's just like actively like not noticing me, if I'm like reaching out or speaking or especially they've been on this, I've been told at times you look shorter on the pod. I'm like, yeah, you do.
laiya st clair: I didn't, well, not six, four. You don't look six, four sitting down. So yeah, that's true.
Rob Lee: But my face looks the same. I would imagine and or you're like, Hey, you know, I'm blotting blind.
laiya st clair: I would see you more because you're six, four. I'd be like, Oh, oh, no.
Rob Lee: So it's one of those things so that the audit thing is super important. And, you know, or even, even some of those, those opportunities, I know that sort of collaboration is really important. And I think being able to work with people that you like or for people that you have a good rapport with is also like just super important. But the thing that gets me at times is in doing this and really figured out a lane and navigating some of the things and podcasting and media is let's just say outsiders for lack of a better term. I find that folks wanting to end or want whatever comes with the connections or whatever the thing is, but it's not reciprocity. It's not mutualism. It's sort of how can you help me?
And then I kind of like, you know, drink your last capri sun and close the door on you. I think that's the thing that I've noticed. And that's sort of one of my criteria is when it comes to that sort of recalibration and that auditing, if you will.
laiya st clair: Yeah, you know, I just I'm pausing and I'm tripping because I'm in process. Like I'm talking big shit right now. But the fact of the matter is you are ahead of me and saying that one and a half friend thing and I had, I'm in the process of where I've said out loud. Okay, it's time. It's time to audit.
It's time to audit. And I literally just said to a friend who came over here for like a work, a work visit, we just did work. I said, you know, I'm I got to get better at just pouring more into the people who pour into me. I have a habit of giving everybody equal course and I don't know why I'm doing that. And so I don't even know what you asked me, but I just know this is another sign that you need to drop some weight. Yeah, not drop weight, but just not give. How about that?
Rob Lee: I'll even use this like not everybody deserves you were touching on the sort of equal pours that everybody deserves the big cup, the big golden. Some people get that shot glass. Some people get that like, all right, that's a little light.
laiya st clair: My therapist said that's the way she said it. She was like, some people get the call every week. Some people get the call every month. Maybe you toss it them once a year. Like and you can't pour the you can't pour the same to those three people. I was like, you're right. That's that's that's true.
Rob Lee: But I and I will say this and I got like two more real questions and I got rapid fire questions over thank her. So they'll be coming soon too. But I will say this in an effort to, you know, cultivate those those relationships, you know, folks that I'm like, okay, you're cool. You check in, you know, and it's not to your point. It's not one of those they need something or I need something or have you. It's just like, hey, it's a social visit. Hey, let's check, you know, chat.
And I find that especially now because folks are isolated with this illusion of connectivity as far as online and all of that stuff goes. I talked to you earlier. You pinged me. You didn't talk to me at all. You texted me. You DM me or what have you. That's not a conversation. Those are different.
laiya st clair: I wish somebody would. They don't even do that. They don't do that to 80s babies. I mean, like, well, you what? You what? No, I don't know.
Rob Lee: So I find that when I go out of town is usually New York, occasionally or New Orleans and in Philly, I'm always trying to connect with somebody up there. I'm like, yo, I'm up there for like six hours, what you doing? Want to grab coffee or something? Mm hmm.
Not more than, hey, let's let's connect. And some people find that to be so foreign because it is this notion of you want something to say a quartado with the extra shot of espresso in it. That's what I want. You want to kick it? You want to check it out when I want to grab a coffee? And those are the things that I enjoy doing and it satisfies the the wanderlust that leads to a deeper connection, I think. And some folks get it and some folks don't really understand that.
And I think the way that I sort of use that when those other opportunities come up that might be in a person's city or that might that person might be a good fit for it. Hey, I know you because we've broke bread together. We've had a drink together. We've done this or that together more than just an hour long podcast. Yeah.
I know you a little bit more to actually want to work with you and lend sort of my brand and my reputation sense of humor and all of that stuff. Yeah.
laiya st clair: Yeah. No, you're right. It's like calling instead of texting sometimes. Yeah.
Rob Lee: So I want you to text me first. So I'm going to this this last question here that I have with the real questions. Um, so there's this belief that failure is an inherent part of the creative process and I think the creative process is pretty broad. Like working on something that's not just, oh, I did this brush for a book or what have you or I made this song or whatever. Could you share one of your favorite failures and which you've learned from it?
laiya st clair: Hold up. Let me pick one. Hold on. Stand by me.
Speaker 3: It's every episode. Every episode.
laiya st clair: Okay. All right. I'm going to do one with a famous person that really cut deep not today did something to me, but it wasn't that far. But I'm going to give you all the realities also to rush your radio at this time. So after I finished doing morning after the morning show broke up with pooch, I was moved to mid days at 100.3 to be in Philadelphia and I told you that I'm always promoting the underdog when it comes to the music, you know, the folks that ain't being played and we were doing one of these radio conferences where we're about to have these artists come in and, you know, civilian folks to come here to them talk at these different panels and stuff, you know, a money grab for radio and Rafael Sedeek was set to be on one of these panels. Now at the time, the Rafael Sedeek project that was out was that stacks record that he did. Remember he did like a album full of kind of like remix stacks record remakes and stuff like that.
A lot of older songs that you would never hear on your favorite power or hot or anything like that. Right. And so my boss asked me to interview Rafael Sedeek. Um, and I was like, hell yeah. Cause at the time, you know, Rafael is the person who really ushered in this new soul movement and I got so much to talk about and he does legend. And so they say to me, we want you to interview him, but we want you to hold the interview. We're going to play it when we start playing his record.
Oh. Now by this time I have been through this mainstream radio conversation versus these soul records, these alternative records, like many debates, it's enough to know that what bullshit is. So at the time I'm a rebel and I decide that not only will I not record that interview and play it later, that when Rafael Sedeek walks in and he kind of walked in late, I'm going to go live. And we had a really great conversation.
I mean, it was great interview. Two weeks later, I'm walking into work. I love love love. I'm getting ready for my radio job. And they called me into this studio, this new studio that has see-through walls where everybody in the office walked past to go to the cat, the kitchen. But the general manager, the PD and the other higher up and they fired my ass. Now that was a lesson.
Yeah. And I think they also fired me because at some point in a in a staff meeting with all the staff, the GM asked us rhetorically. I didn't know what to talk about what we thought about our his idea about selling some shit to our listeners and how they were going to sell it. And I was in them and I was like, Oh, no, I don't think that be cool. You know, I thought he'd be really asking and I didn't feel everybody around me cringing like this.
You what are you doing? So I think between that and the Rafael Sedeek thing, they had had enough of me. Yeah. And, you know, it taught me a lot of things in the sense of laying my life down for folks that don't even really know what I'm doing.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
laiya st clair: Because like, Rafael Sedeek walked away and like had no idea and I just lost my whole job. Like, and I, I told him stories 15 years later on quest love Supreme, but like, what does matter?
You know what I mean? And the same thing went for that meeting situation. I was a bit of a high head at the time in the sense that I thought I needed to say what I was thinking all the time.
Yeah. Now one can say that I learned from that, that that's not the case, but one can also say that I was so traumatized by that that I overthink every fucking thing.
Rob Lee: So you've been you're, you're preaching to the choir there as to where, you know, I'll send you a link to this. I did a creative mornings talk about this theme of truth and I was just talking about sort of my career and some of the, at these different quotes and one that sticks out was this time I had a day job and I was kind of let go for speaking and being a bit of a rebel and calling out maybe some white people about their life.
laiya st clair: January 20th things go.
Rob Lee: And it was just like the quote was no one's more hated than the man that speaks the truth. And I was just like, Oh yeah, you know, me, I got fired as a result of these things happening. And but, but yeah, I mean, you know, having those, those sort of failures or those, those opportunities you learn from them and you know, that's wow. I'm still kind of like, like, you did. I was like, that's, that's, but you've got to, you've got to interview. You got to fire interview out of, nah, nope. God here you're gone. You're done.
laiya st clair: I wasn't gonna let you play right. The other thing like that, I just should have told him, I just wish that also I would have told him like, you know, they want me to play this and I said, because it was like everybody's one with me.
Rob Lee: But I think you, you, you learn from it and you've learned from it. And yeah, actually you're, you're, you're still here and you're able to share the, that story. And I think there is a lesson that's applicable to even folks listening. You say, eh, sometimes things outside of your control, they still are sort of the right decision. You may have a little bit of a influence on it and maybe it's sort of like, all right, I'm gonna be less vocal about this or maybe whatever the case might be, you learn something from it, but it is sort of even if the content of what the thing is, is really good, it still doesn't save you at the end of the day.
So it's just like you stuck to your guns. I think as far as like I did a good interview, I did something that was good, so there's a lesson in that and a big takeaway from it. Like when I get these different guests that come on, I'm like, how the hell did I get this person and I go into it like super nervous.
And then it's like, oh, actually did that well. The or they're like, so which media outlet are you from? I was like, I'm completely independent and I was like, you can tell, but it's it's a lesson. They said you can tell. You can not tell. I usually say it.
laiya st clair: I was like, I don't know. Yeah, I know they don't
Rob Lee: because it's the thing of like as you were talking about early on, you know, it's sort of, hey, you got 30 minutes to talk about it and you know, it's very refined and it's like, I had one person on who Hello, of course, who was sharing she did a Ted talk about grief. And and she was talking about like she was connecting grief to dancing.
It was called the grief dance and you know, emotions, right? She she's sharing sort of like just like a lot of personal tragedy that happened that played as a backdrop for this talk and she gets emotional during the pod and I'm like, I don't want to deal with it. But and it's like a kind of like a two hour conversation, right? And I was able to kind of give her that space, but then still navigate it.
And all of these things you said over thinking all of these things are going on. I was like, should we pause it? Should we cut it? Should we do that's like, I should keep the conversation as it is and if it fits, it fits. And if it doesn't, it doesn't, but keep the conversation rolling and also giving you know, person the guests that they've had any concessions or any sort of like, I think I was a little too raw there.
laiya st clair: Then you have the option, right? And but for you as an interviewer though, it also tightened your skills to another level because you understand that where that discipline needs to come in and where it needs to chill for a second and just live like just live.
Rob Lee: And I think, you know, just doing doing those reps, I learned from it. But you know, and some of those times and I think I'm in revisiting guests for this season because it's kind of split like half of the guests are re interviews or second second interviews continuing the conversation. And I joke with folks, I'm like, some of y'all talking to again, because I wasn't very good then. And some of y'all like, maybe you weren't as good and I'm just wanting to follow up.
laiya st clair: That's cool.
Rob Lee: So yeah, it's like constantly trying to learn from it from these things that might be perceived as failure, but I think they're all reps using that.
laiya st clair: You know, what's funny about that? I've had an interview on my back that I always wanted to circle back to and I'm a getter before when I do my podcast, but I had a similar situation happen with Heather Hunter on quest love Supreme when we started talking about her origins of where how she started to do porn. And her first answer was I was raped. And when I tell you that whole room of men went because they got so uncomfortable. Yeah, I felt like I had to to move on like figure out how to move away from this because this wasn't a safe space for her. So now just it's just funny to trigger that. I mean, like that's one of the people that I would just would love to circle back to but but he's also one of the people that periodically I text her and I check on her. You know what I mean? Because she gave us that moment and because and also because I knew her from before that is just sweet lady, but just yes. I'm sorry. There are those points.
Rob Lee: You're good. No, that's that's that's good. And I think that you know, sort of really like living with that and being in that and you know, connection, you know, who that is. Rob, I do. Okay.
laiya st clair: I'm just making sure because you didn't give me that male wing thing that we do.
Rob Lee: Okay. That's that's for the goons that are listening.
laiya st clair: You are such a professional. He was like Heather Hunter. Yeah. That is a poor.
Rob Lee: I remember I remember it was one day I was I was at work years ago and you know, my partner, she's talked about whatever. And she's like, yeah, you know, you know, you know, being a person of the bi community, I was just like, okay, moving on. And they just rolling whereas it was a Jesuit school. So it was like Catholic, adjusting their ties. And I'm like, cool. You be doing stuff. I don't know.
laiya st clair: So porn stars. They have what it is. Yeah.
Rob Lee: So I want to turn this into sort of the last pod. I have these rapid fire questions. You've you've listened to this pod to know and I'll just give you sort of the not a disclaimer but sort of that detail. You don't want to overthink these. They're goofy questions. They're fun questions. Okay. All right.
Here's the first one. If you could describe where you're currently located and what is your favorite thing about where you're located like regionally. I'm in Africa town. Where's that? Lamert Park.
laiya st clair: And that's why I love it. It's called Africa town in California and Los Angeles where you have to make appointments and see black people but not in my town, my party town because I live in Africa town.
Rob Lee: The only thing I know about Lamert Park is Dom Kennedy. That's the only thing I know.
laiya st clair: Park is the cultural center of Inglewood, South Cal, like it's the cultural center. This is where all of most of the East Array show was shot. And for here. Yeah. Whoo. Man, remember when you didn't say that easy time funny house time. Okay. So yeah, you said rapid fire. Which one? No, that's good. It's good.
Rob Lee: Okay. Um, let's see. So I read this. This is a quote I read and I'm really digging the quotes. And insights and all that stuff. I read that if you're not on trend, you're actually behind. If you chose one word that sums up what guide you of staying ahead and true to your own path, rebel, rebel, what would it be? Uh, chase and joy. I love it. Mine is riding the wave. Oh, come on.
laiya st clair: Aquarius.
Rob Lee: Now here's the ones that will even more esoteric. This, I've only gotten one person to answer this one. I think and their answer was really funny. So I'm want to see what yours is. What is the lie that you most often tell yourself? You haven't worked hard enough for it.
That seems like a similar lie that I told. It's just going together. And then here's the, here's the last one. We're being very dishonest in this portion of the pod. What's the lie told to you when you were earlier in your career that you believed that you turned, it turned out not to be true.
laiya st clair: I mean, I really just learned this like last week. Multi-tasking is not great.
Rob Lee: And you were told earlier that you should multitask. We have my black woman.
laiya st clair: Multi-tasking is exhausting and something is not going to get the same attention and it's something's always going to fall as a result of all these things happening. And it's true. I've just been trying to make it untrue for 40-something years. Very.
Rob Lee: That makes makes a lot of sense. Makes a lot of sense. Again, I'm on the same page. It's a, it's kind of a fallacy. Doesn't quite work. You can give a little behavior. Not giving the same amount of attention to these other areas. And when folks reach out to me, why don't you do this as a video podcast?
Why don't you do this, that or that? I was like, yeah, I think it's going to take away from something. You know, if I had a crew team, that's a different conversation we're having. And I was like, I'd rather have it a minimum. I know that I can do this well and maybe I can grow it. Maybe I can enhance it in a way.
laiya st clair: I'm proud of you because everybody has to come to the video. That was kind of like, I mean, this is the truth podcast, but that was kind of like the death, part of the death of Jill's podcast because she really didn't want to be forced to do video. And yeah.
Rob Lee: And if you know, it's other things that are driving it. I wrapped up my podcast class and just everyone just talking video, talking video, it was a person who was my co-teacher and she'd mentioned. She was just like, are you doing a web series or you doing a podcast? Because there is some overlap and it seems like you want to do a web series. It seems like that's what you're talking about.
laiya st clair: What is the difference between a video podcast and a web series? What is that? What is what is exactly?
Rob Lee: And you know, and their sort of notion was because I'm a radio nerd. I'm not a radio person. I wasn't in radio. I'm radio nerds. The HFS guy will have you back in the day looking for that.
It was a while. Listen to the sports junkies, all of that stuff like this is great. And that's where it comes from. That's the birth of it for me and then finding podcasts not long after that. So I come from that as a foundation. So when folks are talking, well, you got to do videos the only way I was just like, yeah, it's 20% of the industry. Tell me more. You know, it's just like, is that the number?
That's the number I keep hearing floated out there. It's somewhat fabricated with the elevation from my Spotify and all of that stuff. But there is maneuvers and all of that stuff that is happening when I go to these different cons or different events like on airfest, you start to get a trajectory of what's happening and whose stories matter a little bit more. We can talk about it a little bit off, Mike.
laiya st clair: That's funny. Yeah, you said it. Cause I've always, I've been wondering lately how a Charlemagne network has been doing and all the folks that I mean, I love him and I love his intention. So I, but I wondered how long they, you know,
Rob Lee: yeah, we'll, we'll talk, we'll talk a little bit about that. I think, but what I would like to do is as we close out here is there's two things. One, thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for coming on. This has really been the highlight of my day and my week.
laiya st clair: If I'm being on, thank you for asking me, Rob. Mine too. I love talking. This is awesome. And then you just a wealth of knowledge. So I'm just writing everything down cause I know you're not a gatekeeper.
Rob Lee: Oh, absolutely not. And thank you. And, um, and secondly, I want to invite and encourage you to share with the listeners where they can follow you stay up to date with you, web, social media, all of that good stuff. We shameless plug here. We like to do that. So the floor and doors.
laiya st clair: Well, follow me everywhere at Laia's world. That's L, A, I, Y, A and then the S world. Also, like I said earlier in the show, my father and I have started a merchandise collection of his photography. You can't see me, but like this is a dress. This is a limited edition Teddy dress. Oh, wow. This is my father's photo.
And when I turn around, you can actually, you can see like the whole photo. So that's limited, but we also have really dope t-shirts featuring Nikki Giovanni and Roy Ayers and the first, uh, some of the first rallies for Martin Lupi King's holiday. Yes, we protested and fought for that holiday, uh, amongst some other really dope black images and we're going to be doing more of that. So that's the St. Claire collection, the St. Claire collection. Com follow the St. Claire collection. Um, and yeah, just, uh, follow me and hit me up sometimes. I like talking about it to people. That's how I met Rob.
Rob Lee: They have it folks. I want to again, thank Laia St. Claire for coming on to the podcast and sharing a bit of her story and her journey and just all of these insights and for Laia, I am Rob Lee saying that there's art, culture and community in and around your neck of the woods. You just have to look forward.