TAWKS: the Podcast

What does it mean to be "spiritual" vs. "religious"? Does talking to my ancestors make me a weirdo? And what's the deal with all the sage burning?! We get to the real root of the questions this week in our conversation with our friend Danielle of ToiBox Tarot. She gives us helpful insight and the real deal on what tarot practice is and what it ain't! Come learn something new, and leave your bad energy at the door. Follow Danielle @toiboxtarot Follow the TAWKS TRIO! DAKA - @thealleykatway BLEU - @_itsjustbleu SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakur TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

This week we link back up with Billy Banx almost a year after speaking with him about his music. This time he's back with a new single, a new attitude and a clear intention on the mark he wants to leave on the music industry and the world. Follow Billy Banx - @b.banx Stream #Fallen Follow the TAWKS TRIO! DAKA - @thealleykatway BLEU - @_itsjustbleu SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakur TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

We give our review of Black is King (masterpiece), Kamala Harris (support her!) and of course WAP (ya'll just mad cause you're not getting any). Stay tuned for the shenanigans! Follow the TAWKS TRIO! DAKA - @thealleykatway BLEU - @_itsjustbleu SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakur TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

We're finally back live in the studio ya'll!! This week we unpack our feelings around the protests surrounding the murder of George Floyd, and talk about what the future holds for Black America. We also take a little tour across the country with some little known facts about our hometowns, and Nayo gives us some tips for pulling back for a moment so that we can be mentally strong to continue the fight for freedom. Hey #tawkers! Summer will be over before you know it, which means back to school time is coming! Join us alongside some of the QC’s dopest black podcasters to “pull up” for a good cause. From now until July 31, we’ll be collecting school supplies to fill 200 book bags for kids & families in the city. Just DM us to schedule a drop off or donate at any @hyggeclt location starting 6/13. Can’t donate supplies in person? Send a little coin via CashApp to $HelpKidsLearn

Friends! How many of us REALLY have them? This week on #TAWKsPodcast we talk all things friendship. Is it normal to grow apart and experience ebbs and flows in a friendship? What do you do when the homieship has run aground? We dive in with our buddy Rell (@rells.eye) to tawk it out! Follow the TAWKS TRIO! DAKA - @thealleykatway BLEU - @_itsjustbleu SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakur TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Happy 4/20! Sparking some good conversation with our girl A'nae (@highuhhnay) to bust some myths about marijuana and have a few laughs...all while practicing social distancing, of course!_______⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀Stay safe and stay healthy TAWKERS! ❤️Follow A'nae - @highuhhnayFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

The pots start bubbling and the table gets shaken in this week's 2wenty Caliente with special guest Chef Johnny Lee of Lushed Foodie! Follow Johnny - @_mrwenzdeFollow Lushed Foodie - @lushedfoodie Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

We’re tired…of ya’ll buying up all the toilet paper!

What do you get when you mix one-part sassy, Southern savant with savory? You get our good buddy Johnny Lee! As a classically trained chef, Johnny knows his way around the kitchen serving up all types of tasty dishes and creating food reviews on his blog Lushed Foodie. Oh, and that mouth...well it's slicker than butter! He's always quick with a comeback and will tell it straight, no cap 

Is Beyoncé truly the most influential woman in the world? What’s the secret to a good ass Philly cheesecake? Does sugar belong in grits, or is that the mark of a mad man?! We answer all these questions and more in this “sizzling” edition of 2wenty Caliente with special guest Jonathan Gardner of GardHouse!Learn how GardHouse is helping students achieve their dreams by visiting gardhouse.orgFollow them on IG @gardhousecltConnect with Jon @jonnng_nc Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

What do you do when you see a need in your community that is just not being met? Do you wait or it to magically resolve itself or do you tackle it head-on? That's what this week's guest decided to do. DAKA and Bleu sit down with Jonathan Gardner, founder of GardHouse - a nonprofit seeking to close the employment and internship gap experienced by college students of color. Learn how GardHouse is helping students achieve their dreams by visiting gardhouse.orgFollow them on IG @gardhouseclt Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

We're baaaaccckkkk!!! Welcome to Season 2 of #TAWKs! It's the first week of Black History Month and we are definitely coming in hot. What better way to celebrate than with a game of Black Card Revoked, and debunking some myths about blackness. We also dive into this week's hot topics and pay respect to the legendary Kobe Bryant. Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

It's all about asking the tough style questions on this week's edition of 2wenty Caliente! Follow the Guys!Tevin - @untitledfacade | @thetevinbKen- @dblackkenChris- @chris_rosello Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Love it or hate it, men’s fashion is changing. From gender-fluid silhouettes to more guys experimenting with color and pattern, this ain’t ya’ daddy’s wardrobe! This week DAKA sits down with three men who don’t play by the traditional, and sometimes constricting, rules of menswear to talk personal style, and what’s lacking in the industry today. Follow the Guys!Tevin - @untitledfacade | @thetevinbKen- @dblackkenChris- @chris_rosello Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Bleu turns up the heat with special guest Dre on this week's 2wenty Caliente! Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

With a new decade on the horizon, should we as black men rethink our views on masculinity? What’s “toxic” about the way we interact, react and raise our sons, and more importantly, what can we do about it?

We turn up the heat with R&B singer Billy Banx on this week's 2wenty Caliente! Follow Billy Banx - @billybanxBilly Banx on YouTube  Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Vulnerability, humility and passion for one’s craft are what make an artist truly great. Billy Banx is well on his way to becoming one of the greats. On this episode, the Trio sat down with the Charlotte bred singer to tawk music & motivation. Make sure to check out his latest project “#HopelessRomantic” dropping in 2020 and stream his latest single “#KickIt” out now! Follow Billy Banx - @b.banxBilly Banx on YouTube  Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Nayo gets into some spicy mommy questions with the Mom Tribe on this edition of 2wenty Caliente! Keep up with the Mommies! SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurERIN - @mickiblendzJORDYNN -@jordynnhallaANAE - @highuhhnay TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

From co-parenting and blended families to pregnancy reveal stories and hearing "I love you Mommy" for the first time, join Nayo for a special edition of TAWKS as she has a candid conversation about the challenges and joys of motherhood with the ladies of her Mom Tribe. Keep up with the Mommies! SUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurERIN - @mickiblendzJORDYNN -@jordynnhallaANAE - @highuhhnay TAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

It's Spooky Season ya'll!! This week we dive into all things Halloween: from candy and monster movies to our favorite Halloween traditions and costumes past and present. Plus, we get into a special edition of "Spooky Caliente", and find out who's getting their cheeks clapped for some "spooky sex"! Happy Halloween Tawkers! 

Is creativity limited only to artistic fields, or is it truly found in everybody? This week we learn you can find creativity anywhere, even in some…well, unexpected places! You already know when TAWKS and Drew of Drew Vs The World podcast link up, it’s bound to be a good time! Listen now on Ep. 11 - “The Creativity Complex”!Follow Drew -@drewvstheworldpodcastFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Things heat up with our guest Kara as we talk candy, getting buck in Zumba and how certain words have a better "mouth feel" over others. It's time to play 2wenty Caliente!Follow Kara -@karavasseurFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Paying bills, crappy jobs and perpetual FOMO. Is this what adulting is REALLY supposed to be about? It definitely wasn’t portrayed that way when we were growing up! Friend of the show Kara joins the TAWKS Trio this week to sift through all the lies and find some damn direction to this thing!Follow Kara -@karavasseurFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com

Things get a little...interesting this week as we play 2wenty Caliente with Mr. Ultra Continental himself, Ken Sings!Follow Ken - @dblackkenFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

Everyone has multiple versions of themselves living inside them, yet few choose to acknowledge it. This week, we attempt to answer the question “who REALLY are you?” with the reigning Mr. Ultra Continental USA, Ken Sings. Tune in to learn more about Louise, Markeith, Xavier, Lontiez, Nayomi, Dior Shanette, Deveraux, Draya and the many other personalities who make us…well, US!_______#TAWKs #relationships #identity #LGBT #MrUltraContinentalUSA #reality #letstawk #itunes #spotify #googleplay #podcast #blackpodcasters #dopeblackpodcasts #popculture #fashion #music #realtalkFollow Ken - @dblackkenFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

We heat things up with Dr. Donita, in a fire round of our spicy question game, "2wenty Caliente"!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

Bleu & DAKA need verbal confirmation from a potential lover, while Nayo needs you to stand on your own two and stop being clingy! This week we get real about relationships with special guest Dr. Donita Holmes to tawk about what it REALLY takes to make love work!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

This week the TAWKS Trio talks sex & hookups - DAKA doesn’t know you afterwards, while Bleu likes to seduce with a lip bite. Meanwhile, Nayo doesn’t mind taking a road trip for some guaranteed good-good and voicing her needs! Whatever way you like to get off, make sure to protect ya' neck every time and wrap it up! Tune in this week cause it gets steamy!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

This week we talk internet activism, cancel culture and what’s REALLY going on with the JayZ/NFL deal. (it’s deeper than you thought). Join us & special guest @aarontayylorr for this hot button episode. Episode 6: “Activation Nation”!Check out Aaron on Instagram @aarontaylorrCheck out Aaron M$B Taylor's latest music on SpotifyFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

We get spicy with another round of 2wenty Caliente with our guest Nige Hood!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

What’s it really like to be a hip hop artist doing #FolkRap music in a city like Charlotte? According to Nige Hood, it can be pretty weird, but totally AWESOME! He joins the TAWKS Trio to give us the rundown on his unique sound, and why he’s poised to be the next big thing to come out the QC.Check out Nige Hood and Folk RapCheck out Pour EntertainmentFollow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

We heat things up with the mogul herself, Nikki Eason, in a fire round of our spicy new question game, "2wenty Caliente"!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

ANDROGYNY. Is it masculine, feminine or somewhere in-between?

Pride Month is over...now what? The TAWKS Trio digs into the importance of celebrating Pride, rights for trans folks, & what it means to show “true, honest love” as a good ally. ✊

This week, the TAWKS Trio gets into some real talk about the relevancy of televised awards shows, the evolution of red carpet style, and poses the question: is there such a thing as being "too" sexy?

Gary Javier plays a fire round of our spicy new question game, "2wenty Caliente"!Follow the TAWKS TRIO!DAKA - @thealleykatwayBLEU - @_itsjustbleuSUNFLOWER SHAKUR - @sunflowershakurTAWK to US!! Send us your questions and comments to tawkspod@gmail.com"Stay Fashionable My Friends!"

This week, stylist extraordinaire Gary Javier (@gary.javi) stops by to talk his gender-fluid style, industry collaborations, and reminisce with us on great throwback fashions.