Hiya, 

This is Arnie Seipel, KCRW’s Chief Content Officer, and I’m so happy to be sharing something fun we are providing for you every week. It’s a new feature from The Sam Sanders Show, one of the most exciting projects we’ve developed at KCRW. 

Every week, we’ll be bringing a second episode of The Sam Sanders Show to your podcast feed, featuring reactions to pop culture moments as they happen with a rotating crew of Sam’s smartest, funniest friends. This week, Sam talks to someone we’ve both known and appreciated for a long time, music journalist Justin Richmond from the Broken Record podcast. 

Sam called Justin up after reading that the Billboard Top 40 chart had no rap songs on it for the first time in 35 years. He just had to dig into what this meant about the state of hip-hop and how music consumption is changing what gets noticed. Take a listen here. 

If you’re used to hearing Sam on the radio on Fridays and Saturdays instead of listening to his podcast or watching the show on YouTube, you’ll also hear these new segments included on the show, along with the in-depth conversations you’ve come to enjoy since the show started last year. 

Sam shared how this came about: “Something happened after we launched the show. We’d finish our weekly tapings, and I’d always have more to say, and more questions to ask. Going to twice-a-week gives us more room for curiosity, reflection, and reaction. I’m so excited to share even more with our listeners and viewers.”

It was pretty organic. This new feature is very smart and always entertaining, just like Sam. We hope you enjoy it. And we thank you, because it’s your support of KCRW that makes this possible.

– Arnie

Is Rap Music Dead?

For the first time in 35 years, there are no rap songs in Billboard’s Top 40. Is hip hop in trouble? Sam breaks down what it all means with Justin Richmond, music journalist and host of Pushkin’s Broken Record podcast. The two chat about the warning signs that might have led to this moment, how hip hop has evolved, and how Black music continues to influence artists across genres today.

Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen: Presidential Assassin Character ‘Less Calculating than Tom

Matthew Macfaydyen’s new role as President Garfield’s assassin in Netflix’s Death by Lightning comes across as somewhat humorous, likable, and sympathetic — much like his Tom Wambsgans character from Succession. While they are both opportunists who want to be a part of something bigger, Macfadyen shares with Madeleine Brand how playing the two roles felt very different.

Food Culture with Ruby Tandoh of The Great British Bake Off

Ruby Tandoh’s new book, All Consuming, tackles the evolution of food culture and how it’s changed over the last few decades, especially in a world that prioritizes nutrition, relentless trend cycles, and viral influencer videos. Food has gone from “fact of life, to national pastime” and changed our relationship with what we eat and how we consume things.

Question Everything: How Trump is Capturing America’s Media

Veteran foreign correspondent Natalia Antelava has spent 15 years reporting from places where authoritarian regimes have “captured” the media. In other words, they control the dominant messages coming from the press. Now, she’s moved to the U.S. and is watching that same system work on the American media. Natalia sits down with Brian to explain how modern autocrats achieve a takeover — and how Silicon Valley has become their “perfect accomplice.”

Could the SNAP Deadline Get Congress to End the Shutdown?

Nope! If Tuesday’s election results are any indication of how people are feeling about the government shutdown, you might conclude that people are dissatisfied with the Trump Administration's priorities. Addressing the economy and decreasing the cost of groceries was a Trump campaign priority, yet the shutdown looms large because many federal workers are not getting paid. Now, SNAP benefit cuts are hitting a new group of voters who rely on the government being open. The crew at Left, Right & Center discusses the impacts of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history.