Podcast
Empire Afterparty
Hosted by WNYC Studios · EN
Conversations with key characters, hot takes from commentators, and everything essential from the social universe: The Empire Afterparty is the place to go after the show.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 10: Talking Race & Writing with Empire's Creator
Dec 3, 201500:17:55Tap to summarizeMidway through its second season, Empire continues its reign, remaining one of the most-watched and talked about shows in recent memory. This week, the show's creator Danny Strong gives us a peek inside the royal Lyon family: revealing how he "discovered" the reason Lucious can't trust Andre; detailing the revolutionary diversity of the writers' room; and explaining why the show's total craziness all stems from ten minutes of Kanye YouTube interviews. What was your favorite moment of the season? Get at us on Twitter @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC.
Transcribe →
Episode 9: All in the Black Family
Nov 26, 201500:17:05Tap to summarizeThe Sanfords. The Jeffersons. The Cosbys. The Winslows. The Banks's. And now the Lyons. In this special Thanksgiving episode, we talk about family: specifically, the evolution of the black family on television. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans tells us about his first encounter with the Evans family on Good Times, and explains why Lucious, Cookie, and their three sons might be a new thing in the TV world. What do you think? What did you eat? Get at us on Twitter @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC.
Transcribe →
Episode 8: Young, Gifted, and Black — and Gay
Nov 19, 201500:15:17Tap to summarizeThe first season of Empire pulled no punches when it came to addressing social issues pertaining to black families and hip hop culture. And one of the biggest plot-lines was Jamal’s: the talented middle Lyon child who is spurned by his dad because of his homosexuality. But Season Two has by and large ignored this provocative throughline. We ask writer Michael Arceneaux: why? And what does that mean? What do you think? Get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC!
Transcribe →
Episode 7: The Art of Blackness
Nov 12, 201500:17:45Tap to summarizeMuch has been made of the fashion on Empire. But the show's visuals are stunning across the board — not just the costumes, but also the sets, and especially the visual art that decorates seemingly every surface. Walking through the Lyons' world is like taking a stroll through a gallery of contemporary art from black artists. We talk to one artist whose piece featured prominently in the season two premiere, and explore what it means for TV's biggest show to highlight modern black artists. Tell us about your favorite art on the show! And get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC!
Transcribe →
Episode 6: An Empire GIF for Every Occasion
Nov 5, 201500:16:00Tap to summarizeThat scene where Cookie takes Lyon family dinner to-go? Lucious's reaction to Jamal's coming out? Anika's killer dance moves? Tyler Menzel is the guy behind the GIFs. Maybe he didn't make them himself (though he's made plenty), but his company Giphy is responsible for the wild proliferation of these compulsively meme-able, shareable images. We find out why Empire is the most GIF-able show on TV, and Tyler shares some useful GIFs for everyday moments. Send us your favorite Empire reaction GIF; get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC.
Transcribe →
Interlude: Walking in Cookie's Shoes...and Fedora
Oct 29, 201500:16:11Tap to summarizeEmpire was pre-empted this week by the World Series. Whether you're a Mets fan or a Royals fan, on this we can agree: Everybody's a fan of Cookie Lyon. So this week, we went in search of someone who could tell us what it's like to walk in Cookie's shoes. And dresses. And leopard print fedoras. Jazmine Hughes wrote an essay for Cosmopolitan about how dressing like Cookie for a week made her feel like a badass, so we invited her over to talk about the experience. Get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC — send us your best GIFs and your hottest takes!
Transcribe →
Episode 5: Talking #JaMichael with Rafael de la Fuente
Oct 22, 201500:13:46Tap to summarizeSure, Episode 5 had some notable developments. Cookie found both a doggie and a lapdog. Andre got right with God. And that dirty hippie photographer...well, the less said about him, the better. But you know who really owned this episode? Michael, that's who. So we talk to him! Rafael de le Fuente joins special guest host Kevin Brown (Dot Com from '30 Rock') to take us backstage for his big American TV break, and talk about what to expect next for #JaMichael. Get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC — send us your best GIFs and your hottest takes! And this week's Ne-Yo soundtrack got particularly hot; listen here!
Transcribe →
Episode 4: Gimme That Bomb Beat From... Hakeem?
Oct 15, 201500:18:01Tap to summarizeEmpire is, at its dramatic heart, a show about hip hop culture. So it's about damn time we talk about the music. We dial up super producer Mark Batson, who crafted that anthemic Season Two opener, and also talk to writer and author Shea Serrano about where Empire's music falls in the hip hop canon (and try to understand why he likes that terrible Lucious single). Take a listen to some of the finest beats from TV's premier purveyor of hip hop. Get at us each and every Wednesday night @EmpirePodcast and @JozenC — send us your best GIFs and your hottest takes!
Transcribe →
Episode 3: Prowling the Catwalk with the Lyons
Oct 8, 201500:18:05Tap to summarizeWe know … we’re only three episodes in, but we strongly felt the need to hit “pause” this week and acknowledge something fiercely consistent about Season 2 that we can no longer ignore – the threads in the Lyons den. From Cookie’s power ensembles that add bring a new sophistication, to her “fat gold chain” power suit, all the way to Andre's sweaters...this show's fashion game is on fleek. This week we chat with style gurus Serena da Conceicao, Creative Director for the Nicki Minaj line, and GQ's "Style Guy" Mark Anthony Green, who break down for us why the wardrobe and style for this show matters. Also, to inspire that perfect Empire themed outfit, we suggest listening to a little bit of Bout 2 Blow & Dynasty. The best songs thus far—trust us.
Transcribe →
Episode 2: Ludacris, You Could've at Least Taught Lucious to Rap
Oct 1, 201500:23:00Tap to summarizeAfter a bonkers season premiere, episode two of Empire gave us a much needed breather. So the Empire Afterparty had to bring back Kevin Brown, a.k.a. Dot Com from 30 Rock, to talk Blackness.
Transcribe →