Grits and Eggs Podcast: Episode 130 – Yakub Kweli (March 17, 2026)

Host: Deante’ Kyle
Co-host: Big Ice Cup “Big Cat”
Theme: Deante' Kyle delivers an unfiltered take on pop culture, current events, conspiracies, and the lived Black experience in America, all with his signature wit and candor.

Episode Overview

This episode sees Deante' Kyle riffing on everything from Black cultural ownership and white mediocrity in art, to deep-rooted issues around assimilation versus authenticity in American society. The conversation, spurred on by recent pop culture moments (notably Jack Harlow’s controversial album and pseudo-blackness) and the Oscar buzz around Black filmmakers, veers into a searing critique of America's racial, economic, and cultural power dynamics. The episode closes with listener advice submissions, offering both laughs and practical wisdom.

1. Tour Updates and Community Announcements

[03:00-08:57]

• First Cousins Tour

  • Tour kicks off March 22 in Raleigh, NC, almost sold out everywhere except Birmingham, AL (50% sold) ([05:45]).
  • Deante’: “If you in Charlotte and you tryin’ to come to that show, you better buy that ticket now. You gonna be outside in the parking lot.” ([06:52])
  • Tour shows will NOT be recorded as podcast episodes—expect a “town hall vibe” ([07:43]).
  • Housekeeping for tickets/merch/support—central hub is deontaykyle.com.

• Big Cat’s New Role

  • Big Cat promoted to DJ/Host for the entire tour, highlighting intentional inclusion of Black and Latina women DJs at past shows ([08:58 - 12:00]).
  • Deante’: "All of our DJs have been women. Wasn’t intentional, but that’s how it panned out…Who are we if we’re not gonna uplift a woman?” ([10:47])
  • Discussion of hip hop’s multicultural origins: “Hip hop started in the park. Puerto Ricans was around…Dominicans was there, son.” ([10:06])

2. Independence, Streaming, and Black Ownership

[13:00-17:00]

• The podcast emphasizes independence and the costliness of touring without investors.
  • “Paid the cost to be the boss. I see what James Brown was talkin’ about…If it ain’t your employees, it’s the goddamn IRS.” ([12:36])
• Streaming Update: New Music Mondays move to live streaming; “you have officially stunk up the place” in the studio ([17:06]).
• Shoutout to call-in number for voicemails and engagement: 657-234-3447.

3. Pop Culture Riff: Jack Harlow, “Blackness,” & Internet Roasting

[18:05-27:44]

• Jack Harlow Album/Interview Controversy
  • Critique of Harlow’s statement (“I got blacker making this album”) and lack of authenticity:
    • "If it’s not funny, then what is it?”
    • Media/Audience memes on Harlow: “Yakub Kweli, Music Stole Child, Charlie Kirk Franklin, Old Dirty Alabaster, De La Stole, J Nilla, D’Anglo Saxon, Bleach Sweat…” ([20:14])
    • Deante’: “Most niggas' biggest fear is making white people uncomfortable…That’s why y’all hate black Americans: our culture is making white people uncomfortable.” ([26:33])
• White cultural appropriation and Black culture’s role as “antithesis of whiteness” ([32:49]).
• Compares Harlow to John B.: “He [John B.] earned the name White Chocolate, son…He just came and put in the work. It wasn’t an act.”

4. Film, Art Critique, and “White Mediocrity”

[27:45-39:18]

• Marty Supreme Film Review
  • “It’s just White Men Can’t Jump with ping pong, son.” ([31:42])
  • Calls out the media for celebrating white mediocrity: “Marty Supreme didn’t even recoup 10% of its budget in the first week, and they’re calling it a masterpiece. Because this is what white people do, they’re gonna hype they own shit.” ([28:05])
  • Contrasts with Ryan Coogler’s Oscar-winning Black-centered film “Sinners”: “Sinners does not make white people comfortable. Sinners actually tells you the story of how to deal with white people: stop inviting them to your spaces.” ([34:40])
  • On Black contributions to American society:
    • “There is no America without Black people. That’s our culture. We built a world power without getting any of the credit while making the majority of the contributions.” ([33:22])

5. On Assimilation, Coons, and Global White Acceptance

[39:19-55:00]

• Scathing analysis of people of color eager to assimilate into “whiteness” at the expense of anti-blackness.
  • “Latinos got it bad…I will vote for Donald Trump—listen, man…they trust white people, they love the connor. White man’s ice is colder. They like that white ice.” ([42:00])
• On Dominican denial of Blackness and Black cultural projection:
  • “I know Dominicans need to stop with this ‘Papi, I no black.’ I’ve seen your baseball team!" ([46:33])
• On American war machine and justification through religion:
  • “They have convinced you via religion that your struggle is tied to benevolence, that your suffering is tied to righteousness. Meanwhile, they sittin’ back gettin’ fat off your conformity…” ([51:11])

6. Conspiracies, the War Machine, and Spiritual Grifting

[55:01-65:00]

• War as an “international money laundering scheme.”
  • “If you are fully supported by the government, you are a prisoner…There’s a prisoner to the outside. Because you can’t even get a job.” ([73:00])
• Parallels drawn between American imperialism and white supremacist power structures.
• Tech bro insanity:
  • “We see intelligence like electricity…something you can purchase. Niggas is telling you, you’re gonna have to pay to be smart!” ([57:30])
• Spiritual grift:
  • “A lot of you niggas are caught up in a spiritual grift. Your soul is attached to a scam…If you aspire to whiteness…you aspire to demonic acts.” ([59:10])

7. Advice Submissions & Community Q&A

[78:38-98:00]

Uplifting Black Initiatives

• Miss Hines Education Matters ([80:09]):
  • Listener shouts out fundraiser for Mississippi school kids—supplies, books, clothes—run by Amari Cooper.
  • Deante’: “We’ll drop the GoFundMe in the comments…The babies need book bags, the babies need school supplies.” ([80:53])

Exposing Injustice

• DCS (Department of Children’s Services) Horror Story
  • Caller’s stepdaughter stuck in abusive, trafficked facility, staff are predators, and systems hinder family’s help.
  • Deante’: “This is America, man. Any resource they provide for children is a way to traffic them, or to fuck them, bro. These are—it’s a culture of pedophilia.” ([83:07])
  • Advice: Drop the facility name so community can act; highlights need for sunlight and accountability.

Pursuing Dreams Late in Life

• Laid-off listener, 38, wants to pivot from corporate to acting. Sacrificed for wife’s career, now wants to invest in himself ([86:46-88:43]).
  • “Is it too late for me to go ahead and pursue my dream, or should I…stay focused on the family route?”
  • Deante’: “If that 401k can buy you a year, or least six months—shit, bro, you better be every day on it…if your wife supports you, that’s all you need.” ([88:43])

Navigating Being "The Only Black Girl" in the Room

• Black woman trailblazing as a trailer editor asks about opening doors for others ([90:00+]).
  • Deante’: “The reason we find ourselves in positions where nobody looks like us is cuz we don’t know these lanes are available. Let more Black people know.” ([90:54])
  • Suggests sharing details via email to broaden outreach.

Telling Kids Hard Truths

• Stepdad unsure when to disclose to stepdaughter (age 4) that he’s not her biological father ([95:30+]).
  • Deante’: “The sweet spot…is like 7 or 8. She’ll understand. Always, always, always tell the truth…Embrace the truth.” ([97:59])

8. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Most niggas’ biggest fear is making white people uncomfortable…This is America—when has it not been that deep?” ([26:33])
• “If you could truly be free, what would that look like?…My idea of freedom doesn’t involve white people. Or police.” ([75:00])
• “America is a shell company and a war machine.” ([72:26])
• “Your aspirations are demonic…if you aspire to whiteness you aspire to a life of devilish ass deeds.” ([60:25])
• “We are living in the imagination of white people, white men specifically, and you have accepted their imagination as your reality.” ([76:11])
• On touring and the grind: “Paid the cost to be the boss. I see what James Brown was talking about.” ([12:36])

9. Cultural Critique – Recurring Themes

• The Dangers of Cultural Assimilation: Black Americans’ refusal to assimilate vs. “people of color” who “trade in their culture at the drop of a hat.”
• Imperialism and Money Laundering: America’s obsession with war and financial corruption.
• Media Narratives and Art: White mediocrity upheld; Black excellence ignored or downplayed.
• Supporting, Not Just Consuming: The imperative for listeners to support via tickets, merch, direct donations, or amplification for activists and students.

Timestamps for Notable Segments

| Segment / Topic | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------|-------------------| | Tour and DJ announcements | 03:00-13:00 | | Jack Harlow “Yakub Kweli”/Cultural Critique | 18:05-27:44 | | Review: Marty Supreme & Black Film Oscars | 27:45-39:18 | | Assimilation and “People of Color” Discourse | 39:19-51:00 | | The War Machine and Religion | 51:01-65:00 | | Advice Submissions | 78:38-98:00 | | Stepdad dilemma & telling hard truths | 95:30-97:59 |

Tone & Style

Deante’s delivery is honest, raw, and fiercely pro-Black. The humor is biting, the critiques unapologetic, and the show blends serious insight with laughs, street wisdom, and barbershop logic. Both he and Big Cat riff naturally, invoking history, hip hop, Black film, and everyday struggles with nimbleness and care for the culture.

Concluding Note

This episode is an education on both the dysfunctions and brilliance of Black America, unashamed in its refusal to pacify, and resolute in holding up a mirror to systems of power. Whether discussing pop culture scandals, systemic racism, or the mundane realities of pursuing dreams, the show pushes listeners to interrogate what “freedom” really means—especially when comfort for the oppressor is the norm.

Next Episode: More interviews and guest content teased, plus updates from the First Cousins Tour.

For further info, donation links (e.g., Miss Hines Education Matters), or to submit advice, visit deontaykyle.com.