Introducing: Look Back At It

Summary

---

Podcast Summary: Introducing: Look Back At It

Podcast: My Momma Told Me
Episode Date: May 2, 2026
Hosts: Sam Jay, Alex English
Featured Network: Big Money Players, iHeartPodcasts

---

Episode Overview

This episode introduces listeners to the new podcast Look Back At It, hosted by comedians Sam Jay and Alex English. The show promises a comedic yet thoughtful exploration of iconic, controversial, and memorable moments in Black pop culture history, examining how these shared experiences and conspiracies have shaped Black identity and community. Each episode features guests—comedians, authors, and pop culture personalities—to reminisce and reflect on the cultural impact of specific years and events.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Nostalgic Moments in Black Pop Culture

• The hosts reference infamous and beloved moments such as:
  • Diana Ross double-tapping Lil Kim’s breasts at the VMAs.
  • Kanye West stating "George Bush doesn't care about Black people."
  • Storylines from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (Carlton getting a gun).
  • The discontinuation of Hi-C Ecto Cooler.
• These references set the tone for the podcast: deep dives into the "why" and "how" behind such moments.

2. Premise & Approach of 'Look Back At It'

• Each episode focuses on unpacking a particular event, year, or cultural touchpoint, often one linked to conspiracy theories or widely shared myths shaping Black culture.

• Sam Jay:

  "Each episode we pick a hair, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians and favorite authors..."
  (00:14)

• Alex English:

  "We turn to some of our favorite people and ask, who were you back then? And how did the past shape the world as we know it today?"
  (00:32)

3. Guest Highlights and Teaser Clips

• Mark Lamont Hill discusses the significance of the “crack-filled 80s,” emphasizing the magnitude of 1984 for Black America:

  • Mark Lamont Hill:

    "To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just cause of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day, but yeah... 84 was a wild... I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history."
    (00:42–01:03)

• Sidney Washington on figuring out identity in 2001:

  • Sam Jay:

    "Are you figuring out you're gay or you're not gay at all? No, I'm not gay at all. Me either."
    (01:06–01:11)

  • Sydney Washington, jokingly:

    "That is a heterosexual lady. I'm not gay at all in 2001 either."
    (01:10–01:13)

• Larry Wilmore offers a memorable reflection on the turning tides of history in 1979:

  • Larry Wilmore:

    "History not only repeats itself, it turns into mystery before it comes back and becomes history once again."
    (01:17–01:26)

  • Alex English:

    "Boom. That was dope. That just blew my wig back."
    (01:26–01:29)

4. Discussion on Perspective and Cultural Memory

• The show is about more than storytelling—it’s about seeing the ripple effects of cultural moments and examining both the absurd and the painful.
• The hosts poke fun at each other’s references, such as using lines from The Real World:
  • Alex English:

    "So we doing the real world line now. Not you dating yourself."
    (01:36–01:41)

  • Sam Jay:

    "That's the point, Alex. We looking back at it and everything else too."
    (01:41–01:44)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mark Lamont Hill on 1984:

  "For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history."
  (01:00–01:03)

• Larry Wilmore on Repetition of History:

  "History not only repeats itself, it turns into mystery before it comes back and becomes history once again."
  (01:17–01:26)

• Host Banter:

  "Not you dating yourself. That's the point, Alex. We looking back at it and everything else too."
  (01:36–01:44)

---

Key Timestamps

• 00:00–00:07: Pop culture flashbacks (Diana Ross, Kanye West, Carlton, Ecto Cooler)
• 00:14–00:32: Hosts explain show format and intentions
• 00:39–01:03: Mark Lamont Hill on "crack-filled 80s" and why 1984 was pivotal
• 01:03–01:13: Sidney Washington on 2001 and identity jokes
• 01:13–01:26: Larry Wilmore’s insightful quote on history
• 01:29–01:44: Show’s playful tone and banter about nostalgia

---

Tone & Style

The episode is energetic and playful, using humor and nostalgia to invite listeners into deeper conversations about culture, memory, and survival. The hosts foster an open, inquisitive vibe, blending laughter with sharp cultural insight.

---

Summary:
Look Back At It is positioned as a dynamic exploration of the Black pop culture canon—celebrating, critiquing, and laughing about the stories, scandals, and “conspiracies” that have informed Black identity over the years. With sharp comedic voices and thoughtful guests, it promises both education and entertainment for listeners ready to revisit, and rethink, the moments that made them.

---

Transcript

[A]

Do you remember when Diana Ross double tapped Lil Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people?

[B]

What about when Carlton got that gun after he and Will got robbed? Or when hi C discontinued the Ecto cooler flavor?

[A]

I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush gotta do with Lil Kim? Well, you can find out on the Look Back at It podcast. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode we pick a hair, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. With our friends, fellow comedians and favorite authors,

[B]

we turn to some of our favorite people and ask, who were you back then? And how did the past shape the world as we know it today?

[A]

Like Mark Lamont Hill on the crack filled 80s.

[C]

To be clear, 84 was big to me, not just cause of crack. I'm down to talk about crack all day,

[D]

but yeah, yeah,

[A]

we also have A's on the table right now. So

[C]

84 was a wild. I mean, it was a wild year.

[A]

It was a wild year. It was a

[C]

wild. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history.

[B]

Or Sidney Washington on 2001.

[A]

Are you figuring out you're gay or you're not gay at all? No, I'm not gay at all. Me either.

[C]

That is a heterosexual

[A]

lady. I'm not gay at all in 2001 either.

[B]

Or Larry Wilmore schooling us on the year 1979.

[D]

History not only repeats itself, it turns into mystery before it comes back and becomes history once again.

[B]

Boom. That was dope. That just blew my wig back.

[A]

That's awesome. We're running back the hands of time together, y', all, to find out what happens when people stop being polite and start getting.

[B]

Hold up, hold up. So we doing the real world line now. Not you dating yourself. That's

[A]

the point, Alex. We looking back at it and everything else too.

[B]

Listen to look back at it on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.