Podcast Summary

Unhinged & Immoral – Ep. 38: "Unhinged Grits with Deante Kyle"
August 28, 2025
Hosts: Jamila Bell, Mecca Evans
Guest: Deante Kyle

Episode Overview

In this lively and candid episode, hosts Jamila and Mecca welcome Deante Kyle—content creator, ex-truck driver, and co-host of "Grits & Eggs"—for a sprawling conversation that runs the gamut: from building a successful podcast out of the back of a truck, to stories of street life, Black culture, music, masculinity, and community. The trio deep-dives into everything from the impact of Hurricane Katrina, the nuances of Southern and Black experiences, fashion, internet personas vs. reality, to navigating fame, with their signature blend of humor, honesty, and unfiltered opinions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Deante’s Journey: From Truck Driver to Podcasting Success

Timestamps: 01:45 – 08:58

• Deante describes how his podcast "Grits & Eggs" started—recording alone in his truck, discussing random thoughts and promoting clips on TikTok.

• The origin of the "Grits & Eggs" name: a staple food he learned to cook during childhood after his parents split, symbolizing both sustenance and independence.
  — “For me, it’s like my origin story… I tied it into a source of sustenance. Sustenance more than anything, but like substance too. Like it’s gonna get you full.” – Deontay Kyle, 04:43

• The show’s rapid growth—contrary to average podcast lifespans.
  — “Most podcasts don’t blow up till like around 150, 200 [episodes]... We only on 79.” – Deontay Kyle, 02:32

2. The Leap—Quitting His Job for the Creative Hustle

Timestamps: 06:11 – 08:14

• Deante shares the turning point: when his Patreon community hit a set financial target, and changes at work made him realize he had to take the leap into full-time podcasting.
  — “I gotta jump out the window. Because if I stay, that means me coming in at 6, leaving at 7, 8… I’m not gonna have the time. Nor, like, the desire or the energy.” – Deontay Kyle, 07:00

3. Community, Collaboration & Early Hustle

Timestamps: 08:14 – 12:56

• Jamila and Deonte recall their first professional panel together, sharing the behind-the-scenes grind—planning events to save jobs, relying on friends and community.
• They discuss the value of collective knowledge, networking among Black creators, and how sharing game is often a mutual act of survival.
• Big milestone moments: from 500 to 100,000 YouTube subscribers and the power of leveraging TikTok clips for growth.

4. Black Music, Trauma, and Culture: Katrina’s Ripple Effects

Timestamps: 17:15 – 34:32

• Raw reflections on Black trauma, violence, and the normalization of murder in music, especially in Southern hip-hop—how these narratives relate to lived realities.

• The monumental impact of Hurricane Katrina on Black Southern communities:

  • The displacement and cultural blending in places like Houston and Atlanta.
  • Distrust in government and shifts in Black political attitudes.
    — “Katrina is one of those catalysts, is one of those things that drastically changed the trajectory of black America, the South, and honestly, the whole country forever.” – Jameela, 27:09

• Government neglect, media bias, and the psychological aftermath for survivors. — “It’s a 9/11 type event, but because it happened to black people, you know, it gets swept under the rug.” – Deontay Kyle, 27:35

5. Hustling, Street Life & Resilience

Timestamps: 37:07 – 52:41

• Deante opens up about his time selling drugs: how he started with weed before briefly selling crack, witnessing the transformation (and destruction) it brought to his peers.
• Grappling with legal peril (beating a felony case) and using it as a wake-up call to leave the streets for good.
• The duality of hustling—how it fosters both humility and empathy:
  — “I think it gives you a sense of humility… and I think that that translates on camera too. And I think that’s also why people feel so comfortable. Because it’s like, you not coming from a place of looking down.” – Jameela, 48:37

6. Black Masculinity, “Pandering,” and Internet Culture

Timestamps: 54:52 – 71:36

• Addressing accusations of "pandering" to women online: Deante breaks down the difference between empathy and performance, emphasizing how his worldview is shaped by the women who raised and supported him.

• Men’s lack of empathy and the internet’s warped gender debates:
  — “Accountability and responsibility are not the same.” – Deontay Kyle, 65:50
  — “If we’re gonna say like, well, women are emotional and men, we’re rational, then like, why are you being so emotional?” – Deontay Kyle, 68:19

• Discussion about male emotionality, vulnerability, and shifting generational perspectives on relationships and respect for women.

7. Music, Rap Game & Mount Rushmores

Timestamps: 71:44 – 85:32

• Candid talk about Deante’s music pipeline (from rapper to podcaster) and how podcasting now serves as a bridge between artists and an authentic audience.
• Favorite female rappers: GloRilla, Audie Audemar, Rico Nasty, Little Simz, Doechii, Missy Elliott.
• Personal and generational hip-hop Mount Rushmores—showing how taste matures and ties to regional and age-specific experiences.
• Hilarious anecdotes about generational rap debates (“G Herbo is the greatest rapper alive” moment in LA, 80:21).
• Culture, slang, and the regional intersections of Black experience—Bay Area, Atlanta, New York—especially as they relate to music and fashion.

8. Fashion, Streetwear & Personal Style

Timestamps: 94:03 – 117:58

• Introduction of another guest, Admin Earth: eclectic, whimsical, anime-loving content creator, discussing Japanese style and the crossover between streetwear and high fashion.
• Deante’s philosophy: practical, blue-collar–inspired workwear, Southern tradition, and timeless basics (Carhartt, Levi's, Timbs).
• Irreverent takes on internet "can’t dress" discourse and the value of authenticity, comfort, and originality over fast fashion or flexing labels.

9. Legacy, Giving Back, and Long-Term Vision

Timestamps: 119:19 – end

• Deante's vision for the next 5–10 years: turning Grits & Eggs into a sustainable, supportive network for Black creators, prioritizing community, sketch comedy, creative freedom—"popping in and out the public eye" a la Dave Chappelle.
• Concrete plans to invest back in the community: buying and converting motels for affordable housing, raising funds for teachers, and building Black spaces beyond property ownership (health centers, aquatic programs, after-school centers).
• Emphasis on Black fame vs. mainstream celebrity; the joys and importance of "existing in Black hair spaces."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On independence and humble beginnings:
  “You gotta get in there to get out of there.” – Deontay Kyle, 02:13

• On Katrina and Black distrust of government:
  “Watching black people, specifically watching the government and how they responded to black people in New Orleans really made… Create a distrust with us, with the people.” – Deontay Kyle, 27:54

• On empathy and gender:
  “Niggas don’t understand that. I like, love my mama, bro. I love my grandma, bro. Like, simple. Like these folks, these women, when didn't nobody else, like, have no space for me, have no room for me. My grandma took me in even when my mom was sick of my shit.” – Deontay Kyle, 55:30

• On what’s missing from men’s conversations:
  “If we’re gonna say like, well, women are emotional and men, we’re rational, then like, why are you being so emotional?” – Deontay Kyle, 68:19

• On music taste maturing with age:
  “Like, your list, like, matured with you. Like, they were different people, but they're like your age mates in each like section.” – Mecca, 77:46

• On legacy and impact:
  “I want to buy… old motels and remodel them into affordable housing… I want to provide a space for artists to feel comfortable. And feel human and not just, like, doing their job.” – Deontay Kyle, 121:24, 126:43

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Topic | Timestamp | |---------|-----------|-----------| | Guest intro & origin story | Podcast beginnings, Grits & Eggs name | 01:45–04:56 | | Transition out of trucking | Pivot to full-time podcasting | 06:11–08:14 | | Black creators & community | Early panels, mutual help | 08:14–12:56 | | Black trauma & Katrina | Katrina’s impact, cultural shifts | 17:15–34:32 | | Street life to podcasting | Hustling, leaving the streets | 37:07–52:41 | | Gender, empathy, and "pandering" | Black masculinity, internet discourse | 54:52–71:36 | | Music talk | Rap favorites, generational change | 71:44–85:32 | | Fashion & authenticity | Style, internet criticism | 94:03–117:58 | | Legacy, giving back | 5–10 year vision, community | 119:19–end |

Additional Highlights & Running Jokes

• Cooking grits, eggs & truck tales: Deante’s nostalgic food stories and Mecca’s riffs on Southern breakfast preferences (“hell no... get that salt, pepper, butter, cheese. That’s it.” – 04:58).
• "Do you eat ass?" The lighthearted way the trio weaves in explicit, irreverent humor about sex and relationships while keeping it real about standards and changing norms.
• Astrology banter: With guest Admin Earth, playful speculation on signs and anime talk (104:49–106:31).
• “Baby fat jacket with the like matted fur…”—Nostalgic riffs on 2000s fashion and its social/sexual signifiers.

Tone & Language

The episode is direct, humorous, irreverent, heartfelt, and deeply rooted in Black Southern and internet culture. It mixes memes with vulnerability, personal anecdotes with sharp social commentary, and always keeps the conversational energy high and authentic. The hosts and guests shift seamlessly between joking and dropping real talk, exemplifying why their show resonates across audiences.

Summary for New Listeners

This episode is a perfect encapsulation of Unhinged & Immoral’s style: unfiltered, intelligent, and full of heart. Jamila, Mecca, and Deante Kyle give listeners an inside look at the struggle and triumph of Black creative hustle, probe the deep scars of Black Southern history, break down modern masculinity, gender and music with refreshing honesty—and still make room for jokes about breakfast, baby fat jackets, and anime. If you want education with your entertainment—and a taste of “the culture” that’s shaping the conversation online—this one is essential listening.