logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2019
19m 32s

1. Listen Closer

BBC Sounds
About this episode

In the series debut George invites his listeners to step into the speakers and join him on a meandering ride aboard his own train of thought. The Poet muses on the interplay between crime and music in his community, painting an audio-portrait that is in equal parts complex and compelling.

Up next
Apr 2024
Special: This Cultural Life
George talks to John Wilson about some of his most formative cultural influences including the grammar school that taught him the essay-writing skills he still puts to use when making his podcast. He reveals how Tupac Shakur’s 1998 song Changes ignited his interest in hip hop, an ... Show More
44m 10s
Dec 2023
38. Once Upon a Time in Kampala
In Uganda’s capital city, a young cab driver forms an unlikely bond with a sex worker during the crippling lockdown of 2021. They are both forced to make tough decisions. Written by George the Poet Produced by Benbrick & George the Poet Original Music and Sound Design by Benbrick ... Show More
26m 8s
Dec 2023
37. Back to Common Ground
George responds to audience questions taken from Common Ground, the platform he co-created in Chapter 3. Listeners discuss everything from art to race using prompts from previous episodes, reaffirming the importance of the artist/audience relationship. 
40m 36s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2022
Official Trailer: The Key of Love
As World War II rages, a chambermaid with a beautiful singing voice and burning ambition must make a decision between the composer she falls in love with and her fiancé at the front, a choice that changes all three lives and the fate of the country forever.  See omnystudio.com/li ... Show More
3m 13s
May 2021
The Beatific Re-emergence of Beverly Glenn-Copeland
A conversation about his winding path to a receptive, ready audience — and how music can be a bulwark against cynicism and trauma. Guests: Taja Cheek and Mina Tavakoli.Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe tod ... Show More
47m 3s
Feb 2024
Introducing: The Passage
Built on a foundation of historical relevance and structured by a kind of dream logic, THE PASSAGE is an immersive, psychological, 3D audio experience that invites listeners to explore the collective American psyche from the perspective of its most legendary souls. This is an ong ... Show More
3m 38s
Oct 2023
George the Poet
Born George Mpanga, George the Poet is a British spoken-word artist and podcast host. Having started out as a rapper, he made his name as a spoken-word performance poet after leaving Cambridge University. His debut collection Search Party was published in 2015. The same year he w ... Show More
44m 39s
Sep 2013
Raheem DeVaughn: Meet the Musician
Raheem DeVaughn’s brand-new album, "A Place Called Loveland," showcases his finely tuned artistry and reflects his vocal, mental, spiritual, and professional growth. Join us for a moderated discussion with this Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter as he talks about his musical jour ... Show More
38m 18s
Dec 2023
ON Musk Episode Three: Storytelling and Hot Takes
Be a storyteller, not a preacher. That was novelist Walker Percy’s legendary advice to a young Walter Isaacson. One he takes to heart in his work as a journalist at Time and CNN, and as a biographer of creative genius across the centuries—and in trying to capture someone as volat ... Show More
44m 40s
Dec 2021
24. Sweet Harmony
James Campbell's family were unusual. They were the 'singing family'. Everyone on their street knew it - and heard it. They would sing at the drop of a hat and James' father had a barbershop quartet. Every Monday evening James would listen attentively to the sumptuous close harmo ... Show More
28m 56s