About the Hosts – Kadeem & Robert
Kadeem and Robert are the New York City based co-hosts of the Stush an’ Bush podcast.
Kadeem’s pronouns are they/them/theirs and they hail from Sanguinetti, Clarendon, Jamaica.
Robert’s pronouns are he, his, him, and himself representing Jamaica and the twin islands of Trinidad & Tobago.
Why did you decide to get started in podcasting?
Kadeem: I wanted to create some space where people could find queer Caribbean people easily, and not having to only see news about LGBTQ Caribbean people as it surrounds their death or violence.
Robert: Because Kadeem told me to.
How does the team juggle their individual activities outside of the podcast?
Google Calendar is our friend.
How does the team manage the partnership of being co-hosts? What systems do you have in place?
We are very open, fluid, and flexible. We’ve learned that if there is not an inherent connection or investment in a topic, then we shouldn’t pursue something.
We talk regularly but have a sketch of the season on a google doc that we use as the backbone of our operation for the season. This structure, much like ourselves, is fluid and open to being reworked to best meet the need at the given moment.
Kadeem works a lot with the production, publication, and publicizing of the podcast.
Robert works on gathering scholarships for the podcast.
We both work on crafting content for the podcast. Typically, Kadeem is responsible for crafting our intro, sections of the main topic, and the podcast wrap up. Robert is responsible for the sumptin fi nyam, sections of the main topic, and the outro.
About the Show
Stush an’ Bush
Stush & Bush covers a variety of topics that they’re deeply connected to and impact the lives of hosts, Kadeem and Robert. Some of these topics include solidarity and healing, sex, gender, religion, family–all using both what they study, their experiences as well as their guests’ experiences. The show is where Kadeem and Robert give language and name their experiences, mostly for their listeners, and sometimes for themselves. Kadeem and Robert also review articles written by, about, or for the Caribbean to lead into their perspectives and experiences as Black, Queer Caribbean people.
The show is available on Mondays on a bi-weekly basis. Seasons run for about 7 episodes each with a 2 month break in between. Check out the show on the following platforms: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Why did you choose this format?
The podcast consists of three segments:
- Stush an’ Bush is for..: Here we give our episode to a person or a situation, which facilitates a story telling conversation about both our experiences with it. Stush an’ bush can be for the family who know how to pack a barrel, or stush an’ bush can be for the Jamaican woman roasting breadfruit in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, or for femmephobic queer people. Whoever it is, this podcast is for them.
- Sup’m FI nyam: In this segment, Robert will read a text that introduces the theme of the conversation per episode. When we have our guests, we invite them to use this segment to tell us a story that leads to the discussion of that episode. Texts read are often from Caribbean authors or initially focus on a point, where we make a connection to them through our queer Caribbean experiences.
- Stick a pin: Here, we wrap up our conversation by either stating something we received from our conversation: a lesson, an emphasis on a point, a pause, etc.
How did you decide to become co-hosts?
We met online when Kadeem followed queeribbean.com. When we met, we found that our interest align in wanting to expand the availability of the queer Caribbean experience, and do so in ways accessible to folks like us. In our first meeting, we talked about the possibility of a podcast, and six months later, after a lot of planning, we launched Stush an’ Bush!
Now that you’ve launched your show, what are you hoping to accomplish?
We’re hoping to branch out into the merch side of our podcast and to continue to work on building a network of queeribbean folks to join us as guests on the podcast.
What is the most impactful thing that has happened as a result of having the podcast?
We’ve been able to consult with PhD students on their dissertations and to further the work of translation queeribbean life, language, and culture in the academy. We also constantly receive messages from fellow queeribbeans on our social media who either want to engage with us or simply say hello, and that connection becomes a constant and growing network.
Podcast Experience
What’s one tip you learned before you started podcasting that was really helpful?
Kadeem: I first learned to accept everything I say, and be okay with saying what i know in the moment, and to feel great saying it.
Robert: Really clear communication and listening to one’s intuition. These two points continue to influence and boost the quality of Kadeem and I’s connection and our ability to do the work.
What’s one resource you wish you knew/had before starting your podcast?
We wish we had a really comprehensive guide to launching a podcast with materials in it from a singular, reputable source. There are so many articles out there that give you so many options and it would have been great to have an answer to that question from podcasts that we admire and work well!
What’s one thing you’ve learned about yourself and your audience since you started?
Kadeem: I’ve learned an engaging way of speaking to people through this podcast and I have learned that our audience has so many experiences that makes it so important for us to remain in community with each other.
Robert: A lot of the things that we discuss speak directly to topics that queeribbeans are grappling with at any given moment. I’ve learned that the need for virtual community and voices speaking on pertinent topics is essential.
What or Who inspired you the most to start a podcast?
Kadeem: It feels great to know we could tell our stories in a way that we control! That possibility and reality inspires me.
Robert: It was Kadeem. When Kadeem and I first met, they had such amazing, new and bold ideas that made it impossible for me not to want to join them in this adventure.
What’s the first podcast you ever listened to?
Kadeem: The Read!
Robert: The Read!
Other than your show, what are some of your favorite podcasts?
Kadeem: Checkmate, The Read, Fishtea, Radical Candor, Therapy for Black Girls, Zora’s Daughters
Robert: Lead to Win, Ear Biscuits, The Modern Manager, Inner Hoe Uprising, Jesus & Jollof, Caribbean Millennials.
What do you enjoy most about podcasting?
Kadeem: I love sharing space with Robert, and our connection to our guests is what I enjoy.
Robert: I enjoy getting the chance to speak with Kadeem and to (re)create sacred queer, caribbean space from our homes.
What do you enjoy least about podcasting?
Kadeem: The fact that this world doesn’t always allow for this to be the priority when I most times would like it to be. Also, editing.
Robert: It would have to be a tie between crafting content for publication and researching for the podcast.
What advice would you give to other aspiring podcasters in the region or generally?
Kadeem: Honesty, spontaneity doesn’t always mean intention is missing. Jump in there and say what you have to say! (Unless you’ve made a commitment to harm, maybe then you should rethink this.)
Robert: Be clear with yourself, and be clear on your purpose. Anyone can start a podcast but that doesn’t mean that everyone needs to. Be dogged in your research, understand the landscape, and map out what you believe your contribution will be. This essential work will give you a guiding principle to return to whenever you feel like you’re lost or not sure what to do!
What are looking forward to seeing in the podcasting space?
Kadeem: I am always excited for the forthcoming connection. I think in some ways, we were all called to (re)tell an aspect of the Caribbean through each of our own podcasts, where we would then see each other’s realities, perspectives, brands or part of the Caribbean. I am excited at this access to the virtual Caribbean. It feels exciting that there is another medium through which we connect with each other.
Robert: I look forward to finding and fostering community. The ability to have connection with other folks is a blessing.
Fun Questions
What is the 1 thing from your Caribbean culture that you cannot do without?
Kadeem: Wining
Robert: The sharp eye of a verandah grannie.
Share a fun fact about the team.
Our first episode is not technically our first episode! We lost our first ever episode because someone (guess who) did not copy the audio file from the public library where we recorded.
Conclusion
Where do you see yourself in the next 6 months to a year?
Kadeem: I see myself continuing a commitment I made to give myself the care I need. I see myself writing and podcast more, and continuing to call Robert 3-6 times a day for 98% non-podcast related conversations!
Robert: In the next 3-6 months, I see myself in another stage of my healing journey, deepening a mindfulness practice, and moving on to season 5 of the podcast.
Where can the listeners find you?
You can find us wherever you get your podcasts: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify
Find us at: Website | Instagram | Twitter
Email us at: stushanbushpodcast@gmail.com
Kadeem: @khadieme (IG & Twitter) @sketeldrinks (IG)
Robert: @queeribgrannie (IG & twitter) OUR DM’S ARE OPEN
