Culture Study – Details, episodes & analysis

Joe Kay is a visionary, entrepreneur, sound selector, DJ, and Co-Founder of Soulection - one of the most impactful cultural movements of the last decade.

Joe's creative journey began in 2011, as he launched Soulection Radio from his own bedroom. What began as a passion project quickly blossomed into a weekly Apple Music radio show (amassing over 600 episodes), an independent music label, the Soulection Experience festival, a world-touring concert, and the Soulection Supply clothing line.

We sat down with Joe Kay at the Timeless Living Estate in Joshua Tree, California for an exclusive peak into his newest venture. At its core, Timeless Living is a curated and bookable physical space that feels like the perfect blend of aesthetic and nature. It's a safe creative home to disconnect, recharge, and be inspired. And for Joe Kay, it beautifully expands on the world he's crafted through music.

-- Follow Joe Kay: ⁠@joekay Follow Timeless Living: @timeless.living Follow Culture Study: @culturestudy Follow Umar: ⁠⁠@u_issa⁠⁠ -- Credits: Director: Zabel Castillo (@zabelcastillo) Editor: Richard Olea (@gahseh) 2nd Editor: Aaron Arteaga (@aaron_f_arteaga) BTS: Michael Angeleo (@maika.angeleo Video clips courtesy of Joe Kay, Soulection, Timeless Classics

Hussein Suleiman is a visionary at the intersection of fashion and culture, and along with his best friends Jefferson and Abderr - he’s the Co-Founder of Daily Paper. Initially launching as a blog over a decade ago, Daily Paper has organically grown into a global streetwear brand- with flagship locations in Amsterdam, London and now New York. The brand’s unique fusion of African heritage, contemporary style, and attention to detail has garnered a massive following around the world. Their collaborations with the likes of Adidas, European super-club Ajax, Dreamville, Puma, The Van Gogh Museum, Bob Marley’s estate and so many others have contributed to the brand’s growing popularity. Daily Paper has been embraced and worn by a never-ending list of influential figures, including Beyonce, Jay-Z, former First Lady Michelle Obama, Sir Lewis Hamilton, Wizkid, Lupita N’yongo, Naomi Campbell, Lil Baby and so many more. In this conversation, we dive into Hussein’s journey, exploring the rich tapestry of his Somali heritage and upbringing in the Netherlands, as well as some lessons he’s learned as an entrepreneur in the creative world. From humble beginnings to global recognition, Hussein's story is one of faith and unwavering determination - against all odds. -- Hussein: ⁠@huzane @dailypaper Umar: @u_issa⁠⁠ @culturestudy This podcast was produced by David Roberts. Theme Music: silver - ESTA. Visuals courtesy of Shopify, Daily Paper, Ajax, Adidas, Beats by Dre, The Breakfast Club Timestamps: 00:00:00 - Intro 00:01:52 - Questions from Co-Founders 00:09:03 - Recent Reflections (Ramadan, Amsterdam, Home) 00:13:49 - Observations from Somalia (Homeland) 00:23:41 - Fleeing Somalia to Amsterdam 00:32:35 - Early Inspirations (Hip-Hop) 00:38:09 - Daily Paper 00:44:03 - Expanding to North America 00:50:38 - Relationship with Virgil Abloh 00:57:52 - Perfectionism and Self-Doubt 01:14:35 - What's Your Superpower? 01:17:35 - There's Greatness Everywhere 01:23:52 - There's No Job I'm Too Good For 1:33:52.- Coolest Career Moments 1:40:32 - Support Your Friends

In this episode, we speak with Camille Tanoh - also known as The Proper Kid™. Camille is a Parisian-born, New York-based fashion designer who runs a sustainable clothing brand called The Proper Label. Tanoh’s minimalist design and creative marketing has caught the eyes of thousands of fans around the world, including the likes of yes - the Kardashians.

It was a pleasure to sit down with him and hear about his Ivorian roots, what he learned as Balenciaga’s first-ever intern, and how he’s expanding The Proper Label from fashion brand- to a full-on ecosystem. We hope you enjoy this episode of Culture Study. If you do, please do us a huge favor and share it with one other person who would enjoy it as well.

 ——

Follow Camille: @theproperkid_

Follow Umar: @u_issa / @culturestudy

Theme Music: Menina ft. JLZ - Arif Omari & Frankliin

On today’s show, we sit down with Daisy Auger-Dominguez, a Diversity and Inclusion Strategist who works to inspire and equip global organizations to think inclusively. Daisy's done some incredible work in the D&I space as an executive for companies such as Disney, Google, and Viacom. She recently launched her own consultancy called Auger-Dominguez Ventures.

In this episode, Daisy walks us through her life experiences and learnings. From reflecting on her childhood in the Dominican Republic to sharing how she navigates the corporate world as a woman of color, we left this conversation extremely inspired and grateful.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Culture Study. If you do, please do us a huge favor and share it with one other person who would enjoy it as well.

——

Follow Daisy: @daisyaugerdominguez

Follow Umar: @u_issa / @culturestudy

Theme Music: Menina ft. JLZ - Arif Omari & Frankliin

If you haven’t had the chance to listen to part one of this interview,  tune into that first so you’ll be able to follow along for this one. In this episode, Rog and Bee share some vulnerable moments in their lives - beginning with their struggle to find comfort as creative professionals in the corporate world. Bee also tells us about how photographing Solange on her wedding day - where they produced some incredible/iconic portraits - actually caused her to question her confidence. It took her years to pick up a camera again.

To wrap things up, Rog shares a bit more about Paper Monday and why’s he's turning down opportunities that overshadow the stories he’s meant to tell. They also reflect on their identity and purpose, share tips on how they stay balanced in such a crazy world and give us a look at what’s to come.

If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with one other person who would enjoy it as well.

Follow Rog & Bee: @papermonday

Follow Umar: @u_issa

In this episode, the first of a two-part series, we sit down with Rog and Bee Walker, photographers and founders of the visual research project called Paper Monday. Rog and Bee might be the coolest couple on the planet and they’ve already achieved so much both as individuals and as a creative duo. They’ve photographed magazine covers for the likes of Fast Company, have been featured on every major platform you can imagine including Vogue, The New York Times, Hypebeast, and Vanity Fair.

They’ve worked with brands including Levi’s, Google, Nike, Timberland, and have had their work displayed in prestigious museums around the country. They’ve taken intimate portraits of everyone from Lebron James and Leon Bridges, to Beyoncé and Solange. In fact, Solange hired them to photograph all of her wedding photos (which they speak about in part two).

To put it simply, Rog and Bee capture iconic moments, and the work they do is not the result of simply snapping a photo. Their method is an equal mix of Bee connecting with their subjects while Rog casually sets up the frame for the film camera, which in turn allows them to capture the most authentic and iconic works of art.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Culture Study. If you do, please share it with one other person who would enjoy it as well. You can also tag us on Instagram when you tune in!


Follow Rog & Bee: @papermonday
Follow Umar: @u_issa
Theme Music: Menina ft. JLZ - Arif Omari & Frankliin

On today’s show, we sit down with Ani Sanyal, a mission-driven entrepreneur, real estate investor, and marketing specialist based in New York City.

I first discovered Ani’s story after hearing about Kolkata Chai Company, a cafe that he opened with his brother Ayan just a few months ago. Already attracting attention from the likes of Questlove, Hassan Minhaj, Mindy Kaling, Alexis Ohanian (Reddit CEO), and plenty of others, KCC’s masala chai has become a platform for the Sanyal brothers to share their South Asian culture with the world.

Ani also manages an extremely talented hip-hop artist named Anik Khan - who has been making waves in the hip hop community for his ability to sonically fuse his Bengali roots with his Queens upbringing. As you’ll notice throughout the interview, Ani embraces the hustle that many immigrant and first-generation kids endure while working to provide for those came before for them.

I hope you enjoy this episode of Culture Study. If you do, please do me a huge favor and share it with one other person who would enjoy it as well.

——

Follow Ani: @anihustles / @kolkatachaico

Follow Umar: @u_issa / @culturestudy

Theme Music: Menina ft. JLZ - Arif Omari & Frankliin

On this episode of Culture Study, we sit down with Calen Carr - a former professional soccer player and current host of the popular documentary series - The Movement. Calen gives us a remarkable look into his life story and he starts by sharing his experiences as a mixed-race kid in Berkeley, CA.

He also touches on his career as a professional soccer player and how - at the end of his 8th season - Calen experienced his highest highs AND lowest lows within just minutes of each other. He shares how his career as an athlete helped him transition into the creative field - now as a host/producer for The Movement. The show uses soccer as a medium to explore social issues and cultural identity across North America.

We hope you enjoy this episode of Culture Study and the latest episode of MLS The Movement.

Follow Calen: @ca2
Follow Umar: @u_issa
Theme Music: Menina - Arif Omari ft. Franklin
Photo: @m.alexander_

On today’s show, we sit down with the Tanima Mehrotra as she shares moments from her childhood in India, touches on her experience as a woman of color in the corporate and creative worlds, and opens up about mental health and how embracing her true identity and perspective brought her out of a deep depression.

Tanima is extremely humble and asked that we refrain from mentioning any of her amazing accolades so we'll do our best. But in just one year of freelancing she’s been able to partner with some enormous brands and photograph artists and musicians who have found achieved global success.

Follow Tanima: @bytanima
Follow Umar: @u_issa
Theme Music: Menina - Arif.Omari & Frankliin (ft. JLZ)
Photo: @indevstrongarm

Welcome to Culture Study, a podcast documenting the inspiring stories of cultural movers and shakers. On today’s show, we sit down with the brilliant Anna Sian as she shares moments from her childhood in New York City, touches on her experience as a Filipino-American woman and creative professional, and opens up about how she balances the craziness that life has thrown her way.  Anna is way too kind and humble to brag so we'll do it for her - she is a talented brand strategist who has led marketing efforts for the likes of VSCO, Staple Pigeon, and the podcasting platform Anchor.

She also co-founded Eddie, an all-female creative agency - and through all of these experiences, she’s been able to collaborate with brands like NikeLab, Jordan, Hypebeast, Opening Ceremony, Shake-Shack, and many more. She’s also partnered on projects with individuals such as fitness model/celebrity Ashley Graham, R&B duo Majid Jordan, singer Aluna George, and of course - the iconic sneaker-head legend Jeff Staple.

Anna’s so talented that even her hobby as a musician turned into a dream - as she joined a band and a few months later hopped on tour with Toro y Moi.

She’s accomplished so much in her career but remains the most genuine and kind hearted individual you’ll ever come across.

Follow Anna: @annamal
Follow Umar: @u_issa
Music: Menina - Arif Omari ft. Frankliin
Photo: @jatecson