Hosted by Nimene Wureh, the podcast features discussions with special guests Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Jalen Rose, Shepard Fairey, and others.
NEW YORK, NY, September 19, 2024 — Historical Records, a new podcast that blends hip-hop and history, will debut its trailer on September 19 and launch officially on September 27. The project, conceived by Story Pirates’ Benjamin Salka and Lee Overtree; co-executive produced by Story Pirates Studios, Questlove’s Two One Five Entertainment, and Johnathan Glickman, CEO of Miramax; and co-produced and distributed by iHeartPodcasts will be available on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard.
"We are excited to announce 'Historical Records,' a project born from the collaboration between Story Pirates Studios, Questlove, Jonathan Glickman, and iHeart,” said Benjamin Salka, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Story Pirates, and Co-Executive Producer of Historical Records. “This new podcast series melds history with hip-hop, energizing each narrative with our collective creativity and insight. The vision and guidance from Miramax’s Jonathan Glickman, coupled with the creative and musical contributions from Questlove's Two One Five, have been crucial in making history resonate with today's audience through the power of music and storytelling."
Hosted by Story Pirates alumni and Broadway actress Nimene Wureh (“Our Town,” Fall 2024), "Historical Records" will feature the trailblazing stories of under-celebrated historical heroes from the past in fields such as social change, science, sports, and the arts, reimagined into original hip-hop tracks. Each episode pairs these unique songs with distinct historical narratives. Following each song, an insightful discussion will take place between a curious kid (ages 8-14) interested in the topic and a modern-day notable figure in that field, intertwining musicality with history in a way that’s educational, entertaining, and engaging for kids and grownups alike.
"Integrating historical storytelling with the universal language of music opens up a dynamic way to empower young people,” said Lee Overtree, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Story Pirates, and Co-Executive Producer of Historical Records. “By focusing on under-celebrated heroes such as Ida Tarbell, Josh Gibson, Keith Haring, and Bill Russell, we aim to cultivate a deep sense of possibility, inspiring listeners to think big and to blaze bold new paths, just like the changemakers before them.”
Special guests for the podcast include modern-day notable figures such as Bob Kendrick, President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; Jalen Rose, a former professional basketball player and Co-Founder of the Jalen Rose Leadership Academy in Detroit, Michigan; Roxane Gay, author of the New York Times bestseller "Bad Feminist"; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and Emmy Award-winning journalist for CNN; Shepard Fairey, a contemporary artist and Founder of OBEY, among many others. These guests will help bring the stories of these under-celebrated historical heroes to life, connecting the past with the present. New episodes will be released every Friday. For more information, please visit iheart.com.
About Story Pirates Studios
Story Pirates is an award-winning company that provides hilarious and inspiring entertainment for audiences of all ages. This beloved brand is best known for the Story Pirates Podcast, which has over 90 million downloads globally, highlighting its mission to elevate the ideas, interests, and perspectives of kids. The popular Story Pirates Podcast takes stories submitted by kids and turns them into sketch comedy and songs with help from celebrity guests like Kristen Bell, John Oliver, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Seth Meyers, Bowen Yang, and others. Story Pirates has also produced the Looney Tunes Podcast and co-created Game On, a sports podcast for families, with Stephen Curry’s Unanimous Media, and the Cat in the Hat series, co-produced by Wondery and Dr. Seuss Enterprises. In addition to podcasts, Story Pirates has released three critically acclaimed middle-grade books and five award-winning albums. In partnership with Story Pirates Changemakers, their non-profit arm that brings life-changing arts and literacy tools to under-resourced schools and communities, Story Pirates produces the PBS show Story Pirates Presents: SPTV. For more on Story Pirates, please visit storypirates.com and follow @storypirates. You can find the Story Pirates Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen.
About Two One Five
Founded by Academy® Award winner Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, Two One Five (TOF) has produced for media partners such as Amazon, Disney, Netflix, AMC, BET, CNN, Showtime, YouTube, and Twitch. The company’s work includes a wide breadth of projects ranging from feature films and television specials to documentaries, animated series, podcasts, and digital programming. TOF executive produced the critically acclaimed and award-winning historical documentary Descendant, which was acquired by President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s production company Higher Ground. TOF also executive produced Sam Pollard’s The League, a documentary on the journey of Negro league baseball, which has been nominated for three Critics Choice Awards. Most recently, TOF executive produced Rise Up, Sing Out, a collection of animated musical shorts for Disney Junior (which earned a NAACP Image Awards nomination for “Outstanding Short Form Series”) and an A&E series on James Brown (alongside Mick Jagger). TOF also produced Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom, a music variety show which aired on CNN to highlight African American advocates, trailblazers, and creators. In 2025, the company will executive produce a documentary on the legendary musician and producer Sly Stone (Onyx/Disney). TOF was recently nominated for a NAACP Image Award for 'Outstanding Variety Show' for their production of 'A GRAMMY Salute to 50 Years of Hip Hop,' a two-hour tribute special and once-in-a-lifetime live concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, which aired on CBS.
