Best August Baker Podcasts (2025)

1
The Ecstatic (feat. McKinley Dixon) 57:13

2d ago57:13

57:13

McKinley Dixon wants to make rapping fun again. On his new album "Magic! Alive!" he accomplishes this through live instrumentation, a different approach to storytelling, and the childlike innocence of the characters he's written. He spoke with us about how all of this came together with the help of his hometown team and longtime collaborators. Then…

1
Trump as Messianic Prophet (w/ Manvir Singh) [TEASER] 2:10

8d ago2:10

2:10

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. In a recent New Yorker essay, our guest, UC Davis anthropologist Manvir Singh, argues, "The Trumpian mystique echoes a dynamic that has occurred for centuries and across cultures. Its core ingredients—an alleged league of pedophiles, a godlike miracle worker, pr…

1
Bernard Mandeville, 1670-1733. 57:36

8d ago57:36

57:36

Man-Devil: The Mind and Times of Bernard Mandeville, the Wickedest Man in Europe John J. Callanan A lively and provocative account of Bernard Mandeville and the work that scandalized and appalled his contemporaries—and made him one of the most influential thinkers of the eighteenth century In 1714, doctor, philosopher and writer Bernard Mandeville …

1
Did Podcasters Make Trump President? (w/ Andrew Marantz) 1:22:19

15d ago1:22:19

1:22:19

Among the many factors credited for Donald Trump's victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race was one that, naturally, the hosts of Know Your Enemy took an interest in: podcasts. More specifically, "bro" podcasts—think Joe Rogan or Theo Von—seemed to be one reason why Trump continued, as he did in 2016 and 2020, to perform so well wit…

1
A Book of Human Language (feat. Neil Drumming) 1:11:33

16d ago1:11:33

1:11:33

Neil Drumming is a man of many talents. He has worked as a journalist, radio/podcast producer, and writer/director. And now he can add "rapper" to that list. Sorta. Neil joined us to explain why he doesn't really think of himself as a rapper, despite having recently released his debut rap album "Writing on Airplanes". We discussed the ideas and pro…

1
Conclave (2024) (w/ Brandon Taylor) [TEASER] 3:10

22d ago3:10

3:10

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy. With the papal conclave convening in Rome to pick Pope Francis's successor, Matt and Sam are joined by novelist Brandon Taylor to discuss the 2024 film Conclave, directed by Edward Berger and starring Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Ross…

1
The Life & Crimes of Roy Cohn (w/ In Bed with the Right) 53:17

28d ago53:17

53:17

Recently Matt joined Moira Donegan and Adrian Daub of the excellent In Bed with the Right podcast to record what turned out to be two episodes about Roy Cohn—the "lawyer, closet case and ratfucker extraordinaire," as they describe him. These days Cohn is perhaps most infamous for being Donald Trump's lawyer and mentor, but this first episode focuse…

1
Death Certificate (feat. Blu and August Fanon) 51:17

1M ago51:17

51:17

In a soulful celebration of midlife Blu and August Fanon have teamed up to bring us "Forty". We talked with them both about the process of working on the album, aging with hip hop, legacy, and much more. Then we discuss their album pick for this episode - "Death Certificate" by Ice Cube. Purchase "Forty" here: naturesoundsmusic.com/products/forty…

1
The Meaning of Pope Francis 1:24:24

1M ago1:24:24

1:24:24

The passing of Pope Francis on April 21, 2025 marked not just the end of a papacy but the end of an era in global politics. The moment in which Francis spoke before Congress a decade ago and identified Thomas Merton, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King as models of Christian moral witness feels like another universe — far from the cruel, cramped, s…

1
This concise book introduces phenomenology in its rigor--and its breadth: from philosophical foundation to application in psychology, psychiatry, qualitative research, critical theory, sociology, etc. 52:58

1M ago52:58

52:58

Dan Zahavi Phenomenology: The basics, 2nd Edition Two footnotes to the podcast. 1. Walter Hopp's beloved Boston University course is distilled in his Phenomenology: A Contemporary Introduction (2020), an excellent companion to Zahavi's text that focuses on philosophical phenomenology. 2. Paul Møller's Psychosis risk and experience of the self (2023…

1
Fantastic Damage (feat. miles cooke) 1:05:20

1M ago1:05:20

1:05:20

miles cooke has a new record out right now called “ceci n’est pas un portrait” which is French. Don’t ask us how to pronounce it. But it means “This is not a portrait” and we try to unpack that with miles in addition to talking about his album pick for this episode, "Fantastic Damage" by El-P. Purchase "ceci n'est pas un portrait" here: milescooke.…

1
The Madness of Trump’s Tariffs (w/ John Ganz) [TEASER] 4:50

2M ago4:50

4:50

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Speaking in the Rose Garden on April 2, or as he called it, "Liberation Day," President Trump unveiled his plans to impose a new minimum tariff on nearly every country in the world, along with country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs for those nations Trump deemed t…

1
UNLOCKED: How the Pandemic Changed Everything (w/ David Wallace-Wells) 1:49:58

2M ago1:49:58

1:49:58

In response to several requests from our (wonderful) Patreon subscribers, we're unlocking this episode from behind the paywall. Consider subscribing at Patreon.com/KnowYourEnemy to never miss an episode. March 2025 marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States, when the federal government declared the arrival and spr…

1
As the World Burns (feat. PremRock) 1:08:04

2M ago1:08:04

1:08:04

In this throwback episode featuring PremRock we spoke with the Wrecking Crew member and Backwoodz veteran in June of 2022 about his collaborative project with Ockham’s Blazer, a jazz heavy genre bender. We also discussed his previous solo project “Load Bearing Crow’s Feet”. Then we talked about his album pick for this episode - “As the World Burns”…

1
How the Pandemic Changed Everything (w/ David Wallace-Wells) [TEASER] 4:55

2M ago4:55

4:55

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy This month marked five years since the formal start of the pandemic in the United States in March 2020, when the federal government declared the arrival and spread of the novel coronavirus to be a national emergency. The official Covid death toll in the United St…

1
Becoming Elon Musk, Part Two 2:01:16

2M ago2:01:16

2:01:16

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

1
Return of the Cyklops (feat. Damon Locks) 1:15:29

2M ago1:15:29

1:15:29

Damon Locks joins us to talk about his new album “List of Demands,” a project that blurs the lines between poetry, hip hop, jazz, and experimental music. We’ll talk about the work that went into this project, the optimism and beauty it demands, and much more. Then we’ll talk about Damon’s album pick for this episode - Mixmaster Mike’s deluxe releas…

1
Becoming Elon Musk, Part One 1:22:30

2M ago1:22:30

1:22:30

If there's ever been a Know Your Enemy subject worthy of two episodes, it is Elon Musk—currently the world's richest man, CEO and leader of several pathbreaking companies, ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency, and (for now) Donald Trump's co-president. In other words, to understand what's happening in the United States during the s…

1
"Exit From Within" (August 2022) 20:42

3M ago20:42

20:42

Here's something a little creepy. In a bonus episode from August 2022, Matt and Sam were discussing Sam's profile of Arizona Senate hopeful and Peter Thiel-protégé Blake Masters when we found ourselves imagining how a future union of MAGA nationalism and Silicon Valley libertarianism might try to run the government. A listener flagged it for us, no…

1
Voodoo (feat. Cosmo Baker) 1:40:54

3M ago1:40:54

1:40:54

DJ/activist/educator/Philly ambassador Cosmo Baker joins us to talk about life as a DJ in 2025, his recent Book Club gatherings (featuring authors such as Marcus J. Moore and Dan Charnas), the history of The Remedy (a joint venture with Rich Medina) and much more. Then we’ll discuss his album pick for this episode - the Soulquarian era classic “Voo…

1
How Bad Is It? [TEASER] 4:27

3M ago4:27

4:27

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Just over a month into Trump's second term, Matt and Sam offer their thoughts on where we're at—and, to be blunt, the assessment is fairly depressing. They take stock of the troubling truth that Pete Hegseth's confirmation reveals about Trump's hold over the Repu…

1
The Great Adventures of... (feat. Queen Herawin) 1:41:58

3M ago1:41:58

1:41:58

Queen Herawin of the Juggaknots is about to drop her first solo project since 2019's "The Space Between Us". The album is called "Awaken the Sleeping Giant" and has been years in the making. It finds Herawin confronting the many emotions she has experienced in bringing these songs to life. She candidly spoke with us about mental health, creativity …

1
Pay Attention! (w/ Chris Hayes) 1:01:37

3M ago1:01:37

1:01:37

We're all anxious, and none of us can pay attention. We don't read long books anymore; our kids don't read at all. When we watch TV, we scroll at the same time. And we absolutely cannot be alone with ourselves. These are the symptoms of a modern malaise that is everywhere diagnosed but rarely treated with the dire seriousness it deserves: an epocha…

1
One of the preeminent philosophers of our time, Owen Flanagan, was for many years an addict. He synthesizes in this book both the science and phenomenology of addiction. 44:33

3M ago44:33

44:33

Owen Flanagan James B. Duke University Professor Emeritus of Philosophy & Professor of Neurobiology Emeritus What Is It Like to Be an Addict?: Understanding Substance Abuse "A brilliant and unparalleled synthesis of the science, philosophy, and first-person phenomenology of addiction. Owen Flanagan is a distinguished philosopher who ... is also an …

1
Until now there were three schools of thought on how best to live one's life (Utilitarian, Kantian, and Aristotelian). Agnes Callard proposes a fourth: Socratic. 37:20

4M ago37:20

37:20

Agnes Callard Open Socrates "[C]harming, intelligent…Open Socrates encourages us to recognize how little we know, and to start thinking." —Jennifer Szalai, New York Times An iconoclastic philosopher revives Socrates for our time, showing how we can answer—and, in the first place, ask—life’s most important questions. Socrates has been hiding in plai…

1
MAGA x DOGE, So Far (w/ John Ganz) [TEASER] 2:11

4M ago2:11

2:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy The first three weeks of Donald Trump's second administration have seen a flurry of vicious executive orders aimed at the federal workforce, trans people, government agencies, and others—all while Elon Musk and his deranged band of young sociopaths, otherwise kno…

1
N***a Please (feat. Hester Valentine) 1:00:36

4M ago1:00:36

1:00:36

Hester Valentine joins us to talk about his 2024 output, which includes the projects "Valenta" and "make me, make me". Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - "N***a Please" by Ol' Dirty Bastard. Stream and purchase Hester's music here: https://blackval.bandcamp.com/ https://mimizuizuru.bandcamp.com/album/valenta https://wearethekarmakids…

1
Ayn Rand Against the World (w/ Jennifer Burns) 2:00:31

4M ago2:00:31

2:00:31

An atheist, a radical for capitalism, a caricature of a greedy libertarian, a best-selling novelist, a difficult partner and passionate lover, and the self-proclaimed greatest philosopher since Aristotle: Ayn Rand was many things, and we talk about almost all of them in this epic episode. To do so, we called upon historian Jennifer Burns, whose int…

1
How Republics End (w/ Mike Duncan) [TEASER] 2:36

4M ago2:36

2:36

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy A stock rhetorical trope on the right is to invoke ancient Rome when talking about American decline—often making direct comparisons between the Goth invaders and contemporary immigrants, obsessing over homosexuality and Rome's fall, and more. If their understandi…

1
No Need For Alarm (feat. Jacob Rosenberg) 1:31:08

4M ago1:31:08

1:31:08

We're joined by director Jacob Rosenberg whose work you’ve likely seen without even knowing it. His new book is called “RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES” and is “an immersive, decade long journey capturing the vibrancy of skate and hip hop culture from ‘88 to ‘98”. It documents much of Rosenberg’s work in film, photography, and journalism during this key perio…

1
The Entrepreneurial Ethic & How We Work Today (w/ Erik Baker) 1:36:26

4M ago1:36:26

1:36:26

This is a fascinating episode that takes up thinkers that the podcast has covered before—the Koch brothers, Austrian economists like Ludwig von Mises and Friedrich Hayek, and others—but from a different angle: that of the entrepreneurial work ethic. Historian Erik Baker's superb book on the topic, Make Your Own Job: How the Entrepreneurial Work Eth…

1
Wouter Kusters is a philosopher who suffered two psychotic breaks in his life. This book also at times degenerates into mad thinking. The reader's mind follows Kusters descent.philosophy), the book also ... 43:30

5M ago43:30

43:30

Wouter Kusters A Philosophy of Madness: The Experience of Psychotic Thinking MIT Press: https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262044288/a-philosophy-of-madness/

1
UNLOCKED: Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) 56:24

5M ago56:24

56:24

A bunch of you requested that we un-paywall this recent bonus episode, which features some highly practical insights for organizers, volunteers, and public servants. So we have! (All the other bonus episodes are good too; please subscribe.) — Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of …

1
outside! See https://CorriganIPU.com for updates on Human Rights Complaint against this DMH facility in Fall River MA 24:00

5M ago24:00

24:00

See https/://CorriganIPU.com for updates on Human Rights Complaint submitted to Mass DMV regarding alleged human rights violations in this Fall River, MA facility. Corrigan IPU patients deserve a real, substantive right to access the outdoors. It is gross really to see the Corrigan IPU patients staying inside day after day, week after week, and in …

1
Endtroducing (feat. Spectacular Diagnostics) 58:58

5M ago58:58

58:58

We talked with the Chicago based producer Spectacular Diagnostics about the three projects he released in 2024 - the instrumental album “If You Feel Like a Lost Soul”, the guest heavy “Appetites” and his latest collaboration with Kid Acne “TOTEMIC TEMPLATE (Edna & Friends Vol. 1)”. Then we discuss his album pick for this episode - DJ Shadow’s undis…

1
Are Progressives to Blame for Urban Disorder? (w/ Hayes Davenport) [Teaser] 3:59

5M ago3:59

3:59

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy Right wing movements thrive by cultivating fears of disorder. Conservatives depict blue cities as sites of rampant crime, chaos, and iniquity. And often enough, it is progressives — with their overdeveloped empathy and concern for the poor and criminalized — who …

1
Women vs. The System (w/ Dorothy Fortenberry) 1:07:32

5M ago1:07:32

1:07:32

Back in October, before the 2024 election, we had on our friend—and brilliant screenwriter and playwright—Dorothy Fortenberry to talk about gender and the presidential campaign. Amid all the postmortems and Democratic soul searching, we wanted to have Dorothy back on to revisit some of those questions, starting with the difficulties women face in r…

1
The Coming (feat. Open Mike Eagle) 51:50

5M ago51:50

51:50

In this throwback episode from Feb. 2023, Open Mike Eagle joins us following the release his album “Component System With The Auto Reverse”. We started our conversation with some discussion about his live performances since the album’s release. Then we used elements from the album to discuss larger themes - The importance of his relationships with …

1
End of Year 2024 (feat. Donwill) 1:26:28

5M ago1:26:28

1:26:28

Donwill, host of The Almanac of Rap and one half of Tanya Morgan, joins us to talk about some of our favorite albums of 2024. We each picked three albums to focus on and we discussed what made them our favorites. Nothing fancy. All things Donwill can be found here: https://www.donwill.me

1
Trump 2.0 and the Courts (w/ the 5-4 podcast) 1:05:00

5M ago1:05:00

1:05:00

It's been a while since we've had our friends from the 5-4 podcast on KYE, and we thought there was no better time to do so than the weeks before Donald Trump is inaugurated, again, as president. As listeners might guess, we wanted to talk to them about what opportunities Trump might have during his second term to reshape the federal judiciary—and …

1
Corrigan Mental Health Center in Fall River, MA. See CorriganIPU.com for latest on Human Rights Complaint 45:14

6M ago45:14

45:14

See CorriganIPU.com for updates on Human Rights Complaint The IPU at Corrigan Mental Health Center. This is a psychiatric IPU in Fall River, MA. It's a DMH facility. Best parts: 1) there are some excellent staff members (excellent both for patients and for co-workers), (e.g., OT Kyle, providers Max and Allison, nurses Christian and Jill, tech Sean,…

1
disavowal 50:47

6M ago50:47

50:47

Alenka Zupančič Disavowal This book argues that the psychoanalytic concept of disavowal best renders the structure underlying our contemporary social response to traumatic and disturbing events, from climate change to unsettling tectonic shifts in our social tissue. Unlike denialism and negation, disavowal functions by fully acknowledging what we d…

1
Capital Punishment (feat. Sleep Sinatra) 1:06:27

6M ago1:06:27

1:06:27

In this throwback episode from November of 2022, Nebraska native Sleep Sinatra joined us to talk about his release, the Ohbliv produced album "Shadow Self". Sleep discussed the concept behind "Shadow Self" and gave us the story behind his collaboration with Ohbliv. He also talked about the production that he contributed to the debut self-titled alb…

1
Reagan, the Movie (w/ Jesse Brenneman) [Teaser] 4:11

6M ago4:11

4:11

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy We wanted to offer something of a palette cleanser for our subscribers, so we decided to watch the recent movie, Reagan, with our intrepid producer, Jesse Brenneman. Even better, it's based on the 2006 book, The Crusader: Ronald Reagan and the Fall of Communism, …

1
The Sun's Tirade (feat. Nappy Nina) 45:41

6M ago45:41

45:41

In this throwback episode from April of 2021 we're talking with Nappy Nina about her latest project "Double Down" which was fully produced by JWords. Nina also shares some of her early influences and talks about her relocation from Oakland to Brooklyn. Then she helps us dive into one her favorite albums - Isaiah Rashad’s sophomore effort "The Sun’s…

1
psychosis 47:12

6M ago47:12

47:12

Stijn Vanheule Why Psychosis Is Not So Crazy A Road Map to Hope and Recovery for Families and Caregivers An expert’s guide to humanizing psychosis through communication offers key insights for family and friends to support loved ones during mental health crises. Are we all a little crazy? Roughly 15 percent of the population will have a psychotic e…

1
Organizing in Rural America (w/ Luke Mayville) 1:07:51

6M ago1:07:51

1:07:51

This is a conversation we've wanted to have for a while, and it seemed like there was no better time than now, as many people on the broad center-left are asking tough questions about Donald Trump's strength in rural America—according to one post-election analysis, he won 62 percent of rural voters. To unpack what's happening in these parts of the …

1
Road to the Riches (feat. E L U C I D) 1:06:42

6M ago1:06:42

1:06:42

E L U C I D joins us to talk about his latest project "REVELATOR". We discuss some of the unlikely sources of inspiration for the album including the Japanese art of flower arrangement and a negligent Zionist landlord. We talk about the powerful effects of chanting, the specific quality of live instrumentation, and how recording in a room full of s…

1
Trump the Dove? Or Trump the Neocon? (w/ Curt Mills) 1:03:10

6M ago1:03:10

1:03:10

The second Trump administration hasn't started, but it's already proving chaotic, disturbing, and downright bewildering. (Not unlike the first!) Trump's picks for key staff and cabinet positions display a discordant, if not altogether surprising, mix of ideologies, experience, and scandalous baggage. (Indeed, one of his picks, Matt Gaetz for Attorn…

1
What's Wrong with the Democrats? [TEASER] 3:25

7M ago3:25

3:25

Listen to the rest of this premium episode by subscribing at patreon.com/knowyourenemy! In our first episode after the 2024 elections, we briefly considered what the results revealed about how Donald Trump won, and why Kamala Harris lost, before discussing what Trump's first picks for his White House staff and Cabinet meant for his second terms as …

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August Baker Podcasts

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