In this episode of Odejuma, Harry speaks with Rian-Louis, host of the RIANOUTLOUD! Podcast. In this conversation, he delves into how he started the podcast in 2020 to spotlight independent Black LGBTQ+ artists and what he has learned over six years and more than a hundred conversations. He talks about the voice note that told him it mattered, the friend who talked him out of quitting, the cost of keeping a creative life running alongside a nine-to-five, and curating a new black space in Pittsburgh called Good Company. It is a conversation about how much it takes to keep showing up and the importance of archiving and documenting black queer art.

Connect with Rian on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ratedrian/

Follow the RIANOUTLOUD! Podcast : https://www.instagram.com/rianoutloudpodcast/

Listen to the RIANOUTLOUD! Podcast: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/rianoutloud/

Connect with Harry on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harryitie

For more information on Harry, visit: https://www.harryitie.com/

Get Odejuma delivered straight to your inbox, alongside personal reflections on the episode, by subscribing to the Substack here: https://odejuma.substack.com/

Support my work: https://buymeacoffee.com/harryitie

Hi, my name is Harry and welcome to Odejuma.

Odejuma is an ishakiri farewell that loosely translates to till tomorrow.

But for me, I look at it as a promise that there is so much more in life to look forward to.

And this interview driven storytelling podcast is rooted in that promise.

So as you take the time to listen, I want you to feel that as we go deeper with folks from across the Black diaspora, exploring the adventures, resilience, joy, and the ordinary moments that change their lives, that you would have a good, hearty laugh with, or you find something to sit with.

Because there is power in the stories of everyday people.

And these stories are worth telling.

Hey, y', all, how's it going?

Welcome to another episode of Odejoma.

My name is Harry.

I'm super excited about today's show.

I have a very talented media personality that I'm about to speak to.

But before I.

Before we dive right in, I want to let y' all know that you can still like this podcast right now.

You can like it, you can follow, you can subscribe, you can do all the things while you have the chance before we get into the conversation.

So wherever you're listening or watching us from, please use the subscribe button or use the like button so you stay notified when we have new episodes.

So, like I said before, I'm excited.

I got a very multi talented media personality on the show today.

His name is Ryan Lewis.

Hi, Ryan, how are you?

Hello, Harry, how are you?

I am feeling really good.

I'm feeling really great.

It's the summer.

I love the summer.

We've been outside.

How has the summer been for you?

It's been busy.

It's been busy.

It's been fun.

It's just, it's been a actually a really probably I'm in one of the best seasons of my life right now.

I think that is.

That is pretty amazing.

That is pretty amazing.

Like I said, um, you do really amazing work, media wise.

Thank you.

And so I want the people to know if a folks who may have not heard of Ryan Lewis, you know, who is Ryan Lewis?

What can you tell the people about who you are, where you came from, how you got your stat in the media space?

Basically, Absolutely.

My name is Ryan Lewis.

I am, I'm a multiple of things.

I am a creative, I am a podcaster.

I am a creative director, an emcee, writer, event curator, social media manager.

I do a lot of different things.

Yeah, producer, like, I guess I'm a, you know, edit my own podcast.

I guess I could Put producer on there, you know.

Yes, yes, you are a producer and it's very interesting.

Like I discovered you on social media through your music takes.

I think it was on Twitter.

That's when I first discovered you used to like, you used to talk about.

We had like very similar artists that we kind of liked as well.

Yeah.

And then you started Ryan Out Loud, the podcast, which has gone on to do so many big things as well.

So tell me about what made you decide to want to start a podcast at a time when you did.

Yeah, so it was during the pandemic and well, backstory.

My best friend, I always said, Ryan, you need to start a podcast.

And I'm like, okay, yeah, you know, I love to talk.

I love connecting with people.

Who's gonna listen to me?

Like, who.

Who is really gonna listen to me?

What am I gonna talk about?

It just didn't hit for me at first.

I knew I wanted to do it and the concept of Ryan Out Loud came to me.

The first iteration was called Drinks and Conversation.

Like I just wanted to have friends, family, you know, like we were gonna sit at a roundtable.

Well, I had a roundtable at the time.

Time in my apartment and have a signature dish.

No format, no nothing.

But my.

When I was really like, okay, this is.

I'm gonna take this seriously.

I want my name in the title.

Kind of like backing off of like that's a raven.

Like I wanted Ryan in the mix somewhere.

And my grandfather was.

I was at their house, I was working from my grandparents house and my grandfather stubbed his toe and he said, for crying out loud, he shout.

He yelled it so loud.

And I was like, ryan Out Loud.

First of all, are you okay talking to my grandfather?

But thank you.

And then it just went from there.

The very, the first season is very trial and error.

Like I was just really just trying to find my footing.

I also navigating what the earth uncertainty at the time of the pandemic.

So hearing that, you know, you're like, it's very trial and error.

But then as Twitter became a comfort for me, Stevie Derek, another amazing social media media person as well podcaster, all of the things he retweeted Warren Dumas on my timeline.

And if you're not familiar with Warren, I feel like everybody in our community should know who Warren is.

He's an amazing, talented performer.

He is as if Prince and Beyonce had a musical child and just super talented.

And he's so, so particular about his craft, which he should be.

And he's just the world is catching on and will continue to catch on.

And he's.

I will always speak his name in rooms that I go in.

Everywhere I go, I will mention more Warren's name.

He's amazing.

And so, yeah, so that's when I knew I wanted to create this podcast specifically to highlight Black LGBTQ plus independent artists, creatives, all of the things.

Because, you know, we are independent.

Well, artists are.

Well, everybody's independent in our realm, but mostly, like, independent artists who are putting their work out for free when there's major labels and a RS and people watching the hard work that these independent artists are putting into and taking stealing from them and putting it, you know, onto an artist that's backed by a major label.

And I don't think that's fair.

I've seen it done too many times.

And I was like, well, what if I can create something that gives independent artists, Black LGBTQ plus independent artists, the spotlight?

Yeah, that is pretty cool.

You create this podcast.

You want to showcase black queer people.

What was the reception like to the first.

To your first iteration of episodes?

Like, your first season, I should say.

What was the response like from Community?

And what made you feel like, okay, this is something that I could do.

I could keep pushing, I could keep doing this.

Yeah, continuously.

Because it's one thing to try something and be like, oh, you know, maybe I should, you know, host event, you know, that kind of thing.

But what made you decide, okay, I want to keep doing Ryan out loud consistently.

So I received a message at the time.

Anchor.

Well, spot creators for Spotify now it was called Anchor at first.

And on that app or the original app, you could receive voice notes from listeners.

And I received a voice note from a listener all the way in Nigeria.

And I was just like, I remember I had my AirPods in, and I had just had tears in my eyes that, wow, somebody way, way, you know, far, far away from where I'm at, listening to Ryan out loud.

And he told me, you know, being where he's from, it is not accepted to be a black, you know, openly black queer man.

And his.

He found comfort in listening to my voice and Ryan out loud and really found that as a safe space.

And I knew from that moment, although I have my weak moments of where I want to just like, why am I doing this?

I don't want to do this anymore.

But I have those reminders, especially that young man who left me a voice note.

I have that reminder embedded in my head when I Have those moments where I want to give up.

And he really inspired me to continue to keep going.

And I'm glad I listened to his voice note.

I hope he's well.

I pray that he's well wherever he is.

Yeah, I think that's very important with, like, the work that we do.

Sometimes it's like, you know, we are being our own historians.

Right.

I feel like when you're going through life as a black queer person, there's always the need to put you to the sideline to erase you.

You know, famous Bayard Rustin, who was doing all the things of the civil rights era nobody knew about.

Like, people knew about him.

Yes.

But he wasn't really celebrated up until, like, you know, over the past decade or so.

And so it's like what we are doing, what you are doing, what I am doing is we are archiving and we're documenting in real time.

We are letting people know about our experiences.

And that's what you're doing, and that's how you're affecting the people because you're curating an amazing list of black queer artists through your platform.

And that is something that, you know, we need and they need.

And people can just, you know, Google and go back, you know, and be like, okay, I can go to Ran Out Loud and check out this.

You know, let's see what the Ron Bernard Grammy winner said.

A riot out loud.

You know.

You know, that was pre.

Pre Gram.

You know, wonder.

That was his wonderlust era when he came on the Ryan Out Loud.

Yeah, I just.

Yeah, it's.

Yeah, it's one of those surreal things.

I'm like, wow.

I knew he was going places, but, yeah, wow, he's amazing.

And it was amazing to have him on the podcast.

Yeah, I know.

And it's always good to be at the start of someone's journey and know that you were there from the onset.

Like I said, our work is very important.

What do you feel about, you know, being a curator of black queer culture?

I know that, you know, you live in Pittsburgh and everything.

I will talk about that in a second, but just on a much more larger perspective.

These artists you're speaking to are from around, across the country.

And so what.

What does that.

How does that feel for you to be a curator of blackwear art?

It's something I'm still coming.

Not coming to terms with.

That sounds so, like.

I don't know.

I just don't like that term, but, like, always taking it in.

I'm a. I'm forever a student I always want to.

I learned something new from every guest.

What I do is just a little part.

It is so much bigger than me.

It is always about the guests.

It is always about their work.

It is always the importance of expressing that.

You know, there is.

Ryan Out Loud exists because of black queer creatives.

You know, like it.

I wouldn't exist without any of the people that have been amazing people that have been on Ran Out Loud.

Like I.

They literally like some of my goof.

Really good.

I've had amazing friendships born because of this podcast.

You know, like artists that have been on, they text me, hey, Ryan, I'm working on this.

I want your ears on it.

Tell me what you think.

And I'm like, that makes 21 year old Ryan that wanted to be a A R for a record label at the time, you know, very happy.

Like, okay, I think you should do this.

And also in this current era of scene of emergence of like black, openly black queer artists like Destin Conrad and of course Duran and you know, Lil Nas X, now that he's on, he's on a better, you know, he's.

I'm glad he is on a better journey now, making his health a priority.

And there's so many more and I'm missing but those, you know, like that are really putting on for us, you know, like on the, on the mainstream platforms.

It just keeps adding fuel to what I do.

Yeah.

Hope I answered your question.

No, you did.

You did.

You did for sure.

Take us a little bit back to Ryan before the podcast.

What was your life like?

Did you always know you wanted to do what you talked about?

Wanted to be on A and R for a record, for a record label?

Did you always.

What were your dreams?

What were you.

What was the.

What was it like growing up as Ryan Lewis?

As Ryan Lewis?

I was a very.

I wanted to.

So I grew up as a very.

I'm still a fan.

I love Raven Simone so bad.

That is my ideal guest on Ryan Out Loud.

Like that is my dream guest to have Raven Simone, she really, she came into my life.

I've always been a fan of hers, but she came into my life with that.

So Raven at such a very low point of my life.

I had just lost my father about a month prior to that.

So.

And then that's a Raven premiere that next month.

So that I was in a very weird limbo of existing.

Right 13 losing your father, trying to figure out what is life without your Parent one of your parents.

And I was in a mute state.

Like, I didn't say much unless, like, I was like, I really had to speak.

And it was Friday, January 17, and I was sitting home in the living room.

My mom was prepping dinner.

And that's what Raven was playing back.

It premiered and it played back to back episodes.

I busted out laughing.

Mind you, this is the first time my mom probably heard me laugh in a month.

And she ran into the living room.

She was like, you okay?

I was watching that.

She was like, oh, my God, that's the cosmic girl.

I was like, yeah, she got her own show.

And it's been.

It was history ever since.

I fell in love with her music, fell in love with all of her.

Anything she put out, I supported and bought.

And I knew at that time I always had this I used to sing way I used to sing.

And I wanted to act and I wanted to do all of the things.

Anything Raven did, I wanted to do myself.

I wanted to be the male version of Raven Simone.

And that's really where I saw my life going, you know, and then I just used to check it.

I always tell my mom, I said, you should have Joe Jackson me, you know, like, Matthew knows me.

Like, you know, you knew I had the gift, girl, you didn't.

She didn't force me, you know, she would take me to auditions and I'd be like, oh, never mind.

She like, okay.

Didn't really force it on me.

I was like, girl, if you go forcing on me, we'd be in a whole different situation, you know, living situation right now, you know, but things happen as it's supposed to.

I got into school.

I didn't really like that.

I. I did not want to.

I finished high school.

I did not want to go to college.

I did not want to go to college.

I just did not see four more years.

And my mom gave me the speech of, you know, her life and da, da, da.

And I was like, okay, at least I'll go and do two more years.

So I got my associates in business marketing.

However, I had intentions on going to full sail after my associates to study music business.

However, doing my research, you know, of how the industry shaded one of my absolute favors, Joanna Levesque JoJo.

I was like, you know what?

I don't want to be a part of an industry that really shunned the career of one of my.

She.

One of my absolute favorites with one of the best voices in the industry.

And it shifted.

So then I went into a whole different aspect of life.

Like, I was working in banking for 10 years, and then I started working in the nonprofit sector, which I full time.

I do still work in the nonprofit sector.

But podcasting really came to me.

Ryan, out loud, came to me at a very pivotal point in my life.

I was a fresh 30 year old.

I was fighting.

I was fighting for my life.

At that time.

I was really sick, in and out of the hospital, not sure what was really wrong.

I just couldn't hold any food.

My potassium was low.

I was going to the cancer center to get iron and potassium pumped into me and stuff like that.

And then that's when the pandemic hit.

And I had time to.

I got laid off my job and I had time to reflect and think of what I wanted to do next.

And I wanted my next move to be my best move.

And it just literally just took off that, that old Ryan led into this, this, this new version.

A very much confident, a much secure version of myself as I navigate, you know, Ryan out loud and a lot of different other endeavors I'm embarking on.

Yeah, what will new Ryan say to young Ryan who had all these dreams?

You know, Ryan, that is now that is fully formed, that is more confident, what will he say to young Ryan?

You got.

Yeah, I asked that question.

I asked that question.

It's gonna be complicated, but it's gonna be okay.

It's very complicated, but you're gonna be okay.

And those moments, you didn't even think you were going to survive.

You're.

You're doing just fine.

And younger Ryan used to question a lot if my dad would be proud.

I wasn't.

I was very uncertain that my father was proud of me at.

As a young Ryan because I lost him at 13.

So a lot of, like, things had happened and like, damn, he is just not proud of me.

But as life has went on and I have, I don't want to say healed, but grief is.

Grief is always very random.

I don't have a lot of low moments.

Like I used to thinking about my father.

However, I had a. I had a, aha, like a aha grief moment for the first time in years.

This past March, I was looking at my.

I received a 40 under 40 award here in Pittsburgh, and I was looking at my plaque and I just busted out in tears because I was just like, he is proud.

He is.

He is proud.

I have no reason to question if my father is proud of me.

Like, you always.

I heard people, friends, family, like, oh, he would be so proud of you.

But in that moment of looking at my picture, because I just saw him in that picture that was.

That's on my plaque, which was actually sitting right back there.

I saw him, and I just knew he was just proud of me and that.

I don't talk about that moment a lot.

I think I talked about it in therapy where I was just, like.

It was such a.

A quick but surreal moment where I heard his voice and felt his presence in that moment when I received that award.

And that really just boosted something in me that like, oh, you can't tell me nothing.

My dad's proud of me.

You know, like, I got the confirmation from my answer.

I got it.

You know, I'm okay.

Yes, yes, yes.

That is.

That is amazing to hear.

And he's definitely proud of you for sure.

Speaking of Pittsburgh and getting an award, you're doing a lot of work when it comes to building spaces for a black queer people in.

In that city.

And I find that also so, like, so inspiring.

And that's, you know, because I feel like our journeys kind of mirror each other in, like, the.

In like, weird ways.

You know, I like Raven, you like Raven.

I like JoJo.

You like JoJo.

You know, you're doing.

You're trying to archive these stories of black creatives.

I'm doing the same thing you are trying to build space in Pittsburgh.

I'm trying to build space in Minnesota as well.

So I feel like this conversation.

This conversation for me is me just even learning from the stuff that you've been doing.

But in Pittsburgh, you've been building spaces for black queer people.

And when people think black queer culture in America, nobody thinks Pittsburgh.

Right, but you are also.

But you're also doing the work very purposefully to make sure that the black people who are in that city have a private space to go.

How's that journey been like for you so far?

And what challenges have you encountered in your journey in.

Towards doing that over there?

It's.

It's hard.

Okay.

Black gay Pittsburgh is.

Is.

We're trying.

Let me just say it's hard, but it's.

It's.

It.

We're trying.

The people who get it get it.

People might catch on later, you know.

I curated an event that has now changed.

I changed the name.

It started out as Gazed G A Y Z E D, which was Gays was created as call.

Like I heard.

I talked to a lot of different people at a lot of different openly Gay spaces here in Pittsburgh.

Who, you know, black gay men or black queer, black LGBTQ plus men.

Just don't feel like I'm tired of hearing, I'm tired of coming to these white centered spaces.

I would love to have something that is ours.

And while I don't have a brick and I don't have a location, but I have connections that allow me to utilize a space.

And I Created Gays.

As a response to those who said there's nothing for black Gay Pittsburgh to do, and I saying that like black gay men, I should say, because there is black queer collectives as well.

Like Most Beautiful is one that I'm actually a part of called the Tag Collective.

And we're really trying to reshape what black Gay Pittsburgh, Black Queer Pittsburgh looks like.

I'm just a small little addition.

So Created Gays Volume one we had in April, Volume two we just had in June at the end of Pride.

And now that is being changed and we're elevating and now Gaze has been transformed into a Good Company.

Good Company is still the same, very, very same message of what gays represents.

Senate.

We're just thinking forward, thinking bigger, and we're going to do another event or a Good Company event in September where we'll be celebrating Beyonce's birthday with a Beyonce edition of Good Company.

So that will be happening in September.

But I just want to do more than just day parties with Good Company.

I really want to, I have a dope team around me, creating a dope team around me, trying to really elevate this and elevate the vision.

Yeah.

So that's really what, you know, Good Company is coming into formation, really.

I really see amazing things and even things beyond Pittsburgh, actually.

But I will, I want the, the history books to say Good Company was started, launched here in Pittsburgh, you know, so that's the goal.

That's.

It's been a challenge.

We had a really nice response for volume two, which gave me more inspiration to just keep pushing.

I'm.

Sometimes I can be a little impatient and I want 50 people, 50 to 100, 200 people to be at my event.

You know, I've curated events.

I had a drink release two years ago, almost two years ago, and I had like over 100 people there.

And I have successful events, I have flop events, you know, but it doesn't matter because whether I'm emceeing, curating or whatever, I'm gonna make a room of 20 feel like a room of a hundred.

So, you know, I navigate those spaces very Easily.

But as creator, I'm like sometimes about my mind.

I'm like, damn, nobody is coming what's happening, you know, but it happens.

But I feel good about the the next chapter of Good Company formerly Gazed in Good Company and where it's going and also combining it with Ryan Out Loud.

So a lot of good things are on the horizon.

Yeah, yeah.

And I and I resonate very much with the challenge.

Challenging piece is hard to.

When you're building something, everybody's like, oh, we want more spaces, we want more black rare spaces.

And then you're building, you're building the spaces and it's like polity to get the people to show up.

But it's part of the work.

And I think that as time goes on, as people know the brand and are familiar about the brand, they're going to want to always come through and show up.

Basically.

I saw that you did a live.

You had a couple of live recordings for your podcast.

How's that been so far as well, because I think that that's something that is pretty big in itself.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I again, if you told me, if you asked me five years ago that I would be having a live like, let alone starting Ryan Out Loud, getting in the groove of recording and you know, all of the things.

But to a live podcast was beyond me.

I did my first one around my birthday last October that was amazing.

It was at a black woman owned distillery which in Pittsburgh, TLC Libations, which is in Pittsburgh, it's the only, only black woman owned distillery in PA in general.

So that was a history in itself being a part of TLC Libations, which I also do curate events for them as well.

On the side, that first one was special.

The second one was really my biggest stage yet.

I was in partnership with the August Wilson African American Cultural center here in Pittsburgh.

If you're familiar.

You know, August Wilson is from Pittsburgh and you know, so being a part of that leg is a little part of that legacy where I was able to provide a space for a Black LGBTQ plus, you know that this, that second one was very much centered around black LGBTQ executive directors in the city of Pittsburgh, really learning about how they navigate, you know, Pittsburgh being a Black LGBTQ plus leader and all of the things in between.

And I really that that portion of Ryan Out Loud, the live would not have happened without the support of my collaborator and friend, Dr. CeCe Calhoun, who works with, who works for the August Wilson African American Cultural Center.

She was really a big advocate, a part of me hosting their event right after called Pride and Joy, which was just an amazing, surreal moment.

I'm navigating, working on my.

Working ahead now, doing my third live edition this October here in Pittsburgh.

It'll be back at TLC Libations.

That one will be Women and Women Focus.

I will have a panel of guests.

Every guest will be a woman and that navigate the LGBTQ somewhere in that, in, in those, those, those spaces.

So that'll be October 17th here in Pittsburgh, back at TLC Libations.

So I'm very excited for that.

That is pretty cool.

You're.

You're doing really.

You're doing really amazing work.

Thank you.

As someone who is host, having these conversations, hosting these podcasts and everything, has there been like a conversation you've had on.

On that.

On your.

On your podcast or maybe like on a panel that has changed you that you still go back to currently or in the past, whenever?

That's a good question.

It's a. Oh, my gosh.

A lot of people speak love into me every time.

Every guest has spoken beautiful things to me.

I will say specifically off camera, off record record, I have formed a really amazing friendship with.

His name is Fresh.

His artist name is Fresh.

If you know him on social media, Mark Fresh.

And he is a amazing rapper and just a beautiful person in general.

And I think I tweet.

He caught a tweet or something about me.

Like, at last.

Not this time.

Yeah, well, yeah, this time last year, I was like, advertising my last season and he was like, what the hell do you mean?

He texted me.

He was like, what the hell do you mean?

Last season, like, you.

He was telling me, like, you don't understand how much you are needed.

And at that time, I didn't feel needed.

You know, it was a lot of, like, doubting myself.

Also feeling very.

Being very hard on myself for missing deadlines.

I missed the deadline for the Black Queer Summer Summit.

For.

For Glad.

Glad I missed that one too.

I beat myself up.

So I did bad about that.

Yeah, I was hard on myself about that.

And it took me a while.

You know, people that have started after me that surpassed me, which is amazing.

But it also just made me, you know, like, really reevaluate.

Like, how am I putting myself out there?

How am I navigating?

Am I being consistent?

Which I'm not always the most consistent person when it comes to podcasting, because in addition to what I do creatively, I have to.

To fuel that.

I have to work a 9 to 5 and that 9 to 5 is draining.

And sometimes when I'm drained on my, you know, when I'm drained from that nine to five, I don't feel the passion in my creative work.

And so it just, it really, sometimes just, it just combines in addition with that ADHD of mine.

I don't care.

I ain't doing it no more.

I'm not doing it.

Mark really, he, you know, fresh, really spoke some love into me.

And then it, like, it shrinkled down to when I actually did do my live and I was just like, wow, this is bigger than me.

What are you doing, Ryan?

Like, keep going.

So now I'm navigating a new space of where it's easier for me to put out episodes.

Now I have a system where now moving forward, I will do three episodes a month just to kind of give myself some, some grace to edit and make sure everything is perfect and releasing and having things pre recorded.

So I'm in a better space now.

So I have a slew of new episodes coming out over like the rest of the year.

Hopefully that's the goal.

Yeah, that's.

And I feel, I feel like when we do the work that we do, I think that, you know, we need to remind ourselves, is that where we have built, no matter how small, that community, even if it's a community of 10 people, we're building a community of 10 people, right?

I have a substack that I do for my part for this particular podcast.

And so every episode that comes out, I do like a reflection on the sub stack and I, and I attach the links.

So the Apple podcast link, the Spotify link, the YouTube link, and I send it out, right?

And sometimes I look at the views on YouTube, I'm like, you know, I wish these views were a lot more.

You know, I wish these views were a lot more.

And I have to remind myself that I'm doing something, number one, that's very niche.

Number two, I'm doing something that, you know, is not going to be the most popular.

Number three, people are still engaging, right?

It's not going to be a thousand people like you, like you dream about, but the 50 people that are, that I engage in, there are people that always open my substack every time I send something.

I see because you can see the analysis of who is reading your stuff.

There are people that are always reading it and engaging with the, with the episodes.

It's like you're building your community.

Yes.

It might be a slower build because it's not a very mainstream focus that you have but you're still, we're still cultivating our community regardless.

So I hold on to that and I give myself grace as well.

And I'm like that.

If I can put out, if I can put out an episode this week, great.

You know, kudos to me.

And if I can't put on an episode, nobody's come on, nobody's going to come and yell at me, right?

You people are going to get it where they get it and I feel like that kind of helps.

I know that we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, but I think that there's a need for us to like relax and just because it's a lot to have a 9 to 5 and then try and put out your podcast and try to make it excellent as also so you're not just putting out garbage, you know.

And so.

Yeah, yeah, I feel you totally.

And I, I resonate with, with what you're saying and how you're navigating.

You get it.

Would you say you have, would you say you are in a, in a much better place now with, with how you engage with the pressures that come with your creative, your creative stuff?

I'm getting there.

I'm getting.

I feel like I'm in a good place and I'm going to continue to get to a better place with navigating all of these, these spaces of my life.

The goal is to eventually everything to be one.

So I'm hoping something really special comes into play where that will.

I will be able to focus more on the content and more on, you know, delivering quality, you know, experiences, listening experiences and stuff like that.

So a lot of things are in the works, but I'm in a good place now and going to skyrocket to a better place.

So getting there, I should say.

That's good.

That is really good.

And what do you do for self care now?

How do you take care of yourself, your body, your mind, as someone that.

As the work that you do, your, your pouring into people, you're pouring out your gift as well.

So how do you take care of yourself?

Listen, on my tough days on my, on my self care, there's.

Look, it's tears to this, right?

You'll find me on the couch watching reruns of that's a Raven Insecure.

I'm a. I was a rest.

I'm a wrestling fan, so I always watch nostalgic wrestling clips on YouTube a lot.

X Men is one of my favorite things.

I'm sitting on my comic bin now actually.

It's so funny.

But on My hard days, when I need to regroup and recollect, I will.

I go to my grandparents house.

That is my recharge center.

My grandfather is 91, my grandmother is 86.

She is battling dementia.

But one of my favorite things to do is to go to lay in bed with her and she rubs my head.

It just something about like she just, she rushed.

First of all, she's like, why'd you cut your hair?

I'm like, grandma wasn't growing so I cut it, you know, so she just rubs my head.

And that just reminds me that everything, everything that's happening that may seem chaotic or you know, insane is just there's peace in all of this chaos and that is going to my grandparents house and bonding with my grandmother is my peace and my friends too.

Like I can't forget my friends as well.

They keep me motivated.

And also like I love going to support other creatives as well.

I'm very much of like a supporter.

Like I will show up if I can absolutely do it.

And a lot of people don't like when they see me like I'm.

If I'm supporting a friend, I'm like incognito.

I have a hoodie on or depending on the weather, I'm in the back, you know, like really just being a fan and they're like ryan, Ryan out loud.

I'm like oh my God.

You know, like.

But I just, I don't, I just want to support.

So I find, you know, joy in supporting others and my family and my friends and yeah, just that's, that's, that's what self care looks like for to me and music.

Always listening to music.

Awesome.

Awesome.

So we have a bunch of rapid fire questions for you before we let you go.

Okay.

Yeah, so we're gonna get to it real quick.

What are the three songs currently on your playlist right now?

Morning Dew, Beyonce.

You know, if you know, you know I will say my other song is still by Kehlani.

Song rotation and what also comes up a lot, regardless of how long ago it didn't come out, it came out like Ready to Love by JoJo is always on my rotation.

So those are the three songs that I will say right now like are heavily, heavily on rotation.

So.

Okay, cool.

Because you're a Raven Simone fan or Raven Simone.

Stan, what are your top three Raven Simone songs of all time?

I really do love anti love song.

I love what's what Is Love from her this is my time album and a bonus one.

I love her latest off of her most well recent project.

Well 33,000 micro dosing.

That's a good one.

And it's so funny.

Two of the songs are from the self titled album and like that album deserved so much more.

That was such a good album.

This is my time.

This is my time is a good album.

I'm not gonna.

I'm not gonna.

I'm not gonna take away from it.

I like what is love.

Like you said, I love over love on that album.

I love Mystify but I.

This is my Time felt like a bunch of songs together.

Maybe like a soundtrack for like a movie but you know, but the Raven album, the.

The self titled, so cohesive.

That was a cohesive.

I always remember her saying, you know, she didn't want to fit.

They.

The label tried to make her fit into a box.

Right.

Mm.

So she had a lot more flexibility with this is my time I think.

And I love that she did the self title however, you know, she really.

Because she loves all genres so you could really hear how all different type of genres was really on this is my time, which is not much of a cohesive album but it still had a story which I love.

Raven Simone was very much more cohesive.

Very much like very much deserve more in your skin.

Another favorite of mine and every Janet Jackson coated like what in those pictures.

I mean those pictures.

Face eight down.

Yes, girl, get it.

That would have been a good song with a video, with a nice dance number.

We deserve.

Yeah, really, we really deserved.

You know.

But the title track is so beautiful.

It's so.

It is.

I should use it on a real.

I should use it on a reel sometime.

You have this thing you do on TikTok, it's called when you ask me to play.

Right.

So we're going to do.

When you ask me to play black gay edition, we're going to do for black gay artists.

So when you ask me to play Jaron Bernard, what are you playing?

Collide or Sam's vibe.

Okay.

When you ask me to play Lil Nas X, what are you playing?

I like that is what I want.

That was a favorite of mine.

And let's see, let's see, let's see, let's see.

Void.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

I had to think.

I was like, I know.

Like I have two of them that are on the Ryan out loud Loud and proud playlist and those are the two.

Okay.

When you ask me to play Frank Ocean, what are you playing?

Novocaine and bad Religion.

Okay.

Okay.

When you ask me to play Kehlani, what are you playing?

I'm currently stuck on steel and oh, my God, I just did this one and I can't even.

Forms of you is another.

Is a favorite of mine.

Forms of you.

Scratch still.

Because I said that earlier.

Forms form of you and I'm gonna go back to getaway.

Okay, cool.

When you asked me to play Victoria Monet, what are you playing?

No good.

And New Love.

Okay.

When you ask me to play Janelle Monae, what are you playing?

Gosh, I really was a fan of float and Phenomenal.

Okay, I love.

I love Phenomenal as well.

Okay, final, final.

When you asked me to play Black Gay.

Well, black LGBT edition.

When you asked me to play Destin Conrad, what do you play?

Low Tide and.

Oh, low tide.

Low tide and life is changing.

Okay, okay, cool.

My next rapid fire question you already answered, but I don't know if you have a different answer for this one.

Artist you want.

You have to have on your podcast.

I know you talk about Raven Simone, but is that.

Yeah.

Raven Simone is a go is a dream guest Destin Conrad.

I would love to have a sit down with Lil Nas X.

Also.

I really.

Justin, I don't know if you're familiar like, he.

He.

He's been just 10 Justin.

Yes.

Yes, That's.

That's a goal.

He.

I.

We.

It almost happened.

I was just.

It was almost there and I'm still not going to give up.

He's on to amazing things.

Actually wrote a story that I only see him being the lead in.

And I.

When I'm a manifest that.

So the fingers.

Fingers are very crossed.

If I visit Pittsburgh, where should I.

Where do I absolutely have to go to?

What's the go to spot in Pittsburgh.

Where I like to go to?

I like to go to a spot called Lefties.

It's on the north side of Pittsburgh.

It's always.

Does it begin?

Sometimes you can go there as the beginning, as like the.

The kickoff, the start of the night, the pregame.

Right.

They have really.

It's a dive bar.

They have really cheap drinks.

I love.

They have drinks called Strong Islands.

My friends hate that I drink these.

I get a green apple Strong island every time I go to Lefties, and they're like, Ryan, what the hell?

Why.

Why are you doing this?

Why are you drinking the strong island?

$5.

Get me.

Get two of them.

I'm where I need to be.

We can move on to the night.

Sometimes the vibes are just amazing.

That you can stay there the whole night.

And it's a very LGBTQ plus friendly space.

Other than that, there's another place called High side that is a.

A bar that I go to, and they have one of the.

They have the best R and B brunch in the city.

I get my tower mimosas vibe out, and they have really good eggs, egg rolls with amazing sauce on the side that needs to be bottled and sold.

And I would buy it, so that.

That's where I would take.

Take you.

Okay.

We could do the gay establishments later, you know, But I go to them too.

I do go to them, but, you know, they have really good wings that.

So, you know something about gay bars and good wings, you know, because the gives a gay bar here too that has a really great wig.

So I'm like, that's very interesting.

Yeah, I know.

What is.

Where is your dream vacation destination?

Bora Bora.

Oh, that's a good one.

And finally, what is your guilty pleasure?

My guilty pleasure is watching those random fights on, like, the timeline.

Like, I.

Or like, I don't watch Bad Boys Club Bad Boys or Baddies.

Baddies.

But I. I do get a thrill out of watching the clips.

The girl is fighting on Bulldogs.

Listen.

And I always.

Every time I go to Atlanta, I'd be like.

And I go to Bulldogs, I'm like, they don't.

They don't fight when I'm here.

Yeah, I've been a couple because I've been to Atlanta quite a lot.

And so I've seen many very fun and Bulldogs.

And I've seen Wendy when it's been very peaceful.

Anyways, you know, it's.

It's all.

It's all vibes.

It's all vibes.

Listen, I love going there.

I love seeing anywhere, like, anywhere I go, like, that's not Pittsburgh.

And I just see black gay men.

I'm just like, yeah.

Yes.

Especially DC's four hours for me.

So I'm always in DC.

Shout out to DC.

Yeah.

We love DC.

Yeah.

Yeah.

My final question, Ryan, before we wrap up in like 10 years and 15 years, what is your hope for your brand and your work as a culture curator, cultural strategist?

Not even just in Pittsburgh, but maybe, you know, across the country.

What.

What is your hope for?

I really.

My goal is to transition into the back ground.

I want to launch a media empire that is.

That dabbles in all of the things.

If it's like executive producing television, you know movies.

Scripted podcast.

I really want to navigate into scripted podcast and create a universe of black gay stories through that platform.

Through a platform.

As a scripted podcast, I really want to work with, develop artists.

I really want to work as a creative director, working with other artists and other and still curating events and putting on new podcasts and new stylists and new creative.

You know, all of the things where I'm just in the background, that's.

That's what I want to do.

I see a brand me as a.

In my Issa Rae bag, kind of.

Shout out to that.

Shout out to that.

I say that for you as well.

Well, thank you, Ryan, for coming on Ode Juma.

This has been such great conversation.

We're so great for having me.

You have to come online out loud next.

I'm down.

I am excited.

I would love to.

In person or virtual, Just whatever it is.

We can make it happen.

We make it happen for sure.

Yeah.

But thank you so much.

I'm gonna share information about Ryan on the podcast, everything.

So you can check him out, check out his work and follow.

And if you've been listening and watching, thank you so much for staying tuned.

Make sure you, like, subscribe and do the things.

Subscribe, drop a comment and share with your friends so that we can keep growing this podcast as well.

Thank you so much for watching odej.