CBC LAUNCHES “THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST” ON JUNE 16

New CBC original podcast series explores the history of hip-hop and R&B through the lens of Drake’s career, ten years after the release of his first studio album 

May 26, 2020 — CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster and #1 podcaster, today shared details about its much-anticipated CBC PODCASTS series THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST, launching on Tuesday, June 16. The five-part limited-run series explores the history and evolution of hip-hop, R&B and Black culture through the lens of Drake, one of this generation’s most influential musicians, 10 years after the release of his first studio album. THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST is hosted and co-produced by documentarian Ty Harper, co-produced by journalists Anupa Mistry and Del Cowie, Dalton Higgins as contributing producer and guided by showrunner Josh Bloch. New episodes will be available weekly on CBC Listen and everywhere podcasts are available.  

THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST is about how hip-hop – and its journey to mainstream dominance – produced Drake in the first place. It provides context on the artist’s deep musical roots and his transition from an actor on teen series Degrassi to his top-tier music stardom. The series unpacks rap and R&B’s long, complicated history; dives into the evolution of gender dynamics in hip-hop and the rise of the Nice Guy rapper (episode hosted by Anupa Mistry); and explores how the mixtape revolution made Drake's success with 'So Far Gone' possible. 

“Drake is really the culmination of many moments, artists, songs – some heard and so many more unheard – who are all responsible for making hip-hop and Black music the dominant cultural force it is right now,” said Ty Harper, host and co-producer, This Is Not A Drake Podcast. “It’s amazing to be able to tell this story with the depth and nuance it deserves.”

"I came of age in multicultural Toronto, surrounded by the sounds of many of the artists appearing in the series. Ty and the podcast team have pulled back the curtain to show how Drake was the result of a cultural and musical seismic shift. The series is a smart, immersive journey about the music we love today," said Arif Noorani, Executive Producer, CBC Podcasts.

ABOUT THE TEAM

HOST: Ty Harper is a radio producer and documentarian who has been covering Toronto's hip-hop and R&B scenes for well over a decade: first as co-host/creator of O.T.A. Live! on FLOW 93.5 FM, and later as co-founder of cityonmyback.com. He is currently a producer on q with Tom Power on CBC Radio.

SHOWRUNNER: Josh Bloch worked as a producer and documentary editor at CBC's daily current affairs program The Current, before venturing off into podcasts to host and co-produce Uncover: Escaping NXIVM. Josh's new podcast series The Lost Kids about the “troubled teen” industry will be released by NBC in 2020.

PRODUCER: Anupa Mistry is a writer and producer, with over 10 years of experience reporting on music and communities in Toronto. She has worked at q on CBC Radio, The FADER, Vevo, and Banger Films, and written for a range of publications including The Globe & Mail, VOGUE, Pitchfork, and many more. Anupa also hosts the “Nice Guy” episode of THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST that looks at the relationship between gender and hip-hop.  

PRODUCER: Del Cowie is a music journalist and editor. He has worked as a writer, associate producer & researcher for the Peabody and Intl Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Hip-Hop Evolution. He’s also worked as a producer for CBC Music and as an editor at Exclaim! for over a decade. He has written for Complex and NOISEY, among other publications.

CONTRIBUTING PRODUCER: Dalton Higgins is a PR strategist & publicist, author of six books, National Magazine Award-winning journalist and broadcaster, whose books are carried everywhere from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame & Museum collection (Cleveland) to Harvard University’s hip hop archive. Higgins' work - focused primarily on historically black musics - has taken him across Canada, the United States, Denmark, France, Australia, Cuba, Germany, Colombia, England, Curacao, and Spain among other destinations.

THIS IS NOT A DRAKE PODCAST as well as other titles on CBC Podcasts’ slate can be found at cbc.ca/podcasts.

From Canada’s public broadcaster, CBC PODCASTS is a richly diverse collection of award-winning podcasts that engage, enlighten and entertain. CBC is the #1 podcaster in Canada, reaching more Canadians than any other podcast publisher, with more than 100 series in genres such as true crime, comedy, human interest and audio fiction. 

About CBC/Radio-Canada

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.

Media Contacts:

Joanna Landsberg, CBC: joanna.landsberg@cbc.ca, 647.628.4788 (Canada)

Meryl Cooper, The COOPERation: meryl@thecooperationinc.com, 917.974.0022 (US/International)