Session 468: The Albums That Raised Us

In honor of Black Music Month, Dr. Joy sits down with two women who experienced twenty years of Black music from opposite sides of the industry. Shanti Das spent over 25 years as a marketing executive at labels like LaFace and Universal Motown, working with artists from OutKast to Prince, before founding the mental health nonprofit Silence the Shame. Ivie Ani came of age alongside the music itself — a Bronx-raised teenager replaying The Beyoncé Experience on YouTube who grew into an award-winning journalist covering music and culture for The New York Times, Pitchfork, Okayplayer, and beyond.

Together they trace the road from new music Tuesdays and 106 & Park to streaming, playlist culture, and fan communities millions deep. They revisit the albums that defined two eras — B’Day, In My Mind, Lemonade, Anti — and consider why 2016 feels like the last time we all listened together. The conversation turns to what emotional transparency costs Black women artists, how Rihanna became the blueprint for a new kind of superstar, and why the future of Black music may be taking shape in Lagos and Johannesburg as much as Atlanta and New York.

About the Podcast

The Therapy for Black Girls Podcast is a weekly conversation with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford, a licensed Psychologist in Atlanta, Georgia, about all things mental health, personal development, and all the small decisions we can make to become the best possible versions of ourselves.

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Where to Find Our Guests

Shanti Das

Website: https://shantidas.biz

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shantidas404/

Silence the Shame: https://silencetheshame.com | @silencetheshame on Instagram and TikTok

Ivie Ani

Website: https://www.ivieani.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivie.ani/

Substack: https://infulleffect.substack.com

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Executive Producers: Dennison Bradford & Gabrielle Collins

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Producers: Tyree Rush & Ndeye Thioubou 

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