Since I started my college career, podcasts have been a must-have form of entertainment.

Sometimes it’s hard for me to sit down and watch a movie or show because of work or homework. I don’t like to watch TV often during the semester, but I’m always in need of background noise.  Because of this, I’ve turned to podcasts for my source of entertainment and comfort.

You can’t walk to class and watch a movie or show, but you can walk and listen to a podcast. When I’m on the go and don’t have time to stop and chat, the comforting and familiar voices from my podcasts keep me company. I even find them relaxing.

The podcasts I listen to weekly are “The Read” and “The Brilliant Idiots.” 

“The Read,” with Crissle and Kid Fury, covers everything from their opinions on politics to their reactions to reality shows and events in hip-hop/pop culture. The podcast is divided into segments. They usually have the “Black Excellence” segment first, which highlights achievements of people that usually go under the radar. The “Listener Letter” segment is when they open emails sent by listeners and they then try to give advice. Their last segment is “The Read,” where they express with full force and no filter the things that have irritated or upset them in the past week. This is my favorite segment, and it’s the highlight of the podcast. I absolutely love hearing Crissle and Kid Fury read people. It’s so raw and hilarious that I’m always so sad when it ends. I’ve listened to them for so long, they feel like distant cousins that I’ve heard about but never met. I’m always excited when I see a new podcast uploaded. Even though they don’t know it, they’re my friends and you can’t tell me otherwise. 

“The Brilliant Idiots” features radio personality Charlamagne Tha God and Andrew Schulz during their brilliantly idiotic conversations on current events and hip-hop/pop culture. Sometimes they bring in guests for the podcast like Gary Vaynerchuck and Rick Ross.

Charlamagne and Andrew’s conversations are hilarious, and they often get into heated debates over who is right and who has the most accurate “statistics.” 

“The Read” and “The Brilliant Idiots” often talk about similar topics, but their opinions are always so different, and I love listening to their varying points of view. 

Listening to these podcasts weekly has become more than the norm for me. They’re almost therapeutic. I’ve already listened to this week’s episodes, and I can’t wait for the next. 

Both podcasts are recorded in New York and uploaded every Thursday on SoundCloud and iTunes. If you’re looking for a laugh or if you just want something playing in the background, I suggest these podcasts. They brighten up my week, and I hope they do the same for you.