EAR HUSTLE +

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Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
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  • DOCUMENTARY
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison.  Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration. From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com. 

  1. EH+ Ask Nigel and Earlonne Anything March 2026

    22 HR AGO • EAR HUSTLE + ONLY

    EH+ Ask Nigel and Earlonne Anything March 2026

    Our last AMA callout netted so many good questions that we decided to split it into two episodes. This is the second. Nigel and Earlonne answer subscriber questions about, among other things, guilt, claims of innocence, and power dynamics working with incarcerated people. And, they take the Adverse Childhood Experience test.  Thanks as always for sending us great questions! Got more? Apple subscribers: email them to ama@earhustlesq.com; Supercast subscribers: add them to earhustle.supercast.com/ama. We just might answer your question in our next AMA episode! Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    28 min
  2. Dear Ear Hustle

    18 MAR

    Dear Ear Hustle

    The letters come from all over: incarcerated men and women listening to Ear Hustle on their tablets, fans tuning in from as far as Australia and the Philippines. Most of the time, the feedback is positive — but not always. On this first-ever letters episode, we follow up with a few of those listeners.  Thank you to Caroline, Gabby, and Jennifer, for talking to us for this episode.  This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Dwight Krizman, and Bruce Wallace.  Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.  Don’t miss Ear Hustle Live on tour! Get the scoop at earhustlesq.com/tour.  Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    47 min
  3. Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell

    12 MAR

    Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell

    Today, we're sharing something a little different in the feed: an episode of the podcast Blood Will Tell.  Blood Will Tell chronicles the aftermath of a birthday party in suburban San Jose that turned deadly. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for suspicion of murder. One brother spent nearly two years in jail before the truth came out: Authorities locked up the wrong twin.  How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime that he didn't commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice.  You can find more episodes of Blood Will Tell at wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    48 min
  4. Songs of San Quentin

    4 MAR

    Songs of San Quentin

    From beatboxing, to blues, to a song of praise once heard in the Met Museum, musicians in San Quentin have created some indelible songs. And we have featured a number of them on Ear Hustle. In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel listen back to some of their favorites.   You can hear more of the music we’ve featured on Ear Hustle here, and watch Silas Farley’s “Songs from the Spirit” at the Met here.  Thank you to Matthew “Redbone” Brown III, Jason “Jukebox” Griffin, Tam Nguyen, the Mexican Nationals Band, David Jassy, Lemar “Maverick” Harrison, Charlie Spencer, and Richie Morris, for playing music for us.  This episode was scored with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams.  Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.  Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    40 min
  5. Revisiting “Gold Coats and OGs”

    11 FEB

    Revisiting “Gold Coats and OGs”

    Earlonne brings his second selection from the archives: an episode from Ear Hustle’s first season about how people care for each other in a harsh place.  Dealing with aging and death is never easy. But in prison, these issues are fraught with extra challenges, both emotional and physical. Meet two inmates serving extended sentences who grapple with the idea of dying in prison, and have also stepped up to take care of their fellow aging prisoners. Sound design for this episode is by Antwan Williams, with extra music tracks supplied by JB Burton. Thanks to Lonnie Morris, Richard Lathan, and Andres Eric Watson for sharing their stories. And special thanks to Anthony Marzett for being on the receiving end of Andres’ shit talk.  Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    35 min
  6. Revisiting “Saber-Toothed Cat”

    14 JAN

    Revisiting “Saber-Toothed Cat”

    At the start of a new year, Nigel revisits an episode about time passing and one man’s experience of four decades behind bars: our 2023 episode “Saber-Toothed Cat.” What’s the difference between an over-under and a lower-lower? How many pairs of underwear do you get in prison? And how long does a bar of soap last? We spend an entire episode with one San Quentin OG who schools us on the history of prison and what 46 years inside will do to a man. Episode artwork by Scott McKinstry, part of a collaboration between Ear Hustle and the San Quentin Prison Arts Project, which is part of the William James Association (WJA) and is also supported by California's Arts in Corrections program.  This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams, Earlonne Woods, Rhashiyd Zinnamon, and David Jassy.  Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    51 min
  7. EH+ Wrapping Up “The Loop” 

    24/12/2025 • EAR HUSTLE + ONLY

    EH+ Wrapping Up “The Loop” 

    Last week, we finished our six-part series, “The Loop.” The day the final episode dropped, Nigel, Earlonne, Amy, and Bruce went back into the studio to talk about the moments and people from the series that stand out the most, and what they learned over the course of the two-year-long project.Have a question about “The Loop,” or anything else about the show? Apple subscribers: email them to ama@earhustlesq.com; Supercast subscribers: add them to earhustle.supercast.com/ama.Tickets are on sale for our upcoming live shows in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles! Get yours before they’re gone, at earhustlesq.com/tour. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    31 min
  8. The Loop Ep. 6: Make Your Partner Look Good

    17/12/2025

    The Loop Ep. 6: Make Your Partner Look Good

    For the final episode of our all-NYC series, we take the train uptown to the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, where a group of incarcerated dads from Rikers Island are playing games, eating lunch, and doing arts and crafts with their kids.  This is the sixth episode of “The Loop,” Ear Hustle’s six-part series about kids in New York City who are caught up, one way or another, in the criminal justice system.  Ear Hustle would like to thank Leslie Bushara, Chief Program Officer; and Dava Schub, Chief Executive Officer and Museum Director at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan; as well as the following people at New York City Department of Correction: Patrick Gallahue, Deputy Commissioner of Public Information; Annais Morales, Press Secretary; Latima Johnson, Press Officer; Anne Penson, Executive Director of Reintegration Services; Douglas Shore, Director of Reintegration Services; Jessica Medard, Executive Director of Facility Programs (RNDC); and Betty Melecio, Executive Director of Facility Programs (OBCC).  As always, thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Newborg at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of our work. Tickets are now on sale for our upcoming live shows in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Los Angeles! Get them before they're gone, at earhustlesq.com/tour.  Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.  Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

    59 min
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Trailers

Hosts & Guests

About

Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison.  Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration. From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life.  Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com. 

Information

  • Creator
    Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    214
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Ear Hustle
  • Provider
    PRX

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