Ear Hustle

Ear Hustle & Radiotopia
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Ear Hustle
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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. Super Fun Birthday Story

    4D AGO

    Super Fun Birthday Story

    For some, it’s a weeklong bonanza; others keep it on the down-low. Whether you’re in prison or not, how you celebrate your birthday says a lot about who you are. The New Official Ear Hustle Birthday Song was written by Tam Nguyen, with variations on the theme by Tam Nguyen, Earlonne Woods, Derrell Sadiq Davis, Bruce Wallace, and Antwan Williams, plus trumpet playing by Brian Conroy.  Big 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 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.

    43 min
  2. EH+ Where’s Edmond Now?

    MAR 12 • EAR HUSTLE + ONLY

    EH+ Where’s Edmond Now?

    While incarcerated, Edmond Richardson appeared in two episodes of Ear Hustle, kinda. In “15 Minutes,” his partner Avelina talked about maintaining their connection through 15-minute phone calls. In “Catch a Kite 7,” Edmond answered a question posed by an incarcerated woman about how men bond in prison. Since then, he’s fought fires, gotten married, and paroled. New York catches up with Edmond to find out where he is now.Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Mentioned in this episode: 15 MinutesCatch a Kite 7Incarcerated firefighters

    27 min
  3. Spark Plug

    MAR 5

    Spark Plug

    Spark Plug wanted a life straight out of a Hollywood movie: Live fast and die a legend. But that’s not quite how things worked out. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Earlonne Woods, Antwan Williams, and Derrell Sadiq Davis. Big 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 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.

    50 min

  4. TRAILER

    New Episodes Start Next Week!

    The Ear Hustle team has been hard at work on a whole batch of new stories from San Quentin, the California Institution for Women, the Central California Women’s Facility, and beyond. They’ll be in your feed starting next Wednesday, March 5 — but Nigel and Earlonne are here now with a little sneak peek.  Big 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 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.

    6 min
  5. EH+ February Ask Nigel and Earlonne Anything

    FEB 20 • EAR HUSTLE + ONLY

    EH+ February Ask Nigel and Earlonne Anything

    In this month’s AMA episode, Nigel and Earlonne respond to listeners’ questions about Hollywood portrayals of incarcerated people, what changes they've seen in prisons, and much more.Got a burning question for Nigel and Earlonne or the Ear Hustle team? Apple EH+ 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! Mentioned in this episode:Ear Hustle episode​​ 32: Snack MoneyEar Hustle episode​​ 33: Life Shows UpEar Hustle episode​​ 56: Lifer BakeryThe Hollywood Reporter: ‘Sing Sing Filmmakers Paid Everyone On Set the Same, and Now Their New Company Wants to Do It Again Unlocked: A Jail Experiment Netflix series The California Model Softball team members incarcerated at Vacaville play at San Quentin Nigel’s partner: Rick Peterson’s IGEar Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    50 min
  6. Revisiting “Camp Grace”

    FEB 12

    Revisiting “Camp Grace”

    Next up in our “sleeper hits” series, our editor Amy listens back to “Camp Grace,” a 2021 episode that she had started producing until she was sidelined by COVID. In it, we follow a group of kids to Salinas Valley State Prison to spend two days with their dads, whom they hadn’t seen in years. Through music, crafts, and games, the idea behind Camp Grace is to put aside prison personas and reconnect with fatherhood. But relationships strained by incarceration can be hard to fix. Big thanks to the team at The Place 4 Grace: Karen, Jenny, Candace, Sandra, and Maria. We also want to thank campers Alex, Geneva, Andrew, Angel, Gigi, Eli, and Christian, and their dads, Jose, Peter, Frankie, Gilbert, Gabriel, and Ramon, as well as Angelica and Theresa, for talking with us. Thanks also to Alma, Jen, Adriana, Officer Muros, Officer Guevara, and Warden Atchley at Salinas Valley State Prison. This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams and Rhashiyd Zinnamon. 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.

    1h 15m
  7. From the Vault: Crew No. 7

    JAN 17

    From the Vault: Crew No. 7

    California relies on incarcerated firefighters to fight fires like the ones that have engulfed Southern California this month. But once these men and women are released from prison, they can have a hard time finding jobs on civilian firefighting crews. Back in 2020, Nigel and Earlonne spent time at a Ventura fire camp designed to help bridge that gap. In light of the recent fires, we’re sharing this episode again. Thanks to Bay Salmeron, Andrew Morales, Levi Rosier, Barrett Brown, and Eric Kesselmark for sharing their stories. Thanks also to Michelle Garcia, Jeremy Brandt, and Michael Salas at the Ventura Training Center. You can donate to Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s fund for incarcerated firefighters here, and listen to the Fire Escape podcast here.   This episode was scored with music by Antwan Williams and David Jassy.  Big thanks to Acting 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 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.

    45 min
  8. EH+ Where’s Lonnie Now?

    JAN 15 • EAR HUSTLE + ONLY

    EH+ Where’s Lonnie Now?

    Lonnie Morris spent 44 years in prison, where he created the violence prevention group No More Tears. Lonnie also became a fixture on Ear Hustle, stepping in as resident expert and the guy most likely to interrupt – aka “Lonnie” – an EH interview. He paroled in 2021. Rahsaan sits down with Lonnie to see what he’s up to out in the free world.Mentioned in this episode: Episode 9: Gold Coats and OGs Episode 7: Unwritten Episode 35: Chicken on the Bone Episode 92: Articles of Hustle No More Tears violence prevention groupEar Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX.

    42 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.9
out of 5
20,154 Ratings

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 - 2025
  • Episodes
    177
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Ear Hustle
  • Provider
    PRX

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