Black and Snerdy Podcast

Ode and Mo "Kid" Licorish
  • 4.9 (7)
  • Entertainment News
  • Updated Weekly

What happens when pop culture, anime, and mental health awareness collide? You get the Black and Snerdy Podcast. Every Friday, NYC-based hosts Ode and Mo AKA Kid Licorish spend an hour breaking down the latest in film, TV, and music through a cultural lens you won't find anywhere else. Whether we’re reviewing the latest blockbuster in "Watch Out Now," struggling through "Ode's Anime Breakdown," or catching up on our mental health journeys, we’re bringing you raw, funny, and essential conversations. Join the community! Where Snerds of a feather flock together! Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠

  1. 1d ago ·  Bonus

    Bonus: A Cavalcade of the Diaspora with Malcolm McFadden

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcome Malcolm McFadden, the writer and founder behind Six Fifteen Comics and the voice of Yo! A Nerd, into the Black and Snerdy universe for a bonus conversation about building an indie comic book universe from the ground up. Malcolm explains that Six Fifteen Comics is named after the address of his late friend Kevin's house, a creative hub where their circle made music and art. He also describes how his interconnected universe borrows from Valiant Comics, with standalone series that cross over over time. Mo compares that structure to the classic Harvey Comics lineup of Richie Rich, Casper and Little Lulu. Malcolm then breaks down The Legacy, a father-and-son superhero story about powers and memories handed down through generations, and Ode connects it to Dr. Joy DeGruy's work on Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome and the joy and resilience Black families pass down. The conversation moves to Subject Zero, Pinpoint and The Bear, a horror-action crossover with Paige Alfred of Page One Comics that follows up Beer & Bullets and started as a joke about both books featuring bears. Malcolm shares what he looks for in artists, why horror comics depend on the right art, and his brother's advice to borrow Michael Jordan's jump shot and Charles Barkley's rebounding to build a game of his own. In the mental health check-in, Malcolm talks about his excitement for his first Baltimore Comic Con, and the hosts talk about new psychiatrists, medication and being kinder to themselves. Big Mad covers a funeral home mix-up reported on The Breakfast Club, the grand jury decision in the Nolan Wells case, and WWE's chicken-wing "Lemon Pepper Stepper" shirt for Trick Williams. Mo also opens the show with his Liar Trilogy of Earl Sweatshirt lyric shirts and a dream that cast his family as the 300 against Ode's cavalcade of the diaspora. Malcolm McFadden's LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/sixfifteencomics Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  2. 5d ago

    Ep 200: Beat a Dead Horse, Bring It Back to Life

    Black and Snerdy reaches episode 200 and its five-year anniversary as Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) open the archive for a night of clips, questions, and callbacks. They revisit the Episode 50 celebration with Keith, Ben, and Sam, reopen the "good host versus amazing host" debate, and compare their nerves now with how they felt at episode one. Mo debuts a CM Punk AEW soundboard drop, and a throwback to Shannon Sharpe's leaked audio and his "That's My Michelle" shirts leads into a conversation about Michelle Obama, Jonathan Majors' Coretta Scott King comment, and fetishization. Mo also retells the day he and a friend went looking for a shopping mall on the National Mall during the Guitar Hero release, a story that detours through Baltimore, the DMV, and a nap during The Passion of the Christ. The retrospective continues with Black Geek Energy and the Howard University versus Hampton University rivalry, comedian Samson McCormick and Mo's Howard comedy days, and Black Girl Nerds founder Jamie Broadnax on Shonda Rhimes' Year of Yes and knowing her worth. They also relive the Knicks winning the NBA championship and a Beyoncé Cuff It Challenge outtake, and Mo crowns the "Nobody Cares" drop from The Care Bears Movie his most underrated sound. A game of Mind Meld moves through Tyler, the Creator's "Sticky," "Earthquake," and "Cash In Cash Out," then Odd Future, Frank Ocean, and Earl Sweatshirt, before landing on "Super Rich Kids." In We Big Mad, Ode covers the 2026 cases of Black people found hanging from trees, including Demetrius Fleming in Roanoke Rapids and Tasia Fortune in Jackson, Mississippi, along with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund's call for independent oversight. Mo takes on DoorDash and Uber Eats rating requests, and the episode closes with "Goo Punch" from Nickelodeon's My Brother and Me, new merch, and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Steel Ball Run. Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  3. Sep 29 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: Dudes With Hard Ons Do Not Understand Self Preservation with Yusuf In The Building

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcome Yusuf In The BUILDING of the Relationship Status Podcast for a bonus crossover episode covering podcasting, dating culture, and a deep rewatch of a 1990s Black cinema classic. Yusuf shares the origin of his seven-year-old show, launched in 2019 with co-founder CL after an earlier coaching podcast attempt, and traces its breakout moment back to a viral clip involving Cocktails with Kiki and Medina and a discussion about "flying somebody out." The conversation moves into a pointed critique of Tinder, OkCupid, and Plenty of Fish as subscription-driven businesses rather than matchmaking tools, along with the generational shift from Facebook to Instagram to TikTok and its effect on how younger daters learn relationship habits. Yusuf also recounts a personal story about flying to meet a woman he had only FaceTimed, illustrating his argument that physical attraction cannot be judged through a screen. The back half of the episode is dedicated to A Thin Line Between Love and Hate, the 1996 film starring Martin Lawrence and Lynn Whitfield, with debate over whether Darnell or Regina King's character functions as the true protagonist, Lynn Whitfield's calculated pettiness as Brandy, and Regina King's Air Force training informing her response to an onscreen hostage situation. The group also touches on Bobby Brown and Tracy Morgan's supporting performances before landing on a 3.5-out-of-5 consensus rating. The episode closes with Ode recounting an underwhelming Marlon Wayans stand-up set built around jokes about his feud with 50 Cent, and Mo discussing the anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure ahead of its Steel Ball Run arc premiering September 25th, alongside Yusuf's Patreon and an upcoming Singles Game Night event on October 25th. Social Media: @Relstatpodcast Website: Relationshipstatuspodcast.com Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  4. Sep 25 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: This Is Stupid, But I'm Going to Do It with Casey Muze

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcome author, speaker, and Brace No More founder Casey Muze for a bonus conversation built around a phrase Casey Muze repeats after being told a music therapy idea was "stupid": this is stupid, but I'm going to do it. Casey Muze traces a path from a depressive episode in a Dallas, Texas apartment through discovering box breathing and the drum rudiment known as a paradiddle, to founding the community nonprofit Star Avenue Co in Nacogdoches, Texas, and later being co-signed by a California-based organization called Trap. Casey Muze also details the structure of the book Cadence and Clarity and explains Avenue Speak, a music therapy program built for neurodivergent, special needs, and dementia care populations, including partnerships with Alzheimer's alliances and associations. Ode and Mo press Casey Muze on the difference between resilience and endurance, and on outdated mental health ideas that prioritize diagnosis over symptoms instead of treating the whole person. The cultural lens portion of the interview turns to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with Casey Muze using Splinter's kidnapping by the Foot Clan and the near-death of Raphael in the film versus Leonardo in the comics to talk through boundaries and bouncing back from hardship. Casey Muze also breaks down turning an overwhelming dream into a written goal, advice Mo connects to his own early stand-up comedy attempts in Washington, D.C. The Mental Health Check-In includes Ode discussing travel exhaustion and Mo discussing an ongoing period of mania and new access to medication, alongside a lighter debate over anime-themed glasses versus a One Piece Halloween costume of Dracule Mihawk. A DMX tribute opens the We're Big Mad segment, where Casey Muze addresses assumptions about drum circles, before the episode closes with Freakazoid's return to Tubi, a nod to Animaniacs, Pinky and the Brain, Road Rovers, Waynehead, and Histeria!. Find Casey's Work at BraceNoMore.info Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  5. Sep 22 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: Start a Blog, Start a Blog, Start a Blog with Terrance Pryor

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcome rock journalist and MP3s and NPCs founder Terrance Pryor for a conversation that traces his path from a college radio host at UCCR through booking tours and writing for NJ Underground and Examiner, all the way to launching his own outlet in June 2019 after years of frustration with industry access. Terrance recounts publicly calling out Metal Sucks and Metal Injection over how the metal press treats Black writers, and he describes being passed over for credentials in favor of comedians and Twitch streamers with large followings despite two decades of experience. He connects that fight to Cheryl Lee Ralph's Emmys red carpet remark about building a table when none is offered, the same instinct that led MP3s and NPCs to eventual distribution through Microsoft Start and Apple News. The conversation moves through fandom territory covering Bocchi the Rock, The Devil Is a Part-Timer, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Samurai Pizza Cats, alongside newer game favorites like Vampire Survivors and Fear & Hunger, plus a detour into Slipknot's real-life Burger King collaboration from his time on AXS TV's Music's Greatest Mysteries. Terrance closes with direct advice for anyone breaking into journalism: start a blog, own the platform instead of renting space on TikTok or Instagram, and treat BET's recent deletion of its journalism archive as a warning about what happens when writing lives on someone else's server. Mo shares an update on new medication and describes the adjustment period using a Goldilocks analogy, while Odie discusses recently connecting with a psychiatrist ahead of upcoming talk therapy. The big mad segment covers Terrance's exhaustion after PAX West travel, Mo's frustration with YouTube's repeated interface changes and his past experience working for the MTA, and Odie's breakdown of designer Telfar's 9/11-themed shirt and the backlash to its accompanying Instagram caption. The episode ends on lighter ground with Terrance's love of LA's improv scene at UCB and The Pack Theater, Odie's upcoming trip home to North Carolina, and Mo's seasonal apartment cleaning ahead of Halloween. Terrance Pryor's Website: terrancepryor.com Instagram: instagram.com/terrancepryor mp3sandnpcs.com Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  6. Sep 18 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: Seeing Great Friends Be Great Friends with Cleo and Callie of Melanin Muses Podcast

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcomed Cleo and Callie of the Melanin Muses Podcast for a bonus episode built around Hamilton trivia, anime, and mental health advocacy. The conversation traced how Melanin Muses began during the pandemic, moved through the meaning behind the podcast's name via Disney's Hercules, and dug into how algorithm bias against Black-branded content shaped their marketing decisions. Cleo and Callie used Fruits Basket's Tohru Honda to illustrate self-neglect, referenced Naruto's Sasuke and Fullmetal Alchemist while discussing community building, and pointed to Avatar: The Last Airbender's Zuko as an example of using pop culture to spark connection. Callie, a clinical therapist, grounded the discussion in practical guidance for creators, including warnings about parasocial relationships and the permanence of internet content. The Mental Health Check-In featured Kendrick Lamar's "United in Grief" as a reference point for Mo's disclosure of living with bipolar II and a prolonged manic episode, alongside Ode's discussion of unmedicated ADHD and PMDD and Cleo's reflections on upcoming travel to Japan and Korea. The Big Mad segment covered postpartum depression awareness, the loss of public figures including Tim Curry and Dolly Parton, and the arrest of Milo Yiannopoulos by ICE, closing with a critique of science fiction's robot-as-oppressed-minority allegory. The episode ended on Making Us Happy, featuring the Love and Deep Space character Valko, a karaoke callback to Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century's "Supernova Girl," and mentions of the Melanin Muses Fruits Basket episode. You can find Melanin Muses Linktree here: https://linktr.ee/melaninmusespodcast Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠

  7. Sep 11 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: We'll Ray Charles It with Mark Robinson

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) sit down with advertising veteran and author Mark Robinson to discuss his book Pitch Black: The Best Black Ads of the Past Fifty Plus Years. Robinson explains how he assembled a panel of Black creative directors, each assigned a specific decade, to select the ads that shaped the book rather than choosing them himself. The conversation traces a three-decade evolution in Black consumer advertising, from 1950s ad-buy inclusion that funded publications like Ebony and Jet, through 1960s representation demands, into the 1970s Black pride movement that gave rise to Black-owned agencies such as Procter and Gardner. Robinson also shares his hopes for the book's future, including an exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture and a possible PBS documentary, and mentions that historian Henry Louis Gates has read and supported the project. The trivia round covers Pepsi-Cola's 1940 Negro Markets Department, the surprising role of Black-owned VJ Records in bringing the Beatles' music to America ahead of Capitol Records, Coca-Cola's "Hilltop" commercial and its songwriter Roquel "Billy" Davis, and the real woman behind Aunt Jemima, Nancy Green. That trivia leads into a broader discussion of how platforms like Disney Plus handle older, racially outdated content such as Song of the South and Aristocats. They also run a Star Trek-themed matchup covering Benjamin Sisko, Michael Burnham, Nyota Uhura, Guinan, Geordi La Forge, B'Elanna Torres, Worf, and Tuvok, weighing each character's place in the franchise's history of representation. The episode closes with a candid Big Mad segment touching on ICE and immigration coverage, before Robinson points people toward his book and his website, markrobinson-writing.com. Connect with the Snerdy CrewWatch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠⁠⁠⁠

  8. Sep 8 ·  Bonus

    Bonus: We Need More Black Male Booty in Film with Marck Angel

    Ode (@thatsod.e / @thatsod_e) and Mo "Kid" Licorish (@licorishislegit) welcome filmmaker and musical artist Marck Angel to discuss the making of his film Seraphim: The Motion Picture, tracing its origins back to the Trayvon Martin verdict and his 2019 album Angel Dust. Marck Angel walks through the film's COVID-disrupted production, the diverse cast and crew he assembled, and the specific influences behind his lead performance, citing the Nina character from Love Jones and Dow Stevens' role on Noah's Ark. He also details the musical lineage behind the Seraphim soundtrack, naming Janet Jackson's Reformation, Michael Jackson's Bad and Moonwalker, Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, Prince's Purple Rain and Sign o' the Times, and Beyoncé's Break My Soul and Lemonade as touchstones, alongside his father's early introduction to Alvin Ailey's choreography. The conversation moves into a mental health check-in where Mo "Kid" Licorish speaks about living with bipolar II disorder and Marck Angel discusses the exhaustion of a four-year independent film process. A news segment follows in which Marck Angel raises the case of Nolan Wells and the absence of Black-led queer films at the Toronto International Film Festival, while Ode covers the death of former Cambridge professor Jason Arday amid plagiarism accusations, a lost publishing deal for Southern Methodist University student Jerry Falade, and ongoing disaster recovery in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Cuba. The episode closes with a tribute to actress Hayden Panettiere and her past work on Remember the Titans, Bring It On, and Heroes, along with details on where to stream Seraphim: The Motion Picture on Deku through Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime.

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

What happens when pop culture, anime, and mental health awareness collide? You get the Black and Snerdy Podcast. Every Friday, NYC-based hosts Ode and Mo AKA Kid Licorish spend an hour breaking down the latest in film, TV, and music through a cultural lens you won't find anywhere else. Whether we’re reviewing the latest blockbuster in "Watch Out Now," struggling through "Ode's Anime Breakdown," or catching up on our mental health journeys, we’re bringing you raw, funny, and essential conversations. Join the community! Where Snerds of a feather flock together! Connect with the Snerdy Crew: Watch, Listen, or Sponsor the show: https://beacons.ai/blackandsnerdy⁠

Information

  • Creator
    Ode and Mo "Kid" Licorish
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    263
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Ode and Mo "Kid" Licorish
  • Show Website
    Black and Snerdy Podcast

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