The Idea of...

Bassey Ikpi and Mike Andrews
  • 4.8 (19)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Idea of… is a podcast where New York Times Best Selling Author, Bassey Ikpi and Dr. Michael Andrews explore the intersections of Black culture, family, art, and mental health. As children of immigrant parents and xennial creatives, they dive into nuanced conversations about raising sons in competitive soccer, navigating Black identity, and balancing intellect, ratchet joy, and righteousness. Join them as they explore what it means to live, create, and thrive in today’s world with love and authenticity.

  1. 12/28/2025

    The Idea Of... The best of 2025 - Kinda!

    This is our Best of 2025 (kinda) — a wrap-up of the moments and conversations that shaped the pod this year. We talk aging out loud with hip-hop, the Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs debate, Black wealth vs. white wealth, respectability politics, icons who meant everything and got messy, and the political patterns connecting Obama, Trayvon, TikTok, and right now. It’s culture, nuance, and love for Black folks all at once. See you in 2026.

    2h 30m

  2. 12/17/2025

    The Idea of... Diddy Part 2

    Mike and Bassey take a winding, hilarious ride through hip hop memory and modern rap metrics. From Jay-Z verses that feel like short films to the Gen Z re-discovery wave, they debate what makes an MC “undeniable,” why Drake’s legacy feels fumbled, and why Kendrick’s greatness still sparks weird arguments (including a surprisingly intense debate about haircuts and “cool”). Bassey gets mad at Mike, and it's hilarious. Then the convo pivots to the Diddy documentary fallout, 50 Cent’s role in shaping the narrative, and what happens when nuance gets labeled as “support.” They close on holiday life, family dynamics, book recs, party games, and the kind of real talk that only happens when culture, critique, and community collide. See y'all in 2026!

    1h 13m

  3. 12/10/2025

    The Idea Of... Diddy - Part 1

    In this episode of The Idea Of…, Bassey and Mike sit with the tension of being Gen X, being outside in the 90s, and watching the fall of one of the most powerful figures in hip hop culture. This is not a scene-by-scene breakdown of the documentary. It is a conversation about how Diddy became the blueprint for fame as reward, how Bad Boy shaped the way we dressed, partied, and saw black excellence, and how all of that now sits next to stories of violence, manipulation, and sociopathy. They talk parenthood & distance, empty nests and loneliness, mobster energy in the music industry, and what it means when the people who built the soundtrack to your formative years also tainted the memories attached to those songs. From Wendy Williams and Mase to 50 Cent and Trump, Mike and Bassey trace the networks of protection, power, and silence, and ask what we do with nostalgia when we finally know the whole story.

    1h 24m

  4. 12/03/2025

    The Idea Of... Being 70 and Alone

    In this deeply personal solo episode of The Idea Of…, Mike hits record with no notes and lets his mind and heart run. What starts as a reflection on being a verbal processor turns into a full exploration of belonging, isolation, and the complicated ways family, fatherhood, and hurt shape how we show up. Grounded in his lived experience and his research on Black fathers, Mike wrestles with the fear of being “70 and alone,” while admitting he often feels okay being solo in the present. It’s honest, messy, and vulnerable—a mirror for men who are quietly carrying similar questions about love, family, and what it means to belong.

    56 min

  5. 11/26/2025

    The Idea Of... Who Gets Grace

    In this episode of The Idea Of…, Bassy and Mike slide from Thanksgiving travel and college-kid logistics into a deeper conversation about what it means for Black kids — and Black folks in general — to grow up under constant scrutiny. They unpack the difference between having a coach who believes in you versus one who’s waiting to humble you, and reflect on Shédeur Sanders, the college transfer era, and the environments that either let you play free or keep you small. Their sons’ soccer journeys become a lens for understanding how belief, confidence, and grace shape us far beyond the field. From there, the conversation widens into culture: the quarter-zip phenomenon, TikTok’s obsession with All Her Fault, the legacy of Eddie Murphy, and the messy truth of separating the art from the artist. They wrestle with how hip hop is aging, why people love to drag Black men with mics, and what it means to hold nuance in a world that rewards hot takes over humanity. It’s an episode about identity, confidence, community, and the rare spaces where Black people can be fully themselves without apology.

    1h 19m

  6. 11/19/2025

    The Idea of... Quarter Zips and Culture Wars

    Mike and Bassey start with a real-time homeowner disaster (a “simple” toilet fix gone wrong), then shift to Ellington’s wild NCAA playoff run—weather delays, snow, and a heartbreak loss that still leaves room for growth. From there they tap into listener comments about Trump and Nigeria, Wale’s new album and lyrical density, Kendrick stans getting Bassey blocked, old tweets and stan culture, and the quarter-zip wave giving Black boys a new, nerdy-fly lane to exist in public. Culture, parenting, hip-hop, and the internet—all in one conversation. 00:00 Homeowner Challenges and Life Updates 02:55 Soccer Playoffs and Emotional Resilience 05:37 Listener Feedback and Cultural Reflections 08:28 Wale's New Album and Hip Hop Dynamics 11:23 Identity and Artistic Expression in Hip Hop 23:01 The Blog Era and Its Impact on Hip-Hop 24:26 Colorism and Industry Dynamics 26:14 The Evolution of Music Consumption 28:43 The Rise of New Artists 30:38 The Influence of Record Labels 31:50 Kendrick Lamar's Fan Culture 35:57 The Nuances of Online Spaces 38:14 The Dangers of Rewriting History 41:22 The Impact of Social Media on Identity 47:54 Generational Differences in Cultural Engagement 52:11 Technical Troubles and Podcasting Challenges 53:30 The Quarter Zip Phenomenon 01:02:10 Cultural Commentary and Youth Trends

    1h 6m

  7. 11/12/2025

    The Idea of... Confidence and Comebacks

    Bassey & Mike open with weather swings and sick-day vibes, then celebrate Ellington’s undefeated run and Catholic University’s conference championship—using that moment to unpack what every parent really wants for their kids: to be considered, valued, and included. From there, they dive into culture: Outkast’s Rock Hall tribute (Tyler, The Creator = perfect; Doja Cat… not so much), André 3000’s honest anxiety, and a sober look at Kanye’s apology—can accountability and mental health coexist with public harm? The episode closes with a parenting riff on how schools can either build or break confidence in Black kids. Plus, a classic “the government cut our internet” technical-difficulty cameo.

    50 min

  8. 11/05/2025

    The Idea Of... Afrocentrism and Authenticity

    What starts as a hilarious midlife check-in about weight gain and vanity turns into one of Bassey & Mike's most grounded and thought-provoking conversations yet. They move from aging and metabolism to the chaos of modern politics, the fragmentation of the left, and how white frameworks of protest and resistance are shaping young Black thinkers. This episode wrestles with what it means to think and act through a Black lens—not in theory, but in practice. From Afrocentrism to authenticity, from fixing instead of burning, Mike and Bassey unpack how culture, history, and honesty should guide our politics, not chaos or performance. It’s sharp, funny, layered, and deeply human. 00:00 – 02:30: Aging, vanity, and midlife weight struggles 02:30 – 06:00: The chaos of modern politics and media manipulation 06:00 – 10:00: MAGA unity vs. liberal fragmentation 10:00 – 18:00: Why moral purity isn’t a political strategy 18:00 – 26:00: Centering Blackness vs. adopting white frameworks of protest 26:00 – 33:00: The loss of Afrocentric thinking and the rise of white political mimicry 33:00 – 41:00: Resistance, church roots, and the disconnect of “new Blackness” 41:00 – 46:00: “Fixing, not burning” — reimagining how we build and repair 46:00 – 54:00: The exhaustion of politics and the need for cultural clarity 54:00 – End: Reflections, humor, and technical chaos

    1h 7m
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Trailer

4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

The Idea of… is a podcast where New York Times Best Selling Author, Bassey Ikpi and Dr. Michael Andrews explore the intersections of Black culture, family, art, and mental health. As children of immigrant parents and xennial creatives, they dive into nuanced conversations about raising sons in competitive soccer, navigating Black identity, and balancing intellect, ratchet joy, and righteousness. Join them as they explore what it means to live, create, and thrive in today’s world with love and authenticity.

Information

  • Creator
    Bassey Ikpi and Mike Andrews
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    53
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Bassey Ikpi and Mike Andrews
  • Show Website
    The Idea of...

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