When Black women link up, the magic happens. And Scottie Beam and Sylvia Obell are proof. The best friend duo debuted their “Okay, Now Listen” podcast on Netflix’s Strong Black Lead in 2020, delivering raw conversations ranging from dealing with the stages of heartbreak to bouncing back from career failures. Plus, guests included the likes of Zendaya, Nia Long, Damson Idris, and more.

This week, Issa Rae’s audio-everywhere company Raedio announced that it has joined forces with award-winning podcast duo, The Read, to bring a historic, first-of-its-kind record deal to life for an upcoming original comedy album. Shadow and Act confirmed the news with the company, which revealed plans to release the new full-length project — executive produced by Raedio president Benoni Tagoe, Rae, The Read’s (Kid Fury and Crissle) and talent manager Alexandra Rago — featuring both commentary on historic pop culture moments from The Read along with original music from today’s most prolific artists. For nearly a decade, entertainment and podcast personalities Kid Fury and Crissle, formally and jointly known as The Read, have amassed a huge following of listeners and supporters through their unfiltered opinions that have taken the industry by storm. As one of the more prominent players amid the podcast era, The Read has made a huge impact in the way that audiences consume and resonate...