Jamila Woods is a singer, songwriter, and poet from Chicago. She’s released two albums, and she’s collaborated with artists like Chance the Rapper, Noname, and Macklemore. In May 2019, she put out her second album, LEGACY! LEGACY!, to critical acclaim. NME called it one of the albums of the year, Rolling Stone called it a “revelation,” and Pitchfork named it “Best New Music.” In this episode, Jamila and her producer Slot-A break down a song from that album, called “Baldwin,” named after the late author and civil rights activist James Baldwin. You can buy or stream “BALDWIN” here. Check out the album LEGACY! LEGACY! on vinyl here. For a transcript of this episode, click here. Illustration by Carlos Lerma.

footnotes “A Letter To My Nephew” by James Baldwin Young Chicago Authors “I’m So Into You” – SWV Rhodes piano Akai MPC Moog synthesizer Chicago Children’s Choir Nico Segal – horns