Cincinnati Public Radio is joining forces with local musician Michael “Deuces II” Cunningham to create “The Art Of…” It’s a new documentary-style podcast highlighting a range of local creatives and their respective processes.
Since starting music at the age of 13, Cunningham has written, performed and produced everything from rap to hip hop to a theme song for a Safeguard soap campaign. He compares his style to that of rapper and singer-songwriter Kendrick Lamar.
Jenell Walton, vice president of content for CPR, didn’t know Cunningham before looking to create an arts and culture podcast. Cincinnati Public Radio operates three stations – 91.7 WVXU, 88.5 WMUB and 90.9 WGUC.
One of the nonprofit media network’s board members, Tripp Eldredge, reached out to Walton and suggested Cunningham as a possible host, she said.
Walton, a former TV reporter, described Cunningham as a gifted storyteller.
“When I met Deuces for the first time, I could see how much he appreciated and respected and wanted to share the work of under-recognized talent in the community,” she said. “I also knew he could connect with the audiences we’re trying to reach through his singing and rapping abilities.”
‘More than just a podcast’
The three-part series of “The Art Of…” will feature an 8-minute short documentary video, a longer-form audio podcast and an original song written by Cunningham. The audio will be available through traditional podcast platforms, while the video component will be available on CPR station websites and the organization’s YouTube channel.
Cunningham described the show as “more than just a podcast.”
“It’s more than just visuals and music,” he added. “It’s a multi-dimensional experience. Exposing creativity through different outlets and languages.”
The pilot episode is available now. Viewers and listeners can get a sense of “The Art Of…” and its mission to share stories of Cincinnati area creators, including musicians, authors, visual artists, changemakers and more.
Episode 2 features culture curator Lex Nycole. For the third episode, Cunningham talks to Jay Banks, owner of The Native Brand. Both episodes will debut on the big screen during an event at Esquire Theatre in Clifton’s Gaslight District.
These episodes will also drop on all the websites mentioned above and podcast platforms on the evening of Feb. 15.
“I’m excited for the community to get to know [Cunningham] and the artists he interviews,” Walton said.
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