CUERATED is a podcast rooted in music and tuned to culture. Hosted by Carlos Esqueda, each episode explores the intersection of sound, style, identity, and storytelling through conversations with artists, musicians, creatives, and cultural voices shaping what's next. In a world driven by trends, algorithms, and constant noise, CUERATED takes a slower approach—focusing on thoughtful dialogue, creative process, and the stories behind the work.
Come for the music, stay for the culture.
The people in the photos for marathon week are not the people crossing the finish line. That’s the tension this whole episode sits in.
The average NYC Marathon finisher takes about four and a half hours, trained for months around a real job, and probably won’t be cast in a single campaign. Meanwhile there are dozens of pop-ups, brand capsules, run clubs and shakeouts happening around the race, and from what I’ve seen the faces they put forward look a lot more like a fitness ad than the field.
On CUERATED, Carlos breaks down how hard it actually is to get on that start line, from the roughly one percent drawing to 9+1 to charity entry. Then he looks at who actually runs the race, and what the week around it looks like next to that. He gives credit where it’s earned (STŌA, Tracksmith, Salomon’s photo show on the Bowery) and gets honest about run club culture, sponsorship, and who ends up in the frame.
It’s not a hate episode. It’s about the gap between the marathon and the marketing around it, and what an open version of marathon week could look like.
You’ll leave knowing how to get into the marathon, who brands are really talking to, and what to look for in the photos next time.
18 Oct 2026
Why the music in GTA 6 is as anticipated as the game itself
when’s the last time you found a new song on the radio? exactly. the only place radio still works is inside a video game, and in a month it’s getting bad bunny, lana del rey, morgan wallen and two guys from slayer.
gta 6 is the most anticipated game ever made, but the music might be hyped even harder. on this week’s CUERATED, Carlos breaks down why. you spend most of your hours in gta driving, so the radio is the game. every gta is also a time capsule, and the question this time is what rockstar thinks 2026 sounds like.
we get into who rockstar actually is and why their music industry roots matter, how licensing quietly erased songs from the old games, and why rockstar stopped renting and released gta vi: the album with 34 original songs. then the station lineup, the lana del rey and morgan wallen co-host drama, and why a gta placement now beats a chart topper.
your phone has every song ever made and somehow nobody discovers anything. this one is about why a dial someone else picks might be exactly what people want.
you’ll walk away understanding why the soundtrack is the real event, and probably with a few new artists to look up.
13 Oct 2026
Do you like it or just like being the one who knows?
You spent $1,500 on a jacket nobody recognizes and somehow you’re the best dressed person in the room. Weird flex, but it works.
Hypebeast culture didn’t die, it got a rebrand. The logos got smaller, the references got more obscure, and the guest lists got tighter. On this episode of CUERATED, Carlos breaks down why archival fashion feels like a secret handshake, what the “ball hog” aesthetic says about status, and why some people want their favorite artist to blow up just enough to prove they were right.
We get into gatekeeping in music and fashion, the difference between loving a culture and wanting to own it, and what happens when TikTok turns a whole scene into a 20 second aesthetic. Then it gets personal. Private members’ clubs like Soho House sell access itself, creative circles run on who knows who, and social media makes us pick things based on how they’ll look to other people.
So here’s the question: would you still wear it, listen to it, or go if nobody knew and you couldn’t post it?
You’ll leave with a better sense of what’s actually your taste and what’s just you chasing the next thing that makes you feel ahead.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
10,932
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
3.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 58 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
66
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
51
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