GOOD People is where creativity, culture, and conversation collide. Hosted by designer and creative director Kojo Boateng, this podcast goes beyond the polished surface to explore the raw, unfiltered journeys of the world’s most compelling creatives. From designers and artists to musicians and cultural disruptors, GOOD People dives deep into the work, the struggle, and the big ideas shaping our world. Expect bold questions, honest stories, and the kind of insight that makes you see creativity—and the people behind it—in a whole new way.
Nick Makoha is an award-winning Ugandan poet, playwright, and founder of the Obsidian Foundation, whose work has been redefining contemporary Black writing for years. He fled Uganda as a child during the political crisis of the 1970s — a history that runs like an electrical current through everything he writes.
In this episode, he talks about his new collection, The New Carthaginians — a genre-bending exploration of myth, migration, and the political rupture that shaped his childhood. We dig into time loops, Black Icarus, Basquiat, and the power of rewriting the stories we inherit.
You can learn more about Nick Makoha on his website at nickmakoha.com (https://nickmakoha.com/) or by following him on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/nick.makoha/?hl=en) or facebook (https://www.facebook.com/nick.makoha/)
10 Nov 2025
The Making of Remi Rough
Remi Rough is a London-born artist known for transforming graffiti’s raw energy into bold, geometric abstraction. Emerging from the South London graffiti scene in the 1980s, he has spent more than three decades pioneering a visual language that blends modernist precision with street culture rhythm.
Rough has collaborated, and been in group shows with artists including Futura, Shepard Fairey Eric Haze Crash, Shok1, MadC, Carlos Mare, JonOne and Stormie Mills.
In 1999, he painted three murals with Banksy, including the mural titled Dogma
A key figure in the Ikonoklast Movement and a contributor to its definitive monograph Future Language of the Ikonoklast, Remi’s work spans murals, canvases, public installations, and sound. He is also one half of the experimental music duo Dead Can Rap with American rap artist Mike Ladd, extending his creative expression into rhythm and spoken word. Remi’s art has appeared in cities worldwide and continues to push the boundaries of contemporary urban creativity.
You can learn more about Remi Rough by following him @remirough (https://www.instagram.com/remirough/?hl=en) at http://remirough.com (http://remirough.com), and follow his music on bandcamp with The Dead Can Rap https://thedeadcanrap.bandcamp.com/music (https://thedeadcanrap.bandcamp.com/music)
18 Sept 2025
Jen White-Johnson on Zine Making and Collective Liberation
Jen White-Johnson is an Afro-Latina, disabled, and neurodivergent artist, designer, and educator whose work merges art and activism. Based in Baltimore, she creates zines, photographs, and digital art that celebrate Black disabled joy and challenge systems of erasure. Her Black Disabled Lives Matter symbol has become an international icon of protest and solidarity, and her photo-zine Knox Roxs documents the life of her son while amplifying Black neurodivergent voices.
In this episode we talk about how she navigated her own autism diagnosis and how she uses photography, design and zine making as a pathway to collective liberation in troubled times.
You can learn more about Jen White-Johnson by following her on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/jtknoxroxs/?hl=en) or visiting her website https://jenwhitejohnson.com/ (https://jenwhitejohnson.com/ )
Or theme music is produce by Soliheen, you can support his music at https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/
30 Aug 2025
Julian Alexander Speaks With His Hands
Julian Alexander has shaped how we see Black culture. Through music, design, and public art. From GRAMMY®-winning album packaging for Miles Davis to logos and covers for Jennifer Lopez, Eminem, and 50 Cent, his work has reached millions worldwide.
In this episode, we talk about his creative journey, and The Supremacy Project—a powerful public art initiative launched during the pandemic that challenges us to rethink power, equity, and shared values.
You can learn more about Julian Alexander and his workby visiting his websites at https://slanginc.com/ (https://slanginc.com/) and https://supremacyproject.com/https://supremacyproject.com/ (https://supremacyproject.com/) and on by following him on instagram (https://www.instagram.com/slanginc/)
Our theme music is produced by Soliheen and sets the perfect tone for these conversations. Follow him on Bandcamp (https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/)
12 Aug 2025
Neurology of Power
Suzanne Alleyne is cultural thinker, creative strategist, artist, and founder of Alleyne&, a consultancy and research incubator at the intersection of neuroscience, culture, and equity. Suzanne’s groundbreaking research, Neurology of Power™, explores how power shapes our relationships, institutions, and futures. She joins Good People to talk about her journey from the arts to research, what she’s learned from communities across the world, and how conversation itself can be a tool for change. This is a deep, human conversation about leadership, responsibility, and reimagining power for a more just future.
Learn more about Suzanne Alleyne and Neurology of Power™
https://alleyneand.com/
Instagram: @alleyneand (https://www.instagram.com/alleyneand/?hl=en)
Theme Music: 'Gravity' by Soliheen
https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/
29 Jul 2025
Shaping the Next Generation of Designers
Amit Patel is founder and creative director of Experience Haus, a London-based design school committed to providing affordable, industry-relevant education in design, technology, and innovation. Amit’s journey began in Canada and led him through the worlds of banking and construction before he found his true calling in design education. He joins us to discuss his early career, what motivates him, and how his team at Experience Haus has supported over 2,500 students step into, and grow within the creative industry.
You can learn more about or follow Amit on Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitpateluk/) or visit https://experiencehaus.com/ (https://experiencehaus.com/) to learn about their courses.
If you like this episode please like, comment, subscribe or share it with a friend.
4 Apr 2025
Culture Without Compromise with Harris Elliott
For our debut episode Kojo talks to Harris Elliott the multi-talented creative director, cultural curator, and stylist based in London. Harris has spent over two decades crafting powerful narratives across fashion, music, and art. His work spans continents—collaborating with brands like Thom Browne, Nike, Adidas, and Paul Smith, and artists like Gorillaz, Pharrell Williams, and Kasabian. Harris co-curated the exhibitions, The Return of the Rudeboy and more recentlyThe Missing Thread, which made waves at Somerset House in 2023, celebrated the impact of Black British music and fashion on UK culture.
Learn more about Harris Elliott
Online:
https://harriselliott.com/
https://letings.co/
Instagram:
@harriselliottstudio
@letings_
Our theme music is produced by Soliheen.
Listen and buy his music at https://soliheen.bandcamp.com/
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