Harlem Queen

About Harlem Queen

Harlem Queen is an award-winning Black historical fiction audio drama based on the true story of Madame Stephanie St. Clair, the bold, brilliant "Numbers Queen" who built a Harlem empire during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Written, produced, and directed by Yhane Washington Smith, an A'Leila Bundles Scholar at Columbia University, this five-season series brings Madame St. Clair's world to vivid life through original music, meticulous sound design, and a full cast of characters. Jazzy, glamorous, and unflinching about what it meant to be a Black woman in America in the 1920s. As featured on ABC's primetime documentary The Story of Soaps. History this rich deserves to be heard. You can follow on Instagram: @Yhane.Writes, our web site: YhaneWashingtonSmith.com, email: HarlemQueenAudioDrama@gmail.com. or our newsletter: https://harlemqueen.substack.com/ Thank you for listening!

Publisher

Yhane Washington Smith

Category

fiction · history

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

10 Feb 2019

Latest episode

9 Dec 2025

Latest episodes

20 of 45 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   9 Dec 2025

   S5 Ep4 - Final Series Episode

   In this final episode of the series, Stephanie makes her return and even convinces Anita not to give up her territory. Dutch Schultz is finally shot dead. Michelle comes to a conclusion, which sets us up for our spin-off series, "Crown Beauty". This episodes features: Gabrielle Adkins Isabelle Kerby-McGowan Nina Smith Ian Bell Jimmy Mehiel Denese Longsworth Karen Chmielnicki Sound designed by Colin Thomas Original theme music by Jason Moran Produced, written and directed by Yhane Washington Smith What's next for "Harlem Queen" read my short and sweet newsletter and find out: https://harlemqueen.substack.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2. 

   11 Nov 2025TRANSCRIPT

   S5 EP3 - Policy Banking 101

   Anita breaks down policy banking to Michelle. The episode features: Isabelle Kerby-McGowan Nina Smith Marie-Francoise Theodore Gabrielle Adkins Sound Designed by Collin Thomas Original Theme Music created by Jason Moran Produced, written, directed and edited by Yhane Washington Smith This is our final season of "Harlem Queen" the audio drama. What happens next? A play? A movie? A spinoff? Read all about it in my newsletter harlemqueen.substack.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

3. 

   28 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Crime Adjacent - Tommy

   Tommy Coulet left home at 9 p.m. on Dec. 23, 1995 and would never return. His body was discovered the next morning in a known lovers’ lane spot on the western edge of Ridgewood just off Interstate 80. Investigators wouldn’t know it at the time, but Tommy Coulet would be the first known victim of the most prolific serial killer in American history. This is the story of how it all began. Crime Adjacent is the never-ending true crime story told weekly. New episodes every Wednesday. Find behind the scenes details or join our true crime and criminal profiling reading group at our Patreon page -- http://www.patreon.com/crimeadjacent -- hope to see you there! Crime Adjacent is produced & edited by Multitude. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Inside a recent episode

S5 EP3 - Policy Banking 101

Published 11 Nov 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] No, I'm certain we have not paid that much on a mixed up number. Good. I know times are hard, but I was expecting at least $3 ,000 a week. How many runners do you have? 35. Each runner has at least 20 clients to make it worth the work they have to do. If each client plays 50 cent a day, that's $10 a day for the runner. $70 a week for 35 runners, that's $2 ,450. That's $10 a day each runner. $70 a week times 35 runners. That's 200 a week that you have to pay out. And that's if no one hits. You had it that fast. It's my job princess. Not the 3 ,000 a week I was expecting. I gave low estimates. Each of your runners probably have more than just 20 clients. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

149 ratings

Spotify

4.6 / 5

48 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

51

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

95

Contact Harlem Queen

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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