Continue reading BOLI

BOLI

Amadou Diallo’s name became synonymous with “41 shots”.
He was killed in 1999 by four NYPD officers, who fired at him 41 times inside the doorway of his Bronx apartment building. The incident etched his name into public memory through explosive news coverage.
But beyond the headlines, who was Amadou Diallo?
In “Boli”, we dive into Amadou’s life – from his dreams to his time in New York. We hear from neighbors and friends who go down memory lane to tell us his side of the story.
Join us as we go beyond “41 shots” to learn more about Amadou Diallo.

By Serena Balani and Neha Sati

Listen to episode → BOLI
Continue reading This Is A Fuckin’ Business

This Is A Fuckin’ Business

In 1999, when Yasiin Bey (then-known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli hear about the killing of Amadou Diallo, they know they have to respond.

A year later, they release Hip Hop for Respect. The EP features 41 rappers, and it gets released when much of New York City is enraged after the four cops who shot Amadou are acquitted.

24 years later, Khadija Alam and Rachel Kahn ask: Why has no one heard Hip Hop for Respect? And does it still matter?

Listen to episode → This Is A Fuckin’ Business
Continue reading The Mural

The Mural

Two years after Amadou was killed, a local artist named Hulbert Waldroup was commissioned to create a mural honoring him on the street where he lived in the Bronx. But that’s not the mural you’ll see if you drive by today.

In this episode, Sara Braun and Dani Morera Trettin uncover the story behind the original mural, its controversial unveiling, and why eventually, a new mural replaced it 16 years later.

Listen to episode → The Mural