The Whitney Reynolds Show

The Whitney Reynolds Show (WRS) is an American talk show hosted by Whitney Reynolds that airs on Public Broadcast Stations and Amazon Prime. An independently owned show since its creation in 2011, after ten seasons, it landed a distribution deal for national syndication. The show made its national debut on PBS in January 2021 as a half-hour program.Coughlin, Lauren (December 9, 2020). "Chicago Talk Show Host Whitney Reynolds Lands National Syndication Deal, Bringing the Stories of Extraordinary Chicagoans to a Wider Audience in 2021". Better Magazine. In the third episode of season six, which aired on October 30, 2023, she interviewed American rapper Lupe Fiasco."WRS | Living Past Your Expiration". PBS. October 30, 2023.
== Description ==
This episode empowers and inspires viewers to break free from the limitations often placed on them and live life to the fullest. From acclaimed rapper Lupe Fiasco switching paths to teaching rap theory at MIT, to a man who defied all odds after being diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. Plus 103-year-old Sister Jean shares her wisdom and what it is like to live past "her expiration."
== Transcript ==
TRANSCRIPT 	TRANSCRIPT
Whitney Reynolds 	Why is it online that people said you were retiring from rapping?
Lupe Fiasco 	'Cause I said once I was gonna retire, but, you know, the news cycles are very slow and they're disparate. So it might have got published over here and not over here, and then it published over here.
Whitney Reynolds 	But you're not.
Lupe Fiasco 	I am eventually. I'll be forced to, but that's like 40, 50 years from now.
He's known as a rapper, but he is extending his career to so much more. We caught up with Lupe Fiasco after watching him wrap a different type of performance on stage, yet still with a mic. He was a keynote speaker at NeoCon's event of the year for the commercial design industry.	He's known as a rapper, but he is extending his career to so much more. We caught up with Lupe Fiasco after watching him wrap a different type of performance on stage, yet still with a mic. He was a keynote speaker at NeoCon's event of the year for the commercial design industry.
Whitney Reynolds 	You pivoted in so many different ways. Would you still say first you're a rapper?
Lupe Fiasco 	I'm definitely a rapper first. Like I put that on my social media tags, rapper, first. My jacket at MIT has 'rapper' on it. If you ask what I do as a sport, I'm rapping. And I think that's there's nothing to be ashamed about that or feel a certain, especially at this point, like, you know. 50 years, where we are, what we've done, the spaces that we're in, the things that we've contributed, the things we've innovated, expanded on, across all forms, from technology to architecture to other spaces and places.
Whitney Reynolds 	Are you still creating music?
Lupe Fiasco 	Absolutely, yeah. I think the core, again, it all feeds back into the music. You know, how can I improve this? But then how can I challenge myself to think outside the musical box? You know, and what does that look like? You know, what does it look like for a rapper to now design a space? You know, what does it look like for rappers to design a pair of shoes? What does it look like for a rapper to design a bottle? What does it look like for a rapper to design a camera? And what are the needs or the things that need to kind of, that aren't existing in pre-existing kind of technology. Even music technology, which isn't based on, like, 'well we're gonna make this for rappers, we're gonna make a guitar for rappers.' You know, nobody thinks about that, right, but what if you had to, right.
Whitney Reynolds 	That's one thing that's really interesting about you, is you're very, like, even from your lyrics, thought-provoking, and now you've taken it to this next realm. What would you say is probably the biggest inspiration that is pushing you forward?
Lupe Fiasco 	Just knowledge. You know, if you just have to personify knowledge or objectify knowledge into a singular thing, like, it's always the pursuit of that. Wanting to know more, you know, wanting to experience as much of this world and what it has to offer while you still have breath and life in your body is always my drive, you know. So as much as I can, you know, take advantage of the opportunities that are given to me, no matter what they are, you know, like no matter what it is, so if it's NeoCon, yep, I'm coming, right.
Whitney Reynolds 	I'm coming.
Lupe Fiasco 	If it's MIT, yep, I'm coming.
Whitney Reynolds 	Yeah, so you're saying a lot of yeses.
Lupe Fiasco 	But my story's a little bit different, maybe too deep to get into here now, but I have the talent and the work ethic to push through and I got my record deal while I was kind of still in high school.
Whitney Reynolds 	Which is crazy.
Lupe Fiasco 	So it of it kind of proved myself right off the bat. But there was that motivation of like, there is no back, you know. And when there's no back, there's only forward.
Whitney Reynolds 	Right, and forward, you have Yale and MIT, what's next?
Lupe Fiasco 	So for me, it's less about what's next. And it's still about like what I've done, which is SOSA, which is now. I mean for me these things are all about bringing that stuff back to SOSA, Society of Spoken Art, which is my institution and my baby.
From 12 Grammy nominations to teaching rap theory at MIT, Lupe is an example of an artist extending his titles and one that keeps going. 	From 12 Grammy nominations to teaching rap theory at MIT, Lupe is an example of an artist extending his titles and one that keeps going.
Lupe Fiasco 	We call it the rapper mind. Right, that ability to think, to be fast on the feet. But that's not necessary to be quick. But just to be able to look at the world from a total perspective, an universal perspective, and pick up on all the little nuances and details. And then being able to incorporate all that stuff back into a universal thing. To help, to add value, right. So it's not just to be this artistic expression for the sake of artistic expressions, but for it to have use case in the world to make the world a better place.
Live, that's what all of our guests keep saying. And to do that you gotta keep going. Remember, your story matters. 	Live, that's what all of our guests keep saying. And to do that you gotta keep going. Remember, your story matters.
== Gallery ==
File:Whitney Reynolds - June 14, 2023.jpg|@whitney_reynolds: "The Show Must Go On… @lupefiasco"
== References ==
Category:2023 interviews
Category:TV shows