is the platform that explores the complex world of family, race, culture, and identity.
Join us on Identified and be part of the conversation.
Dig into the stories that connect us, challenge us, and help us understand who we are. Through conversations with fascinating individuals, from all walks of life, we talk about what family means, how identity is shaped, and how we carry our personal histories forward.
If you’re curious about the ties that define us, the ones we inherit, the ones we choose, and the ones we rebuild, this is the place for you.
Explore these stories through our podcast, live events, and written content hosted by music executive and author Nabil Ayers.
latest conversation
Camille Becerra
What does it mean to raise yourself across cultures—and carry tradition forward through food?
In this episode of Identified, chef and author Camille Becerra sits down with host Nabil Ayers for a heartfelt conversation about family, identity, and the life-shaping power of memory. Born in Puerto Rico to a Puerto Rican mother and Cuban father, Camille moved to New Jersey at just one year old and grew up between cultures, languages, and generations. She reflects on growing up with a single mother, navigating a distant relationship with her father, and finding connection through her Puerto Rican family’s rituals—like traveling alone as a child to visit cousins, or waking early to buy bread from the local bakery. Food became her anchor and a bridge to memory and belonging. Camille opens up about defining family on her own terms, the blurred lines between relatives and chosen loved ones, and what it means to pass down tradition through flavor.
more conversations.
John Legend
What shaped John Legend’s earliest musical roots—church, family, or something deeper? In this episode of Identified: Season 2, I sit down with John Legend to explore the gospel beginnings, family history, and evolving identity that continue to influence his music today. John also shares what it’s like raising four children with Chrissy Teigen and parenting a multicultural, multiracial family in the spotlight. From Thai temples to Black church traditions, he reflects on teaching his kids to embrace their heritage and proudly identify as Black, Asian, and Blasian. How does a global icon stay true to his roots while building a life that’s entirely his own?
Laura Lee (Khruangbin)
In this new episode of Identified Season 2, I sit down with Laura Lee—bassist, founding member of Khruangbin, and now a new mom—to explore how her childhood shaped her understanding of home, family, and belonging. Laura opens up about navigating divorce at six, touring as a mother, and how music became her refuge. We talk about integrating parenthood with creative life, reclaiming family on her own terms, and how raising her daughter on the road has redefined what “home” means.