Rapper Cakes Da Killa on Growing Up Queer and the Women Who Raised Him

What if your most formative identity traits come from people you didn’t grow up with? In this powerful episode of Identified, rapper and queer icon Cakes Da Killa reflects on growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, raised by his teenage mother and grandmother. He shares openly about the complexities of…

Bandsplain Host Yasi Salek on Defining ‘Home’ Across Cultures

In this episode of Identified, host Nabil Ayers speaks with Bandsplain host Yasi Salek, who shares a moving, honest account of growing up Iranian-American in 1980s Los Angeles. Yasi discusses her family’s immigration story post-Iranian revolution, her experience being the “other” in a predominantly…

Massima Bell on Coming Out, Gender, Identity, and Building Her Chosen Family

In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers speaks with Massima Bell—music producer, model, activist, and co-creator of Transa—about her journey through gender, place, and chosen family. Massima grew up between two vastly different worlds: a 100-year-old farmhouse in rural Iowa and a life on the mo…

Jad Abumrad: The Family Stories That Changed Everything

In this episode of Identified, host Nabil Ayers is joined by Jad Abumrad—artist, musician, journalist, and creator of Radiolab, Dolly Parton’s America, More Perfect, and Fela Kuti: Fear No Man—for a conversation about grief, family history, and what it means to belong to a culture you weren’t fully…

"You Look Just Like Her": Writer Casey Kahn on Secrets, Hidden Siblings, and Defining Family

Nabil Ayers is joined by writer Casey Kahn, who opens up about her personal journey through adoption, identity, and ancestry. Casey was adopted at two days old, raised by a deeply loving family in a tight-knit home—but everything changed when she had her own children and began searching for answers…

Bestselling Author Dani Shapiro on Family Secrets and the Religion She Left Behind

In this deeply personal episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers is joined by Dani Shapiro, the bestselling author and host of the podcast Family Secrets. Dani shares the stunning revelation that changed her life: learning through a DNA test that the man who raised her was not her biological father. Rai…

Masma Dream World on Spiritual Ancestry and Building Family Through Sound and Food

In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers is joined by Devi Mambouka, the artist and producer behind Masma Dream World, for a reflective conversation on ancestry, spirituality, and chosen family. Born in Gabon and raised by her mother’s Bengali side of the family, Devi opens up about the early di…

David Cross on Growing Up in Chaos, Comedy as Survival, and Becoming a Dad

In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with David Cross—Emmy-winning comedian, writer, and actor, best known for Mr. Show with Bob and David, Arrested Development, and The Ben Stiller Show. Over the course of his career, David has earned multiple Emmy and Grammy nominations and shared…

Youngmi Mayer on Korean-American Identity, Generational Trauma, and the Truth About Family

In this episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers talks with Youngmi Mayer—comedian, author, and host of the acclaimed Feeling Asian podcast—about growing up biracial in South Korea, the long shadow of generational trauma, and the unresolvable contradictions that shape our identities. Youngmi, who was bo…

John Legend on Ancestry, Identity, and Raising a Family with Chrissy Teigen

In this standout episode of Identified, Nabil Ayers sits down with EGOT-winning artist, activist, and cultural icon John Legend to talk about family, race, ancestry, and the stories that shape who we are. John opens up about growing up in a tightly knit Black church community in Ohio, being surrou…