Ear Hustle
Ear Hustle brings you the daily realities of life inside prison, shared by those living it, and stories from the outside, post-incarceration.
Ear Hustle & Radiotopia · Ear Hustle
Show overview
Ear Hustle has been publishing since 2017, and across the 9 years since has built a catalogue of 194 episodes, alongside 18 trailers or bonus episodes. That works out to roughly 130 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a monthly cadence, with the show now in its 17th season.
Episodes typically run thirty-five to sixty minutes — most land between 33 min and 48 min — though episode length varies meaningfully from one episode to the next. Roughly 54% of episodes carry an explicit flag from the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Society & Culture show.
The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 3 days ago, with 22 episodes already out so far this year.
From the publisher
Ear Hustle is prison slang for eavesdropping, and that’s what listening to the show feels like: a raw, often funny, and always surprising peek into the reality of life inside prison. Hosts Nigel Poor and Earlonne Woods co-created the show that launched in 2017 while Earlonne was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison, where Nigel was a volunteer teaching photography. Since Earlonne’s release in 2018, the show has expanded to include stories from prisons across the state, including the California Institution for Women, as well as stories about getting out of prison and starting over, post-incarceration.From finding romance, to grappling with a life sentence, to trying to parent via 15-minute phone calls, Ear Hustle stories deliver what This American Life host Ira Glass calls a “"very real” and “untragic” take on prison life. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia from PRX, a network of independent listener-supported podcasts. Discover audio with vision at radiotopia.fm and learn more about Ear Hustle at earhustlesq.com.
Latest Episodes
View all 194 episodes13 to 29
An Announcement from Nigel and Earlonne
Catch a Kite: On the Road
From "Examined: The Backfire Effect"
The Whole Night Was for Nothing
On the Margins
CIW: The Magazine, Issue One
Ear Hustle Presents: The Science of Happiness
Revisiting "Last Memory: Linda"
Behind the Scenes: “Bag of Skittles” and “Over and Over and Over and Over”
Revisiting "Getting a Date"
Over and Over and Over and Over
Tricks of the Trade
Bag of Skittles
Corny-Ass Episode
Revisiting “Chicken on the Bone”
S17 Ep 3My Favorite Color
EThe last time Domonica saw her dad, he was behind prison glass and she was just six years old. Now, more than two decades later, they’re trying to rebuild their relationship. But a few things stand in the way. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, and Bruce Wallace.Big thanks to Warden Andes, Lt. Berry, and Sgt. Graves at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show.Ear Hustle is coming to the East Coast! Get your tickets at earhustlesq.com/tour. Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
S17 Ep 2Dear Ear Hustle
EThe letters come from all over: incarcerated men and women listening to Ear Hustle on their tablets, fans tuning in from as far as Australia and the Philippines. Most of the time, the feedback is positive — but not always. On this first-ever letters episode, we follow up with a few of those listeners. Thank you to Caroline, Gabby, and Jennifer, for talking to us for this episode. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy, Antwan Williams, Dwight Krizman, and Bruce Wallace. Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Don’t miss Ear Hustle Live on tour! Get the scoop at earhustlesq.com/tour. Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
Ear Hustle Presents: Blood Will Tell
EToday, we're sharing something a little different in the feed: an episode of the podcast Blood Will Tell. Blood Will Tell chronicles the aftermath of a birthday party in suburban San Jose that turned deadly. Two 18-year-olds were arrested for suspicion of murder. One brother spent nearly two years in jail before the truth came out: Authorities locked up the wrong twin. How could one brother let his twin take the fall? And why would the other sacrifice his freedom for a crime that he didn't commit? Blood Will Tell is a modern-day saga following Vietnamese-American brothers whose unbreakable bond is tested by silence, sacrifice, and an unthinkable choice. You can find more episodes of Blood Will Tell at wondery.com/shows/blood-will-tell. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices
S17 Ep 1Songs of San Quentin
EFrom beatboxing, to blues, to a song of praise once heard in the Met Museum, musicians in San Quentin have created some indelible songs. And we have featured a number of them on Ear Hustle. In this episode, Earlonne and Nigel listen back to some of their favorites. You can hear more of the music we’ve featured on Ear Hustle here, and watch Silas Farley’s “Songs from the Spirit” at the Met here. Thank you to Matthew “Redbone” Brown III, Jason “Jukebox” Griffin, Tam Nguyen, the Mexican Nationals Band, David Jassy, Lemar “Maverick” Harrison, Charlie Spencer, and Richie Morris, for playing music for us. This episode was scored with music by David Jassy and Antwan Williams. Big thanks to Warden Andes and Lt. Berry at San Quentin Rehabilitation Center; Acting Warden Parker, Associate Warden Lewis, and Lt. Avina at the California Institution for Women; and Warden De La Cruz and Lt. Williams at the Central California Women’s Facility for their support of the show. Support our team and get even more Ear Hustle by subscribing to Ear Hustle Plus today. Sign up at earhustlesq.com/plus or directly in Apple Podcasts. Ear Hustle is a proud member of Radiotopia, from PRX. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices