Episode 3 - Dilla Day ft. Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey Smith - Lemme Ask you This Podcast with Talib Kweli & Tef Poe On episode 3 of Lemme Ask You This with Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, the LAYT gang celebrates Dilla Day 2026 by having J Dilla's mom, Maureen "Ma Dukes" Yancey Smith, as a special guest. Ma Dukes reminisces with Talib about Dave NY and then talks about her love for classical music. Ma Dukes talks about helping children reach their full creative potential and then talks about finding out that both her and Dilla had lupus. Talib talks about meeting Nina Simone. Ma Dukes talks about how Detroit inspired Dilla and breaks down how he heard samples differently. Ma Dukes tells us about Dilla's spiritual side and breaks down how her generation misunderstood hiphop. Ma Dukes tells us what she learned while running a daycare center. Ma Dukes shares a story about Amp Fiddler and then Talib asked her about how she deals with interlopers who seek to exploit Dilla. Talib and Ma Dukes talk about how Dilla was not impressed with awards and Tef brings up how Dilla's music sounds like love. The show ends with shouts out to Reggie "Combat Jack" Ossé and the J Dilla Foundation. https://www.jamesdyanceyfoundation.org

On the second episode, Talib and Tef introduce their guests, LG and Nicole Duncan Smith. Talib asks if Mike Epps is right when he says that street dudes love Donald Trump. Tef starts a debate about government interference in hiphop culture. The LAYT gang talks about Nicki Minaj’s embrace of MAGA. Talib asks if the Kendrick vs Drake battle was strictly organic or were there outside factors at play. The LAYT gang debates J Cole’s departure from the battle and Talib tells a story about seeing J Cole on the street. Nicole asks Talib to break down his rap genealogy.

The LAYT gang shows love to Vic Mensa and then weighs in on whether or not the phrase "ride or die" applies to your people even when they are wrong. Talib asks the LAYT gang if they think Kanye meant his apology.

In the debut episode of Lemme Ask You This featuring Talib Kweli and Tef Poe, Talib and Tef discuss how they met during the Ferguson uprising, Talib asks Tef about his trip to Palestine, Tef breaks down what it's like to grow up in St. Louis, the guys talk about protecting conscious artists, Talib recounts his experiences with fundraising, the guys dive into the Black Thought vs Jay Z debate, Tef starts a Biggie vs Kendrick debate, the guys talk about the impact of Don Lemon's recent arrest and then discuss the controversy surrounding activist Paul Birdsong of the Black Lions. Shot and Edited By Chino Chase. Additional Filming By Aaron Ross Media Co.