In each episode of our podcast Life in Seven Songs (opens in new tab), we ask some of the world’s most fascinating people: What songs tell the story of your life?
Oakland-based comedian and cultural critic W. Kamau Bell has been in the headlines lately (opens in new tab)—not for his Emmy-winning CNN series “United Shades of America,” but for winning “Celebrity Jeopardy!” and donating his $1 million prize to classrooms through DonorsChoose. As he tells it, he clinched the game (opens in new tab) thanks to his daughter Juno, who’d been quizzing him on Olivia Rodrigo earlier that day. The all-important clue? A pop song named for “this government-issued form of I.D.”
And yet, “Drivers License” didn’t make Bell’s list of seven defining songs.
Instead, his selections trace the deeper arcs of his life—from the sting of early standup failures to the complex inheritance of racial justice work (“the family hardware store,” as he puts it). One song, a soulful gospel ballad, he now sings to his daughters as a daily reminder of who they are: young, gifted, and Black.
Here’s his playlist.
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- Jireh Gospel Choir, “Wade in the Water”
- Sugarhill Gang, “Rapper’s Delight”
- Living Colour, “Time’s Up”
- Ray Charles, “Hit the Road Jack”
- 103rd Street Gospel Choir featuring Pat Lewis, “Swing Low, Street Chariot”
- Tears for Fears, “Head Over Heels”
- Nina Simone, “To Be Young, Gifted and Black”
Listen to Bell’s full playlist on Spotify (opens in new tab). Find the transcript of this episode here (opens in new tab). Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at [email protected].