Abiodun Oyewole

Abiodun Oyewole

Author: Bella Freud February 4, 2026 Duration: 1:39:17
Abiodun Oyewole is an American poet, painter and author, and one of the founding members of the music and spoken-word group The Last Poets. Born in Ohio, Oyewole was raised in New York by his aunt, whose love of jazz and gospel music greatly influenced him. He was given the name Abiodun Oyewole aged fifteen, by a Yoruba priest at a temple in Harlem. The Last Poets were formed by Abiodun Oyewole, David Nelson & Gylan Kain in 1968, releasing their first album in 1970. The group is credited, along with Gil Scott-Heron, as having had a profound effect on the development of the hip-hop genre.  Abiodun missed the launch of The Last Poets first album after being sentenced to four years in a North Carolina prison for robbing the offices of the local Ku Klux Klan. During his time in prison he attended a nearby college where he earned his B.A. degree. He went on to earn a Ph.D. from Columbia University, where he has served as a faculty member. Oyewole rejoined The Last Poets during its 1990s resurgence, with their latest albums released in 2018 & 2024, and he has also released several solo albums. Oyewole has published two volumes of poetry, Naked, 2020, and Branches of the Tree of Life, 2020, and an essay collection titled Black Lives Have Always Mattered.  Oyewole hosts Sundays @ 110 each week at his home in Harlem, opening his doors to fellow artists, encouraging performance and a shared creative experience. Oyewole is one of several poets credited for liberating American poetry by creating vocal, spontaneous, energetic and uncensored vernacular verse that paved the way for spoken word and hip-hop. He continues to write poetry every day.  In this episode of Fashion Neurosis, Abiodun Oyewole and Bella Freud discuss how they first met, being treated as the Pope of Poetry, and spending time backstage with Nina Simone. Part of the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud, the iconic designer turns her studio into something closer to a therapist's office. Every episode, a guest settles in for a conversation that starts with the fabric of our lives-literally. Bella Freud guides discussions that pick apart why we wear what we do, treating a wardrobe choice not as a trivial concern but as a window into our deeper selves. These aren't typical interviews about trends; they're meandering, personal explorations. You’ll hear stories about the power of a specific scent, the armor of a well-cut jacket, or the nostalgia tied to a childhood uniform. Naturally, the dialogue in this podcast often spirals into much broader territory, touching on the anxieties, cultural shifts, and personal histories that shape us. Freud shares her own vivid anecdotes generously, creating a space where fashion becomes the starting point for talking about everything from love and politics to the very construction of identity. The result is a series of intimate, sometimes surprising dialogues that reveal how the things we put on our bodies are inextricably linked to what’s happening in our minds and in the world around us.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 68

Fashion Neurosis with Bella Freud
Podcast Episodes
Hanif Kureishi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:21
Hanif Kureishi is a British author, playwright, and screenwriter, widely regarded for his exploration of identity, race, and multiculturalism. Born in 1954 in South London, to a Pakistani father and an English mother, hi…
Susie Cave [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:03
Susie Cave is a British model and fashion designer. Her career started when she was scouted on holiday in New York by the famous model agent Bethann Hardison, who immediately sent her to Steven Meisel - his advice being…
Bobby Gillespie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:16
Bobby Gillespie is a Scottish musician, singer songwriter, and the lead vocalist in Primal Scream. He launched the band in 1982, at the same time as joining The Jesus and Mary Chain as their drummer, touring with both gr…
Christian Louboutin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:50
Christian Louboutin is a French shoe designer. His signature red sole has become synonymous with glamour and sensuality, referenced constantly in popular culture by international superstars including Beyoncé, Taylor Swif…
John Cooper Clarke [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:50
John Cooper Clarke is a British poet. He rose to fame during the Punk era, touring and performing with bands across the UK in the 70's. He has collaborated with some of the most revered artists of our time including the…
Julianne Moore [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:00
Julianne Moore is an American actor. She is one of the most highly revered performers of her generation, and her work has been recognized by multiple awards, including an Oscar. Her extraordinary gift for peeling back th…
Haider Ackermann [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:05
Haider Ackermann is a Colombian-born French fashion designer. He is the Creative Director of Canada Goose and the newly appointed Creative Director of Tom Ford. Adopted as a nine month old child by French-Alsatian parent…
Gwendoline Christie [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:23
Gwendoline Christie is an English actor. She exploded into peoples' consciousness as Brienne of Tarth in the phenomenally successful series, Game of Thrones, going on to feature in Stars Wars: The Force Awakens, and Star…
Juergen Teller [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:01
Juergen Teller is a fine art and fashion photographer from Germany. His distinctive and instantly recognizable style has redefined the scope of what is possible in high fashion imagery and advertising. He has shot multip…
Honey Dijon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:29
Honey Dijon is an American DJ and producer, hailing from the South Side of Chicago. She is known for her compelling remixes of major artists, including Beyoncé and David Bowie and her DJ sets that light up dance floors t…