Issa Rae’s audio company, Raedio, has signed comedic podcast duo The Read to a “historic record deal that will come to life in a first-of-its-kind original comedy album.”
With over 150 million listeners in more than 60 countries, The Read is hosted by Kid Fury and Crissle West Kid Fury and has been covering pop culture while “throwing shade and spilling tea with a flippant and humorous attitude” in a weekly podcast since 2013. Over their eight-year run, the two have ascended to a towering digital space and have remarkably changed how audiences consume content. The duo will executive produce their latest project alongside Raedio president Benoni Tagoe, Rae herself, and talent manager Alexandra Rago.
“I have been a fan of Crissle and Kid Fury for almost a decade now and The Read has been my weekly comfort food,” said Rae. “I can’t wait for everyone to experience their brilliant comedic commentary in such a specially-curated, timeless format.”
The album will feature the duo’s renowned comedic commentary, accompanied with original music from today’s hit musician and it will be preceded by an official debut single, full-length tracklist, artwork and visuals. As of late, the project is slated to release later this summer.
“Working with Benoni, Issa and the Raedio team was a natural decision because we have been immense mutual supporters for our entire digital careers,” said The Read. “A comedy album is new territory for us, but Raedio has been instrumental in helping us develop the vision for this project and collaborating with them has been exciting and such a joy. We’re excited to break new ground and give our fans new ways to tune in and engage with us.”
In response to the announcement, Crissle took to Twitter to express her gratitude for the podcast’s new venture, tweeting, “Thank youuuu @IssaRae and the entire team over at @TheRaedio and thank you everyone for your support over the past eight years. What a life.”
Launched in 2019, Raedio is an “audio everywhere company” that is home to a dynamic roster of talent and aims to serve artists and creators in their journey. The platform extends across media to film and television projects, commercials, podcasts and more.