Busdriver is a cultural and intellectual treasure in Los Angeles. Since the early '90s, the Leimert Park native has expressed complex thoughts about the intersection of racism, history, economics, politics, technology and culture as a rapper affiliated with the Project Blowed experimental hip-hop collective. Busdriver (born Regan John Farquhar) is still putting out amazing music to this day, but he's recently expanded into podcasting with FR/BLCK/PR, aka Free Black Press Radio. Like Busdriver's rapping, FR/BLCK/PR can be fast, intriguing, long-winded and still compelling. The first episode starts with a soul jazz–type saxophonist blazing over a singing choir while Busdriver announces that the episode will be about the founding of the KKK. Over the next 18 minutes Busdriver takes the listener through a compelling analysis of the racist and classist history of this country's past, and its continuing hold on the present, occasionally punctuated by the return of the blaring saxophone and jazz band of the intro. It's kind of like reading Frantz Fanon in the middle of Hollywood Boulevard as the guy dressed as Superman pokes you in the side. This is Los Angeles.

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