Titi Shodiya & Zakiya Whatley: Making Science Cool Again

Titi Shodiya and Zakiya Whatley host Dope Labs, which is part of Spotify’s growing podcast network. 

Dope Labs is founded on the belief that science is for everyone, not just academics locked away in ivory towers. The show is all about revealing the science behind stories and topics that are trending right now - everything from coronavirus, to plant based meat substitutes and even vibranium, the fictional metal from the Black Panther movie. By ditching the usual jargon and replacing it with compelling narratives and on-point pop culture references, Titi and Zakiya are bringing important research to a much wider audience. 

In 2018, the pair entered Dope Labs Spotify’s “Sound Up” competition - which is an accelerator program dedicated to lifting and amplifying the voices of women of colour in podcasting. After being selected as finalists from a pool of more than 18,000 applicants, Titi and Zakiya eventually went on to be crowned winners. Since then, they’ve worked with Spotify to produce and distribute Dope Labs. The show is currently in the middle of its third season. 

In this interview, James Deeney talks to Titi and Zakiya about winning Sound Up, creating Dope Labs, and the important intersection between science, society, and culture.