Tracy Clayton (born April 29, 1982)[1] is an American writer whose work has been recognized by Fast Company, Ebony, and The Root, who described her as "a superstar” who “writes big, funny things." She served as the co-host of the BuzzFeed podcast Another Round. She hosts the Netflix podcast Strong Black Legends, for which she interviews African Americans in the entertainment industry about their craft.[2][3] Clayton and Josh Gwynn co-host Pineapple Street Studio podcast Back Issue which reminisces on how moments in pop culture's past have shaped our present.[4]
Clayton and her co-worker Heben Nigatu launched the first episode of Another Round, produced by BuzzFeed, on March 25, 2015. The show received positive critical acclaim. The A.V. Club described Clayton and Nigatu as "passionate and sharp in their distinct points of view."[10] It was named to "Best of 2015" lists by iTunes,[11]Slate,[12]Vulture,[13] and The Atlantic.[14]
An Okayplayer profile said, "known all over the digital world as one of the sharpest voices in the podcast game as well as Black Twitter, Tracy Clayton is consistently one of the smartest people in whatever room she occupies."[15][16]Elle praised Clayton and co-host Heben Nigatu's ability to "serve up a blend of humor, politics, and frank observation that not even the most deft hosts can seem to replicate." Clayton made headlines in the fall when she pressed then-Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to address the crime bill her husband passed as president: '[D]o you ever look at the state of Black America and think, 'wow, we really fucked this up for Black people?' "[17][10]The Guardian praised their work as "witty, irreverent, intelligent."[18] Also writing for The Guardian, critic Sasha Frere-Jones called Clayton and Nigatu "leading American cultural critics."[19]
Clayton announced she had been laid off by BuzzFeed on September 19, 2018, along with most of the other staffers who had worked on BuzzFeed's original podcasts.[3]
Strong Black Legends
On February 11, 2019, Netflix's Strong Black Lead initiative announced it was launching a new podcast featuring interviews with legendary Black members of Hollywood, called Strong Black Legends, to be hosted by Clayton. The first podcast premiered on February 12, 2019, with Lynn Whitfield as the inaugural guest.[3] Strong Black Legends quickly rose to No. 1 on Apple's TV Film & Podcast chart and won a Webby award in the category Podcasts - Television & Film in 2021. [20]
Back Issue
Clayton also hosts the interview podcast Going Through It launched by Mailchimp in July 2020, featuring 14 prominent Black women.[21]
In August 2020, Back Issue debuted, a podcast hosted by Clayton and Josh Gwynn.[22]Back Issue is produced by Pineapple Street Studios and looks back at formative moments in pop culture. Clayton and Gwynn formerly worked together on the Netflix podcast, Strong Black Legends.[23]Back Issue won Best Culture Podcast for the Black Podcasting Awards in 2023. [24]
