I know plenty of people that have diverse, expansive and awesome vinyl collections of some of their favorite albums of all time. But podcasts? That’s a new one.
On Tuesday, Luminary, a subscription-based podcast network, announced that fans of Dave Chappelle, Talib Kweli and Yasiin Bey’s The Midnight Miracle podcast will be able to buy a vinyl edition of the show. Yeah, that’s right, a vinyl.
The physical podcast will feature two episodes, “The Grift That Keeps on Giving” on Side A and “LL’s Check” on Side B, which are from season one of the show.
In a statement to Complex, Luminary CEO Rishi Maholtra said, “Our view is that great audio experiences deserve to be translated beyond digital, into live performances and preserved in physical formats. … Great art always transcends mediums.”
If you’re looking to subscribe to Luminary and get a limited edition vinyl, get it here.
Famously, Yassin Bey (formerly Mos Def) and Talib Kwali, the two MCs who make up the rap duo of Black Star, released their long-awaited sophomore album No Fear of Time on The Midnight Miracle Podcast. So if you’re a rap fan, you have to buy a subscription to Luminary in order to listen to the album.
While I think it’s dope that a podcast is being released on vinyl, I must admit I’m still a little salty that Black Star’s sophomore project is only available through a subscription-based podcast network. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, their first album, was released in 1998, 24 years ago. I was only one.
While I think it’s an interesting way to release music, I think it alienates a whole segment of hip-hop fans who are not willing to spend that much money or subscribe to an entire podcast network just to listen to one album, even if it’s from one of the greatest hip-hop groups of all time.