Premium audio subscription service Howl launched the podcast “Fruit,” an audio drama from writer and actress Issa Rae, known for her hit YouTube series “The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl.” The show marks Rae’s first foray into audio after building a successful career across digital and social media platforms.
“Fruit” was conceived and written by Rae and executive produced by Benoni Tagoe and Deniese Davis. Listeners will hear the first-person, fictional story of a man known only as X. A professional football player, X recounts his journey of self-discovery and sexual exploration both on and off the field. “Fruit” chronicles X’s relationship with his friends, teammates and family as they impose their own perceptions of his role in an alpha male-dominated industry. Amidst questioning for a larger league-related scandal, X must ultimately decide how he wants his story to be told — for himself and for others like him. The show launches just days before Super Bowl 50.
“I am extremely proud to be releasing ‘Fruit’ with Howl. This is a very honest, very intimate and very human story,” said Rae. “I want listeners to get pulled in and to relate to the journey of the main character.”
“Issa Rae is an enormously talented writer and storyteller,” said Chris Bannon, chief content officer for Midroll Media and Howl. “Her decision to enter podcasting with ‘Fruit’ demonstrates that this industry is maturing rapidly and attracting outstanding entertainers and creators who might not have given it a try a year ago.’
“Fruit” will be released on Wednesdays in 10 weekly chapters. It is available exclusively on the Howl premium service, available through a mobile app for iOS and Android and online at howl.fm. New subscribers are invited to try a free month of Howl by using the promo code FRUIT online.
Howl is an audio curation and listening platform launched in 2015 by leading podcast network Midroll Media, a wholly owned subsidiary of The E.W. Scripps Company (NYSE: SSP).
The first episode of “Fruit” is also available for free download or streaming in the iTunes feed of “Earwolf Presents.” The feed can be found in the native Podcasts app on iOS devices or in iTunes on desktop computers.
