"Danyel Smith is one of the nation’s most astute chroniclers of pop and hip-hop culture." — The New Yorker
"Danyel Smith is one of the nation’s most astute chroniclers of pop and hip-hop culture." — The New Yorker
Award-winning journalist and author of Shine Bright: A Very Personal HIstory of Black Women in Pop, Danyel Smith brings cultural stories to life through her podcast, Black Girl Songbook, the New York Times Magazine, and HBO’s Music Box documentaries. An advocate for creatives, and new member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee, Danyel’s work continues to resonate. Join her on an incredible journey of rhythm, resilience, and the power of pop culture.
Danyel was a John S. Knight fellow at Stanford, an arts fellow at the Medill School of Journalism, and a 2021 Yaddo fellow. A former producer, editor, and writer at ESPN, Danyel was editor of Billboard, and editor-in-chief of VIBE. She has written two novels — More Like Wrestling and Bliss, and often shares her expertise on ABC, CNN, and NPR, as well as the Library of Congress, Amazon Music, the Grammy Museum, and Yale.
Today, Danyel is writing books, publishing stories with The New York Times, and helping bring some of the most significant cultural documentaries of our time to life as a producer, consultant, and commentator. Behind the scenes, Danyel also works discreetly with leaders and changemakers to craft compelling speeches that inspire, inform, and leave a lasting impact.