You may not know what he looks like, but chances are you have heard his voice. Khalil Ekulona has made a name for himself as the host of WPLN’s flagship show, This Is Nashville, which airs Monday through Thursday at noon. This is Nashville explores Nashville and Middle Tennessee through the eyes of people who live and work in this community. WPLN is the local NPR affiliate.
Ekulona was born in New Jersey, grew up in Maryland, and moved around a lot during his journey. “I had a lot of different experiences in life professionally and personally that have enabled me to feel comfortable to sit in the host chair for the job,” Ekulona says. “I’ve done a little bit of everything.”
Initially he went to college to be a politician but realized after an internship in Washington, D.C., that this was not his path. So, he moved to Los Angeles, where he had a hip-hop group called Fresh Air (not to be confused with NPR’s nationally recognized radio program of the same name), which almost got signed to a label. Ekulona revealed that original members are currently talking about getting the band back together.
To make ends meet, Ekulona also worked as an educator. “One thing I realized about educators, you’re not just teaching students about something, you’re entertaining,” Ekulona says. “You’re a counselor. You are a de facto parent. And you have to be a wonderful listener. I think those are things that have helped me while I’m sitting in the host chair.”
After a decade in Los Angeles, he moved to different cities and ended up in Alburquerque, New Mexico, where he started to work with Public Access Television and Local iQ, a free paper that would be the equivalent of the Nashville Scene. He did some morning magazine television for the NBC affiliate, KOB Channel 4. All this work caught the attention of the local PBS affiliate and , eventually also the NPR affiliate, KUNM. In 2019, Ekulona became a fill-in radio host for All Things Considered and Morning Edition. Then the COVID pandemic hit, and he became part of a daily radio show that provided people with pandemic-related information. A few months later, the show changed its format and aired weekly, which allowed them to dig deep into issues.
“We covered the uprising that happened after George Floyd’s death deeply. We were able to really explore a lot of themes,” Ekulona recalls. “And from what I hear that got me on the radar of WPLN as they were starting their search for the inaugural team they put together for This Is Nashville.”
How did you prepare for your job as the host of This is Nashville and learn about the city?
I looked up news and things. But the news doesn’t tell you everything you need to know about a city. The news helps you make assumptions about a city. It does inform you about the issues that are going on, but you don’t get a grasp until you get down and talk to the people. And that is one of the goals of The is Nashville, we go out and talk to the community.
Former Mayor Megan Barry introduced me to a lot of people, and my good friend Willy Sims, also known as Big Fella, introduced me to a lot of people as well. So, I got to meet leaders. I got to meet officials. I got to meet educators, and other folks. But I’m also just going around to coffee shops and local bars sitting there talking to people about this town without letting them know that I was here to be the host of this show to get to know who the people are. What are their worries? What are their wants? What are their needs? What are the issues that they’re concerned about? What do they love about the city? What would they like to see? Where would they like to see the city change?
It’s all encompassing.
What were some of the biggest hurdles to understanding the culture of Nashville? And what are you still learning?
I’m still learning little pieces of Nashville’s history. Nashville tells one history about itself, and then there is a lot of hidden histories, as with every place. Nashville is not an anomaly in that sense. There are little bits of history that are coming out that we’re all discovering. That’s nice.
One of the true hurdles was meeting younger people, people in their 30s, who were born and raised here. I’ve met a wonderful amount of elders who tell me about the city and what it was like and the changes. But meeting a unicorn, which is the term for a young person under 40 who’s born and raised here and has never moved, that gives me a sense of how this town has changed [in recent years.]
You have a platform through your radio show, which brings influence. How do you want to use that influence in Nashville?
It’s my tag line at the end of the show, I want people to be good to each other.
I want people to understand a little bit about the next person’s life, not compare it to their own but to have an understanding of each other. It’s not enough to tolerate another community or another group or another belief system. That doesn’t get the job done. What we need is understanding of each other. And a little bit of patience, too.
People tend to separate themselves and define themselves through their identities — their political identity, their ethnic or racial identity, their sexual orientation. But we’re all human beings. We all walk with our struggles. We all walk with our triumphs.
What are some of the voices during your interviews that stand out to you? What sticks with you?
You know, it’s been so many people and admittedly it’s hard to remember some specific shows. I go into a zone when the show is on air.
Voices that really stand out, when I met with the Freedom Riders — King Hollands and Ms. Frankie Henry and Professor Gloria McKissack to hear about what they did a little over 60 years ago. Knowing that it’s not that long ago. And I get to sit here in the same physical space with people that I read about when I was younger is something that really stands out to me.
All the episodes we’ve done about the unhoused community. Getting to talk to people who are in that situation and learning about their lives, looking at them, getting to touch them and embrace them after the show or before the show. Those are voices that really stick with me.
Episodes about the hip-hop community are fun episodes that really stand out. Riding shotgun was a segment I used to do. I rode with a gentleman who was in a rodeo. Talking to the wonderful McCrary Sisters, that is an episode that was a lot of fun.
Two episodes that really stood out was when we honored the lives of Charlie Strobel and Bishop [Marcus Antoine] Campbell. Two men who gave so much of themselves for the community. I never met either man in person, but at the end of each episode, I was in tears because I felt the love. I felt the service that these men gave to the people and the community here.
Butch Spyridon, to talk to this man who to many people he’s a hero. To other people, they’re really upset with him. But the Nashville that we’re looking at was a part of his vision. He helped make that happen. To talk to him and learn about what his dream was, what his path was, how he got some of these things done to have Nashville be this growing “It City” that it is now.
There were so many people. I have truly enjoyed every episode. That’s not hyperbole, I truly have.
What are some low-hanging fruits you think local leaders could and should tackle to improve the lives of Nashvillians?
One, the roads. I know Mayor O’Connell has a transportation and transit referendum coming. But making the roads and commutes easier, getting rid of the potholes and staying on top of that. I think that’s something that’s low-hanging fruit that they can get to. It will create more jobs fixing the roads, and it will help people. Another thing is to improve WeGo in the city. Offer more bus routes, more access, more buses, so that people can travel around the city and the region much easier than they can now.
I say it’s a low-hanging fruit, but maybe it’s not: housing. Rent control. Let’s go, Council! Make a measure for rent control in Davidson County. Because it’s very expensive living here. I just see too many people who are struggling in Nashville. They care about this place, and they give to this city. They’re not just here to take. And it doesn’t feel to them that the city is giving back to them.
Those are some of the low-hanging fruit things that I think the city can get to. They’re big [issues], but I think the city can start making some moves and bringing ideas and debates to the floor where we can have super honest discussions.
Also, I think there should be a citywide effort to really, truly get out the vote. The numbers of people who live in Davidson County and the numbers of people who vote, it’s too low for the important decisions that are going to happen and are going to shape the city for the next 30-40 years. A lot of people like to talk about it, but not enough people engage in it. And so, find some way to inspire them to engage.
What are the most important long-term issues that you hope Nashville will address and who should take the lead?
I’m going to say, long-term issues are affordability and housing. It should be a combined effort between city leaders — elected officials, Metro Council, and the Mayor’s Office. Then [collaborate] with organizations like The Contributor, like Open Table Nashville and others, working along with community members, and most importantly, business leaders. Can you get Nissan, Amazon, Oracle, HCA, the Tennessee Titans, and others on board for something that is really substantial and has long-lasting effects?
I think there can be coordinator work between those four entities — the business community, elected leaders, established nonprofits, and members of the community — to make something happen and have something work out for everyone.
And what else would you like to share with us?
It has been an honor. It has been a privilege and absolute joy to sit in this chair as the host. I get to learn so much about this town and people, and most importantly, I get to learn a lot about myself. I’m trying to do better and be better every day as I hope the rest of us are, but we can only take it one day at a time and step by step.