The podcast chosen by Madison365 readers as Wisconsin’s best has been inducted into the Milwaukee Hip Hop Museum.
OuttaDeeBox, hosted and produced by Dee Star, serves as a platform for advocacy, raising awareness about the challenges faced by former inmates, and promoting the idea that everyone deserves a chance at redemption. It was honored as Best Podcast in the 365 Leadership Community Choice Awards in 2023 and inducted into the Milwaukee Hip Hop Museum in a January 20 ceremony.
The museum, started as a series of pop-up exhibits around Milwaukee in 2019, is now open by appointment at 2222 N 19th Street in Milwaukee. It celebrates the history and culture of hip hop through one of the nation’s largest collections of memorabilia.
That memorabilia will soon include one of Star’s podcasting microphones as well as promotional materials.
Star said the connection between the podcast and hip hop is clear.
“(Podcasting) plays a major role in our culture,” he said. “A lot of our news, a lot of people get turned on to new artists just having them go on a podcast. Podcasting has really transcended just mainstream media. It’s that medium that drives hip hop.”
Star was also able to leverage his connection to Milwaukee, where he was born, to bring several artists to the museum to sign memorabilia. Many podcast guests have been Milwaukee artists, and Star was able to ask past podcast guests to visit the museum and sign items in the collection.
“He was able to bring in a lot of Milwaukee hip hop icons that I knew of. I had yet to meet them,” said museum founder Antonia Anderon. “So he was very diligent in doing that, getting them here … Coming all the way from Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, to get the information out about the museum through his podcast … he didn’t have to do that. So I really appreciate it.”
Star said getting artists such as Pimpin Ken, Coo Coo Cal, Baby Drew and Party at 4 to embrace the museum has helped the rest of the city notice.
“Now she’s on the news and she’s in the newspapers and everybody has actually made it, like, official. This is official,” Star said. “The city has embraced her. And that’s all off of this podcast.”
Star said the recognition in Milwaukee is especially meaningful, even though he’s spent most of his life away from the city.
“It means a lot to me,” he said. “For the place that I was born to embrace me, and getting the love that I’ve gotten there thus far … it just means the world to me, it gives me that validation.”
