Zainab Johnson: Is It Still Radical Just to Exist?

Comedian Zainab Johnson joins Sam for a smart, funny, and unfiltered conversation about identity, comedy, and power. 

They dive into her standup special Hijabs Off (now on Prime Video), where Zainab explores what it means to be Black, Muslim, and a woman in America — and why that trifecta still feels radical. She opens up about performing in a post-DEI Hollywood, navigating Islamophobia, and finding freedom in standup. They also unpack the rise of crowd work, the hustle of comedy today, and what it really takes to be heard. 

Plus: Zainab shares the surprising story of how the Wayans family helped kick start her career.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

The Sam Sanders Show from KCRW is your guide to entertainment. Find out what makes your favorite artists tick, dissect the trends that shape our culture, or just make sense of that random meme you can’t stop thinking about. Join us every week to unpack the pop culture we love.

Sign up for Sam’s Newsletter to get behind the scenes stuff from every interview each week.

Sam Sanders is an award-winning podcast and radio host. He’s been named best podcast host by both The Ambies and the iHeart Podcast Awards. He was one of the founding hosts of The NPR Politics Podcast and the host who launched both It’s Been A Minute from NPR and Into It from Vulture. He currently co-hosts Vibe Check.