BY CASSIDY KLEIN
We Come From Queens, a biweekly millennial lifestyle podcast hosted by Jamaica and Queens Village natives Monique and Cadacia is a “relatable, authentic” show that covers a variety of topics such as dating, wellness, adulthood and “Queendom things,” according to its website.
“People have this perception about women from Queens,” said Cadacia. “I think what makes our podcast unique is the fact that we really open up and it allows people to see that whatever stigma they had about Queens girls is really not true. We negate what people perceive women from Queens to be, especially black women from Queens to be, and we extend that in connecting with people beyond just the podcast. We make the experience very personal.”
Monique and Cadacia — who request their last names not be published — grew up for much of their childhood in the Jamaica/Queens Village neighborhood. They met in junior high school at I.S. 59 in Springfield Gardens in 2000 and have been best friends ever since. The idea for their podcast came about after they attempted to make YouTube videos of their conversations during their college years.
“People were always intrigued by our different conversations and thought, hey, this should get out,” Cadacia said. “So we decided to start a podcast.”
The podcast’s listener base is mainly in Brooklyn and the greater East Coast region, with a growing fanbase in Canada. The audience is 67 percent female, and 64 percent are between ages 25-34. The show has had around 31,000 downloads so far.
Cadacia and Monique try to make each episode about as long as a train ride going from Queens to the city.
“So often you hear about Brooklyn or Manhattan, or even the Bronx,” said Monique. “We’re going that extra step to highlight our borough and things that happen in our borough.”
Topics for the show are inspired by the daily happenings of life, according to Cadacia. Events, articles, TV shows, social media posts and more are discussed on their show, in which they occasionally host guests.
The “Queendom” refers to the realities of living as a woman, specifically in Queens, and embracing the beauty and difficulty that comes with it, according to the hosts.
“One of my more enjoyable topics is when we have real transparent conversations,” said Monique. “There was one episode we did which was based off of the Beyonce song, ‘Pretty Hurts.’ It was an episode that a lot of people ended up connecting with. We talked about insecurities.”
The podcast will be celebrating its 100th episode next month. Monique and Cadacia will be hosting a party Dec. 15 at 1890 Eastern Pkwy. in Brooklyn from 7 to 10 p.m. The event will allow the audience to engage with the hosts and other listeners of the show.
“We Come From Queens” episodes can be found on Soundcloud and on wecomefromqueens.com.
