We sat down with Gangster Chronicles host Norm Steele to find out what he has to say about the growth of the podcast industry, the introduction of video into podcasts, PodTV, and what fuels The Gangster Chronicles team.
The Gangster Chronicles is one of a growing list of podcasts available for viewing exclusively on PodTV, and offers long-form conversation with guests ranging from police officers and gangsters to rappers and politicians. Hosts James McDonald, MC Eiht, and Norm Steele discuss current events, music industry influences, and what it’s like to live a life of risk and reward.
With such hard-hitting subjects and uncensored discussions, it isn’t hard to see why they are an integral part of the PodTV lineup, where we stress unfiltered conversation and freedom of expression. In our conversation with Norm Steele, he shared his thoughts on that freedom, and how PodTV helps provide a platform for shows like Gangster Chronicles to grow.
And Gangster Chronicles is growing fast. Norm Steele offered some insight into the team’s rise to fame, admitting that it took a few false starts before finding the right team and the right angle for success. Norm shared, “there’s a market for anything if you’re talking the right language and giving people the info they need. You can make a podcast about selling tires if you find the right audience.”
Norm and his co-hosts are certainly not talking about tires, but they have definitely found a niche area of conversation that is captivating. A big part of that Norm attributes to his team, saying that it is essential to “find a good team and be consistent. When we did The Gangster Chronicles, and something gets big and starts to get successful, you need to make sure people don’t have egos.”
Norm also shared, “we have to have visuals,” which is something that the team discovered after their initial launch of the podcast. It wasn’t until around the 20th episode that visuals were added to the show. But, once added, it became clear just how much video could help the show succeed. “Seven months into the show we got other networks calling, and we entertained a couple of deals, then got picked up by iHeartRadio. We ended up meeting someone from PodTV, and that’s how we ended up on [PodTV].”
Previously, Gangster Chronicles saw rising numbers on YouTube and other platforms but struggled to maintain their free-flowing conversations in balance with the YouTube algorithms for flagging and viewing. Norm said “the PodTV model makes more sense,” and gives the team the chance to fully express themselves.
That expression comes out in each and every episode, creating a unique and dynamic experience for viewers. In the process of creating successful content for The Gangster Chronicles, Norm said, “I tell everyone that content being successful is not about it being good or bad…focus on being good at your craft…you have to be consistent…I will tell everyone, forever… just focus on being great. The more you chase money, the further it gets.” And, when we asked him about the future of Gangster Chronicles, he told us “we are at the beginning stages––everything is going to get bigger and bigger…” and PodTV will be here to create a foundation for that growth.
The Gangster Chronicles hosted by Norm Steele, James McDonald, and MC Eiht is available now on the PodTV app. If you haven’t already, you can download the app for free to any smart device, anywhere, and start watching now.
