Julian Casablancas Defends His 4 Most Controversial Takes

Julian Casablancas Defends His 4 Most Controversial Takes

April 21, 2026 · 22 min

About this episode

Julian Casablancas discusses his controversial views on fame, politics, and media with host Kareem Rahma.

In this episode of SubwayTakes Uncut, Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) sits down with Kareem Rahma and breaks down his 4 hottest takes on fame, politics, media, creativity, and the future of society. From why success shouldn’t be the goal, to whether left vs. right politics misses the bigger picture, to what’s broken about modern media and technology. Julian also talks about: * why he doesn’t chase popularity * the real divide in modern politics * how corporate media shapes public thinking * creativity, longevity, and staying authentic * whether society is actually improving * modern technology, culture, and misinformation * and a few takes he admits might “end his career” Credits: Host: Kareem Rahma Creators and Producers: Kareem Rahma & Andrew Kuo Creative Producer and Editor: Tyler Christie Associate Producers: Ramy Shafi & Madyson Hearsh Cameras: Anthony DiMieri & Thomas Kasem Lim & Hudson Price Interstitial Footage: Jake Lazovick Photography: Todd Johnson Mixer: Dale Eisinger Title Sequence and Graphic Design: Emily Chin-Longobardi Artwork: Andrew Lawandus & Zack Evans Theme Music: Tyler McCauley Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Kareem Rahma

Guest: Julian Casablancas

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Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Strokes, SubwayTakes, Talkhouse

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