One of several podcasts affiliated with the Loud Speakers Network,[1] The Read is hosted by American comedians Kid Fury and Crissle West and based in New York City.

[4] Kid Fury and West served as executive producers, as did Chloe Pisello, David Martin, Jon Thoday, and Richard Allen-Turner.

[12] Tre'vell Anderson of Out called The Read "Black queer excellence", writing, "The pair consistently, and quite remarkably, have crafted a show that is more than just a pop culture recap, deftly melding together conversations about politics, social justice, the importance of therapy, career advice, and self-help.

"[10] Writing for Ebony, Elizabeth Aguirre called the podcast "so unapologetically Black it hurts" and wrote, "Hosts Kid Fury and Crissle start off innocently enough, but by the end of the show, the duo will have you rolling in your seat.

"[9] HuffPost's Taryn Finley referred to The Read as "a fun, slightly raunchy, expletive-filled, brutally honest podcast that doubles as a safe space for black people", and stated that, with The Read, Fury and West "made a definitive mark" and "have helped usher in a wave of black podcasters after them".