Stacey Jackson is a woman who doesn’t idle. Her career has spanned decades and defied categories—chart-topping music, television hosting, raising a family, publishing a novel (How a Gangsta Rapper Made Me a Better Mom), and now? She’s taking her mission of reinvention to the next level. With her latest project, The Gen-X-Perience, Jackson isn’t just lending her voice—she’s giving a whole generation the microphone.
The podcast, as bold and multifaceted as Jackson herself, focuses on the stories, struggles, and resilience of Generation X. Long dubbed the “forgotten generation,” Gen X has watched the cultural spotlight move from baby boomers to millennials with barely a nod in between. But Jackson is done with the sidelines.
“Because we’re done being overlooked, darling!” she declares, in a tone equal parts glamorous and grounded. “We were the original latchkey kids who learned independence before it was a buzzword. We grew up with mixtapes, rotary phones, and no Google—but somehow we’re still here, still cool, and still rocking oversized sweatshirts and electric blue eyeliner.”
That’s the spirit behind The Gen-X-Perience—a celebration of an era and a mindset. While there’s no shortage of nostalgia in the show, it doesn’t stop there. The podcast is more than a trip down memory lane. It’s a celebration of transformation, of reinvention that happened quietly and authentically, long before hashtags made it trendy.
“We were reinventing ourselves long before it became a branding strategy,” Jackson explains. “The show dives into those layered stories—of reinvention that wasn’t loud but was powerful, resilient, and often hilariously messy.”
Episodes feature candid conversations with musicians, actors, and cultural icons who shaped the Gen X landscape. But these aren’t PR-polished soundbites. Jackson draws out unfiltered reflections on success, identity, failure, and everything in between. “There’s this beautiful humility to it,” she says. “Fame just sort of happened, often without a filter or warning label. The ones I’ve spoken to seem far more reflective, less curated, and more likely to laugh at their own rise and fall.”
That’s the magic of The Gen-X-Perience. It doesn’t try to be polished or perfect. It’s real, raw, and genuinely fun. Jackson creates a vibe that’s less formal interview, more catching up over cocktails at a class reunion.
“We speak fluent sarcasm and self-deprecation,” she jokes. “The vibe is never interrogative; it’s ‘let’s have a drink and talk like we’re at a high school reunion… but cooler.’”
Her approach resonates because Gen Xers know how to keep it real. They were raised on analog grit, dial-up delays, and the art of patience—lessons that still shape how they move through a fast-paced digital world. “We remember what it’s like to wait for things, which gives our stories patience and texture. But we also know how to hit ‘record’ and roll with it,” she adds.
And Jackson’s rolling with it big time. She sees The Gen-X-Perience as just the beginning. The podcast could evolve into live shows, a published collection, maybe even an event all its own. “Gen X deserves its own festival—maybe we’ll call it something like ‘Rebootstock,’” she says, laughing. “The podcast is just the start. I can see it growing into a hub where Gen Xers can share stories, support each other, and yes—dance to Salt-N-Pepa like nobody’s watching.”
In an industry obsessed with youth and the next big thing, Stacey Jackson is standing up for a generation that quietly shaped culture, innovated before the internet, and lived full, messy, meaningful lives. The Gen-X-Perience isn’t just another podcast—it’s a reclamation. Jackson isn’t just honoring Gen X—she’s reminding the world that they were never gone. They were just waiting for the mic.
