Club Shay Shay - Club Shay Shay - David Banner part 1

Episode Date: June 18, 2025

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of Club Shay Shay, Shannon Sharpe sits down with Grammy-nominated rapper, producer, actor, and cultural thought leader David Banner for a raw, vulnerable, and wide-ranging conversation. From his roots in Jackson, Mississippi, to his rise as a pioneer of Southern hip-hop and a visionary in media and activism, Banner opens up like never before. From selling mixtapes at Kroger’s to producing hits for T.I., Lil Wayne, Chris Brown, Maroon 5, and more, Banner recounts his rise in the music industry and the painful realization that fame isn’t what it seems. He reflects on how hip-hop wasn’t just an escape, but an education and empowerment. Inspired by Brand Nubian and The Autobiography of Malcolm X, Banner stopped eating pork in the 8th grade and began a lifelong journey toward purpose and spiritual grounding. “Rap taught me something,” he says, recalling how music, and later, therapy, helped him confront childhood trauma, grief, and the weight of being a voice for the people. Banner speaks candidly about battling depression, the heartbreak of the music industry, and the painful realization that fame is often a lie. “I loved music, and music broke my heart,” he admits. But instead of folding, he evolved. Now the CEO of Banner Vision, he’s produced campaigns for Gatorade, Disney, Marvel, and acting in films —playing a god in an upcoming superhero movie. His mission? Use his platform to rebuild what the industry won’t. He opens up about his faith, his genius-level reading skills as a child, and how Samuel L. Jackson gave him life-changing acting lessons on the set of Black Snake Moan. He reflects on his HBCU experience at Southern University, corporate racism, tough conversations, politics, and even why he built his grandmother a house as the first thing he did with his music money. From deep conversations with Erykah Badu and LL Cool J, to producing "Rubberband Man" and learning from Jay-Z, to giving insight on Nelly’s “Tip Drill” and the truth about how money is made in music, this episode is a masterclass in growth, purpose, and legacy. He challenges peers to invest in their communities: “I invest in me. I put my money back into what I stand for.” He shares wisdom passed down from his father and lessons from losing friends to gang violence. The conversation digs deep into spirituality, accountability, masculinity, and systemic racism in both America and corporate culture. Banner pulls no punches: “Hollywood is no different from America. The police just took the hoods off.” He urges honesty in our communities and calls for an end to performative shock when abusers or injustices come to light. In one of the most moving moments, Banner opens up about being tired, not just physically, but emotionally, from pouring so much into Black culture. He honors his hero, Ice Cube, and praises Ryan Coogler and the movie Sinners for reconnecting African Americans with lost spirituality, and celebrates Shannon Sharpe for defying the odds and doing it his way. “You’re the only one who did it the way you did. You showed the world what country really means.” As the episode closes, Banner leaves us with this charge: “Just shoot it. Keep clicking, keep believing. God conspires with those who believe.” Whether he’s talking to LL Cool J, scoring for T.I., or building legacy from the South to the screen, David Banner is proof that faith, fight, and freedom are the true measures of success. This is an episode that you don’t want to miss!   #VolumeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of 2B. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. Would others dismiss as niche we embrace as core? There are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Hi, I'm Sarah Spain, host of Good Game with Sarah Spain and the co-author of the new book Runs in the Family, an incredible true story of football, fatherhood and belonging written with and about Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach Dylan McCullough. It's the story of a football coach and father of four who sees his life forever changed by the unsealing of his adoption records. And it's got a twist you won't believe. Based on the viral ESPN story I did a few years ago, this book will blow your mind and bring you to tears. Buy runs in the family wherever books are sold. How you doing?

Bro, I'm doing good. I woke up this morning. I was in my right mind. Love was running warm in my veins. I had use of my limbs I was able to put my feet on the floor. A lot of people had an appointment They couldn't reschedule. What they say from where we from we on this side of the dirt Yeah, that was the first thing I wanted to. Got the roll of dice, that's why. All my life, I been grinding all my life. All my life, been grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle pay the price, want a slice. Got the roll of dice, that's why. All my life, I been grinding all my life.

Hello, welcome to another episode of Club Cheche. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club CheChe. Stopping by for Conversation on a Drink today is one of hip hop's most multidimensional figures. He's a Grammy nominated rapper, award winning songwriter, and multi-platinum artist, versatile producer. He's the first rapper inducted into the Mississippi Musician Hall of Fame.

He's evolved from a rapper into a dynamic force behind the scenes. He's CEO of Banner Vision, who created campaigns for Gatorade, Disney, Marvel, Gillette, and Pepsi, a multi-talented actor, activist, philanthropist, entrepreneur, entertainer, and public speaker, an advocate for humanity, a cultural thought leader, an outspoken commentator on social issues, and industry veteran for over a quarter century, he uses his voice and influence to push the boundaries and spark meaningful change. One of the major forces behind the Dirty South's rap

breakthrough in mainstream music in the early 2000s from the MI, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter I. Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Humpback, Humpback. Here he is, yours truly, David Banner. Blessing. Blessing. Shannon.

Yes. How you doing? Bro, I'm doing good. Honestly. No, you know what? I woke up this morning, I was in my right mind. Love was running warm in my veins. I had use of my limbs.

I was able to put my feet on the floor because a lot of people had an appointment they couldn't reschedule. What they say from where we from, we on this side of the dirt. That was the first thing I wanted to say before we say anything, bro, is check in with you. Like, I need you to understand something, bro.

When you decided that you were going to talk like you talk, be intelligent. Make sure that you were gonna talk like you talk, be intelligent. Make sure that you know everything. I watched how you researched. I watched how it meant something to you. Because I remember as an actor, one of the first things they told me to do is to crush my Southern accent

or I was gonna be typecast. I remember that, bro. And for you to decide, make a conscious decision that you wanna speak like you, bro, and you brought them you to decide, make a conscious decision, that you want to speak like you, bro, and you brought them to you, that meant a lot. And we have to be careful, bro. Sometimes we will allow them to turn our blessings

into a jail cell. Like, bruh, I watched when you talked about, bro, not having no running water in the crib, bro. People don't even understand where we come from and the environments that our grandparents lived and our mothers lived under, bro. You know, and for you to break generational curses, bro, I want you to understand that regardless of what they decide to try to do, bro, you own yourself. You a made man.

So like one of the things that I think that we do is we become so judgemental of each other and forget that we're human beings. Bro, I talked about recently, people were really interested in this conversation about how, and I'm not talking about whether he was right or wrong or not. That's not for me to judge, that's for God to judge.

But like how media did Chris Brown when he was a child, he was a kid, people forgot he wasn't even 21 at the time. And we, because we are so vested in these people's fame and their money, we forget what God say. We forget about being human beings and we pray for forgiveness every, can I cuss y'all? Every f**king day of our life. But we are the most judgmental people on this planet. So bro, I really, really wanted to know just how you doing.

I think the thing is a lot of time what happens is that we ask for forgiveness, but we're the least forgiving. And I think that's the biggest issue right there. And we don't forgive ourselves. No. And sometimes we end up putting ourselves in jail for perpetuity, even though at the smallest mistakes, realizing that at the end of the day, we're human and we're gonna err. And yeah, but I think the thing for me is that, is that I do realize how fortunate I am.

I do realize how blessed that I am. And I do realize where I came from and how long it took me to get here. And I'm very thankful. I'm very appreciative of the people because a lot of people had to sacrifice in order for Shannon to be where Shannon is. And I never very thankful, I'm very appreciative of the people because a lot of people had to sacrifice in order for Shannon to be where Shannon is. And I never forgot that.

You know what I think that your followers should do right now? And I think they should sit back and be honored and blessed that this much chocolate is on their camera right now. Just look and take this here right now. Because Shannon, I'm in that gym. Not quiet as much as you are. I'm in that gym, not quite as much as you are. I'm in that gym, dawg. Yeah.

I see you, I see you. That's what Jordan, my social media guy, my picture guy, he was like, man, okay, I see you've been in the gym, hitting them shoulders, huh? Bro, let me tell you something, dawg, man. I'm so thankful, bro. You had Ali Sadik on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's one of my partners, bro. Yeah, he's thankful, bro. You had Ali Sadik on. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's one of my partners. Yeah, he's amazing, bro. Matter of fact, I saw it shocked you when you asked him a question and he said David Banner. Yeah. He was like, oh. Like, Ali was one of the people that taught me, man, that if we really about what we say we are about spiritually, we make some people uncomfortable.

There's certain spaces that are not for us. And sometimes we have to be careful. I had to learn this, bro. I just came out like a major depression, bro. And I think, I can't say what God was trying to show me, man, but I think God was trying to tell me that even the things that I think are good still don't come before Him, her, or it. You understand what I'm saying? So I thought fighting for black people, I thought being a good person, I thought all

of those things. Even think about David in the Bible. People don't know that Psalms is a song versus from a song. And that as much as people talk about it, if you took away the fact that God said that that was his man, if you look at David, he was a gangster rapper. No, really, I'm serious. And the only reason why Christians hoop and holler about David is because God said, that's

my man. But if you took that away, you would treat him like you used to treat David Banner and how they trying to treat you. So just like, just as a man, bro, like regardless, it ain't my place, bro, but I wanted to do a check on you. Good. Because most people don't.

Right. And most people really don't care, bro. Right. Yeah. Well. Bless it. Bro, to everything that you've accomplished, all that you're doing, and what you'll continue to accomplish.

Thank you, Jesus. God bless you. I appreciate it, man. I appreciate it, bro. Thank you. Thank you for having me in your space, bro. Thanks for coming. How have you been?

Bro, I'm better than I ever been in my life, bro, to be honest with you, man. It's so funny, man, because the kids try to call me OG. And I'm serious, bro, with the exception of speed, I'm stronger than I ever been. I'm smarter, wiser, jamming, rapping better than I ever had. I'm definitely a better actor. And what people don't understand is my life is just starting.

Bro, look at what you were able to accrue after football. And think about this, bro. Sometimes the things that we thought that we wanted, God didn't give it to us because he knew it would be a nightmare. Bro, you've done so much more after football. Yeah. Bro, I'm doing so much more. Like, once people, once it catches up what I'm doing right now, bro, I didn't even dream

it, bro. Right. No, I definitely didn't see this aspect of it. Yeah, bro. Like, I'm about to be a superhero, bro. Right. I play a god in a movie. That's about to come out, bro. And that's the reason why now, man, I've stopped asking why.

And I ask what? Like, what is it for? Like, what is it for? It's a reason. Because I know I'm chosen. So if I'm chosen, bro, like, we got to stop doubting. Like, there's a reason for everything that we ever gone through, bro.

You know, when you get in that gym, bro, that rep don't start until you feel the pain. So when you feel the pain, okay, now it's time to really get to work. So now you gotta get back to work because it was getting easy for you. I know how it is, we get spoiled. We spoil children, bro.

So it started getting easy. Now, okay? I'm back where I'm comfortable. You feel what I'm saying? I'm comfortable, I'm built for this, bro. And so, man, I'm so fortunate, man, because, bro, the stuff that I'm doing now, man, I don't want to say it scares me,

because I knew it, I saw it, but it's like, bro, I'm from Mississippi. Yeah. And God placed me in that place for a reason, to be able to rep in a way, bro, that Farrakhan once told me one time, bro, it shook me, man. He said that if you can put any type of dent in racism, being from Mississippi, you can be a beacon of hope for people and places. And I'm paraphrasing, it's hard to speak

for a man that powerful. But everything is starting to make sense to me. And I think it'll start making sense to you in a minute, bro. You mentioned you're from Jackson, Mississippi. Now, Jackson, Mississippi is not New York, it's not Chicago, it's not LA, it's not one of those big cities.

So it's interesting, I would like to hear, what was your upbringing? Were you like, I mean, I know Jackson is the capital, and so were you on a farm, were you in the rural area? What was growing, what was David Banner's childhood like? So this is the craziest thing, bro. I always wanted to be a city boy, my whole life. And then I moved.

From Jacksonville to City Hall. Then I moved to the city, and was like, no, we had it already. Okay. Dog, that love, that good food, that space. But I realized, man, that I had already been blessed. And that's the reason why it's important for you to have purpose in life. Because sometimes God has already blessed you.

I spoke at the Waymakers Conference, and I was telling a young kid, like, we had walked by and I can tell he didn't know who we were because he was so young. I was like, come here, bro. I said, bro, you don't know who you, you don't never know who you talking to. Be kind to everyone.

Absolutely. And I think that's what us being from the country, Georgia and Mississippi taught us, bro. The real truth is before conventional religion, we believe that God is in everything. Even if you going to hunt, you got to pray over that body before you kill it, before you eat it.

And I think money has blinded us to those things that our grandparents taught us, bro. Like I remember seeing that in you, bro, when you first started, bro. It was, of course there was competitiveness because that was your job, bro. They build these almost mechanical machines and try to act like that doesn't bleed over in the real life.

And they know better than that. That's why so many football players have problems after the game because they don't know where to put that because you warriors, right? So like for me being from Mississippi, man, I grew up, man, rap actually changed my life. Like Jackson was real loud, a murder capital of the United States. Bro, when stuff was hard for me, bro, that was why my friends didn't understand. I didn't listen to the same kind of music other people listen to. Imagine being in Mississippi, I would roll up to the club playing the Price is Right.

Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba. That was like, that nigga, I'm crazy! Yeah. roll up to the club playing The Price is Right. Ba ba ba ba ba ba ba. That was like, that nigga all crazy. But I always wanted to escape. And so what football did for you, like music did for me. But the problem was with me is like, once I made it, I realized it wasn't what we thought it was. Like all that shit is a lie. It's a business, bro.

And it hit me hard because I really, really loved music. My little homeboys would always say, man, like, you act like rapper girl. Like, it broke your heart or something, bro. And what I think that we can do, Shannon, that's different, is that if we really want it to be true, and this is the power that God gave to us, all you have to do to make the music industry fair

is we can sign kids and give them what they deserve. We talk about DEI all the time, bro. Apparently them people don't like us. Apparently they don't want us around. Then why don't we employ our own people? Because one thing, one, I don't have any problem with my peers, but the problem that I do have with my peers is we accrued all of this money,

and we'll buy fancy clothes and jewelry and stuff, but we won't invest in ourselves. We talk about investing in all these corporations, bro. I invested me. Right. Bro, I've made enough money shining in my life to all these corporations, bro. I invest in me. Right. Bro, I've made enough money shining in my life to live three generations, bro. But the reason why I don't have the money

that I probably deserve and my family probably deserve, because I've always put my money back into me, back into my community, things that I stand for. And people say I'm crazy for that, bro. But like I real, real, real live love black people in all forms of us, bro. Because I study history, I know why we act the way that we act.

I'm not surprised, but I am grateful, bro, that we come from where we come and to be able to sit here no matter how much pain we've been through and find a way to look at each other and smile and I'm drinking your shit and enjoying it. That's a blessing, dog. It absolutely is.

You said something very interesting. You said you always wanted to be a rapper and when you got there, it wasn't what you thought it was. I've always wanted to be a professional football player. And I'm not necessarily, it wasn't because I thought it was this glamorous position, I mean a glamour job, because it was. I wanted to be it because I thought what it would do

helped me do for my family. That's all I've ever wanted to do. Can I pause you for a second? Yes. And bro, I love the reverence that you have for your brother. Appreciate that. People need to see that.

That is so important, Shannon. And like, bro, I know sometimes, man, like we sometimes we get disillusioned and we forget that most of the stuff that we shoot for now, we didn't even know that it was possible. Absolutely. Bro, the reverence that you give for you. Like, I've studied you. That's the thing about you is because

Bro, all the rest of that stuff and all of my other people that I see in your position I don't know them right. I know where you from bro. I know the pain that you've been through right around I don't agree with everything you say everything that you do But I do know you're a country dark-skinned man from very similar situations that I come from. So that other shit, the mother talk about, I don't know about that. I know about what you come from, bro. So your reverence for your brother, bro, I've always respected that.

And he needed to. Because of injuries, bro, he wasn't able, bro. He was a maniac, dog. And so he may not tell you this, bro, but bro, when you feed back into him, bro, that gives him life, and he's actually able to live through your ability to continue, bro. Well, that was our whole thing growing up.

And I don't know him. I can't speak for him, but I'm just saying. No, but when we growing up, after my grandfather died, he was the dominant male figure in my life, even though he was only three years older And so the the relationship that we have is that it's more of a father figure than a brother figure my sister She's eight years older It's more of a mother because she taught me all the things that a mother probably would have done

Mm-hmm. And so, you know help me with my homework sign my report card You know get me help me get take a bath and get me dressed for school when I was at an age that I couldn't really do it for myself. And so we've always been close. I remember my grandmother used to always say, boy, she say, son, teeth and tongue may fall out, but you and your brother and your sister,

y'all should never fall out. Damn. Hold on, that's a bar. Let that sit there for a minute. That's the shit we need, like ugh. And it wasn't, and at the time that she said it, I didn't understand. And what she meant, she said,

son, if your teeth bite your tongue, your tongue get mad at your teeth, won't it? And you're like, dang. She said, they might fall out with each other. She said, but y'all don't. And we're not perfect. My brother says some things, done some things I didn't like.

I've done some things, I promise you. My sister's the same way. But through everything, good, bad, up, down, indifferent, I can always pick up the phone and call Buck. I can always pick up the phone and call my brother I can always pick up the phone and call my brother, Spike. And no matter what, no matter what, we had a conversation, and I'm sharing this with you for the first time,

and I apologize for what was going on. I say, bro, this your day. I say, now, if this is gonna call you, I said, cause I don't want it to be about me. I say, man, I prayed so many nights for this day to come, Spank. He said, bro, look here. He said, I know you as much as you,

as well as you know yourself. He said, I know you as much as well as you know yourself. He said, I'm your older brother. He says, nobody is ever going to be more proud of you than I am. I don't want anyone else to be my presenter other than you. I want you to stand up on that stage. I want you to look out there to that crowd. I want you to look at our families that's down there and how proud they are of us.

He say don't you ever, ever let your chin touch your chest. That's what I'm trying to tell you. And I ain't even your brother, dog. That's what I'm trying to tell you. Don't worry about it, bro. Honestly, man, like whatever, whatever I may disagree with you about or may not like, like we can talk about that as me later on. But like for us to have some type of united front,

bro, that's important, bro. And I'm doing this on purpose in front of the camera because we don't, bro, honestly, honestly, I didn't learn to talk. Man, my mentor just taught me, bro, like where I'm from, you don't talk to nobody, bro. I didn't know, I didn't talk to my friends about shit. I was taught in the streets, bro, you don't show no weakness to nobody, bro.

And so my mentor, David Moody, he asked me, he was like, bro, do you talk to your friends like you talk to me? And he was like, bro, do you talk to your friends like you talk to me? And I was like, no, sir. And bro, I've been holding this shit my whole life. I think the thing is, David, that we gotta be careful because I'm a firm believer. My grandfather used to say, boy, you gotta be careful

what you tell people. He say, well, once people find out what make you tick, they'll wind you up and make you tick when they want you to instead of when you need to. But that's only because the environment that our grandparents were built. But the real truth is if we can't talk to our friends, then they're not our friends.

It shouldn't be around us, bro. We make enough money to have yes people around us. But real friends, you need to be able to, and I mean this, and I know how immediate it is, so I have to watch what I say. You should be able to get necking in front of your people. My mentor taught me something, bro. I'm serious, bro.

I never thought about this in my life, bro. He said, I don't do business with men that cheat on their wives. And I say, huh? He said, if the person that you sleep with can't trust you, I damn sure can't. And I never thought about that. If I can't talk to my best friends, like, this is the first

thing I ever asked my friend. Coming from the streets, and it's funny, bruh, I just talked to Matt Barnes about this, bro. Cause I'm so proud of that boy, man. Or that young man, that man, excuse me. We probably about the same age. I'm so proud of him, man. And I can tell that we deal with the same struggles.

So I talked to him, I was like, bro, man, I'm so proud of you. I don't even know you like that, but I watched you grow up. And I told him, man, I was like, man, like, I didn't saw so much violent stuff. I didn't understand why am I having anxiety about this weak shit that I'm going through now. You know what I'm saying? But my therapist taught me that the human brain

and God built us and loved us so much that the human brain hides you from certain stuff until you get comfortable enough or old enough. And now that we got some bread, okay, deal with that shit that happened to you when you were nine. Oh. Oh shit, that's why I'm freaking out. Welcome to the You vs. You podcast.

I'm Lex Perero and every week we sit down with some of the biggest names in entertainment to talk about the real stuff. The struggles, the doubts, and the breakthroughs that made them who they are. We go deep, throwing childhood trauma, family, overcoming loss, and the moments that shape their journey. These honest conversations are meant to take the cape off our heroes, with the hope that their humanity inspires you to become a better you and therefore set you free to live the life of your dreams.

Here's a sneak peek. I'm trained to go compete. I'm trained to be like go harder. But sometimes that mentality stops you from stopping and smelling the flowers in your own garden. Is it wrong to want more? We migrated. Our family migrated here. I'm like second generation.

Who's not going to have a trauma coming from a foreign country and coming to the United States and not speaking English? Listen to You Versus You as part of Michael Tudel Podcast Network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next.

In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there,

and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide and hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Oh, okay, I get it now.

And when you were playing football, you a different type of animal. When I was really in rap in the middle of that shit, I was a different type of animal. Now I actually care. And enough therapy has taught me that I really do care about people. I thought I was the hardest walking on the streets.

I did. I was not. The David Banner now, as trained as I am, excuse my French, I would f*** the young maniac loud talking person that I was because people that run their mouth and talk loud they don't know shit. You ain't never in your life saw an angry kung fu master, have you? All they gotta do is cut you, literally cut your throat. That's all they gotta do. You ain't gotta get mad about it.

Mad is a lack of information. If you are the greatest, you ain't never gotta get mad at nobody, I'll knock you out, fool. You know what I'm saying? So for me, man, like the older that I get, bro, I think that we can use these mediums, bro, as a way to release each other, bro. Like I really want you to know that it's okay.

However this shit go, bro, you've already won. Right. Like we are the underdogs, bro, the continent underdogs. If we don't get another $1, another view, it's a blessing that God made us, gave us the vision to see further and to want more. But Bruce Lee said something that was so powerful. He said,

the goals are only a north star to keep you moving. They're not always things that you are supposed to accomplish, but we gotta keep moving or you die. Right. Yeah. So growing up, so was rap, did you play sports in high school? Did you play sports going up? Did you ever want to be an athlete? Did you always want, was rap the only thing that was on your mind?

So what were you gonna do to get out, because I know Jackson, Mississippi, you grew up, born in Jackson, grew up in Jackson. That wasn't gonna be your final resting place. I never said this before, but people used to laugh at me because I was a rapper. Some of the same people that ask for record deals now, I remember them laughing at me. Yeah. But they're like, why you trying to do that New York shit?

Motherfuckers laughed at me, bro. And I, my uncle came from the north, bro, and for some reason he wanted to be a, he wanted to be a blues DJ. I didn't even know that was a thing. Right. Bro, he gave me all of his rap records. I remember the first record was Rock La Steck from Steck's The Sonic What you know about Steck? I just told you. Yeah, I just told you just say Steck. Yeah Tila Rock. Oh bad. That's it. Now you going back. Man Tronix. I'm telling you and I was a little little kid. Yeah Imagine getting this type of information, bro. But what people don't know, bro,

is that we were battle rapping in Mississippi. That's how powerful hip hop was at the time, man. And he gave me all these records, bro, and it helped me to escape. Hip hop had always been like, bro, I listen to, I related more to, you know, groups like Hieroglyphics, bro, and Souls of Mischief, because the dope dealing, the violence.

My friend, Chucky, was the first person to die from gang violence in Jackson, Mississippi. He was older than me. We used to go to what y'all call Circle K. It used to be Stop and Go back in the day. So it was this game that was the ripoff of Pac-Man was Ladybug. I would go down and we would play Ladybug, man, and as old as he was. Because what people don't know is that the people who were affected the most by gangs was dance groups.

Because they were already in a group. No different than fraternities. I think that's what Jim Jones was trying to explain to people, bro, football is a fraternity. Absolutely. Like, bro, basketball and rap is a fraternity. We're just not as organized. Correct.

You know what I'm saying? Like, we might as well just go ahead and say it and get organized and made it move. And Chucky was the first dude to ever die, bro, so it affected me in a way. And what happened was, bro, is that I loved rap so much because it was always my escape from my reality. But what it also did is think about this, bro. This is gonna freak you out. Bro, I stopped eating pork in Mississippi. And you know how we feel.

How old were you when you started eating pork? 11th grade. 11th grade? In Mississippi. So, I hadn't been eating pork longer than most people. No pig ear, no pig tails? No nothing loin that most people don't. No pig ears, no pig tails. No nothing.

No bacon. No nothing. No sausage. See, that's the reason why people listen to me, Shannon. Chilis. Because I tell people I never ate chilis. Oh, okay. Hog mouth?

No. Oh, okay. But let me tell you this, this is the reason why I think kids listen to me. Bruh, I would swim in pork, if I could. That shit tastes good. Act like the shit don't taste good. For real. Bro, I would swim in pork if I could. That shit tastes good, act like the shit don't taste good. For real.

But what I tell people this, and be honest with you, listen to me when I say this, y'all. Would you eat rad if it tasted good? You probably would, Shadda. I ain't gonna, I look at your big ass, you probably, Shadda don't, y'all don't take a drink from Shadda. You probably, your big ass, ah, he dropped out.

Your big ass probably would. My home grandma. You decide that. Yeah. The only reason why I'm saying that is cause the rats died is better than the pigs. Yeah. The pig will literally eat your ass.

So will the chicken. That's what the pot do. You eat chicken? Yes. Ain't nothing nested on the chicken. You right. I grew up on a farm. That's what I'm saying. Okay. And you eat that? Hold on, but let me tell you, but let me,ed on the chicken. I grew up on a farm. That's what I'm saying Okay, and you eat that no, but let me tell you but let me there's a difference. Okay

the thing that I realized though, bro, is that Is that as I got older bro? the hip-hop Actually taught me something bro Like I stopped eating because a brand newbie You know, I tell sadat at the time his name was Sadat X, Derek X at the time. Like bro, it was the reason why I stopped eating pork. And then bro, from that, I read Malcolm X, Autobot, bro.

It changed my whole entire life. And then from the broader files, I actually stole that book from my cousin. This is a story that I'm actually, and I'm not gonna go too far into it, but the lead singer from House of Pain, he ended up buying two of my God boxes. I put out my last project that I put out, some people say it was the greatest marketing that I put out, some people say it was the greatest marketing, so-called, they call it marketing schemes, but he ended up buying two of those God boxes because his sister got pregnant by a black dude.

So his children, I mean, his nephews are black. And he bought them God boxes because he said, I don't know nothing about being black, but I do trust David Banner. Wow. What's funny is how I became conscious because my cousin stole the remix, the Pete Rock remix of Jump Around from me.

And since he stole my CD at the time, I stole that book. I read that book from Chicago to Mississippi, and it changed the whole course of my life, and that's why I'm David Banner. How did you? So when you tell your mom, you tell your dad, or your grandparents that I ain't even pork no more.

Cause you know, bacon and all that stuff. And the food is hard to get in the South. Let's be clear. I know where you going. Go ahead, say it, Shannon. They ain't bringing no shoulder. They ain't bringing no, you ain't getting no, first of, you're not getting the best cuts of meat on the pig anyway. So you getting the scraps.

And a cow, oh, I have merch. I don't think I have hamburger. You get ground hamburger. But you not getting no sirloin, you ain't getting no rib eye, no none of that. So how did you make, how did you like, your parents and your grandparents like, I ain't eating pork no more. Let me show you something powerful. And I didn't realize this, bro, until three years ago. Okay.

Watch this. My parents actually stopped eating pork because of me. Huh? They were on my ass at first because they thought it was just a fad. But I think they knew what I was saying was true. You know what I'm saying? And I didn't notice that my parents didn't start back

eating pork until a year after I left school. But sometimes, man, our parents in the South, and I was just telling the young man this today, that our parents worked their ass off so we could be smarter than them. Sometimes we get frustrated at our parents because they don't understand what we understand, but there's no way for them to understand.

All they could do is work. So we could be smarter, so we can be the best football player in the world. They're never exposed to what we're being exposed to. And so I think, like this is something personal, bro. Like my mother started going to church because of me. Wow.

She's like, there's no way that my child is going to church and I'm not going to church. Wow. And so I ended up telling my mom later on, like, you trusted me when I was 16. Just consider what I'm telling you now. Because if you followed me then, I'm not asking you to believe in what I believe in now, but just consider me. And then I had to learn that they worked hard so they wouldn't have to consider us, bro.

And so like back in Mississippi, as far as eating pork and all of that kind of stuff, man, like the fact that they gave me the opportunity, because they had to eat what they had to eat and wasn't no fucking choices. So for me to even have that is a blessing and I'm grateful for yeah I don't know if it's the 50s and 60s being vegan was an option for a black person But but but but on the other side we were good. No, we were green. Oh, that's hilarious

Come on, I'm greasy just say it dog. It's okay. I know we already got the ratings just say I'm greasy. Just say it, dog, it's okay. I know we already got the ratings and stuff. Just say I'm greasy, bro. I actually usually need lotion. Come on, do it now. We done broke the third wall. Let's do it. One thing I want y'all to take into consideration though

is we country. Greasy. You just rubbed it in. Yeah. See, that used to be the thing. You just rubbed it in. Yeah. See that used to be the thing. You want to be greasy. I don't think that's ever happened on Shana Sharf's show before. But what I was saying was bro is that for us to be in a position bro to even be able

to do it Shana and I want you to think about this off camera, bro. Like, bro, it ain't no f***ing losing for us, bro. Like, my parents couldn't consider not eating pork. And one thing that people don't talk about, it was a little bit different, cause the pig was actually a part of the f***ing family. We went and got our pig from the backyard. I'm dead serious. You raised it. So we know what that pig was actually a part of the family. We went and got our pig from the backyard. I'm dead serious. You raised it.

So we know what that pig was eating. Yeah. I don't eat fish, bro, but I had a catfish farm. When they were, that MTV Cribs that everybody says, one of the, like, dude, I had catfish and I fed them. So my catfish, you could literally see through their skin, because I didn't feed my catfish bullshit. I fed them like I fed the dog.

So when we ate, when you ate the pig in Mississippi and Georgia, it was almost like eating your fourth to fifth cousin. Yeah, in a good way. Because I know how meaty it is. They have cut that up and said that I was eating. Yeah. Yeah, they're like pets.

Because you fed them at your hands. I mean, you saw them, girl, you're like, okay, yeah, that's the one that's gonna be, you know, come Christmas time, that's the one that's gonna be, you know, so, but let me ask you this, Dave. What do you think the number one thing that you learned from your parents? What's the number one teaching that,

like when you're going through something, or you're somewhere and you sit back and think, and you're like, my mom, my dad said said I'm gonna give you a great one Shadda Is when I was one of the top producers in the world I Was out in Vegas producing for arguably one of the biggest artists on this planet and The artists came in and bro, this is before I And the artist came in and bro, this is before

I was the conscious, super conscious David Banner. This is before I was polished. I was straight off the streets and I would jump in your ass quick, right? This is when a lot of people don't know this. I was on the terrorist list before it was a thing. Because Universal didn't pay me my money and I kicked open 12 doors. They had money behind none of them, huh? Yeah, it didn't pay me my money and I kicked open 12 doors. They had money behind none of them, huh?

Yeah, it didn't. But I played into that game, my anger played into that game because they owed me that money. And what people didn't know, bro, I didn't sign to Universal until way after like a pimp that came out. Cause I had told them folks, and I don't think white folks was used to this

cause they were so used to black people being money hungry. I said, y'all already put my record out. I ain't got to sign shit. You owe me. Because I knew I could sue them. I've always been smart. So I said, what you do is get my contract right. I'll go on this tour.

I don't trip. But have my money. So I had become this $10 million David Banner and my mother was in Mississippi, bro, struggling dog. You know what the f***ing way? Yeah, that don't make sense. Then I'm making millions for you and my mama can't eat? I'll f***ing hurt you.

Okay, let me get back to the story. So what I learned from my dad'm trying to be more upbeat. My dad told me that Shannon and I live by this to this day, man. It changed my life. The artist walked in and said, I just came from gambling and I was playing a beat that was for somebody else. And this artist was like, who is that? Who that for? And I was like, yeah is that? Who that for?

And I was like, yeah, it's not for sale. It's not for sale. Right. And a person flipped me a $10,000 chip. Now, number one, I'm from Mississippi. I ain't never seen no $10,000 chip. I've been gambling half my life, right? But Negro, you don't throw nothing at me.

We not used to that shit. I almost lost it and I called my dad. I walked outside the studio and called my dad. I said, dad, I didn't even tell him the story. Right. He said, what's wrong? I said, dad, I was shaking, I was so mad. I was like, dad, he said, stop.

How do you feel? I said, dad, I don't feel good at all. He said, pack your shit and leave. I said, dad, I'm about to make six figures. He said, I don't give up pack your shit He said I'd rather you work in the post office and Be a $70 man Then be a million dollar woman with an invisible skirt on

Hey, I never never never forgot that, bro. You can walk around looking like a man, but having an invisible skirt on. He said, Pack your shit. I'd rather you be back in Mississippi in the mail room and be a fucking man that I can look at. So the guy thought he could flip you that $10,000 chip and get the beat? I mean, so what was- What the thing was is, it's regardless, man.

I think sometimes that we get into this industry and forget that we still human beings. And that's something that I don't want to lose, Shannon. I'm going to tell you something I never told nobody. Look at my hands. Yeah. Bro, I don't wear gloves in the gym. Yeah, you do hard.

Yeah, I can see the calisthenics already built up. I wear gloves. Well, but we got different things. But literally, bro, like I said, as much money as I make, I never want to lose the fact that I come from a working man's background. Background, okay. Honestly, though, Shannon, man, my dad taught me that. There's certain things that we never want to lose.

And bro, I don't know what you're going through again. I really felt like, bro, it's part of my purpose as a person. But you come from the South. You come from certain things that, bro, it got to be born into you. Just always remember those things, but that's the reason why you here. It ain't nothing like that shit, bro. Ain't nothing like our grandparents, and our grandparents are dead now. Oh, yeah, for sure.

That's one thing that I wanted to start a business where we go and get all of our aunties and cousins, all of those quilts, bro. You know what I'm saying? Those homemade biscuits, bro. Like the stuff that white people are making millions, white folks making millions of dollars off chitlins. Bro, we weren't supposed to be eating no chitlins,

but we didn't have no, we had to turn it into a delicacy. The new chitlin now is Oxtail. Well, I tell you. They killing them folks in New York, bro. I'm telling you. The Jamaican's mad as fuck. They was like, damn, dog. We could have did that shit, dog.

What the fuck? Yep. You feel me? But that's what I'm saying, Shannon, bro. It's in us, bro. And I know for a fact, man, with AI and all of this technology, the one thing you can't fake is authenticity. That was the reason why them folks jumped on you.

It's more country folks than it is city folks, though. Always remember that. It's more of us. It's more struggling people. That's the reason why the blues and black music resonates so well. The only thing that makes us relatable is all of us are gonna die. So pain is the only common denominator

with all human beings on this earth, bro. That's what makes us special. Wow. I saw the viral video where you saw your, the dad told you, say, son, those, what, you know, you're smiling and your dad called you and said, what are you smiling for? Stop smiling.

Did you understand at the time why he didn't want you to smile? I didn't, but what I do hate is I don't like people talking about my dad. Like, I wish I would have explained it a little bit better and this gives me the opportunity. What happened was, was my dad knew that he had to raise a certain type of man, especially in the South.

Correct. Like, my dad told me this story once. Do you know one of the reasons why Southern people beat their children so violently? Because in the South at one time, by law, if you raised up to a white person, they could kill you Absolutely. So what they did was break you so that when they beat if somebody beats you while you was in town with them white folks They wouldn't kill you So they got you used to being beat. Do you know how much that would hurt?

Mm-hmm a parent to have to beat their child out and the child doesn't deserve that That's what I'm saying, man. Like when people judge black people, there's a reason, there's a story. That's why our movies and our music, we gotta get out of commercialism, bro. And we gotta get back to telling these stories of why. When they see black people and they see us mad

and they see us do certain things, bro, we've been conditioned to be this way. Bro, I'm on this really big tour and yeah, I'm talking about it. A lot of people get scared of me, bro, because I tell the truth. Man, I'm on this big tour and the sponsors are coming at me because I told them, white folks, I said, your grandparents taught you how to be racist. You know? And I said, I don't need you. I don't need no white savior.

What I need you to do is for you to check your racist uncle. The people who you know that's saying the word nigga. The people that make you feel uncomfortable because you love my music, so I know you know better. Go back and check your grandfather, your mother, your cousins, your sisters, your uncles. That's the reason why like when we become judgment or some black people, you know your uncle's so dope.

Why you treating somebody else kid like that? Cause they selling dope. You know your uncle's so dope. Out your grandmama house, niggas, stop that. We become other people because we trying to impress folks, bro, I don't ever want to do that, Shannon. I don't ever, I want to give the message. I want to give God's message.

It's God's responsibility to judge you. Now, if you do something to me, I'm gonna have to get your ass off of you. It's funny that you said that. You said that people judge. My grandfather said that, very same thing. He said, boy judge. My grandfather said that, it's the very same thing. He said, boy, if you're not careful, you'll become the very thing you despise

the most of the person. If you hate a liar, if you're not careful, you'll become one. If you hate a thief, you'll become one. But write a book, dawg. No, I'm dead serious. That's simple shit. Is that not bars, dawg?

Look at everybody. Every time you say some shit, they think it's the shit. My sister's like, Shannon, though. But I swore to my sister I would never, because everybody's always said that. But you know at the time that- No, but no, don't finish that, though. You told your sister that you wouldn't- I told my sister.

Because everybody tell my sister to say, Shannon always saying things that your grandmother, your grandmother, like, you know, Miss Mary, Mr. Barney, were telling. I was a kid, I was eight years old when my grandfather passed. But I can tell you everything he's ever said in my presence. I was 43 when my grandmother passed, and I can tell you every time she'd been upset at me. And I hung on everything that they said.

They didn't know it at the time, but I worshiped, I idolized, I didn't know idolatry, you know, you weren't supposed to do that. But for them to take, raise their nine kids and then take my mom's three and love them more than they did their own. So I hung on everything they said. But I always told my sister and she said, Shannon, please don't. I told my sister I wouldn't because I probably wouldn't write a book. Why not? I wouldn't write a book. Why not? I wouldn't write a book. But why not? But listen, listen, listen, listen, listen. There are some things that she probably, she still alive?

Yeah, but talk to her. I'm only telling you to give the wisdom. Yeah. Because I know from where we from. Oh yeah, we got a book. Oh bro. But I will tell you this though, bro. There are certain things that happen in the South that I don't think that we should talk about on camera,

but we definitely gotta get in the room and talk about. Because that's the reason why we keep malfunctioning. Because we won't talk about those things. And I say that with white folks. We gotta have those young white people who really wanna make this a better place, this America that y'all say that y'all want, we gotta have some uncomfortable conversations.

And that's what I didn't finish the last statement. That's the thing that people don't understand about our music, is people want our music, they want the blues, they want the rap, but they don't want the pain and the responsibility that comes along with it. That's what the blues is, that people was talking about the pain and the hurt that comes along with it. That's what the blues is. People was talking about the pain and the hurt that they had experienced.

But I read this and this brought back so many memories because my grandfather had one. The bull whip. My dad got beat with a bull whip. My grandfather called it a full pack whip, or coach whip. And people don't understand, I mean, you see the cowboys and they're. That shit look funny. Yeah, yeah.

It's not much on this earth that hurts worse than a bull whip. And that was one of the things that made me and my dad closer once I, I thought my dad was the meanest person on this planet. I really did. I didn't like my dad, bro, until I was 23. I didn't like that. And I thought he was so hard on me. But in comparison to what he went through, he was soft on me. So in his head, he thought- Yeah. He was and he actually was.

soft on me. So in his head he thought he was and he actually was. But see people can't register. Like all the slave movies that you think you saw, slavery wasn't nothing like that. It was 30 times worse than any movie that you've ever seen. And we've never had therapy, Shannon. No. And that trauma just got passed down through generations. It did. And so man, for us to even be here, and you know that from an epigenetic standpoint, bro, we still suffer from what our great-great-grandparents, the stuff that Jewish people have gone through, Native Americans have gone through, Black people have gone through, bro, that stuff, we still clicking, bro, we still tripping. It's funny, my mom said it. My mom said that she don't want me to drink. She said, because I was drunk when you were born. She said, so much alcohol in my blood from my family, I don't need to take one drink.

Sorry, mom. I'm good at everything else, but. Were you a good student? Were you good in school? Okay. That's a strange question. I'll tell you why. Honestly, I was near a genius growing up. Really? Yeah. You're going to laugh at this, Shannon, but it's the truth. People talk about how smart I am now. I'm just catching up to where I was when I was in kindergarten.

I ain't really, I never had to work hard. Like this ain't shit. Shit easy to me bro. I talk about this all the time. I read on a junior in college level when I was in the third grade. I could count to a million when I was in kindergarten. The only reason we had a counting contest, I counted all day.

The only reason why I messed up is because everybody else was outside playing and I wanted to go outside and play. So I was like a million in one, a million in two, a million in 12, because I wanted to go outside. Everybody else had already been outside for three, four, five hours.

Right. Shannon, this is very personal to me. I think I've only said this in maybe one or two interviews, but when I was young, I used to have anxiety attacks about existing forever. I wasn't scared of the devil. I wasn't scared of good or bad or Dracula or the things other kids were scared of.

I was scared of like existing and never cutting off. That still me up. Think about it. I don't want to put that on y'all. Maybe that was too heavy for this medium. Like, bro, my mind has always been, and that's why I understand. Do you sleep well?

I just started, not well. Cause if you don't turn, if you can't turn your mind off. Look at my eyes, you know the answer to that. That's the reason why I understand Wayne. I understand Pac needing to smoke cigarettes, bro. I understand Nip. Like bro, like, it's impossible not to be angry. It's impossible to not be afraid.

Welcome to the You Versus You podcast. I'm Lex Perero, and every week we sit down with some of the biggest names in entertainment to talk about the real stuff, the struggles, the doubts, and the breakthroughs that made them who they are. We go deep, flowing childhood trauma, family, overcoming loss, and the moments that shaped their journey. These honest conversations are meant to take the cape off our heroes, with the hope that their humanity inspires you to become a better you and therefore set you free

to live the life of your dreams. Here's a sneak peek. I'm trained to go compete. I'm trained to be like harder I'm trained to go harder. But sometimes that mentality stops you from stopping and smelling the flowers in your own gardens. Is it wrong to want more? We migrated. Our family migrated here. I'm like second generation. Who's not going to have a trauma coming from a foreign country and coming to the United States and not speaking English?

Listen to You vs. You as part of Michael Tudor podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Michael Kasin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures, and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. Would others dismiss as niche we embrace as core? It's this idea that there are so many stories out there,

and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide. And hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the

iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, bro, I'm just, I'm going to say something and I don't want to put this on your show. Like, bro, I know what they got out for us. I just got back from Columbia from doing stem cell. Shout out to BioX, Rampage, the UFC fighter. He hit me to it. Bro, to know what they're doing to our bodies, bro. To understand that man and to be able to read and spiritually really know God in a way

that most black people, I can't even talk to him about it. That's a lonely place to be. That was the reason why I decided when I came on here, bro, I wanted to come why I decided when I came on here bro, I wanted to come as a man of comfort, not judging. Again, like I told you, I don't agree with everything bro, but that ain't my place. But what I do know is bro, some of the things that you've done, bro, it's going to take generations for people to catch up, but we can't lose you, good or bad. The shit, other shit we can't lose you, good or bad. The shit, other shit, we can fix off camera.

But bro, we gotta figure out a way, man, to be loving to each other, and we can't ask these kids to stop banging and loving each other if we can't find a common ground to agree. See, one of the things, and I know a lot of Christians are gonna get mad at me, but I'm gonna tell you this, just like Santa Claus don't exist. Sorry kids!

I don't think that there's one way to heaven. Really, I don't. God is everything. And they teach us to have fear. Just like I don't believe in the devil. They don't f***ing devil you the devil. The reason why they give you something exterior so you'll never fix you.

If you keep blaming on the devil, you won't fix your black ass. You the problem. Go fix you. If you didn't make the team, the devil didn't do it, you didn't do your reps. You didn't stay in the gym, that ain't the devil, that's you. But they tell you the devil,

so you will never fix the devil in your black ass. And if you really believe in God and think that God is omnipotent, how you put anything next to God? If God created the devil, you shouldn't even put the devil in the same conversation. But I know that our people can't, like our mothers, can't digest that. But that's what I gotta sit with, bro.

In my mind, that's why my life is so crazy, bro. And me being from the South, it was hard for me to explain. Like my mind was moving faster than my lips could. And I had the Southern draw, I couldn't say the shit as eloquent as them did, but I knew I knew the truth, bro. And I gotta sit with that shit alone, Shannon. Let me get another drink.

I'm serious. That ain't easy to deal with. You say you don't believe in the devil, but in the book of Job, where he's telling the story about Job, do you not believe that the devil told God to say the reason why Job is so faithful and so loyal and so servant to you, like you give him everything.

Man, my home, my uncle told my cousin, you see that bad ass broad over there, I know you got a mother and wife, man, but look at that big ass, you need to get on that. Ain't that the same thing? You can have mother-fuckers sitting on the side talking shit, but you gotta make the decision. Nobody make you do nothing.

If somebody made you do it, then it shouldn't be no hell. That's why I don't believe that things are destined to be. If I'm destined to be a thug ass, why I'm going to hell, you predestinate. No, I made a choice. You got two brothers that was raised the same exact way. One end up being a maniac and the other end up being one of the best persons in life. We make a choice.

You always have two ways to look at things, bro. And I'm serious, man. That's why I believe what we are going through in America is a choice. I really believe that God wants us to be better. And the only way for you to be refined is through pain. Bro, you have made it. You don't have to train the way that you train,

but you understand there is a direct connection and correlation between pain and freedom. Bro, I wake up every morning, people say I'm crazy. I train like I'm a football player, bro. Because I know the freedom that comes along on the other side of that, bro. And I understand, bro, if it come down to it a Shannon, I could tell in your eyes, bro, you wouldn't like it, because you're a little spoiled now. But if it came back to it with your big ass, bro, you'd get on the train tracks and beat that railroad to that get straight if you got to eat. Yeah, for sure.

You ain't got no problem with that. No. We blessed, bro. We actually free. Right. Yeah. You worked at Kroger. How you, hold on, how you know that? You worked at Kroger and selling mix tapes.

So you like, hey, you know, you put the jars, you put the heavy stuff on the bottom, you put the eggs and the bread on top so they didn't get squashed. And so you, I'm, I'm, That's over me up a little bit, man. I'm trying, hold on, man. Yeah, yeah, you doing some research.

All right, Shadis, sir. Well, let's go get it, dude, damn it. I gotta figure out how you taking the bags to the car and selling mixtapes at the same... Uh-huh. The fuck? All right. That's probably, let me calm down.

All right. Shannon was crazy, bro. They could never understand why I didn't wanna... What's the people that check you out? Cashiers. They didn't understand why I wanted to be a cashier. Why I didn't wanna be a cashier. No, check you out? Cashiers. They didn't understand why I didn't want to be a cashier. Not cause you couldn't pass your next tape out. I was making so much money, dude.

I'm telling you, I was killing them, bro. And bro, that's again, man. And I'm talking to these kids to show you how spoiled you get, man. I used to clock in and go home. I was so cocky. Bro, and I had the perfect job, bro. And I knew that they...

I understood the hustle. I studied the hustle and I just slipped up. We had the hustle and slipped up. You feel me? And that's the same thing I did, bro, and I ended up getting fired. And I had the blessing right there for me, bro. Bro, let me tell you, this is something I never said on nobody else's show before, man.

I remember my parents got behind on their mortgage, man, and the only thing I ever cared about in life is getting a pair of J's. I gave me a pair of J's, I put the rest of it in the bank. And I had enough money early, bro, without selling dope, without disgracing my family's name, bro, to be able to help my parents get out of financial peril. And bro, my father being as tough as he didn't even

want to take it, man. Now that I know, and I'm a man, what that put him through to have to take that from his son, bro. But the fact that I was able to do it, man, from music, come on, man, in Mississippi, early. Yeah. Man, I thank God, man. Shannon, I know that people don't understand me.

And I really believe, man, I, and. Do you want people to understand you? I want them to pay me. I'm serious, Shannon, I want the same thing you get in white folks. I want your money and your attention. I want your flowers. I don't like flowers. I want your money and your attention.

That's it. Think about this. I asked a group of black people one time if they thought I was the antithesis of Trump. And they told me, yeah. I said, then why don't you take care of me like white folks take care of Trump? The reason why kids don't wanna be king

is because you let them kill the last one. That's why kids don't want to be upstanding gentlemen. We gotta start paying upstanding gentlemen. We got to start paying upstanding gentlemen. So that's one of the reasons why, bro, no bullshit. I'm just going to get this to you because I feel comfortable and I put you in a position of vulnerability and I have to do the same if I'm a real man, right? Man, the reason why I do most of the stuff that I do, like bro, I'ma be honest with you, man.

I got a lot of money, bro, but this jury and all this shit, this ain't me, but I know this is what these kids like. So if I am a conscious black man, oh, you can be fly? Oh, you can make money being conscious? Then maybe I consider it, David. Oh, David B make money being conscious? Then maybe I consider it, David. Oh, David, better drive a Ferrari. Oh, I didn't know them two things went together. America has marketed being a revolutionary

with death, pain, and suffering. Correct. I'm changing that, bro. Killer Mike is changing that, bro. T.I. is changing that, bro. You know what I'm saying? So like for me to be in a position, bro, to do that, bro, I'm honored.

Here you talk now. You leave high school, you go to Southern University. In that room. Was it all, was it, you don't like the term pre-ordained, but did you always know you wanted to go to an HBCU? What led you to an HBCU? I never wanted to go to college. My mother, my dad was a country dude, like I said, he ain't getting fucked by that rap

shit. Boy, you need to go work in a bank. My dad was not playing. But let me tell you about my dad. I got a $70,000 check from Southwest Distribution in Texas. And my dad saw that check and he looked at me and said, I don't know what you be making back in my house. You get paid that much money. I'm not bullshitting you, Shannon.

I'm dead serious. Look at me when I say this. He said, that's what you get paid that much money. I'm not bullshitting you, Shannon. I'm dead serious. Look at me when I say this." He said, That's what you get from that? My dad, you, and he don't say the word My dad say Why you ain't side rapping now? Why you ain't outside rapping right now? Get the f*** out of my rap. Rap. No, no, he was dead serious

He like rap right now And what that taught me is that our parents did the best with what they had and as they Learned more they wanted to oh you make that much money playing football Go yes, I want you to go and they only dealing with what they deal with you know what I'm saying right but um What was the question I forgot the question HBC you led you to an HBC you you didn't want to go to college No, I didn't want to go to college. I remember. But my mom used to put up her house and shit for talent shows. And again, my mom, like man, rap wasn't promised, especially people in the South at the time.

So for my momma to do that, she sat down and she asked me, she said, do you think that your talent is original? And I said, yes, ma'am. She said, will it be original in four years then? Go to college. She won't give you that one. She won't give you that one. She knew I was a smart a**.

Yeah, yeah. So she had to put it in a way. But seriously though, I did it for my mom. And what's crazy was, bro, like I never studied until, because I was so smart, until statistics. And I had a friend named Buds, his name is Aaron, Chicago gangbanger. He taught me statistics while smoking weed in his car.

And so that was the first time I ever had to study because statistics just didn't come easily. Everything else came easily for me. For some reason statistics didn't. But my mom, man, my mom asked me, she was like, Billy, this the only thing that I ask you to do. And I did it for her, man. And I'm, Shannon, I ain't lying, bro.

I'm so proud because show you how God works. The leader that you see in me that came from Southern. Bro, I have accomplished so much, made millions and millions of dollars by being SGA president at Southern University. Because I never believed in politics. I thought politics was some bullshit. And what I end up learning is that

power would never invest in poor people unless poor people invest in power. See, what we don't understand in the community that we're from is that you have to invest with your money in politics. You got to buy these politicians. And Shannon, this ain't on you. You stay away from this shit. Let David Banner talk this shit. Okay. Man, these politicians are bop, bro.

So unless you buy them the same way these pharmaceutical companies buy them, they ain't gonna never do shit for you. Just like I'm gonna take this opportunity to tell you, I found out, man, most of these lawyers that we invest in them lawyers work for them same companies. We can't pay our lawyers with two, three, four, $5,000.

Them companies get them lawyers hundreds of thousands of dollars and they make us feel like they're doing something for us them same way. Like, yeah, no, I'm serious. They need to hear this. Like the cool thing about me and the cool thing that we be it from the country thing that we bein' from the country, is that we got to go back to the country,

and the way that we did, we can deal with that. Most other people would break. Right. Like bro, if, I think that's a sellout to me, man. Like, I've been blessed to see things in other people. Shannon, this went really viral, bro. Like, I really believe that not all people, Shannon, this went really viral, bro. I really believe that not all people, I think some black people don't want to free the slaves.

They want their chance to hold a whip. I want to free my people. I'm gonna tell you something, bro, that's gonna mess your head up. Bro, I could be, especially as a Southerner, I could be one of the richest people in Southern rap if I signed artists. Hey, you ever notice I never put an artist out?

Really? Never. You wanna know why? Why? Because the music game is predicated and built on signing as many artists as you can and throwing them up against the wall. I care about people, bro.

I don't wanna sign nobody if I know I can't help your family. This shit f**ked up, bro. And it don't matter how talented you are It's about time. It's about luck. It's about money. It's about opportunity It's about where the markets are it's so many things that you cannot control Bro, and I don't want to do that to people I rather teach you how to fish and you get your own shit. Okay. Yeah You leave that I'd rather teach you how to fish and you get your own shit. Okay. Yeah. You lead that. So how were you when you left,

I guess you left after college and went to New York. How old were you then? 22, 23? Around that. My uncle Swack, you gonna like this story, man. My uncle Swack, I can't tell you now because I said his name. My Uncle Swack, let's just say I went to New York.

I didn't know that there was a firearm law in New York. I took a pistol to New York with me. My uncle didn't have money to give me nothing. My mom gave me as much money as she had in her bank account and I moved to New York homeless. That's why like a lot of people think that I'm cocky, but most of these can't tell me nothing about rap. Most of these white folks can't tell me shit about rap.

Man, I put everything in my life, ignorantly. And bro, I went to New York homeless. I had never been to New York in my life. Bro, I put everything in my life, ignorantly. And, bro, I went to New York homeless. I'd never been to New York in my life, bro. I slept on the floor. And my uncle gave me a pistol. And the day that I realized I didn't need a pistol, the day after that, I was with John Forte. I don't know if y'all know who John Forte is, but we ended up getting shut down by the feds, bro. If I would've had that pistol on me one more day, I may still be in prison right now, dog. That's how I know that God is with me, bro.

I've been through so, so, so much, bro. And so like when people say and do things to me, Shannon, it don't fade me. I just, what I didn't tell you, what I was trying to tell you earlier though, bro, is I really think I was supposed to been in physics or something, bro. I really think sometimes my talent is being wasted

with rap and entertainment, bro. I really think I could do something to help the earth. I really think I'm that type of person, I'm that type of thinker, bro, but we didn't have access to that in the places where we from. You don't think you helping now by your words and what you're doing your platform that you have You could possibly have asked Bob Marley that and I'm not saying that I'm Bob Marley. I'm not saying that Jimi Hendrix

Hey, bro, I know Malcolm There's only one person that I've I met in my life who I think know who they are tip Tia's the only person that I've met in my life who I think know who they are, Tip, T.I. is the only person. That know who he is. But most of us, Pac didn't know Pac was Pac. Nipsey didn't know that Nipsey was Nipsey, bro. And so, man, it's cool. But bro, I'm serious, bro.

I see things in a way that's so clear to me. And I don't even expect humans to understand, man. But like, man, like to not, like the difference between me and most entertainers, bros, I always wanted to be married. I always wanted to have a big family. I'm from the country, bro. But I never, like, if you look at everything in the Bible,

everything in the Quran, everything in the Quran, everything in the Torah, for the most part, it's about what you're willing to sacrifice. Yes. Sacrifice is a huge part. Yeah, so sacrifice, not having a family, not having a wife, the loneliness that we go through. And so we drink.

Some of the greatest kayak I've tasted in history, the award winning. Come on bro, come here. 13 times. Yeah, yeah! Yeah! Talk that shit, dawg! 13 times award winning. Yeah, see that smile, I got him to smile.

Much as that pain for them teeth, we need this to smile again, dawg. The pearly whites, I know where you from, show them damn teeth, they used to be crooked, dawg. Then the- There was a of missing on the side. Yeah, that's all. Yeah, we got it. You signed a $10 million deal with Universal.

Talk that shit. What was the, I mean look, we have a very similar background. You grew up in Mississippi, I grew up in rural South Georgia. Man, boy I just, woo, man if I ever get me some money I want a house with running water, indoor plumbing, air condition, woo. Man, if I ever get me some money I want a house with. Running water, indoor plumbing, air conditioning.

Woo, that should be nice. What's the first thing you got with that money? All right. So get ready now. You got some, y'all got some tissue? All right, so I never told this full story before, man. My mom, imagine becoming conscious in 11th grade and realizing the person that you love the most on this planet, which was my grandmother.

Ain't nobody on this earth I love like my grandmother. I know the feeling. Man, my grandmother, she spent more time with them white folks, raising them white folks so she could feed us. That shit ain't never said well to me. But what my grandmother did say, and I'm man enough to say it on camera, once I got conscious I went to my grandma like, I don't like that grandma. She said, one thing I can tell you is my white folks show up when I call them.

And I'm a great debater, bro. I debated with Congress and won. They literally wiped me off the Internet. Look up David Banner, debates Congress, and you'll see fuzz. They wiped me off. I wiped them. Bro, because they wasn't expecting a black man who does research.

They thought they was going to get an emotional nigga. And they got a very articulate black man. I out-debated Congress about our First Amendment rights. A lot of these rappers don't know I'm probably the reason why you still can rap. But anyway, my grandmother, man, and bro, I was able to get that deal. And my grandmother's stubborn, bro. You know how a grandparent is. So my grandmother would go to Chicago every summer.

So I prefabricated a house and I tore my grandmother's house down and I built her because I knew she wouldn't move. I built her a brand new house in the same spot. Wow. Bro, like that was one of the greatest things in my life. And then my grandmother, man, this is very funny. My grandmother, she had a, you know, one of her friends that got out of Mississippi and became a judge.

She was talking to my mom and ended up moving in to be able to take care of her. My mom said, yeah, my grandson bought me a brand new house and here's momma my man. Bro, that was Shannon. I'm serious, bro. As much as we get into that other shit, bro, I don't nothing feel like that, bro. I show my grandmother freedom. You don't.

You know, man, and my grandmother died happy. And was probably one of the most oppressed people in Mississippi. And she died with a smile on her face. And I got all this money and I ain't happy worth shit. I am now, but you know, I'm just saying. Right. But I think the thing is that like, what money, what do you do it for when what you did it

to achieve this to get my grandmother out of that situation? My thing was a little bit different though, Shannon. Like I'm a revolutionary, bro.. I am I always did it for Mississippi But revolutionary didn't make no money day, but but the thing is is that I'm I'm sexier than most of them No seriously though Shannon, but like bro like I think where people get it wrong with God Is God give you pain to refine you. I always say this, bro, if God is pushing your face, oh, God is saying, the sun go this way.

So like, I saw what happened. I just adjust. People get upset with me because I live a great life is because I'm obedient. God gave me the plan. I ain't gotta be mad and run my mouth. Like Shannon, like if you notice bro, most people think this is when you should talk the most.

You notice you don't really hear me no more? Right. Cause it's happening to us now. We need to be doing something. Like we need to be doing the work, man. And now I just realized, man, with me being blessed to do movies and television man Like I had a conversation with Samuel Jackson, man. It changed my life, bro

we did fight night and I don't know if it still is but it was the most viewed show in peacock history and most viewed show in Peacock history. Okay. And what people don't understand was that when I first met Samuel L. Jackson, I'm gonna give you the bridge story. It's a real personal one.

So you're gonna have to open up some more. People don't remember that I did Black Stake Mom with Samuel L. Jackson. Okay. And if y'all remember, that's when Samuel L. Jackson was telling, was mad because rappers, was mad, cause rappers, he felt like some rappers were getting jobs over

real actors that they didn't deserve, right? And bro, we showed up in Memphis, we were doing a table read in front of everybody, bro. Again, I was a maniac. Samuel L. Jackson said, Everybody bro again. I was a maniac Samuel Jackson said Who's your acting coach and pointed at me

You looking around I told him he said fire on they suck Bro so much anger came over me and I was embarrassed But something in my spirit said asked him this I Said sir if I'm so bad, then would you be my acting coach? Samuel Jackson said, humble rapper? Meet me at my house next week. So I met him at his apartment. Bro, we trained. And then he was like, about a week later, two weeks later, he said, Banner,

I gotta go to New York. Now Shannon, I know your staff may not want to hear this. I done flew to Paris. For less, let's say. Right. Ain't no way in the hell I'm not gonna be in New York for Samuel L. Jackson to teach me how to be a better actor. Said a sir, what's the address?

He said, you serious, huh? Hell yeah, Samuel L. Jackson my actor coach, I'm gonna be there. Absolutely. Samuel Jackson said, you gonna be all right, son. But you ain't gotta come to New York, but you gonna be all right. Right. No, serious, no!

Serious! When you show up, you better! Hell yeah. You know? And so, this story is so great, I don't remember where I was. Where am I, what was the question? This concludes the first half of my conversation.

Part two is also posted, and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shae Shae Profile and I'll see you there. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of 2B. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core.

There are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hi, I'm Sarah Spain, host of Good Game with Sarah Spain and the co-author of the new book Runs in the Family, an incredible true story of football, fatherhood, and belonging written with and about Las Vegas Raiders running backs coach Dylan McCullough. It's the story of a football coach and father of four who sees his life forever changed by the unsealing of his adoption records. And it's got a twist you won't believe. Based on the viral ESPN story I did a few years ago, this book will blow your mind and bring you to tears. Buy runs in the family wherever books are sold. This is an iHeart Podcast.