Club Shay Shay - Club Shay Shay - TK Kirkland Part 2

Episode Date: July 2, 2025

In Part 2, TK weighs in on the report of Tory Lanez being stabbed in prison and gives unfiltered takes on Hollywood, cancel culture, and online haters. He shares why he genuinely wants a minivan, reveals his worst purchase, and reflects on money, investing, and the cost of fame.He opens up about how he became a comedian, his long-standing beefs with Robin Harris and Michael Blackson, and the competitive, gate-kept nature of the comedy industry. He discusses Noah Lyles' beef with Tyreek Hill over shoe deals, apologizing to Cam Newton, and why he publicly said Kevin Hart isn’t funny. He also shares the family tragedies that shaped him, the best advice he’s ever received, and his new show “The People’s Podcast.”The episode closes with a second performance from Awich, followed by an intimate sit-down where she opens up about her upbringing in Okinawa, learning English by listening to Tupac, and her journey into rap. She talks about her sake business, working with RZA, the loss of her husband, and turning that grief into creative power. She also shares her dreams of collaborating with Megan Thee Stallion and GloRilla.Don’t miss this raw, hilarious, and powerful episode from one of the most unfiltered minds in comedy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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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. Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. Help me understand. Tory Lanez is in jail and he ended up getting stalled 14 times. How is he in G-pop? He's trying to be something that he's not. Some guys think they tough and- No, that's a whole different animal. That's a different world in there. That's a jungle, that's just Serengeti.

Thank you, sir. You understand. It's not about being tough. Some of those guys in there, the most manipulative, clever people you ever imagine. Just like, it's just human nature, right? Somebody don't like you because they see you on TV. Somebody don't like me, right? Never met us before in our life, but they just don't like you.

That's just their nature. If he's in there, he's in general population, you never know what people are feeling towards you. Right. You never know if somebody just wants to kill you. Mm-hmm. And that's what happened with them. You've got to do things in life to protect you. I've learned to fly like an eagle but I've learned about that because I mean

you read a lot you understand what I'm saying crows attack egos did you know that mm-hmm and the way you got a memory you do something to them they remember they remember and what crows do I mean what Eagles do they don't fight you you know what they do they ride right and the higher they go the altitude to for the crows so what I did was I rose and all the crows I left behind so I don't put myself in situations I don't hang around certain people I've always been independent moved by myself anyway. But I do it in a strategic way now.

So when I'm in Berkka, Berksinki, Faso, when I'm in Berlin, when I'm in Spain, when I'm in Paris. They had no flight there to the, no do not enter there. But I'm living. Cause I'm not walking the streets uh in America right and I achieve things a lot of people because 80% of the population still haven't been on the plane

see when we fly we think it's nothing right 80% of the population have not been on a plane so there. So there are people who are alive, but they haven't lived. And I lived. Wow. You were part of the Scared Straight Program. Y'all been going deep. So you wanted to act it in there like, you want to come in? This is way before then.

Really? This is the original sketch. So there were actually programs where they would- In the 70s. Wow. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This is down the line. This is when it first, I was there when it first started.

So they were brain kids that were getting in trouble and they're like, look, if you go in the, you then they're like, son, you don't want to come here. I can tell right now, this ain't the place for you. Yes, and guys bigger than you. I saw them in booty shorts. Dresses, shirt tied up with the bandana wrapped around like a woman.

Scary shit I've ever seen in my life, yo. So all these kids out here shooting, thinking that they tough. That's a different animal in there, huh? You understand? Here's the worst thing about getting locked up. One of the worst things of getting locked up is when you go through processing

and they give you underwear to put on and you know maybe 5, maybe five thousand people had that on Are they don't give you no new drawers no, they don't let you get no your own fruit of loose hands. No So you wear and draw somebody else to head on that's my point Yeah humiliating is it? You understand what I'm saying? Yeah, for sure. Yeah, this ain't the place for me.

I ain't coming back here. And they still think it's a game. The whole system is set up to lock you up, but you got to take accountability because we were like, oh, they wanted to put us in jail. You ain't doing that, they ain't putting nothing on you. They can't put no jail. Yeah, that's just facts. Right.

You gotta, I always say, you wanna put the police out of jail, stop doing crime. Yeah, put them out of business, step. Put them out of business. You give them a job. Right. Yeah, it's a rough situation. So when the kids come in there, what was your pitch to them?

The kids come in there, I guess they're between the ages of 10 and 15, whatever. No, no, no, I was the guy. Oh, that was you? I was young. Oh, so you were the one that was trying to be, they was trying to scare you straight. Yeah, they was trying to scare me straight.

Oh, I thought you was, oh, okay. No, no, they were trying to scare me straight. And it worked, I wasn't a trouble guy, right? It's just that I didn't get in trouble until I went to college I had never been in trouble before in my life and I just went down a path of self-destruction But is it late like the lady says City Council in Jersey, New Jersey. My name is giving me my street named after me. She said, Mr. Kirkland,

we're not giving you the street because of what you've accomplished. She said, we're giving you the street because you got off track and you got back on track to achieve your goal. She said, we want people to know that because you can mess up and so achieve. So as I'm reading through life, I've noticed that if Maya Angelou would have died at 22, she'd have died a prostitute. If Malcolm X would have died as a youngster, he would have died a pimp or a drug dealer named Dirty Red.

So I talk about this in my standup as well, and I tell people, you don't have to start out great, you can start out great and mess up. But you can get back and win and have a story to tell. And I always say to people, try to win, get a story to tell. Don't think that it's over, cause it ain't over till it's over.

And you can win and I'm an example of that What are your thoughts on fame? What are your thoughts on hollywood? That's a great question I never been I tell people don't take it seriously This ego thing they walk around they have security People thinking that they're bigger than they what they really, just because you got more money than another person. Looking down on people. It's a horrible thing.

I think the goal of I've always told people, get the money, take care of your family, take care of your loved ones, treat everybody good. It's a beautiful feeling. Shaking hands, that's because when you become an entertainer, there's a rule. These people made you famous. For sure.

In actuality, you work for them. They want a picture, care if you're exhausted, take the picture. Somebody wants to autograph, sign it. I remember staying at the Ritz Carlton in Cleveland. Not like the Ritz Carlton. I can tell. The Phoenix Suns was in the same hotel. Mm-hmm. And at that hotel the kids stand across the street in the cold to get the autographs from the ballplayers. Some of the ballplayers is coming walking right past them.

And I got mad, because I'm like, yo, these people out here, they made you. These basketball players ain't getting no chunk change. Right. They get more, even if you sit on the bench. I went on the bus. Yeah, I don't play. I said, yo, sign these motha'fuckers autographs, dawg.

All the money that you're getting. D.K., that wouldn't have went down well. No, no, no, I'm protected everywhere I go in this world. Trust me, I always keep a crew. You may not see people with me, but I'm one of those guys, I always have a crew on deck. All I gotta do is get out alive, and I got a crew on deck. What have you learned about money?

You gotta respect it. You have to respect money. And I teach people how to invest. Now, I made a lot of money in the investment world, but not because I did anything smart. Well, I had to do something smart, but I did have a certain strategy. I just invested in everything. Like I just done in everything right like I just not in one company I put money in about over 20 companies and made a lot of money doing that way and I tell people No, no representing a fidelity and all and they send you the stuff

Yeah to represent you right so they could put your money in certain places so they could take 3% So I had a conversation I said so you me, so I bust my ass my whole life, hand all my money over to you, you decide what's best for me, and you take 3% of my money. You gotta be out your damn mind. Wow. You say I do it myself. I do it myself. So you, I tell people invest in stuff that you go to all the time. If you go to Chevron, you go to Walmart, you go to Target. One of my female friends, I explained to her, I said, she spends $546,000 a month at Starbucks.

Well, miss, didn't it? At least you get some of it back. And this is what I told her, this is strategy, I said, wouldn't it be nice if you walked in there knowing they work for you? That's the attitude you gotta have. Even if you just took half that money and put it in the stock, they work for you.

And in 20, 30 years, boom, boom. Like I had a thing I did, I think I did it on the breakfast club. and I was talking about ask your girl for $10,000 and people thought that I, the women thought I meant get the guy $10,000 and I said, see y'all wasn't raised by hustlers. See I came up with hustlers. Our goal was that we found the woman that we cared about, even though you knew you wasn't going to be with her,

you asked them where her money situation was. Her money situation was right because you want to get her, you want to put her in position to be ready for the man she's supposed to be with down the line. Because most men know they're not going to be with the girl they're with. Right. But they won't teach you nothing. They want elevator. Okay.

And the goal is to elevate, no matter what woman you meet today, elevate them. Make them better. Better than what you would when you met her. Exactly. That's what you're supposed to do. So I tell the guys and I tell the ladies the 10,000 tells me where you are in life. Right. So now I say, look, because I rock with you ladies, the 10,000 tells me where you are in life. So now I say, look, because I rock with you and I respect you, let's take your 10,000 and put it in Morgan Stanley at Compound Interest and Annuity.

And in 20 years, your 10,000 is going to be $296,000. You can Google it. You can call Morgan Stanley. This is facts. Because I want you to have your money right for the man you're supposed to be with, because You can google it, you can call Morgan Stanley, this is facts. Because I want you to have your money right for the man you're supposed to be with, because I belong to everybody. What's your worst purchase?

What's the worst thing TK spends his money on? Because I know before you became financially conscious, in order for you to become financially conscious, you had to have made some mistakes. It's a good question. None. I've been that conservative with money. Really? Yeah.

I've been very... I'm almost cheap, but I have a rule, stay low key and flex occasionally. So that rule always kept me conservative. And the rule is, the more money I got, I live beneath my means. Really? Yeah. People get money and they go beyond. Yeah, yeah. I go the opposite.

The more money I get, I go under. Yeah, yeah. I go the opposite. The more money I get, I go under. Still living good. I live in a very conservative neighborhood. Those people, mostly white, nice and white. Yeah. If they know who I am, they know I move very strategically. Very quiet, I move a certain way. No women coming in out of my house.

Only thing they probably saw different over the last 20 years, if I always had a brand new car every six, seven months. Always get something fly, right? But- You're not doing that no more, though. No, not doing that no more. So I got an Aston Martin, I got a Bentley.

Damn. Yeah, I got all of them, but I'm getting ready to get rid of them. And get what? You gonna laugh? A spaceship? No, I think I'm getting ready to get rid of them and and get what you're gonna laugh No, I'm I think I'm getting a minivan a Minivan I think I've always Wanted a minivan dog. They do what I just want to drive your kids your great

Yeah, I just want to be in the mini because I'm gonna do my new podcast in LA in April in January and my grandkids are in in there and I think maybe a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years.

I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few years. I'm gonna be in the U.S. in a few the minivan's gonna be good. Would you wear a straddle? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I already got it. I've been looking at it, so I'll see what I'm gonna do.

I ain't been looking at it. Yeah, you know. I'm out of that phase. Yeah, I've been there. I know what you mean. I know what you mean. I just wanna get the Ferrari on some fly. Have you ever had a Ferrari before?

Yeah, yeah. My car now in the Bentley, I love that thing. Yeah. Because it's just the way it takes off. That thing just flows, you know? So I'm just enjoying, man. I mean, what else can you do at this age, right? You have sex, sip on your drink, you sip on Louis Xth, you smoke cigars, you get manicures and pedicures,

you stay out the way, you stay away from haters. Right? You got to stay away from haters because you can have a million people love you, only take one motherfucker and knock you off. Yep. That's it. That's it. You know what I always wondered, and the way the brain is wired is that

Ten million people can applaud you, but you'll always hear the one that be a boo. Isn't that something? Well, I had the brain why I think we are drawn to negativity We are just like you can have a thousand common great beautiful comments But you always respond to the one that one hate you don't respond to the that, hey Shannon, we love club shes, we love TK on there, we love this, personally love that one. Man, you shoulda asked this, why you always be a mess? Yes. What, what?

It's hilarious. It is. But that's how we are programmed, so true. You stand up, let's get to you stand up, because that's what you're known for. You ever been booed? No. Were you a class clown? How did you even discover, were you funny as a kid?

Did you entertain your family? You entertained friends? How did you know you had this side of TK Kirkland? I wasn't a class clown. I was a hustler who turned the negative into a poser. I got lucky doing standup. And when I did it, I was good. I was already starting out into a positive. I got lucky doing stand-up and when I did it I was good. I was already starting as a businessman. So it goes back to the Eddie Murphy, Charlie Murphy situation. Right. So that happened in 1982. Right. In 1985 I started stand-up and a guy named David Jones who

was Eddie Murphy's best friend. Okay. He still was my friend, even though that situation happened. And what people don't know, even though that situation happened, me and Charlie Murphy still was cool. You were cool. And what Charlie told David Jones was that, because David didn't know if he still could, should be my friend, because he was best friends with Eddie. Yeah.

And Charlie says that right in front of him, he said, TK is your friend. That's your friend. That's your friend. Regardless of what happened, that's your friend. And me and David, he helped me put jokes together. Right. So I was helping putting these jokes together.

Shout out to David Jones if you're still alive. And I wound up doing my first comedy show that I rented the venue, you know, because I was always a businessman and I rented at this club called Carlos and Charlie's on Sunset Boulevard and invited so many people not thinking the business side of it. Everybody got it free at the end of the day. The owners didn't care how many people you invited. At the end of the day, you owe't care how many people you invited. Yeah. At the end of the day you owe the bill. Right. So everybody paid whatever right and I think my

profit was two dollars. Damn. That's what I made and I gave David a dollar and I kept the dollar and that's how I went off into the sunset and as I come to this day I have problems with some clubs all the time they knew normally give me what I want. But I usually try to get my 90% of the door. Wow. Yeah. So some clubs do it more so than others or they negotiate with me, you know.

Or I get on their nerves and we don't talk for a minute. Then we come back around, but I don't be caring. I'm getting my money. Has someone ever rushed the stage on you? Have you I mean you do you do hecklers come and they try to you know, it ain't didn't try to get you off your game No, no, no, no, no never had that problem. I had a problem with a gentleman, but he doesn't exist to me no more So I got a I got a pivot out of that one What I've learned in life is I don't give other people energy

to give them because they're not on my level. So what I've learned in life is not to even mention them so that you give them life. Because I worked hard to get to where you are and I'm not going to put them in the position to win. It's something that went down on some, you know, you got haters. And then you got people who will put

their mix into the universe. And because people wanna believe what they wanna believe, it teaches a lesson. The lesson it taught me is not to mention who they are. I saw in that situation where people were messing and people like click baking. Yeah. Because everybody wants to be famous, right? Yeah. Everybody wants to be in front of this camera. Famous drug, man. Or get views on their social media and they would lie to get it and I don't fall for it no more. Council culture, is there a joke that you won't tell on stage?

I'll say anything and don't give a f***. Man, your favorite comedians today, so let me ask you a question. What do you think the biggest difference is between comedians, whether you're going Eddie, Red Fox, Richard Pryor, Robin Harris, Bernie Mac, comedians of yesterday and the comedians that we see today? What's the biggest difference, you think? I think the kids today got the fame first before they earned the reputation. Yeah.

But if they're smart in 10, 15 years, they're- They can be done and don't even have to do it no more. They can be done and be done with it, but their talent would match the fame. Right. Whereas we had the fame first and not the money. Because we had to go in the trenches to get it. We only had Arsenio Hall, David Letterman. What's the radio guy that's been around a long time?

The white guy. Howie Stern? Howie Stern. See, we had those shows to make us famous. Yeah. And that's not that many. No, no, no, no. Now.

They don't really have comedians on like that. You know, Johnny Carson used to have a night where he had comedians on, he'd give them five minutes to do their thing, and if they really good, he'd bring to the couch. Yeah, hey that was such and such and they go Shows aren't like that. You know not like that at all. So those things Changed the game but it's like David Klingman. My business partner told me before he died years ago He said everything we learned throw it out the window. Cause it doesn't apply now.

See, there's no blueprint for success. People think you should do this, you do that. Now 30 years ago, the Kardashians would have never been on TV. Right. And there's no disrespect to them, but I saw the mentality of the universe decline. I knew he was in trouble when Flavor Flav got a show. But you ain't like Flavor lost? Not about Flavor love. It was when I saw them women chasing this moth through the show.

Like he was the finest dude on the planet. And that was confusing to me. So when I saw the Flavor Flav show, I knew then, shout out to Flavor Flav too by the way. Yeah, I knew man, say really? That's how I looked at the world. You got in a fight with Robin Harris? Didn't get in a fight with him, we just didn't get along.

Why, why you didn't get along? Well it's like in football, even somebody that don't like basketball, a lot of people didn't like Michael Jordan. You know, I thought about that today, it's crazy, I love to be prepared. What I've learned in life is since he's deceased, I can't discuss his situation.

Right, because he ain't here to defend it. He's not here to defend it. So we just didn't get along, you know, just life. What about Michael Blackson? I love Michael Blackson. Me and Michael. He just had a kid. I know his old ass.

Shout out to Michael. He said he wasn't gonna have no kid. Me and Michael Blackson are great. Y'all cool now? We respect each other. But we never had a problem. He just thought that I wasn't making money because I always stay quiet.

Right. And Bladder asked me one time about how much I make. And I said, I ain't telling no, I don't know when people start. I'm an old head, I think different. The way we came up, no one's supposed to know. How much you make. What you make.

Because when they do boy, they coming. Yeah, like when do they start advertising such a sign, the five year deal worth $122 million? People don't know you put an X on this man's back, or woman's back. That's dumb. So everybody thought we was mad at each other, but we wasn't mad.

It's just that what I had said, we was somewhere, But he didn't understand is that my shows, most of my shows don't come from the comedy world. It's people who are still making money in the streets that booked me for stuff. And because my crew loves me or people who've been rocking me for 30 years, they're still going to be on the show. And I'm like, I'm going to be on the show. And I'm like, I'm going to be on the show.

And I'm like, I'm going to be on the show. And I'm like, I'm going to be on the show. And I'm like, I'm going to be on for stuff. And because my crew loves me, or people who've been rocking me for 30 years, they're gonna pay me what I want. So I get my money a different way than most comics, and I created my own lane. So yeah, shout out to Michael Blackson. So we always have a good time. You mentioned the Netflix, and obviously, look, when you get a special, now Netflix, it used to be HBO.

You know, Chappelle, Netflix, he did his thing and Chappelle has been unbelievable. Who else? Quake had a Netflix special. Cat had a Netflix special. So I guess that's the new HBO having a special. But I see Oli Shad new HBO having a special but I see Ali Shadiq take a different route yeah I see who else took a different route RNSJ took a different route yes are you okay if that Netflix special don't come

pivoted and said okay I got a YouTube channel I put it on YouTube let people view it for themselves. I've been doing it way before these guys I have my own network I put my own stuff out the thing that got what happened to get me more popular was shows like yours. The Vlad TVs, the Breakfast Clubs. I knew in the 90s in order for me to get the recognition that I wanted, it was gonna come from the younger generation. They

know about social media. Didn't know about the internet. But podcasting, internet, social media changed my world. So now I'm more popular than I was. Even though I'm funny, I think I was funnier back then than I am now. But I'm more popular. More eyeball-seeing now.

I'm more popular now. So with that said Now I could start I could promote my shows even more my stand-up. I was doing independent stuff way before most comics and Making decent money, you know, so what people understand Netflix will pay you a certain amount of money, but they own Down you don't own the content. It's done once Once they pay you, they own it. They own it. So they keep running as long as they want to. Me, owning mine, I may not get all the money that Netflix will give me at one time.

Which you will get over the course of time. Over the course of time. And then how much money you make is how long you make money. Exactly. And that's what people don't get. We're so brainwashed. And sometimes you want to fight everybody to prove to them

how they wrong. But man, boy. Were you on Comic View or Def Comedy Jam? I did Comic View. I did Comic View. I never did Def Jam. Do you regret not being able to do Def Comedy Jam? No, no, no, no, no.

Def Jam, you asked Bob Sumner and Tina Graham, they invented, it was based on my style of comedy. And I turned it down the first time because I did a special called Mo' Funny with Moms and Maby, Richard Pryor. It was introducing me to the world as the next voice of stand-up comedy. But then I got in another situation in crime

with Russell Simmons. Oh, gosh. So I had another situation after that. So then- You stayed in some issues. I stayed in some shit. So then when I came back around to do it, I Couldn't do the show. Yeah Yeah, they we get do you believe in gatekeepers? Are they gatekeepers out there?

Yeah, I think it is but I never got caught I never cared about I'm so I'm so deep independent None of that exists to me because like I said, I got an M behind my name too. Most comics don't have it. I had to do something right. And I'm damn near 100 something years old. When I was on the show, we started what? I was 60 something, right? We've been here so long.

You the age. I'm aged a little bit. I think I'm 103. Yeah. Have you written jokes for comics? No, maybe once in a while we say something, and we say, you go ahead and keep that. But that's it. Right.

That's it. My style of comedy is really unique. It really is. So I take pride in it. One of my friends had explained to me that Dave Chappelle was talking about me. And he said, TK Kirkland's really one of the best comedians out there because of my cadence.

He said that I had a way of speaking to hypnotize people. And I thought that was a great comment. So shout out to Dave Chappelle. Gary told me that, Dave, so let you know. Has someone ever, where are you on joke stealing? Has someone ever stolen your joke? I'm quite sure they have, I think it's the most petty-ish, kiddy shit that I've ever seen in my life.

Somebody steal your shit, unless it's a signature piece. Right. Right, because what I know is in this game, especially African American, you may not have the same material, but you might have the same topic. If Will Smith did the smack and everybody had a joke about Will Smith, they just did it a different way, but it was the same topic. I think when I saw that, I thought it was petty, I thought it was nonsense, but I'm older than everybody. So I was like, let

them kids play with the game, play with the toys, I ain't had time for it. What is it about kids, why don't comics like following each other? Because that person goes on in front of them is about to destroy the room. And that's why I had to always go last in my coming up in my day. Because everybody knew that TK Kirkland

was going to rock the room. If you ever talk to DL Godfrey again, these guys will definitely say to you, nobody wanted to follow TK Kirkland. Nobody. I will put a hurting on your ass. And that's the fact. I mean, it's true.

It's just true. 25 years, 25 players before training camp kickstarts a new NFL season. NFL Daily is going to look back. It is a special six episode series where myself Greg Rosenthal and some of the top NFL minds like Kevin Harlan, Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell make the case for each player. We're taking a look back, giving you NFL Daley's top 25 players of the last 25 years. So who made the list? You know Tom Brady's on it.

Where's Patrick Mahomes? Mahomes is into the end zone! Touchdown Kansas City! He's on it. How about Lamar Jackson? Jackson takes it himself. Look at him dart back and forth. Oh, he broke his ankles and he's got a touchdown. He is Houdini. You are going to have to listen to find out, listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I mean, is that the intention? Is it like, you like, first of all,

when you get booked for a show and then when the, okay, everything is settled, you know who's going to be on that show. And that's a great question, Shannon. When you're young, you want to destroy the world. Mm-hmm. What I learned in life, and I tell younger comedians, listen to what your headliner is,

what his show is about. Understand comedy IQ, don't talk about the same things that he might talk about. And don't burn the show. Because if you don't burn the show, that comic might take you on the road with him. Because that's how you'll learn to eat. I was destroying everybody

So I had to find my own lane because nobody was gonna take me on the right So I sat down with Damon Wayans one day And he said TK you can't get mad at comics who won't book you. Yeah, he said you're too funny Nobody's gonna book you Nobody's gonna book you? It ain't happening. And I've learned that, so I created my own name. And over the years, my name is on the marquee. I try to teach comics by comedy IQ

because I want certain, I want clean comics going before I go on. Right. Because. Because you're gonna be grungy with yours, huh? And I want it to be shocking. Right. I don't want three people Might step on certain things. I might talk about by the time I get on and the example

I'm gonna give the world and you it's like if we was watching a TV show right now. We had Different actors and they was talking about a certain topic. Mm-hmm. We turned the channel say different actors But same topic. You say, I saw it at the ceremony. It's the same thing sitting in the audience. If everybody goes on and talks about the same topic, it could be different material,

but the audience people are saying, did you hear what the first person said? He said the same thing, you just said it. And comedians don't talk with each other before they go on stage. And they should talk. They say, what you gonna talk about today? Because I don't wanna with each other before they go on stage. And they should talk. They say, what you gonna talk about today? Because I don't wanna talk about what you're doing.

And that's how I always do my shows. TK, you've been at this thing a long time, damn, a little longer than anybody. Did you know that comedians had this kind of resentment towards each other? Yes, petty, which don't make any sense. That's like I've always stayed to myself. It's truly petty.

Because like I said, I came up a street guy. Yeah. Most of the guys, they didn't have confidence. They didn't have a title. And comedy somewhat gave them confidence. They was able to talk to women. I was pulling women since I was 11. So I seen it.

I seen it from the wood fire. Just watching. Seeing them getting girlfriends, having babies. And I seen them all change. And they take this thing, because nobody never had none until they got a little name for themselves. Right.

It don't matter. Don't matter. If you're not in touch with yourself, you don't have a few dollars in the bank, you don't have good credit, you're living off a woman, you're done, dawg. Right.

From a man's perspective, and I pretty much know everybody's business. That's not good. Yeah. When I say I pretty much know everybody's business, some of the women that these guys are married to, I probably dated them first. Damn. They probably still staying in touch with me. You proud of that?

No, no, no. I'm not saying who they are. I'm just saying are you proud of me? No, just because I dated them before you, that doesn't make... I'm not the bad guy. You're the bad guy. I fucked them first. What do you mean? Some of these guys is married because of what I taught their girl. Oh my goodness, TK. What? That's just game. what I taught they girl. Oh my goodness, TK.

Why, that's just game. Some of these guys, and this is true, if you married and you know that girl dated me first. She might have didn't tell him, you don't know. Yeah, but they know. Maybe they don't know. I hope they don't know. Ah! I read you were I read you an athlete. What you what you what you would you wow you football?

I mean cuz you I mean you guys you know that nice eyes to yourself. I was a track star track Guess now you don't have you rolling guess who I ran with I ran with? Made me dead research I'm gonna say Bruce Jenner. Carl Lewis. You ran with Carl? You beat him? No no no we didn't run against each other. Okay. In New Jersey in the 70s. Oh yeah yeah yeah Carl that's where you're from. We was the hottest track circuit in the world. Right. So we had Carl Lewis butch wolf oak yep from Westfield we had Ronaldo skeets Neil Meyer yeah remember them right you had Lee Brown Guy Williams TK Kirkland a lot of people don't know that I used to run track I won the Melrose games at Madison Square Garden did you 1979 would you were 60

minutes 60 no no no my relay I really ran ran had to run somebody down you got Did you? 1979. What you were at 60 minutes? 60? No, no, the Ma Rile. Ma Rile. Ran ahead of run somebody down. You got him? Got him. Ma Rile. 1970 Melrose games. So I've had a, and still have a, an amazing life.

That track thing. I love it. That's my favorite sport to watch. Isn't that? But it was my favorite thing to run. You know? That's why they couldn't catch you when you did some bad. That's right. to watch. Isn't that, but it was my favorite thing to run. You know, some weeks I was- That's why they couldn't catch you, hun,

when you did something bad. That's right. That's so true. That's what it be real bad. You were a track athlete and the cops catch you with all that gear over TK. So I'm gonna tell you, I got a crazy story. I did something at a school.

I ain't gonna say the name of the school. And I dropped my bag. They couldn't catch me, but I dropped my bag and my ID was in the bag. Oh. And they came to the house. That's how they got you. That's how they got me. Motherf*****. I was something else. I told you. Are you disappointed Ty Reican or Noah Lyles in our race? I'm disappointed. Yeah because Noah Lyles is a different kind of man. Yeah he'd be hating on them. He'd be hating on them athletes Yeah, and I hate to say this about him

And I normally don't say this about people Somebody need to whoop his ass Now he knew he needed to go in the room and get up He need to go in the room and get f***ed up So he can get some guts because I'm disappointed how he moves as a man I don't like that either you can't get mad for something you don't have that somebody else do Yeah, and you talk down on them, bro Yeah, and all them dramatics and coming out before you run. I got a problem with that. It's just the Hayden Well, no, I got a shoe this guy. It's just the Hayden. Well, no

This guy got a shoe and I ain't got no shoe. I'm the most popular guy They know I mean you go back to study track and feel ain't but a handful of guys car and not car You saying boat and probably Michael Johnson. Yes. I mean people are not gonna just make a shoe cause you fast people gonna make a shoe Cause it'll sale people in here's what you're saying that people don't get Character. Yes. Do you have a personality to sell you see you saying both yeah what is about him he's generous to the people yeah and he he gives results he wins yep at the end of the day good character and results let's take football. When your contract is up they talk about do you deserve all the money you about to get. If your character is not good, these athletes, these people don't know

this in the world. Yeah you got the talent but they decide he can't handle that kind of money because they've been watching your character. And if your character's that right, you could lose seven, eight, ten, even 20 million. Because someone is deciding, can you handle the money they're about to give you? And if they don't think you can handle it, they are shorting you 20 something million. Yeah, I don't have to, look,

I understand if he wants the shoe, he feels he's deserving, he's earned the right for a shoe. I got no problem with that. He's playing, but don't talk about what somebody else has because you don't have it. I totally agree. That's the only problem I have. And keep delivering, be a man of your word. If you're supposed to race Tyreke, train, train, because we know you the best. Tyreke can't beat you. Right. But it's in Times Square

I think I think if it all depends on what they're running That's they run if they run a 40. I think Tyree can beat him in a foot. Yeah, I totally agree I don't know what honey he beat him in a hunt No, and I'm quite sure every was smart here run hundred like I wanted to run cat Williams and Cattle beat you I got cat. Yeah, no he was cat called me on one of radio shows, right? Yeah I gotta beat you, I got Kat. Yeah, no, Kat called me on one of the radio shows, right? Yeah, I got Kat, I'm just saying I put my money on Kat. Yeah, but I'm gonna tell you what happened.

You know when you're old, you think you still that 19, 21 year old kid. And when I saw Kat run, I said, I can beat Kat, that's the kid. Yeah. So I'm working out one day, that's it, and it just, nothing happened, I just realized, yo, you fall back from that mess you was talking about with Kat.

Yeah. Because you not. You better pull up everything. Yeah. No, no, I'm in good shape. But I know I ain't that fast. Right. It's a difference, right?

And Kat called me. I was doing a podcast. Shout out to Kat. And he said, what's up, old man? He said, what you want to do about that race you wanted to do with man? He said, what you wanna do about that race you wanted to do with me? I said, Kat, let me tell you something. I got the thinking.

Doug, you can have that, cause I got a feeling. I said, I feel young, but I know that's, and that's that thing when you get older, you think that you still as fast as you used to be and you're not. No, not even close. I can't even, when I run across the street, you know when you're in shape, when you bounce.

Everything I do now, I feel like I'm stomping in the ground. Heavy. It's heavy. So you know what I mean, right? Yes. You don't have that, I don't have that bounce, so it's gone. Yeah.

It's gone. Look, you had offered a critique of cam cam Newton Have you had a opportunity to talk to cam have y'all have an opportunity to discuss that no I'm glad that you brought that up because let me say what I thought I said something to cam and I'm gonna apologize I'm gonna tell you why In life you see people at a certain place of their life and Then they grow up and they become better people and I saw him, his growth and I'm man enough to say I was wrong because I saw his growth.

Just like one time I said, Kevin Hart wasn't funny. Right. And Kevin Hart is funny, but what I didn't see at that time was Kevin was a young kid. I didn't see at that time was Kevin was a young kid. Mm-hmm. Comedy is based on experiences and maturity. And the older you live in this game, the more you experience, the more you become funny.

And I saw that in Kevin. When Kevin did that host for... The roast with Tom Brady? With Tom Brady? Listen to me. I think I watched that show about 20 times. Yeah. Because Kevin was on fire and I just truly enjoyed him.

He grew up to be a young man. His his timing was impeccable. And I just saluted him. I watched it that much and I even loved seeing him on the commercials. He was born to do those Citibank commercials. What's in your wallet? Like I love that, right? Yeah, I thought that was phenomenal.

So when people give an opinion of someone, what I've learned from that is keep it to yourself. Right. Because they're going to evolve. Just like if someone would have had an opinion, me years ago, they're like, ah, he'll kill you. Yeah. Put you in a trunk type man. And now the day criminal, yeah.

Criminal. Now you look at me now, you know, so you do evolve. Barry White was like that. Um, Johnny cash, all these people were. So you do Evar, Barry White was like that, Johnny Cash, all these people were probably worse than me and became phenomenal people. You have Seven Kid, you called the little stir, I think it was the Breakfast Club where you say you don't pay or you didn't pay child support.

No, it wasn't just Breakfast Club, it was another show. Another show you said? Yeah, and the girl was upset with me about that. Yeah. And I explained to her, when you're a man and you deal with women, they don't care about child support. I still don't know how you got out of that. No, I just think that when you're a man,

the women that you mess with, if they need something, you look out. You take care of it. You take care of it, because I wasn't married. Right. Most of my babies was one night stands. Huh? Yeah, I didn't have relationships with these kids' moms.

I saw you, we hooked up. But you can't say that though, TK. Why can't I say that? Because of kids. No, I told them, all the kids know. You told them? Yeah, I told them. You told them that your mom was a one night stand?

Yeah, one night stand. Damn, TK. What? Let them have the dream that my mom and dad was in love. Your dad was smooth. Your father was smooth. My kids, I had this conversation with my kids already. This is not like, this is not, if they hear this.

How old is the youngest kid? My youngest is six, 17. The oldest is how old? 38. Damn. So you had your last kid at 50? Yeah. You done now? It's possible though. What the hell you mean it's possible? It's what happens tonight. They put man on the roof. I don't know what's gonna happen tonight, Shad. You know, I might have three left in me. TK, you 66? Yeah. Youkids. Yeah. How you gonna have grandkids older than your kids?

Let me tell you something, the older parents will go down at night. No, I'm messing with you, I'm dying. I had to get you on that. Exactly. No, no more, listen, to anybody thinking about having children, I want you to do me a favor.

Get in your car and go to three daycares in your neighborhood. Yeah. That would stop you. And that would stop you. Oh yeah. Am I right or wrong? It can't stop you. Forget plan B. Go see what they charge at daycare.

Yeah. And you will not have no children. Yeah, they probably charge like $300, $400 all the week. That's more than that. More than that? What? Shannon, it's like $3,000. A month for a kid?

A week. Oh lord, ain't that just... Look at me, Shannon, a week. You be watching Cocoa Mill in the grill. That's my point. A week, Shannon. Dude. A week. No.

Your father drowned at 35, you had a brother murdered at 35, your youngest brother had an aneurysm. You had a very tough. No, what I wanna know, who, the person that works for you, that find out information, we need to put them at the government. Because they attract anybody down, dog. Oh my God. My team, we great over here yo yo yo yo

on point yeah um all this happened before I was 40 so my dad drowned my mom died of cancer my brother got shot by the police and my youngest brother died of aneurysm. So that's like I'm always talking about life and death. I was about to ask you, is that why you're so appreciative of life because you've seen so much death? I've seen so much death. I've been burying people since I was 11. And I paid for my own funeral. My friend was paid for already.

All that. I got everything done already. So my kids won't have to deal with all that. Because it takes a certain man to be prepared to know that you're demised. And I know how much, like there's no funeral, there's no memorial service. Really?

Yeah, no funeral, no memorial service. Like you don't want anybody to grieve over you? Nah, wherever you are in the world that day Just say t to the MFK. We keep it moving and now the reason why I do that Because of my family was dying Always I know it's kind of weird. I always felt it was an inconvenience Really? I had time ago in the damn funeral And I remember when my aunt's died, I asked my mom,

and I said, mom, do I gotta go? And she's like, yeah, you gotta be there, you know? Because I was always about, I was always crying. You were like, right. My mother used to always say, that boy never lets dust get under his feet because he's always on the move. And I think about death every day,

and I thought it was a bad thing. My accountant, he's deceased now and we had a talk one day, years ago. He said, nah, TK, he said, what you, how you thinkin', it's amazing. He said, cause you'll never get complacent. You take, I said, I live every day like it's my last. And I love it whether it's sitting in my house

smoking a cigar, walking mountains, going to the gym, catching a plane to my apartment in Paris. I live this thing, man. Oh, you just gonna gloss over that, huh? Yeah, I love being in Paris. Power to Paris. Yeah, because even I get up, I get there like 6 in the morning.

I always land 6.30 in the morning. I check up there. I go in my apartment. I change clothes. Go to Keele's, Kroos Farm. There you go. You just hit the right under there. I go sit in my cafe.

And I watch the cars go by. They know me, Mr. Kirkland. I have my cappuccino and croissant. And I just sit there and chill. And I start laughing Because I won this in word here One of my homies was like cuz I was going to Spain that week too He said man, you know, you flexing. Yeah, and I'm gonna tell you something. We'll give you some game

See everybody I roll with is successful. Right. Never do we say we flexing because when you rock with winners, it's the way it is. Right. When you mess with people who are not on your level and you on my level, like I changed your mindset right here. I got to educate you. It's not bragging, it's wins. Right. So you roll with winners because when you're over winners, it doesn't sound like brags. Right. So whenever roll with winners because when you're with winners it doesn't sound like

brags. So whenever you hear someone doing their thing in the future right you always say no you're doing your thing because people who mean IQ or their mentality or they don't rock with people who are successful will always say yo you flexing but everybody I rock with got money so we never said that Wow play the player pimp the pump In your 40 years in the business, what's been the best advice you've been given? Never get old and be broke Yeah, that's the I live by that every day If you could do anything differently in your career I'm gonna give

you I got a time machine and I'm gonna give TK the ability to go back and do something from his past differently what would it be? Nothing I thought about it a hundred times because I like what I've become. And you don't feel you could become that without the experiences that you experienced? I don't know because I haven't experienced it. So I go in and go by what's real, right? And what's real is me sitting here with you and my achievements and what I've overcome

and what I had to do to get over it. Would I do it again? No. Once is enough. Man, if I had to do it again, nah. No, if I could survive. But again, nah. Know if I could survive. But to see where I'm at today, I'm blessed for what I had to go through to get here, to tell my story on Club Shae Shae.

And we appreciate it, too. Yeah, and I appreciate you. And to know what I've achieved. Man. It's a blessing, yo. It's like winning the Super Bowl. What advice would you like to give this next generation? Be it about business, be it about health,

be it about business, be it about health, be it about anything. What info, what words of wisdom, knowledge would you like to pass along? Educate yourself. Knowledge is key, but understand knowledge is a gift and a curse. Right? Because the more you know, the more you dislike people. Right? Respect money. Love yourself first before you want to grow up and be a family. Because everybody in this room, everybody in the world, what I'm about to say, you've done it.

When I say everybody once in their lifetime said, I can't wait till I grow up. And it's truly one of the worst damn things you could say in your life. We all know that now Yeah, but I can't wait to get grown remember that I sure wish I was a kid again, man Am I right or wrong? Don't rush To be an adult don't be rushing to have babies don't rush to get old don't rush to be old man Teach people to stop saying that.

Right. Because even though you can handle it, take your time. Yep. If you take your time and really enjoy this thing called life, it's so much better. Everybody want to rush having sex and babies and you don't have the financial means to take care of a kid.

You don't have the proper education, right, to get a good job. And everybody suffers. Everybody suffers. And I tell people, if you can try not, and people think I'm crazy when I say this, have kids in your late 30s and 40s and I had 27 years old, people are like, oh, you could be dead. But then that's the chance you take. It's better than the kid being in poverty and struggling. People don't get it.

So that's the advice I would give. And follow TK Kirkland on Instagram at TK and this is Kirkland. That's the advice I would give them as well What about you got a part you got a you got a YouTube channel? No, I do is TK Kirkland podcast take on Twitter is TK Kirkland as well The YouTube the new podcast will be out in January called who raised you right? We call them that the the people's podcast and I'm excited to do it. It'd be Nine years, you know, I did this stuff with SoundCloud and Charlamagne the guide. We couldn't do video at the time because I just wasn't going to stand still.

Now I'm getting ready to do this. I'm excited. I'm going to do something a little different and we'll see what happens with it. You know, because like I said, I'm going to give myself a 10 year run, but 10 year run for me, I'll be almost 77 years old. God damn! I'm gonna be here though. TK Kirkland.

My man. Appreciate your role. Thank you man. Yes sir. All right, let's welcome A-Witch back to perform on Club Shay-Shay. It goes from the finger to the elbow. The earth, golden aura, eternal, make it ready, ace.

From the Far East, archipelago, snakes with the venom, Eternal, Mickey, Radiates Boy stay blazing, and we still having bad trips like that 80s shit Fuck you pay me, I'll keep out your pen, nobody gave us guidance Now you wanna bitch, could you see my good finance? But your daddy in my DM life Yo, I understand anybody with a solid mathematics My aesthetic so poetic, haters funny, problematic Floated, patted, golden, jealous, Kenzie character with carrots I don't doubt it, bring it panic if you want it

Come down to the butcher shop We gon' eat tonight Come down to the butcher shop It's do or die Come down to the butcher shop What's yours is mine Come down, we gon' grind to the spine Got the finest of the fine, give it to you raw

If it's how you like, listen even the vegetarians can fit the criteria Slice me not the barriers I'm serving like my veterans I'm from the jungle with the military trenches Cinderella bitch just tryna hop up by the fences Used to be that girl on the gate two streets Now I'm making yens like I'm real Japanese Running on my numbers to the nearest hundred thousand I ain't got the time, I'm got the ones who stout it Bow, Bobby got the yacht at the dock It's the rock, whoosh on the rocks in a clean bakara

Ice team, DBX in in my lot From Okitura, Shilinland, it's the bop, habisake Mixed with the cider, rally all these drunken monks in a cypher I be with the shell shock boys from the island, if you want it we can chop it up, come down to the butcher shop, we gon' eat tonight come down to the butcher shop, it's the word I, come down to the butcher shop, what's yours is mine I'm down we gon' grind to the spine, got the finest sort of fine, give it to your raw if it's how you lie What? What? What? What? Thank you so much. Oh man, it's awesome.

Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much for performing on Club Shea Shea. The name, A-Witch, it means Asian wish child. How did you come up with that? It's my real name Akiko. Akiko, it means a child that Asia has wished for. Like, I is for Asia. Ki is for wish, and Ko is for child.

Oh, okay. You combined it. When I was 14, I pushed it together and came up with A-Witch. But everybody hits that name, because with A-Witch. Wow. But everybody hits that name, because it sounds like a witch. Right. But I didn't mean to be a witch.

I tried to change it so many times, but every time I changed it, some sign would come to me and like, don't change it. They say leave it. Yeah. Just keep it. You're from Okinawa. Yes. Now Okinawa, if I'm not mistaken, I think the US, does it still have a military base

there? A lot, yes. Okay, so you were around people that spoke English, although you didn't. You learned to speak English from watching Tupac. Yes, yes. Well, when I was, well, earlier in my life, before I even discovered Tupac, I studied English on the military base. Okay. Like I went to went on to this teacher who was married to a military guy. Okay, American. Yeah. So she taught me English but then so

I started digging like American music. Okay. Then I discovered hip-hop and then I discovered Tupac. Okay. Are you hooked? Yeah. I watched a fan. I watched all of his videos, all of his songs, all the lyrics, his interviews, his documentaries. He was already passed when I discovered him. Oh, okay. So, all the movies, everything. Yeah, you know what? TK actually had a relationship with Biggie and Tupac. He had a really good relationship with Tupac, so maybe you can lend some insight

and help her get a better understanding with Tupac. So when you knew you was gonna do Shannon Shop, when did you start preparing? Like a month ago. About a month ago. Yeah, so you're a true professional. The reason why I say that, Shannon's been around for a while,

and I've been in the business 40 years, and I started out with NWA, and I've learned from everybody, from Jay-Z to Tupac and all of us. And the thing that he's gonna laugh, I've been preparing for Shana Shaw for three years. For three years is a mental thing. So do you prepare how you was gonna sound,

what you was gonna wear, the outfit that you was gonna wear, it comes all the way down there. To me, that's just a true professional because a lot of people don't put that much time into it and you have to put that much time. Wait, probably I've been preparing for over a month because we were... Maybe like three months. Okay, wow. Three months.

Yeah. Because we first talked about it. People prepare like that. We take it that seriously. I'm already on the year 2032, and I'm 66 years old. So I'm 66. I just think that helps to keep me alive, keep me going. I've always been like that my whole life.

25 years, 25 players. Before training camp kickstarts a new NFL season, NFL Daily is going to look back. It is a special six episode series where myself, Greg Rosenthal and some of the top NFL minds like Kevin Harlan, Mina Kimes and Bill Barnwell make the case for each player. We're taking a look back giving you NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years. So who made the list? You know, Tom Brady's on it. Where's Patrick Mahomes?

Mahomes is into the end zone! Touchdown Kansas City! He's on it. How about Lamar Jackson? Jackson takes it himself. Look at him dart back and forth. Oh, he broke his ankles and he's got a touchdown. He is Houdini.

You are gonna have to listen to find out, listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Now, one thing about Tupac, when he started with Digital Underground, he was a different type of gentleman, right? And I saw him,

he was looking for someone to guide, he needed an OG. He didn't have an OG. And he went down this path of rebellion, strength, saying what he felt was necessary and against all odds, right? So how does that inspire you? Do you want to put that type of energy out for the people or what message that you're trying to give to the universe? Well, it definitely taught me, he definitely taught me to give back to the community.

So I'm doing charities. I have my own brand of sake that will create employment in Okinawa. Okay. And I'm always doing like, like going back to school, like a school do speeches and things like that. Because I learned that from Tupac. Okay. Wow. Because he, like, I watched his community center speech, you know what I mean? So that part of Tupac is definitely like, is in me, but also his other part, like a rebellious part, like his

contradiction, his everything, like his being honest, like being honest with himself all the time. So to not be afraid to be honest of who you are, how you feel at like this moment as well as to give back. Now I have one more question. Is this your first album or first track? So you put different albums up in the back. I have a lot of works done in Japan. I have accomplished a lot in Japan. So now this is my first song, first project that I'm working with Reza that will probably cross over

to like overseas audience. He likes that type of style, Chinese, Japanese, karate. Yes, the karate. You said you had been preparing to come on Club Cheche for almost three months. What did you know about Club Cheche? Why was it important for you to like, you know what, I wanna perform,

and I wanna perform on that platform? That is, it's like you always talk about, the performance is performance, but the interview is like what makes me wanna be on the show. Wow, thank you. It's very spontaneous, it's very natural and like a conversation, it's a real conversation. Thank you. And it's funny and it's serious, emotional, so all of that.

How does an Asian young lady, how do you get into, of all the genres of music, rap? I used to like write poetry all the time. When I was like, since I was nine years old, I still have the books. Because I couldn't sleep. Like I think I see ghosts. You see dead people huh? Yeah, I don't see, see, like, clearly. But I feel it. Yeah, okay. Ever since I was a child, I couldn't sleep at night because I couldn't close my eyes. So I would sit up and write poetry.

So that kind of like transferred into rap music really easily. Wow. So that, and I couldn't really sing. So I'm like, man, I can't be a singer. Then I met rap, I'm like, oh, you don't have to be a, you don't have to sing to be a singer. So let me try this, and it fit me. So when you were growing up, did you always, I mean, did you play with dolls? Did you play sports?

Did you always know that kind of like, you know, I want to, you know, I want to be a singer, and then you're like, well, you know, my voice is not really going to carry that, but I can rap. So once you discovered rap, you were all I want to be a singer, then you're like, well, my voice is not really gonna carry that, but I can rap. So once you discovered rap, you were all in on rap. Nothing else mattered. You didn't focus on anything else other than rap. Since I was 14, yes, true. But I went through a lot of ups and downs in life.

I got married and I have a daughter when I was like 20 years old. And then I took like 10 years off. And then my husband passed away. And then I went to depression. And then came back out. My daughter helped me out a lot. And I promised my daughter I would be the best in Japan after I came out of the depression and now I am. So I took like a minute off, but I've always was into like creating writing. I never quit writing. Right. Yeah.

Your parents, when you told them that, you know what, I want to be a rapper, you came to America, you end up having, because you know, when you have a child, it's already difficult when you're crossing races. Was it even more difficult when you went back home with your daughter and she's not full-blooded Asian? You probably see a lot of that on Okinawa. Yes, I do.

But how would you receive when you went back home? When, well- Wait, wait, wait, I'm starting to rub. You have racism there? In Japan? Is that. What you saying? Yes But um, but so I'm wait wait wait, I'm sorry again, so me him went over there we would have issues being black Not so much today not so much today But back in the days because my daughter is Not so much today. Not so much today.

But back in the days, because my daughter is 17 now. Wow. You look about 20. Yeah, yeah. I was going to say. I'm just confused. Yeah, I thought you were going to say you had like a four-year-old.

Let me explain. I'm 38 years old. Yeah. So I've been through a lot. And then came back in the scene in Japan, maybe I was like 29, 30 years old. So it was unheard of already for my age to start to break out. So everybody called me a big sis and all that.

But when, so I have 70 years old. But when we came back to Okinawa, she was three years old but when we came back to Okinawa she was three years old. We don't have like a, luckily my daughter didn't experience a lot of racism, bullying and all of that stuff but I remember this one time she had very like a big afro. She had this cute puff, two puffs, and I tied her hair up. One day she came home and she was like, tomorrow please braid my hair. Please braid my hair, braid my hair. And I said why?

And she was like, I just want you to braid my hair. And it turned out this boy bullied her for her like a fluffy hair, like it's, cause it's different. When she braided into like a one braid, it doesn't show that much difference. So she begged me. So then I realized that was the reason.

I was like, no, Like, go like that. Because... You wanted her to accept who she is. Yeah, and then I want him to accept it as well. For who she is. And I want her to know, he do not know what cute is. He do not know what beauty is. He do not know what fashion is.

Go back there and watch him and how he dressed and how he looked like. That's true, that's true. and watch him and how he dressed and how he looked like. And so she went, so I convinced her to go and she went and she came back happy. And I said, what the boy said, and she was like, nothing. And what he looked like, he had some dirty soccer ball shirt on. I said, see, I told you. So she was like, you know, I know what's cute. Your mama know what's cute. Your mama know what's beautiful.

I know. So just listen to me and you're good. What was it about RZA? RZA is a member of the Wu-Tang. What was it about him that made you want to work with him? Cause I know he's, as TK was saying, he's big into karate, he's big into the martial arts thing, and you mentioned earlier that Okinawa is the birthplace of karate. Right.

So he came to Okinawa for about a week on a project, and I was guiding him through, like, you know, different places. So I showed him the military base base to show him the temples, the karate dojo, and you know, the clubs, and everything. I took him, I even took him to my parents' house. Wow.

And they had drinks together. It was like a dream, watching my dad and RZA, like, cheering. And how did you meet? So, when he was coming to Okinawa, he was like in need for somebody Wow. Like, cheering. Yes. And how did you meet? How did you meet? So when he was coming to Okinawa, he was like in need for somebody that could guide the spaces of like Japanese hip hop.

Okay. And also like know the local places and the traditions and the philosophies of like this Okinawa. So I knew karate. I bought first degree black belt. Dang. Wow, that's awesome. Only first degree. That's okay, that's enough.

That's okay. Her's a lot of them. Yeah. Look, there are a lot of rappers. Obviously Tupac is probably one of your favorite rappers. But currently, are there any female rappers, male rappers? You got Meg, you got Nicki, you got Glowrilla, you got, you know. So who would you like to jump on a project with? Me again, me again with Meg. Meg style?

Yeah, me again and Glowrilla. Yeah, Glowrilla. Me and RZA talked about getting Glow on a track. Wow. We're still trying. Okay. We're still trying. What about guys, what male rappers you like?

Male rapper is a lot of them. But I like, right now I'm listening to Lil Wayne. Okay. And Lil Tekka. Okay. J. Cole. Kendrick definitely I just went to his concert in Detroit just to see. What'd you think? It was amazing. Mm-hmm. I saw his, like this is my second time watching him, and his, like, the level of art is amazing, and it's always in everybody's mood board. Wow.

When you came to America, you went to Atlanta and not New York, and if I'm not mistaken, is that where you met your husband? Yes, definitely. So why ATL and not New York, and if I'm not mistaken, is that where you met your husband? Yes, definitely. So why ATL and not NYC? You know, when in Okinawa, you see a lot of American guys, in the military, but coming from different places all over America, right?

But I always click with the Southern. You like those Southern gentlemen, don't you? Yeah, the Southern guys, Southern people, and they're like this country pride. Okinawa is kind of like the same thing. The Tokyo is good, like Osaka, they have their own culture, but Okinawa has this like a rebellious country soul, like we are we, like we are who we are.

So that type of style, kind of like I was gravitated towards. So I'm like, I'm not going to LA or, it's all made up. But Atlanta at that time, it was like 2006. 2005, 2006, it was like rising. Yes. Yeah, it was popping. It was popping, like it was coming up. So I was like, definitely Atlanta. You met, fall in love, you go popping, man. It was popping, like it was coming up. So I was like, definitely Atlanta.

You met, fall in love, you go to New York. So that experience, did you tell your parents, like, you know what, I'm going to get married and he's black? Yeah. It was just like that? Well, it was more than that in my case, because at that was like a lot happened. He was in a street. Yeah. When I got pregnant, he got picked up again. Oh. And he got locked up. Okay. So when I had to tell my parents, I had to tell him not only he's black but like the race part my parents was open-minded. Okay. Okay, but

Damn, he's like what he's gone He's away. What do you mean? So I like I couldn't tell him the details. I kind of shut shut them down. So they were worried They were worried so much when he came out They were worried so much. When he came out, I flew him, flew my parents out to Atlanta to meet him. And when they met, it was all good. Yeah. But I mean, you speak the lingo, you're like, yeah,

you know, when I met him, he was in the streets. He got picked up. You know, he got locked up. He got locked up. And so, you know, I had to tell my parents, he was on vacation for a little while, but he was gonna be back real soon. So yeah. So what did he say to you to get your attention like when y'all was out you know. My husband. Yeah. What was it about him that attracted you to him? Okay, okay. So when I was walking in a tight ass pants. Say that part again?

In a tight pants. Okay, okay. She's walking in some tight ass pants, what you see. Yeah. So he was in the car. He honked and like, stop. Okay. Yeah, that's what I wanna hear.

So where you going? I said to school, cause I was going to school. And mind you, I love going to school. School is my thing. Where you going, Georgia State? I went to Georgia Perimeter College. Okay, okay, I know where that is, yeah, yeah. Dunwoody, okay.

Dunwoody. Yeah. But at that time I was living in Clarkston. Okay, I know exactly where that is. Right behind the strokers. Okay. Oh, you know about the strokers? What you know about strokers?

Oh, man, come on, hey witch. I lived right behind it, on the Brockett Road. Yeah, Brockett, exactly, yes. So I was walking the Brockett Road. Yeah. Trying to catch. There used to be a Ferrari dealership over there too. Well, yeah.

Okay. I have a home in Atlanta. I've been in Atlanta for like 35 years. So I know all the places that you're talking about. So you behind stroking, so he pulled to the side. Hey, Shawty, let me holler at you right quick. Yeah, but he's from New York. Yeah.

Yeah, I already know. So, you know, he's like, what you doing, we going. And I said, school. And he was like, let's go over here, let's go over there. And I said, no, I'm going to school. If you're going to take me to the school, because I was already late and I had to catch a bus to end the train and the bus. So if he could give me a school, I know it's reckless, but if he could give me a ride to school, I would get in the car because I was Russian.

Right. So if you're going to take me to the school, I'll ride with you." He said, all right, come on. I could have been that. I could have been that, but he took me to school. In the ride to the school, we talked about a lot of things. And I told him I rap. I told him I rap, I told him I draw, like at that time I was designing tattoo

for a lot of people, like a design tattoo to all the military guys in Okinawa. And I showed him, I have my sketchbook, I showed him my sketchbook, and he was like, start dissecting them in the 5%er lingo. He was a 5%er from the nation of gods and earth. Oh, this is the supreme mathematics, it's the ones and twos and like, you know?

So I'm like, I've never heard of that before. Like, what are you talking about? And it kind of like made me interested. So you know what that's called? What? Sapiosexual. Oh yes, I think I am. Yeah, that's exactly what that's called? What? Sapiosexual. Oh yes, I think I am. Yeah, that's exactly what that's called. So he got you off intelligence and

conversation. Yes. And that's a beautiful thing. Yes, definitely. Proud of you on that one. Thank you. When he pulled up on you in the car, you know, I already knew. Can you tell me his name? AZ. He went by AZ because his name, the five percent, the God's name is U-A-Z-A-Tic Allah. Everybody has Allah. I was just trying to see if I might have known him, that's all. Okay, yeah, U-A-Z-A-Tic Allah. He would have been 51 this year? Yeah, it's possible or not, because when you're in Atlanta hustling back in the day, you pretty much know everybody.

So I pretty much know everybody, you know, especially, you know, I've been out going to Atlanta, whoo, since 1988, you know, and I grew up in Jersey City and Harlem and New York. So it's possible, you know, so I just wanted to know. Yeah. Yeah. Safe for your sexual, but I like that. Yeah. He got you from conversation

Yes, you mentioned that once he got out, you know things okay And then he ended up getting murdered since you you know now you got it y'all have a child together he's not gonna be there to help you rear this child and You fell into depression and you said it was your daughter That helped you get out of depression because you had to realize like she doesn't have a father that's here and if I can't be of service to her if I'm dealing with these internal issues I need to get my stuff together to make sure she has the best life I can possibly provide for her. Yes definitely well she helped me through the whole depression. Like she was my support system. She was, cause I was like sleeping all the time,

not being able to get out of the bed. Yeah, it's difficult. Or get out of the room. That funk that you was in. Right. But I kept on writing, like writing diaries and writing all these like confusions. But it was definitely my daughter and it was a another one is the conversation with my dad okay my father went through the war

like he was born he didn't went through the war as a grown-up but he was born on the day of the part of Harvard okay so 41 yeah. Wow. 41. Yup. 1941. Yes. So post-war era. And he saw his mom or his brother lose their lives or mourn the loss of their loved ones and things like that. And he's like, don't feel entitled because you lost your husband, because everybody has

lost their loved ones or their friends or their family in Okinawa and they still survived. And that's why you're here today. And when he said that, it clicked in my head. If I am truly proud of my family or like where I'm from, I have to stand up and- It's tough. Yeah. Yeah, it's tough. ...keep going. And when I... So I didn't have nothing to lose at that time.

When I have the support from my family and I don't have nothing to lose, what do I want to do? I said music. And when I decided to get back on the music, I have to be the best. Like, I promised my daughter, watch me. I'll be your inspiration to you. Wow.

I have one more question. I think we gotta go. What's your plans as you get older when the music stops? I want to build a school. That's why I have a charity now. It supports kids from Okinawa to study abroad. Okay. This is my second year. Last year we started it. We launched it. We do 100 kids home stay within Okinawa into American families. Wow. Okay.

Like, because we utilize, we can utilize... That's studying abroad, right? Is that called... No, I think she said the American families are in Okinawa. That is in Okinawa. Oh, okay. And you put the children with American families so they... So they can learn like a different culture.

Yes. Okay. With the way of their life. Yeah. Within Okinawa. Okay. Yes. With the way of their life within Okinawa. Like utilizing the unique situation that we have as Okinawan Island. And then they take exams.

Out of 100 kids, 3 can go to Atlanta to study for a week. And then this year we're doing the same thing plus Plus we picked two kids from Atlanta to come to. Go to Okinawa. Okinawa for exchange. That is so cool. Yes. And we are, I'm looking to like expand the days because we could only like do short days now

because of the budget. But I'm looking to expand that to kind of like so that they can learn for a year. Like real, real study abroad. Yeah, it makes a difference. And then, you know, bring that back to their own community and help their own community. Now I have another question. In your city or country?

Okinawa. City. City, right? Yeah, city. You guys have a Ritz-Carlton there? What is it? A Ritz-Carlton hotel? Yeah.

Because I'm into, like, I'm spoiled. Yeah, I'm a bougie. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I ain't gonna lie. Like, I come from the streets, but I work hard. My sheet, my thread count, gotta be on point. Okay. So, because I go to different parts of the world and I've been there, like, I'm not going

to trip. Nah, I can't do it, dog. I stopped that gonna trip. Nah, I can't do it, dog. I stopped that. Everything I do now, gotta be on point because I'm into being well. The final thing, yeah. I gotta have it, man. You're at the stage of the life.

I'm bougie, yo, I ain't gonna lie. And I'm not afraid to say it. That's good. I'm from the streets and I've been through all that, but when I go to certain countries, do you have Four Seasons, The Ritz-Carlton, streets and I've been through all that but when I go to certain countries do you have Four Seasons, the Ritz Carlton, the Waldorf Astoria? Damn. Yeah, I gotta do that.

He said damn. Yeah, I gotta do that. In Japan definitely. In Okinawa do we have Four Seasons? I don't think we have Four Seasons. Well as long as you got the Ritz. Ritz? Hyatt? I rock with the Hyatt. Hyatt? I can rock with the Hyatt. Yeah, I can rock with the Hyatt. Hyatt? I can rock with the Hyatt.

Yeah, I can rock with the Hyatt. Ritz, Carson, maybe. Okay, we do have it. I'm just curious. Okay. But it's a certain part of Okinawa is resorts. Right. Yeah.

Okay. It's a lot of like the... Because that's really one of my plans to come to. I travel the world. I was just in Berlin. I was just in Great Britain. Yeah. But one of the things is I wanted to do Japan. But what I was looking for, who had the city

that reminded me of New York? Right. Right? That's what was important. I wanted to go to the city. Like, I didn't want to do my daughter's, like, the culture and all that. They could do what the hell they want to do. Right.

I'm old. I just want to lay in bed, have my espresso, get my hands and feet done. That's what I want to do. Kids think I'm crazy. But I love it. Yeah, we do have it. So what can fans expect from A-Wit moving forward,

2025 and beyond? I'm coming out with a project with RZA, fully produced by RZA. And in that album, we have the song that I just performed. And the first song is called Wax on Wax Off. It's featuring Frag and Lupe Fiasco. Because Lupe is a true samurai. And he know all kinds of martial arts.

I didn't know that. You didn't know? I did not know that. His father owns a dojo in Chicago. So as he grew up, he know all kinds of like Budo, like all the martial arts. Wow. He can do swords, swordsmanship, karate, dojo.

Lupi Fiasco. Yeah. Wow. So you can never judge a book by its cover. No. So years ago you could argue with someone. When I was growing up, you go fist fighting. Now you're getting an argument, you gotta really think.

You don't know what a person know, right? You gotta really like... You gotta be looking at somebody's ears. If they got them cauliflower ears, like, no, man, you got it. That's so true. You know what I'm saying? You gotta go ahead.

And that's why, and just to put this out there, that's why on your interview, if anybody would get into an argument, always do it a gentleman and lady way. Because you never know what the person standing in front of you is capable of doing. Because I think at Louvre I would never think, I'm not trying to diss him or anything. I'm amazed. And I'm impressed.

That's awesome. So you've got a project coming out of him, he's also on your project? He's on my project. And how long did it take you? You still working on the album? Yes, I'm wrapping up. And how many songs you have on there already? Like 10.

So 10? OK, OK. And when is it? Do you know your release date? September. September? Now, are you going through your own label or you're being distributed by someone? My own label. Wow. Independent.

That's what I wanted to hear. And the reason why I asked that question, I used to tour at New Edition and when Bobby Brown left New Edition, we did a concert, I met a man named Eazy E. And one thing I know what Eazy E did, he put $6,000 up for Straight Outta Compton, right? That was his budget, that's what he spent. And he made $27 million dollars off Straight Outta Compton, right? That was his budget. That's what he spent. And he made $27 million off Straight Outta Compton. So I've always, in movies, TV, music industry, I always ask people, are they going independent? And you really believe in yourself, you'll go independent because you cut out the bullshit. And that's how you never get paid. And that's why the Dr. Dre's and ice cream was always won

Compared to the East Coast in hip-hop because they own no one could tell them what to do and ownership Yeah, it's everything so I'm proud of you on that Thank you. Thanks for coming back Do you know much about cognac a which cognac? Yeah, you know about it. Yeah, but I have my own Faki Brown and sake. I want you to try it. OK, I absolutely will. We're going to rock it.

So this is habush. Habush? See, I said it right. Habush. And what it is is. It ain't got that snake in there, do it? Yes. Oh, lord.

There's a snake in there? Not inside, like not the snake itself. But it has the snake extract in it. OK. That's interesting. And it's an Okinawan tradition to to marinate snake in the sake Because it used to kill like this is a poisonous. Habu is the name of the snake Mm-hmm used to kill people like he used to buy and people get you know

So they have to kill the snake but instead of throwing it away They thought to put it in their drink and drink their strength into themselves. So instead of letting the snake bite them and die, they figure they have marinated the snake and drank that and die? Yes. Oh, Lord have mercy.

Turned out, turned out, it's full of amino acid. It's good for you. It never give you hangover, and it's aphrodisiac. Oh. Oh. It never give you hangover and it's aphrodisiac. Oh. Let's, let's, let's, I think we should, let's try that now. Yeah.

We got some more glasses? Let me, I got, I got to go check. We can knock ours out. Hey, TK, this might be our last drink. All right. Thank you so much. Cheers. Cognac, in order for it to be a cognac, it has to originate in the region,

in the cognac region. Now, this is a VSOP, that means it has to be aged between four and six years. So any cognac, it has to originate there. The first two years of its existence, it has to originate in the cognac region. It's a grape, and people don't, I don't know if people realize this, but cognac originates from a grape. This is a Ounie Blanc grape and a petite champagne. So it's a combination, 46 years,

and we won like 13, 14 awards. We won the Sip Awards twice. This is yours? This is mine. Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, shit, that's why. Let me go get some water. I'll bring it.

You know about the opening, you drop the water here to open it up? No, I'm just gonna pretend that was my drink. No, but actually, gonna pretend that was my drink. No, but actually, if you drop a thing of water in there, it'll open up the body. OK. Because you can't control it with an ice cube,

because the ice cube's gonna melt. Yeah, ice cube's gonna melt, and it's gonna give you more water than what you need. But a drop of water, it'll open it up. OK. Congratulations, a little bit. Yeah, I love that. Knowledge, boy. Knowledge. I'm gonna be using your shit on, motherfucker, it'll open it up. Okay. Wow. Congratulations.

Yeah, I love that. Knowledge, boy. I'm going to be using your shit on, motherfucker. Just saying. Here you go. Put a little drop of water in there. Wow. You took that to the head.

Oh. Not supposed to? Oh, Lord. I thought, you know, we sip, and you know, like, hey, how you doing? So how was your day today? I thought you were going to have to... Yeah, it's usually a sip drink. yeah you didn't know you know you big alright let's try your snake snake extract yes but it has 13 different types of herbs

so it's aromatic am I supposed to just drink, take it all in? Take it to your head, yeah. Really? I don't know, after the VO's free and this? God dang, it weird. You need more? No, I don't need no more. I was hoping you'd just.

Let's see what this is going to do. You going to drink with us? Yes. OK, here we go. Kanpai is a Japanese word for cheers. OK. Kanpai. Kanpai.

Kanpai, cheers. Kanpai. Kanpai. Cheers. Kanpai. Kanpai. Kanpai. OK. It tastes good. It does. It's sweet.

It tastes good. Yes. It's the, you taste a little cinnamon in the end. Yes. Right? Am I right? I taste cinnamon on the end. It's got cinnamon.

It's got 13 different types of herbs. And do you have an extra bottle? I do. I do. If you want to take it. You have to sign it for me. OK, I will. You have to sign his too.

Like sign it, put your name on it. Yes. That would be nice. Well, thank you for joining us. Really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Good job. I'm coming over there, so I'll give you my information. Definitely. I'm saying that to Ritz, though. Definitely appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you so much. I'm coming over there so I'll give you my information. I'm saying that to Ritz though. been grinding all my life, all my life, been grinding all my life Sacrifice, thought so paid the price, won a slice Got to roll a dice, that's why, all my life, I been grinding all my life Who are the 25 greatest football players to grace the gridiron since the year 2000, introducing NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years? Join me, Greg Rosenthal, and an all-star cast of media personalities including Mina Keim, Steve Weisch, Kevin Harlan, and more for a look at football's best since the turn of the century. Listen to NFL Daily's top 25 players of the last 25 years starting on June 30th on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts 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 2B. We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There's 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 Sarah Spane 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.