Drink Champs - Drink Champs BEST of 2024!

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode, we revisit some of our favorite moments of 2024.  Featuring memorable moments from Ludacris, ScHoolboy Q, and Stephen A Smith! The Champs and their guests relive some of their favorite stories told throughout 2024. From our family to yours, Happy Holidays to the Drink Champs Army! *Subscribe to Patreon NOW for exclusive content, discount codes, M&G’s + more: 🏆* https://www.patreon.com/drinkchamps *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com Follow Drink Champs: https://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps https://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps https://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps https://www.youtube.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN https://www.crazyhood.com https://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy https://www.twitter.com/djefn https://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. https://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga https://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Peace to the planet. Charlemagne the God here. And as we come closer to closing out this year, I just want to say thank you for tuning in to the Black Effect Podcast Network.

There have been so many great moments over the past year. Take a listen to some of those captivating moments in this special Best Of episode. He is the man. He is my friend. He is a legend, an icon, a motherfucking tycoon. In case you don't know what we're talking about,

we're talking about the one and only, impeccable, Chris Lover Lover, Luda Chris Bickerman! Luda, man, your career is just phenomenal, right? Thank you, bro.

For real. When is the time, because I know from my own personal experience, sometimes I still don't think I've made it, right? Thank you, bro. For real. When is the time, because I know from my own personal experience, sometimes I still don't think I've made it, right? I still don't feel like I got to the level where I want to get.

But there's so many people in this world that says, oh, man. When was the time that you felt like, man, I'm here? Like, I can't be... Man, it was two different times. So one, like I told you you I used to work In that radio station And they never had us

On contracts Cause I was Myself and a guy By the name of Poon Daddy Were the youngest The youngest guys At the radio station Is DC now?

No no not that Okay okay my bad So we were the youngest People at the station So basically Everybody else had contracts At least year contracts So me and him

I'm like again I'm 18 So I'm young as hell I don't know shit. I'm just out here having fun, making more money than I've seen, hosting clubs. Since they didn't have us on a contract, we were in fear of

losing our jobs every day because we were live wires. We were doing stupid shit at that radio station. Things that you would get fired for immediately. Not shock jock type shit. Maybe for back then. You know, shock jock is like

doing something that, you know. Oh, you talking about against the competitors? Yes, yes, yes. No, I'm talking about just stupid young shit. Okay, okay, okay.

You know, smoking weed in the limo, almost burning the goddamn car down, all that stupid shit. Oh God. So yeah. You was young. You was doing young shit.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. The crazy shit is that at the end of the day, when I was, when, what's your fantasy came out? So I had an independent. Wait, so what, time day When I was When What's your fantasy came out So I had an independent Wait so

Time out time out What's your fantasy came out While you were still on the radio While I was still at the radio station Oh that's legendary Let's make some Independent I thought you quit

My bad Nah so the whole story goes I'm at this station And I'm making these You know little hundreds of dollars Here and there While I'm hosting these clubs So I built up enough money

To where I had about Five to,000 to $10,000 where I put all that money back into my own album. So I'm paying for all my recording, all my mixing, all my mastering. And this is a time when vinyl was still out. So I pressed this whole fucking CD together and I had the vinyl and everything, and then I distributed independently. Even though first you kind of sell the shit out the trunk,

then there was an independent distributor in Atlanta. So once I started, I put the shit out, but the craziest, most dynamic, strategic part about this whole plan is in radio, as you know, as time goes on, everybody at radio, they move to different cities, so a lot of people don't stay in one particular slot in one city at a time.

So during that three to four years that i told you i was up there trying to get put on as ludicrous and then eventually had to invest in myself i had a lot of friends in different places that had dispersed all around the country so i literally told them yo i got this single it's called what's your fantasy just give it a fucking try on your station you got people in dc, to other stations, so different friends. So I had a network, but it was all a plan. So they started playing it. The shit gets instant reaction, obviously.

Instant reaction on their channels. So once the shit started to blow up, and I knew... You get BDS spins, which is what's key at that time.

We had like 800 BDS spins on our independent artists, which was un-fucking-heard of. So this is when all the labels started calling me. Before I get to that, we motherfuckers started calling my cell phone. I don't even know how the fuck they got my cell phone number.

I'm talking about CEOs at every goddamn label. And, you know, that's another story for another day. But I ended up signing with Def Jam, and they sent me my contract. And I remember being on air, and all those times that this station made me feel like I could get fired every fucking day, signing my contract

while I was still on the air. And that being one of the best fucking days of my life, knowing that I didn't tell them to go fuck themselves or nothing. The radio. Yeah, I just literally,

after I signed that contract, went to them and said, hey, I probably won't be working here anymore. I was just letting y'all know. I'm going to put my two weeks in. The best fucking two weeks of life. I'm going to give you something.

It was symbolic for you. No, it was symbolic as fuck. So the other crazy shit is, you know DJ Greg Street. Greg Street was my competitor. So he's on this other station that you, everything you do is competing against the other station. And we were on the same time slot, which is 6 to 10. So the moment when What's Your Fantasy started gaining traction,

and I'm on the air the same as him, and this motherfucker started playing What's Your Fantasy, somebody texted me and was like, yo, Greg Street is playing your song right now. He's not in competition. I said, I'm not believing that shit. Wow. So we on commercial break.

I turn to this motherfucker's station, and I hear my song on the competitor's station. And I was like, that's it. I fucking made it. One of the best days of my life. So all that in one. You can clap. That's the first time. That's another time. Okay.

Number two is going to be me winning that rap album, best rap album at the Grammys. So this was probably a good 10 years later. Every time I went to the Grammys, I'm in the category with Eminem and Ja Rule, and these motherfuckers were killing this shit. Jay-Z, DMX, Luda's huge artists, but when it comes to these motherfuckers, I'm losing every motherfucking award, right?

You're not in Illuminati yet. I'm a fuck with you. Yeah, no, it's all good. So I come around, and finally and finally man i make this album um release therapy bro and i went on there and i was like man i'm making this fucking album and i'm going to win best rap album for this shit i don't care what happens i'm specifically going in writing this shit making it the way it needs to be the intention was there and when they called my fucking name bro i was like that was that did it for me. Because of, you know, all

the years, it was like over a decade of loss. And then finally getting that recognition and then best rap album at that, which you already know is hard as fuck. And then they weren't really giving the rap category what they needed. And then a funny story to that, I know Chaka gonna laugh at this shit. Because I was so passionate, after I got

that award, I went backstage. And at this time, they had all the artists separated by curtains, so motherfuckers weren't in specific rooms. I say that to say I get back and I'm like, yeah, fuck yeah, I made it. I did it. I won. I literally set out this album to get a Grammy and I got it. And all of a sudden, I hear this voice from the other room on the other side of the curtain. And the motherfucker's like, shut the fuck up, man.

Some of us didn't win any goddamn Grammys And the motherfucker's like, shut the fuck up, man. Some of us didn't win any goddamn credits today. I'm like, who the fuck is that? I pulled the curtain back. This nigga Justin Timberlake is on the other side of that motherfucker. Oh, shit.

That nigga said, shut the fuck up. Some of us didn't win any goddamn credits this year. What the fuck? Make some noise for Justin Timberlake. Yo, I respect that. That nigga Justin Gangsta, bro. That nigga Gangsta as well. Holy

shit. That is crazy. And you know what? I'm going to say something else. We talked about T.I. earlier and all the shit that we've been through. Something that I do respect of all the shit that we've been through. That same setting within that same time frame as me winning

because he was in the same category. He came up to me and said, look me in my eye, gave his hand and said, congratulations. That's some hard shit for a nigga to do.

So you know what I'm saying? We talk all the shit that we had that was negativity. That's something I want everybody to know that was positive as fuck. And I respect that. That's real.

That's love. T.I. is a man. Hell yeah. T.I. is a man Hell yeah He has a man Cause we asked him about you On the same show And he kinda Had the same sentiment

Let's give some flowers out Let's give some flowers Let's get some flowers out I'ma be honest with you From the beginning of our show We wanted to give you these flowers We wanted to tell you How great you are

You You He's been a year one request. Year one request. I know you were on the quarantine episode, but that didn't count. I appreciate that. That means the world to me, man. Let me tell you who you are as an artist, right?

I'm going to tell you who I was a person, but who you are as an artist. You have that unique of fitting. Let's give a round of applause. Thank you. Mr. Lee not waiting for you to finish. And by the way, you're the first one to get the flowers in a briefcase. A new iteration of the flowers right there.

Yes, yes. Snoop Dogg sounds like better than the groundy because it's from your people. But let me tell you who you are. Let me tell you who you are. Tell me about myself, motherfucker. Let's go. I want to hear it. There isn't another artist who can fit in a gangster genre and kind of like uh a backpack genre and kind of like a top 40 genre and kind of like any genre and kind of fit there you know how you like that's love he's like you're a rapper's rapper that's what it is really you're a rapper

yes you are yes listen coming from y'all that means the world to me i'm gonna take a drink i'm just being honest with you that's love because that means you can you can morph into anything you're a qmc man and i don't know if i said this earlier but one of my biggest gripes with pharrell was when i first got in the studio pharre he was like, you have to embrace your character. I say what he says. I'm sorry. Wait, was that Lior or was that Pharrell? It was Lior Pharrell. Lior Pharrell?

It was Lior Pharrell. No, but Pharrell was like, no, but he really was like, you have to embrace your character how Busta embraces a character. And I didn't understand because I was like, I'm not a character. I'm just being who I am. Yeah, yeah. And he's like, it doesn't matter who you think you are. It's how the people perceive you. Right.

And I never embraced my character. And I felt like from the moment I seen you for him, what's your fantasy? I was like, this guy's embracing his character. He's doing exactly what Pharrell. And by the way, throw them bowls. I heard that beat. Yeah, word. I heard about this.

You got to tell me what the fuck happened, bro. I heard about this. You got to tell me what the fuck happened, bro. I passed on that. I've been kicking my ass for 21 years. For 21 years, I've been kicking my ass and kicking myself in the ass.

It was not for you, bro. That's crazy. It wasn't for me. It wasn't for you. Let's be honest. Let's be honest. You knew that, Jacques? It wasn't for me.

It wasn't for you. It was meant to go where it was supposed to go. I wouldn't have did Southern Hospitality. I wouldn't have did Thotum Bowls. Yeah, no, it wasn't for you. It wasn't for you. It was meant to go where it was supposed to go. I wouldn't have did Southern Hospitality. I wouldn't have did Dodeam Bowls. Yeah, no, it wasn't for you. It wasn't for you. Every time I see the video

with you upside down, I was like, that's how I was heard to be. I was upside down. Bro, let me tell you. As you're giving me my applause, I'm going to tell you, banned from TV,

that shit changed my fucking life. God damn it. Changed my life. So anything, look, anything you're giving me right now, that's part of the DNA. No, that shit helped mold me. Hold on, hold on.

But let's talk about Thodem Bowls, Southern Hospitality. Yeah. You in the studio. This is after my fantasy. Yeah, this is after. And we had to literally turn the fucking album in like the day after I recorded Thodem Bowls. This is already Def Jam, not the independent version of what you were putting out already. No, this is Def Jam.

This is what I want. Your version of Def Jam. This is L.A. Weed? This is the out already. No, this is Def Jam. This is what I want. Your version of Def Jam. L.A. Wee? This is the first album. This is Lior and Kevin. Fat Kevin. Fat Kevin. Fat Kevin. Let's just be clear. It's two different Kevins. Yes, Fat Kevin. I love all three. Rob Love is doing

the marketing. I had just started doing the street team. Mike Kaiser. Julie Greenwald. Randy Acker. You named the drink after Rob Love. We love, Julie Greenwald, Randy Acker. You named the drink after Rob Love. We love that. That's when I started doing Street Team. This was my first project that I worked as the regional for South Florida. Fantasy?

Yeah, this project, Ludacris Project. You don't put EFN on. Look at that. Oh, shit. Look at that. That's the piece Doc Fresh would pass it to me, and you as well, Rob. Yeah, so you go to the studio And then Pharrell

Got this beat already playing Pharrell got the beat man And I'm like Believe it or not Like I was saying earlier Sometimes you know it's a hit Sometimes you're like Eh

I thought it was cool When I first heard it Oh did he start doing like this Yeah of course You know Pharrell Do that shit So I'm sorry

So I go in the car Like this is where I write All my music In the car I write all of my shit In the car I love the fucking car go in the car Like this is where I write All my music In the car I write all of my shit In a car I love the fucking car You got the surround sound

I get my own space Roll the window down Producers do that too With the beats They go in the car To listen to the beat How do they make it? Yeah go ahead

100% So I think maybe it took Maybe 45 minutes to an hour I had them verses I went in there Did the shit Still thought the song was cool And then when everybody else Heard that motherfucker they was like, are you fucking crazy?

This shit is out of here. Where was that? Atlanta? No, we was in Virginia. Virginia. We was in fucking Virginia. Yeah, we was in Virginia at Pharrell Studios. Okay, okay, okay.

I know what that's about. Yep. Hell yeah. So that's how that shit came about, man. And that's what set it off. Because What's Your Fantasy was for the ladies, obviously. And then once Throw Them Bowls came out, it was a wrap. That record is crazy.

That rounded everything out in terms of me being a new fucking artist. And it was a game changer. Now, you a new artist, but you on Def Jam. Yeah. And to me, the first Southern artist signed to

Def Jam, by the way. No other Southern artist. So it was all New York roster. Like you say, you, Red. This is what I want to nip the bud. Because was Scarface already the president? No, no. It was before Scarface had Def Jam. Or you was already signed to Def Jam, and then they made Scarface the president.

I want to say it happened like damn near simultaneously. Oh, okay. Because I thought it was you first, and then that's when they kind of like brought in Scarface afterwards to do that. I think he was president like right before I got signed. Really? Then co-signed. Yep. So Kevin and Scarface, I was their first sign.

Oh, okay. But again, you had Jay-Z, you had Jai, you had DMX, you got you, you got Meth, everybody, the whole roster in New York. Right. And I was first Southern artist. So we was debating about whether this was the right label for us because we was like, I don't know if they're going to know what to do with a Southern artist. There's no other Southern artist. But you must have felt dope because regardless,

any hip-hop head, Def Jam is the mecca. Oh, listen, man. LL Cool J changed my life. You must have been like, yeah, let's do this. Come on, man. I'm bad. That's the reason I'm here at this table today. That's the reason I rap.

And I've told this motherfucker that he was there When I got the Hollywood star Just this year So man And they get LL Cool J Thank you man We can't even go lightly on that Yeah yeah yeah Nah LL Cool J

Yeah so Def Jam 100% I was excited But that was the only reservation I was the only southern artist on there But that shit worked out Like a motherfucker Right Hell yeah

Would you ever do a residency? Absolutely I would love that shit Where would you ever do a residency? Absolutely. I would love that shit. Where would you want your first residency to be? In Vegas, for sure. That's the makeup of residencies. Where in Vegas? Shout out to Wu-Tang, dude, that just announced their residency.

Found Blue? I know Found Blue just opened. Open, yeah. I currently have a deal in Vegas, so politically, I'm not going to be able to tell you that answer right now. But next time, I'm on Drink Champs, I got you. This won't be the last time. Let's do Drink Champs wherever that deal is.

Let's go. Let's do that. Now, Lovers and Friends, when I was on here, we were on the way coming here, a lot of people said they'd made a lot of babies to Lovers and Friends. That's a great thing, shit. Is that a great thing? That's a great fucking thing. A lot of people make babies to What's Your Fantasy, too.

But, y'all, Lovers and Friends, people make babies in What's Your Fantasy, too. God damn it. But y'all, no, Lovers and Friends, we never shot a video for that shit. Ever. And this record is huge. But until this day, I just had a show last night.

I got a show tonight. We always do Lovers and Friends and the whole crowd sings the whole damn song. But that's a special one right there, for sure. So where was you at? Usher called you.

And you called him Usher. It's crazy. We were in Miami. Usher had a fucking show. It's funny because Shaka fucked with me about my memory, but I have the most selective memory. When you asked me that,

that shit came to me immediately, nigga. Me and John showed up for Usher's show down here in Miami. When you say John, you talking about John Singleton? Lil' John. Oh, Lil' John. Lil' John produced the record.

It's actually Lil' John's record. Okay, okay. It's actually Lil' John's record. So we came to his show and this nigga Usher was like, nigga, I got another one. I got another one for us. I was like, word, let me hear this shit. So before he goes on stage, they let me hear it.

I'm like, we out of here, again, on a whole other level. Yeah, it's fucking 100-something BPM. Lovers and friends, 60-something BPM. We out of here. Yeah, nah, man, making history with them. Them two, man, some of the greatest brothers on earth, bro. Right. For sure.

The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West

and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley

comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June

4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Here's this man standing right in front of us making incredible albums. I've never heard a mediocre album from this guy. Wow. He is, and he said one time that Nas said he was the best. And I'm here to tell you, I don't think Nas was gassing you. I think he came from the heart.

Right. Because that's exactly who he is. So in case you don't know who the fuck we talking about, we talking about the one, the only, motherfucking Schoolboy Q! But Schoolboy Q, let me just tell you something, man. From the beginning of the show, we wanted to give you your flowers. Thank you, brother.

Face to face, man to man. You are one of the greats. You know, we don't want anything to happen to you. And then we tell you you're great. We want to say that while you're alive. Thank you, brother. Give you your flowers. You too, brother.

Right there. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Snoop Dogg said it's like a Grammy

because it comes from his people, God damn it. You know what I'm saying? For real. The motherfuckers don't show love, bro. Here you go. You know what's so unique about you? Every time someone asks you about L.A.,

you're always giving up game. You're always saying, you got to watch out for this artist. You got to watch out for this artist. You're always naming people. You're always showing love to people to watch out for this artist. You got to watch out for this artist. You always naming people. You always showing love to people. How did you develop that? How does that?

I mean, once again, sports. I mean, and, you know, you got to show love to your teammates. You got to show love to people. And if you ain't good enough to hang, like, and if you're scared somebody's going to take your position, it was never yours in the first place. Looking at him fall, it was never his. I said that on the last album, too. If you fall,

it was never yours in the first place. If you let somebody knock you out your position, you never had that position. Why? You know what I'm saying? Once again, it goes all back down to discipline.

Motherfuckers ain't got no discipline, bro. So a motherfucker see somebody gassing, going up, and just hate for no reason. It's like, for what? Like, he going up. Right.

Oh, because he ain't do as many units as you. It's like, bro, okay, and I put my units next to fucking Jay-Z. I don't even fucking exist. So, it's like, what are we measuring things?

It's not relevant at that point. With motherfuckers, it's hard. Like, he hard. Like, he hard. Like, just let it be. Like, you know what I'm saying? So, like, at that point. With motherfuckers, it's hard. Like, he hard. Like, he hard. Like, just let it be. All right. You know what I'm saying?

So, like, at some point, just if it's yours, it's yours. And you ain't got to worry about shit. Show love. All right. Straight up. Another thing about you is you have some of the dopest features in the game. I do. I done washed a lot of cats.

I washed a lot of cats. He's weird. I'm about to go on another washing machine. I've been chilling for five years just watching and observing and trying to change my life and body and shit.

Get my body to the right point where I want to be, but I'm ready to play ball and just keep playing ball right now because I think they're making it real easy for people like me. I think a lot of people are bad, though I think

a lot of people are good, but a lot of people are scared. What, to get on the record with you, you're saying? No, no, just music. Musically, period. A lot of people are scared to try anything. But I get it, though. at the same time You know business is business Right

And you know But at some point If you ain't got what you Gonna get out of this shit And you been in this game Like X amount of years You probably won't get it That's right

You know what I'm saying That's what's unique About this album Yeah It's like You just said A lot of people are scared It seemed like

You wasn't scared at all Like you were You were taking risks like each song sounds like it's two songs and one totally different you know what i'm saying yeah like nothing sounds the same like what the fuck that was the whole thing like how do i see music right now okay so everything is 30 second clips right uh-huh motherfuckers can't even pay attention to three verses anymore. Motherfuckers is doing one verse. It's like, how do I make this album in this time and still be me?

It's like, oh, I see things in the way they see it. Fucking 40 seconds, 50 seconds, if I can't get, how can I get off something in 30 seconds? 30 seconds at a time. How can't get, what do I want? How can I get off something in 30 seconds? You know what I'm saying? 30 seconds at a time. How can I say as much as I want in 30 seconds?

If I can't say as much as I want in 30 seconds, then I probably shouldn't be doing this, this part of the beat or shouldn't be rapping or coming with this concept. You know what I mean? So it was just like, what can I say in X amount of time and from there and how you just built the beats we just built it the beats all but the lyrics pretty much came first on this album because i know the beats changing up too that 30 second that makes sense like yeah yeah it's like you know um and and still just like shit i want to do it like this like shit like why not like my Blankface album I did the same thing like you know

I think like I said just rap is just so kind of like and it's so many of rappers now and it's still hella good rappers but it's just so many now that me doing beat switches it's like mad people doing beat switches still you know what I'm saying

but and I've been doing still, you know what I'm saying? But, and I've been doing it, but, you know, with the game it is now, like, my shit is standing out a little bit more with it because of

just the no risk taking of artists. You know, they find their pocket and they stay in that pocket. And like I said, that's cool if you're in it for the business, but

everybody I know is a fucking millionaire at this point. So it's like, what the fuck are we doing now? We're just making it worse for the younger kids, I think. I think artists are scared to act their age. Yeah. And it's weird to me. I'm 37, bro. I'm not scared to act 37.

I'm still lit. i can still do all the shit i can still outrun you i can still i'll do i'll wrap you whatever you want to talk about i'm still way more fuddier than you bro i dress better like i look better i'm getting younger every year like what you motherfuckers his own dope like you know what i'm saying like so like i'm not i'm not scared to have to live my Like, you know what I'm saying? And I think a lot of artists are doing that. And they're doing the younger generation a disservice. Yep.

Because they're not leading. They're not being examples. No, no, no, no. OG's acting like YG's like. It's the weirdest shit to me. You know, that's another reason why I didn't even do press before this album. Because it's just like, I don't fit with those dudes in in the media i don't i don't even fuck with they just too negative for me and it's like y'all too old for all that

right y'all gotta watch what y'all say y'all gonna really get hurt playing with people bro like motherfuckers is putting their life in their music like you can dislike my music but don't disrespect me though because i put my life in my shit you know what i mean so when you disrespect me or disrespect the rapper that's how i feel like you're gonna get at me eventually you know what i'm saying i got camaraderie still with rappers even though you know rappers don't have camaraderie but i do so if i see somebody say some crazy crazy shit about a rapper i ain't fucking with you like you know what i'm saying like i said you can dislike it yeah no problem yeah nobody tripping on that but the the way you motherfuckers are really disrespectful.

They be doing personal shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I ain't with it. And everything is relationship-based, too. It's like, that's not how it's supposed to be, either. So I'm just not with none of it. I just want to go all gas and just keep gassing. I'm going to keep gassing, gassing, gassing.

And they're going to come in circles, and I'm going keep gas in their ass and I got like I said I got 18 more to go so I'm gonna keep gas in their ass let's talk about Jack in the Box on Vernon and Figaro oh man that's man you That's, man, you going crazy. Is that Jack of the Crack still there? Oh, yeah, it's there. Yeah? It's there. Vernon and Faye, whoo.

Man, I ignore you, man. Let's move on from that one. Cool off on that one? Yeah, let's move on from that one. But that's, yeah yeah that's you know I forget what kind of record you came up with over there

I forget I was just going in through it yeah we move on but um we move on your relationship with Mac Miller

yeah my brother yeah rest in peace how did how did y'all meet um we met on tour um this is How did y'all meet? We met on tour.

This is another one that's hard to talk about, too. We met on tour, and we just bonded off the rip. You know what I'm saying? As just humans, just people. You know what I'm saying? Thought he was a funny-ass white boy. Thought I was a funny-ass black dude. Right, right, right. We just kicked it. You know what I'm saying? Thought he was a funny-ass white boy. Thought I was a funny-ass black dude. We just kicked it. You know what I'm saying?

He was transitioning his music from white-sounding poppy. He was going more towards rap. He had so much soul. He just came in the game the way he came in

and he was like transitioning. And I watched him do it and it was just like, whew, this dude is crazy. And I just wanted to stick around and be his homie. I was just happy to be his homie. That was my dog. That was really my dog. Sad situation, but

he's living forever though but he's living forever, though. Right. He's living forever. He's living forever. Want to have a moment of silence for him? No. No? Let's make some noise for him?

Yeah. Make eye. Now, you had a duck tail and a homie cut off your duck tail? Oh, yeah, and I got kicked out of school. Just a motherfucker, dude. Just light-skinned fuck. Okay, I want to know what a duck tail and a homie cut off your duck tail? Oh, yeah, and I got kicked out of school. This motherfucker, dude, this light-skinned fuck. Okay, I want to know what a duck tail is, though. All right, so... The thing, man, you had a hair and it...

Okay, we call it a tail. We call it a tail. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. This punk motherfucker, dude, I don't even know his name. He wasn't really my homie. He was my homie, kind of. Right.

You still didn't let it go, though, I can tell. No, he still didn't. I got kicked out. I got a whooping and all types of shit. So what happened? What happened? You were in school, guys. Yeah, so I'm in school, bro.

This motherfucker, you know, they do nap time. This is like a kindergarten. This is that young? Yeah. I fucked him over, too. I fucked him over. I choked him out. I let him all in the shit

The teacher like No He's bleeding and shit That was the first time I seen him over I'm like oh my god But he cut my ducktail While I was asleep

And um I woke up And yeah And I just went to go Pull my ducktail And it wasn't there And then it was on his desk Oh shit

And then he looked at me and he kind of like laughed and i just beat the shit out of him boom bing bing bing we like five like five six whatever and then bing bing bing bing bing and i just put him in the craziest headlock i was like trying to snatch him out of the chair i'm a little kid bro and i just see him blood now he just yeah he's like yelling crazy like he's like you know what I'm saying? I'm like, shh. Like once he started yelling crazy and shit, I'm like, shh. But the other teacher came in and broke it up.

And I was at like some like Catholic school or some shit. And she gave me a whooping. That's what they do in Catholic schools. Yeah, like hit me like with a ruler. Pow, pow pow hard as fuck wow and um I guess my mom

didn't know they did that there what uh my mom came in and like like she said tripped on the whole place wow y'all what my god

and like had a whole fit and they like we gotta get his and him and his mom was just off the chain like y'all get the fuck out of here

they kicked me about that motherfucker and I went to school 50 seconds 50 seconds yeah where I wanted to school. 50 seconds. 50 seconds. Yeah. I mean, where I wanted to go in the first,

like, let me just right here on the corner. Just let me go to school. My mama always tried to do that weird shit. Oh no, you can't go to the school in the ghetto. She would send me to some other school. And then I,

then eventually she sent me back to the school. That's you. And then in the ghetto, in the hood. And it's like, why you be doing that, though? You sent me to a whole other school. That's the same thing.

You know this is another ghetto, right? Right. Like, I don't know why she would do that. Because I always wondered how you got the name school boy, right? Yeah. But then I listened to your lyrics. I can tell you have education.

Yeah, yeah, for sure. So how did you get the name Schoolboy? Literally, all right, so it's like an entendre. So Schoolboy is a pimp. I used to, well, I ain't go, you know, well. You didn't put him out there. He used to be a pimp back in the days. On Figaro?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. A dude named Schoolboy from my hood. Okay, wow. He was dope. Dope dude. Peace to him. Also, it was at a point I had good grades. And there was a point where I had shit grades, you know. I leave that out a lot, but it was a point where I had really, really good grades.

And a lot of homies would call me Schoolboy because I was, like, really good in sports. Because you needed the grades yeah yeah good grades and like you know always squabbling and like not really like you know from that cloth so they like uh would call me school boy so it was more so like a play off the pimp on fig and like me people calling me school boy for good grades and shit. Why? Being an athlete, you know, motherfuckers would encourage me, like, to be, take that sport shit far. Take that sport shit far, cuz. We got to go far, cuz. Because a lot of football players come out of LA. That shit didn't go too far, yeah.

It didn't go too far. And for all the Miami and home, like, y'all take football very serious. Nah, for sure. Baseball, too. I was really nasty at baseball. Real nasty. Baseball? What business did you play? Shortstop. I played shortstop. Yeah? Yeah. You was dog shit. Nah. very serious for sure baseball too I was really nasty at baseball real nasty baseball yeah yeah

shortstop I played shortstop yeah you was dog shit no I didn't know you played baseball I got more

trophies in baseball than I have in basketball yeah but you are Spanish yeah yeah god damn it nevermind let's not point out

that racist right there nevermind I mean it's true it's not racist if it's true right it I mean, it's true. It's not racist if it's true, right? It's very true. It's very true. It's very true. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network,

hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the

West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future

where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. One of the best, if not the best, sports people, period. I hate when hip-hop use this term, GOAT. But in this case, it's an understatement. He's a madman, and I was so excited, I've been sweating all day.

So in case you don't know who I'm talking about, I'm talking about the one, only, legendary, impeccable, Stevie A, motherfucker! Recently, we'm talking about the one, only, legendary, impeccable Stevie A. Recently, we had people come on here, right? You know, have a good time, say something they don't want to say, and ask for us to edit it. And us, being good people, we don't talk about Cal Chase. But then these artists will access the edit and then go on another platform

and say what they told us. That should piss you off. That should piss you off. You know what you should do? I'd be wanting to blow it up. You know what you should do? You should be like this. I'm going to blow it up right now.

I will tell you this. I want to hear his advice. Let me tell you. Let me allow me to give y'all some advice. Listen, eight years. Congratulations. Congratulations. Congratulations.

Well deserved. But let me get, as a person that's been in media for 30 years, let me give you a piece of advice. Please. So you want me to cut this out? You don't want me to air this? You know I better not see you saying this shit no way else, right? I didn't say that. You know that, right?

Right. Because if I see it anywhere else, I'm going to air it. Do you understand me? So long as you know. I ain't got no problems cutting this out. Right. Especially if it's something that you think is going to compromise you, going to hurt your brand. Well, I ain't trying to hurt you.

You know what I'm saying? Mm-hmm. But I better not see it somewhere else. All right. Because if I see it somewhere else, oh, that just means you want to give that to somebody else other than me. But I got it already.

I'll hear that shit tomorrow. You understand what I'm saying? And put the date when you said it so everybody know I had it first. Don't play that game. Don't play that game. If you say you want it out, keep it out. Because, listen, there's certain things, you know, a code of the industry, it's like you don't give somebody else editorial power.

I've had politicians. I've had, you know, big-time executives. I've had various others wanting to sit down and do interviews with me, and I'd cancel the interview because they wanted editorial control. You're not getting editorial control of my content. Don't come on and give me the content. I came on here today. I told y'all y'all could ask me anything y'all want. That don't mean I'm going to answer every damn thing.

But let me assure you, what you won't hear from me is me saying please don't, please edit that out. No, no, no, no, no. I came here. I showed up I know you got critics And people gonna say I'm gonna get asked

Of course I know how y'all roll You know what I'm saying I knew what I was showing up for And a lot of times You got these cats And they being run By their team But they wanna act like they it

And they being run by their team And their team Didn't have any connection They ain't create no kind of vibe. They didn't talk to you. Man to man. One on one. Or whatever the case may be.

And then they walk around with their backup. Like somebody did them wrong. Instead of owning what the hell they did. That's my life. Right there. Where it's like I'm constantly the villain. And I cannot tell y'all how many times, whether it's y'all, I don't give a damn what podcast, what show it is. I'll see some people say some shit.

It could be on YouTube. It could be anywhere. And my name come up. And they say something. And I'm like, how come nobody asked? Would they say that to my face? Would they put their truth up against my truth? Because we all got receipts, but very, very few people got as many as me.

And so I'm like, what? When I see people, I'm watching. Because if it's sports related, especially when they talk about sports commentators and stuff like that, my name coming up, I'm like, okay. And I'm wondering whether that person's going to call me or yo, Stephen A. Yo, man, they said something. You see what I'm saying? Because I'll have an answer. I promise you that.

But I really get that opportunity. And it's all right. But sometimes I say people say stuff because they know they can get away with it. Right. They know they can get away with it. But your name is so big. Yeah. I can see why certain people want to say your name.

I can see why because it's a clickbait even if they're not trying it for it. It should be clickbait. That's true. Because someone say, ah, I'm talking about Stephen A. They're going to click on it. That's right. Your they're not trying it for it. It should be clickbait. That's true. Because someone say, I'm talking about Stephen A., they're going to click on it. That's right. Your name is a hot commodity. Yeah.

So, is that something that bothers you when you don't get that call? When I don't get that call? Sometimes. Especially if it's personal. It depends on the shit they saying. Okay.

And how personal it get. Okay. Because I would, I would, listen, I know what codes I live by. I know if you a player and you didn't get along with the coach, it was because y'all were doing the same woman. Right.

You know, or you screwing around with a teammate's girl or a teammate's wife? Or, you know, you got into this beef because, you know, you tried to choke a coach or something. You know, you got into that beef. Well, that's the 12th speed well. But, you know, depending on rumors, think about it. You hear about that stuff every year. Every year, right? So you got all types of stuff. The kind of stuff that I get access to, the kind of information that I get access to by virtue of what I do for a living, I promise you, I don't say 70% of the stuff that I know.

Wow. Right. 70%. And so what happens is when you see cats and you know they talking about your stuff like that, I will remind you, I've been in the business for 30 years. I know about dudes who were talking about me. Right. And they were filming a commercial in the off season in Hollywood, not realizing I knew the damn producers. Wow.

You connected with cats in the hip hop industry. You don't know. I know them. Right. It's your network. You understand what I'm saying I mean don't don't listen. I'm not the expert the aficionado at that like I like music Of course I did I grow up my product of the hip-hop generation growing up in Hollis, Queens Oh, Jim master J was was best friends with my late brother. God rest his soul. Wow. I grew up with run DMC That's why they see me. What do you say a I hollered. 50 Cent was, you know, down the block. LL Cool J grew up five minutes from me on Farmers Boulevard.

Farmers Boulevard. The rock. The rock. You know, Ja Rule 50, all of these. I'm like, who you talking to? I'm seeing, I've seen these people years. I root for them all day, every day. I'm proud of them because I look at the road travel.

Right. And I know where they came from to get to where they go. They always going to have my support. I don't give a damn who it is. My man Kaiser should have called you. That's my man. I just got on the phone with Snoop because I'm telling him, damn, I said I had to prepare for the interview. I was watching you with Drake Champ.

I can't eclipse what you did. You know what I'm saying? I mean, it's like, these are my brothers. They know. You pick up the phone, Stephen A. It's, what? What you need? Done.

That's, you know, I'm incredibly grateful and humbled and thankful that I got relationships with such iconic figures. Right. You can't have relationships with cats like that if you don't live by a code. Right. And you don't stand for shit. And you're going to betray people. And you're going to backstab. You can't do that.

So when you got cats in the sports world trying to besmirch and sully my reputation, that gets me hot because you're implying that I live by a code that anybody who knows me knows I do not live by. And so what happens is then I'm watching everybody because I will watch whether it's y'all or somebody else. And I'll be like, you just going to let them say that? Right, you're going to let them slide. You're going to let that slide?

What evidence do you have to say that shit about me? Right. You know, and we got to remember, I know of athletes, they'll remain nameless, but I know of stars that spoke to executives trying to keep me out of the business. Oh, wow. Oh, damn. Trying to get me fired. Wow. Trying to deny what I'm bringing. And then come and they won't say anything.

I'm not going to accuse them of smiling in my face because they ain't that flagrant with it. But they don't know that I know. Like I told you before, you filming a commercial. You hanging out with your boys. You might be in a hotel. You might be at a party or whatever. Yo, bro, you ain't been. I've been in this business for 30 years.

Right. I kind of know people. So it could be a week later. It could be a month later. It could be that night. It's going to get back to me. And it ain't going to get back to me from naysayers that's, you know, I barely know. I'm talking about people that I know whose words I know I can trust. Yo, Stephen A, bro, that ain't no friend. This is what he's saying about you. This is what they trying to do. This is what happened. And so I just sit back and I watch and I pray, pray that they say something about me by

name. Oh, you don't know how I'd be praying for it. Because again, I can unleash at my discretion at any moment. And I'm mostly reserved, no doubt, because I'm in corporate America and I grew up in corporate America the freedom that y'all have in this in in this podcast world that's something I just adopted I never had the Stephen A. Smith show on YouTube that just started a year ago yeah I don't I you know I wasn't doing that all of these years I wasn't I said what congrats thank you I appreciate it man I don't I don't do you know I just started doing that and I wasn't doing that all of these years. I wasn't. I said, what? Congrats on that. Thank you. I appreciate it, man. I don't, I don't do, you know, I just started doing that. And I didn't, you know, you could call it a podcast because I got to deal with iHeartRadio and they're going to push that on their platforms.

But out of my own pocket, I built a television studio. Wow. Because my God, I can't, I can't cup a meal out of my own pocket. I built this television studio because A, I want to show that I can produce television on my own, whereas I'm not getting a check as an employee. I'm getting a check as a production company because I'm producing content, and I'm getting that bag, too, on top of me being the talent. Oh, by the way, not only am I doing that, I own and operate it 100%. Oh, by the way, not only am I doing that, but I'm doing it with the purpose of not just myself, but looking for

young talent on the come up that I can produce years and years to come because I'm 56 but I'm doing it with the purpose of not just myself but looking for young talent on the come up that I can produce years and years to come because I'm 56 I ain't 26 I don't want to do this shit in 30 years you know what I'm saying and I want my legacy to be somebody that's reaching out to help those

on the come up so we can find a way to do that because everybody can't be you everybody can't be you everybody can't be you. Everybody can't be you. Everybody can't be me. But they can be themselves in a fashion that's most profitable for them. Show them the way. And show them there's, I'm not, I'm corporate

because I had to live in corporate America for 30 years. I know who I am. You understand? I know what I am when I take the suit off and I'm hanging in Hollis. You understand what I'm saying? I'm I take the suit off and I'm hanging in Hollis. You understand? I'm hanging with the fellas or something like that. But you can't roll up with Bob Iger, the CEO of Walt Disney, and Jimmy Pataro, the president of ESPN, and Roger Goodell, the NFL commissioner, Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner.

You know, like you with the fellas. It calls for something different. Do you have the flexibility, the skill, the know-how, the professionalism to be able to dance in that world when you're not you or you or me? And I'm the kind of person that thinks that I could help in showing the way so that versatility kicks in and you can show yourself to be marketable to a whole bunch of people. People a lot of times don't see that. We encouraging young cats, man, do what you want to do, what you want to do, how you want to do it, fuck everybody else. But you got your hand out for somebody else's money. And that pisses me off

because I'm like, yo, you don't have to be a business owner. Tell me, even if you were on the street hanging with your boys, if your boys came to you and said, yo, dog, I need some money, you might give it to them the first time. Second time, you're going to be like, what the fuck you need it for?

Third time, again? Why? You understand what I'm saying? And you're going to want to know what they're doing with it. You see what I'm saying? But we act like we can encourage people to do what they want to do, when they want to do it, how they want to do it, when they got their hand out for somebody else's money. You're setting them up for a dead-end ride.

They going to fall. You can't operate that way. I'm the kind of person that says that. And because I say that, you got people that snub their nose up, they get their back up, they got an attitude, all of this other stuff. And I don't have patience for that

because I'm like, yo, I'm trying to help cats. What you trying to do when you leading them down a dead-end road? Right. Like me, right? I did love hip hop, right? Which is Viacom, which is corporate America. I did it

because I enjoyed working for somebody. I enjoyed it. I already know I'm the boss of whatever my world, but I wanted to go into somebody else's world that I could be accountable for not being on time. I could be accountable for not showing up or things like that. And I enjoyed it. I fully enjoyed it.

They didn't want to keep paying me because I wanted more. So we agreed to disagree. But at times, I always say that. I'm good with, you know, doing what I got to do. And then if I have to work for somebody else, I always say that. I'm good with doing what I got to do, and then if I have to work for somebody else, I'm okay with it. I know who I am in real life. So is that how you feel when it comes to first take?

I wouldn't say when it comes to first take, because my weakness is I hate getting up in the morning. Because once I'm up, I'm up. I don't take naps, and I stay up real late. I don't go to sleep before 2 a.m. So because of that, I'm up constantly, and I'm up, I'm up. I don't take naps, and I stay up real late. I don't go to sleep before 2 a.m. So because of that, I'm up constantly, you know, and I'm on my grind. I can't stand getting up early. That's the only hiccup in my entire career.

I'll turn down millions if you ask me to get up at 4 or 5 a.m. To hell with it. I got to figure out something else. You know, that's how I am, and that's been my one weakness throughout my career and throughout my life. But I will tell you this. I've often said this about working for Disney. It ain't perfect. Damn, it can be hard sometimes because they got shareholders, stockholders, all of that stuff.

And you got to answer for that. And when you a major player, somebody that moves the needle and, you know, God has blessed me. I've been number one for them for like eight, nine years on that level in terms of moving the needle here's the deal i've often said this i'd rather work for someone with standards than someone looking for them i can always make the adjustment to being free and easy and not having to answer to anybody but if i had never had to answer to anybody right and then all of never had to answer to anybody, and then all of a sudden I got to work for somebody and work in corporate America, I'm a lost soul. I ain't going to know how to adjust. I'm not going to know how to live that life. It's going to drive me crazy. But the fact that I have worked for the New York Daily News,

for the Philadelphia Inquirer, for CNN, Fox Sports, ultimately ESPN and Walt Disney, right? Because of that, especially Walt Disney over the last 20 years, I'm in a position where I've seen so much corporate and how strict it can be and how paralyzing at times it can be that I can adjust to anything. Because it ain't going gonna be much tougher than that right in terms of the standard right everything's gonna be a little looser right and as a result I'm gonna feel more free no matter where you put me right and that gives me a decisive advantage moving forward because I played the long game once again thank you for tuning into the black

effect podcast network. See you in 2025 for more great moments from your favorite podcast. Why is a soap opera Western like yellow song? So wildly successful. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the MeatEater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad.