Drink Champs - Episode 129 w/ Kid 'N Play

Episode Date: June 5, 2018

N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode the guys sit down with the legendary duo Kid 'N Play! They talk about their extensive careers, the House Party movies, today's hip hop scene and a lot more! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/drinkchamps/support Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor,

Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. He's a legendary Queens rapper. Hey, hey, it's your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. One of his DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players. You know what I mean? In the most professional, unprofessional podcast.

And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve. It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfucker. What it good be? Hope you're doing this with a shimmy. This is your boy, N-O-R-E.

What up? It's DJ E-F-N. And this is Drink Champs Podcast. Make some noise! Now, 100%, with me and my partner to the left of of me, DJ EFN, we started this podcast, we wanted to say that we wanted to salute the legends. There's so many people that after you have 10 years, you have 15 years, 20 years in this game, people want to ride you off and people want to tell you, you ain't you, you're old and all that.

But that's not what we do here. What we do here is we want to respect our legends. We want to let these people know. We want to give them their flowers where they can smell them, their trees where they can hell them, their thoughts where they can think them, and their drinks where they can drink them. And today, we have people who, I felt like they literally raised me from being from Queens.

I'm being from down the block from where they're from, Elmhurst. Me being from Left Rock City. I'm just so honored. I went and I watched House Party again. And I just went and just did because you know I'm going to do this research and I forgot how much of a fan like I'm starstruck right now So I would like to welcome to the building kid

Craziest thing about John story so I look solid by the way, it's the craziest thing about y'all's story. Salud, by the way. Here's the craziest thing about y'all's story is, Play, you were the wild guy back then. Go ahead. That's what they say. They say you was looked up. Fat Cat, Pappy Mason. Those were my heroes, man. I was a knucklehead.

You know what I'm saying? We didn't have the kind of heroes a lot of cats have today. There was no rap stars. And from my upbringing, my father being out there and black exploitation films and all that, I thought that's all it was for us. So then when we see these ghetto celebrity stars, you know what I'm saying? The Benzes and the BMWs and all that good stuff. I thought that's all it was for me. Because when cats was in the school, you know, the firemen and the president of the bank come and talking that good stuff. I thought that's all it was for me because when Katz was in the school,

you know, the fireman and the president of the bank coming talking about how to be successful, I didn't know about what the heck

they were talking about. Talking to me about roaches in the house. Talking to me about no heat in the house. You know what I'm saying? You know, I'm not seeing

the Mark IV, you know, Continental Mark IVs and all of that. So, I was stupid, man. To God be the glory. You know what I'm saying? Well, we hear stupid, man. To God be the glory, man.

Well, we hear it, man. I dragged him out the door. He was doing bad, man. So, kid, because I know I follow what you do, and I know you had a close relationship with Bill Moore. Yes, I do. Bill Moore, who is a person I idolize. HBO Bill Moore, right? HBO Bill Moore.

I don't know if I say the name right. I always comment. So Bill Moore recently... He on probation right now. Yeah, I was about to ask. He on probation. Oh, yeah, for what he said. For what he said.

I told him, I said, you say nigga one more time, I ain't gonna be able to save you. You get one fucking mulligan. Right, right, right, right. But how... Did you speak to him since then? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We had dinner like a few weeks back. Bill tells me when I'm not around,

he's playing with Kid N Play. Oh. Yeah, well, we celebrated his birthday in Vegas a couple of years back. He's like, I'm the play when you're not around. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You all right, champ? Yeah, I'm just excited.

I'm excited. You're good to eat? No, no, no. Yeah, he's been a close friend since like the mid-90s. And, you know. Did you do his original shows? Yeah, Politically Incorrect. I probably did that about 20 times.

And I think I was on the finale episode as well. Then, you know, he got into that trouble with, you know, back in the Iraq War days and stuff like that. You know, 9-11 shit. Then he came back again on HBO, and I actually did a couple of buddies of mine did the theme music for Real Time. I didn't know that. Yeah, they switched it up last year for some reason. I don't know.

It wasn't broke. But he's been good to me, and he's one of those guys that over the years he's kind of taught me a lot. He's probably one of the smartest, if not the smartest dude that I know. I think we've had a positive kind of impact. I've tried to have him enjoy his success a little bit more. Like honestly, I'll know politics through his show. Cause like, I'll just like to smoke weed

and just look at his shit and be like. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh we smoke pounds. Okay, so let me ask you a question because you guys career, like when I went and I you know I went look back you guys You were like one of the first transitions like meaning you guys had an album Or in the movie just you just started a movie right after that, you know, it's so funny The only thing I ever hard that shit is to do now. It was a single get the fuck out for the women That's all I wanted. It was just a 12-inch single.

Definitely a scene. That's all. That's me and Eric B. Just get us a week good. I was good already. But that was going to be like, yo, you know what I'm saying? I never in my wildest dreams it'd be a full album, music videos, movies, cartoon series, Marvel comic strip.

And one time there was, what was it? Mattel was talking about her toys at one time for us. Y'all had the Saturday morning cartoon joint, right? Yeah, my first rap has ever happened. What I'm asking is, how did you make that transition? What people don't know is Reggie Hudlin, who wrote and directed

the original House Party, was a video director back in the days. He used to chase, me in particular, he used to chase me down in clubs because he wanted to shoot a music video on us. we had we had a guy at that time so we were we were cool and one time he stepped in me and was like yo excuse me i got a movie script for y'all and he's like what so back then it was in our crew like me play and the herbie lovebug producer it was it was kind of like my job to read stuff. You know what I'm saying? You were the reader. Yeah, because I couldn't read. I was like, yo, I can't give it to the five schools out of the office. So you was like the law graduate.

I graduated with honors, so I heard, I leave in college, I really like to read English literature. So they, we got the script, and I remember reading it, and I remember coming back and telling, playing Herbie, I said, you know what? It's like 70% there. Like the structure was really strong. The characters were fleshed out. It just is.

It was the original script for House Party. And it was written for you guys? I heard it was Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Princess. Yeah, that. Reggie and them wanted us to do it because they was familiar with our videos and stuff. They felt it was a good fit. New Line Cinema wanted Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff

because they felt it was a better bang to edge their bets. But at the time, they were suing Will and Jeff for Nightmare on Elm, Nightmare on My Street. And Jeff and them was like, what are you, crazy? You want us to do a movie and you're suing us? So they weren't with it. But Reggie and Warrington always wanted us to do it. So you were already, originally, conceptually, they were always thinking about you.

Yeah, I mean, it was kind of based on childhood friends and I think even with Groove B. Chill and all of them, I think they had a place in it as well. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Who wrote that line before Foreskip saying, I smell pussy? No, no, no.

This is what I'm talking about. This is where I'm going with it. This is where I'm going with it. So I read the joint. I felt like it was 70% there. And I thought we could bring it the rest of the way. We could hip-hop legitimize it.

And so I urged the guys that we ought to do it. But this is what happened. To his credit, Reggie Hudlin let us do basically what we wanted to. He was saying stuff like, look, here's the structure, here's the format. Now, if there's a better way to say it, to get to where we got to. He was saying stuff like, look, here's the structure, here's the format. Now, if there's a better way to say it, to get to where we got to get to,

if there's a more hip-hop and legitimate way to say it, do it that way. So he allowed us to do that, and in particular, Full Force, all that stuff that Full Force did,

they made up all that stuff. All that I smell, I smell, all that kick your fucking ass, all that, they made up all that. Kick your fucking ass! Yeah, yeah, yeah. They made up all that stuff.

And that's one of the great things that we liked about Reggie because he let us do our thing now if it came to something really really crucial

that he thought was crucial to the scene or something like that maybe he would hold a fort on that but for the most part he kind of let us do our thing

and let the hip hop come out and truth be told I didn't want to do the movie because at the time we was making crazy money

with the music and I felt and you would think it told I didn't want to do the movie because at the time we was making crazy money with the music Why and I fell and you would think But at that time when people would do commercial things or movies they would say that they do a commercial That wasn't my reason to time I thought we was making great money I'm looking at the history of hip-hop in movies because prior to that, we had Wild Style, and we can't forget Tougher Than Leather. Right, right.

You know what I'm saying? Oh, we can't forget it. So the bar is at, let's just forget it. So I'm like, if Run DMC can't pull off of a movie, who the heck do we think we are? You know what I'm saying?

I'm trying to be the business-minded one, but we had this rule among us called Majority Rules, and Herbie and Kid outvoted me. Wow. It's the best out of all of us. How many out of the three of you

got the most votes on that guy? Come on. You guys, and Herbie and Kid outvoted me. It's the best out of all of them. How many albums were we in? How many albums were we in? How many albums were we in? How many albums were we in? Just one? Just one. When we did Funhouse, that was us building off the popularity of the movie.

That's why we called it Funhouse. For legal reasons, we couldn't call it House Party. So that's why we called it Funhouse. So it couldn't be the legitimate soundtrack of the music? No, we did join for the soundtrack, too. I mean, we did join for the soundtrack, too. Actually, they were competing against one another at the time. Yeah, but look how long your career you had for one album. That's the way it used to be.

That's the way it used to be. That's amazing. That's iconic style. That's careers. Yeah, that's a career. And you at least to be. That's iconic style. That's career. Yeah, that's a career. Like most people, and just think about it nowadays. Nowadays, music is so disposable. What's a hit record today will not be a hit record by the summertime.

You know what I'm saying? No, Shelflight, listen. Remember, you used to have a hit record. Your record used to be a hit record at least for a year or two. Now you have a hit record for a month. And you do a music video for months. Now you have to do a music video every week. I will say this.

Some people, I think, the artists of today obviously have a different outlook on it. You know the mentality back then was like, make the joint, tour, take some time off, and then run it back. Nowadays, like you said, maybe because the music is so disposable, these guys just started hitting and hitting and hitting. Guys like Jay started doing it.. Nowadays, like you said, maybe because the music is so disposable, these guys just

started hitting and hitting and hitting. Guys like Jay started doing it. They were just like, look, as long as we're doing hot joints, let's don't give them a chance to forget about us. You know what I'm saying? Because they will. They will. So there's a lot about the new era of rappers, the way they approach

it that I like. You know what I'm saying? For instance, I would like to hear it. Look, I listen to so much new rap. I like. You know what I'm saying? For instance, I would like to hear it. Yeah, well, I mean, look, I listen to so much new rap. I mean, you know what I mean? I heard you call him the young dog. He was like, he's the original young dog. Yeah, yeah. Oh, he was a bad dude back in the day.

He was a bad dude. I want to hear the new shit. Shoddy in the sheepskin, man. Shoddy in the sheepskin, man. I want to hear it. No, but I mean, I listen to a lot of cats. I mean, obviously, you listen to the big ones. You know, we love the drapes, and we love the Logics, and we love the J. Coles, and we love...

Kendricks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And a lot of, you know, underground, cats are underground, you know, sending me stuff all the time. Wait, wait, let me tell them that story real quick. It's yours. So, wait, so, young artists, they kind of hit me up all the time. And they say, yo, man, you want me to send artists, they kind of hit me up all the time. And they say, yo man, you want me to send you this joint, man, maybe you want to play,

maybe you want to jump on it, maybe you want to play, you want to jump on this joint. I thought you were going to tell another story, man. You got to tell us that story, too. Yeah, man, maybe you want to play, you want to jump on this joint. I said, yo man, send me the joint, you know what I'm saying? I peep it out. So I peeped it out, I got the computer, I listened to the joint, man, and you know the beat is kind of rocking, man.

He said, yo, me and my man, we did a joint dedicated to y'all. I was like, I hate you. He do rhyming or whatever. He get to the hook, he goes, I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm doing it. I'm my man, we did a joint dedicated to y'all. I was like, I hate you.

So he drew a rhyme or whatever. Then he gets to the hook. He goes, I'm the same under time as every day. I'm the same under time, don't care what you say. I'm the same under time, under day. We tag team bitches. That's that kid in black. Kid in black.

Kid in black. We tag team bitches. That's that kid. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Whoa, whoa, whoa. I said, this is what killing play means? I think you just blew that record up right now. I said, first of all, ain't no way playing getting on this side. That's a non-startup. And I said, that's just even too raw for me, man. First of all, ain't no way playing getting on this side. That's a non-startup that this dude right here. And I said, that shit's even too raw for me, man. We tag team bitches, that's how I get it, man.

Yo, but do you guys know how famous that dance is? No comment. We got to do it in about an hour. I heard y'all say that that beat in your contract, for real? No, it might be joking. It was a joke. It was a joke. Well, people say if we don't do for real? No, no, no. It might be. It was a joke. It was a joke.

People say if we don't do it, there might be a mutiny. You know what I'm saying? Maybe if we don't have the torches like Frankenstein. But you know what's so funny because I was thinking, I said, you know, you look at Doodaduggy, Nae Nae, all these dancers coming out. And I got to confess, especially, I was with Dougie last night

and he killed the crowd with that. But I remember when the record came out and the dance became popular, I'm like, oh, this is the end of the kid and play kick step. This is going to replace it. But we still good. Like, crazy good. And I'm like, what makes this dance last this long? And it finally hit me.

It's the only dance out there that takes two people. So when you want to celebrate something, you and your homegirl, you need your homegirl, whatever, this is the dance you do. And people send us videos and you see online videos of everybody doing kid and play. You don't want to do, do hit a strike at the bowling alley. Do the kid and play. I remember when 2 Chainz wanted to do the kid stuff. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I remember. Ron James. Oh, yeah, yeah. I did the kid and play with 2 Chainz one night. Yeah, yeah. The people just roll up on you, man. Start kicking you in your leg. I was like, that's not the keeping play.

That's the tag team. Yeah, you're just kicking me in my leg, dude. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it. I'm J.R. Martinez.

I'm a U.S. Army veteran myself, and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and iHeart Podcast. From Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice.

Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action. And that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek.

I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives. But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain.

I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the MeatEater 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 Ranella. 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 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Hey, one second. Let me interrupt for a quick Drink Champs message. Did you know that every single episode of Drink Champs,

and I'm talking to you, Drink Champs Army, every single episode of Drink Champs is now on Spotify. That's right. The same app that has millions of songs now also has thousands of podcasts. You don't really need to listen to all those podcasts. But they're on Spotify. You can listen to all your favorite shows and discover new ones. Like I said, just don't go too deep.

Just stick with the Drink Champs and we got you covered. But of course, you know, we got friends and affiliates that you can check out. To subscribe to our show, search for Drink Champs, tap follow, and get every new episode delivered to you. While you're on Spotify, you know, don't forget to check out Nori's page and all his music on there, and also myself, DJ EFN.

Follow us on Spotify as well. But check out Drink Champs, the podcast on Spotify. They're streaming it right now. So don't wait Makahaya Bing Bong and how is it because so you guys

technically came out in 88 first album came out in 88 but our first single last night came out in 87 wow

so 80's can't play last night changed it all so how many years is that in the game how many years is that that is 87 that's almost

that's 31 31 years let's almost 31. 31 years. That's makes a lot of money. 31 flavors. We call years flavors. 31 flavors. And right now, you guys are on tour with a show with Smokey Robinson.

I've never had a reason to be in a room with Smokey Robinson. That lets you know how fucked up my life is. I'm not saying... show with Smokey Robinson I've never had a reason to be in a room with Smokey Robinson yeah actually I don't even through us and then pass through our films but doesn't think and I guess it's a blessing because we kind of one of those hip-hop groups that you can we can go on an all rap line up. But we also, you can throw us on R&B dudes. We did a show in Atlanta last year with Ron Isley, Keep Sweat, and Everlyn Champagne King.

And we was the only rappers on. So that's happened a lot over the years that we were kind of the only rappers. Let me tell you an adventure. Come on everybody, you ready together? Hola, hola, hola, hola. Come on, how the girls like me? I always know when they're laughing. Right together. Hola, hola. Hola, hola. Come on.

I wrote that. I always look at that. Y'all can remix it. Hola, hola. Rolling, rolling, rolling. F and N, no rain. Hola, hola. Yo, yo.

Remix. But you know how powerful the crossover appeal is? I'll never forget when I was on Sunset Boulevard one time. It was a restaurant. And the one and only Lionel Richie. And I had to roll up on him. Oh, you said Sunset? Oh, Sunset.

This guy, I know Lionel Richie. I've heard of him in Queens. Lionel Richie wouldn't even let me talk because he knew about us. And just was running down. That must have felt great. Oh, man. And then I went to Jackson. Same thing.

You know, one of them let us get a one-and-a-half drive. You can't just say that. Lionel Richie just rolled up on me. He said, hold on a time. You know what I'm talking about? Let's get a one-bedge box. You can't just say that, Andrew. He said it. One time he said something else. He's like, and the Jacksons. The Jacksons. What happened? You know, those guys are Jacksons.

We like giving people they do. We fans, too. You know what I'm saying? I mean, yo, Luther Vanderoor and we've had the honor. But when you go up and you're trying to tell them how much you admire their work, and they're cutting you off because they they tell me how much they've enjoyed your work it's like surreal. Lionel Richie. Lionel Richie just rolled up on them and said Sambolita!

But you know how it is. Y'all come across me but you have no idea who is a fan of yours but players right we usually come out first with the... I just rolled up on Pieces of a Dream, man. And ran down Mallory Groove, man. 454, and they're like shocked. But yo, we music lovers, man. I'm heard 25 all day. He's right.

I'm old soul, you know what I'm saying? What's the best era in hip hop to you? The era we came out in? 88, 92, 88, 92? For me, late 80s, man. Wait, so you don't go 88 to, you don't go 10 years? You just went 88 to 92, damn. Yeah.

I think you were the first one that ever did that. If you look at the groups that came out at that time, you know what I'm saying? 88 to 92. And that's like, that's primarily East Coast. But toward the end, you know, 92, 93. Yeah, that's when the West Coast was popping off. So I kind of circled that. Me as the 80s.

Here's a question I always needed to know. Was Kane talking about y'all when he said, who's flat top rules in 89? I don't, I don't. Kane and I are great friends. Let's never come up, I'm never even friends. I know what you're saying. That was a rumor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because, you know, you heard the rumor. Yeah's never come up. I'm never even friends. I know what you're saying. That was a rumor. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because, you know, you heard the rumor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You did? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Didn't we ask him? No, but this is the thing. Did we ask Kane?

Yeah, this is the thing. When somebody like Kane was on the show, he was like, what are you talking about? I'm talking about this 89. My flat top

was 89. You know, but the thing with Kane is this is what I always liked You know, but the thing with Kane is, this is what I always liked and admired about him was, Kane always appreciated the thrill of the competition. Like, it wasn't no beef, but it was just like, yo, you know, it's almost like they're steel sharp and steel, man.

You know what I'm saying? You want to do what you want to do, you want to do what you want to do. And his high top was a work of art. You know what I'm saying? And I think, you know, if that was anything, it was a friendly competition. You know, mine was probably longer. But his was like, clow, clow. Three cuts in your eyebrow trying to wild out.

You know what I mean? So that era was great. But let me ask you something. Because since we brought it up, being that the West Coast started rising around the time you guys were bubbling. I remember as a fan, I got Kid N Play on the mixtape. And I got N.W.A., Eazy-E. Oh, we got N.W.A. stories. So I'm wondering a fan, I got Kid N Play on the mixtape, and I got NWA, Eazy-E. Oh, we got NWA stories. So I'm wondering, yeah, how was that? Because for me, what's great about that era is the balance.

That was the first tour that I did. That's the tour that they talk about in Straight Outta Conference. No, he was on that tour. Nah. Nah. He didn't just don't want to tell you that. We got Tupac stories, too.

Well, we need all those stories. Where's the hook. In the book. But no, with NWA, man, the interesting thing was I remember being introduced to their music in L.A. And at the time, I could curse with the best of them.

When I heard that, I was like, yo. I was scared of them when I first heard their music. And I'll never forget, we had been on every Public Enemy tour. Like, that was the best.

Chuck always wanted us on his tours. And we had just finished this night, and I'm worn out. I'm tired. And they come to me with the pitch for the next tour, and they got NWA on it. And I'm like, nah, man. I mean, that's just a bit much. You already heard the music? Yeah.

It's a bit much. Easy does it. Easy does it. Check out the story. When I came down from the after party, we were ready to get into some women, the whole night like that, I wanted my famous pina colada, virgin pina colada. But the bar shut down, and I thought I could use my name. Like, yo, man, he's like, I don't care what number, who you are.

You ain't getting no pina colada. So the promoter comes and says, yo, I got this thing. I said, I'm not doing this thing. I said, you know what? Let me be fair. If you get me a pina colada, I'll do the tour. Because I thought the bar was shut. Daryl Brooks,

G Street Productions, comes over with two pina coladas and a half of pina colada and I had to keep my word and we ended up doing the tour. But the reason why they needed us to be on, I wanted to keep my word, the reason why they needed us on that tour. You said a virgin pina colada?

Secure the venues? Yeah, because with Public Enemy and NWA on the same tour, they thought it was going to be crazy. So it was one of the bad artists to balance it out. So that's why we ended up being a part of that history. And we had fun with those guys. There's a lot of answers. And this is the thing.

A lot of times you're wearing because you don't know people. We didn't know Too Short. We didn't know Easy in them. We didn't know we didn't know cute We didn't know yellow and once we got together first of all I thought I made a mistake and thought it was two different audiences I think the people that listen to kid and play couldn't possibly That was I was so wrong That's the same tour that TK Kirkland was the host But it be warm, it be warm, kid! Let's blow it up! Let's blow it up! Look, I'm trying to clear it up. I do stand-up, dog. He's drinking Chips on the night.

You know what I'm saying? So you try to... I'm trying to clear it up. I'm trying to clear it up. Look at your hair. But listen, so, but my main point was, um, we got to know one another, man. It's TK-Bomb! Yeah.

That's my man. But the funny story, toward the end of the tour, right? The end of the tour, the end, we were in, um, um, excuse me, we were in Washington and in Philly and as we as the tour moved east and this is public enemy and every way yeah yeah I think he's all about him yeah um and as a tool got more and more toward the East Coast the West Coast because he wasn't really up on it yet right so they'll say it's no internet so he struggled a little bit and I remember last couple of shows,

even Too Short. And that'd be where you're saying struggle. You know, I remember one night, I remember one night, yeah, I remember one night, Too Short had a rough night,

as we all do sometimes. And so we backstage, and Too Short, man, that's my man 50 Grand. I remember him telling, saying to TK, he said,

man, he said, man, I'm out of bomb tonight, but nigga, you bomb every night. You consistent. But you know what?

Here's a piece of history for you. People can say what they want to say in regards to taking a minute for it to catch on in New York. But one cat that never gets his prophecy she got that helped out NWA a lot, D.O.C. Oh, of course. From Texas. Because he broke through the mainstream right main i mean you know i'm saying regular play and cats had to give credit to dr drain that whole thing man because he was doing it man and that helped us it helped usher in the nwa and we and and as

place said we all we all had a blast and these are some friendships that we that we we carry you know uh to this day. You know what I'm saying? I mean, we were joking around about TK, but look, he was a part of it as well. Too Short was on that. D.O.C. was on that tour. J.J. Fabb was on that tour. And then all the other tours we went on.

We were doing stuff with Digital Underground when Tupac was a backup dancer. He was a dancer. Yeah, he was young and wild. And the crazy thing about Tupac, man, it was funny with Tupac because He was a dancer, yeah. He was young and wild. He was in my 18s or 19s. Oh, man. It was funny with Tupac because he wanted to rap so bad. He really wanted to get in. You can tell he lived to rap. So at the after party,

one time we hanging out, me and him, I go to, I'm just there for the women. So he wants to get on the mic. He wants to get on the mic. So he goes, the DJ goes,

yo, we got my man playing the house play. Come on up to the booth and rap. And I'm like, no, I don't want to. Tupac is, yo, man, go on up there. Let's get up there. I said, yo, I'm not here for that, man. Well, let's get up there.

When the DJ gives you the mic, you quickly pass it to me. You know what I'm saying? Quickly. You know what I'm saying? I mean, we would be down on beat downs and all of that. He had the craziest crush on Yo-Yo. He loved doing some Yo-Yo. Because we talking about mom but yo he would do anything for yo-yo you know who's on yeah wow crazy shot up yo yo she's don't have now I see on the end of

dope and you said that G rap is from your neighborhood I always thought G rap was from Corona and he left rap so he you claimed him being from Elmhurst when I seen you in the video. Well, you know, it got confusing because a lot of cats would hang out in the hearse because that's where the girls was at. You know what I'm saying? And some cats didn't want to claim Corona like that because they wanted the girls over in that hearse. So sometimes it's a fine line because you're at like 37th, 34th Avenue. Right next to them. It's a fine line.

But, you know, when you looked at the school district or whatever, you would say Corona, but come to find out it was Jackson Heights. Okay, so 34th Avenue is Corona. I would say we consider 32nd Avenue and beyond to be up in Corona. Oh, shit. 32nd Avenue and below would be like east. That's Corona to us. We considered that.

Right. You know, you remember the bomb building? Yeah, the bomb building. Hell yeah. Hell yeah. I remember the bomb building yeah the bomb building hell yeah what was that Corona was at the hearse that was like right on the fire line

we considered it the hearse you know who's living by the bomb building we considered it Corona a horse Nas' guy he's living by the bomb building we considered it Corona

this old school queen y'all gotta relax y'all over there and by the way I spoke to Hassan and by the way kid I spoke to the queen's spoke to Hassan. And by the way, kid, I spoke to the Queens delegation. And when we looked at your story,

we want you to erase the Bronx out of your story. We want you to just claim Queens. We spoke to the Queens delegation. And I also spoke to the Bronx congregation. And they said, it's OK. We can do that. How about that? How about that?

We sure are. We're so proud of you in Queens. We want you to fully claim you. The Bronx raised me. The Queens free Queens paid me. Oh, thank you so much. Thank you Queens, we want you to fully claim you. The Bronx raised me, but Queens paid me. Oh, man. Thank you so much. Thank you, man.

Thank you, man. Thank you, man. Yo, so, oh, man. I mean, you and Salt-N-Pepa worked at Sears together. Sears and Robot Telephone Sales representatives. And you all got fired. At some point. Or no, that was the first one that got fired.

Thank you, Sears. So what would have happened if you guys went and got fired? At some point Yeah, I was gonna say, that's a connection with Herbie Love. Martin worked at the gas station, right? Yeah, he used to work at a gas station across the street from there. What kind of neighborhood was this? Like, huh? Let's just break that down. Right, yeah, man. It's a hip hop series. Bill and Soylent Petball worked at Sears together, and Martin walked across the street.

At a Hess, there was a Hess gas station. A Hess gas station. Talented ass storage right here. Oh, word. And we all got down. I mean, can you imagine? That's was a Hess gas station. A Hess gas station. Child's of the Hess storage right here. Oh, word. And we all got down. I mean, can you imagine? That's like a billion to one.

Like, all five of us got faint. I mean, we include Herbie. Like, all of us? Yep. All of us. That's crazy, man. And then y'all actually, Chris Tucker and Bernie Mac is like, y'all discovery? I wouldn't say that.

I mean, their first movies, you know, their first, Chris Tucker's first movie was House Party 3. Bernie Mac's first movie was House Party 3. See, what happened with Bernie Mac was, this is a piece of history, Martin didn't want to be in House Party 3. Why? He was Hollywood? Yeah, he turned his down. Huh? Yeah, flat. Wait, wait, Flat. So anyway.

So anyway. Are you guys producing the movies at this point? Yes, but we're getting paid as producers. So anyway. I'm like, yo, we need some star power. We need some comedy power in this joint. I went to go see to the premiere of Who's the Man. Who's the Man?

Bernie in that. He wasn't. He was in. I looked at the screen? He wasn't Who's the Man. I looked at the screen. I said, this could be Robin Harris' brother. Complexion, the whole nine. So I told him, because he was there. I said, dude, I'm going to get you in Houseboy. I'm going to get you in whatever.

What was her name? Susan something up at New Line? Lady? One of the VIPs and I told her yeah you need to get into this needs to happen did you need to have a Bernie man the next day I know yeah yeah yeah so it was definitely earlier this career and I

remember I used to see I used to watch Chris Tucker when he came out from Atlanta and watch him do stand-up out in Hollywood at the Comedy Store in particular and then you called me so yo trust me on this yeah yeah because we had we were about to shoot this scene the next day and He said you mean we ain't got nobody we ain't got me the manager for the stripper we ain't got me

I don't body man. So we ain't got nobody he's gonna form tonight and I was I said I just seen money at the comedy store man, you know and Chris had just got off stage So I stepped on you know, you know Chris Chris So I said yo man come down to the set tomorrow, you know what I'm saying? We got there's a part for you man. Just you know, but I went down there did the one scene You know me stole it with the scene You know me and then his next movie after that was Friday because now new line was always very familiar with him and you know Q brought on that's first you can only get over quantity yeah yeah so I'm not gonna stand

up man he was I mean he was just young Chris Tucker like fresh out of Atlanta was electric he's electric man and I and I knew, yeah. And that goes back to another thing that Plenty was talking about or kind of entering toward. These house party movies, especially toward the end, we get most of the credit, but there was lots of good people, man.

And we wanted that. We wanted everybody to shine because then it uplifts the movie. Everybody wins. So when we wanted Martin to come back for house party two, yeah, but you got to let him win you know we told him put full force in house party two because because they because it ain't broke and not that you can't add pieces but why are you why are you replacing them why are you taking away let's add let's add to it so over the course of

the three house parties and a movie like class act we were always trying to load up on the talent and if it meant giving people opportunities that hadn't had opportunities before is it true lebron james is doing a new remake of house party that's the word that's the word word on the streets so how does that happen how does that happen he has to call y'all that's what we need We own house party, but we don't own it That's time order, that's new line So I mean that it's obvious that they kind of bonded together and to formulate it They got good people with it man

I mean, it's brother, Donald Glover's brother. Atlanta, you know what I'm saying? I'm just concerned because it's a different time in this world. When you came up with House Party then, it was relatable. Everybody knew about the House Party, parents going down south, this, that. Let's put that where we

at today. You know what I'm saying? It's clubs. I was in love with Gina back then, too. My bad. I'm sorry. I was in love with Gina back then. I'm saying it's clubs and play hang a lot oh you already know you were knocking down a lot of bitches in Queens That was the word in Queens I said they was like you like the first restless night He was the first Wesley pipes What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What?

What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? What? Yo, but Kid was knocking out those books in school. Yeah, exactly. When we first started hanging out, I was getting no ass. I had these big, thick glasses. I was like, what's going on here? I was like, what the hell, bro?

I see that. That sounds like the class act. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's what he, you know, he helped me out a lot with that. You know, he kind of helped me get a lot of game because my game was zero. So the class act is really, really good. Yeah, yeah, that's why we did it. That's why we did it.

It was really not a bad thing. It's funny because when we first got... Yeah, yeah, that's why we did it. That's why we did it. It was really not a... It's funny because when we first got out on the road, we had to share a room together, a low-budget situation. They used to call us Sid and Clay. They would never get our names right, you know, the whole nine. And he'd meet some girl and come to the room late and wait for the phone to ring because she's supposed to call him when she got home safely.

I'm like, dude. He was one of those guys. Dude. Dude. What's up? Hey, hey those guys. Dude. I was a toddler. And then he couldn't go to bed without some tea. Tea and lemon. You know what I'm saying? He's a sophisticated dog.

Who is this to win? Get me out of this room. You know what I'm saying? And you really did good in school when you were like that. Oh, that's how I learned how to talk is from this dude because schools got done with me. Art and Design, Flushing High, Hillcrest High, Bryan. He was on World Tour. He was on World Tour.

All schools I got kicked out of. But I started hanging out with this guy. I taught him how to cut school, the whole nine we be in his crib and jeopardy would come on All right, and we're in the thing. Tell me no to answer. Yes I can be an intelligent fuck out of this Because I used to use all my children to get at women. You know what I'm saying? Watch the soaps when I cut out.

Be at the party. See a girl wanting to get with her. Excuse me, but do you know what happened with Erica Kane and so and so today? You watch the soaps? Yeah, you know, my little tender side. And then, you know, slide in there. Don't try this at home. That's some real Capone shit right there.

It is. Capone. I know. I know. So far, I was away. Like, I used to used to I want to leave in college back in the days And what I mean, I was in the bro. Yeah, bro Okay, okay And at lunchtime I would go to like the student center because that's when the girls were all the girls with you'd be me

Like 20 chicks, you know, I mean watching watching all my children. So you just you know, I say a name That's the only somebody would watch with you. Yeah. Yeah. So you just, you know what I'm saying? You gotta say a name. That's a problem. Only somebody who would watch would know. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the girl would know you wouldn't play games. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, oh, oh, yeah. And then they'd try to slap you. Yeah, with Ted.

Yeah, with Ted. Ted Martin. Ted Martin. You know, how do you know about that? Right. A bunch of chicks right now is like, damn, they got me. Like, the chicks would look at me like, he looks like a cuddler. Was there ever, like, inside competition between you and Salt-N-Pepa being that it was like y'all was the exact opposite version of each other?

Never. We helped each other a lot. You know what I'm saying? I mean, they put us on. You know, yeah. I mean, that too because our first thing was really, well, I was in the Tramp video. Yeah, the Tramp video. And then we were in Shake Your Thing.

You danced with them in Shake Your Thing. But the thing was, Kid helped with the lyrics, lyrics help her reform that I hope with the outfits and the gear the pushing jackets all of that kind of stuff so and they helped us man I mean believe me forever yeah early song videos you see us all up in there I know and then what we did the detectives and everybody get up but this is this is this was the idol maker's way. You know, Herbie's conglomerate at that time. Because it was always the strong helping the weak.

So Salt-N-Pepa helped put us on. Then we came and we put Kwame on. You know, he started appearing in our stuff. We started dropping his videos. You know what I'm saying? Dana Dane was in the clip. That's the way it seemed like it was going on. Go back and watch old Dana Dane videos.

We all have been there. Just high-topping everything. Let a high time for Dana Deen. Let me just stop you for one second because Playset is so nonchalant. He was like, he helped with the lyrics. Why do you think back in the days Big Daddy Kane would out front write for Bismarck? He would make it be known. I mean, he has a line on his lyrics. He says, Ice Cube write the rhymes that I say and

you just said like what's all covered and but that did that was not frowned upon but now you know I heard you missing drink and not earlier now I wouldn't looked at your interviews you missing Drake a lot like I saw I know that you like training but why do you think it was so why do you guys I'm not just you but why do both of you guys think that it's so frowned upon when a person like Drake's status. Yeah, like today. Right today, like today. Today it's frowned upon.

Yeah, I mean, I don't know, you know what, our clique, our crew was a community. And it was everybody pitching, whatever you're good at. So you took a song, Pat Blunt. Yeah, it's a club, Idol Makers Camp. Like Dana Dane, Kwame, Sweet Team. But what was the intention? The intention was to get the people up and pepper. Yeah, it's a club. Idol Makers Camp. Dana Dane. Kwame. Sweet Team. But what was the intention? The intention was to get the people up and dance.

You know what I'm saying? By all means necessary. So if you had a clever line or something that's going to accomplish that. Yeah, we all sit around the studio. You know what I'm saying? It's a party in the studio. And the great thing about back then, you had the Juice Crew. You had the Idol Makers Crew.

You had the Boogie Down Crew. Everybody had these crews and the first lady of their crews and all that stuff. But it was a competition that iron sharpened and ironed. We all wanted to be unique in our own way. Who's going to do this? Who's going to do that? So I think it was the intention. I think the intention today is different.

I don't think it's the same agenda. That's not a bad thing. It's just different. And to me, I don't have a problem with cats having ghost riders and stuff like that, man, because you still got to make it sound good. Right. You know what I mean? It's almost like taking steroids. You can take maybe cuz what you still gotta you still gotta make it sound good between a rapper and an MC yeah that's what does it right there you can you got to be A rapper who's reading top five has to write his own thing. But now a rapper who's reading top five, he can be in it. And it's one thing brainstorming and loaning a line versus writing the whole song.

And I think one person who helped set it straight was Diddy's line. Don't worry about me writing, I write checks. Well, we have one of Diddy's producers on here called D-Dot. And he said that he was, I think he was drunk. The mad rapper. Yeah, he was drunk. He was being the mad rapper. He came in as a mad rapper.

I know. He came in. So what happened was, he said that every artist steals. He said every artist stole. Every single one. I said, not everybody. He said, everybody. He was very adamant about that.

And I looked, and I was like, damn, they got here. They got here. But you know, I'm not here as an artist. I got to remind myself, I'm not here as an artist. I got to remind myself I'm not here as an artist. I have to let people speak as a journalist. But Raskin was there too.

Raskin was like, yo, B, not every artist has stolen. He's up with that. But I'm not going to lie to you. As I posted that, I read my comments, which I don't read my comments

because I like to be sane. But this is the first time I did read my comments and a lot of people were agreeing with him everybody's name they said the way he was saying things a matter of semantics to like he's saying like if you borrow anything standing next to Big, made Jay-Z better and it made Jay-Z Which I think is different when someone goes

to literally take your right because they're one of the same. Right, right. So there's a difference between a wholesale doing something and influence.

You do comedy, right? I apologize for cutting you off but you do comedy. In comedy, that is like almost standard. Like almost standard to have a writer run around with you. Not always standard.

I don't know. Look, if you're at super high levels, like Bill Maher, like Kevin Hart, there's no way one man can create all that material. As much as you're working, too. Yeah, yeah. Bill Maher has writers year-round. Right. You know what I'm saying? Year-round for not only the TV show, but when he does his live performances.

So they're always giving him fresh, new political stuff and whatnot. And Kevin, I'm sure the same way, he has a real tight, talented crew. Right. I mean, and so that's, yeah, that's more like. And I know how it was shot when you see the credits with Eddie Murphy, and you see how much involvement of Keenan Wayans. And even Robert Townsend. All of them, they will click, man, and they all hear something funny.

Yeah, it's hard to create all that content by yourself, so what happens is you're with people that are like-minded, you know what I'm saying? Like good friends of mine. Or they know your stuff. Or Moody with Richard Pryor. Yeah, exactly. Oh, yeah. Good friends of mine like Joe Torrey, Tommy Davidson. You know what I'm saying?

We all look at each other. And not be around that craziness, man. I mean, be around all of them, man, just comedians. It's nothing serious. Everything's a joke. And a lot of times what happens is, you'll have a friend comic watch your set and watch some of the material.

A lot of times, they'll give you what's called a note. Like, hey, man, you know that joke you do about the such and such? At the end, why don't you say ba-da-da-da-da-da? And say it to make it pop a little bit more. And we've all been of the mindset, like, look, I don't care. If it's funny, I'll use it.

If it's going to make the joke better. That's my point in regards to going back to writing lyrics back then. If it's what it's going to take to get the people to get up and dance, it's that kind of line, use it. Well, you just said nailed that. Have you ever had

used use a line that wasn't yours this was my ghostwriter herbie i threw in a little something i got this idea for a dope jacket but my thing was designing my thing was just If he if he if you saw us our gear and you thought that and you thought I should was fly Well, you know It's so funny because I remember having a meeting with Andre Andre Harrell and I was like yo Let's create beats and let this beat be a beat that represents for play because I was the name of my joint And I had the clothing during for play because when DAP got caught up with the whole Mitch Green and Tyson situation But anyway, the interesting thing was and I'm about to lose my train of thought was the fact that all y'all going to the next

Dapper Dan stylist if you ever um yeah stop a dance down I was talking about when I did the thing, but my thing, I really didn't want. It's going to be me. It's going to be me when I stop feeling it. You had to have a dance come back in the day? Hell yeah, but I couldn't afford it

when y'all was doing it. When y'all was doing it, I couldn't afford it. Him and Herbie used to be up there all the time. To do those salt and pepper jackets,

I had to live there at that shop because you know you had all them Africans in the back. Oh, wow. But that wasn't known for being on time

with your gear. So Herbie was like, yo, man, you're going to have to just stay here all night, whatever, because we had to get those jackets

and the mural I did that's on the back of that push it thing. I had to be on a plane to get them there out. I think we did that in Florida, the push it thing.

So technically, you were like the first you could see me on the side. You were like the first Puff Daddy. Oh, I know what I was going to say now. The thing about it,

Andre and I, we were talking about doing a thing with gear and he's like, play, I really what I was gonna say now the thing about it Andre and I we were talking about doing a thing with Gear and he's like play. I really don't see that then you got Wu Tang to did it. Yeah What was that joint they did with the clones? Even Biggie and all of them And he didn't see the vision at the time you know what I'm saying He was definitely ahead of the curve

He was definitely ahead of the curve And he had like for example when Martin Martin Lawrence was hosting death death comedy jam back For six You know, cuz you know I did school of our ducks Partners at the time. I did the designing. We had this idea because African American college line, that collegiate line, Chris Black College. So I said, yo, they're doing all this thing about people going to college.

I'm going to drop out. We know the people that didn't finish school. We need to come up with a line that represents those that are still good even though you didn't go to school. So we said school. We came up with the idea on the 59th Street Bridge

in traffic going into Manhattan. And I said, School of Hard Knocks. And we came up with the line and named all the artists from Queens and Rapids

we knew that didn't finish school. And that's how that thing blew up. And then things was going on crazy in my life. Y'all gave a lot of money. I wanted to give it all up and I just, I didn't get money from that.

I gave it to Jerry, I said just take it because I was stressing, you know. Yeah. Yeah, little bit, little bit. One thing that I want to say though, like we're not, we're not, we're not, because you know I want to properly always, you know, introduce and you know,

be in tune with the artist. So one thing I've noticed is, you're a big glasses guy I love good I collect glasses and watches Yo, his glass game is his glass game. I'm not going to lie. I'm not going to lie. I went there. I was looking. I was like, yo, one thing. You can tell a nigga getting money by the type of glasses he wear. He got the official. He had a pair of Cartiers.

I couldn't find them. So you know. I went. I was like, yo, I look at these Cartiers. And I said, hold on. Let me try to find them. And I couldn't find them. I said, he's official. When I can't find his glasses, I'm looking at this car, and I said, hold on. Let me try to find him. And I couldn't find him. I said, he's official.

When I can't find you, it's glasses. I know you. You dig deep. You dig deep. I'm a glasses guy. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I was much more of a sneakerhead.

I mean, I still am to a certain degree. You know what I'm saying? But not like. You're bringing the ponies out now. I said, I wanted to know what was on his feet. And he got all ponies, man. You got no ponies. Oh, dude.

Someone just told me what ponies stood for. I can't remember, someone just told me. The NY stands for New York and pony. It's PO, it's an acronym. The NY and pony stands for New York. And someone just told me. That's old school, that's to play handball. Oh, yeah.

Yeah, he's a great handball. Oh, yeah. Yeah, he's like... So, yo, let me ask you. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it. I'm J.R. Martinez. I'm a U.S. Army veteran myself,

and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on the new season of Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage from Pushkin Industries and iHeart Podcast. From Robert Blake, the first black sailor to be awarded the medal, to Daniel Daly, one of only 19 people to have received the Medal of Honor twice. These are stories about people who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor, going above and beyond the call of duty. You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. A lot of times the big economic forces we hear about on the news show up in our lives in small ways. Three or four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding, but the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. The demand curve in action, and that's just one of the things we'll be covering on Everybody's Business from Bloomberg Businessweek. I'm Max Chavkin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. Every Friday, we will be diving into the biggest stories in business, taking a look at what's going on, why it matters, and how it shows up in our everyday lives.

But guests like Businessweek editor Brad Stone, sports reporter Randall Williams, and consumer spending expert Amanda Mull will take you inside the boardrooms, the backrooms, even the signal chats that make our economy tick. Hey, I want to learn about VeChain. I want to buy some blockchain or whatever it is that they're doing. So listen to Everybody's Business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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 best-selling author and Meateater 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 4, 5, and 6 on

June 4th. Add free at LavaForGoodPlus on Apple Podcasts. Out of all the things from being a rapper, even though you touched the comedian world, what made you say, I'm going to do stand-up? Because stand-up is probably the roughest of the comedians. Why wouldn't you go straight to your HBO stand-up

special? Well, this is the thing. A back story is I was actually hosting a TV show, a syndicated TV show called your big break It was actually like the pre-cursor to American Idol like you know if you can sing you know you You sing a Cher song But we won't put you in one of Cher's gowns and dress up the set you do all those in that right So it was a show a show I hosted for a year And but then I got fired almost like this. Yeah, I got fired

I got fired from after the first year, it was a Dick Clark show, and they fired me by letter, and then I ended up getting replaced by Alfonso Ribeiro. Right, the only black guy whiter than me. You know what I'm saying? Right? So I was like out of work, it was like night.

You know what I'm saying? You know, I was literally, Coulson, Coulson, Coulson, Coulson, you see what I'm saying? That's what he said, he was like, I got it, you know, Coulson Banks. It's not unusual, it's been a while, baby. Some of these jokes are time released.

Right, so I was, you know, Kid N Play was cold at the time, you know what I'm saying? I was on the left coast, he was back east. I wasn't really, I wasn, you know, Kid N Play was cold at the time. You know what I'm saying? I was on the left coast. He was back east. I wasn't really doing anything. I needed a spark. And it was two good friends of mine, Tommy Davidson and Bill Maher, that urged me to go into stand-up.

And actually, Bill Maher brought me on the Oprah Winfrey show. One of the first times I ever did stand-up. Because it was a show called Funny People and Who They Think Are Funny. So you had D.L. Hughley brought on some more. John Stewart brought on Louis Black. And Bill Maher brought me on and said, hey, man, this is one of the funniest guys I know. So that's kind of how I got started. But what I found out ultimately was having been a rapper really helped prepare me for stand-up.

Is that the real? Well, first of all, you already know your way around the stage. I mean, any comedian will tell you, man, half the battle is just feeling comfortable on stage and comfortable in front of strangers and comfortable in front of fans. Man, we had already done that. We would perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people. You just got to make sure that the material is tight, that it's unique to you. And to me, if you're talking about Tommy and Bill Maher, two of the greats, and they literally

kind of forced me. Are we talking about living color Tommy Davidson? Tommy Davidson, yeah. Just so people know who we're talking about. I mean, if you talk about comedian idols, I mean, everybody, the Richard Pryor, Tommy is one of the, he's so underrated. He's one of the greatest of all time. And we were a lot alike, kind of manic and real quick

off the top and stuff like that. So he was a great, great influence. And Bill, somebody as great as Bill was behind that. So it felt comfortable, like almost off the rip. You know what I'm saying? And what did you think when he said to you, I'm going stand up? It was an interesting piece of news.

He didn't come get at me like, yo, play, I'ma do comedy. I just heard he was doing comedy. I just know how much he makes me laugh. I just hope it translated to huge audiences. But no, I was good with it. I heard he was like Bigfoot. There were sightings of him. Here's his club.

Did you see him on? I did see when he hosted that show and all that. But I got a question. Do you remember when Will Smith tried to do stand-up? No, I don't remember. He tried to do stand-up? No, I don't remember. He tried to do stand-up? I don't remember that. It was like an award show.

You talk about bombing because he did a joke about suppose Jesus came out with sneakers and they were called Air Jesus. Too silly. You were scared

too silly. I'll never forget that, man. But yeah, the best of try. But you know what? McKinnon's doing his thing, baby. He's doing it. What was your worst night?

Wow. All right. You're going to love this one. Okay. Right. TK is going to love this one because I royally bombed. Okay. So I was in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Oh, shit. That sound like it's going to be hard. Little Rock, Arkansas, right? Bill Clinton. And I'm crushing it, dude. I'm crushing it. Thursday, crushing. Friday, crushing it. And back then, I used to bring to bring our DJ DJ wiz I used to bring in with me

You know it's almost like on some King Capri stuff. You know play it play the Pre-tool we'll get to that later. Yeah, yeah, please play the play the comedians on play me on whatever Maybe that's kind of like a little fun. Yeah, so whiz would come with me. So whiz was with me that weekend So I'm feeling myself man sat it down and there and I said, man, I'm going to try this brand new job, man. I'm feeling this. I was watching TV. I was in the room probably getting high. You got gassed?

Yeah, I got gassed. Because I was doing so well. I was winning. I'm out here winning, B. So I said, all right, I'm going to pick a spot right in the middle. So I come out, I'm crushing them. I said, now's the time to do the brand new job.

So I said, hey, man, mind you, we're in Little Rock, Arkansas. I said, now's the time to do the brand new joke. So I said, hey, man. Mind you, we're in Little Rock, Arkansas. I said, man, I was watching TV today, man. I was watching this religious program, man. I don't know if you guys are into boy bands at all, but you know, they got a religious boy band out, man. Have you heard of these guys, man? They have their first record.

It was called Jesus. He's so neat. They put nails through his arms and nails through his feet. And I just laid like this. And I just laid like this. So the audience went silent. And I looked down. Like they are right now. And I looked out the corner of my eye and I could see Wiz.

Wiz was down below. Wiz looked at me and said, why did you do that? We were winning. You did not kill that. This is the worst I have ever seen. And I never, ever, ever, ever

told that joke again. I just tell the story of me barging in and telling the joke. Because to be a comedian, that's how you have to learn if the joke is good or not. Yeah, man.

You got to jump off a cliff. Yo, that afternoon, I said, I'm winning with this. Every man's a wizard. And then joke is good. Yeah, man. You got to jump off a cliff. Yo, that afternoon, I said, I'm winning with this. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man.

Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man. Hey, man.

Hey, man. Hey, man. Still silence. Right, right, right. Oh, it's a bad joke. Now, now, now, it's like, it's like y'all lives

had did a 360 because in the beginning, I think you self-call yourself a nerd or something like that and then you were like the cool kid you were a street kid you actually wanted to pursue you know the street life even more than you remember the back then when you went to jail that was your celebrity at the time of course of course you know what i'm saying that was that was a stupidity then you know so but your life is like 360 now because he got something called

kid in blaze would you want your own joint are you good no i'm good i'm good i'm good Supinity then, you know, so yeah. But your life is like 360 now because he got something called Kid and Blaze. Would you want your own joint or are you good? No, I'm good, I'm good, I'm good. Just, you know. There's a work night. You got something called Kid and Blaze. Yeah. And you are actually a born again Christian. Believer, yes sir.

Uh-huh, yeah. Now how did that happen for you, for people that want it? Just to cut right to the chase, man. When you just get everything you want that you think is going to be fulfilling, going to be happy, you know, who my ex-wife is and my homes and cars all of that good stuff sherry hella y'all mean everything, I mean come on, I want to be you. He's buying Benzes, Herbie's doing Benzes and BMWs and Porsches. I'm like, I got to go bigger than these cats.

What do I do? Because it's like y'all switched lives. I do a DeLorean. You know what I'm saying? I was going to go for a DeLorean. So I'm like, wait, the Michael, the future of YouTube. Yeah, that's what he thinks. I ain't getting a lot of money. Listen, I didn't even know you could buy one of those. Hold on. God. Oh, that's what he thinks. Did it come with the flex capacity? I ain't even getting a lot of money.

I don't even, listen, I didn't even know you could buy one of those. Hold on. God damn it, you're going for it. God damn it. God damn it. I got to upgrade my life. Yo, yo, yo, he was doing the most. You know what I'm saying?

And it just got to the point where it's like, yo, this isn't doing it. This is like, I'm tormented. It's like, what more do I need to do? Whatever. And I'm seeing you got to cross into that dark side type stuff now. Some of you calling the Illuminati making deals now. I was so scared. I was like, damn.

I was like, I got to be kids idea to come here because I smoke weed on every episode. So I was like, but then when you didn't decline and you just came, I said, damn, you're the cool turned over Christian. Because you know, there's some people that take it too and you just came, I said, damn, he's the, you're the cool, like, turned over Christian. Because, you know, there's some people that take it too far. They be like, yo.

I mean, I went through that stage, too. You know what I'm saying? You didn't want to be. I mean, you know what I'm saying? You couldn't have been around him. He's Irish and Jamaican. Like, both of his sides is a little bit Christian. I get high ends.

I get high ends, yeah. You know what's interesting? We have a relationship most don't have. It's like, there was no casting call for a's like there was no casting call for a kid. There was no casting call for a play. We can finish each other's sentences. If I'm not able to be on the call for a business deal or vice versa, just as long as we had a conversation about it prior to, we good.

So it's like, you know, it's just natural. It's an organic type thing. I mean, it ain't perfect. We're the odd couple, you know what I'm saying? Especially now. But it's like, it's all good. And it's like for me, I just want people to be themselves, man, because that's where we got to, if there's going to be any kind of change,

it's got to start from that. It just can't be like trying to be something you're not. But spark it up, man. Like me, yo man, thank you so much. Come on. Yo, it's like, yeah, I know. I was going to ask you. Before y'all leave thank you so much come on before y'all leave y'all yeah

um they should let me know they're supposed to be in between before you guys leave one thing that I definitely want to know cause and I was

trying to bring it up before is that when you guys did the movie stuff yes sir if there's anything that artists could learn today

the way you guys structured those situations that do you do do you see something from those movies today? Oh, yeah. I mean, our people, you know, we might have took them for granted.

The first one, you got $30,000. We did? You got $60,000 and he got $30,000. No, I got $30,000. You got $30,000? I got $30,000. Because I literally, we were like on the clock. So if I had a little more screen time than him, that means I probably got paid like a little bit more.

But that topped it out. Like 30 Gs, nobody was getting, nobody got, but where they messed up was, they didn't have an option for us for the next, for the next.

So they do. So when you see blue, now we got to stick you up. And I think it's because of our situation that a lot of companies said, no, we will never let that happen again.

With artists? We want to make sure we have everything. If you do movies, your images, whatever the case may be, they didn't have that with us. And I think that Fred Mineo, good friend, man, select records, great guy, but he let that slip through the cracks. And I think he kicks himself for not, you know, because no one thought it would ever happen. Did you guys get production credits in the following films?

It grew. A lot of stuff grew eventually. We got smarter. Could it be situations where people could learn from those situations? Yeah, I would say this.

I would say this. The type of input that we had and thankfully the directors and the producers gave us would be considered

producing today. Right, absolutely. Everything you described to us would be considered producing today. Right. Absolutely. Everything you described to us, we were not getting paid as a producer. You know, he's buying and burning. You guys are writing the script over. You know, remaking the thing. You know, writing all the raps and all that.

Dude, that's producing today. Today, that's producing. Yeah. So know what you're worth. Know what talents you're bringing to the table. Because a lot of the stuff that we did and they took for granted. Look, it all came out. And 30 years later we still had you know doing our thing but just know exactly what these the the details are of what you're expected because that yeah what we were doing back then that's that's production you like something about kid capriccio

that's my dude now when y'all did best Best DJ ever. Y'all did the Martin... He did the... He was the DJ for Martin's Def Jam thing. Right. But prior to that... But when it goes Martin! No, no, no. You did the thing.

But that's Kicker Breeze voice when it goes Martin! No, no, no. Let me tell you what happened. We did a couple of different verses. The one from like the first couple of years, that's me sounding like Capri. Oh, shit.

That's me going Martin! You know, I can barely do it now my yeah yeah that was me and I apologize Capri I should have called you up I always thought Dallas was getting ready. No, but it's like finding out Santa Claus ain't really here. He's fucking with Joe. But let me tell you what happened. No, honestly, out of respect for Capri, I didn't sample him. We didn't sample him off the top. And I knew I could imitate it and sound like that. But then, like, after the second year, I was like, man, just go put Capri's voice on. So that's probably what you heard.

You probably heard one of them seasons where we did slip it back in there, man. We got a sister-grade separation with Capri, because that's our dude. First tour, he'll tell you this, that he ever, ever did was with us. Wow. Ever, ever did. Because there was a time we said, yo, I wanted two DJs. Wiz and somebody to liven up the crowd the whole nine. But the only thing about him, he refused to fly. I remember that.

He's the John Madden of DJs. That's so much DJ Khaled. DJ Khaled was like that. Now he's flying now. I was tempted, but I don't think I should have. Me being a part of a group, even though it's two of us,

I'm Capone and Noriega, you guys are kidding me. It's two of us right I'm Capone and Noriega you guys are kid in play it's kind of hard to stick together when you grow apart but you're still the same kids that you remember like how what was the worst part of kid in play as y'all relationship

as famous people cause y'all were friends prior to that I think it's not bad you talking about the airport famous people. Because y'all were friends prior to that. I think... There's only one. I'm going to think of one, but it's not bad. It's not bad. What are you talking about? The airport?

What happened at the airport? They got separate ideas of what it was about. They got separate options. No, I'm thinking about the time because if you look at some of the times when we started blowing up,

we started doing interviews on, you know, Arsenio. We had a straight fist fight. That's rare. A couple times. Arsenio and BT shows and all this stuff. And all of a sudden, this guy starts wearing, like he's right now, dark shades.

You know what I'm saying? And everybody in the crew is like, yeah, what's up with Ken in the dark shades? Even in the light. You know what I'm saying? That was a little odd. It was like a sign of like, okay, I think he's going to Hollywood. You forgot this. This is what happened.

We were flying back. I think we got Hollywood on you? That's what you're saying? Well, like five minutes. Yeah, but in our crew, we was like a sign of like okay. He's going Hollywood forgot this this will happen. We were flying back. I think Yo nigga, this is a wagon I'm like, okay You know, I don't want to share thing with him no he didn't get like that, but it's like dude He was flying back to New York I think from Los Angeles man In fact God and Jeff Christie was with us. Shout out to Jeff Christie. And for some reason, man, I don't know what the specific thing was, but we was butting heads. I think we were waiting on a car, and the car was coming,

and you said, your car's got to go here and there, this and that. And you know what I'm saying? You remember we got into it. And then we had to get separated by Jeff Christie. And you remember there were fans saying, oh, my God, get him, play a Freddie. I can't believe that. I must have blacked out. That was the only time

I could think of. That was like a million freaking years ago. Yo, but let me tell y'all something. Let me ask y'all a question, right? Do y'all realize

how famous y'all are though? I don't. You don't. I'm not just telling you. I'm not telling you. My kids don't. I'm not telling you what I think you want to hear I really don't and I'm kind of glad for that because you know

get the ego and all of that kind of stuff like that but as just now kind of recently like last night I was at the Black I mean Radio 1 B Expo shout out to Sharice Malachi and I did what I had to do I'm premiering a documentary about dances and hip hop and all. And I go to hang out.

And a guy grabs me in a yoke and won't let me go for like three minutes. It's Allen Iverson. Just talking about how much the influence of my character, men on him on being cool. And then other people in the business just come and go. And it's funny because back then, cats wouldn't tell you that.

You know how we all did. But now as we've gotten older and humble and appreciate life more, we come up to each other and say, yo, you need to know

what this meant to me. You know what I'm saying? Right. So now I'm beginning to get it. Like, I wasn't big on legend and icon and all that stuff. Oh,

you guys are definitely legends and icons. I tell myself, I'm still working on it. Like I wasn't big on legend and icon and all that stuff. I tell people, I tell them I'm still working on it. I am just an icon living. Definitely pioneers. But like last night I'm with Grandmaster Cass and I'm with Dougie Fresh. Cass, that's living legend. It's the architects.

It's the architects. You know what I'm saying? Exactly. But that's what Drink Champs is about. And I just want to reiterate that. That's what I saw that there was a lack of. I feel like when a person has 10, 12, 15 years in this game, we write them off as opposed to where in rock and roll and in jazz.

They celebrate them. They celebrate them. And I think our culture has to change that. That's why a lot of people come to me and they want me to interview new artists. And I won't interview new artists because I just want to. I feel like they got the regular radio station. The bad thing about this industry, man, is one where ageism. Because we don't do it in other colors, other genres.

But when it comes to this, it's like, wow. Like, really? And there should be no ageism in art. Art and ageism doesn't go together. To your point, look, the young rappers, they roll up on us and they show us mad love. If we're together, or he's about to sell my house.

All of them got me and they show mad love and we appreciate it because they don't have to. But we just try to tell them, hey man, our participation, our work is kind of done. It's the torch.

Yeah, we're on that wall, however you want to put us. Now, you got the ball. You got the bag now. You got the football. What you going to do with it? You going to fumble it at the one, or you still going to be here 15, 20, 20, 30 years from now? Okay, you said something that just bothered me. You just said they don't have to.

And the thing about it is, kid, that's something that we got to take out of the culture. I think they should have to. I think that if a person's a two-man group and a person has not reached the accomplishments or accolades, I think they should be asking you the time to throw the roses at your feet. What time? On your nose. Hold up a minute. We really got to go for the show

we're going to go to all the houses for the show because we I love the 90s I want to take this time personally on behalf of Kit and I

to thank you because you've gone through some things you know how it goes in this joint and I'm hearing this thing about Nori

and his podcast and I didn't know the name of it but this thing has become the talk, man. I'm in on some Breakfast Club, maybe higher, all of this. And congratulations to y'all too, man.

Give it up! Give it up! And you know what? You look good. You're doing your thing. Seriously, man. Salute. And we do it for hip-hop

because we just realized, and this is the last thing we do it for hip-hop because we just realized, and this is the last thing, we realized that hip-hop has to have a platform to salute hip-hop. You know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? At the end of the day,

like, our culture has to continue and the older we get in this game, it should be like the tribes in Africa. The older you get, the more revered

you should be. You should be throwing soul. You know, I know we got to rush because you guys have to go. I'm just doing the thing. But thank you guys so much. Come into America, man. Make some noise for motherfucking King of the North.

God damn it. Yo, real quick. Yo, we love watching y'all on Vice. Shout out to the man. We on Revolt. We on Revolt. We on Revolt. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. We love doing these. Shout out to us, man. We check in with you. We got popped out of your money. Oh, OK. No, no, no. Big shout out, man. We love it. We love to pump down your money. No, no, no. Big shout out, man.

We love the show. Keep doing what you're doing now. We get to talk to you about it and realize the whole mindset behind it. And it's perfect. It's right on time. You're teaching the children. That's right. Anytime. So we just got to take a picture and let's drive.

Thank you so much. We apologize. Okay. Yeah. Picture. Picture. Picture first. You up, Dre?

Okay, cool. A lot of times, big economic forces show up in our lives in small ways. Four days a week, I would buy two cups of banana pudding. But the price has gone up, so now I only buy one. Small but important ways. From tech billionaires to the bond market to, yeah, banana pudding. If it's happening in business, our new podcast is on it. I'm Max Chastin. And I'm Stacey Vanek-Smith. So listen to everybody's business on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients

have done the improbable, the unexpected, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. On Medal of Honor, Stories of Courage, you'll hear about these heroes

and what their stories tell us about the nature of bravery. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. This is an iHeart Podcast.