Drink Champs - Episode 240 w/ Cormega

Episode Date: December 11, 2020

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode, the guys chop it up with the legendary Cormega.A fellow DC Alumni, Mega & The Champs discuss his career, life, Queens and more! After receiving one of the biggest shout-outs from Nas on his song “One Love”, Mega never looked back.Cormega talks about his success as an independent artist, breaks down the meaning of all his projects and what they all meant to his career. Mega also shares stories of Big Pun, The Jacka, Nas, The Firm and more!Don’t sleep on Mega’s philosophy!  Make some noise!!!Listen and subscribe at http://www.drinkchamps.com Follow Drink Champs:http://www.instagram.com/drinkchampshttp://www.twitter.com/drinkchampshttp://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps DJ EFNhttp://www.crazyhood.comhttp://www.instagram.com/whoscrazyhttp://www.twitter.com/djefnhttp://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E.http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreagahttp://www.twitter.com/noreaga Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention.

This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. You can now binge all 10 episodes of Divine Intervention 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. 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. Welcome to Drink Champs, a production of the Black Effect and iHeartRadio. We'll be right back. 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. Drink up, it's DJ E-F-N. And this is Drink Chess, motherfucking, Militain, the Crazy World Radio. Happy hour. Make some noise! And right now, the brother that we got standing in front of us, just sitting in front of us, he had one of the most illustrious independent careers ever.

If you want to look up independence, you want to say how you do it after leaving a major and approaching this, I would recommend you guys go look at this Brothers career. He's a part of a legendary group that they recently got together And is on one of the best albums of the whole goddamn years the best thing about 2020 he is a legend Not only in Queens, but New York City, but the world.

He is the motherfucking innovator. He is a person that I look up and I respect. And in case you motherfuckers don't know who I'm talking about, we're talking about the legendary, Cole motherfucking Mega. Yeah. My Korn Mega, the crazy shit is, I'm just, me and Cam haven't spoke or like hung out in like 15 years.

So the crazy shit is, I'm telling Murder Mook the other day, and I'm like, yo, when you look at Cam'ron's video, his very first video, Horse and Carriage. Me and you was in it. I forgot that you was sitting right next to me. So the crazy shit is, I'm pulling Cam'ron's coat. Just not pulling his coat, but telling him,

like, yo, bro, I really was there from the beginning. And one thing that I overlooked was I overlooked, was I wasn't alone. No. You was there with me, man. You made some wonderful videos. I was there. So, how did you wind up in the host of Karen's video? That's crazy.

I was always in videos. That was like, I was like, I was always just popping up in videos. I was cool with a lot of rappers. You know I don't like to go out a lot. Like, now that you know me better, you know me. But one thing you know is, like, when people tell me to pull up, I pull up.

So I was at the video, and if you remember, I fell in the pool. Oh, dad, you didn't even remember that part. Not on purpose. Because I can't swim. Yeah, so we was both there. Queens in the building. That was so dope

because a lot of people don't know that. A lot of people don't know that Queens and Harlem's history. Yeah, yeah. Because Queens, we get the worst slack because we really don't,

it seems like we really don't get along with each other. Queens? Yeah, Queens. Within each other you're talking about? Within each other. It seems like we really don't get along with each other. Queens? Yeah, Queens. Within each other you're talking about? Within each other. It seems like it just doesn't happen. It kind of is true.

It's kind of true? We'll get into all of that. Okay, cool. But LA is like that too. Philadelphia is like that. I think that New York, I think the focus, because we created hip hop, it focuses on us a little bit more. What do you think? I think...

No, I think people call it like they say. Queens be having a lot of conflict. It does, it does. You know what I'm saying? Like, whereas down south, they'll have their issues, but they'll make music together, they'll stick together. They'll sing songs together. They'll make songs together, but they'll make music together. They'll stick together. They'll sing songs together. They'll make songs together.

Whereas Queens, I think Queens is like a stubborn borough because Queens had to fight for its respect. Remember back in the days, people underestimated Queens. Because of KRS. You didn't hear Pete from a place called Queens. Yeah. And people underestimated Queens. People thought Queens was soft. Even on Rikers Island back in the day, they used to call it

quiet Queens. Queens always had to fight for its respect. There's parts of Queens that are ferocious. I've seen a lot of people get their ass tore up in Far Rockaway because they thought it was sweet. Like dudes from out of town to come out there. Far Rockaway is rough.

Southside Jamaica. Left Brack. Queens, Braves. Long Island City, Perrier. Braveswood. Queens gets busy. I think Queens also got the most

diverse community. There's so many different people in Queens. It's so big, and it's so... That's why I don't think Trump is from Queens, because he can't be from Queens and be racist. I'm sorry. No, that's true. That's true, but... As far as rap... We're not claiming you, Trump!

Sorry. I just think, I don't know what it is about Queens but we definitely Queens definitely be having a lot of conflict um even with the murders yeah Maserati Fox got killed in Queens yeah the brother stacked bundles chinks Jam Master Jay and I'm not even thinking hard so Queens I don't know we got to do better yeah we got to do better so Yeah, we got to do better. So now, this album comes out, King's Disease. I'm not going to lie, I didn't see this record coming.

I don't know if something was doing that on purpose. But this record comes out, and I'm not, like I said, I'm not going to lie, I'm going to keep it 100. When I looked at it, I was like, this has got to be an old verse. Right? I'm talking about from all of y'all. So I said, this must be an old Nas record. But then not only was I wrong, y'all sound good together. What was that conversation like?

Because I know you and Nas, for lack of a better term, have a very confusing type of relationship, like from the outsiders looking in. I think the outsiders looking in don't share the same peripheral. Because our relationship wasn't confusion. It was just us. Like we, our relationship is different from any other rappers with conflict Cuz we actually grew up together

We our families know each other I've spoken to his father before I've seen his mother thousands of times You know say I know his brother bless him on the kind of thing. It's actually god bless her She's a graceful classy woman. You know I'm saying like I know Jabari Before John jungle exactly no sound. Yep, like I'm saying? Like, I know Jabari before Jungle. Not Jungle, exactly. You know what I'm saying? Like, I knew Nasir. He knows Corey.

So it's a difference between these other beefs. So I think it was both, it wasn't confusing. It was just us, it was just an emotional, it's emotions involved. And I think

time and understanding could rectify things If the love is real You know what I'm saying So we both mature men And you know One thing about me As you know

Because you know me now Yes I don't got to speak to you every day But when I speak to you It's like we were speaking every day Yep And And when we spoke

Everything It feel like we never ever had issues So Yep. And when we spoke, everything, it felt like we never, ever had issues. So let me ask you this. So when he called you, did he tell you that this was a firm record? Or he just said, just send your verse, and you didn't really know? It wasn't like, you know how I am. Right. So when we spoke, it wasn't about music, because I don't care about the music. I even, on some real shit, I don't even care about a firm song or any song. It's about our friendship.

Like, if we never rap again, the fact that our friendship is repaired, that's the most beautiful thing out of it all. That's what's great about you. Continue. I'll get into that later, but continue. So, we spoke. We spoke about... And I. I'll get into that later, but continue. So we spoke. We spoke about... And I know you mean this because I know you now.

And I know you mean this. Yeah, continue. So we spoke about numerous things before we even got to the song. You know what I'm saying? And then by the time we got to speaking about doing the song, I was with it because,

obviously because we cool and because that's what the culture wanted. Like, people wanted us to make music for so long. I never realized how bad that the public wanted that. I didn't realize it until it dropped as well. When it dropped, I was like, whoa. Okay, I continue. Yeah, so that's that.

And that's the crazy shit is I forgot how much I'm a fan of the group. Because, honestly, the firm kind of put me on to a certain extent, but I forgot how much I was a fan of the group when I heard the record and I just kept rewinding because I got a job to do, so I got to be analytical. So I kept rewinding and I was like, is that an old verse?

Is that like, I'm being a fan. I'm being a fan, so I'm looking. And when, I forget, I don't know if I posted it Or whatever I did And I just see the fans reaction Of how the firm Cause it was a super group It was the very first super group to me

Yeah, yeah To every Yeah, it was So, alright Now getting into that Let's get straight into it Because I did ask Nature the other day That he was on here

And I said I asked Nature to repeat the rhyme The reason why i asked nature to repeat the rhyme repeat what rhyme to beat the rhyme that he he had dissed you because you know i was in that session i know i had never and this is the thing that the crazy shit is mecca this real talk i never knew why he dissed you i was actually in the session i went upstairs i said it to him while he was here, I went upstairs and he came back. That's the reason why I asked him,

was because when it got edited, you know, remember, they edited him. And when it got edited, I didn't, I never knew where did that come from. So let's, do you want to drink some champagne? Not yet. Not yet? I don't know if I'm gonna have none.

Go, go, go, go. I'm not smoking. But since Jake clicked, since Jake D clicked, I might stick my finger in it. I might stick my finger in it. He cleared you, man. But, yeah. So, listen. Okay.

Before we even get to that. Okay. You just said that you asked. Say what you said. I asked Nature why did he do that. Because I thought, this is what I thought. When I went to the bathroom nah so somebody gassed him in all actuality i think he just did it on his own all right let me stop you

now okay please you just did it made me proud just now you just did a you had a great journalistic moment just now okay do you realize for all these years in hip-hop no journalists ever kept it a hundred like that Wow remember? They were people trying to paint pictures of me changing narratives about me remember Meg is a mega is a hater Omega is jealous. He just wants to shine or Etc. He just nature cuz he's mad you the first journalist that ever said that that brought that out and you and they just said It on your show No I knew But the perception was

And you started it You see what I'm saying When that happened I was shocked I was like wow But it is what it is It's old But we have to have your side because I just had nature's side So the thing is this, right?

I need to know because, and you said something to me the other day, and I had to 100% agree with you. You said one thing about me, Nori, you knew about who I was on the street prior to you knew who I was as a rapper. Yeah. And that's true. I did hear about Core Mega on the street prior to me hearing about you as a rapper. I heard hear about core mega on the street Prior to me hearing about you as a rapper. I heard about you getting busy on the streets. So One thing for sure to these for certain. I did not know where this was coming from Well, I asked nature that I was being totally for real because I didn't know and I Wasn't powerful enough to like take my first off or I don't want to be a part

I wasn't powerful enough. I had verse off or I don't want to be a part. I wasn't powerful enough I had to just play my position. So you You know and you and I probably have a little discrepancies or whatever You hear it that nature this you that she had to fuck you up. No that started the discrepancies That's what I'm saying Before that record that record. Wow. That record started the whole shit. Wow, I did not know this.

See, I'm really, like, learning. That's why I said you just had a journalistic moment. Let's make some noise, you'll be learning. I had no idea. That record never came. Nas knows this jungle. Wow. So, I didn't know, see, I never knew. So, when I heard that record, I was just mad.

I'm thinking everybody's going at me. Wow. So I'm like damn I'm like damn thought me and Nari was cool Like you know what I'm saying? Now I know now He had a problem with you too? No, listen if somebody comes out with a song called fuck DJ FN and call Megas on the song How you gonna feel? You gonna be like yo I thought me and Megas was cool You might not be you gonna be like, yo, I thought me and Meg was cool. You might not be, you gonna be like,

so next time you see me, you might be, it might be, the handshake ain't gonna be that warm. So it was like, I was just like, wow, like that shit shocked me. So it is what it is. Like, that started everything. If that record never came out, then there would've been no disses.

I had no reason to diss anybody. Wow. You know what I'm saying? I did not know that. I did not know, I swear to God, I'm learning right now. You know what I'm saying? I did not know that. I did not know. I swear to God, I'm learning right now. You know, that's one of my favorite compliments ever. So the industry really owes me an apology.

All these corny ass- I'm going to apologize to you for that. Goddamn it. Goddamn it. I'm going to apologize to you. But Mega, I'm going to be honest with you. At that time, Mega was like one of the most arrogant dudes. Explain that to me. That's how you came across.

Okay. Like whenever I used to come around, I'll see you, I just be like, and later on, I identify with confidence. Okay. I was too young to look at that and say, that's confidence. I was looking like, damn, maybe

he's an arrogant dude. What's the difference between confidence and arrogance? Like, explain to me what made you think... I'm going to tell you what the difference is. Confidence... As a rapper or as a human being? Pretty much both. Pretty much both because, and I'm going to keep it real, you was always like a fly dude. You was always like fly to an average person.

You came around, you always had the fly polo on and always just... And I just would be like, and people, that was the rumor about you like mega's an arrogant guy so that's the reason why I think people thought you started the nature beef as opposed to nature because because because because if you put you and nature together a person's going to remember you no disrespect to me that's my brother but a person's going to remember you it's something about your aura something about your style and and that's the reason why I a person is going to remember you. It's something about your aura, something about your style. And that's the reason why I think it came

off. Have you ever heard that about yourself? Arrogant? Yeah, that you're arrogant. Only from people that you hang with. When you think about this, nobody in Brooklyn says that. Nobody in Far Rockaway. You know people from all over that neighborhood. If any, I mean, if that's the worst people could say about me, wow.

If that's the worst. That's actually beautiful. Because that's like, they said Jordan is arrogant. They said Kobe's arrogant. I was confident. But at the same time, you said I wear polo all the time. Right. There's a girl named Titi from Queen Bridge.

You probably know her. Oh, yes. One day, I'm standing on the hill. I got the crazy polo shirt, and it was dope as fuck. And she was complimenting me on the shirt Yeah, and I'm saying it cuz she's a lot to teach you she'll confirm this I took my polo shirt off my back and gave it to her so while people don't tell that side of story Why people say Oh Megan

Remember that piece Megan had with the, I was wearing diamonds before everybody too. But I never made nobody feel less about it. That same diamond pendant, you seen me on it? I gave it to Spank when he came home. Same Gucci watch I had with the authentic Gucci diamonds, I gave that to somebody when they came home. So why people don't say that?

So people that say, yo, Norah, you know me better now. I'm a very quiet person. And a great dude, a great dude, I fuck with you, yes. So people that say, yo, Norah, you know me better now. Yes. I'm a very quiet person. And a great dude. A great dude. I fuck with you. Yes. So when you stay to yourself and you, yo, people see more of me than I see in myself. Because it's like, I'm not an outgoing person.

I'm not the type of person that say, how you doing? My name is Mega. I stay to myself. I'm a quiet. Every time we go out, where am I? I'm in the cut. So you see me in the cut, and I'm looking a certain way, and I'm quiet. Sometimes people think I'm standoffish, when I'm really just to myself.

Some people say I'm shy. Right. Some people just. That's pretty much the opposite of arrogance. You know what I'm saying? So it's like. So if the worst that somebody can say about me is I'm arrogant, I must be a hell of a dude. You've never heard nobody say Meg is a snake You've never felt uncomfortable around me You've never heard nobody say Mega jerked me

Let's switch it up a little You had the experience To be on Violator Be down with Chris Light What was your experience with Chris Light Chris Light he was like A big brother That you always want to impress. Wow.

That you always want to try to impress. He gives you tough love. Right. Especially me. Man's man. It was an honor. I learned a lot. I learned about patience because I was impatient.

Right. I wanted to come out. And Chris was teaching me about the game But during that time Being on violator shout out to Dave Lottie shout out to Mona Scott. Oh, they like more Scott. I learned how to market myself I was doing stuff to prove my My value or that I'm worthy of this to Chris. I was on the shelf.

No, before I was on the shelf, I was on Violator. And the thing a lot of young artists got to realize is when you get signed, you're an investment. Yes. So it's not like, okay, we signed you hot. We're putting you right out. They got to build you up

and they got to figure out how they're going to get their money back. So while I was on Violator, I seen artists doing their thing and. So while I was on Violator, I seen artists doing their thing, and I felt like I was suspended in time. Because you were signed to Violator Records, right? Yeah.

Not the management. So also, like the conflict that was happening with me, when I wasn't with the firm, that slowed things up. Because a lot of labels, they market you, they piggyback off of Other things so that that helps with their marketing so that they had to change to switch lanes But I believed in myself. I knew what else I was capable and at the time

Bad boy dominated hip-hop because you supposed to be silent bad boy, right? I Wanted I could have signed the back I mean, I can't say I could have a puffyuffy, when Puffy danced, I was in Puffy's office and Puffy was pretty excited. You know what I'm saying? It was me, Puffy. I'm trying to figure it out. The reason I never went back,

Puffy was like, you'll just come back with some songs, da-da-da. Because somebody, you know, they was like, people in our circle was like, don't just chill because that's going gonna affect the firm thing Right, so my loyalty Wow. Yeah, I would have loved to out of sign a puppy with no lawyer So That's amazing Is that my phone? Oh shit Hold up Yo, call Mega

It's okay, listen Guys, I cut myself Barbers cut me, shaving So this little white thing is A little thing Go ahead So, only reason I never went back to the Bad Boys is because of my loyalty. I was told not to.

Right. And I didn't. So, let me ask you something. Because during that time, it was Steve Stout and it was Chris Lighty. You was on the Chris Lighty side. Did you feel like you ever got caught in between Chris Lighty and Steve Stout shit? Because, you know, they had beef on the look. I know that.

I found that out. I didn't really know that, but when Steve was on your show, he said something about Chris Lighty. Listen, when I went back and I looked at it, he dissed Chris Lighty. That wasn't tasteful. That was not tasteful. Hold on. Before you say something, I'm going to say this. I owe you, Mike Geronimo, and AZ a apology because I still wouldn't let Steve Stout say whatever he wanted to say,

but I was supposed to check him. At that time, I wasn't skilled. I wasn't enough to stop and be articulate. And I was wanting to iron out me and his shit so much that I let that shit go above my head. But I always, that's something that I regret. You, AZ, and Mike Geronimo, I should have said something.

But like I said, but let me get back to the original question. Because what I found out later on in life was Steve and Chris had a quiet beef. They saw each other and they were very cordial. They were very respectful. It threw me off

because we from, we got beef, get up. Oh, we're not fucking with you. Oh, we're not fucking with you. So, did you ever feel like you was caught in between that?

I was confused because I thought they was cool. Yes. But it's like, Chris wanted to sign me and then Steve was like At one point Steve was like don't sign the deal I have certain checks for you

Certain day So I'm like alright So it didn't happen I'm sorry I'm going all over the place You were like the number one Thing to sign For lack of a better term. I had the biggest buzz.

You had the biggest buzz. All of the mixtapes was crazy. The biggest, biggest buzz. So I know they played politics with you. Like, I know that. Do you remember? You don't remember? I remember.

I remember. I'm talking to you. I remember. Almost had the penalty deal. Yo, I ain talking to you, I remember I almost had the penalty deal. Yo, I ain't going to lie. Listen, everybody wanted to sign Mecca. Like, it was like. I'm glad I didn't take the penalty deal.

Well, yeah. There would have been no CNN. Maybe not. They didn't have the budget. Salute. I'm trying to get you a drink. I'm trying to get you a drink. I'm trying.

I'm trying my best. I'm trying my best. Salute. Salute to Amniel Levine. And salute to y'all because y'all put that work in Yes we did But yeah I had a big buzz I had dumb

Mad labels wanting to sign me But I just I went with I went with the most money Which is not the best Not the best thing You want to go with the people

That's going to cater to you So Signing to Def Jam Was like signing to the To the Yankees Right Like you might not It is signing to the Yankees Yeah You're signing to the brand Yeah You're signing to the brand So it was like signing to the Yankees. Right. Like, you might not. It is signing to the Yankees.

Yeah, you know what I'm saying? You're signing to the brand. Yeah. You're signing to the brand. So it was like, I signed there because I grew up all for LL and Slick Rick and Public Enemy. I signed there for the. And this was Leo or Kevin Liles with you? This was Leo.

Like, Kevin Liles came a little after. Okay, okay. But, yeah, Leo was there. I learned a lot from Leo. People say a lot of things about Leo, but I'm going to tell you one thing. He's one of my favorite CEOs. I learned a lot from Leo, so I can't front on that man.

Yeah, I learned a lot from him too. So, now let's get straight to it. Okay. So Steve Stout, I wanted to understand what he was doing. Steve Stout came on here

and he said, why? Because Nas shouted out Mega, he was supposed to just be on. Misconception. And God bless Steve because I don't want to see him like it. But a lot of people don't know.

For my wife, I was about to say, we brought on some ace for her. It's only been approved here for ace, alright? A lot of people don't know. And I'm not saying this because you're here. I say this when you're not here. One of the illest MCs coming out of Queens was you.

Prior, before I heard of Nas. Now, I was talking about the street shit. I heard of you. They was always saying there's a dude from Queensbridge called Mega he's the next guy so when I did went back and I heard Stout say that it

did disturb me because he's from Queens so he had to hear the same rumors I heard maybe not maybe not because he's from a different part of Queens. And he didn't do his research. And sometimes

when you're successful like he is, you only hear what you want to hear. Damn. That's real. So, the way I seen it, he didn't believe in me and he didn't do his research enough because like you said

Before I went to jail I was buzzing I heard about Megan Before I heard about Nas Rhyming Rhyming wise To be honest And

There was a time When Molly Mar was like Dr. Dre of the East Coast You know what I'm saying He just brought LL's career back In the early 90's

He was working with TLC and this one And that one, big people. And he wasn't, he was busy. So, like, there was no artist in Queensbridge that caught his attention. Right. So, and he heard everybody. So, I was on the street still. And I think I told you before, there's a woman named Mary Stevens from Queensbridge.

And she got word to somebody, Hank, Hank Carter, who knew Marley. And she was like, I want Marley to hear his music because this guy is good. You know, you just called Marley Marley. Marley. Yeah, I like that. So Marley got wind of one of my joints I had a song called Sex, Drugs, Bitches, and Money And Molly heard it And next thing you know I got the call

Molly want you DJ LES was my producer at first So me and LES was going to Molly Moore's house Recording And was Nas rhyming at that time? Yeah, Nas rhymed. Okay. Actually,

this is history right now. When Live at the Barbecue, Live at the Barbecue and all that was out already. Wow. But I still was buzzing. Nas was doing this thing too.

I was buzzing. And the funny thing is, You caught a case. Yeah, I caught was buzzing. Now I was doing this thing too. I was buzzing. And the funny thing is... You caught a case. Yeah, I caught a case. But the funny thing is, even when I was planning my shit, I always, even as an artist, I always try to look out for people that was my people.

Like, we went to Brooklyn Queens Day. I remember Brooklyn Queens Day. The first metal park. And we got on to Brooklyn Queens Day. I remember Brooklyn Queens Day. First Metal Park. And we got on the stage. You and Oz. Yeah. I feel like he had a bucket hat on with Akineli. I don't remember.

Okay. I know Traz was rhyming. Okay. And Yami said, give Mega the mic. Wow. Yami jumped on the stage. Wow.

Rest in peace, Yami. Yeah, and Mega the mic. Wow. Yami jumped on the stage. Wow. Rest in peace, Yami. Yeah, and got the mic. Wow. And I jumped on the stage. Right. And I said, where's Nas? Wow. Nas jumped on the stage.

And I did my verse from a song called Set It Off. That was on one of the Poets' albums. And Nas did his verse from Live at the Barbecue. Wow. So I wasn't even on, and I still was showing love. That's how we was. You know what I'm saying? So I opened up for Eric B. and Rock Kim at the Apollo.

Wow. So all this stuff, Steve needed to chill, because he didn't do his research. He didn't like me. He took things personal, even with the... He took things personal Even with the He took things personal Like You know what I think I'm sorry to cut you off

I'm not defending him But what I think was He was invested in Nas And Nas that's it Anything came around Or Disputed Nas He just didn't want

Nothing to do with it He You know In that same show He told me he hated on me To my face He said I thought You ain't go hard He said that to my face. He said, I thought you ain't go hard, Norris.

He said that to my face. Well, I'm going to show you just how. I don't know what this is. Complex Magazine interview with Steve Stout. There was an interview where Cormega was saying that you had a role in him being kicked out the firm. Here's Steve. He was never in the firm, man. He should have never been in the firm.

Believe me, he wasn't. He and I truly didn't get along. You're coming with the seats. Time out. You got a seat. Time out. Time out. Even when Nas was shouting them out on One Love,

they weren't cool. That was cool. He just got out of jail. It took him a while to get acclimated to what was going on. Time out. Let me fix this right now. First of all,

when One Love came out, Steve, you wasn't even in the picture. You was not Nas' manager until it was written. When One Love came out, I was in jail. I was there when Nas met you. When I was called mega,

you didn't steal my y'all together? Yes. Steve wasn't around. I was there when Nas met Steve. So right now, you're giving the impression that you was there. You wasn't around. I was there when Nas met Steve. So right now you're giving the impression that you was there. You wasn't.

He's on fire. Even when Nas was shouting him out on One Love they weren't cool. That was cool. He just got out of jail. No, I didn't get out of jail.

I was in jail. That's why he said One Love. One Love is a term of endearment that people write in jail. When I was writing Nas from jail I would write One Love at the term of endearment that people write in jail. When I was writing knives from jail, I would write one love at the end of my letter.

Okay? Now, shall I continue? Yes. That was cool. He just got out of jail. It took him a while to get acclimated to what was going on. In a business sense, he said, in a business sense, and his manager at the time, a lot of different things. And your

manager at the time was Chris? No. Time out. He said, in a business sense, and his manager at the time a lot of different things and your manager at the time is chris no time out he said in a business sense and his manager at the time a lot of different things yes okay listen to that they didn't like biz okay biz wasn't seasoned he was new but there goes there goes arrogant mega again i gave somebody from the project a chance to be my manager there goes me showing love as usual so. So Biz didn't have the savvy, business savvy of a Mark Pitts or a Steve or a Chris, but he was somebody from the hood that I was trying to give a chance to.

So in a business sense, I own my masters and I own my publishing. So I didn't have a business sense. I've been owning my publishing since I was on Def Jams. Wow. Okay.

A lot of different things. But here's this. He's actually a really good guy. This is Steve's doubt. This is Steve's doubt. Okay. How the fuck are you belligerent and a really good guy? That's inconsistent.

You can't be belligerent and be a really good guy. His cross-examination is out of control. I love this. I love this breakdown. Time out. You can't be belligerent and be a really good guy But he felt like not old him too much and felt like he was too important Yo on my mother's grave you call Nas you could ask Nas in your private life on your part or anytime I've never asked Nas for a penny Now it's not even the only famous dude from Queen's Bridge. I never asked Marley Mar for anything. I never asked Shan, Craig, Shante, Craig, Nature, Capone, Nori, Mop Deep, Louis Deval, Ron Artest. Everybody from the bridge will tell you, even your man used to say that.

Megan don't ask nobody for shit. So this is a guy who takes things too personal right you can't mix business with personal so when he wants to compete with chris that's the difference between chris and steve christian christian let the personal intervene with the business so when you saying uh i had to get acclimated i had to get acclimated to the street i was just out of jail You can't tell somebody That's fresh out of jail Some of the things

That you were saying to me As a man Now with all of this Being said I brought I showed this I read this to show you The inconsistencies

Right And so the Next question was So even when he was On affirmative action He wasn't actually Part of the firm They asking him that

Because they're like Obviously shocked And he's like Well he was at affirmative action, he wasn't actually part of the firm, they asking him that. Because they're like, obviously shocked. And he's like, well, he was at the time. You just contradicted your very first statement. Because you said he never was a part of the firm. Exactly. He said the idea did surround him and he just bugged out. Right? He said that project should have been fantastic.

I have arguments all the time with Jay and Puff. You bouncing, you deflecting from the question. So my thing is this. Where did I bug out at? Where did I bug out? Because I didn't sign to you? Yeah, probably. Because anything other than that,

I didn't bug out. You understand that, though. You understand that. But let me say this. You probably, you, Nas man, he manages Nas. You come home, you get the bigger deal With his enemy That we learned later I didn't know

That was an enemy And that's not my business I didn't know It's true I just came home I just came home from jail But you do see Where he's coming from though

I don't see where he's coming from Because you Because know me I'm the type of dude Now See Before you didn't know me Like you know me now

And that's the thing A lot of people don't know That you know me better now You could talk to me About anything No but what i'm trying to say if you would have told me that all i'm trying to say is trying to see it from his angle and his angle he's probably like yo what uh cormega is one of this this this is a mythical creature right this guy has so much buzz and he's naz man so he probably looked at it like you supposed to sign with me and you signed to Chris

even though it was Violet Records. I'm just trying to give Steve Stiles a chance. Do you think he took offense to it? I think he might have took offense to it. No, listen to this. Retribution afterwards? That's how this fucking record label game bullshit is. I'm not good

with spite. I'm not good with spite. I'm not good with spite. Like, I'm very transparent. Like, you know that. I'm the type of person if I get upset about something, yo, son, I move honorably.

Even people that don't fuck with me be like, yo, Mega's a loyal dude. Omega's a solid dude. Straight up. You know that. You know people from the street. Yo.

We never had. But you see that's where Steve's going to be coming from? He was doing too much stuff to win my affiliation with him. Yo. They raced me off a song. Oh. La Familia. I was on La Familia, the original version.

Then I got raced off it. Oh, I didn't know that. You know what I'm saying? Or I go to a, if there's a show, there was a show one time, and there's a bunch of people from the hood, Queensbridge there. So I'm on the line. We all on the line. We getting in the show.

So I'm last. I stand last because I'm an artist. I'm mega. So y'all go in. I'm telling the guy, yeah, let them go because I'm going to get in. And it's at Nassau Coliseum. So there's a bunch of tickets for all of us. So the tickets

Steve gave me, I'm thinking I'm good. Everybody got tickets. So he's reading regular people from the hood. You know some of these people. So he's like, the usher's looking at the tickets. So he's pointing like, alright, your city's over there. Like four seats, right? Don't tell me your tickets were C4Y. My tickets was up there somewhere.

So I'm like, yo, He was playing a lot of games Like that Right But That you know If you If me and Steve Would have really had dialogue

I think We could have had to understand But we didn't have the dialogue I think me and you Went through the same thing With him That's the reason why I'm going to actually

Like try to rep for him A little bit Is because I feel like we chose The other side you went through the same thing with him. That's the reason why I'm going to actually try to rep for him a little bit is because I feel like we chose the other side. We were Chris's boys. You understand? We were you were Violator whether you look

at it like that or not. I was Violator and later on in life after him coming on the show and him saying you guys were Chris and he's saying all that. It hit me later that I was in the middle of a war that I didn't know I was in. Time out. This is why money

doesn't make you happy. Money isn't everything. Because first of all, how long has Chris been dead? A minute, right? How long has these interactions happened? Me signing with Violet was 1996. So you mean in 2018?

No, what was that interview? 2017? 2017, 2018, 2017. How many years later? Like, you're a millionaire right now. You got a good life. Like, let all that shit go. I let go.

Yo, I don't have no beef with nobody no more. I don't even got beef with Steve. I don't got no problem with Steve. I respect Steve. You know what I'm saying? Steve. I don't got no problem with Steve. I respect Steve. You know what I'm saying? Whatever happened in the past, that's the past. Yo, people that live in the past don't have no real estate

in the present. I think we made some noise there. Virginia, you do know you're a legend. They're going to have to talk about you. They got to talk about you, Meg. I feel like sometimes you humble yourself and feel like people shitting, but you're a part of hip-hop history.

They're going to bring you up every fucking time. You see that word you just used? Now, you follow me on social media. You be in my shows. That's the word more people use than the arrogant. Meg is mad humble. I didn't even know that about myself i didn't i just thought i was quiet mad people be like i do regular stuff that's regular to me like but fans

find it they they find it to be bigger than normal because a lot of artists don't do the things i do i've been talking to fans on social, I've been on social media for, what, over 15 years. I mean, I've been on the internet for over 15 years. I was doing stuff before people was doing it. I was on the internet, I don't even know the year, but you know the stuff. Like, I interact with my fans after the shows. You've been at shows. I talk to them, I sign the autographs

Like I'm The same way I am now I've been like that It's just that A lot of people didn't know that They had their perceptions So the scariest thing about this whole conversation That we just having

Is that a lot of the narratives on me Were created by other people Not even by my own actions. And that's the fucked up thing. And that's why I was like, fuck the industry, because it's like people was creating these things. I don't even like to party. It's like he wasn't being a limelight.

Have a party today. Have a sip. God damn it. Jeez Louise, you got Jay-Z approved you, bro. That's $500 a bottle. This is $55 a sip. $55 a sip. Please have one sip.

God damn it. Jeez Louise, Papa, jeez. Come on, man. Come on, let's do it. Let's do it. Come on. Come on. One sip, one sip. Diablo, Diablo Lee and all the damn things. Let me think about this. All right, go ahead.

What's the next question? I forgot. All right, listen. 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. 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 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'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod.

And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means

to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is.

Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't working and we need to change things.

Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes one week early and ad-free with exclusive content, subscribe to Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there, and if you can find a way to curate

and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide and hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I said on Dream Champs with Trash, I said, I think Mega became an even better person when you took your shahada. I attribute that to Islam.

Am I wrong? I think... Where's my phone at? Oh, you got more species? I wrote a note of that. Good, good, good. I think... I think you're right

and I think you're wrong. I respect this. I think you're right. Take it from wrong first. I think you're wrong because... You feel're wrong. I respect this. I think you're right. Take it from wrong first. I think you're wrong because somebody brought this up recently. I've seen the thing with Nori. He's like, you've been like that. You got to understand, like Queensbridge, you was a part of the movement.

Yes, I'm not from Queensbridge, but I'm from Queensbridge. You're part of the movement. I can't take that. CNN is part of that movement. So you know this not from Queens Bridge, but I'm from Queens Bridge. You're part of the movement. CNN is part of that movement. So you know this just from you being out there. There's different movements and these people stick to their sect.

These people stick to their sect. Sometimes rappers have issues with each other. It don't even be because of the rappers, it's because of other people. The people involved. So I think you really never Me and you was cordial But we never really got to know each other

So if you have fed a certain thing If I'm a quiet dude And you see me posted up And like you said I'm looking a certain way You might look like Oh this dude thinking But if you know me

I've been Think about it I took the whole Queen for the six flags I wasn't Muslim when I did that I was whole Queen for the six flags I wasn't Muslim When I did that I was paying for Basketball tournaments

For women I wasn't Muslim When I did that I put biz on In front of projects He never managed nobody I had superstar managers Wanting to manage me

I wasn't Muslim When I did that Like I did a lot For a lot of people That's real I wasn't Muslim When I did that Even in the street

You never heard Like I never abused My when I did that. That's real. Even in the street. You never heard, like, I never abused my power. I used to, I always was trying to make peace. You know what I'm saying? But people don't talk

about that. Right. So it's like, I think, I think you never really got to know me. People don't know, like,

like that night when we, what was it, 2014. Yeah, we, Queensbridge, we stayed at Queensbridge. It was me and you.

We was the only two rappers. We was out of line, by the way. We was good. We was out of line, but we was 2014. Yeah, we, Queensbridge, we stayed at Queensbridge. It was me and you. We was the only two rappers. We was out of line, by the way. We was good. We was out of line, but we was good. So, the only two rappers

in the whole fucking thing. I think after that, we really started having, before we just had peace and all of that. And, back in the days,

I didn't know where you stood. Because, I'll keep it real. There was times when we had a mutual associate or whatever you want to call him. And he would be like, yeah, Nori said, like, it almost made it feel like me and you was competition, but we wasn't competition. No, we wasn't. Or like, yeah, but. That's why when Traz said that, Tra trash said, oh, you're a mega.

It's cool. I got a note for that, too. I got you. So and the crazy thing was it wasn't that I don't think he was saying it. What I think he was saying was I've never seen y'all hung out together. I think because we did when we were hung out. We wouldn't. Like, it's not.

It's not. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You don't got to see. I've never seen him and you hang out. But it's not for him to see. It's not for him to see. I've never seen him and you hang out together. So my thing is this. I'll get to that in a minute. So... I'm ready. When me and you got cool, we did something we never did in the past.

Like I might see you at a show and we stand around each other. Yo, what up, Nori? What's good? You got your people. I got my people. people we good you know what I'm saying but I will invite you to show you invite me to shows you come out with my guests I come out as your guest yeah and then it's like we're fucking with each other yeah but then it's always somebody in between that that uh yo yeah Nori said this somebody told me you didn't like me so that's so so listen so when son said y'all hate each other for one that's an exaggeration because hate is a strong word that's true so as a man did me and you ever stop each other's money

never did we ever try to go at each other's lady never did we ever have physical conflict so why the fuck would i hate you that was always other people you know i never hate you so as far as the like part i didn't know if i should like you because I'm hearing like Nori said this so I'm like but it's like this but it's like damn I'm trying to figure Nori out because somebody will say something but then Nori will show me love you did shit that you probably don't even remember. You know what the crazy shit was?

It was the same thing back for me you know what it was? I think people just didn't want us to be cool. I think so too yo bro you gotta understand I went against Queen's Bridge. I went against my own people to say yo don't y'all not jumping him yes that's how we know so shit like that trash don't know because he wasn't there so and then yo you doing clue show you invited me to clue show see shit like that I remember or you did your video i'm in the video in a starring role n-o-r-e video you and buster ron's the stars so i'm like yo so it's like okay for somebody that

don't like me this dude is showing a lot of love i feel like i feel like they did they played us yeah so i think so so like i said and i thought to myself reason i said you know what like think about how many people we know that's dead and you'd be like damn he died over some bullshit or somebody that's in jail and you'd be like damn he in jail some bullshit so you got like think about how many people we know that's dead and you be like damn he died over some bullshit Or somebody else in jail like that. He Joe some bullshit So you got to think about that with relationships like why didn't I like nori? But why didn't look like because somebody said no you don't like me I got it. I got it you want a magnet don't like me cuz that is that way cuz you feel So I didn't get defensive. So it's very true. It's very true. In reality, I did the same thing. I never had nothing against you.

I never had nothing against you either. Let's make some noise for that guy. But let's get straight into it. So you and Traj, y'all got the weirdest, I don't know what it is. And you hit me and you said, yo, why would you ask Traj about me? And the thing is, I didn't know where y'all stood As a real human And we didn't speak about it

Off camera or on camera Traj So I need to hear your side of the story I'm going to say this What is he right now Is he right what is he I don't understand the question Is he righteous brother

Is he 5% What is he? I don't understand the question. Is he righteous brother? What is he like? Is he 5%? What is he right now? I'm not sure. Okay. I think he's 5%. All right. So, all right. If he's 5%, on that show that you did, he said.

He got notes. Yeah. He came prepared. He said, you know what kills me about you, Omega? Y'all used to hate each other. Right. Right? So, and then you said, I get Mega now. He said, you get him now.

Does he get you? That was a forked tongue. That was what? That was a forked tongue. Forked tongue? Forked. I've never heard this expression This sounds

Like deceptive Thank you Right? So I'm like wow That's like somebody Sliding Sliding Saying that even if I like you

You You really don't like me That's what he said? Okay He's saying dude Does he get you? Right So

And then you said To me Meg is a better person Since he became Muslim Yes Then he said I've been on Shahada I've been on all those schools of thoughts I'm the same nigga though

So my thing is this You so prepared I'm not prepared Tragedy is a competitive Dude And you know this he's always been And he still is and this Ain't the point in life you're supposed to be chilling Right now so If you just said Meg is a better Person since he became Muslim been and he still is and this ain't the point in life. You're supposed to be chilling right now. So

if you just said, Meg is a better person since he became Muslim, why he can't just be proud of me? Why he can't just be proud of Meg as being a better person, right? Then he says, I've been on Shahad, I've been on all those trains of thought as if those things are behind

you now. That doesn't make you a better person. So now if you're righteous, right? Right? I had to write this down. This is so articulate. I am in. How can one claim to be righteous and not have knowledge, wisdom, and understanding of two men having peace? When the very first word you say to a brother Or sister Is peace

Whether it's God or earth You say peace to them Peace So knowledge of self Is just information If not applied In your ways and actions So if he's seeing

That me and you Were Not cool back in the days And we're cool now yeah that's something to be celebrated not questions I understand so I made a mental note of that and then I said any man that truly understands the merits of peace would commend those who find it unless unless it is something he himself has yet to find. Progression is far I feel like taking off my glasses. I don't even got glasses.

God damn it. Go ahead. Keep going. Listen. Any man that truly understands the merits of peace will commend those who find it unless it is something he himself has yet to find. Progression is far and ground for those content with standing in regression

peace is a beautiful thing that's why it's noticeable when a person is at peace they move different and lack of peace leaves you vulnerable to turmoil and that too is noticeable well I attribute that I'm being

honest with you cause like I said we didn't know each said we didn't know each other we didn't know each other but since it might have been like this jihad or that that I get on that but the thing is I be feeling like you at peace now like I'm happy you know what it was back then I just felt like I felt like we were at war period mmm rappers so we was always on guard. Exactly. But I just felt like in these recent years, me seeing you, you've just been acquiring that same exact shit you said.

You come across like a peaceful person. I'll break that down to you. Okay. There's two things. There's a few things that make me at peace. Being Muslim does bring you peace. If you're seeking it, and somebody like us, where we came from, we got to seek peace because we see the other side so much. Like, yo, your mom's still alive, right?

So it's like, yo, bro, I don't got that. So on your worst days, let's just say you fell off. You had nothing. You could go get that hug from mom. You could go get that home-cooked meal, that conversation. My mom never got to see me tie my shoelaces, never got to see me graduate from kindergarten, never got to see me riding a bike.

So it's people like you that I look at y'all like y'all blessed to have that. So the Muslim thing is, like, you have to carry yourself a certain way as a Muslim. It's the thing called a dab, too. It's a respect that you show others. And it's like the energy you put out is kind of like the energy that you would want to receive. Now, as a Muslim, I try to set example or I try to lead by example with my ways and my action. That's why I try not to be inconsistent. And that's why I do everything well thought out.

The reason I want peace is because I never had it. It's just like when you you poor, you want money. When you cold, you want warmth. That was hard. Killing it. It's like Marcus Garvey times two. Sorry, man. Keep going, keep going, my boy.

That was hard, that was hard, I'm sorry. I spoke to one of my friends, he's not from the hood. He's a white guy, He was raised in New England Comes from a good family And he said Yo Mega You've been to more funerals Than some

Than my grandfather You know people in their 80s You know Get to a certain age Your grandfather Your grandfather They don't have no friends It's like

When you Look at my life Since you knew me It's a difference between knowing somebody and being close to somebody. Look at the people that died from Queensville Downs Thoreau that was close, not eyed with me, like drawers.

Was close with me. Yammy. Pete. Spank. Pete. These wasn't people I was eyed with. I wasn't eyed with these people. I lost so many people. My cousin Oogie died. You know what's the crazy shit, man?

I'm going to tell you something, bro. I had never knew best friends shoot at each other until I went to Queensbridge. Is that fucked up? Yeah.

I mean, crazy shit I'm married with, but Queensbridge is different sometimes. Listen, I went one week. It was Lake And Draws in the Pterodome

Together And the next week they said you can't go there And I said why And they said Lake and Draws is at war Oh you was going to Queen's Bridge back then I was the only one I came with Shai Meek, Shai Meek wanted me there I went one week

And that was the first time I said, damn, best friends could become strangers. Look, that Nas line, best friends become strangers. I remember that like it was yesterday. I remember Lake and Draws being best friends. And when I came back and I asked for them together,

it was like it was taboo to ask for them. They're like, what are you talking about? They don't hang together. I was like, I saw that. I saw this with my own eyes. Wow, that's crazy. That was my first life lesson that you can be best friends and enemies the fucking very next day. Because that's how it seemed like to me. And that's why. Recipes, drawers.

Recipes, drawers. It took me years to hear from Drawers Dine. And that's why I seek peace. And that's why I think. I'm sorry. Can you say that again? You said it took years for you. It took me years to recover from George being gone.

It wasn't an easy loss for me. Is it okay when we talk about the situation? George? Because I'll tell you. And you can tell me if you want to or edit this part out. Because this hurt me, too. The fact that it was like an 18-year-old. I don't think it was.

No, I don't think he's 18. The dude who killed him? No, he's not 18. Oh, he's older than that? All right. But it's still sad because. Is that like the OGs not respecting the young culture? Is that us being old sometimes?

No, no, no. I think Draws loved. I don't think nobody wore Queen's grits on his chest like Draws. Nobody did. Nobody. And Bumpy. Bumpy's close up. He's like close second.

Yeah. Shout out to Bump. Draws loved the hood so hard he would defend anybody and I think he was just he just loved the hood the love that he gave should it that that should have never happened he should even been in the hood that shit I stopped going to Queens Bridge when George died for like a year and I couldn't even walk by that area cuz it hurt um sure me too yeah and I'm not even from Queensbury But that was my man Like

I know Draws I know the other person I know Draws' mother I know the other person's mother Wow I don't know that You know what I'm saying Wow

So That's the saddest thing about hood beats And that's why sometimes You gotta Like the old me You know what the problem is We move off ego and pride Sometimes we get That's why sometimes you got to, like the old me, you know what the problem is? We move off ego and pride.

Sometimes we get, we have spontaneous reactions. It's like, you know what I'm saying? And it's like I said before, like a gun has to be the last resort, not the first response. Because you can't take that back. I don't know how many photo booths this nigga's kicking right now. Go ahead, Kiko. So, a lot of times, a lot of things that happen in the hood, if we'd have just thought it out,

it wouldn't have happened. Like, my crew, Dross was a good fella. I always heard of the good fellas. Yeah. Dross was a good fella. I always heard of the good fellas. Yeah. Droz was a good fella. And, like, that caused the divide because Droz was part of us.

And 40 Busters and good fellas, what is the difference? 40 Busters is a different crew. 40 Busters is like, that's one of the first. The 40 Busters is like the prototype for us. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we respect them. You know what I'm saying? The way they move,

they move like a family, like a unit. And basically, they was like the prototype for us. They was the blueprint for us. Those are the people who came before you and I.

Yeah, yeah. And then, let's just, where's Jaws from? He's from Temp Street? Jaws from 40 side of Temp Street. Rest in peace to Herb, too. Herb, his brother died too recently.

All right, so he's from Temp Street. So listen, let's just give 10 seconds of total silence right now because he's from Temp Street. And let's give some love to my brother Sados. Ready? 10 seconds of total silence right now because he's on 10th Street. And let's give some love to my brother Sato. Ready? 10 seconds.

Rest in peace, Jorah. Sato. Y'all ain't going to far-brunch Jorah's on tour with me. I've never seen somebody this crazy. I got him. Yo, how you gonna fuck up if I brought these drawers on tour with me? I've never seen somebody this crazy. Like, I love drawers. Like, he would go on tour and just lose his mind. Drawers is different.

Drawers is a different dude, man. I miss him, man. Even Puff no drawers. That's how you see Puffy acting about drawers. Get out of here. Yes. Get out of here. So, all right.

We get, you come home, right? You aware that these people want to sign you. You aware that these people want to sign you. How was it initially that you made that decision to go with Chris or to do it? And I imagine and I sincerely do not know this answer. Was Nas helping you in that direction or

was it like do your own type of thing? I came home 95. I got signed in 96. When I came home, something was like Because Nas is becoming Nas at this point. He was already having it. when I came home, son was like, because Nas is becoming Nas at this point. He was already him.

He made Illmatic. Illmatic was out. Yo, real talk, he could have retired after Illmatic and he would still be mentioned as the greatest, one of the greatest. You know what I'm saying? That's real shit. So he was already who he was.

When I came home, he tried to get me a deal. See, this is the thing, Chris. I mean, Steve don't know. Son tried to get me a deal already. They just didn't. Yeah, he tried to get me a deal. See, this is the thing, Chris. I mean, Steve don't know. Son tried to get me a deal already. They just didn't. Yeah, he tried to get me a deal with Capitol Records. Wait. When you came home? Yes.

That was even in the picture. But they didn't jump on it. So, I said to myself, I just got to work harder. You know what I'm saying? So I started jumping on mad mixtapes. I started going to, doing Cyphers.

Ironically in Miami, I went to How Can I Be Down? And I started, I was in Peter Thomas spot. I got a drop from you and I got a beat out. You know what I'm saying? Oh, okay. I was in Cyphers. This nigga had to drop from every tape. I was in Cyphers was in Cyprus Killing it

So then people was like Steve Rifkin Steve Rifkin's brother I'll never forget this day Cause this is like A keep it real goes wrong moment Steve Rifkin's brother was like Cause the guy Biz Used to manage Noid too

He had Noid and me at the same time But Noid went to Tommy Boy Records And Loud manage Noid too. He had Noid and me at the same time. But Noid went to Tommy Boy Records. Yes, he did. And Loud wanted Noid because Marv Deep was at it. Marv Deep, yes. So they felt a way about that. So Steve Griffin's brother was like,

yeah, listen, we'll sign you right now. We just don't want to deal with Biz. Wow. Yeah. Oh, so Biz had a funny reputation? No, no, no. I guess it was like... Oh, they just knew he was in the hood.

No, not just that, because they was mad about the Noid thing. He was connected to it. See what I'm saying? I'm getting it now. Yeah, you get it? So it was like, he took Noid elsewhere

when they wanted him to bring Noid there. So the guy was like, basically saying, ditch this dude right now you could go to you could come loud so Wu-Tang Mobb Deep yeah big pun M.O.P damn and you were in big pun video too yeah I was a video guy pun with my guy so uh so we'll bring up Hun later yeah we'll bring that up Hun and Prodigy so uh yeah so obviously I didn't go to loud. You regret that or no?

It looks like you did. Respectfully, yeah. That makes a lot of sense. supposed to happen because sometimes you gotta fall and in order to learn how to get up and sometimes you gotta go through shit if i didn't go through the things i went through i would have never been independent or whatever or you know i'm saying it's one of the best things about you that a lot of people don't know is how hard it is how harder it is to be independent super hard and how much you went you was relentless with it like. Like, I say that about you, like, all the time. Like, I respect how you kept, like, from land speed to all these, these, these.

And you knew who to fuck with. Like, you knew who to fuck with at the right time. And I always admired that about you. I always admired your overseas game. Because it was one point where America just didn't want to pay me. And you know what I did? I brought myself to Dusseldorf, Germany. I was in

Dublin. I was in fucking Frankfurt, Hamburg. I was in fucking Amsterdam every fucking other week. And the only person I knew that was doing that was you. And I was like, he's a hustler because he's doing it. I respected that because I knew you

doing exactly the same thing. You wanted your quota and you ain't want to come down here. That's what I was doing it for. How did you see the future to be independent like that? That's a great question. A hustle. A hustle is

a hustle. The way I looked at it like this. Because, you know, most artists would have left a major label. I hate independence. And it would have been a while before they even got the courage to go independent. Listen, I'm being honest. I'm sorry to defer this courage. I hate being independent. It's hard. It's fucking hard. It's not glorious.

I told people this. It's not glorious. So you're not going to get all the perks everybody else get. But if you put in that work, I had a longer career than a lot of artists that got more umshown than me, or that I was overlooked for certain other artists, and now, here I am, 2020, on Drink Champs, and they can't even get on the show.

God damn it, you know what I mean? But you started doing the independent grind right out the major, right? Early, bro. Right out the major. I started doing a lot of shit. You did it when it wasn't cool. No, but I say that because... When it was not cool.

A lot of people... Had jokes. A lot of artists would leave a major and dwell on it before they even start to do anything. A lot of artists that... Instead of taking advantage that you were just on a major, the audience doesn't know that, and then just start putting out stuff. You can't take back the two million they spent on you on promotion. Right, right.

Yeah, exactly. Just got to go hard from there. Right. A lot of artists that... I've seen a lot of artists that were dope-ass artists. I'm talking about dope. And they get shelved, and you never hear from them again. They don't even rap no more.

Right. And I was not going to let that happen to me. Yeah. So, let's go back to Chris Lighty. One of the things, like I said, Chris Lighty gave me tough love and he made me want to prove things to him. One of the first things that I did,

I was the first dude to do a mixtape. Nobody had mixtapes out like albums. Like an artist mixtape, right? Yeah. Nobody did that before me. People don't even want to give me my credit, but it's out there. The facts is out there. You got to do a look. Nobody was doing mixtapes. I came out that Montana way

joint. Wow. Way back. God. So by the time Survivor the Illest Tour came out, Chris Lottie wanted me to go on the tour. Survivor the Illest, Onyx. DMX. DMX was on fire. Like scorching. I remember. They didn't let me on that tour. I went on that headline. That's when DMX was on fire, like scorching. I remember.

They didn't let me on that call. I went on that call. I tried to get on the tour, just so you know. Yeah. Okay, okay. So I went on that tour, and I was killing it. You can see the footage is online for some of the shows. So when we go to places like, I remember when we first went to Chicago and Detroit.

Didn't y'all do the Apollo? We did Apollo. And Foxy and that's when Freeze came out. It was looking crazy. It was great. I've seen that. I've seen that. Go ahead.

Continue. So we did the Survival of the Illest tour. I went across the country with no album out, with no single out. But people knew the words to my songs from that mixtape. So when I go to Chicago, I keep it real. I probably told you this before. When I went to Chicago, I was like, Chicago and Detroit, I'm going to say I'm sick because I don't want to perform. I was scared.

I was like, because I don't got nothing. These people are not going to know me. They're going to probably boo me. I was scared. And then I said, F it. I'm just going to do it. I got on stage in Chicago. I probably got the second loudest ovation that night.

And I'm like, wow. So we go to Detroit. I'm getting love, too. All of the mixtapes. Yeah. So I'm like, people are like, I got your album. I'm like, what you talking about? And they show me in the mixtape.

They looked at my mixtape like it was an album. That's how I got big in London, too. But also because Def Jam back in the days record companies you probably know this because you was a DJ they would send your music out sometimes they would send your whole album out. They would send that tapes I got mad that tapes of Komega that tapes. They would send your music and it was sometimes overseas they would give you them your whole album because you said yeah they gave my whole album so by the time I go to London I went to London they had my whole album

they like yo do such and such they said I bought this illegally yeah they named it songs I'm like I shit I didn't even know

how to know the name so yeah so from doing that mixtape that's how I traveled the country and that's how I knew I had a buzz and that's what

I'm telling Chris I'm like yo bro and Chris like you sure like it ain't your like Chris is like yo don't let your like don't let your mans gas you.

Because we need people that's going to buy the records. I'm like, Chris, I'm telling you. There are other people like, yo, Chris. Other people like, yo, Chris. I seen them selling Meg's mixtape in a car wash. And I was getting my car done. So the buzz is starting. But once I did that Survival of the Illest tour, you couldn't tell me nothing.

I seen it. I rocked Apollo, bro. It's on video. You can see it. I'm sorry. So all across the country. I never got booed It was love everywhere foot and with no album out and no single that's unheard of That's when I wanted to get off. That's why I got off death jam when I came back from that tour I got off the label. I said Because they had no plans for me

bro, if I'm a businessman and I put you on the road with no single and you're killing it, as soon as you come back from that tour, we starting planning your album. I came back and there's no plans. Russell Simmons was even like,

yo, what the fuck is going on with Mega Shit? Shout out to Russell. Russell Simmons was like, what's up with mega shit Watch out he me too'd I don't know what that means but Oh Hey man leave it alone It's a part of my history

He said what's up with mega shit Yeah He calling Leo on him He's dead He came to the tour and seen me with his eyes He seen that shit That's when he was dead. He's dead. He came to the tour and seen me with his eyes. He seen that shit. Wow. That's when he was like,

yo, he loved the song Montana Diary. Wow. So it's like, I'm like, Russ is a hip hop nigga. Like he really,

you know what I'm saying? Matter of fact, I played myself. Pardon me for saying the N word. He's a hip hop dude. I'm not trying to say the N word either. Yeah.

So anyway, so after that tour, when I seen they had no plans for me, I said, I can't be here no more. And the last draw, unfortunately, when the Violator compilation came out,

I was only on one song. I took offense to that. I was only on one song too. Huh? I think I was only on one song. But you're on Violator Management. I'm on Violator Management. I'm on Violator Records. Damn. And I only got one song. So how y'all building me up? So I was only on one song. But you on Violator Management. I'm on Violator Management. I'm on Violator Records. Damn. And I only got one song. So how y'all building me up?

So I was like, there's too much going on. There's too much. Like, they're not prioritizing me. So I went up there and I was like, yo, you know what I'm saying? So you left Def Jam and Violator at the same time? It's the same thing. But it was Violator Def Jams. Yeah, I understand. So I went to Kevin. There's a big print deal with this. I went to Kevin Lowe's yeah so i went to kevin i went to kevin

louse and i i went to kevin louse office at first i told christian what i wanted fat kevin not skinny kevin yeah that's when he was fat that's my male that's okay continue i went to kev and i spoke to him like a man and i said yo i told him i wanted to get off the label and I said because um y'all y'all y'all not help yeah I said nothing's nothing on the shelf is gonna there's nothing sustainable on the shelf like if I'm on the shelf y'all have no plans for me and I said every day you come to this office you driving in a nice car and you drive into your nice house I said I want nice things too I said I want to live my life and I want to create as an artist. I asked him, and I asked him like a man, I said,

all my years of being an artist here, I've never let my street affiliation or strength conflict with my professionalism as an artist. I said it just like that to him. So, I basically gave him an offer he couldn't refuse.

And spanking him was right outside the office So So And They respectfully Yeah I got my release after that And they gave me money They gave me like a

More than free and clear Yeah they gave me like a I guess like head heads will hold you down Because you're not You know you're not going to be signed anymore So Like a severance package So you couldn't sign somewhere immediately I could sign somewhere I guess, like, head heads will hold you down because you're not, you know, you're not going to be signed anymore. Like a severance package? So, you couldn't sign somewhere immediately?

I could sign somewhere. Oh, okay. I just, they made me sign somewhere I couldn't sue them because they did a lot of fuck shit. So, that's how

I got off of Death Jams. But, when I got off, shout out to my man, Bimmy. Quains, Bimmy? Bimmy. Okay. Bimmy flew me out to California.

Warner Brothers was going to give me $700,000. This is a fantastic story. Let's keep it to you. That's on the strength of Bimmy. Wow. Bimmy took me out there. Bimmy always believed in me. Bimmy was in jail with me And everything

Wow Yeah So Matter of fact If I had his number I'd call him right now But um I ain't got his number

Nah so if I had I would call him Um So yeah I had a situation there But Warner Brothers That's when Warner Brothers Was going through this

Restructuring shit And if you know about When the labels have mergers Everything stops Yeah So I'd have been On the shelf again And in this rap game restructuring shit. And if you know about when the labels have mergers, everything stops. So I'd have been on the shelf again. And in this rap game, you can't be on the shelf for four years

and then sit for it. Yes, you done after that. So I didn't want to just, I didn't want to do that. So I said, you know what? We didn't do that because they was going through their merger thing.

I didn't want to wait. I was impatient at that point. I wanted to come out. TVT. Black Records again? TBT? That was blunt. They had Blunt Records. TBT?

What's that sign mean? Steve Gottlieb. Yeah, Steve Gottlieb. So, here's the crazy thing. They had Little John over there, right? Yep. So, here's the crazy thing. They had Lil Jon over there, right? Yeah. What? So here's the crazy thing. This is when I lost respect for Def Jamz. Music, anything that you hold on to, it depreciates. My deal was signed in 1996, $250,000.

Remember, I was the first rapper to get that quarter million dollar deal. That was a bag back then That was a bag Yeah So When I went to TBT They was like What was your deal

I was like $250,000 They was like Alright cool So now Being that I was on the shelf For like Four years They should

They should take a settlement Like if your deal was for $250,000 Take this $150,000 Or whatever right This one This one I knew that You keep saying the shelf I don't understand the shelf The shelf They should take a settlement. Like, if your deal was for $250,000, take this $150,000 or whatever, right? This one, I knew that... You keep saying the shelf. I don't understand the shelf. The shelf is like... It's being held up. They're not putting them out.

They're not releasing them. Yeah. They shelf you. Okay, that's what that means. Okay, all right. Yeah, like, shelf you, see you later. Maybe we'll come back to you. Yeah.

That shit kills careers. It kills careers. All right, all right. And it happens to a lot of artists. It happens to a lot of artists. Yeah, I think we can shout that out. Yeah, yeah. Tax write-offs for the label.

I must have been fucking fucked up. Yeah. So this is when I have... Now, when I got off Def Jamz, I didn't have issues with them. I was still cool with them. You know what I'm saying? I'm cool with them now, obviously.

I don't got no beef with them. But at this moment... We don't know who the fuck's at that camp right now. Yeah, because there's different people there. Matter of fact, the people that are there are cool. I think it's Noah Calla. Noah Calla's over there. My bad.

Sorry, I went too far. No, he's crazy. I went too far. He quit his job. I was here. I was not here. I quit that job? No, no, the Indian guy.

I didn't know why he was in there. I was like, this is not the culture. Sorry. Sorry, fuck. I went too far. I went too far. I went too far. No, he's nuts. So, this is when I realized the industry's fucked up.

TVT gave me the sweetest deal for them in the world. They was giving them back the whole $250,000. Back to Def Jam. Yes. Def Jam said, no we want $350,000 oh yeah my lawyer was like that's unheard of

I've never seen nothing like that music depreciate that's how I learned music depreciate from my lawyer I didn't know that he was like

you was on the shelf for like five years the music that's crazy they wanted $350,000 instead of $250,000

did it have anything to do with their lawsuits that they had with each other? What lawsuits? What did you tell me? TVT and Def Jam had crazy lawsuits. Oh, is that what it is? For job being at. This might have been it.

This might have been the start. We might have been caught in the middle of that. This might have been the start. Maybe. I don't know. I didn't know. All I know is I was pissed. I'm like, how the fuck they're going to charge me $100 hundred thousand more than my deal was for for five year old album

So you gotta stop picking up for me man. Come on. Come on to the God Come on I got you baby. Come on We're on the phone! We ain't drinking, we're on the phone! Look at, we got the Bob Nye snail on the phone! Come on, baby! Firmly in action, baby! It's on! Firm! Come on, this is beautiful! Y'all can't even hear my guy. How you doing? Oh shit, it's me? I'm fucking up.

Oh, you in the air? Come on. What up, my dude? Where you at? I'm not, I'm not. I'm in the town, I'm in the town. Okay, okay. You know how we do. Yeah, this is a beautiful moment. That's a good burning hat right there.

You know what I'm saying? Yes, yes, yes. You know how we do, King. Beautiful moment right here. This is love right here. This is love, love, love. Like when we first started Kicking it again

Yes When I responded When I wrote something On Nas' Instagram For the first time Which fucked people up The first thing I wrote was Unconditional love

Beautiful Cause this ain't no This ain't conditions Son I told you Like a man I said I don't care about the firm

It's all good But I care about my man True or false That's what he said You know what I'm saying So it's like It is what it is This is beautiful right here Beautiful man I care about the firm. It's all good, but I care about my man. True or false? That's what he said. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, it is what it is. This is beautiful right here.

Beautiful, man. This is beautiful. And you gonna take a sip, man. Hold on, I can't even hear. I can't even hear. I can't, how you can hear him? You can hear him? This is gonna be very philosophical

and intelligent and shit like that. I already see. Love to y'all, man. Peace, bro. Peace. Yo, thank you, big bro. Thank you, man. One love, bro.

Hey! Yo, that was beautiful. You gotta take a sip, though. Come on, man. Please. Hold that thought while I go back. Yo, that was beautiful. Will y'all take a commercial break?

This is a break right now? Oh, if you want, I'm gonna keep going. I can hold. Yo, that was beautiful. Will you take a commercial break? This is a break right now? If you want, I'm going to hold it down. I'm going to hold it down, man. This is very important. And Mega, I'll do shots, but he ain't even doing a drink. I'll do one shot, though. I'll do one shot. My name is Kyle Shabazz. How many of you know Shabazz?

Shabazz, the OG and the villain. What up, yo? That's my name on the You know what it makes you check The name of the podcast? The Pull Up The Pull Up Make sure y'all check that motherfucker out But

Right Mega I'm bouncing all around But let's talk about Prodigy Okay No hold up We're gonna talk about Prodigy Yeah We didn't finish the 350 part

Okay let's go 350 Listen anyway they raised it to 350 Blunt Def Jam raised it to 350 But Blunt is going to pay for it So that killed that deal Right So like I said before

Sometimes things that happen Are supposed to happen. So you can't get upset with it. So when they raised it to $350, I was like, fuck the Testament album. I got mad, and I made the Realness album. So if that shit never happened, I would have never had an album called the Realness. That's why I ain't even mad at that. I can't be mad.

Are we supposed to make... I think we should make some more. I can't be mad. Are we supposed to make, I think we should make some money. All right, let's go now. Let's take it to Prodigy. Okay, let's go to Prodigy. What was your relationship with Prodigy? Me and Prodigy was cool. That was my guy.

Actually, let me go through my phone. Yeah, you got notes No I got no notes I love your notes I don't got no notes on that one Alright Um I love your notes by the way

I'm doing that from now on I ain't gonna lie Okay You gave me my best compliment I told you that right Yeah I said that's one of my favorite compliments You said you winning

You learning on the job But you winning And I love that That's one of my favorite compliments If your people ain't motivating you You know what I mean They're questionable So you going for a prodigy quote right now?

No, no, no I'm looking for something I'm going to see if it's in my phone Okay Show you the type of time I'm on Nah, I got I cut myself I already established that on camera

So I'm good Thank you nephew I respect you protecting me But I already established Listen, I cut myself shaving Nigga, this is what it is man You know so I'm good. Thank you, nephew. I respect you protecting me. But I already established, listen, I cut myself shaving, nigga. This is what it is, man. You know what I'm saying? Here we go. Okay.

Oh. You went to see him in jail. Yeah, I'm on that kind of time with my people. Wow. Do you believe that he died off of eggshells? I don't know what to believe with that. That was kind of weird. You ever seen that video?

They said that he was about to put out a documentary about Illuminati. And that's the reason why. I mean, I just got to ask because that's been a theory. I heard so many things, but I just found it weird that he choked on an egg. I don't know what happened, but I just found it weird that he choked on an egg. I don't know what happened, but I just found it weird. And I know... Queensbridge ain't been the same as far as I'm talking about the music. It just feels different without him here.

Like, it's unfair, almost. Because, like, when you look at it, like, look how we vibing. Like, imagine us. Like, look, last time we did an interview, you was like, would you do a Queensbridge tour? And I was like, nah. But now it's like me and Sonny's on, you know what I'm saying? We just had Nas on the phone. Me and you.

Come on, we great. So it's like, imagine Prodigy. You know what the crazy shit is? That was the actual, you know how I had $750,000 for us to perform for some Sordy's Prince dude house? Out it went. And I had everyone say, yeah, but Pete. Wow. At one point. Everyone said, yeah, but Pete at one point.

And, oh shit, Nas is calling back? Wait a, on FaceTime, yo? Wait, are you calling back? Yo, hold onTime, yo? Wait, are you calling back? Yo, hold on, Nas, what's going on? Yeah, beautiful moment. This is good luck. This is good luck. This is good luck.

Beautiful moment. Hey, yo, Norby, if you get back at a drink, you a bad man. Yo, I'm trying to get him drunk. You know what, man? Take a drink. I'm going to take one sip. That was for the culture. Yo, if you get that... Yo, hold up.

You know what I got to say? Say it. Son, I love you. I'm proud of you. And, um... Son, I love you. I'm proud of you. And I hope you get that fucking Grammy, man. I want it, motherfucker. Hey, yo.

Lil' Mega, you know where we from? Being in that conversation is a blessing. Exactly. That's what I'm saying. Yo, Rock out. I love you. I love y'all, bro. That's what I'm saying. Yo, Rock out. I love you. I love you. I love y'all, bro.

Let's go, baby. Oh, man. This is legendary, man. This is legendary. I don't even know who he's talking about. Prodigy. Let's finish Prodigy right now. Okay.

Take this drink. I'm not drinking no more. Okay. Don't worry. It's 55 a sip, so I'm going to finish your shit. Don't worry about it. Pause. Go ahead. Tell Jay. You're approved, man's 55 a sip, so I'm gonna finish your shit. Don't worry about me. Go ahead. Tell Jay.

You're approved, man. A lot of people know that Jay-Z approved. I got the make-up function. Oh, Jay let me rock on one of his shows before, too. Oh, yeah? Let's talk about that. I'm in. I'm in. Wherever you want to go, Prodigy. No, we better stick to the Prodigy.

Stick with me, and then we go to Jay. So I showed you the Prodigy picture. You went to see him in jail. Yeah. I ain't even gonna see Poe in the jail. I'm a foul nigga, but I paid his commiss jail. So I showed you the prodigy picture. You went to see him in jail. Yeah. I ain't even going to see Paul in jail. I'm a foul nigga. But I paid his commissary. But I paid his commissary.

I was on parole. So, like I said, prodigy's a good brother. And he's missed. And it just don't feel the same without him. I love that you said that. In certain instances, you know what I'm saying? I wish he was here. And I hope Havoc knows that everybody's fully behind him

and we want him to carry on that tradition and that legacy. You know what I'm saying? All right, so this is probably, you're probably the only person that's qualified to answer this question right now. Okay. Yeah, I really need to. It was a big discrepancy.

His mural, he had a mural, and then his mural got violated. You're probably the only person that can answer this, and I need you to be the same way you've been this whole interview. What was going on with that? I don't know what the fuck was going on with that. I respect that answer as well.

I mean, when I first heard about it, I thought it was like, I couldn't even believe it. I was like, wow. It's like, when you think about it, you could be the most despised criminal in the world. You're on the FBI's most wanted list. As soon as you're dead,

you're not despised no more. It's over. In the mafia, you could have a war with this whole other family. As soon as you're not despised no more it's over in the mafia you can have a war with this whole other family as soon as you're dead it's like some people from that family might even pay respects so it's like that shit you're an artist

from an artist perspective that shit made Queensbridge look very bad because I'm an artist and I know what people are saying around the world and I know what executives were saying and you probably heard it too Nobody wanted to fuck That shit made The whole

That made The movement Look bad And Executives was mad Fans was mad It was bad So it's like

The man is dead And it's like I don't know what to say About that I wasn't there I didn't do it I don't know what to say about that. I wasn't there. I didn't do it. I don't got nothing to do with it. And, um, it happened three times, twice, twice. Excuse me. You're right. I know. I just wish everybody, I wish everybody would, uh, would grow from things.

I wish... Yo, you know what I noticed? Yo, when ego takes the wheel, you never get to your destination, bro. And it's like. Sometimes. We got to learn when to put our ego down and just and just be men or just we got to have more empathy also and not pride because that was one of my flaws as a man at one point and it's like sometimes you got to question yourself I question myself what has my pride gotten me because your pride is only going to validate you while you're in it when you're in the you when you're in the heat of the moment.

Somebody violating is like, boom. Yeah, what? But pride is that instigator that's never around when consequences come around. So pride will make you do something, and then the next day, regret takes over the conversation. Regret. You ever do something, and then the next day, you'll be conversation. Regret. You ever do something and then the next day you be like, damn, I wish. All the time.

That, why we can't avoid, why we can't nip that. Avoid the regret. Avoid the regret. So that's the thing we gotta do as men. Like, dudes gotta put their egos aside because cause, um, cause that shit, that shit ain't getting you nowhere.

And that's another reason why I'm at peace now, because my ego don't control me no more. You know what I'm saying? And at the same time, it's like there's a time to be dangerous. There's a time to be militant. But there's always a time to be a thinker. Like thinkers is the most dangerous people. Yo, bro, I went to the shooting range, and I realized I shoot better now than I used to. Yo, people from the hood,

we from the hood, think about this. Average dude from the hood can't even shoot. That's why people get, that's why there's so many accidental shootings. People get a gun and they're just like, yeah, what? And they're just ready to shoot. They don't even know how to shoot.

Very true. Real talk. So there's a lot of things, there's a lot of ghetto things that we need to. Wait a minute. As a felon, you could do that? Yeah. But, oh, let's clean this up.

Let's clean this up. I haven't been in trouble in over 20 joints. I'm 15. So after a while, your shit is clear. After a while, your shit is clear. I've got one here, though. Leave it alone. Yeah.

I don't know how you did that, but. It's a is clear. After a while, your shit is clear. I've got one here, though. Leave it alone. I don't know how you did that, but. It was a bozo. He had a famous bit. After a while. Don't put it on me. He had a famous bit. Let him in the section. So when you get in trouble with the law, you got, you could, you're either going to keep that stain on your shit or you're going to try to clean it up or so it's like me i never knew i was

going to be worldwide like that as an artist so now i'm starting to travel the world and i'm starting to have problems getting into have a problem getting into canada yeah like they don't yeah they don't play that yeah as you know that's how you get out of here mate they kicked me out twice me what are they australian sometimes so australia's tough you get out of here, mate. They kicked me out twice. Me? What are they, Australian? Sometimes. So, Australia's tough to get into. Australia's tough. Australia's tough. It took me like three months to get in there, like doing paperwork and all this stuff. So, it's like now I'm like, damn.

Like, trouble is overrated. Think about it. That's hood pride. You in the hood, you wilding. Oh, that's such and such. You get busy But what does get busy get you? It can't get you real estate

It can't get you business investments Like To be honest with you I don't even need gangsters with me Cause Anything a gangster could do I already could do myself And a real man

I don't even wanna put my people In those situations because a lot of times those end up being extra you end up being accountable for somebody else you know i'm saying so it's like that's that's a part of having power control being responsible with it so it's like i try not to get in stuff because i know when i'm capable and I know how my people come, but I don't want my people getting into nothing. So now it's like, alright, how can I clean up my shit? So I started staying out of trouble

more and more and more. That's another misconception. Omega's going back and forth to jail. That's bullshit. You know that. Ever since you met me, have I ever been back to jail? You know what I'm saying? So it's like, I'm trying to show people, especially the young dudes that look up to me. But you know why people say that is because you have one of the best shout-outs a jail nigga could ever have.

What's up with Cormega? Did y'all see him? Are y'all together? What was he talking about? Plus, nah, it ain't just that. Who was he talking to? Yeah. This is a recalitate.

It's one of the best jail shout-outs ever. It is. That was a long time ago, man. I need a home shout-out now. You need a home shout outs ever. It is. That was a long time ago, man. I need a home shout out now. You need a home shout out. Yo, I want these dudes to know, I want these young dudes, you know when I really started

what really humbled me too, Nori? Seeing young dudes look up to me. Like, there's a bunch of cool maggots out there. Like, there's dudes named cool maggots. There's people with my face tattooed on their body. There's people with my face tattooed on their body. There's people with my quotes

tattooed on them. You've probably seen it on my Instagram. One day I did a page with like eight different, a post with like eight different people with my,

that's crazy to see that. So, it's stuff like that that's humbling. And it's like, also traveling the world. Like I said, yo, I went to Haiti. I've been to Uganda, Africa.

Yo, Simon, why'd you start with Haiti, man? You got my friend gassed up right now. Yo, come on. My friend Sonny D turned red. He's black as hell. You performed in Haiti? I performed in Haiti. I did a song.

I did a tribute song for Haiti. All the proceeds went to Haiti. Oh, wow. You know what I'm saying? Actually, there's somebody in the house right now in Haiti that came from us, our contributions and our hard work. You know what I'm saying? Wow. So I put in work there.

When I went to Haiti, there were still people buried in the street. When that earthquake, there were still people under the rubble. And it was devastating. I've never seen nothing like that in my life. Only in movies. Even COVID? Even the COVID shit in New York? That shit make COVID look...

They're still devastated from the earthquake. It's still COVID. COVID was like... Because COVID in East Elmhurst, that shit hurt me. You seen those pictures? I didn't go there personally. But when I seen East Elmhurst, because that's my hospital. If I get fucked up, I go to St. John's or Earnhardt's.

But at least the hospital's still there. But the bodies was around the corner. You didn't see that shit? That shit had me fucked up. I was so scared, bro, for my family. Matter of fact, moment of silence to everybody. Yes. You don't want to open a bottle of Ace though?

Because I feel like we need this as the moment. I feel like you should open it. You don't got to drink a bottle of Ace though? Because I feel like we need this as the moment. Like, I feel like you should open it. You don't got to drink it, but I feel like you should open it. To see if you still got champagne skills. I don't got champagne skills. You don't got champagne skills? You can't lose that. Come on, you're on Queens Bridge, bro.

Do it. How you doing? What high school are you in right now? Can somebody open it for me? I'll open it. Open it for me. I'll open it for me? I opened it for me. I opened it for me. Let me tap the top for you. Oh, this nigga done tapped the bottom.

This nigga is old school. Let's make your life a job. My father was raised in Marcy Projects, too. Get out of here. So that's for Jay. So what was he saying? Haiti humbled me because they, imagine a White House with a hole in the top, crumpling. The White House, where the president at. They got a White House that looks like ours.

It looked like a horror movie, like one of those movies when a bomb hit it. It looked like that. It's not funny. It's real talk. Their buildings was toppled. There was people who was still looking for their family members. They're in the ground.

There was mad bodies everywhere. But the thing that made me go crazy and really look at myself was like, these people were still harmonious amongst each other. They wasn't mad. They wasn't bitter. The kids were still playing. And I'm like, wow, we over here fighting over somebody stepping on our sneakers or over bullshit.

And these people got nothing. And they're more happy than us with money. That shit makes you really look at yourself. When I came home, I stopped wearing jewelry for a while because I felt like a clown. Like, these people have nothing, and they're happy than're happier than us so you know that really opened my eyes to certain things and then when I went to Uganda you know Africa yeah that was a beautiful experience for me also and um you know um when I do these kind of things, I really don't

you know how people do things, they publicize I don't publicize it because it's from the heart and if there's pictures, there's pictures but I'm not OD'ing with it, but when I went to Uganda it was a beautiful experience, I seen how happy the people were, I seen like how over here America, we are gluttonous in our ways, like you

go overseas, You never know. It's like you go to a store overseas, and you be like, let me get a large soda. And it's like this size or whatever. But over here, our large is like this. So we overconsume. We're overconsumers. Over there, they don't even tip. When you tip them, sometimes they don't even know what that is.

They actually take it personal. Like, I tip somebody in France. He was like, what is this? I said, fuck you, motherfucker. They don't. They don't even know what that is. They actually take it personal. I tip somebody in France. He was like, what is this? I said, fuck you, motherfucker. They don't. What is this? I said, what? I'm going to show you what this is.

Buy more with this shit. I'm sorry. They poultry size me real size and we got monster poultry. Nah, I ain't going to lie. You get a chicken over there and you think it's a pigeon. Let me tell you something. My first time in London, I said, your cows are sick. He said, no, your cows are sick.

That's real. And I was like, oh, because, you know, I'm used to seeing big cows. You ever see the cow in London? It's just skinny as shit. Foul shit. Nah, you're right. Certain countries, they call our food Frankenstein food. Yeah. GMO food. Yeah they call our food Frankenstein food.

Yeah. GMO food. Yeah, they call it Frankenstein food. Look it up. So certain things over here are FDA, are cleared. They clear certain things that we eat that we shouldn't eat. Should we trust the FDA or no? Nah.

No. Okay, he's definitive on that. So let's change it up a little bit. The Firm. Most legendary group. One of the legendary groups. Y'all ever felt like that was an official group? I don't have that conversation. Like, you gotta understand, I mentally removed myself from that situation situation When I was removed from it

I removed myself from it mentally No but I'm saying do you ever think It could have lived up to the potential That it could have Uh I think if it was done properly It could have been nutty But I think

I think Dr. Dre was too modest and humble. Because you got to understand it was a Dr. Dre project. Yeah. With Nas. He was on Interscope. And then Trackmasters got involved. Yeah. So, and then there were multiple labels involved

so whoever because you were signed to Def Jam don't include me I wasn't on the album so I don't count I wasn't on the album I'm not on one song I'm on Nas' album affirmative action it was written so by the time

that's the most popular Firm song that's the most popular Firm song I That's the most popular Firm song. I'm on that, but that's on Nas' album, not on the Firm album. So when the Firm album came, I didn't have no input. I didn't have no, I don't have nothing to do with that. So I don't really consider myself a part of that. And I don't, I just mentally remove myself from it. When I was removed from it, I removed myself from it in a good way.

Like, we all still cool, but I was like, all right, cool. I'm not a part of that. And even with my career, as I moved forward, you know what I'm saying? The way I stayed, like, in my own lane. Whereas I never looked at it as a real group. Because. It's like a collective. More a real group. Because. It's like a collective. More than a group.

Excellent. Excellent. Because if it's a real group, think about this for a second. Wu-Tang. Say somebody from Wu-Tang comes out with an album. Right. You know you're going to hear people from Wu-Tang on that album. Right.

If Styles P come out with an album, you're going to hear J.K. and Sheik on it. If Sheik come out on the album... You know what I'm saying? If Sheik comes out on the album, you're going to hear Styles and Kiss on it. You know what I'm saying?

And it's all going to seem familiar. They all work in unison. So, we didn't do that. You know what I'm saying? So I didn't, like, I'm not on nobody's. You think that was a mistake? No, I'm just saying I don't consider, like, it was a collective, like he said. Because if it was a group, it was like group chemistry.

We'd continue working together. But we didn't. I was never on nobody's album except Nas. Think about that. Never peeped at him. Yeah. But how was you on AC's relationship? I. Think about that. I never peeped at it. Yeah. But how was you and AZ relationship?

Me and AZ is cool. Okay. You never was on an AZ album? I was never on an AZ album. Get the fuck out of here. Exactly, that's what I'm saying. AZ was on one of my albums before. I put him on my album.

I put AZ on my last album. My last full album, Mega Philosophy, AZ's on it. Was it weird when you and Nas didn't speak? How was you and AZ and Foxy's relationship? Because we didn't happen to speak about Foxy at all at once.

So how was when you and Nas, whatever happened for y'all relationship, did it ever get spicy between like AZ and... No, it was always cool

with everybody. It's just that me as a person, I just gave people their space. You know what I'm saying? I gave... I gave A I just gave people their space. You know what I'm saying? I gave A his space

because at the end of the day, now I've put him on. So I got to respect that loyalty. But other than that, we was cool. A was like, it's all love. You know what I'm saying? We did shows together, etc., etc. Fox, we was tight.

So it's like, it's never been no fallout. You know what I'm saying? I even showed Nature Love. You know what I'm saying? I was right there. And that was that. But I don't,

I really, even, like he said, that was a collective. Is it plans for a video for this record? Well, I can't, I really, even, like he said, that was a collective. Is it plans for a video for this record? Well, I can't really speak on that because that's not a project. So I can't say, yeah, well, you know, I don't know. I feel like it, man. You never know.

That'll be monumental. I feel like it should, man. It's time, man. It's one of the best, you know, fucking collaboratives collaborators whatever the fuck you want to call it um yeah made history I think it's one of the best and I think it was proper that's why when we had nature here and made she explained that he was not the original group member but nature on his, he put up a different kind of post. This is what the people wanted.

Bigging it up? Bigging up, no, bigging up himself. Oh, hold up. Wait, where are you going? I'm in. We're talking about where we're going. He put up, because on one of these shows, one of these podcasts, I mean, one of these interviews now, they asked about him. So then he was like, yeah, this is what the people wanted.

Breakfast Club, I believe. He shouldn't have did that. Nature should have did it. He should have just chilled and did it the humble way. You know what I'm saying? Because shit like that is what causes division. You know what I'm saying? It makes people be like, word.

And then, you know, he shouldn't have done it. He should have just smoothed it in. You know what I'm saying? Okay. I'm sorry. I just, because I'm a little green to this. Can you elaborate a little bit? I don't understand.

He shouldn't have made no noise like that. Because he should have just been calm and smooth about it and let things fall into place. Because when you do things like that, then it leads people to be divisive. Or people would be like, word, word.

Create rifts. Exactly. It could create rifts. So it seems like that he was against that. I don't know what it seems. No, because on your show, he seems sincere. Yeah, he seemed, as I was saying, he seemed fine with it. But his post.

His post was like, whoa, like, you know what I'm saying? Oh, wow. And it's like, on your show, he said he's happy for Mega. So, but in your post, you didn't say that. You just said, you know what I'm saying? So it's like On your show he said He's happy for Mega So But in your post You didn't say that You just said You know what I'm saying So it's like

You don't It leaves it up for people To think whatever Whereas when you look at me When Look you notice Nobody asks What's up with you and Nature

Because I made it known That I'm cool with him I put him on one of my albums And there's never Nobody asks me about him No more As far as a riff Because I made sure

People seen that. So if you fuck with somebody, fuck with them. So I think Nature's a cool dude. I just think... Jermaine Bax, that's my man. Yeah, I think he's a cool dude. Shout out to Nature, shout out to his brother. And I just think he should have handled that different.

I think sometimes we all need... Do you think I baited him? No. On here? Yeah, on here. I'm asking. When you asked him one question, that was a slight bait, but he didn't go for it. When I asked him to quote the line?

Yeah. The only reason why I asked him to quote the line, and I would like to do this to you, you here face to face, is because I remember them taking your name out. Oh, you said my name? In the record. See, Nori started some shit. Oh, damn. Now I'm joking, I'm joking.

But that's the only reason why. I just wanted to establish that. But, yeah, I wasn't, I wasn't, I wasn't, I wasn't. I mean, this is history, though. Yeah, it's on a fair level. And that shit is so old, like, at the end of the day I'm over it

Like I'm so over that shit Like me and nature's cool I haven't Like I look back at that shit Like yo listen I show nature so much love Only thing

I never had no issue With nature Only issue I had with nature Recently Is not even a major issue It's just like a Where do we stand bro like is you my bro or is you not like because um when i came out with see this is the thing about

queensbridge all the rappers and and i'm gonna include you because you're a part of the movement oh man there's a thing called mutualism. I love this word. We have to all be mutually beneficial to our movement. Because the stronger we are, the stronger everyone is. So sometimes I see things and I don't even get mad Sometimes it hurts it hurts it's like Hurts or offends me

Maybe hurt is a better word It just makes me feel like damn am I alone Like who's really with me because it's like Like I support everybody You know what I'm saying like I'm on Drink Champs now But when Drink Champs was new

When y'all was doing it You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm on Drink Champs now, but when Drink Champs was new. Yes. When y'all was doing it. You know what I'm saying? I came on the show. And you didn't even have to ask me twice. Yes. You know what I'm saying? And then it's like my phone, my number's always open for you to talk or for advice or for input, whatever.

I told you you gave me my best compliment ever. That's my favorite compliment ever. When you said, you're learning on the job, but you're winning. Yeah. I told you you gave me my best compliment ever. That's my favorite compliment ever. When you said, you're learning on the job but you're winning. I love that compliment. I'm sorry, continue. I'm just saying. The problem with Queensbridge artists is a lot of people have a

every man for himself mentality. That hurts the bottom line because if everybody's going for their self, I'm going to be out regardless. Because I'm good. So the people that's good is going to be good. But the people that ain't good, they're going to suffer the most. So being for self is going to hurt you in a negative way more than it's going to help you.

Because if everybody's moving as one Then we winning So it's like Why So like And I can name every I came out with my EP Havoc posted it The mega EP

I came out with it twice I did one limited version And I stopped it I just did that for the fans I put it I just did that Like for the fans Right I put it out Havoc Havoc posted it on his page

Shout out to Havoc Even Capone posted it I was like okay So I DM'd Nature I said yo Post my Post my joint

And I got you When your joint comes out You know what I'm saying I'm like we just gotta We gotta show each other love I'm listening And then that shit just said Scene That's DM? Yeah comes out. You know what I'm saying? I'm like, we just gotta show each other love. I'm listening. And then that shit just said, seen.

That's a DM? Yeah. No reply. You ain't DM me, though. No, because... I'm just throwing out. I'm trying to be a good bad nigga. I'm just throwing out. I'm just throwing out. Continue your story. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have to DM you, though. You know what? That's real. That's real.

But you know what? Listen. I told this to a couple of my friends this weekend. Like, I'm trying to be a better friend, trying to be a better person. You are. So, sometimes, I would like you to tell me

if there's something that you don't think that I'm doing. I'm not saying, I'm pointing to you right now, but I'm telling this to all my friends. If there's something

that you want me to be, the thing is, sometimes, I'm so busy, I'm not sitting there and pinpointing anything. But I want everyone in this room to know, I like to be a better friend.

I want to be your best friend. Like, I want you to sit there and say, that's one of my best friends right there because I know I'm one of the best people in the world.

So if my immediate people don't know that, I'm fucking up. I ain't got that. I'm going to be your worst friend. I'm going to be your worst friend. He's not going to be my friend. I'm just playing.

But you know, I'm saying that you got more notes. I respect your notes. No, no, no, I might, but no. But you know what you're saying is not. It couldn't be just a Queensbridge problem. That's a national problem. That's a capitalistic problem. I'm not worried about anybody. I'm worried about our movement.

I know, but I'm saying that's what our society and what's pervasive in our world right now. But that's really irrelevant to what you're saying is right. But I'm talking about in rap. When I look at Wu-Tang, I look at Queensbridge. If you got to come out with something, Ray Kron is posting it. If Ray Kron come out with something, Inspector Deck is posting it. Method Man-

This is a big thing. But that's a group though. This is a big thing. But it's a movement. Queensbridge is a movement. That word empathy is real big, bro. And that's when you put yourself in somebody else's shoes. So you gotta, before you get mad at people,

you have to weigh every option. Like maybe, at the end of the day, I respect every artist. And the bigger you are, the more busy you're gonna be. So if you think Nori's just sitting around waiting for you to text him

to promote your shit, you bugging. You're bugging. He's an artist Because he's an artist and he's an entrepreneur right now. You think he purposely ignored your shit? Yeah, he's a busy man. I think people

don't really respect rap or they don't really respect what we do because the videos and shit make it look so easy. They don't realize all the shit that we do, and then we live your life too because we have a family.

You have a family. We have families too. We don't just rap or do what we do. In the free time, we have to cook dinner too, and we have families. We have regular shit we got to do, plus we have a little business. So we be busy, but people don't see that.

Oh, you're acting funny, or son is acting different. Nah. Everything, that's life, that's progression. I'm adapting to new shit. So if you don't contact me, I'm not a mind reader, so I'm not going to know what's in your mind. But if you contact me and say, yo, can you do

this, and I don't do it, then you can get upset. But maybe you can't get upset because it's really up to us. Always try to get high every episode. It never happens. It's really up to us to decide what we want to do. Like, people got to stop trying to guilt trip people

and to make it, like, success is nothing to feel guilty about. And people got to stop trying to make it seem Like they're entitled That sense of entitlement Pushes people away Because people act like you gotta keep it real But Keep it real isn't one of them things

Where you conform it to benefit yourself Keep it real is Keeping it real If Nori's busy and Nori's taking care of his wife and his family and he's doing what he's supposed to do for his life and for his legacy, he's fucking keeping it real. All right. Goddamn. Goddamn. So a lot of times people, they take things too personal without, yo, communication.

That communication, if you're not communicating, shit is going to be fucked up. We're living in an information era. You go on social media, you see so much shit in the flick of a hand. So are we supposed to remember that? Like you're telling him, this dude does a show every week. And he's recording, he's doing this, he's doing this.

Like everybody's busy. Like I really write my music. So when I'm writing my music, I'm into that. I'm picking beats. and he does he's recording he's doing this he's doing this like everybody's busy like i really write my music so when i'm writing my music i'm into that i'm picking beats i'm a yo i'm i'm the custodial parent that means i'm home every day with my daughter you know what i'm saying like i speak to teachers i do laundry i do regular shit too so it's like i write my music i design clothes i write books i do so i'm not sitting around ignoring you it's like, I write my music. I design clothes. I write books. I do. So I'm not sitting around ignoring you. It's like I'm busy. Like people is busy. So I don't get too caught up in people's emotions because that's their emotion. They're entitled to their emotions. But don't don't overwhelm me with your expectation. 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. 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'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation

that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there's so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide. And hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets.

Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us it's mental health awareness month and on a recent episode of just healed with dr j the incomparable taraji p henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey so what i'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood is some sort you said i look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh.

You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard to hear this and more things on the journey of healing you can listen to just heal with dr j from the black effect podcast network on the iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you

get your podcasts at&t connecting changes everything i respect that. I'm going to name a couple of things. You tell me what this means to you. Okay. Ready? I love that. That was on cue. The realness.

The realness? My first album, that was me exhaling. That was me after being held back. After me being held back, that was me just letting it all out. A proud moment for me. That's it? Okay. Oh, the true meaning. True meaning? Yes. A proud moment for me That's it Okay Oh the true meaning

True meaning Yes True meaning One of the most impactful Independent albums In history First Independent album

To get a source award You got a source award I got a source award I'm the first artist I'm fucking calling Benzino tomorrow. Just getting real. Shipped 100,000. Would have did more

if Lance B didn't owe money to everybody. Showed growth. Showed growth. The diversity of the album Got an impact Underground Music Awards gave me the impact award For the most impact on Underground So that album was like

A stellar A stellar achievement album The testament Testament A stellar, like a stellar, stellar achievement album. The Testament. Testament. Would have been my first album. Adversity, adversity and obstacles. For something I'm proud of.

Born and raised. Born and raised. Born and raised. Arguably, sometimes I think that's my best album. Your fans are going to take this personally. They got to, if you really, sometimes I think that's my best album Um Fans gonna Take this personally They gotta If you really

Sometimes I think Sometimes I think That's my best album I think that album Born and Raised Can stand toe to toe With any of my albums

Um That's the first album I recorded with Premier My song Make it Clear Is on there My song Dirty Game

Is on there The song Journey with Lord Professor Is on there Um The song With Pete Rock Is on there the song um journey with large professors on there um the song with uh p rock is on it i got a song called rapture on there with ayatollah that's crazy um i think that's one of my deep i think at one point that was my favorite album i don't know

it it's definitely i think that's my most underrated album born and raised for sure okay mega's philosophy mega philosophy produced by large professor and i think even hazardous sounds mixed a couple of your joints hazardous sounds hazardous sounds mixed the entire album oh okay um yeah you ain't giving me a check of nothing. Jesus. That was an honor. That was an honor. Hazardous Sam. Lord Professor gave me my props on that album.

And Hazardous said something today before you got here. He's like, Lord Professor told me on that album, you became a producer, Mega. Because we finished the album ourselves without Lord Professor. Lord Professor was gone, and I needed that album out. So I added some of the instrumentation. I added live instrumentation to some of the songs. I'm sorry, what the fuck does instrumentation mean?

It means like sounds, real musicians, like saxophone. To fill in gaps in the beats? I deal with it, man. The people like me, you know, that's in special education. Some of the sequencing, some of the sounds. We added extra sounds.

There's a song called More. When I'm talking about people of color, added some kind of... Blackmore? Not like that, but I see where you're going. I added like... Congas. Congos in there.

That's for like the Cubans and the other Latin brothers that are that are from our culture So I personally added that in he knows so that album is when I I Really love it. I'd like a large professor said you make it you became a producer on that album So that was my comeback album that album charted But then and then right after that you, you hit the mega produced by Street Runner. Street Runner is right here, right? Yeah, yeah, he's right.

Street Runner is a beautiful human being. He's a humble giant. Incredible producer. He's a great producer, but he's a humble giant. You got a guy that works with like platinum artists, gold artists all the time. And he made time for me.

And he was a big fan, but he didn't just say it in his action. He showed it. So, so, I'm um Greatly appreciative to Street Runner for that Um

Yeah And it's two compilations You also had Legal Hustle Raw Forever Raw Forever don't count They don't count? Raw Forever doesn't count Raw Forever is just

like pretty much a best of mega and on i put two discs in there i put one cd disc was like the best of mega so it'd be like a best of mega mixtape and then the other disc was pretty much me doing over some of my songs with a lot you say? I think it's as soon as you say disc. They're like, what is he talking about? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Analog talks. One link and another link. Go ahead, go ahead.

Yeah. So basically, one disc was the best of, and the other disc was me doing songs over with a live band. So that was just the best of. So I don't count that as a project. And I'm gonna stop, I'll probably stop release of that soon. That was like something for the fans. That's the beautiful thing about Only You

is that you can do what you want. You can do what you want. Legal Hustle though, that was one of my, I think that was one of the top independent compilations ever too. You think about it, that album, like for me to have never been on a major label,

I look at the, yo, that album made Jacka national. My man Jacka, God bless the day. God bless. Peace. Bay Area legend. He was just a local rapper and I said, yo, I'm gonna make you, I'm gonna to make you worldwide, bro.

I got real close with Jacka, too. You'll never hit nobody in the base, hey, Miggazarragate. You know what I'm saying? I see your post when he passed away, too. Yeah, it hurt. It hurt. And that's what I'm saying. I'll be close with people, you know.

I'm not, yo, yeah, he was all right. He was cool. Now I'm talking about close, like tears. You know what, not, yo, yeah, he was all right. He was cool. Now I'm talking about close, like, tears. Like, you know what I'm saying? So Jacka, Jacka come to New York, we stay in the same hotel. Like, when I'm in the Bay, we stay in the same hotel. Like, like, he sleep in my room. Like, he'll pull out the, pull out couch.

I got a suite. He's like, we was like cousins, yo. Right. You know, some people actually thought we was cousins. Right. So when I did the Legal Hustle compilation album, that was an album. I did the Legal Hustle compilation album because I was trying to help people get on.

And that was one of the projects. I did two projects where I was trying to help other people. And that also says a lot about my character because when I did these two albums, it was time for me to come out with an album. My fans wanted a mega album, and I gave them these projects. So I got lucky with Legal Hustle because it was a good album to the people, and it helped introduce Jacka. That's the first album Maino was on.

You know what I'm saying? He's on a song called Monster's Ball. And that's the first song I did with M.O.P. Ghostface bodied it um it was just it was just a compilation helping me and and I had new artists on there and all the new artists that that I had on there I planned on signing them you know what I'm saying so I was basically trying to build something to help people you know saying that's why I did Legal Hustle and I mixed it with dope features. So now your relationship with Punt. Me and Punt was tight.

That was my guy. Humble dude. Love. He's a gangster. He's a Terror Squad gangster. As you know, because you know him. This dude love guns.

Love Tokamak guns. One of the warmest people. P Pun to be at a table right now Eating You walk in He's gonna Yo He's gonna invite you to his meal You know what I'm saying

Loves rap Passionate about rap If you did a song that he like He'll tell you your verse Or he'll want to hear something Like yo Let me hear something like that Cool dude man Sensei Never tried to battle you nah we never never tried about but he

always said something like always wanted to impress me but we never he never tried to battle me he was that type yeah i'll say something like you ready like you come on you know he bullied his way on bam tv he wasn't supposed to be on it We Yeah I heard that story I was dope We uh We got one joint It was a uh It was a It was a song

But the song never came out But it leaked On a On a mixtape or something You and Pun Me and Pun But I wish he was alive I'm the first person

That did something with his son Wow Yeah Chris Chris Chris is on the um What's the other joint you named? Raw Forever I put him on there Yeah he's a beast He's dope So it's like Chris Chris Chris is on the What's the other joint you named? Royal Forever

I put him on there Yeah he's a beast He's dope So it's like I did something with his son Because I felt I felt obligated And I helped his wife

When she was doing The sneaker thing You know what I'm saying? Oh the U-In Let's talk about your U-In deal You got like two UN deals, right? Like seven? All right, only two.

I did two joints with them. You did a few? I let Capone run wild. Okay. We got our two dream champs. I'll let you run wild as well. I'll let y'all run wild as well. Let's go somewhere else.

Where are we going? Loud Records? Loud Records. Last Beat? No, let's talk about the new project. The new project. The new project, Mega? Or the next one that's coming out?

The next one that's coming out. Next one. Or Mega? Or both? Well, Mega's out now. Oh, shit. That's the one with the blue-black barrel. It got like a moon in it.

Yeah. Chic Lucha's on there And Havoc's on there Only two features You're eclectic I think it's a dope album It's a vibe I don't know if you heard it Cause you a busy man

I don't even hear my own shit But You heard it? No I haven't heard it yet Wow I'm surprised I wish I had it I would've played it

If I'd known y'all Shit we would've premiered it Do you got a new record? Do you want to prepare this right now? You got some mega joints, Haz? Come on, baby. We tried. Unreleased set it up.

We're going to prepare a core mega record right now. We got to do an unreleased joint. Since we were talking about pun. Put the speaker. Where's the speaker at? Since we were talking about pun, I'll give y' you an unreleased joint when I'm spitting some bars that pun would appreciate. Just a bar song.

A bar song. Because I do that, too. We had a bar, too. We had a racket. You got it? Let's go, baby. Az, I'm not gonna lie You're making us look crazy

Matter of fact I fuck You get it? Turn that shit off Turn it off Turn it off Yeah This your man Big Juke Got my nigga Korpaka right here

Yo Mega Let him have it I got my nigga Corpegga back here Call me New York down, New York down, New York down Yo Mega, let em have it This is true for domination I abuse dudes who try to play me loose Cause I'm greater and move with a triangle Fall back when I come through I might bang it Exhibit in my greatness in tight situations Life's a heavy burden for niggas with light paper

People embrace it or try to take it to high stages Like when I'm rhyming rappers are facing annihilation For thinking you close to me Lyrically I give you the potency You can only get from coke I leave You supposed to freeze When lines hit you like Pacquiao attacking I'm a fucker for roasties, peace

Crush your hopes and dreams and go to sleep Rest is interrupted by the breeze of oceans Winds of cold sweat make you soak the sheet, my shit go hard I depend like work release, for better or worse It seems I dealt with adversity since I was young Which was a blessing and curse to me Lessons I learned with deeper essence, diversity Reflecting a killer instinct, so I murder beasts

So put them on life support whenever the mic is on I feel like a sniper on a mission of striking united Come on with tides of power, speed and agility I terrify and astound with these capabilities Saying you real as me is a complete waste of energy My name rings from the street to state facility It takes humility, pace and time and skill to be a real MC Till then you can pretend you me Instead of playing yourself consistently live your dream I'm covered in different cloth, these are some expensive jeans I'm in it to win it, but prepared mentally It's clear my skills are rare, find a history

Will mention me as one of the nicest lyrically My high intensity writing ability rivals any king Pound for pound, you might drown a rhyme really deep Sweatin' my style like humidity You really need to sit your ass down when you hear a real nigga speak Even if you broke, pay attention to me I couldn't see past the builders from the bench in the P's, till I was need to sit your ass down when you hear a real nigga speak Even if you broke, pay attention to me I couldn't see past the builders from the bench in the piece Till I was willing to change No man can stand in the way of my verbal display

Came from the slums where burners are aimed at foes Yet your own friends are murky for weight Knowledge of power, wisdom is to learn from mistakes Souls will seek and learn to turn weakness to strength Keeping it real has been replaced by keeping it fake And success is just more threat for people who make it The sweeter the taste, the deeper the hatred is venomous When niggas be on that snake shit, no need to embrace them

Sting will be fatal and leave you and your people in danger Fuck trying to maintain, I proceeded to make moves A lot of rappers lie about things they ain't do You wanna walk on my shoes, don't forget those staples I pay dues, since adolescence, raps is better I rap instead of the past, death and for those who said rap forever The greatest lot a devil ever sold is black It's different from Latin, in fact statistics are all people pack in prison

I'm a different club, a real nigga who rap prolific Listeners and witnesses, skill in lyrical captivism I was gifted since a young buck like Brandon Jennings Ditching and cunning, I know how to handle critics Didn't know I had it in me, now they feel me Like a breeze in Buenos Aires, I excel when driven like a seven series In other words, fuck what you heard, respect what you hear And incredible lyrics, thoroughly written, mega, get busy motherfucking mega. I felt like that was my part. All these non-believers, man.

Ain't nobody too great. Still love the game? Do I still love the game? I still love the art. I don't love the bullshit. I love the fans. I love the art. I don't love the politics and the nonsense. Everything else, when I'm on stage,

like you be around me, I could be the quietest person in the crowd, but and the nonsense. Everything else, when I'm on stage, like you being around, I could be the quietest person in the crowd, but when I get on stage, it's something, it just does something to me. I love that feeling of being on stage.

And I love creating rhymes and like pushing myself to outdo myself and not live off the past strength. Like, at the end of the day, I like having a, I love being underrated. That's my secret. Because when you're underrated, people know you good, but some people aren't, you aren't getting the credit you deserve.

And as long as I'm underrated, that's going to make me go harder. So it's like, one thing I say about myself, like, whenever I'm on a song, whenever I do a feature on somebody's project, I try to shine. And there's different ways to shine that artists need to learn. It ain't all about trying to outdo somebody on the song. You can shine without trying to outdo somebody. Just make the song good. So it's like, say what you want about me,

but every single song that I'm on with a dope artist is one of the highlights of that album. Affirming of Action, it was written. I like how you did it. H&IC, that song, Three. I'm on the bench hot eating chicken wings and french fries. Mobb Deep Murder Music, What's Your Poison? High technology album, the high tech album, All I Need Is You. I'm not even thinking hard.

Like every time I'm on the songs... King's Disease. King's Disease. That album is beautiful. Beautiful album. So it's like when I'm on the song, I just try to stand out. I don't try to outshine people. So when

Nas called you, he didn't say that this is a firm record, or did he say that? Well, like I said, we didn't talk about that. Once we started talking about the record, then it wasn't, we didn't know what it was going to be. Like, until we got everybody

on it. Because originally, that would have been a Nas and AZ song. All right. That was going to be a Nas and AZ record originally. Really? Yeah. So you're saying

he wasn't even sure if he could get everybody on it? Yeah. Or maybe that wasn't even a thought. That wasn't even really a thought. It's like sometimes

you're doing something and you just want to take it somewhere extra. Like, you know what? It'd be great if we could do this add this to it keep adding

keep adding so that's what happened with that that was a Nas and AZ record and um so when you got the verses you had Nas and AZ I didn't have nobody's verse

that's the thing about it that's what made it so dope I had to really create I had to create my own uh I what's the subject matter

it's about this so I was like alright cool cool cool I vibed out I thought about how AZ rapped I had to create my own, what's the subject matter? It's about this. So I was like, all right, cool, cool, cool. I vibed out. I thought about how AZ rapped. I thought about how everybody rapped. And you took Foxy. You didn't know Foxy could possibly be on this as well?

I'm the one who contacted her. So I knew she was going to be on it once I contacted her. That's what we need to talk about, bro. Come on. Come on. What are you doing? All right, so hold on. Hold on a minute. So when you got contacted, that's when you said, I got Foxy too?

Well, I think I'm the only one who had a number or something like that. That's mean. I got a number too, but fuck it. So go ahead. Continue. You get the props. So like so like yo at the end of the day naz naz gets all the credit for that song because give him this credit he gets credit for that song for a lot of reasons from um from a humility standpoint like think about this for

a second a lot of people when they have differences with somebody even when you even when you squash the differences like all right cool that shit is over but you know i ain't you know yeah you stay in your corner i stay in mine so but he he's like all right that shit is over i'm putting my guy on this song you know i'm saying he didn't have to do that especially at this point in his career so for him to continue I like your ideology no I'm just saying continue that's what I'm saying all of us like, they had an example. He set the tone. He set an example. And it's like, that's why I'm like, people just got to be humble. Like, that's why I'm saying, like, nature.

That's why I wrote the thing on my Instagram. And nature texted me and said, thank you, because I wrote some real shit. You know, I was like, you know, the song wasn't done to exclude nature. It was da-da-da. And there's, you know, there's no beef with to exclude nature was da da da and there's you know There's no there's no beef with him or nobody has ill feelings towards him anything They just it went full circle there. Nobody said there's a firm album coming. They might not be nothing. You know saying it's like It was like a moment. Yeah, he's high how not started is how you wanted You know saying no at the end of day what he does is is what he does is him

You know saying and at the end of the day, what he does is what he does. It's him. You know what I'm saying? And at the end of the day, like, no rapper has the relationship that me and him got. Nobody can take that away. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we grew up together. You know what I'm saying? Like, I got letters from him when I was in jail. He wasn't, you know what I'm saying?

Like, he wrote me when I was in jail. Like, you know what I'm saying? You know what I'm saying? Like, we done did a lot of shit together. We laughed, we cried. We mourned the same people. We cheered for the same people. This is that mega I wanted.

You know what I'm saying? Poke that toe! Even when we had issues, even when we had issues, you couldn't come to me like you about to do something to him. You know what I'm saying? It would have been a problem for you. Or, like, if you

talk shit about me, like, people talk shit about me to Nas, you think he ain't gonna tell me? Like, you know what I'm saying? Even when we wasn't cool. And it was like, so it's like sometimes you need, sometimes you realize

how important somebody is to you when you go through adversity. And I never realized how important it was to the fans for me and him, like, to do something. And it's crazy. The craziest thing is me and him have never done a song with just me and him. That shit will probably break the internet, bro. There's no song with just me and him. That shit will probably break the internet, bro. There's no song with just me and us. Well, it needs to happen. Yeah, I didn't even realize that.

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, we never realized it, but then we started realizing it when we seen the impact. Like, when we got together at a show reunion, and people were screaming, going crazy. Like, I've never seen no shit like that. And I was like, wow. And I was like, wow. And he was like, wow. And he's seen more than me.

You know what I'm saying? So it's like. Just so you know, I text him 20 seconds later. He said, can I FaceTime with the mega show? He asked to do this. Yeah, that's my guy, man. That's my guy. That's real shit.

That's real. Like, listen, I'll be chastising him. But he asked, he said, you got Mecca today? You know, you know, you know. That's beautiful. Let's make some noise for Nas. Come on. He asked.

He said, yo, is Mecca ready? So you got notes? You got more notes? Nah, no, no, no. The most prepared guest we've ever had. Yo, let me tell you something. You the most prepared. I'm the most prepared. No, no, no, no. The most prepared guest we've ever had. Quick time. Yo, let me tell you something.

I'm going to prepare. Yo, bro, I came home on a pill with no lawyer. So, you talking about, see, that's the thing people don't tell you. You know what I'm saying? I gave my time back. Yeah, that makes sense. I'm prepared, bro. But especially, like, if I'm right, if I know I'm right, like, you know what I'm saying?

If I'm right, if I'm wrong, then I'm going to take it in. I'll be like, you know what? He's right. But if you paint a picture of me that's inconsistent of you, if you're wrong about something, I'm going to come prepared. We're talking about particular situations. I'm talking about in life. Like, period. That's why I came prepared to this, because I knew you was going to bring up certain things.

Yes, I had to. And I remember, like, when you think of all the stigmas associated with my name, it never came from me. It came from other people. Or when you think of how you said. When you think about it like, damn, why didn't I like Mega? Or why did Mega not like me? When I never even said that. Somebody else told you I don't like you, just like somebody else told me.

No, we don't like you. I never, and I'm, yo, Sean, you know me. I'm very vocal. I'm transparent. If I didn't like you, I would have told you. Or I wouldn't have fucking been giving you love. I'm like, you know what I'm, yo, Sean, you know me. I'm very vocal. I'm transparent. If I didn't like you, I would have told you. I wouldn't have fucking been giving you love. I'm like, you know what I'm saying? And we did a lot of shit together.

And there's been funny situations and real situations. It's like, you know, the DJ, remember the DJ you gave him a pass? Do you remember that? Hey, man. What did you do to the DJ, man? Leave it alone, man. You can't represent every fucking DJ in the world.

Every DJ, he feels like he got to protect him. You got to relax. Yeah, we won't say no names. We won't say no names. But I'm just saying, like... Nah, and I'm glad,

like, I'm glad where all of us is at in life. Because, you know why? there's a lot of people doing bad out here that's what I'm saying and that's why that

makes me humble that shit yo it's a COVID I didn't do not one show this year and I'm good like you know what I'm good. Like, you know what I'm saying? Lots of people not good.

Yeah. In our profession. Yeah. Because you know why? They need the people. Yeah. Like, dudes is hitting me like, yo, I forgot this company. They contacted me recently. It's probably my DM.

He's like, yo, we want to sign you up. And they said, this artist is down, this artist is down. You do, like, video drops for fans, and you charge them. I'm like, like no i'll do that shit for free for my fans you know say i'm not charging cameo do cameo cameo do cameo i'm sorry mecca i got you let me put you on like listen listen it was great i feel bad doing that though i do my listen listen all the meals where i go out to eat i've never paid for them in my life. Cameo's paid for everything. Cameo's a great fucking company.

But you gotta charge fans to talk to them? They charge the fans. I ain't charging shit. Yeah, but I just feel dirty doing that. Because at the end of the day... I'm not dirty. No, I mean, I feel bad. I feel you.

Nah, bro. Listen, you gotta... Yeah, that's that old school shit. bad. I feel you. Nah, bro. Listen, you got to- Yeah, that's that old school shit. Listen. That's old school, man. Don't want to be all niggas. That's that old school shit.

I mean, nah, he can still do Cameo to Beat and still do what he's doing for the fans. You can still like, it could be a higher tier of what they ask you to do on Cameo. Cameo, this is all people from everywhere. They just say, hey, they already paid. They just say, hey. They say, hey, I already paid. They say, hey, I already paid. They already prepaid. They're in there.

How are you not taking their bread? Because that money ain't good money to me. I feel like, I feel like, I've been doing that for free. No, I respect that.

I've been doing that for free for so long. It's a different era, though. We live in a different era. Right now, they're prepaying just to talk. Yo. Like, you're not gonna say

If someone says Hits you up Say yo Happy birthday You're not gonna do that Let me tell you something Let me tell you something Ask Bush Rock

You have Bush Rock's number? Deuce Can you call Bush Rock please? Cause I know you got his number That's different I didn't know you would do that That's dumb Let me tell you something

Yo I called some of my fans Literally called them Like happy birthday Watch this That's dumb I went to a. Watch this. That's dope. I went to a show. Watch this. This is why I wanted to give my brother, this is my brother Deuce, he called Butch Rock.

Okay. Watch this. I literally, yo, he's there? Yo, yo. Yo, Butch. All right. Okay. All right, I got you.

I'm going to hold it down. I'm going to call him in a moment. This is the most awkwardest drop ever. Good shot. Butch, you picked up? Yo, Butch! Oh, all right, okay. What's wrong? All right, I got you. I'm gonna hold it down. I'm gonna call one in a moment. This is the most awkwardest drop ever. Give me a shot. Butch, you picked up? Oh, Butch. Butch, this is freestyle. What's the most awkwardest drop you ever see me do?

Hey, yo, what's going on, you boy? Boy, you gonna get you some money? Oh, J.D. I had to shout out a baby, my nigga. Did I not listen? I'm a lion butch? The nigga said to me. Yeah, I just had a baby.

That's cool, Mega. What's up, yo? You good? Yo, yo, Mega, this is what I'm trying to tell you. I'm going to tell you. You done with butch? Yeah, we done with butch, you butch. I'm sorry. I'm trying to tell you. I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you. Don't want to butch. Get me done with you, butch. I'm sorry. I'm going to tell you.

I'm going to tell you why I don't feel right doing it. Nigga made me shout out the baby. I just feel weird doing that because I feel like. Everything in my life has been given to me by these fans. Like my lifestyle has been given to me by these fans.

I respect that. Like this shirt I got on, these pants I'm wearing came from fans' money. It's like, they pay my bills. You know, that's what Trad said. What? Trad said that's how he got here.

We get different buddies, though. Different cars. I'm trying. Yeah, I think I read. I'm trying to equalize it. Yeah. I got that I can stay two weeks, buddy. I got to continue. I got that. I could stay two weeks, buddy.

Okay. Jesus. I don't know what to say. Nah, let me... Continue. That's all I can say. Nah, let me stop fucking around. But my fans have giving me so much.

Some my fans are giving me so much. Sometimes I actually feel like, damn, is this really? It feels like. Yo, like to wake up. And be like. Wow, Mike, Mike, Mike, like my bills. Like, everything is, my fans did this. By the grace of God and my fans. So, it's like, I just feel weird charging them for something when they pay for everything else.

Well, yo, when I did the UN sneakers originally, I never wore UN sneakers in my fucking life. When I originally did the sneaker, I did it because it was a challenge. You know what I'm saying? I said, let me see if I can do it. I made it. I liked it. Fans bought it up. So I made a book. Everything I do, they

buy it. I make clothes, they buy it. So it's like, damn, I feel like I owe them something. Because they, you gotta figure, we've been in a covet for 18 months right how many i don't know for whatever amount of months it was we was in a cold year and during the covet during the covet I've been like, I haven't done not one show.

I turned down, no exaggeration, I can show you in my joint, I probably turned down like 30 speeches this year. We believe you because your notes is remarkable. Oh yeah. But I'm still sustained. Like, think about it.

When we called, I was like, what's clear? And I just came out here. It was like, all of this shit is from fans this so they taking care of me it's like i'm doing my part and they doing their part so i i just feel weird charging them for a drop after they've done so much for me like i got my whole i renovated my whole house during the covid i got all new floors and everything no cap i don't sell drugs i love this talk i cap. I don't sell drugs. I love this talk. I don't sell drugs. So I just feel like I owe my fans.

I really care about my fans. I cried on the stage in Boston before. You know what I'm saying? I cried because they love me so much. And it's like, bro, I defied the odds, Nori. I defied the odds, Nori. I defied the odds, bro.

God damn it. I debuted in the 90s, and I'm still here right now. If I say, yo, I got an album coming out in the summer, people get excited. My last album fucking charted. It was like number 24 in the fucking- On your own. Yeah. It's been clear.

Completely on his own. Yeah. It's been clear. Completely on his own. Yeah. So it's like, this shit is a blessing. All right, we respect you, man. In case you don't know the hip hop industry, we respect and welcome you up. You got your hands up. I'm gonna give you a quick time of slime.

Are you ready? What the hell is that? Hey, man. Just take it in one, pick one. Pick one. Pick one. Pick one. Pick one.

Pick one. Pick one. Pick one. Pick one. Pick one. in one. Pick one. Pick A or B. Oh God. Are you ready? I think. All right, Nas or Jay? You better pick one. Come on, man.

Come on, man. Don't do that. No, I'm doing it. And what? And what? And what is it? It doesn't matter. Just pick one.

Nas or Jay? It's okay to pick the queens. Huh? Nas or Jay? It's okay to pick queens. Nas or Jay? It's okay to pick queens. Nas or Jay? It's okay to pick the queens. Huh? Niles and Jay.

It's okay to pick queens. Niles. All right, guys. Let him talk for himself. I'm not even going to answer that. You already know what my answer is, man. Come on, man. No, the people got to know what your answer is. Please, they need to hear it out of.

Listen, I love Jay. My daddy grew up in Marcy Projects okay yes but I'm a 40 side of Vernon boy

god damn it that's what we need to hear that's what we need to hear War Report and Infamous you going down I'm not doing this one you going down you said both I'm not doing this one. You going down. You say both.

You say both. I'm glad you did that. I'm going to say both. God damn, you can get away with that. Matter of fact, let me rewind. Both for Nas and Jay, but Nas. Good answer. Politically correct.

Molly, Ma, or Lads, bro? That's tough. Both. You can't keep doing it. You can. your shit a little bit let me flip your shit Nas and Jay me I'm gonna tell you no no let me let me do my mega version I love Nas cuz I grew up with him. So that would be biased just for that. I love what Nas has done

for the KOTRA. His album Illmatic changed the landscape of rap in the 90s. I believe that. Also, he pushes me. He pushes me as an artist.

You know what I'm saying? As an artist. You know what I'm saying? And, um... How come you acting like you drunk and you ain't drinking shit? No. I'm trans-parent. This nigga is great. You got... I don't need to...

You got drunk. I don't need to drink. I respect this. Can't keep up. This nigga has... And you got manicure. I respect you. For shizzle.

So, um... Jay... I like how Jay carries himself for our culture. He makes us, we have a proud figure representative in him. When he goes in

boardrooms, when he's in places where we have no business, in our institutions that are beyond our spectrum or scope he's making us look good he's empowerment he's inspiring economically things like that so that

I admire about him um his competitiveness and and um you know how he represents for New York you know how he represents for New York. You know what I'm saying?

Alright, now what's the next one? Next one, I'm going different. Marley Moore. Roxanne, Shantae or Foxy Brown? Oh, God. No, man.

This dude, man. This dude right here, man. They're both family. You got to pick one. You got to take a stance. This dude is going to give me an argument. They're both family. This is a game.

This is the last one that you get away with. This one, you better be definitive. Major or independent? Major or independent? Major or independent? Yes. I'm going to be definitive. Again? No, he's going to be definitive, he said.

You said be definitive or you want me to pick one? He wants you to pick one. Pick one, motherfucker, please. Be definitive about which one you pick. Yeah, be definitive about which one you pick. I would say independent. If... I would say independent. If, all right,

let's just say somebody has no passion for rap. They really don't want to rap, but they get a little hot, fuck it, go to a major, get your money, because you don't give a fuck about it anyway.

But if you're passionate about it and you want to own your shit, independent is the way Especially now The playing game has been evened You can go digital yourself Like anything that a major can put you on You can do it yourself

And if you do your money the right way You can market yourself So now you don't have to go to them for their money Like you sell If I sell 10 Listen I can sell You can sell 10, listen, I could sell you could sell 20,000 records

and make $200,000 if you do it the right way. So if you just make $200,000 a year, if you had a job, make it $200,000 a year, your whole family would be proud of you. So if you could do it, I'm going to make and sell $20,000, you know what I'm saying? Or let's just say 25, minus some expense.

20, 25,000. You can make 200,000 off every album. So if you, 360, no, never. But independent, if you got your own buzz and your own following, independent is the way. You have to explain that because a lot of people and I'm one of them. I hate

independent. Because of the era that you were in the majors also. Don't get me wrong. I live off of being independent but I hate it. I'm going to tell you why. Because you it's like being born into wealth and then your parent takes all the money said now go get it for yourself

Show me what you can earn Because when you're on a major you're pampered to you can't get to that's the funnest shit in the world You wake up. Yo, we don't know I'm going to studio you get a car service to the studio You're having fun in there you doing you're catered to they're gonna send a car They're gonna send my pick you up from the airport they're gonna do this everything we everything everything is given to you and it's more when you independent it's more legwork it's more ground it's like independent to show you who you really are but independent it depends on how bad you want ownership versus not owning it and that's why i never went back to a major i could have went back

after i did, yo, bro, look at my albums, The Realness and True Meaning, that shit, like even when you look at the high artists now that's coming out

from New York, ain't none of them sold more than I did with The True, if you take The True Meaning and The Realness together, anybody did that, the hottest motherfuckers

ain't do that. Don't tell shit, man. You know what I'm saying? Don't tell shit, man. But it's a lot of hard work But also We have so much things In our favor now

I didn't have social media Back then YouTube wasn't there So And digital Going digital myself Where you get the money yourself Now we

Now we learning how to Utilize merchandise If people like your style They willing to Wear your style You know what I'm saying So It's like

We have all these things That benefit us That's why labels Try to get 360 deals Because they want in On some of that too So it's like If you got your own

Like say Drake Like say Drake right now Drake could go independent Right now He don't need a label You know what I'm saying He probably is Gonna do that

You know what I'm saying Because he built He is Gonna do that You know what I'm saying Because he built He's already built He's already a brand And he knows So it's like Shit like that You don't need a major no more

Like majors Are really Artists are doing Artists are keeping majors Open I think that most Most of these artists And even where he's coming from

Is the look It's to look Global To look Big No they definitely They definitely They got that machine But independent You can The guy that's looking big coming from is the look. It's to look global, to look big. No, they definitely going to, they got that machine.

But independent, you can, the guy that's looking big and the guy that's under the radar is making the same or more money. Exactly. Because that's what they not, a lot of people not understand that. Trust me, I know. I definitely know.

I agree with you. I agree with you. I agree with you. But you got to watch what you do in the business period because you could get screwed in the independent business. Or in the major. Well, if you don't do your shit right.

Yeah, you gotta, people gotta, like the younger dudes getting in the game, keeping it real with your mans and all of that is cool, but you gotta keep it real with yourself too. You gotta get your representation, get you a good lawyer. You gotta know your paperwork. You gotta. And if you don't know these things, get you a good lawyer. You got to know your paperwork. You got to. And if you don't know these things,

then you're going to get screwed. And you got to 360 yourself, in a sense. Yeah. You got to be able to monetize everything that you can do. Your shows, your merch, your streams, and your physicals. All of that. So the new project, we haven't talked

about it completely yet let's go into it well yet to come out the joint that has played a little while ago is like a batch of unreleased joints I got you said that's the one that Pun would be proud of

yeah that's just bars but the cadence I don't know reminded me of Pun as well that's why I said Pun the cadence, I don't know, reminded me of pun as well. That's why I said pun to be proud of. Yeah. Being aggressive, lyrically aggressive. I haven't done that in a while. All right.

So sometimes as an artist, you lose your hunger, and the fans notice. So that joint, but that joint been sitting in my stash. So I got a bunch of unreleased joints that I just want to compile and put out. I just got to think of a name. But I want to know how to dry his hands because I got something that's going to blow your mind. My hands are dry. I'm the most hand sanitizer in the world. Ask my wife. Hand sanitizer.

Look at that. I'll keep it with me. Hand sanitizer, man. Hand sanitizer. All right, so listen. This is the master book. Black book? You got a black book?

I might call it the black book, too. Black book. Now. It's a real graffiti. I'm a real graffiti guy. Oh, black book, yeah. Graffiti. It's a real graffiti. I'm a real graffiti guy. Oh Blackbook, yeah This ain't graffiti here, okay, but it's tagged. Okay, but it is I don't know what you going with this

I think you killing it. So that was how you like my quotes. Yes, I do like all your quotes No, these not all my hope but these are the book of quotes that I tag. I want you to be the first. To tag it? No, to read. Oh, shit. You know, I'm not a great reader. The only thing that comes overnight is the moon.

So sex doesn't happen overnight. It takes many moons to reach your success. Overnight is the moon. So sex doesn't happen overnight. It takes many moons to reach your success. We need a lot of room. We need another one. Here's the next one. When you play both sides, you're always caught in the middle. Boris, let's do this, Boris.

Come on, man. Come on, Boris. You got to read it in English, though. Oh So your hand got me dry yeah, make sure you Bro you got this For people both is easier to achieve In a world full of poor people, wealth is easier to achieve than peace and equality due to the poor character of the wealthy. Wow. I'm just reading quotes from my book. I love it.

And I tagged it because that's like Basquiat used to do. It reminds me. So now I'm going to, it costs absolutely nothing to pay homage. That's what Drink Champs is, by the way. Hold on, stop. What number of the book is that? Because that's what Drink Champs is. I feel like you should tag Drink Champs is, by the way. Hold on, stop. What number of the book is that? Because that's what Drink Champs is. I feel like you should tag Drink Champs at that point. That's what we do.

We pay homage. We pay homage. That's what we do, EF. This book ain't out yet. That's the way it's going to look. It's going to look. That shit is hard. You're going to see my writing, too.

Like that. That's all. That's all. This is my last one that I'll read. Never confuse real love with conditional love. One will lift you up. The other will bring you down. So this book is just gems.

Getting money is an art. A lot of people paint the town and years later can't embrace the reality that their color schemes have faded or been replaced by grand schemes that can stand the test of time. So... God damn it. That's dope. I feel like I gotta make noise. I recommend you call it the black book.

I recommend you call it the black book. I might be called black. Because you know why the black book? It's a double entendre. Because obviously you're proud to be black. We're all proud to be black. But in graffiti...-hmm yeah that's it I so you're right that is an actual art so like like when I wrote graffiti I would go to 108th Street I blew the 98 I go to I didn't know you're a graffiti see that's dope I wrote

graffiti so I would go to them and I would have to The different graffiti writers would have a black group They would write And I would sign each others book In all actuality you supposed to get me to say Yo listen Nor you give me two pages And anybody else who fuck with you You give me two pages And that's the book See now I'm learning about you

I gotta get high You gave me the best compliment I ever had So I gotta to give you that compliment. Come on, baby. Look what I'm going to do. Clap, clap to it. Clap to it.

You ain't drink, so please clap. So listen, I was thinking about calling that the black book, but I have another. So, and then every book will have a different color

because it's a blue book. Oh, that's cool. So I'm going to keep hitting people with quotes because I noticed like some of the things that I said, one of my quotes went platinum on your show.

Some people are morally, some people are financially rich, but morally bankrupt. I see that shit all over the internet. I ain't going to lie. Can we do a search together? Yeah, when you were on there. Yeah. There's not much people thinking. That was hard.

I be seeing memes with that all the time. So I just wrote a whole book of quotes. And that's not even my first book of quotes. But this black one, I've said, you know what? I want it to be personal. I want it to be in my handwriting. So when this comes out, you'll see it in my handwriting. You know Charlamagne Tha God just got on the book deal.

You know Charlamagne? I know him vaguely. Let's just make that. Let's see if I can do this. Okay. Let's see if I can do this. I've been successful. God damn it.

Come on. Hit him up. Hit him up. Call him live. Let's see your shoulder man. Let me take you international real quick. Let me see if my man is up. Let's go. Let's see if my guy is up.

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12. It's 12 o'clock out there. Can you call? I feel like I should call somebody. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB.

I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I'm going to call QB. I 12 o'clock out there. I feel like I should call somebody. I'm going to call Cuba right now.

Go P.O. Go P.O. Go P.O., man. You know, that's your son. We're here at the same time. You know, that's your son. My son. My man might be asleep.

I look foul, bro. Oh, yeah. I just tried to hit my man Giggs in London. I thought Eddie Giggs. I was like, Eddie Giggs? He's in London? Oh. Giggs in London. I thought Eddie Giggs. I was like, Eddie Giggs is in London? Oh. Giggs is right here. He's dope.

Oh, fuck. All right, cool. Yeah, Charlamagne did not show me no love. Who else we should call? Let's see. Let's see. All right. I done hit now.

Who you hit? Do you want a squash and beef? Do you want a squash and beef right now? on. Hold on. I done hit now. You hit. Do you want a squash or beef? Do you want a squash or beef? You want me to squash or beef right now? That you have? With me? Yeah.

I don't got no beef with nobody. Who was the beef with? You know who they... You want me to call a joke on you right now? Oh, no. I'm going to... You know... I don't even understand why there's beef.

You want a joke? Yeah. I love jokes. I didn't... I'm like... I told him to calm... You sure? Yeah. I love jokes. I didn't... Like, I told him to come. I think you guys misunderstood each other. No, I just told him to come pull up,

and he said... This is what he said. Can I call him? Yeah, let's do it. I'm in. Let's go. If he pick up, I'm in. He definitely gonna pick up.

Who that? Joke, no joke. We call him on the phone, or we FaceTime him? FaceTime him. It's FaceTime shit, man. Joke, no joke. We call him on the phone or FaceTime? FaceTime. It's FaceTime shit, man. Joke, no joke. Might hang up, though.

Nah, he ain't going to hang up. He's going to feel like you lined him up. Nah, nah, nah, nah. Take a shot. Okay, let's see what happens. Okay, you call. Okay, let's see what happens. Okay, you call? Okay, you call. This is it.

All these is props. This is it. I'm trying to drink with y'all. I see y'all walk through with mad bottles. I'm just seafood y'all right now. What are. I'm just Sifu Yala right now. What are you talking about? Choke, no joke. Oh, Choke, no joke.

Hey, y'all. Good energy, man. You're on drink chance, man. Good energy. Good energy. Let's go. All right, that's what I'm talking about, bro. Make some noise for this kid. What's good? Ain't nothing.

We about to talk some shit, but I just wanted to make sure y'all, it's all love, man, because y'all, it's all love. Alright, let me talk to Norris. Let me talk to Norris real quick. Cool, I'm in. I'm in. What's up, chump? What's up, man?

What's up, man? What's up, man? What's up, man? What's up, man? What's up love man cuz y'all that's what you know, it's all love Cool I'm in I'm in what's up Joe Anything good I'm good, baby Yeah, I'm great man, I don't understand what we were wrong like this, you know From the first time we started to drink chance. He was one of our biggest supporters. I don't know where you went with dick And I still support you and i still support you and you know where we went wrong you know what i realized these in the comments it's some i respect that. I did. Yeah.

But that was the past. It's the present. It's the past. And we fixed it now. It's fixed. We good, right? I'm good on my end if we good on mine. I'm good on my end.

Oh, hey, everybody make some noise. Good looking. Cormega's a legend. Cormega's a legend. You made that happen, Cormega. Let's make some noise for Cormega. Come on. I was on the phone with Cameron yesterday

and choking on coke today, nigga. This is it. It's all love. You got no bad energy in your life. I don't want no bad energy, man. You can do. I thank you. Thank you.

See, this type of shit we do. Yes. But I always been on this kind of time. I respect that. Nobody said that. Nobody said that. You know what I'm saying? Nobody said that.

But that was dope. We spoke to Nas. But I want that video. Which one? That motherfucking video of the King's Disease album Oh, okay We didn't establish if y'all talked about that or not

Or you said you can't talk about it I mean, I don't like talking about it That's not really my business to talk about That's Nas' album If he says, at the end of the day Like, if he says there's no video There's no video If he says there's a video, there's a video. If he says there's a video, there's a video.

So all I can do is, I'm like you on that. I want the video. If it happens, it happens. I'm just some, you like the song, obviously. It's fucking, why? I didn't expect it. I'm going to be honest. I didn't expect it.

I just wanted it. I knew it was going to happen. I didn't expect it I did I just I just wanted I know what's gonna happen I didn't say that oh it was like one of those things okay you go I can hold a secret um I try to give people hints but not too much hints where I give it away it's like you know like people see me liking his post and they thought we had issues. So like, you know, I always give people little subliminal hints, but I won't give it away. So, you know, it's all good, man. I feel good, I did my part. I feel like y'all already got the video planned. The way you just talking, man.

I mean, I feel like you just gave it away. I almost feel like there's another project that I'm putting in the whole project. Yo, y'all got a good, what you got, tilapia? Y'all fishing real good. Like there's another project Already I don't Listen I'm going to keep it 100% with you As far as a video You're kind of

Giving it away right now There perhaps Could be a video As far as the album Right now I ain't giving it away right now. There perhaps could be a video. Okay. As far as the album, right now, my main focus is the realness part two. I could let you hear it,

but I don't want to play it on the air. Yeah, because we're going to definitely, there's nobody listening to us. And rappers be biting my shit, they don't want to admit it. So I'm definitely not playing that shit. So yeah, the realness part two is my main priority. I already started on it.

I got the unreleased music that I played. That's not from the realness either. But the realness part two, yo, dawgs. Let's go. I'm so proud of you. I'm going to start sending you joints. I'm going to let you hear some shit. I'm in my bag.

It sounds like. But if your guys was to do a firm part two where it's done the way you want it. I don't think it should be part two. It should just be starting fresh.

I just think... I just think... I think... I just think... I don't know. If we do another one, you want it, don't worry about it.

No, I'm talking about y'all four. Like, y'all together, that shit just sounded so naturally. I mean, us four was a... The combination from the jump was just... I don't know what makes it so amazing, but it's amazing. It's like...

Do you think because it's unexpected also, people aren't expecting it, people don't know it's going to happen, so it makes it easier for y'all to make something seamlessly in that sense? I don't think, I don't think that because after that song,

everybody was like, ugh, we want an album. Right. I just think when we get to, I just think our chemistry, As a fan, I want an album. Yeah. I think our chemistry

is just so unique. And maybe the timing is perfect too. It could be timing sometimes. The game needs real shit right now. Right. Yeah.

So, but at the end of the day, I don't know. I'm not going to sit here and say there's an album, because I'm working on my shit. I think you said there's an album. I didn't. Yeah, we did. We started the rumor, man. It's too late. We started the rumor, man.

In the words of my brother, 6'7", we starting the rumor. We really got started. We really got started. It's a brand album. And it works. This is our little one. I know there's a realness part to it and a black book.

The black book. That's the black book. I'm in. The black book is for dudes that need to think. Sometimes I like giving jewels to the, especially to, you know what I mean,

what I notice? You never too old or too young for a jewel like some people be like we got to school the young dudes there's some old stubborn dudes sometimes we

sometimes we learn from each other so it's like I'm putting that black book out next month you know what I'm saying you want me to write

my shit right now I'll get a different book for that okay damn nigga don't even want me to write any shit nah we can do'll get a different book for that. Okay, damn. Nigga don't even want me to write any shit. Nah, we can do some shit. Yo, we can do it.

We can do some shit together. Real talk. I'm writing a couple of quotes on your shit. I got to think about it, though. We could do... We could do... We could do a collaborative shirt. You tag on it, I'll tag on it.

Alright. You know what I'm saying? I think we need to do the quote. Cory and Nori. Cory and Nori. That needs to be a shirt. Oh, you know, what's the name of your shit?

Compound? Where we at in Queens? Rockaway Boulevard. Go see Compound with a C. K. Oh, shit. With a K. Sorry.

That's how you know I'm dyslexic. Call Nature now. Okay, let's see if Nature will pick up. We're calling everybody today. Fuck it. Fuck it. Let's do it. You want trash too? No, no. Someone was on peace.

Some peace is best left alone. Yes. Here's a new quote. I didn't write it down yet. Go ahead. What's the quote? Just because I don't fuck with you, don't mean I don't got love for you. But just because I got love for you, don't mean I got to fuck with you. Jeez, that's tough.

That's hard. Let's see if nature pick up. If Nas pick up and nature don't, fucking life is fucked up. Just being honest, bro. Nah, maybe he's busy with the family, bro. Oh, he picked up! Nature was caught!

Hey! Hey! Hey! We here with Cormega. Say hello, goddammit. What's up, nature? What you making, waffles right now? You making waffles right now you making waffles all right that's what's up it's beautiful

what's good man i'm i'm here What's up? Oh shit. So, you know you're on Trick Champs, right? Yeah. Okay. So, you know I was a little upset with you, right? But I love you. You know why I was upset? I'm not sure. I don't want to Freestyle that one

Okay So Remember I sent you a DM I don't know if you remember Because I don't know what's going on But I sent you a DM and I was like Yo could you

Okay You sent me a DM I don't know how long ago It's like Something recent Okay. It might have been last year. Anyway, I sent you a DM asking you to post a picture. I asked you to post my EP just for us to show love to each other. And you didn't't and I was like a little taken back

by that when I seen the scene it just said scene so I was like damn Nate philosophy huh not mega philosophy

mega the EP so I'd rather just talk to you about it cause you know cause you my guy and we doing man shit let him talk though Nate

let him finish it's positive it is positive man chill we trying to show people like this is how you handle grown-up shit. Like, you still my man. I ain't saying I ain't fucking with you. I ain't saying fuck me.

I ain't saying nothing negative. I'm just saying I was a little upset. I was a little hurt. And that's a, for somebody who's word hurt, that means they give a fuck. So, you know, I just want the same love I give you, bro. You know what I'm saying? Because I give you fuck. So, you know, I just want, I just want the same love I give you, bro. You know what I'm saying? Cause I'll give you love. That's real. That's real. You know, we, I was overlooked, which I was actually trying to get into. But, you know what I mean? But that was enough to tell us where we at right now.

Now, we've been, come on, son. If we wasn't good, I wouldn't be smiling on the phone with you. I wouldn't even, I don't know what I'm saying, call nature. But I just, you know what I'm saying? Like, we got to hold ourselves accountable. And there's a thing called mutualism without telling nori about and it's like we all benefit each other when we're working together at the end of the day if we're gonna be on some amen for self shit a few men are gonna fall like so it's like everybody each one you know

saying like if we all move like a like a unit everything will be better for everybody That's what I'm saying You know what I'm saying And I told Nori that So it's like Nori just spoke to Just spoke to Choke you know what I'm saying And it's all love between them right now So it's like you know Me and you obviously don't got no beef you just text me recently

You know what I'm saying but it's like That thing was in my chest That thing was in the back of my head, like, damn. So rather than hold it... I appreciate you even saying that because, you know, most of the time people have disagreements. And they hold grudges.

They hold grudges in their turn. You know, there's got to be something major. People, like, you know what I mean, fall out of pocket. Sometimes you got to, you know what I mean? I'm not big enough. I'm not too big for somebody to pull my coat. But I go, listen, bro, I need you to do this, bro. This is why I appreciate it. No doubt. No doubt. It's all love. Let's make some noise. Drink, Chad.

I ain't even gave you way too much shine. You got to go now. All right, then. See you later, nigga. shine. You got to go now. All right, Nick. See you later, Nick. I love you. Wild Gremlins. My brother. Goddamn, make some noise for Nick. You better not do that. That was dope. That was dope right there. That was dope, man. That was dope.

That was dope. What the fuck? Why the fuck is these people calling me right now? Okay. All right. James Cruise and Eric Nicks, you ready for them? No. They calling you together? They calling you now? Together they calling you? No.

We signing a podcast. Oh. They got a podcast? We signing it. Oh, okay. We've been signing podcasts since 1993. And you've never had

a contract ever. Let's get a contract. Let's do this. Let's be real. Yeah. Dude's got the best podcast right now. Who?

My brother Deuce No the fucking Sneaker Sneaker therapy Is even iller Where he gonna Throw your sneakers Did you see that?

I'm gonna keep it 100 On some real shit You know people Have been fiending For me to do a podcast Yes We gonna sign you too

Listen The only reason I never did Is to do a podcast Just quote Just quote. Just quote the whole time. Your quotes. Oh.

The podcast. That's kind of deep. That's deep. The only reason I never did a podcast is because I told my man, sometimes when you do the same thing as somebody you're cool with, it conflicts sometimes. And I don't want to be in competition with nobody I'm cool with. I'm like,

that's Nori's lane. So I'd rather just support Nori. God damn it. I respect that. At this point, it's like having Twitter. We all got an account.

That's true. I just didn't want to do it. I feel like that's your lane. You know what you should do if you think that that's what you shouldn't do? You should do Twitch for your fans. It was Twitch. should do if you think that that's what you shouldn't do? You should do Twitch for your fans.

What's Twitch? Twitch is a... We'll talk off of this then. I don't got to talk to my man, right? No, you do. But it's like pay-per-view for them to do whatever

you're going to do for them on Twitch. Like what? I mean, talk. You talk to them. It's like a podcast but you charge them in a sense. It's independent podcast.

Think about it that way Twitch Twitch Yeah really Let me finish my album first And my book Let me finish my album And my book

And we talk about Twitch And all that But no Sign everybody you need to sign Man that's good I mean We're just going to sign everybody That came out with a podcast

After the fact Matter of fact Nori did tell me about this Like over Like two years ago Three four years ago I got my two favorite podcast right now It's hood therapy. We throw your sneakers away. Oh my god Therapy shoot therapy this same shit We all throw sneakers in the water? It's a segment. It's a segment. It's a segment.

Homie, yesterday was part of that? Yeah. That was the show. That was the beginning. You was a part of the show. It was the part of the show. And you know how, you know, pardon me for interjecting. No, you interject.

Okay. Do what you got to do. You know how you said, like, Meg is a change, like like you see a change in me sometimes when people tell you things about yourself you can either be stubborn about it or embrace what they're saying and learn from it or you know what i'm saying yesterday i noticed a change in myself like when we was chilling and uh a bottle fell Right? At the end Or a glass something

Does anybody remember that? The glass fell The glass fell, right? And then we was leaving And I just doubled back And I went and picked it up Because there was some old ladies right there And I don't know why

But something in me was like Just get that up Because you don't want them ladies to get hurt That's real shit You know what I'm saying? That's real shit The old lady was just like Fuck the bottle Something about You know what I'm saying? I don't know I don't know why ladies get hurt. That's real shit. That's real shit. The old me would've just like, but something about,

you know what I'm saying, I don't know, I don't know why, but that's just the kind of time I'm on. But at the same time, it's like my brother said, it's growth,

it's growth, that's real shit. And that's the reason why I said that is because I love the growth in this. That's not to downplay it, it's like,

maybe I've accred credited Islam to it. But if you became a better person as I knew you, that's dope. You know what I'm saying? But maybe I credited it to Islam. So that's probably the part of that quote that you didn't like. No, I liked it. I liked it all. Because at the end of the day, that's like somebody saying, yo, his grades are better in school. I wanted to see it from him studying. Or,

you know, no matter what you said, it was a compliment. Like, you didn't, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't me taking offense at all. Yeah. Only thing questionable about that whole thing was when you was like, I get Mega now. And then somebody said, does he get you? I'm like, oh, here we go.

That's a sly one. That's a sly, but I'm in a good place. So, I will say that. So, you know, moving forward, today is a beautiful day.

Beautiful day. Thank you for coming out. You already know. Because I called you and I've said, yo, I would like you to come on because you show restraint.

When Steve Stout came on here, I knew you was mad. I don't know if he was mad at me. You did a post right about it. About what? Steve Stout? After Steve. I did a post to him.

But it wasn't disrespectful. No, no, no. I'm just saying. I challenged him. I said, if you want to go to any public forum to speak, and I added him.

We could talk. And I gave him his props for who he is because I don't got no beef with him. If he wants to hold, you know, you're worth like $80 million or whatever. If you're worth that much money and you're mad at Cormega, something's not right with the scripture. Because if I had $80 million, I wouldn't be thinking about nobody from 20 years ago. I wouldn't even remember you. So, my whole thing is like, I know my stories

is the truth. That's one thing about me. Nobody's going to say Megan's a liar. I'm not lying about nothing. So, like I said, I came through papers today with people's own words conflicting with you know what I'm saying?

So it's like I have no issues with Steve at all. I respect Steve. Steve is good for the culture. I love what he did for my man's career. He took him to another level. Is being compassionate and understanding where your blessings came from and understanding, like, you don't have to stand on people. Yo, man, all you got to do is reach. You can reach for something without standing on somebody. You don't got to step on people next all the time.

And it's like a lot of his interviews, always shitting on somebody. And this is not my opinion you could you could just do your own research you don't have to shit on somebody every interview you're already shitting on people just by living in your lifestyle you shitting you doing your thing just be be a gracious winner you know what i'm saying because at the end of the day making me look bad like it's if you try to make me look stupid you better be sharp as fuck because i'm coming with facts and if you say something i mean it's accurate i'm gonna say you know what you're right oh and i'm man enough to say my bad oh i'm sorry see that's the

difference between certain people i don't even certain, you get to a point where you might got to this point with certain people. There's some people I can have differences with and I'll just fall back. Because sometimes you can let it air out. Let it fade and then you come back. When cooler heads prevail, the same goes. Some people turn smoke, yo, when you turn small Yo, when you turn an issue When you treat an issue like it's beef

That's something totally different That's why a lot of friendships are fucked up Because people have, they have small fallouts But they handle it like it's major beef And when it's major beef It's hard to come back to that It's hard to take shit back to that So certain people

I would rather them just fade out shit back to that. So certain people, I would rather them just fade out the picture of my life than to even reconciliate with them. Like, there's certain people in my life, I mean, not in my life, that were in my life, that I'm content if I never see them again for the rest of my life.

Like, that's where I'm at with it. Stout is one of them. No, I don't even got no beef with Stout because the crazy thing about Stout was I barely see... I've probably seen has... I've seen has more in the last 10 years than I've seen Steve. I've seen has in the last five years

more than I've seen Steve in the last 20 years. So he's really not a part of my life. So I shouldn't even be in those conversations in a derogatory manner. And it's like, be a graceful winner. Like even Chris Lighty. Chris Lighty was at some meeting and my name got brought up.

Right? And this is a guy I was signed to and I got off the label. You know what Chris said? They was like, yeah, what's up with Mega? And he said, that's the one that got away.

That's a graceful man. That's honorable. That shit made me respect him even more. Like meaning, he felt like he could've done more for you. Yeah, he said,

that's the one that got away. Whenever there's something good, that's the one that got away. It's like having a good woman and you lose her. Or like having a good friend and you having a good investment and you didn't invest in it. That's the one that got away. So when he said that, my respect for him went up. Charlamagne Tha God, you made me look crazy just now, man. I called you, we called Nas, everybody picked up.

You're the only nigga that ain't pick up. I don't know if I'm offended or not. You're a treadmill. This is Charlamagne. Save yourself the call. You're going to throw him on there? What's up, Charlamagne? Hold on, hold on.

Let me give Nori a moment. He don't know nothing about this. My secret life. Yo, I got cool cool Charlamagne when I was working at MTV on the low nobody knew what Charlamagne was good yo let me say bro. I'm very proud of your growth and the way you ascended in our culture. I'm extremely proud of you, bro, because I remember the beginning. You know what I'm saying?

I like how you represent our people, and I like where you're going with it. You don't embarrass us. You don't make us look stupid, and you don't conduct yourself ignorantly. So thank you for that, bro. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. stupid and you don't conduct yourself ignorantly so thank you for that bro but y'all I mean I say that to say we signed in core mega to us what is it black effect on the book deal the black effect we got more we gonna be signing them and you also signed the hood therapy and um smoke champs as well don't worry about that all right all right don't worry about that but

dream trans podcast network god damn it all right this is a great interview we got everybody on here today. Everybody, this is great. Fucking Avengers. This is great. And you didn't go negative. No way. I tried to steal you that way.

No. And you just kept it solid. Because sometimes I've learned, like, when you stoop down to people's level, then you got to go down. I'm trying to go up. I'm trying to stay up, bro. So it's like, we here. you gotta go down. I'm trying to go up. I'm trying to stay up, bro.

So it's like, we did it. Even the nature thing that we did, I'll say this on the air, but you can edit that out. You know why I'm saying that? Because I'm compassionate now. And he felt very awkward and uncomfortable. was caught off guard he was caught off guard and he you know so we could edit that out but you could edit it in a way

where when he was finally up to no he's like no you can't where he's up to speak I'm gonna say I gotta be real didn't even think about editing At all It's leaving It's with Drink Champs We edited to when he knows he's on Drink Champs He didn't know he was on Drink Champs It's not fair to him You could have called me with that You could have edited that

It's not an edit man And I gave him a nice version Of why I felt he should Should have promoted me because because the whole version So basically, basically, turn around, turn around, turn around. So there was a show out here, 8 and 9. 8 and 9? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I fucked with 8 and 9 for many years. They gave me free reign, mega. We want you to do a show, you're the headliner, put who you want on the show. We're gonna fly them out here, we're gonna pay them, hand them accommodations, then we're gonna get them clothes. I put Nature in Rock Marciano. Nature made money. Then I had another show in Massachusetts.

I put Nature on the show. And then, after the show, it says December 18th, it's Christmas time, I'll celebrate Christmas. Took $500 out of my pay and added it to his. You know what I'm saying? So this is the type of time I'm on. When I tell you I do real shit, I put thousands in this man's pocket. So if I ask you to post a picture, so I could be a little offended.

If you don't post a picture, if I gave you thousands, it's not like I'm just feeling entitled for you to post my picture like show me love like I show you love so that's what I'm saying the selfish climate amongst us all queens niggas it's queens niggas let's explain I kind of feel Trump hit him up to see if you had a group of election frauds What are you doing? Queezing, you proud niggas. No. You got Trump advice too? No, no, no. So, I don't want none of that smoke. So, basically all I'm saying is... You like Trump? Why do you like Trump? I don't like politics. I don't like politics.

So don't talk about it. I don't like politics because it's a dirty game. And Biden has sent all of our homies to jail before. It feels like you're saying you like Trump. I'm saying Trump is a... I don't fuck with that. I don't want them to do it. I'm not apologizing.

Bernie Sanders. Yeah, I mean, Bernie Sanders would have been dope. I want to... Listen, here's my ticket. Bernie Sanders and Michelle Obama. Oh, yeah. Michelle could have written by herself. Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders as vice Obama oh yeah Michelle to the red bar so Michelle Obama and Bernie Sanders as vice president yeah that's fine she wasn't with it she don't she don't want to see the Michelle Obama and Bernie

Sanders Michelle would have won if she would have. I'm on that kind of time. Oh, man. You know what I'm saying? Or Yeezy, maybe. I mean, he didn't run, though. If Yeezy ran, if Yeezy really runs, I'd fuck around and vote for him. Fuck it. We'd vote for everybody else. You talking about Kanye for the clip? Yeah, yeah.

Kanye runs for 2024. And who's going to be the vice president? I feel like it's going to be me at this point. Kanye, no, you know I'm voting for that. At this point, niggas just... 2024 and who's gonna be the vice president? They definitely don't want me to be the president so they gonna let this nigga live Geez I don't running. You running 2024? No, I'm not running. I'm not running for shit, homes. Yo, but Megan, this was a pleasure, bro.

You know it. This was great. Is there anything you wanted? Because you got notes. You can go look at your notes. Let me look at my notes. Yes, make sure is there anything

we didn't cover. You might have a paper to bring out. He got paperwork. I'm just saying. This is how things got to walk through the yard in the feds. Don't fight with me, man. That's how niggas want his videos, man.

Yeah, this is how people got to walk through the yard in the feds. You got to have your paperwork. Your shit got to be right or you can't even walk through. This is how we walked through the feds yard just now. We did. Are you understanding? Are you understanding? You got any?

Let's see, man. Hold on. Let me go to my nose. Let's go to your nose. Nori. Okay, here we go. Boom. This is such a Nori.

Oh, so I hit y'all. Yeah, this is for the Nori show. I had it in my... All right, so let me see. I said that one already. Okay, this one is... This is one. This ain't even in my book.

And this is about... This ain't even in my book. And this is about stubbornness. And while certain people, you just got to let them fade. Well, certain people you could try, but it's like some people would rather be objective than corrected, which makes them slaves to their mistakes instead of free to improvement. So, and then I had one when I said botanist. Botanist is people that specialize in dealing with flowers. So your show, you get people that roses, and I'm like, I had that in my head. It's like, when we give people our roses. We got to be careful Basically, it's like the way you get people that roses is love

sometimes other people give people their roses, but we need Both tennis we need to be careful with some of the roles that we get from people because roses have thorns in them, bro So it's like don't give me don't give me my roses. What but you give them to me So that's why I fucks with you You know what I'm saying Some people they talk about how they got love for you But they give incomplete sentences They'll say I have your back

But the complete conversations is They have conversations have your back. But the complete conversations is, they have conversations behind your back. Don't be an incomplete sentence when you fucking with a nigga. With a brother. Okay? And then, what else? I said that. I said

that. I said that. Oh, here's a very important one. I said that. I said that. Oh, here's a very important one. We touched on that. Revisionist theory. Revisionist is somebody who changes something. So they can say the sky is blue, and somebody else can say the sky is gray

Even though it was blue when you said it was blue they'll change it and then everybody believed the sky was gray so I was like Gonna break down like how some people have tried to give a revisionist theory of some things in life But I had to do that because I had to paperwork All right. Um and the last one In life. But I didn't have to do that because I had the paperwork. Alright. And the last one. This is an important one. Out of my notes.

A misconception about peace or pursuit of it is that one is passive. My peace does not include turning the other cheek in the face of adversity or tolerating disrespect. So that means, yeah, I'm on my cool shit. I'm trying to be humble. I love life. But my aim is better. More light.

You know what I'm saying? Live it, let live. So that's just in general. When we, as we grow as men As we grow Sometimes when you From a certain element

And then you start growing People look at you different And I think When we young And we have those dreams Every single person in this room Had those dreams Those childish dreams

And those young dreams The childish dreams be Yo When we grow up I'm gonna get rich one day and i'm gonna get a car like this number you know those dreams when you're little and then some of us actually do that shit but when we become teens and young adolescents and young men our plan is to get out the hood y'all is to get out the hood. Y'all want to get out the hood, I want to do this. So my thing is don't get mad at the person who stuck to the

plan. Because we all had that plan. But sometimes when other people don't implement that plan, they get mad at the person that stuck to the plan. That's not fair. So update your plans rather than hate on your mans. That's not fair. That's not fair. So, update your plans rather than hate on your mans.

That's a good one. That's that. God damn it. I feel like that was the great ending. Make some noise. God damn it, let's do it. Let's take a picture. Let's do it.

Let's do a picture. Let's do a picture. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by yours truly, DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. That's at Drink Champs across all platforms, at TheRealNoriega on IG, at Noriega on Twitter.

Mine is at Who's Crazy on IG, at DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news and merch by going to drink champs dot com. For more podcasts from my heart radio, visit the heart radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey.

I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war.

J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. You can now binge all 10 episodes of Divine Intervention 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.

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. This is an iHeart Podcast.