Drink Champs - Episode 262 w/ Trinidad James

Episode Date: May 21, 2021

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode, we chop it up with the one and only, Trinidad James!James shares his origin story, his come up and how he’s learned to deal with success and people from all walks of life.Famously known for creating his “All Gold Everything” anthem, Trinidad shares what it feels like to go viral and how the hit song changed his life forever.Lots of great topics and conversations discussed in this episode! We are also joined by DJ Spin King!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. the science and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing. With expert insight from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs 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 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

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Welcome to Drink Champs, a production of the Black Effect and iHeartRadio. Queens rapper. Hey, hey, it's your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. One of his DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players 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, motherfucking. What it could be, hopefully this is what it should be. It's your boy N.O.R.E. What up? It's DJ E.F.N. And this is Drink Champs. Yappy hour. Make some noise!

Now this guy that we have here today, he might be hip-hop's most unique character. He might be a person that hustled for the hustle. This guy is the only person I've ever known to drop a remix. He ain't even on the remix. It was crazy to me. It's still crazy to me when I go and research it. He's a hustler. People try to label him a one-hit wonder. He continued from 2012, I believe, still dropping music in 2020, 2021.

Got shows with Complex, got shows with other people, and he's staying his name out here. In case you don't know, he's got the weirdest nails ever on drink jams. Ever. Ever. If you don't know what I'm talking about, yes,

we're talking about Trinidad. Motherfucking James! I said, what's going on? My God. Listen, I got to ask straight up. Yes, sir.

All gold, Eric. Yes, sir. I would like to call it an anthem. That's not a hit it's an anthem it's an anthem I don't care

where when that came out I don't care where I was whether it was Dusseldorf, Germany whether it was Dubai that's right whether it was anywhere

it was a hit hit, hit, hit, hit that's right and I believe when I googled you I searched you that was like your third record

you ever made it wasn't my third but it was in my first 12. It was in your first 12, okay. So let's just describe that moment for people who don't know. You're a new artist. You're taking the game serious or you're not taking it serious? Yeah, were you independent before that? So I was super independent.

You know, for me, music is a decision. You know, that's what it was for me. For a lot of people, I feel like, you know, a lot of people tell you, you know, I grew up to do this. Man, I've been rapping. No, you know, I've been trying to figure it out my whole life. You know, I was born in Trinidad and Tobago. I came over here as an immigrant. No green card.

Wow. You know what I'm saying? My mother had to figure it out. You know what I'm saying? My father had to figure it out. Right. And so having to do whatever we needed to do to take care of each other is something that we have always done. So, you know, when my father and mother split, you know, my mother wasn't going to move back to Trinidad. Right.

Because it just didn't make sense to go backwards. Even though, let's describe the people, because even though people who have never been to Tr never been to that turn that is a beautiful place. Oh, yeah Definitely, you know, I got a family in La Valle, Selma Like my rival these are all projects in Trinidad and if you go there you'd be like wow You know, like it's you know, it's not what you're used to when it comes to, like, natural projects. Right. You know, but just in general, you know, that mentality of, like, well, we can't go back to Trinidad right now, you know,

it kind of put in my mind where I got to figure it out. So when I worked there— Did your family move from Trinidad straight to Atlanta? So my father moved to America first to figure it out. Okay, but what part of America? He came—I think he came to Florida first. Okay, wow. He came to Florida first, you know wow. He came to Florida first.

I mean, it's kind of Caribbean, coming to Florida. Oh, yeah, of course. Florida feel like, you know, a certain type of thing. But, you know, he came to Florida first, man, and then he, you know, he was figuring it out, doing his thing. Then, you know, me and my mother, we lived in Canada first because she had to take care of her sister because she wasn't well. Your passport is stamped from the beginning. Yeah, you know, so I the beginning yeah okay Canada then we left Canada came back to Trinidad then we left Trinidad and came to Florida then we left Florida went to New York and lived in New York and left left yep left New York then went to Atlanta left Atlanta went to South Carolina left South

Carolina came back to Atlanta wow you know so I mean this is just for me as a teenager that's how my teenager shaping you all these places are shaping you it was super important from going from an all black school in Atlanta to an all white school in South Carolina you know that gave me the best perspective I ever had on life moving forward why I'm successful continuously in the game

is because I understand people I can see people because I had to deal with people growing up I didn't just have to deal with my own culture. I had to understand why white people think the way that they think.

And, you know, also my perspective as a black man compared to a black American's perspective is not the same. Caribbeans don't think exactly like how

black Americans think. And discriminate against each other. It's different. It's different. Like, we don't get taught racism and those type of things in Trinidad like that

when I was coming up. Because black people are the predominant bunch. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? You got Indian and black, so that's brown and black. But it's also like what EFN said on the islands that I see a lot. It'd be like color racism. They just come in against black Americans. Oh, yeah, that's a fair fact. They have an issue, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know, people on the islands are called people black American Yankees. It's colonialism. It's really just carrying saying? Like, you know, people on the islands are called people, black American Yankees. It's colonialism.

It's really just carrying the same colonialism, like that whole perspective. What was the country that colonized Trinidad, just for background history? Do you know? I don't want to say that. I don't want to say the wrong thing. Was it England? It would be France. France? I thought it would be France.

Okay, no, I just wanted to know. I think it was France or whatever. I don't want to be wrong, but I think it's France. France? I thought it would be France. Okay, no, I just wondered. I think it was France or whatever. I don't want to be wrong, but I think it's France. But yeah, man, you know, all in all, I say I give you a little bit of that back story just to let you know where it's like, in none of this time, moving around all these places, music was something that was on my mind. It was more of like survival. And you worked at a sneaker store too, right?

Right, so it was a clothing store. It was a men's boutique in Atlanta called Ginza on top of the Underground. Okay. You know, and that is how I really got to really make a name on top of the underground. So people that know the underground is a mall. It's in downtown, right? Downtown Atlanta, right in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Oh, wow.

So, you know, Five Points train station. You got CNN Center where the things went down with the riot. All that is right there. Right. The Olympic Park where they did the Olympics in 96. All this is very close to where I worked. So that central location, you deal with a lot of people. You deal with all the colleges.

You know, so you got Clark Atlanta, Spelman, Morehouse. And then you deal with all the people that work in the companies. Like I said, CNN, the Coca-Cola Center, all these type of places. And then you got all the street dudes who hustling, or whatever. From Broad Street all the way over to Peter Street, all these different places.

So all these people became my people. Right. Because I've always been a person that's been styling somebody for a long time. That was my job before I got into music, styling and fashion. I mean, I was a cook before. I did lawn care. I managed a moving company. So was it, and I'm bouncing around because this is how we do on Drink Chance.

Yeah, that's fine. But was it ever a problem because of, what was the character from Martin? Jerome. Jerome. Yes, sir. So was there ever any copyright characters? Or was you even going for that look when you started that? No, sir.

No, so obviously I'm aware of who that is because I'm a big fan of Martin, just like any person. But definitely wasn't thinking about that. You know, you got to understand that the person, that character that people see in All Go Everything, that's just who I am. Yeah. You know, and it's really hard for people to understand things that they're not. Right. You know what I'm saying? It's like the intro that you gave me here or whatever as one of the most unique

people that you have ever met. That's something that I've been true to that my entire life. I have not changed the man that I am ever for anybody or anything. That's why I have such a hard journey. But I enjoy my journey because I'm the only one to understand it. But I'm the only one that got to live it too. So I'm not really bothered

by it. But it's an interesting one. When I have the out of body kind of just like I'm sitting there might be drinking the smoke and I might go back and look at all go everything

just to do my homework. I had to do my homework today. Now I look and it was like there was two different characters. There was I did see the Jerome Rome

right? But I saw your version of it and then I also saw it was three people that I saw even though it was just you. I saw Jerome Rome I saw a dude that was just like me, proud to be from this other island, but still American,

because I'm Puerto Rican, and so I saw that guy, I saw that you really had the Trinidad flag in almost every scene, and then I saw the hood version of who you was in Atlanta. When you were walking around with certain people, and I was like, wow, this is interesting because you embodied all of these characters. Like, no character to me was fake.

You know what I'm saying? It's all a party. But the thing is, I do identify with the people when they say Jerome E. Rowland. So that's why when I ask that question, like, no Fox or, like, you know, like these big studios that ever call you and say, yo, don't do that character no more?

No, I never, no, we never had any issue from anybody. That was literally, I mean, the power of the media is just very powerful. They'll make it seem like it's an issue, but I've never had an issue with Martin. I've met Martin. You've met Martin? Oh, that's hard. You know what I'm saying? That's hard.

I've met a lot of people, you know what I'm saying? But I have never had a real issue with anybody. Misunderstandings from the media's perspective, that's probably my biggest curse or whatever. Just because I stay to myself. I stay focused on the work because the work is what's going to keep me going. What was the issue? I think you had in New York. You came to New York and you said something that the New Yorkers wasn't doing for New York.

Something like that. So I had a show for... SLBs, I believe. No, it wasn't SLBs. SL Something like that. So I had a show for... SLBs, I believe. No, it wasn't SLBs. SLBs was incredible. I had a show for Converse in Brooklyn, somewhere. I forgot what studios it was. And going through the show, I was going through some personal things just on the business side.

Because this is still early in my career. This is 2013. But this is after I done did three tours. Me and Liz done went overseas. I done did the Under the Influence tour. It's amazing. You know, I done hung around everybody. You know what I'm saying?

We did our thing. And, you know, you get to hear and learn a lot of things. And, you know, at the end of the day, every artist, when you're, you know're on your rise, you go through a lot of pressures because for us, unfortunately, we don't have enough people around us to be the role model. I've never had a role model. I've never had a big homie. So you're figuring it out. I've always have figured every single thing out myself. So, you know, I'm never never gonna make an excuse about it. The things that I said at that time,

the things that I said at that time were, you know, very true based on what I was hearing. Because I was coming to New York City, you know, and I grew up a huge fan of- You were basically seeing New York City play more of Atlanta than New York City. I seen them play more of everybody else than the artists who I like

that was a transitional period you know what I'm saying like my story has never changed it's like you know at the time you know Dave East was on his rise

but he was super dope to me you know what I'm saying Joey Badass all these people were super dope to me but I never heard them on New York radio and obviously

I'm hearing my song but I'm hearing Domingos I'm hearing this that I'm just hearing other things and it's weird to you right so it was just like and then I'm hearing my song. What? What? I'm hearing Domingo's, I'm hearing this, that, that. I'm just hearing other things. And it's weird to you.

Right, so it was just like, and then I'm also hearing artists complain about New York radio or whatever. So I'm looking at it as like, look man, I've always been a person to tell the truth for somebody or stand up for it. If you getting bullied, I'ma stand up for you, bro. You know what I'm saying?

If you feel like you're getting injustice done to you, I'ma stand up for you, bro. You know what I'm saying, if you feel like you're getting injustice done to you, I'ma stand up for you. Because you feel like you was representing for the artist, but meanwhile, a couple of artists took back of that, a couple of artists was like. Of course, because of the way, and that comes back to my fault, because of my energy that I put behind it.

My personal problems that I was dealing with on myself as a businessman, or whatever, that had me frustrated with myself, and that also, that side of me came out on stage when I'm saying that. If I could do anything different about that situation, I would have just loved to have the energy that I know that I truly have when it comes to that. So you misunderstood the way you said it.

Yeah, what I said was very true. There was no lies told there. But the way that I delivered it could have been way better right and i knew exactly at the time i didn't understand my energy because i had never been in this business right you know so i'm finding out everything fast in the midst of it and so you know um the media ran with it the way they wanted to you know certain artists ran with it the way they wanted to. You know, certain artists ran with it the way they wanted to. And for me, I was a little confused. I believe it was you and Maino, you had a discrepancy,

and y'all worked it out real fast. Yeah, we definitely, I ran into them in person. Or whatever, you know what I'm saying? A lot of things were said online, but online is just not where I reside. That's not my thing. You know, because I never,

I never practiced that. I never experienced that. Big up Maino. Yeah, I was saying. And if you explain what you meant, I'm sure they'd even agree. Yeah, the thing about it is... I appreciated it when I heard him explain it.

Everybody's story, after the fact, as the years continued, that, what I said, like, once again, it was my delivery that was wrong. But everybody realized that it was true. It's almost like, yo, I could be for my family, but somebody else be for my family. It almost seems like that sometimes. It's like, you can't be the dude to tell me about my girlfriend your sister come outside your sister hey right you say hey little girl go upstairs but then somebody from another project say hey look don't talk to my sister like that you know what

i'm saying yeah and all that is fair yeah all that is fair and i understood that you know i'm saying and that's probably been the hardest lesson i probably learned in what nine years i've been because this year i will make nine years. I'm going to tell you my, well, I'm a fan, by the way, but I'm going to tell you your illest move you made, but it probably might have been your biggest mistake. We'll take a salute to your motherfucking, your career, your motherfucking everything. I'm the only one with a big shot. Because you're the big dog. You got it, man.

It's your show. I'm going to tell you like this. Yes, man. You got it, man. It's your show. I'm going to tell you like this. Yes, sir. I think doing the remix without you on it was the boldest shit for a new artist. And I'm going to tell you why I think it was like your biggest mistake. Okay, tell me.

Because it was that time for you as an artist... To shine? To shine. And to, like, although I believe I know who you are. I believe you're a guy with a good heart. Right. And you felt like you was probably there. And you are, you know.

But it was that moment where you were supposed to rap with T.I., rap with 2 Chainz, and rap with GZ, and literally try to take their fucking head off. As an artist! Right. That's what the world wanted. I'm talking about people like me. Right, right, right.

Who is real fans of this shit. And I'm a fan of it when a guy gets his opportunity. But what you did was honorable. It was like the city was coming up and you gave, you sacrificed your own record. Do you hear what I'm coming for?

No, I hear exactly what you're saying. I just wanted to make sure that you finished your statement. To me, I just felt like that's what I wanted from you. I remember rewinding the record and saying, did this guy really... Don't you say on the beginning of the record, I don't even need a verse. Right at the end, I was like, I'm't even need it first. I'm going to let the left, let the left.

Right at the end, I was like, I'm going to rock on. Was that, hold up, before you answer, was that strategy or arrogance? It was never arrogance.

I don't have to move with arrogance. That's just really not my energy. Right, right. You know what I'm saying? I can feel the energy. You know, because someone can look at it that way. I'm going to be the person, I promise I've been the same person

for the last 20 years. You know what, I can't answer for you at all. But I can just feel your energy now that you're not arrogant. Someone looking at that record. But I wanted you to be arrogant. That's the hardest. The first thing I'll say is,

I wish you was my big homie. You know what I'm saying? I had nobody to tell me. I ran my own show. I did everything myself. You know what I'm saying? Everybody just facilitated. I still want you to answer this question.

So there was nobody at Def Jam that said, yo, you know what? This is your time now. No. Nobody. I promise you, bro. I never had a big homie. The only person that's ever said something to me that I was like, I appreciate that, was 2 Chainz.

I would have. And he checked me. He sent me his verse for the All Go Everything remix. I would have. And when he sent it to me, I was like, oh appreciate that. It was 2 Chainz. I would have, and he checked me when he sent me his verse for the All Go Everything remix. I would have, and when he sent it to me, I was like, oh, thank you, bro. But obviously I'm doing a million things and trying to figure out life.

And I didn't get right back to him to listen to the verse, and he called me and pressed me. I would have, like, yo, when somebody send you a verse of my stature, you listen to it right now and you let me know. I was like, I'm first time. I was like, what's that Vir I was like That's that Virgo shit That's that Virgo shit

Go ahead 2 Chainz So from 2013 All the way I was like Anytime somebody Of the right stature Sent me a verse I listened to it right there

Even I got listened to it The phone in my ear I'm like hey this verse is hard And we go there Then I go listen to it In the right place Because once again It's not disrespect

But you know To give you something That I've never Even said to anybody before, to be honest with you, I didn't want to do a remix. I did not want to do a remix. Okay. Everybody else around me wanted to do a remix because they wanted to make money. Right.

Continue to. You know, for me, I love Titty Boy before I turned into J.J. I grew up on that. You know what I'm saying? I love,

you know, T.I. You know what I'm saying? 24's is on my, like if I'm on an island stuck for the rest of my life and I need to have 10 songs,

24's is probably one of those songs. You know what I'm saying? I grew up on the J probably one of those songs. You know what I'm saying? I grew up on the Jeezy that everybody loves. You know what I'm saying? So my respect level is on the mountain, but this is my journey. Right. This is not their journey.

And they made it their journey. You know what I'm saying? They want, they put themselves on it or whatever. Not 2 Chainz, but like the, I think like T.I. and Jeezy, they put themselves on it. Like we're going to be on it. Not 2 Chainz, but I think T.I. and Jesus, they put themselves on it. We're going to be on it. I didn't even get a chance to ask them. So for me,

it didn't feel like the way that I wanted this to go. That was the hard lesson in the business where it's like these people are not your friends, bro. You know what I'm saying like me and t.i. in a way better place now but for the first beginning of my career i really wanted to stay away from him because it didn't feel that he had any respect for me i don't understand because so so um all right so let me try to get this let me try to understand this a little bit because you have the biggest record in the world at this time yeah that's a version

without your permission but that's hip-hop you know know that and it was more of it was other he i think that people who was doing business for me at the time because i wasn't just doing all my own business myself right i was just doing the creative part and the music and you know trying to make connections, but I was with an independent label, TIG. You know what I'm saying? They do Loochie, they do people, boom, boom, boom, Rich on the Quan, blah, blah, blah.

At the time I'm doing business, they're doing the business for me, and they know different people, and obviously everybody would want to, this is a great look to do a song with these legendary people. but once again as you can see i don't do things traditional right that's never been me so to kind of like force me into this traditional wave it was offensive to me but i dealt with it you know i'm saying like you know

i'll give you another piece of information i have to tell you this or whatever like that really really rubbed me to like a crazy way about just the industry and just in general like you know i'll give you another piece of information i have to tell you this or whatever like that really really rubbed me to like a crazy way about just the industry and just in general like you know i got charged 40 000 in wardrobe for their wardrobe referring to gz tip and two chains and if you go back to 2013 you go look at the all go everything remix look and see what t.i wore look and see what gz wore gz had on a Dickie suit and T.I. had on Hustle Game. His old brand. Finesse me out of my old 40 bands. You know what I'm saying?

Out of my label budget. Which is a Joe label trick. You know what I'm saying? I had to pay 40 bands for that. Dog, I'm a stylist, dog. Before I'm a musician. Dog, that burned my soul, dog. That burned my soul.

Like, I had to perform that. But you didn't pay for the verses? No. Oh, okay, so yeah. But they already jumped on the tour. You know, it was a bigger look for them to do it. If you look at the time, this is nothing I say. It's never this.

I swear to God. You know what I'm saying? It's never this. I'm just a fat person. As a fan, and I see what everything you're saying. Like, I actually can see it. I can see where people thought of it as arrogance, and I can see where you thought it was, like, genius,

and it was genius. But I can see, like, I just really wish you would have just showed your ass and just said, you know what? Like I say, if you was my big homie, I would've been like, Oh shit. I'm surprised. Cool. Change.

Didn't say that. I'm surprised. Geez. I'm surprised. Even T.I. But you said you and T.I. It was, it was just,

it was different. Cause I didn't know them. Like I've only met T.I. one time. And that first occasion wasn't the right occasion. That wasn't the video. It wasn't, that wasn't a video before,

prior to studio session. It just, our energy from the beginning. Wow. It wasn't good. Wow. And it at a studio session. It just, our energy from the beginning, it wasn't good. Wow. And it was based off of how he approached me. Wow. Or whatever, because it felt like. I'm interested.

How did he approach you? It felt that, to me, because I'm an observer of people. I'm a people person. If anybody truly remembers. I can tell you was born in September. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Or whatever.

So, I realized, I was I was like oh he's coming to have a dick swinging contest wait a minute what this is he's coming to the studio to to you know I'm you know working on my music working on my craft yeah we don't mean the actual. You mean like, you know what I mean? Like, like. Music. Mentally. Mentally. Mentally. What are you talking about? Actually? I took my offense. It's not for me. Mentally. So, you know, I peeped that, you know what I'm saying?

And I was like, dang, man. I would think that, you know, he would come to, like, give me some game or something. Right. You know what I'm saying? This is our first time meeting. And you already got on going out? Yeah. Like, bro, I'm lit.

At this point in time right now, I'm lit in the city of Atlanta. I can't speak for New York. In Atlanta, I'm number one right now. Listen, I'm not T.I. Spokeman. But I got to tell you, man. When you had a number one record in the motherfucking world, you a threat. Right. You a threat to a certain extent.

And I get it. I'm just telling you, you ain't supposed to, that's why, this shit goes back to the sports world. And then hip hop is a bloodsucker.

I love when I fucking interview athletes because they be like, yo, what's supposed to do as a rookie? As soon as he come in the league, they want to let him know. Boom.

Immediately. So somebody's. And that's who he was. So that's, that's who he was. It's a true check. It's a true check. And I was saying that 2013 or whatever, or it started with Tip in 2012, like December.

Right. You know what I'm saying? So, like, that's how that started or whatever, somewhere around that early. That's that welcome to the league energy. For me, I was just like, all right, this is what I got to deal with. This feels like high school. You know what I'm saying? Like, this feels like high school.

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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. No, because I'm just telling you, I could see, not to say like,

because I don't really know the energy he's playing, but I could see like certain people being threatened because your first record, your record is a monster. It's a monster.

It's not like... There's people who have hits. There's people who have gold, platinum records that don't have that one single. Facts. That's like that. Super facts. I can see somebody being threatened like,

man, and in your image. But tell me if I'm wrong. It felt like it marked a new era. Yeah, you could. You marked a new era. I feel like you did. I feel like you changed that. The word, the term viral did not exist in hip hop.

Talk that shit. It did not exist. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit.

Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. Talk that shit. This nigga going viral. I'm trying to get viral. Niggas have never, ever said that. That's right. I'm a fan. I'm a fan of hip-hop, bro. I'm a fan of music, listening to everybody's shit, bro, respectfully. We've never said that term of like, oh, nigga, that nigga just went viral today. Right, right.

That just wasn't in the opera cabinet. Until All Gore Everything came out, then every label from there on out and still right now is trying to find artists to make them go viral. Right. That's what they do. And what Def Jam did with you

was monumental at the time. But here's the crazy shit, EF, man. You threw that video out on your own without Def Jam. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. We did that. We got ourselves a number of $17, $15 on the charts.

The deal, everybody was looking at that deal. Let's get to that. But that's just money. For these youngins that's out there right now that's looking for the, can you explain what was your vision? Because there's somebody somewhere that don't know nothing. And they have the same questions that you have or I had or you had coming up. But let them know your process, your success, how you did it.

Well, for me, I had to learn everything on the go and i wanted to make sure that i played to my strong points so vision and image was my strong points i knew i had work to do on the on the music side of things but the music had already proved that it could sell obviously i never put a gun to anybody here and said you need to listen to all go everything. Nobody around me ever did that. We literally just passed out a CD like, bro, check out my new stuff. Because you rock with me, my energy, that's how the first CD started moving around. Because, oh, that's my boy.

He done dressed me for a hundred summers. That's my boy. Of course I listened to it one time. People gravitated. He told you he was a stylist at one point. You know what I'm saying? Of course I listened to it one time. People gravitated. He was a stylist at one point. You know what I'm saying? So that right there gravitated.

That made the first CDs move around. So that got the CD going, got the music going. People gravitated to number six, which was All Go Everything. They just gravitated to it. I never told anybody, you should listen to number six, because number six wasn't the strongest song to me. In my head. That's the last song i recorded right for it and that was the one i wanted to do for the people in the streets i feel like i had everybody else who i dealt with because once again

i told you i'm dealing with college students i'm dealing with people who work in big businesses you made this record you already visualizing the video i didn't visualize the visual i didn't visualize the video until it was actually time to do the video. And where's that video at? College Park? That's not College Park. No, that video's on the south side. I mean, he just said he didn't even think that was the record.

You know what I'm saying? Because, once again, I'm brand new, and there's no role models. Nobody around me know music well enough to be like what you said. Like, bro, you got to tear these old niggas heads off on this remix you know nobody's saying that to me if somebody has said if a person like you not even you has said that to me young dro could have said it to me but nobody ever said that those words to me like bro you got to take their head because I love perspective that makes sense I'm a common sense type of guy if you give me a perspective that actually makes sense

I'm like oh okay because I'm gonna tell you something by listening to T.I. and Jeezy's verse it's almost like they knew you was gonna jump it they knew you had no choice to like to like use their verse see I could tell that 2 Chainz was a verse that was sent to you. Yeah, 2 Chainz, I think that we had Jeezy and, it's a little hard for me to remember now, but I think we had T.I.s and Jeezy's first. And then when I was like, man, we gotta do Chainz

because I actually, you know what I'm saying, like I might as well, you know what I'm saying, this makes sense to me, you know what I'm saying, like for this, because I'm a music person. I've always been a producer before I knew I was a producer of music, of how to put together a track. Or whatever.

Like, that's just my thing. That's my superpower. And so, you know, that's why I had to learn that hard lesson with Change when he was like, bro, you just have to do this verse. I did it for the love. I rock with you. And also, he did it for the love. But ined with you. And also, he did it for the love. But in reality, too, being honest, the record is huge.

It's a great look. It's hugely beneficial. Because he was transitioning to two tracks. Right. He was transitioning also. No, you definitely put your city before you at that time. I swear to God. Like, when you look at that, that was like a Jesus move.

That was like, yo, I'm going to sacrifice everything. Bro, I've been to Sacrificial Land, bro. Yeah. I've been to Sacrificial lamb, bro. I've been the sacrificial lamb, bro. What do you mean? What do you mean? I just meant that moment.

No, the sacrificial lamb from the standpoint of, like, bro, everybody has had, got even bigger checks than I got after me or whatever because people learned

what to do with an artist you don't understand. Right. The biggest difference between me and Def Jam was they just didn't understand. I was like the first of my kind.

Absolutely, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Do you think you are, um, like, you know, there's this, there's this, Everybody's getting everything. Everybody's getting everything. There's like nothing you can do about it. There's some more ace on the side.

There's some more ace on the side. Not for nothing, you should all look at it. Yo, um, but, for lack of a better term, it's this whole thing, mumble rap. Yes, sir. And the first mumble rap was looked upon. Didn't we just talk about this? Yeah, we did.

Oh, yeah, I said it. We did. I didn't think it was a real thing. No, I didn't think it was a real thing. It was me. I didn't think it was a real thing. It was a man skills. And I said, at first it looked like it was frowned upon, almost like how backpack rap was.

Backpack rap, people used to look at it as frowned upon. I don't think it was the same thing. Yes, I'm telling you. I'm telling you, I'm telling you. I'm just telling you my perspective. Mumble rap was something that people were like,

oh, mumble rap, I don't know. But now mumble rap is like something respectable. Do you feel like you're one of the kings of mumble rap? I don't think so.

I don't think that mumble, I don't, because I didn't, that came after me, I felt. Mumble rap came in like 2014 20 the end of like 2014 like that wasn't really my thing like my Conan and those guys were kind of giving you like

Melody-driven Is different to me than mumbling though? Well, I'm saying nobody actually really makes money off of like just genuinely mumbling Well, that's a four word. I told them I can't believe that anybody would actually say I am a mumble rapper. No, I think that like melody driven. You gotta open up your Instagram.

I think melody driven. No, I know now someone. But I just couldn't see it. I felt like that came out as a diss more. Like these are mumble rappers. Because they ain't saying shit. I kid you not.

Backpack rap. I don't see it the same, bro. EFN, you know that was not a... That was a slur. That was a diss. That was a diss. If they called you a backpack rapper, you know what they were saying?

That's all you have money to give is a backpack. When you call someone a backpack, they want to pull out a gun and start shooting. Just cut. That was hardcore hip-hop. It was a hardcore hip-hop, but they don't call you backpack. Now backpack rapper,

you're like, oh, okay. That's a Tyler, I think it's different. I think it's hop and they don't call you backpack. Now, backpack rap, you're like, oh, okay. That's a Tyler Crowley. I think it's this one. I think it's this one. It's respect. Well, most definitely. It's respect for people who wouldn't. But at first, it wasn't.

I'm just saying. I was there. So you think mumble rap should be respected? I think the version of mumble rap with the melodies, like the homie just said, with the melodies,

they're not mumbling. It's just you can't really articulate everything. I think that... I'm just saying they wouldn't call themselves mumble rappers. I think they do. That's what I think. I think they are. You want another shot? Come on, Tray, you gotta help us out, man.

You know what? Take another shot, too. Come on, pour another shot, goddamn it. Pour another shot, goddamn it. You won't get to the bottom of the mole, rap today. Come on. Salo, goddamn it. Let me do a good shot. Yeah, get a good shot.

I don't know about the last one. I don't know about doing the great shots, brother. Come on, goddamn it. Salo. Share, share, share. Salo, goddammit. Let me do a good shot. Yeah, get a good shot. I don't know about doing the great shots, bro. Come on, goddammit. Salou, come on. Hey! See, what I've realized... Help us with this conversation, yeah. So what I would say to you is this, and I mean, nine years might not be a lot in this game, but for me to still be here, it means a lot to me.

Yeah, yeah. Because every day somebody count me out. Absolutely. Every single day. So what I'll tell you is, in the midst of it, I still study and do my homework on the game. Right. Because you have to. That's the only way. Right.

I feel like you did your homework to get this podcast. Right, exactly. To understand. And nobody would know that the guy that did Salsa Pharrell and was like a real live street nigga could talk that talk and have conversations with anybody. Yes, thank you. They knew you could communicate this way.

Let's make some noise for me, goddammit. Hey, hey, hey, hey. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah. So that is why I do my homework because I meet so many different brothers or whatever from the Playboy Cartys to Hov. You know, I've met all these people. Wow, wow.

You know what I'm saying? And got respect from all these people, 100,000, 3,000. You know, and I realized that, like, when I get to talk to them, I always talk to a different person. I don't talk to the person that consumers see on TV. I get to talk to the actual person.

And so I know that this is a good brother or a good sister. Let me ask you something, right? Because when I Googled you, one of the first things that popped up was One Hit Wonder. Now, I know that you're aware of that because I'm aware of what they call me. But do you consider yourself that?

Or how does one say that when they say that? Well, I think that at the end of the day, when somebody only has one hit that you know, then the science of it is you have one hit. Right, right. Or whatever. But, I mean, I have a lot of pla is you have one hit. Or whatever. But, I mean, I have a lot of plaques. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, for me it's kind of like,

how somebody, if you don't have your own song plaques, then you only gonna get counted for the ones that you have plaques for that are your song. So like, August House Senior, that's double platinum. Work Remix, that's double platinum. Bruno Mars, that's diamond. You know what I'm saying? Like, that doesn't count for hits for me.

It's your lyrics, you're saying. Because that's their hit. That counts when you walk up. That definitely counts. We know. We know. Because some of those records wouldn't be his if I wasn't on it. Exactly.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, that counts. Motherfucker took that talk. Motherfucker took that talk. Put it down. Put that talk in there. But also, I just wanted to get back to what we're talking about, which is mumble rappers and, you know, that perspective.

You know, I truly, truly feel that to actually make it in this game, it's still not easy. No, no. So, whatever you're doing, whatever that skill craft that you bring to it in this game, it's still not easy. No. So, whatever you're doing, whatever that skill craft that you bring to it, or whatever, you still got to be the best version of it. Right. You know what I'm saying?

You do open the door for a certain can of worms that certain people who are sticklers of this game will be like, I hate that. I hate everything it stands for. And that's totally fine. It's people that hated Uncle Luke. Yeah. Uncle Luke ain't Nori. Right. Uncle Luke ain't Jay-Z. Uncle Luke ain't Biggie. And that's totally fine. It's people that hated uncle luke. Yeah Okay, okay, nori, right?

Uncle luke ain't jay-z uncle. Okay, baby, buddy uncle luke is uncle luke To our crew is to my crew Talk about everybody is the biggest thing at the top of the pyramid for me is hip-hop Right is keeping rap the number one genre because at one point in time you we wasn't Mm-hmm, and so whatever it takes to keep us at number one genre. Because at one point in time, we wasn't. And so whatever it takes to keep us at number one, go for it. So I'm with you.

That's for me, respectfully. You know what I'm saying? Because that is what's important. We can't depend on the best rappers to keep hip-hop number one. Because they haven't. That's true. I respect that.

When the best rappers were, the best rappers, hip-hop wasn't number one. Yeah. Until when everybody became inclusive That's when everybody that's what became number one So that's what's important and this doesn't take some weight This doesn't take away from how great Kendrick Lamarca rapper or J Cole or any of the niggas who can rap right?

It doesn't take away from the way that playboi Carti puts his songs together because we are all equally important. Because the number one thing that should be at the top of the pyramid is rap, is hip-hop. And most of the lyrical, birical, great rappers, they spacious in their times and their albums anyway. There's no one, like, you know,

that's supposed to be the best that drop the album year after year. Like Kendrick right now. Like, how long it takes him to put out an album. And then if Kendrick dropped his album, which I can't wait for, and it don't live up

to your hype. Right, right. Now what? Is he not the Kendrick that's killed it for us for all these unteen years? You really truly can't please anyone.

Yeah, that's the moral of the story. You truly can't. You know, opinions is what keeps this game going. Right. And what gets us paid. And what allows us to have conversation and have podcasts. What's the worst opinion you ever heard of yourself?

Oh, I mean that, you know, I'm not going to make it. Right. You know what I'm saying? That's the worst? That's the worst. That's the worst. You know, anything else, I probably haven't heard it. Probably been worse.

You know what I'm saying? It's like, I mean, my appearance or whatever, but I can't be mad at the person I see every morning. I fuck with that guy in the mirror. You know what I'm saying? That's my nigga when I look in the mirror. Last time I checked. You know what I'm saying? So that's petty.

Like I said, once again, like, bro, when I got into this game, it felt like high school all over again. In high school, I was pretty fucking cool, man. Right. You know what I'm saying? I was pretty fucking cool. That's why I wanted to, like, again, I didn't want to take up for T.I. I don't know, like, that's my man. But I didn't want to take up for him.

That's my man, too. I don't want to take up for him. But I could understand, like, you know, you coming from left field, like, with this energy that they don't understand. Like, it's... In my own city. In my own city. Atlanta is indicative of what you do.

Like, Dungeon Family. And I've always been this way. Okay, you know, these are my big friends. You know what I'm saying? But I can see him being... Man was like, that's our tribe. That's my enemy right there. I can see him being competitive, though.

And that's, at the time... I don't think he's being a dick like how you interpreted it. I think he's being competitive. You see, in the moment, his attitude wasn't the best attitude. Yeah. Or whatever. And it might have been something he was going through. And just, like, think about it.

Like, I just watched this shit on Netflix called The Crew. And it's about this NASCAR shit. That's how much I really love Kevin James as an actor. I hate NASCAR, but I was able to watch this whole season. And none of the people who drove cars against each other got along. It just was like, it was the nature of the business. It was just like, all right, cool. We're actually cool as people,

but when we get to the bar together, fuck you motherfuckers, your motherfuckers is over there. And I was like, this is hip hop. I was like, oh shit, this has to be hip hop. We all got this one little place we hang out with. But I'm still trying to take your head off. I'm still trying to show you that I'm the man. That was probably that energy he was giving.

No, that was definitely his energy. He was probably just naming himself the king of the south too at that time. Well, no. You got to think about it. This is 2013. He's been the king of the south. Okay, okay. You know what I'm saying?

At that time right there, if you go back to 2012, 2013, everything felt the same. The reason why I came with something different, because it just felt like I got tired of what we were doing. It just felt traditional. And once again, I've never been a traditional person. And so I was like, okay, I got something to say. I got something to show. I got something I want to get off my chest.

Or whatever, I'ma do my music. You know, and it wasn't to go up against T.I. or whatever, because coming from where I'm coming from, how I look at the game at the time, I'm not coming in with a big perspective. Because I don't even know, I'm like, you know what, I'm going to just start independently and build myself up. I don't know where this is going to go,

because my life is already kind of together. On the styling side of things, running the clothing store, I'm in the streets, I'm hustling, I'm cool with everybody. The real street niggas, you know what I'm saying, the lit college students,

the people who work at all the good companies, lawyers, these all come to rock with me on a Friday when they get paid. You know what I'm saying? Let me ask you because I think EFN said it earlier, you had one of the biggest deals from Def Jam at that time. At that time, yeah. At that time.

It came out, they came, all the labels, I believe because it blew up without the actual labels, right? Yeah, it's like college basketball when you're in high school. All the colleges giving, sending letters. So they came and I believe it was a $2 million deal? Or I'm low? It was around there. Okay, a little bit up? No, no, no. It was no more than two. Okay, alright. Alright, cool. So

you got one record, but how does that feel? What is that? L.A. Reid at the time? No, no. That's Steve... Steve Bartles? No, that's Barry Weiss. That's Barry Weiss. Wow. He's the CEO at the time. The people that signed me at the time was Boo, Karen Kwok, Sean Peck.

Karen Kwok, that is the Asian homegirl. Chris Atlas. Chris Atlas is a great people. Great people. Sean Peck, great people. You know what I'm saying? Like I said, Boo, Akon's brother. Yes, that's right.

These are all the people that kind of put stuff together. Shout out to, I've got to give love to Shaka. Shaka. Not the one from Atlanta. Shaka from New York. The one from New York. Yeah, Roc Nation. Yeah, boom.

You know what I'm saying? Because he had a part in situations. I never knew the details of it, but I knew he always kind of felt a type of way because he got finessed some type of way. I had nothing to do of it, but I knew he always kind of like felt a type of way because he got finessed some type of way. I had nothing to do with that. But that's on business side. But I'm going to give him his flowers

because thank you. Whatever he was saying, help my name, you know, put my worth up. Right. You know, and... Too much Chaka Zulu?

No, he said a different Chaka. No, it's not Luda. Too much Chaka Pilgrim? Not Chaka from Atlanta. Chaka Pilgrim. Which I'm assuming is Luda's Chaka. Chaka Pilgrim is a woman. That's a woman from Shaka. No. It's not Luda. It's Shaka Pilgrim. Not Shaka from Atlanta. Shaka Pilgrim. Which I'm assuming is Luda's Shaka. Shaka Pilgrim is a woman. That's a woman from Rock Nation.

Yeah. I think we're talking about the same Shaka. Like, you know what? When you used to be at Def Jam way back? Yeah, I used to be at Def Jam. Yeah. It's not about Shaka Pilgrim. We're talking New York here.

Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. I got this. I got this. I got your back. Come on, come on, man. Two other women. No more shots on this guy. No, no, no.

That was you who was saying it. Because you said Shaka the homie like that. Nah. Shaka Pilgrim is a woman. She was you who said it. You said shock of the homie like that. Shaka Pilgrim is a woman. She used to work at Def Jam. Not the woman. The man. It's the man. That's got to be Lula Shocker.

That's got to be Lula Shocker. He was at Def Jam. He was doing a lot of things at Def Jam. That's got to be Lula Shocker. Shut up. As a person who got finessed, I'm giving you flowers right now. All right, cool. I got this thing of number.

I'm about to think about calling him right now. You might have to call him just to verify it. You might need to verify it. Look at it. Keep seeing his story. So, you know, these are the people who, you know, were involved in putting it together, you know. And I met with, you know, a lot of labels. You know, I met with a lot of labels.

And I met with L.A. Reid, too. L.A. Reid was dope. I met with Jimmy Alvin. Jimmy Alvin is the man. Do what? Jimmy Alvin gave me courtside I met with L.A. Reid too. L.A. Reid was dope. I met with Jimmy Alvin. Jimmy Alvin is the man. Jimmy Alvin gave me court side seats to the Lakers game. Were you mad? Not mad. Or was it any disappointment when you went with Def Jam

and didn't go with anybody else? No, it definitely wasn't disappointment. Looking back at it, I do wish that I went with RCA. If I'm not mistaken. I think RCA or Columbia, one of the two. I would never, just because looking at it, they go a little bit harder for their different type of artists.

I would never, Def Jam is traditional. And once again, like I keep saying to y'all, I'm not traditional. But not so traditional, they had Flavor Flav. Yeah. But he was a part of a traditional group. He didn't have Flavor Flav by himself. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. He's part of a traditional group.

Like the way that hip hop is supposed to be brand. Which, you know, I respect that. Pick it up. Oh, we don't know. Let's see. No, sir. Mike called back. He doesn't know why, though.

I just FaceTimed him. He doesn't know why I just FaceTimed him he doesn't know why you know so go ahead that was the difference you know what I'm saying I would say that that was like one of the

biggest thing you know I just had to learn a hard lesson like I didn't like you know what I the one thing and if there's anything I don't like about

everything that went down was that you know if we're doing business as grown men and women, you know, it's like for me, if me and you doing business, I'll never tell nobody in here about our business. Right. You know what I'm saying? Especially when it comes to how much money.

Like if you're doing a service for me and you charge me 20 bands and 20 bands is what I paid you or whatever, I'm not going to run and tell everybody in here how much I paid you. Right. That's just not my thing. But I just realized that everything that you do in this game, when you're coming in at the top or when you're at the top, people got to announce it.

They want validation. And I've never lived in a place of validation. So that just turned me off from the day right after I signed. I would have like, oh, I see what everybody is about in this game. I get it. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't fully get it, but I see it for what it is, and I

just got to move accordingly and find myself within it, because obviously I'm not going to quit. We here now. I'm not going to quit, but I see what y'all about from everybody, from artists. You know what I'm saying? T.I. taught me the hard lesson. I learned a great lesson from 2 Chainz. I learned the hard lesson from Def Jam.

You know what I'm saying? Everybody taught me very hard lessons. I went to New York and taught me a hard lesson. What was it like? Because what was the second single after, I forget what it was. Females Welcome. Females Welcome. Females Welcome, which was, you know, way ahead of its time.

Nobody was doing hip hop. And let's just be clear. You're going against yourself.'re not comparing you you'll probably beat that second single is probably beating the whole building but it's not beating all that's that's the curse that's the curse No, no, no, no, no. I understand. It's like Ace Hood. We got Ace Hood. We got her work. It's like that syndrome. You know what I'm saying?

Bugatti. You know what I'm saying? And records like that. Or whatever. You know, with Females Welcome, the type of things that I had to deal with is like, first the radio was like, man, we don't know how to play a record

that has hip-hop and EDM on it. You know they couldn't that was the first i'm not gonna say it's excuse it's just the truth right i was like all right so i went and got juicy j on the remix i got juicy j on the remix i was like let's do this one because juicy the man he had bands to make him dance this one juicy making his resurgence. But this is great. Right. Literally, Juicy J's label, not Juicy, because he's a great guy.

He's amazing. I would have, he killed the verse, sent it to me. I met him at a show. I asked, I said, hey bro, I would love to have you

on my remix because this is what's happening. This is the situation that's going on with me. They won't play my record for my second single on the radio because it's too different

for them. I would have, nobody had, nobody at the time had a record that was hip-hop with the EDM in the middle. Or whatever. Then Rocky came a while for the night with Skrillex,

and everybody accepted it for what it is. But I kicked that off. Can't nobody tell me different. Or whatever. So I changed it up, got Juicy J on it. His label wouldn't clear the verse. Columbia. Because, i think it was they wouldn't clear the verse because he had too many features on the radio

it happened like that i look when they said that to me i was like yo this right here is devised for you to either quit be pissed off all the time, or to lose. And so I just had to find myself, man. All those things were the things I was dealing with in 2013. All leading up to that whole New York situation you asked me about. You know what I'm saying? Dealing with just like,

where dumb business? What's going on, brother? Yo, listen. We got Trinidad James here on Dream Champs. Don't think of Bebe, son. And he did say that there is a brother named Shaka that has something to do with his deal that he didn't feel like.

You ever get the camera? We got the camera. All right, all right. And we didn't, he didn't, he felt like he should have gave us some props, too. He felt like that it was, it was, had something to do with making the deal. But maybe you never got your props.

I know what he's talking about. He would have to jog my memory, but I put this in conversations. I do a lot of behind-the-scenes conversations. Right. And I prop the record up because the record was going crazy in conversations. Right. And I propped the record up because the record was going crazy in Atlanta. Right. If he's there,

you got to ask him who signed him. Right. He right here. He right here. He right here. Good. I'm going to pass the phone. Good.

What's going on, my brother? So look. Let's make some noise. Yeah. Good. So obviously, we working right now. Right.

Or whatever. But just in general, and from, this is what a story that I've heard. That, you know, you got, you were putting in work on my record. I didn't know, right? And then they got the credit for the record referring to, you know, the people who they said signed me. Who signed me? Karen Kwok, Sean Pecos, Chris Atlas, and Boo. You know, and the word is what's being said is that, you know, you felt a type of way about it.

Not towards me, obviously, but towards them. So I wanted to give you the flowers that you deserved just in general because obviously, you know, that was out of my control. God damn it. I appreciate it. Yeah, that was at the time when I just, anything that came out of Atlanta, I was championing, but obviously it was a movement,

and I was just putting, I was on people's necks about making sure that they signed certain talent. And some stuff I wanted to go through my label and some stuff I, you know, you know, whatever. You've always got a deal, override, participation or whatever. But then it would just, you know, mysteriously, you know, pop up in other people's deals or other people's situations. But, you know, but for Trinidad, I was just happy and I definitely was cosigning the movie because it was off the chain when it was happening. Goddamn, make some noise for that, man. Chaka, man, thank you so much, my brother.

We just like you, love you, Furry Street Champ. History, man, we love this, man. All day, brother, love you. I love, man, love always, my bro. My bro's Chaka motherfuckin' Zulu. Make some noise. Yo, that's history right there. Yo, listen, by the way, for people who don't know,

all those names you just named ain't a lightweight right there. That, yo listen, by the way, for people who don't know, all those names you just named, ain't a lightweight on there. Nobody. Who named you? Nobody's a lightweight. I don't even think you named A&R. You named all the people. That's how serious this was. You didn't even name A&R.

This is me leaving the streets and walking into meetings with people like this and having to sell yourself. You know, when you seen Bobby Shmurda dancing on the table and just a different type of meetings though That was my meeting. I wasn't that's on the table Big boys, you know say it's like let them know who I was and I've never changed the same person talking to you right now It's the same person talking to them and it's like let's do business. So when we did business and things started happening. Is that a spanking when you can't?

Go ahead. The things that started happening as after I signed my deal, it just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. And like I said, I just never had no big homie.

What was the worst like, like it's like, damn, this is like fake industry. Because I had so many moments for me where I was just like, you know what? This is not the streets at all. Let me, let me differentiate this. But what was the first?

Maybe not the worst. What was the first? We said T.O. I don't know. Yeah. I think T.O. was the first, but you know what I'm saying? Your perspective on it is a perspective that I seen longer down in my career where it was

just like, bro, if you're at the top, I'm gonna come. I would have like, I watch a lot of movies. I'm a movie person You know saying if you say that you were the best fighter in the world like, you know, what's the Afro samurai? Samurai anime, you know, he travels around and the person that wears the number one band You can only get it by if you number two, you can only get number one by killing number one You know I'm saying so I didn't you know I didn't see that that's what it was in the moment because i'm looking at it's like bro i'm doing this bigger for atlanta for for us and period or whatever like i'm seeing it bigger why is you coming in here on this weird energy right like you know

that's how i'm looking at it oh that but that's why oh that boom you you number one, sir I'm gonna come and try and kill you but yeah, I Understand I didn't understand it at the time so it came across the fence. It was like video games you play video games That's why nobody really so close. I'm a teacher bro Because Yeah, I ain't trying to shut yeah, I ain't trying to share nobody's energy on the video game. You're trying to crush the motherfucking video game. He's trying to win. He came from a perspective of helping people.

So you understand people not trying to help. Oh, nah, nigga. Exactly. And so, boom, I get that because you're going to have people who identify with that type of energy where it's like, if you're number one, I'm in kill mode. But you're also going to have people that identify as like, hey, bro, like if you look at the Judah and the Black Messiah movie with Fred Hampton it's incredible it's an incredible movie Ryan Coogler

all those people involved in the movie soundtrack is incredible Hov and Nipsey got a crazy song you know my boy Hit Boy got a crazy song anyways if you look at like Fred Hampton or whatever like he was a powerful black brother he was 21 when they killed him you know what i'm saying it's like but he went around to the crowns and different gangs and the the kkk and those people to like look let's work together because together they can't fuck with us right if it's just left up to one of us to do it how are you gonna put all the responsibility on me nigga i just came in this shit. Common sense is my vibe.

Or whatever. So it's like, instead of trying to kill me off the map, or whatever, why don't you give me some gain, or whatever, because at the end of the day, like, that's why I love Young Thug. The stuff that I did for Young Thug in the beginning of his career, which is not much. But you did. Or whatever, like, when I had my platform to be the number one guy in our city. You put Young Thug on? Are you saying that? You saying you put Young Thug in the beginning of his career. Which is not much. When I had my platform to be the number one guy in our city.

You saying that? You saying you put Young Thug on? No, no, no. Let me say my say. Let me say my say. Let me say my say. Let me say my say. When I had my chance and doing my thing and my platform was that platform where whatever I say goes.

When I went to the radio station or whatever, I knew that one of the most talented people in our city was Young Thug. He had Danny Glover at the time. He was just coming off of three mixtapes. Came from nothing, one, two, three. Danny Glover was the hardest song on earth. Nobody had a harder song. I don't care who you were. Nobody had a harder song.

That was the most genre-bending approach to a trap song that anybody had ever took. Ain't nobody more creative than Thug in the future. Ain't nobody more creative. Wait, Thug had a song called Danny Glover? Yeah, Thug had a song called Danny Glover. Oh, I thought you meant Danny Glover had the most...

Thug had a song called Danny Glover. From Lethal Epic? He had it right there. I thought I thought Danny's number Was out here Was out here Some bullshit

And so boom When I went to the radio station You know I made sure that I gave him His flowers And then From my thug Thug

And when You know I've always been a person To like you know what I'm going to do my own shows I'm going to put my money up And do my own shows So when I do my own shows

And book out a venue When I started doing My own things Or whatever Boom I do my own shows and book out a venue, when I started doing my own things or whatever, boom. I reached out to people like him. Like, yo, bro, come perform in my thing. We got to go back to how you do that. Just keep going, but that's another thing we got to talk about. Boom. So I did my own show, paid for it out of my own money

or whatever. I'm like, I reached out. I forgot how I reached out, but I got to him or whatever. And I was like, hey, bro, come perform at our thing because you are the truth. know my purpose i know my journey right i whatever but you are the real goddamn truth i whatever come perform so he came perform peewee longway can't perform i would have been both incredible artists he came perform danny glover for the people who got to enjoy that show that was the most intimate, most amazing experience they will ever have with Young Thug.

Or whatever. And that is just that's how I look at it. It's like, look, if I know somebody that's better than me at something, you come do this. You come do it. You wore a dress too? No, I didn't. I didn't because that was later on.

The energy that I put out there is be whoever you want to be. Do whatever you want to do. That's what Prince did. That's what Andre 3000 did. You know what I'm saying? That's what Little Richard did. Even Michael. That's what Michael did.

Or whatever. Because at the end of the day, you're going to have your opinion. My nails, you're going to have your opinion on it. His dress, you're going to have an opinion on it. That's true. You're entitled to do that. You want to sniff coke with Rick James if Rick James offer me some coke. Yeah, I'm sniffing coke Molly! I admire Molly. I admire Molly. Somebody's thinking about Molly this mother fucker. Gotta love her. That first line when you said, I popped a molly, I'm sweating.

Woo, come on. And then Nori said, I'm in. I'm coming late. But as, and we're talking now, you know, and you always, and Bray, from the first time we met, you know, I was just telling somebody this last night, I was talking to a little female, and she was asking like, how did this come about, what you did with Nori? I was like, you know, when I met, you know, and you always, from the first time we met, you know, I was just telling somebody this last night. I was talking to a little female, and she was asking, like, how did this come about, what you did with Nori? I was like, you know, when I met, you know, you embraced me for just who it is.

And I would have never thought that your energy was like that. You know what I'm saying? Because, once again, if we just listen to somebody's music. Yeah, exactly. You know what I'm saying? That's not it. I mean. It's just different.

Exactly. It's an aura. It's an aura. You got to live in an aura. Like, me, personally, like, Pharrell changed my life. I mean... It's just different. Exactly. It's an aura. It's an aura. You got to live in an aura. Like, me personally, like, Pharrell changed my life. I'm being honest. When Pharrell told me

that he sent Michael Jackson all this music that he made for Michael Jackson, but Michael Jackson wanted the music that we made together. And it made me realize that sometimes you got to watch what you say because you attract it, but sometimes you're to watch what you say

because you attract it. But sometimes you're going to just attract something that maybe you didn't want or maybe you didn't know, but they're going to be just as important. And I've always been that guy, like, to be able to go to the South early. Like, I've been working with David Banner

when he was in Crooked Letters. Oh, you see, glad you met him. I was working with Juvenile before, yeah. Oh, early, early. I was like... The first artist that Cash Money worked with in New York. I knew what time it was in the South, because I had family in the South so much.

You're social, you're connected. And yeah, and the thing is, all I know is, I got an accent to y'all, and y'all got an accent to me. We just same fucking thing. It's like, sorry, the same fucking people. What's the king got? This nigga want to end it. Come on, what you doing, bro?

You got a do-rag on? Come on, let's go. Let's go, man. This is Spink King. What's up, bro? DJ in New York, too, right there. Hey, Steph. Hey, Steph, what's going on?

You ain't too good. All right, so it was easy for me to actually, what people call different, I don't want to call it a norm, that's what even me and this brother, like, you know, I was coming to the South early, and I knew when I came to Miami,

I was going to come back, and I was going to frequent, and me and him developed this relationship, and that's really what it is. You know, the world is actually small. If you're actually really getting money and you're traveling, the world is small. It's mad small.

You can go to Dusseldorf, Germany and bump into somebody and get Chinese food. You know what I'm saying? I love it, Dusseldorf. I love it, Dusseldorf. This thing is smart. Who has a smart job? We can do a club over there. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck.

This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say, when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a 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. I'm Clayton English.

I'm Greg Glod. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. We are back. In a big way. In a very big way. 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 man. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. We got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette.

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. 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. So, Spank King, let's make some noise for Spink King right now. Spink King, we know your family own clubs. You guys own the Branson, Baca, along with 50 Cent. Y'all got a collaboration together, you and 50 Cent, the Branson, Baca.

Let's talk about it. So, the Branson and the Champagne, Le Chemin de Roy, and that's where we're moving now. I love how you said that shit that fast. I don't think you know how to pronounce it very correctly. The Shemender Roy. I don't know how to... I knew the way you pronounced it fast. We don't call it the King's Pass,

and that's what it is. But yeah, the Branson, that's where we're moving now. And then, you know, with everything going on, it's not easy to be in the clubs and move the liquor the way we are. But we're trying to make it work as best as we can. All right. So what's going on with New York clubs?

Are we still shut down? We still shut down till 11 now. Indoor dining is back open till 11. But in Jersey, you could... They letting the town choose. So like Elizabeth got closed at 12, but Republic 23 and Bergen people closed at 2 in the morning. So it's certain zones. They zoning it.

Well, depending when this comes out. We don't know what's going on. Yeah. But that's what it is for right now. Shit, everybody's gonna go to Moody, Atlanta. They wide the fuck open. Miami, we wide the fuck open. Nah, they got 12.

They got 12. Texas too. Texas is a hoot. Yeah, Texas. Really? I didn't know about Texas. Spankade, how many Trinidad records you spent? How many what? Trinidad? Yeah, yeah, sure.

Like four or five. Okay, okay, okay, okay. And New York, we a tough crowd. Listen, niggas from New York can't get New York love. So out of town is the harder. He was saying that. You see what I'm saying? I'm not making this up.

My nigga like, bro, I just speak the truth. I don't know niggas. It's the truth. My eyes ran down the street. My eyes on B-Skate right now. Like, what? I don't have to make this up, bro. It's like I literally heard it from the mouth of real New York niggas

where they don't get the support that they feel they truly deserve. And I felt them niggas deserved it, too. Right. This is eight years ago. We used to feel somebody like Pop Smoke getting all this love. But isn't it, like, a bittersweet? Because Pop is getting love. When I listen to it, by the way,

all my phones when they ask my address I still put in my hood address 97-3057 Avenue. So, everything is called it to when I listen to my app I get the New York commercials. I get the the traffic for the Tri-Barrel Bridge.

Meanwhile, I live here for last 14 years. But I listen to Pop. Pop smokes so much of this love. But isn't it kind of bittersweet? Because it's like, wouldn't it have meant more if Pop was getting that love when he was alive? Of course. But he wasn't.

He was in New York. He was getting that love. But like, when I was in... Not like that. When I did the club... Well, the momentum, it would have happened to him alive. Yeah. It just happened to be...

He died too early. He was getting it. But he was happy. He was getting it. It would have happened to him alive. Yeah, it just happened Travis would have got that Travis got that there. Yeah, try me at least at least try about the features with Travis and quite a lot He dropped solid probably Yeah, they're getting right now, come on they're late with the Branson. Yo, 50, how you gonna be late with the Branson, man? They have it. They have it. I'm blaming it on 50. Every time it go wrong, I'm blaming it on 50, man. But when I was playing his music in Texas, I would see the reaction. I'm like, damn, they really fucked with Bro. After he was gone?

After he was gone. After he was gone. Okay. So when he was here, it wasn't out of town that big yet. Right. All right. God rest his soul. Last time we was here, before the pandemic shut down,

it was me, 50, and Pop. Wow. We were in Miami. We did Cameo, we did Dream, and we did Booby Trap.

And he's performing, but they not, that was Welcome to the Party early stage. They didn't really know it yet. The only reason it rang in the strip club because all the New York

niggas was in the strip club. Right, right. But Miami ain't really gravitate the way they gravitate to it now. In Miami, it's always like that, though.

Yeah. Hey, relax, man. It's still the South, you know what I'm saying In Miami, it's always like that, though. Yeah. Hey, relax. It's still the South, you know what I'm saying? It's like, we got to, the album that he dropped before he passed away

had Element on it, the songs with Quavo, whatever, like that, by the time that album, I think the momentum was going there. Oh my goodness.

Nah, he is legit amazing. Like, from that situation that you brought up in 2013 and went down to where it is now. Right. That's all I'm saying. I was like, these artists deserve to get their music played.

They're dope. And what's the artist right now from New York? Far and Fabio. Fabio. Fabio, huh? CJ. CJ. CJ got a big song.

Lil T.J. Lil T.J., yeah. J.I. A.S. Boogie. A.S. Boogie. No, A.S. Bo Teejay. Lil Teejay. Yep. J.I. Ace Boogie. Ace Boogie. No, Ace Boogie damn near about to be an OG. Yo, you can't do that, man.

Nah, bro. Nah. I mean, you an OG saying that. You can't say that. I don't even know what to say no more. That's how fashion is going, but I don't think we should speed it up like that. No, he got a good seven, Ace Boogie. Ace Boogie got a good seven.

Oh, he got plaques. What's Q? What's this, homie? QB you'll be dog. You don't you? Thank you Thank you. All right. Who else who else put me to some somebody I should um What's coming out of New York? Oh anything? J out of Prince. Mmm. What about chef G chef G a Sleepy Hollow? Those dudes is moving Wow, and they doing solid no geez 22 geez Come on Okay, and they doing so I don't know jeez 22 jeez 22 had me attracted. I feel like New York tried to come together after they,

because, oh, you always see the meme. Atlanta niggas stay together. Yeah, that thing. But New York, it's like they're traveling

and they're still being low-key competition with each other. I don't know what it is. I can't trust them. I was explaining to him earlier. I think that's just the competition

of the business. I don't think it's a New York swag. I think that New York has the biggest energy where it's like doggy dog. The doggy dog energy

in New York. Yeah, but I think we're forced not to have that anymore. I think we're forced not to have that. I'm saying from everything that I kicked off from when I got my damn lashing for what I said. Right. And then gradually as you've seen it, it was just like, look. You got yourself a shot, Spade King? Come on, baby. Yeah.

You can't be on Jigsaw. Let's go. Let's go, baby. Mom. Motherfucker, Spade King. Respect. Motherfucker, Trinidad James. Let's go. Letigsaw. Let's go, baby. Mom, mom, respect. Motherfucking Trinidad Jigs. Let's go!

Oh, smooth out too out of Brooklyn. Come on. It's at the end of the day, man. Look, if you're doing good music, you deserve to get played. And I'm going to tell you, in two years, Atlanta's going to be worse than New York with the competition. You think so? Yeah.

That's just not our energy. We have Southern hospitality at our core. Y'all don't. Y'all don't. That's the biggest difference. The way he said it, though. That's how they're going to get defended. It's the truth.

He doesn't have an answer. I've been living in the South for 14 years. It's okay. But I'm going to tell you this. Atlanta's always been ahead of everybody in terms of their unity, man. Yeah, but I've also seen the footages. What are you talking about?

Recently? Man, I can't say nothing other than that. I know what you're talking about. The footages. I think that... Like how Mr. Lee said, those young dudes... This shit happens.

I think that's what you're saying now. Your saying is correct, but you're saying amongst the OGs. But I don't think that's the music. I think that's the other're saying now. Your saying is correct, but you're saying it amongst the OGs. I don't think that's the music. I think that's the other underbelly shit. I don't think these young dudes respect that same code. These youngers just letting it go. They do move by different code.

They do move by different code. But at the same time, I like Lil Baby. I like Lil Baby. Lil Baby show love. He done did songs with T.I. He did songs with all these older guys and the younger guys. One thing I'll give Atlanta credit, the younger artists, they always pay homage to Jeezy, Gucci, and T.I.

They show love to the older niggas. York niggas and everything's gonna tell you that They're not gonna die you that do young New York artists show love to older New York niggas Fuck just started like making niggas do so with him or doing songs doing it like you got I'm just saying I'm a DJ too I can tell you I'm just saying you know what I'm saying it's like that's where it ties back in to like I said

you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying

you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what I'm saying you know what's crazy you know what's crazy

I think I said this when Lords of the Underground was there. It'd be important for the older dudes to keep looking good. I don't think

that's the... I think that the old, the middle class, and the young are in the same rat race. It's one chart. And with Urban radio, right? Urban radio is one chart, right? And we're talking about industry. Industry.

No, because we misconstrued culture and industry. Oh, yeah, industry. Even though there's a crossroad, but there's two different things. So you have, to use for example, you have T.I., Wale,

and Chef G all competing for the same spot on Urban Radio. Right. Which is like different age range. You know, T.I.'s his age, Wale's his age, Chef G's his age. Because it's only one chart.

It's only one chart. It's not like a, oh, this is the 20 and under chart. This is the 40 and under. I understand what you're saying. It has one chart. In its totality. But overall,

I don't think we're competing for the same spot. But there's different platforms, though. Because there's an artist that's big on TikTok, but he's not big on Instagram or Spotify. Amen. Radio isn't as powerful as it was. Radio's last. I'm going to be honest with you.

Oh, no, no, no, no. It's clapped. We hear it in the club, and the record will break. Like, yo, this is it. Then it gets on radio after. It's old to us now. Facts. Because this shit, like, they're playing,

they're adding songs now from pop on radio. It's like, bro, that's two years old. How is that being added now? It's because they run out of songs. They just trying songs now from Pop on radio. It's like, bro, that's two years old. How is that being added now? It's cause they run out of songs. They just trying to keep him on the radio. Now they shut you and 50 down with the Aces Club. What happened? What club?

Police. I thought you had a club together, you, 50, and Aces. And then I heard the police said, it's not gonna happen. No, no, no, my brother, Star had Lust in Brooklyn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was Lust in Brooklyn, not Aces, okay. Lust in Brooklyn, we had a club. The It was lust in Brooklyn. It was lust in Brooklyn, not East. It was okay. Lust in Brooklyn. We had a club.

The cops kept doing 911 calls. Come to find out, the cops were running drugs and gambling around the corner in a hotel. So the cops, they were trying to put the attention on us. It was them. They got raided. They all got fired. It was a whole bunch of shit. I went too deep.

I went too deep. That shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit.

We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit.

We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need that shit. We don't need of there. I'm going to be honest. Boogie, Fetty, Designer, a lot of Young M.A., Bobby Smurton when he first came out.

Wow. That's a list. Yeah. It was that moment where everything like when Hot Nigga came on that first time in that club room, seeing that reaction, it was just, it was different. Incredible song. It was different than a strip club. It was kind of like a showcase.

Was everybody throwing their hats? No. Yeah, that's what I always think about. I throw my hat in the air. Like, fuck it. Oh, it's raining. Fuck my shit up, man. He's going to come home soon.

He's going to rowdy home. Yeah, rowdy home. You knew we rowdy? I never got to meet both of them, but huge fans. I know that if I meet them, I'll just give them flowers. Right.

You know, I don't need to be, we don't need to be friends or anything. Right, right, right. Or whatever, but like, I just respect that, I'll just give them flowers. Right. You know, I don't need to be, we don't need to be friends or anything. Right, right, right. Or whatever, but, like, I just respect that, like, they respect each other. I love people who work in unity. I love people that stay down, you know what I'm saying, when, I don't know how true it is, but when they said that Bobby took more time so that Roddy, you know what I'm saying, like, you know what I'm saying, like, he could have got out earlier,

but he took more time because he wasn't going to snitch on his man. To me, that's things that just don't happen that often in life. You said that on your first record. You said, I don't fuck with no snitches. That's just not my thing. You know what I'm saying? Who should? I live by the moral code that every man should live by.

You know what I'm saying? It might not look the same as the way that you do it, but I still live by the same formula. That comes to be universal. It should be, but it's not. And I understand that. That comes to be universal. It should be, but it's not. And we know that. Right. Simple as that.

What make you take that approach? Because you say, like, you know, you was styling people, you was, you know, working at a boutique store.

What make you still take that same moral code as a person that is, you know, slinging crack 24-7? I mean, I think that at the end of the day, man, if I don't have me,

the man, together, when I look in the mirror in the morning, then I'll never have me, the artist, together. That was like the big defining moment for me. That was hard. I would have was like, look, if I can't figure out who I am and who I love to be, then whatever you think of Trina James, that shit's going to die real soon. Right. That shit's going to die real soon. Because I have to know who I am as the man. Because the man was the man before y'all labeled me the man. As Trinidad James.

Trinidad James is a title. But I was, like I said, I had a great high school career. I was lit in the streets before I came into the game. I love the streets. Because I know how to do business in them. You know what I'm saying? I love that. I hate that we're in a pandemic.

I hate that, but it got me back to my old hustles. It got me back to my fashion. It got me back to cannabis. And now it's legal. You know what I'm saying? It's legal like a motherfucker. You know what I'm saying?

It's a whole different experience than when I was trying to make it out in the streets as an immigrant with no green card. Completely different. Give yourself another shot, both of y'all. Separate cup, separate cup, separate cup. Whoa, whoa, whoa. This guy right here, man.

You want me to share a cup? No, no, I mean separate cup from your regular drink. Yeah, because I want you to still drink what you have. This is a shot cup. You know what I mean? We over here, baby. Let's do it, man. Cheers, General. Let's do it right there. Cheers. Cheers.

What up? Hi-ya-ya. Jesus, that one hit hard. So, what's next? So, for me, I'm on my business stuff. You know, I'm really crazy on black-owned businesses. I brought black-owned food. Talk about it.

Talk about the restaurant. Talk to me. Still on complex? Still with the sticker? Black-owned food. Talk about it. Talk about the restaurant. Talk to me. Still on Complex? Still with the sticker? So Complex, we're in season nine. We're gonna need 100-plus episodes.

Wow. A full-size run. You did a job with Revolt, too, right? So Revolt, I was doing the dad talks where I do an affirmation every day. That was incredible, right?

Yeah. That was incredible. I love that Revolt. I love when people give a fuck about positive stuff. Why? Because in reality, the industry don't give a fuck about positive stuff. They want to make negative money.

Negative money is the best money on earth. I want medium negative. Negative. I'm negative. It's not hurting nobody. You want control negative when you control your negative. When you control your negative, that's different.

I still want to talk about taking mollies because I think mollies is a great thing to do. But you talk about it. The other man don't talk about you. You talk about you taking mollies. The other man talk about you. Yeah, yeah.

You got to relax. I talk crazy? To me, listen, man, you correct me if I'm wrong I think Molly's Fucking fantastic No Molly's incredible I haven't done it

In a long time There's not something You do every day It's not like weed Yeah no it's not like weed I mean to the person Who does it every day Power to you

No no power to you You gotta relax You're different Some people are different There's people that do Coke every day To me you shouldn't You shouldn't do Coke every day But there's people that do coke every day. To me, you shouldn't do coke every day, but there's people that do. You hit coke before.

Give us a cocaine story, Trinidad. I can't give you a cocaine story. Don't do cocaine. That's not my thing. Don't do it? I've never done it. Never done cocaine. I feel actually...

Let's take another shot. Of cocaine? No, no, no. Can you pour out cocaine right now on this thing? We have cocaine right here. There'll be views that gets cocaine gets. All right. Could we just get a little cocaine podcast?

Oh shit, I've got it right here. Oh. No, no, I got the cocaine. All right, you, everyone got a shot? Yeah. All right, cool. Salud. Salud.

Bung, bung, bung, bung. Cocaine is the best drink champ stories in the world. I know, I'll try that for some big ass shots, bro. But take it where you was at, where you was at. So, I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a shot. I'm gonna take a bong, bong, bong. Cocaine is the best drink champ stories in the world.

I'll try to put some big-ass shots, bro. But take it where you was at. So, you know, right now, where I'm at with it is we're in a pandemic. You know, for anybody looking at this, whether it's 20 years from now, two years from now, we're in a pandemic. And the only people that's going to make money, the only people that's going to be happy with themselves is people that's adapting to what's going on. You can't do no shows right now. I dropped an album, and my album is incredible that I dropped. I dropped it in August of 2020. It's called Black Filter.

You know what I'm saying? For people who don't know, go check it out. I know that it's fire. I've seen the videos. You know, but I did 12 videos out of 13 songs. You know how hard it is to do 12 videos independently out of your own pocket. It is what it is. But I put that work work in but at the end of the day we can't do no shows and you know the show is what make us live the shows are what really bring us in that

back end that bring us in that front end that really bring us in the money to keep going right or whatever so at the end of the day we in the pandemic i know i just had to figure it out like i gotta adjust because once again i still don't have no big homies. I'm still, I'm my big homie. I'm everybody else's big homie. That's hard. It's the truth. You know someone, Metal World Peace? That's my big homie.

Okay, all right, cool. That's my big homie. What y'all got together? So he does his own, he's doing his own basketball league, and I'm helping him with it. You know, he's a very, very smart brother. You know, his basketball league is to help everybody. Because, you know, the NBA is the NBA, right? But just because you don't make it to the NBA, that don't mean that you're not a good basketball player.

That don't mean that you can't make money from playing basketball either. So he's building a league to bring that concept to players who, you know, you're the truth, but you might not can't get into the league and still be able to find runs to play in, to get scouts to come out and look at you we also got that league too we just had a smoke champs all of the out of shape oh did you see tory the show, you know. And academics, I had no choice. I had no choice. Listen, we invited Tory Lanez. By the way, we also interviewed Tory Lanez when he first had the surgery.

When he first had his y'all of me. When he got it right. Did he admit it? I don't remember. Yeah, he admitted it. He was proud of it. I feel that people like Tory is like, bro, you got to understand for it. And we're men here talking.

And look at my shit. No gray hairs. My barber hate on me every time he cuts me. Don't disrespect. You know what I'm saying? When you're losing hair or like your hairline is not right. As a man, that fucks with your ego. It does.

It don't matter what type of man you are. So the fact that he was able to find what helps him be a better man, once again, if you the man are right, you the artist would be great. Yeah, and he like 29.

Like, he under 30, so like, it might be fucking with his ego. That's better for what you're doing. That's just human. Like, he had a Wu-Tang sign out there.

Like, his shit out. I've seen it too. He's different too He's different He's different He is different And you call me homie after This nigga is different And this was crazy

Anybody who was there He gotta take his hat off Anybody who was there Could co-sign my story By the way we didn't think it was going to come we had a whole weekend planned

Smoke Chats Week and Smoke Chats Podcast so Friday we had Panball Saturday Handball Handball Handball

real Handball are you really good at Handball I ain't gonna lie that's your thing that 2K21 poster I said nigga yo this nigga just sold this shit

alright listen alright so I'm going to get back to that because just sold this shit. All right, listen. All right. So, look, I'm going to get back to that because somebody's going to try to steal my idea. So, listen. So, on Friday, we had handball. Saturday, we had basketball. Now, I was injured on Friday. Somebody injured me. Okay.

Because they knew what I was going to do on Saturday. I feel like it was him. Right. Even though he was nowhere around me. He didn't even come on Friday. He didn't even come on Friday. But feel like it was him. Right. Even though he was nowhere around me. He didn't even come to Friday. I thought it was mental. He didn't even come to Friday. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Look at that. So this Saturday, and then, like, mind you, I'm like, you know, I'm not thinking Torrey going to come through, but I think he's going to come through. I know, you know, with everything that's going on,

he knows the cameras going to be on. He did the cabana too? I don't know what you know, with everything that's going on, he knows the cameras is going to be on. Did he do the cabana, too? I don't know what you mean right now. Yeah, I was like, yo, he's like, he's talking to Cody. You know, the cameras is going to be around. So I'm like, all right, you know, this the whole time. He pulls up.

I give him the shirt. So I don't really realize what's going on. He jump on the court. And everybody like, yo. the church. I don't really realize what's going on. He jumped on the court. Everybody like, yo. Yo. They clean his hair like that? I didn't know what they were talking about.

And I was like, alright, cool. I just thought it was a different dude. You know, y'all niggas, they artistic. It's endearing. They artistic. Some of these guys are artistic. So I didn't know. His artistic get different. His artistic get different. His borderline autistic, what he's saying. I'm just saying.

I mean, he's his borderline. And like 20 minutes later, as we did, the Shade Room posted it. As we're there, and I looked, and the comments was like, look at this George Jefferson. And I was like, oh, they disrespectful. You don't remember George. Oh, come on. You know how we know. But Tori gets the jokes. He has. It happens. I mean, he knew.

He don't give a damn. He's the type of person to do something like that on purpose. Because he is in control of his negative, to go back to what you're saying. He's in control of his negative. You ever for the time you wasn't in control of your negative? Yes, sir. Or in the beginning. Like people would, like you felt like they were making fun of you? The New York situation, I wasn't in control of his negative You ever feel the time You wasn't in control Of your negative Yes sir Or in the beginning Like people would

Like you felt like They were making fun of you The New York situation I wasn't in control Of my negative I wasn't If I knew better I would know

To like No no no no no no I'm finna pull up On somebody in New York I actually stopped Coming to New York For two years Because I felt like

Prior to that The whole 2012 2013 Yo New York was Fucking with me Hard We had gold I did Santa for two years because I felt like prior to that, the whole 2012, 2013, yo, New York was fucking with me hard. We had Gold All Around Next. I did Santos. Gold All Around Now.

Santos Playhouse. Shout out to my girl Lola. Yeah, Santos, that's like the acoustic place. You get a motherfucker. Santos was crazy. Or whatever. Me, A$AP Crew,

we shut that place down. I was there for that. Santos was great. So, you know. You know what I'm saying? I was there for that. Santos was great. So you know. You know what I'm saying? I wouldn't make this up. I don't have to make things up. I don't live in that world of exaggeration.

Go ahead. I don't. Go ahead. So as far as not being in control of my negative, like I said, if I had a big homie or somebody at the time to be like, hey, bro, look, you said what you said. You meant what you said, but you didn't deliver it the right way. Go clean that up.

Go make that right. I would have. I said, man, I just felt like New York betrayed me. I just left New York alone for two years and I ain't come for two years because people who I was cool with and like showed. When I give you my. Yeah, I was here for that show. No, no, no. The New York comments.

Nah. So, you know, he's talking about it. In 2013 in December, I did a show for Converse, right? Right. And coming into the show, I felt a type of way towards the business that was going on in my life. And so every time I do a song,

between my intermission, I just start talking. Talking, or whatever. Everything I was saying was true from the standpoint of I felt that New York needed to support New York artists more. You said this on the mic? Yes. But I wasn't the person to say that.

I wasn't the person that's supposed to have said that. I've never lived in New York. You weren't the person because you're not from New York? No, that's what people said. That's the person to say that. I wasn't the person that was supposed to have said that. I've never lived in New York. Well, you thought you weren't the person because you're not from New York? No, that's what people said. That's the way it was perceived. That's what people said. For me, I'm saying the truth

because I only know the truth. If I'm on tour with all the ASAP crew and all these people and everybody's complaining about how New York radio and New York DJs treat them, I'm like, damn, these dudes hard as fuck. These dudes are dope. We just did a whole tour together.

I know these brothers are dope. I know that they're amazing. I love their show. They're great. Y'all need to get better. And the person that you always challenge if you want to make a change is the people. It's power to the people. It's the consumer.

The consumer is who always going to make the biggest difference. If the label counts you out, if you look at... Those shots, they're a cup. Sure. If you look at Shaggy,

if you look at the story of Shaggy and it wasn't me, what is the story of Shaggy? Cognac. Oh, no, I fucked that, I guess. That's pretty sick shit, man.

No, no, no, great story, but I can't do that right now. Great story. I'm going to use that. All right. That's got to come back to me. Yeah, cheers. Salud. Take a Great story. I'm going to use that. All right. That's good. Yeah.

Cheers. Salud. Hold on. Hold on. It's not going to be nice. What you doing? What you doing in there? I'm drinking that cocaine.

Look at you. Is that from Colombia or what is that? Colombia. You're asking me about Colombia? It's from Colombia. Well, I went to Cartagena, and I was living in a truck every day. I've been to all of Colombia, and this is going to happen.

Jeez, bro. This is going to happen. Just, bro. This is gonna happen. Just a little bit. All right, let's change it. This is not gonna be a farewell for me. Ugh. Oh, ah, yeah, yeah. Oh, wow.

Y'all good? Y'all good? No, good, good. Bomb everybody. That's my last shot, guys. So, you know, it's one of those type of things where I learned my lesson. I learned my lesson. But I can't help but to, I felt that I, and I looked at my power maybe the wrong way. But I looked at the power that I have with all go everything.

Right. That I need to speak up for them. Right. Right. And obviously I didn't think it was going to be taken the way it was taken, but when I look back at it, my energy wasn't right. Let me ask you something, right? It's been a time, right, when I had the flag,

and I gave people the flag, and then I realized when they had the flag, they didn't even want to look at me. You ever went through that? Like, meaning like, when you had the biggest stage in your life life you gave somebody or you shared that stage with somebody has there ever been a time

when that same person had that time in their life? Well I love that question because it ties it back to what we were talking about with Young Thug. That's why I love Young Thug. And if I wasn't to make it

to tomorrow Young Thug got to know that he the realest person that I ever dealt with because remember I showed him that love, like I told you about. He reciprocated it. Boom. It was a time when I came

to his show in LA. Maybe three years ago, something like that. Two years ago. I don't know. I'm there. I'm supportive. I love him. He's great. He's one of the best artists on the earth to me. I'm supporting him. That's love.

I would ever, like, I bought him stuff for his birthday. I would ever love his sisters. I would ever, I love the family. I love his mom. I'm cool with his mama. Wow. You know what I'm saying? It's love.

Like, I got the utmost respect. Duke, Gunner, all these people. Like, I've known Gunner before. Gunner was part of YSL. I knew him when he was coming up and trying to figure it out. You know what I'm saying? Like coming at Fly Kicks, which was a dope store in Atlanta,

off Peter Street. I've seen these people come up. You know what I'm saying? So when they make it, to me that gets me fucking excited. Right. Because that's what I care about. I don't care about being the best.

Nigga, I'm an immigrant. I'm not from America. So Young Thug showed you love back then? So boom, he's doing his show. Or whatever. nigga I'm an immigrant I'm not from America so young thug showed you love back so boom he's doing his show or whatever like I'm there

for a long time you know when you come to somebody's show you might come too early and he don't go on until he ready to go on and you done be in there you seen every opening act

or whatever he comes on he gets mad at me every time I go right he's the earliest nigga in the building I done seen everybody before

he be in there while they clean it up it's a security thing. Security. He like it. He want to have his gun inside. He's a bad nigga. He's a gangsta.

So, boom. You know, he's performing. I was like, you know what? I've seen, because I've been to numerous Young Thug shows. I've seen the show. You know, boom.

I appreciate it. I got things to do. I leave the show. I run and get ready to leave. Somebody run out. Like, hey, bro, young thug, want you to come perform? Or whatever. So we got

to run back in. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. And he bring me out to perform in front of his L.A. crowd, which at the time was a big deal according to what project. Still was a big deal. No, no. It was amazing. And it's just things like that to me, that's the realest shit that ever happened.

That's the, that's like, that's real. Let me ask you a question, because we got to get out of here soon. But is that one of the only people that you show love, or is there other people that showed you love that after a time, because like, listen, in Reggaeton, oh, let me stop. Let me not even go there.

Go ahead, go there, man. No, but like, you know, you've been there already, buddy. I showed love, too. When they had that same chance, they didn't show a love to me back. There's a lot of people in rap that did the same chance. I can't say in rap because rap, I circled around too many times.

I would need to ask you, is there anybody that you showed super love to and you was disappointed to when it came time for you to receive that reciprocal love, your 40 acres and your mule, for lack of a better term? Well, I don't look at it as a 40 acres

and a mule. I look at it as a mutual respect, you know, to be reciprocated. Like right now, could you get Gigi on the record? No. T.I., no. Are you sure? 2 Chainz, no. Are you sure? Have you asked? I haven't asked. But you don't know. Don't say no for sure.

I like EF's attitude. Because maybe they would. I love that energy. I love that energy. I love that energy. I love that energy. I love that energy. Look, look.

And you know what? Because I don't want you to just shut it out because they know it. No, it's not shut out. It's not shut out. But do you feel that you don't want to be told no, so you'd rather just not ask? I don't like the answer no. Right. Because if I say yes to you, it's so 110,000%, and it's not just I'm saying yes to it.

I'm nobody's yes man. Right. That if I ask you for something, I'm not trying to come up off of your fame or whoever you are. Right. I'm literally, I love music. Right. I'm an incredible producer of records that's why i do really good in the writing world right you know i'm saying i got a number one last year with queen

nija yeah writing records you know i'm saying it's like i love music i love making people be better like i said my background is being a stylist what is the stylist job to make you feel better about yourself going out. That's my background. If I ask you to do something, dog, I'm a grown ass man. I'm asking you something because it's going to help all of us. You asked to do something and they didn't do it. I'm sorry. To answer your question,

I feel like August L. Senior off top. Off top. I'm going to go there. Because I felt that, and I understand why it went that way. This before the entanglement? This before the entanglement. Entanglement.

This before the entanglement. He said before and after. This before the entanglement. You know what I'm saying? Like, if we're going to, if we're going to go there, we got to go there. We need to go there.

You know what I'm saying? Or else I'll see them. You was there before all the guys see this. I feel like I was. And what happened? And when it was time to come back around, I felt that the industry captivated him and it really hurt that brother. And that affected the way that he treated somebody who was actually genuine with him because he couldn't trust nobody.

But you're saying this is after because you, after, alright, there's something called like the poo poo juice, right? Like after you get dropped, anybody get dropped from labor, you got the poo poo juice, right? Like after you get dropped, and then you get dropped from the label, you got the poo poo juice. Right. Was it the time you had the poo poo juice? Because that's like 2014. The poo poo juice? Yeah.

I understand where it's coming from. So let me give you, up the cooties, you got the cooties in the cootie. No, no, no, I got the poo poo juice. It's the same thing. No, let me give you up there on the poo poo juice. Poo poo juice is popular right now. I tweeted to people,

I would have that boom boom boom People think Def Jam never dropped me They never dropped me That's a fact I would love a nigga at Def Jam to tell me that they dropped me I would love a nigga at Def Jam to tell me they dropped me Talk that talk I would love it

The actual reality of the situation Is that I requested From 2015 And it took two years for them to be like all right we'll let you go i requested to be let go of the label to be let off the label because nobody was there for me right period nobody has never been there for me i had to be there for me which i'm not complaining about because right now, in this very moment, I'm there for me. And that's what it's about. Kanye

never help out nobody. Kanye reached out. Kanye reached out. I remember Kanye reached out. I feel like Kanye was gonna feel you. Kanye reached out or whatever, but I just feel that I, you see, think of people, you see, think about it like, bro, I respect you. You're Nori to me. I respect you. But if thei to me. I respect you.

But if the way that you approach me is not respectable, then I ain't going to deal with you, bro. What you mean? So Kanye came to you? So Kanye reached out through his mans. Who is my mans to do something for me? My mans. Okay. Right?

And the way that he reached out for me to do something for him, I felt like he didn't care about me. I got tired and I already went through this with T.I. I went through this with Jeezy where I felt like these OGs, because to me, I'm from Atlanta, bro. These are OGs to me. You're not a hot rapper to me. You're an OG who's a legend. You up there with, you know, how I look at andre how i look at big boy how i look at silo you know how i look at dungeon family so it's like bro these people always gave me knowledge like the first thing i asked andre he did say no to it but he still gave me knowledge that made me a better artist wow you see what i'm saying yeah and i couldn't get that from them and maybe that's not how they parent.

Right. You know, maybe that's not how their parenting skills go. Right. Or whatever. You know what I'm saying? But I'm still a young brother trying to figure it out. Right. And they knew that.

Right. They knew that. If you meet me... Who we talking about again? Huh? Who we talking about? We talking about all those people. We talking about the TIs, the GZs, these people that are from for my past we're in a great place now us in New York

we will we think that they're not from New York no no us in New York we look at y'all like y'all all get along everybody new artists you've got the biggest record in the world they all co-signing you yeah but Atlanta that's what we're doing that's how we do it. Spin King said that he said it earlier where it's the meme where it's like Atlanta artists I'm gonna tell you this and if I'm wrong I live for you. I whatever that's not true, bro It's not your fantasy. That's really bullshit. That's really bullshit. That's how we look at it from New York though. That's how we do it. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,

no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, different things my brothers opportunity and support is to the my nigga you gotta come to my letters approaches if you if I can make you more legs then you have

to do my remix my nigga out of here respectfully. You know what I'm saying? And that's just how it is. Fire it up. I got another shot. That's just how it is. It is what it is. You know what I'm saying? Straight up. But, I mean, you know, where we at now, you know,

those are all lessons. You know, we're talking about the past. And I'm a person, to be honest with you, Nori, I don't live in the past. I don't think about the past.

So my success, all the plaques that I got in my crib, and all that, I don't even, they're not even put up on the wall. Because I don't live for that.

I live for what can I do new. You know what I'm saying? Like where I'm at now. I want you to put them plaques up. Why? Put them plaques up because you got to know how dope it feels. Like when I walk around my crib, excuse me, I don't even have them inside my crib. I have them on my, what's that shit called? The foyer. I don't know. I have one. You know, right there. It's just a little, like, all right, boom. But it just makes me feel good because, I don't know, I just like it. I like it. You got to understand that you have confidence in some shit. Sometimes you put your confidence to the side because you're always thinking about the future, but never think about what you did to get here.

True. Never downplay the shit you got to get here. Reflect on the journey so that you can see the future. Yeah. No, no, no. The journey is super important to me, and it lives in my mind, and I know it. But like I said, right now with all these people, in my personal opinion, like we were just all together

not too long ago, referring to like these two chains. And you know, I see Jeezy from time to time. Like my respect for these people,

it don't change. But how they treated me, I just didn't appreciate at the time because I didn't understand what was going on. You were the rookie in the game.

And I was. Like, you know what I'm saying? It's like, when you're a rookie, you're going to make rookie mistakes. Right. You was, what was what I'm saying? It's like, when you're a rookie, you're going to make rookie mistakes. Right. You know?

You was, what was it, high school? Freshman? Boom. You was the freshman in high school. You were the chanchi in high school. Yeah, yeah. Salute. But listen, we're going to salute y'all careers.

This is Drake, motherfucking Chad. Hey! So, I just wanted to say that man I think I think you misunderstood the energy or maybe I could be wrong

but hopefully I am right I think you misunderstood the energy and I think that it was exactly how you interpreted it you went back to high school

and there were certain people and you know what you was a freshman at that time so maybe you wasn't as cool as a freshman as you was as a senior. In college. High school was always that man. College is now you're a freshman and this senior is trying to prove

that I start. And I think that's what it was because I think your city is an actual great city. It was one of the very first cities I came to and it just it was just black excellence. Like, black excellence. No, it is.

No, it definitely is. Don't get it mistaken. It definitely is. And no matter if you're doing music that, you know, helps us push forward. What I told you, what's the top of my pyramid? Hip-hop, rap.

So whatever it takes to get us there, from the Playboi Cartis, the Lil Yachtys, the Maconas, everybody's important. Even if you got one hit, that helps us stay number one. And that's what matters to me. That's why I got into writing music

now. Who are you writing for? I write for people. I only work with women. You know what I'm saying? Because men, you know, we have this weird ego. And I don't live with ego. My ego is at the door.

Right now at this table, my ego is at the door behind me. Because I don't have to have an ego in order to have a good conversation with you. That don't prove a point to me. Every person that has ever came in contact with me, what you going to say about me? I'm always me, 100%. That might offend you when you're away from me, but in my face, I'm here to respect you. I just want that respect

reciprocated. Absolutely. And we know how that works as grown-ass men. All in all, to end out, because I know we're about to close out, I appreciate every play that I'm able to make. I appreciate you bringing me on Drink Champs. I appreciate you having me.

We appreciate you, Drink Champs. All of us. Opening and showing us this side of you. Yeah, knowing us. We truly appreciate that because it's like don't limit yourself. I'm never going to limit myself. I'm going to always be doing something where it's like, damn, there you go. Right.

It's bigger than just doing myself. I'm going to always be doing something where it's like, damn, there he go. Right. Or whatever, because it's bigger than just doing music. I love music because music is one of the most incredible things that you could ever get a talent in. Still, it's just a vehicle. It's a vehicle. It's not a house. Exactly. It's supposed to take music to another house. Exactly. You know what I'm saying?

It's still just a vehicle. And the last thing I must say before I get out of here is make sure that you support black-owned businesses. Let's talk about... Please. You know what I'm saying? And if it's a last thing I got, I must say before I get out of here, is make sure that you support black-owned businesses. Let's talk about... Please. You know what I'm saying? Like, shout out to... Oh, yeah, what's the fool you broke? So, you know, I did catering.

I brought catering to Drink Champs because, you know, I wanted a staff to... There's a restaurant right by my table. Right down the street from me. So, Ray Allen owns this restaurant called Grown. Him and his wife. Shout out to Shannon. Great restaurant. You know, it's a black right by my table. Right down the street from me. Ray Allen owns this restaurant called Grown. Him and his wife. Shout out to Shannon. It's a black-owned restaurant. I went there, I think.

They're good. Down south, southwest. Yeah, Coral Gables type of area. But just in general, support black-owned businesses. All the other stuff we talked about is stuff that people have opinions on. The opinion that matters to me the most

is where I'm at now. Because I'm back on my street shit. I'm back with the people. Or whatever. Supporting black-owned businesses. You know House of Mac, too? House of Mac is a shit in Wimbledon. Right around the corner from there. You know what I'm saying?

Supporting black-owned businesses is something that I didn't realize that was needed from our own culture. Did you see it from Killer Mike on Killer Mike thing? Well, I seen that one aspect, and he gave a real perspective. If you wanted to go your whole month with just supporting black-owned businesses, you're going to be in a crazy place because it's a lot of things that we have not got to that place that we need to be at yet. Right. And just in general, I'm just trying to help the narrative help the narrative right controlling your narrative is the best thing that any person of color can do controlling your narrative and whatever like how y'all said about people controlling their negative controlling your narrative is the most important thing that you

can ever do for yourself and so supporting a black owned business is the most important thing to me right now i can't i can't take it no No, I'm not taking no motherfucking shot. What do you mean? He tapped out. I don't tap out. Trust me. I'm not tapping out. I tap in more than you know.

I'm going to take a piss and I'm going to fucking tap out. I took a piss. You got to take a piss. Let's get out of here. You know what I'm saying? Support Black-owned businesses, man. Support Black-owned businesses. Black-owned.

Both support Black-owned businesses, man. You know what I'm saying? Support Black-owned businesses, man. Okay, wow, what is that? Support black-owned businesses. Black-owned. Boom, support black-owned businesses, man. You know what I'm saying? Support black-owned businesses. All right, let me look at it. Support black-owned businesses, man. I'm going to get something that's my style. You know what I'm saying? Different stuff or whatever.

Like, even my bag, you know, tail fart. This brother won designer of the year last year in fashion, which is not an easy award to win. Wow. You know, it's not. It might sound like nothing. Design of the Year in France or something? No, in the whole world of Design of the Year.

Wow. You know what I'm saying? This brother won that. Wow. This Telfair, you know what I'm saying? Wait, say that name again? Telfar. Telfar or Telfit?

T-E-L-F-A-R. One of the biggest brands. This is a New York Birkin right here. Wow. This is the New York Birkin. Okay. This is the Brooklyn Birkin according to where you're from.

All right. You know what I'm saying? This is one of the hottest bags. This is a black designer? This is a black designer. Break it down for us. Tell us. Just in general,

I can't tell this man his whole life. He can tell it better than me, but just in general, Black-owned designers are really killing it. Everything I got, I feel super proud that everything I got on

is from a black oh let's bring it down so travis scott did this mcdonald's collab travis scott boom you know travis scott did this or whatever this is freak off from atlanta with the little uzi this is brownstone this is a black on brand on the pants my shoes or whatever are from a black on customizer these are my socks or whatever you know i'm saying wow'm saying? I'm a fashion guy where black people, I wasn't wearing black people designs. So to be able to do that now

on its entirety, that's what I'm passionate about. Obviously, I'm telling you right now, I dropped a hard ass album. Black Filter's a hard ass album. But for me, my energy is I've never put a gun to your head to force you

to believe in my music. Why would I ever do that? If you are cool, cool niggas don't tell people they cool. Fly niggas don't tell niggas they fly. Yeah, we adapt to cool. Great rappers don't tell niggas they rap. What they do, they get on that mic and they rap. So

at the end of the day, you know, however your opinion is, hey, rock on. Because, you know, we nine years in, we going on 10 for 2022. You know what I'm saying? That's going to be a decade in this shit. And I'm still doing my thing, and if I pop into a place, niggas know what time it is

with me. Simple as that. No matter what it is, because all I've been doing my entire career is show improve double excel shout out to my girl vanessa over there v over there you know what i'm saying like show improve is the thing that they do on um double excel show improve is all you can you know and everybody look at look at success differently and i respect your opinion to a certain extent because if that's the knowledge you have, then that's the way you're going to think.

Or whatever. But for me, right now, man, I want people to support black-owned businesses, support black-owned designers. You know what I'm saying? That's what I care the most about. And to understand that in order for us to stay number one, we're all important. So whether you're

a mumbo rapper or the best rapper alive, you're all equally important. And that's all I care about. I doubt it. Spank King. What's next for Spank King? What y'all doing? I got my single out right now

with OT Genesis and Fabio Foran called I Got Bitches. We're shooting a video for that next month. What's the name of it? I Got Bitches. Ooh, Go ahead. So then I dropped my Candle line last year. We dropped like 200. I went to Cane's France, and I did the Candle there.

We sold out, but the production slowed down, so we're coming back out with that at the end of the year. And then same fashion stuff, the music stuff, because right now, like what he said, it's the truth. Pandemic taught hustlers how to still hustle. Because if you a hustler, you got to get to it and you got to figure it out. So the hustlers, the men became men and the boys stayed boys in the pandemic time. And that's all it's about.

Look, I went from doing 80 parties a month to nothing. 80 parties a month, 15 a week. I was outside DJing club to club, state to state. Now I'm finally getting back to it. I'm in Miami. I go to Atlanta. I go to Orlando. I'm in New York, Texas.

So I'm able to get back. It's not the same, though. Bro, they had me doing the strip club at 8 o'clock in the afternoon, bro. This is fucking DJ Spin King. For niggas who don't know what's up, because I've seen this man rock. Not even on some like, oh, I'm booked at his club. Like, I've just came to clubs and This is what a poppin DJ look like well so for him to say that to you

Well, that's a big fucking deal for niggas who don't get that right Oh God Straight up. I'm gonna tell you how fucked up the game is bro. You see girls on Instagram with Birkin's and all that shit, right? But bartenders became strippers. I'm going to just leave that out there like that. Wait, let's take another shot, bro. Let's take another shot, bro. You know what I'm talking about, dog. That's how bad it is.

Bartenders said, fuck it. They going to TikTok it, TikTok it. But yeah, that's what it is. And we're just trying to, you know, if you got the money,

advice to anybody in the business, DJs, artists, invest now because everything is lowered now. So when they get back booming, you're going to be on top. That's all it is. You got to stay prolonged. You can't live in the meantime and try to follow what everybody else is doing.

You got to do your own thing and stay ahead of the game. Goddamn, let's make some noise, man. Let's take these flicks. Take out the pictures? Yeah. 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 drinkchamps.com. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects. Your mental health, your immunity, your risk of cancer, almost any disease under the sun. This week on Dope Labs, Titi and I dive into the world of probiotics, the hype, the science, and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes.

From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really, probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing. With expert insight from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs 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 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. 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.