Drink Champs - Episode 303 w/ Twista

Episode Date: February 25, 2022

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the legendary, Twista!Twista shares his journey, talks Chicago Hip-Hop culture, his specific style of rapping, working with Ye (fka Kanye West) and much much more!Make some noise for the one and only Twista!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆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. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war.

This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. 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. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures, and your guide on good company. The podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators, shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi. We dive into the competitive world of streaming.

What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There are so many stories out there, and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Drink Champs, a production of the Black Effect and iHeartRadio. He's a legendary Queens rapper. Hey, hey, Segre, this your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. Love his DJ EFN.

Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players. You know what I mean? In the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs, motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve. It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfucker. What it good be?

Hope this is what it should be. This your boy, N-O-R-E. What up, it's DJ E-F-N. This is Drink Champs' motherfucking yappy hour. Make some noise! Right now, when we talk about legends, we talk about a man who's been consistent since the 90s. Kept it out there.

Kept it going. When I Googled him, this was kind of crazy today, was, well, this was kind of crazy today, was I didn't realize how many people you were beefing with. I definitely didn't realize. I was like, wow. Like, she just kept leading me to other shit but anyway let's get back to

I mean the man is a he's a super legend you know when you you could really say this but when you think of a city you think of a man that was there like that's who he's there holding down the whole city

and just keep getting better and better and better and better was there, like, that's who he's there. Yep. Holding down the whole city. And just keep getting better and better and better and better. And at first, like, I was like, what the, what's going on here? You realize he's saying shit. It's not, you know, you know what I mean? So in case you don't fucking know what we're talking about, we're talking about the one, the only, motherfucking Twista Mason. Now, Twista, you literally got songs with everybody.

Yeah. Literally. Let's get the champagne. Let's get the champagne going. We out here looking crazy, man. You know what I mean? We out here. But you got songs

with everybody. Yeah, it's a bunch of people, man. So what is that? Do you like collaborating? Is that something that's that's that's um yeah yeah i love collaborating um one just off the top just just you know because it's my craft i like doing it but the other thing too is like you got a lot of people that won't get on a song for a particular reason or they they might think it's not dope or something like that no no

i'm talking about like when they collaborating with with somebody else they might think it's not dope or something like that. No, no, I'm talking about like when they're collaborating with somebody else, they might not want to do a song because they don't like it, but me, like I'll hear a song and I'll find a way or reason to be able to do it and still pull out of it what I want to. So that's one of the reasons I do a lot of collabos. What's your favorite collabos? Rappers or R&B singers? Because you got both equally. Ooh, that's your favorite collab? Rappers or R&B singers? Because you got both equally.

Ooh. That's a hard one. Probably rappers, you know, because I get to go back and forth with somebody. And then a lot of times, you still have an R&B singer on there, too. Right. So probably rappers.

Okay, so let's take it back. West Side Chicago, right? Yeah. Hold on, hold on. I got notes and shit. K-Town area? Yeah. Let's take us to there.

Yeah. You went to K-Town area. And this is where you start? This is where you develop? Because I heard that they said that you learned it through a stereo. You was listening to hip-hop. What's the earliest stuff you were hearing? The earliest stuff.

That inspired you. I mean, really, like listening to, see, I was on the west side of Chicago, but we had HPK. This was a college radio station. J.P. Chill on the south side, and he played a lot of hip-hop. And you know the mecca. You know New York. station, J.P. Chill on the south side, and he played a lot of hip-hop. And you know the Mecca, you know New York. It was a lot of stuff I was listening to, as well as a bunch of artists on the south side of Chicago, people like D.A.

Smart, a bunch of people doing their thing. So that's how I really, really got into it and really got advanced, because I was able to hear a lot of records that a lot of people wouldn't have heard if JP chill wasn't playing them joints. So, so, so I was just really a manager, Eric, the whiz, right. Too. Right. Yeah. Okay. And he worked for the radio station. Yeah. He was working for the radio station at the time. And you took, you do how, like, cause like I just asked Pat Poose this, cause he kind of got on through K slave and K slave was working for hot 97.

So I always thought that that was a plus for Pat Poose. He was telling me that was a negative because people always would be like, well, you K-Slave boy, you don't need my help. Yeah, I mean, it definitely was some hurdles in there. You know, it was some hurdles. But a lot of it was just being from the city, being from Chicago, new to the game,

learning it, you know, not really being accepted. There wasn't a lot of artists signed from Chicago at the time, the hip-hop artists? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we was new, you know, coming from the city, you know. So like, let's go. Do you wanna ride in the messy, my hand ain't choppin' and I wasn't doin' that. Yo, y'all niggas, I thought y'all niggas were pimps, like, y'all niggas was, what was going on, like, in New York, we ain't see that shit. So we like, what the fuck is good? These niggas saw that shit.

Man, we was around them a lot, man. You had Bishop. Bishop Magic Juan was from there. So him being from Chicago, we was coming outside. He was on Madison Street. We seeing him every day. You know, so him, a lot of the guys around, you know, it was just the vibe and then the music.

You know what I mean? It was a lot with the music. Then my man AK from Do or Die, he was the one that came to me with the song, like I want you to jump on this song. So it was just the vibe that we was on at the time. You ever pimped?

Nah, I ain't pimped. What a question. I tried for half an hour. It didn't work. For half an hour? No, I ain't got that one in me. Now, Twista, we know you in the gun camp and all that, but today we want you to know this is Drink Champs. This is about we celebrate our artists. It's about time you get your motherfucking flowers.

You understand what I'm saying? Thank you, man. We're going to drink some champagne with you. Look, you just told us you were a pimp and player, at least in your mind a little bit, right? Me too. It don't work for me, but we're going to celebrate you. We're going to drink up this goddamn champagne. You're going gonna have some drinks with me god damn oh man come on now i

might take one come on come on now come on oh shit you know you know the name of the show is called drink chance right i don't know i never told you let me pour you up let me pour you up come on yeah let me pour you up so what you been up to man man you already know man just doing doing a lot of a lot of a lot of instructing lot of shooting, you know, still doing my music thing, you know, got some businesses going, you know, still out here moving around and enjoying my life, you know, trying to. How you adapting to social media? It was crazy at first, I think, for everybody. But, you know but I came along. I think once you really are passionate about something, you know, for people. You came from the chitlin' circuit.

You know, when niggas, that was the real chitlin' circuit. Yeah, from the same. You had to actually go to the clubs to get these fans. Exactly. Now you can just go online and get these fans. Are you cool with that? You got to take a drink, though. I think it's a.

You got to take a sip. Come on. What is going on here? Come on. take a drink though. I think it's a... Come on. What is going on here? Come on. I'll take one. I'll take one. Come on. You got to take one.

Let's go. Okay. Are you adapting to... You adapting to... I think... I think with early on, like technology, you know,

we couldn't get to it. And then you had a few people. You know, you had a few artists. You didn't have a lot of people to battle with, but it was hard to get to the technology. But then I think once we got to it, you had everybody doing it. So I think, you know, it's kind of hand in hand. Like I don't think one way is harder than the other. I think right now it's easy to promote yourself, but you got to promote yourself next to the person, next to the person person next to the person next to the person right you can get lost that much because you got quarters

and shit too right you diss precious remember i dissed who precious nah it wasn't me man the actress yeah you remember yeah it wasn't me yeah i remember the situation that happened yeah yeah what happened with that you know something was going on with my social media you know some some people was working my social media at the time and got a little too loose with the fingers, you know, because, you know, that definitely ain't my vibe, you know, for sure. You know, and then, you know, a lot of the true fans, they already know, oh, no, that wasn't twisted, that wasn't twisted.

So, you know, my apologies to her, too. I did apologize, but, yeah, that wasn't my vibe. Let's make some noise for that. God damn it. Make some noise for that. Let's go back. How did you get into chopping? Like, what inspired you to start rhyming as fast as you started rhyming? You know, you might have different names for it, but I just got into it really just early on,

wanting to switch up the style a little bit. You know, everybody doing, like, punchlines, metaphors. I'm like, but I was like rhythmical with it. So I wanted to just do something different. So I started just

playing with the cadence and stuff like that. Then it would be like a spurt here, then a spurt there. Then one day I just decided I want to make a whole song like that.

You know, you start hearing other rappers doing what you're doing a little bit too. You know, so I'm like, damn, okay,

let me make a whole verse like this. You know, so then I made this verse called Mr. Tongue Twister. Then that's when everybody started calling me. That was your name? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, you know, then I just dropped

a tongue-caller twister, you know. The other rappers, they were young. You was tongue. Look at this dude. You know, that's a young song. You was a little tongue guy. That was crazy, that was crazy. Yeah, that young song. That ain't what I'm saying, but. That was crazy. That was crazy.

Yeah, that makes a noise. God damn. Did you and the dude from Fushnikins ever battle? I don't know why I keep feeling like I heard that. No, we didn't actually battle, but me and him, we had that vibe. Like, he was spitting on his level. I was spitting on my level. We saw each other at, it was one of the I think it was in San

Francisco, one of the big conventions or rap things that they used to have. One of them things they had back in the days and we saw each other and just, yeah, Chip Foo. But we caught that vibe but we ended up chopping it up, you know, so we never got a chance to do a record together but

you know, we still probably end up doing something but yeah, Chip Foo, we actually had a little fear for each other. I was listening to that style. I was like, damn, this nigga killing it. Then he was listening to me like, ooh, shorty killing it, you know, so we chopped it up about that a little bit. That was funny. So let's just be clear.

You were the first fastest tongue nigga in the world. It's debatable, man. It's debatable man it's debatable okay i feel like you're being too humble so i'm gonna let you say that but why is it debatable let me hear this you got people that feel other people started like you know you got you got some people feel bone thugs and harmony started some people feel trench Then you got, I can go back further than that with records like Jay-Z and Jazzo doing Originators. Records like that.

L.L. doing records like Why You Think They Call It Dope. Not with Jay-Z and Jazzo. That was almost 2000. No, no, not the first time. It was pretty back then. Original Originators is 2000. Yeah, that's 2000. Nah, 2000?

That's after, that's after, yeah. Nah, I don't. Nah, it's way. That's after. That's after. Yeah. Nah, I don't. Nah, that's way further back than that. No. Yeah, yeah. It goes back. Original Flavor, but that's not what he just said. He just said Originators.

That was what Timberland produced. Well, you think about that record. Yeah, but nah. But he's talking about probably when they did it before. I just think, you know, it was a time frame. I think everybody was dabbling in it. Right. And everybody wanted to claim it.

Right. You know, so. But then the Guinness Book of World Records came and said, this is that nigga. Yeah, that's what happened. Come on. How did that feel? Like, what kind of, because, you know, we like, we getting plaques and, you know what I mean? Like, but how did that feel when the Guinness Book of World Records called you?

Like, who gives you that call? Your manager? I was on, I was on Loud Records at the time. You know, Loud Records Like But how did that feel When the Guinness Book Of World Records Called you Like who gives you That call Your manager I was on I was on Loud Records at the time You know Loud Records Steve Rifkin

Steve Rifkin What a roster And it was Fade My man Fade Dunaway He was there at the time And he told me Man you know It's this record

In the Guinness Book For the world's Fastest rapper With 500 syllables In like 56 seconds It was about like Yeah like 500 some syllables In 60 seconds Different shit So was about like, yeah, like 500-something syllables in 60 seconds.

Different shit. So I was like, I don't even know what that technically means. I just know it's some smart shit. It's some fast shit. That's what it was.

But, you know, it was like a gift to me. I'm like, oh, shit. You know, it was the perfect promotion tool for me. So I got in there,

you know, and I'm trying to see where I was at with it. You know, I said, okay, I'm going to stop at 600 syllables in 60 seconds. So I was off about, you know, try to see where I was at with it. You know, I said, okay, I'm going to stop at 600 syllables in 60 seconds.

So I was off by two syllables, but it was cool. Bam! Makes a nerve. Yeah. Now, did that get every other rapper who thought that they were fast off of you, or that made people want to challenge you more? Probably later on,

because, you know, nobody really broke the record for a long time. Like, by the time somebody started messing with it, I was, like, out of there with it. So for a long time, people really respected it, I think, you know. So who broke the record? I forgot the shorty name.

One of them shorties. You don't know the person's name? Yeah, I don't know, man. I was on to making records and doing other things by then. So, and that's what I wanted. I actually wanted somebody to come, like, I stopped that 600 syllables. Right. Because I knew I could go further, but I stopped. Nobody never challenged the record.

So, you know, I just rode it out and I got into making music, you know. Now, how did, so I loved how you just said when I asked you the inventors of this style you did say Tretch. You said some people say Tretch. You said some people say Bone. Yeah.

What if you had to say? I want to talk about y'all discrepancies as well. Me being honest with it? Me being honest with it, like I said, you got, you got like rappers developing at this time. You know, people are getting more advanced with it, like playing with they shit a little bit. And I just think, I think it was growing everywhere. It's early 90s, you're thinking, right? Yeah, early 90s. And I think everybody was kind of playing with the style a little bit and coming up with a way to switch the cadence up and I just think you have people doing

it in in in they respected areas right you know where they was at and and you know because we had Kanye on here and I think he that's what he said he said that was the only difference between um Jay-Z and Nas is that Jay-Z knows how to chop and Nas knows how to chop and I really didn't understand until I'm actually going and I was like, that's what y'all really call it. So you did, because what year you came out? 90? Like 91, something like that? 91, right?

Yeah. Yeah. And if they would say Tretch, then that means Tretch. Tretch and them was late 80s, right? They really were? I mean, remember, they had the group before. I mean, if you're counting the group before Naughty. There was a group before?

Yeah, they talked about it with us. Man, I forgot. What? What? What group are you talking about? They had a group. They had a different name. Somebody pull it up.

Yeah, a different name for the group before it was Naughty by Nature. Gotcha, gotcha. And then you said Bone Thugs. Wouldn't Bone come out? If you came out in 91, Bone came out. Man. I don't know, man.

I think they came out in 94, right? Yeah, Bone was definitely 90. It had to be 94 or 95. 94? Okay. And you was using that style on record in 91? Yeah, I mean, if you were talking about even Fushnikins, that's way early 90s. As well, that's more like 92.

What year was it, Rob? What? What'd you say? Yeah, 92, Fushnikins, you see? So, if we go on by just Google right now, you coming out in 91. Yeah, 91, 92 in there. 91, 92.

I hadn't heard that style until you came out. Well, you know, I think I put a stamp on it, you know. I think I put my foot in it, you know. So you asking who invented it or who did it? You know, you got different versions of it. I just, I might consider myself the Michael Jordan version of it, but. You know what I mean. Okay.

Okay. Okay. Talk that shit, baby. Come on, talk that shit. Go ahead. But like you said, people could have been doing it in their city way before anybody heard it. That's kind of what you probably was saying. Like, they could have been

in their city bubbling there when nobody would have known. Right. Now, what's your relationship with Common? Me and Common are cool. Like, we don't talk a lot

or anything, but when we see each other, you know, we always chop it up, you know, talk about a few things. Yeah, we cool. We just got a cool relationship.

What's your relationship with the young drill music in Chi-Town? Man, it's usually cool all the time, you know. Some of them might call me, ump. You know, my guy Warhol might call me, ump. What up, ump? You know, so it's always cool, man. You know, sometimes they might ask me certain things or for advice, but most of the time they just look at me and call me OG.

Man, what up, OG? What up, OG? You know, want me to come to the studio sometime, check them out, hop on a record or two here and there, you know? Yeah, stuff like that. God damn it, make some noise for that. God damn it. There you go.

Now, you was kicking it with R. Kelly for a minute too. You was kicking it with me too, bro. He got you! You can do it back on me, you see that? No, no. Literally, you got some records that come up with R. And besides being funny, there wasn't nothing like that, but describe to the people who R was before we knew who R is.

Man, that was the man. He was the man. Like, it was debatable who was the greatest of all time. You might hear a lot of people say a bunch of things, but when you start lining them records up and what he put out and how he was doing it and the live performances and the songs that he wrote for

other people, stuff like that, like his body of work and what he was doing and how much of a perfectionist he was. And man, he was like one of the greatest, man, you know? And if you got a chance to work with him, you know, you felt solidified. You know, you felt like you was in the game and you had, you know, you got you a shot if you got a chance to work with R. Kelly, you know. Especially for your city, because it was like, to tell you the truth, that was like the first artist like to break out, like to be national. Yeah, he was the man. He was the man in the city, man. Worldwide, yeah. We had him.

Huge, huge megastar. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. But we can't make no noise for that because shit going to get real with me too. I mean, we talking about the career side of it. And move on. You can't make no noise for that one right there. It's just awkward.

It's just awkward. It's awkward. All right, God damn it. You brought it up, motherfucker. Hey man, listen. Listen man, if it wasn't for you my friend, I still had to Google and do my due diligence of what's going on. God damn it. You brought it up, motherfucker. Hey, man. Hey, man. Listen, man. Because you're my friend, I still had to Google and do my due diligence of what's going on. Yeah.

You know what I'm saying? So, yeah. All right. Let's go. Oh, you also had a record with Chris Brown. Yeah. Yeah. Make a movie.

Make a movie. Just really wanted him on the joint. Yeah, that was a joint i wanted them on like like me my crew we just mutually decided at the time i forgot what record we was listening to at the time but we felt that it was dope if he sang that particular record you know what i was you know what i noticed about you you make a lot of records for the females a lot of people don't know that because you're so lyrical you got away with being super hip-hop. All the hip-hoppers love you because you a hip-hopper, but you get away with doing some great singles that's for the ladies,

and nobody's causing you commercial. I think, man, you got to have it. Some of the bigger artists, they're able to do that, and it's nothing. They go to their rap shit. They go to that type of vibe. So I just think you got to have it. That's nothing. They go to their rap shit. They go to that type of vibe. So I just think you got to have it. That's one. Then two, I think it helps that my cadence is really,

like that whole double time cadence is really an R&B or slow song type of cadence. So I think that kind of plays into it too, that if I'm rapping on a certain tempo, they fit on the same melodies that people sing songs on. So a lot of times that's how a lot of those features came about too, with me doing. And then just the songs in general that was like that.

It was easy to put like R&B artists and singers on certain hooks. You know, it was the vibe. Did you ever question changing your style? Or did anybody ever tell you, oh, this is already going to get old? Yeah, all the time. Yeah. Shit. Like rapping fast?

Where? Yeah, you know, the first shit I heard, you know, because we from Chicago, so ain't nobody accepted it, you know what I'm saying? So the first thing I'm rapping, boom, boom, boom, what's the first thing you think they said when I'm rapping? Nobody hearing this shit yet. And I just come out rapping. But they don't understand what you're saying?

Get the fuck out of here with that fast shit. Get the fuck out of here with that fast shit. Get the fuck out of here with that fast shit. We don't know the rest. You know, so I had to deal with a lot of that. Then, you know, like just being from the city and we not really being accepted as artists, you know, like people look at us more as fans and shit. You know, they come there and rock out.

Yeah, Chicago fans, they didn't really look at us too much as artists at the time. So I felt like, you know, to come there and rock out. Yeah, Chicago fans, they didn't really look at us too much as artists at the time. So I felt like, you know, we just have to break into it. How's that R. Kelly, Kanye West, Common? Well, he's probably going further back. Oh, no, I'm going back when, remember, me and Common is like the first two artists that pretty much came out the way we came out.

You and Common, no idea as a producer. Yeah, yeah, so we talking like... But no, I.D. wasn't front line at that yeah. So we talking like... But No I.D. wasn't front line at that time. No, no. It was Common was his main actor. That's right, that's right. You're right.

That I know. Yeah, and he still had Twilight Tone around too at the time. So, yeah. And you saying... So I don't understand. So you saying that

Chi-Town wasn't respected at that time? Like music-wise? Nah. Come on. Nah. You sound like a FN right now. It's the same thing

I've been telling you, man. The same thing. Well, let's seeN right now. It's the same thing I've been telling you, man. The same thing. Let's see what he said. We wasn't accepted for not, like, other genres of music, but rap shit?

Nah. Chicago wasn't being heard. Not at the time I was trying to come out. Like, we had, I was the artist that had to tell everybody

Chicago was dope and that it's motherfuckers here and wait till y'all come hear him like I was the one that had to go out there and speak that shit you know and especially me being from like the west side of Chicago and not really having the same kind of hip-hop vibe or hip-hop style that most rappers have so it was double double drama on my end trying to bust in the door so I was one of the first I had to let them know about the city.

That Chicago was slept on. Yeah. Because he always says that about Miami. Like, Miami was slept on. Every city outside of New York and maybe L.A. and Atlanta at some point was slept on. I don't know, man. Miami was killing it a little bit. To like crew.

Right. But early on, I'm talking about in the hip-hop industry. Like, I always talk about it That New York Had a pigeon hole On at least The corporations The record labels

The media So they weren't looking At everybody else They just wasn't Allowing us in Well listen to this nigga He's just a hater dog It's not a hater

He's just a hater dog Listen to The same thing he's saying The same way We all felt down here I think a lot of A lot of other cities Felt like that at the time A lot of of other cities felt like that at the time.

A lot of other places felt like that at the time when early on, because New York was the mecca of it. It was only going on there, and everybody else was trying to do what New York was already doing. Right, exactly. So we share similar feelings in that aspect. So you ever felt like your city wasn't supporting you, though? It was harder for you in your city?

It seems like everyone who makes it somewhere, they try in their city but then they actually go outside their city i think early on you face a lot of problems early on like even when i look at some of the younger cats they face it a lot early on then at a certain point they break through and then and then the city starts to accept them as, you know, the ones. Like, oh, geez, oh, man, they put it on. You know, they put the city on like that. But early on, a lot of times, when you're coming from Chicago, you got to break through a lot of hate.

You know, and it might be close. It's going to be everywhere around you. So you got to break through a lot of hate and know how to navigate when you come out of my city. Right. What's my man that passed away? DJ Timbuktu, right? Yeah.

Yeah, rest in peace to Timbuktu. Yes, sir. Was he a part of the team? No, he wasn't, like, right in the team, but he was definitely my man. Every time they, you know, have his events in Chicago, I try to go represent, you know, because they still do something every year for him, and everybody comes out and represents.

We went out. Yeah, we went out. Yeah, Timbuktu is still alive, you know what I mean? Let's make some noise for that, goddammit. So, you're going... Is this... Because Kanye produced both the records, right? When you say both the records, what do you mean? The two first singles.

As far as Slow Jams and Overnight Celebrity. Now, you already knew Kanye as a producer or no? Yeah, we already knew Kanye because... In the shop. Yeah, in the shop. In the city. We already knew each other.

One of my guys from back in the days named Tumchee, he knew all of the rappers. And he was like, man, let me introduce you to my man Kanye. And we used to see him up north rapping all the time. So you met him as a rapper first? Yeah, I met him as a rapper first. Then later on, me and Tumchee used to go to his house as a producer. This is when he started to produce.

I was like, his beast is different. You know, I was noticing his music is different, you know, but it was way too early on, you know, before everything started happening. You could see those two records on your biggest record,

your biggest songs or no? I would say two of my most important songs. Yeah. Yeah. I would say, yeah, yeah,

most important. You know, I gotta ask why. Why? I mean, see, for me coming up, doing what I was doing, I felt like, you know, it's always gifts, curves. One of the gifts that I felt like I got from putting effort into my lyrics, my wordplay, like trying to make sure that I was making some shit

that everybody was messing with, is other artists that would come up in the city would respect it, and at a certain point, they felt like, okay, if I'm coming out the city, it's going to be the shit if I get my man Twista on the record. That's letting me know, like, boom, I'm representing Chicago when I do that. So that was one thing that was dope for me at that time frame, where a lot of artists

that was coming out the city, my man Cap One, was like, man, I want to get it in with my man Twista. You know, a bunch of people uh um so at this time when i was doing the record with him it was like he was coming up in the game i would see him sometime i would run into him in the streets every once in a while like i ran into him in the streets when he let me know that he produced uh the beanie seagull record it was the truth right i think yeah he was like yeah i just did something with beanie you know so he was like i yeah, I just did something with Beanie. You know, so he was like, I got this record, you know, called Slow Jams. I want you to get on it.

You know, boom, boom, boom. We was chopping it up about it. He was telling me the concept. So I was remembering, like, how I was going to put it together. I'm like, okay, I'm going to incorporate all of these different singers' names and shit. So you recorded Slow Jams first? We recorded Slow Jams first. Slow Jams.

Yeah, Slow Jams first, yeah. Okay. So, and then, I don't think Kanye, I mean, I don't think Jamie Foxx was even thought about for the record yet. No, because I, but that's crazy because, let's just be clear. Uh-huh. We didn't take Jamie Foxx serious at that time. So, whose idea was it?

Let's be real. Man. Let's be real. As a singer, you're saying. As a singer, that was the first record that we looked, we said, ah. Like, took him seriously. Oh, like, because, you know, we said, ah. Took him seriously. Because, you know, we were looking at him like Wanda.

Remember the character? You know what I'm saying? Come on. Come on. Now, he done some movies already. I'm the oldest nigga here, right? No, he had made movies already by that point, though. But what I'm saying is, this is before Ray, right?

This is before Ray. Yeah, definitely before Ray. This is before Ray. So that song, single-handedly, was like, wait a minute. He killed that. Yeah, he killed that. Yeah, he killed it. Right. That was Kanye's idea. Like, that whole thing, like, slow jams, overnight celebrity.

He trying to sabotage me. No, at this time, I knew I was being, I knew I was, who? With the Jamie Foxx move, with him saying, like, let's bring Jamie Foxx in. At this time, because we didn't, like I said. No, I didn't know it it it wasn't a conversation i heard it before i i just heard the shit you know what i mean so i had did my verse and everything the song was what it was and he flew to la ran into jamie foxx and they went in the studio then i got the phone call and then i heard the shit and i was like oh shit and. And that's when I knew it was over. Right.

Yeah. Yeah, so you can rightfully say like Jamie Foxx is a star and was a star even then. But his music career wasn't for Twista. He might have not been outside. Let's make some noise for that.

I mean, I mean it was, it was yay idea, man. But we was, I was definitely part of the record. You could have said, I'm a high. Yeah. You could have said, I'm a high.

This is your record. Yeah. You could have said, I'm a high. Yeah. You did not. Yeah, I did not. You did not. You did.

Especially after you heard it. Right. So then, so y'all record, you said, Y'all record Celebrity next Yeah we recorded Overnight Celebrity So it's not It's not the same session Nah

Two different sessions The record came out It's a hit Then you go on Celebrity How does this happen What are y'all doing now Well when we do

Overnight Celebrity Yeah Y'all in Chicago We already know We got one This time we moving around You know We got slow jams out there

So we moving around And we had We had the O we're moving around. You know, we got slow jams out there so we're moving around and we had the we had the overnight celebrity idea. You know, it was actually a sample I wanted to use. So I told him, man,

this is the record I want to use. This is Lenny Williams' record right here, man. You gave him the sample? Yeah, I used to remember that record playing on it. He's co-produced this.

If you want to say that, no. But no. No, man, but I knew I knew that once he got his hand on a record like that with what he was doing with all of the soul music, that he was going to kill it. So I gave him the record, and he actually said it kicked his ass for a minute. He was like, man, it took me a minute to get this record the way I wanted to get it,

but I got it. And he was excited about it, and he sent it to me, and now I'm listening to it, and now it's messing my head was excited about it and he sent it to me. And now I'm listening to it and I was messing my head up because I'm like, damn. So now I felt the pressure because we got the Slow Jams record out there so I'm like, damn, what the fuck. But then, bam, I heard the hook on it.

So he blessed me with a hook. That's all it took. Once I heard a little bit of something to go off, that was it. Boom. I started coming with my case. And what label were you on this time? This is not Job. This was Atlantic Records. Atlantic, ooh. Yeah.

Judy Greenwood? No, no, no. Greg Calman. All of them. Okay. You named all three of them. Okay, okay, all right, cool, cool, cool, cool. I'm on point, motherfucker.

Damn, what's going on? All right. Random for me, man. I don't like it. All right, quick time with Slime, but he not drinking. Oh, but let's give him his box. Where's it at? Come on.

Where's it at? You know what I'm saying? We want you to know, man, we want to give you your flowers, man, while you're here, while you're alive. This is why we do shit. Our show is about bigging our legends up while they're alive. So we literally want to give you your motherfucking real flowers, motherfucking Twister. This dope as fuck, man.

This dope as fuck, man. This dope as fuck, man. Yeah. You see it? You see it? This dope as fuck, man. Real flowers motherfucking twist I appreciate that that's love We usually play this game quick time with slime in this game, you gotta take shots So if you ain't taking shots one of your homies got to take a shot for you Come on come Come on. Come on. That's DJ Tight Mike right there. Oh, Tight Mike ready.

Come on. He ready. I saw him get ready. You already know. Pull up a check, bro. Okay. There you go. I got to take that shot.

Okay. What's going on? It's more than one, sir. What you drinking? Yeah, it's more than one. What you drinking? What you drinking? What you drinking? Uh-oh. Yeah. It's not a Duce. Yeah, yeah. That's right? Yeah, what you drinking? All right, cool. What you drinking? Uh-oh.

Yeah. It's not a D'Ussé. All right, yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right, that's right, that's right. Damn, you slipping. What happened to D'Ussé right here?

All right. What you say? So, I'm going to give you two choices. All right, all right. You can say both, then your man got to drink. But we drink with him.

Yeah, we drink. We drink with him yeah we drink we drink with him so he's gonna leave him out there i know what's happening yeah if you say i know what's happening politically correct this is what about i'm gonna give you two tough choices when you say both that's what makes us drink but both or neither or neither yes these be rough i'm gonna drink some japanese you should take a shot or two though tw Twister. Come on, God damn it. I might take a shot. Come on, yeah, take a shot or two. Don't leave your man out there like that. All right, cool.

Don't leave your man out there. Hey, they got you the big cup too, nigga. Nah, give him a shot, bro. Don't be that dirty. Give him a little cup. Give him a little cup. Give him a little cup. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's not, nah, we ain't gonna do it like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you got one of your- There you go. You got one already in front of you, Twister, just in case you want one. Boom, right there. Just in case. All right. You ready?

Yeah. My turn. You got one already in front of you. Just in case you want. Just in case. All right. You ready? Yeah. I'm asking you. Ready? This shit's going to be rough.

DMX or Tupac? Damn, man. Come on, man. Damn, that's rough. Relax, buddy. Damn. And it's whatever criteria that you got. I'm going to tell you, it's rough.

It's rough. I'm going to tell you, though. I'm going to go for Tupac. I'm going to tell you why, though. Because I actually got a chance to meet this brother. That's why. I met him on two occasions. One occasion, I did a show in LA.A., and it was with Digital Underground.

Wow. Which is this week's episode. It was with Digital Underground. I got a chance to say what's up to Shock G, looked over to the cut, saw Tupac sitting on the steps. You meant early part. That's early part. Yeah. I saw him sitting on the steps chilling.

I'm like, damn, okay, boom. So I ain't say nothing to him then. Then I seen him again by the bar. We walked up to each other. He was like, man, they told me to come chop it up with you when I come to Chicago. You know, then we hollered again. The second time I met him, he had the fucking Juice hoodie on. The same, the Juice hoodie on.

So, you know, I got a chance to meet him. And that made me engage with his music in a certain way. But I definitely feel like DMX is the shit, you know. But just for the sake of this, I'm going to go with Pac because I got a chance to meet him. I ain't really get a chance to chop it up with him. You never met DMX is the shit, you know? But just for the sake of this, I'm going to go with Pac because I got a chance to meet him. I ain't really get a chance to chop it up with him. You never met DMX? I never got a chance. I saw him in person when he was at an award show, passing by,

but I ain't never get a chance to chop it up with him. That's crazy. I'm the exact opposite. I never got to meet Pac. I got to chop it up with X. Wow. That's crazy. A whole lot. That's crazy. A whole lot. That's crazy. Yeah. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck.

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

Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I 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.

Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. 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. Real people, real perspectives.

This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown.

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. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next.

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

Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. M&M or Busta Rhymes? Damn. Whatever criteria you want. Oh, he's drinking already. Oh, you're drinking? Oh, okay. I had to take a shot on that.

Cheers. Cheers. Cheers. Okay. All right, cool. Cheers. Take a shot, yeah. You know, I didn't even know I was taking a fucking shot.

You asked the question. Slap the shit out of him. I was like asked the question If you want to take a real shot You can get some Japanese whiskey He didn't say He didn't say Alright Alright now Okay

They got Japanese whiskey Definitely drinking get ready That's what you should have I don't know Scarface or Ice Cube Japanese whiskey. Definitely drinking. Get ready. Woo. That's what you should have. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. Scarface or Ice Cube?

Oh, no. Damn, dude. He got them all night questions. I just sit in this one. Yeah, yeah. Damn. Shit. Go ahead. We. I'm just sitting in this one. Yeah, yeah. Damn. Shit. Go ahead.

We got a drink. We got a drink. You got a drink. Let's go. Let's go. Yeah, you got a drink for that one. That's rough right there. Yeah, that's a rough one there. Ooh, this might get rough too.

Yeah, poor Lightning, man. It's going to be a while. Yeah. Yeah, buddy. Outkast or UGK damn I love your honesty he's very skilled

shit you gotta drink you gotta drink I don't know You got a drink. I don't know if you're going to... All right, now this... Now this one, I really don't know where you're going with because you guys are kind of like in the middle. So Wu-Tang or NWA?

Damn, man. See, N.W.A. was some of the most exciting hip hop that I had ever heard coming out. It was like, what the fuck? It was like the shock. It was the most dopest, most exciting shit that I heard. Wu-Tang got me through some hard motherfucking times. They did the same thing too. But no, man.

It was a certain feeling, man. It was a certain fucking feeling. Wu-Tang got me through some times. I can't pick, though. You got to take a drink. I'm going to tell you what's the difference. You took your shot? No, I didn't. I'm going to tell you what's the difference. You took your shot? No, I didn't.

I'm going to tell you what the difference is for me. Okay. I got to hear this. I didn't know what Compton was. I was just like,

what? I actually thought it was a jail. I was like, oh shit, I never want to get locked up there. And so I was younger.

Yeah, okay. But Wu-Tang, I visualized that shit a little bit more, but I wouldn't be able to pick neither. That's why I'm taking the shot. Now, let me tell you about being from Chicago. And see, because it's different, because Wu-Tang, you can relate a certain way. So for me, it was us being in the middle it was the

opportunity to hear the west coast rap about the streets and me relate to what they was talking about from the from the west coast perspective and i can relate right and then me hear the streets from the east coast perspective and being able to relate. So that's what I think that's dope about coming from Chicago, being a fan, is you got a chance to, like it wasn't so one-sided. Like in Chicago, on the same block, you got arguments all day about this person across the street is a fan of this person on the West Coast, this person is a fan of a person on the South.

It's the Midwest, right? You know what I mean? I mean, I feel like they should probably take the West part of it out and just pull it to the mid. Like, because y'all right definitely in the middle. Like, you're not West Coast. Yeah, the West part don't kind of make sense a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

You're not East Coast. Y'all own shit. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Y'all own shit. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, your own shit. Y'all own. All right, but let's, let's, let's, let's.

Jordan or LeBron? Damn. Well, that ain't real hard, Jordan, man. Okay. Jordan, that ain't hard. When you, when you, you know what I mean?

When you seen Jordan play. See, a lot of these people never even seen Jordan play. Yeah, see, I seen it. The live game, not the repeat. No, the live game. See, people, I don't know, man. I don't know. You got

a bigger person doing something that this smaller person was doing. That shit looked incredible. A 6'6 dude doing it? Shit, that shit was incredible. Rick Ross or Fat Joe? Oh, I like LeBron too, though. Okay, yeah.

But Rick Ross or Fat Joe? Damn, man. You snap, boy. You better take it. You done snap. I really can't pick between that one. I love both of them. Yeah, he snapped hard.

He would have been drinking too on that one. Okay. That's a rough one there. Crazy Bone or Chip Foo? Damn. Chip going to be mad at me, man. We gonna holler about it later, man. But crazy bomb, man.

Crazy bomb. Hell yeah. Crazy bomb. Okay. Shit. I don't know where you gonna go with this. Mob Deep or M.O.P.? Mobb Deep Okay

Yeah I like M.O.P. too but Cubs or White Sox? White Sox Damn City gonna be salty Up north gonna be salty Podcast or radio? Shit, I mean, podcast.

Podcast. This, Chase. Chicago pizza or New York pizza? Chicago pizza. Oh, man, he going to. Come on. I hate New York pizza. As he should.

As he should. Every time I try some New York pizza, I'm like, what this for? This with a Klingon food? Hold on, let me throw one. Let me throw one in there. Tech9 or Eminem? Damn. No, you got a drink on that one.

Yeah, you got a drink. These is my brothers, and then it's actually hard, you know? Because they go hard, man. Yeah. Pusha T or Jadakiss? I like Pusha T, but Jadakiss. Yeah. So what's up, XXL?

You all right? We're all dying over here. XXL. Yeah, XXL. I like them both, but... Al Capone or Lucky Luciano? Capone. Yeah, that's Chicago. Capone, baby.

Ooh. But you use Tech N9ne already, right? If it's not Eminem, it's a different question. Tech N9ne or Tretch? Tech N9ne. Tretch is cool, but Tech N9ne. Kanye West or Noah D? Obviously, the producer? Kanye West or Noah D? Obviously

the producer. Kanye West. Noah D is my man, but Kanye West. The Lox or Run DMC? Run DMC. I love the Lox, but I was raised off Run DMC.

You can't even put that out there. Common or Lupe? Damn, dog. I'll take a baby sip with you. Good. Woo. I'm two cold brothers there. Right?

Yeah. So I know what a brat. Them two cold brothers there. Right? Yeah. Shawano or the brat? That's right. Both Chicago. Oh, we drinking now? Okay. All right, cool. Yeah.

Yeah, them both. Illmatic or reasonable doubt? Dang. I need to hear this one. I don't want to tell you the truth, right? See, when you put the whole story together, then it's like, okay, okay. But when you talk about that moment there right i gotta say ilmatic yeah just it's just i don't know as you it's it's i think when you when you when you

write in there i think you're talking about the the person that's more into rap versus the person that has a foot in the streets a little bit and i think if you just all in your music, you're going to be more of the Illmatic fan. But if you in the music, but you got a foot in the streets too, you for sure going to be a Reasonable Doubt fan. So it's not that I think this is so much better than that. It's just at that time frame, I didn't have a foot in the street.

I was going hard on rap shit. That's what I say about Reasonable Doubt too. I don't say I didn't have a foot in the street. I just say I didn't have the money. Couldn't relate. You didn have a foot in the street. I just say I didn't have the money. Couldn't relate. You didn't relate. He was talking about money shit that I didn't have.

Yeah, yeah. See? I just feel like, I had to get back later. I was like, oh, that's what he was talking about? Oh, okay. All right.

It's over my head. I mean, shit, Illmatic was about the streets, too, but it's the wordplay that made you listen to it. Yeah, yeah. It was relatable to me in a different way, yeah.

But I got another one. Common or common sense. Damn. Which version of him? I would say common. Common sense was my shit too, but definitely common. Chief Keef or G Herbo.

Damn. Do I want to pick one? I can't really pick between them two. It's okay. So you got to drink two then. Be with that. Cheers. That's on you then.

You shouldn't pick, by the way. Yeah, them two, it would be hard. You know what you should have said when I said that? You should have said, shut down. That's basically what he's been saying the whole time. Yeah, that's the correct answer. We've been drinking a lot based off of that. The Chronic or All Eyes on Me?

That's rough for real right there. That's rough. Let me think. Let me think. Let me think. You know what? I'm going to force myself to pick only because of one reason. No, you got to drink. No, once I thought about the reason, I was like, no.

Okay, I'm going to drink two of that. Yeah, both of those were like both impactful. Very, very impactful. You know what, though? You're drunk for nothing. I'm going to say the crime. Oh, shit, he's taking it back. I'm going to say the crime. We all drink for nothing.

I'm going to tell you why. Because All Eyes on Me, you know, it was more about Pac on All Eyes on Me. You had some other things going on, but it was more about pock on all eyes on me you have more more things you have some other things going on but it was more pop whereas chronic you introduce you to so many people you know and that that that assembly man was the shit you know so i'm gonna give it to the assembly over over something that was more geared to one person but damn right well call it Right. Ooh. Well, Khaled or DJ Drama? Hmm. Damn, dog. Man, DJ Khaled, man.

DJ Khaled. That's the last one. Yeah, DJ Khaled. You ain't, I want to, we always, I'm not going to even say nothing. I'm going to just throw it out there. You tell me what you think. Ben. Loyalty or respect?

Hmm. Loyalty. Loyalty. Like to explain why? Um. I mean, loyalty of a person is loyal to you. They won't fuck you over. A person that can respect you will still fuck you over. If he got a way to fuck you over, you know, publicly he can still respect you.

But if he think he got a way to fuck you over and still looks like he respect you and not be known as the snake that did it, he'll do it. You know, he can do it. So respect still makes me have fear of a person. I still got a little fear. You respect me, but you don't fuck with me. Loyalty, you can't trade that for nothing.

That's real. I always think the answer, the correct answer is both. I mean, but if you gotta pick one, you know. Yeah, I know, but in this case, we be wanting you to drink. And I'll take a shot too. You might as well finish that up.

Cheers. And, um, you gotta joint with Trey Songz. Yeah. That's on everybody. Yeah, you gotta song with fucking everybody. Just gonna make it. Yeah, yeah.

How was that? Did your pussy game go up? That was more the label. We was young. He was a young cat, too. Yeah, he was. Help your pussy game go up? Nah, not with that record right there, man.

That was a young cat, man. He was a young cat. You know what I'm saying? So have you met the grown Trey song since then? Yeah. Trey is cool. I run into him

every once in a while. Yeah. God damn it, man. Shit is real out here, man. Let's take a shot. Which of the labels that you were on do you think

were the best ones that you were on or the best one that you were on? Because you were on quite a bit of labels. The best one? Were you on Rockefeller at one point?

It didn't get a chance to happen. You know, this is when I was on Atlantic, you know. You had a chain. Yeah,

because we was going to make it happen, man. You know, I had a lot of love with the guys, you know. You know,

it was a dope relationship. You know, me and Dame used to chop it up a lot. He was the reason I got on the Champions record, you know.

You were a good fiddle. Yeah, yeah. So we was trying to make it happen. But I was, I guess, too deeply embedded in my contract situation with Atlantic to move the business around and make it happen. So if it was that, because you were on Big Beat, which is, you were on Big Beat, right? That record label, Big Beat? No.

No? It said it on there. Big Beat, what was it with? What was it tied with? I think it was tied to Atlantic. Atlantic, right? That record label? Big Beat? No. No? It said it on there. What was it with? What was it tied with? I think it was tied to Atlantic. Atlantic, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So Atlantic, Loud.

So between Atlantic and Loud, which one of those two would you? Because you was at Loud when Wu-Tang came there too, as well? I was like the first, I think I was the first artist to sign a Loud record.

First artist to sign a Loud? First? Yeah. Alcoholics was too, right? Very first. No, me first. You first? Yeah. Wow. was too, right? Very first. No, me first. You first? Yeah.

Wow. Then alcoholics. That says a lot. That's hard. Yeah. Very first artist. Is he Steve Riffin to this day? When I see him, yeah.

Damn, that was hard. No, Steve is cool. Steve is cool. I always had a cool vibe with Steve. He's got his phone numbers nowadays. No, I ain't got his number or nothing like that. He about to give it to you. Steve would talk to me, man, if I reached out to him.

Yeah, of course he would. That's my man, yeah. This is what we didn't ask. No, but I didn't get the answers. Oh, I'm sorry. Between the two labels, which one? You're not signed to Atlantic, so are you? No, no.

I think, you know, I was atlantic so are you no no uh i think you know i was on atlantic the longest you know you know i think uh the the it was one that was first you know so loud records being that first label i was on it's got that that first vibe you know but atlantic i was on like like 10 plus years maybe something like that yeah so. So this is a question we didn't ask. Major or independent? And definitely why? Independent. The freedom. And I think to each his own, too.

I think if you have a system that works, so you got your business people in play, and you kind of got people around that can make your ship sail, then you kind of can look more towards that independent route. But I think if you, like a new artist, you don't really got anybody around, you know, to kind of give you tips or show you the ropes, then you might have to lean more towards major label and your attorneys and stuff like that.

Yeah, because equally you're going to need people to help you take advantage of being on a record label, too, because a record label, you can fall through the cracks. Well, yeah, so that's why I said attorney. Right, right. You know, if you ain't got those people, then all you can do is rely on people like your attorney. Right, right.

Let's keep it real. You made a lot more money with majors. Yeah, you make a lot more money with the majors. So that's the gift and the curse to it. You want your freedom. You can move how the fuck you want to move, but you're going to make the money like this a little bit at a time. You want to make the big money?

Here, you're going to make this big money, but you're going to take a little bit of whip cracking over here sometime. I don't know what whip cracking is. Hold on, sir. What is that? I ain't saying I'm going to actually hit you with it, but you know what I mean. Oh, okay, I get it.

The mentality. Whip cracking. You know, the mentality. You know, some of that mentality sometimes. You got to listen to what somebody else say and abide by the choices of other people more. You know, that's all. Holy shit.

I forget who you always say. You always say independent. all. Holy shit. I forget who you want to say. You always say independent. I always say independent. I think owning your own shit. You know? Having that. What, you don't want no more shots? Yeah, I think, I personally think,

I think being independent before you go major is always going to be the ideal situation because then you go into a major kind of prepared, self-reliant, and then you can take be the ideal situation because then you go into a major kind of prepared, self-reliant, and then you can take advantage of that machine because the machine, for sure, you're going to make

way more money in the machine. Yeah. But independent, if you could establish yourself independently, own more of your stuff going into that, there's going to be

a better deal, more leverage getting that deal with a major. Yeah. I don't know. I think these days, though, independent is the way to go. For sure, 100%. No, no, he's with the independent.

Yeah. So I'm going to run through a couple of titles, and I want you to just tell me what they mean to you. Bet. I'll say it. Gotcha. Running Off at the Mouth. Running Off at the Mouth. That's the title of my first album, Running Off at the mouth running off at the mouth

that's the title of my first album running off at the mouth that's the first thing that come to my mind that's the title of my first album man I was like 18, 19 years old that's what I'm doing I'm counting down your albums so I want you to

break down your albums for me that was how I came out that was how I titled my first album. I was still thinking I was in the process of finding myself as an artist at the time. So this is me getting my feet wet in the game, running off at the mouth. That's what it is. Resurrection. Independent.

This is more independent situation. Upset that this and that didn't go right with the label. I wanted to put this record out first. I wanted it to be like this. So we're doing our independent thing, and I wanted to go that route. So it was way early in the game when I tried the independent route. And Resurrection is like a body of work that I'm more proud of for the freedom, the freedom aspect.

I got a chance to make the type of music i wanted to make some noise for that guy i'm bounced i was going to keep going in order should i keep going in order yeah yes in the head you. You do a couple. I did the first two. You do the next three. Adrenaline Rush. That's my one right there.

That's the one where I felt like Adrenaline Rush is the one where I knew who and what Twista is, how I wanted to come out, what I wanted people to hear from me. You know, so Adrenaline Rush is the title come from,

I thought about when they said, when they said, what you want to title your album? Yeah, when I was like, what you want to title your album? I think the first, I asked myself a question like, man, what do rap feel like to me? You know, that's the first thing I asked myself. I said, okay, what is rap to me? What do it make me feel like?

It gave me an adrenaline rush. So that's where the title came from. It's like just the way I feel about rap music. And I just felt like I knew how I wanted to rap my audience at the time. I was like, this is when I made my mind up. I'm just going to rap for my Chicago people. Just what I see in my city. I'm going to stick to what I know and what I do.

And I'm rapping in my city. I'm going to stick to what I know and what I do, and I'm rapping for my city. So Adrenaline Rush represents me coming fully into knowing who I was as an artist. Yep. The next one is Kamikaze. Riding the wave. That's me riding the wave, coming out with the next album. Still wanted to come with an impactful title or something that was hard, so I came with Kamikaze.

And then I had a little more help. You know, I was able to make the type of music I wanted to make. You know, the budget was a little bigger. Let's talk about it. You know, I was able to... You love the budget. I love the budget.

I love the budget. Fuck independent to me. Get a chance to, you chance to do this record. Yeah, so that's what that was, man. Kamikaze is me riding the wave. I had the success of my Adrenaline Rush record a certain way. And then it was slow jams. I knew when Kamikaze was coming out, I already had slow jams on this record.

So it was like I knew my shit was going to be popping. So I was like having fun with the Kamikaze was coming out. I already had slow jams on this record. So it was like, I knew my shit was going to be popping. So I was like having fun with the Kamikaze joint. So that's what come to my mind is riding away. I don't have it. Okay. The day after. Day after. Still riding away, but that motherfucker wasn't so high.

No, you know what I mean? So, budget a little less. A budget a little less? Okay, okay. Yeah, so putting together what I could put together with what I had. Right.

But no, it was still dope. I think I was getting a little lost in that time. You know, I was getting a little a little lost in that time you know I was starting to get a little lost in what direction I wanted to go in at that time frame so so I put that record out but it wasn't a record that I was the most proud of or happy with you know energy wise just everything wasn't going the way I wanted it to go. You know, energy, biz, wise, everything. So that record just was what it was at the time. Now I'm looking at the dates, and then you have Adrenaline Rush 2007.

Yep. Is this a time frame where you're feeling... That's 10 years. Right, like is there a shift in what you're doing and how you're releasing records? So, yeah. So the later one is just a title that I was putting on some music at the time that I felt like had that same vibe still. And so we like, man, let's come with Adrenaline Rush 2007. I probably would have titled it something else at the time.

So I think creatively I was just in a shitty space, and that's what I titled the project at the time. So this is me still able to rap my ass off, but shitty space titles that's what i titled the project at the time you know so this this is uh me still able to wrap my ass off but shitty space titles and shit thinking you know not thinking as fully clear as i as i should have been probably right category f5 category f5 That's when I'm riding my independent wave again. I love that record because I have some, for me, I have some big records for me, for myself. I made some music that I wanted to make that sounded good to me. So the record didn't do what I wanted it to do commercially or success-wise,

but as far as the body of work and what it sounded like and it being important for what it was, for how music should sound and hip-hop should sound for Twista, that's what I was on. So I liked Category F5. Were you already entering the whole security and firearm industry at that point? Felt like that title would have been. Yeah, around this time, I'm interested in it. Around this time, I'm still having my concealed carry and stuff like that. But now I'm starting to entertain possibly being an instructor and stuff like that.

You know, around this time. You got Gun Cap, right? Didn't take it fully serious. Yeah, Gun Cap. Yeah. Okay, let's go through the albums. Let's talk about that. I know. We need to bring Gun Cap down Yeah. Okay, let's go through the albums. Let's talk about that. I know.

We need to bring Guncap down here. Yeah. Man, I'm telling you. Let's do it. All right. Then The Perfect Storm. The Perfect Storm. That was dope, too.

That was me doing my independent thing. At this time, it's not as fulfilling to me, but I'm still loving music, doing my thing. I came with the perfect storm, but like I said, just not fully what I wanted to be, you know, vibe-wise, energy-wise, so at this time, I'm just making music. I think I'm trying to find which direction I'm going in next around this time. You know, say huh well yeah i had that record on there but i still wasn't as excited about the whole project overall i knew that i wasn't in a good space creatively and just musically like i wanted to be so i was just making music getting through it trying to see where i'm where i'm going next what i'm gonna do next

you're one of them guys that got to get away to make a whole album, or you like to stay home? A little bit of both. For some reason, though, I found that I got to be, I got to be in the, I got to be grimy. I like to be in a grimy situation to make a record. For real. Like, I could go like, you know, we could go to L.A. and shit.

I could be, you know, in the hills, you know, writing my shit. That's dope, but I would rather, I need to be in some grimy shit. Like, I feel like I'm going to make the real music

in a pissy project hallway. Right. Maybe it takes you back to when you started. I got to be, I got to have some element of where I came from. Right.

You would have loved DMX. To draw Right. You would have loved DMX. To draw from. You would have loved DMX. Yeah, me and him probably would have been making the fuck out of some music. Which goes good with the next title. I'm telling you. Dark Horse. Yeah.

Yep. That's my jam too, man. That whole project right there is, I'm vibing with music a little bit more, but all of these projects you name it are projects where I was able to do what I do effortlessly as far as making a song or do a verse or like, damn, you're killing it or doing what you do, mentally. So I'm just kind of making music and making records that I consider as dope, but still searching for what I wanted to do and be on still. So I'm just floating through it. But the records that was on there was my shit. What records was on there? I got too many.

Shit. You got a crazy catalog, man. Yeah, yeah. Yo. Yeah, yeah. Yo. Yeah, the catalog crazy. But overall, when you say that title, that's what I remember about that run right there is me having the capabilities of making music

and doing some music that was satisfactory to my fans and everything, but not commercially successful as I wanted it to be, and just me not really being in a vibe and space that I wanted to be with music at the time, you know. And then with the last two. Yeah, you got Crook County. That was my joint right there.

Crook County, because we started making videos in the hood. This one, this one, we, you know, I got a few of my people around, you know, I'm starting to get it, you know, a few of my camp around, a few of my gun camp people coming around, just a few different faces around, so I'm making music, we going around doing stuff in the hood, my man Bede's around that I'm doing music with, and man, it was just, yeah, yeah, a lot of the homies from Chicago, I got, I think, then we shoot Crook County, like, in Harvey, different spots like that, yeah, so, so Crook County was a record that was dope to me because I was in the streets with it. You know, we was moving around in the streets, having everybody be involved in the music and everything. So that was a dope album. That was a dope project for me at the time.

The last one. It's Summer 96. That's a very poignant title. Summer 96. That's a very poignant title. Summer 96. What's on there? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Especially working with DJ Ferris, you know, because he's one of the big figures in Chicago. That's my man right there. So anytime you got him, you know, anytime you got him on something, you something, it's dope. So just having him be involved with that project and just keeping my whole legacy going was dope.

So that's what Summer 96 was about, was reminding people about when Adrenaline Rush came out, which was the Summer 96. I think it's time to make some noise for that. Thank you. I think it's time to make some noise for that. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser

the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated,

on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and 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'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Glod. And this is season two of the War on Drugs podcast. We are back. In a big way.

In a very big way. Real people, real perspectives. This is kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We got Ricky Williams, NFL player, Heisman Trophy winner. It's just a compassionate choice to allow players all reasonable means to care for themselves. Music stars Marcus King, John Osborne from Brothers Osborne. We have this misunderstanding of what this

quote-unquote drug thing is. Benny the Butcher. Brent Smith from Shinedown. Got B-Real from Cypress Hill. NHL enforcer Riley Cote. Marine Corvette. MMA fighter Liz Karamush. What we're doing now Cote. Marine Corps vet. MMA fighter. Liz Karamush. What we're doing now isn't

working and we need to change things. Stories matter and it brings a face to them. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And to hear episodes

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

and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide. And hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Did you do it? You ain't never do it versus, right?

Nope. No, that would be a crazy versus. I don't know who I would do it with though. People always ask me, but I don't really know who I would do it with. Who you think? Tech Nite would be a good one. Who do you think? Tech Nite would be a good one. Who said that? Busta? I think, see, when people say Busta, they just think fast rap,

but I think we kind of, besides the fast rap, we're slightly two different artists. You know what I mean? So I don't know. Who would you want? I don't know. That you want? I don't know that's a tough one who?

Beanie Seymour two different genres but I don't think it has to be I don't think it has to be an even matchup in terms of what we think it should be off

it should showcase two different styles Mystical Mystical would make sense. Mystical would be ill. Mystical? That'll be a dope one. Let's keep thinking, y'all.

Come on. Common. Keeping on some Chicago shit. Like a Chi-Town thing? Yeah. See, Crazy part of a group, though. You know what I mean? Not but Crazy was also solo.

Right. Did you see that? Did you see that versus with them in 3-6? Yeah, I saw it. I saw it. Yeah, I saw it. That's crazy. How did y'all fix y'all problem?

Who? Me and Bone? Yeah, Bone. Well, see, me and Bone, we had mutual friends. Okay. See, Lazy, yeah, it was L it was lazy bone lazy moves around a lot he you know he got a lot of mutual friends that i got and uh in indiana at the time we had uh our buddy named chew you know he was doing a song with him at the time with his with his group and what

he was doing and then he knew me and he was like wait a minute y'all got beef or something like that so what he did- Y'all was beefing for years, right? And this is on wax, disc records and all that. You know, the style and, you know, so what he did at the time was he orchestrated a song and he paid Lazy to get on a song and paid me to get on a song. Right. Without telling y'all, yo, we're going to be on it together?

Oh, no, Chew didn't care. He told us, you know, he said, I want y'all to do a song together. Ooh, I want, man, y'all can't be beefing. Ooh, ooh, ooh. And so once me and Lazy got together. Shout out to him for doing that. Yeah, yeah. So shout out to my man Chew for making that happen.

And man, once me and Lazy clicked, it was over. He was so cool. You know, we chopped it up. We did that song. And then I knew them was going to be my guys ever since then. And then the next time I, like, caught a good vibe with them was when we did Spit Your Game. Big, big. Yeah, the Biggie joint.

Yep. And then I got a chance to chop it up with Crazy Bone and let them know how I felt about the group, you know. Right. And we just got on the same wave. Because how weird is that? Like, in rap, like, you know, we'll go through shit like that for, like, two, three years, beefing with some shit. Yeah.

We don't even really know. We don't know. And we're making diss records. We're doing all that. Yeah. Like, how weird is weird is that like you know what i mean that shit is weird i'm gonna tell you what was weird is having the beef with with with tretch going on at the time and this shit was so serious you had a beef with tretch we had a meeting in chicago about this shit you know because you know a lot of people know, like, that was one of the times where this was one of the reasons. This is how one of the ways Twista got formed is when I didn't get accepted from people that I was fans of.

So Tretch said a little something on the record, you know. Because, yeah, I didn't understand where y'all, where i bone i understood because of the the style similarity so i didn't understand anything when i heard about it then and when i when i reiterated and just uh look today it's old now so i'll tell you please we had a a show in chicago At this time, they had formed the House of Pain. Huh. I saw Everlast

because I knew him from, he used to come in the office at Loud Records. Okay. So, boom, we talking. He like, man, let me holler at you. So, it's old now.

We can laugh about it. Everlast said, you didn't hear it from me. Tretch dished you on his new shit. What? So, I go listen to the shit. I'm listening.

I'm waiting. I ain't hear nothing. Then finally the record come on. I put a few blows in cargo so you could tongue twist your ass back to Chicago. What record was that? I forgot which one, but you can find it. You can find it. So I was a one, but you can find it. Right, right. You can find it.

So I was a fan, though, at the time. So this shit broke. I'm like, damn. You know what I mean? So I'm pissed off about it. So I started dissing. After Hip Hop Parade? This is.

Around that time. Like, probably around that time. Yeah, they lit. Yeah, they lit. Okay, okay. They lit. And Trey's is ill, man He's an ill MC

But see, then I heard stories later Like, people used to see my video come on And then Fuck with him Like, oh shit, dude The fuck you up with So he got pissed off And he dissed me

So then we end up having a meeting in Chicago Cause it was like The shit seemed like it was gonna escalate Into some other shit Right But then the funniest shit happened. We get to New York, and we do the big-ass cover for XXL with all of the rappers and shit. In Harlem.

Yeah, we standing on the street. Who the fuck walk up and shit? Trench. Right. We like, oh, shit. He said, yeah, see, I told you. Y'all in my hood now. It's cool.

And he kept it moving. He was like, ooh. Wow. So, you know, that, see, I told you. Y'all in my hood now. It's cool. And he kept it moving. He was like, ooh. Wow. So, you know, that's where you learn some shit. You got to learn. This is me navigating through the industry. This is one of the things that helped me learn how to move, you know. So at that time, we had got a little cordial before that incident.

But had it been some shit going on, that could have been me right there. You know what I'm saying? On that other end right there. That's crazy. That's crazy. Glad that didn't escalate. Yeah, yeah. And y'all worked it out.

Y'all worked it out. Yeah, yeah. Tretch is an artist I always wanted to do music with. He's one of the illest, man. Yeah. Yeah. What'd you say? Oh, all right.

Cool. I keep forgetting you from Jersey. That's just... Jeez Louise. You gotta let it go. What about Redman, though? And Redman too? What about Redman?

Yeah, I'm a Redman fan. So what's your favorite part of the game? Is it making the music or performing the music? Because going through your catalog, I'm like, this motherfucker can perform every day of the year. Just going through your catalog, I'm like, this motherfucker can perform every day of the year. Just going through your catalog, I'm like, yo, yo, you can do anything. I'm not trying to persuade your answer. So hold on. Maybe I shouldn't have said that.

But what's your favorite? Is it making the music or performing the music? I think performing it. What's your guess? What's y'all guess? Yeah, performing it. I like making it, though. But I would say performing it is more my favorite. Performing it?

Yeah, yeah. You got to explain why. And wait, wait. Have you ever spit something in the studio so fucking fast that you couldn't perform it? No, I make sure not to do that. Okay. Like, yeah. You know, when you, I try to stay truthful with the shit like i try to to

stay within the boundaries of what's possible because the skill is the clarity in which your lyrics yeah exactly like like everybody got their own reasons for why they rap like that but but for me it's not just about rapping fast it's about how quickly can you do it at a dope cadence where you can hear everything right so so when i'm making the music like that like uh i try to stay within my boundaries of what i know that's humanly possible like a nigga need to take a breath right here so i'm gonna make sure uh you know just just stuff like that so sorry i cut him off so performing performing yeah so performing i like it better because even when i'm making music making music comes from performing in my head you know when you when you writing these lyrics most of the time like a lot of artists unconsciously even realize that they place

themselves in the fucking middle of a rap battle or concert or something when they coming up with the rhymes and they look at the audience react to the lyric in their mind and then they say yes i'll go with it you know so a lot of my creativity comes from performing in my mind so at the end of the day to actually get to do it in person that's what a full thrill make some noise for that are you sure you don't want a shot of this Japanese whiskey?

This is that good shit. Nah, man. This doing me ain't good enough right here. And let's just be clear. The reason why you don't drink like that is because

you're a gun instructor? Yeah, firearms instructor. You're not like the dude that be in the car like this. Oh. Yeah, no. No, you do this. You know this guy?

You know what I'm talking about? The guy? That dude, he's huge now. He gonna get somebody killed. He be like this. If a person come up to you, you go, ah, ah. You don't know what I'm talking about?

No, but he's a good instructor. That guy tell you how to do martial arts or some shit. His kid gotta be up. You don't know what I'm talking about? I know exactly what you're talking about. Yeah, one of my buddies in Chicago

is killing it doing like parodies of that dude right now. Yeah, because he's going to get somebody hurt. Man. You're not listening to him, right? Hell no. He's a firearms instructor. It's different. It's different.

You better not listen to him. Yeah. So explain what he just said. You said you're a firearms instructor. Yeah, just like firearms instructor. Like, so if you want to get your concealed carry or something like that, or just do advanced firearm training. Like tactical shooting, you teach that?

Yeah, mostly how to shoot in general. Some defensive shooting. What if you had a felony? Can I still go? Oh, man. Maybe I shouldn't have said that. You know, we probably can get you in a situation where we get some people to see if you can get it expunged first. And then after that situation, then you can.

So we have had people that have had felonies before that got their record expunged and was able to get their concealed carry. Yeah. Tell them to look out for me. Yeah. So, yeah. They can say you got the hookup on that. You got the hookup on anything but expungement. Holy moly, guacamole. Oh, yeah. They can say you got the hookup on that. You got the hookup on anything but expungement. Holy moly, guacamole.

Oh, no. I'm fucking with you. No, but. So, what made you get into that? You love firearms? Yeah, just. I've seen you, like, have a whole rhyme about a gun. Yeah, just.

That's doing, like, a rap review. Like, you have a, you got guys that do gun reviews. And then, you know, giving the description of the gun so my version is like a rap review uh of a gun that i might like or something like that but you know just really just passionate about the whole firearm stuff so uscca instructor nra instructor how people are visualizing chicago as being bad outside of like downtown and things like that with all the things going on. Is it that easy to just get guns? And I'm talking about obviously.

Yeah. I mean, that's the problem. The problem is illegal guns. That's the problem right there is guns getting in the hands of people that shouldn't have them. You know, that's the problem. And I think, you know, education is part of the key. Even though that's happening, I think when you re-educate the mind about a firearm, because we used to just growing up hearing rappers talk about, yeah, yeah, yeah.

You never really heard a person rap about a gun in a flyway or something, you know, something different. And respect for the weapon. Yeah, yeah, having respect for the weapon. I mean, you know, like I said, I do competition shooting and stuff like that. So I try to change the whole narrative and perspective about guns because I think education and perception is one of the keys to help stir what's going on the other way. You know what I mean? What are your favorite guns? Pick two.

An assault rifle and a handgun. Assault rifle? What's that? You ain't talking about an AR? No, I'm cool. No, I saw you posted this. I wanted you to tell me how I could get it. The one that collapsed.

An AR. Is that an AR? Yeah. It collapsed into like almost, it looked like. Yeah, it's called folding AR. Yeah, the company's called Folding AR. Yeah, that's a dope one right there. It's an AR that folds?

It folds into like, it almost looks like a handgun at one point. But you know, AR doesn't mean assault rifle. It's the first two letters in the company, Armalite. Oh, so it's not an AR-15 automatically. It means Armalite Model 15. So AR is just the first two letters in the company. You're not a Republican though, right? I'm not into politics.

I mean, if he was, what does it matter? We not associated. What does it matter? I'm not in politics I mean if he was what does it matter I don't do the politics we not so stated what does it matter I'm neutral yeah I'm neutral with you I'm neutral holy shit

what you you fuck with Joe Byron Joe Byron Byron so you are a Republican hey what's that

what's that Japanese nah I ain't gonna lie listen man Joe Byron is disappointing me So you are a Republican. Hey, what's that? Listen, man. Joe Biden is disappointing me, man. That nigga ain't been outside, Slav. What's going on? I don't know what's happening, man. Listen, I do not want to big up Trump at all.

But at least you felt Trump. You felt his presence. No, one wasn't outside. One was outside too much. Man, fuck that. I don't even know I got a president. felt Trump. You felt his presence. No, one isn't outside. One was outside too much. They both were terrible. I don't even know I got a president. I don't feel like I'm an American. Come on, bro. Come on, bro.

Come on. He outside right now with Russia. That Russia shit is real right now. I'm definitely not rocking with what's going on right now. There's a lot of things going on. I ain't really rocking with no situation just trying to take my guns away, neither, you know what I'm saying? There you go.

You know, I stand up for the Second Amendment, so, you know. So you're not taking Joe Byron to dinner? No, he can't go to dinner with me. I'm straight. Holy guacamole, this is crazy, this is crazy. Well, you didn't say the handgun. What handgun would you pick? Uh-oh.

Yeah, someone's picking the handgun for us. That's the feds saying, hey. It's a bunch of choices, but right now I'm going to say staccato, man. I like staccato XC or staccato P-Duo. Okay. What rounds does that shoot? What kind of rounds? Nine millimeter rounds. Okay. What rounds does that shoot? What kind of rounds? Nine millimeter rounds.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah, that's a good one. CZ Shadow, too. I like them, too. Yeah. Holy moly. Now you got to join Hope with Faith Evans.

Say that again? You got to join Hope with Faith Evans. Yeah, yeah. Very dope. Shout out to Faith. She's Drink Champ's alumni. That's dope, man. How'd y'all put that together?

That record, Atlantic had a lot to do with that record. She was on Atlantic as well? Yeah, she was on Atlantic as well. Okay. And that record, it was used for,

I forget the name of the show, but it was a family that wanted a home of the show, but it was a family that wanted a home, and the show was involved in helping families get homes, and the little girl in the show liked Hope. It was one of her favorite songs. So we got a chance to kind of take that song a little further, which is really one of the reasons I made the song.

I'm like, man, I want to try to do something dope with this song, not let it just be something normal. So when she got on it, and then we got a chance to get involved with that whole thing, that was dope. Yeah, I was vibing with that. And you also did a game show. Damn, did I? What game show?

It was a different one. I did a game show? Huh? Yeah, True Dare. I don't even remember that shit. You get a lot of money, true. Something. True, dear. I don't even remember that shit. Yeah. You get a lot of money, man. You get a lot of money.

Don't worry. We got drunk facts here. We don't remember anything. Now I remember. Yeah, now I remember. Right, right. Yeah, I remember. I was in and out like a thief in the night.

Okay. You fuck with that type of shit? Because you also did a Netflix show, T.I., The Judge. Yeah, yeah.I., The Judge. Yeah. You fucking with that type of shit, doing reality or? It got to be something I'm interested in, though. It can't just be like just off the fly, you know.

If it's something that I like or I'm interested in, I'm with it. But, you know. How about podcasting? Yeah, if it's something I like. Yeah. Yeah. As long as the subject matter is in shape. You can do Firearm. A podcast about Firearm. A podcast about Firearm. It's going to be lit. something I like. Yeah, as long as the subject matter is in shape. You can do firearms. A podcast about firearms.

A podcast about firearms. It's going to be lit. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, so. Yeah. I'm actually working on something similar to that. Well, let us know if we can help.

Yeah. But you just going to shoot shit up? No, I ain't just going to shoot shit up. I mean, that would be hard to record that audio. No, no, no. I'm fucking with you. I'm fucking with you. Haz would hate that.

I mean, you know, we do have a, you know, an outdoor range situation. I've seen you got an outdoor range. Bam, you know. And it's black people shooting. Yeah, yeah. Accurate. Black people shooting accurately and safely. And safely.

Yes, sir. On the farm. Yeah. Is it a farm or it's like a... Yeah, it's a farm. And this is Illinois. This is not Chicago. Yeah, this is Illinois.

Okay, cool. Jeez Louise, Papa. You got to come out and shoot with me one day. Can't you? I think so. Can we bring it down here? Can we do it down here? Yeah, we can do it down here too.

Yeah, we'll sponsor. We'll do something. Yeah. It'll be fly. And not BB guns. No. This is the rigadella. I got a few.

You got some? No, you got none. I got a few. You got some? No, you got none. I got a few. Hey, man. I got something for you. I got something for you.

Now, we need to bring out more things. Hey, man. Hey, man, Twister, man, I ain't gonna lie. I feel like

I'm taking another shot before we let you go. You got more? Are we good? Come on. Come on. Anybody else?

Come on. Come on, bro. Woo. You want to take a shot of this Japanese whiskey and get your life right? You know what I'm saying? Come on, bro. Woo! Cuz. You want to take a shot at this Japanese whiskey and get your life right?

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Yeah. Take a shot at this. I will say this. What advice would you give artists to have the longevity you had? Yes, that's very true.

And to stay consistent with the style you want. You know, you stay true to your style. That's the one main thing is really nothing is more important than being really yourself. Because you will get caught up in somebody else hype fast. And you will start curving your shit to sound like they shit and looking like, you know. You know what I'm talking about, right? Yeah, I know.

You know, so the main thing is to stick with your shit. And then you got to know it's a youth-driven sport, too. So when you listen to music, a lot of times I'll see when artists start to say certain shit is whack or they don't like certain shit, that's when you starting to lose touch a little bit. As soon as you say, that shit whack, or I don't like that, that's when your ass getting old. When it come to that mind state of music. Some other that shit whack, go on like that, that's when your ass getting old. When it comes to, you know, that mind state of music. Some other shit is whack, though. I mean, you can't say everything's dope. I'm not saying everything is dope, but...

Definitely not saying everything's whack. When you're saying something is whack that's winning, then you got to ask, why is it winning? You know, it's a reason it's winning. No, but there's certain shit that's a fad, a fade that you could tell they got a great six months and then it's gonna go away.

Then there's certain shit you're like, I don't understand it. I might not like it but I'm gonna respect it. But then there's gimmicks going on. Not to say there wasn't gimmicks going on in the 90s.

See, I was, the way I was raised from hip hop, some shit is whack, man. The reason I got around here is because New York motherfuckers is whack. The shit is whack. And I came up off of New York era. That New York motherfuckers would say that. Yeah. So that's my vibe right there. So some shit is just whack.

But for the most part, there's a reason why something is winning. So if something is whack, a lot of times, like I've heard whack shit, but then it'll be winning, so I'll pay more attention to it.

And then I'll have an... The production could be dope. The way that this person is writing on the beat could be dope. We're all programmed. is writing on the beat could be dope. We're all programmed. You know what it is? We don't want to be that old nigga

that turned into the hater. Mm-hmm. So when we know that, so we don't want to be like, oh, look at that, you know, back in my day. Like, we don't want to keep being like that. So you say, all right, cool, and you, like, start participating

into certain shit, and certain shit is, like, not right. Yeah, it's not right. It's not right. But you got to figure out like what I've always taken as... You fuck with Island Boys? No.

That's different, bro. No. That's not even... That's different. I went too far. That's different. That's different. I went too far.

No, you went too far. You went too far. And I feel... They cute me too. I feel bad. Hey, man. Hey, man. They getting money, man.

Hey, man. They getting money. We don't know what they getting. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully. You're getting money. We don't know what they're getting. Hopefully. Hopefully. Hopefully. You went too far. Yeah.

Now, what was you saying? What was you saying? He wanted to hear you spit something. I've been sipping that shit. Yeah, that is it. You know what that is? It won't come out.

Ace of Spades. This is Ace of Spades. This is the finest from the come out. Ace of Spades. This is Ace of Spades. This is the finest from the Alps mountains of everywhere. It won't come out. Come and see me give a lobotomy.

Gotta be up in the rhythm with a bottle with a bit of me and a bit about it with a pitter patter. What's the matter with that? Almost, bro. Watch out.

Sonny about to grab that put it on a verse with him. He's going to spin on it. Holy shit, that was hard. That was hard. So, do you still love the game the same way? I love it differently. I wouldn't say the same way. Not the same way. Not the same way.

It's different. I would say I still love making music. I still love creating music. But what makes me love it differently is other things going on that I realize that I can take my music and bridge it with what I do, right? Even with me being a firearms instructor and just knowing that I could take my music and literally rap about the stuff I'm doing. Like I'm telling you, me doing a 60 second gun review, stuff like that, just being able to play with it. So

the one thing with music is I think you have to find ways to keep making it passionate to you. Right. ways to keep making keep making it passionate to you right so you got yeah to anybody you know you gotta sometimes when you start to lose your passion for music try to find something else that's going on it's like keep yourself relevant to yourself yeah what yeah keep yourself relevant to yourself but also find what what else that you may be passionate about and try to see if you can use some of that and put it over here with what you know how to do in terms of music, if you still want to do it. You fall out of love with music before?

Yeah, all the time. All year. Is it the music or the game? The music or the game, yeah. Because the game is a totally different thing. The game. The game. The game.

Because the fans is always great. Yeah, so it game. The game. Because the fans is always great. Yeah, so it's definitely the game. Making the music is always great, but... Yep, making the music, performing, everything is great. You know who's fucked up about it? Even having to learn the music business. Like, you would think, like, everything's supposed to be fair. Like, we all, you know what I'm saying, love the same culture.

Then you got to realize, damn, I can't even trust this guy. I got to actually... I actually got to read, and I actually got to actually gotta read and I actually gotta know this and I gotta you know go through that was that something you had to go through yeah hell yeah all the time like I had years of my life or years of my rap career

shaved off from going through label drama stuff like that so yeah I was like to me I was one of the artists that got the worst of that type of shit, you know, so. The worst of? Of label drama, or not being able to put out music, or dealing with drama with labels.

Yeah. You wasn't throwing chairs when you're here, unless you was. You was throwing? Uh-huh. I wasn't throwing chairs. I might have threw a few words, but I ain't. Some harsh words, too. Wait, wait, wait.

Shit. Shit. Did I cuss Craig out before? I might have cussed Craig the fuck out one time. He probably used to it. But he used to that shit. Yeah, he used to that. Yeah, you took your Japanese whiskey?

Are we taking another shot? Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, dog. This is the dark side. Cheers, cheers. You stayed in the champagne section. We respect that. There. You stayed in the champagne section. We respect that. There's no sex in the champagne room. Man.

How you feel? And he pouring heavy still. He ain't learned, man. So you fuck with strip clubs? When we got to go there, you know. So that's not what, what do you do? Shoot guns. You go out there.

You just shoot people. I shoot guns. You shoot people? What the fuck? I don't shoot people. Come on, man. No, I said shoot shit. That's your version of fun?

Like on a night where you can just go out, chill. You going out and you want to go to shoot. Oh, we probably going on the farm and shooting some ars and ak's that released a lot of stress doing that you hunting too or y'all just not yet but i'm about to start getting into some hunting yeah yeah oh you're going all in what we hunting sir man if i go out there and chill with y'all once you clear me with the army some boars or something you know like my whole thing if i hunt it's got to be something that's going to be for a reason. A good reason.

Like that we could eat? If I actually came through, he never comes through. Cheese the week, son of a cheese. Big job, brother. Big job. Big job, brother, big job. Yeah, that's the hardest record. That's your brother right there.

So, yeah, yeah, pop that. Go ahead. Go ahead, go ahead, go ahead, go ahead. Don't think I'm peeping, but we at it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, that's what we doing for fun? We going out? Yeah, man.

You know, I'm, you know, in my thing, I'm training a lot, too, because, you know, I'm into the competitive shooting, so I'm always training and shit. Right. Yeah. So, let's just be clear, because I ask everybody this. So, how much pussy do you think you got through throughout your whole career? throughout your whole career? Throughout your whole career, like, yeah.

I mean, you're not married no more. I Googled it, right? Y'all niggas is good. I mean, I still got a family and everything, so, you know, I probably had my fun in my lifetime and- Because you had some big- You know, I know how it is having big records. I don't know how your playlist was crazy today when I was going through it.

So I'm like, I was just calculating. I was like, you know how these cop niggas money? I was just calculating the pussy that I think you finger popped. You know what I'm saying? We have fun. We have fun. You have fun? Yeah.

You have fun? Come on. Come on. No, we have fun. Give us a little. No celebrities? No. Oh, you knocked down a couple of those?

No celebrities. No celebrities. No celebrities. No celebrities. No celebrities. knocked down a couple of those? No celebrities. No celebrities. No celebrities. Make some noise for Motherfucking Twister. My bad, my bad. I got crazy at the end? Don't worry about it. No, you can.

It's cool. It's cool. Your man ready to tell. He ready to tell. He looking like, yeah, we been outside, nigga. This is my cousin, too. This is my cousin. That's your cousin?

Oh, you been? Yo, yo. So how about you? How about you? How about you? How about you? How about you? How about you? How about you? He's looking like, yeah, we've been outside, nigga. I see. This is my cousin, too. This is my cousin. That's your cousin?

Oh, you've been, yo. Yo. So how crazy is it? I don't want to talk about that. Oh, no. Oh, yo. No, we off that. Like, just be it.

You know what I mean? Yeah, it's love, man. Because, you know, like we said, like, you know, from seeing Chi-Town, you know, coming from the era where you and Carmen and seeing, like, all this drill things happening. And people are ending, you know, with the Kanye and even everyone, like, the people having the light on y'all city. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, how y'all, like, you know?

Like, you've seen the whole process, right? Yeah, pretty much, man. Uh-huh. He did a lot, man. He's very interesting. Uh-huh. He taught a lot. You know what I'm saying? He took us to, you know. He's a good lot, man. Very interesting. He taught a lot. You know what I'm saying?

He took us to, you know. He's a good guy, man. And I forgot to say the brat, right? Did I? I didn't say the brat. Yeah, yeah. We talked about the brat. Yeah, that's my girl.

No problems. That's the homie. You know what I'm saying? Nah, the brat and Sean are my sisters. Man, Sean. They are. I done drunk on them. I'm faded.

Oh, you drunk? Yeah. Oh, shit. You want another shot of Japanese? Let's take another shot. Fuck it. Yeah, that's it. Just end it them. I'm faded. Oh, you're drunk? Yeah. Oh, shit. You want another shot of Japanese whiskey? Let's take another shot. Fuck it. Yeah, that's it. Just end it out.

One more shot. Go end it off, man. End it out. I told you not to pour heavy. You can drink that D'Ussé. You can drink that D'Ussé, too. Whatever you want. It's closer to you.

Nah, the D'Ussé. Come on, drink the champagne. You want that Japanese? Yeah, come get that Japanese. Yeah. Let me get the champagne. Okay, yeah, let me get you the champagne, baby. Damn it, here.

You can pop a new one, too, if you want. See, I see you getting loose at the end. I see you getting loose at the end. I know what's going on over here. Now we starting on over here. No, it's your turn. Once again, like I said, man, you know, we just want to give people their flowers while they're alive.

You know what I mean? And people, you know, every time you're in this game, people who got 10 years or more, they want to tell you you washed up. They want to say, we don't want that hair. We're going to pick up our legends. We're going to always salute our legends. Thank you. Give it to your face.

You know what I mean? We ain't afraid to say, you know, our niggas is great. We're going to hold it down legends. We're going to always salute our legends. Thank y'all, man. Give it to your face. You know what I mean? We ain't afraid to say, you know, our niggas is great. We're going to hold it down. You know what I mean? Thank y'all for being a part of that. Thank y'all for coming out. Yeah, appreciate you coming. Y'all got me.

Wow. Let me just take some clips. Yeah. You get loose now. I don't know if we wrap it up cause I feel like you still I feel like you ain't done no I'm good okay alright

cool 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 platforms, at TheRealNoriega on IG, at Noriega on Twitter. Mine is at Who's Crazy on IG, at DJEFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful?

The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time. Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of star-studded a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. 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. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company. The podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi.

We dive into the competitive world of streaming. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. There are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.