Drink Champs - Episode 323 w/ Consequence

Episode Date: July 22, 2022

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the one and only, Consequence!  Get your 🍿 ready and enjoy the ride. Consequence shares stories of his journey,... working with Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest and more. Cons talks VERZUZ, Joe Budden, ghostwriting vs. songwriting and much much more! Lots of great stories that you don’t want to miss!! Make some noise for Consequence!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆   Listen and subscribe at http://www.drinkchamps.com  Follow Drink Champs: http://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps http://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps http://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps  DJ EFN http://www.crazyhood.com http://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy http://www.twitter.com/djefn http://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions  N.O.R.E. http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga http://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 This is an iHeart Podcast. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful?
Starting point is 00:00:50 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
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Starting point is 00:02:05 two on the iHeartRadio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast welcome to drink champs a production of the black effect and iHeartRadio We'll be right back. In the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs motherfucking podcast. Where every day is New Year's Eve. It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfuckers. What up, Gooby? Hope it is what it should be.
Starting point is 00:02:59 This your boy, N-O-R-E. What up, it's DJ E-F-N. And this is Drink Champs motherfucking Yappy. I will make some noise! And when you talk about legend, legend, talk about a man who's not only made hits, but been behind constant hits for years. See, he came in the game.
Starting point is 00:03:19 I believe we first heard him, first time we heard him officially is 96 with Tribe. But I heard he started out in 93. We're going to ask that later. Oh, you know he was running before that. But he has been, you know, I had to do my due diligence. And I had to go, you know, look at other interviews he's been doing and other things. And boy, it's a roller coaster.
Starting point is 00:03:44 And most of us love roller coasters. It's been, you know, great times, but when the man feels something, he expresses it. He's not the type to hold back. He's going to talk what he feels, he's going to feel what he says, and all that. But in case you don't know who I'm talking about, we we talk about one of the illest ghost riders in the game one of illest hit makers in the game songwriters songwriters excuse me
Starting point is 00:04:13 excuse me because he gets his credit his name on the back of it y'all mean y'all mean so in case you Casey oh no and he did do reality shows a little bit a little bit no bit but Casey don't know what talking talk about the mother one the only phone for my home barrel Queens now on Google let's get straight, on Google it says... Pay no attention to Google. All right. Put that out there. Pay no attention to Google. All right.
Starting point is 00:04:49 That's some rando who could be a reporter or whatever, just hasn't done any fact checks. So officially in 96? No, 93. Oh, 93, that's what I'm saying. That's what Google did say. It started in 93, rhyming. I guess your first official record was 96. No, it started before that. Before that? It rhymed first record. It started in 93, rhyming. I guess your first official record was 96.
Starting point is 00:05:06 No, it started before that. Before that? I was rhyming since 89. Wow. Wow, that's real. Yeah, you know, it's funny. I felt like Kevin Hart when he was interviewing the dude, he said, damn, I almost said that. I almost said that.
Starting point is 00:05:21 Yeah, Q-Tip Mom was pretty much my first cosign. Wow. So my grandma, what happened was my grandma was died at 89, and a friend of mine who I eventually ended up rapping with, his brother got killed the same year, a little before that. Maybe like winter of 88, he got popped in a dead end. So what happened was my man, my man Ike, his brother Lamar used to rap. So Ike, to cope with the grief, took his rap book and started singing his raps.
Starting point is 00:06:00 And then my grandma, she died of leukemia uh 89 so i started writing because i saw how it helped ike you know uh processing and didn't cope with the cope with the grief so that's how i actually started rapping and um q-tip mom um actually saw what I was doing and definitely she was like a cheerleader to Tip as far as eventually me being given the opportunity in 93 to do the
Starting point is 00:06:36 chase part too. Shout out to Mama Davis. You on Q-Tip mothers and sisters? Nah, we second cousins. You know what I'm saying? So it's a... I moved to New York from California in 88. Wow.
Starting point is 00:06:56 So I had connected with a bunch of family back on the East Coast. My mom and pop had... My pops was in the Navy, so we was living in San Diego. We were stationed out there. My mom and the had, my pops was in the Navy, so we was living in San Diego, he was stationed out there, you know what I mean, my mom and the pops eventually divorced, and then we came back to the East. But y'all was from New York originally, and then moved? Yeah, I'm from New York, and my sister was born in San Diego.
Starting point is 00:07:15 Okay, okay. Yeah, yeah, so that's how, that's how. I ain't never knew that, I ain't never knew that. Yeah, so I actually got a 619 number, I'm about to turn off, but I got a 619 number. Right, right. Just in homage to that time period. Right. So let's go over because, like I said, there's a couple of interviews with you out there.
Starting point is 00:07:37 Now, we're doing drink chance. First of all, when we spoke, right, we said this was going to be Queens all day. You're not doing nothing I already did. You're not doing none of that. Let's get to the point. Let's get to one point. I seen the Kanye documentary. Okay.
Starting point is 00:07:52 I hit you. I thought you hit me, but I hit you. Right. I hit you, and I was like, yo, bro, this is dope, man. Right. And I couldn't tell, but I kind of thought That you didn't like it From the first episode I don't remember If we spoke since then
Starting point is 00:08:07 Right Um Well my take on it You know There's a business side to it Right And there's Obviously there's a personal
Starting point is 00:08:14 And there's a Just a perspective Right From living it You know what I'm saying The business side Um I ain't fucking with
Starting point is 00:08:21 Certain niggas cause of that Right But When you say business The way it was put together The documentary Oh I'm not gonna be on Netflix And I don't fucking with certain niggas Because of that Right But When you say busy The way it was put together The documentary I'm not going to be on Netflix And I don't get no check
Starting point is 00:08:29 Got it Right That's against my principles Right You know what I'm saying Like when he gave the intro You know Rollercoaster this
Starting point is 00:08:37 That and the third But once again I've always been able to retain Ownership of what I do How I do it Right My likeness, so forth and so on.
Starting point is 00:08:46 So when someone takes that, it takes it upon themselves not to... I just signed a waiver, didn't I? Right. I didn't sign a waiver to be on Netflix.
Starting point is 00:08:55 Right. I signed a waiver to be on Revolve. So I got to sign a waiver to be on Netflix. That's business. I don't got nothing to do. But who do we point the finger for that? Is it Ye? Because... way but it'd be on Netflix right that's that's business I don't got nothing to do but but but
Starting point is 00:09:05 who do we point the finger for that is it is it yay because no it's not yay so let's just be clear right yay actually does great business right you know I'm saying you know I tip my hat to him you know even from the outside looking in if you if anybody knew the extent of our relationship we've done great business over the years yeah it's been it's a roller coaster ride you're dealing with
Starting point is 00:09:30 some a person who who bust through certain frontiers for not only yourself but for
Starting point is 00:09:40 for the culture you know so that's gonna come with that's gonna come with growing pains. I was with Ye from when you seen in the documentary,
Starting point is 00:09:48 like literally when we, he was trying to figure out All Falls Down. Right. That's him trying to figure it out. That's the first day that,
Starting point is 00:09:57 that was maybe like the fourth time I was with Kanye and that was the first time I met any of those people. So the thing was like when you hit me, I was just like
Starting point is 00:10:04 taking it all in. And you had, had you knew? Cause this guy, Kanye and that was the first time I met any of those people. So the thing was like when you hit me, I was just like taking it all in. Had you knew? I believe we're skipping things because one thing about the documentary is like at the end of the day, I had
Starting point is 00:10:18 already been on David Letterman. I had already been on Moesha. I had already been on Rosie O'Donnell. I had already been on all thatha. I had already been on Rosie O'Donnell. I had already been on all that. I just hit a bad turn with Tribe. But I was already, for all intents and purposes, famous. You know what I mean? So one thing in particular for me was just like, at the end of the day, you know, like I love all the fam that came as far as like me and Kanye Lincoln.
Starting point is 00:10:49 But, you know, a lot of times, sometimes people think I am actually from Chicago and I actually started with Kanye. Which I could understand because the thing about hip hop is like we all document hip hop once we pick up on it, right? So hip-hop starts for... Whenever the beginning is for you. Whenever the beginning is for you. Like, I've had conversations... Sometimes we have a success start. Like, people know we kind of rhymed before L.A., L.A.
Starting point is 00:11:19 People start my career from L.A. and Glade because that's the first time people saw me. That's the beacon point for them, right? Okay, okay. But, you know, I've had certain rappers in this era that are from this era tell me they didn't know who G-Rap was at all. Right, yeah. Which, for me, it's... It's blasphemy.
Starting point is 00:11:37 Right. You know what I'm saying? Because, you know, we know G-Rap as one of the pioneers of of bars you know what I'm saying of storytelling and bars that like he was like saying shit that was just ahead of his time you know what I mean so once again to spin back to that
Starting point is 00:11:56 situation with the documentary um so for me seeing it for me it was uh you know like it wasn't fully explained how me and Ye met the deal we
Starting point is 00:12:11 arranged and it's Kanye's documentary so it's fine I have no issue with the edit it's really Kuti and Chike Kuti and Chike but it's Kuti's it's their documentary Kuti and Chique It's Kuti's Day Story
Starting point is 00:12:25 It's their documentary They didn't build it like that So the issue Then becomes it's Kanye documentary Then For the average person that's the way they look at it Right and that's the thing Once someone takes it in
Starting point is 00:12:40 On a platform like Netflix They're gonna make the assumption that this is the truth. This is the occurrence of events and how it went. So yeah, I mean, and I've said it. I said it to Kool-Aid and Chika in their face.
Starting point is 00:12:58 I went to the SOB joint crash day or whatever and I was like, yo, at the end of the day, I've been on TV like you said. So I understand the process of when a network takes the creative and they apply editing to it they do it with love and hip-hop you you will film I don't know you might film the whole week right and you might get four minutes of that in the episode now this is the problem back to love and hip-hop for a second no matter what love and hip-hop does when you sign that contract if you appear in the episode you get paid right i appeared in three episodes in that of a genius and didn't get a dollar so how am I supposed to feel about that? Hey, yo, Haz, hold up a second.
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Starting point is 00:14:35 Can I be a devil's advocate for a second? You can do whoever you want to be. Yeah, yeah. Because it's serious, but I want to lighten up the mood. But stay on the subject. Is it always all about money? Yes, absolutely. You see what I got on my head?
Starting point is 00:14:54 It's absolutely about, I ain't come to Miami to play with nobody. It's absolutely about that pay book. With me, I don't got nothing to do. See, this is the thing, right? I didn't come into rap to be friends with nobody. I came to get this money.
Starting point is 00:15:06 I'm from Queens. It's Queens get the money. It's not Queens play no games. So where's my money? Right, right, right, right. So let me be devil's advocate for a little while. You can put the horns on too. Okay.
Starting point is 00:15:20 Okay. Okay. Because in all fairness, this is when you, like, not y'all, but y'all first met each other. So there was no contracts. Right, so even in context, let's break it down, right? So this is when we first met. There wasn't Netflix. So even if I were to sign something in, it wouldn't hold weight now.
Starting point is 00:15:39 At the end of the day, there was no streaming platforms. This is going to stream for fortuity. Bro, listen. the day there was no streaming platforms this is gonna stream for fortuity right bro i listen listen i get a nigga out of jail right with the law library i know fam feel me i've been doing contracts since tribe your bro you just check me i need my paper right right but and again and that's for principal I don't need it because I need it I need it over principle You know what I'm saying, it's just
Starting point is 00:16:09 How you going to do, if you're going to do business with your friends Do business with your friends, you're not going to do Somebody else like that And then tell them, you know, you'll make friends Over business, but I've seen a lot of people Make friends over business and then Break up friendships over lack of business Okay, but I I'll throw you a curveball because Listen make friends over business, and then break up friendships over lack of business.
Starting point is 00:16:25 Okay, but I'll throw you a curve ball because, like, you was the only one, like, when I heard that, and then I'm happy. I'm always the only one, by the way. Okay. I'm always the only one. I've been the only one, I'm the only one to ever join Tribe.
Starting point is 00:16:39 Right, wow, wow. But, um. I'm the only one, Ye would even consider the left right anything. I am the only one, I'm the only one Ye would even consider The left right Anything Right I am the only one I'm the one
Starting point is 00:16:48 Right Right So we can take it God damn Thank you It was interesting Because um The same thing
Starting point is 00:16:59 I believe When I spoke to you It was only the first episode Was out right Right It was not I didn't even know there was other episodes. I thought that was just the whole documentary.
Starting point is 00:17:07 Right. That's why I was saluting you, and I didn't see your point at first. Actually, me too, because you were the first person to hit me about it. So I didn't know what the whole layout was. And like I said, it's due to the fact that I've done the kind of business that I've done that I have a point of reference of how to be treated. I don't, I'm not, it's not my documentary. It's not consequences documentaries. It's Kanye's or it's Kanye and Cootie's.
Starting point is 00:17:33 However, the creative part of it goes, I have no issue with that at all. I have an issue with, from being able to operate as a, from an admin side side that there's no clearances. There is no check cut. There's no nothing. And there's no getting around that. Well, put the hat on the other side. Why? This is Louie.
Starting point is 00:17:55 Why? I said put it on the other side. Put it on the other side. What if you had footage, and I'm sure you probably got some footage laying around. You know how many samples I paid for? Right. Over my career? Right. There's no other side. You know how many times I sampled something and I'm sure you probably got some footage. You know, I'm disabled I pay for Over my career, but there's no other side. No me tell us sample son. I had to pay for it All right. I had to pay James Brown
Starting point is 00:18:11 um 5% and $10,000 for hey Lane Collins he didn't even say it. There's a state one in 10,000. That's the game That is the game. That is the game. That's the game we playing. We not, this is the music business. This is not, you know, we obviously. And why people own shit.
Starting point is 00:18:34 Once again, let me put something out to you. On the real, had I got a request or been asked by people I have relationships with, I wouldn't have this position. I didn't go to the screen and I didn't get an invite this so there's nothing for me we talk about the tribe documentary okay you know I'm saying so if we it's not about to your point you saying it's not is everything about the money because the other side of that is the relationship right right but how is there a relationship without communication right if you don't communicate right you can't take the relationship for granted and you can't create a relationship that's not there my relationship is with Kanye West. That's who you saw me with numerous times.
Starting point is 00:19:27 So my relationship is with him. If Kanye comes to me and says, can I get a concession, it's a no-brainer. If somebody just takes something and runs with it, they're actually a thief. It's called professional courtesy. Right, because you actually were doing the work for hire for Kanye at that time.
Starting point is 00:19:44 And it's no respect to the brand value of where it stands right now. Like, I just want a Grammy with Kanye for Hurricane. I'm supposed to have somebody take something from me? Right. That don't make no sense. No way, no how. Right, because let me just, like, for one second. The same day I spoke to Todd, Lim Qualley, because he was in the same episode, right?
Starting point is 00:20:04 Right. So after I spoke to you, Ially and because he was in the same episode, right? Right. So after I spoke to you, I expected him to kind of have the same attitude. And you know, Kanye had just kind of like this. Right, right, right. We didn't talk about that. So when I said to him... We didn't talk about that.
Starting point is 00:20:17 So when I said to him, did you know? I'm going to be honest with you, he didn't know neither. But he didn't say what you said. Nah, but you got to understand something. But see, when Kanye come up here like Darkman and start emptying the clip, right? Right.
Starting point is 00:20:34 He busting that certain niggas because of how they move. Right. You know what I mean? So, yeah, that might not be a concern of his. That's a concern of mine. Right. You know what I'm saying? That's a concern of mine because me and Kanye have done
Starting point is 00:20:46 so much business together that it's a no-brainer. Kanye ain't never tweet like, Kanye's bugging for what he said on such and such about the documentary. Nah, he not because he know it's a bug. Right. It's a whole Milwaukee. It's a whole Milwaukee.
Starting point is 00:21:02 Keep going. Okay, man. This is good. This is good. It's a whole little walkie-talkie. Keep going. Let me grab another one. Okay, man. This is good. This is good. This is good. This is good. So have you spoken to Ye since the Genius?
Starting point is 00:21:14 Have you spoken to people around him? I'm sure. I mean, we have. Me and Kanye, you know, we're number one. Certain things I could divulge in the public, certain things i can't just because of our business arrangements but um you know um i mean he actually kind of alluded to it when he um put up an ig post and he shouted out point pat he said point pat wasn't in the documentary he was an intricate part of Kanye's sustainability all the way around the board, you know, creatively. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:21:49 He was like, you know, if I had five, I think he said something to the extent of I had five, if my fingers were friends, playing pad is one of my fingers, I only got four fingers left. You know what I'm saying? So, you know, and he also said that, you know, he felt a way about people clouding up off of him.
Starting point is 00:22:07 And I could understand that because even when I went to the SOBs, when I went to the SOBs. You said clouding up off of him? Cloud up. Cloud with cloud. Clouding up, right. So even when I went to the SOBs, the sneaky screening, you know, when I walked in there, everybody looked like they were in trouble.
Starting point is 00:22:30 You know what I mean? It was like, it wasn't like, you know, it wasn't like, oh, you know, it was like, oh, shit, he caught us. The sneaky screening for part two? For episode two. Okay, episode two. The L.A. screening was episode one. Okay, got it.
Starting point is 00:22:45 You know what I'm saying? You know, and I performed it, the good, the bad, the ugly. You know, like, the thing is. That's what's confusing right there. You performed. See what I'm saying? They asked me to, though. Caduce was hosting it.
Starting point is 00:22:56 See, I got to stand up a little bit. I got to stand up a little bit. No, no. Venice is Venice. It's all Venice, Norris. None of this is personal. Right, right, right. None of this is personal.
Starting point is 00:23:04 So at the end of the day, if Caduce, if I go on stage right they all gave it wasn't like yo What you doing here? It was like oh you here, but I'm like I'm like yo But y'all doing the way y'all doing the host is not on Front Street, right? You know I mean because at the end of the day like even take take like the situation with shaka i don't know she knew she was gonna end up looking like she ain't believing yay okay okay i'm saying i'm shocker right okay yeah right so even when wayno was out here saying like yo well because that's that's the thing like it was like a whole wave that ain't had nothing to do with nobody who was actually there in that capacity.
Starting point is 00:23:46 And none of them was at Donda. None of them was in Atlanta, right? So if you meet, it kind of looked like shake it like a soul shaker. You might be upset. You know what I'm saying? You might feel like this is your way to bust a lane, but it's almost at the expense of anybody who really get down who really work who really been in the trenches with you you know i'm saying so so because at the end of the day regardless the end result of uh kanye's record deal with rockefeller was the release of
Starting point is 00:24:19 the college dropout right that's the world so so the thing is once again like i said you're gonna go through growing pains in any relationship um a lot of people people fall in love with the final product not the conveyor belt right so if they fell in love with the college dropout then by default then they that yo, I was doing this. You know what I'm saying? They gave me an opportunity. You know what's so funny? Because at one point, when I was signed, I was still signed to Q-Tip through the UMA.
Starting point is 00:24:59 Like, I was supposed to sign to Rockefeller. That's why I was so ironic. Well, not say supposed to, butay was very interested in picking me up and it's funny that jay's kind of always been me and jay i met jay-z 1995 at the gavin and we always always um kind of intermingled we never had like a one-to-one direct relationship but we always kind of intermingled so it's just so funny it was like he spoke to q-one direct relationship, but we always kind of intermingled. So it's just so funny. It was like he spoke to Q-Tip about me. And, you know, at the time, me and Q-Tip was going through a lot of personal things.
Starting point is 00:25:38 So we didn't go that route, but I ended up kind of going that direction anyway. So it's just very ironic. And I'm saying this because I'm actually saluting Jay because, you know, we've had our share of troubles. But he's always seen the value in what I brought to the table. You thought he took a shot at you on anybody, one of them, Yeezy, I might. Yeah, I mean, you you thought you thought Jay was yeah at the time because it was it was up
Starting point is 00:26:08 you still think that though at the time it was up at the time it was up nah because look look here's the thing
Starting point is 00:26:16 right when when it was when we were going through what we were going through was a transition period and me and Kanye
Starting point is 00:26:22 had to have this conversation in private you know some of it is kind of you know has obviously been in the public what we were going through was a transition period and me and kanye have had to have this conversation in private you know some of it is kind of you know has obviously been in the public at the time you know the the hard thing about kanye as my brother right is that it's hard it's it's hard when people will do anything to be next to him right so? So I've seen artists, like, literally, I mean, you know, people just would do anything to be next to Kanye West. This is just a real thing, you know? And them Yeezys, too.
Starting point is 00:26:56 They want the Yeezys, too. So you, so look, here's the thing, right? It wasn't no Yeezys for me. No, back then. It was the sketch pad of him drawing sneakers. You understand? Deep. So before it was something to be on a friends and family list for,
Starting point is 00:27:16 it was just an idea, a dream. Before it was getting out our dreams, it was I have dreams I want to get out. Right? Right. And he and I essentially became like sparring partners on a mic, you know? And it actually worked, you know? He had a, he was, he always,
Starting point is 00:27:39 Kanye's never been a person that was struggling for money. You know, his mom's was well-to-do as far as having a fluence and having a great career in Chicago. So I never met Kanye. I never seen Kanye struggle. I never seen none of that. He came out with a pink polo. I mean, before, the pink polo was part of the product.
Starting point is 00:28:02 I mean, when I met him, you know, he had events. He wanted a bigger events. He had dreams that he wanted to see, see coming to fruition. And he just, it was, it was more about having the tools. So, so when I said earlier about him, me being the one that he would, he would actually rap with,
Starting point is 00:28:27 take rap from, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, it's real, it's at, you know, at one point, we developed a comfort level to where it was like, yo, yo, help me with this, bro, help me with that joint, you know what I'm saying, remember, I did, I had wrote a record that we wanted to submit for Lil' Kim, and she wound up using the chorus that's called Came Back For You. So on the LaBella Mafia album, I actually came up with the idea for the chorus. And I had rhymes that I wanted Kim to take, but Kim was very specific about not taking, wanting to have a ghostwriter at that time or whatever.
Starting point is 00:29:12 And you know, but that shit was fire, and you know, Kanye definitely was like, yo, I had to do the Brandy joint. You know what I mean? What that mean? Huh? What that mean? And man, he had to do the Brandy joint.
Starting point is 00:29:25 Oh, he gave the record to Brandy. That man, he had to do, no, no. You know, the fans watching this know. Oh, okay. You know what I mean? Okay. You know, I got the shades on. I'll hit you with the wink wink.
Starting point is 00:29:35 But, you know what I mean? Okay. So, that began with, that's what began a level of trust, you know what I'm saying, between he and I, you know what I'm saying? And we made a lot of money. My point was I have had to see a lot of people try to do a lot of things just to get in that position. And it wasn't something that I ever did. I never did that. I never was that I never I never
Starting point is 00:30:05 was like I never was on that because I didn't really have to be because it was when we developed our relationship how did you guys connect originally to start with how does that even start we we met right after he did the blueprint um we were introduced uh through to each other by 88 Keys. I met 88 Keys back in the Tribe days. He was just, you know, he had a relationship with Q-Tip. They would, 88, I believe, worked at a record store, I want to say, and Q-Tip would go there to get vinyl at the time when that was a thing with sampling or whatever.
Starting point is 00:30:42 But 88 did beats. He was trying to get them off. So he called Q-Tip's crib one day, introduced himself, like, yo, I got beats. You know, one thing led to another. I still lived in Queens, so I took a trip out to go check him. And he had joints. And we just became friends over time. This was the producer at the time.
Starting point is 00:31:03 He's just a producer. Okay. Yeah, yeah. So, and this is during the recording of Beach Rhymes in Life, going into like, what would be my solo record that didn't, the first product that I've made that never had came out. It was, that was supposed to come out through
Starting point is 00:31:19 Q-Tips label, the museum music. Real quick fun fact, Beach Rhyme in Life artwork, same artist, Scam. Right, yeah, yeah, yeah, shout out to Scam, I actually spoke to him, because I wound up, I think there was a Beach Rhyme and Life, there was a Beach Rhyme and Life anniversary, and somebody added Scam, and I was like, I hadn't seen him in years, and then I saw the drink shams logo, I was like, yo, way to work, and then I saw the drink shams I was like yo and then I remembered he's from Miami
Starting point is 00:31:47 and that's where yeah how'd you know he did it it's on his page oh okay it's on his page
Starting point is 00:31:54 I was like you that L nigga you just looked at his photos this nigga did it this is that nigga right there you know what I mean
Starting point is 00:32:01 so back to so 88 Keys so fast forward it's right after 9-11, and I had a deal at Rawkis that fell through. So you're talking about the roller coaster. So I'm popped. Popped klizzy. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:32:20 And come 2002, January, 88 called me, you know, and he was like, yo, I got a friend of mine that I just did a joint for. And he would like, we were talking about who could be a feature on it. And I brought your name up. And his name is Kanye. He's Kanye West. You might have heard of him. He did a lot of the blueprint for jay-z and and another friend of mine named um hans elder who's uh d dots d dot from uh derrick angeletti's cousin um had brought him up in a conversation and said at the time that me and him me and kanye were very
Starting point is 00:32:57 similar um as far as like his resonation of music like you get like you guys remind me a lot of each other i think it would be cool if y'all hooked up but it was a conversation yeah yeah it was like a premonition like almost native tongue sound huh almost like saying the native tongue sound like what we all kind of seem like y'all belong in native tongue um or more specific to them each other like well I am from the native tongue you know what what I'm saying? I got my back. I'm just saying. But I am from the native tongue. You know what I'm saying? I mean, and I wasn't specifically to the happiness of every member of the native tongue, but nonetheless, it is what it is.
Starting point is 00:33:34 As queens get the money, I came to get it. You mean like y'all are like kindred spirits in terms of music, right? Right, right, right. Right. Because because at the time. So like the sensibility of sampling the the Lauren unplugged joint is a native tongue sensibility for all falls down. You know, like the drum pattern to all Kanye him also is the fact that he's able to jump in and out of lanes when it comes to production, especially. You know what I mean? So one minute he'll have that sensibility, but then could still make stand up for Luda. You know what I mean? Or H to the Izzo, obviously.
Starting point is 00:34:24 You know what I'm saying? Which H to the Izzo does have those same sensibilities, but he was able to beef the production up to where it could go at radio as well. But the Native Tung sensibility is at core a cultural thing. So it's like the culture of what the sound is and the musicality. So that's how we met though. We met through 88 Keys. I did the feature.
Starting point is 00:34:48 He offered to pay me 3,000 or he would be willing to cut, he would be willing to play me beats. Yeah, let me get first pick. So I never bothered him about the 3,000. And like I said before, I literally ate off of that 3,000 for the rest of my life. Let's make some noise for that guy.
Starting point is 00:35:10 So, like I said, I watched these three interviews and it was crazy. Because it was like one where you was like real, real like upset at all of them. From Joe Buttons to even Hov. Because you told Hov to take a shot at you. Oh, you're talking about like that. All right, I know what you're talking about. And then it was just... I never was upset with Pump It Up.
Starting point is 00:35:31 Like, I don't know. I never was upset with Pump It Up. I just felt like Pump It Up came out of his face. So moving forward, I don't want to do nothing else about Pump It Up. Right, right, right. You know what I'm saying? I got a new single out, Bloodstained.
Starting point is 00:35:41 Bloodstained. Retired. I can't argue about Pump It Up. Oh, man. Jesus. Jesus. I mean, I'm just saying. I can't, man.
Starting point is 00:35:51 Bro, come on, bro. I can't argue about Pump It Up. I just want to grab you for the argument about Pump It Up. God damn it. You told me I was a legend. I'm going to argue about Pump It Up? I ain't stressed out. Party.
Starting point is 00:36:07 Hurricane. Stay live. I'm going to argue about pumping up. Would you do versus against? What I do versus against pumping up? I called your wife, man. What I do versus against pumping up? So what are you going to? Nah. I pulled your butt, man. When I do versions of you, it's pump it up. Oh, shit.
Starting point is 00:36:27 So what are you going to... I'm not... Like I said, no, I'm not going to argue about P.I.U., right? It is what it is. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's it.
Starting point is 00:36:40 But no versus. We see you on Mario on them. Right. We see Ray J and... You want me to do pump it up But no versus this we see on Mario Oh, shit. So, move it on. Let's move on. Let's move on. Move it on. All right, boom. Yo, I rap back to back with Busta Rhymes on Tribe album. I'm supposed to. Come on.
Starting point is 00:37:11 Like, we got to put some respect. Like, I'm channeling Birdman. All right. I'm channeling Birdman. We got to. We got to. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, that whole situation was love of hip hop.
Starting point is 00:37:27 Love of hip hop. Right. But let's let's be real. Like outside of love and hip hop. Like, yo, if you run through mine. But you know the rhyme though, cause you can't say. I didn't say. I never said.
Starting point is 00:37:37 I told him to his face he could rap. I never said Joe Brown can't rap. I'm just saying when you go on that, there's a difference between rapping and hits. He got a lot of mixtapes though. So do I. I got to take him to the cleaners. I like this. I'm going to talk.
Starting point is 00:37:51 So do I. I got to take him to the cleaners. I was one of the best at mixtapes of all time. Like I put Kendrick Lamar on a mixtape before anybody did. Talk that talk off. I got Mac Miller on mixtape. I got a bunch of mixtapes. I got a bunch of hits too and I got three BMR awards chunky We respect that
Starting point is 00:38:21 John Legend is rapping on my first album But don't front on Mood Music. Come on, you front on Mood Music. Stop playing with me. You spit that one out. You ain't say that with your chest. You an old Queens nigga. I told you what it was going to be. You ain't say that with to be. You were saying that with that check. You were like, I don't want my nigga.
Starting point is 00:38:49 See, people saying, saying. I'm just trying to like, you know, halfway defend people when they ain't here. You know what I'm saying? No, it ain't about defending. I just said,
Starting point is 00:38:57 yo, it ain't about defending. I know Web and Nitty, personally. Those is my mans. We will, you know what I'm saying? I was the first nigga in the hood to be able to take niggas to the tunnel. You know what I'm saying? I was the first nigga in the hood to be able to take niggas to the tunnel.
Starting point is 00:39:08 You know what I'm saying? I took niggas... Listen, Chris Lighty's daughter is here. That's my family. I lived with Chris Lighty at one point. Me and my moms was getting along because she didn't understand the whole rap dynamic at the time, staying out late. I'm 18 in Tribe.
Starting point is 00:39:23 I'm 18 in a Tribe court quest. They got nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I am not arguing over nobody's mixtape. Respectable. If we going to give you my flowers, I like... Respectfully. Listen, I like potpourri with a dash of daisy. Give me mine.
Starting point is 00:39:46 Let's give him his flowers. Yeah, let's give him his flowers right now. All right, let's give him his flowers. That was a perfect segment. That's right, guys. We don't know if you know our show is about giving people their motherfucking flowers. And one thing for sure, two things for certain, you're a motherfucking legend. And you deserve your fucking flowers. flowers and one thing for sure thing for certain motherfucking legend love you
Starting point is 00:40:05 deserve your dog said it's like winning a Grammy before me appear not one percent is big like you know Sam listen man I waited a year to do drink champs you know that definitely we're trying to put it together for a minute, and you know, the culture at the end of the day is all we got. Right. You know what I mean? Like, at the end of the day,
Starting point is 00:40:33 I can win whatever validated accolade that comes from the music business, but you're only as good as your last game out here. Right. You know what I mean? And we know that we've watched the game wash niggas up. You know what I'm saying? Because they didn't stay connected to the culture.
Starting point is 00:40:51 You know what I mean? So, yeah, absolutely. I'm taking this home, showing this to my son, and I'm going to put this up on the joint. You feel me? Make some noise for that. So, at one point, like you said, you went at good music. It was, I think it was... No, I didn't never go at good music. said, you went at good music. It was, I think it was...
Starting point is 00:41:06 Now, I ain't never go at good music. No, you went at good music. I didn't go at good music. Anybody took it away. I am the... I think Charlamagne said something. He said, this nigga's a pussy. It was that word.
Starting point is 00:41:17 Listen, at the end of the day... I wouldn't break stairs going at them, sir. At the end of the day, right, you got to understand something. I gave everybody a job. Right, something. I gave everybody a job. Right, right. I gave everybody a job. I gave everybody a job through my sacrifice. Kanye paid them.
Starting point is 00:41:32 Right. But I got the wealth on my back, nigga. Right, right. You feel me? So every Father's Day, I deserve a card. Right. Every one. Because in my notes, I got, you saved Big Sean from getting dropped?
Starting point is 00:41:46 Is that true? Yo, 100%. How does this happen? They have a meeting and they like, you better drop the Detroit Dough. I say Big Sean Dignity. I ain't never tell no story about Big Sean that I know personally. Right. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:41:56 I'm not, him and Ye, they did they one-two thing up here. I ain't here to do that with Sean. You know what I'm saying? But Sean was my little man when he got signed. You know what I'm saying? If you go to YouTube, you'll see Sean get introduced as a member of Good Music at my show, at the Knitted Factory. Me, Kanye came out as a surprise guest.
Starting point is 00:42:13 Q-Tip came out as a surprise guest. I had Sean and Kid Cudi. And that's what they wanted. Like I said, once again, to go back to the original point, how we got it, certain people do whatever to get next to Ye. Ye, Sean, having to be at the radio station you know i'm saying but sean ain't eat boston market with yay i did right it wasn't no craft services when i was around it wasn't no yeezys it wasn't no none of that the half a chicken
Starting point is 00:42:35 or the whole chicken come on i'm starving a half a chicken I ain't done shit. I ain't done shit. I ain't done shit. Listen, only request I can make is, yo, please just make it, you know what I mean? I want the breast, man. That's it. Other than that, man, it was that and the twirly macaroni and cheese. Right. Right. $20. Right.
Starting point is 00:42:58 $20 challah. You know what I'm saying? I watch niggas in Atlanta line up with plates, motherfucker, and order mimosas. And I'm getting up first and going to bed last. Still, 20 years later. Yeah. Putting in that work. We got the chip, though.
Starting point is 00:43:13 Right. I always put in the work for the chip. Grammy family. Yeah. God damn it. 100%. Oh, no, it can can be. 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
Starting point is 00:43:35 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 Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here, and I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app,
Starting point is 00:44:21 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.
Starting point is 00:44:50 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.
Starting point is 00:45:21 Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and six on June 4th. Ad-free at 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
Starting point is 00:45:49 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
Starting point is 00:46:25 how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us it's mental health awareness month and on a recent episode of just healed with dr j the incomparable taraji p henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey so what i'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs.
Starting point is 00:47:15 I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that
Starting point is 00:47:25 keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Worked with Beyonce. Facts. God damn it. Right. Worked with Beyonce and worked with Faith.
Starting point is 00:47:54 So probably one of the only MCs to ever work with Biggie and Jay-Z's wives. Holler at me. I didn't look at it like that, sir. That is it. That is it. I didn't look at it like that. And. That is it. That is it. I didn't look at it like that. And they both were single. They wasn't album cuts. Right.
Starting point is 00:48:10 Stressed out, his single. Stressed out. Party. Number one at Urban. Right. I mean, I'm the one, nigga. Right. Right.
Starting point is 00:48:19 So how do you, and I believe you call him Kamal. Right. I'm going to be honest with you. I'm never going to call him Kamal. His name is Q-Tip to me for the rest of my life. I'm never calling LL Tom. Like, yeah, yeah, like people be calling him Tom. Like, who the fuck you talking about?
Starting point is 00:48:33 That nigga's LL to me for the rest of my life. But I'm not family, you know what I mean? I'm family that's outside family looking in. But you said, I think even you was mad at Kamal, excuse me, you was mad at Q-Tip one day and we was talking and you was like, Kamal, I think you was mad at Kamal. Excuse me. You was mad at Q-Tip one day. And we was talking. And you was like, Kamal.
Starting point is 00:48:47 I've been mad at Q-Tip more than one day in my life. But I didn't know what you said about this. I mean, you know. How did y'all as cousins fall out? Because once again, because there's a thin line. You know. there's a thin line, you know, and there's definitely, I think the number one, the number one emotion for artists that makes them kind of go, is disappointment, you know, so there's been,
Starting point is 00:49:18 yeah, 100% there's been times that I've been disappointed, but there's times that Q-Tip has brought the kind of opportunities to my life that I can't measure even with joy. Right. You know what I'm saying? Right. So when y'all that close, at one time, at one point in my life, my name was Ray Tip. That's how close me and Q-Tip are.
Starting point is 00:49:42 Right. You know? So we, yeah, we going through a lot, you know. You know, and to Tip credit, right? You know, Tip, it's funny, that's why I mentioned his moms first and foremost because he said to me, my moms always knew you was the one.
Starting point is 00:50:01 You know what I'm saying? You know, and now she's getting older and, you know, we can't take none of that time for granted. So he was like, yo, you know i'm saying you know and now she's she's she's getting older and um you know we can't take none of that time for granted so he was like yo i you know definitely come see ma you know i'm saying it's important and it is important because she she she did call that and so him saying that was that you you the one that she basically was telling you the one he he's the one you should take a chance on you know so to Q-tips credit right um without me going in the tribe I never meet Kanye and if I never meet Kanye we don't know what happens right because Kanye you know I feel like Kanye was always gonna
Starting point is 00:50:39 Kanye was always gonna be successful he's a successful person. So he understands what it takes to be successful. But I do, I mean, he's even acknowledged that, especially in the beginning, he and I being around together, I was very influential on the swag. You know what I mean? And so, you know, how I look at it, you know, because I have no, I don't have any venom unless somebody comes at me.
Starting point is 00:51:08 And, you know, that comes about because of Q-tip. You know what I'm saying? Because, you know, if Q-tip doesn't say, you know what, I'm going to roll the dice on this kid. I'm going, regardless of relationship, you still got to be able to hold it. And I think Q-Tip knew I could hold it. And that's what his mom was saying. Like, she knew I could hold it. She was like, I'm telling you,
Starting point is 00:51:30 you give it to him, he's going to be able to hold it. I held it for, Beach Rondo Light came out in 96. It's 26 years I've held it. And it's been a mechanical bull. So it's like, you know, you holding it though. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 00:51:45 So many of my peers that started before me or even after me, you know, they don't have a firm foothold in music. You know what it seems like from the outside looking in? Sorry to cut you off. It seems like when you're someone's friend, you're someone's friend's friend. Me? Yes. You're someone's friend to the end. 100%. but if anything
Starting point is 00:52:06 happens you also become the enemy nigga i'm trying to go here just calling him i'm not see the thing is i'm just not a yes sir man i'm not a yes sir form a lie i ain't gonna say i ain't a yes man. I'll tell a nigga, yeah, that's it. Keep up the good work. You know what I'm saying? But I ain't a yes sir. Bow, nigga. Hit your head. Nah, there's only one
Starting point is 00:52:32 I bow to. And that's the most high. So it don't matter when it gets to a point where the most high ain't involved no more, then it's up. That's how I feel.
Starting point is 00:52:45 You know what I'm saying? So when we doing ego, that's not the most high no more. I dealing blessings. I felt like when Kanye got on, you know, I'm Muslim, but I felt like him making Jesus walks was a positive thing
Starting point is 00:53:00 and it was a blessing. You know what I'm saying? Because at the end of the day... Muslims believe in Jesus too. Huh? Right. Muslims believe in Jesus too and and just the fact of trying to engage a mass audience into us until into us into consciousness of the soul right you know because at the end of the day you just don't know who you touch when you do music. So when you have a good intention,
Starting point is 00:53:25 I feel like God will open doors for you. You know what I mean? And I, I still believe that to this day, you know what I'm saying? Um, and so, yeah,
Starting point is 00:53:36 yeah. So when it, when, when it turned, when it get ungodly, like, and it's like snaky vibes, I don't,
Starting point is 00:53:43 I don't, but how does one fall out with they cousin though anybody can fall victim to snaky vibes the industry did it is it like the industry I mean it wasn't over Thanksgiving
Starting point is 00:53:59 we didn't have a problem over mashed potatoes you know what I'm saying we had you know, you know, there's a, you know, at the end of the day, what, you know, my thing is, like, in this platform,
Starting point is 00:54:17 both Nori and I have worked with a tri-core quest, right? Right, yes, sir. So, it would behoove either one of us to have a conversation about Q-Tip in a negative connotation. I just feel like we've had to go through things that we've gone through. We've gone through those things. You know, Q-Tip is an elder statesman in hip-hop. And, you know, he deserves his privacy and he deserves his regard.
Starting point is 00:54:41 Absolutely. Like, one of my favorite styles of movie is documentaries. And one of the things that stood out to me was I always, like, heard of this room was, like, you hear about Ray Kwan
Starting point is 00:54:52 and Ghostface beefing or you might hear about Prodigy and, you know, Havoc beefing. Like, this is always the room of hearing about, like, Q-Tip
Starting point is 00:55:01 and Fife's relationship and, like, how, like, it was kind of, like, you kind of shaky. But that documentary, I think Michael Rappaport and that documentary was my first time because when me and Pone used to beef,
Starting point is 00:55:14 I used to think that was just me and Pone. Every other group gets along. And when I seen this, it was two things. One, I was like, wow, I thought Tropical Quest was perfect people. And this was the first time I seen them be human. And two, it related to my own struggle. like it was two things one i was like wow i thought tropical quest was perfect people and like i and this was like the first time i seen them be human and two it related to my own struggle i was like damn i i wasn't the only person right yeah so so so but you as an insider you been knew that
Starting point is 00:55:36 their relationship was a little shaky absolutely damn for how long you think that was going on for a long since i joined tribe what year you say they was going through they went through problems after midnight marauders and that's like they uh and so man one thing i'm definitely gonna say is like you know and i'm this isn't to blame i you know what I'm not gonna say that like that at the end of the day right as as two men who were like brothers never let never let anything or anyone compromise that or blind that fit a blot your sight to the bigger picture you know saying like a, it was so unnecessary what caused the rift, but it was understandable, you know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:56:31 Like, I found out about the issue in Atlanta at Fife's house. So I had been going to the studio for, let's say we started recording Beats Round the Life February of 95, right? So by July, August of 95 is when I overheard a conversation with Fife and Trugoy's cousin, Fudge, who he, you know, God God bless the day he passed away they were having a conversation and basically Fudge was like yeah I don't fuck with Q-Tip fuck that nigga and I initially I was like fuck you talking about you know saying like who the fuck you talking about like who you think
Starting point is 00:57:19 you is who like so as so initially like and you know I'm i'm outnumbered i'm in a crib i'm in a fight crib a fight i don't you know i i i fuck a fight but how the funny thing is like i said it at the film like i i ended up coming down there um just on a whim he invited me to come to atlanta for the budweiser Superfest that year. So we was all, you know, we was having a good time, but we really was just kind of getting to know each other like that, like that. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:57:51 So when Homie said it, I was like, you know, I automatically... And Homie is Fife, man. Fife, yeah. Plus two... Oh, shit, that went over my head. Yeah, yeah, it was true. He's a true boy cousin.
Starting point is 00:58:02 Okay, okay. So he said the shit, and it was already kind of like a funny vibe a little bit in the native tongues at that time because tribe shot to mainstream critical acclaim and success they was able to be successful they lot you know shot out the gate mainstream and they kind of was maintaining that through the next two outstakes as high as the Balloon Monster State.
Starting point is 00:58:31 De La was dead and 3-3 High and Rhyzer was successful. You know, as we're moving on. So they kind of shot out and they started plateauing, right? Tribe kind of started. They started with El Segundo. Then got to Bonita. Bonita's a smash. Then they get to Can I Kick It? That's on your plateauing right try Kind of start they started else a gun though Then got to beneath up beneath a smash then they get the can I kick it can I kick it a smash? Then they get the low a gun though was the first thing
Starting point is 00:58:52 one of the first Okay, I think they might had is the pace come out or something, but you know I They were all buddy. Okay, so they were on Buddy, right? So they were like, so Jungle, Jungle was the first. Jungle Brothers. Jungle Brothers was the first out. Jungle was the first ones. Nigga never smoked weed. His memory is sharp.
Starting point is 00:59:13 Oh, nigga, we're going to run through a cycle. My shit is on. My shit is on. I'm remembering as he's saying it. That's why I said, wait a minute. Okay. So remember, Africa is in Living Large, the movie, right? They got Girl, Our House, you got anything.
Starting point is 00:59:29 Jungle Brothers is worldwide, you know what I'm saying, with the cult following. Jungle Brothers is like 88 Griselda, right? But they got radio records, though, too, because they got Girl, Our House, too. Oh, that sounds like a shot to me. That's what Blake said. No, I'm not. Nah, because he was doing the house stuff, which is... Nah, what I'm saying is
Starting point is 00:59:50 like, when I say they Griselda because they got the show aspect. I'm talking about nigga Strength. Not anything Karma. Griselda Strength is the packed house. Right? They got all kinds of niggas coming to they shit. Right? So Jungle Brothers the same shit. You know what I saying so then but would they ever they able to parlay it in the movies and and you know red alert is they?
Starting point is 01:00:11 Uncle is my red alert is my uncle. You know I'm saying so they they they on the radio They start at the radio, but with them kind of joints right right so Travis is the third and and also remember, like, you had dress up here. Dress popping with choice is yours. Right? Money and law got ladies first. You know what I'm saying? So it's a black medallion wave.
Starting point is 01:00:38 So then the thing is, but it hits a ceiling. Right? And then tribe transitions they take off the dashigis they get on some Lyndon shit you know what I'm saying
Starting point is 01:00:51 check the rhyme check the rhyme yo back in the days on the boulevard Lyndon right saying that shit on the radio
Starting point is 01:00:57 right then scenario it's check the rhyme it's we got the jazz it's direction effect beef it's check the rhyme, it's we got the jazz, it's direction effect beef, it's scenario, then. Forgot about direction effect beef.
Starting point is 01:01:11 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, 100%, you know what I'm saying? So I'm just saying it because I'm just trying to lay it out in chronological order. So when you get to that conversation, there's all that baggage looming that's all that energy is looming cause now
Starting point is 01:01:29 I come into this and I don't know none of this shit I'm a shorty you know what I'm saying I know about the beef obviously cause that's my family
Starting point is 01:01:36 we the block went up the block was with tip on that one you know what I'm saying with the beef with Dots effects no no
Starting point is 01:01:43 regression effects yeah the blockers in on that She got crazy Yeah, the patches shit, you know saying like this it was a real wait what they got to find it Yeah, they got a fight principal from organized infusion was getting jumped and rail City Music Hall. Tip jumped in. They already had the product of Strictly Hardcore Rap, now the new Jack Swing. They had a conversation with Fife.
Starting point is 01:02:10 You know what I'm saying? Forget this. So that's the root of the problem. All right. God bless the dead. Fife said what he said. Tip ate the brunt of it. That's going to be a problem.
Starting point is 01:02:23 What did Fife say? I mean, Fife ain't shooting nobody over it. Right. No, we know that. You know what I'm saying? On the whole record, what did he say? He said that on We Got The Jazz. Strictly hardcore rap, not a new Jack Swing.
Starting point is 01:02:35 So Teddy Riley and them niggas took offense to that shit. Oh, okay. I thought Q-Tip said that when you just said it. Nah, Fife said it. Fife said it. You know what I'm saying? And then that's how Q-Tip had the... Nah. nod so once again like I said if I if I story is he seen Rex and the Fagin v8 they had a conversation about it they put it on ice
Starting point is 01:02:54 then it was a show fast for a couple months days there's a show at Radio City Music Hall Travis bad they seen Rex and effect again whatever whatever now what happened was Rex and effect used to run Posse Deep. You know what I'm saying? The Posse Deep niggas was in the lobby, and they got into it with Prince Poe from Organized Confusion. Tip, for some reason, whatever, warned it. And seeing them jumping Prince Poe and got into it, and the Posse Deep niggas was like, well, you know what?
Starting point is 01:03:21 You know what I mean? Organized Confusion was from 40 Projects, right? Right. 100%. So it was like he seen the Queens nigga jump, and Tip went out on him. You know what you not me okay let's keep you some 40 projects right right 100% so it was like he seen a queen nigga jump ain't no I'm saying so yeah so that's what that's what happened so what happened was the reason I had a black eyes cuz it is the what one of the niggas had a ring on caught him in the eye then sizzled out the retina he did the video you had to do the video and put a pattern yeah I forgot about all this shit. Word. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:03:48 So, I'm just saying all that to say this is no slander. This is just so there's clarity. Right. When... A lot had happened. A lot had happened. So, and a lot continues to happen. So, by the time I'm having this conversation,
Starting point is 01:04:01 they feel justified to say that even though they... When I say they, it's fudge and fire. They feel justified and they feel justified to say that, even though they, when I say they, it's fudge and fight. They feel justified, and they start explaining to me, why I just fucked him? You know what I'm saying? Nigga did this, nigga trying to take my girl, but I whoop, I whoop, right? Took his girl? You trying to slide that in there?
Starting point is 01:04:19 Dave, before the DM, it was the tour bus. Talk about the tour bus, cause. What I'm saying, before the DM, niggas was sliding in the tour bus Talk about the tour bus cost. I'm saying before the DM niggas were sliding on the tour bus Not me close to you know me You know you may got a 30 piece of these slits shorty back back in a Bonnet bonded with the current and all this is like on a documentary. Oh Yeah, I'm back there right nigga salon tour bus
Starting point is 01:04:53 Continues to not me so I Guess the front man a trap He was skiing right on the boat slide no. Right. I should have caught that. Right. He was sliding. You know what I mean? So, you know, homie feel like, you know, it's things like a nigga got a line like, bust off on your calvary, now you see Steven's front, your bitch is going crazy, right? So, nobody in that position feel like a nigga is going to be able to slide they bitch. So, when they bitch slide, it's like it's like bitch lit I mean a bitch lit what she at now she somebody auntie nigga niggas beefing over this bitch nigga whole legacy is over a bitch in track pants that was in naughty by nature
Starting point is 01:05:38 video nigga like you've got to be kidding me man knock it off tell you some Linda shit They are you buying Linda was like knock that shit off facts Not man cuz it been with a bitch at Ain't nowhere around I even see a fight funeral God bless the dead facts So that was worth Me here and then they can say any of that? Nah. Somebody, see, the thing about, one thing about me and Kanye, I'm going to keep it a thing. No matter what we ever went through, somebody lowered their wing. And whether it was Ye, whether it was me.
Starting point is 01:06:14 And y'all ain't fucking each other's bitches neither. Nah, I told Ye to go get Kim Kardashian, bro. I heard you just dropped him off at the hotel and all that. I heard about this. Man, you know. It's my nigga. And it ain't never gonna be nothing. See, like you said, you said, you the most loyal nigga or you would. Yeah, so there ain't gonna never
Starting point is 01:06:31 be nothing. Like, that's my nigga. I want my niggas happy. I want my niggas to thrive. You know what I'm saying? Ain't no, ain't no, you know what I'm saying? On my end, I ain't never had to do that. Before rap, before rap, before rap. In high school, all that shit.
Starting point is 01:06:49 Before rap, I was doing me, man. Let's be clear, because what you're saying now is very heavy metal. Because you're basically saying that the reason why Tribe broke up, the reason why Tip and Phife's problem was initially over a yalla yalla. And we've never heard this. In addition to that altercation. 100%. After the fight.
Starting point is 01:07:17 100%. And that's why I didn't really fuck with the Michael Rappaport shit. Because I said that, definitely. And I'll say it again. I made Michael Rappaport pay me more than what he was supposed to pay anybody
Starting point is 01:07:27 because I told him I ain't fucked with that. Because at the end of the day, nobody should have ever saw that there was a problem. You know what I'm saying? If niggas got past it, but they never got past it.
Starting point is 01:07:39 And the truth, if you never got past it, I told Fife, I never got to finish the Atlanta story. So Fife was telling me all this shit, like, yo, he boom boom Boom boom, right? I'm 18. It's not my best interest to tell fight any advice Right cuz my I don't have a record deal. My record deal is q-tip. No Sam So at the end of Danny, I didn't get to an advanced and I ain't getting I told fight
Starting point is 01:08:02 I said yo, if you can't fuck with that man, leave that man alone. My grandfather told me, never put crime in another nigga's hand. If you don't fuck with a nigga, don't fuck with him. Because if you don't fuck with him and he fuck you over, you put crime in that man's hand. You know what I mean? Rest in peace to Slim Turner. You know what I mean? Like, that's what it is. You can't do that. You know what I'm here. You know what I mean? Recipe's a slim turner. You know what I mean? Like, that's what it is.
Starting point is 01:08:27 You can't do that. You know what I'm saying? Fyfe at the time, he had the last move shit out. He had, um... He had the... The bonos. We don't got nothing to prove. So it wasn't like he could've...
Starting point is 01:08:38 Yo, go solo. What? You know what I'm saying? Go solo. If you ain't gonna fuck with him, if it's that serious for you, why... And I'm not go solo if you ain't no fun. Well, then if you if you if it's that serious for you Why I'm not saying to leave his group does cuz I doubt that that wasn't What I was trying to say what I was trying to say as a man, right?
Starting point is 01:08:54 I can't you acting like you can you can be with somebody who you can't really be with like Sometimes with different niggas you need to give the nigga space. But if y'all trying to hold the group shit, you got two choices. Put it to the side. Put it to the side. Or this is going to explode in your face. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:09:15 And I think the latter wound up happening. Even in Beach Rounds of Life, you know, like, you know, it was bittersweet for me because I didn't have the... I didn't, I didn't, I was looked at like, I fucked the chemistry up. I didn't fuck no chemistry up. Well, like when they added you to a official member of the group.
Starting point is 01:09:32 Yeah, because I was on so many records that it was perceived like, you got to think, like it was perceived, and I understand the perception, right? Because when you got something that you love right and let's say you a kid right and you order a happy meal right and instead of a hamburger it's a pastrami sandwich with fries in there right yo i ain't asked for this right i don't give a fuck what toys in there none of that like that's not what i ordered so by by by by midnight marauders tribe was a happy meal to the public it was like the burger the fries the toy to drink right they knew what they were getting right they knew what they were getting and so when they got beached rounds of life it was
Starting point is 01:10:16 like a roast beef and cheese with potato chips at mcdonald's doesn't make sense. And a shake. I'm out of shit on myself. Still good though. Later. Right, but it took a second. Once you finally taste it, but you got to go through the initial shock. Opening the box. This ain't what I ordered. You're going to be disgruntled at
Starting point is 01:10:39 first. Right, you're going to be disgruntled at first. And that was the backlash of Beach Rounds of Life. And that was unfair to me because I didn't know none of this shit walking in. Right. You know what I'm saying? I wouldn't even, had I known, that's why when we did the last Tribe album, I didn't do nine songs. I was like, and I didn't mean to do the six that I was on, but it was more like I was just, you know, my shot was high. So I couldn't stop it, you know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:11:05 But everybody in the group was cool with you doing that many songs. Come on, man, that's loaded, man. Can I get a cigarette before you shoot me? Can I say my last, you know they, come on, man, you know the stories. You're the historian.
Starting point is 01:11:23 We gotta let everybody hear it. Her Busta Rhymes was officially added to our tribe called Remember it's his last album the last yeah man
Starting point is 01:11:31 come on man come on man y'all both pulling out on me no no no I'm telling you come on man y'all both pulling out on me man
Starting point is 01:11:38 look look hey hey hey you're not just talking to us you're talking to everybody else I listen I listen I already know.
Starting point is 01:11:45 They don't know. Nah, but they know y'all got the guns. Nah, but look, at the end of the day, right, you answer your question first, and I'll go back to yours a little longer to explain. All right. For Busta's concern concern so last album yes it yes buster was a member of tribe um and obviously so was i um and the, the, the zeal behind everything was to celebrate Fife and his life.
Starting point is 01:12:32 You know what I'm saying? Right. That was the bigger picture. You know, obviously, I think people need to understand, um, there's going to be behind the scenes things that make sense, don't make sense, that have to get ironed out, so forth and so on. But as a final product, yes, Busta was a member of the tribe for the last album. He definitely was due that. You know what I'm saying? He's always been a standout performer when it came to tribe records.
Starting point is 01:12:59 He's always been around. He's been around us as long as I'm, you know, as long as I'm known. As long as we've been rapping, Busta been around. Busta had the pathfinder coming to London. Busta, me and Busta, he would smoke. Once upon a time when I did smoke, I would smoke a bus, you know what I'm saying? That's my man and shit, you know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:13:18 So special thanks to Busta Rhymes and you. And rest in peace, Pipe Dog. For being inducted in the tribe called Quest Hall of Fame. How about that? Right. You know what I mean? How about that?
Starting point is 01:13:29 For us in Queens, that group meant so much to us, the tribe. And I don't think I've ever publicly, other than when you was going through yours with your family, I don't think I've ever heard
Starting point is 01:13:44 somebody publicly dis-tribe. But I didn't dis-tribe. I don't think I've ever heard somebody publicly dis Tribe. But I didn't dis Tribe. I never dis Tribe. I act as a group. I've never dis Tribe because I've come from Tribe. Okay, you're right. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:13:55 I had a discrepancy with Q-Tip at a certain point. I mean, I've never... Jerobe wasn't in the group when I was there. I was about to ask my next question. Go ahead. That's my next... That's crazy. Don't go over what I asked first there. I was about to ask my next question. Go ahead. That's crazy.
Starting point is 01:14:06 Don't go over what I asked first. You got to go back to what I asked. I swear to God, you're still in my interview now. Can I have a water? Take my last water. You sure you don't want no champagne? Maybe later. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 01:14:19 I can't do it right now. We got to celebrate you. I can't do it right now. We got champagne, Japanese Deleon. We on fire, baby. You know what I'm saying? We on fire. We got the good shit for you. Take a shot. You know what I'm saying? Because I did hear,
Starting point is 01:14:33 here's your question, and remind me what we're talking about right now to get back to it. But I did hear that's how you, I believe, Ye or you and Tip worked it out one time. You went to the studio and drank some Hennessy. Nah.
Starting point is 01:14:48 I heard that. When you went to listen to Pablo. I work out my problems via wire transfer. Okay. My bad, sir. I respect that. Different kind of shot. What were we talking about before that? Yeah, let's go a little bit further. The fans' question was,
Starting point is 01:15:06 was the other two, was the other, was the members of the group okay with me being in the group? Right. And to honestly answer your question, no.
Starting point is 01:15:14 They weren't. Ali Shahid didn't like it. So, no, it wasn't that Ali didn't like it. He didn't like, it wasn't that he didn't like it and it wasn't that
Starting point is 01:15:23 Ali didn't get with it. I mean mean me and Ali have a I've had a long relationship just together just as just outside of tribe um so um I would never sit here and say I'm not here to bad mouth Ali you know once again you know you know that's a that's our older that's my older brother you know what I'm saying? So he's always, you know, I mean, look, it's not an easy thing to protect your own vested interests and then look out for somebody, right? Like, let's just be honest, right?
Starting point is 01:16:00 Like, that's almost counterproductive to business, you know, because business is not a handout thing. Business is business. Right. Right. So it's it takes a lot. And I've always tried to take that road as far as anything is concerned, because to go from a fourth to a third, back to a fourth and then a fourth and a half because your man mad about the the new fourth that ain't that's gonna be a conversation at bare minimum you know i'm saying because i when i came into tribe it was queens get the money you know i mean so when opportunities came my way it was Queens get the money. It wasn't Queens play around.
Starting point is 01:16:47 It was Queens get the money. You know what I'm saying? I got stressed out because it was Queens get the money. You know what I mean? And so Queens get the money can be threatening also. It can be a little threatening because it feels like a nigga taking over your block. Right. And you're absolutely right.
Starting point is 01:17:08 A nigga's taking over your block. Right. You know what I'm saying? Right. And, and, and to let somebody stop them, it's not going to stop.
Starting point is 01:17:16 Right. You know what I mean? And, you know, for them, they platinum at this point. It's a platinum block. Right. It's not, it's not a hole in the wall. It's not, you know what this point. It's a platinum block. It's not,
Starting point is 01:17:26 it's not a hole in the wall. It's not, you know what I mean? It's not somebody, mom's dirty, dirty attic or whatever. Niggas is in there bagging up. Niggas,
Starting point is 01:17:34 these niggas is all over the world, not the place, the world. You know what I mean? And to have somebody from Linda Boulevard come and do what I did was, on my behalf, it was amazing and for them it was
Starting point is 01:17:47 understandable and understandable tribulation so yeah nah but no I think eventually got used to the idea and I think eventually I earned their respect because they saw that it was Queens
Starting point is 01:18:03 get the money but initially I probably wouldn't have liked me joining the tribe Eventually, I earned their respect because they saw that it was Queens get the money. You know what I'm saying? But initially, I probably wouldn't have liked me joining the tribe either. Just to be honest, it's all human emotion. What I was really trying to get to is who had the final word for you to be in the group? Who put me in the group? Q-Tip. Absolutely.
Starting point is 01:18:20 Diana Ross. I was right behind Diana like this. Sing that shit. Hold on, we need to go back real quick. Let's take a bathroom break. You got to go to the bathroom. You got to go. All right, cool.
Starting point is 01:18:37 Might as well all of us do it. Might as well all of us. So during the pandemic, I seen a video that you put up. It's called Lost a Million. What's that about? I mean, it was therapy for me being sick. During the pandemic, I got diagnosed with SLE lupus and type 1 diabetes. And it kind of rocked me, just to be honest. I dropped down to like 107 pounds and doctors basically told me if I didn't take certain measurements, it's going to be Royale Gilmore.
Starting point is 01:19:25 It's going to be Gilmore's funeral home. So I did what I had to do. So, I mean, in the video, it was just me. It was a record that I used just to start working myself back to life, honestly. You know, that part of the roller coaster wasn't fun wow you know i mean um but you know it's been two years since then and i'm i'm back and you so so while everyone's catching covid you right i thought i had covid well initially i had been going through so big so i had shot a video with Conway, actually.
Starting point is 01:20:07 This joint called Complex Con. And my son had jumped on my back. And before that, I had been traveling around with Kanye a lot on airplanes. Like, I mean, we was taking jets everywhere. Kanye or Conway? I was traveling with Kanye. So he was doing the Sunday Service slash the J.I.K. album, the promo for it. So I was going everywhere with it, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 01:20:35 So I was just taking a lot, an abnormal amount of flights for 2019. That could do a number on you. Yeah, so my son jumped on my back at the video shoot, and it was like a crick in my neck. And I went to a primary care physician um and he gave me meloxic meloxicon it's called and that made matters worse um because it was misdiagnosed um so by the time we get to march when the pandemic kind of, I went to, I took another flight. I went to, went to Conye at a fashion show in Paris. I went with him and his wife at the time. Paris week?
Starting point is 01:21:14 Huh? Fashion week. Fashion week. Yeah, yeah. So I went with him, Kim, Courtney and the kids. We flew out there. We had a good time. But when I got back, I felt really weak.
Starting point is 01:21:27 So I actually went to early care. Went to try to get a COVID test because we was over in France and it just had hit. So it was hitting in Europe first. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, damn, I hope I ain't got this. So they didn't even know how to do the swab and none of that when I got to L.A. It was all new. So I was like, yo, let me just slide back to New York on the first thing, smoking.
Starting point is 01:21:47 And then the quarantine happened. So I'm thinking, all right, well, this shit is, you know, I'm thinking it might be a month or something for shit to be closed. Shit go on and on and on and on. One thing led to another. I got very, you know, my weight started dropping significantly. And, you know, it just got to the point where I ended up, you know, me and Kanye was having a conversation about it. I was like, yo, I'm fucked up, dog. I was like, yo, I need some help.
Starting point is 01:22:15 You know what I'm saying? I was in the crib, basically. So Kim had found me a doctor in New York. So after getting a spinal tap and everything they discovered I had SLE lupus um which I was like I I didn't understand it was like nobody in my family got it uh the stereotype is that it's a it's a it's an African-American female genetic disease. Dr. Daddy got the same thing? And um T-Boz right? Does T-Boz? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I didn't, you know, so, and what happened then was that because I dropped so much weight and I was like, they initially thought I had some shit called stiff man syndrome.
Starting point is 01:22:55 So, cause I literally was like walking, like I was like 90. Shit was crazy. You know what I'm saying? That must have been scary as shit. Yeah. Yeah. Nah. And I don't scare easy, but that shit was... It got to the point where I was just like, all right, I'm just...
Starting point is 01:23:12 I'm just thinking this is going to happen. You know what I'm saying? Like writing well out and all that shit. You know what I'm saying? But what wound up happening, I had to take steroids to get my system to, to, to jump back up. So I wound up taking steroids, but then taking steroids, I was taking prednisone. And then doing that, the milligram dosage is the equivalent to like glucose.
Starting point is 01:23:38 So it's. Oh my God. Don't tell me that created the diabetes. Yeah. that created the diabetes yeah so basically i had i had to then i had then i got to an endocrinologist and they was like yo if you don't take insulin you're gonna die your pancreas is done you know i'm saying and um you know i mean i told money i was like yo i got a son yo just to shoot me fuck it you know i'm saying because i was really apprehensive about taking insulin because everybody i seen take insulin was like fucked up.
Starting point is 01:24:06 They wasn't like, they wasn't thriving no more. It was just like, it was like, you know, it was like, it looked, for my,
Starting point is 01:24:14 I was wrong because it actually, it actually helped me tremendously. Right. But for my lack of education about it, I just kind of panicked.
Starting point is 01:24:24 I was like, nah, I don't want to do that. And they was like, yo, if you don't do it, you're going to die. Your pancreas is done. Like, the only thing you can do is jumpstart it with insulin. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, yo, I thought of all I did was think about my son. I was like, yo, just do whatever you got to do then. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:24:39 Just give it to me now. Why are we waiting for it? The shit is already fucked up. You know what I'm saying? So I did that. And then, you know, I just started changing everything.
Starting point is 01:24:51 Because I was still eating the same way with the medicine. And that was only leading to the grave. Honestly. Like, you know, I was still eating thinking, like, I could have whatever the fuck. And, you know, it was just a like i could have whatever the fuck and you know or you know what it was just a lot of shit and so with that i began meeting with more doctors
Starting point is 01:25:11 and nurses and you know shout out to northwell group and my um my uh my new basically primary physician who's my lupus specialist um dr nino she uh, she definitely was a conduit for me to save my, for my life to be saved. I got to make some marks for that, man. I didn't know none of that actually in that question, lost a million, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, so lost a million was basically my way of just telling the story, you know, like telling of everything that happened. Because I feel like my life, I was literally watching myself
Starting point is 01:25:51 lose millions. Right. Because that's the value that I have for myself. So it wasn't even, it's a metaphor, it's a metaphor, so to speak. Just to say,
Starting point is 01:26:01 like, I'm literally watching my life and I gotta, either I save me or I'm gonna lose everything alright yeah on one hand
Starting point is 01:26:07 I wanna pop a champagne with you but on the other hand it's just like I'm not sure we got some more shit to talk about though yeah
Starting point is 01:26:12 we might get to the shit we know and you also got to work with K Slade too before he passed away yeah rest in peace K Slade yeah rest in peace K Slade
Starting point is 01:26:21 I did the role in 100 Deep 100 Deep yep yeah man K Slade is definitely um gonna be missed man it's so crazy he died from covid it's just the thing about the pandemic where i don't think people will ever fully understand is the amount of death that we've had to deal with
Starting point is 01:26:37 in real time because of social media you know i like i watched so like even when i was going through what i was going through, I was like, I was immobilized. I was on the couch and I'm just looking at face, looking at all my social media platform. I remember I was,
Starting point is 01:26:52 man, I was on drugs and I saw Breon dancing to, uh, Guy. Teddy, Teddy Riley.
Starting point is 01:26:57 Teddy Riley. And I thought I was in the Twilight Zone. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, wait, what the fuck is Breon doing? He was definitely the hype man. He was definitely, I was like, yo. Not even the hype man, the hype dancer. Right? He was the hype dancer. Like, yo, I couldn't process because you know like it was hard to process that number one the indie
Starting point is 01:27:25 was shut down from what we know it's a new industry now like basically we we now work on the phone the offices in new york as far as record companies still not universal still not open right you know i'm saying so we've had to figure out how to adapt to the pandemic you know so in that adaptation it's like yo you're seeing you know even So in that adaptation, it's like, yo, you're seeing, you know, even the emergence of Versus was an adaptation. I was like, is this shit? No disrespect to the idea, but it was like, almost like, it was like, I guess it's what we do in the cope.
Starting point is 01:27:57 You know what I'm saying? D-Nice doing what he was doing. Right. D-Nice shit. You know, like, that shit was like, yo, I remember, man, first D-Nice joined. He was like, yo, I remember, man, first D-Nice joined. He was like, yo, Koss, what up? I said, like, a month later, I think Oprah was on there.
Starting point is 01:28:13 D-Nice was a shout-out. Nobody out. Yeah, yeah. It was like. Holy shit. I think Michelle Obama even came in there. Yeah, Michelle Obama. Everybody, everybody.
Starting point is 01:28:22 I was like, yo, D-Nice shit. Everybody was on there. D-Nice shit at the tunnel, son. What the fuck? You know what I mean, like I said, I'm going through all this, you know, drugs. It was like, I'll say it. D-Nice is this out there, my nigga. You know what I mean? Derek, my nigga from, from damn near since you called me D-Nice. I like how you, I like how you called him Derek.
Starting point is 01:28:39 That's my nigga. Yeah, yeah. That's my nigga. That's my nigga. I've been outside, my nigga. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've been outside. I just look at all rappers, DJs who've been through what we've been through, and I never
Starting point is 01:28:50 call them their first name. I always want to call them their superhero name. I mean, he'd like to be called Derek. Yeah? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's D-Nice to me, motherfucker. He's D-Nice to me, though. That's D-Nice.
Starting point is 01:29:01 But you know what I mean? Did you do that record? Yeah, I did that record. At your studio. That's right, right? We did it together., I did direct it. At your studio, that's right. We did it together. We all did it together. Yes, yes, yes.
Starting point is 01:29:08 Holy moly guacamole. So what's next for you, Kaws? Did we touch on the reality TV? No, let's not. Let's not? Let's not. Oh my God. Why not?
Starting point is 01:29:16 It's a bag. I seen an interview where you were saying, it's a bag. You don't want that bag no more? I just passed on doing it. They asked me to do it. I didn't do it. Oh yeah? Yeah, I did drink chance.
Starting point is 01:29:24 That's what goddamn makes a noise. That's what I'm talking about. I'm not saying that. You don't want that bag no more? I just passed on doing it. They asked me to do it. I didn't do it. Yeah, I did drink chance. That's what God damn makes a noise. But what was it like, you know, coming from where you come from and then going into reality TV?
Starting point is 01:29:42 Say it for a person that maybe you want to tell them not to do it. I don't know. You know, I mean, I feel like it's, you know, listen,
Starting point is 01:29:52 Tiffany's here, like I said, I know Mona since she worked at Violator. Absolutely. She first started, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 01:30:00 Right. So, you know, you know, to see what she's been able to do with the lane, the Johnyard, you know, that's somebody that, like, literally the first trip I took with Tribe was to Miami for How Can I Be Down, and Mona was working with us. She was our point person.
Starting point is 01:30:18 How Can I Be Down. That's a lot of people. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? So, like, for me, you know, my hat is off to Mona. You know what I'm saying? Like, I spoke to Mona. I actually, you know, all full transparency, you know, the thought had crossed my mind to maybe do another season. Because of all the shit I got going on, I'm just in a different space.
Starting point is 01:30:37 But I just think that for me at this point, like, I've done so much that it wouldn't make sense to go back but you know just in full thought because i'm literally about to go they they doing like uh an episode that's like a you know some like what they doing now type shit they asked me to do it i was just like yeah right now they ain't in the fight and they didn't throw a change since he did it to now when you're doing this change right completely yeah this is yeah you can't throw drinks can't fight yeah so it's not no fun for me it's not no fun for me i have the first reunion fight right right right right that's why you that's why okay all right now now i get now i get what's going on okay okay okay you know so you know that was that was then and it's cool.
Starting point is 01:31:26 Now, how about you? You still with your lady, Jennifer? No, no, no. Oh, really? No, I didn't know that. My new lady. My new lady. You know my new lady.
Starting point is 01:31:34 Oh, damn. Are we blowing it up? You grew up with my new lady. Who? You grew up with my new lady. Really? He called you Poppy. Okay.
Starting point is 01:31:41 And I'll be mad about that shit, too. Can you sound right? That's my knee in my hood, man. No, no,, nah, I know she's showing me baby pictures and shit. Yeah, yeah, hi, come on, let's make some noise for me. That was, that was good. She's like, could you tell me why I'm here? I said, I'm gonna be honest with you, man. You said poppy on your time, man. Nah, but you know her, her brother, your fit, y'all grew up together.
Starting point is 01:31:51 Her name is Melody. Oh, okay. Okay, how you had no Melody and shit? I grew up on the same floor. Yeah. Not even just the same floor. Yeah. I grew up on the same floor.
Starting point is 01:31:59 I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. I grew up on the same floor. girl. The guy named is melody. Okay, okay Same floor Nah, that's mom. She take care of me. Okay, all right. But thanks so much for you. I see you a little bit. You smiling for real now.
Starting point is 01:32:29 Okay, because I know what I deserve now. Right, right, right. You know what I'm saying? Right. I know what I deserve. I know what the work warrants. But you ain't go through a nasty breakup or something like that. What would be wrong?
Starting point is 01:32:39 Listen, at the end of the day, I have my son. My son is my gift in this life. And regardless of whatever I go through, that's the final product is Kaden. Right.
Starting point is 01:32:50 And me and Kaden actually got a video coming out called Who Shot Jamal? It's on my album. It's incredible. Who Shot Jamal? Who Shot Jamal.
Starting point is 01:32:58 Oh, Who Shot Jamal. Okay. I see the trail. I see the trail. Yeah, so it's basically our dialogue our dialogue between father and son about dealing with murder in the black community. Wow.
Starting point is 01:33:12 I think a lot of times, you know, too many times there's bodies, you know, there's bodies in the street that nobody know what happened to them, and the police don't really care. And then, you know, unfortunately, families do the police work. If there's any police work to be done as far as, like, getting just that closure, you know, so we having that conversation in this record, and it's important, and I'm looking forward to it.
Starting point is 01:33:42 And Kaden and I are also doing a group album called 192 that Havoc is executive producing wow yeah so he 10 lit just just got sturdy on the summer jam screen and all that so that's out of you know I'm like I'm not gonna criticize others and not keep a play of myself so I don't do the the thing with the girls and the dirt and all that on your platforms. I don't do none of that. You know, I just, you know, I keep it where I keep it. Right, right. So what do you feel like about, like, parents who, like, it seems like they're putting their children
Starting point is 01:34:20 on front street. Is that something that your son wants to do? Is it something, like, he came to you and said, Pop, or is this something that that your son wants to do is it something like he came to you and said pop or this is something that you wanted to do like it's practice and then it started he put himself on a summer jam screen okay i ain't telling him to get sturdy you know i mean i got the vip passes so you do it you know i mean but um i mean i think the whole thing is our generation now, we're in the position to offer nepotism, right?
Starting point is 01:34:49 I don't need to get a check off of Caden. I'm straight. You know what I'm saying? I have a resume and a contact list that provides. You know what I'm saying? So I'm able to provide for my son.
Starting point is 01:35:03 He don't take me shopping. I do. I remember, as my partner, if I just remember one time, I think it was at the Sauce magazine
Starting point is 01:35:10 and I remember like hearing Benzino over here, over talking about, yo, they thinking I'm making money off of my son. They think I'm trying
Starting point is 01:35:19 to expose my son. And I remember just hearing that. Right. And I'm just, I'm wondering, is that something like, I mean, that's people. No, I'm wondering is that something I mean I mean
Starting point is 01:35:25 that's because that's how you know some people that's always the perception right but what you say about nepotism that's true generational wealth right see the the the thing is there are people who actually see something in their kid and be like yeah this the ticket and Venus and Sir Williams Venus and Serena Williams right look, right. Look at King Richard. Like, that movie is so ill just due to the fact that what, you know, it takes humility also to see in your child what you can't literally do anymore. Right? So if you came, you was Richard, you know what I mean?
Starting point is 01:36:07 The whole thing is like you had two choices. You could be, you could withhold the knowledge and hope they figure it out for theyself. Right. Or you could come up
Starting point is 01:36:16 with a plan that's going to actually be able to be executable through your, through your, through your seeds. You know what I'm saying? And him and his wife, it wasn't just him
Starting point is 01:36:26 and his wife. They're getting shit from the neighbor. Guess what? In three, four years, that wasn't the same neighbor no more. Their neighborhood changed. Not to say right. Their neighborhood changed because of Richard's ambition. A lot
Starting point is 01:36:42 of times, fathers don't get the acknowledgement of having to be the quarterback of your family, like having to really be able to see the end zone, I know, and take the heckling of motherfuckers worried about what you're doing in the process of getting from first down to first down, you know what I'm saying, the play is in the end zone, that's where the six points is at. And whatever else you're going to get. You know what I mean? So you got to get there.
Starting point is 01:37:07 I like that. Take a look back at that. I like that. I like that a lot. Go back real quick to when you started to rhyme, right? Right. And Tribe is starting to bubble. Right.
Starting point is 01:37:20 Because it was huge even from the onset. Right. How was the atmosphere for you like just seeing that and seeing that's actually family right there right i mean well the number one thing it did was give hope because i mean at that time when trial comes out we in queens right so the streets is a mess you know when Tron came out the Central Park 5 got arrested
Starting point is 01:37:47 right when not too long before that Edward Burns that got murdered in Queens you seen the free team documentary
Starting point is 01:37:55 I just saw it that shit's crazy right I got it you sound like it to the crib you know what I'm saying you know so the streets that we lived on man you, niggas are selling crack at 12, bro.
Starting point is 01:38:10 Like, I know, I got men that grew up, I watched a nigga smoke cigarettes in diapers. Like, shit was out of control. You know, in retrospect. You know what I'm saying? But at that time, it's what was going on. It wasn't nobody questioning none of that shit like that. Nobody was, I mean, you know, Al Sharpton questioned it. You know what but at that time it's what was going on It wasn't no nobody questioned under that shit like that. Nobody was yummy, you know, Al Sharpton questioned it, you know Sam When he was rocking the joint You know I mean so but we did like
Starting point is 01:38:44 Also like that like tribe gave niggas hope. LL gave niggas hope. Seeing DMC in the hood and the Lincoln gave niggas hope. You know what I'm saying? Well, too. Nigga, you know, me, you know, I was able to battle run when I was 14. You know what I'm saying? Oh, shit.
Starting point is 01:39:01 Yeah. You know what I mean? Come on, Koss. You're going too far. I ain't going nowhere. You went too far. How you think I got dropped? You battle one DMC I battle one guy 320 e go join he was a reverend He had a surgery to toss you Windbreaker tracks or to see me toini Tachini right I like how you
Starting point is 01:39:25 Try to make it sound More fresh I mean you know Let's take a shot I'll stand up Yo He added me Give me fly too low
Starting point is 01:39:32 Give me fly too low Yeah No but that's Some legendary shit You serious So you battle run Where at Buster told
Starting point is 01:39:40 Tip I battle run I got in tribe Buster told Q-Tip Buster was there And said if you battle No Buster was there He told
Starting point is 01:39:50 Not if I did Okay At 14 15 I mean same difference Yeah On one on two
Starting point is 01:39:58 That's the name of my label One on two records Cause that's how That's why I got the money Queens get the money You ain't leaving the block Without getting this work. Did Run have the hat on?
Starting point is 01:40:07 Nah. This is before that. This ain't no derby run. This run. Nigga, this is... Nah. That's TV, man. Y'all watch the TV, man.
Starting point is 01:40:20 This is Run in the street, nigga. How this nigga in Queens? He had a haircut? Not a bully! That's when they did Down With The King. Okay, alright. Alright. The Down With The King run.
Starting point is 01:40:32 It's 92, 91. And we got that. Let's get it. All in front of cleaners on 102. Okay. Me, here's Spank G. We don't roll the audience, too. Right, me, here's Spank G. Busta Rhymes, Rumpelstiltskin.
Starting point is 01:40:42 Rumpelstiltskin, I haven't heard that name in a while. Right. All right, did he have on Adidas? I don't remember, I ate food. Okay, all right. You say you beat one. I ate food. I'm saying, cause he got two balls.
Starting point is 01:40:54 No, I'm not here to disrespect nobody. So he, I'm not saying, it wasn't like. If you, you could use a pop bottle of champagne. If this is real, listen man. If this is real. He's saying if this is real, listen, man. If this is real. If this is real. Come on, listen. You want to pop a gold bottle?
Starting point is 01:41:10 Bro, I'm going to pop a gold bottle. Yeah, probably. Because I ain't never heard a nigga say they battle. I heard Myaskill say that he wanted an autograph from Run, but no one ever came on here and said it. And Run responded to that. And Run responded to that. No one and what he can't you to go I'll be playing great at one point I was told the word with diggy Simmons on his
Starting point is 01:41:38 debut album my nigga I see you know like I'm Demi Siggy. Niggas know. I never disrespect her, bro. I'm like, yo, I hear you. No, I'm saying, I ate. I can't, listen, here's the thing, right? In fairness to Run, right? The nigga did me a favor by even saying, all right, shorty, what you got? All right, nigga. That's what I got. That's what I got for Quinny's, nigga. That's what I got for Queens, nigga.
Starting point is 01:42:06 That's what I got for Linda Boulevard, nigga. Next stop, tribe. Next stop is the Chase Park 2. Fast. Pop one of that. Yeah. Goddamn it. Woo!
Starting point is 01:42:16 Yeah! 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. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley
Starting point is 01:42:51 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.
Starting point is 01:43:20 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 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.
Starting point is 01:44:13 So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming,
Starting point is 01:44:58 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.
Starting point is 01:45:44 And it's going to take us to heal us it's mental health awareness month and on a recent episode of just healed with dr j the incomparable taraji p henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey so what i'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh.
Starting point is 01:46:16 You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network
Starting point is 01:46:35 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. I wasn't drinking, I wasn't drinking, but you making me want to drink. Let's keep going. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm going to get your cut. I'm going to get your cut. Hold on, Dan. Yo, Mr. Lee,
Starting point is 01:46:57 can you tell Biggs I'm recording? Because he's calling me right now. Because we're celebrating you, my brother. We celebrate you. Salud. This is champagne. Champagne. Salud.
Starting point is 01:47:09 Salud. You got to take a sip or I don't count. You got to take a sip. I'll give the story on my chugger after. But look, nah, but worth more. Okay. Yeah. I can't lie to you, bro.
Starting point is 01:47:24 Wait, wait. So you battle run What happens in that moment Right after that Once again Like even in the midst of this Like what was supposed To take place
Starting point is 01:47:31 Was actually Fife and Mr. Cheeks Were supposed to battle That night And Mr. Cheeks Yeah He was Coach Cheeks He was Coach Cheeks
Starting point is 01:47:41 So that's That was supposed to What was supposed to happen. Right. Because cold cheeks was... This is Super Queen shit going on right now. Yeah, but he was the nigga on the tapes. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 01:47:55 And he wanted in on the game. So to get in on the game, he was like, yo, me and Phife. Because Phife, this is right after low end. Right. You know what I'm saying? So Phife was like... So that battle was either going to be Fife was going to eat his food or he was going to eat his food and they was going to have to then say, Coach Cheeks need to be on.
Starting point is 01:48:14 But he eventually got on. You know what I'm saying? And the L shit about that night, like I said, he got, he, but they didn't battle. So for some reason, Cheeks didn't come, but Spank G came. Spank G and Coach Cheeks was partners. They used to have this shit called Organize. I like to organize the two burgers and fries with my lost boy crew because that's the way that we do.
Starting point is 01:48:36 My man stretches now in effect. Well, mama said, so I did catch wreck. The real deal, like Holyfield making emergency phone calls my nightmares worse than Freddie don't scheme on my dream just get your machete right that nigga was nice back in the day that nigga was nice it was him he was nice and Redman they both did tapes at uh Montebello um that's how Redman got on Redman got Redman got popular he was already kind of fucking with he was fucking E, but the shit with him and Biz, the Montebello tape is what made Redman. Yeah, we heard that.
Starting point is 01:49:13 You know what I'm saying? Biz wouldn't put him on. But Biz wouldn't put him on. No, no, no. Didn't Red say he was spinning for? Redman was DJing at F.R.I.T.E. Right. So, but he got on the mic. He said, Redman slacks no halves. I got a knapsack of raps to give you more power to snap. I get the power from Grayskull Castle.
Starting point is 01:49:29 And I got the power to smash you and thrash you. That nigga was, that nigga back in the days. Nah, Red was, it was crazy. Right, he let a clip off on that shit. So, my point is to say either one of those rhymes was that, so kind of the stage was set for the shit but cheeks i don't think for some reason got there but then run came and pulled up out of nowhere you know i'm saying and when run came we all was out there and then we started and then
Starting point is 01:49:58 run went then i went then run went again i went again and then that's how it kind of turned to smack dvd not smack dvd like queens get the money shout out to run for doing that though I went again. I went again. And then that's how it kind of turned to... Smack DVD? Not Smack DVD. Like, Queens get the money. Shout out to Ro for doing that, though. Yeah, that's why I never try to come at it like, yo, oh, run. I told Run, it wasn't that.
Starting point is 01:50:19 I, Run gave me the crown. He's already a super legend at that time. Right, Run passed the torch to me. Wow. But it was in a battle, it was in a battle mode. Wow. You know what I'm saying? He didn't give it to me like, yeah, he didn't give it to me like, yeah, I'm gonna put you on down with the king with me, you and Pete Rock. No, I was like, nigga, if you don't, if you don't tear me up, you got told by Ron and you might as well quit. You know what I'm saying? Because there ain't no really no coming back from that shit neither though. Nah, who else you battles I? Ain't battle with me you is 50 this a the hip hop And Punchline. That's a good one. Shout out to Punchline. Punchline got busy with it. That was part of this. Wasn't it? He was a part of a group called Punchlines and Word.
Starting point is 01:51:09 Punch and Words. Yeah, yeah. You know what's crazy? Living that moment, I did not know how special that moment was. Right. Did you know that? I never would have realized that that shit would have made it to the 21st century. Like, look at all the fuck we are.
Starting point is 01:51:22 Right. And we sitting there. And we sitting there. We sitting there. We in my session. That's my session. That's my beat. Right, right. And I don't even know how many...
Starting point is 01:51:28 I came for a kid. Capri was doing his album. Yes, yes, yes. That's right. If people that don't know, you can go right now on YouTube or somewhere.
Starting point is 01:51:37 It's a famous freestyle. This is before, like, the pun freestyles and all this. This was during the NRE album. It was me, Consequence,
Starting point is 01:51:50 50. And Punchline. And Punchline. We all went twice. And everyone, I'm talking about, let me tell you something. Because it was like,
Starting point is 01:51:59 it wasn't like we were battling, like I was just about to say. But we were battling. But not battling each other. We were battling, like I was just about to say. But we were battling, but not battling each other. We had the track masters in the room who was the number one producers at the time, track masters in the room. Would they be playing in the background? But I have never been able to rekindle that type of moment. That shit was there.
Starting point is 01:52:21 That was an era. That was an era. Yeah, and it was so spontaneous. Wait, you can't just Blame it on the error I gotta say I don't think that That type of error Is gonna
Starting point is 01:52:29 That comes back Okay I agree with you There's definitely A moment in time Because at the time Because of the position That all four artists Was in
Starting point is 01:52:38 You know Nori Nori And I feel like that moment Created the XXL freestyle That That That's arguably A point to be taken Nori, Nori, and, and... I feel like that moment when you read the XXL freestyle. That, that, that's arguably a point to be taken.
Starting point is 01:52:48 Like, that's before... If you're going to say that, that's before the freestyle, the BT... Right, I was going to say, really, that's the BT cypher. Oh, okay. That's what that really is,
Starting point is 01:52:58 the BT cypher. Because that's the way it is. Because of the fact that it made... Real quick, okay. Yeah, it made it to the future from that. It was on a VHS tape. So it got uploaded, which once again, you know what I'm saying, double back to what we first started from the beginning of the conversation.
Starting point is 01:53:16 There wasn't even YouTube when we did that. You know what I'm saying? We was viral for what it was back then. But it still was viral. It went viral once viral was viral. That version of viral back then But it still viral It went viral Once viral was a viral Yeah yeah That version of viral Back then
Starting point is 01:53:27 It was definitely No but it went viral Once viral was viral It was like Oh nigga send this out too It was holding out It was holding out Get serious
Starting point is 01:53:34 Every time somebody posted That had the platform It goes viral Yes you're right Cause like It's a new thing Every time And like I'm saying
Starting point is 01:53:42 I think it was the position of You was the nigga at the time. 50 was just got signed to Trackmasters. How to Rob didn't even come out yet. I was coming out of Tribe in between deals and Punch was trying to get a deal. So he was hungry. So it was like the chemistry just all made sense. Like if 50 would have been been if 50 would have had out
Starting point is 01:54:05 the g on the mixtapes it wouldn't have been that same situation if you would have already had out super thug it wouldn't have been that situation right you know i'm saying it was just like why were you guys in the same room was it violated the common denominator no no track masters is common denominator because they they were working with nori okay and i was there for kicker pre-session he was also working with the track masters. It was all a Sony situation. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Kid Capri also did the beat that he did for me that night.
Starting point is 01:54:33 He gave it to me that night. Shout out to Kid Capri, man. Yeah, shout out to Kid Capri. It was really funny. That's a legendary, legendary moment. And I look for that. I look for that in other people's genres of music. And I don't think that chemistry, I don't think that hungerness.
Starting point is 01:54:50 It was a special time in hip-hop, man. Yeah, the 90s. What was your favorite period in hip-hop? What's your favorite era, excuse me? Man, I got moments more so than just time period. As a fan though. Look at it as a fan. Yeah.
Starting point is 01:55:09 One of my favorite moments that probably should be my favorite moment is the Bad Boy era. No. Just because. No, but just because. You got to understand, I was in tribe, but I was looking at that shit like. Right. Oh, you were smoking with it. You were looking at it.
Starting point is 01:55:24 Man, that was a good it. You was on the line. Da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, da, one thing one thing you know one thing is for sure like puff knew how to make a record that made women react not just hits that it made women react you know a lot of a lot of what's going on now is people not really understand and also like
Starting point is 01:56:06 if your shit is overtly masculine you know what I'm saying that doesn't include women you know if we got one guy who defines that who Nas Escobar
Starting point is 01:56:19 but Nas got show day say what's your price just to back it up but at first Nas that first album Nas has first album, Nas has some bitches. No, Nas has some bitches because he had the buzz. Right.
Starting point is 01:56:31 But, you know what I'm saying? But there's still, there's, because he got. I think it's different. I think what you, what you guys are saying is different things. But, but, right. But then, look, let's keep it real. Even with Nas, right? He has Illmatic, right?
Starting point is 01:56:44 He got the bitches. But then said, if right he got the bitches but then said if I really want the bitches go get Lauren if you really want the bitches put Puffo hit me now he wanted the Monolo bitches right so that's why he upgraded and stepped it up yeah but you gotta understand like you know one of the best chick record makers of all time his first hit record is benita apple bomb beneath that bomb i still don't know what that is what do you mean what is beneath that ball that way um it's a person but i can't say her name it's actual you didn't know it was a person that he was talking about? No. I thought it was
Starting point is 01:57:25 a stroke move. Whoa. That's actually... That's his business I'll leave him out of that. He's coming to drink Shazam. Who it is.
Starting point is 01:57:34 Oh my God. Yeah. I mean, they can know who that is. So look, we spoke about it a little bit earlier. Right now,
Starting point is 01:57:41 Punk Flesh is saying, hey man, Griselda, I love you guys' movement, love what you guys are doing, but he doesn't feel that they're making music that fits the radio,
Starting point is 01:57:52 right? Or at least fits his platform. Right. He's saying, why you guys care? And they're saying initially, yo, you should care because we the shit.
Starting point is 01:58:00 We're selling out, like how we spoke on earlier. Right. We're selling out arenas, we're making money, we got the jewelry, we got the Like how we spoke Earlier We're selling out arenas We're making money We got the jewelry We got the cars We got the crowd
Starting point is 01:58:07 Why wouldn't you Support us Where do you On this On this Side of the story Where do you On the spectrum of this
Starting point is 01:58:16 Yeah My side of the story On a seesaw Where you go Where you fit As a songwriter You always have to Have a chorus
Starting point is 01:58:24 To get on the radio. What, what, what, what. Big me up. I like that. What, what, what. What, what, what. Tammy Lucas. What, what, what. What, what, what. What's another one?
Starting point is 01:58:42 I mean, you have to have a chorus to get on the radio. That's bigger than even what Flex is alluding to. The thing is, and I'm saying this as a songwriter, there has to be a... Radio is based on audience, and audience has to sing along. Without singing along, there is no that radio doesn't fulfill its purpose right from a bit and you notice as a dj so there's there there's the beat the chorus and then the
Starting point is 01:59:16 raps right far as records that are hit records blowing up eric b for President Was not just I came in the door I said it before It was I came in the door I said it before I never let the mic Manitize me no more But it's buying me Buying me
Starting point is 01:59:41 It's getting me to mom I can't hold it back I'm looking for the rhyme Taking off my coat Clearing my throat The rhyme will be kicking Until I hit my last note I know the words to that shit to this day. You know what I'm saying? So the thing is, it's about resignation and inclusion right I'm saying this
Starting point is 02:00:08 as a songwriter I'm not specifically saying this about that even that argument I'm saying the components of a record
Starting point is 02:00:16 that works at radio and rap and rap is based on is based on engagement cause some will argue right now Cardi B got a hit record,
Starting point is 02:00:26 and it's only the chorus that plays once, or maybe twice. Cardi B with Lil Durk and Kanye right now. Well, remember what Flex said, though. He said that what dictates what goes on the radio is Spotify and YouTube. He just amplifies that. Right.
Starting point is 02:00:40 He says that. I think he said that in one of his... Right, okay. But in a traditional sense, as far as... Whether you're on the radio or not, right? He says that, I think he said that in one of his... Right. Okay. But in a traditional sense, as far as... Even if... Whether you're on the radio or not, right? A record... Like...
Starting point is 02:00:51 Bad from TV. No hook. Considered a hit record. Yeah, but y'all raps are like choruses. Are my calls? Are my calls? I ain't gonna argue with you. Regardless of...
Starting point is 02:01:02 Regardless of... I ain't gonna argue with you. No, no. Regardless of... I ain't arguing with you about bad from TV. gonna argue with you. I ain't gonna argue with you. I ain't gonna argue with you. Wait, what's nature shit? Regardless of rain and snow, sleet or hell, I kick street sales,
Starting point is 02:01:12 chugging niggas like I'm Sprewell. Go to the state, holdin' your face, and the call on my hand. Like it's part of the plan, I had to chug it like I did. Walkin' high, I see it. Thuggin' my dog, thug down orthopedic cause I'm soon to be up. Yo, I know the fuckin fucking raps, bro. But remember,
Starting point is 02:01:27 that was an era before hip-hop was mainstream on radio. We had small mix show segments in that era. Especially in our markets, not in New York. There's a component to resignation that just happens, right?
Starting point is 02:01:43 There's a component to resignation that just happens. There's a's a there's a there's a component to resignation that just happens there's a tone of voice there's a beat there's a there's just things that make people in in three listens start with it you know what i'm saying it helps the program basically right right right right so so so in your opinion you haven't heard a record like that from Griselda? Um, what I think, my personal opinion, like, at the end of the day, right, if that wasn't even the case, there's nothing wrong with that. Griselda's been on, like, a three-year run, right? Like, in the spotlight, right? And they've managed to, like and transform into like the biggest shit. Independent or not independent. Right.
Starting point is 02:02:30 They were playing them in South Africa when I went to South Africa. Right. So the thing is, like, but is there ceiling for more? Well, yes, absolutely. They made them make those three stars. They three they three-hop household names. So, do I feel like, in fairness and in love as them and my brothers, can they deliver the biggest records of their career now? Yeah, you got every resource, you
Starting point is 02:02:53 up. You know what I'm saying? You might have to go see Timbaland for that. You might have to go see a Pharrell for that. You might have to see a Swiss. And say that though, but say, listen, because a lot of people think... I think it's just counterproductive
Starting point is 02:03:09 to kind of get to the gatekeeper shit, right? Hold on, I'm just going to say this. I think when people think that when you say radio record or you say a club record, people automatically think commercial. You can make a record that is radio friendly or club friendly without it being commercial. Do you agree?
Starting point is 02:03:25 You did it. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I mean- I mean- I mean- It's really corny to always go into the studio with that idea. This is my club record. This is my radio record. No, no, no, but it should flow. As long as it's flow, it should all be organic. As long as it's organic, right, right, right.
Starting point is 02:03:41 But there's nothing wrong with being mindful of where you want to land. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Right. Like, there's nothing wrong with that. You know, I told JV her, to give it to me, Joy, it was like, oh, yeah, I'm putting 22-2 type of rap on this.
Starting point is 02:03:54 Right. Now, I think it was like, I'm out with this, this is smash. Right, because as a songwriter, too, when I hear something, I can either go either way with it. It'll speak to you. I can say, yo, you know what?
Starting point is 02:04:03 I'm going to go mess with, I'm going to go mess with the club. I'm going to go fuck with the club on this. Or I say, yo, you know what? I'm going to go mess with the club. I'm going to go fuck with the club on this. Or I can be like, you know what? I'm going to go fuck with the hood on this. But you didn't go intentionally in that spot before you had a beat, before you had anything. Go, today's my radio record day. Today's my record day.
Starting point is 02:04:17 So me working with a Kanye, right, because he a producer first, I might have a, yo, I'm going to go this way with it. And he's like, yo, that ain't big enough. So then you got to rip that piece of paper up and start from the beginning. I might have a, yo, I'm going to go this way with it. And he's like, yo, that ain't big enough. So then you got to rip that piece of paper up and start from the beginning. Because it's like when you got intellectual property, you can have a one-level ranch or you can have a high rise. Right? It's all in which you project onto the music. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 02:04:45 So the thing is, to get to a higher plateau, you need a higher level of thinking. So sometimes you got to be your own worst critic and be like, maybe I hit this nerve already as far as my base is concerned. You know what I'm saying? Like, you brought up like Lost A Million. I didn't shoot the same level of video I did for Bloodstained for that. I knew that Bloodstained had a shot. You know what I'm saying? Lost a million for me was my personal, my creative.
Starting point is 02:05:12 So I'm not going to service that to radio. I'm not going to say Flex is not fucking with me because he didn't support Dead. The hottest record on the street too. Yeah, now that's what Flex is supporting. You know what I'm saying? Because that's a joint. Has he been? Because it's going to be the clip right now. We're doing this in our medium. Yeah, yeah, nah. It's today's news. Now that's what flexes support. You know I'm saying because that that's a joint has even um 97 just had me come do the new music me and well, I played it for all the DJ played the record
Starting point is 02:05:38 I played the record for all the DJs. So it will be added. That's what I'm talking about. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm drinking out of something. Take a sip. I got, you know, I'm looking like I'm... At least the keys drink on here, sir. Come on, man. And smoke, brother. Come on, take a sip. We're in a different space.
Starting point is 02:05:54 Yeah, I'm fucking with you, my guy. But at the end of the day, yeah, like with the Bloodstained joint, Bloodstained going to be my biggest record. Produced by Kanye, correct? Produced by Kanye West, yeah. This shit's dope, man. You know what I mean? And I'm, you know, so from there, now, you know, I got the remix coming.
Starting point is 02:06:14 Remix crazy, crazy, crazy. I'm waiting on like two more features that I'm gonna start announcing shit, but I got the remix of the summer for this shit. Hands down. You know what I mean? So- Rob Markman Is this independent? I don't know.
Starting point is 02:06:30 I don't know what that means. You got me on that one. That's like an emoji. I don't understand. It's like, can you put out a record or an album with a song that you can sing? I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means.
Starting point is 02:06:38 I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know what that means. I don't know just give up. I don't know what the fuck that means. It's like, can you put out a record or an album and call it like a full circle moment? Is that how it could ever be distributed as a full circle moment?
Starting point is 02:06:54 We're just trying to say the Grammy family is going to be on this. Trying to say they got all the good music and all the tribe on this. I'm feeling like. Let me ask you a question though, right? Okay. You was in a car with Ye, right was in it you was in a car with yay right yes using a car seen you like the whole winter you just like pulling up yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes he's been no money
Starting point is 02:07:18 I never seen him pull out a card. Nah, I ain't got to pull out no card. He got the, he ain't got to pull out no card. He don't use cash. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? He don't use cash. He don't even, you know what I mean? I wasn't, when the bill came up, I wasn't sitting around having that awkward moment. You know, where y'all both look at the bill.
Starting point is 02:07:34 You know what I'm saying? I just grabbed it. Nah, you walked out, right? Nah, I just grabbed it. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, you paid? You know, I paid the whole time. Yes, yes, yes, yes.
Starting point is 02:07:40 Well, I mean, me and you in a different space. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We in a different space. Yeah, yeah, I was in a different space. You know what I mean? But it's, it's, it's great. But, yeah, yeah. Well, I mean, me and you in a different space. We in a different space. Yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? But it's great. But yeah, yeah, me and, you know, we just got a lot of money. Right.
Starting point is 02:07:52 God damn it, man. You shining right there. Let me see. Let me see what kind of watch is that. I know it's the presidential. Let me see what face is that. That's the cut. Wayne James. Ooh, it was Wayne James.
Starting point is 02:08:00 Come on. God damn it. He, you hear shining. He hear shining. You ain't got the bright watch Why don't you got the break? Why? You know what I'm saying? It's a grown man timepiece.
Starting point is 02:08:09 You know what I'm saying? You know, yeah, my brother love me. You know what? It ain't independent. It's on one out of two records and it's distributed
Starting point is 02:08:22 by my brother love me. We talking about Ye? My brother love me. Okay, because we can be talking about Q-Tip, too. My cousin love me. Oh, that's Primo. Primo love you a little bit. Your brother love you a lot.
Starting point is 02:08:40 And brother love me like we brothers. Jesus. I love that, though. Because, you know, I ain't going to lie to you. When I looked, because, you know, like I said, I went through your music continuously. I knew that.
Starting point is 02:08:51 But when I looked at the interviews, like when, like I said, I said, what's ill about you? Like, when you're mad, I believe you when you're mad. But when you happy to, I also believe you equally. Nah, I'm no Capcom. I'm no Capcom. I also believe you equally. Nah, I'm no Capcom.
Starting point is 02:09:05 I'm no Capcom. I also believe you equally. Nah, nah, boy, nah. That's why I don't really do gray areas. Right, yeah. You know what I'm saying? I don't halfway fuck with niggas. Right.
Starting point is 02:09:15 I don't do sucker shit. I ain't on that. You know what I'm saying? If I don't fuck with a nigga, nigga, no, I don't fuck with him. If I fuck with a nigga, nigga, no, I jump out a moving van on punk for you. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's Punk for you. You know what I'm saying? Like, that's who I am. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 02:09:28 And I embrace that part of who I am. Did you say on Punk? Yeah. I jumped out the van. I had 10-4 in the sleeper from Kanye. On a TV show Punk? On a TV show Punk. Oh, shit.
Starting point is 02:09:39 Oh, was it during Jesus Walks? Yeah. That's me flying out the van. Oh, yeah, when they trying to take the footage. Right, when they trying to take the footage. Oh, I forgot that one. Yeah, yeah. Holy moly guacamole? Yeah. That's me flying out the van. Oh, yeah, when they trying to take the footage. Right, when they trying to take the footage. Oh, for God's sake. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 02:09:47 Holy moly guacamole. Yeah, yeah. Oh, for God's sake. Come on. They trying to get you easy. That shit was wild. Yeah, yeah. It's always wild with us.
Starting point is 02:09:55 Nigga, I'm telling my brother love me like, he love me like I'm his brother. There's all this fucking noise back here, dog. No, no, no. That's champagne right there, so I used you to do that.
Starting point is 02:10:06 So, so damn, you did see the Supreme Team documentary. I did see the Supreme Team documentary, but I definitely... It was well-made. Definitely got to check that shit out. I'm on the roll with that. With that, you know, because he... He's like a film-made documentary.
Starting point is 02:10:20 Yeah, yeah, he did... Ralph McDaniels. Ralph McDaniels. That shit was crazy. I want to... You know, me and him, Yeah, yeah, he did the Ronald McDonald show. That shit was crazy. I want to, you know, me and him, we have like a great text message relationship.
Starting point is 02:10:31 But I text him and then when he texts me back, I was filming, so I couldn't text. But this is one of the first times I'm going to go on and say, yo, listen, bro, great fucking work.
Starting point is 02:10:40 Because we're on the whole other side of Queens. I think't even consider us Westside Queens I never heard that was yeah I'm not right that's about left right Queens bridge that they all consider that Westside Queens so for what I'm saying is that if we know what was going on in Jamaica we know for him to know what he knew like the blocks in the areas right
Starting point is 02:11:02 is why news cuz uncle wise is from 107 and got Brewer and 40 Projects and my other cousin is from Basie. That's the only reason why I knew, but I was so much of a kid. Right, right.
Starting point is 02:11:12 Like, when you hear me say in Pain and Fall, you know, the nigga popping the really, he was fucking with the britches. That's because
Starting point is 02:11:19 I remember when Griselda, the real Griselda, the actual lady who moved to Queens, that's when Queens really got blew up because you know, Cat and Pappy and
Starting point is 02:11:29 Cream and them niggas was rearing up in Jackson Heights. So, we didn't have to go uptown. So, I remember my one time I ever seen Alpo, he came to 40 projects, I believe. He was popping the willies. And that's so, a lot of people think I'm saying that on Pay to Fall. Talking about, what I'm talking about, I believe. He was popping the willies. And that's so, a lot of people think I'm saying that on Pay to Fall,
Starting point is 02:11:46 talking about, what I'm talking about, I'm describing what I'm supposed to describe in a movie, but I'm describing what I'm saying in real life.
Starting point is 02:11:54 You know what I'm saying? I wanted to ask you, when it shows a tree of people in the crew, did they use my name? No. Baby Wise isn't going to do Uncle Wise?
Starting point is 02:12:02 No, that's his man. Nah, Baby Wise, yeah. Baby Wise is alive, nigga. Baby Wise is still alive. Baby Wise is bringing out more. course. No, that's his man You know, you know, it's a bunch of BJ will be where there's a bunch of Lobass niggas from Prince from NASA the new lob nigga. I you know the niggas is turning shit up. Now, you got to watch it. I didn't realize. I definitely, no, no, no, no. I didn't realize. I never met Prince. I met Prem. You never met Prince? The thing is, like, when I was a shorty, because my aunt.
Starting point is 02:12:32 That's your son. My aunt is Landis. Her. Her aunt is Landis. You know, niggas, like, she got a baby by shorty black brother. And she used to, you know, fat cat and all them niggas, you know what I mean? Them niggas know my family. I know them niggas like from when I was a kid.
Starting point is 02:12:51 Them niggas was the illest niggas that you, like the energy with them niggas, you know, was just always, you know, they was taking care of business. They was getting a lot of money. They was getting a lot of money. And they was getting a lot of money. They was getting a lot of money. And they was getting a lot of money on the streets. So, you know, with that comes, you know, niggas say the rap life is the most dangerous life. At that time, that was rap life. That was rap life. The block life was the illest shit. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 02:13:19 Like, niggas, you know, like, you know, niggas, some niggas are still in jail. When you see the documentary, you're going to see there's a part where LL is actually in the club that shit is crazy that footage that's it probably yeah that's probably you see brain you see Prem, you see Prince, you see them all on stage. Busy B's on stage. He was like, yo,
Starting point is 02:13:48 he had no props that he couldn't even go on stage. That shit is hell. Yeah, because it's always that, you know, that famous pit. I think it's in Fan Mysteries. I think it's in either Mysteries
Starting point is 02:13:59 or Q Club. One of them, when they all on stage and they all dressed up and all that shit, that shit is hell. Yeah, I think that's it. Yep.
Starting point is 02:14:04 Yeah, that shit. Them niggas didn't even know he was shit. Yeah, I think that was it. Yeah, that shit. Them niggas didn't even know he was there. No, Al knew he was there. He didn't know there was film. No, he said he didn't know that specifically it was that because he sent that footage on stage. Yeah, because it was someone's birthday party, right? He didn't know that he was necessarily at that party. Yeah, yeah.
Starting point is 02:14:17 Yeah, nah, that shit was a time back then. It's still coming from my brain. You're going to see that shit. You're going to be like, oh, shit. I watched the whole shit all together all three series I forgot what I was telling people I was doing
Starting point is 02:14:28 I was like yo you man I'm doing some important shit right now and each episode was like a complete documentary it was dope complete different
Starting point is 02:14:37 I liked it the fact cause at first I was like damn he'll do a whole shit and not involve Irv and then at the very last in Irv then he had Ashanti.
Starting point is 02:14:45 I was like, oh shit, like, I believe Doug Baker's involved. Big up to Doug Baker. You know our guy. And Peter from Massapelle did a great job, bro.
Starting point is 02:14:55 Great job. Even down to the backstory of how the area got built up by the contractor. Yeah, that's Melody Granthorpe. Yeah. L.B. Griffin. Yeah,
Starting point is 02:15:04 the people that the off the the streets with the trucks is though yes it definitely queens got a lot of history we got a lot of history we got a lot of history man queens get the money man yo so so what were you doing in passions downtown i heard that question i was actually in a mentorship program at Passions. At the strip club? There's a mentorship program at the strip club? Yeah, Passions was a strip club. I'm sorry.
Starting point is 02:15:50 Passions is a mentorship? I was offering mentorship. Oh, I get it. Oh, I get it now, my bad. That shit went over my head. Right. He was ordering mentorship for single moms. No.
Starting point is 02:16:05 I was offering mentorships, and we were, it was basically like, there was like an hour class that just consisted of baby oil. It was an hour class that, you know, we would show, you know, the like basic arithmetic of how much to actually do a transaction for. Like remedial shit. Are you saying you was a pimp
Starting point is 02:16:32 for a little while? I'm saying I opened a mentorship program that my son doesn't know about. Did Bishop Dawn ever did this type of mentorship? EPC did this type of mentorship. Okay.
Starting point is 02:16:50 I don't know that went over my head. What's EPC? If you know, you know. We need a decoder for a lot of these stuff. So basically, do we know other people who entered in this mentorship? Nah, I mean, you know, I actually had a situation you know, that happened on school grounds out there. You know, sometimes, you know,
Starting point is 02:17:19 people want to change their homeroom teacher. It's okay, though, you know. Man, this has got weird, man. You asked, I did ask. Okay, though, you know, man, this is got weird Like I said, I owe the measures of broken I believe it at that okay for single moms who mama Because there's a meme right now Yeah, how I cause if you need to know You know what the funny thing is like man you like that's like see you like 10 for right now That's like a whole to how you tear for this one Yo, ask that nigga about I don't know. I don't know, you know. I can tell. I'm almost like, nigga. You know what I mean?
Starting point is 02:18:05 Yo, nigga. Ask that nigga about passes. Right. Okay. Okay, we on point. That's all. That's all. We moving on.
Starting point is 02:18:11 We moving on. Thank you. That was a good one. I wasn't ready. I wasn't. I'm ready for anything. But I definitely like, world. Talk about passes.
Starting point is 02:18:24 So, you like Wyoming? You've been to Wyoming? Yeah, Wyoming's pleasant. I like it, doesn't it? Was you around, was you there when he had the hat on? Oh, the MAGA hat? There's only one hat. Yeah, nah, well, whoa.
Starting point is 02:18:41 There's only one hat, yo. Nah, I came after the TMZ. Okay. I was actually running the Tribe's merchandise initiative that they had with Sony. So I was coming off of just doing a collaboration with Billionaire's Boy Club. We did a Tribe Varsity jacket for the space program record. We did it with-Varsity Jacket for the Space Program record. We did it with Pharrell. He owns BBC.
Starting point is 02:19:09 We did that. We did it for Lock and Drop. We did a drop with Vans. And then I dropped the phone when I seen the TMZ shit. I was like... Oh, when he said that slavery's a choice? Yeah, the whole shit. It was just like, you know, the Twitter shit was going off crazy
Starting point is 02:19:25 and I was like, what the fuck? Okay. And I just happened to call, I just, I actually pocket dialed Jay by accident
Starting point is 02:19:34 and he picked up. I was like, oh, oh shit, what up, son? What? And, you know, we had a conversation
Starting point is 02:19:42 and he actually was like, yo, why don't you just come, I hadn't seen him in a while But you know we was having tabbing in his look his I'll hit something to go viral What many people don't know is that Kanye at one point was supposed to join tribe for the last album. While Phife still was alive? No. Phife will pass away?
Starting point is 02:20:10 Cuz Phife passed away. Okay, he was gonna join Tribe. And, that's why he's actually on the Killing Season record. So, we had really started connecting,
Starting point is 02:20:23 but I was over here, he was doing what he was doing. You know what I mean? So when the TMZ happened, I mean, you know, honestly, I just, you know, I'm just amazed. You know, when it did happen that I actually called, I was like, yo, you good, nigga? What's up, nigga? You know what I'm saying? And we just started laughing and doing, you know, having our conversation.
Starting point is 02:20:41 And then he was like, yo, yo, why don't you just come, come yo why don't you just come out to Wyoming? Had you been to Wyoming before? I had never been to Wyoming. I was like. Did your negro senses start going off? Nigga, three o'clock in the morning, there was a moose outside of my cabin going, ahhhhhh!
Starting point is 02:21:25 What the fuck was that? Go on. I mean, I mean, something like, now I'm at the window, I'm like, now I'm at the window with my two fingers. What the fuck am I doing with this shit? This shit's like, oh, what an attitude. They ain't got the whole little shit, nigga. Like, ball wiggles and all that, them ball wiggles and moves. That nigga look. And you dolo on the camera. Nah, but the nigga, nah, nah, I'm dolo on the camera. This nigga's around.
Starting point is 02:21:45 Like, that shit was crazy, yo, nigga. I'm gonna worry about it. I stand up one time So like the first day and go to the gym right and I'm sitting on my sit on point Jim You know Sam a fox is walking down the street like a fox a fucking fox. I don't think I've ever seen a pot He was making a sissy nigga like that. He was like, yo, yo, what's up, sir? Like, yo, what the fuck is this shit? But we had like this shit called the first time we asked him. You recorded in Beersville before? Yes. Okay, but go back to your story.
Starting point is 02:22:15 Go back. Go to Beersville. It's funny. I just did a joint from Mike Geronimo. In Beersville? No, in Hearsville. But not me. I'm just joking. No, at his crib.
Starting point is 02:22:24 I put him on. But yeah, the first time I went. No, at his crib, I put him on him. But yeah, the first time I went to Bearsville was with Mike Geronimo. Okay. Let's get back to that story. Finish that story. So,
Starting point is 02:22:33 but this shit is at the Armitage, which is the most... This is Wyoming. Wyoming. Uh-huh. But like, niggas like,
Starting point is 02:22:41 who the fuck was staying there? Nigga that own oil. Nigga, yeah oil Nigga yeah Yeah Those type of jokes Yeah but nah nah nah I wanna say it's like Harrison Ford was out there
Starting point is 02:22:52 Like niggas spending Indiana Jones money at that shit Right So it's like Real selective We thuggin' this shit out I mean like Cause
Starting point is 02:23:01 The thing about me and Ye Is like We don't really got the whole, once we reconnect, it's back to what it is. Right. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, niggas, it's just fucking like, you know, we can run it through the records. You know what I'm saying? So it was a great, it was actually a great experience, but it just started out, it started out kind of crazy.
Starting point is 02:23:26 But Nas was there. Right, yeah. Nas was there. When I got there, yeah, Nas was there because his... Because they were doing their album. Yeah. Right, right, right, right, right. So we did Ye Joint, Kissy Ghost, then we went to L.A. for Tiana shit.
Starting point is 02:23:43 Well, we finished Nas shit. Yeah, we went to L.A. for Tiana shit. And then Nars shit was our last. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so that shit was L, though. That shit was L. That shit was L. So earlier we touched on,
Starting point is 02:23:58 I called you a ghostwriter. You made it clear. There's a difference. Songwriter. Songwriter. So can you tell people the difference between ghostwriter and songwriter for those that don't know? I'm here in the flesh. And my name is on.
Starting point is 02:24:12 The ghost you don't know about. The ghost is, and I said it before, I feel like it's, you know, the term ghostwriting actually privatizes, especially hip-hop, because there's no ghost pop writer right the writers usually credit it all right no it's like Diane Martell not a ghostwriter she's a songwriter right she go on bring more heart for Toni Braxton right not the director's I am I mean Diane what's her name yeah fucking me Diane it is a Diane you know know one of these ladies. Why is the lady named Diane? I forgot names. I tell us I am what tells the video director so some It the point that I'm trying to make is that at the end of the day these people are credit Giving their proper credit first Diane Warren. Thank you. Hip-hop is like a bad word
Starting point is 02:25:01 No, hip-hop it's a bad dough right right, you-hop, it's a bad dough. Right, right. You know what I'm saying? It's more of a thing where it's... Like to say you have a ghost world, I'm saying. And pop and other genres, they don't mind putting it out there. Right, no, no, no. Because for them, it's all about the final product is the only thing that matters. Right, right.
Starting point is 02:25:22 Where hip-hop, because hip-hop is also a culture. And it feels like it's self-made, so don't want to give credit to say that somebody else helped make you. Well, part of the rules of the culture was always being your own person. Right. You know what I'm saying? Having that individuality. So when you were presenting yourself as an emcee.
Starting point is 02:25:41 You're presenting yourself. You're presenting yourself, right? But when you're presenting yourself as a presenting yourself right but when you're presenting yourself as a rapper you don't have to be an emcee to make a hit record right you know i'm saying and so the the the while i say it's a battle because the back a lot of in in retrospect a lot of people should have songwriters a lot of rappers are in position to be bigger but they don't, they, they're, they're clinging to the culture. You know what I'm saying? Like you as a, as a business person, as a businessman or woman in, in the music business, every resource is that you're available, is that you're available as long as the budget allows for such right so why would you be why would you be at a at a six seven figure level as far as that as a performer but then minimize yourself to like the elbow grease of writing it all yourself and you're and you're not and it's not clicking or or or trying to
Starting point is 02:26:45 produce it or yourself when when you may because you've been on tour maybe you're a little bit out of touch of what radio's doing what spot with the playlist of doing what's happening on YouTube you know the number one thing once you're a brand is brand retention right so there is no boundary in that right it's a brownie is a boundary that you create for yourself in hip hop. You know what I'm saying? Because it doesn't mean that you're still not like... Because Kanye has stated that he has songwriting,
Starting point is 02:27:15 it doesn't mean that Kanye is not... That's collaborators. But it doesn't even mean he's not... Collaborators, you can call that collaborators, and nobody would say anything. So it's annoying. I'm going to throw something at you. Who are you talking to?
Starting point is 02:27:27 Mr. Leak? So saying all that to say that at the end of the day, yeah, like he, the number one thing should be final product when you get to a certain level as far as being a name brand like i you know like when i feel like i can't do do the task then you know if the budget allows for that then yeah i don't have no problem bringing in nobody to be like yo whether you i keep the whole thing you spark the idea whatever the case is it's all about getting to to the next level so that you could be on the radio that you can perform on xyz show why do people always um label dr dre as a great and everyone knows that even like easy easy he said ice cube write the rhymes that i say dr dre is a great everyone knows depending on the album and people writes rhyme but they they label him a great but yeah and still when people find out, like people like Drake or Kanye West
Starting point is 02:28:26 has a little help, the purists, the purists, the pure hip-hoppers. The producers are not. I think, I think. MCs,
Starting point is 02:28:33 those are kind of two different. Yeah, but the purists don't accept that. The purists is like, yo. But yeah,
Starting point is 02:28:38 it's true. But they accept it. They accept it for Dr. Dre. They accept it for Dr. Dre. I think, I think. But Dre has collaborators as well. He has people helping
Starting point is 02:28:44 to play stuff. Right. And I think for Dr. Dre. I think, but Dre has collaborators as well. He has people helping to play stuff. Right. And I think that Dre was a pioneer for a coast and a sound and I think that's me for a lot of people
Starting point is 02:28:52 that supersedes the nitpicking of whether he wrote something or not. I think, and I think Dre always was presented in a communal sense
Starting point is 02:29:02 when he put out NWA, it was him and others. When he put out The Chronicwa it was him and others when he put out the chronic it was him and others there's never really been dr dre solo right to be all honest every dre record is a communal situation so him rapping well production wise it was always thought that it was just him but it's all always been there's never been he's always been a front man but it's never been uh all dr drake project no no no right so the thing is like so he's never presented himself as a as a like a drake like a drake right drake came and presented as presented this is jovio or young money present drake as an individual right so we we make the assumption that this is the individual who's doing it all and no it's never was explained
Starting point is 02:29:53 that oh he could be collaborating so you're saying like the branding yeah the brand all the the nothing that drake did was wrong it just the information was a leak right it was presented as a leak so it was presented as a leak so it was presented as something that the public didn't know right so then then then that made you scratch your head and be like so is the guy that i thought are you the guy that i thought right because that's the number one thing in hip-hop we won't it's authenticity are you the guy we thought you was you know i'm saying everybody who's ran into that kind of war has been based on their authenticity. Oh, now we don't believe you. You need more people.
Starting point is 02:30:28 You know what I'm saying? So let me ask you. I'm going to take a pee-pee so you can ask me. Just laugh. All right, yeah. All right, cool. Game said that on here we had one. He said that Kanye did more for him in the last two weeks than Dr. Dre has done his whole career.
Starting point is 02:30:50 What do you feel about that statement? And where was you? Did you hear that statement? Yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah. I mean, it was on the internet. Yeah, 100%. Yeah. I mean, I think Game has admitted that he was in his feelings about the Super Bowl, right?
Starting point is 02:31:08 So, I mean, you know, Game, when he in his feelings, he be letting it off. So I don't even know if he even, I don you know, exclusion, rejection, false narratives of relationships drive people to say and do things. Similar to like you with Q-tip, right? Yeah, you could say that. You know what I'm saying? I mean, yeah, that's fair to say. Like, disappointment and things of that nature drive people to, like,
Starting point is 02:31:44 I don't even know that was game true feeling. I just think game felt defensive. Like he felt excluded. He, you know what I'm saying? That was a big moment. And, you know,
Starting point is 02:31:53 he definitely was, as we could see, he was gearing up to put out a project. So in his mind, maybe he felt like, cause Kanye, uh, actually had done certain things in that two-week period around the Super Bowl
Starting point is 02:32:05 and he was excluded from that. It led to him saying that. Oh, okay. It isn't a speculation. I don't know. You know what I'm saying? I definitely don't know. But, you know, that could be a lane for that.
Starting point is 02:32:22 Right. You know what I mean? So, you know i mean so you know well man we asked you what's next or no we didn't ask you what's next you asked me what's next so like i said i got the album coming out okay because that's what i'm saying we got we got the first single is that attached to a project what project and what's the name of the project the name of the project is called nice Doing Business With You. Nice Doing Business With You. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And was that a statement?
Starting point is 02:32:48 Definitely. Yeah. I mean, it's a vibe. I mean, because I think, you know, I'm at the point. And first and foremost, it's just a statement to myself. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, the things that I've been through, some of that's to owe me. I ain't moving like that no more. You know what I'm saying? Like, the things that I've been through, some of that's the old me. I ain't moving like that no more.
Starting point is 02:33:05 You know what I'm saying? Like, so it was just nice doing business with that guy from the tribe. It was nice doing that business with the guy from Good Music. You know, the best way to part on business terms is to tell somebody nice doing business with you. Right? So you're saying you're old. Can't get ahead of yourself. Yeah, so I'm just saying I'm on some new shit.
Starting point is 02:33:22 Super CEO. Facts. Making every decision. Right. You know what I mean? Right. 192 Records flew me down here. Right.
Starting point is 02:33:34 That's your shit. Absolutely. So you better run it for the 192, right? And whoever else wanted it. You know what I mean? Okay, I said it earlier. And I was playing, but I'm not really playing. Would you really do versus against somebody?
Starting point is 02:33:52 And if so, who do you think is a worthy opponent of you? I don't know. Kid Cudi? Nah, we don't do the same thing. Yeah, that's what versus sometimes is about. I mean, if it was a celebration scenario, is i don't i don't uh you know not everything ain't it's like something that's gonna get nasty yeah you've seen it you've seen it bone through the three sixes oh yeah yeah right that's someone else's nasty i'm dreaming um um oh you saw about like the pandemic? Sean Elliott. Sean Garrett.
Starting point is 02:34:25 Sean Garrett, excuse me. And they went into the same room, but I felt like they was in the same room. It'd be some cocaine, some punches flowing. Right, right, right, right, right, right, right, right. Nah, I don't know. It's something to think about. You know what I mean? I seen, I wouldn't want to say no name because I seen what happened with,
Starting point is 02:34:41 and I like both of these niggas. I seen what happened with Bleak and Jewels. I mean, I don't know i i gotta i gotta see i'm just so in i'm in album cycle so charles hamilton charles hamilton that's that's a random pick i'm just bringing niggas out to woodward that's a boy yeah he's a nice guy though i don't you know i don't really got the... Planet Asia? Planet Asia. I mean... I don't know if that would make sense for viewers. Okay.
Starting point is 02:35:15 Come on. Let's keep thinking, y'all. You did. You did. You got to relax. No, I wouldn't. You got to look at yourself, too. Dad, too.
Starting point is 02:35:24 And, you know, nobody... I mean if it was in a If it was like Red and Meth Then yeah Me and Q-Tip But I wouldn't go You and Q-Tip Against Red and Meth
Starting point is 02:35:31 Tag teams Tyler Or You know what I would You know what I would do I would do I would do Me and Tip
Starting point is 02:35:42 Versus Blackstar And put money up Damn I would do I would do I would do me and tip versus black star And put money up Breaking news You you you you tip was down to do it mad me and tip versus black star you and tip first black star Not try first black star me and Q tip versus most different quality you and I mean that's friendly respect respectfully respectful like yeah it's still respectful but I would do that I would do that I would definitely do that and I and I'm and yeah I would do that I would do that I would do that I'm not you know a Q tip thing is not
Starting point is 02:36:22 really uh diverse this thing but I'm just saying it just on the idea as far as like cuz you put me with him I was like, you know, you won't put me him versus them to yeah Well, I don't need a tongue one would be dope where it's a celebration but showing showcasing everybody's records I mean, I wish you can happen. I don't think it would though, but it would be dope. Yeah Nobody or neither talking is who take no., but nobody, or native tongue is Wu-Tang. No, no. The whole, the whole native tongue comes out.
Starting point is 02:36:48 You got De La, JB. No, no. And they also case the records. At one point, they was throwing around Tribe versus Outkast. That would be crazy.
Starting point is 02:36:58 Yeah. That would be dope, actually. You know, I never got my Tribe called Crest Black. But let's get back to you Yes, that's a kid Actually, I didn't even get one for the last one
Starting point is 02:37:17 I'm do it. I mean obviously you know I'm saying I mean, you know, I'll be picking up My thing is wire transfers. That's what I'll be picking up. He's like, fuck the plug. Just send me the wire. I respect you keep going to the wire transfers. Nah, my shit is about the wire transfers. So, one-on-one versus you're not really interested in? I'm not saying I'm not interested.
Starting point is 02:37:37 I'm just, I mean, because the first two artists that you named were, I don't know what they currently have out. So I don't know. It turned into a status thing. You're this and you're this and you're this. And I'm humble enough to say I got my first single out in a minute. I've been doing a bunch of. See, my versus isn't fair because I'm right for other people and myself nobody's beating bloodstain let's be clear nobody nobody has nothing out that's gonna beat that shit right
Starting point is 02:38:11 now right obi trace but he don't have nothing out right this minute common would be a good one i mean that that would that would be a heady i mean i you know common got a lot of records though i ain't gonna lie i'm like i'm not i'm not over here and he, you know, Carmen got a lot of records, though. I ain't gonna lie. I'm not over here. And he used to love her. He got a lot of records. I beat Carmen in the NBA live when I first joined Strive, when he had the line-up.
Starting point is 02:38:33 I whooped Carmen ass relentlessly. But not in the Bayou even before everyone is a winner. That's you, sir. That's you, sir. That's you, sir. That's you, sir. That's you, shit. But nah,
Starting point is 02:38:46 Common is, you know, Common a legend. You can't take none away from Common. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, I'm never,
Starting point is 02:38:52 I celebrate others too. It ain't just about me. That's all. That's all it is. It don't take none away from you. Right. And that's what I said with the other people.
Starting point is 02:38:58 I could have been like, man, that nigga, nah. Because look, I want to be honest with you. And that nigga ain't a homeboy. niggas getting no paper Right now man. Let's just be real like you could call up all the names you want niggas is
Starting point is 02:39:14 Niggas apprehended by poverty All behind they back in a fucking bar back on chicken wing like nigga hurt now i mean so you know i mean i'm not a sore winner though i'm not here to put nobody's face in a bowl of shit i'm not on that i i i uplift before i do any of that you know i'm saying but you know i mean but i but i'm i am a rapper I'm an MC first And part of being an MC Is Is Is this shit The Rob Van Dam shit
Starting point is 02:39:49 You know what I'm saying So like When you say certain niggas I wouldn't even Climb through the ring ropes For certain niggas How You're not gonna be
Starting point is 02:39:56 You're not gonna get past Paranoid Over 808 Heartbreak Who you think wrote that Read the credits You're not getting past paranoid not you might not get past grammy family i call my shit out because see when you participate in the rain it's part of your it's part of your composite so how you gonna get past on core nigga? That's a catalog
Starting point is 02:40:30 Jay Kanye called me out that a barbecue. We we wrote the hook the encore on the phone 2003 Jay-z wrote the wrong and I take another way from Jay-z. I'm telling how the hook came out. He must toss my shit I said this to me and we spoke about this before though. We said that's So technically I could throw So then once again if a nigga won't play more fucking whatever the fuck song, you got to handle that. You got to handle that. You got to handle a bunch of shit, nigga. You got to handle Spaceship.
Starting point is 02:41:17 What you going to do about the Spaceship? Not too much. And who we talking about again? Whoever the fuck. Dot com. Dot com, dot org, go to godaddy.com, order all three of them shits.
Starting point is 02:41:34 Dot eat. I think that's the way to end it. Is that the way? Is that the way? Yo, Kost, I just want to tell you, man, it's not a lot of people who survived through every era that you survived through.
Starting point is 02:41:49 That's what's crazy. And almost every era in the last couple of, you know, you've been there. You've been relevant. You've been involved with some of the biggest projects that's been out. I want to tell you, you know, that's not going unnoticed. That's going with a big salute to it.
Starting point is 02:42:10 Because in order to stay alive and survive in this game, I know how hard it is. Trust me, I know how hard it is. 100%. And I take my hat off to y'all, to you. You know, once again, the first time we actually met was the Shades of Hip Hop Cypher Big up Shades of Hip Hop, let's do it. You know I did Drink Chance before when I did it with Tribe, you know we've all stayed in touch since then and I've watched you guys become the culture when it comes to interviews and YouTube and just having
Starting point is 02:42:49 artists, giving the platform that y'all started and seeing how those seeds of good intent have flourished for you guys, man. You know what I'm saying? Thank you, man. Basically, you're saying you've seen a lot of niggas bite off shit. Basically, you're saying the nice way. Not even that. I've seen y'all become number one.
Starting point is 02:43:11 Yes, that's right. So that's the whole thing. And it's not whether the analytics is one, is two, three on Apple Music, whatever it is. The conversation is number one. The conversation has the impact. And that's the whole thing. It's just like it's a hit record. Drink Chance is a hit. Right. The conversation has the impact and that's the whole thing is just like it's a hit record. Drink Champs is a hit.
Starting point is 02:43:26 Right. Thank you. Thank you. So, we interviewed Dave Chappelle and Dave said, we was like, yo,
Starting point is 02:43:33 we, uh, you want to get this off, go ahead. I said, what in the world? You know what I'm saying? Like,
Starting point is 02:43:38 Dave Chappelle was like, yo, I said, Dave Chappelle, I said, we, we, um,
Starting point is 02:43:42 I forget what I said about Carpenter, I think I was talking about, um, the documentary and Dave Chappelle said, Consecrate. I think I was talking about the documentary. And Dave Chappelle said, Consecrate's a great guy. And he has great teeth. Yeah, I mean, he was talking about the old model.
Starting point is 02:43:55 I pulled up with the 22s for you. Oh! Oh, my God! Queens get the money. Queens get the goddamn money! Right, right. So rest in peace to the old veneers. Yeah, okay. You know, we out here. Shit looking right. So yeah, it's a recipe to the over near Looking right around here ice little everything. I ain't out here DJing for chicken fingers like a nigga man is though
Starting point is 02:44:22 What's causing all this Ric Flair say I Ain't out here DJing for chicken fingers. They don't call me DJ Honey Mustard, nigga. I fuck with them. They my man. So, like I told you when we did the text, it's like, you know, like that's the nigga getting his shit off, and that's cool. That's my man. He shouted me out
Starting point is 02:44:40 on the Grammys, you know what I'm saying? You know, but, you know, like, them shout-outs, you gotta watch them shout- shoutouts cuz then I might shout niggas out like it ain't nothing y'all is down You think bitches don't like Louis Vuitton I'm still buying Louis Vuitton nigga and he stopped in 2016 Cook because Virgil gone We recipe the bird over to send it to me Cause Virgil gone Recipes of Virgil Virgil was sending it to me
Starting point is 02:45:06 Like I said There's not a lot of people Who survive with With the This line of questioning No no no No no no You was ready for the question
Starting point is 02:45:16 No you But I mean In general Because Because you know It's a lot of shit that goes on It's a lot of shit that You know
Starting point is 02:45:23 You stay strong for And you here You still to the test of time And goes on. It's a lot of shit that, you know, you stay strong for and you're here. You're still to the test of time and you're here. So we want to give you your flowers, which we did. We want to,
Starting point is 02:45:31 you know what I mean, salute you and we're going home. You got anything else to say? Anything else more to say? While we're on Revolt, make sure you follow me on Instagram,
Starting point is 02:45:42 at ConCV. Repost any clip from this interview, because I'm sure when I reflect back on it, I'm going to be like, at least let me see it hit a million. That's all I'm asking. And then one thing you can say, you wasn't drunk. That's the right thing to say.
Starting point is 02:45:58 Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I ain't touching nothing. Nigga got it, nigga got it. It is what it is. So let's make some noise for Kod we take some pictures and
Starting point is 02:46:09 promo and that's it yeah thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs hosted by yours
Starting point is 02:46:16 truly DJ EFN and NORE please make sure to follow us on all our socials it's at
Starting point is 02:46:22 drink champs across all platforms at the real Noriega on IG at Noriega on twitter mine is at who's crazy on ig at dj efn on twitter and most importantly stay up to date with the latest releases news and merch by going to For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J,
Starting point is 02:47:00 the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. 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.
Starting point is 02:47:59 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.
Starting point is 02:48:30 I'm Greg Glott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Sure. 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 the recording studios.
Starting point is 02:48:46 Stories matter and it brings a face to it. 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 iHeart Radio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast.

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