Drink Champs - Episode 391 w/ Bun B (Live from Honeyland Festival)

Episode Date: December 8, 2023

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode the Champs chop it up with the legendary, Bun B!Live from Honeyland Festival, Bun B joins us to share his trill journey!The Trill OG himself shares stories of his career, UGK, Pimp C and much much more!Bun B also discusses his recent business venture, Trill Burgers, the delicious smashburger! Lots of great stories that you don’t want to miss!Listen as we continue to celebrate 50 Years of Hip-Hop!!Make some noise for Bun B!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 *Subscribe to Patreon NOW for exclusive content, discount codes, M&G’s + more:  🏆* https://www.patreon.com/drinkchamps *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com  Follow Drink Champs: https://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps https://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps https://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps https://www.youtube.com/drinkchamps  DJ EFN https://www.crazyhood.com https://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy https://www.twitter.com/djefn https://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions  N.O.R.E. https://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga https://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops. They get asked all the time,

have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. And it's Drink Chess motherfucking podcast. Make some noise! He's a legendary Queens rapper.

Hey, hey, it's your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. One of his DJ EFN. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players. You know what I mean? In the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk facts. It's Drink Champs motherfucking podcast.

Where every day is New Year's Eve. It's time for Drink Champs. Drink up, motherfuckers. What up, motherfuckers. What it could be. Hopefully, it's what it should be. This is your boy, N-O-R-E. What up, it's DJ E it should be. This is your boy N.O.R.E. What up, it's DJ E.F.N.

And this is Drink Champs, Yappy Hour. Make some noise! Hey! Hey! And right now, when we talk about, you know, OGs, when we talk about legends, we talk about icons, we talk about a person who put it down for a whole coast, a whole region, whole area, whole national wide and global wide. One of the most historic groups of all times.

And now he's transitioning and I got a belly full of a Trill Burger with vegan style. And people were eating it and saying, are we sure this is vegan? That's how good it was. Yeah, I thought it was you gave me meat, bro. Pause. I don't even say pause. And pause. Yo, hey, yo.

But in case you don't know who I'm talking about, we talking about the one, the only, the honorable, the impeccable, motherfucking Bumper. Hey!

It's good to be back with you, bro. Let me ask you something. Every time I come to Houston, you're probably the first person I call. You, Jay, and there's a couple of other people. You stun. What'd you say? You stun.

I'm stun? You get to call. Oh, yeah, no, no. That was humble bragging. He's humble bragging. I've never heard of Sugar Land. Can you describe where we at right now? Yeah, you're in the suburb of Houston. Sugar Land is the festival, but we're in Sugar Land. Yeah, you're in the city of Sugar Land. Can you describe where we at right now? Yeah, you're in a suburb of Houston.

Honey Land is the festival, but we're in Sugar Land. Yeah, you're in the city of Sugar Land. This is a suburb of Houston. Correct me, yeah, yeah. But it's not in Harris County. It's in its own county. Right. But, I mean, everybody understands this is Houston. We in Houston. We say we going to Sugar Land, but you still in Houston.

Right. If you born in Sugar Land, you probably say you live in Sugar Land, but if somebody asks where you from, you're not going to say you from Sugar Land. You're going to say you from Houston. Okay. All right. I hope I'm not disrespecting nobody from Sugar Land. If I'm wrong, somebody need to stand up for Sugar Land in here and let me know.

Speak up, Sugar Land. Okay, that's a bet. Sugar people, speak up. Now, on the real estate market, you look at Texas, Houston, Dallas. Yes. One of the most places that people are running to. Is this something that you're seeing personally? Well, yeah.

I mean, the cost of living here, right, is exceptional, right? For people in the entertainment industry, people in athletics, or just people in the higher tax bracket, you know there's tax incentives to move to Texas. You know what I'm saying? Quality of living here is respectable. So you don't have to put it like this. If you spend $350,000, $400,000 on your house, you're going to see $400,000 worth of house technically in Houston. Now, if you move to certain areas where it costs a lot more to buy the land that you build on yeah, but Texas is still a very um

wide open state in terms of real estate there's still a lot of Uncivilized land here that people are still able to go in buy acres build your shit out Why do you think wise also there's it's a better place absolutely absolutely Why you think Drake would come here and just like, I'm going to come buy a house here? A lot of people have houses here. A lot of people in the athletic world live here in the off-season. James Harden?

Yes. Okay. Absolutely. This house is crazy. And it's Sugar Land too, right? I don't want to speak on that. Yeah, me neither. I don't want to say where that man's house is.

This guy geo-targeted where he lives. It's nice, though. It's nice. Get down the block. No, it neither. I don't want to say what that man house is. This guy geo-targeted where he lives. It's nice, though. It's nice. Get down the block. No, I'm just playing. I'm just playing. I mean, technically, James Harden got enough money

to buy a big house anywhere. Yes, yes. But his money definitely goes further in Houston, for sure. Good schools here. You know, it's just like any other city.

You know where not to go, you'll be all right. Right. Now, let's get into Trail Burgers, man. Yes. I'm going to be honest with you. You're my friend.

I had business in Houston, so one of the first things I did was come see you at the spot. Yes. And it's... I don't want to call it hip-hop's number one burger. I want to call it America's number one burger. Are we going

global? Are we saying... No, no, this is the best burger in the world, and I can tell you why. Make some noise for the best burger in the world! But that's not just me saying it, right? Yes. So, Trill Burgers is the best burger in America. Y'all won awards. It's already been laid out.

Like legit awards. Right, but the best burgers in the world always come from America. So, technically, if you got the best burger in America, you have, by default, the best burger in the world. And who gave you the award? Good morning America? Good morning America. Good morning America. Goddamn, make some noise for white people giving out black people.

That's one footed ass for real. One footed ass. Yeah, I mean, white people recognize your shit, you know, let me tell you something. This is when you know the food is good in the hood. When you go there, and it's in the hood, and it's white people eating in there. That's true.

That's a fact because they risked their life for that jerk chicken, goddammit. They risking their life for that curry soup. For that curry soup? They risking their life for that Trill Burger, goddammit. You know what I mean? You safe at Trill Burger. Relax, man. I'm saying I'm just throwing Trill Burger at a man.

But we not in the hood. No, no. We're hood adjacent. This guy said- I would say. What? He said you going in a gang, infested, warlord. Best burger I ever had. If your arms still work good, you could throw a rocket hit the room. I know personally, there's so many people who try to buy Trill Burgers, try to franchise you.

Like buy the brand? Like try to get down, and you're like very adamant about keeping it how it's run. Yeah, yeah, because I don't think it's time to, I don't think we need anybody for that right now. We don't need that level of cash investment right now. We're good for that. We don't need any help marketing

a brand in the company. We're good with that. We'll get to that step eventually. Everybody gets to that step where you have to bring in specific partners so you can target bigger demographics and expand the brand out. But for right now, I think we're good enough. Organic growth is what you're looking for.

Oh, yeah, no, no. And I think we can, you know, knock out a couple of locations in Texas alone. I think we can get six to eight doors in Texas open very easily within the system that we already have. Right. Because I'm not going to lie to you,

that's when I knew you have way more integrity than me. Jesus Christ. You threw yourself under the bus right there. Hey, man. That's a new one. I would have sold to McDonald's. Trillburgers would have been TrillDonald's. He would have put your joints at Happy Meals. I would have had Trillburgers and Wendy's.

I would have made collaborations with everybody. You said, fuck that. This ain't the time. Even if this is something I want to do with the company in the future, this ain't the time. We haven't built up enough value into the company. Right. I'd be selling out for a Volkswagen. I'm trying to sell out for, you know, for Bugatti.

Yeah, I want Bugatti value. I want big money. You know what I'm saying? Because my thing is, I can get rich with the model that we have now, right? I can make a couple million dollars. But if we do this right, everybody involved with the ownership of this company is in position to attain generational wealth. And that's really what we want to do with this company, you know? I shouldn't, if I live to be 100, I still shouldn't live long enough to see how far this company grows, you know? So let me ask you, because everybody thinks they can cook, right?

You know what I mean? Like, nobody thinks they're a bad cook, right? Everybody, like... I don't know. There's a couple people who know they can't cook. No, I know. I can burn cereal. Me, personally.

I know. Like, that's me. He said burn cereal. Yeah. But a lot of people that I know, they think they can cook. Yes. But they don't go into this culinary arts. What made you go so hard with this?

So we started a food blog about 10 years ago, me and my partner Premium Pete. You got to eat this.com. Because we met over sneakers, and we met through other people, and through other things, but we bonded over food. And we just loved to eat food.

Me, because I was a fat dude and him he just I don't he got a tapeworm or something just eat eat eat eat way more food than I eat and we thought you know we start a blog we go out we take a couple of pictures maybe we could get reservations at restaurants or something like that but it really yeah but it really just yeah exactly but it really expanded into something well we started to go to different companies you know people would go and test out different products. And it made us want to actually get into the culinary space like with businesses.

So he activated first with his grandmother's pasta sauce. Right. You know what I'm saying, which is amazing. And he's been doing very well with that. And then when I got approached with the opportunity to do these burgers, I had been looking for something. And when these burgers came in my lap, I was like, this is it. This is what I've been waiting for all my life. I haven't felt like anything like this since probably hip-hop, getting married, and this.

This is where it's at. You found a different passion. Yeah, yeah. No, I got passion. It aligns with purpose. You know what I'm saying? It makes me want to be present in the moment, learn shit. And make it your brand.

Yeah, no, that's the thing. It wasn't worth compromising what I was doing. If this was just a regular-ass burger, I wouldn't have even touched it. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multibbillion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission.

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th.

Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here, and I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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, you know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young

and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. You know what I'm saying? Because I built up 30 plus years of blood, sweat, and tear integrity with this UGK brand and this Trill brand. It's not worth selling out for a couple of thousand dollars behind a bitch-ass burger. I knew this burger was the truth. I knew it was the truth.

I knew it was different. Now, bud, let me ask you this, though. When you found the burger, it wasn't Trill. You made it Trill. The burger needed me to quantify it't Trill. You made it Trill. The burger needed me to quantify it being Trill. You branded it. Here's the thing.

If somebody else would have said, hey, this is Trill burgers, they would have been like, all right, I get the burger, but what make it Trill? But they didn't come to you saying, no, no, no. It's Trill burgers.

No, no, no. I can't go without that. You labeled it that. Yes. My thing is, I'm going to be associated with this burger. I'm going to be associated with this burger. I'm going to be the face

of the burger. Less associated with something that people already know me for that already got weight to it. You know what I'm saying? I wouldn't have done it if this burger was not Trill in my eyes.

I wouldn't have put the name on it. It wouldn't have worked it. Because you said the burger fell on your lap. In my mind, I pictured you barbecuing one day. And it fell on his lap? Nah. I just pictured him barbecuing one day and it fell on his lap? And nah.

Just pictured him barbecuing one day and then said, nigga, this is it! You couldn't do this in the backyard. With all due respect to all the chefs and the cooks out there, this is not something that you could have developed in the backyard. So describe to us. Someone came to you and said, this is... They pitched the burger to you? They came to me. They said, we have a burger we think is the best burger.

We want to partner with somebody in Texas. We think you're the best person to partner with. I tried the burger. I was like, this is a badass burger. Like, for real. I was like, this it? They were like, we're going to work on it a little bit more. They came back and told me I tried it.

Not only was it the best burger I'd ever had by far, but it was one of the best meals I'd ever had. That's why people keep coming back to Trill Burger because it's so satisfying. And the flavor and the taste and the product has been consistent. So it doesn't matter if you come to Honeyland to get a Trill Burger, if you go to the brick and mortar to get it,

if you get it at a festival, at the NRG Stadium during the Texans game, at the Dynamo Stadium, rock the bells, wherever you get that burger, festival, at the NRG Stadium during the Texans game, at the Dynamo Stadium, Rock the Bills, wherever you get that burger, it tastes like the burger. You know what I'm saying? Now, as you can see, I don't know if we're cursed or something, but it's always a process to get a Trill Burger. You either got to stand in the sun, it's cold outside.

As you can see, it's raining out here. People complain about the weight. They complain about the weather, but ain't nobody complaining about the burger. Got you. Bun, what was the learning curve between them bringing you the burger, you are in the music industry, you're a legendary MC, and now you're transitioning into the food industry, what is that transition? Was it easy, was there bumps in the road?

We're still in progress. Right. I'm learning every day. No, no, no, no, no. It's successful right now, though, as far. Technically, yes, it's successful, because we don't have to fight to get people in the door. Right. Right, but there are many things

that I don't know about this industry. There are things that I'm learning every day, you know what I'm saying? And we're trying to streamline the process, we're trying to refine the process, but this thing keeps growing exponentially. There's so many moving parts to this company, and so we're just trying to get the model down-packed, right?

And then we're trying to replicate the model. Once we know we can easily replicate the model, then we can start popping them bitches where we want to put them, you know what I'm saying? But all these things come with time. You don't want to move too fast and not know anything. Just like if you're an artist and you come in the game and you go platinum off your first single, These things come with time. You don't want to move too fast and not know anything. Just like if you're an artist and you come in the game

and you go platinum off your first single, you ain't never been nowhere. Now your promo tour, you going all over the world. You got one of the biggest records in the world, but you don't know nothing about publishing, mechanical royalties, merch. You don't know nothing about it, so you can't really take full advantage

of the opportunity in front of you. Luckily, I have some great partners that I work with, but even with all the resources and the tutelage and experience that we have, we still make mistakes, because nothing like this has ever been done before. There is no blueprint to do what Trill Burgers is doing. We've broken every record.

Every music festival we've ever been to, we've broken every single day and weekend vendor record anybody's ever had. Anywhere. Including Coachella. All of these big things. We go and we kill it. You see this line out here. It's ridiculous because it's a real product. I'm not standing at the booth taking pictures. And they

know that in the rain and they still standing out there because the product is real. It's not only an incredible food product but it got 30 years of Trill culture built into it. You know what I'm saying? So there's residual benefits for not just buying a burger, but supporting the brand. And we recognize that as a company,

and we appreciate and love y'all and respect y'all for that. Goddamn, make some noise for that. Now, if anybody ever been to Trill Burgers or ever visited a location where you've been posted at, it's only two types of burgers. Yes. It's a beef burger.

Yes. And it's a vegan burger. Can you tell us the breakdown of why you chose those two? Well, first of all, you know, we want to keep it streamlined, the process as possible, so we can cook as much food and get it to people as quickly as possible. So the less things you cook, the easier it is to give people what they want. You know what I'm saying? But then, also outside of that, you know,

we want to make sure that we're making our food available to as many people as possible. That's why there's a beef burger, and that's also why there's a vegan burger. If all you turkey people, if all you turkey people, we hear you, but everybody has to understand, I'm sure most of you people understand how food and kitchens work here.

I have to have a separate grill for every protein I cook. Right. So I have to, so every beef. You don't cook the beef on the same day. No, you can't. You can't. You defeat the purpose. Okay.

I mean, you could, but you'd be foul. I mean, if you cook a vegan burger on a grill. Boris will do that. Boris will do it. No, you're violating. You're violating with that. So all the beef burgers have to be cooked on their own grills all the beef burgers have to be cooked on their own grills. All vegan burgers have to be cooked on their own grills.

So if I wanted to incorporate turkey, I'd have to either take away one of the grills that's already used for something or put another grill in there. And I don't have enough room to put another grill in there. But it's something that we're considering as the brand grows and we start to look into other locations. Also to go. Like we haven't really been able to do DoorDash and all of that because our kitchen is small, it's finite, so we know people want the burger. And then, you know, we still trying to make sure

that when we do do that, that the burger is packaged in a way that is still refreshing for people when they get the food. Because I don't know what the fuck people Uber drivers be doing, go stop at they gal house or some shit. I don't want nobody eating y'all fries and going through y'all shit. You know, so...

It might take a little peace. No, you know, I mean, it's human. It's human nature. You ever went to get, like, McDonald's or something? They sent you to go get to McDonald's. You don't just stick your hand in the bag for fries. Right, right, right.

Of course you do. Of course you do. That's just human nature, you know? Okay, now this is a question straight from my friend Shampoo. Okay. He wants to know, are you guys going to ever make glizzies?

Which is hot dogs. Can I just say this? Can I say this to camera? Which camera am I talking about? Which camera? Shampoo. It's Shampoo. Only somebody named Shampoo

would be asking about glitzies. Only somebody named Shampoo, if he had one question to ask me, it would be about glitzies. Let me tell you how crazy Shampoo is. Don't let Shampoo ask no more questions on your podcast. Tell him to bring conditioner with him and then we'll talk to him. Let me tell you how crazy Shampoo is. I invited him to my crib for a barbecue, right? So I tried to cater to his, this is

what he likes. He likes glizzies. So I bought turkey glizzies. He was mad at me. He was like, I like Oscar Mayer Holmes. Y'all wrong for just bringing glizzies. Just tell him to bring Oscar with him next time. And he can have an Oscar glizzy

anytime he want. Right. Pause. So let me ask you, Bun, because one thing about you is you are one of the greatest people I ever met. Not greatest rappers. You're the greatest people

I ever met. I see people, not only me and EFN, but people sincerely love you. People sincerely fuck with you. I'm blessed. Do you think that's the reason why the Trill Burgers was a success?

That you got people in there and then once they got in there, then the burgers smacked them the other way? I risked it all for this burger. I put everything about me that everybody knows about me and everybody associates with me into this burger.

Right. Because I believed in the burger that much. Now, it was all about getting people in the building to try the burger. Right? But if people don't like the burger that much. Now, it was all about getting people in the building to try the burger, right? But if people don't like the burger, they're not coming back. Right, they're not coming back.

You know what I'm saying? So I'm not trying to hit a one-time lick. I want a sustainable building. You know what I'm saying? I want a sustainable company that can exist in multiple locations and be everything that people want a burger to be. You know what I'm saying?

So, no, this is about the burger being the star of the show because I can't be there every day. So if people only come in to see me and take a picture, if they walk in and I ain't there, they walk out. Right. Right? I don't want people to walk in. I want people to walk in for the reason they're supposed to walk in

because the food is good, period. And let me add to what he's saying. How much of the independent Texas DJ screw mentality that you come from did you apply to the marketing of Trill Burgers? Well, this was just about, I put this burger on my back, right? And the same way that we went out as artists and had to build this thing grassroots, word of mouth,

that's what we did with this burger. You know what I'm saying? We treated the burger like it was a new album or a new artist you know i'm saying so we went on promos it cost us a lot of times to get in the building you know i'm saying that festivals we had to pay fees now people invite us to festivals they waive the fees right because we bring culture with us when we enter the festival we're a draw like people that you know people are already coming to the festival or maybe people are on the line. Maybe they're on the, I don't know whether or not I want to go. They know Trill Burger

is going to be the, I'm going to go because I've been waiting to try this burger, or I've had the burger. You know what I'm saying? This is about building something that's sustainable on its own. That way, like I said, ain't nobody stop eating at Wendy's, and they've been gone for a while. Right, right. I was like, I'm going to eat it later. I was like, nah,

you're going to eat it now. First of all, I don't sound like that motherfucker. I'm going to eat it later. He's like, I'm going to eat it later. I was like, nah, you're going to eat it now. First of all, I don't sound like that motherfucker. I'm going to eat it later. He's like, I'm going to eat it later. I don't want it in my stomach to hurt. I said, nah, it's worth your stomach hurt. Let's go. And it's a vegan burger,

so it's easy on you. That's just amazing, by the way. And what kind of cocaine is in the bun? That bun is addictive, my brother. It's potato. No, no, no.

It's me. It's a potato bun. You're drunk in that bun, B. Come on, It's potato. No, no, no, B. It's a potato bun. Don't do that bun, B. Come on, nobody's listening. Tell me the secret. It's a potato bun, which by due process turns into sugar, and there's nothing more addictive on the planet than sugar. Okay, okay.

Also cocaine. Yes, well, they run it neck and neck. Sugar's easier to get. You can't wait to franchise in Miami. Yes. Cocaine? No, no, no, no, no. Oh, oh, Trevor. Moving's easier to get. You can't wait to franchise in Miami. Cocaine? No, no, no. Oh, oh, true.

Moving on. Boris got it. Look at him with the glasses. He got it right now. We already know you're going to open more locations

eventually in Texas. What would be your ideal location outside of Texas? I mean, look, I believe Dallas is dying for this burger right now.

You know what I'm saying? Oh, you're saying outside of Texas. Oh. Well, let's be fair. Texas is like its own country. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Five different time zones. We're going to do at least six to eight doors in Texas before we even look to move outside of the state.

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

Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you

Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1. Taser Incorporated.

I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts.

And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. 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, you know, I love jokes. I love funny.

I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T. Connecting changes everything.

But I would love to bring this burger to Louisiana. I'd love to bring this burger to Oklahoma. I want to bring this burger everywhere that people eat food, eventually. You know what I'm saying? But one country at a time. I'm trying to be nice. I'm going to let them live in France

until I come and buy it and all of that. But I'm excited about the opportunity to bring this burger to New Orleans, to bring this burger to Atlanta, to Detroit, but also cities like the Louisvilles and the St. Louis's of the world, the Cincinnati's and the Columbus Ohio's. I think everybody should have an opportunity

to have the best burger in the world. You shouldn't just have it because you live in a big city. Fuck all that. I'm not from a big city. So I know what it's like when something like this comes to town. So we want to bring the circus to town for people when we open these Trill Burgers.

I love your confidence. So what is the next product you're going to add on to the menu? Well, we just started Trill Tenders. We just sold... Oh, chicken tenders? Yes, but that's not going to be on the menu because we're going to keep the burger business burger.

So it's going to be a separate business. So we just competed about three weeks ago in Tenderfest, which is the national chicken tender competition sponsored by Heinz. Come on, come on. It's not like an R&B conference. Tenderfest?

Where the fuck names my invite? You want to go to Tenderfest? I want to go to Tenderfest! You look like a Tenderfest type of dude. I look like a Tenderfest nigga, yeah. How you ain't text me? That's my bad. Okay, where's the Tenderfest? I want to go to Tenderfest You look like a Tenderfest I look like a Tenderfest nigga Yeah How you ain't text me? That was my bad

Okay Where's the Tenderfest at? Tenderfest was in Los Angeles For real? Yes Downtown? Don't tell me downtown No no

It was actually It was actually in the middle of Beverly Hills They got Beverly Hills Chicken Tenderfest? Yes They called me And we weren't even in the chicken tender business So we got

Invited to participate. So what they do, they ask a lot of well-known chefs and companies to come in and do their version of a chicken tender, right? Take a product that's very, you know, very lo-fi, very easy to access and try to make something high profile out of it. So we competed against three other chefs and restaurants in L.A. and we won. Wow. Make some noise for that. I know. So technically, Heinz says we have the best

new chicken tender in America. So hold on. This will be in Trill Burgers? No, this will be its own separate business. Trill Tenders. Yes. And it's a beast. The reason it's a beast is because

it's the freshest tender. We're not compromising on quality with Trill Burger. That's the thing. You're going to get a quality product. You're going to get an ample serving. That's why you're separating the business. Yeah, absolutely. It doesn't make sense to consolidate that

because I believe it's its own brand that can stand on its own two feet. Giving its own attention. Yes, and it's a lot easier to operate, quite frankly, than a burger business, you know what I'm saying? So I don't need as much staff, I don't need as much prep for it. It's very easy to open that door.

The food truck's coming very soon because the truck is very easy to do with tenders. Like, that line out there, we could never do that kind of a line with a food truck. You just can't get the typical amount of equipment. We're about to put it and get a mobile kitchen. You can't even call it a food truck. The size of it, what we're about to do.

We're about to do some great things with this company, man. We're really excited about the opportunity to present this burger to as many people as possible. That's been the thing that's really been holding us back is not having a truck because a truck's very easy to put into a space and activate. But when you got to rent the grills and all of that, sometimes it gets complicated. You know, zoning and different things come into play. So I think as the time goes on,

next year, 2024, we'll really be able to attack because we'll be in multiple places and multiple cities at the same time. I'm a big dipper. What kind of dipping sauce is on the chicken tenders? We have a sweet pink sauce. We have two sauces for the chicken tenders. We have a

sweet pink sauce. Sweet pink? Yes. Sounds dangerous. Yes, it is. We have a sweet pink sauce and then we have a spicy soy-based sauce. We give you two sauces so you have an option. I personally like to mix a little bit of both. I like to dip it in the pink sauce and top it with the soy.

But that's up to y'all. But we make sure that there's enough flavor. See, that's the thing about Trill Burger, right? I realize that most burgers are popular not because of the patty but because of what they put on the burger. Very few people buy a burger for the patty. They buy it for the condiments. So if you took just the patty off of most burgers, you wouldn't even want to eat it the way it looked.

I argue that Trill Burger, the best part of the burger is the patty. You could take everything off of a Trill Burger, and you would still want to eat that patty. Exactly. You know what I'm saying? So that's how we feel with the chicken tender. Even if there is no patented sauce or anything to dip in, or even if you don't have any ketchup,

you should still have a moist chicken tender with a crispy crust on the outside with flavor in every bite. Okay, so let's just rip the band-aid off of the thing. Is this chicken tender spot also going to have straight-up fried chicken? Not yet. Mama's fried chicken?

Not my mama biscuit? I'm not trying to complicate the market, right? If we want to's fried chicken? No, look. Not my mama biscuit? I'm not trying to complicate the market, right? If we want to do fried chicken, then we got to do different things with sides, biscuits, and all of that type. That's not the model that I'm trying to do. My model is probably coasted to a Cane's or a Chick-fil-A. You know what I'm saying? You stay in your lane. If you find one thing you can do, you do it well.

You replicate it. And you can do it like that. I don't have to make a million things to make a million dollars. If I do one thing well, I can find a million people to buy it. So Bun, you obviously found, yeah, yeah, clap for that, clap for that. You obviously found this passion, right?

Yes. How does it match your passion for hip hop and the music side? When I found hip hop, I fell in love with hip hop. I wanted to hear all the new records, I wanted to see who all the new artists was, I wanted to read the magazines. It's the same thing with food. I want to learn more about the business. I want to read more. I talk to different people. I had people that have proximity to the industry, but because I wasn't in that space, I couldn't

really talk to them about that stuff. Now that I'm in the food space, friends of mine that are in restaurants, we both know Big Teach, right? We were both very supportive in helping Teach help get his brand out there. Now Teach gets to bring that to me and help teach me things. And you help Teach so much as well.

Absolutely, so all these relationships that I already had, I just try to make relationships with a lot of good people everywhere. It doesn't really matter what they do. Just because they can't benefit me today don't mean they can't benefit me tomorrow. So I don't try to burn any bridges that I build with people because you never know when you need to cross it.

You know what I'm saying? So it's been beautiful to have people that I've sold into that have been successful sold back into me. And it's not just fool people either. People like Drake and people like Khaled, they come over, they know they have energy that can help activate my brand and help put me on that next level. And so they bring that to me.

Most people would be trying to bother Drake for a verse. Right. I don't need no verse. Help me get these burgers off. You know what I'm saying? Right. Do you feel the evolution of hip-hop? We're celebrating Hip-Hop 50 right now.

And do you feel the evolution of hip-hop to where it's at right now makes it a perfect time and place for you to launch a business like this is it is it helpful that we're evolved this way in hip-hop right now yeah i think if an artist wants to be involved in the business side of the music industry this is a perfect time um i think most artists have to have some type of business acumen in order to be successful but there isn't anything that you can't learn from being successful in the entertainment industry that won't transition into other things.

This is business. The way you communicate with people, knowing who to talk to, who to look for when you walk in a room, all of those things transition into any factor

of life. You know what I'm saying? So I just found my path through this burger, but I tell everybody, find your burger. Find something that you love to do

and figure out what it is that you already know, all the resources you've already taken in, the experience you got, and the people and the relationships you've built, and see how that shit can help you. You know what I'm saying? Because you may have a friend that could never help you in any other aspect of your life until now. And now that becomes your closest friend. You know what I'm saying? Now, your staff all cast COVID tomorrow, right? They can't come in. Hypothetically.

Hypothetically. Right. Can you open up the spot yourself? Can you make the burger yourself? Technically, yeah, but if our whole staff got COVID, probably 80%, 90% of the city got COVID, so we probably ain't open no way.

I fucked up. That was a terrible analogy. I don't know. Could you technically make a trail burger? I'm going to make a burger in about an hour. For real? Yeah, I'm going to make a burger on the grill. No, there's no part of this burger.

There's no part of this company that I can't add myself to. If anybody that came to any of the early popas probably saw me cooking back in the day. You would see me. Sometimes somebody couldn't show up. I would have to go in the line. I would have to go work the fries. I would have to prep the burgers or wrap the burgers or something. But I can build a drill burger. No question. It doesn't make sense for me

to be out there and doing that when it's such an easy thing to learn. And it's something that I'm asking people to do every day. I wouldn't ask people to do something that I wouldn't do myself. So, and because this is a hard job to do, standing over that grill, this is a brutal job. Imagine doing it outside in Houston

on a 100 degree summer day. So when my staff is outside sweating, I'm outside sweating. Right. With them, you know what I'm saying? If they got to put work in, if they need me, I'm there. People see it all the time. I'm always ready to turn up.

Now, what's that Kool-Aid you sell? Straight up, straight up. Oh, yeah, the Kool Cup juice. Yeah. Kool Cup juice, the watermelon lemonade. You cannot go to sleep off of that. No, no, no, no. My wife told me she said,

you might be putting a little bit too much syrup in your lemonade. Syrup, not scissor. Yeah, no, no, no, syrup. Yeah. Yeah, you can't go to sleep off of that. You don't need no coffee, none of that. No, but shout out to Exotic Pop, man, for giving, you know, young artists, young black people a revenue stream, particularly the families of those that we've lost. They've been able to create these sodas for many of Houston artists that have passed away.

And by selling these sodas and giving the proceeds to the family, not a portion of the proceeds. He gives the proceeds to the family. You know what I'm saying? It's a way that we can continue to honor their memory and sow into their families. What we've been doing at Trill Burger is that when it's somebody's anniversary of their passing, if they have an exotic

pop soda, we do a special combo with the burger and the soda to raise money for the family on that date. We got to go to Trill Burgers and do an episode. We want him to come to Miami to do an episode. But half of the episode, we should go to Trill Burgers. Yeah, we should do a dual. Yeah, like you're in Miami and then the second part of that, we're at Trill Burgers.

Yeah, because, man. I love it. I can't tell you, man, how this couldn't happen to a better person, man. You know what I mean? You're a genuine guy. You're an honorable guy. Let's give him the flowers, man. Yeah, man.

Our show is about giving people flowers, and we got to give you flowers. Come on, Paul. You drunk motherfucker. Oh, hold up. Stop yelling shit out, Paul. Hey, you. Let's love them. Yeah.

Hey, this is beautiful. Yes. This is beautiful. Yes. I got to do this for somebody. We got to put this in a, we got to put some burgers in a box like this, baby. And honor people.

This is beautiful what y'all have done for the culture, man. That's why you've been rewarded in the way that you've been rewarded because I've seen this from day one. This was not a money grab. We didn't know if no sponsors or nothing was coming out. Y'all was just trying to get drunk

with your friends and talk shit. You know what I'm saying? And some of the best nights of my life has been me and Nori drunk. There's stories we can never tell. You know what I'm saying? Hanging out in left rack.

But let me ask you something. Hold on, hold on but let me ask you something hold on let me ask you something if pepsi was alive yes what would his meal be at trill burgers he would probably want it all the way because he ate onions and pickles so he would have ate this all the way but the only i think that's the only person that would eat more trill burgers than my wife because my wife technically is eating more Trill Burgers than anybody else. Like, she loves the burger. The burgers. I mean, I had the veggie. It's amazing, man.

But if you could have a Trill Burger anytime you wanted, hi, wouldn't you? Right. I can't even. I try to get mad about it, but I can't. You know what I'm saying? You think Pip would have tried the vegan burger? Oh, yeah. No, definitely.

Absolutely. I think he would have tried everything we sold, and he would have told me his honest opinion. So he would have been the one that I would have been like, after I tried it, I would have probably asked him to try it and see if he felt like I felt. Let me ask you a hip-hop question. So many people respect you, old, new, in between, whatever.

Do you ever get shocked at how many people pay homage to you? I do, I do. I was just at this event in Los Angeles that CBS put on with the Recording Academy to celebrate hip-hop's 50th anniversary.

The one that everybody was at? Yeah, yeah. That looked amazing. And Chuck D came over to me and I mean, the outpouring of love and admiration that Chuck D continuously shows me blows my mind. Wow. You know what I'm saying? Because records like my Uzi weighs a ton was the type of shit that made me like, yo, they talking different with this.

Yeah, man. This is just a whole different way of talking, you know? And when I realized that you didn't have to be from a certain place to do it and be a part of it, I was sold, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, to see a Chuck D and a Flavor Flav, like Flavor had walked past me and didn't realize it was me and came back, like double back. You know, he ain't got that to do.

You know what I'm saying? And so when the OGs, my OGs show love like that, it's only right that I be as gracious, if not more gracious, you know what I'm saying, because the people that opened the doors for me, like, and they, I, you know, I had to fight to get there, but there were people, there were people with their foot in the door holding it open for me, you know what I'm saying? And they appreciate the way that I came in and the way I represented in the culture. And it's so fulfilling because before there was any money, before there was any cars and mansions and all of that, you wanted rappers that was nice to say you was nice. Right.

And I've been able to say that pretty much everybody I looked up to as an artist looks at me as a real rapper. Like, not just a dude making songs. Like, I'm really out here doing my thing. And that's an amazing thing to carry. And to double down what he just asked, and this is a question that Norrie usually asks the guests. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West.

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

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

dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and six on June 4th.

Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. 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. You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously. That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. Did you ever think hip hop would take it this far to the point where you've expanded your brand further than hip hop? And it's still hip-hop but you've gone in other realms outside the music side of hip-hop not at all and I'll

tell you why because I've been here long enough to remember when hip-hop almost just off off the general principle rejected sponsorship right yeah right because we were very concerned about corporations coming in and really taking advantage of the culture, manipulating the culture and the people within. We didn't really know whether or not that was going to be a bad thing. So when Hammer had a cartoon and Kid and Play had a cartoon and people were doing Pepsi and KFC commercials. The Mountain Dew. Wu-Tang had the Mountain Dew. You know, it wasn't until the Sprite campaign. Yeah, Sprite.

It wasn't until that Sprite campaign when they started. Biggie had St. Ives too? Yes, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, they were the ones breaking the ground. Wu-Tang, Biggie, Ice Cube. All those guys were slowly breaking that down.

But they realized that they were allowing us to define ourselves and dictate. At first they tried to manipulate it and present it in their way, but it started to come off as parody. And people that fuck with the culture didn't fuck with the product. So it wasn't until they started bringing authentic voices from the culture

into the space to allow them to tell the story. Perfect example is Russell Simmons and Rush Communications, the Coca-Cola campaign. I don't know if y'all know, Simmons and Rush Communications, the Coca-Cola campaign. I don't know if y'all know, but y'all know the Coca-Cola bear, when y'all see the polar bear wintertime, Russell Simmons company came up with that campaign for Coca-Cola.

Transform the brand, you know what I'm saying? But there isn't a product on the planet right now that doesn't sell itself through hip-hop, you know what I'm saying? Like, there's music, there's themes, there's breakdancing, all that shit.

It sells everything on the planet. Movies, there's no movie trailer. It's so hip-hop, we don't even know it anymore. That's how hip-hop... We don't even pick up on it. That's what I'm saying. It's so hip-hop.

I'll look up, I'll just be doing something, and then, oh, no one man should have all this power. Oh, what movie is this? Right. It seems like they do the same songs over and over, selling it, man should have all this power, or what movie is this? It seems like they do the same songs over and over,

selling it, you know what I'm saying? Because we tell these stories of triumph so well. We tell these stories of pain and grief and transition through those things, and obstacles, which is what most movies are about. You have a conflict, you resolve the conflict. Who does that better than black people? Who deals with that? Who navigates the nuances does that better than black people? Who deals with that?

Who navigates the nuances of that better than black people? So let me ask you, right? If Pimp C could come back for one day. Oh Jesus, Nor. And you guys could do a versus. I don't know if I would. That was a tough question. Look at y'all.

Y'all like that one. Everybody like, I don't know if there's anybody else besides ball and G for us to go up against it. I don't, I don't, and I don't think Pimps, you said a ball.

Let me, let me tell you something. Pimps presence is very real in a room. You've ever been in a room where UGK record has been played and Pimps verse come on the spirit of Pimp C is in that room the energy shifts right when you hear that so just just that the spirit the idea the notion right because when you hear the music you imagine what if he was in this room right now in this space the thought the idea of him occupying space with you in modern time, in real time, it's just so hard to grasp.

It's just, your mind would explode if you saw Pipsy in modern times. So just the idea of him physically being here, I don't know. I don't even know what UGK would look like right now, right? There'd be different albums at this point. So by the time we got the verses, it might not be nobody that could have held

This shit. I'm just saying You know everyone knows All of us is pretty much unique individuals. Yes, is there any new artists that you look at that? Reminds you a little bit like similar to Pimp or no one ever? There is no one man I think that can replicate it, right? You see some dudes with their personalities. Like elements of Pimp.

Yeah, I see that in most people. Megan Thee Stallion embodies a lot of what Pimp represented. I think that's why it was so jarring for people to see it coming from a woman, you know what I'm saying? She's not saying nothing that Pimp wasn't saying. It just came from a female perspective.

But I think Club God, B King, I think he carries a lot of, I think he's talking about a lot of the crazy, nasty shit that Pimp would be talking about. You know? I think there's a lot of people that carry his beliefs. Like, Crit has, you know, Crit carries this passion of making there's a lot of people that carry his beliefs like

Crit carries this passion of making southern musical production looked at at a very high level. Killer Mike has the care and concern for his community and his people that Pimp had. You know what I'm saying? There's so many

different things, but I don't think no one person could encompass everything that Chad encompassed. That's why he was so special to people. And if anything, they're all carrying the torch that is Pimp C. Yeah, I think we all do in a sense. I think many of us have to carry that torch because we can't just sit by and watch fuck shit.

Somebody got to say something. Well, Bunman, congratulations, man. Thank you for coming to see us. Thank you. In your hometown. I don't want to leave sober. I got to...

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take a shot. This is drink champ. Take a shot. Yeah, take a shot. Take a shot. This is drink champ. Take a shot.

I feel like I'm cheating if I leave sober. And by the way, I want to show love to EFL. Just got the key to the county. Dade County. Dade County. Got the key to Dade County. So that means Miami and all surrounding areas.

That's right. Like Sugar Land. If you would have got the key. That's right. And also the Sunny D.B. birthday. Sunny D's birthday. Hey. My cousin Daryl's wife's birthday, I believe.

And no more shampoo questions. And no more shampoo questions. Thank you so much, man. Cheers, man. Make some noise. Cheers to y'all, everybody. Thank y'all for having me at Honeyland today. Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production in association with Interval Presents.

Hosts and executive producers NORE and DJ EFN. From Interval Presents, executive producers Alan Coy and Jake Kleinberg. Listen to Drink Champs on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by yours truly, DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. That's at Drink Champs across all platforms, at TheRealNoriega on IG, at Noriega on Twitter. Mine is at Who's Crazy on IG, at DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news, and merch by going to drinkchamps.com. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th,

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

Season 1. Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. This is an iHeart Podcast.