Drink Champs - Episode 426 w/ Rich The Kid

Episode Date: September 6, 2024

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the one and only, Rich The Kid!Rich joins us and shares his journey! Rich The Kid shares stories of creating music, going platinum and the struggles he’s gone through to get here. 💯Lot’s of great stories that you don’t want to miss!!Make some noise for Rich The Kid!!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 *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. Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Why is a soap opera western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English.

I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Yes, sir. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of starts that a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at their recording studios. Stories matter, and it brings a face to them.

It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. It really does. It makes it real. Listen to new episodes of the War on Drugs podcast season two on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's Drake Chess motherfucking podcast. Make some noise! We'll be right back. the biggest players in the most professional, unprofessional podcast. And your number one source for drunk. Every day is New Year's Eve.

It's time for drink champs. Drink up. Motherfucker. What a good be. Hope you're listening to me. It's your boy N-O-R-E. What up is DJ E-F-N. And it's military motherfucker.

Happy hour. Make some noise! And right now, we got one of my favorite artists from this new generation. What's that? By way of Queens, dude,

then went to Atlanta and then got some real bread and moved to California and started balling on you motherfuckers. All right. This man, when you go through his discography, he got hit after hit after hit

I feel sorry for anybody who ever Tried to challenge him in the verses Because I swear to God, and he can make any type of music I was just so happy I'm so proud of you, I'm so happy to give you your flowers In case you don't know what the fuck we talking about To my mother only, we're smoking Yeah

By the way, I haven't been drinking I don't know if you know, but I'm drinking today. We drinking. All right. All right. What you drinking? Kazazu? Kazazu.

It's Kazazu? Yeah. Okay. Let me ask you, because this is a lot of things going around right now. Are you Demir? What's Demir? Demir? Demir.

You don't know what that is? It's about the TikTok shit. Yeah, the TikTok shit. Yeah. I don't know what the fuck that is. What the fuck is that? I'm asking you. How you trying to get so up to date right now.

You're a young generation. I thought you would know. No. It sounds like it's something like cute or something. I thought it was like clean. Oh, word? Like when they did mirror. Yeah.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Do you know how to speak Spanish? Spanish? No, I'm learning. I want to take a class, though. I'm going to tell you how to speak Spanish in two seconds. You ready?

Yeah. You're going to speak. Spell socks very fast. Socks? Socks. S-O-C-K? C-K-S. Now say it fast.

S-O-C-K-S. S-O-C-K-S. You said a whole sentence in Spanish. Okay. Yo, did I kill that? How the fuck you learn that shit? I just learned it. Yo, so listen. All right, let's start that? I killed that. How the fuck you learn that shit? I just learned it. Yo, so listen.

All right, let's start from the beginning. Queens. How did your family wind up in Queens? My parents moved from Haiti. Oh, wow. And then they was living in Brooklyn. Okay. And then...

You know a part of Haiti? No. Okay. I've never been there before. Oh, you've never of Haiti? No. Okay. I've never been there before. Oh, you've never been there? No. Yes. Sonny's a resident Haitian, and he's never been there neither.

Yeah, I've never been there. Yeah. It's kind of wild. And I've been there. How the fuck? Yeah. I've been there. Yeah.

Yeah, I heard it's kind of wild over there right now, so. Right. So, yeah, they moved from Brooklyn to, like, the Long Island area. I was born in Queens. And I was living in Elmont until I was 13. Oh, wow. Until after 9-11. Okay.

9-11 happened, and my parents packed up. Well, my mom packed up her tour to Camry. Okay. And we drove to College Park, Georgia. Oh, wow. Yeah. And that's where history started to make sense. Yeah, yeah.

Was you rapping when you was in New York? No, no, no. Hell no. I was just stealing bikes and shit, you know. Right. It was a jig. It was a jig. It was a regular jig.

And you were a skateboarder too, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay. I learned how to skateboard in Georgia also. In Georgia, not in Queens. Not in Queens. Okay. So what, before we get into, you know, you linking up with the Migos or whatever, what

made you want to start to rap? Keeping myself out of trouble. I was getting locked up for doing all type of dumb shit at the time. And I feel like it was like my way out. I was looking for a way out. I got a job. I had two jobs. I worked one job at Wendy's and I worked at a candy factory for like a day.

Oh, really? A candy factory? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know how I got a job, but I worked at a candy factory for like a couple hours. You know, when they have you packing up the candy in like packages and shit. And I had like some type of net on my head and I could see the reflection of my face in the machine, and I just took it off. I'm like, this is not for me. I took it off. It's Wendy's.

No, it was the candy factory. Okay, okay. I took the net off my head. I threw it on the ground. I was like, I quit. Wow. After a couple hours, I called my dad's son to come pick me up. He picked me up in the truck, and then we was out.

Now, what's your first rap name? Black the kid black boy the kid black boy the kid yeah yeah I don't know why I don't know I don't have no idea why I have no idea why I was called that what a kid but some girl was chilling with some girls and shit. They was like, yo, let me ask you something. Why is your name Black Boy the Kid? You're not even that dark. All right. And I was like, damn.

You know what? I was like, you got a point there. Brown Boy the Kid. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was like, shit, you know what? You got a point there. And I was like, you know what? I know one day I will be rich, and I want to be rich. So I might as well name myself rich right now.

You know what I'm saying? Wow. Make some noise. Yo, you know what's crazy? I was putting two and two together. Yeah. And I was like, I thought you named yourself rich because after your father or like an uncle or something like that. No, I just wanted to be rich.

You wanted to be rich. And you made it. Yeah. I'm going to do a pop at you made it. Yeah, I did. Yeah. All right. I'm going to do a pocket club soda. So, boom. You moved to Georgia. Yeah.

Is it Georgia? College Park. Oh, College Park. That's where 2 Chainz and them from, right? Yep. And Mr. College Park. Yeah, yeah. I was living in College Park.

Some apartment complex. Some shit. I was there. It was kind of different for me. Moving from New York. All shit. I was there. It was kind of different for me. Moving from New York, I was like, I felt like I was in a third world country. That'd be a different change of scenery for sure. I didn't understand what the fuck was going on. Right.

So I remember moving, and I got all my stuff situated where I was staying with my uncle, and he gave me two CDs. He gave me an OutKast CD, and he gave me a T.I. CD. So that was, like, my introduction to, like, hip-hop, like, South. That's a great introduction, too. So on your journey in New York, you hadn't listened to New York artists? Get out of here. No, no, I hadn't listened to Southern artists.

I was listening to Nas, Heavy J, you know what I'm saying? But I didn't listen to no South. I didn't know anything about that. Okay, because this is what I'm curious, right? Because this has got to be a culture clash. You're coming from Haiti, then Brooklyn, then Queens, and then... You were born in Haiti? No.

No, no. So your parents came. His parents came. But then you're coming from New York, and then it had to be totally different. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because it was city-orientated as opposed to country-orientated. Yeah, I didn't know what the fuck was going on at all. So I was there just chilling, bro.

I feel like that's where I got acquainted with the trap shit. You know what I'm saying? But they wasn't calling it trap music then, though. No, no. I don't know what they called it. You know what I'm saying? They wasn't calling it trap music then, though. I don't know what they called it. I just feel like just the trap life, because my first week of school, they gave me baggies

and like, yo, I got some weed for you, you know what I'm saying? I'm on the bus selling weed and shit. Selling weed. Yeah, selling weed. My first week of school, I got some friends, they gave me some weed. I go back to the house. I got the weed in my pants and shit.

And my mom's like, what the fuck is going on? She's like, I'm like, what do you mean? She's like, I smell it. Where is it? I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about. All right. So I ended up flushing the weed. Uh-huh.

And then I owed some people some money and shit. Right. Plus the work down. I had to hustle it up. you know what I'm saying? So that's when I got acquainted with the trap shit, feeling. I'll take one with just ice. You got it.

You got it. You got it. Salud, salud, my brother. Yo, I ain't going to lie to you. I'm trying to, I'm not saying I'm trying to put you in a box, but I'm trying to label, like, your style. Yeah. And the greatest thing about you is I feel like you can rhyme on anything.

Yeah, I appreciate it. Do you feel like that about yourself? Yeah, for sure. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So if Lady Gaga was to call you right now, you can just do the record with her? Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

I'll freestyle it. I'll freestyle it. Give me that. All right, all right. All right, all right. So what is your favorite thing to do? Is it to make the record or perform the record? Probably performing the record.

Performing the record. Yeah. Like touching the fans. You know what I'm saying? Feeling that energy from the music. Right. Yeah. Now, I'm going to be flipping and bouncing around.

Yeah. Especially if alcohol is hitting me. But you've been signed to a couple of labels. We'll get into that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But the good thing about you is you always put people on. Yeah. So how did you develop that type of mind frame to like not only, you know,

business, but bring other people in your business? I mean, I feel like when I started getting blessed by God, I'm like, you know what? I'm blessed for a reason, to pass on the blessing to others. You know what I'm saying? So in any way I can help somebody, I always wanted to help and share my blessings. Right. For sure. Right.

So, Jesus, come on. That's honorable. That's very honorable. You want to play Quick Time with Slime early? Yeah. Let's do it. So this is our drinking game. Okay.

So we're going to give you two choices. You pick one, drinking game. Okay. So we're going to give you two choices. You pick one, nobody drinks. Okay. If you don't pick, like if you say both or neither of them, then we all drink it. All right. And that's it. Simple. All right.

Let's do it. And any stories you got with anybody? Because it's just about just going through your story through these people and different things that we mentioned. Tupac or DMX? Tupac or DMX? Yeah. Any criteria you want.

Oh. That's a hard one. Taking a shot? Yeah, I'm taking a shot. Okay, taking a shot. And he got the killer, right? Yeah, okay. What you got?

I got Baka, brother. I like the fact that he took a shot, because hip-hop will be mad at you. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got to know the fan. Okay. Was there anything about either of those artists that might have inspired you?

You got to meet X? No, I never got to meet him. But both of them inspired me hugely. Like, crazy. Yeah. Okay, it's not a little. It's not a little. Cheers, my brother.

All right, Nas or Jay-Z? Damn, what are y'all here for? This is meant to set you up. By the way, it's the Dominican and Colombian that were asking questions over there. So they're analyzing you. Oh, okay. Oh, you're taking a shot for that one? Mm-hmm.

Yeah, man. Okay. Kodak Black or 21 Savage? Kodak Black. Do you see his slippers? Slippers? The Haitian slippers? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Those slippers. Those slippers. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's our Haitian. That's our Haitian. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know you had a pair of those. That's my Haitian brother.

You know you did. No, I had a pair of those. Most Islanders have a pair of those. No, I hadian brother. You know you did. No, I had Camaro slippers. Most Islanders have a pair of those. No, I had a pair. Damn, you fucked up. I had like... I'm Cuban. My Islanders, we all have Haitian style slippers.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. As soon as we seen it, we sent it to our resident. Yeah, yeah. My dad got the same pair. You see? You know what I mean? I think while people were tripping, that was the slippers.

I think it was a... It was a 90-odd. Yeah. How he would it? Like, had he had on some linen? You know, Kodak Black is kind of like, he's kind of fly. He's kind of like a fly young dude. That's something that you're into too, fashion, right?

Yeah, yeah. All right, cool. Let's take a quick time of silence. All right. Go ahead, go. Wayne or Youngboy? Wayne or Youngboy? Obviously, Lil Wayne, right?

Right. You're trying to put some respect on his name I call him little no more. I respect that You got a project with the both yeah Hey, man, you can't leave the witness No pick on this one, I think problem. Oh, shit. Oh, okay, it's there. Let's talk about working with him. Bro, a lot of people got little Wayne features, right?

Yeah, yeah, yeah. If you meet Wayne, it's known that he gives love. Yeah, for sure. But you got to meet him. You got to get in that section. And most people can't get that. But you got not only songs with him, you got a whole entire album. Yeah, yeah yeah yeah like how did that come about oh man i think it was like a few weeks after um me and young boy dropped the

album and um i get a facetime from wayne he hopping on his jet right you're like yo bro i'm about to go to my daughter's birthday party when i I get back, we need to do this album. I'm like, this album? Not a mixtape. Yeah, he said, this album. I said, oh, hell yeah. Let's do it. I can't wait. But you thought he's bullshit?

No. It's just his wing. Yeah, I didn't think he's bullshit. Wayne, he'll hit me with a song, or I hit him with a song. He send it back in 24 hours. Yeah, he works. He's solid so like

we ain't get in the studio right away but I'm always recording I'm always working so I always have songs in my notes so I just

text him like two or three songs right away and he just started sending them back one by one so was it was it aimed

for being a project first or just aimed at oh from the beginning yeah he was like let's do a project together? Yeah, yeah. Oh, from the beginning. Yeah, he was like, let's do a project together. Right. Yeah, I was like, hell yeah. And that's after NBA. Yeah, yeah.

Bro, Lil Wayne. I've been looking up to Lil Wayne since I was like a jit. You know what I'm saying? His mixtapes got me through so much in life. Like, jugging for Ness and Tate shit. Like, it's crazy to have an album with Wayne, like, going from listening

to his CDs on the train, his mixtapes on the bus, like, riding the bus, like, I was like, damn, one day,

I want to be like Wayne type shit, you know what I'm saying? To him asking me to do an album, it's like, definitely a blessing. Because this sounds like

Mr. Miyagi and the Karate Kid. Yeah. Almost like, when you listen to it, it's like, the student and the teacher. The student and the teacher, but it's like, in a complimentary way A Karate Kid. Almost like when you listen to it, it's like... Like the student and the teacher. The student and the teacher, but it's like in a complimentary way.

Right, right. It's like you know his tone, he kind of knows your tone, and it's like... It's almost like, for lack of a better term for me to compare it to something else, it's almost like Watch the Throne. Like Kanye and Jay, almost, you know what I'm saying? That's what it reminds me of. Was that something that y'all was trying to beat, or...? No, I feel like we were just doing what we were doing, you know what I'm saying? That's what it reminds me of. Was that something that y'all was trying to beat? No, I feel like we were just doing what we were doing. You know what I'm saying?

He might have a song ready for me, and I knock it out real quick. You know what I'm saying? We're just going, feeding off each other energy. I feel like anybody I ever did a project with, from Migos to Youngboy to Wayne, it's just like we feed off each other energy in the booth, in the studio, and that's the best way to do it and was this on Universal Republic um yeah I think this went to the it's a Republic okay and you was on Republic at that time um I think so okay there was you doing a couple labels yeah the fact that he's not sure text. That's good.

Is Keef or Dirk? Chief Keef or Dirk? Chief Keef or Dirk? I would have to say Chief Keef. He sent me a verse like, I did an album, my last album actually, Life's a Gamble, and I was like, yo, I need this song by Friday.

Because I was finna drop the album, but then it ended up getting pushed back. But he sent it to me by Friday, before Friday, you know what I'm saying, right away. And I respect him for that. I appreciate that. Do you feel like Chief Keef is like somewhat of the godfather of that new style of music? Yeah, the drill music, that shit? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Chief Keef opened the way for everybody that new style of music. Yeah, the drill music, that shit. Yeah, for sure.

Chief Keef opening the way for everybody. Right. For sure. Yeah. A lot of niggas trying to be like Chief Keef. Right. Yeah, yeah.

And he running around there trying to be like nobody. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, he out there being Yeah, he still himself. Yeah, well. Nah, for sure. I respect that.

Okay, go to the next one. Offset or Quavo? Offset or Quavo? Yeah, take a drink Cheers my guy You don't want that little DA got that dope or Murder Beats Murder Beats

Yeah I've been with Murder since he was a jet Hell yeah Outkast or UGK Outkast That UGK? Outkast That's the first season you got? Yeah, for sure When he went down south

Yeah, when I went down south I want to know this one for real Yay or Pharrell? Yay or Pharrell? I go yay Yay? Yeah, for sure Y'all got a lot of records together

Yeah, yeah, yeah Oh, that's not taking a shot Have you worked with Pharrell? No, I've never worked with Pharrell. Yeah? I reached out to him, but we never worked together. Yeah? Actually, I just seen him in Paris. In Paris, right?

Paris Fashion Week? Yeah, and I got his manager's number. Uh-huh. And she said, yeah, text me. You know what I'm saying? We're going to put it together. I text her. She never hit me back, so. Yeah, they like that. Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it. I don't know. I kept it too real. My bad. My bad. No, they like that. Don't worry about it. It's love. It's love. It's love. It's love. Huh?

Why you fixed it? I don't see it. Okay. Nicky Jam or Peso Pluma? Peso Pluma, bro. Whatever, you know. Fuck it. Peso Pluma. We seen you with Nicky Jam the other day. Yesterday. Yesterday.

Yeah, I'm on point. I got studio with him tonight. Oh, okay. God damn it. Wepa. I'm going to have to say Peso Pluma. That's my brother. Yeah.

That's my brother That's my brother And how do y'all talk? How do we talk? Sign language He speak English bro He speak English? Come on man No no

You're lying No they lied to me They told me he don't speak English Who told you that man? They The people at the economy Talk about They

Yeah They How many records y'all got together? They didn't want me to know He speak English I only got one Really? I thought y'all had more than one didn't want me to know who he's speaking with. Really? I thought y'all had more than one.

Nah, we working on some more shit. All right, that's crazy. How did y'all link up? I think about a year and a half ago, I was just checking out some shit, and I came across his music, and I hit him up. Oh, it's true you DM'd him?

Yeah, yeah. I was like, yo, bro, your shit is fire he sent me his number he's like yo call me i called him we spoke on facetime he's like bro i've been listening to your music for like eight years that's dope really i was like damn that's fire so um like we were both on the road for a while and um damn who's i think oh who's that um who's that bad bunny show I think, oh, it was at Bad Bunny's show. Oh, wow. And I ran into him again.

Okay. And he was like, we need to get in. Oh, he couldn't get in? No, we need to get in the studio. I was like, y'all think he couldn't get in? No, no, no. He's like, let's get in the studio. And a couple days later, I pulled up on him.

I played him a couple records, and he was like, oh, yeah, that's the one. Right. And then the chemistry, he just went crazy on it. It was fire. Let me ask you something. This is from an artist standpoint. I'm not coming from a podcast. The only time I kind of actually traded fans, this is real shit,

and I've been rapping for 27 because Melvin Flint just turned 25, so like 27 years. Only time I ever felt like I traded fans. There's two funny ass features. Daddy Yankee, which is a Spanish artist, a reggaeton artist. When I did a record with Daddy Yankee, I started to see, what do they call them, viejas?

La vieja. Vieja. The older ladies. Older ladies would come up to me and be like, I'm like, oh shit, this shit actually worked. Like I actually got his fans. Yeah, yeah. And I'm going to tell y'all one more.

I'm going to tell y'all one more. It's going to fuck it up. You know, the only other time I felt like I traded fans with an artist? Axe. Somebody Axe. Who? R. Kelly. R. Kelly.e. Who? R. Kelly.

R. Kelly. R. Kelly. R. Kelly. Don't believe me. Listen, because you know. Listen. And was it the B.A. Hustle?

You know what? No, no. They call a black woman. Oh, the black woman. Yes, yes, yes. By the way, I swear to you. I've been. Because you know, you do collabs.

And you got a lot of collabs. Me and Pun. Peace. Peace. Peace. I text been, because you know, you do collabs, and you got a lot of collabs. Me and Pun, I text Pun from heaven now, and you know, me and Pun was the feature kings. And you took our crown. We like that. We salute that. But what I'm trying to say is holy shit.

How crazy is that? Yeah, it's crazy. Do you feel that? That trade that he's talking about? Oh yeah, for sure. You got to feel it with the- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Peso Pluma, man. He's got a crazy movement. Yeah, Peso Pluma.

He's got a crazy movement, man. But we just dropped a song, and it's like, I'm independent now, so song is already gold independently. Wow. Do Empire or regular independent? Regular independent. I did a distribution with Gamma. Okay.

So, yeah, bro, it's like they going crazy. It's already gold? Yeah, it's about to be. Jesus. regular independent I did a distribution with Gamma so yeah bro it's like they going crazy it's about to be so it was fire bro it was fire the video went crazy yeah I was excited for that record definitely like crossover type shit

entwining two worlds all right let's keep going french or ross french or ross yeah man i would have to say french yeah french gave me like one of my first verses on like i had a record called jumping like' Like Jordan that was going crazy in the hood. Shout out to Reesey. Reesey, she put the record together with French. My brother, Chinx Drugs, RIP Chinx. That's the piece. Yeah, bro, and they showed me so much love.

Way back, I didn't have any hits or anything. He hopped on the record and went crazy. Right, French. Yeah, French. Goddamn, makes a lot of sense. He has a good eye for, like, identifying talent. Yeah, I respect that, too. Like, you know, oh, shit, still on Mike Plus. You getting miles in while you sit down right here?

A little bit. I see all that half-worth. I can tell. He repost posting the group. Look at my... I got Miles, mad Miles. Actually, I didn't stop it. I don't stop it.

I let it run all day. Yeah, I see that. I see that. So, boom. So, let's take it back. Oh, no, no, no. NWA or Wu-Tang Clan? NWA or Wu-Tang Clan? Mm-hmm.

I'm going to take a shot. Okay. No, I ain't got a shot. How old were you when you moved from Queens to Atlanta? 13, right? 13, yeah. So, you already had the hear me? I need a shot. How old were you when you moved from Queens to Atlanta? 13, right? 13, yeah. So you already, you had the music in you already, for sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

He took a shot for it, though, right? Yeah, I took a shot, yeah. Okay, cool. That's a very hard thing. Yeah, that's hard. Yeah, I mean, I think they did. That was a big fan of both of them. Right.

That's what you, listening to your music and, like, you know, studying you, I can tell you are hip-hop, hip-hop, dude. Yeah, yeah. Like, it's not, you, I can tell you're a hip hop, hip hop dude. Like, it's not like phony with you. Like, yeah, yeah. I can tell that through your soul. And every time I've seen you too. One thing we all, you know, we said, we said we got you. I think everybody in the room was like, yo, we like him, bro.

Like, like people fuck with you. Like, like, like, you know what I'm saying? Your music. But then when, when a person gets to meet you and see you on the streets, you. Like, you know what I'm saying? Your music, but then when a person gets to meet you and see you on the streets, you're like, you know, you're an Avramor dude.

You know what I'm saying? So people fuck with you. Like, that's a good thing. Okay, I got to take a shot, right? I'm talking. I got to. Yeah, take a shot, bro. And you clocking in miles, too.

Yes, I am. Yes, I am. Nipsey or Eazy-E? Rest in peace to both. Take a shot. Took a shot. Took a shot. R.P., my brothers. Fab or Jadakiss?

Man, I have to say Jadakiss because he showed me a lot of love, too, also. That's right. Yeah, but both of them showed me a lot of love too also. That's right. Yeah. But both of them showed me love. But I had another record that I just did with Jadakiss. Okay. And it was crazy. He gave me a crazy verse. I forgot. Actually, I dropped it.

I still got it in the vault right now. Okay. You got the Jadakiss verse. Yeah. Now, is this Jadakiss with his hairline or without his hairline? I don't know what that means. Don't answer that question. Look, because you know I'm taking a what that means. You know I'm taking a shot at him.

This is my brother. We got hairline beef. You got a joint. Oh, thank you. 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 multibillion-dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. 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. Shout out to the locks in their tour, man. Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T. Connecting changes everything.

Shout out to the locks in their tour, man. They're still in it. Yo, you got to give me the dates. Jayden told me to come out. I got to come out. Okay. Yeah, bro. I seem like I'm Hollywood and shit.

Because like it's hard for two artists to communicate and shit. I'm like, send me the dates. And he's like, when you coming out? I'm like, sir, you didn't send me the dates. He's high, I'm high. Yeah, it's not really that good.

Yachty or NLE Chopper? Yachty or NLE Chopper? Yeah. Put the hash in. Um. Give me your hash. No. Fuck. The hash for the rest.

I would have to say Yachty because I, like, we kind of came up together. Yachty said Bronx niggas can't dress. Word? Yeah, he's foul for that. Yeah, he was tripping. He's tripping.

But I liked it, because Jim Jones responded, and Jim Jones said, let's see who will get the flyest for $1,000. I saw that. Did they do it? I think they're doing it. I think they're doing it. I think they're coming up. I actually love that idea because, you know, if you really fly,

it doesn't cost a lot of money. Yeah. And I like the fact that that was a younger generation and the older generation making what's best of it. You know what I'm saying? Right.

I like, everything doesn't have to be beef. A disagreement doesn't have to be beef. You know what I'm saying? Like, I keep my shit golden. You know what I'm saying? He keeps his shit Santa Claus. We don't beef about that. And your shit is golden?

Fuck is golden about your shit? I just wanted to say. You know what I'm saying? Everything don't gotta be beef. So, I like when hip-hop, you know, does shit like that. So, big up to Yachty and big up to Jim Jones and big up to Nelly Chopper, too. Rough Riders or Rockafella? Rough Riders or Rockafella? Rough Riders or

Rockafella? I would have to go with Rockafella yeah I was a big fan I wanted a rock chain man Graff wanted a rock chain and signed to the rock

and still didn't get one. Damn. Yeah. And he didn't sign it. He got one. I didn't sign it. I got two. I got two.

See what I'm saying? I did my queen shit. I got one and got another one. All right. So you say rock and roll. Okay. Cole or Kendrick?

Ooh. Cole or Kendrick? Kendrick. Yeah, Kendrick? Kendrick. Yeah, Kendrick. He gave me one of my first big features. Nah, nah, hold on, hold on. What did you say on the record? You said she wanted to fuck in the AP? New Freeza?

What does that mean? Bust out AP? Yeah, she want to fuck my AP. She's in love with my watch. Okay, so that's why I wore the bust out AP today. New Freeza, yeah. Yo, hold on, nigga. I didn't want to ask nobody. I was like, yo, you, I said, you still hip hop. You know, you know, you know exactly what he mean.

So I'm glad that it's New Freezer. I'm cool enough to be in the New Freezer category. But we'll get back to the feature because I want to know how that came about. Okay, but, hmm, Gucci Mane or T But, hmm. Gucci man or T.I.? Gucci man or T.I.? Mm-hmm. Gucci man or T.I.? Mm-hmm.

Man, that's hard. I'm going to take a shot. Take a shot? I'm in. I'm in. Salute. Cheers. All right.

Todd Dollar Signs or Chris Brown? Mm. Todd Dollar Sign. Todd Dollar Sign. Yeah, yeah, yeah Chris Brown? Todd Dollasson. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's my bro. That's my nigga. My brother. 2 Chainz or Lil Boosie? 2 Chainz or Lil Boosie.

2 Chainz or Lil Boosie. I would have to go with 2 Chainz. That's like big bro. Beer or Lotto? Mm-hmm. Two chains, a little boost. I would have to go with two chains. Mm-hmm. That's like big, big bro. Mm-hmm. Beer or Lotto? Beer or Lotto? Beer or Lotto?

Mm. Mm. I know you got stories. It's just going through his mind. He can't even help it. I'm going to take a shot. Yeah, take a shot. Salute. Okay.

ATL or LA? Oh, shit. ATL or LA? ATL. ATL. This is the last one for a quick time of slime. Then we're going back into the interview. Loyalty or respect?

Loyalty or respect? Loyalty or respect? I didn't take a shot. Okay. That's the right answer. That's the right fucking answer, though. That's the fucking right... Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

Take a real shot, though. Don't take a drink. Give him a shot. That's the real fucking... You know, that's the... We've been doing this for eight years. Eight plus years, yeah. What we say is, like, that's the only

time you should take a shot when we do this. You know what I'm saying? Because one washes the other. And especially in this game, like, I just looked at your face and I know that. Yeah, salute, salute, salute. So let's talk about the advantages of being on major labels.

I think you was on Republic, right? Universal. I believe you was on Interscope. I believe at one time you even spent some time with Ghazi over there at Empire. What is the pluses for people that's trying to come into this game, for a young person that's looking up to you and they say, all right, cool. What is the pluses of being with a major? Because I'm a major label guy.

He's an independent guy. But we both make compromises so can you explain to a person who's been sleeping under a rock and doesn't know kanye's not making sneakers no more so um yeah can you explain to them the major verse i would have to say major labels they're like a cheat code you know i'm saying they they have all the relationships they've been building for 20 and 30 years 40 50 whatever how many years you know i'm saying they have everything the whole infrastructure of what they've been building for 20 or 30 years i feel like being independent you have to use your own yes relationships you know'm saying? That as a rapper or artist, you might have only been in the game for like four or five years.

You know what I'm saying? You got to use all them. But they got every single person on Spotify, every single person on Apple Music, Amazon. You know what I'm saying? To everything. Every single person on Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, whatever. You know what I'm saying? They got everybody. Wait, wait, wait. Tell me, because. You know what I'm saying? They got everybody.

Wait, wait, wait. Tell me, because I'm old. What the fuck? They hiring Uber drivers? Nah, I'm just saying. They got to run it everywhere. They got to roll decks of everything. You know what I'm saying?

But that's ill. Like, you get in a car, a nigga play your shit, and you didn't even know it? That's the type of shit they on. That's ill. I didn't even think of that. You feel what I'm saying? Like, you hire Elon. Boom.

Holy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's definitely some ups and downs to being a scientist to a level of being not. You know what I'm saying? But you were independent. Yeah. You were doing independent stuff before ever science was.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And you already had some success. And that's my argument, that if you find success independently, then you can make a better deal with a major. Yeah, for sure. Here's my argument. Yeah, for sure. Yes. By the way, I don't disagree with that.

Here's my argument. This is what I always think. I always think, you sign to the major, let them spend that bag on you. Because they can't take back fame. No, for sure. Once you get to a level where you don't need a label, no, for sure, that's definitely possible. I feel like sometimes

signing to a label and just waiting on that or signing to a label and you sign to them, you're not knowing exactly what you're going to get. Right. You know what I'm saying? You could have, of course, a contract that says they're going to spend that bag. They're going to spend it how they want to and when they want to. Right. that bag they're gonna spend it how they want to and when they want to right you know what i'm saying so like one for instance radio right labels don't spend a lot of money on they don't like to spend a lot of money on radio because they don't really they don't really make money off radio you know i'm saying the artist book shows and they get money off radio so unless you're a high like super streaming artist and that song is already gone and going there they're not really going they'll double down on that.

You know what I'm saying? Right. Because I heard you say that if you sign with a label, whoever they star artist is, you want them to treat you that same exact way. Like when I was signing to Republic, I'm like, y'all got The Weeknd, y'all got Nicki Minaj. I want the same treatment y'all give them. Right. You know what I'm saying?

Because shit, I'm that caliber. Right. For sure. Hell yeah. I mean, that's why, listen man, I love fucking five star For sure. Hell yeah. I mean, that's why. Listen, man. I love fucking five-star hotels. Yeah, for sure.

And when I went from major to independent, oh, I must have sounded like a prima donna. All them niggas booked me in a motel. I said, holy moly, I'm platinum. This don't go together? I was mean. I was mad as a motherfucker. I was like, oh, this independent shit ain't me. But that was because I was so pampered at the time.

Like, going from Def Jam to fucking Goldface Records, it just didn't work out for me. But if I would have grinded it out. But again, we, you guys have direct to consumer.

Yeah. Like, you don't have to go. It's a different independence now that it was back then. Yeah, yours is a better independent, like,

you know what I'm saying? For sure. Your fans could go with you. Do you feel your fans with you? Yeah, for sure, 100%.

But it's also about what you want out of being an artist and what you want out of your career, you know what I'm saying? Because, I don't know,

some things that is really difficult to do as being an independent artist you feel me so it just really depends on what you want out of it and how much ownership you want out of it because you might regret now like you're saying now you're about to get the rights reverted back yeah i am you know what i'm saying but that's because you signed a a deal and you didn't own your master's. I want to get spooky for a second. Weird. That shit sound crazy. The reason why I'm going to say that, right?

Because I was the young nigga from the hood that took that deal that didn't read the contract. Yeah. You understand? That didn't read the contract. All I saw was the end result to the marathon. Yeah, me too. My first concentration,

I don't know if they had a radio or something either. I know it was a check at the end of it. Right. That's it. That's it. And I was like,

you know what? Even if I get jerked on this one, I'm going to make it up for this one. Nah, for sure. All right, cool. Let's move on. Let's go to the,

because we're not Demir. I don't know what the fuck that means, Demir. Okay. Let's talk about Vultures. Vultures. Right? You bought that life?

Yeah, it was number one. Okay, okay, okay. No, man. No, but Kanye is Probably the most unique Individual I've ever met Not in hip hop Yeah In life

Nah for sure Like in life Like Like Ye called me one day Was like I just wanna hang And I didn't know what to say I was like okay

He's like wherever you at I'm pulling up And he just pulled up And We had juices. And it was just like, he taught me something that the world couldn't do it. The world tried to teach me. And I'm going to tell you what he taught me.

He taught me to do what the fuck you want to do whenever the fuck you want to do it. Don't live. He taught me freedom. Like, he did he like literally for the fucking six months that i was hanging out with him whatever almost every day he literally did whatever the fuck he wanted to do yeah now how did you develop your relationship with yay man um i i had a i had a dinner right at noble malibu yeah in malibu i had a dinner, right, at Nobu. Malibu?

Yeah, Malibu. I had a dinner, and I was having dinner with bros. I was at Ralphie and Graham's. We were chilling, having dinner. And then I'm on the ground. I see my bro, Vory. Shout out to Vory. The singer? Yeah, he was at Nobu, too. And I was bro, Vory. Shout out to Vory. He's...

The singer? Yeah, yeah. He was at Nobu too and I was like, oh, you were at Nobu? He was like, yeah. I just pulled up. I'm with Gay and shit.

I was like, oh, word. But by the time he hit me back, I was already at the house. Oh. Not the whole house. No, I already went back to my career. Okay. So he's like,

he's like, yo, yo, pull back up. Come back to Nobu and shit. Damn, we over here Okay. So he's like, yo, pull back up. Come back to Noble and shit. Damn, we over here chilling. I'm like, all right, bet. I was kind of tired, but I was like, fuck it, I'm going to go ahead and pull up. But you had met Ye already? No, I never met Ye.

It was your first time, okay. Yeah, I never met him. So I was like, fuck it, I'm going to go pull back up. I pull back up. I said, where's the boy? Then Ye come up to me. He's like I said, where's the boy? Then, yeah, he come up to me. He's like, yo, you rich the kid, right? You want to play some music?

I was like. Wait, Enobu? Yeah. He wanted you to DJ? Wasn't he recording? He had to set up a whole studio. Yeah, I heard you talk about this on Boulay Kev Show. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

That's fire. Yeah, he had the whole studio set up. He's like, you want to play some music? I was like, all right, cool. So I started playing a couple songs. And then I think I played like two songs. And the third song I played came on. He just started hitting one of these moves.

Like this. Like that. And then when his girl looked at him, he was like, that? And then when like, I think his girl looked at him and was like, this is fire. He's like, yo bro, can I get on this song right now? I was like, yeah, go ahead. So the engineer just pulled it up. He just started rapping on the song. Back of Noble.

In the back of Noble. That's wild. Jeez. That's legendary. That is legendary. That's legendary. Thanks. Wow. So then more people started coming and it started getting crowded and shit. So I was kind of tired and I just dipped, right?

And then the next day I was like, shit, how the fuck do I get that song? I was like, damn. That's the hard part. I was like shit how the fuck do I get that song? What the fuck You know I'm saying so I was like the out of fog yes, so I started hitting people that I knew and my first I can like Dean what, how the fuck did I get that song? I started hitting people that I knew and motherfuckers started acting like they didn't even know what the fuck was going on. Like, huh? What song?

I was like, hold on, what's going on? But I was hitting like his assistant and other people and it was just like, they didn't know

what was going on and shit. But then randomly, I think they hit me and it was like yo Gary wants you to come to the studio and help with

Donna 2 after the Malibu session yeah yeah yeah it was like a couple days later it was like we want you to come and work for a couple days and shit so the first day I got over there I got the song

yeah and then the Donald Project came out. He's working on his album, so the song didn't come out. But what was that process of him wanting you to help? What was that exactly mean? Them winning tracks? Them winning tracks and shit, cooking up. We just cooking up together and shit type. But then the song that we did, they was focused on the Donna shit, so it ain't never come out. So a year later, Ty's out there in Saudi and shit. I'm like, damn, y'all ain't in Saudi?

I'm right here in Dubai. No weed. Yeah, they ain't smoking no weed. Okay, yeah. I'm out here in Dubai, an hour away. Dang, y'all was that close to each other? Yeah, I'm like, shit, I might as well hop on the flight. And this is when they do a Vultures 1.

Yeah, this is when they do a Vultures 1. I'm like, fuck it, I'm going to hop on the flight, come, come, come, come kick shit. So then I'm like, I hop on a plane. Me and my bros, we hop on a plane. We get to Saudi. And we get on the plane. And they're like, OK, where's your visa? I was like, visa?

You need a visa to come here? Like, yeah, you need a visa. I was like, damn. But like, you could buy it right here. So I was like, all right, bet. We bought a visa and shit. So we hop in the- Paying a visa for when you working? I don't know. No, no, no. But, like, you could buy it right here. So, that was the high event. We bought a visa and shit. So, we hop in the- But ain't it a visa for when you working?

I don't know. No, no, no. You need travel visas. They say you need a visa. Yeah, yeah. That's what they tell you. Really? Yeah.

Not every country, but different countries you got to- Like, when I work, I get a visa. But when I go on vacation, I don't get a visa. Nah, sometimes you need travel visas. You putting me on. Go ahead. Yeah, continue. Continue.

So, then, like, I got outside. You know, they ain't got no Uber and shit over there. So I was like, fucking me and my bro, we just hopped in a taxi. Regular taxi. I'm like, this is the regular cab. Yellow? Nah, it was a regular cab. It's a Mercedes over there or some shit.

Nah, not Mercedes. It was a regular cab or nothing. I don't know what it was, but I'm like, I need to go here. He's like, bro, that's two hours away. I'm like, all right. Shit, that's where we're going. So we in the cab, right, two hours away and shit. So when we get like halfway there, he like, okay, you have to pay.

I was like, all right, bet. So then I put out $100 in American dollars. He's like, American dollars he's like he's like no you have to pay alright I was like damn so

we try to go get some other type of money and shit shit not going through was it Durham I don't know what it was something like that yeah so

I was like whatever so I'm like can you just take the American money he took the American money I was like alright bet we get out there first day we there we like listen to the album and shit and then like the second day we start cooking up I'm in a room cooking up with Ty like I

freestyle the carnival shit mm-hmm Ty put it on his bird like a carnival yeah yeah you damn top put on his verse and and then shit like the next day I was finna dip, I had to go to the show. I think I had two shows in Dubai, one show and then another one. So I was finna go back. So I told Ty, play the song for Ye, but I think they had like, there was a lot going on. So they didn't really get to play it for him and shit.

So I just dipped because I had to go to the show. So like about three weeks later, Ty hit me like, yo, Ye wants you to be on the album. So I'm like, fuck it, let's do it. He's like, which song? We recorded two songs. He's like, which song? You think shit, I'm going there. I was like Carnival shit.

Well, it was called Honor Roll. And then the fans just called it carnival and shit. Oh. Yeah. Goddamn it. Goddamn it. Make some noise for that. Now, one of the things I was bugging going through your discography was you didn't have a song with Drake.

Nah. Drake hit me one time and said New Freeza was his favorite song and shit. New Freeza? Yeah, but we never got to work yet. You ever met Drake? Yeah, yeah. We met a couple times. Do you think your allegiance is automatically with Kendrick because of y'all history from the beginning?

Or does that separate? Does that make it seem like you have to pick a side sometimes in hip hop? It's terrible. You can't even take a picture with somebody because they'll think that you're, quote-unquote, with the opps. Yeah. Bro, I just mind my business. Yeah, that's how I get down.

Yeah. That's how I get down. I'm talking with Ja Rule. I'm talking with Ja Rule. I'm talking with Ja Rule. I'm sorry. I'm talking with them both, my dude. Keep it real.

I just mind my business. Right. I stay out of other folks' shit. Right. So how did Plug Walk come about? Plug Walk? Mm-hmm. I was at Interscope Studio.

They had like, well, they got like a studio in their building. Mm-hmm. And I was up there with my engineer, just me and him in the studio. And- Jimmy I.V. Interscope? Yeah. Jimmy Iovine in the school? Yeah. John Janik was there. Larry Jackson?

Larry Jackson, no, he wasn't there. But we're going through beats and then they play the Plo Walk beat and I'm like, alright, next. I don't like this one. He's like, nah, I like that beat. I'm like, man, you like that beat. He's like, man, you like that beat. He's like, yeah, come on, bro. I'm like, fuck it. Let's do it. I did a song like 20 minutes. And then

like a couple of days later, I just put a preview because it was like the newest song I recorded. I was like, I put a preview on my Instagram, like in the studio playing it and all the fans was like, drop it. So I told John Janik, I'm like, yo, bro, I want to drop this song. Like, it's going to be a hit. Like, drop it. He like,

he like, okay, we can do that, but you just dropped New Freezer with Kendrick. We need to take a second. Which was a huge hit. Yeah, yeah. Let's take it.

I felt like it was already viral. I'm like, it's already gone. You know what I'm saying? He like, let's take a second to keep focusingall knew. I felt like it was already viral. I'm like, it's already gone. You know what I'm saying? He like, let's take a second to keep focusing on this. You know what I'm saying? No hash. But I'm like, bro, my fans are loving this.

You dropped the song right now. We need to. So I kind of like, kind of argued with them. You know what I'm saying? Right. I argued with them to drop the song. And the song went platinum like i think like 29 days you feel what i'm saying so i was like i told y'all like yeah plug walk once i mean yo um damn how many

blunts you got over there man i mean you want to come back home no i'm scared i'm good i'm good i mean for old time's sake this is this got no hash in it he got the one with the hash in it that's a swisher yeah i'm I'm old school. A Swisher Sweet? Yeah. No. Let me see that. My lungs are still in the 90s, Slav. I'm sorry.

I grew up in a lot of other places. It's just not my lungs. Damn, this shit what I was smoking when I first got to Atlanta. Mm-hmm. This type of shit. It's Swisher. Yeah, because you know what happened? As a New York nigga, I used to smoke Dutchess, right?

So I was in L.A. one night. It was like 2.30 in the morning. The club just closed. You know, L.A. club closes at 2 o'clock. I go to 7-Eleven. I order Dutchess. The whole 7-Eleven turned around like, you from New York, right? I said, I'm never smoking a Dutch again in my life.

Like the whole, because if you smoke a Dutch, they know you from New Yorkork right i said i've never spoken to dutch again in my life like the whole because if you spoke with dutch they know you from new york you know that right yeah where when last time you spoke with dutch 13 yeah probably before that so what's a place you've been to internationally that you were surprised that they were fan of yours oh romania some shit like i don't even know like slovakia was it a one-off or was it a festival uh it was a festival yeah yeah yeah some like that he's dope it's amazing it's a blessing all right but i feel like i'm at the tip of the iceberg i'm just started you know i feel like to where I want to go,

and I have a vision of exactly where I want to go and exactly what I want to do, I feel like I'm just getting started. You know what I'm saying? And is that vision seeing international vision? Yeah, for sure. I think a lot of artists here in the U.S., they don't see the international vision properly. You know what I think?

I think you've made so much success for yourself that you're going to continue to be successful, but people are going to compare you to you. Yeah. You understand what I'm trying to say? Like, to the old me type of shit? To the old you. Like, you're going to go through what Kanye went through.

Like, because all your beginning records are all hits. Yeah, yeah. And all your records now are continuing to be hits. So they're not going to compare it to another artist, especially you so unique. They can't. So they're going to compare you to you. How's it going to feel to battle you?

Sheesh, I don't know. And who's going to win? He's going to win regardless. He's going to win. I mean, that's dope. And who going to win? He going to win regardless. He going to win. I mean, that's dope. You know what I mean? Like, you know, I remember me coming out with Superdog. What, what, what, what, what, what?

And then I drop in, oh, no. And all they said was, well, oh, no, it's good. They compared it. But it ain't Superdog. And I was just like, it's not supposed to be. Yeah, let's good. They compared it. But it ain't super, dog. And I was just like, it's not supposed to be. Yeah, let's go. Yeah, yeah, let's go. And I think you got to make

the next one double because these ain't, or maybe because I haven't drank in so long. Yeah, you're bothering with that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's what you're going to battle is yourself.

That's all, that's the only person you should be battling. No, no, no, no. To be honest with you. Yes, you are correct. That's the only person you should be battling. No, no, no. To be honest with you. Yes, you are correct. That's the only person you should be battling. But there's a lot of people that's not in that very unique situation.

What I'm trying to say is you're in a very unique situation where you don't actually have to be in competition with anybody else. You got to be in competition with your old shit. But guess what? Your old shit ain't no more shit. So you got to try to outdo that. How does that feel? It feels great. It's a challenge. shit ain't no bullshit. Nah, nah, no kidding. So you're going to try to outdo that. How does that feel? Uh, it feels great.

Right. You know, it's a challenge. Right. Um, it's definitely a challenge, but, you know, I could have worse problems.

Mm-hmm. For sure. You know what I'm saying? Mm-hmm. I'm trying to make a better record than Carnival. Okay. It's possible.

I'm doing it. You know what I'm saying? I got to keep going. I feel like one thing I learned from Ye is like always elevating your sound. Always want to elevate and elevate and take it to the next notch. So I feel like every time I do a record, I'm thinking how to elevate it and take it to the next notch.

Does that mean experimenting? Yeah, for sure. A lot? Bro, I'm working on a crazy project right now. Crazy, crazy project. It's going to be fire. Peso's on there. Ozuna.

J Balvin. Is it leaning more Latino? You just did, right? Try it. Reggaeton. It's like a half English, half. Let's take a shot for that. Yeah.

You ain't got a shot? No, I ain't got no shot. And remember, I told you how to speak Spanish. Don't listen to him about the shots. Have a drink. Have a drink, man. I'll take a shot though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm taking a shot for you.

Oh yeah, thank you, bro. Because, so what kind of project is this? So is it hip hop meets Latino? Is it double album? Well, it's going to be like, probably like 14 songs, like 10 songs, half English, me rapping in both. And you're going to rap in Spanish? Yeah. So, I got some reference.

You're going to miss the legal sound, just to like. Yeah. And it makes sense with that international, like, you, that vision that you have. Not like a whole song, rapping in Spanish, because I don't know, like. Just a couple of words. No, but even just the collaborations. That's just outside the box. Like, you got to trade these audiences.

They think they said that I'm, like, the first one to do an album like that. And you was, like, the first one to do a song like that. No, he did an album. He did an album. Did you do an album too? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Calm down. Calm down. That means he got to be on the album.

He beat me to it. By the way, I'll tell you something. About, because I don't want to just give reggaeton a props, even though I'm giving reggaeton a props, but it's bigger than reggaeton. There's a certain type of energy that you do when you do music that's outside of hip-hop. And then when a hip-hop audience support that. But I can tell you like this. I was used to bloody money. I was used to bang-bang.

I was used to doing things like that. And when I started to do Spanish music, I could stay in the club the whole night. Right. Everybody would dance. Yeah. And I would be like, nobody's going to stab nobody? I mean, it did happen

sometimes. I was so used to like, bang, bang, stab somebody. Okay, cool. I did a good show. Like, I thought I didn't do a good show unless somebody got...

Don't act like it wasn't going down at El Tarasano. It was stab, stab all day long. That's that crazy Miami people. And by the way, it didn't go down a lot in Tarasano. Tarasano was... I don't know. It was going. It was a, stab all day long. That's that crazy Miami people. And by the way, it didn't go down a lot in the town of Santa. I don't know. It was a lot of immigration going on. Immigration?

How the fuck does that happen? Everybody in Santa Santa, everybody had a green card. Or they didn't have a green card. A light? Okay, hell yeah. You going to light that blunt at some point. Yes, I will. Yeah. The American West with Dan Flores

is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode,

I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and MeatEater 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 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 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. Yo, you have so many features, right? Yeah. And that lets me know that you can get along with a lot of people, right? Has there ever been a feature that you wanted that you didn't get? Like Nas told us that Prince fronted on him. Nas told us that he went to step to Prince and Prince said, you don't got your masters.

So I'm not going to do that. Damn. Matter of fact, I don't think it's like somebody I didn't get. But, like, I was supposed to damn link with Cole in the studio. J. Cole? Yeah, maybe like four or five months ago. And then it was like, oh, yeah, we're going to get up tomorrow. I hit him.

He didn't hear me back. Just ask an apology? No, I was like. Before the apology? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? We were supposed to get in the studio. Right. And then he didn't hear me back. He was like before the apology yeah you know what i'm saying but we're supposed to we're supposed to get a stew right and then he didn't he hit me back he was like yeah tomorrow i was all right buzzing i'm all right all right he's probably riding his bike you know what i'm saying

but it's cool bro that doesn't sound like he fronted on you. Nah, it sounds like it's still there, ready to happen. Word. Like, there's a difference with somebody, like, fronting or maybe not having the time. But it's like someone outright saying no. No one's never told you no. Tell me no. No, I don't think so. Yeah.

No. Yeah. I'm not going to lie. i thought about this the other day and i saw her and i saw her with her husband and it was cool but it was never her who told me it it was la reed who sierra really sierra told me no yes yeah yeah but not her it.A. Reid So you don't know If it was her Yeah and you know L.A. Reid

He had to put his lip balm on With his finger You know he would He would do it like this I like I like yo go ahead bro I understand like L.A. Reid my homie

Hold on Hold on But he put on What is What is this shit called Pinky finger Yeah the pinky finger I had never seen that At that time Like the pinky finger like hold on hold on hold on but he put on what is what is what is it called pinky finger yeah the pinky finger

I had never seen that at that time like the pinky finger he showed you yeah yeah so I was like alright cool it was crazy

it was crazy alright give this man his flowers bro come on god damn it our show is about giving people their flowers while they're here while they're alive

we wanted to tell you how proud we are I seen your whole career from the beginning I got to see it I got to see you blossom We wanted to tell you how proud we are. I've seen your whole career from the beginning. I got to see it. I got to see you blossom. I got to see you become the man that you are. Go through the struggles that you went through. Oh, shit.

Wow. Now, Snoop said it's better than a Grammy because it comes for his own people, but we want you to know you deserve these flowers. You've been doing this since 2013 kicking ass. You've been knocking down fucking doors, kicking the gum under the fucking table, making sure the Timbs

under your motherfucking shits ain't motherfucking neat. You've been doing what you're supposed to do like you're supposed to do under the fire hydrant, under the motherfucking fire hydrant, Eagles water, under the bridge, and all that. Let's motherfucking go. Thank you, man, because let me just tell you something. Let me just tell you something.

The fact is, right, that you came out with Migos, right? I guess, you know, you guys, same level, right? Boom. You know, the projects, whatever, whatever. But at one point, he was almost considered the fourth Migo. They tried to put me in there. The four Migos. That's your work, too. But,

but the fact is, you broke off on your own. And then you got to see your homies be super, super successful. That turns most people into haters. You're fucking unique, sir. Thank Yeah. That turns most people into haters. Yeah. Word.

You're fucking unique, sir. Thank you. I appreciate that. You are different because most people will sit back and say, well, when's my turn? And you're not even enjoying... Okay. You got to control.

Hit YUMBO for me. But you're not even enjoying your homies. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you got to think about it. In baseball, when a person bats before you, you actually have to root for them. You actually have to say, I need this man on base for me to get on base. But most people don't play life like baseball. They play life like handball

a solo artist you have been playing life like baseball sir thank you brother and that's why baseball players are the most paid athletes in the world I got geeky on y'all so y'all probably ain't gonna catch anyone till tomorrow cause that was some Nostradamus shit I just dropped on y'all. Ralphie?

I just dropped some good shit. Yes, yes, yes. Hold on. I got mad notes. So you didn't go, but you already covered New Freezer. Manny Smith, he bought you out to your deal? Manny Smith. Yeah.

That's the man with the plan. That's the man? He's the man. I like your face when I said that. Okay. Nah, for sure. Manny Smith, bro. It's the man? I like your face when I said that. Okay. Nah, for sure. Manny Smith, bro. It's crazy.

Manny Smith. Like, when I was leaving QC, Manny Smith was the guy who helped me, like... Let me get this correct. You called QC.

QC said, hey, man, if you don't want to, it's cool, but give me 500. Yo. So that's, you called around

and Manny Smith was the person that answered the call. Let's take it from there. Yeah, so like, when they asked me 500, I don't,

I don't think I had 5,000. So I'm like, damn, what the fuck I'm about to do to get this money? Let me, let me slow you down for one second.

Did you think he was being unreasonable? Or you thought that was like, that was work? Like what the cost was up to that point? This is totally up to you. No, I was definitely like, that's a lot of money. Right. You know, so I was like, damn, I don't know how the hell I'm going to come up with the money. And I had a rival.

How old were you? I'm not sure. Probably like 24. You knew by yourself how to continue. Yes. So I was like... I didn't know what to do for real, but something... I don't know how to explain something with my phone.

I have like a Rolodex for my phone. Came from somebody else's phone, which i don't know who it is we don't want to know yeah so i had like every single label contact in my phone like all type of people numbers and crazy shit so i went through all the labels in my phone i started calling every single label, Warner, Atlantic. And then I called Interscope. It said Interscope Records, Manny Smith. And I'm not knowing him from anywhere. I called him like, yo, bro, this is Rich the Kid.

I'm trying to buy myself out a contract. Wait up, wait up. I didn't know that part. No, no, no, no. You didn't even know him at all. I didn't know him at all. Okay, all right. Now I understand what you meant. You said you got industry contacts.

Yeah, I don't know how the fuck it happened. This is so dope. I didn't know that part. It's really crazy to explain it. I don't try to explain it. I don't know if I hooked my phone up to somebody's computer or their laptop. You really don't know how those contacts got in your phone? Yes, I have every DJ,

every label person. No, no, that's easy, especially back then. You know what I'm saying? I was to charge my phone on your computer. It's true. They used to bring the contacts.

I know exactly what you're talking about. That's wild. I don't know whose computer or whose shit. Like, they have Rihanna's number, fucking Miley Cyrus. Try to call Rihanna.

Some crazy shit. You know what I'm saying? You didn't try to call Rihanna? They had all types of crazy people's shit. You know what I'm saying? They had all types of crazy people. You know what I'm saying? There's numbers that he ain't going to tell us. I actually called the numbers. You better not.

So I was like, what the fuck? So I went through all the contacts, and I called Interscope. It said Manny Smith, Interscope. I called him. I'm like, yo, bro, I got a mixtape. I got a project ready to go right now. I'm just trying to, bro, I got a mixtape. I got a project ready to go right now. I'm just trying to drop it.

I was signed to QC, and QC has a deal with 300, so I got to pay both of them to get out. So that 500? It was more than 500. I heard you say in an interview it was 300 and 500, right? Yeah, it was 300. It was like 800. Wait, you had to give 300, 300? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then 500 to get out. Yeah, had to give $300, $300? Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then $500 to get it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, this is fucked up. Yeah, yeah. No, I just thought it was $500. And I had to get paid, too, because I was fucked up, too. You know? So you asked for a cool meal?

This is how I'm thinking from the outside looking in and the inside looking out. I'm thinking, you just had to pay that $500 and everything goes away. Nah, nah. So you had to, and then $500,000 and everything goes away. Nah. And then Kev and my people at $300,000, they said they wanted to get pieced off too.

I mean, it's business, man. It's all deal. It's what it is. Nah, for sure it's business, bro. Whatever they felt like was substantial enough for them. Right. So basically $800,000. $800,000.

And then I had to get paid too. So basically 800 grand. 800,000. And then I had to get paid too. So when I went, I went to, I went to Interscope and I've never seen Manny Smith before. So it's crazy. I walked into the office. I'm playing music for who I thought was Manny Smith. You know what I'm saying?

It was Mr. Lee. No, no. I like it, man. I like it. So this is just a random guy? Put up the label. Nah, nah.

It was my bro, Pusha Rob. Okay, okay. He was working there on Interscope at the time. So I'm like, yo, I'm playing the album. I just played the whole project for him. I'm like, ah, yeah'm playing an album. I just played the whole project for him. I'm like, ah, yeah, this shit. Smoking. And then walks in Manny Smith.

He's like, hey, what's up, bitch? I'm like, hold on. So which one of y'all is Manny Smith? And it's after the business had been done. No, this is before I got the deal. Oh, okay, okay. Yeah, like the first time I met him type shit. So yeah, I played a project for him.

Again, played two times now. And they're like, this shit is fire. Let's do it. And I was like, what do you mean? Let's just do it. You couldn't even believe that they was willing to do it, right? Yeah, they was like, let's do it. First, I just told them it was 500500,000 because that's all I thought it was $500,000.

So then when I went down the line, started figuring out all the contracts and all the paperwork and shit, they're like, oh, yeah, it's $800,000. You know what I'm saying? And then I'm like, shit, bro, I have no place to stay right now. I'm in a fucking apartment. You was being honest with them. Yeah, because when I first came to L.A., I pulled up to the first apartment complex in fucking apartments. You was being honest with them. You know, yeah, because when I first came to L.A., I pulled up to the first apartment complex in North Hollywood, and I told them I needed an apartment right now.

I had $4,000. You know what I'm saying? I got my kids with me. You know what I'm saying? I'm trying to get an apartment. Yeah, type of shit. I just came to L.A., so I'm like, fuck it. I'm telling him, like, bro, bro I just moved here I really don't have

you know what I'm saying the resources yeah I told my mom the resources do everything so he like I bet I'm gonna get you a house in the hills you can record there that's your place put a studio in it whatever you know what I'm saying

I'm gonna sign you and then like couple weeks later You know what I'm saying? I'm going to sign you. And then like a couple weeks later I'm recording, I'm recording. I did a new freezer and I played it for him and he's like, yo bro, he's like, yo bro, I want you to meet Kendrick. No, no, stop, stop. Yeah, just like that. And Kendrick is not lit at this time. Kendrick is coming up. No, he's definitely Kendrick.

Oh, he's already Kendrick. Okay, Kendrick. I'm sorry. Again, I saw some interviews. Yo, this story is dope. TDE somehow was connected in this situation with you? Yeah. I heard you almost signed with TDE at one point. Go ahead.

But continue. I got chills coming out. Yeah, nah. Toothpumps. Was that your call? So, like, at the time, I think I was hitting top. It was like a team type of thing because Manny Smith was working with top. It was tied in.

And then I played him New Freezer. He's like, yo, bro, Kendrick wants to meet you. I told him I was signing you and shit. He wants to meet you. I'm recording at the studio. I'll keep recording every day. Who's saying that to you? Manny.

Manny's saying it to you. Yeah, he's like, Kendrick wants to meet you. He recording in the room next door. I'm like, Kendrick is right next door in the room? He's like, yeah, he about to come in here. I'm like, oh shit. I'm like, all right, man. So I played him two songs.

I played him one song. And then the second song I played him was New Freezer. So when I played New Freezer for him he like this the one.

He like this the one. I was like That is the one. You know what I'm saying? I was like yo but at the time there was a verse

from A$AP Ferg on New Free new freezer because when i recorded new freezer i was at quad studios in new york it was first it was a first session so ferg had left out i think he was doing some with buster in the other room downstairs. He was doing some shit with Busta and then I did New Freezin'. I think I recorded like 15 minutes and then he put a verse on it

so I played it for Kendrick. He like, alright, cool. I get on it. But it's just gotta be me and you on the song type shit. I was like, damn. You know what I'm saying we gotta go that conversation yeah now ferg a good dude no ferg he was definitely a good dude so yeah he definitely understood and he was like yeah bro do your you know what i'm saying definitely

go and drop the so i dropped with kendrick and it was like... Out of here. Yeah. That's a clap. I dropped her. It was like, that was three months later after I had bought my way out, my deal and shit. And because, you know, as you... I just want to say this to the artists. Most execs thinks they're smarter than us. So when you ask to exit,

they're actually laughing at us. They're actually laughing at us. So they're going to say, he'll be back. So the fact is, what you did is was phenomenal you know you did it honorable

I didn't see no fuck QC campaign oh no that was yeah I didn't see no you know fuck 300 campaign just like

I just want to move on and do my shit and you did it you did it that shit is that shit is ill and that's the reason why I think

that like they're not bothering you like they're not like trying to like sabotage you or blackboard you. No, you did good business. You did good business.

But I got a question, though. I paid him full. So you made that move. Do you ever feel, because you were honest with Interscope about your situation. Yeah. No, he was honest with Manny Smith. That wasn't... He didn't represent Interscope, right? Yeah, he did. He did? Oh! So you're being honest.

I didn't peep at him. I don't think he He did Oh So you're being honest I didn't peep I don't think he Represented himself So you know You're kind of showing Your vulnerability To the label Yeah When you got

This contract from them You went through it Thoroughly I'm assuming For sure Cause you want to make sure That they're not saying Oh he needs this So we can try to

Sneak this in Sneak in this Nah yeah I fulfilled the contract But I mean I I fought myself for, like, kind of getting into it with them for, like, like I said, like, feeling like I wasn't treated like their biggest artist or some shit like that. So, I kind of, like, really got into it with them, like, oh, getting pissed off.

Because you got to think about it. I'm not knowing. I'm not knowing shit about no label or business. I'm coming straight off the streets. I'm just no, listen, this is my music. I feel passionate about this. And I'm willing to go whatever the risk is for this. You know what I'm saying?

So I kind of got into it with them. And I had to leave Interscope. They're like, OK, you can't be on Endoscope anymore type shit. Because that would have been your first official rollout on a major. Yeah, yeah. Right? Yeah, I dropped the album with them and went number two and shit on Billboard. But after that, I was getting into it with them because I felt like just some things wasn't, you know

what I'm saying? Right. How I wanted to, you feel what I'm saying? Then I got into it and they let me go to Republic. That's the thing about Interscope. It seems like they either fully got your back or not at all. I mean, did that

feel like that for you? Man, I just, I feel like it is what it is at this point. You know what I'm saying? It was there when you needed it. Yeah, well, I needed it. Right. The shit was going insane.

You know what I'm saying? So, I feel like, bro, I do, like I said, I fought myself for not knowing how to be a businessman. Just a young nigga coming in like a young nigga. Right. I'm on some young nigga shit. Like, nigga, I want my shit on the fucking Rap Caviar right now. Right.

That's not exactly what I was saying. Right, right. You know, I want number one on motherfucking this. You know what I'm saying? It's like, they work how they work. You know what's interesting, what you're saying, is you said they don't make money off of radio no more. Yeah. That's what you're saying is you said radio is it said they don't make money off a radio no more yeah you said and you know for me that's how we started our campaign yeah we went to funk master flex rapper bomb uh the funk master flex uh cosmic kev were here about it in philadelphia cosmic

kev would do it crack g were here yeah for sure So that's how I started off a lot of my artists, too. Like, I'm knowing independently I'm going to spend money on radio to turn them up. You know what I'm saying? Then they're like, who the fuck is this kid going crazy? You feel what I'm saying? So then they had to come back to me like, okay, oh, now this nigga know what he doing. Right. You know what I'm saying?

But then how do you transition that if you start your new artist or, I like to say, like, J. Critt. What's his name? Yeah, J. Critt. J. Critt. How do you do that if you started off on radio? But your generation, the people that y'all control, it's Spotify. It is Apple.

It is. Like, with J. Critt, like, bro, it was just organically. Yeah, he from Brooklyn. Okay. So just organically just dropping video after video, us dropping mixtapes together, back to back to back. So his come up was just really organic. You know what I'm saying?

So it was really easy, like, on the come up for him. And then I was signed to Interscope, and then I was like, yo, sign him to Interscope. Like, it's a team type of thing. And then I was signed to Interscope, and then I was like, yo, sign him to Interscope. It's a team type of thing. So that was how it went on that end. Right. So we talked about Jay.

Now I want to talk about, what's my man's name? Dex. Dex, famous Dex, right? Me being the eldest statesman in this game, and I don't want to say that, but I'll say it for lack of a better term, a successful eldest statesman, you know what I'm saying? Not somebody that, you know,

that had a success and I'm sitting around, you know what I did back then? No, I'm still making history now, you know what I'm saying? I'm still doing it. And I would be scared to reach out to the young generation right me this is me personally it's not you know me talking about any anything else what i that's why i said when i see you it's like a it's a pleasure it's a delight when i see young motherfuckers that know what time it is and it's like all right cool one of the very first times i

wanted to reach out and just kind of like offer a hug to somebody was when I seen Famous Dex. And I believe it might have been on No Jumper. I'm not sure. And it just didn't look right. And I know I'm drinking alcohol. I drink alcohol. I have a show based on alcohol. So it's like, how the fuck is this nigga going to critique critique this nigga but i'm not critiquing him from an alcohol

standpoint i'm critiquing him from my oldest statement of hip-hop and it's like yo i've been through this shit you know what i mean um i wanted to sit down with him i've never got a chance to but when you seen that because i'm sure you've seen the same interview that i saw and this is your man i know you i know you called him your brother, actually. What was the phone calls like when people saw that? Man, I really don't know exactly which interview you're talking about in particular. Yeah. But I know there was like...

Yeah, I fell asleep in the interview. Yeah, of course. When he started spiraling, I had to hit him up as a brother and call him like, yo, we got to get this together. You know what I'm saying? I took him to rehab a couple times. You know what I'm saying? He went to jail after that.

You know, it's just like... Did he came home with cushion? Yeah, just struggling with addiction is hard, bro. You know what I'm saying? And as a brother, I just got to be there to support him. You know, every way I can.

You know what I'm saying? Like, however you want to get there. I took him, I drove to rehabs. I took him on a jet to rehabs. However you want to get there,

bro, I'm going to take you there to get help. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to be here to help you. You know what I'm saying? But, you know, like, you got to you there to get help. You know what I'm saying? I'm going to be here to help you. You know what I'm saying? But, you know, like, you got to really want help for yourself. You know what I'm saying? That's why I tell him every time, like, bro, you have to

want this for yourself. You know, it's hard, bro. You know, it's hard. Usually you got to hit rock bottom to really start to... But, you know, I'm here for him. Always. I'm always here for him. That's my brother, like I said. Let me change it up a little bit, right?

One of the things that I love doing this show, there's two things. I like understanding people's drink order. Whenever I say, like, yo, what they drinking, I love that shit, right? And then I love the fuck with your fans. So I went on Twitter. I was like, yo, we got Rich the Kid. And your fans are crazy. Do you realize how crazy your fans are?

Yeah. Like, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, no, no. They're crazy. Nah, for sure. Like, I mean, you have a cult following. Like, and I'm saying cult... That's a good thing.

That's a good thing. Not Marilyn Manson cult. No, that's a positive thing. Yeah, it's a positive thing. Like, like, I said that shit on my back. I said that shit and they was...

I mean, they hit me with so much questions and so much... No cap. ...crazy shit and they was, you know, but... Yeah. That's how fans but yeah fans be fans be fans the last time I

think this was when we had little Wayne on the show only difference between your fans a little way fans your fans is way more aggressive little way little way fans is nice they're like so when are we going to drop? Your fans is like, when is that shit dropping? I'm like, oh, shit. So do you understand your fan base? Yeah, for sure, for sure. Because I didn't understand mine. You know, it was just like fans, my fans,

you got to just keep feeding them nonstop. Got to keep going, keep going, keep dropping. Because you got to think about music is changing. You know what I'm saying? Hip-hop is changing. The way that people consume music is changing. It's just like there's people coming out every day. You know what I'm saying?

So it's like music changes every hour. You know what I'm saying? So you just got to really adapt to this shit. So adapting to my fans changing. My fans getting older. Everybody getting older. shit like so I'm adapting to my fans changing my fans getting older everybody getting older you know what I'm saying so I'm just getting used to that shit just keep dropping you know what I'm saying just like right now I'm just elevating the sound like I said before like elevating the sound so I'm I'm excited I'm super excited for what's to come and the luxury of having a cult following following is that they'll change with you.

And being an artist CEO, that works for you. Yeah. Because right now, you're doing a perfect balance of being an artist and taking care of your artist. Yeah. That is fucking hard to do. Yeah, for sure. I believe Rick Ross was successful in doing that. And I don't believe

there's a lot of others. I think Fat Joe. Jay. Jay, I forgot about you. 50. 50? Look at us. I don't think we at four.

I think we at four. Who? Who threw a rocket Look at us I don't think we At four I think we at four Burk Wish Forever Yeah Who? Who do a rock In their name? Birkin Birkin?

Kanye Birdman? Birdman Birdman became an artist After he was a CEO Yeah we're talking strictly like Yeah yeah I'm talking about artist

Artist Artist Yeah good music Yeah yeah yeah Kanye did Yeah Kanye But Kanye had the luxury Of being a producer

artist so yeah yo god yeah yo god yo god he definitely yeah every time i see your guardian two chains yep two cents did you ever think like when you first started rapping yeah and the level you at now like like one of the that's one of the best things. I know we spoke about it earlier. Not only you being in the rap game, but you could be in the rap game. There's a lot of people in the rap game. You being respected in the rap game.

I was so happy going through your shit and I'm just like, yo, one, this guy got hits, but two, they respect him. That's love, bro. And that is a big thing in hip hop. Did you ever notice that?

Man, I just try to stay in my lane and just be me. You know what I'm saying? Do me and continue to do that. You know, people look at other people on the gram or look at other people's career and other people's success and they might start spiraling and doing whatever they do. You know what I'm saying? I just am good at doing me and only that.

That's all I ever do. That's a beautiful thing, man. It's because to give respect is one thing. To get it back is a whole other. And I can tell people go in a session with you and ask your opinion. What do you think about this?

I can tell because all the records that you own, whether it's wet artists or not, your influence is throughout the whole record. Yeah. So I'm not trying to say you ghostwriting and shit. Maybe I am. You know what I'm saying? But what I'm trying to say is I know you're constructing these records. I know people are coming to you and saying, what do you think I should do on this thing?

Exactly. So do you feel like you're a producer? Producer? I could say producer. If you're putting records together, what is that called? That's producing. You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

I ain't going to lie. I want you to produce a record for me. Let's do it. Here we go. Okay. From what you've been dealing with and working with in your career right now, where do you think you might have messed up? What things do you regret in this journey

arguing with the labels you know what I'm saying getting into it with them cause bro they they them folks man

them folks don't play yeah that's your biggest regret that's one of my biggest regrets yeah for sure arguing with them

getting into it with these folks yo I just get blackballed For real That shit is not a joke Nah it's not a joke That shit is not a joke Right

That shit is not a joke Yeah That shit is not a game When you come with They spend money To bring your name down They will They will spend money

To argue So what's What's your first moment That you were disgruntled Was it at In a school? Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. Okay, so tell us what happened.

Well, he didn't feel he was getting the same level of attention as the head of whatever the major. And look, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for this. You know what I'm saying? Okay, no problem. My bad, y'all. I was tripping. I was, I don't know what I was sipping that day.

You know what I mean? you saying it to them but yeah for sure hell yeah i don't want no problem with none of these folks man but like yeah i was tripping whatever i got on twitter and i posted one of their numbers like yo tell yo tell them stop playing with me and drop my song they better they better do this i was swallowing you You know what I'm saying? And I started, bro, I was tripping.

I was on the drink. I was sipping lean in. You know what I'm saying? I had a bad lean problem. You know what I'm saying? And I was swallowing up. Bro, I was upset. I was furious.

I felt like, this is my music. That's not that terrible. I mean, I get it. I get it. It's bad, but it's not terrible.

It's not terrible. They could change their number yeah I don't feel like you gotta be that sorry about it you come on the CEO of a label now

oh wait wait wait the CEO you ain't say that you ain't say it's the CEO of the label I thought it was the A&R or some shit oh hell no bro

bro this shit not a game for them you know what I'm saying CEO don't wanna change his number yeah nah sure and it's like bro like I, I was just young and stupid.

I'm damn near fresh off the porch. I've never been signed to no label. I'm not playing by my music. I stood in front of the clubs, handing out these CDs. I went to every club. I went to one club, to another club, to another club. Rolled on a train. I didn't have no money to get home after that so and now I'm just signing to you putting my music in your hands and then you telling me I can't do this I can't do that this has to be then this I'm like what the fuck

man what did you what is going on you know Sam but that's business that's business you sign a contract you sign a contract this is yeah but you know what i'm saying but that's business at the end of the day that's business you sign a contract now we know that's business you feel i'm saying you sign a contract and it says yeah but you know what it's not really fair business if you think about if the if the opposite person in that business transaction doesn't know the business now do you think do you think that because in our in the 90s there was there was artist development yeah you wouldn't sign and just go out to the public. They would put you through a process like a boot camp to understand stuff.

Do you think that that's needed? Man, nowadays, that's... Bro, they're signing so many people off or whatever. I don't know. I don't even think that's possible. No, it's not possible. No, no, no, but it is possible because... Nah, because the artist...

No, no, no, no. The artist is different. If your stuff is in real time, you can't do that. But hear me out. That's like you signing his artist and him not telling him to listen. You know, most people respect when you don't rhyme on for the vocals. That's kind of artist development right there. True.

Him just saying that. You just saying to famous decks, yo. It's different, too, because, like, I've never used a writer, ever. You know what I'm saying? So artist development, they can be like, okay, I've never used a writer Ever You know what I'm saying So artist development They can be like Okay now you're using A writer

Right And now you're doing These different No that's not artist development No no no That's not artist development That's part of development No no no

Artist development Is showing you How to speak to radio You're thinking about Label side There's management Artist development When you have a manager

That tells you about The artist development That's a different part Okay that's a part And I don't think Anybody's going to really Kind of get this But remember Ultimately when you sign A record label When you have a manager that tells you about the artist development. That's a different part. Okay, that's a part that I admit that. And I don't think anybody's going to really kind of get this, but remember, ultimately when you sign a record label, that's a loan. That's a bank loan.

Right. And a lot of people, they don't understand that. Right. They don't understand that. They just know at the end of this contract is a check. My lawyer, whatever he said, is cool, but I know I'm about to get this money tomorrow. Okay.

In the context of that, in the context of that, you know that back in the days when they was giving credit cards to 16-year-old kids from that age on, they called it predatory lending and it became a big lawsuit and then they sued all the banks.

That's what the labels are doing when they sign these young artists. It's predatory lending. Damn. They might be a little older than 16, but they don't have their financial education yet. So you're really taking advantage of that artist.

Jeez Louise, we got deep. What the fuck you bringing out got deep. I know. What the fuck you bringing out of us? I know. Okay, now. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast

Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here.

And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes, but there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1er incorporated on the iheart radio app apple

podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts binge episodes one two and three on may 21st and episodes four five and six on june 4th ad free at lava for good plus on apple podcasts and it's gonna 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 iheart radio app apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts at&t connecting changes everything all right did we so let's talk about the NBA project, you and Youngboy. You had to go to Utah? No, not Utah. You went to Louisiana. Yeah, we was in Baton Rouge. Yeah, for sure. Baton Rouge.

Yeah, a couple days, like a week after he first got out, damn, went over there. We was just cooking up. Crawfish? Crawfish? Crawfish? He just stereotypes or whatever. Like, oh, Baton Rouge is crawfish. Crawfish. No, we was making cheese, oxtail, gumbo, shit like that.

You know what I'm saying? We was just cooking up, man. Just like working back to back. You know what I'm saying? Like, this is when he first got out. Just keeping him in a good mindset. And he's not messing with nobody. This is before he got house arrest, right?

Oh, yeah. Man, like, when he was locked up, like, we was chopping up on the phone. And one day I called him, and he was like, I mean, he called me, and he was like, yo, I'm like, what the hell you on, man? How you feeling in there? He's like, man, I just can't wait to get out so we can drop this out.

I'm like, what the hell? You trying to drop a out? Let's do it. So then he got out maybe like three weeks after. I was like, all right, man, I'm going to push up on you, damn. We started cooking up. I think we did like six songs. six songs together yeah together like two days but yeah you have the six songs caps two days Louisiana we did like six songs in like two days and then like you just kept working kept working kept working and then at that

time i was independent and um i think i had a call with um nemo empire i'm like yo bro i got a project that i'm working on right now with um yb i'm saying we put together something for that project and then we put out independently through empire yeah yeah pick up the tina davis nema yeah guys yeah people from the bay area they got a lot yeah so man it's just like the chemistry with me and bro just like we just if jesus christ you believe in jesus yes she got weird hmm i got weird just now my bad but if jesus come down and says listen i need you to do one record you get one feature and you get one person to do the beat to save humanity. One record. You get one feature and one beat.

Who is the feature going to be and who's going to do the beat? Bro, if Jesus came down himself Yeah And he had on Kodak black slippers He had on the same slippers Kodak black had on I got something for you I gotta take a shot for that one Jesus I'm in

Jesus himself came down Yeah I gotta take a shot for that one This is not even click time or slime but I'm in I'm gonna take a shot for that one You're gonna take a shot I think you can handle this Jesus himself came down This is not even ClickTime or Slime, but I'm in. I'm going to take a shot for that one. You're going to take a shot. I think you can handle this. Jesus himself came down.

Jesus said, yes. All right, let me rephrase the question. How about this? We're still taking a shot, though. Taking a shot. What's the one producer? Tell him the question. I asked him, if Jesus came down to save humanity, what would be the one producer and the one artist that he would work with?

And who did he take? He took a shot for it. So I'm going to take a shot. He took a shot like saying, I'm not answering? Yeah. By the way, we've never heard of that one. No one ever took a shot for that one. No one ever took a shot for that one.

Yeah, we took a shot for Jesus. So, okay, let me rephrase the question. What's the one producer right now that you've never worked with that you would want to work for? Hmm. One producer? Damn. I would have to say, that's crazy. I would have to say for real. I say that's crazy I would have to say for real

I knew he was going to say I can see this session happening so much I can see incense burning like you know

what I'm saying like I can see I can see him bringing a side out of you that you don't even like

have explored yet lighter brother you should just take it man don't worry about it somebody give me another lighter please

yo um Jesus okay now right we got the producer handled now let me ask you what's the one feature if you could have one feature dead or alive how about that damn one feature one feature for a song Damn. One feature. One feature. For a song, whatever song, is it a song for... For yourself.

For myself or for success? No, no, for yourself. It's two different things now. Yeah, it is. Just for yourself. For myself, damn. Hmm. Yeah, it is. Just for yourself. For myself. Damn. I would have to say Tupac.

Okay. Touch your easy ass. Yeah. I do so with Tupac. You're going to like Swisher at some point. Swisher? Yeah. I do something too bad. I know. You're going to like your Swisher at some point. Swisher? Yeah. When was the last time you smoked a Swisher?

You was 13? Probably. Damn. Don't like it. Take it home. Put it in the flowers. I had a Swisher one time on a great chair. A Swisher sweet. Salud.

What flavor is it? Like a grape? No, original. No, no, no. I don't do that. What are the grape motherfuckers saying? They got grape flavor? No, no, no.

They don't smoke in the grape. When you smoke in the grape, that's when you super hood. That's when you super hood. I got the original, man. I got the original. Yo, Boris, give me my Philly Blunts. Yeah, I got it. Yo, Boris, give me my Philly Blunts.

Yeah, I got it. That's how I started, from Philly Blunts. So we talked about the NBA project. That's crazy. And I know we lightly talked about... Niggas on here smoking shit. We all here about to be sweaty. That's right.

That's not a sweatshirt, man. Make some noise. No, it's not a sweatshirt. Make some noise. We lightly talked about the Wayne Project, but I would like to reiterate, like, was you involved when the little Wayne Project came out? I'm talking about the photo shoot. Was it everything that you was involved in, or was this something that you guys just recorded and let the label just take over afterwards? We was doing video shoots and everything. For the first single, I picked the director that I wanted to shoot the video and shit. And Wayne was fucking with it.

He was like, yeah, let's do it. And then that's how we... feeling like Tunechi. Right. Feeling like Tunechi. Shout out to Wayne, man. Shout out to Wayne. He a good dude, man roads I appreciate big bro like hey he's getting to yeah yeah scared to like I find a bro anytime you pick up

show me love or any time bro any anything you like up to where I was looking up to since like I said before like since the Jits so like bro I appreciate that man for supporting me throughout my career you know what I'm saying doing an album with me and for someone that you looked up to he from what it sounds like he didn't let you down from that person he was looking up to yeah yeah sometimes some of your items you don't want to meet you you don't care you look up to it's for him a1 day one yeah who smoked more weed you or wayne smoke probably for sure you got them pre-roll what pre-roll i see i'm outside you ain't shouting folks you I got something for how many they see it

well this they still they still rolling oh yeah I got a stash that I came with to this is you know I gotta say cuz I came with to the hat you know you've been in Europe you know you know you're in focus of your patch has yet if you have an issue yes man I'm fucking on the day to where I'm like that shit. Yeah. Man, I don't know, on a fucking, on a date where I'm like, fuck it, I might just tell me to meet up. But not all the time type shit. I be having that shit. I'm having so much fun.

Hell, we just got to get another shot just because I just feel like we celebrating you and the album that just came out. Life's a gamble. Come on, let's talk about the new album. We haven't talked about the new album. Life's a gamble, streaming right now. Life's a gamble. Come on, let's talk about the new album. Life's a gamble. Streaming right now. Life's a gamble. Come on, let's talk about the new album.

Yeah, let's talk about the new album. All right, let's get into it. This is your first official, official independent album. No, nothing except- Because before this was RCA? Before this album? Yeah, before this was RCA before this album? Yeah, before this was RCA, like before I signed to RCA, shout out to Mark Pitts. Oh, Mark Pitts was at RCA? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Wow. He the one who signed me to RCA and shit.

He a legend, man. Yeah, for sure. Big homie. I was with them for a little bit and then it was just like, it was going to release me. I was like, all right, cool. You know what I'm saying? It's all love. And then like, I think like three months later, I dropped Carnival, number one on the billboard. I'm independent. It's a blessing. You know what I'm saying?

So thank you, God. So I was happy to job for independent number one. Oh, yeah. Because the residuals are different from being signed to a label and independent. Right. And number one. And you don't got to answer this, but if you do, whatever. These deals you did before, were they 360 deals?

No. No? No, no, no. I feel like once you get to a certain point, you have to demand exactly what you want. So the deal last time with them was like, you know what I'm saying? We know exactly what we're going into, but it just didn't work out. So, you know what I'm saying? I just moved on.

Okay. Now, what does the dollar sign stand for right there? Dollar sign? Yeah. Money. Duh. Duh. Recently, I believe you was on the red carpet and somebody asked you something, I believe it was from the No Jumper.

They were on the red carpet, the No Jumper? No, no, no. They was on the red. You were on the red carpet. Right, but they were asking the questions. No Jumper was saying, right. And then what happened then? You talking about all the dudes from No Jumper?

Yeah. What happened? Right. And then what happened then? You talking about all the dudes from those jumpers? Yeah. What happened? Oh, man, I have no idea, man. Really, I think he was like, well, I seen the clip on the jumper. He was like, yo, bro, these kids, Richard Kidd, he has no. No, but y'all was cool in face to face. Yeah, yeah. He didn't say nothing to me face to face it was yeah he didn't say nothing

to me face to face it looked like the the interview was amazing you know it was great it looked like he had a good time and then

I seen the the review when he was like you know what I'm saying like the recap his recap his recap

of my interview he was like yo this guy has no character these rappers have no character they're just off you know what I'm saying diamonds and jewelry no character so i was like okay bro you don't obviously you don't know me right you know i'm saying you had a interview for less than 35 seconds

because it's a quick interaction right yeah it's all right man yes maybe maybe like 60 seconds we're just asking two questions and I go on to the next person it's 30 people on the carpet you know what I'm saying so maybe more than 30 people yeah probably like 50 people on the carpet you know what I'm saying so like your interaction with me is really short for you to get up on there and you know what I I'm saying? You should have been like, damn, Rista Kidd. I didn't get, I didn't get, no. Even that, it's like, even that, it's like, bro, I watched Rista Kidd. I've obviously seen me on the gram.

Like, oh, he just had number one. Shout out to him. Like, just like Elliot Wilson got on, on, on, I think it was like Twitter. He's like, oh, Rista Kidd was lucky for getting on the Carnival song. It's like Oh Rich the Kid was lucky For getting on the Carnival song It's like alright It's like It'd be dope for y'all To be like Oh Rich the Kid

Is always working Or Rich the Kid Is always doing his shit I don't fuck with nobody I ain't on there Talking shit about y'all folk I'm not talking shit About nobody

I'm just doing what I do Making music Taking care of my family You know what I'm saying Traveling Doing shows And you know what I'm saying Taking care of my family, you know what I'm saying, traveling, doing shows, and, you know what I'm saying, taking care of my family. That's what matters

to me, you know what I'm saying? I hate for a motherfucker to get on there and be like, damn, this nigga's he's not working hard, he's not I don't understand, you know what I'm saying? I don't, but it's all love, like I said. It's all love to y'all. If you don't like me You know what I'm saying? I don't. But it's all love, like I said.

It's all love to y'all. If you don't like me, if you like me, your opinion is your opinion. And still talking about me. And you're going to continue working. I'm still going to continue working. I'm still continuing getting paid because I'm going to keep doing me. Right. Continue providing for your family. Exactly.

Yeah. And that's about it no sense of god bless everybody no sand amen and um if I give you a little advice you only you probably don't need no advice you know advice oh I was thinking by all you gotta do is stay in your lane yeah for sure there's no traffic there yeah just stay exactly who you are. Stay exactly who you're supposed to be. Stay exactly.

You don't have to go to this person lane to help them or express how much gratitude you have over there. You don't have to go to that lane. As long as you stay in your lane. Exactly. There ain't going to be no traffic there. Facts. Continue to do you, bro. You know what I'm saying?

But by the way, you can hear this shit, but don't pay attention to it. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? I purposely go on Instagram. I just look at the shit they say that's dope about me. Yeah. Fuck the bad shit. Yeah, fuck the bad shit.

I block them niggas. Shit. Ice-T taught us that. That's one thing that came out of dope out of one of the first Ice-T interviews. He said, I blocked the shit

out of anybody that fucked with me. And I'm like, damn, this gangsta motherfucker said block, block, block, block. Yeah, no need to argue back. The bad comments and shit,

just fuck them. Just get out of here. And I'm not saying that about these two people that we just broke up. I'm saying that in life, period. It's just like you have to stay focused. I always remember what they say about horse races. They say that they take horse races and they blind them from the side

so they can only see what's in the front of them. Yeah, I feel like that's where I'm at right now. I feel like I have a ton of vision to exactly where I want to go. Stay there. You know what I'm saying? Exactly where I'm at right now. I feel like I have a ton of vision to exactly where I want to go. Stay there. You know what I'm saying? Exactly where I see myself in the next five years. And it's like I said, sometimes I'll be on a plane. I'll be on the jet.

I make a list of my goals. And this is where I want to be. And this is what I want to do. And I'm checking them off the list. That's all I'm doing. You know what I'm saying? And I'm minding my business. You're building your legacy.

I'm keeping God first. And the only people that matter is your family. Yeah, for sure. Let me tell you something. What you're doing and the baton that you picked up. Yeah. You know, what's the relay race? That's what they call it?

The baton? The baton that you picked up is a baton that I passed from back then. But the fact that you got it, I have to make sure you carry it. I have to. You know what I'm saying? I have to. You know what I'm saying? Because you deserve it.

You're a hit maker. You're doing what you got to do, but you have to... It's like another couple of mile race and you have to hold that motherfucker and you got a motherfucking you got to make these motherfuckers mad yeah that they know that you holding it fast cool yeah don't give a fuck all right continue no and by the way i'm i'm saying that with a little bit of arrogance and i'm not an arrogant person i'm a humble person but I'm saying this

with all honesty is because when it's your time and you in that spotlight man take full control and continue to dominate that shit

you know what I mean like you know what's this Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't want to pass once he got in the motherfucking paint

right now you're in the paint you know what I'm saying so continue to do that shit smash that shit're in the paint. You know what I'm saying? So continue to do that shit. Smash that shit. Keep your crew around you. You know what I mean? There's two billionaires, and I'll give you one,

that always say to me, every other successful person say to me, you have too many people around you but there was a billionaire that said to me what makes you unique is keeping your crew around you

and that's Jay-Z and he continues to say that every time Jay-Z sees me he's like I admire the fact you have the same crew around you and that's a key to success it's trying to keep the people that was what the same crew around you. And that's a key to success. It's trying to keep the people

that was what you when you was grinding, when you shining, and then what you afterwards. Because I don't know if you've ever seen an episode of Entourage or an episode of Entourage. The actual person in Entourage that became the richest person was the

intern. So, I admire you. I want to tell you to continue to do your thing. I want to congratulate your new album. I want to tell everybody to go out there and motherfucking get that motherfucking album. My kids came out. Look, I got three of my kids that

came out for you. Yes, yes, yes. They don't come out for nobody. But I want to they don't come out with nobody but um I wanna like I wanna say to you reiterate to you how proud I am of you man and keeping your crew having your crew with you um continue to do

that shit and continue not to listen to the fucking yeah do you man stay in your fucking lane bro appreciate that brother thank you so much man there's anything else you wanna yeah do you man yeah do you man and stay in your fucking lane bro appreciate that brother thank you so much man there's anything else

you want to say before you get up out of here go get that fucking album right now right now right now god damn it hell yeah

okay let's do the drops first let me take a photo Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production host and executive producers

N-O-R-E and DJ E-F-N listen to Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production, hosts and executive producers, NORE and DJEFN. 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, DJEFN 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 DJEFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news, and merch by going to drinkchamps.com. Hazardous Sounds, Rise of the Machines,

Pasture Mentals Volume 1, available now on all platforms. Download today Rise of the Machines Song Contest Seeking out all artists That want to take their career to the next level Go ahead and join today By downloading the album Picking out your favorite beat And making a song, verse, or hook to it.

Submit it to hazardoussounds at gmail.com, and you will be judged by celebrity judges DJ EFN, Drink Champ's own, SB Killer, platinum producer, and Scram Jones, multi-platinum producer as well. You can also submit via IG by recording a video and performing the song. Simply tag Rise of the Machine Song Contest and we will repost your video as well. Winners will be announced September 7th. Join today and may the best artist win. 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. there and it's bad. Listen to Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Clayton English. I'm Greg Lott. And this is Season 2 of the War on Drugs podcast. Last year, a lot of the problems of the drug war. This year, a lot of the biggest names in music and sports. This kind of star- that in a little bit, man. We met them at their homes. We met them at the recording studios.

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 iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This is an iHeart podcast.