Drink Champs - Episode 460 w/ Rob Markman and Gabe Jacobs

Episode Date: July 4, 2025

N.O.R.E. & DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. In this episode we chop it up with the legends, Rob Markman and Gabe Jacobs!Notable hip-hop journalist, & author Rob Markman, alongside Gabe Jacobs—known to aficionados as the mastermind behind Rafaello & Co.—sit down with the champs, for a lively, no-holds-barred conversation.Markman brings decades of voice‑of‑authority experience, breaking down hip‑hop’s past, present, and future with insight, honesty and a few surprises. Alongside him Gabe Jacobs, the icy architect behind Rafaello & Co., the go-to jeweler for the biggest names in rap. Now, he’s here to talk that talk—how the jewelry game evolved with hip-hop, the wild requests he’s seen, his rise in high-end jewelry, and how bling became a cornerstone of hip-hop identity.Together, they dig into the genre’s current landscape—discussing standout artists, beats, and cultural trends that define today’s scene. Expect uncensored takes on the state of streaming, shout-outs to underground heroes, and insider anecdotes from fashion and studio life.With N.O.R.E. and EFN leading the vibe, this convo is a straight gem session. Expect laughs, real talk, exclusive stories, and a celebration of two different hustles that helped shape the culture. Press play, raise a glass, and tap in with two heavyweights who really live it.Make some noise for Rob Markman and Gabe Jacobs! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com Follow:Drink Champshttp://www.drinkchamps.comhttp://www.instagram.com/drinkchampshttp://www.twitter.com/drinkchampshttp://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN http://www.crazyhood.comhttp://www.instagram.com/whoscrazyhttp://www.twitter.com/djefnhttp://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodprod... N.O.R.E. http://www.instagram.com/therealnoreagahttp://www.twitter.com/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club. The new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts, where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week, I'm joined by authors, celebs,

book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free.

I'm Ebene, and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, the Say It It, this is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft, and whole. The Unwanted Sorority is where Black women, Femmes, and gender-expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support, and what happens after. And I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate. Listen to The Unwanted Sorority, new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Adventure should never come with a pause button. Remember MoviePass? All the movies you wanted for just nine bucks? I'm Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet. And this season, I'm digging into the tech stories we weren't told. Starting with Stacey Spikes, the black founder of MoviePass who got pushed out of the company he built. Everybody's trying to knock you down and it's not gonna work and no one's gonna like it. Starting with Stacey Spikes, the Black founder of MoviePass, who got pushed out of the company he built. Everybody's trying to knock you down, and it's not going to work, and no one's going to like it.

And then, boom, it's everywhere. And that was that moment. Listen to There Are No Girls on the Internet on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And this Dream Chess motherfucking podcast makes some noise! He's a legendary Queens rapper. Hey, hey, say g'way, this your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip hop pioneer.

One of his DJ E.F.N. Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players. Yummy! In the most professional, unprofessional podcast In your number one source for drunk facts It's Drink Champs, motherfuckin' parka Where every day is New Year's Eve It's time for Drink Champs

Drink up, it's DJ EFN. And this is what it's gonna be, Crazy World Podcast, Drink Champs, Yappy Hour. Make some noise! And, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and,

and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, We got journalists, extraordinaire slash entertainer, rapper, whatever, my motherfucking friend, raw motherfucking mother. We got a jury expert, done everything, gets everything what you want, makes it happen.

Mr. Motherfucking Gabe Jacobs. So I forget, we gonna get straight to it. Now Gabe, let us know the jury game, right? It seems like it's only five jewelers at one time. Like, you know, it's a whole bunch of other jewelers, but it's only five jewelers who really win. Is there a jury secret to Illuminati? No, it's just social media got shit really fucked up.

Right. Because, you know, me, for a long time, I've been doing this for a very long time. Right. Did this without any Instagram, without any social media. Right. And I think MySpace was just coming out when I started.

Oh shit. But I was already still doing what I was doing. I was already in the streets, in the field, whatever you want to call it. You know? I put in the work. I had book bags in the clubs, just running around doing crazy shit with a bunch of wolves around

in Brooklyn and New York. MV, what was it? MV Exit. Hold those wild clubs like. Yeah, I think a lot of, I respect what they're doing, all of them, I wish them all the best. I have no issue beefed off with nobody. I'm in my own lane, let them do their,

but social media, social media, it's very different these days. Anybody can just come to somebody's store and just take a bunch of pics and post it and say I'm a celebrity jeweler when they haven't seen a celebrity in their life. Even if they do take care of one or two people, you're labeled a celebrity jeweler.

And I don't know about that. I don't look at it that way. I look at it, you have to have a relationship, a bond. I have relationships with my clientele. We have a relationship. You know what I mean? You cursed me the fuck out. I curse you right back out too.

We always do. It's our relationship. We just gotta accept it. Same thing. I have the same relationship with other people. Y'all be beefing over jewelry? Hell yeah. We beef over everything.

He wants a certain thing, and if shit don't go right, you're OK. Fuck you. I'm going to go over there. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. OK, come on. That's that rich life beef.

That's that rich shit. I'll never go. No, you never go, though. You never go. No, you never go. But again, to me, that's really cheap. I love it. You know what?

What would you say was your breakout piece? Cause like every time I walk in your office, it's always the big Jay Z. Was that the first piece that was ever made? And that's a two bar question. Was that one of the, cause remember when Jay wore that shit, he was like killing Mr. T.

Right. Right. The first time was one, was that your first breakout piece? And let's just stick with that one for now. No. No. That was not my breakout. Okay.

At that moment it was. Right. Yes. But. Because that's the first of his, that's the second question. First of its kind. First of its kind. First of its kind.

Like, World, Guinness Book of Work, tried to call me and put it up, I called him. I'm like, sir, can I do this? And he's like, no, I'm like, okay. Wow. And I said, no. Wow. Oh, you tried to get it in the World Book of World? No, they called me.

They called you. They called me. And then you asked James, James was like. I asked, oh, I'm not going to do it. I don't think that's what I'm going to do. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He seemed like he don't want to do it. I don't play that game.

Yeah. But I believe my first breakout piece was nothing crazy, nothing big. It was for the one who really put me on was Angie Martinez. Angie Martinez. And we should know you for Angie. Thank you. Thank you, boy.

Thank you, Angie. Thank you, boy. Thank you, man. You make me feel good. Yes, yes. My big breakout was when I was 18, 19 years old. That's how I met everybody. So how did you meet Angie?

So thank you. I think I don't know. I guess I was in some club or something and somebody was just like, yo, we have a video shoot when she was rapping. Right, right. I could go. I could go. I mean, so Angie got joints. She's a legend. She's a legend. So I was very new at that time. Video shoes, they say be there at 2 o'clock.

I'm like, oh, fucking be there at 1.40. Like, waiting around. This shit started. Are people telling you that? So I'm thinking, you know, I'm very, you know, at that time, professional be there on time. I'm fucking there 20 minutes early. Bro, shit start 10 hours later.

Six o'clock. What the fuck? I'm like, this shit is crazy. I'm like, I'm sitting in the trailer, whatever. But before all of that had happened, Angie, she had the Animal House records at that time. So I- Socario?

Socario. Yeah. So she's like, I want a house with, you know, just a house, make me a house of this and that. And this is when she was on Hot 97. So I was like, yeah, I got you. I'm going to make this thing. A house jury.

The house. It was a pendant. It was like a house. Okay. Let's go house something. I forgot the name. House ENT or something like that. No, yeah, it was Animal House.

Animal House. So I was like, all right, give me, let me, let me do my thing. So I, and there was like a record player in the middle, like where the window was supposed to be. So I took that and I just made it spin. Right. You know, back in those times, who the fuck did that?

Nobody had a spinner. That was before the spinner. That was before the spinner. So I made it spin and the record, you could take it on and off in the little, the needle. So I did that and I presented it to Henry, he was like, oh shit, you could take it on and off, and like a little, the needle. So I did that, and I presented it to Henry, and he was like, oh shit, you know, Petkos was really fat at that time.

He's not so fat anymore. I love you, bro. Big up, big up, fat Petkos. He's skinny now, but he's halfway skinny. He's still skinny, he's alright. He's good, he's good. So then, I delivered it, and from there, they were like, oh listen, we have a video shoot,

come to the video shoot. You know, that's where I met J.Lo, that's where I met Joe Crack, and everybody was in there. And that's how it all started with that. And... And what, did you have a shop at that time? No.

I had a booth at, on the diamond industry, I had a booth inside of an exchange, I took a hold back. You know, it was nothing crazy, it was about this big, like the table right here, And on the diamond destroyer had a booth inside of the inside of an exchange. I took a hold back right? You know it was nothing crazy was about this big like the table like right here nothing crazy You know two showcases right and like 18 19 years old just you know doing what I was doing right and Funny crazy story after that video after that video shoot You know I packed up it was like two three in the morning and

I Get back to the office the next day And I'm up, it was like two, three in the morning. And I get back to the office the next day, and I'm going through the stuff. You know, I don't write anything down, invoice this, this. Just fucking throw everything in a bag and we'll figure it out, you know. I did write certain things down, big, big pieces. I come back, five carrot studs each.

Garment, not in my bag. I'm like, what the fuck? I'm like, I carrot studs each. God, not in my bag. I'm like, what the fuck? I'm like, I said it's over. It just started, I'm done. That's a lot of money. Back then, five carrots each was like 200 grand. If not more. I'm like, I'm fucked.

A couple of hours later, my head is down like this, fucking Petkos walks in through the door. Had him on. Fucking walks in, he's like, what happened? I didn't know him from the hole in the wall back then. I just met the guy, I don't know him. I'm thinking motherfuckers, you know in my head, you fucking slime motherfuckers, you piece of shit.

He's like, you good? I'm like, nah bro, I lost my earrings over there, I don't know what to do. He's like, these? I'm like, oh shit. Wow. I'm like, oh shit. Wow. I'm like, wow. Shout out to Peckhouse.

Bro. Let me ask you. So a person is starting out. Do you borrow the jewelry on consignment until you sell it? All right, cool. So how does that go for a person that's coming up? Oh, in this business, you need relationships. It's all about relationships.

You can make it or break it with your name. Yes, it's good to have the money. You can do cash memos. You bring them, whatever, 100 Gs, and you take 100 Gs worth of shit. You know what I'm saying? And then when you come back, you drop off the jewelry minus whatever you sold, and they give you the difference.

In my situation, most of it is where I just come and take whatever the fuck I want. Not back then, back then it was, here, take a little here. Don't, you can't, you're young, relax. You don't have insurance, nothing, you're just starting out. But that's how usually, it's all about building a relationship with the vendors,

with the ones, with the ones who are the OGs in the game. You're not just going to come out of nowhere and just... But how do you even get that credential to even get a little bit? Yeah, what a beginning. Family. It's somebody who knows somebody. It's a network of people.

It's a family. If somebody brings you in, like my boy Mike. Lee knows my brother Mike. Lee knows everybody. Yeah, no, but Mike knows Mike Mike. That's my brother. I brought him in. I brought him in.

I'm like, bro, this is what you're doing. This is what it's gonna be. Like everywhere I go, he's with me. Everybody knows that's, you know, like my face. Yo, he needs something. Give it to him. I just get that phone call. Because somebody used to do that for me. So now I'm his, you know, his guy.

Before, it was somebody else for me. That was my guy. So that's how it trickles down. You got to bring them in. And again, it's family. It's a family of family. You get me. You know, consularity, fucking round table,

gangsta shit sometimes, you know, that's what it comes down to. No, no, no, no watches, because I know in 2025, I got the hard shit in 2025. I don't know about 2024. What's wrong? That right there.

Nah, but piecewise. I get watches to commemorate my times, you know what I mean? This was something big for me. And I'm gonna tell you guys a story about this shit. Lego was my favorite cartoons. Wow! So great!

Yeah, but show the microphone. Okay, yeah. You gotta show me this shit. I don't know what the fuck to do. Yeah, dude, help me roll this. Holy shit. That's crazy. That's dope. He calls me. He's like, gee, I'm in the Lego movie.

This, I'm doing, I'm like, all right, cool. Let me tell you something. I put you under stress for this. No, no, no. You, bro. He like, Gabe. I went so hard for this speech. I'm telling you.

Look, you see your chain? You see your little chain? Oh, wow. Because I didn't have no idea since the grenades. It's me, I'm telling you. You see your chain? You see your little chain? Oh, wow. Because I didn't have no idea since the grenades. Like, how we different. The new 4 chain was different? The new 4 chain?

I'm going to watch the new 4 chain. The chain was embarrassing, though. It was half embarrassing. It was weird. That's the reason why. Why? It was because, listen to me. I put real cigarettes in there.

Here, you got the microphone right there. It has other pieces like in the movie, he has a Ace of Spade bottle and a cup. So I have that too, it's getting finished. So he can put the Ace of Spade in here and then the cup in here. So if I had more time, I would make the arms come off, put different arms, there was just a whole

intricate shit going on here. So I call him, I'm like bro, I sent him all arms come off, put different arms. There was just a whole intricate shit going on here. So I called him, I'm like, bro, I sent him all the Legos, there's 16,000 pieces. I said, bro, pick the 10 you want. He said, for what? I'm like, we're gonna integrate into this chain. So I took this. That's a unique piece.

And I took the Legos, and you could actually do one of these, you know. Oh, you can stack it. Oh, I knew that. I knew that. You can stack it. He got 2025 right now. I got 2025.

No, no, he said it all. Who the fuck, what? They gotta come real crazy correct with this one. So, and then... Oh, nah. He told me to call Pharrell and to tell Lego at first. I gotta come real crazy correct with this one. So, and then. I'm right with this one. Oh, nah, he told me to call Pharrell and to tell Lego at first. I said, I know Pharrell, he might beat me to the point.

The only reason I said that. He might go get his own shit made. Now I look like I'm biting over him. The only reason I said that because J Balvin. Right. J Balvin has the Astro Boy. And I mean that now is an auction. Right. Somewhere, was it Jupiter or something? Yeah, but he wasn't an Astro Boy. And I mean that now is an auction.

Somewhere was the Jupiter. But he was an Astro Boy the movie. No. So yeah, I'm getting ready. The only reason I said let's do the NDA was because Balvin is so straight shooter, he wants permission of the artist for his pen. Right.

I'm the artist. So that's your artist. They made me. They made him. They called me. They called him. So I was just like, hey, maybe we should do that. But I'm a sensitive around now.

Yeah. But after I got my shit done, I swear to God, you know how it is sometimes, some people are like, what? I just did it. I didn't want to tell Bustin, nobody. I was still going to Bustin today. I was like, nah, I'm not telling him. That's crazy.

That's crazy. That's insane, bro. That's hard. First of all, the fact that you was in that movie, because I was in the theater, and I texted you while I was in the theater, seeing, and you got to understand of when we became to know Norrie was CNN.

CNN, yes. Like you was a different guy then. And if you think of then, and not only that, your own experience in the movie theater changed your whole fucking life, your whole trajectory. And I'm sitting here with my son watching the Lego movie. Salute, salute. Keep going, keep going. And Norrie's right there, salute.

You didn't know I was in the movie or you knew I was in the movie? No, I knew you was the Lego movie. Salute, salute, keep going, keep going. And Norrie is right there, salute. You didn't know I was in the movie or you knew I was in the movie? No, I knew you was in the movie. Once I got wind of what the movie was, like how can Norrie not be in it? You know what I'm saying? And I think they started letting out the trailers. But then actually seeing it on the big screen

and then the way that Pharrell, he's always been gracious and gave it up for you, but really gives you that lane of like, yo, Norrie was the one who trusted me enough to let me produce. Cause he had production before you. He did everything. But nobody trusted him enough.

It's truly like how I said in the movie. In the movie, yeah. He said to me, yo, let me produce you. Exactly. Like, now let me make a beat for you. And I'm a hot dude at the time. I got the number one record in New York. So I could have easily been like, shut the fuck up.

But for some reason, I know I sound like a genius now, but I was then, because it happened. I looked at him and I was like, but Chad was there too. Because I hate when I just say that. It's the Neptune. It's the Neptune. So Chad was there too. I think they both deserved the credit on this.

And they were just looking at me, although Chad didn't say much, but he was like, he looked at me, damn, I'm mad that y'all can look at it and I can't. I'm looking at all y'all looking at it. It says Negro all over. What'd you say? It says Negro all over. No, this is a Lego, man. No, it's not Lego.

This is a Lego, man. No. I appreciate it. But so I'll tell you, y'all both the funny story. Pharrell never tells me I'm in a Lego movie. The whole time. By the way, I didn't feel bad because I was telling all y'all, yo, he didn't tell me he's in a Lego movie.

I'm sitting next to Teddy Riley. That's my guy. In the premiere. And Teddy Riley leans over to me and goes, did he tell you he was in this movie? I said, hell no. He's my guy. In the premiere, and Teddy Riley leans over to me and goes, did he tell you he was in this movie? I said, hell no. He said, I feel good too. I said, he didn't tell you?

He said, no, I said, I feel good too. So he just had you like if he was shooting a documentary and explaining it. But coached you through the... For me personally, I know this is going to sound crazy, but I'm glad that he didn't tell me because I want to try to act like a Lego. Right,'t know how Lego acts, but I would try to be like cartoonish. I would try to overdo my job as opposed to this.

So like, again, he said it was an animated, come on bro, but you don't, not animated, you gotta say Lego, man. You know what I'm saying? He thinks it's just a cartoon. You weren't really paying attention to what they were doing. You just knew it was for him. I'm gonna tell you right now, this crazy guy calls me. Yo, I need this in, what, two weeks?

Yes, I did. Oh, wow. I had this shit ready. I had this shit ready before Chris, man, and he just left. I said, yo, where you at? I went to Europe, sorry. He went to Europe. You wasn't up on time.

You wasn't at Jaru's, so I'm always on time. You wasn't at J.R.Roo's song. Always on time. He was like, what the fuck, bro? I took a home. I took a home. My son is 1 and 1 half. He wanted it. I sent him a picture of my son wearing this shit. This is the killer part, the Lego.

And then the Lego could stick on all the clothes. If I really had some time, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really, if I really had time, I would have made this where every part can come off. And it can stack like an actual Lego. I didn't want every part to come off. I think you are officially redeemed for the new port. For the new port can't. I think we can take the new port can't. Why would we do that?

Hold on, why would we do that? I'm going to tell you, it was just too ignorant. Real new port. Real new port. Since when? I thought it was kind of dope, but it was kind of crazy at the same time. You know what it was? It was, I swear to God, it was a good song.

It was a good song. It was a good song. It was a good song. It was a good song. It was a good song. It was a good song. It was a too ignorant. Real Newport's was ignorant. That shit's fire. I thought it was kind of dope, but it was kind of crazy at the same time. You know what it was? It was, I swear to God, it was this. That's what I thought.

I wouldn't do that. It was this old white lady. He would pull out the. That, that, that. I wouldn't put a lighter in that motherfucker. That lived in my building at the time. And. That's the whole point.

I didn't realize how like, you know, I can say it, how nignorous, nignorous Newport's was. And then, so she looked at the chain and I didn't really look at her looking at the chain. I just opened it up and I pulled out a Newport and I could see her face like, and I was embarrassed at that moment. Like wow. Like, but.

Someone in the building. Is she still there? Yeah. No, it's not that building. I looked at a whole other building at that time. So, yeah, but. Someone in the building. Is she still there? Yeah, no, no, it's not that building. I lived in a whole other building at that time. So, yeah, yeah, I was. I remember I was working at XXL at the time. And we used to have the column in the front of the book for whoever had the craziest piece of work.

So you definitely, you definitely earn one of those spots. Yeah, yeah, right. Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, the Newport thing. Yeah, the Newport thing. 2025, I'm not gonna lie. I know, 2025. 2025, I had to set it off right. Let the people know.

You gotta do a photo shoot for that. That's bananas. Piece wise jewelry. But jewelry wise. Like diamond wise. Who got the best? The Saudi royal family. What I just posted on my.

Really? The Saudi royal family. How easy is it to do business with them? And they come all the way over here to work with you? That's crazy. I know them for a very long time. What you make for them? I know them for a very long time.

I know them for a very long time. I know them for a very long time. I know them for a very long time. I know them for a very long time. I know them for a very long time. I know them for a very long time. I'm like, really? The Saudi warrior family, how easy is it to do business with them? And they come all the way over here to work with you? That's crazy. I know them for a very long time. What you made for them? I thought I'd never see them. It's like a $3 million. You can't, we're not even allowed to see it.

No, I posted it. I'm not going to say what it's for, who the family are. It's just that, all I said was, 2025 is nice. Right. Did they say Crown Prince on it? No, no, no. Now I want to ask you about these watches. Yes, sir. Now that I'm a part of the watch world, the watch world consider them bracelets.

Oh, what? They consider them bracelets. Right. They consider it jewelry pieces. We got the pristine one, which I have one, you know, bigger than the pristine. We got the Avi and Co. And it's basically just a bust down. You can't really tell the time.

There's no movements. There's no open back piece. What do you feel about these pieces? It's very popular in hip hop because it's shiny and people who don't actually know watches, you mess with it. I made my own watches as well. I'm in the process of making my own as well right now.

But again, like you said, it's for status. But I think these days people are, with the internet and everything that's going on during COVID, people are seeing what's going on with jewelry, with watches, how everything just skyrocketed through the roof. Diamond pieces, in my opinion, is if you have extra fuck around money, it's cool.

Right. You know? If you have fuck you money, alright, cool, whatever. Right. But, you know, in my opinion, if, you know, plain, simple. You know we're watches, you on Patek, you on, yeah. You know, you're a rich, you know, 67, 6701. I have the Rich Million too, by the way, yeah,

6501, yeah, 6501, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,

yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, wish them all the best. Again, I know Avi, I know everybody. Right. I know him too. I love him too. Everybody's, you know, doing their thing. God bless. But again, for me, for myself personally, if I'm investing, I'm investing in, you know, a Patek.

You know, prestigious brand. Right. You know, Patek, Richie, you know, Rollins, you understand? I'm not, you know, even my own brand, understand? Because at the end of the day, I know what's gonna end up happening. My clientele is gonna come back and say, hey, Gabe, I want to trade this in

or I want this and that. I cannot say no. You cannot say no. Because we have to say no because we want it to circulate within the market. Just like Rolex, you can't go into fucking Rolex back then and say, hey, I want to trade this in. Now they could do that.

Wait, the guy that... Rolex can trade in watches? Yeah, they do that. What the fuck out of here? No, I never heard that. So I'm sure they buy it back from you. Really? They do the trading with you.

Obviously, you have to get it from them. You have to get it from them. Yeah, they do that now. They never did that before. I never heard of that. And I believe it's because of guys like myself and the rest of the jewelers. We've did that and we... Listen, at the end And I believe it's because of guys like myself and the rest of the jewelers. We've did that and we, listen, at the end of the day, these ADs, these authorized dealers,

they cannot live without us. Right. They need us. Right. You understand what I'm saying? Like these journalists. Right, right. Y'all consider it the gray market?

We're the gray market. Okay, yes. We're absolutely the gray market, but they need us. Because we're the ones that set the tone and set the price for the secondary market. Right. Is it true that Frank Mueller tried to actually sue all of the jewelers and that's the reason why Frank Mueller's best the app I heard that but I also heard he went crazy and like he didn't want y'all selling his watches on the great market, right? I don't I never heard that. Okay. What did you hear? Why he's out of it? I just heard from the grapevines that he just lost it.

And just the brand, again, we are the brand. I am my own brand in my company. Everybody is their own. Jacob is his thing. Everybody does their own thing. They're the fates. I feel like I heard that something happened, you understand, there was personal stuff that he was dealing with,

and after that it just went into the toilet. I honestly think Frank Mews at that time were hot as shit, dope. Like they were on the level of getting to where Richard Mille is today. I never did. And now I definitely don't. They're coming back slowly. I won't be on the Frank Mille chain. Major, major discount, obviously.

The discount is crazy 40, 50 off. Whatever. But still, I have a few in my office. I carry a few. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies.

I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic.

So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying, you have to read this. This podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio 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. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene. podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all,

childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on the street corner. He wasn't shot in, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on a street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal.

He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Sometimes it's hard to remember, but...

Going through something like that is a traumatic experience, but it's also not the end of your life. That was my dad reminding me and so many others who need to hear it that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we have big, bold, and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate. On my new podcast, The Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time. Each week, I sit down with people who live through harm, carried silence, and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the

adultification of Black girls, mothering as resistance, and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's walk in. We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to The Unwority new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. I think honestly, Frank Mueller was the first one who had that crazy looking shape that Richie has now. Right. They had that weird looking shape that they have now, that Richie has now.

So I'm going to ask you about the Frank Mueller hip hop. When did rap radio fuck up? That was a good pivot. That was a great pivot, bro. Who's the Frank? I didn't even notice right there. Oh, he's the Frank. Did he get to get his segue into that?

I don't know about that. I'm gonna leave you guys to that. I don't know why. What happened with that? What happened with that? That's him, man. Yo, amen. But let's recap what happened, because I don't even know. I don't even know what happened. I don't even know rants and that's all I know about. No, no, no.

I'm not even saying that because I seriously believe that it wouldn't have been a rant or wouldn't have been this negativity or this feeling if it had Rap Radar staying together, you know, and just kept putting out episodes. So- You mean him and B.Dot staying together? Yeah. I believe that when them staying, not being together, it left that hole in the game for us to keep going, for all the artists to keep having podcasts and things like that. So when do you think that Rap Radar went wrong?

I know I said it funny before. Not right here. You did say it funny. Yeah, but- No, I get what you're saying. First of all, shout out to B. Dot. Shout out to both of them. Rap Radar, what they did and what they built was amazing. I mean, maybe there's space for it to come back.

But the climate, you know, for one, I think the climate changed. Like, your question that you got with you, like, how did it get to the point for rappers to take over? No, no, I'm saying Rap Radar particularly. Then I'm going to get to that rapper question. It's tough out here, bro. And this is me not speaking on them, and we can get into specifics. I won't dodge none of your questions. But as somebody, as a journalist, somebody who was trained in journalism,

who came up in journalism, it's tough, bro. It's tough, bro. It's tough to create content that is dependent on guests week after week. Y'all do it. But it's guests, but people show up for Nori because Nori is the one that we all know. People show up for EFN because EFN is like the backbone and the journalistic integrity and the one that you're a wild boy, you gonna keep shit on track, you know what I'm saying?

And the dynamic- He a wild boy too. The dynamic is amazing, right? Right. It gets hard for journalists to like week after week do a show, especially after COVID. A lot of the, look, I'm gonna speak from my personal experience.

I was at, look man, I used to be at XXL, I used to be at MTV. I'm still at Genius. I used to have a show at Genius. They cut the production budgets. So people aren't investing in journalists the same way. Not to say that it's easier because y'all work hard, but it's easier to be like, you know what, I'm going to put my money on the Norrie. On the K-FM.

On the Cam and the Mace. On the Joe Button. But no disrespect, while we was out here making our bones, y'all was on 106 and Park. You know what I'm saying? That don't mean that you're... Because plenty of rappers come in and fail. You got to put the work in with it. It just got hard and people started to die.

That's to my point right there, exactly. Exactly what he just said hard and people started dying. That's to my point right there, exactly. Like exactly what he just said, but from my side. I put in all that work, we put in, my generation came up, we put in all that work, you understand, with dipsets, with jewels, with all them crazy shit that they were, we started that trend with all that crazy jewelry

they had on cam with the crazy world, I did that. You understand? All that- The world that's been, don't jewelry that I had on cam with the crazy world. I did that. You understand? All that. The world that's been, don't even believe it. The world that's been, I was told it's a battle in it. Okay, wow. We did all that first.

We did that first. You understand what I'm saying? Like when he was on the source, it wasn't XSL, whatever it was. All his shit on, the little light. My family did all that. You understand? So I feel like we did all that, because we, like you said, you understand?

You set a certain standard, and from there, you're the next generation. We set the groundwork, the foundation, so that these youngins can now do what they're doing right now, you understand? I got Instagram, you know, I did this shit doing right now. Right. You understand? Yeah. I got Instagram. You know, I did this shit with no Instagram, like I said in the beginning. Right.

Nothing. Right. Nothing. You think it's easier for the jewelers now because they have Instagram? You know why? Why? They fucking DMing motherfuckers. Yo, holla at me, lalala.

Bro, I'm in your fucking face in the club, bro. I'm in your face, I'm in the club. I'm fucking... Well, you understood it, I'm there. Quarrel, I'm in your fucking face in the club. I'm in your face, I'm in the club. I'm fucking, well you understood it, I'm there. I'm here, I'm running around in the city. But you gotta play the game how the game is to be played today. Like the old days. I'm not hating on them, I'm just saying we did all that. Like I don't think, my honest opinion,

instead of no disrespect to none of these jewels out here, but if they were living in my time, they would get eaten up real quick. I think it's the same with hip hop. It's the same thing. Same thing with hip hop, but to me, it's about how do you adjust. Like, for me, I was like, oh, wow, I don't have my show on Genius anymore.

I don't have my show on Amazon anymore. Cool. None of these corporations, none of these companies is going to tell me when I can go on air or when I can't. So you started your own shit. So I started my own. Which I think is dope, by the way.

Right. Where it's just me. It's not even dependent on the guests. It's just whatever I want to talk about, whatever I want to get my opinion about, but people who come to my shit know that they're going to get somebody who's not sensationalized. I broke down the whole Drake and Kendrick battle. It's necessary what you're doing. We all have bias, but it's like, man, somebody got to call this straight.

You know what I'm saying? Somebody got to call this shit straight. So fuck it, that's my lane. But it's like, you can't complain about the playing field because the game is the game. And it's not exclusive to hip hop. This is indicative of what's happening in media and journalism across the board. And that's what I hate about my industry. They're always beefing about clientele.

Somebody comes, somebody takes somebody's client. Bruh, your fucking name is not written on his forehead. Norrie is Gabe's client only. Bruh, if somebody's trying to holler at him and they're trying to work something out, cool, man. You understand? But in this industry of mine, soul cut throat is worse than the fucking dope game.

I swear. I be seeing y'all fake beefing, but then y'all all be at the same bar missing us. Yeah, because we family. I be like, they don't got to be better off. They like politicians and shit. They don't got to be better off. They cut biscuits together.

I'm like, wait a minute, I see y'all. I follow all y'all. They be trading pieces, man. I see it. That's the thing, though. Listen, I'll see y'all. I follow all y'all. I see you. I see you. I see you. That's the thing. Listen, we have a respect for each other at the end of the day, but there's, I don't know, there's no beef.

Right. I don't think there's a hatred. Right. Because that's a nasty word to use. I think there's just competition, and I love competition. Nah, but there'd be some haters too. There definitely, definitely not. There definitely be some haters. Is Eli will listen to hater?

Straight up. Or disgruntled. Just straight up. Yeah. He is? Is it the same to be a hater and to just be disgruntled? I can't, I told you I wasn't gonna dodge, not he's just gonna set me up,

but we not gonna dodge questions. Like he's in a tough position, man. Cause it's like he can't hide it at this point. Yeah. Like I believe he been a hater like in a tough position, man. Because it's like he can't hide it at this point. I believe he's been a hater in a way because he thought he was the best, he thinks he's the best, and in a lot of ways he is. Right? You said I was the greatest when you introduced me, now you flip-flopping. I don't know what you're saying.

No, no, no, no, no. No, no, no, but I'm saying- Yo, get him some more eggs. Yeah, you see, I got a problem. I need a drunk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So let me ask you, from your perspective, from him some more eggs. Yeah, you got a problem. I need a drop. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, let me ask you, from your perspective,

from what you see and what you dealt with on your own, you believe Elliot Wilson is a hater, straight up? Man, I think he got hate in his blood. I mean, the Elliot Wilson train came from jokingly about him. Yeah. But I think it comes from his competitive nature. The Elliott Wilson train came from jokingly about him. Yeah. But I think it comes from his competitive nature. I think it's him wanting to be the best at every single moment.

Right. And I'm not saying nothing that I haven't shown him personally. I think at times he'll step on other people's moments. Like sometimes it's just not your day. It is not your week. It's not your month. And he'll your week, it's not your month. And he'll step on other people's moments, but that's his competitive drive.

Like he don't give a fuck about nothing but this. You know what I'm saying? I think it was competitive when he was winning. It doesn't seem competitive when you lose it. When you lose it and you hate it. But is he really losing? I mean, not losing, you just not out there. You not out there. I don't know. I see him out there. He needs God really losing? I mean, not losing, you just not out there. You not out there.

I mean, I see him out there. He needs God. He's out there, listen, he has the bigger picture, shout out to DJ Head and Jeremy Heck. So he's out there every week. It's just he's not getting the- I don't see it. No, I see it.

I see it. I got TV, well, I don't see it. I mean, but- It's not on TV, like- You know what I mean, Instagram is TV, motherfucker. I don't see it on the ground. He's just not getting the interview. Don't trust the algorithm.

I don't think artists are doing interviews anyway. Right. We got our own shit. And if so, like, here's the thing. Even outside of LA, though, here's the thing that I don't know that people, maybe he doesn't understand or maybe just hasn't articulated in that way. There are a few of us who are fans of good journalism, right?

Yes, they are. But that's niche. OK. Everybody who bought the source XXL vibe back in the day, it wasn't because they were fans of journalism. It was because their favorite rapper was on the cover. It just so happened you got good articles, you got good information, you got good whatever. Carlos Rodriguez, right? He was writing for them back then?

Carlito. Carlito, yeah. So, but that's where everybody went. If you wanted to see your favorite rapper, you went to XXL, Vibe Source, or you turned on Rap City. Really quick, sorry. Like there were a few places. But could it be, because we just took it for granted.

It was always there. Journalism was there. Now, it's not there. So the generation now doesn't even know what it was. But what I'm saying is- I think YouTube is very important. And you may be different because it's niche, but the millions of people every month

that was buying that magazine, didn't give a fuck about good journalism. It was because 50 was on the cover and 50 was my favorite rap. Jay was on the cover. Right, that's what sold the mag. So they had the attention. Magazines are out. We advertised on that page because of that reason.

I advertised on that. Would you advertise there now? No. Because they don't have the market share. They don't have the large audience that they have. You know who has that audience? You do. Kasa Nat.

Yeah, yeah. Streamers. Aiden Ross. So when they see Drake go to Aiden Ross or Nikki go to Kasa Nat, and there's no shade to Kastanat. It's not because they're going there for a good interview. It's not because they're going there to have fun,

but it's because they have the most audience. They have the audience. And I want to get my message across, I'm going to the biggest audience. Nobody gave a fuck about journalism. It was a small, it's niche. You know what I call it now? Media-tainment. Like it's media, but entertainment.

Like it's more entertaining than like having to deliver like A-class journalism, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. But that still exists and that should, that should still be a world for that. I think it's dangerous not to have real journalism. But like you were saying, and I agree, but this is a problem bigger than hip hop.

Yeah. Look at what's going on in, first of all, the political arena is a problem bigger than hip hop. Look at what's going on. First of all, the political arena is way worse. Wild. If you look what Elon is saying on Twitter every day, see that? My bad. We mess with Elon. I knew I was going to do it.

Your shit's turning white now on the beat. Oh, shit. No. Fast forward the time. Sorry, Rob. No, but if you look at what Elon is talking about, Elon is telling, yo, Elon is saying every day on Twitter, there's no more media. You guys are the media.

They're dismantling media. They're trying to discredit CNN. They're trying to discredit all this legacy media and put it in the hands of the people. While I believe in democracy, do you see the crazy shit that's going on on Twitter? Do you see the fucking idiots on Twitter shit? Yeah, but it is fucking dumb. But media dismantled itself too by giving in to greed as well for advertisers. It became its statement.

It became its statement. I was watching something and they just said that, I'm not into this political stuff, but I just saw that where Zuckerberg just put yeah, what's his name? They know why they know why as on board of You know why no because he wants to get into good graces with who oh mr. Trump Yeah, he is because because you know right this and to get to Trump, you got to either have to be cool with Elon, or you have to be cool with- Because they want to break up Facebook. They want to break it up.

So now they have all these lawsuits as, you know, whatever. I do stocks and whatever. But that's with TikTok though, right? No, no, no. TikTok's a bad answer. But the whole thing about TikTok is now- They're banning it. No, but they're trying to also buy it.

To sell it. They want to buy it. No, but they got in Trump's good favor now. He's coming back to it. The guy, I forget his name. I know he's out there trying to buy it. To sell it. They want to buy it. No, but they got in Trump's good favor now. He's coming back to it. The guy, I forget his name. I know he's out there trying to buy it. The guy from Shark Tank. Yeah, Kevin O'Leary.

Okay, Kevin O'Leary. He's trying to buy it. Buy a TikTok? He's trying to buy a TikTok because they want the servers to be in the United States. The servers are not here because that's the algorithm that shows what the fuck's going on. My daughters are sitting there all, I'm like, get the fuck off the phones. I literally have to take these shit

and just fucking toss these things. Even bigger than that, if TikTok gets sold to O'Leary and Dana White on the board for a Facebook media. And O'Leary campaign for Trump. Right, O'Leary for Trump. Dana's trying to co- But he's Canadian. They're trying to co-

Yeah, but he campaign for Trump. Elon's South African, but he running shit right now. He's running shit. So now the Republicans and basically the Trump regime imagine, control, Trump's whole thing has been like, fuck media, watch what I do to y'all. CNN did me wrong, this one did me, watch what I do to y'all. And now he potentially controls- But he did fly.

He moved it. Potentially he controls through Elon Twitter or X or whatever, Instagram through Zuckerberg and Dana White and O'Leary and TikTok. What does that look like? Yeah, as well. So it's bigger than him. It's way bigger than him. I just think they just want everybody to have a fair chance to speak their mind and speak

their truth, you know, fair chance to speak their mind and speak their truth, you know, because even Zuckerberg admitted 2016, he fucking blacklisted and didn't allow any of Trump's stuff to go on that platform. He said it. He literally said it, that's why. Yeah, the media did it to themselves and now it's back and forth. They just been honest since they called it meta?

I don't know, it ain't been the same. It ain't been the same since the name changed. That shit's grown, man. I mean, they're doing things on Instagram now where they make- Remember, they own Instagram, right? Instagram, that's Metta? So they have AI accounts, like they look like real people, but they put up AI pictures. They like, why do we need that?

How many millions of people are on Instagram? I don't need to interact with a- I want more human interaction. AI pictures, they like, like, why do we need that? How many, how many millions of people on Instagram? I don't need to interact with a, I want more human interaction. I don't need AI friends. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like it just kind of questions like what, what? And AI that monetizes itself.

They don't know. You think they also on WhatsApp? Yeah, they also on WhatsApp. Yeah, they on WhatsApp also. Some young kids. Niggas said, Mega, you the only one. Mega. Mega. Mega.***a said Mega. You're the only one. Mega. Mega.

He said La Mega. La Mega. He goes La Mega. La Mega. La Mega's La Mega. But it's way bigger than hip hop when you talk about what's going on in media. It's going on in media across the board and we're going to have to learn with that. You know what I'm saying?

For me, I'm going to take the slow road. I did my YouTube channel, man. I do my videos. I try to respond to every single comment, as long as it's not some Super Troll shit. I'm trying to build community of real people. And I might not have the viewership of a drink champ. I just started my shit. It wasn't even for a full year. I got 2.2 million views

And I respond to every fucking comment, you know I'm saying and and reach out to every part Like that's the way I'm gonna have to build it And what you get more action on your Instagram or your YouTube YouTube YouTube on Instagram Yeah, I mean you're using your Instagram to drive to YouTube. Okay, so the long-form version is on the YouTube. Yeah, well, what I actually do is probably a dumb way to do it. I don't want my Instagram audience to feel like they're getting clips from YouTube. I got to do a competitive advantage. So I'll shoot a long-form thing of me talking on YouTube, and I'll shoot a separate video

for Instagram where I just like truncated, let me just give you the 90 second version of what I said over the course of 10 minutes. It's definitely more work and I'm editing it myself, I'm doing all this shit myself, it's definitely more work. But I'm like, I just want, I want to feel present. My competitive advantage is like, yo, you're going to feel like you talking to me. You're going to feel like when you getting an opinion from me, whether you agree or disagree,

you know that it's the real me. It's reliable. It's reliable. And also it's dope that you're doing the comic book stuff too. You have that as well. That's just out of love. You know what I'm saying?

Right. Now, Raphael. What was the name of the company before? Raphael gave me a name. Raphaelo. Raphaelo, right? Okay. Now it's Nova Nova

yeah what's going on yeah I went y'all separate ways on our own separate okay okay that's it nothing yeah you ain't got no rap beef yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah you know I would never say you it's like you and Kupon. I don't know what the fuck was... You didn't say anything bad about me.

You guys started together. You could explain without having to... It's like he said, two different opinions on everything. I'm young and older, you know, an older person. I feel like I'm just getting older, you know, older, you know, whole older person, you know, I've just,

I feel like I'm just getting in my prime. I feel like I'm just getting it. You know, I was always a late boomer, you know, growing up as a kid, you know? I feel like I'm ready to fuck shit up right now. I feel it, you know? So what's the plans with Nova? Miami.

Okay. Store's coming. Okay. A couple of months. Oh yeah? Here. Yeah, just a lot of things happen. I can't really, you know. Okay. Store's coming. Okay. A couple of months. Oh yeah? Here. Yeah, just a lot of things happening. I can't really, you know.

Okay. You know, there's a lot of good shit, a lot of good stuff happening. Okay. Why? Okay. Nice. And what we got going next? For me, it's just continuing to build this YouTube that I got, Rob Markman on YouTube.

Okay. I'm going to start adding interviews in the mix, but again, I'm not, it's not gonna be interviews every day. Yeah, bass, yeah, I mean, yeah. Yeah, it's not interviews, bass, it's like special interviews. Like it's gonna be like a Barbara Walters special. Just keep it organic, whatever you feel for that week,

you know what I mean? That's what I, I feel like. It's just whatever I feel like doing, and then, you know, music, still I'm putting out, I just put out a project at the end of December called, We'll Never Be This Young Again. And independently. That's my thing.

To me, it was a universal truth. It was like, because I put it out on my birthday, December 30th. And I'm like, man, if you eight or if you 80, it's a, you will never be this young again. So it's just a reminder to live life to the fullest. And I really came up with that concept after we lost Hovain Hilton, our brother, man.

That was just sudden. Nobody seen that coming. It was like one minute he was here, next minute he wasn't here. He was managing you, right? He started me off, man. Like, I didn't think I could do it. I didn't think people was going to accept me coming from journalism and then doing the

raps, you know. And I was on the Breakfast Club one time and Charlamagne kind of dared me to kick a freestyle and I did it. And they was like, no, that shit was kind of hot. Like, you be rapping for real. And so when I came out the interview, Hovain was like, yo, that shit was kind of hot. Like you be rapping for real. And so when I came out the interview, Hovain was like, yo, you know, we could put a record out, right?

And then he hooked me up with Guzzi and Nima. We put out my first project, Write the Dream. And so Hovain was the one that showed me it was possible. Cause I was like, man, like they not gonna sign, they gonna advance me and they gonna sign, I don't even got a record. And he was like, watch this. And Hovain put it together, God bless him.

And so he showed me it was real. And you know, so when he was gone, I kind of like, you know, it hit me for a second, but it was like, man, we'll never be this young again. You gotta live each day like it's your last. You gotta do everything that you ever wanted to do. He was an amazing dude, man. And you can't find nobody to say nothing, crazy.

Even the people who made talk crazy about him when he was here, that shit stopped because it was sobering, because people saw what was real. Nah, you know what? I was tripping. If you had a problem with Hovain, you were the problem. You know what I'm saying? Our show is about giving people their flowers. We wanted to give y'all both your flowers, why y'all can smell them.

Something positive. Some flowers where y'all can have them. Do it while you can drink them. And you drink while you can drink them. Hey! Crazy. My boy. That's crazy.

I don't watch this show, I watch so many episodes of Drink Chance and seeing everybody get their flowers, man. This is crazy. This is beautiful. You guys are the best, man. You guys look good. This is beautiful.

Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers,

and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying, you have to read this,

this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 call 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. Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free.

I'm Ebene and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant,

but he wasn't shot on the street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Sometimes it's hard to remember, but going through something like that is a traumatic experience. But it's also not the end of their life. That was my dad reminding me and so many others who need to hear it that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we

have big, bold and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate. On my new podcast, The Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time.

Each week, I sit down with people who live through harm, carried silence and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the adultification of Black girls, mothering as resistance, and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's walk in. We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to The Unwanted Sorority, new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So, is Jacob the Jeweler, the greatest hip hop jeweler that came from hip hop, built his name from hip hop of all time? As of now? No. He's not? Tito. Tito ain't still gold. It doesn't matter. It all started with Tito. Tito smile every time you see your faces. Jesus cast more than half a door. What did I say?

I said they had coliseum jewelry, no Tito tricks. Come on, I said that on the body in the trunk. I said that on the body in the trunk, so I'm with you. Don't give him the money. Yes, Jacob. But he had a longer, that's like comparing Big to Jay, right? We all do expect a Big. You can't because Jay just had a long career

because he kept going. Now Big's impact, you could argue Big's impact, but all reality. Big's not here, but Big was here. That's what I'm trying to say, Jacob. But you talking about Tito, Tito's not here. He's the Biggie kind of jury. And Jay-Jay.

Yeah, Jacob definitely had. And then I kill that with the hip-hop rap. And then Jacob is like, maybe one's the pioneer and one is not. And he's still going. Jacob, in my opinion, you guys put him on. Right. 100 million percent. Right. I don't know if he feels this way, but I don't know, but this is my opinion, and I believe

this is everyone's opinion. If it wasn't for hip-hop, he wouldn't be where he feels this way, but I don't know, but this is my opinion, and I believe this is everyone's opinion. If it wasn't for hip hop, he wouldn't be where he is today. Absolutely. Hip hop, Count Up, he and Sokka now. Yeah. And Ferrari. He's out here. I got a question. You just kind of sparse something in my mind, if I may. Yeah, please, please.

No, no, no, no. You're here to ask questions. But you just said, like, if it wasn't for hip hop, you know. Of course, I wouldn't be here either. Right, that's my bigger question. You wouldn't be here. What did hip hop do for just the jewelry game? I mean, obviously, jewelry is jewelry, kings, queens. Like, it's always a big market and a huge market.

But what did hip hop do for the jewelers and the jewelry game? And- That's a good question. It did a lot. I love the hip-hop game. Sometimes it's a nasty game, you know, as far as, you know, people owe you money and this and that, all the bullshit, the politics. But at the end of the day, if it wasn't for hip-hop, if it wasn't for hip-hop, if it wasn't for this, these jewelers, where we, me, all these other guys, they wouldn't be doing what they're doing.

Instagram flashing and their cribs and how they better give up, they better give respect. They give their flowers themselves to hip hop. Instead when I hear they say, oh, they didn't do nothing for me, I did it myself. Motherfucker, you didn't do nothing. Like who the, like they calling you, hey, like you call me, do this for me.

They calling you, do this for me. Because at the end of the day, back in those days, the kings and the queens, how they wear their wealth? Jewelry. They wear their wealth in jewelry. That's how they wear their wealth. So if it wasn't for hip hop,

I give my, take my hat off for hip hop because I wouldn't be where I am today. I wouldn't have what I own. I wouldn't, because from the hip hop, you gotta understand, then it goes to the ball players, from the ball players, then it goes to the corporate, then it goes to the corporate, then it goes here, then it goes there, then it goes there, and it goes on and on, but where the fuck it started from? You started from over there. So don't forget about over here, because over there,

and that's one thing about Joe Crack, what he said to me, many years ago when I was 20 years old, when I got out, when he heard about me, when I met him at Angie's video shoot, and I still have a picture, I don't know, I'll send it to you after we get done here, while I'm holding up the TS that I made for him. Young motherfucking Gabe, skinny as a dupic.

And he's, you know, big Joe Crack. Not like, you know, he lost a lot of weight. He's just Joe now. He's just Joe now. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So now, it's, he told me one thing. We were at Jimmy's Uptown. Yeah.

On 57th Street. And he's sitting down at the long, you know, remember that long table in the back? Yeah. He was sitting down and he's sitting here, I'm sitting here. It's say less now. Yeah, and he's sitting, he's telling me,

yo G, let me tell you something. He's like, one thing I know about you, my G, if I'm with you, I'm not with you, you're gonna make it. Right. Bro, I was 20 years old, I was a little fucking retard. You know what I'm saying? I was just getting my feet wet. I didn't understand what I was doing.

But I don't know, the graces of God, you know, that helped me navigate through everything. There's fucking wolves in New York City. Doing what I was doing. Especially at that time. At that time? Right. I would've gotten eaten up real quick, you know?

But I had certain people around me that just kept everybody at bay. You know, let the young boy, let him do his thing. And I was gunning me and Jacob. OK, we ain't finished. We ain't finished. Is Jacob the greatest jeweler? Because I want you to do it. He said no, though. He said no.

No, he said, I defended it by analogy. The greatest hip hop jeweler. Yes, hip hop jeweler. Yes, hip hop jeweler. Say your ass, stand on it. Stand on it. Like your ass says. Like you just said right now, hold on a second. It doesn't listen to this. I cannot say just yes because you jaded the jeweler.

I'm not doing that. Right, right. He's doing his thing with the watches. You don't have to. Yeah, yeah. We're not saying none of that. But you're still technically making jewelry. He's making the stuff jewels.

No, no, no, no. It's still meant to make jewelry. You sound a have to. Yeah, yeah. We're not saying none of that. But you're still technically making jewelry. We're making, no, no, no, no. It's still meant to make jewelry. You sound a hater. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, What do you have? Jewelry is metal, precious metal. Our watch is precious metal. It's made with precious metal, but there's a movement, right? There's a name. So these are two separate fucking, two separate things. But he's still doing jewelry though too though.

Okay, cool. I love it, I love it. He's hyped now. He's hyped now. He's talked about this before. He even did the Quick Times live. He's talked about this before. Because every time all my interviews back then I used to say,

yeah, yeah, yeah, but now I'm like, hold up a second, bro. Okay. Like, yes, he's doing this thing with his watches. Nobody's saying anything about that, you understand? Yeah, we all mimicked or tried to follow that lane, you know? Because it was him, me, then it was a couple of other people, others, and now there's like fucking 20 million people trying to do what he's done 30 years ago. Right. Right.

So I can speak to it because I used to be literally across the street from him. All right. Okay. So jewelry wise back then, back then, yes, he's doing his thing. 100%. Didn't he, didn't he 100% make the Jesus piece? Like that was him. 100%. The first person to make the Jesus piece? Yes. The first% the first person to make the Jesus piece. Yes The first person to that couldn't have been him

It was not him it was big big it was big It was big It was big big was the one to put on with the Cuban. Yes Yes, they could make it. It's not like he, like, is the one who did it. He didn't invent it. He didn't invent the shit. He didn't invent it, is what I'm saying. It was Big's idea, he's correct. No, you're talking about Big.

No, Jesus, before the 20th century, 2,000 years ago. Put it in gold. That was some hip hop shit. I had it in Newport, but I invented the first fucking jewelry piece. Who put the diamonds in it? Was it Big? I don't know, OK.

Obviously, it was Big's idea. He even got rocks and beads and mustache. It was Biggs' idea. Jacob just put it together. Okay. That's it, like architect. Okay. No, you're architect. You need an architect to build a house.

You need constructors. Like if you start building other Lego pieces, I built this shit. You built this shit. That's right, okay. I like your style. I like your style. I'm the architect. I'm the architect.

I tell my guys what to do. Google said it was T-Gone. Jesus me. See? Wow. Nice. Wow. I like your style. I'm the architect. I'm the architect. I tell my guys what to do. Google said it was T-Gone. Jesus piece. See?

Wow. I ain't going to argue right now. So now my Jesus piece is there. See, brother? My Jesus piece is that I created back in 2014 with Travis, me and Travis, back then, collabed. He was going to do something with Jacob. He told me, I was like, nah, we're going to do our own thing. Straight up. I came up with the design, that shit was crazy.

I patented that motherfucker. A different design of Jesus? You can patent these designs? I patented my Jesus where some other clown ass Jews just copied the shit. They got sued. They definitely got sued, absolutely. So they have to cease and desist real quick. Because at the end of the day, that's what I've learned.

I've learned that if I make something, I have to be... Who was it? Relax. I can't. So I took the design of my crown. It's called Crown the King. That's the name of my Jesus design. So the halo is my whole concept. And a certain way the hair is growing on the Jesus. That's what made the patent and the trademark feasible.

It went through, right. It went through because of that reason. Right. That was the unique of it. That was the whole uniqueness of it. I can't just take a Jesus head and say, okay, I want to do this. No, what is the unique part of it? Okay.

My was the crown. Right. It was very unique. Now everybody try to make it a little bit smaller, a little bit bigger now, bro. It's not happening because I went from zero to a hundred. I got patented on all sizes from that design. Just letting it out there for all the jewelers. Relax, don't get yourself in the lawsuit.

How about this famous clip on the internet where Dame Dash walks into... That was my family, my cousins. You see me, my cousin Avi, my cousin Joe, my cousin Izzy. He was like, Avi. Yeah, yeah, my cousin Avi. You didn't make this up. Hold on, hold on, hold on. I know your work.

We made this shit because of Killer. Killer, Cam, you know, he wasn't really fucking with those guys over there. Oh, shit. He's fucking with us, because they're very good, Big Joe, you know Big Joe. Yeah, okay, yeah. Big Joe was like bringing him to us, you know,

at that point, you know, to our family at that time. And he was like, yo, just make this shit for me. And my cousin Avi was like, yo, you know, at that point, you know, to our family at that time. And he was like, yo, just make this shit for me. And my cousin, Adi, was like, yo, you sure? Because I don't know if I could do this. That shit is that guy over there. He said, nah, bro, you do it. I want your shit done with you. Because who done the original rock and roll piece?

Jacob. Jacob. Yes, because they ain't let him do it. Okay, all right. So then we did it, you know. So Jacob's told on y'all. No, no, no, no. All right, I'm just.

Maybe, I don't know. I know you work. I don't know. I've seen that flip dance. I know you work. So then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then,

so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so then, so and you were at the hottest, you were the guy. And I feel like, I'm in a different journey in my life right now, I'm more spiritual,

because I'm Jewish, I'm more mature, I'm more into studying, reading, so I'm like, it's you, or where you are today is because of how you helped others, and I believe God helped, same with Pekka. He bring me those earrings back. Look where he's at. God favor for favor, eye for an eye. You do good, you get good.

You do good, you get, you dirty motherfucker. You're going to get dirty motherfucker. It's fun to you. Understand? So I honestly feel like, like you said earlier, with you and Neptune's, you know? But is that a sacred between jewelers? Like, let's talk about y'all side of it.

Just y'all making it, was y'all at a line for that? Because y'all know like it's like, all right cool. This was a line to Jacob. Like let's suppose, let's suppose us, right? We made the Drink Champs piece, right? And let's suppose everybody in the crew got Drink champs pieces and then it started to catch on.

Now, if another jeweler does a drink champ piece, is that a violation in between jewelers? That's between you and your crew. That's your problem. No, no, no, no. No, no, no. I'm just saying, hold on, hold on. I don't think you understand what I'm saying.

I'm saying that we all got the drink champs pieces, right? But we got them from you. And then another jeweler starts making shit for people that's not in our crew. Is that a violation amongst jewelers? He just starts making them for no reason. Nobody from your crew went there. Yeah, he's just saying like the actual people.

The public. The public can't supply it. Like put it like this, at first Wu Tang, the logo was so small that I'm sure they had one jeweler that only made the Wu Tang fit but then it got too big like you know and other jeweler started making it. That's already that's a that's a that's a flag. Yeah. That's a copyright and that's the jeweler just trying to get some credibility for what

you know they're doing but again if somebody. But from jeweler to jeweler is that a violation? If nobody came to the jeweler if nobody came to the guy and said you'll make this for me out of your crew, right? All right, then he's violation. He's in violation. That's what I'm out of nowhere Yeah, but if somebody came to him from your crew Right or from Jay's crew or from Danes crew and said y'all make this shit right other jewelers. That's not our problem That's your fucking problem. Oh, yeah Your crew you deal with the shit.

I'm a jeweler. We tell Sonny all the time, stop doing that. That's the misconception that everybody gets. We do the shit. We don't do the shit just because we want to do it. Some jewelers are dirty and just do the shit. That's what I'm asking. And have it on display.

That's foul. That's crazy. But we don't know what goes on in their head. Listen, it's free world. It's a free market. It's capitalism. I love crazy. But we don't know what goes on in their head. Listen, it's free world. It's a free market. It's capitalism. I love it. Do your thing. Because my first piece that I was going to do before this, this was what I was very, very close to the asking,

was a shot glass that I could take off the chain and go. Are you balling up? You know what? You know what? That would have been very before. I would have talked to you in that shit. I would have talked to all of that. Yeah, that would have been exactly. That was the second. No, no, no. I would have talked to you on that. Yeah, that would have been exactly.

That was the second time. No, that's the second time. That would have been the third time. I let you live with the Newport thing. That old white lady in your building would have looked at you taking the job out of your door. No, she would have been, of course he did. He's smoking bogeys out of the fucking jewelry.

My second idea was to make a... She's trying to get me drunk. Yeah, and this is a wild one. My second idea was to make a clear grenade, right? Is a clear grenade. You're drinking it? You trying to get me fucked? This is my other idea. Like a flask? It was to make a clear grenade.

A clear grenade. Oh, I have the videos of this. And, um, but in order for it to get green, it had that butt in it. And then I was like, yeah, that's almost better than Newport, though. This guy wants compartments and shit. Yeah, yeah. It won't be different.

Listen, I'm going to tell you what. You could've sold your old friend a Wii, and people don't get the jewelry, but that had been the case that it came in the grenade. Hold on. I might have to cut this out. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I like when you go, Snoop Dogg makes his own jewelry.

You seen that? It's like costume jewelry, but Snoop Dogg has his own jewelry. You seen that? It's like costume jewelry, but Snoop Dogg got his own jewelry, yeah. That's it. I had a football player come into the office last week. He comes to me, he's a very known football player, we're not gonna mention names. He said, yo G, I've been looking for you,

bye bye, somebody told me where you were. Okay, bye. Antonio Brown. No, I'm just fucking, I'm just playing. Absolutely not. I'm just playing. No, no, he's my boy. I've done a lot of things for him back in the days.

Whatever. Bro, he's like, yo, I wanted to get a custom peacemate. I'm like looking. No, no, he's my boy. I've done a lot of things for him back in the days. Whatever. Bro, he's like, yo, I want to get a custom peacemate. I'm like looking at him, and listen, I'm not these kind of jewelers. I'm not going to, oh yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, listen, we made good money on custom stuff in certain times, depending on, you know, that's custom. Ain't nobody else wearing this shit but you.

I'm like, bro, why you want to do this? You're not young anymore. I'm hitting him with the truth, because that's how I am. I just have a good heart. I got to do this. You're not young anymore. I'm hitting them with the truth, because that's how I am. I just have a good heart. I got to do that. Say, bro, just stick with the watches and stop with this. You're not 22 years old, 23 years old, 24 years old, where you're going to have four, five contracts,

three contracts. Bro, you're good for one more maybe. Right. So stop. You're a financial advisor as well. Yes. Because you just sold it to a woman. I'm not going to do that.

Right, right. Because I'm not, I'm not. But you didn't give Norrie the speech though. Oh, he knows. He knows. Norrie didn't know that. No, he knows. I can't tell.

I talked about it. You said, Norrie, come on, we're going to do Lego right now? I talked him out of the grenade. I talked him out of the bullshit. You said, Norrie, you're 42 years old, you want a Lego. Yeah, no. I wouldn't be talking out of this one. This one.

This is a constant. But the shot glass, I have a terrible idea. Even if I had it iced out. Even worse, get the fuck out of there. My whole thing was like, yes, it's about getting money and dead, but at the end of the day, you gotta have some sort of integrity. You have to have some sort of respect for yourself

and for your clientele. That's how I survived, I believe, this long, first of all, through the God graces, God is great, number one, first and foremost. Second, I believe that you have to be straight through. If there's something that they don't need and they're at a certain bracket in their age, for what? Bro, do this instead of doing that.

Because when you come back to me, when you come back to me, I can give you money for this. Because it's always money. It's gonna have value. It's a whole value. That's value, right. This, bro, I'm gonna charge you a dollar, I'm gonna give you 25 cents later.

You're gonna look at me crazy. That's real. I'm with you, you're gonna look at me crazy. That's real. Why? Now, you actually, this is a question I had, do you think that hip hop propped up the gray market then by what you're saying right now? Absolutely.

Absolutely. Hip hop did, hip hop, listen, all the designers, clothing, starting from clothing, shoes, all the way on top, jewelry, it's all hip hop. Hip hop has went from being hip hop to now being front and center. Right. Right.

Look at all the fashion shows. Listen, I'm not a fashionista over here or whatever. Look at all the fucking fashion shows. What you got over there? You got, look at the front row. Quebo. Look at the front row. Never used to be like that.

Never used to be like that. You got fucking front row. I didn't know that. Front row, everybody in the hip hop. How much of a big? You got fucking Pharre that. You got fucking front row. I ain't know that. Front row, everybody in the hip hop. You remember how much of a big deal it was? You got fucking Pharrell, you got fucking... But you remember how much of a big deal it was just for Lil Kim to be seen with Nine In A Cell of Versace

in the 90s? It was a big deal. Big deal. It was a big deal for us to be embraced. I love hip hop. Hip hop made me what I am today, Made my family, gave me what I have. Thank God. If it wasn't for hip hop, we wouldn't be here.

I wouldn't be here. I don't care if I'm wearing a suit. If I'm wearing what I'm wearing now, with this I will always represent anywhere I go. Hip hop made me, period. Yeah, my mom and dad, God, whatever. But hip hop financially, understand, put me on the platform was hip hop.

I hustle my ass off and where I am today is, but it was hip hop. You know? But going back to what you said about customization, when the guy wanted, the football player wanted the piece and you dissuaded him from doing it, because you said if I buy it back, it's not going to be at the same rate. I told him that.

Is the value only to the person buying it because it's custom to them? It's not really molding its value? rate. I told him that. Is the value only to the person buying it because it's custom to them? It's not really holding its value? Look, my logo, this is my logo. This is my logo. It's valuable to me. I mean, I think people need to know that because they'll look at everything shining and be like, yo.

It holds value for me because this is my name. That's it. His face. His logo. You understand? Like, it holds value to you, but God forbid you fucked up. God forbid. Yeah, you can sell it. It's not going to hold its value.

The aisle will be holding like a painting. Unless it becomes a classic piece, like how Perel auctioned off his jewelry because it became iconic. Because of who he had seen on. And J Balvin did the same thing. Perel sold his whole collection, right? Like J Balvin did the same thing when I sold J Balvin his Is would take that six million and five and a six-year dollar watch that Richard Mill watch this the the Sapphire it was one in the world. Peace unique one in the world

He's unique and I stand honestly believe if he auctions that off, you know. Wait, wait, wait. Say that again. The Sapphire Worship in Milwaukee. The blue one that looked like a whole one. You sold him that? I sold him that. Oh, wow.

Right after the whole little baby situation. Right, right. Okay. Imagine that, huh? Okay, okay. Here we go, here we go. Shout out to my man though one time, Twizz. Twizz the jeweler, man.

Okay. Because he made my piece. I know we talking about. Okay. But this shit mean the world to me. You know what I'm saying? Shout out, Twizz, Twizz the jeweler, man, because he made my piece, I know we talking about, but this shit mean the world to me, you know what I'm saying? Because it's just mine, it's just one on one. Exactly what I'm saying. It means something to you. It's unique to you.

If you want to sell it, you're going to lose, what are you going to lose? You're going to lose labor, because that's what we pay for, labor. Understand? Plus whatever gold value is. Understand? There's a chart for that. There's a gold price for that. That's all.

It depends on what the jeweler makes. Profit margin-wise. That's what it comes down to at the end of the day. What's your favorite watch? Come on, please. My favorite watch, honestly, is the Patek. I have a 5980. I love that watch.

I feel like it's... The way they made it, it fits. Just it hugs your wrist. It's it fits, just it hugs your wrist. It's insane, the way it hugs your wrist is literally bananas. Honestly, rose gold and a stainless steel, the way they just hug your wrist, the way they made it is unbelievable.

Mm. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay, and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts.

Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers, authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character, or cried at the last chapter, or passed a book to a friend saying,

you have to read this. This podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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? We 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 call 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 Inc. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. on June 4th, ad free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple podcasts.

Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house.

Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on a street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines.

Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Sometimes it's hard to remember, but. Going through something like that is a traumatic experience, but it's also not the end of your life. That was my dad reminding me and so many others

who need to hear it, that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we have big, bold and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate. On my new podcast, The Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing

and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time. Each week I sit down with people who lived through harm, carried silence, and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the adultification of Black girls, mothering as resistance, and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's lock in. We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to The Unwanted Sorority, new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

Now they came out with that cube. I know this one has it. Oh, the cube of the Patek? The Patek. Oh yeah. First one in America. Excuse me. Don't say it like I have it. No. Oh yeah, first one in America. Excuse me, don't say it like I have it.

No, I was the first one in America. Okay. It can be proven. I'm sorry, but I'm just in my opinion. It can be proven. Paul Mark killed Mark. This is my opinion. Mark, what's his name?

Mark Wahlberg. Mark Wahlberg, my man. I'm sorry. And Hove. I'm sorry. I beat Hove. And yeah, yeah, yeah, it's Hove. Excuse me, Hove had the Tiffany stamp.

He got the Tiffany, it still don't matter. I had the first Qubidist. Yes. Is his here the Qubidist? In my opinion, after 26- Hold on, is've had the Tiffany stamp. He got the Tiffany, it still don't matter. I had the first cubanist. Yes. Is his shit a cubanist? My opinion after 26. Hold on, hold on. Is his shit a cubanist? Yes.

Okay, okay, I was the first one on a cubanist. But my opinion is my opinion, my opinion, my opinion, and I believe this is a lot of jewelry. After 26 years of the Nautilus, what the fuck is that? Yeah, but, but. It looks like a fucking

But the thing about it. Cartier Santos. But the thing about it, you can't say that to watch collectors. What? See, listen, hold on. Let me just say my point. Nah.

I know a lot of watch collectors. I saw two of them recently. And I'm like, are you sure? They're like, yeah, why? Cause they don't even know themselves. What the fuck they doing? They just doing it because. But here you go, it's this watch company

that hasn't made nothing in 25 years. They make something. For a while. Hold on. They make something in that next year. As a watch collector, you need to own that. No. Yes, I think.

Would you take one of your songs with Pharrell that was fucking a smash hit and just tweak it a little? No, you're not going to do that. That's not what this is, sir. Yes it is. Yes it is. No, that's not what this is, sir. That's not what this is. Yes it is. No is. No, that's not what this is, sir. That's not what this is.

Yes, it is. Now, as a watch collector, you need to own that. See, you're a seller. I'm not a seller. You are too much involved emotionally. That is not, that's not what this is, sir. This game has changed. You're like Elliot Wilson right now.

My question is like this. This is one of those arguments. Your watch, your watch, your watch. You're too tall. Yeah, I'm talking with you. You're too tall. You're too tall. Yeah, yeah. 60,000 retail? It's 71.

71. Yeah. Uh-huh. It was, when it, dress dropped 300. 300, 300. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's beautiful, right? Where you think it is today? 250.

Yeah, try again. Try again. Uh-oh. Where you think it is today? It don't matter. I ain't lose. I ain't lose. It doesn't matter. I'm just saying.

I'm not buying watches to sell them. I'm just saying. I'm inter-collecting watches. I'm not selling watches. You know, right now in this market, that goes for all of you and the audience. Just relax. Take it easy.

Just cause something comes out first, relax. Let it settle in. Let it drop. That's not the name of this game. No, no, I understand that. No relax. Let it settle in, let it drop. That's not the name of this game. No, no, I understand that. No, no, no, I gotta let you know. That's not what it is. Let me finish, let me finish.

I can't enjoy. Hold on, hold on. I'll let you get it directly from the AD. Yeah, I got it directly from the AD. But if you come to me, you're all the fool in Seattle. What's collecting ain't the thrill, it's what's chasing that's the thrill. That's the thrill, like it's like, it's like when you know no one else could get what you can get no one

else can't do you know how many people have a I'm just playing. It's a question. It was nice to say. No, it was nice to say. Let me tell you, I was here. You're the first, you're the first, left rock. I'm first hip hop. Left rock. I'm first hip hop. No, no, I gotta have this. No, you gotta have this. Watch, watch, watch.

Trust me, I told people about Pharrell, I told people about Swizz, I told people about Reggae Tho, everyone laughed at me when I said that. When I say this, I told people about Daddy Yankee, when I tell people, listen, the next hot watch brand is gonna be FB. I'm just telling you, it's already hot in its world. It's just not hood hot.

I got one of them. They don't want that, that's the thing. They don't want it. Yeah, but they gonna get it whether they want it or not. Depending on, it's really like who gonna say it in a rap? Like Drake say it in a rap. Like he's the last independent watchmaker. There is. And like word is, he's really like who gonna say it in the rap? Like Drake say it in the rap. Like he's the last independent watchmaker. There is.

And like word is he's a genius. He get bent all day and fuck with hookers. Word up. Yeah. It's my thing to do. Allegedly. Allegedly. Look at, allegedly, allegedly.

Allegedly. Allegedly. And it's just, he makes these brilliant watches. You can't, right now there's no fakes. Right. So you can't duplicate brilliant watches you can't right now. There's no face So you can't look at it. You can't do it. Okay, you have to write an essay to get this watch Oh, yes, I won't mind Yo, I forgot I was dyslexic If you don't give me this watch, I will put the bowie out in your face.

Like, ass face face. I should have said that. Just to be clear. You have a chain? No, and then you still got to wait. You still got to wait. You don't want to. That's all.

Nothing? Yeah. You got to get a watch. Come on. I don't know. We've been scoping out the right one. He don't know yet. What do you mean, anything?

I don't care about none of that. I know, man. He don't out the right one. He don't know yet. What do you mean, then and then? I don't care about none of that. I know, man. He don't. Really? He don't. Yeah. Real estate is on my thing. I hear you, bro, but you gotta, you know,

it's real, we live once, bro, relax. I had it, I got rid of it. Yo, we gotta get him something, man. Yeah, yeah, I know, we have to. You gotta relax, bro, you gotta relax. You gotta put it through Sonny. You gotta relax, you gotta get a watch. Yeah, we already just got one.

Now, there's only one watch that I want. He knows the watch, there's only one. What's that? Black Roller. Yeah, yeah, we know what that is, too. You gotta watch. Put it through Sonny. You gotta watch. You gotta get a watch. Yeah, we already just. There's only one watch that I want. He knows the watch. There's only one. What's that? Black Rolex. Black Rolex. Which one?

I don't even know. That'll make Black Rolex, but we'll make it. My dad had one. That's the only reason why. No, no, I know. We make it. You know, I did the one for Hov, the Sky-Dweller, when it first dropped.

What? When it first dropped, he called me, said, yo bro, I need two. I couldn't even get one. I couldn't even get one. I couldn't even get one. I don't know how he found it. But he got the two. He got one and then I got him the other one.

And then the 41s came out, got him two immediately. But then the Skyball, the white gold or the stainless steel came out. I took that and I gave it to Banford. You know Banford? No. You know Banford? No.

Banford is a company in England that they customize, but they have a sort of, it's like a partnership with Rolex. Not really, you know, they know them. They let them just do their thing with their watches. You know? They're the only ones to let them do their thing with their watches. So I took that and I just made one for all blacked out,

matte black, with the Roc Nation logo on the dial. That's great. One of one, it says in the back. One of one, Roc Nation, it was sick. That's crazy. One of one, it says in the back, one of one, Roc Nation, it was sick. Beautiful watch, beautiful. I have a picture I'll show to you. So we wanna do Quick Time with Slime? Let's go, let's do it.

Okay. Okay. You guys sent something over? Yes, yes. Tell them the rules, I'm gonna go take a look. Who sent Quick Time? I watch this all the time, and I know exactly when you get the text to do Quick Time with Slime and I'm like who's sending it?

It's Haz and Lee. Haz and Lee? Okay. What is that? My man Haz man. Shout out to Mr. Lee. What are we doing there? You want cost amigos?

Oh you're for your shot. For your shot. Yeah. What are we doing? Oh you can have some Mama Juana. You stay with the Mama Juana bro. Shout out to Mama Juana King. Come on. Yeah. What are we doing? Or you could have some Mama Juana. You stay with the Mama Juana, bro. Shout out to Mama Juana King. Let's drink it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Come on. You didn't know it's water. Yeah. Oh, you just said it. Let's go. We don't do fake shots. We don't do fake shots.

Oh, my god. Let's go, bro. Come on. And then small shots. Small shots. There's small shots. Because it's a Mama Juana. All right, now, now, now.

Can I go? Why did they ask me? They didn't say no at all. That just sounds fucking extreme. You ready? Yeah, Casamigo. Thank you. What's up? Yeah, Casamigo.

We all do little shots. We all do little shots. I always wonder who sent the text. I'm going to call somebody. Where Mr. Lee at? Someone's taking me home. Mr. Lee and Hazard. We got you.

No problem. Mr. Lee and Hazard is set up. And when Hazard's not here, you'll hear some crazy. What are we doing here? The Colombian is hot. He's going to give you... Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got to do a fast one. Rob is the slayin' the rules.

No, no, no, I got you the Rob. So we're going to give you two choices. I mean, I don't know how we're going to do it with both of y'all, but we'll figure it out. Right. We're going to give you two choices. If you pick one, you pick a choice, you make a choice, nobody drinks. Not one person drinks. Okay. You don't choice, nobody drinks. Not one person drinks.

You don't drink, nobody drinks. But if you say both or neither, which would be the PC answer, right? You avoid answering it. We're all drinking a shot. It's a game, it's this or that. It's basically, yeah, this or that. I'm answering every question.

But the thing is, we're not trying to diss nobody. It's really to bring up stories about anybody. You're not trying to diss people though. No, no, no. I know that Elliot Wilson question is in there. Oh, I, I brought it right here. I swear to God, I brought it right here. One out of 30 might be a little disrespectful.

Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, your man. Yo, why did Sonny come with a prescription shot? Yo, yo, yeah. That's what they gave me. That's what they gave you a prescription shot. I remember one of the questions, how many motherfuckers owe you money? I don't remember that. No, no, no, no.

That's not this. That's not yet. A lot. OK. Oh, shit. The first one is disrespectful. That doesn't even make sense. How does that even work?

Hey, hey, I'm going to ask you. Nas or Snoop? As far as what? It's whatever. It's whatever criterion you're in. We ain't ready on Jamie? Uh, Nas. Nas?

You have any stories with Nas? Of course. I did a lot of his jewelry. Great guy. Any iconic moment with him? Iconic moment, yeah. I did a piece for Swizzy. Thank you. Definitely trying to get me drunk. I did a piece for Swizzy. Thank you. Definitely trying to get me drunk. I did a piece for Swizzy. It was a Basquiat.

It was an actual real Basquiat painting. On a chain? Yes, I'll show you. So what we do is it's called enamel. Like our teeth, it's enamel work where there's an artist who paid them a shitload of money. And like your face right there on your piece wasn't even actually done yet.

I need to take it back from you. And your mouth, the eyes, and your hat says your name. We have to enamel it, a certain color. Like on the TV, like on the movie, it's in white. What? You know, I just figured it out. So as soon as he calls me, he's like, yo, I need to make a piece.

I need to make two. He made one piece, Andy Warhol. The frame, I designed the frame of the piece and then the Andy Warhol, the cans. And I mean the Muhammad Ali one. If you've seen the four pictures of Muhammad Ali, I made that into golden diamonds. Like with a diamond frame, with diamonds around it.

I'll show you pictures. And here's some. That's hard. That's hip hop, bro. Shout out to French, he just texted me. Okay, hold on, look, I'm gonna show you. Look, I'll show you pictures Okay, hold on look I'm gonna show you look I'll show you real quick sorry got like 25,000 pictures here look So he made me he said yo gee make this for me I this for me. I'm like, yo, let me make it right there. Yo, that's fucking crazy.

Dad, shout out to Swizz. See that right there? And that's 2016. I was actually before that. I just took a video of that. He made me take this. And he actually. You see this exactly like the painting. A one to one. You see, that's exactly like the painting.

A one-to-one. So I was, this video, I was in Nas' house in LA. And I believe Swizz gave it to him somewhere in the studio or something like that. And it was this one. And then it was- So Swizz gifted that to Nas? Yes, Swizz gifted that to Nas. You know, they brothers, they do that shit.

They give each other gifts. I love that, you know? I Swizz gifted that to Nas? Yes, Swizz gifted that to Nas. Yeah, they brothers, they do that shit. They give each other gifts. I love that, you know? I got to get into that. So, so then- Why you ain't never give me shit? Yeah, I was about to tell you. I used to, I remember the first drink challenge episode, he was like, man, we got GZ coming in.

What questions you got? I just said no more questions. You got equity, you got equity. I said no more questions, man. That's definitely the truth. That's definitely the truth. So one of the stories was I made that for him, and then I went, I think I delivered him his Jesus piece that I made for him,

and then a couple of other things for Nas, and he's like one of my favorite rappers in the world. I grew up in Brooklyn, East New York, listening to him going on the fucking train. Yeah, bro, ain't no fucking silver spoon around here. I came here. Straight up. Straight up.

That's what I need to clear up. Everybody thinks. You said East New? Yes. East New York, I grew up in Starritt City. Everybody knows what's going on with that. So I grew up, B82 bus took me shit all the way to fucking FDR high school in Fletcher.

Okay, come on. This is the BK connection. I'm from Flatbush. My first door, my dad's first door was in Flatbush and Cane and Avenue. Yeah, yeah, I'm from Cane and the St. Paul. Yeah, there you go. And then the Jamaicans were like right there. My first titties I saw was in Flatbush and Cane Avenue.

I was 10 years old. The girl comes in there with the Jamaican shirt, you know, the titties sticking out, you know, the Jamaican shirt. You know those shit? Yeah, they know they wear them in this show. The shirts with the fucking holes in it. The nets, yeah. Come to Doosquare this year. She comes into the store, she comes into the store holding her son, I remember this, I'm

like, 10 years old, bro. I'm like, my dad was like, bap! This is when Chaka Rankx was hot. My dad was like, bap! Hit me in the back of my head. All right, guys, we got to do quick. We got to do quick. We got to do quick.

We got to do quick. We got to do quick. We got to do quick. We got to do quick. We got to do quick. She comes into the store, she comes into the store, holding her son, I remember this. I'm like, 10 years old, bro. My dad was like, bap! This is when Shaqo ranks was hot. My dad was like, bap! Hit me in the back of my head. All right, guys, we gotta do Quick Time. Now we're taking a long time. Now this goes for Rob. Yeah, that's what goes for Rob.

Raekwon or Ghostface? Oh, that's hard. Wow. Shaqo. Shaqo. Shaqo. Damn. Shaqo.

I feel like, wait, you saying, Shaqo. I'ma go Ghostface though, man. Oh! You said Shaqo. Shout out to Ray. Damn. Shout out to Ray? I feel like- Wait, you saying- Now, shout out to Ray. I'ma go Ghostface though, man. You said shout out to Ray. No, shout out to Ray. I thought you said shout out to Ray. I was like, oh, okay.

Ray is my man. If I had to split him up, I just think Ghost gave us so many classics in hip hop. 100% And you know, like Cuban Link, first of all, just set off a whole chain of events. Like we never seen the Purple Tape is special, but- You know, when we- Which Ghost is a part of. Which Ghost is a part of, but when we go from that

to Iron Man, to Supreme Clientel, to Bulletproof Wallace, to the Pretty Tony albums, more fish. Like I think Ghost has one of the better discographies in hip hop, bar none. Like I think Outkast has a hell of a run. I think Jay has a hell of a run. I think Kanye has a hell of a, I think Ghostface has an incredible like full album run.

So, side of Ghost. Okay, hip boy or hip maker? You're asking me? Yep. Oh, it's hip boy all day. Hip boy? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

Hip maker dissed me one time. That's my yeah. Absolutely. Hip Maker dissed me one time. That's my brother. Yeah, Hip Maker dissed me one time. So it's Hip Boy. Not because he's my boy. I know both of them. I deal with both of them, but Hip Boy, no. That's why you ask that?

Oh, yeah, yeah. You picked Hip Maker? No, absolutely. Look, Hip Boy? Hip Boy. Hip Boy, okay, well. No, no. But I-

Hip Maker dissed you though. Hip Maker dissed me for real. Really? Why did he diss you? You a diss to me for real. Really? Why did he diss you? You want to give him some bullshit about him? Nah, I actually did, I actually did an interview with him when I was in XXL, when he did the Sexy Kenai and when he was first popping.

I was mad at him. Why he hit you? I don't know. What did he say? You gotta ask him that. But when I dropped my first album, when I dropped- I'm asking you that because you here, you brought it up. You got-

This is like the Truth or Show. You're not dodging no questions. What did he say? What did he say? What did he say? Because I know what it's like to be on the other side when I ask somebody dodged questions. I can't tell you why he dissed me. I can tell you what he said though.

Okay, what did he say? When I dropped my first album, he tried to diss, he tweeted at Joe Budda. He was like, yo Joe, why Rob? He gets to sit up there and talk about what's hot and what's not, but his music sound like how it sounds. So trying to say like, oh shit, what's up, Paul? I was like, that shit came out of nowhere. But you know, it's all good.

I've criticized people before. I measure my criticism. That shit came out of nowhere, but you know it's all good. I've criticized people before. I measure my criticism like this. For me, it's never hate, but I criticized people before, so you gotta take it. But if I'm being honest, if I am being honest, that aside, just what the fuck Hit Boy done is incredible, man, I love what Hit Boy's done.

God, Nas, Nas is always poppin', Nas is a classic, but the album run that he went on with Nas, like that late in Nas' career, the way they sold out the garden off of that. And then the fact that Hit Boy raps as well, and people, like I could relate to that. Like people probably tell him, yo, stick to makin' beats, yo, just make beats, yo, we just want you for his beats. And Hit Boy can actually fuckin' rap. And then puts his father on when his father gets out of jail. And now it's a fucking family thing.

Like I think what Hit Boy is doing is incredible. So I share that Hit Maker story just because it's like, yo, we're being truthful and honest, but I pick Hit Boy because I just think what he's doing is incredible. But I fuck with some Hit Maker joints too, I ain't gonna lie. Like Hit Maker got records. Okay. Primo or Pete Rock? I got an answer, but I just want to hitmaker joints too. I ain't going to lie. Like, hitmaker guy records. Okay.

Primo or Pete Rock? I got an answer, but I just want to take a shot, so fuck it. Okay, all right. Cool. This table got taken. Yeah, we got to have fun with it. Shout out to PR, though. Pete Rock.

Nah, you didn't pick. That's why we took a shot. Yeah, yeah. Okay, all right. But now when you say shout out, it feels like you was picking. Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah. You was explaining why you picked both?

Primo was amazing. Okay. Shout out to P-Rock, though. P-Rock did hit me one day and say, yo, yo, man, we gotta, I gotta get you some beats, man. We gotta do something. So P.

That's dope. But, you know what I'm saying? If I'da got that beat pack, I woulda picked you. You gotta get the B-pack, I would have picked Pete. I'd get the B-pack, I'd pick the shot. Damn. I respect that. That's my brother B-Rock.

He rocks my brother. I love Pete Rock, bro. Yeah, okay. Don't even ask me how, bro. So Gabe. Yeah. Jacob the jeweler or T-Dog? Clearly you know they wrote that over there.

And I already feel like you basically answered it already. Okay. I'm just saying, I'm just saying if it wasn't for Jacob, it wouldn't be me or anybody else. So if it wasn't for Tito, it wouldn't be Jacob. In all honesty, in all honesty, I believe Tito really put Jacob on. And if I wasn't, if Tito had more of a family dynamic, if he had more of a foundation, grounded, you know, had what we have back up and support and blah, blah, blah, I think he would have been out of here.

You see what I'm saying? It's just like supporting the underdog, you know what I mean? Like I'm always going for the underdog in anything. If I'm a gambler, I'm going for the underdog. Because David wants to have more to prove, more to gain, than somebody who's already there. Right. That's on.

So who you pick? Tito. Tito, okay. Can I answer that one? Yeah, can you answer that? Squizz the jeweler. Okay, alright, cool. Damn, you took a shot for no reason.

I respect that. I took a shot for no reason. Fuck it. You on drink, Chance? You got through, you know what I for no reason. I respect that. I took a shot for no reason, fuck it. You on drink, Chance? You got through, you know what I mean? Dave Chappelle or Chris Rock?

I got my answer, I know what it is. I'm wanting to take a shot, but it's Dave Chappelle. Okay. It's Dave Chappelle for me. Okay. I think it's Chris. You embarrassed? It's Chris for me.

Alright. I just saw Chappelle live, well, he was touring with Killer Mike. Yeah, it's crazy. And he still got it. They both great. They both amazing. Chris is amazing. Chris just went through so much shit.

Yeah. But the Chappelle show also, when I think about the Chappelle show in that era, that was the last time I think in TV, really, a show that the next day that we talked about it, whether you was in the studio or whether you was in school or whether you was at work at the water cooler. When they did the print shit- You were waiting for episodes to drop, you saying? Right.

And then the next day was like, yo, you seen Dave Chappelle last night? Yo, you seen the print shit? Yo, I'm Rick James, bitch. Like, it's just so much shit with Dave. Like, like- I remember that, but gotta remember, Chris Rock had a show on HBO, too. What I had to that, and that's kind of, kind of,

maybe what sparked the Dave Chappelle show. What sparked the Dave Chappelle thing, absolutely, Chris was- Well, Chris's was more of a talk show. Yeah, that's true, that's true. They had skits, though. They had skits with Wanda Sykes. Yeah, yeah, they did skits. But really had skits though. They had skits with Wanda Sykes.

Yeah, they did skits. But really the shit that set it on for all of us, I think, at least our generation was in living color. Hell yeah. We ain't even not weighing. No, but we trying to keep it with Dave and Chris. But Dave and Chris? I got to pick Dave.

Dave? Okay. Nah, you ain't missed nothing. Look, I like how you got Dave, right? I like that. I like that. I like that. And so they disagree. Should we take a shot?

Cause they disagree. I mean, but they, it's not, yeah, yeah. They pick. We pick. They pick. Okay. Death Row or TD? Yup.

I'm TD. Top Dog's my brother. I'm going TD. To the Top Dog Entertainment. You remember that they used to start all their shows like that, to the Top Dog Entertainment. Top Dog's my guy, I love that. I mean, Death Row is iconic, but man,

I love living in the moment. I love that we get to have TDE right now. But can we forget all what Death Row did? No, you can never forget what Death Row did. They're the predecessor. You can never forget what Death Row did. Yeah, you can't do it. Man, I think what TDE is doing right now is so special. forget what Def-Roy did. There's a predecessor. You can never forget what Def-Roy did. Yeah, you can't do that. Yeah.

Man, I think what TDE is doing right now is so special. And you know what's incredible about TDE, and if we keep it real, Kendrick is technically not on TDE anymore. He's not. He's still a TDE fan, but he's not on TDE. Right. Yeah? Yeah, yeah.

When he did that, Mr. Morales and the Big Step was his last album on TDE. GNX is not album with TDE. GNX is not technically a TDE album. When Kendrick had fulfilled his TDE contract, the talk on social media, the talk amongst hip hop fans was they were done. If Kendrick is there, is not there, they're done. What he did with Sizzle- Sizzle just did seven million records.

Damn. He took on a whole different level. Sizzle just did seven million records. Damn. He took on a whole different level. Sizzle just did seven million. I didn't even watch the shows. I know, I called him. Yeah. Dochi's killing it. Dochi, yeah.

What Dochi is doing right now and what Dochi is about to become. Killing it. And then you still got Schoolboy Q. I think Blue Lips was on my top five favorite albums of 2024. I think what Ab Sol is still doing is amazing. So they still could sell records and commercially impact and still keep critical acclaim. And that's hard to do. It's hard to satisfy the critics and affect the charts at the same time.

I just think this moment we living in with TDE, we got to appreciate because they counted Top, Punch, Child of Musa. They counted them dudes out when Kendrick said, hey, I'm a big star P.G. Lang. And look at them numbers on SZA, man. It's incredible, man. So Shout Out to T.D. And it feels like they fixed or they figured out all the wrongs that happened with Death

Row. Well, that's what he did with Top Dog with Q-Boy. Schoolboy Q. That's just the shots. It's with Q-Boy. Schoolboy Q. That's just the shots. It's all good. He fucking took 10 years. Took L's with him to get to Kendrick. With J-Rock.

With J-Rock. You can't forget J-Rock. That's what's out next. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I'm just saying, they went, I don't know. That's me and Top Dog having that hard conversation. But also think about it. Think about J-Rock, right?

And I was at XXL at the time when we put J-Rock on the cover. Kendrick was at that shoot. It was J-Rock's moment. Like, it was J-Rock out there. Yeah, because Kendrick used to be J-Rock's hype man. Yeah, he used to go on the road when Mayday was signing those strings. This is when Kendrick was coming up. Right.

And then Kendrick made it the next year. Like, they created such a system. So really when we think about it, J-Rock is really what they call the first dog out, a TDE. So it was supposed to be J-Rock in the beginning, but it ain't worked out in the way that they, again, they're new to the game. They probably had to take their lumps a little bit before they figured out how to win. That's what I meant.

J-Rock was the one that took their lumps with. Is J-Rock supposed to be the president. That's just their one switch. A TDE, like how? I mean, I don't know. I don't even know. Rockefeller made camera. Yeah, but I don't even know if J-Rock wants,

he's a huge part of the stuff. Did J-Rock be the vice president or something? But the beautiful part is, so Kendrick is the one that takes off, right? Uh-huh. And J-Rock is more underground, right? Doesn't have the commercial success that Kendrick got. But J-Rock still is a Grammy winning artist. And J-Rock is more underground, right? Doesn't have the commercial success that Kendrick got. But J-Rock still is a Grammy winning artist.

J-Rock won a Grammy. Wow, that's fire. So they were able to build that shit up and we live in a world where J-Rock, who didn't change who he was, or anybody, is a Grammy award winning artist. Let me tell you something. Top Dog, Top Dog, one thing I love about Top Dog,

he's the same guy. I don't know him like that personally, but I started my, me and one of my guys, one of my boys, Jack from Cincinnati, we started a label, all right, it's called BC. It's called Big Coin, not Bitcoin. So he had a few artists. This is active now?

This is an active label now? Yes, it's active now. I gotta see what the change look like. I got you. It's just gonna be in a seat, dude. Okay. The point is, we tried to just get in the, like, not me. I'm helping my boys.

I'm not on the paper work, none of that. I'm helping my boy. Bro, I'm going to everybody. Everybody. I go to Top Dog, I don't know, bro. Top Dog, bro, the guy is such a great dude. He's so humble. He's so humble.

He's like, bro, bring him to LA. I want him, bro, they flew out to LA. They had us sit down. He listened to every fucking song. He fucks with the young boy, you know what I'm saying? Because he's like, yo, he's like a little dirt situation going on, blah, blah. But the young boy just in and out of jail just with the bullshit, you know? All this bullshit.

But he's like, yo, when he gets his shit straight, Top Dog was like, yo, G, we want to work. We want to do this. And we said that. And I told them, they don't need your money. They just need your wheel. The wheel that's already in motion. Right. That's all they need.

They don't need your money. Just help them. No, they figured it out. They figured it out. That wheel that's already in motion. That's all they need. They don't need your money. Just help them. They figured it out. They figured it out. That's what I respect my top. And they haven't changed. Amazing dude. And they keep it very independent minded

even though as big as they've gotten. Exactly. All the deals that they've gone through, but they keep it very independent. I love Todd. Out of all these CEOs, all these guys that I know, I deal with, this guy is unbelievable. He's such, like, such a humble guy.

I've never seen this before. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget. I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts. Every week I sit down with your favorite book lovers,

authors, celebrities, book talkers, and more to explore the stories that shape us, on the page and off. I've been reading every Reese's Book Club pick, deep diving book talk theories, and obsessing over book to screen casts for years. And now I get to talk to the people making the magic. So if you've ever fallen in love with a fictional character or cried at the last chapter or passed a book to a friend saying, you have to read this, this podcast is for you. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club 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 call 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 One, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season One, Taser, Inc. on the iHeartRadio 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. Add free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple

podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebene and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all, childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more, and found the strength to make it to the other side.

My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on the street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house on arm. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the

Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Sometimes it's hard to remember, but going through something like that is a traumatic experience, but it's also not the end of their life. That was my dad reminding me and so many others who need to hear it that our trauma is not our shame to carry and that we have big bold and beautiful lives to live after what happened to us. I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate.

On my new podcast, The Unwanted Sorority, we wade through transformation to peel back healing and reveal what it actually looks like and sounds like in real time. Each week I sit down with people who live through harm, carried silence, and are now reshaping the systems that failed us. We're going to talk about the adultification of Black girls, mothering as resistance, and the tools we use for healing. The Unwanted Sorority is a safe space, not a quiet space. So let's lock in.

We're moving towards liberation together. Listen to The Unwanted Sorority, new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. We're going to get through this real quick. Slow time with slime. Bust down versus no bust down. No bust down. It depends on the situation though.

Okay, like what? It depends. If you just want to fuck around and- How about you get the fact Richard Milly bus down? What? I don't have a bus down, Voxerone. Yeah, you do. You have a bezel on it. It's a bezel. That's not called bus down.

That's not considered a bus down. No way. That's not in the real community. That's not in the real community. A bus down is the... No, no, no, no, no. I seen this shit. Every time they post this shit. If it's not factory, is it bus down?

It's bus down. No, man. What do you mean? My shit is factory. It came with the diamonds on the bezel factory. Of course, from Vossoron. From Vossoron. My shit is factory. It's bus down.

No, no, no, no, no. You must be misunderstanding. Why are you trying to act like we're like this in you? We're not this in you. I'm saying the bus down is when your whole shit is- No, not really, not really. No, no, no. See, I got different language than that

Some sort of stones on it you have diamonds on your bezel I have an AP Listen, I have an AP. It's all the way, all the way. That is a bust down. If you just got it on a bezel, that is not considered. I would have sold you that a lot cheaper than what you pay. See? He don't even know what you pay for.

But I'm not going to lie to you. I like going to the AP people and feeling like that nigga. You know what I'm saying? From AP, no, no, it's cool. Me and you, it's cool. Me and you, that's why I come to you for shit like this. I'm fucking with you. You know what I'm saying?

But I got that relationship with AP. He sends me the watch. He sends me, yo, Gabe, what do you think about this? I'm like, yo, Gabe, now. Don't get it. Don't do this. He tells me the picture. That's right.

You still my advisor. What puts you said never tell the dealer what you spent on your wristwatch? Oh, I don't know. Don't get it. Don't do this Never tell the dealer what you spend on your wristwatch. Oh, I don't know Having fun in my world Direct from protect. Yes the record direct from Richard Which no no Floyd would say it's Rashard. Okay, Rush Hark, Direct AP, Ben had direct Rolex. I still want this fucking essay. I need to see this essay.

And now I got Vacheron. He got a real drink champ. Vacheron. That FB Jordan is the hardest one. I'm talking about FB Jordan now. FB? FB? Yeah, FB, nobody got that.

Only other person in the world who got that watch? Mark Zuckerberg. Who? Suckerberg? Mark Zuckerberg. That nigga. That nigga. He's trying to give me the same again.

He said, Mark Zuckerberg. That nigga. That nigga. The metal motherfucker. Metal motherfucker. Metal motherfucker. Metal H3. Let's bust down this next one.

The source of XXL. Yeah. That's definitely for you. I like it. XXL, man. First of all, I worked at XXL. We grew up on the source. So it's still, you know, I used to do,

I started working when I was freelancing. Wait, who'd you pick? I'm sorry. XXL, XXL clearly. I want a drink, but XXL. I don't want it. I'm good. Good. Yeah,'t want it. I'm good. Break it down.

Break it down. When I was freelancing, when I started out as a journalist, I was freelance so I could write for every magazine. Before double XL. Before double XL, when I was just freelance. Once I got onto double XL, they'd be like, yo, you work for us, so you got to be exclusive to us. But I used to freelance for Complex, Vibe, Source, XXL, Dawn Diva, shout out Tiffany,

shout out Kevin Childs. You probably did a write up about me too. Absolutely. You did a write up about me. But I say all that to say is, after a while, you know, it was dope because you get your name, your byline in the magazine, so I'm starting to make a name for myself, right? But in the source, and there's the Benzino wearer, there's the tail end of the Dave Mays and Benzino wearer. I'm writing, I'm writing up, man,

I'm stacking up bylines and the checks stop coming. From XXL? No, from Source. Oh, when you got the Source? Yeah, so I'm still in the hole with the Source magazine. And then they sold it. You know it's money, bro. Yeah, well the Source sold me money.

Back my dog. The Source sold me money. But so I never got, it was at a certain point, like they stopped paying me and I was like, damn, I had to stop writing for you. But you know, it was kind of that trade off because you hungry to get your name out there. So it was like, yo, you kind of take that.

And the Source is still hot. Right, you got your foot in the door. It's the same thing like my man. But it's like, yo, you kind of take that. Right, you got your foot in the door. It's the same thing like my man. And then, but it's like, yo, then you don't pay the invoice. Right. So I can't root for the sauce. I used to work for XXL. I was part of the staff that really made the cover hot. Vanessa?

Yeah, man. Shout out to Vanessa. Shout out to Daetwan. So XXL all day. Yeah, Mobb Deep or MOP? No, you skipped one. Yeah. We just went to that one.

You can go back to it. That's the one we went to. So double XL all day. Yeah, Mobb Deep or MOP? No, you skip one. Oh, dude. Oh, we just went double. You can go back to it. That's a vote for y'all. Both of us? Yeah, yeah, both of y'all.

Mobb Deep or MOP? Yeah. Mobb Deep. I don't even think about it. Recipes Prize, you got it. Prodigy, that's my brother. I love MOP. I'm Brooklyn for life, man, but.

Mobb. Mopb Deep changed the fucking thing. They had that, those, sending that bus with the fucking big CD player with the little big fucking headphones. Yeah, that was it for me. That shit meant everything to us. When Mob Deep dropped, you know what I'm saying? Infamous, like, yeah, yeah.

He actually put my name in the song, Prodigy. Really? Yeah, in his solo album. He said, Gabriel name in the song, Prada G. Really? Yeah, in his solo album, he said, Gabriel in the district, get all my loot. Wow, that's dope. I was like, what the fuck? I was like, okay. Shout out to P. Yeah, rest in peace.

Shout out to P. Rest in peace, definitely. QC or who the hell is that, L-O-G? CMG. Oh, Yogati Johnny. Yeah, need my glasses. Oh, your Gotti junkie. Yeah, I need my glasses. Oh, man. That's a good question. Perfect. That's a good question.

CMG, man. I just think what... I mean, I think what QC did was legendary with Migos and Yachty and what they doing with Baby now. Throw a gorilla right now with CM. But, man, I think what QC did was legendary with Migos and Yachty and what they doing with Baby now. But with Gorilla right now, I was seeing.

But man, I just like, man, I ain't hear from Moneybag Yo in a minute. But man, I went to Memphis about two years ago for one of Yachty's birthday bash. This one, Gorilla first pop. She first had FNF. It's just to see that shit in the ground floor, just to see the roof come off that fucking building when she's killing it all, that shit. I think CMG is killing it right now.

I think the Memphis sound, I think Memphis is so important to hip hop and we don't give Memphis enough credit for the trends that Memphis has set. Lil Yachty-Macklemore-MJG- Peace Gangsta Boogie. Rob Markman- I just wanted to give CMG they fly, shout out to Yo Guy, shout out to QC2, that Memphis is set. They call MJG. Lots of peace gangsta boogies. I just want to give CMG they flowers. Shout out to Yo Guy. Shout out to QC too. If I had to pick one, I'm picking CMG right now. Okay.

All right, yeah, I can't see. All right, I got it, I got it, I got it. Me and Lousworth are game or Joe Biden? Bim, bim, bim, bim. What the fuck does this say, dude? I think Wallo is one of the most important voices that we have right now. I think, man, and I've never met Wallo. I don't know him. We have zero relationship.

I like what Wallo is doing, man. Like when you see these clips of Wallo talking to like Lil Durk, but for real, it's different. Dunk Dogg is different. He was teeling in that one. Right, it's different when I say it or when we say it like in media because- He got 20 years behind the camera.

Right. Yeah. Like I'm from Flatbush, Brooklyn. Like don't like for real. But I ain't partaking those activities the same way. So when in media, when we kind of say it, it's still like, I could relate, but I can't relate fully to what you're going through.

Wallo is putting his experiences in this and like, yo, I've been through, I've absolutely been there and I don't want to see you go there. Yo, I think Wallo's voice is so important. I gotta pick Millionaire's watching game, man. So shout out to Wallo. Yeah, sorry.

I spoke to Wallo this morning, that's crazy. Yeah, Wallo too. Like, I don't know the guy, I never did anything with him, but he's very inspiring. He's very, very inspiring because he's been through all that crazy shit. And then I like Gilly the same way because you need somebody to play off. You need that balance.

Y'all not the same as million dollars worth of game, but drink champs is Nory and EFN. You need that balance. So then while Waldo kind of gives us, Gilly keeps it in the same thing. He keeps it fun. And Gilly still, it's not like Gilly is steering nobody the wrong way, but it's that perfect balance, man. So shout out to Million Dollar.

Absolutely. Breakfast club or Ebro in the morning? Oh. Breakfast at Ebro? Yeah, you taking a shot? No, he's not taking a shot. He's going to answer. I want to take a shot.

He was on Breakfast Shot just cause. He was on breakfast. I was on Ebro in the morning too. Oh, okay. I was on Ebro in the morning too. Me too. I was on both. I speak to Charlamagne every day. Charlamagne is one of my best friends.

Really? Yeah, me and Charlamagne speak every day, man. But I grew up in New York City. Hot 97 was the first hip hop station that we ever had. Let's just take the shot. I got tremendous... I'll take it. We're taking a shot. Salah. But I grew up in New York City. Hot 97 was the first hip hop station that we ever had. I got tremendous- Let's just take the shot. I'll take it.

We're taking the shot. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud.

Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud.

Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Salud. Big. I'm not like, I want to say like, yo, I think Charlamagne and where he's going, with mental health talk in the public sphere, like I think the growth of Charlamagne, if you really think about where Charlamagne came from- And what he went through. Under Wendy Williams. And got ousted, remember? Right. Yeah, yeah. And when he out of Philly, he got fired, he got blackballed. What he's built is amazing.

There's so much shit for Wendy, it's crazy. out of Philly, he got fire, he got blackball. What he's built is amazing. So much shit for Wendy is crazy. And it's fucked up because Charlamagne is one of my best friends for real. Me and Ebro are super cool. I fuck with them both. I know they don't fuck with each other, but I respect them both, so I had to take the shot.

All right. You gotta stay neutral. No, you're between those two. Nah, but- That's what I'm trying to tell you as a friend. And they're both important voices, man. As a friend, they're both important. So just stay in the middle.

But I truly believe that, man. And I see where they disagree and whatever. Where do they disagree? One, I just think it's rival stations, too. I think it's being across the street from each other. Like, it's hip hop. It's rivalry. Because I think the greater audience

doesn't understand where there's a rivalry. I think it's just being from New York. Like, New York Hot 97 was number one for so long. And then here comes 515. You got Biggie saying this shit. Like, you know, even Angie jumping about. It was like a rap beef. They was going in.

Yeah, they just as competitive, man. And then I also think lines were crossed. I think personal things were said. Like, in the spirit of competition, certain things were said that maybe they can't forgive or maybe they'll never be cool. But I appreciate them both. Loyalty or respect? It's kind of a perfect segue into that.

Loyalty or respect? Both of y'all. I'd rather have loyalty. Because if you have loyalty, then the respect is obviously there in some sort of aspect. But loyalty will definitely go further than respect because anybody can respect anybody. You can respect money, you can respect religion, you can respect whatever,

but your loyalty lies with something, has to lie with something. My loyalty relies with what I believe in and what I'm doing and you believe in what you're doing. And that's, I believe loyalty is 1000% the way it is. Loyalty. Because respect is great, but I also, I know how to handle disrespect. We can meet disrespect.

If you want to be disrespectful, we can get disrespectful. But loyalty is something special. Definitely. All right, I'm going to take a this. If you want to be disrespectful, we can get disrespectful. But loyalty is something special. Yeah, definitely. All right, I'm going to take a shot. I just want both. Yeah, yeah. Give me both. I love you guys.

You guys are the best, man. Me and EFN always say both. Both of you have the option, right? I feel like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what it is is, I'm going to do two, Norrie. I got to take a pic. Go ahead, you go.

Yeah, you just go. You're going to take two shots, you're going to do two, Norrie. I got to say. Go ahead, you go. Yeah, you just go. You're going to take two shots? You should take a shot. He took two shots, we got to take two shots. Holy fuck balls. I got a watch question, man. I hate that, Phelps. How many millimeters is too much?

Oh, god. They got 70 millimeter watches. You need to pause that, bro. 85, 90 millimeter watches. You're way too close. I think anything over 42 millimeters is way too much. Okay, that's it. All right, all right.

We love you. Let's make sure. Yeah. No, I had a hip hop question, bro. I forgot. Hold on. We got a slide, man. What the fuck was it?

But my shit is, we losing right now. Like the culture is losing. What do you mean? The culture is losing because the culture's been losing. And listen, listen, the internet has given us a lot. Going digital has given, internet culture has given us a lot. It's given us a new way to hustle, a new way to make money, a new way to promote ourselves.

But you're saying something, internet culture. Right. That is its own culture. It's different from hip hop culture. Right, right. So, there's a lot of fans out here, again, like you might be a Drake fan, but if Drake didn't exist, would you fuck with hip hop? Would you fuck with this culture? This shit is not based off of who tops the billboards. That shit is nice. We celebrate it because we love to see each other win.

But who's at the top of the billboards consistently? Don't fucking like- Does it matter for hip hop? Yeah. It don't dictate to us who the best. It don't dictate like- Does it matter for hip hop? It don't dictate to us who the best. It don't dictate to us how the culture moves. We dictate how the fucking charts move. You know what I'm saying? Because look, and if I'm being real, I'm from an era where, because if you want to talk

about charts, MC Hammer had it all. And we didn't hammer dirty when he was hot. Hammer took bullets. Everything that rappers are getting now that they get props for getting, Hammer had a fucking Super Bowl commercial that hip hop clowned him for. Hammer had all the success that hip hop clowned him for. We need to actually appreciate MC Hammer more because all the shit rappers aspire to right now is the shit Hammer was doing back then.

And I'll do you another one. Another example of how fucked up this culture is. MF Doom, how much we revere him now. Not in life, but now. Based off of when he was alive. And Big L, the same shit. Like, I argue with people all the time. I know people who Big L is they favorite MC.

He's one of my favorite MCs. But remember, we from that era where, I remember when Lifestyles of the Poor and Dangerous came out and I bought it. Motherfuckers wasn't fucking with L until he died. No, no. I was like early. I was early.

For sure. MF Doom, man, one of the greatest moments I had, man, I was driving, my son 16 years old, I was driving and called my son. I said, man, just play whatever you want. You know what I'm saying? So he's playing the orcs. They say, yo, dad, you ever heard of this rapper? And he started playing Mad Villain.

He started playing MF Doom. I ain't put him on to this shit. He just discovered this shit on his own. Like rest in peace to MF Doom. I was at New York Recon Poets Cafe when he did his first show. He used to be Zev Lovex from KMD. And then he changed to MF Doom. We talked about it with 3rd Bass recently.

Before he had the metal mask, he did his first show at the New York Reekins Poets Cafe. Shout out to Vaz and Ellie from Night Train. They put that show on. Shout out to 3rd Bass being a part of that whole thing. Shout out to my man MC Surge. He had a stocking cap on. So my son is like, he', like he's trying to put me on the MF Dune. And I'm sitting here, I'm like, bro, I was at his first fucking show. Did you tell him? Yeah, hell yeah.

But it was dope to me that my son could just discover it on his own. So I mean, this hip hop shit, this shit is really cultured. This shit a way of life. Like this is really how we live. My kids could attest, man. Like, I don't take, it's not like Mr. Rogers. It's not like we come home and take our hip hop off. A lot of motherfuckers that benefit from us,

a lot of motherfuckers that profit off of us, a lot of motherfuckers that have ownership in this shit from the labels or whatever, they go home and take they fucking hip hop off. Like Mr. Rogers, right? They take the Sims off, they take the whatever, because that's not really them. All right. When we go home, it's how whatever, because that's not really them. All right.

When we go home, it's how we are. It's 24-7, man. I could FaceTime EFM at 2 o'clock in the morning, and he's the same guy. That he is, like, it ain't a home life and a hip hop life. But he doesn't answer. Yeah, nor anyone answers. I don't like FaceTime.

But he'll answer. I don't like to answer. I'm too old for FaceTime. It's funny because I... All right, let's go. We are the Big Ten! We are the Big Ten! I'm too old for FaceTime. Alright, let's go. FaceTime! FaceTime! Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production,

host 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 DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials. That's at drink champs across all platforms at the real noriega on IG at

noriega on Twitter. Mine is at who's crazy on IG at DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news and 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. Just like great shoes, great books take you places. Through unforgettable love stories and into conversations with characters you'll never forget.

I think any good romance, it gives me this feeling of like butterflies. I'm Danielle Robay and this is Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club, the new podcast from Hello Sunshine and iHeart Podcasts where we dive into the stories that shape us on the page and off. Each week I'm joined by authors, celebs, book talk stars, and more for conversations that will make you laugh, cry, and add way too many books to your TBR pile. Listen to Bookmarked by Reese's Book Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebene, the podcast where silence is broken and stories

are set free. I'm Ebene, and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that will challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect Podcast Network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, this ain't it. This is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft, and whole.

The Unwanted Sorority is where Black women, femmes, and gender expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support, and what happens after. And I'm your host and co-president of this organization, Dr. Lea TraTate. Listen to The Unwanted Sorority, new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Adventure should never come with a pause button. Remember MoviePass? All the movies you wanted for just nine bucks?

I'm Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet. And this season, I'm digging into the tech stories we weren't told, starting with Stacey Spikes, the Black founder of MoviePass, who got pushed out of the company he built. Everybody's trying to knock you down, and it's not going to work, and no one's going to like it. And then, boom, it's everywhere. And that was that moment. Listen to There Are No Girls on the Internet on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or

wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.