Drink Champs - #Throwback Episode - w/ Fat Joe | (Ep. 1)

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

Welcome to the Drink Champs Throwback Series! N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN are the Drink Champs. and we're taking it back to some of the most legendary moments in Drink Champs history. Classic interviews, unforgettable stories, and iconic guests who shaped the culture. This week we’re taking it back to episode 1! Fat Joe joins us for an unfiltered conversation about his career, Remy Ma’s comeback, Big Pun’s legacy, and the state of hip-hop. From personal stories to industry insights, this episode is packed with humor, nostalgia, and real talk. A must-listen! Make some noise for Fat Joe!! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 -Originally published on March 25th, 2016: *Subscribe to Patreon NOW for exclusive content, discount codes, M&G’s + more: 🏆* https://www.patreon.com/drinkchamps *Listen and subscribe at https://www.drinkchamps.com Follow Drink Champs: https://www.instagram.com/drinkchamps https://www.twitter.com/drinkchamps https://www.facebook.com/drinkchamps https://www.youtube.com/drinkchamps DJ EFN https://www.crazyhood.com https://www.instagram.com/whoscrazy https://www.twitter.com/djefn https://www.facebook.com/crazyhoodproductions N.O.R.E. https://www.instagram.com/therealnoreaga https://www.twitter.com/noreaga  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an i Champ Radio, where every day is New Year's Eve. Let's go! Hey, Hank Segre, this is your boy N-O-R-E. What up, it's DJ E-F-N. And this is Drinks Champ Radio, where every day is New Year's. What the hell, you're not saying that? Every day is New Year's. Or your birthday.

Or your birthday. Or your birthday. And we got our first hip-hop legendary guest. Our first guest because we had a basketball player. But now we got our first guest. So two legends in a row. Two legends in a row. We're only doing legends.

No new niggas can come on here. Nope, nope, nope. You got to pay your dues before you get to Drink Chat Podcast, okay? Who do we have in the building? Fat Joe. Make some noise for Fat Joe. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What's up, y'all?

What's going on, brothers? What's going on? What's going on, my brother? Last night, I got a chance to be in your studio session. And you and Remy Ma actually done an album. Oh, damn. Yeah. Crazy, though.

Nah, I'm good. Nah, nah. You're humble. I don't have to be humble for you. I'm going great. Hold up. People like us, we weren't there. So when you say they did an album together What do you mean by that?

Like an album What does that mean? It's a complete album Together or You executive produced her album? No me and her Wow Back and forth

Wow Shit crazy I was amazed You know what I'm saying? Because I heard Remy's mixtape I didn't I didn't think that was Remy Ma

Like what I mean by that is I didn't think she felt comfortable With the mixtape Like you know what I that was Remy Ma. What I mean by that is I didn't think she felt comfortable with the mixtape. You know what I'm saying? But when I heard her with you... She came home from jail six years and everybody and their mother

ran at her. And she had certain loyalties to certain producers that she'd been fucking with for years. Right. So everybody was running at her and she was just like, all right, all right, so this is how. I don't think she really even knew what was hot. Right.

So what was crazy was, you know, we all know rapping is like riding a bike. Like, you know, we know she's nice as shit. She just got to get in pocket. Of course. And be produced right. Mm-hmm. So, you know, that mixtape. She just got to get in pocket. Of course. And be produced right. So, you know, that mixtape. So let me add something right there. Do you feel like you kind of, even though you probably didn't touch no buttons, but you felt like you produced this, though?

Oh, I produced this. 100%. A million percent. It's like if Leanback had babies. Oh, shit. That's what I felt like. The whole project? It was...

But you know how perfect that record is? Like how it hit the moment of not just New York City, but that's what the whole album felt like. It felt like... Yeah. So I kind of felt like you produced it, although you...

I produced it. Yeah, it's hard. The whole shit. It's hard, and she sounds amazing. So what happened was, I was on the couch couch when she gave me the go-ahead. Okay. You know, usually. But how did this happen?

How did the talk happen? Well, me and her, we was just, you know, before she even came out, we talked on the phone. We squashed whatever beefs we had or whatever the case may be. I never really had beef with Remy. Right. And then, so when she came home, we started going to dinner, lunch, like she would just call me up,

yo, where you at? I'm like, I'm in the Bronx. She'd come over, eat, and we'd just brother and sister shit. And then she told me, she was like, yo, she was like, you ready to get it in? And I was like, yo, I've been waiting. I'm like, you know, I'm like,

I'm not trying to push you. I saw what, I don't know, Remy's bugged out, so I don't want this podcast, her to hear this and get mad at me. But, you know, like, I saw how niggas was pulling her when she first came home.

Like, niggas, you know, two days after she come home for six years, Swiss Beats got a record with her. This one out. Everybody was tugging on her. She came home like the female Tupac. Let's just keep it real. Yeah, like the female Tupac.

Okay, okay. So I'm sitting back like, I know what's best, but, you know, it's nothing I can do. Let her do what she got to do. It's all in due time. Do what she got to do. So as soon as she told me, I like yo like I mean it's a no brainer like I knew that was supposed to happen a long time ago

but it was presented to you as a whole project at first or just a couple of records? No what happened was she said we did the BX Fight Club so that's the only time I performed with Remy in all those years so they had me I did a favor for holding them.

And I brought it out. Now, when you say hold. Yeah, that's crazy, but. You can't just say that. BX hold. Okay, but I'm the homie, the homie. BX hold. I'll hold them for the street.

Because I was like, what? We got the BX hold. I know exactly. So I came out there. We had to. We were on point. So I had to. So I went over there and I did it.

The Bronx was in there deep and I brought out Remy as a surprise. And, you know, just the smiles in people's eyes. And what I always say is people like Fat Joe a lot. And people like Remy Ma A lot They love Fat Joe and Remy So it was just different Like I'm looking at the crowd She's rocking I'm looking at her So afterwards when I

Walk into the car She's like yo man it's different Man like these people They love to see me with you It's different yo I'm telling you I've been performing Everywhere it they love to see me with you it's different y'all i'm telling you i've been performing everywhere it's different when i stand with you i said so what are you saying you know you want me to get to it she's like all right so then i sat on the couch and um you know it had to be perfect like i view us and i don't want niggas to kill me But like a Jay-Z, Kanye West

Like a Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre Like a You know you gotta realize The last record we put out Went 47 weeks number one Which was Lean back So

Just throw that out there Come on Everybody make some noise For the goddamn Seven weeks Hold on So You know that shit was like for the goddamn seven weeks in the fucking truck hold on so you know that shit was like

that shit was like number one record for nine years and nine months I remember and the nigga who beat us was Flo Rida

uh Low Low so like he beats everybody yeah he beat me like we almost had the song

of the decade Rolling Stone no no you had the song of the decade rolling. No, no, you had the song of the decade in the hood. That's for sure. Yeah, for sure. That's for sure. So, you know, when I came to fuck with this, I was like, all right, this shit got to be incredible. She knew that too.

So I sat on the couch. It usually took me a month. It took me like nine months. And I ain't going to lie. You know me and you're my brother. And he called me the Puerto Rican Puff Daddy. It's a fact. This nigga's crazy, right?

For years. Shut up for years. So I actually was confused. So this was the first time in my life that I made a project that I was actually challenged. I was questioning myself because I wanted it to be so perfect that I was like, oh shit. So the problem is

we come from a different era. Right. And we got Fat Joe Remy fans. But yeah, instead, we want to make music that's relevant with these young niggas too. But not sound crazy.

Like, not do the picking my boogers, picking my boogers. We don't want to do that shit, right? But we want to do music that a DJ that's hot right now. Somebody's going to take that right now. That seems natural to you. Picking your boogers. That feels like Joe Crack, Remy Ma. But we could turn that bitch up and fucking Rolex KOD right now.

That's hard. Like, really hard. Like, I'm telling you, I know everything about music. Like, I mean, like, I don't even know. I don't know how to explain it to you in any other way. It's like. Fucking answer the call. Yeah.

We good. We good. We good. Drink champs. I'm in the interview. I'll call you back. Can you give me some wine? So listen, the nigga turned around.

Nigga Nori's stupid. So the nigga turned around. It was hard to do, Nori. So it was almost I had to become a chemist. So not only was I on the couch, I was in all the clubs like day and night, day and night, day and night.

Before you started this project, you're saying? While I was doing it. Okay. So I went to Toronto for a weekend and went to 20 clubs and sat there. And most of the shit they was playing, I didn't even know it. I went to Washington Heights, sat in every club every night. Sushi Mambo. To see what they doing. Sushi Mambo. To see what they doing.

Sushi Mambo. I went to Brooklyn, to Queens, to the strip clubs, to everywhere to hear what the fuck was going on. All strip clubs now in New York City is only in Queens. I just want to throw that out there. Continue your story, sir. Go ahead. Well, I was in George's Diner last week. I know. You told me that. And I was looking for you on Snapchat. That was all. That was all. last week. I know. You told me.

And I was looking for you on Snapchat. That was hard. That was hard. So I'm chilling, right? So long story short, I wanted it to be perfect. I still want it to be perfect. And it was a hard thing to do. So, you know, the fact with Remy, you know,

even Pat Poose, he turned around and he was like, yo, Joe, he was like, you know, he said, so I'm telling Remy, yo, come to Miami.

All right. Come to the studio. Come on, let's rock out. So she got a husband now. She ain't my little sister, you know, back at the tour bus. She could just leave.

She could just leave. She got a fucking family, a husband. So I don't know What's going on So I gotta go to New York And turn up with her And be like Alright

I rented the studio Let's go Let's lock in Come down Right So by the second day The nigga Pat Boo Said yo Joe

You know what I said what He said man My bag I said what you mean He said cause you know It's my wife. She's telling me she got to go to Miami and stay for two weeks or three weeks with Joe.

I'm like, what the fuck that sound like, right? So, no, no, he's serious. Make some noise for Pap. That's some good shit. So, but he was like, yo, I've been in here with you two days. He's like, the shit you bring out of her, the shit y'all niggas get from each other, I get it. Y'all got to be with each other. The chemistry is crazy.

Y'all got to be with each other. Y'all got to turn up with each other. So, you know, it was crazy. You know, we did her half in New York. And, you know, we had Fred the Godson in the studio every day you know Pat Poose was chilling she was there so we I just felt like we was just real well grounded right with the music so the whole project predominantly in New York City no I produced it in Miami and then I went up to New York to do Remy's half okay in New York but wait wait but from that research that you

did when you was going to the different clubs and what, what did you get out of that? Did you get something? No, I got what, I got to this a lot of fucking, yes, I did. I got a lot of literate shit

of the universe, of what's going on. What did that bring to the project? That brought the single. Okay. Single score all the way up. So what happened was, I was sitting...

Can I say who is featuring? Yeah Featuring French Montana My single off of Drunk Uncle Is also featuring French Montana So New Yorkers Just keep it in New York right now

Keep it in New York Make some noise for us Be in ourselves Got that Yo, yo, yo Hey, shout out Hold on, hold on Come on, you got to make it

We need to get the sign It's produced It's produced by An exclusive young up-and-coming producer out here in Miami. The nigga's incredible. He's the future. And also, Infrared wrote the hook. So, Infrared, you know, that's my brother. The drunkest man in America.

The drunkest guy in America. There'll be any drunk nigga in the world. This is Drink Champs Radio. You know, I love him. So I was in Washington Heights, and I was just studying the crowd. See, when I go to clubs, it's like being in college. I watch and see what the bitches like. I see what the niggas like.

I see how niggas feel. The drug-dealing nigga, the broke nigga. I'm just watching everything. So I'm sitting there. You might be thinking, yo, this nigga Joe Crack is either full of himself or, you know, he's arrogant or what the fuck is wrong with him? But I'm sitting there. I'm studying everything.

Every movement popping. So that when I go in the studio, that's how I created Make It Rain. That's how I created Lean Back. And all my hits was like, I study it. And then when I get in the lab, I can just see the whole, it's like I'm in the club. So I know what it is. And I realized that these niggas want to say, I'm all the way up. Nothing can stop me.

I'm all the way up. That's what they want to say, standing on a couch at a club. So shit incredible, man. That's what they want to say Standing on a couch At a club So Shit incredible man That's crazy Now what are y'all Going to call the project Is it Fat Joe

Remy Ma Well we're going to debut The title Right now And I hope niggas Don't jack us Should I debut it now You should

I think I deserve that Yeah yeah I've been your friend For 20 years Dream champ Come on let's do it Well the name of the album Is called Plata So Plomo. Holy shit.

That's that Pablo Escobar shit, right? Okay, okay, okay. So the name of the album is called Plata So Plomo. That's hard. That's hard. That shit needs to be on darkos already. Money or bullets. You know what I'm saying?

However you want it. That's dope. You know what I'm saying? We ain't got a problem paying, but if you front, you know what's coming. But it's not a group name, though. No, man. It's going to be Fat Joe

and Remy. Don't do the group name. It ain't Fat Joe featuring Remy or Remy featuring this brotherly love, nigga. It's both of us. Now, you're thinking

about doing independent or... We are independent. Everything I put out the last nine years has been independent. Make it rain when number three in the country is independent. Talk about it.

Make some noise for fucking make it rain. I don't tell when number three is independent. Another round, number three independent. Everything I do, I've been independent. All right, you off Snapchat duties now because I need you with the whistle. That's my little nigga right there. You're not a good guy right now. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey.

Listen, come here. Don't worry, that's my guy. Let's do another surround. The snap is popping right now. That's a good guy right there. Hey, yo, hey, yo, hey, yo, hey. Listen, come here. Yo, Nari, that's my guy. Let's do another surround. That snap is popping right now. That's what I got to tell you. The snap is popping right now. Yo snap is popping. This nigga, he got my snap and his snap.

Leave my little nigga alone. Yo, he got his snap and my... Yo, right now, the whole... Snap is watching. The whole interview is on Snapchat. It's not just exclusive. Nari's a bully. He's picking on the littlest guy here.

This is my guy right here Listen you have duty When you down with our crew Whether you small or big Everybody has a job That's the rap You know what I'm saying The vibe of your crew I love how everybody's

Team spirited But you've always Maintained that Whether you was Fucking with niggas From the Bronx Queens Wherever

You know you such a real guy Such down to earth That, you know, niggas cling to you And they love you So everybody play their position You know what I'm saying? And that's what it is You know, with me

People don't realize, you know I was always number two And then was forced to go number one So now how I can explain that to you, when I came up in the streets, my guy Tony Montana, he was number one. Terror squad. I always see you. Rest in peace.

So Joe Crack was vice president type shit. You know, he was the live wire, and I come up in there after he do some crazy shit, clean it up, right? So then, you know, and then when he passed, my brother was number one and I always maintained number two. So I always was cool being number two.

So then when I started rapping and this fat Joe and then I bring pun in the game and I realized that pun is a hundred times better than me. You fell into that role again. I fell right into number two. I was like, yo, I'll hold the door for this nigga. I ain't got a problem. Let me ask you something that I always wondered.

So you met Remy through Pun? Yes, sir. So Pun had Remy. She is Big Pun's artist. Because I remember Pun. I remember Pun. You know Pun is retarded. I was so jealous.

God bless. I was so jealous because it wasn't too many crews where you had a nigga as nicest pun and then you had a bitch that was like the nicest bitch in the game. So he was like, yo twin, I want you to hear this girl I signed. I'm like, alright. So I see she had the leather vest. I can never forget

that shit. And then she just went off for like 10 minutes straight and that's when she was saying, I shoot the air, Bubba Welch's sneakers. I'm uncus. And she was just going. I was like so jealous, man. I was sitting there like, oh, my God.

My head was saying why I didn't find her, why I didn't find her. So then after she rocks, Pond History's your twin. You know, she your artist, twin. Like, you know, she signed to me, but we signed to you. What was his label? He had a label? It was Terror Squad the whole time. He discovered her first.

Right, right, right. He's trying to say, yo, he signed her. He discovered her, but he's like, yo. He's like the A&R. Yo, Joe was coming to you anyway, nigga. But I'm just saying, I want to say she's my artist. I'm like, all right, my nigga. Thank God.

Right. And, you know. But you did the deal with her after pun passed or no no while pun was alive we did the deal with her but while pun was alive you know pun you know pun that is you know i'm saying most loyal realist nigga in the world we don't just say that because he's dead because some nigga's dead piece of shit. Pum was one of the most loyalist niggas in the world. Most fun. The way I say it is like

I was the youngest kid in my house. I never had a younger brother. Pum was like the young brother I never had and I was like the big brother he never had. Immediately, it's almost like a relationship. You know, in order to make a marriage last, it's like you really got to sign in.

Mentally and heart-wise. You got to really say, yo, no matter what happens, I want to stay with this woman for the rest of my life. Make some noise for that, goddammit. Clap your hands for that, goddammit. Come on, Joe. You're going to get romantic later. No, I'm just saying. Let's not get romantic. It's just like, yo,

nobody's stopping this shit, right? And it's the same thing with me and Pun, you know, after I heard him rhyme for the first time, he sat in my car and he immediately, I don't know how and why, but he was telling me shit. I wouldn't tell Nori now about myself. And that's my brother. Like, I could go to war with Nori. Like, I would really kill for Nori.

He'll kill for me. I would not tell him some personal shit in my family growing up and all that. So five minutes later, I'm riding with the nigga. This nigga's telling me the deepest shit I ever heard, and I'm sitting there with him. I'm thinking to myself, you know, I'm a street nigga. I'm like, why is this nigga telling me all this shit?

Right, so I'm sitting there like this. So I knew his life story the first 20 minutes after I left him. I met him. I already knew everybody. Let me ask you something, because we're in the air. Like, like, like Tata, right?

Had, Jay-Z's boy, had brung me Rihanna, right? And I had the joint, Ponyqua, more than I, and he said, yo, she wants to do this record, right? She wants to do it like Barbados and all that.

We got a bunch of this all that and listen check check what i said i was but she wanted 15 bands i had a million dollar budget at the time i said no right i said no i passed on that did you know the minute you met pun that this was the next dude oh no he was gone you know what was it instant or like? I'm going to be honest with you. I know music probably more than anybody. Right. It's just the truth. If this industry wasn't scared of me for being such a gangster nigga,

I would be the president of everything. Yes. Nobody really know more than me. Every time they turn around and they give a nigga a new job, I put it on blast. The minute they gave Joey I.E. president of Interscope,

he picked the phone up, called me and said, I learned everything from you, my brother, please. You don't even understand. Everything I know is because of you. Everything I,

like niggas get presidents and they go, I studied you my whole life. You are the smartest nigga in here, but they scared of me so they won't give me that position. Don't know why because I'm the nicest nigga in the world.

That's a fact. That's a fact. So when I met Pun, and the nigga started rapping, so, all right, the scene is, I told her the million times, I don't want to tell shit on your shit that I told everybody, but I'm going to just say it because we family. So I go, you know, I was one of the only rap, him being another one too, so I can't stunt on him. But I'm one of the only rappers that actually was rich, actually was gold already, and was still in my hood like I live in apartment 5E. Like literally.

Hold on, everybody better make noise for this. I am also from apartment 5E. God damn it. God damn it. Goddamn it. Yo, you know what's crazy? I study hip-hop, Jay-Z was also from apartment 5E. What does that mean? What does that mean? That means we in a project. We gotta bring, he's from Miami now.

No, no, I know literally what that means. I'm saying, is there a hidden meaning behind all this? No, we're gonna ask Illuminati. We might all be Illuminati. We're going to ask Illuminati. We're going to ask Illuminati. And first off, let me also make some noise for my brother, Kay. You know, Ray Kwan's brother. He was the whole thing.

Happy birthday. Happy birthday. He's here. Yo, Kay, Kay. Excuse me. Somebody get that man a drink. Somebody get that man a drink. We ain't got no brown. We ain't got no brown. We ain't got no brown, okay? Okay, I know you called me and I told you I had it, but nobody never gave me my sneakers, my purple.

Oh, I got one on you. He called me first. Wait, hold on. He called me. I told him I'm going to go pick it up. Let me tell you something. Could I still get them or are they gone? They sure you get a bit.

Jesus Christ. Let's go straight. I'm glad you brung it to here Are you the sneaker king And if you are Are you above Khaled Cause I felt like you Oh no no no You put Khaled on

No Khaled can't fuck with me Okay I understand that Okay Let's be clear But you put him on Cause the way I put him on to the sneaker game Khaled on? No. Khaled can't fuck with me. Okay. I understand that. Okay. Let's be clear. But you put him on because the way... I put him on to the sneaky game. You know, he's my brother. He's coming up under the culture.

He's just... Khaled is like a fat Joe on steroids. You know what I'm saying? Mm-hmm. So he's been without... Even more than steroids. Yeah, he's on extra drugs. Yeah.

He's on sedating. He's on sedanium. I knew that. When I went and got him his record deal at Cots, I started at Relativity with Alan Grimblatt. That's right. So we didn't really even have no music or nothing like that. So when Khaled kept bothering me like, yo, I want to do this album, I want to do this album,

I said, fuck it, nigga, let's go to New York, right? So we went up in there, and the first thing I told Alan Grumblack, I said, you don't understand. This nigga's incredible. He's a hit maker, and he's fad Joe on Star Wars. Did Alan Grumblack pay? So Alan, of course, but Alan Grumblack. No, no, no. The royalties.

Alan Grumblack. He don't want to ask that. He just went off of what I told him. Okay. That Alan Grumblack, he just went off of what I told him. Right, right. Oh, okay. Like, he just went off of me hyping him up, telling him, like, he wanted to be in business with Fat Joe so much that he turned around and was like, yo, this nigga Joe never lied to me. And it was the best thing he ever did in his life.

Right. Did Alan Grumblack pay? The royalties. Back pay. No. I never got royalties From Kosh I know that

I already know the answer Nobody gets He is a good guy A little bit I put us on Kosh I never got it Yeah Nobody gets royalties

From Kosh But maybe we didn't deserve it We gotta start A royalty committee Yeah We gotta start So now let's get back To the sneaker thing

Because I feel like I feel like you're my brother, right? You've always been. If I have to say one of the best people I ever met in my life, Fat Joe is there. Smart guy. Blow a whistle. Oh, blow some noise for that. I feel like whatever connect you ever had, I'm always at liberty to that.

Except your sneaker Kinect, my brother. He has never opened that. Yo, you can ask Fangio for a missile. He'll give you his Uzi, man. Yo, but every time he get a pancake, I just always watch his feet. I'm like, he's advanced. You have Michael Jordan's number on speed dial. Is this what happens's advanced. You have Michael Jordan's number on speed dial. Is this what happens?

I don't have Michael Jordan's number on speed dial. Right. Because I feel like you be cheating. Your connect is cheating connect. It's a cheat code. It is a cheat code. It's a cheat code. It is.

But I deserve it because I've been committed to this shit forever. Before it was cool to be a sneakerhead, I was a sneakerhead. You know what I'm saying? So they know my dedication. I'm not a sneakerhead, I was a sneakerhead. You know what I'm saying? So they know my dedication. I love sneakers. I'm not a sneakerhead. Like you, I got to give it to Khaled. You, Khaled.

Who else? Clark Kent. Clark Kent. There's a guy named Mayer. Mayer is incredible. No, no, no. Wale hasn't made my mathematics yet. He's my guy.

Clark Kent's in there. Clark Kent is a god. You know, he's a god. He has his own sneaker at Nike, correct? Yeah, I think so. Yeah, he has a couple of them. You know, he's, you know, he put it down, legend. Now, somebody offered you their own sneaker.

I know, did you have like a Stephon Marbury sneaker? Yeah, we did one for the community, very cheap. You know, give it to the kids. But now Kanye is killing them. If you would have your own sneaker line, like, what would you do it with? It would be the hottest shit in the world. What would you aspire to be? Who would you pick?

I mean, I wouldn't say it because... Because, yeah, the competitors might be listening. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He's a very smart man. God damn it. Make some noise for Fadjo. Always doing business. God damn it.

Yeah, his sneaker, he'll sneak a connect. He'll tell me everything. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian, Dr. Randall Williams, and bestselling author and meat eater founder, Stephen Ranella.

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I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes. I love funny. I love funny. I love laughing. I laugh at myself. I don't take myself too seriously.

That's the stuff that keeps you young and stops you from being so hard. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects throughout your body. Not just your gut, but your mental health, your metabolism, your immunity,

your risk of cancer, heart disease, almost any disease under the sun. Yep, you heard right. Probiotics might actually impact everything from your brain to your heart. So what's science and what's just really good marketing? On this episode of Dope Labs, me and Zakiya cut through the hype and get into the real deal behind probiotics with help from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. So yes, bacteria is definitely having a moment and I'm very excited about that. From probiotic drinks and gummies to face creams and pillows.

Yep, we said pillows. The probiotic boom is everywhere. But how much of it actually works? And what does it all mean for your gut, your skin, and even your mood? Join us on Dope Labs, where we break it all down in the lab like only we can. Listen to Dope Labs on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort

to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. Somebody violated the FBI, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the goddamnedest love story you've ever heard. I picked up the phone and my thought was, this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention. You can now binge all 10 episodes of Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So now let's just rewind on everything. Probably the most fun I ever had Traveling Was when Triz was hot

Everybody's getting scared It's pretty great Yeah everybody's scared But the Triz Nathaniel days Was awesome I can't talk about that I didn't say you were going to talk about it I didn't even ask a question

It was just a statement. But Triz has played out. Is that bad or is that good for the community? What do you mean? Triz has played out. People don't want Triz anymore. That's good for the community. I believe so.

Everybody make some noise for Triz being dead. I'm going to tell you when I can see you chilling. I'm going to tell you when I stopped running Triz. This is my personal story, right? I had two. I always had two, right? I always did that. That was cool.

But then one day I had three, right? So I was like, all right, cool. You know, I bust like five nights. And they still wanted more. I felt defeated. Oh, you felt defeated Oh you felt defeated I felt defeated Alright well it's different

Confusing both So triz means like niggas running the train on a bitch Like one broad mad dude Menage is always in style No okay that's right Menage is always in style And you test it as a man Because one thing I noticed about women is that

they can never have enough. If you do it right. No, no. You can never have enough. You can never like, they can never really tell you realistically and from the bottom of their heart,

yo, I'm tired, I quit. Right. They can keep going forever. You're gassing me up. I had a couple, a lot of crazy quit on me. They lying, they lying. Had a lot of quit on me. I don't know't know hopefully but that day I feel like the man

they go from they go from like yo they want to get pleased now this shit is work this nigga's fucking me seven hours I'm working like I need a salary for this shit right here so triz is the trains. So, Triz is the trains. Menage is a different thing. It's always a beautiful time for Menage. I'm going to give you a story one time. I never put this out, this footage. I actually have it on footage 100%. Jesus Christ.

Tony Sunshine. Oh, my God. Big Pun. This is how you know Big Pun was one of the greatest individuals in life. Pup Daddy pays me for a Little Jerome. You remember Little Jerome back in the days? Well, Little Jerome did a Blood Money beat. So Puff Daddy, he never pays good, but he pays.

He never pays good, but he pays. It's great. Puff hits me and says, I need you to do this, put it on. So I'm like, all right, cool. But he's like, it's all one feat. I was like, all right, I'll do that for the song and then for the video. He's like, no, it's not it's all one feet. I was like, all right, I'll do that for the song and then for the video.

He's like, no, it's not how Puff Daddy rolls. It's all one feet, Nori. Puff Daddy like a black Jew. But you got to do it. You got to do it. You got to do it because he's Puff Daddy. You never go in front of Puff Daddy. You can't in front of Puff Daddy.

But you want to go to his house for New Year's. Yes, yes, yes. That makes up for everything. Yes, for everything. So Puff hits me and goes, all alright, so now I'm shooting a little Jerome video. This is the carbon. You remember the carbon. I remember carbon well. So Pun got

Puff at the carbon. So Pun says, yo, call Nori. Let's tell Nori to come over here. So now Pun got Puff fucked up. Earlier today, Puff was like, make sure you're on time, please, Nori. We don't have this kid. Don't got a budget. Pun makes Puff

call me. He goes, yo, come over to the car, man. Nigga, what you actually doing? I said, you sure you want me to leave your video? Then Puff is like, yo, Pun, what the fuck? This nigga's shooting my video. We just told him to leave. So I said, yo, Pun, come over here. Pun comes over here. He brings

Tony Sunshine and I forget what other two dudes, come over here. Pun comes over here. He brings Tony Sunshine. And I forget what other two dudes, but I have it on camera. 100%. You remember I used to run around with the camera? Yeah, yeah, yeah. You was ahead of time. I was ahead of time. I was blogging before.

It was called blogging. You was blogging. You was blogging. So Pun comes, and these two chicks, they see him. He's like, yo, Asian girl and a black girl, right? So I got my Bronx people with me, but I got my Queens people. They all know each other, right?

Like the hood niggas, right? They all know each other. So they're like, yo, we go in the van. Pun's like, kiss her. So these bitches never kissed. These bitches was gay. Nothing. It's on camera. I can 100% prove this. They kiss.

Boom. Somebody's wife now. Mom's of somebody. Yeah, that's why I ain't put the foot in the job. That's why I ain't put the foot in the job. Right? So, then we had a Queens versus Bronx fuck off. Like, whoever busts first was the loser.

But mind you, we're all in the van. You remember the van? The van. Yo, niggas was the loser. But mind you, we're all in the van. You remember the van? Crazy the van. The van thing. Yo, niggas was going like a fantastic. Yeah, the fantastic. Yo, my dude.

And like, it's like, yo, we're not cool. Niggas was putting in that work. But you right next to you, so you shouldn't bust. The bang bust. Niggas was like, yo, good.

Hey, yo, hold it down. Niggas was like, yo, ah. Yo, I got the whole shit on film. So now, it was a wonderful day. It was a wonderful time. I don't know what pun yelled to Tony Sunshine, right?

But they went and they got the super squirters, right? This is zero below degrees in New York City. They filled up the super squirters with this New York City snow. Now, I'm not talking about the fresh snow. I'm talking about the snow where you see yellow shit in there, and you see the black shit in the snow. And they put the snow from the super squirter, waited till it melted. The bitches fucked the whole crew. Why do we have to do anything?

As soon as they came out, they squirted the bitch. What the fuck? Yo, I have it all filled in the booth. And the bitches, this is back in the days, they didn't even care. They was laughing. It felt like, yo, what, yo? This is one of the wildest nights

of my life. This is a long time ago. It's very long ago. You know, pun, you know, pun, you know, I was the only nigga who could control him, so he would be ducking me and shit. Because this nigga, the niggas calling me the cops.

Cops was like, you know, some niggas at school, they was like, yo, they gonna lock that nigga Pun up. I'm like, what? They say he's shooting old ladies coming out the supermarket. With the super soaps. So they like, yo, I'm like what They say he's shooting Old ladies coming out The uh Wait Wait wait wait Supermarket With the super soaker Oh Okay

So they like Yo nigga We in the hood He's the only nigga With a 600 gray Benz Right And he's shooting Old ladies

With the shit Down The soaker And niggas is like Yo my nigga He gonna go to jail for this He gonna be on the news So I go over there Gotta make a movie Sc scream that pun the loudest you can scream.

Motherfucker, I'm telling you, nigga. I ain't like, the nigga's crazy, man. He was crazy. Nah, he was crazy, man. Rest in peace. He was, well, you and pun was my first friends in hip hop. Damn, my brother. He was the first friend?

That was Jose Luis, gotcha. Yeah, yeah. I was so gassed because the first shit he said was Jose Luis, gotcha. Holding guns. All Latinos felt that way. All of us.

Let's keep it real. When Joe met me, though, he was like, I'm not sure if he's Puerto Rican. I'm not black as hell. But when you said it didn't matter. You got to tell him a story. He caught me.

I caught him. He was at the Puerto Rican parade. And I seen him. This is the first time. And I helped him up. It was like thousands of story. He caught me. I caught him. He was at the Puerto Rican parade. And I seen him. This is the first time. And I helped him up. It was like thousands of niggas around me. And I helped him up. I forgot you don't smoke weed yet.

I don't smoke weed. My memory is phenomenal. So I helped the nigga up. And I was like, yo, what's up, nigga? Yo, we fuck with you, nigga. We was hype, right? And then, but what he want me to get at is, he always said he's

Spanish But He be with black niggas And he look black So we never Totally believed him You know what I'm saying So one day

I'm in Chicago And a nigga Called me up He's like Yo you got a show At House of Blues I said yeah He said yo

My family Want to come to the show So I'm like Alright no question Nori look I'm staying at the So I'm like, all right, no question, Nori. I'm staying at the hotel. I'm in the hotel. Tell the niggas, meet me in the lobby. I meet them.

Nigga come over with the guayabera and sombrero. And the nigga's like, hey, Joe, my friend. I am Nori's brother. I'm like, what? This nigga's like, Bobby, you're too silent. You're so annoying. You're so annoying. You're so annoying. I'm like, what? This nigga's like, Bobby, you have to sign it. I was like, what the fuck? Nigga, really? Puerto Rican?

I might have called a hundred niggas. Yo, this nigga, he wasn't front. I'm looking at the Puerto Rican niggas right now. He's really Puerto Rican. Oh, my God. The real Puerto Ricans came in Chicago My nigga That was crazy

That was very funny man That was crazy my nigga So let me ask you something right Out of all The thing about you is What people don't understand about you Is you're actually a lyricist Like you make party records But even in your party records is, what people don't understand about you is you're actually a lyricist.

Like, you make party records, but even in your party records, like, I told this, I said, Joe is one of my top friends of all time, but when it comes time to do a feature for me, he's like, in the worst list. But not because he's not going to do it, it's he takes his time with something. Like,

you actually do. Like, I know you never diss me. You're my brother. You know what I'm saying? I eat in your crib on Thanksgiving. You eat in my crib all the time with our families. You're my brother, so it's not. But you're like a... Do you think you're a perfectionist? Definitely a perfectionist with everything. Sometimes, you know, the way

shit moves nowadays, niggas get mad at how I am because i like to roll it out right yeah man you know i'm saying and that's key to a lot of shit maybe i'm wrong maybe i'm right maybe i ain't the smartest nigga but i want to make sure shit gets his buck for his money with everything we do right you know i'm saying like um with these young kids I'm fucking with right now They the first niggas I fucked with in years They got fire

And I'm still like Yo we need more We need more Cause you can't make A first impression twice And then rap wise I ain't gonna lie to you No matter who I rap with

I try to take their head off It's just a fact I gotta go in And you know You invite me and he's very scared because people probably don't think he's the

best rapper in the world. But hold on, I'm just saying people probably don't think I'm the best rapper in the world, but I'm like the Mexican nigga you don't want to fight in the boxing ring. He's not going down He's one of them niggas that you know you scared to fight you scared to fight him cuz you know

He gonna go you gonna have to kill this nigga in the ring No sense of that's how it is with raps cuz when you invite me to it You know and the worst was pun you know what i'm saying what pump was going for heads man since pun die who was like a person that you did a record with and you was like man let me be on my best best best everybody everybody i tell my son that but it's not like just one person who's a little scared of everybody everybody every time I go in the booth. All right, let me tell you a secret I'll tell you in front of the whole world

that I never told nobody. That's right, because the whole world listening. Make some noise for the whole fucking world listening. God damn it. I like how you threw that out there, Joe Crack.

Thank you very much. The whole world is listening. Every night, my whole career, every night I got in the studio to this night, you know, I never know if I'm going to die when I leave the studio. So when I do my work in the studio, I go the hardest I could go in history when I work on my music. Because if I die, I know that's the only thing that's going to remind people for years and years, 20, 30 years later that I put it down.

Now, if you want to say, Fat Joe, if you want me to tell you how I really feel, I feel like I'm one of the most underrated rappers of all time. And that's why I've been in the game this long and I still make music. Right. And every time, like, every time I'm like a little kid waiting for his father on Christmas. I'm waiting for niggas to finally give it up. And they act like it's luck that you've been in the game for 20 years. They act like it's luck that you put out 10, 15 top number five records in the world. Sold millions.

They act like this shit. Like, yo, he's just a lucky nigga. You understand what I'm saying? But it takes, you know, dedication to that. So, like, with this album with Remy, I'm spitting my ass off. And I'm like, all right, maybe this time they'll finally listen and be like. You know, because right now it's a little different for me. I'm a little older.

You know what I'm saying? I'm a veteran. The young niggas don't look at me As a threat no more I'm not saying physically They just don't look at me As like I'm their competition Right

So now they're able to say Yo my nigga We love your shit Right You know you a vet Yo we fuck with you nigga You a legend Right

Before it was more like They were scared to tell me that Because they felt like We was still competing Right The thing they don't know Is that we really Still competing

Make some noise for that guy God damn it like we was still competing. The thing they don't know is that we really still competing. Make some noise for that guy. God damn it. I love that attitude. Love that album. I forgot. We competing. So on this album

right here, I'm spitting my ass off so that maybe, just maybe, niggas can look and listen to this album and be like, ooh, this nigga crazy

Let me ask you one more What's the one record That a producer Played for you Or brung you And you didn't fuck with Oh you're crazy And somebody else

The record that this You just said Rihanna You fucked up No I fucked up My thing When you know I put it out there

That I could've signed Eminem six times No I've never heard This story How No that's a fact No I've never heard This story I fucked up. My thing, well, you know, I put it out there that I could have signed Eminem six times. No, I've never heard this story. Wow. No, that's a fact. No, I've never heard this story. You got to give it to us.

It's out there. For real. Swear to God. At what point? At what point? When he went to New York? I was with Eminem. We was having dinner one day. He was like, yo, Joe Crack.

You know I gave you my demo six times. I said, what? This is after he's the high of Cheney. But you didn't remember. I didn't remember. Right, right. Is that the lean back? Way before, before.

So the nigga turned around and he was like, I gave it to you and how can I be down? I gave it to you, Jack the Rapper. I gave it to you in Atlanta. I gave it to you in Jersey

when I was with the Outsiders. I gave it, he knew every time he gave me his demo. And I was like, Jesus Christ, I could have had Eminem. But the record, I sat in the house with Salam Remy.

And he made Fuji La for me. Oh, shit. The Fuji? The Fuji La. Ooh la la. And I sat there. I'm trying to picture you. I can't even see you.

He made it for me in his living room, and I was there with him for hours. And then he was like, yo, Joe. Like a week later, he was like, yo, Joe, you want this record? And I was like, nah, I'm good. He was like, you want this record? I was like, nah, I'm good. And then it was Fuji Live. You know what my record was?

And I got another one bigger than that i'm gonna give i'm gonna let me just let me just tell you because i have the same exact story track masters was in the studio with me and they made nori nori that fucking nori let's just y'all been y'all with y'all nori nori and i was like you, niggas in the hood gonna laugh at me. That's right, nigga. Niggas gave me the whole fucking thing. I told them I didn't want it, but I was still mad. You probably wanted to vomit. I was still mad.

I'm going to tell you my story. See, Scott's thought to me, our chemistry was like, if I knew what I knew now, then, I probably would have been the richest nigga in the world because I worked with Scott Storch five times. All five songs went number one in America.

Wow. It's just the bottom line. Every time I sat down with the nigga, we made it number one. Right. If I knew that now, I would have had 50 songs

with Scott Storch at that time. I would have OD'd. I wouldn't have never left them. I would have been on a nigga, breathing on a nigga like, yo, Scott, let's do another one. Yo, Scott, let's do another, right? So I come and I make, what is it? Candy Shop.

I made that beat. Do, do, do, do, do, do, do. I made that beat And then And he was going out with He was going out with With Little Kim So the way I make beats With Scott He could play whatever

So I would tell him That's how I made Lean Back. Boom, boom, boom. He just did whatever I said. Like, I could damn near beatbox it, and he played. So we made Candy Shop. The crazy shit is I don't want my wife to kill me, but we had little Kim up in there moving.

Boom, bam, bam, bam, boom, bam, bam. We was doing the beat to this bitch She was doing her little I'm like, yo, it gotta be more Arabic, nigga We gotta do the Arabic Yo, nigga, we got Lil' Kim up in there Doing the Arabic dance and shit So then Nigga, nah, I'ma keep it a buck with y'all Yo, my nigga, we got Lil' Kim up in there doing the Arabic dance and shit.

So then, the nigga, now I'm going to keep it a buck with y'all. I don't even know if I can keep it too much a buck. But what I can say is we did it. That was right after Leanback. It would have been a humongous hit. And some of my niggas in my crew convinced me not to do it. They was like, ah. That's what happened to me.

You know, Cheryl, like, lean back, my nigga. You keep going with Scott Storch. I should have been like, yeah, nigga, every time I fuck with him, it's number one. Golden Child. Nah, son. Do this one, and I pick the other shit. I know you've been searching for someone instead of that shit. So Scott might have called me. I'm going to tell you, I'm going to keep it a buck.

Scott called me maybe 50 times in a row. I had no beef with 50 Cent. Right. So I had no beef with him at the time. You know that was my next question. So the nigga called me, let's just say 40 times you sure you don't want that beat everybody says they hit joe 50 centers in here right now he wants to pay me whatever on earth for this shit are you sure joe i i won't give him the beat joe this is your beat

like he would not stop calling like Like, are you sure, Joe? You don't want this shit? I'm like, nah, I don't want it. Yo, Joe. Like, it was his OD, and I was like, nah, nah, nah, I'm good. That shit was like number one in the universe. After Apple? It was already, you know, before we had beats.

Oh, he told you prior to him selling it. He told you before. Oh, yeah, he didn't give up the song. Okay. I told him I ain't want it. Yeah, he hit it 50 times. You know what I'm saying? My artist, I wish I would have signed

would have to be hands down Pharrell. I can't tell you that Pharrell told me to sign him but he said, could you shop my beats? This is 100% a real story. I went to bring him to see Nas. At the time, me and Nas was mad cool. He didn't bring him to see Nas. At the time, me and Nas was mad cool.

Nas, he didn't know how to roll. A blunt? He didn't know how to roll a blunt. I don't either. I roll the worst blunts in the world, but we gonna smoke. Don't judge me. You know what I'm saying? Shit would be curved.

I roll pregnant blunts. Uncircumcised shit. You know what I mean? But, um, so, he asked me to, um, to shop it, so I went, I bring her to Nas. And he made, um, ooh, baby, you want me?

Ooh, baby, you want me? I wanted that beat so bad. He said, y'all, he said, y'all, i made it for nas i said dad i'm not a hater he's my brother i brung it to nas uh he actually played it nas loved it in the studio as soon as he left i said yo why your man's shirt so tight Like, it's my word. Niggas ain't see my vision. Yo, I was discouraged because I was like, yo, I knew that. Like, this wasn't, like, we made super dumb, dude.

Nigga, we got the number one record. Yeah, he different. In the country, like. This nigga's doing way worse, different shit now. But he was the first one, though. So, yeah, so, and that would be my, you know, because, again, Pharrell, Chad, Rob Walker, they never said sign me, but they said shop my beats. So to me.

Which is the same. Shop's like management. You know, me and you, we fall from the same tree where we helped a lot of people get recognition, get in the game, and all we wanted. Spiff set slept on my couch to meet Rick Ross we call it but he also yeah we was happy I close here yeah a little bit what I know you're sitting watch my drawers I mean I'm a brother that's true Let me stop. Let me stop. That's my brother. That's my brother. No, stop. It is true. No, no. But, yo, come on. He had laundry duty. No, let's not do that. Come on.

That's my brother. Let's not do that. He's a good guy. Let's leave him alone. It shows you the progression of what you can do. Chris Lady held great. Chris Lady held great. You got to listen.

You got to listen. It's true. It's true. It is true. What are you talking about? It is true. It's not disrespecting. It is true.

No, yo. What are you talking about? He mopped my floors, too. And he also wore the... Surgeon General Fat Joe's not cosigning this disrespect. It's not foul. It is no yo, we told my kids he might my flaws General fat Joe's not co-signing He's my brother off. Guys, you got it off. He'll say this to you. Stop. You said it. Stop. Y'all niggas are crazy. Yo, you gonna... You already don't like me anyways. Oh, come on. No, no, no. I don't think you...

I'm just saying. Trevor's a piece of shit, but he's my brother, you know. We got a lot of piece of shit brothers. Piece of shit brothers. You got a lot of people that... I got a lot of piece of shit. It's that cousin you're not kind. Yeah, it's like whatever, but it's still family. Yeah, it's still family. You got to find the good in people.

Do the negative. That's what my father used to say. My father used to say, when you see people, see the good in them first, and then you see the bad. Yeah, you know, I got an uncle, he lies a lot. Like, he's a pathological liar. Like, if it's summer, he'll tell you it's winter. You know, like, the nigga just lying. Like, why didn's summer, he'll tell you it's winter. The nigga just lying. We have lots of friends.

A nigga just gonna stop lying to the point of you like, yo, you cannot be serious about this. You're lying. And I gotta pull him to the side. But the new thing I do with him, because he's my uncle. He's my blood. I love him. One of my

favorite, you know, now when he lies, I'll be like, yo, Nori, he's lying. No. I'll tell you in his face, he knows my new shit is to really try to stop him from lying. It's like, oh, no, he's lying. We didn't go there. We

just came from, this nigga's lying. I love him. He's really my uncle. Don't look at him crazy because he really is my uncle. He's a fucking liar. It's simple. Let me ask you a question. You, what's that?

He has so much great qualities, Tim. Other than the lie. If he didn't lie all the time, he'd be the best nigga in the world. Can I get some water, shorty, please? No disrespect. It's actually not water. Yeah, can I get some water shorty please? No disrespect. It's actually not water. Yeah, it's not water Joe.

Come on, you're killing us. Give me some Jesus juice. Yeah, give me some water. Give me some water. Agua. Agua.

Me and you, me and you, we have a lot like the same thing with good people. We see the good in people. We just want everybody to win

and we hope that when they do win they don't forget where they came from and they will always be there for us. Which is most unlikely for people. Nori's so full of shit, bro. Yeah, tell him. Nori goes, he says, all right, come to my podcast. All right, Nori, I'm here.

He comes in the studio last night, stops the studio, right, and starts playing music and starts telling everybody how I'm his best friend in the world, but I'm the worst nigga that asked for a verse in his life. But he subliminally left the track there through the battery in my back to where today,

guess what I'm going to be recording? Nori's song. Listen, again, I know I said it earlier, but I feel like we should praise That's what I'm going to be recording. Nori's song. That's right. Listen, listen. Again, I know I said it earlier, but I feel like we should praise people while they're here. Joe has always been there for me, just for people that know.

I'm talking about the worst of the worst, the best of the best, in between. You know what I'm saying? And I say that too. I remember Ja. Ja is my brother. It was rough being a Ja Rule friend at one point. I remember walking with Ja Rule in the mall and people going,

you lit? And running. This is before Twitter. Right now, people would do it like this. I remember one time, we were hanging out and I was going to the mall. He was like, well, I ain't doing shit. But mind you, mind you, he's the biggest.

Like, I'm okay. I can walk around, Dolo. Right? I'm okay. He's. Yo, Nori. Yo, why they give you a podcast? Hey, Nori.

The nigga was like, I'll go with you, right? I know. And he's the. He's 10 million Whatever 50 number one hits in a row But 50 is killing him on the streets In the radio He's the biggest thing in a lot

So we walking through the mall And I'm chilling You know it's nothing This is my brother I ain't thinking nothing of it I just heard You bitch And I'm like

The first time I'm like I'm gonna act like I ain't thinking nothing of it. I just heard, you bitch! And I'm like, the first time, I'm like, I'm going to act like I ain't hear that one. You feel me? Because I'm like, I know that ain't for me. So I'm going to just keep walking.

This is my homie. All right, let's keep going. I heard it again. Now this time, this is when the sweats come down. You know what I mean? You know when that one piece of sweat comes down?

No, but what was Ja Rule was doing? He just kept walking. No, he ignored the first one, too. We both ignored the first one. We just kept it moving. But the second one was like, and you could tell it was like a white boy. He was just a fan and just wanted to say this.

All right, let's just say, let's just say, let's just say. But my point is, I stuck with Ja Rule. You supposed to. Now, let's just say that's what real friends do, and this business is built on fake friends. So let's just keep it 1,000. So they say the real recognize the real. The truth is we got to flip that around

and say the fake recognize the fake. Because if you real in this industry, then it's almost like you got AIDS. Yeah, taboo. It ain't no realness in this shit. Right. Just know that. Right?

So we celebrate the real. But it's hard. Right. Because if you analyze the shit that be going on, you can't make no sense of it. Right. Right? So let's just say DMX probably had it the worst. Wait, hold on.

I'm trying to see where you're going. DMX probably, DMX has demons. DMX has been using and abusing drugs. He almost died last week. He was supposed to call in tonight. He almost died. Do you know he almost died last week? Yeah.

I sent a pastor to his hospital. You sent a pastor to his hospital? You sent a pastor to his hospital. You send a pastor to his hospital. That's like a whole other podcast by itself. Because you know what? I'm going to be honest with you. You know what can say? You know what can say?

It's a fact. Who's a pastor? What pastor do you do? Let me tell you. I was smoking weed with DMX one night, 4 o'clock in the morning. First of all, I got a record from DMX when he was 10 million. When he was 10 million. When he was 10 million, I got a record from DMX When he was 10 million When he was 10 million When he was 10 million

I got a record from DMX You say Kirk Franklin? I'm not coming I'm not coming no more I know I'm going to get in trouble In all the blogs For fucking with y'all I'm not coming back

Y'all get it all out Listen, listen Get it all out One time This is 100% Y'all got to stop. You got to hear my DMX story now. I got a whole long DMX story.

Yo, Joe, this nigga sold 10 million at the time. He was the greatest. His manager is Ali. Ali is my brother. We know Ali. Salam alaikum, Ali. Ali went on tour with me. He did everything.

This is my brother. But Ali used to sell rims in Queens. That's how we know him From back in the day Remember He used to work In Long Island Not in Queens

In Long Island Muslim militia Ali is the best man So check it Family So check it I'm on Def Jam So I call Def Jam

And I say yo I need y'all to book my flight To go see DMS I'm going to fly out on Monday And I'm going to return on Wednesday So Tina Davis, who is Chris Brown's manager, Tina Davis calls me and says,

nobody does the record with the dog that easy. But mind you, I see DMX in River Park Towers four o'clock in the morning. Niggas are throwing refrigerators out of, you know what, River Park Towers in the Bronx, by the way. This is not Queens. I got family in River Park. My cousin Damon and Levi live? River Park Towers in the Bronx, by the way. This is not Queens.

I got family in River Park. My cousin Damon and Levi live in River Park Towers. Do you understand how it sounds when a fucking refrigerator drops? Boom!

Woo! And these niggas is just standing around. This is what they do for fun in River Park Towers. Jesus. The MX comes through there

at four o'clock in the morning. I see niggas going, bottom line, nah, that's not happening. I'm gonna die just to make sure he's good. Me and X is good. He sold 10 million at this time. This is the hottest thing in the world. DMX. So I say I'm going to LA.

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

And I'll say, it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by

to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. So what I'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes.

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

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with help from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. So yes, bacteria is definitely having a moment and I'm very excited about that. From probiotic drinks and gummies to face creams and pillows. Yep, we said pillows. The probiotic boom is everywhere. But how much of it actually works and what does it all mean for your gut, your skin, and even your mood? Join us on Dope Labs where we break it all down in the lab like only we can. Listen to Dope Labs on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests

trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. Somebody violated the FBI, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the goddamnedest love story you've ever heard. I picked up the phone and my thought was, this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention.

You can now binge all 10 episodes of Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I think that's the first thing to drop two albums in one year. This is this time. They were selling a half a billion first week. Like, disgusting shit he was doing. If I told you about that, met the man, too. I told you.

I be trying to school my son about that. So, look, T.J. That's shit, boy. So, Tina Davis said to me, who is Chris Brown's manager now, I think, or used to. She won't put him on. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got it, Jeff. But she says to me, nobody flies into LA on Monday or calls with DMX on Tuesday and then

flies out on Wednesday, Nori. And I'm like, I'm Nori. I'm like, you crazy. This is my man. She was right. Hold on. Hold on. Wait till I go with this.

I didn't even see this nigga till Thursday, my nigga. At all. We in the same hotel. We both got the presidential suites in the W in Westwood. He got the two-door one. I got the other one with the one door, right?

I don't even see this nigga, right? I'm next door to this next door to this nigga right this nigga knocks on my door 4 o'clock in the morning Thursday morning 4 o'clock which means that 7 a.m. New York time knocks on my door boom yo dawg you ready dog so I'm like oh shit hell yeah I know what this is what CNN record to it's not like a Nori record This is CNN This is

This is hood to hood I gotta get this shit done He didn't knock on Capone door He knocked on my door So Yo let me tell you Mind you Nori was already platinum Yes

But I need this record CNN was gold Yeah but I need this record He had to get The job Done This is what This is what your man had to do

This is what I had to do The nigga works me up. We go downstairs. Got six cars downstairs. Four days later. So I got, this is four days. It's Thursday. I flew out Monday.

I didn't even see the nigga until Thursday. Four o'clock in the morning, which is technically Friday. The nigga's six cars is downstairs. I tell my niggas Wake up, wake up Bring the car out My car comes out He's like

No, no, no, no You driving with me So I'm like Alright, I heard about this nigga With this driving shit Fuck it, slime This is what you gotta do This is what you gotta do

Right? This is what you Shut the fuck up Yo If anybody ever went Stayed at the W Hotel In Westwood We drove six cars, right?

Plus my two from the W Westwood all the way around right to Ralph's parking lot, which like we could have walked there. So you went around the whole shit. Just to go to right across the street, the park. But he he's a driver. He wants to drive there. He doesn shit to stop right there. Just to go right across the street, the park. But he's a driver. He wants to drive there. He doesn't want to walk there. So we pull out. The guy goes, you like cars?

I'm like, yeah. He pulls out like $7,000 worth of real expensive motor control cars. So I'm like, oh, shit. But what I'm going to say, I don't want to do this. I need this verse. So I'm sitting there with the Mo' Controls. I'm acting like I like Mo' Controls. I hate Mo' Controls fucking God.

He's 10 million at the time. So I'm like, cool, I did it. Boom, he just drives off. It's over. Never see him again. Right? Boom, the next day he hits me. Let's go, Nori. I'm like, all right, off. It's over. Never see him again. Right? Boom. The next day, he hits me. Let's go, Nori.

I'm like, all right. It's going to happen. Mind you, Def Jam's calling me every day. We got the session locked out, $3,000 a day for Monday. Def Jam's like, yo. I'm like, now I can't. But I don't want to tell them they were right. So I'm like, cheer, cheer.

Just cheer. Just cheer. Just cheer. This motherfucker's like, yo, let's go. Let's go. He cheer. This motherfucker's like, yo, let's go. Let's go. He took me to Dublin's. Now, I didn't know at the time Dublin's was a fucking pool hall. Right?

I'm thinking Dublin's might be the studio we was going to. I never seen the studio. Like an Irish pool. Paying three racks every day. We went. He goes to a pool. The second favorite thing I hate in life. Oh, my God.

I don't fucking play fucking pool. Playing pool. The second favorite thing I hate in life. Oh, my God. I don't fucking play fucking pool. Playing pool. I'm sitting there acting like I like pool again. Fucking Sunday morning, we're just hanging out. Still don't get the verse. But he's hanging with me. I know he's not dissing me. Some random dude just walks on the street.

He's like, yo, DMX. DMX is like, what up, dawg? He's like, I got a studio right here. He said, yo, Nori, look at that. We got a guy with a studio. I swear to God. I swear if I'm dead, a guy strike me down. He said, nigga, no.

Y'all got to do a song. But he just love your company. And he's just said, nigga, no, y'all gotta do a song, but he just love your company. And he's just like, oh, yes. Yo, Greg, I'm just kidding you now. He met somebody

off the fucking street, random, and was like, yo, are we gonna use this studio? I'm like, the dog, he's like,

you, that's what you've been looking for, right? I said, dog, I had the studio booked since Monday. We go in there. Here's the crazy shit.

The nigga start laying his verse. Boom, boom. He's killing it. Me and Paul looking at each other like, we got it. All of a sudden, the music is just dead, right? And nobody's in the studio saying nothing. So I'm sitting around. You know me.

I'm like, I'm a control freak. I'm sorry. I can't help it. So I'm like, yo, yo, what's up? Like, everybody's dead. And I'm saying that. I'll open this shit. This nigga is laid out.

Not out. Sleep in the middle of the night. Yo, my God. So everybody's like, yo, nobody fucks with the dog while he's sleeping. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Man, I just paid this hood nigga, too. Listen, I paid the whole week, and I just paid the hood nigga. Because I'm like, he's like, yo, I'll do it for you for free.

I'm like, nah, man. Yo, but he fell out. I need all my files. How many bars he got in? He was like six and a half. Damn. He was like six nah, man. Yo, but he fell out. I need all my files. How many bars he got in? He was like six and a half. Damn. He was like six and a half. Damn, that ain't enough.

Yo, I mean, that was, but. Yo, let me tell you real quick. Go ahead. The nigga, we in Jimmy's Cafe, the nigga DMX come up in there, and he sees Tony Sunshine, and the nigga had like a love fest. Oh my god! Tony Sunshine! I fucking love you!

I'm like, nigga, he doing all that shit, right? So we in the bathroom, we in the bathroom, in the bathroom, Jimmy's Cafe, Jimmy's Mom's Cafe. Tony,

I gotta work with you. Y'all the shit. Yo, Nori, I gotta work with you. Same shit, right? So this is DMX, exactly what he talking about. Nigga was selling a million records a week, nigga, like,

out of this world. So me, you know, Tony signed on me, I'm like, yo, great, like, let's work. Like, you know, what do you want to do? It's a weak nigga Like out of this world So me You know Tony sounded I'm like yo Great Like let's work Like you know What do you want to do I fly Tony

To LA Okay I gotta hear this story Same exact Nothing happened Shit Tony hanging out With the nigga In fact

I think I took I sent Tony And Macho Tony and Macho Tony and Macho to get it done And you know Macho really trying to get it done Right so that nigga's like Y'all he ain't happy He don't like nothing

So the nigga calling me back every day He's like y'all B This nigga got us on the front of our This that this this this this The nigga Tony Sunshine They finally same shit. I think that was his gimmick. A week later, nigga, I forgot the niggas was in LA.

Like, a week later, the nigga Macho called me. He was like, yo, crack, you ain't going to believe this shit, God. I said, what happened? He said, the nigga started rapping and went to sleep. No, I swear, God. I said, what happened? He said, the niggas started rapping and went to sleep. No, I swear to God. And I was like, I was like, what? He said, yo, that nigga out like if a nigga hit him with a hammer.

And niggas was telling the same shit. Yo, you can't wake the dog up. Nobody wake the dog up right now. Yo, that nigga lost his mind. Yo, listen, I'm a foul nigga. I tried. So, whatever it is. All right, the scary thing about this story, right, is that these stories is, in music, until you're not a bread maker, when you a bread maker, somebody like, rest in peace, peace Whitney Houston They was letting her get away

With the wildest shit Because niggas work for them And they scared to tell them like yo chill You bugging out Because that's day check How good is your check If you work for Fat Joe And you letting him kill himself

Deteriorate himself And you thinking about your check right now but at the end of the day all checks is gone when I'm gone and it's an enabler this shit is crazy my nigga and let me get back let me just tell you the reason why um I cause my grandmother

had passed away and my grandmother passed away uh a pastor he was out there he was listen this is a fast sorry but the pastor shit he was out there he was he was listen this is a no i'm sorry but the pastor he was like the hip-hop pastor like he was quoting verses at my grandmother's fucking funeral and like you know you don't have fun at a funeral like i'm looking up he was quoting lines hip-hop lines and i was like yo i said yo give me your number. I said, yo, I need you. You're his manager? No, I told him I'm

going to need him. I was going to put him on a drunk uncle project, but then I thought about it. I was like, I'm way too negative, you know, to squeeze in something positive. Y'all might need this thing. Let me leave him, because if Blatt doesn't blow more, I can get the nigga to talk some shit. This is real. Where he's just talking that shit.

And so look, so now let me tell you. You might get shot at the end of this. So look, one time we're all in L.A. We smoking weed, drinking, whatever. And in the middle of all that, DMX said, yo, can you brothers do me a favor? Can you put all that down? And pray? And pray.

No, no, no, he want to do that. DMX do that to me every time I see him. Yo, he pray. No, he want to pray. Yeah, he'll pray for you. No, he's to do that. DMX do that to me every time I see him. Yo, he prays. No, he want to pray. Yeah, he'll pray for you. No, he's a preacher. Yeah, so I figured maybe he hear it from somebody else. So I put him on with the prayer.

This is 100%. And you my friend, we ain't never speak about this. We ain't never speak about it. This is real. I love DMX. He knows I love him. Every time I see him, we got to pray, man. Right, yeah, no, he prays for me, man

But I don't understand, like Um I don't, you know I don't get it, man, he's a complicated dude And it's like, it's sad, man Because people really love him Sometimes people love you and you deal with So many demons and depression

But they can't even affect you with, like Sometimes I'm having a shitty day, and even if I'm fat, Joe and niggas say, yo, I love you, your music is great. I still feel like shit. You know what I'm saying?

So people got to deal with their own things their own way. But when you got drugs involved, it's a whole other ballgame. Yeah. So we got to just pray. We got to pray.

I had a pastor when I lived in the projects and shit, and the nigga would always talk to me and then we just wild niggas and shit before rap music and all that and the nigga would talk to me and pray all the time he was also the uh work for housing the he was the sweet you know custodian nigga right right so he would always talk to me and Joey, you know, you need to change your life and this and this and that. And what was crazy is the time when I had got shot and I got shot maybe 15 blocks from my my block.

Like I wasn't around my hood. But while I'm laying, you know what I'm saying? Getting shot, laying the fucking pastor who used to work in my projects, as I'm running and shit like that, he's out there praying for me. Like, the nigga literally is, like, I see him. I'm like, what the fuck the pastor doing over here? Joey, it's time to come to God. You know I was out there praying. You know I was out there praying, right? So I'm like, yeah, pastor, you know, I've always been

a respectful nigga and shit. So I'm like, yeah, pastor, boom. So I remember one time the police was so mad at me. To this day, they're still mad, right? Because they couldn't catch me. So they would hear shots fired, fat nigga with red hoodie.

You know, like, they knew what was going on. They just couldn hear shots fired, fat nigga with red hoodie. You know, like they knew what was going on. They just couldn't pin it on a nigga and they was just so fucking heated, right? So I remember one time we had some beef and we standing in front of the building and we strapped. I mean like super strapped, right?

Ready to go down, right? And we got no clue. We just talking about how we gonna go over here and do our business, whatever. So the pastor come over. He got his shit. He said, yo, Joey. He said, don't look. Don't act like you talking to me.

I said, yo, what's up, pastor? And we act like we talking. He was like, there's so many cops on both sides of this building. They're about to rush y'all. This is the pastor. I don't even think, he ain't supposed to do that, right? When you in church.

Nah, he's supposed to do that. He's supposed to? Listen, if you want to relate to the community, you got to be a part of the community. He wants to, yeah. You got to be a part of it. Yo, so this nigga tells me, right? So I'm like, word.

He's like, yo, they on that side and that side. So this nigga I was cool with? So I'm like, word. He's like, yo, they on that side and that side. So this nigga I was cool with is a real pastor. It's a real pastor. This nigga I was cool with

live on the first floor. I ain't going to give him no props, give him his, say his name. But I'll tell niggas it was like three of us had hammers.

I was like, yo, and like the count of three nigga, we boogie and we diving in homeboy's window, nigga. So my nigga, we just like, yo. And like the count of three, nigga, we boogie and we diving in homeboy's window, nigga. So my nigga, we just said, wham! We went, we took off. We all jumped

in the window, right? So we shut the window down. You hear the cops like one minute later, where did they go? Because everybody else ran. But we got away. We at the hammers, but we under the window like a movie, like the windows over us and we like and you hear these niggas they was like 20 30 cops and both like how did these

niggas get away right they bugging out they on both sides so if i ran around this building they catch me on this side or they bugging out like how does niggas get away right right so we sitting up there my man's mom's her her name was Cheeky Dina. I'll never forget. She came over to me. She was like. She sounds gangster. She said, in Spanish.

She told me in Spanish, but I'll tell you in English. She was like, you guys are bringing the heat to my house? Ha! Yo, smack my cheek. I'm going to knock the shit out of you. Yo, my shit hot I should call the cover but we got away with it We can never jump in the window again But the pastor helped me get away That's right Clippin Daniels is our pastor

Is that the one you sent to DMX? Absolutely man Because you know what I believe in what religion you believe for you Right So you thought you were sending what he What he prefers I'm not saying you what you're into

Listen He prayed for me thought you were sending what he what he prefers into i'm gonna send you what you listen he he prayed for me like this is sauce awards weekend in la where we was on that shit like what's your nigga work like you know what i mean like i'm from new york i'm gonna i'm gonna leave with my jury like that's my word that's that's that's how i felt at that time. So my mind frame, he also saved me. Like, when we landed. Oh, DMX? When we landed, yeah. When we landed, we seen Eve and all this shit. So we out there, we seen like bitches, like, you know, like rap bitches, and they fucking with me.

I got that record out. That super thug was killing them. So I'm thinking it's love. It's not love. I think a DMX came to my man. This is 100% real story. He said, the dogs gotta watch the dog. So if the dogs is with the dogs, then the dogs ain't gonna want to try the dog.

So if the dog's always around the dogs, the dog stay with the dogs and the dog can never come around by itself. The nigga gave my people five. As soon as he walk away. I'm like this nigga certified crazy My man from the Bronx 22 Ronald Jordan is his real name 22 is my brother. He said understood everything I said what there was sense He said he said it was sense as long said, look, the rapper's the target. And then me and Pone, Pone rented a Jag, I rented a Porsche, and then we rented a 15-passenger van to stay behind us. You feel me?

So the dog said, make sure the dog is always around the dog. Don't ever let the dog come out by itself, which means don't let the nigga walk by itself. It doesn't matter. Norris is a real nigga. Pone's a real nigga. But they got jury on. come out by itself, which means don't let the nigga walk by himself. Like, it doesn't matter. Like, Norris is a real nigga. Poem's a real nigga,

but they got jury on. That's what it's gonna attract to them. You know what I mean? Like, I was like, wow, when I deciphered it, I was like,

this nigga's mad smart. Like, he's super smarter than what people give him credit for. Like, you know what I'm saying? And super hood.

First of all, I want to thank you, man. You know what I'm saying? Hey, yo, man, this was a long podcast. Yeah, yeah. No, no, no.

It could have been longer. It could be longer. It could be longer. Yeah, yeah. If we could talk to you for days, first of all.

But you already said you're not coming back. We got to call this shit like the Bible with some shit. I like that. I like that. Chapters of the Bible. The foul. It's got to be like chapters of the Bible.

The foul Bible. The foul Bible. Let's go with that. Joe's here for Matthew 49. Before you bounce, I got something. Personal.

This is personal shit. So, you know, as Latinos, we grow up and we grasp it. Like we said, Jose Luis got you. We grasping onto that as Latinos.

So, and then as Latinos, then we sub-grasp. I'm Cuban. I'm Puerto Rican. I'm Dominican. Then we trying to find those cats in the game. But then I find out. Let me find out. I'm Cuban.

Fat Joe's half Cuban. You should have known that from day one. No, I knew that early on, but it wasn't represented in the music. I was like, is he really? I don't know how to represent Cuban in the music. So what's the story behind that is my question. Because the only way I'll break it all down to you, right? The only way to break it down to you is if we did Cuban, we would have to do, come on, everybody, wouldn't you do that?

Come on, man. I'm being real, nigga. Like, that's what it would be, my nigga. So it's like, no. But is there a reason? Like, is it like the Puerto Rican side of your family is really where you grew up in? What happened is my father's Cuban.

My mother's Puerto Rican. My Cuban side of my family was from Miami, was from like, they was from Jersey, then they moved to Miami so I grew up with the Puerto Ricans mostly right like really with the Puerto Ricans with my mother my father and everything but I never denied that I was Cuban in any way shape or form but I screamed Puerto Rico so loud that Cubans didn't see it but if you go back to 1993 when I came out and you read, hey, there's a new rapper on the set. He's Puerto Rican and Cuban from day one.

I never. No, no. Go catch it. I'm sure they're on the Internet somewhere. Like, for example, Curious George, when he said I'm half Castro, half whatever, like he said it in a line. I didn't know what he meant. No, I knew it because I'm half Castro, half whatever. He said it in a line. I didn't know what he meant. No, I knew it because I'm Cuban. And when Cypress Hill was saying Cuban, Spanish, like they was...

Wait, Cypress Hill's Cuban? Yes. I thought they was Mexican. Yeah, me too. Like Cuban's George, I thought he was from the weekend. But I'm originally from the same hood as Cypress Hill because I'm originally from LA. But when they was speaking Spanish and they had that song, I forget the Latin lingo. It wasn't Latin lingo.

It was the other record on their album. Tres Equis. Tres Equis. They were saying singa and this and that. And it was like, you're Cuban. Like, we knew it as Cubans. I'm like, these dudes ain't Mexican. They Cuban.

Well, breaking news. I just found out that they Cuban. My father. Yeah, yeah. It was Mexican. No, no, no. I knew Metal Man Ace was Cuban. Of course he's Cuban. He rapped Cuba. Yeah, no. I knew Metal Man Ace was Cuban. Of course he's Cuban.

He rapped Cuba. Yeah, yeah. Metal Man, he's the old side of that. He rapped Cuba. His brother is Sendog. And B-Real, I think he's half Cuban, half Mexican. I think. Well, me personally, I get a little...

I'm glad we had this conversation. But I get slightly offended because I know I've been representing the Cubans since, even the song me and you had, I've been representing Cubans since day one. So my thing is well documented. Like if you go

back to my interviews from day one, it'd be like father Cuban, mother Puerto Rican, right? But I did grow up on my Puerto Rican side more. Right. So I always rep Cuban. I have brothers and sisters from Cuba. I brought back nine brothers and sisters from Cuba over here.

You know, I don't even know how to explain. While they were there, I was supporting them, building homes for them niggas so they could live. Like, you can't keep it realer than me. My father's Cuban. The worst kind of Cuban you can have. He'll argue with you politically for 10 hours. Like, you know, my family. So, you know, I always bugged out when I bumped into a Cuban and they was telling me, like, yo, I didn't know you was Cuban.

I was like, so you obviously. I knew that early on. Like, there was a. I was like, you ain you was Cuban. I was like, so you I knew that early on. Like there was a I was like, pay attention. Yeah. No, no. You ain't paying attention. Maybe not when you said it originally. Like 90.

So let's just say I've heard Cuban. So, you know, you meant like why we didn't say Cuban. Cuban link. Cuban link. Right. But Cuban link. He wanted to wrap Cubans. And you ain't really want to hear that

You really ain't want to hear Come on everybody And we wouldn't let that nigga go And we wouldn't let that nigga go He'd have thrown the choir I'm like yo my nigga We Terrence Squad Soft, brunk, killer niggas

Like stop He really wanted to be the first pit bull To be honest with you He wanted With the shirt he wanted to do that Bad And we was like yo my nigga we kill niggas I remember me and Pun used to argue with this thing

Yo what the fuck you doing What is this But you know we can't We make music for everybody So you gotta You gotta know't we make music for everybody so you gotta you you you gotta know that we make music for everybody so hip-hop itself is a subculture a sub-religion yeah right i don't really get offended when white people say nigga that's a hip-hop fan i really don't because they white niggas. But because hip-hop is

one, you know, it's like a religion. I don't feel like, you know, a motherfucker, you gotta be Spanish. You gotta be black. You gotta be white. You gotta be Chinese. You gotta be, I just feel

like, be proud of who you are. Rep who you are But make music for everybody Of course And that's some of the problems We've had with Latino rappers Yeah yeah You know what I'm saying

Like me personally I don't know how they Ain't more successful Latino rappers Because we put the blueprint Out there Right We've been from the beginning

No Right No no Hip hop is not black music It's black and Latino music originally. From the beginning. Day one. Yes, yes, day one.

Now, that's not the discussion. Right. I'm saying Fat Joe, big pun. Noriega. We put the blueprint. Cypress. Like, of course, Cypress. But I'm saying Cypress.

So what I'm saying there, we took their blueprint. Right. Right? Like, just keep it real. But it's out there so what's the excuse Cypress Hills they performing

for white people black people Chinese they like how can I kill a man but a nigga wanna come and he wanna make straight Latino music

I sit down especially West Coast Latino rappers whenever I sat down with them and I have one on one with them cause I always wanna

give niggas knowledge I sit down be like yo papi papi, I know you Mexican. We want you to rap Mexican, but make music for everybody. But you know, it's different politics on the West Coast. Nah, but you got to be the biggest nigga.

I mean, I think if there was a fly, handsome Mexican nigga spitting that shit, just spitting that shit, black girls, white girls, everything would fucking love this nigga. You understand what I'm saying? So it shouldn't be a barrier.

Never, never, never. You shouldn't enclose yourself to a certain category. Not at all. And that's how I always approach the game. And me also, I came from a neighborhood that was 99.9% black. So imagine if you see

a pack of black lions or black panthers in the jungle and this nigga will non-stop calling, bro. You see a pack of black panthers and you see one white panther with them.

That was always sad. Joe, we heard stories that you'll be the only one in the only Spanish white nigga with blonde hair with 500 black niggas just walking through. And he was the only Puerto Rican and I was the only Queens dude in the Bronx. Oh, that's true. People used to be like, why are you here? No, no, no. I used to be like, why are you? Are Norby? No, no, no. I used to be like, why are you here? Are you sure you're okay, Norby?

I'm 10 minutes away. I'm just 10 minutes. Like, what the fuck was he doing? I always have that. But now, that's just the way I was raised. So I was raised in a community where it was all black. You know what I'm saying? So it was like, you know,

I consider myself black too. Right. Like, as weird as it sounds. I'm proud to be Latino. I wave the flag. You've been in the black delegation. Don't worry about it. Don't worry about it.

You know what I'm saying? I'm serious. Like, I'm black. It's weird because I tell black people that all the time and they'll be like, yo, what do you mean? Like, nigga, I'm black. Nigga, like, I'm blacker than you the time And they be like yo what do you mean Like nigga I'm black nigga I'm blacker than you Because you want to be a black white guy

I'm a Spanish black nigga You understand what I'm saying Hell yeah You want to be a Harvard black nigga Nigga I'm black nigga To me I had it worse because Like I would hang out with the black people and then I would go

with the Puerto Ricans and they'd be like, Cocoro, Moreno, and then I had to go to... Then I got to go with the black people and they got their specs and all that.

And it was like... And you in the middle. I'm in the middle. Like, I'm going to... No, no, no. I want to tell you a story. The Latin Kings, right? I'm in...

This is a fact. This is a classic. The Latin Kings, right? I mean, this is a fact. This is a classic. The Latin Kings. I'm in jail. I got a super Latin Kings story. I'm in jail, right? The Latin Kings, they doing some shit for the dentist, right? I'm in jail, right?

What they doing for the dentist? No, what they doing is... Praying for him? No, they're fucking... They're recruiting every Spanish person in the unit, but what they're doing is saying that you got to go to the dentist in jail, right? So these dudes come,

and they're like, Victor Santiago. So I stand up. For the people who don't know, that's my name. Super Puerto Rican. Oh, that's straight Puerto Rican. So I stood up, and the people who don't know, that's my name. Super Puerto Rican. Hold on, that's straight Puerto Rican. So I stood up. And the dude's like, not you, not you.

So I sat back down. Then they go, Victor Santiago. And I'm like, yo, I'm not going to keep standing up. And then they're like, but not you, not you, right? To the very top. Like, Victor Santiago. I'm like, yo, I'm not standing up again. They're like, yo, not you, right? To the third time. Like, Victor Santiago. I'm like, yo, I'm not standing up again. They're like, yo, you're Victor Santiago?

That's my name. So, like, the guard, the CO nigga was down with the, he was a Latin king, too. No, he was a Latin king. He's a Latin king, too. He was. So, they pulled me in the dentist. These niggas put oil razors to me. Like, yo, you Cuban?

I'm like, no. They're like, you Dominicanan i'm like no you're like you're dominican i'm like no you're like well what the fuck are you why the fuck is your name victor santiago so i'm like yo i'm porto rican and black they're like damn you can't really be down with us but they got their raises to me. I can't do nothing. They actually set me up where like, you know, you sit in the dentist chair.

You couldn't move. I couldn't move. So I'm like, they said, so this is what we're going to do. We're going to make you a neta. I had never heard what a neta was.

A neta, a neta. A neta, yeah. They said, we're going to make you a neta. Because they see my sheet. My sheet was clean. A fish you. But I'm trapped.

There's nothing I can do. It doesn't matter what my sheet says. You got to get out of there. So they're like, we're going to make you a net. And I say, yo, my dude, I'm that neutral people. Like, I'm both. I can't. Listen, I go to the yard.

I love handball. Sorry. I'm nice. Pun beat me in handball once. No. I hated that. You never recovered. Listen.

No, Pun beat you in handball. In his death, I was like, yo, I had to get my rematch. Like when he died, I was like, yo, I needed my rematch. You know, fat niggas Is the best niggas In handball I don't know If you know that

Big Mado Eddie Giggs kills the game No Eddie Giggs in fact He's great in it Me and you We play handball We play handball

Yo we got serious At one point Yo I came out of jail The nigga Norris said Yo we gotta play handball Yes And we went somewhere Out here

And played handball See people don't know This about me I'm actually I thought I was a handball. Yes. And we went somewhere out here to play handball. See, people don't know this about me. I'm actually, I thought I was a handball expert until like anybody that's, like Pun beat me in handball. I never like,

Oh my God. I never actually forgave him. Pun has superhuman strength. Even in death, I'm like, I still need, like God bless because, you know,

hopefully I'll, you know, whatever. But when we see each other in heaven, that's probably the first thing I'm like, I still need like, God bless, because, you know, hopefully, you know, whatever. But when we see each other in heaven, that's probably the first thing I'm going to say to him. Rematch, motherfucker. You know what I'm saying? Yo, I love you, man. This is how it's going to go. Yo, I love you. How's it happen? Rematch.

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

people were here. And I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month. And on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson

stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. So what I'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. You know, I love jokes.

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

Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects throughout your body. Not just your gut, but your mental health, your metabolism, your immunity, your risk of cancer, heart disease, almost any disease under the sun. Yep, you heard right. Probiotics might actually impact everything from your brain to your heart. So what's science and what's just really good marketing? On this episode of Dope Labs, me and Zakiya cut through the hype and get into the real deal behind probiotics with help from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. So, yes, bacteria is definitely having a moment and I'm very excited about that. From probiotic drinks and gummies to face creams and pillows.

Yep, we said pillows. The probiotic boom is everywhere. But how much of it actually works? And what does it all mean for your gut, your skin, and even your mood? Join us on Dope Labs where we break it all down into the lab like only we can.

Listen to Dope Labs on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. on iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. Somebody violated the FBI, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the goddamnedest love story you've ever heard.

I picked up the phone, and my thought was, this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention. You can now binge

all 10 episodes of Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, so listen, that being said, we're all Latinos. I want to end it on who's your favorite Latino besides Pun,

besides Nori, besides Joe, because it would be unfair. So my favorite Latino who hit me, Kid Frost. Kid Frost is the OG. That's my favorite. That's the OG. When I heard, this is me. Kid Frost. Kid Frost is the OG. That's my favorite. That's the OG. When I heard, this is what I saw. You thought he was dope. I don't know.

That's something different here. That's something different here. I'm sorry. Pick up the Scoop DeVille. Scoop DeVille is a legendary. I'll take Scoop DeVille. That was my favorite. I knew Kid Frost since I started.

He was on Relativity, too. Get out of here. And on Easy's label, on Ruthless. Yeah, I couldn't believe it. I thought he was on Ruthless. I never knew he was on Relativity. He was on Ruthless, and then after Relativity. I couldn't really.

You couldn't get with Kid Frost? Nah, because he was like, I met the real Kid Frost, and I was just like, it's amazing. Oh, there's a different person. What's that? What's that? Oh, we don't know this story. He was trying to let you go, but now you went in. You already went out.

You went in. It's already wet. You gotta go. I couldn't do that. But all I can say is that back to the West Coast, they look at shit different than we look at it. Right. Right.

So you know what I'm saying? I'm hanging out with, I'm going to just tell you the miniature version of it because I wouldn't do that to you. I already know where this is going to go. But he comes to New York, so I'm like, yo, I got to salute the Mexican homies. So I took him to Jimmy's Cafe and we walked down the block. Big up Jimmy's Cafe. All, you know, as we walking out, everybody's like, yo, crack, what's up, my nigga? Yo, crack, what's up, what's up, what's up?

So I'm walking, I'm dapping everybody. And we walk like half a block. And he says, yo, Joe, can I talk to you, hoes? And this is Kid Frost. Not Kid Frost. I'm with him. I got him in New York, feeding him. We chilling, brothers.

I don't really fuck with the black guys like that bro that's the problem on the west coast I'm like what he's like no man I see you talking to all these guys I'm bugging out I'm like yo no nigga I fuck with the black niggas and that was a once in a life

you know we hung out one time he's probably over there saying fuck fat joe he hang out with the black guys I couldn't you know, I couldn't. Spanish dudes, they influence me. Well, not influence you, or even just you think that it's hard or hard or dope. The hardest niggas ever. The hardest niggas ever.

Somebody who impressed me. Can I say two? Yeah, you can. And I always say them, but somebody who impressed me at a young age who was a fly nigga was Tito from the Fearless Four. And the rumors I used to hear about him when I was a young kid was like, he was

getting money, he was a fly nigga, fucking all the bad bitches. And the Fearless Four was, you know, an amazing rap crew. He's somebody I looked up to. Even to this day when I see him, I be like, yo, Tito. Hold on, I ain't gonna lie. We gotta make noise for Joe being super hip-hop on his first pick.

Some of these niggas is like, what the fuck is this? What the Fearless 4? Tito from the Fearless 4, boy. That's real. He was a fly nigga. You're a real hip hopper. No, I am. You just really showed the world just now.

How hip hop you are. Because niggas is Googlers. Again, they Google or something. Google that nigga. They Google or something. And I'm going to tell you a secret, right? When we was shooting the video, John Blaze and Queens, we was shooting it. No, John Blaze, I was there.

It was in Brooklyn. In Brooklyn. Williamsburg. Greenpoint. Greenpoint there It was in Brooklyn In Brooklyn, Greenpoint Greenpoint, Greenpoint So it was Pun's birthday Listen, me and Nas was beefing Hold on, do you remember this? Me and Nas was beefing

And you called me to squash the beef with Nas Do you remember that? And that's why I'm And when Nas' verse plays I'm the only person that's in the verse with Nas Because I think I hung out With Cormega Some bullshit

Nah what happened was This is when you love Nas So he goes like To get Nas man He's a special guy too Nah he's a special guy So um And me and Nas

Stopped talking And you called me And squashed it That's your brother Um so we So we turned around and... This is real shit right here.

Yeah, so... All the way. Nah, we gave him too much real. Yeah. So... This is two seconds, by the way. Tito from the Fearless Four came out of nowhere

to the video and he had a cake. He knew it was Pun's birthday. He never met Pun. Oh, what video is this now? John Blaze. Okay, John Blaze. So he comes in the trailer and he gets it. He never met Pond. What video is this now? John Blaze. He was there. So he comes in the trailer

and he gets it. He brings out a cake and the nigga pulls out a bunch of hundred dollar bills and put them like candles on the cake. This Tito Phyllis, he wasn't even a rapper no more. He was beyond

OG. Still getting money. Still getting money still getting money threw up the hundred dollars that's the name of the record that we're doing by the way it's still called still getting money alright I didn't know it fit good your man's a silent listen so your man turn around and I'm explaining to Ponda who it is and it's Tito he's the rich

Ponda didn't know him he didn't really know him so I go like this your Ponda he's like the nigga the first nigga this this that fly, that, fly, Spanish nigga. Tito lit up all the fucking $100 bills and pump blew it out. We ate the cake. Tito's a stand-up guy, man. He's a beautiful person. But you said two.

Two. And I got to give it to Cypress Hills. Because, like. We both gave it to the West Coast. I'm sorry. I didn't know Kid Frost, the thing about Kid Frost. But I'm still a big fan. And he didn't know Cypress was Cuban, too.

And I didn't know Cypress was Cuban. Anyway, Kip Frost, I mean, his music was dope. It's NRE. And he was representing the Ross. I love him. Because you know what? I actually understand it. I did a movie.

It's a horror flick called Seven Mummies. I don't recommend you see it. It's trash. I did it for Nick Queston. You remember Nick Queston? Yes, my guy. Well, Nick Queston, the first two videos

I ever shot in my life. He shot it, so you felt loyal. Was L.A., L.A., and T.O. and Y. So he told me to come to Arizona. I did.

Noel G. from Training Day. No, no, don't say no more, niggas. The Mummy, nigga. Yeah, the Mummy. It was fucked up. It was fucked.

I ain't gonna front. I fuck, and then they kill me. Like, the mummy. It was fucked up. It was fucked. I ain't gonna front. I fuck, and then they kill me. Like, I played the black guy in the horror film. You die immediately. My favorite role is in Paid in Full.

Right. When Nori comes over to the car. You know, I freestyled that whole shit. Oh, man. I freestyled that whole shit. That's legendary role.

That was like your Samuel Jackson moment. but get ahead, man. Absolutely. We'll go there. We'll go there. So, look. So, Noel G, me and him got mad cool. Like, I'm talking about, like, he hung out on my trailer.

I hung out on his trailer. And he's from East, I was about to say East New York, East L.A. So, I flew to L.A. one time. I was like, yo, I want to go to your hood. He was like, he had to keep it real with me. He was like, nah. I was like, what? Come over here.

You know, I go any hood, yo. East New York, pink houses. I don't give a fuck. But when the person that's supposed to bring you there says, nah. They got to have you. Nah. Or they got to at least pretend like they can hold you down he said your skin color he said i seem to kill mexicans that skin is darker than yours wow that's what

he said but you know that's prison politics no but in la prison politics run la that's what i'm saying it's the latino community not in the black community no no no all over the community so um that that fucked me up When I realized that But Peyton Fall To um Get back to that I actually

Auditioned for Alpo And I didn't get it Wood Harris Who um Was the person I spoke to And paid it for Who played AZ Wood Harris

Yep He came to me and he tried to prep me for the audition role. And when he prepped me for the audition, I took it too serious. You know, I got a fucking real actor sitting there

telling me what to do and what to do. And I tried to do it too. Actually, I did eight movies. I never got any movie for my audition. Me either. I actually, I did eight movies. I never got any movie from an audition. Me either. I'm not a practice guy. They say, you got the role.

You got it. If you say I got it, I'm good. Read in front of the cameras, I'm whack too. I'm good. I'm whack on that. If you just say,

yo, I want Fat Joe in this movie, I'm great. I'm great. I'm going to do it. I'm going to kill it. I'm going to do it.

But I never read my lines. Like, I read them, I memorize them because I'm God body. Like, you know what I'm saying? kill it. I'm going to kill it. But I never read my lines. Like, I read them. I memorize them because I'm God body. Like, you know what I'm saying? So, I memorize them. And then I change them because the thing about God body, if you really realize it, after you master your 120, you got to master your plus degrees.

So, to me, that's what always what hip hop was to me was a plus degree. It was an advance. Is this 5% of shit? No, we went from 5% to... He went from 5% of Mexicans to everything. You just went all over the place right now. Listen, I'm everything. I believe in every culture.

You know, it's too late for me to go emphatically non-Cypher, dog. You can't do it. In today's mathematics, I'm from God'sville. That's what they called your hood, God'sville? They called my hood God's City. They called my hood God's mathematics. I'm from God'sville. That's what they called your hood, God'sville? They called my hood God'sville. My hood was God'sville, nigga. I left for actually the God'sville. Y'all completely lost me right now.

No, no, we do some New York shit. I'm from Kendall. You're from Kendall, yeah. Y'all ain't had the God'sville herbs in Kendall. Nah, you wasn't in Kendall. These one or two niggas snuck down there. Yeah, yeah. They there.

But Cypress Hills, because they did it big. And I remember when I first saw them, I thought they was from New York. I was like, oh, yeah. My nigga, they shot their video in New York. And they had Cube in the video. They had Cube in the video in front of them. What video was that? Killerman.

Killerman. And they shot it in front of Apollo. What video was that? Killerman. Killerman. And they shot it in front of Apollo and everything. Everybody was discussing that. Are they from New York? Are they from LA? Where the fuck are they from? Them niggas was like, Cyprus.

And they was in the hood. Because there's Cypress Hill in New York. And there's a Cypress Hill in LA. Oh, my God. There's Cypress Hill in Brooklyn. Cypress Hill in Brooklyn. Queens, Brooklyn. No, no, no. East New York.

So, no. And Q-Tip's in that video, too, I think. Wow. There's a cell in both It's New York It's in that video too. I think wow my nigga I thought them niggas was from New York, but I'm not gonna tell you I looked up to them because they was from New York I'm just telling you I want to get high So Them niggas was right. Now don't even get high. Them niggas was rocking, my nigga. Like, I ain't even going to lie.

To this day, I probably look up to Cypress Hill still. Because I just feel like they really put it down the way I like it to be put down. And still. No corny shit. And I think still to this day. No corny shit. No nothing. Just real raps and beats. You got to say yours

and we're going to rap it up. In terms of Latino rappers? Yeah, I mean, yeah. Well, Cypress Hills definitely, for sure. All right. And Punn. Hands down, Punn.

Mm-hmm. Punn, Punn. You know, we're going to end this on this. Well, Punn the best Latino rapper ever lived. I'll tell you right now. It's the bottom line.

I'll tell you. Real quick. When I heard him on Firewater. Firewater? Yeah, that was my first song. It was me, Raekwon, the God. I had him on Armageddon. Oh, okay.

That's right. That's the first song Pun ever came out on Firewater. I put that on a mixtape. On your mixtape? On my mixtape. DJ, you're big. In Miami, nobody had ever heard. Miami's mixtape On your mixtape On my mixtape In Miami Nobody had ever heard Miami's mixtape king

Let me tell you Nobody had ever heard anything I put it on a mixtape Here in Miami And I was like This dude is fucking killing it I didn't know who he was The best

I just But then I knew I knew he was Latino I was like We got one That's it That's it because Just so you know

At that same time Big L's my favorite rapper Digging in the Craigs crew That's my brother too That's my other favorite rapper Fat Joe was a member of two crews With two of the greatest rappers of all time That's my other favorite rapper

We know it's late, but make some noise. Get on. That's where I'm like, this is it. Yo. Yo, we got him. Yo, I've really,

it's just almost like Chink's, Chink's drugs. Los Angeles, then Evangelist, then Evangelist, then Banana. Oh my God.

I know Pun was great. I didn't know he was the greatest until like after after his funeral I remember me standing there

and crying and God bless the dead Flex Flex TS was the one who came and grabbed me cause

I didn't know what to do like I still start crying my mother came to the funeral keep it real without me my mom said my mom didn't wait what to do. I started crying. My mother came to the funeral. Keep it real. Without me. My mom said. My mom didn't wait for me to come. My mother went. My sister went.

Man from the bodega. It was so crazy because the people who came to that funeral, it was crazy, man. It was like people from our community, that never even talked to us,

was like, you know, they were so proud. Yes. They were showing up, and you was like, yo, that's my school teacher, you know. So I'm sitting there crying,

and I walk by, and my school teacher come and grab me, and like, yo, be strong, this, this, that. Like, we touched so many niggas in that hood. It was crazy. But it was like that, too. I'll never forget, too.

I was at one point, I was at Punt's funeral, and I was crying. And it was Ja Rule. And I looked up, and it was Ja Rule. He was there one deep, too. He was like, be strong, crack. Don't worry, be strong. And that shit, that P Pun shit was serious, man.

This is what, I remember Flex grabbing me and just was like, yo, he's not suffering no more. And the crazy shit, I've never seen Pun suffer. Like, when Pun, and I know we going too much, but we going to stop it soon. But when Pun used to have sleep apnea, like when he used to go like this, I used to think Pun was playing with me. Like, God bless me, because now I know. But back

then, I used to be like, damn, my fucking stories is boring. Put people to sleep. Like, yo, we would be talking like, yo, what's good? I'm like, hold on. All right, let's just get it on the record. Pun love, Nori. Pun love, Nori, and in a different way, in a special way.

Right. And them niggas used to hang out. They used to chill every day. Yeah, we used to avoid Joe. That's what Joe said. Because Joe was always militant. Like, he's always militant. He's the get money dude.

Like, that's all he thinks about. Me and Pun, we wanted to have fun. We was younger. You know what I'm saying? Joe's our OG. It's all he thinks about. Me and Pun, we wanted to have fun. We was younger. You know what I'm saying? Joe's our OG. It's a fact. So we used to be like on the road,

everything. And Pun smoked weed. He drank Coz Light. You know what I mean? Joe was born. You just started drinking. Really. You just started

leisurely drinking. Yeah. I ain't drinking that time. He was so serious. He was like... Every day, the engineers were scared of you. Everybody was scared. I told my son this, too.

I said, listen, bro. We was born with nothing, my nigga. And if we get the opportunity to go get it, let's not stop, nigga. Let's just go get it. And we can't make it. We got to go get this fucking money, man. Because all the times we dreamed about getting money, all the times all we wanted was money. Niggas wouldn't give us a fucking ice cream.

You know, we starving. Niggas got to chip in for four chicken wings and french fries. Now niggas is throwing this money at us. Like, what the fuck is we supposed to do? Let's go get this fucking money. That's a fact. And that's what I'm about right now I'm in the car

My son rap I'm in the car with him I barked on him two minutes before I came here Cause he was like yo Engineer ain't really doing it right I'm like nigga you fucking crazy Like I be rapping in closets We gonna end it on this Back in the days You couldn't send a nigga rapping in closets, nigga. We gonna end it on this, Joe.

Back in the days, you couldn't send a nigga an email. You had to run around with two-inch tapes like this. That shit was like carrying a midget. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The real, the real, the real.

Yo, let me tell you something. I've never been to, and this is my engineer right here, Hazardous Sounds, my producer, my friend. But Haz, I've never been to, and this is my engineer right here, Hazardous Sounds, my producer, my friend. But Haz, I have never had a session with you unless I did four records. Keep it real.

I'm going to look away, so I'm not giving you no sign. Am I lying? At least four. I'm lying, I'll tell you. At least four. At least four, because you know why? It's not because, but back then, spending $1,500 on a lockout or $3,000 on a lockout, I had to do...

Yo, 100% honest shit, I'm keeping it real. CNN War Report album was done over two years, but it was only five to seven sessions. Because we recorded eight, nine records when we went in there. And tragedy put us on. Yeah, but you when we went in there. And, you know, Tragedy put us on. Yeah, but you had this wave, man. Your wave was like, you know, special wave. But what it was, man. Y'all niggas, man, you could do whatever you wanted, Nori.

Nori, you a funny nigga. And then it's like, maybe he was bugging out, but to us, it was like flows we never heard, right? It's true. I'm like, yo, what the fuck is this nigga saying? This shit hot! You know where that came from? What was the joint you did? And we gotta go.

But you keep talking about it. What was the joint you did? I think it was in the firm No, nor we know this Nor we know that I'm leaving I'm leaving I'm leaving

I can give you the story of that And then we break out But listen It goes It's that one, right? Uh-huh Nor we know this Nor we know that

That's the firm shit But nor we know that Why? Cause nor we I'm leaving That's the firm shit Yeah And there was another one You did for Nas, was it laws or more deep it was blood money blood money

Well, we did that during the firm album, um The funny shit, I'm not gonna lie to you from the outside and I don't know if you know Yeah, tell me you was like like the illest nigga right there. Like, right there, when they snatched you up, because it was a big move for you. And I had just shot niggas. Yo, nah. In their projects, too.

And they was like, and I kept hanging out there. They was like, what? These niggas were left rackers. Left rackers are getting money in 20 minutes. Yeah, it's far. And I kept hanging out.

And I got to give the love to Jungle. Jungle was the dude, like, Jungle was like, we're fucking with him. We're fucking with the shooter. You know what I mean? Yeah. But Fat Joe, man. But what I'm saying is. I said about the ending.

When I heard. When I heard that song. They recruited you. Right. And you was just like, it was so ill. I was just like, yo. And you know from then, my very first feature, my very first feature after that was the pun record.

My very first feature after that. But you went pun. You know pun's first words he ever said to me? What'd he say? He said, because I was in a session. This is the first words you ever said to me. You going long. You said, you said. You going long. This is the first words you ever said to me? What'd he say? He said, because I was in a session. This is the first words you ever said to me. You going long. You said, you said, this is the first words you ever said to me. You said, y'all CNN,

huh? He walked in his unique studio. His unique studios. Nigga walks in, whoa, and then he goes, y'all CNN, huh? I'm like, he said, which one of y'all niggas got shot? And then Paul raised his hand. And then y'all start comparing gunshot rooms and shit.

I was like, this is very awkward. Paul shows his shit there. And then he goes, which one of y'all is Puerto Rican? And I raised my hand. And this is 100% facts. I was just like, because I never met these niggas. I love this nigga, but I don't want him to think I'm a sucker. He just walked in my studio session.

Clue told you to walk over, right? Buck Wilde is doing a beat. Maybe be Buck Wilde. And then, pun goes to me. He goes, yo, you Puerto Rican? And I go, yeah. He goes, so wipe the ice grill off, papa. Because we're going to be friends.

And from that moment, yo, the nigga made me laugh. From that moment, I was racist from that moment. That's awesome. Some of the best people I ever met. Man, Joe, I really appreciate you. You have never left me.

You've always been there for me. I want to shout out the guard, Ray Kwan. Guard, Ray Kwan. And K. And K is his birthday. K is his birthday. Happy birthday, my brother. But Ray Kwan, the chef.

So, before you leave. Top five friends. Top three friends in hip hop ever. You don't know the purple tape sneakers. They jerk me. So, I have one up on you. He called me first. I was out of town. I said, nah, I'll go get him.. They jerked me. So I have one up on you. He called me first. I was out of town.

I said, nah, I'll go get them. And I never got them. But I really need them. So I have one up on you. Yeah, you got one up on me. I sent you one. But he going to give me one. Yeah, I know.

But for now. Can I say something? Yeah. So I'm an underground rapper. I'm digging in the craze. I'm like on my first, second album. I'm on my first album. I came out same time as Wu-Tang. And I remember like on my first, second album. I'm on my first album I came out

same time as Wu-Tang. Now I remember I was getting like 300 a show. I ain't know how they made money because it was 15 niggas for $300 a show.

I'm sure Ray got some stories. I'm like, damn, I start counting 13 niggas and shit. These niggas must have got $15.

Shit fucked up. And then I remember Woo just super blue and I wasn't big yet. And I remember any time I would call Ray Quan and this nigga's like four platinum. I'd be like, yo, Ray, I need you on a song tonight. Like Firewater. Ten minutes later, that nigga was in there.

No funny style. Kept the 10,000 with me me i remember one time i was in um ray don't even remember this yet y'all don't remember this but i was in staten island i had a show i remember we had a studio on staten island yeah we had the studio in staten island but no one time i had a show in the hood early on and i got into some with the with with the statenas. It was about to pop off crazy. Like, yo, fuck y'all talking about nigga, nigga, nigga. Niggas ready to pop off. And the guard Ray

Kwan was like, yo, it's my motherfucking brother, man. That shit ain't going down here, son. That shit, he talking that Wu-Tang shit. Y'all niggas calm down. What the fuck? Fuck that, dog. That shit ain't going Chainshit Nigga Y'all niggas Calm down Exactly

Nigga Fuck that dog That shit ain't going down Here nigga Like you know what I'm saying But it was like You know So like

Nori I'ma say top five Cause I got friends You know what I'm saying But I I got you Top five brothers My brothers

That I love That has always Kept it real with me Top five friends You and Ray Corners I got you, top five brothers, my brothers that I love. This has always kept it real with me. Top five friends, you and Ray Corners are my top five friends. Both of y'all are my brothers. You know what I mean? Not rappers. Love you, not rappers. Nothing to do with that.

Just like you're my brothers. You can call me at any time. Ray, call me at any time. It is what it is. If we never rapped and we knew each other from the block, we would still be brothers. So, you know, Ray Kwan is in that category. And trust me, it

ain't too many niggas in that category. Not for me neither. Thank you, man. I always count on you, man. I want to say one more story. I like your t-shirt. My shit is old school, right? I like it a lot.

This is hip-hop. Let me check your sneakers out. Nah, I got Tim's. You try to stunt on me with the... Wait, hold on, hold on. Hold on, hold on, hold on. What are those? These are just Tim's.

I've never seen those. Those is Navy blue. Oh, my God. Three quarters. Yo, I ain't gonna lie. Yo, listen. It doesn't matter because he'll never give me his sneaker connect.

He'll give me everything else in the world, but the sneaker connect doesn't happen. Fat Joe, thank you for joining Drink Pass. Let's do an interview. Hold on. Yeah, yeah. Put him on an interview, whoever it is. Let's do that. Drink chat.

Drink chat. Yeah, yeah, yeah. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A.

L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. L.A. Drink Champs is a Drink Champs LLC production, hosts and executive producers, N-O-R-E and DJ E-F-N. 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.

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