Drink Champs - #Throwback Episode - w/ Memphis Bleek | (Ep. 6)

Episode Date: April 16, 2025

N.O.R.E. & 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.In this classic episode of Drink Champs, N.O.R.E. and DJ EFN sit down with none other than Memphis Bleek, the Roc-A-Fella day-one and certified hip-hop historian.From growing up in Marcy Projects to riding private jets with Hov, Bleek takes us deep into the Roc's golden era—dropping never-heard-before stories, legendary tour moments, and real talk about loyalty in the rap game.He opens up about his long-standing brotherhood with Jay-Z, how he stayed down when things got messy with Dame Dash, and why he always prioritized loyalty over fame. The conversation dives into everything from backstage chaos, and wild Roc-A-Fella tours, to Bleek’s own music journey and what he's cooking up now.This episode is more than just a trip down memory lane—it’s Bleek giving flowers, talking growth, and staying true to the code that built an empire. As always, there’s plenty of laughs, drinks, and gems being dropped the Drink Champs way.Whether you’re a Roc-A-Fella head or just love raw hip-hop storytelling, this episode is a must-listen.Make some noise for Memphis Bleek! 💐💐💐🏆🏆🏆 -Originally published on April 29th, 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/noreagaSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an iHeart Podcast. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects. Your mental

health, your immunity, your risk of cancer, almost any disease under the sun. This week on Dope Labs, Titi and I dive into the world of probiotics, the hype, the science, and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really, probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing. With expert insight from gastroenterologist Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month,

and on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson, stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. This season of Revisionist History, we're investigating everything from the secret behind the perfect nooks and crannies in Thomas' English muffins to the merits of Paw Patrol against its critics. There's some things that really piss me off when it comes to Paw Patrol. It's pretty simple.

It sucks. My son watches Paw Patrol. I hate it. Everyone hates it, except for me. Listen to Revisionist History on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, what's up, y'all? What's going on, brother? Dream Champs Radio. He's a legendary Queens rapper. Hey, Hank Sangria, this is your boy N.O.R.E. He's a Miami hip-hop pioneer. What up, it's DJ EFN.

Together, they drink it up with some of the biggest players in music and sports. You know what I mean? The most professional, unprofessional podcast. This is Drink Champs Radio, where every day is New Year's Eve. Let's go! Hey, hey, it's Zach Green. I hope you're savvy. This is your boy N-O-R-E.

What up, it's DJ E-S-N. And this is Drinks Champs motherfucking radio. Make some noise! We're the most professional, unprofessional podcast. Now, Drinks Champs podcast, usually it's either your birthday or it's New Year's,

but with these, it's definitely your birthday. Let's come up with some noise. Or is this New Year's? I don't know if this looks right. We in Miami. And today, we got a special guest, one of the most loyal people I've ever met in the world, not just in hip-hop. And you've been saying that for years. He's loyal.

He's very loyal. And he's the type of person that I don't gotta speak to him, because five years ago by, and when I see him, it's the same exact love, the same exact energy. He ain't fake. He a real legend, real dude. You know what I'm saying? You already.

And we got him in the building. Let's make some noise for motherfucking Miff Bleat. Miff Bleat. How you doing, sir? I can't complain, man. It's M-I-A-O, baby. It's M-I-A. I want to salute you, man.

You going to drink some rosé with us? No, no, no, no, no, no. What you drinking? Some of this D'Ussé. Okay, okay. Let's put that D'Ussé out there. And it rhymes, so it go together. Rosé and D'Ussé, baby. Did you ever mix that? Did you ever try that?

Nah, man, that's death juice. Yeah, that sound like a death juice. That's a fact. That's death juice. So what brings you to Miami, Bleak? Coming to check my G. Coming to fuck with you. Great answer. Let's make some noise for that answer. Great answer. You can tell he's been doing this. He's been doing this for quite some time. So a lot of people don't know, Bleak, that you moving that D'Ussé for real.

You don't move bricks. Yeah, we need to hear how you doing this, man. Yeah, man, they got me out here moving these drugs, man. Same thing. It's a drug game, man. You know, go in the club, make an offer they can't refuse. We moving cases. Hundreds of thousands of cases.

Oh, yeah, man. We moving them. It's moving. You know, it's been four years, do say. Right. And we picking up some steam out here. We got some of these guys

shaking in their boots. They spending unnecessary money right now. Is it true that Bacardi's partners with us? Oh, yeah. They distribute for us. You know what I mean? Make some noise for E being an alcoholic

knowing that Bacardi has some real poopy shit right there. Nobody else know that. Even Brick had to think about it Like words So how you like You like that business more than hip hop? I wouldn't say I like it more than hip hop

But it's more lucrative than hip hop It's like selling oil man Like Losing oil? On the block? On the block Nah it's that call you man Okay okay

Like people Liquor is a freedom From a lot of stress people deal with, you know? Break it down, Bleak. We listening. We need an excuse. Any day you have a bad day or a good day, you need something to drink. You know what I mean?

Like, music is going to be there forever, but liquor is there forever. Prohibition, baby. You know what I mean? That's why, Drink Champs, we need a liquor. Until liquor is sponsoring us, we let everybody sponsor us. We're hoes. We're fucking everything out there. Every liquor company will get me under the table.

It's okay. My wife is letting it go down. No condom. It's okay. I think that liquor is dope. I think that you guys were early on with the Armadale, correct? Yep. That was fire water.

That was like the worst liquor ever. How did y'all get niggas to drink that? I have no idea. Them Hove lines, man. And it works. Yeah, man. It works. Definitely, especially when you put the thotties

in the video with the bottles, too. With the bottle. I still got a bottle of that. I don't know, is that exclusive now? I think Armadale came back out. I was a Def Jam street team and Rock and Roll street team. Save it, man.

That's worse than a model. Wait, wait, time out. You got the original one? No, no, because we had to promote with the Def Jam street team and Rock and Roll street team. That's worse than the model. Wait, wait, time out. You got the original one? No, no, because we had to promote it. But the original bottle. I have the original. I kept it.

You know it came back out with a different No, no, no. I'm talking about back then with 90 whatever. You had a KRS ball. I should have brought it.

He had a tennis ball from KRS-One in 1991 where he signed his autograph. So I believe you. No, no, I got it. I don't need notes. I'll take the picture and post it believe you. No, no, I don't need notes. I'll take the picture and post it on our IG. So Bleak, I got to get to this story, right?

What's up? It was a time where Rockefeller was the biggest in the game, right? Yeah, yeah. And then there was a time where everybody felt or knew Rockefeller was about to break up. I can't say Rockefeller was over, but about to break up. Yeah. I had never knew. I was never privileged to this information. I was a guy who got a Rockefeller was about to break up. I can't say Rockefeller was over, but about to break up. Yeah. I had never knew. I was never privileged to this information.

I was a guy who got a Rockefeller chain. They never gave me the contract. Big said, Big said I didn't sign the contract. That's not how I remember it. Y'all niggas were so rich, niggas ain't even care. Like, you just with us.

They're going to change. Like, nigga, we're not sorry. I want my events. You know what I'm saying? And no front. That nigga had two deals. Yes, in fact. He had a Latin deal. Oh, I did have a Latin deal. I remember. That's front, I think he had two deals. He had a Latin deal. Oh, I did have a Latin deal.

That's a fact. That's a fact. I did have a Latin deal. He's fat, if I remember now. Yes, yes, yes. Right out of Familia. Yeah, right out of Familia. He was over there dropping different language albums.

That's a fact. That's a fact. He was looking for a Japanese deal, too. Couldn't get it, though. Couldn't get it. I want to be Japanese. So if y'all want to adopt me, can you still adopt me? Konnichiwa. At 38. So there y'all want to adopt me, can you still adopt me at 38?

So there was a time we went to London. Yeah. Right? And in London, we were supposed to close out the show. It was supposed to be either me or you close out the show. And I think we had a drink somewhere. We was kicking it. He was like, yo, why don't we go song for song?

Uh-huh, uh-huh. I remember that. We went song for song. I thought me and you destroyed the show. I thought we killed it. The next day, we jump on a private jet. Let's make some noise for the private jet. Private jet.

Just for no reason. Just for no reason. Is this the same time y'all was at Tim Westwood? That same? I believe so. That was around the same time. I believe so. I ain't going to lie.

I think we did this trip with them twice. Yep. Okay. Because we did Amsterdam first, and then we did London. So, now on this ride coming back on a jet, right? I think we did this trip with them twice. Yep. Okay. Because we did Amsterdam first, and then we did London. So now on this ride coming back on a jet, right, I think Dame said to you, why did you perform whole records or something? And you was like, because those is the hits that I got.

Yeah. And then Dame alluded to the fact, like, well, you didn't really do a good show because you did whole records. I'm an artist, so I totally understood. And then y'all had an argument. You already know. This was the illest argument. Everybody on the plane acted sleep, by the way. It was everybody, too.

It was mad niggas on the plane. Everybody was on the plane. We playing spades. We was snoring. We smoking weed. The pilot wanted to kick us off. We smoking. Because I'm going to keep it 100.

This is the first time I was on a plane. It's a party plane. It's a plane. It's a plane. Where at first, the pilot was like, we cool. Y'all can smoke until you get to such and such. That's the first time. So I'm up rolling. Everybody else.

And Dane said something else to Bleak. And Bleak just stood there. And I don't remember if he was rolling, if he was praying. I don't remember what Bleak did. I know exactly what it was, man. What was it? I fucked with Dane. He was my guy.

And it hurt me to see you just didn't see what was going on. And I was trying to tell him and what and what do you mean by that like like you know how when you try to it's like like i learned something right put it like this when a nigga fuck with a bitch right and he love her now you tell now you see shorty fucking with the whole she wilding and you tell him now he blamed you it's your fault they broke up did he get the herpes. And it's fucked up for him. And he don't even know. You know what I'm saying? You told him. That was the same situation.

Like, just without the bitch. So you was trying to tell him. That my nigga, you moving too fast. You're wilding. Cause I'm talking to the big homie. I'm hearing through the pipeline. You know, the streets talk. And I knew. I seen this day coming, my nigga. I told all of them. I had a conversation with each and every person.

Now, when you say that, who? I'm talking about Beans, Petey, Gunners, Freeway, and Dame. And Dame, that conversation was on the plane. But I had a one-on-one with everybody and told niggas, I see this day coming. You're just trying to keep it together. Yes. No, he was like, that's why niggas don't fuck with you for me

that's what you heard that's what he said I got more I got more I had to tell him cause it would be like he was coming at me and it's like

my nigga I'm with you I ain't even supposed to be on this plane my nigga I'm not supposed to be on this plane I fuck with Hov and them

I could be home on they plane chilling I came because I fuck with you. But then he trying to come at me, and it's like my nigga. When it's over, niggas ain't gonna fuck with you.

Niggas don't fuck with you now. Come on, my G. So you saw that you saw that where Dame is at right now. You saw that like then? Not, not, not. I don't want to say right now. Like I saw that like yo, nigga's gonna to be in this situation. Because he going through a lot of personal.

But what I mean, like, with the industry doors closed and the bridges burnt, I saw that. Because you talking to major power players. Remember, we was around. He flipped on Randy Acker. Randy Acker's here somewhere. Shout out Randy Acker. Yeah, shout out Randy Acker. He's my man.

Let's make some noise for Randy Acker. Gotta keep Jewish people around. Gotta keep Jewish people around. Gotta keep Jewish people around. You know what I mean? Like, look at all the power players that was around. Leon, Kevin Liles, Steve Stout. Like, everybody, them people are the people that's making it happen. Steve Bartleson, like, they pushing the buttons.

You know what I mean? Like, they making it happen. And you've seen them flip on Steve Bartles as well. Seen everything, my G. I've been around. I've been around, man. I get a napkin, somebody? Sweating like a slave over here.

I've been around, my G, real talk. Wow. That, I ain't going to lie. That was like, you ever, like, you happy that you there, but you just wish you wasn't? I was like, damn. It was awkward for you. The way they was going at it, and I ain't going to lie, Bleak was cutting them deep. That's why this shit is going to all be over.

How long before? All this private playing shit is going to be over. Niggas ain't fucking with you, Dame. Like, to his face, this wasn't a text. He said it's 2004. This wasn't a two-way. It's like between 02's 2004. This wasn't a two-way. It's like between 02 and 04. This wasn't a two-way, my man. He said it to his face.

He was like, look, nobody really fuck with you. When we stop fucking with you, everybody gonna stop fucking with you. And shit is real. So, um... I actually seen it. I feel awkward. I was on some bullshit, right?

I couldn't tell nobody because, like, who do you tell? And in public, you know, Dame and Jay and Biggs, they did a real great protecting their business. You understand what I'm saying? That's right. So I didn't believe the rumors when, like, you know, I'm down with them and they're saying, yo, you know, they're going to break up. I was like, nigga, I just seen them niggas in the same spot. They ain't say what's up to each other. But who's going to be in the same spot?

But wait, but what about the film Death of a Dynasty? Right. So you like that. That's another one. That's a nail in the coffin. Like, why would you like that? That showed us. I don't know.

Was that a prophecy? What the fuck was going on there? Who knows? I never even saw it. Read the script. Participated. I was in there. Nothing.

I was in there. I was a bouncer in there. Y'all was giving me checks. Pick a Rockefeller for giving me checks. Give me a Rockefeller for giving me checks. I was in like five Rockefeller movies. I ain't fuck with that. Just off the title, Death of a Dynasty. Nigga, ain't nobody die. It's crazy.

I did not realize you wasn't in there. But they killed you in State Property 1. Yeah, they killed me. They ain't killed me. I killed myself, my nigga. You did? You know why? Because I didn't read the script. I just came in the spot.

Y'all shooting a movie? I want to be the gangster-est nigga killing everybody. They're like, I, you blitz. So I'm like, all right, cool. I'm blitz. Every day they giving us little short scripts. So the day I was supposed to die, I'm like, nah, y'all niggas gotta rewrite this. Like, are you fucking kidding me? Now I die, y'all

can't kill me. Like, nah. I recently did French Montana movie and they wanted me to get robbed in the movie. I said, listen, we're changing that. Listen, we're changing that. You know, I earned my rights. I'm sorry, man. You know what I mean? You can't do that, man. So you didn't

do Death of a Dynasty. You did do State Property 1. And I did What's the Other One with Kevin Hart. I was in there, too. Paper Soldiers. I didn't want to do that, though, man. I ducked Dane for probably like three months. And you just rhymed in that.

You didn't. Jay made the call for that movie. If it wasn't for Big Homie, I wouldn't have been in that. Because he was even in there for a slight second, just like bouncing to a beat. Yeah. That movie changed my life. So the movie thing was Dame's thing then? Yeah, that was a big situation with Dame too because he felt the way.

Like, why Hov say something and you make it happen and then I say something and you don't make it happen? You know? Because you got a chain of command. You got a lot of pressure on you. I think you had a lot of pressure on you since he said, as long as I'm alive, Bleak will be a millionaire. No, it was before that. It was before that?

Niggas said, yo, Bleak's going to be a new rapper, new improved Jay-Z. Wait, whoa, when the fuck did I say that? When did I want it to be that? You know, that was on the intro of the album. Then I come on spinning. Right. So it's like, but I ain't want to be the new and prove hove.

I'm bleak. Like, nigga, you hove. Right, right. Yeah, it's a lot of pressure been put on you. Yeah, yeah. Hell yeah. How many people call you for a Jay-Z feature a day? Nah, nobody.

Nobody don't? Nah. They know they not getting that Yeah Nah your curve game is good And it gotta be I've seen your curve a lot You gotta be a certain

Caliber nigga And it gotta be worth it Cause James is doing No first Right Imagine what it take To get Jay in the studio Like my nigga

Asking Obama How many calls Do you get for favors Like people just saying Oh my god my G Yo Can you sign Can you sign my

God's sisters bar mitzvahs? How many calls you get of that? Man, I done put so many people on they place in this game, my G. Because he's really your friend. Like, I see y'all together and I'll be like, y'all, that's friendship. And that's

where people get it twisted. A lot of people think me and Hov don't fuck with each other because, what, he ain't on my IG. I ain't on your Snapchat. We real homies. When you see your brother, do you take a picture of your brother? Get the fuck out of here. You know what your brother

look like? You okay with that? Yeah, a little bit. Can I get some more? You got me and Bleak in the building talking some real deep shit, man. So, Bleak, your first album. Ooh, my nigga, Ed Doe. That's the first time we spoke, right?

That's right. You called me, yo, he was like, yo, I need that Ed Doe shit. I need that such and such. I was in Miami. I was like, I'll just let him go. Damn, that other bottle's gone already? God damn it. God damn it.

They can still play. Yo, that other bottle's gone already? God damn it. God damn it. They can still play. Yo, so how did your first album? Well, I was on Def Jam as well, correct? Yeah, yeah. Rockefeller, Def Jam. So how did it feel doing that first album? Man, it was a lot of pressure. Everything was Beanie Siegel.

I did that album without no budget, nothing. Just me and Lenny S. We went and Brielle locked in and just made it happen because Beans came up and put more pressure on the nigga. Because he did Reservoir Dogs and I'm sitting there like, fuck. Crazy, right? What the fuck is this nigga eating? How he spitting

this? And you was at that session? Yeah, I was at that session. So then Jay like, yo, I want y'all to do Crew Love. So you know me, I said Crew Love off. Yeah, I smoke weed now. I don Crew Love. So you know me, I said Crew Love off. Yeah, I smoke weed now, I don't give a fuck. This nigga come on there spitting that Monopoly shit. I was like, wait, wait, take my verse off.

Nah, nah, take that off. So Beans put pressure on the nigga to where everything in Rockefeller and Def Jam was Beans. And you gotta really give him credit, because think of this. Only rapper in history To get on a tour With no song, no record, no beat And spit a fucking acapella

In front of 20,000 And not get booed Niggas couldn't even do that at the Apollo Y'all know there was a fake Beanie Siegel going around, right? Nah, no In Miami? Yeah, I was the rep I was the rep for Def Jam Rockefeller I don't know, was the rep i was a rep yet for for def jim rockefeller yeah i

don't know maybe not but there was a dude going around this is before internet shit and this dude is going around saying he's been he's taking money he's on caled's underground mix 96 showing everything doing freestyles and he looked like beans no this is the thing no we didn't know because beans was heavy on the mixtapes we didn't know what he looked like like. So then he came to my store, Crazy Goose, that you came to, and he's dropping a freestyle on my mixtapes. The real Beans? No, the fake ones. Okay.

And he's doing blah, blah, blah, blah, and something just didn't feel right. So I called. I think it was, y'all were talking about Big Face. I think I called him. I said, yo, what does Beanie look like? He said, he's fat. I said, this guy's skinny. Yo, I don't know what happened after that, but this dude left town.

But he was going around and he was getting money. That's crazy. Now, what I want to ask you, Blee, is was there ever a dip set drama? Was there ever real dip set problems? Nah, that's what confused me. Why? Because it's like, we men at the end of the day, right? Facts.

If it's a problem, we going to fight. Usually a gun come out because you got punched in your face a lot and you ain't like it. So you ain't got your gun, right? Nothing ever happened. Niggas, we's down. We in baseline every day. We in the office every day. Niggas going on little trips every day. Wentiggas, we's down. We in baseline every day. We in the office every day. Niggas going on little trips every day.

Went to PR, everything. Nothing. But soon as niggas Rockefeller separated, fuck these niggas, fuck them niggas. I still want to know what the drama was about. Wow. Like, I don't know. Like, Karen Sybil, she did an interview where she said

that. I think that was over a parking spot. Yeah. Cam declined that. Cam said. I highly doubt that. But what was it? Don't give a fuck about a parking spot. What did she say?

I think she said something was a parking spot, dip set. And I want to know how that exists. Hov ain't drive a car since 96. So what parking spot? All right. Let's make some noise for that, man. God damn it. God damn it. God damn it God damn it

God damn it Like that's it I don't Cause I remember seeing Like Like You in the club They in the club

And nothing happening Yeah Like Nothing Never happened Nobody got punched in the face Till True Life came But

Right True Life coming home soon Yeah you already know Shout out to True Life True Life coming home soon You already I knew Biggie was gonna say No Esau You know True Life coming home soon. Yeah, you already know. Shout out to True Life. We all miss you. You know, Eastside. You know, True Life was punching niggas in the face a lot.

Then, you know, other than that, I don't know. Right. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else.

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

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

This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company, the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next.

In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there, And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide and hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded

of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month. And on a recent episode of Just 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 I heart radio

app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, AT&T connecting changes everything. So you never like had an argument with none of them? Nothing. I went to the movie when they was doing State Property 2, and I had a face-to-face talk with Cam, Dame, everybody. And I said to them niggas and let them know, like, yo, my niggas, is it a problem with the big homie? Because if it is, we could go outside, shoot it out,

shoot a fair one, gun play, whatever niggas wanted to do. Niggas was looking at me like, nah, it ain't nothing. We just trying to get money. Everybody want to eat. We got families to feed. And I respected that. Right. But then when I walked off the trailer, got in my car, and parked at my crib, it was nine diss songs later.

That's rappers for you, my nigga. Have you ever seen them recently? No. I seen Cam at a, I think it was a Red Bull show when I was with Just Blaze and Goop. He always show love. He a cool nigga. Him and Jimmy. Like, ain't nine niggas ain't going to run down to a blizzle.

Right, right. I keep that. They better run. Let's make some noise for Bleak. Keep it up. Hold on, hold on. I was picking you up earlier, but... Oh, no, no, that was good.

Holy moly guacamole. This is how it's going down, man. So, Bleak, you're doing the D'Ussé thing. Is y'all signing Tax Stone? Is that going down? Tax Stone is D'Ussé Mafia. Make some noise for Tax Stone. Yeah, make some noise for Tax Stone.

Make some noise for Tax Stone. D'Ussé Mafia. That's what's up. Yeah, make some noise for Taxo. Make some noise for Taxo. Do say mafia. That's what's up. Podcast fans, what's up? Yeah. He's a great guy, man. Tax is my dude, man. So I heard there's another story that when Tax actually filmed Hove in the office,

like he filmed Hove, like people thought that he did Tax Storm podcast, and it was people like Elliot Wilson that was hating, hitting Hov and saying, Yo, did you do Tax Storm podcast? Oh, man. Did you hear anything about that? I heard it. I don't know what truth it is to it, but I heard it too, my Jewish. I heard him.

I heard him. He tried to shake Hov up, like, Yo, how you going to do tax-thrown shit before me? And if Hov want to do tax shit before him, that's some Brooklyn shit. That's a Brooklyn nigga's land. Shout out to Brooklyn one time. Shout out to Brooklyn for the goddamn reason. One time. But we heard Elliot was a little heated about that.

We heard he was a little heated, and he sent in an email or something. And I don't think the homie hit him back since Ah man that's bad You don't know if this is true or not We gonna make some noise Let's get B-Dot on the line He's spreading the rumor Make some noise for B-Dot

Let's get B-Dot on the phone Yo big up B-Dot and Elliot They gonna hate us Podcast wars and shit Damn man now I gotta watch my back But let me tell you about Rockefeller, man. Y'all dudes really had it, like, rich and poe. And, like, y'all dudes was really balling at one point.

It was too much money, my nigga. I ain't going to lie. I was too young. I wasn't prepared. It was too much money around. Do you ever think about all the shit you did? Yes, I do. Like, I'm 38 years old.

How old are you? I'll be 38 in June, my nigga. Same age. But, yo, you ever think about all the shit you did? Yes, I do. Like, I'm 38 years old. How old are you? I be 38. Oh, okay. Goddamn. Same age. But, yo, you ever think about how much shit... I mean, I did a lot, but I didn't have a crew of niggas that was platinum. Like, it was just me.

Like, I was gold, and Capone, let's help me out somehow. You know what I mean? He want to go to jail. Oh, my God. So I'm out here dolo. Like, what y'all had, you going gold. I got your plaque. I was on your album.

Let's make some noise for that guy there. You was gold. Beans was gold. I think Freeway was gold. I think Camp. Yo, whole Super Platinum. Like, y'all dudes was, like, I don't know if that era could ever be recreated. I think cash money came close, but it wasn't.

Even though, like, some of y'all was beefing, it always felt family orientated. Like, baseline felt. It was. Felt ill. It was. Like, if it was any animosity, trust me, that was some under the table shit. It was never spoken about. It was never.

Because when niggas was around each other, everybody was 100. 110% with each other. was 100 110 with each face to face that's right so all that other shit that came out that should be just to sell records like niggas got niggas numbers and you know how to find everybody we all in the same city like think about it you this a nigga you recording on 59th street he recorded on 59th Street. He recording on 44th. Right, right. For real, my nigga? Right, right. Y'all niggas that soft? Right, right, right.

You know what I'm saying? Like, so, we in the same city, so that animosity shit was never that. It was always family with the team, man. We fucked with each other.

I love my niggas, man. Beans my brother. The Gunners, Neve. But Beans, when Beans wilded out, it had to hurt you because I know what type of person you is.

It hurt me. And you love Beans, too. That'sed out, it had to hurt you. Because I know what type of person you is. It hurt me. And you love Beans, too. That's my brother. Any interview you ever see, Beans even came at me. Right. And you ain't say nothing. Got me hit by the 44 riding up no street. Right.

But when you seen that, what was the first thing you thought? You was like, something's wrong. It's, you know what? And that's the thing, my nigga. Stress will make a nigga do things you never thought was possible. Right. Like, you know what I mean? It's like unhuman strength it'll give you.

Like, stress. Put your back against the wall. Yes, it makes people do different things and react in certain situations. So I never held any malice towards him, towards it. Because it ain't like he talking about no personal shit. He like, I'm going to suck it. Right. So it's like, it's just trash shit, right?

So how personal or how personal can I take that to suck it So it's like It was just It was just that shit So how personal Or how personal Can I take that And that's my brother You can't erase history We grew up together That part of That was a period Where

Okay Nah Leave that in here That was a period Where it was dark for me Because I know him beans And I know how you love him

and you ain't going to love no fake nigga. I ain't like, I know you for 20 years. I want to say 10 because we're going to keep it young. But I know like, and I knew that really wasn't beans neither. Like it wasn't him. So it was a dark time for me just seeing those interviews

and seeing that because I was one of the dudes, like I was the only dude from Queens that was on Streets is Watching. I was the only dude from Queens that did like five movies with them. Yeah, you were always with them. They always showed me loves. And so for me to see that, it turned that way because it's like, it was just, it was bad for me.

It was like, as a fan, I didn't look. But I knew it would be worked out. I didn't think Ho would ever forgive him. I thought he would forgive him from far. But when I seen him on the stage, I was like, that was the biggest monumental thing that, you know, anybody can do. At the end of the day, man. That's right. Forgiveness is everything. We all family, man.

We grew up together, man. Cousins fuck up. Brothers fuck up. And y'all made a lot of money together. Right. You know what I'm saying? Like, you're not going to disown your family members. And like I said, man,

we spent 20 years together. I think I met Beans, I was 17 years old, my nigga. I told y'all I'd be 38. God bless. You know what I mean? Like, come on. That's real shit.

That's my brother. Y'all went through a lot. Life experiences. So when you think about it Right Like now that you're A grown man And

I think I think I think You always had a voice In Rockefeller I just think People you know You was always smoking weed

And shit But people didn't realize How smart you was And that's the thing I say that Cause you ain't You ain't a new smart nigga That's right

I used to always build with you Like you ain't new smart This nigga This nigga I was building I used to always build with you. You ain't new smart. The new year. I was building with this nigga back in the day. He's like, this nigga's a genius. You know what I'm saying? But he had the street nigga role, though. You know what I'm saying?

You can tell, all right, he got the burn on him. You know what I'm saying? So if there's anything that you regret about the Rockefeller, you know, when it went away, what's one thing that you wish you could have fixed? Just being more prepared, my nigga. I wasn't prepared. Prepared for the breakup or prepared to keep it together? The whole run.

If it was your choice, would you have kept it together? Yes, definitely. I tried. I had that conversation with Beans. That's what I was saying to you. Like, I remember when Beans, when he first felt his way about Jay. I don't know if it was the exact moment, but it was the record when he did it with R. Kelly. And we supposed to put Neo on the record, but he did it with R. Kelly.

Beans. And this is when R. Kelly was suing Hov. Yes. Okay, cool. So, you know, it was a little thing about that. Niggas ain't feel that, but they went with it. And I guess, you know, he wanted Hov to do something and they ain't do it. And I'm telling, I remember having a conversation, a real conversation with Seagull.

And I'm like, yo, my nigga, I just dropped 5-3-4. Right. Hov on one joint by himself. Right. Not on none of my records. Right. He ain't get in my video. We did.

Think about it. When I did What You Think of That video, I had to split it in half and do my hood to your hood because Jane wanted to do the video. Right. That's my brother. Right. If he ain't getting my shit, why he got to get his shit? Right, right, right. Real talk.

That's how I looked at it like my nigga. I'm not mad. I always felt like hope was harder on you. All the time. Because y'all from the same building. All the time. I always felt like Hov was harder on you. All the time. Because y'all from the same building. All the time. I always felt like that. Yeah, all the time.

Like, all the time. My nigga, to go to Hov and tell him a story, nigga, I got to be bleeding. You can't tell Hov, yo, them niggas fronted on me. No, he going to say, yo, don't walk down there no more. Stay the fuck over there. I bought you a plane. Why the fuck you walking down there? Right.

But let me come in the office bleeding. Oh, we going to send the dogs after this. That's Jay. Like, it gotta be serious. Anything else is like, my nigga, avoid it. You know? We ain't trying to get into the bullshit. And it's like with everybody, with Freeway, I told Free the same thing. My nigga like,

yo, Hov is just out of space. You know, there's certain places where artists get, where the label be like, yo, nah, he can't do no more videos. He did too many videos. He can't do no more. That's a fact.

He over exceeded himself. Like, I remember Ja. We were supposed to do a video. Like, think about this. Ja did a record with Ja. Murder for Life. My record. Ja called me,

yo, Bleak, this shit hard. Let me put it on my album. I let him put it on his album. That nigga shot a video for my record with Black Child and Time Murder without me. Make some noise for that.

Make some noise for Ja Rule. Ultimate Ja Rule. And I never said nothing. I never felt the weight. But you wasn't even on that record after he took the record? Nah. He took the record, shot it in Queens, Jamaica Mall, everything. He was still probably mad for giving a whole, can I give a what, what.

He was probably like, I got to get something back. Why? He got the record. But, you know, certain things you just know, that's a decision he going to make. And you, as a man, got to do your thing. You can't hold nobody accountable for your situation. And not everything is personal either. Yes, you can't point fingers, man.

And then how about with the CEOs? Would you want to keep it the same way with Rockefeller, Def Jam with the original, Def Jam with the Leo Combs, the Randy Akers, the Rob Love? That was my favorite label. What? That was the best label at the time, man. Are you kidding me?

We had everybody. Remember Jazz? The lady Jazz. Okay, okay, at the time, man. You kidding me? We had everybody. Remember Jazz? The lady Jazz. Okay, okay. Slightly. Everybody, man. We had everybody. Shout out to Sam Crespo, too.

Yes. Sam Crespo. He was Def Jam. He wasn't Rockefeller. No, but I'm saying it as a part of the team. Y'all had Darren, Bobby Dash. Every successful team got a piece of that team with them. Yeah, they do.

They do. They do. Every successful team right now got a piece of that team. I'm a successful they do. They do. Every successful team right now got a piece of that team. I'm a successful team. I got Randy Acker right here. Shout out to Randy Acker. You all got a building.

Randy Acker in the motherfucking building. Hold on, hold on, hold on. We done gave up. We done gave up. We done gave up. Bleak, we're so happy. So fucking, fucking happy to have you here.

But I also got to bring up the time. You lined me up. You want me to get a napkin, my G? Bleak lined up. Listen, just in case, sometimes you say you're the lamest, if you're the lamest. What does that mean, by the way? That means if you don't know, shit is real here. Let's leave all that. We're leaving all that. So lamest terms, yes the lamest what does that mean by the way that means if you don't know shit is real here let's leave all that we leaving all that so lamest terms yes so thanks line up means like you you you set a person up you like like for a stick up right but it's pretty much the same thing

what bleak did to me let me get to this let me get to the first off that's why i wanted to bring up his first album like when a nigga's on your first album, this is the type of relationship y'all supposed to keep. And me and him have that. Right? One day. It's Thanksgiving. The day after Thanksgiving. My kid's got the hoverboards.

I know I told this story, but we're keeping this story. Telling it again. Oh, this is the recent story. No, this is... Because he's the lineup. He's the lineup. I'm thinking you got...

He really... So he lined me up. So look, my kids is out on the hoverboards. I'm upstairs being a fat boy. I brought a whole sweet potato pie. My intentions was to only have two pieces. You had the whole circle. Somehow, it was all gone.

You said you ate the whole pie. It was all gone. But I'm looking around, making sure I'm not guilty. My wife is somewhere. I get a call. It's an unknown call. So I'm like sure I'm not guilty. My wife is somewhere. I get a call. It's an unknown call. So I'm like, hello? They're like, no, no, I ain't say hello.

Because I just answered it. Because I'm thinking it's a jail call. Because, you know, in a jail call, you got to say, hmm. They be like, this is a call from such and such and such. So, you know, that's how I think it is. But it's not. So he's like, oh, it's Jay. I'm like, Jay who?

Like, Z. I'm like, Jay who? Like, Z. I'm like, whatever, man. Right? Boom. So now he texted me. He said, I'm going to text you my number so you can call me back. So I play along with the game. Okay, cool.

But if he would have told me, yo, OG Juan gave me your number. Tata gave me your number. Lenny S. Back ass. All people who I mess with, by the way, is just we're not on phone number basics. Basics. So he says, I got your number from

Bleak. I was like, oh my God. Oh my God. Yo, I start sweating. Because you want to get a call from Jay, right? You want to. Because this is the biggest dude ever. But you don't want to get a call unexpectedly. Like, it's the

most horrible, it's the most horrible good feeling in the world. It's a great feeling, but you're like, oh my God. And Bleak, you ain't send me a text. You ain't give me a two-way. You could have hit me on my

two-way. My two-way still work. You know why? Because it wasn't about nothing. Right, right, right. He called me, right? Like, yo, you got N-O number? I'm like, yeah, I speak there. I just spoke to you like about a couple days ago. I'm like, yeah, I just spoke to him. Why, what's up? What happened? He's like, nah.

He just did this interview, man. I just want him to get it straight. You know, I don't like lies being put. I just want him to get it straight. You know, I don't like lies being told. I just want him to know the truth to the story. That's what he told me. I'm like, oh, all right, cool. I'm going to send this number right now. My name's nothing.

That's exactly what he told me. And by the way, I spoke to people that was there that night. And Ho was right. Let's make some noise for Ho. You know, after the shit come out, because I didn't know, like I didn't bring up this story. Tax Stone, big up Tax Stone once again, do save my feet.

Shout out Tax. So Tax asked me this story like at the very last day and I believe it was actually walking out the door. If you listen to the interview, I'd be like, yeah, man, thank you for having me. He'd be like, yo, one last thing. And I said it, I said what I heard heard so the actual people who was actually supposed to do it uh or was supposed to be involved he called me and was like nah that's not what happened and i was like god damn it you know what i'm saying but at the end of the day that's not the point the

point is getting a call from jay-z is, how do you say it? I don't know this word. They didn't make this word yet. Nerd right? They didn't make this word yet because it's good. You just know something happened. Put it that way. Because he could have had Carlene call me.

I know Carlene ain't back there, but Shaka. Shout out, Carlene. Shaka. He could have had somebody. He didn't. He called direct. It was like I was shook. Like, and I told him, I said, this is how I know I'm a grown-ass man.

I said, how do I fix it? Immediately. How do I fix it? And Hov said, I said, you want me to go do the interview? He said, no, because then it's going to look like I started you or something. So I said, so's the hoes? He said, but if it ever comes up. So now here's what makes me a genius.

I made a record about it. That's right. I made a record about it so they can ask me about it everywhere I go. And hoes, I corrected it. Please take me off the block list. Let's go. The reason why I still know I'm on the block list. The black list.

The black list. Because, because, no, no, I'm just playing. Hovori's been cool with me. But there's crazy shit. We doing Tax Stone and Charlemagne. We interviewing them, right? And we're talking, and we didn't release it. And we're talking about Hov.

We're just saying some shit. And then you called. I said, listen, this nigga's on the Illuminati for real. As soon as we brought up Hov and getting Bleak called, we was like, yo, Bleak, everything's cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was like, you're drinking too safe, Bleak. Yo, but that's crazy for you to be,

I don't want to say best friends because that's like a dumb term, for you to grow up with a man who is probably the most important person in cultural history. See, and that's what's so ill, man. Like, I really didn't grow up with Jay. He watched me grow up.

Right. Like, I remember being in the building, young nigga, thinking I'm out there moving packs. Like, I'm doing my thing. Move, come in the building. Yo, what you doing? I'm not getting money, nigga. What you mean what I'm doing?

See, this is what I'm eating. Like, what you moving? Short-eyed nigga, but he throw my shit in the incinerator. Incinerator in the projects is the garbage for those who don't live in the projects. You know what I mean doing. See, there's some eating. Like, what you moving? Sure, I think about when he throw my shit in the incinerator. Incinerator in the projects is the garbage for those who don't live in the projects. You know what I mean?

Right. So he throw my shit away. So I'm like, damn, Modak, I need that bread. I want to go buy some shit from Tom D's. Like, I think he'll give me

five honey, huh? Tom Dick and Harry's? Yeah. Yeah, okay, okay. Go ahead. Huh, take this five and go in the crib. Stop wasting your life,

little nigga. You bugging. Like that. So he always been the OG before the rap shit. And the rap shit just so happened, man. I seen a video. He would cane it up. I'm like, this nigga live in my building.

Let me tell this nigga how to spit. Now, it's Ho from 5E. Yeah. Let's make some noise for 5E. I'm from 5E. That's right. Me, Fat Joe, We starting in Illuminati We're saying that

No Snapchat, twin No Snapchat No Periscope No none of that shit Alright Me, Fadjo And both Hov Is from 5E

We're gonna make Illuminati I don't know if it's Illuminati But we're making a section Of Illuminati So if you're from 5E You know what I'm saying? We're looking for you because we need interns for 5E. We're starting something.

We're starting something. So, yeah, you got a question for him? I just want to know, like, the name. Where'd it come from? What, Memphis? Oh, I heard this. I heard this. Oh, man, that comes straight from Memphis.

Right. Like, I only been there one time. How ill is that? I've been to Memphis one time. You ain't been back? Nope. Get the fuck out of here. And this is that? I've been to Memphis one time. You ain't been back? Nope. Get the fuck out of here. And this is when J-Hat ain't no nigga.

So think, I wasn't even there because they knew me. They didn't even know who the fuck I was. So it's before Beyonce. It's before everything. Niggas had the thotties. Yeah. Disclaimer. Disclaimer.

Go ahead. Shorty like, yeah, I want to welcome y'all to Memphis, Tennessee. I want to welcome you to making easy money, pimping hoes in style Tennessee. So I'm like, huh? That's my name. Because me and Jay just had a conversation. He like, yo. Because your name was Bleak before.

It was just Bleak. He like, yo, nobody buying an album by a nigga named Bleak. Because Bleak means like plain, right? Yeah, like by way of Zolvitz, just deserted. So he like, nobody buying that. You got to have another name. So I'm like, nigga, I'm Bleak. Everywhere I go, that's what they know me by.

Like, I can't just change my name. So when Shorty said that, I said, that's me. I want to make easy money. I want to pimp the ho. I definitely got style. That's me. And you still ain't got a record with a Memphis nigga yet. He foul.

Foul. Nah, you can't say that because A-Ball and MJG is on the round here. That's right. That's right. That's right. That was my next question. You had the foresight to see that the music industry was going to the south. You was the first dude to have two

south people yeah from new york oh you was from new york but you had trick daddy and you had tia yeah that's because man i seen it coming my g with the whole no limit movement the first cash money he's seeing a lot of he'd be seeing a lot of like i remember we call you meet Bleachadamus from now on. So wait, did you put Hov on to Juvenile's record? No, no, no, no, no. That don't shit. The radio put us all on to that. By itself, by itself, okay.

But my thing was, I remember being, this is before Mr. Koo signed to No Limit. I remember being, I think it was Greensboro, North Carolina or something like that. And they was playing that Mr. K mystical record, The Man Right Here. The Man Right Here! Yo, my nigga, it's like the club exploded when the song came on. And then everybody came back to life. So I'm looking like, what the fuck kind of beat was that? Like, I need one of those.

So it just so happened, I'm just sitting in the crib. You know, Trick. I fucked with all Trick albums. Every Book of Thugs that nigga ever dropped. Miami Legends. Nigga, you already know. That's my nigga. And then T.I. was coming up.

He had the 24s. Yeah. You know, moving, doing his thing. No, no, no. So, Just Blaze was playing around here beat. He didn't even like the beat. I come in the studio, yo, my nigga, what's that? He like, nah, that's some shit I was fucking with.

I'm like, nigga, that shit hard. Let me fuck with that. So, I do the verse. I get in contact with Trick, because, you know some shit I was fucking with. I'm like, nigga, that shit hard. Let me fuck with that. So I do the verse. I get in contact with Trick because, you know, I always fucked with Miami, so I knew him. I come down here,

link up with him in Circle House. He do his verse. This is ill because I remember telling Jay, y'all want to put T.I. on this. Jay looking at me, man, who the fuck is T.I.? I'm like, yeah, he from Atlanta.

And shout out T.I. He only wanted five bands for the verse. Right, right, like, yeah, he's from Atlanta. And shout out T.I. He only wanted five bands for the verse. Right, right, right, right. So Jay like, why we got to get this nigga five bands? I don't even know, man. Just put Beans on the record or something. I'm like, Jay, I got 10 records with Beans. Niggas know Beans is my man.

No, this is the shit. I want to do something different. New York, Atlanta, Miami, the city, this is coming together. My nigga, nigga's like, you sure? I'm like, yo, trust me. They ain't even want to make it the single. We tried to push everything to go. Everything's going to work.

I remember Leo came to the studio. We love Leo stories. Let's get to him and Jay bleak. We can't push the album back no more. We have no more money. The budget is spent. No more money. The budget is spent. It's gone. No money. Jay like,

yeah, we gotta go. You gotta pick a song, nigga, and that's it. We just gonna go with it. I say, my nigga, let's go with round hair. He like, you sure? Like, trust me. And I directed the video and they shitted on me and gave me my credit, gave it to somebody. I don't even know who fucking named the video.

Come on, remember the name, Bleak. Remember the name, Bleak. Let's throw him under the bus right now. Who is this guy who took the credit for Bleak? I got to figure that out, man. Google him. Come on, Has. Google it.

Come on. You're sitting in front of a computer. Shoot it in Atlanta. And you did. So that wasn't camera tricks. No. That was real. You actually shot it in. The only thing that was. Shooting in Atlanta. And you did. So that wasn't camera tricks. No. That was real. You actually shot it in.

The only thing that was camera trick was Atlanta. We didn't have no money. Oh, so where was that? That was Miami? Yeah, we found out. High five. High five, man.

We just flew some Atlanta cars and made a little ATL. Make some noise for us cutting the budget. I know how to cut the budget. Cut the budget, baby. So you know we made it happen. Shit was a budget, baby. Cut the budget, baby. So, you know, we made it happen. Shit was a classic, man.

It worked. You ever got back in from Def Jam? Like, you know how you get 500,000 and then you only spend 200? You never did that and got like three? Hell no. I ain't gonna front. I did that one time and I was up. Yo, my nigga, let me tell you something.

On penalty, though. My boss is a hustler. Right. You penalty, though. My boss is a hustler. Right. He ain't, you can't out-hustle a hustler. So when I'm trying to hustle, he see my hustle. Oh, he caught it. Like, my nigga, I did the album 534 and Guru Crib. Right.

So, you know, we like this. All the invoices, Guru Studio. Niggas looked at that like, pop! Good looking. Y'all niggas ain't getting no money. Y'all niggas ain't getting the fuck out of here. Y'all ain't gonna say get no money. Y'all ain't gonna say get the fuck out of here. Yeah, I ain't gonna lie.

See, Bleak, that's why I had the hood lab. I had the hood lab. Remember, you see me hang over here. I had the hood lab. And the fact that it was on 32nd

and 31st and Madison, the invoices would come from that address. God damn it. Make some noise. Make some noise. They would never come from Thug Doubt Militainment

because if they come from Thug Doubt Militainment, they would be like, nah, that's nori noise. They would never come from thugged out military. Because if they come from thugged out military they would be like, that's gnarly. But I would never do that. I would always send it from Hood Lab. We had one fax machine. That's it. We would send our shit to... Our fax machine was fucked up.

I think it was like leftover sperm. It was like half a frog leg in a motherfucking... We lived bad. But we lived in a great environment. Bleak used to come through. Hell yeah. Bleak used to come through. That's right.

Me and True Life been up there mad times. True Life, my brother. Yo, True is the realest there. I love True Life, man. True don't smoke no weed and be in the middle of the fucking tornado like this. Yo, y'all bugging. Right. Sounds like me.

We spent a lot. The hood lab was so great. I mean, I'm looking at you. Like if I ain't been there. Nah, you've been there. You've been there. Classic nights, too. Tigger was there. Yeah, and K-Slay and Mariah.

You was there with Mariah? Yeah. I had Mariah sitting on the crate, my nigga. You lying. You want me to break down the story? Just whistle when I break down the story, my nigga. Break that down, man. Hold on.

Because Mariah don't even walk. She's slow. Now, here's the crazy shit. This is like our fucking first week, right, of opening the studio. I was paying $7,500, my nigga. And this is not my mortgage.

This is not my cars. This is not my apartment. This is just a place that I got tired of paying record labels. So I was like, fuck it. So I think I started out $7,500 or $8,500. By the time I left the hood lab, I stayed there for three years.

I think I was paying $95,000 or maybe $10,000. This is just my size shit. So anyway, we hit Dame. We hit a couple of people. It was like, yo, just come to the office. You know what I'm saying? We got no furniture. We don't think nobody's actually going to come.

So Mariah's like, I live down the street. Like, she's on 29th. We're on 31st. So we like, Dame's like, yo, I'm going to bring Mariah through. I'm like, shut up. Like, all right, I'm surprised if you come through. So they come upstairs. They got the men in black security. You know the men in black?

I need one of their pieces immediately. So Dame goes, yo, Norby, this guy don't know who you are. You're a street nigga. Tell him you don't need no security. I'm looking at Dame like, why would I tell Mariah? She's cool. But he's like, but tell the security that. I said, I'll tell Mariah that. I'm not going to tell the dude. So security's like, yo, Norby, she's cool. Like, but he's like, but tell the security that. I said, I'll tell Mariah that.

I'm not going to tell the dude. So security's like, you'll know me. He's a dickhead. But if you want us to wait outside, I said, I guess. So now Mariah's chilling, like, drinking. All my niggas is on Mariah. Let's just be clear. Let's just be clear.

She's walking around the studio. Fifteen niggas is like I got her son Like Like her security in here We her security And watch out We got her I'm like yo my nigga

That's my people She here to see me So Mariah goes to me She goes Oh I'll smoke But I only do Shotguns That's my word

I ain't never blew a shotgun In my life Until that day That's right I was blowing shotguns. That's my word. I ain't never blew a shotgun in my life until that day. That's right. I was blowing shotguns like a motherfucker. I'm like, hey, Mariah. How you doing? How you doing? Hey, look, come here. Come here.

I got it. I'm blowing shotguns. Niggas is looking at me like, yeah, this is a, I'm like, yeah, this is a groupie moment. I am in. This is Mariah. Nobody can't judge me. So, she's chilling and then all of a sudden, I remember they said that she's a

wino like me. When I say wino, I don't mean it in a bad way. Y'all niggas used to sweat pinot grigio. Yo, tell them. Let me tell them. So, I asked Mariah, I said, yo, you drink wine? She said, what? She jumped up.

Yo, my nigga, she drank all the bottles of Pinot Gris, yo, with me in the studio and sat on a crate. At that moment, I could have died. I would have been satisfied. Satisfied. I had completed my goal. Do you remember when we was in London? This was some real racist shit. This was some real racist shit. This was some real racist shit.

We in the hotel. We order wine and chicken. And the nigga said, the nigga said, there's no more wine and chicken. Niggas ate all the chicken, drove all the wine out the hotel. I was like,

I was like, I was like, yo, this is racist, but it's true. There's no more wine and chicken. Yo, I've been through a lot of incidents like that. I remember my first time going to Greece.

I'm in the hotel. Listen, hold on, time out. Leek is very rich. He has friends who owns Great Adventures. Shout out my nigga Sniper Down there in Greece In Greece

He was I don't even know nobody in Greece Let's get into your Greece story Yo listen First time my man Sniper Brings me out there in Greece Now this is the rich guy Sniper

Yeah my man Sniper Let's make some noise for Sniper Come on Let me break down Let's make some noise for Sniper Let's break down Well Sniper book me a show I don't even know he book shows

But book me a show I want to go to Greece Let's book down Let's break down Snipes, though. This is my nigga. First of all, these niggas drive white cars in the sunlight, right? When the sun go down, they change it all to black. So they don't even drive the same cars all day.

Let's change that up. They own a great adventure. They own every hotel. Now, is it actually a great adventure or is it their version? Just the water park. Just the water park side. In Greece. No roller coasters.

It's all water parks. But it is great adventure. Yeah. And they own the water park side. I forgot the name of it, but it's like the water park. Just the water park side. In Greece. No roller coasters. It's all water parks. But it is Great Adventure. Yeah. And they own the water park side. It's called, I forgot the name of it, but it's like the water park at Great Adventure. Same exact shit. About 16, 20. I need to know niggas like this.

20 fucking water rides. My life don't make sense right now. I'm disappointed. I don't know one nigga that owns Great Adventure. My wife just said that's the best vacation she ever had. Let's pick a bleak wife. Let's pick a bleak wife. Come on, man.

Come on. She know. She know. So, like, so listen.ak wife. Come on, man. Come on. She know. She know. So, like, so listen. First time we out there, we in the hotel. Uh-huh. My nigga, they playing 9-11 back to back to back. Okay.

To where I had to go to the front desk and tell a homie, yo, my nigga, I'm from New York. I seen this shit happen. Turn that shit off, man. You trying to tell me something? So he's like, no, no. We just know you from America. We thought you would like this. Oh, shit.

Where the fuck I'm at? Word. But my nigga, Greece is another level, my G. The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network, hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores, and brought to you by Velvet Buck. This podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode, I'll be diving into some of the lesser-known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Randall Williams and best-selling author and meat-eater founder Stephen Ranella. I'll correct my kids

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

Across the country, cops call this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple. Cops believed everything that taser told them. From Lava for Good and the team that brought you Bone Valley comes a story about what happened when a multi-billion dollar company dedicated itself to one visionary mission. This is Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated. I get right back there and it's bad. It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes one, two, and three on May 21st and episodes four, five, and six on June 4th.

Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on good company. The podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen.

What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there, and if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment and sports collide and hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us it's mental health awareness month and on a recent episode of just healed with dr j the incomparable taraji p henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey so what i'm hearing you saying is healing is a part of us also reconnecting

to our childhood in some sort. You said I look how youthful I look because I never let that little girl inside of me die. I go outside and run outside with the dogs. I still play like a kid. I laugh. 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. Look like you want some rosé, though. Nah, nah, nah. Look like that douce is kind of harsh.

Rosé is... I'm going to try a douce one day. It's not today, though. Is it bad if I smell it? Nah. That's that official, my nigga. You wake up in Flatbush and I know how you got there. It's that official my nigga you wake up in flatbush and i know how you got here that you wake up on northeastern avenue with no drawers on you're like yo what happened i'm in northeastern avenue just for no reason

vsop baby so let's get back to greece god yo the greece guy is rich he's stupid it's beyond my g like you gotta go with me, man. I go every year for my birthday. I took my man Debo out there. Debo, what up, my nigga? Shout out my nigga's warehouse music group. Warehouse music group. You know what I mean?

That's the studio that he never invited me to. That's the label. That's the studio. That's the management company. That's the security company. That's the realty company. That's the gas station. That's the grocery store.

Debo my brother. But sometimes Debo be hitting that's the gas station, that's the grocery store. Debo my brother, but sometimes Debo be hitting me with the industry shit. Come to the studio. Stop Debo. You got my number my nigga. Come on my nigga. I love all my Lower East Side niggas. They know that. Those niggas is the realest

officialest nigga. But so this Grease nigga he owns the actual Grease. Listen, hold on actual... My nigga, listen, hold on. They own about eight clubs, every hotel. So if Donald Trump become president,

is that where we're moving to? Yeah, I'm moving straight to Iron Apple. I'm out, I'm out, I'm out. So I have to visit there now. Yeah, don't worry. So I got to scope out my condo or whatever I'm going to do.

Nah, he'll buy it. Yo, listen, let me tell you something. That's my nigga. Tell him he managed me. That's the new rock nation I'ma tell y'all some ill shit right Grease look at it as disrespect

If somebody invites you So say like he called me Yo Bleak come down I want you to chill for your birthday with me And he invited me Now if I go to the store and spend money He ready to shoot the whole store Like why did y'all take his money

You know he out here with me I told you the people in Dubai do that That's disrespect You know he a guest He me I told you the people in Dubai do that That's disrespect You know he a guest He don't spend money So when you get out there All you need is a flight My nigga you got everything

Everything is good I learned my lesson I went to Dubai And I tried to buy a pack of bogeys And a dude had to do with me That don't speak English Just a security nigga He was like no

And I was like yo I can't buy my own cigarettes I'm a grown ass man It's a bad habit I might be killing myself I can't buy my own cigarettes? Like, I'm a grown ass man. Like, it's a bad habit. I might be killing myself. I don't want y'all to help me. Kill my, let it be on me.

You know what I'm saying? That guest shit is serious over there. And I bought my mom's, like, you know, the Kuwafa? That's like the biggest thing. It was in gold plated. So I snuck off to buy that shit. And this dude was just behind me. No! And I was like, all right, go ahead, man.

Let's start behind him. You should have tested it with like all right go ahead man it's for my mom it's my nigga i don't want a nigga to buy a present for my mom i'm telling you it's different man like anybody man i just i just give you the opportunity to travel the world get out there and see what's out there man because the world is beautiful man i found out where victoria's secret import all their models from I found the plant where they growing them. It's in Finland, Helsinki. I've been to Helsinki. You already know. I've been to Helsinki, and they all had bald heads. Nah.

White people were bald. At the CNN show, I thought I was going to die. Nah, you went to the wrong side of Helsinki. No, it was Poland. I'm bugging you. It was Poland. We got in a hit and run and all that in Helsinki. Yeah, yeah, Poland. I'm bugging you. It was Poland. We got in the hit and run and all that in Helsinki.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You kidding me? I was on my way. I stopped in Helsinki on my way to Poland. You're right. Helsinki is lit. You kidding me?

Yeah, no, Helsinki is straight out. It's stupid lit. I had the best vegetarian meal in my life in Helsinki. I love overseas, man. I had Mexican vegetarian food in Helsinki. In Helsinki?

This is a fact. Next trip to Chile. You going right, Miz? This is a fact. Next trip, Chile. You going, right, Lizzy? Chile. We going to Chile. So what's the next move for you? Like, are you going to... Me and you had an interesting conversation off the mic.

Uh-huh. And I said to you, I was... How you calling it? Confiding in you. I was breaking... I said, yo, I don't even want to lay a verse no more. I don't really even want to perform. I feel you, my G.

And that's what you said. I feel you. You feel like, it ain't that you feel like that. It's just that it's that real, my nigga. Like you said, you 38, my nigga. I'm 38. What are we supposed to be, the 40-year-old rappers trying to get back to where we once were?

Yeah, word. We supposed to be in the club, 40 goons, slam on the hip still, 40 years old, trying to talk about y'all trying to get it popping, my nigga. We look like idiots. Why are you trying to do that? Because this is the thing I miss as an artist. As an artist, it's an addiction when you drop an album. Like, you know that when you're at weekend.

That rush. And this is what the podcast has done for me. That's right. I can still have that rush every week, but I don't got done for me. That's right. I can still have that rush every week, but I don't got to go in, like, people are hitting me for verses.

I don't want to do a promo run. Yeah, I don't want to do it. I don't want to be signing kids' cookies. You know what I'm saying? No, I love that part.

The pictures, the meetings. No, I like that, but I'm saying, the grind of it. I can't do it. I don't like it no more.

Yeah, I can't. The chitlin, sir, are you kidding me? We just said that. We just talked about it. Last episode, the chitlin, sir. I don't like it no more. Yeah, I can't. The Chitlin' Circus. You kidding me? We just said that. We just talked about it. Last episode, the Chitlin' Circus.

They don't want to smell a Chitlin'. Yeah, the Chitlin' Circus is real, man. That's where you got to grind. It's real. And you know, I got the company. We got Warehouse Music Group. You know, I got a lot of artists. We got Caitlyn, young female from out here in Miami.

Shout out Miami. Shout out Caitlyn. We got the homie from Barbados. We got my man Vito. You got the artist from Barbados? Yeah, we got the artist

from Barbados. My man Shane Free. You don't even have an artist from Barbados to be rich. Shout out my man Shane Free from out there Barbados.

You know we got my man Bam Vito in Brooklyn. We making a major move. Shout out my homie Manolo Rose. We trying to put something together with the homie right now.

Get him a nice situation. That's hot. And we just working, man.ie Manolo Rose. We're trying to put something together with the homie right now. Get him a nice situation. And we just working, man. So Manolo Rose isn't with French? Yeah, I think he managed by him or whatever. Oh, okay. So, you know, we just trying to... I'm trying to see the new generation do it. I'm trying to be one of these, the old

generation trying to hang with the new generation. Like, let these young niggas live you feel me like the niggas do their thing we had our time man i feel like i do music as a hobby for fun if it work it work but don't think i'm gonna be out here like yeah album coming out two months right but so so what do you do to fulfill that feeling because as an artist i don't give a fuck what me or you say. If we walk in the studio and we hear that knock,

I ain't gonna lie, I can't get that out of me. What I do, I do sing, my nigga. Remember, I'm in the club every week. You know what I mean? I'm still mingling with the DJs. So when was the last time you've been in the studio? Shit, I was in the studio

before I came down here. Shout out to hom last time you've been in the studio? Shit, I was in the studio before I came down here. Shout out to Homie Reefer. Production. Got the studio in Jersey. Manolo was out there working with a new producer. So, you know, I was in the studio fucking with him. And he just laid the monster. I ain't talking about a person pay you for a feature.

I'm talking about just you on your own. We got the studio out here. So you are working on something. We working on the studio right now. It's under construction. We remodeling it, you know, trying to bring it up to date. What's the name of the studio? Warehouse 305.

I told you everything, man. Even the grocery store. Warehouse 305. That's what's up. When I sell lobsters, Warehouse 305 lobster. That's hard. So what else ventures you want to get into? I want to do the movies, man.

I want to do cartoon, really. Because you know why I want to do a cartoon? Because you get to say what the fuck you want to get into? I want to do the movies, man. I want to do cartoon, really. Because you know why I want to do a cartoon? Because you get to say what the fuck you want to say, man. Because if it's a person, you got people with picket signs outside protesting. Like adult swim shit? They don't say shit about the Simpsons. Family guy. Them niggas talk about religion, everything.

They don't say nothing. But let that be somebody like a human on TV saying that shit. Your ass is finished. Now, was Baseline uncomfortable when all the artists was there? Never. Never? You know what? I loved Baseline, and that's what I want to create for the artists we deal with now.

That's why we're building our own studio, so everybody can hang in and it feel like a home. It creates, that's right and it creates that's exactly what it creates competition remember we go in baseline it was only two studios so you would have to wait in the front for your turn you got jay in one lounge right you got jay in one room working on his shit yeah nobody can't work in the other room working on his shit then when they finish i'm working on something free working other room working on his shit. Then when they finish, I'm working on something, Free working on something, Dixette working on something. Then you got Kanye, Just Blaze in there producing. Right.

Like, every given moment, it was a monster being made. Something's being produced, yeah. So it's like, you can't come in here and do no whack shit. Now, let's keep it real. Did you see the genius in Kanye early? Let's keep it real. Yeah. I don't think nobody kind of did.

Yo, listen, I remember when- I had Kanye wait outside my's keep it real. Yeah. I don't think nobody kind of did. Yo, listen. I remember when... I had Kanye wait outside my studio for two hours. Yo, my nigga. Let me tell you how I met Kanye. I ain't see it. Let me tell you how I met Kanye and Just Blaze. I met Kanye, Just Blaze, and Guru all on the same day.

What? Because I had an engineer, right? He called out sick. So, you know, L'Oreal back then used to manage all the engineers. She managed all the engineers. So, you know, my manager back then, B-High, he hit her. Like, yo, Bleak need an engineer. So she like, yo, I got a new engineer named

Guru. I'm like, do we smoke weed? She like, yeah. I'm like, send them. So, Guru come through. I'm like, my nigga, I just rolled up. Huh, let's get busy. So we laying. So, you know, after a while, I did a joint. I'm like, yo, I need some beats. So Beans come like, yo, we need some beats. He like, yo, i'm gonna call these two producers just blaze and kanye walking this is

everything he's called them no guru called them so listen we in the studio with them that day i picked like six beats for just blaze for the understanding album beans pick like four from kanye for the truth because he did that beat the truth every for the truth, because he did that beat, The Truth. Every damn step in the booth. He did that right there, that same day. Jay came that night, heard the records we did, and we started the Dynasty album that week. Wow. That's classic.

Goddamn it. Let's make some noise for him again. That's all right. You saw the genius in Kanye from the moment? Not from that day But as a producer You believed it Yeah

But as an artist You wasn't fucking with him My nigga He had a A CD right With beats on it You know you usually get a CD From a producer with beats

He give you 10 beats You probably get 2 joints My nigga That beat CD Kanye made everybody Korea At the label Everybody had a joint From Ye off that CD.

Wow. Word. Wow, this is an ill story. That's crazy. I'm not going to lie. I had a session in L.A. And Martin Moore, let's pick him up. Shout out, man.

Martin Moore was like, yo, this producer, he doing mad Rockefeller shit. And I looked at the nigga. I was like, no, he not. I kid you not. Like, you know, I was like, no, he not. I kid you not. I was like, no, he not. And I mean, this is early, early, early, early Kanye. I don't even think he had a polo shirt at this time.

This is early, early. So I mean, we in L.A. You know how we do in L.A. We got guns. And we was against security everywhere else but L.A. In L.A., we was securityed up. Fucked that. Like, it was real.

So the nigga finally came in the studio, and he was like, it was disrespectful y'all had me waiting two hours. And we looked at the nigga. He said, but I know y'all fucked me up. He was doled up. I know y'all fucked me up. Because he said it with mad bass in his voice And niggas was like, what?

Like, yo, it was like the sauce awards Where I brought the worst of the worst people with me Because niggas was getting robbed And I was like, that's not gonna happen to us Let's make some noise I said, I said Um, niggas running I said, nigga,, niggas running, I said, nigga, some shit, some sauce, but Rob niggas like the Crips at the Sauce Awards and everything that went down was cool with me as long as I came back with my jewelry.

You feel me? I'm going to tell you a story that I never told you. Oh, man, he about to kill me. Yeah, listen. Listen, I hope you don't Jadakiss me. Turn the mic. Jadakiss killed me on my show. Yeah, it, he about to kill us. Yeah, listen. Listen, I hope you don't Jadakiss me. Turn the mic. Jadakiss killed me on my show.

Yeah, it just came to my mind. Nah. Yo, listen. This is the first memorial. This is just after I met this nigga.

So, mind you, I didn't even really know him like that to call him and be like, yo, son, chill. I just met him. So, listen. The first Memorial

Day, I'm in Miami. These niggas riding around on a military bus. Yeah, I was doing the show. I just said, let him talk. Let him talk. 7,000 deep. These niggas riding around on a military bus. Yeah, I was doing the show. I didn't even talk.

Yo, 7,000 feet. These niggas is everywhere. MU shirts. Everybody got on the MU shirt on the beach. Everybody. In South Beach. So listen, me and the homies, we standing in front of Lowe's. This way, they just opened the Lowe's.

Hoes took nice care of us. Had us in the Lowe's. So I'm chilling. You know Mike Geronimo was fucking with Irv Gotti. Right. So Irv Gotti,

you know, I know Mike Geronimo, he spent the corner. Like, yo, Bleak, let me holler at you. So I'm like, what up, my nigga? Like, you good, what's up?

He like, yo, Nori and them niggas riding around out here, my nigga. And I got this nigga with me and they gonna fuck him up. I need somewhere to stash him real quick. So I'm like, who?

He like, yo, Tragedy Gaddafi. So I'm like, arrest the president, nigga? I'm like, arrest the president, nigga? He like, yeah. So I'm like, fuck it, guy. Here go my key. Y'all niggas go upstairs, do y'all things. So my man at the time, Murder,

he like, man, fuck that nigga. Let the niggas hide in the room. Them niggas better get out here and get in this action. That's my nigga. So he like, man, fuck the man. I'm like, nah, that's Mike. I can't let his man get washed. I don't

even know trash, but that's because of Mike Geronimo. I'm a lookout. Soon as them niggas get upstairs, these niggas turn the corner on the bus. 7,000 D. What up, my nigga? What up? He's like, yo, you see that nigga tragedy out there?

Let me know. Yo, I had the bullhorn. Remember the bullhorn? I was like, what? It sounded like the police. Yo, where's tragedy at? And I'm looking at this nigga like, nah, I ain't seen him. I ain't gonna fuck with you.

Bleak told me that. One day we was just chilling, getting drunk. Bleak was like, you know I hid your man from you, right? I was like, what? He told me this story. And Preem was with him. I think he was out here with Preem. Which was crazy because Preem is the big super OG in Queens.

But I purposely didn't bring Queens niggas for that reason. I brung Bronx niggas. And I brung all the, you know... Yeah, remember. That's the show that I... We brung three buses. I did that show. We had a Queens-based bus.

I'll never forget that, man. We had a left rack bus, and then we had a Bronx bus. So many motherfuckers got arrested that weekend. We was riding around 7,000 people. You know what was so beautiful about that time was my niggas was coming out here getting arrested, and you could still bail the people out. Oh, straight up.

I bailed about five people out. I bailed like 10 of y'all motherfuckers out. Let me just tell you something. I could never bail nobody out again. The government, if I ever try to bail somebody out, the government's going to be like, you're going to really try us one more time? Word up. Because everybody ran on my bail. I have never,

you know how you bail somebody out? I have never, in like 20 years, I've never got a bail back. Neither have I. Because they actually went on a run. Like, this is fucked up. Even if niggas went to jail,

I still ain't get the money. I should went back to the fair and they bust that up. That's a fact. So Biggs just came home. Yeah. His energy was good Yeah yeah

I fucks with Biggs Biggs always been The quiet OG Took my first thotty On the tour So it's cool That was weird It was weird

How he ended it That nigga Biggs That nigga Biggs Man yo No I remember man Like being like So excited Like yo

I got a chick Ready to go to the hotel I couldn't fucking believe it That nigga like Who I got a chick ready to go to the hotel I couldn't fucking believe it I think like who I show up he took her he took her from you? yeah make some noise for Big teaching you a lesson

teaching you a lesson that's why you married now you're talking with the wrong people god damn it that's right I was like, this motherfucker. I didn't know it was up. Let me just tell you.

I'll tell you one night, right? And niggas from my hood are going to get mad. But it was my man Wap, and it was my man, I forget who Wap was with. But they had some bad chicks, right? This is Club S-O's. I'm old. S-O's. And they had these chicks, right?

So, you know, my hood. We think these niggas is big niggas. So, Hov and Biggie Smalls walks to S.O.S. At that moment, I knew their chicks was gone. But I had to lay it out for them to play it out. So I see these niggas and Hov and Biggs took my man's girls. It was like an honor. I was like,

you're supposed to be honored. This is pre-Capone and Noriega. We just coming up. They came over, gave us fives. But it's like if Bigg and Jay-Z take your girls, you're supposed us fives, but it's like if Big and Jay-Z take your girls, it's like, you're supposed to be like, fuck it.

Nah, you outchoked me. I'm going to be honest. That flyer, remember I sent you a flyer? Yep, yep. Well, I sent you a flyer. That was our first or second show. It was with Jay-Z, right? That's crazy. I'm not sure if you was there. I'm not sure. Do you remember? Akineli was on the'm not sure if you was there. I'm not sure.

I'm not. Do you remember? Akanele was on the show. Yeah, you was there. You was there. OC used to be on the show, too. And it was a chick from my hood named... And she didn't give nobody no ass from the hood. And she left for Hov that night.

Be Beyonce. Be Beyonce. I just knew right from there. Like, Hov is a different dude. Like, he's like a superhero without a cape that people hasn't recognized yet. So, this is crazy. Let's make some noise for Hov and them fucking everything. Shout out Al Canelli, man.

Al Canelli. I tried to get him to pull up today. Al Canelli put the first thotties on the map. Yo, listen. Remember, I was 15 when Put It In Your Mouth came out. So, being in the map. Yo, listen. Remember, I was 15 when Put It In Your Mouth came out. So being in the club, hearing bitches talk, see, where y'all come?

I'm right here. I'm right here after the show. You fucking kidding me? Y'all like this shit? I was on it. He was on the shit. Yo, now let me tell you. I'm going to be honest.

I knew Akanele was a different type of freak. Akanele brought me on my first tour. So when I became platinum, I hit number one. The first thing I wanted to do was repay that favor. That's right. So I brought Akanele on the tour. Akanele was doing an album called Benny Hill at the time. Yep, yep.

So I thought that was like, I got Melvin Flint from that. I was like, Benny Hill, that was crazy. So wevin Flint from that I was like Benny Hill That was crazy So we're in the back of the tour bus I've never really been an official freak I have had freak days But I'm like I am like a one man girl

Like you know what I'm saying I love too hard But So we're in the back of the tour bus We got some What did you call them? Thotties Thotties

Okay We're nicknaming that now So we got Thotties And we're in the back of the tour bus. We got some, what did you call them? Thotties. Okay. We're nicknaming that now. So we got Thotties. And we're all back there and we're doing it. And Akineli did the craziest shit I've ever seen in life. He opened up his shirt and started rubbing his own lips. I've never seen this in my life.

You're lying, I swear! You lying, you lying. You lying. Because that don't do nothing for me. I could rob my nigga. What the fuck? What the fuck does that do for me? Like, and he was dead serious. He was like, yeah.

This nigga would rob the block for me. This is not no knock frack shit, baby. I'm looking at him like, yo, stop! Rubbing his nipples At that moment I said this nigga's a freak He's a different type He's a different type He's not like us He's different my nigga Him owning a strip club makes total sense.

I never, like, I seen Benny Hill do that, like rub his nipples. I never seen a grown-ass man in the middle of 12 bars. Did he get into a porn game, too? I don't think he made porn, but he tried to slosh it. Listen, any nigga that rubs his nipples, he's liable to do anything. He's dangerous in a different way. Especially the way you was doing it right now. No, I mean, in my mind, that's how I had to do it.

That's just scary. You got into character and shit. Let's keep in mind, I was the first nigga from left rack to ever get on on some MC shit. I never met Nas, seen Nas, or heard of Nas until I seen him with Akineli. So, this is still a guard to me. I didn't want to know

he was that much of a freak. You rub your nipples, like honestly, like rub your nipples right now. What the fuck is a nipple? But what does it do for you? Like it does nothing for me. So if it does something for you, you sensitive in places. No, you're getting into this.

You're getting into this. You're making it a joke. I'm just... You made it a joke. I'm not trying to make it a joke. Go ahead, man. Go ahead. He's sensitive. He sits in there.

Yeah. I can now even know he's my brother. But I can hold did a lot of shows in the beginning. OC used to be at the crib with us. OC. Yeah, man. We used to be on that Grizz 9, man. Or Earl.

Hov was different, man. Now, what happened between jazz? What was that about That was I don't know You know Jazz They older Like so I never

Was in the middle of that Like Jazz was a cool nigga Like As far as that I never really got into What happened I just wanted to make sure It ain't happen to me

You feel me Like what they did I ain't cool I ain't doing that Wow You feel me? Like, what they did, all right, cool. I ain't doing that. Wow. 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 Rinella. I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here. And I'll say, it seems like the ice age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to the American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. I know a lot of cops, and they get asked all the time, have you ever had to shoot your gun? Sometimes the answer is yes. But there's a company dedicated to a future where the answer will always be no. Across the country, cops called this taser the revolution. But not everyone was convinced it was that simple.

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

It's really, really, really bad. Listen to new episodes of Absolute Season 1, Taser Incorporated on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Binge episodes 1, 2, and 3 on May 21st, and episodes 4, 5, and 6 on June 4th. Ad-free at Lava for Good Plus on Apple Podcasts. I'm Michael Kassin, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company,

the podcast where I sit down with the boldest innovators shaping what's next. In this episode, I'm joined by Anjali Sood, CEO of Tubi, for a conversation that's anything but ordinary. We dive into the competitive world of streaming, how she's turning so-called niche into mainstream gold, connecting audiences with stories that truly make them feel seen. What others dismiss as niche, we embrace as core. It's this idea that there are so many stories out there. And if you can find a way to curate and help the right person discover the right content, the term that we always hear from our audience is that they feel seen. Get a front row seat to where media, marketing, technology, entertainment, and sports collide.

And hear how leaders like Anjali are carving out space and shaking things up a bit in the most crowded of markets. Listen to Good Company on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month, and on a recent episode of Just 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. How many people did you came up, came along with and that, you know, because see one thing about hip hop What I tell people all the time Especially artists I say, if you want to choose between

The hip hop game and the hustling game I say pick the hustling game Because you're going to get that money fast But if you want to live in hip hop Forever This is a five year, two, three, four Five years, you might not even be getting Bread

You just got to grind. You got to be everywhere at all times. That's right. How do you feel about that? You just got to go where the opportunities present themselves. A lot of people get a deal and think they're successful just because you signed

the deal. But at the end of the day, the task just began. As an artist, your journey don't begin until you get the deal. But at the end of the day, the task just began. You know what I mean? As an artist, your journey don't begin until you get the deal. That's what I'm saying. It's just like a guy who takes a business loan to open up a store and he goes to the

bank. But just the industry charge a lot more interest. Their interest rate is ridiculous. And a lot more scumbags to deal with. A lot. Because it's a take business. It's not a give lot. Because it's a take business. It's not a give me business.

It's hip hop. So you know what I mean? For artists to survive, you got to constantly stay relevant. Like you got to stay in the public eye.

Stay on social media. Your Snapchat got to be lit. Your filter game got Now who's one of the artists that came through to y'all that you could have probably signed,

but you brung it to the office and people ain't see your vision? Big Crit. Because I heard you brung Little Crit. Wait, Big Crit? Yeah, I brung Big Crit up there. I found him on MySpace. Me and my man Agent. You know, shout out my G, Agent.

Yeah, we found him on MySpace. I brung him up to y'all. I also heard you brung Lil Wayne. I heard you was the guy that said, Lil Wayne is the next dude. We should sign him. Nah, not Weezy. Weezy been on.

No, I'm talking about, like, you know, like, when he was coming up. Oh, when he was talking about leaving cash money and all that. And he was mixtape Weezy. I heard that was you. Yeah, yeah, I told niggas about him, but, like, you know, Ross,

I put niggas on him. I heard that, too. Big Crit, fucking, um... Jeezy? Was Jeezy in on that? Nah, just T.I. Like, but, you know, Jay ain't know about road. I heard that too. Big Crit. Fucking, um... Jeezy? Was Jeezy in that one? Just T.I. But you know, Jay ain't know about T.I. back then.

Now, over T.I., man, cool. All right. Let's make some noise for Big Flick. We're in it together. You know what I mean? I put a lot of people on it. So, I just try to show love.

If you got the real talent and it's real, I'm going to put you in that position. It's just like Manolo. Like, I know Manolo my whole life. His brother, me and his brother grew up together. Oh, Manolo's really from Marcy.

That's for real. Yeah, me and his brother. Like, you know, it's cousins. We all fucked with each other. Right. So, you know, I'm older than his brother. He a little younger than me. Right.

But we all grew up together. So, you know, to see Manolo come up and doing this thing, my first thing was to reach out to him. Yo, my nigga, anything I could do for you, we gonna make it happen for you. Now, Bleak, you're a real nigga. Before, because I got two more questions. But before we go any further,

Bleak, you never changed on me. That's real shit, though. You can't change because, like, I look at a lot of people who change. And I don't change on you, I just get a little crazy. Nah, you're my nigga. This industry is different. Now, I'm gonna take you back to the you. I just get a little crazy. Nah, you're my nigga. But this industry is different. Now, I'm going to take you back to the beginning when I said I wasn't prepared. Now, think about it.

A lot of artists go through some shit. They make demos. They try to get on. Niggas shit on them. They stand outside of studios for two hours for a nigga to give them a break. So they have already set in their mind, when I make it, I'm going to shit on these niggas. All right. You feel me? So mind you,

I never had that. I never made a demo tape. I never ran down on a nigga, yo, I rap, listen to my record. I never knew my man from the fifth floor was going to be the guard MC. I just was rolling. You know what I mean? This shit just happened. So how can I act funny to a nigga

that's something that was given to me? That's why I try to give back, my nigga. So now we ask everybody, who was your favorite CEO? And I was about to say I was going to eliminate somebody. I was biased, man. But it's okay. We bias on this show. Let's make some noise for Hovick.

Man, I had deals on the table before I signed with Rockefeller. I had a bunch of deals. I remember my manager wanted to fucking beat the shit out of me. They wanted to beat me up.

For staying with Rockefeller? Yeah, because we, Jay didn't even have Rockefeller yet. I heard you didn't even have a contract. Nothing. We didn't have a deal

or nothing. You're doing some noise for Bleak doing drug dealer moves. And then leave the business. You can only do that with another drug dealer. Another drug dealer can say that. They did that to me.

They never gave me a contract. I swear to God. I was like, yo, y'all want a contract? Because I know contracts come with advance. I was like, they were so rich at the time. I said, fuck it. Y'all want a contract? They didn't do a while.

Give me another chance. I rocked it brown. So your favorite CEO was Hov. That's a beautiful thing because we had Jadakiss, the Lox, and all the CEOs that they have, and they said D and Y. So this is beautiful that you said. And it's biased, but I got to put. We can be biased here. I got to put Jay and Dame up there, though.

You got to put Dame up there, too. Now, make some noise. You got to give credit to Dame for recording that. Yeah, you got to put Dame up there. Dame. You gotta put Dame up there, too. Now, make some noise. You gotta give credit to Dame for recording that. Yeah, you gotta put Dame up there. Dame! Because Dame is a fucking hot stuff. I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna be honest.

You're gonna stop me. I'm gonna be honest. I'm gonna be honest. One of the worst meetings I ever had in my life. The video? Huh? Was it the video? Yes.

Who's blowing it up? You, Ed? It's one of the worst meetings I've ever had in my life But it's a great meeting I got the I got the number one record With the Spanish record Right

Oye Mi Cando Oye Mi Cando That's right The number one record But mind you Def Jam told me Throw that shit out on your own So I threw the shit out on my own

That shit got 500 spins The original with Tego Yeah 500 spins The nigg one. Yeah. 500 spins. The niggas was like, so what? You pick up 1100 spins. Some niggas was like, that's light. 1500 spins.

They're like, you working. 2700 spins. We see you. 3500 spins. We watching harder. 4500 spins. What are you doing? 7,500 spins Them niggas was like

Bring my record up here And I was like You just told me I could throw that shit out On my own They said We never said that With a straight face to me

Like this is real business With a straight face to me So they was like is real business. With a straight face to me. So they was like, yo, look, we're going to give you such and such for the video, whatever, whatever. So I was like, all right, cool, because I always looked at it like I sell crack, and this is, I'm selling heroin on the side. I don't really care what I make from this shit. So I'm walking into the building at Def Jam to have the meeting about my video.

So Dane goes to me. He goes, yo, you're supposed to have a meeting about your video, right? And how he knew this, I'm like, I'm not in Illuminati, especially not at that time. They just accepted my invitation. So Dane goes, yo, you're about to have that video, man. I'm like, yeah, how do you know? He's like, chill, 15 minutes. So I walk in there.

This is Fat Kevin Liles. Who is the best Kevin Liles? Fat Kevin Liles is the best Kevin Liles. Let's make some noise for Fat Kevin Liles. He's skinny now. He's still a great guy, but Fat Kevin Louse is the best. You can get anything out of him. You ain't never lost.

So I walk in the office. I have no idea. I walk in the office, and Kevin's like, yo, so we're going to give you $50,000. We're going to give you like $25,000 for this video. We're going to go higher. This is still in the days where we we on um uh uh film yeah we're not digital yeah so dame walked through i just agreed he was like you want the 50 i was like yeah i take the 50 for the for the video

because it's oye me canas the spanish record i'm not really crazy like i just want to do it like you know what dame walked in it was like, I swear to God, a smoke machine started. I don't think it's a smoke machine, but in my mind, a smoke machine. He was like, what's up, fat boy? The Cav. I was like, I'm looking at myself

like, what the fuck? Me and Dane, we don't talk like that. What is this going on? And he's like, yeah. He's like, Kev, how much you told Nori his video he should shoot? And Kev is like, that's between me and Nori. And Dame is like, Nori, do you mind?

I'm like, not really. I mean, all right, cool. He's like, yo, oh, he just offered you $35,000 for your video and Kev is like that's me and Nori shit the nigga Dame brung out the books yeah you know

he always had his assistants show him the book the nigga's like yo I had the number one record LL had just got approved for a $550,000 video Mariah Carey had just got approved

for a $400,000 video. Ja Rule, all the people who are actually predominantly selling more records than me, but at the time, when you got the number one record, you are number one. So then he was like, you see how these record label

dudes do you? They think you don't know nothing. They're going to give you a little $35,000 video. So Kevin's like, but that's what Nori agreed to. And I did. I'm like, word. I did agree. Because I could have worked wonders with $35,000 at that time.

You would have pocketed $10,000. But maybe. I don't know. I'm not sure. I would have put it all on film. That's what I say. Put it all on film. But Dame single-handedly, although he was an asshole about it,

like he showed them the numbers. How could you approve LL for this video? How could you? And Diss Norrie. I ain't know no better. And that did tell me a lesson because when Rockefeller niggas was rocking, Ho was the big dude, but then Dame was the dude taking care of the audience. The business, that's right.

Although he did it absolutely wrong. 100%. But his heart was in the right place. That's right. His heart was in the right place. Because he helped me out of a major jam. I always got a special bond with that nigga behind that, man. I almost signed a bad management deal.

Niggas trying to take 50%. That was in the beginning signed a bad management deal. Niggas trying to take 50%. That was in the beginning. I heard about this. Niggas trying to take 50% of everything. Just before you signed a rock and roll. Yep. They think that was like, my nigga, get you a lawyer. So I'm like, yeah, they got me this lawyer.

And you know who the lawyer was? Combat Jack. Oh, shit. Combat Jack jerked me. Combat Jack jerked me. He probably jerked you too, baby. I ain't never signed it. I never signed the deal.

Oh, the lawyer that was the foul nigga was Combat Jack. Let's make some noise for Combat Jack not only being a foul to me. Not only being a foul to me, he's a foul nigga. I never signed it, but he was the foul nigga. He Haitian, right? He Haitian, right? I think so. Look, my best friend is Haitian.

This is what I'm saying. This is what I'm saying. We're going to throw voodoo on Combat. Yeah, but I never signed it, so Dame Cena, he was like, yo, you bugging, I'm going to get you a better lawyer. My best friend is Haitian This is fucked up This is fucked up We're gonna throw voodoo on combat Yo, nah But I never signed it So Dame seen it He was like Yo, you bugging

I'm gonna get you a better lawyer Get you a situation Get you right And he helped me out Better than Combat Jack So Dame knew Combat Was a piece of shit for a long time I don't wanna say that

I'm saying it You got a bad reputation You know what I mean? Combat is a good nigga Combat is my nigga Reggie O'Seas Reggie O'Seas They almost got a nigga In that motherfucker What's my nigga. Reggie Oseas. Reggie Oseas.

They almost got a nigga in that motherfucker. What's his name? Reggie Oseas at that time. It wasn't Comeback. That's right. He's the weird Penny Lopez. He's the weird Penny Lopez. He's my friend. He's my friend now.

We're podcast friends. But nothing would change the fact that he jerked me my very first day. I ain't gonna lie. You know, this is the industry for that, man. You don't know? No, listen. Listen, Comeback Jack. Listen, this is? No, listen, listen, Combat Jack. Listen, this is how you know I'm coming from selling crack.

All right. This is how I knew the deal was wrong. They paid Combat Jack five thousand. They paid Tragedy five thousand. Reggie Osei five thousand. They paid Tragedy five thousand. They paid Capone five thousand and And they paid Nori 5,000 But what fucked up

Is I got it in cash I wasn't the smartest nigga in the world But I knew this was wrong That's right From that moment I was like What? I got paid like I'm on a block Niggas gave me an envelope with slime on it It said Nori

But in my mind I was like What the fuck? Yeah, I was trying to kill Combat Jack for at least two years. I was having chicks. I'm going to be honest. This is real shit. I was having chicks, messing with him, saying, yo, where's he at? Just, you know, slip up.

It wasn't Molly back then, but in my mind, it was Molly. That's right. Slip of ecstasy in his joint, let him go to sleep, and then call me. It never happened. Combat Jack you're lucky I got love for you now, I grew up and I'm elder so Combat Jack you're cool but your podcast doesn't exist

calm, relax you want to edit this out? no we're not we're going to have Combat Jack on the show listen for all intents and purposes, you know, we're playing around with real situations. Right, right. Like, big up to my boy, Spiff TV. Great sport about it.

He heard us crack jokes on him. Everybody around us was like, yo, please don't put that out. Spiff laughed at it. He called me. He wants to be on the show. Combat, you should laugh at it, and me he wants to be on the show calm back you should laugh at it and you should want to be on the show

you know I'm going to ask you these questions Bleak fuck all that my nigga it's the industry you got skeletons get the fuck out the game that's just it

don't get in this game with them fucking skeletons we going to pull them shits out somebody has to so what would you want for Bleak to end like, you know what I'm saying, as a rapper? Like, you gotta do

one more album? Is it that? I gotta put my team on, man. I gotta show my niggas what Hov showed me, man. The experiences that I was, you know, gracious to be blessed with. That's it, man. That's that I was, you know, gracious to be blessed with. That's it, man. That's what it's about

right there. They say you, they say they can only measure your greatness by how you made somebody else great. That's right. And I... And that's my thing. Like, I feel like, unless I'm going triple platinum, what I'm doing that, what I'm going to do that I didn't do already.

Right. Where I'm going to go, I haven't been. Right. What crowd I'm doing that What I'ma do that I didn't do already Right Where I'ma go I haven't been Right What crowd I'ma perform for That I didn't perform for I didn't perform everywhere On this planet I didn't perform for Greece

So I still got a lot To live and do I done performed Been around the planet Five six times Man I'm thankful Like you know what I mean Niggas still traveling

Like This shit is It's a blessing man We here From what we wrote on paper my nigga like Lil Mug I heard stories

got us sitting right here so now I heard you say that Drake is cheating because he's holding us

yeah man we gotta stop this we gotta stop somebody get the word to this guy you can't be holding us big up to

OVO 40 that's my man none of my niggas I fuck with Drake. But he's cheating. But you cheating, man. He got the cheat code.

Come on, Trey Songz, get in touch with me, man. Give me some of that glow, my nigga. Somebody teach me how to hold a note. Son, I'm coming. Niggas cheating. Let me at least be somebody. I'm going to let you know. KRS-One got on this show and said,

and we said, how do you feel about Drake having a Ghost Rider and KRS-One said that's dope. Yeah. That was crazy. I didn't think KRS-One

he said that was dope. You're right. I'm sorry. I always put 100 on 10. Without Ghost Riders a lot of MCs in this game you got to just take away. Like you look

Break it down. We're trying to get this out of you. Come on Blake. How many people you see old writers in verse four? If you like Lil', Break it down, we're trying to get this out of you. How many people you see Hov write a verse for? If you like Lil' Kim and Foxy,

erase it. You like Puff for the family album, erase it. You like Biz Markie, erase it. Easy, easy. Erase it.

Just take it all out your history books and then we can call a spade a spade. You feel me? You ever ask Hov to write a rhyme for you? Hell yeah.

He did. He wrote Coming to Age. I ain't even, I ain't even have input on it. Then I went to his crib. Wait, the whole album? No, the song. Oh, the song.

Oh, I'm bugging, I'm bugging. Yo, Hove, I spit. Nigga like, huh, here go a piece of paper, my nigga, as fast as you remember that, as fast as you be on. What?

That's hard. I went back to the crib, rewrote that shit. Went back up, said, my nigga, I got it. That's hard. That's hard. And that was it. For word, like said, my nigga, I got it. That's all. That's all. And that was it.

For word. Like, a lot of people, like, ghostwriters been in the game. Some people is the artist. Some people is just writers. Like, my nigga, like, if you 350 pounds, you in the back sweating every time you breathe, but your pin game is on fire, you better go to the gym and find you a little petite something that's going to sing that for you, because they ain't buying your shit. You feel me?

And that's real. So every R&B singer, take them out your history books. Oh, no. R&B. R&B, we understand that. I don't care. It's still a talent, man. It's still right, and it's music.

It's harmony. It's notes. But Karis put it in perspective that we never really thought of it the way he said it. Yeah, Karis is too positive. For him to say that, I was like, okay, you're right. That's the philosopher, right? The nigga said, because technically none of us write our rhymes.

I looked at the nigga like, wait a minute. He said the divine. Hold on. I looked at the nigga like, wait a minute. The divine. And that nigga said, because God writes all our shit. I don't think God want me to say fuck them bitches. Maybe God does.

Maybe God does. You know what I mean? God got a sense of humor. But yo, Bleak, man, we want to thank you for hanging out. We appreciate you. You know, you didn't stop me one time. You didn't say I didn't want to talk about that. And that's beautiful.

That's the thing about this. This thing is a lot of people are hitting me. They are new artists, and they want to be a part of this. And the thing about it is y'all have the game to be a part of. That's right. You're new artists. This is not the game. They got to create their own lane, man.

I think that they should sit around, and they should be fans of this show. That's right. So wanting to be a part of the show. Some of you guys, we could have you, we could give you a horn. You know what I'm saying? But that's what greatness is. That's right. I didn't want to watch basketball.

I didn't watch basketball and just want to jump on the court. I always watched it and I studied it more. And that's what we're doing. We want to give a place that people can tell these stories. Because this is real shit. That Rockefeller story on that private plane has never been told. I wish people could have been there.

Nah, I didn't wish people. No, I wish the people that was there would have woke up. I wish people could have been there just to see it. Because even like in the Fade to Black movie, they cut my scene because it just was a lot of shit that I just. Let's shit on the Fade to Black people. Who cut your scene? Let's talk about that. I don't know, man.

Probably in the editing room. Let's talk about them. But I was just trying to tell niggas like it was a situation where Dane was telling everybody that they're going to retire like Jay. We all going to retire like Jay. Everybody. All of us. Everybody's not good. And I was telling niggas, no we

ain't. Even me. My nigga, are you fucking kidding me? You telling me that I'm going to go out like this at Madison Square Garden. Are you fucking kidding me? That ain't going to happen, my nigga. Unless God come down here, write these rhymes for me,

spit this shit, and I go quadruple platinum tomorrow. Then maybe we go out like that. But I'm telling niggas, Hov go out the way he going out, because he spit that shit. He that nigga. And he worked for it. And that's it, my nigga. See, nobody don't remember y'all grind

before the Buggy Eye Bins. See, y'all killed the game when Rockefeller had the Buggy Eye Bins, and the Buggy Eye B bins was the illest. But y'all was grinding before that. I remember Lenny Yaz. Was that before my lifetime or not? Yo, in my lifetime was even, man, it was grinding.

I remember. Just before that. Like, I remember we did a show in Syracuse, man. This is how you know Hova real dinka. We did a show in Syracuse. I'm 14. Can't even drive. Nothing.

No license. I still can't drive. Nothing. Right? So, you know, it's a couple niggas in the car for a guy who was with us. So, Jay, he pulled over to the gas station like, yo, somebody get out and pump the gas. Nobody wanted to get out and pump the gas because it's freezing, man. It's snowing.

We in Syracuse. It's snowing like a motherfucker. So, Hov like, all right, I'm going to pump the gas. He pumps the gas. Nigga goes in the trunk, though. Don't tell nobody nothing. Comes out the trunk with his big-ass coat on. Jumps in the car and do 200 on the highway with the windows down.

Y'all niggas don't want to pump gas? Make some noise for a whole million Brooklyn niggas. I should have said it. My next. Oh, man. Yo, Bleak, man. I really appreciate this, man.

For real, you sat down. I mean, I knew you was going to do it, but, you know, what we're trying to do is just to keep hip-hop spirit alive that's right like me personally that conversation that me and you had outside where we was it was crazy to see your growth that me and you are growing at the same time that's right similar to the same age i'm about a year probably older than you i'm 38 well i'm going on 39 you'll be 38 so i'm still a year

older than you i'm a virgo the best for sign the world. I don't know if you knew that. Never. Anybody a Virgo in here? Come on, make some noise, nigga. See, you're half a Virgo. Man, I think he went like this. Come on, man. He just swooped.

You know he want to claim it. I think he went like this. He hid. He hid. He threw his visa. But I'm a Virgo. My 39th birthday will be this year. So you'll be 38 this year.

June, cancer baby. Summertime, baby. June, okay. Damn. Which one of my baby mommas? We that shit that kill. You heard me? I got a baby momma in June. I think we're cool.

Is she crazy as shit? Yeah, yeah. Is she crazy? Is she a Gemma cancer like me? Because I'm a cancer Gemma now. I'm on both. You know I got six kids in a possible. I'm on both. You know I got six kids in the possible. I'm straight bipolar.

You know I got six kids in the possible. You know I got six in the possible. Yeah, we're trying to figure out that possible at some point. Shout out to Jane, cancer back here. Yeah, at some point, we're going to figure out that possible. Yeah, yeah. You know where you at, nigga. Yeah.

You a grown man. Let's get this blood test popping. That was just wrong. That's my nigga, though. That's my nigga, though. We been hollering. So Bleak, once again, man, thank you's my nigga, though. That's my nigga, though. We been hollering. So, Bleak, once again, man, thank you for hanging out, man. Is there anything else you want to say, man?

Like, you got so much. Like, the thing about you is you're the number one, like, right-hand man. Like, I know you know everything. Nah, Spliffstar got me beat, man. Spliff got me beat. Nah, nah. See, Spliffstar got you beat on stage. Right. Yeah, yeah. got me beat man split nah nah nah see split star got you beat on stage right like but split that behind the scenes like gangster shit real nigga shit you that number one dude i don't think

niggas know it though and like i know it i'm behind the scenes crying you ain't gonna worry because i don't credit i don't want no whole facev favor. I'm so scared of Hov. You know what's crazy? I seen him come up, and when I seen him get there, I just want him to be that nigga. I don't even want to look at him like a regular nigga. I want to look at him like that. Remember, we was trying to get Joe on the phone.

He was like, yo, I'm going to have Hov call your phone. I hung up the phone. I said, yo, please don't do that. Please, here goes Fat Joe's number. I don't want it to hung up the phone. I said, yo, please don't do that. Please, he goes, fat Joe number. I don't want, I don't want to be in the fucking... I told Joe, I'm like, y'all about to have Jake call you. He's like, what? I'm like, yeah, give me your number. Text it to me.

You know, text me his number. I didn't want nothing to do with it. Listen, listen. Like, when a person gets like, when you know you... I know he got Obama number. Like, if you got Obama number, I don't when you know you, I know he got Obama number. Like if you got Obama number, I don't want you to call me. I'm scared of you. Like this is real shit.

I know I'm a foul nigga. Like I know I'm still doing shit that's technically wrong. So, man, Bleak, I just, I can't thank you enough, man. You're my homie. I just want to thank everybody. I want to thank you in front of the crowd because I know when you see I'm thanking you, you're probably like, what the fuck is this nigga in on doing? But at the end of the day, our relationship has been like, we ain't never really bragged

about our relationship. We ain't never like- A lot of people didn't even probably know we was this cool. That's right. Like Joe, even when I told Joe, I was like, yo, Bleak is my man. He was like, for real, he always kind of acts tough around me.

I was like, you probably act tough around him. Like, y'all niggas don't, never spoke. That's the thing about rap beefs. Mm-hmm. Rap beefs have nothing to do with nothing.

Yep. They just don't speak to each other. And that's just it, right? Like, you could have just spoke to him and be like, yo, it's like, the craziest shit is, have nothing to do with nothing. They just don't speak to each other. You know what I'm saying? You could have just spoke to him and be like, yo, it's like the craziest shit is, you know who you remind me of so much? Jungle. And Jungle, when I'm around Jungle,

he reminds me of you because you're just 100% loyal to your big homie and that's it. There's no questions asked. I've seen niggas come around you and say yo yo yo yo so what's up with home like that's whole you just been like that's all that's my big homie i ain't you know what i'm saying so that that's real right there and um again i want to just thank you for being around how long we did how long we did shout How long we get? Shout out to Miami Rum Club. Shout out to Miami Rum Club.

The distributor of Colombian White. We gonna take a shot? Let's do it. You wanna take a shot? I can't take that shit hot no more. I gotta get a chill. I gotta get a chill. Make three Andrakes over here. Hold on. I don't know what that means.

It's a drink that they make with the Colombian White. Andrakes. Andrakes. That don't sound like my means. It's a drink that they make with the Colombian white, man. A dracke. A dracke. No, no. It's like a mojito, man. That don't sound like my style. No, no. I'm going to be honest.

I got things to do. And my wife is following one of y'all niggas on Snapchat because somebody does Snapchat and everything. By the way, my wife runs my life. I'm going to be honest with you. Somebody tell me about mine taking over. She's trying. I'm just resisting, though. No, don't resist. I'm going to be honest. I'm going to be honest with you. Tell me about mine taking over. She's trying. I'm just resisting.

That's what's up. No, don't resist. I'm going to be honest. This is my second marriage. You that nigga. No. Please pray for me. And she's Cuban. She's Cuban and she's Puerto Rican. I'm madly in love. I'm madly in love. She take care of my kids. That's not her. She take care of the kids.

I love. Great. But being married is crazy. Yeah. It's a task, my G. But I realize that it works when I just say yes. That's how it is. Yeah.

Really tough. If I argue, like, I ain't going to. And you know, like, I'm a talkative, argumentative person. But I've never really won when I've argued, even when I'm right. It's just like, yo, that's the key to marriage. It's just like, huh, okay, baby. All right, your way, baby. It's different in my house.

Me and my lady both the same sign. So we both don't give a fuck. The cancer Gemini? No, we both cancer. So she look at me like, fuck. I look at her like, I don't give a fuck. Yo, that's got We both know. We both cancer. So she look at me like, I don't give a fuck. I look at her like, I don't give a fuck.

Yeah, that's gotta be fun. Cancer's a hard word, man. Fuck everything. That's gonna make y'all work, man. That's why we love each other. Yeah, that's gonna make it work, man. I seen you on, that's the first time

I seen you with your hat off at the wedding pictures. That's right. God, you couldn't be in the tux with the hat on, baby. Niggas thought I had the LL hat or something. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You took your hat off.

I just wear my shit. I just have to wear it. This is 90. Did you get that? You took my hat off. You took his hat off. You took his hat off. He took his hat off.

They say you and Pat Hoose never take your hat off. I never see Pat with his hat off, though. Yo, Pat. Niggas see me. My melon is out there. You got that? My melon is out there. I see that? My melon is out there. My melon is out there.

Yeah, yeah. I ain't gonna front no men bleep for 20 years. I've seen his pictures on Instagram. I said, Slime got his hat off at his wedding.

That was hard. Yo, Bleak, I'm so happy for you. Congratulations on the wedding. Thank you, man. We should have said that early. We met your lovely wife. What a beautiful people.

We heard that she's related to Lee Daniels Yeah She got a lot of Family ties out there In the music Lee just like to stay Around money man

He's been around money So long I had to tell her right Cause you know We at the wedding She had a family He came out And did a speech

So you know Everybody looking like Who the hell is this So you know She got Lee Singer the OJ's At the wedding That's her family

So everybody My mom's like My mom looking like What the fuck Like This is real Like So I had to tell him

When we went to his crib In Vegas You know he invited us For dinner in Vegas Come chill And I told him Yo my nigga You know I probably

Was born off your joints That's real shit Didn't know you invented me Nigga A lot of people I born Off your joints That's bullshit Didn't know you Invented me Nigga I told that to Kameras a little bit I'm not gonna lie

This is crazy Thank you Bleak I'm gonna keep going He gonna keep going He don't wanna stop Neither You know what I'm saying

But you know what We go What's the name Of the spot again Cause these people Let us Miami Rum Club The distillery At Columbia They distill Columbia White Our joint too But you know what? What's the name of the spot again? Because these people let us. Miami Rum Club. Miami Rum Club.

The distillery at Columbia. They distilled Columbia White. Our joint, too. That's right. Get that check, baby. We got Duse on the table. Duse. Let me big up.

Let me big up. Keith, what's this nigga's last name, man? I asked this nigga his last name. Pull it up, man. He said, what's this nigga's last name? What's this nigga's last name, man? What you going to check? His IG?

Nah. Keith Howard. Keith Howard and Alina Smith for providing the rosé. You know what I'm saying? Shout out to CBS, too. Shout out to CBS, all you fucking motherfuckers up there. Let's do this, CBS. I think I'm gonna have to get a podcast.

Yeah, man. Come on. You come to CBS. Tell CBS to holla at me, man. Listen, listen, listen. We do the podcast Listen Listen

There's other niggas That got other deals But they don't get free tickets To the Super Bowl You already know I don't know if I get free tickets To the Super Bowl I don't know

But I'm trying my hand You motherfuckers Better listen I want tickets to the Super Bowl This is how we get it If they want to see Beyonce They better give us tickets To the Super Bowl

Super Bowl Beyonce for the Super Bowl. That's what we're doing. That's an even trade. We're not hot yet until Roc Nation asks to manage us. So we got a long way to go. Two weeks. Two weeks. Listen, everybody that's hot

is managed by Roc Nation. Two weeks. I hit Lenny Estes to see if I was a little warm. I said, your last name is Santiago, nigga. How are you doing? Happy birthday. He was like, college got me running. I said, your last name is Santiago, nigga. How are you doing? Happy birthday. He was like, college got me running. I said, damn, we're not that hot yet. Because he was supposed to stop what he was doing and say, we need gym champs at Roc Nation.

So we're going to keep continuing working until we get Roc Nation called. We just need Roc Nation. We don't even have to accept a deal. I don't even care if it's a real deal. You just want another chain. No, I do want another chain. No, do i yeah the new rock piece the new rock the flag the black yeah i ain't gonna find every other chain the homie what's my man davis davis in my mind man des brian he fucking killed his shit des brian oh i'm cowboy he

murdered his shit he got the Cuban Connect to the joint Yeah but he probably Brought his own shit Cause he's rich like that Yeah of course Come on you know that He ain't giving niggas change The whole thing

Ain't giving change no more It's over Those days is over And Big said I had his last joint And we just had to Make some new ones I just Word we just went to the jeweler

To make some new ones Cause niggas like Yo we gave away all the chains So we gotta make some new ones You know what I mean So Make some new ones. Make two more.

Yeah, make two more. Listen, we're going to know we hot eat. We got to get that Lenny ass call. Beckas, that he's Spanish too. You notice I stick with the Spanish people, right? You feel me? You feel me? I'm sticking with the Spanish people first.

Okay, you go. Beckas, even though he handles sports. Lenny S, he handles Colin and Fabulous. And Tata, I know he handles Rihanna. Tata handles everything. His money is too big. So when we get those calls, E, we're going to change our phone numbers. All right?

That's a bet? I'll change it right now. No, no, no. I'm going to change it. I don't see a need to change it right now. Pharrell still got my number So But when Rock Nation call

I'm changing my number Yo Memphis Bleak Thank you for hanging out With the Drink Champs You ain't gotta leave We gonna smoke And we gonna drink I'm trying to get you

On some rosé But it's okay Cause you do it And this is how it goes down Memphis Bleak Drink Champs Motherfucking DJ EFN Hazardous Sounds Mother motherfucking bleak took

off his hat in the interview none of y'all niggas got that drink champs is a Drink Champs LLC production, hosts and executive producers, NORE and DJ EFN. Listen to Drink Champs on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Drink Champs, hosted by yours truly, DJ EFN and NORE. Please make sure to follow us on all our socials.

That's at Drink Champs across all platforms. At TheRealNoriega on IG. At Noriega on Twitter. Mine is at Who's Crazy on IG. At DJ EFN on Twitter. And most importantly, stay up to date with the latest releases, news, and merch by going to drinkchamps.com. Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American West with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network.

So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th, where we'll delve into stories of the West and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today. Listen to The American West with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your gut microbiome and those healthy bacteria can actually have positive effects. Your mental health, your immunity, your risk of cancer, almost any disease under the sun. This week on Dope Labs, Titi and I dive into the world of probiotics, the hype, the science, and what your gut bacteria are really doing behind the scenes. From drinks and gummies to probiotic pillows. Yes, really, probiotic pillows. We're breaking down what's legit and what's just brilliant marketing. With expert insight from gastroenterologist,

Dr. Roshi Raj. Listen to Dope Labs on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And it's going to take us to heal us. It's Mental Health Awareness Month. And on a recent episode of Just Heal with Dr. J, the incomparable Taraji P. Henson stopped by to discuss how she's discovered peace on her journey. I never let that little girl inside of me die. To hear this and more things

on the journey of healing, you can listen to Just Heal with Dr. J from the Black Effect Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. AT&T, connecting changes everything. This season of Revisionist History, we're investigating everything from the secret behind the perfect nooks and crannies in Thomas' English muffins to the merits of Paw Patrol against its critics. There's some things that really piss me off when it comes to Paw Patrol. It's pretty simple. It sucks. My son watches Paw Patrol.

I hate it. Everyone hates it. Except for me. Listen to Revisionist History on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.