Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - Butker’s Speech, Presidential Debates, and The Power and Service of Art with Rhymefest

Episode Date: May 17, 2024

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay start the show talking about the controversial speech Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker gave to Benedictine College’s 2024 graduate class and the NFL’s response (05:18) and the early showdown between Biden and Trump (23:03). Then, they are joined by Rhymefest to talk about the reason why he is running for the school board in Chicago, the problems within the school system after the pandemic, and the fracture of the infrastructure within the black community (50:26). Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guest: Rhymefest Producer: Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yeah, yo, thought warriors. What is that? I'm learning is on. It's Ivan Lathie Jr. And it's me, Rachel and Lindsay. Bonjour. I knew what was coming. I don't know if you were going to give me that

or kind of like a black panther thing. You know, I'm in all black. I got the turtleneck. I got the... I don't want to do this anymore. You know, we're off to bedside. You know, I'm tired. You know, I flew in straight from New York.

To do the podcast, got here on time. And why? You're all in style. You're so corny today. Yeah. How are you? How are you? I'm good, good, good. I've been watching the interview with the vampire show that I tell you this. Oh, you're all in.

You talked about it last time. How many seasons? This is only the second season that's coming up right now. It'll be a vampire. Okay, okay. But cast it. Great show. So, Rachel, we got a nice interview today with Rhine Best.

Okay, Grammy Award winning hip hop on the soul. Also running for school board in Chicago. That's the type of shit I like to see. I like to see people take their cultural cachet and use it to empower the community. And I'm telling you guys right now, you won't hear a more energetic, inspiring voice that's coming up later. You love the interview. I really did. I like the felt like a passion.

You didn't want to do it in first. That's not true. That's not true. It's not like I didn't want to talk to Ryan Fest. You're anti-interview. Every time an interview pops to with Rachel. Yeah, I don't want to make it say like it's personal. Here's my thing.

It's definitely not personal. Yeah. Yeah, here's my thing. If I could defend myself. One, I was in New York. So it was late. I didn't realize what was happening. So I'm like, I'm sitting there and to be fully honest, I was drinking.

And I was having a conversation. And it's been kind of a. a rough couple of weeks for me. And so I just wasn't in the mood. I just wasn't in the mood. Yeah, that's why I'm feeling militant right now. That's why I'm looking like this. So I just was like, can we put it off?

Like that was my thing. I didn't know if I would have the right energy coming into the interview because of my own shit. And you know what? I stand corrected. I was wrong because the spirit and the passion, it's infectious. I was wrong.

You were right. This is the last time I'll say this. But I'm going to say it one last time. There'll never be another rapper to come on the show that I won't rap for. Why would you do that to yourself? I'm a good rapper. Did you have a man?

No. No. That's not being before going with. Bitch I'm Drake is going crazy. Bitch I'm Drake is going up right now. I had people texting. me, bitch I'm Drake. And I said, no. I put

in you on pause for the week. Anybody who texts me that, I'm not responding to. The people out there that make the beats and listen to the podcast, drop a beat to bitch I'm Drake. It'll get played. I'm giving you my word.

I'm a man of my word. I'm a man of my word. Do you know who said that? I'm a man of my word. You know who said that? Did he say it like that? That's exactly how he said it. I'm a man of my word.

All right. I'm not going to tell you. I want the audience to answer the question for Rachel. Who said this? He said, I'm a man of my word. He said it in 2008. Is it an actor? Yep.

Well, no. Well, kind of. Yes and no. Yeah, it is, basically. But I'm a man, my word. Did he look like that when he didn't? Are you watching yourself? Ashley, do you know?

Ashley, do you know who that is? I do not know. Yeah. I was trying to look at it up. I'm a man now. I'm sure he said, nope. Because he's saying he's going to do something and he's letting the person, I'm a man, my word.

I don't know why I want to say Tommy Lee Jones, but. Is that close? I mean, it's not him, but he was in my man, my word, think about it. We got to think about it. 2008, huge, huge moment.

2008, my man, my word. My man, my word. Oh, is it the Joker? It's the Joker. Oh. From the dark, oh. Like, from the dark, I'm a name of word.

Okay, that wasn't a bad impression. Give it to me a joke. You, Ashley, who was a man of my word. I'm a man of my word. I'm a man of my word. All right. All right, let's go. But I'm not in this break.

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offer dash terms. Okay. Harrison Buckner is a kicker for the Kansasian chiefs. He went to Benedictine College in Kansas and offended everyone. He took aim at the Jews. He took aim at LGBT Q plus he took aim at

women, feminism. He took aim to me at masculinity. Just went on a whole thing. The only people that made it out on stage were the blacks.

I'm surprised he can just throw us in there. You know, he took aim at COVID policy in politics. The whole nine, he This is Harrison Buckner's coming out party. He's joined the Aaron Rogers Club of Football Dumbasses. So he's in there.

So happy coming out day, Harrison Buckner. You're there. We're just going to give you a little bit of some of the stuff that he had to say at this commencement speech. I think it is you, the women, who have had the most. diabolical lies told to you, how many of you are sitting here now about to cross this stage and are thinking about all the promotions and titles you are going to get in your career? Some of you may go on to lead successful careers in the world, but I would venture to guess that the majority of you are most excited about your marriage and the children you will bring

into this world. I can tell you that my beautiful wife, Isabel, would be the first to say that her life truly started when she began living her vocation as a wife and as a mother. By making it to this moment through all the adversity thrown your way from COVID, I hope you learned the important lessons that suffering in this life is only temporary. As a group, you witnessed firsthand how bad leaders who don't stay in their lane can have a negative impact on society. While COVID might have played a large role throughout your formative years, it is not unique. Bad policies and poor leadership have negatively impacted major life issues. Things like abortion, IVF, surrogacy,

euthanasia, as well as a growing support for degenerate cultural values and media, all stem from the pervasiveness of disorder. Our own nation is led by a man who publicly and proudly proclaims his Catholic faith, but at the same time is delusional enough to make the sign of the cross during a pro-abortion rally. He has been so vocal in his support for the murder of innocent babies that I'm sure to many people, it appears that you can be both Catholic and pro-choice. The world around us says that we should keep our beliefs, to ourselves whenever they go against the tyranny of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

We fear speaking truth because now, unfortunately, truth is in the minority. Congress just passed a bill. We're stating something as basic as the biblical teaching of who killed Jesus could land you in jail. I am certain the reporters at the AP could not have imagined that their attempt to rebuke and embarrass places and people like those here at Benedictine wouldn't be met with anger, but instead met with excitement and pride. Not the deadly sin sort of pride that has an entire month dedicated to it, but the true God-centered pride that is cooperating with the Holy Ghost to glorify him.

Wow. So look, I gave him too much credit. I watched the entire 20-minute speech and I didn't catch that. He got us. I read it. I read the transcript. Yeah, I watched the entire speech as one I didn't catch it. Harrison was going on.

man, Rachel, your thoughts. Even the baby was crying. The baby knew something was wrong. First of all, why are you doing a podcast? Why are you doing this right now? What are you talking about? Get in the kitchen. What are you doing?

How dare me? How dare me? Get in the kitchen. Get in the kitchen, make a pork-based breakfast. And like, stop worrying about all the stuff you're flying in from New York and all of that. Now, I want to, none of this. Get in there. Because I won't have true

happiness. I won't know my true worth, my true value. I won't be fulfilled until I get in that kitchen and make my imaginary man some food. So I don't have double meaning there.

Actually, he is still here, but actually, take this. That's public now, so it doesn't even matter. I'm about to click on. I'm about to cut it off. Okay. Okay.

Where did he even start with Harrison? First off, a little bit about this college. Had you ever heard about this college before? No, but I looked it up. It seems to be a Catholic liberal college in Kansas. Yeah, very conservative. But a very conservative college. So he was amongst his peers because he actually got a standing ovation at the end of this.

They loved it. They laughed when he made fun of the queer. community. He chuckled, they chuckled. So he knew exactly who he was speaking to. He was speaking to his own people like-minded. I think that, you know, men explaining to women what they should do, it baffles me that men continue to mansplained. I mean, this obviously went beyond it. But the fact that he could stand there and tell women, once again, what they should be doing with their bodies and how the things that they are allowed to do at this moment in certain states, whether it be abortion, IVF, surrogacy, or wrong.

Surrogacy and IVF isn't being fruitful and multiplying as a part of the Bible. So what is wrong with IVF? What is wrong with surrogacy? Just the fact that he is explaining, telling women who just spent four years of their college career, He basically is like, just so you know you've just wasted your time because getting this degree means absolutely nothing because your true value is taking care of your man and having a family. But what about the women who can't reproduce naturally?

Like it's just, it's so all over the place. It's so wrong. I'm sick of men telling women what they need to be doing with their bodies and how they need to be doing it. and then tying that to religion and to values, it makes absolutely no sense. I just, yeah, I mean, outside of the obvious, Harrison Buckner, and also to your point of what you were saying about,

this is this coming out, it actually isn't. He was a part of a campaign that was anti-abortion when that bill was up to be voted on in the state of Kansas. So he's been out here showing his ass. This was just in a 20 minutes speech. Yeah. So look, Harrison Buffett has bad ideas.

These ideas are bad. These ideas are oppressive. They're backwards. I believe some of these ideas to be anti-Christian. Because they thread humanity through a very small keyhole. And I don't think that the Bible or religion or any religion is actually trying to do that. I think some of the views and the way that he goes about applying those views are Taranahole.

I think all religions have tenets. I think one of the major tenets of Christianity is to love thy neighbor and to stay. stand with thy neighbor without judging them. I don't think it's very Christ-like anything that he was saying. I think he came off like an ogre and like someone who would want to shape society in the way that only he thinks it should be. I think people might look at me and think,

hey man, you want society to be the way you want. No, the only way that I will want society to be is free to everyone who wants to live in it however they want, as long as they're not hurting anyone. That's it. That's the bottom line. That's the thing.

And we can negotiate what hurts people or what doesn't, but we have to live in the understanding that everybody has a right to live the way they want to and to seek the type of life that they want to have. Very simple. But if you were not to agree with me

about how to live your life, it doesn't make you your moral, it doesn't make you a degenerate. And if you're doing, different than me or anyone else who doesn't make you that. All those things are Harrison Buckner's business. He's going to espouse them, put them out there. That's the way he was raised.

People are saying all kinds of other things about Harrison Buckner. Whether those things are true or not, I couldn't care less. What are they saying? I mean, I'm not going to, I mean, if you go to the Twithosphere, you'll see people saying all kinds of things about Harrison Buckner and all of that stuff. Like what? I don't want to say it because I think it's wrong to say it about some more. but like

but it's out there okay so um all right this is what I'll say this is what I'm more interested in it

doesn't have to be a a long segment white American male has bad social ideas news flash it's not the first time I've heard about this when I'm more interested in this uh

interested in about this shall I say is the NFL's response Okay, let me tell you why. Yeah, tell me why. The NFL has already distanced itself from what Harrison Buckner has said. All right. A lot of the issues that he brings up here, the NFL is deeply invested in. The NFL is deeply invested in being anti-racist, right?

So they're saying, they're one of the most racist entities ever, but they say this, right? hey, in racism, fight racism. Keep a guy without his job, but fight racism. Pride month in the NFL. Big deal, they support it. Pride month doesn't fall to the football season,

but the NFL supports the community. All of these things are issues that the league says that it holds close to itself. Now that someone has become as an enemy of those things, it's interesting in the way the NFL will deal with it. Now, this is his personal feelings that he said away from the season.

However, what I would expect is that there'll be some enterprising journalists either, the OTAs, mini-camps, I'm not sure when the kickers have to go to all of this stuff, training camp after or before games, that will ask Harrison Buckner about his thoughts

regarding all of these things during the season. Doring the game. I would now expect people to monitor Harrison Buckner's participation in initiatives surrounding the league, like involved in with the league, that are pro-LGPQQA. I would expect the lead to monitor Harrison Buckner, Harrison Buckner and how he

reacts to any DEI or inclusion or any black issues. I would expect that Harrison Buckner be made the mascot for the ideas that people don't agree with him about

in the same way that they made Colin Kaepernick or any of his contemporaries the mascots for what they didn't agree with those guys about and how they took the worldview, the protest, and the outlook of those men,

stapled it to them and used it as a reason to justify the way they were treating in their workbook. I'm not saying that these things are a one-to-one. I'm not saying that these things are a one-to-one. One was done on the field. Right, right. Another one was done at a commitment.

But what I'm expecting, what I'm expecting is that, some enterprising journalists out there will ask Harrison Buckner about the way he feels about these things and ask him the way his teammates are responding to these things.

I asking him by the way his teammates why are responding to these things. He, I'm not deride at D.I. plays with a bunch of black guys. He's in their locker room. Am I expecting any of those? I'm expecting for all of these things,

I'm expecting him to be under the same microscope. Like, for his ideas that people don't agree with as they put somebody else under for protesting the slaughter of black people by the state.

That's all I expect. I don't expect him to agree with me about everything. I don't expect him. I don't care him talking to the small liberal arts college about all of this stuff. Ideas or back with.

What I do care about is how someone's anti-gay, anti-black, anti-woman and anti-semitic anti-semitic he's outright

I'm not talking about Jamie Fox using a phrase here that we say and that somebody appearing it appearing to be anti-Semitic he said

we can't talk about the people who kill Jesus right Like, we can't discuss this. Like, that's a trope. Like, he put it on wax. Literally, Marjorie Taylor Green said the same thing. Yes, it is.

So, what I'm expecting is for the white guy who is cut from central casting to have his persona, his career, all of these things put under the same amount of scrutiny, scrutiny, and ripped his shreds. just like everybody else in the NFL who took a stand and did something to propagate their beliefs. As far as him and what he thinks about ladies, it's all bullshit. Newsflats. So it's not even just the NFL because with Kaepernick, it was, obviously they tied the

he was protesting during the national anthem, so they tied it to patriotism and all of that. And then there was outrage from people watching, people who weren't even watching the NFL from the owners. That's the kind of outrage you need to see. I would imagine that there are owners whose wives have used IVF, who have used surrogacy. I would imagine there are teammates or other NFL players who are highly offended by the fact that you're basically saying that my child should not exist. That's the kind of outrage. The outrage from the Jewish community, the fact that he stood there and people laughed and gave him a standing ovation

where he perpetuated these anti-Semitic beliefs. That's a lot of the fact that. That outrage needs to come from more than just the NFL. And also, if what Kaplanick was doing, the protest was too tied in with patriotism from those who were against it, then you can kind of say the same thing with this because he criticizes the president of the United States. He criticizes Joe Biden for supporting for being pro-choice. He criticizes the administration for certain things that they've done to further work. women's reproductive rights. That is anti-patriotism. It can be argued that. So there should be the same outrage to your point. And also I would just like to point the hypocrisy out of Harrison Buckner

because in his 20-minute speech, he condemned the church, the Catholic church, for their support of the queer community and other values that he says that are against the faith. Yet you get paid. and play in a league that additionally supports these things. If you really about that life, then remove yourself from the league. If you really have such a problem with being aligned with people that are, with organizations that have had values that are so anti you, then bounce. But you want that money.

There's the hypocrisy. Yeah, I never agree with those types of same on this. I can see what you're saying. You're not going to agree with everything that gets done with your workplace. Well, I know, but you're also, he's sitting here condemning, he's sitting here condemning the church for being aligned with values he doesn't agree with. Well, so is the NFL, as you pointed out. So I'm just saying. Uh, uh, uh, fuck him.

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Services not available in all areas. Biden and Trump are going to debate. Two presidential debates, the first set for June 27th. June 27th. That's a big day in Texas. What's the big day in Texas? What is that? This is a song.

June 27th. What is it? Tell me, tell me about it. Educate me, Rach. Can you play? I don't know the song. Let me get it for you. Why would you ask me to play when I don't know the song?

I want to know the song. I want to know the song. I want to know the song. I'm about to click off on the song. I'm about to click off. Can you hear that? No. It's over.

All right. Anyways, it's a freestyle. It's a screws and chop freestyle. I'm going to listen to it today. I'm very excited. So look, early showdown between Biden and Trump and this is what's happened.

Biden said, I've received and accepted an invitation from CNN for a debate on June 27th. Over to you, Donald, as you said, anywhere, any place, any time. Trump said, the answer is yes, I will accept. Biden has recently come out and said that he was willing to debate Trump.

And Trump has accepted. It's going to be on CNN. Both men said they, also accepted an invitation from ABC. The second debate, September 10. So we're going in June and September. This is the good idea for President Biden. It's a great idea.

I mean, President Biden has to say yes. And I think it's a great idea because, you know, people need to see Biden versus Trump because they say, obviously, they say all these things about Biden, right? He messes up what he says. He's too old. He's feeble.

He can't get his thoughts together. if he executes this properly against Trump, then you really can't say anything. Or if he goes at Trump and they're going back and forth this debate and Trump can't keep up with him, but Trump is saying crazy stuff like you've seen him say, like we talked about Hannibal Lecter last episode. It could be a win for Biden.

It could also bomb for Biden, you know, if he does play into all the things that they say about him. But Trump did not debate in the primary. And so we need to see Trump on a stage. I love that they're not doing it with an audience. I'm glad that Trump agreed. And I think that this is the best outcome. Do I think that it will really have an impact on the voters?

No. Do I think the people who are undecided will change their mind based on the debate? No, but I think the optics are good. I think it will have a tremendous amount of, I do, of effect on the voters. If one bombs or just period, let's just say they both just go tip for tap back and forth.

You still think that will, or you're just expecting one person to just really outshine the other? I think everything that happens between these two guys is consequential. There was some polling that was released earlier this week that's devastating for the Democrats, devastating by this trailing in most of the swing states,

some swing states by. of pretty significant margins. And there just doesn't seem to be a ton of enthusiasm for Joe Biden as a candidate president. Now, there are a couple of things that are going on. One is the fact that Joe Biden is out of point right now in his political career where he can't energetically articulate his vision for the country. And I think with some of the pain that Americans are feeling, they need that. Things are not as bad economically as they seem,

but it's difficult to message it to Americans right now because you feel what's your reality at the grocery store is, you know what I mean? And so more than any time before, maybe besides 2008 when we were in a catastrophe that this one pales in comparison to, have we needed a clear messenger and communicator with how divided the country is,

with how deep the animus is between different groups, we need someone who can just talk about it, right? And he's just not at that point in this career where he can do that. Trump is almost an anti-messinger. He's good at putting out enemies. He doesn't instill very much hope. But he fear is his biggest fucking weapon.

He's like Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars. Trump is a Sith. The Sith, just to let you know, Rachel, the Sith used... Yeah, like, what will we doing here? Not understanding. The Sith used passion and fear, lust, and insecurity to compel people to come to their side. That's what Trump is. He's a clear sin.

A clear sin. And he has apprentices. Just like one of, I know you know, one of the propal bett's apprentices is Darth Vader. Okay. I'm going to make a point.

Well, it's not my fault. Rachel, it's not my fault you will raise in a fallout time. Okay? I don't know what to say. So the only way to beat that type of bully is to overrun him with light and they're saying right there and absorb the attacks

and then attack back. It's the only thing you can do. So to me... Do you think the debate's a good idea? Like, do you think it has to happen? I think it's the only idea. I think that Joe Biden can't make his case to the American people

without making the American people see the contrast between him and Donald Trump. That's really the strong. weapon that he has in his reelection campaign is the contrast between Donald Trump. Look, the Biden administration is in the weakest place of any incumbency that I can remember. And that includes Donald Trump. And I'll tell you why. At least it feels that way.

That might not be intellectually true. The war is taking a chunk out of their electorate. the economy and inflation that's taking a chunk out of their like the culture war is taking a chunk out of there like during the coalition now is so flimsy it's so flimsy

and they need something to rally them together and the only thing that can do that in my opinion right now is the contract between the two minutes really that's the only thing that can do it and maybe some of Trump's legal problems. Biden just doesn't seem to have,

look, I'm not going to make this a whole Joe Biden bash session. But the reality is that we were told recently that the United States would not be signing off on certain munitions being sent over to aid in the siege on Rafa. And we were just recently told that over over $1 billion in weapons that's been approved to the Israeli state to continue their ongoing massacre and attack.

That wasn't a part of the $26 billion that was before last month. And so it seems as if the pressure is getting to Joe Biden and he doesn't really know how to negotiate what's going on over there. And it's a huge issue

and it's a sore thumb that continues to get ridder. I encourage, I encourage, everyone to look at some of the reporting done by CNN. Fantastic reporting done by CNN. You guys have whatever opinions you want on the campus protests and the kind of protests that went on at UCLA. They actually refined and named and identified kind of protesters that went onto UCLA's campus to be intentionally violent

when they weren't students. One of them was a kid that's not even in college yet, 18-year-old kid that plans to go join the IDF, so according to his mother who was interviewed. Another one, some 42-year-old LA resident who also had protested for Donald Trump outside of the FBI building like last year or the year before.

And they're on camera attacking protesters at UCLA. So, I mean, I bring that up to say that, like, there are forces that are at work here that are clouding and muddling what is

a clear distaste for this war from a lot of Americans. Right. And Joe Biden doesn't know what to do. And it's a tough situation to be in. The reality is, this is what I said. I've been doing a lot of research as much as research as I can.

I hate doing my own research. As much research as I can do on the relationship between the U.S. and Israel and how important it is to the U.S. geopolitically and culturally. I've been doing as much as I can on it. Like, when where why are the two countries so close? I mean, obviously there's some answers that are right in your face.

You know, there's a Judeo-Christian ethic that goes on goes along with the Jewish people being the chosen people of God. And there's some biblical text in there that talks about Israel. But then there's also just not that. there's geopolitical reasons why you want a friendly democracy in that region. There is the fact that the aid that we send Israel, the military aid, the $3 billion, or however much a year is it, over $200 billion, they just use it to buy weapons right back from us. So there's an economic incentive and a part of the prison industrial complex and all that stuff. there's a lot of reasons. But the question becomes,

if the Democrats are telling us that Trump will dismantle America, this is what they run on. Trump is an existential threat to America, the stability of America, our democracy, and to the stability of the world,

is our relationship with Israel important enough to bring about the end of democracy in our country. Because look, and I'm asking this question as a lay person, as I do the work in real time, if you're telling me that this is Voldemort that's running for president, right? Then the question becomes,

are you willing to lose because of your time? to Israel, or, once again, still doing the research in real time, would you ensure a law by cutting ties with Israel in this particular war? Is the lobby so strong, is American sentiment so pro-Is, that if we were to leave the war in Gaza alone, that that would make him even more vulnerable in terms of the elector? Is he doing what he thinks will garner him the most votes?

And the reason why I'm talking this is in a very, that's what you think, okay. I do. And I mean, we know that Trump would be doing it. We know that Trump would be giving the money if he was in office. But I do. I think that he's weighing out his options. Of course, I don't absolutely know this.

But I think that he thinks that in favor, because and this is why I say this, Secretary of State, just a few days ago talked about how bad the circumstances are in Gaza and how bad it is for the civilians. And then a couple of days later, you, okay, let me back up. You put out a statement saying that you're not going to give, you're withholding bombs because you don't want those bombs to be used in populated areas. You don't want to see the mass destruction of Rafa. You're not saying that you

won't support them going in. You're saying you don't want to see, you know, the destruction. of these overpopulated areas. Then Anthony Blinkin goes on and talks about how devastating the circumstances are for the civilians there. And then a few days later, you okay a billion dollars worth of tanks and ammunition, not bombs,

but other things used in warfare. That might be used. That might be in the siege, yeah. Exactly. So to me, when I look at that, I think that he does feel that going against Israel, is to his detriment.

When I just look at how he moves, it almost be better off if he just was like, this is what I'm doing and this is it. But to backtrack, to get applauded by people, people were applauding him. He's withholding, he's withholding bombs. He's recognizing what's going on there. This is all about the humanitarian effort.

And then to get that report, another billion that's not, go ahead. Yeah. Well, it wasn't as popular on Capitol Hill as you would have think. No, I know it was. Democrats were not, we're against. There were several Democrats against it. I'm more so I'm talking about people, not politicians. People were applauding Biden.

Right. Yeah. So look, the polling on this seems to be pretty clear. There's a little funniness that gets played with the question sometimes. The polling seems to indicate that obviously the majority of Americans want to see. ceasefire. You get a little in the weeds when you start to talk about the conditions of the siege fire and what that would mean.

Most Americans don't support the way Israel was prosecuted the war, like how that would translate electorally you never know. The reason why you talk about this in such a cynical way, and I apologize for anyone where it's difficult to listen to us and negotiate people's lives versus votes. because remember, as we speak right now, people down there having the skin burned off their body. The reason why you look at it like that is because you're trying to understand

what that's worth, what that's worth, what's worth sticking by that, especially when it seems to be so out of proportion and the death toll continues to rise. And not just the death toll, but the number that are being named the 85% of damage done to the infrastructure of Gaza when you have people talking about the fact that

Israel will occupy Gaza after this and you have Bingabir and other people talking about the fact that they want to. And it's Gaza, all kinds of different stuff. For us to be this deep into it, it seems to be a no-win situation for whoever would be president right now. One thing I do want to say about Donald's up before we move on,

is Donald Trump is dedicated to, one thing more than he is anything else, and that's populism. So he will do whatever he thinks is popular with his base. So if Donald Trump was president right now, the moment public sentiment on the war turned, he would turn with it. Like he would. I'm not saying that to say that he's different than, that he's better than Joe Biden. I'm not saying that at all.

What I'm saying is, even Donald Trump, Trump, when you listen to him talk right now, he's wishy-washy. He flip-lops all over the place. He's benefiting from the fact that he's not the president. Because at one place, at one place, you can say, hey, wrap up your war, stop your war because America First Republicans and some other people are not enjoying what's going on over there. And for whatever reasons. And then

at the same time, when he's in front of a rally with evangelicals and other people like that in attendance, he can say I am the biggest supporter and staunch defender of Israel that has ever existed and I moved the embassy to Jerusalem and all of that stuff. So he's having it both ways right now because he's not the president, you know?

So I don't know. I think all this stuff will be easier to see in the debate, which is why I think it's a good idea for Biden to debate. I think at this point, the debates are Biden. best chance to convert voters.

It would be like right there in front of Donald Trump. The debates of Biden's best chance to convert voters. But, you know, maybe it'll get fucked up. Maybe who knows. Okay, guys, you know what? Before we go, I want to say some, before we go to Ron Fest, I want to say something real quick. The drive session isn't, the drive session isn't for the meet.

Okay? When you were the drive session, when you get in the drive put on you that's not for the meek man now if y'all don't know what the drive session is that's in Bat Rouge when we get it when we get it going player proof drive session

when you go at each other when we go at each other it's not for the meet I can call up Ian right now and we could talk about I won't I know you hate them and we can talk about it here and see how you reacted

We could talk about what happens during the drive session. All kinds of things get brought up. Your mama, your girl, who your girl. There was a drive session. I've talked about this before. Yes, you have. Yeah, yeah, yeah. On our way to Memphis to where we, it was taped

and we have to destroy the tape. Because Ian and Gino were so crazy on each other. He was talking about who your girl fucked when y'all were on a break, talking about niggas that was fucking your girl. girl talking about all kinds to talk about your girl being dumb, she's flunked out of it. Like, it's

like we talk about niggins' daddies when we talk about, it was really like a disband on the drive session goes hard. Yes, it sounds like it. If you can't handle the drive, then don't volunteer for the drive session. And I'm talking to Tom Brady.

A roast is the most vicious drive session ever. And if you can't handle, of it. Talk about your kids and shit like that. If you can't handle the drive,

then don't get involved in the motherfucking drive. Tom Brady had a roast on Netflix. Now he's saying that the roast affected his children. That's whack.

He's saying that he regret doing it. He went on the pivot. Shout out to Ryan Clark. Fred Taylor and and Channing Crowder. Shout out to Ryan Clark. Me and Ryan Clark

had a long conversation in the movies about. No, not about this. We had a conversation I was in the movies. I was in the movies, and we had a conversation about NFL players

trying to play in the basketball or whatever. Ryan Car Craig. I fuck with Ryan. So, I don't like this type of punk-ass shit. I don't.

I don't like this type of punk-ass shit talking about it's the drive. Okay. It's the drive. I didn't put the drive. I didn't got the drive put on me.

I didn't even been embarrassed publicly. You know, at that time I made that tweet about my mom. My mother, true. It's the drive, man. You got to deal with the drive. But you probably grew up in a family that did you like that. My mom's side of the family, that's how it goes. Any holiday, any time we gather, nothing is off limits.

It's not that bad. You know, you ain't talking about significant others, but like they will talk about you. You cannot be sensitive at all. That's why I like on this podcast and people are like, you know, Van said this about you and I'm like, I grew up in a household that it was like that.

I'm very thick skin. Yeah, yeah, people, you know, I'm like, that's just, I'm not saying. I've never put the job on you for real. Never. Like, we haven't hit the gas. You haven't hit the gas. No, but I could handle it.

How about that? I can handle it. We don't put women in the drive session. Okay, but I'm just saying, That's, well, that's, that's, what? Women can't handle it. Is that what you're trying to say? Okay, okay, okay, no.

Is that what you're trying to say? This is why. We're going to have a drive. This is, okay, no, but look, but look, but look, this is why we don't put women in the drop section. This is why women don't get involved in the drop session, two reasons. Number one, women have long memories, okay? They have long memories. You go two, two.

low on a woman in the drive session and the insult is always... They never return? I don't know. That's generalizing. I can let things roll off my back, but okay. There's another reason why women in the drive session is a bad idea. Okay?

Okay, why? Because they can cut you too deep. Okay. Okay. Okay. That's very sure. We can say things about each other, Like whatever.

Women have the ability to say things that cut you right at the core of your toxic, perceived and socialized manhood that make you reorientate what you think about yourself. Oh. Like women can cut deep. They have a unfair advantage in the drive session. So they're not in any normally. I wouldn't even be, it just made me think of what Kendrick did to Drake. Like he hid him in a way that Drake could not.

hit him back, you probably consulted with the woman on that. Yeah, tell you. How is the one thing that I go, it's so true, it's so true because it's not just about, there's truth in it to where you start questioning yourself. And that is what we are so good at.

If your homie calls your mama a hoe, you're like all this nigger saying my mama a hoe, it's like whatever. If your girl says your mama's a hoe, your mama's probably a hoe. Okay. If your homie's like,

yo, man, you're blessed with your mama, bitch. Well, the whole, whatever, whatever. We never really should be going out of each other out. But it's like, whatever, you think, you talk and shit. But when your girl says it, because women don't just come out with the drive. When they say it, it's normally true. Women don't tend to say things they don't mean.

We'll be saying stuff. And we don't really mean it. We'll be dissing your girl. We like it, girl. We'll be doing all of this stuff and the dogs. We'll be like, that's why the moment of it doesn't. That's why your daddy, that's why your mom. That's why you.

I never did. This is why this other niggins. You just, you can't come back from. So it's a bad idea. All right. You're right. It's a bad idea. It's a bad idea.

To start to have women in the drive session. Argument made. This is what bothers me about what Tom Brady said. I'm not even going to be like, you know, like he needs to get thicker skin or any of that. he says that he didn't like the way that it affected his kids. The kids were never directly roasted. It was Jazeel. Jazele got more of a roast than Tom Brady did himself as a player.

They would talk about how good he looks or how, you know, and how he was sexualized. They went in on Jazeel. You know, like they went after Brant Carter than they went, on on Brady at some points. And to me, what bothers me is you're saying it affected your kids because it was their mother,

but you don't even specifically say, hey, I didn't like the way they talked about my ex-wife. I didn't like that my ex-wife became the butt of so many jokes. Like you didn't directly speak to her, which to me is an issue. And you can't,

and he could have stood up for himself because when Jeff Ross was roasting him, Jeff Ross started going in on Robert Crass. And Tom Brady gets up, goes to whisper in his ear and it's on the mic and he was like, chill out with that shit. And Jeff goes, okay. And so he stopped talking. So to me, it's like, okay, Brady, it's just, he does not give a fuck about Giselle at all.

And I just did it. This, out of all of this is what bothers me more than anything. It just shows that he has no respect or regard for Giselle. He was, it. he could have addressed that they went too hard on her. I don't know. That's what rub me the wrong way. Last thing I'll say about this is this.

This is a television show. They rehearsed these things. I think Tom Brady heard some of these jokes. I don't think they rehearsed them with the person who's roasted in the room. I don't think that was the first time that night that Tom Brady heard those jokes. Can I ask you a question? When they roast someone, is the person who's getting roasted allowed to say this is off limits,

or you just have to say, I'm getting roasted and it is what it is. Are there rules? I'm sure that if it was something about whatever, but the rose is supposed to be savage. It's supposed to be savage. The pretty boy, don't sign up for the drive session. That's all I'm saying. All right.

We're about to get into it with Ron Fest. Shane Ron Fess Smith, who is running for a school board there in Chicago. Great interview with him coming up. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tramphaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tramphia is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four week. followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tramphia, proper training is required.

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You don't need weather tech floor liners in the summer unless you hit the beach or go camping. Then you'd want a cargo liner or road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those WeatherTech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need WeatherTech unless you plan on doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. You guys, sometimes we talk about hip-hop on the show. You know, we get into rap.

It's part of the culture. But really do we have an expert at one of the contributors to the game, join us, who can spend as much wisdom as this man can right here. He is actually a part of Golden State Entertainment, which is this awesome thing that the warriors are doing surrounding culture, music, and the arts. He's a Grammy-winning songwriter, but also running for school board in Chicago.

Rimefest is joining us on higher learning today. My brother, how are you doing? Love, bro. I'm doing wonderful. I'm thriving. I'm being productive, and I'm learning so much. Now, let me ask you something. Because you are running for school board.

You said running from the school board. Running from the school board. You're running from them. They're trying to get you. Because you're running for school board, is it Rhymefest now, or do you want to, is, are you running as Rhymefest, or is it, or you want to, the moniker to be Chase Smith, your gun. government now that you're going to be running for school board.

How do you like to me? You don't switch it up. That's the problem. They keep getting us to throw away our gifts. They keep getting us to throw away our creativity. They keep getting us to be like, now I am the, I ain't no politician. This is a poetician coalition. So on the ballot

is going to be Che Rinefest Smith. And everybody got to get used to the fact that hip hop is a part of the institution now. What made you want to run for school board, brother? Yeah, because you've run for office before. So what made you want to come back?

12 years ago I ran for city council. And the reason I waited a decade and some later is because it has to be in service, something that I believe that I can help the most people doing. James Baldwin said a teacher who does not teach is not a teacher. So a leader who is not in service is not a leader. what made me want to run in is, you know, school boards in Chicago, six out of every 10 of our tax dollars, property tax dollars, go to the school board.

That's more than half. I've seen my property value go down and my taxes go up. And then that tells me something about the health of my schools. Also, when I'm looking around at our neighborhood schools, this is not just Chicago. I'm talking nationally. Sure. You're talking about banning books.

Boy, some of these schools, we ain't even got libraries. So we're not being creative about how to get after the pandemic all around the country. Kids aren't going to school anymore. They look at going to school like it's the option. And so education is not a beautiful, creative experience. What made me want to run is all this stuff that we do in rap. I help pro-write a song called Glory with Common and John Legend. I saw Brothers win Academy Awards and go from that

and now Comyn's producing the shy and John Legend is involved in returning citizens and, you know, movements like that. Why aren't we putting this same type of service and creativity into how we restructure our institutions? It's like we always aim it at the industry. We always think we can serve the most people by being within the framework of capitalism.

But you can really do more within the framework of your neighborhood and your knowledge and the values that we bring to it. So I'm looking at it like, look, this is a non-paying job to be on the school board. You have to dedicate 35 to 40 hours a week. Really, for me, it's 24 hours. But because I've been so successful in the music business, and because I went to public schools

and they gave so much to me, I got the time to give it back. And I got to pay for my own election. I mean, school board in Chicago starts off at $250,000, just to run for the seat. So there's an economic barrier into people who might want to make change as well.

Yeah, that's how they keep, that's how they keep the people from the village out of their own institution. Talk about it. because the district is so big. What happens is you got to reach people. That costs money. Boom, that goes up.

You have to have GOTV get out the vote day. You got to have enough community warriors out there with your stuff to let everybody know you running. All that costs, cue cards, petitions. Of course, you know, this is a union town, so you're paying union rates. That costs. Where are you getting that money from? And so a lot of people who run for office get the money by the op from the ops, meaning the private developers, the people who are here to gentrify the community actually have the money to pay for the legislators. But, you know, there's something else.

So in Chicago for school board, you got to have a thousand registered voters sign your petition to be on the ballot. Now, in order to get a thousand, you got to get 3,000. Because if you bring in a thousand, somebody's going to say, well, that's not a registered voter and that signature's bad and they're not this or that's a felon and they knock your voters down until you have 300. So these petitions is like money on these streets. People break into people's houses to steal their patients because if you're not on the ballot, you're not running for nothing. So what people do, the politicians, they hire companies. And these companies will say, okay, pay us a dollar or signature and we'll go get your $3,000. signature. Boy, I'm out here

killing them. I ain't hiring nobody. I'm out here on the street. I'm walking up on the grocery store. Hello, my name is Chey Ryan Pett Smith. I'm running for school board. Will you sign my petition? People like, oh, I know who I know who you is. Get that to me. You know what? And I'm seeing that as

artists, the one thing we failed to do, as we are so money-minded but not service-hearted, we failed to turn our art into our ministries. I want to piggyback on that because you, and first off, if you're listening to this, make sure you watch it. Because just to see your excitement and your passion about what you're talking about and what you do. I want everybody to feel this.

You've testified before Congress, you know, and you've really discussed the impact of the hip-hop community that it can have on politics and social activism. when you see other rappers not necessarily use their platform in the same way or who are silent on political and social activism or maybe putting out misinformation when it comes to this, how do you feel about that? And I'm particularly saying this because just recently, within the last 24 hours, Cardi B just came out and said she's not voting. When you see things like that,

how does that make you feel knowing the work that you, I mean, your boots on the ground. You're out here getting signatures. I want to ask Cardi B to go to Rhynefest for CPS.com and donate because that's something she can believe in and see. I'm an artist. I know what your frustration is, sister. I also understand Cardi B is not ignorant. Cardi B has spoken to political issues before with understanding.

So I know she's not ignorant of the politics. You know the issues as, as black people. Yesterday was the anniversary of Brown versus Board of Education. And when you look at the effects of Brown versus Board where it said, where you have Plessy versus Ferguson, it says separate but equal. And our school is anything but equal, even though they were separate, Brown versus Board said the 14th Amendment, we all have a right to participation in the betterment.

of our government, our communities, and ourselves, what black people find is that just because we get a ruling doesn't mean things get better or the problem is solved. And so communities, and this goes to Cardi B, people get tired of voting and the problem is not solved. People get tired of getting court decisions and you still got unequal schools. So then people start questioning,

what is the worth of the system? So I can't get mad at them because the work that they're doing for the results they think that they were to get. They don't see those results. I also understand as an ignorance whereas you guys are well-versed in history. You understand the struggle of the ancestors. You are listening to the elders. You only speak when they allow you to. You only sleep when the ancestors allow you to.

So you got to support this part. That's the whole reason you're doing this podcast. but these rappers, these entertainers, they was only out here to get money. They was trying to get out the hood. That was the whole point of the rap to get you out, not realizing the hood wasn't the problem. It was the mentality that was the problem. So you could live in the Hamptons with the mentality and it's a ghetto.

So, but it's ignorance of that. However, we also have to have grace. And grace means that we understand why when they don't see a world in harmony. They don't believe in the system. But what is the misunderstanding is that there was never going to be a time to rest. Brown versus Board was the beginning of the seeking of justice.

What that did was allow individuals to go to UCLA or go to Berkeley. They skimmed off all of the athletes and sent them away. So now Morehouse don't have those athletes or Howard don't have those athletes, or if you're socially economic, it really broke our community

because if you could move to a better neighborhood and send your child to a white school, you did. But guess what? Black teachers couldn't get no jobs at them white schools. So the black teachers who were overqualified were under work,

you know, or under- underutilized, yeah. Underutilized. And so now you had a different type of fracture of community. it was the class of blackness. And when we talk about black, we like to say black versus white.

We don't talk about the infrastructure of the black community and how desegregation broke us up and broke up our strong, um, um, institution, black institutions. So to Cardi B and to people like that, there's just an ignorance and an education that needs to take place that you ain't tired. You know who we're. tired, Harriet Tubman was tired.

Yeah. Ella Baker. Ella Baker was tired. He was tired. You know what I mean? So May the Staples should have been tired. So, you know, I'll give you a quick story. And then I'll go get back.

For 15 years, Congressman John Conyers was trying to get a national holiday for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Ronald Reagan and Senator Helms, Jesse Hill. were like over our dead bodies. It'll never happen. Boy, you're going to wait another 15 years before that ever even sees the light of reparation. John Conyers

called up a friend of his and said, hey, can you help me? And his friend said, cool. And his friend wrote a song. And it went, Happy birthday. And it was called the Black Birthday song for Dr. King. Do you know that that legislation

was passed the next year? And Senator Jesse Helm said, by tyranny of majority, we have to have a holiday for king. It switched the hearts of the racist. So when we talk about art and the power of art, a lot of artists in the industry don't even know the power they possess beyond making money. And what happens is when the industry says, you're not hot no more. Now we moved on to this one or moved on to that one. A lot of artists, and I see it in the community, they throw they give some, way and think that there was no value because they weren't validated by industry, not realizing

you could have used that art to reshape your community and pass legislation. That's what I'm on. Let's stay right there, because that was my next question. As hip hop matures, we see more of our luminaries that are out of the space where they are viable musically. What does that mean? What I mean is, what I mean that is. Biable musical. What is that. I mean. When I say Bible musically, I mean, people not checking for it. And so I don't mean it in a pejorative way. I just mean

that particularly in rap, really, in any music, a long run, if you get five, six, seven years, that's a long time, right? If you get 10 years, that's a long time. Now, streaming is like lengthened it a little bit, but what I like to see is hip hop A, and mature. And so I'm in touch with a lot of these artists

through social media for a longer time than what I used to be. But sometimes it feels like outside of some of them, they don't know how to use their middle to late 40s and early 50s on something other than being a celebrity or a rapper. It seems like it's almost a rap mid-life crisis, but they don't know how to read.

reintegrate into society, they've been institutionalized by the industry, some of it. They still try to put out that mixtape. They still try to do it. I'm not saying, don't make music, because I still listen to all of these guys' music when they drop.

How were you able to find something like you're saying right now to get involved with to use your skill set and your talent. Because I hear you writing lyrics even as you're speaking right now. I hear you spitting right now. spitting right now, and I know that the

skill set that you built as an MC and entertainer is going to be a part of what you give to the people in Chicago. Why you feel like that's so hard for some of our brothers and sisters and how do we utilize their talents and their cultural cachet to make this change? What should

they be doing? First thing you need to do is go get yourself a teacher. Go get a guide. Go get a mentor. You're not never too old to have a mentor, and you know who my men. I have the best mentors in the world. Look, I grew up in the south side of Chicago,

even though it was a lot of game banging, a lot of under, you know, I grew up in a toxic donut, which means pollution. We talk about environmentalism. If you ain't helping people, you ain't helping trees. But anyway, I grew up in a, you know,

environmental catastrophe, a food desert. But, man, right up the street, I had Reverend Jesse Jackson at Operation Push. every Saturday, I could go see Jesse Jackson. This is a historic man of the world. I had, bro, I had Dr.

Donda West. Oh, my God. I could tell you some stories. Yay's mom wasn't his mom. She was everybody mama. She was the English Department in Chicago State that just gave me a doctorate last week. And, you know, that

Dr. Donda West, she didn't know a lot about hip-hop, but she would hear us rap, and she would hear me talk about how many women I have sex with, how many people I shot, hyperbole, you know, the hypocrisy of hip-hop. And she said, Brian Fess, is that really you? Did you really shoot

all those people and have sex with them? I'm not judging you. I just want to know is that is that who you are? And I said, no, that's how you get on the radio. And she said, he said, well, if you or my son ever make it, or if y'all, you are in really, though, and GLC, you guys

ever make it? JLC. You guys ever make it. And then they were just to me. Yeah, I love you. I love my brother. It's my man. It's my man. All of my brothers.

So she said, if you guys ever make it and you're lying on yourself, you're going to have to be the lie you told on yourself. Is that what you want to be? You want to be a girl? And I said, no, I just want to be on the radio. And so then she would talk to us about who's your mom, who's your dad, what do you want for your siblings? And when we would talk, she would then at the end say, wow, that's the best song you haven't written yet about your life.

And then when you hear Kanye say things like, we all self-conscious, I'm just the first two admitted. That came from Dr. Southwest. So we think we praise the artist, but it's really the mentor, the teacher. So my teacher was when I went, those things you talk about, brother, when, when, when, the clock is ticking on your satisfaction in the industry and when your time in the industry, how do you resurrect your spirit and come back in purpose and still use your gift? For me, it was DJ Jazzy Jeff. He took me on Seven World Tour.

And DJ Jeff said, I'm going to show you how to be an artist past 35. Change my life, bro. Man, if I could curse, he changed my fucking. in life. You're on seven world tours, showing me the world was bigger than the matrix of this small industry that ain't even hot in the world.

We're getting whipped by Afro beat. We're getting beat by reggae tone. Even in the UK, man, they're coming with grime and all kinds of style. That, like, you thought, you thought because they played that on the Shade Room, that was what was hot, that ain't even hitting the,

the meter no more because it ain't got the spirit. And so our drum has gone across the scene. They remixed it with their drum, gave it back to us hotter. So Jazzy Jeff took me around and showed me that you don't got to be on these little things

and getting all these little streams to live your dreams. And we've already burned our bridges. We've already had the worst of what it is. And this is what Jeff told me, he's a shaman, bro. Jeff is a soul. sage. Him, ice tea,

all of them. Go get a teacher. And what Jeff told me, we were in Japan. He said, Hey, Fess, I know when somebody's going to quit. I said, what do you mean? He said, yeah, you ain't been writing rhymes. We on the road. That don't mean don't write rhymes.

That don't mean we can't report on the road. He said, the first sign of somebody that's going to quit something is when they lose love for it. Because when you lose love for it and it becomes just a routine, it's only a matter of time before you slip, fall off. And so what I made sure when he told me that no matter what the weather looks like outside, I'm always writing rhymes. I'm always right.

You know what I mean? And what I found is that what the old people tell you is true, your gift will make a way for you if you stop trying to drive all the time and let Jesus take the wheel. Absolutely. You mentioned, and just when you were talking, you were talking about the hypocrisy and the hyperbole and hip-hop. We were kind of talking about this before we jumped on. And you were saying it in regards to Drake and Kendrick and that rap beef,

but you didn't call it a rap beef. If you can discuss what you meant when you just said that, and then in relation to the Kendrick and the Drake of it all. So I love it, the Kendrick and the Drake of it. at all. Yo, that, that's a bar right there.

In fact, thank you. A regular conversation. Look, if we were going to talk to the break of it all, don't pretend to be black.

Be in service. So, um, you know, the, um, rap, you know, people,

I saw you guys talking on your last episode about the hypocrisy and hip-hop and where people were upset because, you know, um, somebody talked about the women

or somebody bought the children up or Facts Be Dam. I grew up in the rap battle culture. Me, Jukes, there's a famous battle. You could go on YouTube right now, watch me and Eminem battling in the 90s. It was always about hyperbole. Who won?

Huh? Who won? I won. Come on, bro. But he won the war. I won the battle. You know, he was going to be. You know, boy, if Eminem say to me,

I let my razor because in the 90s it was an anomaly to have a white rapper standing in front of you trying to battle you and so what the first thing you're going to go to is race. Hey, who's with the eyes? Third base, second place, like all that little stuff.

And then when M&M say something like, I have to, I let my razor split you to they have to staple stitch you. This nigga took my facial tissue, turned it to a racial issue. And the crowd goes crazy. He called you a nigger and it's okay because the way he did it was so cold.

Family guy is only acceptable because it's funny. Right. Good rap that's hyperbole is only acceptable when it's dope. And I think that's what people forget. It's like if it was whack, yeah, it was offensive. If it was dope, that was hot. You know what I'm saying? So we don't like to accept the duality of ourselves.

We don't like to calm down and stop being, you know, how people have a foe rage. Like, we don't like to stop that foe rage for a second to understand the lyrical gymnastics of it all. But I will say this. It was very revealing when someone said, you rap like you're trying to free the slaves. My head went whoo because that reminded me of all those black exploitation movies where in service of the community and they always diss the Black Panther. They always, the drug dealer always have a

better point or the PEP, a better point than the community advocate. And then I saw it turn the culture around to say, yeah, forget them community people. They broke. You know what I'm saying? We want the drug bill of the Pimp. And when Drake said that, I said,

you know, he really, he's putting on blackness as a constant. and taking it off when it's time for service and putting it on when it's time for entertainment. And so not that he's not black. I don't like to identify

I'm real fluid with identity anyway. We could go deep into like what is black. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, sure. Whatever, right? But however, Drake is putting on communal culture. How about that? He's putting on our communal culture when it's time to entertain

and get paid. But I need to see Drake in these neighborhoods doing something to help somebody or in his neighborhood doing something to help somebody. And I ain't saying you ain't doing it. I'm saying we need to see you doing it so we can have the strength to know that it is what's right above the entertainment that you put on as a costume. Brother, it's really energizing talking to you, man. I love y'all.

Jay, Ruffin Smith, is running for school board. Chicago. I want to ask you something. You talked about Dr. West, and I know that you were the head of Donda's house for a long time, and the name is now. There's a new name. Articulture. How would things be different right now if

Dr. West was still a lot? Man, I will say this. Everything happens correctly. Everything happens for bad. to, for me to think about how things would be different. What if I said something to you like,

maybe I wouldn't be running for office and I wouldn't be as mature because we'd be still leaning on the elders for what they knew how to do. What if I said maybe some of her sons might not have gotten the lessons that is for them to have in life about how to personally take care of themselves

because Mama took care of everybody. Mama protected everybody. Mama shielded everything. And sometimes as children, we have to, our parents have to go for us to even know who they were. You don't know who your parents are, then.

Don't none of us know who our parents are because the children always make it about ourselves. We always make it about what did I get? What didn't I get? What you should have did this? Yeah. Let me say something. I said that before.

So I lost my dad in 21. And even when I say that, I say I lost my dad. Mm-hmm. It's a whole person. I get that. You know what I mean? I love it. I think about that.

Like, he is Van Lathen Senior. He passed on. He transitioned. When I say it, I don't say, hey, Van Lathen, Sr. passed on. I said or myself, I lost my. father because that's who he was to me and that's the capacity in which I see him and I learned as much about him

after he was calling as I did while he was here it's very powerful what you're saying though I apologize though I didn't get to right but he had to you know what that's like van it's when the sun is so close up on us we like this but when the sun goes at a distance we begin to appreciate the warm and

sometimes we say we lost people, but that thing had to be at a distance for you to know the love of the warmth that was given because when it's right up on you, sometimes it's too hot and it's too bright for you to understand and grow. And that's how flowers grow. That's beautifully said.

Beautifully said. It's almost like he puts words together for a living. Oh, can I tell you out something about words? Tell some of my words, Robbins. Come on. All right. My last project, James and Nikki, we took a legendary conversation

between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni. And I'm listening to James Baldwin, man. And he's saying things like, you know, words are real things. Words, he's like, you know, we have to use words to empower the lives of others. And you are responsible for the words you use because, and you know that, man.

I heard you say that to somebody. Because the words, because the words, you. you use, the words you use actually activate in the lives of others. And how others are receiving your words and activating from them is that's on you. Because you said it. And so, you know, it's like, ready to talk now, ready to confess. I ain't always believe I was ready for success.

Things I couldn't accept was putting pressure on my chest. made me feel like I was stupid because I couldn't pass a test. The worst thing to tell a brother that can't read is that he can't read. Them is fighting words. Your ass will end up in St. Reeves. I know we got a lot of little problem, but they ain't thieves when black men is the only that endanger species. Please, I don't want to hear it from you, took the spirit from you.

They got the publishing chief and took your lyrics from you. They're into lies by the sins. We can't begin to undo. You thought by just getting their money, all your dreams. dreams will come true. Untrue. And still it worries me. Black men don't believe in voting. At least do it for solidarity.

I know we want reparations and that ain't charity. But if you get it, don't let it be the last time you see prosperity. I never heard of a thief giving a refund. Ain't no reparations. Just section 8 and a Nissan. And those words that say, Maya Angelou said, hey, they get in you. They get in upholstery. That be careful what you say and be careful what you let people say to you

because words are real things. I know, we got to leave it. We got to leave it there. Yeah. Yeah. I'm done. I'm done. I can ask more, but by goodness.

Yes, man. Let's go. By the way, Rompest, like, I want, we're going to let you go. It was a pleasure to talk to you, brother. Yes. Like, look, I want to have. me back. I want to talk about all the things people probably expected me to ask you about, but I'm not going to ask you about it because it's about Ron Pest. But man, I appreciate what you're doing

and what you got going on, brother. And in any way we can be supportive, I know we're not in Chicago. Just let us know and make one last pitch to the people and tell them how they can support you. Okay, number one, got to give a big shout out to Golden State Entertainment. because it's more than entertainment. It's community impact. As a sports franchise, that's how we want to be creative about how we think about

leaving the industry behind, being communal, and creating collaboratives with people who need those impactful stories. I'm so happy and proud to have the new project album, James and Nikki, out through Golden State Entertainment. Check out James and Nikki

on all DSP platforms. Now, if you're interested in my political run in Chicago, remember we're putting together a Poetition Coalition. We want to run artists all around the country for local offices. Please reach out at me at rindfest for CPS.com. The email is in there and email me. I pay attention to everything or DM me at Rinefest or at RineFest for CPS on Instagram. Brother, appreciate your time.

Thank you. Thank you. the love, man. Appreciate you, brother. Love, love. Thank you guys. Peace. No problem, man. Take care. All right. Love, Rob Pess. Yeah, he's great.

Rest and peace. Great. Dr. Wes. Love the way that we revere her. We gotta go. Rachel, we're in person on Monday. Are we? Okay. Yeah. Whatever. Yeah, we are.

We're in personal. We're in personal on Monday. Yes, we are. All right. Take me cats off. Stop learning. I'm Van Lake and Jr. I'm Rachel and Lindsay. Bye, guys.