Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - The One and Only VanVan! Plus, Jim Brown’s Complicated Legacy

Episode Date: May 23, 2023

Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay discuss the life of Jim Brown, which included both advocating for civil rights and arrests for assaulting women (20:29). Then, they react to Tim Scott’s presidential bid (35:48) before welcoming music sensation VanVan and her father Reggie McConneaughey to talk about playing outside everyday and her rise to social media stardom (53:16). Finally, Brittney Griner makes her WNBA return and speaks on why she’s now standing for the national anthem (1:14:22). Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay Guests: VanVan and Reggie McConneaughey Producers: Donnie Beacham Jr. and Ashleigh Smith Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Yo, yo, yo, thought warriors. What is up? Howlurne is on. It is I Van Lathie Jr. And it's me, Rachel Lynn Lundon. How was your weekend? My weekend, my weekend. It was cool.

I can never, oh, works Friday. Nice. Tiffany Haddish had an event for her charity. She ready prom. She ready foundation. She ready prom. Yep. Were you there?

No. I saw people posting about it. It was like an adult prom. Everybody's going to adult proms. Prom season is very controversial this year. I'm not sure why. Wait, what do you mean controversial? Everybody's talking about different issues surrounding prom.

People are talking about when kids are wearing the prom, prom, prom this, prom nat. Promity prom, prom, prom. What, do you remember? Did you go to prom? I did go to prom. Good or bad experience. Fantastic. And how many did you go to?

I went to a couple of proms. I went to prom a couple of different times. It was fantastic. Never had a bad one. My prom, other people's proms, prom, prom. And it was great. One prom night was specifically great. Okay.

I'm just saying. Okay. I went to three. Three proms. And one was mine. Two or someone else's. They were good. But one of them I went to was like a favor.

Like their parents asked my parents, if I would go. And looking back, I feel like I made his prom miserable. I said yes because I had to. But looking back,

I could have done so much better to make his prom experience better. Like, he's probably somewhere telling people he had a terrible prom. What did you do? Nothing. See, this is the difference. I had the same situation

friend of somebody said, hey, man is cute. I want to go to the prom with him. And I went to the prom and took the prom over. So you made it about you. Well, I wanted to make sure. So here's the thing. The young lady herself was, I didn't know her, a friend of a friend,

but I wanted to make the prom special. And anyway, I thought that I should go above and beyond to make the prom special. And I tried. I mean, I kind of made it about me, but hell. Listen, you were better than me. I mean, not better. But I was like, I was like, let's just get it. I got there and it was nothing really, but she was like one of the only black kids at her school.

And so, you know, I was in there. Oh, it was one of those. It was one of those, yeah. It was like that. Tear the motherfuck up. Not hard to shine. Not hard to shine. Yeah.

Not hard to shine at those. Mine was not. You know, that prom that you described is how my first Baptist Academy was. This problem I went to was Duncanville's. Okay. And I had been the year before. Oh, okay. Yeah.

With somebody different. Yeah. And then this year I went and I just, but looking back, like, I could have been better. I wasn't rude. I was just kind of like I wasn't myself. Yeah, we know, we know. But I don't know. I feel that. Anyways, problem was great.

This event was great. I thought it was really cool. And obviously, you know, Tiffany Haddish talks about growing up in foster care. And so this, the foundation and this event specifically benefits youth growing up in the system. And so it's for a great cause. And what she's doing is fantastic. Then I went Saturday. I drink all day.

And like, I really suffered. Sunday. Brian's best friend was in town. So we went to brunch and then we went to Soho and I saw Praise. You saw prize? Oh shit. Oh. I was like

That's Bras. You saw Praise? Damn. What did you talk to him? I would have went up and talked to him. Well, the girl with us knew him. You was hanging out with Pras? No. No, no, no, no, no. she waited. He was at a table and she waited. And then she went up. She was like, we haven't heard from him in years. Haitian. It's like they're all connected. They all know each other. It's actually really cool. And so she went over and spoke to him separately after he sat down.

The pros of him. If Praz would have to come over and talk to y'all, I'd have to pat him down. I got to check for a while. He did come over and talk to us. But we did earlier that day see Chris Paul. And he came over and talk. Where was this at? Well, first we read JG Rooftop. Wait, are you in New York or are you in L.A? This is L.A. Oh, I'm not, I'm trying to figure out what the hell is going on. I thought you said Soho.

Oh, when you said Soho, you met the Soho House. Oh, when you said Soho House, sorry. So you had to Soho House. Okay, yeah. So you saw Chris Paul and then he came over. J.G. Yes. He was with Kim Kardashian or now?

Wow. He was with his kid. It was a birthday party for some kids. So please stop. He was taught a chopped it up in for a second. And then like I like those moments because it makes me look cool in front of Brian. Because Brian's like such a sports fan. So I could say I can say hi.

This is my husband Brian. Like Brian like you know, Brian gets excited. He doesn't care about like all the other stuff that goes on. He gets excited. Brian wasn't excited to miss Chris, to meet Chris Paul. Brian was excited to be there.

Okay. Here you go. There you go. Here you go. Here you go. There you go. There you go. But no,

Ryan being such a sports fan, specifically basketball, that was fun for him. And then we went to Soho House and that's when we saw a prize. And... No, bro. Child pros, man.

There's a lot of stuff going on. We haven't covered it. But there's a lot, there's a lot of stuff going on. But, yeah, as a sports fan, meeting Chris Paul, that would be amazing. That's one of the five best point guards of all time, I would say, Chris Paul, best of his generation, for sure. Brian's huge basketball fans, awesome.

Prize is like, I'd have some questions. I just want to know what's going on because either they try to frame prize and, you know, put all kinds of stuff on prize head that he didn't do, or Praise is like Ethan, Hunt. There's a lot of stuff going on, man. Do you know who Ethan Hunt is? Hold on. Hold on. Wait. Donnie, it's time to play a game. Rachel, name that movie characters film. Very organic. This game will be played whenever a movie or movie character comes up organically in the Higher Learning podcast. Okay. So Ethan Hunt is a character in a movie.

Ethan Hunt is a character in a movie. Let's use context clues. I said that Praz was like Ethan Hunt. And Praz is sort of caught up in some international espionage. That is your clue. Okay. Born identity? You're close.

Okay. I don't know. I really thought I had it. You're close. you're close, okay? You're very close. It's not the born identity, but think something close.

Mission Impossible? Oh! Yes! Rachel, that counts. Rachel is one for one. No, I got the mattress thing. I'm two for two. That is,

that right there still blows my fucking mind. So Rachel is two for two. It's only when it comes up organically. We're not going to do this all the time. But we kicked it to Rachel and she was up to the task. She's two for two. Two for two. Donnie,

did you think Rachel was going to get that with Ethan Hunt? I did, but I didn't think she was going to get it as quickly as she did. You surprised me on the second try. Born I did it. He was a good guess, though. It was. Come on. That was good.

That was good. That's right there. I mean, it's right there. Born I didn't. It was great. But then on Saturday I went to the Housewives parties, the all-white party that they do. And I saw, tell me tell you hello, Anne Marie and Marcellus Riley. Oh.

Because Anne-Marie's on the show. Wait, what? So Marcell should be on show, too. Yes. She's on, going to be on the newest season of Real Housewives Beverly Hills. Sell and Emery on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Wow. They were there.

They were filming. Wow. You didn't know this? I did not know this. Shout out, sell, man. Look, when you said all white party, I wasn't sure, you know. But this was for the show. Okay, I think I saw pictures of this.

My friend was on, it was on Sofi. It was on the film. You were there with my friend that. I met at your at your house that time. What's her name? The white lady. Katie. Katie.

Katie. You were there with Katie. Katie. Katie's great. And Kelvin told me to say hello to you. Who's that? I believe the last name is Washington, but I could be messing this up. Caleb Washington.

He said I would forget and I did not forget. Kelvin Washington is a great sports guy. He is a great guy, period. He's a really, really talented. on air and radio personality who's on ESPN and now he is on one of the networks.

Kevin Washington, yeah, he used to work with Marcellus at ESPN radio and then he moved on. Kelvin's great. It's great. It's great.

You have a fun time. I had fun Saturday and I paid for it Sunday. Did they have hot dogs at the event on Saturday? Why? Is that the food that you mentioned? Honestly, we ate before

so I don't, I didn't even see what food. I'm pretty sure there were not hot dogs. I'm pretty sure What foods did you eat this weekend? Let's check in on the foods that you ate. What you eat? Wings.

Okay. That's what I like. I had sushi for dinner on Saturday. Yeah. And then I cooked pork chops, grill pork chops on Sunday, which is like broccoli and rice. You are like, the pigs see you come in.

They're like, it's Ted Bundy. Like, you know, you're, You are. You hell on a pig, man. It's like pigs worldwide. Like, if you go to Babe's house right now, it's a picture of you up there. Like, don't let this person in.

You hell on the motherfucker. But the crazy thing is, I love pigs. I love pigs. But not, like, just to eat them. I've always wanted a pet pig. No, I don't trust you. Maybe that was, I was. I don't trust you with a pet pig.

What did you do this weekend? What did you do? What did I do this weekend? I watched the fight, Haney Lomacheco on. Oh, you were excited about that. Really great fight, really great fight. Kevin Haney, a great young man, great family, great champion, got the victory. I thought Lomichiko won the fight.

It's a close fight. I thought Lombo edged them out. But can't call it a robbery because it was a very close and competitive fight. So congratulations to team Haney and everybody over there. I do think the Lomacheco wanted to fight. Also, I was able to watch NBA basketball. And from coast to coast, two blue bloods in the NBA are hemorrhgy. That is my Lakers.

And then the Boston Celtics. The Boston Celtics just straight up gave up. I got to be honest with you. The Boston Celtics just gave up. It was one of the most embarrassing things I think I've ever seen down O2 coming back home to Miami. Shout out to Brian. who must be ecstatic over what's going on.

The Boston Celtics looks to Jimmy Butler in the face into the abyss of Jimmy Butler and then nothing stared back. They gave nothing. The Lakers are losing to Yokic and to Jamal Murray

to a team that seems to be a little bit more talented and better coached. But the Celtics are just cucking out. Seriously. The Celtics are just cucking out. It's tough. But boxing, basketball,

I worked out both days. I worked out Saturday. Went box a little bit. Then boom, boom, bang. And then Sunday, I went to the gym again. You know, I'm losing weight like gangbusters. It's a lot of fun. Great.

Yeah, you like it. Yeah, you think it's great. I like it because you like it. I like it for you. Yeah. So, you know, just a chill weekend. Me and Kalika hung out. We watched Titans.

You ever watch that show? Titans. Mm-mm. What's that on? It's about the Teen Titans on HBO Max. We finished Titans. I watch Succession. Succession, one of the great shows ever made. The Succession can stick to the length. Really?

Yeah. Yeah. Help me because I watch it and I enjoy it. Now, I will say a lot of it goes over my head. Like, when they start talking, I'm like, I don't know what you're talking about. When they, like, get into, like, the thick of things with the TV and stuff. and they're talking about the business. I'm like, I don't know what y'all was talking about.

I really don't. I got to admit that. It goes over my head. But I've always felt like I'm chasing succession. I'm chasing for it to be as amazing as everybody keeps saying. The acting is out of this world. But I guess it just never hits that. I would never describe it as one of the greatest shows.

Yeah. I see what I haven't watched. I didn't watch last night, though. Do you know what I compare? succession to tell you a little story real quick one day we're at tm z it's like christmas so christmas or a holiday's coming everybody's leaving but some of the more entrenched staff stays around to make sure stuff is going up you know other people might be leaving and going i might stick around for a little bit longer.

Some other people might stick around a little bit longer and just shoot the shit a little bit. And Evan Rosenbrook, who is one of the producers there at TMC, one of the big three at TMC. So now I moved on, but he was then. We'll always have

like a different scotch or something. Beckerman would have like a different scotch. You know, one day I, my seniority had got up to a point. It was like, come in the room, but I have a drink. It's Christmas. I have a little drink. And before we were, like a little drink, a little shot at the scotch or whatever. Like, hey, Christmas we're about to go. Nobody's getting drunk at two.

Tell me a little shot of the scotch. Okay, okay. Everybody's looking at the scotch. Oh, this is good. I love a piece of scotch. God damn it. I tell you what. You know, you're looking at these white guys.

You know, you're thinking to yourself, this is what we're outside work and this is what they did. They said they drank a piece of scotch and then you're drinking the scotch like, should I be doing this? But they love it because

for people who can appreciate the scotch, it's the best scotch. It's the best. But I couldn't appreciate it. I just don't like the way it tastes. For whatever reason, I'm not refined enough. I'm not whatever enough and I'm not saying the people that don't like secession aren't fine,

but I'm just saying that like it is kind of like a fine scotch or a great wine that it's so specific to the connoisseur that the connoisseurs think it's amazing and some people just like don't fuck with it as much. And there's a lot of, there's a lot of art that's like that, right? There's a lot of art that's like, hey, if you're really into this specific type of thing,

then you're like, this is the best of it I've ever seen. Caviar. people will go, Jesus Christ, it's the greatest fucking caviar I've ever had before my life and I eat the caviar. I'm like, yo, y'all just going to sit around and they're going to put this shit on the crackling and just down this shit, huh?

It's the type of shit, y'all like that. It's just not for me. You know what I mean? And so I can see how the show is kind of not for everyone. But if you are somebody who can, like, when I watch the session, I rewind the show five or six times while I'm watching. Just to rewatch a scene.

Oh. Like just to rewatch a scene. Like, there's a scene where Logan's eulogy has to be given. Okay, I haven't seen it. I'm just saying, there are two different actors that speak at Logan's funeral. And it's so fucking well done

that I'll just rewatch it, like, rewind it and watch it again. Rewind it and watch it again. There's a scene between the two people at the end of the show where the woman is kind of breaking down emotionally. The man is talking and I'm like, look at what they're doing. And I can get why there are people that it's not as accessible to them. And that doesn't mean to think about everybody's taste logo or nothing. It's just not for everybody.

No, I think we just consume things in a different way. I get that. We consume it. Again, I can appreciate what the acting is. But, like, I think the first two seasons I really liked. And it's been the last two that haven't hit me the same way. But I still watch. And I watch the after the after

because honestly that helps me understand it better. The wire was like that. Like everyone loves the wire now. But I got the wire. But when the wire was out, a lot of people were like, I don't understand.

There's a lot of characters. It's very in the weeds. And it's come to be appreciated more. Like, over time by the masses, but by the people that were watching the show while it was on, you have to really super

like commit to it it made you commit why I still my favorite show of all time all right later on in the show we have a very special guest highest rapper in the world

right now is on hiring band band playing outside every day yeah Van Van internet sensation beautiful young black child who's taken over

dropping the music man to man she's going to be on the show with her father Reggie McConaughey. It's going to be on there just a little bit later. But before we do that, we have to talk about legacies, their complications, and what it means to celebrate and talk honestly and honestly about who somebody was while they were on planet Earth. Jim Brown on the other side of this point.

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He was 87 years old. And best known for two years. Number one, Jim Brown was known for being an absolute force in the football field. One of the greatest athletes in history of modern American sports was an all-world football player. A lot of people don't know an all-world lacrosse player as well. He was one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time as well. He was just an absolute beast. Those that played against him and can contextualize how he ran the football

say that there's never been a running back quite like Jim Brown. But also in his time, he was a fierce advocate for black people. And one of the athletes that during that time was very active in the civil rights there. was at the famous Cleveland Summit for Muhammad Ali when some of the brightest and biggest stars in the sports world came together to lend support to Muhammad Ali after he had been his title had been taken

stripped from him and he had run afoul of the law for his refusal to be inducted into the military during the Vietnam War but that's not all. that Jim Brown is being remembered for. He's also being remembered for his treatment of women, which if you knew anything about Jim Brown, was a narrative that followed him in his life, some of the allegations that he had as far as abuse against women,

how he handled women, what he thought of women, and how the women that interacted and intersected with Jim Brown in his life, how safe they were and how they viewed him. Had you heard these things about Jim Brown? I did not know it went this far back and that there were this many alleged incidents. I knew it in a very general sense. So I'll be honest with you. In reading all of it, I was taken aback a little bit because I don't think it's as well known.

I mean, I think you more so have to know about the life of Jim Brown. To me, he's always been this larger than life force. You know, you watch these old videos of him, knew about his work in the civil rights movement and how he was for the advancement of black people and black empowerment and pushing black economics and wanting to see black people better themselves, the betterment of black people.

And so he just seemed to be this huge force in a positive way for black people. So I knew of a couple of things, but to see this laundry list of things was shocking for me. And even knowing that we were going to talk about him today and his legacy, something that you said as you were introing this topic, it's like, do you talk about everything? Is it as you're remembering someone since they've passed away? because it makes me think of the interview that Gail King had

where she mentioned, was she talking to Lisa Leslie? Talking to Lisa Leslie, yeah. And she mentioned, this is after Kobe had passed. She has to sit down with Lisa Leslie and she asked Lisa Leslie a question about Kobe Bryant and passed allegations against him.

And people were upset and people were mad at Gail. And they felt like that was, that's not how we should be remembering, him, we should remember him for all the great things he's done and not talk about him in a negative way. Do you do that here? Even if it is a part of somebody's story. So, I think what the Gail thing,

Gail was, I love Gail. Gail, I think a lot of people were uncomfortable with Gail, pressingly Celeste. the specificity of that was had Kobe ever talked to you about blah blah blah had you ever talked to Kobe about blah blah blah blah Lisa Leslie in that situation going well no and Gail is asking

because Lisa Leslie called Kobe are friends and Gail is asking where he's your friend and she's like no he's not and so no he didn't we never talked about the things that we talked about with this and this and that that and that So I think a lot of people felt like Gail was pushing or trying to fish something out of Lisa Leslie that Lisa Leslie wasn't there to get. But people were mad at Gail for even bringing it up in the interview too.

I think people were mad at it of bringing it up for sure. But I think there's a way to talk about these things in particular in that point, in this point as well, that's a little bit different than trying to get somebody's friend to talk about like whatever, whatever. And I don't have any problem. Go ahead. Oh, go ahead. Sorry. I don't have any problem necessarily with Gail asking, but the people that were upset about it felt like she was being,

she was trying to put Lisa Leslie in a place that Lisa Leslie didn't want to be in, and she was using kind of what Kobe had done to kind of get something out of Lisa Lester and that it looked like she was a little sensational. I don't know that I necessarily agree, but that's the reason, like, I don't know that the conversation about Kobe and his past were necessarily off limits because I saw that litigated everywhere when he died. But I think there's a way to do it. A lot of people felt like Gail didn't do it in a way that was nutritious.

Yeah, I agree. I didn't think it was off limits either. And I don't necessarily think it's off limits in discussing Jim Brown, too. And also just because of later in life, him aligning himself. with former president Donald Trump. So I think those are certain things that are more recent that people remember. I don't think it's off limits either.

But I would be lying if I didn't think about that as we were going to have this conversation. And I think you can think about everything. And I don't think it takes away from him wanting the betterment of black people. But you also have to talk about the other things as well. So we should say that Jim Brown's situations, He stood trial in 1965 for sexual assault.

He was found out guilty. In 1968, he was accused of throwing a model from a balcony. She claimed she tripped. My mother never forgot that. My mother never forgot that. I'll tell you who did forget about a lot of this stuff. Me, I forgot. And that's something I'll come to with a set.

A lot of people did. In 1971, he was accused of beating two women and then throwing them down a fight of stairs. Charges were made a drop due to lack of witnesses in 1971. That's a year accusing. Oh, that's a repeat. In 1985, he was arrested after assaulted a woman. The charges of rape, sexual battery, and assault.

Though the charges were dropped. In 1986, he was arrested for allegedly beating his then-theonce in 1989 in his book. He admitted to slapping women, including the model in 1968, who fell out of the window. In 1999, he was arrested for making terrorist threats against his wife, Monique, as well as vandalism to her property. Of course, Rachel just brought up the fact that there was a shift in political views. later on he supported President Trump and he opposed Colin Kaepernick

and his kneeling. So Jim Brown was consistent, it seems like, in one area of his life, which is probably bad in the relationship with women, and inconsistent in another one, which is advocating for what some black people feel is the advancement of

their people, meaning that's opposing Donald Trump and being pro-collar capital. Even though we're not a monolith and people would have different sort of interpretations of how they support both of those issues. This is what I'll say. I'll say I posted immediately when I heard Did he die recipes of Jim Brown

because I legitimately was sad. I'm like, damn, the Brown died. And it's because the narrative of Jim Brown's life, and I left the post up, the narrative of Jim Brown's life isn't the things that we're talking about right now. I think that's interesting. I think the narrative of Jim Brown's life,

people don't bring up Donald Trump. People bring up Muhammad Ali and the Cleveland sign. People don't bring up Colin Kaepernick, they bring up everything that he meant and him being on the Dick Kavich show and going back and forth with the segregationist

Lester Maddox, who I think was the governor of Georgia at that time, very famous clip and Jim Brown going at it with him. And even in the movie One Night in Miami, in which our friend Aldous Hodge plays Jim Brown, there's a scene in the movie where, you know,

Jim Brown confronts somebody and he's a victim of racism. So when you look at that, when you look at that movie, those guys are heroes that are in that film. You talk about Sam Cook, Jim Brown, Ali, and Malcolm X, those guys are all heroes in that movie.

So I think it's incredibly important to talk about somebody's life in a holistic way. Incredibly important. I remember watching an interview with Carol Welsh way back in the day when she talks about her experience working with Jim Brown and how she didn't enjoy them.

You know what I mean? Oh, is that what she said? Yeah, I can't remember exactly what she said, but this is what she said about Jim Brown as an actor. She said that, I'm going to fuck the quote up. I remember watching it, and she talked about the fact that

you know, to be an actor, sometimes you have to be, you have to access like a feminine side of you or a softer side of you and Jim Brown wasn't capable of that and that might have held him back because it was for a time he was trying to be a Hollywood movie star and I might have held it back because he certainly could never do that and she goes as a matter of fact he was very rough

and it was not easy to work with him and she had all these things to say I remember watching this on cable and watching her talk about him and I'm going well he was a kid right oh she didn't like him much my mother goes with Jim Brown threw a woman out of a out of a window or something like that. She told me about this way back in the day.

But because the narrative of his life isn't littered with this stuff, I actually forgot about all this stuff. And I think it's important. Doesn't that say a lot? It does. That's the story. The story is how easily. And look, I don't think it's wrong if people want to remember Jim Brown for what he did

on the football field. I don't. I don't think it's wrong. Like, my hero. eyes. My hero lights went off. Oh my God, hero. My dad told me this guy is a hero. He's a hero. Hero. My hero lights went off.

And so I jumped right on it. I don't think it's wrong for people to go. Jim Brown was a fantastic fucking running back. And there were times where he met a specific standard for his people that did these things, right? I don't think it's anything wrong with that.

But you have to talk about it all. You have to. Or else you're complicit in glossing over some of the more really important and notable parts of somebody's life who doesn't fit into the narrative

that society is crappy for them so I don't think it's wrong at all to talk about it in the case with anyone I think there's a time and a place you know what I mean and I don't think that he'd have to wait a long time but you know somebody dies

you go look what an asshole they were just the southern part of me is like but I think in discussing someone you have got to talk about this stuff because we don't want carbon copies and reaping to all of this. Right. And I, like, you don't want to be a revisionist, right?

And only paint him in one way that he was when he had a repeated history of physical abuse towards women. And even admitted it. Let's, let's not, you know, he wrote a book and he admitted to putting his hands on women, including the model that fell out of the window. I'm not saying, you know, that was. inconclusive as to how she fell out off the balcony or out the window or whatever, but he did admit that he put his hands on her. So I totally think it's fair game, and I do think it's important.

And I think it's really important to highlight the fact that you said, like I said, he was always this larger than life. For you, person, figure, for you, he was like a hero type. And it's fine to see him that way, but I think it's important to focus on how easy it is to forget when there's violence. against women. And I think that that's just the society that we live in, especially when you're talking about the 60s, 70s, 80s, where we didn't talk about it the way that we do now. We just brush it under the rug. Not as almost as if it's okay, but it's just easy. We just

forget about women. We don't listen to women in that way. And so out of respect of, you know, the women who went through this, other women who have suffered abuse at the hands of a man, it's important that you talk about these things and you don't brush it under the rug because it is a part of his story. I'm not saying that people can't change. I'm not saying that he didn't do better, but there's no denying that he'd had this history

of physical assault against women. And, you know, to continue to have the conversation, you have to continue to have the conversation. And that means if somebody has these sort of issues in their past, in their life, that you talk about. Because you don't want to get into a situation 30, 40 years from now, or even in present tense in the contemporary sense to where it's like there's somebody else who you're sacrificing the ways in which they do harm from the fact that they inspire you in some other way. So anybody who's talking about, we shouldn't discuss the totality of who Jim Brown is or what his life was.

yes, he founded the Black Economic Union. Yes, the Amera I Can, the Amera I Can program, he founded those things. But there are also other parts of his life that, societally, we need to fix. And the list of things that you just saw and the ways in which those things reflected in his life, the frequency in which they did,

they beg a lot of questions. there's a lot of stuff going on there so God discuss it so there you know. Yep. Rachel, the racial president just got a little faster. It got faster. Yeah, because a black man's in it now.

Ooh. A black. Don't do that. What? Don't do what? Black people run fast. We do. No, no, no.

That's not that I'm talking about. We do. No. A black man is in it. The man that you're referring to. That's not how he wants to be. He doesn't want to be introduced that way first. He wants to be

he does not want to be introduced as a black Republican. He wants to be a Republican who happens to be black. So he doesn't want to be a stepfather. He wants to be a father who stepped up. Tim Scott.

Shut up Tim Scott. Do you know? I read an interesting thing over the weekend about malaria and sickle cell. Why black people might be prone to sickle cell. West African black people might be prone to sickle cell. It has to do with malaria. And why malaria coincides worldwide with high instances of sickle cell. and also an offshoot from that

why malaria sickle cell and all of that stuff might come together to explain why West Africans have such fast-twitch muscles. Some of it was scientifically verifiable.

Some of it was fringe but still interesting. I'll send the information over. Now we're talking about I went to a deep hole about malaria. You guys, look it up. Malaria sickle cell fast switch stuff. Look it up.

Some of it. Fringe, whatever. Some of it. Some of it, the malaria sickle cell connection, very interesting. Very, very interesting to whether human a body adapts to fight off a pathogen. So Tim Scott probably can't run anyway. But look, he's in the, he's in the, he's in the, he's in the, uh, he's in the, uh, he's in the, uh, he, He's in the presidential race.

He announced it. He's the only black Republican senator. He was in his hometown of North Charleston, South Carolina. He was a very nice place. North Charleston, South Carolina. He filed papers last week with the Federal Election Commission. Give me a little audio time. For those of you who wonder if America is a racist country, take it a look.

and how people come together. All of God's people come together. Black ones and white ones and red ones and brown ones working together. Because love, unconditional love, binds hearts together. We are not defined by the color of our skin. We are defined by the content of our character.

And if anyone tells you anything different, they're a lion. This echoes what he said back in 2020. Yeah, when he was talking about America not being a racist country. We don't have to play that because essentially said the same thing. Right. He's in it. He's got an uphill battle.

He's polling right now in the single digits. But we knew this moment it was coming. He had been hinting to it. And now he's finally in. The chocolate has entered the Sunday. it's time for this world. Tim Scott take on the world. He is ready for president.

Rachel, how do you feel? Give me that Gucci shit from South Carolina, Rachel. Tim Scott, he's here to make a difference. He's optimistic about running for president. Rachel, what you got. I can't stand you. You ask me how I feel. I feel nothing.

Tim Scott. I said it after I listened to that clip. I'm going to get tired of hearing that. I'm going to get tired. You don't want, what did I say? He said he doesn't want to be known as a black Republican. He wants to be known as a Republican that happens to be black. That is him announcing his presidency, and the whole thing was about race,

as if the whole world was represented right there on that stage and that audience. And that right there defines that we don't have a race problem. I'm going to get tired of hearing that from Tim Scott. The reason I say I feel nothing is a lot of. because I'm not expecting much from Tim Scott. This is what I'm expecting to get. He seems like a really nice person. I said he seems like a nice person,

but he seems like a person who has certain morals and values. He's very religious. And that's what he seems to be hanging his hat on and what he seems to be relying on that's going to take him to winning the prize. and then ultimately running on behalf of the Republican Party. And I just don't see that getting Timmy up in the polls. I don't see the numbers changing for him in that way.

When you're going against a Trump, and you're going against the DeSantis, who we're also expecting to announce soon, they're polarizing. And I don't think Kill him with kindness is going to take him Tim Scott far. Now, it also has been announced that he, has a lot of rich people backing him up.

The billionaires, the, what's the name, Larry Ellison? Did I get that right? You know, I'm bad with names. Oracle is talking about donating up to eight figures to back Tim Scott. I listened to a podcast today that said that Tim Scott has enough money right now to be on TV every day up until Iowa. He has a lot of money behind him, but money doesn't necessarily mean that that's going to take you far. Look at Bloomberg. So I think there are going to be a lot of people who align with him because they do want someone who's positive, someone who has these strong values, someone who doesn't, who seems to be above it all and not get into the thick of it.

But I think he's going to have to actually have a chance against a DeSantis and a Trump. But I just don't see it going far. I don't really know, other than him being conservative and wanting to stick to that and aligning himself with conservative values, I feel like I don't know that much about, I'm actually intrigued. Let me take this back. I'm intrigued to see what he's like on a debate stage. I want to see him get his hands a little dirty because I don't think he can maintain what he's doing right now. now. He won't last long. I want to

drop one more piece of audio in. He was talking to Van Jones back in the day. And a couple of three years ago, something like that. He was talking about the meeting, some of the talks he has with President Trump around not just race, but other things. And I want to play this for you guys. And then on the other side of it, I want to talk a little bit about who I think Tim Scott is and what I think his candidacy means for the Republicans and for the country. You've had this conversation and some conversations like this with President Trump.

Yes. How do you judge whether you're making progress there? Some of what people want you to kind of be the racial Trump whisperer in some way, you know? How do those conversations go? They're hard, they're painful, they're uncomfortable to sit in the Oval Office and have a conversation with the president about things that you strongly disagree about. He didn't change his perspective. I certainly can't change my perspective. Mine's educated by my experience, so that helps me.

But the way it closed, I thought, gave me reasons to be helpful. It closed with, Tim, I don't see what you see. What can I do to make things better? That was a shocking response. I was surprised after the conversation that his response was, help me see a better way. And my answer is always. not for him to speak about issues in a way that he doesn't sincerely believe,

but for him to actually do something. And our opportunity zones was the outcome of help me help other people, Tim. And I said, support my Opportunity Zone legislation. If you guys aren't familiar with Opportunity Zone legislation and Opportunity Zone stuff, that is something that Tim Scott was a huge proponent of. Simply put, designated areas in a community or in a city. and what opportunity zones allow you, allow people to do is take capital gains taxes that they might have

and then reinvest them into these opportunity zones. So if you make a billion dollar deal and there's $200 million or whatever it would be, it wouldn't be 200 million, whatever it would be of capital gains tax. What you can do with the opportunity zones is you can take that money and invest it into a specific community without having to pay that in capital gains. And what that is supposed to do is revitalize those areas. Now, it was a very hot thing when it was happening some years ago. A lot of people got behind it.

I even know some people that were involved with it. But the more you litigated it, the more it leads to what I think is rampant gentrification. You have a lot of people that don't have any stake in those areas that are trying to essentially skin on their taxes by investing into some of the places. I'm not saying it's completely that negative. I'm saying that there are some cultural concerns with Opportunity Zones legislation, and it does not, to me,

adequately address the needs of communities where it's supposed to impact the people. I think a couple of things are interested about that. Number one, who Tips Scott is. Tim Scott has done some things that he thinks are relevant all race. he sponsored the Emmett Till anti-lynching bill. Right.

And you would say, hey, that's awesome. It's awesome to get anti-lynching on the docket. We need to get real lynching. You can all agree that's back. Yeah. That to me is the type, and I'm just talking about specifically in terms of black people, Tim Scott has a whole political agenda and platform.

Does that have anything to do with black? That's the kind of diet black shit that works over there that we should be wary about not working at all. I'm not saying that having an anti-lynching bill in the name of Emmett Till is a bad thing. Of course it's not a bad thing. Anything that makes lynching a federal hate crime is of course positive.

The problem is, on the back side of that, we have situations that affect black Americans to a much larger degree, which is the lynching, the state-sponsored lynching that happens on behalf of the police department. You have a gentleman like Tim Scott who put forth his idea of a police reform package, but omitted qualified immunity, which most people that are involved in those situations, not all. Not all, but most would say it's the most important part of being able to hold police departments and individual officers responsible for malconduct. So you ask, do you care about the lives of black people or do you not? Because if you do, then you hold police nationwide responsible for that. I asked around about Tim, very hard on Tim, but I asked around to people. I say it's Tim Scott a Maga Republican. It's not a Maga Republic.

That seems like you will work for Tim. It seems like there are some people in the party that would love a nice looking blackfeller who can, of course. Who would not be aligned with the wacko fringe of the party to talk positively and dynamically about the fabric of America. And on a debate stage racial, he might do very well. He might do very well in conscience. to some of the whack-a-do stuff that you see. Now, I don't think that that's necessarily true.

I think that the party is too far gone. But I do think that there are people who believe that. The Tim Scott's optimism and the genteel way in which he carries himself can kind of obfuscate the real intention of his politics, which is to maintain big business corporate interests and to, in my opinion, hamper the government's ability to make fundamental change in Americans' lives. And, you know, he's a conservative, so that's what he believes. But I think he's a Republican for another time. I think right now what you'd have to do if you were Tim Scott to win is you'd have to take a dull, rusty butter knife.

and cut Donald Trump's balls you'd have to take Donald Trump's strength from him like nobody is winning the Republican nomination if they do not take it from Donald Trump the people the constituency of the right is not going to give you

a mandate to go out and get the nomination to be the president you have to take it he's incapable Mickey Haley's incapable the entire field of people it's a Hutchison Lae Elder Sanunu all of these people

they're incapable of doing that because they're incapable of sticking up to the book so I don't know what Tim Scott's cadizcy really means you know I don't know I don't know what it means I think he would say he's even though he's more

would you refer to him as like a tea party he's kind of not necessarily what he's going for look you say he's not a mad I say he's not a maga Republican he was with Trump a just

unreal percentage of the time but he's not he's not a maga Republican in the embodiment of what that means as far as anti-D-EI he does throw around that woke term

he's he's he's scurting the line of it but I mean To that point, I wouldn't call him a Tea Party Republican either. He's kind of more of a throwback to the compassionate conservatism angle that they tried to play some years ago. He's a little bit more on that, he is on any of the other stuff. But very religious.

And I feel like that's a little bit more of like a, when you hammer that conservative and the religion, I think like to me that fits a little bit more in the Tea Party. That's why I asked. But he has said to your point about aligning himself with Trump, you haven't really seen him stand up or come after Trump, which is why I say I'm intrigued by seeing him on a debate stage because I wonder which side he'll stick to. But he has said before that he agrees with a lot of Trump's messaging. He just believes the messenger gets it wrong. It's the messenger. So he's right there with him. I think though, because of Trump is so polarizing extreme and so is DeSantis that he does

see himself as more of a moderate Republican and the voice of those people, which is why you do see the Oracle guy putting his support and money behind him. Elon Musk has shown some a little bit of support towards him or like some of the things that he's done. So I think you'll see that. But as far as rallying the base, I just don't think when you say he's for a different time, because I don't think that we're in a nice air right now. Nice. Kindness is not going to get you far. It's specifically in that party.

So we'll see. It'll be interesting. All right, Van Van Van. Maybe he's going to surprise us. Maybe. Maybe. Maybe. I don't fucking.

Van Van. Yeah, let's lighten it up. Let's lighten it up. Van Van Van, playing outside every day. Next on Highland. My name is Van Van Van. I don't play.

Playing outside every day. Yeah. This episode is brought to you by Spectrum Business, fast, reliable internet means everything for your business. And even this podcast, that's why I trust Spectrum Business to keep companies of all sizes connected with internet, advanced Wi-Fi, phone, TV, mobile services, plus 24-7 U.S.-based support. Millions of business owners already trust Spectrum Business. So visit Spectrum.com slash business to learn more. Restrictions apply. Services not available in all areas. This episode is brought to by WeatherTech. Everyone

knows winter is the MVP and making a mess. 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 a road trip goes sideways, ketchup goes rogue, ice cream drips. Yeah, you'd be pretty happy about those weather tech seat protectors. So just to be clear as the mud, you're inevitably going to step into the summer. You don't need weather tech unless you plan on doing summer. Visit weathertech.com today. This is a big moment for higher learning the podcast. Huge moment. It is.

A little while ago I posted on my Instagram that I found somebody who I felt like was the hardest rapper out. The most lyrical, the most influential, the style, the dance, the moves, all of it. It's all in one cute little package.

We got VanBan. Playing outside. every day and her father, Reggie McConaughey on the show today. Van Van Reggie. How y'all doing? How you doing?

We're amazing. I want to ask Van Van, a question real quick. Okay. How are you just going to take my name? I'm Van. I'm Van. And now people are saying that Van Van van is your name and not my name no more

how are you just going to take my name? That's right. That's right. Laugh about it. So cute. Oh, Van Van, we're so excited to have you and your dad here.

I don't even know where to start. You have taken the world by storm with your videos, your social media, your rapping. We just so. saw you on stage. When did you know that you wanted to rap?

When I was two years old. Two years old. When I was, you're four now, right? When do you turn five? November. November. Okay, when I was four, I was playing outside every day. But that's it.

I wasn't rapping. I wasn't on stage. I was, I, I am so impressed by you, two years old, and you knew you wanted to wrap. That's amazing. And dad, how did you know to tap into that? Because I feel like my parents would have said, go play back outside. Man, honestly, you know, COVID happened. You know, it's very tragic for a lot of people.

But for me, I was able to tap into her gift by being home because I'm a teacher. So I was able to be home. And, you know, we just kind of developed this. Bond, you know, she was watching movies, like learning lines and dancing and her memory. Like, she could spell her name when she was two years old. So that's how I knew. My wife, I was at work one day. I'm not going to be long.

I was at work one day. And my wife was like, no, I can't believe it. I'm like, what? She sent me the video. She was spelling her name. I was like, yo, that's crazy. You know, and at that moment, that's when I knew her memory was top tier. So she's a genius, too.

The genius, too. So Van Van, you know, the line that's taken over the world is that you're playing outside every day. Okay. So when we say every day that you're playing outside or we're saying seven days a week you play outside or you're playing outside or you playing outside from Monday to Friday, how much playing are you doing? And when you play outside, like what do you do? What do you play, Van Van? I play So do you play

So I play in my Warners And I play the stuff You're out of My dad So So

Do you think That everybody Should be playing Outside every day? Yes Manvan What are your friends say about your rap career and you got acting coming up to, what do your friends say?

I do not know. So recently you were on stage. I saw that. You had the crowd going, wow. Were you nervous or scared to get out on the stage in front of everyone or was it fun? I was definitely nervous. Dad, how did y'all help her for her first performance? How did y'all help her that she was nervous? Man, I just, I just give her affirmation all the time. Like, you can do this.

You know, you don't be scared. I know it happens. Because I'm going to be honest, I was nervous. So I know if a 39-year-old man is nervous, I know my four-year-old daughter was nervous, you know, and I didn't want to take that feeling from her, but I just told her, like, you can conquer this. Like, you've conquered so much four years old so far.

You can do this. Like, this is easy to you. Well, it worked because she was rocking it on stage. Van Ben, who are some of your favorite performers? Who do you look up to? I look up to Lelah and Ron Dylan. Okay. Okay. Layla,

Youngfellin. Okay. Who would you like to work with? Would you like to work with, like, Beyonce? Would you like to work with Rihanna? Would you like? Who do you like?

If you could be in anybody's video. If you could be, if you, go ahead. I would like to work with everybody. Oh, she already, she already media trained. She already media trained. She's not even, hold on, that's crazy, bro. That's crazy. Everybody that, that, um, that wraps.

I love it. She's great. I only got one more question. Go ahead. And it's going to be kind of serious. So Reggie, this is more for you. Okay. This is a very powerful.

image, bro. A beautiful young black girl, so joyous, so wholesome, having a good time, being buoyed, supported, and protected by her father, hearing you in the background, egging her own, pouring into her. Girl dad to the extreme, tell us a little bit about what you guys more than how it's caught on and more than how it's being responded to. Tell us a little bit about what you guys hope to portray out there in terms of that imagery. Man, just family, man, like bringing that family status back. You know, knowing you can talk to your kids, man. I'm a teacher, so I'm big on talking to your kids and having that relationship,

knowing what's going on with them. and that's one thing I cherish, like, just talking to my daughter every day when I come home, asking her how her day is, you know, asking what she got going on, asking what she like to do. And we just, I'm telling you, we never,

we never imagined this in a million years. Like, we wasn't jumping on the internet to be internet famous. We weren't trying to be TikTok or Instagram famous. We were just bad and daughter having fun. That's all we've been doing the whole time. It's really exciting to see, as Vance laid out, the example that you two are,

then that you're just having a blast with it. Tell us what you've got coming up next because you got a few things in the works. Man, you know, she got a movie coming out that's premiering in July. The crossover revenge with Jamal Woolett and Clifton Pound. Wow.

Bobby Brown is an executive producer. Okay. So, you know, she got a part in that movie. So, you know, it's just a lot of stuff that she got on the table right now. And I can't really say just yet. But just know, like, things that I wouldn't even have imagine is on the table right. Amazing. Just the beginning.

Just the beginning. Well, I just want to ask, actually got one more question. Van, Van, I want to ask you. about something, could I get on a song with you? It could be Van, Van, Van, Van. The three of us together on a song, playing outside every day. We could play around different play. Just think about it.

I don't know if I have to send you a demo tape or something. Think about putting me on a record. How does that sound? Would you like to do a song with me? She's so nice. She's so sweet. All right, you guys, you have music out right now. Reggie, go ahead and tell people about that,

and then we can let you guys go. Man, we got playing outside every day. You can find it on every streaming site. We just want people to listen to it. Have a good time with it. It's a song for everybody. It's a song for everybody. We want people to have a good time.

Just something real quick. her TikTok is down we don't know if it's going to be back up but they're still on Instagram we still on her

so why should TikTok now that maybe that's something for verification

so I had a put this up to back to that you know you know

to me and hopefully TikTok band van band I'm calling out

Right now to TikTok. This is a black father and a beautiful black child that have organically built a fan base and an interest in some of the most wholesome smile rendering content I've ever seen. There is absolutely zero reason for this TikTok account to be down. This is the reason for TikTok, in my opinion. Yeah. Like hashtag free Van Bang.

Bring the TikTok back. And if we don't get answers this week, we're going to start putting some pressure. We're going to have TikTok playing outside. All right? I don't like to hear that. Free Van Van. Okay.

Van Van, Reggie, we are so excited that you guys came on higher learning. We're so excited for everything. that you're going to be able to do. I think so much is coming in y'all's future and it's good to see that you guys have the bond that you do. Thank you for joining us today on the show. We appreciate y'all. No problem.

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Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit Tramphiator Radio.com. This episode is brought to by Paramount Plus. Beth and Rip are back in a new series, Dutton Ranch. Kelly Riley and Cole has are returned, and this time they're taking on Texas. As Beth and Rip build a future together, peace will have to wait as they've been. is they face corruption, danger, and a ruthless rival ranch willing to protected secrets at all costs. Legacy is a beautiful thing, but only if it survives.

Dutton Ranch starring Colehousor Kelly Riley, Annette Benning and Ed Harris now streaming on Paramount Plus. Okay, real quick, real quick and I'm going to do too much. We're going to wait for a little bit more of the developments. The debt ceiling top are going over. Look, it's going on right now. You got 10 days left to reach a deal or default. Because you guys don't know what the debt ceiling is.

The United States has a ceiling on the amount of debt we're allowed to owe other countries. Normally when we get up to that level, we raise the debt. If we don't raise the debt, we default. The ramifications of defaulting are pretty outstanding in terms of our bonds worldwide not being trusted anymore. The health care system, what it could do here. The Republicans are playing hardball. They're using it as a political bargaining chip.

Biden needs to deal with this week in order for it to pass before June 1st so they need to make it happen. We're going to talk a little bit more about the ramifications of this Thursday. What will happen if, excuse me, on Friday, what will happen to find? No death ceiling.

Compromises met. But just now, Republicans are always ready to play Russian roulette with your way of life in order to get what they want. All right. Chamar Moore, do you like you? I'm indifferent. I don't have an issue with Shamar Moore.

He was the man in the house. Yeah, he's cool. He was the man. I'll tell you who's the man. He was. I'd say even into the 2000s, early 2000s he was. Yeah. He was on criminal minds too.

Like, he was been the man for a while. So he was in the audience for a comedian named Matt Rife's performance at the Ontario Impro. And it went off the rails. Let me play the audience. I'm just more and more. I told him when I got here. I'm going to watch me on YouTube. And I'm meeting him for the first time tonight.

I'm seeing in live in person, like a lot of us, I'm sure. For the first time, but I've been watching me and my girl, my baby mama. And my girl comes to me and she's like, Shmar, you're the sexiest motherfucker in the world. You're going to follow my daughter. But I want to fuck Matt right. We're going to meet the motherfucker, but you ain't going to fuck. It's because I like...

I like you're going to fuck. This young way, boy, get it out of his on YouTube. And I was like, you know, this motherfucker is funny. And he's pretty. And no,

people ain't supposed to be fun. Kevin Hart is not pricked. And he's funny. Motherfucking not pretty. True. I'm pretty, God damn. That's it. People are mad.

People are mad for the inward stuff. People are mad that there seems to be an underlining situation here of this white man is so beautiful. Look at all of these ugly, trolish-looking Negroes. People are pissed. I definitely took that from it. People are pissed, man. People are pissed. Rachel, what do you think? Did you look at his shirt? No, what does the shirt say? The shirt is a skeleton, and it seems to be a woman's head at the crotch area of the skeleton, and the hands are on the head of the woman

and is on top of it, it either says good job or great job. The skeletons get some hit? There's just a lot going on. I think it says get a job. Get a job. So we have a problem. So you don't want the skeleton to get me any don't? It's just a lot going on.

He's 53 years old. He's 53 years old. It's just a lot. Skeleton gold job shirts. I'm just saying. 53. He said what? He's 53 years old.

And we're in the skeleton blowjob shirts. You know what I'm saying? It's like I'm not, I don't want to put, I'm not trying to be, you know. It's just immature. It's like, it's immature.

Maybe, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe if you're, if you're, if you're Shemar Moore, if Mick Jagger had a skeleton blowjob shirt on, I guess we wouldn't have a problem with it. But I'm just looking at you like, skeleton blowjob shirt still. Nigger, nigga, nigga.

Like what? Still. It's always. It's always. It always gets to me. I just don't like that. It always gets to me when they get up there and they bend over backward for the white boy shit. You know, it's like, say nigger, I want you to, my wife wants to fuck you.

All of these black guys are ugly. Yo, it seems like some real self-hate, corny shit going on up there, man. A lot of it. And it was giving you have a seat at the picnic kind of thing, kind of tape. You've a seat at the table. You've seen at the picnic. I like that.

I like that. I just don't. And then to hear a crowd erupt in laughter, which I could just tell from the laughs, there were a lot of white people in the audience. And to hear them erupts in laughter over him saying, you could come to my house and you can say the N-word. And, you know, it's giving the, when people are like,

I'm not racist. I'm not racist. I have black friends. Shemar Moore is like the type of black friend that they're talking about that allows them, my black friends allow me to say the word. Or you're cool enough or you can get to a certain point with your whiteness that you can do things that black people do. I hate that.

I don't like that. I don't care if he was drunk or not. It's just I was not amused by any of it. A couple of things. Number one, these are my inward rules with white people. If black people outnumber white people outnumber white people, people, I'll normally say the N-word for the white people. Or if it's like, or I'll be boisterous with it.

I like to say it, right? But see if I'm in a room and it's like majority, if you're doing stand-up comedy, maybe that's different. But if I'm in a room or a place as majority white people, I don't want them to laugh at it because you're not supposed to find it funny. It's not for you. Don't laugh at it. Don't be a, the cultural.

use of the word ain't for you to laugh is for me to make you feel uncomfortable. It's not even for that. It's just for me to say it because it's me. But like if I'm around people and I feel like they're going to get too much fucking a kick out of it, it kind of makes me feel like a white man's nigger

in a room for the white people to be like, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger, nigger. I've done it before. Yeah, he was, you know, but I've kind of grown out of it. For him, yeah, you know, back when I was at TMZ is like, I say something that nigger and I look around to everybody laughing too much.

and I feel like Dave on the set of the Shepel show. I'm like, am I funny? Or they get their laughs off at the nigger word because it's like, oh, the word is back. It's reinitiated. Now, nah, I can't say it anymore. I can't say it to you now. Because now I don't know.

Fuck you. I might say something else, whatever. And he was kind of, did that kind of double down with watching him because I'm watching him up there and it's like, oh, ah, Kevin Hart is ugly. Nigger. All about my boy. You know, and his...

He checks all the boxes. If there was a kiss, he checked. He had it all. And to all of the dope black celebrities of the 90s, Brian McKinights, Shemar Moore's, because y'all stop laming out.

Please. God damn, man. This is another thing about social media. We talked about this. It's social media based it to way we can continue to watch people their whole life so when they start laming out we got it in 4K could y'all stop

laming the fuck out? Stop giving them that much credit. It's facts. They don't act like they started laming out. This is probably who they always have been. They just waiting for their moment to get caught on camera to showcase it.

He didn't wake. Sharma Martin would wake up like this. He didn't do this because he was drunk. He probably has made these jokes before. This is probably who he is. They're not starting to lame out. I don't want to know it. I don't want to know.

But whatever. It's not like a huge big deal, but it's like, God damn, Shabon. It was annoying. It's annoying to see. Brittany Griner came back. She, uh, shout out to BG. She's playing with the Phoenix Mercury in L.A. And a couple of things happen.

One is that Vanessa Nygaard, the coach of the Phoenix Mercury, wide her finger at the LA crowd for not selling out for BG. A lot of people were at the game. Kamala Harris was at the game. Paul Sol was at the game. A lot of people showed up to the game to support BG in the first game back.

I don't know she placed for Mercury. But, you know, NIGAR thought that they should have sold the game out. I think there were around 10,000 people there. So it wasn't a sell-out crowd. And she said L.A. should have sold out for BG. audience. I mean, it was great, but like, honestly, come on L.A.

Like, we didn't saw the arena for BG. Like, I expected more, you know, to be honest, right? Like, it was great. It was loud. But how was it not a sellout? How was it not a sellout? Um, but. Rachel, what do you think about this criticism?

Fair or file? I'm in the middle. I don't know. I mean, I understand. why she said it. But I guess that's not a thought that necessarily crossed my mind. I think that what people wanted was to see Brittany Griner come home and be here with her family and to be able to end the reasons that she was over there so that now that she's here,

she's safe, she's able to play her sport. I don't know if I equated that with everybody coming out, which funny enough, we almost went to that game, but I don't know if everybody equated that with having a sold-out crowd. I don't know. I guess to me, the importance lies on the fact that she is home

and she is able to do her thing with her family, with her people. I guess I just didn't see it that way. I would like to see people come to every WNBA game and for there always to be a sellout crowd.

And I think that's the bigger conversation. But I guess I was a little surprised. I'm not going to say it's foul, but if I had to lean more towards one or the other, a little foul. I have an announcement to make. I'm officially a WNBA fan, and I've chosen a team. Because of this? Wrong.

The season is starting, and me and Kalika were looking at it on the YouTube TV, and they were like, pick a team. WNBA season started, and I was like, this year marks. Yeah, my did that too. Yeah, the team told me. See, that's what the people. need. So it's like, we picked the team. Obviously, I'm going with the Los Angeles Sparks. Okay.

I'm going with the Los Angeles Sparks in a couple of weeks. I know the entire roster. I'm watching every Sparks game. I'm going to go to a couple of sports games. WNBA fan Vane. Just call me WNBA Vane. Okay. That's what I made to.

I have a jersey. We'll have NECA and Chenone. Love it. Next year, you know what's going to happen? Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are coming into the WNBA. And I want to have a full season under my belt for when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson coming to the league and everything will change.

So I'm done. I'm in. I'm in with the WNBA. I love this. And right now. We'll go to games. We'll go to games. We'll eat a hot dog.

You're so fucking anti-hot dog. It's stupid. It makes no sense. You like pork. Get you a pork. What are you talking about? Hot dog is why? one of my favorite things to eat.

Is that true? Yes. What are you talking about? Okay, so Brittany Griner was back. I watched it. She heard her the first shot. Rattled it in. Beeping, beep.

She talked about the fact that she is doing something different. She's now standing for the National Anthem. What? Before you get into that, what did you think about what the coach said?

You said nothing other than you're going to games now. I mean, that you're a fan of the league. I don't care. You're indifferent. Yeah. It's like, I don't think. But you made me care. Go ahead.

I asked you. You asked me and now I'm telling you. See what I'm saying? I'm, I asked you, you're asking me, it's like it's a nothing thing. It's something that coaches say.

It's like, you know, when you're, when the Denver coach is like, I tell you what, the national media is not fucking talking enough about Yolk. That fucking guy's really good basketball player. And I'm like, what?

I'm like, realize that Kendrick Perkins had to lead a revolt so that Yoki didn't get the MVP. I'm like, what? This is something that coaches do, you know? I come in here every day and I hear all about players and I just never hear about what a good score. Kevin Garanian.

You just never talk about him. Well, it's crazy. Like, you talk about guys who are great athletes, great players, very likable, and you guys never mention Giannis Antenacin Bucpa. I'm like, what? What? Yes, they do? It's what coaches do.

They're like jam shit up. So, you know what I mean? You like talk about great athletes. some guys who can win Super Bowls, but for some reason, you know, Tom Brady's name has never mentioned that. Oh, yes, he is. Coach, we know you're trying to get your guys fire it up, but they talk about. Okay.

But Brittany Griner is now standing for the national anthem. She didn't used to. She used to kneel. We've been dealing for a long time. When asked why she now stands, she gave a very interesting answer. to 90 sound. One good thing about, you know, this country is, you know, you have the right to protest. You have the right to speak out, question, challenge, and do all these things.

And, you know, what I went through and everything just means a little bit more to me now. Everybody that is, you know, that will not stand or not come out, I totally support them 100%. You know, we're fighting a good cause and, you know, nothing to any of the ladies that, that she was not to or anybody. You know, that's our right as an American. Rachel, this is fascinating stuff to me. Is it? You know, I can't even imagine what Brittany Griner went through.

I can't imagine what those months were like for her. And what we do know is when we did hear from her through, you know, her wife or maybe it was like an attorney, she felt like the country had turned their back on her. and it didn't look good at times. It didn't look like Brady Griner was going to come home and then all of a sudden she was home. So it's hard for me to speak, you know, anything but support for what her decision is now

because I have no idea what that time for her was like. And if for her, like she said, I'm not knocking anybody who still wants to take her, take a name or wants to protest the national anthem. But for her, specifically, it means something different because what she went through. And at the end of the day, the country that, you know, whose national anthem it is, got her home. You know, obviously people, you know, speaking out and, you know, constantly saying, support Britney Greiner and remembering her and making sure that her name was not forgotten and what she was going through.

Obviously, obviously put the pressure on the government. But if that's how Brittany Griner feels, that's how she feels. And I don't really have much to say to that because I cannot imagine what she went through. I think it's fascinating because you have two things. One, obviously Brittany Griner is not going to get up there and say, even though I went through what I went through, I'm still new. It's just a firestone. It's not going to have. So let's give Brittany Griner the grace to, let's be.

let's learn the lesson that people say that I should have learned with Kamala Harris. Where Kamala is not going to say America's a racist country. We just kicked him, Scott's ass for doing it. Like, you know, Kamala's not going to say America's a racist country. You understand that she has to say. The point of me saying that that was still a lie is the same reason why I haven't I have to look at this in both ways. So, to your point, what Brittany Griner went through and what Britney Griner did and what she endured.

I've never been through anything like that. So I'm not going to take the opportunity to kick Britney Griner in her kneecaps. Now that she's back and now she's standing. It's her right. It's her right to deal. It's her right to stand. I will say this, though. You know, we talk about the wealth gap in America a lot, right?

And when we talk about the wealth gap in America, we talk about it as it relates to women and men, and we talk about it as it relates to black people and white people. There are other wealth gaps that exist. One of them is the black wealth gap. It's the wealth gap that exists intra-communally, intercommunally, whatever, between black people. And the wealth gap that exists in the larger American community, exists also in the black community.

A large portion of the wealth in the 40 million black people that live here is held by very small degree of black people. All right. Very small percentage of black people. I think that's

relevant here because Brittany Griner has benefited from that. Brittany Griner's case probably would have gotten some some national attention has she not been a very wealthy, not very wealthy, but a wealthy, famous black American athlete,

but it certainly got much more because of that, right? Absolutely. And the fact that she's so notable, and the fact that we hadn't had any conversations about Paul Wheelan or anyone else that was locked up over there prior to that, not in the way that we talked about them after she was incarcerated, has to do with her status. And that's interesting in the decision not to kneel,

because the kneeling, to me, is a commentary that is about the have-nots in the black community. the ones who are going to run a file of the police or be in proximity of the police more often than not. When you talk about the people who have been in the situations that we've organized around, you're not talking about very many people that come from the Beverly Hills and the Baldwin Hillses

and the Concordes, straffered places, those are places of Louisiana. We're talking about people that live in different neighborhoods, some inner city, some suburban, but a specific segment of black people. Not always. Not always. But most of the time. And that's because of their proximity to policing.

And that's because of the way the police treat and relate to them. So I'm not saying that police brutality is a poor black people's problem. not saying that at all. Of course, we know that it's not. It's not to you anywhere as long as your skin is what it is. And the reason why I'm going into this is because the kneeling was the impetus of it was social injustice that had to do with police brutality in a very specific way. Not just that, but that was sort of the thing that was the spark for.

So when I watch this, I understand that Brittany is probably not going to kneel anymore. I understand that she might have had some sort of awakening about what it means to be an American, about what it means to have a government that will go to bat for you. And just to be honest with you, just about what it means, just about the fact that she just can't look like that. That's going to cloud the entire season. This is the path of least resistance for sure. And I don't begrudge of that.

But there is something to be said about why we do the things we do in the first place. Like, why do we do stuff? Like, why do we do? In our own community, do we realize who has the privilege and who doesn't? Do we realize the differences between us that make what we do as important as what it is, right? Do we realize who's effective? Like right now, I'm not being affected by food deserts, by lead in pipes, and the paint. I'm not being affected by any of that stuff.

I'm not being affected by it. But I have to advocate for it because it's disproportionately affecting black people in a very specific way. And there is a thing to where there's a, there was some privilege and some advantages that Brittany Griner had that have now, I mean, for better or for worse, for fair or foul, extracted her away in a visible dealing way from something that was for a large swath of black people that still need her help. Now that doesn't mean that she can't be, that she's, that doesn't mean that she still can't be working for those people. It does mean, it does mean, though, that the biggest platform she has, which is when she's on the court at W.NBA game, that no longer exists. Well, I hear what you're saying, and I think it's interesting what you're saying,

but I also don't think that it's fair because there are so many ways that because of who she is and because of the platform she has that she can be impactful. And yes, she's not taking a knee anymore. Yes, when somebody sees her taking a knee that stands for something, it also, when you do it a lot, I'm not trying to take away from it, people become desensitized to it. So I think that that's not the only way that she can use her platform to speak out and to represent for the reasons that she took a knee.

More eyes are on Britney Griner than ever have been probably before, because before it was just if you were a fan of her, the WNBA, now she's someone who was a prisoner held captive and was brought back here. So people are looking at Brittany in a different way. So I think if she had said in that statement just talking about why she didn't kneel and didn't also say, I'm not against anybody else that does it,

if she stopped speaking out on behalf of black people and the things that they're going through in this country, then that's something different. But I think it's a little unfair to say, just because she's no longer taking a knee and we know why she's not taking it anymore to kind of as if it takes away from all the other things from the reason that she took a knee in the first place.

Didn't say they took away from it. I want to be clear here. And what you just said, you just said that when you take a knee enough times people get desensitized to it. That's obviously true. You do anything enough times people get desensitized to it. I talked about in the last podcast.

You know, sometimes my friend, or like they put in the group text like a picture or girl or something like that. They'll be like, oh, look at her. She bad. And I'd be like, no, dog, I've been in the life. It's got to go further for me to be like, you know what I'm saying? You know, I'm in the life. That's not enough.

Okay. So I get it, right? I get it. I wasn't in life. I'm not in the life anymore. Okay. Not in her life anymore. It wasn't alive.

I get it. However, think about what you just said. What you just said was she came back and everybody. was looking at her. So I could argue that if there was ever a time to take a need, that that game would have

been the time. I understand why it didn't happen. Jay-Z comes into the National Football League. Jay-Z says we're past near. As if to say that, you know, kneeling has

worn out its welcome in the American cultural psyche, or it's just like not something that really matters, right? Not something that really works. Fine. People might feel that way. That's cool. But in both of these cases,

and we're just talking to both of these cases, there is regulatory capture here. And what I mean by that is, in the case of Jay-Z, we were past kneeling when the when you had a working relationship with the NFL. And in the case of Britney Griner,

she was passed dealing when America got her out of jail. So it's just something interesting for us to keep our eyes on. Brittany Griner deserves no criticism. It's not about Britney Griner. What it's about is what we mean, how we mean it. And if these things that we do actually ever have any of these. Because if they do, then you do them for others, you know. Just want to say, Jay-Z got past it when it lines his pockets,

Brittany, for her freedom, for her life, basically. Well, no. Keep going on. No, no. She's already free. So, you know what I mean? They didn't say deal, but they didn't say deal for, right? No, but you said he got past it.

it was past it when it lined his pockets, when it was business related. And you're saying she got past it after she was free. I get the point, but just, you know, a little different. Different and function. But I give you what you said.

Okay, I want to ask you a question real quick before we get to, you know what, forget about the Uber suspic. Do you want to do the Uber topic? I have something else to ask. I'm fine. Ask me that. Hear about the, here's the thing.

Uber, don't have any fucking symposiums about being a Karen and then talk down to people. Don't do that. That's a real time. I have a question about you. I have a question to you. About me? Oh.

Not about you. The question to you. This is not the rundown. This is a Vance very serious question. Oh, it's back. For one time, because I thought this was so interesting. Have you ever heard of the term financial cheating? No.

Okay. So a friend of mine. I'm nervous. A friend of mine recently found out that his girl was still getting cash app from one of her exes. Okay. He found this out because he saw a cash app come in and then he asked her about it. She didn't try to hide. She just told her.

She goes, yeah, that nigger still said it. I haven't seen him in years. the guy does not that the guy doesn't live in the United States the guy doesn't live in it's not the guy that doesn't live in their town you're not the guy doesn't live in the United States he lives like over in like the Middle East or something he works as like a a fashioner for like a he builds oil parts or something so he's over working with OPEC or something

but he makes decent bread for that. It makes like a lot of bread, and he still hits her up with money every now and again. So my homie comes to me, this is a true story. My homie comes to me and he goes, van, I feel like this is wrong. And I was like, well, you know, she did keep it real. She didn't try to hide it or nothing.

She wasn't forthright with it. But when asked, she wouldn't hide anything, seen it pop up. But when asked, she goes, yeah, he still said, sends me money. And then the guy looked and a guy sent her a lot of me. Like in the past couple of months, he said her like $3,500. He said her like $3,500.

Huh? The question is. And my homeboy says to me a term that I had never thought of before. He goes, I feel like that's financial cheating. And I'm like, damn, I never heard of that before. I'm like, yeah. Can you financial cheating for her to accept this bread? Because I was kind of like, bro, you know, if he's paying for the nails and he's paying for the hair and she's not giving them anything in return, it's like, let that nigga pay.

What's the big deal? What is your thought on this, Rachel? I'm with your boy. I think it's financial cheating because I think it's about how. So one, I would want to know why do you need to get money from him? Because you shouldn't be doing it just because you can't, right?

That's why it seems like she's doing it. It seems like she's doing it. She was just like, so what happened was he was away for a long time. He got back on Instagram. She has her cash app in her Instagram name. And he was trying to DM her and trying to DM her

and trying to DM her and she didn't respond to any of the DMs. This is the story. Verified if you look at the DMs. She didn't answer any of the DMs. Then he cashed after her and in the message put his name and hey, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah,

whatever, whatever. And then it was just like he started sending money. She hasn't seen him in six years. You can delete messages from DMs, just saying. No, no, no, no. But I will say this. in her Instagram thing she hasn't even accepted

to be able to DM with him that you can't get you yeah right right okay got you um yeah I think it's wrong because I think it's about how it makes I think it's about how it makes your significant other look you know she's like

well yeah I mean that's what he wants to do as if he was a simp like you said but that's probably how he's talking about her guy. Like, I mean, if it really is, it ain't tricking if you got it. It's nothing for him

to be sending her some money. He's probably like, I'm sending her money because her man can't do anything, can't do it for her. You know, she's accepting it. She's taking the money. Obviously, I can do better

for her than her man can't. It just, I think it makes her man look a certain way. Just imagine telling your guys, your family somebody, that somebody, another dude is giving your girl money. It's just, it's the optics of it. And if I wouldn't want to make my guy look like that to another man. One last salvo, we talked about this for hours, financial chief.

One last salvo, she was able to prove definitively that she took 700 bucks that was sent to her from this guy. and went and bought my home boy a PlayStation with her. She was able to definitively prove that. She was able to prove on the day that she brought the PlayStation, which was a surprise out of nowhere for the guy. On the day that she brought the PlayStation that she got a cash at for $700. That day he came home, because I remember even when she brought the PlayStation,

because this nigga was still playing the PlayStation 4. Like a bitch. I know you listen. I told you to upgrade your shit. Okay. And he's got the PlayStation 5 now. She bought it. But with the $700 from what I call...

From him. Great Gatsby Oil Tycoon Man. That's what I call. Great Gaspby Oil Tycoon Man. Does that change in me? The truth is... The truth, no, the truth is, great gas we bought it. So, he's paying.

Oh, every time you play Spider-Man, every time, I know you can hear me, every time you play Spider-Man. And this guy makes money, by the way. I don't know why he doesn't. I don't know why he, but like, see how you're going to play with him like this? It's, it's emasculating a little bit. It is. It is. Good, good, good.

It is a big deal because you shouldn't do it. You know, it is. But, like, I feel like it's something that they could just talk about and then move past. But it's becoming, like, a huge deal. Because at first it was like, and she kept it real about everything. Well, in her defense, she has her cash app and her Instagram. So any man could be sending her money. Like, anybody could.

Which is another thing that we talked about. Like, that's, so in her defense, it's like, you have. have no idea who's sending her money. Yeah. Well, he looked all throughout a cash app now. He did a cash app autopsy. He went, he went all throughout a cash app. Now, now he went

throughout the cash shop. But we'll see. Look, so Rachel says financial cheating is a thing. You can't do it. You shouldn't. You shouldn't do it. I'm trying to think of a situation

where I don't know. I think it's different for a man versus a woman. Talk to me. And maybe I'm different. If Brian had his cash app and his Instagram and somebody's giving you enough money to pay your mortgage and your bills and you can prove to me,

I'll be like, keep letting it happen. and she's out the country but that's me it doesn't it doesn't like make me feel like less of a woman it doesn't make

but I feel like you know we talk about gender roles as much as you try to act like they don't exist they do I think for a man it's a little bit more

there's a little bit more pride wrapped up in it but I would be like just like I be sure people Brian's abs I'll be like and his office is right over there

by the Beverly Center yes that's get to get the business Post another shirtless pick. That stuff doesn't bother me. See how you, see what I'm saying? You, you don't look at, at, you don't look at that in any way. See that?

See? You don't look at that. I don't look. It's this, you agree with me. But just as long as the gender roles are, you agree with me. I think, I think, I think Brian would have an issue if I was accepting money from somebody else. Yeah, hell yeah. But if it was the same setup as you just described with your friend,

I'd be like, let's save up for a trip. All right. Interesting. All right. I told you I was going to bring it to the podcast. You asked me to ask Rachel. So I did something. Okay.

I already told you what she was going to say. And I was right. Although I wasn't right about you saying that it's okay for Brian, which is interesting. I actually, I get it. I'm telling you right now. Rachel Pimp, Daddy, Lindsay. Tell Brian, put your cash app now.

But see, Brian should already have his cash app. You know how much bread Brian could be getting? Brian, that's another thing about Brian. We'll talk about it tonight. Yeah. See, tomorrow, watch. Tomorrow, you go on Brian's shit. It's going to be dollar sign hot guy, Brian.

I'm for it. I'll donate the first dollar. All right. Take the T-Caps off, but do not stop learning. I am Van. Latham Jr. And I'm Rachel and Lindsay. Bye, guys.