Higher Learning with Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay - The Trump Rumor Mill and LeBron and Bronny’s Big Moment

Episode Date: October 25, 2024

Van and Rachel discuss Kamala Harris’s CNN town hall (10:45) before digging into reports of a damaging story for Donald Trump that could "end his campaign" (20:53). Then, a reaction to Busta Rhymes���s comments on Diddy’s alleged crimes (31:55), the WNBA players union opts out of its current bargaining agreement (43:47), Van blames Rachel for killing the ‘Blade’ reboot (58:04), and LeBron and Bronny James spark a nepotism discussion (1:03:22). Hosts: Van Lathan and Rachel Lindsay 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? How learning is on is Ivan Lincoln, Jr. And it's me, Rachel and Lindsay. Rachel. What? What's going on? It's early.

Let him know. Let him know. Let him know. Let him know. Let me ask you a question. Why do we have to let him know we're up early? Because I look like it's early. Okay.

We do a video podcast. And I would like for everybody to know. It's early. It's seven in the morning. I got to tell you something, man. Do you? You people in the younger generation are something else. We're the same age, man.

Please don't do this. Nah, that five years is a motherfucker. That five years is a motherfucker. That's different. The younger generation and how y'all look at something, you little whippersnappers, we're here because we got a job to do. Oh, by the way, before we get. Before we get into this job, do you care to apologize to the audience?

For what? For what? They say that you platformed a conservative. So I don't do this podcast by myself. And what are the dramatics for? Because that's another reason we got to let people know as early because I'm my patient at 7 in the morning. So look, see, this is what I'm talking about.

I haven't even finished before you had a dramatic outlaw. Because that's something that gets me going in the morning. I'm up this morning. You know how I got up this morning? Lady Gaga, Alejandro. Nice. So I don't know what I'm apologizing for. But if you said platforming a conservative, first off, I'm not going to deny that Anna

Maria is my. my friend when I said that I don't do this podcast by myself. I'm saying that I alone don't get to force who comes on the podcast as a joint decision. But obviously I brought it to the podcast because she's a friend. And, you know, I actually wish we would have gotten more into Anna Maria as a person more than conservative talk. But you and her started an interesting, what I thought too was an interesting conversation. And we've talked about having people with differing thoughts. thoughts and ideas on this podcast before, whether people agree with it or not.

So why am I apologizing? Like, I understand people don't like what she said. I didn't like everything that she said, but I'm not going to apologize for it. I wish we could have gotten in some more of it because there's certain things that either she has said or have been linked to, you know, Marcellus, the things that she said or agreed with. And we didn't really get into that. we really need a part two of the conversation.

But we're going to guess what, guys, we'll bring her back. I apologize. How's that sound, guys? We didn't get to everything. We'll bring her back. All right. What we're going to do is the reason why I laughed is because you said with all the shit that I've taken for Vans' problematic friends, as soon as somebody came with you, your first thing was,

I don't do this podcast by myself. Well, I didn't finish. It's hilarious because, like, of all the times people come at me about my friends and whatever, I take it on the chin, like a real nail. No, you know. You bring it to the podcast. Like, I could, I don't care. I'm not apologizing. I'm bringing to the podcast all the time.

I'm not apologizing. Bring it to the podcast all the time. I don't care. She's a friend. I have conservative friends. Oh, daddy. And I like having interesting conversations and flushing these things out. it's like, what do you want me to say?

Let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. I said. It's not the first friend that's come on the podcast. I'm a former friend. Let's come on the podcast. So it doesn't, this doesn't.

Breaking news, playboy. Breaking news, playboy. Let me tell you why. Number one, it's because of this. Van just loves this. Van loves when y'all come at me. He loves to see y'all come at me. No, no, no, no.

You do. Should I read the text? Should I read the text? Oh, that, no, no, no. It's funny. But let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. Let me tell you why.

Let me tell you why. Let me tell you why. Not over everything. Obviously, there have been things that people have come at you before that I haven't liked at all. And I've obviously said as much. This, though, is different. And the reason why is because I keep trying to remind the people that I so appreciate

listening to this podcast, that I so appreciate listening to this podcast. That I so appreciate listening to this podcast. I keep trying to remind them that there is like a gigantic world out there where you simply cannot have a complete and perfect manicured group that you surround yourself with that fit into some kind of ideological bubble because number one, the people that you know and the people that you're around, they are going to change. You are going to change. and I think it's interesting that in the tens and tens and tens and tens of hundreds of thousands of people that I know you bring somebody on and it's like oh my God he surrounds himself with all of these types of people I know a bunch of people and there is no I don't have a resume for an entry point in my life as far as do you believe in this do you believe in that right I do have an exit point but I don't have an exit point but I don't have a resume for an entry point it's in my life as far as do you believe in my life as far as do you believe in my life.

I do have an exit point, but it's not necessarily around differing political opinions. Right? It's not necessarily around different political opinions. I don't have any close friends or people that I talk to or go out with that I would consider to be Trump supporters. I just don't think that would work at this point. But I do have people that I would consider that are conservatives. Yeah. I do.

I've been around for a very long time. I have people that I consider to be decently close friends that are pretty conservative. And I think that sometimes when we're at odds with the audience, it's mostly because, now, look, people that feel like we did not do a good enough job in the interview, that's fine. Because that's what we're here. That's fine. Like, people that feel like that, that's fine. But anytime we don't pass the purity test of the audience, that makes me giddy. Because I'm not trying to.

Yeah, same. It doesn't make me giddy, but yeah, like, I'm just, for me, it's just like, you're supposed to have interesting thought conversations. Like, people keep saying they want, like, this isn't an echoing chamber at the same time. And we've talked about bringing more an echo chamber. echoing? Which one is it? I don't know. Anyways, I mean, we'll bring part two if they had an issue with

Anna Marie. You're really going to have an issue with Vance friend Marcellus. I've known it for a long time. I would say this. I didn't know that that, that's, I mean, it's other stuff we would have to ask sell about that would be way more

that would be way more controversial than than that. So you got to ask him if he comes on, by the way. You have to ask, well? I mean, there's some things we have to ask,

yeah. Absolutely. And there were things that we should have asked Anna Marie about that we didn't get to. You know, it was a long conversation.

But yeah, like. I love you, boy. I like Mexico. What do you think about that? Gaga. You know that I love you, boy. Hot like Mexico.

Oh, is that a lot of. This point, I got to choose. All right. We have to, we have to, we have to, we have to, we have to, we have to, we have a shorter podcast today. Where's who we, we, we have to move on because we have a shorter podcast today. What, can't, catch your question.

Don't ask me where who nanny is. What, what, what's your problem with who nanny? For real. I'm not, I'm not going to, I'm not going to just, who nanny is a part of the podcast now. He is. What's your issue? I'm not, I'm not going to, I'm not going to, no. You'll never acknowledge who nanny.

No. You just keep that too. Okay. Because we're on the same level. Come on, keep, come on. Let's go. Let's go. All right.

Let's go then. Fuck it. You fuck over who nanny. That's the way that you feel. Your childlike aura is gone. You just want to live in the world with rules and all of that stuff. Let's get into the fucking show. Let's do our jobs, right?

Because we can't have any weird. weird. I don't find Hoot Nanny fun. Yeah, Hoot Nanny. Yeah, he doesn't find you fun. Mm-hmm. We've been talking. He wondered, like, because he, you know, he just came alive.

Who Nanny hasn't been alive very long. He just animated. And so, like, Hoot Nanny looked up on Monday and was like, yo, am I on fucking Fox News? What is this? Like, so Hoot Nanny didn't know what was going on. Hoot Nanny probably posted in the Reddit. Come on.

We laughed at you. You know what, though, but the discourse was a lot. You know, for people who didn't like necessarily the guests or some people didn't like the conversation, the discourse, it was a lot, you know, we got y'all talking, which I love. I love to see it. Oh, daddy. Okay. On the other side is break, a check-in with the election. How are we feeling? Not great. Let's go.

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dash offer dash terms. All right. Kamala Harris seen in town hall, Pennsylvania. A couple of different things. She wants, she is trying to bring PA home. Bring it home.

Okay. Remember the movie? Sesame Street movie? Follow that bird. Do you remember that movie? No, they're even heard of it. Donnie, have you ever seen it? I have. Yes. I love the Muppets.

Follow that bird. Donnie tell, Rachel. I hate, I hate Muppets. I don't like any of that. I don't like any of them. I find them disturbing. I find them, I find them all extremely disturbing. I always have, even as a kid.

That's what I was as close as I got to it. And I still found them disturbing as well. I don't like it. Hey, Rachel, you know what? I'm going to be honest with you. let me tell you something, Rachel. And I say this, and this is with love that I say this. You are the best version of Rachel Lindsay.

Because there is a Rachel Lindsay out there that is so sinister. You hate, there's a version of Rachel Lindsay in the multiverse. This is the cuddliest version of racial Lindsay. There's a version of Rachel Lindsay. There's a version of Rachel Lindsay. in the multiverse that fucking is an animal tester. Like you hate Muppets? You hate almost everything cuddly important.

They're Muppets. They're Muppets. How can you hate the Muppets? I just find them. It's weird. I don't like them. I find them disturbing. We're moving on.

I don't even want to fucking dwell on this. There's something freaky about them. Anyway, and follow that bird. Donnie, do you remember what happens to the big bird? lost. Do you remember that? Yeah, it's like a road trip movie. It's trying to... It's a road trip movie. It's very emotional. Trying to bring Big Bird home. And that

is what Kamala Harris is trying to do through the state of Pennsylvania. Bring Pennsylvania home. She talked about Donald Trump. She asked when asked if she thinks Donald Trump is a fascist. Kamala Harris said this. You've quoted General Millie calling Donald Trump a fascist.

You yourself have not used that word to describe him. Let me ask you tonight. Do you think Donald Trump is a fascist? Yes, I do. Yes, I do. And I also believe that the people who know him best on this subject should be trusted. When she was asked about the economy, she had to say this. One of my aspects of doing what we need to do to bring down the cost of living for working people and the middle class in America is to address the issue of grocery prices. Part of my background and how I come to it is probably a new approach grounded in a lot of my experience. as a former attorney general, where I took on price gouging.

And part of my plan is to create a new approach that is the first time that we will have a national ban on price gouging, which is companies taking advantage of the desperation and need of the American consumer and jacking up prices without any consequence or accountability. Okay, so the audience was made up of registered Democrats, Republicans, and independents. she reiterated that she was going to be a president for all. And there's been a lot of talk about whether or not the event itself did what she wanted it to do, which was make her final sale to the people of Pennsylvania, which is a very important state for her.

Are you nervous about the election, Rachel, we're about two weeks away? I mean, I guess before I even say anything, the first thing you said is that you were. So is it because of something that happened outside of this town hall meeting? Because to me, I mean, I felt like she was who she's been. She answered every question. She didn't change her stance on anything. She's where she was questioned on things like the economy. She talked about her plan that she's already put out there before.

I mean, maybe on the border, you know, she's the same talking points about the bipartisan bill that they tried to push through earlier this year that was shut down. But are you seeing something else? I'm nervous, period. To answer your question, yes, I'm nervous, period. Two weeks away, I feel like people's minds are made up. They're either voting, Trump, Harris, or they're not at all. But for you to say you're nervous and your intro for this,

talking about this town hall, what have you seen? Or what happened in this town hall that makes you think that specifically? It's not necessarily the town hall. The town hall is based on a political bluster. It's the same thing. Yeah. The reason why my nervousness comes from the fact that I follow polling trends too closely. And I do that because of my anxiety.

So if you're following various people on Twitter that are looking at polling trends or Nates over 5.5. 38, whatever, then your day becomes dependent on what people say, hey, great new, great Harris news today in terms of the polling and all of that. She's strengthening this or hey, it's slipping away here, blah, blah, blah, blah. When the polls themselves, you don't know how much of the polling, even when she was up accurately reflects what the voting is going to doing a couple of weeks, right? So it's just hard to see the trends in it sometimes. I'm paying a little bit of attention to some of the early voting stuff in Nevada right now, and wherever you can get that information might give you a better sense of, you know,

how motivated people need to be on Tuesday. But the most important thing that we can encourage people to do right now, particularly in places where this election is really going to be close is to get out and vote. You have to vote. You must go and vote. You must vote to have the type of America that you want. I'll tell you this.

If there's one thing I give the other side credit for, and when I say the other side, I'm not talking about the Republicans, right? Not talking about the Republicans. When I say the other side, I'm talking about a competing view of America. A view of America that, in my opinion, is anti-progress. A view of America that, in my opinion, wants to whitewash American history.

A view of America that, in my opinion, is against women's bodily autonomy. That doesn't believe in a social safety net. That doesn't believe in the power of lower and middle class Americans. That's the other side to me. I'm talking about D.R. whatever. That's the other side to me, which is clearly represented in this election. They don't lack any fight. They will fight to the teeth to dominate you. They will fight to restrict your voting rights. They will fight to take your bodily autonomy. They will fight to erase your history.

they will fight to lower taxes for the highest 1% so that those people have a better life. They will fight for that. And they'll fight to the end. Will you fight to preserve or establish your American way of life? That's the question of America where we are right now. They're going to fight to the end to keep you in your place. will you fight to get out of that?

I don't know. We'll see. And you can't fight without voting. All your talk on the internet and every tweet and every retweet and every blah, blah, blah, don't matter at all. You got to vote.

You must vote. None of it matters. All your bluster and all of that, you must vote. Or else you're a bystander. I'm sorry. Count that as a rant, Donnie. I apologize, man.

God damn. No, that was, no. No. I asked you a question. I asked you a question. You answered. It wasn't a rant. It was a good, good points.

Motivational speech. Dan Campbell-esque. There you go. You guys are, okay, what's happening now is you guys are patronizing me and that's okay. Yes, you are. We're not patronizing you. You guys are, you guys are patronizing me because I'm my, I'm all fucking. I got all anxious about this and that's okay.

Rachel, you don't like the Muppets. So I'm not listening to your bullshit. You need to stop looking at the polls every single day because it is going to continue to make you anxious. I don't know how you do that. I could not. That would drive me crazy to look at the polling every single day and watch it go back and forth, back and forth

or barely even change. That would drive me nuts. How often do you look at the polls? I'll probably say like once a week. Once a week. That's healthy. I mean, maybe every 10 days. Which polls do you look at?

I look at 538. Okay. Where does he live? Huh? Okay. Wait, what? Mm-hmm. So, look, there's a story that might be floating around Donald Trump.

Rachel, have you heard about this? Yes, I saw it. Why did you make that face? No. Yes, I saw it. Keep going. So there's a journalist named Mark Halpern that says he's been pitched a story that could end down Trump's campaign. At first, the story was being speaking about like Voldemort.

Is that right, Ashley? Is that the guy you can't say his name? I don't know Harry. Yep, that's him. That's him, Voldemort. And everybody was saying this is a big story. I'd heard whispers of this story like last week. And people kept talking about it.

A couple of pro-Maga Twitter sphere people came out. And they were like, hey, just let you know if something comes out about Trump, it's AI. The Democrats are trying to do AI and all of that. It's been like a big deal. Now it seems as if the alleged story in question is coming into form. Before we get to what might have happened, might have. listen to Halpern, talk about it. These last two weeks are going to be filled with things like this.

And I can tell you, without going into detail, that I've been pitched a story about Donald Trump now for about a week, that if true, would end his campaign. And there's all sorts of things like that flying right. I'm not the only one who's been pitched it. Have you seen, Rachel's not sure. Have you seen like what they're talking about? Have you heard the whispers?

Well, I, like, as, as, as, in what was said or just that there's this rumor because I've heard the rumor but I don't know the subject matter of the rumor like what the whispers are. Do you? Yes.

What is it? Allegedly. We will say allegedly we don't know we can't say anything. We don't know. We weren't there. All of that stuff. All right. But since this

has popped its head up. I guess people are saying that there could be video of Trump groping a young woman at a fundraiser. A donor's daughter. Okay.

Whether this is true, whatever the rumor is, right? The reason I roll my eyes or the reason I'm just like, why are we even teasing this around? if it's so damaging to where, you know, allegedly his campaign is trying to write a big check to get rid of it. Or this is something that they can't come back from that would change everything.

My hesitation is, why are we sitting on this and holding on to this? If this shows, I mean, honestly, you don't need this video to see who Trump is and to understand the monster that he is or that. fascist that he is. I don't understand why we're teasing it around in the media for a story and not just putting it out there. Like, I don't want to talk about what may be out there. I want them to show what's out there. And if there is video evidence of him groping a woman, then the public deserves to know about this. Why are we tiptoeing around it? If it's there and there's evidence, put it out there.

I don't really know So I guess what I don't understand is if the video exists And if there is video To your point, if the story is being pitched Like what's the hold up? What's the hold up? Is someone trying to sell the video to the highest bidder maybe? And if the highest bidder is the Trump campaign,

then that's who the video would go to. I guess if he's being pitched the story, is he being pitched the story to work the story? is he being pitched the video. Now, what would really be super duper typical is if there is a video of Donald Trump, a rich white man doing something that could end his presidential prospects, which I'm not sure if it would or not. That's what I'm trying.

Right. If there is a video of that and then they are allowed to buy that. video to suppress it, which would, you know, they say that the Hunter Biden story was election interference. So I wonder if that would kind of election interference too, suppressing this story. I'll say this. Everyone knows what a catch and kill is, right? A catch and kill?

Yeah. There were allegations that TMZ was acting in a catch and kill capacity for Trump, like while I was there. Don't know if that's true or not. I wasn't in any conversations around any Donald Trump stories. I know that they were spending stories positively for Trump. because of Harvey and Trump's relationship, but I never heard of anything

in a catch-and-kill capacity as far as TMZ is concerned, and I honestly do not think that they would do that. Now that I think about it, I don't think that they would, depending on, but people would say that. But there definitely was, like the inquirer was acting, you know,

allegations that they were acting in the catch-and-kill capacity for Trump. So the question is, would it be more looherst be more lucrative for this person. And obviously, if you know guys don't know, catch and kill is you get the story. You're an outlet or brand or media organization. You get the story so you can put it on ice and never have it come out. So the question is, for whomever is endeavoring into to reporting this or checking up about it, is it more lucrative to you to get this video, you pay a lot of money

for it, and then never let it see the light of day. And that's, That's kind of the stuff that you're talking about when you're talking about presidential politics and high leverage conversations and who can get money from what. Well, to your point. Or if you think he's going to be president, just curry favor with him by not putting the video out and getting something on the backside of that. All right. But we've been here before. Right. So to your point, if the allegations are true, right, if the subject matter that you're referring to is what actually is in this video or what's out there, what's been the, or what the rumor is, we. we've been here. The acts is Hollywood tape. And no, yes, that wasn't actual video of him acting, allegedly, groping a woman, but it was him talking about it in a very loose way that had no bearing on him becoming the president. It did not change people's minds. It was leaked. It was put out there

to hopefully, they have been sitting on it for years, and it was put out there to try to sway people and show people who Donald Trump really is. Why would this be any different? At this point, he has been all the things. Don't even need to go down the laundry list of everything that Trump is. And it hasn't swayed people because people have either, as we said on the last podcast, chosen to ignore it or say he's not serious. He doesn't really mean that.

Or they believe that he won't be making the decisions those people in his administration will, similar to what happened when he was president the last time. They're not going to be sway. If this is the, I honestly, I don't think that there is anything that Trump could do at this point that would sway people to not vote for him. I just don't. That's just where we are. If Trump went on CNN right now and he was talking to Dana Bash or somebody and he pulled down his pants and he showed his dangler, do you think that Trump supporters would not vote for him? I don't think

I think they would still vote for him. I do. If Trump right now was walking across the stage and the back of his pants were lighting up and he bent over and he had a light up butt plug in his butt

and he goes most incredible thing, I'll show it to you. And then he shows the butt plug in his butt to the people in the audience. It's a light up maga butt plug and he's selling it. Would people still vote for him?

Yes. If Trump... There's nothing. There's no... Just real quick. Like, if Trump was in one of these cities and he was chilling out with some black guys

that he had speaking for him, some of these nittas, and he looked around at them and he said, yo slat these are my hardcore nigger g's right here

would people still vote for them is that the N-word yeah yeah is there anything okay give me something right now that Trump could do I told you I think people would

excuse it oh like they would find some reason to excuse it as to oh he He had a moment. Oh, he just, like, I don't know what they would say. But I don't think, if anything, they would either not vote for him, they would not move over to Kamala Harris.

That's what I think. If Chris Hansen did a sting and a dude drove all the way over to see some fucking minor and he had a motorcade with him the whole thing and Chris Hansen comes in and he's like, like, you know, why did you show up here with Mike's hard lemonade? Like why? And Trump is like, I didn't. I was eliminated. And he does the whole thing. And do you think that Trump supporters would still vote for him?

Yeah. They'd say it was a conspiracy theory. They'd say it's AI. They'd have a reason. They'd have a reason. They would. Think about it. They have all the things that Trump said.

I mean, nothing to the extreme. examples that you just gave, but there's always a reason as to why he does what he does. We'll see. We'll see. They probably won't. This episode is brought to you by WeatherTech. Everyone knows Winter is the MVP and making a mess. You don't need WeatherTech 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 WeatherTech 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 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. I've noticed that there's a little softening of perspective about Diddy. Buster Rhyms talked a little bit about Diddy. And he says, we need to reserve judgment

for Diddy in terms of everything he's going through with the government. Don't jump the gun. Donnie? Also would like for everyone to be mindful of the thirst and the urgency and the need to speak on the situation. I think a lot of times people don't realize how insensitive it could be to have opinions on things that you have no understanding of outside of what you're being told. I think that we kind of like confuse ourselves prematurely past judgment and we're not realizing how much we can directly and indirectly affect everyone involved with our unwarranted opinions so with that being said I'm

going to reserve my opinions and I'm going to wish the best for everyone involved and I think that we really should take away what I'm saying the one thing that we should take away from what I'm saying is everybody probably need to mind their damn business until the truth is undisputed. You think that's softening? I don't think that's, I don't think that's softening. I think that people have kind of held those beliefs from the beginning that Diddy started to be accused of all of these heinous actions.

That's not what was not played in that clip, which is something that bothered me. is that, because he said a lot, actually. Shout out to Mona for getting that extra for getting that interview. But he said that this isn't a hip hop situation. And I have to disagree with that. Because when we talked, when Cassie first filed the lawsuit and alleged all those things in the lawsuit, even before the video came out, One of the things that we talked about, and then we saw his place, Diddy's houses, rated. One of the things we talked about is what Diddy meant to the culture, to the communities,

the black people, to hip hop. We talked about, I mean, he is hip hop. He's what he meant as a businessman, as a rapper, as a producer, Bad Boy Records, the image, everything. So to separate what Diddy has done and say that this isn't hip hop, to me that doesn't, or a hip hop situation doesn't make sense because of what Diddy represented to the culture. And everybody who has is affiliated with or has been attached, Busted included to Diddy. He is hip hop. So you can't separate him from it because what he represented was so a part of the culture. I mean, you even have Bow Wow talking about he misses Diddy's parties because there's a difference when Diddy's not around. He is hip hop.

And I don't know. I mean, I understand Diddy knows. I mean, Buster knows Diddy in a way that we don't. And so I think it's within him to kind of like soften to use your words or take up for or tell people not to judge so quickly because he knows Diddy in a different way. But to say that this isn't a part of hip hop, this is a people knew what Diddy was doing and protected him. people attended the parties. They may not have been involved to that level of what was happening at the parties,

but people either hid it, ignored it, you know, turned a blind eye, whatever it was to Diddy's situation. Diddy wasn't able to do this alone. So to separate Diddy from this and say it's not a hip-hop situation, I think is wrong. I have to disagree with that, amongst other things that he said as well. So the reason why I say that it's a softening is because it's not a softening rhetorically like meaning that like

if you had asked Buster what he had thought about this X amount of months ago he probably would have thought the same thing that's not necessarily what I'm talking about

what I'm talking about is there's a cultural softening and speaking on this at all there's a thawing of that you're starting to see with people saying things Like, Bow Wow, saying that, hey, we can feel Diddy's absence.

There's a thawing that you're starting to see with, we're going to play some sound from DJ Envy here. We haven't seen the evidence. I can say that it seems, it appears as though he's guilty, but I can't cast my judgment until I hear a lot more about it. But it doesn't look good for him. I will say, Diddy's a freaky nigga. Like, Freaky, Freaky, Freaky, Freaky, Freaky, Freaky, Frida. Like, Freaky, Freaky, Freaky, Friday, Freaky Thursday, Freaky Monday, Freaky Wednesday. And there's nothing wrong with being a freaking person.

Nothing wrong with being. So the fact that he has a thousand bottles of baby oil and lube just means he just like to get shit popping. And there's nothing wrong. There's nothing illegal about that. Now, the one thing I will say that I don't like is I don't like how people, I mean, everybody's going to crack a joke. I mean, it is what it is. I don't like how people convict them before hearing all of the evidence. Anybody who decides that they want to reserve judgment, reserve judgment, if the court of law is your end all be all into whether or not someone is.

whether or not someone is culturally acceptable or not. I mean, the video of him completely destroying Cassie in that hotel should have lost him the benefit of the doubt from anyone. That coupled with him lying about it before that it wasn't true. Fact. The fact that you see him doing, that to her inside of that hotel, right? Which in these conversations that I'm not in any way criticizing the woman that I did this interview because, you know, but I'm like in these

conversations that I'm seeing with people that are talking about this stuff, I never see them say, well, when you're talking about what did he is capable of or what did he is done, the video evidence of him throwing that lady around as she is running and trying to escape, that never jumps into your mind as to what people should think or how they should view him or like what about that? Like you're asking people not to rush to judgment. Like they're not rushing to judgment. They've,

they have dozens and dozens of accounts and allegations. And a video of him doing something described to a T, to a T in Cassie's lawsuit. This is the thing as far as the hip-hop thing. Did he being hip-hop? Hip-hop is very true, very true. He was the height of hip-hop aspiration for a whole generation of men. I don't know if that necessarily means that hip-hop is responsible for what is going on with Diddy, right?

Or if it's a hip-hop thing. But let me tell you what I do think is going to happen. Because I'm not disagreeing with you. I think I look at it in a slightly different way. On the other side of this, this is ripe, though, for... hip hop to fail on the back end. Even if it's not hip hop culture that created everything that's swirling around Diddy and the abuse, some people might argue that it is.

But even if it's not, right? Even if it's not specific to hip hop culture, powerful men, abusing women, sex trafficking, like Bill Cosby wasn't in hip hop, all of that stuff, even if that stuff is not hip hop. What would be, to me, is for all of these guys to decide because a very real skepticism that exists in other areas, like skepticism of the legal system, a feeling of being always criticized and excoriated by the press. and they always talk about us like this because we black. They always talk about us like that because we rappers. The hip-hop cops is always out for us. All of those things sometimes lead them into defending the indefensible.

Into saying, hey, like, this is the same thing that they was trying to do to whoever. This is the same thing that they was trying to do to whoever. This is the whole deal that's going on and all of that. And they look at it like everybody just reserved. judgment. In this situation, the government is going to have their say. They are. Nobody in, on Twitter or in the world, can meet out a punishment or render a verdict for Puff. No one can say innocent or guilty except for the government. However, people that want to believe that Diddy is a piece of shit have more than enough evidence.

There's nothing to twittle your thumbs about. There's nothing to wait on. Like, people that want to believe that Ditty is a piece of shit that has leveraged his power and who he is to hide abuse, they have enough evidence. They don't need any more evidence. So I don't know what conversation we're having about. Even when Envy says there's nothing wrong with being a freaking nigger, is there anything wrong with beating the shit out of a woman?

in a hotel as she tries to escape, then using your power and influence to get that video and take that video so nobody knows that you, is there anything wrong with that? Is there anything wrong with, I mean, just, there's enough evidence out there from,

to where if you don't want to uphold and if you don't want to look up to this man in your culture, you already have it. And I don't understand what they, yeah. That's what's so crazy about all this. It's almost as if, like, I know it's within us to kind of have a short-term memory and, you know, in regards to things happening and you forget and then you just think about what's in front of you as the news cycle keeps going. But I don't know how you forget what you saw in that video. That coupled with, like I said, he lied about it.

He said it wasn't true. He denied, denied, denied. The video comes out. And then we see him put another video of it was a bad. time in my life. Then all the other stuff. I don't understand how you separate the two. So, I still look at what Envy said or Bussus said or Bowdo said or Baw said or anybody else said as they are, they are softening the situation. They are looking past what's right in front of them as hardcore evidence and choosing to, to me, have a soft answer on, well, you know, we should

reserve judgment or we should just see how it all plays out in the system or he's just freaky no he's a monster and that's in my opinion the only way we should be talking about it the w nba is opting out of the current collective bargaining agreement they want more a dough they want dough good now's the time to do it this is the final moment the world has evolved since 2020 we cannot afford to stand still if we're saying this current agreement we're We fall behind. This is a new era and we are ready to lead transformational change. They've had an huge increase in viewership and regular season going up 170% according to the union.

The current CBA will cover the 2025 season. So the two sides have a year to negotiate a new agreement. There is a chance here that the WNBA goes on strike. Yeah. If they can't get the type of deal that they want. and I wonder what type of deal they should get. I don't know. I can't crunch the numbers and stuff.

Yeah. But like it's definitely time for the WNBA to see a new salary scale if the viewership is up. Now, I still don't know. Look, a lot of times people say that and the viewership is up 170 percent. That does not necessarily mean that the league is profitable. That doesn't mean that. That doesn't mean that the league is profitable. I would have to look at numbers to see whether or not the league is profitable.

because remember the TV deal and all of that stuff, you're breaking up money made. So there is an economic portion to this in terms of what the ladies will be entitled to. But the league is definitely trending in the right way. Yeah, I mean, now's the time to do it. So, you know, like shout out to the players and the players union for deciding that they don't want

to continue under this CBA. I think that you're right. We don't know the numbers and we can't crunch it out. And yeah, it has to make sense in that for that. But it also has to make sense that these women are, people are watching them in a way that they never have before. I have a beautiful picture of being a game two of the Liberty versus Link's finals. Completely sold out Barclays.

Beautiful. All to watch women play basketball. If you're going to do this, you've got to do it now. It just doesn't make sense for an angel reese to be putting out stories that she can't even pay her rent. It doesn't make sense that the number one pick is making approximately $75,000 from the league. I get the numbers. I get it has to make sense with everything. But that just doesn't, it just doesn't add up.

We have to find a way to pay these women more for these women to be able to survive. They're superstars. people are watching and like you can't just depend on brand deals but how but how but how I don't know I don't know so I mean you can make more an NIL you can make more within so maybe with the college yeah in the college game figure this out the college game which is in many ways more popular than WNBA okay so let me ask you this so you're saying it can't happen why I said I said it can't So we have to find a way to pay these women more.

Yeah. Why? Why? Because they're deserving of it. That has like no bearing in the situation, right? I acknowledge the fact that it has to make sense in regards to, you know, TV deal or whatever they're, whatever. Like, I get that. I get that the money has to make sense.

They can't just say, sure, we're going to give everybody coming in half a million dollars. You know, I get that it has to make sense. But the way people are consuming this. consuming basketball, women's basketball, we have to figure out a way to where they're not living check to check. I don't know what that answer is. Obviously, I'm not basing this off of anything other than my opinion and I want to see the women make more. But if they're opting out of the current CBA, even they are saying that what the current deal doesn't make sense based on the increase in viewership and the way people are consuming the sport now.

You as well said you don't know how it can happen. I'm agreeing with you. The only thing I'm saying the only thing I'm taking umbrage with is the word deserve. Deserve has literally zero place in this conversation. It's my, it does if it's my opinion. If you're basing it off of numbers, then yeah, you're not going to use the word deserve. I'm saying based on the way people are consuming women's sports, $75,000 for the number one pick, where people are living check to check,

they're deserving of more than that. Why, though? Because of what I just said. But what you just said, so. You want me to base this off of numbers. You literally started off talking about this whole situation. Right, right.

You don't have the numbers. I am agreeing with that. But I'm also saying that, you know, ratings. If it's a financial thing, though, so everything is, based off of every single person in the

world who makes money it's based off an equation and that equation is most likely how much money your thing generates and then how much how valuable you are to your thing. That's worldwide. How much

money... I'm disagreeing with you. Right. So then your deserve right? Like your deserve like why would you... So if we're doing it, if we're If we're doing numbers, if women make less than men and are, and, and, you know, again, I can't speak to specific numbers, but if two people are doing, if women are paid less than men or in some jobs, based on race, you're paid less, does that necessarily mean that you're not, you might be deserving of more money,

but you're just not getting it. It's not an equation, right? Like, I guess I'm, it's in my head and I feel like I'm saying this wrong. My point is that you're saying in every situation, people are more, you can't say people are deserving of a certain pay. The equation has to work. Right? That's what you're saying. So what you're talking about is discriminatory.

So listen, if the WNBA generated $10 billion a year and the first pick was still being paid $75,000, I would be like, well, obviously there's a huge problem. they're stealing from these women. That would be discriminatory. When we're talking about the wage gap in other places, we're talking about the same job that is being done in the same place in comparable situations, right? And so what we're talking about is for black people or for women,

that's discriminatory, right? And so being that that's the thing, like you're arguing why are women being paid less? What's happening in those situations? In this situation, we're talking about one league that makes, and people are always comparing it to the, the NBA we're talking about and it's a it's a it's a uncomfortable conversation with a black man um so so so it it's it's one league is way more profitable than the other league and so when we say that

the women deserve more i'm at what only thing i ever ask is where is that money going to come from well this is what i'll say this cba is based off of years ago right i don't know when when 2020 2020 yeah the league in 2020 does not look like what the league looks like in 2020. It does not. All right. So if that, so if the $75,000 is based off of a league from 2020, then they obviously are going to make more or should or deserve, let me go back to my word, to make more in 2024 if the league

shows an increase in viewership, if people are consuming the league in a different way, that obviously means more money. So I don't think you can apply a 2020 standard to 2024 when all the numbers show it's evident that more people are watching this game, they're attending this game, they're consuming jerseys and products and everything related to the WNBA. It's not the same league as it was four years ago, which means you can't pay them the same. So that means that they're deserving of more money. That you can at least say. This is what I would say. I would say that the WNBA and the percentage of the revenue from the league itself,

they should make sure that that is commiserate with what the men are making. And there is a wide gap in that, right? I'll also say, though, that when we're talking about all of this stuff, right, when we should always make sure that when, first of all, The most important thing, you guys know this for me, the most important thing you can do is not to advocate for the women in the WNBA. That's not the most important thing to do.

What's the most important thing to do? Consume it. Watch and support the WNBA. Because other than, if you're not watching and supporting the WNBA, but you're asking for the women to get more money, you're betraying them. You are.

That's just the way that they're, goes. If you consume it, if you talk about it, my entire group chat, male group chat, was talking about nothing but WNBA basketball this year. I swear to God, people don't think that it's true. Me and a bunch of other like sort of high profile people, nothing about that that is great for the league. It's great for the league that the league is outside of its diehard fan era, that it's in its casual consumer era, that there are storylines about the league that get people excited. It's incited. were arguing about Caitlin and Angel.

We were arguing about Stewie versus Asia. Damn, I lost my goddamn pencil. That's my whole mojo. I lost my fucking pencil. Now I got to use this. We were arguing about that. It's great for the league. Push the league forward and all of that stuff.

If you want them to get more and have more, consume the league because they're not going to do it. They're not going to pay these women. more because it's the socially responsible thing to do. And they're not going to pay them more because they're deserving. They are some of the most highly skilled basketball players in the world. They are. But deserve is not a component of it because it's a math equation of how they get paid.

It's simply a math equation. And once they, once and if the league is incredibly profitable and all of that stuff like that, and it could be now. Once again, we don't have the numbers. have to look. But once that's a deal and the women are not being paid commiserate to what the men are making, I still don't think that they're getting the same revenue share that the men are getting. And that should definitely change in their CBA. But nothing, you're not going to be able to guilt or compel somebody into paying these women more because a lot of the NBA owners that

own these WNBA teams, they're taking losses on this. Like they're taking, like they're taking losses on it. And some of them are breaking even or taking losses on NBA teams. But the worth of the team is so astronomical when you talk about something that's worth $2 billion that it might be, it's an asset worth holding on to. So like, the only way to do this is to grow the league. In my opinion. Van doesn't want the WNBA players to make you know.

Oh, my God. I watch it so much. That's what I got from it. He doesn't think y'all deserve to prove it. There's no such thing as deserve. Prove it. Prove it. There's no such thing as deserved.

They should. He doesn't think he wants y'all to, he wants to, he's got his foot on y'all's neck. There's no such. He doesn't want y'all to make any more money. Let me ask you a question. Who's the best lady soccer player in the world? I don't know. Okay, so how much money does that?

I follow soccer. How much is that, how much money does that lady deserve? I don't know. I don't know. I don't thought. soccer. I don't know. I don't even know what the men make. I don't know. That's crazy, man. See how you're not supporting women's soccer? I just said I couldn't tell you men either. I don't watch the sport in general. Don't make it gender. So I'm looking at something right now and it says that in the 2024 season, I don't know if that is true.

If this is necessarily true, this is from Sportspedia. It says that the WNBA will probably lose. $40 million for the for the 2024 season. He don't want y'all to win. He just said, I don't know if this is true. And then proceeded to read it. I have to, that's what I'm saying. What I'm saying is, well, the New York Post says this. The New York Post says this too.

Fuck the New York Post, but it says this too. But I will say this, though, that is, that will change when the new TV deal comes in. So when the new TV deal comes in, and there should be a new TV deal, when a new TV deal comes in, When a new TV deal comes in, all of that stuff will change. And when a new TV deal comes in and there's a brand new TV deal and more money is flowing into the league, the contracts should jump along with that. But it's very difficult to argue for more money in a distress asset. That's all I'm saying.

I'll be the bad guy. That's fine. You guys hate me. Rachel's trying to put me on the spit with her conservative friends. Did you know about one and three people with plaques psoriasis may also develop psoriotic arthritis, which causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling? Does this sound like you? Listen to what it sounds like to be a million miles away.

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Ask your doctor about Trimphia. Tap this ad to learn more about Trimphia, including important safety information. This episode is brought to you by Sweet Cream. The day doesn't ask for permission. Lunch window? Gone before you saw it coming. You deserve a break that actually satisfies. Sweet Green's new wraps have got you. Real ingredients? Zero shortcuts. Everything you love in one hand. Think green goddess chicken. Garlic aoli. Crumbled bacon. Corn salsa. 40 grams of protein. Made to keep up with whatever comes next. New sweet green wraps hit different. Order now at order.com. Do you think that Marvel removed blade from the 2025 release schedule because of our conversation. You did it. You fucked over Blade.

You did. You fucked over Blade. Like you did it yourself. You just got to be talking. You fucked over Blade. Like you made Blade into, you call Blade an Uncle Tom and then Marvel was like, take him around the schedule. And by the way, listen. I call the-

Y'all fucking get. Oh, by the way, oh, sorry, everybody. It's not Uncle Tom. It's Sambo. That's right. We should be right about it. that. Uncle Tom is the hero of that story. Forget about the fact that the colloquialism

has been Uncle Tom for years and years and years and years. Sambo is the bad guy in that. So it's Sambo. But look, do you guys not, I'm going to tell you like they told it in clueless. Are you bitches blind or something? Are you bitches blind? That's my favorite.

Are you bitches blind or something? He's a cake boy. That's what they said in the movie. I wouldn't say that. But we were saying that Blay was Uncle Tom because he was a vampire that fights vampires. That's it. That's what we weren't calling him a racial coon.

No, but there's nothing to it. Right. Who he said he was turning against his own people. Vampires, guys, not black and white. Oh, by the way, Blade 2. Well, one of the ladies, she watches Blade take the serum and she calls Blade out for, going against vampires being a being a she says she says you deny what you are so the vampires

looked at him like that too and his mom was bit his mom was bit that's very true and so he's mad about the fact that his mom was bit facts but at the same time just to be honest with you in the movie at least when I getting into comics up and in the movie at least mama was with the vampires okay she she was doing whatever I'm so glad I could open your eyes to this I saw this and obviously I thought they hurt. They don't want to get it wrong. If the new movie comes out and he's totally different,

y'all, you're welcome, guys. You're welcome. See, this is this is my biggest problem with you, though. My biggest problem with you, just let you know Marvel has taken Blade off the 2025 release schedule after Rachel called him a coon. If you guys want a whole timeline of this and a breakdown of this,

you're not going to get it here. You're going to get it on The Midnight Boys. A peepoo. Okay. Is y'all talking about the Houn's comment over there? We're going to talk about it on there now. We haven't talked about it yet. Jomey hadn't even seen it.

Like Jomey was over here a couple of nights ago and Jomey said, oh, my God. Jomi was laughing his face off. And he's like, we should talk about this one. About you calling Blade a Coon. Oh. So, but my most frustrating thing with you is that you have so many fresh and awesome. some perspectives on stuff like this, but you just don't watch it. Like, I saw the wills.

That clip is so funny to me because I saw the wheels turning in your mind. Like immediately, you go, he's a vampire? And then like, right away. And so as soon as you just said that, you're like, he's a vampire. And so you're like, why is he hunting other vampires if he's a vampire? Like, he's. But see, but I'm fresh eyes because I haven't seen it. I want to do this podcast so bad.

wanted to be called fresh eyes. I know, and I'll just want people to do reviews of movies they've never seen before. I would be great. There's so many. Let's do it. Let's start with, let's start with the long walk home. Is that what the bird, what the big bird thing is? No, it's follow this bird. Follow that bird. It has nothing to do with the long walk home. But wait, didn't you say he was trying to find his way home? Don't do me. He was. He was. Thank you. But Big Bird was trying to find his way. Donnie, if I'm, Big Bird was trying to find his way back home, right? I think so to where the other big birds are, I think. It's been a minute.

There's more than one. He's got a family. He's got a whole race. Yeah. Of birds. How can you not fuck with big bird? You know how I feel about birds. What are you on, bro?

You know I feel about birds. Anyway. Y'all don't think that big yellow goofy thing is disturbing. Hell no. That's my nigger. That's my guy. If you put follow that bird on right now, I'll cry. straight up.

It's got songs. It's got celebrities. Big Bird trying to find his way home. Like, I'll cry. I will cry over the fucking bird. I love him. He's my guy. It's enough of love against all these niggas.

That's your favorite. That's your favorite Sesame Street character. Nah, it's Kermit. But Big Bird's right there, though. I like Kermie because Kermie's in an abusive relationship, but yeah, he never gets out of his body. No, Kermie's being abused.

I like Ms. Biggie. I bet you do. Before we go, real quick, before we go, before we go, before we go, real quick, Brony James checks into an NBA game with his father. A lot of talk about whether or not this is an amazing thing or whether or not this is a choreographed. What is it's a choreographed? Do you think it's an amazing thing that Brony James is playing with his friend?

cool. It's historic. The shot of Brony with his dad behind them in the Lakers jerseys. You can be the biggest LeBron hater you want. You can think that Brony doesn't deserve to be in the league. That looked cool. And I'm, and I'm, I lean to both of those things towards those things, but I still looked at that. And I thought, this is cool to see them come into the, walk into the game together. That was a cool moment. But that's it. All right. Now, enough. Let's go ahead and let, like, let's try to let Brony be the best player that he can be. So this is what I'll say about it. This is what I'll say about it.

The thing that I admire LeBron James for more than any basketball accomplishment that he has made, that he's achieved, shall I say, is the generational curses that he's broken. Mm-hmm. Like LeBron James is a Hall of Fame basketball player, but he's a Hall of World generational curse breaker. Like he is almost as if he sat down and meticulously identified every generational curse that he had and decided that he was going to break him. He's also doing that for other people with some of the schools and some of the initiatives and stuff that he's doing. All of that is true.

And the most moving thing about the Bronny situation, is that it is, it exemplifies the degree to which LeBron James has broken his, in his generational curses. It shows it. It's right there for you to see, right there. Took his son all the way to the NBA with him.

However, if I'm being real and not just riding dick, all that stuff is not just cool, it's amazing and beautiful. If I'm being real and not just riding dick, the reality is this. When I think of what I love and what I want for people, particularly black people, is I want the influence of rich

and powerful people to not be something that's hung over the heads of all the ordinary working black people that I know. Once again, we talk a lot about income equality outside of our community, but we don't talk about the income inequality that exists inside of our community. And as much as that is a cool thing for LeBron James and his family, there is a cost when somebody rich and famous is able to gain the system so that someone, and here's the key word, and this is the thing about Brony. And I don't mean to be an all like rude or mean.

Someone who is undeserving is the keyword. Undeserving. When I talk about legacy, legacy admissions at schools. And when I talk about all of these people that are getting these things from nepotism, if nepotism helps you get to where you are and you become a fucking dog,

like nobody cares that Steph Curry's father was in the NBA. Steph Curry is a dog. Like nobody cares that Joaquin Phoenix is River Phoenix's little brother. Or Kieran is River City, is, is, is McCulloch's little brother. Nobody cares. about all of that, right? Those people are great at their craft. But if you're not great at your craft, if you're not, objectively not great at your craft, and you are there just because

somebody rich and powerful wants you to be there, those are the worst parts of America. And that's just a fact. If it's working for, if it's working against black people, which it almost always will, or if it's working for black people, it doesn't change the fact that that is the worst part of America and the part of America that they tell you doesn't exist. So if people look at that and they have a problem with it, like a lot of people are going to say you're hating on a black man and his ability to do that. And I want that for my kids. You want your kids to get in places that they don't deserve to be or you want them to have advantages that they shouldn't have. I'm not talking about people who are who work hard and deserving. So then essentially you don't want equality or equity.

you want your side to be able to put their thumb on the scale. And that's just not the way I look at the world. So. That's a good point. Like for as much as I look at the Bronny situation and I'm like, man, because to me it just drives home how awesome LeBron's story is and how cohesive his family unit is and all of that's amazing. But at the same time, the theme that's at work there is something that can't benefit

the most amount of people. And that's kind of how I see the world. Sure. For those wondering, Brody had played three minutes, went 0 for two from Fieldgold and had one rebound. Right. He's also, they also gave him like a $7 million contract.

Yeah. So it's like, yeah. Yeah. And I'm not, once again, in time, Brony might be a completely good pro. In time, he might be a good pro. But there's no way you can look at him right now and say that he deserves to be in the NBA.

No. It's just, yeah. And it's not hating to say that. I know people had a really big issue with Charles Barkley and Shaq talking about it after the game. They're analyzing it. They're analyzing it. Nothing that is wrong. All right.

But I hope it does work out for him. And I hope that he is. I do too. Yeah. I hope that it does. I literally seriously do. All right. We're out of here.

Take thing caps off. Do not stop learning. I'm Van Lathan Jr. I'm Rachel and Lindsay. Hey, guys.