Joe and Jada - Angie Martinez IRL - Yahya Abdul-Mateen: Being Grateful For The Good In Life

Episode Date: September 4, 2026

Emmy-award winning actor, Yahya Abdul-Mateen joins Angie Martinez to talk about his path to becoming an actor, advice he would give while dealing with "everyday problems,” and working with Mark Wahlberg on the newly released movie ‘By Any Means.’ Visit your nearest Boost Mobile store or https://promo.boostmobile.com/webuilt...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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No cliches, no sugar coding, just host analysts from someone who's actually been there. Coco looking real good. Her serve looks so much smoother than it has in the past. I was really happy to see eager back to what she looked like a couple of years ago when she was winning dominantly. Listen to the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What do you find fun? You know, one of the things I was laughing at the other day. We may not find it funny right now, but everybody got a problem.

You know what I'm saying? You know, and we kind of act like we don't. If you look out, even in this room, everybody got one. Everybody got one. Everybody here got a palo? Yeah. Everybody got one. Hey guys, thanks for watching.

This episode is brought to you by Boost Mobile. Yaya Abdul Matine. Matine. Matine. That ain't too hard. It's a great name. Thank you. We can't confuse you with any other actor.

Uh-uh. Thanks, though. Yaya is celebrating a 10-year acting career. I know, right? Wow. Started with his standout and Netflix to get down. That was 10 years ago. He's done too many projects to roll through right now for the amount of time we have.

But Aquaman, us, Candy Man, Wonder Man, Watchman, Man on Fire, by any means. By any means. Paired with Mark Wahlberg. You've had some good pairings. You got an Emmy. You got a new Emmy nomination. Yeah.

You're doing all right, Yaya. Yeah, you know. Yaya is our guest today in real life. Real life. What's up? What's out? What's out? Hi, man.

What's going on? I love that you're here. Thank you. It's good to be here. So last time I saw you was in Mexico City. Mm-hmm. You were on set of Man on Fire. Yeah.

I was like a little student sensei upshadowing your director. Yeah. Stephen Cable. Shout out to him. Yeah. And it was really fascinating

to be on that set and to watch, just to watch your work. Like you were... What did you see? I see somebody who was dead ass serious about what he does.

Is that right? Yes. I didn't even really want to say too much to you because you looked so locked in. Oh, man. Well, you were in your space. You should be locked in, right?

And obviously, you know, high levels of talent. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. Is that your happy place when you're on set? When I'm on set? Creating. No, no, no, no, not all the time.

Really? No, not all the time. I love the moment. You know, the moment right after action. Right. Yeah, you know. People don't realize how much of the shit happens before is action. Yeah, yeah.

That's what would be torturous to me as an actor. Yeah. The moment, you know, is really the moment, before action. It's the night before. This is why people can't really get into that seat, you know, as an actor because it's about the week leading up to the job. Yeah.

Then the night before, when you, you know, learning your lines and when you're double-checking to see if you're learning your lines, you've got a 6 o'clock pickup, and then you can't sleep because you're working with so-and-so tomorrow and then you wake up in the morning and then your car is outside. It's the hustle. And then you're not necessarily a little hustle, but the anticipation, you know. Like internally.

you mean? Yeah, the anticipation up until that moment, you know, then the car comes and pick you up and then if you, if you have a car picking, you know, picking you up. But if you don't, then you go to meet them at the pickup spot, then you get in the van and you're looking over the script and your handshaking a little bit because, you know, you want to make the best use of everybody's time. Then you get there. They put you in a little trailer. Of course I get nervous. Of course I get nervous. But what comes after the handshaking is you go to the makeup trailer, you know, when they drop you off. And then you're putting on your makeup, you know, and, you know, you're trying to look at your lines, but somebody's, you're messing with your face and doing this, then the next person next to you was talking and saying, hey, good morning, how you're doing? And, you know, they're skinning and grinning and smiling all that stuff. But you're thinking, you know, you don't want to be rude. So you're speaking and things like that, but you're really trying to focus and concentrate on your lines and yada, yada, yada. I could draw that all out for another five minutes and really, really paint the scene. But it comes up to that moment where they're rushing you to set and you put on your stuff. And, you know, the whole set goes quiet. And they stand you on your mark. And you have,

haven't even really gotten a chance to really do your thing sometimes. You know what I'm saying? And then everybody goes quiet. The camera comes right there in front of your faces. Then they say, okay, now action. Do what you came here to do. People fall apart in that moment. Yeah, I've seen it.

We see it as fans, too. We see it from the other side. You know what I'm saying? Internally. Have you ever fallen apart? I hope not. Do you feel like you have ever fallen apart or you never deliver at the level that you know you're capable of delivering?

Yeah, yeah, that's the thing. You know, you got to learn to live with that. Every, every pass isn't going to be perfect. But what I know is that that's why we have takes. You know, I don't go in there trying to get it right on the first take. Every take is a rehearsal. But one of the things that I learned was to tolerate my discomfort. And that's what makes an actor, someone who chooses this profession to be an actor.

That's what makes us wired a little bit different because we can be in that thing when it's shaking and it's nervous and you got the whole motor going on on the inside. And the good actor knows that nobody knows. You know, the good actor is like, oh, that's interesting. Oh, I'm nervous. Wow. What do I? What do I? What's that about?

I don't know. Let's find out. Now I've gone from being nervous to being curious. Inquisitive. Right. Right. To be an inquisitive. And that's where that's just natural learning how to, you know, people talk about tolerating

your discomfort all the time. But I don't know how much people actually practice. That's interesting because when you say that, I think, wow, how does that apply? in other people's lives. Because even when you think about great athletes or anybody who has to perform under pressure, there has to be a, there's something going on in your head if you're great at what you do and consistent at what you do this. There's got to be like a pep talk or a, I don't know, a technique where you can keep your insides calm.

Because I'd imagine you have to do that, right? Yeah, that's all technical, I think. It's technical, but then it's preparation. You prepare, you prepare, I prepare, I prepare, I prepare, I prepare. so that when I get on get there on the day, you let it all go. Being, being, being, uh, being prepared takes care of being nervous. You know what I'm saying? Like, I've been on stage for a top dog, underdog.

Did I see? I did. I did. I did see that. I did see that. I mean, there were nights. Mm-hmm. That's funny.

Remember that. I did maybe 125 shows, right? Wow. There were nights and I'm up like in the 90s where, um, so I start off the, I start off the place, a two-man show for any. anybody who hasn't seen it. And when the curtain comes up, I'm on stage by myself and I have the first lines. I start off the, I kick off the play with my dialogue, right?

There's been nights when I'm sitting on the bed. There's a bed on the stage and the curtain is down. And right before that curtain is about to come on, actually, before I go on the stage, I don't know my line. Oh, hell no. You know, but it's showtime. And the audience is all out there. Hundreds of people are, you know, out there. and I'm on the stage by myself, the curtain is down.

I can hear the music. I can hear all the music cues, so I know the time is getting closer and closer. I do not know my line. There's been nights I'm sitting on that bed, and I see the curtain come up, and I do not know my line. All I know is that I'm supposed to walk up to that crate, and I take the card in my right hand, and I flip it over.

I do not know my line, Angie. I don't know what I'm supposed to say. But the curtain's coming up, and I have no idea what to say. But then all of a sudden, the curtain comes up, the house is quiet. I flip over my hand and then the words start pouring out. You know what I'm saying? I don't know the words. Right now.

It's been so long. Come on. Watch me close. Watch me close. Now, who's the red card? Who's the red card? I see the red card. I see the red card.

Red card is the winner. That's what I love about this. That adrenaline ride, that I almost. just went on just now, you know, that I just described. You took me on it. You got to be a little bit, a little bit psycho to, you know, put yourself under those. But what is that? Is it nerves that kick in that make you forget? Because clearly you said you've prepared for that moment so you know the words. No, like, in that instance, it's something that I've done it. I've done this show 90-something times.

You're just having a-a-huh-something times. So that, yeah, I'm just like, I may be thinking about breakfast or what I'm going to do next week. There was one show where, and I never do this. I'm always pretty calm. I have my routine and I lock in. There was one show where we had three more shows to go. And we were turning down the street of the theater. And you see the theater lights all above. And I'm in my car.

And I take out my phone and I just record myself in the band, getting this moment that I've never captured before. And that was a night when. You forgot? He was busy playing. That was a night. That was a night. And I was like, nope.

I was like, you got to stay locked in and the job ain't done until the job is done. It's done. You know what I mean? But you showed up, though. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, the worst. That's terrifying.

It is. It can be. Had you done Broadway before that? You had? No, that was your first time. Wow, that was great show. That was my debut. I remember that opening, too.

So good. Yeah. You got a Tony nomination for that? Yeah, I got Tony nomination for that. Okay. Yeah. We won, we won best, best revival. Amazing.

So dope. Do you, are you into awards and stuff? Or is it kind of just? Yeah, I'm into it. Yeah, I'm into it. I'm into it. I'm going to sit here a lot. I mean, I like doing great work and when great work is recognized toward, you know, in the area of some of the places that I've been ambitious for. I'm always appreciative of that. I've learned to not make the award to be all end all. But it's nice to be recognized. Yeah. I was just looking at your, your Emmy speech when you won the Emmy for Watchman. Yeah. And there's a line in there you thank all the black women in your life. Yeah. You call them your early investors.

Yeah. I love that. Yeah, that's exactly who they are. Yeah. Who are those women? My mother. My sisters. My cousins, my auntie.

You know, yeah, that's who they are. Your earliest investors. Yeah. So what is that like? Like who are you as a kid? How are they pouring into you? How do they make you? How do they make this guy who's on Broadway?

way in managing to pull it off after he forgets his lines. Oh man, different ways, you know, it all, we talk every day, you know, and they've always. You talk to your whole family every day? No, your mom. For the most part, yeah. Really? Yeah, for the most part. We got a little text thread. We know, we're not on the phone all day every day, but, you know, we have some form of communication every day, except yesterday. I ain't talking to nobody yesterday. I kind of locked it down yesterday. But no, you know, we're always in communication. We're extremely close, but they've always believed in me. They always told me that I could do whatever I wanted to do. And they, they just support me in that, in that way. Did you know you wanted to do this early? Heck no.

Heck no. I wanted to be an architect and I wanted to be a construction worker and I wanted to be a boxer and a race car and a basketball player. I want to do all kind of things. All the things. I want to do all kinds of things. You're in New Orleans. That's where you grew up, right? Yeah, New Orleans. I grew up in Oak, West Oakland. And your family is from New Orleans? Everybody. Everybody's in New Orleans. So you spent a lot of time there then also, right? New Orleans? Yeah. Yeah, that's home. I'll go back. I'll go back. Even when you say the accent pops out.

Oh, yeah. Yeah. I go back. Yeah. I go back home. So when did you know? It was this? How did it happen? Oh, man. I didn't. I took some classes in undergraduate. Oh, it was that late? It wasn't like you as a little kid. No, I never knew nothing about it. I never knew nothing about it. I would do speeches in elementary school. and, you know, I would do little silly stuff in high school. Everybody was silly at my high school. So, you know, anybody got no sense where I'm from, you know, from being in the household to all the way at school.

So if you was cool, you was kind of doing something, kind of attention seeking plus playing sports and doing nerdy stuff like playing chess and everybody did everything in my high school. And your big family too, right? Like a lot of siblings. Yeah, I have a big family. I'm the youngest of six. So, you know, my mother is actually the one who is. like the big personality in our home. You know, she introduced us to Pete's Dragon and bed knobs and broomsticks and chitty,

chitty bang, all the Dick Van Dyke, you know what I'm saying? So I grew up sort of with a big imagination. But no, I stumbled into an acting class on a dare in college, and the teacher told me that I was good, and I had fun with that. So you didn't love it out the gate? I liked it, but I wasn't taking it seriously. You know, I would always prepare and I, and, but that wasn't my major. I was, I was studying something else.

I was just really, I was looking for an easy A. That's what I was doing. I was looking for easy A because I heard that the theater classes were just like recess. Perbade, and that's what somebody told me, right? And so I get in the, excuse me, I get in the class. I don't even remember the class. I remember the audition. And then I remember after the semester was over or toward the end of the semester, I

remember that teacher. And she told me, I was in the theater building and she said, hey, you're really good at this. Like, you're really good at this. And I think that you should stick around, you know, if you can. And I didn't know that I was good or anything like that. And, you know, I said, okay, well, we'll see. A couple years later, I took another class and, and I liked it. Then I did a play. And I liked it. That was just doing something that I liked, That was, I found a hobby. Yeah. It's what it was.

And it wasn't until, you know, five, five or six, five years later, six years later when I was working in San Francisco, I got laid off from my job. And I was really at a place. What were you doing? I was working at the mayor's office of housing in San Francisco, working in a sort of city planning. And, and then I, you know, I just. At what age? That's a good job for a young person. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it was a good job.

22, 22, 20. That's a good 22-year-old job. Something like that? Yeah, you couldn't tell me nothing. You were smart, though, right? Like, you were smart at school. I've always been a little, a little brain. Had a little brain on you.

Yeah. So you got yourself a good job. Yeah, yeah. Had me good a good little. Had you lose the job? I got laid off. Yeah. I got.

How good were you, y'all? No, I was, I was very good at my job. I was very good at my job. But, you know, the city of San Francisco were building six housing projects. And I was working on something that was getting young people involved in the redevelopment of that. You know, the city ran out of money for those projects. And so they started had to cut back. So they cut my program, which was a blessing because I said, okay, well, what I'm going to go do now? And my brother, he let me not pay rent for a few months. And in

that few months, I said, I'm going to go try this acting thing because that was fun. I had just had a long stretch of just not being able to get a job and, you know, hustling, trying to make ends meet, and then finally getting the job and things going well and then getting laid off on my job. So I finally said, you know, I'm going to go do something for myself. I don't want to have no regrets. I said I'm going to give myself three years to make significant progress in this acting thing. And if that didn't pan out, I was going to go back to school and, you know, probably working politics or something like that. Really?

Yeah, like city planning. And then at the end of 14 months, I got into Yale and went to Yale and, you know, the rest is the rest of that road brings me right here with you. And here we are. Yeah, yeah. Any regrets about any of it? No, can't be. No, I don't think so. You could be in politics right now.

I'm so glad I'm not there. I'm so glad I'd be, no, that would be different. I'm too much of a brain to go, to be honest, I'm too much of a brain to have gone that route. Like, this act that keeps me silly, you know, if you could believe that. I can believe it. Yeah. Because you're forced to get into different characters and play and be free, kind of, right?

Plus, I mean, I have that, I have that side. My nephew, he hit me up the other day. He's telling me how to, that he wants me to show more of my personality and things. Oh, what is that? Come on. Like, you know, he's tired of seeing the actor of me, you know what I'm saying? He wanted to see. Do you want to see?

Do you want to see? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I can't help it. You're a serious guy. Well, what does he see? I don't think so. I'm not so serious. Really?

Yeah. What does he see? What does he know that we don't know? I'm the funniest person in the world. In the world. Like what? Like what level of like... I'm hilarious.

You see? That's pretty good. Anybody who says they're hilarious. Out the gate, that's kind of funny. Yeah. Didn't catch the latest Roland Martin unfiltered podcast? Here's what you missed. And the argument is, do you want to win?

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the surprise runs, the heartbreaking exits and all the drama that only the U.S. Open can deliver. Coco looking real good. Her serve looks so much smoother than it has in the past. I was really happy to see Eager back to what she looked like a couple of years ago when she was winning dominantly. Listen, I'm going to let Venus decide when she wants to retire. I'm going to let the tournaments decide when they don't want to give her a while card because she still puts bums in seats. She still sells and people love to see her play. You always say on this show that this is the best predictor of who will do well at the OSOP. If this is a preview, then we are in for a treat.

Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get you podcast. How so? What do you find funny? Like, what entertainment? you like, I don't know, on TV or... You know, one of the things I was laughing at the other day, we may not find it funny right now, but, you know, you look out in the world, everybody got a problem. You know what I'm saying?

You know, and, you know, we kind of act like we don't a little bit. But everybody, if you look out, even in this room, like, everybody got one. Everybody got one. You know what I'm saying? Everybody got a problem? Yeah, everybody got one. So I like looking out in the world

and just knowing that in this world where we're all trying to, I don't think everybody's trying to be perfect, but we're all striving. And we're all trying to show up in our best form. There we go. We're all trying to show up in some sense of our best form and present our best and things like that. It's the fact that you can't always see it.

You can almost never see it unless someone's situation is so dire that they just wear it and that is obvious. and much love and compassion to those folks. Yeah. But the truth is, like, no matter what it looks like, everybody got one. Everybody got one. And that makes me, that makes me smile a little bit. That tickles you.

Yeah, because we all end it together and it's kind of cute. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's kind of, it's kind of endearing. Are you one of those people that can see through people present, right? Yeah. especially the most confident of people. They seem to be the most confident of people. Are you one of those people that?

Because I tend to be like, oh, they're overplaying this to make up for that. I can see some of the challenges. I'd spend way too much time looking at myself, to be honest. But other people, as much as I can perceive that everybody has a problem, I only perceive that because I know about myself. and I don't believe myself to be any different from anybody else. And it's not necessarily projecting them. I'm just looking at my human.

It says, I'm not saying, well, if I got one, they got one too. You know what I'm saying? I'm saying that I'm human and I'm going to take a chance and bet that you're human too. And that the things that come with being human that I experience, if you're human, I bet you experience it too. So what that does is that allows me to go out on a limb and reveal something. about myself and to give someone else the opportunity to say, yeah, I'm the same way. You know, and then when you do that, it's a little bit easier.

What was the last thing you've shared about yourself? Well, publicly, I don't feel like, do you share publicly more? Like, like, if you're going to, not much, right? No, not much. Is that protective or? Well, there's business and then there's my business. You know what I'm saying? And I'm not in the business of making a business out of my business.

Yeah. You know, so. I just wonder what's a challenge for you that people might not expect. When we look at you, we go, yeah, yeah, got it together. You got 10 years. You got awards. So you want me to tell you the truth? Yeah.

Yeah. You can't handle the truth. This is in real life. Tell me the truth. Yeah. What's happening in your real life? You're okay? Yeah.

You troubled? What's going on? You need us? What do you need? No, I'm all right. I'm all right. No, I know, you're all right. No, you know, I'm, um,

I'm blessed and I'm learning. You know, I'm blessed and I'm learning. I got the same thing that ills everybody is some of the same things that else me, you know, and I'm learning to stay blessed throughout it all, you know. That's a good reminder. You see how I kept that right then? You did. You kept it all the way out.

And it was so far in the pocket that I realize it's not even worth me trying to dig in the pocket. I mean, I ain't, no, I ain't, I ain't, I ain't thinking about nothing. You know, when you asked me that question, I'm not. think about nothing that so I'm not interested in and going digging. You know, to be honest, what I used to say all the time, it's like everything bad in my life. It's literally my job to go digging, by the way. But go ahead. But everything, everything is on this way.

You know what I'm saying? Like, all the trouble that I'm going to have that I'm going to have in my life, it's on this way. It's on this way. It's on his way. Also, the answer's probably on his way. So I ain't in a rush. to bring it here. You know what I'm saying?

I see you when I see you. It's on his way. I know it's on this way. You know trouble's on his way? Yeah, it's on his way. That's life. Damn. A lot of good is on the way, too.

Yes. You know, a lot of good is on the way too. I don't even want to think about no trouble on the way. Yeah, but, you know, that's how I go. That's why you got to stay vigilant. You know, so that when it comes, it only stay for a short while. Got it. You know, I don't want, you know, when it come, I don't want it to stay forever.

Yeah. Then my problem looked like a cloud and nobody know the trouble. How do you manage trouble? Especially as an actor when you have to show up and be like if you are in one of those, if you're in the middle of a storm. Yeah. A big old storm and you got to go play. Now we're talking.

Yeah, what do you do? That's why I love this job. Because I have to, I must put all my stuff down at the door to come and do my job. That's the beautiful thing about acting. Sometimes. You get to disappear. You get to disappear. You get to hide in this world, you know.

Is that a real thing? Can you really do that? Absolutely. Like, if I'm devastated from something that happened to me this past week. Yeah. And I have to show up and be in a scene with you right now. Yeah. It's just supposed to be gone for me?

It may. Any type of pain or stress or. I'm not going to say that it, look, that's, I'm speaking for myself. No, no, I'm putting myself in your position. Yeah, but it can because I got a job to do. You know, and sometimes you have to drop your shoulders, be where you are, feel what you feel, and then go from there. And then now life feeds me. But life feeds my work.

But there's other times when like I don't even have the brain to deal with that. So I'm just going to deal with this and live the life as this character. Sometimes, you know, you go on a job for six, seven months. You spend more time as a character than you do as your real self. and life be happening on the outside and life being some even more messed up stuff be happening to the character you know but the thing about that is

at the end of the day you know as the character I ain't going to get no phone calls in the middle of the night saying that you know so and so on and die and I ain't going to get no you don't get no unexpected phone calls you don't get the trouble

well you don't rock with me for a second like you don't yes you don't get the unexpected phone calls as an actor, like, as a character, because when I get the script, I know everything that's bad that's coming. I know what it is. You know what I'm saying?

My life has been such that I have gotten unexpected phone calls. So one of the things that I've learned about myself in the past two years is that like, and I don't think I'm there anymore, but where I was at that point, I was re-investigating, why do I do this in the first place, first was because I really, I liked the, I loved the attention. Loved it. Then I grew out of loving the attention and it was like, that's not the reason no more because if you, because I've fallen back. So I'm not doing it for the, I'm not doing attention seeking things anymore.

I'm, I'm chilling. So I was like, well, why do I still do this? What's really going on? And it was like, oh, at that point in my life, it was like because life is scary. So you're doing this. because in this, because when you are operating in this character, you already know the script. And there's no anxiety in that. But that's not real life, though.

But that's not real life. But you got to deal with real life. You see what I'm saying? And so once I learned that, I was like, oh, okay, well, there's beauty in this. There's therapy and this. Now let's go deal with real life. And let's go get uncomfortable and deal with like fear. and, you know, finding something to help you to cope with the fact that all the, all the problems that you have are on the way.

Now, I'm talking a little bit great right now, right? But I can have so much beauty and, you know, love and positive things in my life, too. So I want to, I'll be remiss if I didn't, if I didn't, if I didn't say that. Well, everybody got, everybody got, everybody got a little, everybody got a little problem. A little problem in their pocket. And that's cool. That's something good to remember. if you're ever in like nervous about being in the presence of some,

sometimes people get nervous to walk into an interview or nervous to be, or think somebody's better than them for whatever reason. Reminding yourself that everybody got a little problem. Now everybody going to watch this. Think of me as also, okay, so all I got to do is project. Okay, all I got to do, project all my problems on Angie, and then I feel good about myself. Well, don't put them on me.

My own damn problems. I don't need that. That's pretty great, though. Yeah. All right, guys, you know what is so funny? Hip-hop fans can literally debate anything. They can debate the best rapper, best era of hip-hop, the best album, and it gets serious these conversations. And now Sprite is giving us a whole new argument.

It is the Sprite Living Track List. It's 50 songs that help shape hip-hop culture from rap legends to the hottest artist carrying the hip-hop torch today. But the coolest part isn't just the tracks. It's the stories behind them. The lyrics, the moments, the impact. and plenty to argue about. Check out the full Sprite Living Tracklist and break down the stories behind your favorite bars

at LivingTracklist.orgon.com. This is the Sprite Living Tracklist, and it's so much fun. Obey your thirst. Behind the bars is presented by Sprite. You know the song dropped in 2017? Shut up. I was like, I had to Google that.

I said, huh? It was that long ago? That's crazy. You know, there's certain songs. There's certain songs that come out that you can't even really say what it is. It's just a swag about it. It's like the swag about it alone makes everybody want to be down with it. They want to say it.

They want to show you. They know the words. You know, every now and then a song will come out or a movement will come out. And it's like the swag is so strong on it that people, that it's fun to like just be down with it. And I think that that happened with this. I remember everybody doing videos and stuff and knowing all the words. And it really just was like,

I don't even know the numbers, but it had to be insane. No, no, she broke multiple. That song broke multiple records. Like one of them is... You have records, you have facts? One of them is... You are so prepared. It became the first solo female rap song to receive a diamond certification.

That's 10 times platinum from the recording... From Bodak Yellow. Yes. Yes. It was a smash record. It was a smash hit. You know how many songs that we were... We could say that like big songs that they don't have that.

No, no, this is an absurd amount of people listening to this one song even still today. I think it recently got something new. Like it's still almost 10 years. Yes, still almost 10 years later, it's still getting awards. Like, it's still in rotation. We should have a 10 year boat at Yellow Party next year. We should plan it. That'll be a good time.

It's also fun when you can see a song, when a song is so big that it launches a career Oh, that's the best Because then it's like It allows you to take the ride With the artist Like as you were there

And you saw the rocket ship go And a lot of times artists They'll get a rocket ship And then they become a one hit wonder And it's very hard to like Keep a career going for some But when a song that big launches a career and we get to watch it

I don't know It's really cool Yeah, but it was a monster. That song was a monster. And for sure, launched a phenomenal career. Check out the Sprite Living Tracklist and break down the stories behind your favorite bars. The link is in our show note. So you can check that out. This is the Sprite Living Tracklist. Obey your thirst. So acting is like your therapy in a way, right? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It never was that. It never was that. I was just looking and saying, why do I do this? But it was never therapy. It's fun. It's fun. It's fun. It's fun.

It's fun. It's not, it's not, it's not, it's not escape. Yeah. At one point it was. At one point it was like I said, it was it was the attention seeking. And then at the other point, I did, if it was an escape, I didn't know that it was an escape, you know. But the cool thing about it is that once I can embrace that and say acting is an escape. So then when I go, I escape into acting and now it was fun again. You see what I'm saying?

And then when you go back to your real life, what is your real life like? We don't know that much about your, like... You see how I organized that? Oh, you did that on purpose? Yeah. Oh, you like that. I'm winning. What is that?

You're afraid to let people in your business. You're... Are you just private by nature or what is that? I like my life and it's so it's unnatural. I don't know y'all people. You know what I'm being real. No, no, you did that's right. I'm being real.

Yeah. People don't know me and I don't know them. I don't know y'all. You see what I'm saying? So let people in my let people in my life for what? Yeah. Like I got a real life. Yeah.

I got a real life. Yeah. You know. A good one? A great one. A great one. You have a, you must have a very great family life. The fact that you talk to your family every day.

Yeah. It's really, it's not, I don't think that's, everybody can say that, that people have that kind of close-knit. Yeah. I'm blessed that. That's a big blessing. Yeah. And we got a big family.

We were the only. family that moved from New Orleans to Oakland. So we were sort of like made into a pact. I think also when my father died, my father passed in 2007 and so we turned into, turned toward each other even more.

You know, so. Were your parents together the whole time? No. No, no, no. Not at the time that he passed. But we all still turned, you know, into one, in toward one another even more. But we just, we just rocked with each other. You know, we all, we all,

silly, we pray. You have a lot of sisters? We got four sisters and then a brother at the end. So it's my brother, four girls, and then me. Yeah. Yeah. So that's why you said all black women were my first. Yeah.

They were all older than you. Uh-huh. Could you do anything wrong? Do they spoil you? Are you like, are you like the baby of the family? We say Spirled. They would, right? Yeah, they would say that.

I never experienced that. But yeah, they would say that. But no, they used to tease me and all that stuff too. But what about when you're like young and you got four big sisters? and you try to have a little girlfriend or something. How did that go? See, there used to be stuff going on that I didn't know about that. You know, I would have somebody call, you know, call a house,

and they would get the phone call before me and, you know, my brother and all that stuff. And I would never know. I would think, you know, my baby, you ain't never called. I did call, you know. I called a lot of times, you know, I just talked to a lot of people, everybody except for you. I ran into that a little bit.

And then you got a cell phone? Then I got a little cell phone. And then I got to bring my, you know, bring my girlfriend around. You know, and they was cool. I think it's been the case. I think, you know, my first girlfriend, they've been friends with her longer than, you know. Yeah, but it's all good. It's all good.

They stay friends after the, after a breakup? Yeah, yeah. We was young, you know what I'm saying? That's tough. Is that tough? Yes. I'm not. You're on to the next thing.

Yeah, you know, your list your catalog is so good. You have a lot of projects. This is your part. You want to see it? Yeah, that's the past, though. You know, it's the past? That's the past. Really?

Yeah. You don't miss a character after it's gone? Michelle, my publicist, the other day we were talking about something and she said, you know, if you win did this, people would say, oh, look, that's Wonder Man doing that. You know, I forgot I was Wonder Man. Didn't catch the latest Roland Martin unfiltered podcast? Here's what you missed. And the argument is, do you want to win? If you don't win, you have no power.

It's real. Those are the very people who I always say, vote. against their own economic interest, and they complained about the very thing they're receiving. It's raw. I knew that the issue of transgender athletes was not going well with a lot of black men. Roland Martin unfiltered. I went off, I said, this is exactly what I'm talking about. Y'all going to scream at Chanel, but you don't want to see a black luxury company in the same vein.

Catch Roland Martin's daily commentary on the Black Information Network. 12 seats, those are moving south. So if you Democrats, you don't wait to 2030, you better be hitting the ground going hard in the South now. And download Roland Martin Unfiltered on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts. Wherever you get your podcasts. That call was really pivotal for me. Hey, it's Emily Tish Sussman, and this season on She Pivots,

the podcast where women share bold career moves and personal turning points that changed everything. I sit down with culture-shifting women who share their pivots like Paraly-Truitt. I was like, I'm a month out from a shark attack. There's no way in 11 months I'm making the Paralympics. Advocate Elizabeth Smart. I still feel that drive that I can still make a difference, so I'm going to keep going. Celebrity chef, Carla Hall. Was that scary to walk away from such a stable career after just two years?

No. I was more afraid of being unhappy than I was broke and in a dead-end job that I didn't enjoy. And feminist legend, Gloria Steinem. All of us were trying to express women's real lives. We need a meeting place of our own. And if I can contribute to that, I'd like to maintain that and leave this house for that purpose. Listen to She Pivotts on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The US Open is back.

That's right. Two weeks of incredible, exciting tennis. Some outrageous overreactions from players and some hot takes from people who have, let's It's no idea what they're talking about, but it's okay because I'm here for them and you. I'm Renee Stubbs, and on the Renee Stubbs tennis podcast, I'll be breaking down everything that happens after big matches, who's playing the best tennis, who looks like they could possibly win this tournament, the surprise runs, the heartbreaking exits and all the drama that only the U.S. Open can deliver.

Coco looking real good. Her serve looks so much smoother than it has in the past. I was really happy to see Eager back to what she looked like a couple of years ago. she was winning dominantly. Listen, I'm going to let Venus decide when she wants to retire. I'm going to let the tournaments decide when they don't want to give her a while card because she still puts bums in seats, she still sells, and people love to see her play. You always say on this show that this is the best predictor of who will do well at the O'S Open.

If this is a preview, then we are in for a treat. Listen to the Renee Stubbs Tennis Podcast on the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get you podcasts. It's everybody's favorite time of year. all over America are spending thousands of dollars at Love Shack Fancy, Kendris Scott, Lulu Lemon, and going crazy on Revolve. Is your hair perfect? Is your makeup just right? Even if your feet are killing you, it doesn't matter. Your shoes have to look good. No seriously, guys, it is time for sorority rush. Join Daisy Kent, Gia Judice and Jennifer Fessler and the sorority girls with the inside dirt. This is the only place you get the truth about sorority life because we are telling it like

it really is. Before you hit the game day and frat parties, you better listen up. Don't miss Dirty Rush every Saturday. You'll learn about the sex lives of sorority girls, confidential bid day rituals, the secrets of initiation, and we'll be live from sorority rush all over the country. Plus, we'll reveal

what frat boys really think about sorority girls. Dirty Rush is back and better than ever. Let's get dirty. Download the free Iheart radio app. Search Dirty Rush and listen now. I don't be thinking about, I don't be thinking about myself and what I do and all that. You don't get up in the morning.

You don't get up in the morning and look in the mirror. You know, no, I'm so. When you are Wonder Man though in the moment, does your real life personality change at all? Like at home, are you acting like you think you're at home? Yeah, does it seep into your like who you are and real when you're in the middle of the wall? No, but let me tell you something about Simon Williams, right? the cool thing. Simon Williams gets to do all the stuff that I don't really do. He gets to brag and he gets to be like, you know, everybody, look at me. He gets to be a superstar because

he wants to be a superstar. Yeah. You know, you should interview him sometime. Yeah. Can I do that with you? Oh, that boy. That boy's a piece of work. Let, I would love that. Yeah. Number one. Number two, uh, you're role in this movie now that's coming out. What is his name? Wayne Strider. Wayne. Wayne Strider. Strata? Strider. Strider. Strider. Yeah, Strider.

Like, you know, look, strider. Strider, yeah, got it. So in the new movie, Wayne Shrider. Uh-huh. By any means. Uh-huh. If I were interviewing him, what does he have going on? Hey, Wayne, Wayne somewhere living on stressing me street right now.

Uh-huh. You know, he's a black FBI agent and he's trying to crack a case of a murder of a civil rights leader in southern Mississippi, but he's partnering with a mom. Your whole demeanor just changed. Did it really? Yes. That's what's up in a good way or is just, subtle. Like you just went to a place.

You went, you, you tapped in. I like where I'm at right now. Yeah. Yeah, I like, I like, I like this place. Well, you tapped into him. Did I? I think so. Yeah.

Is that what happened? I don't know. Possibly. I mean, you know, you saw it. Okay. You saw it. Yeah. But no, Wayne, Wayne, well, Wayne got a lot on his plate.

Yeah. And, you know, he's a, what I like to say is he's a, he's trying to be a good man in a wicked world, you know, and he's trying to do good. He's trying to do good by doing good. But in a wicked world, it's hard to do good by doing good. So, you know, he's navigating that line of trying to figure out when to go bad. And, you know, that's, it's 1960s in Mississippi. He works for the FBI. Is this based on, on something true? Based on a true story. It is? Yeah. Real person? Not, not, not, not Wayne Strider. Wayne Strider is sort of an amalgamation of a lot of different characters. And Greg Scarper is the, is the true to life, uh, character that Mark Wahlberg plays.

So when did you wrap the movie recently? No, we rap last year. Okay, last year. So movie wraps. Yeah, it comes out September 4. Are you still holding on to that? Like, are you still walking around? No.

No, no, no, no, no, no. No, so as it goes cut it. Lou Wayne. Lou Wayne. Yeah. You find out you got bars? Uh-uh, uh-uh, uh-uh. No, you let it go, right now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fascinating. I do. Well, I can't wait to see it. How's Mark? Mark is cool. Yeah, right? Mark is real chill.

He's a golfer. Yeah, he's a golfer. I'm a golfer too. Oh, yeah? Yeah, I love it. Is that right? Oh, God, I'm obsessed. I want to get obsessed.

You know, I got my golf clubs. I'm looking for my nice little piece of lane. Have you golfed? Have you tried it? Yeah, I've tried it. To me, it's like what you explain about, I don't know, it just takes you out of whatever else. It bring you in it right now.

Right now it's the best place to be. It's the only place to be. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's the only place to be. Did you always know that? Heck no. Oh.

Heck no. How did you like that? I think at one point I knew it and then I forgot it. And then when I forgot it, it was hell. And then it's ever since then, it's been trying to figure out how to get it back. But if you're trying to get it back, you've already lost. You just got to accept it. You know what I'm saying?

You just got to accept where you are now. You see what I'm saying? Is that still a thing that you know? Heck yeah. Really? Yeah, I've been working on it this whole time. Sitting there with you. Being in the moment? Yeah. Why? What are you tempted to think about like something else you got to do later? No, I'm not sure. Which I'm doing a pretty good job. No, you're in the moment. It's great. Yeah, yeah. I know you're right. We need to all do that better. I need to do it too. But that's what golf does for me.

Is that right? Yeah. Yeah. So I know Mark has that bug too. That's what painting is for me. you do a painting. Yeah. That's one of the reasons why I really want to, you know, make sure that I go and get my, I'm looking for a home right now. So that's one of the reason why I really want to get the right place so I could do all my, do all my painting. Act and really funds my, funds my paint.

And that's what, that's what, that's what, that's what, that's, what, that's, what kind of paintings are we making? I'll show you. There's a, there's, is, is it, is, is it, is, is it, is, is, is, it's, um, but I'm, when I have ideas, I try to, um, when I have ideas, I write down my, I try to work my ideas out on pen and paper. And by the end of it, a lot of times I diagram it in a way where I don't realize that I'm making art until it's done, until the thought is articulated. You start with a thought.

I start with it. Because I never, I never set out to paint something. I'm always figuring out a thought. And then I was, but I use my pen and my, you know, my pen to write down a thought and then I end up diagramming it. And then by the end, once it makes sense, I look and I was like, oh, this is art. You know, and then I- Give me one. Tell me one thought, your favorite thought that you came up with in that process. Why, is it bad?

No, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not quite ready to share it. Okay. Yeah, but I'll show it to you offline now. I'm excited. Yeah. Yeah, it's about how, it's about everything. It's about how everything comes together. Uh-huh.

Yeah, it's deep. Okay. Yeah. All right, going into the, speaking of deep. Go deep into the IRS Bowl. Uh-oh. The legendary. I don't know if it's that legendary.

Let's see. Let's see what you gave. What's one thing you hope never changes about you? My smile. Okay. Yeah. I like my smile. I love my smile.

I've been blessed with a good one. And yeah. When you say blessed with a good one, is that like jeans? No, yeah, yeah. I mean, literally I do really like my smile. But I think it's my sense of humor is in my, is somewhere wrapped up in there. Yeah. And so you need that.

You need that, the sense of humor. I kind of want you to do two more than we're going to do your voice now. All right. All right. My one? All right. One value you think we're losing as a society. Uh-oh.

There comes. No, anybody knows it's like the appreciation for solitude and privacy. No, I think we know too many people. I think we know too many people business. And I think it's unnatural to know that many people's business, you know. So do you never fall victim to that? Of course. Yeah.

I know people's business. I know your business. You know my business? I don't know none of your business. Oh, okay. You know, we're good. I don't know none of your business. But no, I know, I put it this way.

I know more people's business than I care to. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? So then I tell myself, man, mind your business and get a life. I caught myself the other day. Yeah. Watch your Instagram. Looking at somebody.

I'm doing. watching the triangle of Blue Face and Chrison and the other baby mother. And I must have been there for like six minutes before I was like... Don't put me in the people, but I don't know these people. Why? It's good TV, though, you know?

Why have I been here? It's good. It's good. Why do I know so much? It's entertainment. Imagine that. Your life being entertainment. Boy, that's cold.

Then you got to keep it up. Especially if your life as entertainment, pay the bills. Then you got to keep an entertaining life. Shoot. Put up a live stream in my house. That a sell, actually. Would it? Now I want to know what we're going to see on the last stream. You can see it all.

All right, one more. Go ahead. Yeah, all right. What's this? If you can instantly master any skill, what would it be? The piano. Yeah, the piano. I feel like you could. I could. I couldn't do it instantly, though. Yeah. But it would be the piano.

because that would, boy, if I'm asked at the piano, y'all really never see me again, boy, once I get my house, I sit that piano somewhere outside, like somewhere under a big old willow tree or something like that, the big magnolia tree or something like that. Boy, I just set it up nice. You're just going to be trapped up in the house playing the piano. Playing the piano, singing, you know, you'll never see me again. I mean that. Well, that's terrible. No, it ain't terrible for me. Well, come outside. The people like you. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

I make the people miss me. I'm going to make it dramatic. I'm going to draw it out. You know, I'm going to look. Do they miss me yet? No, okay, no, not yet. Then I pop out, you know, give them something to see and then disappear on them again. What is your, like, North Star for all this work that you're doing and all these projects?

For you as an actor, for your, for your outside professional kind of, I don't know, connection to the outside, to people. When you can't be in your house, you're coming outside for a reason. Yeah. You're making art. You're creating. You're doing these films. Like, what is the North Star for you? I'm going to answer that the way that I hear it.

And then if I answer it incorrectly, I want you to read, I want you to redirect me back to what you're talking about. Okay. Because my North Star is to go back inside. It's to be able to go back inside so that I never have to come out unless I want to. I have that right now, right? But I wanted to be able to last all my life. That way, when I do come out, it means something.

It's special. I come out because I got something to say. I come out because I've been in their workshop and in my workshop. And then I come out and I say, hey, y'all, I got something. I got something to show. I got something for everybody to see. I'm excited about this one. This the one.

This the one. Now, I'm holding up my painting in my mind, but it could be my movie. You know what I'm saying? It could be a play. It could be a message. It could be, you know, whatever it is. I'm an artist, so I'm going to be creating something. So my North Star is to be able to do the type of work that will afford me the ability to have that type of privacy and to be able to disappear,

but also the type of work that gains the trust of my people so that when I come out with something to say that they want to know, you know. That it means something. Yeah, that they want to know what I've been, that they want to know what I've been working on. And that means that, you know, I've been giving them good, good food, you know. Who has that, in your opinion? Who is that for you? When Kendrick put out things, Kendrick Lamar put out things, I'll go and I'll listen.

I'll go check him out. With Andre 3000. You'll stop what you're doing. That's it. When Andre 3000 come out with another album? Flute or whatever. I'm not going to, I'm telling the truth. I'm going to go take a vacation.

I'm going to go take a vacation to go listen to it. I'm going to stop. That man said, hey, Ms. Donna, you run into my mama. Please tell her. I said, say something. What? I mean, for real. Yeah.

Okay. Andre 3,000. No, you don't got to go no further. That's it. I don't mean to say take Kendrick off, but when I said, Kendrick, I was searching for He's your North Star in terms of creators of people who've done what you choose, what you're striving to be in your space. I won't go that far as they all that. Yeah.

But because I'm striving to be me. You know what I'm saying? I'm saying you're trying to be him. But I'm saying he's mastered that thing in your world where when he pops out. He has that thing. But when he got something to say, people listen. Everybody listen. Everybody, everybody, like your favorite, when he got something.

something to say, they may not let everybody know, but they check it out. They get quiet and they listen because they won't see. Yeah. Because they won't see, you know. I'm trying to think what people on a big scale, on a mass scale, do that for most people. It's hard now because everything is so polarizing or fragmented. I don't know. Yeah. There's no, like when Michael Jackson came out, everybody stopped to see the meeting to stop. Everybody stopped at that. do the thing. Beyonce has that. Beyonce does.

But you got to, Jay-Z has that. Yeah. You got to disappear for that. That's the, you know, you have to, you have to disappear for that because it takes, you know, it's a luxury to be able to hear your own thoughts. The city is noisy. Not just the city, but like, you know, life is noisy these days. And so you need quiet, some quiet time in order to create, you know, I don't think God

created in a world full of chaos. You know what I mean? So I want my own little solitude so that I can hear my own thoughts and create. I needed to hear that too. I need to remind myself of that. Heck yeah. I think I need a little solitude. There we go.

Yeah, go get it. Go get it. All right. They're wrapping me up. Let's get to your. How we do? How you feel? I think you're great.

Good. You think you're amazing? You think I'm great? Yeah. Yes. Does that please you? No, that don't please me. I'm just messing around.

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I'm not sure I haven't heard it. Yo, yeah, yeah. My name is Eddie. Help a guy out. What's the workout regime? I need the detail. does down a brand of protein shakes, foods to eat, everything. Isn't creeteen? What is it? Please help me out. Workout routine.

And he said, yo, yeah, yeah, I'm coming. I'm doing my name. I know it was. I'm like, bro. You don't put some base in your voice? He said, go ahead. Eddie, you know, brother? He just wants to, you know what I mean?

Find his way. Hey, man, pick stuff up and put it down, man. That's it. That is your, that is your help. Yeah, man. Pick stuff up and put it down. Put it down. And then do it again.

And then when it get heavy, you know, and then when it get light, pick something heavier up and put it down. And put it down. Yeah, yeah, yeah, you'd be honest. That is the extent of your wellness plan, of your workout? Hey, look, that's, that's, that ain't, that ain't so easy to do it. Yeah. You know, pick stuff up, put it down, and do it again, and then do it again. Do you do that every day?

Mm-hmm. You do? Mm-mm. No. A lot of days. I do it enough. Enough. Yeah, I do.

I'll tell you that I do it enough that Eddie calling wanting to know the secret. I make myself laugh. You should. Are you disciplined, though, are you disciplined, though? Am I discipline? Yeah. Yeah, I am.

I could be, I could, and I'm always looking for more. I'm always looking for ways to be more disciplined. Yeah. And better. Yeah, better and better. My favorite question in the bowl, I will ask you this today. Yeah. Well, there's so many that I could ask you because we should have got to the bowl earlier.

Because of due to time, I'll go to my favorite. It's all good. What you got? If God were to text you right now, what would it say? If you picked up your phone right now and it was God, what would he say to you today? That terrifies me. Really? Yeah.

Why? Because it's God. People got got. got these ideas that they want to talk to God and like, you know, that God is so pleased and that God is this, this sweet, loving. Man, if God hit you up, he's hitting you up about God's agenda. You're in trouble? You feel like you'd be in trouble?

Most of us would be. If I'm telling the, like, if I'm telling the truth, if I want to play the game and be like, oh, what do I want God to say, you know, keep going, you're doing such a great job. it's going to be, I don't need to hit you up to say that. You know what I'm saying? When he gets your attention, he's getting your attention for his agenda. You see how I woke up just now? That's what I'm passionate about.

That's what I'm painting about. You know what I'm saying? That's why I'm trying to get away so I can create so I can go make my stuff to have something to say and then come out and say, boom, this is what I got, this, this, this what, excuse me, this what I got to share. You see what I'm saying? So the gifts and all the things you do, you very much connected to God.

I would want to be. Mm-hmm. You know? Yeah. Yeah. I'd be pleased with you right now in this moment. In some ways, yes. And then in some ways, no.

You know what I mean? I don't get to say so. And what I want him to say, what I want him to say don't matter. From what I want him to say don't matter. That's God. He's going to do what he want to do. You know what I'm saying? The real question.

It's like whatever he say, do I have the courage to obey it? You know, do I have the courage to listen to it? Or whatever he says, like, am I living my life in a way that positions myself for him to say something good? That's, that's really what I got to worry about because it really don't matter what I hope he say. It really don't matter what I hope he don't say nothing. I hope he stay right where he at. I hope he stay right where he at. If I'm being honest, I don't want no smoke.

Do you spend every day trying to make him happy? Trying to place him? As best as I can. Yeah. Yeah. I get that. As best as I can. We'll keep going, Yaya.

Yeah, you too. Thank you. That's Yaya in real life. This is Yaya Abdulmane. in real life. Hey guys, thanks for watching. Make sure you subscribe, like, comments, and check out all of the other episodes we have

on Angel Martinez IRO podcast. Didn't catch the latest Roland Martin unfiltered podcast? Here's what you missed. There should not be a single law enforcement agency and does not have body cameras. It's real. Black farmers have been under attack. This is just the latest example of them just slapping DEI on anything.

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