New Rory & MAL - Episode 116 | Rest In Peace, Takeoff

Episode Date: November 4, 2022

This week the guys take a moment to reflect on the life of Kirshnik Khari Ball, known professionally as Takeoff, and discuss the state of hip hop along with the beauty within the madness of the culture. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Now, everybody over here? Oh, it's one of my other favorite places. The Twilight Gazebo. Sunset Gardens, Twilight Gazebo. What's next? Dead man's grove? Mom, could you please try to be a little bit positive about this? From Kenya Barris, the visionary creator of Blackish,

comes Big Age, an audible original about finding your way in life's next chat. This audio comedy series follows a retired couple's reluctant relocation to Sunset Gardens, a Floridian senior community that is anything but relaxing. Starring Comedy Legends Jennifer Lewis, Cedric the Entertainer, and Nisi Nashvettes. Through its blend of outrageous comedy, key party anyone, and touching revelations, Big Age explores what it means to grow older without growing old at heart. Go to audible.com slash big age series to start listening today. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend.

This is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to The Away End with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts. Hey, you United Kingdomonians. You blokes and blokettes.

This is Rory. And mall. And we are coming to London's Earth Theater, November 5th. Yes. First time across the pond for me. I'm excited. Yes, I'm excited to. Not first time across the pond.

First time going across the pond and people were actually waiting to see me. Yes. First time with a work visa. Yes. We will be at the Earth Theater, November 5th in London. Looking forward to it. Hope to see you all soon. Get your tickets now.

If not. It's going to be a fucking piss fest when we get there. We're going nuts. No. I said, pale on me. I saw my nip, baby, cheer with me. The nigger that fucking I'm back don't say nothing. The n'n'n'n'n'n'n' my sleep on flea.

A knick can't spin on that paddy for leave. Bitch on my dog in my tree. Hop out the fog and leave. I put them bris in the fender. My bitch she walk around like she Chris Gemma. I used to break in the Emma. Then take I run a lot like the game of temple. Welcome to a new episode of the new Rory and Mall podcast.

I am all. I'm Rory. And we are back with a new episode for the week. Since the last time we spoke, once again, we've had a tragic monumental loss in the hip-hop culture, hip-hop community. Sadly, takeoff one of the members of the amigos, I'm pretty sure everybody's heard by now, was killed in Houston. again another tragedy only 28 years old super talented this this was one of the

one of those ones Rory that completely completely just I don't know if it's because I'm getting older and I just like feel things more but this this one really really bothered me to wake up and received the news that takeoff was killed you know and it's it's it's beyond sad. It's deeper than a sadness.

It's, um, it's scary. It's, uh, it's frightening. It's a, it's an eerie, erie energy. It's a, it's a very dark energy that seems to be hovering and entrenched in our culture that was once a beautiful, beautiful thing. And, and, you know, for the most part, still is. But it's, it's time. for a different conversation. It's time for different change. It's something has to happen

immediately. Something has to change immediately. Because this is, this is beyond, beyond, you know, what we can even like, you know, comprehend. This is, it's almost like you don't, you don't, you don't know what's going on. You don't know what's next. And I know, you know, people say, oh, you know, the lyrics and the energy that we live with and we walk around with and, you know, streets, we mix the streets with the art and the culture and whatever it is, something needs to change and something needs to happen now. Because you don't know, you know, it's almost like you sit around and you support these artists and, you know, you become fans of these artists. and you wake up and they're gone and, you know, in a tragic way. And it's, you know, I don't even understand. I can't even understand.

I'm old enough to remember what it felt like to wake up and find out that Biggie was killed. And, you know, I'm old enough to remember what it felt like hearing when Tupac passed away. And I remember that feeling. And the feeling now is almost something that's. It's, um, we don't have to sugarcoat it. It's normal. It's fucking normal. Yeah.

And it's, it's, it's like, I don't, I don't understand how we got here. I don't understand, you know, how we let it get to this. Um, you know, take off wasn't, his energy wasn't negative. His, um, his message wasn't negative. I know people will find lyrics and stuff to pick apart Amigos and say, oh, they was talking, street stuff and you know guns and this that and the third but you know it still wasn't a negative energy that you got from takeoff and just seeing interviews and and and things like that um or even the situations that we we saw publicly that he would even be put in yeah it's not like he was

out there putting himself in negative situations on a regular basis that we've seen with not just rappers just people in general and you know we were together when when nipsy had passed and I feel like so much of the energy when that was happening was nah no fucking way no way no way

when that hit the group chat whatever six o'clock in the morning I didn't have a no way feeling I had a fuck there was no like denial in it because it's become so fucking regular and a name like takeoff and the superstars that the Migos are

I felt like I should have been like nah there's no way that could have happened right I read that message and said, fuck. It wasn't that that doubt that I've had with so many of these situations

like, nah, come on, you know how the internet be doing shit. I really looked at that and was like, fuck. Fuck. Yeah, it's, whenever my phone rings at a certain time in the morning, like consecutively,

you know, I already know, I'm like, all right, let me answer it. This is the third time my phone rang in the last 10 minutes and it's not even, 9 a.m. yet. And it's like

something ain't right. And then I pick up my phone and my home boy told me what happened. And I'm like, nah, I don't believe that. I didn't believe it. I hung up and went back to sleep. I was like, that's probably just some internet. You know, something happened last night. They probably was out partying and somebody got shot and they're just saying that. And he probably

was there. You know, him and Quaver were probably there. And, you know, got up and really started like, you know, checking my text messages and making some calls and then, you know, found that at that time it was confirmed that it was true. It's, you know, it's just, it's, it's, it's beyond tragic, man, because, you know, these are young, 28 years old. My age.

Right. It, you know, Pock was 25, 26, big was 20. It's tragic. It's like, you know, is this, how long? long does this cycle last? How long does this go on? And now, you know, we wake up and it's like we just lost P&B Rock, what? A month ago? A month ago, maybe. If that. It's, it's, you know, it's probably some guys that we lost in between that. For sure. I'm not, I can't remember. And that's the problem. It's like, it's, it happens so often that you forget

some people that we lost and, you know, and in the mix of it. It's, I don't know, what, you know, it's something has to change, something has to change, man. Something has to happen, you know, and I get it. People say it's the music, it's the lyrics, and words are spells and words have meaning and the energy you put out, you get back. I understand and, you know, I agree with those things to an extent. But it still shouldn't be in our culture where it's like this, you know, actors playing movies where they're shooting things up and they're saying things. and it doesn't happen to them. You know, actors aren't gunned down.

You know, so it's something that we're doing. And we have to, I think it starts with accountability. It starts, we have to start somewhere, right? So let's start with taking accountability. What are we doing now and what have we been doing that we can stop doing to change this? You know, is it the guns? Is it everybody, you know, being in these, and it's reported that this was a private party. You know, it's a lot of, I don't want to get into that because there's a lot of stories

floating around and people saying they was there and everybody was searched except for certain people. Yeah. So it's like I don't want to get into all of that. But and I understand having security. I understand, you know, you having guys around you that are around you to protect you. So guns are around because, you know, a lot of these, you know, a lot of these artists, they walk around with so much jury on them, you know, sometimes millions, millions of dollars in jury at a time. So you got to have people around them to protect them. But let's start there. Like why do we, one, feel like we have to walk around with all of this jury on, right? Because we back to this with the whole P&B thing.

NB was robbed for his jury, ultimately killed. Why do we feel like we have to walk around with so much money, flaunting so much money, cash around people that, you know, can't afford these things, you know, aren't doing as well as you are in life? And we put ourselves in these in these areas and in these situations where we become a plate to an extent for guys that are hungry. Not saying that this was the case here, but, you know, just kind of talking about everything in our community. Like, what are we doing that we have to change? Because it's something, it's something weak.

We have to change this. Nobody's going to, you know, swoop in and save the day and all of this is going to go away. We have to be the ones to change how we move, how we, how we act, you know, the things that we say to each other, the energy that we walk around with, the egos. It has to start with us. We have to take accountability because, again, nobody is coming to save us. We have to save ourselves. We have to change ourselves.

And we have to start moving different, start talking each other different, start, you know, just a different energy because something is completely wrong with this frequency. See, something is deadly wrong with this. This is not how it's supposed to go. These guys are talented. They're making a way for their families. They're, you know, employing their friends, generating millions and millions of dollars, creating art, traveling the world, bringing people together to enjoy music and enjoy this

culture that we love called hip hop and then dying because of this culture called hip hop. Like, it just doesn't make sense to me. Like, it doesn't, you know, it doesn't make. Like we don't see, you know, other cultures and art forms dying like this. We don't see country artists dying from this. We don't see gospel artists dying like this. We don't see, you know, whatever other cultures out there. We don't see them dying at this rate, the artists from those culture,

dying at this rate so young from the hands of gun violence. There's something we have to take accountability. We have to take accountability because we can say we want change. This has to stop. We can yell us every time this happens. But the truth of the matter is it's not going to stop unless we turn it off and we make it stop. And we change what we're doing. We change how we move.

We change how we, you know, speak to each other. This has to, I don't know. I don't know where it turned and we, you know, became so deadly. But like you said, Roy, this is almost normal. Like we was just talking early and it's like at this rate who's next? Like you start to have that feeling like yo like who's next? Yeah. It felt like rinse and repeat on Instagram again.

And I was thinking the past 48 hours since it happened. Like you know, you have to think about the podcast and what you're going to say publicly. And I have nothing profound to say at this point. I have to have no solution for anything. I feel like any time we get in these situations, it's like, oh, all right, why I was dude there? His homie should have been there. All right, well, looks like in this situation, it was the homies that did it. It looks like jury had nothing to do with it this time.

Every single time we go through this, there's some way we're like, P&B shouldn't have been over there. Or, okay, they weren't even in the hood. They were at a bowling alley. Okay, yo, how come you don't have security? Okay, it's reports of security were the ones that were around. At what point every angle we go through, someone still dies. Because every situation we find, whether it be on the internet, just talking with your friends, oh, well, he shouldn't have done this.

You got to move this way. You got to move this way. But in every situation, trouble was just in his crib or in Shorty's crib. Home invasion. Like any situation you're put in, even if you move the way the other person didn't move, it feels like people are dying. Yeah. So that's, I have no solution. I have no fucking idea.

Nor do I even know if it's my place to even talk about it. I just don't know what to do at that point. You could do everything right. Every last thing right. And still it can happen. Yeah, it's, well, you know, let's slow down for us. First of all, prayers and condolences to the family of Kersnikari Ball. Yes.

Known professionally as takeoff. You know, prayers to Cuevo. prayers the offset. It's just it's just sad, man. And like I said, I don't know if it's because I'm getting older. Like, these things really hit me differently the old I get. I never met takeoff.

But it still didn't stop, you know, hearing the news, it still didn't stop it from affecting me and bothering me and hurting me and, you know, getting choked up. and, you know, even crying, you know what I mean? Only because it's like 28 years old. You know, I think about when I was 28. And, you know, anytime, you know, I see somebody from our culture die from gun violence. You know, I lost a brother from gun violence.

So that, it opens that wound again for me. And I know what the family is feeling. You know, it's, and it's like, again, these are our, the guys that we listen to, entertain us and, you know, get us in a good move when we're going, you know, to party or going to, to work out or just being around family and friends and, you know, and it's like to see, see a young, a young man go like this, especially when it looks and seems like it wasn't meant for him. It's just a tragedy.

This is some, this is a tragic, a tragic, a tragic. tragic situation, man. And it's sad, man. And it hurts. It's going to hurt for a while because, again, you just never got a negative energy of negative vibe from takeoff. No, not at all. Very soft-spoken, very mild-manned.

I look like he minded his business all the time. Yeah. And it just, you know, from what I know, like I said, I never met him. But just from the outside looking in very mild-manated, very laid-back. You know, and it just. It appears since we talk about when sometimes this happens, oh, look at the energy that was put out that you have brought up. Yeah. It appeared the energy that he put out is if you have a problem with takeoff, you're the problem.

Like he doesn't look like he bothers nobody. He minds his business. He chills. He makes his music and keeps it pushing. That's the energy that I felt he had been given off for the past decade. And I don't know if it's just like the Irish funeral in me. Every single time someone does pass, I'm like, oh, let's try to celebrate them and, focused on their life rather than their death and

everything. It made me more sad. Look what this kid. This kid. He's 28 years old. That's still a kid. I know the internet gets mad when we say kid. That's still a kid at the end of the day. Think someone in their 20s is still a kid.

Look what he has accomplished. Amigos change hip-hop. Absolutely. This is a staple in rap history forever. They changed how any flow is even presented, right? Like, this is not just like just another

would quote unquote rapper pass. Like this was a living icon at the time. We have talked about the Migos already solidifying their space in hip hop history. 28 years old. I got more pissed off when I'm thinking to myself, oh, look at all the great shit he accomplished. It was 28.

There's more shit he could have done. Yeah, and that's what it is. It's like, his story ends here. Like, that's it. And, you know, it's... You changed a genre. that's the number one genre in the world at 20 what three maybe is when Migos younger than that 2013 yeah so he was 20 19 had changed how we how we even go about this

artistry and it stops at 28 yeah it's it's um it's sad man and and and it hurts like i said uh you know I really, this really bothered me, really hurt me because it was just, it just, it, although it has, you know, and it's, it's sad to say that it has become such a normal feeling to feel like you wake up and you get this news about, you know, an artist from my culture passing due to gun violence and things like that, it still, it still hurts though. You know what I mean? It still hurts just to, you know, one minute you with your friend. and family having a good time and then moments later you're just gone and you know that's i can never get used to that um i will never get used to that and um you know just somebody that is old enough to remember you know what hip hop felt like in the 90s and you know it's the feeling now is something totally different it seems like it's just it's just it's a totally different feeling

around hip hop and rap. It's just, it's a total different energy. It's a total. And again, calling me getting older, I agree when I hear a lot of people sit down and talk about this same thing. I agree that it is the music. I agree that it is, you know, the lyrics. It is the energy because it's just a different,

it's a whole different thing now with this, with this music. It's, you know, it's just like, I don't, I can't explain it. And, you know, on one hand, it's frustrating because I'm happy that a lot of these young kids and, you know, these guys find a way to create and, you know, make money legally and support their families and, you know, make a better way for themselves. But at what cost, like, your life? You know what I mean? Like, I just can't, I don't, I can't make that deal. You know, I'm not going to, I don't, I'd rather, you know, these young guys get a job, go to school and, you know, not be celebrities and not make all this money if it means, you know, you're going to be going before you. 30 because of the music you're making and the energy that you're moving around with and,

you know, the situations that you put yourself in. I'd rather just see these young, young cats just find another way if it means that we're going to keep losing these guys. So, like, I just can't, I can't, I can't support that. And it's hard because on one hand, like I said, I love the fact that these young dudes found a way and are creating their own way and expressing themselves and able to, you know, monetize that and support themselves and support that. I love that.

But not at the cost of your life, though, not at the cost of us waking up and getting the news that, you know, somebody was killed and somebody was, you know, I just can't make that trade. And I feel you. We've all been critical of certain type of drill music, certain social media beefs that are not social media. I think this is what probably fucked me up even more about this. takeoff thing is

what did he do wrong? He doesn't do the op music. We've seen so many rappers unfortunately die in their hood. It's not like he was back hanging on his corner when he was a superstar and shouldn't have been doing it because I've seen people be critical of rappers doing that. But he was with the people

and I'm not going to get into any politics shit on nothing but let's just go through the checklist of what social media does every time a rapper dies. He wasn't doing. in the op back and forth shit on his songs. He checked in with the people that he was supposed to check in with

in the city that he was in. He was with them. He was not back in his neighborhood hanging with the people he probably shouldn't be hanging with and he, this was not over jewelry. He was not just talking shit, yo look at me,

what type of shit? What did this guy do wrong? Because I feel you everything that you said, I agree. Things need to change. It just hurts me so much that I don't think he did anything wrong. But see, I'll go deeper than that.

Why we got to check in with somebody? I'm a civilian. I'm not going to really get into that, but we can have the conversation. I'm just asking, like, why if I'm an entertainer, right? If I'm an entertainer, you know, why do I have to, and it's just right, like, Kobe ain't have to check in with the streets when he came to the garden to play basketball?

Different culture, but yeah, I see what you're. you say it's basketball that's part of the culture that's what that's from the streets yeah but it's i like again i'm probably not the person that should be talking about it but it's definitely viewed differently but that's my point why is it just rap why is it and on top of that i feel like there are basketball players that if you want to go out in certain nightlife or certain spots you do got to check into some degree but why to go play at the garden no but no but why that's see we got to get to that Why does a grown man that's making a living getting paid entertaining people entertaining people creating music creating art performing somewhere bringing people together

to have a good time listen to music dance uh you know whatever why does that person have to like why does that person have to check in like and that's only in our culture yeah golf Brooks ain't got a check in with nobody when he go to Nashville or he go to wherever California, he ain't got a check in with nobody to when he get to the city? Why is it just in hip-hop? Why is it just in our code? Like, who made that when did that become like, yo, you got to check in?

Like, for what? Well, let me ask you this. I'm here to entertain the people. This question. Do you want to move as far as what reality is or what it should be? Because do I think P&B Rock should be able to walk into a restaurant with the jewelry on? Of course, I think he should. But I do. know the reality of the world and it doesn't work that way.

Do I think somebody should be able to just go to a city and perform, make their money and be out safely? Of course, but I do know the little bit that I know that can't happen sometimes. Yeah, but that's what we see. Those are the conversations that we got to sit down and have. We'll sit down and talk about everything else except for the shit that doesn't make sense. Like, why does an entertainer that's coming here to entertain and make people feel good and, and, you know, perform music and bring people together for a good time?

Why does that person have to check in and all this other shit? Like, like, why? Like, I'm not here to, you know, harm nobody. I'm not here to take from nobody. I'm not here to disrespect nobody. Like, so I just don't understand when that. It's like, why do we put. We put shit in the culture that completely has changed the culture.

Like we put little little things in the pot. And it's like now it's a whole different thing though. Like why does that, we got to have those conversations like because to me that's, that's it really boils down to it's almost almost a ego thing. It's like ego, you'll check in, do this, do that. And it's like, bro, do we talking about grown men here though. You understand what I'm saying? I'll tell you. Like why?

I'm here to entertain, bro. I'm not here to disrespect nobody. I'm not here to, you know, take nothing from the community. You know, these are people that support me. Obviously, is why I'm here. They want to see me. They want to, you know, come out, have a good time. I just don't understand when it became that.

We started putting that in the pot. And that's what I'm saying is we got to look at, again, accountability. We got to look at the things that we've done to the culture and the art. that have turned it into something deadly and turned it into something different. And we got to start removing those things and get it back to what it is. It's an art form. It's an expression. You know what I mean?

It's like it's entertainment. It's like, hey, I'm really good at putting words again. I'm really good at making music. Can I come and perform this for y'all? Does it come out have a good time? Let's gather together at the park, have a festival. Let's gather at, you know, the arena. Let's whatever and have a good night.

Everybody get home safe. That's what I mean. know, get off state, everybody can home safe. It's like, that's what it's supposed to be. Let's have a good time and then everybody go their separate way. Like, it's just we add, and over the years, it's like we've added too many things into the pot into the culture that have turned it into an entirely different thing and it's become something, it's become a recipe for disaster.

It's become deadly. It's become tragedy. It's become a lot of things other than what it's intended and what it was supposed to be from the jump. And we got to get back to that. We got to, you know, it's a lot of distrust. respecting the coach. It's a lot of egos. It's a lot of just negative energy. It's just, it's a whole lot of things that we got to sit down and have these conversations about because I'm telling you, we're going to wake up one day and it's going to become something where it's

like, bro, this is something, and I think it's aware already at that point. This is something beyond, beyond trauma. This is something beyond. Like, there are a lot of people that are never going to be the same after losing takeoff. Never. Quabo specifically. Like take it from somebody that has lost a brother to gun violence. I know what it does to the family. I know what it does. It's never, life is never the same. You never trust people the way you should. You look at everybody differently. You become cold-hearted. You become numb to a lot of things. And we're not supposed to be walking around like that. So we got to get to somewhere where we all sit down and come together.

And, you know, I know it's easier said than done. But it has to happen. I mean, that was the question of how does that happen? Not that I would have accountability or even expect anyone to have that answer. It comes from accountability. People got to understand what they're doing and say, you know what, I'm not doing that no more. I'm done with that. I'm not walking around with that energy.

I'm not approaching dudes in my coach. I'm not approaching dudes that look like me with this energy. I'm not approaching, you know, I'm not putting the bullshit into the game. Like, I'm done with that because I'm telling you, bro, this is something that it's supposed to be beautiful. It's supposed to be fun. It's supposed to be a great time. You know, these dudes are making more money than, you know, some people will ever see in their lifetime, taking care of their families and, you know, traveling the world and, you know, experiencing different cultures.

and art and things like that. And then you, you die before 30? Like, that's not, that's not a, bro, that's not, that's not, that's not, that's not what this, this, this, this, this, this, this is intended to be. That's not what this is, man. We've, we've gotten so far away from what this was supposed to be and what this is. And again, you know, waking up and losing, losing our, our kings and, you know, the guys that we, we support and we love and we, we celebrate losing them like this. This is, this is tragic, man. Do you think, and again, this isn't just takeoff specific, but to the check-in point,

do you think there is a positive way to go about that and change? I don't know if it was Uncle Luke. I forgot who it was that had said, hey, everyone can't just come to Miami and just go to our clubs, fuck with the women, make money, and not help the community at the same time. It wasn't a check-in, like, yo, you won't get robbed type of shit. But it was a, hey, if you're going to come make money, enjoy. You know, the resources of this beautiful city give something back. Yeah, I'm not mad at that.

I think a lot of that would do well if the community watched a lot of, and this is not takeoff specific because I don't think that has anything to do with what happened. But I don't know if maybe that's a solution where that things change as far as what you do in those cities. When you come and perform and make money there as far as giving back. I'm not mad at giving back. I'm not mad at that. I'm not mad at, you know, artists coming to a city and giving back. Because that's a nice checking.

That's different than extortion. No, yeah. That's what I'm saying. That's not paying for protection. A lot of people can't afford. Sometimes people can't afford to come to the garden and see you. Yeah. You know what I mean?

So I'm not mad at artists finding a way to give back. But even in that, let it just change the energy. Like don't, you know, it ain't got to be your check in. It's like, because now, you know, as a man, you take offense to that. And now you're on defense. Of course. everybody's on edge. You know, my homeboy, he got a gun, he got his hand on the gun.

He got it. And it's like already the energy has turned into something different. We already at something different already. Before I even get to the city, the energy is completely different now. And even with that, like, yeah, you could change the entire structure of everything. You have to account for impulse. You could have everyone put the greatest structure ever in every single city, every single artist, every single person in the community.

you still have to factor in somebody being drunk, somebody being upset, somebody already having trauma for something else that triggers them to even want to be more in the moment with that impulse.

Because I, again, just from the videos we've seen, I know nothing that happened here. A lot of that look like impulse to me. Happened just like that. You don't really have time to think about shit. So you could put every, that's why I also really have nothing good

or profound or things to change here. Because I just watched the situation where it looked like a bunch of people just had crazy impulse. I don't know how you change that. And again, just to go for what you're saying, we only just saw that video. We don't know what led up to that. For sure.

We don't know how that night went. We don't know what happened prior to that clip we saw. Yeah, of course not. And a lot of this conversation is not all takeoff specific. It's just everything that's been happening. It's just a culmination of just waking up to news that we lost. another artist that we love and we support and that, you know, we listen to and we champion. And that's the thing here.

Like we keep this. It's like you said, it's a cycle. And how does this cycle end? We have to do something because it seems like for whatever reason, every time we end up here, it's the same. I said, I don't know how many months ago, maybe a year and a half ago, two years ago, this ain't going to be the last. Yeah. This is not going to be the last one. Yeah.

We're going to be right back to it. And that's what I'm saying. The fact that I say that and I know that it's true, it won't be the last, is a problem. This is a problem. We should be able to stop this immediately because we have the control. We got to take accountability. I love my, I love my culture. I'm from the streets.

I grew up in one of the most dangerous hoods uptown. I've seen shit from a young age that, which is why it deterred me. And I said, bro, if that's the end result, I'm cool. No, I'm not playing that game because you just know, like, I know how that goes, bro. I'm not trying to be that. So it's like now we have to look at hip hop that way. Like, I'm not going to deal with that because I know how that ends. Like, that's insane, bro.

Like, that is insane. Like, it should not be that way, man. And, you know, again, I know, unfortunately the pain of losing a family member to gun violence. So, you know, our deepest prayers and condolences to the family, close friends. Do you guys mind if I add something on real quick? Of course. There's this thing that's been way to normalize outside of just sadly, rappers dying almost monthly. That's part of the culture, but it's within social media.

And that's people just constantly sharing the violence. And I mean that in a sense of like the actual visuals. Yeah. The photos. The videos of the bodies. Again, I think that that's a result of people becoming numb to it. I think that's a result of people becoming like this is a normal thing. I feel like this is what I'm supposed to do when this happens.

Yeah. Because this is what happens when this happens. I feel like people don't understand how much that really fucks with their subconscious though. Oh, absolutely. That really like seeing visuals. That's, I mean, Gracefield, I didn't see that at 6th of the morning. I saw the news at 6th the morning, but not until like an hour later, that came up on my feeding me. That's not something I should be seen at 7.

We're not supposed to see that. And we don't understand the imagery and how imagery changes us and it affects us. We don't understand that. But it does. Seeing a lifeless body like that. Yeah. Seeing somebody bleeding out like that. You know, seeing a grown man breaking down, crying, screaming.

That those things, those images, you do. can't erase from your mental. Like once you see it, you can't unsee it. And then now, like I said, you walk around and you look at people differently because you see how, you know, people will act if your body is laying there. Like, you're going to just record me bleeding out. So now I'm looking at people like, you wouldn't even, you wouldn't even try. Your first thought would be to record my lifeless body.

So now my family will see my lifeless body and see me dying. You would, you are you one of those people that would actually do that? So just now your energy with people becomes different. You know what I mean? And it's like, and it changes you because now you become cold and standoffice. You don't want to let people close to you and you don't want to let. And then that trickles into, you know, intimate relationships with women and things like that. And you become cold and certain just like love because you're like, man, get out.

You don't really like, I see how people act when, you know, I know what you'll probably do if this happens. We don't understand how that changes us and that affects us mentally. And that's why I'm saying is. it's at a dangerous, dangerous point now because, again, this is becoming, it's scary that this is becoming normal. I mean, what, I don't know how much we'll ever be able to change the timeline, quote unquote, as far as like people sharing that. Because that's just a different monster. Right. I think it's sicker when these platforms, these large, large platforms, not only share the video, but when you click the link,

it was a Geico ad before. It was a Geico ad when I had clicked not even knowing video of him passing away just clicking like oh take off has passed away I clicked the link the first thing that popped up was a Geico ad

to then which I exited out immediately once I saw I couldn't even I just saw legs I was like I can't watch this and I'm not better than nobody is just my own personal gut and what I can take. I'm not on a moral high ground of anyone else. Same, yeah. But I could not get out of my head that I had,

I waited 25 seconds and watched a Geico ad before I watched a dead body. And see, and this goes to, I'm never, like, those fucking Twitter accounts with no Avi sharing that shit, I don't think there's ever going to be a solution. That's the internet, that's going to exist for fucking ever. this isn't even a shot at Geico

because I'm sure Geico just told that site hey we're going to give you some money we want to and that Geico ad just happened to end up like your mind it's really being monetized and you know what's crazy I don't know if I sound like a hypocrite right now because we're talking about a death

and we're monetizing right now again there's going to be an ad on this YouTube shit and I don't know how to feel that's why I'm not on a better or higher moral high ground than anyone I'm somebody that's really trying to figure this shit out and starting to realize

that any time this shit happens, it's going to get the biggest clicks, and I'm going to make some money. It makes me not even want to fucking talk about this shit. Right. But then you're wrong. Like, I almost was sitting there like, I don't want to talk.

After that Geico ad, that shit sat with me for two days. I was like, damn, I was more, I was thinking about calling you and being like, how would we look if we didn't talk about takeoff? Because I make money off this podcast. The fuck, this.

And even, And even, of course, we all agree. Like, it's sick that all these platforms keep posting this shit. I feel like that's become a new way to get views too. It's starting to be like, yo, everyone stops sharing the shit. Now you look like the cool fucking moral person. Right. Yeah. But listen, I'm being a hypocrite right now.

We'll make money off this shit. I just don't know how much longer I can, like, take it. It's, um. But that's, the world goes around that way, I guess. Yeah. I'm not going to stop watching the news. Right. Do I blame the news?

I don't know. Everyone has, I feel like on the internet has taken the stand even though they're hypocrites. I'm telling you guys now, I don't know. It feels fucked up the more it happens to me. And that was, you know, I'm glad you said that because that is something that I thought about. Like, I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to, you know, seem like it was the thing to do to just jump on it and know that people would want to listen and hear. But again, man, it's

And, you know, I just, I just, I'm just trying to put the word out. Yeah. To our listeners and our support is like, we have to do something in our communities. We have to take accountability. We control everything. We control it. If we remove these egos and change these frequencies that we walk around with, change how we just talk to each other, change how we just treat each other.

It has to start somewhere. And I'm just offering what I believe is just my just good heart like, yo, bro, we have to change something because this, this is going way, way further than I think anybody has anticipated. And again, it's like you said, you know, now you're monetizing off of showing a lifeless body, you know, or talking about a lifeless body or paying respects to a lifeless body. And I mean, I just don't, you know what I mean? I don't have all the answers. I'm not the smartest man in the world. I see both sides. Right.

I do see both sides. I'm not one of those people that anytime someone passes and they even do like the flashback clip and all that where I'm like, fuck you. I do think some people legitimately just do that for modicization. They really take advantage of that. But, I mean, you did make me feel better how you started this pod and everything you were talking about and obviously coming from experience of losing a loved one that way. I just the whole day before y'all came here I was like what can I tell the listeners that they don't one already know and there's going to be no one listening to me and my report of this or my point of view that's going to stop what they were about to do or look at shit different like oh if the rory told me that so maybe gun violence should stop like I just know that that's not true so I felt like I couldn't even take the grounds of what I'm just trying to say positive things now for the listening.

I think they're not going to look at me and be like, well, we're not going to have any gun violence because Rory said it. Like, I think you're just, you're one more voice, you know, and I think you're an important voice as long as well as you all. Both of you are very important voices. And to hear these important voices, you know, take a second to acknowledge the wrong that went on and the reality. And I guess even the hypocritical, like, moments. it normalizes the fact that we could talk about this, look into it, and move on for the better. But, okay, I feel you, that sounds good.

Maul, how many of these conversations have we have? Too many. Has anything fucking changed? And this is what I'm saying. I've said it two years ago that it wasn't going to be the last when we were talking about whoever passed away at that moment. I said, this is not going to be the last. as unfortunate, but it's real and it's honest.

And here we are two years later. And I'm saying it again, this won't unfortunately, tragically, this will not be the last time that we wake up to this type of news. And again, man, something has to change, man. I've seen the things that we've taken and have made change to. I've seen it. So I believe that we can take this problem of us waking up to this tragic reality of losing, you know, these artists at such young ages from our communities, from our inner cities, from, you know, I'm from New York. But when I say our communities, being from New York City and being from Atlanta, I know how they live.

We live the same in New York City. I'm not from, I'm not from Atlanta, Georgia. But I can tell once I get there and I see, I'm like, oh yeah. I don't know how this is. Eight cousins in one house. I know what that's about. You know, slept in a bed, one bed with your brother. I know what that's about.

I'm not from the city, but we're the same. So we have to, we can change this thing. I know we can. I know we can change this thing. I just don't know if as many people care enough to change it. And that's the scary part. I don't know if it bothers and affects as many people. people as it did me. I never met, I never met a lot of these dudes that we've lost. Never met

them. But waking up and hearing that we lost them and how we lost them, it still affects me. It still hurt. Because I'm like, damn, like, we're from the same culture. You know what saying? We from the same inner cities. We from the same upbringing. You know what I mean? So it, and I'm human. You know what I mean? I have emo. I have feelings. Like, I feel that. Especially, like I said, a lot of these kids are 28, 27, 26. I'm like, damn, I'm thinking about if that was me. If my story ended at 28, it's crazy. I can only imagine, you know what I mean? It's just, again, the family is what I think about because I know, unfortunately, what this feeling is. I've been through. I still go through every day. I feel it. And moments like

this, it just makes you relive it. And all I can do is offer. prayers and condolences and healing and strength to the family because I know the road that's ahead. I know the emotions that lie ahead. I know the uncertainties that lie ahead. I know how you just wake up after this and become a different person and don't even realize how it changed you. You know what I mean? Like you're like, damn, I don't even remember feeling like this. I don't even remember the last time I felt like this. So I was really like, you know, happy and smiled and really trusted somebody. Like, I know how. how this is going to affect the family.

And it's unfortunate because, you know, it won't be the last. And that's the problem. And something just has to, something has to change, man. Something has, because this is not how we're supposed to go. I'm not a believer that, yes, I know everything happens for a reason. I know things that, but I believe that we can change the reasons. I believe that we have that control and that power to change why these things happen and how these things happen and how it goes.

Like, it's just, this is not it. This is not it. And I hate, you know, I, I love my culture. I love my people. I love being from the inner city. I love being from the struggle. I love being from the ghetto. I love being from the hood.

But, you know, we got to change our mentality. We got to change our energy. We got to change the way we interact and deal with each other and the way we treat each other. This shit has to change. I'm not sitting down waiting for some mythical person to come in and feel. fix every like we have to fix this we have to change this we've changed a lot of other things we've you know generated billions of dollars for other things we need to make the change in ourselves in our communities so that we can walk around with a different energy respect each other love

each other embrace each other help each other you know like this is you know this is just this is sad man it's sad and unfortunately it won't be the last yeah prayers To the family. Prays to the family. Offset as well. Prayers to quality control. Yeah. You know, it's...

P&K. It's going to take a while, man. It's going to take, you know, it's a lot of healing. I don't know where offset and take off were relationship-wise that, you know, everything is all fucking rumors. It was okay, that they were cool. Again, I don't know. And it's not our business to begin with. Even how the three of them handled that entire thing.

We all came on here and said we admired how quiet they were about it. Like, hey, two of us is going this way. They're family. At the end of the day, they're family and things happen with family. But either way, they could have been on great terms. It's still a tragedy. It's still crazy. And I know he's feeling it even more because, you know, the three of them move together everywhere.

And obviously take off in Enquivo. to do this this press run which no matter what whether your family or not a press run will keep y'all together for a month straight seeing each other right um and obviously we didn't see offset with them there so uh that last month of his life it's unfortunate that that offset wasn't around for that so i i'm sure as someone that has been at odds with a best friend when they passed it's it's a really really shitty feeling yeah it's and that's unfortunate that that's I know what that feels like. Yeah.

And it's not a good feeling at all. Like it really sucks. Life is fragile. Life is beautiful. So let's cherish it, man. Unless, you know, if you can, you know, put things, put the, put the frivolous bullshit to the side. You know, get past whatever is lingering.

Have those conversations. and if you know you can't come to a point of respect and you know love then you know sometimes you just have to leave it there and just hope that you know one day it it mends itself but um again man blessings to the family of kersnick kari ball um prayers healing strength guidance love um Yeah, and, you know, from my heart, it just goes out to the family because, again, I know, I know, I know what this pain is. And it's not easy. It's not going to be easy. I'm not going to sit here.

It's not going to be easy. It's going to hurt. It's going to always hurt. But again, just pray. Pray and move forward as best you can. Mourn. cry, grieve, you know, do whatever it is that you have to do. But just always, you know, keep love in your heart and keep God first.

Keep praying. And one day you'll look up and say, oh, I didn't cry today. You know what I mean? Like life happens. It's funny like that with these things. You look at one day and be like, oh, I haven't cried in two days. And, you know, it'll get better. It's going to hurt forever.

It's going to hurt forever. So peace, love and light to the family and to take off. Thank you. Thank you for coming our way. Thank you for sharing your art with us. Grateful to have your words and your voice and your music forever. And rest peacefully, man. Rest peacefully.

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