No Jumper - Smoke DZA On Smokers Club Festival, Friendship With Wiz Khalifa, Wu-Tang, and More!

Episode Date: May 26, 2023

Smoke DZA is back on the program with Sharp this time, to update us on his career longevity, staying consistent, his business ventures, ----- 00:00 Intro 00:05 Smoke DZA on being a homebody and only going out for a purpose 1:25 Smoke DZA and Sharp talk about the Lakers performance in the Playoffs 4:15 Being a Harlem Native, being born into battle rap, and battling Immortal Technique 6:40 Working with Sean Kingston, Nipsey Hussle, Kendrick Lamar and more 11:35 Getting rap money by 22 years old and Smoke DZA drops advice to young artists 16:35 Wu-Tang Clan, their legendary legacy, and young kids keeping it alive 19:25 Starting Smokers Club Brand and Festival at SXSW with Currensy, Big Krit, and more 22:25 Juggling a career with personal life as Smoke DZA and giving back to the community 28:40 Winning an award for smoking w**** from New York after being charged with cannabis charges 31:30 Getting embraced by Busta Rhymes and going through personal hardship 35:15 Mixing average fashion with high fashion, working with The Diplomats, and leaving battle rap 38:15 The Personal Party Podcast, the podcast game, and how important creating content is 42:30 Album roll out, "being outside with a purpose", and what's to come from Smoke DZA 47:35 Packing out shows, friendship with Wiz Khalifa for over 10 years ----- NO JUMPER PATREON http://www.patreon.com/nojumper CHECK OUT OUR NEW SPOTIFY PLAYLIST https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5te... FOLLOW US ON SNAPCHAT FOR THE LATEST NEWS & UPDATES https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... CHECK OUT OUR ONLINE STORE!!! http://www.nojumper.com/ Follow us on SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ENxb4B... iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/n... Follow us on Social Media: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/No_... http://www.twitter.com/nojumper http://www.instagram.com/nojumper https://www.facebook.com/NOJUMPEROFFI... http://www.reddit.com/r/nojumper JOIN THE DISCORD: https://discord.gg/Q3XPfBm Follow Adam22: https://www.tiktok.com/@adam22 http://www.twitter.com/adam22 http://www.instagram.com/adam22 adam22hoe on Snapchat Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Sharp Tank. No jumper. Sharpest, coolest podcast in the world. And today, I got a real smooth, clean collective brother by the name of Smoke Dizzy in the building with me today, man. What's going on with my guy, man? I see you over there rolling you up one, man. Come on, shop.

I'm in the Sharp Tank, you know what I mean? Breakfast of Champion is going on, the Ace Flowing. You know what I mean? The Good Cronin going. You said you got the Aces Flores now. The ace flowing, you know what I mean? It's a beautiful day. Trying to have me a light Friday.

Why not? Keeping light. This is Friday, right? Mm-hmm, it is. Man, you had just hopped off the flight. Just hopped off the flight, six-hour flight from New York. Yeah. Amazing.

Stood up the whole night. What did you get into last night? Can I get a preview of what it happened before all that? At this point of time in my life, I'm not like a, Now I'd be like, I'm outside. I'm definitely inside. Definitely not outside. I'm going to be honest with you.

As much as I love being outside, I like being outside. This is like, man, these days you can't be out like that. You've got to pick and choose when you touch down and when you step out. You got to go out for a purpose. Yeah. And last night I had no purpose. My only purpose was getting my bags ready to come to the West. Yeah.

So I watched Bronner and them play. I was pissed off. I was pissed off. You know what I mean? I am a LeBron fan, therefore I am going for the Lakers, even though I am a Nick fan, but I'm going for the Lakers. And I'm a sports better. Get Julius Randall out of you.

Yeah. Get Julius Randall out of you. And I fuck with Jules, man, but I hate his body language, but he came from y'all, so you know the struggle. Oh, yeah. Right? Which I had a young Julius. Now we got a more prime Julius Randall,

but his body language on the other side of the floor when shit ain't going right for. is really troubling and just kills the whole morale of the viewers and the fans like me and I'm sure of his teammates. And that's what I was going to say. I'm like, I think like once he starts doing bad, that shit ons itself to the entire team.

Because he starts soaking. He don't want to get back to defense. He bitching at the rats. He's got to understand. He's got a bigger job than just putting the basketball in the net. You know what I'm saying? You got a bigger job over there, bro. You got a bigger role that you play

more than just stepping on the court and just playing basketball, man. People are looking, there's young guys over there, man. Like, they're looking to you as a leader, like, hey, you've been here before, show us how to act. Even if you don't win a championship, show us how to have a championship mentality.

You know what I'm saying? You play with Kobe. You play with people, and he's been around people that have won championship. So I'm sure they've talked to him and giving him the game. Facts. In basketball, like, like,

these already won rings. They'd be like, here, man, I'll get you the sauce. I get a formula. They already. They already did it. Man. I mean, they just passing them. And, you know, the NBA is a brotherhood.

So at the end of the day, they all want each other to win. Yeah. But it's what it is. And then, you know, to top my night off, I was really angry because I'm sports better also. Yeah. And I took the Joker for 25. Is that why you come to the West Coast? Is that why you come to West Coast come gamble?

Nah, because I'm a fan-dued nigger, right? So y'all ain't got fan-due yet. But I'm going to fuck with the Drive Kings while I'm here. Yeah. But, you know, I took the Joker for 25, the nigger ended that 20-year. they didn't give him the ball to hold a whole maybe like seven minutes of the fourth court I was pissed it's a very nice parley and let Murray go off Murray went off and everything hit why does he always and I love the dude to death

Jamal Murray's a hell of a basketball player but I always notice bro like when they go to talk to him he's always like like he's hurt like he just like went and faced the I cut the inner bro I saw that like I know he did it last last I cut it off when he did the post-game interview. I was so mad. Bro. Because I'm like, yo, boy, you just took, like, five possessions. You know what I mean?

To get fouled. You got eight points of garbage minutes. Right. Of niggas fouling you when you could have passed it to the Joker. You was openly going to inbound and get the ball from the inbound. You know what I mean? So, but shout out to Jamal Murray. Shout out to Jamal Murray, man.

I love him. So you are a Arlem native, correct? Born and raised. Born and raised. Born and raised. Tell us about your error a little bit, man. man, the era you came up in and what helped bring

smoke dizzet to life. Well, the era I grew up in, I would say I was spawned from Battle Rap, from the Battle Rap era before it got commercial. Battle rap's a real greasy sport. Right.

It's probably, it's very technical. I got the utmost respect for those guys because what they do is some real out-of-body phenomenal shit. I came from the era of that before the cameras existed. I think everybody from New York around the era of, I want to say, 2000 to 2005 coming up around that time, right?

You had to have some type of pedigree of battle rap. You had to be able to stand in front of somebody else that was dope and spit your shit. Right. I came from that. It takes guts. It takes guts. It takes confidence. You know what I mean?

And then from that, you know, I was always, I was always interested in getting into the studio and making structured music. And I met my brother Johnny Shipes from... Yeah, shout out Johnny Shipes. Shout out Shipes. I met Shipes from battling. I was doing this battle that he was, I guess,

putting together called Slam from the Streets. And it was a fusion of, battle rap and 1 mixtape basketball Did y'all keep this New York base at the time? It was New York. It was New York base.

I made it to the finals and I battled Emoto Technique. Shout out to Mortal Technique, my guy. I think there's some footage of that flowing on the internet and shit too. All that stuff gets pumped back up to take now. Once the internet came, people take those videos and however.

This is pre-internet. Right. Right. So, my book could probably add just a camcorder out there, man, catching from the side. Exactly. There wasn't no phone camera.

And it wasn't even yours. Somebody just brought it. It was just somebody that was just documenting shit that was smart enough to know that content is king. And yeah, from then, you know, me and Shipes, we just, we really, you know, learned this shit together. And came up and I started to write for high tech, the producer high tech. Shout out. That's live. Yeah.

Did some shit for him on his eye. him hot technology to at that time. And then that situation spawned into me doing some work with Sean Kingston, which... Look for Sean Kingston, man. And it seems like he don't... You don't even hear, like, music per se from him anymore,

but that boy is bawling. I mean... That little motherfucker made some good, like... He made some money. He made some fucking bread. Because he made his records. Yeah, yeah. He got hit records, and I'm pretty sure

he's still, you know, streaming really, really well right now. Still making those hit records in the space that he's in. It seemed like he went more global with it. Like that's where he went to aid at. He wasn't just... He started global. Beautiful girls.

Beautiful girls was a global record. Yeah, I remember that joint. I remember that joint. And on that first album, I worked on about four or five records on that album. And that was a time where I was living in L.A. this is around like 06 07

um nipsy hustle great friend of mine God bless you know we were all a part of the same conglomerate cinematic

around that time so I spent a lot of time around him and um you know I just continue to do my shit just you say you've been coming out here for a while been coming out here for a long time

yeah so I'm sure you definitely created some relationships with a few people. For sure, for sure. Nipsey also being one of them. For sure. Shit, all the TD, those are all my guys. Yeah, shout on TV, man.

Yeah, schoolboy Q in them. Jay Rock. Shout out of the little bad. It's my boy Smack, man. You know what I'm saying? I'd be fucking with Smack. That's my dude. MacWap, that's my brother.

Fucking Dom Kennedy. Don Kennedy. I like Dom Kennedy. That's my brother right there. That's one of my favorite emcees right there, man. He was cool on that. that double up joint. Dom go hard, man.

He was cool. I liked this verse on there, oh, me. Dom go hard. You know, shit, I even, I fuck with all the O-F guys, all our future guys,

you know, shout out Tyler, Dahmo, left brain, hiding. I'm a creator. You know? I like him.

I don't know if he's trolling majority of the time when he does certain shit. I mean, he's obviously smart, man. He's a genius in the plays that he makes, man. Like from some of the skits he'll do, whatever he gets,

this dude gets tons of views, man. I don't watch them whoop people for awards. You know what I mean? Like, straight up. So it's nothing beloved to tell the creator. But I'd be wondering like, damn, is he trolling or is he, is this really him? Like, does he really feel this way in some of the things that he be saying?

Because he look dead-ass serious in it. It's entertainment, man. You got to. Who was he sitting there playing chess with the other day? Who was that? He said he played chess. with, I think it was either, was a DJ envy,

was somebody he was with. And he was like, yeah, or somebody he was, somebody he was playing with, and he said, he was like, man, the dude was said to roast him about him playing, he had beat him or whatever.

He was like, what you mean, you beat me, he said, I beat you six times or whatever before that. He says, but I bet you didn't tell him that I just sucked your dick. Oh, my God.

Like, he does shit like that. Like, he's crazy. Is that who that was? That was about to say. Donnie, if you could pull it up for me, I think it was, there was like a clip of it. Like, and it got posted, and he had said something. He was like, yeah, he was like, man,

I bet you didn't say, man, I just sucked your dick. I'm like, bro, like, why, listen, it's cool to joke. I just don't be with the, like, the constant sex play. Like, maybe that's how him and his homies get down Earl's sweatshirt and all them. Like, you know, shout out to all them dudes. But what show, what show take? on it. I don't really, I ain't going to hold you,

but I ain't got a take on it. I'll be letting the young homies do what the young homies do, and I'll be in my space doing what I do, and I respect everybody in their space. I respect them, too, but I just want to know who you really are. You know what I'm saying? Is that you or is that just a character?

All right, cool. You putting on a character? That's fine. I just like to know where motherfuck can stand when I'm around them, bro. Or I'm going to stand there, and I'm going to just stare at the whole time. Like, I don't trust it. I'm just keeping it real. Like, let me know where you stand, okay, cool, if that's who you are, at least we know this. You know what I'm saying?

There's no secret to that. If I don't know you, bro, how can I trust you? And you're constantly changing. I don't like people who constantly change, bro. Like on just some bullshit, and don't get stand on their moral principle and, like, show the base ground who they are. You know what I mean?

So you, I want to know, bro. Like, when did you start, like, really touching music? Like, when did you feel like, man, I'm gonna do this shit? I always ask rappers that. Because I think, like, in the end, you always go back to the beginning. That's where it all starts from and stems from, man. I think when I, not only, because my first answer,

my initial thought to answer was to say when I got my first check off music. Right. But you can get paid one time and then never get paid again. Never get paid again, right? So for me, I think when I started to get consistent money off music and music wasn't a hobby, it became a career. it became a career it became you know like this is what i do to make money not i'm trying to make money from doing this so i was blessed to to make money early in this shit and continue to have a

stream of income from all the seeds i planted so i would say um once i got a consistent stream of money from my craft that's right it became a thing a real thing how old were you about When you start really touching some rap money, man. 22? Yeah. 21, 22. See, a letter. So you're about 21, 22?

39. Is that when you started, like, fucking with the music? Nah, that's when I started making money. See, I started. I started fucking with the music at 15. Right. That's where it really starts. That's when it started, but I wasn't making no money.

I was just fucking with the music. That shit wasn't. But isn't that the buildup to you? you even making some bread? Yeah, I mean, because you got to do it to a certain degree to be a professional at it, right? So please, you know, some people... Let the upcoming rappers know that, you know what I'm saying? Hey, these might be some of the struggles that you're going to face.

Right, but everybody role is different. It is. But they might have little bits and pieces they can take from your game and apply to theirs. I would say never give up, you know what I mean? Because you never know how close you are. It's always a six degrees of separation from who you need to get to where you want. want to be. Right. So it's all about making relationships in the shit. I mean, this shit is built on relationships. It's built on the buddy system. I mean, you, you ain't always going to be hot.

And you got to know that. And you got to come, you got to conform to what's going on around you. I'm not saying, I'm not saying to ride whatever wave of new shit is going on. But be aware of what's going on around you to know when you got to adjust. shit is just like being an athlete It's just like anything you're doing in life That you've been doing for a long time Shit changes And you gotta learn how to change with the changes

And you know That's how you'll be able to sustain Some type of stability in this shit Because other than that you just be One of those, oh you remember that nigga One of those Would you say that Being around some of the wrong people may

Set someone back from their transition or them growing to the next level or the next phase because I'll talk to a lot of artists and they'd be like, man, they never really got nowhere until they actually left that person or somebody that they were trying to do business with for their music career, you know? And they'll spend five, six, maybe seven, eight years

with these people, you know, and never really get anywhere. And then as soon as they get out, man, they first year they fuck around and they got something that's just booming and buzzing, and now they're doing tours and it's opened up a lot more doors, you know? Would you say that it can be the circle you keep as well? Hell yeah.

I mean, it's all with growth. You know what I mean? And they got good, like I was talking about relationships. You have good relationships and you have bad ones too. Yeah. And you just, you know, all of the shit is a test to see if you could, A, get through it and grow from. or if you just can't succumb it, you know I mean?

Right. A lot of times, a lot of us, you know, a lot of us don't get the messages sometimes when it's given to us. And sometimes you just got to learn from that, right? So it's never a bad thing. Like I said, everybody's route is different. Everybody's road is different, but we all trying to get to the same place, right? That's why I say, like, I get that, you know, me and you, they can say, you know, they can

set me and you on the same path. You know what I'm saying? We might not go through the same. We're not going to go through the same obstacles to get to this same place. So I do understand that, but I'm like, people could take game from that. Like, hey, man, this was my mistakes. You know what I'm saying? Like, and I feel like we owe it to the younger generation, man, because that's why they

running around like, well, fuck the older homies. Or, you know, they don't want to listen to somebody that's been around because maybe they don't feel embraced, you know? especially for the younger especially for the, you know, the younger artists, man, they don't seem like they feel embraced. That's why they break away from the Tupac's and the biggies and they break away from listening to the Woutain clans

and people who had some real structure. You know what I'm saying? Wutain clan, man, them boys had structure. Facts. You know what I'm saying? Word Smith shall lens. Like, the niggas was with the functions. I mean, like, and they did it as a unit.

You know what I mean? That's still one of men, meth, that's still one of my man. I love that dude right there. That's what my favorite emcees, man. He had to be, man, I think he's a lot of people's, but they won't even say it. The chef. The Abbott, Dack.

Capadonna. Ui. I mean, the Wu is, that's a legendary crew. I mean. I just feel like, man, they deserve more flowers than they probably get. What? They think it feels all around the world.

I still feel like it ain't enough. I'm just saying, like, I just don't feel like... The Wu-Tang is the fucking biggest group ever about me. I just feel like they don't get it enough over here. You don't hear the younger kids talking about it. You know what I'm saying? You don't be like, hey, man, you, man, shit. What you bang it?

Man, I got that woo-tang on right now. You just, you don't hear that like that. That's what I'm saying. Even though they're the biggest group, I don't feel like... I feel like that's... It seems like they're gonna die with us. Like, you know what I'm saying? These young kids, they don't be giving a fuck.

I think it's a lot of us that, that music, that sonically, that sound still lives within a lot of us. So I don't think it will ever die. I don't think it will die with us. I think out of a lot of us that still, you know, promoting that sound, it will be some younger. And it is some younger guys already that's engaged in that. Like, you know, Joey Badass is. unique guy, a unique fella.

You know what I'm saying? I like him. He come from that. You know what I'm saying? So it still lives on in him. And like I said, I'm not saying that Wu Chang Clan ain't set in stone. I'm just saying like, bro, it's going to fall on deaf ears after a while because a newer generation are so much music being made.

There's so many people that are fans to the drill rappers and the up and comings to where that shit will just be historic it'll just be set that hey this happened right I just want to see it I just want to see it get more flowers than what it's due you know Meph looked like he doing his thing though he do

he is I fuck with him you got a brand Smokers Club tell me a little bit about that Smokers Club shout out to Johnny Shipe shout out to Shites bubs we started our brand

2009 started at South by Southwest as a show. Myself, Currency, was Khalifa, Big Crit, Dev and the dude, Kendrick and J-Rock was on that show. That's a live show. That's a live lineup right there.

A bunch of motherfuckers on that show, which turned into a tour the next year. That was the first time that we actually toured off our mixtapes, me currency and crit and you know

the lineups changed throughout the years we did that for about 10 years and turned into a grand Dior festival that we did

in San Bernardino a couple years did it last year about 50,000 people there it's a lot of people to perform in front of like people here 50,000

be like man let me tell you something, 700 people look like that. Especially when you're standing up on stage and they're all tuned into what the fuck you're doing. You know what I'm saying? That shit ain't. It's not for everybody, bro. Yeah, it's not for anybody. But you know, it's a

festival, so we have three different stages. Oh, you know how to crack? So, yeah. Y'all had to cry. Anybody dope that you could think of perform at the joint from Playboy. It seemed like it was like all the Wee's bookers.

Playboy Cardi to fucking Lupe Fiasco to fucking. schoolboy Q to fucking Wiz Khalifa, myself current, a lot of people. Right, right. So, are y'all doing this more? Is it going to be something that's ongoing?

Are you going to, is that just kind of like a... I mean, we just came off tour a couple weeks ago. A good trip tour. It's probably why your ass tired, dude. I'm just hot. And I got kids. No, not even here. And I got kids.

I'm just saying, like, because I know you said, slept on the plane. Oh yeah. I mean, I got kids. I got kids. I got, you know, shit I got a dude. So, yeah, they can be tired. But, um, yeah, we just came off the road, the good trip tour.

Um, was Khalifa, Burner, Joey Badass, Chevy Woods and myself. Um, and we're going back this fall. And we also have the clothing brand, The Smokers Club at the Smokers Club. com. www. www. com or spelt. So they can follow the journey.

follow what's going on. Any type of news that's going on for any updates. All of that. All of that. We got Bud and a bunch of cookie stores out here and marathon and all that of a good shit. I got to ask, man. Especially being in the limelight and moving like you do. How is it like juggling your career and your personal life, you know, with your kids and everything like that?

And how's that been? Well, it used to be horrible. you want to be honest it used to be fucking horrible but um it's no such thing as figuring out the balance right it's over prioritizing

so I've been prioritizing better and you know life is lifeing but by the grace of God everything is how it's supposed to be Oh, do you know what I ask? My kids, well, my oldest is 19, just turned 19,

and then I got two 14-year-old twins. They just started high school, boy and a girl. It's got to be live. It's crazy. It's live. It's a good time. That's got to be crazy. They look alike, or are they?

They paternal. They look alike, but they don't look alike. It's one of those. It's like, I know, but it's one of those things. Like, oh, shit, they are twins. Right. Hey, that's dope, man. It sounds like you also be doing a lot of work for the community

and helping the community out in Harlem, man. Tell us some of the things that you had going on up there. Well, I'm not going to cap and be like I'm out there all the time. Like, I've done some shit in the community. Like, I've put a community fridge out there. It's more than a lot. It's more than a lot. You know, the hood be fucking shit up, man.

And it don't even be... You know, my problem sometimes when you do things for the neighborhood, you wanted to get to where it's supposed to get to, right? But then you got, I was once a badass kid in a neighborhood. Even if I wasn't a badass kid, I was around some badass niggas that we might have seen the fridge. We might have thought it was cool. Ha, ha, ha.

Whoever did this. Ha ha. When these niggas ain't around, we're going to kick the fridge over. Just to just be just dickhead little kids. So it is still dickhead little kids that exist. And there's still people that just do something. ignorant shit so it's hard to do those type of activations

for the neighborhood. However, you always want to do some things for the neighborhood that stick. Like I said, that gets to who's supposed to have it. So when I did put a community fridge in the neighborhood, it was during the pandemic where it was hard for a lot of people to

even get fresh produce and, you know, get meals. You're right, because if you go like to the rescue mission, and shit like that. You walk in there, it smells like spoiled food. Like expired food. You know what I'm saying?

Because they'll get all that shit. Pass down. The stores got to get rid of it. Some shit that ain't got sold. They send it over there. So I feel you when you say like some fresh, like some shit that's not going to expire up two days past. And not only shit that people are not going to use.

Like, you know, we're in the inner city. So you don't want to see a head of broccoli in the fruit. Niggins going to see that and throw that shit in the garbage. You know what I mean? But I got the rich oldie's pulling. up and putting good shit in the refrigerator, too. Yeah. For those that need it.

But, um, you know. You say, y'all pass out some pizza rolls, some pringles and shit, too. Yeah, it's good shit. You know, all the, you know, all the good juices and wham-wams. Yeah, the good pre-made, prefixed meals. Right. From a couple restaurants and people that I love with, you know,

so it was good shit in there, too. It seems like, especially like, uh, Vegas and places like that, like Vegas. and even here in LA, it seems like the homeless, like they wait for people to come down and do the good charity. They know somebody coming.

Right? Somebody's coming. You know what I'm saying? Whether it's you, whether it's myself, somebody's in a coming trying to call themselves as doing a quote-unquote good deed. You know what I'm saying?

A charitable deed from the heart. Yeah, like, but some people like really just go down there for their own personal beings that look good. They don't really care about helping the community. That's why I think a lot of them. Right. Right, and I think a lot of the, see, me, I don't like to film none of that.

I help people all the time, man. But I'm like, why do I have to film it to show people? That's what I'm doing. Ain't that, all I need to show is God. God knows what I'm doing out here, man. That's why I feel like he continues to bless me. You know what I mean? Because he knows I'm not doing it for no.

I don't care to catch no cloud off that. Man, if I can help somebody, I'm going to help him. But, man, you go up under these bridges, man, you go down certain places. Then people already know. So as they see a nice car and somebody pop the trunk. Hey, get in line. I'm already first. because they already know it's about to run up, man.

And I do hate that it do get misused. Yeah. Like that. For sure. You know what I'm saying? So, like, I feel you, man. Like, why you want to put a refrigerator over there, motherfuckers going to just kick some shit over

and try to go vandalize some shit, man. That shit ain't cool. That shit costs money. And motherfuckers need to know that. Like, motherfuck are really pulling some bread out of his pocket, man, and trying to make this shit possible. I mean, it's what it is. You know, it took a while for it to even have.

happen that way but you can't even expect people to be governing shit and nobody's going to be here 24 hours to go pay attention what's going on with the refrigerator somebody's going to leave at some point you know what I mean so it's like you in the inner city shit like that's going to happen you just got I'm not doing it for clout so it didn't fucking matter it got to where it needed to get to and then you know it'll be the next thing tell us about the uh I believe you're one of a Millennium Award? Oh, um... Tell us about that a little bit.

Shout out to the city of New York. See, I think that was very fitting for what we was just speaking on. Take it from the bad, and let's bring it over to a little bit of them. I mean, it wasn't even bad. It was just me just being honest. It's just stupid shit.

It's stupid shit, bro, and I just hate hearing it. Like, I'm up to say like, yeah, I tried to help, but that didn't last long. Yeah, but, and it's not even to say that I won't help again. Or I haven't helped after that. You know what it is.

But yeah, um... I got an award from the city in New York from the mayor's office, honoring black and Hispanic music in New York City. I was the youngest recipient of an award amongst Fat Joe, Buster Rhimes, Dougie Fresh, Roxanne Chonte, Claude Kent. Love Roxanne Chonte, all of them. Man, that's that real, he's talking about the real rap error. You know what I mean?

Yeah, the real ones. I'm imagine, you know, I'm sitting in a row with all of these people, and I'm the youngest one to receive an award from the city, to receive an award from the city of New York from the mayor's office in City Hall, the same place that I went to Central Bookings 50 times, and I was finally there getting honored for the shit. I would get booked in Central Bookingsville, which is smoking weed, because that's the culture.

that my music is based off other than fly. You had to have found growth out of that. Like, that had to been amazing. Oh, it was amazing. I had my mom there, you know. It had to be amazing. It was amazing, you know. Made me feel good to hear the stuff like I was there.

You know what I'm saying? It made me feel good to hear somebody like, I root that shit on, man. Like, when somebody say, man, I know where I came from, but I didn't let it define me. For sure. You know what I'm saying? Like, I'm sure it felt good to step up on that podium step on that stage, man, and get your due season and get your roses.

And you want to know some shit, y'all? Talk to me. I was, the whole time I was sitting there, I was like, I don't deserve this. I'm not saying I don't deserve it, but just saying, like, I'm in the, I'm with the legends. I'm sitting next to, I'm sitting in between Buster Rhimes and Fat Joe, and I'm receiving an award from New York City. And Dougie Fresh is right here, and I'm the youngest person to receive this award. and I'm so overwhelmed and at all

that that's the only thing I can think of at that moment. I'm going to be honest with you. I can resonate because I know exactly how that feels, my man. I swear to you to be like, man, am I that but you are? You just don't know it. See, sometimes you might not be able to see it, but the people see it.

And I like that about you. And I try to stay that way myself. Like, I'm not too big for nothing. No matter what people want to say, legendary this, no. Because I feel like once I feel like that, now I'm a stomach full. I ain't hungry no more.

You know what I'm saying? That's a piece of your hunger talking to you is all it is, like, deserve this. And what that's telling you is you're about to go do more. This ain't, this ain't to stop right? You ain't let your stomach get full, gee? That's a fact. Now, the ill part, right, is that day, you know.

That should make me feel away. Damn, too. Yeah, bro. Like, you know that the ill part is that day, you know, I got love from everybody that was in, that room. You know what I mean? Everybody pulled me to

pull me aside and shared pleasantries, right? But maybe like a month or two after that, I did a show at Urban Plaza in New York with the locks. And I ran in the Buster Roms and Buster pulled me aside and gave me the longest speech

of pleasantries of how he felt about me receiving that award that day. And we didn't get to talk that day because it was so much shit going on. But, you know, fast forward having that chat with him and building with him. And, you know, him, you know, giving me my flowers, so to speak, after it was all over. Even though I already had perspective from my people hearing it from another legend that received the award that day. He knew, and I was waiting for you, to say it was like, he.

He knew how it felt. And you know what? Maybe he came and embraced you like how he wanted some of them people to come embrace him and he may not have got that. So it carried with it. So he said, man, watch. I'm going to change the game on this.

I'm going to embrace the next person. I'm going to embrace them the way I wish I would have gotten embraced. Because ain't nobody going to really tell you how they felt. Like, how you telling it right now? Like, hey, man, this is how I felt that day. And I think a lot of us would feel that way. Like, damn, am I deserving of this? I mean, I know I'm deserving.

So I get what you're saying. You're like, I know I'm deserving. Yeah, I worked hard. But like, did I work hard enough? Did I fuck up here and I'm still getting this? Like, am I catching a shortcut? Because don't nobody want the shortcut? He wanted because you got it.

Right. It wasn't even, I ain't even feel none of that. It just felt like, you know, I'm sitting amongst a bunch of legends and I'm getting an award. And I'm still currently beating my feet on the road and doing what I'm doing. So I'm like... Could have been down on your last dollar.

Did nobody know? You could have been down like on your last buck accepting that award. I mean, that's nobody's business but yours and gods, man. By the grace of God, I wasn't. By the grace of God, you wasn't, but could have some real fucked up shit going on in your life. I did have some fucked up shit.

This was supposed to be a happy moment for you. There was a lot going on. My mind is on some whole other shit to where it's like, am I truly genuinely enjoying this right now? It was a lot. It's funny you say that, because, that's literally what I was going to, you know, just coming fresh off of losing my grandparents and losing my dad.

And, you know, a lot of that shit, it... You lost a lot to gain a lot. I lost a lot, right? And then, you know, despite that, we lost about two years, all of us as a whole, like, the entire world with COVID. That shit was fucked up. So we... Made some and it broke some.

For about two years, too. So, you know, it was a lot of adjusting. and like I said by the grace of God I'm here man fighting through well I just want you to know man when you when you felt that moment even going through some hardship just know like man

it was very deserving you were supposed to be there God put you there for a reason man accidents I don't believe in accidents you need all coincidence I don't believe in accidents man it all happens for a reason whether you're supposed to learn a lesson or are you supposed to take your licking?

You know what I'm saying? Because you know you fucked up somewhere down the line. Like, whatever the gangs may be, man. Or you just felt like short-cutting some shit. And now I came back to bite you in your ass later on. It always circles back around, brother. Facts. It always does, man.

Don't miss. I'm telling you, I mean, that's why I fuck with you, man. You seem like you like fucking with fashion, too, man. That's my shit. I mean, you know, up-top nigger. I like the design. Like the design. Yeah.

Hey, man, hey, niggas's been creating they clothes for years. Niggas's been putting that all this shit together for years. Like, I ain't got the money to always walk into Gucci

and Louie, nigger and all that. But hey, guess what? That's how I had my shit looking right when I step out. Nah, you know, you could do all of that shit too. Of course.

But, you know, you can always mix the hot fashion with your fashion. That's a all of a nigger for you, though. Because y'all always want to be like, well, I know everybody

can have that. So I want to be, when I touch down. I want some shit, You know what I mean? I know I'm one of the only niggins out of me. You don't want to be looking like,

you know what I mean? Like, you want to have your own, you want to separate yourself. You know what I mean? Like even with the buckets. I've been doing the buckets since the beginning of eternity. I mean, since I was born

before I had facial hair. So it was something that, you know, in my age of being who I am, yeah, I do the buckets. I've been doing the buckets, you know, for a long time. But now, fashion is, something that we

grew up in. That's our thing. Up top, we fuck with the fashion. So, especially in Harlem. So it's something that's Are you have any, have you ever had a chance to fuck with, like, Jim Jones and all that? Those are my brothers. James? Cam. I mean, I got music with Jewels and all them, you know what I'm saying? Got music. I'm going to say, it's Harlem. Me and Jewel didn't got no music, but I

fuck with El's, but me and, me and Capo got music. Me and killer guy man music those is my guys yeah we got we got joints I got a joint with me camman gym on it I mean so fuck with the set I'm a I'm a fucking diplomats Purple City baby you know I mean

that's what I come from Shise Bubbs is that's my introduction to weed I mean I wouldn't it wouldn't be no Cush God without Shice Bubbs so you know that's that with that So, yeah, I'm definitely heavy embedded.

Are you still currently on the battle rap scene, or did you leave that little shit alone? Hey, man, I got to ask. You know what I'm saying? That's why you're supposed to. That's why I asked him. You didn't say what you want to say to it. No, no disrespect in the hell no, like, I wouldn't, like, belittling what they do. Because, like I said, that shit is some real fucking outer body next level shit.

But for me personally, I'm not built for that shit with them niggas do. I mean, I'm in my lane with what I do. And I want to be the best at that over there. Not to say I can't do it, but I don't, I'm not too much for me. Well, let's jump from that. Let's talk about the podcast scene for you. Okay. Yeah, man.

That's why you're good with your words. I mean, you have been doing the podcast. How long have you been doing this for now? I've been doing this for a while, man. Shout out to my brother's show, bro, where I was just talking to him, the personal party podcast. We've been doing it for about three, three, four years now.

Went on a little hiatus because life was lifing. You know what I mean? Oh, then we don't go over their head. Oh, we don't. Life was lifing. Yeah. But we definitely, definitely cooking and got some interesting things in front of us that's on the way. I'm about to drop a cup.

I think I dropped the episode today, but I'm pretty sure. You know, by the time this rollout, it'll be a new episode there, but, um, you know, subscribe to that shit. You're thinking ahead. You think of the head. You think of the head. You say, I'm sure by the time his job, stop, we'll already have another episode out. You know what it is.

Straight up, man. Where can they find you, man? What streaming platforms can they find you at right now, man? I'm on everything, man. I'm on all DSPs, Apple, Spotify, Google Play, title, fucking Pandora, wherever you could digest music, I'm on it. Smoke DZER, smoke DZA. For those that

know me, I already know how I give it up. And for those that don't get familiar, you know, my podcast, the personal party podcast, subscribe. Got a bunch of cool people up there. And when you come to the city shop, you got to come by the spot.

Man, what you mean? You got to come by the spot. I'm coming through. Have bottles. You see what I like. I see what you like. I see what you like. So, therefore, you know,

therefore, I know. I'm falling through. When I touch down New York, I want to come straight to Harlem. You come straight to, you know what I mean, come straight to the spot up town. I'm going to get you situated. I know what you like. I know what you smoke. We'll make sure you good.

And you can smoke the bogeys in the spot, too. Yeah, because I know not everybody fuck with it. So, A. So A. But you good, Dave. Hey, hey. You good. That's when you know a nigga reaching for you, bro.

You know what I'm saying? One more, I got to know, like, what made you jump into the podcast game. Like, I'm. I got a lot of cool friends, man, and I feel like, you know. Use your resources. Your resources is your greatest credit card. Your greatest credit card. You know what I mean?

But you can't abuse it, just like credit. Just like American Express. You can't abuse it, though. No, no, no, no, no. But what I will say is, you know, I just wanted to tell my story and I wanted to tell my friend's story the correct way. And I feel like, you know, like for me and you, this wasn't an interview. This is us chopping it up.

It's us chopping it. Right? And this is what I like to do with my people, right? And I like to, I feel like, you know, when you're talking to somebody that you could identify with, or if you're fucking with somebody that you've been in the mud with and yachting toured and did music and went through mad shit, it's a different conversation than when you have it with just somebody that really don't know about the culture like that or ain't really weird with someone can really relate to what's going on. Very true. I wanted to, I'm not trying to step on nobody toes with journalism

because I feel like it's a whole bunch of- I was going to ask that, but I like that you jump to that real quick. It's a whole bunch of people like, you know, it's like a competition with, you know, all that other shit. I'm doing this shit to tell my story and to tell my friend's story and to have a capsule of stories for up-and-coming people to look at, listen to. You know that's why I started it? Like, that's what made me even want to get into it, man. It was a time capsule.

It's like, hey, with all the bullshit that's going on in the world, right, bro, and everything that people are putting out, this shit's got to still stand for something. This shit still has to be alive and well in that capsule. You know what I'm saying? That's very important to me. You know what I mean, man? So that's

why I stay down with real conversation overall with real people, man. That's just very important, man. Yes, yes, yes. I appreciate you, man, for coming today and coming and fucking with me and sitting down with me. Also, one more thing, too, and I want to be right on the album. You just did the worldwide smoke session, volume, too.

We got to talk. Man, we got to get that. Just drop. We're fresh. No, we could not. Look, I got you. Look, it's unexpected, like, bird shit for me a lot because I love to just fucking randomly surprise my fans with fucking, with drops.

Yeah. Sometimes, you know, the traditional way of promoting and, you know, dropping the tape with fanfare and shit like that, it's good to do it to build up the anticipation when you got certain releases, right? But then when you got people that just faithfully listen to you, and you know, I don't want to say fans are fickle, some of them are. But the way people digest music nowadays is so fast that once you drop something, they want something else. They want something else. Man, boss. Sometimes they want it before the shit even drop.

So you got to kind of sometimes not even brief them what's going on. You've just got to just drop. And I've had the luxury to be able to drop music and my fans will. find it wherever it's at. And, you know, it's a pleasant surprise for a lot of my fans for what I see on social media. And now, you know, after the release, now I can do the promo work where I can come sit. Right here and chop it up. And go sit over here and go sit over here.

And I'm sure you know about it just even being in the podcast game. if you've done some interviews with people, I hate people wanting to come and sit down prematurely. Does that make any sense? When there's nothing going on, just to just come sit down? Like, wouldn't it be smart for you to have something booming at the time or something that you want to release and something you want to sell to the fans

and have them have some new shit? You got to come and promote it. You got to understand. Just because there ain't no more TRL don't mean you don't still need to get your ass out here and go and move and move the fans. the right way. Can't nobody just run across the street and go buy your shit anymore. You got to know, you got to let them know where it's at.

You got to let them know where they can find you. You got to let them know what you got coming up next. Like you have to touch bases with them, man, or it will fall apart. This was my reason to come outside. Yeah, you got to, hey, and see, I like that about you because you even said earlier. You was like, man, I don't really, I don't come outside. And I don't like to either anymore, less, man, there's an event.

There's something to be outside for a fight. Got to be outside with a purpose. With a purpose, man, because if you're not, you're outside, you're going to find trouble instead. You know what I mean? Facts. Did you already drop this album? Is it already out or? It's out.

It literally dropped at midnight. At midnight. This is my first interview since the album dropped. Live. My first time talking about the music. Talk about it. Yeah. Shout out to Guadad 4,000.

He's on there. Shout out to Shelly. P.A. A. Drum. He's on there. Shout out to my brother Roddy Reilly. He's on there. Shout out to my brother Bizzle. He's on there.

Shout out to BJ the Chicago Kid. He's on there. The song you expect to go to craziest off there. Shit, it's already going crazy. House of Blues featuring Currency, was Khalifa and Big Creek. That's what I'm saying. I know you have one on your mind.

Already, like, yeah, that one's already. Yeah, there's got to be one that's sticking out that's just catching the fucking people were just maximizing the plays on that shit. That's going crazy right now. Doing what it's supposed to do. That's live. You're going to continue to make more music?

Can they expect more music out of you in the future? For the fans that know me, they know my over-under. They know what I do throughout the year. I drop a lot of projects. It's what I do. And for the fans that don't, then get familiar, go dig. I got music with your favorite rappers, favorite rappers. Yeah.

You know what I like that. Your favorite rapper is a fan. See, I like what I like about you is you didn't come on trying to act, like everybody knew you. Like, yeah, I know I got a fan base, but let me introduce myself to the ones that, yeah. I feel the same way, man. People learn about me every day.

You know what I'm saying? So you got to be open with them and let them know, man. Even if people want to sit there, oh, you already said this. No, there's people here that need to know this. For sure, for sure. I'm always in for refreshing and sharing the information, especially about myself. Well, you let me know, man, whenever you want me to come down in the,

man, uptown, wherever, man, Uptown, downtown, all around, right? Wherever you're at. You just let me know, man. Downtown, Switzerland. Yeah, wherever it is, Nebraska, nigger. We got to go down somewhere cold and frosty, nigga Alaska.

I just came from Nebraska, too. We had a fire show in Nebraska. Yeah. Sold out. About 8,500 people there on a Thursday. It was a good time. You know what I mean? So shout out to Nebraska.

It's got to be dope to be able to get intimate with the fans. I feel like that's why Dave Chappelle start doing smaller get-togethers when he's doing stuff. I think that that intimacy is everything with the fans, man. It's everything. It's everything.

Not everybody can reach and feel, you know what I'm saying? When they're standing up there and they can feel the vibe that you're pushing the vibrations. You know what I mean? Yes. So that's got to be dope.

8,500. That's rocking. It's a good time, man. That's rocking, man. It was a good time. It was a good time. It was a great tour. Shout out the Wiz Khalifa, man.

Yeah. I know he'd be happy to go on crazy. That guy's a rock star, man. Yeah. Taylor gang, he'd be having it going crazy. Man, that guy, that's an ill fellow right there. How'd you meet it? Pittsburgh Slim.

I knew where it's over, fuck. I knew where it's forever for a long, long, long time. And, you know, we came up in this shit together. And that's one person I know I can always look to and he'll always be there for me. I mean, that's, I mean, that's. He's always. this is not pretentious, pretentiously speaking.

This is from experience, from living it, and I'm actually coming through and support, and it goes both ways. That's my brother right there. Love that guy to death. Good guy, good fella. Ten years.

Over ten. Over ten. Over ten. Bet him back east. Well over ten. Well over ten. That's a lot, man. We're going to get him.

I'm going to get him up in here soon. I'm going to hunt him down. Yeah. He ain't get him here. He's a real one. I appreciate it. And get him up here, man, tell him, man, let your chuck tail is up on your vans, man.

Throw your backwards hat on, man. And a bandana around you, make and bring your ass on up here and smoke some weed with me, man. And sit down, man, in the sharp tape. No jumper. Sharpest coolest podcast in the world, Judy. With the really fucking coolest, gosh God, bitch. Really.

I appreciate you for coming, man, and just coming and chopping it up with me. And like I said, when I touched down through there, man, hey, it's going up. We're going to have a good breakfast, lunch, whatever it is. We're going to have a good, a dope beverage to go with it. And then we're going to sit down. Fresh out the gold bottle on shit. And we're going to pop like a motherfucker, man.

I'm with it. I can't wait to come touch the bricks with you, baby. My brother. Hey, smoke this. I appreciate you, me. It's nothing but love. We out of here. The Sharp Tank.

Boom. No jumper. Sharpest, coolest podcast in the world. Hey, Donnie, you know what time it is. Shoot us out the motherfucking gym.