The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Aries Spears On Being Misunderstood In Comedy, Mending Relationships Of Peers, Vlad TV + More

Episode Date: April 18, 2024

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey y'all, Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap, there's another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history.

Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was Claudette Colvin. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records.

Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. This is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose Place was introduced to the world. We are going to be reliving every hookup, every scandal, and every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. if when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret

and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child? These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our 11th season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, what's up? This is Ramses Jha. And I go by the name Q Ward. And we'd like you to join us

each week for our show, Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues, especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people. We discuss everything from prejudice to politics to police violence, and we try to give you the tools to create positive change in your home, workplace, and social circle. We're going to learn how to become better allies to each other. So join us each Saturday for Civic Cipher on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wake that ass up.

Earth in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne Tha Guy. We are The Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building. Yes, indeed. Aries Spares. Welcome, brother. What up? Welcome back.

Welcome back. How you feeling, man? I'm good, man. I'm all good, man. Last time I saw y'all, y'all was over on Hudson Street. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We haven't seen you in a long time, like seven, eight years. Seven, eight years. I see you on Vlad TV all the time. All the time.

Yeah. You know, when somebody came in, it was like, I don't know, Aries Bears, he might be a little upset. I was like, that's Aries. That's how he always is. But that's a misconception. Upset by what? I don't know. Maybe they walked in and they said he didn't seem as lovable as they would seem.

But I'm like, that's Aries. That's how he is. They don't know Aries Bears. And I've never looked at Aries Bears and said, you know, he's lovable. He's so lovable. To the contrary, I'm very lovable. I just keep an ice cube scowl on my face because I don't want niggas to think they can come up and say anything to me. Like I love you.

That's hilarious. You know, let me tell you something, man. I truly believe I've always been one of the most misunderstood cats in the game because I don't walk around, you know, pulling a Magic Johnson, smiling from temple to temple. So because I got a, you know, a straight got a kind of certain exterior, there's that. And then people see me in interviews, and based off things I say, apparently truth is the new hate. Opinionated is the new bitter. You know what I mean?

I'm just honest about how I feel about things. I speak it how I see it, how I feel it. And people misconstrue that shit for hate, which is ridiculous, because I just come from an era where you speak your speak your mind do you think you've ever been understood was there a point where you were and then something happened and people just started misunderstanding you or you think it was like that from the beginning i just think it was like that from the beginning you know what i mean because and especially now because of this social media age we live in where you got to putify everything uh like i said when you honest that's that just gets misconstrued

and just because I don't Necessarily go with the grain Of the opinion that you like That's viewed as hate You know It's like Why I gotta always Flow with the traffic

You know what I mean If I don't feel it I don't feel it So That makes sense I think that and the fact That you sold Tri-State area In New York and New Jersey

From the beginning I think that's part of it too Bias is fucked. Yep. But I admit it. I admit it. You know what I'm saying? People go, man, you're a New Yorker, nigga.

You don't like West Coast rap. You don't like no rap if it ain't from New York. I've given credit where I find credit should be due. You know, I love a lot of artists that ain't from New York. It ain't many, but, you know, I just, I like our swag, man. Oh, you know, East Coast ain't beefing no more. Like, I just, I like our swag, man. Oh, you know, East Coast ain't beefing no more. Like, we cool with it.

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely. I'm just saying, you know, I'm stubborn in my belief system. It's a certain sound you want. Yeah, man. It's a certain rhythm

and cadence and delivery. Yeah. You know? It is what it is. As a comedian, why do you think, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way,

because I've watched you, you know, I come to your shows all the time, me and the a comedian, why do you think, and I don't want you to take this the wrong way, because I've watched you, you know, I come to your shows all the time, me and the wife. Why don't you think you are not a bigger comedian as I think that you should be?

Because my mouth is my biggest strength, but it's also my biggest detriment. No, I don't have to do it, no diddy. I know who I am. I don't play the games.

I don't play the games, man. Stop playing with me. Get the fuck out of here. I don't get in that shit. You know what I'm saying? Fuck all that. That's a great answer. Get the fuck out of here. I don't get in that shit. You know what I'm saying? Fuck all that. That's a great answer. I know who the fuck I am.

I got to do that shit. That whole pause thing to me is ridiculous. Let me tell you something. Pause does feel like you might be thinking about it. No, no, no. Listen, when I did Vlad recently, we were talking about Denzel. And I said, hey, listen, part of the allure to a Denzel, especially in his prime, or Brad Pitt, is besides the talent.

They were attractive. They were attractive. There's a sex appeal. There's a sexiness to them. And the comments was, yo, it's one thing to kind of say a man is handsome, but to use the word sexy? Get the fuck out of here, man. You know, that's Mad New York niggas, though.

That's mad men period You ain't say sexy You said sex appeal No I might have said Yo I get it I know why women like him He's a sexy guy Yeah

He eludes sex appeal Yeah That's the same thing It's the same thing That's the same thing man You wanna say something so bad I'm thinking about it Like what

I don't know if I would say sexy Sex appeal is the same thing It's the same thing Yeah You recognize what you're... My eyes ain't lying to me. I see it. I know what ugly looks like.

So how the fuck I don't know what attractive looks like? Right, right. Nah, the other day Denzel jumped out of the car and he's 70 now. 70. And girls was losing their mind. I'm looking at him like, yo, I hope I look that good at 72. Helen Hunt looks 70 and she's not. Damn. But you know, white and she's not. Damn.

But you know, white folks age like fruit, nigga. Once they go bad, nigga, it's over. Listen, congratulations. 25 years of comedy, man. That's a long time. 35. 35. 35 years.

Started when I was 14. Damn. Yeah. Damn. Yeah, yeah, yeah. How have things changed, man? I feel like it changes every 10 years for comedy. You know, I think that it's in terms of its evolution.

I don't know if it's as potent as it used to be. Because now everybody with these cell phones and a platform can get into Studio 54. Everybody shouldn't be allowed in Studio 54. You know, it's causing, it's diluting the product a little bit. You know, I understand the 15 minutes's diluting the product a little bit. You know, I understand, you know, the 15 minutes of fame, but substance makes longevity. You know, substance makes a career. You know, and I see so many of these flash in the pans come along.

And some of it, listen, some of it is funny as hell. You know, I get caught up in the scroll matrix. You know what I'm saying? But at the end of the day, I know the difference between the undercard and the main event. You know what I'm saying? Like, come on, man. Yeah the difference between the undercard and the main event you know what I'm saying like come on man yeah

do you still have the same love when you first started absolutely okay absolutely I mean listen I get frustrated at times and

bless you there are moments where I want to quit just because the politics of it and the bullshit of it can start to wear on you but I'm in perspective

what the fuck else am I going to do? This is my passion. This is what I do, you know? So got to ride it till the wheels fall off. Yeah. What are the politics for somebody like Aries Bid? You know, it's funny. I recently did Tony Rock's podcast.

And I told Tony this story where one night Chris and I, I never really had a lot of interaction with Chris, but we went out to dinner one time and at the end of the dinner, he was just like, Hey man, I can give you three pieces of advice. Keep writing, stay funny and try not to piss these white folks off. Um, I listened to two of the pieces of advice.

Um, and like I said, my mouth is my biggest power, my biggest detriment. I say a lot of shit that I, I think sometimes turns people off. And again, if they don't know me in depth, they take it for face value. And they think, oh, he's this way. But again, if you took time to really hang out with me and do some self-investigation, yeah, there's certain parts that I'm going to commit to. But I'm more than that,

than what you just see in an interview. So the politics for me has been trying to figure out how to navigate through this mindfuck of what you say and what you don't say. You don't hold your tongue. So do you ever get to a point where it's like you're scared of saying things now? Because usually some of the stuff that when we used to go to your shows, you would say off the wall-ish. It was funny.

But now that off the wall-ish. In stand-up, I'm going to always be that. I'm not changing that. Thank you. But in terms of interviews, not that I'm – I don't like the word scared, but I'm going to always be that. I'm not changing that. Thank you. But in terms of interviews, not that I'm, I don't like the word scared, but I'm going to be more strategic in how I say what I want to say, you know, because there's a way to say everything. And as comics, you know, that's the brilliance of what we do,

is to put that, make shit smell like roses if we choose to do that. So, you know, I'm probably trying to think a little bit more. Is that because you don't want to make sure that you're not canceled and you're not on Who can really cancel you when you got the stage? I don't think stand-up comedians can never be canceled. In terms of stand-up, no. But then, you know, film and television

where sometimes the bigger, easier money is to be made, that can be taken away from you. But, you know, this is why I love Dave Chappelle so much. I don't want to jinx it, and I don't think I am, but I think he's uncancellable, you know, because he's such a force to be reckoned with. Something you said just now makes a lot of sense, though,

because the older you get as a comedian, do you still want to be touring every weekend? Do you want that to be the way you make money? Or would you rather be able to do something easier like a tv show well i mean you enjoy it because you might enjoy it if you enjoy it but you know there's levels to this so if you're at the level where you know instead of grinding out you know three nights six seven shows you do a theater for one night and instead of commercial you fly in private yeah i don't think that ever gets old uh you know so it's it's trying to figure

out a way to lessen the grind. You know, like I just started doing theaters now for the longest. I've always done clubs. But, you know, between the date at the Garden, I just sold out Toronto. Congrats. I just sold out Boston at the Wilbur. So, you know, I'm slowly trying to get to that point, you know. Doing the Hulu Theater on May 18th.

Yes. A lot of people know you from Mad TV, and I always wonder, because comedians, whenever they get announced, they be like, from Comic View, from Def Comedy Jam,

from Mad TV. And I'm like, does that still matter? Do people still remember those things? Not if your position is solidified. Like, I'll go places, and the person will ask me, hey, what's your credits?

I go, just say Harry Spears. Yeah. Everybody here knows who the fuck I am. Right. That what's your credits? I go, just say Harry Spears. Yeah. Everybody here knows who the fuck I am. That's why they bought the ticket. They bought the ticket to see me. So they don't need to know, hey, I've done, they know already. Yeah, because I might have been watching you on Blad TV

for the last 10, 15, I might be 25, I don't know nothing about Blad TV. Right, right, right, right, right. Why do you think shows like Mad TV, sketch shows like that didn't have the longevity of like SNL? Well, you know know other than snl mad tv was the only sketch show to have that kind of longevity yeah um but you know listen saturday

night live is the bully on the block always has been um maybe if the powers that be had kind of supported us more like like even fox didn't really support us. Like, we had some of the biggest names in music, Wu-Tang, Gwen Stefani, Missy. And our lead-in to the show was the news. So when they would finish their segment, they would just go, all right, now stay tuned for MADtv. Wouldn't announce who was on the show. During some of Fox's biggest hits, they would never promote us. No tease, no nothing. No tease, no nothing.

So we just, we never really got the support that we deserved. Why? I don't know. I don't know. It just, it was weird, man. You know, we were like the bastard stepchild to Fox on our own network. You know, it's crazy. Is that when you realized this Hollywood thing ain't for me?

Because I'm being here cursing everybody out, cursing these white folks out? No, you know, know no I mean listen it's part of what goes through the journey so you know I always said I don't really know how this is going to end for me

but as much as I want to sometimes get discouraged I'm not going to quit you know I'll die before I quit or it may kill me

but either way man I'm in it you know because you know it's funny I just put as much as I complain it's not until you step back sometimes and you put shit in perspective where you go, I have reason to complain.

But then I look back and go, my life versus the regular Joe's, this is still fantastic. The kind of money I make in one weekend and, you know, I don't have a boss, I can sleep in all day if I want. Don't have to answer to nobody. Yeah. What's better than that? And I said that too, and then now I work here. Yeah.

You know, so, you know. So I'm still- I know you doing all right, though. I know you doing all right. Yeah, I'm doing all right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. What was the perspective, though? Like, what did you want?

Like, before you took a step back to look and appreciate what you have, what did you want? Like, before you took a step back to look and appreciate what you have, what did you want? You know, I think that, and this is one of those moments where I'll say, I hope people don't think that I'm being arrogant when I say this, but I think based on my skill level, I should be getting just as much, or I'll say just as much as a Kevin Hart or, you know, a Mike Epps. But again, I will take responsibility for why I'm not.

Because again, I don't, I step different, you know. Was there a particular step that you know that, damn, that was one of the ones. You stepped on somebody? Yeah. The whole staircase. The whole staircase. I just stare a bad man. Yeah, I mean, I probably shouldn't have said what I said about Jordan Peele

and, you know, and even at one point, I remember Kevin was on here talking about the beef with me and him and Epps. And, yeah, you know, listen, man, when you're young and you're brash and you're a New Yorker and and you an alpha dog, your ego, you want to beat your chest. And that's always who I've been. So now that I'm 49 and I'm looking back, I'm like,

maybe I shouldn't have. You did the Cat Williams before Cat Williams. Probably, yes. So, you know. But like I said, as long as I got air in my lungs and a shot, I got a shot. Have you ever spoke to those individuals that you might have went at while there was a cabinet? I want to know what you said about Jordan Peele.

Well, you know, there was a segment where Vlad had showed an interview where Russell Simmons had described them and basically said, Hollywood didn't pick them niggas, such and such and such, and this is how they. And I was saying, based on my experience with them, it's like, especially what fucked me up was when they were with Mad, especially Jordan. Keegan, you could always see what it was talent-wise,

but Jordan was so quiet, and he didn't really bring it like that. So I didn't know that really his superpower was writing and directing. And I just said that, you know, listen, I said, yes, they are black men. Yeah, black by pigmentation. But, you know, just because we got the skin tone don't always make you what the skin tone is.

And they were very, I don't know, whitewashed, but they just, you know, the difference between just because you're a black man, you're a brother. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? They didn't really have a lot of brother shit to them and then i'm like they both married the white women and they carried themselves a certain way and but listen but that was it this is this is an observation that happens to exist i know a lot of people in the comments will go what defines black let's not play that game we know what defines black yeah it's a rhythm it's a culture it's a

feel it's a walk it's a sound but it's a culture. It's a feel. It's a walk. It's a sound. But it's a difference between somebody that grew up in the hood and somebody that grew up in the suburbs. They're still black, but they got a different upbringing. I say all the time, I'm a Huxtable nigga. I ain't a Good Times nigga. I know there's a difference, but even

the Huxtable niggas, you could tell are legit niggas versus niggas who are doing the jazz hands. I got you. I got you. Evans was just as authentic as the Huxtables. But we know there's niggas out there, and I'm

going to say one now, and you had them on your show. I can't stand Larry Elders. I can't stand that coon-ass nigga. I can't stand Candace Owens. And I love when Dave Chappelle referred to her as a brilliant idiot. Because that's just what it is. That's the name of my podcast.

Yeah, I know too. She's articulate. She's intelligent. But used the wrong way. You know what I mean? Just like you're intelligently dangerous. So, you know, and I don't care what Larry Elder says. I've seen enough shit on him read enough shit

on him to where I go nigga please that's one of the most tap dancing ass kissing niggas in the game stop it

you know get the fuck out of here so now you see I'm trying you pulled me back in I was trying to watch myself and god damn it

the natural shit is happening I've never seen that with Key and Peele, though. Well, maybe. But probably because they don't discuss politics. I don't know. Well, I don't think they have to discuss politics.

But again, and I know to the people that will sit here and go, I'm tired of black people trying to define blackness. Let's not play this game. You know when you hang around somebody and you talk to them and there's a vibe and an energy. You know what that is. I'm just simply saying they never gave off that energy. And that was my observation.

Whether one is to agree with it or not, that's neither here nor there. You know what's funny about that? There was a point where people felt like that about Dave. Early, early, early on. Before Chappelle's show. When I heard that, that was only because Dave had, like a lot of black comedians, Dave's route was more rooted in, like, doing stuff that white people saw that black people didn't really see. But once Dave did the Chappelle show,

niggas came late to the Dave party. Dave was always that nigga. But black, for instance, like, Martin, the show Martin, that's biblical in the black. Yeah, of course. That show was biblical. That's right. Dave didn't have that accessibility to black people the way Martin did.

But Dave was always a thousand percent nigga. And then once Chappelle's show came out, niggas went, oh, where's that nigga right here? Now they late to the party. But real comics and real niggas know they've always been that. So yeah. Interesting. So Comic View,

then and now. I never did Comic View. No, but I'm saying you watched it. Yeah. Like how you feel about it being rebooted and how. The same way I felt

about Def Jam being rebooted. Yeah. Like, you know, that was something, the explosion and obviously Def Jam came before Comic View. And I tell people this all the time.

What made Def Jam so explosive, and it was inevitable, was because prior to Def Jam, Hollywood only allowed one nigga per decade. Dick Gregory in the 60s, Pryor in the 70s, Eddie in the 80s, and black talent had always been out there. We just weren't allowed to shine like that. So once America got a chance to see a thousand niggas at once, it was an explosion. Then follow behind that, Comic View.

But the genie's out the bottle now. So I don't know how you capture that, what was special then, now. On TV. On TV. And now you got this thing, which is a thousand other options. And when you did Def Jam or Comic View, on TV and now you got this thing which is a thousand other options you know

and you know when you did Def Jam or Comic View you got on there because you earned your stripes you was talented now everybody

with this platform is a comedian and I'm just like damn like this one nigga on social media the nigga that pulls the cereal

on his head and the milk in the Walmart have you seen this? and he's like a pep coach. Like, he goes in the Walmart and opens a whole box of cereal and dumps the entire thing of cereal and milk

all over his body, leaving a mess. Well, he's trying to get your attention. But while he does it, he's telling you, believe in yourself. No matter what anybody tells you, believe in yourself. You can do it. And meanwhile, in the background,

you got all these people in the store, like, what is this nigga doing? And in the comments, people are going, yo, man, look past the milk and the mess and hear the message. And I'm going, who the fuck? Nigga, somebody's got to clean that. So to say an employer that's got to clean that, that's not funny.

And I said, nigga, if you really want to be impactful with that same energy and that same practice, do that at a police station. Go in the cops and go, nigga, believe in yourself. Put the cereal in the milk. Do that shit at the police station, man. And to the people that's saying this is good, let them

come to your house and do that shit. In your living room. Believe in yourself, nigga. And you got to clean up cereal and milk. I want to ask you something about the 90s, man, because growing up in the 90s, it felt like people were not as sensitive as they are now. And I'm not even talking about like- It was a great era.

And it felt like artistically, people could do things. We talk about men on film. I've seen people give you flack for sketches that you've done. And I'm like, but that's how things were back then. You're judging things on this era. Back then, that was normal. So it's like, what do you think happened? Even the black men wearing dresses and all of that.

Yeah. Again, social media. Because everybody's got a voice. Everybody believes that because they have a voice, they should be heard. They're special. And the fact is, everybody ain't special. Some people are fucking dumb. Most people are dumb. Most people don't have talent. Most people

you know, they should be quiet. You know, and everybody's got a chance now. And because of that we have to protect and respect everybody's feelings and thoughts. So it's taken away from the purity of being able to just keep what's special special. It's oversaturated.

It's horrible. Where did that come from, though? Where did that shift happen to where the things that were being done in the 90s that were just funny, I guess, when did that become a thing where that black man sold out if he wore a dress to get on? You know, I don't know where this boogeyman theory has always existed

within the black community about men in dresses when men in drag has always been a staple in comedy from day one. And my whole thing was, listen, man, again, let's have it in perspective. First of all, that is a comedic thing and when you look at all the prominent black men in hollywood both comedians and dramatic actors we have far more black men not in dresses than we do that's right and when you look at i could go down the list of denzel sam jackson ving rames fucking wesley snipes and it's like we've played everything from lawyers to judges to cops to superheroes, loving fathers, loving husbands, everything under the sun.

How many of those have been in dresses? None of the dramatic actors. I mean, I know Wesley did too long for. But other than that, yeah, Denzel, this person, they never been in a dress. But even the comedians who have let's not play this game. It's like if you're going to tell meians who have, let's not play this game. It's like, if you're going to tell me on one end, it's the mean black man and that's some bullshit.

So we now taking the glory away from Jamie Foxx, Oscar winner, singer, one of the best actors in the game, because y'all loved him when he was Wanda. You loved Martin when it was biblical as Shanaynay, Mama Payne, the Big Mama series. So do we take the legend of Flip Wilson and throw that away? When he was on a show at a time when black people weren't on TV. And he gave us a platform where we couldn't be seen. Do we take the iconic status away from Eddie Murphy? You know, the Clumps, Mama Clump, Raspusis, Richard Pryor,

the greatest comedian of all time, as the maid and the toy. So come on, man. Let's not do that. And if any of these niggas came to your city to perform, you ain't buying tickets. You going. You going. That's right.

So stop it, man. And everybody you named is like top tier legendary talent. Yes. Absolutely. That person would have made it regardless. Yes. Yes. And again, in perspective, you've seen them in a dress maybe here once or there twice in a movie.

Look at their body of work. Most of it is not in a dress. So as long as the scales tip a certain way, we can have a little bit of that for comedic purposes. Tyler Perry, this motherfucker's a juggernaut. That's right. He's got a whole studio. Helps to's a juggernaut. That's right. He's got a whole studio. Helps to employ a lot of black folks. That's right.

And now we're going to deny ourselves a piece of a potential pie because he wore a dress? It made him who he is. That's how he got on. And now he can use that money to funnel back into our communities and build us up. So what are we fighting? That's right.

You know, it's fucking ridiculous to me. Yeah. Our stand-up specials. How do you make stand-up specials special nowadays? I just think it starts with the talent. If the talent is special, the rest takes care of itself. It's like I like that great quote by Jay-Z. I forget the documentary when he performed at the Garden. Backstage.

Backstage, yeah. And he said, just get in the booth, leave the door cracked, let God in. So, you know, get on stage, do what you're doing. That's going to take care of everything else. He gave you the talent. So, you know, use it. Yeah. I also say what makes him special is not giving him out to just anybody.

You know what I'm saying? It's like pussy. You just don't give it out to anybody. Yeah. It's like, nah. Because I like, I do like raw comedy. I do like styles from like back in the day. Like, you know, I do like that.

But when it seems like it's too commercial, like for instance. Is your country falling apart? Feeling tired, depressed, a little bit revolutionary? Consider this. Start your own country. I planted the flag. I just kind of looked out of like, this is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. There are 55 gallons of water for 500 pounds of concrete. Everybody's doing it.

I am King Ernest Emmanuel. I am the Queen of Laudonia. I'm Jackson I, King of Capraburg. I am the Supreme Leader of the Grand Republic of Mentonia. Be part of a great colonial tradition. The Waikana tribe own country. My forefathers did that themselves. What could go wrong?

No country willingly gives up their territory. I was making a rocket with a black powder, you know, with explosive warhead. Oh my God. What is that? Bullets. Bullets. We need help! We need help!

We still have the off-road portion to go. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. And we're losing daylight fast. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going.

That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. You know that rush of endorphins you feel after a great workout? Well, that's when the real magic happens. So if you love hearing real, inspiring stories from the people you know, follow, and admire, join me every week for Post Run High. It's where we take the conversation beyond the run and get into the heart of it all it's light-hearted pretty crazy and very fun listen to post run high on the iheart radio app apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts

hey there my little creeps it's your favorite ghost host ter Teresa. And guess what? Haunting is back, dropping just in time for spooky season. Now I know you've probably been wandering the mortal plane, wondering when I'd be back to fill your ears with deliciously unsettling stories. Well, wonder no more, because we've got a ghoulishly good lineup ready for you. Let's just say things get a bit extra. We're talking spirits, demons, and the kind of supernatural chaos that'll make your spooky season complete.

You know how much I love this time of year. It's the one time I'm actually on trend. So grab your pumpkin spice, dust off that Ouija board, just don't call me unless it's urgent, and tune in for new episodes every week. Remember, the veils are thin, the stories are spooky,

and your favorite ghost host is back and badder than ever. Listen to Haunting on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, y'all? This is Questlove, and I'm here to tell you about a new podcast I've been working on with the Story Pirates and John Glickman called Historical Records. It's a family-friendly podcast. Yeah, you heard that right. A podcast for all ages. One you can listen to and enjoy with your kids starting on September 27th. I'm going to toss it over to the host of Historical Records, Nimany, to tell you all about it.

Make sure you check it out. Hey, y'all. Nimminy here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Flash, slam, another one gone. Bash, bam, another one gone. The crack of the bat and another one gone. The tip of the cap is another one gone. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history.

Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a moment. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history,

you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, everyone. This is Courtney Thorne-Smith, Laura Layton, and Daphne Zuniga. On July 8, 1992, apartment buildings with pools were never quite the same as Melrose place was introduced to the world It took drama and mayhem to an entirely new level We are going to be reliving every hookup every scandal every backstab blackmail and explosion and every single wig removal Together secrets are revealed as we rewatch every moment with you. Special guests from back in the

day will be dropping by. You know who they are. Sydney, Alison, and Joe are back together on Still the Place with a trip down memory lane and back to Melrose Place. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. That last piece, that third piece of advice that you said Chris gave you, try not to piss white people off. You can actually see that in a lot of black specials when they trying to tiptoe around stuff.

I don't like that because then it doesn't allow you to be creative. And then what doesn't piss? And it's not even just white people. It's all these different, you know, communities now. Everything is so sensitive. Everybody's so sensitive. It's like, because I really, at one point, like, I really, really wanted, like, a special.

And I'm not saying I don't now, but it's like, yo. You wanted to be special. I wanted to be special, and I don't want to water myself down just to get that. Well, I think, number one, I don't think you have to, you know. I think part of what makes it special, too, is you ain't got to pump out five specials in a month. Yeah. You know, there's so many of these dudes on Netflix who got,

like damn, you just had one. Now you got another one. And I'm like Jada, cooking the bird up slow. Cook it slow, man. And again, this is the genius of Dave though. Of all the specials he put out, the only one I really didn't like a lot was the one in the belly room.

But all the other ones, I can't remember the name of that one but he did it at the Comedy Store. But it was just him in the belly room. But all the other ones, I can't remember the name of that one, but he did it at the comedy store. But it was just him in the belly room. But all the other ones were potent. But Dave's a potent motherfucker. But there's so many of these dudes who might not be as potent,

but because the opportunity is there or the money is there, they want to put out these specials. And I'm just like, I would rather, I would say, put out fewer and make sure that the ones you put out are fires. Mm-hmm. Yeah. And I'm just like, I would rather, I would say, you know, put out fewer and make sure that the ones you put out are fire.

All fire. Yeah. But I think they follow Dave because Dave puts out a couple of specials, but Dave, like you said, is funny.

But Dave is Dave and I ain't a whole lot of motherfuckers can, you know, rock like that. Just do that, yeah. You know,

if he was still alive, I said the only comic who could rival Dave is Patrice. So if Patrice hadn't passed, boy. I'm mad I missed the Patrice on the O'Leary. I mean, I ran into him.

I didn't see him on stage. Like, I knew him from, like, he used to be on that VH1 show all the time. And, like, I would hear him on Opie and Anthony. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But I never called him on stage. Patrice was a fucking monster. You saw his specials, though, right? Elephant in the Room.

No, I never saw Elephant in the Room. Not in full, not in full. Oh, God. Oh, Elephant in the Room, his album Mr never saw Elephant in the Room. Not in full, not in full. Oh, God. Oh, Elephant in the Room, his album Mr. P, even his half-hour Comedy Central special. That motherfucker

was a monster. And he liked Dave. You're going to say what the fuck he's going to say. You're not diluting this comedy cocaine. It's pure. I remember Chris Rock saying,

I remember him saying, I forgot what radio show he was on, he was like, one day we're all going to be working for Patrice O'Neal. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

There are three great quotes by three legendary comics that I think is the credo that we live by. George Carlin said, Dave Chappelle said, you don't know where the line is in comedy until you cross it. Dave said, George said, you should know where the line is in comedy and deliberately cross it. And then Patrice said said good comedy leaves half the audience laughing the other half horrified i i think those are both three lines we got to live by you know as crazy as roseanne barr is i remember i read this one book and i can't remember exactly how she said it but to paraphrase she was just like it is our job and duty to say what the fuck we feel,

especially when we know this is a platform where we're supposed to be allowed to do that, and people live vicariously through us, which is why they love comics, because we say what they think and what they feel, but they can't. So if that is an escape that people must have, which it is, we got to do our job, man. By the way, I just got to do our job, man. Yeah. You know? By the way, I just wanted to always tell you,

you got some of the most gorgeous lips I've ever seen. Thank you, Aries. Jesus Christ. I appreciate that. Man. You are a loving guy. I very am. I'm an Aries.

I'm a romantic, too. I'm good with it. Thanks. All right. If 2024, can you say that without potentially getting canceled? You've got some very... If there was some dynamite strapped to me with a timer and I had to say that shit before the time

went out or I would explode, I'd be a dead mother. Is you like, I don't know enough what to say. Yeah, I can't articulate that like that. And as a woman, I would think that if I'm trying to do that, your pussy would dry up. Like, nigga, say what the fuck you know would dry up. Try to go around it.

Say what the fuck you know you're supposed to say to get me wet. I was going to say, do you ever think comedy would get back to the era of Patricio Neal? It is. It's here now. I don't know if it's completely here now.

Because clubs used to be like, we would go to the clubs, and you would see. I don't think so. I think Dave, especially with that special he did about the whole transgender thing, because that was all about the trans...

He can lead the way. But in order for that to work, all the other big comics got to get behind that movement. He can't be a solo dude trying to push us forward. But if the Bill Burrs and the Sarah Silvermans and the Kevin Hart's and the Mike Epps, if everybody said, fuck this, within the comic community, we bringing it back to where it was.

You don't think Burt does it? No, Burt does, I'm saying. But more than him. You know, Martin couldn't be out there with just him and Reverend Abernathy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. He need all them niggas behind him. But you got the guys like Andrew Schultz now.

Schultz don't give a shit. Man, Schultz is a beast. Schultz is a beast. The Shane Gillises of the world. Right. Don't none of those guys give a fuck. I mean, they're white, But they still don't give a fuck Well

That also is a key factor I think Carlos Carlos don't give a fuck Carlos Miller Yeah yeah yeah I mean yeah There's a small group But I'm just saying

It's the masses I feel like that's something We all gotta get behind Even if you're not That kind of comic In the name of what we do In this community How could you not support it Yeah You haven't done a special Since what 2016 get behind even if you're not that kind of comic in the name of what we do in this community how

could you not support it yeah you haven't done a special since what 2016 oh well netflix won't fuck with me that's the third thing chris rock said i piss off the white people netflix won't fuck with me is there a reason they have they told you a reason or just you know again you know one thing about hollywood is uh and this is why i I say, no one does self-investigation. This shit is very high school. Clicks, there's clicks. The goths sit with the goths, the preps, preps, jocks, jocks. And people don't take the time to go,

hey man, listen, I know what I heard, perception, but let me holler at you. Let me feel you out myself. And then they can go, listen, I don't know what experiences those people had, but the i'm getting yo you cool motherfucker yeah no one does that in hollywood they go off of what they hear yeah it's also a dick riding business though well dick sucking and riding yeah so so when you sell out the hulu theaters and you keep doing these theaters they'll be knocking at your door and that's the surprise. Listen, I don't give a fuck how it happens.

If I can't get through the front, whether I got to go around, over, under, as long as I'm the rose in the concrete, then I've done my job. So my path and my journey may definitely take longer and be harder, but that'll make it all worth it once I do what I need to do and get to where I need to get. I respect the fact that you got such self-awareness

because a lot of people 49 years old, they still be holding on to it. It's that person's fault and that person's fault. No, no, no. Listen, let's not get it misconstrued. Some of the shit in this game can cause you to, you know, but I have done some things that I regret. I have done some things.

Maybe I shouldn't. But don't take away from the fact that there's still the politics of this. There's still the racism of show business. And listen, again, I started when I was 14. I was in Hollywood and was doing Mad TV at 22. Had done Def Jam with Martin at 16. Showtime at the Apollo at 17. For a broke nigga to come from the west side of New York

in Hell's Kitchen to go to Hollywood at 17 and make a million dollars before I'm 21 and get network deals and see all that this business is, that'll fuck you up if you ain't ready. You're supposed to lose your mind. They should have it in the contract. He's going to lose his mind at least once. This is all new to me.

I'm the most successful, you know, richest person in my family. So who prepped me for this? Nobody prepped me and said, hey, I remember Norm Nixon used to be my manager. He was my first manager when I moved out to LA. And I remember he took me to Miami and I was probably like, you know, 18.

And I had no money on me. Norm didn't manage his travel, Norm, no? No, no, Norm, Debbie Allen's husband. Oh,, you know, 18. And I had no money on me. Norm the man that did Trevor Norman? No, no, Norm, Debbie Allen's husband. Oh, okay, okay, okay. Yeah, yeah. And I remember I said, Norm, hey, man, let me get $10 so I can. He goes, whoa, as a man, you don't ever leave your house without money. My father didn't teach me that.

Wow. But Norm did. Wow. So it was like, again, I had nobody to pull my coattail and go, hey, you in Hollywood and you black. Don't. So I'm doing everything for the first time on my own. So yeah, I made some mistakes.

You know? But it is what it is. Have you ever apologized to anybody? Oh, of course, yeah. Like Kevin or any of those guys behind the scenes? Not Kevin, but Atheon and Pharoah. I said, look, look man if if i ever came off a certain way uh or made y'all feel a certain way based off of maybe something i didn't say that i should have said my bad like i i learned with tony when i messed with him for the

first time i said tony i'm gonna be honest with you man i'm surprised you even had me on because for a long time i didn't think you liked me yeah and he goes dude i'm gonna be honest with you, man. I'm surprised you even had me on. Cause for a long time, I didn't even think you liked me. And he goes, dude, I'm gonna be honest with you. It's not that I didn't like you. Matter of fact, he, and he, and he brought up this, this story that I didn't remember. He goes, we did a gig in Seattle one time, me, you, and I forget the other name of the comic.

He goes, we all sitting in a limo and the whole time I wanted to talk to you. And I'm like, oh shit, that's Aries Spears. And I said, I never knew you had that kind of respect for me or you even liked me. And we go, we're two New York niggas. So Tony's got his bravado too. But Tony said, dude, I always was a fan, but you always look so standoffish.

And you didn't smile. You didn't really talk to people. Maybe if you saw him, you did that and that was it. So I kind of just thought you was, like most people, you was an asshole. There was nothing he was basing that off of. Like I said something to him, I disrespected him. But that's always been who I've been.

I've always just been, when I'm not on stage, I'm quiet, man. I'm very reserved. Unless I really know you, and then if I know you, we could, you know, turn it up. But I just, I don't say much. He's always been like that. Yeah. He's always been like that. What was the issue with Avion?

Like, the whole sketch thing? No, I just, I just, I just, again, said, because I think in passing, I would see Avion and Pharoah, and I would just kind of like, and that's it. Did you have a King of New York mentality? Like, I'm a, I'm a rapper, like a, I'm the best rapper alive. He would go to the club like that. He would go to the club like that. He would go to the club and not say nothing to the club. So everybody's an op, even if they not.

Yes. He would be at the club like that. And you got to understand something. Like, in the 90s, when Mad TV was at its heyday, I'm in my 20s. I'm making good money. I'm famous. And I was in a lot better shape.

I was slim trim, handsome ass nigga. I was in a lot better shape, I was slim trim, handsome ass nigga, I was getting a lot of pussy B. So between all of this coming at me at once, you couldn't tell me shit. I had some bravado on my shit. So but you know, life is a humble man, you know what I mean? It's humble me. And you still, but the crazy part is you say life is humble you but it's not like you're doing bad in any way No, I just you know, I'm just I realized taking a step back looking going

You could have just stepped different a little different, you know May say hello more and engage more, you know, and I wish I had done that But you know, she was like beans a comedy Bean's a comedy. Like, Beanie C to a comedy. Straight up. You had Tony Rock say. You know who the fuck was. I watched that clip this morning. You had Tony Rock say you never smiled. Like, another man said you never smiled.

You know what I love about that moment? And everybody in the comments was like, yo, it's dope how Charlamagne is so unbothered. Like, you didn't see. Like, okay. Yeah. He's been through it a lot. That, you didn't see, like, okay. Yeah, we're supposed to see. He's been through it a lot, that's why. At least 20 times before that.

Right, right. And it's Beanie Siegel. It's like, oh, wait. You want to see Beanie turn up a little bit, right? And it's funny, because talking about perception, and I got to ask you, because early on, especially the first time I did The Breakfast Club, there was always this pre-warning. Yo, man, be careful.

Charlamagne trying to be slick. Charlamagne trying to purposely say things. So the first time I came here, I was talking to you, and I was just, when the nigga going to try to say? And you never did. Because I don't do that. And now on the second time, I'm going, well, he's older. I'm older.

And I'm still not sensing this perception that you this dude who's going to purposely try to. It's never been that. Like, I think like you in a lot of ways, it's just like honesty. Am I asking an honest question? Right. And people react how they want to react to it. But I'm never in purpose like, oh,

I'm going to disrespect this person. I'm going to say something slick to get this person caught up. Nah. Right. And another thing is he don't like to leave shit alone. Like if somebody, if he think you bullshitting about an answer, he'll ask you again another way.

See, I respect that though. I respect that though. If the niggas be mad at shit, yo, so that's how that goes. I respect that though, you know. Again, I'm direct, you know, and in this pussy era we live in, direct, honesty, confidence, those are all bad traits.

And I never understood that. I love Muhammad Ali to death. I'm handsome, I'm pretty, I'm fast, and I can't possibly be beat. That man made niggas at that time feel like they was worth something. And even though we've far advanced past that and we know we worth something,

I think we still need to hear that. We still need to feel that, believe that. We had Gerard call Michael up here yesterday and he said he feels like comedy is a dying art form. Do you agree? Well, I know his stance on Dave Chappelle didn't help it. When he came out with that, and listen, comedically, if Dave was a musician based on his style, his pace, his awareness, he's Miles Davis.

And I always said Gerard Carmichael, he has a lot of that same rhythm. He's Thelonious Monk. So I have a lot of respect for Carmichael. But when after he came out and then he trashed Dave kind of for the transgender special, I was like, dude, you're violating one of the biggest codes in comedy. You're putting your personal shit over the art. You know, this badge that we wear called comedy and this oath we've taken, that comes before anything. And so you letting your personal agenda and feelings come in front of the code, nigga.

You don't do that. Nah, he was wrong for that. He apologized. He apologized. He apologized on broadcast. Cause I gave him donkey of the day for exactly what you said. Cause I'm like, if you a comic,

eventually you gonna say something that's gonna offend people. Eventually you gonna do something that's gonna rub people wrong with it. And not less than 12 hours, he had the joke that was on his reality show about him. What was it? He looked at his boyfriend as a slave master teaching him how to read.

He's the slave. You know what I'm saying? Oh, yeah, you see that one. No. But he said they only took a part of it, and it was like a full-on long joke. He said they tried to sexualize it. It don't matter about the sex. Right, right. Yeah.

Yeah, I want to watch his show. Cause you know, me and my podcast partner, we talk about everything. Yeah. When we were like, you know, it was comics. We're interested to see his take on,

on that, with that show. Oh yeah. You should watch it. Definitely watch it. Watch it. Really good. Listen,

context is extremely important. Cause I remember when Sarah Silverman got in trouble for something regarding like kind of like blackface and of course everybody rah rah rah but contextually

when you saw what it was you I went it ain't what y'all yelling about so you know and I know sometimes

black people as much as I love my people we be the first to want to attack them to each other yeah and it's just like, slow down.

What's the context? And go from there. Yeah, so definitely watch his show. I do a joke about where the punchline is basically Dr. King getting assassinated. Now, when you hear that, first of all, that happened in 1968. You would think, oh, man, that's so long ago.

But the way I tell it, the audience, oh. But then the way I address it afterwards, and long story short, it's a banger. It's a banger. So there's a way you can say everything. You know, it's just that's the artist. If you're special, you know how to do that. Everybody don't know how to do that. Now, you know, lastly, I know you was in the news about a couple of years ago.

Uh-huh. I felt like somebody was taking the old footage of you and taking it out of hand, maybe not, maybe, with you and Tiffany Hatter. So what happened with that? I can't get into that. Okay. Say no more. I would love to because it's bothering me not to

because on several Vlad appearances you know without fail when you go to the comments there's the comments man nigga talking about everything but that and I ain't never ran from nothing

you know what I mean so I want to address it but my lawyer is like until this thing is finally put to bed I just can't touch it no we understand well Madison Square Garden

May 18th the Hulu Theater get your tickets and we appreciate you for joining us thank you and can I also pump my podcast, please?

Spears and Steinberg, available on all streaming platforms. Go to our YouTube channel, SpearsburgPod. Hit like and subscribe, or slide into my DMs. I'll give you the links, chop it up with you. And as I always say, I know it's a lot of episodes, but start from the beginning. It matters comedically, contextually,

for characters, callbacks, jokes. And it's like masturbation and potato chips. Once you start, you can't stop. I guarantee you, it's blue magic. You're going to be hooked. There you have it. Harry Spears is The Breakfast Club. Good morning.

Wake that ass up. Early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Hey, guys. I'm Kate Max. hey guys i'm kate max you might know me from my popular online series the running interview show where i run with celebrities athletes entrepreneurs and more after those runs the conversations keep going that's what my podcast post run high is all about It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your

podcasts. Hey y'all, Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called Historical Records. Executive produced by Questlove, The Story Pirates, and John Glickman, Historical Records brings history to life through hip-hop. Each episode is about a different inspiring figure from history. Like this one about Claudette Colvin, a 15-year-old girl in Alabama who refused to give up her seat on the city bus nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise.

Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or every single wig removal together. So listen to Still the Place on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi, I'm Dani Shapiro, host of the hit podcast, Family Secrets. How would you feel if when you met your biological father for the first time, he didn't even say hello? And what if your past itself was a secret and the time had suddenly come to share that past with your child? These are just a few of the powerful and profound questions we'll be asking on our 11th season of Family Secrets. Listen to season 11 of Family Secrets on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. Jenny Garth, Jana Kramer, Amy Robach, and TJ Holmes bring you I Do Part 2, a one-of-a-kind experiment in podcasting to help you find love again. Hey, I'm Jana Kramer. I'm Jenny Garth. Hi, everyone. I'm Amy Robach.

And I'm TJ Holmes, and we are, well, not necessarily relationship experts. If you're ready to dive back into the dating pool and find lasting love, we want to help. Listen to I Do Part 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.