The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Jeezy Talks 20 Year 'Thug Motivation 101' Anniversary Tour, Jay-Z, Nia Long, Soul Survivor + More

Episode Date: June 11, 2025

Today on The Breakfast Club, Jeezy Talks 20 Year 'Thug Motivation 101' Anniversary Tour, Jay-Z, Nia Long, Soul Survivor. Listen For More!YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy. We're here to help you get your morning routine. WAKE THAT ASS UP! EARLY IN THE MORNING! THE BREAKFAST CLUB! Morning everybody, it's DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the Guy, we are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the building! One of the best to ever do it! Celebrating the 20th anniversary of Thug Motivation 101. Ladies and gentlemen, Jeezy! Welcome!

What up, though? What's happening? Good morning, good morning. How you feeling, brother? Man, great, man. Better than most. You know what's happening? Good morning, good morning. How you feeling, brother? Man, great, man. Better than most, you know what I mean? Great. I was talking to somebody yesterday, this is the other day, and he was like, get on my way to GZ House.

I'm like, for what? He was like, I'm opening up for GZ. I said, what you mean, opening up? There's like GZ DJ as a hobby. He can do it to half of us and shut up. He was like, yes, you started DJing? Yeah, you know, I used to DJ back in the day when I was young in the hood, you know what I'm saying?

I hustled up on the DJ set and I was just going to hood, just DJ on people's porches. That was kind of my thing, but that's how I got into music. You know what I'm saying? So for me it's just like a pastime, but you know, like the great Andre 3000 said, if you can't find the vibe, you gotta create it. So I just invite dope people over to my crib,

you know what I'm saying, curate it. You know, we might do some red wine and Popeye's chicken, I might throw on the set, and we just get it cracking. That's what it sounds like. That was like he was DJing for real. Yeah, it's a vibe, it's a vibe. That's interesting, so that's how you been feeling, like you haven't been finding a vibe lately,

so you've been trying to create one? Well, you know, I like to travel a lot, you know what I'm saying, and I like to live, but also I like to, you know, like turn people on to what I've learned when I've been around the world. So it's just like different types of music, different types of curation. So it's just dope to have people come over

to your house that you trust and just vibe. You know, people get tired of going out, cameras everywhere. You know, it's some very distinguished black people in Atlanta and they like to really live, so I just like come over to my crib, man, we just hang out, you know what I'm saying? It's dope though. Yeah.

What type of vibes though, is it like, is it all rap? Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. That's what I thought, I said, what's he playing on his music? They was like, no. They was like, he played everything. Yeah, house music, old school.

Yeah, it's a vibe, you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I got soul, I got a little soul. You know what I mean? I got a little something. You should come, niggas, I'll be here tonight. I absolutely will. All y'all invited, You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I got soul. I got a little soul. I got a little something. You should come, nigga, say I'll be here tonight. All y'all invited. You know what I'm saying? She gonna tell about everybody in the house. Whoever in the house, I tell you,

I promise you she gonna come to the radio and tell everybody. Listen, 20 year anniversary of one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. Yes, yes, yes. What does it feel like mentally to have to revisit that era? To be honest with you, it feels like that album was supposed to happen,

and even 20 years later, just the obstacles that I had to go through to get this tour going and everything, it just feels like deja vu. But the consequences are not dire. They just real life things and you gotta show your adversity. And it feels like, I was just talking to somebody

about this other day, it's just like, now Soul Survivor really resonates with me. It makes sense. You know what I'm saying? Because I'm a Soul Survivor and I'm listening to the words. I'm like, oh, this is me, this is who I am. You know, when I wrote it, it was a record. Now this is my life.

And it's just like to be 20, cause you gotta think, like you think about Pac and Big, you know, what would they have done 20 years in the game? You know what I'm saying? You celebrating all eyes on me, life after death 20 years later. You know, I don't know, Pac might have been DJ in his basement, I don't know.

You know what I'm saying? But I'm living life and I'm't know, Pac might have been DJing in his basement. I don't know. You know what I'm saying? But I'm living life and I'm going through one of those stages where you get to watch the game line and watch the streets. You know what I'm saying? I'm in this world but I'm not of it. You know what I'm saying? So I get to watch it, but at the same time,

I already put my work in so I get to sit back. But I'm dealing with real stuff now, running companies and doing deals and empowering other people. So it's now I gotta really practice my skills of leadership. But with my catalog behind me, because I can stand on that because it's solid. You know what I'm saying?

So I'm not, you know I'm Frankie Beverly and Mays out here. I could keep going if I wanted to, but I don't got to. Do you have survivors remorse at all? I used to. You have so many people that you ran into, partners and people that you met. Yeah, I used to, but everybody know me, they know I'm solid, you know what I'm saying?

But at the same time, my life is about peace, joy, and freedom. And I ain't even, I'm saying that to say, a lot of people don't survive the war, baby. You know what I'm saying? It's like, I ain't got no reason to go back, ain't nothing to prove, you know what I'm saying? I'm just trying to live my life, make sure my people's straight,

put as many people as I can put on, and keep just inspiring and involving my culture, which is why I'm even doing this symphony tour, which is crazy because I think I'm the first one to ever take a symphony around the world to do a tour, you know what I mean? To celebrate my first debut album, which is about three, four times platinum.

I ain't checked last time. Oh, I can't wait to put it on. I'm so excited. That's time. I'm gonna go in there and trap with a little motivation. One on one, come on now. And it's crazy because it's like, the only time I remember putting on a suit

is for a funeral or a wedding. This is celebration. And it's not just about, it's not just about, you know, the music, it's about everybody who came along on this journey with me that are celebrating. Think about where you was 20 years ago. You know what I'm saying? Where you were 20 years ago and where y'all at now.

This is celebration and that, because that music reminds you of that time you was out there grinding, but look what you grinded too. So this is a reason for everybody to put on a suit and a nice black dress and come out and celebrate. And I do want to say this, this is not the opera. You know what I'm saying? You're not gonna sit down and cross your legs.

This is a party. You know what I'm saying? At the same time, you know, shout out to Adam Blackstone. You know, he helped me produce it. Dee Hodges, he wrote the music, he's actually conducting it. Those brothers are crazy. I brought DJ Drama with me, so you know it's a party.

I got DJ Ace with me. It's a celebration, you know what I'm saying? When you were making this album 20 years ago, were you just making songs or were you thinking the future? Were you thinking catalog? Because you look at a lot of people in the industry and their catalog is not strong, right? Their first album, their catalog is not strong. They can't go on tour. Were you thinking about? Because you look at a lot of people in the industry and their catalog is not strong, right? Their first album, their catalog is not strong.

They can't go on tour. Were you thinking about that when you writing this first album or was it just, I'm just trying to get out the hood, I'm just? I was just trying to stay alive and free and I just wanted to be heard. And the reason why that album is so solid is because I put everything in there.

I didn't have another shot, you know what I'm saying? It wasn't like no labor was looking for shot. You know what I'm saying? It wasn't like no labor was looking for me. You know what I'm saying? I had spent all this money to build this buzz and I had this one opportunity. And you gotta think, I lost my voice, I tore my vocal cords, I had bells, like all these things happened at one time

and I'm just like, I was humbled. And the album got leaked four weeks before it came out. Think about that. I was up against all that and I'm still like praying. You know what I'm saying? And it happened. So when I look back 20 years ago, like I didn't realize what I was doing,

but I know to change the trajectory of my family and our generation of wealth and getting my family in a better place, that this is all I had. You know what I'm saying? So I put everything in there. I'm trapeze in this, yeah, everything. By the way, I probably was riding around,

still getting it. You know what I'm saying? During that time, right? Right. That's interesting. Statue of Limitations is out there. I wanna put that out there. You know?

It's interesting what you said about the record Soul Survivor, because at that point in your life, you had survived to a certain extent, but you didn't feel that way? No, I mean, you gotta think about it. I didn't really even start celebrating life until the recession. Wow.

Yeah, I was out of it, bro. I was drinking, smoking, living. I'm just holding on, you know what I'm saying? Because I didn't know. Then I woke up one day, it's like, damn, I'm still free. So you thought what I'm saying? Because I didn't know. Then I woke up one day, it was like, damn, I'm still free, you know? So you thought at any moment it could go down. Oh yeah, and ain't nothing like that.

That's some type of stress you don't even want. You know what I'm saying? Because it's every day, it never stops. And you're always on edge. You're living from a survival mindset, you know what I'm saying? And when I woke up on that day, when I started to work on the Recession,

that's when I realized what abundance was. You know what I'm saying? Because now I'm like, I'm a superstar. You know, I was telling him the other day, man, I got in the gym, got myself together. My first show in Boston for the Recession tour, you know, I hit the stage and I'm telling the security guard, hey yo, they throwing stuff at me.

We gotta get out here and get out. He guard, hey, yo, they throwing stuff at me. We got to get out here and get out. He like, serving all their panties. I'm like, oh, I'm a sex symbol, though. I like this. You know what I'm saying? So Prustian Hall was in panties that you didn't realize. He was throwing hard objects at them. You know, bras and stuff.

But I'm like, yo, this is different. Because you got to think, when I was doing shows when Thug Motivation came out, all the gangsters was in the front. You know what I'm saying? All the hustlers, there wasn't no women. I didn't have any women fans. Shout out to the women fans out there,

you know what I'm saying? Yeah, I didn't have that. So when you put that record, the record with Trey songs on the album, that was them trying to tell you, Jesus, you gotta make something for the ladies. That was me trying to do a record with Trey. Oh, okay, okay. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you ever hung, you gotta make something for the lady. That was me trying to do a record with Dre. Oh, okay, okay.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah, you ever hung out with Trigger Dre? Yes. Yeah, he makes you wanna do records like that. I need that. I need that in my life, you know what I'm saying? Emotionally, do you ever get triggered when you on stage performing some of those records though?

Yeah, yeah, I mean, especially like lately because I'm so seasoned with it that everything is like a sermon to me. You know, I don't take this lightly. I'm in a space where I'm, you know, I'm definitely I'm blessed and I'm grateful to still have people that understand what my mission is because it's my purpose. It's who I am. Like, you know. A lot of people do this because it has money or some type of something behind it. But this is who I am every day, this is my life.

When I walk out of here and I go walk downstairs and I see somebody, they ain't talking about the song, they talking about me. I keep doing what you doing because we living through you. So for me it's just like, some of those songs, especially like 20 years later to see it, cause I'ma be honest, like Soul Survivor hits so different. It hits so different.

Like, cause back then it was a great song. You know, shout out to secure Stuart, you know, rest in peace, he made me put that on the album. You know what I'm saying? But my whole thing was like, I want to go trap or die. You know, and imagine if I would have listened to that myself and stayed on that trajectory and then where is that now? Because when I'm doing this Soul Survivor in the arenas

and I'm looking at these kids or I'm looking at these people, I'm like, I wanna do they realize this is who I am. You know what I'm saying? And this is me living my dream being on the stage and I'm still getting standing ovations 20 years later. You know what I'm saying? So I don't know nobody else that can say my dream being on the stage, and I'm still getting standing ovations 20 years later. You know what I'm saying? So I don't know nobody else that can say

that they're so surviving meaning like that. So yeah, that record means a lot to me. And even Tribe or Die, you know what I'm saying? It's just like, that's real. You know what I'm saying? So yeah. But you not sitting on the block with your thang cock no more.

No, but we'll talk about that off live. But I was gonna ask, does the street mentality actually leave, right? So if you see, I mean, and you've been around Jay, and you've seen his evolution of being always looking over his shoulder to now, when I see him walking in the building, it's like free, I don't have to worry about that.

Even when I see 50 more, he feels more free. Do you feel that way, or do you feel like I'm always, still got it? I mean, but I still got it because I'm not exempt. But I understand what it is. But, you know, I carry myself with a level of integrity. So it's just like, as long as I feel like it's mutual respect,

I don't feel like the need to even have to watch the room. But I will tell you this, I've been on a journey for about like almost eight, nine years now. You know what I'm saying? But I can tell you this, I've been on a journey for about like almost eight, nine years now. You know what I'm saying? But I can tell you at this point in my life, like I'm really at peace. Like I don't worry about the things that I can't control

and that is including people. You know what I'm saying? So for me, it's just like, I don't, everybody know me, I float around my, well any city, you know what I'm saying? What got you there though? Because it took you a long time to get there. What got you there?

Work. Therapy. Therapy, work, journal and meditating, all that. You know what I'm saying? Like I'm not even gonna hold you, like it's real. And when you wake up and you start to realize like, okay, and you can emotionally regulate and you know who you are,

you have nothing to prove, there's no better feeling. You know what I'm saying? Because I don't gotta prove anything. And by the way, you can see, you can tell because people are attracted to that because they can tell that that's how you feel. Peace attracts peace, chaos attracts chaos,

ain't no way around that. You know what I'm saying? If you got nervous energy, you gonna attract nervous people. I ain't inviting no nervous people to my house. Watch me DJ, you know that. I wanna go back, he mentioned Jay-Z. Do you remember the moment when Jay-Z told you

that album was a classic? I remember reading that and maybe Double XL or something like that. He said to me, he said to me, you got a brand. He texted me. He was like, you got a brand. And I didn't know what that meant at first, but 20 years later, I can see that, what he meant.

Like you actually stand for something and people understand what that is, right? 20 years later, I can see that, what he meant. You actually stand for something and people understand what that is, right? So it's almost like, your brain could be anything, but my brain has always been motivation. You know what I'm saying? But if you coming out with your first album, it's hard to tell people you're motivating people.

But 20 years later, that's what it is. I'm still doing what I know how to do best. And that's what he was trying to get me to see, like stay there, you know what I'm saying? Because you know, music was changing. We all want to be hot. But it's like when you on fire in the inside, you don't need to be on fire outside.

You know what I'm saying? I ain't gotta chase nothing. But then I would've, you know what I'm saying? You know, like, you know, it was snap music, it was crunk music, I had to figure it out. You know, I'm rapping and I'm making songs that are the tempo or 72. You know, you think about Nuck if you buck.

You know, that was up there. So I'm in the club competing with that, thinking, man, maybe I should, you know, but he was more saying like, stay there, you good. Yeah. But didn't he tell you that that album was a classic? Yeah, yeah, he did. Yeah, he did, yeah.

He did, he hit me up, he was just like, yo. I think when he heard it for the first time, because I played it for him, you know what I'm saying? And, yeah, he definitely told me, he was like, yo, this one here gonna live with you. And, you know, me, I was already on to the next one. I was like, well, what am I gonna do for the next album? Because you know how it is. You're living from, you know, you're living from that place of survival.

You're like, man, if this work, I gotta be ready again because that's a lot of pressure. You know what I'm saying? I don't know if that helped me when he told me it was a classic because back then, I was a little wild, so that got to, that definitely made my head a little bigger. So that definitely, like, got to my ego.

Did you ask him to get on Dope Boys, Go Crazy? Yes, absolutely. I remember playing it. So first of all, that record was a record that I heard when I was over somebody else's trap house and they was playing this tip mixtape. I think it was Down with the King. And I was just over there and I was kicking it

and they was playing it and they asked me to hear it. And I heard him rapping over the Go Crazy beat and I'm like, damn. I said, who made the beat? It was like Don Cannon. So I left and I called Don Cannon and I'm like damn I said who made the beat it was like Don Cannon so I left when I called Don Cannon I was like yo I need a beat like that and then he said why not use that beat and I said okay what you mean and he said tip then buy the beat he just rapped over it I was like bet where you at and pull up

on you now you know I got the I got the record I had a meeting in Def Jam, so I flew in, me and Coach K flew into New York that morning, he picked me up from the studio, we flew in, we flew back that same night. On the way back, I go crazy on the plane, you know what I'm saying, flying back to Atlanta. Recorded that night, I had three verses. Def Jam came about two weeks later, and it was all in Pats Works, and I played the whole album.

And when I got to that song, it was all clapping when it was done, and I'm like, yo, by the way, I'm putting Jay-Z on the song. I said, y'all need to work that out. So LA read that. I'm putting Jay-Z on it, but you didn't speak to Hov yet? No. No.

You gotta speak of the existence. All right. And one day for the BET Awards, I was out in LA, and Hov called me to his hotel. He's like, yo, come by the hotel. So we sitting upstairs in his suite, outside on the patio, smoking cigars, just talking. Because we never talked about music.

We always talk about life. And then he was like, what verse you going to take off? And I was like, we mean. And then he was talking about go crazy. I had three verses. And then he said, I'm doing it by the way. And I was like, take it, you can take them all off. That's what you want to do.

I still on the hook. And I remember, I'll never forget it. We was at K-Day in New York, I mean, I'm sorry, LA. And Coach K walk in, like we're doing an interview like this. Coach K walk in, he was like, I got it. And I'm like, what? He's like, I got the Jay-Z verse. Me and interview, I told the guy,

I think it's Julio something. Julio G. I said, Julio, you got, we stopped the interview. I was like, you gotta hold up. And I go outside and I told him to come in the hallway, Coach played, press play. And I heard that verse. More than a hustle on the definition.

Oh man, it never stopped. Master Chef, Lord of the Kitchen cupboard. I was happy at first, but then I started thinking, damn. Yeah, he bodied you on that record. He didn't, he didn't, he didn't, he didn't say, it's okay, he bodied you on that record, but it's okay. That's one of Jay-Z's best verses ever. Yeah, I was like, damn, okay, how did this work?

You know, I think I got him back on scene at all, though, I think so. Yeah. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, cool, so we good. Thug Motivation 101, is there a record that didn't make the album because of Clarence or for whatever reason that you said, damn I wish that one made the album?

Yeah, it was a bunch of like mixtape stuff that didn't make it. And the thing about it is like the album really got pressured out, you know what I'm saying? Because one of the interns who was up there who was trying to get his beats on the album really got pressured out, you know what I'm saying? Because one of the interns who was up there who was trying to get his beats on the album, will get eight beat on the album. You know, I never did anything on his records

and I left my drives at Patchworks. So I guess he got mad and leaked the album four weeks before it came out. So now, Bells P pauses, vocal chords, all these things happening at once, and now the album's leaked. So now I'm sitting there and I'm like, what am I gonna do?

Because now I gotta think of the next plan. So I can't go back to the streets, you know what I'm saying? Because now I'm like, damn, this is it. And I'll never forget, I went to Pat's works, you know, I caught a lawsuit, I'll say that. You know what I'm saying? Cause I had to, but uh. Read the book.

Right. At Bruce Lee for sale. Read the book. Right, and um, and uh, you know, actually it helped me. You know what I'm saying? So you know what they say, no, no weapon, you know, form against me shall prosper. It helped me cause it went to all the bootlegs

and it's spreading everywhere. And the thing that I had the most anxiety about out of everything was I had to pick a single, right? And on mixtapes, Trapper Dive didn't pick it for you. So by the time he leaked it and it was already going, I didn't know what I was going with. I was still pushing Trapper Dive, the song. And the label called me and and Shakir called me,

he's like, yo, he's like, yeah, you can shoot Trap or Die, but that's what you wanna do. We're shooting Soul Survivor, how do you wanna shoot the video? Came to Brooklyn, shot the video, everybody showed up, Hov, Jim Jones, Cameron, you name it, it was crazy. It was festive. And the video, we did it like paid in full.

It was crazy, it was probably one of the most memorable moments of my career. You know what I'm saying? Because you know you always heard stories about Brooklyn, like ain't nobody come to Brooklyn. They like, geez, we love you. I'm out in Brooklyn shooting a video and everybody from the block's coming out

and the whole label was there. A lot of guys from Atlanta came in, like it was it was it was it. And when the video came out, it was gone. And I didn't, and I told, I was telling somebody that I knew Akon from being around the way, because it was like him and Boo, I couldn't tell him apart. Right. You know what I'm saying? So I didn't realize he was that big overseas.

And I didn't, and this was the first collaboration that I've ever done. So I didn't realize doing a record with somebody that you can actually tap into their fan base too, on a national level or a global level, right? And I ain't know that. So it went from me being able to walk through the airport, you know what I'm saying, 7 a.m. to catch my flight to,

like now I'm walking through the airport, everybody, hey, Con and Young G. And I'm like, where you from, brother? Africa, man, we love you. I'm like, oh, man. You know what I'm saying? So it was love, and it was just like, one thing I say about the boy Khan, he different.

You know what I'm saying? Because he's over there, and they love him. I did shows with him in Africa, and I'm like, okay, like, what is going on? Nobody knows who I am, but they know who you are. And he was like, you gotta be over here a little bit more. And I love that, you know what I'm saying? And we, over the years, he hit me up,

you know, over the years we always stayed locked in. He hit me up the other day. I was like, yo, we number one on TikTok. I don't even know what that means, but I'm like, yeah, that's it. Four record. Soul Survivor. Oh, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow, wow.

Did Mailman really flip birds with the judge? Yeah, he did. He did? Yeah, probably why he got them 10. I was trying to get him off of about a four and a half, but yeah, yeah. Shout out to Mailman. I'm shocked that you didn't know that you

was such a sex symbol. I'm really sitting here like you. How did you not even know? I mean, you know, like in the, you know, like I didn't know that then. You know what I'm saying? Because you got to think, like back then, when I was doing, you know, I was, I'm 5'8, I was 260, skiing bad,

I wasn't drinking water, my diet was Waffle House and Cristal, you know what I'm saying, I'm partying all day cause I didn't know if I was gonna be home. You look like a snowman for real. Yeah I was him. Big snow. Cause you know now.

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, now I get it now. I mean even on the intellectual level, like I know that. I can sit down and spar with the best of them. I mean, I know that for a fact. Oh yeah, we saw you with Neil Long. Yeah, yeah, shout out to Neil. Shout out to Neil. And then I was even saying, a lot of women in the comments

saying, oh, after the divorce, man, he looked even better after that. Oh wow, I received that. I was saying that. But I know that that was like an intense time, last year you going through all of that, even with the custody battle, what you did, winning everything,

where are things with you and your ex now? Peace. That's good. Yeah, peace, man. I'm all about understanding, I'm all about what's best for everybody, the greater good, and I'm just telling you,

my life, I tell myself this every day, like, man, this greater good. And it just like, I'm just telling you, like my life, I tell myself this every day, like, man, this is amazing. I don't got no enemies, I ain't got no issues. I don't want no enemies, I don't want no issues. Camp Shane, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids, promised extraordinary results. Campers who began the summer in heavy bodies were often unrecognizable when they left. In a society obsessed with being thin, it seemed like a

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Apple Podcasts and subscribe today. The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration in the United States. Recipients have done the improbable, showing immense bravery and sacrifice in the name of something much bigger than themselves. This medal is for the men who went down that day. It's for the families of those who didn't make it. I'm JR Martinez. I'm a U.S. Army veteran myself, and I'm honored to tell you the stories of these heroes on

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You'll hear about what they did, what it meant, and what their stories tell us about the nature of courage and sacrifice. Listen to Medal of Honor on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast, Betrayal. Police Lieutenant Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone, most of all his wife Caroline. He texted, I've

ruined our lives, you're going to want to divorce me. Caroline's husband was living another life behind the scenes. He betrayed his oath to his family and to his community. She said you left bruises, pulled her hair, that type of thing. No. How far would Joel go to cover up what he'd done? You're unable to keep track of all your lies, and quite frankly, I question how many other women may bring forward allegations in the future. This season of betrayal investigates one officer's decades of deception.

Lies that left those closest to him questioning everything they thought they knew. Listen to Betrayal on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Made for This Mountain is a podcast that exists to empower listeners to rise above their struggles, break free from the chains of trauma, and silence the negative voices that have kept them small. Through raw conversations, real stories, and actionable guidance, you can learn to face the mountain that is in front of you. You will never be able to change or grow through the thing that you refuse to identify, the

thing that you refuse to say, hey, this is my mountain, this is the struggle, this is the thing that's in front of me. You can't make that mountain move without actually diving into it. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to conquer the things that once felt impossible and step boldly into the best version of yourself to awaken the unstoppable strength that's inside of us all. So tune into the podcast, focus on your emotional well-being and climb your personal mountain. Because it's impossible for you to be the most authentic you. It's impossible for you to love you fully if all you're doing is living to please people.

Your mountain is that. Listen to Made For This Mountain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I just want peace. I just want joy. And I just want freedom. I love my freedom. You know what I'm saying? Like, I love it. Like you just talk about, I came up here independently. I just want peace. I just want joy and I just want freedom. I love my freedom Yeah, you know saying like I love it like you just talked about I came up here independently

I just call like I'm coming to the breakfast club. You know I'm saying like I ain't got a check-in I ain't got a you know, I ain't got to talk to no label. I gotta do nothing to shout out deaf jam. Love y'all but it just like Freedom in ownership is is is everything you know I'm saying especially when you're talking art you're talking culture You're talking your mind. You know I'm saying? Especially when you're talking art, you're talking culture, you're talking your mind. You know what I'm saying? Like I've worked hard my whole life. This is like, this is the season of me. You know what I'm saying?

I'm putting myself first at all costs. You know what I'm saying? And it's just like, my piece is everything. Everybody that know me know that. You know what I'm saying? They call me and be like, yeah bro, I love you but don't call me with nothing crazy. You know what I'm saying?

I wanted to ask, how was that? Because you're a very private, very private person, but that was so public, did that irk you at all? Everybody in your business talking about you? Well, I had to come to the realization that I know who I am and that nobody else can't tell me different. So as long as I stayed on the path of integrity

and staying true to myself, it wasn't nothing really to worry about because anybody that know me, like I mean, I even heard y'all was up here like, no, I know, I know GZ, you know that. But that's, that's because my reputation exceeds me. I'm like, I ain't on, I ain't on nothing. You know what I'm saying? That's I need to be, you know what I'm saying? And I'm not. So it just like, it comes with the territory. You know what I'm saying? He who wears the crown, it's just like, people talked about Jesus.

You know what I'm saying? They gonna talk about everybody. Everybody's not gonna like you. Now, if I'm a good person to you and you don't like me, then there's a problem. But if you don't like me because of what you heard or what you think, then I ain't none of my spiritual business, I can't do nothing about that.

You know what I'm saying? I can't even convince you, because your mind is made up. However, if you know me, and we had some type of interaction, I haven't done anything wrong to you, then that says more about you than me. Because now you're judging me, there's no judgment here,

because I'm not perfect by far. But if I haven't done anything to you, then you can't take that position. Because the people around me got real love for me. And my friends and my circle, I never felt any type of just, but the people who wasn't for me, of course. And that did me a solid.

Now I ain't gotta even worry about cutting you off. Put yourself off. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. Would you ever get married again? Woo, hit me up. I'ma be all you ever get married again? Woo, yeah, yeah. I'm gonna be all the way honest. I love my freedom.

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love it. And it has nothing to do with anything in the past. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I just love my freedom. I got you. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I love it. You know, I think life partners are amazing. You know? I would think so. How did you feel when the internet said you was trying to holla at Neil Long by any means necessary? They wasn't lying. It was not lying.

She said real niggas don't cheat. I don't know. She said really? But what I went was real men. I never cheated. Not like that. No, I don't cheat. What you mean not like that? I'm saying like that's low hanging fruit. If I'm locked in, I'm locked in.

We ain't gotta be married. Like I'm just not a cheater. That's like, I'm not gonna cheat my friends. You know what I'm saying? I'm not, that ain't in my blood. That's real. But when you say I was trying to holla, yeah, I was, you know, but I had to be respectful

cause I was still, you know, finalizing, you know what I'm saying? So it was hard. It was tough. Stay in focus. They gonna link you with everybody now. They gonna link you with everybody. I see them link you with Cynthia Bailey the other day when you did that.

No, they wouldn't do that. They wouldn't do that. We love Cynthia, man. Shout out to Cynthia. That's her homegirl. You know what I'm saying? Nah, nah, nah, nah. Now, the other one? Yeah. I just said the other one. Okay, okay. He's not gonna spin finalized. I just said the other one. Okay, okay.

He's having to spin the block. Would you spin the block on that real quick? On who? I mean, on the other one. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, everything is finalized. I'm gonna press, I'm gonna press park. I'm gonna hit the park button.

You know what I'm saying? I'm not gonna play about that. Oh, so you said we might see her at some of these shows. I mean, listen, she's invited. She's invited. I know she has, she's invited. She's invited. I know she has a beautiful black dress. She's definitely invited. There you go.

I do want to know what inspired you to reimagine the album in this way, though. Because I'm sitting there. I'm like, yo, symphony orchestra, black tie. Twist your fingers up, bang, motherfucker, bang. But when we did it with the, we did it in Atlanta was the first one. it was no feeling like that because there was a lot of people that I saw,

and by the way, I've been trying to do this for, you know, at least five years. But it was like so many people that I saw in the crowd that I knew personally that I was just proud of where they was at, because they're successful, they're this and that. But they don't wanna come to a show where they feel, I wanna bring my woman out.

I wanna get you, I wanna go to dinner before and hit a spot after. This is a celebration, this isn't a show or a concert. This is a one night, one man, one mic thing and it's just like, why not celebrate the evolution of it? And also, I would like to add that, I feel like it's my moral obligation, because I was the one that told these kids to trap or die.

I feel like it's my moral obligation to show them evolution in this and that you don't have to change to evolve. You know what I'm saying? It's like if you make art, it should grow with you, right? You shouldn't have to be a different person because I think that's what they run into the roadblocks. It's just like, I gotta be thugged forever.

You know what I'm saying? And if that's how you feel, that's how you feel. But I ain't gonna be on the block with my, you know what I'm saying? Now I'm in the boardrooms, and that's okay. And my thing is my mind, because I know I'm a lot smarter than most, and I done been through enough to know

that if the press is on, I'm not worried about losing my job. They may be. I'm gonna make sound decisions because I've been through it before. So that's my gift. But for the culture, it hurts me to know these young men

and to see them in these situations. I care, bro. I don't care what nobody's saying. These are my little brothers. And I know I can't change them, right? So I can't judge them. The only thing I could do was what I saw, like hold them to do for me.

Just lead by example, you know what I mean? Just do your thing and just leave the door open, or the back door at least, because it's not easy, like to even get to this point and all the turmoil and the doors that got closed on me, just to even do this project, you know what I'm saying? I had to really realize, like okay, you still you, so you gotta really do this the right way,

and that's on your own, but you gotta realize they ain't gonna just let you in this door like that. But so I gotta make sure I leave the door open for the kids that's coming up or the generation behind them, because if you really look at it, when Trapper Die dropped, Thug Motivation and all this, if you really look at it, when Trapper died, Drop, Thug, Motivation, all this, if you seen the influx of street cats that got into music because they was like, man, I saw G-Zone.

That's real. I'm sure, yeah. I know people that he actually was affiliated with, got down with, whatever cities he been to, whatever. So I know if he can do it, I can do it. The only problem is the rules are different because ain't nobody, ain't no big homies. So it's like the Wild Wild West, you know what I'm saying? It's probably why I'm listening

to the house music these days, you know what I'm saying? Because it's like, I love the music, but it's a different vibration. So I don't need that all day. I can listen to it in the gym, right? But I'm not gonna listen to it, you know, when I get up in the morning to go do what I gotta do, because I wanna keep a, you know,

but at the same time, I feel like it's my moral obligation, like in my heart, you know what I'm saying? Like that's my purpose, to inspire and to help culture evolve. Like that's my purpose. Do you have those conversations with the younger artists or the reason I ask is, it's like you said, you know, we talk about it all the time.

We did a lot of super stuff back then, but there was none of this. There was no internet. They weren't telling on themselves, but now it just seems like it all the time. We did a lot of super stuff back then, but there was none of this. There was no internet. They weren't telling on themselves, but now it just seems like it's the cool thing to tell everybody what you did, whether it's illegal or not, which is the wildest. Crazy, because there's no integrity,

and there's nobody to follow, which is why I don't do a lot of interviews. You know what I'm saying? I come talk to y'all, we gonna kick it, but I don't got nothing to say to somebody who's looking for ignorance from me. You know what I'm saying? I'm still operating by the code. You know what I'm saying?

These people are moving the goalposts. I don't like that. I don't wanna play in that game. You know what I'm saying? Every time it's something different. Why is it something different for them and not me? You know what I'm saying? Or us.

So for me, I feel for them because they don't got nobody to follow. You know what I'm saying? And there's nothing like giving somebody this, cause you gotta think about it. Like Jordan got the type of money he got, but he ain't get LeBron money for playing. So they're giving them a different type of money

and they're using the money. They still got trauma. They still got things going on that's so important to them that they feel like they got to deal with. But now you're giving them money to fuel the war. Man, I seen this kid on TikTok a couple weeks ago. Remember I was showing you that video? The dude was literally in his room crying to his girlfriend

because his opps had came up on some money. And he was serious, he was like, man they gonna have all type of choppers and switches. He said that shit ain't fair. I'm like, first of all, why you recording this, number one? He's probably trying to get a safe haven. Right, right, right. Something happened to me, you know what it is.

I don't respect it. You know, I said I wasn't gonna talk about it when I came up here, because I feel like it ain't none of my spiritual business. But as somebody who's been in the game, a part of the game and in this world and not of it, I just don't respect it. There ain't no integrity.

Like everybody getting up here, they talking too much, they saying too many things, and if that's okay, then the next generation will do the same thing. And even worse, it even worse. And I'm only concerned about the culture. Because at some point, when nobody respects it no more, they're not gonna respect the art form. It don't even matter what you say.

It'll be like, we'll be obsolete. You know what I'm saying? Because there ain't no integrity behind what we're doing or saying because we're doing anything and it looks like we're doing anything for money. And I don't like that, because I'm not doing anything for money. You know what I'm saying?

I probably turn down more than I accept because it gotta be in line with my purpose. And that's just me, I'm not asking nobody else to be that way. But when you speak of the culture, you can see why people kinda stay away from it, because they're kinda like, I don't know if I wanna be affiliated with that.

You know what I'm saying? Because I don't, you know, and if all my kids are gonna think is that, you know, that I was a artist and that's it, I'm a father first, I'm a man first, you know what I'm saying? I'm a CEO first, you know what I'm saying? I'm a big brother first, you know what I'm saying?

I'm all the things, I'm a son. You know, so we can't just get categorized and boxed in to what we are as far as coaching and go live that out. Because then if something happened to you, your kids are the ones that suffer. You know, it ain't nothing like having a daddy that was rich and now we ain't got nothing because he made a decision for what he thought was right

that had nothing to do with anybody. And you asked me earlier, and I ain't calling no names because I ain't trying to call nobody out because I love them. But I don't want to sit on these cats' beds in their house, in their room. Like, hey man, we gotta talk, bro. I don't call, like, hey man, what you got going, bro?

Like, come pull up on me, let's talk about this. And I'm did this so many times, and I think that the disconnect is, when these labels are giving these kids these type of money, money equals respect to them. So it's like, I'm not listening to you because you ain't doing nothing for me and I got this, which is fine.

Now, sustaining it is a whole different conversation, but even keeping you, because now you got the chance to change generational wealth, you know what I'm saying, or either put your kids in a, it's a difference between your kids going to public school and private school, or having those type of friends when they grow up, because that's what it's about,

like their relationships and who they're gonna meet and grow up with and go to college with and all that, because it ain't about you, it's about your kids, right? But just imagine that. Everything's going great, everybody's loving this new life we got, And then you just make a decision that's purely based on emotions and ego. And I tell everybody, man,

a bad day for the ego is a great day for the soul. You know what I'm saying? Because I've had to make so many unpopular decisions, but it all worked out for me because I'm in peace. And I ain't gotta play. You know what I'm saying? It's like, I don't gotta play the game. Because if you come over here, you know what I'm saying? We's like, I don't gotta play the game. Cause if you come over here, you know what I'm saying?

We gonna be in the right. It's not even, it ain't even about being gangsta, it's about being a man. It's just like, I don't wanna be nothing we're around. I love y'all. You can come one on one, but don't bring all your partners. I don't wanna be part of that, you know what I'm saying? But I feel for them because, you know,

there's a lot of wet pillows in that penitentiary, man. You know what I'm saying? There's a lot of wet pillows in that penitentiary, man. You know what I'm saying? There's a lot of wet pillows. I do want to say in regards to the music you used to make 20 years ago, you can't beat yourself up about that because you was doing the best you could with the information you had at the time.

And when I listen to Thug Motivation 101, a hustle is a hustle. It don't mean that it's leading me to a street. Oh no, no, no. And I don't want you to think that I'm tripping. I'm saying because I always knew it was a position of leadership. I always understood that.

Now, when I was going through, when I was going through, I just wised up over time and started listening to the people who was really trying to help me. Right? Because they really were. And they were people that I wouldn't expect. You know what I'm saying?

They were people that was reaching out, having these conversations. but I took he, and I was just like, okay, tell me about that, and you gotta stay curious, you know, you gotta ask the questions, and then when you start seeing what's happening around you, it goes back to the streets, like, I knew what not to do based off of how I saw

these people getting in this trouble. So I'm like, I don't wanna do that, I ain't the jail type, I'm gonna tell you right now. I can't see sitting nowhere and not being productive, so I don't wanna do that. I ain't the jail type, I'm gonna tell you right now. I can't see sitting nowhere and not being productive, so I don't wanna even put myself in a position like that without me having to, you know what I'm saying? But I don't regret anything. I don't regret my hard times, I don't regret my lows,

I don't regret my highs, I don't regret my run-ins, I don't regret anything, because it all taught me a lesson, you know what I'm saying? And I understand that now, and I can say that wholeheartedly, so when somebody comes and talk to me, I can say, bro, look, I can't tell you what to do, but I'm gonna go and tell you, like, I don't know how that's gonna work out,

because this is what happened over here, this is what I've seen happen with this person. Now, you can take that data and that information, you can do whatever you want with it, but I can assure you that if you do that, there's gonna be some type of consequence, for sure. When you go on a journey like this, for your 20 years of Thug Motivation 101,

does it make you reach out to all the people you came up with? Like have you spoken to Big Meech? Yeah, solid, solid. Yeah, everybody's solid, bro. I'm just peace, man. Welcome home is love, baby. You know what I'm saying?

For me, it's, you know, like I said, man, it's all good with me, bro. You know what I'm saying? All good. What's the deep album cut that you really enjoy performing? Like I said, man, it's all good with me, bro. You know what I'm saying? All good. What's the deep album cut that you really enjoy performing? Off Thug Motivation 101. Man, I mean, listen, bro, I can't get past the inch, bro.

You know what I'm saying? You hit the kitchen lights, cockroaches, everything. And you gotta wait till you hear this with the symphony. You know what I'm saying? With the symphony. And I need everybody to know I'm coming through your city, I'm coming through your town, it's gonna be amazing, one night only, and you gotta pull up.

And going back to your other question about me reaching back out, I think it's more important for me to reach forward. So shout out to Lisk, who I just partnered with for my nonprofit space, and shout out to the Urban League of Atlanta, who I just partnered with for my non-profit space, and shout out to the Urban League of Atlanta, who I reached out with for my Young CEO program, because it's like. What is Lisk?

I know you do that with the Street Dreams Foundation. Yeah, Lisk is, so we got two things going right now. We definitely got the Prostate Cancer campaign going on, because I had a couple of friends that go through that, so we locked in there. But it's definitely for entrepreneurs, young entrepreneurs, tech spaces, just you have it. We showing them how to set up their lives

so that they can win. And same thing with the Urban League of Atlanta. Same thing, we got the Young CEO program. You can go on my Instagram, check it out. Anybody from the age, what's the agency's name? 17 to 24. 17 to 24. And we setting it up, we putting them with mentors,

all that, and by the way, this is who I am. I love this. And somebody asked me, how do you do both? They're all the same. We still motivating, it's all the same to me. We get to jump on the stage, but then we get to go help some people with prostate cancer. We get to jump on the stage,

and we get to go help mentor some kids. You know, I love it. And you saving people. You know how many people can live a much longer life if they just go with it? And I know I said this last time, but I gotta say it again, cause you saved me, brother.

Shout out to Charlamagne for my New York Times bestselling book, Adversity for Sale, because I ran into a situation where I had an issue with a publishing company and I called Charlamagne, I was like, who published your book? And he put me with somebody and we went on to sell a New York Times best seller.

Congratulations. So thank you, my brother. Thank you for all the years of motivation with the music, man. That's right. My last question, if you could go back and tell 2005 GZ one thing before TM-101 dropped, what would it be?

Go harder. Because I was a little reluctant. Because I was scared of failure. You know what I mean? Because I had so much on the line, so it was like real pressure. You know, it ain't nothing like everybody looking at you like a way out.

You know what I'm saying? That pressure's on your shoulder, but then you also looking at yourself like, because it's different if a record label is inquiring you and you hiding in the streets, and on your, like they're pushing this issue. Like this is your money. This is your time, this is your energy,

so if it doesn't work, you know, nine times out of 10, you don't spend all your bread, and now you gotta figure something else out, and you don't turn to back on everything you knew as far as like the streets to take this chance. So I always say go harder because there was a lot of times where I was like, I was sitting back not being the star that I could have been because I was having, what did it back, not being the star that I could have been

because I was having, what do they call it, the imposter central. You know, because I was in these rooms with these guys that was really writing and really like, this is what they've been doing their whole life and I kinda just stumbled into this and it wasn't until I just realized that like, but you real though, you are who you say you are

and you don't have to be as witty, you can be realer and that was my thing. So when I was saying if it's taking too long to lock up, I was talking to the people who knew what I was talking about. So everybody wasn't gonna get that, and that's what I had over everybody else. I knew how to talk to the people that mattered to me.

And it wasn't until I really figured that out is when I was like, okay, I can live in it. Like I said, I was three albums in before I woke up and I was just like, I took that book bag with all those nut bricks, I meant like weights in it. Because it was heavy and I just took it off and threw it. And I was like, I'm gonna be a star. I'm gonna be a star, man.

You know, so, the motivation to me was a blur because it was like, it could have happened, it might not have happened, but everything I went through, I'm grateful for even right now to this day because there's nothing that I go up against that I don't go, what would I have done in 2005? You know what I'm saying? How would I have worked around this?

And I love it, because when people put me in, you know, like if I get in situations with business, and I call back and I call my team the next day and be like, yo, we gonna do this, they be like, oh man, I knew it. We got him. You know what I'm saying? Because they tried to box me in, I figured it out.

So, yeah. And in a lot of ways, this tour is like you being able to relive that time, but actually enjoy the moment. Enjoy the moment, man. And I want people to enjoy it with me. And I'm gonna say this like, this is for us. You know, put your black suit on. If you don't got a bow tie, put your black dress on.

Let's have a good time. Let's celebrate. Let's celebrate evolution. Let's celebrate life. Let's celebrate our wins, our losses and everything. Like, let's have a good time. Because I don't wanna keep coming and we doing, like, you know, you can do a show,

but I want an experience, you know what I'm saying? I want you to see what I'm trying to say. And again, this is a party. This is not, you know, you just come and sitting down, this is not the opera. Shout out to the opera, but it's not the opera. Gotcha. Well, we appreciate you for joining us, man.

I appreciate you guys. And where they go to get tickets? Oh, you go to GZ, it's TM101Live.com. We appreciate you for joining us. Let us know when you hit New York, cause we definitely pulling up. Oh yeah, I wanna say this before I leave. New York is gonna be lit

because I'm actually officially closing down the Apollo. I'm doing the last show there until they do the renovation. So they're gonna sit down for the rest of the year. So I will be having an official last show with the Apollo. It's gonna be crazy. Look on the website to find out when I'm coming through your city. Shout out to The Breakfast Club.

Shout out to you all. Yeah, well there you have it. Yes sir. It's Jeezy. It's The Breakfast Club, good morning. Wake that ass up. Early in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Camp Shane, one of America's longest running weight loss camps for kids,

promised extraordinary results. But there were some dark truths behind Camp Shane's facade of happy, transformed children. Nothing about that camp was right. It was really actually like a horror movie. Enter Camp Shame, an eight part series examining the rise and fall of Camp Shame and the culture that fueled its decades long success. You can listen to all episodes of Camp Shame one week early and totally ad free

on iHeart True Crime Plus. So don't wait, head to Apple podcasts and subscribe today. DNA test proves he is not the father. Now I'm taking the inheritance. Wait a minute, John. Who's not the father? Head to Apple Podcasts and subscribe today. He's trying to give it to his irresponsible son, but I have DNA proof that could get the money back. Hold up, they could lose their family and millions of dollars? Yep. Find out how it ends by listening to the OK Storytime podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Andrea Gunning, host of the podcast Betrayal. Police Lieutenant Joel Kern used his badge to fool everyone. Most of all, his wife, Caroline. He texted, I've ruined our lives. You're going to want to divorce me.

How far would he go to cover up what he'd done? The fact that you lied is absolutely horrific. And quite frankly, I question how many other women are out there that may bring forward allegations in the future. Listen to Betrayal on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Made for This Mountain podcast exists

to empower listeners to rise above their inner struggles and face the mountain in front of them. So during Mental Health Awareness Month, tune into the podcast, focus on your emotional wellbeing, and then climb that mountain. You will never be able to change or grow through the thing that you refuse to identify, the thing that you refuse to say, hey, this is my mountain. This is the struggle. Listen to Made for This Mountain on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you

get your podcasts. This is an iHeart Podcast.