The Breakfast Club - INTERVIEW: Rome & Jess Hilarious Unpack Their Co-Parenting Relationship

Episode Date: March 21, 2024

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Hey y'all, Niminy 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. 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. 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. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy, Elian Gonzalez, was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home and he wanted to take his son with him.

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Story behind the Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the world. Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal.

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We got a special guest in the building. Because today is National Co-Parenting Day. Yes. So we had to bring in a man who I feel like him and Jess have one of the best co-parenting relationships I've ever seen. That's right. Rome is here. Rome is here.

What's up, Rome? I got in trouble already, Rome, because of you. You got a tune already? I got in trouble already Rome cause of you You got a tune already? I got in trouble Cause of you already Why? What happened? Just say

I wanna know Who gave Rome Some liquor this morning And I was like I didn't give it to him I just told him Where the bar was And he said

Help yourself Yeah that's fine And you said It was apple juice And so I was about To take a sip And I was like Uh uh

It was not You already knew It wasn't apple juice I just said Thank you He was gonna pick the cup up Okay and jess have the best co-parenting situation i've ever witnessed how did y'all get to this point wrong and she thinks she's my mother first and foremost okay but um it took time it took time uh i felt like when you take the feelings out of it and you you realize that the child is the most important part of the relationship,

because it's still a relationship whether you're intimate or not, you can do magical things. Magical things. And I think that me being a dad that I was and that I am still today, I wanted that. I felt like if we wasn't going to be together, there was no need for us to beef. We've created over time, whereas now she's my best friend. She's my safe space. I feel like, you know, I can vent to her because sometimes, all the time, I need it.

But I feel like when I was pouring into these other women, they would use it against me. Whereas though now, and now that she's pregnant, I don't really call her and say certain things because I know she's going through certain things mentally now so Jess is always in my safe space though so it's like she's always been a

person that I go to I call give me advice some advice I don't take but just to hear but just to hear her give it to me just to know that she care because I don't really have nobody how did y'all meet how did really have nobody. How did y'all meet? How did you meet Jess? And how did y'all start dating back then?

What did you see and when was like, oh, this is somebody I want. It's crazy because we grew up in the same. He's starting to smile. He's going back. No, because we grew up in the same church. But we didn't know. No. We didn't know.

My mom, when my mom was alive, my mom died when I was 10. When my mom was alive, we went to the same church my mom died my father like really took me away from everybody so now it was like fast forward i'm like 17 it's facebook now it's after my space it's facebook and she came across my timeline and i was like okay so i i did a, dot, and I put a basketball emoji. You thought she was a WNBA player? No. Just shut up, man.

A little junior boss of these? No. Playing with you. No, she bit on it too. Okay. She was like, I forgot what she said, but I was like, I think I was like, I'm just coming to get my ball, coming to get what's mine, something like that.

Yeah, I said, what the fuck is this? Why the basketball room? I need to know. I seen it somewhere. What, loving basketball? No, I seen just coming to get my ball, coming to get what's mine, something like that. Yeah, I said, what the fuck is this? Why the basketball room? I need to know. I seen it somewhere. What, loving basketball? No, I seen somebody do that. Like, I don't know where I seen it. You got to understand this one.

They put a basketball in the messages. This is 11 years, 12 years ago. So I'm like, I don't know. I did it because I thought it was corny, but I thought it was, you know. But it worked. It got our attention. What did you think just when you saw the basketball? I just said, what the fuck is this? Okay you know. But it worked. It got our attention. What did you think, Jess, when you saw the basketball? I just said, what the fuck is this?

Okay. I just typed it back. And he was like, he said, it was my ball. It's my ball. And I'm coming to get it. Or something like that. I'm coming to get what's mine. And I was like, oh, okay.

What's up? I already knew what that was giving, what it was. It worked. You want to bounce it? Okay, what's up? But it worked. It worked. It worked.

So y'all started talking. Where was y'all first date? What was your first, when you started first when you started first talking what was your honest man jessica did a lot i'm gonna say this before a lot of these young guys became jody i was jody and our first date big date i'm gonna say it was six flags okay okay all right i'm doing it big i never had a birth certificate after my mom died it was here my dad didn't want to come here to get it in new york in new york because you was born in brooklyn i was going to staten island so my dad didn't want to get it so for a long time time, I just had a college ID. I was driving with a college ID.

But Jessica was the simplest one to let me drive with no ID. I mean, with no license. You know, I was responsible, though. So I used to work at the car wash. I used to clean it, shine it up, gel matizing, hold nine yards. But our first date was Six Flags. That morning, I went to get my permit before we left

for six flags. But I failed. I went in there on my high horses. That's why I failed. Our first big date was six flags. No.

It was written, but it was computer. Yeah, yeah. That test is difficult. I failed. I failed the one where it said put on your high bangs

or your low bangs when it's raining or something like that or when it's the ground most slippery. Did you have shades on when you took the no okay i didn't really wear shades like that okay i did but there was another no yeah but first big date six flags but before that we did a lot of other things but after that it was we did a lot like she introduced me to a lot um actually we both was the same age but she helped make me become

well got me becoming a man yeah coming to man and then um yeah then boom now jess always says that you are you were overprotective make sure she was good correct but she always said you can't fight oh my god no she never seen me fight oh and I've had some we've we fought I got that from I'm not gonna fight her bro oh it's crazy cuz I just got a picture from the window you bust the mines oh but did you win the right man not one window with our fists what what happened oh you can't be hurt and if she could break a window from a fist out when man wouldn't even try to fight that. What happened, Rome? Rome had to take a sip thinking about that. That's murdering him.

What happened? What happened? You want to know a real story? Yeah, yeah. All right. I was just talking about, I was just in North Carolina this weekend. I was just talking about this.

Like, how my stepbrothers was, like, corny and shit. Right? My step, like, Jessica pull up. Mind you, we ain't together. Jessica pulls up. I had a girl in the house. So my brother my brother like come to the top of the steps like wrong just set the door i'm like all right here i come the nigga don't even wait for me to come he let her in he let her in oh boy i walk right past him and his friends with the girl jessica get good getting down the steps she wrote but what did I see

when I walked on the steps Jerome you didn't see so initially tries to massage this story at Ashton I had a portable rocking bassinet we I could put in the trunk send it to her bring it back Ashton was in a portable rocking joint me and the girl was on take the bed. I had on basketball shorts. She had on her uniform pants. She's going to sit. She's been saying this forever. She was in the military?

She was a CO. This is a correctional officer. She's a correctional officer. She's sitting. She's facing me, but her legs are like, you know how that go. Jessica comes downstairs. She's going to say, oh, we was naked. We was not naked.

If we was naked, it would have been happening. I don't get naked. Was she topless? No, she had a shirt on. Oh my gosh. She's never going to tell the truth.

Anyway, she banged the girl. You beat up the girl? No, she didn't beat up. She banged her. I just like popped her. And I picked her up and walked up the stairs

and threw her outside. Rom, you could never lift me. No, you never, no. Y'all see what I'm saying? She never wants to, she never wants to admit the truth.

So hold on, Theo couldn't fight? No, I don't know if she could fight or not, but I hit her one time and then she got up and then she put on her uniform and went and left. Went upstairs and she left. The truth is, I promise you, I wish it was iPhones and cameras.

You started fighting. No, and then my son was not in no portable nothing. He was on the floor on a blanket and the cat was looking at him like he wanted to eat him. Yes, he was. What the hell?

Check this out. My basement had cement under the carpet. So I would never lay my... I wouldn't even lay on the floor. So why was my son on the floor? My son was in a portable bassinet. Okay.

Y'all been arguing about this for 11 years. For 11 years. Yes, because she never wanted to tell the truth she was drunk out of her mind and I'm trying to figure out why the whole thing I was just getting off of work I had a job you baby

you did not just get off work you was fired at that time no I got fired right after that I was working at McDonald's that's when I was stealing out the register overnight this is so much ghetto love and then if I was drinking okay I was drinking on And then if I was drinking, okay, I was drinking on the job, but I was at work. So, and then I came to get my son.

No, you did not come get your son because it was my weekend. You didn't get him until Monday from daycare. Why would you come? No, you was coming to be nosy. I didn't have to come to be nosy. She had a passenger with her. If you come to get your son, I'm coming to be, yeah. I don't like Nicole either because she told you guys, go home nicole yep she i don't like nicole even

because she told you guys go home 11 years you still don't like me oh man that's my god how did you break the window man she that shit with her hand so you walked out seeing this car no she i threw her ass out you never you're not that you was not that strong like you did not yeah i had you and it was steps. You jazzy Jeff, oh! Yeah, that, right there. He could never,

even right now, could not do that. So why you hit the window, though? Why you hit the car window? Because I was just really, really mad because he wouldn't give me my son.

He wouldn't give me my son. You called the police and you're going to try to say his name. I didn't call the police. You called the police. I never called the police. I didn't call the police.

I don't know how to police. Listen, pause, pause, pause. Listen, I need everybody to hear this Where I'm from The jail is right there Right around the corner You can walk

It's two minutes So they heard the commotion They walked to us I don't know how they came I thought my stepmother called My godmother called One of them It was my stepmother house

My godmother house Somebody called Because I didn't call the police My phone was cracked Because of You cracked his phone? I did crack his phone But he could still Everybody in the police. My phone was cracked because of. You cracked his phone? I did crack his phone, but he could still. Everybody in the house had a phone.

He called the police on me. And then when the police came, I just sat in my car. I was mad. I was like, no, I can't move here to get my son. Nicole did tell me, yo, come on, let's pull off. He's not giving you the baby. He's not giving you the baby. I was like, all right, cool.

But I was mad, so I didn't pull off. Police paddy wagon pulled up and got out. And you was like, alright, cool. But I was mad, so I didn't pull off. Police paddy wagon pulled up and got out, and you was like, she right there, she right there. And she ain't even pulled off yet. You was the eyewitness. How did I try to get you locked up when I'm the same old call

trying to bail you out with no money? I don't know why you ever thought you could bail somebody out with no money. I ain't sleep that night. You trying to get out. You put her on jail to try to bail out? Mr. Chet is out. You ever went through a woman phone? Of course.

Could you eat after that? Yes. You could? Well, I couldn't. I'm comparing that to when she went to jail, I couldn't eat. I couldn't sleep. You know? You was sick.

I was sick. I didn't want her in jail. Why the fuck would I call the police? So how did you punch the window? That's what we was doing. I walked up to it and then I just like, then I just punched the window. What kind of car was it? He had a Honda.

A Honda, cool. A Honda. A V6. I know it was fresh. No, it was my first car. And he had just got it. She didn't like it when I got it. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

She was jealous. Now, no. That's why. I'm going to tell you why. You had a lot of more freedom to choose. I had freedom. I had freedom once I got it. Very much.

She couldn't call me. She said, bring me my car back, Jody. Right. I never called you that it she couldn't call me say bring me my car back Jody I never called you that I never called you that anyway she took me to get the car I ain't never seen nobody want to be talking to me so bad when I got the car when I got the car she was like I don't like this shit

I say yeah so this mean you really be doing you cause he was doing you he would drop me off to work and go be act like he in class I was a student then it doesn't matter the beach it was see for my associates that's idea I went to class cuz guess what you got off work 2 o'clock you had to be work 6 o'clock so I was getting up 5 a.m. every morning we got to your work you got your job by 545 I got out of class at 1 30 did my homework for the 15 minutes came to cold spray make downs and picked you up.

Then we went home. That was my routine Monday to Friday. You're skipping a lot of things. Did you hurt your hand? No, it didn't hurt until I got in jail. I ain't gonna lie. It ain't hurt until she sobered up. This the crazy thing. I was not that drunk. So then when I got to the jail,

guess who did my intake? God damn! Guess who did my intake? the damn girl who was with him the one that you punched yes she clocked in to do that she did my intake the same girl that I popped

but she didn't say nothing because she couldn't be caught up in nothing she lost her job i straight told on her like yeah because i was like so you told on the girl absolutely seems like wow how could you actually want fuck with a nigga who laid his baby in a cat's face on the on the carpet so she got i ain't mad at that i ain't mad at you jumping on that very much yes yeah because you don't know what she could have tried to do to you in that situation. So you got to put

everything on the table. I was like, it was ghetto or begotten and that's what it was. So now when you hear this story and you say to yourself, why are they there on National Co-Parent Day?

Because they are like the best of friends now. They call each other, Jess calls you her brother. How do you feel about that? How did y'all get there? Do you look at her like your sister? You said mama. I was going to say, what she said, you created that. How do you feel about that? How did y'all get there? Do you look at her like your sister?

You said mama. I was going to say, what she said, you created that. She's like my mother. When we out of town and shit, she's like my mother. I ain't going to disclose too much, but she thinks she's my mother. No, I just know. She likes to control. She knows how I am, though.

Me, I'm a loner. I think part of that controlling part is like, okay, where am I, bro? There could be 20 of us. I don't want to be with y'all. So guess what I'm a loner. I think part of that controlling part is like, okay, where am I, bro? It could be 20 of us. I don't want to be with y'all. So guess what I'm going to do? And he can go out of town with these 20 people and then be like, all right. I'm like, no. We could be all on a sprinter.

What's going on? No. We could be all on a sprinter, whatever state we go to. I'm not even going to go get a rental or a slingshot or something. It better not be raining. But I think that controlling part comes in just because she cares. And sometimes, especially when I'm

under the influence, I've done dumbass shit. That's good that you know that. You can admit that. I've done dumbass shit. I don't know if you heard Justice Sister in the back. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. Everybody knows that. But I hold myself accountable to that.

Mind you, I ain't going to say I learned from one mistake so I didn't did a dumbass ship over and over again but I think in that aspect that's when the mother the mother with the V comment but the breath I call me brother and sister like honestly without the child is there is like Amazon cameras off like you can't fake this or make this shit up oh yeah rome started that rome started calling me sis first and then i started calling him bro i you know i'm like yeah we do have like a sibling dynamic in some way you know he still confides in my mom he like my mom is our mother like it's not it ain't nothing crazy it's nothing intimate like seriously i always say

this people be like yeah right i can literally walk past this and i don't do this when i'm saying i can walk past this man naked and he does they be like girl what like put that up i'm talking about seriously like how do y'all not each other's spouses or each other's boyfriend and girlfriend like how do you deal with his girl and how do you deal with now wrong she told us you had 17 baby mamas five five okay i never told you he had no time i always try to times two and shit like that it's cool though it's cool but this is this and then this was the friction part and we got over that but this is the friction part was i'm on my benders i'm getting her shit but the friction part was her getting into mines. But she's still a woman.

I'm still a man. So women tend to do that. And this is not, no shame to women. I don't mean no disrespect by saying it. But I think women tend to do that, especially a woman that care about you. She said that sometimes you make bad decisions and she's there as your sister to make sure you good. Correct. Regardless if it's life, relationship, or whatever. Correct.

She said that on there. With me personally, I never really like, I talk to her about certain things, but I never really like my family to get into no intimate situation with me. Because guess what? Y'all can feel a way about this person however y'all want, whether it's negative or good. If I'm going to deal with this person, I'm going to deal with her. Like, the female can smack shit out me yesterday I might get over it and fuck

her tomorrow but it's like that's why I always that's how I was always able to distinguish the two like when Jessica with her man when she come to me like I don't know like I ain't never pillow talking or sneak dissing or nothing like I don't really care for like it ain't nothing a nigga have that I don't

if you put it in that sense. But when she come to me with her man, I tell her, I ain't right. But both of y'all got to care, though, because you're going to want to know who around your son. She's going to want to know who around her son. I never did, though. Yeah.

I never. So in the beginning stage, yeah, don't have this nigga around my son. Right, right. I grew out of that. So now it's, I trust my child mom enough to she won't bring no fuck shit around my child. Right.

So I don't say, oh, don't have this nigga around my child that's never been a problem what has been a problem was motherfuckers envy me except for my last dog yeah my dog who's the dog my dog Chris my dog

I ain't gonna hold you I think he's the like man honestly me and Jess man like I think he's the, I think, like, man, honestly, me and Jess, man, like, I think it's been times where a woman didn't like me and her situation. But guess what? Bye. Yeah, more so on, yeah, it'll be more so on his end because it's much more of them. But the thing is, yeah, the thing is, like, I don't like when,

because I even tell him when he's doing wrong, too, like, yo, don't treat her like that. This is not, how are you going to introduce me to her? Now I got to know her, you know, and whether she had a kid or not, most of the time it's the ones that have the kids. But it's like, yo, you got to do right or just be single. Like, don't keep hurting women in the process of trying to find what you're looking for i mean i know that's all a part of dating but when you have kids it's different you know and then he'd be like oh that's why i don't like you to be getting into it you know and then i don't like he he attracts a lot of toxic women to like abusive relationships where women will put

their hands on him like what yeah alright you know but he don't he's like nah but I might be fucking with her tomorrow what she just blacks her eye what are you talking about you know what I'm saying like nah we not doing it but Claire I never had a black eye okay well she bust your nose whatever women have put their hands on

you and you be alright with it and that's why she's my dog like I think she's the only one really honestly the one that get the she's my dog. Like, I think she's the only one, really, honestly, the one to get the fuck under my skin. Like, a certain wordplay she use. And I don't care what tone she use it in. But to say that, it's like, I was really never taught how to love.

Like, I lost my mom at 10 years old, my heart. I moved with my dad. And when I moved with my dad, I moved my dad and my stepmom, which is my mom at 10 years old my heart I move with my dad and when I move my dad my dad knew my dad and my stepmom which is my mom now me and my mom have a great relationship that's my stepmom and um my dad was married but my dad was cheating like same like my dad's showing me shit that, like, I'm thinking cool. So, like, even when I started dealing with women and stuff like that, multiple women and all that, my dad was like, yeah, son, uh-uh. Absolutely. And I'm thinking it's cool.

Because that's what you're being taught. That's what I'm seeing. That's what I'm being taught. Like, and every man in my life that I looked at as a role model to me was the same way. Same. So, it's like what you expect. But the good thing is now it's like I'm old enough now

and mind you I ain't perfect now. I'm seeing it. I'm trying to you know change it. But I never was taught to love properly. So and I never my trust issues is fucked up from my dad. Like bro my trust issues was fucked up before I even met her. Because I'm seeing what he's doing.

But I'm seeing when it's done to him, his reactions. Like, damn, my nigga, you was just doing this. How you gonna get mad? Right? So, it's like, every relationship I've went into, I had an expiration date. Me, I put an expiration date on myself. I said, she gonna get what she gonna get. I'm gonna get what I'm getting.

I'm gone So I never really gave a woman The What's the word I'm looking for I never really gave a woman Commitment Not even commitment But I never gave the woman a chance to really love me But even with the kids

Like even having kids with other women Nah I haven't And this is like I said No disrespect to my children Moms A lot of my My children came out of vulnerability. Explain, expound on that.

And I'm explaining that. So I will meet a woman who I may feel like she's what I need, another safe place or whatever the case may be, but I'm already vulnerable from a previous relationship. I have a child. Knowing I don't want to be with this woman. I don't want to. I don't. I really don't want to be with her.. I don't want to. I don't.

I really don't want to be with her. But I feel like I'm forced to be with her because it's a child. And I've done that, you know, multiple times. You needed a therapist, not another baby model. Correct. Yeah. But at the time of need, at the time of vulnerability, you know, women, you know, women can be masked up. Yeah. Masked up. But also, you know, just on a accountability part, which he has taken over his recent years is like you was looking for like your mom and women and you would never get that. You know what I'm saying? Because you was trying to look for an emotional connection with,

with, you know, nurturing also. And then like, you was really, really search searching for Keisha. Keisha's his mother. You were really searching for her and women,

you know, that's, that's a different type of love. You know what I mean? I think different women. So y'all, this is quest love. 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. Nimany 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. 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 iHeart Radio 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 lighthearted, pretty crazy, and very fun. Listen to Post Run High 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're going to discuss social issues,

especially those that affect black and brown people, but in a way that informs and empowers all people to hopefully create better allies. Think of it as a black show for non-black 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. Exactly. Whether you're black, Asian, white, Latinx, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, you name it. If you stand with us, then we stand with you. Let's discuss the stories and conduct the interviews that will help us create a more empathetic, accountable, and equitable America.

You are all our brothers and sisters, and we're inviting you to join us for Civic Cipher each and every Saturday. With myself, Ramses Jha, Q Ward, and some of the greatest minds in America. Listen to Civic Cipher every Saturday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey there, my little creeps. It's your favorite ghost host, 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.

Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, James Brown, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. I shook up the world. James Brown said, say it loud. And the kids said, I'm black and I'm proud. Black boxing stars and black music royalty together in the heart of Zaire, Africa. Three days of music and then the boxing event. What was going on in the world at the time made this fight as important that anything else is going on on the planet. My grandfather laid on the ropes and let George Foreman basically just punch himself out. Welcome to Rumble, the story of a world in

transformation. The 60s and prior to that, you couldn't call a person black. And how we arrived at this peak moment. I don't have to be what you want me to be. We all came from the continent of Africa. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and the Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. With different women, because different women have certain, what is it? Certain things that. Certain aspects of her, but like like i never knew how to be

alone bro like i would be single in my own apartment and all that and let it go and go move with a woman because yeah i never knew really i don't know how to i don't like being lonely like so it's like a lot of the times when and i say this shit is real like i don't like being lonely. Like, so it's like a lot of the times when, and I say this, this shit is real. Like, I don't know if a lot of other men like me, but when being lonely, bro, you go through such, I don't give a fuck how much money you got. I don't care about none of that. But like, I never really knew how to be alone. Like, I feel like I gotta have somebody laying next to me. Because even before my mom died, my mom used to sleep naked.

This is a back then thing. How old were you when your mother passed? I was 10, but I was a mommy's boy. Did's boy did you ever did you ever really properly no i so grieving no i never really grieved all i did was i thought it was gonna help me by going to school for social work because that's what she was but i never really probably grieved and that's that's a process now i do want to get you know back in the gym i do want to get a therapist but I want everything else around me to be in text so that I could fully commit Because if I ain't fully committed it ain't gonna work And then I also me I also feel like you're you're dead and get you

I did I'm a dead man Honestly, I felt like me personally and this is probably the first time I said this like I did my thing my rip my father Really wanted me for a check and I think my father really wanted me for a check. What do you mean? And exactly what I said, like the money. And he lied to me for so long. I lost a scholarship because of my dad. Oh. Because at the time where I wanted to go, I wanted to get away from them.

So I had a couple scholarships. I had like over 30 acceptances. I got accepted to a school in Florida. I think it isn't. Did your mom leave you money Yeah my mom yeah So my mom left me money My mom left money

My mom was getting money Social security stuff So I was like my dad was making bank I didn't even say the calculation The calculation was crazy What's your relationship with your dad now We okay He's still living with that regret.

And I feel like that's why we can't really get there. But, yeah, like, I feel like my dad wanted me for a check, man. How'd you lose the scholarship? He didn't finish it. I lost the scholarship. I lost the scholarship because August, like, TBC for school was supposed to start. I had got to, I was leaving.

Like, my mom's side, he bought all my dorm stuff and all of that. All my life, my father always said, yeah, when you get 18, you're going to have money. You can go get you a car. You can go do what you want. You can go to school. Whatever the case may be. All right, cool. I get 18, I graduate.

There's nothing there. I asked my father. I'm like, well, there's still no answer. My father never even answered. So, I know i got a scholarship i had a partial scholarship so a partial scholarship with the you paying the school and on and rooming boy that's at the school i was going to that was about 16 17 000 a semester i had like a 42 000 partial joint so my dad was always saying all right i gotta rest

i gotta rest so two weeks before i was supposed to leave so a month before i was supposed to leave my family got all my dorm stuff a week before i was supposed to leave my father called me up to the room and he like um i didn't even say what he said i'm like he like um you can't go to school i'm like why not like nigga i'm an a student like i work hard for this I was an athlete I was a student I ain't get no offers from basketball my junior senior year so I gave up and said fuck it I'm gonna fall back on my grades

you always said I had the money the money wasn't there he spent it all and you know he turned 18 like 17 and a half it stopped coming but even if it come again when I'm 18, that's one check. All the rest gone.

And my stepmother used to always tell him. And I love my stepmother for this. And I wish I'd have known this when I was younger. But my stepmother used to always tell him, put that money up. But she never came to me because she didn't want to overstep the boundaries of her husband. And I understood it. But now that I'm grown and we have conversations now, it's's like i understood it because my father always tried to make people hate me i hated my stuff yeah i hated my stepmother growing up but it was never her it was him

lights didn't get cut off we had christmas just because of my stepmom my dudes got paid my senior dude my i'm talking my middle school dudes magic bro you're getting money for me my middle school dudes my stepmother paid them my stepmother and my teachers paid them wow high school dudes my bro you're getting money for me my middle school dudes my stepmother paid them my stepmother and my teachers paid them high school dudes my stepmother paid them and my friends i got two friends their mothers paid all that so it was like my dad really crushed me man i told my dad a couple weeks ago man i said bro you hate me not literally saying you hate me but you hate me so much because i got you i caught your ways i said but the difference between me i'm young and i'm trying i'm gonna change him you're 20 years older than me you still doing the same thing you want to break those cycles and i want to and not even me breaking a cycle bro i just i

don't like being like this like i don't like hurting people i don't like hurting women i don't like i never really hurt i'm so loyal to my friends that the the any little disloyal thing they do to me they cut off so it's like the should be hurting man and it's like damn i already had nobody so then when i got a child mom i cherish it and i tell her bro trash the really ones you love the really ones that's genuinely there for you the ones that you ain't gotta do nothing for and i really love you because guess what at the end of the day when shit go if shit go bad they're gonna be the ones you count on you know there's this thing when you start going to therapy you'll hear about it's this thing called the mother wound and it's a type of attachment trauma that instills deeply rooted beliefs that make the child feel unloved, abandoned, unworthy of care, and numb to their feelings. Does that feel like you?

Yeah, Maslow Laws. Maslow Laws. What's done to you as a child will affect you as an adult, but it will not define you. That's right. So it's like, it's crazy because going to school was like, man, you reading this shit? I'm like, man, it's me. It's me. Like, you know, I'm thinking of my own therapist, but, you know, every therapist needs a therapist.

And that's how they able to be effective. So it was like, man, like, you know, I've been through, I ain't have a bad upbringing, but I've been through some traumatic situations, man. And, you know, like, I ain't going to define me. Like, them babies of mine, man, I love them babies. I feel like if it weren't for my babies, I would have crashed out. A long time ago. A long time ago.

And like I said, I got them babies, and out of all my children, I got two children moms like that. My last one, you know, she made no harm by certain things, but I got that one, and I got this one to my left, man, my dog. And it's like she give me hope every day and she don't even know it like even when you know we might not even argue but like every days i wake up she don't you're all right how you feeling just because i know that she need it like when you when you when you the the shoulders in the head of families or communities bro like it's a lot you know know, honestly, I think them people need it the most. So I give her her flowers

every day and I feel like, man, like, without her, yeah. I think you're on the right path. You know,

they say healing the mother wound first starts with acknowledging the pain. Correct. And then seeking professional help, which you want to do. Cultivating healthy relationships, which y'all have done.

And you're focusing on self-care and personal growth. Yeah, that's right. So you're definitely on the right path. It's going to get there, man. It's time. Take time, you know, but it'll be there.

How did y'all, that's the most, I don't want to say most important, but one of the most important things, how did y'all realize we don't have feelings for each other no more? Like, how did that just go away? Like, y'all have, y'all love each other, but not in that way. I got my answer. You want to go first? You can go first.

What's yours? Because I'm still thinking. When I stopped caring about who she dealt with. Oh. When I wouldn't even like, I wouldn't even care. Mm-hmm. Like, how long did that take? Oh.

Oh, three years. So, like, when Ashton was like three. Yeah, he was still, like, really young. Yeah. It was like 3 yeah he was still really young it was like 3 years but honestly that 3 years like I had called a big check so it was like

I was almost half a million dollar nigga so it was like it was the pain that I had whatever the case may be I would pay I would just buy shit to block it out but other than that like you ain't try to stunt on her a little bit no I never stunt whatever the case may be, I would pay. I would just buy shit to block it out. But other than that, like... You ain't try to stunt on her a little bit?

No, I never stunt. No, I never. No, I never. I'm waiting for that. I never intentionally stunted on her. I never did that. Never. I did everything she possibly could ask me to do.

And she said on one of these shows, something about a BGE bill, and I'm going to address that. I never wanted to address that. That was on our show. That was on Co-Parents and Am BGE bill and I'm gonna address that I never wanted to address that was on our show that was on Co-Parents and Amber I'm gonna address that now

what bill that's an electric bill so hold I'm gonna explain it her lights got cut off you guys got a $500,000 check and you got a light listen no

it wasn't right then and there but it's over time because mind you so mind you because I like mind you a lot of my place she helped me

she helped me get a lot on the back end but in a time like I helped her whatever the case may be I didn plays, she helped me get a lot on the back end. But in the time, I helped her whatever the case may be. I didn't know she was moving with a man. I didn't move with a man. Well, she moved man in with her. Yeah, after. So he had you in the dark too?

No. This was before I met him. I don't get in her business, so I don't know that he not there. So boom, here's my logic, and I'm going to gonna say what I'm gonna say to her after I explain it my logic was alright man is in the house boom BG cut off right I'm thinking so she like well wrong I'm like well I take my son with me but that wasn't me talking that was the girlfriend I had talking oh shit you didn't tell me that I never told you that because as a woman you ain't trying to hear that

and as a man and you being me I don't want to hear that so I didn't want to tell you that because I'd have felt less of a man unball your fist Jess but enough of that understanding if somebody else is smacking the cheeks you pay that bill so the girlfriend was like

so the girlfriend was like don't talk about no house so listen now go ahead so the girlfriend was like i took a certain amount of money out the bank i did she was with me she like mind you the certain amount of money i had to call because i was gonna break it in half give it to jessica and i take the rest and i was going me and Ashton, me and Ashton, that's all I did, shot me and Ashton so I was going to give it to her but the girl like, why are you giving it to Jessica? I'm like cause she need it

and she like, oh that's why I'm here I never said the reason I never said the reason I never said the reason though she was like what exactly do she need? Cause I know you ain't giving her no, she don't need a bag or nothing like that I'm like, reason, though. She was like, what exactly do she need? Because I know you ain't giving her no, she don't need a bag or nothing like that. I'm like, no, it's something else.

She like, well, don't she got a nigga living with her? And mind you, I'm drinking at the time. You're thinking the same thing. I'm like. You weren't even thinking that till she said it. I wasn't thinking it, but I'm drinking. But when she say it, because I'm not. Like I said, bro, like wives and girlfriends, I've seen men crumble and go against their family because of a wife or a girlfriend.

I've seen it. And I'm like, you know what? You're right. Why you ain't ask Jess, though? Crazy. Why you didn't pick up the phone and say, Jess, what's up with you? Because I was a young, emotional boy. Who had just ran into a bunch of money.

And a bunch of bitches came with that. No, fuck the bitches. Man, nigga, I'm hurt. I'm a hurt young man. ran into a bunch of money and a bunch of bitches came with that. No, fuck the bitches. My nigga, I'm hurt. My hurt young man got a lot of money. Everybody done fucked me over.

Nigga, I got some money. I'm doing the fuck I wanted. I'm making myself happy. And that's how I'm a nigga went broke. Like, it was times where

I'm not happy, but I go spend money just because I'm not happy. Like, oh, that car just came out like that. Everybody except me

fucked you over. You feel me? Except her. So that was what I out like that everybody except me fucked you over so that was what I was like and granted right now or today I'm going to say I truly sincerely apologize for not taking care of you the way I should have and I'm going to

take my glasses off because for a long time that shit hurt me and it's like i never ever ever especially you i never ever ever ever meant to do that to you and it's like now that's why i even i work so hard today and just try to even just give you something but in due time that shit gonna come back i ain't you know i done made that shit back to even just give you something. But in due time, that shit going to come back. I ain't, you know, I done made that shit back, went broke again, made it back, went broke again.

But my biggest downfall, the commons denominator was alcohol and women. So that shit, them two problems never allowed me to really reach my full potential. Right. Because even when I seen it a couple years ago, you seen it, 2019 when I was single, when I went and moved back by myself, I ran that motherfucker up. Flourish. I ran that bitch up. That's one thing I know how to do. I'm going to run it up, but there'll be women holding me back, man.

You ran it to somebody. I'm sorry that I didn't do what I was supposed to do. And a lot of motherfuckers say, well, that wasn't your job. That wasn't your job. I felt that was my duty. But because I had certain people in my ear That I thought had their best interest in me But when that bag ran out they left I'm sorry

I'm not a sorry person I apologize Okay I appreciate that But listen I was not I was talking to a nigga he moved in Months after you think a nigga was gonna move into a dog house You think I wanted a nigga to see how I was living no and when you say i asked you like yo can you just get my um my lights on i'll pay you back that's when i was scamming and doing all that shit that shit got slow too

so i'm like all right you was like no i take my son nobody's taking my kid not even as far like as long as ash was in the dark we was good you know what i'm saying like i still had candles we was playing we was doing all that we would stay outside that turned you up until until it went until it got dark and then we were going to house and hell he never asked me why the lights ain't coming on it don't matter so as long as he was good i was good i just wanted to be able to call you baby you know i'm saying and just be like yo get my life for me and you should have but guess what that made you a demon and when i say demon i say in the best way that turns you up and you i gotta tell teach my kids especially my

oldest boy my 11 year old bro like i don't want you to have to go through something bad to learn a lesson right i don't think everybody should go through something bad and learn a lesson right but in your case i feel like yeah i put that battery in your back. And no, when that battery came in your back, you ain't, you ain't treat me no way. Nope.

It took still a minute for us to create that bond. Yeah. But y'all have it now and I think y'all both should give each other some grace because y'all was dumb young.

Yeah, correct. Yeah, brilliant. And I always was a hurt young man, so. Right. But I love this story because it shows

the foundation in how y'all are now. Yeah. And how y'all treat each other now. You know, I don't know you, but the way this story because it shows the foundation and how you are now yeah and how y'all treat each other now you know i don't know you but the way she talks about you on the radio and like you said she is a mother she protects you she holds you down i just love to see it yeah no sometimes i'll be telling her stop talking about rome like that he always doing but it's like why are you talking about but i i i get it she don't mean no harm by it. No, she don't. No. No, she don't mean no harm. Yeah. Like I said, man, like, I wish a lot of other people would take from us. And that's why this shit got to be on TV.

That's why y'all writing the book. Yeah. All that. Book coming. Everything coming. Book coming. Yes. Everything coming, man. There you have it.

What do you think the most important thing, because I want y'all to save a lot of this, but what's the most important thing it takes to co-parent? If y'all just leave it on that because it's National Co-Parenting Day. Yo, I think I started off. Communication, like a lot of people be scared to hurt each other's feelings and a lot of people be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations, whether it's about kids, unhashed differences, whatever. Like one day me and Rome just literally met up and just, we just talked about everything that, you know, he felt like I did him wrong in certain situations.

And then he felt like, like I will always try. Cause he says I'm controlling a lot and I do take that. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I own that. I do. Like I was trying to control how he parents sometimes, like how he would raise Ash and all of that type of stuff. We just put everything on the table and just was like,

all right, you're moving forward because it's really about Ash. Right. And that's really like when we, after that, it was like no looking back. It's like, all right, whatever. Cool. Piece of cake, man. It was just communication. I think it's a couple things man

communication feelings out of it ego out of it ego for sure and just man both parties both parties gotta be in it though man like I feel like you know now like even at my kids school and shit man like dang you said man I think that's fucked up. Your job, kids that you teach? No, kids, no. That's who, my children, my own children. Oh, yeah. I feel like, you know, the father is not a norm. So I always been, I ain't, it's not, I ain't say I'm a change of norm, but I've changed of norm.

Like, it's me. You ain't got to call them up. You know that DMX song, call your father. Yeah, that's me, call me. Don't call them others i'm hands-on i'm gonna be there and my oldest 11 man i just sat in school sat in the class with them the whole day they call you but ash called me on the side my dad but that was the thing too we had to learn don't don't don't try to take the father from the child

let me father him because I refuse for my son to become a statistic I refuse for my son to become a young hurt little boy I refuse for my son to grow up not knowing how to love a woman I refuse for my son to be so many things that his father was I'm still young so I'm still you know

I told Nya earlier I said man like I'm going to write I'm still you know I told Nya earlier I said man like you know I'm gonna write my rights to you my boys you still unlearning you unlearning right now correct

you unlearning to learn when it's co-parenting ain't easy man and I used to be I used to be hard on him how he was so hard on my son

like no like Ash gotta wanna talk to you you gotta make him want to talk to you like Ash make him want to talk to you like ash he used to like come and talk to me about things he was scared to go to his father about not because it was any abusive relationships anything it was just like i can't talk to that you know was my son problem like i said i'm creating a young man man my son problem was

he don't like confrontation not confrontation but he don't like to confront a man and when i say that me his father he don't like to and i tell him i said bro if you don't like something you tell me i'm not like my father oh shut the fuck up oh you i'm your father you took no no ain't none of that same brand we go to mcdonald's and i'll be like all right do you 60 oh dad i don't want that. All right, what you want? It's the same concept. I get his head done.

Now you want hair. Oh, dad, I don't like that. Tell me. Don't go back and tell your mother. That's when I'm going to get mad. Because he was just with me and I just asked you and you ain't say nothing. You want to communicate. I want to communicate.

And when you communicate with me, you look me in my eyes and tell me, dad, I don't want this. You ain't got to be disrespectful when you say it. I want to say, my baby getting better, but I'm here. So it's like, I don't know, man, it's not hard. It's easy. It's fun. You do have to make it a little bit easier for him to do that. It's just, man, like, I don't know.

As a mom, it's different than when a dad raising. I'm doing everything that I wanted. I wanted my father to come up my school. I wanted my dad to come up my school I wanted my dad to talk to me I wanted my dad to ask me what I wanted I wanted my dad to come to my basketball game my baseball game my dad been to one baseball game out of four years two basketball games out of four years you got to make sure you're raising your child out of love and not fear and I don't want to live yeah and that's that I was scared of my father I couldn't talk I got banged in my mouth a lot so I got

so I got busted what most of our fathers raised us out of fear most of our fathers raised us out of fear because they didn't want us to end up going down the same path

they went down so we got to figure out how to raise our kids out of love but you know moms get this and I think I got that and I told my dad

a couple weeks ago bro like you know because he always kind of me well my father my father said I don't want to hear that shit that's what i'm saying i'm a man now you

ain't gonna tell me shut the fuck up i don't want to hear that shit your father wasn't a father he was a provider i'm a nurturer i'm a dad i'm a father i nurture my baby and even your response to your dad is angry yeah because he always out of my response to my dad is what he's he's giving to me now like i'm a man now so it's like well i don't have to take that shit i'll leave but he's trying to explain he's trying to explain but he don't explain it figuring it out too he still ain't figured it out so it's like you in the room and it's me and be in the room because you know i don't call you about this type of stuff but this is me being in the room it ain't is he it's he different story man i got somebody for you to talk to him i got a therapist

i got a good therapist i got a lot of them no no no i'm not saying it like that no i'm talking about a real professional and i got a real yes they black yeah no woman requires what you want i think i got somebody in mind for you man i want a woman you want a woman all right i got you i don't like men got you got you got you. Yeah. I got you. I know exactly who you should talk to. That's cool, man. I'm always open to it, man. But you know, other than that, you got to want it for yourself.

Do you? You know, I've been there, man. Okay. Well, good. You know, my biggest thing was just cutting back on the alcohol. Now I do it for recreation. Well, thank you, Envy. And I did.

Thank you for putting up a drink. I'm going to put in this coffee. I didn't know it was going to take a shot. No, this is great. I didn't'm a drink coffee i didn't go take a shot this is a great conversation i'm sure it's a discussion that'll continue on not even just amongst you know justin rome but just amongst anybody out there that's right you know dealing with co-parenting issues but i think rome you know rome is talking to a lot of different issues that a lot of us men go through you know i? So I'm happy that you was vulnerable this morning, Ron. That's right. You know what I mean?

And their book is coming soon via Black Privileged Publishing. Love you, y'all. Simon & Schuster. Love you more, sis. All right. Well, it's Ron. Yes. It's The Breakfast Club.

Good morning. Wake that ass up. Girls, it's in the morning. The Breakfast Club. Hey, y'all. Niminy 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. pop. 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 wherever you get your podcasts. 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 podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. On Thanksgiving Day, 1999, five-year-old Cuban boy Elian Gonzalez was found off the coast of Florida. And the question was, should the boy go back to his father in Cuba? Mr. Gonzalez wanted to go home, and he wanted to take his son with him. Or stay with his relatives in Miami? Imagine that your mother died trying to get you to freedom. Listen to Chess Peace, the Elian Gonzalez story, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts Foreman was champion of the world.

Ali was smart and he was handsome. The story behind The Rumble in the Jungle is like a Hollywood movie. But that is only half the story. There's also James Brown, Bill Withers, B.B. King, Miriam Akiba. All the biggest black artists on the planet. Together in Africa. It was a big deal. Listen to Rumble, Ali, Foreman, and The Soul of 74 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hey, this is Justin Richmond, host of the Broken Record Podcast. Every week, I or my co-host, Leah Rose, sit down with the artists you love to get unparalleled creative insight. Our new series is looking at one of the most influential jazz labels ever, Blue Note Records. You'll hear from artists like legendary bassist Ron Carter, singer-songwriter Noah Jones, and guitarist Julian Lodge. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.