The Breakfast Club - Jeezy Talks New Album Drop, Teaming Back Up With DJ Drama, Street Cred, Chris Lighty + More

Episode Date: October 20, 2022

Jeezy Talks New Album Drop, Teaming Back Up With DJ Drama, Street Cred, Chris Lighty + MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag. This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:00:16 What is that? Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. We need help! That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast
Starting point is 00:00:46 Post Run High is all about. It's a chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude, and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay.
Starting point is 00:01:21 Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best. And you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. like you to join us each week for our show Civic Cipher. That's right. We discuss social issues especially those that affect black
Starting point is 00:01:45 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
Starting point is 00:02:02 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. 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. 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
Starting point is 00:02:45 Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a moment. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise.
Starting point is 00:03:07 Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Wake that ass up. In the morning. The Breakfast Club. Yep, it's the world's most dangerous morning show, The Breakfast Club. Charlemagne Tha God, Angela Yee, Envy had to step out, but we got the legend here, man.
Starting point is 00:03:28 Young Jizzle. What up, dog? Pastor Young, what's happening, my brother? Big Snow. That's my favorite record off the new project, by the way. What? Yeah, Big Snow, man. The reintroduction, baby.
Starting point is 00:03:38 You got to let them know what it is. Snowfall is out right now, man. How you feeling? Yeah, man. Like new money. All right. You know? Snowfall is out right now. Shout out to DJ Drama? Yeah, man. Like new money. Alright. You know. Snowfall. It's out right
Starting point is 00:03:46 now. Shout out to DJ Drama Don Cannon. Everybody that was involved. You know what I mean? Yeah. It's one of them things, man. You know, in your career, you just get them moments where you get to play them great games. You know what I'm saying? And this is one of them. Like, you know, I've been doing this for a minute, but it's just like, I just feel rejuvenated, re-inspired.
Starting point is 00:04:02 Yeah, I feel like you found a way to give us mature, evolved Jay Jenkins but still satisfy the core forever Jeezy fans with this project. How do you think those dots connected? I mean, I just feel like when you're doing it without any expectations, man, we all know, you know, when you're doing it for, you know, if you're doing it for the number one record are you doing it for you know you know I don't know what's they call it number one on billboard it's just different you know I mean but when you're
Starting point is 00:04:35 doing it for you and you just doing what you love and you ain't even looking at it like that just a different feeling bro you know since therapeutic of me cuz it's like you know it gives just a different feeling, bro. You know what I'm saying? It's therapeutic for me because it's just like, you know, it gives me a chance to just keep myself grounded because I don't been through so much but sometimes we get so successful with other things, we forget the struggle we go through. So that just like,
Starting point is 00:04:54 you know, tapped me on the shoulder like, hey, don't forget. You can go back. You know what I'm saying? Now for you and DJ Drama
Starting point is 00:05:02 to team back up again, how did those conversations happen from the beginning to get you here? I mean, a lot of people don't know me and Drama went through a lot of stuff. Yeah, y'all had a lot of beef. We had some serious times. I mean, it was real. And I just think with anything, it's just like over time, people heal, people grow. And I'm proud of what Drama and Cannon and Lake and all them doing, man.
Starting point is 00:05:25 It's amazing because I remember seeing where they came from. And I just think the conversation was, you know, there was growth there. We're both successful, but we love what we do. You know what I mean? So let's just have some fun. And it's crazy. We've been kicking it ever since we've been working on the project. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:05:42 And it's just love because you're able to brainstorm with people that are like-minded, that are on your level. You know what I'm saying? That are really your peers business-wise, too. So it's like I bounce ideas off of them and they bounce ideas off of me. And it's even real, like, you know, real talk. You know, when I say I own half of Atlanta, I'm not capping. That's a real thing. And when Drama and them was trying to get into real estate, you know, that was a conversation we had.
Starting point is 00:06:03 And I turned them on to my guy, you know what I'm saying? Helped them. Now they probably own the other quarter into real estate you know that was a conversation we had and I turned them on my guy you know I'm saying help them not a they probably on the other quarter of it did you see when the internet went to go look and you know clearly they don't understand you know me but it's crazy What if I beat the Fed? You think I'm going to let y'all see? You know what I mean? But it's crazy because, you know, we as a culture, you right. You know, you say that, and I say that with pride. You know, I'm not saying I got plenty of platinum records. We all do. But a goal of mine was to really be in the real estate game
Starting point is 00:06:38 and be a mogul and be for real. And I've done that. You know what I'm saying? But it's crazy. Like you said, it was one of my old houses that I brought my mom from way back in the day. The first house I bought her
Starting point is 00:06:49 and it was still in my name and that's what it was pulling up. I had to call the lady that did my trust and be like, yo, get that out my name too. That's right. Before somebody tried
Starting point is 00:06:57 to sue me and get that. It showed the ignorance though because people don't understand LLCs. They don't understand trust. You know what I mean? Just like when people say you're a billionaire, they think you got a billion dollars
Starting point is 00:07:04 in the bank. That's right. Just sitting there waiting for you're a billionaire, they think you got a billion dollars in the bank. That's right. They're sitting there, you know, waiting for you to go splurge with it. Yeah, when I was watching winning plays, I really, I noticed that like as far as, you know, buying the Lakers and everything, he actually, everything was in real estate. He didn't have a lot of liquid. Right.
Starting point is 00:07:18 And that was something that struck out to me because I was like, okay, having all that money in the bank, right, that's not going to increase in value the way that having a property can increase or other investments can increase the value. So just having money sitting because I feel like sometimes our mentality is we've got to stack this money, we've got to stack this money, we've got to have a large bank account. But because of inflation and the way that that rate of money grows, it's not the same.
Starting point is 00:07:40 So you do have to invest. I mean, you lose money by just holding it. I mean, I think culturally, you know what I'm saying, even when I was coming up, you know, invest. I mean, you lose money by just holding it. But I mean, I think culturally, you know what I'm saying? Even when I was coming up, you know, when I was there, you want to fill the safe up. You know, but if your money
Starting point is 00:07:50 is sitting in the bank or sitting in the safe and it's not working for you, it's not doing anything. And that's what we, and by the way, it's just like, I had to build that up. You know, my credit line is sick.
Starting point is 00:08:02 You know what I'm saying? You know, if anything was to ever happen, you know what I'm saying? You got a crazy credit line then also on top of that, it's like you got equity. That's right. You know,
Starting point is 00:08:11 I almost own most of my properties flat out because every big check I ever made, I put it back into my properties or my real estate
Starting point is 00:08:20 and I just think, you know, you should own something. You know what I'm saying? You should have something because even if you do have a bunch of cash in the bank, anything can happen. I mean, one time I had gotten into some legal things, and I went to go open my safe deposit box,
Starting point is 00:08:36 and they wouldn't let me open my safe deposit box. You know what I mean? Because I had a lawsuit. And that was real to me. I'm like, damn. You know what I mean? You can freeze my safe deposit box in a bank? And, you know, that just goes to let you know that, you know,
Starting point is 00:08:52 at the end of the day, it's just like, you know, we as a culture, we get a lot of paper, man. And that's my position in this game is just like a lot of these young cats. And I commend them for doing what they're doing, but it's just like you got to set yourself up for 15, 20 years, 30 years in this game that you can do other things besides, know just run around the world and pick up bags you know i mean because it wasn't all said and done you want to sit back you know and at a certain age and like live life absolutely like stress-free so yeah that's what i'm on i want to go back to you and drama what was what was the beef over and how did y'all fix it well wow it got real bro
Starting point is 00:09:26 it got really real like to the point the beef was over drum had somebody that was managing him and i don't know what i think he was he might have been from new york but he was trying to be an artist too and he kind of got into drama in them ear about a lot of things and just started to build this toxic and toxic environment um of you know he said she said and i think drum you know decided he had to go with them because i think at the time homie might have been their muscle or something like that i don't know but he was like supposed to be the G and um something happened at a club I can't really say you know I'm saying but yeah you know it got it got really bad over time and I think it was for me you know I came at a point in my life where I just kind of like started healing myself,
Starting point is 00:10:26 you know what I'm saying? Because I had a lot of trauma and things, so, you know, and I just started to work on myself and I think Dromden
Starting point is 00:10:34 was doing the same thing because I saw he started losing weight, working out, you know what I'm saying? And it just like, over time, we just kind of came back together
Starting point is 00:10:40 when the guy got out of their, out of their business and we just started talking here and there and I think it really was Don Cannon you know I'm saying like Don Cannon because he was always like the mediator but it was crazy because when it happened to me and Don was cool and Don was like yo drum need to you know I mean so we figured it out but it came back full circle man because just like even when we did that B-side concert and I was
Starting point is 00:11:04 just like going through all the records like, even when we did that B-side concert and I was just like going through all the records and all the things we did, it brought back so many memories, man, because it's like, damn, bro, we really been through some,
Starting point is 00:11:10 you know what I'm saying? And it just brought everything back full circle. So I just kind of feel like we both just grew, you know what I'm saying? It changed our surroundings. I had people around me too,
Starting point is 00:11:20 you know what I'm saying? There was, yeah, there was putting stuff in my ear like, yo, they won't go to war, we going to war. I'm like, damn, we're going to war with DJ Drama? Mr. Trapper died.
Starting point is 00:11:27 Like, okay, cool. Let's do it. I remember back then when I was at Sirius and T.I. and Drama was on my show. And so T.I. was like, Drama, tell him you ain't got no beef with Jeezy. He was like, yeah, man, I ain't got no beef. Shout out to the boy Jeezy. And we would play that drop all the time. And Drama was like, stop playing that.
Starting point is 00:11:43 He got mad. It was bad. But it wasn got mad it was bad i was shopping i used to show up at shows and tip would be there you know you drama be in the room and tip and i'd be like yo where you at you know what i mean like yo it was crazy yeah but i love drama you know what i'm saying and i i i'm i'm truly appreciative of you know just the history we got and and the relationship that we built because you just feel good to see you know just the history we got and and the relationship that we built because it just feel good to see you know your partners winning like you winning and you can have those conversations you know it's great because you're both thriving too right i think that makes it easier too when
Starting point is 00:12:15 life just still going great you don't need him he don't need you necessarily but you bring something for each other like to come back together and create magic. No, it was dope. It was a whole dope process. Even making the project, it just really felt, like I said, like therapeutic. It was just like, man, like, this is what we do. And it gave me the free range to talk and say what I really felt. You know what I'm saying? As far as, like, the music.
Starting point is 00:12:41 I don't have to dumb it down. I don't have to, like, try to be clean. You know what I mean? Like, I don't got to dumb it down. I don't have to like try to be clean. You know what I mean? Like I don't got to try to make a certain type of song. It's just like, that's how I feel. You know, Big Snow. That's it. Yeah, I was going to add like, you know, Michael Jackson, Jeezy.
Starting point is 00:12:53 Yeah. Quincy Drama Jones. And you know, they call me that for real, in real life. Michael Jackson, Jeezy. Why? Yo, I swear to God. Who is they? Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Starting point is 00:13:02 Okay. Oh, God. Because I used to be down there hustling when I was young. Okay. They used to call me B god because i used to be down there hustling when i was young okay they used to call me bling because i used to come down there you know from georgia when i was young i just had a lexus of the rolexes all that that's what they knew me by and then i started doing music because there was some other cats down there that i was hustling with that was doing music they were called sop sounds profit and i was kind of mocking myself after what they was doing i went about my bought my studio in Georgia, whatever.
Starting point is 00:13:26 And then it worked. So one of my partners that was an SOP, they went to prison, and he got out like eight years later, whatever. But I was still going back and forth down there. But I'm big now. Just after Trap or Die, after Thug Motivation? Yeah. Okay, okay.
Starting point is 00:13:39 And I go to the hood, and I just pull up in the hood and be there like regular, you know what I mean? On Parkway where everybody know me at and everybody come out he like Michael Jackson geez and I'm like yo no no no I would think I would think we'd dance with them diamonds baby I would you know um but but it it did something to me you know I'm saying because I would be down there and people would just show up and they'd be Michael Jackson, and it's a real thing. I remember walking through, walking in Lauderdale with some of my people,
Starting point is 00:14:10 and they was like, yo, Michael Jackson. And they're like, what the hell are they saying? Michael Jackson, G-Eazy. Shout out to Lauderdale. The Quincy Drama Jones. Yeah. Looking for Lauderdale. I love the record, Screecred, too.
Starting point is 00:14:22 Yeah. And you say, you know, they lost your Screecred. They say you lost your Screec, too. Yeah. And you say, you know, they lost your Scree Cred. Right. They say you lost your Scree Cred, so what, man? And I'm glad that somebody like you who's glorified the Scree for so long, you know, you've gotten to the age where you're like, you know what? Scree Cred not important. Do you remember the first time you realized that,
Starting point is 00:14:37 you came to that realization? Oh, man. I really think that when you start walking in those rooms and you try and do business, nobody really care about what you've done on the streets. You know what I'm saying? And then as a man, you know what I'm saying? You shouldn't care about,
Starting point is 00:14:53 because what people think about me ain't none of my spiritual business. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just not. But for me, it's just like, I don't need validation by what you consider to be real for me to be a real man like let's take the rap and the artists and everything out of that and a lot of the things I did because I was trying to get validation I want people to know I'm about my issue I'm gonna do this and that and the last
Starting point is 00:15:16 time I got locked up in LA when that incident happened in in a in the bay like that's when I was really like, man, you got the world. Like, you successful, you on tour, you doing, you know, 30,000 people a night, and you in jail for what? You know what I mean? I remember everybody calling like, yeah, man, woo, like, you know, like it's a real thing.
Starting point is 00:15:39 And I'm sitting there going like, about to throw my whole career away because I'm trying to live by a stereotype and a code. You know what I'm saying? And if I do go to prison, ain't none of these people finna send me no money. They ain't finna write me. They ain't gonna look out for my kids. Come on, I watched it.
Starting point is 00:15:58 It's funny. And Freddie Gibbs, he took accountability for the issues that you guys had. And y'all actually ran into each other. What was that like for you? I mean, it was, the way I look at it, like, you know, if I got an issue or I feel a way about something, I'm going to feel it. You know what I'm saying? Not even the emotional part. But when I seen him, it was just like, it was love.
Starting point is 00:16:22 Because I never really had a problem with Gibbs. You always said that. Yeah, I always told him, bro, like, you're going to be big. You know what I'm saying? Minus me. You know what I mean? I don't want to hold you back. But I just think at times when we want that instant gratification,
Starting point is 00:16:35 we don't understand, like, this thing takes time, you know, for you to be great and you to come into your own. So when I saw him, it was just more like, you know, I'm glad to see you moving. I'm glad to see you coming into your own. You know, hearing the music i'm seeing what you're doing that's what's up i told like i'm like i told you and uh we just dapped it up and and you know chopped it up for a minute exchange numbers and it was love and it's just like when you really go back and look at it you know that process had to happen but i just think you know you know like i said before just
Starting point is 00:17:04 like when you have trauma and you come in from situations and you really don't know how to communicate you know it's always going to be that when it comes to what expectations are you know i'm saying so i just feel like you know a lot of the incidents i ever had in music or in business is because there was poor communication right and i feel like if we would have hopped on the phone and chopped it up way earlier he told me how he felt I told my I felt and we can agree to disagree and be like I cool well we could still get money and still do music and keep this to ourselves you
Starting point is 00:17:39 know I felt like that would have been the way but I think we both kind of walked away from this like he's a better artist person and and I have a better understanding for you know dealing with artists and people now just like you gotta let people have the room to feel how they feel it always seemed like he took it personal but for you it was just all business because all you ever said was Freddie was just upset because he didn't pop with you he didn't pop right and the thing was everything ain't the right mix though bro you know I'm saying like every everything you know everything don't just go together so sometimes you got to try something different so i didn't feel no way about that i wanted him to be successful you know i'm saying and just like that didn't work but the
Starting point is 00:18:18 ygd thing did you know i'm saying so it's just how it works but at the end of the day i just feel like that was what was supposed to happen for him he sees that now you know I'm saying but I hope that he understands going forward because I had to happen with me with Nas when the hip hop was dead thing oh you know I'm saying I flipped out because I thought he talked about me I'm like hold up man you know cuz I'm winning now you talking about hip hop dead it's a whole conversation so when I said what I said on the radio and you know I was spazzing and flipping out, you know what I'm saying, because I could have called him.
Starting point is 00:18:49 You know, he called me. Hey, King, I can understand your frustration, but let me just tell you, you know, my perspective. And when he explained it to me, calm and cool and collective, I'm like, damn. Right. So that just made me think. So whenbs called me
Starting point is 00:19:05 with the i'm just like bro we just gotta sit down and get in the same room so we can figure this out that was my thing so that's why i never took it personally right also i'll go back to the street credit record because you said something about you know the stereotypical things that they think a man should be i find that everything that they tell us they want us to do to be real always is something criminal. You got to do something criminal. I agree. You got to die.
Starting point is 00:19:30 You got to go to jail. Or kill somebody. You got to do 10 years, don't tell on nobody. Like, all that. I mean, look, man, to each his own. I mean, I just always believe in integrity, values, and morals.
Starting point is 00:19:40 I have that. You know, and I can't speak for another man. They ain't my place place but it's just like I'll be damned if I did all this to get out of that to do that again you know I'm saying it just doesn't make sense to me it's just almost like you know becoming a millionaire living beyond your wildest dreams and just going to spend and give all your money away to be back in that same position it doesn't it just doesn't make logical sense. You're doing this to get out of your environment, to put people on,
Starting point is 00:20:08 and then you're getting caught up in the stereotype of, but I still got to be a real one. And then you go out here and you put yourself in prison, and ain't nobody looking out for you. You go out here and you get killed, and ain't nobody taking care of your kids. You know what I'm saying? And everybody I've seen try to keep it real.
Starting point is 00:20:23 Look what happened to Dolph. Look what happened to Nip. look what happened. We're having the dog We have a nip we're having it to Bank roll look I'm the Dobie. You know look what happened to B&E You know I'm saying it's all because of that. I'm gonna be real with them. You gotta be real with yourself, man You know me that's one thing about it. I ain't living for nobody but me and mine You know I'm saying cuz at the of the day, that's all that matters. You know, you in your deathbed, you sick right now. The people that really rock with you and love you, they're going to be there, bro.
Starting point is 00:20:51 Do you feel like you've got a responsibility being that, you know, you wore the mouthpiece for the streets for so long. Right. You know, probably encouraged a lot of brothers to do the wrong thing. Do you feel like you have an obligation to, you know, encourage them to do the right thing now? Well, I always felt like what I was doing was right Because I was always talking about
Starting point is 00:21:13 Motivating the thugs. I Told him when I came in the game that I was corporate thugging. That's what I'm doing. You see a corporate Again, you see the cognac waterac, the water, shout out to Nas, shout out to Defiance Fuel. But I think that my position in this, you know, people always ask me, what's your position? What's the Mount Rushmore? My position in this game is just
Starting point is 00:21:35 to continue to lead by example because I'm one of the very few that did what I said and everybody knows that. You know what I'm saying? Everybody knows that I put in my work, but I continue to evolve without having to have any type of validation. So for me, it's just like the more that I can evolve and grow and show people, like, you can do this and still be who you are, that's my responsibility because it's almost like,
Starting point is 00:22:03 where else you going to go if you're coming from the street and you're rapping? You're supposed to just stay there? You know what I'm saying? 10, 15 years in it, you still thugging? So it's almost like, no, you can own a company. You can buy a business. You can buy real estate. You can still look like this.
Starting point is 00:22:19 You know what I'm saying? You don't got to change up who you are just to do what you do. So I feel like that's more so my responsibility than anything because it's almost like i opened the door for them i was mr trap or die i didn't close the door when i came in i didn't lock the door most of these cats that you see are really coming from the streets but if you ask them who they saw do it first it would have to be me who else came from where i came from that you saw it in real time and got to where they at so at the end of the day i i do have a responsibility to keep you know
Starting point is 00:22:48 that's why you don't see my name no bullshit I'm grown as hell I ain't about to be in no blogs I ain't about to be you know I mean I ain't about to be in the wrong spots ain't been because that's I'm a man first and your philanthropy you did the snowball the snowball yes shut up there everybody raised almost a half a million dollars for inner city youths, inner city kids. And then not even that, I just really wanted to bring, you know, my relationships in a room and put them all together
Starting point is 00:23:14 so people can rub elbows and make contacts and network because I know a lot of people, you know what I'm saying? I always was taught that you got to know different types of people, you know what I'm saying? I always was taught that you got to know different types of people. Some of my homies who couldn't be in those type of rooms, they had an opportunity to do that. Some of those people that I know that are millionaires, billionaires, that don't understand the culture get a chance to see it now and go like, wow, I never knew you guys were doing this.
Starting point is 00:23:40 My banker friends were talking to my industry partners about loans and different things. Everybody wanted to come back next year and do it bigger, but that's what it's about. Putting everybody together and continuing to grow. I love the record King's Crown, too. Yeah, that's a real one. One line that stood out, you said, just last week you called Shake twice in reference to Chris Lighty. So I was like, after all these years, it still hasn't hit you that he's not here? I mean, yeah, man.
Starting point is 00:24:11 But, like, Shake saved my life, bro. You know what I'm saying? He made me feel like I could do anything. And I just kind of feel like he saved my life, and I did everything but save him and that bothers me but you didn't know what was going on with him I didn't man but it's just like how you know you hear about suicides and things like that in in the world but then you gotta really think about when you know somebody with so much life so much to live for lit up any room was always happy always pop his shit like you know how she was and I don't know oh you know you know she said like bro he was he was
Starting point is 00:24:55 he was he had a aura around him you know I'm saying you could be down shake come right hey man get it together you know know, Oakland kid. You think he's successful, so many people rely on him. Right, right. And I just couldn't fathom that. I don't think a lot of people know, man. I laid in the bed almost two weeks when that happened to Shaquille. I just couldn't believe it. And I kind of felt like he left me alone, but I had to really snap out of it.
Starting point is 00:25:20 You know what I'm saying? Like, damn, I want to make him proud. And, you know know a lot of that had to do a lot with me and ross figuring out our differences because i know if he was here he wouldn't want that so i had to you know man up there like okay i was wrong here you know i'm saying i took with you i mean so we had to really sit down but that was more about like damn like bro wouldn't want to see us out here going back because he signed me and Ross. You know what I'm saying? And, man, sometimes I just, but then,
Starting point is 00:25:49 that's why every project I ever done, I give him executive producer's credit on every project I done ever since he passed because he always told me if you got the club, the streets, and radio, you got to hit. And that's always been my formula. And, you know, he also made me feel like a superstar when I wasn't there yet. And I always keep that part with me, man.
Starting point is 00:26:10 But sometimes I do find myself saying things to him or if I make an accomplishment, I'll be like, boy, you see what's going on, right? That type of thing. So yeah, he's a big part of my life, bro. When you think about wanting to call him, what are the things that are on your mind? Well, two, how I should, like,
Starting point is 00:26:29 because Shake was somebody I could, like, sit down and, like, you know, talk about how I'm moving, you know what I'm saying, and what I'm doing right or what I'm doing wrong as far as, like, morally for me. Because he used to tell me we should talk, and it might be things that I wanted to do, and he'd like man ain't with Jesus you know I mean like I had to bring myself back but um a lot of it is look why I'm at now look what I'm doing you know look how I'm living life like you know I'm happy I'm peaceful I'm Zen
Starting point is 00:26:56 like I'm not even right here like you know I go I come in here 100 deep, you know what I mean? Like, what's my man name? Like, baby. Word, word, word. All three of y'all. Word, word, word. You know what I'm saying? But it ain't that. It's just love, man. It's just like, and I just know he proud of me. You know, I just want to know how much, you know, it meant to me that he was in my corner.
Starting point is 00:27:17 And you said he signed you and Ross. How come you don't get more credit for that? Because I always feel like Jay and L.A. Reid get that credit. I mean, you know how that go um they they're the top of the chain but like but like they would say that kevin louse and la reed signed me but shake shakir was the one who told la i'm in the streets every day like it's easy the real deal okay and then when he went he called me he's like i got this guy from miami i want you to meet him and then i'll be damned called me he's like i got this guy from miami i want you to meet him and then i'll be damned it was rick ross you know what i'm saying he signed
Starting point is 00:27:49 rick ross up there and there's a couple more people that he signed but you know he was very influential when it came to l.a reed because that was la's guy so he kind of listened to what shake had because he wasn't in the streets la but shakeA. But Shake was. So when did Hov come in the picture? Oh, man. Hov came in the picture. Hov came in the picture. Kevin Liles signed me. Kevin Liles at L.A. re-signed me.
Starting point is 00:28:17 And then Kevin Liles called me two weeks later and said, I just want to let you know I'm not going to be there no more. I'm going to Atlantic. And I was like, oh. You know what I'm saying? Damn.
Starting point is 00:28:28 Yeah, two weeks. So now I was sitting in the barber's. I'll never forget in the hood. I was like, damn. Because, you know, Kevin Lyles was the guy. Yeah, you're like, now what? Right. And there's like a new president coming in.
Starting point is 00:28:38 I'll never forget. I was walking into the dev gym maybe about a month later, and there's like a little alleyway in front of it but you're not supposed to drive in the alleyway they have it blocked off like with like uh these metal things and i remember there was a made back right in front of the uh front of the building where you're not supposed to park and i'm sitting at the dev jam counter giving them my id so i can go upstairs and i see the door open and i look back back, and I continue to do what I do. And then I just hear somebody say, yo, Jeezy.
Starting point is 00:29:08 And I look back. It was Hov getting out of Maybach. He's like, come on, just come over with me. We'll go upstairs. He's like, yeah, you know I'm the new president, right? He's like, whatever you need, I got you. I was like, damn. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:29:21 I love Kevin Lowndes, but goddamn. You know what I mean? And the first thing I'm thinking in my mind, like I gotta get a record out of the hole. I gotta figure this out. Immediately. Right, immediately. That was like my first thought,
Starting point is 00:29:31 like being with a record with Jay-Z but now I'm stoked. And I remember reading that Jay said, he told you that Thug Motivation was a classic. Yeah, yeah he did. And then I just remember, I didn't, because I had a lot of survivor's remorse then. So I really didn't like, you know, anything anybody said to me, I just really didn't take it for what it was. Because I was still dealing with my demons, trying to figure things out. But when he called me when I dropped USDA, and he was like you're a certified ceo now like you you
Starting point is 00:30:06 you you done something outside of yourself that was successful i took that hard because it was like usda did a half a million records and i'm like my homeboys you know what i'm saying yeah so i'm like my partners you know what i'm saying and it still did a half a million records and i was like damn so that really resonated with me I think the motivation one-on-one being a classic to me really resonated um when I got to the recession that I'm in the recession that's the third one yeah because before that I was dealing with what I had going on mentally and when I woke up one day I was was just like, you know what? I ain't in prison.
Starting point is 00:30:47 I'm still free. I'm successful. I'm going to go be a superstar. And that's when I just started. I started, you know, working on myself, you know, eating right, going to the gym, you know what I'm saying? It's such a big deal. Right, right. It went from all the gangsters being in the front row to ladies being in the
Starting point is 00:31:03 front row, you know what I'm saying, throwing panties and bras. I'm like, I ain't never going back, you know what I mean? Different vibes. Different vibes. And then I was able to be like, damn. And then that's when I started getting back in my 101 bag, and I would start doing the songs a lot. I'm like, damn, these songs ain't going nowhere. Hell no.
Starting point is 00:31:20 Right? You know what I'm saying? They wouldn't go nowhere. Because, you know, you do your first album, and you get to about your third, fourth album, you don't think that, you know, your first album is going to be as significant because you got better songs in your mind. So I'm going back, and I'm still doing Trap Will Die, and I'm still doing Soul Survive.
Starting point is 00:31:38 Go Crazy. Go Crazy. Bottom of the Map. And I'm like, yo, this ain't going nowhere. And I was like, in my mind, I was like, damn. But the crazy thing about it is you know how we do we don't give you props until way later on you know I'm saying everybody act like he was regular when it came that ain't true I ain't gonna let you sit there and tell that lie now you ain't gonna sit there and tell that lie
Starting point is 00:31:59 there was nothing regular about Thug Motivation 101 everybody knew what that was but as far as but you gotta understand too a lot of my time I was like in Atlanta so I was around like my peers or people that I knew but it felt like it was the soundtrack to Atlanta for that moment like everything that was happening in Atlanta trap or die thug motivation with my soundtrack to it well I think I get trap or die for sure but that's the thing, you know, because I was making music based off what I was really doing. You know what I'm saying? How I was really living because I was under the impression that any day I can go to prison.
Starting point is 00:32:37 You know what I'm saying? I'm like waiting on it. You know what I mean? So I was just putting everything I had into music and it was what was actually going on at the time and I think that's why I resonated because I would say stuff that I did last night and somebody saw that I seen him in Magic City doing this I seen him in traffic riding that and I just think it really resonated so it was like it was a soundtrack for sure I wonder why they never why they never used the lyrics against y'all. Man, thank God they didn't.
Starting point is 00:33:05 I mean, thank God, I know. Yes, yes, no, I know that. That's why I didn't want. What you trying to do? I tried, but I didn't say it. What you trying to do? I didn't mean it like that. Allegedly.
Starting point is 00:33:14 Allegedly. Oh my God. But it just was, you know, nevermind. He does have to go, they're saying, because he has to be somewhere. Oh man. I know. But listen, B-Side, so is that a whole tour that you're doing?
Starting point is 00:33:26 I know you did Atlanta, you're doing Detroit. What's going on with the B-Side concert? I mean, it's just something that I really wanted to do because, like I said, when I went through all those records with Drum, we just got so many. This is before any albums. We had to go almost through 300 songs. And these are songs I never get a chance to get because of the way, you know, I'm touring or doing shows and
Starting point is 00:33:50 It just like a lot of them songs in my life favorite, you know Like Air Force is too and it's easy to snowman all that so I get a chance to do them So it's like a breath of fresh air for me. So I know we're going we're gonna be in Detroit tonight For B-side show so that's gonna be lit And then I think we in Miami the next day and we're gonna keep it going. I think Philly just hit We're going to be in Detroit tonight for a B-side show, so that's going to be lit. And then I think we're in Miami the next day, and we're going to keep it going. I think Philly just hit, be more.
Starting point is 00:34:12 So, I mean, you know, I'm just going to bounce around with it. But, you know, more importantly than that, snowfall out right now. It's really good, man. I got to ask one more question. I got a bunch more. But a couple times on the project you talk about your cousin setting you up, and you said you're back in your auntie house, but auntie's stealing from you? Right.
Starting point is 00:34:28 You think auntie's stealing from you? I had one that got me. And not stealing. Oh, not the auntie I met. No. Oh, okay. Oh, right. I was like, man, that hurt.
Starting point is 00:34:36 Matter of fact, she used to hustle with me. Yeah, I know. Yeah, we used to get money together. Yes, yes, yes. But I had other people that you might, you know. My uncles done stole my bonds before. You know what I mean? I had some cousins that, you know, hit me up for a nina or two, you know what I mean, in the attic.
Starting point is 00:34:47 I had some, you know, aunties that, you know, take a little bit out of there and keep it for themselves and whatever. And when I say my cousin, say that I'm a cousin, like that actually really happened. You know, shout out to my cousin Goldmouth. A lot of people don't know. You're like, Goldmouth did 10 years. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:35:01 He did 10 years in the feds. And he wasn't even a criminal. He was just my cousin, and he would do, you know,'m saying he did 10 years in the feds and he's not he wasn't even a criminal he was just my cousin and he would do it you know anything for me with me and you know one of our cousins who's supposed to be our big cousin that we looked up to um you know we was kind of you know you know whatever with um was the only one that knew what was going on and and and he he you know he did the unthinkable and and i you know i never forget goldmine told me like cuz like i was um one car next to you and i could see you in the driver's seat and he said all i had what i had to do has been like yeah and he said I just remember you riding off and I rolled off you know this is a cousin that wasn't a criminal and he had to go do you know ten years and you know it was just like you know I couldn't believe that somebody who's supposed to love us and
Starting point is 00:36:00 be our big you know like yeah like big homie would do that. But it also taught me about how life is and when you deal with people, man. And that's why I say just live for yourself. Don't live for these people, man, because if it's you or them, it's always going to be you. They're going to throw you under the bus. They don't care. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:36:19 So, you know, shout out to Goldmine because if it wasn't for Goldmine, there would be no Young Jeezy, Big Snow, Mr. 17, 5, you know, none of that, because it wouldn't have ever happened. I probably did them 10 and still been in the streets. So shout out to them. Man, I got a million more questions, man, but, you know, snowfall out right now. Snowfall out right now.
Starting point is 00:36:41 Shout out to The Breakfast Club. You know, y'all know what it is, man. Get it anywhere music is at. Absolutely. And holler at your boy when you see me in the street. You know what it is. Big Snow, it's the Breakfast Club. Yeah. Had enough of this country? Ever dreamt about starting your own? I planted the flag.
Starting point is 00:37:19 This is mine. I own this. It's surprisingly easy. 55 gallons of water, 500 pounds of concrete. Or maybe not. No country willingly gives up their territory. Oh my God. What is that?
Starting point is 00:37:31 Bullets. Listen to Escape from Zakistan. That's Escape from Z-A-Q-istan on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey guys, I'm Kate Max. You might know me from my popular online series, The Running Interview Show, where I run with celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and more. After those runs, the conversations keep going. That's what my podcast, Post Run High, is all about. It's a
Starting point is 00:38:03 chance to sit down with my guests and dive even deeper into their stories, their journeys, and the thoughts that arise once we've hit the pavement together. Listen to Post Run High on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. As a kid, I really do remember having these dreams and visions, but you just don't know what is going to come for you. Alicia shares her wisdom on growth, gratitude and the power of love. I forgive myself. It's okay. Have grace with yourself. You're trying your best and you're going to figure out the rhythm of this thing. Alicia Keys, like you've never heard her before. Listen to On Purpose with Jay Shetty on the iHeartRadio app 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. Hey, y'all. Nimany here. I'm the host of a brand new history podcast for kids and families called
Starting point is 00:39:28 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
Starting point is 00:39:57 nine whole months before Rosa Parks did the same thing. Check it. And it began with me. Did you know, did you know? I wouldn't give up my seat. Nine months before Rosa, it was called a moment. Get the kids in your life excited about history by tuning in to Historical Records. Because in order to make history, you have to make some noise. Listen to Historical Records on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

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