The Brilliant Idiots - Ghetto Legends 101 (Ft. 85 South)

Episode Date: June 29, 2023

This week while Andrew Schulz was away, Charlamagne sat down with the Ghetto Legends aka 85 South Show! Did you know that Karlous Miller Chico Bean and DC YoungFly are more than comedians, they are business men? Well during this episode things get funny, deep and aspiring as Charlamagne ask them questions about creating their brand and maintaining it. Make sure you check out their new special, which is number 1 on Netflix right now!! ************************************************** Check out Andrew Schulz www.theandrewschulz.com Stream Charlamagne "Hell of a Week" on Paramount+ Check out all the podcast on Charlamagne's "Black Effect Network" www.blackeffect.com/ Empty Thoughts Podcast podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/empt…ow/id1622292632 Check Out "Summer Of 85" on Audible www.audible.com/pd/Summer-of-85-A…areTest=TestShare Podcastbrilliant idiots charlamagne tha godandrew schulz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Accenture. When your advertising operations fall out of sync, everything else follows. Spotify and Accenture are working together to reinvent the rhythm of ad sales, using automation, analytics, and smarter workflows to simplify campaign delivery and access better data across the business. The result? Less time spent on operations, more time connecting brands with the moments and fandoms that matter most. Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify.

I love the premise of this show. Smart people talking about dumb shit. I think it's dumb people talking about smart shit. Oh, we go where we're not supposed to go, baby. The brand is podcast. Yep, Shalameen, the God. My guy, Andrew Schultz, is running around the globe right now, but he'll be back next week.

But today's episode is brought to you by Squarespace from websites and online stores, the marketing tools and analytics. Squarespace is the all-in-one platform to build a beautiful online presence and run your business. There are no hidden fees. price hikes and all websites are optimized for mobile.

And it's so simple. Start with a design template and use drag and drop tools to make it your own. Head to Squarespace.com slash idiot for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, use the offer code idiot to save 10% off your first purchase. Now let's start this show. Man, I got to say something, man. Look at God because these three individuals that we have in here today, I didn't even know the day was going to be on the show this week, you know,

but they in town. So why not the ghetto legends themselves? DC Young Fly. Chico Bean Carlos Miller collectively known is the 85 South show fresh off

a number one trending show on Netflix number one trending knocked off Black Mirror number one I'm gonna get that tat it

damn number one Number one 85 South knocking out Black Mirror Knocking on Black Mirror That's their flagship show Yeah I mean it's a big show

Black Mirror is a huge show Yeah I told you You know matter who I don't want to say Knock All because you know I salute everybody

in all their endeavors. But it's like this is what happens when you allow people to create for real. You know what I'm saying? It's new to the people who we didn't expect to be watching us or who we never thought was watching us. But we've been number one to all the 85%.

Oh, yeah. I tell people if you're just getting hip to the 85 South Show and you're definitely culturally clueless. I told you all, I was in Cannes, France, at Cannes Lions, with all the advertisers and all the corporations. And when that shit came out,

that y'all went number one, it was either two reactions. People were like, oh, shit, congratulations, 85 South, been out here cooking. And number two is, who is the 85 South showing? Why don't we know about them?

Come on in, white people of your dollars? I love that. I want people to watch the show and be like, how did I not know? Why am I out the loop? Why did nobody tell me? Yeah. I love when people first discovered the show, man.

And salute to your vision, man, because, you know, you've always been tapped into what we do in our talents always if you use your platform to give us a bigger platform to step up to and show the world what it is that we do. So got a salute to you, man, because, you know, we first got kicked off, man. You was one of the first that saw it and it was like, man, I want to be a part of which I got

going on. So, you know what I mean? Now that the world is starting to realize that you could take some of the credit to me and like, man, I've been new. You know what I've been plugged into what them niggas got going on. Man, thank you. That's why I wanted Chad to sit in here, man, because I think, you know, people talk to y'all about a bunch of stuff all the time.

Who is Chad to y'all, first of all? A fucking nuisance. Chad, a whole ass nigga. A nuisance. That's my nigger, man. That's my dog, man. I've been knowing Chad since we're about 17, man. Right?

Yeah, I met Chad. Chad one of the first people, Chad and Clayton English, one of the first, they're the first couple of people that I met when I moved to Atlanta. We used to work together. Okay.

My dog, man. And then it's like, I've seen him go from just slacker to the most, you know what I mean? Dedicated, detailed business, man. the craziest transition that I have ever seen. She go,

she'll get eat in here if you want to. I'm not going to eat in the mic. I'm going to turn the mic. God damn, ma'am. Taylor just doing her job. I'm going to tell her. I'm going to record you. Yeah, but it's all good.

I ain't about just chewing the mic. I ain't, you ain't say nothing. That's why they cover it up. There's a lot of bad breath motherfuckers been on him. Yes, they have. You were asking about Chad, though, man. Chad handled all the details, man.

He don't mind being on them calls and going to them lunches and, you know, doing that dog and pony show with the corporate people. So that's his role. He makes sure everything is streamlined, handle all the details of, you know, the day-to-day operations of the 85 South Show. That's good because that's what I wanted to talk to y'all about today, man, the business of the 85 South Show because I don't think people realize, you know, how much y'all are doing on the business things. People watch y'all cultural impact. So I want to get into a lot of that today. But the people who don't know and they just getting on to y'all because of the next Netflix special going number one,

who is the 85 South Show? And I want an answer from each one of y'all because I know it's probably different from each one of y'all. What you got, Flah? Man. Hold on, Chad. What you got? Who is the 85 South Show, chat?

It's a media company that produces across all of the platforms to create without any inhibition, you know, because we've all tried Hollywood. I've tried it from the corporate side trying to work for people. And they've also tried it from the talent side. You know, at some point, you just want your own freedom to us. And it's like with the southern, you know, the southern, you know, with the southern flare for it.

D.C.? I feel like the hood always wanted a superhero. Mm. And we ain't never really, you know, you watch Batman, watch all on me. You're like, damn. even watch the other one like, oh man, they're like,

they even went in the water before they came to the hood. Right. Like, you know, it's like, who the hell is going to come over here to speak for us, talk for us,

and not only that be for us. And I feel like 85 South is like a collection of, it's like Captain Plant. Mm-hmm. Of just every hood, every, not only just hood,

every motherfucker who done been through something and I overcame something and understand to have some type of humility is we represent them. Mm-hmm. Not saying the bottom of the barrier, but people who always get overlooked. The underdog.

The motherfucker who may not have the opportunity to have this outlet or this position, but they make the best out of everything that they come across. So we like a big captain planet for every last one of those people around the world because when we go do our shows, these are the type of people we bring out. These are the type of people. We got some executives in there, but we got some people that's in there that looking crazy. but it's like the everyday 85% of us, that's what we do it for, man.

So it's like 85 South show is literally like our go-to-superhero. Cico. 85 South is a one-on-one. Innovation. It's, you know, it's something that's never been done before. When you see the legends, the greats tell us that, man, y'all are doing something that's never been done before. That really puts it in perspective of what it is that we're accomplishing over here

because, you know, you've never seen three people who are individual stars be able to come together and share the spotlight. And it wasn't that it couldn't have been done. They just never did it. So the fact that we chose to do it has created a whole other lane of comedy that didn't exist before we started to do it the way that we do it. I mean, you've had improv troops. You've had, you know, the country guys that went on tour and together and all of that.

But you've never seen three black entertainers get on stage together and do it the way that we've done it. because for some reason throughout time, they've always had that me, me, me mentality, and I got to be the only one and I got to be the man. So this is something that has created a lane of comedy that didn't exist for our people. And I think that, you know, it's innovative

and it's one-on-one in that regard because now from what you see us do, you're going to be able to see a whole other type of comedian and type of comedy come out and the fact that we've been able to do it so consistently and, you know, to be able to give it to people the way that we've given it to them. We've now went number one on the biggest streaming platform.

So now you know that there's value in this style of comedy. Before you don't have anything to compare it to because you can't compare it to something that has never been done before. But now you have a gauge to be able to compare what we do to what we've done, if you will. So I think that it's innovative in that regard. And it's a one-on-one until, you know, we continue to open and break down these doors for people to come behind us. And, you know, like you said, they're going to be talking about, well, we're doing for years to come. And I don't even think people recognize it.

But now that we've gone number one on Netflix, I think the conversation is going to start a little bit more. So I just think, you know, the best way they're explaining is the 85 South show is a one-on-one. Carlos, who's 85 South show to you? The 85 South show is the Avengers of entertainment. Because you get to see us do so many things. And I always think about that scene where the Avengers where it's just total chaos. The motherfuckers flying by doing backflips and jumping off of shit.

I think that's the best. way to describe it. It's a family environment. Everybody's a mutant. They got multiple talents that they bring it to the table every time we do something from doing Netflix to hosting the BET Awards, man. It's just, it's a range of talent over here. DC, sing, dance, duback, flips, skate, Chico is going to come up with the coldest, dopest, purplest, pinkest, smoothest, silkiest fabrics in America. It's like, it's just crazy. It's just crazy. Yeah, it's like, it's just crazy to see the type of talents that you get to be around. And then you get guys like Chad who can do the, who can do the four-hour conference calls.

And then you got guys like Joe and Kat who just bringing all these different weapons to the table that's just at our disposal. And that's why we're able to cover so much ground because it's not just the talent is dope. We're surrounded by people who are dope as hell at whatever they do from the new, rolling the blunt to the motherfucking setting up the camera to the drivers to the people book and the travel like we have cultivated our village to have the coldest people around us and y'all not just three people getting in front of microphones talking you know what I mean that's what a lot of people when they see podcasts that's what they think right all of y'all come from a stand-up comedy background right what made y'all choose stand-up comedy

I'm brough I'm talking about initially like when you don't get to choose to be a stand-up You don't choose. It's kind of like an affliction. It's like even when you dead ass serious and people still laugh at you, it's like, oh, you must be one of those guys. That's the type of affliction you got. You are a comedian. Even when you dead ass serious, people think it's funny.

So it's like just to be around guys like D.C. and Chico and Clayton English and Nav and Moneybag Mafia and just like, these guys are, even in their most serious moments, They're still hilarious human in any situation. Like, we didn't laugh at the most inappropriate shit. It is like, you don't get to choose that because you don't get to practice that. Being a comedian is naturally in you. I feel like every black family got that one comedian in the family that never did comedy before. We just the ones from our family that stood and took that chance and went on stage with it.

How did y'all know how to go on stage, though? especially somebody like you DC because they all I mean my manager at the time I won't some money so that's how I got I looked up I was like you got the show at 9 o'clock I was like 9 o'clock I was like 9 o'clock that night and before you know it but I had to break the ice though that's the only thing I can't say I'm glad

they did and forced me to do you know what I'm saying and once I did break the ice it was no more you don't have to force me to do this is now it's like I broke the ice and it was like ooh I got that that's the hardest part about stand up is when you're going to ever go on stage

You was already hot on social media. That's just social media. Damn, my phone. This is real life and real times. You know what I'm saying? The shit you say on the net ain't formulated into a joke. It's just some funny shit you said. Now this is when you have to perfect your craft.

And once I broke down the ice and I was like, you know what? It's time for me to find out what is a comedian, how to be a comedian. And what can I do with all my other attributes? I cannot bring them and enhance me being a comedian. And once I really took it serious, it was like, oh, I've been doing it. I just had to be a professional. Gico, when you first took on that stage? When I graduated from college, I graduated from Winston-Selham State

and was trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself. And, you know, a friend of mine named Jerome, who was my partner at the time. You know what I'm saying? We was doing everything as far as hosting the step shows and the pageants and all that stuff for the school. And it was like, you should try comedy. And I've been public speaking my whole life.

I've been in front of people talking, but comedy was never something. that I thought to do. I was always a fan and I loved the art of it, but I never thought to do it. And then even in me hosting the shows at the school, the laughs that I would get, I just, you know,

I didn't attribute it to being a stand-up comedian. I just thought I was good at hosting stuff. So, you know, there's an open mic at the Comedy Zone in Greensboro. Every first and second Thursday of the month, I went to first Thursday, everybody bombed. I was like, well, shit, I can least do this bad. And I went back the next week and went up and did four minutes. And after I did them four minutes, it's like a movie.

When I came off the stage and my feet hit the floor, I was like, oh, shit, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Life change. This is what I'm supposed to do. It's like if I felt it like, this is my calling. This is what I'm supposed to be doing. This is the way that I'm supposed to, you know, impact the world. And I felt it even as an open mic of my first time doing four minutes on stage. And in my mind, I kill.

You really can't kill in four minutes. But I did. Especially your first time. Right. And in my mind, I just fuck these people up in here. I'm the next Eddie Murphy. Exactly. But at the same time, man.

I was like, I need work. You know what I mean? You bombed? I didn't bomb. They were just looking at me. Which is worse than booze. Because you said yesterday, at least people got the energy to boo you. When people are just looking at you, boy, you're doing bad, bad.

And I had one person laughing, but he was drunk. He was like, ha. But I was like, man, nah, like, I know I'm doing bad. But he's like, no, he was the only person that really gave me motivation. He was like, no, you find it. But you just got to find it to perfect it. And once I perfected, it was like, oh, okay, this is what I'm supposed to be doing. When you took that stage, Love?

When did, um, the very first time that I got on stage to do anything creative, it was probably, you know, outside of school shit, I'm talking about, like, as an adult, I started off doing improv with this improv troupe. And in between our sets, like, while they was, you know, switching out for the games or whatever, somebody got to go out there and talk some shit, at least to the games is set up. So I used to take those little spots. and just go out and just keep the crowd warmed up and just keep talking shit. So what ended up happening is between those sets after, you know, a season of doing that. I actually talked to the dude who owned the club

and that was like, I let him get, he let me get the stage by myself. And I threw my first show completely by myself and went on there and it's like, I did the show and that feeling, like I said, it just, that first little time, it just consumed my life and it just changed everything. It's just, I was just like,

fighting to get back on stage, but, you know, it was just one of those things where it took a while to come into, but that shit changed everything. That first time, that first laugh, that feeling of, you're just doing five minutes on stage, but this shit had you up all night. You can't go to bed. It's adrenaline still pumping.

Like, I still get that feeling every time it's a show day. Did y'all know each other in those comedy clubs when y'all was? I knew Chico first. I knew college because I was a fan. Okay. Did y'all interact then? No, y'all. I didn't, I was already, I was a fan of him.

And I didn't know he, he fucked with my comedy until I saw a little clip on Vine. Somebody asking me, he said my name. As soon as he did that. Exactly. As soon as he said that shit, I pulled, like, I pulled up on him as soon as I saw it. Because I knew the guys that was managing him. And they was like, man, D.C. he'll be down here this evening. I'm pulling up.

I fuck with that young dude. Because I used to watch all these, you know, he used to get on there and do like morning motivation shit. Back when he was smoking blunt heavy, he would get on there every morning. Moke Blunt say a little, you know, half positive, half funny shit. So I always fucked with him on that. I still ask him now why he don't do that shit. There's a lot of shit. I became a fan of him through his social media work.

But I knew Chico from actually pulling up them your partners. I know that nigga who that nigga? I fuck with them. All right. So we all partners and shit like that. So it all started organically of us organically fucking with each other's style and humor and shit like that. Whose idea was the 85 South Show? I remember Carlos hitting me saying he wanted to start a pod.

I feel like he said DC was going to be a part of it. Most definitely. But it started, I didn't know how to formulate this shit. Like me and Chad and Joe and Kat and shit, I think Ryan, we were trying to find the sauce to put this shit together. Like we had DJ Mars, some cute little chick who was just so lively off camera. Like, she'll be perfect. Man, we turned the camera on.

She turned the stone. Great goggles She literally couldn't formulate a sentence She couldn't move We were shooting like a What they call them air checks We were shooting a radio show Because we didn't know what the podcast was

And we tried to go all around the city Just to get somebody local to pick it up And they wasn't really feeling it So that's when Lowe's was saying He kept saying the word podcast So we had to go Google What the actual podcast was And that's still to this day

That's why I always be like His podcast is full People don't know We were like internet radio was a thing too, but we didn't really understand what that was either, so we just started following whatever a podcast was. And then in between

those couple of little, you know, studio session, that's when that shit came out that he said, and then we linked up one day in December, right at the end of December, we recorded a couple episodes, and then we dropped that shit on Christmas, 2015, and just been on it ever since.

It was just you in D.C. at the time. At first, because Chico don't live in North Carolina. I mean, I don't live in Atlanta, but I I was calling in Atlanta. I was calling in, like, talking shit, like, oh, you niggas is just thinking you're going to start some shit without me. I would call it in, like, y'all niggins better tell me where the studio is. So I was just calling in from where I was at, you know what I mean,

making sure that, you know what I mean, just to ingratiate myself of what was going on, but also just to, you know, bring a different element to, you know, what was going on? Because every time they would record, I would call and cuss them out and be like, man, we can't get it. You know what I'm, man. Because they'll tell you anytime I'm not on camera or doing any of, work, you pull up at my house, I'm probably watching media.

I just, that's all I fucking do is just watch media, good shit, bad shit. I remember I used to watch a lot of tax stone, Lloyd Sear, rude Jude, brilliant idiots, shit, breakfast club. I always was, I just like to listen to shit. Like I used to, me and Chico for the longest before we got to this level of our career, we preferred to drive to shows. We would do the show and just, you know, anything under six hours. You need to drive eight hours.

Yeah, anything at six to eight hours, we're going home right after that show. So it was always like a need to, yeah, it was like people would offer us flights and be like, no, we're driving. Because we know soon as we get off this stage, the 10 o'clock, we hit it straight back to the crib. Or whatever time it is, we might chop it up for an hour or so, but we're driving. And it's like, you can only listen to so much music. So that's when I started really getting heavy onto the media and the podcast and the shit like that.

I want to ask y'all about that because coming from a stand-up background, what made y'all know y'all need to get in to media? How did you know like this was the platform that would take y'all to another level, a podcast or something in the audio space? But I know when we first started what stuck out, Carlos was like, just, just, it's a podcast.

And yeah, I'm like, what's a podcast? You know, it's like radio. It's like undetected radio. Without the music. It's uncensored radio. It's range. It's just like radio, but we got the free range to say whatever and do whatever. He's like, you can practice on your timing, your punches, and you're constantly talking.

Just getting used to hearing your voice on the mic. I never, once I started, now I believe in whatever I say, I ain't scared to say it. And it came from his pocket. So I'm like, nigger, even on stage of the day, if I want to say it, I'm a said because I been trained and conditioning myself on this podcast. And we never knew what a podcast was. You know what I'm saying? And they have three comedians to do radio because it's technically radio.

It's kind of like ironic, but it's a beautiful thing at the same time. Yeah, it'd be too much to be a radio show. They have three comedians. We keep it. And it's uncensored and we can really say what the fuck we've. Go ahead. You can. Oh, no.

It's a podcast. I'll make sure they breath clear. My man. But we can really say what we want to say. but also formulate and condition our craft at the same time. And it also got me better on stage. How did you know, Loew? How did I know?

This is going to be the platform to take y'all to another level. You and Chad, when y'all... Because it was there. It was already there. We just had to fine-tune it and find the right elements to do it. Because, like you said, even the shit we did in the beginning wasn't terrible. It just wasn't packaged, right? We didn't have the right elements together.

And I was like, I don't have to go find those. I can bring my friends in here. I know guys who will be perfect for this. Like, just by the conversations that we have off-camera, the shit that we talk about, the scenarios that, like, missing shows are pulling up late. You know, there's so much shit that goes with that. So I just knew that once we got the right people with the right flow,

right timing, it was going to take off. Did it kind of formulate itself? Because, like, you said Chico was calling in. Everything came in. We never, like, denied nothing. We allowed everything to play. and what it was and we was just like accepted to like this what it is this okay we're gonna rock with this this this what's going on we're gonna rock with this all right bet we're gonna run with that

and we're gonna formulate that and before you know it we all looking at each other and we're like this the one this is it this is yeah i feel good about this how you feel i feel great yeah i remember man chad had that conversation i remember where we was at but we was we had just done this some show somewhere one of the ones where we still was getting paid in paper bags and shit And, you know, me and Chad was talking to him, after the show and was like, man, this, this is the, this the, this the formula right here. This is it.

This is the one. How do you know, Chad? Man, to be real, I used to work for Steve Harvey. So I remember that was like a, he never told nobody. That was like a masterclass in how to leverage your talent and build a bunch of business around it. So what I would tell them was, you know,

it's not that, you know, you can argue your favorite. favorite comedians from the 90s all day. But what Steve did was he took the business route first, and then he leveraged the Steve Harvey Radio Network to sell television, to sell books, sell audio, to sell out shows. Bacon, you would sell bacon at one point. And then he would tell us all the time, Steve Harvey, the comedian, the business conversations changed

once he became Steve Harvey, the co-founder, Steve Harvey, the executive producer. So even when we built this business, we all came in as co-founders all came in as executive producers and partners. So it's just a different conversation. It just opens up different doors. So we knew if we leverage the podcast as the rocket ship, it'll put us up here and we can leverage that for all the other, you know, opportunities that we can create from there. See, that's a full circle joint, though, because it's like, can you imagine, like, one of my closest partners work with one of the biggest talents in my field?

And he's been over there doing big business for them closing deals and all of that shit. So it's like, we ain't on that level, but we're going to that level. So we can meet in the middle and do business. You got the experience of just big shit, but let's build our own shit. It ain't going to be as complicated or as complex, but eventually we can have an empire too. And, you know, he's just speaking to Steve in particular, he's somebody who has, you know, gave us that ability to be able to know that what we're doing is on. that level because, you know, it's no different than you. You know, you don't have to let a person know. The opportunity don't always come with a check. Sometimes it just comes

like, hey, man, I see you. You know what I mean? It's just being in that vantage point of certain people. And once we got that confirmation throughout time, it's been different confirmations, but just this past time that we went to Steve's radio show and he was like, man, y'all doing some shit. And I'm talking about it with all of these different people, all of these legendary comedians and we like, man, we don't know how them niggas is doing this shit.

And they wanted to try. And they always wanted to do it and they always wanted to try. But it's the same. It goes from, man, what them nickers doing to, I don't know what them niggas doing? Like, that's a hell of a transition

because those same people that are, you know, and he's honest enough to tell us that, man, I ain't think this shit was going to work when y'all first started doing it. Right. To now it's like, man, how do y'all do it?

To get to that point, that transition, that transitional period, like that's something that lets us know that, like I said, we're doing some shit that's never been done before. And the pickback up off

what Chico said is, is back then it was more so me, me, me, me, my, my, my, my shine, my shine. Nick's scared that somebody else's who's a great comedian to come take the people who fought because at that time

we had on social media because who can follow me and they follow you. Or he can follow anybody he liked but everybody that's in that crowd, these are my people that I brought out. That's how they were looking. looking at them in my money.

Now it's to the point where it's like, we don't care about that. We all know that everybody got their special powers, but this is a unit thing. And it feels great when you could do this and be this powerful with your friends and with your brothers. And it's like, yeah, everybody got

their own special unique power skills, but it's like, niggas, it's the principle that we're doing it together is always going to be better than what we do by ourselves. I watch y'all and y'all do it so effortlessly. with no ego whatsoever. When y'all do have disagreements, how do y'all handle it? We don't have no disagreements like that.

It'd be, you know, just little petty disagreements. Like, make it that is my lighter. But we ain't never had no fallout. Like, man, y'all cut that shit out. Right, right, right. It's never no falling out. But, you know, we brothers. We're brothers, we grown men.

Tetrosh wrong. But it's never no physical altercation. It's, I don't understand it. Help me understand it. How you understand it. And then we sit down as a group in that. as a unit and be like, look, this is what's going on. I would like, all right, all right, all right.

Well, how about this? How about this? How about this? How do it like this? So you can feel good just to show you, bro, we want to make sure everybody is comfortable at all time because we, first of all, we are not bringing up. I don't give, 23, 285, we're going to be doing this. We're not going to go anywhere.

It's never going to be a time where somebody going to get too big and it won't be the 85. If you're 285, y'all should make all your money for real. I mean, I mean, ain't no other 85 sign without a 85 side. I'm 100 and 11 years long.

Right, you know what I mean? But, you know, those types of conversations is different. You know, I always say, you know, coming from the environment that I come from,

you can tell who really fuck with each other who don't. You know what I mean? I got to say I told Chico, before we recorded any fucking thing,

I said, bro, if we do anything it's going to work. He said, why? I said because in this industry in the comedy world there ain't three people that you can find that authentically fuck

with each other outside of some money. I told him there. He definitely did and that's and when you think about it from that perspective coming from the type of environments that we come from, you know when niggas fuck with you and when you don't. Some motherfuckers are just sitting around waiting to have a problem and waiting

to beef and waiting to say something disrespectful that's not the element amongst us. We love each other. So if it's anything that we don't agree upon, it's something that happens right then, right there, and we're able to sit down no matter if we got to sit down for three and a half hours and talk about it. We're going to do that, you know what I'm saying? And it's not going to be something that and we're not the type of people that are going to express outside, inside issues outside.

Some shit stay in the house. You know what I mean? Some things don't go outside the door. No matter how we can get, we can be yelling at each other about some shit or mad about some shit amongst each other. But you ain't going to know about it. because it's our business because that's love

but if we ain't really fuck with each other then you'll see a motherfucker yeah man you already know man you're telling me you know you know

you know you man but you know the great part about it and I just thought about this when you spoke to be honest if you even look

at our company it's rarely that everybody's from the same spot we got a group of people that's from different states

he's from Mississippi he's for D.C. I'm from Atlanta from New Wallen from California we ain't

grow up with each other we trust each other that's the major point not only do we trust each other we trust each other's vision we trust each other's dreams because you may have a vision that can impact

every last one of our vision that's really what the 85 South show really Brent from if came from somebody having to vision and once we added to vision now we saw what he see or saw what they see now let's add what we see so that's all the 85 south doing it's a collective of a different lot of different people that's adding vision to one main vision and we share the will yeah when i look at y'all man it's like wutang right because it ain't

just the three of y'all it's you got clitin english you got nav green you got money back moffered mine poor minds was that the initial vision to bring all of those people in yes because all those people that you named they bring something to the table that we don't bring. Like everybody, like you said, everybody got their own weapons, their own talents, and they're individuals. So it's like, we want, we, we, we fans too. We still love this entertainment industry.

Right. It's still new to us. It's still, like, exciting. So to see these people come up and just know that, yeah, come on, do this. We ain't got to do, we can't take credit for nobody talent. All we can do is put you on this platform. front of these 85% that love us.

If they love us and we love you, they're going to love you too. I mean, we didn't all remember. But the thing is, we didn't mean doing that from the jump. Like, that's something that, you know, even if you look at me coming out of when I started in North Carolina with the freestyle funny comedy show, an improv troupe I started with, like, all of them except for one of my partners that got on wilding out because of what we did in that environment. Oh, that's B-Di, Darren.

B-Dar, B-D-D-D-Rip. You know, all of them were cast members because, you know, they, they, got to a point where they understood that, okay, if I show up and do what it is that I know I can do, I know that when he's there, he's doing everything he's supposed to do to make the environment curated for somebody like me.

And he's not going to stand in the way and be like, ah, nigga, it's my shine. You know what I'm saying? So we've always been that way. Like in everything that we do, all of our partners have at least got an audition if not been on the show because of what we've done.

And this is the first opportunity that we got. And like you said, most motherfuckers is like, nigger, my time to shine. You nigger stand behind me and, you know what I mean? But we've never been like that. So once we created our own platform, that's who we are anyway. Come on, Slam. Come on, all the way. Do your thing.

Please do your thing. Do your things. Chad, how do you keep all that together, man? I wish I could take a lot of credit. We got a whole, we pay some 25 plus people, you know. So we got a whole crew or whole staff that's running day to day. and checking in. I think keeping it together is just making sure we set the tone

and the precedence of our expectation. I called Chad about 10 times. Literally. Chico got a thousand ideas, fly checking on money every other day. And Lowe's want to talk 10 times a day. Ryan's calling. I don't heck make it seem like I'm checking on the money. I'm happy with the money.

I'm facilitating. I'm facilitating how it's good. You know, people that fly be called the chat about his money. No, no. About the money. Right. That's what I'm saying. Yeah, yeah.

But keeping them together is really not hard because I'm dealing with people that want to be the best version of themselves every day. So I don't really get the opportunity to not be inspired by that or not have a precedent that's already set. So it's not hard. And plus, I love this, man. It's like I actually, I love business. Like, I'm a nerve for business, dog. I'm not like somebody that's frustrated about waking up at 6 to get the job done, you know. I enjoy it.

Let's talk about some of the nerd shit for the next. generation of personalities watching, right? Like, now, y'all started with audio and video or just audio? Just audio first. Just audio first. Audio first. Because, you know, that's two totally different audience. You might, the video may do a million, but the audio may do six because it's more, like,

there are places where there are certain pockets of, you know, this market that people don't have the opportunity to sit down and literally watch this shit. They would work in a warehouse or they travel. They listen to this shit all day on a loop. You know what I mean? So once we figured out that, that these are two totally different markets, we had to do both.

So when you all decided to start saying, you know what, let's shoot the trap. Instead of just putting it out audio while, let's listen. It might have been like a year later. Mm-hmm. Only because flies comedy is so physical

that you have to see it. Yeah, you have to experience it differently. Right. And then his comedy has Lose and Chico jumping in a whole other thing. Mm-hmm. So, and then I didn't, you know, I was, in the 90s, you watch Oprah and you're like, it's people on the couch talking, you know, so we just created our version of that.

And it also helped me because when we were doing a podcast and he loads know how to talk. Yeah. He didn't really have to do too much. He's funny, but I'm like, damn, I don't talk how he talked. And I can't try to do what he does because he do what he does. So online, the audio may sound like, well, who did the live, Nicky is doing all? But if you would have sought me, you would have understood what I was doing. So it kind of helped me even be better as a performer.

And the podcast also helped me to be able to formulate and talk my joke out before I even do an action. Man, that's interesting D.C. said that because I remember when I used to have D.C. on Uncommon Sense, that's what the execs used to say. We don't understand him. We don't understand what he's saying. And I used to be like, yo, 66% of all black people live in the South. Trust me, they're going to understand the words that are coming out of his mouth. And I never understood.

there because I've been in the South so long. So when I started going to different places and they're like, huh? It wouldn't, it didn't offend me, but I used to be like, what you honed me for? If you heard what the fuck I just said? They're like, bro, we ain't heard now correct word or grammar

came out your goddamn mouth. And that's when I had to learn like, I need to know how to enunciate. Talk. Enunciate. That nigga said, announceiate. I mean, but I knew what he meant, though. Exactly. But you see the eye, but he is.

That's the point that I was made. You know what I mean? You should have to seem like I said it wrong, but I said it right because of my speech. I remember Joey I e, man, Joey, I used to work it. I forgot what label Joey I was that. But I remember one time I was shopping this artist from South Carolina, and he said to me, can he talk?

I said, what do you mean can he talk? He said, can he talk, like how T.I. can talk. Right. No, he cannot. No, don't even compare nobody to. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. But, I mean, you yourself said you had to overcome that coming from South Carolina like Monks' phone and getting on the radio.

And then it was different back then because it was just the voice. You know what I mean? You was back into Michael Bays dinner and all that when it was straight radio. So like, you know, having to overcome whatever those things are, you know what I mean? We all went through that. Like when we first got on at Wilden out, they were like, well, what do you guys do? Like, what do you? What can we expect from you?

What do you? What do you guys do? Like, what is you, what are you known for? It was like, man, turn the cameras on. Like, I show you what I do. But just getting somebody to understand. and respected enough to give you that shot. Now, you got to take advantage of it when you get it.

But people never going to understand. I'm sure the people in Netflix was like, what is this? As they were watching it and screening it, like, what is, what is this? I don't get it. I don't understand. It looks good. But what is it? And now is number one.

And they don't care what it is at that point. All you need is the opportunity. Like, give me the opportunity. It's like what Katie say about basketball. Like, Maul, you're skinny. You're so small, man. Give me the ball. Blow the whistle.

and I show you what I do. Because you know what? They don't have to try to persuade people to like us. They didn't understand. We're trying to persuade people that it's actually people who rock with us. And they like, well, we don't understand. And now when you see it, they go number one. It's like you don't have to understand because in your line of work,

you never are there negotiating. You just want to know how much they need to go number one again. A lot. That's right. And it's so funny it's because it's like, this is our company and this is our business. But even if we dropped the episode and that shit did, one view,

so the fuck what. Like, we're not invested to the point where this shit can break our heart. Like, this is fun. This is what we put this together. This is, it's not necessarily a hobby,

but this is not the end of us by any means. This is, this is one 99th of the talents that we have. You get what I'm saying? And it's just, that's the fun, the best thing to me about it is that I know that we can't fail. All right. Let's take a break from this great conversation with the 85 South Show to talk about Talkspace. Do you think seeing a therapist or psychiatrist would be helpful, but you don't have a time to actually find one and meet with them or afford them?

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and unlike many online therapy providers, Talkspace is in network with most major insurers. If your plan covers Talkspace, you'll only pay a co-pay, typically around $25. As a listener of this podcast, you'll get $100 off of your first month with Talkspace when you go to Talkspace.com slash idiots. The match with a licensed therapist today,

go to Talkspace.com slash idiots to get $100 off your first month and show your support for the show. That's talkspace.com slash idiots. The Brilliant Idiots this week is also brought to you by Most and Cause, man. Thank you, Most and Cause, for always supporting the Brilliant Idiots. You do know, some is when you get to be your real self. So cool off with the only spiked lemonade that has real fruit flavor.

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want to tell y'all make sure you go to the andrew sholtz.com to see where Andrew sholt is going be. Andrew sholtz has launched his tour he's selling out every. everywhere and we want to see you in some of these arenas chokes is selling out so make sure you go to the andrewsholtz.com to see where andrew shorchis going to be i want to tell y'all to make sure to go get your tickets for the international african-american museum in charleston south kentina man uh we had the grand opening last weekend it was an amazing event it officially opened to the public on june 27th uh this past tuesday and it's built on gatchens wharf gatchens wharf is where they say um i can't remember the exact number, but it's like 50% of all enslaved, I think it's, oh, 48.1% of all enslaved Africans

came through Gatson's War. So if you shake your family tree from South Carolina probably going to fall out, man. So go home and go to the International African American Museum. You can go get your tickets at the IAAM.com website, okay? I'm doing some real special things there before the year is over, and I can't wait to talk to you about them. And I also want to tell you to make sure you go out there and pre-order Invisible Generals. Okay? That is one of the latest releases coming out on my book in print, Black Privilege Publishing through Simon and Schuster.

It's by my guide, Doug Melville, salute to Doug Melville. Invisible Generals is the amazing true story of America's first black generals, Benjamin O. Davis, Sr., and Jr., a father and son who helped integrate the American military and create the famous Tuskegee Airmen, man. So you can go pre-order that everywhere you buy books right now. Let's get back into our conversation with the 85 South Show. When y'all started doing video, how fast did things take off? Because I feel like everything's shifting once y'all started putting the video up.

Man, what video did was, well, on the business side, let me say on the production side, it forced us to be better producers. Because what we do is just cut the mics on and they're so talented. We're not really doing that. So on the production side, now you're starting to figure out what's going on in the world so you can start to feed them some stuff to help them out. Now you're starting to bring on different guests. that can help that you know can integrate into the show properly.

And then, you know, on the post-production side, now you learn in programming on what shows should come out on, that you can hold on to that's Evergreen or what shows should come out because Trump said something crazy or whatever happened crazy into the world. So video made us a better production company. It didn't really take off real until we started posting the live shows, which maybe was three or four years later.

And like I said, that's still a whole separate element of the show. Also, the live podcast was doing better video-wise. The live shows, that's not, man. Dude, 10 times the views of anything. Once we went live and did the shows, that way, it was like, I mean, I think it was because that element of the part that people have never seen before, it was like, what is this? You became intrigued by it.

Because, you know, in comedy, you know, that routine you might have worked on for a year. Once it leaks, you got to start from scratch again. You may got to hit the comedy clubs again, but they were going off the top of the head, and it was like premium comedy every single time. People was tuning in. We would tell people we've been putting out Netflix specials. Forever. Yeah.

Still is. We got Netflix special on YouTube right now. Yeah. And we were shooting at the highest value that we could afford to shoot. So, yeah, there was, like Wayne was dropping mixed tapes. We was dropping special, you know. That's how we kind of looked at it. And that's where the rocket ship came from.

I know the video, the video, so the audio started all kind of slowed and the video came out, the video took a. The live show was what took everything. The audience went great, but we read, I don't want to say we read comments. We like to see what our feedback is. And they like, man, I wish y'all will come here and I wish y'all to come there. And I remember the first time they were like,

y'all want to go live? I was like, because I'm still trying to be a comedian. And I'm like, now you want me to go up there with, you want me to go up there with motherfuck? I got to be a comedian on stage. But I'm like, okay, I did theater. And I've been on stage with people. But I've never been a comedian amongst other comedians

besides acting with other actors. So it's like, okay, this is going to be challenging. And I like challenges. So I were like, I'm still trying to learn to be a comedian, but how can I be a good comedian amongst other comedians that's already solidified? So once we start doing it and people will start coming, I was like, this could be your perfect way for you to just be yourself.

The pressure's not on you. The pressure is not on them. It's a collective. all you got to do is just feeling whatever you think dry and I know that he's doing the same wherever he come in I said that's where he's good that's what he good at so you just got to find out

where you good at and my part was just sitting there and say okay I'm great at physical I'll just be the physical guy you know what I'm saying but it's it's never a point where we feel like we're done bro because we still finding out new shit every time we hit the stage

that's what I said like a few years ago y'all uh we partnered it, you know, with y'all at Black Effect, but just for the audio, did you see a difference in how the podcast was received once the audio started taking off and once the audio numbers started matching the video numbers. Yeah, did y'all see a difference? Yeah, we definitely see a difference in the crowd, in the audience.

You can look around at the shows and see the difference that it made. You know what I'm saying? Now it ain't just all this outside spot or we're good over here. It's like, we're universally good. And every place that we haven't been, they're waiting on. So it's like, how do we do this? How are we going to put, how are we going to go everywhere? And definitely being a part of like the Black Effect and that family and that group of talent,

y'all got access to people who, like you said, who may not be familiar with what's going on in the heart of the deep, dirty South. They might have called the list in to the Tessland or, you know what I mean? And then 85 might have snuck in there and they left it on. And it was like, I like, I like that you gave us a, like we have our own platform. but y'all got a big platform over there also. You're on one of the biggest shows shit in America. The biggest show.

Every morning. So it's like just to have that co-sign and for you to bring us into y'all world, definitely had an impact on what we do. I showed you and chat earlier. Like since the Netflix special came out, y'all numbers like tripled for the week.

Oh, yeah. On just the podcast, audio. Like, tripled for the week. I'll tell you, like, we never not valued audio. It's just that we didn't understand the value of it. it, if that makes sense. And because when you're growing a company,

you got to put all your effort to what's making the most money. So if touring and a live show was making all the money for three, four years, that's the baby. Yeah, so you just focus here. So what is done is the relationship with y'all, we've hired more audio people.

Now we have people that are mixing the master and then post-production stuff that you just cracked the mic and you, you know, drop it in the feed and it's all good. We've put that much reinvestment back into audio. I'll say that, knowing that. Y'all did something that was so smart, man. I think it's genius because I keep telling folks,

you can't solely rely on YouTube. No. And you can't turn YouTube into a real business. No. You know what I mean? Because you don't own it. Because it's at their discretion. That's right.

They could flag your videos. They could not pay you. They could. But that's the part that was so frustrating to me, though. It's like, if this video was so bad that it's flagged and it's not monetized, why y'all just didn't take it down? Right. But it's just like now I guess with this whole ad revenue thing,

it's like people are asking the same questions. It's like you're on demonetize it, but you see these views as ran up. Somebody got paid. And they're using the numbers to go get some more money. And it's really going to, it's straining the hell out of these creators too because it's like,

well, you took your first big YouTube check and you invested in some equipment. And now them checks, you're thinking this is going to be another 50, 60, 70. Yep. And then your, your octet, payout wasn't but 7,000.

Now you're upside down. You get what I'm saying? Yeah. So just to have that platform and to be on, like to own it and to be independent and to know that none of that shit is going to happen, we're going to be monetized either way. We're good. Y'all took your, uh, y'all took y'all content off YouTube. I want to pull up one of those things you, you was referencing, you was referencing, uh, they reported this week in the Wall Street Journal. Let me pull it up.

It says, um. Well, YouTube violated their own terms. Yeah. 80% of the ads YouTube serves across the web have violated their own terms of service and are therefore subject the refunds. The Google ads are going to have to pay out billions of dollars in YouTube ads. And then there was another one that said YouTube created, say video revenue down up to 90%. Something is definitely off.

So you can't rely on YouTube to be a business. But what y'all did was take your video content off YouTube and start y'all on. I got you. We didn't even even speak to like no YouTube reps until we made the announcement that we're going with the ads. Then they sent a whole team down and tried to, you know,

oh, this is what happened to you guys. We didn't know that you were doing these numbers and we're so glad to have you on our team. We're like, okay, we're still not rocking with that. Hold on, speak to that. So hold up. Wait a minute. What y'all called YouTube customer services?

No, they called us. They called us. Listen, bro, for two to three years, It was we would sit down every couple months. Well, we need to put out more content. We need short form. Because they come up with new rules for YouTube every time. Right.

And bro, at one point, I remember Fly was like, bro, we're giving them too much. Like, it doesn't matter. So we started diving back into the analytics. And you could have a great month, especially during the holiday season from October all the way to January, rocket ship numbers, you're thinking this is normal. But come March, April, May, you're like, bro, what are we doing? And nothing is changed. As far as your output.

To the point where we'd be like, man, just y'all can have to YouTube. Like it's not even, it's not, it's not even, it's not even, it's no rhyme or reason. So we finally, especially during the pandemic, we put our heads around launching our own platform. As soon as we launched that platform, YouTube reaches out to us. And, you know, we started some conversations thinking, well, everything's going to be good. Maybe we'll put regular content over here and premium content over there. Man, three months later, still same stuff. So eventually, you don't, there's, I tell people there's value in YouTube, but the value, you can't, what you just said, you can't build a core business model around.

There's no, you can't, there's no, like, model you can create because you really have no idea how much money you bought to make. Not unless you missed the beast or somebody. Yeah. He don't even really know. Yeah, I mean, you never really know. You know what I mean. They can't, you can't determine what it is. They determine you get paid, you know what I'm saying?

And that's one of the difficult things about any platform that you're not in control of. It's like, well, what do you get? Well, you get what we get you. You know what I'm saying? And, you know, if we decide to give you a little bit more or a little bit less, that's what you get. That's right. You know what I'm saying? But when you're able to, you know, be able to see the numbers, you're able to, you know, understand from a perspective,

it makes it even easier to go back and had those conversations with the big platforms, the Netflix's and the YouTube. It's like, okay, we already have an understanding of what these numbers are. and how these people are affected by the content that we're putting out based on these numbers. What can you offer us? It changes the meeting, if you will. You don't go in like, you know what I mean? What can we do for you?

Then once you find out that they know how to manipulate these numbers, however they want to manipulate it, that's crazy. Because like you said, it ain't no rhyme or reason. You can't sit there and come up with a formula and say, I'm going to drop a video every day for 30 days. That's 30 videos a month. So I should make this. just don't work like that.

They just give you the money and you'd be happy at head. You're like, all right, but you ain't questioning nothing. You're like, how did you all? Come up with the number. Nobody cares. It's like streaming service. Like the music game. Come on, man.

You got to get almost $30,000 screen just to get $5. So who really getting all the money before you get your $5? That's right. I've been on call with their experts and their experts. There's only so much answer they can do until they start giving generic information. And at that point, I'm like, they don't even give you the information, you know? So at that point, how much more? investment are we going to make into this platform.

So what do y'all use YouTube for? Promotion. And promotion. Yeah. What everybody else using it for? We still got a big fan base over there that just refuses to, you know, physically subscribe and support. I don't know what it is.

It just takes time, you know what I mean? You get somebody something for free and then it don't matter if you come back charging a dollar for it, a dollar. You know what I mean? So, you know, hey, huh, exactly. Like, so if you can, you know, If we continue to be, and this Netflix, I think, is going to be a big, you know, peace in getting those YouTube people to subscribe because they're going, once you get to a platform like Netflix and people start talking about something, you'd be like, oh, wait a minute, motherfucker. I've been, you're talking to me about some shit.

I've been new about what, did you know about this? And then you're like, you know what? Fuck, I'm going to, I'm going to pay that little 899, so I don't miss out on nothing no more because these niggas playing with me. Like, I ain't been down with these motherfuckers for the last six, seven years. Can you imagine that, though? We get two and a half million people to go subscribe to our app. How do you y'all got now? We don't want to talk about it.

Because we don't want to know about trying to add nothing. That nigga, be unsubscribe. Oh, shit, you don't need my $8. You got to have. You got it. Yeah, well, what we do is, we still put shows. We'll put one studio show that's an hour long on the platform. But we also have advertising.

video advertising, uh, partnerships where they may want integrated marketing a product placement or a 30 second read. But now as we are... And we did a 80 vibe. Oh yeah.

We did 85. We introduce new shows through there as well just to get like an idea of what people will respond to. But like new talent, like NAF has a show that we partner with him, a sports show and broken play that we put through YouTube because you still want to take

advantage of... It's a digital billboard. You're using to build shit up. But we don't have... have like core financial dependence dependency on it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it just is what it is. When y'all started the Channel 85 at, you know, a lot of people would be scared to put their content behind a paywall

because they don't know if they'll lose their audience or people to pay for it. Did you all feel that way? No, no, because we have a community. You know, I don't even really like to say fans because I tell people in business, the hardest part in business, especially in our age, is getting somebody to transact. So if you can get them to buy merchandise or subscribe to a newsletter or buy a ticket or purchase behind the paywall, this is your real community. So those two and a half million or 10 million followers you got on.

They're watching. That's not real. People that really transact with you are the people you want to build. And that's the beauty of what we do. Like when Lowe said the Avengers, like that's real because, you know, you look at the Avengers. You got, you know, Iron Man and Thor and all these people that they had their own movie. But when they're Avengers, they're Avengers. And it's the same thing about us individually.

We go and do a comedy club in the weekend and sell, however many tickets. That's a section in one of these arenas we're doing now. You know what I mean? So when we come together, it's like everybody that, you know, no matter who they like, you know what I'm saying. You like all of us together. But if you like one of us individually, you're not going to say I'm not going to see Thor because Iron Man is, you know what I mean? You're not going to do that. You're going to go see both of them.

I love that. I love when motherfuck are like, man, july. Chico the funn is one D.C. the funnest one. I'd be like, I agree. Me too. I want to be around motherfuckers like they make me legs. These are my talk to, niggins.

Yeah, you're going to... Nick, I know. I knew before you knew. Exactly. Y'all going to make it to the point where comedians going to have to click up. So what are the keys to keeping a healthy brotherhood throughout all of the business? Key God first. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Key God first and knowing that, like you say, man,

respecting each other's value and respecting each other's understanding and you know because this is how it started it never was a starter of us coming together and be like, let's put all our ideas together and we just created it. It was just like, okay, you want to do that? I rock with you. Okay, but look, I want to add this too. You rock with it?

What about you? Oh, this is it you want to do? I rock with it. We're never denying anything or any suggestion that anybody brings to the table, bro, and I feel like we don't have a blueprint of how a successful business starts and how do we prolong it and keep it going.

So we're learning every day through the experiences. We're learning every day from our ups and downs and our trials, but at the end of the day we we keep God first and we're like, look, bro, we're hearing it from the people that hasn't been done before. So we got something. Right. How long

do we want it? All right, we hear them. How long do we want to do this? Forever? Forever? It's a forever. So we got to keep that forever energy. It's been dope just trying to see how much, how many other things we can run through our brand and our business. Right.

You get what I'm saying? Like, of course, it's the live shows. It's the merge. It's the brand. It's the studio. But it's like, how much other shit can we put under this umbrella? Are we going to be the only ones that benefit off of our brain? Right.

No, we're going to branch out. And we're going to help build out the poor. mindset and help them build their core audience and find a place for Nav and his show. And we're going to try a whole bunch of different things. They might not all work, but we're going to have them under our own terms and we're going to find out the best way that works for us. Motherfucking, Clayton. Y'all keep saying the Avengers.

Clayton was on on the Avengers. And, you know, it's really ego control. Man, everybody got their ego in control. You know it's not about you. And being able to. People see the bigger picture. Yeah, you know what I mean? And it's like, you know, if you, if you have, I think that's what hinder the ones before us.

Everybody ego was so, I got to be, I got to have this like, you know what I mean, having a perfect example, bro. Look at Joe. Joe just laid out chilling, you had weed in his pocket, and grew his hair out, his beard is big. He don't got a care in the fucking world. He might stay in New York two, three weeks after this. Like, that's when I, that's when it started hitting me.

I said this somewhere the other day. It's like when you start seeing your friends quit their job and live daydreams, they don't have to go do shit else. That's when you know you're making stride. Yeah, when we was out to eat one night, I saw a nav, now I was eating his food. Now I said, hey, man, anytime Chico don't show up, just let me know.

He was like, that check was something serious. When we did the Black Effect thing. Oh, yeah, yeah, the podcast. Oh, yeah, all the way, yeah. All they fuck with me. I'm about to say, why that nigga picked me. out of time. You ain't called me,

that's a lot. They had shows. She's going to show up. Let me, though. They had shows. Yeah, show. Well, let me decline,

motherfucker. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. I mean, Shalman, do you like that story. That nigga, this thing is do you like that. This thing is do you like that.

He'll look out for you, but he also do you like that. No, you reached out to 85 times. You know what I mean? No, no. You know, once somebody from 85 side win, we all win. And then it ain't just you,

Dali cuss me out about this shit. Every time. Anytime I miss anything that's blacker. She's like, nigger. I'm like, yes, ma'am. I just, you know, because you already know with her. Like, we didn't have been locked in for so long. She's going to call me directly and cuss me out.

And ain't going to be no business call. It's going, like, y'all know the business dolly. Like, I know the real dolly. I love that, too, about how you built the Black Effects, too, because you went and grabbed Rachel and the Dolly. And it's like, bro, we knew how dope they were when we first, you know, start working with them. And for you to have to come and recognize, like, y'all got way more talent.

and way more skills than what they're using y'all for. So I respect it and I commend that. I don't want to see what trouble. I remember when Rachel was Candida's secretary 12 years ago. And Dolly was next secretary. Dolley's assistant, word on. I was sitting in the edit bay with them back in the day. But you could just see it.

You know the same thing you probably saw in Chad. Like you know Chad is executive level. Bro, I didn't know it first. You see how you just lay up? That's all the fuck Chan used to do in that job, bro. You just to try to sell. sneakers together and sell cell phones and I ain't really sell nothing, dog.

Just laughing at him. Because this nigga don't give a fuck about nothing, bro. Like this nigga, he has changed so much, right? You know how a cat is just in disinterested with everything. Like, you can't impress no cat. Like, it don't matter what's going on. This nigga be sitting there.

He didn't give a flag. Yeah, bro, we do it. Yeah, good job. Good job. What you were doing with me when I met you, Chad? Photography, right? Yeah, I was Fuck you. No, I worked hard when I worked Steve. That's why I got fired. I was, like, overly ambitious.

But me and, uh, me and Joe ran all of his digital. So anything that you saw come out from his, uh, Twitter, newsletter, YouTube, we shot it, produce it. Yeah, I knew. And we was publishing everything. Yeah, yeah, that's why I met Charlemagne at Steve Kemp. Yeah. Oh, yeah. That was like 10 years ago, eight years ago.

Yeah. How important is ownership to y'all? Because y'all've always been big on ownership. You can't get kicked out and can't nobody buy you. You know that. Ladies and gentlemen, D.C. Young, fly. I'm big on that bullshit. Fuck what a nigga talking about.

I have a strange relationship with getting fired. There's some sort of ownership mandatory in all your deals? Yes, because black people don't own shit and we watch all our heroes that broke damn net. You know what I'm saying? You own nothing? They told you you can do what got you on.

They like, stop doing that. You're like, can we own it now? Equity is important in everything. If you can get some equity, man, like, you know, I was, I forget what's my man name, Jason Weaver, how his mama was small enough to be able to get that back end deal. Like, yeah, exactly. You think about those, like, those type of deals and that type of insight to have. Like, if you go in, like, you know what I'm saying. It's like what Magic did with, with Converse when he's saying, you know, how his deal works.

He was getting 800 every year. Yeah, and now he get 32 million on the back end. Like, that's something you want to. to be the case. So it's, but it's hard, though, it's hard for niggas

to come in and not take that lump sum up front. Because if you ain't never had something, they drain you. They strain you all the way out and they'll starve you out

as artists, just like on Fight Club when they be like, you got to stand on the porch for a week. You got your boots, you got your bands, you got your t-shirt,

you got your belt? And they just leave you out there. That's exactly how they do you, man, they'll starve you out. It's like financial literacy that we're not knowledgeable about, especially when you realize,

you're like, they're doing deals like that? And you're like, yeah, you don't know. And it's like, nobody put us up on game that month, that those type of deal. We're being negotiated. We're negotiating, but they're playing hardball like, it's all we got. Then you come to find out, you're like, hold up. So they did a deal like that with y'all, but what was all, what was obligated?

What was you obligated to do? And then when you realize, oh, we're doing over and beyond what we're obligated. So now we're just employees and it's not a family situation. That's when you got to go for the bigger book. You're like, you know what? We got to go for the bank. We knew ownership was important because they don't want to get nobody, none. They want to hire everybody, but they don't want to partner with nobody.

See, but you all put yourselves in a position, you can't do anything but partner with y'all. Exactly. So how have the strategic partnerships y'all have done with, like, Netflix and Black Effect benefited the overall brand? Man, I'll take, for the first five years, we were scared to partner with anybody because we didn't trust nobody. I remember. Yeah, like, it wasn't even that we was thinking about it. We was just like, bro. They were trying to give her $3,000 an episode.

Yeah, either we're going to. This shit won't sink is because we sank it type of thing, you know. I wouldn't be real with you, bro. Like, you was calling us before the pandemic, you know, and talking to you and, you know, some of the private conversations we had about the people that I admired versus, you know, how current modern business works and all those sort of things. Strategic partnerships, I think, very specifically for black companies,

for independent companies, we need them. Because there's only so much money. to go around for resources, and you don't recognize these are billion-dollar companies. So you may have a $10,000, $20 million company. That's cute. But if this company got $5 billion just to blow on money, you're never going to close any sort of gap.

So strategic partnerships became important for us. As long as we knew it wasn't about the money, why are we partnering with these people? What is the value that we can bring together? And it has to feel like a legitimate partnership. Because a bunch of people approaches, and they really just want us to work for them, but they just got a big old check.

So strategic partnership is now very important. Obviously, you see what Netflix is done for us in a relationship with Charles has been very good, but we don't have a bunch of them. We got the right ones, if that makes sense. Do you think y'all ever get to a point where opportunity is no longer an appropriate means of compensation? No, we already have. Yes, bro. No more.

I mean, depends on what the opportunity is, Shalame. You was over there on that boat with them white people, and what type of opportunities they're giving you? No, they got all the money. But what I'm saying is they only know. opportunity. I'm saying, what type they gave some shit and be like, loo si, it would be a good look.

I'm not interested. Yeah. See, until we start getting invited for golf tournaments. Yeah, that type of you get in. Once we get to that level when they start inviting.

Yeah, come on out. We have the yacht for a week. Come on out. Steve doing it. I'm going to be out there in November with Steve in Dubai. See, we ain't invited. So that's what I'm saying.

We got to get to the point when we get invited. No golf tournament in Dubai. They got golf courses in Dubai. They got everything in Dubai. Yeah, Steve, Harvey do his own. He got a career The domestic ones, not the international. Yeah, yeah, I don't think a nigga want to play.

I said that to him at the golf tournament that he just had. They made me come up and do a speech. I was like, nigga, everybody keeps talking about how hospitable you are. You ain't never did nothing but show me how much better you living than I am, nigga. You ain't invited me nowhere. You flying niggas to Dubai and all this type of shit. And you just want me to come see how much bigger your new house is. This ain't fair.

You owe me, Mr. Hightower. You need to stop. I'm making up for some of that old shit. He said he'd do it just to get us in the room with. No, he doesn't. No, that was, it was dope. I will say, like, just being able to look around and see all them dudes that was famous when I was a little boy, it's like, it's surreal because you get the opportunity to get that level of confirmation that, the people that you grew up, the people that you grew up with. You're a freak.

My name, something wrong with you. No, we ain't passing no cash numbers, but, you know, you get to, you get the, you get the, you get the, uh, you get the, uh, you're asking. You get to get the confirmation that the people that you grew up love and love you. And that's, you know, as far as outside of opportunity, that's something that makes you feel like, man, yeah, I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing because you're seeing people that was a world away from you. Like, these people was inside the box when I was a broke little boy in D.C. And then they're like, hey, man, we love what you doing. I'm a big fan of your work. Like, nigga, and so am I.

And put me up on some opportunities to make some old paper. Yeah. Because I got a lot of catching up to do. I told you, my granddad had never had a pair of drugs. that fit him right. And I feel like I got to get back at the world for that. Because I know he didn't never reach his full greatness. Because his draws were too big.

He wasn't comfortable. Like I said, my dad ain't had no headstone. He definitely ain't do what he was supposed to do before. He got up out of there. We got to overcharge these niggas for what they did. To the coal crusher all the way. You know what I mean? All right.

Let's stop this amazing conversation with the 85 South Show to pay some more bills, man. Thank you, Squarespace. Okay, the brilliant this is brought to you today by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all-in-one platform for building your brand and growing your business online. Stand out with a beautiful website, engage with your audience and sell anything, your products, content you create, and even your time. Squarespace makes it easy for creators to monetize their content and expertise in a way that fits their brand. With member areas, you can unblock a new revenue screen for your business and free up time in your schedule

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And I got to thank Most & Cause once again, man. Most in Cause, thank you, thank you for sponsoring the Brilliant Idiots. Life's more exciting when there are peaches involved. And that's why we're bought to you by Simply Spiked Peach. Okay. from the makers of Simply Spiked Lemonade. Simply Spike Peach is now available. 21 and odor only, because it contains alcohol, okay?

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Celebrate responsibly Simply Spike is the trademark of the Simply Orange Juice Company. Now let's get back to our conversation with the 85 South Show. I've got a few more questions, man. Just actually three more. What were some things y'all were intentional about, intentional about when doing this deal with Netflix in particular? Man. Being taken serious. Yeah.

Netflix was a two-year deal, bro. Really? Yeah, yeah. It might have been three to keep you. Three, really. Yeah. I remember the first time we all sat down. and they had a bunch of

this is what we're not going to do sort of thing and I got to bring that back to him but we was intentional by Netflix I think once it settled on us that it was a commercial the light kind of went off for us on how to approach it

because you know we got to own it's got to be this got to be this but once we took that approach it made it an easier a easier process everybody adjusted to I had to talk with it to it I'm just going to say it

We're on the platform. I had to talk them into it. They was ready to walk. I was like, no, no, no, no. I ain't gonna lie, all right. You know, I'm real big on business, boy. I'd be like, boy, hey, boy, we way more powerful than that. Boy, I don't care about anything.

No, no, D.C. I'm like, that's what I'm doing. I'm going to be, bro. Just listen. This is an opportunity for us to be opportunist. We don't want to do the ass shit. He's like, let's do it. I'm like, I'm rocking with you.

The way I looked at it was like performing at the Super Bowl, man. You know what I? That's what it is. It's like performing at the Super Bowl. You know what I'm saying? You get that Super Bowl halftime performance. Your streams go up. The ticket sales go up.

And that's the way you look at it. You know what I mean? It's like a Super Bowl performance for what we do in comedy. We got to put our platform on the platform that's as big as the Super Bowl in regards to streaming. And now we went number one. Now I'm scared, though. See, I'm saying I'm scared. Because I don't want nobody to come to one of our live shows.

And then the first 12 rows is sold out. And all the niggas is going to be like, bro, like, yeah, bro, y'all should have embraced us while you had the chance. But she did the thing, right? They know we're capable of going number one, but they also know that we'll negotiate to keep on the ship. And we're willing to turn away if we don't get on the ship.

So as long as everybody's standpoint still got approved and got across the right way, because I'm like, like you said, the deal with two years. It wasn't two years because we couldn't get our shit together. It was two years because we were like, no. Working on our house.

own terms and conditions. Hell no. It ain't sounding right upon to what we're trying to do. Like he said, it's halftime. It's a Super Bowl. But guess what? It may be the Dolphins playing

goddamn shits and giggles. This ain't the right Super Bowl right here. We got to wait to the big one. And once that bitch was big. The one in Miami. The one of the cowboys ain't ever going to. Yeah.

Yeah, I mean, that type of one. So, you know, it's just, it's one of those things when we realize that the next time they come It's like you can't deny, you know what I mean? You can't deny what it is. You can't deny what it is. You know what I mean? That's the beauty of getting that opportunity that, you know,

like you was talking about getting that opportunity. If you give me the opportunity to show up and I'm, you know, auditioning for a contract in the NBA, when I come and I destroy everything, when we tear down the whole, you can't come to me and say, well, we only have a 10 day. Well, I don't play on 10 days. I shouldn't even have to be doing it. You know what I mean? But I did it Yaw way just to show that, okay, I'm willing to take this step back and let you handle a business the way you handle business just to show you that when we come in and handle business, this will business look like on this side.

You know what I mean? Y'all want them to come back with one of them Chris Rock Dave Chappelle deal. Hell yeah. They ain't got no chance. They might do that. They might do like a two or three deal with y'all. Two three special deal. And we already got them ready for them.

They ain't got to do them put their name on. What's one of the biggest lessons you learned while, while turning the 80s? for our South show into the brand of this right now. Doing it with a collective. Yeah. That is possible. Like you said, there ain't no blueprint.

It ain't no blueprint to be a successful black-owned business. You know what I'm saying? Because like everybody's where up and down. Somebody in the mix and somebody like, no, bro, we are professional. It doesn't matter. You have to be a professional.

Our emotions is out the way. Our egos is out the way. And we come together and sit down in the round table and we make the best decision better on the business. Not for you, you and you is a collective. If nine out of 11

is agreeing with it, the other two got the ride with the nine. I don't care. That's just how we is. And I feel like I always look back at this and we all go do our own

ventures and do our own things, but we take what we learn from that and we bring it back over here because we have a successful business that we built from dirt. And like you said, we went number one, we on billboards,

but we ain't done. You're not even known. We ain't know. It's done, so we just got to continue. What would you say? I mean, for me, it's just been trust and how important it is in all things that you do, especially business.

You know what I mean? You got to trust people, man. You got to trust that. You know what I mean? If I close my eyes and grab your shoulder that I'm going to make it to wherever the fuck we're supposed to be going to and vice versa. So just that level of trust and being able to know that

no matter what decision is being made is for the greater good of everybody and being able to trust that and being okay with whatever happens. in regards to the decisions that is made. If it don't work, it don't work together. If it does work, it works together. Whatever failures we've had, we felt together. That billboard is in Times Square, LA, we get to celebrate that the same way we dealt with the failures together.

So that level of trust that's there is one of the most important things in building a business that looks like the one we've built and we're building is because if you don't have that trust, you don't get to this point. You don't get to the point of being able to, you know, revel in the successes of going to somewhere as big as YouTube or being on a black effect or having the type of relationship that we had because when we get separate from each other, you would be able to know that we don't really fuck with each other because the energy

would be different when I'm around versus them to around and vice versa. So that level of trust that is present when we together versus when we're not together, that same energy ain't nothing going to be said by these two motherfuckers about me or vice versa that we wouldn't say to each other in front of the world. Like that level of trust is so important because nobody can break into, you know, and come in getting your ear and be like, man, hey man, fuck that shit, man, you know. That's the only way that can happen is when that trust ain't there.

So I realize how important trust is in business. What about you, Lou? Or Chad. Good. No, I'll say two things for me. There's no, there's like, there's no protection in being isolated, you know. So as much as we talk about the collective, that's a real thing, you know. As soon as some money comes down the table, we're talking through it.

As soon as the opportunity comes down the table, we're collectively talking through it. I don't have to be like a genius because I have three geniuses right here and another three there that we can get to a middle ground. And then second, I think this process has taught me, business is not as much money or hard work as it is leverage. So you really are just building leverage more or less leverage every day, and that's kind of how you navigate through the world. But it's not something you learn in a business class

or something you're going to read in a book that the more leverage you can create is the more that you can control and navigate your own world. Lose? one of the most important lessons that I learned about this is that money is important but it's not it holds no value well that's how I know y'all get money now no I'm not saying is what I'm saying is you got to chill out bro they're doing this too many years my name it's like money is important but it holds no value like money should never break up the family or change who you are as a person or or or change I'm

like change your thought process. You know what I'm saying? That's the number one thing that people fall out about in this industry. When you, when you have a team and you have a collective, you have to make sure everybody eat because you don't want none of that because that can fuck up your whole synergy. One unhappy person can fuck up all the success. But you got to make sure you look out for your people and take care of your people and don't sell your soul for the dollar. But you know, the sad part, even when you do you do. do, you can be take care of your people, but they want more. Exactly.

That's when ego comes in. I learned that from him, not the ego part, but the money part. You know me, I'm tight. I'm like, hell no. He's like, listen, fuck it. I'm like, what you mean? Fuck it. Hell no.

You kill what you eat. Like, he's like, listen, if that's what it is, let it go. We're going to keep going. And it rubbed off on me. Like, it rubbed off on me. Hey, we ain't have to speak about it. again and I was just like, well, if that motherfucker can do that, okay, now I'm trying to figure out how he see it.

Why did he move like that? If he moved like that, it's only because it's a good heart, and it ain't about the dollar because we're going to get the dollar. So it was like, all right, let me try it. And then when I tried, I saw myself doing it constantly and constantly and constant. Well, I'm like, all right, what sacrifice did you take? I was, okay, well, look, you take that shit. All right, well, you get that one, because I ain't really, not saying I'm not tripping on it.

as a collective, as a business. I see how it keeps going and it keeps moving. And I'm like, all right, that's what this is all about. It's about picking up the slack and keep going. And this is probably one of the best, this probably the best business, best group of people I don't ever been around, bro. And if all fails and motherfuckers and you got 10 people

to build a business with, Who you're going to get, I want to get these motherfuck. That's real. Straight up. But I just got the chills just by saying this. That's real, though, man. I don't go get these motherfuck. And that's why I want, it ain't about fuck the money or none of that shit.

It's just that, man, that shit is the easiest way to destroy everything that you did. Right. The wrong motherfuckers, the wrong, like it breeds so much envy and negativity and resentment. Right. So you have to use that shit as the tool that it literally is. It ain't just about clocking every dollar or chasing the bag. It's about your integrity, your mental, love. Like, what are you using this money for?

You could just pile it up and have all of it. But if it ain't making the motherfuckers around you better or providing better, like everything for making everything around you better, it's fucking useless. That's real. Last question. How do you all see the 85 South Show brand evolving from here? hiring a breakfast club you're gonna hire the breffle club

I ain't giving this nigga no money he got all the money like he got all the money Sholamane really is Batman the greatest man yeah you know I mean but nah you know for me I would say I you know that question is always unique

to me because I mean Loss was just talking outside like man I never try to limit myself to what my mind can think of because if I did then I wouldn't have been able to write out half the shit I've accomplished already. So as long as I can keep we keep doing this, whatever

God got in store for us doing the work that is necessary for us to keep doing it, it's going to be to the sky, man. For 2013, we was in this city. Me and this motherfucker walking back and forth to Western Union money gram. Broke. Sending the

little 50s and hundreds home, two hundredths. To go from being broke walking around this city to having a fucking billboard and Times Square. In 10 years, nobody could ever told us that. You know what I mean? So it's like you just, when you look at it from that perspective and just, you know, the way my mind work would keep me humble, I guess, is all the things that are issues

in my life now would have been the solutions to every problem I had when we was walking down the street in 2013. Yeah. I'm talking about whatever it may be. Oh, man, I just had to. Like, you think about it. You just said you had to do what you had to do to get back from, you know what I mean, L.A. to New York.

Imagine when you was a nigga working in Philadelphia. Living with my mom. I was living with my mom in 2009. Back home with a two-year-old at 32 years old. Think about that. And you think about the fact that you could do that now. Like, that's what keeps me from answering the way you see it going. Because who the, would you have been?

Oh, yeah, one day I'm going to be able to just boom. Now, you wouldn't have thought no shit like that. Your mind wouldn't allow you. So even though we are where we are now, I would never restrict myself to try to figure out what's going to. going to happen because it's bigger than what I can ever imagine. I know it. I want to have one of them big-ass buildings with a lot of bricks

and we all got the whole top floor ain't enough offices and shit. You got to get one of them little passes to come up. Y'all got that down in Atlanta. You got a damn compound. Yeah, but we're going up with it. Okay. Yeah, we're still on on the ground. We're wide right now.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I want to go you want to go vertical. So flows above, I mean, up under the underrest is part of we're just going to keep stacking on top. We're going, we're not about the start with no one studio. That's our first studio.

We're going to look back, like you said, five, ten. Like, damn, how did we pull that off in that little bit of that head bill? Right.

You really how much work we did. Yeah. We need these 50 flows. We got 50 different shits going on on every flow. What you see, Chad? How do you see the brand of all?

I don't even, I still think we're on like, we finally get into the checkpoint of stage one. You know, like where we really have a media company. So we have a studio, we got a film division.

We have a management company. We have a merchandise company. And now we're here. Okay, now we're running a company. And, you know, so, like, in my world, we're somewhere, you know, what Tyler Perry is and what he's created, kind of following that trajectory. Yeah, because he ain't called us yet. That's how I know we still got work to do in Atlanta.

Tyler ain't reached out to us on nothing. Luton Tyler. I was just talking to Tyler a couple days ago, we need to call us on three way, Nick. No, because y'all. The only people I saw super serve those secondary markers. They like to call us the secondary markers, the Charleston, South Carolina's, and the Jackson, Mississippi, they say that's the secondary. But y'all go there and y'all super serve those people.

First of all, they're not secondary market. I agree. Nobody, nobody. People I heard, when you said that in the interview, I thought about it. Like, that's bullshit when you think about it because we're just the only ones who make it known that we're catering to those markets. Every black artist that there is makes their money in the South, in the history. Everybody.

They call it the Chitlin Circuit, which is disrespectful. It's actually the heart and soul of black people. It was the chilling circuit at the time because it was the only places that we were allowed to showcase our talent because we couldn't go to these venues. Like you said, when we beat these certain entities and we made number one over these entities, they thinking that that's number one and other people are watching. And I kudos to everybody that's popping their shit. But when we get the opportunity, you see what we do.

So they're looking at us like, oh, these are Chittling Circuit acts. And I'm like, no, we just, we ax. You feel it? That's what it is. And the South ain't a Chittling Circuit. It's 50 states in the United States. LA ain't the biggest. No.

And they just shut down affirmative action in colleges. So niggas might be on their way back to the Chittling Circuit. The way it goes. From the business side, I love L.A., love New York. love Philly, love Chicago them are the most expensive cities to produce anything. Mobile,

Memphis, New Orleans, Louisiana, Jacksonville, Florida, these people, Nashville, they're going to come to your show and then they're going to sell it out. Then they're going to sell it out two or three times. Then they're going to buy your merchandise. Then they're going to ask you to come do a pop-up shop

for $10,000 for $3,000. Because they appreciate the art. Yeah. They'll look at it as like chitting and certain. And then they're going to cook out right there in front of the store and offer you home-cooked. It feels like family.

It's Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, all these cities we go to in the South, they treat us. It's real. Damn there, 70% of all black people in America are in the South. And that's the thing about being up here, though, like in New York, you see that transition and you see that they want that type of love when they be like, man,

when y'all niggis coming up here, son? You know, it's a little different way to they ask, but you see that, you know what I mean? Bama-ass, nigga, we love. Niggas, nigga, we love. Niggis, niggis, nigga. It fuck is up with you, niggins. Like, but the fact. that we've been able to curate in a platform that people can see like, man, I want some of

that shit where I'm at. Don't make it so difficult. Don't make me have to fly to wherever, man. Bring that shit here. And when we came and did the Kings did in New York and we go to Philly and we go to these places, it looks the same because those people that are there, everybody from the South for real, no matter where you from if you're black. But when you come, you want that love too and where you're from.

Because nine times out of ten, if you're from a major metropolis like this, it's real hard for you to find, especially in the way we offering it. Well, I think the next level, man, before y'all, don't do no deal before we do an independent movie. Oh, that's next. I didn't told y'all. We're doing it. We got to do an independent movie. Y'all got to do a one independent movie on your own.

Oh, yeah. And it's coming on. It's coming up. It's living right now. It's in production, bro. Yeah. And you're going to be in it. We're going to make you the old Shaulamain versus the new Shaleman.

We're going to get the makeup and put your old face on your new face and make you fight to get your new face. And make you fight to get your new face. face back. You fight to get your new face back. You got the fight to get your new face back. Yeah, be old face versus new face Shal. Who he got to fight? Himself.

No, what about the nigger that was dying still weighing on him? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Now, he already won't. We already won't have to find them niggas. He's already going to find two niggas. He's like, all you go ahead is cannot get a drop. That nigga going to turn around.

You still want to drop. The last thing y'all got to do is one independent movie, man. We're doing it about you talking to you about this for years. It's one indie movie. Well, I would be happy to inform you that we are one-fourth done with the independent movie. Okay. The script is being written out right now. I think we got a classic on our hands.

Very funny. Very hilarious. I got whatever on the investor. Whatever? Say less. I got a budget, but it's what it is. Yeah, I'll switch it up now. Whatever budget.

You know what I'm going to add the car crash. Yeah, exactly. Man, I told him we're going to get his old skin back. That's what he got the budget. We're going to get his old face back and make him put that old. and you're going to be like Zordawn off the Power Rangers. You're going to be like who we got to talk to to get our missions for whatever we're doing

in the movie. No, I'm investing that with you. Probably you got it, bro. Your family is very successful these days. No, man, proud of you though, Slim, man. I remember when you didn't have all that too. You know, you were still in a better position than we was, and you still used the position you was in to help us. So, man, it's always salute to

Charlemagne. You changed, though. He changed for the better of good. I mean, I mean, of course evolved, but it's like change for the better because you want to be better. Of course you still do you and you get on people nerd But I don't think people look at it's like Oh man

This motherfucker just get up on our skin Bro you really like You don't have no idea What you really do They really think They really think you just Oh man They don't know how fucking deep

You are in these streets And you do a great job Of keeping them off your trip And I think You should use their same discretion With us When you keep talking about money and shit Yeah

I hate that nigga This nigga man You know Damn what you're doing All right You all right You all right You're doing big things, my father.

I'm looking at your studies. You're looking at the diamonds, man. Life shouldn't you good, huh? Fuck you, you're not. Y'all boys don't even like money anymore. You don't want to get food on the y'all. You've been giving us opportunities for a year. You're like, I got the money, nigga.

You got the money. You got the money. No, you got the paper because we was at shop house and they brought the bill. I was like, man, call Shalam. Everybody got their own show in the same building. You're doing how good y'all, nigg. Y'all doing great over here, man. We're doing all.

See what I'm saying? No, that it is. There's there. You can be doing the a-I. But we got, I know you niggas I know you niggas I know you niggins is getting money, baby.

We're, baby, with the cavi-all, maybe with the champagne. So what about two TV shows and producing? Are you big on that? Yeah, hell yeah.

He didn't bet on it. Uncommon sense. Is the, is the comedy, is it done? Oh, now, they canceled. They canceled it. They canceled it.

Writer's Craig and all that other shit. They can cancel uncommon sense? Or you can pick it back up and do what you want to do. The common sense was that MTV2 ended as a

networks. They weren't doing no more on the true program. Yeah, the last one I had,

the God's honest truth the hell of the week. Right as right. We talked about this on the

phone before, but what's your thoughts on ownership and equity splits and how they, how they should go as you invest

and you partner. I think strategic partnerships are the way to scale. I think that, you know, companies like y'all are doing it

exactly right. Like you know when to go do strategic partnerships and you know when to keep things 100% and they're all

on. You know, I think that these people out here that's just screaming 100% ownership of everything. That's just ridiculous and short-sighted. There's nobody, there's no company that does that.

There's no corporation in the world that does that. Everybody partners with somebody in order to get the scale. Yeah, you know. So partnership, when I'm going to break it down, though when you say partnership, that don't mean you buy equity into the company. Now you are part owner of the company. You partner with the company.

Like John catches and something. 100%. But see, like y'all, right, y'all own 100% of things. If y'all partnered with somebody and gave them 10% if they're bringing an infrastructure, that's a multi-million dollar infrastructure or a billion-dollar infrastructure

and they can take 85 south from them. We can partner with them, but you'll never get 10% of what we already started because now we technically, because on the contractual side, we have to bring you in in order for a degree. And if you say no, we cannot go through it. No, no, no.

If y'all, y'all got the power and the creative control and y'all still call the shots, And I'm just over here as an equity investor. Right. No. What if this infrastructure can take y'all from a $10 million company to a $200 million? Now you get a bull.

These are hypothetical. Hypothetical. You can partner with it. But that's what I'm saying. Now you're not going to bustling up $200, $300 million as opposed to $20. I'm just trying to bust up whatever the fuck they gave you over there, that network for canceling that show, nigga. God dang. I'm going to show you because you my man.

I'm going to show you. I'm going to show you. Why you ain't showing me? I'm going to show you. I'm going to show you. He said, I'm going to show you. I'm going to show you. No, no, no.

You see, I didn't do. I just wait for y'all to pick that up. I'm going to show you what you ain't get. Information is important. That's why I wanted to have y'all on. Oh, yeah. I just have y'all talk about the business of 85 because I hear so many people talk about what y'all are doing. Right.

But I've never heard y'all, you know, break it down publicly. I talk to y'all is in the business. We talk being in the business, but we don't like to talk. I get it. I get it. I feel like we got to say some people that we, well, I want to do some business with Def Jam and Monster, and I want to get with Johnson and Johnson

and come out with my own Cocoa Butter. That can happen. I'm all right in the book. And the fashion people, man. I'm telling you, man, them and them motherfuckers, I'm telling you to this fashion industry. Stop playing with me, man. You want to do a book, Chigo?

Yeah, I'm going to write a book. The book. The book and write. You know, I got a book in print? You got a book in print. You got a book in print? I can publish it with Shiamberlay. and shooster.

Shyam in the shoes. You got a shotman and shoes. I need to holl at you, too. I put calls on email with them. You ain't even replied back. I'm on my fourth page. I got it. I still.

I'm on my fourth page. Of your book. Mm-hmm. You should do a children's book. She didn't take time. Why I'm doing? I'm trying to get deep and you're going to send me scraping to the kids. No.

I said, I'm on my fourth page. You need to do a children book. And here we go. D.C. Flow. Hey, A means you're ugly little boy. Hey, B.

That's a hit. Hey, me you're ugly A little boy It can be about self-confidence A little boy Okay now be Means you are a palm man Little boy

Okay now see Me Yeah that actually is a good idea Now I think about it Come on man That's great Hold on so hold on One of these shows

Is bringing up What is it called a teenage crackhead Yeah I think that's just on your TV Me No and I ain't brunt Doing a show called crack babies Or something like that She's doing a cartoon called

Teenage Crackhead some shit. Teenage like, teenage mutiny like that shit. I'm like, we would have came out with a teenage crankhead. We would have been talking about it.

Yeah, you guys are too close to the crack for us to accept it. Man, yeah, all the way. It's the 85 South show, y'all. Make sure y'all go download the channel 85. Please. Subscribe to all 85 South show content. Make sure y'all watch the Netflix.

Let's know legends on Netflix. Make sure y'all subscribe to the 85 South Show podcast on the Black Effect Podcast Network, man. y'all brothers just keep growing man thank you thank you appreciate you for everything bro we got some new threads i got on some new fabrics right now some new merchandise we drop in jim shorts we dropping uh baby clothes we dropping toddler clothes we got yeah we got a dope-ass onesie we got candles yeah we got we got a we got a wunsie for the baby my boy with the snaps in the middle damn we're not playing of people y'all want to do business with whoever has a licensing for negro league

baseball i want to get in touch with them facts you can get in touch with the good folks over there Mitchell and Ness, they can... That's who it is. Whoever has a license to make this stuff, our company should be making this stuff. Oh, I got you. A black company should be making Negro League baseball license.

Mitchell and Ness make my own black effect hat. For real? Absolutely. We can produce and man. I love them. They gave me so much shit for my birthday. All the way. That's love.

Trent, I'm gonna connect you with the 85 South show, man. And you know, who else is you talk to... You know, I'm talking too much. We'll talk off, man. We'll talk about. We're going to get that shit to get. That's 85 South show. Appreciate you.

My dog. Peace.