The Brilliant Idiots - Sibling Rivalry Podcast: Episode 05

Episode Date: October 16, 2019

This week Angela Rye and Lenard McKelvey discuss Tyler Perry's success, doing hard work, Trump impeachment inquiry, whats gonion in Hong Kong, democratic debates preview, and much more!!!! Subscribe to Sibling Rivalry on iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sibl…st/id1466787788 Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/siblingrivalry-podcast/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yep, Shalameen to God here. Spell wrong, spell wrong. Leonard McKelvie. There you go, that's better. Tell them who you are, crazy. So first of all, we said a long time ago we were going to stop calling each other crazy. Who said to that?

Are you kidding? I did? Yes. Oh. Anyway, it's Angela Rye here. Listen, we're sitting here discussing what we're going to discuss for this latest episode of sibling rivalry,

the podcast that comes out every four months. No, it does. It's about every four months. It is not. Every two at least. No. When the last time we did one? We were supposed to do one the last time I was here.

You weren't here. You were in L.A. You were in L.A. when I was here. Okay. I'm trying to be at least every two weeks. Yes. But it's always good though because that means that we, it's so funny, we haven't talked, we haven't done one in a couple months, but yet we don't know what to talk about.

Because we talk so much. So the whole idea of this podcast is to let you all into our regular sibling conversations. And we talk about a lot of stuff. We talk about culture. We talk about odd albums. We talk about politics. We talk about Donald Trump's fascism. Yes.

We talk about mental health and therapy. Yes. We talk about family and parenting stuff now. Absolutely. What else? We talk about all this stuff. That pretty much covers it. No, it's not covered.

That pretty much covers it. I don't know if it's covered. We can start with Tyler Perry because we were both at the grand opening of Tyler Perry's new studio in Atlanta, which I think is so dope. There's a lot of lessons that we learned. The fact that this is the grand opening. and he's had it over for a few years now is dope. I think we live in this era where everybody likes to announce shit.

Before it's even done. It's the dumbest thing in the world. People can have a meeting at NBC or meeting at BT and walk in and take a picture in front of the sign. Yeah. Working. Yeah. Like, no. Hustle hard.

Hustle hard. Yeah. Like, you just got there. Like, I think that we make too many announcements nowadays and it's not enough work. So it's good to see somebody. Man, that's a word. You need to repeat that for the people in the back of the sanctuary. I might have read that.

on a church sign somewhere, so I don't want to... You might just be like attributed to where, to whomever I, whoever wrote it. But it's true. I just like the fact that Talapari's been doing the work and he got it to where he wanted it to be and now he decided to say, you know what? I'm going to do my grand opening now. I really want to know how much he sleeps. That's one question I wish I would have asked him on the Essence Fest stage.

A lot. He can't sleep. Yes, he does. He looks too well rested. No, he does look well rested. I think that might be the anointing because he can't sleep. Like I texted him today, I feel bad because I text him today to finally tell him thank you and how much of a difference it made. Like, we know we were still talking about it this past weekend.

Like just the text like this time last week, we were, you know, having a great time and being inspired by him. But I just wanted to tell him thank you and let him know how much of an impact that's had on my thinking. And that's what he wanted. Yeah, that's what he said. He was like, then it was worth it. Yeah. And to me, I'm just like, man, I just, if I could have that kind of impact on people, that I know that my living was not in vain to borrow a Clark sister's thing since they

also prefer. Well, you are having that kind of impact on people. I don't know. But you know who is? You. Like, you were just, so I have to tell y'all this. Let me see. Can I scroll up to this text message?

Yesterday, Leonard sent me a text that said, why are people being so nice to me all of a sudden? No, it's the truth. No, I know. But I want to say this because, again, like, this is supposed to be you guys are in our conversations. And it was a screenshot of a message you got yesterday with someone saying, I'm trying to find this, but someone's saying my messages are taking forever to load. But basically, my home girl, my home girl, Tiffany, actually, here goes. Here goes. Okay, shout out to Tiffany for putting him on. But it said, history will be kind to Charlemagne the God. He's showing us how black

male transformation should look like in real time. I'm excited for the kids looking up to him, reading the books and doing the knowledge, doing the knowledge on the. jewels he drops. I don't think he meant to say doing the knowledge. That's exactly what he meant doing the knowledge. Do the knowledge. Oh, that's the thing? Yes.

Oh, I don't know. That's old school. That's our era. Do the knowledge. I miss that. I must have been real saved by then because I do the knowledge. Can you back up off the mic? Jesus, this is not a rap concert.

No, I appreciated that. The reason I appreciated that because one reason I don't go on social media because social media is so toxic. And I feel like we're all in these verbally abusive relationships with all smartphone. So you open up your phone and it's always a bunch of motherfacling you. Yes. Telling you that you. you ain't shit and you know,

fuck you and I don't have time for that. You know what I mean? So it's just like when you do see the stuff like that cut through, I'm just trying to be more focused on the positive than the bullshit. Well, I have one more because this don't get used to this, but I have one more kudos for you. So this weekend,

I sent you a screenshot of something where this man said that you introduced him to a bunch of people. Andrew, Kazim, Akash, Deezis, Kid Mero, that would be Deesis and Mero, Me, Tachstone, Mous Jones, Van Lathan, Kid Fury, and Cristles. And he said, that's dope influence. And so to the point, I know that you all might be thinking, what in the world does this have to do with Tyler Perry? There are so many actors and actresses who got their start with him.

Yeah, using the platform. And that's what you've done. Like, your platform, you didn't wait until you were a billionaire or, well, you might be millionaire-ish. Don't run up on him, no. But like, you're doing all right. You're doing all right. But the thing is, like, he didn't wait until you arrived to put other people on. And I think that that says a lot.

And I like this text. And I responded to him, or not text, to this tweet. I responded to him and said, and that's just the beginning. Because there are a lot of other people that he might not have been put on to, but you put other people on to. Every time a door opens for you, you're always trying to figure out a way to bring someone else along. And even though you'd say some real ignorant stuff. sometimes. That is one of the reasons why we really get along. I believe in a good balance of righteousness and righteousness.

Well, okay, say both of those words again. I don't know why that she came out like that. I believe in righteousness and rudder-d-rish. I believe in righteousness, you know what I mean? But it's just a balance. And what word did we hear? We heard somebody just gave that word. The fist of ratchet?

No, no, not that word. The word about, uh, wasn't it a bishop T. TD Jax, that Tallus thing? What is it? I don't, you have to finish the talk. He was talking about the arc. Yes. And he was talking about leaving the door open

So that it's a bridge or a platform. Boom, there you go. The platform first people to walk across. There you go. And that was when the animals went two by two and that's exactly right. So I see you this because normally we do have a lot of crazy banter or we're trying to encourage each other

and trying to talk each other off a ledge or some of the nonsense we think we should be in the middle of trying to solve. But I just was like, you know, brother, I want to share this with you. This was so nice. I shared it with you. And somebody told me they was like,

yo, that's because he said, that's what happens when you plant seeds. When you plant, when you plant, the other door. You did? Why can't we talk today? Did you hear me just say? Hold on. You really told me that? Yes, I literally was like, you said, hold on, okay, in response to the text message,

sorry y'all, it's our memories. You said, why people being so nice to me all of a sudden? And I said, brother, you've always had a fan base. And also, you know when you sow a seed, it takes a minute for it to take root and then bloom, right? Also, just received the love and great. attitude because you being so damn skeptical. I mean, listen, that's part of having anxiety, right? When you think somebody's being nice to you, that's exactly.

They patting you on the back because they're about to stab you. Yeah. Which can happen to? Listen, I just know how fickle these people are. So it's like, that's why when I do the work, I do the work for me. Yeah. I do the work because I am truly seeking healing. I go to therapy for me.

You know what I mean? I don't go to therapy for nobody else. I subscribe to be a better person because I want to be a better person for me. because I know if I be a better present for me, then I'm a better present for everybody else. And plus, just as far as, like, you know, throwing a sis, that's always been the easiest thing for anybody to do. Like, people make it so difficult.

Like, I remember a long time ago somebody told me about the, you know, a closed fist can't receive anything. Yeah. It was like, I keep my hands open. Like, what is it to put somebody on the radio? Or put somebody on a podcast? Put somebody on your TV show. Like, that's the easiest thing in the world because those people are helping me.

Right. We're all helping each other. I think that's right. I don't understand why. it's so difficult for people to even grasp that concept? Because there are a lot of people that come from like a poverty mindset. And it's not, it doesn't mean that you grew up poor or that you are poor now. But it's the type of mindset, they talk about like a fixed mindset versus a growth mindset.

And a fixed mindset says there are only so many resources. And if there are only so many resources, if I share this with you, that means I have less. But it's the opposite, you know. And so, yeah, I just. I think that part of it is like a paradigm shift and to bring this full circle back to what happened with Tyler Perry, he opened the doors for people to see the fullness of his vision

and allowed people in when there was, you know, what people called Chitlin Circuit plays. Yeah. Allow people in when he was making his first movie and was always putting people on. Did you know the choir that walked up during the brunch right before the Sunday service at his studio?

Mm-hmm. The members of the first. choir are people who have been in the plays and some of his movies and singing in like as extras or singing in the choir. Wow. So I mean, it's just like, and people wanted to do that and be there for him. I love. It's incredible.

The interview he did with Gail King. And he said he's not accepted in Hollywood. And he was like, I make movies for black people. Yeah. And he was like, it was never for y'all. It was never for y'all. He was like, y'all don't speak all language. And that was so dope to me because I'm like, that is everything they tell you not to do in this

business. That's right. They tell you to be broad. Yeah. Be mainstreaming. You got to appeal to everybody. But what they really mean is you got to appeal to white people. Like Tala Perry never did that.

And I know people give him flack. Never for the critics. Never for the war. Never. Yeah. And he was like, oh, but he put on a dress. Here's the thing. He's acting.

Who gives a fuck? And nobody made him wear a dress. He was owning his own shit. He did that because he was playing a character. And he plays that character extremely well. I love Medea. Who did you? Man, listen, we, growing up in Mons Corner, like, the first time I ever read about Tyler Perry was in the Source magazine.

And I had, yes. In the Source. In the Source magazine. And I had knew his plays because my mother-in-law used to watch a lot of his plays. And me and my wife used to watch him all the time at her house. And this was before he was even married. And I read in the source that he had made $35 million off his stage plays. And I was like, holy shit.

My mother-vuck I made $35 million off his stage plays. And it was because they were talking about that because he was about to come out with his first movie. Diary of a Mad Black Woman. Yes, which I saw the play. And I remember all of us went to go see Diary of a Mad Black woman. Why has your phone ringing so much? Is Russia calling you now? Russia started calling me.

I'm not playing. What do you mean? Russia started calling me. Like, you know how to show you the number, but in the countries underneath it then it says Russia. Oh, your phone tap. Shut up. Your phone definitely tap.

Russia ain't never called me. The only people calling me is family members and shit. If my phone is tapped, they're about to start calling you because I'd be talking me. You know what it is now? It's holiday season? So being that is holiday season, people, People calling to ask for money early. I'm serious.

Are you kidding? I'm telling you, they call in the ass for money early because they know it's going to look too suspicious. Like if they start doing it after Thanksgiving, so they're doing it now. Like, if I show... Are they asking for money or they just call and check on how you doing first?

That's the bullshit. Okay? The bullshit. The bullshit is... The bullshit is, um... Is you not remembering what you're going to say? No, because I got to text Jess back something. Mm-hmm.

Hold on. Hi, Jess. Um, okay, you can't just stop in the middle of the podcast. I thought he was going to play the silent game. No, that was before you participated with that. The bullshit is, if you see some of the things that I'm getting. Give me one example. I'm going to show you.

No, I want you to read it out loud. I don't know if I want to put this person on. Don't tell me. You don't know who this is because I don't know if she, I don't know if the person is lying to me or not, but this is the type of shit I'm getting. Look. Oh, no, that's sad. All right.

Okay. Hold on. I was just recently. taking off life support? Hey, oh. Right. Wait a minute. That's not funny.

I ain't saying it's funny. I'm just saying like, come on, man. How do you know this person? How are you texting through all of this? Who took the picture of you in the hospital bed? Oh, you think that you are really nuts. Who took the picture of you in the hospital bed?

Somebody who thought they wasn't going to make it. Come on, man. On life support? Yes. That's the time when people think you're not going to make it. Hold on. Look at this one. All right. This one says, hold on, hold on.

This dude. All right. You need to block somebody. Sorry to bother you. Sorry to bother you is always a really bad start. But I might have bleeding on the brain. I have to go back in the hospital to see neurologists. That is so sad.

This is some very super duper long text messages for you to have bleeding on the brain. Oh my God. Just because you have bleeding on the brain. I mean, you can't function anymore. And you just got all life. I'm just saying. Is that the same person? Yes.

That has bleeding on the brain in life support? Well, that's believable. Maybe they were on life support because they had bleeding on the brain. Maybe they did drain some of the blood. We need a medical professional to tell us how. This is how they hit you, though. Do you know this person well? Yes, I do.

One day they'll hit you and they'll be like life support. Next day is bleeding on the brain, right? So they're building up the sympathy, the sympathy, sympathy, sympathy. Next day ain't going to be rolls from the dead? No, next day is, can I have $600? Okay, well, let me ask you this. Yes. If something were to happen to this person, you know well.

Would you be sad? I'm always sad when something happens to people that I know. Well, here's what I say. I think that you have to try the spirit by the spirit, which I think is just another way of saying you have to be discerning, right? Like everything can't be, you know, you don't have endless resources, and people might think because you have more than them, that it's available to them and that we know is not the can.

When I told this person, I said, no, I cannot help you right now because I'm a little scratched. And the only reason I say I'm scratched is because I got things that I'm specifically doing this week. Like I'm doing something with South Carolina State University this weekend. I'll be at their homecoming this weekend. You're going to talk about what that is? Because that's exciting. No, because it's an announcement they're going to do. They're doing it this weekend at the homecoming.

No, no, they're doing it after we're going to do it at the homecoming game this weekend. Well, he's got a big announcement at South Carolina State University. Yeah. And I said that to her on top of just other things like this life. You have responsibility. Absolutely. I got three kids. Yeah.

You think she cared? Well, I don't know. She said, she actually hit me back and said, well, it's just such and such and such is just this amount of money. It's like you're not even listening to me. So if you're not listening to me, why should I listen to you? Well, I think that you should listen to somebody because it's the right thing to do regardless of how they respond. You're only responsible for how you engage.

Yes. But it is really hard. Like I understand well, like feeling like the kindness is taken for weakness. And I feel like sometimes even with family, right, like you give money and they think it's an open invitation to an endless amount of your resources. And it's super frustrating. Yes. And it's like I don't know what the proper thing to do is I don't think it's to tell somebody no because I've been in situations. I would know.

Well, I'm saying, like, just because, like, just, you know, just for the hell of it. Like, I really think you have to, like, feel into doing what's the right thing. Oh, absolutely. I'm a, listen, I'm a giver. But at certain times, I'm like, no. Because I feel like, sometimes we get in the way of the lesson God is trying to teach somebody. I agree with that. But, like, and then it's like, who are we to decide what that lesson is, though?

And it's just like, I don't know. I really, I'm maybe the wrong person to ask here. Because I feel like, not that you even ask me, but the thing. that I wrestle with is like when is it my responsibility to teach you how to fish instead of just giving you to fish? Boom. I don't know when it is, but I'm just saying I

feel like that sometimes. I feel like if I keep coming to your rescue, you're never going to grow. I'm going to read you something. This is my dude, Top Dog. What is in this thing? I have wax stuff on my hand now. Top Dog is the CEO of Top Dog Entertainment. I know who Top Dog is.

And he posted this yesterday on Instagram and I thought it was so dope. Summit this weekend too. How are you not doing Revolt Summit? I'm booked that whole weekend. I think he put hiring. Does that mean you're missing my birthday? I don't know yet.

Hold on. He put hiring with all the phone numbers. FedEx, Home Depot, UPS, Verizon, Staples, Starbucks, McDonald's, Burger King, Popeyes, and with the phone numbers and everything. Send me that. And he put, get off your ass and go get a job, nigger. All of these companies are hiring.

Go make some shit happen for yourself. And stop looking for hand. I dedicate this posting my last phone call. Nigger, you know who you are. And if you call begging again, I'm posting your picking phone number. Man, you can't ever do enough for those who don't appreciate the things you do for them. Niggas feel like you owe them for working your ass off. I took too many penitentiary chances to give my shit away that easy.

Those who know me, know I'm always helping people. But these repeated offenders got me hot. I will start posting niggas. I'm done. Hashtag hard work. I agree with him. I agree with him too. But can we talk about how he said.

he took too many penitentiary what? Chances. He's right. Listen, I appreciate my money. The reason I'm so frugal is because I remember being super broke. I remember when everybody around me was hustling and making their money and I tried to hustle and I was making a little bit of money, but I realized quickly that this ain't no future in this shit

and all these motherfuckers are going to end up in jail or dead. So I'm going to go to other path. So I remember those times when we had to struggle. I remember collecting unemployment checks, you know, because I have been fired four times from motherfucking radio. and Jess had to work and she had to, you know, keep the lights on where she had to go down to the courthouse

because we was about to get evicted. I remember that type of stuff. So I'm very frugal, very. And I don't just feel like, you know, I help those who help themselves. If I see hustlers and I'm like, yo, that person right there, that motherfucker is a hustler. I just want to be the adult that I needed as a child.

Because remember I can think of plenty of times where like I had a good idea for something when I was younger just didn't have the resources. And one of my homeboys who was a D boy, he would always look me out. If I went to throw a party, boom, boom. And that's why to this day, anything he need for me, I will help him with. Because I remember that. He was that guy for me.

So I try to be that person for all the other little hustlers I see around me. If they're working, though. Yeah. If they're working, I'll look you out all day long. I'll try to make, I will do everything I can to try to make your life as easy as possible. You've got to be the adult you needed as a child. Well, speaking of adults needed as children. children.

The Bidens. Yes. My man, Hanna. Hunter still sniffed coke? I don't know. I don't have any knowledge. I saw a whole article where he talked about his cocaine. I don't know whether I don't have not been in the room with Hunter.

I have no idea. I trust him if he sniffs coat. Okay. Well, that is your testimony, sir. Here's the thing that I am fascinated by. Okay. And I'm bothered by it. Like, I find myself in this conundrum of do we weigh candidates and their families by the standard that we used to weigh everybody by in 2016?

Or is it the new Trump standard? Right? Because I feel like Donald Trump has set a new low, and it's one I don't enjoy being it. I feel like he has no character. He has no integrity. He is selfish and greedy, and they're benefiting from the presidency, hand over foot. financially and in other ways, perhaps with foreign influence, which is, you know, what this whole thing is about. And Hunter Biden, of course, has done this interview where he talks about he shouldn't have been on that board for the Ukrainian company.

And I agree, you know, from an optic standpoint, from an ethical standpoint, perhaps no family member of someone, this is actually my dad's idea, no family member of someone in the federal government should be on the board of a. foreign companies board or work with the foreign government. You got to be a close family member, though, right? I agree. If I'm a cousin that you don't fuck with just because I'm a Biden. Yeah, Cousin Pete. Yeah, Cousin Pee got to go make his money. No, sure, but it should be the same standard as like certain members of your family

can't work for you if you work, you know, on Capitol Hill. We know that's not the standard because Ivanka has a job and her husband has a job with Donald Trump. It's a total different standard for Capitol Hill. If you are the son, daughter, brother, sister, grandchild, now they've added any grandchild of a member of Congress, you cannot work there. Husband, wife, partner, right? You cannot work there. And so it's just interesting to see that that is not the same standard there.

See, here's the thing with Trump. I don't know if Trump should be the bar for anything. He shouldn't be. But. Except for, like, get barred out. But he should be behind bars. Yeah. I do like the fact that he's ripped up the playbook of politics, though.

I just don't know if the playbooks are politics. But at what cost? Exactly. I feel like it's more than politics he's ripped up the playbook for. I don't think the playbook of politics should be ripped up and rewritten to what he's doing. But I do like the fact that the language of politics has changed. You know, I like the fact that politicians, we should have never held politicians to a high standard of perfection. Like that should have never been the case.

Did we ever hold them to high standards of perfection? Yes. Who met that bar? To the point to where nobody, but to the point to where. to where if a guy got caught cheating or, you know, if a guy cursed at one point, if a guy smoked weed back in the day, who gives a fuck? Yeah. Like we're human.

Everybody in America has done all of those things. So why wouldn't we expect the president of the United States of America to have done those things? Well, I think that part of it is like you want your leader to be, like there's a biblical concept of being above reproach. You want your leaders to be above reproach, meaning you want them to stand before people blameless. Is that an impossible standard as human?

Yeah, probably. Yes. But you want them to have some decency about it. He has none. Smoking weed don't make you indecent though. No, of course not. But I'm just saying like there are other things that he's done because he claims he's never smoked weed and doesn't drink. He acts like he does both at the same damn time.

But like he's done other things that are far worse. Yes. That's why I say Trump can't be. Trump cannot be the standard. So, well, what do you think about Hunter Biden doing this on the day of a debate? I like it. I thought it was a great strategy. Okay, I want to know why you think it's a great strategy.

I can tell you why I think it was a terrible strategy. I thought it was a great strategy because if those questions about Ukraine come up in tonight's debate, which they may or may not, I don't know. But if they do, they would have been coming from the perspective of the Trump administration's narrative and everything that's been out there thus far. Now that Hunter goes up there and Hunter says what he says, now those questions will probably be reshaped to come from what Hunter said as opposed to what Trump said about Joe Biden. So now Joe will be up to asking questions that his son presented to people.

You know what I'm saying? As opposed to what Trump presented to people. So the narrative kind of shifted to me. So here's the only challenge. He said that it was wrong, right? And I think from an optic standpoint, yes, there's not a current ethics rule on the books that would have prevented that, like I said. But I think that his father going into a debate where he's, in some polls at least still the frontrunner, is harmful.

All Joe got to say is my son said it was wrong. My son said it was wrong and I think it's wrong. So now, now I'm not even denouncing my son. My son already denounced himself. Okay, but people are going to be like, well, if you think it's wrong and this happened while you were vice president or as you've had this title, how should we trust you with the highest office in the land

if you make that kind of fail? And I think that the reality of it is that is the issue with one set of standards for Democratic politicians and a whole different set of standards for Republican politicians because Donald Trump doesn't play by that same. Can Joe say he didn't know? He can't.

I don't think that you can do that. That's like the same thing as Bacari compared this earlier to Hillary Clinton's email server. It's just like, okay, maybe it wasn't wrong, wrong, but it was wrongish. It was wrong enough. Okay, yeah, okay, so that's the question. Is it illegal what he did? Is it a crime? No, but here's the thing.

When you're in this situation now where, Rudy Giuliani potentially may go to jail because of his business dealings with Ukraine, the way in which they use Ukrainian money to influence U.S. politics, that was going to be a Republican problem. So it also presents a problem on a bipartisan level, which perhaps could bring people together because now it looks like Ukraine was playing ball with both sides of the aisle trying to influence our process unduly in multiple ways. It could have just been a Republican narrative, but Joe Biden's son being involved means they were going, they were taking two routes.

Here's the thing. I agree with everything you're saying, but this is why I will not let Trump off the hook with that one. I'm not saying let him off the hook. Because what the Republicans say, they're going to compare Ukraine. Trump's Ukraine shit to Biden's Ukraine shit. But with Trump, you got to take in all the other eight or nine, 10, 12 impeachable offenses he had.

It's more than that. That's what I'm saying. This is just the latest in a long line of bullshit. But here's the problem with that. that would have worked if they would have started the impeachment inquiry when we were all saying they needed. They waited until Joe Biden was the frontrunner in this race for it to be like, oh, now we got to impeach him. It looks politically motivated to his supporters.

I understand that they were trying to wait for something for folks that are blue dog Democrats and coming from red districts for them to get on board. But the optics look bad there too. I think that's what Democrats are waiting on. I think they were waiting on optics. I think they were waiting on something that could play out. I think. I think that this is, I do.

I really believe that, like, you turning a blind eye to 3,000 conflicts of interest is a problem. You're not saying that any of that was impeachable and some of it far worse is a problem. Well, the problem is we all cater to the court of public opinion nowadays. So, sadly, if social media and the media is not up in arms about something. But then where is your courage, right? If you run for office, to me, if you run for office, like even the fact that there's an article that comes out, you know, celebrating these white women members of Congress saying that they're the heroes and the leaders of impeachment?

No, what about Congresswoman Maxine Waters? What about Congressman Al Green? Like, how are you just going to get that credit away? With optics, I didn't know there was white women in Congress anymore. I think of the squad. I think of Maxine Waters. I don't think it. Who's the white women?

I can't even remember their names, but they come from red districts. And so they got badges of honor and, you know, oh, they're so courageous because they went against what their districts want to finally do the right thing. But where have you been over these last shut up? 17, 18 months. How long has it been? Shit, it's been almost three years.

Well, having long. I mean, hell, I am in a... No, it's been over three years. Okay, since 2016. Since January 2017. Oh, yeah, next year it'd be three years. Yeah, yeah. Going into four.

Because the election is November. No, January 2017, which means it's almost three years. Because he got sworn in January 20 and 2017. I won't forget. I don't... I get what you're saying, but like... Anyway, here's my point. This is my last point on Ukraine.

The other problem it presents, Biden's son being privy to, you know, whatever's happening in Ukraine. And he might not have even been associated with the money that was coming into U.S. politics. I will give him that. You know, plausible deniability, the company he was working for, he didn't know, whatever, whatever. But now, the thing we've been saying forever since the 2018 election, that they stole the election from Andrew, Gillum in Florida. Now the Ukrainian company that Rudy Giuliani was affiliated with, the businessman from the Ukraine is standing right behind Ron DeSantis. Now break that down for me.

I'm about to. Ron DeSantis was Andrew Gillum's opponent. They paid money. They donated to his campaign. The dude is standing right behind Ron DeSantis the night of the election when Ron DeSantis was having, like, his interview where they were telling him, you know, congratulations for winning the race. The man is right there. And we've been talking about how they stole the election. We know that there were machines that were hacked into.

Now we know there were foreign dollars coming into the campaign. Jesus Christ. And that's what I'm saying. And so it's just like it was a squarely Republican problem. And now the optics are that it's just like, oh, now all politicians are corrupt, which is a narrative that we know is existed for far too long. But I mean, all politicians are corrupt for the most part. No, they're not. I mean, everything.

You just named something who aren't. You talked about the squad. You talked about MW. Like, there are people, there are tons of politicians who are not corrupt who truly are public service. I think when politicians get to that level of power, when you get to the level of the Biden's, when you get to the level of actually being in the White House and being part of administration,

I think it's very hard not to be corrupt. But the governors were above repose. You have to be as a black elected official. They were above reproach. What did they do that was corrupt? That tan suit was so fucking wrong. It was the same color of your jacket right now. Right now.

And that shit was horrible. That tan suit should have never happened. Are you saying that my tan? rain jacket trench coat thing is horrible? No, it's not. You know, I think about the Obama's often because I always say to myself, yo, Barack really must have been Jesus.

No, he wasn't Jesus. They thought he was the Antichrist and I got another thing. The only reason I say, I think he might have been Jesus because he really had to be perfect for them not to have nothing on him. Yeah. I'm talking about a life.

Well, he had to be a life of perfection. But isn't this crazy? Because now you have walked your ass right back to the point you were making before, which was you got to be, You can't hold them to that standard. Barack's the only one, though. But my point is like...

No, no, no. Barack really is the only one. Maybe he is. There's no other president that you can think of who didn't have some bullshit with them. Because he's black. Like, the point that I want white privilege...

But think about that. He's... According to this country, him being black, he definitely should have some bullshit with him throughout his life. Agreed. But we also know that because he was black,

he couldn't. Period. But just the fact he... Not that he couldn't. He didn't. No, I agree. Because think about that. They would have been digging back elementary school, middle school, high school.

Thank God he wrote about doing cocaine in college because they would have dug that up. Which to me, I've smoked cocaine in a blunt. In a blunt, yeah. I was with these dudes one night and they had it rolled up. Now that I know what it actually smells like, in hindsight, I was like, oh, shit, we smoked the weed that night. Because I've been around people who smoking weed and coke before. Yeah. So when I smelt it later, I was like, oh, shit, we smoked wools before.

Great high by the wood. We used to call it Woolers back in the day. Woolers? Woolers? Is that because you was like, woo-w-like, Lundraud? I don't know why we used to call it Woolo.

They call it Boonk in Florida, and Florida is called Boonk. But I definitely did it. Great high, by the way. If I was younger, I would do it again by accident. This is not a cocaine-promoting podcast. That's what we're not going to do,

actually. Speaking of Jesus in the name of Jesus, we're not doing that today. But, yes, I did. But I'm saying all that to say, that's regular American shit. That shouldn't disqualify you from being president. No, okay, but I'm just, my point is like, in his adult life, after he decided, like, after he became a Harvard Law Review editor, the first black one at Harvard, I think he was the first black one at Harvard.

Yes, he was. And then after he became an organizer in Chicago, he had to be flawless. Yeah. Like, flawless. And it's just like, like immaculous. I don't know if he knew from way back then that he wanted to be president, but he had to be flawless. And he still lost races. Like, he lost a congressional race to Bobby Rush, who is.

still the member of Congress or one of the members of Congress represented Chicago. It says a lot about President Barack Obama that he is a black man in America who's considered a leader who is the first black president who they have nothing on. Because they don't let none of your leaders walk away clean. None of your black leaders. No. All your black leaders got some dirt on them. They got some bullshit with them.

Every black leader, they attach something to them. Whether there's Martin Luther King Jr. being an adulterer. Whether it's, you know, Malcolm X, they couldn't really use his pass against him because he owned a lot of but then later on in life they tried to say he was gay. Little stuff like that. Yeah. They'd have nothing on Barack. Yeah.

Nothing. Well, maybe, I don't know. He's the only one, by the way. Yeah, I mean, to your point, I can't think. You know who else I can think of? Desmond Tutu, but he's not from here. You know who Desmond Tutu is? I do know Desmond Tut.

I don't know much about Desmondo. Nelson Mandela? I mean, Nelson was in jail for 27 years. I know, but that's not because he did anything wrong. I know, it's not because he did anything wrong, but that's what they will say. Like if you don't know why Nelson Mandela went to jail It's easy for somebody just to be like

He was in prison for 27 years Like what? You wouldn't even ask no questions Like he was in prison because I mean we would but the average kid The average kid wouldn't ask no questions about why Nelson Mandela In 27 jail? You gotta get these kids more credit than men And by the way people would just assume

Oh he was in jail 27 years he did something wrong No they would not who I think a lot of people are stupid No well maybe but a lot of the people who interface With our criminal justice system Know that in South Africa back then That had to be jacked If Donald Trump still on stage right now, it was like,

they celebrated an ex-felon like Nelson Mandela, convict who's in jail for 27 years. You know who should have been an ex-felon? It's Christopher Columbus. That's who should have been an ex-felon. Oh, absolutely. Anyway, I don't know what just happened. We went way.

We was talking about the Hunter-Bind thing, and you said, should we hold people to the standard? No, you said that. You said everybody got to be perfect. No. I said that. I don't think everybody has to be perfect. No, I agree.

You just can't be Trump. Like perfection. Like, I can stand Bill Clinton getting some head in the Oval Office. I can't. You know what I'm saying? And I can even stand him lying about it. I can understand that. He's married.

He had to lie about it. But he shouldn't have did it. He shouldn't have did it. But sometimes you make mistakes. The flesh is weak. You know what I'm saying? He needs some stronger flesh. Do not do that with the interns, please.

Never. I'm a different. I'm not talking about you. This is a public service announcement. Did I tell you about how Tyler Perry? All old nasty-ass man, leave the interns alone. Did I tell you about how Tyler Perry's event, Bill Clinton, shook my wife's hand? And I say, yo, you're shaking her hand a little too long.

And he rubbed his chin and he goes, you know, Charlemagne, you should want me to talk to her for an hour. Because at this point in my life, I'm old and harmless. Let me tell you. I don't know if I believe that. Ask Bakari, you were standing right there. you. I don't know if I believe that he's old in harmless. They got that blue choo. That blue choo. You know what that blue choo?

No. Them old men take that blue choo. It's on and poppy. That's what you call it. That's what it's called. It's called Bluetooth. That's an actual brand. No, it's not. Yes. I thought it's called Viagra. I mean, they have Viagra, but Blu Chu is another brand that old men take in A. I don't know what is happening. You guys, I'm sorry for this.

We're talking about Bill Clinton. I'm just telling you. No, we're all over them. No, we're not. This is all in the context of Ukraine. Ukraine and what the standards should be. Okay. So speaking of standards and what they should be. Oh, I got a better question.

Not a better question. You don't even know what the question is yet. Picking off the hundred Biden shit. I was not piggybacking off the hundred Biden shit. I was not piggybacking. I was trying to change the subject. Go. Should the presidents be held liable for what their kids do? When they're grown?

Just in general at all. I don't think so. I really don't think so. I think that that's another piece of this to me. Like, I think that Joe Biden has enough of his own stuff, right? And I think that the reality of it is

is Bo Biden was the one who folks expected to fulfill the legacy of his dad. And you didn't hear that much about Hunter, you know, and I'm not calling him a black sheet. How does everything negative got to be black by the way? I can talk about that all time. But, but let's face it.

Like, he's had a more challenging, and lived a fuller, you know, a life that has more reasons to, you know, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to, to cocaine is a hell of a drug. Yeah. And, I mean, among other things, right? I mean, Bo's widow, right? Like, there are so many other. Oh, yeah, he was with Bull's widow.

Yeah. So I just think there are so many other issues here. And I don't know that people, that parents should be held accountable for their kids. Like, I don't want my parents to be held accountable for what I do wrong. I think they should be celebrated if I do something right. But if I make a mistake or do something that is not to their liking, I don't think they should be a kind of way. That's such a weird thing, though, because kids shouldn't be held to, you know,

I mean, parents shouldn't be held to the bullshit of their kids. But most of the time, parents' bullshit is the reason kids are the way that they are. Maybe. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes, but sometimes, you know, as you, I think especially as you get older and mature, there are things that happen that are not because of your parents, even when your parents hold themselves responsible. Like there are kids who went to spend the night at somebody's house and got molested and their parents feel guilt for the rest of their lives because of that.

That's not the parent's fault in a lot of instances. I'm not talking about people. That's not the parents' fault. I mean, you should vet who your kids are staying with, but that's not your parents' fault because you really never know people. You don't. You really don't. And that's the thing. So anyway, I can't remember what my transition was going to.

Oh, speaking of, I don't remember what my transition was. No, not cocaine. but speaking of standing in solidarity with people who are trying to fight for their freedom because I'd lost my transition go right into this. Hong Kong. So LeBron said some things.

What do you think about what LeBron said? It started with the general manager of Houston Rockets, if I'm not mistaken. He tweeted out something of... He was standing in solidarity with Hong Kong. And you know, the NBA makes billions of dollars in China. And so I think Adam Silver, the commissioner, backed up.

He basically just said, you know, our people have the right to say whatever they want to say, yada, yada, yada. But then when China pulled that money and started threatening to pull that money, Adam Silver changed his tune. Yeah. And now all of a sudden, everybody in the NBA is so dumb. All the woke warriors in the NBA from Steve Kerr's, like, he don't really know what is going on. He tried to ask James Hardin and Russell Westbrook about it, and the publicist jumped in and like, no, no, no, let's move on to something else. LeBron, I don't even know what he said, but it wasn't as direct as he normally is.

As he normally is. As he normally is. He said that he thought that the GM was misinformed by his tweet and that he also said that, you know, people have free speech, but there are also consequences to that free speech. We know that already. But I think that that's not really fair. And I thought there was such a compelling tweet up that said LeBron basically told the GM of the Houston Rockets to shut up and dribble. I was like, wow. And so the question just becomes, when we start kowtowing to the dollar, where are our morals really?

And I just, I would challenge him with that, like as powerful as his voice has been on issues surrounding social justice and Black Lives Matter and, you know, police brutality after police shooting after, you know, the issues that we experience in our community, where do we draw the line? And I know that we're not, we're not in Hong Kong. and some people may not be well-versed on foreign policy or don't understand the separation between Hong Kong and China. I get that. I have no idea. But what you need to know is that there are people who feel oppressed. And in a moment where people could benefit from the power of your voice

and you're not going to use it to their benefit, just shut up. I'm not telling you shut up and dribble, but I'm saying don't step out there and say something that undermines the fight for equality and freedom anywhere. You know what did Gregory once say? What did he say? He said, stay out them white folks' business. Hong Kong? Stay out them Asian folks' business.

I don't know what the hell going on over there. I don't know who's in the right. I don't know who's in the wrong. So I can't speak on it. Well, read. Like, just read about it. If these folks feel like... Where the Black Lives Matter?

I know they don't got the Internet over there, but where the Black Lives Matter tweets coming from over there? But I'm sure there are some. And I think the question becomes, do we only stand... I'll fight for Asian Americans. I don't know anything about what's going on over there. Okay, well, what I'm telling you is this. people not knowing what's going on doesn't mean that it's not going on.

And so to that point, if you don't know, say, I don't know, but I'm never for the oppression of anybody. You can say that? I think we're missing the point here. What's the point? The point is the NBA makes so much money in China and they don't want to piss China off. China could be the oppressors for all we know. China is the oppressor.

That's the whole thing. Okay. So being that China's the oppressors, they don't want to upset their oppressor. I understand that. That's where they're making all their money with the oppressor. Here's the problem. When you can't draw the line for that oppressor, you won't draw the line when it comes to terrorism in areas in the Middle East. It will come time for you not drawing the line when there's an oppressor here who now all of a sudden feels emboldened by Donald Trump and hate crimes are on the rise.

You will constantly let oppression win. It's easy to, it's easy to be against Donald Trump. No, no, but I'm talking about, I'm not talking about the sexy cool thing to do. I'm not talking about the Trump of them. I'm talking about the owner of the Miami Dolphins. I'm talking about the other businessmen who might be doing big funders. Easy to stand up against them. Not really.

You know why? It's easy to stand up against them? Right. Because LeBron's not in business with them. None of these people in the NBA are in business with them. Oh, you're talking about them. I thought you were saying for us. LeBron does not want to offend China because LeBron wants to make money in China later.

I understand that. All of these people in the NBA do not want to offend China because they want to make money in China later. But I think that my question is one of just righteousness. Like what's the right thing to do? I understand the rationale. That doesn't make it right. And I'm just saying at some point, we have to ask ourselves, when is it, when is something worthy of us standing up? Like, every dollar, every check sent over to us, every offer we get is not worth it.

Like, you should want to be able to sleep at night. If people are dying in the streets for protesting for their freedom, then in solidarity with what you know is right. But what if they don't know what's right? We keep trying to get these brothers to be righteous. By the way, this could be alt-righteousness. You know what I'm saying? What? This is alt righteousness.

And the reason this is... The reason this is... Alt righteousness. Maybe ultra righteousness. No, the reason this is alt-righteousness is because they're righteous about everything in the world, except when it comes to that dollar.

When it comes to that dollar and their pockets are being affected, now we're going to just, you know what, let's just pivot on this righteousness thing a little bit. Yeah. Yeah. And I understand that. And it's easy for me to like,

to criticize that because that's not my bread and butter. But I do think that there should be a serious conversation, especially with folks in our community, because we could also learn from China here. China threatened economic penalties and everybody changed their tune. If black people understood our economic power and no, it may not be worth China's economy, but it is certainly our collective economic strength is more valuable than a lot of economies throughout the world. If we stood together and made economic threats, now we see what happens when they

when they stand together. When a government says, when it's worth this amount, yo, you about to lose all of this, people change their tune. I think there's something for us to learn from this as a coach. I wish that all of these sports, these sports organizations didn't try to move as a collective, meaning like, if you're in the NFL,

the NFL has their stance on things, they have their policies on things, but all these people that play are individuals. So if people are taking different stands for different things, let them. Like, they find a guy from the Saints. like I think $7,500 or some shit like that the other day because he wore a t-shirt that says,

my God, or God is good. I don't know, something like that. And it was like, oh, you can't take religious stances, right? And I'm like, why not? Why can't he take religious stances? If you're in the NBA, the NBA has one set of rules, one set of values. You shouldn't penalize the whole NBA

because the Houston GM tweeted out something. Like, no, that's how he feels. By the way, Houston is big. And like, the Rockets, like Asians love the rules. Rockets. Why? Because Y'all Ming used to play for them. Yeah. So Asians love the Rockets. I don't know why he tweeted that about Hong Kong. I don't

know what, I don't even know what it really was. But that's what I, that's the whole point, right? Like if if someone is taking an unpopular stance to do the right thing. That's his stance as an individual. It shouldn't reflect on the whole NBA. No, but it also, I think there's also comes a time for us to question our

value systems and say, okay, maybe I don't know enough about this. But if somebody, in response to me, like the dude from the Celtics, Enos Cantor. He responded to LeBron's press moment and is like passport revoked, family. He goes through this whole laundry list of stuff he experienced under the threat of a regime that isn't rooted in freedom in Turkey. He's not from Hong Kong, but he's just aligning.

He's saying, listen, I know what it's like when you're not truly free. and he posted about this. And so I'm just saying, like, I'm not of the opinion that it's like, oh, because Hong Kong didn't stand with us when we were saying such and such on Black Lives Matter as an official government that we reject the Hong Kong protester

as an individual who could have. Some of them did, right, stand with us on some of these things and throw them out like, oh, well, because that's impacting my almighty dollar, I can't get with their freedom. I agree with you. I can't do that.

This is Lenal McKelvey talking though. I think that we all should use our individual. privileges to combat prejudice, but who am I to sit around and, you know, try to help somebody else get free when I'm over here trying to help us get free. Because it's, and I don't know enough about what's going on over there. How do we start this podcast talking about, um, the limitations on belief systems and saying that if you keep your hand open, right, like there's an abundance of that. You trying to grasp for your freedom doesn't mean that.

I believe they should be free. Yeah. I definitely believe they should be free, but that's all I have is a belief. I don't know what, I don't have any. That's all you have to have as a belief. Oh, okay. I don't have any tangible action on what to do to help them. I'm not saying, I'm not even saying like sometimes it could just be like,

yo, you all should pay attention to what's going on in Hong Kong. There may be some lessons we can learn from the protesters in the ways that they engage that would be beneficial for us over the year. That I agree. That I agree with. But guess what? What? down to everything you're saying is absolutely correct and that's how it should be but in this case and point i know this shit don't got nothing to do with wholeness this shit don't got to do with

like look almighty you're fucking up the church is money yeah so being that you fucking up the church is money you got to fuck up yeah and by the way everybody in the NBA has gotten a memo no it's clear every single person it's like how interesting is it that the very thing they're fighting for you now don't have the very thing they're fighting for you now don't have the very thing they're fighting for, you now don't have. Freedom. Yeah. It's a form of freedom, right?

And that's the whole thing. It's like whenever we bow down to that thing that says, if you speak up for this or if you stand up in this way or if you protest in that way, there are consequences. So now you're bound and the very thing you are fighting for or saying that you believed in, you no longer have. Now, hold on. I agree with you. But I'll push back a little bit and say, they have.

they have freedom, but they know that it's consequences to that freedom. Which is not real freedom. It's not real freedom. So they're not willing to say, they're not willing to say what they really want to say because they don't want to deal with the consequences. To them, it's not worth it. And I think that's what it boils down to with everybody, right? LeBron is here in America.

Of course, LeBron's going to speak out against police brutality. Of course he's going to speak out for Black Lives Matter. Of course he's going to speak out for players that are being oppressed, you know, are being unjustly cut the way Kaepernick was. Why? Because he has a direct connection with those people. No disrespect to those people in Hong Kong. But those guys don't have a direct connection with them. They're about to lose it all for Hong Kong.

They don't know nothing about it. They don't know anybody over there. And I'm not saying that's right. I'm just saying that's just what it is. And so into that point, I think if there was a lesson from this that I hope we could get is that we figure our ways to lay that platform. down and create the types of bridges that ensure that we are all connected in ways where we can empathize with people who are oppressed, no matter if that oppression looks identical to ours or

it's just similar, because we can benefit a lot more from that. Like, we have to have that type of compassion where it's like, yeah, I'm going through something, but I see you over there, brother or sister, or human, and I want to be supportive of whatever your struggle is. I hope that we can get to that point. But I do get it. It's like there's a protest. fatigue. There is

oppression fatigue. There is PTSD based on our own experiences. There's another young lady who was just shot and killed by the Fort Worth Police right after the Baltimore John. A Tatiana No. Yeah. Tatiana Jefferson. Who was a Xavier University graduate. Just even that.

Like we're not even whole from what we thought was going to be a case where this woman is going to jail. The next day she has a bullshit sentence. And then the next day, the key witness in the case is shot in the mouth and they're like, oh, it was for a weed charge

or a weed case, somebody's trying to take away. By the way, all nonsense. That shit went away so fast. That shit went away so fast. So we are carrying the trauma of knowing. We say Black Lives Matter. They still don't matter. They're treated with no regard.

And then two seconds later, this sister is shot in her home. Fort Worth has to be very careful right now. And the reason Fort Worth has to be very careful right now is because Fort Worth, Texas is a ticking time bomb. And I'm happy that they arrested the guy. I can't remember his name right now. Aaron Dean. I'm glad that they arrested Aaron Dean.

But this can't be one. He got to resign though. He did get to resign. The police chief said he would have fired him if he didn't resign. It doesn't matter. The fact that his ass could go back to work and he wasn't in handcuffs that night. Yes. But this can't be one of those cases where it's blue privilege. This can't be one of those cases where the justice system is looking out for one of their own. they have to convict this guy and treat him the same way they would anybody else who randomly killed a woman for no reason. Because if they don't, if they thought what happened in 2016 when those police officers got shot and killed, I think it was like five police officers got shot and killed and like nine were injured because the brother was like,

he was just fed up. The brother was like, I'm tired of seeing this is just right after Philando Castile and Alderman Sterling. And he was like, I'm tired of seeing black men getting killed at the hands of the police and nothing is happening. Yeah. That, you had a, I can't remember the pastor's name. The pastor was on TV, speaking for Fort Worth. The pastor said, enough is enough. The pastor said it comes a point in time

when we can't just sit back and be passive, especially when our women are being assaulted the way that they are. That's a pastor, a man of God, who's ready to pray for forgiveness, but pull out his gun and go get some, go get some reps. Shit. No, I don't think he was something I'm shooting anybody. But I think he said, no, he said verbay.

them, it comes a point in time where we're going to have to retaliate. He said retaliation. This is a pastor. Come on now. You're asking too much of people after a while? No, and I'm not asking them anything except for to understand that this system of justice is clearly not set up for us. And we know that well. I don't know how to tell our folks that the only way to change things is to lean into the process that exists and, make sure there are people who think just like us on the bench. We're not handing out Bibles and hugs, you know, after a sentence. And that doesn't mean that they, just because they look like us, I say,

out of time, our skin folk ain't always our kinfolk. It doesn't mean that they, like, have to be black. It means they have to understand oppression. They have to understand that this criminal justice system is not set up for us, and they have to understand that it's failed us for too many years. this whole situation, I am almost nervous and scared and just terrified of what is going to happen with this case. They smoking a cigarette by a gas tank right now. They said Lee Merritt, who is now the attorneys for the family of a Tatiana Jefferson, said that there have been seven fatal shootings.

Yes, by police. In six months in Fort Worth. Listen, man. It's bad. First law of nature is self-preservation, right? So you have these police officers who they're doing their job, they're afraid, they want to make it out alive. So self-preservation tells them to shoot first, ask questions later.

What happens when civilians start thinking like that? Because let's be clear. They do. They know that. They just white. They're white. They walk around and do that now. That's what the last several mass shootings have been in.

Black and Brown civilians. What happens when black and brown civilians start thinking like that? When they see police and they see a threat, they think that their life is in danger. But most of us do think like that. Absolutely. But what happens when we start acting on that? That's what America needs to be really, really terrified of. That's why I say that motherfucking shit going on in Fort Worth right now, that is a ticking time bomb. That is a pouted keg. That is a gas tank and gas is leaking and somebody just rolled up a blunt with some coke in it.

Okay. I need you to please not reference blunt with coconut. I'm telling you. America needs to really keep their eye on that situation going on in Fort Worth. If they don't do the right thing in Fort Worth, I'm telling you it's going to be consequences. What do you think is the right thing at this point? Convict that man. That man needs to be convicted the same way they would convict anybody who randomly was in somebody yard and shot through a window.

They convicted Amber Geiger. She got 10 years. Sentenced. Boy, we clearly noticed. She ended up with five, right? Didn't she end up with five? I don't know. But we know that the judge in that case was biased.

Clearly we know that now. She was trying to be a good Christian. Yeah, trying to be a good Christian. She was fucking suffering from Stockholm syndrome. She was trying to be a good slave. That's what she was trying to be. Massa, master, we got 10 years. Massa, Massa, we ain't going to jail, Massa.

That's what the hell she was doing. And I don't feel sorry for her. I don't know where the five, oh, you said five. I don't know where the five years came from. I thought she got 10 years. But somebody told me the other day when I said that they were like, it ended up with five. I think it was on our little squad segment too.

Anyway, y'all, it is 10 years. 10 years. Which is still good. No, it's not. She walked into that man's apartment and killed him. I hate to say it as a black man in America, it's better than nothing. Okay.

And that's what I was just saying. so many people get nothing. The question becomes what do, what is, what is the, they better do the right thing. What is the right thing? Why is your lips so as, you know, that's the second time you put out that Carmex in this podcast? I'm going to be honest with you, man.

Back in the day, people used to always say that I had Malik Yoba, Malik Yoba lips. No. And being that I've been seeing the lips so much in the news and stuff, and being that he was on a breakfast club, I'm just very, very, very, very aware of my lips being dry. I'm sorry, but it used to stress me out on New York undercover. I'm telling you.

No Carmix. I'd rather my lips look super. was shiny than be like ashes. But you pulled it out twice right now and it wasn't even ashy. Anyway, okay, Carmix. Do we,

do we have to finish? You were talking about the police officer. Oh, well, my only thing was... And how much time should he get? I think he should go to jail for at least 25 years. I'm with that. That's fair.

That's what they say, 25 of life. It should be at least 25. See, my thing is this, man, when you take somebody's life, I really think you should be in jail for the rest of your life. Yeah.

You know what I mean? But in a situation like this, like I'm not going to sit here and act like I... Like, what can he, possibly say. What could he possibly say? They didn't even call the, you know, they didn't even call the emergency number? I heard. He was just like, can you just do a wellness check?

You know her nephew's in the house? Yes, she was playing video games with her nephew. I always do feel sorry for police, though. Just a little. I'm going to tell you why, just not in all situations, but in certain situations. But my thing is this, like, it's Please explain yourself. Okay. Public servants, which they are, they're supposed to be here to serve the needs of the public. Protect and serve. So that means other people's, you know, other people should come before you. That's impossible when you're a human. When you're a human being in a job like

that, the first person you think about protecting is yourself and any service you're really doing is self-service, self-serving, especially in situations like that. When you're called and it's dark and the door is open and you're like, man, what the fuck is going on? That's why if it was me, if I was him, I would have pulled up in my car, blue lights going, sirens going out of it, And now police are out here. He acted like a sneaky robber. Listen, I know. To the back of the house.

And that's why he should, he's lucky he didn't get shot. Listen. That's the truth to the matter. And a woman in the house by herself with a young man, they was like, she got a gun in the house. So the fuck what. And what happens if they would have shot the kid? Lord have mercy. There's just too many.

Anyway. And by the way, I'm not speaking about this particular cop in general. I'm just saying cops do have a tough job. I just want them, if I could wish anything over the next decade since we're now commemorating our 400th year here on this soil, I want protect and serve to apply to us to. I want cops to realize, nigger, y'all are the hunters? We the rabbits. Okay, y'all kill way more of us and shoot way more of us than we do to y'all. Y'all all, we're terrified of y'all.

You should know that. So you don't have to approach any of the situations with us. Well, some of us are. It's not everybody that is. Well, guess what? The ones that aren't anymore is because they're seeing all of this type bullshit happening. They're not trying to be a victim.

No, when I say us, I'm talking about like general American people. I have watched white people talk to police officers and I'd be like, oh. Didn't I just tell you dad of white folks' business? I'm talking about us. Anytime you hear me talking, I'm talking about us. I don't speak. I know we live in a different America. I'm serious.

I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about us. When we see police, we don't want no problems. I'm the guy that's driving. Police get behind me. My palms get sweaty. My heart starts beating crazy. I get shortness of breath.

Before I have a panic attack, I pull over to the side of road and let them pass me. I don't even want the interaction. Police need to know that. Yeah. You ain't no need for you to have your gun on your hip. Ain't need for you to be pulling your gun out your host. I don't want no problems, Mr. Officer. Don't walk up on the side of the car with your friend.

That's it. Don't call for backup. None of that. I promise you, we don't want no problems. That's how they need to start approaching it. Y'all are the hunter. The rabbits ain't got no guns. Yeah.

Okay, that's it. What else? We were supposed to talk about the debate. Do we got time? Yeah, the debates of the night, because we're going to put this out today. Angela got our other podcast up two on one. You got Beto O'Rocke on, right? Beto.

He corrected me on the podcast. I don't know what his name is because he don't come on the breakfast club. First of all, I just asked for you, so you hope you need to delete that. No, I'm going to keep that. I want him to know that. That's how I feel. Why are you so mad? You have no idea why he hasn't been on.

Apologize you. Every other candidate has been on. Maybe he's not been invited. If you're not polling over 2%, you need to bring your ass on the breakfast club. He's pulling over 2%. He is? Yes. What do you got 2.1?

No, there's somewhere he's like 5% or 4%. Look it up. Nobody believes that. Look it up. I just was on air earlier today. He eats pork. Listen. What?

Quintipiac, Paul. They didn't respond yet, but I did send an email. He hasn't been on breakfast club. Okay. Okay. I don't respect any white male who has not been on breakfast club. Here's the thing that I just want to raise in this moment. Okay.

When we talk about the candidates who are coming on air to be with you, we have good strategic conversation. Yes. When someone comes to do something with me, you say F the person. I said fuck him? I didn't say fuck him, did I? What did you say? I don't know.

Yes, you did. Let's run the tape. Oh, no, I don't care what a fuck his name is. Okay. Yeah, same thing. My bad beta. He can do the breakfast gun now. Because he don't care about black people.

That is not true. That's what I'm going to keep saying. He's been right to. Is somebody calling you asking you asking you for money right now? Yes. I heard that. That might be. That's TK.

Kirkland. It might be T. What up, TK. I'm going to call. Hold on. TK., I'm going to call you right back. I'm doing a podcast.

I call you right back. All right. My brother. Pete. He's doing something next Thursday. Did y'all hear that? T.K. Say, hey, look, I don't need you.

Anyway, what are we talking about? Beto. Okay. This is what I want to know. Who do you think is going to win the debate tonight? who do you think is, who's the biggest winner or biggest loser? You should ask me who I want to win. No, who's going to win.

Can you stop texting? I'm listening. Who do you want to win to, I mean, now who, see, now you got to be asking your question. Who's going to be the biggest winner and the biggest loser? The person who has the most to lose tonight is Senator Harris. Okay, that's not the question I asked. Okay, you can answer that. I'm saying the big, I think the person who has the most to lose the night is Senator Harris.

Okay, why do you say that? Because I think she's kind of on thin ice right now. I think she hasn't showed up in her last couple of debates. I think that she had so much momentum after the, was it the first debate? After the first debate, I think the second and third debate, she lost all of that momentum.

She hasn't really established herself. And I like Senator Harris a lot, but I just don't think that she's established herself or what she's really about. I think it's sad when Saturday Night Live creates an identity for you. You know what I'm saying? Because that really should be her.

She should be the cool auntie. You know what I'm saying? That don't bullshit. But she is the cool auntie. She should, but that's really what she should be. She should be the cool auntie who does not bullshit. I don't think there's anything wrong with her being a prosecutor. But I don't think that Saturday Night Live created that, to be fair.

I think that that really is already her. Nah, not to the eyes of the people. People don't connect to her in no way. You're talking about the general public, how she's perceived. I get it. Yo, you're a black woman who's an AKA who went to a HBCU. Yeah. Howard University.

Why don't black women connect with you? Like, that's kind of crazy. Like, you're a black woman. who went to a HBCU and an A.k.a. And black women don't really connect with you. That means there's a disconnect somewhere. So I think she stands to lose a lot because, you know, of all the momentum that she did have.

Like, and if she don't show up tonight, it's kind of like, are you a pretender? Were you a pretender this whole time? Okay. So the questions that I did ask were? The biggest winner is going to be the biggest winner potentially could be Elizabeth Warren. Okay.

It's because she has so much momentum right now. and everything is swinging her way right now. She comes out tonight and, you know, knocks one out of the park. She wins. She doesn't even got to knock one out the park. Her bases are loaded already. All she got to do is hit like a fucking double.

Yeah. You know what I'm saying? That's all she needed to do. Her bases are literally loaded. She can hit one and score. Yeah. She's good. I think that the biggest winner tonight is going to be Tom Steyer.

Oh, I like Tom. So the reason why I say that is because this is his, first debate, you know, on the stage with all these candidates. Tom's done Breakfast Club, Beta. You haven't. Okay. You really need to let it go. Just want to throw that out there, Beto Orook.

Tom Steyer came. First week he announced. White man came right to the breakfast club. Just want to throw that out there, Beto. Beto. Beto, Beto, come to the breakfast club. That's what you better do. Oh, my God.

I'm not helping you anymore. This is so disrespectful. All right. So Tom Steyer. Okay, Tom Steyer, because Tom was calling for impeachment in Donald Trump with commercials that were running on cable news networks long before Democratic leadership had the courage to go forward with an impeachment inquiry. And so I think that he has this opportunity to say, you should trust my judgment. Look at what I did already. You know, like I led when nobody else was leading in this space.

I think that's a powerful narrative for him because a lot of people don't know who he is. People like Tom Stey. When he's at the Breakfast Club, a lot of our listeners would like, y'all like this guy. Mm-hmm. And then I think the biggest loser potentially could be Andrew Yang

because how much more money does he have to give out to stay in the race? He keeps me like, I'll give you $5. I don't think that's why people like Andrew Yang. But I'm just saying that he,

I don't know what else he's going to do to stand out. Like everything radical he could come up with, you know, every handout he could, you know, kind of give to get people on equal footing and to make people kind of like him. I think he's done all that now. And so what is he going to do to wild people tonight?

I think they're like his ideas. But what is he going to do to wild people tonight? I think people like Andrew's ideas. Because he's not sticking. He's not going up in the polls. Yeah. I think people like that he speaks the language of the people in a lot of ways. Well, that generation.

Yeah, I agree. But I think Andrew's like Ant Man. Like, if you watch the Avengers. Like, Ant Man's not really anybody's favorite Avenger. Yeah. But you don't dislike him. You know what I'm saying? and he does come through in the clutch sometimes.

You're like, oh, yeah, Ant Man, do your thing. Andrew Yang is like Ant Man. I liked him in the Detroit debate. I did. I don't even remember him in the Detroit debate. I liked him in the Detroit debate. The only other thing I want to say about this situation with Kamala, I think tonight Tulsi Gabbard is going to go for Elizabeth Warren's neck and maybe Pete Buttigieg.

But if there is an exchange, again, between Tulsi and Kamala Harris, I hope Kamala Harris, goes right back at her. Because I think that's the thing that hurt her the most in the Detroit debate. Oh, I'm trying to think. Was Tulsi on Bill Mar Friday night? I don't know.

Hold on. Who was on Bill Mar Friday? It's a woman. And Bill was kind of saying like he thinks she was a sleeper. I think it was Tulsi. No, it wasn't Tulsa. Who was on Bill Maher Friday night?

Was it Amy Klobuchar? Was it Klobuchar? I mean, that's a hell of a difference. I don't know who was on Bill Mar. But let me look at it. Let me see. Maybe it wasn't Amy Klobuchar. Yes, it was Amy Cloberchall.

She was on Friday night. I couldn't remember. Chelsea Gabbard and Amy Clobetar. She was on Friday night and she kept saying that she wanted a viral moment. Okay, here's the problem. I'm going to tell you right now what happens. When candidates go into these debates desperate, hoping they can get that viral moment, that shit tanks. It's like, be, yeah, because it's so predictable.

You did something so embarrassing. Like she's going to go up there, she's going to rap? She got a freestyle for you? I don't know. She's going to break dance? She told Bill because she said, like, my cat. be like, guess what my telling is? I used to step down.

Like, what is she going to do? Anytime they go do that, it goes bad. I like the fact she said it, though, because she said my campaign saying that I need a viral moment. No, that's not all she needs. She just, she's, she also is a former prosecutor. Amy Klobuchar is super smart. But the thing that's following her is Amy Klobuchar has this narrative of being super

disrespectful and hurtful to her staff, her Senate staff. Oh, wow. Yeah. And so I think that that is stuck a little bit. I think that. The fact that she hasn't had bold ideas and she was kind of moderate and this has very much been a primary about, you know, how left can you go? I think she hasn't stuck. Pete Buttigieg is starting to moderate a little bit more publicly now, which is interesting for the only gay man in the race, right, to be like moderating on gun control, to be more moderate on small dollar donations.

He hit Elizabeth Warren in this interview with Peter Hamby from Snapchat. On taking small dollar donations. Like pocket change isn't going to defeat Donald Trump. Like he's going to people's neck. You can't attack Elizabeth Warren, though. But he did. And he also went after Beto's kind of point around gun control and confiscation of guns. He's using the terms confiscation.

And Corey Booker hit him back and was like, yo, you're using NRA's terms. You're doing NRA's work. So he's stepping into a lot, stepping on a little, why can't I talk? A lot of landmines. Shut up. I'm not taking him out of that itch. Lamb minds because he is trying to become the safer bet. And I wonder if the campaign strategy is, okay, we should moderate him from a policy perspective

because he's got a big kind of announcement about who he is and the fact that there would be a first husband with him. I'm wondering if that's the strategy. Because he doesn't really need to. Oh, he's married now. Yeah. But I'm saying there would be a first husband. It wouldn't be a first lady. What do he call it, a first man?

because first husband is in his kind of first wife. I mean, if one of the women win it would be a first husband, right? Yeah, but I'm saying it's two men. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So the fact that it's like, you know, people keep saying, is America ready for first woman president?

Is America ready for a first black woman president? Is America ready for the first gay president? Right? Like, those are always the question, are we ready, are we ready, are we ready? And I'm just wondering if they said, if we make this piece the most liberal about, most liberal thing about him

and all the rest of his politics, positions are fairly moderate, does that help him capture voters that he otherwise would miss being to Elizabeth Warreny or being to Bernie Sanders-ish, you know, like. Bernie, Bernie stands a chance to win in big tonight, too. Bernie stands the chance to lose a lot, too. That dude had a heart attack. Boy, if he passed out on that stage or something to night. Oh, my God.

Why would you even put that out there? Because I keep telling, I keep saying, like, I don't think he should, I don't even think he should rush back this fast. You know what I'm saying? I don't think it's worth it at the end of the day. Yeah, I would like for him to recover. I think Bernie Sanders is an OG. think his ideas are necessary.

Yeah. But I want, we need Bernie to be here. He's framed. I mean, hell, Elizabeth Warren's platform is a Bernie Sanders platform redo. All day. You know, and she's, you know, tweak some things.

She's brilliant. Like, she could stand on a lot of that on her own. But their platforms are not that different. So his ideas are absolutely great, especially from 2016 when everybody thought he was crazy. Now there are more candidates talking like him than not, right? Yes, right. And Bernie, he could win big than that,

but he could stand and lose a lot. Because if he comes out there and he looks sick, like he looks frail, he looks tired. Bernie ain't going to be frail. Bernie was like, I ain't new to this. I'm too to this. And why after having a heart attack would you want to debate with these motherfuckers?

Are that shit that's so stressful? He can't, he can't, I don't think that he feels like he can afford to miss the debate. He's tanked in the polls, right? Bernie Sanders is now. I understand. A lot of it is ageism. When you already think you're old and you're having a heart attack? You know what?

It's the truth. I get it. But I think that the point is Bernie Sanders now going on this. stage after having her heart attack has a lot to prove he has to prove that he could take a lick in and keep on ticking that's what the old people say. Hey man

this ain't got nothing to do with them Democrats. That's father time baby. That's mother nature. You had a heart attack. But there are young people who have heart attacks? Well, they didn't have one this week during the presidential campaign or last week or whatever it was. Bernie and they're not being accused of being too old. Bernie, Bernie, he takes all that. But they say that anyway. They say that about Joe Biden, they say that about Elizabeth Warren. That's another person who is really wide open to attacks.

The Hunter Biden stuff comes up. It is. Tulsi might go at Joe Biden's in. Tulsi is the one who's like, I'm going to go at all y'all because I'm not really here for none of this. Yeah, but Tulsi got her own dirt, too. Ain't nobody calling on it? They probably because they don't want to make it.

They might bring up Syria now because of what happened. Yeah. They might bring up Syria now. I think attacking Elizabeth Warren makes you look crazy. She's an old white woman. Like, that's grandma. Have you, did you meet the 2016? elections. Donald Trump

Did you hear me call him Donald Trump? Did you hear me call him Donald Trump? Donald Trump walked up behind Hillary and was just standing there like a shark. I remember that. So like they don't care about attacking women. They're like, why are you here anyway? I'm just talking about amongst the Democrats. I expect that from Trump. Well, I think that they

going to go at her. And I'm mad that my man Tim Ryan isn't up there. I'm mad that Marianne William Simpson isn't up there because Marianne Williamson, you know, she talks about a lot of black issues. She talks about reparations a lot. He hasn't dropped out yet, but he didn't qualify for the race. I like Tim Ryan because he talked about mental health. He talks about social and emotional learning,

which is something I see, May I still want to talk to Marianne Williamson. I'm going to be with her on the 28th. October 28th, me, her, and Teneitra, Michelle Williams will be at Winthrop University having a conversation about mental health. Wentham University is in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Are you missing my birthday? I don't know yet.

I'm over you. No, no, no, no, no, no. Okay, everybody. I can't talk about that here because that's the same day as, Powerhouse in New York City on the 26th. I might be in LA on that. Your thing is the 26th. That's my birthday.

And your thing is the 26th. I'm turning 40 and you're going to miss my birthday. I don't know. I don't think so. So I'm going to be in L.A. that Friday and I'm supposed to come back for Powerhouse that Saturday. So I don't know.

I'm going to figure it out. It's a time difference. They don't really need me at Powerhouse. I will fight you I will head but you and I And with them corn rolls And all that forehead showing That note y'all

It's been real This has been your addition We didn't do anything about mental health and wellness You definitely need that thing I just want to say that I hate people acting like People are using Can you say some positive?

No I hate people acting like people are using mental health as a marketing tool Yeah You understand what I'm saying? Like I keep hearing people say that Like, oh, everybody got anxiety now. Why are they saying, oh, they're saying that the people who are talking about their mental health conditions are marketing themselves? They like to say that I'm making money of it.

I haven't made no fucking money off it. How do you make money? Because you wrote a book called Shukwan. Yeah, but that was a book that I was going to write regardless. No, but I'm saying they are saying that because you wrote about mental health that you benefited from it, which I think is fine. It's your story. Okay. So, yeah.

So that means in black privilege, I benefited from selling crack. I benefited from radio. I benefited from. artists I've benefited from issues with my father. By the way, I talk about anxiety and black privilege, too. I know, but here's the thing. I'm not, like, defending them at all. I think all I'm saying is because people are so uncomfortable with the topic with you,

like, right there in their face, like, oh, this, you know, this is happening with Lennar or Charlemagne, this is happening with Taraji. This is happening with, you talked about Andre 3000, talking about his anxiety. Like, whomever, like, they're going to see it as negative. find something wrong with it because it prevents them from having to deal with their mental health issues. And I would like to make one simple statement to everyone. When people say, oh, everybody's talking about anxiety now and everybody's talking about depression. Everybody's talking about mental health.

Talk about it enough. But you know why more people are talking about it now? Because we're creating a safe space for people to talk about it. Imagine that. Because you have people like Taraji saying it. You have me saying it. You have Waleigh. You have Big Sean.

You have people talking about it more openly now. So it's making everybody feel more. more comfortable to talk about it. What's the problem? Like, that's what happens. The problem is their comfortability, right? Like, you're talking about something that's so untouchable to them, so taboo, right? For a lot of people, it makes them feel uncomfortable so they will rather pretend like

it's not there, not knowing that once they accept what's, you know, in them and before them, like, they're probably going to be a little more whole. Yeah. So I would say keep doing it. If it's a marketing tool in that. It's not like you're selling anything, but if it's a marketing tool and that it's always in their face

like those infomercials that used to come in when BT was over. Yeah, yeah, yeah, for real. Keep it right there. By the way, y'all don't complain when y'all see all this negative bullshit in your face all the time.

You'll be like, oh, you talk about guns too much. Oh, you talk about smoking weed too much. Oh, you talk about, you know, sleep with a bunch of different women too much. I don't hear that. Oh, you talk about Popp and Zani too much. You know, I don't hear none of that. But when it's...

The Hibati... The Bugadi. You talk about Bugadi's too much. Like you don't never hear that, but whenever it's something positive, especially from black people, whenever there's something positive, we always try to look for the negative angle and act like, oh, the reason this person is doing it is for reasons that aren't genuine. I don't gain nothing from this.

The event we're doing in Winterp, it's free. That's dope. To everybody. We got free food. We got free admission. If you at Winterp University on October 28th, 28th, you come here, me, Marianne Williamson, and Michelle Williams, have a conversation about mental health.

I love Michelle Williams. I love Michelle. By the way, you're going to say Michelle's profiting off it? Michelle actually checked into the so-called crazy house. I call it crazy house because I can't think of the medical term for it. That's definitely not what it's called. You can call it a mental wellness center. There you go, which by the way are great.

Yeah. No mental wellness retreats that you can check away in for the weekend? Amazing. All right. So I'm just saying all that to say. It's to be whole. Like however you need to be whole, however you need to heal. Yes.

support that. And it's not marketing. It's not marketing. And stop just when you hear more people talking about it, like I said, it's because we have created a safe space for people to talk about it. People don't feel it's scared to talk about it anymore. It's not as taboo to talk about. And in order to eradicate the stigma, people got to tell their stories.

Let people tell their stories and shut the fuck up forever until you're willing to tell yours. Is that how you feel? Yes. You want to say something positive before you leave today? Akuna Matata. Okay. Praise the Lord Saints. Have a good one.