The Questlove Show - Open Mike Eagle

Episode Date: December 24, 2025

During the pandemic, Questlove joined Open Mike Eagle for a season of his What Had Happened Was podcast to discuss The Roots’ earliest days and their first four albums. Years later, the two creatives reunite—and discover just how much they have in common—to talk about Mike’s career and latest album, Neighborhood Gods Unlimited. The conversation gradually takes a turn, morphing into something that feels part What Had Happened Was, part free-flowing exchange about life, art, trauma, and the real-time building of a genuine friendship between two like-minded creatives bonded by nostalgia, pop culture, and a commitment to diversifying talent.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clivert Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media.

Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. So let's get to it. Listen to The Clivert Show on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else.

If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to.

to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves.

We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Wood. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best.

advice ever. He goes, just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The Questlove show is a production of I Heart Radio. Good people, how are you doing? What's up?

On this week's Quest Love Show, I talked to the one and only Open Mike Eagle. I did a whole season, one of the best interviews I think I've ever given in life. Look up what it happened was by Open Mike Eagle. It's one of my favorite podcasts. I'm so jealous that I don't do that podcast. That's how much I love it. It's basically an artist. gets an entire canon for a season.

There's the Prince Paul season, not even episode seasons, Dante Raw season, L.P. It's also part of it. And, of course, mine is there. I cover the first four albums of the Roots' career. Very insightful. But, you know, for this particular episode, I will say that it's more like a conversation between friends.

Mike was my de facto therapist for this episode. He's a calm present, very thoughtful. thoughtful guy and um this also marks the first time where i kind of publicly spoke about the struggle and processing and dealing with uh our dearly departed michael d'angelo archer anyway i was supposed to be interviewing mike but instead i used mike as a soundboard to uh talk about my problems but that's the kind of guy he is so i hope you enjoy this open my eagle on the Quest Love Show. I could start off just on your boom box collection in the back. Oh yeah. Okay. I mean, this is, this is a small portion of the overall boombox is scattered throughout what you're

looking at. Yeah, these these couple right here. I probably got like eight or nine up in the house or something like that total. So are you just sentimental like that? Yeah, man. It was funny during COVID. That ended up being part of my therapy journey. You know what I'm saying? Going back and trying to get stuff. that I could touch right from childhood to ground me you know what I'm saying it was all of that so yeah so even the stereo piece that I have that I got converted into a helmet I bought all of these pieces off of eBay like the same year I spent way too much money on it now that I think about it but you know it was good for me as I suspected well I mean besides your emceeing but really in your conversations on what had happened was, I was like, I think Mike and I are the same person.

Definitely part of the same tribe. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Definitely part of the same tribe. Fruit from the same tree. If anything, I feel like this is my chance to get to know you as a human. All right. So see, I'm already messing up because I should have did an intro first.

But see that? We just rent right into the conversation. Time is an illusion anyway. We are the same person. Right? Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Don't matter.

All right, so ladies and gentlemen, in past episodes, I've mentioned how transformative the pandemic of 2020 changed me for the better in terms of my life, my mental health, my physical health, and my creative endeavors and also my relationships. And of course, I spoke of all the books that I read that, you know, changed me. You know, if you're a long time listening to this podcast, you've heard me mention like Neville Goddard and Joe to spend. and Breonna Weist and Richard Rudd and Gay Hendricks, David Hawkins, like, the list is endless. But it wasn't all, you know, woo-woo seriousness. Podcast diving also became my go-in-to pastime as I did morning walks or just like, you know, I was isolated on a farm in upstate New York. One particular podcast that was, I would say, a godsend.

And I know, again, those who know me well know this, this podcast format that I'm on, you know, my tendency to sort of go over the top in terms of enthusiasm with the hyperbole. However, I will say that one particular podcast that really truly became my go-to safe place in dystopian times was what had happened was. And I often find out that, you know, my people and yeah, black people are kind of slow to dive into a history portal, which, you know, is understandable for a lot of us living day to day and fight a flight. And, you know, for a lot of us looking anything north of yesterday might not be rose-colored glasses.

Chip, my yesterday wasn't necessarily my favorite. So that said, like this whole fight to the finish hustle attitude that we have, really, I guess, Stimson's were looking for it better tomorrow than, you know, and if you look, in that mood, you might not want to look back in the rear view mirror. So, you know, I will say enter our guest's genius creation, which kind of in a backwards way, I got drawn into the stratosphere of Open Mike Eagle, even though I've heard of them, took ganders and whatnot. It wasn't until that podcast that I decided that, you know what, I want to be a champion in this guy

and just look at his whole entire history. The thing is, I wouldn't exactly call our guest a podcaster, even though he's awesome at it. First and foremost, much appreciated. He is, oh, I mean, dude, this is why I think we're the same person, because we're all things to all people. You know, he's also an excellent emcee. Thank you. He's also comedian, even a singer sometimes who balances music, television, podcasting his personal life. Balance is a strong word, but I try.

Yeah, yes, exactly. I mean, but we're both trying to do this. So earlier this year, he dropped an amazing, amazing album called Neighborhood God's Unlimited. And this is on his auto reverse label. And I got to say, one of the adjustments I made in my life was not to put so much weight on critical acclaim. I stuck to critical acclaim because I felt that that was the surviving grace for my life. but I have to say that it was a mighty damn impressed with seeing his 8.5 rating and pitch for it. I was too.

Yo, dog, I felt like De Niro felt when what's his name was getting made in Goodfellas. Like, ah man, like one of us got through the other side, which is also a sad state of affairs because, again, I'm not looking for the critical gaze to make us legit or not legit. But anyway, all is this long-ass intro is to say, even though we've spoken a few times, I wanted to reverse the roles here and speak to him about his life. Because I kind of get the feeling that we are the same person and we should be friends. So hopefully this is that. So that's what's up. Open mic, Eagle.

Welcome to the Questlove show to QLS. How are you today? man I'm good I'm good thanks for having me do you remember the airplane story that's when we first met I don't know if you remember that okay so here's the deal we first met at we were sitting together in the airplane uh-huh uh-huh and oh let me let me do it let me run it let me I think it's funnier from my side anyway right it is so I'm I'm in uh I'm in one of those airport bars in LAX and it's me and my my partner video Dave sitting there video days sitting there And we look over and like, wait a minute, that looked like Questlove over there. You know, you have the thing internally where like, damn, to be as aware of you as I am, I'm like, damn, should I go say what up? I don't know. But then I thought about it.

Like, nah, I've wrapped over one of his beats before. That at least is a conversational open because one of the joints that you slid MC Paul Barman. Yeah. For one of his albums, I got on that. So I'm like, well, that shit at least give me a conversation. So I gave myself license to come say what up. So me and him we came and said what up. And it turned out we was both flying to Austin.

I think it was South by Southwest weekend. Yes. And I was being flown out there by Comedy Central because we were doing a premiere event for our show New Negroes. Yeah. So this is one of the few times in my life I happened to be flying first class. And so we end up near each other on the plane. You're in the road in front of me.

Well, but let me tell you how that happened. because that's funny too. I'm sitting actually behind you to the left. And then there's a person next to me. And then a lady comes who's about to sit down in first class and she's like, oh, do you mind if me and you switch seats and her seat was in front of me next to you? And this woman was Jody Foster. Wait a minute.

You're right. You are absolutely right. Jody Foster was on this flight. Yes. Uh-huh. Uh-huh. So I'm like, you're damn right. I'll switch seats with you, Jody Foster.

And so I'm like, yeah. And I'm like, man, I'm sitting next to Questlove. Ooh, I'm about to talk his ear off. And I think I even said that I'm like, oh, if I come up there, it's on. No, you're not. Exactly. Because we must have exchanged six words. And in 10 minutes end, you was out like a light.

I'm talking about deep sleep. And I'm like, God damn it. But the story would have been funny if it just ended there, but then the plane lands, right? And, you know, I think I got your number then because I'm like, at least I'm going to do that. At least I'm going to do that, right? And then we get off the plane and I'm waiting on video Dave because Comedy Central didn't fly in first class. Right. So I'm waiting on him.

And then you walk out of the plane and you're like, oh, you forgot this. And you hand me my laptop, which I had left in the seat back. pocket and completely forgot about. Like, you saved my entire weekend and didn't even know it. Like, I was there to do shows. I wouldn't have been able to do because my laptop would have been in Montana somewhere. And I would have been up Ships Creek. So that's the story of how we actually met. Man, you can now verify, probably the question that I'm asked the most, people always ask, when do you sleep? Okay, I sent it. You're right. Because I think that.

Yeah. So the thing is, is that if I sit still for good 10 minutes, there's likely, that's likely to happen. I'm glad that the story ended that way because, you know, there are also some people that will say that, wow, you're very standoff, and Shamir and whatnot. You know, and I don't know if that's my work. I don't know if that's I'm trying to get better at being a people person.

Aren't you not? Are you not already the ultimate people person? Like what else do people want from you? I think if there's a shield, like this is kind of a shield. You know, even though we're one-on-one in each other. In conversation,

if I'm writing something, people might think I'm chatty because of the, you know, the same amount of paragraphs that I'll type. And an Instagram post, one of my goals for 2026 is to really go outside of my comfort zone. Like right now, you know, because I live in such an expansive world of me as a producer, me as the Tonight Show person, me as a root, me as a DJ, me as an author. Yeah, all these things. For each job I have, there's about eight to 12 people in that stratas.

fear. So yeah, I would say maybe the first 112 people in my life are friends, but, you know, they're also on payroll. Right. And I really, I say this, one of the hardest things for me to do is to step outside of that comfort zone. What do you think is outside of that comfort zone that you're wanting to experience? Sometimes it's just, see, the convenience of this model right now is also it gives you probably the most convenient out ever

because if we're not working together and it's not again it's not personal if we're not working together I'm kind of a I'm trying to figure out the idiom that this fits like if you're in my face

then we have interaction right but if you're not there then oh god I sound like the worst person in the world right now I think I know what you're trying to to say it's like when people aren't in your face it's probably like they don't exist and that's that's probably cold like on you know the words are cold but i think it speaks to your focus on all

of the things that you have to do right the thing that people don't understand about this life i've lived for 35 years like i think on the average a person knows about you might could recall 200 people if you think about it you there's probably you could probably you could probably recall maybe a good 30 people between elementary and junior high. You can probably name maybe 12 to 14 people in your high school, whatever jobs you've had. You might remember like three or four names. I'm sure if it's family members, you can add another 40 to it. So for me, I think the average person by the time they reach 30 knows at least about 200 people. But when you're me, you know, like, I know 15 people in Miami. I know 70 people in Manhattan. I know 100 people

in Brooklyn. I know 100 people in Los Angeles. I know 12 people in Paris. So if you take just the total number, when you're juggling 600 people and names and faces and whatnot and don't let someone and change their hairstyle or whatnot. Oh, geez. And everyone's favorite question is, do you remember me? Spike Lee, fish out of the list. Yo, dog, for real.

It's like, in my world, everything is closer to scrubs or if you're old enough, Parker Lewis can't lose. Parkin' Louis can't. What a pull. With the sound effects.

You know. Wow. So, because that to me is the most, I used to that used to embarrass me and then it used to make me angry because it's like really that's your intro

okay so what if the answers no then we're both or I'm embarrassed that means you've definitely answered no at some point so what happens then? My go-to jokey but serious answer which is the truth of this like dog I don't even remember what I have for breakfast this morning right right right right right

I hope and I put it in perspective but it's hard to spring clean and start all over again. But I know the one thing that I really want is I would like to have 10 friends that aren't on payroll and really maintain that shit.

Because there's also a trust factor, a trust issue. I've done this before. And then usually like seven months into it, an entitlement thing happens. Or people feel entitled to your time, or you feel entitled to theirs? Where people feel entitled to my accessibility, my resources? I don't know what the perception of me is outside of what I think the perception of me is,

but I promise you that the world only knows 20% of the daily activities. Like there's some things that happen to me that are just so mind-blowing that, and again, this is a separation anxiety thing. Like, you don't want to be the guy that's like ostracized because you get a certain privilege that your friends don't get to have. You know, I want to be likable and relatable, but I also want to grow and... Relatable is going to be tough, bro. Relatable's going to be tough.

Right, exactly. I mean, who do you even have to compare experiences with? You know what I'm saying? Like, I imagine a lot of people can relate to parts of your life. but the whole of it's going to be hard for them to put together. I'm in a weird zone, yo, because it's like, there was a period where I really thought, like, Hove and I were going to be tight. Hmm.

But he has a whole different set of reality and life matters that I can't relate to. He did it probably the most ideal way, which is that the people that are with him are the people that came in the door with him. Right. I wound up doing a business with those people. I'll say that Tarik is probably the most consistent. And I've said this before. Like we're going on 38 years where, you know, he and a, wait a minute.

Am I on your podcast again? I didn't even start with. Hey, man, this is how friendships happen, man. You know what I'm saying? A win is a win. A win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.

You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations,

stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no.

I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone?

I'm Ego Wodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. Woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever.

I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come, look for up-and-coming talent.

He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. Mm. and he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall

and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your

podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode.

Listen to the sports slice. podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Selle's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would

uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Alesspian. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Ameriopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So basically our audience is just eavesdropping in on this conversation. You know, I started a business with Tarik.

But then the danger of that is like, I'm under the impression that you can't have a successful business. And I don't know. I see business and friendship as church and state. It's hard to do both. It really is. Yeah, because when you have a conflict, like we have one conflict, one conflict back in 94,

which it's in the past, but I'm also once-bitten twice shy person. So my only teachable lesson of that one fight we had back in 94 was like, you know, I should keep a professional distance so that the business doesn't get ruined. And that will, I mean, that can't help but affect the friendship. It can't help it, you know? Yeah, because the thing is, like, the thing that I really miss about our friendship, you know, those first. I mean, but this also applies to like the Soul Quarians. This applies to, even with the departure of DeAnd.

The way I'm happy is the most is that he and I ended it the way that we started. You know, in the beginning, we had to get to know each other. And it was like, hey, what music do you like? Hey, I like that music too. Hey, what artist you know? You know about this artist? You know about that artist? You know about this?

Oh man, I listen that record too. What do you know about fishbone? And once we found out that we had so much in common, then, you know, that's how the musical marriage part of it happened. And so kind of the last three months, we didn't have any instruments. And so it was weird at first, like sitting there, you know, by his bedside and us talking. And kind of in the beginning, in the first like month or so, there was a point where I thought, like, okay, he's going to get through this. We'll be cool. Like we were like talking by normal. But I had such a fear in not, not having a protective shield of a drum set or just something else to focus on except

yeah because you're sitting here having this moment yeah for that first hour man for that first hour i just sat there wondering what does he think of the person in front of him now that's clearly wasn't the person whom he met 30 years ago and i was in my head about i was like i wonder if he's judging me. I wonder if he's, did he think I was a sellout? Did he, you know, we, we once, mid, mid black Messiah, he really wasn't, he didn't know how he felt about us taking a day job. Interesting. Did you see that a conversation that thought in Red Man had?

I seen the clip on IG. I didn't have time to watch the entire thing, but what were you saying? Red Man, literally, like they had a great conversation. And I, I, I don't, mean it's to steer away from the moment. No, no, no, this is what we're doing. Rare man literally in the middle of day conversation asked him, like, what kind of reactions did y'all hear from people when y'all got a day job? Like, and for me, it was mind-blowing to even think that, especially on like the Indier side of this rap shit, like, it's always so precarious financially.

It's like, wow, how awesome would it be to have a gig, right? like a gig where you're not like, you know, stuff in boxes at Amazon, you're doing what you do musically. You're just getting paid to show up and do it, you know? To me, it's like, it's, that's, that's, that's, pitties from heaven. Like, that's something anybody who want. But when he asked the question, it was like, oh, shit, right, like from peers, from fans. Like, there are people who could have seen it as a sort of, like, selling out.

And that thought had never occurred to me until I heard him sit there and ask that question. And so it's interesting to hear that. DiAngelo had some of those similar concerns. So the thing is, I always felt that the Roots magic power was always being underestimated. And, you know, the first time I felt that power of lowering your expectations, only for your expectations to fly, was when we did our first hood gig, kind of out of the comfort zone of the utopian South Street, you know,

where it's black, white, girls, boys, da, da, nah, you know, like it's coffee shops and hair wraps and, exactly, home base. Right. And the thing is, is that I didn't know what the Prince's Lounge was. The Prince's Lounge was like this, uh, this club in North Philly that I think was like part strip club, part bar, whatever, but they would have like some hip hop event or something.

and you know the way that the roots got our gigs was that people would just come up and be like yo play my poetry slam you know philly had like five colleges so someone from temple comes up someone from st jo's comes up someone from dregsel comes up and that's basically how we got the word out about the roots and someone said like yo come to the prince's lounge whatever we were like just green any anybody willing to have us as an audience will show up and we go up to north philly and we walk inside and i look and i was like oh no and they looking at us like you know the moment in the old western where like the bad guy walks in and then the piano stops playing and he closes the piano and sets up shop like leaves and you know

we're walking through and dog like i'm wearing exactly what i had on in the motown philly video like I got on Oshkosh, bagash jumpers. This is the year I discovered where Birkenstocks were. Okay. Okay. You was doing it. Yeah. And, you know, my hair was braided.

And now that's normal. But, like, it took. 94. No. Oh. This is 92. Okay. So this is three years after three feet high and rising.

So it took that period of even having. like, it was like, why have them snakes in your head? Like, people looked at dreadlock. Right, right, right, right, right. And I'm from Philly. So the way that they villainized the Africa family from Osage Avenue. I lived on Osage Avenue. So Ramona, Africa, birdie at, like all that.

The Mooh family, yeah. The Mooh family, you know conservative Christian black people always being judgmental and that sort of thing. So they even looked at dreadlock people as like, demons and those are snakes in their head. So they're just looking at us. like what planet did y'all land in but they were also hip hop heads so the second we started doing dwick all of a sudden that abyss sub zero judgmental thing went the opposite direction and you know they did their version of he's a jolly good fellow like but that would happen also because 70% of all the gigs

that we did between 93 and 96 were mainly Wooten cancellation shows at colleges. Right. So, you know, the audience, this thing on, hey, guys, how you doing, Brown University? It was up, hey, as you know, welcome to Spring Fleen, 1995. Rayquhawand and Ghost couldn't make it, but, you know, but not to be out done, we have a really awesome group from Philadelphia. They're a live band. The roots.

And it's like, mm-hmm. So the reason why we had to put so much emphasis on a live show, we knew we had 10 minutes to make an impression. So all that's to say is like the lowered expectation part of it is something that I'm used to. And so I went into this job knowing, and sure enough, someone on, I forgot what the Reddit of like the Reddit of 2009 was. Probably some message board or something. Yeah, it was a message board of like a really popular. And this journalist said, man, like, this is a sad day in history. Watching the roots take a day job as a comedy show, sidekicks is the equivalent of watching Miles Davis become a subway busker.

Okay. Okay. So that's a whole different paradigm than I never even would have never would have answered my mind. But the thing was, I knew. I knew the amount of inside winking I was going to do taking advantage of the show. Like, wait a minute, they're doing Jay Dillet interludes.

They're doing what walk-on song for it? Like, suddenly, we were so underestimated that, like, I'm just used to that. I'm used to people kind of prejudging us and, you know. So in the case of DeAngelo, the 14-year journey of Black Messiah was ones with highs and lows in it.

So the moment where like, okay, now I live in New York and I'll come to the studio and start drumming and whatnot, he still didn't know how he felt about it. And I was like, well, that's a weird, unsolicited soundbite you're giving me. So not even in a conversation. He's just offering this opinion of what you're doing. Yeah, well, you know, just the first month, everyone was like, so late night television, huh?

You know, there's some people that brought up bamboozled, the irony of bamboozled. And, you know, all this, all this stuff. And I knew what he was hinting towards. Like, you're going to become the establishment now, huh? Like, I see you. I see you. And I'm like, no. Like, just because I'm wearing a suit on television doesn't mean that I'm burning cigars with $100 bills.

And, you know, we kind of had a heated. it was like a heated two days of what I would call like if you remember spy versus spy in Mad Magazine like kind of uh what you think oh what you think like I don't know if we're going to fight argue I don't know if I'm about to walk out in five minutes or we make a classic or whatever just a lot of tension you know I kind of had to push back on him it's sort of a passive aggressive way I was like well you know man like like I said I couldn't sit in the passenger seat forever and look to my left and no one's behind the wheel. And he's like, what is that supposed to mean?

And, you know, I had to remind him, like, we kind of, in this weird, I don't know if you ever read the epic of Gilgamesh or. I haven't. Yeah, like, okay, I went to a school in which you had to read all this Greek ideology. I was probably supposed to read it. I just didn't. We went deep on, like, you know, the Odyssey. and like all the Greek mythology stuff when, you know, you're listening to hip hop back then.

You want to know more about Africa, not Greek starting a modern culture. But I thought we were supposed to be like this old brothers in arms thing. Like, okay, we're going to start a movement and take one step at a time together and do this movement. And I held up my end of the deal, you know. Like, no one takes a year off from their momentum. to go and help someone else. Like the year that I took off

was the year that we won the Grammy. We finally broke through the other side. Like that should have been the year. We cashed in and kept the momentum going of the success that we got. And instead, you know, much of the band's the grin, they were not happy with me.

Right. And taking off an entire year. But I did it because I knew that was history and I wanted to be a part of history. And so he got offended that I was like, well, you can't say that I'm selling out when you abandoned our movement. And so that was a hard kind of first few days where even when we were jamming with each other, it wasn't the same.

Like we exchanged those words and then we start playing a groove. And he's just like going through the motions. And I'm not really there. And I'm like, man, something better happen. I was all right, 3 a.m. I'm going to leave. That's 3 a.m. All right. 3.15. If it doesn't happen, I'm a leave. And the craziest thing happened.

I said, all right, let me just take a break. And then we'll come back and just one more time. We're going to try this thing. And if it doesn't work this time, then it's an end of an era. And so I happened to go into the break room. and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air was on Nick at Night. It was an episode where Carlton

was doing the Carlton, right? And earlier, D-E had played me Sugar Daddy. And that made me mad because, damn, the funkiest shit on this record, and I'm not on this record. I'm not on Sugar Daddy. And so that was fucking with me. Because he's like playing it

and, like, move his head and shit. Stank faces. Like he's the only motherfucker I know that gets high on his own supply. Like his level of funk moves him. Like when he hears his shit, he feels that shit. And I have to act like I like it. Woo. That's dope.

You have to not feel the self-denial part of it. Yeah, because I'm like, wait a minute. Are you playing this for me because you want me to drum on this thing? Or you just show me that you moved on without. me. And so, you know, once he told me the story that Bill Withers drummer, James Gapson, who is, I mean, my idol. He is like, just his entire resume is just mind-blowing. He tells the story that James Gatson heard the groove for Sugar Daddy on Black Messiah. And he says, all right, play the song back for me. And he goes to the booth, puts the headphones on. He's just trying

and figure out what he would do. So he starts doing this. Like, then he picks up as a six, he's like, all right, I'm ready to go. And they're like, no, that was it. Thank you.

And he's like, no, no, no. I was just hitting my lap. Like, oh. They're like, that was perfect. James Gadsden never played the drums because just the whole handbone sound of

the claps and Sugar Daddy was enough for DeAngelo. And I was like, well, damn, that's an incredible. incredible story. So I definitely know I'm not drumming on this song. And so the whole time, like I feel like an outcast, like not only am I getting judged for a career move I did, but now you're just flaunting in me that you got someone else that's my idol from my childhood. And,

you know, I got I got someone better, like that sort of thing. And so in my mind, I'm like, well, this is probably going to be the funky song on the record. So I immediately went back to Prince language. And I said, if this is Sheila E's album, this song is a Love Bazaar. And if you're a Prince fan and you listen to Sheila E's record, Love Bazaar is third on that album. But for me, the way that my mind thinks in terms of sequencing, Love Bazaar really starts with the second song,

which is Dear Michael Angelo, which is a song that people ignore. But if you are an album person, you know, what's happening next. It's almost like knowing that Billy Jean's going to come right after beat it or that human nature is going to come at. You can't separate the positioning of other songs and how you judge an album. Scott Pageer into scenario. Exactly.

We don't treat what as its own song. What is just a movie trailer? Oh, what instead of Scott Page of my bad. Right, right, right. So basically what is an incredible song. But it's a prelude. But in your mind, you know you got three minutes to do what you got to do. So that when scenario comes on, you're all in.

And I've never listened to what on its own without expecting what tick a what. Do do do. Right. In my mind, this is how calculating I am and how petty I am. I said, okay, okay, I need to get in front of this train. Whatever song comes before Sugar Daddy, I need to be on that song. I got to create the dear Michael Angelo that comes right before Love Bazaar. And so I'm back on the drum set, and I'm thinking of, Proughton doing this dance.

So I said, okay, I'm going to take you out your comfort zone, D. I'm not going to do no head knotting Dill of shit. And I started playing this thing on the TomTom. I'm not even looking at Dee on the piano. I'm just, in my mind, I'm trying to imagine people in the audience, black people doing the Carlton or like, like I want this shit to sound like Fleetwood Mac shit with some oomph to it. And I don't know how I've forced the will,

but this is how the song Shared got made, which I was like, I got to be the song that's, right before Sugar Daddy so that I can territorial piss. And then when I'm done, okay, James Gadsden, come in with your little handslap. So, you know, all that's to say is that back to his hospital bed, yeah, like, I just wondered, was he going to judge what became of my life? You know, because I became so professional. To them, I was a professional, you know. Look at what you use your profession to do.

though. Summer or soul and the slides don't. Like, you know what I'm saying? It's using your profession to advance the same shit that everybody knows is fly, though. You know what I'm saying? Like, I don't know. I feel like that's a different way to go about it. It is. Like some sellout

shit, you know? I know, but, you know, I think there's this mind state that when we're in this rock and roll lifestyle or whatever it is, that it's supposed to be debauchrous. It's supposed to be hedonistic. It's supposed to be, watch the Lenny Kravitz, where are we running video? That's a great example.

Look at where are we running from Lenny Kravitz. And for most people, that's what the rock star is supposed to be like. Like a bottle jack in your hands. You know, it's supposed to be irresponsible. And if you're responsible, then you're seen as a suit or whatever. So, you know, that said, I'm in a. position in which I don't think of myself as like the privilege 1% or whatever like people think the monopoly whatever the monocule monopoly guy is like the feet up on the desk I'm not that person

but I'm also not the guy who's count of change so that Tariq and I can split a bag of famous Amos cookies and a half gallon of orange juice while we watch do the right thing for the 20th time in the living room. But, you know, I will say that the conversation was, you know, he was proud of what my life had become. That's good. And so, you know, anyway, I realized that maybe for the first 50 minutes of this podcast, it wound up being your podcast. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clever Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits. the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes,

creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me

or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me?

The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo.

My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with him one day. And I was like, and dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through, and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved.

And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head again, the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that.

There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar.

This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth.

You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct? I doctored the test once. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Gregalespian and Michael Marantini.

My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. So I want to know from you, new friend. What is your general morning routine? I make my little healthy breakfast. It's strawberries, blackberries, yogurt, and pecans and a bowl. And I have coffee. And I do wordle. And then speaking of Barman, is he also sending you his custom word awards now?

No, I don't think so. I don't, I don't think I've gotten a custom wordle. He sends me a lot of wraps. Okay. So now that wordle is almost at the bottom of the barrel with five letter words, they probably, I believe, at the top of 2000 and 27, they will have going through every. Five-letter word that's not a proper noun. I mean, you know, Frank is a proper noun and Trump is a problem. You know what I mean?

But so now they're figuring out new ways to deliver wordle. So now you can make up your own wordle clue and hand it to your people's. Right. I did see that functionality, but I haven't used it. Yeah. Barman's already on it. So you are conscious of your health. I've had to be, man, because in the pandemic, so right at the beginning of it, I also got divorced.

So suddenly, as an adult, I'm really living on my own for the first time, too, other than when I have my son. Right. I looked up one day and stepped on a scale and saw a number I couldn't even believe. Like, I couldn't even, like, I couldn't believe that my body could do that. That much bread? I mean, that much everything. At that time, what I was eating for breakfast was like a fried chicken sausage sandwich in a English muffin and an, an egg and a, you know what I'm saying?

And I had a little fruit buy it, so I thought I was doing something. But, like, I just wasn't paying attention how I was eating. I didn't know how to cook. I was eating a bunch of frozen shit. I was eating takeout all the time. And I wasn't really being active. So, you know, I look at the what it happened was that I did with, like, L.P. Or that I did with Dante Ross.

And, yeah. And, yeah, I'm like, my neck is, like, two times wider than it's supposed to be. Right. And, you know, and I remember what my body looked like then, too. But, you know, I started being more health conscious when I saw that number. And so it drastically changed how I eat because I actually started to learn about food and shit, you know. So you rhymed about being 45 on the new album. You're 45 right now.

I turn 45 tomorrow. God damn. Literally tomorrow. Okay. All right. Well, happy, by the time is there, you will have been 45. Of course, of course. Thank you.

Do you feel like there's an unspoken pandemic? happening with anyone that's in the rap game and their inability to get past the age of 50. I think I need you to say a little bit more about that because my mind can interpret that a few different ways. Okay, so my girl once kind of joked that, you know, there was a point where follow me on Instagram was very depressing because she said that your Instagram is basically a digital morgue. Yeah, okay. And I was, you know, I was kind of in denial.

I was like, let me look. And then when I looked, I was like, wow, okay. Well, what I stopped doing was, you know, in normal times, you know, 2014, 15, 16, whatever, you know, in like the first five years in Instagram, of course, I'm going to like, hey, my favorite bowl of cereal or I got this new drum set. Mundane sort of shit. And somehow my thing just became more concentrated about, like, things that I'm obligated to post and things that, you know, but most importantly, because I didn't want history to be lost, yeah, I will talk about this MC passing away and that MC passed away and this drummer passed away and this musician passing away. And there was one point where there was more death posts than there were just regular life post.

I wonder just in general, because of a lot of your subject. matters of just like like when you rhyme I feel like I'm listening to the inside thoughts of your head. Of course. You know, it's not exterior rhymes. It's not about

I'm the best at my craft and I'll take all you... It used to be that. It used to be that. Right. But I'm saying that as far as your evolution is concerned, I clearly feel that all your rhymes are coming from what your inner voice is saying. Yeah, it's one part of my mind talking to the other part.

Yeah, like internal conversations. Yeah, five parts of our brain, alpha, beta, theta, data, and gamma. And I feel like those four kind of like inside out. Right. Like they're Pixar's inside out. And so in general, I'll ask you, like, during this time period, is this a thought or concern of you? Have you ever said when I'm 60, when I'm 70? I don't know.

I don't have kids. So I think maybe when you have a kid, you have a purpose. There is a sort of force of will to me that feels like it shifts into automatic once you do have a child. But I don't know if that serves true for everybody. But certainly there's many people who have kids who you also feel like that will to exist has not necessarily continued on. But I did feel that shift personally that there was a certain offloading of desire to exist just for myself. But to also make sure that this being that I care about more than anything in the world. is also provided for and that I'm here for him, you know.

So for you, it's just the second he came on earth and you just felt like, it changed everything. It really did. It really did change. It put everything that I did in a different context. But the hard part about that is that it puts my mistakes in a different context, too. Like I had a couple, like a couple years ago, maybe even just over a year ago, I was like the broke as I've ever been in my life.

And it had me questioned in my life. my life choices existentially because it's like, yeah, I have lived so many of my dreams, but what does it matter if I have nothing to provide for my child? You know what I'm saying? Like what is he? He's 16. Okay. You know, like what is the value of having lived one's dream if that only adds up to $17 and

you have a mouth to feed? You know what I'm saying? It's like those, it's a different way of looking at everything I've been able to. to accomplish. Not that, you know, of course, success and money aren't always hand in hand, but specifically in the context of how having a child makes you examine the things you've done and the choices you make, you know. All right.

I almost feel like this would be a private conversation, but I want you to, no, I want you to stay here because for me, one of the biggest fears I have in life is becoming a father. Fear. And I'm not a father. and I have kicked that can down the road. All right. When I'm 33, I'm ready. All right.

I'm 36. And all it takes is just like a day with one of the Roots kids for me to be like, nope, I'm good. I'm good. I'll wait till I'm 41. All right. 45. I'll wait till then.

And it's time to shit and get off the pot. This is the first time I'm asking these questions. I can't believe I'm using my own platform to ask you. questions. So what was the feeling 16 years ago? I mean, I was in a very stable partnership with a very stable person. The only instability was really me and my artistic endeavors and the risks involved in that. And I certainly thought with all of my cells, right, that in that year, like when I was living that year of 2008, 2009, that this is, I'm committing to this future. Like, this is, this is the partnership I'm going to be in for the rest of my life.

So this is the perfect time to bring a child into the world. Am I allowed to ask, did you plan or just have? Yeah, we planned. Okay. Did you feel like you were ready? Because in my mind, I always felt like, okay, I got to make this amount of money and I got to have these projects done and everything. And then, then I'm ready. Or is it just a thing where you just jump in the water and?

I mean, there was a little jump in the water. Like I said, like my partner at the time was in a very stable, like, rock solid place. And I still had a lot to figure out career-wise. Like, at that point, I honestly didn't know if I was going to be able to successfully make a career out of music or not. But I was like, if not, then I'll just get another day job because I always had day jobs up until that point. And when confronted with those thoughts of, I don't know if I could do this, what I will always do is just look around and remember that like almost every adult in my purview and this is just people in my circles, people at the grocery store, whatever. Like a very small number of these people were planned. Like all of these people were babies once and very, very few of them were planned.

And it just reminds you to just like as a species, we've just been doing this. We've been doing this for thousands of years. Like, we know how to do it. We know how to take care of kids. We know how to put our lives in a position where if we give a shit enough to do this, we'll figure it out, you know? Like, that was a thought that comforted me a lot. Like, yeah, I'm looking on, I'm looking at NBA on TNT.

I'm like, damn, Shaquille O'Neal was somebody's baby once. Like, that's crazy. You know what I'm saying? But like literally all of us were in that position and very few of us were in that position in the most ideal circumstances. Like that's not how it goes. Like we all have sex and then people have kids and then people figure it out. I was a child of the 80s crack era.

My mom got in a lot of trouble when I was young. My grandparents raised me. You know, shit happened to me. Shit happened to all the kids that I know. And I've had to check myself a lot and make. and making sure that I wasn't being overprotective of my son in ways that didn't even make any sense. Like, you know, he's in a different circumstance than I was in so many ways. Like, not only in-

Is he in L.A. with you now? Like, where- Yeah, he's in L.A. He's in L.A. Like, he goes to school in Culver City. Like, it's not the south side of Chicago in the late 80s. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's a different environment.

There's threats, but there's, they're very different. And I'm not necessarily like my fears aren't going to prepare him for the environment that he's in right now. You know what I'm saying? It doesn't translate. Like, so I'm always monitoring for dangers that I am aware of. What does a father look out for or worry about in 2025? The internet. Or a 16 year old kid.

The internet. Oh, damn. I didn't even think about that shit. The internet. Like the internet, who he's playing. I mean, it all goes back to the internet because it can be social media. It can be who he's playing online games with. You know what I'm saying?

Like you got to look out for people on Roblox. And, you know, like, what's Roblox? Roblox is a, it's a game engine, but it's a closed sort of economy where you, like, a bunch of people make different types of games in Roblox. But predators go crazy in there, grooming kids on Roblox. Like, it's a very serious thing. Like, you know, you can, you can enact protections to make sure that, you know, things are as safe as possible. but it's just such a Wild West part of gaming that like predators have really taken a hold of that spot. And dog, I literally thought the only thing I have to worry about is sending them to the store to get toilet paper or buy flour or I didn't even fathom or think about that part of life.

Yeah, that's that's the, that's the part. And like all of my fears, you know what I'm saying? All of the ghetto myths we used to make up. Like that's always so interesting to me to think about like, we used to make up villains in the hood. You know what I'm saying? And they were reflective of real things, but we used to like tell, like, it's almost like ghost stories about shit that would happen to you. Like, and that was the way we sort of knew how to stay safe or whatever. But like, yeah, like it don't translate to now.

And I think being very mindful of, you know, your kids not having accounts on things, you know, trying to control the screen time and all. that shit is really important. Like, it's really important. So a new 15-year-old just enter my life right now in terms of mentorship. And, you know, their parents sort of expressed a concern or fear of like, explaining like, this is the most dangerous times of a life. For me, that dangerous time was seven to nine. Like, you know, the whole don't take candy from a stranger. Don't, right. You know, but. But you know, what that's reflective of, too, is that when we were younger, We used to go out by ourselves more. Right. And that's not really a thing that happens now. So society has sort of changed on that level too. Like I'm not, I never sent my son to the store when he was nine or ten by himself to do anything. Like this is like, and if he had been seen walking around my neighborhood or his mom's neighborhood at that age, it would have looked crazy. Really? Yeah. Really? I think so. Like, I think kids walking around with other.

kids, that's one thing. But I'm just saying like a third, fourth grader walking around solo, I don't see that much out here. Then I'm the most blessed human being on earth because like starting in third grade by myself, I would take the trolley, the subway, and another train to go to school, circle back by myself. I did a lot of that too when I was younger. But I think that if I sent my kid out into the world now the way I was sent out into the world, it would look crazy. So this is one of the adjustment things that I thought was normal in the 70s and 80s, like a carpal punishment. Right. We all thought. I think it's similar to that. Like that sort of shit. We all thought that was normal. Yeah. Okay. Got it. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win.

I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the fourth. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career, in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw,

unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music.

The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right what you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl.

You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. and Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me?

The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone, I'm Ago Wodom.

My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, who, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day. And I was like, and Dad, I think I want to really give this a shot. I don't know what that means. But I just know the groundlings.

I'm working my way up through. And I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you. Which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall

and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be. be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right. It wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story.

This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in so much, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing.

Gregalespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona.

Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. To our listeners out there, I really apologize. I will try to sneak in Mike's profession, but I told you guys at the beginning that the format of the show is going to be way different than just like your first musical memory. What was your first memory in life? I want to say it was walking into my grandmother's apartment when I was like, I had to be. three or four or something like that. And, and, but the reason I would remember it is because it became where I lived. You know, so I feel like it was my first time walking into what would become my, my childhood home.

And, and, and this blew my mind when I did your podcast, could you share with the audience the first rap song you ever heard in your life? Oh, my mom, I got in a car. Remember I told you, my mom got in some trouble because she was, she was an 80s kind of party girl, so. How old was she when she had you? Oh, I don't even know if I know how to do that math, but I would say it had to be early 20s. Okay. I had to be early 20s. Okay.

I got in her car because this is one of the days. I wasn't living with her, but she picked me up from school that day. We were staying at her house for the weekend. Right. This was first grade. I get in her car and she's playing EasyE. I distinctly remember hearing We Want Easy. And I remember hearing, is it nobody move, nobody get hurt?

Yes. Those are those are the two songs that I. I remember because I just couldn't wrap my head around like the bank robbery. Yes, the process by which this was happening. Like I didn't know how to deal with it. Like, I'm in my mother's car. I'm hearing music with curse words in it that doesn't. It's like it made me feel like if I was in a movie and it would have been a part

where she would have covered my eyes, but like she's just playing it. And this guy's voice sounds funny. Like I can't even tell if he's like a serious person or not. Sounds like a cartoon. Yeah, it was incredibly entertaining to me. And I'm just sitting here like wide-eyed and slack jaw, like not even knowing how to engage with this. And that was the first rap music I ever heard in my life. At 10 years old, what do you remember about Chicago?

So that's when I'm going to Drake Elementary School, which doesn't exist anymore, but it was a school in the middle of the projects. One of my craziest memories from that school is that we had a kid who transferred in. It seemed like a generally cool kid, got along with everybody. he was leaning back in his chair one day in the back of the class and we all heard a crash and everybody started laughing because he had fell. But then he like didn't get up and then they took him to the hospital. And I still don't understand these words. But the teacher told us that they were told that this little boy, because he went, he was living in the projects immediately surrounding the school. This little boy had a system full of cocaine when he went to the hospital.

And they were saying they don't know if he had. an older sibling or something or a parent who was dealing, but like it, like, it, like, hit shit just completely, like an overdose, basically for a child. And so that week, all of our curriculum was thrown out of the window. And we just had like, uh, dare. Like, it was like dare programming, like all week long. When I first visited Chicago, I mean, we were taught to fear Chicago. And really a lot of these one-stop shops, you know, when you're first promoting your record and all that stuff, you got to go to Georgia's record shop and all this stuff.

And we were just told, like, Chicago has more projects per capita, like, you know, Cabrini Greens right there and Oprah's penthouse is right there. Like, it was amongst each other. So in general, are you walking around like it's normal or are you consumed with any second you could be out of here? So it felt very normal to me, but I could tell it to the adults of my life it wasn't very normal.

Like I could tell it to my grandparents it wasn't very normal. Like we would hear gunshots outside of our building and they would tell us to get low. But like you could see that it was like very frustrating to them. You know what I'm saying? Like we didn't live in the projects.

We lived in a, you know, a set of high rises that were very close to another set of projects. So for us it was normal Like hearing gunshots Like crime Like you know crack heads Crack heads

We had you know like Drug addicts in our family And seeing your auntie turn into something else That was very normal But when I when I look back on it It seems crazy And like I feel like even now it would be nuts To see some of the stuff that we saw

But at the time it did feel normal It didn't feel like I used to come to California you a lot too. My dad always lived out here. Okay. But it never felt like super crazier than LA to me. If I think of my childhood, I miss it and reminisce it. Often I go back. I'll rent a car just to drive in Philly. Yeah. And just sit on the corner. No specific destination. I'll just sit in front of my grandmother's house. Never get out the car. But just like, I've done that in Chicago. Wonder, like, just see old ghost pass by. For you, like, do you have, you have,

fond memories of what I would assume is one of the most dangerous times in Chicago. Absolutely, because it was my childhood. You know what I'm saying? Like, it was my childhood. Now, you know, because of all of that, and it's funny because it reminds me of the pandemic in a way, because of all of the hurricane, the bullshit I grew up in, I was in a house a lot. So, you know, the boomboxes and all of that shit, the stereos, like, that's all.

Like, I'm trying to, like, reclaim. memories of shit that was in my house that I grew up in and I felt very safe in, you know, like my fond memories are around like playing Nintendo, you know what I'm saying? Or like certain parts of episodes of the Cosby Show, you know, like, you know, it was earlier we were talking about you said, uh, the Epic of Gilgillemass and in my head, I'm like Cleland notes. You know what I'm saying? Yes, yes, the Cosby Show version of the Cliff note.

Like that type of stuff. Oh, my God. that episode. Or you end up on the street, or you end up on the street, when they did that rhyme. Like that type of shit, MTV at that time,

Nickelodeon at that time. Like, that's a lot of shit. Like when I live stream, sometimes I just find like hour long blocks of time people have uploaded from, you know, MTV,

1991. And while I just play that and react to it just because it takes me back to that place. Like a lot of that media is so important to me. Did you ever dream of,

escaping it. I think I did escape it, but that's how I escaped it was through the media, through music, you know what I'm saying? Like, through the music in my headphones. Like, that's, I know it's fucked up when I say this, but it's the truth for me. It's why I never really got excited or could fuck with gangster rap, because it always sounded like the shit going on outside my window. And I had enough of that shit, like trying to go to school. You know what I'm saying? I had enough of that shit. It wasn't funny to me. It wasn't cute to me. Like, like, and we were talking about EZE, but that felt like, like more of an abstracted sort of cartoonist version of it.

But like real serious gangster rap, I had zero appetite for that shit. Zero. I think that music was created for those that vicariously wanted to know what we were like without having to physically come in and experience it. The voyeur experience, you know. But I've known a lot of people even, you know, in those environments that really connected to that. because that's what felt authentic and real.

And they wanted music that reflected outside. I just never wanted that. But that's why I think that's the answer to your question, because to me, the escapism was always like, what sounds different than this? What looks different than this, you know? So I have a theory that, you know, once 1997 came, 1997, really 92,

but it came to fruition in 97 in which I felt that there was these lines drawn in the sand, where suddenly now there are successful rappers, A-list rappers, privileged A-list successful rappers. And then to my left, you know, they're the underground backpack rappers, you know, the subculture, the abyss, the below underground. And then there's the middle ground.

Right. Kind of person that has their foot in both of these things. you know in general do you still feel the apartheid effect of you know like if you were to meet a playboy cardi right now even though look i understand the age difference and all those things right right right right right like is it still the three-way civil war apartheid that i felt it was back in 96 97 i mean you saying you felt it was i'm telling you on the ground it definitely was that. Now, part of it was marketing that we bought into, but it was serious for us. Like, I was part of the kids that was ciphering on the corner. Like, so when something like soundbombing or

Lyricist's lounge came out, I was like, oh, this is for me. This is for us. This is our shit, right? Like, so that and then how the roots of that spin, not intended, but the roots of that sprang up and, you know, you get, you get most deaf and quali and they're messing with y'all and common. So, like, there's there's a sort of line to be drawn you know, like back to the underground. But did you know that you were choosing the dwebes? Did you know that you were choosing the losers?

Yo, I was in high school. Like I was in high school. I was in high school in Chicago where like there were enormous philosophical sometimes heated debates about Biggie versus Pock and I was part of the crew that was like

fuck both of them. We don't listen to none of that shit. We was listening to the like early MF Doom and cool Keith and you know, Dr. Octagon. Like like and really we were rapping. We were underground. Of course we were the dweeps. Like that was us. You know what I'm saying?

And if you fast forward to now, I think what I often have to be careful of is not bringing those old dichotomies that I have learned. I had to undo the marketing part of it. Like I had to undo the fact that like a lot of these were artists, signed to different offices within the same building. And, you know, they were pointing back at us saying that this is the real shit and this is the popular shit, but they was making the same money either way. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I have to like investigate a lot of that and make sure that I'm not bringing a lot of that with me because one thing that I've learned is very clear is that the audience doesn't separate them. The audience, like listeners, hip hop fans, these. days, they fuck with everything. They don't mean that they like every artist, but they're not going to not listen to somebody because they're underground. They're not going to not listen to somebody because they're mainstream or because they're

popular. This is where we might differ. I'm under the impression based on just the early internet reaction or just, you know, it could be just the seven people that would catch me at the diner after show in Denver. or me put my crates back in the car after a gig in, you know, Houston or something, I was under the impression that a big part of our success was, it's one thing to be chosen. Like, I choose you.

Like, I choose to listen to open mic, but I was finding out that a big part of our fan base or the attendees was more like, no man I hate blah blah blah blah which kind of makes me feel like oh well you're the only one left it would be like you know when I was a kid there's nothing worse than being the last person chosen

for anything a sporting dodge ball team or whatever right all right ameer you know and sometimes I felt like that like I do think it was different but I'm but this is what I'm saying the marketing was in effect then.

But, right, if you look at, let's look at Dr. MC, would anybody be surprised to see him on a song with Jay Z or Jay Cole or, you know, Drayton, people still liked him or Kendrick or anybody? Like, is there, like, maybe thought and Cardi is a little too far, right? But that's more of a stylistic thing than like a popularity thing. You know what I'm saying? Like, like, like, you know, Cardi literally mumbles, you know what I'm saying? thought literally elicutes better than anyone.

So, you know, so I think that, of course, is a bridge maybe too far. But I think in terms of the, there used to be a stratifying based on popularity, you know, like, you know, you look at the what they do video, y'all going at the images of rappers who were popular. You know what I'm saying? When I feel like popularity doesn't play that much of a part in what listeners are choosing these days. Not as much anyway. I think there's a lot less separation these days. I think there's a lot less separation these days than there used to be. So are you saying that you

have hope? I'm saying that I'm seeing out there in the trenches that it ain't like it used to be. That that don't necessarily mean it's better, but it ain't like it used to be. Okay. That'll help. Look, I promise that we're going to have a professional conversation one day. Sure. Or let's have three to five unprofessional ones in between then. The half of the audience that stayed for this conversation. Oh, no, I think they're locked in. This conversation is almost close to what a therapy session is like for me.

I believe that. My general belief in, and I hate just pigeonholing the term hip hop because it sounds so limiting. But, okay, I'll take it out of hip hop. I believe that the voice is the most important element of anyone worth their grain of salt. The voice is the thing that pulls you in. And you have a voice that is like, and I, I, I don't know how to explain it, but it's almost like a safe space of that of like a therapist or a psychologist. Well, I'll tell you this.

I do have a bachelor's degree in psychology now. And at one point, that was going to be my life path. But why didn't you just do the extra four years and become a doctor? Because I moved to L.A. and got married and had a kid and started making rap music instead. It was, it's, that's a whole, that's a whole other side story. But I, I, I hesitate to even say that because it's not something that I do on purpose, but I genuinely like talking and like listening to people. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I genuinely enjoy it. Like, it's just, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Even on my own podcast, I wound up, like, this is a confessional. I think I said five things that my producers are like, wait a minute. He never said that before. Like, you know, so. Damn, you got me.

Connecting is important, man. I just think it's important. And I think it's important. I think it's also important for people to hear people connecting. That I do believe, which is this new format that we're on. It's going to take people to get used to this. I sure will. You know, I did this episode with Willow Smith once.

I didn't realize how cathartic that felt. I've never, I rarely have done. like one-on-one episodes and you know kind of the impetus of the old Quest Love Supreme was sort of like my ongoing hiding in plain sight things interesting well i got fonte here and i got light you got the cast characters yeah you know it's like d'angelo in the background you know voices i always told him like you do all these intricate background things so that you don't have to face the people like you're somewhere back here, but all the music and all this other stuff and, you know, are distraction. Yeah.

Yeah. And having that high of that, that first high of the cathartic healing that it felt to have a conversation, because these are things that I, I don't do that often. Like, this will probably be the first two-hour conversation I've had with someone this month, which is more of a- I mean, probably same here now that I think of it. I mean, who has two hours these days? So, Mike, before I let you go, I definitely want to talk about Neighborhood God's Unlimited.

First of all, can you just talk to me about the process of your creativity? Like, when you are at the beginning of a project, are you one of these artists who just sort of does things by the daily and then throughout time, there maybe 25 songs sitting around, and then you have to figure out which of the batch can fit this. Or do you have a concept in mind before you release it out to the world? To me, it's a little bit of a hybrid situation where typically what I'll do is I'll start making songs. I'll get like five or six songs in and then I'll start to understand what I'm trying to say with this music.

And then I'm like, oh, this is what I'm trying to talk about. And then I sort of like finish the project. You know what I'm saying? And I say finished, but I might only be like a third end when I sort of, when the, the theme or the narrative or whatever I'm trying to do really emerges for me. And then I sort of take that through the rest of it, you know. Okay. So what is what is your theory with neighborhood gods unlimited then? Like, what's your?

I mean, this is a story, like it's a trauma story about what trauma does in a lot of cases and shatter, shatter a person into a bunch of little pieces, right? This is a story of somebody trying to put themselves back together, but going about it the wrong way. And then that sort of sets the table for everything that happens in this album, one way or another. How do you deal with trauma in 2025? I mean, I have to give all praise due to my therapist, man. I really do. And I went through a lot of therapists in my life, but I had to find one that was specifically trauma focused because nobody. else is going to be able to get around all of my verbal bullshit that I do to make everything

makes sense in my mind. You know what I'm saying? Like somebody has to be trained in trauma therapy for me to like get outside of myself and actually see, you know, what I'm saying, what I'm doing, the choices that I'm making and be able to actually like start to reintegrate. Kind of under the impression that all therapists should be prepared for trauma. In other words, like, I think preparation, but like there are a specific avidavit. news of therapy that are built around dealing with trauma. And it's not just like cognitive behavioral

therapy or this or that. It's like, this is trauma therapy. People do like EMDR, like that sort of stuff. Like these are particular trauma centered approaches to dealing with therapy. And so in terms of connecting, is this more of just a cathartic exercise for you? Do you like what's your general fan base? because again, as I stated, I feel like you are rhyming from the inside of your head, the thoughts in your head and, you know, your courses sound like affirmations. So it's almost like I hear you actively working it out.

In general, when you are performing or just getting general feedback of it, like what's the reaction as far as like the connection? It's interesting. I feel like people that enjoy it, because there's obviously people who aren't, who don't, but the people that do, they can enjoy it on a bunch of levels or different levels. Like, some people just like, like you say, people just like how my voice sounds. Some people like the ways the choruses are.

Some people like the sort of beat choices that I make. And some people get really, really deep into trying to unpack the story of the album and dig really deep into it. Now, that's what I'm always most pleased by. but I understand that that's asking a lot of a rap listener to like try to put a puzzle together. But to me like that's like the work that most interests me from other people from like film directors, authors, whatever. Like it does that. Like it doesn't necessarily handholds you through the entire process. You know, like it asks you to like jump in here, make an impression, make an interpretation and see where you land.

I want to know like are you a night person? creating this, are you a morning person? If we weren't podcasting right now, would you be... I have another podcast that I usually tape during this time. Oh, I'm sorry. No, no, no, don't apologize. I mean, actually, we don't even podcast here. We have, like, a planning meeting we usually do during this time.

Got it. But, like, typically this part of my morning, just about every day is me sitting in this room talking on this microphone for one reason or another. and so I tend to work on my creative works after this into the afternoon. And then when I have my son, I'm going to pick him up from school, and we have an evening. And when I don't have him, I might be working all night. Speaking of podcasting, can we expect anything? Well, wait, how many do you have so far besides?

How many podcasts do I have? Okay, what had happened was in Pass Due, those are the only two, like, active ones right now. Paz do as a podcast I do with Anna Marie Cox where we talk to creators about like their financial realities. So that's like a whole different beast. And then, you know, I'm cooking something else. I'm cooking something else that, you know, y'all might hear about in association with the family over here. Can we talk about it? So, you know, I'm working on this podcast called, well, the working title is called the album to change my life.

Mm-hmm. where I interview people from all walks to life about the music that changed them, the music that sticks with them, their favorite music ever. And the way that the show is constructed will have somebody involved in that project there in the conversation too. And we think it'll give an interesting insight into the person that we're talking to and that music. And I'm really excited to start digging into that. All right, dare I ask, can you give us a pre?

What is the album that changed your life? See, but is it the album that changed your life or is it your favorite album? I think for different guests, it'll be a different answer, like what I would go with. Like, if I was the guest and not the host, I would just say Midnight Marauders and, you know what I'm saying? And I would talk to anybody from Midnight Marauders,

you know, whether it be a Q-tip or Bob Power or, you know, Ali or whoever we could talk to. It'd be that sort of configuration. I'm not saying we got nothing like that in the can. I don't want people getting too excited, but that's where we aim it. Okay. We got to aim high if we're doing this. Exactly.

100%. Well, thank you, brother. I really appreciate you probably the most unusual episode of QLS. And, you know, I will let our audience know that selfishly I decided to use Mike's episode as my own therapy session. because I think we're all the better for it. It's always a pleasure to talk to you, and I feel privileged to peel some of the layers back in either direction. You know what I'm saying?

And actually, you know, forge a relationship, you know what I'm saying? Because I think that's really important. It has to happen. Well, thank you, brother. I appreciate it. Thank you. Open Mike Eagle. This is QLS, and I will see you on the next go-round.

The Questlove show is hosted by. Me, Amir Kwestlove Thompson. The executive producers are Sean G. Brian Calhoun and me. Produced by Brittany Benjamin and Jake Payne. Produced for IHeart by Noel Brown. Edited by Alex Conroy. IHart video support by Mark Canton.

Logos, graphics, and animation by Nick Palo. Additional support by Lance Coleman. Special thanks to Kathy Braun. Special thanks to Sugar Steve Mandel. Please subscribe, rate, review, and share the Questlove show wherever to stream your podcast. Make sure you follow us on socials. That's at QLS. Check out hundreds and hundreds of QLS episodes, including the Questlove Supreme

shows and our podcast archives. The Questlove show is a production of IHeart Radio. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits,

my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfilled of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

So let's get to it. Listen to The Cliford Show on the IHeard Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, Follow at Clifford and at TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest.

The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Ellen's, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg, a lesbian, Michael Mancini.

My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own. hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what

he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Everyone, I'm Eaglewood. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. He goes, Just give it a shot. But if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.