The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme Celebrates Womens History Month Part 1

Episode Date: March 12, 2025

In honor of Women's History Month, Questlove Supreme has gathered a series of clips reflecting achievements, experiences, and accomplishments by women. In Part 1 of this three-part series, listen back to excerpts from conversations with Rapsody, Sheila E., Faith Newman, and more—with some recent reflections from Questlove.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. 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, all. wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodam. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo.

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 out. 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 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 place. 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. Ellen's, right? 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 Gillespie and Michael Marencini. 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. Quest Love Supreme is a production.

of IHeart Radio. Welcome back to Questlove Supreme. It's March, and as this tradition, we are celebrating Women's History Month with some special programming drawing from the archives. This is part one. You know, kind of my positioning while I have a platform,

be it music, movies, be it podcasting, you know, it was always important to make sure that we write the wrong and give some agency to people who otherwise won't ever have that platform. And this is the lesson that I learned from Richard Nichols

back when we were developing the Black Lily jam sessions and making sure that there's a shout out to Laia, that there's a balanced voice. And, you know, especially in the early episodes, you can definitely hear her fighting for her space to get her words in, you know, edgewise, which is necessary, you know. And as history has shown us, women have been leading the way. And as a result, we should celebrate them. You know, it's unfortunate that we're all relegated one

month a year and it should be this way all year round. But definitely the history of a lot of our favorite artists, especially with the women that have come through QLS, is important to hear. It's important to know the history, and we will continue to elevate and escalate the stories. As we celebrate Women's History Month, one of the musicians who's done so much to elevate women in the last decade is, without a doubt, Rhapsody. The 2019 album Eve was inspired by women, black women specifically, with each of the 16 songs named after a figure of history. And in our QLS conversation, Rhapsody spoke about that album. and even before how the team at Rock Nation, including a strong female staff,

motivated her to partner that you should definitely check out the EVE Records Timeless album if you haven't, along with her new Grammy winning work, born, please don't cry. All right. So what was the process and the decision to roll with Rock Nation for your second album? We knew that, you know, as an indie label,

we can only do so much, like, budget and marketing wise and really getting the exposure that I wanted. So, you know, when we took the meeting with Rock, one, I'm a big J fan off gate. But walking into the building, and at the time, Shaka Pilgrin was the president, and you walk in and 50% of the staff of women, and it's so many different coaches. And we came in with Layla's wisdom, probably 80% done, and they didn't ask us to change a single thing. Wow. I was going to ask you that because you just... It was always, all right, what do y'all want to do?

would you envision like what are you thinking the music they never every eve they didn't ask to change or touch anything and so to me like the energy and just how much they love the culture it didn't seem like i've been at death jam i think in atlantic before but this was this was different this was all about culture and just music and they were really about growing with me like they wasn't pressure to have a radio single or it was just like you know we believe in you and your talent we just one and how can we help that's what it was so that's why how did you feel the morning that the nominations came out yeah and i don't know what was that feeling for you it's like your first phone call yo ninth was the first one that hit me because i was in l.a this was like five in the morning

so he hit me he was like yo you're you nominated you nominated uh was on two twice twice yeah so i was like yo what like yo to be nominated you know to be nominated but to even not be nominated twice. Like, that was crazy. So for me, it was just like, people were calling me. I couldn't even answer the phone. I had to just sit back and reflect like, yo, we're here. Like, this is a different bar.

To be recognized at the highest level of music of awards show and then not have no billboard hits and no platinum records and to be in a category with Jay Z and Kendrick Lamar at the same time. It's just like, man, that's crazy. Not have to change nothing, not even have to put on a tight dress. No. I cried a little bit, you know. But, yeah, I was thankful that I stayed the course, if anything.

So I have to say that your whole process of crafting the Eve album is just some amazing ass shit. You know, like, where did the idea even come from for crafting this album as a homage to the spirit of the black woman in America and the world and their effect? Like, where was the genesis and the seed born? Last summer, summer 2018, I was doing an interview for the Oxford. And this guy named Lamar Wilson, he was writing a piece on the lineage of Carolina musicians. And so he was connecting me with Nina Simone and Roberta Flatt. So, like, I was just like, yo, I never thought of me connecting with them in that way because we just seem like to, Like I just look, I put them up here.

Like, there's no way, like, we're reconnected. But the way he broke it down, like, you're both soulful, you know, you're both lyrical, you know, you both reflect the times and talk about what's going on in your storytellers. I was like, man, I never thought about it in that way. Like, I do come from their family tree. And it made me think, like, yo, when I do interviews and people say, who are you influenced by?

Yeah, I say Queen Latifah, M.C. Light, Lauren Hill. But I talk about Cicely Tyson. I talk about, I talk about Nikki Giovanni, you know, Maya, Angela. And I'm just like, man, when I think about who I am and who I'm inspired by, of course, you have your village, your mom, but there are so many black women that I look up to. And, too, it gave me a way creatively to show that there are so many different sides of me, too. You know, people like to say or kind of put me in a box sometimes based on the music that I make that, you know, we were in a studio one time, and the dude was like, yo, we thought, like, a party for y'all was just like burning incense and y'all listening to Badoo and all this. And I'm just like, bro, like, what are you talking about? Like, I grew up on Luke.

I listened to Go-Go growing up. Like, I'm from Snow Hill, North Carolina. Like, that's the sticks. Like, boom's fall. Like, we listen to everything. So there were so many sides of me. So it was like, this is a way where I could take a different woman to not only describe, like, my different personalities, but also talk about them and continue their legacies and say that we all are, we all come from a family tree.

I think after I did that interview, like, I went home. and I'd always want to do a song about being a tomboy, especially in this day and age, and what that looks like, and I did it, and because of the way I started the song when Aaliyah was alive, and I was like, I'm going to just call it Aaliyah, and as soon as I did that, it all just clicked.

Came together. Yeah, the conversation. It's like, oh, I got this song, Alia, I could do this with this, with this. Felicia Rashad taught me about motherly love. Nikki Giovanni taught me the power words and blackness. Like, I was, like, and the videos. Which I also feel are crucial components to the vision of that.

Like what were the concepts for the... Well, not the concepts, but, you know, as far as... Like, I personally want you to make a video almost for every song. I do, too. I'm trying to make it happen right now. We just did a feney. Not too long ago. Yeah, we did a feney.

I still want to add to it. It ain't all the way, right. Wait, so far you got a fiendie. What videos do you have for which? Oprah. Yeah, Oprah, Iephteh, Afini will be the third one. The next one I probably want to do, Cleo, Whoopi, Aalia Serena. I want to do one for every song.

I see it for everyone. So no problem putting this list together? Oh, the list putting the list. Well, now I'm curious about Earth a Kit, because I heard you mentioned an interview that you left Earth a Kid. Was it just for spacing on the album? Yeah, spacing. The first draft, we had 23 songs. You know, we knew, like, it's too long because people the day can't die.

I just music, you know. The same way. The same way. Like, they tap out. At first, I was going to do a part one and a part two. So sonically, you know, we have this one and the part two was going to be, it was going to be way more soulful and more boom-bap heavy. That was going to be like Felicia Rashad, DJ Spinderella.

She has a song. Who am I doing? So we are going to get a sequel. Harriet? I got, I got different ideas. That's all I'm saying. There's more music coming. I love you with the Sojourner.

route and you said I'm not going to do the Harriet so I was like maybe there's a yeah I was I was like Harry's the journey which one do I name it but yeah so but there's I did like 40 women as far as where you are right now like what do you feel that your goals are like do you have do you have a five year plan as far as like this point from now like developing other acts or like just make more music or definitely make more music. I think it's a foundation of everything, but I want to expand artistically because, you know, the way I write, like, I want to get into not only writing songs, but I want to write films. I want to get behind the camera and produce documentaries. I was in the

rock office with Tata today. He was like, rap. You need rights for our beat, pop records. Like, you know, so, you know, I definitely want to try it. Like, I'm just like, let's try it and see what happens. Just, but just do a lot of more things artistically. I thought about starting a label. I don't know how I feel about that yet, but Lisa Hilton's son, Nico Brim, he's an MC so I'm helping it because you can produce his album. That'll be my first time like taking that role. Okay.

Yeah, just like really expand on that. But always putting out music. Giving back to what was given to you. Okay, I see that. That was Rhapsody, who worked with Jizzah on Eve. Next up is Sophia Chene. Sophia spent years managing to Jizzah. And Sophia, is a powerful woman in the industry.

I've known her for years with her association with the Bhutan clan. She speaks about that union and recalls an illustrating story of method man standing up for a woman towards somebody he seemingly came up with. All right. Here's Sophia. I think that I have a unique

lens into the universe because of who I am, but also who they allowed me to be. and how they let me come into their world. And I think that speaks volumes about them. I also manage, so I manage all three, three-letter members of Wu-Tang, ODB, RZA, and G-ZA.

I managed RZA, what I call his extracurricular activity. So I did not manage him as an MC and I did not manage him as a producer, but I managed him as a composer and then his beginnings, his transition into Hollywood. So for Kill Bill and knowing stuff. Yes. So his first gig composing was Ghost Dog. that was not me. That was Nemo, who was very close. I believe he's Jim Jarmer, which his nephew.

And Nemo brought Rizza into to Jim. And then I kind of picked it up from there. So it was Kill Bill and it was Blade and I believe he did Soulplane. So we did that stuff together. And he had already started writing and directing. But you know, the thing that I say about Rizza is he is truly living his childhood dream. So when I was a kid, I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to be a fashion designer. I never thought that I'd be doing this. And I love my life. but Riza as a child, growing up one of, I believe, 11 children of a single mother, growing up in the projects of Staten Island in Brooklyn, he watched Kung Fu movies. And he imagined and dreamt that he would one day direct. And now he's directing Kung Fu movies.

And he is writing them. And he is starring in them. And I actually don't know anybody else who had this vision. And he is truly a visionary from when he was a child. So managing Riza was a delight. Managing Jizzah was also incredible. I would say that Jizza was my favorite client because, and you know Jizzah like I do, he's incredibly low-key and he's so gracious.

And he is so magnanimous. And he doesn't want to be recognized and he doesn't want to be famous. He doesn't want to be any of those things. And he is so kind. And I really love managing him because he allowed me to transition him into lecturing. And not every client. client lets you do that, right? So somebody might say, I've thought about it, so, but I don't really want to do it because there's this thing I do and I'm so comfortable and I've been

doing it for decades and I'm getting paid. And I know how to do this. Whereas lecturing is very, very different. You're basically standing naked. There are no pyrotechnics. You don't have a hype man. There's no DJ. There's no lights. There's no sound. And your and your audience, they're not drunk. They're not high. Right? They're just all sitting there and they're looking at you and you're standing at a podium and you are speaking. And literally, the first place he lectured was Harvard. That's the Korean in me. And literally the first words out of his mouth were, I'm so nervous. And that's Jizzah. What? Yeah. He said that? Yeah. And you know what? I thought it'd be a. And you know what? I did the same thing with Joey Badass. And same,

he said the exact same thing. What was the, I'm just curious. What was Jizz's first lecture? So he spoke about his love of science. You know, he, like, Riz is deeply intellectually curious. He spoke about his love of science. He spoke about his inspiration and his creative process. Can you talk about real quick in the prolog? I had a moment. I had a moment. I had a moment where I was jealous of you in describing the relationship with Wu-Tang because of a situation that happened with Method Man and the guy Jamal. And I was jealous because as a woman who's been in the industry for years,

we all know what it's like, you know, you're telling beautiful stories. But at some points, being that woman in the room can be adversarial. It can be dismissive. Toxic masculinity. Disrespectful? No question. In that moment of no protection, right? Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if you want to reiterate that story, but also, in a way, I also wanted

you to tell the opposite of that story when it wasn't that protection there with Method Man. Right. I mean, so when I started doing A&R, I was insecure around it, right? I'm thinking I'm a Korean-Canadian French-lit major, and do I really deserve this job of being a gaykeeper and an arbiter of a culture, again, that is not my life? line, right? And so, but the way that hip hop embraced me was really fortifying and gave me a lot more confidence, but no, nothing more than when Wu-Tang claimed me. So it was very, very early on. I might have met meth once before. I go to the studio to see them. And he says, Sophie, you got to see,

I just got my video in for Method Man. And so he takes me to the back lounge, whips me past everybody, he takes me to the back lounge, and he sits me down and he plugs in the tape and he stands on the wall, doesn't sit with me, stands against the wall to watch me because he wants to see my response to the video. And sitting next to the television facing me, so this gentleman is not watching the screen, he's looking at me, as meth is,

is this guy Jamal. So the video plays and I'm super excited and I'm like, oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, because I'm already in love with meth. And so the video plays and as soon as the video ends, he looks at me and he says, where are you from? Now, anybody,

any person of color will tell you that's a load of question. If you ask a white person that, they're going to be like, oh, I'm from Columbus, right? Right. Or my, you know, my parents are whatever, but this is a loaded question. So I am a petite Asian woman in the inner, inner sanctum of Wu Tang's world. And it is clear to him, and I could see the calculations. It is clear to him, I'm not sleeping with any of those boys. He also knows that I don't manage any of them at this point. I don't ANR any of them. So who is this? And how did she get in? And again, to this day, when I'm around Wu-Tang, I am almost always the only woman in the room. And that's a very privileged place where I sit. So he keeps, and so I feign innocence,

and I say, well, what are you asking me? Where are you from? Well, I don't really know what that means. Where are you from? And then I broke and I said, okay, well, if you're asking where I was born, I was born in Vancouver. My parents are Korean. If you're asking where my parents are from there from you know korea if you're asking where i live but before i could even finish answering this in this very methodical way meth just flew in between us i don't know if you've ever met him in person he is six four and he is notoriously the nicest with his hands of the clan and yeah no no no no oh boy no he can they can all throw the fuck down yeah but meth and ghost forget about it so he flies in between us and he just expands like the hulk and he was like that's sophie

Chang and she's down with Wu Tang. She's from Shaolin motherfucker. Don't you ever! Who the fuck are you to ask her where she's from? Don't you ever disrespect her again? And I was like, oh my God. Now nobody had ever defended me like this

before. Ever. What a moment. I was so jealous. It was just this extraordinary moment. But so the demonstration was amazing, but to deconstructed and what I think I want people to understand is, he knew exactly what the fuck that guy was saying.

Do you know what I'm saying? He totally understood that there was a racial subtext to it and there was a gender subtext to it, right? He didn't give a shit where I was from because essentially he wasn't asking a question. He was saying, what the fuck are you? Who are you doing here? Who are you doing here?

Because you don't belong here. I belong here. You don't belong here. And, you know, again, wanting to tell people about the humanity of Wu-Tang. Now, meth is known this guy for, I'm sure, a long-ass time. This might be the second or third time he's met me. And his feeling was like, Nabi, we're not fucking doing that because she's ours. And what I say about Wu-Tang is that, look, I had several friendships in hip-hop

and enduring ones that I have to this day before Wu-Tang. I was embraced and I was welcomed, but Wu-Tang claimed me. That's special. So it's a thing that you're talking about. a mirror, right? So what I'm saying is that everybody knew that they were going to be huge. And there were hordes and hordes of people surrounding them. And for whatever reason, they just went like this. You're coming with us. We're keeping her right here. And I feel that way to this day that I will never, ever leave that breast pocket. Oh, boy. Okay. The Saida Garrett episode from 2017. That's one of my favorites. So we were wrapping the interview. And Laia asked a question about a t-shirt that showed how an amazing singer-songwriter is making a way for women to learn computer coding skills.

Like, because aren't you involved this t-shirt that you're wearing? Yeah, Black Girls Code. Yeah, can you just talk about that real quick? Yeah. Dude, I was at a graduation for some people that are learning code and learning how to impact technology through art and music and business. And we wanted to... This movement is to teach black girls that they can code their own computer games and they can program their own, they can compute themselves,

and they don't have to be young white boys to learn how to code and create your own video games and computer programs. Black girls can do it. And I think the movie, hidden, no, hidden fences. I'm just kidding. Hidden figures did a lot to sort of show people that math is good for girls. And, you know, black girls can compute some shit. So I'm just here to support that every black child looks at a video game

or looks at something on their program on their computer or an app or something and think, I wanted to be able to think, hey, I can improve that or I can make an app for this. do that. I don't think they don't even teach that in school so nobody really has an idea that they can aspire to do something like that. So I'm here to be the liaison and just to be a vessel to

promote that message. Black girls can do it. We can code. We can do some shit up in here. So yes, we can. I got a friend who has two daughters that are like their dream is to make video games and Black girls code. Okay.

Crazy. Yeah. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford 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 Cliverts 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 Cliverts Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or we're wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at 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'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 disinfectant. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Alesspian 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. 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 gonna get what he deserves

Listen to the Girlfriends Trust me babe on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. 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, It's a place they 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 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 IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. Sheila E. What can you say? She's made so much history as a musician, as an activist, as a woman. And in this segment, you're about to hear. She was speaking about her musical family, and I asked if she ever felt discouraged as a young woman at the drums. And her answer is so powerful as is the rest of the clip when you assert herself as a visionary who refuses to back down.

All right, Sheila. The roots never practice as a band. Like we just, you do three-hour shows for 365 days out of the year, then it's like. So you just jam with your family, and that was kind of like. Yeah, just jamming and stuff. Yeah, but to sit down and say I'm going to learn a rhythm and a part so I can get better. I'm sorry, no. See, my parents made me practice to keep me from going out on the streets.

And they did the right thing. Right, but I'm saying like, but you grew up in the household with other musicians, so I'm certain that it was more like a jamming thing. It was. Well, yeah. Is that weird, though? I mean, is it, I also, I, I'm not, not that I'm big on jamming, but there's something very vulnerable about a jam session that,

makes it very hard for me to do in front of people I know. Really? Okay. So the first the first day of taking the Tonight show gig

and it's just the eight of us facing each other so like the circle we're in now it was the hardest thing in the world to do. Like I stopped the session after five minutes and called my manager like I don't know what to do. What do you just start playing the song?

Like, because I think it's a vulnerable, intimate thing. Almost, I hate to be creepy with the metaphorical thing, but I mean, it's like intimacy. Yeah. And, you know, the thing is that you have to be on, I mean, we're on good terms with each other as a band, but it's sort of like, I think that you also socially have to be in tune with the person that you're playing with in order to get that, the, the, the, desire results and so it's I think that's it's hard so I'm amazed that you were able to jam or borderline envious that you're

able to like play with your family like yeah we grew up like that so I mean anytime opportunity if they were sitting out let's go play all right we started getting into this whole thing and then taking solos and going into different rhythms and like just jamming in the house in the backyard outside

absolutely in the house in the backyard at the Parks down at Berkeley College and on telegraph all the time. We were out in the streets just jamming. In the mission in San Francisco. Oh, God. Yeah. Yeah, for real.

To join to. Where are you in the scheme of your brother and sister, like oldest, youngest, how does, who's? How many siblings are there? Yeah. So I'm the oldest. My brother Juan, my brother Peter Michael, my sister, Zina. Okay. Because I was wondering why you got picked.

I was like, how does she get picked out of everybody to go jam with dad and do the record? They play too. Okay. I know they play, but it seemed like you guys had a special relationship. You're your dad. Yeah, I was first. Yeah. So there you go.

That's the answer my question. So how unusual in your childhood was it for, I know that drums are normally associated as a more masculine instrument to play? So how unusual was it like, did you get any ribbing whatsoever or tease like, you play the drums? Or like, why don't you play piano or why don't you play guitar? Like, was there anyone Or people? Well, I'm just saying, was there anyone to discourage you like, well, that's not a,

a young lady shouldn't be playing. Like, do you have a grandmother that said, like, she shouldn't be playing the drums? Can't wear a dress and play the drums? Oh, no. My family, no one in the family ever said anything. So it was just supernatural to. Supernatural. No one ever said my parents, my uncles, cousins, they all play.

No one ever said, you can't play because you're a girl. Because everyone would pick up something and just play. My mom plays Guido. She plays a little bit of congas. She tap dances, she sings. You know, it's just an entertaining family. And every time we'd go to a party, even with the family, we'd put on Jackson 5, Tempta, whatever, James Brown,

and we just start imitating people. So we grew up like, who's going first? And the way to get to the party, well, in the party, as soon as my mom would start singing, da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Everyone starts running to the living room. It's like, time for... Wait, that's the intro.

That's the intro. Showtime. Showtime. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And then my mama break right into tap dance and then we'll see who's going to play what record and start dancing. So I was never told, never, ever until I left the house and started performing with other

artists, did people say things. But even in school, no one really said, oh, you know, you can't play because you're a girl. I don't, I mean, it was always cool. It's like, you know, everyone who's in school was like, it's dope. on the other side of the coin? Like, did they make a big deal of it because you were dope or, you know, it was like every time you play like, go Sheila,

like it's a novelty thing that we're watching or whatever. Because I think with the exception of, what was her name? I think her name was Cookie. There was a jersey-based group in the 70s called Ecstasy, Passion, and Pain. Oh my goodness. Never heard of them.

The mob deep sample, the realist. I'll play it later. But, yeah, there's, they were, I mean, they had a, they had a run from like 73 to 76, but they did like three appearances on Soul Train. Oh, wow. That's the first time I saw like a woman playing drums. She was actually playing drums? Yeah.

Oh, yeah, I got to check it out. So, yeah, I was going to say, did you have anyone that you look at? up to that was... Althea Smith was her name. Yes, but they called her cookie. Yeah. Okay. Did you have anyone that you looked up to that was a woman that was playing drums when

you were coming up at all? The only woman that I saw play ever, especially drums, was Karen Carpenter when her and her brother had their variety show. Yeah. And she was killing it, you know. And as soon as I saw her on television, I turned to Pops and said, how come I don't have a TV show? Mm.

I'm like nine or something. What do you mean? I said, I play drums. I play just like her. How come can't we just get a TV show? He goes, sure you can. I mean, it was never like, no, you can't play because you're a girl. No one else.

That was never said. But in your formative years, did anyone think like, yo, there's no one that we know of that can fill in the slot and you'll be the first to, like at that time it would have been revolutionary. So I'm saying like, was anyone thinking like dollar signs like? No, we didn't. actually as a matter of fact when I first started playing

and sitting in with other bands and they wanted to pay me I thought it was disrespectful to pay me because I know it's kind of weird where yeah I thought it was disrespectful because I loved it so much it's like don't pay me for something I really love I just want to do it like this is

my passion I don't and then Pop's like come here I'm going to be proud at you He took me in the kitchen Yeah, he took me in the kitchen Open the kitchen refrigerator He was like, we need some food You got to get paid

It's okay and I'm like Oh okay, all right, cool How old were you at that moment? 14. So I was going to ask At what age were you when you were like A total Jedi Master As in like

I could close my eyes and know I haven't got you I haven't got gotten there yet. Good answer. Good answer. Now I'm going to ask you again. This time just drop the humble. No, I'm so serious. I'm being honest. Well, I'll ask you.

Okay. At what age were you when other musicians took you totally serious as in I want her for it? At what age were you when you started? You know. They still sometimes don't take me. I'm saying, sister can't get a call for a gig nowhere. Who? Me. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. Have you read your discogs? Probably because you're me on.

They're like, I can't afford that Sheila-Each. I love that a lot. When I read your thing, I was like, oh, I could have called Sheila-Eed for some sex shorts. See? That's what happened. But that's not nothing to do with. That's because we're afraid of you. Right.

Right. It's like, you're on a mountain top and now it's a lot of climbing. It's like, oh, we. Yeah, no. I mean, I know you're not owning the superhero thing. And I know that artists hate the fan worship thing. but your existence is kind of a big deal. No, thank you.

I mean, I understand it now, but seriously, when growing up, I mean, I didn't get it. And I don't think we realize it even pops until later on. It's like, okay, well, wait a minute, you know. No, that wasn't ignoring you. That was more like, we're not worthy. There was one time I think I was going to call you for a thing. It's only because I saw that you did, was, Is it loving you?

Tony, Tony? Yeah. Loving you. Right. And I saw your credit. And then I was like, oh, oh, she would come down to earth and mess with us. But mess with us. She also had history with them.

Oh, my gosh. At what point in your life were you thinking like this? Because you said you know now, you understand now why people weren't calling. But like at what point? Because until I started speaking with people, it's like, you know, hi, how are you doing? Oh, you know, like. And then I was like, wait a minute. You know, I'll come and do a session.

You would? Yeah. It's like asking Steve He wanted to play the piano No, listen, this guy, this dude This producer called me I could have slapped him through the phone He called me and he said

Hey, Sheila, I just want to know something All right, okay, yeah, what you need? I'm producing this record on this girl I want to know how to get the Sheila E sound Do you know anybody? Oh, yeah, I can talk What? But cheap.

I think you're on the phone with her right now. I did. I said, wait a minute, how can you, my sound, you want me to refer you to somebody else? Dude. Okay, here's another thing. We're skipping, we're skipping the line here. But I believe that the number one weapon of the purple cloud period or just that period with Prince, the number one weapon was mystery.

and anybody associated, at least in my eyes, like, you know, when I was 10, 11, 12, like, seeing you guys, it was like, it was some untouchable, we're too, I don't mean arrogant, like, we're too good for that. But, you know, even the, you know, even the, like, the we are the world perception, like, oh, we'd never do that. Like, in our minds, we're just like, you guys would only do your music and you're laughing at us mere mortals, like, owner. on earth.

That was great branding. It was kind of like that, but we weren't going to say, no, I'm just kidding. No, I'm just saying. Somewhere in between. No, no, no. No, we, you know what? It's weird. It's like being in this room, all of us sitting here, we just start playing and jamming.

And next year, you know, four days later, you might have cut another record. I mean, it was just like we love being in the studio. And after being with everyone, you know, all the time, you kind of forget that there's a world happening. There's something's going on. something is going on. At one point, Prince and I just, we felt like we're in a bubble. And until we woke up at the end of Purple Rain, it's like, wait, what just happened? We didn't even, we didn't understand it at all. Okay. So now I know that you're available for session one.

Which is the important thing. Yes, I am. So what was your very first gig as a professional for customers? Pops playing his percussion player got sick he had a band called S-Tecas signed to Clive Davis they were out touring out with temptation Stevie Wonder Earth went and Fire Pops's other percussion player got sick and I said I'm 15 pops I know all the music you know let me play this show and he's like he was like no you can't do it and I was like Pops come on why he said you're only 15 you can't you know they're out on tour with all these

band no you can't do it you're only 15 years old And I said, moms, pops won't let me play in the band. Well, please. Thank you. So I got my way. And so I played that show in San Francisco. I think it was then Mayor Mosconi, I think. And it was for 3,000 people.

And the band was killing. You know, 15 years old, like I've been playing with these, a couple of other bands. And they were like knockoffs of Santana music. So we knew all that stuff. And my dad was in Santana right before. having the band Azteca. And that band Asteca was formed with, when Santana's band broke up,

Carlos broke up his band, half the band with my dad, Neil Sean, Lenny White on drums, all those people were... For a journey or... Uh-huh. Okay.

Yep. So they were playing with my dad in Azteca. And so you got this caliber of musicians in these people playing with an 18 piece, you know, five, six horns, three singers, three percussion players,

two keyboard players, two guitar players, I mean, it was insane. And all this music, and it's like, I wanted to play in that band. So I got to play in the band. And it just brings you, if you're set in a place where it's going to force you to go somewhere you've never been before, you know, I wanted to make sure that I was there representing. And, I mean, I went for it.

Well, you know, my dad turned to me at one point, and he said, you know, I want you to take a solo. You know, like, he's gesturing to me. You know, play from your heart. I'm like, I'm so scared. I closed my eyes and I started playing a solo and I blacked, I felt like I blacked out. I just left the planet. And next thing I know, I remember looking up in the sky. I was up in the sky like floating, looking at myself playing, looking at the entire room,

with my dad looking at me, I'm looking at him and the crowd is just starting to roar it. I saw it like from above. It was so weird. And I When I finally opened my eyes Did I realize like all of a sudden You know like in a movie and you hear the music Like coming back in out of nowhere

That's how I felt And then I started shaking because I got scared like Wait did I just what happened You know and I felt like it was an out of body experience And my hands were shaking And at the end of my soul I looked at pops and I just started crying While I'm still playing

And then I heard the roar of the crowd and it just like, and it just got loud, and it was a standing ovation, and I was like, I don't even know what's at. I was just crying like crazy, and we ended the song. The show stopped, went backstage, and I was like, Pops, Daddy, Daddy, I'm going out on tour with you. This is what I want to do.

This is what I want to do. I know and I know it. This is it. Was that the first and the last time you had that feeling, like that moment? No, that was the beginning of my purpose. That was the beginning, and Pops looked at me, and then we hugged and we just started crying. He's like, I don't even know.

How do you know all this? I was like, I don't know. I think I was watching you. I'm like a sponge. I don't know. We had no idea. Like all of a sudden just kind of jamming with a local band for six months. And then I went from that local band to professionalism.

I don't know. So, okay, this is definitely the... I got to get a NASTECA record, bro, man. I don't got chills. There's two of them. You have to hear it. It's amazing. What years are those from? 76, five, something like that. 75, four.

Okay, so you as a drummer and as a musician, I was going to say that the one thing that I think that you won't ever able to be, that you'll never be able to avoid. is the solo. Now, that's the dividing line between you and I, because thank God I've made a life and a career on the most minimalist kind of approach to drumming. That's a huge gift to have.

It's a dangerous gift. And a big responsibility. I know. It's a dangerous gift, but the thing is, is that in my age and as I get older, Like, okay, so when I was in my 20s, in my 30s or whatever, especially the way that my arms are now with, when you dance. Carpal tunnel and everything. Yeah.

Yeah, it's so painful now to take solo. So it's like I'm taking them less and less on Routos. How are you, especially when most of your solos have to have this, you know, this climatic. climatic applause from the audience. How are you able? Do you have a fear of soloing or? No.

But it's always expected of you. And then the music stops like, go ahead, Sheila. And yours has to be extra acrobatic. Like it's always, you know. You have to be, you're not even zero to ten. You have to go from zero to auto bond. You got to go to zero to autobond in like five minutes. And I'm just saying not even physicality.

or with age or whatever, but maybe there's just some nights you don't feel like turning it on. And like, but that's pressure because you have to go from zero to a gazillion. It's expected of you at least in two minutes. Yeah, it's interesting because I don't, I don't think of it as an,

I've got to be on, on and off, or I don't feel like it. I've never put myself in that position to feel like that. So I'm, I love that. doing what I do. And if people ask me, I would love to do it. But I wouldn't walk into a room to say, I'm not going to walk in there because I don't feel like it. Then I shouldn't have showed up. I never want to put myself in that position to say, okay, I got to turn it on. I'm excited if someone asked me to play. I would love to. So there's no on and off switch.

You ask me, it's always on. Can I just, I'm not fast forwarding, but I just have a quick question on that note because I just watched you do the view. And in my mind, I said, she wouldn't not do this performance unless you have full 100% like comfortable they would say yes and you could do everything that you wanted to do is that like an example of that moment because it was kind of amazing and groundbreaking some of the things that you did within it thank you um it was it was a it was a it's interesting it was a fight it was a fight to get what we had it was a fight and i'm grateful it ended up turning out good but um i always tell everyone you know no doesn't mean you can't do it. No, it doesn't mean you shouldn't. A lot of time. No means opportunity.

And I was like, this has just been insane, the things that we had to do and change. I mean, it was, you know, from one thing to another. And I just kept saying, but no, this is the message. We have to send a message. I have to stand for. This is what we're trying to send this message. And we need the flag. And it needs to be upside down, you know. And I need to put the images in the back so people can see what we're talking about. I need Dr. King's speech. I need Kennedy's speech, you know. I need Obama's speech, you know.

So it was a definite fight, but, you know, again, how things turned around. We were only supposed to just play the music. And then it turned into two questions. And then once they understood what we were trying to do, then they were behind us 100%. And we're glad that they understood what we wanted to do. And then it turned into, let's move you to say. segment five and six.

And it's like, oh, now I get to explain what happened. But never give up, you know, never give up and know me as an opportunity. Man, I wasn't coming through that front door, but I came through that side door, you know, and I wasn't going to give up. And I still got there. And it was better than it was going to be initially. I'm sorry, for those of us who don't watch the view on a regular basis. You don't have to move your neck like that when you say the word, okay?

Then watch the view. I just happen to the show. I don't watch most of the time. So what, can you just tell us what the performance was? Yeah, and you can go on Sheila E. YouTube channel to watch it too, or my Facebook. Okay. Yeah, Sheila E drummer or Sheila E.

Let's watch right now. I'm playing. No, the beginning of it is, I did the funky national anthem, I call it. So the national anthem with some things, and I had speeches in the song as well. She kneeled while she played. Were this speeches, samples of the actual speeches or were somebody else? No, it was the actual. Like I got the okay from Dr. King's estate and family to use his images and his speeches on my record.

That was huge because they just don't do that. For anybody. For anybody. It was super political. It was funky national anthem. I got it, man. You got me at funky. When I reposted it, I was like, it was nice that they allowed you to show your love and your frustration for this country.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford 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 Cliverts 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 Clivert Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or where wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at 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 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 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 Maricopa 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. 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 podcast. 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. 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 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 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 best. 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 iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In this last segment, we're going to speak to some of the first ladies of Def Jam. First, if you will, the legendary Faith Newman, the woman who would lay. signed Nas to Columbia and has been instrumental in getting De LaSole the rights back to the music. But before all that, she was one of the first five employees at Def Jam Records. In this brief clip, she mentions Lisa Cortez, who will also tell her story of getting down with the label and why it was truly like family. Like Faith, Lisa went on to do great things in music as well as film.

Part two of her 2023 QLS chronicles her documentary, Little Richard, I Am Everything. Well, you know, I started working at Def Jam at 87. Right. So, you know, when I was still in college, and it was just an amazing, amazing time. Just some of the best years in my life were spent there. It was one of the first five people at the company. First woman.

Right. I was going to say, if you were a woman in that environment, I know that you have to be. to have the toughest skin of all time. Yeah. Because you're like, what, you're around, you're around 20, 21? Mm-hmm. In that environment?

Yeah. Wow. Well, you know. There was no such thing as HR department. No, there was no HR department. No. There was no trigger warnings. There was none of that shit.

You know, you know what's interesting, though, is that before Def Jam, I interned at Columbia Records in 86. And, yeah. And you can imagine what that was like then. you still, I don't know if you saw this show. No, the one that got canceled on HBO about the record. Vinyl. Vinyl.

Thank you. Thank you. It was like that. Wait, vinyl got canceled? Yeah. Yeah. One and done. Damn.

Yeah. Damn. Next to New York, New York, that was one. Damn. I was actually. I was into it. Me too. Yeah, I like that as well.

Wow. But those guys, you know, in 86, that were in the record, had been in the record business since, you know, whenever, 70s, we're still there. And that's where I got, I experienced more harassment. You know what I mean? I see. And I feel like with hip hop, though, it's like I, I never could have gotten a job at Columbia unless I wanted to be somebody's assistant, you know, but. So you're saying that working at Columbia in 86, Mm-hmm. Prepared you for the tough skin of the battles that you would have to deal with. Yeah, you know,

it's funny. Like, I don't know if it was my, youth or whatever, how much I loved hip hop. It just, I didn't think of myself as a woman first in hip hop. I just felt like, you know, that's kind of how it was with everybody who worked at Def Jam. It was like we were all young and we were just totally immersed in the culture. And, you know, Russell was known for hiring women. Russell was known for other things too. All I was going to say, hire is a well-chosen.

And, yeah, hiring. Yeah. There's a well chosen verb there. Yeah. Were there any other women at the time that maybe, because, you know, you were the first at Def Jam, but were there any contemporaries? There were women at Rush. So what you had was in Elizabeth Street, you had Rush management was on the first floor. You had Lisa Cortez and Heidi Smith.

Oh, yes. Wow. Lisa Cortez. Yes, Lisa Cortez. Wow. Yeah. Who went on to work with Lee Daniels and did great things. Yeah.

film. When was the moment that you were like, I want to get in the industry? Nine years old. I convinced my mother to let me go to the Children's Theater Workshop, which was a dance school run by Miss Connie, and they put on mini musicals. I'm trying to get on your next show, Bill. Okay? Oh, thank you.

And so we did Gypsy. So you can imagine, you know, from three, three years. three-year-old kids, the teenagers, doing once I was a Schleppa, now I'm Miss Mzeppa, you know, like, because Gypsy is a musical about a stripper. And I had been very... It was. Wait, you want to be in that musical? I was in Gypsy. I do it all the time. Wait, I didn't know that.

Yeah. Stephen Sondheim, and it's the story of Gypsy Rose Lee and how her sister was going to be the star and their mother pushed the sister forward. And then the sister ran off with one of the dancers because it takes place in the vaudeville time. And then Gypsy, they end up in a shitty show. And the mother's like, you're going to be an exotic dancer. And Gypsy goes on to become one of the famous vaudeville strippers. It's about a fucked up stage mom. I was in this play in like fifth grade and didn't realize.

Why are there so many kids in these plays? I don't understand. Why are y'all doing this play as kids? At performing art, well, at my school, it was like from first grade to 12th grade. So it was the older kids, but they found like rolls. for like the elementary kids to play in. So I didn't realize. We did showboat.

We did maim. We did gypsy. Mame. Yeah. I was Vera Charles' assistant. Well, my sister played Vera Charles and I had to, they made a role for me. Wow. I did hair in high school.

I was hood. Were you naked? Fuck, no. Okay. Then you didn't do hair. Yeah. I mean, it was a very, a very tame down Republican version of hair. But I did it.

You were bald. Yeah. I grew my hair out, but like, they wouldn't let us do all the new, all that, we wouldn't doing that shit. Yeah, plays a fancy. So I found my voice. I went, my mother said, get your grades up. Okay.

I got my A's, and I auditioned and discovered that I could sing. And then I loved movement and performance and connecting. Fast forward, the summer, I was 14 when everybody rebels. I locked myself in my room, and I just, just listen to Ella's Gershwin songbook, Cole Porter songbook. I just... Not heat wave, not... Oh, of course.

Of course. Not Isaac. Evelyn Champaign King. You know, I mean, my father's playing Celia Cruz. I mean, there was a lot, a lot of music. And I also read the back of albums. And I was like, who is this mixer? I just, you know, I would bathe myself in music.

Sound bath. You said rebelling. So in my mind, I'm like, oh, okay, this is when, like, she discovers bad brains or sex pistols or the removes. And I'm like, Gerswin, your appearance dream. But your peers are like, what the fuck? And then I discover hip-hop. What was your first hip-hop record? I'd say it's rappers' delight.

How were you when rappers' delight came out? I don't talk about age. Oh, my bad. I'm timeless. I'm younger than springtime. Oh, younger than spring. I got it. Okay.

So how do you nuance your way into, was Maroon era Def Jam your Def Jam or Black label Def Jam? No, I'm Maroon. I'm 1986. Tell me everything about it. Okay. This is one of my favorite. How do you get in the music business when you have no connections? So I went to Yale, and when I was there, I had this incredible group of friends, one of them is the sister name.

Lisa Jones, Mary Baraka's daughter. We were just these young feisty kids, and we were working on a magazine that Lisa was putting together. She was part of that great crew at the Village Voice at that time, and she wanted to do a magazine

called Diva de Kooning. I was into hip-hop, and I was like, I want to write about women in rap. So I talked to her step-sister, Dominique DePriam, you know, in the Bay. I talked to the sister,

tokela Mockingbird, who was kind of in the punk scene in Los Angeles. And I really love this article and a friend of mine who worked at Spencer Beck, worked in Interview Magazine. And I told him about this article. And I was really excited about, because nobody knew there was women in rap. And so he said, you should go talk to Bill Adler. He is the publicist at Def Jam. So I just called and Bill said, come on in.

So I'm just chatting with Bill. He's the most amazing, giving, knowledgeable person. And a guy across the room said, who did you talk to in L.A.? And I said, oh, Tequila Mockingbird. That guy was Lear Cohen. So two weeks later. Who did you talk to in? What are you doing here?

Right, right. So tequila shows up in New York. And I bring tequila to the office. I'm a good baker. I made this ginger cake. and I brought my resume. And we all hang out, blah, blah, blah. You got a tear ass out of treatment.

And Jimmy Spicer was the receptionist. What? But Jimmy Spicer never picked up the phone with the different calls because he'd be chatting some woman up. So I didn't get the job. Wait, can you stop? This is the second time

that we've heard the story of someone charming the Def Jam staff to nuance a job via pastries because you also remember Kevin Lyles with his girl, you know his true money every morning at 6 a.m. We'll buy everyone orange juice and Lear was like impressed. Like this guy's clean up the office and buying us donuts.

And that's how he got a job. Like Russell was like, get away from me, kid. But pastries. Time out. Jimmy Spicer's. Dollar Bill, y'all. What? So I'm this kid.

He answered the phone like this. I love it when he does voices. Me too. So good. All right. I'm sorry. I have to say that. No, no, no.

Rest and peace, different spots. Oh, yes. So I keep trying to, you know, roll up in there and, you know, impress them. And, you know, it was pretty chaotic, but it was also very small. There was not that many people there. And I went to a Luther Vandross show. I con my way into the party backstage because, you know, you just got, you got to get in. Or actually, you just need to make a hole.

You don't even fit in. You make a space. And I run into Leor who was friends with Shep Gordon, who was Luther's manager. That's our guy. And L.L. Cool, J. And I walk up to Lear and I go, hey, you remember me? I gave you my resume on the good paper. It was like the heavy-weighted paper.

It was cream colored. That mattered. And he said, well, you know what? I actually need someone. I need an assistant. Call me. So I keep calling, calling, calling. And then I got him on the phone one day.

And I said, he picked up. because Jimmy Spicer was talking to some woman and did not pick up the phone. And I said to Leor, you know, I don't really know if, you know, you'll like me or I'll like you, but I'll come and work for you for a half a day for free. And that half a day turned in to five years.

A lifetime. Wow. So from 86 to... 91. Wow. Okay, so license deal is about to start to come out. Yep, I was there when... Original concept.

Is it a big endeavor? Yeah. Yeah. And I was there when we moved to 298 Elizabeth Street. Right. When Chuck came in and met with Mr. Bill, Bill Stephanie. Right. And, you know, they signed the public enemy.

What is Lear like then? Because the Lear we like, know now is such a big personality. Oh, he was big. Yeah. It's big. And, you know what, he. So he was always that person. Like the way that people imitate.

Yeah, the way people imitate Lauren Michaels at. Right. Like Lauren and Leor are the two most imitated execs that I know. But they always have a sort of disapproving father. And untouchable. They're untouchable. Like it feels like in ways, right? They sit and glad, like you can touch Lauren.

But Lear and Lorne are in that way kind of. I know softer to Lear now. Like, Leo is like very benevolent. He's more benvolent. Right, right, right. He's more zen. So it's that Bali effect from Russell. Let me ask you at the time, because I know that it's hard, like, I'm such a history buff.

But, you know, I think people don't appreciate something until, like, time has passed, like, five years later or 10 years later, you're like, wow, I was really part of the team that brought one of the biggest hip-hop records, selling records to the world, like, license to ill or, you know, that sort of thing. But, like, for you, though, is, are you recognized? that history is being made on the spot? Or was it just like, man, whatever? They became my family. Because the crazy thing is the first week I, my dad died when I was 15. And the first week that I went to work there, my mom died. Wow.

Oh, no. And, you know, this small group from Russell, Leor, Heidi Smith, Bill Adler, Simone, who was our receptionist, Bill Stephanie. they, you know, they took care of me. They loved me. I remember one day I got mugged and Eric B and Rakim, they came to the office and they heard, like, I was like, Lisa, why I got a black guy? I was like, ah, you got mugged, mugged. Wow, you lived in real New York.

Wow. I lived in the real deal. And they were like, well, if you'd like, we could find somebody who could get for you a nice little lady-like gun with a mother of Pearl Inlay. I was like, Harlem Knight style. That's very Eric Bish. That is his own brand for Eric B. That's what love looks like.

Did you say yes? And a nice voice too. Pretty gun. A very nerdy voice. Like nothing scares me more than nerdy thugs. You know that's rare. I just want to tell you as a woman, especially in hip hop,

it's rare to hear this level of feeling protected and loved and all of that. So I'm just in it. I'm like. Because I also fought for them. You know, people will tell you we, because this is right before. everything blows up. I worked very closely with Lior putting together that Adidas deal because I actually

wrote a letter to Fila because Houdini had a song called Do the Fila and I wrote him a letter and I was like, you guys need to do a deal with Houdini because they're speaking to this market because I was an American studies major. I like popular culture. I like seeing how we as black people start stuff that is then going to take over the world. But Fela's like, oh, no thank you. But so then when the Adidas time came, there was a lot that had to be translated about why this group was so important. How much convincing did they need, though? They needed some. There was a guy named Angelo Anastasio who saw it, and he was the advocate for it.

But, you know, he was communicating with people in Germany. The music had not spread there yet. And what I learned in those days, it still helps me now is about the power of community to cross over the. music, you know, we had Dave Funkin-Kline, who later came to work there, who was in Colorado playing this music, I don't know, 2 o'clock in the morning. We had the car dealer, drug dealer in Houston who would play our records and bring our artists there. You know, we had Paul Oakenfeld and Pete Tong were with London Records, which put out Run

DMC in the UK. The Paul Oakenfield? Yes, and they were hip-hop heads. And they would, the first stop. Oki, yes. Oki dokey. Damn, he never, most people on the other side of the fence will go over time to like explain their hip-hop pedigree. Like we toured O'Kinfell during the Area One tour and talked a lot.

He never once gave up like hip-hop pedigree and da-da-da-da-da-da-da. Really? Yeah. Damn, Paul. When they would come over, the first stop is they'd come to 298 Elizabeth Street. Like it was great. You know, everybody would come. through there. And then when him and Pete Tong become these dance electro people, I was like,

wow, interesting. So there was this community, there was the people from Japan there, you know, who ultimately become a part of the groundswell of the music crossing over and the ripple effect culturally. So these, you know, I remember we went to London and I, you know, would make myself the European tour manager so I could get a little holiday. And, you know, we, they, they, We got kicked out of a hotel or people didn't, the food they wanted. And I would just be like, no, you cannot treat these guys this way. So you loved them. I love them then.

I love them now because I recognized how ground. I didn't maybe knew what I was in, but I knew it was something exciting and groundbreaking and necessary. And a part of how our narrative as black people, we were taking it to something new. Now how it was going to become, I didn't know that. I was young and dumb, but I knew in my heart that they had to be treasured and that it wasn't okay to be like, oh, the rappers there. No. Right. These are the artists.

And thank you for tuning in and celebrating Women's History Month with QLS. Come back next week for Part 2. Quest Love Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio. radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

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