The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme Celebrates Womens History Month Part 2

Episode Date: March 19, 2025

The celebration of Women's History Month continues at Questlove Supreme. This episode features memorable and thematic clips from Chaka Khan, Solange, Stacey Abrams, Kathleen Hanna, Nelly Furtado, Heather Hunter, and more. Questo offers some commentary as well in this curated QLS retrospective. 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. 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, 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. 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 in so much, 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 Gillespie and Michael Marincini. 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 IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. I'm Igoode.

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. 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. Yeah. Listen to Thanks Dad on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, 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 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 Slico Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio.

Welcome back to Questlove Supreme, y'all. And this is a tradition for us in March. We are celebrating Women's History Month with some special programming drawing from nearly a decade of shows and conversations. This is part two. You know, it goes without saying that despite where we are currently in present day times, it is important to be an ally to women to lift up their voices. Frankly, I believe that they are the leaders of now.

We, Asman, need to take a backseat, and I'm all for that. So despite what you hear in the news as far as like how businesses are run, I will continue to keep that promise to elevate. And you clearly see like with my staff, my management, the artists that I choose to highlight, it's all about allyship. And that's what we're about here. Being raised by my mother, my mother was always quick to pull me aside. if she ever felt that the seeds of anything toxic was about to start coming down the pike. And, you know, she would quickly remind me

that, you know, you better learn from this situation that when you're grown up, you know, a woman's not going to tolerate this type of behavior. You know, she kept me in a constant practice, not just when your mom's around. You start, you know, acting up. But she taught me early about the importance of this. And so women are not.

a threat. They deserve agency and our full support. Here's Shaka Khan from 2017. The clip is only a few minutes long, but it says a lot. Shaka touches on pivoting outside of Rufus and some of the judgments and complications she

felt as a pregnant artist at the time. She also speaks about her reluctance to sing, I'm every woman. Shaka, on behalf of everybody, we're very glad you did, though. Do you explain to your guys like, okay, well, I'm a do a solo project real quick, but I'll be back

or like, where was it? Well, you know, I got pregnant in sort of the beginning of that. Right. Situation. Otis Smith, you know, he was trying to chat me up and everything. God bless you, Otis, but I'm telling the truth. He thought, you know, he was trying to have me

and I got pregnant by my husband. And he told me, he said, how am I going to make a star to you if you're going to be having babies? I said, let me tell you. I'm going to be what I'm going to be with you or without you around you or under you

you have nothing to say about this that's crazy because how many female singers have that same story like pregnancy is like oh I can't make a start you know I said I'm not you know a pen up I'm an artist

you know when I'm pregnant or not So coming to the Shaka project, you work with, I mean, RIF is one of my idols because for me, like, the band that I worshipped the most when I was a kid was the average white band. And so to see those names on the credits, I was like, oh, that's going to be awesome. What was it like working with him? With RF? Yeah. Oh, he was like my uncle father.

Really? He took care of me. He put, when I got my... Did you seek him first or did they come to you? Like, okay. They put us together. Okay. Who did you initially?

Because by that point, I forgot, you did sounds and stuff like that too with Quincy. Yeah, well, Quincy. Sevent. So was he ever in the running for a second? I mean, before Master Jam, but I mean, like, well you know I don't know what happened

behind the scenes and stuff with that with him not working with I think he might have been working with Michael around that time yeah he was yeah he was so RF and I I liked ARIF a lot because he had produced Aretha Franklin That's right

Yes and I love what he did with Donnie Hathaway Right and you know So I was like yeah This is good This is good And I mean

He bought the blinds From my apartment He put the carpet You know He took care of me Like Like his daughter Wow

And I was a spiritual daughter And he told everybody That you And told me all the time You were my instrument Really You're my instrument You can play

Anything that I hear That I want So how did you, I mean, by that point, by that point, you're just in full-fledge of control of your instrument, your arrangements, and I could pick the songs I wanted then, yeah. So did they write, I'm every, the Nick and Valley write? They sent me a lot of songs. Yeah, yeah. What made you choose that song? I really actually talked me into it because I felt awkward.

You didn't like it? I felt awkward saying the words. I'm every woman. I didn't, I thought, how dare somebody say that they're every woman? I was just, not, you know, mentally there yet. Not seeing the anthem that it will become.

Yeah, this is a song that I grew into it. I'm about to say you made me too young. Because you're saying, I'm a woman, I'm a backroom. See, I'm thinking in terms of like, you're singing like feminist anthems and those things. I thought that was just in line with you, you know, putting your, your womanhood

and making us respect that. Well, you know, I wouldn't think about womanhood at all. I was singing songs that meant something to mean lyrics. Like, I'm a woman on a backbone. Your smile was written by a woman named Lelomi Washburn. She wrote those songs. And, but when I'm every woman, I had to grow into it. I just, well, maybe in the last 10 years or something,

got comfortable seeing that because I understood them what she was. rang, you know. What they were their writing? I just stood. What did Whitney sing and it mean to you? She's, of all the people that have covered my song, I had to ask her after she did it. I said, do you use my backgrounds or that you? That's like the biggest compliment.

It is. She's great. She was a great, great artist. Did you do, was, I'm every woman first. or was Clouds first? Clouds were second. No, but Clouds was on the second album, because that's the first song.

On the Nardi album. I love that song. Yeah. And you know, whenever it's time to make us a record, we would get, I would put the word out, we would get boxes and boxes of cassettes. And we would sit and listen to songs. Really?

We had listening sessions. And we would mark which songs we thought were good. and when we came down to it, he would go on a track and write it out. Oh, you don't want to ask. What were your feelings on Snaps the Power? I got the power. I was specifically borrowing the... Well, that was Penny.

Yeah. Actually, that was supposed to be my gig. I was living in England. They demoed it for you? They called me and asked me to come and do this stuff with him, with them. But, you know, I was having too much fun. And I said, Penny, I told him I was sick or something. I said, Penny, you go to that.

Because she, Penny is one of my students as well. Oh, you sent her to do it. Yeah. I said, you can have that. You go do it. Really? Yeah. And now I'm slapping myself on the back of my head.

That was a monster. Yeah. So basically, Laya snaps. Really? You really? The group Snap. Yeah. I got it in the context.

Penny was the one who's saying, I got the power. But that's not the part that we're referring to. I'm trying to put you on the game. Okay, Shaka said O2. Laya Jenkins. Okay. Oh. Not Jenkins.

Not Jenkins. I'm just saying the whole, he could break my heart part from I Got the Power. This is love. That. It's my brother on base. Yes. Like your brother. And killing.

Yes. And it's sped up. It got fast and fast. You could tell that that was a heart song. And Steve Ferroni, he was kicking on that damn drunk. I mean. And somebody said, well, it gets faster. I said, so do hearts when they're excited.

Wait. I'm just saying. I thought we had a moment. Because I don't know if Fonte is looking at it. It's like humble brag from a mirror. And five, four, three, two, two. Yes, I own the snare drum that's on some love.

Thank you very much. Oh. Was it a piccolo? Yeah. Steve, I've stalked no drummer in life more than Steve Ferroni. Like, I'm literally his... Yeah.

I'm saying I'm in Sarah Appearment, more than Clyde's double or any other drummer. I'm Steve Ferron's double. Yeah. He, as a jester, he gave me his black and white snare that he's used on all that stuff for AWB in your records. Oh, fantastic.

He gave that to me. You know, Miles gave me one of his trumpets, the blue one. Really? But you know what? His nephew, that, I could kill him. He took it back? I could kill him. He made sure, excuse me.

Who you? I don't know. I don't know. I can't take it. Okay. But I'm telling you, after he died and his, and it's well, he gave it to me. And the boy kept, every time I see him,

he shrinks and tries to hide and say, I'm gonna get it to you. I swear, I'm gonna get to you. Well, I'm done with it now. You know what I'm saying. Because what Miles Davis said, your voice sounds just like my own. That was enough for me.

You have a new trumpet. That's enough for me. The muted trumpet. See, I don't like usually like trumpet. Only if it's muted. What's that? Sexy. Okay.

It makes a trumpet. that makes it. Yeah, baby. In 2022, Questlove Supreme recorded a block of episodes in Atlanta, where our eye-hard partners are located and based.

One of the highlights of that trip was speaking to Stacey Abrams, the politician, author, and activist was in a race to become the first black woman governor of the state. And my role call then, I called for Stacey to run for president in 2028,

and I stand by those words still. We asked her about the origin of leadership and she explained back when you were in college where what were your lofty goals in life like are you imagining that some 15 16 years later that you'll be in the position that you are now or were you just like okay i'm gonna be a lawyer or da-da-da-da-da or i had like 27 majors in college i was physics and philosophy with a minor in theater oh turns out i liked star trek but not differential calculus and When you can't stay awake in epistemology, it's probably not the thing to do when there are only four people in the classroom. I like acting, but not enough to make it my life's work.

And so I flitted through a bunch of other things. But what was the through line for me was activism. The pivotal moment for me when I realized that it wasn't just an inherited property from my parents, it was part of my DNA. When the Rodney King decision came down in 1992, I was a freshman at Spellman. I organized students to protest. they locked down our campus. I was at the AUC, and if you know Atlanta, they locked down I-20. So you could not get off of the interstate and come to the university center. So it's Spelman, Morehouse, Clark, Atlanta, Morris Brown, ITC, and Morris School of Medicine.

And then they tear gassed us. They teardusts the entire area. And this was under a black mayor. And this is Spelman and Morehouse, too, so that's even deeper. Like, wow. But the schools were juxtaposed next to some of the oldest housing developments in the nation. And so the issue was we weren't elite students and poor communities. We were all black. And we were all basically accused of the same anger. And the problem was the protests were real because the pain was real. And so I helped organize students.

I actually got into an argument with then-Mayor Maynard Jackson. He won the argument, because you couldn't argue. And I was like my cleanest T-shirt and my nicest jeans, but he still won. But he later hired me to work in the newly created Office of Youth Services. Okay, let me ask something. Because, you know, I did not go to college. Like, I immediately got a record deal and had a career. I always wanted to know when we protest on a college campus, like, what's the goal?

Especially when, like, the issue is 3,000 miles away in Los Angeles. Like, how does that trickle to? So two things. One, what Rodney Kings with a verdict was evocative of was the lack of justice from police. And that was happening in Atlanta. that was happening in Georgia. And part of it was where poverty exists, where racism exists, you are going to find police misconduct. And there was also the larger issue of simply the evidence of our eyes being denied. Those things, well, Rodney King was emblematic of it, he was,

but he was only one example. He was the first example that got caught on tape. But people had those experiences everywhere. And that's why it was so inflammatory. The protests I organized, we start at this moment. We marched from the AUC all the way to City Hall. So to your point, I didn't go to a college. We're protesting at the college made a lot of sense because we all pretty much agreed. The most effective protests leave the safe spaces and go into the public spaces. So we made sure that March went past the housing projects, went past the liquor stores all the way down to City Hall. That's how I ended up getting into the tete-a-tete with the mayor. But to your point, there are some campuses where protest on campus.

is, it's effective because if you're at Harvard, you're talking about billions of dollars in economic influence. If you're an AUC, the numeric, the monetary effect is smaller, but the salutary effect is bigger because you have people who may have been conditioned to think that they were the exceptions to the rule who have to remind themselves that they are part of the same fabric, that people don't ask you, they don't investigate, did you go to Spelman? Why are you in the AUC? Why are you in Southwest Atlanta, they just see someone who looks like something they've been taught to be afraid of or taught to disregard. And this is true for a lot of different communities of color. It's true based on your economic situation. And where protests comes in is protest moves beyond the space that you

inhabit and it tells the rest of the world you've got to pay attention. It's a bullhorn. Exactly. So do you consider that moment your first footprint and political action? It was. My parents will tell you because my mom and dad were in grad school here in Georgia. They didn't move back to Mississippi yet. And I gave out my phone number to tell people during the protest. I'm like, if you want to join us, I didn't think through the fact that I was giving my parents home number out. Oh, yeah. Yes, their own numbers. Yeah. You didn't do to Mike Jones. No. And they pointed that out to me later on as the phone started to ring. But for me it was. It was both in a moment of empowerment, but a moment of ownership that I wanted to be a voice for people who didn't know they deserve to be in that march.

They didn't know that they deserve to have better. And who'd been lulled into thinking that because you had leadership that looked like you, that they shared all of the same issues that you shared. And that's just never true. That notion of monolithic power is just not real. And so even within spaces, I mean, Maynard Jackson is extraordinary mayor, but in this issue, when it came to youth poverty, he had not done what I thought needed to be done. So my job was to push that. And so for me, it was it was a moment of reckoning. Did I actually believe the things I was saying when I was safely on campus?

And turns out, yes, I did. At the time, were you, like, student body president or, like, I don't know what the president system is for college now? I used to be president of my ninth grade class, but I mean, like, for you. So I wasn't then. I eventually did. I was, at that point, I was just an annoying freshman in college. And you were a freshman. I was my freshman year.

So how did you, like, isn't it hard for a freshman to get the respect and the- I was relentless? And weren't people, like, afraid of being suspended or kicked off campus? Yes. So one thing that happened, part of, I kind of short-shutted the story, but it was a few phases. When they were tear-gassing the campus, this is before social media, this is before cell phones, and this is when you only had the television stations, the broadcast stations.

So I organized students in my dorm to call all the broadcast stations. They were lying, saying that we were running amok. I'm like, no, we are angry and protesting, both on the campus and out in the community, but this isn't a riot. And they were miscommunicating what was happening. So I had a bunch of friends call all the stations and flood the stations. And the stations got wise to us and said, well, who's calling? And so I said, just tell them you're me. So you're like 75 Stacey Abrams is calling. And that amplified my voice, again, didn't think through the consequences when they sent the police to come and get me to take me to this event. I wasn't being arrested, but I was invited to the simulcast because all of the television stations in Atlanta came together because this was a crisis.

And so the mayor was there and I was invited as one of the students to be there. And so that sort of that lifted my platform a bit more than I expected. Can I ask? I'm so curious just on, as a student, as we're in this Spelman moment, I'm curious, did you, what your full experience was in college? Was it all work and no play and activism or, but at a pivotal time in Atlanta, period, like, post-Olympics, maybe. So I was right before the Olympics. Right before.

Okay. So right before the Olympics. So can you talk about like what kind of student you were in that way? Like, did you have fun? Socialized. I was a nerd and I'm an introvert. So. I heard this.

That's why I was surprised at first in year you went all out and started the process. Well, I was, that was after. She could be on course left Supreme. Right. A bunch of nerds and introverts. Yeah. You mentioned Star Trek, so that was the... Well, Next Generation was out, so...

Next Generation! You're a Picard, girl. Picard, Janeway. Look, I do the whole universe. Wait, time out. The card is everything. Like, you know. Mr. Dada.

Jean-Luc. Yes. John Luke. Who is Jean-Luc? Every day, I find out of this person I'm new for 30-plus years. But go ahead. Even though she's still 19. That's right.

Go ahead. So I... This is probably the best example. When I became student body president, part of your job is to make sure that they're social activities. I got two of my best friends. I created a position called the social activity coordinator, so I wouldn't have to go to parties. So you wouldn't have to go to parties. Yeah, so they would set up the parties.

I would come at the beginning to say hi, and I would come at the end to make sure nobody stole anything. Otherwise, I was back in my dorm. Oh, so you would that go to everybody was trying to get to go out, and you were like, I have meaningful things to do. I never went on spring break. What? Wow. Why would you pay money to go sit in somebody else? this hotel. I mean, like, I was, I had a dorm.

I could read anywhere. Don't be making sense up in here. Okay, so you said something and I think, you know, I try to pull as much personal inspiration information from our guests that come on this show, but I'll ask you. Yes, sir. Because I feel like the one small task that I'm holding myself back from actually crossing the line to where you are, despite the fact that I'm hosting my own podcast and do other things. How do you get over the fear of speaking? Because I've seen you speak before. For an introvert,

you project well. I guess it's the acting help. So, yeah, I grew up in the church, so we had to do Easter programs, Mancipation Proclamation programs. Never liked any of it. I'm not afraid of speaking. Oh, you had to read the, like, Sister Bertha is having a cookout. All of the stuff. You name it. We did it. My fear isn't public speaking.

I'm reticent about being around lots of people. So when I was in high school, I joined the debate team. I had a psychosomatic case of laryngitis. What? Because it occurred to me that I wouldn't be debating by myself that other people would see me do it. And suddenly my voice didn't work and went to see the nurse. And she's like, there's nothing wrong. with you.

I'm glad you said psychosemeter. Yeah, and that's when I also learned what psychosemate. Right. What psychomania looked like. Artists often do that, and that's often an issue on the show, like when people self-sabotage their progress or whatever.

The great Kathleen Hannah and I had a one-on-one conversation last year. She is the pioneer of the riot girl movement. And a true feminist, her memoir was why we spoke, and you can hear how she wanted her story to redirect some cursory view of her impact and legacy. And the whole interview is like this clip, but it so captures Kathleen Spirit.

She's a powerful leader to women everywhere. But as I told her in this particular conversation, her work, and the punk scene helped inspire the roots to build a community in Philly at my house, which was called the Black Lily. What is the first step in realizing that you're going to overspill and share with us your life? And how does that affect the people that you write about? Yeah, I never thought about it. I just sat down and wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote.

It was really for me. I didn't think about an audience at all. Like when I first started writing, which was like, you know, years ago. And I knew it was a book. Like I wrote the introduction like 10 years ago. And then ended up, I changed it all, of course. But I was just sort of writing it a little bit. And I didn't have a publisher or whatever.

And then finally I was like, I just need to do this to get to the next stage of my life. You know how there's different things that you've made that you're known by. Like, you know, people walk up to you on the street and they're like, you know, this is the thing. And it's annoying because you're like, I don't want to talk about that. Actually, my real love is directing or my real love is, you know what I mean? It's like you get known as, you know, if you're in a commercial and someone's like, you were in that VW commercial for the rest of your life.

And it's like, I was sort of like really trapped in this. like riot girl thing and like the like you wrote the smell 16 spirit line or you know either like weird mini scandals I was involved in and I was like you know I just kind of want to like not talk about that anymore and part of that is me getting over stuff that I never dealt with and so I really kind of wrote it just to get it all out on the page and I wasn't I knew that I got to edit it later you know I'm an adult I've done like a lot of projects so like I know I'm not writing this and everybody's going to see it. And having the same confidence that I have with it that I have with my journal where it's like, no one's going to read this so I can write whatever I want. And I had fun with

it. I was like, I would think of a title like Benjamin Franklin's glasses. And then, you know, you have like catchphrases in your life that you used to talk to your friends with where like, for me, like the Smells Like Teen Spirit story, which is like I wrote Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit on his wall and then he used that as a song. Like people have asked me about that a lot. Right. And so it's, I started calling it the, you know, smells like Benjamin Franklin's glasses. And I would be like, it's like I found Benjamin Franklin's glasses in the trash. And everybody's like, ooh, there's the girl who found Benjamin Franklin's, you know, glasses in the trash.

And I was like, I'm actually like a feminist artist who's been working for 35 years. And like, I have a lot of projects I'd love to talk to you about. But they're like, but tell me about Benjamin Franklin's glasses. Right, right, right. Right. So I didn't specifically actually write that story like to, you know, get people off my back or whatever, but I did write everything, like everything. And then I edited it later. And that's when I thought about it. And I changed, I did change names. I changed almost everybody's names unless

they were in a positive light. And so there were people, there's a particular person who, who is really messed up in the book and basically commits crime and against me. And I called that person and said, I'm going to tell this story and you need to get a therapist and be prepared. I changed your name, but some of our friends are going to know it's you. So I want you to prepare yourself. I don't want anybody to kill themselves. You know what I mean? What was his reaction?

You know, I wish I wouldn't have called. That's all I can say. I mean, he was like, he's like, you know, it's your story and you can tell it. I can't stop you, but it was like a big pity party of things in his life that have gone wrong and that, you know, he had a whole new story for why the bad incident happened. I was like, I can't rewrite. write it. I already wrote it. So the short answer is I didn't think about it. I got my butt in the chair and I worked. And then I would have these long periods of time where I just worked and worked and worked and worked and worked and then I would have periods of time where I had a nervous breakdown and went to crisis counseling like for three days a week. And then I would get back to work. That's what I was going to ask you because the thing is is that unlike my movement, you know, the the Neo Soul movement, both of our movements, I would say start with the, the quote, the idea of. I'm certain there was an actual Seattle movement or Northwest movement, but I, you know, pretty much even I knew that we were responding to the idea of what we thought the Seattle movement was. Things move on and things upside and things are in your rearview mirror.

How did it feel to have to unpack that period in your life? because like literally chapter after chapter, it's one thing to keep a band together. But it's a whole other thing where you also have to keep yourself together and protect your sanity, but also like organize a movement. And I'll say the main difference between you and I, luckily because of the development of the internet,

for me at least 98, 99, You know, I thought it was all unique, like the only person in music who allows his fan base to curse him out or criticize them or say whatever the fuck they want to. But that's contained in like this world on the internet. Whereas because you're eight years before, you know, you're dealing with newsletters and actual people coming. You've essentially a pre-social media pioneer, although it wasn't invented yet because you came out so damn early. but all the things that happen, like the idea of people spewing out their opinions mid-show, you know, all the toxic energy you had to have, you're juggling like four or five things at once. And you're learning lessons. You're learning lessons about feminism. You're learning lessons about yourself. You're learning lessons about your health, like all these things. But to really put yourself in that position to go back and revisit how taxing was that on you today to revisit those periods? The way I would say when I would get home from work,

because I would be like, I just created my face with the cheese grater for eight hours. That's what it felt like. I really felt I was like, my face was blank. I was dead behind the eyes. Like I was going in and out of being present. Like it was awful, awful.

But so is crisis counseling. I mean, and it was basically like I was, I saved myself a lot of therapy because I actually set there and wrote down stuff. I'd never even admit it to myself. And a lot of it didn't. There's 300 extra pages that didn't end up in the book because it originally was like riot and they were six hundred pages long.

I still want the director's cut. You might get it in a different form. But yeah, a lot of the stories I cut out were because they were more visual. Like it was like the you had to be there kind of stories where it's like, you know, we're on acid and we're like running towards the sky in the park who looks like he's juggling we're like it's a clown and then we get close to him and we're like oh shit he has nice he's a ninja turn around like you know what I mean like it doesn't really work in a book yeah it was horrible that's all I can say it was absolutely awful because it was like excavating all of the stuff that

you know I had also suppressed and pushed down to keep going to the next project and that was part of the reason why I worked so much you know what I mean and and I didn't turn out like a a gazillion albums, but I was constantly doing projects even when I went through a long period while I was pretty sick. I was still like I wrote a pilot for a TV show and, you know, I could tell you 20 other things that I did while I was still ill because I just had, even if it was from bed, if I had one good day, I had to use it. And part of that was just like I grew up as a kid and I felt like I was really a zombie. Like I had to turn myself off to live in my household. And so when I kind of came to when I moved out. When I was 17, I was like living with vengeance. Like I was like,

I have to pack as much stuff into this one life as possible. And also all the people, you know, that I've lost along the way to like drugs, suicide, AIDS, you know, it's hard not to feel like you're living for them. Like, you know, every day you have a part of their character with you that comes out and you're like, I want to let that part of this person shine today, you know, like, But then that can become this weird, like, toxically positive bullshit that then you have to contend with that. So I just try to be in the present as much as humanly possible. And writing the book, the whole point of it was to get me into the present, was to be like, I'm going to grapple with this 35 years or even, you know, my whole life.

I'm going to grapple with that. And then I'm going to be like, I did that and now here I am. And sure, I still like have bad memories of stuff or like whatever. But the thing that was really kind of miraculous was, I just realized how much I lead with the negative. You know what I mean? Like a lot, it was so easy. It wasn't easy.

But it was like, I went straight for the juggler. Like I was like, I went to all the worst moments in my life really quick. And part of it was because I needed to. I really needed to do that. But then I was like, whoa, no one's going to read this. This is going to make people just throw up. Like I got to put some joy in here. And then I just started being like, they started popping out like, you know, Jack in the box style.

Like just like joy. joy, joy. And I was like, oh, yeah, that guy in Minneapolis who, like, said, I'll record your band in my garage. I love what you're doing. And I, and that made me feel, like, accepted in the punk scene. You know what I mean? Like, and it was just a tiny gesture from this one person that probably they didn't even, they, I don't think that guy even read the book or knows or remembers. Right. But this guy to Mac said, I'll record you and, you know, recorded us in my first touring band, Diva Knievel. And it meant the world to me, you know, remembering the first time that I heard. my vocals sounding good in headphones. Like literally as I was writing it, I was remembering it for the first time. And I was sitting in that garage listening to my voice with reverb on it and going, oh my God, this is what I want to do forever. Right. What a gift that I had to go through.

I had to kind of like, you know, dig myself out with a shovel. I kept seeing in my head when I was writing like a kind of a newly dug grave, like the soil and stuff and I felt like my hand was just sticking out and I had to reach and pull my hand and get me out of the grave. And once I dug myself out, I was like, oh, look at all this awesome stuff that happened that maybe you didn't fully appreciate in the moment and I'm able to appreciate it now. And in a lot of cases, I did. I had a great time. Like, I've had an awesome life. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me. Clipper 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 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. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternal 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 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. Greg Gillespie 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 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. 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 Stepbrothers Anchorman, Saturday

Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Farrell. Woo. 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 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 yeah 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,

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 last week's Women's Month Celebration episode, you heard from Faith Newman and Lisa Cortez, who were some of the first women at Def Jam Records. We had another prominent figure from the 1980s, New York, hip-hop scene on the show, Heather Hunter.

Maybe for a start of her working the adult industry. but she was also a staff member at the Latin Quarter and a close friend to many hip hop stars at the time. And I cherish this interview because Heather is still a great storyteller and a great friend. And because she also speaks so free, Heather touches on her transition from New York to hip hop to L.A. in the adult industry. And there are meaningful reflections about an experience as a woman and the sex system she faced in both worlds. When I was growing up in the club, even the genre, even light, salt, all of them can even definitely relate to this. We were B-girls.

Do you know what I mean? So it seems like the B-girl had that era versus now. We had so much respect. They treated us like, they gave us respect, the men in hip-hop. It was like they put you on a pedestal versus now. Now it's not like that, you know. And my whole thing is like bringing something back. I really wish I could bring back the B-Girl essence, you know,

and make men in hip-hop recognize that versus in the 80 and 90s how they treat it girls. I mean, it's so different. I wish they could bring back hip-hop. Period. Yeah, it's bad because, you know, my God. I'm so happy I was a B-girl. So when you graduated New York or did you feel that you were outgrowing New York, like what called you to Los Angeles? Porn.

Don't avoid it. Don't avoid it. Don't avoid it. Just get in it. Just don't you. Wait, what are you talking about? What are you talking about? I was talking about you.

I was like, just get out the Latin court and go into the, because that's where she went. That's where she went. And then when I got back, when I got back, then it was a tunnel. You know, things just changed. And it was different. Yeah. It went from Irving.

That was my era. It went from Irving Plaza to tunnel and things were changing now, you know. That was my era too because I did a lot. I was a promoter a lot for tunnel. What didn't you do? So let's tackle that issue. As LIA says. All right.

So you go to Los Angeles. Like how did you, how do you get into the industry? How does one get into the industry? industry, especially when the time period that you were in the industry, you know, I'm certain that porn is probably one of the most racist cultures of all time. Like, I mean, the titles I would see, it was like, again, like fried chicken and fucking all that, all the stuff in my, no, like, no, I got you. Yeah, not.

My uncle had some, like, like, like, like, Ray Victory and Barbecue Volume 3. It's very true. It was, yeah. So how do you navigate your way to the status that you became? Because as far as I'm concerned, like you were, at least from my point of view, you kind of were equal billing of the white actresses of the time. Right. On covers and you weren't doing like super derogatory and shit.

It was because I had a really good. manager. He had a magical idea when we kicked me off. The magical idea was like, let's treat you with dignity. Yeah. It was more or less. Let's not tell them

what your color's skin is. We're going to put your first movie out and it's going to be Heather. And it was like we're going to ignore that you're in a sense. But eventually they were going to see you though, right? No, no, no. I'm saying as in when you're doing promo, before you're doing promo, before you're doing promo,

to put out for adult, like promo goes out. So the whole team was like throwing out Heather, Heather. And then my face was shown. And then that's when I started standing up for everything. But what's promo in the adult world? Back then, promo and adult world was like, okay, the AVN, when you had the AVNs back then. So they would give flyers, you would promote things.

It was mostly like street teaming stuff, you know? Okay. And then, you know, the internet was only, created for porn back then. So if you were on the internet at that time, you knew exactly what's going on, at least in the adult world, you know? And then I stood up for every right from there on. I refuse to be treated. I want to be treated no matter what color my skin is. So I've really stood up. I broke through a lot of color barriers. I stayed to my convictions. It's really about knowing your worth and sticking to it, you know?

How were you when you did your first movie? 18. I did it on my birthday. Wow. Yeah. What was... When is your birthday? October 1st.

Okay. Libra. Libra. Damn. That's good shit. What was the first... What was that experience like just your first time on camera? Oh, it was crazy.

It was really crazy because I realized how wow the people were in the business. You know what I mean? And I was like, wow, this is crazy. It seemed like I danced through it. Okay. Like I was kind of like an out-of-body experience, you know? Do you know what to expect? I had no clue.

And then when this girl pulled out this, back then it was really no dildo, she pulled out one of these big massage. Oh. You know what I mean? It was huge. One of those huge vibe, you know, massage vibes. No, I know it. Yes, yes.

Oh, my. God. That was actually the first time I actually was with a woman. She knows. On camera. It was the first time. The very first time. So the first time was with the girl.

It wasn't with the guy. It was, or was it with both? No, it was a guy, but it was my first time actually having a girl. Oh, okay. I mean, I was attracted to girls, but it was my first time really going all the way in. Gotcha. So, I mean, how are you not

self-conscious about it? Like, I'm pretty sure that some part of porn is scientific. As in, okay, stop, cut, we need this angle right here. Oh, blah. And, you know, there's no manual to,

guide you through that or any training. So how do you, you just, you got to catch on quick and then. Yeah. Yeah. Honestly, I say, you know, that's why the difference between now, how everybody's really over top with their sexuality and not really understanding it. When in the porn business, you really have to be a professional. You have to have that professional state of mind.

Because if you don't and you just dip in, you can lose it along the way. You know what I mean? Really? So, oh yeah, you could lose it a long way. So you have to already be a natural freak. I think it has to be already in you. Have no inhibitions, you know, comfortable with sexuality. But did you know how much of a freak you were?

Like at that age? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you still had to become more of a freak. You know what I mean? Like 18 freak, Heather is different than 10 years later. I'm more freakier now. That's what I'm saying. I'm a domestic freak now.

I got a man, you know, I'm home, you know. You know, but it's a different, it's different dynamic now. But I think the older you get, you get more freaky, you know. I hope so. Yeah. I'm looking at that. I'm looking at you. I'm looking at you.

I'm looking at you. I'm looking at you. But what is the difference between sex on camera and, or rather, how do you differentiate between sex on camera and like you say, like, you say, like, domestic sex or sex in real life? Yeah, without sensitizing. Yeah. How do you have, like, is it like you have a scene with somebody and it's like, oh, great job and let's hook up later or is it just a line? It's like, that was that and now we're done.

Well, that's the thing. When I was in porn, I only dated porn stars, male porn stars. Makes sense. I wouldn't date somebody out. I call y'all civilians. I wouldn't. Yeah, I was going to say. I wouldn't date a civilian. I've been called civilian a lot. Yeah, I wouldn't do it because honestly, I would like, why you want to date me? I'm doing porn, you know, because I wouldn't want to date me, you know? So I had this thing now and date male porn stars. So, yeah, I got to pick all my men because I worked for vivid. So it was, yeah, we would go from there and then we'd go from there. We would have awkward sex in front of the camera and everybody telling you to do something.

It's just like you can't even enjoy it. So you would go back into the bathroom after your scene was done and then y'all could actually have... And get it in if y'all were together, if you felt like it. So it is acting. How much of that is acting? Oh, it's acting. It's hard. How can you add when your body has to respond?

No, because it's like, okay, perfect example. I was watching a porn. I just had this discussion with somebody. I was just watching porn. And like I say, if I meet a guy when I was single, if I met a guy and he's like, wants to pound, pound. He's doing everything like a porno movie. And no, it's like that ain't good.

No, no, no. It's not good because like when you're watching the porn, even when we're having sex on camera, we got to speed up. So it looks exciting for the viewer. We have to. We have to do everything to make it look so exciting. And then when we're about exciting it into it, they're like, cut, okay, we got to do this, turn the angle, go this way.

All right, Heather, da-da-da, you got to, you know. So we got a whole new generation that watches porn and repeats it. Yeah. And all right. And that ain't even, that ain't how I need to go down. I see. Yeah, I know. You sound so disappointed, like.

I mean, but she, that whole time. Because they're professional. We're entertainers. That's what we're doing. That's a problem. Men watch porn. They think sometimes that's like, no. No, it's not that.

Is it, I would imagine that for the male performer, it's almost, there's a bigger pressure to instantly perform. Because, I mean, women can fake orgasms like no body's business. But now they got Viagra. Like in my era, it was hard. You know, now the guys are just. Well, yeah, I'm just saying, like, just like on cue. Like, okay, let's go. Hurry up.

Yeah. Ray Victory, perfect example. He could not come unless you had red high heels on. Shut. It. Yeah. He was banging so much. He could not come.

He did not care who you were. Right. I remember I had a scene with them and I had my little, you know, because I was so very girl next story, I had my little skippies on. He was like, uh-uh. That ain't going to get it. That ain't going to do it. That's not going to do it.

They had to go get me. Red high heels. I was going to say, I'm kind of like the yoga era of porn and this whole like... What was the yoga era of porn? Not the yoga era. I mean, they have different things. They have like, like, it's always the same backup. Like, it's like, it's either the pizza delivery scene.

Oh, oh, okay. You mean the setup. Yeah, I just... Oh, now there's yoga class. Or the, I mean, whatever. I mean... It's in my head. Yes, yes.

I don't know. The sports gym look is not... Oh, it's not hot. It's not personally sexy to me. Okay. But, you know... But love don't like that. Who am I...

Yo, isn't... Just to get you out of your hole you're going into... Isn't porn one of the only industries where the men is inequality between the men and the women and pay, where the men get paid less? Or is that not true? Yeah, the men get paid less. Certain guys. If you're a star guy, you could probably make more money.

than the girls. But if you're in gay porn, they make more money. They make money just like the women. Yeah. So it's, you know, I have a lot of colleagues that are in the business that I've been out of the business for 28 years now. I've been retired. So it's been a long time. I kind of keep in touch with certain people because certain people I do like that's still in the business or like I like Missy Stone. I think she's a good person. So. Are you mentoring a little bit? Do you mentor a little bit? My whole life is a mid-twash. Every day I get up. She's venturing us right now.

You know, my every day is, you know. It's interesting what comes to my rings on my phone every day. Questions, everything. So I think the business itself and I still, and I think people look at me in it, I'm not anti-porn, you know. A lot of people think, wow, she's not in porn, she feels. My only view about it. point is I just really wish that they would practice safe sex.

Well, I was going to ask, like, how scary was it? I left because I wasn't going to, I was wearing condoms anyway. As soon as I came about, I was wearing condoms. But after I did, I was telling, I tell this all the time, when I did a movie in Hawaii for Vivid, and I was doing a scene in a non-errupting volcano. I was down inside the volcano with Vince, somebody, Boyer. and I'm like, why am I down here? Because after taxes, it's not going to be worth it.

Between my health, taxes, I can't do this no more. You know what I mean? It's just, I think I started growing up. I started kind of waking up and realizing, you know, there's more things that are important, which is your health, making sure you stay on this earth, because that business is like going into war. You can come out a soldier, unscathed,

or you can come out and you could really die. You know what I mean? How thorough are they as far as making sure that I have my papers and I'm tested and like, is there someone always on the set that's like, okay, let me. And someone could lie about it. I forget, wasn't there a brother in Detroit? Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah. Was it Darren James? Was it him? It sounds familiar. I just know that he went to Brazil and he went to Brazil and he was. got infected, I know that the industry had to shut down for a month or so. Like, who, who are the police dogs that enforces that? And like, in the age that it is now, I would imagine. It's almost like, pull out your iPhone. It's impossible to, I mean, you have your set companies that still

the other protocol. You take, get tested every time you do a movie. These people still choose to, they don't want you to wear condoms, but if you want to, you have to really insist it. Sometimes you won't get hired because you just want to wear condoms. So I was with Vivid, so I was contract girls, so I was able to wear condoms if I choose to. Was that the highest honor back then, like, to be a vivid? Like now. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Even to the stays. To be a vivid girl. They're still a thing? Yeah. I mean, Kim and Ray J. took them to another level, right? And then it just went back up to there. That was vivid? That was vivid. That was vivid. Right. Right. You said that with pride and alacrity.

That was the empire built for like several people. Yeah. That was the Kardashian Empire, yeah. And I was probably to be a vivid girl. I always will. It's something that I'm not going to forget of my life because it was a, they were a great company. Were your peers as nice to you or that thing or was it like was it catty as far as? Oh, no.

All my, the vivid girls I was cool with. One, I punched in the face. Who was that? Uh-huh. Who was you going to say? Oh, that's hilarious. See, I just want to know what she did. Yeah, it was one I punched in the face.

Who did you have to punch? Who was it? I'm not going to say her. Why did you have to punch her? Huh? What did she do? We were all on set waiting for her. All the vivid girls were on set waiting for.

I was really sick. And she decides that... She showed up late. She showed up like four hours later. She's a mirror jaw! She went to go get her hair bleached and I was sick. And she came in just like, I could do whatever. What you're going to do with it?

I just socked her. What she going to do? Did she still do the same after? Yeah, my Keisha came out and I socked her. You got to tell us now. And then they sent her home and I finished the shoot, you know. Her face was fucked up. Her face was fucked up.

No, after that, she became like, she really wanted to be my best friend from there on. She didn't want to get punched again. It's funny. It's funny. But yeah, no, everybody's always respectful. We were like the Brady brunch. I was going to say for the environment you grew up in as a New Yorker and the time that you grew up in as a New Yorker, you're very nurturing and not necessarily like, usually there's a hard exterior or a defensive exterior. And most New Yorkers, I know.

Like, I've yet to hear you say, what happened? Or, like, any Brooklyn sort of terminology that lets me know that you're like, you've been through shit. and live through shit. Dead ass. Dead ass, son. Yeah, that's when I said Keisha comes. That's my middle name. That's when Keisha comes out.

You know what I mean? Wait a minute. What is your real name? My name is Heather Keisha Hunter. Okay. What made you go on to your real name? My father. He said, be proud of your name.

You have a powerful name. So when he found out you were doing poor, what was his reaction? He was like, he wasn't as shocked. It was more or less, my father always, I could rob a bank, and my dad was like, she's the best bank robber. You know what I mean? I could do no wrong in my father's eyes, which was beautiful because that helped me, you know,

along the way, you know. Was your mother in the picture as well? Yeah, my mom too. My mom still don't get it. She look at me like, what did you do? Come on. She just don't get it. You know, she still don't get it.

Do you have a large family? Do you have cousins? I have a huge family. So, okay, because you are the crim to the crim of, I mean, your name is pop culture referenced in many of hip hop's rhymes. Is it weird for your cousins or whatever? Like to, like, how? Well, my sisters.

You know, it's interesting. There's more of you? My younger sisters. He saw my younger sister. He'll lose your line. Hi, okay. Yeah, my youngest sister, you know, I knew it was going to be hard. for them because they're both beautiful, they're attractive.

But what I loved about them, they were raised so strong, good head on their shoulders that no matter what comes away or if somebody was like, oh, you have the hunter sister or something, they really handle it, you know. They never wanted to stray away from it, you know. And then my male cousins, all of them used my name, like, oh, I can get pussy. Wow. Yeah, because they taught him some things. Yeah, so it's interesting.

What about all those emcees that you mentioned that you came up with at Latin Quarter? Like at what point, was everybody well receiving of your career or was anybody like, all right, let me come talk to you in a corner? You know, I have a few, like a few, thank God, I've been the same all my life. My character, everything about me, I've never changed. So you have a few people that have thrown. off, you know. Definitely a few people were thrown off. But then they got used to it because I think it came with the respect that I already had within my community, my street, my friends. It was just already there. You know, I really respect people and... Something just hit me right now. Like,

literally when she said that, something hit me. I'm sorry. It sounded like it. Wait a minute. I don't know if you know this about me, Heather, but... I am probably the third most knowledgeable person of anything soul train. I thought he was going to say porn. Oh my God, soul train. You danced on soul train. Yeah. I believe that was you.

I was going to say, like, even then I didn't put two and two together that that was you. Yeah, I was in porn at that time. Wow. I was going to say you were on, you were a soul trained dancer as Heather Hunter. I snuck in on the line. She's my mother's name. So I got online. They let me in.

As soon as I was on the floor, I guess, because I dance like I'm New York, they're like, oh, my God. And the Asian girl with the long hair. Yes. Cheryl. Yeah, she was retiring and I had long hair. So they immediately threw me up on stage. Right.

So now I'm up on stage. I'm like, oh, this is bad. This is great. My boy who had the cane, I forgot his name. Louis. Lewis. Lewis. It took like about five shows for...

I was going to say, you were only on for seven episodes. Yeah. What happened? Eric Kasim, who was the manager, who was the production. Yeah, he knew after he realized, it's like, oh, my God, this is Heather Hunter, you know? And even Louie pointed to the cane, oh, my God, is Heather Hunter. So they kind of hid me from Don Cornelius for a while. And they threw me down.

Eric kept throwing me down to... Soul train line. Okay, let's get you down the Soul Train line. Let's get you down. We're going to get all these down. And then out of nowhere, someone contacted the Don Cornelius and say that you have a porn star, gyrating twirling down the line. I bet you was Pam Brown. It was Pam Brown. It probably had to have been Pam Brown. She was a hater. She was a... Wow. And then Don was like, pulled me to the side when I came back. next time he could not, this is how great this was,

because I would see John at string fellows at the club in L.A. So he's like, who is this girl? How does she get into string fellas? I'm there with Marvin Gaye Jr. and all of them. And how is she in here? You know? And then it clicked and he found out who I was. And then he couldn't, I love Don for this.

Because he didn't want to tell me that I couldn't be on the show. because he thought it was not right to do. You can't do that. You know what I mean? Astroise someone. Yeah. Right. So I gave him a break and I did it for him.

You know what I mean? Really? Yeah, I gave us to do it. And then I used to, and then I said, I get it, you know, I'm just happy that I had experience to actually do this. And he was like, you could still hang and come down. And that was exactly why I would do it, go and chill and I would hang out because I worked with Eric as well. gun and down was just the coolest and then about that time you know friends and I had to respect him because you know he couldn't do it you know he couldn't say hey you can't be on he had to so I was like okay I'm a go and then we did a porn movie called get on a real soul train a win a win a win a win I don't care what I'm saying yep that's me cliver taylor the fourth you might have seen the skits the reactions my journey from back

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 Podcasts, or 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 so-ins, 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, a lesbian, Michael Nanchini. 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 podcasts. Hello, 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, 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 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 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 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, or wherever you get your podcast.

And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. So back when we interviewed Salonge back in 2016, Fonte asked a really interesting question about her sisterhood with Beyonce based on a lyric. Let's listen, Ben. One lyric that I always wanted to ask you about, it was a, it was a Beyonce lyric where she says, and pardon me if I butcher it. But you were saying, you know, my sister taught me to speak my mind if I'm...

That was right. Okay, I got it right. All right. Explain that. What influence did you play or do you think you played on her in that way? I mean, I don't know.

I didn't know that that lyric was going to come out, so I was just a surprise as everybody else. But I think that Our relationship is really cool because since we've been younger, we've both been very, very protective of each other. And we both have pushed each other and the boundaries and our ways of communicating through just humans and women, but also as artists. And I think everyone who's around me, friends, family, my son, his friends, I'm a huge, you know, advocate for people getting to, live in their honesty and their truth.

I think we all deserve that. And even when I think back to my SNL performance, like, you know, just the feeling of being able to say that everything that we do as humans is not going to be perfect and it's going to be flawed and to be able to own those imperfections and speak up on them and not feel hindered or, you know, that I would like to think that maybe, you know, just as family, that I have played a role and also constantly telling her that as well, you know, just I tell all of my, especially my black women friends, like, we have to operate in the world so, so heavily and caring so much way. on a daily basis, the black woman in America. And I think that we're not told, like, it's okay to be flawed and to not be so strong all the time.

Yeah, you took the words out right out of my mouth. Okay, I know you're mad regular. I don't even know if I'm allowed to see that. I am. I'm pretty regular. In my head? Whatever. In my head, I thought like this.

You know, that's very funny. A lot of my friends described me as that way. And I'm like, I don't know how to feel about that. Well, that's when I knew you would be cool. Okay. But, you know, in the beginning, it's, okay, to an outsider, because the perception of the dynasty is so gleamingly blinding that, again, people don't think.

Until my mom was on Instagram. Mm-hmm. Yep, I'm talking about you. I'm not. I love your mom on Instagram. That's real. Tina, we getting it. But what I'm saying

is that do you still feel, I know that you fight for your private life and you fight well not fight just to you, you. I protect it. Well, not even protected. You're going to do what you're going to do.

And sometimes you just want mad normal moments. And you guys indulge in mad, regular, normal hey, the, you know, the, the, the Nol's dynasty, just like us. No, dude, when I saw her,

when I saw Miss Tina and Mr. Lawson posing in the parking lot of Costco, I was like, yo, they the realest niggas out right now. I'm like, yo, she real for that. And she was happy to get them saved it. Very. Oh, my God. She's so serious about those mic downs. But, I mean, do you, at what point did you,

collectively all of you decide like I'm done I'm tired like we could just be regular I mean because some of y'all are super heroes to some people and then you want to be regular so at what point do you just decide like I got to be regular

and I'm gonna just be me yeah I don't know I think I personally have always operated from a space of like you said like what I'm drawn to the things that bring me the most joy and I try to nurture them, whatever that is. And I've also lived in places that have allowed me to do that safely. Like living in New Orleans is a huge part of that.

Why did you choose New Orleans? I love New Orleans. I just love the city. I love the people. I love the culture. But did you kind of break up with New York? Because I read something like did you kind of got tired of certain athletes? aspects in New York or East Coast elitism, liberal, like that whole.

That was definitely a part of it. That was definitely a part of it. But I think ultimately. You were doing so good in Brooklyn. Yeah. We were doing so good in Brooklyn. Yeah. If you give it choosing, I'm doing in New Orleans.

I'd take New Orleans. Do you still have those house parties? How do you do with all that gentification in Brooklyn and stuff? It's a lot. It happens. It's happening in New Orleans too. It's happening. Yeah, but it's slower.

It's happening everywhere. Do you still have those house parties? In New Orleans. Oh. Her last night in Brooklyn was really cool. Like, I have not even had a house party in my house. Like, when I do a party, I got to do it somewhere that's not in my house. Yeah, but it was like a cool house party.

Yeah, DJ. Coolest people on earth. How could it be? We weren't there. I didn't know you all been. Yeah, yeah, I wasn't on the radar. It's been 20 years. You better get the fun.

I didn't know you been. Yo, can I just add on this to something that you said, though? I wanted to ask you, you know, Amir said something about just the perception of you. But I feel like Salange fans have a different perception of you. Yeah, I think so, too. Yeah, like, I feel like, and kind of going back to what Fonte said, because I said to Fonte, when we first were talking about having you on a show, I was like, you know, Salange is like, she's free, you know?

And even-you-you-law... Yeah, I think you even called me the male Salonge at one time. I told her, I did. I said, Fonthe, you... Because he was like, who else... He said, what does that mean to you? And I said, well, to me, it means that whatever she... she does and whichever way she decides to do it, people who love her will follow.

They fuck with it. And they'll fuck with you. And you don't have any leashes or any fences around you. Like, and the way as you said it's so easily, like, you know, I get to say all these things that I want to say and do all these things that I want to do, that's like freedom. Yeah. Do you know that? Do you know your fans? Look at you as kind of like the free. Yeah. I mean, it's a lot that comes with that because I think even just, the design of the term like carefree black girl, um, parts of that I embrace and then parts of that I reject because I do have a lot of care. Oh, I don't know what the,

I didn't say to care. Okay, okay, okay, okay. Well, you know that's the bad. That's the new thing, the carefree black girl. Yeah, that's the new Twitter term. Who is it? What is a carefree black girl? There's no such thing.

But you were born in the 90s. I think it's the idea of if we claim that and we, we, we claim that. and we claim that as our names that people are not allowed to see black women as carefree individuals. They see us as angry black women as, you know, very woeful, whatever. Yo, this just turned into an episode of the yonla.

You know, I was going to say, is this a fix my life you're talking about? I'm sad. This is great. This is fantastic. Can I just ask you all as men? Like, what you just said, I feel all the time. Y'all don't, that doesn't just make you tired just hearing that.

No, no, listen, yo, let me be real. Yo, a hundred. This is like black healing time. No, no, that was real. Damn. That's what she said, because Salon she took the words on my mouth when she was talking about like strong black women. And that's something that I've always, what I think is like, you know, kind of the gift

and the curse, so to speak, of black women is that that's like the first thing that black women always described as. She's so strong. She's so strong. She's so strong. And so when you do that, it's. like, yeah, they're strong in the sense of like what we've had to endure as people and how like women have been the backbone of the family and all of that.

Right, but it wasn't a choice. And too, when you characterize something as always being strong, you don't ever give it a chance to be delicate. So you don't ever get, you know, a black, black women get to be soft or vulnerable or delicate or fragile. You know what I'm saying? You never get to see them in that way. So again, that was just one of the things I liked about your album.

It gives a full portion. of just a black woman's humanity. As you can see, Fonte's the friend to the black woman. That, yeah, I like getting that on the T-shirt. Quartzham over the other hand is not apparently. We ain't go out of it. Apparently. But Fonse, you are such a friend.

Next, we're going to hear from Oscar winning director, Catherine Bigelow. And she's going to explain why she chose him to resist conversations about the smaller circle of women directors than men. Catherine directed a zero dark 30 and the original point break. and the movie Detroit. Is there a female director collective? Well, there's a kind of like that at the DGA, Directors Guild of America, the steering committee.

And, I mean, you know, I suppose my feeling is, I've always resisted a conversation about your woman doing, you know, I think that kind of ghettoizes women. You know, in other words, it actually prevents a perceptual. In other words, it, it, it siloizes them. And so, you know, I think of myself as a filmmaker. I don't think of myself as a woman director.

So there's no Sundays with Sophia and Eva, have a lunch. I just don't think of that, only because I think it, well, I don't think like that, because I think it perpetuates that inequity. But what about from a mentorship standpoint? Because it is, and I'm guessing that there is an inequity in the numbers of female directors. Like 7%. You mean that? that kind of inequity

I don't know It sounds like 60 cents to a dollar to me But These are real facts Facts But yeah So what about on that note Because there is a dichotomy

Of okay I don't want to be The female director But hey It's not a lot of us So how do I So is there an endgame Where you become Murrow Like do you run

Do you imagine Like maybe 15 years from now You will Have your own paramount Where you Make sure that Again, like again, you said that, you already said that you don't want to focus on the sex of it.

But at least from what you know, and I know that you've had a lot of mansplaining done in your life and a bunch of nose told to you. And you saw injustice where your male counterparts would have gotten that. And sure, petty shit, like, well, I think it should be done this way. And that, whatever. So is there any desire to, yeah, I would like to open my own production company and give fellow mees out there a voice or that sort of thing? Well, I'm working with, I do, you know, I'm producing a couple of things. And I try to, you know, I try to give back in that way. And I suppose also in the world of philanthropy, as I said, elephant conservation or any wildest,

life trafficking, conservation. So you try to give back in a way that's meaningful. But I also am a creative advisor at Sundance, and that's where I sort of spend most of my energy of trying to... Even out the score. Well, yeah, to a certain extent, on the other hand, I sort of always walk away from that feeling like I get way more than anybody else. You know, it's just, I don't know, do...

You know, the kind of... I don't presume to be able to, I mean, I never want to tell somebody what to do. I just want to do what I do and hope that inspires others to carry on. And I always tell them, don't take no for an answer. No doesn't exist. In your world, in your universe, no doesn't exist. All right, here's my pal, Nellie Furtado, speaking about some of the issues she encountered as a woman in the industry surrounding her imaging and message.

21 year old girl All of a sudden I'm like What? Like I'm nominated for a Grammy And like my mom Sitting next to me And we're at the Grammys

And I went a gram Like it was all surreal How'd you feel When they announced your name That night I think I was there that night When you won your Yeah

You were probably there Yeah Back in the good old days Um I mean it was amazing I was like But you kind of I mean

You expected to win I mean you were unstoppable I don't know Like it's still cool Like it's still But the funny thing that happens is afterwards. Like I remember I was living in, I remember actually exactly because I was living in L.A. for like a year.

And I remember you invited me to a party one night and I couldn't go. And I don't remember why. I couldn't convince my friend to come out with me and I didn't go. Right. My roommate, my friend. But around that time, I remember starting to feel like, oh, I got to deal with all the other ways I actually feel about this business. You know what I mean? The starry eyes are gone.

I'm now wondering, does it all come? come down to wearing a pretty dress on the red carpet. And that really messes with you when you're only 22. This is before the second album? Yeah. It was right when I was about to record it. So you're worrying that you might become the establishment that you were... Yeah.

And that's why my first single on folklore is called powerless. Where magically, sign of the times they asked me to sing it tomorrow in the Today Show. I was like, is this a typo? Do you be promiscuous? Right. Like, do you know what I mean? Like, people want to hear songs like powerless now. which was kind of like a protest song at the time

the first line says I mean look at the time we're living in though it kind of fits now I think I know but it's amazing to me that music can live on in that way and still inspire people because the first line says paint my face in your magazines make it look whiter than it seems paint me over

with your dreams shove away my ethnicity because this life is too short to live it just for you but if you feel when you feel so powerless what are you going to do oh wait I got to learn lyrics before tomorrow What are you, yeah, gonna do? So say what you want.

But is that true now? Like really at some point somebody, because your ethnicity is a part of your sound. So somebody really came at you in a label type way. I felt that way in photo shoots. Yeah, I felt like there was an angi-oh-oh-to-say. Anglosization. Yeah, anglo-sization.

I've always had olive skin, you know what I mean? I was aware of that because I grew up in a small town, British colony. I was like the only ethnic kid in my class in kindergarten. So it's all relative. And so by the time I was done with my first record and I was doing powerless, I was like, well, what about who am I really? You know what I mean? Like what am I really about? And what do I want to say on this next record?

So I started talking about the next record I have a song called like fresh off the boat. You know, my parents are immigrants. I was born in Canada. I have a song called Picture Perfect about my dad's like immigrant dream of like coming to Canada and how everything looks so good in the old 70s photographs when you look at it. Right. So anyway, yeah, that's what happened. Yeah, sometimes I would feel like there was a paradigm you needed to fit into at the time. That didn't always match how I felt.

Do you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. All right, so last week we played a clip from Sheila E. And I asked her if she felt any pressure as a woman playing the drums. And I asked the same about Terry Lynn Carrington in 2022. She had a real answer, too, which not only spoke to her self-confidence, but to the work she does play in gender equality.

as an educator. Let's listen back. I just want to know, you say from the jump, jazz was in your life in the sense that like no other, you weren't, even as a kid in school,

because I mean, you said Berkeley when you were 11. So I'm like, did anything else ever get into the household or into your ears outside of, okay. Yeah, I mean, I was, I mean,

I listened to the radio and I listened to, you know, like my father started me off listening to what he would consider more rhythm and blues, which at the time, we're talking about the early 70s. But for him, like, he played in horn sections with James Brown and Ruth Brown

and people like that when he was in college. And so that's the kind of music he started me off listening to because he thought I would be able to relate to that, you know, more than John Coltrane on Miles Davis. So I was listening to lots of organ, you know, lots of blues, Jack McDuff, Jimmy McGriff, and, you know, some rhythmic blues, of course, James Brown, Ray Charles. I was Aretha Franklin.

And those are the records, you know, a lot of the records that I remember, you know, as a kid. Can you tell me the first album that you purchased with your own money? Not just had around the house, like, oh, let me see what Dad's James Brown's album are into. But like... Yeah, you know, like, I don't know if I purchased it, but I think I must have asked my parents to get it for me because I'm not sure they would have. For whatever reason, I was obsessed. And I remember I had one of those kids... it was green too.

One of those kids' phonograph players that had a little speaker built in. Right. Post-prischool or whatever, Fisher Price record players. Yeah. I feel like I know with this record.

What was the record? Oh, no, it was the Fifth Dimension. Oh, okay. It was, I was obsessed with Aquarius. Oh, wow. Yeah, for some reason. Okay. The age of the Aquarius.

I was like, are you one? No, no. No, I'm a Leo. Okay. Okay. Boss, boss. I forget me. What, for that being the record?

No, no, no, no, no. I'm just saying. No, it's for being a Leo. Yeah. Get extra points if you're in a query. For drumming, though, you know, I know that there's a sect of people whose opinions are like, you know, at least for gender pairing, like, there are instruments that is probably, you know, deemed that men should use only as far as masculine or feminine, whatever.

Like, women on drums really, in my opinion, like an adjustment pre-1980s. But at all, did anyone ever discourage you? Like, well, why don't you try the piano or maybe a guitar? Violin. Yeah. Clarinet. Yeah, I don't, you know, I don't know if anybody really ever discouraged me. I was, you know, I was confident at a young age.

So, like, I think what tells a story about that for me the best is when I met Buddy Rich for the first time. I was 10. I was a guest with Clark Terry. Was he nice to you? Well, that was the thing. Everybody said, stay away from him. He's in a really bad mood.

And I didn't care. And I went up to him anyway. And so then somebody stepped in and said, well, let me introduce you to young Terry. She's a guest with Clark Terry. And he said, oh, yeah, you better not be any good. And I just looked at him and said, well, who's going to stop me? Ooh. Hey.

And then he said, you kind of took a step back. And then he said, you want to come play with my band? Oh. You see what I mean? Flacks. Flacks? No, but it wasn't that. It was beautiful flex.

Well, yeah, because I think it's how you're raised. I was raised that this is my music. Where did that confidence come from, Terry? Do you remember, like, did your parents something say to you, like the impetus of that? I think it's who you are. And that's why I do so much gender equity work now because every woman shouldn't have to be like me. I would go head to head with any man. You know what I mean?

I'm not intimidated by anyone. I can be shy and I can be insecure. Of course, we're all insecure. If I was playing a gig next to you, I would be. insecure, especially if I had to play groove, I'd be like, oh, man, he's sitting next to me. Damn. She must be talking about Sugar Steve right now. Y'all, that's crazy, Amir.

You're talking about Sugar Steve and his engineering skills. Fontaine rhyming. That's who she's talking about. No, I'm serious. And so I'm just saying that doesn't mean, I think you can be confident and that be a part of your personality, which doesn't mean there's these other things that, you know, aren't there as well. But you shouldn't have to be like me.

to make it, you know, you shouldn't have to have that kind of personality as a woman to, to have the opportunity or the access or mentorship or apprenticeships. And so that's, you know, when I realized that, that's when I, because I had been looking at women saying, well, what do you mean? Just do it? You know, like, what do you mean? Just later for them. You know, like, somebody discovers you, that should give you more impetus to, you know, then I realized, you know, they have nervous breakdowns and shit. You know, like, so I, I had to look at it differently. Because everybody doesn't have a foundation because you still had some type of foundation

to let you know that that is the way to think. And these women didn't have that. And they don't need to. That's the whole thing. We're all different, you know, we don't have to be. I was around nothing but men playing, you know, for a long time. And so I ended up kind of acting like them, you know, and not be, you know, having a problem being around men all the time.

So I think that we should celebrate our differences and what does a woman's aesthetic sound like in the music. You know, I think that's the question we should start to ask. All right, y'all. Thank you for tuning in and celebrating Women's History Month with QLS. We're going to be releasing some new conversations, especially with some amazing women soon. So please come back next week for Part 3. For more podcasts from IHeart Radio, visit the IHeart 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 you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver 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 Clifford Show on the IHeard 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. 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 in so much. 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 Ranchini. 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 IHart Radio 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 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. Yeah. Listen to thanks, Dad, on the Iheart radio app, Apple podcast, 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 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 Podcast, for wherever you get your podcast. And for More follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.