The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Charlamagne Tha God Part 2

Episode Date: May 10, 2023

In Part 2 of Charlamagne Tha God's sitdown interview with Questlove Supreme, the media leader remembers his famed Birdman video being an inflection point for The Breakfast Club. Charlamagne discusses expanding into podcasting as both a voice and an entrepreneur and his relationship with fame and family.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-heart podcast. Guaranteed human. 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,

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

the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, for wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon. And this is my friend, is much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far. But I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel. On our podcast, The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.

Listen to The Away End with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Ceno Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon, Danny Trail, talk about addiction, transformation, and the power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench, featuring powerful conversations with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more.

I'm an alcoholic. And without this group, I'm going to die. Listen to the Cino show on the IHare Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. On paper, the three hosts of the Nick Dick and Poll show are, geniuses. We can explain how AI works, data centers, but there are certain things that we don't necessarily understand. Better version of Play Stupid Games, win stupid prizes. Yes. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift who said that for the first time. I actually, I thought it was. I got that wrong.

But hey, no one's perfect. We're pretty close, though. Listen to the Nick, Dick, and Paul show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. What up, y'all? And welcome back to Questlove Supreme. So, in part one of our conversation with Charlemagne the God, we discussed Charlemagne's journey into becoming one of the biggest voices of our time. If you haven't, you should check that out. Also, don't forget, Charlemagne is appearing live on the podcast stage

at this year's Roos Picnic. And so is Questlove Supreme. You don't want to miss that. Okay, let's get back to it. Part two of our conversation with Charlemagne the God. Before it was just clips. It was clips that would lead you back to the dot com. I'm like, yo, nobody's doing dot coms anymore, yo. All right, so when that moment is happening,

like, I guess now you're hyper aware of this can be a viral moment where, you know, a 10-second rant could suddenly define you or whatever. But as that moment's happening, like, what's going in your head? Is this about to be, I'm about to say some real old Morton Downey Jr.? Oh, shit. Come on, fast forward a little bit. You know what I'm talking about. That's why I'm like, wow.

Wow. No, but I mean like, no, that was a moment where, like, the brawl on the Morton Downey Jr. show became, like, super viral. And then, of course, then it was Art. It was a Jersey version, too. Oh, boy, Harado. Richard Bay. Richard Bay.

There was a brawl on Richard Bay before? He was like, yeah, he was like the Morton Downey of, oh, really? Yeah. Jersey, whatever. Yeah, Jersey. So when that moment it is happening, like, are you hyperware now of, like, one frame could be a jiff for life, like the, the Soldier Boy, Drake moment, or those things.

I wasn't. You know, it's so funny, I remember that day because, you know, we pre-record all our interviews a day early. So we pre-recorded the Birdman interview a day early, and we aired it back on April 22nd. Everybody remembers what else happened on April 21st? Prince. Prince passes away. So I remember being, I was hosting the MTV Upfronts. I remember being at the up front, getting the news that Prince died.

I'm like, God damn, Prince died. Everybody, then I'm like, we can't play Birdman tomorrow. Nobody going to care about no Burrman interview. Like, literally, that was my mindset. It'll get bird. That's what I thought, Quartz. I was like, nobody's going to care. But then I said, different crowd.

It's only two minutes, 30 seconds. I remember saying this, I'm like, the interview is only two minutes, 30 seconds. We could throw it on at like seven and then get back to Prince. So you're mind, you didn't think like this interview is a bus. We only got an unusable. I thought it's Prince. Prince, Prince passed away.

I'm thinking everybody and their mama is going to be on Prince. But we're of a certain age. Yeah. So that's, we owe. And we can multitask. We put that interview out. And I could be wrong. It felt like Birdman was the A side that weekend.

Right. It was. It was. You know what I mean? It was. Like that was the same weekend Prince passed away. But my whole timeline is put some respect on it. And see, that's the other thing, right?

You can know something's going to go viral, but you don't know what a life is going to take on the internet. You become something completely different. That's what I'm saying. And that you trade warrant respect? No, because I didn't see. Motherfucking, you better do it now. I don't have made so many respect.

Because in my mind, I'm thinking, like, I knew he was going to come up there. I knew he was coming up there wilding because, you know, one of the record reps hit me like a couple weeks before. And he was like, I just want to warn you, dog. No, he didn't want me. He just said, Birdman wants to come on such and such date.

He wants to make sure. that you're there. Now listen, that's number one, but also number two, I know what I've said about Birdman. I'm self-aware enough. I'm not going to act clueless. Like, I didn't say that about, like, I know the things that I was saying. And that's why before he even came in, if you notice, there's like an overhead view. Because I told everybody, turn the cameras on before he walks in. So you, you want all the ring cameras on? Yes. I told him. I said, turn the cameras on before he walks in because I just knew he was coming in on something. And he didn't wait as soon as he hit the door.

It wasn't no hide or nothing. Y'all motherfuckers put some respect on my name. Because the interview was only two minutes, 30 seconds. So it's wrestling. He was on air for 40. If that. Because the interview starts with an interview saying Power 1-5 Breakfast Club, Birdman talks.

And I'm like, no, no, no. Birdman just came in here and checked all of us. Go ahead. Get it off your chest, Birdman. And then that's when, you know, led to the single-file stormout. Wow. Have you ever been knocked off your square in that, went away? On mic?

No. I'm about to see you. I got punched in the back of the head, but that's a different knock-off square. Wait, an artist got pugilistic? Well, it wasn't an artist. I mean, somebody came with a camera. This was like 2011. Oh, like, off the air.

Okay. No, that's. Oh, no. They recorded it, though. They put it on video. It was on World Star. That was four World Star. That was why Steve here.

That was four World Star. I was like an instant somewhere. I'm sorry. No, I'm playing. I'm playing. But like literally, because you seem like, of course, there are edits in all kinds of things. But even with the Birdman thing,

there's been so many situations, you always focused in a way. I'm glad you said that about the edits because I could edit all of that stuff if I wanted to. But it's like, what's the point? I can't, you shouldn't be able as a personality to say what you want about people.

Not let them get theirs off. So I don't care if it's Beanie Siegel, Master P., Fradry, any of these guys who have come in there and got at me, It's like I'd be whacked to edit that up. Oh, you and Beans too? Okay. Can you talk about that incident?

Do you guys know what happened? No. In Philly. I mean, you remember when Beans is like making all these rhymes about Jay Zee? Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You're talking about with Shaillamaine? Yes, he felt abandoned. You would have possibly...

Appreciated it? Yeah, Bean. Beans had an issue with Hove. I mean, he called in my radio show on a Friday morning. I played it back that Friday and went crazy vial that week. and I think Jay even got asked about it because he was on tour at the time. Right.

And then one day I got fired. Wait, I'm sorry. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Wait, wait. I need to everyone. You got fired because Bean said something in an interview about Hove, and that's why you got fired.

Everybody says Jay Z got me fired. I don't know if that's true or not. Because he would have got me fired for saying what I said to him in his face on the radio in Philly. What I think it was at the time, I think you had people in Philly. You know, it's Jay Z.

We all love you. Yeah. I mean, it's his number one market, too. I think sometimes people bring sacrifice vices to Jay, like here's a lamb. You know what I mean? Like, Jay, here's a gerbil for you. I bought, I did that.

He's gold. So I think that was one of those things like, Beanie said that about you on Shalameh show and he got rid of Sharmay. I think it was one of those things. Because you can't do shit to beans. Yeah, I don't think it was a call like, yo, get rid of him from Hove. I like, nah, I don't, that petty. That's just it.

But then where's, in your mind's like, where do I go? You know what's so interesting? There's a Vlad TV interview I did right after I, I think it was the day I got fired. and I literally said this is just another stepping stone I said I'll be back on the radio in like a year or so and you know

sky's the limit like I literally say that I say that in the Vlad TV interview and that's literally how I felt you got a thing I already been fired four times yeah you got your speech already written a number of times plus a record executive they told me once you ain't nobody till you get fired

in this business they say three times they say if you get fired three times oh it's three oh they say you're Nobody, if you get fired once, if you get fired three times, you're a superstar. Shit. Wait, is that how it is? I got a lot. I got fired.

Not today, though. Yo, I would have asked you, man, the Ray J interview. Son. What was going through your mind while he's on the phone just? Man, we was almost off air. Like, we get off air at 10. I think it was like 9.30. And I remember Angie Lee gets a call and this guy, Billy.

And he was like, yo, man, I still didn't know what was going on. It was like, Ray J. and Fav such and such and such. Ray J wants to call in. And I'm still, I'm like, you know, at the time, he's like, yo, Rayji wants to call it right now. Him and Fab just got into it, whatever, whatever. So Ray J just called in and that's what, like, that's literally, we was live at first.

Yeah. Like, we had to tell him to stop cursing and stuff like that. And then we had to say, hold on, man, we're going to play the rest of this for y'all tomorrow. And then we recorded it and it became the seven rolls, Royces and everything else y'all here now. I keep telling them we need to get RayJay. He's one of the best interviews.

Oh, no. He is fantastic. But stuff like that, you can't even script, man. Like the Birdman moment, the Ray J moment, like that's just radio magic. Like, like, you don't script those. Like, you don't say, hey, this is going to happen today. Those are just those things that happen in live radio

and you just got to be prepared for it. Can you tell there are some, there are other people that come up where you can kind of tell they may be kind of fishing for that viral moment. Like they kind of are trying to make it. As a guest, you mean? As a guest, yeah. Absolutely.

And I've had people say that. And then when the interview was over, they'd be like, that's going to go on world stuff. Oh, my God. You know what I mean? I met Fredro did that. Salute to Frederick. I remember, but I remember he did that, you know what I mean?

Because the question I asked him, I asked him because he said it, right? It was something he said about Brandy. I think it was on a Vlad TV interview. And I asked him about it. And he got mad at me, but you said it, you know what I mean? And so he turned up, which I love because I'm an onyx fan. You know what I mean? So I was happy to still see the rah, rah, right?

You know what I mean? Shifty, low down, really and grind. You know what I mean? I was happy about that, right? So my don't my don't spills. No, no. But I remember when the interview was over, he was like, yo, that's going to make some noise on world stuff.

And I was just like... So you started wanting to be a super jock. Then you became a super jock. Then what did you decide was next? Ooh, as far as what? What you were going to do? Because you said you just, as far as I knew, before you just wanted to be a super jock.

Oh, what? So now you became a super jock. You have to now be a clear channel. Yeah, I'm like, so do we say I'm going to have my own network? Is it TV? I'm going to do my TV show? Oh, yeah. I mean, definitely because, you know, the more you grow, right, the more you see.

So it's like we always talk about, you know, there's levels to this, right? Yeah. So the more you ascend, you know, you start to meet new people and you start to get a bird's eye view with a game and more opportunities. And, you know, now you're getting opportunities that you didn't even think was possible. You know, now you really feel like sky is the limit, right? So it's just like a few years ago when I saw. how the game was changing as far as podcasting

concerned. And, you know, I've been on podcasting earlier. I started my podcast. Me and Andrew been doing brilliant days for 10 years. We actually just launched our first episode last week, officially, but we've been doing it for 10 years. Credit given. Practice makes perfect. Right? Okay? So, when I saw where the game was going as far as networks and everything,

I started looking around like, man, there's not a lot of there's no network for black podcasts. Like, there's no one place that you could take these black podcasters that are getting these views, but they don't have no infrastructure to properly monetize what they're doing. I was like, yo, that's what I want to create. I saw Bill Simmons was doing with the ringer.

And I'm like, I want to create that for us. So that's when I had the idea for the Black Effect, like three, four years ago. Was that kind of what Combat Jack was doing with his house? Exactly what Combat Jack was doing. Because, you know, God bless the Dead, salute to Combat Jack. Chris Moreau, Chris Moreau is the first person to tell me, yo, you need to write a book and you need to start a podcast. This was 2011.

That book thing is essential, huh, Charlemagne? Very, very. You know, but Chris writes books. So Chris has written a, he's helped 50 cent, Russell Simmons. Like, he's up to a lot of different people who write books. So he told me, 2011, you need to write a book. You need to start a podcast. I was arrogant at first with the podcast.

I knew I wanted to do a book because I'm an average reader, right? But I was like, why should I do a podcast when I got my own morning show? And he was like, man, trust me, start a podcast. So I did, you know, with Live Speakers Network. And that ended up being brilliant. So it's me, Combat, Jack, and the read. And then when I started to see how creating a podcast gives you a whole other voice and it's a whole other platform, then I started seeing how it could actually be lucrative,

started bringing in other people that I thought were interesting to do podcasts. So, you know, that turned into the tax stones and Angela Rye. And then even, like, you know, Envi and his wife started one. And, you know, you took lip service from Shade 45 and started doing a podcast. And it's just like, then eventually live speaker gave me a percentage of the company. Equity important. Very.

So I saw, you know, the other side of the podcast game from the executive side years, years, years, years ago. We call that like distribution in a way? Is that when you talk about those other companies, like Loudspeaker, like I heart? I'm just trying to, so people who are listening to understand the formula of podcasting in a way. I think Loudspeaker provided a lot more infrastructure because people didn't even know what to do to start a podcast. You know what I mean?

Like Loudspeaker had the Engine Room Studios downtown. Like they would tell you to come at this time. They had a producer's there for you and everything. So they made it very easy. Then they had the ad sales team. So to start a podcast in 2023, what are the essentials to at least stick, make a dent? Like, I know there's some people that just like record and you got you like you're making a TV show down there.

Yeah. Yeah. Like what do you what is the starters kit post-pandemic starter kit one-on-one thing? Two Jews in the corner. Killing you. That sounds like a great podcast. Happy Hanukkah. That is a fantastic podcast.

It does. It does. No, that's just an essential part of any podcast. That's not a podcast. Let's talk about our mutual friend. All right. So, Weezy. Oh, the best. I feel like she is on the verge of greatness as a solo act.

Like, what steps. Weezy. Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just, horrible decisions. Okay, thank you. Who is this? What was we talking about? Yes, thank you.

One half of the horrible decisions. Got it. Got it. Gotcha, got it. Right. So she's about to cut a solo deal, whatever. I'm treating it like it's the music thing. But what do you recommend that a person does to...

I think, number one, you have to be authentic, meaning, and I know that's such a cliche thing to say, but everybody in their mama is getting on these microphones and they're just talking nowadays. It's like, what do you actually have the offer that's different from everybody else? But how can you tell a difference between a provocative? All right, so look, academics just deal with Rumble. Yeah. Which kind of just, why? In my opinion, you know, it's, I know people want to be provocateur.

You can tell people that are easy, like, okay, whatever buttons I should not be pressing, let me press those buttons. But what is authentic in terms of, like, being a provocateur or being honest? That's a great question. I think the difference is, I think somebody like Weezy, right? Weezy and Man do with horrible decisions. Their story is authentic. There were two people in the corporate world who were literally sneaking to do a podcast about sex.

They didn't want people at their job to find out that they were having these conversations about sexual liberation and women empowerment and everything else. But it started getting so big that they couldn't hide anymore. But they told us distort. every step of the way. Like, literally, you can go back to original episodes and hear them talking about sneaking off

to do this, you know, from their jobs. Then it got so big that they were able to quit their corporate jobs and just fully invest in horrible decisions. By the way, one of the best live podcast show, if not the best live podcast show, that's... Horrible decisions? Oh, they're incredible. So to me, that's authentic.

Having, like, an authentic story and an authentic POV. Like, another example, I like, he uses to read. Kid Fury and Crystal. I remember watching a long time, right? They're like one of the longest.

Over a decade. Yeah. I remember watching Kid Fury on YouTube back in the day. And you always knew he was funny. You always knew he was smart. You always knew he had a star quality. Then he starts to read with Crystal

and you could tell that they're friends. They're just on there having two, you know, authentic conversations talking about their experiences. Like you just happen to know Kid Fury's a gay man from Miami and Crystal is a queer woman from Oklahoma. That's because they tell you this. But that's not the vein of their existence. They're just good at what they do.

To me, that's the type of authenticness that makes for a good podcast. Nowadays, people think, just because you've got a name, you can launch a podcast. Those are the wackest ones. Yeah, and talk about relationships. Oh, God. Oh, God. And the ones with the names can't commit to the schedule. It's low-hanging fruit.

All these people that aren't in relationships with relationships with relationships. All these men who've never been married telling women what they should be doing with themselves. How many, you got a couple of those shows on the black? No, I don't have any of you. I don't have no man-sphere podcast on Black Effect. Man-splane podcast on Black Effect. Actually, two Jews in a corner would be a good... We can mansplain anything.

What the fuck? Just to give us up. That will be the next show on your network, Mr. Love. Listen, Mr. Love. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me.

Clever Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment,

and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest, the director of the NFL's East Sweatford.

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, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network.

on TikTok. I'm John Green. You may know me as the author of The Fault in Our Stars, and now I guess also as the co-host of The Away End, a brand new world soccer podcast. I'm Daniel Alarcon,

a writer and journalist, and John and I have known each other since we were kids. My first World Cup was Mexico 86. I was nine years old. I watched every game, and I fell in love. On our new podcast,

The Away End, we'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. For us, soccer, Football is a story we've shared for over 30 years since Daniel was the star player on our high school soccer team. Very debatable. And I was their most loyal and sometimes only fan.

I love this game. I love its history, its hope, its heartbreak, and above all, its beauty. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important. Listen to the away end with Daniel Auerkone and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts. On a recent episode of the podcast, Money and Wealth with John Hobriant, I sit down with Tiffany the budgetista Aliche

to talk about what it really takes to take control of your money. What would that look like in our families if everyone was able to pass on wealth to the people when they're no longer here? We break down budgeting, financial discipline, and how to build real wealth, starting with the mindset shifts.

Too many of us were never, ever taught. Financial, It's not always about, like, I'm going to get rich. That's great. It's about creating an atmosphere for you to be able to take care of yourself and leave a strong financial legacy for your family. If you've ever felt you didn't get the memo on money, this conversation is for you to hear more.

Listen to Money and Wealth with John O'Brien from the Black Effect Network on the I'd Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. American soccer is about to explode. The World Cup is coming. Ramos sending on to Ernie Stewart the chip. I'm Tad Ramos. I'm Tom Boe.

On our podcast, inside American soccer, you'll get the real storylines. I'm not worried about Policic. I'm not worried about Balagan. I'm not worried about McKinney. My only concern is what happens in the back. The biggest decisions. If you're going to look at stats and numbers, he has no shot at making this World Cup team.

and the truth about the U.S. national team. It wouldn't be a huge surprise if our team ends up in the quarterfinals or potentially a great run into the semifinals. The World Cup is almost here. Experience it all with us. Listen to Inside American Soccer with Tom Bogart and Tab Ramos on the iHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever you get your podcast. Yo, I always wanted to ask you, man,

because I don't think I've ever heard you speak about this in any interviews or platforms, specifically making it out of South Carolina. what is that like trying to explain to people, you know, because I mean, I'm from North Carolina. So trying to explain to people that, you know, like you said, you know, you have opportunities now that you never thought were possible. How have you adjusted, you know, knowing coming from where you come from to where you are now mentally? Like, how do you make that adjustment? I don't know if you ever truly make the adjustment. I know I just started dealing.

I just stopped dealing with imposter syndrome probably in 2019. You know, because you... Wait, I don't have to do that no more. You know, right. You know, you definitely have to do that all the time. Like, don't stop. I'm sorry, forget. No, all sad effects are...

It's organic, I mean, that's good. Sorry. Because I think when you come from a certain extreme, like, it never leaves you. I was raised on a dirt road in Monks called to South Carolina. The town, I'm from the population with 7,000 people. Like, we were in a double... The time was from 3,000. Good guys.

You know, I'm saying? You're in a double-wide trailer. You know, me, my mom, my dad. I read that. I didn't believe it. My oldest sister and my mom had three more kids. Like, we, when you come from those type of extremes, you don't ever really lose that or forget that, you know? So it's like for me, I never truly adjust.

Like I said, I just started feeling worthy of being in the position I'm in like the end of 2019. And that was just me saying it to myself. I probably really didn't get to a feeling of worthy until like the beginning of 2021, like right after COVID. Because that was my next question. So how did lockdown, did that affect? Like what changes did you make during lockdown? I mean, I lost friends during COVID because of suicide.

You know, like my good home girl, Jasmine Waters, Jazz Fly. So that put a lot of things in perspective because me and Jazz was two individuals who would have like conversations about therapy and you know things we might have been going through and it's just like to know that she couldn't make it through that that time right like that was like who you know so I just came out of there feeling like man we made it through that I'm going to just really embrace life to the fullest like I'm gonna really enjoy this process that that that that that that I'm going through I'm enjoying this this ride that I'm on so that that's what it was for me like

That's what made me just not just have a sense of worthiness, you know, for myself, but just a sense of worthiness for life. Like, I'm not taking any of this for granted. What's it like when you go back home? Can you go back home? No, I definitely can. It's love, but it's not love from the people you want to get the love from. You know what I mean?

Because there's people that you grew up with, you came up with, they might be upset over something you said in a book, you know what I mean? They might be upset over something they heard you say on air about, you know, growing up. Five years ago. Right. You're just upset that you've evolved. Yeah.

Yeah, upset because your grandma's like, that little McCalvey boy, he really does a lot for our community and stuff like that. That might just make you mad. Oh, fuck him. I remember him in high school. He wasn't shit. You know what I mean? So you're the new Calvin.

I'm the new, exactly. And you wasn't quiet. You used to talk shit on everybody. So people was definitely like, that damn it, not that one. I used to get bully. And then I went from getting bullied to being the bully because I got time. I had to be in bullies.

It was like, oh, you can't beat them, join them. So that day my glasses fell off for that final time, and they cracked. I said, fuck them. I'm not wearing them anymore. Because every other time, they would fall on the ground. They'd be crooked. I was going to school wearing crooked glasses, you know, getting more bullied because the glasses were crooked. So after that, I was like, I'm done, you know?

So I just started being the bully. But, I mean, it's a love. Don't get me wrong, it's love. Because I do a lot for my hometown. I do a book bag drive every year. I do the turkey drives every year. We do mental health initiatives, you know what I mean? mean, I bring therapists and psychiatrists, you know, to my-

Shalemayne, I'm so thankful for all your conversations about black men's mental health. Oh, thank you. Oh, my God. I feel like it's a new era. Even in this room, as these men now speak freely about this stuff, I just wanted to say that as you were going down the road call. I wanted to thank you for that. I did that last year.

My man, Jay Barnett, he's a psychiatrist. He does this tour called the Just Hill Bro tour. And it's him and some other psychiatrist and therapist. I bought that, you know, the Charleston. So people know I do a lot for the community. So I think it's one of those things where it's like I love them, but also I hate them a little bit too. And maybe I'm just exactly. Maybe that's just in my mind.

Maybe nobody hates me and I'm just scared to go around. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I was going to say, you know what? This happened once at my high school reunion where I did that whole Marty Marr, pretty Ricky, what they call him. I had the list ready, you know, my date was tired. I wouldn't have sued and everything. I was like, I don't give revenge on them. I'm going to get remins with you all.

Boys, the men, all you. I'm going to get revenge with boys to men. And, like, they performed at it, didn't it? I got there and, yo, man, everyone was so nice. We're so proud of you, Amir, and I was so mad. Oh, guys, like, literally. And then I realized maybe, again, the voice in your head is your worst enemy ever. And I think maybe what I thought.

was everyone's opinion of me in high school, was maybe the opinion I had about yourself. Absolutely. And that's when I realized, like, ah, man, like, now I've got to be friends with everyone. Like, for real, I was a year. That's right. Purchase in the gym, all that stuff. Like, I was getting ready.

And I think you got to remove yourself from certain things. That's the other thing that hurts, too, right? The other thing is I know if I come home, I can't go there because they're doing the same things we were doing 30 years ago. Right. Like, you know what I mean? So I'm going to be over here and possibly end up in a situation where I lose everything just to keep it real. If that's what I got to do to keep it real, if I got to hang out with y'all on the block and drink and smoke and all that, I'm cool on that. I'm not going to, I'm not subjecting myself to that.

That's kind of one thing I wish I could lose because my mom and my sister teased me to this day. Because they know, like, my addiction to, like, I won't waste a second to. to like hop in my car and just drive to Philly at like 11 p.m. For what? Just to sit in front of my childhood crib or go to my grandmoms block. Oh, I do that. Not even get out the car, but just like... It's like a grounding.

Well, Chase Ghost, I don't know what it is. Because the thing was, I used to always... If you remember, like, back in the 80s or 90s, you hear about, like, such and such a basketball player getting to an altercation with, you know, someone at their old projects or, you know, what happened to Bobby Bowie? Brown and his brothers in Roxbury projects.

And you're like, in my mind, as the, as the outsider, I'm like, well, wait, you're like, blah, blah, blah, blah, platinum war. It's like, what the hell are you doing back at? Survivor's remorse. Right. Literally the show, too. Yeah. Yeah, but it's, it's an addiction.

Like, I don't know why I, literally, there was one point where, like, I got up at, like, maybe 10.30 in New York, drove to Philly just to get my, there's a fish sandwich. For what? Not punchies on 52nd Street, but, um... Bottom of the sea? Oh, I ain't been to bottom of the sea in a minute. Wait, that's not on the shower. Wait a minute.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Wait, wait. They got multiple locations. Yo, Steve, you know why Steve is really here with us? Yes, yes. Forget DeAngelo, forget Eric, like, forget Steve's whole history is my engineer. Steve is by my side because Steve knows where all the bodies are,

buried and I got to keep my eye on it every 12 seconds. I forgot about bottom of the sea. The second he said bottom of the sea, I was like, wait, what did you know about? Ah, damn. You? Yeah. Too much butter in the potatoes and the broccoli. He's sugar, he's sugar, he's Steve because I gave him diabetes like he literally got,

yeah, in eight months adapting to my diet. Yikes. Between bottom of the sea and the church. Yes, yes. House of Prayer. Soul food. Yeah. Yeah.

He's all the man. Stay in Philly that long. all this secret. I ain't done. I ain't done. I got Iska Bibles. That's good. That's good.

That's good. Best you taste. Yeah. All right. I'm evolved. I'm evolved. Okay. Just say the Iska Bibles instead of it.

Yes. Shout out to Maxes. Hello. I love you guys. What's that? I forgot that story, but I remember. That was Wiz-Witch. I do that.

Like my grandmother's house is still still up in South Carolina. in South Carolina and I'll go sit on the porch just the ground there take my shoes off walk through her yard what about your parents are they still back home to my dad my dad lives in Kiffield South Carolina my mom lives in Monk's Corner still like they're yeah everybody retire them or were they already retired oh my mom was kind of always already retired she was a school teacher but it's like yo when you been she let you retired because my like they still that's why I thought about it because when I brought

my mom's crib she she has just started unpacking boxes from like 10 years ago it was almost like, uh-uh, I don't trust this, and still didn't unpack. Yeah, it's, that's like, my mom won't, I don't know what she wants. You know what I mean? Like, usually the things that she wants are for other people, you know, and I know right, right, I'm going to restore my grandmother's house, right? Because she got like one of those old school sovereign porch houses, right? I'm going to restore that.

But she don't really, they don't really ask me for anything, which is, which is wild, right? Well, my mom was an English teacher, so she kind of been retired. She substitutes every now and then, but she likes to do that. Like, you know, she likes to get up and go substitute a class. You know, I don't want her in there no more because these little kids are crazy nowadays.

You know what I mean? And she's up in age, but, you know, I don't think she wants to fully retire. You got two girls? Four. Four girls now? Four. So do I.

You sure do. That's right. I'm about to ask you all the time. Like, all the time. It is. Yes, yes. A comical disaster shit show. But how does that change, you're not a girl dad?

I'm 100% of grow dad. But as men, how does that change y'all now in your daily interactions? Makes me terrified of men all the time. I'm just kidding. I don't know. Oh, it changes everything. Because, you know, how they always say, like, the future is female. And it's like, yo, my future is female regardless, right?

So it's just like, you know, why not try to make the world a better place for women? Like, it makes you listen more, which is something I think men historically didn't do a good job of. Right? So now that you got a house full of women, at least in my life, I have no choice. I have to hear what's going on, whether I want to hear what's going on or not. But historically in my life, I've always had more women around me than guys because my dad went from, my dad went from telling me, why you want to be? My dad would say, why you want to be around all these dudes all the time, man? Fuck all these dudes, F all these dudes, right?

These dudes ain't going to do nothing but get you in trouble. So when he told me that when I was young, all I would do was be around. a bunch of women. And then you realize, even when I used to throw parties back in the day, having a bunch of women at the party made all the guys want to come to the parties. You let women in free before 11. Now you can hit the guys over the head. You know what I mean?

$20. That was a lot back then. Right. You know what I mean? But $20, right? So it's just like I've always been around women, right? But I don't know if I was always listening to them like I should have, should have been. That's why I asked about the daughters because you have no choice.

Like you could have been raised by aunts, grandmothers, and, things, but daughters. No, and the teenage, the 14-year challenges me, like, no other. The energy's different. It's hard to explain. Like, male energy is just, like, put on a helmet and run into the door.

Like, women, the energy is different, man. It's not like that. They were like, just like... You got to listen. And make you feel so fucking guilty about something. Everything. Guilty and stupid. It's all, yeah.

Guilty and stupid. Yeah. So already is, Dad. Like, it's that level of... They say, actually all the time? As if, like, no matter what you say. Oh, actually. They go like actually or basically

as if like I'm a fucking idiot and I need to be told basically what's going on. This is like every sentence I swear to got actually dad go fuck you That's right. Basically dad fuck you. Like that's my life all over there. All four of them, yeah, yeah, yeah. And trying not to parent like our parents.

Yes, so then there's that. You know? Because I always say my dad didn't parent with love. I think my dad parented out of fear. Yes. You know what I'm saying? This motherfucker is not going to be like I was. You know what I'm saying?

Like I don't want him to make none of the mistakes that I made. So I think, you know, just trying to parent out of love or even answering those questions like, why. Like when you're a seven-year-old or four-year-old ask you why. No longer do we say, don't ask why because I said so. That's right. That's right.

And that makes you think because sometimes you'd be like, well, what is the why? You know what I mean? What is the why? Am I just parenting out of my own anxiety? I'm just doing what I was done to me. That's right. That's what we always did.

Like, I grew up getting beaten. I'm not beating my children. You know what I'm saying? And I used to get beaten to me. Not even a pop. Nah, no, no. How was your marriage changed over the years and what, or developed over the years since? Me and my wife been together for 25 years.

Wow. So we met in 1998. I don't have to make up my own sound effects. In 50 years. That's like 50 years of entertainment. You're the Foley guy. I don't. That was not.

That was not. That was the family's wife. There you go, 25 years. Look, it would have been a total waste if I'd do one effect for this. Thank you. But even with that, right, like, that's what I was going to say about my pops. I've always been the type of person that I like being with one woman, right? Like, I've always...

Why? Just having a rider for you. Having somebody that's riding with you. Like, I always thought that was the cool way until I caught my pops cheating. Oh. And I'm like, I hit cheating on my mom. He looked me in the eyes and goes, you only got one girlfriend. One day, one day you'll understand.

One day you'll understand. You know what I mean? So in my mind, I'm thinking there's something wrong. wrong with you. With having one girlfriend. So that's when the whole player thing started or trying. The stern years. But to be a play.

No, that was way before the stern years. This was, I've been with it since 98. That's right. You know what I mean? So this is way before that. But it's just like, it took me, honestly, it took me until like 2016 to totally get rid of that. Because I started to realize I'm becoming my father, right? So you're turning into what you hated, right?

And not that I hate my dad. I just hated how he did our family. Right. You know what I mean? I saw what his infidelity did in breaking apart him and my mother and what that did to my younger siblings. You know what I mean? Absolutely. And I didn't want that to be me. On a side note, I always think I want to ask us about to men to cheat.

And we all cheat because I'm a cheat. I've been a cheater. But what if? I missed it. I missed it. This is why he wore the shirt. I know. I knew it was going to come.

Thank you. Thank you. I knew it was going to come. What I was going to say is, what if she, what if, what if she would have turned around while you were in this stage and been like, well, baby, since you're in this stage, why don't we just polyamory this thing for a second? Until we, you can get it together.

Because I am with the Polyneas. Not a good idea. Not a good idea. Okay. Yeah, I'm not with the Polynesian. I'm not a good idea. I don't want to ask of men because. Consider it once, nah, it's not good.

Too much work. It's not good, man. She got to get her? I'm programmed. too much. Well, no, no, there's a lot. One, I'm just lazy. But you're already doing it.

Yeah, but, like, you still, like, no matter who you, you've got to deal with somebody. That's right. And when you deal with someone, you got to talk to them, communicate with them, get emotionally connected. And now we're going to add somebody else to do. Yeah, and it's just too much. It's too much.

And I think at the end of the day, it's also like, you just get, yeah, and this is how my ego gets the best of me. There we go. Come on, come on, tell the truth. Oh, for real. Like, all of us want to be on some Drake. Wayne fuck every girl in the world,

John. But Drake can't even handle that. Right. Yeah. What about AI Drake? Hey, I think you're all in a man. Done. That's almost the end of the episode.

It's a book ending. No, I think at the end of the day, like we just get generally tired of getting caught and, you know, racing shit and da-da-da-da-da. That's right.

I got lazy, so it was just like, all right, no, that's not for me. you find things that actually feed your soul and not your ego? Because that's what I think cheating is, right? Like nine times out of ten when you out there cheating, you're really just trying to feed your ego. It's not about cheating is not about I want to be with another person. It's about you want to be.

But another question, too, is can you handle it when your woman cheats on you? But that's why I was asking because I was like, while you're out there? I don't want to know. Because men, I don't know if men think that why you're cheating that a woman is fulfilled, because when we're not, if you're giving it to somebody else, I'm still horny. I look, your women are the most... If you was with your woman in college,

you know what I'm saying? Trust me, your woman had a life. There we go. All right, you're out of your mind if you think your woman didn't have a life in college. And afterwards, what are... The 20s is a motherfucker. That's what I'm saying.

And then when she hit 40, it'd be like, you better fulfill her or she's going... Because it's real horny at 40. Play the track again. I can't even find it. I thought it was like, I'm perfect segue. Here we go. Here we go.

Just a lady. It's no. Debbie Horny. All right. This has been a long time coming. Thank you for joining us. Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.

It's beautiful to see your evolution and how you're coming up in the world. Yes, I absolutely believe that, you know, you will be the new. Byron Allen. Yo! Hey. No joke. Yo, that's a thing. Somebody said that to me this weekend.

That's a thing. Let's go. Can you take this with you? Not real. Listen, I look at Steve's face. Why not? Byron Allen just isn't the guy from real people back in 19. I know who Byron Allen is.

Everybody in his room, nope. Don't make Byron Island your ceiling is why I was making that smirk. You know who first told me I'm going to be a billionaire? Dave Chappelle. Really? Bill randomly said that like five years ago. I don't know how. I'm amazed at how you can be a billionaire living your black truth.

Like, I am just so impressed. No, no, no, no. I'm going to tell you something. And I know you might say like, well, that's easy to say than done. Yes. I actually spend. I hate that I'm getting real deep in like the last minutes of this podcast. My assessment in my life in the last two years is that I spend more time thinking how can I sabotage something than I do letting it happen.

And I almost feel like it's transformed. I believe that we collectively as black people get these moments, but because we getting our heads of, what's blah, blah, blah, blah, going to think. Is da-da-da-da-da-da-go-to-to-talk shit? Like something happened to be. me like three days ago and I'm dreading this news getting out. I mean, it's some big. A good thing.

It's a good thing. But you just threaten it. For the history's sake, it'll be a good thing. Right. But if my first thoughts are, oh, man, like, now da-da-da-da-da is going to talk. Like, it's hard to get that voice out of your head, which is why, like, I keep stressing on the show, like the importance of meditation and all that stuff. That's because we live in a world whenever you announce good news.

news, it's always somebody ready to shoot your good news down. It's always ready to somebody's attacking. But half the time is us waiting for the other shoe to try. That's right. That's right. This ain't going to last forever. That's right. History, man. I believe it is absolutely 100% easy as hell to succeed if we just, for any person that has not

truly succeeded, I will show you a person that has somehow figured out a way to thwart or sabotage it, self-consulturally or on purpose. I guarantee you. I'm almost 99% certain that this happened. How many times have you recommended the Big Leap on this podcast? I mean...

We need a booklet. I'm actually trying to like not... I don't want to be that... See, even then. Like, I have a truth to share. We want to learn the truth. I'm so scared that everyone's like, eye rolling.

Here Amir goes again with this recommendation. We've been talking about meditation since the COVID. Like, we all different. We all evolve. Let's not do that. I read the Big Leap because of Quest. I saw a Quest at this last year we got named as what was it?

to, we got awarded something. What is the most powerful media in New York or something? Something like that. There's an alumni room of white people. Exactly. And we were the only black people. And that's my point about you and your blackness in the... That's right.

So I go up to questions. I asked questions, like, yo, how's everything changed since the, you know, the Grammy? And when you ask somebody how they're doing, better be prepared to get an honest answer. And he gave me a real honest answer. And it was about the self-sabotizing everything else. and he was like, y'all, I'm reading this book called The Big Leap, and I ordered it literally the next day. And I'm going to buy it now.

I got one job, and that's just literally get out my own way. That's it. If I could get out my own way, I'm good. Man, that's it. Because I was going to say, man, this is me and his first time ever meeting. Crazy. We were supposed to do his craziest kind of came full circle. 2005, this, I think you were in Columbia.

Columbia, Columbia, Columbia. Yeah. And Minstrelshaw just came out. We were going to do a radio tour, and we had to do the next day. we had to do the MTV U awards, whatever. Literally the day we had to leave was when my wife went in the labor with my son.

Wow. So, Knife and Poo, they went and did the interview. But that was the time we was almost to meet. But that was like the only, every show. Because Poo, actually, we did it, had them hosting mixtape for me. I think I had Poo do some drops for a mixtape in the night. That sounds right, yeah.

Yep. So, yeah, that was like, yeah, that was, well, he was November 2005. So, so yeah, man, it's good for us to finally. No, that's fantastic to me. I love little brother. What's so crazy is, In South Carolina, we didn't have nobody to look to in hip hop

as to look at them and be like, oh, I can do that too. But North Carolina had little brother and Pidi Pablo. And I used to go there and watch a Josie Moe perform, Shelley B. You remember Shelley B? Yeah, yeah. Shelly B. Dial. That was the crew out of Wilson. Yeah, them all the homies.

Like they got some MCMC, MC. Like, Rhapsody, my favorite rapper. Yeah, man, she's like, she's will not. Rock, Snow Hill. Snow Hill. Snow Hill. Snowhill, yeah. Nah, man.

So, nah, so it was just crazy I thought about. I'm like, man, we were supposed to do this damn the 20 years ago. Absolutely. All right, guys, we're literally getting kicked out of our house right now. That's fine. Thank you for having me.

So on behalf of Charlemagne and Fon Ticcolo and Lai and two Jews in a corner. Zoom to be on the black effect. Shabbat Shalom. That's going to stick. Please. Every name I'd be given on the show sticks. White bill, unpaid bill, two Jews in a corner. You ain't got white bill.

You ain't never been white. That was the first. You weren't there. That's right. Thank you, Charlotte, Maine for doing this. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. For giving radio folks goals. Yes. To the team. Sheila just hit me and says, thank you. Like, he changed my life, so that's good. She knows that I'm interviewing him right now. Oh, dope.

Weasen, yeah. Anyway, we will see you on the next one around, Questlove Supreme, y'all. See you. Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. For more podcasts from IHeartRadio, visit the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast. or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care which 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, unfilled 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 Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest.

The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear

anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. I'm Daniel Alarcon, and this is my friend. It's much more famous than I am. I wouldn't go that far, but I'm John Green, co-hosted the podcast The Away End with my old friend Daniel on our podcast The Away End. We'll share with you the magic of international football, all leading up to the 2026 World Cup. Together, we'll find out why, of all the unimportant things, football, soccer, is the most important.

Listen to the away end with Daniel Alarcon and John Green on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Ceno Show podcast, each episode invites you into a raw, unfiltered conversations about recovery, resilience, and redemption. On a recent episode, I sit down with actor, cultural icon Danny Trail to talk about addiction, transformation, and power of second chances. The entire season two is now available to bench featuring powerful conversation with the guests like Tiffany Addish, Johnny Knoxville, and more. I'm an alcoholic. And without

this group, I'm going to die. Luther Nacino's show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. On paper, the three hosts of the Nick Dick and Poll show are geniuses. We can explain how AI works, data centers,

but there are certain things that we don't necessarily understand. Better version of Play Stupid Games, win Stupid Prizes. Yes. Which, by the way, wasn't Taylor Swift, who said that for the first time. I actually thought it was. I got that wrong. But hey, no one's perfect.

We're pretty close, though. Listen to the Nick, Dick, and Paul show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.