The Questlove Show - Questlove Supreme: Malcolm-Jamal Warner

Episode Date: February 22, 2023

Malcolm-Jamal Warner sits down with Questlove Supreme for a deeply personal conversation about creativity, pivots, and expression. The accomplished actor discusses his latest album, the Grammy-nominated Hiding In Plain View. Malcolm speaks passionately about his love of poetry and playing bass. Team Supreme also dives into his incredible acting career and the heaviest performance he has nailed, role model. 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. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist, they take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the IHart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, all. wherever you get your podcast. 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 understand. miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok

podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, Bachelor star Clayton Eckerd was accused of fathering twins. But the pregnancy appeared to be a hoax. You doctor this particular test twice Ms. Owens, correct? I doctored the test ones. It took an army of

internet detectives to uncover a disturbing pattern. Two men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Gillespie and Michael Mancini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trapped. Laura, Scottsdale Police.

As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Vodam. My next guest, it's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, woo, woo. My dad gave me the best advice. ever he goes just give it a shot but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head

against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore it's okay to quit if you saw it written down it would not be an inspiration it would not be on a calendar of you know the cat just hang 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 Questlove Supreme is a production of IHeart Radio. Ladies and gentlemen, this is Questlep Supreme. Sitting here with family. This is Fantico and Laia.

I keep forgetting that we're now on YouTube, and I hear we're doing well. I want to talk like an old person. We're doing well on the YouTube, I hear. That's right. Yeah. This is what I hear on the Internet. Yes.

Yo, wait, someone ragged me hard this entire weekend. Of course, a vacation and a mirror are not synonymous with each other, but I took three days off to go off the grid and I gathered a whole bunch of friends. And we went to Las Vegas to do a bunch of, and I'm going to say it correctly this time, escape rooms. What I didn't know was behind my back, everyone's been teasing me. because I've been calling it, Escape the Room, which is, right. The look on Fonte's face right now is, right. Finally, someone had the heart to say, hey, Amir, by the way, in case you, it's not a called Escape the Room.

It's just called Escape Room. They were basically telling me that I'm talking like an old black person. Did you have a good time? I have the time of my life, you know, solving murder mysteries. I'm still yet to do one, man. I want to do one. too. Escape rooms is how I vet who's going to get in on the inner circle.

Now, you know, I've made a lot of friends this year. Word. No, I'm serious. Word. I made a whole bunch of friends this year. Got to see how you thought. So now I got to weed them out and the best way to figure out who is who. Right.

You only want smart people on your team. Well, no, no, no. It's not just that. No, no, no. Because the thing is, is that escape rooms and Japiti, and I mentioned like she in Japanese restaurants is also a litmus test. It's not about who succeeds or who finds it natural. It's about, I mean, even with total amateurs, it tells me a lot about their willingness to figure it out.

If they don't know it, do they fake it? Do they make it? Like, I'm telling you, escape rooms are the best way to figure out what kind of people you're dealing with. So I had a lot to learn this weekend. Anyway, my whole point was that I used the word the and I shouldn't have been using the. So anyway, so we're on the YouTube now and I'm hearing that we're doing well. On the internet. On the internets.

I will say that oftentimes we speak and we talk about heroes or people that we idolize and we have the go-to names that, you know, the biggest achiever and all that stuff. But I will say that oftentimes we overlook certain people because, you know, sometimes things are hiding in plain sight, like your glasses on your forehead and you're tearing the room up looking for your glasses. And they're like, oh, right here on my forehead. I will say that in the preparation that I took to do this particular episode, it reminded me that our game. guest a day is probably the individual to whom I vicariously lived my life through. And you got to understand that, you know, I'm a very specific situation, being born in 1971, three years after the, the whole civil rights, you know, revolution, I'm born into like one of the first free generations or in terms of laws like you're not allowed to kill us or at least you're

supposed to be is where that my definition of freedom is that legally it's it's it's it's illegal to kill me which is sort of as sad state of affairs of where we are as a country um but that said you know there are heroes and people to look up to and oftentimes i was we often times i was we often look up people way older than us like of course for a lot of america the jack Jackson 5 were the first people that we vicariously lived through as heroes. And then, you know, there's other people that came along. But, you know, when I turned into a teenager, there really wasn't, I mean, besides maybe, you know, I mean, there was Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Janet Jackson, like, Pimfields. Like people my age, but that's a thing when you're-

It wasn't hip-hop. But, right. But when you, yeah, when you're the minority. Yeah. And, you know, it might hit different for Fonte, who's way younger than I am, you know, but for me at least, like this gentleman was a very big part of my life as I got into like my junior high and my high school years. And so, and when you look at the span of his career, you can clearly see an individual who like has evolved not only, you know, as an actor on television,

but, you know, also in theaters on and off Broadway, as a musician, a Grammy Award winning musician, as a poet, as a producer, as a director, like, there's so many, I mean, even as host of SNL, like, there's a lot of even small, minuscule milestones that our guest has done throughout his life that I paid attention to. And I've been waiting so long for this conversation, not just, you know, as a, I don't know if are we, are we journalists right now? Today we can be. I feel like we in this way. I never, you know, even though we have a long running, you know, going on our six year as with this podcast, like I don't feel like we're journalist or whatever. But, you know, I'm not looking forward to as a journalist, but just as a person that

really gets to fan out and ask questions to the person that he personally deemed, you know, like that person. I don't know what to say, but ladies and gentlemen, welcome Malcolm Jamal Warner to Questlove Supreme. Yes, sir. Thank you. Yes. Thank you.

I got to say this, though. Because I've listened to your show, because I know you were, you know, you were like no bullshit. A geek. There's no bullshit. Like, you know, I get from you and Fonte both. Like, I don't go for bullshit.

So I'm looking for, I'm so looking forward to having this conversation. But to be honest, to hear that from you, Amir, is a trip from you. Like, you never know how you can affect people, right? Right. And you never know how you, you know, come off to someone. You may come off to someone a certain way and that was not the intent, right? Right. Bro, I have loved you for years of years upon years. And sometimes I see you crazy because sometimes I see it, we'd be cool as hell, right? And then sometimes I see you and I'd be like, did I say something wrong last time or what? Really?

Yeah. So like honestly, I spent so much of my time by thinking like, wow, I don't know if he likes me. Like I'm not sure. I think with you, all right, this is definitely the, this. See, this is why this conversation is necessary. Yeah. I'm at a way different place now in my life for this. very specific 2023 a year.

It's 2023. Oh, I'm 52 now. Yes. And your birthday too, I, yeah. Okay. And I'm 40. It's probably springtime right now. No, I think a big part of my old life.

And I'm going to, I'm going to say this a lot. I'm trying my hardest not to sound like the jail cat that discovers religion and men is on fire for like seven years, you know, that that type of annoying person. But I'll just say that in this, in this portion on my life, yes, I think that I avoided anyone I looked up to. And dude, Steve and not even like, Stevie says the same thing. Like, you don't call me like, how come you don't call or that sort of thing? And I think oftentimes I get in my head like, oh man, that's this.

That's way too, you know, you make up excuses. So I apologize for my standoffish nature. But I assure you that this is the elephant that's afraid of the mouse and the mouse is afraid of the element thing. So. Well, I got that. But seriously, even when doing, I had to do international press for the movie for Summer of Soul. and someone, I think this is when I was in, we were in Holland and someone asked me like, you know, what was the first moment?

Like I often ask a question like, what's your first musical memory? Someone asked me something like, what was like the moment that you felt like, oh, you could do this too. And I don't know if you remember this, but this was, you did a segment once on Entertainment Tonight, or at least Entertainment Tonight covered it. where they gave you and four of your friends like four video cameras. And you guys shot around New York City. And I just remember, the way you're laughing right now tells me you remember. I just remember the backdrop was to the Jackson state of shock.

However, however, I watched that moment. And again, like, yeah, was Spike Lee a thing then? yes he was however to me that that moment i watched i was like oh we we can do other things so that was to you that was just some 37 year ago segment for a television show that you probably haven't even thought about in decades but for me that was a moment i mean do even the jamming on the one moment yeah yeah That other producers thread that I spoke of, like with the one thing we all have in common was we saw that episode. And then in two months later, we all get Cassio SK1s.

And the first thing you do is you do all the cuss words. Then you do jamming on the one. You do all the things you saw. Like it was a novelty, it was a toy. And then there's the moment you're like, oh, I could put music in this thing. And I assure you, any classic hip hop producer that started in that really got their foot in the 90s, I swear to God, for a lot of us, that was our moment to know what hip hop was. You know what I mean? So it's weird that you're such a part of these historical moments that you yourself probably haven't even thought of like, wow, I'm like a watershed.

for a lot that has happened. And, you know, you don't register. Oh, my God, this is the longest intro ever. Did I mention his name? He said something. He said something in the middle. Oh, my God, it's like 15 minutes. Anyway, Malcolm, how are you?

Man, great. Man, that's great. That's great. And yo, thank you for sharing what you shared. And I'm glad that I was right that I could bring that up in the spirit that you would receive. it and it wouldn't come off like, you know, me trying to be a dick or you'd be defensive. Nah, man.

It's a beautiful moment. That was my instinct, you know, and there might have been an older version of me that wouldn't have done it just because, uh, but, you know, like you, I'm 52. I'm beginning to, like, really embrace, like, the wisdom that comes with that, you know, so to be able to have that exchange, and it'd be as cool of an exchange that was, uh, just I appreciate. We are what you call evolved adults now. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy.

Yeah. Congratulations. I'm saying I'm watching it between two black men. It's beautiful. Word, word, thank you. So I'll ask you, Malcolm, what was your first musical memory? Hearing Graham Central Station in my mother's living room. Wow.

Really? I just remember, like on, what is that? And it never understood until... until 20-something years later when I started playing bass, I was like, oh, wow, bass is something that resonated with me at, you know, three years old, right? So I just remember, and I know I've heard music before that, but I just remember a moment hearing hair and hearing this voice and the guitars and the

music. And it was just, it was crazy. But it had a profound effect on me. Not to self-promote or self-plug, but I mean, you know, half of our, at least more than half of our listeners know that I'm currently right now at the beginning of the Sly and the Family Stone documentary. But for me, one of the hardest mountains to climb, the hardest mountain to climb of this whole process isn't even Sly. Like Sly's already in the can, Sly's interviews are done. However, I've really truly thought, like, the likelihood of getting Larry to cooperate in this thing was the equivalent of like a Steph Curry shot from all the way the other end of the court. And you pray to God that it goes in the court.

And he just literally, as of this speaking, like, just agreed to be a part of it. So like I'm going to grill the hell out of Larry Graham and. Yeah, yeah, take advantage of that opportunity. Exactly. Exactly. Because, you know, all too often, like, well, there's not a lot of in-depth interviews. Even with you, besides like the very little that I knew of you, like when you were like when Cynthia Horner was covering you right on magazine and stuff like that.

Like there's really, you know, a lot of my. And Theo and me, don't forget about Theo and me. Come on. I have to pull out the whole pullout poster. Exactly. Like for me, like there's just not much in-depth information that you get to find out about. But when did you first realize, like coming, I'm assuming that you came to the base later in life. Like, how old were you when you first like decide, I'm going to try this? It's 26. That I know that has to be intimidating. How long was it before you picked it up

and how many years did you give yourself to really master it? The whole reason I started playing bass was because I was working on Malcolm and Eddie. Right. And I was miserable. Really? I was miserable on that show. Is this after the Michelle period?

No, it was, Michelle was during that period. But it was because, Because I had spent eight years, you know, at NBC in an environment that Mr. Cosby made everyone ultra aware of the images of people of color we're putting on the airwaves, right? So eight years of that, then I go to UPN and it was like having gone to top university and then being stuck in fucking junior college. Junior college, yeah. You know? Homeboys are out of space. Man, right, right.

Yeah, but Malcolm and Eddie was not Homeboys in Alice Base or the Butler guy. But here's the thing, though. There was a lot of work that I put into, there's like a lot of, you know, blood, literal tears, literal sweat I put into that show. Because I came from, even though I knew what UPN's programming was, I was like, okay, well, they've seen me for eight years be a part of a show they made, that made history without relying on stereotypes. So my thinking was, okay, well, that's what they want here. I've watched Mr. Cosby run that show for eight years. I know that, you know, the stereotypical things you didn't see on the show was not because the writers were not writing it. It was because Mr. Cosby was saying, no, that's not the show we're doing.

That's not who these, that's not who the huxbles are. That the drive-by mentality you have when you're writing black comedy, that doesn't belong on the show. So literally, I watched him for eight years. shutting down writers, making them go back to square one and rewrite the script that's not based on stereotypes. Right. So all that I get to UPN like, okay, well, they know how this goes and realize that one of them was not Bill Cosby. We were not doing Bill Cosby numbers. So I will come to work every day fighting writers, producers, directors, studio, network, fellow actor, viewing public because there was a certain standard that I wanted to continue.

Yeah, uphold. And UPN's whole marketing thing was the antithesis of what I had come from. What did the writer's room look like? Was it a bunch of white people? Was it any great? The whiter's room? Yeah. The white. That's new. I looked best. Yeah, but what did it look like? It was mostly white writers. On Cosby, I don't think we ever had more than three, black riders on staff at the time at the time on gas cosby how many writers are normally in the room who uh they could be eight 10 so typical sitcom will have eight to 10 writers yeah and a showrunner and they pick okay i get it so so malcolm many was it was the same kind the same kind dynamic we may have had four writers at one time but i mean you know

just I was just miserable. Right. And I was looking for a hobby, something that I wouldn't turn into a career. So the directing started out as a hobby. And that state of shock video you were talking about was actually, that was really my entree in, you know, let me really see what this directing thing is all about. Because the first two years of the show, when we would do this Cosby show, Cosby Kids tour, me and Lisa would always talk about, yeah, we want to be triple threats. You know, we want to write that and direct and whoopty, whoopty, whoop. Like, after two and a half years of saying that, I was like,

let me see if that's something I even want to do, something I even can do. So that state of shot video, I laugh because that was literally my first shot attempt at directing. And then you did, I'm the magnificent. And you also did any heartbreak. Any heartbreak. Yeah. Yeah.

With Brian, what was that Brian? I remember they, y'all were in the video. They showed the behind scenes to any heartbreak. I was like, and it was you. And it was impressive because it was also the actor from head of the class who was a direct, became a director. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, Brian and Robin's. Yeah. Yeah. So the, so the directing started as a hobby became a career. So by the time I was on Malcolm and Eddie, I was like, okay, I need a hobby, something that's not acting, not directing something that will never become a career. I've always wanted to play music. I'll never be. So if I, in fact, if I just practice scales to a metronome in my dressing room, that would keep me from caring as much. about the show and putting so much of myself into the show that's not loving me back in the way that I would like let me just practice scales to a mention that would kind of put

me in a zoning kind of place I'll never be one of those corny actor dudes who try to do music I'll never start a band right I'll never record a CD I'll just do this and then it became cut too it became a whole other thing because like like like really who gets off from practicing scales to a metronome in their dressing room in between scenes, right? The pivoting is real, man. Yeah. Pivoting's real. A win is a win.

A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement. to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations

with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The 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. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that. Trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of The Girlfriends,

Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.

Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Wodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live, and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo, woo, 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 good. 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. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat. Just hang in there.

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the 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. 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 Alesspian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown. I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap.

Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's so weird. We're having this conversation right now because right now, I'll say that creatively, you know, I'm, let me stop painting it like I'm being forced to, like they have guns to my head. But, you know, we've been working, like, for all I can say is that the Roots album, is essentially finished.

I'm definitely using a lot of, you know, I'll think of ways to hold up and stall the process. You know, there's a better song. There's a better song. But this morning, I was like, man, you made a promise to yourself that you were going to learn

how to thoroughly play piano. Like thoroughly play it. And not that whole like three chords. Like I'm a three chord at a time person where I could do three chords and then stop the thing. And then I got to figure out the next chords and figure out. And then I'll struggle through. That's like my level of songwritings.

But, you know, I was just like, man, it's way too late for you. Like I talked myself out of the process. Like, it's way too late for you to even start to think that you can play piano as good as you play drums. Like if I could just get my piano thing down, that my songwriting level could go to the next level. But, you know, I think I was too intimidated by the process to actually think that I could make it happen. But I'll ask you from practicing your scales to like knowing exactly what you want musically and producing your own records.

Like how long did that process take from 26 to when do you feel like, yeah, I could do this shit? All right, I said, let me go back real quick to address something you said. So I don't, so where are you now with the needing to play piano as well as you? You know, this is probably going to be the last album in which I will go to you, the James Poyser or Kamal or Ray Angry and be like, okay, so I need this chord, and then like talk my way through it and sort of morph this whole CSI process of trying to figure out how to get what's out of here into the fingers. Next year, damn it, I'm learning how to play piano the way I really want to learn it.

Like, as good as James, which I know takes time and, you know, I'm trying to disprove the fact that you can't teach an old dog new trick. So that's why I was asking you. Gotcha, gotcha, got you. How intimidating was it to go from, I think I'm going to learn the bass to, holy shit, I can learn the base to. Right, right. And the winner is Malcolm is. on Warner for da-da-da-da-da. Like, okay, just for quick.

So you know, you don't have to play keys. You don't have to play piano as well as you play bass to write dope songs. You realize that, right? I just want you to keep that mind. I've, no, I've proven that one can only know how to play drums and still produce music. But it's just oftentimes, like, the ideas come like so often that, you know, I feel like I'm letting great ideas go because I don't have an outlet to get somebody to translate my, you know, which is why I want to learn to do it myself.

Yeah. So yeah. Speaking of which, Fonte, do you play an instrument? Nah, well, the only instrument I officially learned to play was trumpet. I played trumpet all through like middle school and like some high school. But I was, I was like off state band. I was first chair. Wait, you first chair?

Yeah, I was first chair. I was first chair in like my band. And then I got school band. Then what I mean? First chair and I'm just firing this out now. I was third chair and it's all state band. But then when I got the high school, you know, you couldn't play ball and play trumpet at the same time, play band. So I just played football.

But keys, I know some, I know theory. I know like just basic theory, but I'm not a player by any stretch. All the vocal arrangements and stuff I do is just really just by ear. So trumpet in hand, could you go to where you were in? Hell, no. My Amateur is done. I got to play that shit at 30 years. But, you know,

your move better blues level. You can sell it. You can sell it, bleak. You can sell it. I ain't playing this fucking no more. But yeah, I know, I know, I know, yeah, trumpet, piano. You know, I know just basic, like, you know, chords and just, like, theory. And then with being around so many musicians, like, particularly, like, vocal arrangements, like,

like some of my nerd friends were like, oh, you sang a F major seven in that court. I'm just like, I take your word for it. But I know just a little, but I don't play. I'm not a player. By you? I used to play the recorder, if that matters. I don't think I could go back to like I used to. Like I used to.

What grade? What grade? That was in seventh grade. Okay. Gotcha. Yeah. Yes. You were saying Malcolm.

I'm off. I'll offer you this. And then I'll get into answering your. question. In terms of old dog learning new tricks, I picked up trumpet two years ago. Woo! How's it going, man? It's a beast. It's so nasty. It's, you know, I'm just getting to the point where she started to love me back a little bit, right? But it's, it's no, it gives me a greater appreciation for music because I'm having a new relationship with music. So like, so I picked their base, I was 26, right? A year and a half after, you know, realizing that the metronomic

scales not happening, I used to hold jam sessions like at my house, just play with cats. And a year and a half after playing bass, I went to MI. I had like a three-month hiatus from Al Quineti, and I went to Musicians Institute in their like 10-week base immersion program. I was in way over my head. What do you learn in 10 weeks? They throw so much at you. And it was stuff that I couldn't, it was every day. And yeah, it was every day.

I mean, literally, it took me a good three or four years to be able to digest what I had learned. You know, not what I had learned those 10 weeks, but the information that I had amassed in those 10 weeks, it took me years for it to make sense. Right. But I say that, say, so because I play with cats who have great ears, I dove head. first in Sphirate because I need to at least be able to communicate. I have to speak the language. Yeah. And I was also clear that, you know, like, you know, and playing with other musicians and starting a band,

I really can't be that corny actor dude who wants to get into music. Like, I got to take it seriously. And I have to respect it enough that real musicians who I want to play with understand that I respected enough, you know, and want to rock with me. And as a musician, And as a musician, also, you know, guide me along the way. That makes sense, right? So as a bass player, I've always used music theory as my hack instead of using my ear. So on bass, I can play a fourth anywhere on the neck because I know where the fourth is analytically

and I know where a fourth is logistically, not because I could hear the fourths, right? So now playing trumpet. But just on muscle memory. the muscle memory and just thought like I know you know I know where a fourth is in the muscle memory and the theory of it I know where a fourth is so you can get away with okay if I know if I know what key I'm in and I got the progression I'm good and you can do that without hearing but on trumpet as you know Ponte you got to hear the note before you play it right so now I'm like oh that's what a fourth sounds like ah okay it's just giving me a whole deal.

different appreciation for music because I started playing trumpet two years ago. At the time when you're doing this, going to jam sessions, like what part of the United States? Are you in New York? Are you in California? I'm in LA. Okay. So back, let's go back to 1995. If you want to find a jam session or a spot that will let cats work things out, like where are you going? Like that part, it was easy because there were these cats, Ron Katz Spearman. They had this house that was kind of down the hill from me and they were a band and they were a whole band that lived together okay so they had you know they always always had the music set up down in you know the bottom floor of the house

so i used to go over there and kind of jam you know like literally i met a cat i think actually the cat who sold me my first bass at the guitar center he was a drummer right so after doing the jam sessions at roncast crib and sometimes they'll come to my crib and then at some point like two days a week I would have two different sets of musicians who I'm jamming with. When I go to MI, they had a BMI was holding a showcase thing. And the one who's when the showcase was like, listen, we're doing a showcase for BMI. Since you go here, I'd love for you the hosted. If I give you, I'd give you a slot to do a song and I'd love for you the hosted.

So I was like, well, let me do two songs. And cool. She was like, fine. I had no songs. Yeah, I was going to say. Look, I was at AI. I know I was working on Coltrane's Equinox and Love Ridg's ugly head.

So I was like, okay, I'm gonna do those two songs. And I didn't even have a band. So the band I put together were, you know, the different cats from the two different jam sessions. And I make sure that none of them played in bands together because I wasn't sure what I was trying to create, but I knew I wanted it like a little mix of stuff. but, you know, I still wanted it to be,

wanted it to be my project. If that makes sense. Right. And it wasn't intimidating in terms of like, I'll give you an example. Comedians have to always work out their comedy in front of a small group of people. Like for me,

performing, like, people ask all the time, like, you ever get nervous to perform or whatever? And I'll say that, you know, a typical roots concert nowadays is somewhere, you know,

we're somewhere in between 5,000, to maybe depending on the marketplace, you know, nine to 10,000 people. And with that many people, there's no intimacy there. So I don't have fear. But, you know, it's always in smaller clubs and those sort of things. Like if you say, if Glasper is like, yo, come down the blue note and sit in a song or two, like, I might legit get like uptight about it because I think. think in smaller intimate settings,

musicianship is a weirder thing for me to do, which I know it's kind of weird for me to say, like 30 years into my career to admit, like, I have hang-ups about that sort of thing. But for you, though, were you ever worried about like... Amir, Amir, would you do it, though? You would have your hang-ups and get up tight about it, but would you still do it?

I would still do it because even now, and yeah, Sometimes the voice of cell doubt is heavy as hell, but I'm smart enough to just jump in the pool and say, fuck it at the end of the day. But not for the anxiety of how good do I have to be to, you know, because like the level of musician nerds that are watching Glaspers are a little bit different than the crowds that, you know, want us to play a song that reminds them of their college period back in two. 2003. You know what I mean? Word, yeah. This is real different. But for you, you were never at all like keeping this close to the chest and worrying about people that are judging you of your other profession that they've seen you perfect, you know, and applying it to your musician life.

Yeah. No. I mean, I think, I think it was, you know, maybe just part audacity. Um, I'm sure there's also a little, a little, a little ego in it and that you know what I you know when I was doing when I started doing spoken word I was I was really active in the underground spoken work movement in LA right and I was always doing poetry always so there's a certain of you know there's a certain level of audacity to be able to be a poet and you know write your shit and be vulnerable and have people you know judge you and shit so there's a certain level of audacity with that but back when I started you know the

there was only like one or two poetry spots, you know, in any given city you could go to. So once it got to the point where, you know, Neo Soul, you know, start to take off. And then, you know, there were poetry spots like all over the place and now HBO's got a poetry situation. So there was, for me, it was like, okay, well, this is, you know, a really crowded field. And I have a, you know, I have a love-hate relationship with poetry anyway. But, you know, I also, I grew up listening to Gil Scott Herron and Brian Jackson. Like, my dad went to Lincoln with Gil and Brian. And my dad went to Lincoln because Langston went to Lincoln.

So, like, the whole poetry thing is all, like, I came out of the womb listening to Gil. Wow, me too. and last poets. So when all this, you know, when now it seems like everybody's a poet and now fucking celebrities are poets too, right? And the new DJ. Right, right. I'm so much on my own shit. I will, I make the disclaimer. I am a poet. I am not a celebrity who likes to do poetry. I'm a poet. So I think when like everybody's a poet, I was like, well, you know, Gil put his stuff to music. I think at some point, the music was still kind of, you know, calling me a bit. But even before I started playing

bass, I used to see you guys in me, I don't even, you probably don't remember, you guys would do San Diego a lot. Belly up. Yes, man, yeah. And I was doing a play down in La Jolla. Belly up. So whenever y'all come through, you know, we'd be there. And at this point, I wasn't even, you know, I might have thought about bass, but I wasn't really, you know, seriously considered picking up base. But I would talk to Hub about bass and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, and, jazz and jazz studies and okay so by the time it came around to fuse the um you know the music and the poetry right it was what you guys were doing with ursula rucker yeah right like the first time i heard that first joint like you know right you're locking yeah and and so i had listened to

that for years even before thinking about playing bass or any of that but when the time came that I had to put the two together because when I started the bass, it was just to play music, right? I kept the poetry and the music separate from each other. Even though I was still doing poetry at spots and I was still doing poetry with other bands, you know, my band, like, no, we're like we're a jazz funk band. I'm here to play bass. But what was happening, people weren't really, you know, feeling coming to see me standing in the back with the drummer. Right. So like at some point, I had to take responsibility for being a front man to my own band, right? And then I started coming, I was coming out of pocket like two, three hundred dollars every time I did a gig, because once I paid everybody, once I did print and advertising, you know, I had somebody, you know, video the show. I'm coming out of pocket. So I was like, I need to sell a CD so I can at least not feel

like I'm losing money every time I do a show. But I had no music. I had no music. So it was like, all right, I need to start doing poetry. I need to start, you know, coming up with music, do my poetry over. And then I would go back to the unlocking. It was like, yeah. And then Michelle Ndillo cello.

You know, that first album was like, ah, brand new heavies. You know, they were, you know, they were pop. So all of that made me go, yes, I'm going to do poetry and I'm going to play bass. Fuck what every other poet out there was doing. I'm on some different shit. Nobody's doing this. And I'm going to do it well, right? And it's going to be good.

Right. And I know it's going to be so good that I don't care what you think about it. That's good. Right. Like I'm trying to get there with my acting. If you told me, you know, you suck. Truthfully, I'm almost at the place where that wouldn't bother me. But it might hit me somewhere, right?

You can tell me as a poet that I suck. Water off a duck's back. It does not affect me at all because for me, that's how good I feel I am as a poet. That's good. Right? So okay, well, if I already feel that way about the poetry and everybody's trying to fill this space, well, let me kick it up a notch. You know, let me start playing bass while I'm doing poetry, right? But let me really learn the...

Eddie Griffin had a band. Right. Wait, in real life? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. I didn't know this. So he had this band.

It was like a, you know, a funcadelic knockoff. He had two bass players. Is that a lot going on? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? Yeah. Yeah. That's one of the things that kind of broke the mystique for me.

It's like, oh, okay. They're doing funkadelic. And then I just watched him a lot. And I watched him so much and listened to him so much. and understood that he's one of those talented cats, you know, that can definitely buy playing all the stuff, but he doesn't, he's not studied, he doesn't know music. So I was like, okay, well, if I just do that, I could get over.

But if I actually take the time to study the language of music, then I could actually play with really good musicians, you know, who are gonna rock with me and hold me accountable, And not just be kissing my ass because I'm Malcolm Jamar Wants. So like there was all of that that went into so much about the honor, respect, and legitimacy of being able to call myself a musician around really good musicians and they can actually acknowledge me, you know, and to be legit. Like that's the long game that I was going for back at 28.

And I think, too, I think you, I think there's also a thing. as well with actors, with musicians. If you're an actor doing music, we know for damn sure you're not doing it for the money. Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, we know like, okay, if you're here, you're here for a choice. You know what I mean?

You're making a choice to be here because you could take care of yourself so much better. You know what I'm saying? Do a TV, doing movies, doing whatever. So there is some skin in the game in that way. And putting up product with no label. You know, no promotional budget. Like, none of that.

Like, everything, like, coming straight out of pocket. Right. No union. No, right. Right. But for me, it's about the art. Like, like, I'm, yeah, I'm creating art. And I'm creating timeless art.

So who was the first peer that saw what you were doing and was like, keep doing that? And you, it really kind of stamped it for you. I mean, even though you didn't already be stamped. In terms of the music. music side of the music side. No, in the music side. I got the poetry because Ursula Rucker just text me about you, so I get it. Wow. I think early on Layla Hathaway, because me and Layla go way back. And so when I first put this band together and I'm out gigging, I had a female vocalist and Layla would come to my gigs. And when the vocalist was seeing, she would leave. What? That's actually on brand for Layla Hathaway.

Right. But it's so much Leila, it's so much Leila, it's not Layla being a dick. It's like she, like, if it's not working for her, she literally cannot physically be it. And we like, when you, I think when you're one of the best at something, like, I mean, when we had Dave on, you were saying like, how it's hard for him to watch other comedians. Sure. Because it's just, you know, you just constantly looking at how you could do it better. You know what I mean? And with Layla, I mean, with her being, you know, one of the singers in the world, yeah, I could see her, you know, walking out. Wait, so that being said, I know we wasn't talking about it, but that mean you're going to talk about Jesus' children and how that came together then? Because that's kind of a beautiful circle back.

Word, word, right? Yeah, yeah, I love to. So just go back real quick. Yeah, sorry. You know, just later... It's probably the first backwards episode of Questlove Supreme where we started the end. We said it was a lot of there, right? Right. We're our way backwards. And that's how conversation goes, all right?

Right. So later would... Later would come to my gigs often. Right? So even if she didn't dig, you know, whatever singer we had, she was still supportive. And I know, and I know she wouldn't be rocking just, you know, because. So... By the way, can I...

Let me interrupt one second. That singer never found out, did they? Hopefully. Well, there were a couple of different singers at different shows. So may none of them be listening to this episode. Like, I know that it wasn't me. Anyway. And they ain't talking about me.

Right, exactly. Exactly. But Jesus' children, Kevin Teasley, who was my MD at the time, had office space in um at west lake and he's at west lake you know rob's at west lake and they're talking and you know uh you know keb's telling he's you know india my band whatever so so i come over you know i'm hanging out they're doing um and leila's actually recording is jesus children okay and as i'm there and she knocks it out in one take um and you know rob is playing to me this musical interlude And he was telling me how his homeboy had a daughter who was killed at Sandy Hook.

Oh, damn. And he's going to write a poem, you know, and it's going to go here and hold nine. I was like, yo, that's dope, right? So we're hanging out. And then about two weeks later, he's in town. He's back in town. And he's mixing the record. And Rob is like, yo, you know, my man, he couldn't do it.

I can, you know, at the 11th hour, it's really hit too close to home. Do you have a poem about Sandy Hook? And I was like, no, but if you give me the track, I'll go upstairs and write one. So he gave me his iPod shuffle. Wow. Yeah. Time. And I went upstairs.

And in about an hour or some change, he came upstairs. And I spit it to him. He was like, wow. And I was at a time where I was doing, I was. was doing a lot of writing at the time. So it was clearly like a time where I needed to be on my A game and it was just a point in life where I was on my A game because I was doing so much writing at the time that I was, you know, I was able to go up and I know it sounds corny when writers talk about, oh, well, you know, God was just using me as the vessel and you know, yada,

yada, yeah. That's all I say now. So welcome to the club. And it's a real thing. And I guess you have to experience it to like really understand that it's a real thing. And it can sound corny and cliche, but like that's some real shit. And that night, like, the vessel was open and the universe just said, I just took it all and, you know. No, that's, it's, it's real. It's not corny at all. A win is a win. A win is 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. 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,

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There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that, trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. Oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? I'm Ego Vodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best. advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day and I was like, and dad, I think I want to really

give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings. I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down,

it would not be an inspiration. It would not be on a calendar of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

This week on the Sports Slice podcast, It's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East-West Shrine Bowl, Eric 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 Slice of Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed

revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice, Ms. Lens, 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.

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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. I have to say that. I really admire the fact that you are covering poetry. Because all too often, I think a typical move would have just been like, okay, you're an MC now. You're a rapper.

That sort of thing. and the fact that you took on poetry is super admirable. I know that, you know, Tarek's process is he's such a morning person, like literally like wakes up, you know, does whatever, his yoga and exercise, all that stuff like, like at 5 a.m. He's like the opposite of Quincy Jones,

where Quincy Jones said that, you know, like that 1 a.m. is where he gets his magic from. Syrika's like a in bed by 9.30, 10 p.m. early person and between 6 a.m. And maybe 9 a.m.

That's usually when the lion's share of ideas come. Like that's his writing time. Like you're never to interrupt him. Wow. Before 11 a.m. Because from 5 till then, that's his moment.

That's part of his process. That makes so much sense. always wanted to know because oftentimes you know, Tariq will also have like these assignments to do like, this guy wants him to rhyme on that shit or, you know, that, or he has a deadline for a record. But is poetry the same? And I guess you could answer to this also, Fonte,

like for a writer, when you have a blank page and the idea is coming, like, can you sort of in record time like regurgitate words to be? Right, right. poems. Yeah, I mean, you can. You know, I mean, listen, the thing I tell everybody, man, the blank page kicks everybody's ass. Like, I don't care if you've written a million books, if you've sold a million records,

you know, it don't, you know, if that blank page or that blank screen or whatever, that is the great equalizer because no matter how many times you've done it, you still got to do it again, you know what I mean? And it's, and it's, you know, that blank page is, that shit is intimidating. So yeah, it definitely is a time where, you know, we are, someone I like Tariq and, I mean, Malcolm, just, you know, someone that's been in the game for so long. We've been in it so long to where it's like,

it's kind of technically impossible to be bad, you know what I mean? But my mentality is always good is the enemy of great. I'm so technically good. Like, I can just write something. It'll be good, but I ain't going for good. I'm trying to be great. You know what I mean? And so a lot of times if you're under the gun, that's kind of where I think the alpha state thing can kind of come because you're not thinking and you just kind of just writing.

And it's like, oh, yeah, this shit just kind of came out. But it definitely is a degree of professionalism where I just think it's not about inspiration. Inspiration is fleeting. You know what I'm saying? Inspiration, you can be inspired one day and you may not be inspired again, you know, for months. but it's more so just about dedication, just dedication to the craft and just the more you do it,

you know, even if I'm not, for me every day, even if I'm not writing, I'm always having just some kind of prompts or something. Like I may just like take a word, I hear a word, I hear on TV or something, and I'll just write like 10 words that rhyme with that word. You know what I mean?

So that's your exercise in your memo, like in your iPhone memo? Yeah. You got page after page after page of. Yeah, I'll have strings. of rhyming words or just prompts or ideas. And then I'll just contextualize it later. You know what I mean?

But yeah, it definitely is a practice. And for me and my career, you can do it at any time. If you just say, hey, I need something. You know, you can turn it around. But it's that memory, that working that muscle, trying to be, you know, get that greatness consistently over and over and over again. That for me is always the best practice. And what's it what's your general practice with with poetry?

Like does it hit you when it hits you or do you give yourself like exercising assignments to you know to write? I would really like to do that. I would really like to be more disciplined in my writing practice. Now I'm older, I understand why yoga is considered a practice. I understand why law is considered a practice, you know, and now, you know, I'm, you know, I'm, you know, I'm, you know, I'm, you into the frame of mind that I need to treat my writing as a practice. So when I have an assignment, it doesn't take me as long. Because like lately, you know, because I'm not writing, you know, with the output that I was,

you know, it may take me a little longer to write a piece. But I have to, you know, I love putting way too much on my plate. So I'm always fighting. I'm constantly fighting over well. You know, so just trying to practice bass, you know, now practice horn, and I'm you know, put time into writing of the production and being a present husband and father. It's like there's so much. So I keep being overwhelmed, but I think it would serve me better if I can find a discipline like Tariq or like you find.

They find something that doesn't have to be, you know, a sit down dude. But, you know, take 10 minutes and, you know, just check in where am I and just write from me. there, I think that would benefit me greater than the path of, okay, well, you know, when I get something or I have to write this out, let me, I'll see where I am. And, you know, at some point, the inspiration will hit me, you know, or figure out what the outline is. Like, there's no, there's no one single approach to my writing that is the one. Sometimes for me, like, it's something that, you know, it goes from a drought to a deluge, right? It just goes nothing and then all of a sudden, everything just kind of come.

Do you have those moments where you kind of go back and forth where the words just, it's quiet and then all of a sudden it just comes out of nowhere? Yeah, like there's some poems that, you know, that will take me weeks to write. But then, you know, the time Ross sit down and it was, you know, then you finish it and then you, you know, and you come back a couple of days later and you read it. At least for me, my experience is like, I read it and then go, wow, I really meant every word. of that. Yeah. You know? Like, and for it to come out the way it came out and every word of it be true, wow, that's

really dope. Again, feeling like, okay, well, that's the channel. And the channel's opening up and like, does it all come and just I'm, I'm writing as fast as I can? Let me ask because I will say, especially in the times that we live now, this entire year feels like a five-year period. I feel like everything that's happened to me this year happened like five years ago. And I'm reading lines like, oh, holy shit.

That was March. So my question to you is, one, I'm really curious about your latest miles long album title, which is hiding in plain view. You'll be pressed to find any interview I've done in the last year where the quote, hiding in plain sight literally was. that was my story. Like, you know, even whatever, like the evolution of who I am now. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I was the king of hiding in plain sight, like, and everything. So one, that struck with me.

But two, it's also seven years in between projects, which, you know, if this one year feels like five years, that I know that seven years for you has to almost be like 20 years. I forgot what album was. Stevie had an album coming out, And it was, it had been a lot of years since it's out of love. And they asked him why, you know, what took so long? And he said, you know, sometimes you have to live life to have something to write about.

A right about facts, you know. So a lot of it was just, you know, adjusting to, you know, moving to Atlanta, you know, being on the resident, you know, being a husband and father, you know, just at some point, it's, it's really hard to balance or rather. I've not become successful at balancing it at all. The three things that I can't let falter is work, my wife or my daughter. So I found myself in the, you know, days of, especially during the pandemic and not having childcare help, there were days where I didn't get to touch music at all because I had to, you know, there was work and I had to do with my daughter and my wife. So just in that of just living life outside of music and poetry, there was just all these things that were, you know, forming for me, thought processes, you know, what I'm thinking about politics, what I'm thinking about, you know, the state of hip hop now versus when I wrote Project Image, you know, on an album that came out 17 years ago, whatever.

It's like, where am I now? Where am I with, you know, how I see, how I see the game, how I see the Matrix? How much, you know, how do I, in some way, it's also been like, how do I get across what Mr. Cosby was trying to get across, but it got fucked up. Right. Right. What Dr. Dyson wrote a book about. Right. Right, right. Yes. Yes.

I was going to ask you if you, and if you have, you know, I haven't heard it, you know, my apologies, but have you written a poem about Mr. Cosby and your experience with it? Is that something you would explore? I mean there's really no reason for me. Gotcha. And when I say read about, I don't mean like about him, but about the experience, about, you know, whatever, is it? Yeah, that's not a, that's not a poem yet. And at some point, again, I'm living life.

So at some point, it may become a bum. Yeah, but I don't know. And now that you plant the seed, something may, you know, may definitely come up. Yeah. So many, so many things. So many things. Yeah. Even from what you were talking about with Malcolm and Eddie and what you learned and how you grew up, like in that TV world, which is just a one of a kind of experience for that time.

Yeah. Like, and having that power, like you said, when you realize you weren't him and walking in that writer's room, it's so many angles to take. Yeah. You know, like. That's just being present to it all. And to the Dr. Dyson's point as well. Wait, what book was that, like, because.

Is Bill Cosby right? Yeah. That was what the name of the book was. He wrote a whole book about what he said about us on that faithful day. They're usually people talk about. Yeah. Okay. Gotcha.

I see. So, again, I think this, this is part of it. it was, you know, how do I, how do I not have what happened to his message happened to, you know, for the message I'm trying to, you know, to get. So there were people that actually consulted with, like Professor Dan & Williams over at Howard. I, you know, that's the homie. So like I conferred with her with, you know, some of the writing, just to kind of make sure, okay, you know, and there's a certain, you know, lends to which I'm, you know, because of a lens to which I'm watching,

I'm not necessarily aware of how this could be misinterpreted, you know, in another way. So, you know, Dana helped me out with that a great deal. And there's another piece I took to another poet just to kind of get some feedback on. So just all of these things have been brewing. One of the tracks on here I was listening to, I was listening to it and it actually made me think about what happened to Amir this year in February.

Like, and I was like, is he referring to that? It was a which track was it. But yeah, what happened at the Oscars? It made me, it was talking about that and showing their true feelings and and when when black men really put themselves out there. They just made me think of that in that way. For you though, in March of 2020, like, what adjustments have you had to me? And like, how did you deal in the last two years from the pandemic in quarantine until where you are now?

That's a great question. Like for me during that time, like it was a, you know, it was a fuck that time, but it was a beautiful time for, you know, for my family because it was literally me, my wife, and my daughter. Right. Right. You know, and for, and for my daughter to have mommy and Papa both at home all day, every day, she was in heaven. So for our unit, you know, it made our unit stronger in that we had the opportunity. opportunity to have to be in each other's presence like all the time and and really really enjoy each other. You know, and being able to have that time because my daughter was two when COVID broke out.

So to be able to have that kind of time and that kind of family time uninterrupted by work felt really good. You know, so I think that that kind of informed really everything else, if that makes sense. Did you do a lot of writing during that time or was it? Yeah. So what happened was I, you know, so I've been knee deep in, I've been neck deep in Ableton for, forever. Like, like, I took an Ableton online course at Berkeley in like 2014. Yeah.

Right. So I'm, I had Ableton and was Ableton 3.5. Right. And I was 11. Right. But back then, I didn't really understand it. So I put it away into the way. came out till nine came out but so 2020 i was like i'm going to do a record and i'm going to do

all the production of myself not because that's what i want to do moving forward but since you know let this be my quarantine me and myself in ableton epa you get the shed yeah yeah so that's where a lot of the record came from because you know i i got into a five-song epi and then And I did a great job of self-sabotaging myself. So, well, maybe I, let me add two more songs, right? Let me flush it out with seven songs. All right, I'm going to do that. And then life happened and it never got done, right?

As, you know, I just kind of sat, one, you know, something, but they kind of sat on it. It wasn't, you know, at the height of a priority list, especially now when everything's streaming. It's like, well, one, I can put it out whenever. Whenever you want, right. I'm not going to make any money off of it. So there's really no rush into finishing. So I did.

All of that is self-sabotage, finishing the record. And then last year, when the Grammys announced, they were doing the, you know, finally doing the spoken word poetry category. I was like, oh, is that new? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I thought there was always a spoken word.

Yeah, but not. So spoken word traditionally was included poetry, audio books. Audio books. Comedy too. Comedy. Yeah. Okay. So you got your own category.

Yeah. So like two years ago, Seqou, Edwards had an album that was nominated, but Michelle Obama won. Right. Right. She beat me too. Right. Exactly. So finally, after years of campaigning, they finally opened up the best spoken word poetry album.

Can I take this rare 10 seconds out to? to pick up my sister Dawn Thompson. I rarely, I mean, I rarely go there, but I will say that I've never known a human being that is on damn near at Tasmanian devil level of trying to bring change to Naras and the entire Grammy, organization. And I think even saying that might be putting her on her spot a little bit too much.

Yeah, but she's doing it the right way locally too, like for her hometown. Like that's what sucks. Yeah, but I mean, like she's really in the trenches in ways that I never, because the thing is, it's like, yeah, I'm a part of the academy, but I don't go to those damn meetings. You guys, Amir's not saying his sister is the president of local Philadelphia chapter of the Grinneris. That's what we talked about. I'm sorry, I forgot that part. Yes. But, you know, She also is like there for countless and billions of hours for like things that you don't think about. But like the level of happiness that she felt. And it wasn't like she was giving me a daily progress report of, okay, I'm working on trying to get these, these categories and da-da-da-da.

It wasn't like that. But I just know that one of her biggest challenges was, all right, I now have to be the change that I want to see implement it. in an industry, you know, because she came to the industry just like I did as an artist. I was, to Valicia Butterfield, too, because you know. Yeah, exactly. The sisters is doing it. And yeah, my whole point is with my sister that. Sorry.

I got to. Well, no, no, no. I'm saying I got in the door, you know, luckily to make, to make a living, I got in the door. She had to go kind of the, the scenic route to get there. But I definitely know that she was a part of almost, you know, a long, long, long, long, long process of getting these categories changed so that other, you know, so that artists can actually get to reap the benefits of their work. And quick disclaimer for people who don't know, Don Thompson is, comes from an independent artist's perspective. And she's not there for her, her brother relation. She's there because she knows struggle.

Big up to Dorn. For that. I have to say that. I said at the top, like everything that you said, especially with being a self-sabotor and all those things, like that that has been me decades. Like I'm now just dealing with this year of setting myself of all those things, like of me noticing how I hold back my own process and those things. So I feel like I'm hearing the code words from you. And I'm like, oh, wow, we. This might be a birds of a feather moment.

Yeah. Congratulations for, one, being able to acknowledge it and being courageous enough to, you know, not do things the same way, right? It's still an everyday struggle, though. No, no, yeah. Yeah, I resemble that remark. Tomorrow's a new day, you know what I mean? But, you know, I at least, I'm at least very much aware of, you know, you can either manifest

something or you, you can man to fuck something. So I've been the king of manna fucking for a long time. I hear you. Wow. Okay. I'm going to tell you the real, the real shit. Let's go. That's what we're here for.

I want to name the album, Blackfish Beautiful. Who walked you back? My wife. She was like, you know, that's corny, right? It's just, it's too on, right? It's on the nose. Leah, that's exactly what she said. That's exactly what she said.

It leaves nothing to the imagination. Yeah. Oh, dude. And I was like, but how do I show that I'm this black? Right. So, you know, I can't, so I'd always loved the, I'd always love the title hiding and playing view. Because I was like, okay, I'm a name, I'm a hiding a plain view. I told my wife

record, and she was like, you know, you're not really hiding. I mean, everything you're writing about is exactly what you feel. So you're not really hiding. So she was like, in what ways do you hide? Tell me. So she put me in that, she put me in that space. She's like, right about that. Yes. Yes. Yes. Oh, yes. Why?

You know, and then that poem was like something different too, because it started different. And the play on words, like, it's so fucking dope. And I, you know, I was mixing with this other poem and trying to show some kind of vulnerability. Like, let me start the poem, you know, just spitting like, you know, technical shit so you know that I'm a wordsmith and I can do things with words. And then let me hit you with the vulnerable. And to me, I thought it was dope. And my wife was like, yeah, sounds like two different poems. I'm like, all right, cool.

You're not really a poet. Like, you don't really get it. So she's your sounding board? Yeah, yeah, yes. But I call another poet friend of mine up. It was like, yo, do, do, do. You know what I mean? It felt like two different poems.

Okay. I use the term, kill your kids. Because when you, no, when you create something, you know, like right now, there's over 600 roots ideas. And it's like, dude, just pick 14 and let's have the record already. So, you know, you don't want to let the other 584 songs go, but, you know, they're going to have to go down the drain eventually, at least for this project. But how open are you to take that advice? Well, okay, I know that you said that, you know, your wife's not, you're not a poet,

you da-da-da-da. I tend to keep, I keep an expert, and I keep what I call the, and I'm being very nice when I say this, the common person factor behind their backs. I'm like the idiot factor. So, but I think that it's good to, to have both opinions of people that have no emotional connection to you whatsoever in your

work to give an opinion. And usually with great art, you'll find out that, you know, like, as in the case of you, Malcolm, your wife is saying one thing, but then you hit your poet, homie. He's saying the same thing as well. So it's like there's a universal proof that's there, you know, I mean? So did the other three people. I'm right. Right.

You know what I mean? Right. It's true. So I'm looking back at my wife, like, you got it. I won't sleep on your next time. So then when I totally rewrote the poem, right? And I was like, ah, this is dope right here. Like, this is it.

And I played her for her. She was like, let me read it. I'm easy to see it. And there were, there were a couple of tweaks that she made that made me go, thank you, Malcolm, for not sleeping on your wife yet again. Right, right. Right. So she just gave me some tweaks and some finishing touches that really makes it, ah, you know, really what it is. So, so I stay open, but at the same time, I got to tell you this story.

And, you know, it's it's fucked up, but, but let's go. It says a lot about a lot of people and then also says a lot about how I feel about myself and who I am and owning myself, right? Okay. So wrote the song with Wayne and Tisdale. Okay. Right. We were doing a jam session and we recorded it, whatever. And we had like a little demo with my hard drive, you know, Wayman passed.

And I pulled that out. It was like, you should do something. Should do some of that. So I arranged this whole song based on this demo that he and I did. I played the song live like for years. last record I want to put the song on the record I had barter services with Chris Dave on another project so I called in the favor from him was like yo you know like the drum program is cool but like I really need some live drums

behind us it was like cool you know so he comes and he kills it then a few weeks later I get a call because the engineer who was who has helped me produce that record was also producing Chris's record right so I get a call and do like Yo, I got a surprise for you. Pino came through and laid bass on your joint. Oh. Right? I'm like, whoa, that's dope.

But wait a minute. I'm playing bass on that record. Okay? And that's a record that I wrote with Wayman. I speak years performing this song live, right? Like, that's my shit. And when I listen to it, Pino, you know, Pino did Pino, right? So there's no that question.

about the shit was butter. It was a whole different vibe from what I had spent years with. And I'm like, ah, so I went to seven different people. I said, listen, these are, here's two, um, two approaches to the base. I'm trying to, I'm not sure which approach I'm going to use for the song. Which do you like? Didn't tell her who was playing what? No, no, didn't give me any backstory.

Right, right. Five other people, they're like, yo, it's really dope, but I really like this one. And that's mine, right? Okay. The two other people knew the story, and they were trying to convince me that it would be really dope because they say I've got Pino and Chris Dave on my record. It would make you a bigger record. And the algorithms and the whole nine. So at the last minute, I decided it was like, you know what, I'm going to kick myself in their ass for the rest of my life.

every time I play this song and Pino's on it and I'm not. Right. And again, not that I'm better than Pino, like, that's not like, don't let anybody attempt to misinterpret that. But so I ended up, I called, I called the, you know, producers and I was like, yo, I thought about it, I'm going to use my base. He says, well, you know what? You know, I didn't want to tell you this, you know, but Chris said, if you play bass

on it, to take his drums off. And that producer was also supposed to. mix my whole record. They said, so I got to take Chris's drums off. I got to take my keys off, give you your files back, and you got to find somebody else to produce the record. Wow. That's real shit.

That's fucked on. That's real fucked up. But, and you go listen to it, the songs called High on Love. Right. And, you know, you may think it's, you may think it's wag, but it's not whack. And if you said it was whack, I'm like, cool, that's your heart. know again I'm not Pino right it's not you know I'm not saying it's you know right I do me right no regrets right no regret so that's my thing like I had to really go wow I'm

getting ready to take Pino Paladino off my record for my shit yeah no but just I feel that strong about I stand there stand on it sometimes I will I'm not going to test to this as well sometimes only the best won't do You know, I think I think oftentimes, especially, you know, there's there's a B.C. and the AD. And for me, I think the moment in which I learned this lesson this year where someone told me that, okay, you get into something brand new and you're in the space of being a creative. and then once you're after that and you experience some sort of success, then you're in a space of not being a creative, but you're in a space of where you're now succeeding.

Like, in other words, you're thinking about how to maximize or capitalize on the moment. Versus how to make the thing. Yeah, and it's sort of, and the thing that I think that's being lost here, at least on their side of the fence, is that, you know, this is still a creative expression for you. This is still therapeutic for you.

This is still like it's your project, you know. It would be like me. Like I think Chris Davis God, would I want him to drum in proxy of me on the next Roots record? That might be a little weird. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. Because I'm not making the Roots record as in like to be successful, but I'm

Maybe. Yeah, it's like your own creative expression. Yeah. So you're well within your right. Even if the Lord Jesus of Christ came down on earth and played based on your join, like you still got to, I understand your decision. A win is a win. A win is a win.

I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

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There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck.

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Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Wodom. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers Anchorman, Saturday Night Live and the Big Money Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. My dad gave me the best advice ever. I went and had lunch with them one day and I was like, and Dad, I think I want to

really give this a shot. I don't know what that means, but I just know the groundlings, I'm working my way up through and I know it's a place that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved.

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

Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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 SportsSliced podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects.

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Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Your first join came out in 2002, I believe. Yeah, 2003. Yeah, it was like right after the millennium started. So are you able, and I'll ask you to find that like, I feel like I'm interviewing two artists here. Is it easy to go back to listen to the first thing you ever created and you're fine with it or you're like super critical? of it, you know, compared to, it's 20 years into the game now for you. All I hear is mistakes.

Oh, God, man. All I hear is mistakes. But, but, you know, but so the listening for you is like organics. Yeah, I'm like, oh, my God. Yeah. I mean, I can listen to it. You know, I mean, I haven't listened to it in some time. Well, I've, you know, been listened to it for the, for the film.

But like, I can listen to that stuff. But again, I just hear it. I was like, God, I sound so young. that sounds like whatever, you know what I mean. And it's just, you know, it's cringe, you know what I mean? Wow. And you made a bona fide classic. Thank you, man. I mean, but I just look at it.

Over the time, just, you know, the years I've been doing this, I just learned to look at albums as, or whatever it is, albums, whatever you make. I just look at it as a snapshot of where you were at that time. You know, I mean, you have to look at it like a photograph. And you can't look at it like, oh, man, I'm so much, better now, you know, but it's like, yeah, I am, but this is where I was back then. And I better be better now.

Exactly. Yeah, yeah. Because if I was looking at listening to the old shit, like, damn, this dude was better. Like, and I got a problem, you know what I mean? Cause I ain't got better. You know what I'm saying? If I feel like I got to chase my old shit. So yeah, that's, that's kind of been my thing. But I've very rarely listened to older stuff.

It's kind of cringe, cringeworthy. How about for you, Michael? Yeah, I can live. to old stuff and appreciate where I was at the time. And then also, you know, I listen to that stuff. And, you know, again, I appreciate, it makes me really appreciate, you know, Malcolm Vinn, especially coming from the journey of how this whole thing started anyway. You know what I'm saying? The fact that I can, I always want to, I always want to make timeless music.

Right. I want the content to be timeless. Because I still listen to Gil and like, you know, damn everything Gil was talking about, we're still living. You know, why are he still on the moon? Right. Listen. It's the real shit. I want someone to, you know, to go back.

And it's happening now because when I send people to like, you know, the Spotify or the hiding in view album page, you know, the catalog comes up. So people who don't know that this is like my fourth record, they go back and they listen. And but it's all still relevant, right? It's all still, it's all still listenable. You know, I still stand behind, you know, even though I may like some, you know, sometimes better than others, I'll still stand behind. Just like my acting work, I'll stand behind anything in my body of work. And my music, I do the same, except I don't use nigger in my music anymore. But like you know my first record as I did right because that's where I say it though right and I'm not still say it down

I I replace it with comment oh all right and actually and if you listen to on the album there's a joint called so I run prelude and so on the record I have I have doctor Daniel Black on the record who is my alma mater oh word okay he's assistant assistant professor of African American studies at Clark so I interviewed him sometime last year because there's a bed of music in this piece called Asante Sana that I wanted to have him just talk. So he ended up dropping so much knowledge that I put him all throughout the album. I will dare to say that my album, hiding in Plain View, is one of the, is one of the most important albums to come out in 2022. And I know I'm putting a lot on

it, but I'm also saying that because of the gems that Dr. Black is dropping all over this record is it's important. It's almost vital that we need to hear these messages. Like I tell people, my record is for us. It's for black boys. It's for black men. It's for black people. It's for non-black people who have the foresight enough to see ourselves. healing as an invitation for them to explore their own necessary healing.

Okay. This is how we do a tribunal. I was wondering how you were to tribunal and I think you finally got it, Malcolm. Because how do you keep them out, but maybe still once that get it in. So thank you. I'm going to steal those words. Keep them out. Because this album Black as shit. And P.S. he still named the song, Black, Fisney. You know what? It's funny. It's fine. I did a song. Because I was this I was working a song couldn't figure out the title because initially it was just you know C minor 7 to F minor 7 so like I had to give it a real title and once I you know I got to write in the piece my life like won't you name that blackfish beautiful I was like I thought you didn't like it's like it's not the album title right that song because like all day she is genius so yes she is she she's nice but so so I know I know put a lot on on that album but that's how I strongly feel about it

and again I strongly feel about that I feel a big part of that statement is because of Dr. Daniel Black and saying all that I say there's a prelude called so I run prelude and he does a bit about niggott that's the young guy

there. Yeah I was like I think it's it's like track eight it's like and even though I was adopting comrade before this conversation he just has a really an interesting way that we should at least

consider. I'm open. It's a struggle. It is, but then it's like anything to keep them from saying it. So I don't know what we got to do. Right. It's getting worse. The numbers are growing.

I know that for me, on the East Coast at least, like there's, in Philly, we had something that's similar to like the New Orican Society. in the, you know, like, there's Trapita Mason, Jill Scott, Ursula Rucker in Philly, New York. There was the New Orican cafe where poets came. What was that environment in L.A.?

Like, where would one, like if Robin Harris is working out at the Comedy Act Theater. Right, right. What was the New Yorkan or the, like, where did black poets hang in L.A. during that period in which you're looking for your tribe like yeah there are two places uh fifth street dix in the murk park okay and that's where you're going to find the open mics the poets the jazz heads the old jazz heads the young jacks heads everyone who everyone who was at at chrynshall high every musician you know spent time shedding at fifth street dicks And then over in West L.A., there is a place called Lucy Florence, and every Tuesday night, a poet by name of Deep Red would do a what was called Red Sea Poetry.

But anybody who's coming up on the scene in L.A. would work out at, right now he goes by spoken yoga on Instagram, but it's Deep Red, Spoken Yoga. But I always had the different props because he provided a really dope space and environment for, you know, poets coming up. And there's also a fly poet, the fly poet in LA, John Hensley. He would do a monthly thing, but he would only, he would vet the poets. It would be a monthly thing, but they were all features. So, you know, he was really good about, you know, getting budgets to be able to pay, you know, poets to come in and, you know, put some money in their pockets. but you would go to fly a poet knowing that it was not an open mic you were always going to get a hot legit poet on that stage damn that's the response when did you move to Atlanta in 2018

oh man but you know but i have to go back because it would it would be it would be a huge dis if i didn't shout out the poetry lounge that was also another spot where uh and and outside of l-a The poetry lounge is probably the more popular, the more well-known spot. But for those of us who were coming up on the scene in LA, we were definitely in Red Sea Poetry. A lot of people did work on at the Poetry Lounge and John Hensley's spot. That's kind of a part of my life that I missed, like, in the early Square Roots Day, like Tuesday nights at University of Penn. That's like,

Richardine, I own the spot. Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. Right, exactly. A lot of brothers who who repeat words like this, that and this, then that, and the other, and da-da-da-da. And that, like, I miss, I really miss. I just hear little brother songs.

I'm sorry, I just hear yo-yo. No, man, I see, that's what really drew me. See, When I heard that verse, Fonte, I was like, first of all, Fonte, fuck you. And second of all, Fonte, damn, this motherfucker is actually right. He is on, like, on it. Yeah. Yeah, poetry was always, for me, you know, and that's why I can appreciate with you, Malcolm,

because, you know, you're saying, you know, I'm a poet because for me coming up, so much of poets, they were failed in seas. You know what I mean? Like, they weren't really, they were, you know, guys as like they weren't good enough to be rappers, so they would kind of be in like this middle ground, this poetry thing. Now we're just critics.

Yeah, but like, but all their poems would be about, like, they'd just be about fucking and shit, you know what I mean? You know what I mean? It would just be like, dude. Hey. Yeah, so, so, now, so I can appreciate the way that you really take it. Forgery. And even for me,

so you say North Carolina had a community? We did. We did. We had. We had a. Yeah, so the song that he's referring to, if you're not, just so we know, it's called the YoYo. It was a verse I did. It was a song, a little brother song on our first. It was a star as board, like, all right.

Fonte's really underselling it. He really is, y'all. Fonte's underselling it. I say this, and I know I'm world famous for my, my my my over exaggerated hyperbolt but I will say that Fonte's verse on yo-yo was like for me for me it was almost it was a star is born Buster rhyme scenario verse for a tribe called quest because I just never I never heard someone just come over and look at my jinga and just be like Snoop Dog like, fuck your toys, little. Like somebody you thought you was playing with because I thought we was, I thought we was.

And I was like, wait a minute. I thought you were on our side of the fit. It was I didn't. So when I wrote that verse, it wasn't for you. I mean, like, I looked at first of I'd never even look at y'all as like. Oh, no. Yeah. Like y'all were like, we weren't in it. I don't take personal. No, I didn't take personal. Look at y'all in that way. I didn't look at y'all as poets. I'm saying. I'm C. Y'all were musicians. So, no, that was specifically for poetry. Like, I did it. I was hosting this poetry night. I got this gig. And it was in Durham.

And I was my friend, Tracy, Ivorah, Matt Sherman. They hear this wherever they are. Oh, you tell me this. I love Tracy back to this day. Love him. Love him to this day. Tracy is actually the girl on the listening. It's WJLR, Slow Jams. That's Tracy. Right. Okay. So she had this thing, she was having this poetry night.

She was like, yo, we want you to come host it. And I was like, all right, cool, how much you're paying? And it was like $100 in like, nigger, $100 in like $2,000? What? Shit, I was $10 to fill up my damn my little monster. Nick, I was eating. I'm like, hell, yeah, let's go. So I go and I do the joint and I'm hosting.

And I'm just being me. You know, I'm just doing me. I'm talking my shit, you know, just whatever, whatever. And the poets are coming up there and they're really bad. Like this, like, they really, they kind of suck. And so I'm just talking my shit, whatever. So afterwards the next day, we talked, she calls me after the gig and I get paid and everything. And I'm like, yeah, so when's the next one?

Like, I'm ready. I'm like, I'm thinking this going to be a monthly. I got like a little monthly. My little residency, whatever. My little $100, nigga. I'm out here. When the next joint? She was like, yeah.

So we kind of got some computer. From the patrons, you know what I mean? You know, because I'm like, well, you know, was you saying the N word? I said, well, Tracy, I don't say the N word. I say, n-word. Let's clear this shit up real fast. You know what I mean? Like, I'm just being me.

And but so, yeah, so I think like maybe like a week or two later, I wrote that verse. And it wasn't at poem. Oh, Lord. I can't believe I'm finding this story out now. It wasn't about poets or any, you know, whatever. It was just about the pretentiousness of that scene. It wasn't about people with the crap. It was just the pretentiousness of the scene.

It was just like, you know, y'all are up here, like, claiming to be a higher level of conscience or whatever. But the rappers are rapping about fucking girls, and y'all just up here scene talking about fucking girls. Like, get the fuck out of here. Right. You know what I mean? So that was where that verse came from.

It came from every real place. Well, that was the Star's War moment. Afon Teigolo. All right. Which, like, froze me. Hit us after you do, Malcolm Co. Okay. No, it's funny.

You got to love Fonte. A win is a win. A win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me. Cliver Taylor the 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 big.

So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by.

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

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

What's up, everyone? I'm Ago Vodam. 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 that come look for up and coming talent. He said, if it was based solely on talent, I wouldn't worry about you, which is really sweet. Yeah. He goes, but there's so much luck involved. And he's like, just give it a shot. He goes, but if you ever reach a point where you're banging your head against the wall and it doesn't feel fun anymore, it's okay to quit. If you saw it written down, it would not be an inspiration.

It would not be on a calendar. of, you know, the cat, just hang in there. Yeah, it would not be. Right, it wouldn't be that. There's a lot of luck. Listen to Thanks, Dad, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your 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 prospect.

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 Podcasts on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a 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. Grega, Lesbian, Michael Maranini.

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. Can we at least do rapid fire about life? Absolutely. Absolutely. Yes. Yes. All right. Okay. So AC, AC, AC, Cal, the eight. You wrap my mind. God damn it. You is my motherfucker brother. Come on. Come on. Always. That is one of my favorite roles of yours. Like, your AC role, your sons and I, like talk about those roles where you, I would say play, I don't say play against type, you know what I mean? But something that, you know, people wouldn't think, oh, Theo is in the fucking motorcycle gang, you know what I mean? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

You know, so talk about like the OJ, the AC Collins, man. How'd you prepare for that? Yeah, I mean, that's a whole, you know, my whole journey, you know, post-Cosby has always been trying to, you know, shed some of that Theo, sitcom energy. And, you know, especially Cosby was really my first comedy role. I was doing dramatic work before Cosby. Oh, wow. I was always known for comedy. And because I've done, because sitcom is so, you know, ingrained in me, I've done a lot of work to, you know, move my.

myself away from that. So I'm constantly looking for roles to kind of go against type. And AC really, now and I think about it, sparked off a bunch of things that kind of helped move me to this side. Yeah. You know, the thing I loved about AC was one, it wasn't a whole lot of research to be done on him because there just wasn't a lot. You know, but, you know, what I recognize is, you know, he and OJ, they used to be, they were both the men, right? But then you spend your life like you're the man sitting next to the man. Next to the man. You know, and you live such a lifestyle now that your, you know, your relationship, your livelihood depends upon your relationship with him.

you know and and i've never i've never really been i've never been the man now that i would ever call myself the man amongst my friends but i've never been the man sitting next to the man right so but i know a lot of those dudes so it was it was fun to be able to you know to play that side of a relationship that i saw all my life is he still with us yeah okay as far as i know yeah did you have any talks uh with him prior to the role were there any None of that. No, no contact. Yeah.

Wow. Still haven't talked to them. Yeah. Now, you killed that role, though, man. Yeah. Thank you. I'm so happy to see you in that joint. And did that role lead to working with Ryan Murphy again?

And what is it like going from that to American Horror? So I started American Horror Story. I did that first. Okay, you did that. Okay. Okay. Okay. And then so what was funny, though, for People v. O.J.

I actually auditioned for Chris Darden. Wow. Okay. And that was literally, that was one of the best auditions in my life. Oh, wow. Like, the cash director hit my agent up with email like an hour after I left and, like, gave me props. So I was like, this is that one. Like, I'm about to blow the roof off this motherfucker.

Was that Sterling? Who was that? He was at that. I never heard of him. He was dying. Yeah. Months went by and I heard nothing. right and then I was like okay

and then out of the blue Ryan's office called me and offered me the AC role and so based on you know the audition for Chris so then when I saw Sterling I was like what? Right of course right right what are we talking about that made him too that made him too like that really he just I mean he he put his

everything. Yeah. He is everything. From his toe net to his Achilles heel, he put in that. Yeah, man. You know, so yeah, yeah, I get it. I would have guessed him too. I got to ask, speaking of that, Lenny

have revealed to me that they first came to him. Did he reveal that on our episode? That before Cuba Gooding, like, I know this is real hard to imagine but like OJ

Lenny and OJ are doppel gangers you got to you got to Google it together there's a period of OJ's life he's talking about cravitz y'all just so you know what other Lenny not Lenny White I mean nobody's never heard the comparison

or Lenny White the drummer anyway no no no when I was watching Ezra's OJ documentary on episode two you know it's a four part documentary episode two i was like damn i never knew that o j look like lennie cravice and i hit him up like yo like did you know you guys were twins and he's like yo they offered me the role and he didn't take it like i got to think about his butler role that would be the look the but he didn't want yeah like but did you did you realize at all that that that lennie at one point was

being courted heavily to play OJ's world before No, I didn't know that This is my first I mean I'm not I mean that doesn't That doesn't surprise me Yeah So I never I didn't hear that

It's so beautiful the way it worked out though Because people would love when they saw you on the screen Like it was a beautiful like surprise Like the thing that I admire about The roles that you chose like you happen to always show up on shows that I watch a lot. Like, you know, just on the road, I watch everything. So like when you were in community, Detroiters is one of my all-time favorite shows.

You know, on the low, because I know the people to do the production, even the, the, the, the, the girlfriend's guy to divorce join. Like, I, there's so much. all of the shows that you've done is acting still like a journey that you enjoy or is it like it's cool but you know like music's like what's your what's your 51 49 balance here right the the acting i mean one is my bread and butter um right but i'm also you know i i'm hitting a new stride as an actor. So my craft is, you know, I have a better handle on my craft. It's just even these five seasons I've been doing on the resident. The resident has really been a great playground, you know, to work on certain tools I need as I continue on this journey of mastery of my craft.

So I'm always looking to get better. I have this really dope show coming out on Fox called Accused. It's a courtroom anthology series. So like Twilight Zone or Black Mirror, every episode is its standalone. Separate standalone guy. Yeah. But so I have an episode of that. And these five seasons on The Resident have greatly even informed that role because that role is, again, a very,

different role. It was very demanding emotionally. So just having that experience was like, wow, like I am, I say with the resident, I have finally, I'm finally beginning the handle on my craft that I've been chasing since Cosby. So there's all of that. And it's like, oh, wow, there's all of that. That's informed where I am now. Fuck, what's next? I'm excited about that. And then instead of me stressing about, you know, what the next job is going to be, I have the music. Yeah. Right. I would say, man, I would say, bro, like, I just from someone that, you know, grew up, like, watch you on Cosby and who I knew you were older than me, but, you know, but just, you know, we're in the same range.

You know what I'm saying? But, like, I always admired. I thought you really grew into yourself really well, you know what I mean, in terms of you. Thank you, Fonte. Thank you, brother. You know what I mean, in terms of just like your transition and going from, because I mean, you know, I mean, child actors, no doubt. Well, comrade, listen, I say that. Oh, that's major.

It's major. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. Comrades be fucked up out here, because. Yeah. For real. You know what I mean?

But now, you know, so, you know, most child actors, that's a sub-transition to make. But I've always admired just the way you kind of transition. and you've always seemed to pick roles that were you and it seemed like it was really, yeah, just like a lot of class and you just brought, I think, you know, when you talk about your process and how you're growing, you know, older and kind of you feel like there's another level of mastery that's there. You know, I see that, man. It really does shine through and everything you do, you know, I mean, and I really appreciate it for real. I got to ask fan out questions, though. All right, let's go. I got some, too. Okay. So,

A year before the pandemic. All right. So the roots lived, you know, we moved to London, England like in 93 when we got our record deal, moved over there and kind of kept an apartment there so that we could tour all of Europe extensively without it being like really heavy on our pockets, you know, paying for flights back and forth to the States. Like we're just going to live in Europe. And so like London's a second home for us.

So we did this gig. in London and it's like our biggest crowd yet. So it's like 15,000 people and this is not like a festival. This is just like a regular route show outdoors. And I'm staring at this woman and I'm like, I know you from somewhere. I don't know where I know you. And she just stood out like she stood in the middle.

And then I did a DJ gig and that same. woman was like was was was was was there and i was like like where do i know you from at the end of the night i was like excuse me do we know each other and she says yeah my name is denise pearson i was like fucking five star denise pearson you started laughing i was like wait you know i said wait always hung with a malcolm tomorrow one For me, for me, like, and then taken, taking to the very top of this episode, when I told you, like, vicariously, who am I living with?

Like, who am I living through? What are you, what is? You got to give us. Yeah. Give me a second. Okay. Like, for me in watching, in watching you as a kid, vicariously living, like, I would just just like, wow, man.

The only two people, like, I knew Eddie Murphy mentioned them once and you were always hanging with five star. All right. Do you not know five star? No. Wow. Okay. All right. This is all because I said. You remember the Jimmy

Jam episode where, you know, he spoke of who's our, our, my Philly comrade. Oh, Nick Martinelli. When we talked about people that have bite jamming Lewis. Nick Martinelli was basically,

I don't want to insult Nick Martinelli. I mean, because he was jamming. The dams was jammed. I'm saying this through the mind of Jimmy Jam. If you can't get Jammin' Louis, you can get Nick Martinelli and almost get the same results. So, like, loosens, five star, like he besides.

Oh, from the group five star. Yeah, yeah. Oh, shit. Oh, so I'll just say that production wise, like, Nick Martinelli had took Jammin Lewis's SOS band sound and gave it to Lucin's, gave it to Phyllis Hyman, only want to be your girl, that's one. And five star, which is basically, in my mind,

if pre-controlled Janet Jackson had a group like her brothers, it was this group. Yeah. They were, but they were biggest shit. They were. They were. They were the Jacksons of Europe. they were definitely the Jackson's of Europe

and at the time and at the time when the Jackson's restored kind of running on empty between 84 and on like there was no there was nobody to really scratch that itch of watching five people dance at the same time and do those same moves at the Jack you know it's like after the victory tour

the Jackson's were pretty much over in 84 so five star kind of took their place there was new addition but five star was really that anyway like you know they were always hanging with Malcolm Jamal and I was like wow man like he's so lucky to know them man like but I just want to ask you in general your experiencing life and coming up age during a period in which might seem normal to you then but now is like everything you experienced was a classic moment like you saw prime new edition.

I mean, like you were hanging with Houdini. Like you're in the funky beat video, right? Yeah. I was like that. Yeah. Right. Like you're hanging with like, I mean, run DMC. Raising Hell era run DMC was the musical guest on your episode of SNL.

Matter of fact, Spike Lee even. No, I'm just saying like Spike Lee even did his little short film join on Malcolm's episode. Like, I'm almost certain, like, this is the one moment where I wish all five of us were together, because I know you probably were also a Latin quarter regular. No way. That was, yeah, when I was too young, even be up in there. Right. But I'm just saying, like, just in general, I feel like I'm, um, what was it like to be you? Right. No, I don't want to sound like, um, old boy interview in Paul McCartney on Saturday Live, like, that was cool. But like, you were the man when like the prince I wish I knew was, I became his friend

like after the fact, you know, but what was it like during that period to be in that, to be in the eye of the storm? Because I mean, for all, the thing that we can't take away from that show. is the domino effect of ideas and seeds planet. I mean, I started with the hip-hop thing, but I'm certain that a lot of us were looking at, you know, black colleges different. Oh, 100%.

We were looking at education different. I was my first time here, night time is the right time. I reached out like that was. Oh, yeah. Right. So many firsts. So, like, for you in general, what was your experience?

it's like just in the eye of the storm between 84 and 92. You couldn't tell me shit. Oh, no. Were you an asshole? No, it wasn't an asshole. It wasn't that not at all. Okay. When I first started working pre-Cosby, right, I was doing like Matt Houston, fame.

I was doing. I remember your episode of fame. Yeah. I was doing two plays at the same time. Like, I'm in seventh grade. And like, I'm feeling. Like, I'm at school when people recognize. I was like, yo, I'm that comrade, right?

I was like, yo, I'm the shit. So I was in that space. And then eighth grade came around and I could not book an audition to save my life. I was going on like four or five callbacks not booking anything. And it was hurting my soul. But the message I got was like, wow, this is all cool, but this can go away just like that. I have no control over it. Yeah.

As soon as I got that epiphany, I book Cosby. So that's the first filter through which I have, you know, I handle my whole journey. So I wasn't, well, so the beautiful thing was I wasn't an ass, but I was very present to this life that I'm living. That's good. And being in New York had a great deal to do with that because I wasn't in Hollywood and my best friends weren't on the same lot, two states. just down working on their show. They were in New York.

When we were first in Brooklyn, the NBC studios didn't have a commissary. So at lunch, we had to go out into the neighborhood and pick up our lunch, wherever we decided we were going to eat. And we're on the number one television show in the world.

There wasn't commissary there? Not at this particular, because we were like an Avenue M in East 14th Street, like this is like deep in Brooklyn. Can I add side note? Yeah. The last season of Cosby. You know is on the catering staff there, right?

What? The head cook. Gracie. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. That's how she started out as a, one of the head chefs at the Cosby show. Yeah, man. Which then led her to life. Yeah, no doubt.

I remember Grace. Yeah. Yeah. She's a man cool. Yeah. In terms of the, because y'all were very, you know, y'all were children, were, were, did they, because you talked about how Cosby in the writer's room, how he would talk about, you know, no, we're not going to do that. We're not going to do that. Did he or Felicia or just any of the adults on the show,

did they kind of give y'all game as young actors as well? Was it educational in that way? It was, for me, it was just watching. Okay. Right. It was me like understanding, you know, we're on this number one television show in the world. But every weekend, Mr. Cosby is in Atlanta, Tahoe or Vegas doing stand-up Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and then be the work, the first person back at work on Monday. Right? So I'm seeing like, I'm seeing that kind of grind, you know, and I'm seeing the, you know, the work that he's putting into the show. I'm seeing the fights that he's having. So all so much of that was just by watching, watching him. I've probably, I'm sure I've learned more from him than more from him from watching him than him sitting me down

That's just talking about. But I listened. And he's one of those people who is willing to share all of his knowledge with anyone who's willing to listen. So I also, you know, I listened to, you know, I was, I mean, I was, it was a great apprenticeship in terms of running a show, in terms of handling the responsibility of living in the public eye. 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, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.

One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.

There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends... Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.

I felt like I got hip-hift. 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. I'm Ego Wode. My next guest, you know from Step Brothers, Anchorman, Saturday Night Live,

and The Big Money, Players Network. It's Will Ferrell. Woo. 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. 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. In 2023, former bachelor star Clayton Eckerd found himself at the center of a paternity scandal. The family court hearings that followed revealed glaring inconsistencies in her story. This began a years-long court battle to prove the truth. You doctored this particular test twice in someone, correct?

I doctored the test ones. It took an army of internet detectives to crack the case. I wanted people to be able to see what their tax dollars were being used for. Sunlight's the greatest disinfected. They would uncover a disturbing pattern. Two more men who'd been through the same thing. Greg Alespian and Michael Marantini. My mind was blown.

I'm Stephanie Young. This is Love Trap. Laura, Scottsdale Police. As the season continues, Laura Owens finally faces consequences. Ladies and gentlemen, breaking news at Americopa County as Laura Owens has been indicted on fraud charges. This isn't over until justice is served in Arizona. Listen to Love Trapped podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You guest directed the special ed episode, correct?

I directed like six episodes, but not the one Ed was all. Which ones did you do? well give us a couple. I know them all by heart, but I do this. Oh, okay. I'll let Amir tell us. It's okay. No, no, no, I don't know. That's the thing.

Off to see the wretched. You're going to give us a title. They got drunk. Oh, they got drunk. And they went to the, they went to see some, some group. Yes. In Philly and Cliff and Claire

had to drive the Philly to go get them. Right, they got trouble. And then they have to play the drinking game. We're going to have big fun. Yeah. No, no, not that one. I have a different one. Okay.

They were in Philly. They got these tickets. They drove up, you know, let anybody know. And then I think a scalper scammed them and took the ticket. Right. And then the car broke down. I remember that episode. They lied to Cliff and Claire about where they were going.

So Cliff Clare had to drive to Philly to get them and bring them back. So when you're doing directing, like I've noticed that some of those episodes you weren't in at all. Like, was that by design like, okay, my character won't be in this particular episode? like I will. I think in the in the episodes that I directed, they definitely wrote me lighter. Okay. Just sometimes there were just times we weren't in them for, you know, for whatever reason. At the point when Theo went to college, did they start asking you for your opinions on things?

Like, or did they ever before that or at any point? Did you have any on the writing? It was moments when I saw you come home and like they were listening, you were listening to De La soul. And I was like, in my, you know, in my mind, I'm like, Malcolm did that because they don't know, right. Right? Yeah, stuff like that. So the very last episode, I submitted a demo, me and Spaceman Patterson,

submitted a demo for the theme song. They ended up not using our demo, but they used the drum track that I programmed. Like they use my drum patterns, right? They changed the sound, but they use my drum. She's like, okay, got it. So, I mean, there was definitely. Wait, for the last season? Yeah.

So you helped do the music of when they were dancing in front of the, The brick wall, the other hell house. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Wait. Oh, God, I have so many questions to ask you now. Oh, shit.

The intros. Oh, shit. No, not even the intro. Oh, okay. But I always wanted to know. Okay, there was one particular episode in which, for the life of me, I will never understand how this happened. You know, normally they will make, if someone's listening to outside music,

you know, they'll have whatever. I know like Stu Gardner, somebody would make up a song, a fictional song or whatever for you guys to listen to. But this one particular episode, I couldn't believe that not only was like Blackie Who wrote, like if you remember the episode, this is when I first got a VCR.

So you remember like when you first get your VCR and you just record any and everything? Or am I way too older than you? No, you're good, you good, you go. I'm way older than you too. So I'm just saying that when you get a VCR, you record everything and you watch it over again. So this one particular episode, they use the actual Black Yahuro, guess who's coming to dinner, which is, oh, Spoongy Break. Spoonty, right, right, right, which, you know, the whole, I say A-Mont thing.

Oh, yeah. But for me, I always wanted to know. So there's a scene where Vanessa and Robert are listening to. a cosmic slop by Funkadelic. And I was like, yo, these two are 12 years old. Wow. What do they know about listening to a song from

1973 about a mother that has to turn tricks in the alleyway to feed her? Like, it was such, I was watching it with a musician friend of my dad's and he was like, wait a minute, are they really playing cosmic slot by

Funkadelic right now on the Cosmic? That was like one of them, most revolutionary moments, but I always wanted to know, like, I know that wasn't by accident or like, I know that was on purpose. Who would, is that the writers? Is that music supervisor? That was either Mr. Cosby or Stu Gardner. Probably, probably Mr. Cosby. Wow. So at the time, I know that scene, I was probably too young to no cosmic slop. So, right, but now that you're saying that, because I know the song. Like, that's such a genius.

Yes. It's such a genius move. Really subversive. Yeah. Yeah. So that was, that was. I mean, that, that really turned me on before that moment. Those Funkadelic records were just scary album covers in my dad's collection.

And I was like, whatever. And then suddenly like, oh, wait, this was on the Cosby show. Like literally every. It's a lot of records that we found like that. Yeah. Yeah, like candy and all that stuff. So, again, I, I, I, I go back to my first question.

What was for you, like, one of the coolest moments of the advantage of being your career? Because I, you know, I also know that back then there was sort of this thing where it was like you versus, dare I say, Cameron. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Again, you transitioned very well. Yeah, yo, for real. For real, dog. For real.

For real. For real. Thank you, Malcolm. Yeah, and it's, I just felt like you've really never got your props for what you represented on that show. Yeah. But just in general, like, what was like one of the coolest moments of that experience? Yeah, like meeting someone otherworldly. or just like, wow, I get to see this concert because, you know, like,

that could be a two-hour conversation in itself. But I'm going to tell you one that stands out because since you brought it up. So we're at SNL, right? Uh-huh. I'm rehearsing my opening monologue. And my own line was about, I just learned how to do the walk, right? Because I was at, I was at LQ. Right.

I was whopping and my man Darren Jaime finally taught me how to how to mop, right? So whole monologue is about me trying to learn this dance and then Dana Carvey comes in and he's really trying to show me how to do the dance. So it's a real goofy, it's a real opening monologue. So we're rehearsing and run, you know, running Darrow come in and they're early. So they're sitting down. They're watching us, you know, do the monologue. and, you know, the band starts playing and I start, you know, doing the wok.

We finished the piece. Run said, Yo, Dee, you hear that? They play in my melody. Run looked at me. He was like, yo, you did that? I was like, yeah, he was like, he gave me to look, right?

Run DMC is impressed because I'm on SNL doing the WOP, having the band playing Eric B and Rakib's my melody. Right. Run is looking at me like this mother fucking. Right. Right. And I'm like 15.

Right. So to get that luck from Run. Wow. Wow. This is a lot of them, but that's definitely, you know, for a 15-year-old kid, you know, loving to run DMC to get that kind of recognition. I think like, you know, spending night at an aunt's house or whatever. And, you know, and I got to see that episode, man.

That, that was everything. Yo, dog, I can nerd out forever. Normally, I'm about to look at the clock right. Jesus Christ, this is a two and a half hour episode. Sorry, but I mean, you're, you know, you're a legend, right? Because, man, what are you supposed to? No, this is, this is dope. You're a living legend, friend.

And I'm talking to legend. So it's a whole, it's a thing. I do it all the time. It's really cool. I really thank you for talking to us and, and, you know, I'm one of your biggest fans, Doc. And in ways you can't explain. I just, I thank you.

I really don't have any other words, but, you know. Thank you. Do people still walk up to you and say, I brought you in this world and I take you out? Fortunately, not. Okay, good. Yeah. But, you know, I mean, just to like, like, like, Like this- Wait a minute.

Didn't you just do something based on that, Ponti? Chris Sherman's Showcase. I just heard I brought you in this world and I'll take you out reference. I don't know if it was a song reference or just a line reference. It might have been a line reference, but I- Okay, okay, we didn't do a song. I did. I just, crazy, I just thought of this.

So the first podcast, what essentially got me this job, the very first podcast I did, me and shot my man DJ Brainchild. Our first podcast was called Gordon Gartrell. That's right. We saw. Yo, Malcolm, you left me. We could have Jimmy jams. Yeah, and our logo was you.

It was you in the shirt like this. Like, that was our logo. Like, it was great. That's right. I forgot the, the genesis of this very podcast was the Gordon Gartrelle podcast, which I stole Fonte. Yes. Yo, he's so lucky. I mean, we were done.

I show was done by the time. started this but yeah but no you i said to say you've been a part maguel you've been a part of our of our cultural you know just everything for a very long time and um just to be able to see you still just after all these years like still flourishing still working and like still you know got your good sense no doubt word for real i don't know dope and no dumb shit like that like you you make you make the 50s you make your 50s look real good brother for real word i appreciate that man wait i got a say just for me, this is, this is, this has been, I don't even know the word. Affirming, it's been wonderful. It's been, you know, just because I respect both of you so much. Just, you know,

as an emcee, when we talk about, it's like, you guys, like, I talk about this love, hate relationship I have with hip-hop, right? But there is still, like, I can't trash hip-hop because you guys are still hip-hop. Right. So. That's what we are. We are. We are. We are. We're saying? So. That's what we all say. You know, right? So it's like, it's like, you know, Felicia Rashad, you know, you would tell me that, you know, the light and the dark will always coexist. They have to. Right.

There's always going to be that battle. So I just appreciate that, you know, you guys are still around and still relevant enough to be like, no, but, yo, this is, you know, we still got this is, you know, we still got this. So we don't even really have to dog here. Right. Not to them have that. Let them have that. We got our thing. Yeah.

No one expected it to last this long. I don't think anyone expected it to be 50-year-olds that are still invested in hip-hop. I don't think anyone, even the record companies when they first started. I mean, I don't think anyone expected to last as long as it did. So the idea of growing old or growing up in hip-hop, I mean, I think that's a rarely new conversation of like the last, you know, decade or so maybe. You know what I mean? Yeah. Look, I remember being 25, but I remember being like, nobody's going to.

don't want to hear comrades rapping at 50. Wait for that new Jay Z record. But now who we are, like, you know what I'm saying? Kane is killing it. Slickwick is killing it. Like, it's, you know, Black Thaw is killing it. He's a thought is in a,

and he's on the level like all unto him, he owns his own lane. Right, right, right. You know what I'm saying? So, so to have you guys still be relevant forces, is just as a hip-hop fan, I'm so appreciative. But just as, you know, a fan of both of you guys, you know, Amir, like, I've been rocking what y'all said.

Back when Marvin Mac gave me this, this single. You and Wesley were definitely one of the first, the first, like, pioneers or gods that came to see us. Like that. Yeah, consistently. Yeah. Yeah, you asked me if I remember the belly up club. It's like, yo, dog, like, that whole bus ride was like, yo, man, welcome to my one of Wesley Stap, Stapstaff, see. I'm like. Yeah. And just that's what it was like. And just, you know, I want to reiterate again, so I don't want it to get lost. It's in how influential you guys were on what I do musically. Well, that's because I watched you first. This is reciprocation. And on that note, I just want to say something that has not been said,

thank you for giving us a space to talk about one of all of our favorite shows of all times. It's not always easy to speak lovingly about a thing that we love so much, but, you know, things have changed and stuff. So thank you for engaging. The show is the show. The show raised us. You know what I'm saying? So thank you.

Thank you. No doubt. All right. So on behalf of Fantiglo, Laia, Uh, sugar Steve and unpaid bill. Y'all, y'all missed the classic one. Uh, thank you, Malcolm Jamal. I'm honored.

This is Questlove signing off for Questlove Supreme. And we will see you on the next go round. Much Love Supreme is a production of Iheart Radio. For more podcasts from IHartRadio, visit the IHartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying.

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