1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 2: The breakfast club, yep, Charlamagne the God just hilarious and 3 00:00:06,960 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: if you had to step out, man, his daughter is graduating. 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,159 Speaker 2: But we got a brother in the building. You know, 5 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:15,600 Speaker 2: you may not know his face, you might know his name, 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 2: but it's good that you get to know him because 7 00:00:17,640 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 2: you know a lot of things that you see that 8 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: are front and center, there's people behind the scenes making 9 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 2: a lot of those things happen. And Charles Suit is 10 00:00:25,000 --> 00:00:27,320 Speaker 2: one of those people behind the scenes making a lot 11 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 2: of those things happening. 12 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 3: How you doing, my brother, I. 13 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,160 Speaker 1: Mean, I'm blessed man. I'm happy to be here. 14 00:00:32,320 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 2: I don't even know how to introduce you. Do I 15 00:00:33,680 --> 00:00:36,440 Speaker 2: say publisher? Do I say business manager? 16 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:37,599 Speaker 3: Like? What do I say? You say? 17 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 1: Jamaican look product, product of the hip hop environment? Okay? 18 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: I started uh in the early nineties. God bless Andre Herrel. 19 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,880 Speaker 1: You know. I saw a video Ralph McDaniels and they 20 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: were interviewing Andre Herrel and he said that MCA gave 21 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: him a million dollars to start a record company. I'm 22 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 1: sitting at home, I'm a teenager. I said they gave 23 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: a nigga a million dollars. So no, that was the 24 00:01:06,680 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 1: eighty eight and then fast forward, I would start managing 25 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,320 Speaker 1: the Lost Boys, and I had the opportunity of meeting 26 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: Andre jumping Turnstiles to get to Uptown Records. The most 27 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: amazing experience because they were so for real. It was 28 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: Heavy DP, Mary J. Blige, Everybody's walking around on this 29 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: one floor and it was really black excellence, right, And 30 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: we weren't up, but I was in the building like 31 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,959 Speaker 1: we were up, like in the marketing and they were like, 32 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: who what group? What you know? And Lost Boys want 33 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:41,520 Speaker 1: the shiny object, you know, Andre had so for real 34 00:01:41,640 --> 00:01:43,880 Speaker 1: that was bringing all the models in and Heavy and 35 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: marrying and Jodasda. So we were the grimy Queen's group. 36 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:52,280 Speaker 1: But we had to make Andre see that, you know, 37 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: if you put some money into us, you know we'll 38 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: be effective. I can't remember one time making seven hundred 39 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: cassettes everyney and about three weeks trying to get to him, 40 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,480 Speaker 1: and I just couldn't get to him. And his intern 41 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,799 Speaker 1: Bobby Springsteen called me and said, hey, Andre's coming up. 42 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:11,600 Speaker 1: You know what you wanna do? And Sugar Dice opened 43 00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: up his office and I just sprinkled the cassettes all 44 00:02:14,280 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: in his bathroom, everywhere, and about two hours lady he 45 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: called me and said, I get your point, come on 46 00:02:19,639 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: and we talked about the record. So so going from 47 00:02:23,520 --> 00:02:26,799 Speaker 1: that and then helping start Universal Records with Monty Lipman 48 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: and Doug Marris and Gene Riggins and Joscelyn Cooper the 49 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,360 Speaker 1: Great rest in peace to Garnet read. We were the 50 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,040 Speaker 1: fastest growing record company ever. Our record was the first 51 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:41,079 Speaker 1: plaque ever at Universal and that's the Lost Boys album. 52 00:02:41,200 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: Now platinum went gold. And now you look at it 53 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: from Drake to Nikki to the very first, very first 54 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:55,080 Speaker 1: record ever. If you asked Monty Lippmann, who heads Universal now, 55 00:02:55,520 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: he'll tell you the very first one. And then right 56 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,799 Speaker 1: after that it was Crucial Conflict and then Cash Money 57 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,959 Speaker 1: the great eraka my Dude came through with Keto Massenberg 58 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: and so we were just rolling, you know, Mark Pitt 59 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:10,960 Speaker 1: shout out to him. We created something that's never been 60 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: done and probably will never ever be done again. 61 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 3: I didn't realize Universe was so young. 62 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, we were. Weren't even in the current building. 63 00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: We were like, uh, in the same building that William 64 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,640 Speaker 1: Morris was and Doug Marris was kind of walking around 65 00:03:23,680 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: like you could get to Doug Marris then he was 66 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:29,320 Speaker 1: just walking around and Joscelyn and Jean and everybody. So 67 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: and now look at it. Now, you know I spent 68 00:03:32,720 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: eight years there. But also it taught me that you 69 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,080 Speaker 1: can do all of that work right and leave then 70 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: you own nothing right. So after my eighth year, I 71 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: was told that they weren't renewing my contract, and I'm 72 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 1: sitting at home and I had spent a whole year 73 00:03:49,920 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: recording with a little girl named Jojo little white girl, 74 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:58,000 Speaker 1: Leave get Out right, So Leave get Out was a 75 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,880 Speaker 1: record that she didn't want to sing. Vincent Herbert, who's 76 00:04:00,920 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: my brother, didn't really like the record, and I said, guys, 77 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: we got a whole album of a little white girl 78 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: singing really urban record and bow and she can blow, 79 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: and I still love it to this day. So so 80 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: I found the record recorded with her, and I'm sitting 81 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: at home with no job, and it's playing on the 82 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,440 Speaker 1: radio non stop. So at that point I said something 83 00:04:23,440 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: has to change. I'm never gonna work for anybody again. 84 00:04:26,760 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 1: And my good friend Troy Carter said, Charles, you got 85 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,159 Speaker 1: to start calling your resources and people that you t Yeah, 86 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: Troy Carter, and so I call one of my friends, Zuri, 87 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: and I said, hey, you know, what is your mom doing? 88 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: I have some money saved up, and I know that 89 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 1: she's always kind of been a royalty based person. 90 00:04:46,279 --> 00:04:49,120 Speaker 3: Zori is the son of Miss Patty Bell's. 91 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:53,320 Speaker 1: He's my best friend and my business partner. And we 92 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:55,640 Speaker 1: kind of got together and talked about it, and then 93 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:58,160 Speaker 1: I'm nervous. I had known Patty for several years, been 94 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: in the house, but like you have Patty walk in 95 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: your office is a different thing. The security comes and 96 00:05:04,640 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: she's got the mink code and the diamonds, and she 97 00:05:07,520 --> 00:05:09,840 Speaker 1: takes off her mink and sits down and says, Charles, 98 00:05:10,080 --> 00:05:12,400 Speaker 1: you know what would you like to discuss? And I'm 99 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: just like, you know, my mind is blown. This is 100 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: Patty LaBelle. So Zuri and I had done a lot 101 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,040 Speaker 1: of preparation. We had gone to Macy's and we knew 102 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 1: that Martha Stewart was one of her best friends, and 103 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:27,680 Speaker 1: we took pictures of everything Patty Martha had and said, 104 00:05:27,720 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 1: miss Leablle, we would like to do this with you. 105 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:31,840 Speaker 1: And she said, well, Charles, how are you going to 106 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 1: do all of that? And I said you're Patty LaBelle. 107 00:05:33,920 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: If you let us represent you, there's nobody that won't 108 00:05:37,520 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: pick up the phone. And she said, Charles, let's do it. 109 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:43,560 Speaker 1: And I credit her not only and by the way, 110 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: it's her company one hundred percent. I credit her for 111 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: not only taking the die, but I credit her for 112 00:05:50,720 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 1: looking at Zuri and I as the young kings that 113 00:05:53,839 --> 00:05:55,920 Speaker 1: we are and that we could pull this off. Right, 114 00:05:56,560 --> 00:05:59,360 Speaker 1: Patty LaBelle can get the biggest managers in the world, 115 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: the biggest, and she saw something in us, and she 116 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: never stops telling us that she appreciates how hard we 117 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:09,159 Speaker 1: fight and how hard we work. So truly grateful for her. 118 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:10,760 Speaker 2: I want to go back to one thing. How did 119 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 2: you connect with the Lost Boys to be their manager? 120 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 2: Like why did they say, you know what, this young dude, yeah, 121 00:06:16,080 --> 00:06:17,920 Speaker 2: you know from the hood, Like, I don't want him 122 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:19,040 Speaker 2: to be our manager. 123 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 3: So. 124 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: Real, keeping it real. I'm not from the hood. I'm 125 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:26,640 Speaker 1: from rosewult Long Island, which is which is no cakewalk anyway. 126 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,240 Speaker 1: But I went to college with Cheeks and at that 127 00:06:29,320 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: time it was Terrence Kelly and we played on the 128 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: basketball team together and Terrence flunked off the basketball team, right, 129 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 1: but he used to come to every game, and he 130 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:43,719 Speaker 1: would come with like a hundred cats, right, And I 131 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,200 Speaker 1: will never forget one time I went up to dunk 132 00:06:47,240 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: the basketball at the end of the game and this 133 00:06:49,279 --> 00:06:52,680 Speaker 1: guy from CCNY kind of you know, swept me under 134 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: and Cheeks came out of the stands with like fifty 135 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: hundred guys and I'm like, Cheeks, no, right, But fast forward, 136 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: I would moved to Atlanta and I see him coming 137 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,760 Speaker 1: down the hill and I'm like, Terrence, what are you 138 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: doing here? Like, what are you doing in Atlanta? He said, well, 139 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:08,719 Speaker 1: I rap and Eric Sermon is interested in signing me. 140 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:12,000 Speaker 1: And Charles. I loved the way you handed yourself in college. 141 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: I love the way you dress. I loved the way 142 00:07:14,000 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: every way about the way you went about your business. 143 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:19,320 Speaker 1: And I'm looking for a manager. So he opens up 144 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:22,480 Speaker 1: his briefcase and says, here's a book, and it's Donald 145 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: Passman's Everything you Want to Know about the Music Business 146 00:07:24,920 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: or something like that. So initially I said no, but 147 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: then that night I read the book and I literally 148 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:32,559 Speaker 1: read it in one night. Oh I read it maybe 149 00:07:32,560 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: in that week two or three times, right, And I 150 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:36,800 Speaker 1: called him, I said, Cheks, I want to do it, 151 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 1: you know, And then I called my brother and my partner, 152 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,400 Speaker 1: Todd Llerby Big Tears, and I said, you know, let's 153 00:07:42,400 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: go on this journey together. And unbeknownst to me, they 154 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: had a demo deal already with Uptown. Cheeks didn't even 155 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,840 Speaker 1: know that, Like he was just kind of running around 156 00:07:51,880 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: with Button Neecker, Tim Dogg and Puff and Biggie and 157 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,560 Speaker 1: those guys never knew he had a demo deal. He 158 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: did the first If you ever watched New York Undercover, 159 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: the very first episode, our record comes on instantly when 160 00:08:05,400 --> 00:08:08,200 Speaker 1: the very first episode. So because of that, there was 161 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: a demo. I didn't know that. That book led me 162 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: to make every mistake I ever made. 163 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 3: And you know, it's like. 164 00:08:16,720 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: It's the book is literally made for a white young executive. 165 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: You follow this, you'll be successful. Right, I made every 166 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: mistake from coming up to Uptown complaining about the demo deal. 167 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: Andre hit the button, the Muslims came. This is right 168 00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,079 Speaker 1: when Chug can run up in there, so he had 169 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: the Nation of Islam get this guy out of here, 170 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: like literally, right, I want to at some point make 171 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: a book about the gray area, right, like what we 172 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:46,320 Speaker 1: experience is African Americans in the music business, what to do, 173 00:08:46,360 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: what the pitfalls are with that said, before I realized 174 00:08:50,559 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: that we had a demo deal, I literally took them 175 00:08:52,840 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: to every I had never ever seen two people in 176 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,839 Speaker 1: the beginning. It was Cheeks and Tylee, right, the two 177 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:02,480 Speaker 1: of their freaky the two of them together was like 178 00:09:02,559 --> 00:09:05,719 Speaker 1: going to church. You watched them. They literally listened to 179 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,079 Speaker 1: R and B like twelve play was like the soundtrack 180 00:09:08,120 --> 00:09:10,360 Speaker 1: of our life at that time, right R. Kelly, and 181 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:15,680 Speaker 1: you watched the chemistry between Freaky Tie and mister Cheeks, Yeah, 182 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: it was. It was mind blowing. And what was so 183 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 1: dope is everybody knew their role at that time. You know, 184 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: Freaky Tie was he wrapped, but his job was to 185 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:27,679 Speaker 1: enunciate and make you feel what Cheeks said, like you 186 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: gonna feel it. And the reason why is because you know, 187 00:09:30,559 --> 00:09:33,440 Speaker 1: Freaky Tye was authentic. He was authentic one three, four 188 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 1: and god broke. He was south Side his finest right, 189 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: So we went I'll never forget. Our first meeting was 190 00:09:40,440 --> 00:09:42,840 Speaker 1: with the an R that did not So. Nas was 191 00:09:42,880 --> 00:09:46,000 Speaker 1: sixteen coming out of her office at the time and 192 00:09:46,040 --> 00:09:48,200 Speaker 1: we were going in and she was like, hey, do 193 00:09:48,240 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: you know Nas? And we were like nah Cheeks knew 194 00:09:50,360 --> 00:09:54,079 Speaker 1: him from Queen's and she handed us the album and 195 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:59,520 Speaker 1: then we went to every in our person in the building. 196 00:09:59,559 --> 00:10:01,679 Speaker 1: We met Jim the pre that day because Jermaine had 197 00:10:01,720 --> 00:10:04,080 Speaker 1: heard about us, so Jermaine brought us to this hotel. 198 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: We met the brat that day, all in one day. 199 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,320 Speaker 1: And it got back to Andre and Andre said, lawyer up, 200 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: because you're signed the Uptown Records and you should not be. 201 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 1: And I'm like, how do you know? Oh, we know everything, 202 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 1: get your butt up here. And we did, and Andre 203 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: did the right thing, took the guys shopping and at 204 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 1: that point it was, you know, work on the album 205 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: easy Mob. 206 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 2: I always wondered why why they didn't sign the Bad 207 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:30,559 Speaker 2: Boy I always felt like Lost Boys were such a 208 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 2: bad boy group. 209 00:10:31,720 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: Well, to be honest with you, when when Puff and Andre separated, 210 00:10:37,400 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: he had to make a choice right, and his choice 211 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:42,640 Speaker 1: was total Biggie Craig mac right. Andre wasn't letting you 212 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: take everything because all of them was under what kind 213 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: of sort of tim dogg who's the an R was 214 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:51,439 Speaker 1: a protege of Puffs. Puff was a protege of Andre. 215 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: I was a protege of a lot of people think 216 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,600 Speaker 1: I learned everything from Puff I didn't. Tim Dog Patterson 217 00:10:56,679 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: kind of taught me everything from soup to nuts. And 218 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 1: there was a limit to what andre was gonna let 219 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,280 Speaker 1: him take. And I'll be honest, in the very beginning, 220 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: I don't believe Andre knew what the Lost Boys were 221 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,559 Speaker 1: until we put out Lifestyles and the Richie Seamers and 222 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,319 Speaker 1: the Dance Classic, you know. So that's how I became 223 00:11:14,360 --> 00:11:17,800 Speaker 1: a manager. And we went on to ten years of success, 224 00:11:17,840 --> 00:11:20,800 Speaker 1: and then in you know, as relationships go, you kind 225 00:11:20,800 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: of part ways, and his aunt wound up managing him 226 00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: after Freaky Time died, and after about a year that 227 00:11:26,679 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: he said, Sue, come to Miami. I want to talk 228 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: to you. And we sat down and he said, Sue, 229 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:34,800 Speaker 1: can you please come back? And I said, there's no 230 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:36,960 Speaker 1: where I wouldn't. You're my brother. You know, you put 231 00:11:36,960 --> 00:11:39,280 Speaker 1: me and it was never a bad breakup. You know, 232 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: you put me in the game. And I said, Cheeks, 233 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,520 Speaker 1: if I come back, we got to go back to 234 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,800 Speaker 1: Mister Sex and Bink Dog and all those easy mobi 235 00:11:48,520 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: and we did, and lights camera action came about. 236 00:11:50,880 --> 00:11:52,839 Speaker 3: Wow, that was a big record joint. 237 00:11:53,640 --> 00:11:55,319 Speaker 2: Did you die at the end of the Rene video 238 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 2: because I don't know if y'all realized, go back and 239 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,439 Speaker 2: watch the video. This is the guy who kills I 240 00:12:00,480 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 2: don't know if he killed him, but in the lobby. 241 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:07,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, true, true story, true story. The game. When you 242 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: when I said it's the games, the game, kid, that 243 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: came from a demo that Cheeks did and it was 244 00:12:12,600 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 1: called the Game, the Money, the Bitches and the Cars, 245 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,880 Speaker 1: and I remember tho. So it just came to me right. 246 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:23,240 Speaker 1: That was Biggies. We people don't realize Big, Lost Boys, Junior, Mafia, 247 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:25,880 Speaker 1: jay Z and Dame were on the road every weekend together. 248 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,440 Speaker 1: Lost Boys was BIG's favorite group. So everywhere everything that 249 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: happened is like we were there after the soul Train thing. 250 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: We were on in the van going to a radio 251 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: at Charlotte, and he was telling us what happened and 252 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 1: then seized it this and seized it every time I 253 00:12:39,280 --> 00:12:41,719 Speaker 1: see yo. Big was like, yo, when you say it's 254 00:12:41,760 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: the game, it's the game. So I killed him. That's 255 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:52,360 Speaker 1: our story, that's our story, he continued. He threw me 256 00:12:52,400 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: down on the ground. I pulled out on my coat. 257 00:12:55,320 --> 00:12:58,160 Speaker 1: He pulled out click click, and it said to be continued. 258 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,079 Speaker 1: So in my version of it, I killed him. In 259 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,719 Speaker 1: his version, I killed him, so we never had a 260 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,480 Speaker 1: chance to do the part too. 261 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 3: Wow. 262 00:13:09,240 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 4: Okay, but now you're up here for books. You laid 263 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 4: a lot of books out too, so you published up thirteen. 264 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 4: How did you started the music? I use it very heavily. 265 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 4: And then you became a publisher. How did you trans 266 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 4: transition into books? 267 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: So again, you know, in life, you don't get anywhere 268 00:13:27,280 --> 00:13:29,719 Speaker 1: by yourself. You might have that eye and you might, 269 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: but there's always people. So there's a woman in Karen 270 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: Hunter who I don't know if you guys have. She 271 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,200 Speaker 1: has her own brilliant woman who asked me to manage 272 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: her after I also managed Salt and Pepper and she 273 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:48,480 Speaker 1: was ghostwriting Pepper's book, so we had a windy She 274 00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: did Wendy Wayne's book, so she asked me to manage her. 275 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: And after about six months of manager and I realized 276 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,959 Speaker 1: that there was no pathway to really make money managing 277 00:13:58,000 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: a writer. So I said, you know, in my business, 278 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: which is music. With the success she's had at that 279 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:05,880 Speaker 1: time she had written like seven New York Times bestsellers, 280 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: we get our own and she said, Charles, well, they 281 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:12,040 Speaker 1: will never give an African American, their own imprint, and 282 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:14,600 Speaker 1: definitely not a female. So I said, we'll give me 283 00:14:14,640 --> 00:14:16,960 Speaker 1: a same thing like Patty will give me. Give me 284 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,400 Speaker 1: your name or number, and the name she gave me 285 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: was Karen Ready. She said, I don't like publishers at all, 286 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:23,840 Speaker 1: but if I had to be at one, publisher would 287 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 1: be Simon and Schuston Karen Ready. So I called Carolyn, 288 00:14:28,280 --> 00:14:32,760 Speaker 1: who passed away resting peace to Karen Ready, and she 289 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:35,320 Speaker 1: was on vacation. Two weeks later she called me I 290 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,680 Speaker 1: pick up. She said, Charles, this is Karen Ready, and 291 00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:40,400 Speaker 1: I was like, who She said, you called me. She's 292 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: the chairman of Simon and Schuster and I had like 293 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,360 Speaker 1: two seconds to get us together, and I said, mister Ready, 294 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:48,520 Speaker 1: oh my god, thank you so much. Karen Hunter has 295 00:14:48,560 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 1: made you so much money over the years. We'd like 296 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: to come in and talk about publishing our own books 297 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,760 Speaker 1: because we understand what our people want to read. And 298 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: she said, Charles, you're right, Karen has made us tons 299 00:14:59,400 --> 00:15:02,120 Speaker 1: of money. Come on in, Karen, and I went in. 300 00:15:02,680 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 1: I stood up in front of a bunch of white 301 00:15:04,400 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: folks and I'm Charlemagne understands this because he has his 302 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: own imprint at the same place, and I said, you know, 303 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: you think guys think that black people don't read. We do. 304 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:16,200 Speaker 1: We read a lot. You guys don't know how to 305 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: make books appetizing, and glasses flew off and it's a 306 00:15:19,880 --> 00:15:21,640 Speaker 1: whole room full of white folks that I you know, 307 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 1: and it is true. Carolyn said, well, how would you 308 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:27,240 Speaker 1: do it? And I gave him a couple of suggestions 309 00:15:27,240 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: and they were like, man, that's just it sounds so doable. 310 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: So she said, how do we make a deal happen? 311 00:15:33,880 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: I said, well, my lawyer, David Lekakis, who now runs 312 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,560 Speaker 1: Universal Music Publishing, is right outside that door, and she 313 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: called her lawyer and we got a deal done. So 314 00:15:44,520 --> 00:15:48,400 Speaker 1: after about eight after we came downstairs, Karen said, Charles, 315 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,880 Speaker 1: I want to do this together. I know you did 316 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: this for me, but I'd like you to be my partner. 317 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: And we did it again at number eight. We did 318 00:15:54,880 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: it for eight years, and after about eight years it 319 00:15:57,640 --> 00:16:00,560 Speaker 1: was kind of time for me to kind of waiving 320 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 1: the Karen Hunter flag because although we were equal partners, 321 00:16:03,560 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: we called it Karen Hunter Publishing, and I was ready 322 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: kind of I was kind of ready to do it 323 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: my own way. Bringing my own content, and you know, 324 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: we made a decision that it was time, you know, 325 00:16:14,520 --> 00:16:18,240 Speaker 1: for me to kind of and I went out and 326 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: I worked with another publisher for about a year, and 327 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: I thought that publisher was crazy, and I circled back 328 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:27,160 Speaker 1: and they were more than happy to say, come on back, 329 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:29,200 Speaker 1: let's do it. What's your vision, what do you want 330 00:16:29,240 --> 00:16:32,280 Speaker 1: to do? So thirteen A stands for the thirteenth Amendment 331 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:35,200 Speaker 1: that says slavery is illegal. So it's kind of a 332 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:35,760 Speaker 1: high coup. 333 00:16:35,800 --> 00:16:35,960 Speaker 3: You know. 334 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 1: We went from it being illegal to read to owning 335 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:42,800 Speaker 1: our imprint, and not everybody own. Charlemagne owns his right, 336 00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:45,400 Speaker 1: not everybody that says they owned their imprint. I own 337 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: my you know, you go on to Simon and Schuster 338 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:50,440 Speaker 1: and you look at the office. I spent a lot 339 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:53,280 Speaker 1: of money. My office looks different than anybody's right, like 340 00:16:53,400 --> 00:16:56,720 Speaker 1: I own one hundred percent of the name, the likeness. 341 00:16:56,760 --> 00:16:58,760 Speaker 1: I do not get a salary from Simon and Schuster. 342 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:01,200 Speaker 1: I'm up there three times away week because I believe 343 00:17:01,280 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: in what I'm doing. You know, my bread and butter 344 00:17:03,800 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: comes from the pail Le Belle group, but books are 345 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:12,600 Speaker 1: a passion. I feel like it's a way to get information, 346 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,360 Speaker 1: and you don't necessarily have to read a page anymore. 347 00:17:15,600 --> 00:17:19,280 Speaker 1: You can go on audible and you can listen to 348 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:22,119 Speaker 1: a book. There's no way. I remember having Kanye up 349 00:17:22,119 --> 00:17:24,960 Speaker 1: at Simon and Schuster, and I know he loves Steve Jobs. 350 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:26,800 Speaker 1: And the first thing I did was handed him a book, 351 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 1: this stick, and I said, Kanye, this is for you. 352 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,120 Speaker 1: I know you're a huge fan. He said, no disrespect, 353 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:34,199 Speaker 1: but I'm never going to read that. 354 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 3: He said. 355 00:17:34,640 --> 00:17:36,920 Speaker 1: I love Steve Jobs. He's like Jesus to me. He said, 356 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: but look, I think that book is And I understood 357 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: what he meant. 358 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 3: I get it. But damn yeah. 359 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 1: So the Obama book. I'm a huge Obama fan, but 360 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,600 Speaker 1: his book was so so I listened to it right 361 00:17:50,920 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: every place, every chance I got, in the shower, in 362 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:55,320 Speaker 1: the car, every chance I got, and I could not 363 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: stop listening to it. 364 00:17:56,359 --> 00:17:57,119 Speaker 3: I did both, you know what. 365 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:00,720 Speaker 2: We had to interview him that Monday, and I think 366 00:18:00,720 --> 00:18:03,719 Speaker 2: I started reading it on the previous Tuesday. So I 367 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 2: put the audible on one and a half, bless you, 368 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 2: and I read the book as I was listening. 369 00:18:09,800 --> 00:18:12,080 Speaker 1: Man, that's dope. I never thought about that. That's dope. 370 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: I'm so man when I look at you, Charlemagne, and 371 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: I'll never forget. So he's been the same person. I 372 00:18:19,800 --> 00:18:23,720 Speaker 1: met him at Wendy Williams, but I really like officially 373 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:26,200 Speaker 1: met him in a grocery store New Jersey and I 374 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: just went up to him and said, hey, you're and 375 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: he wasn't here. He was still with Wendy. And his 376 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,560 Speaker 1: personality was the same then as it is now. You know, 377 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: people have no idea how much time you give back, 378 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:40,600 Speaker 1: how much you do for people. They just think, oh, 379 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:44,399 Speaker 1: he's you know, successful and on the radio he gives 380 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:47,879 Speaker 1: so much time and positive energy. I was working on 381 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:50,080 Speaker 1: a book, Charlemagne came to my office to do an 382 00:18:50,119 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: interview like it was nothing, you know, and you again 383 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:56,960 Speaker 1: from the city of Baltimore. I'm just blown away. And 384 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:59,640 Speaker 1: I think that the reason why it works is because 385 00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,720 Speaker 1: people look at you as themselves. Right. They could have 386 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:07,199 Speaker 1: brought in, uh, some huge person. They brought in a 387 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,399 Speaker 1: person that was relatable and it was really smart. And 388 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: I listen to you guys every morning. He's super relatable. 389 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,800 Speaker 1: You talk about what you're going through and you're funny. 390 00:19:15,280 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 2: Thank you. 391 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 3: I appreciate that blessing. 392 00:19:19,920 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 2: I want to talk about some of the books you 393 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,600 Speaker 2: published so far, Man with thirteen eight Deon Sanders book, 394 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:27,480 Speaker 2: which is a bestseller. 395 00:19:27,680 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: Ye. 396 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 3: Powerful, Steven steven A was the first one. 397 00:19:31,560 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: Step stephen was the first one. Steve stephen A said 398 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:40,400 Speaker 1: it off and like he's a complex person and he uh, 399 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,200 Speaker 1: he's not apologetic for who he is. And I think 400 00:19:44,240 --> 00:19:48,399 Speaker 1: he's really misunderstood. Like him going and doing interviews at 401 00:19:48,440 --> 00:19:50,680 Speaker 1: Fox News, he's doing that for purpose because they have 402 00:19:50,720 --> 00:19:54,119 Speaker 1: a bigger audience. And yeah, there's certain guidelines when you 403 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:56,160 Speaker 1: at Fox News that you kind of gotta go by. 404 00:19:56,400 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: But you know, he doesn't cowtow. You know, he says 405 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: how he feels. And I think he's misunderstood as as 406 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:08,160 Speaker 1: it relates to what he's saying to saying about Biden. 407 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:11,040 Speaker 1: He's not saying that he wants Trump to win, right, 408 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,800 Speaker 1: and and believed Steven, if you're listening, I'm not speaking 409 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: for you, but all my authors I have a close 410 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,760 Speaker 1: relationship with. Right. What he's saying is could the Democratic 411 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,879 Speaker 1: Party have chosen someone else? Great? He did four he 412 00:20:25,920 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: did four years, right, but he is clearly older, right, 413 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:33,919 Speaker 1: and is there somebody else out there that could? And 414 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:37,360 Speaker 1: he's an independent, but could waive the Democrat flag, and 415 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:40,760 Speaker 1: they were the Democrats want they wanted, unable to do it. 416 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: I'm not voting for Trump. There's nothing in my body 417 00:20:43,720 --> 00:20:46,120 Speaker 1: that would allow me to vote for him at all. 418 00:20:46,280 --> 00:20:49,000 Speaker 1: And I remember the Trump that was Senator of State 419 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:51,360 Speaker 1: Atlantic City on his helicopter and all of that. Right, 420 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:55,479 Speaker 1: Trump will do anything to win. He doesn't care if 421 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: he's with he's not. He's not even a Republican, He's 422 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,160 Speaker 1: a Democrat. Right, So I don't want to tell politics society. 423 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: I didn't come up here for that. But Stephen A 424 00:21:03,600 --> 00:21:08,639 Speaker 1: is super, super complex. I was happy to publish his 425 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: book because he came from humble beginnings. He was fired 426 00:21:12,800 --> 00:21:16,439 Speaker 1: and then rehired, and then he came from a family 427 00:21:16,480 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: that was kind of broken up with his father, kind 428 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: of out doing his own thing, raised by his sister Carmen, 429 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: and his other sisters and his mom. So it's a 430 00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:28,679 Speaker 1: it's a great American story, these story, all of these stories, 431 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:31,960 Speaker 1: from Pinky to Dion. These aren't just black stories. These 432 00:21:31,960 --> 00:21:35,840 Speaker 1: are American stories. And my job is to tell a story. 433 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,399 Speaker 1: I'm no different than Kenya Barrus or Spike Lee or 434 00:21:39,440 --> 00:21:42,520 Speaker 1: any of these filmmakers. My goal is to tell our stories. 435 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 1: You know, Italians have been telling their stories for sixty years. 436 00:21:45,320 --> 00:21:48,679 Speaker 1: We've been watching and idolizing the Italian When when are 437 00:21:48,680 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 1: we going? Ours is the greatest story ever? Ours is 438 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,439 Speaker 1: the greatest story never really told. The only stories that 439 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: we're telling are slavery and no. It is, oh my god, 440 00:21:59,560 --> 00:22:02,199 Speaker 1: this story. He's hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of year. 441 00:22:02,320 --> 00:22:05,639 Speaker 1: One of my favorite movies is Book of Clarence. You know, 442 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:09,240 Speaker 1: like that is loved, probably probably the most accurate story 443 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,960 Speaker 1: ever told about Biblical times, and we laugh about it. 444 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 1: So thirteen eight. Our goal is to tell our stories 445 00:22:16,880 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 1: and make them enjoyable. I have a book with Allen 446 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:23,760 Speaker 1: iverson coming next year. Who Wallowed Wallow is coming in September. 447 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:27,440 Speaker 1: When I tell you Wallow's story and who he is, 448 00:22:27,520 --> 00:22:30,080 Speaker 1: like it's real, like how hard he works? Right? I 449 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: wish I could tell you who did his forward, But 450 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,400 Speaker 1: like he called me from the person's house in the house, yo, suit, 451 00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:39,200 Speaker 1: you know he still gets excited with all his success 452 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: and all his all the money and everything. Suit, I'm here, 453 00:22:42,320 --> 00:22:44,960 Speaker 1: da da da da. And then the next day it 454 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 1: was a handwritten forward. He sent it to me, and 455 00:22:47,760 --> 00:22:50,520 Speaker 1: then the next day he had his assistant transcribe it, right, 456 00:22:51,680 --> 00:22:53,800 Speaker 1: And the book is just so real, like if you're 457 00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,159 Speaker 1: from the hood, you're gonna love it because he's telling 458 00:22:56,200 --> 00:23:00,520 Speaker 1: his story of growing up with the family who indulged 459 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,400 Speaker 1: in crime and he did it because it was what 460 00:23:03,480 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: everybody did. But he's also talking about his transformation and 461 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,800 Speaker 1: the fact that he carried a gun right, but he 462 00:23:09,880 --> 00:23:11,879 Speaker 1: knew in his mind he didn't have the capacity to 463 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: shoot anybody at killing anybody. So it's that story and 464 00:23:16,200 --> 00:23:18,119 Speaker 1: then him waiting. It was almost like you know when 465 00:23:18,160 --> 00:23:20,040 Speaker 1: you see a boxer and the bells about the ring 466 00:23:20,119 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: and they're just like this. He was like that, just 467 00:23:22,480 --> 00:23:25,480 Speaker 1: waiting to get out, and he couldn't wait. And he's 468 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: doing great things. I'm happy to publish that book because 469 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,840 Speaker 1: there's so many messages in it, so many things that 470 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 1: he went through that he's trying to get you to 471 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 1: not go through it. And as you know, he tells you, 472 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: you know, love our women, flower your girls, and all 473 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: that stuff. So while it was real, I have a 474 00:23:42,359 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 1: book with Neil Long coming. I can that book. Oh 475 00:23:48,400 --> 00:23:51,040 Speaker 1: my god, it reads like boys in the Hood. I mean, 476 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: she is just she's genius. She's smart. None of it 477 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: is calculated. She's just like when you read that and 478 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 1: you feel like you read movie like from from four 479 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: years old to current right. And she's standing up for women, 480 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:12,080 Speaker 1: she's standing up for racial inequality in Hollywood, she standing 481 00:24:12,119 --> 00:24:14,560 Speaker 1: up for her family, and what happened with the Boston Celtics, 482 00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,359 Speaker 1: just all of that stuff. And I'm honored to that 483 00:24:18,480 --> 00:24:21,080 Speaker 1: she chose me. You know, everybody wanted that book. And 484 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:23,719 Speaker 1: I looked at her and I says, sister, you are 485 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:26,719 Speaker 1: one of our queens, and I got you. I'm not 486 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: gonna let nothing happen to you. And she she felt 487 00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: that she walked out. She didn't let me know that, 488 00:24:32,520 --> 00:24:34,439 Speaker 1: you know. And then that was like a Thursday, and 489 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,360 Speaker 1: she called me on and I want to say thank 490 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:41,119 Speaker 1: you to BJ and Mike Kaiser. Literally after she left 491 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: my meeting, she went to have lunch with them and 492 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:46,920 Speaker 1: I called BJ. Had called me murder inc. 493 00:24:46,880 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 3: BJ, And no sign from that table, by the way. 494 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: Yeah no, no did that. So it's funny, you know, 495 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: I pride myself. I learned so much from the great 496 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,320 Speaker 1: Andre Herrol, but I pride myself in learning from everybody. 497 00:24:58,359 --> 00:25:01,280 Speaker 1: And Doug Morris always taught me return phone calls right. 498 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,199 Speaker 1: So BJ had called me like the day before. So 499 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: after the na A long meeting, I looked at my 500 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:10,040 Speaker 1: call log and I called BJ back and I said, 501 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: B I apologize, what's going on? Suit? Where you at? 502 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:19,200 Speaker 1: I man Noble with Nori and and Kaiser and Neil. 503 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:21,920 Speaker 1: I said, niel lng. She just left my office. Nia, 504 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:26,480 Speaker 1: get over here. You just left and she was like, 505 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: oh my god, yes, and she got on the phone. 506 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:31,000 Speaker 1: She said, Charles take my number. And we spoke all 507 00:25:31,040 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: week and she told her agent I'm going with him, 508 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:38,480 Speaker 1: and we got it Young Publishing. Nori. I can't his 509 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: book is coming. I can't wait. 510 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 4: You're really like careful and passionate about their stories, like 511 00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 4: you don't just see these people as money, like oh 512 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:52,639 Speaker 4: just because of who they are, you know, yeah, like, 513 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:54,639 Speaker 4: oh no, this is gonna make money. Like you you 514 00:25:54,760 --> 00:25:58,359 Speaker 4: seem so like into their story and being able to 515 00:25:58,440 --> 00:25:59,920 Speaker 4: tell it from their stamp. 516 00:26:00,320 --> 00:26:02,760 Speaker 2: And if Charles wasn't dead, those stories wouldn't be told. 517 00:26:02,800 --> 00:26:06,479 Speaker 2: Like people don't understand that. An these publishing companies, these 518 00:26:06,520 --> 00:26:08,840 Speaker 2: people are icons to us, but they're not looking at 519 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 2: noriy Wallow. They're they're not paying attention. They're not paying 520 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:14,160 Speaker 2: attention to our culture. 521 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,880 Speaker 1: And it's strategic. So after the success I was able 522 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: to sign Norri after the success of stephen A. Right, 523 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 1: I just went in the meeting. Hey, there's somebody else 524 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,160 Speaker 1: I need to sign right now. Who is it? Nori? 525 00:26:26,320 --> 00:26:31,200 Speaker 1: Of course, nobody in that room. Okay, well you sign them, 526 00:26:31,240 --> 00:26:33,679 Speaker 1: let's go, you know. So that's strategically the same thing 527 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,159 Speaker 1: with Wallow. You know, it's always after the success or 528 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: something I go in. I'm working with Cameron. Now, Cameron 529 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:42,080 Speaker 1: story is crazy and it's not just hip hop, and 530 00:26:42,119 --> 00:26:45,080 Speaker 1: it's not just man. I mean Pinky Cole, you know, 531 00:26:45,200 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: it's from Baltimore, but she had a story. She's an entrepreneur. 532 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:50,240 Speaker 1: She came from a family that was doing some things 533 00:26:50,280 --> 00:26:54,840 Speaker 1: in Baltimore, and she created this, this empire. So I 534 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:57,840 Speaker 1: want to tell our stories. I'm happy to be that 535 00:26:58,040 --> 00:27:00,359 Speaker 1: kind doit. And a part of it is I was 536 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:02,880 Speaker 1: adopted at age three, right, so I don't know who 537 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:07,000 Speaker 1: my birth parents are, and I was I have My 538 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 1: story is a good story. It wasn't the whate was 539 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:13,359 Speaker 1: me and foster homes and abuse and all that. It 540 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:16,280 Speaker 1: was literally when I was three years old, two parents 541 00:27:16,320 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 1: came along who wanted to have a son in their life, 542 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,480 Speaker 1: and I was blessed, and I feel like my life 543 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: has been blessed and ordained by God. So my mom 544 00:27:27,440 --> 00:27:30,520 Speaker 1: used to tell me they never hint that I was adopted, 545 00:27:30,600 --> 00:27:33,359 Speaker 1: and they said this two ways you can go. You 546 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:36,199 Speaker 1: can go this way and use this as a crutch 547 00:27:36,400 --> 00:27:38,280 Speaker 1: for being adopted, or you can go on and do 548 00:27:38,320 --> 00:27:41,800 Speaker 1: great things. And you know, I pride myself on trying 549 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,200 Speaker 1: to do the right thing and do great things. So 550 00:27:45,800 --> 00:27:48,040 Speaker 1: you know, my mission is to tell our stories. From 551 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:51,160 Speaker 1: Pati la Belle. I published Danish Jackson. I published Chris 552 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:54,239 Speaker 1: Jenner on which Chris Jenner was I mean to get 553 00:27:54,320 --> 00:27:57,880 Speaker 1: that book? Was no one saw that coming to tell 554 00:27:57,920 --> 00:28:01,440 Speaker 1: her story. And you know, we'd go years later and 555 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:03,040 Speaker 1: you know, I'd say, you know, when I tell people 556 00:28:03,320 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 1: that I published, you know you she wow, Christian is white. 557 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 1: How did you get that book? And Chris would say, Charles, 558 00:28:09,880 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: I'm a Kardashian. What would they expect? But I mean 559 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:15,800 Speaker 1: she welcomed me in her house like instantly, this is 560 00:28:15,840 --> 00:28:19,120 Speaker 1: before she really blew. She said, Charles, can you fly? 561 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,119 Speaker 1: And I was like really, And Kim was running around 562 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:24,479 Speaker 1: and Bruce Jenn at the time was running around and 563 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:27,400 Speaker 1: she was the first one to tell me that, Look, 564 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 1: you know, I believe o J did it. And initially 565 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: I looked at her, like, you know, why would she 566 00:28:32,560 --> 00:28:34,359 Speaker 1: tell me that. She said, I can say that because 567 00:28:34,359 --> 00:28:37,640 Speaker 1: he was my brother. He's like I spent every vacation 568 00:28:37,960 --> 00:28:40,760 Speaker 1: with OJ. He was he was like family to me. 569 00:28:41,280 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: But I know the relationship that Nicole and hed. So 570 00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: that's her belief. I guess we'll never know. 571 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 2: But so yeah, and you know it's interesting right because 572 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,360 Speaker 2: you know, me and Charles are both at Simon and 573 00:28:52,400 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 2: she was through with He got thirteen e. 574 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:56,400 Speaker 3: I got black privilege. We don't step on each other 575 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:56,800 Speaker 3: at all. 576 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,600 Speaker 2: If somebody said if they say, YO, doing a book 577 00:29:00,640 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 2: and somebody said, yeah, but thirteen eight doing it, I 578 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:06,040 Speaker 2: don't even I'm not trying to outbit him on anything 579 00:29:06,080 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 2: at all. 580 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:08,520 Speaker 1: And we talk. I know what he got coming, he's 581 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: taught he and I don't say a word. He got 582 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: some great books coming, oh my god, not just his. 583 00:29:13,840 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 1: He got some that I'm gonna buy that I'm gonna 584 00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:20,720 Speaker 1: we talk about it. And that's the beauty. Like it's yes, competitive, 585 00:29:20,800 --> 00:29:22,800 Speaker 1: I'm not gonna say it's not competitive, but it's not 586 00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: competitive against one another, right, Like I've told him all 587 00:29:26,960 --> 00:29:29,280 Speaker 1: the books I've gotten. I tell him what I'm going after, 588 00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,520 Speaker 1: and he'll say, okay, that's a good one. He tells 589 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: the people that I'm going to have to do it 590 00:29:32,880 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 1: with suit. He doesn't say, nah, do it with me, 591 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:37,480 Speaker 1: yo nori, do that with suit. That's he, you know. 592 00:29:37,880 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: So it's it's a beautiful thing, and it's it's you know, 593 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,720 Speaker 1: it's it's a blessing with all these beefs going on 594 00:29:43,800 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: around and wrap like y'all could really work together instead 595 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:49,240 Speaker 1: of doing all of that negativity. Yeah, first, it's fun 596 00:29:49,280 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: and it's cute. You know. I was involved in the 597 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,120 Speaker 1: ll Cannabis beef, Yes on cannabis, which Charlemagne said that 598 00:29:56,160 --> 00:29:58,800 Speaker 1: it wasn't a real big beef, but it was at 599 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: the time because LLL it was the gold at the time, right, 600 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:05,800 Speaker 1: and cannabis was that young lion, and I got cannabis. 601 00:30:05,480 --> 00:30:06,800 Speaker 3: In the top ten disrecord. I would say. 602 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 2: I said that to somebody yesterday because I saw Elliot 603 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:10,640 Speaker 2: Wilson put out the top ten disrecords of all time, 604 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:12,520 Speaker 2: and I was like, I feel like second round Knockout 605 00:30:12,520 --> 00:30:13,200 Speaker 2: should be up there. 606 00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:17,240 Speaker 1: Oh man, that record. Oh I'm gonna let the world 607 00:30:17,360 --> 00:30:19,600 Speaker 1: know the truth. You don't want me to shine and study? 608 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: Oh my god. He played it for me. He was 609 00:30:23,480 --> 00:30:26,479 Speaker 1: in Europe, and I advised him not to do it. 610 00:30:26,520 --> 00:30:29,040 Speaker 1: When it all happened, I said, yo, this, you know. 611 00:30:29,240 --> 00:30:32,000 Speaker 1: And by the way, I saw Elle like last week 612 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,520 Speaker 1: at the F one in Miami. I'm on the side 613 00:30:34,560 --> 00:30:36,000 Speaker 1: of the stage. He looked at me a few times, 614 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 1: a smile. We never had any beef, right, That was 615 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:42,080 Speaker 1: a beef that could have been crazy. I mean, Cannabis 616 00:30:42,240 --> 00:30:47,840 Speaker 1: ran with Haitian, Jack, Ricky Lee, Scooter, all of the 617 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:51,280 Speaker 1: all of those folks, right, and L had been me 618 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:53,560 Speaker 1: and self, you know, he had his crew and it 619 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,280 Speaker 1: never it never really went there. It was two people 620 00:30:56,320 --> 00:31:01,160 Speaker 1: that the beef was dumb and L. L would admit 621 00:31:01,280 --> 00:31:03,600 Speaker 1: at some he has admitted that it was kind of 622 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,320 Speaker 1: his fault. You know, it didn't have to go down 623 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,960 Speaker 1: the way it went down. Cannabis looked up to L 624 00:31:08,280 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: and the rhyme he wrote initially was after sitting with 625 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: L for like hours and talking about the tattoo on 626 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:16,720 Speaker 1: his arm and saying like, I don't have any tattoos 627 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: like L like if I got and El says, surety, 628 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:21,760 Speaker 1: if you want to get you you represent that you 629 00:31:22,120 --> 00:31:24,720 Speaker 1: can get it. So that the whole his whole rat 630 00:31:24,800 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 1: was giving honor to L, and L kind of came 631 00:31:27,920 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: in the studio and heard it and just he went crazy, 632 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: you know, so go went on top of that. After 633 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:37,320 Speaker 1: I found out about it, Eric Simon called me and 634 00:31:37,320 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: told me about it, called Cannabis, told him. They spoke again, 635 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:45,320 Speaker 1: and Elle said, Yo, if you change your rhyme, I'll 636 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:49,640 Speaker 1: change mind. Cannabis came to the studio, changed his rhyme, 637 00:31:50,960 --> 00:31:54,320 Speaker 1: asked me, you know, and L put the record out anyway, 638 00:31:54,360 --> 00:31:57,640 Speaker 1: and at that point there's nothing I could do about it. 639 00:31:57,680 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: I mean, we went to even after even after Cannabis 640 00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: had been freestyle on the record, the record still was 641 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,240 Speaker 1: not We still went to visit L in La, went 642 00:32:07,280 --> 00:32:09,560 Speaker 1: on the set of the sitcom everything. We were trying 643 00:32:09,600 --> 00:32:12,960 Speaker 1: to really bring this together and it just had gotten 644 00:32:12,960 --> 00:32:15,040 Speaker 1: to a point where they shot the video without him 645 00:32:15,280 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: and Cannabis is like, yo, suit man, you know, I 646 00:32:18,200 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: gotta do this, and he went and did it, and 647 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:23,520 Speaker 1: I was just I was blown away. Got him back, 648 00:32:23,560 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 1: though I don't think he got him back. 649 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:26,400 Speaker 3: He won the war. 650 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,760 Speaker 1: No, no, I'm not gonna see everybody says that, No, 651 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:36,320 Speaker 1: that can that couldn't look ll won the war clearly, right. 652 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: He had all of the power and muscle of death 653 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:41,360 Speaker 1: jam who had been doing this longer than them. Right. 654 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: He did not win the battle, That's my opinion. His 655 00:32:45,480 --> 00:32:47,440 Speaker 1: record was better, but he won the war. He had 656 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 1: more money, more everything. And l is a legend. 657 00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:52,360 Speaker 2: But what did you think when you heard Cannabis tell 658 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:53,840 Speaker 2: that love you don't got the skills to eat a 659 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 2: niggas ass like me. 660 00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 1: See, that was before, that was before he said he 661 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:03,000 Speaker 1: said that. That was before all of this stuff that's 662 00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:08,080 Speaker 1: calling around. We know we we knew what he meant. 663 00:33:08,160 --> 00:33:11,560 Speaker 1: He just meant rapping. He meant rapping that he was 664 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: better than him, so we knew. You knew what that 665 00:33:13,960 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 1: meant then. 666 00:33:16,440 --> 00:33:19,280 Speaker 2: And also the Patty of products, right, Patty got the 667 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,920 Speaker 2: pancake mixing everything out now, yep, and I saw master 668 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 2: p recently he said in an interview that Patty LaBelle 669 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,680 Speaker 2: only owns ten percent of her Patty's Pies. You've worked 670 00:33:29,720 --> 00:33:31,520 Speaker 2: with her, how much truth is in that? 671 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:36,680 Speaker 1: So I want to say this respectfully, Right, master p 672 00:33:37,040 --> 00:33:40,800 Speaker 1: is out of his mind, right, So he has this 673 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:44,600 Speaker 1: thing called the master class. And in order to teach 674 00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:48,360 Speaker 1: a masterclass, you should have done your research, right. So 675 00:33:48,480 --> 00:33:53,720 Speaker 1: he claimed that Patty's pies are up front because Walmart 676 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: owns the pie. Walmart does not own anything. They owned 677 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 1: zero percent of the pie. What it is is that 678 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: the bakery itself. If you walk into any Walmart, the 679 00:34:03,880 --> 00:34:05,840 Speaker 1: bakery is the first thing you see. We are at 680 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:08,480 Speaker 1: the back of the bakery, right. And it's strategic for 681 00:34:08,560 --> 00:34:11,920 Speaker 1: Walmart to do that because when a customer comes through, 682 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:14,400 Speaker 1: they're looking for the pie, right, and their goal is like, 683 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:16,160 Speaker 1: while they're looking for the pie, they might pick up 684 00:34:16,200 --> 00:34:19,360 Speaker 1: some cookies and who knows before they get to the pie. 685 00:34:19,440 --> 00:34:22,840 Speaker 1: He also stated that he did his research and he 686 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:26,160 Speaker 1: got stuff from Forbes fifty over fifty. You don't make 687 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: the fores fifty over fifty. Owning ten percent of a company, 688 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:31,359 Speaker 1: she wouldn't even been on the list. Forbes did their 689 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,399 Speaker 1: own research. Business Week did their own research. She owns 690 00:34:34,440 --> 00:34:38,319 Speaker 1: one hundred percent. What we did do as a owner, 691 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:42,239 Speaker 1: you strategically make different partnerships. So what she did do 692 00:34:42,560 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: is five of her items are exclusive to Walmart. On 693 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,000 Speaker 1: a handshake because they have forty eight hundred stores in 694 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 1: their high volume. There's no contract on a handshake. Walmart 695 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 1: buys the pie from us, period, No if ends a butt. 696 00:34:59,520 --> 00:35:03,120 Speaker 1: I think Master Pee mentioned the person who bought the 697 00:35:03,160 --> 00:35:06,200 Speaker 1: pie in Yes, there are buyers, just like there's an 698 00:35:06,360 --> 00:35:09,600 Speaker 1: RS at every record company that called us and said, hey, 699 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: miss LaBelle, I googled you. And when I google you, 700 00:35:13,719 --> 00:35:16,640 Speaker 1: Mac and Cheese comes up, and sweet Potato Pie comes up? 701 00:35:17,040 --> 00:35:19,279 Speaker 1: Do you have a sweet Potato pie? And we were ready. 702 00:35:19,320 --> 00:35:20,840 Speaker 1: And this is a lesson to all the young folks. 703 00:35:20,880 --> 00:35:22,960 Speaker 1: You gotta be ready. We were ready. We had our 704 00:35:23,000 --> 00:35:26,200 Speaker 1: business set up and we said yes, and we approached 705 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:31,600 Speaker 1: the factory. And the factory we have factories going almost 706 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: twenty four hours a day making that pie. She employs 707 00:35:34,560 --> 00:35:37,319 Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of people. And we don't just have 708 00:35:37,400 --> 00:35:40,800 Speaker 1: the poe. We have cobblers, we have mac and cheese, 709 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 1: we have collar greens, we have pasta dishes. And oh, 710 00:35:44,080 --> 00:35:46,279 Speaker 1: by the way, we're not only just in Walmart. We're 711 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,880 Speaker 1: in Kroger, We're in a Target, We're in our Hold, 712 00:35:49,920 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 1: We're in Rouse, We're all over the country. We are 713 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:58,280 Speaker 1: a nationwide brand. So it was extremely reckless of master 714 00:35:58,360 --> 00:36:01,400 Speaker 1: p to say that I understand it point he's suing 715 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:05,479 Speaker 1: Walmart now because he feels like his product isn't being 716 00:36:05,520 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: promoted or upfront, that there's a there's a there's a point. 717 00:36:12,760 --> 00:36:17,319 Speaker 1: He has a point, right, But what the consumer needs 718 00:36:17,320 --> 00:36:20,680 Speaker 1: to understand is that Walmart is a real estate company. 719 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,080 Speaker 1: All they're selling is is real estate. They're selling space 720 00:36:24,200 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: in their store, right and when you have companies like 721 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: Craft and uh, you name a, Pepsi and Coke and dropping, 722 00:36:32,560 --> 00:36:36,040 Speaker 1: all these big companies, they're buying that space. So when 723 00:36:36,080 --> 00:36:38,960 Speaker 1: a black company comes along, nine times out of ten 724 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 1: they don't have the money to but we don't. We 725 00:36:40,560 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: don't have the money to buy that space. We don't 726 00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:45,560 Speaker 1: have Coca Cola money, right, So they take a chance 727 00:36:45,800 --> 00:36:49,120 Speaker 1: on young, up and coming companies, like they took a 728 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 1: chance on us. We hit. They took a chance on us. 729 00:36:53,040 --> 00:36:55,520 Speaker 1: We hit. And by the way, and shout out to 730 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: James chanel Wright, my brother who up the pie and 731 00:37:02,000 --> 00:37:05,279 Speaker 1: it was selling before that, right, so when they called us, 732 00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:07,840 Speaker 1: they had a sleep. Potato Pie was selling four or 733 00:37:07,840 --> 00:37:11,359 Speaker 1: five six pies per store per week. Right when we 734 00:37:11,400 --> 00:37:14,440 Speaker 1: went in. We immediately went up to ten pies per 735 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:17,000 Speaker 1: So that's a success. If the video never would have happened, 736 00:37:17,360 --> 00:37:20,440 Speaker 1: But that video obviously made it infamous. And I'm super 737 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:24,120 Speaker 1: grateful for James and what he did, and it was organic. 738 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:28,400 Speaker 1: He loved people don't understand. He loved Patty LaBelle. And 739 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:31,600 Speaker 1: as a matter of fact, thanks for reminding me. The 740 00:37:31,680 --> 00:37:34,600 Speaker 1: pie really popped off. Now, Charlaine's gonna probably try to 741 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: get in my pockets, but the pie really took off 742 00:37:37,360 --> 00:37:39,440 Speaker 1: because I bought the pie up. I called him, I said, 743 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:41,640 Speaker 1: can I bring this pie up? Just let you taste it? 744 00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:43,920 Speaker 1: So I gave him about four or five pies and 745 00:37:44,000 --> 00:37:48,160 Speaker 1: he posted it. When he posted it, Charlemagne posted it 746 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 1: because look at he's looking like. So when he posted it, 747 00:37:53,880 --> 00:37:57,080 Speaker 1: James saw that post and went to Walmart, came back. 748 00:37:57,120 --> 00:37:59,120 Speaker 1: And it's because he loved Patty. He had been to 749 00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:02,040 Speaker 1: almost every show when she came into town, and that 750 00:38:02,200 --> 00:38:05,480 Speaker 1: was his ode to her, you know. And on top 751 00:38:05,560 --> 00:38:09,600 Speaker 1: of that, immediately, not when it went viral. Immediately she 752 00:38:09,760 --> 00:38:13,080 Speaker 1: was in overseas somewhere. Her security guard hit him on 753 00:38:13,120 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: Facebook and said, hey, I saw the video, like, here's 754 00:38:16,960 --> 00:38:18,560 Speaker 1: my number, and they started talking. 755 00:38:18,680 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 3: I want you to before it blew. 756 00:38:20,239 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 1: I want you to come to my house for Thanksgiving 757 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,480 Speaker 1: because she was just so blown away. She is at 758 00:38:24,480 --> 00:38:27,719 Speaker 1: a place now that she is so humble. Right. We 759 00:38:27,800 --> 00:38:31,640 Speaker 1: just got back from Atlanta and we did two install 760 00:38:31,719 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: shinings at Kroger's. Just pulled up, she said, Charles, I 761 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:36,239 Speaker 1: want to go to some Krogers, And hundreds of people 762 00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:38,279 Speaker 1: found out she was in the words spread and she 763 00:38:38,400 --> 00:38:42,440 Speaker 1: just signed boxes. That's who she is. So the audacity woman, man, 764 00:38:42,640 --> 00:38:45,680 Speaker 1: So the audacity of master p. And what hurt me 765 00:38:45,840 --> 00:38:48,480 Speaker 1: so bad is that when he did it, there was 766 00:38:48,520 --> 00:38:50,640 Speaker 1: a guy in the classroom that said he bought the 767 00:38:50,680 --> 00:38:53,640 Speaker 1: pie because it's my sister's a black woman. And he 768 00:38:53,760 --> 00:38:55,920 Speaker 1: was like, you mean she don't own the pie, And 769 00:38:55,960 --> 00:38:58,520 Speaker 1: then all the comments that were coming in, Pai, I'm 770 00:38:58,560 --> 00:39:00,759 Speaker 1: never buying that pie again, Patty, we don't even own it. 771 00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:03,960 Speaker 1: That is a lot of people she owns one hundred percent. 772 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,359 Speaker 1: If you want to know, call Walmart and they'll tell 773 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:08,960 Speaker 1: you that they buy the pie from us and then 774 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 1: they sell it. They buy it from us at a 775 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,400 Speaker 1: wholesale price and then sell it at a retail price. 776 00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:15,960 Speaker 3: And where did he even get that from? Where do 777 00:39:16,000 --> 00:39:16,480 Speaker 3: you get that back. 778 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:18,600 Speaker 1: I don't know. I mean, I get what he was 779 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:21,200 Speaker 1: trying to say, Like, Patty's pies are up front. Well, 780 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:23,279 Speaker 1: they're a front because the bakery is upfront. And the 781 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,799 Speaker 1: only reason why it's doing well is because it's a front. Well, no, 782 00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:28,360 Speaker 1: we're in the back of the bakery. You got to 783 00:39:28,400 --> 00:39:31,040 Speaker 1: go through the whole bakery, defined or pies or cobblers. 784 00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:34,920 Speaker 1: We have puddings. And now I proclaim today pat Leabelle 785 00:39:35,360 --> 00:39:38,359 Speaker 1: is the queen of breakfast. So this right here is 786 00:39:38,400 --> 00:39:41,480 Speaker 1: a pancake mix. And you know, the whole thing with 787 00:39:41,560 --> 00:39:45,239 Speaker 1: pearrel milling and antemima is when it was created in 788 00:39:45,239 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 1: the eighteen hundreds, it was created to really celebrate black people. Right, 789 00:39:50,040 --> 00:39:52,880 Speaker 1: it wasn't created in a bad way. What happen is 790 00:39:52,880 --> 00:39:57,160 Speaker 1: they never updated, right, who a black woman is? A 791 00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:00,800 Speaker 1: black woman now is an icon. Right, She's a grandmother, 792 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:05,000 Speaker 1: she's an aunt's, she's a sister. And I feel like 793 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:08,239 Speaker 1: this is what a black woman represents. And oh, by 794 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:10,560 Speaker 1: the way, this stuff is good. I mean, this stuff 795 00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:14,799 Speaker 1: is so good and it's organic. Patty's had best selling 796 00:40:14,840 --> 00:40:17,680 Speaker 1: cookbooks for thirty years. She's cooked on Oprah. She was 797 00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: the most visited guest on Oprah. Ever, she got voted 798 00:40:20,560 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: best mac and Cheese. This is not no like yo, 799 00:40:24,200 --> 00:40:25,600 Speaker 1: let me go out and this is real. 800 00:40:25,719 --> 00:40:26,320 Speaker 3: It's organic. 801 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:29,160 Speaker 1: It's organic. Everybody wants to come to Patty's house and 802 00:40:29,200 --> 00:40:32,520 Speaker 1: eat because she loves to cook almost as much and 803 00:40:33,680 --> 00:40:36,279 Speaker 1: almost as much as she loves to singing. And the team, yes, 804 00:40:36,400 --> 00:40:40,680 Speaker 1: Charlamagne has been there, so everybody please go out and support. 805 00:40:41,480 --> 00:40:44,120 Speaker 1: You know, we've gone to essence and Patty's fed forty 806 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,399 Speaker 1: thousand people, right, and people overwhelmingly say, oh my god, 807 00:40:47,440 --> 00:40:50,719 Speaker 1: this is good. Why would I buy pro Milling or 808 00:40:52,200 --> 00:40:55,400 Speaker 1: anybody else is making it when Patty LaBelle, my sister 809 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:58,359 Speaker 1: makes the same product. Right And oh, by the way, 810 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:02,520 Speaker 1: she gives back so much pandemic. We gave palettes and 811 00:41:02,560 --> 00:41:05,719 Speaker 1: palace of pies to all the health works. We have 812 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:08,680 Speaker 1: photos of just delivering the post. Patty is you know, 813 00:41:08,800 --> 00:41:11,120 Speaker 1: she's of that age, and she put on her mask 814 00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:13,080 Speaker 1: and went with us and delivered to the hospitals in 815 00:41:13,120 --> 00:41:16,120 Speaker 1: Philadelphia every Thanksgiving to the food banks out of her 816 00:41:16,160 --> 00:41:19,960 Speaker 1: own pocket. Right. So there's not only yes, it's a 817 00:41:19,960 --> 00:41:22,520 Speaker 1: successful company and you should want it to be successful 818 00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:26,319 Speaker 1: the same way jay Z is successful with a sus 819 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:29,839 Speaker 1: Spade and all his products. Pay La Belle should be 820 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,960 Speaker 1: held at a certain place because she started a company, 821 00:41:33,000 --> 00:41:36,840 Speaker 1: is sixty years old. She employs hundreds and hundreds of people, 822 00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 1: and oh, by the way, she gives back and we 823 00:41:39,480 --> 00:41:42,359 Speaker 1: make great products and where everywhere. If you if you're 824 00:41:42,360 --> 00:41:45,719 Speaker 1: buying pancake mix, this is the one. I promise you. 825 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:48,520 Speaker 1: I promise you. This is the best pancake mix you're 826 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:51,239 Speaker 1: ever gonna taste. It tastes, it tastes like cake. You're like, 827 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:53,360 Speaker 1: you're gonna be like, oh my goodness. We have syrups 828 00:41:53,400 --> 00:41:56,919 Speaker 1: and just everything. So support pay La Belle. We're trying 829 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:00,359 Speaker 1: to do what I'm doing in book publishing, bring our 830 00:42:00,440 --> 00:42:02,920 Speaker 1: coach into stores. I am blessed to be able to 831 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:06,680 Speaker 1: text and talk to Doug McMillan, who's the CEO of Walmart, 832 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:08,840 Speaker 1: even when they make a mist They did something that 833 00:42:08,920 --> 00:42:11,600 Speaker 1: was crazy for Juneteenth and I texted him like, dude, 834 00:42:11,640 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: what are you doing? And he said, Charles, believe it 835 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:15,640 Speaker 1: or not, it was a black employee who suggested it. 836 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:19,000 Speaker 1: You take that down. Don't do that. So so so 837 00:42:19,200 --> 00:42:24,680 Speaker 1: yeah I did, Yeah I did. But but to be 838 00:42:24,719 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 1: able to yeah, to be able to get in touch 839 00:42:28,680 --> 00:42:31,920 Speaker 1: with the CEO of Walmart and Target and have these conversations. 840 00:42:31,960 --> 00:42:33,920 Speaker 1: And oh, by the way, we started a company called 841 00:42:34,200 --> 00:42:39,239 Speaker 1: z Pak where we're bringing in other developing and some 842 00:42:39,280 --> 00:42:41,720 Speaker 1: One of the companies that we bought into retail is 843 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:47,920 Speaker 1: Brooklyn Chop House and Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and it's it's parties. 844 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:50,640 Speaker 1: Cardi's whip Shots were already in but we've helped her promote. 845 00:42:50,640 --> 00:42:53,720 Speaker 1: We called Walmart and helped her get into more stores. 846 00:42:54,000 --> 00:42:58,400 Speaker 1: Angelaye's Coffee we work with her at Target, but specifically 847 00:42:58,680 --> 00:43:00,959 Speaker 1: it's a beautiful story. I've known Don Pooh for thirty 848 00:43:01,000 --> 00:43:06,040 Speaker 1: years and shout out to Don Pooh Cummings. We work 849 00:43:06,120 --> 00:43:11,080 Speaker 1: with him, got Brooklyn Dumpling Shop into Walmarts and now 850 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:16,920 Speaker 1: stud Leonards and shop rights. He then circled back and 851 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 1: gave back to us. The Dumpling Shop is going public. 852 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:22,960 Speaker 1: We have shares in the Dumpling Shop. Also, we have 853 00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:27,200 Speaker 1: equity in the parent company of the Dumpling Shop. And 854 00:43:27,280 --> 00:43:29,640 Speaker 1: he didn't necessarily have to do that, and he did 855 00:43:29,760 --> 00:43:32,799 Speaker 1: with no question. He said, Charles, we appreciate what you 856 00:43:32,840 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 1: did for you're a partner. We're going public. We're doing 857 00:43:35,560 --> 00:43:37,200 Speaker 1: this so we want to give you these shares and 858 00:43:37,239 --> 00:43:42,319 Speaker 1: it's equity. So Patty is working with Kevin O'Leary, who's 859 00:43:42,320 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 1: a partner in it as well. You're gonna see a 860 00:43:44,239 --> 00:43:46,719 Speaker 1: lot of stuff with them promoting together. But again, it's 861 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:48,680 Speaker 1: hip hop and it's the beauty of hip hop. I 862 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:51,920 Speaker 1: known Don Pooh since Biggie and Foxy Brown, So for 863 00:43:51,960 --> 00:43:55,040 Speaker 1: us to be working together in this way is other partner, 864 00:43:55,120 --> 00:43:58,480 Speaker 1: Dave Thomas. Shout out to him. So we're all working 865 00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,959 Speaker 1: together and it's a beautiful thing. Go out. I'm telling 866 00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:05,400 Speaker 1: you this pancake mix right now some Kroger nationwide, rouse 867 00:44:05,640 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: tons of other stores. You're not going to regret it. 868 00:44:08,960 --> 00:44:11,160 Speaker 1: It's an amazing product and I'm so proud of it. 869 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:13,320 Speaker 3: And get this book. 870 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: Is coming in September. Your Pinky Wallows is exciting, and 871 00:44:20,920 --> 00:44:23,200 Speaker 1: shout out to Wallow. Shout out to Gilly as well. 872 00:44:23,239 --> 00:44:23,920 Speaker 1: Shout out to Norri. 873 00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:27,160 Speaker 3: I think for pre order now right, it's pre order. 874 00:44:27,520 --> 00:44:29,160 Speaker 1: Go to his page and you can pre order it. 875 00:44:29,640 --> 00:44:32,520 Speaker 1: Thank you guys for having me. I'm not famous, but 876 00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:35,040 Speaker 1: I'm up here and thank you for for having me 877 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:36,800 Speaker 1: up here. And it's it's an honor and a pleasure 878 00:44:37,000 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: and envy. I don't. I don't take it for granted. 879 00:44:39,840 --> 00:44:41,560 Speaker 1: I used to see his son Logan all the time 880 00:44:41,600 --> 00:44:44,280 Speaker 1: in high school. I know envy since he was sixteen 881 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:44,759 Speaker 1: years old. 882 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:45,839 Speaker 3: Wow, he used to come. 883 00:44:45,800 --> 00:44:47,959 Speaker 1: Up to my office with his YO, I need a song, 884 00:44:48,080 --> 00:44:53,080 Speaker 1: you know, for his mixtape. So I questioned whether he's black. 885 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:58,640 Speaker 1: I thought I didn't know what he was. I was like, whoa, 886 00:44:58,680 --> 00:44:59,839 Speaker 1: what is this guy? 887 00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:05,759 Speaker 3: Another? Well, now, y'all, suit man, you should be celebrated. 888 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:07,759 Speaker 2: And like I said earlier, people need to see the 889 00:45:07,840 --> 00:45:10,200 Speaker 2: folks behind the scenes that are making you know, the 890 00:45:10,200 --> 00:45:13,120 Speaker 2: people in front of the camera look good man, because 891 00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 2: a lot of these things don't happen without you. 892 00:45:14,640 --> 00:45:17,880 Speaker 1: So thank you so much, Strat, thank you, congratulations, thank you. 893 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:19,719 Speaker 3: It's chall suit It's the Breakfast Club. 894 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:23,320 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club.