1 00:00:00,440 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Wake that ass up in the morning. 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 2: Breakfast Club. 3 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 3: Morning everybody, it's the j Envy Charlamagne to God, we 4 00:00:08,280 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 3: are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in 5 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,039 Speaker 3: the building. Yes, indeed, brother black Thought, welcome back. 6 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, man, thank you, thank you, thank you, Larry black Thought. 7 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 2: I'm great. I'm great. I feel great this morning. Man. 8 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 4: I put out amazing book called The Upcycled Self, Cycled Self. 9 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 5: What does that title meant? 10 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 2: You know? 11 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,840 Speaker 6: Essentially, it's about, you know, putting those parts of our 12 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 6: of our of ourselves, of our of our past. You 13 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:39,440 Speaker 6: know what I'm saying that I'm no longer going to 14 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:41,400 Speaker 6: service or no longer going to service in the same 15 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 6: way to a different use, you know what I'm saying, 16 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 6: to a better use. 17 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:46,080 Speaker 2: Right. 18 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 6: So that's that's what it's about. Really, it's a it's 19 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:51,160 Speaker 6: a self help memoir of sorts. 20 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 5: Yeah, the art of becoming who we are. 21 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,280 Speaker 4: Always wonder why did it take us so long to 22 00:00:57,360 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 4: discover who we actually are? 23 00:01:00,160 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? 24 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's a it's it's a process, 25 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:07,360 Speaker 6: you know what I mean, it's it's it's valleys and peaks, 26 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,759 Speaker 6: and I think it's uh, you know, you you you 27 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:13,319 Speaker 6: you arrive at and understanding of who you are you know, uh, 28 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 6: over time. So it's really no shortcut, you know what 29 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 6: I'm saying. It's a uh it's a lot of people 30 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 6: that think you can go from from you know, A 31 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 6: A to Z, but you gotta you gotta go B, C, D, E. 32 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 5: F G first, you know what I'm saying. 33 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 4: And it teaches you too that you know, everything is parallel, 34 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 4: like there's really nothing behind. 35 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,240 Speaker 6: You absolutely, you know what I mean. Yeah, yeah, yeah, 36 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:38,480 Speaker 6: and and and this book is about that too. It's 37 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,840 Speaker 6: about you know, accepting uh the present, you know what 38 00:01:41,880 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 6: I mean. It's just you know, living, uh, being more 39 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 6: intentional about about your presence. 40 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 2: So yeah, that's that's that's why I'm at with it. 41 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 3: Did you get a chance to deal with all the 42 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,280 Speaker 3: trauma before you put it in this book? 43 00:01:53,360 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 1: Or was it some of it was releasing that trauma 44 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: by writing this book. 45 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 6: Yeah, a lot of the trauma, you know, it was 46 00:01:59,840 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 6: it was addressed in during the process, you know, and 47 00:02:03,920 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 6: that's that's what made it, you know, just like this 48 00:02:06,760 --> 00:02:09,240 Speaker 6: was my therapy. It was really you know, a cathartic 49 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 6: sort of experience, and more so than I'd expected. I mean, 50 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 6: you know, you know your your history, right, but when 51 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 6: it's laid out there, you know what I mean, when 52 00:02:17,280 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 6: you have it on on the Q cards and you 53 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 6: know what I mean and you're reading it, uh, you 54 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 6: know in a linear sort of way. I mean, it 55 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 6: just hits different man, it hits it hits differently. And 56 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:30,840 Speaker 6: there was something that uh, my co author Jasmine Martin 57 00:02:31,320 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 6: was able to, uh to employ like a tool she 58 00:02:34,560 --> 00:02:37,320 Speaker 6: was able to use during this process that you know, 59 00:02:37,520 --> 00:02:39,680 Speaker 6: it just it really hit me hard when I was 60 00:02:39,720 --> 00:02:42,000 Speaker 6: reading one of the final drafts of the book and 61 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:45,519 Speaker 6: it was you know, she was able to speak. There's 62 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 6: an a side section where you hear, uh, you know 63 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 6: my mother, like you hear my mother's perspective, and uh, 64 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 6: the way she was able to, uh, you know, just 65 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 6: to approximate my mother's perspective in her voice, That's what 66 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,760 Speaker 6: really really hit me hard in the process. 67 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,520 Speaker 3: Did you have did you have a question your faith 68 00:03:03,040 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 3: as a kid growing up? Because you talk about so 69 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 3: much death in your life and all the stuff that 70 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:08,960 Speaker 3: you've been through, did you ever say, you know, what, 71 00:03:09,919 --> 00:03:10,920 Speaker 3: does this really exists? 72 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: Is there really a God or whoever you believe it? 73 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: Did you have a question your faith? 74 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 2: At all I did. 75 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,359 Speaker 6: Yeah, there's definitely been times, you know when you I've 76 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:23,079 Speaker 6: questioned my my faith, uh you know, or I mean 77 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,200 Speaker 6: just on the existential tip, you know what I mean, 78 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 6: like if there's a god, you know, how could all 79 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 6: of this you know, loss and trauma and and and 80 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 6: and and death, uh, you know exists. It's some of 81 00:03:36,600 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 6: the stuff that I write about. How how was the 82 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 6: world this ugly? If you made it in your image? 83 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: Man? 84 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:42,680 Speaker 6: You know what I'm saying. That's one of my bars 85 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,000 Speaker 6: from a song called Dear God. But yeah, to answer 86 00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 6: your question, definitely. 87 00:03:46,840 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: How did you get that back? 88 00:03:47,880 --> 00:03:49,640 Speaker 3: And the reason I asked is if you don't know, 89 00:03:49,640 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 3: when you read the book, you'll find out that you 90 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:52,120 Speaker 3: lost your father at a young age. 91 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 1: You lost your mom at a young age as well. 92 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: Both both have murdered. 93 00:03:55,280 --> 00:03:56,480 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, murder victims. 94 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:57,839 Speaker 1: But how did you get that faith back? 95 00:03:58,640 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 2: Through the arts? Through the art? Man? 96 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 6: Like for me, it was it was it was visual art, 97 00:04:04,040 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 6: which was my gateway you know, into music, and and 98 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 6: that's that's what really saved my life. 99 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: You know what I'm saying. 100 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 6: It was a game changer that I would have been 101 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,760 Speaker 6: on the I was already on it. I was on 102 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 6: that path, and you know, me meeting quest love when 103 00:04:16,640 --> 00:04:18,360 Speaker 6: I did, which you know I talk about in the book, 104 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:22,039 Speaker 6: and just getting on on that musical trajectory of the 105 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,479 Speaker 6: arts is what really saved me. Now, I know you 106 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,640 Speaker 6: was a baby when your father was tragically murdered, when 107 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 6: the teenager when your mother was Were you able to 108 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,719 Speaker 6: process that pain in the moment or was that something 109 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 6: that you dealt with as you got older. 110 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it's something that I'm still dealing with. 111 00:04:38,279 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 6: I definitely was not able to process it in the moment, 112 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 6: you know, no matter how hard I tried, right, you know, 113 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 6: I wanted to feel all the emotion that that you 114 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:49,640 Speaker 6: you know, you expect you would expect one to feel 115 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 6: when you experienced that sort of loss. But I mean 116 00:04:52,560 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 6: for me, it was I mean, it took forever before 117 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:58,039 Speaker 6: I was even able to shed a tear about, you know, 118 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:02,040 Speaker 6: my mother's murder. Know, And I think it's just because 119 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 6: there was so many layers of callous and and scar 120 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 6: tissue to sort of work through. 121 00:05:06,680 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 2: And that's what that's what this book is about. 122 00:05:08,560 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 6: It's about that armor that you know, at one point 123 00:05:11,640 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 6: in time, it might it might serve as a defense mechanism. 124 00:05:14,480 --> 00:05:17,280 Speaker 6: It might you know, protect you, but as we move 125 00:05:17,320 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 6: through life and you get into different spaces, you start 126 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 6: to interact with different people, and you know, you're now 127 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 6: you in these different dynamics, they no longer service in 128 00:05:24,760 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 6: the same way. 129 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 4: What about vengeance and revenge like, how do you ultimately let. 130 00:05:29,240 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 5: Let that go? 131 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 6: I mean, yeah, yeah, I'm I feeling I definitely feel 132 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 6: like I have. It's that's that was just a wise move. 133 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:41,160 Speaker 6: I think I definitely came to to to understand as 134 00:05:41,200 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 6: a young person, when I was still a teenager that uh, 135 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:47,479 Speaker 6: you know, holding on to uh to to negative energy 136 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,320 Speaker 6: in that way. You know, it's as that's as detrimental 137 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,440 Speaker 6: to you know, the beholder as it is to whoever 138 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 6: you're trying to project it upon. 139 00:05:56,160 --> 00:05:58,800 Speaker 2: So there, Yeah, I've never really sat. 140 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 6: With uh, you know, whole vengeance in that way, you 141 00:06:02,200 --> 00:06:04,240 Speaker 6: know what I mean, as far as like in the 142 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,680 Speaker 6: in my dad's case, uh it was it's still it 143 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 6: was never a solve murder. But in my mom's case, uh, 144 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 6: you know, they they they apprehended someone shortly after and uh, 145 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 6: you know, we went through the trial and everything, and 146 00:06:17,920 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 6: you know, he received the sentence and then there was 147 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 6: a mistrial of it all, and he was we had 148 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 6: to sit through it again. So I sat through actually 149 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,080 Speaker 6: through my mother's murder trial twice, you know. And but 150 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,960 Speaker 6: in that, you know, once it, once it was done, 151 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 6: it was something that I had to let go of, 152 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 6: you know what I mean, in order for me to 153 00:06:34,920 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 6: be able to move forward. 154 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,799 Speaker 3: So and you still had love for for filling regardless 155 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:39,599 Speaker 3: of everything that happened. 156 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: Yeah, that gotta be tough. 157 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 6: To absolutely, Yeah, yeah, I have. I absolutely have love, 158 00:06:44,000 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 6: you know, for for Philadelphia. That's that's the place that 159 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:48,560 Speaker 6: made me. But you know, it's also it's one of 160 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:50,200 Speaker 6: those you know, it could make you, it could break you, 161 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 6: you know what I mean. And it's the city of 162 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,440 Speaker 6: brotherly love. That love has always been a tough love. 163 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:56,120 Speaker 2: You know. 164 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:00,159 Speaker 4: Is there anything you learned about, uh, your parents in 165 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,599 Speaker 4: this book that you previously didn't know, especially your father. 166 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:06,159 Speaker 6: There's not much that I really learned about my father 167 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 6: that you know, hadn't already been told to me. But 168 00:07:10,440 --> 00:07:12,240 Speaker 6: one thing that I really had to deal with in 169 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:15,120 Speaker 6: writing this book was I had to, you know, just 170 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:16,680 Speaker 6: sit with the level of grace. 171 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 2: That my mother had extended to me as a young person. 172 00:07:19,320 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 6: I burned the house down at the age of six, 173 00:07:21,600 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 6: which is sort of way the book begins. And you know, 174 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 6: I just knew I was in for it. I thought 175 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 6: I was in trouble and you know what I mean, 176 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:31,560 Speaker 6: just guilt and you know, all those feelings were sort 177 00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:35,200 Speaker 6: of you know, bubbling, uh, you know, like running through 178 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:35,640 Speaker 6: my body. 179 00:07:35,640 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: And my mom came home. 180 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,760 Speaker 6: Obviously, my only concern was, you know, safe, everybody was safe, right, 181 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 6: and yeah, just you know, the grace that she extended 182 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:47,560 Speaker 6: at that time, and it was just really surprising, you 183 00:07:47,560 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 6: know what I mean, And it was a beautiful thing, 184 00:07:49,640 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 6: and it just gave me a different sort of insight 185 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,440 Speaker 6: into who she was and in retrospect, you know what 186 00:07:54,480 --> 00:07:56,280 Speaker 6: I mean now, you know, as an adult, just to 187 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 6: go back and relive it. Yeah, it just gave me 188 00:07:58,800 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 6: different take on my mother as a person, you. 189 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,559 Speaker 4: Know, and you understood and the magnitude of what happened 190 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 4: at the age of six, I don't. 191 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:07,920 Speaker 6: I don't know that I really understood the magnitude the 192 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,680 Speaker 6: way I knew I'd done something that you know, I mean, 193 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 6: there was no turning back from you know what I'm saying. 194 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 6: It was something that I couldn't undo. And uh and 195 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 6: it felt, you know, super serious. But I think in 196 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 6: that moment, I just shut down, like that was my 197 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:25,400 Speaker 6: you know, my my knee jerk response, my my reflex 198 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:28,240 Speaker 6: was I just shut down, and you know, I just 199 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 6: I walked down the stairs like there wasn't a fires, 200 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 6: you know. 201 00:08:33,240 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 2: And yeah, I guess it gives. 202 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:39,680 Speaker 6: You a different insight too, into your children, right yeah, yeah, yeah. 203 00:08:39,720 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: So how do you do you give that grace to 204 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:41,640 Speaker 1: your kids? 205 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,839 Speaker 3: Because you know, as as a parent, you know a 206 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:45,520 Speaker 3: lot of times when your kids do something, the first 207 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 3: reactor is to get mad, to get upset, and. 208 00:08:47,800 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: You want to scold them so they don't do it again. 209 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 3: But you got to go back to when you were 210 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 3: six and you did something way worse than I'm sure 211 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 3: any of your kids have ever done. 212 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:57,839 Speaker 1: So how does that affect how you parents your kids? 213 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:58,880 Speaker 2: It absolutely does. 214 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 6: And you know it's something that I just have to 215 00:09:00,880 --> 00:09:03,400 Speaker 6: remain mindful of, you know, because in the moment, it's 216 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 6: not easy, you know what I'm saying. I remember a 217 00:09:04,800 --> 00:09:08,520 Speaker 6: couple of years ago, Uh, my son, he he did 218 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:12,000 Speaker 6: something like where I think he left the water running 219 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 6: like for a long time up in one of the bathrooms, 220 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,400 Speaker 6: long story short hole, like the ceiling of a whole 221 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 6: room in my house wound up falling through, you know 222 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:26,199 Speaker 6: when it was tens of thousands of dollars in damage 223 00:09:26,240 --> 00:09:29,360 Speaker 6: and you know, long insurance claim and you know we 224 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 6: were jacked up for a long time because of it. 225 00:09:32,040 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 6: But yeah, you know, in that moment, it's like, Yo, 226 00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:36,280 Speaker 6: that's when I have to you know, be mindful of 227 00:09:36,280 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 6: of that grace. But you know, I definitely I got 228 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:42,319 Speaker 6: to catch myself because you know, I'm also a disciplinarian, 229 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 6: you know, So. 230 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 4: Are you a disciplinarian like your like like the older 231 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:50,959 Speaker 4: people that raised us, Because I always wondered there was 232 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 4: a fine line for what we received is yes, Yeah, 233 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,160 Speaker 4: between discipline seventy something. 234 00:09:59,840 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 6: It's it's a delicate balance, you know what I'm saying. 235 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 6: I've definitely and you know, I think maybe not if 236 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,559 Speaker 6: I've never been team spare the Rod, you know what 237 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:13,840 Speaker 6: I'm saying. But I'm more lenient now and more, you know, 238 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:16,199 Speaker 6: I extend more grace now. 239 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,760 Speaker 2: I'm more forgiving now, you know than ever. 240 00:10:20,280 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 4: You know what made you feel like now is the 241 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:24,599 Speaker 4: time to write a memoir? When somebody approaches you and 242 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 4: it says, hey, we'd love for you to write a memoir. 243 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 4: You know, you got to open up and really revealed 244 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:30,840 Speaker 4: things you probably never revealed. 245 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 5: What made you want to do it now? 246 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 6: Just because you know, I was, I was excited for 247 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:39,040 Speaker 6: that in the process, right, I was excited to you know, 248 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 6: like what that experience might hold for me. You know 249 00:10:41,840 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 6: what I'm saying, just being open, accessible and vulnerable in 250 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 6: a way that I hadn't before in my art. You know, 251 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:53,719 Speaker 6: hip hop is founded upon so much you know, my 252 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 6: cheese mo and braggedocio and you know, just larger than 253 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 6: life win. 254 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:01,160 Speaker 2: It takes all. Yeah, you know that. 255 00:11:01,280 --> 00:11:05,000 Speaker 6: Sometimes it gets exhausting, you know what I mean when 256 00:11:05,080 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 6: when you've done that, when you've had to put up 257 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 6: you know, such a you know, like a one dimensional 258 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:14,559 Speaker 6: perspective of of of of yourself and of your art 259 00:11:14,640 --> 00:11:15,600 Speaker 6: and of your identity. 260 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:17,559 Speaker 2: Uh, you know, for such a long time. 261 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 6: Sometimes it's uh you know, I mean they say that 262 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:22,240 Speaker 6: about people who lie, right, You tell a lie for 263 00:11:22,280 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 6: a long time and then it's like you know, when 264 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:25,199 Speaker 6: when when. 265 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 2: The truth shall set you free? Right? 266 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 6: So this is this is that sort of sort of 267 00:11:29,400 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 6: thing playing out for me, and uh, I would meet 268 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 6: fans who've been rocking with me for such a long time, 269 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 6: and they would say, you know, for all the roots 270 00:11:36,600 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 6: music that you know I've acquired and all your lyrics, 271 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,560 Speaker 6: I know, front to back, I still feel as though 272 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 6: I don't know, you know, black thoughter, I don't know 273 00:11:44,920 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 6: to try to as a person, and that that's always 274 00:11:48,160 --> 00:11:51,160 Speaker 6: been by design, just because of you know, my introversion. 275 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 6: So I felt like at this stage of my career, 276 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,560 Speaker 6: you know, you know, and act three of of whatever 277 00:11:57,600 --> 00:11:59,960 Speaker 6: it is that that I'm doing as a creative. You know, 278 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 6: I'm saying I've passed that threshold of fifty years, you know, 279 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 6: so this is the only place sort of left to 280 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 6: go is within myself as an artist. 281 00:12:08,440 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 2: So this is sort of the final frontier. 282 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 6: And it's something I've always held near and there because 283 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 6: I'm so private, you know. So I've I've been you know, 284 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,319 Speaker 6: really possessive in private with my story. But I feel 285 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 6: like now at this point in time, and you know, 286 00:12:23,040 --> 00:12:25,360 Speaker 6: just with as many people who have followed me and 287 00:12:25,400 --> 00:12:28,440 Speaker 6: who look up to me and you know, the idea 288 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 6: of being a role model of it all, I think 289 00:12:31,400 --> 00:12:33,079 Speaker 6: this is the time in which it would it would 290 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 6: be you know, of of the most value and serve 291 00:12:36,559 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 6: the most people. 292 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 5: So as an artist, the memoir unlocks something that music have. 293 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:42,640 Speaker 2: Yeah, it has for me. 294 00:12:43,360 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 6: It has for me, you know, I've been able to 295 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,440 Speaker 6: just tap into you know, telling my story in a 296 00:12:48,480 --> 00:12:49,000 Speaker 6: different way. 297 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 3: Now you talk about, you know, when you were a 298 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:54,000 Speaker 3: team getting in trouble for graffiti, and yeah, get in 299 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:56,280 Speaker 3: trouble for selling drugs, and then they shipped you, like 300 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 3: what most black families do if they can't control you, 301 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,840 Speaker 3: they ship into another family. So they dropped you in Detroit. Yeah, 302 00:13:02,880 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 3: and during that time, Detroit was just as bad as 303 00:13:04,840 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 3: as Philly. So so how did Detroit fix things if 304 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 3: it did, or did it make it worse? 305 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 6: You know, for me, it's always been about perspective. So 306 00:13:12,520 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 6: one of the ways in which you know Detroit was 307 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:19,120 Speaker 6: beneficial for me was it wasn't Philly, you know, even 308 00:13:19,160 --> 00:13:21,360 Speaker 6: though it was a lot of the same stuff taking place, 309 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:24,360 Speaker 6: and you know, it was you know, murder capital, you 310 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,600 Speaker 6: know at one point, and yeah, everything that was happening 311 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 6: in Philly in the eighties was happening in Detroit, you 312 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:30,720 Speaker 6: know what I'm saying. 313 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 2: And to some. 314 00:13:32,160 --> 00:13:35,320 Speaker 6: Degrees, you know, it was worse. But you know, my 315 00:13:35,440 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 6: uncle was you know, he was doing well for himself. 316 00:13:38,240 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 6: He was sort of you know, the Uncle Phil of 317 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 6: it all. So for me coming from where I came 318 00:13:42,440 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 6: from and the place in Detroit where I got to stay, 319 00:13:45,920 --> 00:13:48,000 Speaker 6: it was on the outskirts, it was in the suburbs, 320 00:13:48,280 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 6: it was you know, right next door to where Diana 321 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,599 Speaker 6: Ross's dad live. So I felt like I was a 322 00:13:52,640 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 6: fresh prince moving on up. 323 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 2: Yeah. 324 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 6: So for me, you know, even though it was short lived, 325 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,520 Speaker 6: just that glimpse of you know, upper mobility, you know 326 00:13:59,520 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 6: what I'm saying, it was a different type of fuel 327 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:02,559 Speaker 6: to the flame. 328 00:14:02,679 --> 00:14:03,920 Speaker 1: It showed you that it was possible. 329 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:05,079 Speaker 2: It was possible. 330 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 6: Yeah, and you know when Question and I was still 331 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 6: together like throughout that whole thing. So it was a 332 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 6: different motivation for me to get back to, you know 333 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:14,160 Speaker 6: what I'm saying, what I had left and what we 334 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 6: had already started working on Motown. 335 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,079 Speaker 5: Any influence like being close to. 336 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 6: That, you know, I think it's a It's it's more 337 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 6: the remnants of the Motown energy, like that work ethic 338 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 6: of it all, the assembly line of it all. You 339 00:14:29,240 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 6: know that that was just it's I mean, it's still 340 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,440 Speaker 6: part of Detroit is woven into the fabric of the 341 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 6: people there, and it's I think that's one of the 342 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 6: things that makes you know, cities like Detroit, Chicago, Oakland. 343 00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 6: You know what I'm saying, these are sister cities, brother 344 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,480 Speaker 6: brother cities to uh to Affilly in that way. 345 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 5: I love this line. 346 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,880 Speaker 4: Our lives are our response to the call of our childhoods. 347 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 5: Yeah, what does that line mean to you? 348 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 2: Yeah? I mean, you know, it's it's about having having 349 00:14:56,800 --> 00:14:58,160 Speaker 2: to go through it to get to it, you know 350 00:14:58,200 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 2: what I'm saying. 351 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 4: Essentially, while we always got to go through it, while 352 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 4: black people got to go we're. 353 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 2: Not the only ones that gotta go through you know. 354 00:15:04,960 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 6: Yeah, we're not the only ones that gotta go through it. 355 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 6: But yeah, I think that's that's that's that's what it 356 00:15:09,200 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 6: speaks to. 357 00:15:10,160 --> 00:15:10,400 Speaker 2: You know. 358 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:14,080 Speaker 6: It's about a wisdom that you know you can only 359 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,360 Speaker 6: arrive at, you know what I mean. It's about a 360 00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:20,160 Speaker 6: journey to that wisdom, and sometimes it's about being wise 361 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 6: enough to realize that, uh, you know, the journey is 362 00:15:22,840 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 6: just gonna take you back to where you begin. 363 00:15:24,720 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 4: I love reading memoirs now because I love to hear 364 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 4: how people, you know, cope with you know, their inner. 365 00:15:29,440 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 5: Child, because I do not know why. 366 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 4: The older you get, it feels like you're in a 367 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 4: child is crying out for more and more help. And 368 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 4: especially when you do start doing the work, when you 369 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 4: do start going to therapy, sitting with spiritual leaders, you know, 370 00:15:42,440 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 4: dealing with plants, whatever it is, it's like you're in 371 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 4: a child to start screaming out for help. 372 00:15:47,360 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 6: Well, they talk about our emotional response to just things 373 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 6: in the world and how, you know, the way we 374 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 6: respond to things, you know, is something that we usually 375 00:15:57,120 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 6: developed before the age of seven or eight, you know 376 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 6: what I mean. So's it requires a conscious effort, you 377 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,760 Speaker 6: know what I mean, in order to to train your body, 378 00:16:06,800 --> 00:16:09,680 Speaker 6: to condition yourself to to respond to the world, to 379 00:16:09,760 --> 00:16:12,800 Speaker 6: respond to any sort of stimuli in a different way 380 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:15,080 Speaker 6: than you would as a child, you know what I mean. 381 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:17,120 Speaker 6: So that's what they call, you know, the work. So 382 00:16:17,200 --> 00:16:19,040 Speaker 6: this is this is part of that. This is uh, 383 00:16:19,040 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 6: this is me doing doing my work to work through 384 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,400 Speaker 6: my ship. And it's and it's the beginning of it. 385 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 6: This book is only you know, this is UH, this 386 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 6: is me as a young person. 387 00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:29,000 Speaker 2: It's ah. By the by the end of the book, 388 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,760 Speaker 2: I think I'm still I'm in high school. 389 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 3: You know, I was gonna ask with the Roots when 390 00:16:34,040 --> 00:16:36,280 Speaker 3: you guys created the Roots, when did y'all start making money? 391 00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:38,480 Speaker 3: And the reason I asked is because it was new, 392 00:16:38,920 --> 00:16:40,440 Speaker 3: Like when when when the Roots came out, it was 393 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,160 Speaker 3: something that hip hop hasn't seen on that platform or 394 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:45,800 Speaker 3: respected on that platform. So when did the Roots finally 395 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 3: break through? And was like, nah, this is hip hop's bad? 396 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:53,160 Speaker 6: I want to say around you know, two thousand. 397 00:16:52,800 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 1: And six, and who was the characters during that time? 398 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 6: It was you know, me quest Comar hover it on bass, 399 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:06,280 Speaker 6: I want to say, Frank Knuckles was playing percussion and 400 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:09,159 Speaker 6: Kirk Captain Kirk went on guitar. You know that was 401 00:17:09,359 --> 00:17:11,639 Speaker 6: that was sort of the crew. And also around that time, 402 00:17:12,720 --> 00:17:15,359 Speaker 6: you know, Cody chessing Ut was a reoccurring you know, 403 00:17:16,160 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 6: basically a member of the Roots. When he decided, you know, 404 00:17:19,440 --> 00:17:22,160 Speaker 6: to make a move and you know, stop touring with us, 405 00:17:22,440 --> 00:17:25,960 Speaker 6: he uh essentially replaced himself with my with my brother 406 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,760 Speaker 6: Martin Luther. So we've always had you know, someone you know, 407 00:17:30,080 --> 00:17:33,879 Speaker 6: just like a singer since the early two thousands associated 408 00:17:33,920 --> 00:17:35,320 Speaker 6: with with with with the group. 409 00:17:35,560 --> 00:17:37,919 Speaker 3: Was it hard to always you know, break into a 410 00:17:37,960 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 3: market sell it to a promoter because I just remember 411 00:17:40,280 --> 00:17:42,159 Speaker 3: the routs so early on and just like this is 412 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:45,760 Speaker 3: just so different, and sometimes a hip hop different, it 413 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 3: is hard to break through. 414 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:47,840 Speaker 2: It was very hard for us. 415 00:17:47,920 --> 00:17:52,399 Speaker 6: It was, you know, super difficult to because we didn't 416 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:55,840 Speaker 6: really look or sound or feel like anything anything else 417 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 6: that was that was happening. So it was a lot 418 00:17:57,640 --> 00:17:59,920 Speaker 6: of uh, you know, we always had to prove ourselves 419 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,399 Speaker 6: right and and you know, I mean it took so 420 00:18:03,480 --> 00:18:08,200 Speaker 6: long for us to even break even financially, and that's 421 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 6: something that just came over time. Uh, you know, just 422 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 6: paying those dues on the road, you know what I'm saying, 423 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 6: Like you start at one point touring and then you're 424 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 6: able to sort of get your stock up just through 425 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:19,920 Speaker 6: when you keep coming back. 426 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 2: You know what I mean. 427 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 6: So we were able to sort of build on on 428 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 6: on that relevance and it was wild. It was like 429 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 6: when we finally hit a point, you know, six o seven, 430 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 6: you know where we felt like, yeah, you know, all 431 00:18:30,080 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 6: these years of two hundred plus days on the road 432 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:36,399 Speaker 6: started to pay off. That's when you know, there was 433 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,439 Speaker 6: a whole seismic shift in the way people started to 434 00:18:39,480 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 6: receive you know, people were receiving music and you know, 435 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,480 Speaker 6: concert tickets and all that thing. It was, you know, 436 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 6: we went through a revolution with the you know, streaming 437 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,040 Speaker 6: and that whole thing. So and then that's when the 438 00:18:51,280 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 6: Tonight Show opportunity presented itself and that's what made it 439 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:55,679 Speaker 6: make sense. It was like, you know, we had just 440 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,280 Speaker 6: reached finally reached the we hit a stride and and 441 00:18:59,320 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 6: everything was changed engine you know. So yeah, that that 442 00:19:01,960 --> 00:19:06,440 Speaker 6: in that uncertainty, uh you know, the the consistency of 443 00:19:06,840 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 6: the day job in that platform that it would it 444 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 6: would represent. 445 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:13,040 Speaker 5: You know, it looked really good. Was there a particular moment? 446 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:13,400 Speaker 2: Was it? 447 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 5: Was it a jay Z using y'all a lot or like, 448 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 5: was it a particular moment that caused that shift? 449 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:24,760 Speaker 2: You know when we started to make some bread, Yeah, I. 450 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:27,840 Speaker 4: Mean get recognized by enough to where the Tonight Show 451 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 4: was like yo, I want that. 452 00:19:29,080 --> 00:19:31,280 Speaker 2: Well, you know, yeah, I think it was just over time, man. 453 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:35,520 Speaker 6: You know, we you know, we've been around for I 454 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 6: mean blessed enough to have been around for such a 455 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,879 Speaker 6: long time that you know. A good example is, you 456 00:19:40,880 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 6: know there's a festival that takes place in in in 457 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:49,439 Speaker 6: uh in Denmark, in Copenhagen, every year. It's called Ross Guild. 458 00:19:50,000 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 6: And uh, you know, we started playing at Ross Guild 459 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:55,720 Speaker 6: before we were even you know, allowed on the actual 460 00:19:55,760 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 6: festival grounds. Like we were you know, two tenths you know, 461 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,440 Speaker 6: out on the main trip right and you know, we 462 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 6: we worked our way up from you know the outskirts 463 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:07,200 Speaker 6: to the tenth you know, right on the borderline to 464 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 6: you know, you know, third and fourth stages until we came. 465 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 2: Back and we were able to headline, you know, with 466 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 2: it was the Roots and Bruce Springsteen co. 467 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,159 Speaker 6: Headline, so you know, but yeah, that was over you 468 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 6: know what I'm saying many years and it's like Roskild 469 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 6: isn't like we've done that around the world, you know 470 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,440 Speaker 6: what I mean, just because we've been able to keep 471 00:20:28,520 --> 00:20:31,760 Speaker 6: up appearances. So yeah, yeah, I guess we just paid 472 00:20:31,760 --> 00:20:35,359 Speaker 6: our dues, you know, paid our dues and yeah, and 473 00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,600 Speaker 6: then once we got you know, we got into Late 474 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 6: Night and we started doing that thing. It definitely represented 475 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:42,760 Speaker 6: a change in our career where we haven't been able 476 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,639 Speaker 6: to tour in that same way. So yeah, everything that 477 00:20:45,640 --> 00:20:48,159 Speaker 6: we had done up until that point, it's just been 478 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:49,879 Speaker 6: a blessing. And it's is sort of thing where we 479 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 6: probably had taken it for granted, we'd be able to 480 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 6: do it forever. 481 00:20:53,080 --> 00:20:54,200 Speaker 2: But you know, here we. 482 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:57,600 Speaker 6: Are and now, yeah, it's uh, it's just more of 483 00:20:57,640 --> 00:20:59,719 Speaker 6: a blessing and just a greater opportunity when we do 484 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:02,480 Speaker 6: get to go out and and still touch the fans 485 00:21:02,480 --> 00:21:02,920 Speaker 6: in that way. 486 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 4: Now, Now, when you decided to write about the altercation, 487 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:09,200 Speaker 4: you had request love. Yeah, back back in the nineties. 488 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 4: You have to ask him if you could speak on that. 489 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 6: No, I didn't have to ask him because he's written 490 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 6: about it in one of his books, and it's the 491 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 6: sort of thing that you know, like, that's my brother, 492 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 6: So I mean, I know if it's good or not, 493 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 6: you know, yeah, yeah. 494 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 5: And also that's it's like to me, those are best relationships. 495 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, if you can have, if you can fight 496 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:29,760 Speaker 4: and then get over it, yeah, hey man. 497 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 6: Yeah, absolutely, And you know, it really takes it takes 498 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:37,159 Speaker 6: it takes love for somebody to get you that upset, right, 499 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 6: you know what I mean, Only my my loved ones 500 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 6: have ever really been able to get me that ribbed up, right, 501 00:21:42,600 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 6: So it's it's this there's something in that. But yeah, 502 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,880 Speaker 6: you know, I was we were all kids at that point, 503 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 6: you know. Now, now I'm an adult, so I would 504 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 6: I would I would have dealt with that situation a 505 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:52,880 Speaker 6: completely different way. 506 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:54,080 Speaker 1: How long did y'all not speak? 507 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:57,000 Speaker 6: I mean we lived together, maybe we didn't speak for 508 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,640 Speaker 6: the train ride home, but it's like once. 509 00:21:59,480 --> 00:22:03,959 Speaker 1: We got back, right, And how was that I had 510 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,119 Speaker 1: to be uncomfortable? Awkward? 511 00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 6: Like, bro, yeah it was. It was definitely, you know, 512 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:09,680 Speaker 6: it was awkward. It was uncomfortable. 513 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:10,800 Speaker 2: You know. 514 00:22:10,840 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 6: It's the sort of thing that I would laugh about 515 00:22:14,440 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 6: almost most immediately, Like that's just where I come from. 516 00:22:17,119 --> 00:22:18,680 Speaker 6: You know what I'm saying. You get into a little thing, 517 00:22:19,119 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 6: you know, we settle it and then it's funny. But yeah, 518 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:24,720 Speaker 6: in our man's case, it just wasn't you know what 519 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 6: I'm saying. You're like, nah, it wasn't funny, Like yeah, 520 00:22:30,160 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 6: but yeah, we were able to, you know, obviously move 521 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,359 Speaker 6: past it, and I think, yeah, we're strong before it. 522 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 2: People asked me about, you. 523 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:40,280 Speaker 6: Know, how we remained together and work together and you know, 524 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 6: been business partners on so many different levels for such 525 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,119 Speaker 6: a long time, and I think, you know, it's because 526 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 6: we got shipped like that out of the way, you know, 527 00:22:47,560 --> 00:22:49,320 Speaker 6: like early on, and we able to you know, just 528 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:52,640 Speaker 6: focus on the art and the business, you know, for 529 00:22:52,640 --> 00:22:53,760 Speaker 6: for many years. 530 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:56,960 Speaker 4: Chapter twelve doing the work. What kind of work do 531 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 4: we need to do to find out who we really are? 532 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:00,800 Speaker 4: Like what worked for for black Thought? 533 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 6: I think, you know it's it's confronting. It's confronting you know, 534 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:09,119 Speaker 6: our demons, you know it head on. And this, like 535 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:12,240 Speaker 6: I said, this is this represents the beginning of me, 536 00:23:12,400 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 6: you know, doing doing a lot of that work. But yeah, 537 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 6: it's still you know, very very far more to go. 538 00:23:18,240 --> 00:23:19,600 Speaker 5: Was it therapy? Was it? 539 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:20,360 Speaker 2: Yeah? 540 00:23:20,359 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 6: That's part of it, you know what I'm saying. Definitely, Uh, 541 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:27,520 Speaker 6: you know, couple's therapy, Uh, you know, therapy you know 542 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:31,760 Speaker 6: for myself, therapy for my children. You know, these are 543 00:23:31,760 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 6: the sort of things, These are the sort of tools 544 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 6: that are at our disposal to embrace. And you know, 545 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:40,240 Speaker 6: when it's good, it's great, you know what I'm saying. 546 00:23:40,240 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 6: So I try to utilize all that. 547 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 5: Oh yeah, I'm a big performing in therapy. 548 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:44,000 Speaker 2: Absolutely. 549 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:45,120 Speaker 1: Is there anything you left? 550 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 6: Meditation? Meditation, medication? Yeah, yeah, meditation is huge. 551 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 1: How did you learn how to meditate? 552 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 3: And the reason I say that is a lot of 553 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:53,320 Speaker 3: people don't know how when they try they close the 554 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:55,560 Speaker 3: rise and they can't get to that place just. 555 00:23:55,359 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 6: Just over time, over time, you know, it was something 556 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:03,000 Speaker 6: that now I started meditating. I started taking you know, 557 00:24:03,080 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 6: fifteen twenty twenty five minutes at the beginning of the day, 558 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 6: at the end of the day to just sit and 559 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:09,959 Speaker 6: you know, just be at peace, to be silent and 560 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 6: just try and you know, quiet my mind. And yeah, 561 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,520 Speaker 6: then I started reading some books and I got into 562 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 6: this guy, doctor Joe Despenser. He wrote a book called 563 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,520 Speaker 6: Becoming Supernatural. I got up on his stuff, and he's 564 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 6: a unique individual, just because of his tone of voice, 565 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:28,120 Speaker 6: you know what I mean, the way he leads a meditation. 566 00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:30,680 Speaker 2: His voice is really it's just wild, you know what 567 00:24:30,680 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 2: I mean. He sounds like it's just some you know, 568 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 2: it's like some freak shit, you know. 569 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,919 Speaker 6: But once you're able to like move past that and 570 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:39,760 Speaker 6: you can get over the way his voice sounds, and 571 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,159 Speaker 6: you you know, you're comfortable within yourself, you start to 572 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 6: you know, see and feel results, and then you start 573 00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,679 Speaker 6: to meet people and it's like, yo, it's so like 574 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:50,040 Speaker 6: I could feel that there's been a seismic shift in 575 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 6: your life. And you ask what they're doing, and it's like, oh, 576 00:24:52,560 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 6: I'm doing the same shit, you know what I mean. Like, 577 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:57,479 Speaker 6: I started to meet people who call itself putting me 578 00:24:57,520 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 6: on to the meditations that I was already doing. But they, 579 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:02,920 Speaker 6: you know, they may have been further along in the practice. 580 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 6: And it gave me, you know, hope. It gave me, 581 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 6: you know, just that that reassurance that once you get 582 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:11,240 Speaker 6: over a hump, you can hit a stride and uh 583 00:25:11,320 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 6: yeah it really works. 584 00:25:13,200 --> 00:25:13,400 Speaker 2: Man. 585 00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 5: You got your mantra, you count your beads. 586 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, well, you know, I mean, you do whatever 587 00:25:18,040 --> 00:25:18,520 Speaker 2: you need to do. 588 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,520 Speaker 6: If it's bees, if it's a mantra, if it's you know, 589 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:23,920 Speaker 6: just sitting in silence, if it's you know, if it's 590 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:26,120 Speaker 6: related to you know, the light or the lack there, well, 591 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,040 Speaker 6: whatever you need to do, you just got to do it. 592 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 6: I think, you know, it's something different for everyone else. 593 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:34,119 Speaker 6: Every individual person, uh, you know, has something specific that 594 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:37,200 Speaker 6: they can latch onto to deepen and strengthen their own 595 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 6: personal practice. 596 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:38,320 Speaker 2: Yah. 597 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 5: It started me. 598 00:25:39,119 --> 00:25:40,960 Speaker 4: My good sister Debbie Brown, she got me started on 599 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 4: counting the bees, chanting my mantra. So now I'm at 600 00:25:44,440 --> 00:25:46,880 Speaker 4: the point where I can just chant my mantra. 601 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:49,960 Speaker 6: Yeah and get there count exactly yeah, yeah, you know, 602 00:25:50,040 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 6: and that's that's that's when you hit that, that's that's 603 00:25:52,000 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 6: that transcendental, you know what I mean of it all. 604 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,639 Speaker 5: Could you be Black Thought without being from Philly? 605 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 2: No, I don't think so. I don't think so. Yeah. 606 00:26:01,320 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 6: I think, you know, so much of of of who 607 00:26:03,359 --> 00:26:08,199 Speaker 6: I am, you know, so much of my identity is 608 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:14,600 Speaker 6: associated with my my philadelphianness, you know. Yeah, and it's 609 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 6: the sort of place that I had to grow up, 610 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:20,199 Speaker 6: you know, Black Thought. I couldn't I couldn't have been 611 00:26:20,200 --> 00:26:22,800 Speaker 6: Black Thought if I haven't hadn't been working, you know, 612 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 6: as long as I have, and you know, I got 613 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 6: a job in second grade that was a you know, 614 00:26:28,920 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 6: that was a very Philadelphian thing, right, Yeah. 615 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:32,400 Speaker 2: So I don't think. 616 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:36,320 Speaker 6: I don't think the balance of you know, the love, 617 00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 6: but that tough love, I don't think I would have 618 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 6: been able to receive that, you know, from any other community. 619 00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 5: And the name black Thought, where exactly did that derive from? 620 00:26:46,000 --> 00:26:50,959 Speaker 6: It derived from you know, my my, my time as 621 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 6: a visual artist and you know. 622 00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 2: Just dealing with paints and you know, just the color palette. 623 00:26:58,119 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 6: I realized that you know, so much more whin into 624 00:27:01,440 --> 00:27:03,440 Speaker 6: you know, arriving at the color black, you know what 625 00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,320 Speaker 6: I mean. Then then one would think there's so many 626 00:27:06,359 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 6: different nuances and colors, other colors that go into you know, 627 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 6: arriving at the color black. So that's sort of what 628 00:27:12,040 --> 00:27:15,480 Speaker 6: it would have began as and over time it's it's 629 00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 6: evolved into something, you know, that has taken far, far 630 00:27:20,359 --> 00:27:23,240 Speaker 6: greater meaning you know, both I guess to me and 631 00:27:23,240 --> 00:27:24,040 Speaker 6: and to you know. 632 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 2: To people who who support me. 633 00:27:25,800 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 6: So yeah, at the time, I didn't think, you know, 634 00:27:29,040 --> 00:27:33,080 Speaker 6: I wasn't thinking of black thought as the concept of people, 635 00:27:33,520 --> 00:27:35,439 Speaker 6: you know what I'm saying, But that's sort of what 636 00:27:35,600 --> 00:27:36,480 Speaker 6: what has come to mean. 637 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:38,879 Speaker 3: Absolutely, Yeah, I wanted to ask, and I know it's 638 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,720 Speaker 3: it's it's a question that people ask all the time, 639 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 3: what's your what's your thought process on artists. 640 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 1: Now and music now? 641 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,919 Speaker 3: The reason I ask is, you know, growing up, there 642 00:27:45,960 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 3: were so many outlets for different types of music. 643 00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 2: Right. 644 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,240 Speaker 3: You would hear Tribe on the radio, you would hear 645 00:27:50,680 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 3: Most Death on the radio. You would hear Kanye, you 646 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:55,560 Speaker 3: would hear the Roots, you would hear COmON. But you 647 00:27:55,560 --> 00:27:57,760 Speaker 3: would hear your Jay, you would hear your Cube, you 648 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,360 Speaker 3: would hear the different elements of music. Yeah, I don't 649 00:28:00,359 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 3: think you hear that. Now, do you think that side 650 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:06,040 Speaker 3: is not being represented or just musicians are not being heard? 651 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 6: I think I think it's being I think that side, 652 00:28:08,280 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 6: I think the diversity of it all is being represented. 653 00:28:11,160 --> 00:28:15,160 Speaker 6: But I don't think that platform is radio, you. 654 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:16,840 Speaker 2: Know what I mean. So I think it's being represented, 655 00:28:16,880 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 2: you know. 656 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:20,840 Speaker 6: Just across different platforms, and it's about tapping into those, uh, 657 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,320 Speaker 6: you know, I think they're more outlets, more avenues now 658 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:29,119 Speaker 6: than ever for an artist to sort of emerge without 659 00:28:29,119 --> 00:28:31,520 Speaker 6: being taken advantage of, without having to sell and soul 660 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:34,919 Speaker 6: without having to compromise as much as we did, you know, 661 00:28:35,080 --> 00:28:37,240 Speaker 6: like for the deal, for the bag, for the exposure. 662 00:28:38,560 --> 00:28:40,880 Speaker 6: So yeah, it's it's just about you know, tapping into those, 663 00:28:40,960 --> 00:28:43,560 Speaker 6: into those avenues. But yeah, I think there's more there's 664 00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 6: more space now, you know, in the in the culture, 665 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:51,440 Speaker 6: like the hip hop landscape, for for the just a 666 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 6: broad range of influences to coexist. I think, like more 667 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 6: so now than ever, you know. So yeah, I don't 668 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,880 Speaker 6: think I mean now I don't love all the music 669 00:29:02,920 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 6: that all the hip hop music that comes out, but 670 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 6: I think, you know, I like that that's it's all good, right, 671 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:10,400 Speaker 6: that's cool, Like I'll allow it, you know, And I 672 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:12,920 Speaker 6: think back like when if I ever really rock with 673 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:14,240 Speaker 6: every single thing, you know what. 674 00:29:14,240 --> 00:29:16,080 Speaker 2: Ever, so yeah, I think. 675 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:18,040 Speaker 3: It just gave artist a chance to be a little 676 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:20,480 Speaker 3: a little more commercial, right. I just remember as a 677 00:29:20,560 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 3: kid or even an adult, you grew up listening to 678 00:29:23,080 --> 00:29:23,440 Speaker 3: the radio. 679 00:29:23,720 --> 00:29:25,920 Speaker 1: Think about it. You would hear Public Enemy on the radio. Yeah, 680 00:29:25,960 --> 00:29:27,120 Speaker 1: you would hear tribal. 681 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 2: Poking. 682 00:29:30,480 --> 00:29:34,000 Speaker 3: Me was in rotation, comment was in rotation, trib court 683 00:29:34,080 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 3: quest was definitely in rotation. So you would hear those 684 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:37,800 Speaker 3: type music. But you would hear your hoes, you would 685 00:29:37,840 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 3: hear your nahds, you would hear your Biggie, you would 686 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 3: hear DMX. It just was an element that I don't 687 00:29:42,240 --> 00:29:46,000 Speaker 3: necessarily know if it's you know, if it's transcendent now 688 00:29:46,080 --> 00:29:46,280 Speaker 3: you know. 689 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,480 Speaker 6: Yeah, yeah, I don't think it's you know, yeah, the Yeah, 690 00:29:49,520 --> 00:29:52,360 Speaker 6: the culture is not represented in that way anymore, you 691 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 6: know what I mean, definitely not not on radio. 692 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 4: Even this conversation is always interested in me because we 693 00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 4: act like over the last twelve thirteen, all all the 694 00:30:01,080 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 4: top guys ain't on ain't on that hardcore right right, 695 00:30:04,600 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 4: and not the Drakes, the Kendricks, the Colds like you 696 00:30:07,960 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 4: had chances in there, you've had the Wilets, the big Shot. 697 00:30:11,160 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 5: They're not even on that. So it's just like when 698 00:30:13,320 --> 00:30:15,040 Speaker 5: people talk about how. 699 00:30:14,960 --> 00:30:18,160 Speaker 1: Bad the culture is bad, like who are you all. 700 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:18,760 Speaker 5: Paying attention to? 701 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:21,720 Speaker 6: Yeah, it's it's just different. It's different, you know what 702 00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 6: I mean, whether you think it's bad or not. 703 00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,680 Speaker 4: You know, well man, black thoughts book man, that's right 704 00:30:28,280 --> 00:30:30,120 Speaker 4: cycled self cycled selves. 705 00:30:30,240 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 3: Yes, we appreciate you for jordan Us. What do you 706 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 3: want people to get out of this book? If they 707 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 3: if they can get one thing out of it, what 708 00:30:34,880 --> 00:30:35,720 Speaker 3: do you want them to get out of this? 709 00:30:36,480 --> 00:30:38,680 Speaker 6: You know, if if if one person is able to 710 00:30:38,720 --> 00:30:42,320 Speaker 6: see themselves and you know, better understand themselves or better 711 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:46,440 Speaker 6: understand you know, their path, their their lived experience, if 712 00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 6: this is going to be you know, an entree into 713 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,680 Speaker 6: someone else being able to start to work through their 714 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:54,320 Speaker 6: stuff and you know, shed some of those layers of 715 00:30:54,320 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 6: of armor that are no longer useful, you know what 716 00:30:57,280 --> 00:31:01,480 Speaker 6: I mean, those layers of callous and in scar tissue. 717 00:31:01,800 --> 00:31:04,760 Speaker 6: Then yeah, it's it's a win. And I've already you know, 718 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:08,600 Speaker 6: experienced that, you know, I've already had some of those conversations. 719 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 6: So I feel this book has already been helpful. 720 00:31:10,880 --> 00:31:12,640 Speaker 5: All right, And y'all ain't get nominated for a Grammy 721 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:12,960 Speaker 5: this year. 722 00:31:13,160 --> 00:31:16,760 Speaker 2: I did. I got dominated a couple of days ago. Congratulations. 723 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,840 Speaker 6: Thought the album Yeah, I know, a capella not even 724 00:31:19,880 --> 00:31:23,520 Speaker 6: with a beat, wow, just the voice it bars wow? 725 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 6: Yeah yeah yeah, love letter to hip hop? 726 00:31:26,360 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 5: How did that feel? 727 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:28,400 Speaker 2: It feels awesome. 728 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,280 Speaker 6: It feels feel awesome like in that moment, I didn't 729 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 6: really realize it until you know, my homie started telling 730 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,520 Speaker 6: me like, yeah, you know, it was wild, like this is, 731 00:31:36,560 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 6: you know, your first Brandy nomination, you know what I mean, 732 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,680 Speaker 6: like outside of the roots. And then another homie hit 733 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 6: me was like, yo, it would be wild if you 734 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 6: win this joint like that's the flex. 735 00:31:45,520 --> 00:31:49,840 Speaker 2: You don't even need music, you know. I sat with it, like. 736 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:56,080 Speaker 4: Do you still I don't want to say need it, 737 00:31:56,120 --> 00:31:58,480 Speaker 4: but do you do you like that type of validation? 738 00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:59,480 Speaker 2: I do? I do? 739 00:31:59,800 --> 00:32:03,320 Speaker 6: I still appreciate that that that sort of validation, you 740 00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:05,240 Speaker 6: know what I mean? That's not you know what I 741 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:09,000 Speaker 6: do it for, but it definitely uh yeah, I mean, 742 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 6: it feels it's great to be recognized, you know what 743 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:11,760 Speaker 6: I mean. 744 00:32:12,320 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: So absolutely well, it's black thought. We appreciate you. Pick 745 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:18,120 Speaker 1: up his book, The Upcycled Self, and it's The Breakfast Club. 746 00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: Good morning, wake that ass up in the morning. 747 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 2: The Breakfast Club