WEBVTT - I Am a Working Progress 0:00:05.120 --> 0:00:07.120 What's your family. It's your girl to meet A D. 0:00:07.280 --> 0:00:11.040 Mallory and your boy my son in general, and we 0:00:11.119 --> 0:00:14.239 are your hosts of street politicians, the place with the 0:00:14.280 --> 0:00:19.319 streets and politics. Me it's going on, my son. Oh man, 0:00:19.440 --> 0:00:23.040 I'm blessing Holly Favored. You know, I had a long 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:27.440 weekend my young King Cameron. It was his eleventh birthday, 0:00:27.720 --> 0:00:33.000 so he had me doing everything from doing I fly 0:00:33.280 --> 0:00:37.040 where I was flying, and then I went to six 0:00:37.080 --> 0:00:39.360 Flags and he had me on every roller coast in 0:00:39.400 --> 0:00:42.840 the world. So you know, my body is a little tired, ain't. 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:45.519 I ain't young, young whipper snapper like I used to be, 0:00:45.640 --> 0:00:47.760 but you know I had to be there with him 0:00:47.760 --> 0:00:51.600 and celebrate that. So your body wear, your body body 0:00:51.680 --> 0:00:54.480 is weary, but the heart of the mine is strong. Man. 0:00:54.960 --> 0:00:57.640 I've been today, you know. I woke up today and 0:00:57.680 --> 0:00:59.520 I was just going through the news and I've seen 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:02.280 something with two people actually no one who's like a 0:01:02.360 --> 0:01:06.160 brother to me and another one who is um somebody 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:14.760 that I saw love This lady is This lady is 0:01:14.760 --> 0:01:18.400 the vocabulary police. I'm not because I'm not that great 0:01:18.440 --> 0:01:20.920 at it, but you know, but you you seem to 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:25.480 be great when it come to me each other. I saw, 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:28.800 you know, I saw something and it news today and 0:01:28.840 --> 0:01:32.440 it was with my boy Mace and five Year Farming, 0:01:32.480 --> 0:01:34.920 who was you know, a young brother that i've I 0:01:34.959 --> 0:01:36.560 like and I met and you know, we got a 0:01:36.680 --> 0:01:39.800 good relationship with and it was this conflict. I haven't 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:43.680 read everything through it, but I've seen five Year had 0:01:43.680 --> 0:01:48.160 an interview on Willow and Gillies men not Worth the 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.240 Game podcast shout out to them, and he was talking 0:01:51.400 --> 0:01:56.080 how Mace gave him a five thousand dollar events when 0:01:56.080 --> 0:01:59.920 he signed him. And then I see now that makes 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.880 has come up there and he gave his point where 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.480 I didn't really get to see his point of view, 0:02:04.520 --> 0:02:06.240 but you know, just I was just reading some of 0:02:06.280 --> 0:02:09.720 the comments, just based off what people were saying, you know, 0:02:09.840 --> 0:02:12.680 and even when when while on Gilly was like, what 0:02:12.800 --> 0:02:15.560 he don't give you five thousand hollars, that's crazy, like 0:02:15.600 --> 0:02:18.320 you know, and I was just and I had a perspective, 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:20.920 you know, because I personally was signed and I had 0:02:21.280 --> 0:02:24.840 a similar situation, not five thousand dollars, but you know, 0:02:25.080 --> 0:02:27.440 when people find out what you're signed for, what your 0:02:27.480 --> 0:02:30.840 deal is, you know, people always be always it's not 0:02:31.120 --> 0:02:33.640 it wasn't worth it. You worth more and this, you know. 0:02:33.840 --> 0:02:37.520 And and as I understand the business more and more 0:02:38.320 --> 0:02:40.920 and I look into it, you know, I didn't know 0:02:40.919 --> 0:02:43.320 who five year for him was, you know, I didn't 0:02:43.120 --> 0:02:46.080 when whenever May signed him. He wasn't this person that 0:02:46.160 --> 0:02:47.919 we know now we don't. You know, he got this 0:02:48.000 --> 0:02:50.720 dope music. He's a dope artist, but he wasn't. He 0:02:50.880 --> 0:02:53.160 wasn't five year for him at that time. It makes 0:02:54.360 --> 0:02:57.440 seeing something in him, you know. He he looked and said, 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:01.600 let dude is talented. And at the time, um, you know, 0:03:01.720 --> 0:03:04.280 even five year four and admitted itself and say, yo, 0:03:04.360 --> 0:03:06.480 that five DoD dollars was hitting. At that time, I 0:03:06.480 --> 0:03:08.359 don't have nothing. My man was like, yo, you bumming, 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:12.560 you need to file. So Fabio felt that he was 0:03:12.880 --> 0:03:16.080 worth that was enough to sign a deal with Mace. 0:03:16.200 --> 0:03:19.760 You know. He didn't coherce him into anything. He said, Yo, 0:03:20.280 --> 0:03:23.600 I see talent in you, and this is what I 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:26.000 got to give. And the man accepted it. He didn't 0:03:26.040 --> 0:03:27.320 jerk on me. He did said, having to give you 0:03:27.360 --> 0:03:30.680 this and didn't give you this. You know, maybe Fabrio 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:33.519 wasn't as skilled at the business. Maybe the people we 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:36.280 had around him, wasn't as skilled with the business. He 0:03:36.320 --> 0:03:39.320 didn't understand what he was signing. But what I'm trying 0:03:39.360 --> 0:03:42.640 to say is I don't see where Maze did anything dirty. Now, 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:45.040 if he signed them for five dozen dollars and said 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.400 on all your rights on your publishing, oh, your mass 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:52.600 is knowing that even if we do get somewhere, you know, 0:03:53.680 --> 0:03:56.440 I'm gonna own all the stuff from you, and you know, 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.400 then I think that's that has to be renegotiate that point. 0:04:00.640 --> 0:04:03.760 You know, you should never own anybody's masses and one 0:04:03.920 --> 0:04:06.800 things like it's just no way like. So those those 0:04:06.800 --> 0:04:09.880 are issues that I see. But when you initially signed 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:12.200 an artist, man, you know, I've I've been one of 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:15.400 those artists you know, and shout out to my man Tone. 0:04:15.440 --> 0:04:17.760 Tone did good business with me, And there's people trying 0:04:17.760 --> 0:04:20.160 to cause confusion with that. But I was like, yo, 0:04:20.320 --> 0:04:23.359 I didn't have nothing. He took me off the street, 0:04:23.400 --> 0:04:27.520 pulled me, and you know, show introduced me to certain 0:04:27.560 --> 0:04:30.200 people until we actually got a deal. You know, I 0:04:30.279 --> 0:04:33.359 was a dude in the hood, starving, trying to figure 0:04:33.400 --> 0:04:36.080 it out. You know. So a lot of people have 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.960 this perspective that you know, you're supposed to give somebody 0:04:40.960 --> 0:04:43.840 a million dollars. A dude, they're just rapping that. You 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:47.240 just see talented. I'm sure that he had to pay 0:04:47.360 --> 0:04:50.120 studio time for them to make music, you know. I 0:04:50.120 --> 0:04:53.200 don't know. I'm just giving my perspective. You know, I'm 0:04:53.200 --> 0:04:55.239 sure you had to pay studio time to make music. 0:04:55.279 --> 0:04:58.360 I'm sure they probably got music that hasn't been released. 0:04:58.600 --> 0:05:00.840 But in the times that he's signed up, whatever the 0:05:01.279 --> 0:05:05.440 situation was, five Yeo got hot, you know, and his 0:05:05.560 --> 0:05:09.120 career took off. So I don't know all the particulars, 0:05:09.120 --> 0:05:11.320 but I know when people looking at five thousand dollars, 0:05:11.440 --> 0:05:14.400 oh that's all he gave you, I don't know if 0:05:14.400 --> 0:05:18.680 I agree with that. It was a few years. It was. 0:05:18.760 --> 0:05:20.880 It was the years, like probably a year or something 0:05:20.920 --> 0:05:24.600 before five Yeo got signed, you know, and five was 0:05:24.640 --> 0:05:26.400 like when we did an interview with five Yeo. I 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:28.919 remember five Yeo saying he was homeless. There was a 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:32.000 time he was homeless. I remember him literally saying that. 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:35.160 So for somebody who was homeless, and somebody invest five 0:05:35.200 --> 0:05:37.440 thousand dollars out of their pocket to give to you 0:05:38.000 --> 0:05:41.039 and then provide opportunities for you to make music, because 0:05:41.040 --> 0:05:43.600 they see a level of talent you and say, okay, well, 0:05:43.800 --> 0:05:46.320 when you get a deal, I need a percentage of it. 0:05:47.360 --> 0:05:49.839 You know what I'm saying. I don't see where that's 0:05:49.960 --> 0:05:54.320 doing bad business if I offer you, says he's saying. 0:05:54.360 --> 0:05:56.680 I guess. I mean, I've seen it. I saw a 0:05:56.760 --> 0:06:01.120 line several um you know post, but I didn't like 0:06:01.360 --> 0:06:04.640 get into the details. But do you know if he 0:06:04.720 --> 0:06:09.240 feels like he was cheated or well, at first I didn't. 0:06:09.440 --> 0:06:11.200 I don't think he felt like he was cheating. I 0:06:11.200 --> 0:06:13.440 don't know, you know, because I don't. I don't do 0:06:13.440 --> 0:06:15.920 the gossip, and I'm not trying to cause be between 0:06:15.960 --> 0:06:18.839 two black men. You know, I know there's online discussion. 0:06:19.120 --> 0:06:22.400 When he was telling Gillian Wallow it, he didn't sound 0:06:22.440 --> 0:06:27.680 like he was angry. He sound like, you know, not 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:29.920 the decision he said. You know, he didn't sound angry. 0:06:29.960 --> 0:06:33.720 But did I heard another thing after mass which I'm 0:06:33.800 --> 0:06:36.960 probably watched Maze's video later on to see the full 0:06:37.200 --> 0:06:39.880 you know, conversation that he had about it. And then 0:06:39.920 --> 0:06:43.000 somebody put a clip of I think five year talking 0:06:43.000 --> 0:06:45.400 to Mason's and how much money you invested in my career? 0:06:45.640 --> 0:06:48.679 How much money you invested in me and then Mason, 0:06:48.839 --> 0:06:51.279 wait and about how much I invested in you? It's 0:06:51.320 --> 0:06:53.760 something about what happened. I don't remember the exact thing, 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:55.960 but it sounds like they was having like a debate 0:06:56.440 --> 0:06:58.839 and you so, so it sounds like there's some confused 0:06:58.920 --> 0:07:02.440 some level of confusion. But I'm just saying overall people's 0:07:02.440 --> 0:07:06.560 perspective making it seem like five thousand dollars was nothing 0:07:06.680 --> 0:07:09.240 and he should you know, he's supposed to do more 0:07:09.320 --> 0:07:11.120 for him. And I'm just saying at that time, first 0:07:11.120 --> 0:07:14.080 of all, nobody knows what makes has. You know what 0:07:14.120 --> 0:07:18.080 I'm saying. Mass You know, nobody knows how much makes 0:07:18.320 --> 0:07:20.840 money makes has, So they're making that assumption based on 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:24.280 what I don't know. And then they're not paying attention 0:07:24.320 --> 0:07:26.520 to the fact that somebody is taking a chance a 0:07:26.640 --> 0:07:30.520 risk when they invest in your advancement is just if 0:07:30.560 --> 0:07:33.800 you get something, you pay me back. That's all it is, 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:36.240 you know what I'm saying. So if if if i'm 0:07:36.360 --> 0:07:39.520 I see talented you, and if you actually have talent 0:07:39.560 --> 0:07:42.280 and we get somewhere, then you pay me back my 0:07:42.280 --> 0:07:45.560 my investment, and then we we work from a level 0:07:45.560 --> 0:07:48.760 of percentages. So you know, like once again, I don't 0:07:48.800 --> 0:07:51.679 know if he negotiated taking his publishing or his masters 0:07:51.720 --> 0:07:55.720 and all of that. But people being mad that all 0:07:55.760 --> 0:07:58.640 he got was five thousand dollars when he was actually 0:07:58.680 --> 0:08:02.240 somebody that none of us actually new to me. It's 0:08:02.240 --> 0:08:05.000 a little crazy, you know. That's that's if somebody welcome 0:08:05.040 --> 0:08:07.040 to me and say, yo, I think you're dope. Man, 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:10.800 I heard you do something, and I'm just gonna give 0:08:10.840 --> 0:08:13.200 you five thousand dollars for something that I think you're 0:08:13.200 --> 0:08:15.760 gonna do later. Most of us gonna take it if 0:08:15.800 --> 0:08:18.760 we ain't got nothing, unless we already built the brand 0:08:18.800 --> 0:08:21.600 for ourselves. Then you know, listen, my I've already built 0:08:21.600 --> 0:08:24.040 this brand, so I'm worth this. So you gotta You 0:08:24.040 --> 0:08:26.280 only can negotiate what you're worth, and when you have to, 0:08:26.720 --> 0:08:30.000 you have to negotiate what you believe you were. Yeah, 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:31.840 I mean you should. I don't know. I mean I 0:08:31.840 --> 0:08:34.280 think I see both sides, and I love it for 0:08:34.320 --> 0:08:37.000 you to you know, let me know, like, what was 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:41.000 the what is the point of all of this? Because 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:45.120 you know, five thousand dollars, While it is certainly something 0:08:45.160 --> 0:08:48.480 when you have nothing, it also might be the five 0:08:48.480 --> 0:08:51.320 thousand dollars you need to pass up because there's a larger, 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:55.559 uh you know, offer coming and you are you already 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:59.160 tying yourself into something that is not really up to 0:08:59.240 --> 0:09:01.319 the standard of of who you are and what your 0:09:01.360 --> 0:09:04.440 potential is. Because there is a such thing as investing 0:09:04.480 --> 0:09:07.720 in potential, right And I'm not saying five thousand dollars isn't. 0:09:07.720 --> 0:09:10.120 I'm just saying there is a such thing as investing 0:09:10.160 --> 0:09:13.600 in potential. So it would be good to know and 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:18.480 understand both perspectives, you know, in terms of where they 0:09:18.520 --> 0:09:20.640 were and and you know, and how five ye old 0:09:20.679 --> 0:09:23.760 feels about the situation. I too, um as we see 0:09:23.840 --> 0:09:26.080 him and pass in several places, he seems to be 0:09:26.120 --> 0:09:30.560 a really really nice guy who was like really just 0:09:30.679 --> 0:09:32.840 you know, sort of to himself and trying to figure 0:09:32.840 --> 0:09:35.960 out things. He's very talented and we know that. So 0:09:36.000 --> 0:09:38.160 I'm sure that you know, if he had to do 0:09:38.200 --> 0:09:41.440 it all over again, he probably would be more educated. 0:09:41.920 --> 0:09:45.320 You have different people around to help him. But when 0:09:45.360 --> 0:09:48.520 somebody takes a chance on you, um, you know, there 0:09:48.679 --> 0:09:51.720 is there is that there is people. There are people 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:55.360 out here who um, you know, might not have a 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:58.000 lot or may not be willing to even give a lot, 0:09:58.120 --> 0:10:01.240 but the small steps help you to build towards the 0:10:01.280 --> 0:10:04.480 bigger thing. So I don't know, I mean, I think 0:10:04.800 --> 0:10:07.600 I'm sure that you will get all of the little 0:10:07.679 --> 0:10:12.240 menial details because it is something that's important, um, you know, 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:16.480 and how they deal with it or how it all 0:10:16.720 --> 0:10:21.520 shapes up. It's very important for this generation that's watching 0:10:21.960 --> 0:10:25.280 how black men interact with one another, especially with conversations 0:10:25.320 --> 0:10:28.520 about money, where people feel they have either been or 0:10:28.840 --> 0:10:31.680 you know, whatever they've been taking advantage of or they haven't, 0:10:31.960 --> 0:10:34.160 and just you know what that looks like, and that 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:37.440 is I think how we deal with conflict resolution isn't 0:10:37.440 --> 0:10:41.800 being able to have these conversations. So that's my perspective. 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:44.040 It makes sense. I just I just want people right 0:10:44.200 --> 0:10:47.600 not to be so quick too. It's like beyond Beyonce 0:10:47.760 --> 0:10:51.520 said her first contract, you know, she only got fifty dollars, 0:10:51.559 --> 0:10:53.720 and people, well, you only got fifty. Now you have Beyonce. 0:10:54.559 --> 0:10:57.319 She wasn't Beyonce then, right, So we're having a conversation 0:10:57.400 --> 0:11:00.800 about the five year on now you know, in comparison 0:11:00.800 --> 0:11:02.920 of who he was then not taking anything from me. 0:11:03.080 --> 0:11:06.480 Obviously was talented and somebody seeing that, you know, but 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:08.600 a lot of times as an up and coming artist. 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:11.640 I remember me not having nothing, and when they came whatever, 0:11:11.679 --> 0:11:14.000 the little twenty some thousands on events they gave me, 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:16.560 and I was like, yes, you know, I couldn't wait, 0:11:17.240 --> 0:11:19.600 you know, and and other people got way more than me. 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:23.920 But at that time, that's what I believed that was worth. 0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:26.880 I needed it. I believe that was worth moving. You know, 0:11:27.600 --> 0:11:31.200 in handsight, I probably would have said not let me wait. 0:11:31.320 --> 0:11:35.680 Because handsight and handsight, I realized how much I'm worth. 0:11:36.320 --> 0:11:39.480 You know what I'm saying. I realized just forward. Yeah, 0:11:39.520 --> 0:11:41.400 I realized when my potential was a lot of people 0:11:41.440 --> 0:11:43.880 invest in potential that you don't know is there, and 0:11:43.920 --> 0:11:46.839 that in itself is a skill set, right, and it's 0:11:46.880 --> 0:11:50.040 supposed to be compensated for because when people invest in 0:11:50.080 --> 0:11:53.920 you prior to you even realizing who you are, it 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:57.280 gives you a level at extra level of confidence to 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:59.800 actually go to the next level because people have that 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:03.360 will belief in you. So don't we can't overlook those things, man, 0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:06.560 don't overlook those people who see something in you before 0:12:06.600 --> 0:12:11.360 you actually see something new, because those people value I agree. 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:16.839 I agree. Well, other things are happening in the news, um, 0:12:16.920 --> 0:12:20.079 you know, Uh, one story that really stuck out and 0:12:20.240 --> 0:12:22.520 I hear a lot of people talking about it this week. 0:12:22.559 --> 0:12:28.319 But it's an interesting story where in Kenley, North Carolina, Uh, 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:34.400 the new city manager, her name is Justine Jones, as 0:12:34.440 --> 0:12:37.680 a black woman who just became the city manager. And 0:12:37.720 --> 0:12:41.439 I guess over the last two months, all of the 0:12:41.480 --> 0:12:45.600 members of the police force have resigned. Um it's all. 0:12:45.640 --> 0:12:48.840 I mean, it says entire police force resigns. But it's like, 0:12:48.880 --> 0:12:52.320 what does that mean, because you know, uh, entires and 0:12:52.400 --> 0:12:55.200 tires and tire and anyway, they say entire, so that 0:12:55.280 --> 0:13:00.840 means everybody resigned. Um. And the chief, the chief of 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:05.880 police is saying he wrote a Facebook post talking about, 0:13:06.480 --> 0:13:11.520 you know how she is creating a hostile environment for 0:13:11.800 --> 0:13:15.440 the officers and that it's her fault that all of 0:13:15.440 --> 0:13:19.319 these officers have resigned. And so, you know, it's interesting 0:13:19.440 --> 0:13:22.720 because I don't know her. You don't know her, and 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.360 I am not going to assume that every black person, 0:13:26.800 --> 0:13:32.400 every black woman, every anybody is right or does everything 0:13:32.520 --> 0:13:40.160 properly or she could be evil, nasty, room crazy or 0:13:40.360 --> 0:13:44.080 let's not say crazy, wrong word, but she could have 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:48.360 issues all of that, right, and we don't know because 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:51.840 we're not there and would make people feel hostile. But 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:54.880 what we do know, we know this. We don't know 0:13:54.920 --> 0:13:56.600 who she is and what she may or may not 0:13:56.720 --> 0:14:02.320 have done, But what we definitely know is how officers 0:14:03.000 --> 0:14:08.120 want a spot autonomy and do not want accountability for 0:14:08.160 --> 0:14:12.120 their actions. So when a black so, it sounds to me, 0:14:12.240 --> 0:14:14.520 you know, but again we don't know, but it sounds 0:14:14.559 --> 0:14:17.959 to me like a black woman became city manager, which 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:21.680 means she's supposed to manage the city and police departments 0:14:22.080 --> 0:14:24.800 somehow think they are separate and apart entity and that 0:14:24.960 --> 0:14:27.800 they can just work on their own and not have 0:14:27.840 --> 0:14:31.600 any accountability measures for the things that go on. And 0:14:31.680 --> 0:14:34.480 she probably said no. As city manager, policing is a 0:14:34.560 --> 0:14:38.880 part of it. There's gonna be rules, regulations, budgets, checking 0:14:38.920 --> 0:14:42.480 the money, where the money is going, how it's being used, 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:45.360 what's happening in terms of quotas and datas and all 0:14:45.360 --> 0:14:49.160 of that stuff. Data um, And I bet you they 0:14:49.160 --> 0:14:52.600 said this is how we're gonna We're gonna protest by 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:56.520 all of us walking out. Me. If I was talking 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:02.840 to the system, I would say, hey, bye bye. Now 0:15:02.880 --> 0:15:06.000 it's time for us to rebuild a department with people 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:10.840 who want and understand what accountability looks like. That's my opinion. 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:13.960 But again, we don't know. Yeah, we don't know what 0:15:14.160 --> 0:15:16.760 it just sounds. It doesn't make much sense to me 0:15:17.120 --> 0:15:19.880 that a whole department will decide that they're gonna quit 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:22.720 when a black woman gets in office, like so every 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:26.040 she's just completely focused into doing something wrong to all 0:15:26.080 --> 0:15:28.040 of your to the point where nobody wants to work, 0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:31.400 you know, And we've we've seen these type of activities 0:15:31.840 --> 0:15:35.360 in the past, you know, when black people are put 0:15:35.440 --> 0:15:38.840 in positions of power, you know, and and the white 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:41.440 supremacist mind state says that I don't have to listen 0:15:41.840 --> 0:15:44.160 to this black person. You know, I'm not letting this woman. 0:15:44.240 --> 0:15:46.520 Black women tell me what to do. I've been doing 0:15:46.560 --> 0:15:48.400 a certain way, and you know, they probably didn't want 0:15:48.440 --> 0:15:52.880 hunting office to begin, you know, so's it seems like that. 0:15:52.920 --> 0:15:54.680 But once again, like you said, we don't know all 0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:59.160 the particulars. But it's just unfortunate that these situations just 0:15:59.240 --> 0:16:02.120 look so for Millia, you know, and we all we 0:16:02.280 --> 0:16:05.560 constantly have to deal with situations like this, you know, 0:16:05.680 --> 0:16:09.720 So people, people, this is a thing cops resigned and 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:13.080 turning their backs on the mayor, you know, all of 0:16:13.120 --> 0:16:16.920 that because they feel like they have been challenged for 0:16:17.560 --> 0:16:23.840 behavior that is abusive. It's offensive, it's abusive, it's criminal, 0:16:24.400 --> 0:16:28.840 and they do not like or want anybody to come 0:16:28.880 --> 0:16:32.800 into place and call them out publicly about it and 0:16:32.840 --> 0:16:39.200 also for people to um create again accountability measures right 0:16:39.200 --> 0:16:43.200 and in the city manager looks at budgets, looks at 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:47.120 the money, and that's a definite no no because once 0:16:47.160 --> 0:16:49.600 you start looking, but the money is not just money 0:16:49.600 --> 0:16:54.560 in and of itself, it's money attached to uh, it's 0:16:54.680 --> 0:17:00.320 money attached to performance. So what exactly is half a name? 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:02.640 You're using all of this money, you're doing all of 0:17:02.680 --> 0:17:05.520 these things, but what are some of the other issues 0:17:05.560 --> 0:17:11.080 and concerns? Can you be less militarized? Can you respond 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:15.800 differently in situations where there should be de escalation? Mental health? 0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:18.720 But what happened? So it's gonna be interesting to really 0:17:19.200 --> 0:17:24.119 read and focus and follow up on what has taken place, um, 0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:27.359 you know, in that situation. But my thing is based 0:17:27.440 --> 0:17:30.080 upon what I think I know. Again, we don't know, 0:17:30.520 --> 0:17:34.320 but what I think I know. Justine Jones, a black 0:17:34.640 --> 0:17:40.720 female city manager, is probably about her business and these 0:17:40.760 --> 0:17:44.560 people who are primarily primarily. We know that that's the 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:48.639 case all across the country, whether you black, white, whatever 0:17:48.680 --> 0:17:52.800 you may be, is primarily male. And I can and 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:58.719 I and I can say with no hesitation that I 0:17:58.800 --> 0:18:03.920 bet this police to apartment in North Carolina, Kenley, North 0:18:03.960 --> 0:18:09.080 Carolina is heavily populated with white men in the police department, 0:18:09.080 --> 0:18:12.800 and they're not gonna listen to any woman, and especially 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:16.560 not a black woman. That's what I think. But sounds 0:18:16.600 --> 0:18:20.640 about That's what I think. You know what I'm saying, 0:18:20.680 --> 0:18:26.040 because it sounds about white. So also in the Bronx, 0:18:26.960 --> 0:18:29.800 we've all followed the story of Junior has been several 0:18:29.880 --> 0:18:35.960 years now since Junior was murdered in a horrific scene 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:41.679 um where the bodega owner didn't help him when he 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:46.400 ran in after being chased down by how many men 0:18:47.040 --> 0:18:52.520 was involved in that many it was a lot like 0:18:52.560 --> 0:18:56.680 maybe six six people or whatever, and the bodega owner 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:00.520 closed the door or something has been closed. No, no no, 0:19:00.760 --> 0:19:04.240 I mean that day, at that day, Yep, he kicked 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:07.040 Junior out and enclosed it or kicked him off the store, 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.920 picked him out of closed the door and these men 0:19:10.720 --> 0:19:14.480 um were able to attack Junior. They beat him they 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:18.719 stabbed him, right, stabbed him, beat him. Uh and he 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:22.680 had to take himself to the hospital when he died. Um. 0:19:23.119 --> 0:19:26.880 Terrible fifteen years old, I think so fifteen or sixteen, 0:19:27.880 --> 0:19:31.760 very young kid, not a grown man. He died in 0:19:31.800 --> 0:19:34.840 a very very horrific way. His family just was heart 0:19:34.880 --> 0:19:38.280 wrenching watching it. And over time there's been trials and 0:19:38.320 --> 0:19:42.800 there's been different things happening. Um. And now he definitely 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:46.000 was fifteen years old. Um. And now there are two 0:19:46.040 --> 0:19:49.359 people who have been convicted of murder. Uh and and 0:19:49.359 --> 0:19:53.080 and they should be they should absolutely be. Um. You know, 0:19:53.840 --> 0:19:57.920 we call it justice, but really justice is more is 0:19:58.880 --> 0:20:02.800 junior not be in a trapped situation where people would 0:20:02.840 --> 0:20:08.560 even his life. It's just more accountability. You didn't actual justice, man, 0:20:08.840 --> 0:20:13.879 because it's just lives lost family members, mothers losing their child. 0:20:13.960 --> 0:20:16.440 I'd say all the time, when when we kill each other, 0:20:17.080 --> 0:20:19.640 you know, we lose two lives, the person who's been 0:20:19.720 --> 0:20:22.680 killed in the person who did the killing, because that 0:20:22.720 --> 0:20:26.040 person's lives life will never be normal again if he's 0:20:26.080 --> 0:20:27.760 not in prison for the rest of his life. So 0:20:28.480 --> 0:20:32.879 it's just a lot. Yeah, No, it's it's it's it's really, really, 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:38.959 really really painful. UM. And then the last thing is 0:20:39.160 --> 0:20:45.119 a story that is now developing. UM. I feel like 0:20:45.160 --> 0:20:47.720 someone said to me today. In fact, it was Linda. 0:20:47.840 --> 0:20:50.680 She wrote it on our chat for the co founders 0:20:50.720 --> 0:20:53.879 of Until Freedom, how are we supposed to keep up 0:20:53.920 --> 0:20:57.520 with this ship? That is exactly what she said. Now 0:20:57.600 --> 0:21:02.080 you have this young lady, Brianna Greer Um who was 0:21:02.359 --> 0:21:08.359 she's she's a diagnosed schizophrenic. Her family she was having 0:21:08.359 --> 0:21:13.240 an episode. Her mom called the police, she called nine 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:18.120 won one. They came. Um, there's video when you see 0:21:18.160 --> 0:21:20.840 them carrying her. You know she's in an episode, fully 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:26.320 in her you know, crying and probably uh uh, you know, 0:21:26.840 --> 0:21:30.760 crying and unable to follow whatever directions she's being given. 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:33.040 So they had to grab her and drag her and 0:21:33.119 --> 0:21:36.639 they put her into the police car. And I'm not 0:21:36.720 --> 0:21:40.480 talking about what her family said, or what attorney Ben Crump, 0:21:40.480 --> 0:21:44.480 who was now her attorney, or what attorney Gerald Griggs 0:21:44.880 --> 0:21:47.640 from Georgia said. I'm not talking about what my son 0:21:47.720 --> 0:21:52.959 and Tamika said. I'm talking about the Georgian Bureau of Investigations. 0:21:53.640 --> 0:21:56.680 They said she was put in the car with no 0:21:56.840 --> 0:22:01.520 seatbelt and the door was not closed complete she flew 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:05.000 out of the car, hit her head, and six days 0:22:05.119 --> 0:22:08.840 after being in a coma, she died. This is the 0:22:08.960 --> 0:22:14.080 mother of three year old twins. Now I know there 0:22:14.240 --> 0:22:17.800 is an idiot somewhere saying, well, she should have complied, 0:22:18.119 --> 0:22:21.560 she shouldn't have done this, or she shouldn't brought The 0:22:21.680 --> 0:22:28.920 bottom line is that having a mental health problem should 0:22:28.960 --> 0:22:33.680 not be a sentence of death. Not to mention, we're 0:22:33.720 --> 0:22:40.720 still talking about Randy Cocks in Connecticut, where he was 0:22:40.840 --> 0:22:45.159 arrested over a dispute where someone said they didn't The 0:22:45.480 --> 0:22:48.800 person he was in the dispute with never says he 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:51.600 pulls a gun out on me. That never happened. But 0:22:51.760 --> 0:22:56.520 as he's in the dispute, someone else sees a weapon 0:22:56.640 --> 0:23:01.640 on him. They called to say these people are into it, 0:23:01.880 --> 0:23:04.879 which again this person never said they felt threatened to 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:08.679 any of that. But this the cops said, Okay, this 0:23:08.760 --> 0:23:11.239 other person pulled to say they saw a gun, so 0:23:11.280 --> 0:23:15.240 they arrest him. He is he was in the process 0:23:15.280 --> 0:23:20.600 at that time of um uh. He was like managing, 0:23:20.640 --> 0:23:25.240 if you will, a street like a uh what is 0:23:25.280 --> 0:23:30.760 that called? Um block party for someone else who had 0:23:30.840 --> 0:23:33.960 been killed. And he's like the head guy of this right. 0:23:34.000 --> 0:23:36.919 So he's out there managing things. He had the street 0:23:36.920 --> 0:23:40.199 blocked off so that people wouldn't drive down it, and 0:23:40.280 --> 0:23:43.120 someone pulls up and decide they're gonna go through anyway, 0:23:43.359 --> 0:23:47.080 and that's where the dispute started. Its other individual calls 0:23:47.440 --> 0:23:50.000 to report that they think they see a weapon. So 0:23:50.040 --> 0:23:52.840 the police came, they picked him up, they arrested him, 0:23:53.359 --> 0:23:56.600 and while he's in the car, he's in there with 0:23:56.640 --> 0:24:00.879 no seatbelt on, handcuffed, sliding back and forth in the 0:24:00.920 --> 0:24:05.720 patty wagon and you know, we know there's no room 0:24:05.800 --> 0:24:08.480 that you can't do anything. It's nothing you could do. 0:24:09.119 --> 0:24:12.680 He falls to the side, hits his head, breaks his neck, 0:24:13.000 --> 0:24:18.600 his back, other ailments, and he's now paralyzed. So this 0:24:18.920 --> 0:24:21.960 is like, lend this point, how much of this ship? 0:24:23.000 --> 0:24:25.640 How do we keep up with this ship? Because now 0:24:26.200 --> 0:24:29.920 it is it appears to me that they are intentionally 0:24:30.480 --> 0:24:34.359 not putting the seatbelt on and either leaving doors open 0:24:34.480 --> 0:24:37.159 or creating rough ride when we call it the Freddy 0:24:37.240 --> 0:24:40.760 Gray rough ride situation to deal with people who they 0:24:40.800 --> 0:24:45.120 feel are unruly, angry or whatever. Right, because we see 0:24:45.160 --> 0:24:47.520 in the video that Randy is like kicking the thing. 0:24:47.640 --> 0:24:50.720 He's mad, he's cursing and they know, how do they 0:24:50.800 --> 0:24:53.000 know how to deal with that? But what do you 0:24:53.040 --> 0:24:56.919 do when your schizophrenic and you don't even have ability 0:24:56.960 --> 0:25:01.200 in this moment to reason normally because you are going 0:25:01.240 --> 0:25:05.520 through a manic moment. But this is this is where 0:25:06.160 --> 0:25:08.879 you know, we talked about the law changes, and we 0:25:08.960 --> 0:25:11.680 talk about qualified immunity, and we're talking about why these 0:25:11.680 --> 0:25:16.119 things are important, right because if the police are constantly 0:25:16.160 --> 0:25:20.399 able to utilize they didn't know or they fail threatened, 0:25:21.000 --> 0:25:25.840 and you know, those things are grounds for them not 0:25:25.880 --> 0:25:29.360 to be prosecuted or not really be held accountable. Right, 0:25:29.400 --> 0:25:31.679 then then why do you have to know? Why do 0:25:31.760 --> 0:25:34.120 you have to do things right? Right? If if I'm 0:25:34.160 --> 0:25:36.840 on a job and i don't really have any expectations 0:25:37.200 --> 0:25:40.200 and I'm not gonna be held accountable whatever happens, they'll 0:25:40.200 --> 0:25:42.359 put me on desk for a second, You'll take it 0:25:42.400 --> 0:25:46.320 out of the you know, the public's money and pay people, 0:25:46.400 --> 0:25:48.720 and it will be all I don't know, real accountability 0:25:48.800 --> 0:25:52.359 for me. I could constantly continue to be negligent, to 0:25:52.480 --> 0:25:55.760 be you know, not do my job properly, to to 0:25:55.760 --> 0:26:00.480 to be purposely purposely do things that are negligent, you know, 0:26:00.920 --> 0:26:03.960 and there's no accountability. So when we look at these situations, 0:26:04.640 --> 0:26:08.639 if officers knew that, listen, if something happens to this 0:26:08.760 --> 0:26:11.560 over to the right here, it's totally on me. I'm 0:26:11.600 --> 0:26:14.159 gonna be charged, They're gonna take the money out of 0:26:14.160 --> 0:26:16.159 my check. My family is not gonna be able to 0:26:16.200 --> 0:26:21.560 survive the level of carefulness that they will utilize. You 0:26:21.600 --> 0:26:25.680 know that the professionalism that would be utiful utilized every 0:26:25.720 --> 0:26:29.520 time would be way different. Officers don't really have any 0:26:29.520 --> 0:26:32.800 accountability for anything, and they don't here. And I would 0:26:32.840 --> 0:26:36.080 add to what you just said that the other piece 0:26:36.359 --> 0:26:39.159 is when we say defunding the police, this is what 0:26:39.200 --> 0:26:43.960 we're talking about. We're not saying demolished police departments in 0:26:44.119 --> 0:26:47.399 every city and don't have police. What we're saying is 0:26:47.480 --> 0:26:52.800 there's a funding imbalance. There is no reason. And this 0:26:52.880 --> 0:26:56.200 gets me into my thought of the day too, why 0:26:56.359 --> 0:27:01.920 the police even need to respond to a schizophrenic attack 0:27:02.119 --> 0:27:04.560 or or moment whatever you you know, I don't. I 0:27:04.600 --> 0:27:09.080 don't know the appropriate term. I'm sure there is one. Um, 0:27:09.119 --> 0:27:14.640 there's no reason why officer with a gun and a page, 0:27:15.560 --> 0:27:19.639 which is the car, which is even more stressful to 0:27:19.720 --> 0:27:24.960 a person who's already having a psychological moment of of 0:27:24.960 --> 0:27:29.359 of of of outbursts. Right, they're already going through something. 0:27:29.680 --> 0:27:34.120 The last thing you wanna do is escalate the tension, right, 0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:38.000 and so the right the appropriate things should be that 0:27:38.320 --> 0:27:45.560 officers arrived with someone who is specifically trained to deal 0:27:45.680 --> 0:27:49.800 with mental health issues, and that the officer is there 0:27:50.040 --> 0:27:53.879 to protect. Of course that in that expert. Of course 0:27:53.960 --> 0:27:57.480 that expert needs to be protected. I would never say 0:27:57.760 --> 0:28:03.720 just send you know, people into anybody's house unprotected. I 0:28:03.760 --> 0:28:07.479 wouldn't even say that. But the officers should be secondary, 0:28:08.359 --> 0:28:12.600 very slow to engage, and it should be someone there 0:28:12.920 --> 0:28:16.640 who has the ability to talk them down, work within 0:28:16.760 --> 0:28:20.679 the situation that's happening, and help to get this this 0:28:20.680 --> 0:28:24.800 this individual to feel comfortable enough that they will look say, 0:28:25.000 --> 0:28:29.960 should be the first thing we focus on, and it's not, 0:28:30.080 --> 0:28:34.159 and it's about punitive, it's about all of those things. 0:28:34.200 --> 0:28:37.119 And and that's why police shouldn't be sent to these 0:28:37.200 --> 0:28:50.160 situations alone, especially so absolutely the dead Brianna's mother says 0:28:50.280 --> 0:28:55.840 something that and we're talking about Brianna grit because you know, 0:28:55.920 --> 0:28:59.960 we're still fighting for justice for Brianna Taylor. That's right. 0:29:00.160 --> 0:29:04.880 But Brianna's mother says, I feel so bad, like it's 0:29:04.920 --> 0:29:07.640 my fault because I called the police and I should 0:29:07.720 --> 0:29:11.720 never have called. My thought of the day is that 0:29:12.640 --> 0:29:17.080 there is a serious, serious disconnect that has to be 0:29:17.120 --> 0:29:23.160 addressed between our seniors. Some of our our our most 0:29:23.280 --> 0:29:28.480 valuable and it's our pride, our our our prize possession. 0:29:29.080 --> 0:29:32.400 The elderly people in our community, right, these are it's 0:29:32.440 --> 0:29:35.000 just like our babies. Our seniors and our elders need 0:29:35.040 --> 0:29:37.920 to be protected and loved on and and and they 0:29:37.960 --> 0:29:40.480 meet all the beautiful things that life can give because 0:29:40.520 --> 0:29:43.080 they gave us life and they have maintained and fought 0:29:43.320 --> 0:29:45.360 and been through so much for us to be here. 0:29:46.120 --> 0:29:51.000 There is a serious disconnect between that generation and our 0:29:51.080 --> 0:29:55.320 generation where it is rare that if your loved one 0:29:55.680 --> 0:29:58.520 is having some type of problem or attack or whatever, 0:29:59.080 --> 0:30:01.720 meet you and me and most people that that are 0:30:01.760 --> 0:30:05.040 our age. We're not calling the police. We're not suggesting 0:30:05.080 --> 0:30:07.800 that we're not picking up the phone to call No 0:30:07.880 --> 0:30:12.320 One one for most things unless we absolutely feel like 0:30:12.400 --> 0:30:16.600 there is nothing else that can be done. But our seniors, 0:30:17.120 --> 0:30:23.160 right they have been trained because of how just society 0:30:23.400 --> 0:30:27.160 says the only way to deal with our issues a 0:30:27.200 --> 0:30:29.840 lot of times is through law enforcement. So when you 0:30:29.920 --> 0:30:32.160 feel like you don't your back is up against the wall. 0:30:32.600 --> 0:30:36.280 It's like, we gotta we believe. They believe the right thing. 0:30:36.400 --> 0:30:39.200 This is there's nothing wrong with how they think. Right. 0:30:39.560 --> 0:30:43.320 They believe that the people they pay, who are supposed 0:30:43.360 --> 0:30:48.240 to be an authority, should come and solve the problem. 0:30:48.760 --> 0:30:51.560 And they don't expect that their loved one is going 0:30:51.640 --> 0:30:53.960 to be killed. They don't even even when they say 0:30:54.320 --> 0:30:56.680 ray ray and them is down the street and something's 0:30:56.720 --> 0:30:58.959 going on over there and I feel nervous. They do 0:30:59.040 --> 0:31:01.280 not want you to come here kill. They want you 0:31:01.360 --> 0:31:04.400 to come get him, figure it out. What they But 0:31:05.000 --> 0:31:08.040 where we are having a disconnect is that what our 0:31:08.160 --> 0:31:12.680 people need to understand is that nine times I'll attend, 0:31:13.200 --> 0:31:16.959 these people are not coming to help. They're not coming 0:31:17.000 --> 0:31:21.320 to add to solve, to provide resource because they don't 0:31:21.320 --> 0:31:25.400 have because because they don't have the skill set right 0:31:25.520 --> 0:31:28.600 because when they come to our community care but appear 0:31:28.720 --> 0:31:32.360 exactly that there's a level of empathy and compassion that 0:31:32.520 --> 0:31:35.800 is not present in the police. When they come to 0:31:35.840 --> 0:31:39.480 our communities, they've already been taught that our communities are dangerous. 0:31:39.880 --> 0:31:41.480 You have to be on You don't have to be 0:31:41.760 --> 0:31:43.960 aware that everything is next. So they come there with 0:31:44.000 --> 0:31:47.800 a level of adrenaline level, a level of fear, you know, 0:31:47.840 --> 0:31:53.280 a level of anger pre all those things that automatically 0:31:53.320 --> 0:31:55.800 incites more of a confusion. Right, So if I'm just 0:31:55.920 --> 0:31:58.040 arguing with my brother and the police come on, like 0:31:58.120 --> 0:32:00.320 what is going what's going on? Put your hands like, yeah, 0:32:00.360 --> 0:32:02.960 we just talk. What are you talking about now? The aggression? 0:32:03.000 --> 0:32:04.840 You didn't come and say, hey, what's going on? Man? 0:32:04.880 --> 0:32:07.920 What seems to be the problem here? Just let's just 0:32:07.960 --> 0:32:10.280 calm down. They don't come with that. They come with 0:32:10.320 --> 0:32:13.280 this level aggression. They're pulling out their guns, they're pushing 0:32:13.320 --> 0:32:17.560 people away who actually are trying to defuse situations and 0:32:17.600 --> 0:32:19.640 telling them to get out the way and all that, 0:32:19.720 --> 0:32:21.719 and then it's causing more confused because you don't put 0:32:21.760 --> 0:32:24.800 somebody's brother or mother and now it's an issue between 0:32:24.840 --> 0:32:28.480 that person now. Is so they haven't been given the 0:32:28.600 --> 0:32:33.440 proper understanding of even how to de escalate most of 0:32:33.480 --> 0:32:36.760 these most of these officers do not have the escalation 0:32:36.920 --> 0:32:39.360 skill set. Not just a training, it has to be 0:32:39.400 --> 0:32:42.800 a will, right. A lot of these officers in two 0:32:43.200 --> 0:32:47.000 police that have a position. They don't want to have 0:32:47.080 --> 0:32:50.600 a position of protect and serve. They don't think they 0:32:50.640 --> 0:32:53.160 serve you. They think they're above you. So they come 0:32:53.200 --> 0:32:57.760 to your community with this level of energy that they're 0:32:57.840 --> 0:33:01.160 in charge. They get if they called for ice whel 0:33:01.200 --> 0:33:02.920 and you're looking at you and you're looking them back, 0:33:03.200 --> 0:33:04.840 and they come out and want to prove to you 0:33:05.040 --> 0:33:06.880 that they're tough on you. There's a lot of these 0:33:07.160 --> 0:33:12.000 these machismo offices, right, So we have to understand that 0:33:12.280 --> 0:33:15.440 in our communities. We have to understand that. And that's 0:33:15.440 --> 0:33:18.760 why we can't create that right and and and so 0:33:19.160 --> 0:33:22.320 that is like a part of a larger dialogue which 0:33:22.320 --> 0:33:25.880 we should really be unpacking as well. Uh, you know 0:33:26.120 --> 0:33:30.640 in the next few weeks, um is this issue around 0:33:31.280 --> 0:33:36.080 the shootings, the violence we just talked about Junior. Those 0:33:36.120 --> 0:33:40.080 types of incidents make our elderly nervous. It makes them scared, 0:33:40.160 --> 0:33:43.120 and they should by the way the videos have been 0:33:43.200 --> 0:33:46.280 Remember we went through at the beginning of the year, 0:33:46.880 --> 0:33:55.640 several videos coming out of men taking robbing, knocking people down, uh, 0:33:55.840 --> 0:33:59.840 hurting elderly people, pushing people trying to run in their home, 0:34:00.360 --> 0:34:04.000 and it was like every day that stuff probably hasn't stopped. 0:34:04.120 --> 0:34:06.480 It may have calmed down in some places now that 0:34:06.520 --> 0:34:08.600 people are sort of getting back to work and things 0:34:08.640 --> 0:34:12.640 are moving, but still there are there are incidents happening 0:34:12.640 --> 0:34:16.280 every day. People are nervous, They are afraid. They should 0:34:16.320 --> 0:34:18.760 not have to be fighting in their community. They should 0:34:18.800 --> 0:34:21.120 have to be walking through their communities looking over their 0:34:21.120 --> 0:34:24.760 shoulders because some of these young punks, these these these 0:34:24.880 --> 0:34:31.240 these they absolutely need their asses with They need people 0:34:31.280 --> 0:34:34.560 to really pull their codtails. And what we have to 0:34:34.600 --> 0:34:38.680 do is make sure that folks know that in many 0:34:38.760 --> 0:34:43.200 places around this country there are anti violence, prevention and 0:34:43.440 --> 0:34:48.080 interruption specialists that you can call that will help figure 0:34:48.120 --> 0:34:52.880 out what is wrong, what's going on with people, what 0:34:53.040 --> 0:34:55.560 is his cities? And people from your community that you 0:34:55.680 --> 0:34:58.920 actually know that you're seeing and you know that you 0:34:58.960 --> 0:35:01.719 don't probably don't know that that's what they do, but 0:35:01.800 --> 0:35:05.120 they're actual people in your community who are credible messengers, 0:35:05.400 --> 0:35:08.279 who you actually respect, who you've seen grown, and some 0:35:08.360 --> 0:35:11.920 of them you've seen change from being one of the 0:35:11.920 --> 0:35:16.719 agitudes to being able to, you know, deflate any situation. 0:35:16.840 --> 0:35:19.880 So I think we's it's our job, you know. And 0:35:19.920 --> 0:35:23.959 I've been having this conversation with our mayor, with all 0:35:24.000 --> 0:35:26.759 of the you know, the crisis management system is what 0:35:26.880 --> 0:35:30.640 they've called. And how do we amplify that message? How 0:35:30.640 --> 0:35:34.040 do we make sure that it's publicized that people are 0:35:34.120 --> 0:35:37.080 doing this work, so that our elderly says, oh, you 0:35:37.120 --> 0:35:39.919 know what, I could call these people? Who? Who? Who 0:35:39.960 --> 0:35:42.239 does that in my community? Right? Who? How do we 0:35:42.400 --> 0:35:44.600 identify with those people who? Do I connect? What's the 0:35:44.680 --> 0:35:47.680 number for those people when I see situations you know, 0:35:47.800 --> 0:35:50.360 or have situations in our community? Right? So we we 0:35:51.040 --> 0:35:55.440 pishous support this, yeh, the police because at the and 0:35:55.520 --> 0:35:57.680 the day, it makes your job easier. You ain't gonna 0:35:57.719 --> 0:35:59.920 go over there deal with right where you ain't gonna 0:36:00.000 --> 0:36:02.120 intensionally have to hurt nobody. You don't have to get 0:36:02.120 --> 0:36:05.440 into situation that you're not even skilled to deal with, right, 0:36:05.760 --> 0:36:08.400 or even want to deal with. So you should be calling, hey, 0:36:08.440 --> 0:36:11.080 they've got a situation over there. You guys handle that 0:36:11.120 --> 0:36:13.480 and let us know if you need our assistance. Right, 0:36:14.000 --> 0:36:17.000 That's the way the liaison system should work between the 0:36:17.040 --> 0:36:21.640 crisis management system and the police. Yeah. Absolutely, so that 0:36:22.080 --> 0:36:25.080 these are things that we have to make sure we 0:36:25.239 --> 0:36:28.240 and I'm now committed that we have to get into 0:36:28.520 --> 0:36:31.800 the places where are elderly and our seniors are because 0:36:31.840 --> 0:36:35.880 we have we have been so narrowly focused on really 0:36:35.920 --> 0:36:39.760 important work of of getting into the hearts and minds 0:36:39.800 --> 0:36:41.600 of the Keyshas and the ray Rays and the pupils 0:36:41.640 --> 0:36:43.360 and the neat meets and all of the people in 0:36:43.400 --> 0:36:46.319 the community. And that is awesome, and we have to 0:36:46.320 --> 0:36:49.239 continue to do that work because that is the demographic 0:36:49.280 --> 0:36:52.200 that we have until freedom and our organization, that is 0:36:52.320 --> 0:36:55.360 our demo, right, that's what we work with. But now 0:36:55.719 --> 0:36:58.880 what we realize that in order to help that group, 0:36:59.320 --> 0:37:03.960 we also have to educate and work with our elderly 0:37:04.000 --> 0:37:07.000 community so that they know there are other resources and 0:37:07.040 --> 0:37:11.080 so they are not part of Crime Bill nineteen ninety four, 0:37:11.239 --> 0:37:14.320 because that's what's happening right now. They're trying to pass 0:37:14.880 --> 0:37:18.839 Crime Bill nine two point oh, which means that the 0:37:18.920 --> 0:37:22.280 same crime bill that was I was dealing with violence 0:37:22.320 --> 0:37:24.160 and drugs and all of that that put a bunch 0:37:24.160 --> 0:37:28.040 of people in prison in ninety four that we all 0:37:28.080 --> 0:37:30.520 you know, there's always people talking about Bill Clinton and 0:37:30.640 --> 0:37:35.080 Joe Biden's um their role in that super Predators, which 0:37:35.120 --> 0:37:38.040 Hillary Hillary Clinton said, those have been top of the 0:37:38.160 --> 0:37:42.560 mind in terms of the election um for president and 0:37:42.640 --> 0:37:46.680 just the conversation in general. Well, it also is happening 0:37:46.760 --> 0:37:51.000 right now. And again, the that the excuse that has 0:37:51.160 --> 0:37:53.960 used most times when you're talking to people who voted 0:37:54.000 --> 0:37:59.160 for that bill is that the pastors and the seniors 0:37:59.200 --> 0:38:02.719 that they were asking for something to be done and 0:38:02.760 --> 0:38:05.919 they supported the crime bill. And that's because it's out 0:38:05.920 --> 0:38:09.560 of fear. And so we cannot repeat these same things 0:38:09.680 --> 0:38:14.400 when we know our history teaches us that more law enforcement, 0:38:14.480 --> 0:38:17.040 more cops, and more money for police. It's never been 0:38:17.080 --> 0:38:20.400 the solution. If it was. If it were the solution, 0:38:20.440 --> 0:38:22.720 we wouldn't be in the situation game right now because 0:38:22.719 --> 0:38:31.000 they have money. So here we go again with one 0:38:31.040 --> 0:38:34.000 of our friends, and um, it's a friend that that 0:38:34.080 --> 0:38:36.080 he's not just offering. This is our brother that we 0:38:36.160 --> 0:38:40.600 are talking with today. I love this new format that 0:38:40.680 --> 0:38:44.560 my son has us doing for the show. He decided 0:38:44.600 --> 0:38:48.160 that after a few years of us doing street Politicians, 0:38:48.200 --> 0:38:51.520 that he wanted to shake up the program and a 0:38:51.560 --> 0:38:55.080 little bit and really get to know more about each person. 0:38:55.280 --> 0:38:58.960 And the people were interviewing their personal lives, their stories, 0:38:59.000 --> 0:39:01.279 how they got to wear are in addition to them 0:39:01.280 --> 0:39:04.919 talking about our topic of the day. UM, but this 0:39:05.000 --> 0:39:09.720 particular person, we've been on a journey with him for 0:39:10.160 --> 0:39:13.960 the last several years as family. And you guys know 0:39:14.320 --> 0:39:18.000 that one of the big things about street politicians is 0:39:18.040 --> 0:39:21.919 that we always have good friends that are out here 0:39:22.000 --> 0:39:24.720 doing great things in society that we're able to talk 0:39:24.719 --> 0:39:28.040 with and hopefully UM share something that you all don't 0:39:28.040 --> 0:39:31.640 know about them, and so forth. Today. Uh, our brother 0:39:31.680 --> 0:39:37.160 that's joining us is a TV personality, a serial entrepreneur. 0:39:37.600 --> 0:39:40.560 They're buying up so much stuff, a whole new world 0:39:40.920 --> 0:39:47.680 of investing and having restaurants and businesses. UM, the father 0:39:47.920 --> 0:39:51.319 of four children who I call my nieces and nephews. 0:39:52.440 --> 0:39:55.520 Very very dear to me to watch him as a father, 0:39:56.200 --> 0:40:00.520 UH be there with his family and very very for it. 0:40:00.640 --> 0:40:03.960 Probably the most important thing that he does every day 0:40:04.200 --> 0:40:08.520 is deal with my crazy sister, Yandy Smith Harris, who 0:40:08.640 --> 0:40:11.759 is his beautiful wife. Thank you for joining three politicians, 0:40:11.800 --> 0:40:16.440 min d C. Thank you for having me, Thank you, 0:40:16.480 --> 0:40:21.120 thank you, thank you to me. I appreciate this opportunity. Listen, man, 0:40:21.160 --> 0:40:24.319 you know, you know I just recently heard that you 0:40:24.480 --> 0:40:31.839 just got off parole. So congratulations, probation. Thank you. Think 0:40:31.880 --> 0:40:35.719 it's pretty much the same thing, right, So yeah, put 0:40:35.719 --> 0:40:38.279 in for early requesting. They let me off all three 0:40:38.320 --> 0:40:42.920 and a half years early. Wow, I know that feeling. 0:40:43.040 --> 0:40:45.319 It feels like things just lift off your shoulder. Man. 0:40:45.360 --> 0:40:48.800 They got as I feel like a new man that 0:40:48.880 --> 0:40:51.400 I don't have to send an email that actual permission, 0:40:51.440 --> 0:40:54.239 cannot go somewhere or leave out the country. So now 0:40:54.280 --> 0:40:57.480 it's time to really explore life and see what's out there. 0:40:57.680 --> 0:41:00.200 As far as um traveling. You know, one of my 0:41:00.320 --> 0:41:04.319 dreams were to uh travel outside the country and go 0:41:04.440 --> 0:41:06.640 to a lot of places that you know, I never 0:41:06.680 --> 0:41:10.759 thought was possible. Wow, that I didn't know about the earth. 0:41:10.800 --> 0:41:14.800 I knew you were released from probation, but I didn't 0:41:14.800 --> 0:41:17.719 know that you submitted for early release. That I didn't 0:41:17.719 --> 0:41:21.400 even know that that was possible. So that's amazing. That 0:41:21.520 --> 0:41:24.960 must be a testament to how you've been living your 0:41:25.000 --> 0:41:29.920 life since being released. That basically the system understood that like, 0:41:29.960 --> 0:41:31.920 this is not the guy that we need to be 0:41:32.000 --> 0:41:34.839 worried about, because it's very clear that you are a 0:41:34.880 --> 0:41:37.759 family man, a businessman. You're living your life in a 0:41:37.800 --> 0:41:41.160 certain way. Uh, and it's what it's supposed to happen. Right. 0:41:41.200 --> 0:41:45.600 We have hardships, track challenges, trials, especially coming up young, 0:41:45.920 --> 0:41:49.200 run up in the hood. Shit happens, and then we're 0:41:49.200 --> 0:41:51.880 supposed to grow into adulthood and ask it. What is 0:41:51.920 --> 0:41:55.239 the Bible quotes is when I was a man a child, 0:41:55.320 --> 0:41:58.520 I did childish things. But when I became a man, 0:41:58.640 --> 0:42:00.759 I to do man things. And that's that's what I 0:42:00.760 --> 0:42:03.080 see from you to that, thank you, thank you. I 0:42:03.080 --> 0:42:07.399 appreciate that, son d C. Now, I know you hate 0:42:07.440 --> 0:42:11.360 interviews because I know you hate interviews, you know what 0:42:11.400 --> 0:42:14.640 I'm saying, And and you hate public. You hate being public, 0:42:14.719 --> 0:42:16.520 like you know what I'm saying that, So I know 0:42:16.600 --> 0:42:20.319 that the word hate. He doesn't really, he doesn't really, 0:42:20.320 --> 0:42:23.960 he doesn't really like it, you understand I'm saying. I prefer, 0:42:24.200 --> 0:42:27.040 I prefer if I can to be behind the scenes. Um, 0:42:27.080 --> 0:42:29.840 I really don't like being in front of the camera. 0:42:29.960 --> 0:42:34.160 But I embrace it now just because I see that 0:42:34.200 --> 0:42:36.279 we all currlate to each other. You know, we all 0:42:36.360 --> 0:42:40.120 sent share the similar the same story, and my story 0:42:40.160 --> 0:42:42.839 may help someone else out and you know, make them 0:42:43.000 --> 0:42:46.759 navigate and find a way to overcome it. So I 0:42:46.840 --> 0:42:50.279 embrace it. But I'm not the one that running jump 0:42:50.320 --> 0:42:53.960 in front of the camera. But you catch me, you know, 0:42:54.080 --> 0:42:56.239 I'm I'm gonna talk, I'm gonna open up and I'm 0:42:56.239 --> 0:42:59.799 gonna share. But how was that process getting like front 0:42:59.800 --> 0:43:02.000 of me? Getting Like when I first heard that she 0:43:02.080 --> 0:43:04.000 was gonna be in the show, I was like, this 0:43:04.280 --> 0:43:06.359 is does I know this is a process for him 0:43:06.400 --> 0:43:09.440 because I know he don't even like knowing you for years, 0:43:09.520 --> 0:43:12.640 knowing when you always the person in the cut just 0:43:12.840 --> 0:43:14.719 you know, people know who you are, but you never 0:43:14.880 --> 0:43:17.080 was trying to get attention. You was always a person 0:43:17.280 --> 0:43:19.879 who got attention and never tried to get it. So 0:43:20.000 --> 0:43:23.439 how was that process for you? Just getting on TV? 0:43:23.560 --> 0:43:27.200 What was that process like for you? So the first 0:43:27.320 --> 0:43:30.000 time I was offered to be on TV, I decline 0:43:30.120 --> 0:43:33.000 because I just I didn't. I didn't think I was 0:43:33.120 --> 0:43:35.919 made or cut out for TV. You know, I knew 0:43:35.960 --> 0:43:38.040 that you had to give up your privacy. I mean 0:43:38.080 --> 0:43:41.160 people will be in your business, and um, you know, 0:43:42.200 --> 0:43:45.160 first I wasn't living right and I just wasn't ready 0:43:45.200 --> 0:43:49.200 for that attention. You know. Um, I prefer to not 0:43:49.280 --> 0:43:52.239 be talked about. I prefer to be able to eat 0:43:52.239 --> 0:43:55.480 in peace and and just have have that that that 0:43:55.600 --> 0:44:00.000 mental space. Now people worried about what I what I'm doing. Um, 0:44:00.080 --> 0:44:01.680 I think it's kind of like, you know how like 0:44:01.760 --> 0:44:04.600 being in the streets we get money quietly. You know, 0:44:05.160 --> 0:44:07.000 we really didn't know how to do it out and 0:44:07.000 --> 0:44:10.240 the open in front of everybody. Everything was like them 0:44:10.280 --> 0:44:14.160 in my in my case behind closed doors. So that's 0:44:14.200 --> 0:44:17.640 how it was like moving, you know, in silence. So 0:44:17.800 --> 0:44:19.759 you know, when they were talking TV, I was like, 0:44:19.840 --> 0:44:22.520 that's just putting the spotlight on us. So I didn't 0:44:22.560 --> 0:44:26.080 know how to function. Mm hmm. That's a Frank Lucas 0:44:26.160 --> 0:44:31.080 mindset right, right. So you know you have yan Dy, 0:44:31.239 --> 0:44:33.480 you have Mona, you have all of them keep saying 0:44:33.480 --> 0:44:37.560 you know, at one point you have to try something new, 0:44:37.680 --> 0:44:41.640 you have to transition, you have to you know, you know, 0:44:41.920 --> 0:44:44.680 they just kept convincing me, convincing me that you know 0:44:45.000 --> 0:44:47.239 can I just said, hey, what the hell? You know, 0:44:47.400 --> 0:44:50.920 it's something new, that's that's why not give the try 0:44:51.200 --> 0:44:54.640 After a while, So you were the cameras were in 0:44:54.760 --> 0:44:57.960 your house, but you was not on the show at 0:44:58.000 --> 0:45:00.560 some point, so you was like running around on corners 0:45:00.600 --> 0:45:05.719 and being out the way while the candy right, and 0:45:05.760 --> 0:45:08.439 I know you was like, hell, no, it's way too 0:45:08.440 --> 0:45:13.359 many people because we did we did a lot of 0:45:13.560 --> 0:45:16.319 the season before this one with you guys, and it 0:45:16.400 --> 0:45:18.920 was too much for me. And I'm used to cameras 0:45:18.960 --> 0:45:21.440 and it was just too much. It's just so many people. 0:45:21.560 --> 0:45:24.200 They're telling you, you know, well, we know you don't 0:45:24.200 --> 0:45:26.719 feel like if we know you need a nap, we 0:45:26.760 --> 0:45:30.520 know you're tired, but we really really really really need 0:45:30.560 --> 0:45:32.600 to come to your house and sit there with you, 0:45:32.800 --> 0:45:35.200 and we really need you to just do stuff, living 0:45:35.280 --> 0:45:37.440 your life, talk to your kids. Nobody wants to talk 0:45:37.480 --> 0:45:39.800 to their kids in front of the camera, Like why. 0:45:41.360 --> 0:45:44.080 I remember when I one time, like the very first time, 0:45:44.120 --> 0:45:46.640 I was going away, um, and it was cameras in 0:45:46.719 --> 0:45:48.880 my house and I pulled my son in the room 0:45:48.880 --> 0:45:52.680 and closed the door on the cameras and UM doing 0:45:52.840 --> 0:45:57.120 behind that door. Uh me. I was actually trying to 0:45:57.160 --> 0:45:59.080 tell my son I was going away, but I was 0:45:59.160 --> 0:46:04.200 like crying, and I remember, Um, the camera guy was 0:46:04.239 --> 0:46:06.440 like oh in the producer was like, oh, man, come on, 0:46:06.480 --> 0:46:08.320 please share this with them, and I was like, white, 0:46:08.360 --> 0:46:11.120 share this with y'all. No, no, you can't. You can't 0:46:11.120 --> 0:46:14.120 see me crying, like you can't see me this vulnerable, 0:46:14.239 --> 0:46:17.200 Like I'm not ready for that, and they did a 0:46:17.280 --> 0:46:21.160 little convincing and and I just said, you know what, Um, 0:46:21.200 --> 0:46:23.239 I did it, you know. And that's one of the 0:46:23.320 --> 0:46:26.680 scenes that a lot of people I remember and hold 0:46:26.760 --> 0:46:29.239 daily to the hospital because it was it was real. 0:46:31.120 --> 0:46:34.440 It resonates man, And that's one thing about you that 0:46:34.480 --> 0:46:38.320 I've always said, Um, this is a very authentic person 0:46:38.400 --> 0:46:41.400 and relatable. So when I watched you, it gave because 0:46:41.480 --> 0:46:44.920 prior to you, you know, and then Pat it was 0:46:45.320 --> 0:46:47.239 I was like, I'm not I would never It's just 0:46:47.320 --> 0:46:50.040 not something that I could even relate to. So watching 0:46:50.320 --> 0:46:53.120 brothers that I respect that moving to certain man and 0:46:53.239 --> 0:46:56.720 have certain ethics and codes that I bye bye doing 0:46:56.719 --> 0:46:59.080 it the right way, even when he was being vulnerable. 0:46:59.120 --> 0:47:02.120 It just didn't look like it was bullshit. You understand 0:47:02.160 --> 0:47:04.400 I'm saying it was. You can tell it was authentic. 0:47:04.480 --> 0:47:06.759 And every time I've seen you on the show, I 0:47:06.840 --> 0:47:09.080 knew it was authentic. But a lot of people don't 0:47:09.120 --> 0:47:11.680 know that prior to level hip hop that you was 0:47:11.719 --> 0:47:16.320 an entrepreneur, that you have businesses, you had studios, Like, like, 0:47:16.640 --> 0:47:19.479 what what businesses did you have prior to even being 0:47:19.520 --> 0:47:23.200 all so so I pretty much tried everything UM, I 0:47:23.280 --> 0:47:27.240 had car service business, like I had Cadillac trucks, UM, 0:47:27.280 --> 0:47:31.560 some convergent vans and UM. I remember I used to 0:47:31.640 --> 0:47:34.440 have contracts with the record labels for artists when they 0:47:34.520 --> 0:47:37.000 come in town. I tried to car service thing. For 0:47:37.040 --> 0:47:40.520 a while, I had a studio. I was managing Vado, 0:47:41.200 --> 0:47:43.640 and the main thing of having the studio I was 0:47:43.840 --> 0:47:46.160 looking for artists and I wanted to have a home 0:47:46.239 --> 0:47:49.239 for artists. I I haven't. I wasn't even charging people 0:47:49.280 --> 0:47:51.239 at that time. I just wanted people to work. So 0:47:51.320 --> 0:47:53.759 I tell him to come to the studio and just 0:47:53.800 --> 0:47:57.040 make to stay home and record and hopefully I'll, you know, 0:47:57.120 --> 0:48:00.160 I'll find the next the next thing, you know. And 0:48:00.640 --> 0:48:03.040 I was dipping and dabbing in real the state. But 0:48:03.320 --> 0:48:04.960 you know, I was all over the place. I was 0:48:05.000 --> 0:48:07.160 all over the place trying to flip a turn of 0:48:07.239 --> 0:48:09.879 dollar the same way I am now. I think I'm 0:48:09.920 --> 0:48:13.160 a little more over the place because my wife have 0:48:13.920 --> 0:48:16.040 she won't let me sit down. She won't let me rest, 0:48:16.160 --> 0:48:19.680 even even though you know, we're not like super rich 0:48:19.719 --> 0:48:22.440 and that, but we we don't have to, you know, 0:48:22.640 --> 0:48:24.640 we can we can sit down for a little while. 0:48:24.719 --> 0:48:28.200 But she she she just don't stop. I'll be wanting 0:48:28.200 --> 0:48:31.319 to just you know, take care of kids and take 0:48:31.360 --> 0:48:33.800 a few days off. She she works in her sleep, 0:48:34.600 --> 0:48:37.920 So I think that that makes me want to go 0:48:38.000 --> 0:48:39.960 hard to to just to see how work. I think 0:48:40.000 --> 0:48:42.680 it'd be like I gotta I can't be sleep, I 0:48:42.719 --> 0:48:46.759 gotta keep up, you know. So it's it's like, that's 0:48:46.760 --> 0:48:49.759 what having a black woman, a strong black woman, that's 0:48:49.760 --> 0:48:52.280 what it looks like for black men. It always has, 0:48:52.320 --> 0:48:55.600 you know, That's how I roll. It's to really charge 0:48:56.160 --> 0:49:00.040 the machine constantly, keep you going and keep you on 0:49:00.200 --> 0:49:03.120 and like you know, knowing your value and your worth 0:49:03.160 --> 0:49:07.719 and you know, to help you um keep leading and 0:49:07.800 --> 0:49:10.360 I and we're gonna talk about the dynamics of you 0:49:10.440 --> 0:49:14.000 and Andy also, but I do think that I've watched 0:49:14.000 --> 0:49:17.600 you grow even and how you support her in business, 0:49:17.640 --> 0:49:20.440 because then you are such a behind the scenes and 0:49:20.520 --> 0:49:24.440 she is such a in front of the everything in 0:49:24.680 --> 0:49:28.799 running her mouth ideas, do you see us with the commercials? 0:49:28.880 --> 0:49:34.160 And I see y'all. I mean, she's a lot. She's 0:49:34.200 --> 0:49:37.839 a big, big, big personality. And so I know when 0:49:37.840 --> 0:49:42.480 she starts businesses, you're doing the usual mendces you quiet, 0:49:43.000 --> 0:49:44.759 You're like I'm you know, I'm gonna come, but I'm 0:49:44.760 --> 0:49:46.520 not gonna say too much. This is your thing. I 0:49:46.560 --> 0:49:49.319 don't want to be too and then she's like, hell no, 0:49:49.840 --> 0:49:52.360 Like I know I started these businesses. I know I 0:49:52.360 --> 0:49:55.560 didn't ask anybody whether they wanted to. I know I 0:49:55.600 --> 0:49:59.080 didn't get anybody's input. But now I expect that the 0:49:59.160 --> 0:50:03.480 whole fair Emily has in charge of keeping the business 0:50:03.640 --> 0:50:06.160 is going. And I have watched you grow into being 0:50:06.200 --> 0:50:08.960 like now on, yell, I gotta know all the products. 0:50:09.360 --> 0:50:11.560 I gotta be able to sell and speak to and 0:50:11.680 --> 0:50:15.640 because that's what it's supposed to be about, right right, yeah, 0:50:15.719 --> 0:50:18.600 listen any anything I don't know about the products and 0:50:18.719 --> 0:50:23.120 he's definitely uh taking time teach me, and she showed me. Um. 0:50:23.320 --> 0:50:26.640 I remember when I first came home and she introduced 0:50:26.640 --> 0:50:28.759 me to the product. I didn't know if it really 0:50:28.840 --> 0:50:31.279 worked for real, for real, and she was like, just 0:50:31.400 --> 0:50:33.560 try it, right, just try it, because I thought it 0:50:33.640 --> 0:50:36.440 was like a gimmick. Right, I'm like, you know, but 0:50:36.520 --> 0:50:38.880 then it actually worked and then I got hooked. And 0:50:39.360 --> 0:50:42.160 then she just you know, taught me about skincare that 0:50:42.280 --> 0:50:44.560 you know, I used to wash my face with dove soap. 0:50:44.600 --> 0:50:47.760 I didn't. I didn't know the difference between uh serum 0:50:47.920 --> 0:50:50.680 and Clinton Clinton. I didn't. I don't. I don't know 0:50:50.840 --> 0:50:53.200 what I washed, washed my face and out the door, like, 0:50:54.080 --> 0:50:56.160 But now I know, and I'm you know, I'm taking 0:50:56.200 --> 0:50:59.280 better care of my skin and being my taking teaching 0:50:59.280 --> 0:51:01.600 our kids to do the same thing, and also able 0:51:01.600 --> 0:51:05.440 to teach people how to do it, you know, especially men, 0:51:05.680 --> 0:51:07.480 you know, because I'm pretty sure there's a lot of 0:51:07.520 --> 0:51:10.760 men like myself that just washed their face and gold 0:51:11.000 --> 0:51:15.080 with the same soap they washed their body. Yeah, that's 0:51:15.080 --> 0:51:18.000 what I mean. That's what I was actually in your 0:51:18.000 --> 0:51:20.440 house when you were away and we she made me 0:51:20.480 --> 0:51:22.600 do a commercial and she was like, Mike, what do 0:51:22.600 --> 0:51:24.080 you watch your face with? I'm like, I watched my 0:51:24.160 --> 0:51:27.879 face with silver water like regularly. She's like what I'm like, Yeah, 0:51:27.920 --> 0:51:30.080 that's what most black men do. That's that's what we 0:51:30.080 --> 0:51:32.640 was taught. We ain't have no little serums and all 0:51:32.640 --> 0:51:34.520 that stuff. And she walked me through it and listen, 0:51:34.560 --> 0:51:37.040 you won't do this today, you know. So ever since then, 0:51:37.120 --> 0:51:39.560 I've been a lot more so thanks to my sister 0:51:39.640 --> 0:51:43.239 and for making me take more pride in my skin. Kid. 0:51:43.600 --> 0:51:46.799 But what I want to know right it's being formally concerated, 0:51:46.920 --> 0:51:49.400 you know, I know at that time, like you you 0:51:49.480 --> 0:51:51.920 expressed how he was telling your son that she was 0:51:51.960 --> 0:51:54.600 going away and you was vulnerable and you was crying 0:51:54.640 --> 0:51:58.280 because I know that feeling, you know, as you sat 0:51:58.400 --> 0:52:00.880 in that cell and you sat away from your family, 0:52:01.840 --> 0:52:04.440 Like what was the mind state like re entering society 0:52:04.480 --> 0:52:06.160 when you when you came, Like what did you say 0:52:06.160 --> 0:52:08.839 to yourself? You're away from your family, away from your wife, 0:52:08.840 --> 0:52:11.520 You're away from all these things? Like what did you 0:52:11.560 --> 0:52:15.000 say to yourself to keep going and to motivate you 0:52:15.040 --> 0:52:18.319 when you got back out here? I think I had 0:52:18.360 --> 0:52:22.000 I had time to myself to reflect on the decisions 0:52:22.040 --> 0:52:24.600 I made, you know, to my whole life, you know, 0:52:24.760 --> 0:52:28.239 from from the beginning, you know, um, just all of 0:52:29.120 --> 0:52:32.439 bad decisions I made, all of if what I could 0:52:32.520 --> 0:52:37.080 get over if I had the opportunity. And after I 0:52:37.080 --> 0:52:39.239 got past that, you know, I was just trying to 0:52:39.280 --> 0:52:42.520 figure out how a plan and how can I be 0:52:42.600 --> 0:52:45.759 a better version of me and so I can be 0:52:45.800 --> 0:52:48.640 a better virgin, you know, a father to my son, 0:52:48.760 --> 0:52:52.480 a husband to my wife, and a better son to 0:52:52.520 --> 0:52:55.160 my mom, and better brother to my brothers. You know, 0:52:55.280 --> 0:52:57.960 I just I just wanted to be a better me. 0:52:58.560 --> 0:53:01.879 You know, So after after reflecting on the decisions I made, 0:53:02.560 --> 0:53:05.880 you know that that was my main focus because I 0:53:05.920 --> 0:53:10.600 started seeing that, you know, the things I put first, UM, 0:53:10.600 --> 0:53:12.840 where I put love at that shouldn't have been loved 0:53:13.800 --> 0:53:16.880 UM as far as like materialistic things and and and 0:53:17.040 --> 0:53:21.000 partying and you know, just just in just in general. 0:53:21.560 --> 0:53:24.479 So I wanted to make sure that when I came home, 0:53:24.880 --> 0:53:27.799 you know, I had I can execute a plan. Um. 0:53:27.800 --> 0:53:30.000 I could be more involved in my kid's life. I 0:53:30.040 --> 0:53:32.480 could be a better husband, I could be a better brother. 0:53:33.320 --> 0:53:36.120 And you know, I could open up more. I don't 0:53:36.120 --> 0:53:38.960 have to be so closed, you know, I can. I 0:53:38.960 --> 0:53:41.920 can I speak more. I can tell people how I feel. 0:53:42.040 --> 0:53:44.160 I don't have you know, I was so close. You know. 0:53:44.239 --> 0:53:47.920 We were taught not to express emotions and keep them 0:53:48.280 --> 0:53:51.439 locked in and hold them, you know. And I wore 0:53:51.480 --> 0:53:53.960 a good poker face, you know. I learned how to 0:53:54.040 --> 0:53:57.640 smile when I really want to frown. You know. Um, 0:53:58.320 --> 0:54:01.080 I wore a good mass. You know, I did it, really, 0:54:01.080 --> 0:54:04.359 I did it majority of my life. And sometimes it's 0:54:04.400 --> 0:54:06.640 such a habit that I do it now. And I 0:54:06.719 --> 0:54:11.200 catch it and I try to communicate because I'm smiling 0:54:11.239 --> 0:54:14.760 and I'm really piste off. But I learned to say that, Yo, listen, 0:54:14.760 --> 0:54:16.719 I don't really like that. This is what me. This 0:54:16.800 --> 0:54:19.439 is how it made me feel and able to work 0:54:19.480 --> 0:54:23.560 through situations and and um move past it. And because 0:54:23.600 --> 0:54:27.120 of that, I'm able to have great relationships. Mm hmm. 0:54:27.760 --> 0:54:31.040 That's so powerful, because I was when we decided that 0:54:31.080 --> 0:54:34.799 we wanted you to be our guests. My son he 0:54:34.960 --> 0:54:36.640 called me up, he said, Yo, I want to do 0:54:36.760 --> 0:54:38.680 in DCS. And what we do with every guest is 0:54:38.719 --> 0:54:41.319 we talked to each other about how we feel about 0:54:41.360 --> 0:54:44.120 the individuals, so we know what direction we're gonna take 0:54:44.120 --> 0:54:47.360 in the in the interviews, and you know, we traveled 0:54:47.600 --> 0:54:50.480 all the time. My son and I and a bunch 0:54:50.520 --> 0:54:55.319 of us are always together and I I've never been 0:54:55.360 --> 0:54:59.399 around people this much that are formally incarcerating as much 0:54:59.440 --> 0:55:01.279 as we do now that this is the work that 0:55:01.360 --> 0:55:04.399 we're very much engaged in, and there is very they're 0:55:04.560 --> 0:55:10.440 very similar um characteristics, if you will, or things that 0:55:10.480 --> 0:55:13.040 I think all of you guys do, and that's one 0:55:13.080 --> 0:55:16.640 of them. The whole like you know, laughing when you're 0:55:16.640 --> 0:55:20.120 really not happy but trying not to lose it, you know, 0:55:20.320 --> 0:55:24.719 on people like always trying to maintain a level of like, 0:55:24.920 --> 0:55:27.520 let me not engage in anything, because I could go 0:55:27.640 --> 0:55:30.759 from here to here real fast. So I don't want to. 0:55:30.840 --> 0:55:33.719 I don't want to even get into conflict. I'm not 0:55:33.760 --> 0:55:36.040 trying to and I'm and here, i am, I'm over there, 0:55:36.080 --> 0:55:40.560 like tell him, Mike, y'all say nothing, but man if yo, 0:55:40.840 --> 0:55:42.960 I'm trying not to let that. You know, I don't 0:55:42.960 --> 0:55:45.319 want that side of me to come out. Also, the 0:55:45.400 --> 0:55:49.760 quiet space, like you have to We all know, Linda, myself, 0:55:49.800 --> 0:55:51.520 all of us know we have to leave my son 0:55:51.640 --> 0:55:54.760 sometimes alone and let him just have his quiet space 0:55:54.800 --> 0:55:57.960 for thought because he goes into these moments when he 0:55:58.080 --> 0:56:01.480 has to be able to recall read, especially after we've 0:56:01.520 --> 0:56:03.919 annoyed him all day. Because imagine Dandy and out of reason, 0:56:03.960 --> 0:56:06.239 why are we so close, because we're very similar and 0:56:06.280 --> 0:56:09.000 Linda also, we always got something to say. We're telling 0:56:09.040 --> 0:56:11.279 you what to do, how to do it? Pull your 0:56:11.320 --> 0:56:13.799 pants up? This ain't right, what's wrong with your skin? 0:56:13.880 --> 0:56:16.600 Your hands ain't right? You gotta say it like this, 0:56:16.600 --> 0:56:19.319 this work. We were annoying, We know that, but it's 0:56:19.360 --> 0:56:22.800 all for a good a good cause. However, y'all need space, 0:56:22.920 --> 0:56:25.960 and so I just want to say that I identify 0:56:26.239 --> 0:56:29.520 now that those of us who want to be good 0:56:29.600 --> 0:56:33.799 allies to return and citizens also have to understand that 0:56:33.880 --> 0:56:37.040 there are certain things that take time to develop out 0:56:37.040 --> 0:56:38.200 of them. But I don't know if my son, you've 0:56:38.239 --> 0:56:39.560 been out for a long time, and I don't know 0:56:39.600 --> 0:56:42.280 if you have you have developed out of those things. 0:56:42.400 --> 0:56:45.319 I mean, it's it's it's it's a space like you 0:56:45.320 --> 0:56:49.120 know it's and it's your sanity like you you develop 0:56:49.160 --> 0:56:52.839 it from being incarcerated, right, because the moves that you're 0:56:52.880 --> 0:56:56.120 make incarcerated and culture your life certain people. You gotta 0:56:56.120 --> 0:56:59.319 watch things. You gotta be very observative, You gotta see 0:56:59.360 --> 0:57:02.279 everything that's going on. You gotta say less because the 0:57:02.280 --> 0:57:04.520 more you say, the more people feel like they know you, 0:57:04.560 --> 0:57:06.799 they get comfortable with you. It puts you in a 0:57:06.800 --> 0:57:10.080 position to where you might have to do something to somebody. 0:57:10.120 --> 0:57:12.520 So and it's similar in these streets, and it's similar 0:57:12.600 --> 0:57:15.760 just in every business. A lot of people that they 0:57:16.160 --> 0:57:18.080 say things and do things, and there's a level of 0:57:18.240 --> 0:57:22.840 energy that I know, in different forms they might not survive, right, 0:57:22.840 --> 0:57:26.960 But I understand that so me evolving into this space, 0:57:27.160 --> 0:57:29.240 I need to take time for myself. I need time 0:57:29.280 --> 0:57:31.800 to unpack, I need time to think about things because 0:57:31.800 --> 0:57:34.240 a lot going on, you know, and I'm a very 0:57:34.240 --> 0:57:37.040 meticulous and calculative person. I like that. I don't like 0:57:37.120 --> 0:57:39.080 to make a lot of mistakes. I don't like to 0:57:39.080 --> 0:57:41.800 say things that I don't know about. I don't like to, 0:57:42.560 --> 0:57:45.120 you know, just be speaking just for the sake of talking. 0:57:45.200 --> 0:57:49.040 So I found myself like secluded a lot, you know, 0:57:49.280 --> 0:57:53.680 and like Mandec said, I understand what my story can 0:57:53.760 --> 0:57:56.640 mean to somebody else. So I've become more of a 0:57:56.680 --> 0:57:59.640 public figure. I made myself public, but like when we 0:57:59.680 --> 0:58:02.000 first the working each other, I never was really public. 0:58:02.040 --> 0:58:04.080 I would tell you stuff and be like, yo, y'all 0:58:04.120 --> 0:58:05.360 need to do this, this and that. You're like you 0:58:05.440 --> 0:58:07.680 do it. I'm like, nah, I know what I'm saying, 0:58:07.680 --> 0:58:10.400 but I don't want all the public stuff, so you know, 0:58:10.480 --> 0:58:12.760 it comes. That's That's one of the things that I say, 0:58:12.880 --> 0:58:16.400 Like when you women incarcerated, you become a lot more introverted. 0:58:16.560 --> 0:58:19.280 Even if you're not, you can be, but it gives you, 0:58:19.640 --> 0:58:23.560 like you need certain times just a quiet and in sanctuary. 0:58:24.000 --> 0:58:29.840 M HM. So you got out earlier than was expected, right, Um, no, 0:58:30.040 --> 0:58:32.840 I tried to put an emotion to get out earlier, 0:58:33.080 --> 0:58:36.480 but it was it was denied. But I was released 0:58:36.480 --> 0:58:40.120 to the halfway house. So I had nine months halfway house. 0:58:40.600 --> 0:58:44.440 So that's what you know. That's people usually get non 0:58:44.560 --> 0:58:47.240 months to a year. Some people get six months, but 0:58:47.560 --> 0:58:50.320 unfortunate I was, I got no months. So what was 0:58:50.400 --> 0:58:53.200 that like the halfway house? I don't I'm not really 0:58:54.080 --> 0:58:59.400 had many conversations with people about that period. Um, the 0:58:59.520 --> 0:59:05.160 halfway house as people getting reintegrated back to society and um, 0:59:05.240 --> 0:59:08.400 some people don't have nowhere to stay and and and 0:59:08.440 --> 0:59:10.440 it gives them a couple of hours out to go 0:59:10.600 --> 0:59:14.320 find a job and and you know, um, and you know, 0:59:14.560 --> 0:59:17.440 just to get on their feet. But for some people 0:59:18.840 --> 0:59:22.240 like myself, if you have somewhere to go, then you know, 0:59:22.480 --> 0:59:25.080 they don't want to just throw you out there and 0:59:25.160 --> 0:59:29.120 you be stranded and don't have you know, lack of opportunities, 0:59:29.160 --> 0:59:31.120 don't have nowhere to stay, and then you can start 0:59:31.160 --> 0:59:33.880 committing crimes again. So they gives a little bit out 0:59:33.920 --> 0:59:37.480 of time. See what you can handle. M hmm. But 0:59:37.600 --> 0:59:43.320 you guys had a mansion. Yeah, so they kicked me out. 0:59:43.320 --> 0:59:45.080 As soon as I got there, they kicked me out. 0:59:45.280 --> 0:59:48.640 You know, they said that I was getting special treatment. 0:59:48.880 --> 0:59:53.440 And you know, you know, listen put like this, I 0:59:53.480 --> 0:59:58.120 was blessed to be able to not have a stressful 0:59:58.160 --> 1:00:02.440 bid right that my kids was to I didn't care. Um, 1:00:02.480 --> 1:00:05.920 you know, I was okay financially. The only thing that 1:00:06.080 --> 1:00:09.600 was worrying is that was missing moments in my family life. 1:00:09.680 --> 1:00:13.400 That's the only thing that that this causing stress. But 1:00:13.440 --> 1:00:16.680 other than that, you know, it wasn't for me. It 1:00:16.720 --> 1:00:19.440 was a learning process, right, I got to learn me 1:00:20.440 --> 1:00:24.080 and um, you know that was important because I was 1:00:24.120 --> 1:00:27.120 I was living fast and no time, I wouldn't go 1:00:27.160 --> 1:00:29.479 to prison where I would have been, you know, and 1:00:29.480 --> 1:00:31.760 and and focus on how can I make myself for 1:00:31.960 --> 1:00:35.920 a better person. So I remember in one of the 1:00:35.960 --> 1:00:40.480 reunion episodes, and it was another powerful moment, you know, 1:00:40.640 --> 1:00:42.600 when you was talking about how you felt like you 1:00:42.680 --> 1:00:47.080 was groomed to be a drug deal. Yeah, absolutely absolutely 1:00:47.120 --> 1:00:49.520 that was. And a lot of people, you know, like 1:00:49.560 --> 1:00:51.800 I say all the time, I have conversation with people, 1:00:52.040 --> 1:00:54.080 and I said, the first vision of success I've ever 1:00:54.080 --> 1:00:56.720 seen was a drug deal. I didn't see no lawyer. 1:00:56.720 --> 1:00:59.080 I didn't see nothing. The person who had to call 1:00:59.280 --> 1:01:01.560 wanted the money, year I wanted the girl to respect. 1:01:01.600 --> 1:01:04.440 I wanted was a drug dealer. So that's that was 1:01:04.520 --> 1:01:06.680 my image of what success was. So that's what I 1:01:06.720 --> 1:01:09.320 wanted to be. So explain when you when you said that, 1:01:09.360 --> 1:01:12.160 What was you thinking when you said it? So when 1:01:12.200 --> 1:01:14.680 I when I was thinking, like when I was young, 1:01:14.760 --> 1:01:16.600 and I take you back to like I was six 1:01:16.680 --> 1:01:22.360 years old, like pretty much not able to comprehend um, 1:01:22.640 --> 1:01:26.640 real good. I remember someone in my family used to 1:01:26.720 --> 1:01:29.440 take me down to Soho in the village and they 1:01:29.520 --> 1:01:32.080 used to give me a which I learned later was 1:01:32.120 --> 1:01:34.160 a pack of drugs and put it in my tell 1:01:34.240 --> 1:01:37.080 me put it in my dip my underwear, brother and 1:01:37.120 --> 1:01:40.160 play the video games. And in every like thirty or 1:01:40.240 --> 1:01:43.240 forty minutes, she said, ask me for it. And I 1:01:43.320 --> 1:01:46.040 never knew what it was until I told my mom 1:01:46.600 --> 1:01:50.520 and my mom uh baby father, and the end up 1:01:50.560 --> 1:01:53.160 getting into a fight because I I overheard him saying 1:01:53.160 --> 1:01:57.400 he gave my son drugs. So later on, you know 1:01:58.720 --> 1:02:04.440 that same person, uh you know was was was coaching 1:02:04.480 --> 1:02:07.600 and golden me to become a drug dog, you know. Um. 1:02:07.680 --> 1:02:11.240 And then he and then what happened. It was when 1:02:11.560 --> 1:02:15.520 you know, my mother, my mother, baby father left and 1:02:15.520 --> 1:02:18.360 then my mother had her situation. There was no one 1:02:18.400 --> 1:02:21.600 around to protect me, so I had to defend for myself. 1:02:22.000 --> 1:02:25.480 And those were real vulnerable moments that you know, I 1:02:25.560 --> 1:02:28.400 needed to make money, I needed to eat, I needed 1:02:28.560 --> 1:02:30.960 I needed, I needed sneakers, you know, I needed. I 1:02:31.000 --> 1:02:33.080 just needed things and I had no where to get 1:02:33.120 --> 1:02:37.120 it from. So that person really was like, well, you know, 1:02:37.240 --> 1:02:39.240 you do this, you do that, and you just watching 1:02:39.280 --> 1:02:42.760 and observing, and then I just took off from there. 1:02:43.200 --> 1:02:47.240 M hm wow. Yeah, I mean I think that's with 1:02:47.400 --> 1:02:50.040 so many things, like we think of that only what 1:02:50.160 --> 1:02:53.560 we're listening to you. That's obviously a really harsh situation 1:02:53.680 --> 1:02:57.320 and an example of like destruction and whatever. But it's 1:02:57.360 --> 1:02:59.480 the same with women and how we learned to use 1:02:59.480 --> 1:03:02.880 our body right for whatever we need. Right. We're taught 1:03:03.240 --> 1:03:06.440 by other women from a very very young age. And 1:03:06.480 --> 1:03:09.720 it's not but it's not like they're giving you something 1:03:09.760 --> 1:03:12.560 to you know, and making you sell yourself, but they're 1:03:12.680 --> 1:03:16.360 showing you that when you do certain things with your 1:03:16.360 --> 1:03:19.360 body and you act certain ways, that that will help 1:03:19.400 --> 1:03:22.280 you get things that you want, and it only turns 1:03:22.320 --> 1:03:26.800 into a worse you know, people behaving in very promiscuous 1:03:26.880 --> 1:03:30.200 ways later on life. So the way in which we 1:03:30.320 --> 1:03:32.800 train our children and I watch you guys insulate your 1:03:32.880 --> 1:03:36.160 kids very much, um, you know, to keep them from 1:03:36.240 --> 1:03:39.680 these influences, these outside influences. There are a lot of 1:03:39.720 --> 1:03:42.360 people out here who don't have the resources you have. 1:03:43.120 --> 1:03:46.160 You know, they don't have the resources we have. My 1:03:46.280 --> 1:03:49.520 son is the same insulating as children as much as possible. 1:03:50.000 --> 1:03:52.880 People don't have that. You're living in the projects right now, 1:03:53.360 --> 1:03:57.520 or living in any community that is marginalized and disadvantage, 1:03:57.520 --> 1:04:00.280 and you've got a parent may be locked up, maybe 1:04:00.400 --> 1:04:04.240 not even you know, maybe deceased. You've got a mother 1:04:04.360 --> 1:04:08.439 who is you know, working two jobs, maybe whatever she's 1:04:08.480 --> 1:04:10.720 got to do, because two jobs could be a whole 1:04:10.720 --> 1:04:12.800 lot of different things to mean that she's going to 1:04:12.840 --> 1:04:14.960 the hospital and whatever. She could be going to the 1:04:14.960 --> 1:04:18.360 stripper pole at night and doing something else in the daytime, 1:04:18.840 --> 1:04:21.160 trying to survive. What are you The people that are 1:04:21.200 --> 1:04:24.280 catching those kids are folks that have that. That's all 1:04:24.320 --> 1:04:27.120 they know, you know what I'm saying. So this is 1:04:27.160 --> 1:04:31.120 why breaking the cycle is so important and why It's 1:04:31.160 --> 1:04:33.680 so important for the two of you and others like 1:04:33.840 --> 1:04:36.600 y'all to do this work of telling your story because 1:04:36.640 --> 1:04:38.840 then people will see, oh, wait a minute, that's what 1:04:38.920 --> 1:04:41.200 this looks like. You know, I need to insulate and 1:04:41.200 --> 1:04:43.960 protect our kids. So and let me move on to 1:04:44.280 --> 1:04:45.840 another question. You know, I'm the one on here that 1:04:45.920 --> 1:04:51.240 runs my mouth. Um, coming back home, you're coming back 1:04:51.280 --> 1:04:54.800 to a different end, right, not the same woman that 1:04:54.960 --> 1:04:58.080 you left. She's now years later. How long were you 1:04:58.160 --> 1:05:01.480 did you do? Four years? The four years of a 1:05:01.480 --> 1:05:05.400 lot happening. Four years, she's grown, she's become even a 1:05:05.400 --> 1:05:10.600 bigger personality. She's found social justice in this time period 1:05:10.760 --> 1:05:16.600 that she's now full fledged into fighting for justice and causes. 1:05:17.080 --> 1:05:20.880 How do you feel returning into this this new situation 1:05:20.960 --> 1:05:25.800 with your new wife And the beginning, it was scary 1:05:26.080 --> 1:05:29.960 because I'll watch what, you know, what the police do 1:05:30.080 --> 1:05:32.520 to protests. You know, there's you know, most of the 1:05:32.600 --> 1:05:36.760 time they get valent with them, you know, especially black protesters, 1:05:36.800 --> 1:05:39.920 you know. So it's it was me being scared for 1:05:39.960 --> 1:05:43.000 her safety, you know. And I understand the call she's 1:05:43.040 --> 1:05:46.240 fighting for, but but I'm I'm looking at it from 1:05:46.240 --> 1:05:50.560 a point of view like we need, you know, me 1:05:50.640 --> 1:05:52.880 and these kids, we need you. You know, I'm not 1:05:53.000 --> 1:05:57.480 I sacrifice anything, but I can't sacrifice losing you, you know. 1:05:57.640 --> 1:06:01.080 So I sacrificed myself. I sade adricee my freedom. I 1:06:01.200 --> 1:06:05.960 sacrifice anything, but that's something I can't sacrifice. So her 1:06:06.040 --> 1:06:09.920 safety for me was number one, you know. And um 1:06:10.760 --> 1:06:13.800 and after that, you know, just talking to her and 1:06:13.800 --> 1:06:17.240 and going out there with her and understanding the cause. 1:06:17.960 --> 1:06:21.800 Then you know, then I became less worried, and I 1:06:22.080 --> 1:06:25.600 in the bigger picture, and I knew she was in 1:06:25.680 --> 1:06:28.520 certain instance, she was safe, you know, I knew that 1:06:28.600 --> 1:06:32.479 y'all was safe, and I felt then I felt better 1:06:32.520 --> 1:06:36.440 about that, and you know I did. The only thing 1:06:36.480 --> 1:06:38.640 I could say is because she got a strong will 1:06:39.280 --> 1:06:43.400 is the supporter, because this is something I can't even stop, 1:06:44.280 --> 1:06:47.600 you know, in in in it would be easier for 1:06:47.680 --> 1:06:52.600 me to support it than go against her, you know. 1:06:52.720 --> 1:06:57.360 So watching you know, I'd like to talk about just 1:06:57.440 --> 1:07:01.680 the public thing, because I know it's tough, right, So 1:07:01.800 --> 1:07:05.880 watching your relationship with your mother and your wife publicly, 1:07:06.080 --> 1:07:09.040 right and seeing that play out in the public, and 1:07:09.160 --> 1:07:12.040 it's crazy because we have so much similarities. Right. I 1:07:12.040 --> 1:07:15.120 watched your relationship my mother. God blessed them. My mother passed, 1:07:15.400 --> 1:07:17.800 I mean your mother. My mother passed a few months ago, 1:07:18.320 --> 1:07:21.240 and we had like a similar relationship, like right, Like 1:07:21.640 --> 1:07:25.120 she was more like my daughter sometimes than actually my mother. Right. 1:07:25.480 --> 1:07:28.240 So I'm watching you and your mother go through these 1:07:28.280 --> 1:07:31.560 things where that's not, that's not that's the same relationship 1:07:31.720 --> 1:07:34.840 of me and my mother. That's what I'm saying. I'm 1:07:34.880 --> 1:07:37.520 watching I'm literally watching it, and I'm like, you, this 1:07:37.560 --> 1:07:40.760 is the same way that my mother looks at me, 1:07:40.840 --> 1:07:44.520 like I'm like, I have to do everything for her. 1:07:44.640 --> 1:07:47.200 Then she gives me this guilt trip and all of 1:07:47.200 --> 1:07:50.240 these things. Even when she's wrong, I'm still wrong. Right. 1:07:50.680 --> 1:07:54.520 So I'm I'm watching this play out and I'm you know, 1:07:54.560 --> 1:07:56.280 I met your mother when we was on the reunion. 1:07:56.320 --> 1:07:58.000 So and she's a beautiful a I've seen her all 1:07:58.040 --> 1:08:01.160 the time. She's a dope. First, watching that relationship play 1:08:01.160 --> 1:08:04.880 out and watching the play out between You've got two 1:08:04.920 --> 1:08:08.840 strong women that you both love and it is playing 1:08:08.840 --> 1:08:12.680 out a tic like, how is that dynamic? I mean 1:08:12.720 --> 1:08:17.639 it's hard, right because um, I'm my mom's protector, right, 1:08:17.720 --> 1:08:21.040 so she feels like she's losing me and she's not 1:08:21.160 --> 1:08:23.679 coming first, and she feels like she should be coming 1:08:23.720 --> 1:08:29.120 first before anybody and everything. And I feel like she 1:08:29.200 --> 1:08:33.200 has a husband, you know, and she had a household 1:08:33.280 --> 1:08:35.680 and in the in the in the family outside of me. 1:08:36.320 --> 1:08:39.760 Now is my time, you know, And and you know, 1:08:39.880 --> 1:08:43.120 I have to, just like her husband, put her first. 1:08:43.400 --> 1:08:45.680 I have to put my wife first. But still that 1:08:45.720 --> 1:08:48.240 doesn't take away to love I have for her because 1:08:48.280 --> 1:08:51.920 I'm her protector and provided to as well. But this 1:08:52.000 --> 1:08:59.200 is my household over there, and try to mess up 1:08:59.240 --> 1:09:04.240 your household. Please don't do that to me, you know. So. 1:09:04.439 --> 1:09:08.200 But it's the fact that I know, and I'm gonna 1:09:08.240 --> 1:09:13.000 say this, you know, I know it's not my wife, right, 1:09:13.040 --> 1:09:15.960 and I just know that the insecurities up and what 1:09:16.080 --> 1:09:19.920 my mom's going through. Um, not to say it's her evil, 1:09:20.040 --> 1:09:22.640 because you know she's gonna be watching it, so you 1:09:22.680 --> 1:09:26.479 know it's not her evil. But I know sometimes when 1:09:26.560 --> 1:09:30.759 you just love strong, it's gonna you're gonna crash. It hurts. 1:09:30.920 --> 1:09:33.240 It hurts. I mean, we all go through it. It's 1:09:33.320 --> 1:09:37.160 it's it's just a natural thing, especially for a mother. 1:09:37.240 --> 1:09:39.519 Because here I am, I have a son. He's swinging three, 1:09:39.720 --> 1:09:43.000 they're they're having a baby, and I'm very all in 1:09:43.360 --> 1:09:49.200 stuff and giving my opinion, and what generally works is 1:09:49.720 --> 1:09:51.160 they just let me do whatever I want to do. 1:09:51.240 --> 1:09:53.720 Nobody wants They just like, do you however you want 1:09:53.760 --> 1:09:56.280 to do it. It's fine, But I'm I try my 1:09:56.360 --> 1:10:00.240 best not to be disrespectful because at that point then 1:10:00.600 --> 1:10:05.160 people starting and by the way, my grands child's mother 1:10:05.760 --> 1:10:08.760 is very strong. She's very strong. She's not gonna just 1:10:08.840 --> 1:10:10.800 let me talk to her any kind of way. It's 1:10:10.840 --> 1:10:13.360 just not gonna happen. So you know, it's it's a 1:10:13.479 --> 1:10:16.040 it's a real personality thing. And that's why I was 1:10:16.120 --> 1:10:21.080 asking you about as Yandy is now you know she's 1:10:21.160 --> 1:10:23.840 she she and not saying that she was soft spoken before, 1:10:24.120 --> 1:10:27.000 but she certainly has had a realization of her power 1:10:27.520 --> 1:10:29.960 over the last several years. And now here you come 1:10:29.960 --> 1:10:32.080 back and it's like, all right, wait a minute, we 1:10:32.200 --> 1:10:34.800 do I want things to be this way in my household. 1:10:34.840 --> 1:10:37.880 That had to be an adjustment your mama. Why it's 1:10:37.920 --> 1:10:40.479 a lot going on here. Yeah, so you know a 1:10:40.479 --> 1:10:45.200 lot of I came home right not fully understanding you know, 1:10:46.120 --> 1:10:49.320 all the things you know I left and for so 1:10:49.400 --> 1:10:53.360 many years I was like, I had this. I'm the 1:10:53.400 --> 1:10:56.439 man in the house. You know this, these these, this 1:10:56.520 --> 1:10:58.639 is what we're doing, this is how we're doing it. 1:10:59.280 --> 1:11:01.840 But I come her man, yeah, he's all over the place, 1:11:01.880 --> 1:11:05.280 and it's like, all right, you know, um, okay, let's 1:11:05.280 --> 1:11:07.639 go down. Number one is I don't like this place 1:11:07.680 --> 1:11:10.000 we live in. So we were moving and she looked 1:11:10.040 --> 1:11:12.800 at me, but I like this place. I did this 1:11:12.840 --> 1:11:16.040 place nice. Now I don't like it. But why And 1:11:16.080 --> 1:11:17.799 then she I was like, I want to move to Atlanta. 1:11:17.920 --> 1:11:19.639 She's like, but I want to stay here. I said, 1:11:19.640 --> 1:11:23.160 I want to move. Um, I had to sit down 1:11:23.160 --> 1:11:27.000 and explain the reasons why you no. I so I 1:11:27.040 --> 1:11:30.080 couldn't just say I want to move. I had to listen, 1:11:30.160 --> 1:11:32.840 these are the reasons why this is these, these are 1:11:32.840 --> 1:11:36.439 the things that's important, and I just think that would 1:11:36.479 --> 1:11:40.040 be good fie family. And then she understood and then 1:11:40.080 --> 1:11:42.519 it works out. But before I went I would just 1:11:42.560 --> 1:11:44.559 say no, this is what it is, this is what 1:11:44.560 --> 1:11:46.720 we're doing, this would doing. So now I learned to 1:11:46.760 --> 1:11:52.479 take my time and uh, like the reason behind you know, 1:11:52.720 --> 1:11:56.599 my actions or what I want to do. It's it's 1:11:56.600 --> 1:11:59.840 a process of being more of a partnership than being 1:11:59.840 --> 1:12:03.280 afore when you, yo, this is what we're doing a 1:12:03.360 --> 1:12:06.880 movie movement, and then understanding you you have a powerful 1:12:06.880 --> 1:12:10.400 black woman who in her rank is a boss. So 1:12:10.479 --> 1:12:15.040 now you can't look at and and and look, yeah, 1:12:15.080 --> 1:12:16.960 you know I'm gonna get all that. So you know, 1:12:17.080 --> 1:12:20.479 so I gotta, I gotta, I gotta gotta meeting with bosses. 1:12:20.479 --> 1:12:22.599 And now it ain't like, Yo, now we're doing this. 1:12:22.680 --> 1:12:24.680 Now you're sitting there with the bosses playing and look, 1:12:24.760 --> 1:12:26.479 this is why the best move for us to make. 1:12:26.800 --> 1:12:29.760 So now it's it's sanctioned on both sides. So I 1:12:29.800 --> 1:12:31.439 know it's a lot, man, I know it's a lot. 1:12:31.520 --> 1:12:34.400 You've got a black woman strong. Black marriage is a 1:12:34.439 --> 1:12:37.720 tough thing. How is like, I know it's up, and 1:12:38.160 --> 1:12:40.840 you got a public marriage, you know what I'm saying. 1:12:40.880 --> 1:12:43.720 So I know that's a transition, you know. And I'm 1:12:43.720 --> 1:12:48.040 watching y'all. But I love the way that you'll transparent. 1:12:48.080 --> 1:12:50.559 At times, you get on Instagram, y'all might have an 1:12:50.640 --> 1:12:53.360 argument and you'd be like nah, and you're debating back 1:12:53.400 --> 1:12:56.519 and forth, and you allow the world to see that 1:12:56.720 --> 1:12:59.360 because I think for me, there's a lot of people 1:12:59.400 --> 1:13:03.280 that think certain things about relationships and marriages, and most 1:13:03.320 --> 1:13:07.000 people only show the good parts, right, They don't show 1:13:07.400 --> 1:13:10.080 the work that comes into it, the constant things that 1:13:10.120 --> 1:13:14.200 you gotta do. Like what is that like? Um? I 1:13:14.240 --> 1:13:16.919 think it's a balance, you know, just creating a balance. 1:13:17.200 --> 1:13:20.439 And I think that marriage is something that we constantly 1:13:20.439 --> 1:13:25.360 gotta work at, you know, um, for for us, for 1:13:25.360 --> 1:13:28.519 our children, for our family, you know. And and as 1:13:28.600 --> 1:13:32.320 sometimes it feels like there's a lot of pressure, you know, um, 1:13:32.360 --> 1:13:35.599 just because there's a lot. There's a lot going on, 1:13:35.760 --> 1:13:38.160 Like she got things she want to do, and I've 1:13:38.200 --> 1:13:39.760 got things I want to do. Then we have the 1:13:39.920 --> 1:13:44.599 children and responsibilities. We got to share it, and we crash. 1:13:44.880 --> 1:13:47.040 You know, we used to crash a lot. We don't 1:13:47.120 --> 1:13:51.960 crash as much now because we just learned communication is 1:13:52.000 --> 1:13:55.240 the key to success in our relationship. So we were 1:13:55.280 --> 1:13:57.840 always going to have to take time and not answer 1:13:57.840 --> 1:14:01.719 the phone and just talk and and and that's that's 1:14:01.720 --> 1:14:04.800 what's important. That's what help us get through. Just talk. 1:14:04.960 --> 1:14:08.439 Just you don't answer, I don't answer these are issues. 1:14:08.960 --> 1:14:13.559 How what's the solution? M It's like a dance, right, 1:14:14.960 --> 1:14:17.679 And that's what they say. I mean, my parents always 1:14:17.720 --> 1:14:22.160 say that love is waning. It goes up and it 1:14:22.240 --> 1:14:24.679 goes down. You'll be in love and out of love 1:14:24.880 --> 1:14:28.680 in relationships, but you have to have respect. And there 1:14:28.680 --> 1:14:32.639 are other just very fundamental things that help you restore love, 1:14:32.920 --> 1:14:35.360 you know. And and the communication piece, I think it's 1:14:35.400 --> 1:14:37.519 so important, but I don't know what I'm talking about 1:14:37.520 --> 1:14:42.280 because I ain't got a man, period, So how about that. Anyway, 1:14:42.479 --> 1:14:45.960 it is really really good to have had you on 1:14:46.120 --> 1:14:49.120 here to speak from. We don't people. I've never seen 1:14:49.120 --> 1:14:53.519 even dcs being interviewed, so this is a yeah, yeah, yeah, 1:14:53.680 --> 1:14:56.840 let's listen. Listen. I rememb gonna love. I was about 1:14:56.880 --> 1:15:00.800 to say, do you got to do this today? But now, 1:15:00.960 --> 1:15:05.240 but I'm happy, um for this opportunity. And plus I 1:15:05.360 --> 1:15:07.600 just feel like I'm talking to my family, So I 1:15:08.000 --> 1:15:11.479 really don't recognize this as an interview. Um, this is 1:15:11.520 --> 1:15:15.400 just a regular conversation to me, basically just telling y'all 1:15:15.520 --> 1:15:20.280 things that we already know. But you know, no, I 1:15:20.400 --> 1:15:24.040 learned things I learned. Oh yeah, I learned that. I 1:15:24.120 --> 1:15:26.640 learned about the early release I didn't know or the 1:15:26.680 --> 1:15:30.320 early release. Um, I learned about a lot of things. 1:15:30.320 --> 1:15:34.080 I also have more of a perspective because I this. 1:15:34.240 --> 1:15:37.360 You know, Yandy is like one of my best, my 1:15:37.479 --> 1:15:41.320 closest friends, and I can see, I know when you 1:15:41.439 --> 1:15:43.720 first came home, there was a struggle she was, she 1:15:43.840 --> 1:15:45.680 was going through things. You know, you could tell she 1:15:45.800 --> 1:15:49.559 was all like frustrated at times. Y'all were going through things, 1:15:49.880 --> 1:15:53.000 and I can see the happiness that she has now 1:15:53.120 --> 1:15:55.800 is shining through, and that generally comes from peace in 1:15:55.800 --> 1:15:58.960 your home, right like shining through the way that she 1:15:58.960 --> 1:16:01.160 She wasn't like I would all her to talk about 1:16:01.479 --> 1:16:04.559 work in the past, and she was there, but if 1:16:04.560 --> 1:16:07.040 you could tell something's going on now, she's like here, 1:16:07.120 --> 1:16:11.360 I got creative ideas, you know, fresh concepts, and that 1:16:11.400 --> 1:16:15.400 comes from you having a settled mindset. And usually as women, 1:16:15.479 --> 1:16:18.120 y'all gonna say I'm crazy and no no, no, no, no, no, 1:16:18.160 --> 1:16:22.040 this and that. But usually when we have stability with 1:16:22.120 --> 1:16:26.040 our partner and somebody who is not stressing us out 1:16:26.040 --> 1:16:29.160 and making us lose our edges, and as this new thing, 1:16:29.240 --> 1:16:32.040 they're saying that I love that Nick Cannon has started 1:16:32.080 --> 1:16:34.839 messing with our pH balance because you're bringing me tricks 1:16:34.880 --> 1:16:39.040 these problems that she got going on. We're usually pretty 1:16:39.040 --> 1:16:41.960 happy and we could do dope ship but when those 1:16:42.000 --> 1:16:45.360 things are off, we can't we're not functioning at the 1:16:45.439 --> 1:16:49.720 highest level right right. And plus you know, one of 1:16:49.720 --> 1:16:52.000 my one of my rules a long time ago is 1:16:52.080 --> 1:16:55.720 that I told you and don't bring gossip into the household. 1:16:55.760 --> 1:16:58.880 I don't care about who's with who. I don't care 1:16:58.880 --> 1:17:01.519 about no one else business, I don't care about who's 1:17:01.560 --> 1:17:04.840 making money. I think that takes away from the relationship. 1:17:05.080 --> 1:17:08.519 You know. Um just you know, you know how people 1:17:08.560 --> 1:17:12.840 say pull pullot talk. There's a lot of stuff that 1:17:12.920 --> 1:17:17.439 we can talk about and other people business and focus 1:17:17.520 --> 1:17:21.000 more on our household and what we need to accomplish 1:17:21.080 --> 1:17:25.000 and be worrying about other people that they don't even know, 1:17:25.120 --> 1:17:28.120 you know, and and we have no we can't help, 1:17:28.200 --> 1:17:31.400 we can't do nothing. I just you know, I think 1:17:31.479 --> 1:17:34.439 that too helped us a lot to as well. And 1:17:34.439 --> 1:17:37.639 then also I think one of the keys, like you said, Pillow, 1:17:37.960 --> 1:17:41.759 is also other people's opinions what you're going through, right, 1:17:42.280 --> 1:17:45.200 and when you when you get outside opinions of people 1:17:46.040 --> 1:17:50.800 that have opinion of your relationship, right, and they've got 1:17:50.840 --> 1:17:53.320 nothing to do with it, Like I don't care about 1:17:53.320 --> 1:17:56.280 what somebody thinks about with me or you or what 1:17:56.320 --> 1:18:00.320 we're doing right when we when you allow those things 1:18:00.360 --> 1:18:03.559 to start festering, it causes confusion. And then most of 1:18:03.560 --> 1:18:06.639 the time people come from a perspective were they're actually 1:18:06.720 --> 1:18:10.280 doing worse than you are their relationships and don't even 1:18:10.320 --> 1:18:12.080 have it. They don't need Most of people don't even 1:18:12.080 --> 1:18:15.280 have a relationship right, and they take a they could 1:18:15.320 --> 1:18:18.400 take a fifteen minute clip of a real on Instagram 1:18:18.479 --> 1:18:22.080 or a picture and they saw telling you. They they'd 1:18:22.160 --> 1:18:25.160 tell you they'd set that picture and tell you, oh, 1:18:25.600 --> 1:18:28.439 he doesn't blink one time. If you, if you have, 1:18:28.600 --> 1:18:31.320 if you, if you want to, you know, they just 1:18:31.360 --> 1:18:33.639 for one picture and tell you, oh, he don't want 1:18:33.640 --> 1:18:35.559 to be with her. She this, and she's that and 1:18:35.600 --> 1:18:39.160 she's this. So you you can't really let these people 1:18:39.200 --> 1:18:42.400 opinion affect your household because you'll be single, just like 1:18:42.479 --> 1:18:44.840 don't no, you know, no dispect to the single people, 1:18:44.880 --> 1:18:48.639 but you can't have people. Yeah, but that's my choice. 1:18:49.160 --> 1:18:52.600 It is it is by choice. But also I have 1:18:52.760 --> 1:18:57.000 to speak up for the single people. I'm single by 1:18:57.200 --> 1:18:59.720 choice because I've been through life and I've seen enough 1:18:59.760 --> 1:19:02.760 ships to know what is what will work for me 1:19:02.800 --> 1:19:05.080 and what won't work for me, And I also can 1:19:05.120 --> 1:19:08.160 look at other people's situation and know off the bat 1:19:08.520 --> 1:19:12.000 that right there, it's not gonna work. When if I 1:19:12.000 --> 1:19:14.600 if I if I need a couple, because I have 1:19:14.720 --> 1:19:19.160 a family member actually who just is constantly yelling and 1:19:19.200 --> 1:19:22.200 talking crazy to her husband, like they just they talk 1:19:22.240 --> 1:19:25.440 crazy to each other, but she SAIDs things to him 1:19:25.520 --> 1:19:27.679 in front of other people that is just not good. 1:19:27.920 --> 1:19:31.360 And I already know he's gonna find somewhere to go 1:19:32.479 --> 1:19:35.000 to deal with that, right because he's not gonna just 1:19:35.240 --> 1:19:38.200 they and they get drunk. It's just not a good situation. 1:19:38.320 --> 1:19:41.559 Y'all actually know these people, but whatever they get drunk 1:19:41.560 --> 1:19:44.120 and they did, it's not a good situation. So I 1:19:44.120 --> 1:19:47.400 don't I agree that you have to be real careful 1:19:47.439 --> 1:19:51.679 about people's opinions entering your relationship or people's gossip or whatever. 1:19:52.160 --> 1:19:55.880 But there's also something to be said about people's experiences 1:19:56.160 --> 1:19:59.080 and if they actually love and care for you, it 1:19:59.200 --> 1:20:02.040 is their response ability to tell you when they see 1:20:02.080 --> 1:20:05.759 you doing something that's destructive or not taking care of yourself. 1:20:06.120 --> 1:20:10.719 Because women have always had to sit down other women, 1:20:10.760 --> 1:20:14.479 whether they single, married, divorce, whatever it is, and say, sister, 1:20:14.640 --> 1:20:16.640 you're playing yourself or these are the things you need 1:20:16.680 --> 1:20:19.519 to do. The problem that I think exists. And my 1:20:19.600 --> 1:20:23.040 son and I argue about this all the time. Sometimes 1:20:23.040 --> 1:20:26.320 he's agrees. Most times we argue about men don't do 1:20:26.400 --> 1:20:30.679 that enough. There are not enough men calling other men 1:20:31.200 --> 1:20:34.760 to the table to say, I've seen these things and 1:20:34.800 --> 1:20:37.680 it's not cool. You got you can't me and you 1:20:37.720 --> 1:20:40.360 can't You got this wife with a brand new baby 1:20:40.400 --> 1:20:42.920 at home and every night you in the street with me. 1:20:44.479 --> 1:20:48.479 That's it ain't cool. Who's helping her? You know? I 1:20:48.560 --> 1:20:52.800 know some men thatta do that? Right I have. I'm 1:20:52.840 --> 1:20:57.040 fortunate to have a few married friends, right and um 1:20:57.160 --> 1:20:59.360 they was they just they would you know, give me. 1:20:59.439 --> 1:21:02.080 Point is they have like been married for twenty years 1:21:02.120 --> 1:21:06.840 and a long time. And I asked me questions, how 1:21:06.840 --> 1:21:10.000 do you like, how do you stay happy for twenty years? 1:21:10.040 --> 1:21:12.200 Because at some point we you know, we want to 1:21:12.280 --> 1:21:16.519 kill each other, you know, and trying to you know, 1:21:16.960 --> 1:21:20.240 find a way to keep this thing going. And they 1:21:20.400 --> 1:21:22.679 quick to give me advice. You know, I have I can, 1:21:22.800 --> 1:21:25.759 I can call them any second, and they just say, listen, 1:21:25.840 --> 1:21:29.400 it's the small things that count, you know. You know, 1:21:29.720 --> 1:21:33.720 it's not about big gifts, It's not about um, you know, 1:21:34.960 --> 1:21:38.920 being a you know, not saying super affectionate. It's just 1:21:39.000 --> 1:21:42.439 about just sometimes just calling calling your wife and say 1:21:42.360 --> 1:21:45.559 you're the baddest thing I ever had, you know, making 1:21:45.600 --> 1:21:47.760 a day. It's just the smallest thing account and they 1:21:47.800 --> 1:21:51.439 actually work m and then and then then they was 1:21:51.439 --> 1:21:53.400 the one that called me out like, man, you're bugging 1:21:53.400 --> 1:21:56.200 you don't you don't leave flowers and this and do that. 1:21:56.240 --> 1:22:00.599 And I'm like no, like no, I don't. But I'm 1:22:00.600 --> 1:22:04.719 getting better, you know. But lucky for me having been 1:22:05.360 --> 1:22:09.320 around married men that understand you know, certain things that 1:22:09.439 --> 1:22:13.080 you that you do. You know, I mean I haven't 1:22:13.240 --> 1:22:16.479 grown up and seen these rows of an example, and 1:22:17.439 --> 1:22:20.479 oh you know I didn't. I didn't. I didn't. I 1:22:20.520 --> 1:22:23.240 haven't been my first one and I've been to. I 1:22:23.280 --> 1:22:26.519 think it's probably his minds. And I don't really know 1:22:26.640 --> 1:22:30.160 people that's that I grew up with that's married like not. 1:22:30.720 --> 1:22:34.760 I could probably count on one hand so that I've 1:22:34.800 --> 1:22:40.439 never seen that. It's very very very powerful. Listen. I 1:22:40.479 --> 1:22:42.479 just want to say, man, I'm proud of you brother. 1:22:43.600 --> 1:22:47.960 Just watching you involve into who you are today. You know, 1:22:48.400 --> 1:22:51.479 it's inspirational to me. Man. And I know It's a 1:22:51.479 --> 1:22:53.599 lot of people who come from where we come from, 1:22:53.640 --> 1:22:56.400 comfort where you come from, who look at you and say, wow, 1:22:56.800 --> 1:22:58.840 I know men DC's I know what he's been through 1:22:59.080 --> 1:23:01.000 and if he can do this, I can do it. 1:23:01.120 --> 1:23:03.760 I just want you before you leave here. I's some 1:23:03.960 --> 1:23:07.519 young kids in all of the many projects, you know, 1:23:07.760 --> 1:23:10.200 dealing with a lot of stuff. He don't know how 1:23:10.200 --> 1:23:11.720 he's gonna make it out. He don't know if he's 1:23:11.720 --> 1:23:15.240 gonna survive. He's forced to hustle all these things, and 1:23:15.280 --> 1:23:17.719 he looks up to you. I want you to give 1:23:18.200 --> 1:23:20.560 him some words that you would say to him that 1:23:20.640 --> 1:23:24.160 were motivated m I would say, don't be scared to 1:23:24.160 --> 1:23:28.320 try new things right you know, um, just whether you 1:23:28.520 --> 1:23:32.400 fell or used to see, just trying, you know. Um 1:23:32.439 --> 1:23:35.120 if if if things get rough, you know, just look 1:23:35.160 --> 1:23:39.000 around and if possibly changes, try to change the circle. 1:23:39.400 --> 1:23:43.400 You know. Um, that's important, you know, try to try 1:23:43.439 --> 1:23:48.040 to be around people that that's not gonna laugh at 1:23:48.080 --> 1:23:53.000 you for doing something new or going a different direction. 1:23:53.360 --> 1:23:56.240 People may not believe in you, long as you believe 1:23:56.280 --> 1:24:00.360 in yourself, because that's important. You know. People gonna tell 1:24:00.360 --> 1:24:03.680 your ideas and in't gonna work, or you're not going 1:24:03.720 --> 1:24:07.439 to succeed. Don't pay that in my mind, you know. 1:24:07.760 --> 1:24:12.519 So I love that. I love that black men need 1:24:12.560 --> 1:24:16.479 to be told constantly try new things. That is a 1:24:16.600 --> 1:24:21.080 very powerful statement to black men, because some black men 1:24:21.160 --> 1:24:23.880 don't want to travel, right because they just don't know. 1:24:24.040 --> 1:24:26.960 They don't know what outside of this little area, what 1:24:27.080 --> 1:24:31.920 that means. They don't feel what is the word competent 1:24:32.200 --> 1:24:37.040 or well spoken enough or well cultured enough. Then in 1:24:37.479 --> 1:24:39.519 the community, you've got a lot of young men who 1:24:39.520 --> 1:24:41.920 were like, all I know is the block. That's all 1:24:41.960 --> 1:24:44.280 I know, and I know is cell drugs. Maybe a 1:24:44.320 --> 1:24:48.800 little job. But being an entrepreneur, knowing that I I 1:24:49.040 --> 1:24:52.280 kind of know what type of joystick I want, right, 1:24:52.320 --> 1:24:54.720 I know where the thumb ain't right and this and 1:24:54.760 --> 1:24:57.479 that maybe I can actually create this because I'm a 1:24:57.560 --> 1:25:00.400 creative person. But nobody has ever to told them that 1:25:00.439 --> 1:25:03.160 they could do that and and become like, you know, 1:25:03.240 --> 1:25:09.639 the new game console, you know, developer. So telling young 1:25:09.720 --> 1:25:13.400 black men it can't be passed over quickly. It's not 1:25:13.520 --> 1:25:17.800 like a little statement, try something different, try something new. 1:25:18.240 --> 1:25:23.639 I think that's a movement all by itself, right, thank you, 1:25:24.240 --> 1:25:28.599 thank you. What is the name of the restaurant because 1:25:28.640 --> 1:25:35.879 that Creeps Cres is that at the underground downtown Atlanta 1:25:36.920 --> 1:25:41.000 right this weekend, So I'm coming make sure you hit me. 1:25:41.040 --> 1:25:44.720 I'll be here but later then Dancing Creates. That was 1:25:44.720 --> 1:25:48.479 this supposed to start as like like desserts and whatnot. 1:25:48.600 --> 1:25:51.520 And now after me and Andy went to the Maudi's 1:25:51.680 --> 1:25:55.160 right on um and Um she had she had these 1:25:55.200 --> 1:25:58.719 creeps and we noticed it was in a huge creep 1:25:58.840 --> 1:26:02.200 community in a you know, and she was like, you know, 1:26:02.240 --> 1:26:04.960 maybe we should get some creepes in Atlanta. And then 1:26:05.000 --> 1:26:08.040 we just started out pretty much as an idea and 1:26:08.120 --> 1:26:13.760 we turned that idea into reality. It's beautiful, diferent right, 1:26:13.920 --> 1:26:17.599 sounding different, right, We're trying new things, always trying new things. 1:26:17.680 --> 1:26:23.240 Man folk stuff, anything you try, it is going to 1:26:23.320 --> 1:26:26.840 be anything outside normal. What black people do with it. 1:26:27.040 --> 1:26:29.000 Whatever the box they put us in, it's gonna be 1:26:29.000 --> 1:26:34.120 white folks stuff. They're gonna say. Now then they start saying, 1:26:34.160 --> 1:26:37.120 you have money, that's white folks stuff, or if you 1:26:37.120 --> 1:26:40.519 could teach, that's white white folks stuff, right, you know, 1:26:41.120 --> 1:26:45.360 well give me all the white folks stuff, because yeah, 1:26:45.439 --> 1:26:49.640 I don't want to hear it, so I guess, right, 1:26:49.920 --> 1:27:01.439 Thank you all right, bet that's always inspired to see 1:27:02.000 --> 1:27:05.479 my brother man men DC is very humble, quiet, I know, 1:27:06.000 --> 1:27:09.120 men DC's men DC is y'all know the TVs made 1:27:09.200 --> 1:27:12.400 like they got one little glimpse of it when you 1:27:12.400 --> 1:27:15.280 know he had gotten to the fight with with um 1:27:15.320 --> 1:27:19.320 Yetty's cousin trainer. You know they've seen that little thing 1:27:19.960 --> 1:27:23.080 that you know he got another side. But men DC 1:27:23.200 --> 1:27:27.519 has just grown. Man, he's evolved into somebody that you 1:27:27.560 --> 1:27:30.719 know is it's just and you can see that he's 1:27:30.880 --> 1:27:34.680 very intentional about being better, right, And that's what I 1:27:34.720 --> 1:27:36.840 say about a lot of people like that, that we 1:27:36.880 --> 1:27:41.120 don't get that most of the people who have been incarcerated, 1:27:41.160 --> 1:27:44.120 who committed crimes in our communities, they're not bad people. 1:27:44.400 --> 1:27:46.320 They didn't want to commit crimes. There was a level 1:27:46.320 --> 1:27:49.760 of desperation, there was a level of hopelessness that we 1:27:49.920 --> 1:27:52.600 all felt and we felt that was the way to 1:27:52.640 --> 1:27:54.680 get out of it. But to our core, we were 1:27:54.680 --> 1:27:56.360 all good people. A lot of I know a lot 1:27:56.400 --> 1:27:58.400 of good people. And you know a lot of people 1:27:58.439 --> 1:28:02.240 say there's no no on amongst Steve's and I believe that, 1:28:02.280 --> 1:28:06.320 but their honor amongst honorable people who feel the need 1:28:06.400 --> 1:28:08.760 to commit a crime. See, that's a different thing. You 1:28:08.800 --> 1:28:11.200 can be an honorable person and feel like you need 1:28:11.240 --> 1:28:13.639 to commit crimes to survive. If you're just a thief 1:28:14.240 --> 1:28:16.800 and and that's just your nature, then there's no honor. 1:28:16.840 --> 1:28:19.200 But there's a lot of people in the streets who 1:28:19.360 --> 1:28:22.920 who commit crimes, who engage in illegal activities, who are 1:28:22.960 --> 1:28:26.000 honorable individuals, And if you give them different opportunities and 1:28:26.080 --> 1:28:28.840 put them in in circumstances and situations where they don't 1:28:28.840 --> 1:28:31.720 have to commit those problems, they will definitely not do it. 1:28:31.800 --> 1:28:34.800 And you know, and I think and DCS is a 1:28:34.880 --> 1:28:40.200 testament to what you can do when you're given the opportunities, 1:28:40.240 --> 1:28:43.240 when you evolve, when you come home and you you 1:28:43.240 --> 1:28:45.439 you see the ers in your ways and you realize 1:28:45.439 --> 1:28:48.040 how it affects the people you love and your family, 1:28:48.080 --> 1:28:51.200 and it takes you out of you know, situations that 1:28:51.280 --> 1:28:54.240 you can be prospering. And you know, so I just 1:28:54.280 --> 1:28:59.639 want to salute them, man, salute them. A awesome guy. 1:29:00.360 --> 1:29:03.000 I'm happy. I'm proud of them, but I'm I'm I'm 1:29:03.040 --> 1:29:06.599 proud of him. I'm proud of them, but I am 1:29:06.840 --> 1:29:11.559 most passionately happy for my sister because I know that 1:29:12.479 --> 1:29:16.280 having a strong man, strong black man ain't nothing like it. 1:29:16.800 --> 1:29:18.320 Shout up wants to get shout out to men d 1:29:18.400 --> 1:29:22.200 c's excellent interview. I hope people tune in and make 1:29:22.240 --> 1:29:30.599 sure you look go to Dancing Creeps right underground. Make 1:29:30.640 --> 1:29:35.000 sure story. I love that when he said when he 1:29:35.040 --> 1:29:36.800 first came on, he thought it was a gimmick, like 1:29:36.920 --> 1:29:40.880 his mindset is a certain way, right, and he's growing 1:29:40.880 --> 1:29:42.800 out of that. But there was a time and he liked, 1:29:42.800 --> 1:29:45.880 everything is a hustle, everything is a gimmick, skin kid, like, 1:29:46.080 --> 1:29:49.439 that's white people stuff we don't create, you know, damn. 1:29:49.680 --> 1:29:51.880 And then he found out it actually works. And I 1:29:51.920 --> 1:29:56.040 know several people who use Yell skincare. The only reason 1:29:56.080 --> 1:29:58.519 why I can't say, oh, I use it every day 1:29:58.640 --> 1:30:01.280 is because my German tality put me on something eleven 1:30:01.360 --> 1:30:04.719 years ago that works. And when you have something that works, 1:30:04.760 --> 1:30:08.040 more than likely, you know you're not gonna just change 1:30:08.880 --> 1:30:11.559 because your friend came out with something else, Like that's 1:30:11.600 --> 1:30:15.160 just not how it works. Um. But I have been 1:30:15.200 --> 1:30:19.400 a big supporter of Yell, and several people that I 1:30:19.479 --> 1:30:23.439 turned onto the product love it and they use it. Listen, 1:30:23.560 --> 1:30:28.679 I do it. I make sure I'm a scale, I'm 1:30:28.680 --> 1:30:35.400 a um zell skinning care for ye yell, I am 1:30:35.439 --> 1:30:40.320 a yell and skinning care fonetic. You know, so that 1:30:40.360 --> 1:30:47.439 brings me to my I don't get it. This is 1:30:47.439 --> 1:30:49.599 some of the weirdest ship of it. Like we keep 1:30:49.680 --> 1:30:54.439 constantly seeing weirdowship. Right. So, over a dozen female inmates 1:30:54.479 --> 1:30:58.519 were raped, assaulted, and harassed in an Indiana jail after 1:30:58.720 --> 1:31:03.040 corrections officer so keys to their sale to the male 1:31:03.120 --> 1:31:08.360 prisoners for a thousand dollars. Like, how in the hell 1:31:09.000 --> 1:31:12.680 did he think that was gonna work? Like what was 1:31:12.840 --> 1:31:16.160 going through his mind? Like like it's some sick ship. 1:31:16.400 --> 1:31:18.760 It's like it really is some sick things like some 1:31:18.840 --> 1:31:21.960 of the things that we see, like you so keys 1:31:22.000 --> 1:31:25.240 to the inmates. So they were just running into the sales. 1:31:25.920 --> 1:31:30.880 Twenty eight women found lawsuits. Like here's the thing that 1:31:30.920 --> 1:31:34.639 I wanted to say, do you know what the biggest 1:31:34.680 --> 1:31:40.160 problem is? But what he did, what he got money 1:31:40.160 --> 1:31:43.360 for it, That's what got him in trumble because I 1:31:43.360 --> 1:31:46.879 can tell you right now keys are being passed around 1:31:46.920 --> 1:31:51.400 for free, and it's been going on for decades, however 1:31:51.479 --> 1:31:57.160 long incarceration has been going on. I was I was 1:31:57.200 --> 1:31:58.880 in the print, Well, you know what the jail I 1:31:58.960 --> 1:32:02.680 was in. There was no females in the prison. So 1:32:02.840 --> 1:32:05.439 for most for the most part, the males and the 1:32:05.520 --> 1:32:07.720 females are not in the same prison. So I don't 1:32:07.760 --> 1:32:10.880 even know. I don't even know the dynamic that this 1:32:11.160 --> 1:32:16.280 prison has to where uh inmate male inmate can get 1:32:16.320 --> 1:32:19.719 to the part of the jail anything with the female 1:32:19.800 --> 1:32:22.479 is to get into a cell and and doing anything. 1:32:22.600 --> 1:32:25.799 I don't even understand. I didn't see it saying only 1:32:26.439 --> 1:32:31.760 other incarcerated individuals were going in to male inmates them 1:32:31.880 --> 1:32:35.080 them too, how Okay, So my thing is this, how 1:32:35.479 --> 1:32:40.000 so look who else was coming into jail. But the 1:32:40.040 --> 1:32:41.840 point I'm making to you, my son, is it had 1:32:41.880 --> 1:32:45.760 to be facilitated, which means that I'm not talking about outsiders. 1:32:45.840 --> 1:32:49.240 It could be staff, kitchen staff, it could be other 1:32:50.000 --> 1:32:54.560 specifically bill inmates. Okay, So then that means that somebody 1:32:54.720 --> 1:32:58.960 was allowing them. It's a it's called an enterprise, right, 1:32:59.479 --> 1:33:02.960 this is tried. Somebody was. It wasn't just him, it 1:33:03.000 --> 1:33:04.960 had to be it is. It's two of them, is 1:33:05.080 --> 1:33:08.320 Jamie and David. So they must have been running a racket, 1:33:09.800 --> 1:33:12.320 That's what I'm saying. So all I'm explaining to you 1:33:12.439 --> 1:33:17.200 is that the only reason why you're reading this and 1:33:17.240 --> 1:33:21.200 it's an issue is because money was involved and these 1:33:21.240 --> 1:33:25.120 women decided to sue. We have a friend, a very 1:33:25.160 --> 1:33:30.840 close friend who is a motivational speaker that is powerful 1:33:30.880 --> 1:33:35.160 and incredible, who was imprisoned for several years, a woman 1:33:35.760 --> 1:33:41.200 who tells the story of how the CEOs came into 1:33:41.360 --> 1:33:44.160 their cell. Her and another woman that was in there 1:33:44.360 --> 1:33:48.040 and has sex with them regularly and especially made sure 1:33:48.280 --> 1:33:52.000 that they got fallacio whenever they wanted it from these 1:33:52.120 --> 1:33:56.439 And they were young, Okay, they were not thirty and 1:33:56.560 --> 1:34:00.200 forty whatever years old. They were young, Okay, So I'm 1:34:00.200 --> 1:34:03.320 gonna listen. I'm not saying that those things happen that. 1:34:03.600 --> 1:34:07.280 I'm just explaining to you that the only thing that 1:34:07.360 --> 1:34:12.640 makes this rise to being worthy of discussion, which is 1:34:12.640 --> 1:34:15.200 always should be worthy discussion, is that they got paid. 1:34:15.920 --> 1:34:18.160 Because it's not just what I'm trying to say. There's 1:34:18.160 --> 1:34:22.960 a dynamic. I'm not just told because it makes and 1:34:23.360 --> 1:34:29.320 officers have had relationship incarcerated individuals definitely. You know, prisoners 1:34:29.920 --> 1:34:34.479 and and officers have always had those things. There's it's 1:34:34.520 --> 1:34:37.720 always happened. I know that I know that for sure. Yeah, 1:34:37.720 --> 1:34:40.679 but we're not talking about that because, by the way, 1:34:40.800 --> 1:34:44.719 because by the way, that sounds like the slave master 1:34:45.280 --> 1:34:50.519 and the enslaved individual relations every now and then. I'm 1:34:50.600 --> 1:34:55.320 sure there's CEOs that sleep with with prisoners, as you said, 1:34:55.680 --> 1:34:58.599 oh yeah, sure, but in a lot of cases, as 1:34:58.600 --> 1:35:04.160 it relates to the way in incarcerated individuals, they don't 1:35:04.240 --> 1:35:06.840 want to do it. I'm not saying they want to 1:35:06.840 --> 1:35:08.960 do it. I'm not saying I'm not saying that's not 1:35:09.520 --> 1:35:13.439 I'm just saying that the dynamic of an officer being 1:35:13.479 --> 1:35:16.320 able to have access to herself is not new. That's 1:35:16.360 --> 1:35:19.720 something that mostly an officer the size and he's on 1:35:19.720 --> 1:35:22.040 the gallery, he can open the ceiling running and do 1:35:22.080 --> 1:35:24.000 whatever he wants to and even if she don't want it, 1:35:24.040 --> 1:35:27.160 he can do that. But what it would take for 1:35:27.479 --> 1:35:30.240 another inmate to get from another wing of a jail 1:35:30.520 --> 1:35:33.840 to go into the female's wing raper didn't get back, 1:35:34.360 --> 1:35:36.479 and nobody seem like this ship had to be a 1:35:36.560 --> 1:35:39.360 real They had to be running something because it's so 1:35:39.400 --> 1:35:43.320 many officers in between the different sections of a jail 1:35:43.320 --> 1:35:45.640 where women are held in a man jail, that it 1:35:45.760 --> 1:35:47.760 had to be. This ship had it is more than 1:35:47.800 --> 1:35:50.840 just these two people that was involved in this situation. No, 1:35:50.920 --> 1:35:53.879 I'm sure. But even in that, even in the scenario 1:35:54.000 --> 1:35:57.880 that you described where officer could go in the cell 1:35:57.920 --> 1:36:02.280 and do whatever they want, there's still many eyeballs turning 1:36:02.600 --> 1:36:05.599 away from that because the cameras are showing you going 1:36:05.640 --> 1:36:08.440 in and out of the cell. It's not like there's cameras. 1:36:08.960 --> 1:36:11.120 That's what are you talking about in the in the 1:36:11.200 --> 1:36:15.200 you're telling me that in the jail down these halls 1:36:15.200 --> 1:36:18.760 and corridors there it ain't no, it ain't no. I 1:36:18.800 --> 1:36:22.400 don't know if now, but there was not one no, 1:36:22.680 --> 1:36:27.320 not one camera sing sing inside the blocks, not not one. 1:36:27.640 --> 1:36:33.080 That isn't that's crazy, that's but but I would hope 1:36:33.479 --> 1:36:36.679 that there is a way to be able to see 1:36:36.800 --> 1:36:39.920 and monitor. Right, the control room is supposed to see 1:36:39.960 --> 1:36:42.559 what is going on. The only thing in control room 1:36:42.640 --> 1:36:47.439 sees is like the doors that you go through to 1:36:47.520 --> 1:36:50.879 get to the cell blocks. But there's no cameras inside 1:36:50.880 --> 1:36:54.800 the cell blocks. Mm hmm. Well, how does that help 1:36:54.840 --> 1:36:58.160 a woman or a man or anybody that's being assaulted, 1:36:59.360 --> 1:37:01.880 Because basically, if that's how they know, they would have 1:37:01.960 --> 1:37:04.920 been This couldn't happen if they had cameras inside the 1:37:04.920 --> 1:37:07.080 cell box, because if the camera would have courted all 1:37:07.080 --> 1:37:11.679 the time, so and nobody, the controller ain't gonna be like, yo, 1:37:11.880 --> 1:37:15.599 I'm involved in man. That is all types of federal charges. 1:37:15.960 --> 1:37:19.000 I wouldn't necessarily I don't agree with that. I think 1:37:19.040 --> 1:37:23.360 that everybody you. I think if you're an officer who 1:37:23.479 --> 1:37:28.840 was doing something with an h incarcerated person, there's a 1:37:28.840 --> 1:37:33.240 couple of people that's know something about you going in there. 1:37:33.280 --> 1:37:37.080 Ain right, you're going there often there's some energy, there's 1:37:37.280 --> 1:37:40.679 something that is going to bring cause people to see, 1:37:41.000 --> 1:37:43.000 but they don't want to see because nobody wants to 1:37:43.040 --> 1:37:45.439 be the one to be the whistle blower, to tell 1:37:45.479 --> 1:37:47.479 the story, to do the thing, and to have to 1:37:47.520 --> 1:37:52.160 be a part of what now becomes snitching or whatever. 1:37:52.760 --> 1:37:57.240 On your the colleague right. And someone said to me, 1:37:57.280 --> 1:38:00.080 you know, have many correction officers in my family. And 1:38:00.160 --> 1:38:03.640 someone said to me one day that it is you 1:38:03.680 --> 1:38:07.200 don't when you go behind the gates, right, when you 1:38:07.400 --> 1:38:10.120 going behind these don't you know what they say? No, 1:38:10.240 --> 1:38:12.640 two doors open at the same time. So when you 1:38:12.680 --> 1:38:15.720 step into the jail, you become just as much of 1:38:15.760 --> 1:38:20.040 a prisoner as the prisoners, because anything can happen and 1:38:20.200 --> 1:38:23.720 people don't have your back in the midst of a situation, 1:38:23.800 --> 1:38:29.680 you could die. So it's it's it's real. That is 1:38:29.760 --> 1:38:34.760 really sad, like that these women were being assaulted by 1:38:34.840 --> 1:38:40.440 men who just had access to them and nobody protected them. 1:38:40.479 --> 1:38:46.880 That's sick. That's unbelievable. Mhm. Well that brings us to 1:38:46.960 --> 1:38:51.200 the end of another episode of Street Politicians. Shout out 1:38:51.240 --> 1:38:54.920 to our guests, men, d cs. You know, I'm glad 1:38:55.000 --> 1:38:59.120 he's being released off probation because I know what that's like, 1:38:59.640 --> 1:39:02.320 early released three and a half years that he could 1:39:02.320 --> 1:39:05.000 have still been doing and he led him off early. Man. 1:39:05.520 --> 1:39:10.560 Just seeing him continue to prosper being a father, entrepreneur, businessman, 1:39:11.040 --> 1:39:16.200 and just somebody who who I see as a role model, 1:39:16.320 --> 1:39:20.320 somebody who has evolved from the trenches from where we 1:39:20.400 --> 1:39:22.719 come from that young kids can look at and say 1:39:22.920 --> 1:39:26.720 it's possible. Man. So shout out to him and um, 1:39:26.720 --> 1:39:29.200 if you have any topics that you want us to 1:39:29.200 --> 1:39:32.559 talk about, send them to Street Politicians so we can 1:39:32.600 --> 1:39:38.080 get your topics on. If you have any you know, ideas, 1:39:38.200 --> 1:39:43.799 if you have any yes, you want us to interview anything, 1:39:43.960 --> 1:39:47.800 let us know a Street Politicians on Instagram, d m 1:39:47.960 --> 1:39:50.320 U s and we'll we'll it. Will definitely work on 1:39:50.400 --> 1:39:55.479 getting that done, so once again, we love you. Mary 1:39:55.560 --> 1:39:57.519 is not gonna always be wrong my song It's not 1:39:57.520 --> 1:40:00.240 gonna always be right, but we were both all ways, 1:40:00.240 --> 1:40:07.720 and I may always be authentic. Listen to Street Politicians 1:40:07.720 --> 1:40:11.000 on the Black Effect Network on I Heart Radio and 1:40:11.080 --> 1:40:13.439 catch us every single Wednesday for the video version of 1:40:13.439 --> 1:40:15.599 Street Politicians or I Women Dot Tv