WEBVTT - The Fight for Ta'Neasha Chappell 0:00:04.080 --> 0:00:07.640 That's what's up. Family is your girl to make a 0:00:07.680 --> 0:00:11.600 d Mallory and it's your general and we are your 0:00:11.640 --> 0:00:17.279 host of street politicians the place with the stoics. There's 0:00:17.320 --> 0:00:20.720 a lot of stuff happening. But today we've got to 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.720 keep our show tight because we're covering a very very 0:00:24.840 --> 0:00:29.800 very very very significant story. We're talking about Tekenisias Chappelle. 0:00:30.480 --> 0:00:34.680 She died in an Indiana jail, um and in just 0:00:34.800 --> 0:00:38.920 in July. So this is a very recent situation and 0:00:39.080 --> 0:00:41.760 we've been covering it and talking on our social media. 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:45.960 But we know that it is not easy to get 0:00:45.960 --> 0:00:50.680 the attention of the world when black women die, UM, 0:00:50.720 --> 0:00:53.320 and particularly when they die at the hands of the 0:00:53.479 --> 0:00:56.720 state UH and those people who are supposed to protect us. 0:00:57.080 --> 0:00:59.920 And so it takes a lot of work. And I'm 0:01:00.080 --> 0:01:03.640 glad to see that many of the blogs are starting 0:01:03.680 --> 0:01:06.920 to pick up the story. I saw the The Jasmine 0:01:06.920 --> 0:01:09.959 Brand talking about it after I had asked him um 0:01:10.000 --> 0:01:13.600 to please cover this situation. UH. And by the way, 0:01:13.680 --> 0:01:15.600 just to give a shout out to Roland Martin, as 0:01:15.680 --> 0:01:20.040 he was the first journalist to take on the story 0:01:20.120 --> 0:01:24.440 of Tekenisianship Chappelle. UH from a you know from a 0:01:24.560 --> 0:01:27.679 from a very serious perspective. I mean, he put, you know, 0:01:28.400 --> 0:01:32.479 a lot of the footage into his coverage to really 0:01:32.560 --> 0:01:37.520 give a serious view into what took place in that 0:01:37.640 --> 0:01:43.200 jail when Technisha became sick and begged for help for hours, 0:01:43.680 --> 0:01:47.800 literally for two days she was sick, and no one 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:51.560 did anything to help her, and then she died. Um. 0:01:51.600 --> 0:01:53.480 And I don't want to, you know, give too much 0:01:53.560 --> 0:01:57.000 sort of in this sort of pre context about the situation, 0:01:57.360 --> 0:02:00.320 because we're going to be joined today by her sister, 0:02:00.360 --> 0:02:03.800 who has been a serious advocate. She's really been on 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:07.360 the front lines fighting for her sister, UM, really supporting 0:02:07.400 --> 0:02:10.560 her mother. UM. And she's gonna be joining us. And 0:02:10.600 --> 0:02:14.360 also the attorney for the family who we many of 0:02:14.480 --> 0:02:18.960 us learned about and got to know through Brianna Taylors 0:02:19.040 --> 0:02:22.280 family because he was that family attorney as well. He 0:02:22.360 --> 0:02:27.000 still is. His name is Sam Agar and now he 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:30.919 is the attorney for Teennisia Chappelle's family, and so he's 0:02:30.960 --> 0:02:33.560 gonna be joining us also today. So we've got to 0:02:33.639 --> 0:02:36.080 save a lot of time to make sure that we 0:02:36.200 --> 0:02:38.720 get them on and are able to hear from them 0:02:38.760 --> 0:02:42.200 and really sort of just figure out what we can do. 0:02:43.440 --> 0:02:46.320 So that's that on that. But let's talk about what's 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:48.400 been going on in the news, because there is a 0:02:48.480 --> 0:02:52.160 lot happening, a lot happening. Um. You know, I think 0:02:52.200 --> 0:02:57.080 that too many people are either so tired, so busy, 0:02:57.120 --> 0:03:01.200 trying to get back into the real world, if you will. 0:03:01.639 --> 0:03:04.200 They've got a lot going on. That's one side. Then 0:03:04.240 --> 0:03:06.600 there are people who are just willfully ignorant, and some 0:03:06.600 --> 0:03:10.280 folks who are not necessarily ignorant, but just unwilling to 0:03:10.440 --> 0:03:13.720 deal with the stress of what is happening in the media. 0:03:14.560 --> 0:03:17.560 But I think people need to be very very mindful 0:03:17.960 --> 0:03:21.079 that what we see in terms of this war that 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:24.320 has just begun. In the last few days, the last 0:03:24.400 --> 0:03:29.080 three days, um, we saw Russia go in and and 0:03:29.080 --> 0:03:32.919 and invade Ukraine. UM and and a lot of people 0:03:32.960 --> 0:03:35.480 I see them online saying we can't be worried about 0:03:35.520 --> 0:03:39.360 other people's affairs that doesn't impact us. We've got our 0:03:39.400 --> 0:03:42.320 own stuff to deal with. And I agree, I agree 0:03:42.320 --> 0:03:45.840 a hundred percent that there is too much happening right 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:49.400 here on us soil, uh, that we have to address 0:03:49.520 --> 0:03:51.600 and that we have to still be fighting for them. 0:03:51.640 --> 0:03:54.840 We can't allow the federal government to be so caught 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:59.320 up in dealing with international affairs that they somehow overlooked 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:02.520 the voter suppression that's happening in this country, because there 0:04:02.520 --> 0:04:05.800 are elections happening all over the country where I'm hearing 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:09.160 people say that their voter suppression efforts. I just had 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:12.440 a conversation with Lead Merit, who's running for Attorney General 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:16.200 UM in Texas, and he said that there's so many 0:04:16.279 --> 0:04:20.200 different issues happening with ballots being closed that you know, 0:04:20.240 --> 0:04:24.200 the excuse me, polling locations being closed because of ice 0:04:24.760 --> 0:04:28.240 UM and the cold that is there in Texas, but 0:04:28.320 --> 0:04:32.520 then also mail in ballots being rejected at the largest 0:04:32.600 --> 0:04:35.960 numbers that they have ever seen in Texas since they've 0:04:36.000 --> 0:04:38.520 been accepting mail in ballots, And when they try to 0:04:38.520 --> 0:04:41.120 reach out to the federal government, it's like, well, there's 0:04:41.160 --> 0:04:44.200 a lot going on with Ukraine. So I understand that. 0:04:44.400 --> 0:04:48.279 But nonetheless, if we know anything about war, and we 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:52.200 understand that our government is going to get involved because 0:04:52.240 --> 0:04:55.640 America is the superpower at the table, at the table 0:04:55.720 --> 0:04:59.080 with NATO UM, which is where all of the sort 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.080 of the the State of the Union, which means all 0:05:02.120 --> 0:05:06.320 of these UM countries come together UM. And as we 0:05:06.360 --> 0:05:10.719 get involved and we start putting sanctions on Russia, knowing 0:05:10.839 --> 0:05:15.320 that the previous administration already gave the keys to the 0:05:15.440 --> 0:05:18.000 castle to Russia. We know what they did with the 0:05:18.040 --> 0:05:21.880 election when Donald Trump ran against Hillary Clinton. We saw 0:05:22.000 --> 0:05:26.400 them um with the box online and the cyber attacks 0:05:26.440 --> 0:05:29.520 that we received, and so they haven't changed. In fact, 0:05:29.520 --> 0:05:34.080 they've already started to launch cyber attacks against the banking 0:05:34.160 --> 0:05:38.600 system and systems and other things in Ukraine. So that 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.719 is going to be our reality very soon. Gas prices 0:05:42.760 --> 0:05:45.800 are already high, we're already in inflation. But this will 0:05:45.880 --> 0:05:50.240 cause more devastation, which will ultimately trickle down to more 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:53.400 gun violence and more issues in our community. So that's 0:05:53.400 --> 0:05:54.919 what I have to say about it. I don't know 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:57.640 what you think, but this is not something that we 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.839 can ignore. World War three is is upon us, and 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:06.160 we know that American truths. Our children will also be 0:06:06.240 --> 0:06:10.800 impacted by what has taken place overseas. I think a 0:06:10.800 --> 0:06:13.120 lot for a lot of us, you know, war is 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:16.440 so far removed. It's like the the things you see 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.640 in the movies and you hear about. You know, we 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:23.320 come from a generation where we haven't really experienced war 0:06:23.480 --> 0:06:26.000 in that in that you know capacity, so a lot 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:27.560 of it it's not real to us, right and a 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:29.880 lot of times, you know, I remember seeing it, like 0:06:29.920 --> 0:06:33.120 you know, war and sport on foreign lands. It doesn't 0:06:33.120 --> 0:06:37.400 really a touch. As we grow, we understand that the financial, 0:06:37.880 --> 0:06:41.479 you know, effects that the war has on everybody. You know, 0:06:41.680 --> 0:06:44.960 as you said, American being the superpower and having allies, 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:48.240 you know, when war is it happens. We have to 0:06:48.279 --> 0:06:50.880 protect our interests in some regards. You know, if we 0:06:50.960 --> 0:06:54.280 are trading with countries, if you know, we have different 0:06:55.040 --> 0:06:58.240 business deals and and and deals that we have going 0:06:58.279 --> 0:06:59.840 on with these countries, then we have to be in 0:07:00.040 --> 0:07:03.200 off these wars. And ultimately, like you said, these people 0:07:03.320 --> 0:07:06.359 will have our babies sign up for wars. You know, 0:07:06.440 --> 0:07:09.640 we already have. Our military will be in there. You know, 0:07:10.200 --> 0:07:12.920 lives will be lost. You know, there's a lot of 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:15.080 things that come with wars. So when we think that 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:18.080 it doesn't affect us, it's not really accurate at all, 0:07:18.200 --> 0:07:21.000 you know, it's it's actually quite the opposite affects us 0:07:21.320 --> 0:07:24.880 a lot. We we, like you said, our previous administration 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:28.200 pretty much gave Russia the keys. You know, they were 0:07:28.240 --> 0:07:33.840 able to be able to infringe upon our election. So 0:07:34.000 --> 0:07:36.640 if they have any type, they have that technology and 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:39.120 they have the skill level. When you talk about banks, 0:07:39.480 --> 0:07:42.240 you know, our banking system, and I'm being able to 0:07:42.320 --> 0:07:45.000 attack our banks and our money, then that's gonna hurt 0:07:45.080 --> 0:07:46.880 us in a in a big way, you know. And 0:07:47.280 --> 0:07:49.920 I was like I was saying today, you know, we 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:53.680 never knowe war is such a crazy thing because we 0:07:53.800 --> 0:07:57.360 don't know what we're fighting for. Most of the town. Right, 0:07:57.920 --> 0:08:01.880 every country that's going to the war has a completely 0:08:01.960 --> 0:08:04.800 different narrative about why the war is. You know, I 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:10.120 was listening to CNN, and we have a narrative here 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:12.600 why the war is and improved in the same that 0:08:12.640 --> 0:08:16.360 he's protecting people who have been you know, have been 0:08:17.000 --> 0:08:20.120 prisoners and have been there will have been opposed upon them, 0:08:20.160 --> 0:08:22.680 and he's protecting people. You know. So when you look 0:08:23.040 --> 0:08:27.480 at both sides, everybody thinks that they're like and every 0:08:27.480 --> 0:08:30.320 reason for war is just and it's just so crazy. 0:08:30.320 --> 0:08:34.120 And in us, as just civilians and citizens who live 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.400 in the country, we don't know nothing but what the 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:38.920 news tells us. We don't know, like when we especially 0:08:38.960 --> 0:08:41.440 when when we when we pay attention to prior wars, 0:08:41.600 --> 0:08:45.360 right when we look about how the war when drugs 0:08:45.360 --> 0:08:47.880 were being and guns were being sent to different countries, 0:08:48.120 --> 0:08:50.839 and they were being funded by one person, and when 0:08:50.920 --> 0:08:53.760 people were funding in all these things, we didn't know 0:08:53.800 --> 0:08:55.959 what we were fighting for. We were told this was 0:08:56.000 --> 0:08:58.720 the reason we fight. We always told that this is 0:08:58.800 --> 0:09:00.800 one reason we fight, and then we find out years 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.880 later that it's over sudden, totally different. So, you know, 0:09:04.040 --> 0:09:07.320 I just it's just an unfortunate situation. We're just living 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.880 real crazy times, and technology makes it so much more 0:09:11.960 --> 0:09:17.120 easy to not to get information, but also to lie, 0:09:17.720 --> 0:09:21.480 to trick information to you know, to give you misinformation 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:25.440 disseminated so fast that nobody knows what's going on. So 0:09:25.559 --> 0:09:27.280 right now I don't know what the hell is going on. 0:09:27.320 --> 0:09:29.120 I know what people are telling me we fight, you 0:09:29.160 --> 0:09:32.280 know that that Ukraine and Russia and everything is fighting over, 0:09:32.280 --> 0:09:34.199 but I actually don't know what the hell it is, 0:09:34.360 --> 0:09:36.920 and I don't think we ever will until you know, 0:09:37.120 --> 0:09:40.160 there's a whistle blower and somebody saw us to devolge 0:09:40.200 --> 0:09:43.720 the information what really happened, Because it's just so it's 0:09:43.720 --> 0:09:47.640 so ironic. As soon as you know the prior administration 0:09:47.679 --> 0:09:50.439 was buddy buddy with prove it, you know as soon 0:09:50.480 --> 0:09:53.679 as this happens. Now it's war like. I just don't 0:09:53.679 --> 0:09:56.400 know what these chess plays that these people are making 0:09:56.720 --> 0:09:59.440 and how you know how they pretty much get mooed 0:09:59.480 --> 0:10:02.520 a live, yeah, gamble with our lives. And I'll tell 0:10:02.559 --> 0:10:05.960 you the trauma that people are experiencing from all of 0:10:06.000 --> 0:10:09.280 this stuff. It's a lot, you know, I UM speaking 0:10:09.320 --> 0:10:13.640 of trauma. Just looking at this week, we um won 0:10:14.120 --> 0:10:18.240 in the civil rights matter. Um, the federal government was 0:10:18.360 --> 0:10:23.839 able to secure conviction of hate crimes against the McMichaels 0:10:23.880 --> 0:10:26.080 and the other guy. I don't even know his name 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:28.200 and I'm not even gonna try to remember it. But 0:10:28.320 --> 0:10:31.760 the murderers of Ahmad are very and it's a when 0:10:32.040 --> 0:10:35.680 for sure. And listen, we talk about accountability and justice, 0:10:36.000 --> 0:10:39.040 and we know that justice looks like not even having 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.640 a mod are very dead right, not even having to 0:10:43.240 --> 0:10:45.840 talk about this and have his mother and father and 0:10:45.960 --> 0:10:50.240 others struggling and stressing and fighting fighting to try to 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:53.719 get a little bit of accountability. UM, we don't want 0:10:53.720 --> 0:10:55.920 to see anymore a mod are reason, and so we 0:10:56.040 --> 0:11:00.000 know that that's what real true justice looks like. Uh. 0:11:00.120 --> 0:11:05.079 Of a world where our young babies boys, UM, and 0:11:05.080 --> 0:11:07.480 and men and of course women as well, But in 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:11.960 this particular situation, just thinking of a young man, um 0:11:12.040 --> 0:11:15.240 that that they would be safe, that's real justice. And 0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:22.280 accountability was having the men convicted in the state court, right, 0:11:22.400 --> 0:11:26.440 that was accountability. But I would say that the federal 0:11:26.480 --> 0:11:30.400 hate crimes laws starts leaning in the direction of justice 0:11:30.920 --> 0:11:34.960 only if we can get the federal government to look 0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.720 at this not as just a mad are very but 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:41.800 to look at hate crimes that are being inflicted upon 0:11:41.960 --> 0:11:47.360 our people around this nation. And that includes policing, it 0:11:47.480 --> 0:11:52.199 includes just white supremacy in general. Um and and that's 0:11:52.240 --> 0:11:55.280 what real justice needs to look like and what we 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:58.760 need to be pushing towards. We can't stop, right because 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:01.520 uh and I know the trauma. As you said, it's 0:12:01.559 --> 0:12:04.559 a it's a heavy time because you go up in 0:12:04.720 --> 0:12:08.559 terms of getting a conviction of the McMichaels and in 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:11.679 the the mod arevery matter. But then you turned around 0:12:12.000 --> 0:12:15.520 and in the Dante right situation, you have an officer 0:12:15.679 --> 0:12:20.440 only receive eighteen months UM in jail after murdering this 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:24.600 young boy. So we know that there's always pushback and 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:26.760 and it's not gonna be easy. Like we don't get 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:29.360 to fight a little bit or just winning a mod areby, 0:12:29.360 --> 0:12:32.000 and then the movement shuts down and people go home 0:12:32.200 --> 0:12:34.920 because you still have the Dante rights and so many 0:12:35.000 --> 0:12:39.040 other people that need justice, and so you know, I 0:12:39.880 --> 0:12:43.400 just I'm happy that it happened. But I can imagine 0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:46.760 what Wanda Cooper and um and a Mod's father, what 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:50.160 they have been through. They've they've been through a lot, man, 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:54.160 and you know, just looking at this whole situation, like 0:12:54.240 --> 0:12:57.959 you said, it's moving towards justice. Account is definitely accountability, 0:12:58.080 --> 0:13:01.920 but it is moving towards justice. And you know, they 0:13:01.960 --> 0:13:06.559 actually declared February three, I'm out our every day, so 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:09.599 you know, you know, you do you celebrate. We we 0:13:09.640 --> 0:13:11.960 would rather I know the parents in the world would 0:13:12.040 --> 0:13:19.560 rather have him out our birth. But you know, I apologize, 0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:23.040 Ms Cooper, don't kill me, but yes, the world would 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:26.320 rather have and I know Ms ms Cooper would definitely 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:30.320 rather have her son. But to see that change is 0:13:30.440 --> 0:13:34.480 slowly happening because of the situation and people are being 0:13:34.520 --> 0:13:37.559 held accountable and we're moving towards justice, you know, it's 0:13:37.600 --> 0:13:41.440 definitely something that makes us believe that our fight isn't 0:13:41.440 --> 0:13:43.760 in vain. You know, because I'm not gonna lie. Being 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:46.560 a part of this movement, being on the front line 0:13:46.720 --> 0:13:50.199 sometimes it's you know, you get to ay out your whistle. Man, 0:13:50.240 --> 0:13:53.360 It's just like, damn, we're just fighting. We're just fighting 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:56.440 a no win battle, you know. Like we always say, 0:13:56.559 --> 0:13:59.040 we our goal is to never have to work again. 0:13:59.400 --> 0:14:01.160 You know, we don't have a job. We gotta go. 0:14:02.640 --> 0:14:06.760 That's right, that's right. Unfortunately that's not the reality. So 0:14:07.160 --> 0:14:10.120 we're just gonna keep on fighting, moving in the right direction, 0:14:10.720 --> 0:14:13.360 you know. And and shout out to shout out to 0:14:13.480 --> 0:14:18.280 jan Da Cooper for calling out um, the d o 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:23.440 J and everybody in between. And shout out to Kristen 0:14:23.560 --> 0:14:28.560 clark Um. She is the Assistant Attorney General for the 0:14:28.600 --> 0:14:32.400 Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice. And I 0:14:32.480 --> 0:14:35.640 know her. I know her very well, Um, and I 0:14:35.680 --> 0:14:37.760 know that her heart is really in this and that 0:14:37.880 --> 0:14:41.560 she wants to do the right thing. But nevertheless, when 0:14:41.600 --> 0:14:43.880 you work within the system, just like us we work 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.040 in the movement, we get challenged all the time. She's 0:14:47.080 --> 0:14:50.160 going to be challenged also. Her back is going to 0:14:50.200 --> 0:14:54.200 be pushed against the wall. Um Merrick Garland, he as 0:14:54.240 --> 0:14:58.840 our as the the the the the the top cop 0:14:58.880 --> 0:15:01.720 in America. His back is going to be pushed against 0:15:01.720 --> 0:15:03.760 the war. Don't care how mean time Ty cries on TV, 0:15:04.200 --> 0:15:06.800 how much they make it sound like they so upset 0:15:07.120 --> 0:15:10.080 and everybody people are going to push them. And Wanda 0:15:10.200 --> 0:15:13.000 Cooper called them out and said, if it had not 0:15:13.200 --> 0:15:16.640 been for us fighting to stop you from giving a 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:20.320 plea deal to these men, where they would be actually 0:15:20.360 --> 0:15:23.160 have to go to court and and and and face 0:15:23.520 --> 0:15:26.560 their the music for what they did. They can't just 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:30.320 cover it up and disappear. No, they gotta go to court. 0:15:30.400 --> 0:15:32.800 That's what she wanted. She wanted them to be convicted 0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:35.720 in the court. And they did it. The Department of 0:15:35.840 --> 0:15:39.720 Justice did their job after being told no, a plea 0:15:39.840 --> 0:15:42.760 deal will not work. The community stood with them. And 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:46.160 so shout out to miss Cooper for standing there and saying, 0:15:46.600 --> 0:15:50.160 I'm the one we made you do this to get 0:15:50.200 --> 0:15:54.680 this conviction today is badass. She don't play the games. 0:15:54.920 --> 0:15:57.040 That lady, don't play no games. First time I met, 0:15:57.120 --> 0:15:59.920 I never saw a smile one time. She never smiled. 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:03.880 She was always there, she was loving, very loving, but 0:16:04.000 --> 0:16:06.600 the smile was not there. Man. She she warmed up 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:09.880 to us and she became my family, but that lady 0:16:09.880 --> 0:16:13.360 don't play no games. He doesn't. So we were honored 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:15.720 this week. I wasn't able to go because I was 0:16:15.760 --> 0:16:19.840 one of those people in contact with UM, the the 0:16:19.840 --> 0:16:26.120 the Lieutenant Governor of New York State, Brian Benjamin, who 0:16:26.280 --> 0:16:30.240 contracted COVID and he was positive and we were hugging 0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:32.800 and whatever else, and so I had to get tested 0:16:32.920 --> 0:16:36.200 and PCRs take twenty four hours and dotted all of 0:16:36.240 --> 0:16:38.720 the things. So I wasn't able to be there, but 0:16:39.160 --> 0:16:42.320 we did receive a special honor this week. You attended, 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:46.200 you were honored as well, So tell us about what happened. Yeah, 0:16:46.200 --> 0:16:48.760 Shout out to the Windows of Hip Hop UM and 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:52.520 the Elements Awards, the Hip Hop Elements Awards. They honored 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:57.720 us for our contribution two you know, the hip hop 0:16:57.760 --> 0:17:01.720 culture through civil rights and through our activism. And it 0:17:01.760 --> 0:17:04.120 was a beautiful event. Shout out to my brother Amadez. 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:08.600 Shout out to Mellie mel Grandmaster Cast. Shout out to 0:17:08.720 --> 0:17:13.919 every Vanessa L. Gibson who was in the house, brons 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:17.080 Boro President. It was a real very nice event. You know, 0:17:17.600 --> 0:17:19.760 I've been there, It's probably my third time I was 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:23.199 there when the honored Fat Joe So Me and you 0:17:23.280 --> 0:17:26.840 were amongst the honorees, along with Amadez and a Boogie 0:17:26.880 --> 0:17:29.400 who wasn't able to make it either, who was got 0:17:29.440 --> 0:17:32.479 caught from a flight from across seas that couldn't make 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:34.640 it in time. So but it was a beautiful eventman, 0:17:34.680 --> 0:17:37.800 So shout out to them for honor me. It's always 0:17:37.960 --> 0:17:41.080 a beautiful thing to be honored by your home. You know, 0:17:41.119 --> 0:17:43.960 I've been screaming b X and Bronx as a hip 0:17:44.000 --> 0:17:47.160 hop artist for so long and representing that so long. 0:17:47.240 --> 0:17:50.040 So when you recognize and honored by the people that 0:17:50.119 --> 0:17:52.840 you actually stand for is a different feeling. So shout 0:17:52.840 --> 0:17:56.560 out to them. Wow, I'm happy that you were. When 0:17:56.560 --> 0:17:58.080 they said they were honoring me, I was like, I 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:01.240 kind of get how. You know, I try my best 0:18:01.320 --> 0:18:04.280 to make sure that I'm relevant in the culture, but 0:18:05.040 --> 0:18:08.760 I see you being that Honorrey even more. Um And 0:18:08.920 --> 0:18:11.639 while it was happening happening, the awards was happening, I 0:18:11.680 --> 0:18:13.760 was so sad that I wasn't there, But I text you, like, 0:18:13.840 --> 0:18:17.160 you really deserve this because you do represent the Bronx 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:19.760 and you know, and as an artist, I don't think 0:18:19.800 --> 0:18:22.359 that people and you're not alone. It's a lot of 0:18:22.440 --> 0:18:26.560 artists out here that are not properly noticed for the 0:18:26.600 --> 0:18:29.440 work that you guys do and just being an artist 0:18:29.480 --> 0:18:32.680 dealing with all the stuff that comes with artistry. UM, 0:18:32.720 --> 0:18:36.200 I've watched you do that, and I know how challenging 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.679 it is, especially to try to go against sort of 0:18:39.760 --> 0:18:44.000 the the trend and really stay true to you, to 0:18:44.080 --> 0:18:47.159 your artistic flavor and who you are. So I'm proud 0:18:47.200 --> 0:18:49.639 of you and proud of us, and thank you so 0:18:49.760 --> 0:18:53.560 much to the Elements what is it called again, the Element, 0:18:53.920 --> 0:18:57.919 the Hip Hop Elements for giving us that that honor. 0:18:58.359 --> 0:19:02.199 So speaking of artists, you know, I um and you 0:19:02.280 --> 0:19:07.280 and I have had world war battles off screen about 0:19:07.320 --> 0:19:12.560 this issue with Meg the Stallion and Tory Lanes, And 0:19:12.680 --> 0:19:15.400 you know, my thought of the day today is around that. 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:24.399 I think my thought of the day is that black 0:19:24.400 --> 0:19:28.960 women are so tired. We are so tired that it's 0:19:29.000 --> 0:19:33.080 at the point where I'm so triggered by what is 0:19:33.160 --> 0:19:37.879 happening to Meg the Stallion that yesterday, among my own 0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:41.760 being tired for everything that I have going on, I 0:19:41.880 --> 0:19:46.280 literally started to cry. It's not that there are people 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:49.760 out there who probably are like, oh, that's because you 0:19:49.880 --> 0:19:54.120 just have decided that, um, you know, she that that 0:19:54.119 --> 0:19:56.679 that Tory Lane shot her. And you and I have 0:19:56.760 --> 0:20:01.040 had debate about this because when when she said that 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:03.560 she was shot, which by the way, she didn't say 0:20:03.600 --> 0:20:05.800 anything in the beginning, but at the time that she 0:20:06.040 --> 0:20:10.840 was certainly certainly being antagonized by him, and she came 0:20:10.840 --> 0:20:14.120 out and said, you shot me. You were an advocate 0:20:14.200 --> 0:20:17.320 from them to say, why would she lie? If she 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:20.720 says that he shot her, then I'm gonna believe her 0:20:20.920 --> 0:20:24.639 until he proves that he didn't. And there was a 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:27.880 lot of back and forth about that, and eventually after 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:29.919 you and I went back and forth because and in 0:20:29.960 --> 0:20:32.480 my position wasn't that he did or he didn't, but 0:20:32.600 --> 0:20:36.080 my position was more so that because there is so 0:20:36.240 --> 0:20:40.200 little information out there, the way in which you advocate 0:20:40.280 --> 0:20:42.760 for her, you have to be careful because he could 0:20:42.800 --> 0:20:45.800 go out and star suing people saying that folks are 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:49.800 you know, making accusations against him and defaming his character, 0:20:50.200 --> 0:20:52.639 and you might be caught up in that. So, you know, 0:20:52.720 --> 0:20:54.760 we went back and forth on what was the best 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:57.239 way for you to approach it, and then one day 0:20:57.280 --> 0:20:59.439 I woke up and saw that you posted that you 0:20:59.480 --> 0:21:02.000 know what I thought about it, and I want to 0:21:02.000 --> 0:21:06.200 apologize for um the way in which I'm I am. 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:09.800 I'm stating this because I don't know exactly what happened, 0:21:09.880 --> 0:21:11.919 but I just don't believe that this woman has a 0:21:12.000 --> 0:21:15.240 reason to make up a lie. So I know you 0:21:15.320 --> 0:21:17.439 have some back and forth, you know, all of that, 0:21:17.600 --> 0:21:23.280 all the things that happened. So I sat and really 0:21:23.560 --> 0:21:27.959 have just watched, which I would hope that most people 0:21:28.280 --> 0:21:31.840 would do the same thing. Right, No one is saying 0:21:32.480 --> 0:21:35.520 I am not saying that because I'm triggered by what 0:21:35.720 --> 0:21:38.720 is going on with her now that that's because I 0:21:38.880 --> 0:21:42.479 know for sure that Tory Lane shot make this value. 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:46.600 That is not my position at all. My position is 0:21:46.960 --> 0:21:50.199 that none of us know what happened, right, none of 0:21:50.280 --> 0:21:54.639 us know. But there is a woman who is a victim. 0:21:54.680 --> 0:21:57.960 She is a victim, and she says that she was shot, 0:21:58.359 --> 0:22:00.800 and the way that she is being treated, and what 0:22:01.000 --> 0:22:04.359 makes it triggering to me is that she is being 0:22:04.440 --> 0:22:10.240 treated very similarly to other women who have come forward 0:22:10.320 --> 0:22:14.520 in their lives to report rape, domestic violence, and other 0:22:14.720 --> 0:22:19.480 very serious issues. It is always our fault and that 0:22:19.720 --> 0:22:24.760 our story doesn't make sense, and people finding ways to 0:22:25.080 --> 0:22:29.000 chastise us, to demean us this. I see all these 0:22:29.000 --> 0:22:32.879 people saying on Tory Lane's side, and I don't disagree 0:22:32.880 --> 0:22:37.320 with them less wait and see. But even yesterday, excuse me, 0:22:37.440 --> 0:22:41.119 but even the other day after I posted about how 0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:45.359 triggering this whole situation is, there were people who even 0:22:45.359 --> 0:22:49.680 when they say wait and see, they still lean towards 0:22:49.720 --> 0:22:54.320 saying because she's lying, or it doesn't sound right, or 0:22:54.359 --> 0:22:57.400 her story doesn't sound right, and therefore we should wait 0:22:57.400 --> 0:23:01.200 and see. My problem and the reason why I'm saying 0:23:01.400 --> 0:23:04.720 that I'm being triggered by how she's being treated it 0:23:04.880 --> 0:23:09.800 is not even so much as what as as as 0:23:09.840 --> 0:23:14.280 what is specifically going on with her and UM and 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:18.880 this Tory Lane situation, except the fact that every few months, 0:23:19.200 --> 0:23:22.520 every few months, I see people coming at her for 0:23:22.640 --> 0:23:25.480 different reasons. I'm not saying that she's perfect or not, 0:23:25.720 --> 0:23:28.040 but I've seen what she goes through. I met the 0:23:28.119 --> 0:23:31.960 sister um and and have had much conversation with her 0:23:32.080 --> 0:23:35.479 and believe her to be a somebody who's really just 0:23:35.520 --> 0:23:38.000 trying to grow. But I don't say that she's perfect 0:23:38.040 --> 0:23:40.359 because I'm not perfect. Because I know that this ship 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:43.080