WEBVTT - Introducing TMI with Charlamagne Tha God 0:00:05.440 --> 0:00:10.200 That's what's good. Family hits Your girl Tamika D. Mallory 0:00:10.280 --> 0:00:10.480 and it. 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:12.880 Is your boy might sell in the general and we. 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:17.360 Are your host of up not Street Politicians, but T 0:00:17.560 --> 0:00:21.760 and my new name, New Year, New Energy. 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:23.319 Same us, same us. 0:00:23.360 --> 0:00:29.120 But we have decided to rebrand after six years of 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:32.320 Street Politicians, which is a name. 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:34.519 That I love that we created. You might have been 0:00:34.560 --> 0:00:35.360 the one to come up. 0:00:35.320 --> 0:00:36.760 I mean pretty much, you know I do. 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:40.479 That's always come up with the best titles for the moment. 0:00:41.720 --> 0:00:46.000 And at the time, Street Politicians was so so important 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:50.120 to us because really during that time six years ago, 0:00:50.240 --> 0:00:52.879 seven years ago, when we first started talking about it, 0:00:53.400 --> 0:00:56.160 so many people were like, I don't be thinking about politics. 0:00:56.160 --> 0:00:56.800 I ain't into that. 0:00:57.040 --> 0:00:59.480 Like everywhere we traveled around the country, it was like 0:00:59.560 --> 0:01:03.400 politic was like, Oh, that's somebody else's thing, that's someone 0:01:03.440 --> 0:01:07.559 else's business. And we did a lot of work over 0:01:07.840 --> 0:01:10.360 these six years, not just with the podcast, but with 0:01:10.480 --> 0:01:13.360 our work through Until Freedom and just on the ground 0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:17.800 or in communities in general to really get people to 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:19.600 start thinking more about politics. 0:01:19.600 --> 0:01:23.080 And now it's oversaturated. Even though some people still don't 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:24.640 feel politics. 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:27.520 Is their thing or their business, but I do think 0:01:27.560 --> 0:01:32.160 that more people are engaged and more people are knowledgeable 0:01:32.280 --> 0:01:34.759 about what's happening in the political space right. 0:01:35.080 --> 0:01:37.440 And I think also, you know, even though people are 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:41.280 definitely more knowledgeable about politics, we just didn't want to 0:01:41.319 --> 0:01:44.000 just seem like that's what was our main focus. And 0:01:43.480 --> 0:01:48.200 we understood that our communities need more information than politicians 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:52.640 and politics. You know, I feel like everything is politics, right, 0:01:52.680 --> 0:01:55.760 but a lot of people failed to inform, you know, 0:01:55.880 --> 0:01:58.200 So we wanted to make our show by informing our 0:01:58.240 --> 0:02:03.000 community about you being able to bring people, artists, everything 0:02:03.040 --> 0:02:05.360 that we actually respect that can give you a perspective 0:02:05.600 --> 0:02:07.960 that can help you grow and evolve to different places. 0:02:08.000 --> 0:02:10.360 So that's what we're not just you, but need. 0:02:10.280 --> 0:02:12.280 Too well help us all we intend to. 0:02:12.960 --> 0:02:17.200 And I think our show, our podcast has always been 0:02:17.360 --> 0:02:22.040 about us learning as we try to teach, as you. 0:02:22.000 --> 0:02:25.680 Know, we're being and we're all being informed together. Uh 0:02:25.840 --> 0:02:27.480 And so tm. 0:02:27.120 --> 0:02:30.800 I that is good. That gives us a good segue 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:34.360 to explain what the name is. It's not what it 0:02:34.440 --> 0:02:36.760 sounds like. It's not too much. 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:39.600 Information, although sometimes sometimes we. 0:02:39.400 --> 0:02:42.359 Talk about tm I given too much information, but it's 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:46.320 actually just our names Tamika and Mice on information. 0:02:46.520 --> 0:02:49.359 We give you information. We'll bring people here to give 0:02:49.360 --> 0:02:50.040 you information. 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.200 So we want you to be prepared and ready to 0:02:53.280 --> 0:02:54.400 be informed. 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:59.120 Right, So t M I is beginning. We're we're just 0:02:59.320 --> 0:03:00.160 back now. 0:03:00.320 --> 0:03:03.679 We've been sort of on working on all the rebranded. 0:03:03.760 --> 0:03:06.320 I know, folks are like what happened? Like where are they? 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:14.080 But we're still with the Black Effect Podcast Network. The 0:03:14.160 --> 0:03:18.160 whole family and all of our siblings in the podcast 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:21.360 network is so many podcasts. First of all, the Black 0:03:21.400 --> 0:03:29.800 Effect Podcast Network is doing amazing, amazing, amazing, amazing. They 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:34.720 actually sent us some jackets Jacket and then you know, 0:03:34.840 --> 0:03:39.640 so the network is doing well, growing every day. 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:42.520 I see so many new shows have been added. 0:03:42.720 --> 0:03:46.040 I think Sarah Jakes is going to be one of 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:50.000 the new podcasts coming into the family. And so you know, 0:03:50.320 --> 0:03:53.800 just that is already great. And then our long standing 0:03:53.880 --> 0:03:56.800 relationship with the first people who believed in us, which 0:03:56.840 --> 0:04:03.960 is Catscape Productions, our dear sister Kathleen Trag and also 0:04:04.160 --> 0:04:07.560 oh janis over here who's. 0:04:07.400 --> 0:04:12.400 Always posing it down, our producer, and so you know, we. 0:04:12.200 --> 0:04:16.479 Our family hasn't changed and we have grown in so 0:04:16.600 --> 0:04:20.400 many ways together when we first started, like going back 0:04:20.440 --> 0:04:23.000 to those old beginning shows. 0:04:23.040 --> 0:04:24.080 But you and I used to. 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:26.880 Argue, we still we still don't always agree. 0:04:27.120 --> 0:04:30.160 No, we still that changed now, but. 0:04:30.120 --> 0:04:32.280 We're gonna give you our perspectives and our point of 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:35.360 views even when we disagree, so that you can make 0:04:35.440 --> 0:04:37.960 your own judgment about who's right and who's wrong, because 0:04:38.000 --> 0:04:43.040 I'm usually writing, she's usual right whatever. 0:04:43.120 --> 0:04:46.880 But you know, but and I think now in this society, 0:04:46.960 --> 0:04:51.120 with all the stuff that's happening, we've begun to agree 0:04:51.120 --> 0:04:54.599 more than we used to. I mean, I think there's 0:04:54.640 --> 0:04:58.760 always still a perspective and something we want to It's 0:04:58.760 --> 0:05:03.600 so many shows, podcast blogs, talk whatever they are, youtubes 0:05:04.320 --> 0:05:08.800 that have really been designed to try to divide men 0:05:08.839 --> 0:05:11.599 and women, and particularly black men and black women. 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:12.400 And I don't know. 0:05:12.279 --> 0:05:16.159 If it's if it's intentional or they just have found 0:05:16.200 --> 0:05:18.680 that over time it becomes lucrative. 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:23.000 Like you, the more conflict you have, the better you 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:24.680 know ratings. 0:05:24.120 --> 0:05:28.000 And conflict is content. It is it is, And I realized. 0:05:27.640 --> 0:05:32.040 It's a it's a definite marketing strategy for most people. 0:05:32.080 --> 0:05:34.800 A lot of people that that's their main focus about 0:05:35.040 --> 0:05:38.240 how can we conflicts, like how can we create the division? 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:41.120 How can we gossip? We create something, even if it's 0:05:41.160 --> 0:05:43.880 not true. So I don't think that that's not what 0:05:43.920 --> 0:05:46.039 we want to know, that's not you. You do not 0:05:46.240 --> 0:05:48.560 have to worry about us. We don't want to do that. 0:05:48.680 --> 0:05:51.400 We do not here to tear down anybody. Everybody that 0:05:51.440 --> 0:05:53.919 we're going to bring here, We're going to bring the 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:57.600 people that we actually respect, people that we actually feel like. 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:00.560 Are going to everybody agree with. 0:06:00.760 --> 0:06:01.920 No, but I'm saying respect. 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.039 You don't have to agree with somebody like I don't 0:06:04.040 --> 0:06:05.880 agree with you a lot of times, right, but I 0:06:05.920 --> 0:06:08.200 respect you and I respect what you do. So we 0:06:08.279 --> 0:06:11.120 might have a different perspective on certain things. So you 0:06:11.160 --> 0:06:14.760 can respect people that you actually disagree with on certain topics. 0:06:14.880 --> 0:06:17.120 So if I don't respect you, then I don't even 0:06:17.279 --> 0:06:18.600 care what you think about something. 0:06:18.720 --> 0:06:18.880 Right. 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:22.520 So, as you heard from us the last time we 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:25.279 were in the studio, Tami is a thing. 0:06:25.480 --> 0:06:27.800 This is our new venture. 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:32.160 I've been podcasting for six years, but we're doing it 0:06:32.160 --> 0:06:36.520 with some new energy and the person responsible for keeping 0:06:36.600 --> 0:06:40.520 our voices at the forefront of the podcast industry is 0:06:40.560 --> 0:06:41.880 coming up right now. 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:44.320 I'm really excited about this interview. 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:47.640 Yes, I am too. My brother Charlemagne the Gut. 0:06:49.600 --> 0:06:54.799 So you know, I've had the opportunity to hear many, many, 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:59.560 many introductions of our brother, yes right, and and you know, 0:06:59.720 --> 0:07:04.520 old time those intros have developed to so many different things. 0:07:05.080 --> 0:07:08.600 And now you know, my favorite introduction from us is 0:07:08.680 --> 0:07:11.000 this is our friend, you know. And it's so good 0:07:11.040 --> 0:07:13.360 to have our friend with us and to have our 0:07:13.400 --> 0:07:16.080 friend as one of our biggest supporters in terms of 0:07:16.120 --> 0:07:21.000 making sure that our voices are present and powerful and 0:07:21.040 --> 0:07:24.280 impactful in the world. But you know, some of the 0:07:24.480 --> 0:07:30.520 developments of his initial his old days of being introduced 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:35.960 are that this brother is a media mobile, a multi 0:07:36.480 --> 0:07:43.280 media expert. It has a podcast network, a publishing company, 0:07:43.800 --> 0:07:47.760 is the producer of a multitude of different things. I mean, 0:07:47.800 --> 0:07:52.760 it's so much that Charlemagne to God, Leonard McKelvey is 0:07:52.840 --> 0:07:55.880 doing in this world. And we are so excited that 0:07:55.920 --> 0:07:59.000 for the first time we get to have you as 0:07:59.080 --> 0:08:04.720 a guest on Team Mine, which normally as three politicians exactly, 0:08:04.760 --> 0:08:05.560 we get to put. 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:06.320 You in the hot seat. 0:08:08.320 --> 0:08:12.040 So it's the first time, fast time, first time in 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:17.360 three years that we've been on on your network. This 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:18.920 is the first time we have you with us, But 0:08:18.960 --> 0:08:21.320 it certainly isn't the first time that we've been engaged 0:08:21.360 --> 0:08:22.120 in conversation. 0:08:22.240 --> 0:08:24.200 We've obviously been on the Breakfast. 0:08:23.760 --> 0:08:28.600 Club many many, many times, and between us and you, well, 0:08:28.640 --> 0:08:31.960 between you and me and Teslin, we argue every day 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:34.680 for at least about five hours a day, so I'm 0:08:34.760 --> 0:08:37.439 always knowing you know what's on your mind and how 0:08:37.440 --> 0:08:38.840 you're thinking about issues. 0:08:39.360 --> 0:08:40.880 Me and you know how to tap out though they're 0:08:40.920 --> 0:08:42.840 gonna how to tap out going. 0:08:43.840 --> 0:08:47.920 You know, testing test bring y'all argument to me, after 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:51.880 y'all kiss y'all, think she come to me and then 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:54.080 she can't bring it to me, so you know how 0:08:54.120 --> 0:08:54.679 to keep it going. 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:57.800 I mean, listen, if you haven't need somebody to help you, 0:08:57.920 --> 0:09:01.079 think Tesling is the one, whether you agree with me not, 0:09:01.320 --> 0:09:03.520 she gonna help you be up on your game because 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:05.360 you're not gonna just tell her bullshit and think you're 0:09:05.360 --> 0:09:05.839 gonna move on. 0:09:06.320 --> 0:09:07.120 So let me just. 0:09:07.800 --> 0:09:11.120 Start off by saying that I remember when I first 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:13.720 told you we're gonna change the name of our podcast 0:09:13.840 --> 0:09:17.160 from Street Politicians to T and I, which is Tamika 0:09:17.160 --> 0:09:18.439 and Maison's Information. 0:09:18.800 --> 0:09:20.720 When you heard it, you were like, it's dope. 0:09:20.840 --> 0:09:22.640 I love it, But you know they're gonna say y'all 0:09:22.720 --> 0:09:27.559 being messy because we know what T and I really is. 0:09:27.880 --> 0:09:31.880 Another thing that's well that that statement is well known for, 0:09:32.440 --> 0:09:34.319 which is of course too much information. 0:09:34.760 --> 0:09:37.320 And you know, we have had the. 0:09:37.400 --> 0:09:40.360 Opportunity working with Dolly and just working with the team 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:45.199 to reimagine our initial vision. It's been six years that 0:09:45.280 --> 0:09:48.480 we've been doing our podcast and we said, okay, we 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:51.959 want to do something fresh, something new, new imagery, and 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:54.160 you all have been so supportive of it. 0:09:54.320 --> 0:09:56.959 So first of all, thank you. But what we do 0:09:57.160 --> 0:09:58.520 want to really find. 0:09:58.280 --> 0:10:01.800 Out is with the Black Effect Cast Network, what was 0:10:01.920 --> 0:10:03.120 your initial vision? 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:04.360 Like, why did you start this? 0:10:04.520 --> 0:10:06.960 What made you want to manage all of us people 0:10:07.160 --> 0:10:07.920 crazy people? 0:10:09.720 --> 0:10:14.559 Because Malcolm X said that person who controls the media 0:10:14.679 --> 0:10:17.040 controls the minds of the masses. And for the first time, 0:10:17.920 --> 0:10:20.120 and at least in my lifetime, you know, we're in 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:24.080 a place where so many people are controlling their own narratives. 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:27.679 You know, so many people have their own platforms and 0:10:27.720 --> 0:10:30.360 they're able to have conversations that you're not hearing on 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:35.040 traditional traditional mediums like television or even radio. And even 0:10:35.040 --> 0:10:37.920 when you look at radio right, like talk radio is 0:10:38.000 --> 0:10:40.559 dominated by the conservative voice, like and it's a huge, 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:43.440 a huge, huge medium, Like these are hundreds of millions 0:10:43.440 --> 0:10:46.000 of people who are tuning in to listen to these 0:10:46.320 --> 0:10:48.839 you know, conservative you know, radio show hosts. 0:10:48.880 --> 0:10:51.920 And that's even translated over to podcasting. 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:53.079 If you go to like the if you go to 0:10:53.160 --> 0:10:55.319 Apple right now and you look at like top ten, 0:10:55.520 --> 0:11:00.520 fifteen to twenty podcast in the news the news category, 0:11:01.000 --> 0:11:04.280 they're they're mostly conservative voices, you know. So for me, 0:11:04.360 --> 0:11:07.480 it's like where the independent voices, Where the you know, 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:10.680 the voices from the other side, Like where the people 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.120 that's really speaking, you know, for the community and what's 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:15.719 going on in the street, Like where are all of 0:11:15.760 --> 0:11:18.120 those different voices? And I felt like, you know, the 0:11:18.160 --> 0:11:21.600 best way to amplify that was was through the podcast 0:11:21.640 --> 0:11:23.520 space because there was already a bunch of people doing it, 0:11:23.880 --> 0:11:26.040 like yourself. So it's like, you know, if I get 0:11:26.080 --> 0:11:28.120 the opportunity to be able to partner with somebody like 0:11:28.160 --> 0:11:31.880 an Ieheartened to be able to amplify those voices, why 0:11:31.920 --> 0:11:32.319 wouldn't I. 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:34.240 That's that's dope. 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:36.679 And and one thing is a common theme, you know, 0:11:36.760 --> 0:11:39.599 because I'm so big on authenticity, and that's one of 0:11:39.640 --> 0:11:42.520 the things about the Black Effect Network is it is 0:11:43.559 --> 0:11:47.360 full of the podcasts who are authentic, raw and real, 0:11:47.840 --> 0:11:50.360 you know, And I know that's that's something about you 0:11:50.800 --> 0:11:53.120 that I'm known for years, you know, since we since 0:11:53.160 --> 0:11:55.719 I first met you, like when you was Duskin, you know, 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:57.880 when you used to be Dusking. You know what I'm saying. 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:01.079 I know you since did I just want to know, 0:12:01.320 --> 0:12:04.800 like just all the things you've accomplished. You know, I 0:12:04.960 --> 0:12:07.559 always celebrate and I always tell people how proud I 0:12:07.600 --> 0:12:11.160 am of everything you accomplished. But back in those days, 0:12:11.200 --> 0:12:14.240 did you imagine yourself actually being where you are right now? 0:12:15.800 --> 0:12:18.880 Yeah, because you know, to a certain extent, Like you know, 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.600 I knew that I told myself back in ninety eight. 0:12:21.600 --> 0:12:24.640 I wanted to be like, you know, a super jock 0:12:24.800 --> 0:12:25.440 is what we call them. 0:12:25.480 --> 0:12:27.719 You know, I didn't want to be just somebody in 0:12:27.760 --> 0:12:30.120 a in a local market during the time and Tempica 0:12:30.160 --> 0:12:32.439 you're introducing, you know, the New Drake Record, Like I 0:12:32.559 --> 0:12:37.800 always knew I wanted to be Tom Joyner or Andrew Martinez, 0:12:37.840 --> 0:12:40.559 a Wendy Williams, the Doug Bank you know. P. D. 0:12:40.720 --> 0:12:43.319 Green was a big inspiration of mind, Howard Stern, all 0:12:43.360 --> 0:12:43.880 of those people. 0:12:44.000 --> 0:12:45.760 So luckily a lot of them. 0:12:46.760 --> 0:12:50.880 You know, they had the opportunity to to build, to build, 0:12:51.080 --> 0:12:53.199 you know, I guess empires, many empires is what you 0:12:53.240 --> 0:12:54.800 want to call them. They were doing the books, and 0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:58.839 they were doing the television, and they were producing you know, 0:12:59.400 --> 0:13:01.840 TV show and stuff like that. So I had a blueprint, 0:13:02.320 --> 0:13:05.720 you know, there was a blueprint before me. So yeah, 0:13:05.960 --> 0:13:07.400 I was able to see what was possible. 0:13:07.640 --> 0:13:09.760 Well, I mean, I love that you're saying, yeah, I 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:13.000 saw it, because so often the answer to that question 0:13:13.240 --> 0:13:16.480 is like, no, I had no idea. I can't believe 0:13:16.600 --> 0:13:18.800 where I am today. But you're saying that you had 0:13:18.840 --> 0:13:22.079 a vision for yourself, you saw it, and you actually 0:13:22.360 --> 0:13:24.679 follow some of the models with your own. 0:13:24.640 --> 0:13:25.559 Flair, you know. 0:13:25.760 --> 0:13:29.720 And oftentimes I think people they don't really know where 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:32.520 to look for what it is that they want to be. 0:13:33.120 --> 0:13:36.599 What do you think it is about you that's like? 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:38.800 Is it that you read a lie? Is it that 0:13:39.120 --> 0:13:42.319 the exposure of your family, your parents, your community? What 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:44.280 do you think put you in a place to be 0:13:44.360 --> 0:13:48.120 able to see all of these different models and create 0:13:48.400 --> 0:13:49.960 what you have now become? 0:13:51.559 --> 0:13:53.760 It's all of those things. Because you know, my mother 0:13:54.280 --> 0:13:56.960 growing up, she was an English teacher, and she would 0:13:57.000 --> 0:13:59.800 always tell me to read things that don't necessarily pertain. 0:14:00.200 --> 0:14:02.440 So I would be in the library reading everything from 0:14:02.800 --> 0:14:05.679 you know, Judy Bloom, the books about UFOs. And then 0:14:05.720 --> 0:14:07.880 my dad, you know, he was the Jehovah Witness, then 0:14:07.880 --> 0:14:10.080 he got the Spellowship, and then he got into the Nation. 0:14:10.440 --> 0:14:12.000 But then he was also in the street. You know, 0:14:12.160 --> 0:14:16.240 my dad he battled substance abuse, but then he also 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:17.920 sold substances. 0:14:17.840 --> 0:14:20.240 And you know, he also was an entrepreneur. Like growing up, 0:14:20.280 --> 0:14:22.320 my dad had a fish market in the middle of 0:14:22.320 --> 0:14:22.640 a Monkst. 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:22.920 Corner. 0:14:22.960 --> 0:14:24.720 Like he had a it's called it's called Max Thiefood. 0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:27.120 So him and my uncles, you know, had had a 0:14:27.160 --> 0:14:28.640 fish market right in the middle of a Monkst. 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:28.880 Corner. 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:32.119 And then right behind the fish market was a barbershop. 0:14:32.240 --> 0:14:35.000 The barbershop was owned by a bunch of brothers. So 0:14:35.120 --> 0:14:39.040 it's just like I always saw that level of entrepreneurship, 0:14:39.400 --> 0:14:41.800 you know, even in my community and then growing up 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:44.280 in hip hop. You know, I'm born in nineteen hundred 0:14:44.280 --> 0:14:50.360 and seventy eight, so I saw bad Boy Rockefeller, no limit, 0:14:51.320 --> 0:14:53.720 you know, rap a lot, all of those brothers opening 0:14:53.800 --> 0:14:57.640 up these entities where they were empowering other people. So 0:14:58.520 --> 0:14:59.760 for me, it was kind of like it was a 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:01.680 con combination of all of those things, like, you know, 0:15:01.800 --> 0:15:06.760 not limiting myself to one space, but also knowing that 0:15:07.400 --> 0:15:11.800 you can create these entities to empower other people. And 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.800 then you know, Clarence Avon was from North Carolina, so 0:15:14.920 --> 0:15:17.960 I was always you know, a big, big, big, big 0:15:18.040 --> 0:15:21.600 student of of everything Clarence Avon was doing, and so 0:15:21.760 --> 0:15:23.240 he was he was a big he was a big 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:25.680 blueprint of mind. So yeah, it's just like as a 0:15:25.720 --> 0:15:27.800 combination of all those things you said, just paying attention 0:15:27.880 --> 0:15:33.440 and observing you know, black people in different spaces doing 0:15:33.520 --> 0:15:34.000 great things. 0:15:35.040 --> 0:15:39.120 Speaking of influences, you know, like I've watched you, You've 0:15:39.280 --> 0:15:43.920 had some of the most controversial interviews ever and they've 0:15:43.960 --> 0:15:48.000 been either entertaining or informational, Like you've You've done so 0:15:48.120 --> 0:15:52.200 many different things on these in this platform that has 0:15:52.360 --> 0:15:55.440 revolutionized I think a lot of people followed the groupprint 0:15:55.480 --> 0:15:58.280 that you have. Who is some of the people who've 0:15:58.320 --> 0:16:01.840 given you some advice And what was that advice that 0:16:01.920 --> 0:16:04.600 you think that you've taken as giving you, you know, 0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.080 the opportunity and ability to be where you are. 0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:10.160 Right now, oh, man. 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:14.000 I mean, yeah, I've gotten advice, some of the best ever. 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:16.000 Like I've gotten advice from all the great man she 0:16:16.120 --> 0:16:18.720 bought Tina. I was working with Wendy for three years, 0:16:19.320 --> 0:16:22.480 Tom Joyner, Like, you know, I've had the pleasure of 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.680 like knowing these people and having him tell me, you know, 0:16:25.880 --> 0:16:26.600 different things. 0:16:26.880 --> 0:16:27.880 One thing Wendy said to. 0:16:27.880 --> 0:16:30.200 Me that stuck out was, you know, you're either gonna 0:16:30.200 --> 0:16:33.960 be You're gonna either be of the industry or of 0:16:34.040 --> 0:16:37.320 the people, And that always stuck out me, you know. 0:16:38.560 --> 0:16:43.640 But it's it's almost impossible to not eventually be of 0:16:43.800 --> 0:16:45.960 the industry because either you're gonna build your own industry 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:48.960 or you gonna start developing real relationship with people, because 0:16:48.960 --> 0:16:51.680 either y'all gonna come up together, are you gonna meet 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.240 people in this business that you, you know, connect with. 0:16:55.520 --> 0:16:58.680 She was just the rebel period, you know what I mean, 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.920 Like she wasn't trying to deal with with nobody in 0:17:02.040 --> 0:17:03.080 any way, shape or form. 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:03.280 You know. 0:17:03.320 --> 0:17:07.240 I don't know if that was good or bad, But yeah, 0:17:07.240 --> 0:17:09.040 I've gotten I've gotten great advice from a lot of 0:17:09.160 --> 0:17:11.159 a lot of a lot of great individuals, man, But 0:17:11.240 --> 0:17:14.840 I learned more so from watching other people like there 0:17:14.960 --> 0:17:18.480 was people who idolized back in the day, and I 0:17:18.600 --> 0:17:20.879 realized that, man, they never allowed themselves to grow up. 0:17:21.800 --> 0:17:23.679 And being that they never allowed themselves to grow up, 0:17:23.680 --> 0:17:27.800 they never allowed themselves to evolve. They're plane landed in 0:17:27.800 --> 0:17:30.440 the wheels, didn't come out. Like there's a lot of 0:17:30.480 --> 0:17:33.840 people that came before us who we watched crash and burn, 0:17:34.240 --> 0:17:37.399 you know, especially in radio, especially you know, if they 0:17:37.480 --> 0:17:39.960 had the shock jock label, but they didn't allow themselves 0:17:40.000 --> 0:17:42.840 to grow And so for me, I learned that and 0:17:43.000 --> 0:17:44.680 just realized, like, man, I don't want to be the 0:17:44.760 --> 0:17:46.920 forty five year old dude what it's had on the 0:17:47.040 --> 0:17:50.360 back you know, yes, yes, yes, y'all and screaming over 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:52.200 records Like I never wanted to be that, Like I 0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:53.960 wanted to do exactly what you just said. Might have 0:17:54.119 --> 0:17:58.440 conversations you know that people can actually learn from or 0:17:58.920 --> 0:18:02.840 just sit back and watch and and genuinely being attained. 0:18:02.920 --> 0:18:05.960 Like right now you look at the game, man, it's 0:18:05.960 --> 0:18:09.960 just all mess like every everything is, everything is conflict, 0:18:10.040 --> 0:18:12.840 trip everything is. It's like, yo, who can we beat 0:18:12.920 --> 0:18:18.040 up to date? Like me, I don't want to be 0:18:18.080 --> 0:18:21.000 a part of that circuit. Like I've been disconnected at 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:24.440 a long, long, long, long time ago. Because how sustainable 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:26.280 is that? I don't think it's sustainable at all. 0:18:27.880 --> 0:18:29.200 So what would you tell a young person? 0:18:29.240 --> 0:18:32.760 Because we're privileged, Leonard, Like, we have access to these 0:18:32.800 --> 0:18:34.800 people you got to work with, as you said, Wendy 0:18:34.960 --> 0:18:37.960 and Angie Martinez, you sit with, and we are in 0:18:38.160 --> 0:18:40.440 all these circles, we around all these people. 0:18:40.720 --> 0:18:42.200 So what would you tell them? 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:46.840 You said, watch examples, right, But what's another tip that 0:18:47.000 --> 0:18:49.800 you would give them about how they can start to 0:18:50.080 --> 0:18:53.760 formulate what it looks like to develop and sort of 0:18:53.840 --> 0:18:56.600 go to the next level. What's your hustle and your 0:18:56.720 --> 0:19:00.640 grind that you would share to a young person that's 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:01.640 trying to figure it out? 0:19:02.720 --> 0:19:06.080 Number one right now, It's always been the number one, 0:19:06.160 --> 0:19:08.840 but it's even more imperative now. You have to be 0:19:08.960 --> 0:19:11.280 authentic to you, Like I feel like there's not a 0:19:11.320 --> 0:19:13.080 lot of people being authentic to them. I really feel 0:19:13.119 --> 0:19:16.720 like people see what they think is working for other people, 0:19:17.160 --> 0:19:20.280 so everybody's just mimicking mimicking that. That's why you know, 0:19:20.359 --> 0:19:23.359 it feels like everybody doing the same thing, because like 0:19:23.440 --> 0:19:26.520 nobody's really truly being themselves. But if you notice it's 0:19:26.520 --> 0:19:29.320 the people who really are being themselves who are cutting 0:19:29.400 --> 0:19:31.680 through in a really unique way. Like you know, you 0:19:31.760 --> 0:19:35.920 look at somebody like Earn your Leisure and what they've built, 0:19:36.160 --> 0:19:39.520 Like they built the whole platform talking about financial literacy. 0:19:39.680 --> 0:19:42.280 So you look at somebody like a nineteen Key, Like 0:19:42.400 --> 0:19:45.560 nineteen Keys is just out here, you know, empowering people 0:19:45.640 --> 0:19:48.720 on some og nation of Islam energy like you know 0:19:48.800 --> 0:19:51.239 what I mean, do for self, And it's like all 0:19:51.440 --> 0:19:53.480 like that stuff is cutting through. You look at what 0:19:53.560 --> 0:19:56.240 the eighty five South Show does in comedy. You know, 0:19:56.359 --> 0:19:59.960 three brothers who individually is stand up comic, aren't credit, 0:20:00.119 --> 0:20:02.680 but they come together collectively just to kick it as homeboys. 0:20:03.160 --> 0:20:06.520 You know, they built an amazing, amazing production company with 0:20:07.320 --> 0:20:09.639 eighty five South, and like they don't get involved in 0:20:09.720 --> 0:20:10.360 none of the mess. 0:20:10.880 --> 0:20:12.720 So it's like all of those those people who are. 0:20:13.119 --> 0:20:17.159 In their own unique lanes truly being themselves, you know, 0:20:17.400 --> 0:20:19.920 have have have gone to a lot of success. 0:20:20.560 --> 0:20:23.520 Then you got like a whole group of people who 0:20:23.600 --> 0:20:24.320 are all. 0:20:24.359 --> 0:20:30.080 Literally just doing the same thing, spewing the same type 0:20:30.080 --> 0:20:32.800