WEBVTT - BONUS: James Alexander on The Bar-Kays' Rivalry With Cameo

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<v Speaker 1>The Quest Left Show is a production of iHeart Radios. Up.

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<v Speaker 2>Y'all, welcome back to another mini episode of The Quest

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<v Speaker 2>Left Show. So this month we dropped a banger, if

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<v Speaker 2>you will, a two parter with James Alexander of the Barcays.

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<v Speaker 2>You can listen wherever you get your podcasts, or watch

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<v Speaker 2>the full in studio conversation on the QLs YouTube channel.

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<v Speaker 2>It's nearly two and a half hours, not exactly Jimmy

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<v Speaker 2>Jam length, but you know, not seven hours, but two

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<v Speaker 2>and a half hours is a lot. And trust me,

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<v Speaker 2>he brought the stories. James actually flew in from Memphis

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<v Speaker 2>to hang with us at iHeart Studios in New York.

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<v Speaker 2>And one thing you won't hear in the episode happen

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<v Speaker 2>when we were talking about that faithful moment in December

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<v Speaker 2>of nineteen sixty seven. Of course, I'm talking about the

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<v Speaker 2>tragic plane crash where James law four of his bandmates

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<v Speaker 2>and his dear friend and leader Otis Redding. So at

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<v Speaker 2>one point he got sidetracked talking about the Ojs and

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<v Speaker 2>the Temptations, who had played a show the night before

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<v Speaker 2>in Cleveland.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I wanted to know what the.

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<v Speaker 2>Last twenty four hours were like before the crash happened.

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<v Speaker 2>And he told this really compelling story about just having

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<v Speaker 2>a night off seeing the Ojs beform, seeing the Temptations beform.

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<v Speaker 2>They had, you know, hung with each other, had some fun,

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<v Speaker 2>went to see a concert, and then they were going

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<v Speaker 2>to head up to Wisconsin to do a show, but

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<v Speaker 2>they went to Cleveland, and that led to a whole

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<v Speaker 2>conversation about bands battling each other on stage the old

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<v Speaker 2>fashioned way with music, ego and pure showmanship. And he

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<v Speaker 2>even mentioned a similar rivalry between the Barkays and Cameo. Sometimes,

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<v Speaker 2>like really good stories wind up on the editing floor,

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<v Speaker 2>and we definitely didn't want this to be a part

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<v Speaker 2>of that, so we wanted to share that moment here.

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<v Speaker 2>He walked me through the December ninth, like the day before,

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<v Speaker 2>just whatever that.

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<v Speaker 3>Time period was.

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<v Speaker 4>Like December the ninth, we had a show in Nashville,

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<v Speaker 4>Tennessee at Vanderbilt University. Vanderbilt was like the Harbor of

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<v Speaker 4>the South. We had to show barcades and otis reading

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<v Speaker 4>at Vanderbilt University. We played Nashville Deep some of the

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<v Speaker 4>eighth then were supposed to play Cleveland, Ohio December the

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<v Speaker 4>night so rather than spend the night in Nashville because

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<v Speaker 4>he had his own plane. Hey man, the o Jason

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<v Speaker 4>the Temptations in Cleveland. When we get through it our show,

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<v Speaker 4>let's take the plane and fly to Cleveland and catch

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<v Speaker 4>their last show because they was doing two shows or

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<v Speaker 4>early show in the late show. So we left and

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<v Speaker 4>went to the place which we were going to be

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<v Speaker 4>playing there on December the ninth. The Temptations of Ojas

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<v Speaker 4>were there on the some of the eighth OJ's were

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<v Speaker 4>opening act, and I mean the Temptations were on fire

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<v Speaker 4>at that point. And the OJ's this was back when

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<v Speaker 4>they had five members. The o Jays turned it out.

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<v Speaker 4>They had one song. They had a song called I'll

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<v Speaker 4>be Sweeter Tomorrow than I Was Yesterday.

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<v Speaker 3>Okay.

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<v Speaker 4>When they got through doing that song, I mean people

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<v Speaker 4>just stood up. I mean kind of like about a

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<v Speaker 4>ten minute standing ovation. The Temps didn't want to come out.

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<v Speaker 4>Now the temps, man, you they had all these hits,

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<v Speaker 4>and you know the Temps.

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<v Speaker 3>They were there, tall, well dressed, they were the shit.

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<v Speaker 2>Eddie Livett don't play fair. Yeah, I've seen him many

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<v Speaker 2>times in concert. He does not play fair.

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<v Speaker 4>They came out there and they ripped it right, So

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<v Speaker 4>being around a lot of that kind of stuff like that,

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<v Speaker 4>you know, So we came to an era where we're gonna.

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<v Speaker 4>Don't know if you know anything about this, you ever

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<v Speaker 4>heard of people saying we're gonna We're gonna cut your head. Yeah, ah,

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<v Speaker 4>you know our head cutting.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, I'm in a band, you're the band. I'm

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<v Speaker 3>in the band.

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<v Speaker 4>So we had we know it's time we did some

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<v Speaker 4>balance with Cameo. We that was one of our main

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<v Speaker 4>battlet groups. But anyway, I'm gonna get to that they

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<v Speaker 4>kicked our as we were playing the Reunion Arena and

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<v Speaker 4>I never will forget it. In Dallas Reunion hosts twenty thousand,

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<v Speaker 4>the venue sold out, right, So we actually had Larry

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<v Speaker 4>Blackman's Cameo to be do a two day run with us.

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<v Speaker 4>I think they were supposed to do Dallas with us

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<v Speaker 4>and Houston played the Reunion Arena and the Summit, which,

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<v Speaker 4>by the way, the Summit now is Joel Old Things.

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<v Speaker 3>Church, gotcha.

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<v Speaker 4>Anyway, I think we paid them, you know, forty grand

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<v Speaker 4>for the two shows. So the deal was Cameo is

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<v Speaker 4>supposed to go on a nine to thirty, so it's

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<v Speaker 4>nine thirty and you.

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<v Speaker 3>Know, we're still in the dress room, but we don't

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<v Speaker 3>hit on music.

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<v Speaker 4>How come cameos not on? So I said, my ropeanch

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<v Speaker 4>around and see what Camerao's not on. Well, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>Larry Blackman don't feel too good right now, so man,

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<v Speaker 4>he need to be on stage right now. Dude, we

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<v Speaker 4>done paid him this money. So as it turned out,

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<v Speaker 4>he'd have looked out at the audience and saw the

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<v Speaker 4>place is sold out and said come back, and the

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<v Speaker 4>message got back to me, He's not going on unless

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<v Speaker 4>you get five more thousand dollars.

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<v Speaker 3>So I'm the band leader.

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<v Speaker 4>And back in those days we had what you call

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<v Speaker 4>a democratic band, you know, the majority rules.

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<v Speaker 3>All of that.

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<v Speaker 4>So I said, man, I said, I went back and

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<v Speaker 4>tell my band, said, man, we got an issue. Larry

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<v Speaker 4>Blackman does not want to go on unless you get

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<v Speaker 4>five more thousand dollars. And fuck but I know if

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<v Speaker 4>the MC go out there and say, Cameo would not

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<v Speaker 4>be performing tonight.

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<v Speaker 3>And they was hot. I think they had out keep

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<v Speaker 3>it hot.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean they had out shake your pants all that

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<v Speaker 4>stuff like that. So I had to make I had

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<v Speaker 4>to make a leader decision. So I told my guy

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<v Speaker 4>to go around to the box office and uh, you know,

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<v Speaker 4>I mean we had maybe one hundred grand in the

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<v Speaker 4>box office.

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<v Speaker 3>Go around there and get them five thousand dollars so

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<v Speaker 3>they can go on mission. And so a guy that'd be,

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<v Speaker 3>oh man, you're weak.

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<v Speaker 4>But if if the MC had went out there and

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<v Speaker 4>announced the Cameo is not gonna perform, they would have

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<v Speaker 4>told that place up. We would really have a problem then.

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<v Speaker 4>So we gave them five thousand dollars. They go out onstage.

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<v Speaker 4>They kicked our ass bad. So with the cycle logical

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<v Speaker 4>and all of that, and you know, getting the five grand,

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<v Speaker 4>so our guys, you know, was feeling some kind of way.

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<v Speaker 4>But we went out there and did the you know,

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<v Speaker 4>just an okay show. Cameo show was right here, Our

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<v Speaker 4>show was right here. So I said, oh, hell no,

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<v Speaker 4>so we won't do you know, we're supposed to spend

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<v Speaker 4>the night in Dallas, you know, I said.

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<v Speaker 3>Look, everybody, we pack it up, we leave it tonight.

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<v Speaker 4>We going to Houston rental room, I mean, get one

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<v Speaker 4>of the rooms inside of the venue and set us

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<v Speaker 4>up there. We'd yes, you know this, this can't happen

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<v Speaker 4>like this no more, never again.

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<v Speaker 3>We had to come back at him, and you said,

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<v Speaker 3>the old Jay's kicked the times ass.

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<v Speaker 4>The same one kick the ass smoked them and they

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<v Speaker 4>only had one hit.

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<v Speaker 3>Tims had multiple hits. That's all it takes.

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<v Speaker 4>This is when David Ruffing was in the group. Got you,

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<v Speaker 4>David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams, Oldis Williams, and.

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<v Speaker 3>Who am I missing? Melvin Melvin Melvin freend Yes, oh

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<v Speaker 3>I can I forget? Yeah?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, so Lara was still playing.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeahlara was still playing drums. Oh got you? Yeah? Oh yeah, okay,

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<v Speaker 3>I know that area of pre pre red Cup.

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah yeah, but it was about nine to ten people

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<v Speaker 4>on stage.

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<v Speaker 2>We had actually had Larry Blackman, founder of Cameo, on

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<v Speaker 2>the show a few years ago.

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<v Speaker 3>Classic episode. If you haven't checked it out, check it out.

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<v Speaker 2>And I kind of love seeing how both of those

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<v Speaker 2>guys are still carrying with their bands to this day,

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<v Speaker 2>still entertaining audience, still making art. But stay tuned for

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<v Speaker 2>more bonus content from the Quest Left show. We've been

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<v Speaker 2>getting your mailbag, questions and comments, and uh I've even

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<v Speaker 2>been jumping in and responding online here and there.

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<v Speaker 3>You can always drop us a note.

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<v Speaker 2>Find tons of info at questlove Supreme dot com, or

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<v Speaker 2>if that's too much, just dm us give us feedback.

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<v Speaker 2>We read it, we love it all right, enjoya