1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:05,560 Speaker 1: It was like this game. Mr Seal Prayer from y'all school, 2 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: heaving me feel almost ever to ask you a question. 3 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: Let's just keep a real straight shot for no, Jason, 4 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: I'm gonna get a little bit roughly roughly just you 5 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,520 Speaker 1: are the wills un is not. I'm here for those 6 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: who really believed in the American process, all of us. 7 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:41,560 Speaker 1: You feel straight shot no chaser with your girl Tesla 8 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,479 Speaker 1: figure Out on the Black Effect podcast network, What's Happening Family, 9 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: This is your Girl, Tesla and figure Out hosts a 10 00:00:47,600 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: straight shot no Chaser today. I am excited to have 11 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: the member of the Lords of the Underground, activists and politician, 12 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,200 Speaker 1: founder of two eleven community impact politician all things hip Hop, 13 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: do pray, do it all and doing it well. I 14 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: added that on all of you mind do it all 15 00:01:05,280 --> 00:01:07,520 Speaker 1: and doing it well? Kelly with me, we are going 16 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: to talk about hip hop and politics and how these 17 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: things really, not even about how they marry. Really, We're 18 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,520 Speaker 1: gonna talk about how it has always been. It is 19 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,039 Speaker 1: our job to wake the streets of and let them 20 00:01:16,080 --> 00:01:17,920 Speaker 1: know that hip hop has always been in politics. This 21 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: is nothing new. We are just simply spreading the word 22 00:01:20,640 --> 00:01:22,720 Speaker 1: to let them know that they have not been paying attention. 23 00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,360 Speaker 1: I always tell people that hip hop is the founding principle, 24 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: if you will, on what has always happened in the streets. 25 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,240 Speaker 1: That's why the message said, it's like a jungle. Sometimes 26 00:01:31,280 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: maybe wonder how I keep from going under. It is 27 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: always the story. You gotta add that part. But now 28 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 1: hip hop is really taking over and not just being 29 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: the message from the street standpoint, from the recordings standpoint, 30 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: but also being the messenger in the political space. There's 31 00:01:49,720 --> 00:01:51,880 Speaker 1: a lot of criticism where people say, you know, politics, 32 00:01:51,960 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: hip hop should stay out of politics, but no, actually 33 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:57,080 Speaker 1: politics has always been in hip hop. Welcome to the show, 34 00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: Mr Kelly, thank you for being here. Thank you for 35 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:02,440 Speaker 1: having me. Man. It's an honor to be on this show. 36 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,280 Speaker 1: And I respect everything you're doing out there, the information 37 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:07,920 Speaker 1: that you're giving out to the people. Salute to you 38 00:02:08,040 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 1: for that. I appreciate that. Salute to you. Let's get 39 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: straight to it. You were recommended for me to interview you, 40 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:15,640 Speaker 1: and my producer actually shout out to Marcy. She said, 41 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:17,519 Speaker 1: you know, you have got to interview him because y'all 42 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: have a love for Tupac and I just want to 43 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:22,799 Speaker 1: make it click with Tupac is actually my husband. It's 44 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:28,600 Speaker 1: not about just that's right. Even though I was in 45 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:31,880 Speaker 1: high school. Everything that I do that inspires me in 46 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:35,440 Speaker 1: the hip hop space, really, did you know? All Bullshit 47 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: Aside was really founded off of Tupac's vision. I watched 48 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:42,360 Speaker 1: your Breakfast Club interview and it was so interesting how 49 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:44,959 Speaker 1: you talked about the conversation that you had with Tupac 50 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: about running for office. And I started a tagline, if 51 00:02:47,280 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 1: you will, in two thousand eleven called Concrete Roots, and 52 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: what that meant to me was you hear a lot 53 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: about grass root organization, grassroots, and to me, it was 54 00:02:54,919 --> 00:02:57,359 Speaker 1: about really taking politics to the streets, to the concrete, 55 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,359 Speaker 1: getting deeper than just the grassroots organizations, if you will. 56 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 1: It was inspired by Tupac The Rolls, a group from Concrete. 57 00:03:03,880 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: Tell me about your conversation with him and how they 58 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: motivated you into running for office and taking it to 59 00:03:08,960 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: the next step. You know what, before I go into 60 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 1: the exact story with Pop, you just touched on something 61 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: for me about how like the Concrete group and how 62 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,800 Speaker 1: we hip hop has always been political, right, And why 63 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: I'm mentioning is this this is because I just did 64 00:03:24,760 --> 00:03:29,079 Speaker 1: a food drive slash food driver in our community and 65 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:33,639 Speaker 1: we dropped off seventy eight thousand pounds of food. It 66 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: was one big tractor trailer. My point is that people 67 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,160 Speaker 1: said that I should call it a call on the 68 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:42,880 Speaker 1: politicians to help me do it, and I wanted to 69 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: show that US grass room organizations can come to come together, 70 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: unify and do it ourselves. But what I did do, 71 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:53,000 Speaker 1: and this is another political source within our communities that 72 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: people forget. People forget that the games and the people 73 00:03:56,640 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: who actually live in those neighborhood have a political structure 74 00:04:00,360 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: that governs our communities beyond city hall. So what I 75 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 1: did is I called somebody in the streets who is 76 00:04:08,880 --> 00:04:11,960 Speaker 1: is very popular and known and respected, and I asked 77 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: them where should the location be for us to do 78 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 1: the drop because I had another vision. I wanted to 79 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: go into a certain project. And he said, no, Duke, 80 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: if you go into that project, you're only gonna look 81 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:25,600 Speaker 1: good to that project and you're only gonna do good 82 00:04:25,880 --> 00:04:28,280 Speaker 1: for that project. But what you're what you're gonna do 83 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:32,640 Speaker 1: is you're gonna shun everybody else around those projects and 84 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:34,600 Speaker 1: they're not gonna rock with you. And I'm like, what 85 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: you wonna rock with me because and I'm doing good. 86 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:39,360 Speaker 1: He said, they're not gonna rock with you because you 87 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: didn't do it for everybody. You just did it for one. 88 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:45,120 Speaker 1: And I'm saying that to say that if I wouldn't 89 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,120 Speaker 1: have listened to him, I wouldn't have even known that 90 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: I was turning other projects against me, even though I'm 91 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 1: thinking I'm doing something good, and that's I stuck to 92 00:04:54,080 --> 00:04:57,039 Speaker 1: the politics of the of the neighborhood and it wand 93 00:04:57,080 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: out to work work for everybody. And I say that 94 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: just as to your point that there's so many political 95 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: things that happened within our communities, within the structure of 96 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:11,440 Speaker 1: our communities, and not just our local elected officials, you know. 97 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:16,000 Speaker 1: So like when you say hip hop has always been political, Yes, 98 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,600 Speaker 1: politics has always been in the hip hop and politics 99 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:21,120 Speaker 1: has always been in our communities. I'm so glad. Yeah, 100 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: because before you get in the tupac now, you just 101 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:24,440 Speaker 1: made me want to say something. I see what they said. 102 00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:26,680 Speaker 1: We would be a good interview. I actually trained a 103 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:28,679 Speaker 1: lot of my homies. I grew up in the nineties 104 00:05:28,880 --> 00:05:31,919 Speaker 1: and I grew up in Oklahoma City, and people don't realize, oh, 105 00:05:31,920 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: in Oklahoma City. Well, in Oklahoma City. It was an 106 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: influx of West Coast gangs. You know, all of the 107 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: big homies that I talked to now, not just last 108 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: week or somebody that made on the campaigns right now, 109 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:47,640 Speaker 1: where they came and set up shop, you know, in 110 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: Oklahoma because it was a centralized location in the middle 111 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:54,799 Speaker 1: of the country where you can move work from Texas 112 00:05:54,880 --> 00:05:57,720 Speaker 1: to Kansas to wherever you were trying to get. Ice 113 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,240 Speaker 1: Cube had a song called Vacation Day and so that 114 00:06:00,400 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: was one of their spots. And I tell people all 115 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: the time, you really hit on a good point how 116 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:11,480 Speaker 1: politics is exactly like gang organized politics. When you look 117 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: at Democrats blue, what do we know about And I'm 118 00:06:14,320 --> 00:06:16,440 Speaker 1: talking about for those who are out there who might 119 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:18,360 Speaker 1: be banging now, I'm going back to what I know 120 00:06:18,480 --> 00:06:20,960 Speaker 1: in the nineties, like when it was really gang banging 121 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:22,919 Speaker 1: for real, for real. I know people out doing their thing, 122 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:24,840 Speaker 1: But I'm talking about the original. You don't how the 123 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: politics were set up. And you look at Democrats who 124 00:06:27,560 --> 00:06:30,719 Speaker 1: are blue. There's a majority of Democrats across the country, 125 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,880 Speaker 1: just like in the nineties it was cripts blue majority 126 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: were crists. Has always right, it's always been more criptin 127 00:06:36,800 --> 00:06:40,120 Speaker 1: has been bluffs. But yet you look at Republicans who 128 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: are read, look at Bloods who are read. At that 129 00:06:43,160 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: time there was more, It was more cript than it 130 00:06:45,560 --> 00:06:47,400 Speaker 1: was Bluod. So I look at my homies in Inglewood 131 00:06:47,520 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: on how they were able to organize in Inglewood, stay 132 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,080 Speaker 1: strong and still have so many crips around them. That's 133 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: the same way that we see Republicans. Why is it 134 00:06:55,279 --> 00:06:59,160 Speaker 1: that Republicans are able to maintain their power posted Democrats? 135 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: Same way when you get the gang territory. How was 136 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,840 Speaker 1: it that Inglewood, Inglewood family was able to maintain their 137 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:05,840 Speaker 1: power with so many crips around it? And it is 138 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: because they pushed the line and they never faltered on 139 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: pushing the line. I teach a lot of my homies 140 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: on how the structure is has the same thing from 141 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: the ogs to the BG so they to the street 142 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:16,239 Speaker 1: to the track. All of the things you're talking about 143 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:20,080 Speaker 1: is organized in a structure that is very similar, almost 144 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: identical to the political structure. You mentioned the district, the neighborhood. Well, 145 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: when you pushing a set, you're literally talking about a territory. 146 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 1: Whatever it is that you're doing activity within that set. 147 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: That's the same thing that politicians do. They're organizing the 148 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: muscle and organizing the hustle. Muscle mean a territory that 149 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: you own and then hustle when you talk about money 150 00:07:38,360 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: and the resources that come in and out the neighborhood. 151 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: So I'm glad you pointed that out. I wanted to 152 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,760 Speaker 1: put a pen on there because what I'm hoping and 153 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:46,560 Speaker 1: which was a part of the Tupa's vision that you 154 00:07:46,640 --> 00:07:49,480 Speaker 1: can get into next he was all about he said, 155 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:51,400 Speaker 1: if you give me ten years, I have my own 156 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,280 Speaker 1: political party. And it was from that idea of taking 157 00:07:55,360 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: people from the streets that organized their blocks. How can 158 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:01,040 Speaker 1: we organize that in the polity A cool space that 159 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: definitely was pop see see Pop and I We Got Cool. 160 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: He allowed Lords of the Underground in the early nineties 161 00:08:07,640 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 1: to go on tour with him, so it was Tupacs tour. 162 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: Biggie was coming on the road sometime, but he wasn't performing. 163 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: It was Jane Um they had a man famine. They're 164 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:19,680 Speaker 1: rapping on a song with him, so he was on 165 00:08:19,760 --> 00:08:23,320 Speaker 1: the road with them. From Rotten Rascals from Nordy by 166 00:08:23,440 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: Nature's Crew. Then you had Patra she was she was 167 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,760 Speaker 1: there singing her Reagan getting busy, and then you had 168 00:08:29,840 --> 00:08:32,920 Speaker 1: outcasts opening up for us, and of course Lords of 169 00:08:32,960 --> 00:08:36,000 Speaker 1: the Underground, so we shipped Lords of the under Now, 170 00:08:36,080 --> 00:08:38,440 Speaker 1: this is early days where we all had to share 171 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,120 Speaker 1: vans and cars and stuff like that, and Lords of 172 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: the Underderground just happened to share a van with Tupac 173 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 1: and Thug Life. At the time, he had Thug Life 174 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: on the road with him, and we shared a van 175 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:51,719 Speaker 1: with him. And at the time, you know, one of 176 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,160 Speaker 1: my members was late. He was always late in pop. 177 00:08:55,960 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: One day, you just started talking to third person in 178 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 1: the van and was like, you know, it's my or 179 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,719 Speaker 1: people getting on the van later. And I felt like 180 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: he was punking us because we know who we was 181 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: talking about. So I started talking to third person and like, 182 00:09:09,559 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: people act like they from the West Coast when they 183 00:09:11,559 --> 00:09:14,480 Speaker 1: really from the East Coast, and you know, and then 184 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: it started some tension, and that at the Tension Bill, 185 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: the person from my crew got on the van and 186 00:09:19,760 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: I felt like, okay, well now he could take up 187 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:25,640 Speaker 1: for himself. But it kind of subsided. It was still 188 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: a little tension that sound check, and long story short, 189 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: the show didn't happen. So for some reason, the show 190 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:36,199 Speaker 1: didn't happen, and Park was furious. He came to my 191 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 1: room and I'm thinking, all I'm thinking it's from the 192 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:41,320 Speaker 1: van earlier. So he came to my room. He had 193 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:44,440 Speaker 1: a blunt behind one ear and two forties in a hand. 194 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 1: Knocked on my door. And at this time, like I said, 195 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: this was early tour, so he wasn't really in hotels yet. 196 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:53,040 Speaker 1: We were in motaels with the outside doors, you know. 197 00:09:53,240 --> 00:09:55,440 Speaker 1: So he came to my door. I looked out the window. 198 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,959 Speaker 1: I called my DJ, Lord Jazz, because he was in 199 00:09:58,000 --> 00:09:59,960 Speaker 1: the van, and I said, yo, Pocke had the door 200 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: and he's like he's tripping from the from earlier. I said, 201 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 1: I don't know. I'm just letting you know. He had 202 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: the door just in case something go down, because you 203 00:10:07,200 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: could never tell with Pop. So I opened the door. 204 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: He looked at me. I looked at him. He handed 205 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,839 Speaker 1: me at forty. I took it. He looks he's like, 206 00:10:17,880 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 1: you're gonna let me in. I let him. Man. It 207 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:22,679 Speaker 1: was two beds, and then he said on one. I 208 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: said on one. He lit up the blunt and he said, yo, 209 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:29,400 Speaker 1: you know he was wrong, right, and I'm not gonna men. 210 00:10:29,480 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: I was wrong. I'm like, I just looked at him. 211 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: He's like, but that's why I'm up here. That's why 212 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:36,320 Speaker 1: I rocked with you, because you took up for your 213 00:10:36,400 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: man even though he was wrong. He was like, that's honor. 214 00:10:39,440 --> 00:10:42,800 Speaker 1: He's like, that's respect. And then just from him talking, 215 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: we started, now, why are you aware about twenty years 216 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,839 Speaker 1: old at this time? I'm six months older than pop, 217 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:50,200 Speaker 1: so I'm were about twenty years old at this time. 218 00:10:50,559 --> 00:10:53,959 Speaker 1: So he's just talking and talking, and now I'm not 219 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:57,160 Speaker 1: really hearing the rapper, but you know, all of the loud, 220 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: I'm hearing another guy and he's talking about our communities. 221 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:05,680 Speaker 1: He's talking about how we need to get more popular 222 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,280 Speaker 1: as rappers and go back to our communities because if 223 00:11:09,320 --> 00:11:11,079 Speaker 1: we sell a million records, I mean, we got a 224 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: million soldiers that have follow us. That's what he would saying. 225 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: And at this time he said comment, you know all 226 00:11:16,320 --> 00:11:18,480 Speaker 1: of the hot rappers back then, He said, Comments should 227 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: go back to Chicago, Treat should go to East Targe, 228 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: you and Red Man should go to Newton, New Jersey, 229 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: ice Cube should go to the sand. He was just 230 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: saying all of the all of the rappers that was hot, 231 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,599 Speaker 1: and he said, let's start our own political everybody, we 232 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: we might have to do something that we don't want 233 00:11:34,600 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 1: to do. He said, we have to start youth programs 234 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 1: and stuff like that, but after we take the community 235 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:40,959 Speaker 1: with us, we might have to do something that we 236 00:11:41,120 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: might not want to do. I'm like what he said, 237 00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: we might have to come elected officials because if we 238 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: start all these youth programs and all that, we need 239 00:11:48,440 --> 00:11:52,720 Speaker 1: somebody that represents us at the table that's making legislation. 240 00:11:53,160 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 1: I was like, legislation. I didn't even really know what 241 00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 1: legislature was. Like legislation. He was like, yeah, the people 242 00:11:58,720 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 1: who make the laws. And I was just like, myn 243 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: you tripping pot we rappers, man wrappers, and nobody gonna 244 00:12:06,160 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: be trying to listen to us like that. He was like, yeah, 245 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: if you got that mindset, and that's what's gonna happen, 246 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: you know. And what I loved about Pockets that he 247 00:12:13,400 --> 00:12:16,679 Speaker 1: was so passionate about whoever he was around. If he 248 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:19,439 Speaker 1: was about around a bunch of reverence and bishops, he 249 00:12:19,600 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: wanted to be the big, the senior pastor. If he 250 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: was around a bunch of Muslims, he would want to 251 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:25,920 Speaker 1: be the Imam. You know, if he was around some 252 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,599 Speaker 1: gang bangers, he want to be the gang leader. You know. 253 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: He was just that passionate about moving forward and progression. 254 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: And and I didn't really take it that serious when 255 00:12:35,600 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: he was saying it. I just thought that, Wow, this 256 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: guy is talking way over my head. But as I 257 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,560 Speaker 1: started to grow and as he as we lost him, 258 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: and I started to see how the industry was and 259 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: see the power of hip hop, I was just like 260 00:12:50,040 --> 00:12:51,880 Speaker 1: I had an old my god moment, you know, I 261 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: was just like, Wow, these this is what this man 262 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:58,360 Speaker 1: told me years ago. It's actually what we have the 263 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,559 Speaker 1: power to do. I just we've realized we can do it. 264 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: So I said, I can't just hope that and pray 265 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 1: that we can do it. I have to do it. 266 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: He said it to me. That was our conversation. So 267 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:14,559 Speaker 1: I have to live that that out. I have to 268 00:13:14,679 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: do things in my community. I have to use hip 269 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:21,319 Speaker 1: hop as a a propelling point, you know what I mean, 270 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: as a bungee cord, as a as a you know, 271 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:29,199 Speaker 1: something to leap off of, to build, as a platform 272 00:13:29,280 --> 00:13:32,200 Speaker 1: to build other things that we need to help our community. 273 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: I still live in Newark, New Jersey. I still live 274 00:13:35,200 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: probably twenty minutes away from not even twenty minutes, ten 275 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: minutes away from where I grew up. It's in a 276 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:43,640 Speaker 1: little nicer part, but I'm still here. And that's because 277 00:13:43,679 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 1: of Pop. That's because not just Pop alone, but that's 278 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:51,439 Speaker 1: because of Mary Baracacia Um Tupacs Core, you know, and 279 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:54,600 Speaker 1: the people in my community. Uh my first manager hot 280 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,120 Speaker 1: Fees for read who was Muslim. And these are the 281 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: men in my life that who showed me. It's not 282 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:03,719 Speaker 1: just about you know, when you grow up in our 283 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:06,079 Speaker 1: neighborhoods and you grow up. We all grew up. A 284 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: lot of my friends grow with PTS. They got PTSD 285 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 1: from the way that we grew up in our neighborhoods, 286 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: you know. But the way that we grew up in 287 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:17,760 Speaker 1: our neighborhoods. We have to realize, man, that we want 288 00:14:17,800 --> 00:14:21,160 Speaker 1: to make it out, because that's the mentality. Everything is 289 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:22,960 Speaker 1: so bad to us that we want to make it 290 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:24,640 Speaker 1: out all of the vices. We want all of the 291 00:14:25,280 --> 00:14:28,840 Speaker 1: bad things that happen in our neighborhoods to be gone. 292 00:14:28,920 --> 00:14:30,880 Speaker 1: So we don't want to live around that. So our 293 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:33,160 Speaker 1: mentality is to make it out and to leave it. 294 00:14:33,800 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 1: But that's I believe as I started to get older, 295 00:14:35,760 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: that's the wrong mentality And back to what pop was 296 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 1: talking about. No, we want to come back. We want 297 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,520 Speaker 1: to stay here and fix the things that are are 298 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:48,160 Speaker 1: incorrect or we believe that are not for us. And 299 00:14:48,240 --> 00:14:51,000 Speaker 1: how do we do that in this totality. Yes, the 300 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: street soldiers, it's people on the ground, But if you're 301 00:14:54,320 --> 00:14:57,440 Speaker 1: gonna do it as a full complete component, then you 302 00:14:57,640 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 1: have to have somebody at the table in the political 303 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: who structure and at the governing structure of any city, municipality, statewide. 304 00:15:06,480 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: And if we claim that that hip hop is now 305 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:12,600 Speaker 1: the pop culture, in my four decades of living, I've 306 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: always known the pop culture to push, you know, society 307 00:15:16,040 --> 00:15:19,280 Speaker 1: forward and everything. The reason why for those who don't know, 308 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: if you listen to my show intro, I'm talking about pop. 309 00:15:22,440 --> 00:15:24,280 Speaker 1: You know when I say I come from you know, 310 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:27,160 Speaker 1: the spirit of tupac ambition of a writer is not 311 00:15:27,400 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: just the song. To me, it really is everything that 312 00:15:30,960 --> 00:15:33,600 Speaker 1: that he what his vision was. And it's up to 313 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:35,800 Speaker 1: the big homies to come back. You know, when I 314 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: look at you and Diddy and Ice Cube and t 315 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: I and Kill the Mike, whether you agree with what 316 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:44,840 Speaker 1: they're talking about or not they have did their thing 317 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:47,760 Speaker 1: in music and now coming back and saying, you know what, 318 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:49,720 Speaker 1: I want to take this influence and I want to 319 00:15:49,720 --> 00:15:52,080 Speaker 1: actually get in the political space. And guess who made that. 320 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,360 Speaker 1: I know this is not popular, but guess who made 321 00:15:54,440 --> 00:15:56,720 Speaker 1: that real easy to do that. Nobody wants to admit 322 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,240 Speaker 1: Donald Trump, whether people like it or not. You don't 323 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: have to like Trump, you don't have to respect um, 324 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: you don't have to whatever. What I'm saying what he 325 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,600 Speaker 1: was able to do by pretty much making now politics 326 00:16:07,840 --> 00:16:11,400 Speaker 1: entertainment because people watch because of Donald Trump, they just know, 327 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:13,560 Speaker 1: even if they don't like them, they know that there's 328 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: an entertainment, you know, a component to it. And when 329 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: Donald Trump runs, it shows a hold up, hold up. 330 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:21,400 Speaker 1: If he could do it, then the home you can 331 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:22,760 Speaker 1: do it. There's such and such can do it. So 332 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,160 Speaker 1: when you look at you running for city council, when 333 00:16:25,160 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: you look at Willie d running in Houston the city council, 334 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:30,800 Speaker 1: when you look at Starface running all of that, you 335 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 1: know all of that. And I'm not saying it's because 336 00:16:32,840 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: of Donald Trump. I'm saying that America now can see 337 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:38,600 Speaker 1: that anybody can do this. And I'm all about the nonprofits. 338 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not I'm not shipping on nonprofits, but 339 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 1: I'm trying to get us at this political table because 340 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, when we talk about 341 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:47,840 Speaker 1: CDs that fund these nonprofits to give out, the grants 342 00:16:47,880 --> 00:16:51,080 Speaker 1: to give that comes at the political table. I always say, 343 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: there's a little thing that I have out one of 344 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:54,600 Speaker 1: the recordings that I say, the days of using hip 345 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: hop as a political fundraising gimmick without accountability to heal 346 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:00,080 Speaker 1: the story of the hip hop tells is over. So 347 00:17:00,240 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: the accountability piece and healing the stories that we rap 348 00:17:03,840 --> 00:17:08,000 Speaker 1: about comes from sitting at the table. And if this 349 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:10,119 Speaker 1: generation is not gonna do with the generation that is 350 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: in place now, move they asked out, do it the 351 00:17:12,200 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: hip hop way. Move around, and so I'm done with 352 00:17:15,880 --> 00:17:17,680 Speaker 1: trying to get them to get it. We're done. We're 353 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:20,880 Speaker 1: talking to senior leadership. We appreciate what they've done, salute 354 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 1: you know, but at this at this point in time, 355 00:17:23,200 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: it's time to move around and let voices like yourself, 356 00:17:26,119 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: you know, come up and not just give food out, 357 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:31,080 Speaker 1: but in charge of who gets that food. Tell me 358 00:17:31,119 --> 00:17:33,400 Speaker 1: a little bit about when you ran for city council 359 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: and how you were able to mirror those two worlds 360 00:17:35,960 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: and and respect that you received or didn't receive, or 361 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:41,359 Speaker 1: challenges uh from you coming from a hip hop space, 362 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:46,160 Speaker 1: Oh my god, it was. It was very very difficult. 363 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:49,560 Speaker 1: You know when I first you know, I'm coming in 364 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,920 Speaker 1: as a as a version to their world. This this 365 00:17:53,119 --> 00:17:57,159 Speaker 1: is a process that the Irish been running since a 366 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,879 Speaker 1: hundred years, this whole political process. So me coming into it, 367 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,000 Speaker 1: especially in my city like North New Jersey, it's straight mafia. 368 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: And what I mean by mafia, I'm not saying that, 369 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 1: you know, there's a bunch of italities anything. I'm just 370 00:18:11,600 --> 00:18:13,840 Speaker 1: saying how the system is set up and the way 371 00:18:13,920 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: that this set up is just like if you're not 372 00:18:17,400 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: part of their team, then you really don't have a win. 373 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: You don't have a safe. So I'm not gonna say 374 00:18:24,840 --> 00:18:26,439 Speaker 1: you don't have a win, because some people do win 375 00:18:26,560 --> 00:18:29,119 Speaker 1: without being on teams or lines or things like that. 376 00:18:29,560 --> 00:18:32,200 Speaker 1: But it's very difficult if you don't have that power, 377 00:18:32,240 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 1: if you don't have that money to to actually compete, 378 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:39,760 Speaker 1: it is very difficult. Now, you would think that the 379 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: people should be the first thing that we would speak 380 00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: about about getting someone in an office and what I 381 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: learned that it is not the people, because the people 382 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: are easily manipulated by the money and the power. So 383 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:52,480 Speaker 1: the people who are are truly the ones that you 384 00:18:52,520 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: should vote for and you should see and find things 385 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:00,480 Speaker 1: out about. They can be easily persuaded with any that 386 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 1: pays for events, money that pays for little things for 387 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 1: them in their community at that particular time, but not 388 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: continuously or consistently just during election time. And then you 389 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:15,240 Speaker 1: have other figures that like you and they understand that 390 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: you will be good for the city, but you might 391 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: be messing up their structure and their system of how 392 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:23,240 Speaker 1: they approach it, so they don't want you in at all, 393 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:26,760 Speaker 1: you know, because once the people see that, then they 394 00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,760 Speaker 1: can't manipulate the people how they used to manipulate them. 395 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:33,200 Speaker 1: I have friends, well, I guess just associatests I know 396 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: in my city who I have we've seen on video 397 00:19:36,000 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: taking down my posters, and you know, just all of 398 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: the regular I didn't know it was regular then running, 399 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: but the regular things of campaign, like a campaign gets dirty. 400 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:50,600 Speaker 1: They might not be killing anybody physically, but that they'll 401 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: kill your career. They're going your mama's life, they're being 402 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: your your sister's life. They'll they'll get somebody fired if 403 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:00,800 Speaker 1: they're on the other team, they'll take away city cars 404 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:03,080 Speaker 1: from you if you vote for somebody or speak of 405 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 1: somebody and on the other party, they'll do all of 406 00:20:06,200 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 1: that type of stuff. Yeah, just so you know, that's everywhere. 407 00:20:08,720 --> 00:20:11,480 Speaker 1: That's not you know, I've worked on campaigns across this country, 408 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,119 Speaker 1: from the state, the local to federal. That's everywhere. All 409 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,480 Speaker 1: of them move mafia style. That's why I try to 410 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: crunch'all mafia, the real crunchy'all mafia, the founders to crunch 411 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 1: y'all mafia, my homies in because if I can crunch'all 412 00:20:23,119 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: mafia and politics to handle that, to run do mafia 413 00:20:26,800 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 1: business and city and I'm not saying killed nobody, but 414 00:20:28,760 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying, but to push a g line, 415 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:33,560 Speaker 1: you know, then then now we start to take over 416 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 1: because it makes it easier for guys, like when you 417 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,160 Speaker 1: have people that run for I don't know because I'm 418 00:20:38,160 --> 00:20:39,840 Speaker 1: not familiar with your city, but I'm gonna use or 419 00:20:39,880 --> 00:20:43,280 Speaker 1: Lando for example, precinct captains and precinct chair you know, 420 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:44,840 Speaker 1: I tell my homies all time, you can run to 421 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,440 Speaker 1: be a precinct captain. You can run to be a 422 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:50,760 Speaker 1: Democrat precinct captain that's over. You know, it's certain bout 423 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:53,640 Speaker 1: that's right. A district leader that positions that nobody really 424 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:56,480 Speaker 1: runs for. You know, imagine if you know, and I 425 00:20:56,640 --> 00:20:59,200 Speaker 1: use for my homies all the time in Inglewood, and 426 00:20:59,280 --> 00:21:01,399 Speaker 1: I said, you know, are building a new stadium outside 427 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 1: of Inglewood, And I said, imagine if you really ran 428 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: your hood for real. We're not talking about just gang 429 00:21:07,560 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: back saying this show hood, but imagine if you really 430 00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:11,920 Speaker 1: ran your hood for real and you were able to 431 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:14,359 Speaker 1: go to your county commissioners, city commissioner and say, hey, 432 00:21:14,440 --> 00:21:17,199 Speaker 1: I got three hundred plus votes coming out this neighborhood. 433 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: In order to get these votes, we need to make 434 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,800 Speaker 1: sure we got apprentice programs. With the new stadium that 435 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: you're building, we need to make sure that we got 436 00:21:23,640 --> 00:21:25,879 Speaker 1: x amount of jobs. It's coming back to Inglewood. We 437 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,240 Speaker 1: need to make sure that a certain amount is dedicated, 438 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 1: not just to minorities, because that could be anybody, that 439 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 1: could be white women. We need to make sure that 440 00:21:31,720 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 1: it's black, you know, folks that are benefiting. We need 441 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: to make sure that a certain amount of felons have 442 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: an opportunity to get back into the system through this program. 443 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: Then that's when you running your hood for reaching any 444 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,880 Speaker 1: anybody can say, you know, anybody can say I'm from 445 00:21:45,960 --> 00:21:48,200 Speaker 1: this setting, I'm missing that. But what about if you 446 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:50,920 Speaker 1: really push a line. And That's what I'm hoping and 447 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: praying to do. And it's not popular. I've been talking 448 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 1: about this for twenty years, so people say, oh, yes, 449 00:21:55,960 --> 00:22:00,520 Speaker 1: I'm talking about I've been on this ship, just on nothing. 450 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,159 Speaker 1: And the song tays that's on on the project that 451 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:06,719 Speaker 1: I'm working on called Brenda's Sun, and it's called who 452 00:22:06,800 --> 00:22:09,960 Speaker 1: the Bosses? And that song comes from a real event 453 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: where somebody was going to jail who was very good 454 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: friends with somebody highing a political party, and he's like 455 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 1: a family member to me. So he was having the 456 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:22,480 Speaker 1: dinner before he goes away, and I went to the dinner. 457 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:25,840 Speaker 1: When I went into the dinner, I saw people who 458 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:29,119 Speaker 1: asked me were like leaders in the community, like street 459 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,440 Speaker 1: leaders in their community. I saw directors of all of 460 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: our programs. I saw four mayors. I saw a superintendence 461 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: of our schools. So I saw all of the leaders 462 00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:43,400 Speaker 1: in our community, all of the bosses from the county 463 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:46,520 Speaker 1: down to the street level, and I just sat there 464 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: and I said, wow. I said, here is a guy 465 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: who doesn't have a political position and elected seat, and 466 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:55,680 Speaker 1: he has all of the bosses at his going away party. 467 00:22:56,040 --> 00:22:58,720 Speaker 1: I said, if this is not my field, I said, 468 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:02,520 Speaker 1: then I just said who the Bosses to myself, Who's 469 00:23:02,560 --> 00:23:05,920 Speaker 1: the boss who's running what? Like, this room is where 470 00:23:05,960 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: the bosses. These are the people that run our city. 471 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,719 Speaker 1: So if you're not in this room, you probably are 472 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:14,200 Speaker 1: not affiliated or have any connection to running our city. 473 00:23:15,200 --> 00:23:17,200 Speaker 1: So I created a song called who the Boss Is? 474 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: And it's just like what you're talking about, you know 475 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:22,439 Speaker 1: what I mean? Get our gs and our our homies 476 00:23:22,520 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 1: from our neighborhoods to really run their neighborhoods by empowering 477 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,000 Speaker 1: the people, to let them know that their votes are powerful, 478 00:23:29,520 --> 00:23:32,240 Speaker 1: and you utilize that when people want to come around. 479 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:35,600 Speaker 1: You vet those politicians or those those people who are 480 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: campaigning those candidates. You vet them by by making sure 481 00:23:39,359 --> 00:23:42,320 Speaker 1: that they support and represent the things that you need 482 00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,600 Speaker 1: in your community, in your neighborhood. And if they don't 483 00:23:44,640 --> 00:23:46,879 Speaker 1: do that, then you do not give them your vote. 484 00:23:47,160 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: I'm from the card and State like fin me and 485 00:23:51,280 --> 00:24:03,960 Speaker 1: I bound. Really, it's about putting them in the seat. 486 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 1: That's what I'm pushing for. My dream would be to 487 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: train homies all over the country on how to run, 488 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:10,719 Speaker 1: how to get a lot of seats that you may 489 00:24:10,760 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: not even think are the seats of power. To not 490 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: let your background intimidate you. I use an example. I 491 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: knew that Trump was coming. I knew that it was 492 00:24:18,240 --> 00:24:20,520 Speaker 1: bubbling up from the ground in Orlando. I was a 493 00:24:20,560 --> 00:24:23,560 Speaker 1: director of communications for a commissioner. That's the first time 494 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: ever running in two thousand fourteen. She's been arrested twenty 495 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: one times, one times. Yes, and she won first time, 496 00:24:32,640 --> 00:24:35,240 Speaker 1: beating in sixteen year incumbent with no money. She probably 497 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:37,639 Speaker 1: had maybe a couple of thousand dollars. He had forty 498 00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:41,520 Speaker 1: or she had fortllars in the bank. She was the incumbent. 499 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:43,880 Speaker 1: She had all of the support that you mentioned, all 500 00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:47,159 Speaker 1: the support you know prior to Not only did she 501 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,160 Speaker 1: win that first time, she won the second time when 502 00:24:49,160 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: they came even harder after her. They came with the 503 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:53,480 Speaker 1: same philosophy that people are saying now with Trump, but 504 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:54,760 Speaker 1: we gotta clean up the image. You gotta have a 505 00:24:54,800 --> 00:24:56,480 Speaker 1: better image. Because they didn't like her baground where she 506 00:24:56,560 --> 00:24:59,360 Speaker 1: came from. But because she did the work, they still 507 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:02,640 Speaker 1: couldn't knock her off the second time. Actually, former Miss America, 508 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 1: Miss Black America ran against her the second time and 509 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,160 Speaker 1: she's still be her ass like a drum. Why because 510 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:10,880 Speaker 1: when it came down to doing the work, Regina does 511 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:13,439 Speaker 1: the work like nobody's business. They didn't want her at 512 00:25:13,480 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: the table. Then they don't wanted the table now. So 513 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,760 Speaker 1: when we get in those spaces, this is why they 514 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:19,880 Speaker 1: fight so hard. Why why you hear people saying hip 515 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:21,639 Speaker 1: hop needs to say in their places, rappers need to 516 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: shut up because they know that if you remember that 517 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,119 Speaker 1: Malcolm Mix movie when he put his hand up and 518 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,200 Speaker 1: he and he turned it over in the streets move, 519 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: they know if you ever let the streets at the table, 520 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 1: if you ever let the street at the table, is 521 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,840 Speaker 1: on and popping. And I've been doing that forever. While 522 00:25:35,920 --> 00:25:40,520 Speaker 1: Democrats have focused on the supervoter and focused on those 523 00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: who they think is important, I have always been in 524 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,479 Speaker 1: this space because I know that if you wake us up, 525 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: it's a whole another move. And they have been the one. Democrats, 526 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 1: specifically even black, have been the ones that made a 527 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,440 Speaker 1: mockery out of it, saying I'm wasting my time saying 528 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 1: you need to go do something else because their power 529 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:58,399 Speaker 1: is threatened. Let's just keep it real. We can talk 530 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,160 Speaker 1: about Trump and racist and all that, but I'm talking 531 00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,359 Speaker 1: about what goes on within our own communities and our 532 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,880 Speaker 1: own leaders. They have been the ones that have pushed 533 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: the streets away from the table, trying to make them 534 00:26:07,119 --> 00:26:08,879 Speaker 1: feel as if they don't know enough, trying to make 535 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:10,959 Speaker 1: them feel little, trying to make them feel that they 536 00:26:11,000 --> 00:26:13,119 Speaker 1: don't have a place. But God is switching all of 537 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: that because right now In is waking up. This is 538 00:26:16,600 --> 00:26:19,680 Speaker 1: about pure vision, seeing things for what they are. The 539 00:26:19,760 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: fake will be exposed clear vision, and now this is 540 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,560 Speaker 1: the streets opportunity to push the line. I'm so excited. 541 00:26:25,640 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: What's gonna happen past the selection? You know what's gonna 542 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:30,720 Speaker 1: happen after this so we can get run you one time, 543 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:33,439 Speaker 1: three times, four times, and if need be, put soldiers 544 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:34,960 Speaker 1: on the street that hey, you want that. Now. I'm 545 00:26:34,960 --> 00:26:36,760 Speaker 1: not saying you're saying this, I'm saying this, so this 546 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,800 Speaker 1: is not you. You want to knock down signs. We 547 00:26:39,920 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: knocked down signs too for fun. So at the end 548 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: of the day. It's trying to really get gainst in 549 00:26:43,800 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: this politics, because that is why Trump is winning. He's 550 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,600 Speaker 1: a gainst superior. He pushes his line. Why are you 551 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: mad at Trump? Man at Trump or what? He pushes 552 00:26:52,280 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: the line, so you expected him to push it for you? 553 00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: Oh well, it's America that were posted to worth everybody 554 00:26:57,240 --> 00:27:00,080 Speaker 1: that ain't how this ship work. Whoever votes you in, 555 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: that's what they pushed the line for. This idea of 556 00:27:03,040 --> 00:27:06,120 Speaker 1: is everybody and I'm representing and don't work that way either. 557 00:27:06,200 --> 00:27:08,119 Speaker 1: You are blood our crip you and if you're not, 558 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: you're busting. They call it busting. Talk a little bit 559 00:27:11,640 --> 00:27:15,399 Speaker 1: about that on the gangster that you see. And are 560 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:17,760 Speaker 1: your thoughts on the Trump, you know, versus Biden kind 561 00:27:17,800 --> 00:27:19,680 Speaker 1: of thing as we move forward, you know with the 562 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,960 Speaker 1: selection and and do you think that Democrats are really 563 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:26,399 Speaker 1: speaking to the needs of the community you mentioned giving 564 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,879 Speaker 1: out food. Are they speaking to the needs of the 565 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: community and what they what it's going to impact them 566 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:33,639 Speaker 1: the most? And is that what's going to be to 567 00:27:33,680 --> 00:27:35,240 Speaker 1: get them to the polls or do you think it's 568 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: just the fear of Trump? What do you think about 569 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: their messaging on how they're working that's on the federal level, 570 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: you know, on on a federal level, just with my 571 00:27:43,359 --> 00:27:45,840 Speaker 1: my finger on the post of the community in my community, 572 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:50,120 Speaker 1: at least, I think that people don't like neither candidate, 573 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 1: you know, the Democrats. So the Democrats are so confused 574 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: about who to pick, who to vote for. On one hand, 575 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:02,040 Speaker 1: you do get themselves, and we don't. We can't take 576 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:04,480 Speaker 1: Trump for another four years because he's gonna blow the 577 00:28:04,560 --> 00:28:08,240 Speaker 1: planet up, you know. And then they don't they're not 578 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,200 Speaker 1: believing Biden is reform for all of the negativity that 579 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: he said in his past and has done in his 580 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: past as an elected official. Nor Kamala, you know, they 581 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:22,320 Speaker 1: don't believe that. They still remember the things that she 582 00:28:22,480 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: did when she was sitting on that bench. They still 583 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:28,320 Speaker 1: don't believe her totally. I mean. And then you have 584 00:28:28,480 --> 00:28:31,000 Speaker 1: the other people say, well, she's a black woman. We 585 00:28:31,119 --> 00:28:33,880 Speaker 1: can't say that out loud. We need to to promote 586 00:28:33,960 --> 00:28:36,399 Speaker 1: her and push her because she's a black woman, and 587 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: we can't down black women. So you have all of 588 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:42,680 Speaker 1: those those points, all of those parts that are very 589 00:28:42,840 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: confusing for the voter. The voters get confused anyway, with 590 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,320 Speaker 1: all of the fan fair posters and commercials and all 591 00:28:50,360 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: of this type of stuff. So now they know they 592 00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,560 Speaker 1: don't really want Trump. But then the other people that 593 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: they're putting in there, they're looking at him like saying, 594 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:00,960 Speaker 1: are they really gonna do with They're saying, they're gonna 595 00:29:01,040 --> 00:29:03,600 Speaker 1: do we know what Trump is, we know what he's 596 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: gonna do, we know what he stands for, and and 597 00:29:07,080 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: on a and on a crazy note. People like that. 598 00:29:09,560 --> 00:29:12,239 Speaker 1: They like knowing what their ops are gonna do. They 599 00:29:12,440 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: like knowing that their ops are hit or or whatever. 600 00:29:15,280 --> 00:29:17,640 Speaker 1: Because you know how to ride in your car, you 601 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,960 Speaker 1: know how to enter your house, you know how to 602 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: look over you you know what you're doing. But when 603 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,560 Speaker 1: you don't know, then that's when it gets tricky. Are 604 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,120 Speaker 1: they with me? Are they not with me? So this 605 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: this election, from what I'm hearing that from everybody, is 606 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:33,960 Speaker 1: still foggy, is still up in the air. You know. 607 00:29:34,160 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: Some people say, yeah, we're gonna go with Biden and 608 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 1: Kamala because of she's black, or because we want Trump out. 609 00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: So it's just it's just really up in the air 610 00:29:44,560 --> 00:29:46,600 Speaker 1: from from the vibe that I'm getting. And I really 611 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:48,920 Speaker 1: think that people need to get it together because November 612 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:50,920 Speaker 1: thirty is right around the corner. And you know, I 613 00:29:51,240 --> 00:29:53,120 Speaker 1: hear them talk about all the time voters need to 614 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:55,520 Speaker 1: go to the post voting. No, you can just need 615 00:29:55,560 --> 00:29:58,480 Speaker 1: to set your ass up. This is not just always 616 00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 1: on the voters. Let's just look at the basic example 617 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:04,200 Speaker 1: that anybody can understand. If a woman can never get 618 00:30:04,240 --> 00:30:06,840 Speaker 1: a man, over and over and over repeatedly, you keep 619 00:30:06,880 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: saying you're a good woman, it might be you, homie, 620 00:30:09,000 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 1: if you're the one. You say you are a good woman, 621 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:12,600 Speaker 1: you say you're good in bed, you say you cook, 622 00:30:12,680 --> 00:30:14,360 Speaker 1: you say you got the back. Well, why you can't 623 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:16,560 Speaker 1: never keep a man? At some point we got to 624 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: look at who you It's you, homie. So that's it. 625 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 1: So we've been begging the same millions and millions and 626 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,440 Speaker 1: millions and millions of people because Malcolm X spoke on this, 627 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: the same man is people to get to the polls 628 00:30:29,040 --> 00:30:30,680 Speaker 1: and they're still not getting to the post. Then it 629 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:33,200 Speaker 1: might be on you and the reason why they're not 630 00:30:33,320 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: afraid of Trump. And I say this, and I gotta 631 00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:37,040 Speaker 1: say it every chance I get on one of these episodes, 632 00:30:37,040 --> 00:30:38,600 Speaker 1: because I don't know if everybody listens. All of the 633 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:42,560 Speaker 1: episodes are not poor people are not afraid of losing 634 00:30:42,640 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: something that they never had. So when you tell them, O, 635 00:30:46,680 --> 00:30:49,480 Speaker 1: Lord and Lord, you might lose your car, I don't 636 00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: have a car. People like me who've lost everything before 637 00:30:53,440 --> 00:30:56,560 Speaker 1: multiple times, that ship don't scare me. What you're gonna say, 638 00:30:56,880 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: if you might lose your car, I've lost it. Being 639 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:00,320 Speaker 1: there done, they got it back. What you're gonna say, 640 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:01,880 Speaker 1: you might lose your house. Being they're done, they got 641 00:31:01,960 --> 00:31:04,000 Speaker 1: it back. What you're gonna say, I might lose my husband, 642 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:05,880 Speaker 1: Been there done, they got it back. What you're gonna say, 643 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: I lost my job, Been there done, They got it 644 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:10,080 Speaker 1: back repeatedly. What you're gonna say, you're gonna lose your business, 645 00:31:10,120 --> 00:31:12,240 Speaker 1: Been they're done, They got it back repeatedly. Anybody to 646 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 1: come from the mud has already experienced the worst. So 647 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:18,360 Speaker 1: when you say that, oh, Lord and Lord and Trump gonne, 648 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 1: it doesn't fear people that either don't have or they've 649 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 1: lost before. So it doesn't make them afraid to to 650 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:28,560 Speaker 1: lose it again because they've always felt they've been on 651 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:30,600 Speaker 1: their own and they've never looked to a politician to 652 00:31:30,680 --> 00:31:33,200 Speaker 1: bring that now. Those who are afraid of Trump in 653 00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:37,280 Speaker 1: the middle class or upper middle class, maybe if they 654 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:39,920 Speaker 1: lose something. And again I'm not saying Trump, I want 655 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:41,720 Speaker 1: him to be in another four years. What I'm saying 656 00:31:41,880 --> 00:31:44,880 Speaker 1: is that until they lose something and feel this pain 657 00:31:45,560 --> 00:31:47,560 Speaker 1: and feel with people on the streets what they're calling for, 658 00:31:47,640 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: what they need, then maybe you will see what it 659 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:52,640 Speaker 1: is that you and I are talking about on connecting 660 00:31:52,720 --> 00:31:54,800 Speaker 1: to the streets. I want to speak something in your 661 00:31:54,840 --> 00:31:57,400 Speaker 1: life right now. They just hit to me. It is 662 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: a reason not just Pop speaking into your spirit, but 663 00:32:00,440 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: you are a part of Lords of Underground, even without 664 00:32:04,560 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: you knowing it. Your job is to go underground. You 665 00:32:07,920 --> 00:32:09,640 Speaker 1: know when I say concrete groups, your job is to 666 00:32:09,720 --> 00:32:12,600 Speaker 1: go underground, under the concrete, dig under the nails, under 667 00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:16,600 Speaker 1: the scalp, to bring people forward in this conversation and 668 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:19,760 Speaker 1: to get them involved, not just on the nonprofit side 669 00:32:19,880 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: and you know, volunteering and being a part of, but 670 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,920 Speaker 1: really pushing for that power. Brother, I hope that you 671 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:28,400 Speaker 1: run again and again and again and not be discouraged 672 00:32:28,760 --> 00:32:32,480 Speaker 1: and position your platform on the underground. This is the 673 00:32:32,600 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: time that the underground movement has to come forward, and 674 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:39,160 Speaker 1: it's not about adjusting to them, It is really about 675 00:32:39,200 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: them adjustin to us. I tell people all the time, 676 00:32:41,320 --> 00:32:43,880 Speaker 1: pick a side, a step aside, row with us, or 677 00:32:43,960 --> 00:32:48,360 Speaker 1: move around. Your voice is so key to what do 678 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:51,920 Speaker 1: we do next election and election after that. What do 679 00:32:52,080 --> 00:32:56,840 Speaker 1: you say to those who want to do something similar 680 00:32:56,960 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 1: to what you did and how it's important to not 681 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:01,680 Speaker 1: be the courage even if you don't win a race. 682 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:04,240 Speaker 1: Did you learn anything that you would have done differently? 683 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 1: Do you plan on running again? Speak to the people 684 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: who identify with you, who might be saying, you know what, 685 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:12,160 Speaker 1: I really want to run, but they're hesitant to run 686 00:33:12,200 --> 00:33:14,760 Speaker 1: for office. I think exactly what you just told me. 687 00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,880 Speaker 1: If you have something to fight for, and you you 688 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: believe in and the things that happened in your community, 689 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:22,800 Speaker 1: and you have a message that you want to get off, 690 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:24,760 Speaker 1: and you have a cause that you want to support, 691 00:33:25,280 --> 00:33:29,600 Speaker 1: continue to run, continue to fight, present those things you know, 692 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,680 Speaker 1: be the action. See my thing was I wanted to 693 00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:34,760 Speaker 1: be the action. I just didn't want to talk about 694 00:33:34,800 --> 00:33:37,600 Speaker 1: the things that I saw wrong. I wanted to help it. 695 00:33:37,680 --> 00:33:40,440 Speaker 1: I wanted to enhance it and and and do the 696 00:33:40,600 --> 00:33:44,040 Speaker 1: things to lift it up. I will run again. I'm 697 00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 1: not gonna get discouraged. It is discouraging at times, though 698 00:33:48,240 --> 00:33:50,040 Speaker 1: you know, you can get down with yourself and to 699 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: be honest and just to be candidate. I've I've been, 700 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:54,920 Speaker 1: you know, like, man, what am I doing? But then 701 00:33:55,320 --> 00:33:58,240 Speaker 1: that's why they do it, that's why they put that 702 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,000 Speaker 1: pressure on you because they want you to give up. 703 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,479 Speaker 1: They want you to quit because if you quit. Remember, 704 00:34:03,560 --> 00:34:07,600 Speaker 1: elections happened every four years six years. You might get 705 00:34:07,640 --> 00:34:11,120 Speaker 1: a couple less happen every two years years in Congress 706 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: or something, but they happen in a long duration of time. 707 00:34:15,480 --> 00:34:18,719 Speaker 1: So once you give up four years, if you run 708 00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 1: and then you give up, that's eight years that's going by. 709 00:34:21,560 --> 00:34:23,720 Speaker 1: And now if you don't run again, then that's another 710 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,359 Speaker 1: four years or so. Now they have a twelve year 711 00:34:27,800 --> 00:34:31,719 Speaker 1: sixteen year advantage on you and they don't want you 712 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: to run. So when you give up, now the next 713 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,080 Speaker 1: person that come along is twenty years later that the 714 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:39,879 Speaker 1: side the run, he or she goes through the same thing, 715 00:34:40,440 --> 00:34:42,720 Speaker 1: give up if they don't win, and now it's another 716 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:46,799 Speaker 1: twenty years before somebody with that strong mind. Just don't 717 00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,200 Speaker 1: give up. And then when you don't give up and 718 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,400 Speaker 1: you actually get in there and actually bring other people 719 00:34:52,480 --> 00:34:56,040 Speaker 1: with you, build that foundation from the inside out. Then 720 00:34:56,440 --> 00:34:59,479 Speaker 1: because now we have somebody in and and that's where 721 00:34:59,760 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: one we get in, we have to start to realize, 722 00:35:03,239 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: let's not turn political, let's keep on the agenda that 723 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,320 Speaker 1: we once had before we got in. I think a 724 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,360 Speaker 1: lot of times people get in with those same ambitions 725 00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:14,400 Speaker 1: and those same intentions, but when they get in, they 726 00:35:14,520 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: let politics consume them. You know. And I'm not a politician, 727 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:21,719 Speaker 1: and I have never been elected, so I don't know 728 00:35:21,840 --> 00:35:24,279 Speaker 1: what that pressure feels like. You know, I don't know 729 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:26,680 Speaker 1: what you have to go through, but I'm asking those 730 00:35:26,719 --> 00:35:29,880 Speaker 1: who do make it in before me or after me, 731 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: make sure that you don't let politics consume you, keep 732 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 1: keep the interest of the people at heart at hand 733 00:35:36,320 --> 00:35:39,000 Speaker 1: so that you can continue the mission, because a lot 734 00:35:39,080 --> 00:35:42,480 Speaker 1: of discouragement comes from the people who are in power 735 00:35:43,000 --> 00:35:46,759 Speaker 1: not letting us in. Once you get in, man, you 736 00:35:46,880 --> 00:35:49,760 Speaker 1: have to bring other people in, set up your chess board, 737 00:35:50,080 --> 00:35:52,719 Speaker 1: put the players in place, because that's the only way 738 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:54,960 Speaker 1: that our culture will stay in once we get in. 739 00:35:55,120 --> 00:35:57,080 Speaker 1: But first we gotta get in. And it's all about 740 00:35:57,160 --> 00:35:59,560 Speaker 1: knocking down the door. You know, Pop spoke about that, 741 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:01,799 Speaker 1: you know, when you talked about it, knock on the door. 742 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:03,640 Speaker 1: We know, not eventually we just gotta just bust the 743 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:07,520 Speaker 1: damn door even bigger right now? Who big you and 744 00:36:07,600 --> 00:36:09,600 Speaker 1: big it was inspired by you. But remember he said, 745 00:36:09,680 --> 00:36:11,319 Speaker 1: I'm gonna let the door open. And when I opened 746 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:13,399 Speaker 1: up the door, y'all bum rushing. You know, he said 747 00:36:13,800 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 1: that it's not about us letting. We're done waiting on 748 00:36:16,280 --> 00:36:17,640 Speaker 1: them and let us in because they're not gonna let 749 00:36:17,719 --> 00:36:21,520 Speaker 1: us in. This is about knocking down the door to 750 00:36:21,600 --> 00:36:24,680 Speaker 1: the door. And you do that by doing it. You 751 00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: do that by doing the work. I would be remiss 752 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:29,920 Speaker 1: not to ask you about your work in Flint, Michigan. 753 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:33,360 Speaker 1: I am Attorney Benjram Crumbs wheted his senior political consultants, 754 00:36:33,440 --> 00:36:35,160 Speaker 1: and we, you know, work on the Flint case. They 755 00:36:35,239 --> 00:36:37,279 Speaker 1: just received a settlement. So I wanted you to talk 756 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,120 Speaker 1: a little bit about what you were able to do 757 00:36:39,719 --> 00:36:42,920 Speaker 1: in Flint and also with the water initiative in Newark. 758 00:36:43,239 --> 00:36:46,399 Speaker 1: So I was born to the Flint initiative. When I've 759 00:36:46,400 --> 00:36:49,279 Speaker 1: seen the water stuff happening, I reached out to Queen 760 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:51,920 Speaker 1: and Najib who is I love her man. She is 761 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:56,600 Speaker 1: Phara Khan's granddaughter, and she's an activist who does great things. 762 00:36:57,800 --> 00:37:01,600 Speaker 1: Your producer Marci was involved. They did this Water for Life, 763 00:37:01,840 --> 00:37:05,920 Speaker 1: hip Hop for Flint campaign. So we flew out the Flint, Michigan. 764 00:37:06,440 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 1: We talked to the people, we assessed the situation, we 765 00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:13,040 Speaker 1: we checked out the water source, and we did all 766 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,240 Speaker 1: of those things man and we spoke to the activists 767 00:37:15,280 --> 00:37:18,080 Speaker 1: and the leaders in those community. The Nation of Islam. 768 00:37:18,440 --> 00:37:21,400 Speaker 1: Islam came down and what we did out there we 769 00:37:21,480 --> 00:37:24,240 Speaker 1: had people test the water so we can put in filters. 770 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,040 Speaker 1: We did over maybe five hundred filters within Flint, Michigan, 771 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:31,960 Speaker 1: and it was just amazing that that we can actually 772 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:35,919 Speaker 1: help Flint. But it was a task because we learned 773 00:37:36,000 --> 00:37:39,480 Speaker 1: that those Britain filters did not work in the waters 774 00:37:39,520 --> 00:37:43,439 Speaker 1: of Flint, Michigan. Those pure A filters did dot work. 775 00:37:43,719 --> 00:37:46,360 Speaker 1: The only thing that was working was an independent company 776 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: that was out of Detroit, Michigan. I think it was 777 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:51,960 Speaker 1: a black company too, where they did reverse osmosis. So 778 00:37:52,080 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 1: we understood that reverse osmosis was the only thing that 779 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: was really cleaning up the water and Flint, and we thought, 780 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: all right, what I would be a great thing for 781 00:38:00,040 --> 00:38:03,600 Speaker 1: is to make all of the systems reverse osmosis. That 782 00:38:03,719 --> 00:38:07,160 Speaker 1: didn't happen, you know, I just believe that Flint, Michigan. 783 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: Even though I know they got the settlement, which is cool, 784 00:38:09,920 --> 00:38:12,240 Speaker 1: I still think though, speaking to some people on Flint, 785 00:38:12,400 --> 00:38:15,040 Speaker 1: you know, they're still not drinking the water, especially during 786 00:38:15,080 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: this pandemic, is still a mess for them. You know, 787 00:38:18,360 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 1: they're still not drinking the water. They still have to 788 00:38:21,040 --> 00:38:23,319 Speaker 1: you know, bathe and brush teeth with bottles of water. 789 00:38:23,440 --> 00:38:26,279 Speaker 1: So they're still in the crisis even though people are 790 00:38:26,320 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: not talking about it right now. And that's just one 791 00:38:29,080 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 1: of my things. If if we give help, if we 792 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 1: try to help in any situation and it doesn't produce 793 00:38:35,120 --> 00:38:37,800 Speaker 1: the results that you would like it to produce, we 794 00:38:37,920 --> 00:38:40,560 Speaker 1: can't forget about those people. We can't just say, oh, 795 00:38:41,360 --> 00:38:44,239 Speaker 1: we try. We have to be consistent. We have to 796 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:46,800 Speaker 1: keep trying. And I think that we really need to 797 00:38:46,920 --> 00:38:48,880 Speaker 1: keep on our foot on the next of the powers 798 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:51,600 Speaker 1: that be in Flint, Michigan, so that we can get 799 00:38:51,719 --> 00:38:53,879 Speaker 1: that water clean. And you know, I know they say 800 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:57,000 Speaker 1: it's clean, but the people are not drinking it. You know, 801 00:38:57,120 --> 00:38:59,479 Speaker 1: the people are the post. The people are the post 802 00:38:59,560 --> 00:39:02,279 Speaker 1: of yoursel, any of your counties, or your municipalities, of 803 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:05,239 Speaker 1: your states, whatever it is is. If the post is 804 00:39:05,280 --> 00:39:07,360 Speaker 1: not beating. Right then, something that's wrong. If you've got 805 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:10,480 Speaker 1: to irregular heartbeating the ghetto, you know what I mean. 806 00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,880 Speaker 1: And and right now flip Flint still has an irregular heartbeat, 807 00:39:13,960 --> 00:39:16,440 Speaker 1: or they will be drinking their water. So I think 808 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:19,680 Speaker 1: that that really needs to be fixed, that really needs 809 00:39:19,719 --> 00:39:22,319 Speaker 1: to be considered. We were talking about building a wall 810 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,400 Speaker 1: and all of that. Let's build a water pipeline of 811 00:39:24,520 --> 00:39:26,800 Speaker 1: something in Flint, Michigan. And then it makes you to 812 00:39:26,920 --> 00:39:30,200 Speaker 1: think other things, conspiracy theories and all of that, because 813 00:39:30,520 --> 00:39:34,360 Speaker 1: Flint is a beautiful city. So we did that in 814 00:39:34,440 --> 00:39:36,960 Speaker 1: Flint with the water, and since I had that experience 815 00:39:37,040 --> 00:39:38,799 Speaker 1: of dealing with it and Flint, I brought it back 816 00:39:38,840 --> 00:39:42,120 Speaker 1: to North New Jersey along with all of the people involved, 817 00:39:42,200 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: and we did test here because North is a fickle city. 818 00:39:44,640 --> 00:39:47,400 Speaker 1: You can't go help another city without you giving that 819 00:39:47,560 --> 00:39:50,080 Speaker 1: same energy to Noworth. So we test a couple of 820 00:39:50,160 --> 00:39:52,800 Speaker 1: schools at that time, I believe it was two thousand 821 00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:55,160 Speaker 1: and fifteen, and we found a couple of schools that 822 00:39:55,239 --> 00:39:58,759 Speaker 1: have small amounts of letting it. And we told them 823 00:39:58,840 --> 00:40:01,840 Speaker 1: early since we were already dealing with Flint, look we 824 00:40:02,000 --> 00:40:05,160 Speaker 1: need to do this and these filters don't work and 825 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:08,720 Speaker 1: put these filters here. They didn't really follow the protocol. 826 00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:11,439 Speaker 1: They didn't do it, and now we led it led 827 00:40:11,520 --> 00:40:14,719 Speaker 1: to our water going bad with our pipes and we're 828 00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:17,040 Speaker 1: finding all type of levels in our water in North 829 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:20,080 Speaker 1: New Jersey and they had to change all of the pipelines. 830 00:40:20,440 --> 00:40:22,600 Speaker 1: So we got to it, and they did it, but 831 00:40:22,719 --> 00:40:25,160 Speaker 1: we could have prevented it a little longer if they 832 00:40:25,200 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 1: would have listened to the people that were on the ground, 833 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:29,960 Speaker 1: Water for Life, hip Hop for Life, the hip hop 834 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:32,960 Speaker 1: community who actually went out there to Flint, Michigan and 835 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:34,839 Speaker 1: did the work while they were sitting on their gass. 836 00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,440 Speaker 1: I just wanted to put that after. You know, when 837 00:40:36,440 --> 00:40:38,279 Speaker 1: people say rappers need to shut up, we didn't come 838 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: do the work. You know, all you gotta do is 839 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:43,319 Speaker 1: do the work and then wrappers to shut and then 840 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,040 Speaker 1: maybe you can shut up and take a break, take 841 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:47,000 Speaker 1: a break. But since people are not doing the work, 842 00:40:47,040 --> 00:40:49,319 Speaker 1: and I'm talking about those on social media who hate 843 00:40:49,360 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 1: on rappers who do very little work, but always got 844 00:40:51,680 --> 00:40:53,919 Speaker 1: something to say about entertainers being involved. First you're telling 845 00:40:53,960 --> 00:40:55,279 Speaker 1: to shut up. Then when they don't say nothing, you 846 00:40:55,320 --> 00:40:57,400 Speaker 1: say they don't speak up. Which one you want to 847 00:40:57,440 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: shut up, A speak up because I'm confused. Before we 848 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:16,440 Speaker 1: get out of here, tell us a little bit about 849 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:20,160 Speaker 1: your organization. To eleven. Community Impact was an organization I 850 00:41:20,320 --> 00:41:22,680 Speaker 1: was found in the two thousand thirteen. Even though we've 851 00:41:22,760 --> 00:41:25,520 Speaker 1: been doing the work, I've been doing this work just 852 00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:27,960 Speaker 1: being on the ground. My manager was a brother by 853 00:41:28,040 --> 00:41:30,400 Speaker 1: the name of hat feast Free early on in my career, 854 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:33,480 Speaker 1: Muslim brother. I didn't realize it then, but he was 855 00:41:33,560 --> 00:41:37,200 Speaker 1: really instilling a lot of man morals and teaching us 856 00:41:37,239 --> 00:41:40,120 Speaker 1: how to be men, you know, by being on even 857 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 1: being on the road and just talks. You know, you 858 00:41:43,080 --> 00:41:46,200 Speaker 1: don't know the things that are teachings when he's saying 859 00:41:46,239 --> 00:41:48,560 Speaker 1: it to you until you get older and reflect on it, 860 00:41:48,680 --> 00:41:51,400 Speaker 1: like wow, he was dropping Jews. He was teaching. So 861 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 1: he made us use our platform as platinum selling artists 862 00:41:55,000 --> 00:41:58,600 Speaker 1: way back in nineteen ninety four, a year ninety three 863 00:41:58,640 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 1: when when we when the album came out. But in 864 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:04,600 Speaker 1: our community, he would make us perform at drug prevention programs. 865 00:42:04,680 --> 00:42:08,000 Speaker 1: He would make us perform at a team pregnancy events, 866 00:42:08,360 --> 00:42:12,440 Speaker 1: anything that that was social justice in our community and 867 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:15,120 Speaker 1: our city. He would make us get involved. He was 868 00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,600 Speaker 1: also the aide the chief of staff for a councilman 869 00:42:18,640 --> 00:42:21,239 Speaker 1: by the name of Ralph T. Grant. He was doing 870 00:42:21,280 --> 00:42:23,319 Speaker 1: so many things around the city. He would make us 871 00:42:23,360 --> 00:42:26,960 Speaker 1: get involved. So I started to say wow. I started 872 00:42:27,000 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 1: loving giving back to the community. One thing I could say, man, 873 00:42:30,560 --> 00:42:33,040 Speaker 1: hearing my record on the radio years ago with Lads 874 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,560 Speaker 1: of the Underground was a big thing for me. Performing 875 00:42:35,600 --> 00:42:37,880 Speaker 1: on Soul training was a big thing for me traveling 876 00:42:37,960 --> 00:42:39,960 Speaker 1: the world. But one of the things that made me 877 00:42:40,080 --> 00:42:43,520 Speaker 1: feel the best is when I can use that platform 878 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:46,560 Speaker 1: to help others in my city and just give them 879 00:42:46,760 --> 00:42:50,279 Speaker 1: a different view, with different perspective at looking at things. 880 00:42:50,400 --> 00:42:53,800 Speaker 1: And and hope is a mug man. Selling hope is beautiful, 881 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,640 Speaker 1: you know, because when you sell hope, you gotta you 882 00:42:56,719 --> 00:42:59,719 Speaker 1: gotta community that that want to buy it because they 883 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: want to believe, they want to see you know. Um 884 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:06,440 Speaker 1: A Merrie Baracker Senior who is the father of our 885 00:43:06,480 --> 00:43:08,920 Speaker 1: current mayor Asja Baracket, he told me to pick my 886 00:43:09,000 --> 00:43:11,720 Speaker 1: bucket where I lay. And I said, pick my bucket 887 00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:13,160 Speaker 1: where I lay. I didn't know what he means, and 888 00:43:13,200 --> 00:43:16,320 Speaker 1: he said, take for example, you know you can go 889 00:43:16,440 --> 00:43:19,320 Speaker 1: out of town. You can go places to acquire the knowledge, 890 00:43:19,840 --> 00:43:22,680 Speaker 1: but come back and bring that understanding and that knowledge 891 00:43:23,000 --> 00:43:25,440 Speaker 1: back to where you come from. He said. Just take 892 00:43:25,520 --> 00:43:29,040 Speaker 1: example with your brain surgeon and you go to see 893 00:43:29,080 --> 00:43:31,680 Speaker 1: the side in that hospital in l A. You've just 894 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:34,960 Speaker 1: taken your sick superpower to that hospital, and you have 895 00:43:35,160 --> 00:43:39,040 Speaker 1: changed the economic development of that hospital, the hotels around it, 896 00:43:39,280 --> 00:43:42,080 Speaker 1: the restaurants around it, because people have to come to 897 00:43:42,200 --> 00:43:45,200 Speaker 1: you for your expertise. If you're the best, people have 898 00:43:45,360 --> 00:43:47,279 Speaker 1: to come to you, he said. But imagine if you 899 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:49,719 Speaker 1: would bring that to where you come from, the place 900 00:43:49,800 --> 00:43:52,840 Speaker 1: that you give all of the credit, New York, New Jersey. 901 00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:55,640 Speaker 1: You go to the hospital here and you've just done 902 00:43:55,719 --> 00:43:57,879 Speaker 1: that same thing for the city. He said. It's it's 903 00:43:57,880 --> 00:44:01,160 Speaker 1: beautiful to be away and still help from a distance. 904 00:44:01,320 --> 00:44:03,200 Speaker 1: That's nothing wrong with that. But when people can be 905 00:44:03,360 --> 00:44:05,560 Speaker 1: hands on with you, they could be face to face 906 00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:08,880 Speaker 1: with you, it's a different impression because they can touch you, 907 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:12,040 Speaker 1: they can feel you. It becomes more realistic to them. 908 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:14,760 Speaker 1: And after he said that, man, I picked my bucket 909 00:44:14,760 --> 00:44:16,479 Speaker 1: where I l A. I can't right back to Newton, 910 00:44:16,520 --> 00:44:18,919 Speaker 1: New Jersey, because I lived in Paris, France for a year. 911 00:44:19,320 --> 00:44:21,680 Speaker 1: I lived in l A for a year. I lived 912 00:44:21,680 --> 00:44:25,120 Speaker 1: in Brooklyn for two years, but other than that, born raised, 913 00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:27,640 Speaker 1: and I live right here in North New Jersey where 914 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:29,919 Speaker 1: I feel like I can help and I don't help 915 00:44:30,040 --> 00:44:32,200 Speaker 1: by saying all we need to do this, we need 916 00:44:32,280 --> 00:44:34,359 Speaker 1: to do that. I just do it. I just put 917 00:44:34,440 --> 00:44:36,759 Speaker 1: the teams together. And then I add on, I'm just 918 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:39,160 Speaker 1: part of the whole here and hope that other hip 919 00:44:39,200 --> 00:44:41,600 Speaker 1: hoppers and people that are here, young people see me 920 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:43,560 Speaker 1: and want to do what we're doing. I want to 921 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:45,640 Speaker 1: speak on something before we close. When you said the 922 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:48,480 Speaker 1: word hope, because I understand what you mean when you say, 923 00:44:48,719 --> 00:44:51,080 Speaker 1: you know, hopes a beautiful thing. But I always say 924 00:44:51,120 --> 00:44:53,200 Speaker 1: this whenever I hear that word, because it's important that 925 00:44:53,280 --> 00:44:57,000 Speaker 1: we understand the difference between hope and how it's used 926 00:44:57,040 --> 00:44:59,320 Speaker 1: in the political space. And even when you read a 927 00:44:59,400 --> 00:45:01,920 Speaker 1: Barack Obama his book The Audacity of Hope, when it 928 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:05,040 Speaker 1: comes to politics, hope, we're gonna let the pastors and 929 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:07,799 Speaker 1: and the ministers and where the Muslim pastor Christian whatever, 930 00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:09,520 Speaker 1: we're gonna let them deal with hope. But when it 931 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:12,320 Speaker 1: comes to politics, there is no space for hope. And 932 00:45:12,360 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 1: what I mean by this is the definition of hope 933 00:45:14,719 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: is a feeling or expectation and desire for a certain 934 00:45:18,160 --> 00:45:20,680 Speaker 1: thing to happen. Now we know the word says that 935 00:45:21,040 --> 00:45:23,640 Speaker 1: hope is the evidence of things hoped for and the 936 00:45:23,760 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 1: evidence of things that I've seen. But when we talk 937 00:45:26,040 --> 00:45:28,400 Speaker 1: about hope in the political space, when it says a 938 00:45:28,640 --> 00:45:31,960 Speaker 1: feeling of expectation, we've got to take feelings out of politics. 939 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:35,680 Speaker 1: We got emotion out of Our expectation can't be based 940 00:45:35,719 --> 00:45:38,040 Speaker 1: on a feeling. Our expectation has to be based on 941 00:45:38,120 --> 00:45:41,080 Speaker 1: a demand, meaning you either do it or else. It 942 00:45:41,160 --> 00:45:44,280 Speaker 1: cannot be a feeling because a feeling is vague, is uncertain, 943 00:45:44,320 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 1: you don't know what's going on. No, we're crystal clear 944 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:49,080 Speaker 1: about this is what we want or else. So when 945 00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:51,120 Speaker 1: I when I speak to people about hope, that yes, 946 00:45:51,239 --> 00:45:52,920 Speaker 1: have that feeling. And right now we're in a very 947 00:45:53,000 --> 00:45:55,840 Speaker 1: emotional feeling like state, and I want people to have 948 00:45:56,000 --> 00:45:58,720 Speaker 1: hope to motivate them, but I want them to understand 949 00:45:58,760 --> 00:46:01,280 Speaker 1: that when it comes to politics six, there's no space 950 00:46:01,360 --> 00:46:04,120 Speaker 1: for hope. It is clearly you I ever do it 951 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:06,880 Speaker 1: or you get your ass out this seat is that plane? 952 00:46:07,000 --> 00:46:09,040 Speaker 1: And that simple. And you look at hope as the 953 00:46:09,239 --> 00:46:12,960 Speaker 1: verb want something to happen or be the case, want something, 954 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:15,920 Speaker 1: there's no something. We want to be crystal clear, and 955 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:18,840 Speaker 1: there's no one. It is a demand. So I I 956 00:46:19,000 --> 00:46:21,480 Speaker 1: really try to break down you know, words and what 957 00:46:21,600 --> 00:46:24,480 Speaker 1: they mean and have those subcunctis because because a lot 958 00:46:24,560 --> 00:46:26,480 Speaker 1: of people when they say, well, you know, and I 959 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:28,239 Speaker 1: saw what a lot of people being disappointed with the 960 00:46:28,280 --> 00:46:30,440 Speaker 1: Brianna Taylor case, you know, we still need to hope 961 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 1: for the best, holding back, and some people they use 962 00:46:33,320 --> 00:46:35,640 Speaker 1: that as a way to fall back, you know too, 963 00:46:35,680 --> 00:46:37,919 Speaker 1: because it's easy to just sit back and have hope 964 00:46:37,960 --> 00:46:40,759 Speaker 1: and faith, but it takes more to get up and 965 00:46:40,840 --> 00:46:43,799 Speaker 1: have action. So I didn't want to take away from 966 00:46:43,840 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: what you said, but I wanted to speak to the 967 00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:46,959 Speaker 1: people so that they can know you can't hide behind 968 00:46:47,000 --> 00:46:50,160 Speaker 1: no damn hope. It needs you to get up, stand 969 00:46:50,280 --> 00:46:53,359 Speaker 1: up and be accounted for and be about this work 970 00:46:53,640 --> 00:46:56,360 Speaker 1: and actually produce these receipts. Where can they find you? 971 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:58,239 Speaker 1: And and and just to add on to what you 972 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 1: were saying, like you're right, what I'm saying about hoping 973 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:03,600 Speaker 1: these people is like I'm around some people who have 974 00:47:04,440 --> 00:47:08,480 Speaker 1: no thought of any progression, you know what I mean, 975 00:47:08,680 --> 00:47:13,560 Speaker 1: like for them just just knowing and that somebody has 976 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:16,319 Speaker 1: done it before him. That's the hope. That's the chance 977 00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:18,719 Speaker 1: for them that they believe, like I can do this. 978 00:47:18,960 --> 00:47:21,360 Speaker 1: But you're like, you have the receipts. Yeah, like you 979 00:47:21,520 --> 00:47:24,239 Speaker 1: have the receipts. Though if the receiptes was making them 980 00:47:24,280 --> 00:47:26,040 Speaker 1: know they can do it, not just then coming in 981 00:47:26,160 --> 00:47:28,959 Speaker 1: and selling hope, because they've all came in and said 982 00:47:29,040 --> 00:47:32,120 Speaker 1: that ship. What separates you from somebody else is the receipts, 983 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:35,239 Speaker 1: and that that's what again goes into the evidence of things. 984 00:47:35,280 --> 00:47:38,239 Speaker 1: And I've seen you're showing, You're showing. These are the 985 00:47:38,280 --> 00:47:40,160 Speaker 1: season we say faith and hope is that we're hoping 986 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:42,480 Speaker 1: and praying. But you don't just say hope to say yeah, 987 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:44,640 Speaker 1: you can do what I do. You actually show what 988 00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:47,759 Speaker 1: you've done. That's why your name is what it all. 989 00:47:48,520 --> 00:47:50,919 Speaker 1: So it comes down to doing it all. It don't 990 00:47:50,960 --> 00:47:53,040 Speaker 1: come and and and those who hied and don't want 991 00:47:53,040 --> 00:47:55,160 Speaker 1: to get on the front line, they hide behind that. 992 00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:57,160 Speaker 1: That's why I try to speak to that to say 993 00:47:57,280 --> 00:47:59,320 Speaker 1: they gotta they gotta do it all too. Don't just 994 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:02,720 Speaker 1: hide behind hope. We got enough hope, soldiers. We need somebody, 995 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:04,520 Speaker 1: we need some more. Do it all on the team. 996 00:48:04,920 --> 00:48:07,839 Speaker 1: That's right. That's right, because that's where it's getting lost. 997 00:48:08,320 --> 00:48:10,520 Speaker 1: Where can they find you anything you want them to 998 00:48:10,560 --> 00:48:12,239 Speaker 1: know before we get out of here. I just want 999 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:14,840 Speaker 1: you guys to know that the music wise, man, I 1000 00:48:14,920 --> 00:48:17,840 Speaker 1: got a project where I'm where I'm probably being the 1001 00:48:18,080 --> 00:48:20,520 Speaker 1: most honest I've ever been. I'm just letting it all 1002 00:48:20,600 --> 00:48:23,839 Speaker 1: loose on this project called Brenda's Sun coming soon right now. 1003 00:48:23,920 --> 00:48:25,480 Speaker 1: You can check out the joint I have with the 1004 00:48:25,560 --> 00:48:27,640 Speaker 1: mayor called Keep the Faith and the Mayor of nor 1005 00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:31,000 Speaker 1: New Jersey, Raja Barockers on YouTube do it All Keep 1006 00:48:31,040 --> 00:48:32,640 Speaker 1: the Faith. You can check it out. You can find 1007 00:48:32,680 --> 00:48:38,120 Speaker 1: me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook under at d O I 1008 00:48:38,400 --> 00:48:41,560 Speaker 1: T A L L d U. So let's do it 1009 00:48:41,640 --> 00:48:44,359 Speaker 1: All do and mostly all my social media is at 1010 00:48:44,480 --> 00:48:47,080 Speaker 1: do it All do my Belief. Facebook is at do 1011 00:48:47,200 --> 00:48:49,319 Speaker 1: it All Do Kelly. You can check the website out 1012 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:54,160 Speaker 1: for the nonprofit organization to eleven Community Impact www. Two 1013 00:48:54,239 --> 00:48:59,120 Speaker 1: eleven Community Impact dot com. Yeah. Man, we're just working. 1014 00:48:59,239 --> 00:49:02,040 Speaker 1: We're working for those who are listening. Again, I want 1015 00:49:02,080 --> 00:49:04,640 Speaker 1: to thank my guests, do pray, do it All and 1016 00:49:04,719 --> 00:49:08,440 Speaker 1: doing it well. Kelly, who is a political activist, a 1017 00:49:08,560 --> 00:49:10,880 Speaker 1: lover of his community and more importantly a member of 1018 00:49:10,920 --> 00:49:12,920 Speaker 1: the Lords of Underground bringing hip hop together, and that 1019 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:15,759 Speaker 1: says that the time has come that we go underground, 1020 00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:17,640 Speaker 1: that we get to the concrete roots in the spirit 1021 00:49:17,680 --> 00:49:20,439 Speaker 1: of tupop grassroots is not enough. We are going hard. 1022 00:49:20,480 --> 00:49:22,799 Speaker 1: We are going on the concrete. We're gonna stay hard 1023 00:49:22,840 --> 00:49:24,760 Speaker 1: on the ground pound and we are not just passing 1024 00:49:24,840 --> 00:49:27,960 Speaker 1: out food. We will be putting politicians in place in 1025 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:31,080 Speaker 1: position to push politics. Thank you so much guys for 1026 00:49:31,200 --> 00:49:33,600 Speaker 1: listening sure this episode. Thank you again, harm and for 1027 00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:35,840 Speaker 1: stopping by. You've been listening to the straight Shot No 1028 00:49:35,960 --> 00:49:38,240 Speaker 1: Chase with Teslaent Figure on the Black Effect podcast Network 1029 00:49:38,280 --> 00:49:40,680 Speaker 1: on our Heart Radio. If you like what you heard 1030 00:49:40,719 --> 00:49:43,200 Speaker 1: on straight Shot No Chaser, please describe and drop a 1031 00:49:43,280 --> 00:49:45,520 Speaker 1: five star review and tell a friend. Straight Shot No 1032 00:49:45,680 --> 00:49:48,440 Speaker 1: Chaser is a production of the Black Effect Podcast networking 1033 00:49:48,520 --> 00:49:50,800 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio Teslament Figure Out and I'd like to 1034 00:49:50,880 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 1: thank our producer editor mixer, the one and only Marcy Depina, 1035 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:59,000 Speaker 1: our mixed master Dwayne Crawford, and our executive producer Charlottagne 1036 00:49:59,040 --> 00:50:01,400 Speaker 1: the Guy. For more pot cast from I Heart Radio, 1037 00:50:01,640 --> 00:50:04,920 Speaker 1: visit the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever 1038 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:06,080 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts,