The TNT Podcast
The TNT Podcast
Hip-Hop Through the Decades: A Veteran's Perspective
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On this episode of the TNT Podcast, Leron of Rovira T-shirts joins us for an in-depth exploration of hip-hop's rich history, drawing from his unique perspective as a Bronx native and 20-year military veteran. Growing up during the genre's golden era, he witnessed firsthand the rise of legends like Nas, navigating iconic New York clubs and experiencing the raw, pre-digital music scene. His military service then exposed him to the diverse regional sounds emerging across America and overseas, challenging his New York-centric views and broadening his understanding of hip-hop's evolution. From early performances to the genre's shift from message-driven music to party anthems, he provides a compelling narrative of hip-hop's journey.
The conversation delves into hip-hop's soul, examining the balance between entertainment and community consciousness, and dissecting recent rap battles like Drake vs. Kendrick through the lens of historical beefs. He also sheds light on underappreciated artists like Camp Lo and Dead Prez, and reflects on the East Coast's initial resistance to southern and western styles. He also shares his entrepreneurial journey with Rovira T-shirts, connecting his passion for hip-hop culture with his business. This episode offers an authentic look at hip-hop's evolution, from its territorial roots to its global impact, through the eyes of someone who lived it."
Question of the Day: 40:53
Guess the Bars: 49:08
Hall of Fame: 1:14:20
Turn Up's Song of the Day: 1:20:28
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=rAgzJKbcyeU&feature=gws_kp_track
https://music.apple.com/us/album/frontin-feat-jay-z-radio-mix/1770843101?i=1770843384
https://www.iheart.com/artist/pharrell-williams-feat-jay-z-992340/songs/frontin-292853480/?autoplay=true
https://music.amazon.com/tracks/B0DJ1RVG8Z?do=play&agent=googleAssistant&ref=dmm_seo_google_gkp_tracks&explicit=false
Tanaka's Album of the Day: 1:27:31
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_m8vr7EPXN3QFKJFUXrAJbh-T9zry7oqCA&feature=gws_kp_album&feature=gws_kp_artist
https://music.apple.com/us/album/reachin-a-new-refutation-of-time-and-space/725211790
https://www.pandora.com/album/play/AL:7777?part=google&corr=knowledge_panel
https://www.iheart.com/artist/digable-planets-28726/albums/reachin-a-new-refutation-of-time-1347024/?autoplay=true
DJ Talk: 1:47:44
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@djtanaka
All right, ladies and gentlemen we are back. Tnt Podcast. Please excuse me, this is from Cookout last night. Very interesting, very interesting couple, very interesting couple days, to say the least. Dj Turned Up DJ Tanaka, and we have a special guest in the building, mr LeRonn, aka Mr Rovira t-shirts. Did I say it right? This time you got it there. We go alright. Cool Rovira t-shirts checking in with us how you doing good, sir, doing alright doing alright.
Speaker 3Pleasure to have you aboard.
Speaker 1I remember, I remember when you asked I was like wow, wow I didn't know you wanted to be a part of it, but shout out to you for wanting to be a part of our little mama pop podcast. Yeah man, yeah Tanaka. How are you doing, sir?
Speaker 4It's been a rough go, but we still soldiering on. Sir, you did.
Speaker 1I hear that that's all we rough go, but we still soldiering on. I hear that.
Speaker 4That's all we can do, man. I already anticipated that allergy season was going to come full-fledged with haymakers. Then we had to add in the skate stuff too skate injuries as well. It's more of a challenge, but it's all good though. Then we had to add in the skate stuff too Skate injuries as well. So you know more of a challenge but it's, all good, though Still a lot of chill breathing. You hear me.
Speaker 1We trying. I'm actually surprised that I didn't get hit with nothing yet. I usually get hit with something. Now, honestly, when I was younger, I didn't get hit with spring allergies or anything like that? Do y'all get hit with any allergies or anything? I just deal with it. Probably have, but I just handle it. I've never had that issue. Maybe it's because of the different climate I'm from California, maybe it's just different climate and all that other stuff.
Speaker 1Alright. So Tanaka question Is episode 3 of the new era of the TNT podcast, not the first and the 15th. How are you feeling about January, February, March, April, Like the once a month thing? How do you feel about that?
Speaker 4How's it feel the once a month thing or just you talk about in general, like everything that's been going on we do both and I can actually say, yeah, as a matter of fact.
Speaker 1Yeah, we do the once a month, and then we can do the once a month thing, not a once a month things, cool.
Speaker 4I feel like it's uh, you know, it's little who's busy, like before, we're stressing a little bit a lot more, you know, but now we um, it's, it's a lot easier for so just just because all the stuff that we're working on like behind the scenes that people don't know about you know what I'm saying so yeah but, um, I'm glad we still able to have the talk, though you know what I'm saying I feel like it's important to have to talk, though you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4Right, I feel like it's important to have that kind of check in and see where we at mentally as far as like what we got going, yeah. So yeah, I like it, though, okay. I like it and I like having a guest every, you know you know what I'm saying? Every episode, yeah, man.
Speaker 1Yeah, man, yeah, because we've been backed up on guests for it feels like years now. So, yeah, shout out to us able to roll with the guests every episode. But, tanaka, you're good with the questions, so you got any questions for our guests?
Speaker 4Man LeRonn, yeah, so just where were you born and raised? You know? Just kind of break it down to us. You know what your upbringing was, you know what I'm saying and how, and once you get through with that, tell us. You know when you came to Georgia and everything alright well for me.
Bronx Beginnings and Military Service
Speaker 3This goes back, you know. So I'm born and raised Bronx, new York, bronx, new York, bx, all day already Yankees fan. But you know, it's all good, I travel a lot. I'm a military veteran, retired 20 years. So pretty much how I came to Georgia, I was stationed here at Fort Benning, which is in Columbus, georgia. So being that I was stationed there, I kind of liked it and everything. Then I was getting close to my retirement, so then I had left, went across the river to Alabama side and then ended up coming back to Georgia with me and my wife.
Speaker 4Got you, got you what inspired you to go to the military.
Speaker 3More back then, you know from the 90s. So it was more like because of Boys in the Hood, that kind of was in my mindset. I did want to go to college, which I did. Do you know one term of it in Arizona, but from then I was like nah, go in Between what was it? Boys in the Hood and what was that on there there 106th and Park, that's where it kind of flow in.
Speaker 4I feel that, I feel that did did you have any family that was military?
Speaker 3one of my uncles was. He was in Vietnam, so I remember you know he had this album. It was not an album like music album, but it was like, I guess, the story to be told of what was going on over there. So he's like the only one in my family. But other than that it was like a choice. You know wanted to go to college.
Speaker 3You know to be a football player because, as you know, I was a football you know what position, where, what position oh now, even when I was little, I went from being a strong safety to running back, and then, when I went to high school, I was always the one in VAR.
Speaker 4I didn't even hit JV. You said strong safety. You was laying that wood down. You was like coming down.
Speaker 3I was a beast, then you were very important. So from there I graduated high school and then went to college. You know I went to DeVry. You know what I'm saying. Even though I went to DeVry, I should have went to one here in Georgia, but I went to one in Arizona. But being out there in Arizona, you know, then the military was more, you know, more focused on you know, something to do. You know I had, you know, a child at that time.
Speaker 4Yeah on, you know something to do, you know, have you know a child at that time? Yeah, I know a lot of folks I spoke to that been to the military that said how important the discipline it was, like it helped them kind of like get their life in order oh yeah boy, boy, boy.
Speaker 4Stories on top of stories I feel that what uh, what was the role that you played when, when you were in the military and stuff um, as far as like the military, I came in, as you know, in the military and stuff.
Speaker 3As far as like the military, I came in, as you know, e1. I came out as a sergeant, first class Gotcha, so pretty much you know the job I was. I was, you know, army. First of all. I was Philadelphia Army. For those who may know what that is, I started as a 13th Bravo, then I went to 13th Romeo and I'm sorry to hit y'all with the nomenclatures, that's just how we talk. I have a certain way that I talk and I try to you know, not go too in-.
Speaker 1Nah, but you know.
Speaker 3So yeah, I was like you know, when I got out I was like a star in first class. I had a charge of platoons, did a lot of things, met a lot of interesting people, people.
Speaker 4I can imagine that's people from all over, all different walks of life and backgrounds. So what'd you listen to music-wise coming up in the Bronx man.
Speaker 3Now, when you say hip-hop, now, like I said, k-r-s-1.
Speaker 3He held the VX down and everything. Blah, blah, blah. My era Brooklyn started to rise up. Then you had Staten Island start to come up big time, then Queens, of course, you know what I'm saying. It's like each borough had their own spots. Me being from the Bronx, I stayed with a lot of the Bronx legends that came up, like African men by the head, other man, other people, stuff like that. Um, as far as like what we listened to, like I said we was really, when I was back home in the Bronx, I was a New York.
Speaker 4Hey, as you can see, as you can see, but you know but.
Speaker 2I'm humble and I'm mellow.
Speaker 1So let me ask you this so was it like territorial, where you would only listen to only Bronx, like artists or did it matter back then.
Speaker 3like I said, you know, because I graduated high school in 93, so we'll say from 90 to 93 era. You know it was more. You know people that came in the Bronx and everything, but at the same time the West Coast was starting to come. That's when NWA dropped. You know what I'm saying. So that kind of came big People was really feeling it. People was kind of like, oh Right, I was wearing all black. You know LA Kings, you know in my Raiders jacket, because one of the teams that I played on it was called Eastchester Raiders. So you know that was the way to get into that, like that. But really the different eras really started when I got into the military service. So I started meeting people from different places and then they got to put me on different things.
Speaker 4Yeah, what was the first hip-hop song that you heard?
Speaker 3The classic one, the Sugar Hill Gang, and then from there, like I said, carat Rest when the bridge is over. And when that come on, I just do something to it.
Speaker 4So paint a picture for me. Where were you at? How did you hear this? Did somebody play the song? Was it on the radio?
Speaker 3Well, for back then which is crazy for me growing up, the big thing was tapes you got you.
Speaker 3Remember we was doing cassette tapes so I remember staying up. This is when Hot 97 wasn't even on the radio. It was a pirate station. So I went from putting two fingers in my thing because I broke the pause and record button Right, right, the record and play button, excuse me and then the pause button. I broke the play and the record button so I had to push my finger up. So anytime when they start talking on the radio or the commercials, I would pause it.
Speaker 3And then when it go back, I did something. I used to master stuff. I was good at taking things apart and putting it back together. Wow. So back then you know everything that was on the radio. So like Hot 97 wasn't as popular that it is now. So when Flex was on back then, you know, then you had like DJ Red Alert and all that. So a lot of the club scenes that they were playing was big Right. And then also Nas was coming out. And then also Nas was coming out now, back in 93. 94 is when I left New York to go into the military, and then that's when Wu-Tang.
Speaker 4So Wu-Tang was like my all time for some that's funny that you say that because I have a similar story that I had my CD Walkman and the. You know that there's like a little this little hinge that kind of keeps the cd closed. That had broke and apparently I didn't realize that there's like a sensor that it crosses to allow the cd to play. So what I had to do was I had to get the edge of an eraser from a pencil, I had to put it on this button and I had to keep it on that sensor like this, and I had to wrap a rubber band around it to listen to my music in order for it to work.
Speaker 3We call that Jerry Ring, jerry Ring all day, but you get it to work. Yeah, you know what?
Speaker 1I'm saying Make it happen.
Speaker 4Make it happen.
Speaker 2Yeah, man make it happen.
Speaker 1So let me ask you this. So you said the first time you were listening to I forgot what song you were talking about, but it's just interesting. You said that the first hip hop song you heard was the Rapper's Delight. Right, so what was, what was? Do you remember the first time you heard that song and did it? Did it feel different, since hip hop wasn't a thing yet? Like what was the? How did you, where were you when you heard it? Like, what was your feeling about it? Like how did you?
Speaker 3Well, most of the music you know, like I said, you hear on the block, so you know everybody used to carry their radio, so the thing was about having the boom box.
Speaker 3So, yeah, we had a crew of us and all we did was walk around with radios in our hand and stuff. So when we in the park, so everything like a lot of the new songs that you hear when we out in the court playing. You know what I'm saying? I did play a little basketball, but I wasn't that good. I was the, the fat, the, how you know, the hack man. That was my job. All I do was, yeah, I didn't shoot. All, hey, you go ahead. So you know like when?
Speaker 3you hear that sugar hill gay, it's like, hey boss, hit it. It was more like a party. So it was more of a party scene to us coming up, you know, even though it was still new, but it was like okay, and then, you know, we kind of felt like it represented. But then when we heard the bridges old from keros one, it made the big difference, and that's when he had the beef with um queens, because you know we didn't, you know, the Bronx had they style, queens had they style that's a Shan right, correct, mc Shan?
Speaker 3yeah, right, so you know. So that falls into, you know, the Roxanne beef, roxanne Shante, even though I love her to death now she on the radio, she, I rock for her too, yeah, but yeah, it was like back then, um, a lot of the songs, you know, because, believe it or not, let me back up to this part, to now, you know, even though I said, of course, when he got tours, you know, kara's didn't this group, you know was I'm Tim dog had came out. So you know he always he was, you know, shot now the Bronx word in his songs when he was talking about, you know, f Compton and everything. But that would just be in hard heads because that was our thing, boy.
Speaker 1New York. Yeah, that sounds about right. Very interesting side of the world. Boy, they was real. They did not have a thing, nothing else. So let me ask you this how did you feel about? Because at one point they had booed OutKast and I feel like, just as a young person, I'm like why would anybody, I don't know, I feel like that's one of those things. Did they feel like because they weren't from New York? That it's kind of whack, I don't know what's crazy is.
Speaker 3I just remember looking at that. That was from the Source Awards no Source Awards, and they did that. What it was is at that time New York was a little faded as far as the music scene. That's when more LA and then the South started to get into it. The reason how I know about the South is because, like I said, when I was in Fort Hood Fort Hood is in Texas, so I really went left. Of course, me my thing was always the locks. You know, jadakiss, stiles P, you know what I'm saying she glues, that was my thing. But when I went out to Texas then I got into that tropical screw, totally different.
Speaker 3But you can ride to it, you can ride to it, but I still have to maintain I'm from New York, you know everywhere.
Speaker 4How'd you hear about the child? It was on the radio or you just heard it passing.
Speaker 3Crazy story. I get to my new unit, they found out I'm from New York. So at that time it was started out with Beanie Segal versus what you call Jadakiss. So it's like who do you like?
Speaker 2I said Jadakiss all day, kiss all day, even though beans is my man too but jay the kiss so then it was like oh word.
Speaker 3So then you know, now I got a little crew right. They know I'm from up north, even though I'm in the south and all that. So it was like um bam, we listening to stuff and then, like they just played this chocolate screw, I was like wait, hold up, because remember, it's all slow. Yeah, so being that it was slow, but you still can ride to it, just you know. So you know we always get in the whips that you know we had like five or six. Everywhere I go I always seem to get the music people. We just click up. Yeah, weird story, it happens that way.
Speaker 4So were you with the people that was making it, or was it like uh oh, do you like this person click up? Yeah, weird story, it happens that way.
Speaker 1Nah, that's dope, that's dope. So were you with the people. That was making it or was it like oh, do you like this person or this person? You said this person, so they already had it, like on a cassette or CD or something.
Speaker 3It was at that time. This is when CDs started to come, but it still was on cassette could watch. Don't tell you that. Switch the house.
Speaker 2Yes.
Speaker 3I got into it, still New York all day, but then they started playing New York music using chocolate screw, and that was where I went from. And then what make it crazy is now, when I end up going overseas, that when it goes a whole nother level, because now we got Master P and him Coming out, so now I'm getting on that no limit, I'm like man, okay, and that's where I feel. When it comes To the music, I think People wasn't ready For when Outkast had stepped out. But if you Realize to the words that they say, because you know Everything more to me is more about metaphor. You know how the cadence go. So when you have somebody rapping about stuff, that makes sense. Some people don't gravitate to what others do. So that's really the difference was right there for me, for what I can say on my part.
Speaker 4Yeah, so we could. We always, as DJs, we always have this discussion about, like, the origin of hip hop. Right, we like was it about the party or was it about the message? You know what I'm saying and that's that's where we all kind of debate on that because, like, I always felt it was about the message, but a lot of my partners they feel differently, they feel like it's about the party. So you, know well as you, you know what I'm saying, being that that was, you know your time, you feel me.
Speaker 3Enlighten us. Okay, so the message, which actually was a song by Melly Mel Furious, 5. Now that's back in the 70s, 78s, so they did deliver the message. If you listen to the words right, it told you about the condition that they were living in at that time. So what the difference is now is a lot of songs are more about for partying, doing this and doing that, but it's still more. It's the message. Is what we're missing now you know what I'm saying. So you had that time. And then you have back in New York the song dropped called Self-Destruction. If you listen to that song and that was by KRS-One and everybody that was popping in New York at that time If you listen to that song and see how we are living now still the same issues, just different times. So it's all about the time and eras of music and everything times. So it's all about the time and eras of music and everything.
Speaker 3Really, for us we didn't the way our crew was. I had a crew, I was part of a crew and all that. So we would go to different crew neighborhoods and then we'd be in there. It'd just be crew deep. That's what we did Crew deep. Guess I'm telling on myself. But hey, I was younger A different time. I'm 51 now, so I can speak of these things Right. So it was like we was crew deep and then, you know, our thing was we did go party and dance, but our dance would be like the whole crew dance. We came up with this dance called the big. We called it the big niggas. Oh, we just didn't just rock side to side. You know, that's what I think, wasn't it? We end up leaving if we end up getting into a scuffle sometime.
Speaker 4That happened, right most times we're just. You know, we just represented our crew. That's what's up. That's dope.
Speaker 1All right, definitely dope okay, well, so tanaka, I remember us because we kind of got sideways, so the once a month thing, and then you were asking so what was? What was the other thing that you were saying?
Speaker 4it was about what's been going on since yeah, I didn't know if you was just asking because you know these businesses. They be saying like the first quarter, it's just about completing you dude.
Speaker 1Yeah, I'm not going to lie bro. Since the last episode I kind of I mean, I feel like it's kind of been a lot. I don't really remember exactly. Oh, yeah, yeah, do you remember anything? Because I don't know these days, kind of.
Speaker 4Yeah, I guess the biggest thing is RITC. I went and checked that out. Oh yes, let's talk about that.
Speaker 1Rolling in the Carolinas. Rolling in the Carolinas. Floor drawer, sir, how did that go?
Speaker 4So I had no expectations, like I didn't know what I was getting into. Them folks talking about hell. No, you got to go to the Carolinas. Like it's a lit skate party and it's at the third and you know, being that we in the A, like we get skate parties all the time, so that's kind of like you know we're spoiled. Yeah, we're spoiled, very much so, but I don't be going to the day parties and all the extracurriculars. You know I just go to the sessions if I do pop out.
Speaker 4So I didn't know what this experience was going to be. I went up solo. I didn't know if this experience was going to be. I went up solo, I didn't know if I was going to know anybody there, like you know what's the deal and everything. So it was cool to be in another place and see, you know, fellow skaters, fellow peers from Atlanta out there, but yeah, it was cool. I was really mad the first night, but yeah, it was cool. I was really mad the first night because I forgot that I'd be in the past. You know, like being at AA, I'm able to just bring my water in. But I was talking about you see this, right, sir? Yeah, fresh out of the stove Like they like. Yeah, you can't bring it in. I'm like bruh Damn, didn't think about that.
Speaker 1You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4Right, so, but no, it was cool, though, checking out a different rink and like seeing all the different styles, for sure, and then like the different they did. I got there Friday. They had a session Thursday, but I got there Friday. Friday they did a roll call, Saturday they did guys and girls skate, and then Sunday they did a roll call. Saturday they did guys and girls skate and then Sunday they did style call.
Speaker 4So those are the different things, but yeah, the day part boy, that joint was exhausting man Cause I was. I was so tired, like I usually be, downloading the videos to my computer after the session Like I fell asleep doing it Like I was just. It was that bad. Yeah, I was downloading the videos to my computer after the session like I fell asleep, doing it like I was just out. It was that bad. Yeah, I was exhausted.
Speaker 1that's almost a lot, man yeah, because you, you, you had said off air that you were, um, you, you've gone to these parties and it's kind of nothing, but the only difference is you've never gone to the day party, day party, yeah that's, that's your curricular, it's like a solo one, you definitely.
Speaker 4Yeah, man, it's, it's aricular, it's a lot, it's a lot to process, for sure you know cause you don't really like. We know the skaters but we only see them at the rink, you know, and then just seeing them in a different setting and like the different personalities it's like that's when the personalities stand out.
Speaker 1for sure, yeah, not definitely, but not.
Speaker 4it was a good sign though it was, you know, there was no like beef or anything. Everybody was, you know, good vibes, partying, having a good time and stuff. So, yeah, it really brought me back to college for real, but that's you know, that kind of yeah, yeah, that kind of environment did.
Speaker 1But um, well, that's what's up. That's what's up. Good, you made it back in one piece and then you end up hurting yourself here. It's awesome, uh. So, lauren, do you got any experience on the uh in the skating rinks?
Speaker 3well, back then, when I was going skating, you know, we scored a skate key up in the Bronx and I didn't skate, we just went there to fight.
Speaker 1Truthfully no, but I ain't gonna lie, honestly, when I went to All-American, when I first got there, I wasn't going there to skate. Like I didn't go there. Like they used to have parties. And that's back when the the team parties kind of stopped, because I guess we were like two rowdies, so like they started doing in the skating rinks and like we would just be in that little practice area like just waiting for them to shut the floor down. So same thing. They still. Most you know they have, like local people did parties there as well too. So it'll be the Friday, you know, meet other people and we just be lurked up right we be on set.
Speaker 3We be on scene right.
Speaker 1So this, this literally, do you know? Do you know if that rink Is still open?
Speaker 3It moved. It's still open, but it moved when, I believe, the last time I was up top. It's in Manhattan. Now I don't think it's in the Bronx. I could double check and stuff. But now, you know, with my wife who's a great skater, so now so, so now, so now I'm trying to get back, but it's just that you know, them old pains, the military pains, is kicking in.
Speaker 1I mean, and I would I don't know I would I would agree with you on that, but I'm not gonna lie, bro. Some of these older folks that be on the flow, I mean I get they've been, you know, put in time, but I feel like there's ways around it, like you really want to learn. I just did Sparkle Smyrna and it'd be old folks in there. I'm talking 60 plus.
Speaker 4Truly so you know, it's funny you say that too because my dad, he always be commenting on me like, hey, that guy's pretty big, I get chants, yeah. So you know, but how did Breezy get into the ring? Well, that's, did you guys like, oh, do you want to go to the skating rink and kind of bring him along? Or he just was like did he ask y'all to go hit him up pretty much.
Speaker 3I don't know, his mom should be the hands man more.
Speaker 1Yeah, she doesn't want to be on the show, though she said she's, it's more.
Speaker 3He got into the djing right. Yeah, because you know, like I was telling you know from the early stage. You know I was supposed to be his backup but long search, I was the backup. So if he had to go to the bathroom and everything, oh, you hop on then I also kind of throw him certain 90s, 80s music and stuff like that. But as far as how he just had it in him.
Speaker 4You see how he took off you guys, definitely I'll be blown away sometime by the reason how you knew that song.
Speaker 3I didn't know he was so big into house music oh, that's because he get it from his moms that's like his dna he going crazy with it, right oh my god because you know that house music is, it's something special so were there?
Speaker 1like so is that the kind of music they were playing, like up north, like in the new york? Is that like the party you were going to?
Speaker 3were you going to some of those parties or no, I didn't go to most of them because those were like the big name clubs. You know what I'm saying With the house music and especially if you was in Jersey, you know Jersey didn't like New York cats like that. So we didn't really fool, we didn't like that Right. But you know most of the main clubs in Jersey had all the music.
Speaker 1So the parties you're talking about Like house parties type of deal.
Speaker 3Well, let's see From my time era. The biggest thing for us Was this one called the Muse. That's the one where everybody from every borough Meet at, because I remember being in there With Tupac and he had the bathroom on lockdown Like everybody In this club, the Muse. A lot of craziness happened down there.
Speaker 1So what year would you say that Tupac was there?
Speaker 3I want to say this has to have been around. Let's see, it got to be either in the early 90s or, like I said, I left New York around, graduated in 93. So I left New York in like 94. So it probably has to be in between 90, 91, 92, if I'm correct.
Speaker 1Okay, Well, I just to put it in perspective, because I do a lot of research on Tupac. So the fact that you said Tupac was there, I'm just curious on which Tupac was at the club. Is this fun Tupac or is this death row?
Speaker 2It's not death row. You said 93.
Speaker 190, 91, and 2. This is like digital underground, right.
Speaker 3So this is probably around Juice Era, right before Juice, even though people don't realize. He never left the road. Juice Bishop, yeah, yeah, I ain't gonna go there, but yeah, yeah, yeah, because you know, of course, like I said, me being in New York, no biggie or a thing, right? But, you know I like Bach too. Maybe in New York, no biggie all day, right. But you know I like Bach too, Don't get me wrong, right. You know being in the military, you get to learn different things, you know.
Speaker 1I had cast outs from LA and stuff too. So let me ask you this when you first heard of Tupac, did you also think that he was always from the West Coast, or did you already know he was?
Speaker 3from New York and Baltimore and all that other stuff. Technically, from when I got into knowing who he was and everything, I always felt he was from Atlanta. You know what I'm saying, even though he spent some time there, really, yes, but really he went to school, I believe some art school that's in New York. I'd be a little bit off because I remember something about him being in an acting school and stuff, because a lot of people do go to this school. It's one of the known acting schools. And then you know, of course, he did the role of Jews and then he did other movies and stuff Above the Rim, and all that and all those was before Death Row. Yeah, all that was before Death Row. So, like you said, the digital underground era.
Speaker 1Truthfully, death row didn't really last that long. It was really a year. Honestly, it was like probably two years, maybe possibly like, but you know death row didn't last that long. I was just curious to see.
Speaker 3No reason why I say like I said you know between, I said the tunnel was with everybody cuz.
Regional Music Influences and Cultural Shifts
Speaker 3I'm gonna see when guru was a lot what, where I pass me the service, what's up to me, you know like, believe it or not, being from the Bronx, like Swiss Beasts, we grew up together a lot, meaning we was playing in the dirt together and stuff. Meaning Kaseem sees me, he probably will remember or I can remind him of things that we did, especially on the block. That's crazy. It's a lot of people. I do know that me and I haven't been up there in a minute now, but that's older, elder than me and I am now. It's like I'm an OG to a lot of people. I'm lucky.
Speaker 1But trust me, I am Going back to that club that you were talking about. What would you say is the biggest, the biggest celebrity that was in that that you've seen in?
Speaker 3there, um. Like I said everybody, I think flex was on the um, on the ones and twos then, but for me the biggest celebrity was at the time when we went to um in the Bronx. I went to the fever and Nas performed. I was right there, he performed. He's rocked it. You know, I'm saying what year is this? This had to be like probably 89 or 88 time frame because Nas yes, oh, dang, this is early Nas, so this is before Illmatic right, it was way before Illmatic.
Speaker 3Yes, like I said, it's just nasty Nas. So this is like being like I said, we just end up going to this one club and it was like yo, let's go check this out Because, like, even where we lived up in Boys Row, they had this one spot called the Stard, so in the starters is where a lot of people may come through to as well too. So it's like I said, I mean, had went to a place and even realized you know, I'm saying yeah, it was there because you know what's funny story is.
Speaker 3I went to a big old concert in in north carolina when I was in the military and wu-tang was there. Carol s1 um madeline was performing. I remember when Meth jumped into the crowd I would have caught him. I would have caught him too if he would Now. We started near the stage. That crowd rocked so hard we was almost outside, oh wow.
Speaker 4So I gotta ask At that concert, were all Wu-Tang members there?
Speaker 3Yeah, they all was there. I want to say this was up in. I want to say this was up in either. I want to say it was in Raleigh because Raleigh, we found, was like a little New York to us. This was when I was stationed at Fort Brown, north Carolina. So we always dip up to Raleigh even though we weren't supposed to be in there.
Speaker 4We just did it. Wow, that's dope, he said Big.
Speaker 1L. Yeah, I was just about to say the fact that you just breezed past Big L like that, yeah. So what are your thoughts on Big L? Because, I'm not going to lie, I didn't know about him until he passed away. I honestly don't remember when he passed away, but, yeah, what are your thoughts on Big L?
Speaker 3Big L, he was the, you want to say he was the beginning of what a lot of people sound. Big L had a lot of verses because he was down with the crew called Digging with the Krinks, which is Diamond D, ag Chauvis, fat Joe, big L was killing it. He did that one rhyme. You know, he did the rhyme that Pat Boots ended up doing later on when he did all the alphabets and stuff. Oh, big L did that. Yes, so he did a song where he was saying what words mean. You know. You say what an L is. That means you either catching an L or taking a train. He breaks down a. So if you go back to Big L, basically Big L, basically Big L is once he passed, then that's when Jay-Z became who Big L was. Believe it, or?
Speaker 1not believe it or not. Believe it or not? Yeah, cause I just remember. I just always see in his face when I would watch. When I was younger I would watch music videos and they would always have like his like like his, like memoirs, like memory joint and memory, love and memory on like the walls and like graffiti and stuff like that. I'm like, wow, he must have really been a an issue.
Speaker 3He was, because you know back then a lot of people before they started to do rap battles, you know, just like there is footage of when DMX battled Jay-Z.
Speaker 1That's's funny. That's what I thought about too.
Speaker 3There's so many that's out there, believe it or not. You can see when somebody first started to be where they at. Just like people don't realize the whole thing with Ja Rule and DMX.
Speaker 1It's a lot of things, I'm not gonna lie. I thought that happened because Ja Rule sounds just like DMX.
Speaker 3That's what it was about.
Speaker 2I remember when he first came out.
Speaker 1I'm like he sounds like Like a soft DMX, like he's like Same raspy voice, whatever Like Correct, yeah, but yeah, that's man Shout out to you. I would have never thought We'd be talking about Big L Like that's Hip hop history. Man. Thought we'd be talking about big L like that's history man. Like always, that's somebody. I need to do a little history joint on a little history research on this big L, because another person you should do the test.
Speaker 3You know it's guru. The words he was spinning back then yeah that's on the tripod.
Speaker 1Quest guru is with gang star, gang star.
Speaker 3So guru pass, but DJ Perrin is still here, so Guru was definitely. Definitely he was from Brooklyn. I believe you know what I'm saying. He spit a lot of things that make you think, because you got to think about how, like I said, the 90s was more about okay, it wasn't all about just partying and BSing. At first it was about yo, we're going to get this message on. You know, we got to do better as a people, as a community. That was like the first push for it, but then all of a sudden it changed and then everybody was like you know, I get this quick money party. You know, you know, spin the bill or do all this craziness. It changes each time?
Speaker 4When would you say you felt like it changed?
Speaker 3What year would you say it had to change when NWA started. So I want to say that has to have been around 93. And then, like I said, in 94, in May of 94, I left New York. So but the way NWA was was they were speaking of what they was going through out there, but then also was talking about freedom of speech. That's when the word freedom of speech but you gotta also remember you had nwa, then you had luke, see what I'm saying. So it's like you have florida, you have florida, it's the furthest down south. You have the west coast now and then also, like I said, what you call Atlanta music was starting to come on the rise because you had, you know, Outkast, you had Goody Mob, you had a lot of people from the A was coming through.
Speaker 3Well, I believe if people would have just embraced everybody and let them be how they have their style, because you know Texas have their own type of style, you know what I'm saying Then it really really shouldn't have been an issue. It should have been that whole let's get together as a whole and it would have been different. I think the music industry would have went a whole different way if we really took total control of it and then, like, put things in place. Even though a rapper gets old, they should be somewhere as a spokesperson for the people who's young, because people need guidance. Know, I'm saying, but a lot of people was gatekeeping and that's how? Because somebody's not from New York, they sound different. You think they wack? No, that's just their style.
Speaker 3No, I'm saying because that's what hip-hop is about. It's about a style. You can wear certain clothes and somebody can tell where you're from. That's a style, that's hip-hop. Somebody can do a tagging. You can tell where it's from. That's part of hip-hop. So really, if we put all the things in perspective, like the DJ, the DJ makes the difference in hip-hop. Before it was all about the rapper, but no, it's more about the DJ. You know what I'm saying and all the other essence. And that's where KRS loves to spit out the culture as a whole. He don't just talk about oh, I'm the only MC blah, blah, blah. No, he talks about every other thing with it Graffiti, the music you know the DJ and everything.
Speaker 1You talked about a lot of stuff. It's interesting that you brought up the West Coast and then you brought up Uncle Luke. Were you around that time?
Speaker 2when apparently Uncle.
Speaker 1Luke and Dr Dre were beefing.
Speaker 3I probably was living or not, oh, but you weren't paying attention to it.
Speaker 1I wasn't really paying attention to it Because I remember there's people.
Speaker 3That matter of fact, because I think it's something that Eazy has said too, it scared my mind. But the thing with Luke, like I said, he had the party, he was like party, party, party and he did all the music and of course you you know the booty shaking and stuff, right, because billy believe it or not, because of luke is how atlanta even got even to the next level, because that's when freakney came about.
Speaker 1Booty bass, yeah, booty bass, and that's shout out to tanaka. I had, I, I didn't know it sounded like atlanta just took a lot of like influence from other states because I didn't know that the crunk was from Memphis.
Speaker 3A lot of people don't know that. A lot of people don't know that it started in Memphis, but Memphis was still trying to come up. But you got to also remember Atlanta is the center. It's now considered like a hub. Oh yeah, I don't know if people pay attention like the shows, like BMF and stuff. Even with BMF they went from Detroit, came to Atlanta. So everybody comes down to Atlanta right now. You'd be surprised how many people from up north is down in Atlanta oh yeah so that's how the music is going to the next level, believe it or not.
Speaker 3So like with Crunk Music. So like with crunk music which you know, lil Jon was doing it, he was killing it. Then they made, you know, strip club music, and that was killing it too.
Speaker 1Right, right, ooh boy, we done rapped a lot. We didn't even start the show yet, so we gonna move on to the waiting. You got anything else to add?
Speaker 4No.
Speaker 1Okay, cool, that was a cool issue. Yeah, right, I mean we're going to keep it going, but yeah, so we got the question of the day. Let me pull this back up and see what the question of the day is. And, lebron, we're going to start with you. We're going to start the question of the day. What's an artist you think deserves way more recognition than they get?
Speaker 3Hmm, see, it seems like I might be. What more, when you say artist, is it a group or just the one person? Take it wherever you want to take it, because for me, what's the one cast, luchini, I've never heard of them. What you got to listen?
Speaker 2to them Camp Love, camp Love.
Speaker 3Luchini Falling From the Sky. Yes, camp Love Put me on. Yes, basically, because you know a lot of people only think of only what's the group. What's the group called the Jungle Brothers. But the Jungle Brothers then you had Native Tongues. So Native Tongues was another movement that came through. That was mostly the cats from Queens. They was like the end part of the Native Tongues era. You know, de La Soul, of course. De La Soul, which they still get recognized, believe it or not. Yeah, camp Lo, that group right there, just the words they say, how he was speaking, the metaphor smooth, everything and classic too. That's just what I think, me, nah, I feel that. I feel that.
Speaker 4Yeah, camp Lowe is dope. I actually seen them live. They had performed with Digable Plants, exactly. I seen them and nothing.
Speaker 1Oh yeah, don't mind me, I'm actually looking up. I've never heard of this group. Camp Lowe, yeah, the video was banging.
Speaker 3Check out the video this group can't blow.
Speaker 1Yeah, yeah, the video was banging. Check out the video. All right, who you feel?
Speaker 4is an artist that needs a little bit more record recognition. That's the word, it's. It's crazy, I feel like um recognition one of my favorite groups is the lost boys. So you know, uh, I feel like the Boys you know don't quite get the recognition.
Speaker 1And I get. Well, I'll come back to you. Why do you feel like Camp Low doesn't get the recognition?
Speaker 3Because you know at the time how everybody was coming up and then they just their songs. What they were saying, was it resonated with you? You know what I'm saying. It wasn't like they were just giving you, you know, bullshit and party Nah, they had a good saying. Was it resonate with you? It wasn't like they were just giving you bullshit and partying Nah, they had a good message. They was putting out words and it damn, that's the case. I could have said another group too.
Speaker 1Say it Dan Prez, that beat I ain't gonna lie, the reason why I even know who Dan Prez is. Shout out to Dave Chappelle. That's how I know who Dead Prez is. That dude, yeah. The hip hop, yeah. So let me ask you this so you actually did listen to Dead Prez, yes, so why do you feel like they didn't get the recognition?
Speaker 3Because of what they were saying. They was galvanizing the community together. It was galvanizing, but they also was talking about the music industry, Right, which you know they ain't like that. So they had to make them into something negative when it was all about positive. That's the same thing with Cam Loeb. Their songs wasn't about negativity. It was about positivity of us people.
Speaker 1That's just what it is, man. So what about you, Tanaka? Why do you feel like Lost?
Speaker 4Boys is getting the recognition. I just feel like, as far as New York, there's so many New York groups I feel like it's spoken about, but I feel like Lost Boys kind of gets lost in the shuffle.
Speaker 1No pun intended, no pun intended you know truthfully, I didn't even know that was a group. I didn't even know that was a group. I knew about Mr Cheeks when he came out with Lights Camera Action.
Speaker 3But yeah, freedy, the other dude here passed away when he was one of the victims of the circumstance. We'll just say that's that right. So you know it was like. It's like how you have, you know, say like if what you call Mobb Deep, you know it's two people, but one passed away and the other one is still there, but if you listen to all of Mobb Deep now, I've talked about this group and I mean I feel like they get the recognition but I feel like they should get bigger recognition.
Speaker 1But Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, I feel like they should get a lot more recognition from what they get, because they were the first group to add a melody with hip-hop. Hip-hop was always just rapping, but they would add melodies to it. I do feel like they do get the recognition. I feel like they should get even bigger recognition than what they have. Did you listen to Bone Thugs Remembrance Ron?
Speaker 3Oh yes, main thing with them, you know, because they was on the back end of Eazy. This is where Eazy this was his first project with them, right? And then you know what he was going through that kind of like shadow, but, like you said, with the harmony ain't, nobody was doing that at that time.
Speaker 3So they was, you know they started it. And Ain't nobody was doing that at that time. So they was, you know they started it. And then you know, of course, busy Boom, he just was a beast with them words Right, and then the other guy, I can't remember his name. They all was on point but, just like you said, they got overshadowed. You know what I'm saying Because they was in Columbus, ohio, I believe. So you know, it really wasn't a name.
Speaker 1You know a known spot at the time, but I agree with you on that one so let me ask you this, lauren how much do you think it's um the artist's fault that they fall off, rather than the record label that they're on that they fall off?
Reflections on Modern Rap Battles
Speaker 3honestly, it's more about the education part and understanding. If you understand and know the whole picture, just don't look at the money part. I think some people just look at just the cash value and they don't really understand that Sometimes they just don't. It's not because you got to keep performing. If you can't perform. If you can't perform, you're not going to get your money. Just making a song is not the only thing. You got to perform. Perform because you gotta be out there. You gotta sell merch. You know what I'm saying. You gotta do the other things that a lot of people ain't willing to do. Some just want to be in the studio and that's it.
Speaker 1But nah, because the studio is where half of your bill is going to Right Facts, nah, and that's and honestly, now that I know a little bit about record labels and all that type of stuff, I feel like they, I don't know I feel like it's kind of interesting. It makes sense why they always get these folks from like the hood, because they're not used to all that kind of money and they're going to see that at cash events of $100,000 and not know that for four or five years we now own you.
Speaker 4Correct. And yeah, I think that's another thing, that because you know how everybody be like, oh, I wouldn't have done something like that, but it's like these kids like they're young you know, yeah, very, and they're young, yeah, so it's like you know. You gotta put that in perspective. Yeah, you know, they they not you. Like you said, they're not used to seeing that much money and then on top of that.
Speaker 1You know they're young, so it's like and some of them got families to feed. So like it's like yeah, so yeah, but yeah, man, you gotta read them papers and it's a lot of papers too, but the main one what page, which page?
Speaker 3you always say we always have to look at the last page, the last page, it's the most important one.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's all I look for, because that's what they love making sure you didn't read it all. That's all good.
Speaker 2As long as you got your signature, that's all that matters.
Speaker 1Correct, but cool. Well, we're going to move on to Guess the Bars. I can't wait for this one. This one is going to be fun. We'll see you next time. So, ladies and gentlemen, if you don't know what Guess the Bars is, we have some bars that we give to each other and we read them out to you guys and we put them on the F scale. We rate it off the F scale, which is from 5 to 1. Fire, ferocious, flat, frisbee and fecal. You just pull from this and you read it out to the people and if you think you know who it is, you can try to guess or whoever, and if there's any part that stands out to you, you know. Oh yeah.
Speaker 1Just read it and see and rate it on the scale.
Speaker 3It says I'd rather be a different man in another world than work for a man in my universe. Wonder what it feels like to take flight. Mama told me everything gonna be alright. I mean my life couldn't be off right. But come to think about it, everybody's running. The world seems to be all right. Can you motherfuckers see all right? Can you say?
Speaker 1yeah, just so, on the on the 501 fighter fecal. What would you give that? What you get, those bars, I would give it a four Ferocious yes For sure. Do you have any guess on who that could be I?
Speaker 3don't know, I can't, it's not coming.
Speaker 1Is it a newer or old? I guess he would be newer, nah, I can't.
Speaker 4I can't get it. Is there any lines that stick out to you at all? He would be newer. Nah, I can't. I can't get it. Is there any lines that stick out to you at all?
Speaker 3or that's the thing. It's like. Mama told me everything gonna be alright. I would feel that would be the one to get me.
Speaker 4It's just not clicking it's not clicking okay, well, honestly, if you would have got this to get me. It's just not clicking, it's not clicking.
Speaker 1It's not clicking, okay. Well, honestly, if you would've got this, I actually would've been surprised but, this is. This is an artist by the name of Logic. Are you familiar with the artist named Logic?
Speaker 3is that the new cat with the glasses? No, he's like he's like Logic, yeah, he's like he's like a mix.
Speaker 2He's like a mix.
Speaker 1He's like mixed. He's like mixed. He's like black. I think he's like mama's black.
Speaker 2Does he have glasses?
Speaker 1I think he does have glasses Dang, I just said that.
Speaker 3Yeah, he might, if it's the one. I think you know he does got some skills. I like his flow. You know what?
Speaker 1I think he may, I think I don't know.
Speaker 3I'm called, confess, I'm assuming you've never heard the song before. I probably heard it. Just. You know just my thing be, I can hear a song, but sometimes if it don't, if it don't grab me and pay attention to it, then I'm right, I feel you, but I still say afford because he did.
Speaker 4I like how the metaphor was I be high as hell but I be on my business too. Baby said I'm fly. Yeah, I put up in a business suit. Please don't waste my time or I'ma block you and forget. It's you. Yeah, after all this shit I did, you just did it too. Is it the drugs? It's the money? What got into you? What the hell you thinking? What you thinking? You not bulletproof? All it takes is just a second. Just see what this bullet do. They said that. They said the way wouldn't make it bitch.
Speaker 1I'm living proof what are your thoughts?
Speaker 4good sir, um, it's interesting, interesting thought process. Um I could, I could appreciate it, though it's kind of like thoughtful conversation. Um, I'm gonna get a flat ferocious.
Speaker 2I'm going to guess that it's Max B Max.
Speaker 1B. Well, you are wrong. This is actually an artist and he was asking if this is a new artist. This is an artist by the name of Yeet.
Speaker 4Are you familiar with Yeet? I am Not familiar with Yeet. I mean, I haven't listened. Yeah, I haven't listened. Ron's like nah, I don't know. Nope, this is a song called Not the Same. Wow, you don't know the song. I haven't listened to so much. Yeet, okay, wow, yeah you know.
Speaker 1So, wow, yeah, I mean I, you know, jordan spoke up for him and said that, you know, I mean, honestly, I feel like he probably will be the next blake ricardo, probably because he's like, he has that good core fan base. But, um, yeah, okay, all right, cool, let's see what we got. Um, I don't give a goddamn on the shows you did. How many times you got, or two, who knows you kid, cause I don't know you. Therefore, show me what you know.
Speaker 1I come sharp as a blade and I cut you slow. You become so pat as my style increases. What's that in your path? Ah, human feces. Throw your shitty draws in the hamper. Next, i'ma come strapped with the fucking pamper. How you sound B. You better be off quicker.
Speaker 1I'm on the mound G and it's a hitter. And the DJ, the catcher, he's my man. In a way, he's the one who devised the plan. He throws the signs. I hook up beats with clout. I throw rhymes on the mic and strike them out. So it really doesn't matter how you intrigue, you can't fuck with those in major leagues. That was long, that was really long. Um, that, um, uh, it was all right. I guess uh'm going to give it a goddamn. I'm going to show you how many rhymes you got. I'm going to show you, kid, I give it a flat ferocious because I feel like this is older. If it's not older then it'll probably be closer to flat. I feel like it's older. I'm going to go with flat ferocious. This definitely sounds like some New york, some up north. It's definitely sounded up north. Rapper. Um yeah, I don't know who this is who do we have?
Speaker 4to knock it I can't get it he said he can't get it, I can't get it Clan in the front, Clan in the front man. What's that?
Speaker 1Oh, okay, yeah, your PR group over here are mad at you.
Speaker 4I thought you were really saying that man.
Speaker 1Your PR group over here mad at you. You got some explaining to do.
Speaker 3Yeah, yeah, that's funny. All right, I told Weezy, give me a key, give me that weed. Give me that little G, give me that Mac 10. Let me see what's happening. That will excuse me. That was me. While these niggas was lacking, I was thugging with. Detroit Wasn't a good day, these niggas relaxing. You was stressing about that. Hoe, I'm chasing Charles. I ain't want no taxes. My plan went sour. I don't want to sell flour. I want a office and a tower, though they bully by the hour. And I know you heard of ghosts, but mine wasn't on power, ooh. And I know you heard of ghosts, but mine wasn't on power. Ooh, ain't never seen the body before. But let's give him a shower. This guy be nicking my ass, oh, dang.
Speaker 4You heard the wrong. He said ooh, ooh. He said ooh.
Speaker 1You said you going Nikki. Oh, okay, hold on, well, okay. So yeah, wait. You said Nikki. Right, it has to be Nikki. What do you?
Speaker 4give it. What's the rating you give it? I still say a four Promotions. Was there any lines that stuck out to you?
Speaker 3that you enjoyed Between the part where it says about power. Okay, something about that Power ghosts and power.
Speaker 4Okay, caught that one for sure.
Speaker 1That's the one that caught you. Okay, well, no, it's not Nicki Minaj. Um, this is actually a rapper by the name of Trouble. Oh, yeah, I heard of him and I like him too. This, this is a feature. This is off a song called soldier rags. Okay, okay, yeah, yeah, that's uh, but that's you correct, nephew? Yeah, and he's. He's one of the features on the song, didn't? That's the way? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I do like him his style. I did have trouble. He didn't even ask the way. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I did like him His style, damn.
Podcast Hall of Fame Nominees
Speaker 4I did like him. Yep, his style. Alright, round two, here we go. Hey, that's funny. So many plays homie. I finesse palisade views with some sex. I lost a lot of love for missionary this the first time, I confess me. And top is like a Kobe and Phil a father figure fucking, you get killed, fuck with me and he will kill you himself. Interesting, real, real, aggressive, real quick. You know what I'm saying. I had to think about whoever this was talking about, six but then they said me and top. I thought they was talking about, like you know, getting top, but they talking. I thought they was talking about getting top, but I think they talking about Top Dog.
Speaker 1Yeah, I was going to say they're probably talking about. Well, I wasn't saying Top Dog, but somebody named.
Speaker 4Top. Yeah, yeah, I guess. Yeah, I thought at first they was yeah, okay, read it one more time, Tyler.
Speaker 4So many plays homie. I finesse Palisade views with some sex. I lost a lot of love for missionary. This the first time I confess Me and Top is like a Kobe and Phil Father figure fuck with him and you get killed. Fuck with me and he will kill you himself. I don't think, okay, well, i'ma just think TDE. So I don't think okay, well, I'm going to just think TD. So I don't think this is Kendrick. I don't think Abso is that aggressive.
Speaker 4I see the school, or J-rock, I'm gonna go school. What Q Well say? I'm gonna say with Schoolboy Q Well, sir, did I raise it? No, you didn't. If you did, I don't remember. Yeah, this would be probably. I need a flat four. I like the metaphor, okay.
Speaker 1Well, sir, you should have won with your first thought. It was kendrick, it was kendrick, it was kendrick. Yeah, this is off of, uh, untitled two. Yeah, this is off that. Uh, levitate, levitate that that album.
Speaker 2Whatever the album that was what's the name of the album.
Speaker 1yeah, yeah, I forget the name of the album, but yeah, dang, that was that. Yeah, that was. That was definitely a dot. Alright, let's see Number two. Let's see what we got. Alright, alright, you already know what it's about. When I run up in your house, put the gun in your mouth and get the money out the couch, hearing you out is senseless perhaps.
Speaker 4for instance, what's up, man? Why you laughing about?
Speaker 1me. This man, tanaka, is trying to get me canceled.
Speaker 2Look, tanaka wrote this down, You're reading bars I have no issues with the LGBT community.
Speaker 1Please, I haven't Look. Pr group. Please forgive me. Please, hearing you how sinless. Perhaps, maybe I should say it faster. I give this packet of current fish, true, hello, I couldn't even say it. All right, I'm going to start from the top. I'm going to say it. Alright, I'm going to start from the top. I'm going to say it fast. You already know what it's about. When I run up in your house, put the gun in your mouth and get the money out the couch. Hearing you out is senseless, perhaps. For instance, I give this faggot a French kiss. Black gloves, no print, dark tint Word on the streets. They ain't heard from him since you ain't about oh, you know about life after kicking the kid in, since me and my mini Dan can flip seven gridams. It's gridam. The flow is forbidden. Yeah, I don't know. This definitely sounds like some New York rap for the intensity.
Speaker 1I think I'll give it a. I think I'd give it a. Give it a 3.8. This is right. This is right there. It's right up under ferocious. Yeah, I don't know who this is? Yeah, I don't know who this is. Laron, do you know who this is? Is it Biggie?
Speaker 1Yeah, I don't know that does sound like with the gun in your mouth, the money on the couch. It does sound like it gives me give me the loot. Yeah, give me the loot, yeah, Wait, I'm trying to get a cadence of it. I don't remember him. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know who this is. I don't know who this is. It's not who we got.
Speaker 4So you guys are close. It is a Biggie song but the verse is Jadakiss it's Last Day.
Speaker 1Oh, last Day. That was off of what was that off of? Life After Death. Life After Death.
Speaker 2Yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, I got to give Life After Death a full listen. I don't think I've listened to the whole Life After Death. It's a great project yeah, so I've heard. So I've heard All right, let's go around, let's go around.
Speaker 3All right All right, here we go Right now. I change guns with the season. When I was young I bought Ninja Stars on Jamaica Ave Hitting trees, then Started hitting trees, then we ran the trains on the girls in my family dance school. We were beasting Little young heathens. I had the Rambo knife and when I got my first gun I was cheesing. I couldn't believe it. I had the power of life or death in the palm of my hands, fiending for people to be scheming. That was tough.
Speaker 4yeah, that's the tone of the part I give it a three.
Speaker 3It's like all these are starting to sound the same.
Speaker 1Yeah, it's starting to run the air. There's definitely a lot of. There's no heaps and valleys, it's kind of just.
Speaker 3Yeah, I can't even, I can't imagine, I can't even imagine, I can't even imagine.
Speaker 1Oh, so you have no idea. No idea, no idea. Okay, so, oh. So you have no idea, no idea. So this is Prodigy. It's off of a song called the Infamous.
Speaker 3Oh my God, oh my God, that's something that I would listen to. Oh man, so I gotta go back. I gotta go back and listen to it.
Speaker 1I gotta go back and listen to it. So wait, have you heard the song?
Speaker 3Yes, you have.
Speaker 1Okay, when was the first time you heard the Infamous?
Speaker 3Well, the main song we played was Ship One, so off of that album, and then I just listened to all of them.
Speaker 1Oh, so you just ran through that album.
Speaker 3That was one of the songs. Yes, but Ship One is straight up Because it was one of the songs. Okay, gotcha, but Ship One is straight evil. Well, because it was all about the, you know, the Acre legends. Yeah, the gold Acre legends.
Speaker 1Yeah, absolutely, yep, yep, yep. Those are the ones that. That's why we, that's why we try to give you a little time to you know, if you want to think about it, that's funny, all right let's see.
Speaker 4I might not hit nothing, but y'all know that I was present. See me and a bear in the woods and held the bear there. My life is Leonardo and the retinue. Listen to the lead playing. I ain't talking Zeppelin, boston, george. Before we got the blow, I'm out here. Johnny Deppin, the only thing that police gonna find on me is a weapon Blessings. Never believe in luck. Read the signs at the lake. It tells you don't feed the ducks. So keep it up and you'll be back to selling cuties In the hood. You get shot or you go out like fella cootie. I like that one. Yeah, this fire, daniel Tarrant. I ain't gonna lie.
Speaker 1Yeah, that was bars on bars, facts. Yeah, that don't lie, I ain't gonna lie. So what part stood out to you? So, wait, wait, what are you giving it? Oh, it's five, oh five, just straight five, okay, yeah it's five, oh five, just straight five.
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Speaker 4Okay, that's a lot. Yeah, I mean like Don't Feed the Ducks. Life is Leonardo and the Revenant. Listen to Led playing, not talking, exactly. It's a cold word, yeah this is. I had a Prince. What song? Let's see this one. I know it's the intro song, but I don't know what the title is. Intro to what? No, the One.
Speaker 1Sunday. It's the first song. Well, let's see if you're at least correct. If you're're correct on that, I'll give you a point for that, if you can, cause I know them intros be a little weird.
Speaker 4Cause it's not no Dope on Sundays, cause it's the second song, but the first song it might be Amen or something, I don't know, it's not coming to me. I just know it's the first song off the album. First song off the album Set the tone for the album.
Speaker 1First song off the album yeah, set the tone for the album Bars on bars, bars on bars, bars on bars. Well, sir, yeah, I'll give you the point. You were right, it was the intro and I'll give you the point. Just because you were like, is it Amen? I'll give it to you. Good job, good job, you got it there you go, there you go. So when's the first time you heard Amen? Oh, when the album dropped.
Speaker 4Just like when the album dropped. Yeah, man Didn't wait for that. I was waiting for that album for like Tanaka come on Come on now.
Speaker 1We know, because I was waiting too and I was like like good lord Since 2009, 2010.
Speaker 1Lord 2009, all of us have, but um, okay, alright, so I'm gonna wrap it up. Let's see what we got. Alright, the overseer rode around the plantation. The officer is off patrolling all the nations. The overseer could stop you what you're doing. The officer will put you over just when he's nations. The overseer could stop you what you're doing. The officer will put you over just when he's pursuing. The overseer had the right to get ill and if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill. The officer had the right to arrest and if you fight back, they put a hole in your chest. Hello whoop, they both ride horses. After 400 years, I've got no choices. The police, them, have a lip a little. A little wait. Is that that's really okay? So when I'm on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one I hear it all day just so they can run the lights and upon their way. So, lauron, you want to take the point?
Speaker 1it's called I'll give it a fire just cause you know that's.
Speaker 2Kara, that's one, that's the teacher.
Speaker 1He's talking about something so um, yeah. So when's the first time you heard that song, lauren, do you remember?
Speaker 3we played it all the time. That's just what we played, but really, as I'm mainly focused more on it now, you know, as I became an adult growing up, it really was hit because I was listening to the words. Back then it was all about just the beat yeah, the beat and being a H-1, being KRS-One. But when you really listen to the message it's like he brings you back. So he tells you the story and brings you back into that time.
Speaker 1And it just really tells you what's going on now, how to justify. You know how the police are and where they came from. Well, shout out to you, laron, I didn't, because that was the perspective I've always had of up north older rap is that they didn't really care about the beat. But that's good to know that. That was still a thing that y'all did care about the beat, but it was also about the message as well. So shout out to you for that. Well cool, yeah, there, you go that out the message as well. So shout out to you for that. Appreciate it. Well cool, yeah, there you go. That's Guess the Bars. That was Guess the Bars. That was fun Up next we have.
Speaker 4When did you hear that song?
Speaker 1What this? I've never heard this song. Sound of the Police. Oh, this is Sound of the Police. Oh, this is Sound of the Police. I thought he said something about bad cop, or I did. He didn't actually say the name of the song I just I got uh sound of the police I probably would have heard.
Speaker 1I feel like I just would have heard it like just randomly, like I couldn't tell you when I heard some of the police, um yeah, um, I'm really trying, maybe like on a movie or commercial or some some along those lines like I probably heard it on that and I'm like, oh that's, that's KRS-One.
Speaker 1Because for me, krs-one was one of those people. I never really knew any of his music, but I just knew he was an older rapper that was one of the founding fathers of hip-hop. Yeah, my philosophy. Oh well, I guess the only song I would know about him was the the bridge is over, because I always just love the. It's just so simple. Yeah, exactly, it's so simple. I'm telling you, tanaka, that kiss method gets him every time we're going to move on to the Hall of Fame. So, so, tanaka, like I said, these months and months joints I know you don't remember them, so I actually written it down this time. So, last time on the Hall of Fame. Appreciate everybody for participating in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 1The nominees were Georgia Snow. Oh, by the way, shout out to DJ 20 being the last guest. Wait, shout out to DJ 20 being the last guest. We had Georgia Snow versus the Jeezy Snowman Contest versus the Heath Ledger Joker, and the winner is and the new inductee into the TNT Podcast Hall of Fame is the Heath Ledger Joker. So, tanaka, if you would like to go ahead and start us off, go ahead. So, laron, what we do right now is we just nominate whatever you want to nominate. It could be whatever you want it to be. It doesn't have to be a person. It could be a clothes, a song, a mixtape. It could be you. If you want to nominate yourself, nominate yourself. What we do is we take it and we put it on our Instagram page and they vote.
Speaker 1And that would be the next inductee into the TNT Podcast Hall of Fame. So, tanaka, I'm going to let you start off. What's our first nominee?
Speaker 4Let's see First nominee, let's see, let's see, that's a good question.
Speaker 1Do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do, do. Uh, that's what I picked, gotcha.
Speaker 4Well, you know what, tanaka, I'll let you slide.
Speaker 1I'm going to nominate the Lost Boys. Lost Boys, okay. Why are we nominating the Lost Boys?
Speaker 4Look, I feel like we didn't talk about a lot of hip-hop this episode. They were one of my favorite hip-hop groups.
Speaker 1So who was your favorite out of that, or did you have a favorite?
Speaker 4Yeah, I don't know if I really had a favorite. I like the chemistry, though, that they had. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, like the chemistry for Utah and Mr Cheekshead, you know, it's like that's kind of why they?
Speaker 4you know, once he passed away, it's like no bringing that back. You know, it just wasn't, it wasn't the same, the formula wasn't there, mm-hmm. So. But I think they recognized that too, though it just wasn't, it wasn't the same, the formula wasn't there. You know so. But I think they recognize that too, though. So you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1But they make great music, though, for sure so what would you say is your favorite song by the Lost Boys? For what are some? If you don't have one, what's some favorite songs? Well, I think my favorite is Lex Coop, beamer and the.
Speaker 4Benz. But I mean I have of course Rene Classic and then I think the last song on that first album Problems. I forgot that real title, but yeah.
Speaker 1Okay, so we're going to go to Lost Boys. So I're going to go to Lost Boys.
Speaker 1So, I'm going to go completely left with this Just on account of, at the time of recording, I went to go see the movie. I went to go see a movie, so I'm going to nominate the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken up a lot of my time. I've stopped watching a lot of stuff because of the Cinematic Universe. The TV shows, the movies, all of it. It has just taken up all of my time.
Speaker 1Like I said, I went to go see Captain America yesterday. As a movie it was okay, but I can kind of tell that it's connected to something. So the ending was kind of mid, but you can kind of tell it's a to to something. So the ending was kind of mid, but you can kind of tell it's a to be continued. But, um, yeah, I it's. It's taking up a lot of my time because it was one movie I went to go see and I didn't understand it because I didn't watch the tv show and I was like you know what, bump it. I'm gonna drop everything and I'm gonna watch every single tv show that came out of the marvel universe and that took about a year. It took about a year for me to get caught.
Speaker 2And I'm almost caught up. I got to watch Daredevil.
Speaker 1Shout out to Daredevil. That's actually a pretty good show for people that aren't really into the Marvel Universe. There are a couple shows that I would recommend that I would watch If you don't care for the Marvel Universe, just to watch is a good show. Luke Cage, daredevil, jessica Jones, the Punisher those are the shows you should watch. I'd recommend them. The movies, of course, the Avengers. The Avengers are always the ones that everybody goes to, but I would say my favorites would be Wakanda. Oh, not Wakanda, no, not Wakanda. Forever, forever. I can't watch that movie. That movie is really sad. The first one, black Panther. Black Panther was probably my favorite. That soundtrack is amazing, by the way. Yeah, so that's my nominee. Marvel Cinematic Universe, leron. What we got, what we nominating? I nominate Hoodie Brand, bronx Bread, bronx Bread. Why are we nominate? I nominate Hoodie Brand Bronx Bread, bronx Bread. Yes, okay. Why we nominate Bronx Bread? It's a fish joint and it's for a minute too, uh-huh, okay. And it's green, and it's green. Shout out to green. I like the Bronx. All right, is green your favorite?
Speaker 3color. It's one of them. One of them. It's one and a month.
Speaker 1Burgundy is the top. Burgundy is the top. Okay, shout out to Bronx Bread. So we're going to put the Lost Boys versus the Marvel Cinematic Universe versus Bronx Bread on the Instagram page. We're going to let y'all vote and the next the one that wins will be the next inductee into the TNT Podcast Hall of Fame. So this one's going to be brief because I didn't really have a lot of time to give you background information on it, so I'm really just going to give you all personal information.
Speaker 1So the next one is DJ Turn Up song of the day. Uh, so my song of the day is a song that I feel like to really do no wrong because it came out in a time when I was a little younger and I feel like for me, um 2002 and 2000 no, I'll say 2001-2003 music could do no wrong for me. Hip-hop and R&B could do no wrong for me. Anything that came out that was a single that was on the radio. I feel like it had to be a lot. It had to be really bad for me to not like it, but anyway. So my song of the day is Frontin' by Pharrell and Jay-Z. I don't know if y'all are familiar with this song, but that's the song that came out in, I think, 2002. It came out in 2002, tanaka. Can you fact check that for me? Fact check that for me? I feel like it came out in 2002, but, like I said, this was around the time where 2003, 2003, yeah.
Speaker 1I figured it was because this was around the time where I started getting into like mix CDs. My mom knew somebody that made mix CDs and she was like, yeah, just write down on a piece of paper all the songs and I'll get a mix CD made for you. And that was one of the songs that was on there, just a cool little laid back track that gives a real 2000s vibe.
Speaker 1I feel like that's like out of like Pharrell's like R&B and hip hop songs. I feel like that's like out of like Pharrell's like R&B and hip-hop songs. I feel like that's like one of his bigger songs, like, like I said, excluding like happy or stuff like that, like more his pop stuff. But yeah, I just feel like it's a well put together song. That's like just a lot and Pharrell fits in there nicely, jay-z in the track nicely, like nobody, like nobody's gonna like stepping on each other and honestly, it's a really interesting perspective to look back on, because I don't know if y'all have ever seen the video, but Lauren London is one of the video girls in the video and it's just interesting to think about. It's just think about like the one one you're like oh wow, that's Lauren London.
Speaker 1Like but, at the time you're not thinking about that, because I don't think anybody knew Warren. London was in 2003. Well, yeah, leronn, have you ever heard the song before.
Speaker 3Frontin'.
Speaker 1Jacob, what was your thoughts on Frontin' it was more of a laid back cool song type thing.
Speaker 3Right, because you know this is when he was. My thing was, you know, blue crank and all that.
Speaker 1So yeah, yeah, like I said, it was just the laid-back cool little R&B slash, hip-hop collab little track. I'm trying to think, see if I can get anything else on the front end. If I'm correct, I believe Pharrell made the beat. This is when he was with Nektoons, correct? Yeah, this is when he was with Nektoons. I'm not sure. Nektoons isn't a thing anymore, right, tanaka?
Speaker 1I don't think so I want to say him and the Asian dude had a bad falling out or not a bad falling out, but they didn't. They just went separate ways. They didn't went separate ways. I feel like they were fighting over the Neptune's name. Yeah, but yeah, like I said, it's a fairly successful track. It went gold in the UK and platinum, yeah, yeah and that's the same.
Speaker 1I think that's the same guy that he was in our, in our in our NERD with yeah, yeah, so so yeah, um, but yeah, man, it's a cool little positive, little little bop. So yeah, um, but yeah, man, it's cool, little positive.
Speaker 2Was actually interested about this song just like going back to the music video, like it's funny that.
Speaker 1Lauren London doesn't even play the main girl in the video Like she plays the main girl's friend. She's very it's very interesting, but anyway I'm not gonna hold y'all up. If you want to lay back track that gives you a real good, but anyway I'm not going to hold y'all up. If you want a laid back track that gives you a real good 2000s vibe, that's going to make you feel good.
Speaker 1I highly recommend you listen to Friend, that's DJ Turn Up's song of the day, your face is telling me that you found some other stuff you want to talk about, it, you want to share with the class, sir Nah this is just crazy, man.
Speaker 4I didn't realize that. I didn't know. Oh, you didn't know that they fell out. I didn't know they fell out.
Speaker 1Truthfully, I'm not going to lie. I'm going to give a shout out to TikTok. Tiktok has put me onto a lot of different information that I did not know about. I'm learning stuff like yesterday that I did not know about. It's just a lot of stuff. There's a lot of stuff on tiktok that you can learn correct like biopics and people's background and it's crazy.
Speaker 1That's actually where I learned the uh, dj, uh, I mean not dj, dr, dre and uncle thing from was from tiktok. I was like, oh damn, I didn't know that was a thing, sure would you? Sir, would you like to share with the class?
Speaker 4why are you sitting here. I had no idea that they fell out like that man. Yeah, apparently I guess he wasn't included in like all the trademarking and stuff like that wait, who, pharrell or the other guy?
Speaker 1the other guy? Okay, let's not be disrespectfulll, or the other guy.
Speaker 4The other guy. Okay, let's not be disrespectful. What's?
Speaker 1the other guy's name Chad Hugo. Chad Hugo.
Speaker 4Yeah, so basically all the Neptunes and NERD stuff is like credited to Pharrell and not him.
Speaker 1Pharrell, and Pharrell only, because there's more than just them two.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, I guess Pharrell and not him. Pharrell and Pharrell only Because there's more than just them two. Well, yeah, I guess Pharrell's the one that trademarked all of it and stuff.
Speaker 1Well, his first one. Well, I mean truthfully, that is dirty, but at the same time that's business Like if you don't trademark it, but these folk been tight since 7th grade.
Speaker 2What that mean.
Speaker 1I'm saying what that mean. I'm saying what that mean. I'm saying, bro, you can't take that to court. Tanaka, I hope you don't ever go to court and be like yeah, bro, I've known you since seventh grade, bro. I'm saying they've been nephews since seventh grade and that's great, but once again, that's how business is, just cold. It's that cold Can't take that to court, sir, but um, yeah, so Thank you, sir. Do you have our album of the day?
Speaker 4Yeah, it's Reaching a New, Excuse me, reaching a New Reputation of Time and Space Diggable Planets.
Speaker 1Is that a so wait? Is that the one that has the song on it?
Speaker 2Yeah, it does. I can't live on.
Speaker 4I can't live on. Is that that one? Yes, man, you're thinking of the wrong group. That's not Dilated Peoples, man.
Speaker 1Oh, that's Dilated. Oh, my bad, I'm sorry. Diggable Plants man.
Speaker 4I'm sorry.
Speaker 1Oh, okay, sorry.
Speaker 4You all. Good man, I'm sorry, but yeah, Diggable Plants was a trio, Two male rappers and one female. They had um Butterfly uh, who's it? Butterfly, Butterfly, Doodle Bug and Ladybug Mecca. Um, the reason I rock with them so heavy is cause they had a different sound, you know, and but they were just like dope lyricists, like it was almost like poetic, the way that they rap, you know it's like.
Speaker 4And then the production they had was like real, real relaxed, real hip hop, smooth, you know, and they was dope with the lyrics too, like they just had a. It was just dope Like you know, the way they used to put stuff together was just dope and Ish or Butterfly is kind of like the pride and joy, I would say, of Seattle. We not really known for a lot of rappers like that, but he's actually from Seattle and yeah, his flow is just crazy.
Speaker 4And then to hear him he had featured on a record in Seattle by this producer named Jake One Jake 1 and man, it's like. It just showed how hip hop, like even though you older, like you still got it in you. You know what I'm saying, cause he's an OG now but like him rapping on the track showed that he hadn't lost his touch at all, like he was just going crazy, but yeah, man really talked about him. This album was a dope experience really. Both their projects are pretty pretty dope.
Speaker 4If you haven't checked them out, you know you're looking for 90s hip-hop. There wasn't really too much on gangster rap like that, you know, but they brought a different perspective and, yeah, I just appreciate what they brought to the game and seeing them live when they did like 30 years later like just showed that they had the showmanship and just how much appreciation their fan base has for them. You know, even though they only had two albums, they definitely left a mark I, I would say, in hip-hop. So definitely check that out. Debut Project they, of course, are known for their hit single, rebirth of Slick Cool Like that.
Speaker 4And yeah, I feel like that was just a perfect representation, you know, because they all had their own style, the way they'd say that song, and it was just dope. You know the way it came together. And it's carried on to the samples you know, obviously, e-40 has sampled them, you know, in his music.
Speaker 1It's interesting that, like, like both of those I was gonna bring that up uh, that I feel like both of those samples came out the same, came out the same year, um, with yay area and uh, candy by sleep dog I don't know if you've heard that, but yeah, um, but whether you have, has this been sampled by anybody else? You know they probably have, but Off top you don't know, I'm pretty sure. Yeah.
Speaker 4Dang, that's crazy. We beat to rap, we keep beat to lock. Yeah, it's hard, it's hard. So is that album a date? Yeah, oh yeah, that's everything, oh.
Speaker 1You usually hit them with the album of the day or do you want to check them out? Blah, blah, you usually hit them with that.
Speaker 4Oh yeah, it's their debut album. They will play this man reaching a new time. Reputation of time and space. Um yeah, I really suggest listening to the whole project, like just as a whole.
Speaker 1So what does? What does okay, so what are the album cuts that you uh?
Speaker 4that you, that you rock on when I'm from La Femme in Viettel, nickelback just a few records, but really I feel like the whole experience of that it flows together.
Speaker 2They got to listen to the whole project.
Speaker 1I can definitely appreciate albums that put together like a story and it's all floating and all that. I can appreciate that. Alright, what we got next? Oh, I know what we got next. So, leron. So we have this thing we have when we have guests on the show that we call open topic, where we kind of leave the floor up to you. We can talk about whatever you want to talk about. It could be controversial, it could be not controversial, it could be a promotion, it could be whatever you want it to be. We're following your lead for the next until you're ready to not talk about anything else. So, leron, the floor is yours. Wow, that's a lot Sorry, let's see.
Speaker 3Just keep it on with the you know DJing. So, like for me, I like Kid Capri. He did his mix back in 1992 with 52 Beats, has all the beats on it. So he just you know Beats, has all the beats On him. So he just you know, Plays beats After beats After beats. These are his beats. It's beats that you know From all the beats that's been in hip hop. He has it all in one and it was a mixtape Back then. Oh, okay, so where I get the resource from Is from, you know, Some Apple music and stuff and it's called 52 by DJ Kikapri. And you know he just know how to promote the party.
Speaker 1You know, okay, tanaka, have you ever heard of this? I've never heard of it, nah. I haven't heard of it so like is this like something he does on a mix tape? Is this like a live thing he does Like?
Speaker 3what? Nah, he just did it. This, like I said back when I used to press pause and play. So what he did was he just put all the hot beats together and he got James Brown mix. He has different mixes on it, so it's like you listen to one. You listen to it all at one time, so it gets you all the beats. So when we was growing up, we'll just do freestyles. You know what I'm saying. We just do a cypher, so we just have the beats going and then you just bust a rhyme.
Speaker 1Oh it's going and you just bust around. Yes, that's hard. No, I didn't know that.
Speaker 3So yeah, something to check out. You know it's all those beats that we hear now, but you know he just did it back then when it was straight off a cassette and you can kind of still hit a cassette playing, so it's that authentic. You said this is Kid Capri. Yes, it's called 52 Beats. It was back in 1992 that it dropped.
Speaker 2Yeah, that's interesting. I've never heard of this before.
Speaker 3And he did the 50-year-old hip-hop. What?
Speaker 1was that about?
Speaker 3Where pretty much he just was dead, he just pretty much was just. You know, hip hop turned 50 years, so basically it was last year I believe, and like he did a party, he did that live, but he was playing like A lot of current hits, he was just mixing it in, you know, mix master type thing, so that was pretty good too, and stuff. You know, even though, like I said, a lot of the music I listen to is 90, but I mean, I listen to most of the stuff recent, you know, but I just I'm more about lyrics. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3You know somebody can spell lyrics and then, you know, talk about something that makes sense, don't just not say anything. You know everybody has their own style. Because that's what I had to learn, like I said, with me being in the military, going to different states and even in different countries, because, like a lot of music I did pick up too was when I was in Germany, picked up a lot of music there. When I was in um Korea, picked a lot of music, and when we and I was deployed to Iraq, I heard tons of music, wow, tons of music. So you know, you pick all these things up and it just molds you and stuff.
Speaker 4What so? What was your thoughts on the battle between Drake and Kendrick? Or did you not? Not with the tech?
Speaker 3so you are laughing over here. So the way I felt was it was two different people with the same company battling over the same. So if one was losing money the company still was making money, but it also changed the whole dynamics of who was hot. So basically it just showed you had one person who just couldn't miss Drake could not miss. Then you had Kendrick Lamar come up, even though he wasn't the initial starter of that battle beat Because you know, j Cole started it and then Rick Ross kind of started it, but it ultimately went to K-Dyne. I mean he killed it and stuff, but it's like wow. But remember, hip hop is all about that, because you think about it, you got to have two degrees. So whenever somebody say Tupac, what are they going to say? Biggie? When they're going to say Nas, they're going to say Hope. See what I'm saying?
Speaker 4So it has to be two people going at it, no matter what, even though they're both under the same management. So did you hear all of the records that were?
Speaker 3released.
Speaker 4I did.
Speaker 3I did I mean and in your personal opinion who do you feel like what's crazy when you say that is because most people say that Kendrick won. Then some people say Drake won the long run. But then again, look what happened. They kind of had to kill him. You know, bring him back down to reality, because he couldn't miss anything. He put out, it was a hit, even though his sound was starting to sound the same over and over. But you got to remember, to be honest, they're really two different rappers, believe it or not. Kendrick's more like a battle rapper to me, where he can just go do. He can do the battle thing and kill it. You know what I'm saying. But Drake was just singing hooks and he had the fan base behind him. But, as you can see, due to TikTok and everybody doing that Squad Boy song, that's what raised up.
Speaker 3You know so, but I can't even Really I would just say I would say Kendrick won it because of how the accolades he got behind this record. Yeah, he won that part.
Speaker 4So, okay, because it's just interesting, I like to get a different perspective, you know, being that you know what I'm saying. You come from a different generation of hip-hop. For our generation, this is, like you know, our two heavy hitters, you know hip hop artists going at it, correct. So I just always like to see what you know other generations perspective is on the battle and stuff.
Speaker 4You know, because I know who I you know feel like when turn on those who you know feel like one, and that's that's really who we've been standing like, standing by, I feel like from day one. You know we gave both artists a fair chance to win this battle, you know. But at the end of the day, you know, I think this is spade. So you know, just just curious to see what.
Speaker 1how see how you looked at it. So let me ask you this, LaRon, since we're talking about this how do you feel about Drake taking?
Speaker 3this to court, which crazy is, because he was doing the same thing when it was in his favor. Now that things are not in his favor, now it's a problem. He can't have it both ways. You know what I'm saying. So basically, I think the main thing with him was more because of the word he used, even though he didn't say his name directly.
Speaker 3He just said it in a line, but everybody assumed so it's more like back in the days with nwa, how they was going to do because they were talking about the police, and then they also made them become, oh, they hate the police. No, they were just talking about the police that they were going through, they weren't talking about all the police. So it's all about your wording. So with him, you know him using the court system to work behind him. It just showed a whole different side. Then again you did the same thing, because when you went against Push which I guess everybody forgot about that when he went against Pusher T, come on now, what? What was the difference?
Speaker 4But then the times was different then so how did you feel about that battle, Pusher T.
Speaker 3I mean, you know, to me Pusher got more of a metaphor of flow. You know, to me Pusha got more of a metaphor flow, you know. But you know his thing. He's on that drug dealer, this drug dealer, that type thing. And then Drake was pretty much the ladies man type thing. So it's like even then that wasn't equal. I mean, it's like going back in the days when you had Kumo D bowing at Ice-T. A lot of people don't know about that or can't remember that Iced tea. The dude who's on the TV now, mm-hmm Kumo D. You don't see him no more, but he's still around and he was killing it back in them days, treacherous 3. Ooh, weak yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, I just look. I just feel like that wasn't the right move for Drake to take rap beef to court. That was just my opinion, even if he didn't have all these battles with Pusha T or Meek Mill or Common or whomever else. And I don't know if you're familiar with this, and I feel like you are, because you seem like a hip-hop head. Do you remember the documentaries we had called Beef? Do you remember those documentaries when they would talk about the different artists that were going against each other?
Speaker 3Yeah, I watched it. Matter of fact, me and my wife watched that whole thing.
Speaker 1How many times did you see anybody go to court?
Speaker 2None.
Speaker 1So why now? I mean I, like Tupac was talking about having sex with Biggie's wife, ice Cube talked about the whole NWA getting raped by a white man. Right Like let's not even talk about all the stuff 50 Centna said about Ja.
Speaker 3Rule.
Speaker 1Correct, Because he sure went on and on Right, but you're taking this to court. I don't know. That's just something I can't Like. I can't even listen to none of his disses anymore because it's like, bro, you took it to court, Like that's like, and I told Tanaka this off air. I'm like that's like you in a roast battle at school and you going to tell the teacher Because you got roasted Like are we really Right?
Speaker 3I don't know, I don't know that just whacked me, but I don't know. Teach is on but, like I said, it's big in a lot of things because it's more of this company versus company. Because it's more of this company versus company, just like when you want to go back to the East Coast West Coast beef, that really wasn't about Tupac and Biggie, that was Defro and Bad Boys, that was label versus label to be honest, truthfully, I feel like the media made that because, honestly, I feel like if it was really East Coast versus West Coast Method.
Speaker 2Man and Red.
Speaker 1Man wouldn't have been on All Eyes On Me.
Speaker 3And a lot of people there's a verse out there with Expected Deck and Tupac that's going around.
Speaker 1Like you said, TikTok, we have a lot of stuff, a lot of stuff, right, a lot of stuff.
Speaker 1Tiktok, yeah, tiktok is what's putting folks on man you find out a lot of stuff on TikTok, but yeah, man, I don't know, I just can't, so okay, so let me ask you this because somebody somebody in our circle, is saying that he, um, doesn't respect kendrick because he feels like he lied on a couple of his diss diss records. How do you feel about that? Do you feel like? Do you feel like that should make a difference? Or?
Speaker 3I don't know how do you feel about it? I believe it's more about some people just really say certain things as for a line purpose, Not you know, line for line. That's how Kendrick speak. When he's flowing, he's saying words that connect to words. Now he may I mean he may tell something, maybe different or whatever, but it's really on the person. So if they feel like that, they taking it way too personal, like they know Kendrick and that's wrong. You don't know him, so just like you don't know the person he talking about. It is what it is. It was for entertainment purpose. We went WWE here, WWE or WWF back in the days, right?
Speaker 1and we're taking it to court, and that's, that's a whole. That's a whole. Another story no and that's.
Speaker 1That's a whole another story that I'll tell you. I'll tell you all, fair Tanaka, because I don't want to, I don't want to bore people with the wrestling story. But, um, yeah, you know what fuck it I'll say, I'll tell the story. So it was a situation that happened in wrestling that kind of is kind of similar to that, to where they had a script on how, um, a certain joint was called was supposed to go and basically, well, for the wrestling folks that do listen to the tnt podcast, they know this as bash of the beach 2000. So basically there was a script that was supposed to go one way. It didn't go the other way and then it didn't go the way that it was supposed to go.
Speaker 1The guy came out, started talking shit about hulk hogan you know that name right started talking shit about hulk hogan, and then hulk hogan was on a plane going somewhere else and then, once he landed, he got his phone blown up like yo, you heard what dude said about you, quit the company, sue the company. And like the folks the folks are in court, like wait a minute, you're, you're suing him for something to happen on wrestling. And like they're like why are you wasting your time, like what are we doing here? Like you're suing me. It was really weird. But yeah, that's immediately what I thought about when I thought about this drake situation.
Speaker 4But um, yeah, so what was the outcome of that?
Speaker 1so they said there was. They said, they said there was a settlement, but nobody knows about the settlement. I guess the only person that knows is hulk hogan, and hulk hogan is known to be a liar. So I mean, can we really believe? I don't know, I can't really believe him. But yeah, what we got, what we got next, dj Talk, dj Talk. Alright, unless y'all got something else y'all want to add. Okay, I think it's DJ Talk.
Speaker 1So DJ Talk is going to maybe breathe, but we'll see what happens. And, laron, we'll include you on this. Just because you're a businessman, so we'll add you to the DJ Talk as well, just from a different standpoint. So, tanaka, I got a question for you. What's that? You DJ a lot and we talk about a lot, a lot, a lot. I DJ a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot. We I DJ a lot, a lot, a lot. So let's, let's talk about a day. What's some, what's some things that you do on when you're not DJing. You're off day, you're not DJing. You got 24 hours to yourself. What's a day in the life of DJ Tanaka?
Speaker 4Day in the life.
Speaker 1Okay, my bad. I know you're going to go over this. Hold on, I'm going to get more specific, nothing is coming up. Nothing is happening in the future. You don't have to prepare for anything. The thing you prepare for is done. That was yesterday, you're done. Nothing is coming up. You get a day to chill out. I know I know Tanaka. I know Tanaka, he's going to overthink everything. So Tanaka Day in the life of DJ Tanaka on his off day.
Speaker 4So is this including Shot by Tanaka?
Speaker 1Sure, let's add him too. Shot by Tanaka slash.
Speaker 4No, I'm saying all my work, including Shot by Tanaka Sure, let's add him too. Shot by Tanaka slash.
Speaker 1No, I'm saying, I'm saying like Like all, my work for Shot by Tanaka is completed. Everything is completed.
Speaker 2Okay.
Speaker 1So I just have a completely free day.
Speaker 4Completely free day, I just had to clarify that you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1Now you see what I go through every day.
Speaker 4I just had to clarify. Day in the life. So it's a day off.
Speaker 1Day off. I mean we're trying to make it just because it's DJ talk.
Speaker 4But if you want to add shot by talk too, we can add that. Well, no, I'm just saying like if I wasn't doing them DJ stuff.
Speaker 1Yes, all your work is done. Then I'd be out here sending videos out.
Speaker 4You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1All your work is done.
Speaker 4You did that. I mean a day in life, I probably. Well, I'm trying to get back working out, you know what I'm saying. But usually I wake up exercise, which could either consist of like you know what I'm saying, like exercise and exercising, or like just going skating, you know, cause that's usually my form of exercise, for it to keep me in shape, probably get some food. I'm a big food head, you know what I'm saying Either cook food or get food. You know one of the two?
Speaker 1That's a good question, I mean so food and skating, food, skating, exercise. That's a perfect day for Tanaka. That's a perfect day.
Speaker 4That's a perfect off day for Tanaka probably spend time with you know, with the crew. You know what I'm saying like if we able to usually if it's an off day I would arrange for like the whole crew to get together. You know, we I'm saying like, like if we able to, usually if it's an off day, I would arrange for like the whole crew to get together. You know, we just uh do some fun stuff, like how we did with um and jerry's.
Speaker 4Yeah, yes, you know, um, you know, or uh, or even like getting food, I'll probably, like you know, maybe get lunch or dinner with, like you know know, a friend I ain't seen in a minute. Catch up with him, right. But yeah, other than that, if it's nighttime I'd probably just relax and watch a show or a movie. You know, trying not to, yeah, think about all the other work that you right, of course, yes, of course you know what I'm saying right, um.
Speaker 1So basically, ladies and gentlemen, the moral of the story, the work, is never done.
Speaker 4Yeah, the work is never done, man, but uh no, I I probably enjoy outside, though I think that's the main thing.
Speaker 1Like so enjoy outside.
Speaker 4Yeah, like just being outside an environment, being that we dj so much, you know, we oftentimes are inside, we're not that often in the outside environment. So, and we all know how important the sun is to health and everything and breathing fresh air and, um, you know, even though it's pollen season, I can still appreciate the beauty also. And, yeah, I feel like just being in nature kind of allows your minds to kind of process different things, process things differently, you know, and we be listening to music a lot. Sometimes you gotta listen to nature, you know, and we be listening to music a lot. Sometimes you gotta listen to nature, you know. So, facts that's, uh, it's a day in the life of I don't know when they, I don't know. I really sound like an old person for real, because it's whatever you want to be.
Speaker 4I'm saying I'm saying because, like, because I like to observe society, you know what I'm saying. So, like even going to the park and seeing like kids like you know what I'm saying how they just be interacting and stuff like that, or just you know other folks, how they be, you know, it's just interesting to see society, like just walking around, you know, even going to like a shop, like a little food shop or you know, here and there, whatever, just seeing different interactions that folk be having, what people are wearing, you know it's like so you're a mall walker, I wouldn't say a mall walker.
Speaker 4I don't like to go to the mall like that, because that's you know, maybe like, uh, you know, like at the battery, how they have like different, yeah, the open. Yeah, I get what you're saying like piedmontiedmont Park or something I got you Not a mall walker?
Speaker 1Not yet.
Speaker 4When you say mall walker, it's inside. That's why I wouldn't say that per se, because I like to be outside. We haven't got to that age yet Not.
Speaker 1Mall walking, not yet. Alright. Anyway, let's see. Perfect day in the life of turn up trying to think so, wake up, get on the phone, see all the notifications on my instagram. Probably go on my dev and page. See if there's any notifications there. Probably sit there for a little bit, listen to a podcast, play the games on my phone. Sit in bed for I didn't need notifications there probably sit there for a little bit, listen to a podcast, play the games on my phone. Sit in bed for like a good two or three hours, um, and I'll probably get hungry. Go to the fridge, make something, eat something. Go back to TV, watch, watch some, watch some wrestling or something. Play a video game, marvel something, um, marvel something. And yeah, depending on if I have something planned, probably hang out with the hang out with folks, like you said, seeing if Tanaka has a Soulful Sunday or a cascade Sunday or drip as a cascade Sunday, or I don't know. Breezy has a Metro Cafe or Throwback.
Speaker 1Thursday or you know AC will have the little reggae radio show or Royal Peacock or you know just a whole bunch of mixture of Tonic having Metro Diner all of them have Metro Diner. Just a whole bunch of different stuff. Just see, if my social that's another thing If my social battery is at a good point, I'll go outside and do that type of stuff. Yeah, other than that, I just chill at home Video games, music, clean the house, just adult stuff. That's the day in the life of me. I'm trying to think is there anything else? I feel like I'm missing something. I'ma be mad when I listen back to this because I know I'ma miss something. But yeah, that's basically it. I'm a pretty simple, I'm pretty simple human being. Yeah, so, leron, all your work is done, everything is done. You ain't gotta worry about nobody. All the chores is done in the house. You ain't got to worry about nothing. Well, what's what's day in the life of of LaRon? What's a perfect day for LaRon?
Speaker 3Um, of course you know I got to check with wifey, make sure, ain't nothing.
Speaker 1That's what I'm saying. Everything is checked. That's good.
Speaker 3Everything is good she's not, we keep it simple we'll just sit down watch see what type of series or show we watch either Netflix, tubi or what's the other one, this other channel that I have we'll just watch a series and we try to complete the whole series in one day, or we just get far enough. You know, we're just relaxing and chilling. Like I said, I live the easy life, I be lifin' that's it. I feel you, that's a great way to live.
Speaker 1Just keep it simple. It's just chilling, just chilling. Question, since you said you'd be watching Just Shot in the Dark, have you watched that Aaron Hernandez show? Dad joins it's crazy, dad joins, that joint is deep. Yeah, it's crazy, that joint is deep. Good Lord, tanaka, you know about Aaron Hernandez, right? Yeah, did you watch any of it? I haven't seen it.
Speaker 2I just listened to some of like the.
Speaker 4I read some like articles and then listened to some of the like, the audio of, like the. You know what I'm saying from jail and all that? Oh, the like the audio like the. You know what I'm saying from jail and all that? Oh, like the real stuff. Yeah, but I haven't actually watched the, the show.
Speaker 1I'd recommend it. That's a good one. I was like whoa, I mean, cause I had watched the documentary they had put out in Netflix, but I didn't watch, yeah, I didn't watch the TV show. So when they said TV, I was like, oh okay, let me check this out. Yeah, it got it got real real quick. I was like whoa, this is interesting.
Speaker 1Um, but uh, yeah, so okay, so before we go back, before we go to our schedule I'm just gonna apologize because I'm not gonna lie. I don't know how we've gone. I don't know, i'm't know how we've gone.
Speaker 2I don't know. I'm just gonna assume we've gone like an hour. I'm assuming it's been like two hours or whatever.
Speaker 1And we have not talked about Rovere t-shirts at all. I know we got deep diving to hip hop, but just give a background story of how that's been.
Speaker 3Alright, so how? Rovere t-shirts and more come about. It's a simple. You know I love designs, I love hoodies and stuff and with me and my wife she bought my first cutting machine, right, didn't have a clue what I was doing and we just went from there to make it to where it's doing now. So you know, we just do custom T-shirts. You know we do vinyl, we do DTF and everything, and then we do every other thing behind it and stuff. So it's like once we started, you just couldn't stop.
Speaker 1Facts, facts, facts, facts. Well, you want to tell the folks where they can find you at or follow you at on the socials.
Speaker 3On the socials. You can follow me at Rovira T-shirts and that's spelled R-O-V-I-R-A-T-E-E-S-H-I-R-T, with a Z at the end, and our website is roviritshirtsandmorecom and from there you can see. If you want to put a quote in or anything, you can see what we have on site because we also have clothing line that we have started. You know I got, but God, that's our clothing line that we have started to. And yeah, just check it out.
Speaker 1You want to talk about that. How did that get started?
Speaker 3Of course, once again with my wife. She's really the brains to the operation and we just, you know, combined together and it was like, you know, we just want positive messages. You know, being that the way how a lot of things is going around, there's still good people around and, you know, god does control a lot of things that we do. So we just want to put it out on a display. So we have, you know, bud God shirts that we have on it. Like I said, just go to the site and check it out, be interesting.
Speaker 1Go ahead and check it out. Man, check it out. We got left. Oh, the schedule correct. So, ladies and gentlemen, for our schedule, my schedule will be up by this point. Just go on my Instagram and follow me at DJTurnUp, djtj, t-u-u-r-n-u-u-p. Same thing for tiktok. Twitter is a little different. Just don't put the dj on it. Same spelling it's turn up and um, trying to think is anything else? Nope, that's about it. So, yeah, all my schedules will be on there. Go check that out. Tanaka, where can they find you at?
Speaker 4um, it's april 1st, by the way. I really gotta, I really gotta copy your style. I just, I don't know, it'd just be a lot. I'd be trying to think to make a schedule yeah, cause I'd be trying to think of how to like do I? Let's talk about it, I start to overthink that joint for real.
Speaker 1Okay, well, let's figure it out. What is it that you be overthinking about?
Speaker 4Well, because, like, do I put the Shabbat Tanaka stuff on there too, like when I'm going to be filming tight?
Speaker 1Well, you got two Instagrams, why not?
Speaker 4Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 1It just I don't know it just be like, and then sometimes, and then it's different too, and I don't think, once again, I don't get my roses. I was gonna put I was gonna get my roses in a future Hall of Fame, but I'm gonna get my roses. Tanaka, you really started a pandemic with this, with this shot by situation. I don't know if you know well, you do know this. I don't know why he's gonna. He's going to act modest and going to be like, but if you look, go on Instagram and type in shot by, there is like seven of them.
Speaker 1And a lot of them have. Like a lot of them have the same black, same black. Some of them started to change their joint, but there's a lot of shot bys now and it's because of you, and some of them are starting to do recaps now. Nobody did that, Nobody was doing that, and yeah, and then once again, and if you do that, then they're probably going to start doing that too. Shout out to Music Shine. I'm not stepping on his toes or anything. I feel like I'm not stepping on his toes by saying that. But when I put my schedule out there, he hit me up and was like yo, bro, you really inspired me to put my schedule, make a schedule. So you know, bro, do it, Go for it. I feel like it's different. I feel like you know role models, skate love, ATL, visionaries, skate mentality. I feel like, yeah, exactly right, A lot of them we're talking right now, but yeah, so yeah, I mean yeah, yeah, I'm right, but I don't know. I feel like with Shabbat Tanakh.
Speaker 4I feel like it's a little different because you're not obligated to be. Yeah, it kind of also spurred a moment with the Shabbat Tanakh thing.
Speaker 1And I will say this with the Shabbat Sanaga thing, and I will say this I don't know if one of your questions is well, what if something comes up, or what if something changes, or something like that. That's what I don't know. If you know this, events are subject to change. You know where I got that from Wrestling Everywhere On all the flyers it says events subject to change, always. So they can't be like oh, turn up, you said you're gonna be a metro diner. Why are you?
Speaker 4you know what it, all right, you know what it is, man, these rinks, some they don't. They don't consistently send their schedule out, and so it's like I always be having to trade shifts around. Just so that you know what I'm saying, I feel you, so I feel like when this drops April 1st, it's like Something different. I still need to. I'm still trading around sessions, trying to make sure nothing is conflicting. I'm not double booking stuff.
Speaker 1Well, I just feel like that comes with consistency. So I will say this so when, when the situation happens with me where I get all my schedules and everybody's brought everything to me and I put my schedule out, I put my yeah, my schedule out and there is a situation where I have to switch, but I already put my schedule out, I won't promote that day. And I'm at a point where the people know that if I don't promote that day, I'm probably not going to be there. So it's like one of those things where somebody will hit me up.
Speaker 1It'll probably be, like one or two or three people will be, like, hey, turn up. I noticed you didn't post about Sparkloops, are you not coming? And I'll be like, oh shoot, yeah, my bad, I forgot to say that. Yeah, I'm not, and, honestly, that's why I like the notes too. So I'm like, hey, so quick change, I'm not going to be at, I'm off or whatever. I'm sick.
Speaker 4Well, yeah, so to everybody. Usually, if you check my note, that's where I post.
Speaker 1I'm always for sure if I'm DJingj, I'm always posting on the dope, you know, and is it? Is it because it's like a little easier to just post? Hey, I'm gonna be here on the notes rather than making a whole story or making a whole poster or something like that yeah, I mean, I guess I could but no, no, no and no.
Speaker 1That's why I asked, because I know, I know, I know, when you make a story you gotta make, you gotta figure out what picture you're gonna post or something. Nope, you just write it. Yeah, it's all. No, I feel like it's dropping.
Speaker 2Yeah, it's dropping.
Speaker 1Yeah, I feel like I wish the note was obviously older.
Speaker 4Honestly, yeah, I probably would have just been doing that too, yeah, but, but, but, um, because, yeah, that's why it's like so, for instance, like golden glide, like they still haven't sent their schedule. And like you know we're how many days away from April, you know what I mean. So, like I'm probably going to get that like two days from now and then I'm going to be having to scramble around because I'm going to be like double booked, yeah.
Speaker 1Yeah, that's how it goes, or even cascade for that matter.
Speaker 4We haven't even received that officially, boy, let's not talk about that.
Speaker 1Oh boy, talk about an interesting week, Not even a week, a couple days, that joint right there, but anywho. Oh wait, did you ever say your schedule? Or are you not saying your schedule? Do you know where you're gonna be at, at least?
Speaker 4April 6th I'll be Supporting Drip as Trail Ride, cascade Session, cascade Sunday. Make sure y'all Tap in with that. Bring your Cow, cowgirl, cowboy Outfits.
Speaker 1So not just Are you gonna wear, you wearing your joint For the photo shoot.
Speaker 4I gotta get outfits For that, but I don't even know If I can skate, so that's that's kind of a question. But I will be there supporting them. 13th, I'll be at Sparkles Gwinnett for a Caribbean night. April 20th, I'll be at AA for Soul Sunday I think I'm not positive. I think Cascade Sunday, april 27th, but that still is yet to be confirmed Trap Fever on the 12th, I believe, and then Spargo's Gwinnett on the 11th, 19th and the 26th. That's well. Yeah, that's subject to change. Yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 4Subject to change and then Metro Donner, like Thursdays and Fridays get around. But yeah, just look out for the notes for the official check out the notes.
Speaker 1Alright, y'all, thank you. Outro Music.