Lunchbreak Podcast

Episode 15 | A High School Hip Hopera

β€’ Stew Cornelius & Zan Truluck β€’ Season 1 β€’ Episode 15

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The Lunchbreakers fire up the Lunchroom Time Machine and revisit their high school days, connecting the experiences of adolescence to the behaviors of their adulthood…with a couple of pit stops at points of awkward embarrassment along the way. 

Sip your juice box slowly today, folks. Make sure you check the date. It’s been around a long time πŸ§ƒ

Topics

  • The Reunion Show - 12:00
  • 14-Year-Old Virgin - 19:03
  • 20 Inches, Nothing Less - 34:20
  • Sister Act 2 Tickets to Gangsta’s Paradise  - 41:00
  • Teach Me How to Eubie - 52:00



Word of the day: Vertebra prominens


Intro Song: Back in the Day (Remix) - Ahmad

Outro Song: Time Machine (ft Chamillionaire) - Big KRIT

Wardrobe

Zan's Shirt - https://shop.truluckcharms.com/products/your-black-friends-are-tired-shirt

[Zan from the Future]:

See? The thing is that... Now we honor our forefathers by starting with this song.

[Stew]:

Ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

because

[Stew]:

ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

they

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

got

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

snubbed.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Except

[Stew]:

ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

70

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

entries,

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

they

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't

[Stew]:

ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

even

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

get

[Stew]:

ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

one.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Mhm.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Mhm.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Wizard

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

with

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

it.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Wizard with it. I'm gonna get

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

my magic

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

wand out.

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Eh heh.

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Eh

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

heh. Out of the zoo. Boop.

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Eh heh.

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

Eh

[Stew]:

ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

heh.

[Stew]:

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

No,

[Stew]:

ha

[Zan from the Future]:

not the great kazoos, I said, I'm a kazoo.

[Stew]:

Ah, look

[Zan from the Future]:

It comes

[Stew]:

at

[Zan from the Future]:

with

[Stew]:

this.

[Zan from the Future]:

a move and all of that.

[Stew]:

Fair enough.

[Zan from the Future]:

And I know nothing

[Stew]:

The great,

[Zan from the Future]:

about wizardry.

[Stew]:

not the great Gazoo.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

Thank you for the official title.

[Zan from the Future]:

Hehehehe

[Stew]:

That's funny.

[Zan from the Future]:

Hey, and shout out to DeAndre Bonds, who are still having a career on snowfall now after playing Stacey in the woods.

[Stew]:

That's right. Shout out. That's that's that's fair. I like that. He's good. He's actually the role fits him very well.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

I'm

[Zan from the Future]:

he's

[Stew]:

not going

[Zan from the Future]:

only

[Stew]:

to say

[Zan from the Future]:

had

[Stew]:

he's the

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

best actor,

[Zan from the Future]:

five

[Stew]:

but.

[Zan from the Future]:

roles in his whole life.

[Stew]:

That's true. I like the the the joint from the wood.

[Zan from the Future]:

And he was also in three strikes.

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

Remembering

[Stew]:

movie

[Zan from the Future]:

them in

[Stew]:

comes

[Zan from the Future]:

three strikes?

[Stew]:

out more than people would realize, by the way.

[Zan from the Future]:

What, three strikes?

[Stew]:

Yeah. What's

[Zan from the Future]:

You

[Stew]:

my

[Zan from the Future]:

said

[Stew]:

man's name?

[Zan from the Future]:

Brian Hooks.

[Stew]:

Something Hooks.

[Zan from the Future]:

Brian Hooks. Yeah.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm a cadre

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

of useless black information. Yeah. Who was also in the TV show Eve.

[Stew]:

Yes, he would be

[Zan from the Future]:

short

[Stew]:

a recurring

[Zan from the Future]:

live show.

[Stew]:

role. That's right. And what's my man who's always everything the guy,

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

don't

[Stew]:

main

[Zan from the Future]:

know that guy's name, but

[Stew]:

heartthrob

[Zan from the Future]:

I think he's on like Chicago

[Stew]:

guy.

[Zan from the Future]:

Fire or something

[Stew]:

He's

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

on

[Zan from the Future]:

that

[Stew]:

a bunch

[Zan from the Future]:

right now.

[Stew]:

of stuff. He's

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

been on

[Zan from the Future]:

I don't

[Stew]:

in

[Zan from the Future]:

know

[Stew]:

a

[Zan from the Future]:

that dude's

[Stew]:

million

[Zan from the Future]:

name.

[Stew]:

joints.

[Zan from the Future]:

He was in barbershop. Welcome to the Lunch Break Podcast, episode 15, folks.

[Stew]:

And you got the number. There you go.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

My man.

[Zan from the Future]:

I have been thinking about it, man. That's pretty big. We on 15. We doing all right.

[Stew]:

Vince Carter, man. What's up? What

[Zan from the Future]:

All

[Stew]:

we

[Zan from the Future]:

right,

[Stew]:

got going on?

[Zan from the Future]:

with Stewie C and Zanny T, Stew's face is glowing because after episode 14, the self-care episode, Stew has gone and gotten a facial, getting

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

extractions

[Stew]:

man.

[Zan from the Future]:

and you know what's funny, man? You said the thing about the ingrown hair getting extracted. I don't know if

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

you told me

[Stew]:

man.

[Zan from the Future]:

in the text, but we were on the phone yesterday. Go

[Stew]:

Painful.

[Zan from the Future]:

ahead.

[Stew]:

Yeah, that was painful.

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh.

[Stew]:

Yes, got a facial, but also more importantly, went to the chiropractor for the first time yesterday.

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh, it was your first time. I don't think I

[Stew]:

I'd

[Zan from the Future]:

knew

[Stew]:

never

[Zan from the Future]:

that.

[Stew]:

been before. Yeah, and I'd never been to a chiropractor before.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, okay, I did

[Stew]:

So,

[Zan from the Future]:

not know that.

[Stew]:

as I told you, I was flying back home from lost a very important figure in our family, rest in

[Zan from the Future]:

living

[Stew]:

peace,

[Zan from the Future]:

a lot

[Stew]:

to

[Zan from the Future]:

of life man wow

[Stew]:

Pastor Seth Achien. Love to the whole Achien family. Amazing man taught me so much about how to be humble and gracious and steadfast and diligent. Beautiful ceremony, everything was just fantastic. But I was in Maryland this past weekend, which part of the reason why we didn't have our episode or shoot our podcast. And on the way back, I fell asleep with my neck down and my chin in my chest for the non-viewing audience. And I was messed up all of Monday. I was shuffling around the house like

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

an

[Zan from the Future]:

because

[Stew]:

old

[Zan from the Future]:

your

[Stew]:

man.

[Zan from the Future]:

cervical vertebrae are now 36 years old. So you just can't just

[Stew]:

Well,

[Zan from the Future]:

be having

[Stew]:

yes,

[Zan from the Future]:

your neck down

[Stew]:

and

[Zan from the Future]:

for

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

extended

[Stew]:

forgot

[Zan from the Future]:

periods

[Stew]:

what

[Zan from the Future]:

of time.

[Stew]:

that bone is that sticks out in the back.

[Zan from the Future]:

Seventh

[Stew]:

The doctor

[Zan from the Future]:

cervical

[Stew]:

told me

[Zan from the Future]:

vertebrae.

[Stew]:

that. What was it called?

[Zan from the Future]:

It's your seventh cervical vertebrae.

[Stew]:

Yes, but there's a medical term for the actual bone and I forgot what it was called. But yeah, that was

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

sore.

[Zan from the Future]:

thought

[Stew]:

And

[Zan from the Future]:

that

[Stew]:

then,

[Zan from the Future]:

was pretty medical. Okay, I don't know. I'm not a

[Stew]:

yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

doctor.

[Stew]:

no, but it's like, yeah, seventh vertebra, yes, but there's like a name, like a fibula, right? Like there's a name

[Zan from the Future]:

Hmm?

[Stew]:

for it. I forget what it is. But there's a muscle in my collarbone that had a grade one sprain in it. And so he got me all the way right.

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay, so this is perfect man, because you went to sleep, you have a sprain in your neck now.

[Stew]:

Yes. Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

That's all it takes

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

at 35,

[Stew]:

No.

[Zan from the Future]:

or

[Stew]:

For

[Zan from the Future]:

36

[Stew]:

real.

[Zan from the Future]:

for you, going to sleep. And now you got a sprain in your collarbone.

[Stew]:

Dude, none of it makes sense. But shout out to Dr. Jud Weinberg, man. Happy Passover, my brother. Very, very nice guy from

[Zan from the Future]:

I am not shaking

[Stew]:

Jersey.

[Zan from the Future]:

my head to pass over for the viewing audience.

[Stew]:

So

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm

[Stew]:

listen.

[Zan from the Future]:

shaking my head because Stewart is a name dropper of all of his service providers.

[Stew]:

So listen, here's why this is funny. Because I tell him about the podcast, while we sit here, we got time, right? So he actually is on, he is the, I guess the doctoral expert for one of those like court shows on television.

[Zan from the Future]:

That makes

[Stew]:

And

[Zan from the Future]:

sense.

[Stew]:

he

[Zan from the Future]:

Atlanta's

[Stew]:

was like,

[Zan from the Future]:

big in the TV industry, the media.

[Stew]:

yes,

[Zan from the Future]:

So yeah. Okay.

[Stew]:

exactly. So like personal injury attorneys and all of that. So

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

he telling me this whole story, he's like, you never need an expert to come on the podcast.

[Zan from the Future]:

What

[Stew]:

Very

[Zan from the Future]:

scenarios

[Stew]:

cool guy from

[Zan from the Future]:

would

[Stew]:

Jersey.

[Zan from the Future]:

that apply to where we would need a doctoral expert to come

[Stew]:

Who

[Zan from the Future]:

in?

[Stew]:

knows?

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay. No,

[Stew]:

Who knows? But maybe we might. You never know. Anyway,

[Zan from the Future]:

we'll

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

start

[Stew]:

love that

[Zan from the Future]:

scripting

[Stew]:

he took...

[Zan from the Future]:

it. He's manifesting his appearance. I like it. Shout

[Stew]:

I mean,

[Zan from the Future]:

out to Dr.

[Stew]:

which

[Zan from the Future]:

Weinberg.

[Stew]:

is great. Like

[Zan from the Future]:

Weinberg?

[Stew]:

I like that

[Zan from the Future]:

Judd?

[Stew]:

people are gonna be a part of this. Weinberg, yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

What was the

[Stew]:

Judd

[Zan from the Future]:

name? Judd

[Stew]:

Weinberg.

[Zan from the Future]:

or Judd? Like Judd Reinhold?

[Stew]:

Judd. Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

Who

[Stew]:

No,

[Zan from the Future]:

was in some

[Stew]:

no.

[Zan from the Future]:

of those?

[Stew]:

Judd, Judd Apatow.

[Zan from the Future]:

Isn't that other dude's name Judd Reinholdt?

[Stew]:

It's Judge.

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh.

[Stew]:

Judge Reinhold.

[Zan from the Future]:

That's strange. Okay.

[Stew]:

It's very

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

weird.

[Zan from the Future]:

he's in, but he's in some of those high school films because

[Stew]:

Ah, yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

we still have not given the context

[Stew]:

We haven't

[Zan from the Future]:

of what this

[Stew]:

cracked

[Zan from the Future]:

episode

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

is about.

[Stew]:

Yes, that's

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

true. Please do. This is a good time.

[Zan from the Future]:

I kind of wanted to talk more about, I mean, man, you know, we just haven't connected. This is fine. The people can get into the topical part of the podcast in

[Stew]:

Thanks for watching.

[Zan from the Future]:

a minute. We're only five minutes in right now or six minutes. But I just also wanted to note that, as you said, right, you came back from a funeral, your uncle passed, I believe it was, cousin's father makes it uncle. And what was that, cousin Jason, you said? Man,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

ooh, I'm tracking today as much turkey

[Stew]:

Good,

[Zan from the Future]:

as

[Stew]:

you're

[Zan from the Future]:

I just ate and my brain

[Stew]:

crushing

[Zan from the Future]:

is still

[Stew]:

it.

[Zan from the Future]:

firing. And one thing I wanna highlight back to just remembering that everyone in the audience doesn't fully understand your culture. So

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was like, you said the ceremony was beautiful. It was like three days of

[Stew]:

It's like

[Zan from the Future]:

funeral.

[Stew]:

three days.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

funeralized for a minute, man.

[Stew]:

Yeah. So it's a three days. So Friday is normally like the wake. You get the common view, the body. They say

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

some,

[Zan from the Future]:

sorry, I don't mean to make you relive it either. I want to apologize

[Stew]:

yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

for that.

[Stew]:

Oh, no,

[Zan from the Future]:

But

[Stew]:

no,

[Zan from the Future]:

just,

[Stew]:

that's

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah.

[Stew]:

fine. I mean, Adam, that's one thing. It's not unfamiliar to me. But yeah, so Friday you kind of memorialize the person. People come together, a bunch of different communities. He was the pastor of our church that went to Maryland as well. So it was a

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

huge, huge home-gumming celebration because he was such a community member and paid. I mean, he's the kind of person that like, if you had a flat tire, he's the person that will come pick you up, get your car to where it needs to be. Y'all probably get food and he'll take you home. Like he's that person to give the shirt off his back. He's just such a gracious person. I mean, he's a giving individual. That's just who he is. That's his love language for sure. It's just acts of service and giving and serving. He was a humble servant in every reference to it in the Bible. He embodied that. So Friday we had the memorialization kind of deal, the wake you come view the body. And after we have a ceremony where people from the different communities, different cities and portions of Ghana within our community here in the States pay tribute and bring gifts to honor

[Zan from the Future]:

You know

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

why I'm smiling at you saying pay tribute.

[Stew]:

Well, yes. Shout

[Zan from the Future]:

Continue, I'm sorry.

[Stew]:

out to my man, Dr. Randy Dale, my man. But

[Zan from the Future]:

Go ahead,

[Stew]:

yeah, no,

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

that's literally what it is. They pay tribute and they bring gifts and some for the family and all these different things. So yeah, and that usually goes from like nine to like 1 a.m. to us Friday. Then Saturday, there's an early morning church service because he was a pastor. He had a lot of contemporaries and colleagues that had such glowing things to say about him. them in the best way that they possibly could while trying to keep it together and pay homage. That happens in the morning. Then right after, obviously, we go to the burial site. We do the cemetery processional. They had the horses. There's a horse and carriage, kind

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm.

[Stew]:

of home-going ceremony portion of it, which was great. Very emotional. After that, then we do the repast. We had another venue. It was great to see family, great to enjoy that time. But at that point it's more of the celebration portion of it. So it becomes

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

a little bit lighter. Obviously it's never super light, but that was the part where we get to enjoy and actually have conversations and catch up on what's going on in people's lives. And then Sunday is the memorial service at church and everyone wears black and white. I should talk about the different colors. So Friday and most of Saturday people wear black and red. Friday. It's usually all black or black and red. You can continue that. And then memorial services is white and black, which is like the more, you know, it gets lighter as it goes on. Right. And so that's the day that we kind of thank you, thank God for the time that we've had with that person, the impact and all the influence they've had in our life. And then from there, we send them off. And yeah, and we say thank you for the memories. reminder of the importance of humility and servitude

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-mm.

[Stew]:

to your community and to your tribe. And so I love that reminder because that's often how I see myself within our community is as that servant and as that person to be able to give whenever I absolutely can. And so it really resonated with me. It's something I took away, gratitude and humility and servitude, which is great. So yeah, thank you for letting me do that too, man. I appreciate that. That

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

no, all good, man.

[Stew]:

him.

[Zan from the Future]:

So there are several things going through my mind right now. And I have

[Stew]:

and I'll see you next time.

[Zan from the Future]:

several segue points into our topic for the day. And give me one second to clear my throat. So,

[Stew]:

Let me claim my time. Heheheheh.

[Zan from the Future]:

what you're just doing right now, I actually held all of that the entire time you were speaking because

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I had all of these associative nodes and synapses firing and my brain

[Stew]:

Hehehehe

[Zan from the Future]:

was like, oh, you said eulogize, my brain went to you Google eyes from

[Stew]:

Hahaha

[Zan from the Future]:

Ben Stiller's Joy, right? You said, when you were saying contemporary, I'm like, that might be word of the day. And essentially my segue point is I was that kid in the class who had to sit on his hands and not just blurt out things

[Stew]:

Same,

[Zan from the Future]:

all throughout my life, right?

[Stew]:

same, yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Another segue point here is that this funeral and this memorial over those three days, which sounds much like a Desi wedding in many ways, right? It's several days of celebration of this memorial brought you back to a place where you went to high school. So it brought you

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

back to Maryland.

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

And interestingly,

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

people who have been listening for a while know that I am currently trying to... Ryan's been released from prison. Me and Ryan have been in communication. He's been out. He's officially been free for about two weeks, two days now.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

So everybody is trying to figure out when do I get to go see him again.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

And he's like, do you want to come to Baltimore? I'm going to New York next week. He's saying, do I come up to New York? I'm like, man, since I graduated high school, I've been back to Baltimore maybe three times. Like

[Stew]:

Maybe.

[Zan from the Future]:

I've just tried to avoid it like the plague.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

And, but you know, the high school was not completely this raw, uncomfortable memory for me. There's a lot of fun stuff in it. And all that you experienced this weekend, you went back, like I said, to Maryland. I actually went to your high school reunion instead of mine. You

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

remember

[Stew]:

did. I

[Zan from the Future]:

that? I

[Stew]:

remember

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't think about

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

that until just

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

now.

[Stew]:

I mean, I remember that, but in doing pre-pro, I didn't think about it

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

until

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't think about

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

it

[Stew]:

just

[Zan from the Future]:

either.

[Stew]:

said it. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I didn't either, but it just dawned on me like, yeah, our

[Stew]:

You did

[Zan from the Future]:

high school

[Stew]:

it!

[Zan from the Future]:

reunions were like 20 minutes away from each other, but I went

[Stew]:

I'm

[Zan from the Future]:

to

[Stew]:

sorry.

[Zan from the Future]:

yours instead of mine. Now the reason I went to yours, cause I still was being hormonal at the time, like a high school kid, and I went there to be around some people that I enjoyed. But,

[Stew]:

That's right. That was eloquent. Well done. Ha

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah,

[Stew]:

ha ha ha.

[Zan from the Future]:

you know, but realistically though, the idea of everything you just experienced. So this is the second time in

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

three months on the podcast that either of us has talked about going to a funeral

[Stew]:

Is

[Zan from the Future]:

adulting

[Stew]:

that right?

[Zan from the Future]:

gets really heavy. And when we were kids and we kind of harken back to those house Ion days of high school, which we're not the people who are like uncle Rico in Napoleon Dynamite, we're just living in our glory days and we don't have this, you know, our life is pretty fantastic right now, it's pretty

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

glorious.

[Stew]:

absolutely. Thank

[Zan from the Future]:

And it's

[Stew]:

you,

[Zan from the Future]:

continued

[Stew]:

God.

[Zan from the Future]:

to,

[Stew]:

Amen.

[Zan from the Future]:

absolutely, right, all glory.

[Stew]:

My gratitude.

[Zan from the Future]:

It's continued to get better over time, but there are some really distinct funny moments about high school and even going back to the, what was it? episode, going

[Stew]:

Ниииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииииии

[Zan from the Future]:

back to episode, going back to the only child episode, whatever number

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was, I'm nearly certain it was 13 now, going

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

back to the only child episode, we kind of went back and forth on and very briefly on whether or not you and I would have been friends in high school.

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

And we had two very different high school experiences and the song we started with folks for those of you who aren't familiar and if you're not and you're black, I'm really shocked that you're not familiar with where that song is from because it basically scored the whole film of the wood, which is

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

in my opinion, the most top three greatest high school films of all time.

[Stew]:

No argument for me, completely aligned.

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay. Rotten

[Stew]:

We

[Zan from the Future]:

Tomatoes

[Stew]:

are good.

[Zan from the Future]:

does not agree with us. Rotten

[Stew]:

With

[Zan from the Future]:

Tomatoes,

[Stew]:

all due respect,

[Zan from the Future]:

there's a

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

Rotten

[Stew]:

know

[Zan from the Future]:

Tomatoes

[Stew]:

what I'm saying?

[Zan from the Future]:

editorial with the top 70 high school films of all time. And The

[Stew]:

Maybe

[Zan from the Future]:

Wood

[Stew]:

we

[Zan from the Future]:

did

[Stew]:

dropped

[Zan from the Future]:

not even

[Stew]:

that

[Zan from the Future]:

make

[Stew]:

after

[Zan from the Future]:

the list.

[Stew]:

this.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

oh,

[Stew]:

Maybe

[Zan from the Future]:

we

[Stew]:

we

[Zan from the Future]:

absolutely

[Stew]:

dropped

[Zan from the Future]:

will.

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

Because

[Stew]:

Yeah. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

we are

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

going

[Stew]:

list.

[Zan from the Future]:

to complain about that for several points. What do we have about 45 minutes left in this podcast?

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

We will

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

complain several times about how terrible that list is for it being absent The Wood. But

[Stew]:

I'm with it.

[Zan from the Future]:

there aren't many, in my opinion, there really aren't many great high school films. So I'm shocked that that list had 70

[Stew]:

Sure.

[Zan from the Future]:

folks on it, but there are so many people who get to a certain age, because we're middle adulthood now where you start looking back at what was it like to really be a kid before you had

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

paydays and due dates, there were test days and quiz days.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

And sometimes I would go back and trade that because of how heavy adulting becomes. And I

[Stew]:

question.

[Zan from the Future]:

wanted to kind of spend some time talking about what that experience was like for us being two kids who went to school in Maryland public schools, nothing super special, but like distinct experiences. And then your school was full of brilliant black kids to that point,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

of Spelman and that's

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

another

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

reason why I was at your high school reunion. And we've also almost

[Stew]:

Shout out

[Zan from the Future]:

been

[Stew]:

to Clark

[Zan from the Future]:

out of

[Stew]:

Atlanta.

[Zan from the Future]:

school.

[Stew]:

Clark Atlanta in there too.

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh, yeah, sorry. I don't know who went to... Oh, was Autumn

[Stew]:

Autumn.

[Zan from the Future]:

at the joint?

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay,

[Stew]:

Autumn

[Zan from the Future]:

I came

[Stew]:

went to

[Zan from the Future]:

with

[Stew]:

Clark.

[Zan from the Future]:

Autumn. Okay.

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

I was like,

[Stew]:

right,

[Zan from the Future]:

who

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

else went

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

to school with you? Yeah, I came with Autumn. Yeah.

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

Who was not the person that was... Just to be clear, that's not who I was talking about when I did. Keep these stories clear for the

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

listening

[Stew]:

funny.

[Zan from the Future]:

audience.

[Stew]:

Oh man.

[Zan from the Future]:

But yeah, so just all of that wrapped it up in a pretty bow. to be interested in coming to talk about high school, randomly, like

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

two grown dudes, old heads coming to talk about our high school experience.

[Stew]:

It's about to be 20 year reunion in two

[Zan from the Future]:

That's

[Stew]:

years.

[Zan from the Future]:

what I was gonna say, man. 18 years

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

out of

[Stew]:

Whew.

[Zan from the Future]:

high school, right? Doesn't that hit you? But there are

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

people, so here's something that's always been interesting to me. You know, Jeremiah, AKA Francis, I didn't even know your little brother had several names.

[Stew]:

Yep, Francis, oh, he has

[Zan from the Future]:

So.

[Stew]:

five. Francis Jeremiah Quasey DeGraft Johnson, that's his full name, yes. And he saved

[Zan from the Future]:

it.

[Stew]:

as such in my phone because I think that's hilarious.

[Zan from the Future]:

And what day of the week was he born on? No, I'm just kidding.

[Stew]:

That's a good question.

[Zan from the Future]:

No,

[Stew]:

Quasi

[Zan from the Future]:

it's not

[Stew]:

is

[Zan from the Future]:

a good

[Stew]:

Sunday,

[Zan from the Future]:

question,

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

believe.

[Zan from the Future]:

OK,

[Stew]:

Quasi

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

is Sunday, I believe. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

All right, man. So the whole point being, I don't even know where I was going with it now. So when I moved to St. Louis, because he's in St. Louis, and when I moved

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

to St. Louis, everybody kept asking me what school I went to. And I moved to St. Louis in 2009 immediately after I graduated from Morehouse. And I went to St. Louis.

[Stew]:

whoo two nickels in your pocket.

[Zan from the Future]:

And yeah, barely.

[Stew]:

Man,

[Zan from the Future]:

Just that per diem, just rubbing it together,

[Stew]:

my man been

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

through it. I remember them

[Zan from the Future]:

Michael

[Stew]:

days.

[Zan from the Future]:

Jackson died the day I moved there. I'm just like, come on, man,

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

it's a

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

hard start.

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

right. That's right. That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

shout out.

[Stew]:

That was it was

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

June something.

[Zan from the Future]:

you know what else?

[Stew]:

What?

[Zan from the Future]:

The girl I was with at the... This

[Stew]:

Be

[Zan from the Future]:

is

[Stew]:

careful.

[Zan from the Future]:

random. No, the girl I was with at the... I keep wanting to call it a homecoming. What was it? It was the high school reunion.

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

tattoo of Michael Jackson.

[Stew]:

Oh, a very not great tattoo.

[Zan from the Future]:

I wasn't going to say it. Bless that woman, her

[Stew]:

I,

[Zan from the Future]:

family.

[Stew]:

I, I,

[Zan from the Future]:

Leave it

[Stew]:

fine.

[Zan from the Future]:

alone. But just Michael Jackson tattoo. All right. We're piding today, folks. So to that end, though, people in St. Louis continued to ask me, would you go to school? And I thought I would reply Morehouse College. And they were like, no, high school. And it was the strangest thing for people to ask me as a grown

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

man where I went to high school. But exactly what the rationale is, but it's extremely common. Everybody's like, yeah, that's what we mean here. We want to know where you went to high school. I don't know if it's kind of, and I don't want to, I don't want to say this in a pejorative way, but I don't know if it's small townish, or if it's one of those things where some people I've heard, it's more of a social stratification type of thing, a

[Stew]:

Of course.

[Zan from the Future]:

classism, like where'd you grow

[Stew]:

No question.

[Zan from the Future]:

up? What neighborhood

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

type of thing? But to me, it was just

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

like, man, why are we even, I'm grown and at that time I'm 21, but why are we even talking about high school? It was just one of those weird things to me.

[Stew]:

That's the thing. I mean, in Maryland, that's the thing. Like even to this day, you go back and you like, you meet somebody that is outside of your purview or social circle or whatever. And, you know, they're like, oh yeah, well, I went to high school here. And they're like, oh, well,

[Zan from the Future]:

Thanks for watching!

[Stew]:

where? And it was like, oh, Montgomery County. Oh, but what's cool. And then, yeah, then you do the name game. Do you know so-and-so? And

[Zan from the Future]:

name

[Stew]:

so

[Zan from the Future]:

game.

[Stew]:

that's a thing. I think people, I think it's one of those like, they're trying to connect with you kind of tool mechanisms

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

kind of deal. But, because it happens with college. Where'd you go to school? Oh, well, do you know so-and-so? I mean, it happens.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

But but yeah, you would think because we're so

[Zan from the Future]:

You know what

[Stew]:

far

[Zan from the Future]:

I hate about

[Stew]:

removed.

[Zan from the Future]:

that?

[Stew]:

Yeah, what?

[Zan from the Future]:

What I hate about that is do you know? So remember when Neil Brennan did that standup

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

and he was like, do you know Jamal? It's like that type of

[Stew]:

Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,

[Zan from the Future]:

thing where

[Stew]:

hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,

[Zan from the Future]:

people were like,

[Stew]:

hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey,

[Zan from the Future]:

do you know something?

[Stew]:

hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

[Zan from the Future]:

Well, I mean, there were 500 black men in the class. I don't know that some black people have similar names. So no, I don't

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

know that, like say more about this person, describe

[Stew]:

Bye.

[Zan from the Future]:

them. They'll just say, do you know John? How am I supposed to tell you that I know John or not?

[Stew]:

There's 2300

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

other students at any given time at Morehouse College.

[Zan from the Future]:

But

[Stew]:

So

[Zan from the Future]:

anyway,

[Stew]:

I mean,

[Zan from the Future]:

man,

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

all

[Stew]:

know it's

[Zan from the Future]:

right.

[Stew]:

not that big, but it's still enough for me to not know what you're talking.

[Zan from the Future]:

All right, so today, now that we are 19 minutes in, we are going to film high school for us, right? And frame it as if Stu and Zan, give them context into the people we are today, because I mean, high school is very much a formative experience.

[Stew]:

Yeah

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

it

[Zan from the Future]:

am

[Stew]:

was.

[Zan from the Future]:

who I am because of high school, even some of those things that I mentioned earlier, and I'm just gonna be completely candid, and this is random in the moment, but those things that I've said in the past about something that I've struggled with as far as just, I'm gonna use biblical terms, this is Holy Saturday, promiscuity, because the school's drug dealer, when I was 14 years old, shamed me for being a virgin, and I felt like I had to go not be a virgin anymore. Right, like just high school was such a, go

[Stew]:

It

[Zan from the Future]:

ahead.

[Stew]:

was weird.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

And then on the other side, I kept my virginity until I graduated from high school.

[Zan from the Future]:

Like I said, kept it. Put it in a little box, little porcelain

[Stew]:

Hey,

[Zan from the Future]:

chest.

[Stew]:

hey,

[Zan from the Future]:

Said,

[Stew]:

hey, look, hey, look,

[Zan from the Future]:

man, I had my thing in an

[Stew]:

they

[Zan from the Future]:

alabaster

[Stew]:

were, they were,

[Zan from the Future]:

box.

[Stew]:

they were gunning for it, man. I'm trying to

[Zan from the Future]:

Said

[Stew]:

tell

[Zan from the Future]:

they wanted

[Stew]:

you,

[Zan from the Future]:

it. And I ain't

[Stew]:

they

[Zan from the Future]:

let them

[Stew]:

wanted,

[Zan from the Future]:

have big Stewie.

[Stew]:

they wanted that car. I deflowered stew, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

No, you can't have my chastity. All

[Stew]:

Keep

[Zan from the Future]:

right,

[Stew]:

that on lock

[Zan from the Future]:

man. But yeah, anyway, like as we're recording film, let's kind of have a jump off point, man. So when you think about The Wood, what's your

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

favorite part of that? I think, well, I'm going to presuppose a point. I'd imagine one of your favorite points of that film is the camaraderie and the true bonds of friendship between those

[Stew]:

Of course.

[Zan from the Future]:

three gents in

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

high

[Stew]:

nailed

[Zan from the Future]:

school.

[Stew]:

it.

[Zan from the Future]:

So what was your friend group like in high school?

[Stew]:

Man, it's crazy because I was in so many different circles of people for different things. I was in

[Zan from the Future]:

Because

[Stew]:

the...

[Zan from the Future]:

you're in a lot of activities.

[Stew]:

Right. And then I was in television production. So I had that group. That was me, Janelle and Jabron and then Maya

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm not

[Stew]:

and...

[Zan from the Future]:

at all shocked that you are. Then you know what you're doing

[Stew]:

The

[Zan from the Future]:

now,

[Stew]:

AV

[Zan from the Future]:

right? Televisions

[Stew]:

annoying

[Zan from the Future]:

production,

[Stew]:

person with

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah.

[Stew]:

this that we do, right? Exactly,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

it all aligns, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

Notice, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Notice how Stu said it's sexy. I was in television production, but then when he at the end called it AV, like when you hear AV club, it's like, oh, you

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

were a nerd.

[Stew]:

audiovisual

[Zan from the Future]:

It was nerdy, yeah.

[Stew]:

nerd, of course, no question. And that was actually my next point. And then I was in the, you know, the black smart kid nerd group, right? Which was

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

like

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

AP classes and gifted and talented classes and all these other things, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

Accelerated

[Zan from the Future]:

we've talked about

[Stew]:

courses

[Zan from the Future]:

that before.

[Stew]:

for,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

And distinction

[Stew]:

And then.

[Zan from the Future]:

there though, I didn't have many black kids in those classes with me, which we've said before,

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

but I just wanted to say it again. Go ahead.

[Stew]:

And in some classes I didn't, but in other classes, there was at least one or two other people in those classes, I should say.

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm.

[Stew]:

So I never really felt like I was the only one, which was great. I mean, not looking back and talking to other people about their experience, there's a bifurcation there in terms of how they experienced what they did and how I experienced mine. But then I had the sports guys. So I played football, I ran track.

[Zan from the Future]:

Where you varsity?

[Stew]:

That group of, yep, junior varsity and varsity. And then I had the African kids, right? So that was a thing. And then you had

[Zan from the Future]:

So

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

you

[Stew]:

kids

[Zan from the Future]:

had

[Stew]:

that,

[Zan from the Future]:

your...

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

Go ahead. No, go ahead,

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

my bad.

[Stew]:

going to say, then it was the kids that moved from New York. And so that was a thing where it was like, okay, like, you know, we had Jersey

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

Day

[Zan from the Future]:

Bunch of transplants.

[Stew]:

and I'm wearing a Tiki

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

Barber Jersey, like, you know what I'm saying? So we connected

[Zan from the Future]:

Shout out to

[Stew]:

on

[Zan from the Future]:

number

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

21.

[Stew]:

So yep, there you go.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

He's also an awful person. But

[Zan from the Future]:

Thanks for watching!

[Stew]:

there is, yeah, I

[Zan from the Future]:

Ronde

[Stew]:

fit in

[Zan from the Future]:

got

[Stew]:

a

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

bunch

[Zan from the Future]:

good genes.

[Stew]:

of different, yeah, he did, Randy's great. Yeah, I fit in these different kind of social kind of structures. And then it was like student government. I was a vice president of the class, like that kind of

[Zan from the Future]:

Ooh,

[Stew]:

stuff where,

[Zan from the Future]:

you know what I

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

forgot

[Stew]:

know,

[Zan from the Future]:

about?

[Stew]:

we, yeah, what?

[Zan from the Future]:

Did you ever do the SGA? Cause we may have actually been in the same space. So went to, we were the same age, same class,

[Stew]:

Is it?

[Zan from the Future]:

graduated

[Stew]:

Is it?

[Zan from the Future]:

05, went both went to school in Maryland. Did you ever do the SGA like away thing? So we went to Ocean City, Maryland with SGA and we went to like a delegates conference. Ah, man. And that's like, that was, that

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

no.

[Zan from the Future]:

super

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. No,

[Zan from the Future]:

dope.

[Stew]:

I know what you're talking about because they had like, yeah, it was like student member of the board kind of deal,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

kind of, yeah, I think I know what you're talking about. No, I never did that. I was just at the class, not like of like the county or anything like that, or like

[Zan from the Future]:

got

[Stew]:

the high

[Zan from the Future]:

you.

[Stew]:

school or anything like that, yeah. So yeah, so because of what I was into, I just was in a bunch of different, you know, social

[Zan from the Future]:

So you had

[Stew]:

settings

[Zan from the Future]:

no

[Stew]:

and

[Zan from the Future]:

shortage

[Stew]:

groups.

[Zan from the Future]:

of options of tables at which you could sit in the lunchroom.

[Stew]:

Yeah, yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Just to bring

[Stew]:

basically.

[Zan from the Future]:

it back to what we are

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

as

[Stew]:

yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

a lunch

[Stew]:

yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

break podcast,

[Stew]:

exactly.

[Zan from the Future]:

right? Like

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

Stu

[Stew]:

nailed it. And we

[Zan from the Future]:

had

[Stew]:

could

[Zan from the Future]:

his choice

[Stew]:

have,

[Zan from the Future]:

of tables.

[Stew]:

we had lunch, everyone had one lunch period in my high school. So the whole

[Zan from the Future]:

What?

[Stew]:

school

[Zan from the Future]:

Really?

[Stew]:

was in lunch at one time. So you could have lunch in any place in the school really. So, you know, some people were,

[Zan from the Future]:

Hmm.

[Stew]:

you had, you had the art, it was a fine arts school, like not like an art school, but an art school. So the

[Zan from the Future]:

that doesn't sound any different than, that is art

[Stew]:

And

[Zan from the Future]:

school. That doesn't sound any different than my school.

[Stew]:

no, I hear you. Ours was known more for theater, not necessarily the art portion of it.

[Zan from the Future]:

No,

[Stew]:

But

[Zan from the Future]:

ours was as well. You just so

[Stew]:

oh, what'd

[Zan from the Future]:

you

[Stew]:

I go?

[Zan from the Future]:

only know my

[Stew]:

I didn't

[Zan from the Future]:

my

[Stew]:

know

[Zan from the Future]:

viewpoint

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

and I'll get into

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

it soon. Go ahead.

[Stew]:

yeah. So yeah, so our school was dance was a big thing in our school and all the arts for the most part. So in our area of Montgomery County, it was a consortium. So it was three schools you could to, right? You had a home school that you're guaranteed placement in, and then you had two other schools that you could pick from. So ours was the humanities and fine arts. Another school was science and technology. That was Paint Branch.

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm. Magnet

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

schools,

[Stew]:

no, excuse me.

[Zan from the Future]:

basically.

[Stew]:

Paint Branch, which is where Papa went, was like medical science and something like that. So doctors and physicians and that kind of stuff. And then I forgot, I think Springbrook was tech focused. They actually had an international baccalaureate program

[Zan from the Future]:

Crump with

[Stew]:

at

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

that

[Zan from the Future]:

Spring

[Stew]:

school.

[Zan from the Future]:

Book, right? Crump

[Stew]:

Yes,

[Zan from the Future]:

with the Spring Book?

[Stew]:

from

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay,

[Stew]:

Wintersburg,

[Zan from the Future]:

cool.

[Stew]:

that's right. That's right. That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

I should not

[Stew]:

So.

[Zan from the Future]:

know where all of these people went to high school when I didn't grow up

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

there.

[Stew]:

mean, you

[Zan from the Future]:

It's just

[Stew]:

were,

[Zan from the Future]:

really

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

weird.

[Stew]:

were appreciated bro. We had you in the mix, you were

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

definitely

[Zan from the Future]:

I was embedded,

[Stew]:

in,

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah.

[Stew]:

yeah. I mean, yeah. So, yeah, so you got to pick those schools. Blake was my home school. James P. Blake was the high school I went to. And that was the school I was guaranteed to get into and the school I wanted to go to. It had just been built. We were only the third graduating class from the high school. So it was like almost brand spanking new. So I was like, I'm gonna go to the new school. So that's

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

how I ended up at that school.

[Zan from the Future]:

Got it. So, and I think that was the original question. What was your friend group like kind of

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

springboard and

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

off

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

of

[Stew]:

in

[Zan from the Future]:

the,

[Stew]:

a

[Zan from the Future]:

off

[Stew]:

much

[Zan from the Future]:

of the wood

[Stew]:

different,

[Zan from the Future]:

joint?

[Stew]:

yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah. So when I think about, I guess I'll eventually answer the same question, but now you have me thinking about just framing what the high school was like for me. So

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

I went to what we, what was considered, I don't know if it was just Baltimore County public schools considered this, or if it was Maryland public schools considered this, but I went to a magnet school, other

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

states and cities have what they'll call magnet schools. and art school, but various different types of performing art. So

[Stew]:

Disciplines, yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah, so I went to Carver Center for Arts and Technology. Important to note because in Baltimore, there are two different Carvers. So there's Carver VOTEC in Baltimore city, and then there's Carver Center for Arts and Technology out in Towson in the county. So whenever you said that, even around Baltimore, like what school do you go to? I went to Carver, which one? Carver in the county, like

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

the one out in the county, right?

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

even that, like the statute of limitations is up now. So I think it's okay to talk about the fact that I was, you know, I wasn't always living in the county when I was going to school out there. And that's just typical, right? Kids

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

have to go to different addresses to get different things out of

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

life

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

and get

[Stew]:

thing.

[Zan from the Future]:

their gifts nurtured. And it's unfortunate

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

that it's like that, but it was what it was and it is what it is. So it's interesting because even Ryan in a lot of our conversations over the last few weeks and when he's celebrating my artistry now as an adult, he's just so happy that I had something to incubate that artistry and had people

[Stew]:

Thank you.

[Zan from the Future]:

to pour into it via going to an art high school. So Carver Center for Arts and Technology, We had, I was a visual arts kid, but we had visual arts, cosmetology, carpentry, culinary arts, business, I think was one of them. Just

[Stew]:

Wow,

[Zan from the Future]:

randomly.

[Stew]:

that's impressive.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah. Business

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

was one and I'm blanking on so performing arts, which would include dance, theater, et cetera, et cetera. So all the artsy fartsy kids that you could possibly

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

think

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

about. And with

[Stew]:

You hate

[Zan from the Future]:

us,

[Stew]:

that time.

[Zan from the Future]:

I really do, with

[Stew]:

Ha ha

[Zan from the Future]:

our school,

[Stew]:

ha ha ha.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was, we were akin to and in some ways rivals Baltimore School of the Arts. So people know BSA because Amber Richardson, Richards, I don't,

[Stew]:

Oh, yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah, she went to BSA and as did

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Jada Pinkett and Tupac. So

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

like when you kind of think about artsy people, it's those two schools that folks would have went to at that time. And then we had other tech schools like you're mentioning like Western and others that

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

were out there. But Carver was it for me. That's where I wanted to go. I went to Sudbrook Magnet Middle before that. And it's kind of like a feeder school to go up to this next school. So

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

I had some of my friends, of them, but like people like my homegirl, Saran, shout out to Saran. She and I went to school since middle school and we had been in art school together for what was that in total seven years. So,

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was, but so I played basketball, it was terrible. I made a joke about that on the

[Stew]:

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe hehehe hehehe hehehe hehehe he

[Zan from the Future]:

Instagram recently, like was not, never made it to varsity. Uncle June would tell you I never had the makings of a varsity athlete. Like I'm not, I'm not still EC in that regard at all where I'm playing football and all that other stuff. Like I was trash.

[Stew]:

but there's more spots on football, man. Ha ha ha.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah. So, okay, this is good framing too. We didn't even have a football team.

[Stew]:

Oh wow,

[Zan from the Future]:

That's how

[Stew]:

okay.

[Zan from the Future]:

much of an art school we were.

[Stew]:

Yeah, y'all are next level.

[Zan from the Future]:

We didn't have a track. Our

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

track team, we had a track team, but all of the meets were away meets because we didn't have a track at our school. So it

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

got you.

[Zan from the Future]:

hardcore focus on these arts. And

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

as such, I was around a lot of weird art kids. So it was just like the idea of like who your friends are. And interestingly enough, ratification, most of the, I say there was diversity in some ways. And specifically when I think about diversity or when I'm mentioning in this context, it was a diverse school. I've said this before, when I think about black students, there were some

[Stew]:

Mm.

[Zan from the Future]:

in the art prime, I think we call them primes, not magnets, but there were some in the art prime, but most of the black guys I would have hung out with, or I did hang out with, they were in carpentry and they were in

[Stew]:

Hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

more of the vocational magnets. And similarly, a lot of the black women were in cosmetology.

[Stew]:

Got it.

[Zan from the Future]:

it just talks about what those groups look like and who you would hang out with. This is a very interesting thing, looking back with adult eyes. And so I had my friends that I played ball with, although I was not great. I was still on the team, right? And then I hung out with the guys that were on varsity who were way better than me, but you had that little group. And then

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

since we were in magnet school, we bussed in from various counties. I mean, it's various, I don't even know what it's called because it's been so long since I've

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

been to basketball.

[Stew]:

that's the thing.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

I've been encountering that more and more because that was Audrey's experience. She went to Dunwoody High School and she was bused in.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

They went to a point and you switched buses

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

and then

[Zan from the Future]:

We all

[Stew]:

you...

[Zan from the Future]:

went to a certain high school

[Stew]:

that's

[Zan from the Future]:

in

[Stew]:

so

[Zan from the Future]:

our

[Stew]:

new.

[Zan from the Future]:

neighborhood. And then from that high school, we got

[Stew]:

had no

[Zan from the Future]:

shipped

[Stew]:

idea.

[Zan from the Future]:

into the other high

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

school. So like

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

had

[Zan from the Future]:

times

[Stew]:

no

[Zan from the Future]:

that I

[Stew]:

idea.

[Zan from the Future]:

was living in the county and I was living close to... So for example, I was went to Randallstown High.

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm

[Zan from the Future]:

When I lived

[Stew]:

a branch

[Zan from the Future]:

in

[Stew]:

I could

[Zan from the Future]:

Randallstown...

[Stew]:

use a random sound. Yeah

[Zan from the Future]:

Cool. So in Randallstown was phenomenal sports.

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

So when

[Stew]:

oh yeah

[Zan from the Future]:

I lived in Randallstown, I would go to Randallstown High to catch the bus to take me out to Towson and Carver. Or when I catch a bus to go out to to

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

Carver. So you kind of had your kids from the neighborhood that you knew or the kids on the bus, whatever. I wasn't a... And it's one of those things where it's important to note too, because in art school, it's hard to be a nerd in art school because everybody's a nerd. You're all kids coming here to participate in art. So it's like nobody's...

[Stew]:

Right. Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

It's interesting

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

when you think about, were you a cool kid, quote unquote, in high school? Like, yeah, I got to sit in the back of the bus, but we all are not really that cool. We go to art school.

[Stew]:

What part of the back of the bus though, you know what I'm saying? Like at a certain

[Zan from the Future]:

What she

[Stew]:

point

[Zan from the Future]:

mean?

[Stew]:

it's like you gotta be in the last what, three, cause you had that one short seat in the back.

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh, the single seater? Yeah,

[Stew]:

Cause

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah,

[Stew]:

the emergency door.

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah.

[Stew]:

Unless you had a newer bus with

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

emergency

[Zan from the Future]:

then

[Stew]:

doors

[Zan from the Future]:

to

[Stew]:

in the

[Zan from the Future]:

be

[Stew]:

middle.

[Zan from the Future]:

honest, so you know what funny thing? I'm shocked that my memories is clear right now, but our emergency door was often blocked, which is a terrible hazard.

[Stew]:

Oh, there's like

[Zan from the Future]:

But

[Stew]:

cargo back there, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

well, because we were art students, so we all had canvases we were bringing

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm. Oh,

[Zan from the Future]:

into

[Stew]:

that's

[Zan from the Future]:

school

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

to

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

come

[Stew]:

makes

[Zan from the Future]:

and get

[Stew]:

sense.

[Zan from the Future]:

critiqued.

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

makes sense.

[Zan from the Future]:

that was actually the toughest part of my high school experience beyond being homeless was the fact that,

[Stew]:

Uh, yes?

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah. But it was the fact that every day, or not every day, but once a week, we would have paintings and we put them up on a wall and a bunch of mean 13 to 18 year olds would sit

[Stew]:

rip

[Zan from the Future]:

and

[Stew]:

it

[Zan from the Future]:

talk

[Stew]:

to

[Zan from the Future]:

about,

[Stew]:

shreds.

[Zan from the Future]:

man. Like, and that's why, and people talk

[Stew]:

It's

[Zan from the Future]:

about

[Stew]:

American

[Zan from the Future]:

how critical

[Stew]:

Idol.

[Zan from the Future]:

I am. People talk about how critical I am. And even in

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

relationships and all of that, friendships,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

but like, if

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

you

[Stew]:

where it

[Zan from the Future]:

know

[Stew]:

comes from.

[Zan from the Future]:

that about me, it really does

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

help to contextualize. We're like, no, you were raised to critique your

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

thought and critique to improve.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm used to call it like praise and polish. Like polish is shined up a little bit, but like that's

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

what I was raised around for at least four years there. So just think about that blocking off the exit, not at all accessible and then coming in, putting your painting up and it's like bare my soul, people just ripping it to shreds. Sorry, go ahead, man.

[Stew]:

No, that's great. I mean, I'm thinking about, as you're saying that it triggered a thought, I'm just like, damn, Xan's come such a long way because it's not necessarily the critical portion of it is the vehicle with which you deliver that critique

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm. Oh, because I'm really blind.

[Stew]:

or feedback that people will more than likely struggle with. And you've made so many strides in

[Zan from the Future]:

And it's

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

really pointed, it's specific.

[Stew]:

because

[Zan from the Future]:

Like, hey, and I certain that's,

[Stew]:

early days am.

[Zan from the Future]:

but do even think about this, right? I'm in a school and there weren't many people that, I don't know if it's just me, because in some ways I was raised this way as well, but I don't recall us going towards you did great here. It was

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

often, I'm not going to praise the strength, I'm going to help the weakness get stronger. So

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

in my feedback approach, it often embodies that, I'm not gonna talk about how great you are in this spot, but let's build up the place this week. So I go to search for the weak points. And I really

[Stew]:

idea.

[Zan from the Future]:

did have to adjust that over the course of my life, because

[Stew]:

Oh yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

everyone was not raised or schooled in that way. That's hard for some people to take. So

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

it's definitely a thing that shaped me. But the high school experience for me back there, just being in art school, like there was, so I'm in art school and my coursework, there aren't that many black kids because I'm in a different magnet than the bulk of the black kids. And then the kids I'm around And the art that was coming out of those kids who had a different level of privilege than I had was ridiculous. There were anuses being like 20 inch anuses being painted. And again, this is another thing. I'm I think at age 13, 14,

[Stew]:

That's gonna be a clip. It's

[Zan from the Future]:

20

[Stew]:

great

[Zan from the Future]:

inch anuses just painted. I mean, there was these two kids, Aladdin and I don't remember the other kid's name or maybe

[Stew]:

I'm-

[Zan from the Future]:

Aladdin

[Stew]:

I'm-

[Zan from the Future]:

was his brother. Orpheus, Orpheus was the older one. Orpheus, and I can't remember his homie's name, but they called themselves the Hooded Vipers. And why did they call themselves the Hooded Vipers? Because they were dudes who were uncircumcised and they often did paintings and drawings about non-circumcised pieces. Like this is the type of high school I was in, man. This

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

is

[Stew]:

met,

[Zan from the Future]:

what I was

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

around.

[Stew]:

didn't meet these people. And I met some interesting people, but I didn't meet these kinds of people until Parsons. That's when I met your Viper

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

friends,

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah,

[Stew]:

for

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah.

[Stew]:

sure.

[Zan from the Future]:

It was so imagine sitting, people were like, they think my work is shock value work now. Like you should see what I saw 18 years

[Stew]:

Right,

[Zan from the Future]:

ago.

[Stew]:

right,

[Zan from the Future]:

Like I saw some things

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

in my life, man. So

[Stew]:

At 15.

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah, and then it's interesting because like my cousin Todd, so back to influences, because the only time I really got to hang out with people was when I was back over wherever. So my cousin Todd, East Baltimore, and my cousin Todd would always make fun of me. call me Urkel, call me Doogie Howser, just all types of nerdy stuff, right? But I thought Todd was the coolest dude in the world. And Todd would make fun of me. I'm like, dude, if you know what I'm in, what I'm in school around all day, like I'm actually, you're lucky that you're getting this cool enough of a version of me

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

to be coming home, man. But yeah, our school was just, it was a wild world, man. They're like, there was nothing off limits, artistically to the kids. We even had our own studios within the school, or by the time you got to be a senior, you could take AP Studio. And it's just like, they just let kids go in there their teenage minds for a while. So to the point

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

of people who think my work is shock value work now, I don't think so because I actually, so we started painting nude models, painting and sculpting and drawing from life in live nudes at age 14 or so. Your parents signed a permission slip, 14, 15, say you can handle it and then your live models sitting there like, and so they were Sarah, Raeko or Lando, like I remember all of those people vividly today and I had tons of drawings paintings. And it's like, it was a really... So to that point, and I'll just get off this quickly, when I talk about being a fine artist, I was trained like an old master in Italy as a teenager. So all of that stuff completely shaped and opened my mind to things that I would have never experienced outside of art school. So it just gave a kid

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

who had a different background than most of the people in the school, complete eye-opening experiences that I would have never had otherwise. So praising that part of the high school experience, but thing, but it's still shaping this like, I wonder if we would have been friends, right? Because like what were we into versus how we ended up being friends later. But sorry, man. So on the high school note, in knowing that you moved there after experiencing adversity,

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

right? And we can talk about what that adversity looked like for you, but you know, and similarly I was experiencing adversity while in high school and we know that that makes it difficult to go

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

through that experience. And everybody goes through wild stuff in high school. Pardon me. tough, kids are mean,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

your body's

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

changing,

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

right? There's just, there's so many, there's people making fun of you for what you have or don't have, it's just like, it's crazy being in high school. But

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

what's that, if you recall, what was that like being in high school dealing with adversity? And how did that shape who you are as an adult?

[Stew]:

I will say that, you know, after my mom passed, and let me set the stage foundationally, in our household, in most West African households, education is a very important thing. It is the gateway to building wealth. It is the gateway for fulfilling all of the investment emotionally, physically, financially, that your family has had to, exercise to get you there. And so that was just the big thing. And when my mom passed, I lost that person that would push that ideal consistently. And

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

in a way that it was so passionately that it was terrifying. So let me say that. And I had to kind of refocus because that wasn't an excuse. make a decision about who I wanted to be and where I was going to go. And if I was going to squander this opportunity, because there's very few places where you can go and get a strong public school education without paying a dime, which thank God,

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

I've realized

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

that in the time that I did, I think when you lose a parent that young, you are forced to grow up. And we've talked about stuff like that.

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

Whether you lose them to incarceration, whether you lose them by any other factor, it's a that presence not being there, you do kind of forcibly grow up quicker and the world looks a lot different than it would. Your innocence is gone a little bit earlier because you realize and kind of see the cracks in the foundation of what the world looked like or looks like. And I had to refocus and really rededicate myself to school and being a scholar really. So I focused a lot on school, spent

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

a lot of time with my schoolwork. Part of the reason why I ended up playing sports and doing a lot of those things was it allowed me to stay out of trouble. If

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

I'm staying after school and I'm at practice or I'm shooting something for TV production and need to edit, that would allow for me to be better at time management. Obviously it's great for my resume, allows for me to be a more viable candidate when it comes to submitting college essays, things of that nature. It's just better for the high school self that I was,

[Zan from the Future]:

Good

[Stew]:

to be

[Zan from the Future]:

luck.

[Stew]:

able to have those outlets and different creative spaces to be me.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

And so that was how I dealt with it. But my high school experience was weird, man. I feel like we didn't really, I mean, people had beef, but it wasn't like, I feel like it was, I mean, people for the most part got along, which

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

interesting.

[Zan from the Future]:

mean, High School was not so something that was not on that list. High School was not Michelle Pfeiffer, Dangerous Minds for most

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

of us.

[Stew]:

nah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Like, it was not that.

[Stew]:

I wasn't none of that. Absolutely

[Zan from the Future]:

Sister Act

[Stew]:

not. You

[Zan from the Future]:

2

[Stew]:

had the

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

kids?

[Zan from the Future]:

also absent from the list, which is crazy. Sister Act 2

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

is

[Zan from the Future]:

a fantastic

[Stew]:

nuts.

[Zan from the Future]:

high

[Stew]:

Very

[Zan from the Future]:

school film.

[Stew]:

high school, good point,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

that's right. Yes, that's right. Man, and let me tell you who loves that movie, African Parents. Anything

[Zan from the Future]:

Hehehe

[Stew]:

has to do with church and school, man. I could recite that movie. I can't tell you how many times in my childhood I've watched

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay,

[Stew]:

that movie and never

[Zan from the Future]:

so

[Stew]:

say that.

[Zan from the Future]:

on the church note, on the school note, and on this note of adversity. So

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

the Bible tells us suffering produces perseverance.

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

And in that note, right, you experienced something and it taught you how to persevere and apply yourself in a given way because you had to, you had no other choice.

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

In a similar vein for me, there was, as I've noted here, and I've noted other times, right, the times that I experienced homelessness and houselessness in high school. I didn't, my guidance counselor, because you talked about guidance counselors earlier, I didn't know I

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

was homeless until my guidance counselor told me I was homeless, which sounds crazy, right? It's like, it's like Zeke on power, not knowing he was like 23 years

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

old.

[Stew]:

yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

but

[Zan from the Future]:

think

[Stew]:

that

[Zan from the Future]:

he

[Stew]:

acting

[Zan from the Future]:

was 19.

[Stew]:

was awful.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

it was

[Stew]:

god

[Zan from the Future]:

really bad.

[Stew]:

that was bad

[Zan from the Future]:

But, but, but being very serious in the moment, it was like, cause we were, yeah, there were nights when we slept in cars. And at this point, I don't know how often or how little it was, felt like even one night felt like every night to me at some time.

[Stew]:

Okay.

[Zan from the Future]:

But there were, most of the time we were trying to go hotel or like Bermuda Inn, Knights Inn, all those other places. And my mom was hustling to get that$50 and hustling by driving a cab. I don't mean like, I always would be clear like my mom's not out here

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

selling

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

drugs

[Stew]:

got you.

[Zan from the Future]:

and stuff.

[Stew]:

Nah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

I got you.

[Zan from the Future]:

you got me, but we have people listening. So

[Stew]:

I know, I'm,

[Zan from the Future]:

my

[Stew]:

amen,

[Zan from the Future]:

mom was hustling

[Stew]:

I got it.

[Zan from the Future]:

in the cab to make sure that we had the money that night, which was like $54 a night or something like that, to go stay at a hotel. Rates go up on the weekends, all of that. So when she was hustling to make sure that we had that to In my mind, we were sleeping in hotels. It wasn't the same room every night. It was not my house, but I didn't consider myself homeless until my guidance counselor was sitting down. And it got to a point where we couldn't afford some of the things I needed to go to school. So it

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

was not, and we were keeping up with appearances. So I had clothes and all that other stuff. And that really did to the point of who were your friends because I didn't have a home for my friends to come hang out in. I didn't really

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

keep deep friendships. I had to keep people at bay because I wasn't sharing what I was experiencing either.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

So that kind of made it kind of difficult. And there are many people didn't even know until many, many years later, I probably still don't know that I was homeless in high school. But my guidance counselor, Miss Casores, and one of my, one of the most fantastic people in the world, and they gave me such exceptional care. She was like, yeah, well, she made it, she made a deal or just made it available to me to get clay from my sculpture teacher, Mr. Supressi,

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

to get paints and free canvas from my painting teacher, Miss McDaniels, for free. Whereas those things cost like $5 for per pound of clay or something like that. So she

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

worked it out so I could get the resources I needed to complete my work. And in that moment, she said, yeah, we do this for all of our homeless students. I was like, wait a minute, all of your what students?

[Stew]:

He was like, section eight.

[Zan from the Future]:

Hold on, wait, oh my, you're right. It's like, I guess

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I am homeless. But like, and I could laugh at it now, but to that suffering produces perseverance, my

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

ability. So I think at times you've asked me, or I've heard many people say, it's shocking that you could draw while you're in motion or while this car is moving in XYZ. I sculpted an entire portrait bust, clavicle to crown, in the passenger side of my mom's taxi. Because I just had nowhere else to be to do paintings.

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

Some of my paintings today, this is actually pretty important to know as an artist and for people to understand my subject matter. The reason I prefer figure and don't really like background is because my backgrounds were constantly changing. So I didn't have the luxury

[Stew]:

I knew this.

[Zan from the Future]:

of having someone come and sit for days on end. And this is before photos are what they are

[Stew]:

Thank

[Zan from the Future]:

now.

[Stew]:

you. You're

[Zan from the Future]:

and having

[Stew]:

welcome.

[Zan from the Future]:

your phone and things. So it was like, well, and the reason why I had so many self portraits, I'm always with myself. I can sit in front of a mirror at the day's end or the Motel 6 or whatever that is and paint

[Stew]:

Thanks,

[Zan from the Future]:

myself,

[Stew]:

mate.

[Zan from the Future]:

but the background is gonna change. So then my teachers didn't even understand that for a while. And then eventually we got to have that conversation. So it produced a perseverance in a way that now has sharpened my skillset to where I can draw anything anywhere while in motion because I was always in motion. So just, you know. Thank you, sir.

[Stew]:

No, I mean, it's important because people only see you today and see

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

your art today. They don't necessarily see the process and the things that you draw from when you are incorporating it into your art or whether it's that or

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

whether

[Zan from the Future]:

they think I'm

[Stew]:

it's...

[Zan from the Future]:

just nasty Nelson. They don't know why it's a nude

[Stew]:

Right,

[Zan from the Future]:

painting. You know what I'm

[Stew]:

right,

[Zan from the Future]:

saying?

[Stew]:

right,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

right. It was like, why would you draw an avocado

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

like that?

[Zan from the Future]:

Oh, there's nothing

[Stew]:

painting,

[Zan from the Future]:

I just said explains why I did that.

[Stew]:

well, fine, but

[Zan from the Future]:

It's deeper than that.

[Stew]:

even still,

[Zan from the Future]:

But yeah.

[Stew]:

like I've been painting nude models for, since I was a

[Zan from the Future]:

more than half of my

[Stew]:

young

[Zan from the Future]:

life.

[Stew]:

man,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

you know what I'm saying? So I mean, that tracks for me. And even to take it away from an art thing and just you as a man, you critique the way you critique or give feedback the way that you give feedback because of the feedback you received or being in that environment of receiving feedback from your art.

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

because you are a leader within a company. You know what I'm saying? Like

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

that aspect of it, it allows people to be more empathetic when it comes to dealing with you. It allows people to be more patient when it comes to engaging with you because they have a data point that allows

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

for them to connect to it. You know me, I'm a logical person. I like

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-mm.

[Stew]:

logic stuff. Like, hey, it has to make sense for me. Otherwise I get frustrated. But if I can draw a dotted line to why this behavior is what it is, it allows for me to understand there's a connection there. So,

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

so that's why I clap it is important to kind of have that thing, that aspect of, of how it goes. And, and when you move around a lot and you think about what that does to your personality, like that changes in your

[Zan from the Future]:

He is

[Stew]:

mind.

[Zan from the Future]:

super versatile

[Stew]:

It's like, all right, well,

[Zan from the Future]:

too.

[Stew]:

yeah, right. Exactly. Because you've had to be right. Like

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

that's why I work in cars and you spoke about friend group. You've seen me in a lot of different spaces with different

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

people in New York, man, that was me from high school. So

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

I've learned how to do, that's just how I've been because I've always expected myself to be in different scenarios with different people that we connect. And I try to bring and build those bridges between the different communities and

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm

[Stew]:

make it

[Zan from the Future]:

definitely

[Stew]:

one big

[Zan from the Future]:

a

[Stew]:

community.

[Zan from the Future]:

chameleon.

[Stew]:

Yeah, oh,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

no

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

question.

[Zan from the Future]:

high school absolutely helped me in that. Because interestingly enough, which while I know most of your friends from high school, I know most of your Black friends from high school. I also know that you have non-Black friends from high school. And similarly, when I think about, and I don't think we talked about this, but this is important to note, we both came from high schools. We had mixed friend groups. And then we went

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

to an all Black school for college.

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

Right? And

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

that is a stark difference. hanging out, I mean, I had yarmulkes and everything. I was hanging out with my Jewish friends in high school and then just a couple months later you go to Morehouse

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

and it's like, whoa, this is a completely different world that I didn't know could exist. And it is also fantastic. So in even our Morehouse experience, we just, we came in with a certain level of cognitive diversity because of the experiences we had in our Maryland

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

public

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

schools.

[Stew]:

That's right. I mean, I think that was the value of going to school where we went to school. I think that's the portion of it where it allowed for us to be able to, it was a great testing ground, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

Hmm

[Stew]:

For how to move about, it was probably the best reflection of what the world was gonna look like after we finished school, when we actually got into the real world. And so I think, I love this idea that we went and solidified our blackness on some level and who we are and the beauty of who we are as a people. to go back into a world that we were already familiar with, at least a microcosm of

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

it, which makes it special. But also for kids like us that have been in places where they were the only black kid in those classes, to go into a place like Morehouse and see that there are other stellar, extremely brilliant, I mean, that goes for all the schools, right?

[Zan from the Future]:

There's

[Stew]:

Howard

[Zan from the Future]:

a bunch of different

[Stew]:

and Fisk,

[Zan from the Future]:

Zanzistus

[Stew]:

you know

[Zan from the Future]:

here, I didn't know y'all existed.

[Stew]:

what I'm saying? Like, and the packaging looks different on all of them. Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

Ace Boogie

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

comes to mind. You know what

[Zan from the Future]:

Shout

[Stew]:

I'm saying?

[Zan from the Future]:

out to

[Stew]:

Like,

[Zan from the Future]:

Ace Boogie. I just said

[Stew]:

there

[Zan from the Future]:

it,

[Stew]:

you

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

go.

[Zan from the Future]:

did what was coming. Shout

[Stew]:

My

[Zan from the Future]:

out

[Stew]:

man,

[Zan from the Future]:

to Ace

[Stew]:

right

[Zan from the Future]:

Boogie,

[Stew]:

on

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

time.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

Right on time, man. Shout out to Ace Boogie, man. Brilliant. I mean, just brilliant people. And so I really appreciate, I appreciate the dichotomy of those different structures and those different environments. And it's positive impacts on who we've become. And I'm sure there are people that can connect to that

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

aspect of it.

[Zan from the Future]:

So what I'm reminded of, so yes to all of that, and then going back to that kind of suffering produces perseverance point. And we

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

did, folks, we've done no real pre-production, so these questions are just coming up in the moment. I love it. But

[Stew]:

Hehehehe

[Zan from the Future]:

going back to that, I'm trying to connect to kind of what were the most embarrassing parts of the high school experience, because this is really where I evaluate, what have I been friends with this guy? And go ahead.

[Stew]:

I want to ask you this question first before we get into that, because I

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

think that that is going to be a longer conversation. Do you have a favorite teacher or administrator or person that you were like, yo, I'm really grateful for this person because.

[Zan from the Future]:

Miss Kasour is the one I just mentioned.

[Stew]:

Yeah, why?

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm almost welling up with tears in this moment because

[Stew]:

Oh wow.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was really, it was hard, bro.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

What I was experiencing in high school was really, really tough. A lot of people

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

experience a lot of tough things in high school and feel alone.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I was experiencing it with my mom, but we were experiencing it differently and we didn't talk about it in certain ways. We were going through it. We were surviving. That's literally,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was survival. And to have someone who, like the person who, the only few people knew my situation, I had to hide it from friends or I was encouraged to hide it from friends and things. And it was like that woman knowing that I was going through something and making sure that I had everything I needed to still succeed. And like it killed me to not be able to produce art at the same level of my peers because I didn't have the same resources as them. But

[Stew]:

Hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

to have people who were like her, Mr. Suppressy, and then Miss McDaniel was my two and art teachers who just like they loved on me in a way that I could have never understood as a child and as an adult, like y'all helped me out in ways that I could. So when I went back and did a senior show, and I'll

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

be brief here, I went back and did a senior show or not a senior show, an alumni show, maybe like six years after high school or more than six years, but I'm working at Boeing in Philadelphia. I drove down to Baltimore, heard they were having a show and Miss McDan was like, the prodigal son has returned.

[Stew]:

Hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe

[Zan from the Future]:

So

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

and stuff and I hate to paint Miss McDaniel as a paste eater, but like, if you think about art teacher, Miss McDaniel

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

wore fantastic clothes and she had been to Italy and was just a free spirit. So

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was type Joseph Pressey had this long ponytail and had this like the only the soul patch beard joint. Like he was in JC,

[Stew]:

Oh, yeah, he's

[Zan from the Future]:

right?

[Stew]:

been

[Zan from the Future]:

He was

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

like, Jesus Christ.

[Stew]:

visual representation

[Zan from the Future]:

These are my

[Stew]:

is

[Zan from the Future]:

people.

[Stew]:

coming through.

[Zan from the Future]:

I actually didn't have any black teachers. So to that point, I

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't

[Stew]:

wow,

[Zan from the Future]:

have

[Stew]:

yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

any administrators who I felt like looked like me or, you know, and that's an interesting thing in and of itself. Not necessarily interesting, it's a disappointing thing. But who are yours? Or who is yours?

[Stew]:

Yeah. I had an administrator in, I mean, I had an administrator in high school. Her name was Karen Lockhart. I mean, she was like my mom at school. She was a vice

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

principal at the school. She was the one that encouraged me to go to Morehouse. She, I mean, she did everything for me, man. Like senior night for football, senior year. You know, she stood next to me on the field when everybody had their families. You know what I'm saying? she just

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm trying to find some friends.

[Stew]:

held it down for me in a way that I don't know, in a way where when people talk about teachers and their impact and like the hard work they have to do that she embodied it like and beyond. And so I'm grateful to her for her support, for her kind words, for all of that. Cause I think for her, she really understood my, you know, she understood my situation, you know, what I didn't realize until high school And also shout out to my guidance counselor in high school too, Jeff Flock. Jeffrey Flock, good dude. I didn't realize that they keep a file on you of everything that happens in your

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

life

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

in high school. And he showed me this folder my senior year because I needed a recommendation letter. So

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

obviously I got one from Ms. Lockard. I got one from Ms. Jeff Flock, who was also my defensive back coach

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

for football as well.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, I

[Stew]:

But

[Zan from the Future]:

love that

[Stew]:

great

[Zan from the Future]:

about

[Stew]:

guy.

[Zan from the Future]:

high school. They're like the people,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

like you got a full-time job and you just go coach your team.

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

but he, but I mean, it shows dedication. You know what I'm saying? And yeah, I didn't realize that until he was like, yo, you've been through some, I mean, they had my mom's, like the obituary and all of that, like the pamphlet from the funeral. I was like, damn, y'all got this. That's crazy.

[Zan from the Future]:

You

[Stew]:

He's

[Zan from the Future]:

know

[Stew]:

like,

[Zan from the Future]:

what's

[Stew]:

yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

interesting?

[Stew]:

we keep

[Zan from the Future]:

There's

[Stew]:

a.

[Zan from the Future]:

a lot of stuff that I kept. Well, and granted, there's some things that you should keep because like, you know, I'm hesitant to say it, but my story is my story. Like, right, there were some times where the place I was staying, I'd go home and I'm seeing junkies with straws in their nose. And it's

[Stew]:

Thank

[Zan from the Future]:

like,

[Stew]:

you.

[Zan from the Future]:

you're not supposed to let your, let your goddess counselors know that because

[Stew]:

You need

[Zan from the Future]:

that

[Stew]:

help?

[Zan from the Future]:

was the only place I had after school to do my homework. And it was not

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

my home specifically, but

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

it was the place I went to go do homework. And I needed a place to get my stuff done if Ms. Kasouris and those other folks knew that. They'd probably try to re-home me or something like that. So

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

there are things that, you know,

[Stew]:

Oh,

[Zan from the Future]:

was out

[Stew]:

yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

working until she could get the money for me to go to the hotel that night. So, or

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

for

[Stew]:

got to

[Zan from the Future]:

us

[Stew]:

pick

[Zan from the Future]:

to go

[Stew]:

and

[Zan from the Future]:

to

[Stew]:

choose

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

what you

[Zan from the Future]:

hotel.

[Stew]:

share.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

You already

[Zan from the Future]:

you got

[Stew]:

know

[Zan from the Future]:

it.

[Stew]:

in

[Zan from the Future]:

That's

[Stew]:

a black

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

household

[Zan from the Future]:

thing, man.

[Stew]:

with a black mom, this is house business. This ain't outside business. So

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

you end up drawing that line. I got

[Zan from the Future]:

so like

[Stew]:

it.

[Zan from the Future]:

it's amazing that they have that file. And then there's also like, how much do you let make it into that file before they start putting judgments on you? And there are different

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

things that happen because of that file, right? So that tracking cuts both ways. I'm glad it worked well

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

for

[Stew]:

yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

you with a, what was the name? Lock.

[Stew]:

Yeah. Karen

[Zan from the Future]:

with

[Stew]:

Lockard. Yeah. Yeah. That's the

[Zan from the Future]:

the

[Stew]:

vice

[Zan from the Future]:

gash.

[Stew]:

principal. And then, and then Jeff Flock. Yeah. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Flack, that's what I'm talking about, Jeff Flack, gosh.

[Stew]:

Yeah. Mr. Flock.

[Zan from the Future]:

Coach

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Flack,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

DB

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Coach.

[Stew]:

Coach Flock.

[Zan from the Future]:

Well,

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

no, shout out to

[Stew]:

man.

[Zan from the Future]:

the administrator.

[Stew]:

Those two people were important. I mean, he had, I mean, and there was a ton of black administrators. I mean, Warren, Mr. Carrington, Warren Carrington was another vice principal, black man. You know, also a basketball coach

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

for

[Zan from the Future]:

had

[Stew]:

the team.

[Zan from the Future]:

more, okay, you know what? That's actually, so while he did not work for

[Stew]:

Mr.

[Zan from the Future]:

the school,

[Stew]:

Tyrell, Rudy Tyrell, yup.

[Zan from the Future]:

my JV coach, Coach Jeremiah Walker, Coach

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

Walker for basketball, he was

[Stew]:

Strong

[Zan from the Future]:

not, it

[Stew]:

black man,

[Zan from the Future]:

is,

[Stew]:

Jeremiah

[Zan from the Future]:

and

[Stew]:

Walker.

[Zan from the Future]:

you know what? I think about this very often actually. So Coach Walker was not, he did not work at the school, like as faculty, he was only

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

a coach. So he had a completely separate job. And Coach Walker, this is 2004, 2003, And it was like, it would be times and he drove me home every day from

[Stew]:

Wow.

[Zan from the Future]:

practice. And it was just like, it was incredible. I didn't have my, I told you in a couple of podcasts ago, my mom didn't show up because she couldn't take us losing all the time. So like

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

coach

[Stew]:

Hehehehe.

[Zan from the Future]:

Walker really did, really did hold it down. And then

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I used to, people used to make fun of his car and I made fun of it too. Like I'm a high school kid and it was a really,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

this is, it was really old. It was 20 years old at the time.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Until the day I seen coach walk. Cause he used to say, I've got another car. I just don't drive it.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Why would I drive that

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

car? And we'd be like, you know, believe you coach Walker. This was when I learned a lesson about appearances and

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

not judging a book by its cover because Coach Walker pulled up in the E320 and I was like, oh, Coach Walker has bins.

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Coach Walker has a full job outside of this and Coach Walker

[Stew]:

that's

[Zan from the Future]:

like,

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

okay, I had you

[Stew]:

Just so

[Zan from the Future]:

misconstrued,

[Stew]:

you know,

[Zan from the Future]:

sir. Yeah, but

[Stew]:

I ain't putting this mileage on here.

[Zan from the Future]:

I had more black administrators and teachers in my elementary and middle schools and more so elementary school. So like Mr. Smith was my art teacher, a black man. That's the reason I'm a painter today is because that man said, something in fifth grade, you need to go nurture this and told me to apply to Sidebrook, which was the middle school for art.

[Stew]:

The feed is cool. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, so having people pour into me in that way was really important.

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I want to get on the embarrassment thing now because we are kind of, we go along on this, but this is really awesome. I didn't know where we would go on this episode today, but I love what we're talking about. And

[Stew]:

Yeah, no, it's good stuff.

[Zan from the Future]:

when I think about like high school is as much as it was cool when I was fresh, let me just put that out there. Cause even though back to keeping up appearances, I had my little job at Marshall's. I was like, I was getting my polo

[Stew]:

Sears

[Zan from the Future]:

and

[Stew]:

is

[Zan from the Future]:

you

[Stew]:

serious

[Zan from the Future]:

know,

[Stew]:

for me.

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah, you know, that's where my love for polo started, really, right? Between

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

going out to the polo outlet, which me and you used to do all the time when we were

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

driving

[Stew]:

we sure

[Zan from the Future]:

up and

[Stew]:

did.

[Zan from the Future]:

down the highways.

[Stew]:

We sure did.

[Zan from the Future]:

But you know, I was still looking, I didn't look like what I was going through

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

at the

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

time. But I did some embarrassing stuff in high school. Like we talked about, or briefly talked about me rapping in the Ren Fest, the Renaissance Fest. It's just trash. And while I have a mastery of words, I have no stage presence whatsoever. It failed

[Stew]:

I have no

[Zan from the Future]:

miserably

[Stew]:

stage presence.

[Zan from the Future]:

instantly.

[Stew]:

I got

[Zan from the Future]:

None that I got

[Stew]:

you.

[Zan from the Future]:

up, I was nervous. I had too many words in my rap, the bars weren't hitting. And again, it's at the Renaissance Festival. So I've worked it out with Miss Kaladny, my English teacher or like GT English teacher. And she loved me because I was a bright student in class. She loves how I talked about Catcher in the Rye and all that other stuff. And she allowed

[Stew]:

Holden.

[Zan from the Future]:

it to happen. And then I pushed it with me and my other friends to get up. My friends were actually good rappers,

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

And then I was the one that gave her my bars at first because she had to review them. And like, this is

[Stew]:

Ah.

[Zan from the Future]:

post 9-11, right? So I had things like kamikaze in there and all type of stuff,

[Stew]:

μ˜ˆμ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—μ—

[Zan from the Future]:

right? Yeah. No, no, but it wasn't like a, you know, not like how Adesanya had that mishap where he was like, I'll do such and such like 9-11. It wasn't that, it

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

was actually contextually

[Stew]:

no, I got you.

[Zan from the Future]:

appropriate. But

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

like got on that stage and tried to say words like kamikaze and all the students was like, what are y'all doing? This is a Renaissance festival. Like, supposed to be playing

[Stew]:

Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

lyrs

[Stew]:

smartass

[Zan from the Future]:

and loops

[Stew]:

rap

[Zan from the Future]:

and stuff. It was super nerdy and super embarrassing. And besides that, I think the only other super, like looking back, and

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm embarrassed for myself looking back, my high school senior quote, which we've talked about before, but like I quoted DMX in the yearbook. And

[Stew]:

Yes, yes, yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

it's funny enough because I didn't know at the time that DMX was actually quoting someone else. I think he was quoting Roberta Flack and who had quoted someone else, but it was to live is to suffer and to survive is to find meaning in your suffering. And one, sounds like a really troubled kid.

[Stew]:

Yeah?

[Zan from the Future]:

Like looking back,

[Stew]:

Yeah?

[Zan from the Future]:

reading that, and I don't know that I was a troubled kid. I'm not going to subscribe to that, but I was experiencing

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

it.

[Stew]:

mean, you could relate to the

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

quote.

[Zan from the Future]:

I was

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

suffering.

[Stew]:

were living it. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I was suffering. I was finding meaning in it, but looking back at it and I'm like, well, I'm not quoted, and I quoted DMX as Earl Simmons to make it sound like more smart. I quoted him

[Stew]:

The great philosopher Earl Simmons

[Zan from the Future]:

as Earl Simmons, who I absolutely felt

[Stew]:

from

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

Yonkers.

[Zan from the Future]:

is a good person. Yeah. I mean, DMX was a prophet, man, and I stand firm on that. But those are two of my most

[Stew]:

Nah, respect.

[Zan from the Future]:

embarrassing things about high school. Wrapping in the Wrenfest, if we could call it that, and then quoting DMX. I wish I could go back and do that one again out the yearbook. What you

[Stew]:

We

[Zan from the Future]:

got?

[Stew]:

didn't do senior quotes, which I think

[Zan from the Future]:

What?

[Stew]:

is regrettable.

[Zan from the Future]:

That's lame.

[Stew]:

Nah, we didn't. I got it right here. I got the yearbook right

[Zan from the Future]:

Pokemon

[Stew]:

here.

[Zan from the Future]:

other than Respirator. Your book is kind of corny. Hold that up a little,

[Stew]:

What do you

[Zan from the Future]:

bring

[Stew]:

think?

[Zan from the Future]:

it in. It's kind of corny looking yearbook, bring it back

[Stew]:

Oh,

[Zan from the Future]:

over.

[Stew]:

it absolutely is. It's a playbill. It's an art school. I mean, it's wack. Yep. What you gonna do? I mean, it's

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

fine.

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm

[Stew]:

I'm gonna go

[Zan from the Future]:

underwhelmed by that.

[Stew]:

ahead and do a

[Zan from the Future]:

Okay,

[Stew]:

little bit of a

[Zan from the Future]:

how many kids were in your graduating class?

[Stew]:

529.

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

Yeah, I need to know that because I was the vice president of the class. Spoke at graduation and everything.

[Zan from the Future]:

Look at this nerd, vice VP of the class, man. I didn't have, but to the point of the things we're talking about, right? I didn't have as much time to get into those extracurriculars, because my life was just a little dynamic after school,

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

right? Trying to figure out what's gonna happen when I get home that day. So I wish that I got to do some more of those things, but just wasn't really an opportunity I had. But I'm still gonna call you a nerd for being the VP of the class.

[Stew]:

I mean, I was, but I did it with Gibran and Janelle who were like co vice president. I mean, co-presidents of

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

the club.

[Zan from the Future]:

also

[Stew]:

I mean,

[Zan from the Future]:

nerds.

[Stew]:

it was just, I

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

mean, yeah, it was me

[Zan from the Future]:

It's a band of nerds. Yeah.

[Stew]:

as a band

[Zan from the Future]:

Trio.

[Stew]:

of nerds. It was me,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

Janelle, Gibran, Ashiel.

[Zan from the Future]:

Thanks for watching!

[Stew]:

Shout out to my man, Hengy. It was just a good time. Embarrassing moments. They try to get you to do a bunch of different things. Like

[Zan from the Future]:

Good day.

[Stew]:

I've been on the morning announcements before. Like we had like Word of the Day, like a segment that we did. Uh,

[Zan from the Future]:

And all

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

of these

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

things

[Stew]:

in.

[Zan from the Future]:

we are doing right now, like words of the day, and we do announcements

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

basically

[Stew]:

we are.

[Zan from the Future]:

like,

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah,

[Stew]:

true. That's

[Zan from the Future]:

you're

[Stew]:

a good

[Zan from the Future]:

still

[Stew]:

point.

[Zan from the Future]:

the same person, man.

[Stew]:

Good point. You haven't straight too far. I did the powder puff game where we were

[Zan from the Future]:

That's

[Stew]:

cheerleaders.

[Zan from the Future]:

actually kind of cool.

[Stew]:

That was a flyer.

[Zan from the Future]:

Did you hear what

[Stew]:

Like

[Zan from the Future]:

the,

[Stew]:

they was

[Zan from the Future]:

what's

[Stew]:

throwing me

[Zan from the Future]:

my man's name?

[Stew]:

in the air.

[Zan from the Future]:

What is my guy's name? Al Bundy,

[Stew]:

You know,

[Zan from the Future]:

when

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

he

[Stew]:

was a

[Zan from the Future]:

be

[Stew]:

cheerleading

[Zan from the Future]:

living his Polk

[Stew]:

coach.

[Zan from the Future]:

High School name.

[Stew]:

I've done that. We had this thing called Mr. Blake, which like a pageant, basically, where you, I mean, with

[Zan from the Future]:

Nah,

[Stew]:

every,

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm gonna

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

need

[Stew]:

word.

[Zan from the Future]:

something more embarrassing, bro. You let me jump out there with Renfest and you're talking about being... Like, you just did... Those things aren't that embarrassing.

[Stew]:

I wrapped crisscross jump to the entire school as my talent. Like that's

[Zan from the Future]:

The reason

[Stew]:

not.

[Zan from the Future]:

that's embarrassing is because Chris Cross Jump came out like 92. So

[Stew]:

That's right.

[Zan from the Future]:

you should not

[Stew]:

And

[Zan from the Future]:

have

[Stew]:

so,

[Zan from the Future]:

been rapping that song

[Stew]:

no,

[Zan from the Future]:

in 2000.

[Stew]:

like legit, like

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

Yankees jersey backwards, like Yankees had like

[Zan from the Future]:

So

[Stew]:

the

[Zan from the Future]:

here it is, Stu's

[Stew]:

full

[Zan from the Future]:

the annoying

[Stew]:

go.

[Zan from the Future]:

kid. So Stu was the annoying kid who moved out of state and kept claiming his home state.

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

Like, I'm

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

from New York, son.

[Stew]:

That's right. No, absolutely.

[Zan from the Future]:

So that's

[Stew]:

To the

[Zan from the Future]:

to come

[Stew]:

day

[Zan from the Future]:

up with the

[Stew]:

I

[Zan from the Future]:

Yankees

[Stew]:

die.

[Zan from the Future]:

Jersey, the Tiki Barber joint. Like I was a kid in middle school

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

wearing

[Stew]:

right.

[Zan from the Future]:

a Tiki Barber Jersey when the Ravens went to the Superbowl against us and

[Stew]:

Yep,

[Zan from the Future]:

crushed

[Stew]:

me

[Zan from the Future]:

us.

[Stew]:

too.

[Zan from the Future]:

Like, yeah,

[Stew]:

Annoying.

[Zan from the Future]:

it's just, yeah.

[Stew]:

Very

[Zan from the Future]:

Nobody

[Stew]:

annoying.

[Zan from the Future]:

likes that.

[Stew]:

That's fine. That mean I'm still friends with those people to

[Zan from the Future]:

Hey,

[Stew]:

this day.

[Zan from the Future]:

as embarrassing as I was, I was handsome.

[Stew]:

I mean...

[Zan from the Future]:

So I was still accepted by the young ladies of the high school at the time, even though I did some embarrassing

[Stew]:

Yes,

[Zan from the Future]:

stuff, man.

[Stew]:

that is true. I mean, yeah, I was lovable. I think a lot of people,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

I think I enjoyed my high school experience because I really was able to hone that excitement that people bring, that you've often seen in rooms with other

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

people, that you're just getting to know them. And everyone has a story. I think when I look at myself and I see how people see me or we have a conversation about that, what other people have gone through and how you connect through those things. And I think, you know, especially, I think in a lot of ways, we've definitely bonded over the things that we've, we've kind of struggled with in that timeframe, it's probably why we were fast friends. But,

[Zan from the Future]:

I would have

[Stew]:

but

[Zan from the Future]:

been friends with you in high school, man.

[Stew]:

yeah, I was going to say, I

[Zan from the Future]:

I could see

[Stew]:

absolutely,

[Zan from the Future]:

me being friends with

[Stew]:

I have

[Zan from the Future]:

you.

[Stew]:

no, I mean, we

[Zan from the Future]:

Did you wear

[Stew]:

talk

[Zan from the Future]:

glasses

[Stew]:

about,

[Zan from the Future]:

in high school? I

[Stew]:

absolutely,

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't.

[Stew]:

I wore, I'm

[Zan from the Future]:

I didn't.

[Stew]:

at my senior picture, I had glasses on in that

[Zan from the Future]:

I

[Stew]:

joint,

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't, man. Yeah,

[Stew]:

had them, had

[Zan from the Future]:

I don't

[Stew]:

them

[Zan from the Future]:

know when

[Stew]:

rectangle

[Zan from the Future]:

these eyes got

[Stew]:

joints,

[Zan from the Future]:

bad.

[Stew]:

had them rectangle joints.

[Zan from the Future]:

There's only like

[Stew]:

Man

[Zan from the Future]:

two kids I remembered really wearing glasses. Well, Abdi

[Stew]:

Oh, I

[Zan from the Future]:

wore

[Stew]:

wore

[Zan from the Future]:

glasses.

[Stew]:

glasses every day. Every

[Zan from the Future]:

Actually,

[Stew]:

single day.

[Zan from the Future]:

and in this moment, let me shout out Abdi, bro. Like Abdi Farah, who was my idol as a contemporary. before.

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

But, and let me say his full name, Abdullahi Farah, my Somalian

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

brother,

[Stew]:

Mm-hmm.

[Zan from the Future]:

and was the kid that I admired. And back to just, I will be who I am. So back to realizing where we are on the liturgical calendar right now, tomorrow being Easter.

[Stew]:

Yep.

[Zan from the Future]:

Abdi was the most outstanding Christian young man I had ever seen. So back to you talking about your being chaste and preserving

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

your virginity and things. Like Abdi

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

played varsity as a freshman. He was a presidential

[Stew]:

Oh wow.

[Zan from the Future]:

scholar. Like he

[Stew]:

Oh wow.

[Zan from the Future]:

went to go paint in He was everything I wanted to be if I had just kept focused in the right ways, right? But I was

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

girl crazy and I was all those other things. And Abdi was just like a shining example of like, no, I live my life for Christ. As a 16 year old saying that is just kind of mind blowing,

[Stew]:

with

[Zan from the Future]:

right?

[Stew]:

self-control

[Zan from the Future]:

And just really

[Stew]:

and discipline,

[Zan from the Future]:

standing

[Stew]:

that

[Zan from the Future]:

on

[Stew]:

is

[Zan from the Future]:

it,

[Stew]:

just

[Zan from the Future]:

man.

[Stew]:

nuts.

[Zan from the Future]:

And

[Stew]:

Ha ha ha.

[Zan from the Future]:

just I was like, I need to text him soon. We still have his number. I might text him like every year and a half or so. But like that guy, while

[Stew]:

out.

[Zan from the Future]:

we didn't hang out outside of school, because Ryan was my outside of school friend that I hung with and had very few outside of school friends. Abdi in this moment, man. I wanted to be like him. He was the only other kid in classes with me most of the time, both art and AP, et cetera. Just brilliant dude, super impressive. And I wish we had stayed closer after he went to UPenn after grad, after

[Stew]:

What?

[Zan from the Future]:

high school, I was going to say after undergrad. But yeah,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

man, just like that was the guy who, if I do nothing else, I just want to pay homage to Abdi because I've never been... I'm hard to impress, but even artistically,

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

right? When I won the NAACP Axl competitions, because Thankfully, Abby was in Paris or France painting and I got to win my because I

[Stew]:

That's

[Zan from the Future]:

always

[Stew]:

what you

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

were

[Zan from the Future]:

second

[Stew]:

referring to.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, I was always running up to this guy like it everything

[Stew]:

Yeah, I got

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

you.

[Zan from the Future]:

man was

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

yeah

[Stew]:

I don't think I knew his name or I don't think I remembered. I'm sure you shared it. But yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

okay. That

[Zan from the Future]:

it's

[Stew]:

makes

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

sense.

[Zan from the Future]:

it's the guy that would be your nemesis, but like you couldn't hate him. He was just

[Stew]:

You

[Zan from the Future]:

too

[Stew]:

respected

[Zan from the Future]:

fantastic.

[Stew]:

him too much.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah,

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

it

[Stew]:

I got

[Zan from the Future]:

was

[Stew]:

you.

[Zan from the Future]:

just too much. Yeah, but all right, man. So we've gone in the time machine.

[Stew]:

I didn't have anyone like that.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, I mean, it's

[Stew]:

So

[Zan from the Future]:

cool.

[Stew]:

I shout out to the fan group, shout out to the group that I still talk to every day, your Janelle's, your Gibran's, your

[Zan from the Future]:

I wish, man,

[Stew]:

Autumn's

[Zan from the Future]:

I'm jealous

[Stew]:

in the

[Zan from the Future]:

of that.

[Stew]:

world.

[Zan from the Future]:

But I mean, but I've been obviously to the point of

[Stew]:

Hengi,

[Zan from the Future]:

me going to your high school

[Stew]:

Hassan.

[Zan from the Future]:

reunion, I have your friends as my friends.

[Stew]:

You do, I

[Zan from the Future]:

So

[Stew]:

mean, you

[Zan from the Future]:

it

[Stew]:

can

[Zan from the Future]:

feels

[Stew]:

reach

[Zan from the Future]:

like

[Stew]:

out to

[Zan from the Future]:

I went

[Stew]:

them

[Zan from the Future]:

to

[Stew]:

like

[Zan from the Future]:

high school

[Stew]:

I reach

[Zan from the Future]:

with

[Stew]:

out

[Zan from the Future]:

y'all.

[Stew]:

to them. I mean,

[Zan from the Future]:

I know your stories.

[Stew]:

because so many of them also ended up at Morehouse too, which like,

[Zan from the Future]:

Mm-hmm.

[Stew]:

amen, like it made for that experience to be an easy transition

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah.

[Stew]:

it would have looked way different. I mean, me and Jabron drove down from Maryland to Morehouse Campus, so like.

[Zan from the Future]:

they were only like maybe three, four students who even were from Baltimore that I knew of in

[Stew]:

Oh, right.

[Zan from the Future]:

our

[Stew]:

That

[Zan from the Future]:

class

[Stew]:

was

[Zan from the Future]:

at Morehouse.

[Stew]:

that's right. Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

So like that's how Chris got and I became so close. Not that

[Stew]:

Yeah,

[Zan from the Future]:

I knew him

[Stew]:

of course.

[Zan from the Future]:

beforehand, but like I got in the dorm at Graves Hall and said, oh, another kid from Baltimore. Okay, cool.

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

Let's link up.

[Stew]:

Right.

[Zan from the Future]:

Because

[Stew]:

Of course. That

[Zan from the Future]:

nobody

[Stew]:

makes sense.

[Zan from the Future]:

else from my school and back to shouting out Saron, I didn't even know about HBCUs and I'm still looking at time here until

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

I was, I was just

[Stew]:

Π”Π°.

[Zan from the Future]:

If we could call it that because Seran was two-timing me. I was her side dude. I did not know it. She was still with her other guy.

[Stew]:

That's what another pod.

[Zan from the Future]:

I didn't know it, right? But they did Seran in high school and she introduced me to HBCUs because she was going to Hampton and

[Stew]:

Okay.

[Zan from the Future]:

all of her family had went to HBCUs. So that's where I found out about HBCUs via her. So I'm forever indebted to her for that. And it's just incredible. Yeah. We were DMing today, man, actually about some stuff.

[Stew]:

Oh yeah. Oh

[Zan from the Future]:

So.

[Stew]:

yeah. Man, you had a good upbringing in that

[Zan from the Future]:

Nah, high

[Stew]:

high

[Zan from the Future]:

school

[Stew]:

school,

[Zan from the Future]:

was solid.

[Stew]:

man. I know you've been

[Zan from the Future]:

Hit

[Stew]:

through

[Zan from the Future]:

it.

[Stew]:

a lot, but it's very, very solid. I mean, these are very important tent poles for you. I respect

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah, absolutely,

[Stew]:

that.

[Zan from the Future]:

man. You know, well, we just went through the time machine. I don't know why we decided to come in here and talk about high school for an hour and 10 minutes today, but it was therapeutic

[Stew]:

feeling nostalgic.

[Zan from the Future]:

as it is every week. So you got anything in closing? Nope.

[Stew]:

Not really.

[Zan from the Future]:

Let's play them out.

[Stew]:

Not really. I was trying to get to it before you said it.

[Zan from the Future]:

Yeah. I said it twice, but you know, we

[Stew]:

Yeah.

[Zan from the Future]:

there, man. Y'all know how we do, man. We come in and we give you a scored podcast.

[Stew]:

Yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

Who's the director of music on Entourage? No,

[Stew]:

we didn't even get to the

[Zan from the Future]:

we

[Stew]:

movies.

[Zan from the Future]:

didn't. It's okay. Okay.

[Stew]:

I forget homeboy's

[Zan from the Future]:

Top

[Stew]:

name, but yes.

[Zan from the Future]:

three, I got Superbad, The Wood, and House Party. Honorable mention, Cooley High.

[Stew]:

Oh, yes, I'm going to go, yes, absolutely the wood. Gotta be super bad, because I watched that way too many times. I'm gonna go Sister Act 2, man. I watched that a lot. I got a Joyful Joyful, man. I mean, I don't know.

[Zan from the Future]:

And since they're Act 2 in the wood, we're not on that list from Rotten Tomatoes.

[Stew]:

It's

[Zan from the Future]:

Rotten

[Stew]:

crazy.

[Zan from the Future]:

Tomatoes is culturally biased though, legitimately. I talk about it a lot.

[Stew]:

I agree. We can make

[Zan from the Future]:

All right.

[Stew]:

our own.

[Zan from the Future]:

Well, cut the music real quick, man. Don't cut off the podcast, but cut the music real quick. I just want to thank everybody for joining our high school hip-hop world, because that's what the title is going to be. High school

[Stew]:

We're outta here. Bye!

[Zan from the Future]:

hip-hop world.