Engineered For Success Podcast
EFS podcast, for self starters and those willing to make the most of any situation. Hosted by D Burke w/ co-host Waldo Black
Engineered For Success Podcast
What's The Plot?
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In this episode, D Burke open with his view on the state of sports and a few of the controversial events that have taken place recently, and speaks on how it affects the consumer and athletes. From there he pivots to the recent FDA food recalls and fake meats being sold to the population. He then moves to an introspective look at his weaknesses as a business owner. Lastly he shares his take on the state of hip hop as an "older" consumer and shares some of the albums and projects in his current rotation + more!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. We back in always every day. You know how we're coming out of the game. I think we gonna you know, we gonna we're gonna have a little bit we we're gonna stop all this thing with three pieces for the listeners, viewers who've been here for a while. We're gonna start all this thing with the pre-game warm-up. Warm things up for y'all one record at a time. It'll be more than three pieces. Sometimes we end up with a five piece, you know, six piece or something, you know. So we're just gonna officially call this thing the warm up on forward. Today we're warming things up with the records that have been in rotation for your boy as of late. Um, we'll talk about it a little bit later when we get to the pod. Um, but a lot of good albums out, man, on the hip hop side recently. Um, so we're just gonna spin a few favorites. Maybe you heard them, maybe you didn't. So, you know, sometimes we like to go to throwback route. Today we're gonna keep things a little bit more current for your those of y'all that ain't up to speed. Got big records out the gate, slaps, bangers, you know, only some of the best of the best of these new projects that is out. So, as always, as we get ready to knock this thing out here, couple earhorns. Wherever you at, wherever you're listening from, turn this shit up to ignit levels, ignit volumes. We got record number one on the way. Let's talk about it. I'm back.
SPEAKER_04New ransom off that price of clarity album.
SPEAKER_10Feeling strong, man.
SPEAKER_00Should just make you feel like you wanna go throw some heavy weights around.
SPEAKER_10Unshakable.
SPEAKER_00One of them workout kind of records, one of the motivational kind of records, one of them feel-good joints. Here that horns feel triumphant.
SPEAKER_10Should only produce kings. Let's go. But if you come from a place where a sudden moose swing could be a good thing, we ain't gonna do too much talking here. We gonna let the lyrics, the lyrics speak to your nigga.
SPEAKER_00Hold on, mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_10I'm not outside and I don't freak with the scene enough. Nah, what happens when the scripts get altered and then the scene is cut? Most people love to get into character when the screen is up. Consider those who don't get seen enough, probably seen too much. Walk with it. This is extremely tough. He saw his reflection of what he seen was us. When we was born a fail, too many abort the plan when they feed it stuff. I'm not comfortable. Cause I ain't after applause. So please be seated when I snatch the awards. Get comfortable. Cause I was told I'd never matter. Look how I dazzle them all. Dazzling. So what y'all chatted never mattered at all. Chatterin'. Cause shit don't matter when you matter dissolve. Snip mattering.
SPEAKER_04One top of the B drop.
SPEAKER_10Ingin that was like volume. And try to fathom the notion that they was spinning. They don't believe the trash that they wrote. Then they wrap it back on the track. Then force the laughing is broken. You're the fuck with the hood thing. Cause what you understand, so ain't gotta be understood, game. What fatigue hits, but I'm tired. Of rappers who tryna make you believe all it's blatantly make believe. Confused with the aim is either you a fool or you famous. It's probably both. And the majority vote is tools for the nameless. At least on the circus that produces all the clowns that get used for the entertainment. Real rap. Real lyrics, nigga.
SPEAKER_04Real bars from one of the elements in the game rats if you know how you give it up. I got no time to hit bags.
SPEAKER_10I ain't in no training look.
SPEAKER_00We just gonna cut that one right there. As we keep on moving to another smoker. You ain't heard that baby spot that out. We feel it a little bit when we get to it. Dave, one time, what up for Harlem?
SPEAKER_11Let's go. Get the background from the spot before I get about the car. Niggas in my section waiting, we gon' kick it by the bump. Catch them doing dips and pull-ups. Niggas flip you in the pump. When we seein' me get light, my niggas get clippin' me dark. This is flippin' to a shop. Give me slippers spittin' when I walk. No that snitching is still bitin' in the court. Think it different, you see choke. Take a trip with your little bitch. This shit expensive that I'm bumped. I'm gonna fish and you ain't soaked. Hunger, you ain't felt. Homies in the graveyard. And summers in the jail. Motion I've been having and I'm focused on the mouth. Me and every frog they feelin' like I rollin' out in bread. Shit gonna pop to it. Shit gotta buy to it. Spirits really broken in them sounds. I escaped it. Mom always hope that I prevail. Look for a job. I'm looking for coat that I can sell. Fresh off the dock. We can hit the boat, get the bells. Kidnapper make a sale. I got rope in a scale. We the illness. Everything I smoke, you can smell, you can tell. It remind you of BP or a shell. Nigga, the last nigga, that's from an era. Drop top, middle December, laughin' the leather. Really from the projects. I grew up ashy as ever. It's either gon' be trash or big time coming up. No lotion on the knees, still may not happen now.
SPEAKER_04Second verse, we gon' go to hold on my wings.
unknownNo, not hold on my wings.
SPEAKER_11Red stripe vision, I'm probably proud of my shades. Made sure the squad prayed before we got on that stage. Caught a body with his dress, went and got him a fade. I got drugs, then we gon' probably exchange.
SPEAKER_00Low key quietest, kept Davy is one of the most consistent lyricists in the game. I don't think he gets enough credit for it. Show him a little love today, let's live with it.
SPEAKER_04One of the hardest workers to this nigga got projects after projects after projects out. Go check it out, that price of pain. JV's price of pain. Putting out that pain music. We put in that pain.
SPEAKER_00Talk to her, man. Talk to her, man. Moving things forward, man. You know we gotta show love. We talked about it on the last part. Gave big love to Nipsy. Nipsey we go on one of the records our favorite off of this album coming right at y'all, head tops. So many on that project, man. Uh it's really growing on me. Still vibing to it, as well as the other ones we talked about. We'll speak about a little bit later. Yeah. Let's vibe for now. Nip talk to him.
SPEAKER_02Showed up to every shootout, but I ran for my fellas. No time for those, I got a plan to get millions. Whoever don't agree, I see you back at the buildings. I swear I never let y'all act like a victim. Swar never let y'all kill my ambition. We won't build for the mission. Park my colors in the back of the village. Remember, Tony started washing them dishes. It was all a decision. Fast died, he took a part of me with him. Heart broken like my artery missing. Follow you.
SPEAKER_00Whoa, whoa, whoa, we can't even do that. I'm sorry, we can't show that song the the disrespect right there. Is that a edited version we we just played? Oh no. That's a big foul on your boy. Foul in the pregame is crazy. Foul in the pregame is crazy. Foul in the pregame is crazy. We just gonna run it back from the top for y'all one time. I know y'all here with me. We long in the pre-part today.
SPEAKER_04We long on the warm-up today. Sometimes you gotta get the joints going. Sometimes you gotta spend a little more time prepping the body for the task at hand.
SPEAKER_02Whoever don't agree, I see you back in the back.
SPEAKER_04You can't always rush to it.
SPEAKER_02That's why I never let y'all act. You can't always rush to it. Listen, it's all a decision. Fast daddy took a part of me with him. Heart broken like my artery mission. Fuck all of you niggas. It is broke, they can't harvest you, nigga. Swore a shit, it got a heart to it, nigga. Are you swinging on you?
SPEAKER_04One time of being on.
SPEAKER_03Are you swin on it like a cow on you? Oh that push it never stod.
SPEAKER_04I just could never feel the same about it.
SPEAKER_03I bet on damage ain't understanding, can't go family. Bobby one time, man, was warming this thing up.
SPEAKER_04Get those sweat going.
SPEAKER_03I was too busy trying to get heavy, I was like, Come along with your boy the millennial music quiet deeper. I've been trying to live with something songs in case I died. Every time I need something, no, I try to spot away. So it don't get out of fit to me. Cause I've been doing it what it did to me. It did, we made it through the win that was beef from me.
SPEAKER_04Wherever you at, wherever you listen to from, thanks for checking in with your boyfriend overseas, all across the US.
SPEAKER_00Listen, man, as we keep this thing rocking, man, got one more for y'all from a project I'm still feeling out, you know. This young lady, this woman, excuse me, she's a she's one of the illest lyricists in the game from my perspective as well. Um that ain't a lady lyricist versus men lyricist. That's a she's one of the nicest, you know, really been doing this for a long time. Just dropped a great project. We'll talk about a little bit later when we get to it. But one of the records, the standouts. Her to dropped this one on the well premiered this one kind of on the Jada and Joe podcast, gave the little snippet. I would say the snippet did not even do the song 25% of the justice that it actually is. So we're gonna spin it for y'all today. Check out this black love by Rhapsody and Malice. Let's do it. This beat is ill. I just gotta be honest. Might be one of the illest beats in a rap game this year. We just vibing. Open this thing up one thing at a time.
SPEAKER_09Kingdom coming with some drumming and some truth to tell. Get to order my roots with pills and get a real. I'm sick of BBLs, but what the hell? Now there's more ass for these white folks to kiss. Ate them licks and still exist. I flick the bick and smoke a bitch. Intelligence like emirates. I oversee their ill intent. Don't be a hard rock, be a gym. L told me that I took that in, became the wind. I blew these niggas' minds again, again, again. Go left of how they rightest, lightest, selling bleaching cream for stuff. I know they stopped. They hope it's a good thing. Conspiracies, I've yet to shake like Parkinson's. K Parkistins, perfect, I never claim to be. It rained on me, it seemed to be. But then I see it's just tears from my irises. I pray for all my sisters, all my brothers in the fire is hell, jail cell. Where my cousin Colette called me from. I sent cologne, I sent socks, I sent a cell phone and all 12 long yeah, he did them last day. 2012 picked him up. Halfway house is my heart to tell. Still a 94, what it do to us. Cause that paint of felt like Origel, but everything else bites from us. I feel pop, I feel collet. I feel the weight of being free. H steps. Can't turn my back, home down the mind. Will you understand the history of that? How we adapt when the fall was dead.
SPEAKER_04One time y'all stay with me. We'll get to this thing in a little bit. I know we long. But warm this thing up one piece at a time. Let's keep this thing rollin'. Verse 2.
SPEAKER_08Pray for me, respectfully, don't judge me. You love me. Black love, black love, black love, black love, black love, black, black.
SPEAKER_04That black love. Gotta get through verse two.
SPEAKER_09Come attack with that sad, but that shit is so ill. Lost my cousin Timmy. Alcoholics, look through all it. Know the source and all the wars. We fight alone. The loans they wouldn't give us. Redline districts looking for some home and hawks and visits from the other side of all the people that we lost and missing. Hugs and kisses. Take more time to pause and give them. Cause I know pain. Lost enough of them. Inhale, light, and exhale, sun, my heat and friction. Internal battles tweet my mind and heart. She feels that I think too hard. She thinks that my feelings off. My ears hurt what I didn't see. My eyes saw what I didn't say. My actions reveal I evolved. Saw myself in all of God, observing all the barking dogs. The wise woman once said nothing. So I learned to listen more. The wise woman once said nothing. So I embrace silence, close my eyelids, and I meditated. Learn to breathe, bereat. Let go of all the pain my heart gave haven. Truth I face it, no matter how thin the ice, I'm still gon' skate it. I balloon and rise above. Thank God we made it. For this love, we all a favor. Cousin call collect reminding me that I am still his favorite. Thank God that he elevated. 12 long yeah, he did them last day. 2012 picked him up. Had way house is my heart and tail. Still a 94. What it do to us?
SPEAKER_04Sometimes they all gotta get that man.
SPEAKER_09But everything else bites from us. I feel like I feel for that. I feel the weight of being free. H death can't turn my back, hold none of mine. Well, you understand the history of that. I read death when the phone was tapped. I live by that, so I love you deeper, no judgment.
SPEAKER_08When it comes to my peep, look, look, look, look. Pray for me, respectfully, don't judge me. That's self-love.
SPEAKER_04No, we all about it, man.
SPEAKER_08I pray for you, respectfully, don't judge you. I love you.
SPEAKER_07Respect to all, but we got that black love. We gon' go all the way through this one, man.
SPEAKER_04Sometimes they gotta beat y'all over the head top with some good shit, man. What top of now back to play up? Here's man talking, let's do it.
SPEAKER_07Rollin' me, the soul in me, it molded me, it scolded me. What you get now is the groan in me. Game soul, not tolling me. Heartbreak made a cold of me. No woe is me. It's a poll of me, it's a bold of me, it's a soldier me. God's army, can't harm me, can't hurt me, care for me, always there for me. Victory, cheer for me. Mama had fears for me. All sin, clear for me, crucified, spared for me, nana drop, tears for me. That's black love, hair grease in black hugs. Sunday, soul food, baptized in bathtubs, still spill, black blood, feel like flash flood, Octo Tom, Black Judge, Landslide, Black Mud, OJ, Black Glove, Sky Free, Tie Score, can't breathe, George Floyd, America's eyesore, Nolan Wells, ride for Mellow Might, die for. They gon' lie for, can't just cry for man to man, father, son, hand in hand, stand is one, mom and daughter, house and record right here. Y'all stay with a little longer. Daddy's love, had the spoiler, so they know can't afford her.
SPEAKER_00Listen, man, we just gonna end it right there. Air Horns, case you fell asleep on me. Air Horns in the pundits. We got the big energy rock of the day, big energy rolling on the way in. Thank you for coming to join the warm-up. Hopefully you broke that sweat that you needed to get your body ready for the game. The main thing, the main attraction, the main event. And so, as always, as we are back for another audio occasion, you know what time it is. It is a podcast for self-starters and those willing to make the most out of any situation. The EFS Podcast is back for episode number 85. And today, on the way in, uh, we got a polarizing person providing the audio. But, you know, we're rocking out because we really gotta kind of open up the talks today. Um peel back the layers of some of this bullshit that's going on out here. But uh on the way in, what do we got, man? We got my guy. Somebody's guy, you know. I'm I'm leaning more towards the side recently, but we got public one on the way in.
SPEAKER_06Anyone who thinks that sports end of an elastic demand is naive. I think there are ways to break the public trust. I think there is a way regard for the customer that can jeopardize the customer's affection for you. And I also think the language now of the I think when you have a team like the Lakers that can break the twelve and a half billion dollars. You're operating rare. What else? Can you possibly know?
SPEAKER_05Is this unsustainable? Is it unsustainable? Is this gonna pop?
SPEAKER_06And in the process, are you wrecking the thing that was astride American culture? The last remaining mono culture.
SPEAKER_00Anybody who I think we get the gist of it on that. Heavy talking to Wam, but we're gonna open up for it in a moment. But as always, as we get this thing rocking, let my team music run. We got air horns in abundance. A couple more for you. Let's wake it up wherever you at, wherever you're watching from, wherever you're listening from. Join us as we tap in for episode number 85 with the man, the myth, the legend, your boy from the EFS brand himself, the biggest brand you don't know about yet, Mr. 1% two times. I am the Burke, Mr. Big 40. Still living off of that energy. I know it's Virgo season right now, but hey man, yeah, we still we're still basking in the moment. Uh, Big 40 in the house, tapping in for episode number 85, as I mentioned. And if you are here for the audio slash visual, please do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe. Tell a friend to tell a friend. We love the love over here at the EFS Podcast. And as we fade out the theme music, we will uh dive in on the first topic for today. Um, of course, again, thanks for coming out wherever you're watching from, listening from, etc. etc. Uh, say it again. Please do not forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe. If you are a consistent listener, consistent follower of the podcast, please make sure you are tapped in for everything EFS, when we drop, when we release, and again, spread the word, spread the news. Uh, so as we open things up today, fade my theme music all the way out. I was just talking too loud over it. Um, we will open up for conversation, kind of off of the heels of our audio from Paulo Tori on the way in. Um, and we'll well I'll you know I guess share my feelings on the sports bubble. Uh of course, feel free to comment and share your f opinions, your thoughts. Um as we peel back the layers, like I said a little bit earlier. Um so from that audio, we kind of just tease what we were diving into as I'm you know taking off into that little piece of it now, but uh sports and people's feelings about them. Um and I guess it's kinda been this way for a while, not that that it hasn't been some kind of controversy in sports through any kind of era at any point. Um but I think that right now we're in a different place as far as where sports is compared to where it was ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty years ago. Um just because uh there is so much, you know, money involved in sports and everything now. Um and uh we we just heard Pablo talk about the Lakers sale and you know how it was over twelve point five billion dollars. Only two years after well not even two years, I think, after it was purchased by someone else from the the bus family. Um and uh that kind of sale of the team obviously is a lot of money for a lot of you know people who might be involved in it. Um so that that kind of changes the the the lens on things. And you know, what he wrote down about the the the I guess the return on investment or just the the the blow up of the the capital that you know the the team is actually worth or the blow up of the worth of the team is like is a it's a little bit nuts to to think that, you know, in this day and age where sports is really at, you know, and that kind of goes off of the back of the the human component that he mentioned. Um and that is the fans. So, you know, just diving into the whole conversation of like is sports a really like literally a bubble that is at one point uh going to collapse and kind of implode upon itself. Uh and I think it was an interesting thought that he you know he raised and it really got Me thinking, which is why I presented to you guys, like, damn, like, have we come so far in sports that we have kind of lost the plot a little bit as far as what sports really is, what what it represents, and now it's just controversy after controversy after controversy, so much so that fans can kind of like look at it with the a little bit of a stain on it. And it's not even just the NBA, you know, with the Lakers sales, other leagues, and a couple things we'll tap into, uh, other sports in other leagues, and like I said, we'll tap into in a second. But it I feel like it's gotten too big, you know, gotten too big. And the Lakers sale is one thing and not a whole controversy behind it just because of the people that purchased the Lakers, uh, Bob Iger from Disney and uh Kushner, you know, um Josh Kushner, excuse me, Jared is the one who's the I think the older brother who's you know around the Trump administration. But uh having people like that purchase the teams, which we all know billionaires kind of lean a certain way when it comes to their political affiliations and all that stuff, so that's not really surprising. Um, but now people digging up like the history of the Cushners and you know how they were dealing arms to foreign countries and like stuff like that, you know, it just becomes a lot when you you put that into the sports realm where where people really just want to watch the game for something to enjoy or be a part of a team because they're you know, their city, you know, it's in their city and they support it, like I am for the Knicks, you know. And my own feeling about the owner of the Knicks, James Dolan, you know, I'm vocal that I don't really fuck with dude, but you know, I do support my team. But um I don't know, it just gets to a place now where it's like, again, have we lost the plot in sports? And not even just the Lakers sale, there's a few other things that kind of just right now we're speaking about, which are kind of tainting the view of sports in general. Um, and uh another one is right there in the NBA, is like this whole Kawhi Leonard situation, and you know, the the things that uh have come out or not come out about that case and the investigation by the NBA uh kind of make fans feel a certain way about everything that goes on around that situation, and also like uh the these leagues are kind of pissing on you and telling you it's raining. Um and the whole Kawhi thing, if you haven't been following along, you know, with him being accused or him and the Clippers, excuse me, being accused of trying to circumvent the salary cap. Also, what Pablo Torrey was something that he exposed, you know, shout out to Pablo for his investigative journalism on that. Um, but circumventing the salary cap to then have the player get more money, um, but then it not count against the team, uh, just because the team wants to keep themselves in a competitive standing to where, you know, that it doesn't look like they're playing that much money on the books, you know. Um, and uh now the whole investigation, which started almost a year ago at this point, has now been, you know, ruled that there's no foul play by the NBA. Um, and I think that what we've seen from people like Pablo, again, shout out to him with his investigative journalism and then just things that have come out and things that have been reported, where it's not even just the one company, the the aspiration company, but now it is the company that you know they make the scoreboards for the team, and he was potentially being paid by them, but all of a sudden there's no foul play at hand, so the NBA puts out that statement. Like to me, that looks a little foul just because one, this was weeks ago, and I mean, well, probably over a month ago at this point now, where there was reports that the investigation could be taking months and months from that time, which again, this was weeks ago, for them to actually come to a conclusion about what was you know going on, and then you know, for them to be able to open up the trade for Kawhi Land to go from the Clippers to the Raptors, uh, which we don't know where that stands right now. Um, but either way, for them to come back that quickly and say that you know there was no foul play at hand, obviously they've been investigating for a while, but you know, I think that that kind of puts people in a like really kind of state. Like, really, like you couldn't find anything wrong with this situation, so that's just it, you know. And to me, it it kind of tarnishes the trust of the fan with the NBA or the league or the organization in general. Um, and again, it kind of paints it in the funny light to where it's like, am I really getting behind that? Not even that just team, but again, uh, the sport, you know, that that has that much corruption in it. And people can feel how they want to feel about you know their sports and how they choose to enjoy it, how they choose to watch it. Uh, I do like to try to remove my feelings from some of the things that go on around sports and enjoy the game for what it was is, because at the at is at its minimum, you're looking at people who have devoted a lot to their bodies, devoted a lot to their their minds and their you know their craft to be able to play these games on a high, high level in these professional leagues. So, you know, to the athlete, I kind of feel you know, connected because I'm a person again who's devoted a lot of my life to sports, not playing on the highest level like some of these people we're talking about are. But at the same time, as someone who's kind of been in that grind, like sports for me is something that has always been like sacred just because I relate to those people and the the plight of the athlete or just the struggle of the athlete or again the success of the athlete by dedicating themselves to the craft. But again, everything around it makes it look so funny that sometimes it's just like, bro, like what the fuck are we like even watching right now? Like, again, like you're pissing on me and you're telling me it's raining, and I'm supposed to just you know hop on board with the next season and just wash the shit under the rug and keep on moving. But you know, again, feel how y'all want to feel about it. I'm just giving my perspective that it does kind of taint things a little bit to where it's like you you you you eye rolling a lot at some of this shit. And again, a lot of it just doesn't seem very believable. So kawala in the situation aside, like that's a whole, you know, that's one thing that, you know, could be true, could be not true. They found what they found, they didn't find what they found, whatever. You know, even going even further into this thing, like this whole college football situation that's going on right now, where they're literally about to allow people who have been on professional teams, maybe not making the final cut of the team, um, with the ability to potentially go back to college and play if they haven't used up all their eligibility, I think is what I understand from the rule that they put out. Um, like even that shit and this whole NIL area, we talked about it in basketball. Football kind of falls along the same lines, especially with this now, which is like the biggest shooter drop in college football, I think, history potentially, just because of the ramificate ramifications that it could have. One on the sport of football from a just pipeline perspective. Because again, if you're bringing professional players back into the college football ranks, you are taking opportunities from up-and-coming players who could be on those teams, you know. Uh, and I know there's a lot of feelings about you know, player empowerment and player movement, and the leagues have always run things. Now players should be able to do this, players should be able to do that. Uh, but again, from a purist perspective, it is not the best light on the sport or sports in general when it feels like these things are just coming left and right. And it's like, again, what are we doing right now? Like, literally, what is what is the play? Like, please tell me the plot because I think we've lost it. Um, football, even aside from that, because it's just more and more shit going on. This was kind of old, honestly, just because it's been out for a little bit. Uh, but even in another sport, you know, the biggest sport in the world, we're just coming off a World Cup season. You guys know my feelings about the World Cup. We've been vocal about that. Um, but post-world club, which I didn't really want to talk about this shit for a while, I guess. And now it kind of falls in line because again, it's like the boiling point with a lot of this stuff. Um, the whole FIFA and the you know, president of FIFA, Infantino. If you don't know, you know, he's got a you know a checkered past of things where he's been accused of corruption and all that. Um, so now finding out that he was about to sell staking FIFA basically to inject private equity capital into the sport to create revenue streams for different, you know, FIFA partners, blah, blah, blah, whatever. But basically, you were selling, you know, sit you're selling your sport, and a lot of people in the sport came out and drove to say how they felt about it and how they weren't fucking with it, so much so that Infantino backed off of the sale just because he didn't want the heat. Um, and oddly enough, the part of the people, one of the people who was in the sale is now the person who has bought the Lakers, uh, Kushner, Josh Kushner. Um, and supposedly that sale was supposed to be kind of orchestrated by Donald Trump. So that to me, again, it just makes this whole sports shit feel like it's for sale. Like everything is for sale, and it doesn't matter the what the quality of the actual product is or what you're putting out, or the people that you may be kind of pissing off as you go through these moves, and the people that you're asking to spend their hard-earned dollar to pay for tickets, pay for apparel, pay for travel to go to some of these arenas, pay for literally time off to take away time away from work, which they may or may not have the PTO to do to come support the sport. Like you are literally pissing on the consumer with a lot of the things that are happening in sports right now. And I would say that I'll I don't really I can't fault anyone for feeling away about it. Um, and for me as a person, again, who dedicated a lot of his life to sport, it just feels like the the money in and around sports has gotten so big, which I do support in a lot of ways, but it it doesn't really feel good what the product in multiple situations is turning out to be, you know, and multiple leagues, multiple different sports. And again, it just looks like again, literally, what are we doing? Like, what is the plot? Because I'm confused. And whether it be the players who are just you know getting so greedy that they want to line their pockets with as much as they can that they kind of you know take away some of the purest aspect of sports, or the organizations, the owners themselves, like you know, and all the funny shit that's going on, and you know, even doubling back was just popped into my head again. The reason the Lakers might have even been sold is because the old owner who bought it from the buses is under some kind of federal investigation. Like it's all like wild, you know. And to me, I think sports is in a very delicate place where the next five to ten years could potentially look like where people are really looking at doing something else. And a traditional, like, hey, I want to grow up in the being the M M MLB. I want to grow up in the being an NBA. Hey, I want to grow up to be in the NHL, players overseas, hey, I want to grow up and be in the Premier League, you know, like those kind of aspirations that I feel like they'll always be there, but they may be looked at in a different light going forward just because of everything that sports is turning out to be right now. And again, the plot being literally lost, and again, the the the little people are the ones that kind of get stepped on in this way. Um, and maybe they don't care. We know what it is with people with money. A lot of them want more money, and anything that's private equity literally usually turns out to be a case where they want to get as much money as they can, no matter who they gotta step on to do it. So um, how do y'all feel? You know, I'm just giving my perspective on it just because, again, as a person who is an athlete, uh, feels like sports is very, very crazy right now. Um, and that aside, I do still support sports because again, I am an athlete, but you know, we gotta we gotta figure some of this shit out and make sure the next five to ten years doesn't look even worse, you know, with the headlines that you know, things that that are going on across the board. So that said, I know we're keeping it heavy today. Um, but I mean, off the heels of that, we really just gotta get into a lot of this stuff that's going on with the the the food. Um, as a person who is a health and wellness professional, someone who is an advocate for healthy eating, healthy living, or balanced living or balanced, you know, all of that, just to say there are times where you can slack off a little bit, but you know, keep things on the up and up for the most part. Uh just uh really just discourage with where we are as a society right now with the the the quality of the food that that that's out here. Um if you've unless you've been labeled under the rock, you know, if you go to the grocery store and look for a lot of different things and a lot of different food categories that you may like. Uh so a lot of that shit may be recalled. Like the list is growing and it's grown on a damn near week by week basis at this point. And it makes me feel very, very worried about what's gonna happen in the future. Um and I ain't gonna say fear, like worried like I'm fearful, but it's like what like again, what are we doing out here right now? You know, like you can't eat shit. You can't eat shit without having to worry about it right now. The the produce is fucked up, the the meats are fucked up. It looked like you just gotta eat air and try to survive off those kind of calories if there are any, you know. Um, of course, fucking around and being facetious, but um the the recalls on the food, I think I feel that there is a potential, and this is putting my 10 for hat on, that you know, some of this shit may be kind of orchestrated and orchestrated by who I ain't gonna dive that deep into it uh just because I do like my content to stay out there. Um and they be shadow banning and flagging nigga shit uh and getting it pulled down. But, you know, it makes me feel even more so uh that that's the case with all this lab-grown food that you know is the the FDA has then now approved and stuff is being sold to you uh as meat and as animal product that is not, you know. Um and the lab-grown thing, I do think that that might be a response to the fact that we have so many people on Earth, um, and that Earth itself cannot sustain the amount of foot mouths that need to get fed. Um, so I don't think there's that much chicken out there. Like I don't think that that's that much beef out there compared to what gets sold on a day-to-day basis. And again, this is across the world. So I do think some of this lab-grown shit might be trying to get ahead of that and just make sure people got something to eat um versus starving. Um, but again, I do think that right now the quality of what we may be putting in our body, which we've known for a long time, has been a little bit shaky. Um, and now with some of these lab-grown things, and you know, outside of the the sickness that you can get from all of the things that are being recalled, it just makes you feel a little discouraged, you know, if you if you are a person who cares about what goes into your body, and in how you circumvent that, uh to go back to that word from a little bit earlier, is something that you you really gotta one have dedication to, and two, have the capital to do, and three, be able to learn enough to sustain yourself, just because most people, myself included, so I'm not speaking to you guys from a perspective of I know how to do this. Like I don't know how to grill my own food just yet, you know, but at this point now in life, it's something that I'm looking more and more deep into just because it was what happened before all this shit got as crazy as it is right now, you know. And I do think there's a a I do think there is some level of you know respect that I give to people that are able to grow their own food just because it's not something that everyone does. Um and was having a conversation with a friend of mine uh just last week, and me and Queen Christine were actually talking to him, and he had like a um he has basically a garden in his backyard where he grows a lot of his own food. Um, I think he has some tomatoes back there. I think he has some peppers. He's making like hot sauces that he's been giving to people like close friends, but now plans on selling them and stuff. And I'm really just sitting back there looking like, damn, this might be something I really, really need to like think about just because of where we're at right now. Um, and the fact that it could potentially get worse before anything gets better for me is like, yo, we gotta start really really making some real decisions about what our life looks like from a like living off the land and I'm supporting myself kind of way, or again, just finding better quality, you know, and it's to the point now where I don't down at where anyone shops or chooses to buy their food and produce from, but I've eliminated a lot of the major places where people shop for food, i.e. the targets, i.e. the Walmarts, you know, i.e. the some of the quote unquote lower level um supermarkets, the shop rights, the like I don't really shop in most of them shits on a consistent basis just because again, I'm looking for mainly high-quality food ingredients for myself to cook in the house, or me and Chris Queen Christina cooking the house, and you know, trying to be more conscious about what goes into your body, reading more labels, uh again, checking some of these recalls and being uh really, really conscious about what you're purchasing to then consume. Uh, just because you only get one body, folks, and I'm I'm not preaching to y'all. Again, I'm not perfect. I eat out sometimes. I just ate out yesterday, so you know, I'm not speaking to y'all like that. Uh, but I am giving you something else to think about outside of just going anywhere, putting stuff inside your body without thinking about it, you know. Um, and cancer is still raging through the communities, like the heart diseases, like the like all this stuff kind of adds up. And you want to be someone who puts more focus into that, as well as being someone who is about a health and wellness lifestyle as far as a fitness regiment. Shameless plug as a trainer. Holla at me if you need any help with that. Um, but again, man, watch yourself, guard yourself for real with some of these foods that are out here, like be mindful. Um, and if you've seen it out there, I'm just another voice to tell you to really put that shit in front of mine. Uh just because you only get one life and it's only one you. Um, so that said, keeping it heavy today. Uh, it ain't really been too much fun or positive talk today. I'm just saying sometimes it just gotta be like that. Uh, but we'll move forward a little bit and not necessarily on the negative side, but kind of just uh diving into more of you know my thoughts and my feelings as an entrepreneur, uh, which I like to present you guys a little something this on a week-to-week basis. And this week, uh kind of got into an introspective space about myself and my um my flaws, I guess, as an entrepreneur. Um, and uh as someone who is in that lifestyle, you do have to kind of assess yourself as far as what you're good at, but also what you're not good at. And this should be with everything in life, you know, um, and relates back to athletics and the stuff, the lifestyle that I've been through with that. Uh, but I often am my own worst critic. Um, and uh I'm okay with that. It's not like you know, I beat myself up to where I don't feel confidence in my abilities to do things or, you know, accomplish tasks. But I also I also really look at myself in a way that's like, all right, bro, like you gotta tighten up this if you say you want this, you know. Um we talked about a little bit last week, you know, with like the so the was that last week, whatever it was recently, where you know, I mentioned some of the the checking I've had to do with myself on the financial side of things and the and the mindset that goes in that and the back and forth, the yin and yang of just, you know, my natural nature, or natural nature, excuse me, uh my natural habits versus, you know, what I want to get better at and how I see myself doing that. And it kind of goes the same into the with this week with what I feel is my biggest flaw as an entrepreneur and something that I'm really trying to work myself out of and have been doing so, but again, you have to note it first in order to be able to make changes um and you know see things get different in you know what you're looking to do and grow towards. Um, but my biggest flaw, I feel like as someone who is an entrepreneur is the fact that I don't like to ask for help. Um so it therefore I don't like to ask for help, but then it leads to me in sales not really feeling like I want to ask for a sale. Um and that could sound confusing, but in general, like for me, I do enjoy my job, my role, the lane I've created my for myself as a trainer, as a you know, performance coach, as everything that I offer to the world. Um, but for me, the part that always gets tricky is just shamelessly asking people for a sale or to buy the things that you know I want you to purchase from me. Um and I know that seems counterproductive. Uh, I know it seems like a direct contradiction to you know what you say you want to do, uh, but I also am self-aware enough to know that throughout my life, one of my biggest drawbacks has been asking people for help. Uh so stubborn in that mentality that it has cost me opportunities, it has cost me money, and it's cost me time with certain things, uh, just because I've always felt, and this goes back to my childhood and you know, being someone who's been in therapy uh and having trust issues in that way, like I don't want like to feel like when I've been let down by someone that I've you know trusted in or or cared enough to ask for help. Um, and other things in my life in my past have kind of led to me to feel that way. And I'm not the only person, like I don't feel like I'm rare in that way. I know a lot of people that don't like to ask for help. So I do think that that really puts me at a disadvantage because internally I would say I get a feeling of like, am I doing too much here when I'm pressing for sales with people? And I don't hate and I hate to say pressing just because I don't like to, you know, I'm not a pushy salesman with my business and the things that I offer. I do believe in creating the value of what you offer and then having someone understand and see the value so that then asking for a sale is very easy just because it's like people actually will show themselves and say, yo, I want this, I'm on board, what I gotta pay for. Or, you know, it may need a little coaxing, but it it becomes a lot easier process when people understand the value in what you offer. So that said, um, the part where I have to convince people or you know, overly ask people to, you know, pay for my services, that is where I know it makes me feel inside like uh like I might be doing a little bit too much. Yeah. And I'm aware that that is not a mentality that helps you succeed. So it's something that I've been actively trying to break myself out of over the past year or two. Um, but again, for Fighting nature that has been within you for a long time, it doesn't always come as easy. And sometimes it pops out in a way that's like, okay, I know I noticed that. And sometimes it pops out in a way that's like, I feel myself doing things that are counterproductive, going back to that word, uh, to my goals. And I have to like immediately pivot and get back in the mode of like, listen, you are a business owner now. You have to shamelessly plug your business because that's the only way that you're gonna grow. Uh, and you can be afraid, again, not afraid, excuse me, not in that way, but you can't be, you know, you can't have any feelings other than the goal when it comes to asking for a sale. Um, and a lot of things I do I feel positively about just because when I make a sale is because someone believes that much in what I do from a you know training and fitness perspective to want to stay on board, which then gives me positive feelings just because and I get a chance to then help that individual to grow in in whatever way we, you know, we are setting our goals to do, you know. So that part of it is fulfilling. Um, but again, the uncomfortable part of asking for sales is something that every business owner needs to just literally throw out the window because you have to get uncomfortable in that way just to be able to grow yourself. Um, so for anyone that you know feels that or can kind of lean into that, listen, you're not alone. But I am here to tell you that, you know, as a living example, it's things that I've had to battle, you know, recently throughout my last couple of years as I'm into full-time, this is my baby um and this is my creation, and I have to go as hard for it as possible. Like those things I did have to kind of break out of. And again, you catch yourself leaning back into old habits and old tendencies sometimes, but check yourself, get back on mission, man. It is your job to promote your business to the highest level as best as you can. And anyone who might feel a way other way about that, other than like, yo, I'm fucking with her, I want to support, they're not for you anyway. And that's all right too, because as a business owner, as an entrepreneur, you're never gonna be for everyone. Some people are gonna really, really fuck with you, some people are gonna fuck with you a little bit, and some people are just not gonna fuck with you at all. But you know, you really gotta just get into the point where mentally you are really just trying to find as many people that will rock with you as you can, and don't be afraid to take a couple lumps on away from the people that don't. Um, but that said, I'm blessed, happy with the people I do got, and happy with the opportunity I have in front of me to grow. Um, and again, recognizing what I have to do within my own self to be able to put myself in the space to achieve those things. Um, and that's that on that. You know, uh, we talked about a little bit earlier, so we'll touch on a couple of these joints before I get out of here, just because I do think that right now there is a great renaissance in hip-hop that's going on. Um, and played a couple of records on the warm-up, a few records on the warm up I say, but really wanted to take some time to give you uh the albums in my current rotation just because I feel like we're in a really good space and I like a lot of what I'm hearing right now. Uh, and I still go back to you know the whole Kendrick and Draith beef beef, kind of creating a little bit of a shift in hip-hop, uh, to then Eclipse album creating a little bit more of a shift in hip-hop, and it's just been albums after albums after albums, like uh like in the past year or so, that have really been thoughtful from you know great artists who've been around for a long time. Um, and that's the part of it that's encouraging for me, uh, because every artist that I'm gonna run off these albums for, and I won't spend too much time on it, are people that have been in the industry or in and around the game for over a decade, you know. Um, and I know as hip hop is a young man's game or a young man's sport, they say, I do think that there are great options for people who are of my decade, my age bracket, uh, my big age bracket in now, the 40 plusers, and there's something for you uh in hip-hop. And I got friends that are really close to me that don't really feel like they have shit to listen to, so they just rely on a lot of the old shit. I'm someone who kind of feels that way as well. Um, but as someone who has a little bit more of an ear to what the new shit that's going on is, like I do search for the quality rappers and the quality, you know, hip-hop artists, and even on the RB side, too, like the real like good new shit, like is what I'm always looking for. And if I find it, I'm gonna put it out there just because I believe music is to be shared with the world. So uh bear with me a little bit as we talk about the last few uh albums that I've been listening to recently over the last month or so. Um uh number one, Dave East, Price of Pain. I just played a record from that one earlier. Um, I said it a little bit earlier. East is one of my one of my favorite rappers over the last 15 or so years. Um, and that is because of me watching him come up literally and kind of like seeing him achieve a bigger and bigger status in the game from someone who, you know, caught on to him pretty early in his career. Um, and hard worker like puts out a lot of projects in a year's time. I do think there is some detriment to that just because you're putting out too much music. Uh, but it ain't gonna be a point where East ain't got a record or a project or uh something coming out for you to listen to. His late his last project was just at the end of last year, uh, which is a pretty good one. I forget the name of that one off the top of my head, but this joint Price of Pain is a great, it's a record with Harry Fraud as the producer. So him and Harry Fraud have had projects before. I think they musically are a good match. Uh so check that one out for sure. Price of Pain is a smoker. Um, Nipsey, the prolific album, I know we spoke about it last week, been sitting with it even more. I really like that album, and I also really like the fact that even though a lot of the records on there might be quote unquote tailored to women, which is one of the critiques of the album I've seen. Uh, maybe a critique, maybe not, but something that people notice about the albums uh with Bino as the collaborative artist on it, there were a lot of like girl-leaning songs. Uh, and I love the way that Nipsey does it to where they may be songs that are speaking to a woman or about a woman, but it's so like street in the way that he conveys his message about love and the message about you know being with someone that's like him, that it doesn't really feel too soft, you know. Um, and I fuck with it, man. I think it's a really good project. I've I've felt more positively about it the more I've got to sit with it. And I'm not a person who likes to give my early opinions on albums or projects just because I do like to take time to let things kind of soak in uh so that I can give a real perspective and something that, you know, has a little bit more meat on the bones, pause, than just, you know, firing off a quick opinion. Um, moving forward to one of what I think will be one of the rap albums of the year. Played a record song for this one earlier earlier as well. Uh Ransom Price of Clarity album, I think has been critically akin laying by a lot of the publications and the people who really talk about music and stuff like that uh since it's been dropped. I think it's about a week now that it's been out. Um, but that real album is really, really fucking good. And I've always felt this way about Ransom. He is the most, 100% the most underrated lyricist in rap and maybe in rap history, just because of his ability um and his growth, I think. And it's been great to see his career go the way it has. Uh, and he's one of those artists that, again, if you're someone who's 40 and up, 35 and up, get into the latter stages of their youth or whatever, like it is one of those albums for you with a lot of things he dives into. And the title itself, the price of clarity, is like, you know, it is profound. And the way the album breaks down from top to bottom goes along with that. So definitely check that one out if you haven't yet. Another one I've been listening to, play the record off of that early as well, the Rhapsody album. It is got uh God of Afro and Goops is the title of it. Uh, this one I've had a little bit of chance to sit with, but not as much as the others I just mentioned. So this one will be in current and consistent rotation for me over the next few weeks or so. Listen, Rhapsody is one of them, I think. You know, special lyricist, uh very thoughtful in the way she goes about her albums and the messaging that she puts out. Uh, this is just another one of them, and I think the production on this one has been even more elevated than her last project, and I like the cohesiveness of it and everything as well. Uh, so definitely check that one out. Um, I know the game Documentary 3 album just came out recently as well. I'm gonna just be honest, I ain't really got to that shit yet just because it's a very long album and I'm a very busy person. So, you know, I heard a lot of good things about it, heard a couple snippets off of that one too. Uh, but I can't, like I just said, give a real opinion on it just because I haven't had a chance to sit with it yet. And uh I will plan to uh when you know I do have a chance to take it in. Um pause. But that said, man, uh with that said, wanted to tap out on the on the episode from here. Uh let you guys know too. Always stay safe mentally, physically, spiritually, and all things in between. Guard yourself in this crazy world and learn how to grow some fucking food. It may just be that, man. Buy some chicken, buy some cattle if you got enough money to it, because this shit might turn to the the literal hunger games out here pretty soon. Um, but until then, man, episode number 85 is out. Peace. I catch you on the flip side later.