From Valentine Vibes To Black History Giants

Skip the glitter and get to the heart. We open with a lush, garden-themed event that set a high bar for elegance and intention, then use that energy to explore what actually makes love feel real in February. Some people live for Valentine’s; others roll their eyes at the price tags and pressure. We meet both sides where they are, digging into compromise, love languages, and the danger of letting one date define a whole relationship.

From comparison traps to balloon-filled hotel rooms, we ask the question too few couples ask: can you maintain the vibe you’re selling? If the answer is no, it’s time to redefine romance around sustainable rituals—thoughtful notes, simple trips, playlists with meaning, meals that feel like home. We also spotlight Galentine’s done right: a romantic ambiance with zero dating pressure that sparks genuine conversation, platonic bonds, and unexpected collaborations. When the performance falls away, authenticity has room to breathe.

We don’t dodge the cultural wink about the “day after,” either. Whether it’s scheduling spillover or side-piece lore, it reveals how public rituals can clash with private reality. Our take is simple: align expectations, label the relationship, and protect each other’s dignity. To ground the month in legacy, we honor two icons: producer-songwriter Brian Michael Cox, whose sustained chart success showcases quiet excellence, and Brigadier General Benjamin O. Davis Sr., whose leadership advanced desegregation in the U.S. military. Their stories remind us that consistency beats spectacle and courage changes systems.

Join us for a candid, warm, and often funny look at love, pressure, and the power of everyday intention. If this conversation hits home, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review with your best sustainable love ritual—we’ll feature our favorites next time.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Another episode of Pops and the Sun Conversations. And as always, it is your favorite silver fox, Rob Malloy.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

And son here. Take three times.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

And there it is. Hey, we're still in February. Uh Black History Month is still thriving. At this point, Jay, how you feeling?

SPEAKER_01 1:41

Oh, you you already know how I feel, Pops. I'm feeling good, man. I'm feeling good.

Sophisticated Garden Event Recap

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Okay. All right. So I know that we are definitely um on a natural high from uh the last week's festivities. Yes. Um and congratulations again with your um with your event. Now the event was a garden theme. So what what was that really like? So what was the atmosphere? What was the crowd? What was the whole vibe?

SPEAKER_01 2:12

Yeah, so I will I definitely have to say it was it was uh very sophisticated. Very sophisticated, you know, it felt very hot end, kind of exclusive. Yeah. Um and you know, everybody was nice, everybody was you know, nice, well-mannered. The scene just it it it looked beautiful, you know. Um, yeah, I really had a good time.

Father–Son Style And Identity

SPEAKER_00 2:33

Yeah, the pics look good, the videos look good, you know. Um, obviously it was nice, intimate, like you said, a sophisticated uh situation. Those are always good, man, because you don't want riff rafts in elegant setups. No, you know, that's uh that's not a good look, but uh so congratulations on that. Look forward to you know more and more of the uh of the content. Had a good time in Macon, Georgia. Uh big shout out to Anthony, the owner of Serenity Entertainment Complex. Had a great time uh with uh Miss Roland with Royce, uh, and she is uh a huge staple down there in the entertainment industry, uh with the radio, uh TV, and things like that. So they welcome, you know, making got love for the favorite silver fox, man. They got a lot of love for me out there. So um, you know, the fellas represented, so I'm very proud of the guys that popped out, you know, professional. Um, I think there was a few gangsters in there, man. You can't always get you know 100% of the clientele you want, man. Sometimes they can just infiltrate, but everybody had a good time. Uh it was fun. So I look forward to doing that again. Uh, maybe in some other cities. Um, but if Making wants me back, you know, I'm a phone call away. And uh, you know, of course, we got some things lined up here in ATL. Speaking of lining up, got a fresh lineup, brother. It looks good.

SPEAKER_01 3:58

Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Yeah, appreciate it, I have truly adapted, man, with uh with this fade, with this uh the Caesar cut, like it looks good because when you first uh transitioned, you know, from the wicks. Now, are they called wicks or locks? Like, what particular name did you call it? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:21

It's gonna be a triangle. Wicks, locks.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

It's locked, it's locked up here, so yeah, right. Um so when you transition, man, you you kind of had it even all over. So that was the game plan. So you can decide how you want to wear it as it grows out. So is that why it was even all over when you first did it?

SPEAKER_01 4:39

Yeah, that that is exactly why I did it. I just wanted to see what it would look like, yeah. And then, you know, I started, and you know, even at this point, I'm still you know, I might try some different some different styles, but at least I got that freedom now, you know, the lots. You know what I mean? You you you you limit it a little bit, you can only do so much.

Framing February As Love Month

SPEAKER_00 4:59

You can only do so much, man. You can tie it up, you know, you maybe a couple of braids or something, but yeah, man, you you uh definitely got the versatility to kind of remind me of myself. Matter of fact, I'm gonna have to pull up this picture that I saw of me. Now I was much younger than you. I think I was probably early 20s, man. But I think that we look almost exactly the same. I'm gonna have to send it to you. Yeah, I need to see that you, yeah, man. Yeah, we gotta post that. So we definitely gotta post that um you know, as soon as possible. That should be a classic, man. That's black history right there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So um, so let's do this, man. I I want to get right in things, but I also want to make sure that we mention we talk about the month of February when it comes to the love month. I believe it's considered the love month, you know, and so I kind of want to talk about that. I don't want to talk about expectations. Uh, you know, I kind of want to run through uh this Galantine um thing and and then the Valentine thing, and then you know, uh there's a day after Valentine's, you know, when it's all said and done, people still get together, right? There's still that one connect that uh some folks have to settle for, and then some folks look forward to it. So we'll we'll talk about that as well, and then of course, we'll end the show with uh two more iconic black history facts.

SPEAKER_01 6:29

Oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:31

So we'll we'll end the show with that, man. But uh that being said, look, I already know things are gonna things are about to turn up. So so let's get into it, Jay. So February, um the month of love, the month of lovers, yeah, cute all that. Yeah, yeah. You know, so some people don't believe in in all of that, and then some people do, and it gets really interesting because sometimes those two people, those two different people are together. So let me ask you uh this is Valentine's Day, Valentine's Day, is that something that you have historically celebrated? And um how do you feel about uh as much attention it gets uh even in you know 2026 right now?

Do Expectations Ruin Valentine’s Day

SPEAKER_01 7:23

Yeah, I do, I do um celebrate Valentine's. I have in the past. Okay, but I'll be truthful. I haven't been the best at celebrating it. At least I'm not like it. You know, I I I wasn't yeah, I I could have done, I could have did some some better Valentine's, but you know, you live and you learn. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I mean, I don't I don't mind. I know people have different stances on it, whether or not to celebrate it. I think I I feel like why not? You know, especially if I feel like if you're with somebody that that values that it's almost like how we talk about love languages, yeah. And and the sacrifices that we make for our partners. Like if you know that you're with somebody and they put a lot of stock into that, but you don't necessarily, I mean, just you may have to go ahead and bite the bullet or just make that sacrifice to see that person happy. You know what I mean? And they should also do the same for you with whatever day that they don't like. You know what I'm saying? So yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. I think I think it's it it should be good. It shouldn't be a point of contention in a relationship if you know y'all like it's it's the love day. Like, why why should you be arguing or doing any of that stuff on Valentine's Day?

SPEAKER_00 8:38

That's it. If any if any day, right? If any day, it should be uh when you you uh separate all of your feelings about you know um being more intentional with your person, kind of set all that stuff aside and do it, is what you tell them.

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Yeah, yeah. Okay, that's how I feel.

Social Pressure And Comparison Traps

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Okay, and and and we respect that. I think, you know, um, you know, different generations, different backgrounds, different experiences uh in the past should be taken in consideration. Uh, you know, for me, at the what do they say, the the big age, at this big age, right? Right. I I guess at 50 I have to include that. At this big age, you know, um I uh I see some value in uh in that day. And it, you know, of course I call it love day. I I don't you know get into the Greek and and and all the other uh you know ideologies of of that, but um I I can see some value in it in terms of taking advantage of you know opportunities like uh you know uh trips and uh you know gifts and if if you can you know get into a good situation where you can uh get into a nice you know restaurant or an experience, then go ahead and do it. Um but also I think that more importantly, it should not be a uh uh a gauge to where how a person truly feels about you. Um and I'm I'm gonna say this, and I already know that the listeners probably gonna go to my pages and uh and come for me, and it's okay. Right? This is this is Pop's opinion, right? Uh I I feel like uh there's probably a little bit too much stock in that day, um, in those experiences, because I've seen uh people bust up because the Valentine experience was was not all of that. Uh because they felt like the gifts weren't good enough and uh the experience wasn't extravagant enough. And so it it literally wiped out everything that happened previously. And I'm not even talking about celebrating birthdays or anniversaries or anything like that. I'm just talking about having a good time with your partner, just enjoying each other's company, maybe a little getaway, maybe a staycation that you've done just because, maybe uh, you know, a nice dinner or a nice surprise uh visit, uh, just because. And so those things are literally erased if the Valentine's Day experience doesn't meet expectations. So that's kind of one of those things where I look at it to where you know you're holding too much stock into it. And and I understand that, you know, people say that, well, you have a whole year to prepare, or you have six months to prepare, or you know, this and that. So I I think that we should focus a little bit more on what quality time truly looks like um in its totality versus the the actual day. And I'm gonna tell you this. I also feel, I honestly feel like the another reason why I hold so much stock is because somebody who hasn't been fully vested can come around and be like, hey, you know, here's flowers, here's candy, uh uh, here's this nice dinner, and and they can get you know 10 times, like when you see a lottery ticket win 10 times, 20 times, they can literally get 20 X points just for that specific day with with no history, Jay, with with with no buildup of making sure. So I don't think that's fair, man. So at the end of the day, I don't think that's fair because it also lingers, like they're not even doing a whole lot after that date, but but women will hold on, you know, they're like holding on to milestones, yeah. You know, they remember like you could you could take them to uh dinner and and uh take them to the park and have wine and cheese and all that stuff on a Tuesday, on a Tuesday, take them to the movies, cook dinner for them and all that, but God forbid you do not give them the Valentine's Day experience. You are a no-good.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

No good problem. That's a fact, you know, and and and you you pretty much said it, but we as men, we understand that Valentine's Day is, you know, that's the woman's, that's the woman's holiday, bruh. And so at the end of the day, it comes it comes down to that that feeling of of being left out, that that comparison, right? If if you are if you have a man, you know, as a woman, and he doesn't get you anything, but your girlfriends, all they guys got them something. Now you looking, you know what I'm saying? Like now you feeling shameful or you feeling like now you want to go cuss him out because he got you looking crazy. Like that's really what it, that's really what it comes down to. Women just don't want to feel like they weren't made to feel special on Valentine's Day by their partner. Now, men, you know, we we not tripping because do you get men flowers? Do you get them a chocolate? What do what do you get your man on Valentine's Day? And I don't even know we want to go there, Pops, but it's like, come on. This, you know, it's it's kind of imbalanced, but you know, as men, that's just kind of what we we we take that, we take it in stride, and we don't mind doing that stuff for our women, but like you said, like you shouldn't you shouldn't bust it up over just because you didn't get anything, like, come on, man, we got out here to celebrate. I can treat you right every day. So I get that side of it too. I get that side too.

Galentine’s Without The Dating Pressure

SPEAKER_00 15:45

Okay, okay, and that's fair. You know, I think it's fair. So, you know, let's let's keep the momentum going. Um, so there is a day called Galantine's Day. So it's spelled just like Valentine's, but but a G. So um, I I tell you what though, last year, I want to say last year, we went to a Galantine's uh day event with uh with Passionate. Remember that when we had I do, I do that that was actually uh Galantine's Day. So shout out to uh uh Passionate um with uh uh PMR market. So uh it was an event basically where men and women uh connect uh with zero pressure of anybody trying to uh find a match. Um and you basically share the same space, you you share energy. Um but it's it's a it's a romantic ambiance. Like it was it was a beautiful uh experience, it was a beautiful setup. So it really was. Um yeah, it was sexy, I ain't gonna lie to you. And um, and there were some fine women there, Jay. You remember that, right?

SPEAKER_01 16:57

Yeah, I was I was smack dab in the middle. Oh, you we hey look, I gotta find those pictures, man.

SPEAKER_00 17:04

Those pictures and videos that was fire, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

He was playing games and all that.

Doing Too Much And Budget Reality

SPEAKER_00 17:09

It was playing games. Um now I will I will say there was some disappointing moments uh because some of the fellas that were there uh did not interact like I thought that they should have with the the beautiful women, and so I was a little disappointed. And and you remember I was very strategic in in connecting them, you know, just yeah from a from a business standpoint, like hey, this person right here is an attorney, hey, uh she she's uh a medical doctor, and this person right here is an entrepreneur, and this person, like you need to get to know each other even on a platonic level. Everything does not have to result to to a romantic experience, right? And that's something that um I thought was was a really good experience. Uh it was it was sexy, uh, the music was cracking, the ladies looked good, and uh and it was it was uh some really good energy there as well. Yeah, yeah, it was. Yeah, so so that's Galantine's, right? That's uh an opportunity for people to not really have the pressure of trying to find someone around this season. And so uh, so that's that. So, of course, the next thing, uh what we talked about uh Valentine's Day for those that do celebrate it, for those that do acknowledge it. Uh Jay, do you think people can do too much on that day? Now we know that women are gonna say you know, you can't do too much. It can't be much too extravagant, right? You know, reckless if you will. Uh but but do you think that people can do just just way too much? Like over the budget, uh uh uh creating an experience that is like uh you you can't you'll never be able to duplicate that, or you may be, you know, just doing too much to where you can't follow up strong experience. So what you thinking?

SPEAKER_01 19:09

Yeah, yeah, I definitely agree. You can do too much, you can do too much, man. And I like what you said, you can create an experience that you can't duplicate, you know, and that that might be your downfall because it's almost like when people talk about um, you know, showing up with this representative or just like it's like always be yourself and stay in your lane. Don't try to do too much, don't try to go out of your way to be also extra extravagant because it's another thing that the women say. They don't want you to introduce them to a vibe that you can't maintain. You can't do that, you will lose every time because she's gonna have that. You set the expectation. It's not, it's not, you know, she's not at fault for expecting something that you've already shown, right? Because you showed that. So yeah, I think I think that us brothers, we gotta make sure, but it's another strategic, you know, lane. It's a strategic aspect to it. That's why you gotta know what you can do, man. Don't do too much, fellas. Don't do too much.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

Don't do too much. Um, I will definitely say that uh people can do way too much. Now I understand, you know, when you start looking at social media, so social media is always gonna be a huge influence on relationships. It just is, because we spend a lot of time on it. So just the programming, if you will, uh can be uh a little overwhelming. So you have these extravagant uh bouquets of roses and rose petals from the parking lot to the elevator to the lobby, yeah. You and then you know, you go in there, there's 16,000 balloons in their uh chef prepared meal, like seriously, really like uh I get it. Like if you're trying to get to the draws, you know, that evening, yeah, that'll get you there, right? Oh that'll get you there, but at the same time, you know, you also have to look at you know what message are you really uh are you really setting, especially if you ain't did nothing prior to and then what is gonna be your follow-up because the ladies aren't gonna let you off. You can't just have uh this uh amazing experience, and then you go in to get the two for 25 next week.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

Look, yo, so so is fellas they so are are the are fellas using like Valentine's Day as as they big like apology day for what all the days that they is that what that is, pop? I think they're trying to go all out. You can't do that, man.

The Day After: Side Piece Culture

SPEAKER_00 21:50

You men are definitely leveraging that date because you know when they're ladies or trying to impress a new lady, you know, could be mad, uh, could be feeling some type of way, she could be exhausted from work and running the business and stuff like that. And if you can just create that experience and of course leverage specials and and people that you know can create these experiences, because don't get me wrong, you can get creative and not blow your budget. Oh, yeah. You you can do that. Like there, you got people that you know have links to hotels and they get you the family rate, so you pay$35 for a suite, then you go over there and you go shopping, you spend you know$50 off food. So you might, you might come up, right? You might come up uh, you know, under a budget, but again, you know, we're talking about you know intentionality, we're talking about you know, what's your ultimate goal? Like what you doing it for, you know. Um, and so that's kind of where things can get a little convoluted, but but let's uh uh let's move on because we could talk about that all day long. Uh, we could talk about the expectations of a lot of ladies um when it comes to that, but I don't even want to get into too much of that right now. Uh, what I do want to talk about is the day after.

SPEAKER_01 23:11

Okay, what is that?

SPEAKER_00 23:15

Now I now I did a little research. Uh, we had Nikki do a little research as well, and you and I we just you know had some casual conversation about the day after Valentine's Day. And so uh this is usually where you know people that were unavailable. You like that? Oh yeah. Unavailable on that particular day, uh that 14th, and you know, they want to uh they want to link up or they want to, you know, celebrate uh the spirit of love uh you know after that date. And so I don't think that there's a specific theme to it, but what we We have known for it to be called is the National Side Peace Day. Let me try that again. National Side Piece Day. Oh man. Side chick, side dude, you know, whatever else you got, uh, side uh different pronouns, whatever you got going on, man, it's the day after. And so this is typically when you know your extra curriculum goes down.

SPEAKER_01 24:22

Yeah. You had a scheduling conflict on the day before, so you had to read certain things.

SPEAKER_00 24:29

I had to go take care of moms, man. She wasn't feeling good, right? I had to go rub her feet. You know, dad, you know, I had to go play chess with dad, right? All of a sudden, you know, all the way up to 12, 1 o'clock in the morning, man. He just had one of them days where he was just available. So uh the national side piece day. So we got to keep it real. I mean, this is pop sun conversation. Jay, have you ever participated in the side piece day?

SPEAKER_01 24:57

I cannot say I've participated. I've I've not participated in the side piece day. Um you know, shout out to the side piece day. Y'all, you know, do what you do, send your hey stranger text out to your side, but uh nah, I I haven't, man. I don't know how I even really feel about that. But yeah, yeah, I don't know. I don't know if have I been have I been targeted on that day?

SPEAKER_00 25:23

Was I that's what I'm saying. Like, you might not even know you was a side dude. I am pretty sure. I'm pretty sure I've been uh a side dude, man. I mean, I'm 50 years old, right? So uh I got married early at 21, that was five years, so 21 or 26, you know. Uh, and then there was that little window right there before I tried it again at 3031. So yeah, I mean, yeah, I I I definitely have been a side piece uh before, man. And but I tell you what though, the the the women that I allowed to utilize me as a side piece, they was man. Like they were bad, like they was bad. I hate to say it, you know, they was they was doing well for themselves, and um, you know, they was fine, so it's like I still had some stipulations, like I ain't no charity case, all right. So uh, and then another thing, it was weird because the relationships they were in was just uh just bad, right? So they felt like they deserved better, and I felt like they deserved better. So we deserved each other for that moment.

SPEAKER_01 26:30

That's a good combo. That's a good combo, right there.

Love Beyond One Date And Solo Joy

SPEAKER_00 26:35

That was that, man. And of course, you know, that was the past, you know, at this big age, I should be a lot more responsible, and I am, right? So um, so that was that. But Jay, so listen, look, guys, we appreciate uh you keeping locked in on the podcast. And remember, this entire month we'll still be talking about uh the love month, and then we also will be giving you at least two, right? We'll be giving you at least two historical um black history month icons, and so that's gonna be really important. So, Jay, we're gonna drop, I'm gonna let you drop off those two icons here in a second, but I also want to make sure that we we mention um again, we have those events. The events are cool. Uh, we hope you guys actually enjoyed your week with the people that you love, because this is also an important moment that we have to uh be intentional when we when we talk about if you are not with someone, if you're not married, if you're not engaged, if you're not in a relationship, it is okay. It is okay. So that's why it's so important to to have friends, uh, to have people that you that you love and love on you. You embrace that family and you just create beautiful moments every day that you possibly can and don't get caught up in the social media and the expectations and narratives that are put out there.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Yes, yes, 100%. Yes, that's super important.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

Super important. So Jay Drop, uh, is there anything you else you want you want to mention um about this month, about the event, um, how how you spent um you know your week? Was there anything special um that you wish you did, that you probably gonna try to do next year? Anything like that?

Black History Spotlights: B. Cox And Gen. Davis

SPEAKER_01 28:30

Uh yeah, I'm I'm I'll keep that you know under wraps for now though. But uh you know, like I was saying, I I you know, I I I got some ideas. I got I definitely got some ideas. Um I'm planning. But you know, I just I just back up what you said, man. Y'all, y'all don't be so pressured. It's okay. It's okay. Yeah, yeah. So let me let me get into these uh because we do got some black history facts here. So I'll start with uh Mr. Brian Michael Cox.

SPEAKER_00 29:01

Oh man, B Cox, what up?

SPEAKER_01 29:03

Yeah, yeah. Brian Michael Cox achieved uh Guinness World Record for the longest consecutive period of chart success, right? So that's uh over 250 consecutive weeks more than five years for more than five years. Brian Michael Cox had at least one song on the Billboard charts. That's crazy. That's not easy to do. So so there's even there's more though. So um, by breaking the record previously held by the Beatles, while the all-time title has shifted due to the way streaming, you know how streaming is now, um it keeps the song, it keeps the songs charted longer. B Cox remains the first black songwriter slash producer to cross the 250-week threshold. That's amazing, man.

SPEAKER_00 29:50

Boy, oh boy. Look, um B- Cox is uh is is definitely uh a very good friend of mine. Um we we've been locked in for a handful of years, very humble guy. At the same time, man, he he knows he he's the goat, you know, when it comes to that. But what I think is really interesting is people don't realize they hear all these hits uh because he he's uh created hits for Mariah Carey, um Usher, of course, uh Jagged Edge, uh just so many so many artists, uh Money Long. Like people don't realize the mastermind behind all these hits, right? They they think don't get me wrong, the artists have to execute, right? The artists have to execute, right? But they they don't really realize what it takes from creation to execution, you know, of these songs, man. And and um, he's uh obviously the best of the best. Much love, B. Cox, and uh um, you know, that that's something that I mean I don't think it if if it if he created the new uh Guinness Book World Record from the Beatles, who else gonna do that? Right, who's gonna top that? That's a one-on-one, man. It's a one-on-one, man. Um, yeah, so shout out to B. Cox, man. Much love. Uh oh, yeah. So uh uh what's the last one, Jay?

SPEAKER_01 31:19

Yeah, so we got one more. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. Okay. Um, in 1940, Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first African American to attain the rank of brigadier general in the U.S. Army. Okay. Yeah. During his career, he served as a crucial advisor to the federal government on matters of racial integration within the military, which is super, super dope. Um, I mean, you know how that was. Um, so he provided a strategic framework that eventually led to the desegregation of the armed forces in 1948. I did not know.

SPEAKER_00 31:54

Oh, whoa, I didn't know that either.

SPEAKER_01 31:56

Yeah, so shout out, yeah, big shout out to Benjamin O. Davis Sr.

SPEAKER_00 32:02

Brigadier General. That's that's the top of the top.

SPEAKER_01 32:05

Um some respect on his name.

SPEAKER_00 32:08

You have to, man. And I think that, you know, just things like that, um, because obviously we we talked about you know music and the music culture, and then we talked about the importance of uh of our armed forces and the leadership and uh the uh the cultural divide, you know, through race, um, being able to to uh tackle that because that's not easy. Um it's it's been prevalent for decades, but to address it and and have that success of uh desegregation, man. That's that's amazing. That's a powerful combo, man. That's that's a crazy combo that we had just put together. So yeah. Um, so look, y'all, um, that's our time for this round and this episode of uh Pops and Sun Conversations. Hey, we're still rocking with February, we still love month, still Black History Month, Black History Forever, ever, ever. Hey, much love. It is your favorite Sil Fox, Rob Malloy.

SPEAKER_01 33:12

Take three times, checking out.

SPEAKER_00 33:15

God bless y'all, man. We'll see y'all next episode.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

Peace.