Two for the Culture
Two for the Culture is brought to you be Steven Rey and Justin Devonte. This is the podcast for the ages! Both Steve and Justin has been friends for over a decade plus and will give you a genuine approach on news and culture with humor and love. I promise this will be one of your favorite podcasts that you will not get enough of!
Two for the Culture
Pooh Shiesty, LeBron James on Memphis, and Much More
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
We come back from a short break talking goals, reading, and what it really means to lock back in when most of the work sits on your shoulders. From parenting lessons at the arcade to Memphis pride and hip hop headlines, we keep circling one question: how do you move smarter when pressure hits.
• getting back into routine after a hiatus and setting practical goals
• reading for skill building and becoming a better salesperson without a team
• teaching a child winner mindset through games and self-talk
• how trauma, triggers, and hypervigilance shape adult reactions
• feeling pressure to “show up” in public based on the room you’re in
• elitism and class signals in nightlife culture
• LeBron’s Memphis comments and the debate over moving the Grizzlies
• what an NBA team means to Memphis pride, jobs, and city identity
• Memphis reputation and how stories compound online
• the alleged Pooh Shiesty and Gucci Mane situation and why it looks lose-lose
• contract leverage, legal exposure, and how evidence can stack up fast
Welcome Back After The Hiatus
SPEAKER_03We are back with another episode of Two for the Culture. I'm Justin Devante. I'm Stephen Ray. And yes, sir, we are back.
SPEAKER_00How you feeling? Feel good, man. Feel good. Feel great. How's everything going? How you been? It's good.
SPEAKER_03You know, we've been it's been a little hiatus. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. So it's, you know, feel a little fresh. Yeah, feel like new, ready to get back into things. But um everything's been good. There hasn't been um too many life changes on my side, I don't think. Uh, you know, maybe little things here and there, but nothing's too drastic to where it's like a huge pylon that, you know, I've noticed. You know, just kind of same old, same old, you know, helping my granny working. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, having goals and things like that, trying to accomplish goals, trying to do better. Just the simple things, you know. What about yourself?
Teaching A Child To Compete
SPEAKER_00Um really just locking back in, locking back in, um uh uh uh uh making that a thing, reading more. I just finally I didn't finish, but I got through to the point of what I wanted to with uh what's that book called? Something about selling, the psychology of selling, just trying to be a better or actively making myself like a better sales person. Um yeah, because with all the social media stuff, it's like you you got I mean there are people with teams and stuff, and I don't have that right now. So, you know, a lot is on me, so I have to brush up on skills that I'm not, you know, fully um uh uh um I wouldn't say confident with, but I but I could be better at. So yeah, I I bought a few more books. Um uh uh uh chill with my daughter for her spring break. That was dope. That was cool. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_02You say you went to arcade with your daughter?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. We went to our we always go to that arcade.
SPEAKER_02Um is that a game she looks forward to playing?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, skee ball.
SPEAKER_03Okay, and she's still been kicking, kicking butt.
SPEAKER_00She uh no, she she she's good at it. Uh I I think, yeah, one of the main things this time um being with her was just kind of like like I'm I'm really trying to like make her a winner.
SPEAKER_02What you mean?
SPEAKER_00Just in general, just um I I don't know, just like trying to teach life lessons, even if we playing Uno. You know what I'm saying? Um you know, she's a super go-getter, and you you could just tell, like just as a child, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah. So you're you're at the Udo card table. If you're not first, you're last. Oh god.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, she was like, Oh, I don't like these cards. I'm gonna lose. I know it. I was like, you are. I was like, you are, yeah. You keep telling yourself you're gonna lose, that's exactly what's gonna happen. You tell yourself you're gonna win, then you're gonna you you have a big chance of winning. You know, just stuff like that. And and and I saw it happen too. Like I saw it like she like kind of changed her mindset while she was playing. Not necessarily Uno, but like it's it's it's somewhere like you gotta use skills and shit. Kind of like skee ball. Like you have to use a certain skill and focus and all this. So if you tell yourself like I'm gonna miss this jump shot, you're gonna miss that. But if you like, no, I can get it, then it's like a different level of focus to try to win and shit. And you know, like and she was she was getting up with me on on some of these games after she would like start to change her mindset. So that's that's really important for me to like instill in her those small things. Yeah, it's it's really it's really cool to see. Yeah, I want her to kick everybody ass, like outside of the hair, you know, like if I demolish her in all these games, that's you know, it is what it is. But uh, she be getting up with me. But my main my main point is like when she walks out of here, you know what I'm saying? Like she she like like I want her on my team. You know what I'm saying?
Trauma And Learned Hypervigilance
SPEAKER_03As a parent, do you look back? Uh do you like ever call your uh your own parents and be like, I get it now. You know what I mean? Like, I understand why you did what you did.
SPEAKER_00Nah. Okay. Nah, nah, it's it's funny. Like, as soon as I heard myself say, nah, it just sounded like I'm like, y'all sucked. That's not where I was coming from with it. But I think, I think, um, I don't know. It's like my mom kind of just really just made everything like fun for real. Like it was a fun time. And then my dad, I think there were a lot of things he tried to do that. I I see, you know, certain things or whatever, but like Kaya's nine. So, you know, like I don't remember too much from that age. I remember more like teenager and all that type of stuff. But I still feel like if there was a conversation to be had, it would be more so if I had a son. Oh, okay. Yeah, then I would like hit my dad up and be like, oh damn, you know.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, how important is it? Um, I'm assuming that you have childhood trauma.
SPEAKER_00I'm assuming. I don't think so. Okay, okay. I I'm I'm sure everybody has something. Okay. You know, my parents did divorce, and um there were things that there are definitely things that in my home I would want differently. Uh, but it's not like traumatic.
SPEAKER_03Uh well, I mean, it's yeah, yeah. Maybe trauma is a a is it like a tougher connotation?
SPEAKER_00I mean, that's a real world. A lot of people do.
SPEAKER_03I just don't but I'm just saying, like, but nonetheless, it's whatever shapes your uh upbringing. Because, you know, trauma can, you know, in some ways could possibly be a good thing. Like for sure. Yeah, like for it, like, you know, like PTSD, if an active shooter was to happen, you know, your PTSD, you're you know what I mean, your your experience would kick in. Yeah, like you hear gunshot, you already ducking low. You know what I mean? You're alert, yeah. So I mean it's a fact.
SPEAKER_00That's a fact. Yeah, just growing up in Memphis in general, yeah. Uh I I wanna I wanna uh uh uh bring that question back to you. But uh there I do remember being with um I was dating somebody one time, and then this dude got to argument. I think we was at like Golden Corral or something. It was like it was, you know, they went in buffet places where the the bread is always fire there. Um and it was it was a group of us there for some reason. Like I don't know, it's like this had to be like maybe four years ago, something like that. And then this dude got to argument with like the boss, and then he was just he either had a gun on him or he was like, Man, I'm about to shoot this bitch up or something like that. So the people I was with, one of them was strapped, and all the men really except the girl that I was with, you could tell who grew up with things going wrong sometimes.
SPEAKER_02Okay, why you say that?
SPEAKER_00Because she was like, What are we gonna do?
SPEAKER_03I mean, that is that is a concern though.
SPEAKER_00Facts, facts. But what I'm saying is it's like how you said like some things can change you. Uh right, right, right. Like if you're in traumatic situations, and then like you know, you get older, you kind of just like all right, I kind of know how to like deal with certain things, or you pick up right. This ain't the other shit. Yeah, right, right, right. Yeah, so the traumatic traumatic uh situations could most definitely change the course of how we deal with situations and um things like that. But damn, you had asked me something.
SPEAKER_03Um Well, you did want to reverse it on me, but also um it just reminds me of Memphis, is um I let me I guess I should answer the question first. Um yeah, I mean there's there's things that like I'm all of course we got things that we all need to work through, and uh me me myself um included, and um but you can be hyper-vigilant when you know what I mean, you be more attentive to certain things. Right. For so things like say if um I'm just gonna use a random example, like you was nappy headed growing up. Now, as an adult, you're going to be more paying attention to your hair and make sure that you're shaped right, just because you was always checked as a child for being that. So there's things to where they can be positive. Like that's it, if somebody calls you nappy headed now, they that may be a trigger for you. You know what I mean? Like, I ain't nappy headed, you know what I mean? Like whatever. You know, but but that's a focus for you. It still may hurt, but ultimately it's better for you because it may be more aesthetically pleasing using that example. So, and I can apply that in some ways for myself too. Um, so there's things that was like, hey, this may be this may sting if I get called out for this thing. But so let me make sure I don't do the thing or correct the issue. Yeah. And you know, and I may not correct the issue 99 percent or 100% of the time, but it may be 98, and that 2% when I do check for it, it may hurt. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So I think there can be good to it. Um, I still of course there still needs to be healing. Yeah, I think that's the most important, but it's still some good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I've seen a lot of um and heard a lot, even this past week, um, that traumatic situations just really just like mold people. And sometimes it is it's like I don't know, you can be so uh overprotective of um, or it could be like PTSD, like you said, it could be a certain word or a certain action or a certain whatever. And I feel like as people grow older, they can be so overprotective that um it can it it could kind of like fuck up situations. So for example, if I got robbed when I was younger and somebody just simply says some shit like, all right nigga, we'll see about that when we come outside. I might just pop his ass just to stop this man from possibly robbing me, but now I'm in jail because I acted, I I was overprotective of myself.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00Um and I seen that a lot in many different situations. So yeah, I think I'm I'm super thankful. I mean, I guess I gotta like dive deep just to see if getting to I don't know, talking to people and and hearing about other people's traumas and shit like that, like I can never say I just really went through some crazy shit growing up for real. Right, right, right. Yeah, just it's like what what did I go through for real? You know? I mean, Memphis is a thing for sure, but it's just like you know, after you get over the environment, not over it, but after you you you adjust to the environment and think like this is just a normal, you know, the I the the the the anxiety of living in Memphis, um I didn't even know it was anxiety till I left. So it was just normal. All this shit was normal. Like just looking over my shoulder at every gas station, especially like after a certain time frame, and that the shit was just normal till I left that shit. Right, right. But um, yeah, yeah. Okay, I'm sure that probably follows me everywhere.
SPEAKER_03But um yeah. But that's also having a brand and being um, you know, on into the public and having a strong brand. But yeah, because you got you gotta look at yourself that way. I'm saying that plays a part in it too.
SPEAKER_00It it does, it it does. I wasn't speaking about that though. That that does add to it though, for sure. Uh it's a different type of different type of pressure or whatever.
Pressure To Look Put Together
SPEAKER_03But um and that and that's that's actually leads into one of the things I did want to ask you. Because since you have your own brand, do you feel like you have to always show up as your best self in public?
SPEAKER_00Um no. It depends on where I'm at, too. Yeah. For some reason all the black places, it's kind of like I don't know what it is or where it comes from, but it's kinda like you gotta put that shit on and and it's like going to church, you know, like, or or like Easter Sunday, or or or to compare it, if I go to this white bar across the street, I can wear whatever the fuck. I could be in this bitch with some sweatpants and uh uh uh a white cap and a fucking red bubble coat. Steve, what's up? You know, if I go to fucking an event where niggas is at and all that type of shit, man, like what's he he must going through it. Right, right, right. So like there there's a there's a certain level of um of uh of of uh I I don't think it has anything the the the the thought of like showing up as my best self is not usually a race or silly thing, it's just kind of like a black thing for real. I got you, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it ain't it ain't that. Do you feel that? Like the difference between going to like a white place and then, you know, not necessarily like a a pool party or whatever, but like the like the same event, the same exact event. Like there's a popping white bar or a white lounge, and then there's a popping. I don't even want to say that for real, because then because then the the it you can go different opening. I have an answer to it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I have an answer to your question. Uh-huh. So um gener, you know, I feel like um when I'm out in like, you know, black bars or black lounges, it can feel somewhat elitist and classist in a way. Uh-huh. You know, so there is a different energy. Like, I okay, I have to and I have to be my best self here. Uh-huh. Because the energy feels off. It doesn't feel like I can be freely myself. So I was like, I it feels like I have to tuck in a little bit and be like more uptight. That's just how the feeling goes. Now, whether I just say F it, I'm gonna do my own thing and it's just gonna be what it's beat, that's what that's one thing. But in that, I don't feel that like mental pressure, you know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I and that's just gathering off of the energy, not saying that that's is what's happening, which if I'm being honest, my opinion is it is a little at least elitist, you know what I mean? And it's set up that way. You know, you got you know, they bring out the sparklers to the people who have, you know, who's at the booth. The booth is it's expensive, everybody knows it's expensive, so it makes you feel like you're somebody. You're paying for bottles that's a couple hundred dollars. It's not just the fact that you want liquor, it's the fact that you bought this and everybody knows it's expensive. So you they know you got it. You so it's like it's geared around like classes and elitism. You know what I mean? Not saying that it, you know, I would never partake, but that's if I'm being uh real, that's essentially what's happening.
SPEAKER_00Damn, actually, I'm trying to think. I don't think I've ever seen a video of like a a white bar and just girls, just like bottle girls, and like yeah, you you can go like bar stool and they'll have that for sure.
SPEAKER_03But there's a I guess for the most part, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's not essentially that. It's more of hey, we we're here to have a get a good time, you know, where what you want, we you know, buy some liquor, tip, you know what I mean? Enjoy the vibe.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. No, yeah, that that that definitely is a thing. But no, yeah, but just to answer, yeah, it's not a it ain't never really a race or city thing. It's just more so a like you can't be janky, and especially like women, women be trying, they they be looking good, you know, like in terms of they they they want to go out, look their best, and you know of course all that or whatever. So you kind of gotta like match the vibe a little bit. Otherwise, you just some janky ass nigga that just what a bum. You know what I'm saying? Like, yeah, I couldn't imagine going to like Dugos or something, I got white socks and sandals. Right, right. Exactly. What is he doing?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but some of the the places I take you is very much that. Like the um the the the pool lounge, you know what I mean? It's you know it's it's fairly busy, you know. Yeah, yeah, it's people in and out, but nobody's watching for what you really got on for real. Everybody's like really chilling. Facts. Yeah, I didn't see nobody like dang, they come in here styled out, you know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I think that that also it also builds character too when you don't care about that type of stuff. You know, just being um I kind of like how you said, like eventually you just get to a decision of bro, I don't give a fuck. I'm gonna go in here and get this or that. It's kind of like a the a um uh a confidence thing. Like you don't have to keep up with the Kardashians or whatever. Like I just want to get this drink and just have some fun or whatever. Right, right. So sometimes that that that comes into play as well.
LeBron And The Grizzlies Relocation Talk
SPEAKER_03It's uh and uh kind of bring it back to a little bit what we talked about earlier uh about Memphis. Um have you heard about LeBron James and his comments about Memphis Grizzlies? Yeah, how do you feel as a Memphian? Um So I'll give backstory. Yeah, yeah. So LeBron James, he um he said he was on a golf course and they um I don't know how they specifically got on the Grizzlies in Memphis, but he said they need to uh move the Memphis Grizzlies to Nashville. Nobody wants to stay at no damn high-head. And he probably he I think he used the F word. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then so from there, you know, not Instagram specifically, but social media, they had like a whole montage of uh basketball players talking about how they hate going staying in Memphis. Yeah, versus like Draymond Green had a legitimate gripe. But I I but I'll say the gripe and then I'll let you have your comments and I'll say mine. But um his did you see Draymond Green? Uh it was sort of the same thing. Well, it was like Andrew Broget, you know, he uh his sprinkler, his sprinklers randomly went off in his hotel room. Oh, that's great. Yeah, yeah. And then he he was like the staff didn't really wasn't trying to do nothing about it. Now that feels somewhat old bread. Like yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh like I love Memphis, but I don't know if customer service is what they're you know what I mean, they specialize in.
SPEAKER_00I don't know, uh I I don't know for like I don't know I don't live their life, so like are they all going to the same hotel or something? Well, they they're saying that they don't really have good hotels.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Like, you know, the biggest one, of course, is the Peabody, but I don't know. I would just assume that they're good places to go. Yeah, so they they have the West End now, which is the will probably be the best hotel. Uh-huh. Um, and but then they also have the Hyatt, the the new Hyatt one. But uh outside of that, there's you know, I've talked to people since then from Memphis, and they was like, those are our best hotels. Yeah, yeah. So yeah, so they're really complaining about their stay more than anything. Yeah. Um, and they're it's it's probably lumped in about you know their stay as well as Memphis as a whole, of the perception of Memphis. And now there's really not too much to do.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Uh I mean, as an adult, I I really I haven't really explored um Memphis as an adult. So I really don't have a lot of answers for that. I just grew up there. So it's just like certain parts that I know more than others, but um it seems that it is a common story that I I I keep hearing over and over and over again that people have these experiences there. And you know, that the the I of course I follow um more than a few Memphis people. And it's usually a backlash, like immediately, as soon as somebody it's kind of like that home pride thing. Yeah, you know, somebody talks about your home, you're like, man, hell no, well, fuck them then. Um no, it's this it's Memphis. It's the in my head, I'm like, these stories are kind of compounding at this point. It's like there gotta be some truth to this shit somewhere. So um, you know, I like I said, I don't live their life in anything like that, but yeah, for some reason there there's uh a sense of this story keeps coming back around. So I don't know what that is. Like I've heard somebody say, like, yeah, if it feels like somebody slept in this bed a thousand times or some shit like that. Right, right, right, right. Yeah, I'm like, damn. Like, what type of hotel? They couldn't, they couldn't be the I don't know. I just feel like in every area in any city, there's always a very nice place to stay somewhere. So I'm just wondering, like what happened. Right every time, right? Right. So, and that's just that's just the people that spoke up about it, which means that there are a lot. Lots of other people that feel the same way.
SPEAKER_03Oh, I mean, for sure. I mean, no who cares about what the 12th man got to feel feel about it. Yeah, they're not gonna stick a camera in their face anyway. You know? Um, so your honest opinion. Would if you had the time to go out in Memphis and go to a bar or lounge like you do here in Nashville, would you?
SPEAKER_00Um I mean, it depends on the area. I I've heard a lot more about Midtown. Okay. Well, I'm saying, would you want to go? I would want I would want to go to certain areas to check it out. Again, like I haven't experienced Memphis as an adult. Which is interesting that you're from there.
SPEAKER_03I ain't been back for real. I mean, you've been back to see family only. Yeah, but I'm just saying there's no eagerness to try to go out and see the town too.
SPEAKER_00All the people that I hang around be inside.
SPEAKER_03They don't be going out. But I'm just saying, if I'm going out, I was like, dang, I never really ventured out my city. Let me go here. Oh, uh. Yeah, yeah. I would be intrigued about Nashville. You know what I mean? Like, I'm just saying about my city, in particular how I feel. Of course, you can feel different, but it's like, dang, if I'm coming in and out and I've never been out, there it's because there's no draw for it. If that if that was the case for me, it was because there's no draw to bring me out. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_00Um yeah, but it's kind of like how the city set up too. I mean, I yeah, it's just I never even thought about the pet the past couple of times that I went, I never even thought about going out because I I truly enjoyed what I was doing. So it's like that I didn't need any extra boost of um excitement. Like the pat the past times that I went there, I was around my family, all of my friends were in town. Everybody met up at one house.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. You're talking about the most recent, but that's not every time, though.
SPEAKER_00I'm saying every other time. I mean, before then, what? Um because you go it was still it was Christmas.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah. Christmas.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it was like another time. So I'm saying it's always those time friends. Now I'm closer, so now I can like go back and forth more often. But before then I was in LA. So the only time I went to Memphis was literally and only to see family. And nine times out of ten, my friends were in town, and we would all link up at this one house that we always link up at, and it was just a great time. And everybody leaves within a day or two. So that there wasn't a there wasn't a need to do anything else. Maybe if I stayed for like a lengthy amount of time, then maybe I feel like that was a social media trained dancer. Yeah, yeah. It can sound that way, but like I don't be in Memphis for a long ass time. Yeah, I'd be in there for like a couple of days max. So most times it's like two days. And I got multiple people, like my mom and my dad, they stay together, so I might be over there that day. And the next day I'm at um my homie's crib that I basically like grew up with too. And it's just my time is split and don't nobody go anywhere. And I'm used to it. So that's why I said I I would have to actively turn that button on in my head. Like I just get so comfortable there because I'm from there. You know, so and if I'm there for a couple days, I'm I don't really care about going out. And most of the people that I hang out with, they're like, oh, we're gonna meet up at da-da-da play. That's the first plan every single time. It's like, where y'all at? I'm gonna pull up on you. That's the first thing. So it sounds like there's there's nothing outside for them to go outside.
SPEAKER_03It sounds like it, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So that's what I'm saying. It's like it sounds like yeah, you're giving the answer to the game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, probably like all the fire and the the the the gasoline that you need.
What The Grizzlies Mean To Memphis
SPEAKER_03But but but so let's bring it back to LeBron James' comment about uh Memphis moving to Nashville. Yeah, how do you feel about him saying that?
SPEAKER_00Or Memphis Grizzlies, that is I can understand, I can understand from his perspective, and again, this same constant talk about the hotels and the stay and all this from the players in the NBA. I can understand somebody on the outside of Memphis saying, like, bruh, y'all need to go to Nashville. I can understand from their point of view. Being a Memphian though, if you take that away, what like that's one of the biggest things. It's one of the biggest um sense of pride that Memphians have. Like going to the games and stuff like that, you know, I don't went to a few of them and you take that away, it's you taking a lot away from Memphis. So as a Memphian, I wouldn't want that to happen. Because I feel like that would it wouldn't make the city better for sure. Yeah, I I feel like it would be yeah, I um I I don't I don't know which way it would go, but I it ain't better. Yeah, right. So it's gonna go down.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and in what way? I don't know. Like you think the economy like will crash? Of course, there's gonna be a loss of jobs, obviously. Loss of jobs, I feel like because that's a billion dollars.
SPEAKER_00You kind of like taking like again, like that pride thing. Yeah, I feel like you would hurt some of the soul of Memphis taking that shit away. Um yeah, so I all I remember was Memphis having that, you know, and I they came from what Vancouver or something?
SPEAKER_02Exactly.
SPEAKER_00So I don't I don't even remember what that was like before then, right? So yeah, but after that was there and everybody going to the pyramid. I remember the pyramid days, and um um, yeah, and everybody going to the FedEx form. It was like a it's like I don't it's just everybody like go to this thing, it's not like a concert. It's it's it's a very diverse uh collection of of people from Memphis, um, to where everybody can kind of hang out in the same place, type thing. And I don't know, I don't know, I I would not advocate for just being a Memphian, you know, business-wise when it comes to money and billions of dollars and this and that, like I don't know what that is, but you know, I would have to open up my perspective for something like that. But like as somebody from Memphis, I that would be I feel like that would be terrible to take that away from Memphis. Right. How do you feel uh as somebody from Nashville?
SPEAKER_02Like we would love you guys.
Memphis Reputation And New Headlines
SPEAKER_03No, so yeah, so keep in mind that I did live in Memphis for a couple years as a youth. Um, and a lot of what you just said, I totally agree with. Like losing that, that's like losing, you know, the heart of Memphis. Yeah, there's a I mean, that's something, you know, because I was just talking to uh one of my co-workers today, and I was like Memphis, Memphis Grizzlies as an organization, even though they haven't brought a ship, they haven't been all that bad. Like from the from the Gasol, Connolly, Randolph era to the Morant and Um Desmond Bain, all those guys, Jaron Jackson, now they're rebuilding, so a lot only John Morant's really only left. But they was in the playoffs last year and has been consistent through that. There's only been so many lapses to where they was just terrible. Yeah, like they Hashim the Beat era and all that crap. But um, but yeah, so I was like, when you know, when the the height of the John Morant era, I mean, lively, you know what I mean? It brings a new life when the Grizzlies do well. I feel like that uplifts the whole city. You know, everybody exit excited, happy, you know what I mean? You can bond together over this, uh, over the joy of your team doing well for the city. I'm totally for it. Nashville, I don't think it's necessary. I don't think we I don't I think this it moves the needle for Nashville, but it's not significant enough to where of how much the Grizzlies mean to Memphis. Um, so I wouldn't advocate for that. You know, like of course, since I drive, yeah, yeah, I'm it's only going better because I mean there's 82 games of the year, 41 home games. Absolutely, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It would, you know, I'm not I would not want it. It's like essentially like when I watch the Packers play and there's uh a pass interference called um on the Packers, but it wasn't really uh Pass Interference. It's like, yeah, that sucks, but I'm still winning because they missed that call. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's it's it it's it's gonna be unfortunate if that was to indeed happen, but that's something I'm not pushing. I wanted to stay there because of how much it means for that city. And I do love Memphis. Right. Uh despite all the crap I do say. I it's joking, but it's out of love and it's truth. So I want to be real at the end of the day. Um, but yeah, so I think that yeah, I'm not I'm not wishing any of that on that. Uh but so that that brings me to my next question. Um, how do you feel about Memphis as it sits today?
SPEAKER_00Well, that's hard for me to say because I ain't really.
SPEAKER_03Outside looking in your own opinion.
SPEAKER_00Um how it sits today, from what you know. I mean the the the rep is still reping, especially after this pooch-eisty shit. Yeah, oh yeah, yeah. Like I honestly, the uh but like it, you know, it's uh for years. As soon as I say, Oh yeah, I'm from Memphis, you're like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I ain't got no me. It's not fucked with me.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they started taking their uh the little Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Oh I only got$20 on it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But um man, I thought that it was gonna be like a stagnant thing. You're like, oh shit, Memphis. After Pooh Shyste did, or or allegedly, whatever happened. What did he do? Allegedly, Pooh Shyisty is this dude named Big 30 and like a couple of like six other guys or something. Rappers. I don't know, Enterprise. I think Big 30 is a rapper. Yeah, he is. Okay. Um, yeah, they I I think uh uh uh Pooh Shady wanted to get out of his contract. So I guess from from what I read, so I I don't know everything, blah blah blah, but from what I read or what I heard, Pooh Shasti wanted to get out of the contract. Pooh Shysti was in jail, he came out of jail, and I guess he felt like kind of messed over with the business side, and I I don't know what, but he felt that and he wanted to get out of the contract, and I guess clearly Gucci Man was like, nah. And um he said, let's meet up in Dallas. Domain had the ankle monitor on and like everything, and somebody else that that rode up there had their ankle monitor on. Um and they rode up there, whatever, said let's just discuss it. Uh, and Pooh Shysti's dad as well was there. And um from what I read, basically, is you know, uh, it ended up that um Gucci had um I guess some form of a weapon that was kind of like an AK-47 or some shit like that, uh pointed to him and said basically.
SPEAKER_03You say Gucci or Pooh Shysti?
SPEAKER_00Uh uh Pooh Sh was holding it. Oh, okay. Toward Gucci. Gucci man. Okay. Telling him, like, sign this contract to to you know get me off the label. And uh and then robbed him of like of everything he had on. So it's like the earrings, the necklace, the money, and then they proceeded to post all of this the same either the same day or the day after.
SPEAKER_03Who shas you posted it?
SPEAKER_00And the the people who robbed all of them.
SPEAKER_03Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_00All the people that was at the studio then.
SPEAKER_03With with the other uh the guy's jewelry that they stole?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, like everything that they stole, they like posted that shit like it was theirs type shit. Oh, okay. And um, I thought it was it was April the 2nd when all this hit the internet. So I'm like, bro, y'all a day late. Like the April Fools was yesterday. I just knew it was an April Fool's joke. No, this shit happened in January. Yeah, so um, yeah. So after hearing that, and then one of the it's not the best parts, but it's like one of the the the the most monumental parts of all this is that like Pooh Shisey said on record on um on a a song with Gucci Man, uh Gucci Man, everything that he did there, it was literally like on wax where he was talking about like somebody else at the time. This was like maybe a couple years ago or some shit, maybe when he first got signed or some shit like that. But literally everything he said in that record, he did to Gucci Man. And the what I meant by the rep, keep repping, is just like it's like there are some shisty niggas in Memphis, like that, like no question about it. And that shit just crazy. That shit just just crazy to even hear about, and just to to to think that that that that form of kind of going back to uh what people be saying about Memphis and talks up, like that shit real too. So you can't really deny it, and this shit is public, right? You know what I'm saying? So but what I think is happening, I I think Gucci Man ain't gonna say nothing to no to the feds, to the police, nothing. He probably gonna deny every single thing to get all of them back on the streets and then they deal with the shit in a street manner. That's what it's looking like to me, right?
Pooh Shiesty And Gucci Mane Allegations
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so push I see. Do you feel like that was a wise decision? No, okay, so absolutely not.
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah. Okay, yeah, there's there has to be now again. I don't know why per se he would do that. So it had to be something serious enough to rob not anybody but Gucci main. Like, you know something coming after that shit. But like, I don't know. Like as soon as you hear about it, you'd be like, damn, that shit was stupid as fuck. Like, why the why y'all y'all y'all all y'all had your angle monitor on? That's why the level of I don't give a fuck was like there. Like there was no question about that. So um, I don't know. I I just I I hope that I don't even know what I hope. That shit just sounds like it's not gonna end well for somebody.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00I don't know who, but yeah, that shit don't sound like it's gonna it's it's gonna have a happy ending.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I'm curious on how bad your contract gotta be when all your homies, it was like seven, eight of them, yeah all together, and nobody had a bright idea and say, This is not how it goes.
SPEAKER_00You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Even the daddy was in it. Yeah, yeah. So I'm saying, yeah, so you everybody in your group that was a guy say, hey, bring they print out a document from like FedEx Kinkos or whatever. Facts Kinko's. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00They stopped that Staples Center.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah, exactly, staples or whatever, and printed out a document and told Gucci Man to sign it to release him. Uh yeah, and pointed a gun at him. And yeah, yeah. So when people went through the plan, they was like, okay, so this you can literally just point a gun and they sign it, and we were free of the contract. I'll just do this with everything. Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. I'll just, you know, show that I am uh yeah, Shig Knight in them. You know what I mean? So that is kind of shows the level of intelligence. I I didn't want to believe that at first. Like on everything. I didn't believe none of that. No, I'm I'm not talking about the the like I didn't want to, I wanted to believe Pooh Shisey was smarter than this. Yeah, like I think that he's very his music is good, he's very creative, creative in his his wordplay, his flow is just natural, it's cold. Like I even heard his uh when he was in jail, he was spitting for like seven, eight minutes, and it was real, it was really good. And he's just talking about his experience and how he's rhyming scheming. I just wait, I just knew his IQ is higher than that. I also I still want to somewhat believe it because we all are capable of being outside of ourselves when we're furious, like when we're absolutely we're not thinking about long-term consequences because we want to settle it right here, right now. So I'm like, I want to see this contract. Yeah, yeah, because you got your label mate with you robbing them too. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Whoever showed you the contract and explained it or whatever you read, it had to be pissed poor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause it it just that is the only acceptable answer. Otherwise, if he just wanted to be like hoe them and be like, hey, I am who I say I am, slically, I don't want to be held by no, you know, this contract in general, then this this was a terrible, dumb, really dumb move. So I want to believe that, but the only reason why I was like, it has to be like um a level of stupidity because you drove six hours and nothing in your mind's like, bruh, I I ain't gotta do this. You know what I mean? Like I think he was already there. No, he they drove, they drove a Hellcat.
SPEAKER_00No, I think people, uh people um that pulled up drove. I think he was already in Dallas under house arrest.
SPEAKER_03I don't know if that's how that went, but because uh they was talking about how they drove from uh Memphis to Dallas and they took a Hellcat and a truck.
SPEAKER_00No, that is true. Um but I'm saying I think Shisey was already in Dallas. Okay, listen like he had a residence or he he he stayed there.
SPEAKER_03Regardless of how who was there and where was what, you still had the time frame to say how it moved.
SPEAKER_00There were there were many factors and many hours and planning into this. Yeah that even down to the y'all went to the staple center to to print off the contract.
SPEAKER_03Exactly. And then then you get give the contract to Gucci Man. He tells you, you know, this is not how this goes, right? There's lawyers involved. Uh somebody said, man, sign that shit with that shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then he he takes the contract, show his dad. He like, this is a good dad. He didn't date it. He done it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's yeah, yeah. I'm not gonna lie. They choked the man out, they got the next from that. They they they said the people because those are also security slash off-duty police officers, right? There's like we didn't pull our guns because we were uh we were overpowered with their weaponry, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we wasn't gonna pull our pistol when they got Draco with the drums. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. So they said they put them on knees, held them down. There's like we thought they was gonna shoot us execution stuff. Facts. Yeah, yeah. I will say and they took Gucci Man's weather ring. Yeah, the weather ring was big as fuck. I mean, yeah, I mean it's Gucci Man.
SPEAKER_00Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They took that shit and uh oh my god, like there's no way this could end. If they get out, there's no way this ends well. Yeah, there's no way. I like what can you that what apology? What and them niggas definitely ain't gonna apologize. But I'm just saying, like, if if everything could go right to have a good ending, like what what what would that even be? Yeah, I mean there's nothing that could be done at this point to reconcile that shit.
Contracts Court Risks And Street Logic
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I mean, you could uh apologize publicly and uh pay him with interest, that could help. Nobody died, by the way. So I think that would be a resolvable make a public apology. Hey, Gucci man, I am extremely sorry for my my behavior and how I I handle the situation. And that's how you can say it, because you apologize publicly, you have to say, hey, I'm apologize for robbing your ass publicly. You're not gonna say it like that. But uh, but and then it's like, hey, I am going to this is for like the level of compensation I should give, plus more. Somebody took the wedding ring. I don't I don't think it's give it back and pay him more than what he lost, that is a settable beef between the two. He's like, hey, I wasn't I wasn't grown enough to handle that. Because Gucci, Gucci talked about like I used to rob, I used to steal. Right. You know what I mean? So I understand the level of it. Facts, facts, facts. So I've heard Gucci Man's talked about how what he used to do. Yeah. So if if if somebody robs me and makes me whole again, and then pays me on top of that, I I'll be less inclined to kill you. Right, right, right. Yeah, yeah. So that's me personally. It's like, hey, he he he showed he uh put his pride aside to publicly apologize. That somewhat brings back my level of reputation. Maybe it might, you know, maybe some it may lessen a little bit, but it does help when you know when somebody offends you and apologize for it. And then you getting more than what you lost. That is a compromise that it's not worth Gucci sending his henchmen to die and possibly get, you know, charges based off of that and go back to jail too. Because he was went to prison for years as well. Facts. He ain't going back. Exactly. So I think that would be the way. Do I think it's happened? Hell no. These these are starting to feel like low-level IQ niggas. So if that's the case, then that's not even going to be a decision in their mind to do. Right. Yeah, because there was no there is no, I mean, he to this is feels like a broke man's move. Which yeah, because you're taking things that are of value and then you're freeing yourself of your contract. It just feels like, hey, he was struggling. Whatever he didn't. I I and I feel like that can't be, it doesn't feel right to me. Because first day of Diddy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. They had to do something. They had to put some type of money in your pocket. I don't know. I have no idea. Yeah. Because I mean, even with Gucci man, he had interviews saying he can't wait for Pooh Shice to get out. So while he was in jail, he at least Gucci felt like there was some level of hey, you know, companionship there. Yeah, yeah. Something. So I I don't know exactly what went wrong or what conversation was had or what he felt like needed to be done, but it just everything feels like off base a little bit. It's like there's gotta be more to this story. There's gotta be more to this story. Yeah, and it and this is another point of the circle of people around you. It's like either everybody's literally low-level IQ to where they're not thinking, or they don't know of possible solutions, but nobody's thought to say, hey, this you're on house arrest, you're on probation right now. If you go rob somebody personally, they can give you the book. Is whatever you're trying to free yourself of, the money that you're trying to get from this, worth the risk worth spending the rest of your life in jail. Because you're making money right now, you're rich right now. So let's think of a better long-term plan than this. Like, hey, maybe we need to get money from this album, all right, but now we can recoup, lay low, and then you know, negotiate on the next album or something. There's there was a better move at play than this one. Oh, yeah, yeah. Obviously. Obviously, right? But nobody had the wisdom to step up and say, hey, this is not good.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. From what I'm hearing, I still think they they're gonna get out somehow. Maybe at first I was like, oh, it's over. Maybe it's completely over. But now I'm hearing they don't have they they see a bag, but like they don't have it on camera that somebody's holding anything. Okay.
SPEAKER_03All right, so let's continue. So yeah, but they also have the eyewitness testimony from off-duty police officers. Okay, yeah.
SPEAKER_00So I mean, they're they're they're gonna be able to do that.
SPEAKER_03They also have jewelry on Instagram of them wearing the items that they stole.
SPEAKER_00This is what I'm saying. I mean, I don't again, I I I thought that too. But there are other stuff coming out that where they're finding loopholes Gucci is not like you he might as well not even show up.
SPEAKER_03But guess what? Gucci wasn't the person he doesn't have to be rough. Right, he wasn't the only one. That got robbed. Yeah, yeah. They there's other people cooperating. Yeah, so it doesn't have to be Gucci. This was an exec level meeting. Yeah, yeah. So Gucci wasn't the only rich person there. It wasn't just his niggas that he got from the trap. He's with business men.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Yeah, I didn't know uh fully. Gucci Man is an executive with his own record label. Yeah, he it he's a a husband and a father right now. Right. Yeah, yeah. He, if you've heard his recent story and how it's changed, he doesn't have those same people he around when he had that big old pot belly. Right. Yeah, yeah. It ain't just his niggas and them. These are actually level-headed, you know, business move people that's gonna be around on a daily basis. Because that's what you need to be successful. You can't just have your homies it you can have your homies from the hood, but they better have elevated with you. Uh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah. So this, so they're gonna have people who's gonna cooperate. Gucci doesn't need to. That's why so he can he can keep it street all he wants because he gets that off-duty police officer that is a police officer himself. So he's gonna give his testimony. So, yeah, there's going to be wins in court. Some things they won't be able to prove. Yeah, some of the camera, they may not have the the camera of them actually Robin, even though I heard that they got it on camera of him saying I release push I see on the contract.
SPEAKER_00Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So if that's the case, if that's airdrop, you know, they Apple can be suspoena and maybe have to deliver on the video because a lot of things are saved in the cloud, and they it if it deletes, it doesn't actually truly delete.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So there's a lot of things that he uh battles he got to fight. So I wonder, yeah, yeah. So I mean, regardless, even if he wins, you're you're rep I mean it may you may seem like a um like a real one and it may elevate your rap status. Yeah, but guess what you just did?
SPEAKER_00You Who's gonna sign you now type shit? Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Um yeah, if you're just gonna rob your executive at a con to release you because you don't want to be legally binding to something, then why as me put money into that? So now you gotta operate independently with your homies, and y'all gotta figure it out on top of your legal battle. And guess what? You're not going to be independent. Oh, why do you say that? Why would Gucci Man release him from his contract? I think that's the Because he's still legally binding to Gucci Man.
SPEAKER_00Well, I I I I I heard or or read somewhere that that might be the play. What? I could be wrong. I think it's alleged information of it's two ways to go about it. It's either like he says that I could be wrong, but uh from what I heard, it was something like he either says that all this happened and he keeps him under the contract, and Shysti goes to jail, and he just keeps making money off shisty to that shit stop or whatever. Or two, he says this shit didn't happen, and then I think the contract has to end or some shit like that, and then he can get out, or so, or like when he gets out, it's something about like the contract is dissolved or something something.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that I don't believe whatever.
SPEAKER_00It was it was some I can't remember if it was like fucking Vlad or anybody.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that doesn't sound like that clause exists. Because usually people can be held and bound by their, you know, by their um the the record label be and be contractually obligated and the record label won't let them release anything. Yeah, so and they shelve them. Shelving is a thing. And I don't think that given how he had pushai handled this situation, that he was like, bruh, there's a clause in this that somehow my lawyer wrote in that if I do this thing, then it won't be legally blinding anymore. No, you're you're still you're still most likely contractually obligated to be under Gucci Man's record label. And guess what? He has your control now. And guess what? If you thought you were gonna get out of it, why would it? Now you hurt his reputation, you stole from him, and yeah, yeah. So why would he so why would we have any incentive to help you or assist you anyway, even if it betters Gucci Man? I wouldn't. Because now you're gonna pay for real. Now you're gonna have the consequences and repercussions of what your actions done, and you're gonna sit in it, and you may be and you gotta fight a legal battle on top of that. So you got your own criminal battle and this contractual obligation. Gucci may fight toot and nail to make sure he doesn't get any money. So now you're in jail. You can't even pay your legal fees, possibly. And if you're in jail, how are you gonna feed your family for real? Yeah, yeah. So it's it's a losing.
SPEAKER_00I don't think he wants him in jail.
SPEAKER_03We we don't know. We're guessing. Right, right. Regardless, you're in a he doesn't have to you, you you don't have to want him to jail or not. You still got outweigh this testimony and other people, yeah, yeah. He may not, but the police officer who he robbed.
SPEAKER_00He's gotta get out of here.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So it doesn't matter what Gucci Man wants. It's about they the FBI is filing charges.
SPEAKER_00What the fuck?
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00See what it says.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so everything in this situation is a lose lose for you. I don't see besides your reputation of being a real one, if that means the utmost, that's as about as the upside you'll get. Because I don't because even if you win criminally, which is beastlin to none. It truly is. Yeah, you have wins in battle, and everything may not be admissible in course, but you you're really fighting it, fighting it for real. I don't I don't it's like Diddy. When if you go back to watching our uh the Diddy videos, I was like, they don't I I I said verbatim, the prosecution is fighting with their hands tied behind the back because you're you can't even bring up the true people, the true power, the true criminals into your case. So you there's a lot of things you can't even bring in for real. So I was like, they I think gooch, I I thought that he wouldn't even face any time. Uh-huh. And it would just be, if anything, prostitution charges, which I think is BS. Because who really no, you know what I mean? Prostitutes repent, nobody needs three years for that. You don't get it ever. So um, but this is I feel the complete opposite. I was like, I mean, they have so much you can get locked up strictly off of eyewitness testimony alone. Yeah, yeah. Not yeah, yeah. It may have been Gucci man and eight others, but you still have that eight others. You still was present, you still had pictures of your the jewelry that you wore. Yeah, so how did you get that? That everybody let you borrow the jewelry, but now they're claiming you stole it.
SPEAKER_00So even if Gucci is like, nah, I gave him mine, there's still other people that are not gonna say that. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Or he can just not say anything. Well, and just well, he if he gets subpoenaed, he gets subpoenaed. But um, but yeah, so and then every all the pictures on top of that, you stopping at Staples, why'd you stop at Staples or you go to Gucci? Why'd y'all all come down here? What was he? Why was he needed? Why was he needed? Uh you know what I mean? Yeah, and then you already got a criminal record. So that criminal record gets presented, yeah, yeah. And it testifies on what you've already done that you get process that you already got um filed against you before. So it it is just a complete failure. I don't get it. It's yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But see, I think I would not necessarily what I was about to say, I would understand more. Not that I agree or whatever, but if it was just a yeah, just going back to it's gotta be like way more to this story that would make somebody like for sure, like, nah, we're gonna do this. And then hours pass by, and then we like, nah, we still gonna do this. And then you you riding with the ankle monitor and like nah, we still gonna do this. Yeah, like there's gotta be something, there's gotta be way more to this story that people are because why? Why would you do that? Yeah, it's just that FDO is going stupid. Yeah, that whole guy, how much the FDO got on YouTube?
SPEAKER_03And and so I I agree. It's like it's so simple-minded, it's almost unbelievable. Facts.
SPEAKER_00I didn't think definitely didn't think it was true for real. FDO got 50 million.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And how many months? For a rap three.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_00For a rap record. That's that's a true like gut of it.
SPEAKER_03I mean, yeah, I mean, yeah, yeah, for sure. And then now, I mean, he got some huge following. And yeah, and then not only that, he had that snippet with with Gro Rilla, and that song sounded hard. Uh-huh. Yeah, I was like, bruh, he about to go crazy. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah. But if this is what you're doing, and you just got out of jail. Like, they know call me that.
SPEAKER_00There had to be something.
SPEAKER_03It wasn't even six months, was it? No, because FDO is first day out, three months. So he may, it may have been six months.
SPEAKER_02Uh let's see.
SPEAKER_03That's like you like jail that much that you don't care to go back. That's where I'm that's where my mind, like, you ain't never like jail was never on your mind. You really was banking, you was really banking on Gucci being a real one and he didn't and he wouldn't snitch. You just rob it, and it would that's really what you was banking on. It just doesn't make sense.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. October 2025. Yeah. Yep. And then yeah, father to be moved to jail. Yeah, I think his daddy's coming out set for that. Okay, so six. Oh, yeah. When are they going to court? Yeah.
Final Thoughts And Sign Off
SPEAKER_02But yeah. Following the robbery. Okay, I think we wrap, but we're good. We we we did it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I was wondering when he was Yeah, I see it's like, hey, it's like, it's not even about what we talk about. It's like you're just curious yourself. Let me read this real quick.
SPEAKER_00No, I was wondering when when um when they're going to to to to to court, like when you know, when all that shit is happening. That's crazy. Yeah. I really wonder how that shit's gonna go. Right. But but kidnapping Gucci Man is like wild. I never thought I would have heard that. Unless it's like somebody on the caliber of Gucci Man. Right, yeah. Like a I don't know, like a G-Z type person, just uh somebody that's in a game like super long, not even rapper, but somebody with a whole bunch of street cred and maybe Cinder henchmen and shit like that, but not like a young nigga, just like, nah, we're gonna get Gucci Man.
SPEAKER_02The Gucci Man. Yeah, right. But yeah, it's we ran up on an hour now. Oh yeah. Yeah, yeah. So we good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. All right. Well, this is two for the culture. We love y'all. We'll be back. We'll be back.