Jordan Rose On How Complex Create's Their Lists, Drake's "Iceman", NBA Youngboy, Live From The Pit

On todays episode of the Frequency With Gabe P, Jordan Rose from Complex steps into the pod fresh off Complex's Hip-Hop Media Power Ranking: The 2026 Edition list. While the list has been a hot topic of debate the last few weeks Jordan come through to the pod to break down how the list is created by the entire team over at the publication. The accomplished journalist also shares behind the scenes of some of his biggest moments at Complex including his famous NBA Youngboy interview in Utah. 

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Yep, welcome back to the Frequency We're Gay P a show. Well, Frequency at on the radar. Where I just like to interview some incredible people, artists, just people who I think are really dope. Today I got my brother in the building. It's gonna be a very good episode. The one of the only Jordan Rose in the building. What's up, my G? Sir, my dog, I am appreciative. A pivotal person in the culture right now. And just in general, peripheral. Just a great, a great writer, a great person, incredible host.

SPEAKER_00 0:26

Man, thank you, bro. I'm I'm glad to be in this new, very nice, expensive looking space. Is it look exp is it expensive looking? No, it it feels because there's so much thought and attention to detail put into it, it feels expensive. You know, I'm just I'm glad to be here, man. This is fun. Yeah, man.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

We got a lot to talk about today. We were gonna do this before Iceman came out, but I think it it like it worked out. We both got our cups, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 0:53

You know, you know, like it's it's like what 80 degrees in the city?

SPEAKER_01 0:57

It's 80 degrees on a Monday. I'm probably gonna flip this quickly because I it's very timely what we're talking about. Yeah. But 80 degrees on Monday, we're we're drinking something, we're having a good time, you know what I'm saying? And I'm excited because I finally get to like, I feel like you don't get to, you're always on the other side of doing the interviews. You know what I'm saying? So like I feel like people don't people know you from like Twitter and shit, but they don't really know Jordan yet, you know. Because you haven't really done a lot of like interviews, like you haven't been interviewed that much.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

I have not. I have not. This is definitely one of the first, so I'm glad it's with you. And yeah, I mean, it's funny because, yeah, since I'm an interviewer, yeah, it is different and interesting to be on the other side of it. But you your experience also doing the interviewing and being the interviewer, so yeah, you're the man for the job.

SPEAKER_01 1:38

Thank you, man. Thank you, man. Well, I think like it was funny because we're we hung out here for like an hour before we got started, but like something that you were talking about, even with my friends, that I thought was very interesting. It's like you wouldn't be able to tell that you had like a speech impediment growing up, yeah, yeah. And like, because just the way that you're that you're so great in these interviews and great on these shows on complex, you wouldn't know that you like had like this whole issue when you were younger. Yeah. So what what were you so what happened when you were a kid?

SPEAKER_00 2:03

What was kind of like what was going on? Yeah, so yeah. When I was young, I had like a very slight stutter. So it had to have been like fourth grade or fifth grade, my mom put me in oratory classes where we would memorize speeches and then recite them in front of our class, and it would help us uh get over whatever slight speech speech impediment we had, um, and also be able to be like a better public speaker. So through that I got into just really that's why I'm good at like memorizing lyrics now, and like I memorize or learned song lyrics really quickly because I used to memorize speeches all the time and then also help my public speaking. It was from like there that like I used to write poetry, then I like started to like perform my poetry, and then I realized my poems were getting super long, so I was like, I should just write an essay out of this, and that's how I got into writing in the first place was just creatively writing my thoughts out that were too long for poems, and here we are now, kinda, kinda, kinda yeah, because like after that it was like oh yeah, I was at Complex, I started out as a writer. Um, still I'm a writer, but like I was just writing when I first started at Complex, and um as time progressed and you know, media habits changed, we realized we needed more on-camera people to interview. And when I interviewed artists, I even if it was just written, I would always approach it as you know, I I wouldn't approach it any differently. So when they were like, Okay, we're just gonna put a camera in front of y'all, it didn't change my approach to how I would talk to somebody, yeah. And so it was never like a thing, and that's how it was kind of like a seamless transition into on-camera content, and then going back to those early oratory days, it helped that I was able to speak publicly or I was able to speak without being, you know, fearful of cameras or people perceiving me, and it it was kind of like a full circle moment in that, and helped me seamlessly transition into just like on-camera stuff, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Well, how do you even like well do because being on camera doing the public speaking is one thing, but then also kind of like dealing with other personalities and like you know, interviewing artists specifically? It's not like you're interviewing other personalities where it's kind of like simple to kind of like talk. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like with us, it's like it's simple to talk because we one know each other, but also it's just like artists have like depending on the artists, they have like always a thing about them, you know what I'm saying? So, like, how did you kind of get over like that hump with speaking to artists too and kind of becoming comfortable? Like, you know, like you were very comfortable with the game, yeah, and the new show that you guys just dropped, and you know, even like with like Molly or Georgie, like you know, those are two interviews I I really mess with. You were very comfortable with them. Like, how do you become or how do you become comfortable in those situations? And I guess like how do you also become comfortable in the situations where like you're speaking to people who like you admire too?

SPEAKER_00 4:52

Yeah, that's a good one. You know, I think to something our brother Speedy once told me, shout out to Speedy. Shout out to Speedy. He told me, like, when you're interviewing people, approach it like you're giving a tour of a house, and because you did the research prior to you know what each room is, but for your audience, you want to you want to guide the the tour and not the guest. So it's like if we're talking about, you know, let's say we're starting an interview out with your early childhood, and the guest wants to jump ahead to like something that they're currently doing, you want to still maintain control of this tour. So it's like before you jump ahead to showing them the kitchen, we're gonna stay at this room and then go to this next room and this next room, so that you are revealing things at your pace for your audience about them because both you and them know this entire house, but for the content and for what we're trying to like reveal and inform our audience about, you want to take it step by step. So that was one nugget that I always think about, but also I just feel like I prepare really, really well whenever I'm interviewing anybody, so it's like I like to find deep cut facts or things that make the artist know that I give a fuck. I think it's important because you know, we live in an era where everybody is making content, and I think in general, it makes a person feel nice when you can tell that they spent more than X amount of time looking into you a little bit. Yeah. Especially artists who are like might be doing a press run, so they're doing a hundred interviews in a week, and you want to kind of separate yourself in that way, and like for like those interviews that you named, like Molly and Georgiana. I interviewed them like early on-ish in their careers. Yeah, like Molly's was like right when she was starting to get some like out of the underground buzz. Was it like pre-dontor or post-dontor? Pre-dontor. Pre-dontor, okay. So this is like, you know, yeah, like she was probably two years, almost two years ago. Yeah, about two years ago. So it was like, yeah, very end of 2024. Yeah, and so she was just getting some buzz. Georgiana was just starting to get some buzz. Um, and those are fun because you're able to talk to somebody when they haven't been asked a hundred questions. The game is a different challenge because he's someone who's been in the round for super long. Yeah, so you have to kind of approach that, you get it, like differently. Like, what can I ask you for for that? Yeah, so you have to kind of think outside the box, even box, even looking at questions that they've been asked before and finding a different angle to it, or finding something that they hadn't revealed out of an answer that they gave to another question. Yeah, that's kind of how I approach interviews with artists who've been around longer. But yeah, I mean, I think it's just kind of being curious ultimately. Yeah. And that's kind of the approach for everybody, whether they're new or been around for a minute.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

Have you ever said no because you couldn't like come up with something that you felt was good enough? Yeah, yeah, like, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:54

Cause you get it. It's like if you there's everybody has motion when you are on a platform or have built a platform. Hey guys. Hi, Nikki. It's okay, we chat. But like when you build the platform, yeah. Yeah, when you build a platform or you're on a platform that is established and like a lot of people want to come on it, so it their discernment, I feel like, is the biggest part of my job in the sense of like people who I don't interview, I are not because they're not popping. It's more just like, what can I add to the conversation? And if I don't feel like I can add anything, or if you aren't gaining anything from this interaction besides like being on complex, I'm I personally won't do it. Because it's just like that aspect of it, I don't think I think it loses the purpose of what this is for, which is like one of my old mentors used to say, any interview you do, people should either learn from it or laugh from it. If they do both, A plus, you did a great job. If you did at least one, still a good job. So it's like if I can't make you learn from something that we're talking about, like learn about this person or about their craft or approach to music, or make you laugh from our conversation, then L, you know what I mean? So, yeah.

unknown 9:15

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

No, I understand that. I feel like even with me getting back into this, doing interviews and kind of what I started doing, like it's kind of like I've already been approached to do certain interviews with certain artists, and I've literally just been like, I don't know what I could add to this conversation.

SPEAKER_00 9:29

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 9:30

Like, like mostly like legacy artists, because I feel like my specialty is obviously well I could I could do legacy artists, but like my specialty is obviously like the new the newer artists just because like I feel like I have more in common with them, which as I'm sure you feel the same way. And it's like it's tough because like if you get something like the game or or like I don't know, I'm trying to think of like who would be like a more like a not S tier, but would kind of like fit it right in that middle tier. Like, even like like homie big Sean. Yeah, like I don't really know what I would ask like like when he came to OTR, we talked for like an hour, like an hour, but like we didn't really like we didn't interview, we were just chatting about like cat cash and like what he likes, and I think that could make for compelling um content, but like also like outside of that, I like I don't know what I would talk to him about, you know what I'm saying? Because I don't want to ask, you know, like you said, you don't want to ask somebody shit that they've been asked like a million times, you know, which is always what I find an interesting when like or cool when like someone like when like a Vlad or like a Joe will get like a story out of somebody, yeah, that you'll be like, oh wow, like he's never told that story yet. That's kind of surprising he never told that story yet. Like, and I and I always admire that. I'm like, damn, how did you get that out of them?

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Well, I can't lie, that's what I like about your content because I feel like you get those stories out of these rising and up-and-comers because you have such a natural and close relationship with them that's also the familiarity y'all have with similar regions, like when someone from the towns comes through and y'all are telling a story, and it's like something that you can infer on if they mention something and you're like, oh yeah, like you have a follow-up question for them because you're familiar with the area that they're talking about or the story that they're telling based on other stories you already know from just like lived experience. And that's some shit that you can't teach or uh even learn outside of living, which I think separates a lot of interviewers who like not just shit on anybody who like you know is super like book trained or whatever, but it's like there's certain things that I feel like you even look at like the OGs like Sway, yeah, who like he started out like street team on the ground, outside everywhere. And so when you then look at his interviews later down the line, he's able to tell stories or like riff off other stories because he was also there. Like if he's interviewing fucking Common, and Common's talking about a festival he did in like 2003. Uh Sway will be like, Oh yeah, facts. Cause like I remember also being there and seeing this, and what was your experience also seeing like shit like that that you cannot teach? You just have to be there for.

SPEAKER_01 12:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 12:04

You know, and I think you do a great job at that.

SPEAKER_01 12:06

Oh, thank you, bro. Likewise. But like kind of bringing it back a little bit, we're talking about like starting out, right? And we we covered like, you know, you your the speech impediment, how you kind of got over that. How does like how do you go, you know, you you mentioned the poetry and everything you were doing and starting your writing, but how do you like, you know, first like get started at complex? Because like, you know, I think like the the and I think we all agree here, like the complex, like 10 years ago, like that was like kind of like the golden beginning of complex, you know, with Speedy, yeah, you know, like Hot Ones, and um, I'm trying to remember everybody's name. Um Jinx. Yes, with Jinx, Jason from the deska. Like it was so many new new young faces at that time. And you and I, I believe, are like a year or two apart. So we were all we were both kind of like kids at that time watching this all unfold. So where were you? What like how did the complex journey start for you? And then, like, at like what point were they like, all right, you're a cool writer, but you should start like hosting shit too.

SPEAKER_00 12:59

Yeah, facts. I mean, for me, I was, you know, it's kind of like that cliche story. Like, I was an intern. I remember when the internship program was released, and it was like that like movie-like intern thing where it was like, okay, in a creative way, tell us why you should be an intern. You could bake a cake, you could paint a picture, you could do whatever out-of-the-box creative shit you want to do. It was like this most informal thing, but just in a creative way, tell us why you should be uh with the company. And like I didn't have a cre like I didn't have all none of those unique talents. Like, I can't like paint or like bake or make a song, or I didn't have any of those unique talents. So it's like, what can I do to make myself stand out? And back to like my fucking early beginnings of like doing slam poetry and shit. It's like, okay, I can talk. So like let me write a spoken word piece and record myself doing it and like edit it as best as I can with like my remedial editing skills, and so it was called um simple. And essentially, the concept was we understand things relative to what they're not. So you're only short because you're not tall, it's only hot because it's not cold, and it's only complex because it's not simple. So then I just used that play on words to talk about how I'm not simple in the same way that complex is not simple, and like highlighting whatever like things I had done at up until that point when I was in college. And they fucked with that, thankfully. And I was an intern and literally grinded that entire summer. Lived, I was still in Jersey, I'm from Jersey, lived in Jersey, was coming to the city every single day, and after the internship program had ended, I never forget. Like, I finessed my way for everybody like watching who's like incorporated all, like, yeah, I finessed my way into staying in the company slack. Me too.

SPEAKER_01 14:55

That was the slack, I just stayed in the building. They never turned my card off.

SPEAKER_00 14:58

But yeah, that was the key. Like, I stayed in the slack. So even though I had to go back, because I was a sophomore when I was an intern, I had to go back to school. But since I was still in the slack, I didn't have to DM, I didn't have to email or DM people to get in contact with them. I would just slack pitches every single day. I would slack. Shout out to Frazier Tharp, who just interviewed Jay-Z. Shout out Frazier. I fuck with Frazier. Was my OG when I was an intern. And so Frazier remembers this. I would slack Frazier a pitch at least three times a week. Like story ideas. So whatever. Grinding, grinding, grinded, eventually came on full time at Complex as a writer. And then as media habits changed, and they were like, okay, like we need people to start doing more on-camera content, um, and still write, but just do more on camera stuff. I just raised my hand. I was just always willing to do it, do stuff, and I wasn't afraid of getting in front of a camera because when I would interview artists, we would talk as if there was a camera there or not. Like the way I interview people now, it's like I like to start conversation and then like we'll do the slate and cameras will start rolling, but we'll just already be talking. Because like, you know, this especially with young artists or like people who are like apprehensive to cameras. If you do, if you make it seem like it's too much of a like program, they're gonna get like closed off. So I like to make it like we're already talking, we're already talking. I'll do my intro, but like we're just keep talking to me.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

Yeah, I'll probably start talking to them at least like 20 minutes. Like how we just hung out here and we're just chit-chatting, like exactly I like talking to people before I start shooting because then like they get comfortable with you and they're like, oh, he's not like an op. Like this isn't an op.

SPEAKER_00 16:38

This isn't like this like this, you know, very uh orchestrated thing. Like, no, this is just a conversation, and that's what I think all interviews are. It's just a conversation that I'm naturally and organically trying to learn something about you, right? And so it's like that's how I want the interviews to come off. And so that's how I kind of got into doing on-camera stuff at Complex, and then just like you know, put the pedal to the metal, grind it, grind it, grind it, grind it, and here we are now for real.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Now, these last few years have been crazy, but before I kind of get to like some of the people that you've spoken to, who's the first person that they ever made you do the on-camera content with? Damn, that's a good question. Um like the first artist that you interviewed for them on camera?

SPEAKER_00 17:21

The first artist I interviewed on camera might have been oh, it was Jim Jones. It was Capo. It was Capo. Oh no, it's Capo Dante. Why you got that face like that, bro? It was it was a Dipset member. It was it was a member of Dipset. That's crazy. Um, and this was around the time they were promoting something. Actually, you know what? No, no, no. Cut that. No, it was actually um, it was um what's her name? Oh my god. Singer, rapper. No, it was a collective. So we had done a special like uh artist to watch thing with a collective of women artists, and it was Scarlip, Kenzo B, Maya the Dine. I remember this. Yes, it was like and I want to say there was a fourth one, but yeah, see if the Oh oh oh and uh Lola and Lola.

SPEAKER_01 18:24

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

So it was like those four. This was like what early 23, maybe late 22. I think late 20, yeah, right. Yeah, maybe late 2022. This is like when Lola was like having her super buzz. Yep. Scar had just been discovered, Kenzo obviously had always been around.

SPEAKER_01 18:40

Maya had selfie.

SPEAKER_00 18:41

Yeah, I remember I also referenced Kenzo's on the radar freestyle when she did it over Dreams and Nightmares. Yeah, because that was that one was so crazy. Kenzo's the truth. Shout out Kenzo's. Yeah, and so we were just like highlighting like the women of New York and like the moment they were having at that point, and that was like the first real like with the whole camera crew and multiple cameras. That was the first super, super real on-camera interview I did. I did some other things like shot an iPhone and like super quick stuff, but that was like the first actual setup that I had done. And it was fun. I was definitely a little nervous just because it was like a whole bunch going on, but I was still trying to keep it casual. Because I think like, yo, ultimately at the end of the day, dog, like we are talking to people. Like, yes, like millions of people are watching what we do, but in the room, it's like five motherfuckers, you know what I'm saying? Like, I remember when we did the verses, like with Apple Music for the first time at ComplexCon this past year, and it was me and Ebro doing it for the uh cash money versus no limit, and like mad people were watching it, but our setup was very simple. So, like, I didn't I wasn't nervous even though it was live, because it's like yo, just peel the curtain back. We talk to people for a living. This is not the this is not do or die right now, you know what I'm saying? And I think that's important to like obviously what we do is important, but also not taking it overly serious, yeah, is important, you know?

SPEAKER_01 20:10

Yeah, I agree. Because if you take it too seriously, it's just kind of like now it's weird because we're just in a we're just in a little tiny room. Most people think like the rooms that we do these content pieces in are like giant, like grand rooms. Like, nah, we just in like a little corner of like a of like a room and with nice chairs. With nice chairs, a good like some good lights, and food, like even like the like, I mean, I've never been to like the versus set, but I'm assuming it was kind of like complex con, it's just like a little room, probably.

SPEAKER_00 20:33

Yeah, no, the complex con one was literally backstage of the verses. So it's so it's like not even a room. It's like just backstage. We did it, we stood up, we had the cameras, and that was it. And it's like this, these things that like a whole bunch of people watch. Yes, of course, some of these things are like very highly produced. Yeah, but a lot of the times, dog, yeah, the best content doesn't have to be highly produced, it could just be like good vibes, good conversation. That's all it takes. Like some of the best interviews I've done or the best moments I've gotten were shown on an iPhone at like a carpet, or like running up on like pulling up on a homie at a pop-up. You know what I mean? It's like it don't people always look at us crazy when we go to the Grammys and we have our iPhones because we don't bring like big ass cameras because it's harder to export content. It's way easier, and you have the same video quality shooting on your phone and getting it up immediately, and like we're next to like fucking CBS or whatever, like traditional media outlet, and they have their whole camera set up, which is like no shade to them, but it's like yo, we can get the we can have the same conversation with our setup, you know.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

I'm saying looking at y'all crazy on those on those red carpets all the time.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

I have this funny photo of like one of my uh homies who used to be our social editor, shout to Stefan, and he was in like the photo pit, yeah, and we were getting video content. Obviously, like when you're getting photography, you need like the real cameras, but we're getting just video clips of concerts, and it's like him with his iPhone like this, and like a live. Of like photographers with like their long scopes, and it's just him like this with it, like getting I don't, I think it might have been like a dream build fest or some shit like that. Um, but it's just funny, you know, because it's like yo, get it how you live, bro. Get it how you fucking live. Like media is changing so much. You have to be willing. I think that's how I've also been able to like last as long as I have pause. It's like I will we you have to be adaptable. If I was a writer that didn't want to get on camera because of whatever, I know some writers like turn their nose up at social video content. There's a lot of writers that do that. I wouldn't have a job. I would not have a job if I was unwilling to talk on camera. You know what I mean? And like I embrace it and I enjoy it because I like having conversations with people. So you just can't be, you know, narrow in your mindset of what content has to look like. And like also, we're talking about red carpets, like you have like a very infamous red carpet moment.

SPEAKER_01 22:58

Which one? Which the one with Kai. Oh, oh, facts. Oh, facts, facts, facts, facts, facts. I feel bad for you because like obviously, like whatever happened, happened. Like, I'm not gonna talk about that situation, right? But like Shout out to Chris, yeah, shout out to Chris. Yeah, shout out to Chris. Shout out to Chris for real. But like when he like pressed you, I'm like, I'm like, I'm a man, I feel bad because like Jordan's is like trying to do his job. He's not the one who messed up. Like, and then he's like, he's like, he's like, I forgot what he said. He's like, he said something like that. You know what y'all did? Yeah, he's like, bro, it's not like yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:32

I mean, bro, shit like that, bro, it's like you gotta like I really I know now after like doing it for a little bit. Like, sometimes you have to fall on the sword of like, yes, because I work for complex, even like when I go to places, people will be like, oh, complex. That's not my fucking name. My my name my name is Jordan.

SPEAKER_01 23:48

Don't you hate that?

SPEAKER_00 23:48

I hate it.

SPEAKER_01 23:49

They'd be like, yo, on the radar. I'm like, yo, bro, that's not my fucking name.

SPEAKER_00 23:52

It's like one of my biggest pet peeves. Whoever's watching, like, I love everybody who pulls up and shows love. My name is Jordan. My name is not complex. Do not do not call me out as like complex. That shit blows my mind. I'm gonna still show you love. That shit blows mine. But yeah, it's like I know that because my face is on this platform like every fucking day, yeah, that'll happen. And especially in that instance with Kai, it's like, yeah, like we fucked up, whatever. Or maybe we didn't fuck up. Maybe I don't, I can't leave. Whatever, whatever happened, happened. Yeah, that's what you got. Whatever happened, happened. Yeah, whatever happened, happened. And I, you know, it's like I'm never gonna be staticky. Like, I get where Kai's, I get what Kai's like, you know, where he was coming from. And that's why even in that moment, it was like, if I would have came on some defensive shit, like I've I'm sure that would have went a different way. But I was like, nah, I hear what you're saying. Funny enough, I think that same, either that same week or the week after I ran into Chris. No, no, the next week, because it was All-Star Weekend the next week, that was the first time I met Chris was that next week, and we talked about that, and that's kind of what was built the bridge of how we're like tight as fuck now. But yeah, like carpets are crazy, bro. Carpers are the most like non-real world shit ever. Because it's like you have to talk to somebody for a very short period of time, like you get like three minutes, five minutes, however long, with people walking the carpet, and it's so weird because there's so many cameras, and like obviously, if you're walking the carpet, it's like I'm sure a whole different type of like Twilight Zone experience, but that was funny because he was streaming, and yeah, it was a moment, but shout out to Kai, man. You but see, like, even you, how was your experience doing the mafia thon shit and being in that streamer world?

SPEAKER_01 25:36

Now now you how you interviewing me.

SPEAKER_00 25:38

I'm sorry, I'm just I'm just thinking, now you got me thinking talking about Kai. It's like, what was that like?

SPEAKER_01 25:43

Um, damn. I mean, what was that like? I mean, for real, for real, it was it was cool. It was like a little like at times, like it felt like a little like dystopian, you know what I'm saying? For sure. Like it was cool, but like after a while, and when I say dystopian, it's not not like in a bad way, it's just kind of like we're doing the same thing every single day. You know what I'm saying? And we're like, we're on camera with like, you know, 200,000 people tuning in and like just watching us. And I'm like, and the whole time I was just like, yo, this is kind of crazy, like what we're doing. Right. It was cool, like it was it was cool to be around like all the guys and kind of like get their energy and kind of see how they operate and um kind of like watch Kai and his element and like kind of see how his like like thoughts process, right? And like how he like how he's so good at what he does, that like it was cool, but it was definitely felt like dystopian after a while, because like I'm not like I don't like being in LA for too long in general. Like LA is just like I love my people from LA, but like LA's just not for me. The same way like New York is not everybody's cup of tea.

SPEAKER_00 26:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:40

Um, and like we were living in like Laurel Canyon, so we're like out the way. We were living in like a like a like a like some big crib overlooking like one of the one of the I don't even know what you would call it. The valleys. The valleys, yeah, one of the valleys and whatnot. And I was just like, and it was just like super like we go, do what we gotta do, go back to the house. Some days they might push us later, some days they might push us earlier, some days we might not do it till 1 a.m. And it's just like, and it was just kind of like, you know, once you get like a little rhythm, then like the it breaks your rhythm, but like you understand because you know it's it's it's it is what it is. So there were some times where I was like, I was like, oh man, and there were times where we're we were all like just defeated, like we wouldn't even speak to each other. Like my like the team, like we would just all get in the car very silently and then go and then go and then silently come back. It's like it's like because we're we're living with each other for 30 days, bro. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, and we're living separate from Kai and them. Um so it was kind of it was definitely crazy, but it was it was like cool. It'll be like like one day we were just like working, like trying to get the videos up from the day, and Victoria Justice just like walks in our room with Kai, and and I'm like, oh shit, y'all want us to leave? And he's like, nah, you're great. He's like gay, this is Victoria. She's like, nice to meet you. I'm like, I know who you are. I'm like, I love you, by the way. I I love you by the way. But um, but like other days, like just like Tony Hawk and Alicia Keyes just like roaming the halls, and it's like it's super like weird because you're just like, I don't know what's going on, but it is cool. Like, I really love what they do, you know what I'm saying? And I hope Kai like streams again soon.

SPEAKER_00 28:02

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, because he he's definitely LeBron of this shit. Like, definitely, yeah. His absence is felt, and he's built something like that Mafia Than shit. I feel like was the last massive thing that he did. Yeah, and that, like, just speaking specifically on even the freestyle shit, built like, you know, shout out to my brother Chris Patrick after Jersey's finest, like that.

SPEAKER_01 28:23

Jersey's finest for sure.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

That moment, like when I interviewed Nas, and I was like, you know, we were at the end of the interview, I was asking him, like, you know, who have you been listening to? And he was like, I don't know, like who would you recommend? And I was like, Well, there's this guy, Chris Patrick, and he was like, Oh, that guy who he did that freestyle, and he started crying. I'm like, Yes. So it's like the fact that even somebody like Nas saw that shit shows the waves that that created and how important that shit is, especially the artists like Chris who were like on the come up and are now performing that freestyle on road. Like he performed that shit that Jids tour. Like, that shit is just dope to just see how far this thing that you did in this room with like however many cameras, yeah, yeah, how far that can travel.

SPEAKER_01 29:10

Nah, yeah, like even seen like I don't know if Doc got the free. I'm sure Doc seen the freestyle. For sure he's seen that freestyle. But like, this actually is a good pivot because I was gonna like talk about some like your alkalades, and like Nas is obviously a huge one. Um, but like, but yeah, for but to wrap up like the COD, the mafia thon thing, it's like, yeah, it's really cool. It like I was very happy with how that all turned out. Like, we're very proud of like every all the work that we did there. I love that I could like incorporate like Marco Plus and Chris Patrick and just like real rappers who I really just think are dope. And then also bringing like other kids like you know, JDS Never Missing, who is this white kid from Virginia, but he could really rap for real for real because he but the fact that he looks like a little bit like Peter Griffin, people like try to make fun of him, but the kid can really rap. So like that's why like I called him for that, or like bringing like some really good trap rappers like Trap Dickey or Freddie P. Franklin from the Carolinas, like giving that sod representation, then also you know, hitting like the you know, the star bands, the La Tyler's, the Babyface E's, the um the Ludills. Like, I'm I wanted to make sure that like we everybody had like an opportunity to like every region of rap for the most part felt represent. And then of course bringing like a ladio in for like the last day was like something like that was just literally just for me because you know, of being Puerto Rican and like also like it was so funny. Like after we walked off stream that day, like Kyle like walked, looked at me and he's like, Gabe, you're Puerto Rican? I've been wearing like a the like a Puerto Rican flag on my hat like half the day. Yeah, and then Phantom and then Fant Phantom knows I'm Puerto Rican because we phantom known each other before that. Phantom like he puts hand on my soul, he goes, Gave you Puerto Rican? I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, yo, bro, stop fucking with me, man. But um, but yeah, man, like it was super fun. But kind of going back to like the afghans like Nas, like fucking Derek Rose, like 50 Cent, like you really have like cultivated, like, and of course, Youngboy, which we're gonna get to, but you have really like cultivated like the one of the most insane like interview catalogs online. I arguably like probably like if you put up like the faces that you've spoken to next to a lot of other people, like you're up there, you know what I'm saying? Thank you, man. I think I think obviously Speedy got like presidents and shit, but like you're like right there with some of the people. Were any of these people, you know, you talked about like how Nas and and we we were talking a little bit before we started rolling about 50 and shit. Were there were there anybody along this line that you had done of this like stature that had you like sweating before? I feel like 50 had to have had you sweating a little bit. You know, because you gotta kind of tread lightly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 31:41

I had to vibe, yeah. 50. Oh my god, what did he say? Because 50's was hectic because I remember it was in, he was obviously always promoting something. He was promoting his like new uh cognac, and so there were like two other traditional media outlets there that were only interviewing him about that. But they had uh taken up the entire floor space with their cameras, right? And so this one we had we had real cameras, like proper cameras, like not like cell phones. We had proper cameras, but I remember we had to like get a new floor, so we were on because the floor that everyone else was doing interviews on was already crowded. So we had our own floor, so it was just us. And I remember when he pulled up, obviously, like with fucking a hundred motherfuckers, and like I've been in those environments where it's like a whole bunch of people like pulling up to set or whatever, but I had to like kind of produce this shit myself. So like I'm making sure that okay, we got our camera angles right, whatever, we have the seats where they gotta be, da da da. And he being the master of media that he is, he pulls up first thing he says, which we get we since we were rolling, because I told him, like, just start rolling as soon as he walks in. Like, let's not, we don't know time to waste. That's like what I have noticed and learnt when it comes to like big gets like that. It's like, yo, just have cameras rolling as soon as they arrive on the set so that there's no moments of pause or hesitation. So we're already rolling, and he pulls up and he's like, Oh, complex. So this is gonna give me the young women are gonna fuck with me because of this, right? Like, I hope this is gonna help me with the young ladies and just being mad and funny. So, okay, like he's already chill. So then he sits down, and like I knew that um he doesn't drink, but he has obviously this like massive cognac brand. So I'm like, how does somebody who uh controls and owns this massive cognac brand uh do it without drinking? And um that was like an icebreaker that kind of like I felt like eased shit up, but yeah, it was it was I don't know, like him, I would you're kind of nervous leading up to it, right? But then once it gets started, it's lesser so because you're just talking to somebody, and that's what I always try to think about. Like you're just talking to somebody, and as you get into the rhythm of the conversation, things get less tag. For me, it's like the butterflies and the anxiousness always is before the other person is sitting down, because that's always the hardest part. Getting the other person to sit in the other chair and start the conversation. Once they're sitting there already, we're Gucci, like we're rolling. Like, I'm not tripping at that point. It's like like fucking like I'm sure we'll get to YB, but yeah, like leading up to that was the stressful shit. Once he was already there, everything is good type shit.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

Yeah, because I feel like, right, you have like the interviews that are kind of like already planned that you do in the complex studio. Then you have like those kind of like getting how we fit in, like the 50, like you're just hoping that it works out, but then like you become like very much known for like your like on the ground boots, kind of like gorilla journalism. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like I think about like the Gunner one is a good example of that too. Cause you pull up the gunner's like, what is a run club? It's a 5K in like in like in Brooklyn, right? Which I think is super dope. And like, I think like that's kind of what's been like I has at least for me was like kind of like missing at Complex, right? Because I felt like the the interviews with Speedy were like perfect, right? It's like perfect sit down, perfectly curated, all that, but like kind of like how you were talking about how like when you apply for complex, you had you flipped the whole simple thing. Yeah. So you explained why you're not simple and you're complex like complex. Like, I think that's what you brought to the table really well because it's like, oh, like when I see like Jordan on my feed outside of like the the in-studio stuff, is like the the from the pit or for or um the gonna the gonna run club one, or like I'm trying to think, I'm trying to think, or young boy, like like these on the ground boots journalism is like something I I really admire about you because when I don't know how you do it, but like also it's something that was missing. Yeah, you know, so for for you, is that like more like you kind of putting your foot forward, like yo, we gotta go do this, like this, or is it kind of like a little bit of both where it's like you guys are 50-50 with like how you guys want to approach these situations with like with the company?

SPEAKER_00 36:06

Nah, it's a hundred percent me. Like, it's like on some shit where you know, like I do fucking live from the pit where I'll interview kids in Maj Pits and like I'll ask them deep live questions, and like that's a unique content style that I created. But I just feel like you gotta be willing to do a what other people want to, and also just think outside the box in terms of how to get the content. So, like for the Gunnar Run Club, it was like, yeah, that was I think his second one. He had did one in Miami, but like that was the first one he had done, and it it was like not as um organized as the one he did in uh Brooklyn. That was like his first like formal 5k run. And I was like, okay, so like Gun's gonna be out here, like I'm tight with his team, and I know that we can get something unique out of this and also make it like an experience, like make you feel like you're also running, you know what I mean? Or like all you're also there with me. Because what I noticed with Live from the Pit that made it successful is that you may not want to go into a mosh pit. Fully understandable. It's insane and how old are you now? 27.

SPEAKER_01 37:16

Okay, I'm you gotta turn 28? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, that's about right.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

No, but listen, but like from the pit shit was birthed through just like a whole other means. But it was like, okay, with the actual content itself, it's like you are not any you know, conscious human being with responsibilities would not go into a fucking Mosh pit. But maybe you just want to see what it's like in there, or like in a rap mob pit, you know what I mean? Like in the NetSpen show or a Ken Carson show or Cardi or whoever, like, what is it like in there? You see the videos, yeah. What is it like actually being in the eye of the storm? And that's where it was like, okay, I'm gonna change my brain chemistry to be willing to do this. Now, can I get a cameraman? Shout out to Nick Bianco, who is my cameraman for Live of the Pit, shout out to Stefan, who is my OG cameraman, who is shout out to Alison, who is also my camera woman in the pits, who is crazy enough to go in there with me with the camera with the iPhone and like a little rig, hold on tight and like ride with me through this storm. And it's like that type of being a fly on the wall or living vicariously through me in this wild experience is kind of how I approach all of like my on-the-ground gorilla style content where it's like the same with the gunner run club. It's like you don't really want to run 5K, but like run with me and then talk to the gunner after we run this 5k or why be at Barclay Center. It's like you may not be able to get to see YB before as he walks onto stage of this sold out Barclay Center show, but like follow me as we figure this out together. And I think that's I'm that's why streaming is so successful. It's like people want to feel like they're with the streamers, like speed, people can't travel across the globe and do all this crazy shit with him. But if you watch him on stream, maybe you feel like you're with him if you're a fan of his. So that mentality is kind of how I approach those guerrilla style content of you following me as I am also figuring out this kind of unpredictable, uh, some in some instances unplanned. Like the YB Barclay Center shit, where we walked out on stage or where we walked out with him before he hit the stage. That wasn't even supposed to be the video. The video was supposed to be I was supposed to talk to him in his dressing room before the show. We get there, and the scene was like, okay, so YB has something that he has to tell y'all. He won't tell us what it is. And we're like, okay, and he but they're like, however, y'all gonna have to walk with him. He's not gonna sit and talk to you in this moment. Y'all gonna have to walk with him to the stage and he's gonna say it then.

SPEAKER_01 39:49

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 39:50

And I was like, okay, bet. So I told my cameraman Nick, I was like, yo, Nick, look, you're gonna have to just backpedal, all right? Lock in and just backpedal, and we're gonna figure it out. And so shout out to fucking him because he was able to maintain pace with us because YB was walking fast. I can't even lie. Like that entire interview was like fucking a minute long because he was we were making pace to that stage, yeah, and uh that was the content. But it was like you just have to be able to adapt on the fly, you know. What if like my old trainer when I used to play basketball? After every session, he would tell us prepare so well so that when it's time to perform, you can look effortless, be spontaneous, and just have fun. And so that's how I approach it. It's like I'm prepared for any and every variable so that when it's time to perform, I can look effortless doing it, be spontaneous and change on the fly and just have fun. That's kind of like the approach to that shit.

SPEAKER_01 40:46

Well, okay, so since we're on the topic of YB, right? That so, what was that whole like obviously what what what was the thing that they said that he was gonna tell you that they wouldn't tell him or that he wouldn't tell them? They were yo, they gass it.

SPEAKER_00 40:59

It was like fucking, he was like, I just want to tell complex, specifically complex. Thank you for following me on my journey. Like that was that was it. That was I was like, well, I appreciate it, YP. So that was the thing that he wouldn't tell nobody else, but I appreciate him for showing the love. And honestly, that video that we did at Barclays was what allowed us to do the actual full interview because like we had Mets, which is you know, a lot of people can't even meet this guy face to face. And uh I wasn't like scared, like I wasn't intimidated by uh everything that was happening around before we like did that, like the chaoticness, you know what I mean? And I think that he felt that and his team was just like super chill and saw the content and they fucked with or whatever, and that's what helped build the bridge to like our like hour-long sit-down that we did like two or three months later, because that was in October, and then we did the whole full interview in January. So that's how that was built, but and then the full interview was a whole other thing, but yeah, very the most unique uh interview uh experience I've ever had for sure.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

With the full interview, like what was then like that like because you what's it y'all shot that in?

SPEAKER_00 42:20

Utah.

SPEAKER_01 42:21

You shot oh though, you shot that in Utah, yeah, where he lives and shit. But then you also like got up and started walking in that one too, right?

SPEAKER_00 42:27

Yeah, that one was at a ski resort because again, being able to be spontaneous. The original idea or the original shoot concept for that interview was supposed to be him and I in a ski lift and riding up the top of a mountain. And the theme of the video was like, you know, to the top of the mountaintop, because it was reflecting on his like super crazy 2025 and like slime cry and the massive tour, and him like really having this ascension to the top of hip hop. Uh, but he was mad late, and so the ski lift closed, and so yeah, me and our producer on site, Tommy, shout out to Tommy. We had to figure out on the fly how we were going to adjust. So we were like, okay, let's just rent out an expensive ass lodge and set up our cameras in a room and just do it sit-down style, like fireside chat. And so the one thing that his team emphasized was like, okay, we can do this, but he's going to want to walk at some point. And we were like, okay, so we will walk and talk. Because in my head, I was like, after waiting, like I think it was like seven, eight hours in this like ski resort, I was like, we're gonna get everything we need to get here. Like, there was no world where I was leaving Utah with nothing. So I was like, okay, even if he like cuts it short or whatever, like we'll just like take our cameras, get a light, and walk wherever. Right. And so that's what happened. Like he pulled up, you know. First, he pulled up and there had to be like it was a stripped set, like no one could be in there. Except for who had to be in there. And I remember like his barber, no shades of his barber, but his barber was in there shaking, cutting his hair, or like shaping him up. And I'm like, yo, like everybody was on edge. Like he was like shaping him up like this. Yeah. I was like, yo. That was crazy. So I pull up, and like I said, like I think it's important to just like establish that, like, yes, what we're doing isn't normal in the sense of like talking while being recorded, but we're just having a conversation ultimately. So it's like, and I have friends, cousins who are like YB in the sense of just being like very unique. And so YB did not scare me. Or I wasn't intimidated. And I feel like that mutual respect was established from the beginning, which is what allowed us to have an hour-long conversation. Um, and in the middle of that conversation, like his team said, he was like, you know, can we go step outside? And I was like, Yeah, bet. So like I made sure our camera crew were ready for that, and we go outside. And the reason why he lives in Utah is because he's able to maneuver out there like a normal person. Like he doesn't like all the extra attention, which is why like tour was so hard for him because like I obviously, like all the eyes and like yeah, like him not being able to maneuver how he wants. So we were like that ski resort. We did that in January, which is like peak ski season. So that resort was packed, even at night. And we walked outside, nobody stopped us. No, like that, those were regular business hours, nobody stopped us or anything like that. And um, yeah, like we did that, we came back inside, we finished the conversation, and I asked every single question I had, every single one, which was fire, you know, and like even after that, he was like, Let's take the photos for the thumbnail and all that shit. So he was great, he was really, really great, but like the stress was getting to that point, was like the seven hours in the daytime just hoping he gets uh to the sets type shit, which was a higher probability since we were in his home state. Like, if we were like fucking in the city or some shit and we had to like hope he made it or whatever, it would have been challenging. But he came from home to the ski resort, so it all worked out, and he truly is like we were talking about this before we were rolling, like the Y, he is the Michael Jackson of the Y N's. Like, I asked him, I'm like, you know, people compare you to you agreeing with what Georgie said on our rolling loud interview. 100%. Okay, 100%. Like, I asked him, I was like, you know, people say that you are like the Mike Jack to this generation, and he was like, he was like, I don't know, like, I don't know nothing about Michael Jackson. He in the sense of like he wasn't alive during Michael Jackson's peak.

SPEAKER_02 46:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 46:41

So he doesn't know, he can't compare himself to Mike because he couldn't see for himself what it was like in like the 80s and early 90s when Mike was at Peak Superstar, which makes sense, but yeah, I agree with Georgiana that after being at that Barclay show, like he is Mike Jack to these kids. Even at Rolling Loud when he didn't pull up and like no cap performed some of his songs, and people were wilding out, yeah, wilding. So yeah, YB is a special breed, but definitely blessed to have done that because that was one of the most challenging interviews I've done, but like also the most fulfilling in being able to get what I got from him when he doesn't talk in. I mean, he's even right now, he is not in America. Like he didn't pull up to Rolling Loud because he's in Paris. Yeah, because he doesn't want to pull back up to America right now. So it's like, you know, I'm I'm appreciative to have been able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 47:38

That's fine. You know, I love that. I love that. And I I love how you're able to get him comfortable and like kind of you know what I'm saying? But like, but like, and also like backtracking on like the in live from the pits, too, right? Because I didn't get to ask this, right? You just put out the Nesbem one at 705, right? What has been like your what has been the best? Who has the best live in the pit? Which live in the pit has been the most challenging? Okay, and which live in the pit did you fear for your life?

SPEAKER_00 48:05

Okay, so I'll start with the fear for your life. I feared for my life at uh homicide gang live from the pit because they had a like rage, like they had a rock band opener. And that was the most viral one also. Because I remember like I remember they said, okay, this is not like when I was talking to like the people before I jumped into the pit, they were like, yo, this isn't a Mosh pit. I'm like, well, what is this? They were like, this is a crowd kill. I said, What? They were like, listen, we're gonna go in there and just swing our arms. I'm like, yo, so that's what like I was weaving, but like it was a guy bloody in that one. That was like the that was the second one we did, and the most viral to this day, just because of like somebody lifted me up and spun me around. That shit was crazy. That shit I was like, okay, like maybe I I bit off a little bit more than I could chew with this one. That one was for uh the rage group was called like Fade or some shit like that.

unknown 49:08

Some shit.

SPEAKER_00 49:09

But it was a band. Yeah, it was a band, and like it was like a rock group. So that was the when I threw for my life and was also the most viral. But the most challenging one was probably Yeats at um Brooklyn Mirage before they closed it. That was like uh two summers ago, I think. Was it Brooklyn Mirage or what's the it was the other Brooklyn Monarch? Monarch, it might have been Monarch, because it was like an outdoor venue, yeah. It was that's still open, it's still open. Okay, so yeah, if you I don't know what show you're talking about.

SPEAKER_01 49:44

Yeah, yeah, is that that spot still open? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 49:45

Yeah, the yeet at Brooklyn Monarch because and like Benny X was DJing because it was the the air was so thick because of the temperature outside, yeah, plus the heat of the pits, so like you couldn't breathe. So it was like the first rule of the mod spit is you have to stay in motion, you have to stay moving, but because I'm fucking asking questions and shit, I'm out of breath, like I'm tired, and so I'm trying to catch my breath, but I can't because I have to stay in motion and it's hot, so you can't really breathe. That one was OD, it was either that one or destroy destroy lonely at Summer Smash two years ago because uh you just can't do live from the pits at festivals because there's too much space. Yeah, it's so much space that the pits become massive, and then when they close, you're like in a whirlpool, you can't get out of it. At regular rap shows at venues, there's multiple pits, like there's like one pit here, one pit there. So it's like if this pit closes, I'll just jump into that pit. And mind you, we're shooting this for like 15 minutes. It's a short thing. Like that video is like 10 minutes worth of footage, so it's like it we're in and out, but at a fucking festival, it's like I'm in the middle of a field. Yeah, and if I go into the middle of this mode pit, once it closes, I don't know where I'm at. I don't know how we get out of here, which direction is out. I just know where the stage is, but what direction is the closest direction to get out of there? Because we are we're in GA. And you know the GA fucking crowd can be a fucking ocean, especially for like main shows like Lone or like Cardi or whoever, or like when we did Travis Scott at Coachella last year, never again, never again, because it was just the dust, it's put my life on the line for that shit, man. I I'm I can't do too many more life in the pits. The kids love it, and I love everybody who showed love at the Nespain one. They were like, yo, Jordan, you have to come back out here. I'm like, Y'all, Unk is tired. Like, my back cannot take much more of this, y'all. I ain't gonna lie, I think like 27 was like my probably my last mosh pit year, too. I can't do this much longer, but I I am glad y'all like it.

unknown 51:53

But dog.

SPEAKER_00 51:55

It takes it out of me for real. Yeah, well, okay, what about who had the best mosh pit? The best? Hmm. Ned is up there. Okay, Netspan. The Netspan pits are up there. Um because I did two Net spans. I've done so fucking many. Probably like Net or Ken. Because Ken's pits, Ken's pits go crazy. Uh, and I feel like just their audiences know how to rage responsibly and like like help people. Like if someone falls or like if fucking like someone loses their phone, like they'll kind of momentarily stop to like let the person look on the floor for shit. Like, it's wholesome, even in the madness. So those two stick out uh the most for me.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

I think like I'm trying to think of like the craziest pits I've ever been in. 21 21 Savage, okay, his monster outbreak tour in like 20 shit man. What year was that? 2018, 2018, 20 2019, something like that. Whichever outbreak tour he was he was on for the for the first project with Metro. Okay, I was crazy. I've been in every single like Travis M Travis Mosh pit you can probably imagine. I was even at all the Astro Worlds, including that Astro World. Damn. I was at that one. Crazy Survivor. Uh huh. Survivor. I'm sure Survivor. Uh-huh. I did call my guy survivor. No, but like the the thing about like the that Astro World particular is that like I already had like a sense early that day, I'm like, oh, this is more people than last year. Right. Because like I had or the previous years, because I had been to all three. I'm like, I'm like, did they they expand the grounds level, but I'm like, there's a lot of people here. And like my friends that my friends were with me at the time, they're like, yo, is this normally how packed it is? I'm like, nah. It's like it's like a little bit more packed than usual. And then I had a VIP respond, but um, because I splurged, but like all my friends didn't, but I saw I was just with them in GA. And I remember like they're like, let's go all the way to the front. And I said, No. I was like, no. I was like, I was like, I'm I'm not new to this guy. I was like, you go all the way to the front. I was like, I was like, boy, we we stuck there because we go all the way in front. I'm like, look at that, like, because there was just so many people there already. I already and the past the two years before that, I had one with my ex, so like I already kind of knew what the vibe was. I'm like, no, like let's say middle back. Right, right, right. And like I there was like you said, there's still plenty of mosh pits. So I was still moshing and like we didn't know anything happened until like 3 a.m. that night. Like, I really hadn't I had no idea anything was wrong until I until people woke me up about my sleep checking to see if I was good. See, it's good you didn't go into that madness, bro. Yeah, but like, yeah, use your like think before you go into some of these mosh pits, because it it does get really hectic. I'm trying to think of like any other ones I went into. I think I was in the mosh pits at like the double XL 2017 show. Okay, okay. Whichever show had like XXX and all of them. Like, yeah, well, I mean he didn't show up to that one, but I was definitely in the mosh pits for like Ugly God at the time. Um, but like, yeah, man, my mosh pit days are over. I go I started getting the itch, right, at rolling loud. Yeah. I go out. We were at when we were at rolling loud together, like I was like, forgot who I was watching, I was at Slayer set. Slayer was actually the only shout out to Slayer. Shout out to Slayer, man. Like one of the most incredible young, like like artists. Like, I was talking to him and Easy Cody Lee but at the beginning. Two incredible guys, also really just really cool people. And that was like one of the only sets, that was one of the only sets I saw that weekend. And I'm looking at the mosh pit, and like I think I looked at Cam and I like smiled at him. I'm like, I'm like, I'm like, I'm getting the itch again. I'm like, I was like, damn, I still got I still got it in me. Like, if honestly, give me like three minutes. Facts. Like, if I like if it's somebody that I really fuck with, yeah, and I go in there with one of my man's, I could do like a three-minute mosh pit real quick.

SPEAKER_00 55:35

Like one song, like, you know what I mean? Like a quick one song mosh. Like, yeah, because you know what? Like, like, you know, I feel like it is an extreme sport to do it, but I understand why still to this day, like why kids keep doing it. Cause it's like, it's a release, it's like an adrenaline rush. Yeah. It's kind of like this community collective experience of like all being just as lit as physically possible.

SPEAKER_01 56:06

They had the Mosh Pit, like, they had the the I don't know what account, Mosh Pit Daily, something like that. They like had the the they had like locations to meet up at Rolling Lyles.

SPEAKER_00 56:14

Yes, yo, and that's one thing I learned starting Live from the Pit. Because I started Live from the Pit because it was originally a a story I was writing. Essentially, I was like, post-COVID, I wanted to know how rap shows changed. So I was like, let me go talk to these kids at these rap shows and ask them, like, you know, do you Maj differently? Do you experience rap shows differently now that we're like in a post-COVID world where concerts are now just starting to happen? And through that, I a learned that like there's communities of Mojers, 175 TV, like these other like Maj community groups that like all have discords that like they communicate and coordinate when shows are happening. They will all go at the same time, they'll have flags and they'll have like uniforms almost and they'll all link up for rap shows just to Mosh at. And in doing that and talking to these kids, I was like, Why should like ask them like almost on some like hot ones mentality of like you are more inclined to tell the truth when you are in peril. So like Sean is a genius, and Chris and everybody who was behind hot ones, because they realize that like if you're eating a hot wing, you cannot lie. So, like, whatever question I ask you, you're going to tell the truth. Same with a Maj Pit. If you're fighting for your life in this Maj Pit, if I ask you when was the last time you were in love, or like what do you want to be remembered for, yeah, you won't have a time to like think of a cool answer or like whatever. Like, you're tired, you're hot, and you're in peril. So you're gonna just tell me the truth immediately.

SPEAKER_02 57:49

Right.

SPEAKER_00 57:50

And that's what I realized in doing that. When that came from me talking to these kids and seeing that there's like these micro communities at Mach Pitch, so you're spot on. Like Rolling Loud is like one of the main joints they be at and shit. Yeah. All those festivals. So let's like review Rolling Loud this year.

SPEAKER_01 58:06

Go ahead, Jordan. You first. How honestly. I think like you were you were outside and more in the actual thing that I was in the pre cent the whole time because I was just, you know, I was hot. But like, what was your like review of like rolling loud this year?

SPEAKER_00 58:20

My review of Rolling Loud this year. So I've been to a lot of Rolling Louds. Okay. And I'll say this. I'll say this. Rolling Loud 2026 Orlando was better than I thought it would be. In that there was a lot of expectations with YB. When YB pulled out, there was understandable panic. Yeah. And I was very skeptical when like they replaced him with Ken Carson. I'll be honest. Like, Ken is great. I didn't know if he was ready to be at festival headliner night level. But he performed based on like what the conversation I saw around his performance was. Like it seemed like even when they had announced it at the beginning of the weekend, people were as hyped for Ken as they were for Cardi. And being at Cardi said on Saturday, Cardi got a drop baby boy. Cardi's getting into a space where some kids are getting tired of Evil Jordan and the joints off of music. So I think Cardi needs new music because some of the stuff was gonna stay on that set list, but it's everybody still have fun. Um but honestly, I think the real the people who stole the show were the camp tent uh or the tenth stage. Slayer um nine vicious Lil'O was at uh Osama Sun was at uh your boy Bjax. Bjax, who had wrestlers fire fire, shout out Bjax. Shout out to fucking Bjax, Jersey's finest. Like that stage felt like the the breeding ground for like next gen stars, like especially we talk about Slayer, like Slayer possibly set of the weekend.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:14

Um Skrilla did the that uh the zigzag stage too. Skrilla Skrilla. I caught Skrilla at the end of Skrilla side when he was doing 6-7.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:22

Crazy. Like, I just feel like the the 10th stages are always the ones where you really catch people. Like, I remember watching Netspend at 10th stage of Summer Smash two years ago before his like blow up, and that's when I bought in. Like seeing, and that I think that was also the same year that Blackboy Max did his first live performance. That was also at the 10th stage at Summer Smash. What's it called then, Cam? It's not the 10th stage. They were at Verizon stage.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:51

No, they're at the Verizon stage, they're at the middle stage. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:00:54

Sama-sun and Shay, they uh upgraded to like that middle stage. But like all the 10th skate 10th stage kids just like show out every single time. So that was really the highlight for me. What is your review? How did you feel? How did I feel?

SPEAKER_01 1:01:11

How did you feel about that? As someone who didn't like, it was funny because like me and Speedy, you saw me and we were all together, me and Speedy were kind of like just in the tug, like we're like, yeah, we're just gonna hang out and he's the whole weekend. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right? It's not because like I f I I fuck with like most of the lineup because a lot of them started on OTR. So like I fuck with a lot of the lineup. It's just like, you know, sometimes like just because like we believe in people early, like that doesn't mean like I'm always entirely a fan of their music. Right. I I see I see the vision with them, right? And I see the and I see the movement, and I see I see everything about them. And then like the young people I keep around me are like, yo, they're they're about to be the ones. So like that kind of combines, pushes the artists, and then we, you know, they blow up and whatnot. Um, but like seeing Slayer's set like made me like very like happy. Like that felt like very, like, that was a very cool, like I did see a little bit of Soldier Boy set. I'll get to that in a second. But like I saw a lot, but like Slayer's set was like very cool because like he brought out easy Cody Lee, and then you know, I talked to the boys backstage. The boys were like very, you know, grateful for like OTR and what we've done for them, which is like always great to hear, but like I'm not really here for that. Like, I want to see them performing so it was cool seeing Slayer like do his thing, and like, you know, that was really cool. And then like a lot of the other sets I kind of watched on the live stream in that room with Speedy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um, so I had seen like I really love like SDK really did the did the thing.

SPEAKER_00 1:02:31

With the yeah, the castle and shit.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:33

Nobody did the nobody did that weekend like he did. Yeah, yeah, yeah. In my opinion, right? Right, nobody else had like a crazy set. Oh, Don had a crazy set, too. I'll give Don had a good set. Don't was cool. Don had a good set, but um, but I think like in terms of like holy shit, like I think SD Kid had the has had my favorite one. Yeah, because it's like it was like Osama Sun had like those audio problems where like four tracks are playing at the same time. Like the na no? No, that didn't happen? Then what was that? That was it was like it was a meme? Oh, okay, then I'm then I'm wrong. Thanks, thanks, Cam.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:03

But then like the fact checker.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:05

Thanks, fact checker. But then like, okay, but then the non-vicious shit and fact check, it was controversial because you know he's dissing like he was wildin'. You know, he's dissing people. So like when what I feel like once you start like dissing somebody during a set, it kind of like lowers it for me in terms of like how impactful it is. Cause I'm like, damn, like now it's like a lot of the conversation around like while his set was incredible, a lot of the conversation is like shifting from like, oh, this is incredible to like yo, you heard what he said, you know, and like I think SD Kid is like such a polarizing figure right now because it's like one, he got like one album out, yeah, right. Um, he's got a Fortnite skin now, which is crazy off one album.

SPEAKER_00 1:03:40

He's on that yeet, you know, that Yeet's uh track of like the mysterious not showing your face, different stuff.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:48

Nah, but people still knew what Yeet looked like back then, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like Yeet still used to like people knew what Yeet looked like. Nobody know really knows what this kid looks like, allegedly. Allegedly. I've heard things, but like, but like nobody really knows what this kid looks like, and then the kid pulls up with like knights and an armored castle, like really kind of leading into like, you know, one his aesthetic, but also kind of like memes about the UK, too, like and and all that. And then like the the the sword on fire. I'm like, yo, nah. Yeah, I was like, he's doing it, because like I like while the like and I think like where Cardi is in his career, like I feel like like you're right, he should drop another album, but I feel like he's in the same position that Travis Scott was like five years ago. Yes, exactly. Where it's like it's like, oh, okay, Astro World, Rodeo, like he's doing all these headlining shows, but now people are like, you know, he's he's giving people almost the same set every single time just because you know it's just he's doing it over and over and over again. So I think like I think that maybe that's where fans are with it. Yes, because like now fans are kind of like okay, like they're growing to that age where Cardi where they're like, okay, now we need something new, and then now it's up to him to drop like his euphoria or or or um or utopia, sorry, not euphoria, utopia, and um, and kind of like change that narrative and show the growth and which he showed a lot on on music too. Like the songs with like weekend and Kendrick. I was like, Oh, I wasn't expecting this, but this is fire. Um, but I think like overall, like when the lineup dropped, I remember people like this this is ass, da da da, whatever. And like I kind of like I spoke with Tarek like on this pod, and Tarek and I like he, you know, pretty much was like, yo, we gotta like foster the next generation of stars, and da da da. And I I I agree with him a lot, you know what I'm saying? At the same time, like I could still be like, oh, I wish we had like some more legacy artists on there, you know. Like, also, like, I think putting like Riz the Kid at the same time as Playboy Cardi is kind of crazy. Very much so. Um, but like putting Soldier Boy at the same time as Ken Carson kind of worse because there was still a decent amount of people at Soldier Boy set.

SPEAKER_00 1:05:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:38

Um, so I think like you know, having more legacy, like I remember we were down there, I'm like, damn, like I might just be like the New Yorker in me, but like I'm like, yo, imagine we had a Jada kiss this weekend. Right. We could just like just one like older artist, you feel me? Yeah, I agree. I think that's like and that's really me, like, and like also like I'm not a big I'm not like always into like like nineties hip. Like I don't always want to listen to nineties hip hop, right? I'm more like into the Younger shit anyway, but like I was like, damn, I wouldn't mind here like a jaded. Cause I think about like when when X had his rolling loud set.

unknown 1:06:06

Facts.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:06

You know what I'm saying? It was like 21 or like 2021, yeah. Whatever you or 2019, one of those years. But like, but like, like, think about like X was touching the kids. That sounded crazy. X was touching the youth. DMX was touching the youth at that set. Because like, like, even though people didn't really, even if these kids didn't know who DMX was, X and like XXX Tentacion were like in vibes alone. For sure. Alive. Are not that are not really that different. Yeah, yeah. You know what I'm saying? Like the mash it was still probably the exact same, if not like crazier. Yeah. So I think like, you know, but there also there's I don't know who's like a comparable DMX that would fit on that festival.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:47

Yeah, because like you're right, like X was like one of the like predecessors of rage, of the rage we see today, and just of like how his crowds would go. And like who else matches that? Where like, yeah, people who are there to see Ken or who are there to see Cardi or YB would also vibe to like what OG of that. I mean, he's not an OG per se, but like I feel like Waka fits that. Oh, Waka will be perfect. Yeah, but like Waka isn't like an Wayne, yeah, but Wayne Wayne is too expensive.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:20

Yeah, Wayne, yeah, that's the problem because like all the people who everybody everybody keeps like Tar said, everybody complains about how good the lineups used to be, but all those people are headliners now. Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 1:07:28

Every single one of them. Yeah, Wayne would not ever do a non-headlining, or even like the you need one of those people like when it's slightly daylight. Like I think Waka would still do a set in the daytime. In the daytime, and he would have that shit. I the first live from the pit we ever did was at a Waka Flacca uh set at Dreamville Fest. That was the first one we ever tried to do. And it was lit. Like that was the only like Maj Pit person at Dreamville Fest that year. That was like 20 like 19 or 2020 or whichever one uh Dreamville Fest had come back for, it was that year. And uh it might have been 21 or 22, and yeah, like that was the only Maj Pit artist.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:05

Yeah, I feel like I feel like overall, like I'm even looking at this, like the lineup again. Like they did their thing. Like, I'm not mad at it. There were I did notice that some people like got removed from the lineup the day of the show. Like I think K3 was supposed to perform, but like she didn't end up performing. I don't know what's going on with that. I feel like that was just like a an Orlando logistical thing, probably, but like I did appreciate like you know, I appreciated like uh like five venoms bringing out like Fergie Baby and like bringing out a bunch of like Christian artists too. I thought that was really dope and really powerful. Um, I think like Baby Chief Do it had like one of the sleeper sets of the whole weekend. That boy, shout out to my bro. Yeah, he's like he's like he's different.

SPEAKER_00 1:08:40

Fire light performer.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:41

And like even Molly said was like super dope too. But Molly said you could tell, like now, knowing what we know now with the with the Drake, like you could see why her energy was so high because she knew she's like, oh yeah, this next week is about to be like the craziest week of my life. So like I gotta perform now. So you know what I'm saying? And then doing the stuff with Northwest was also really cool, too. So I think um I I like oh baby male. I don't know what happened to Baby Mel. Baby Mill didn't get to do with set either, and I love Baby Mill. Anyway, but overall, I think they did a good job. I think like as hip hop grows this next year, it's gonna be interesting to see like what ends up next year. Like, if it's still gonna be this underground vibe, or is it gonna also are we gonna kind of because like you know, right now the South is having like uh like especially like Dallas, like Dallas has like this huge like trap music, yeah, money music type of thing. And we saw that with Rosama. Rosama's part of you know the Sixers with with uh with uh big X and then Big X and then so like I'm interested to see like how hip hop evolves this next year, especially with this lineup, because I feel like next year it could it could be different, it could be like similar with the underground, but you know the the the thing I feel like with the underground is like they come up but they go down a lot quicker, yeah. You know what I'm saying? So we'll see. I like it. I liked it though. I I I thought everybody did great. Rugrat had an insane set too, which I'm super proud of him for. Uh I'm trying to think who else that I really like this weekend. Um, and I loved how they incorporated like Sky's Your God. Sky's your god is a is a Chinese rapper. Yeah, I was getting put on to him while I was out there. He just did OTR today. Oh fire. Um, which is like I and I and I think that like it's cool that Tarek sees that vision, you know, of like, oh, like hip-hop is like so much bigger than America now. And at some point, like you gotta start accepting that. Facts. And I think like American audience, I mean look at SD Kid. S D Kid, obviously UK, but I feel like SD Kid is kind of like I'm trying, I was man, I was talking to somebody about this the other day. Cause like we were talking about like SD Kid and Sense, and like kind of like the difference between both. But like I feel like like SD is kinda SD Kid is kind of like a like a vibes cartel of like the UK for me. And when I say that, and but like what the reason why I say that, because that's a very strong thing to like kind of like compare it to, but I more I mean it more in like cultural impact. Like I think like what like what he's doing with the in the UK rap scene, um, I think it's gonna be like remembered for a while. Cause it's just like who else is like blown up that quickly off of one album from the UK that we know about? Like Sancho was a steady build-up, yeah, and then he had Doja. That blew up. That was like the commercial hit.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:11

Um, but like on like this kind of type of level on hip-hop alone, I can't really think of anyone who's like, yeah, not to this level.

SPEAKER_00 1:11:19

Like Dave like had a steady, like steady rise, and even still, like Dave isn't as big in the States as uh, even though Dave had a fire um LA leakers, yeah. Like he dropped like a seven minutes on some crazy shit. Dave is like very, very, very great at rapping, but yeah, I think in terms of like the virality. Because that album's incredible, yeah. Like uh the boy who plays the harp. Yeah, fire as fuck. Uh ranked really high for me. But yeah, I think in terms of like that virality that you're talking about, SD Kid is that's why I see him similarly in the uh Yeet trajectory, because it's like I think SD Kid is like one picture with Drake away from having that moment.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:02

One picture with Drake is massive.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:03

Do you remember that time when when Yeet had a picture with Drake and like Travis and like the same night? And I feel like that, I remember that, I feel like that was uh what then set him into like the super super mainstream trajectory and shit. Like, I feel like SD kid is in that same way.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:17

Like he had the Timothy Chalamet shit, but I feel like he's like one Drake picture away from like I think I feel like I think like in the UK he's gonna be the like I think Centre's gonna be like the most viral one out of the UK and probably will stay the biggest, but I think as Z Kid, Bob's cartel the might be the most influential in the in the long haul. Okay, that's interesting. On the UK level, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Because you think about it like it's like the vibe Sean Paul conversation.

SPEAKER_00 1:12:41

Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:41

Sean Paul got the hits, but then vibes has like the impact. The impact, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 1:12:46

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's just how I think about it. Yo, I mean, that rolling loud set was definitely a uh a calling card for that because it was also packed as fuck.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:53

No, it was it was crazy. It was crazy. Well, I'm moving on from Rolling Loud, overall, I think I like it. I don't know how I feel about Orlando again. I love Orlando, that's a city that I I I go to a lot, but like I'm just like, I don't, it's I get it. It's more space. Not as it was still just as hot, truly. I feel like the breeze might have over the Miami water might have hit a little bit better.

SPEAKER_00 1:13:12

I'm gonna be honest, Tarek, Kerry, the whole Rolling Law family. I love y'all. Get that shit out of Orlando, gang. No, I don't do them like that. Please! No, I swear to God. I'm not even a Miami nigga. Like, I don't even like, I don't even really rock. Like, I would never move to Miami. Get that shit out of Orlando. Well, they can't do Miami because of F1. I know, but like, move the date, do something. Because like, y'all can't make me go back to Orlando. I'm sorry. Why don't you like Orlando? Nah, like that was my first time in Orlando, and I swear to God, I hope it's my last. Like, why do you hate Orlando? Like, like, no shade to all like folk that from Orlando or whatever. Out of all of like, I've been to Tampa, I've been to my Orlando felt like the how what can how can I say this without being totally disrespectful? Orlando, this you only get this if you from like if you're from the city. Orlando was like the Hunts Point of Florida. Like, like I'll go there if I live there and if I had a family that's from there, but like for no other reason do I want to be there. That was crazy, bro. For no other reason. And look, the festival was cool. The festival was the only reason he called it the Hunts Point is because we were talking about like we were just talking about like years ago. But it's like shout out to the BX, but it's like even if you're from the BX, like you're not really trying to go to Hunts Point.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:38

So it's like like point being Orlando My dad from the South Bronx, I'm not doing this BX like I'm I'm I'm not I want to make it very clear, I'm not participating in this. He's from Jersey.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:48

I'm from Jersey, Jersey City, you shooting me? So it's like oh, stop it. So let's let's point that's point on this. Okay, to give it a Jersey example for my jersey watches, it's like it's like the Atlantic City of Florida. Like, you don't go to Atlantic City unless you deadass have to go there.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:04

That's my only point. Yeah, I can understand that Atlantic City shit. It was definitely like given like by the arena, but like that's every arena. Every arena the where around the arena, it always gives GTA server. Not even that, it's just like, bro, yo, you laughing because you know because you agree with me. Because it was just like the most random shit was happening around the arena when we're walking back to the car. I'm like, this one guy's like yelling on his phone with his girl. I'm like, yo, bro, like just go see your girl, bro. Like, go yell at her in person. Like they, oh my god, they had the um uh the the black Israelites. Oh yeah, yeah, I saw them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yo, they was they was mad at Cam because Cam was just ignoring him. They were like, they're like, brother, it's free information. And Cam's like, and Cam's just like there with his little his little his little his strap bag, like nah I don't want that, bro. It's like why do I feel like I'm on fucking connected? And they was on every corner, bro. I I thought I was on, bro. I thought I was on the parkway, the way that they were out there. I was like, yo, and it was hot as fuck.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:59

That street that you talk about, it felt like a hundred degrees out there. Yes, bro. All that damn concrete in them hot ass cars. Oh my god. Hell no, whatever. Shout out to Rollin' Loud, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:07

Shout out to Rolling Loud, man. Shout out Carrie, shout out Tara, shout out the whole team. Um, moving on, the the shit that we really want to talk about that we've been talking about, Drake. What do you want to start? Because I got like your tweets.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:17

Like let's start. I mean, obviously we gotta start with Iceman. Three albums, but Iceman I felt like was the most important. I agree. And I feel like, you know, it there's always like reminders that rap fans are fickle. Yeah. But for years, for years, people always used to say, like, yo, like, I just wish Drake would bar down for like multiple tracks, and like I just wish he would like fuck the hooks and the melodic shit and just get on a conductor Williams solo sample.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:51

Yo, which he did on for all the dogs, by the way. Which he did, but he did it on the deluxe because he no, he did it on 8 a.m.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:57

in Charlotte, which was one track on like a it was he he he did it more on the deluxe, but this shit dog, if you are that person, which I was kind of like that person, I did wish I was definitely that person too. Yeah, like I wanted to hear Drake bar down, like there's at least six songs on this 16-song album, 15-song album that is just bar down, make them cry, whisper my name, shebang to an extent, make them pay, national treasures, uh make them remember so good. It's just also like uh what's it called?

SPEAKER_01 1:17:34

Firm Friends, which is my favorite song right now. Wait, it's more than it's more than 15 songs. Keep scrolling, scroll all the way down. Oh, there you go. It is 18, it's 18, 18.

SPEAKER_00 1:17:43

18. Make them know Firm Friends. Like, there's bar, like, listen, I said this, I I made a video about this today. Yeah, I tweeted it, I will say it again on record. Iceman is the best solo Drake album since Views. I'm gonna give it a one more week before I decide if it's better or worse than views.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:05

We talk about Iceman. All right, hold on, hold on one second, hold on. I'm actually gonna tell my I'm about to talk shit about my friend on the pod, and I'm telling her right now. I'm talking about you on the pod.

SPEAKER_00 1:18:14

Crazy takes and your Drake takes.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:17

Now, we're gonna get her response live because bro, she listened to like Maida Honor and her BT first, and she's like, she she she I ain't gonna lie, I'm not gonna say it. Look, I love Drake and Kendrick equally. I came up, we we two we in our late 20s, bro. Yeah, yeah. We came up in that time going to I went to I was in Mosh Pitts at Kendrick shows last year. I am a cold stand, so it's like I have no dog. I'm a cold stand. I have no dog in this fight. You feel what I'm saying? I go lie, the boy changed my life, so I'll never put y'all y'all know my y'all know my vibes. Yeah, he didn't. I don't need it. I don't switch sides, but the TD folks, those my people still. Like Ray Von all them, those my homies. But the but when it comes to this shit, I'm very I'm definitely very biased. However, I will say that like Iceman as a whole, as a project, it gave me everything that I've been asking for for years. Like when Scary Hours 2 dropped, I was like, this is cool, but even some of the tracks on Scary Hours 2, I didn't love. Like I didn't really love like Wick Man like that. Yeah, yeah. Like those are just a few records. What?

SPEAKER_00 1:19:13

But I just it just not easily. I didn't really like Wickman either, I can't lie. Or even Red Button. Like, I didn't really shout out Cass, though. Shout out to Overcast, of course.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:22

But like I like Red Button. Okay. I like story about my brother. Like that's that's one of the best. And evil Ways, Ricole. Evil Ways. Evil Ways is tough. I like Evil Ways. Super tough. But my whole thing was like, I'm like, all I wanted for was for him to rap for like because like I feel like with every Drake album over the last couple years, while he is my GOAT, like I pick and choose what songs I like from it. Like, I feel like there hasn't been like an album for a while that I would just listen from top to bottom that I would just be like, okay, like I would just put in the car from top to bottom. Right. You know what I'm saying? I always kind of skip to my favorite songs. Yeah. Like on for all the dogs, like um the one with 21 Savage. That like, thank you. Callin' for you, I'll do calling for you. Wait, slow down, so down, slow down. Callin' for you, first person shooter, of course. Yeah. I'd probably skip Daylight Scary. Seven, what seven? What is this? Seven? Seven Santa Six Nine Santa. I always play, I always play that shit. Slam You out, love that shit. Uh Bahama Promises, love that shit. Uh Tried Our Best, love that shit. Like, there's a lot of songs like all the parties of Chief Keefe sample, or the one with Chief Keefe on it. Not my favorite. The first half of it is good. ADM and Charlotte, I always go to ADM and Charlotte. Rich Baby Daddy was cool. Rich Baby Daddy was like the way too sexy of that album for me. Where it's like, I like it the first day and I hear it in the club, but then I get tired of it after a while. Another late night where Yachty was really good. I enjoyed that one. And then uh Gently with Bad Bunny was was cool, but also I was kind of like, damn, I kind of wish they took a different direction Spanish-wise for this track. But that's coming as just as a Puerto Rican. Um, but yeah, like I feel like Iceman is like easily his best body of work that I've enjoyed since like Certified Loverboy.

SPEAKER_00 1:20:54

And that's the most important thing about fucking music lists.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:58

I've enjoyed, first of all, you side, not you, Jordan, you side. I enjoyed all of his albums, but I'm saying to the same way that I ran Certified Lover Boy into the ground, I'm gonna run this into the ground. No, he's not that type of artist because he has so the thing, the reason why this album is so perfect is because he took what he usually does and has all these different genres on an album to feed every piece of his fan base. But he was like, no. He said instead of overwhelming all y'all all at once, I'm gonna kill two birds with one song, I'm gonna get out my fucking deal, and everybody's gonna get their piece. You know what I'm saying? Like, for all the dogs, literally, if you put all three of these albums together sonically, they equal for all the dogs, right? Yes, they do. No, but the but for all the dogs has at least each, like each each genre that he touched on these projects, for all the dogs has. There's got I'm pretty sure there's a dance record on for all the dogs. He's got the the twerk record with sexy, he's got the the the the rapping on conductor beats with ADAM and Charlotte. He's got kind of like the singing shit that he did with like um Virginia Beach or like with the record with CZO. Yeah. Or um, yeah, but like everything had but like this project for all the dogs. I mean, yeah, for all the dogs has every type of Bahama promises. He's literally singing on the whole song. So Bahama, so these this album right here for all the dogs has all these different genres on it, right? And the scary hours version has 30 songs, right? But it almost 30 songs, 29 songs. But what he did was he just took this and said, one, two, three, what you like, you like. Because this motherfucker over here hasn't even listened to Iceman yet, but he loves Made of Honor, right? I love Iceman. My homegirl, who I ain't gonna lie, was talking spicy to me about the boy. I was, I was like, boy's back tonight. He said, We're back. I said, You know what it is? It's OVO season. Yeah, she was like, she's like, whatever, bro. She's like, let's see if he actually raps tonight. Yeah, she listened to the first two albums, uh, Made of Honor and Habiti. She hated those. She's like, I'm not gonna listen to Iceman. I'm like, nah, you gotta listen to Iceman. So that's the one you like. So, like, that's the that's what are we doing with more life? More life had all the different vibes too. But and see, he called more life a playlist that came out. I feel like last time I feel like in Dream was like, Nah, he was I think unless Honestly Neverminds, bro. He let Gordo produce like how many tracks on on Habiti? I think he produced like seven almost all of them. Like, yeah, that that's experimental. Shout out, shout out Gordo, aka DJ Carnage, one of my one of my favorite DJs I've ever seen live, by the way. He's crazy sets. But like, I feel like I feel like we got what we wanted. Yeah, like I'm I'm actually so satisfied. That's what I think Drake is for people, literally.

SPEAKER_00 1:23:44

Yo, when I I remember when Honestly Nevermind came out and I wrote a review, because I liked Honestly Nevermind Nevermind when it first came out, because my take was that Honestly Nevermind was the first time Drake was making an album for himself, in the sense that, like we were just talking about, every album he approaches it trying to do a little something for everybody. Give the rap fans something to eat off of, give the RB fans something to eat off of. But in this era of his life, he was in fucking Spain in a biza.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:15

That's what I'm trying to say.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:16

He was outside, and this was the music he was with.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:18

Look, shout out to Gordo. Gordo produced most of this fucking album. He was No, no, did Gordo didn't do honestly never. Did Gordo? No. Yeah, yeah. Wasn't it though? It was Black Coffee, right? Black Coffee executive. No, it was both of them. Because I know Gordo didn't. Oh, Gordo did both of this album, too? Okay, my bad.

SPEAKER_00 1:24:29

Gordo did a few joints on this one too. But Black Coffee executive produced this album. Yes, yes, yes, yes. But yeah, Drake was in his house music bag and he was like, you know what? I'm gonna take a left turn. I don't know if my core audience will like appreciate this, but this is what I've been listening to, and this is the music I want to make. This was the first time he didn't try to do something for everybody, and that's why I appreciated now, fast forward to today, it's like, okay, you want this, I'll give you this, I'll give you Hibipti. You want this, I'll give you Maid of Honor. You want this, I'll give you Iceman. So you can kind of like choose your own adventure. And my adventure was Iceman. And Iceman, literally, I'm fed. Like, I don't get like for all of my rap friend pundits, for all of the uh fucking couch critics, if y'all motherfuckers claim you like hip hop shit, and you talking shit about this, you're bugging. And I'm not even I'm not even a Drake stand. I'm not I I'm honest with I gotta Twitter says you're a Drake stand, right? See, that's nasty. But it's like when when he does wrong or when he falls short, I'm honest about it. Iceman is crack. Like if you thought he wasn't gonna throw subs, you don't listen. Because he was throwing subs at Putscher T for like six years after they little beef. For six years, he doesn't let go of a grudge. Right. So if you thought he was gonna not bring this shit up, you're tweaking. I'm honestly just appreciative that, especially on that intro, make them cry. He was honest. He was like, listen, like, I'm going through this year right now. I'm mad, paranoid. 2024 cooked me, but here I am. Word took Harry Potter, I'm the boy who lived. That wasn't even on the fucking track. I just made that bar up. Yeah, yeah. That wasn't even on the fucking novel. This is why they'd be saying what they say about Joel. Okay, like he's the boy who fucking lived or the Harry Potter. It's kind of hard not to be a Drake bot. I'm not a bot. I'm not paid off.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:24

I get no tax, I get no nothing. Let's get into Jordan's tweets real quick about Drake. You can leave this here. So a couple tweets Jordan has tweeted about Drake recently. My review on Iceman, the boy who lived, somehow managed to come back with better bars than before. We're gonna get to that. Say there. Positive Drake review. This was paid off. Negative Drake review, another Kendrick, another Kendrick Stan hating. That's real. That's his Twitter, though. Um, and then you also said that Drake and Future Reunion could have been better. Future sounded like he kind of phoned it. And I'm I'm gonna I'm gonna give them a chance to get their chemistry back. Yeah, so let's touch on that.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:59

I feel like Future phone that shit in. Like I like the song, but Drake was going the hardest on that song. Like, Drake had like what two verses. Big shout out to Molly Santana, we were just talking about. Um, the young rising superstar who's about to probably get her first number one song, which is fucking insane. I interviewed Molly two years ago, uh, and uh it's just dope to see someone in the underground get this type of look. Yeah, but yeah, like I think I I this was more of a moment for future of like, okay, this is the olive branch to show y'all that we are cool. Future didn't really do enough for me. I wish they would have been together in the same room. That too, yeah. Yeah, because yeah, actually, good point. I didn't even peep at the end of the video, they are never physically together, which is a really uh um interesting interesting thing and and really uh insightful of you to point out. But yeah, like I like the song, but like Drake does most of most of the heavy lifting, so I think they they have more time to actually get their chemistry back, they weren't playing together. Making music together for a little bit.

SPEAKER_02 1:28:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:28:02

But I also saw a tweet someone else made it was like future dead ass won out of this whole situation because Future had not like uh like that. Future had a fucking number one record with fucking uh like that. And um what's it what was the album that I was off of? Uh they don't they don't we don't trust you we don't trust you so he got the benefits of that side of the beef, then kind of stepped away, and then came back and is now gonna be on this number one fucking album. Yep, number one song, too, and number one song. So he never got any of the shit, and even like when Drake responded to all the beefs, all the disses, he was like, uh future uh Pluto shit made me sick to my stomach. We ain't never really been through it. Yeah, so it's like he just got out of this unscathed, which is very future like of him.

SPEAKER_01 1:28:47

But also, shout out Molly, man, because I just want to say something. Talk about it. I put Molly on on the radar, it was really in 2022, but it didn't come out until 2023. Right. And I'm when I put that shit out, this girl had tweeted, she's like, oh, I fuck with gay, da da da da. But like, he be doing anything. And I was like, nah, y'all don't see the vision for Molly. And then this other girl I knew, I hope she sees this shit actually. This other girl girl I knew tweeted, she said, quoted the quoted the tweet and said, she said, laughing laughing my ass off for real, girl. I'm gonna have to call him. She never called me about that, by the way. And then I seen when I seen Molly go on tour with Don, I thought about that tweet. And now Molly got a song with Drake. And I just wanna say, I fucking told you. I wanna see Molly, yeah. Northwest and Northwest is like a big fan of Molly, yeah. But but yeah, yeah, yeah. She brought out that rolling out. But my whole thing is like, yo, people love, and this is my fucking problem with Twitter, bro. Talk about it. Because people don't have like on Twitter, bro, and I got a tweet for this too from you, right? Jordan said, well, no, let me finish this stuff and then I'll say the tweet. My problem with Twitter is that people like are such cheap on Twitter that no one can form their own opinion without having to actually voice themselves. Like, we've given like everybody having a voice on the internet is just is not a good thing. Facts because everybody got like some stupid ass opinion, and the second that they see something that they don't like, like they have to they have to give their whole hot take about it, right? When it's like I ain't gonna lie, bro, you're probably the same way too. I'm a hater in private. Yes, like I'm a big hater in private. Like, if I don't like something, I'm gonna hate it in private, or I'm gonna send it to the group chat, whatever, right? And I'm gonna just talk to Dante about it and then I'm gonna leave it alone after that. Cause I what I don't get I don't care enough to hate or keep hating on it unless I hate you, right? And I think that like when whenever like someone new or polarizing comes out, and people just are automatically just like are like, well, this isn't the 90s or the early 2000s, and like they're just like, what is this? It's like there's like Asian girl from the West Coast making underground music, and it's like and they're like, Oh, I don't know about I don't know about da-da-da-da-da. But the she on a fucking Drake on a number one song now, four years later. Oh, three three, well, four years, three and a half years after we booked her for OTR, and we've been meaning to do something with her. She hit us up last year to do something. We just never, I think dates in line up. But like, this is not like you know what I'm saying? Like, it should just be blowing mom, bro. And then, like, I can never be like, I'm right. Because like, I don't want people, I don't want to get people online. I'll say it on the pod because I don't care, but like, I don't want to go on Twitter and be like, I told y'all, because everybody goes, then it's gonna start a whole new dialogue. I should. Man, fuck them people, bro. Just pump my gas.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:22

Then then Kirk, then then Kirko gonna tweet gay P from on the radar. Shout out Kirko, bro. Shout out to Kirko, Kirk.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:28

Shout out to Kirko, man. Shout out to Kirko.

SPEAKER_00 1:31:30

But yeah, nah, bro, like, no, you 100% right. A, it pays to be a hater in private, because it's just like it pays to be a hater in private, bro. It's never worth, it's never worth the fucking to to put more attention onto this stupid shit on fucking Twitter, especially because Twitter is a place where everybody has a fucking opinion. But yeah, like I fucking, I think I tweeted this like a day or two ago. It's like let's get into it. Say it. Yeah, like everybody can for like people tweet hater shit because they cannot form a functional thought that they can verbalize and speak and explain. But you can redraft, type out again, try to try to tweet again, whatever nasty ass, stupid ass, hater ass thing you gotta say, because it's fucking Twitter and you don't gotta put your face behind that stupid shit. You can't verbalize, you can't speak it to a person or to a fucking camera, you fucking whack ass, lame ass pussy, bro. Like, it's just five for Jordan Rose, man. Everybody, like, you know, muff like it's nasty. It's nasty. Learn how to actually articulate what the fuck you think if you are really willing to hate on some shit. Because to hate means you need to be able to stand on that shit. Now just tweet it one time, and then when people respond to you, ignore it or troll.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:41

So what you said that I was gonna bring up, you didn't say it just now, but you had tweeted, you said rap will be better off without Twitter. Facts. I agree. Facts. Because even like you, this album The culture in general will be better off without Twitter.

SPEAKER_00 1:32:52

This this album is a perfect example because I respect everybody who uh loved it or hated it with reason. It's like the way you feel is the way you feel, I would never like look at you differently for how you feel about it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:03

Music is subjective, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:33:04

Exactly. It's like you feel how you feel towards it. But Twitter has made it a thing where everybody's opinions are magnified, but worse, you might inform somebody else's opinion by accident, in the sense of like, if you're someone who is easily um influenced or persuaded, if like I'm like a 19-year-old kid listening to this album and I don't know exactly how I feel about it, rather than looking inwards and trying to figure it out, I'm gonna go to Twitter, and if somebody slightly leans, pushes me one direction, I'm going to then adopt that opinion, which is like the worst thing that could ever happen to critical thinking and to music consumption. Because back in the day, motherfuckers had to actually form opinions on they shit and then share it and then infer from there where they go with it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:58

Yeah, you know what I kind of noticed lately too? Cause like, you know, when with OTR, like we find like people before they blow up. Right. So, like, you know, the typical comment is y'all be letting anybody up there. But now I've seen that actually like expand past OTR and has gone to like all these different other platforms too. They Bjax just posted it.

SPEAKER_00 1:34:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:16

Because they were like, oh, they be letting anybody up there. We're talking about Bjax doing rolling out. Yeah, yeah. They don't know that this motherfucker got hundreds of millions of streams and did mad performances before rolling loud. Right. And uh, I'm trying to think of another one. I saw I saw they said that about somebody on colors like not too long ago, too. Um, somebody who's like very super abstract and different. I'd seen that. I I thought it was cool. Um, what are you looking up? Oh, he's looking up OTR, Molly Santana. Um, but like OS. But but but anyway, but like I've seen that like expand now from it, like I'm it was never solely just an OTR thing, but like I've seen it expand now from like OTR to like other platforms. Like, that's kind of like the main thing that people go to now. Whenever they just see something that they don't understand or they've never seen before, they don't like. It's like we've lost the ability to just like see something and be like, oh, this is something new and different. I either like it or I don't like it. So now they just assume that like people are doing anything. Well, it's not people are doing anything, it's like if we're doing things, we're doing things for a reason. Right. Target's putting people on rolling loud for a reason. We're putting people on OTR for a reason. You're interviewing people or talking about certain people for a reason. You did Molly Santana and Georgiana. I'm sure you got a lot of hate for doing Georgiana for sure. You know what I'm saying? Georgiana, Georgiana got a song with Youngboy out right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:26

Yo, Georgiana gave me a great quote about Shout out my sis. Yeah, shout out to Georgiana, shout out to Molly Santana. Georgiana gave me such an insightful quote about her figuring out how to litigate her deal and like how she didn't sign the first thing that she got offered because she had a good lawyer.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:42

She did have a good lawyer. Shout out her lawyer, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:35:44

Yeah, and like how her lawyer was like, no, you shouldn't take this, you should take that. And you should and like that that was the quote that went viral because it was like she actually knew what the fuck she was talking about. But it's like if you just judge a book by its cover, or if you just listen to what someone else said about somebody without giving them a fair shake, you would have never even got to that point. That's the worst part about it. It's like you're not giving people the fair shake. You don't have to fuck with somebody, but at least don't fuck with them off of things that you have cre uh ideas and opinions you have formed. Not an opinion someone else formed that you adopt. That's what's my biggest issue with. I mean, Twitter in general, but especially when it comes to fucking music, something that you have to experience on your fucking own to really have an opinion about.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:24

Yeah. I agree. And I think, and you know, I the reason why I said the pump my gas thing, I think TP, you know TP. Yeah, I think TP tweeted about that because you know, the we got the music industry uh uh graduates on Twitter. Oh, yeah. Yeah, we got the music industry graduates on Twitter. Yeah, yeah. Kind of getting back to the main point and talking about the boy, right? You said, like, and well, it's kind of lines up with what we're talking about. You said I've seen such brain dead takes about this new Drake music, and I think what bothered me most that people can actually can't go back to what you said, cannot actually articulate what their thoughts are outside of tweets. And I think my biggest issue with the reception of this album was that it was like you stayed up all night listening to it for the most part. I didn't listen to everything all night because I understood that I needed I wasn't gonna get my vibe off the first night. I needed to like live with it all weekend before I so I went to sleep. But when I woke up the next day and I was reading everybody's thoughts, like you know, the tweets are like, let's say I woke up at like 10 a.m. Tweets like six, seven, eight, nine hours old. But I'm like, it was people shitting on the album, some streamers too. And I'm like, bro, the the album came out like we're not even 12 hours into this thing being out, and you guys are already talking about it. How can you guys like judge a body of work without living with it first? Like, that's why I can never like give an opinion on anything once it comes out. Like, I need to like listen to it a meticulous amount of times. I need to go to I need to I need to be hanging out with bad bitches listening to her beaty doing Molly or something. I don't know. May not made the honor, made the honor. I gotta be like uptown with some baddies with with hookah with Dante with hookah. You know what I'm saying? Iceman, I need to be hitting my PR in the gym. Really? You know what I'm saying? Like, or like, or somebody needs to do me real dirty and I need to put on Iceman. Like, I don't understand like the the like I I can't I get like the articulated opinions about oh he maybe he hasn't grown, oh maybe this is all about the beefs and the you know whatever. Which I I definitely understand all those opinions and and I that and I think I value those opinions because I don't necessarily think that like those opinions are are are wrong, but I also don't agree with them, right?

SPEAKER_00 1:38:23

And like I can articulate that. That's the biggest point. It's like I fully understand like my peers or friends who feel like ah, like I think this is just coming off bitter or scornful or like petty and I don't like it because of that. I fully understand that and respect it. We don't have to agree for me to respect what you're saying. I respect what you're saying when you can articulate how you feel. Yeah, if you're just like trash and I ask why, and you're like, it's just because it's trash, I can't respect that. You know what I mean? It's like you have to be able to give some type of reasoning for your uh like or dislike. That's like that's that's why whenever I review something or whenever I get on camera to say I like or don't like something, I make sure I have very exact reasoning for why. There are certain artists who like I've had bad experiences with who uh I will have a personal bias against, but I won't put that into like my review of their music because that that has nothing to do with the thing that they made. I feel like a lot of people, for rational reasons or not, have issues with a lot of these massive artists like a Drake, like a dot, like a Cole, and they'll put their personal bias into uh their critiques of the music. So if you didn't like Drake for whatever reason that's outside of the music, you're gonna put that into your critique, and then you won't really articulate that. And that's an issue, you know. I mean, it's like I see that, you know, motherfuckers had a problem with Cole because he pulled out of the fucking rap beef. So then when he dropped the fall off, they were like, I'm not even really trying to give this a listen because that's not valid, bro.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:05

I was tight he dropped out of it, but I still listen to the fall-off.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:08

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:40:08

And at least you gave it that listen. It was a good album. I like the album. I love that album. Cole, like it used to be like Drake and Card always kind of been like this for me. Right. But then, like, obviously, Drake just, yeah. I look, I still spin the fucking fall off. You shit me? Cole is still my one of my my top three goats of all time.

SPEAKER_00 1:40:24

Yeah, like Cole is still that fucking guy. Shout out to Dreamville, shout out to Eve, shout out to everybody in the motherfucker Dreamville camp. Shout out to the fiends, shout out to Boz. Shout out to Boz, Cobbs, everybody. Like, they are good, good folks. And like, I feel like the fall off, I still appreciate that came out this year. Yeah, you know what I mean? But it's like, yeah, like people didn't give this album a fair shake, like the fall off a fair shake because of any personal bias they had against Cole. Against Cole. And that's like that's like, yes, we are innately as humans, we have biases towards everything, but it's our responsibility as functioning non-brain dead adults to acknowledge our biases and then operate accordingly, especially if we're in music. There's a lot of talking head podcast motherfuckers who are either ill-informed or just ill-equipped to acknowledge their biases and then make fucking opinions or takes as if they're fucking facts. Yeah, that's whack.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:24

I angola, that's a gr a great point. And I feel like with with this album with the boy and everything like that, look, you either you like it, you don't like it. Angola, if you got a problem with him rapping about the beef, Angola, if every person that I ever helped turned on me at the same time, I would be rapping about it three years later too. Right. Like Angola, these all huh, exactly. Angola, if you've never been betrayed before in your life, this album is not for you. Yeah. Because you don't know what it's like, you don't know what it's like to see people actively turn on you in real time. And I'm not, and I'm also not trying to be that guy, but like as successful people in the music industry, I literally the last week, too, I've had like people come at me crazy. People who like was like once cool. I'm like, yo, because I just said no to them to do one time because I didn't want to do some extra favor for them. Uh-huh. You don't know what that's people, like I ain't gonna lie, I'm not trying to be that guy, but like people don't know what that's like until they they huh?

unknown 1:42:19

Be that guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:20

Okay, he said be that guy. Well, y'all don't know what it's like until y'all are in this position. And a lot of people who are on Twitter will never be in this position. Yeah. Ever. And like that's kind of my problem. Like, bro, you were talking from a position, you're talking about a man, like, granted, he is putting his art out there, so it's subjective, and you're allowed to judge him on his position and whatever, a thousand percent. But you'll never be in that same position as him, so you'll never what understand what it's like to be betrayed by people that you help become millionaires. Yeah, no, for sure. Or not, but he didn't make them millionaires. Let me let me let me rephrase that. Who huh? I didn't say credit, no, but he he helped them make he helped them make millions. Yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. Like he took a lot of these people on tour, gave them features. Like, you think about like all the you think about all the people who got number ones off of him, or not even just number ones, who charted on the billboard for the first time. Molly's about to get her first ever number one, and future about to get what, his number third or fourth? Uh one of those. Something like that. Something like that. Like, bro, that's not you. I gonna lie, you gotta just, you know, it's yeah, you can you gotta look at it objectively, but I I understand that that that people on Twitter don't have like the same cox cognitive dissonance, but it's funny that we're talking about Twitter. This is the last thing I'm gonna talk about on Twitter. Is that um we're both in the music industry, obviously, right? So I'm gonna bring up this tweet. Did you see the tweet that's going around today? I don't know which one is this. The music industry in 2026 street. I did not see this one, no. Okay. Clint actually had quote tweeted it. That's why I like I was talking about it. But the tweet says, the music industry in 2026, write and produce your own music, mix it too if you can, post on social media at least five times a day, do your own graphic design, make sure you're cultivating a professional aesthetic, learn how to use meta meta ads and do those yourself. Book your own tours. And then Clint Clint quote tweeted and said, You sound lazy, you're not built for this. Go get a normal job. And I ain't gonna lie, they're ripping the kid. Well, I mean, the kid the has he hasn't been ratioed, but like the music industry people were like ripping the kid for for that tweet. I just thought it was funny. Because I feel like I'm like, they don't know. Hey bro, look, if you don't want to get with the times, you don't want to get with the times. That's not my problem, that's not my problem. You feel me? It is what it is.

SPEAKER_00 1:44:21

Yeah, nah, we're not we're not in the era where all you have to do is burn your own CD and then fucking tell them out the back of your car. Yeah, like it's you gotta be able to adjust with the times.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:32

You gotta be able to adjust with the times. You say golden age, bro. You can just gotta adjust, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:44:35

There's also resources that help. There's you gotta also be like uh, you know, savvy enough to realize that there are resources that can help you do a lot of these things.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:45

Also, a lot of these things that that they're talking about doing, the posting on social media at least five times a week is like probably like the most like like easy shit.

SPEAKER_00 1:44:54

Yeah, like post once you wake up, post once you eat lunch, post once when you go home, post once when you before you go to bed, and post another time, like in between those four times.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:01

Like if you want to be a musician or a concentrator, you can't think of like five ways to post on anything all week. You I go out, bro. Yeah, I give up. Like because that's like well, I don't want to ever tell people to give up, but like you gotta if if you don't want it bad as people who stood in buildings long after we were supposed to we got kicked out of them, I just feel like if people don't want it bad enough, they don't, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 1:45:21

I feel like sometimes people forget, like, one of the biggest things about being creative is to get creative. It's to get creative, like and it's a lot.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:29

Well, like to be creative, like think do what you did for young boys. Bro, most people would fold under that. So it's it's just it's it's just different. Um, we're moving on from like Twitter and Drake, right? Well, I mean, kind of not yes and no. We gotta talk about the hip hop list, man. Ah, I forgot about that. You forgot that's about like we were gonna talk about the couple. Yeah, I forgot the OG comment. Yeah. I go. Yo, Dante, stand right there. Stand right there. That's my little Yeah. He's saying that with the hip out, right? Let's get into it. I go a lot, bro. What okay, what do you think would make us top 10? Like, what do you think could propel us into the top 10? That's a good that's a good question. And you're he's my friend, so I don't care.

SPEAKER_00 1:46:07

Nah, like I think that I think that OTR is like very, very, very important in this space. And without it, I think there wouldn't be a platform for a lot of artists to put out their music and now especially across regions and genres, right? Um, like I think about what's that what's that group of like the it's like the one short white boy, the black guy, the light skinned guy. Field trip? No, what is their name? So it's like a group they rapped over, like Oh, you're talking about um delivery boys. Delivery boys. Yeah, shall delivery boys, man. Yeah, like I got hit. Yeah, like I get hit to like a lot of artists off of OTR. Like, I got hit off delivery boys off of OTR, oh, off of OTR. For sure. And like I keep up with them now, because like I really fucked with that freestyle offered those unique ass fucking pop music beats.

SPEAKER_01 1:46:58

Yeah, they rapped over. I'm I remember one of them rapped over like um the childish Gambino song.

SPEAKER_02 1:47:03

Daylight.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:04

Um yeah, what's the name of that song? I'm blanking. Daylight. Redbone, thank you. Yeah, Redbone, yeah, Redbone. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 1:47:11

Yeah, and like the short white kid, like he went the craziest. Yeah, so anyway, that like OTR serves a really solid purpose. I think that our hip hop media list is a snapshot at the landscape. So it's not us saying these are the most important people, it's us saying this is who as a hip-hop music community collectively we have deemed is the most powerful. So if the snapshot looks nasty, it's because the environment is nasty. That's what like the rationale has always been. You know, there's people who are very high up on the list who people disagree with morally, ethically, and have criticized us for platforming. And like, I do stand on that. Of like, we are not platforming this person. We are saying if this looks nasty, if you think the number one, number two, whoever shouldn't be there, it speaks more to the climate than it does. Why are you playing this? Turn it off, turn it off, turn it off, turn it off. That's the funniest one you could have played. Yeah, he played when you're Miami. Turn it off. So, yeah, like you know, that's why we have a community vote now, also, which like allows the people to say who whatever they would put into the top 10. I agree. Um, but that's that's our rationale for our top 10. And like, you know, it's in in certain spots like that, OTR is number 11. It is splitting hairs with like one over the other. So like I think it's easy for y'all to get into the top 10 because it's very close. It's not like you are not 10 and 11 are separate by a wide margin by any means.

SPEAKER_01 1:48:52

I will say, I will I will say, like, I'm also like looking at the statistics right now. Hold on, let me let me vote a few times real quick. Okay, yeah, go before you. Let me vote. Let me, I'm just trying, I'm mostly voting in the top 10 right now to kind of see like where people are. I'm one of the only people, at least in the top 11. I'm not going beyond 11 right now, because just because I'm on a I'm talking about how we're on the cusp of the top 10. But I'm on the radar is one of the only people that um is like mutually agreed upon is in like the right spot. In in like the top 10. Okay, okay. Like you, because you don't have you, you guys have the um the fan voting thing. Yeah, yeah. So like in the fan voting thing, can't what are you playing? In the fan voting thing, you had like the underrated, agree, or overrated, right? Yeah. And I will say that like for a bunch of the the ones in the top 10, we're in the higher percentile of like the underrated and agree versus the overrated. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_00 1:49:50

Yeah, so there's like more votes of people saying that y'all were underrated or they agreed.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:54

Or agreed than them saying that y'all were overrated versus like some other people in the top ten. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's it. That's it. But I think it's important that like you speak about that because I think like it's different typing it out versus like you actually saying what it is.

SPEAKER_00 1:50:07

And look, the ra and like yeah, I think the rationale is like a obviously I feel like with a lot of our lists, people think that like it's like this half-hazard thing. We spend weeks uh like deliberating on this with multiple people across multiple age demos, so it's like not just YMs or old heads, it's like a mix of people on our team, all very familiar with music, but also who all have different algorithms. Because I think that's very important. Because like, you know, I can speak honestly that like somebody like Trapolar Ross isn't in my algorithm, but you know, somebody else on our team who he is in their algorithm can speak to why they have power in that specific corner of the internet that he occupies. I think that's important. The internet is obviously vast, especially in hip hop media. Like, I was actually talking to some guys from Atlanta, I think uh baller alert, shout out to baller alert, who they felt like they should have been on the list. And I was like, no, honestly, like thank y'all for like talking to me about this because we don't have a lot of southern people on our team. So maybe that was a part of the algorithm that we didn't peep as much. Sure, even though this list is highly predicated on like what breaches that regional aspect of it and is more like what hits everyone's timeline. That's why somebody like academics, like Budden, like Fantano, are in the top 10. It's like you don't gotta be from the South, the West Coast, East Coast. You'll probably see Fantano's score of an album. Like when Fantano drops his Iceman score, we're all gonna see it. When Button does his review of Iceman, that already came out though.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:44

He put on the paywall, but that shit already was.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:46

Yeah, like I saw the clips, like when he put out his like his whatever, like his immediate reactions, we all saw it. That is what in part, you know, determines where people fall on the list, like where, like how much motion they create, and not just in like opinion things, obviously, but just like in general. Um, for people who like Kirko, who like obviously isn't it? Shout out to Kirko, I really like Kirko. Shout out to Kirko who was in our top 10. He's not a he is a person, but like their page is like news. Like you get information, album releases, and just like breaking news. Shout out to Delivery Boys. Shout out to Delivery Boys, yep. You get that information from Kirko, um, which is like I think a lot, which is uh which is what other pages algor uh aggregate. So so yeah, that's kind of you know, it's different for each spot, but OTR number 11 definitely I think has the potential to crack the top 10. I ain't repeat this yet.

SPEAKER_01 1:52:42

I'm on the community results page.

SPEAKER_00 1:52:45

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:52:45

When was the last time you looked at the community results page?

SPEAKER_00 1:52:47

Probably it's been a minute, a week or two at least.

SPEAKER_01 1:52:49

Cool. I hope you're ready for this. Okay. So community results, right? Most agreed on the radar.

SPEAKER_00 1:52:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:52:56

61% says that they got right at number 11. Okay. So I'm cool with that. Most disputed Kid Mero at 28. That's like it was like 30, 30, 30 for that one, which is interesting. Nardwar was the most underrated. Okay. I do kind of disagree because I feel like Nardoir hasn't done as much hip-hop. He's just the most loved, which I understand. Like he's definitely the most loved, though. We love Nardwar. Endearing figure, I totally get that. Most overrated Neon. Okay. Which I I don't think Neon totally deserves to not be on the list. Because he did break people, like Jell O, the whole Jell O thing really started because of Neon. That was one of his biggest concerns for that. And Neon has been doing a lot of streams with hip-hop artists that have kind of been like relevant, but I just don't know if top 20 was my personal preference for that one. I think people who do streams with artists who I think like they should be there, but it depends on like how either how like you know how newsworthy it was, or how like if they broke artists.

SPEAKER_00 1:53:46

Yeah, and like I think the thing with Neon, which I understand where the community vote is coming from, but our rationale was like, okay, Neon A has the power to get to get anybody, like he had Young Thug on his stream. You know what I mean? It's like he has the power to get a lot of rappers on his stream because of the reach he has. He broke Jello. And even though he doesn't interview artists or he doesn't like really talk about music in like a critical way, just the fact that his platform has the power to influence an artist's decision on jumping on there is value enough in him. Like Max, like Max doesn't interview artists, yeah, but Max is in the booth or Max's commentary about music. People care about it.

SPEAKER_02 1:54:32

Yeah, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 1:54:33

Like Baby Chief Do and Nino Payne, a lot of these guys they performed their in the booth songs at festivals. Right. So it's like that is power, you know? Um so yeah, that they perform they on the radar, too. Okay, but look, look, look, look, look, yeah, we know who's 10 and who's 11. I get it. I get it.

unknown 1:54:53

That has nothing to do with the other.

SPEAKER_00 1:54:54

Oh, Dante. Talk to me, talk to me, talk to me.

unknown 1:54:56

How did Congress make the choice between 10 and 11?

SPEAKER_01 1:55:01

So, okay, so what Dante asked is, and also I want to before we get into any of this, I fuck with Max Heavy. Like, no, no, no, no, no. Hold on. Because I don't like getting caught up in no messy shit. Like, we actually we had hit Max a while back because we want to do like a five-star cipher with him when he started the label. Yeah. And we just never, it just never worked out. We're actually supposed to do, we're talking to his man he different managers now, but at the time, I think we were trying to do a stream at OTR with him doing in the booth at OTR. This is like around the time he did the cash one.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:26

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:55:27

So we were trying to line it up to do it at OTR, but it just never worked, and then me and Max never got to meet. But I fuck with Max. Anyway, what Dante's about to ask you is um what Dante just asked, is how do you how do you make the decision between 10 and 11? But I feel like that's a very arbitrary question because like that, like he kind of answered that already. You know, top 10 is different than like top 10 is different, but like it's a it's the the question, the answer is already kind of there.

SPEAKER_00 1:55:47

Well, you know, like it's it was very close to answer the question. It was very, very close. And OTR's expansion into other genres is important, but this is also a hip-hop mix. It's half-hopped, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? So it's like we're focusing hyper on hip-hop, and while Max is, you know, Max was way higher last year. Yeah, he was like, what, three last year? Yeah. Or four. He was like three or four. So he dropped a few spots because he focused, he's been focusing less on breaking artists and more on being an artist. Yeah. Like, you know, his performing. So like that's why he dropped a few spots, but we felt like he didn't deserve to drop out of the top ten. Because he was still doing in the booths, like he did one with Burner Boy, the one where Rio was really good. He did one with Rio, he did one with two slimy, like as two slimy was starting this, like, you know, weird ascension.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:32

Slayers was good too. I like Slayers.

SPEAKER_00 1:56:34

So like Max is still super tapped in with the underground and still putting on in the in the in the booth in the in the booths that he does. Yeah. So we're like, okay, like he isn't inactive, and that's why he still and he still puts on for the underground, so that's why he still deserves to be in that spot. Um, but like I said, splitting hairs with with both of those, like it's very extremely close. Jersey. Jersey. He's also biased because he's from Jersey.

SPEAKER_01 1:56:58

I did have to put on for my jersey brother for sure. Nah, I respect I ain't gonna lie, bro. It's if you was from the town, you put on somebody from the towns. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_00 1:57:04

So it's like, you know, yeah, but I think that, yeah, both OTR, Max, both amazing platforms.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:11

Also, on the community vote, on the radar is ranked number eight. So we're the top 10. Let's put the talk. You don't need the top 10 with the people.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:21

Let the talk, man.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:23

Top 10 with the people.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:24

Get the drink champs uh uh air horns. Y'all above drink champs. Your. Wait, oh, we are above wait, which what number was drink champs? Like they're in like the 20s, I think. Oh, really? Okay. Mainly because like like Nori and them, like they kind of like chilled a little bit. Like Nori is like on his health journey, and like I feel like there were fewer drink champs moments. Look, motherfuckers start getting healthy, they drop out of list and shit.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:43

Nah, like that's crazy. Y'all see what they're doing already.

SPEAKER_00 1:57:46

Shout out to the OG Nori, you know what I mean? Like, and and the whole crew out there, like, they show love all the time. I love them, but yeah, like you know, just I'm not trying to get you in nothing, but I promise. No, look, I've I trust me. Like, I sat across from fucking academics and was talking about this bullshit.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:59

Yeah, no, I really challenged you. I fucked with that.

SPEAKER_00 1:58:01

He did, he did, and I appreciate it too because I think it's important to talk about these lists because oftentimes you just will see the list. You won't go to it and read the blurbs and shit. You'll just look at it when Kirko aggregates it. And it's important to give context.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:14

I will say I was a little disappointed that more people didn't give their uh their, you know, I'm I'm sure it's hard to get in touch with certain people, but like people didn't give like the quotes. The quotes. Because I think the quotes really added a lot of context to what how people feel about hip-hop right now. And I thought that was very important. That's why I that's why I responded to you immediately. I'm like, I would love to speak about this. And like that's why I I gave so much credit to like other areas of hip-hop around the world. Um People are bougie, Gabe.

SPEAKER_00 1:58:38

You know.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:38

I know people are bougie.

SPEAKER_00 1:58:39

You know, so people don't want to fucking people don't want to talk about this shit. Yeah, they want to put thought into rap shit, you know, even if they benefit off of it.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:45

Um, but yeah, man, number eight, I I gonna lie, I appreciate you for that. Um damn, I forgot where I was gonna go. I was gonna take this after this. Um, oh, I remember. So I gotta like, I gotta give like, well, I gotta give like two people for next year. Okay. Right. Talk to me. Uh ML and 42 CEO. Yeah, I and you know, I talked to them at Rolling Loud about this. MWL and 42 CEO deserve to be on that shit. ML, I don't know CEO that well. We never, I don't think we ever really got to meet, but I just think he's he's a cool guy. MmL is my dog. I was uh ML interviewed me like years ago before anything. Um and like I just think like and also I think me and Mwell are both the same age. Yeah. So I think like, you know, I just I I love ML. He's such a con spirit who cares about the artists that he works with. He deserves to be on it.

SPEAKER_00 1:59:32

You know, shout out to ML, shout out to 42. Uh, we spoke about the list when we were at Rolling Loud, and um, I totally agree that like more underground representation, like underground sound, UGS is on there. Yep, shout out, shout out my boys. Shout out to UGS, but yeah, I I think that especially as the underground continues to expand and we see artists like Osama-san, like Che, yeah getting larger platforms, like you know, Mwell did uh Osama-san's interview, like he like he was on Well Oh well, his like show a minute ago. Like you there it goes shout to Mwell, shout out to Well Well Well, and like yeah, Osama-san was on that show like early on. Yeah, this episode was viral. Like, I think he did this interview before we did. So, like, shout out to Mwell and and um Well, well, well and 42 is just super consistent, like he's posting every single day. He's posting underground news, he's putting posting news about Cardi, Opium, that whole like that whole genre and space, like he really owns, like so. I agree. I think that like next year having more underground underground representation because that space is also important, it's not just about mainstream rap. Um, and I I really fuck with those guys, so I I definitely want to try to make sure that and they were in conversation, like we didn't forget about them. They were definitely in contention, it just got dicey with those last uh what we did a couple spots, yeah. Yeah, those last couple spots, it got super dicey. Um, and it was just like, you know, a matter of voting. But they will, my brothers, y'all are important to this space, and we'll definitely try to make sure that that's it. That's what that's what I want to hear, man.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:10

That's what I want to hear. Get them flowers. I think that's a good place to end it. Because I feel like we've all we've been talking for almost two hours now, right? Yeah, we've been talking for almost two hours. I don't I don't want this to be like the longest episode ever. Um, but hey, man, like look, I think that's a great place to end it. I think you provide a lot of clarity for a lot of people. Jordan, thank you for everything. What we got coming. Oh, we got the new show, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Um re-rank. We got re-rank. Um, what else you got cooking up? What else we're working on?

SPEAKER_00 2:01:33

Uh new episodes of re-rank dropping every other week as of the recording of this one is dropping tomorrow. Um be out by the time people.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:40

Who's it with?

SPEAKER_00 2:01:40

You can say so so it's not all music guests. So this one coming up is Stable Ronaldo. Oh, fuck. That's a great guest. Re-ranking our best streamers right now list. Um, that one was shot when I still had hair, so don't be alarmed. And then we have French Montana and Max B. I guess this is the this is the news. Not sure if I should have said that. Whatever. We have two rappers uh that are dropping at the top of June, uh, re-ranking a very viral list that we did uh about a year ago. So exciting top of the re-rank, still just grinding on the complex side. Appreciate my brother Gabe for holding a platform for everybody. It's like one of the few times I get to be interviewed, and I enjoy talking uh with my like-minded music brothers. So I appreciate you, man. Yo, Cam, turn this shit off. Sheesh!

SPEAKER_01 2:02:34

Hold on, my fault, my fault, my fault. Don't say what's on the TV. Turn it off. Turn this shit off, Cam. Go back to Ice Man, man. I go back, I yeah, go happy drinker. Put a happy drinker on. Yeah. Anyway, um, man, go check out re-rank. Um, go check out everything my boy Jordan got out now. Incredible writer, incredible host, incredible person. Um, follow on the radar, everything. Jordan, what's your thing? You have different ads on everything, right?

SPEAKER_00 2:02:56

Yeah, so Instagram it's Saints.rose R O Z E. My last name is Jordan Rose Like the Flower, but obviously that was taken. Uh, Twitter, it's J RoseTheReturn. And uh TikTok is J Rose, but really just Instagram and Twitter.

SPEAKER_01 2:03:11

You feel me? There you go, man. Well, look, make sure you check out everything he's got going out right now. Go follow him on Twitter for all the hot takes. Um, and keep it logged, man. Re ranked out now. More interviews on the way, more content on the way, more uh oh, Nets Ben in the Pit Part two. Yes, out now. Go check that out. Until next time, Frequency on the radar, GP Jordan Rose Complex. We out. BOW!