Bryesha | Ja'Mal Green

Joining me on the show we have Chicago activist, developer and real estate broker Ja'Mal Green! From growing up in Englewood and defying the odds to becoming a business owner, he breaks down what it takes to create real change. We also dive into Chicago politics, his work/life balance, and relationship goals. Enjoy!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:11

We have a special guest in the studio today. This individual is known for his unapologetic advocacy and deep commitment to community empowerment. He has been on the front lines fighting for equity, economic opportunity, and real change. From the streets of Chicago, whether he's organizing, building businesses, or stepping into the political arena, his mission stays the same: uplift the people and challenge the status quo. Please join me in welcoming J Maul Green.

SPEAKER_02 0:47

What's up? Hey! Just put that intro in front of everything. You can, you can. You do well, you do well. Thank you for having me on the show. I've been proud of you.

SPEAKER_00 0:58

Oh, thank you. I'm so glad you made it.

SPEAKER_02 1:01

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

We were just saying this, but I haven't seen you in a while.

SPEAKER_02 1:04

Like two years, you know.

SPEAKER_00 1:06

Since you came to our groundbreaking ceremony.

SPEAKER_02 1:09

Check, check in with me. And uh, you know, but I'm proud of all that y'all are doing in Inglewood, and I'm proud of your mom.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

So thank you.

SPEAKER_02 1:16

She she she's been just thrill blazing, and um, I love it.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Thank you. We appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 1:22

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 1:23

Um, so how you been though, overall?

SPEAKER_02 1:24

I have, you know what? I've been good. I've been um, I've been going into a stage of peace, you know. Stage of peace. Peace.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Oh, this is new. I wasn't expecting you to say that.

SPEAKER_02 1:35

Yeah, I think um, you know, when you've been giving your life for so long, I mean, I look, I mean, literally the anniversary for my is it the 15th? On April 15th, it would be like the 15-year anniversary for my first peace march that I organized.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

15 years.

SPEAKER_02 1:53

15 years, right? And um people be like, man, we thought you was like 45. I'm 30. I just gave y'all my life early.

SPEAKER_00 2:01

Like Right, right, exactly, exactly.

SPEAKER_02 2:04

And uh 15 years since I've I led my first peace march down 47th and King Drive to 63rd and King Drive, which was like, oh, once we walked it, I was like, I'll never do this long walk again. You know how long that is from 47th and King Drive to 63rd and King Drive, especially like get the 55th and it breaks off, and he got anyway, that's crazy. But anyway, um, I had all the politicians, you know, Senator Patricia Van Pelt, and she's not even senator no more. And just uh Ryan Fest was running for Alderman at the time. He's now on the elected school board. Yes, he was. He was my mentor when I was younger than that. Um you know, Fred Waller was a commander at the time. He's since then became the interim superintendent of police, and now he's retired. Oh my goodness. So, like, just at that time as a teenager, thinking back to those times of building and organizing is um is crazy. So when I say a state of peace, it's like, you know, just so many years, and now I have my boys, right? And three, three, three boys.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:07

Um, I've just been trying to chill, but still like give and lend my voice and be philanthropic and um just take real real time for my family, you know?

SPEAKER_00 3:18

Yeah, and I want to get into that more in just a bit though.

SPEAKER_02 3:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

But we're gonna take it back a little bit, like you just were describing, a little bit to the beginning. So you've been passionate about reform, of course, since a young age. What sparked that fire in you?

SPEAKER_02 3:31

You know what? I don't know if it was something that sparked the fire or so much of just God putting the footsteps in front of me. You know, truly. Um I always been passionate about people, uh, especially coming from Inglewood and seeing seeing everything you could name. Like nothing that I didn't see. I mean, I was almost shot multiple times. Like I've seen, you know, so many of my friends be killed, um, or you know, the drug game, or you know, like whatever that you can name, I've seen living in a hood, right?

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 4:09

And it was one of those things of like everybody wanted to see who can make it out. And um for me at a young age, I was like, look, if I'm able to make it out the hood, I ain't come like I'm leaving the city. Like you, you, you, you so much, yeah, we out of here. Like that was the mindset because when you look on social media and you see the celebrities make all this money and then they leave. And this this is what kids today do, right? Is they're living in such um such abhorrent conditions in their neighborhoods where um they really want a better life for themselves uh and don't know how to, you know, get there. And so that was really the drill rap scene. Like when they saw the drill rap was like make it out, they was like, oh shoot, I can be a drill rapper and express myself.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

That's what I should do.

SPEAKER_02 4:56

I can get out the hood, you know. Um, but for me, uh I didn't I obviously didn't take that path. I more just became more involved in the community um and being impactful and investing back in the the community and wanting to be an entrepreneur and opening up businesses and things of that sort. And I was able to to do so, but I also found a a a larger love for the city at that time too. And so I was like, no, I can't leave the city. Like, I love Chicago. I want my kids to be Chicagoans. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:27

What do you love about Chicago? What do you love about the city?

SPEAKER_02 5:29

I love everything about this city. I love, I love the people. I love how wherever we're from, whatever we've been through, um, we're still looking forward to what's you know better. Or we're still looking forward, period. Right. Um, even when we're discouraged, even when we've lost hope. Chicagoans, they still, they still like truck forward and be like, hey, we still here and we still gonna fight.

SPEAKER_00 5:55

Amen. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 5:56

And I think um when you when you go to other cities, you just don't see that in people. You don't see that Chicago grit, the Chicago fight, like it's something when you come from Chicago. Exactly. That's why they always say you can make it anywhere if you come from Chicago. Because we literally, you know how it is in Chicago. Oh yeah. You got a lot of cutthroat activity all through the city.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

So Yeah, yes, unfortunately.

SPEAKER_02 6:22

But you know, I love our city.

SPEAKER_00 6:25

Okay, was there a defining moment that solidified that that like this was gonna be part of your life's work?

SPEAKER_02 6:32

Well of defining moment, you know, I don't know if it was a defining moment of just um just seeing the hope in the next generation. I've always been passionate about young people, as many people know. And when I was younger, like I had a mentor in organization, everything when I was young, right? Mentoring younger people.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Right, I was gonna say you were young yourself, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 6:56

20, you know, and um just knowing that a lot of the the next generation deserved a better opportunity than our generation or the previous generations, that's what I wanted to fight for. And so when I would go talk to young people, when I would go talk in schools, or when I would mentor and I would see the hope in them, it was like we can't leave these young people behind. Yeah. Like we gotta we gotta we gotta build a better pathway for them.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

For the next generation. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 7:27

I think that's been my my biggest passion.

SPEAKER_00 7:29

Awesome. Okay. Um so Chicago has many nicknames, one being the Windy City, and contrary to popular belief, it has nothing to do with the weather.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

No.

SPEAKER_00 7:38

So corruption. The nickname, yes, came from a reporter out of New York back in 1893 who said that our city's politicians were aggressive, boastful, wind bags, just full of hot air. Do you still find that to be true?

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Hell yeah. Yeah. And so when you say you can make it in Chicago, if you can make it Chicago politics, you could also make it anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 8:03

Right.

SPEAKER_02 8:03

Um, you still find it to be true then? Yeah, Chicago and Illinois politicians are the most corrupt of all time, still to the day. That's why most of them go to jail. They just get, you know, they get a slap on the wrist, you know, they do a couple years and get out of jail.

SPEAKER_01 8:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:19

Either they stole a hundred million already, you know. Right. They got millions tucked to the side somewhere. Um you know, and that's the second motivation. It's like, all right, when do we right the wrongs? You know? When when when do a new generation of politicians come in who really are connected to the people that says that we're not gonna operate like this? When when do the next generation come in and say we're we're actually gonna get in these positions, not for our own gain, right? But for the people. And that's the only reason why I I stepped in the political arena, because I don't want to be a career politician, okay? So I don't want to be a politician, period, truthfully.

SPEAKER_00 8:57

Really?

SPEAKER_02 8:57

Um, because it's a it's a snake game, yeah, and they'll make enough money to be dealing with snakes in politics, okay? So to take a pay cut to be in politics and knowing the hell you gotta go through, it'd be like, nah, we I'm good on that. Which is why a lot of generations probably don't do it, right? But I think um there must be a change. And it and and a lot of times it started at the top, which is why I ran for the top position.

SPEAKER_00 9:26

Exactly. Okay. Um, so you of course have no problem telling it like it is and calling out individuals for not practicing what they preach.

SPEAKER_01 9:35

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 9:35

So on the opposite spectrum of that, is there anybody who maybe inspires you? Or who or people or particular person maybe who inspires you?

SPEAKER_02 9:44

Living or dead.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

Good question. Living.

SPEAKER_02 9:50

Living. Um is it have to be in a city or just a period?

SPEAKER_00 9:54

Just period.

SPEAKER_02 9:55

You know what? Uh Dr. Claude Anderson is still living, and we gotta give him his flowers.

SPEAKER_01 10:00

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:01

Um you know, and I love his book, White Wealth, Black Labor.

SPEAKER_01 10:05

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 10:05

Um, and so essentially Dr. Claud Anderson has really moved forward the real um message when it comes to building black wealth um and the history of what has truly happened, what we need to be focused on, and how we hold our politicians accountable for it.

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 10:25

And um he's one of the most unapologetic about, you know, um black economics of anybody. And so I I gotta give him his props. Um, you know, and and there are a lot of people after him who are are pushing that message as well. Dr. Boyce Watkins is a um also a good friend of mine, and you know, just somebody who pushes black economics so much. Um on the political side, it's very hard. It's gotta be somebody hard. Um, you know, in in in the state of Illinois, um I would say uh my brother Cam Buckner is Cam Buckner is um his authentic self. Um you know, half of his politics I'm gonna disagree with and same the same with mine.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:21

But he is from the neighborhoods and he operates in his capacity of really moving forward change for the neighborhoods. He's not in it for gain or political or financial gain. Um and so I think he is he is a true, uh authentic guy, and and he inspires me, and I'm happy to have him advising me as much as possible as well politically. And um, so uh I love him and I I love a lot of um a lot of other young the next generation of politicians who are trying to come up. Um Senator Willie Preston, I think, is also inspiring.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Um while controversial a lot of times, he is um but he is he's young and and and we'll speak tell it like it is. Um and I think the the thing that we have to understand is that we're not going to agree with anybody a hundred percent.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

I was that was gonna be my next question. Yeah. Even if you don't agree with them, you still have their relationship. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:23

Yes. That because that's that's if we know where their heart is and and they're and they're authentic, not being controlled. Because the issue is the majority of the politicians and corrupt politicians in our state are puppets, truthfully. They're puppets for something, they're puppets for an organization, they're puppets for a union, they're puppets for a billionaire, they're puppets, right? These are not people who was like, you know what, I want to go out and fight for the people. These are people that were literally chosen and selected and said, hey, we need you to run and move forward our agenda. And that's the majority of the politicians. And so when you have those who are authentically themselves, uh-huh, and they chose to get up and say, Lo, I want to make a change, and they can work with everybody behind the scenes, um, those are the people that I support. And if I and if I don't disagree with them all the time, guess what? I pick up the phone. You know, I talk to the majority of politicians that are sitting from the top top on down, and I have conversations with them on, I don't agree with this. This is some bull crap. I don't agree with this, you know. Even the governor, you know, I didn't I didn't walk in Springfield and said, I need to see the governor and while I'm here. And they like, all right, the governor gonna make time. You know, like I'm literally like that, right? And um, you know, uh they respect my voice, so you know, they listen and they and they pick up the phone.

SPEAKER_00 13:40

Are there some who just be like, no, we don't want to talk to him. We don't want to talk to Mr. Green.

SPEAKER_02 13:44

You know what? That's that's funny. I don't uh I've never encountered that.

SPEAKER_00 13:48

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 13:49

Funny as it is, you know, if I don't talk to them, I don't want to talk to them. You know, because uh I've built I've built my own name and and everything without them, you know. So they respect that. And they they also don't want me throwing darts they way.

SPEAKER_00 14:05

So exactly. I'm sure they don't want that smoke.

SPEAKER_02 14:08

They don't want no smoke. So even if they don't like me or like them, they still they still will pick up the phone if I call them. So, you know, I'll I'll say that.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

That's still a respect thing.

SPEAKER_02 14:18

It's a respect thing. Okay, yeah, yeah. And if I gotta if I gotta jump on you, you know, publicly, you know, I'm gonna let you know.

SPEAKER_00 14:26

Okay. You as you always have. That's what I can't respect about you for sure. Um so you went from growing up in Inglewood, as you just described, dodging bullets, defying the odds, yeah, to now becoming a business owner, developer, yeah, top producing real estate broker, purchase purchasing properties in Beverly since the age of 25. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:47

How did you do that?

SPEAKER_02 14:49

God, really, let's make that clear. The first thing first is God has been blessing me since a youngin', for real. I mean, forever. I didn't even say youngin', since I was out the womb. But definitely when I was comprehending, I was like, dang, God really loved me, right?

SPEAKER_01 15:05

Speak on it, yeah. Speak on it.

SPEAKER_02 15:06

Um, you know, when I was young and I was watching my mom and my grandma and dad, like, everybody worked these dead-end jobs. And um, you know, for a long period of time. And and and let me also say, those those dead-end jobs provided for us, right? So people who work in these fields, like, I love them and honor them. Um, but they, you know, I just don't believe in working a job for 30, 40 years and then turning around and not getting nothing in return after you've given your body to it. Like, I saw my mom have several foot surgeries, and my grandmother's my grandmother had have two new uh knees. Um, you know, like um, and they were postal workers, and my mom's been there 40 years, my grandma was there 41 years. And um, while I love the the postal family um big time because they took care of me and raised me for real. I was like, I don't want to be in the post office, like I don't want to do a job. You know, my dad was an advocate 25 years. I was like, nah, I want to do something different. Like, I want to open up businesses, I want to innovate, I want to create new ideas. And um that's just who I was. I started my first youth organization when I was 15 with my Greek history teacher, uh, and it expanded to several schools and several school districts around the country when I was 16 years old.

SPEAKER_01 16:28

Really?

SPEAKER_02 16:28

Going into schools, getting paid a thousand dollars of school to like speak to kids about bullying and anti-violence, and they wouldn't even know how old I was until I told them, like Really?

SPEAKER_00 16:40

I had no idea you did that.

SPEAKER_02 16:41

Yes, yes. So a lot of the superstars, the Emmanuel Hudson and Jacob Lattimore and Diggy and all, like, I mean, they were all on tour with me back then, you know. Stop Shamik Moore from Dope, like he was performing with me. Um I mean, I had I had all of the stars of today, like back then when they were younger on school tours in Atlanta and in other cities, you know.

SPEAKER_01 17:06

Wow.

SPEAKER_02 17:07

And um, so that was that was the fun time for real. Like going in front of kids, a thousand kids, screaming kids every day, all day was was fun for me as a teenager. Came back and I was the put the guns down ambassador for the city because they wanted me to, they saw what I was doing around the country, and it was like, you need to do it for Chicago.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 17:24

Under Rob Emanuel, Kim Bennett made me the um put the guns down ambassador.

SPEAKER_00 17:29

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:29

When I was going into all at risk schools for the city to do the same thing, run anti-violence programs. When I was 17, 18 years old.

unknown 17:37

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_00 17:38

Baby.

SPEAKER_02 17:39

I was a baby, yeah. Um, but I was a smart baby. You know what I would say. Yeah, I used to, when Google, it's what's funny, like, because I see like young people use tech young people use technology for your advantage. When Google was really hitting, and and then let me also say before Google was hitting, hit hitting, I was a YouTube star when I was a kid.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

YouTube? What were we doing on YouTube?

SPEAKER_02 18:03

I was making videos in the bathroom commentating on issues. Like I had a viral, I was like, I had a viral video on Darion Albert when didn't stuff happen on Darion Albert. I had one did a video in the bathroom that went viral. I had my mohawk and I was a kid, like with my sister. What? Yeah, like I was people know that I was called Let's Be For Real back then. Let's be for real was was my YouTube name.

SPEAKER_00 18:25

Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

And um, so I was always doing something. Like my grandma used to be pissed because I was running up the light bill. And um, so um I I was a YouTube star, and then Google like came in strong. They ended up buying YouTube like before anybody, like everybody that makes money on on social media, I was one of the first people to do that. To start what on YouTube, Google came to us and was like, hey, since y'all got thousands of subscribers, no way, we want y'all to try our new ads program that we finna start.

SPEAKER_01 18:55

What?

SPEAKER_02 18:56

And I'm we getting like a hundred, two hundred dollar checks a month. We thinking we rich. I'm you know, I'm I'm 15, like I'm young, you know what I'm saying? And um, it was the first um inception of all of like the ads that you see today on streaming.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

No way, yes.

SPEAKER_02 19:13

I was one of the first streamers too, and on blog TV, yeah. I was one of the first streamers, yeah. So like it's crazy to see today. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 19:22

That's completely taken over now. Like all the kids do that.

SPEAKER_02 19:24

And nobody knows it. That's funny. I've never talked about this for only people who like follow me for all these years would know like back in the day, he was streaming at 15.

SPEAKER_00 19:33

Or he was like way ahead of the curve.

SPEAKER_02 19:35

Way ahead of the curve, you know. Oh my god. That's crazy. Yeah, blog tv.

SPEAKER_00 19:39

Get back into it now, or like no.

SPEAKER_02 19:41

You know, I wish I had the time. I may one day. They make a lot of money. They do make a lot of money. I'm I may I may one day. Um, but um, yeah, it was it was called Blog TV back then. We had Blog TV, it was a couple of them. I can't remember the other one. But Blog TV I was big on. I got a lot of videos from back in the day of just streaming for hours.

SPEAKER_01 20:00

Of what?

SPEAKER_02 20:00

And I one time I had this viral video and I was prank calling. I was like, everybody just put in the chat numbers of different restaurants. So I'm calling restaurants all across Chicago pranking them. It was the funniest video yesterday. It's still today. I got it, it's the funniest video ever.

SPEAKER_00 20:18

Like, it's all private things.

SPEAKER_02 20:23

I was like, I gotta private this video. Um, and so everybody in the chat just commented, this Wendy's on 55th, this, this. And I'm calling them just making up voices, and and you know, is Wendy there? Like, I'm just that was the times, but anyway. So um, how did I get here? I was like all in marketing, all in like always doing something.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 20:53

Um, always finding a new business to do. I had a marketing company after that. Um, my mom really inspired me in real estate because when I was young, she would buy abandoned properties and didn't have no money to put into them.

unknown 21:05

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 21:06

So um she'll have like me and this one guy up in there, like painting and patching up holes from a section eight person who didn't like towed prop property up and she ain't got no money to put into it. So I gotta get in there and clean it up.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:21

And, you know, we got roaches in here now and holes and be like, oh, like, why I gotta do it? You the man of the family. I'm the only, I'm the only boy, you know. So you are? Yes. I'm the youngest and the only boy. So I got two older sisters, and my mom, my grandpa, so I'm the only, like, you know, it's like me and my uncle, like, for real. And so my mom would make me the guy who did everything, you know. This was her like, I'm rather raised a man. So you gotta get in here and and clean this dirty property up or you know, paint.

SPEAKER_00 21:53

So she had good intentions. She had good intentions. With the property, but with the property, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 21:57

She just ain't had no money.

SPEAKER_00 21:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 21:58

And I didn't get paid. So I'm gonna charge her, charge her soon. But anyway. But that inspired me early, but it also said to me, like, I don't want to do residential holds, right? Okay. When I got older, um, when I got into real estate, um, my first property was at 24. I bought a commercial piece of property in the suburbs in Lanson.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 22:21

Which is now a crematory that I invested in. You heard that, right? Crematory. Crematory? Yeah. Like when you burned it. Yeah, yeah. I ain't see a reaction, so I'll I'll make sure you're gonna be able to do it. I gotta digest what he just said.

SPEAKER_00 22:33

I'm not surprised though, because you got your hands on a little bit of everything these days.

SPEAKER_02 22:37

Yeah. So, um, which is now a crematory.

SPEAKER_00 22:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 22:41

Um, and we re-developed that building to invest in the first black woman in the field, uh, in the state. Amazing. Um uh then, you know, I just was on the after that, I was like, all right, let's go.

SPEAKER_00 22:55

Keep it going.

SPEAKER_02 22:55

Um, and just real estate been a fun thing for me. Development is one of my favorite things as well.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:03

Um during uh COVID, I was big with helping businesses stay afloat. We also during the George Floyd riots, I gave out a quarter of a million to help make sure that businesses stayed open. Um, and we helped business owners around the country um with loans, lines of credit, um, you know, make sure that they were were properly structured so that they could stay afloat. And we we guided uh them on everything, did business consulting and things like that.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

So just outside of like PPP stuff?

SPEAKER_02 23:32

Outside of both, actually. Um we actually were partnered with all of the the PPP um banks as a partner. Um so all of the larger ones, like you know, Wompley and um uh you know, all of the larger banks cross river, like whoever was giving out PPP. Yeah, they actually called us and brought us in as a partner so that we can support the larger community uh and the urban community.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

Fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 23:57

Um so that was that was another thing um that we did at the time, uh, which is funny because the reporters wrote a bad story on me about that last race, and which is crazy. They did. They said that J. Ma's company was a partner of all the banks who the federal government said allow fraud in the in the applications. And I'm like, Oh no. I'm not the bank. What I got to do with first of all, they named every bank that did PPP, right? First of all, and then was like, he's a partner of all of them. Like, yeah, I was a middleman. What we helped you act like I'm approving applications, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 24:37

But they attached your name to it.

SPEAKER_02 24:38

They did. And they they headlined like his company was partnering with the ones that the federal government said, you know what I'm saying? I was like, y'all just trying to find anything.

SPEAKER_00 24:48

How do you feel when that happens? Do you get bothered?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

You know what? I had a reporter call me and try to get a bad story out on me recently, like last week, because they think I'm finna run for mayor and I'm a front runner in a poll. So you know, so now they're gonna start digging, right?

SPEAKER_01 25:03

But you know what?

SPEAKER_02 25:05

When I what I think, I I it doesn't sit well with me because I know like I've never done anything, you know, I've never intended to hurt anyone, never intended to do anything wrong. I've always tried to, because I'm young and because I have built such a platform, I know that they're always looking at me.

SPEAKER_00 25:24

Always, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:25

And so knowing that they're always looking on me, it's like even with taxes, when my tax, you want us to do it? Nope, nope, uh-uh. Just do it right. Right, pay the taxes, like get on a payment plan. You know what I'm saying? It's like you always have to be, do everything right when you are young and successful. And it and it it's hurtful when, you know, they create stories about you, you know, that you know are not true because they just they did it to our leaders in the past. Martin Luther King was in his 20s. You know, all of our leaders, if you look at them, Fred Hampton, you know, like they were younger. And so they had to find ways um to tarnish them or bring them down because what they were doing was was, you know, widespread. The the masses were listening.

SPEAKER_00 26:12

Uh-huh. Yep. Um, so it's just And then they want to shut shut you down. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

It's just what it is. But it but I just stay focused, I keep doing right. They can say what they want to say, but I'm okay.

SPEAKER_00 26:24

Okay, that's a great attitude to have. Yeah. So I do want to bring up the Inglewood Barbie. She was on the show, and at that season, I asked her what you know, what season of her life she's in, and she said she's taking time to build herself back up, and she wants to see some fresh faces pick up the torch because she's been on the front lines for over like 10 years now. So, in her words, T T is tired. So, I wanted to ask you, what do you do to stay grounded? Especially when you know change is coming, but it also feels delayed. What keeps you going?

SPEAKER_02 26:53

Well, you gotta focus on your the impact that you're making. Um and I I think what happens is activists they don't zero in on something that they're truly impactful, uh, that they're truly passionate about and impactful.

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 27:09

And just be good at that and be okay with not being the a lot of activists have savior complexes, and I used to have one.

SPEAKER_00 27:15

So I will say that. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Um when I was very young.

SPEAKER_00 27:19

Jesus calls it Jesus Jr. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 27:21

And it's like, we gotta save everybody and save everything. And um, I've been out of that for many years now. I'll be like, hey, y'all go ahead and like I don't even like cameras too much. Like, it's like like don't I don't like anything that we do, like most people, if you've seen my work over the years, it's because I've really built such a social media following that I can put out my own work. Like, yeah, we don't call it news. Like when news show up, they they heard about it or something. But like, it's like I just want to focus in on the impact. You know what I'm saying? Right. Inglewood Barbie came years after me, so she gets she still got more time, I would say. She needs to get back in the field. But early on, I was helping to, you know, support and donate for a lot of them Club 51s when she first started.

SPEAKER_01 28:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 28:07

So I I definitely know, I remember when she got in the game and and several activists, any activists you can name, I was supporting during their their early start as activists, right? And so to see um today just where everyone is landing, and there's also a lot of activists that have not made it um, you know, and kept relevancy for a lot of years, right? And a big piece of that is because survival, uh, activist survival.

SPEAKER_00 28:37

Activist survival.

SPEAKER_02 28:38

Activist survival, I'm gonna coin that right here. Okay, um, is an issue. What that means is is that a lot of activists give a lot of their lives and time and effort, yes, they don't get paid for it.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Correct.

SPEAKER_02 28:52

So what what happens is these activists now they all fighting for crumbs and then they be like, you sold out, you got money, you get all y'all broke. Everybody broke. You get what I'm saying? Don't nobody own no property, don't nobody got no money and saved up. And I think um it shouldn't be that way.

SPEAKER_00 29:14

Right.

SPEAKER_02 29:15

Um, but what happens is now everybody kind of fighting for the light or fighting for the crumbs. Back in the day, they had organizations that raise money or organize and that supported different movements. Today you don't have that. So a lot of these activists they are using their own passions to make impact, but they're not getting funded for it. So they they they hope that whoever is in government would support the organizations or support them. Um but truthfully, that's just not the times we're in. I knew that early. See, the difference is I understand business and real estate. So I was able to make my own money without touching politics, politics or government.

SPEAKER_01 29:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 29:59

And so when you're able to sustain yourself, you can then focus on, all right, these are the things that I want to do to make an impact. And I'm comfortable with do with where I am. But when you are somebody who's trying to find every dollar to pay a bill, and you're not feeling appreciated because there ain't nobody else supporting you financially, then it's easier for you to get burned out. So um, you know, and it and it shouldn't be the case. There there should be organizations that should be supporting people who are doing this type of work. Um, but it's not. So, you know. But how do I keep grounded?

SPEAKER_00 30:35

Yeah, how do you stay grounded?

SPEAKER_02 30:36

Because I'm able to sustain myself, uh, I am able to choose what I want to do.

SPEAKER_00 30:43

That is a luxury, great luxury to have. Yeah. Amen to that. You once said that in order to rebuild our communities, it starts with rebuilding the black family structure with two parent households. Yeah. Can you expound on that a little bit?

SPEAKER_02 30:56

Yeah. You're going deep. I already know where you're going anyway. No, uh we gotta rebuild, we gotta have a cultural reset. Truth.

SPEAKER_00 31:08

A cultural reset.

SPEAKER_02 31:09

A cultural reset. Okay. I'm literally working on putting together some merch and some books on how do we operate as a culture.

SPEAKER_00 31:18

Well, you gonna write a book?

SPEAKER_02 31:19

Yeah, I'm writing a book about it.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 31:22

Um and because we need to know how do we operate as a culture. Just think about it. Every other culture has their own set ways of how they raise children, the structure of households, the structure of community, how we operate in the community, how do we operate individually. You know what I'm saying? Like the the type of people that we need to be, the our principles, our values. The problem with the black culture is because they have stripped so much um from us in the past, which we know we don't have to go throughout the history, right? Is that today we are so wild in how each every other family operates totally different in our communities and we don't look at each other as brothers and sisters. We don't look at each other like that's my kid. You know, we're we're against each other in our own communities. We're not investing in each other. If we do make money, we leave the community. Correct. Um, you know, if a black business opens, we won't support the black business, or if they mess up, we're gonna put them on blast.

SPEAKER_00 32:21

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

But McDonald's can mess up our meal every day and we still go to McDonald's, right? Hello. There is some deep wounds that are that are open in the black community. So when I say a cultural reset, like we gotta heal and we gotta rebuild the culture so that folks can work together to be able to build the communities that are uh can thrive in this country. Right now it's not it's not happening. Why why aren't there another Black Wall Street again? Oakwood. Like like why haven't it got to the point where black people have started to increase their wealth? The home ownership rate has been the same for decades, has not increased. Um the black wealth gap is is uh I mean the the wealth gap is getting larger. Black wealth is not increasing as it should be. So what you have is you have very few people who are able to make money and those are the individuals who are able to, but the majority in the mass are not. That has to change. And so um we need a cultural reset, and that is also gonna start with the the household too, right? We do need to uh y'all generation don't like look, I'm gonna get on y'all.

unknown 33:36

Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 33:36

Y'all generation don't like getting married no more. And uh look, she's gonna be like, Why you ain't gonna be married?

SPEAKER_00 33:41

Y'all generation anyway.

SPEAKER_02 33:44

But but no, I I do think that um with social media, oh that has a tough one. That just made the culture worse, right? Because like why?

SPEAKER_00 33:56

Because it's you think you have so many options, the illusion of so many options.

SPEAKER_02 34:00

You said it, I didn't look pretty girl. Yugi post a little f picture on Instagram and get the 10,000 likes. You like, hold on, I got options.

SPEAKER_00 34:09

No, that is not pertaining to me.

SPEAKER_02 34:12

I'm just playing. But but no, but that's the truth, though. Okay and what's happened is and for men too, it's like, oh sure, we got plenty of options out here too, with all of this stuff going on, right?

SPEAKER_01 34:23

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:24

And so no one is no one is looking at each other and taking each other seriously. We're all at very transactional times. Um not times of like, man, I like this human being, you know, this is a genuine connection. Like, I love the person that she is or he is. I want to explore that because I want to keep that in my life. Like people, people operate with a detachment now, you know?

SPEAKER_00 34:50

Absolutely. Or at the first sign of like a hiccup or trouble. Oh no, I'm out.

SPEAKER_02 34:54

I'm out. Yeah. Because there's a detachment there. Like, I'm not really trying to be too invested. And a big piece of that is that we need our own self-healing too. So when we say heal the culture, the culture needs to heal, but all of us need to heal individually. We have a lot of trauma that not only we've experienced in our lives, but generational trauma that's been passed down.

SPEAKER_00 35:14

Oh, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 35:15

And that is like really hurting us today. And and I hope that um we can get to a point where we see the value in each other. Um, because we do need to rebuild the black family structure and and and black families. And um my trauma brought me to make a lot of decisions. And it took me in my 20s to to do a lot of therapy and to really self-reflect and a look in the mirror to to be the person that I am today. And it took time.

SPEAKER_00 35:46

But that's amazing. You did that in your 20s, though, because most men don't even do that till 30s, 40s, I want to say.

SPEAKER_02 35:52

For sure. And and and that's why we gotta we gotta try to get folks early. And then I'm a Leo too, so I'm a perfectionist. So when we do something wrong, like you don't have to tell me I did something wrong. Like, trust me, I'm gonna go in a room by myself and nobody sees me and be like, I need to work on this. What the hell? What you doing? And then I'm gonna come outside and I'm gonna be better, you know.

SPEAKER_00 36:14

That's amazing. Self-accountability.

SPEAKER_02 36:16

For sure.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

So, switching gears. With that being said, are you dating in this season?

SPEAKER_02 36:21

My dating in this season. Ooh, man, you switching gears. You know what? Y'all rough. Nah. Don't put it on the women. You know what? Let me say this. I um I because you know, I don't really, I don't really touch a lot on my personal life. A lot of people don't really see that. You know, so you get an exclusive here. Um You know, it is very hard to, and and I've been very disciplined throughout my time of being popular of over 10 years now. Um, that's why many people ain't been like, oh, he was with her. Like I don't have them scandals going on because I'm in very disciplined with how I operated, and uh, and I've also been in relationship for a long time too, right? But it's very, very hard uh as me to date.

SPEAKER_00 37:14

Um or to be with someone. What was your longest relationship?

SPEAKER_02 37:18

Uh five years.

SPEAKER_00 37:20

Five years? Okay. Yeah. A nice chunk of time.

SPEAKER_02 37:22

Then another five years.

SPEAKER_00 37:24

No way! What?

SPEAKER_02 37:26

I never was single. Oh for like a year, probably, you know.

unknown 37:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:32

But it's hard to be with me. Um, truly. I and I want to be honest with that. I'm a very simple and loving guy. I'm a gentle loving guy, right? But but I have a life that's very large.

SPEAKER_00 37:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:45

And I think that's intimidating.

SPEAKER_00 37:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

It has been hard to, you know, uh you you have to be a strong woman and uh insecure. You have to be comfortable with me lending my life to the world.

SPEAKER_00 37:58

Right.

SPEAKER_02 37:59

Um and a lot of times I don't want to subject that to people. You know, I'm like okay with being alone, right? And spending my days doing my best for the greater good and and for my boys, you know? And I think um, as hard as that sounds, and it may sound sad to some people, but you know, but I'm okay with that, right? Because trying to trying to bring in someone and subject them to a life that they didn't ask for is also not fair.

SPEAKER_00 38:31

But I'm sure they know what they get once they sign up to date you.

SPEAKER_02 38:34

I mean, they Yeah, that's what they say. Oh, that's what they okay until they get into it, right? And it's like, you know, people, people paying attention to you so much, right? Like being in a public eye, you know, you're gonna have all the haters too, you know. You know, other women, you know, and how they operate as as I move around as well. And, you know, you gotta just be a strong woman and know that um this is the life you signed up for.

SPEAKER_01 39:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 39:00

And the and the problem is, is that I don't necessarily I choose very loving, nurturing women.

SPEAKER_01 39:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 39:06

And usually those women are not um as good on the public side, right? Whereas if I chose somebody that might have been uh um, because I don't like nobody, like I don't like bringing people who have somebody else that's like famous or somebody else that's in the space, right?

SPEAKER_01 39:26

You're right.

SPEAKER_02 39:26

Um, because a lot of times those women are not good on the other side of like the nurturing because they like I'm outside, I got my own thing too going on. You know what I'm saying? Like, you want you want some food, man. Hey, we order out, like, you know. Um yeah, so I think um, yeah, we'll see. Yeah, we'll see. I mean, I most have seen me in the long-term relationship with someone, and people probably don't know that we're not together, so you got that exclusive. But what I will say that the last political race and the things over the years was a lot on her, right? And um, you know, I want her to be happy and I want her to do. Genuinely want her to be happy and and want her to do the things that she loves doing and um not feel like she has a standard to meet either. You know, because that's another thing. It's like when you're with a powerful guy, like you feel like you gotta meet a certain standard, right? And um, I just want you to sh her to be happy within herself.

SPEAKER_01 40:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 40:32

And um, you know, hey, one day she may grow to that. And possibly, yeah. May come back around. You never know what happens, but um I think she's dating now, so um I ain't trying to get into that. But but I I do hope that um I hope for the best for her for for for real.

SPEAKER_00 40:51

Amazing. So when we talk about dating, um, I wanted to do red or green flags. You okay doing that?

SPEAKER_02 40:56

Yeah, let's do it.

SPEAKER_00 40:57

Okay. Just a few, just a few. So red or green flag. She works a lot, but she loves what she does. Is that red or green flag?

SPEAKER_02 41:05

She works a lot, but she loves what she does. Us both.

SPEAKER_00 41:10

Oh, it's both. You gotta pick one.

SPEAKER_02 41:13

Us both. That's not no, because I want her to love what she does, truly.

SPEAKER_00 41:17

But not work too much.

SPEAKER_02 41:18

But what do you mean work a lot? Like, I think it gotta be a balance, though. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_00 41:23

Like have the same type of schedule as you working.

SPEAKER_02 41:27

The same type of schedule as me. Nah, that ain't gonna work.

SPEAKER_00 41:30

So that's a red flag.

SPEAKER_02 41:31

That would be a red flag because I work 24 hours a day.

SPEAKER_00 41:34

So never stop working. She never posts you on social media because she likes to keep her personal life private. Red or green flag.

SPEAKER_02 41:42

I'm cool with that.

SPEAKER_00 41:43

Really?

SPEAKER_02 41:43

Yeah, I'm cool with that.

SPEAKER_00 41:45

She has no social media.

SPEAKER_02 41:47

That's the best.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

Really?

SPEAKER_02 41:48

I usually date women who are not social media people.

SPEAKER_00 41:51

Okay, so that's the best.

SPEAKER_02 41:53

That's a green flag. Like, you know what I'm saying? Private page, 100 followers. All right, that's gozy. Just kiss. You don't know nobody.

SPEAKER_00 42:05

Okay. Yeah. She believes in sharing phone passcodes and location. Red or green flag.

SPEAKER_02 42:10

Yeah, I don't, I I live by like, I don't want to see what's in your phone. I don't, no violations. Let's just love and trust each other. You know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 42:19

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 42:19

Yeah, when you start getting into that type of stuff, that's when relationships start going bad. Like going in each other's phones.

SPEAKER_00 42:25

We're not going in. You guys just have each other's passcodes and locations.

SPEAKER_02 42:28

For what? Nah, that's too much. That's too much. I don't want your location or your passcode. Like, okay. Nah.

SPEAKER_00 42:35

Okay. So she's the breadwinner in the relationship, but she still wants you to be the provider. Is that red or green flag?

SPEAKER_02 42:42

I'm cool with that too. Like, I'm I'm gonna always be a provider. Uh I don't I've no woman ever been with me paid it for anything. So that's what I'm used to. So I don't really care about what she got. Like, yeah. I've dated, I've I think I've may have dated a somebody who has some more money than me. I wouldn't know because I ain't looked, but look like it's it looked like I ain't asked, like, hey, what you sitting on? But I still pay for anything, you know what I'm saying? Like, so yeah, your money is your money. I don't really care.

SPEAKER_00 43:12

Hey, okay, we like that. She's experienced. Oh, this is a little spicy.

SPEAKER_02 43:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 43:17

So she's experienced in the bedroom, like teaching you new things. Is that a red or green flag?

SPEAKER_02 43:22

Hey, that's that's hey, whatever flows your boat.

SPEAKER_00 43:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 43:29

You you definitely, if you're with somebody, you're gonna explore, hey.

SPEAKER_00 43:33

Yeah. I'm gonna say because some guys are like, oh, if she knows too much, it's like, oh, you learn that.

SPEAKER_02 43:38

So, you know, it could be a little I'm a pretty comfortable guy.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 43:41

One thing about me is uh I'm very comfortable with my with my woman. We can always talk about everything. We can experience things that we want to experience.

SPEAKER_01 43:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 43:51

Uh and then on the outside, I'm not a jealous guy either. So like I'm I want a woman that are, you know, other women, other nick other guys, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 43:59

Other guys. Look, I'm finna go crazy on here.

SPEAKER_02 44:02

But I want a guy that other guys will like. So like you know, I'm I'm a comfortable guy in my skin. You're comfortable. You're comfortable. I'm very comfortable and confident in my skin. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:12

Okay. Last one. Red or green flag. She has a male best friend.

SPEAKER_02 44:15

Yeah, I'm again, I'm a comfortable guy. Yeah. Okay. What type of relationship y'all got though?

SPEAKER_00 44:23

They're besties. I mean, she confide in him. They talk, they chit-chat, you know.

SPEAKER_02 44:28

Yeah. I'm cool with that.

unknown 44:29

Cool with that?

SPEAKER_02 44:30

But like, with with some boundaries though.

SPEAKER_00 44:33

What's the boundary?

SPEAKER_02 44:34

What some boundaries.

SPEAKER_00 44:35

What's the boundary? Well, he can't call her after a certain hour.

SPEAKER_02 44:38

Yeah, like you ain't now. You know, we gotta we got some some boundaries there. You know what I'm saying? Definitely gotta have some boundaries.

SPEAKER_00 44:46

Okay, but they can still be cool in friends.

SPEAKER_02 44:48

Yeah, I don't really care. You can have as many friends as you want. You know what I'm saying? I'm pretty comfortable. But it definitely gotta be some boundaries. I'm only saying that because I had some situations in the past. You know what I'm saying? Like, it gotta be some boundaries.

SPEAKER_01 45:02

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 45:03

You know, like one time I looked outside. Well, I was like, damn, what my where'd my girl go? And she was outside in the car with him. You know what I'm saying? I was like, whoa, you ain't tell me like he pulled up to my house, never been, you know. I ain't even met him for real. You know what I'm saying? Like, stuff like that. Like, we gotta have some communication and and boundaries. Don't be just having nobody pull up. You go into the car and they told me, and uh, you know, stuff like that.

unknown 45:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 45:33

All right, but otherwise, you cool with it.

SPEAKER_02 45:35

Yeah, I'm cool with that. I don't really care.

SPEAKER_00 45:37

Awesome. Thank you for playing.

SPEAKER_02 45:39

Yeah, that was fun. That was cool. Like, give me that so I can't ask you these questions.

SPEAKER_00 45:43

Absolutely not, absolutely not. Okay, um, but yeah, we do have to wrap it up. So I always like to end on a great note, on a positive note. So if you had to give the audience or the viewers advice or encouragement, what would it be? It could pertain to anything or something you would tell a younger J Ma.

SPEAKER_02 46:04

Oof my advice to anybody, especially the younger generation, is to always understand that your heart connects with God.

SPEAKER_00 46:20

Your heart connects with God.

SPEAKER_02 46:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 46:22

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 46:22

And um a lot of times in our mind or or what we want um does not align with what he wants.

SPEAKER_00 46:31

Oof. And that's tough.

SPEAKER_02 46:33

And that's tough. That's tough. I've been there.

SPEAKER_00 46:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 46:37

You know, many people don't know I gave up music. Um that was my first passion. And um people know how to sing and rap and stuff, but they didn't know like I was a a true artist, especially during those times where I was touring uh talked about. I had viral hits and everything, you know, when I was younger. And so what? Yeah, so like music was my true passion, right?

SPEAKER_00 46:59

What? I thought you were just really good at singing. I didn't know you were. No, I I have plenty of records.

SPEAKER_02 47:03

I have hundreds of records, yeah. Like, and then I also ghost written for artists on re on labels and things of that sort too. So music has always been my number one. And um, you know, God had other plans for me. Even at times where music were was really like booming, it's taking off. It was like, hold on, God, what you doing?

SPEAKER_01 47:25

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:26

Um, and we we we have to to understand that God will always um, you know, make the plan work. And so you gotta trust him. And he has always blessed me since. He's always allowed me to still, you know, do what I choose on the music side too. Um, but um, but yeah, so my advice is to trust God and trust your heart because it connects to him.

SPEAKER_00 47:51

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 47:52

And I got a heart for the people. So I gotta trust that.

SPEAKER_00 47:56

Awesome. I love that. Thank you so much for coming. This is phenomenal. You're so multifaceted. It's like we could be talking for hours up in here.

SPEAKER_02 48:07

For sure, for sure.

SPEAKER_00 48:08

But um, I think you appreciate you for stopping by.

SPEAKER_02 48:10

But hey, I'm proud of you and proud of all you've been doing.

SPEAKER_00 48:13

Oh nothing.

SPEAKER_02 48:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 48:17

Thank you. And thank you guys for our watching. And until the next episode, love you bye.