2 Chainz Takes Shannon Sharpe On A Tour Into His World: Studio, Gym, Restaurants & Club

Hello, welcome to another episode of. Club Shay on the Road. The guy that's. stopping by, well, we're following him. around in the day in the life of He's a. hustler's hustler, a man of the people, and a unifying force in Atlanta. He's. celebrated for his unique style and. entrepreneur endeavors. He's transcended. music into fashion and philanthropy. He's a versatile entertainer, a. multiplatinum artist, a Grammy. award-winning hitmaker, a chart topping. songwriter, pop culture influencer, hip. hop superstar, a creator of anthem and. trends, a rapper turned entrepreneur,

talented actor, host, HBC alum, athlete. He's part owner of the Atlanta Hawks NBA. GLeague team, a prominent figure in the. community, an ATL icon, a proud father, a husband, and here he is, ladies and. gentlemen. Two chains. All my life. Been. grinding all my life. Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price. Want a slice. Got to. roll the dice. That's why. All my life. I've been grinding all my life. All my. life. Been grinding all my life. Sacrifice. Hustle. Paid the price. Want.

a slice. Got to roll a dice. That's why. All my life I' been grinding all my. life. [Music]. My boy. Train. What it is, baby. boy. Man, thank for having us, man. Thank you. for having me, man. I just in here. straightening up a little bit. I had a. workout this morning. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Welcome. This my little lowkey gym. I. switch whips in the pick up the bagel. with the What is it about working out. that you like? It's cool to be strong, you know. And it's to me it's especially. cool not to look. See, you look strong.

You make you make people like instantly, I'm going to shoot you. You know, instantly. No one can imagine. I see you. showing out at the lake again. I'm like, let them go. Ain't nobody they going. like all these folks start running in a. minute. That boy. So it's like, but you. see somebody a little skinny, little. something like me. They underestimate. you. Yeah. You think you going to do. something? And I And I actually work out. with guys bigger than me. You know what. I mean? It's not that we're doing the. exact same weight. I do circuit training. with heavy weight. So I'm I'mma pop your.

heart. I [ __ ] like this. Coming in here, you'll. see people on the bike. Stop peding. Look, you know, you you've. been in the gym 3 4 hours. I don't. believe in that. But see, that's when I. tell people you mistaking habit for hard. work. You think because you coming to. the gym, oh, I'm working hard. No, that's a habit. You got the habit of. coming to the gym at this time of the. day, this many times a week. That's why. your body ain't changed. People, man, I. don't know what it is, man. I just. can't. I mean, you go in there and do 12. reps and you be in there, you know, two.

hours and then and then they spaced out. while you doing Yeah. It's not going to. work. It'll be three rounds. So, my first. three exercises will be the heavy ball. burpee, okay? And then I'll have a maybe. a 30 lb dumbbell and I'll do leg step. ups. Okay? Just to keep my legs strong, right? Um I'll do six on each leg. Okay? Right. And then the last exercise, I may. do some hanging uh something for my abs. or I may do the TRX. Just something.

light. Just something like this is just. my warm up. Okay? Minding my business, drinking water, doing crunches, getting. paid for the I be using this tire to. step up on you. [ __ ] with him. Oh my. god. Hey, you know. Hey, you know your. buddy. You used to call your boy John. Henry. I was John Henry. Before John. Henry, I'm with John Henry. I say John. Henry. What can you do? I can horse the. jack. I can lay on track. I can pick and. shovel. Yeah. That knocking [ __ ] Yeah, that's. it. Can you tell I worked in it? Yeah. Did concrete and how that swing ain't.

nothing. Look at that, man. All right. So, yeah. See that 225 there? Boring. car just like Michael Knight. Boxer. shorts smell like bakar known to pop a. lot. All my cars orange. You can't miss. them in the parking lot. All my cars. doing combine. How many. do tight end? Yeah. I don't know if I can do a pullup.

Yeah, man. Stop playing with. me. Thought I couldn't do no pull-ups. See, Chad, I got to fool him. I'm about. to be 57 by 3 months. So, I got to look. a certain way. They like, "Nah, no, you. scary. You look you wear them two ass. shirts and [ __ ] This a double X chain.". Like he a waiter like he pouring a drink. for somebody. He got it. Yeah.

All right. I hang by myself. My partner. got locked up by bounty hunters. I tell. her, "Bitch, take a jet from I'm already. blow. [Music]. All right, we're in the garage. Jabel 71. 71 Shabelle. I call these shower caps. Okay. Put a lot of my cars in shower. caps. Just keep the dust out." Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But this is one of my. original old schools I bought. It has. alligator interior just, you know, we.

country, you know. Look at that. Yeah, you did. Yeah. Look at that pole gator. Yeah, man. Look at him. You caught him. yourself, huh? Caught him. Yeah. Tiptoeing across the yard. I had to come. on in. Yeah. My new shelter is. maneuvering up there. I got all the new. You got all the bells to whistle on it, huh? Yeah. We don't roll it down nothing. like that no. more with the glide. This is my baby right here. 72. Yeah.

72. Chevel. This my baby right here. This a. bell. 55 or 57. This is a 57 bair. Okay. Ross love. Yeah. Ross. Ross boy. Woo. Jordan Ross. Ross going to m Yeah, he. will. Ross got some dangerous stuff over. there at the house. Yeah. Yeah. This. this my bell. She pretty. You got you. got that flip-flop on. Yeah. She doing. all type of stuff. Depending on where. you stand. Exactly. That why I took out. the shower cap so you can kind of Yeah, man. This is my actually my dad his.

truck. I just redid it when he passed. away. Uhhuh. Um you see most of the cars. I have orange on 14, don't you? Yeah. So. I. I I'm like I take this off and I have. somebody put it. But yeah, this is a a. Chevy I forgot what kind of car this is. like. It was a Chevy truck. U pop [ __ ]. This um I used to watch Dukes of Hazard. Oh yeah, when I was little. So, except. we got a O2 on the side. Okay. And uh. still working on this. I got a Hellcat.

motor in the crate I'm put in here. Um got the Lambo truck. You got the big. these are the original Maybacks right. here. Yeah. Maybach. Maybach. My bad. My. bad. So the 60 the big one too. They got. a partition in. Huh. I know. Yeah. This. keep folks out your business and there. when you back there they having business. means and stuff. I ain't got the. airplane. You ever drive yourself? Never. I ain't never even been in the. front seat of this car before. Come on, Jane. I ain't never been in the front.

seat of that car before for what? I got. my car in a LLC. I got my pistol in my. wifey's name. I got more blues than BB. King. I told my son, you going to be a. king. Put your mind to it, you can do. anything. This is like a 49 Merc. I want to take. this one to Barry Jackson one day. If. y'all looking, Barrett, invite me, man. I want to bring my merc through. You. trying to get up off it? Yeah. I mean, I. got it. Right. Right. I love it. And. then I did a photo shoot with it for me. and Wayne for like a project. So I got.

photos of me and Wayne and I just I want. to be a part of something like this or. the transition so somebody else said. well they can be like I got it from. Chain with and and you know have all. that to it. So if somebody say okay. change I'm going to give you three cars. three old school cars that you don't. have that if you so you could get what. are your three car your old schools that. you want? I want a 69 Camaro drop. Oo, I. wouldn't mind getting a GTO. Oo, God. take over. Mhm. God, God take cuz you. got that baby run out of Novas on you. Oh my goodness. Well, you say some [ __ ].

Um, a GTO, a Camaro I don't have. And. then I think I would want me a Are you a. Dodge guy? You like Mopar? The Cuda? The. Hemi? I would go Cuda. Superb. Road. Runner. Cuda. Yeah, boy. You can't go. wrong with that. Can't go wrong with a. Mopar. Period. Period. No doubt about. it, man. Aunt know something. This job. cool. Cool when you know something. What. you need, Aunt Right here. See? No. What. I need is a job to pay more money.

Oh, man. All that. Damn. Come on, man. You tell somebody that Kat Williams. bought this for y'all already. You just. said K William bought you this. Oh, you. got Oh, you had it. Uh, what you going. to put in here? Oh, it came on like. that. Oh, did it? Do you drive yourself. or you always have a driver? I drive. myself. So, it's about convenience, right? And I I have the Cyber Truck and. they just they just I I'm just telling. you, man. I'm just trying to tell you. this is I don't I don't care who I own. into none of the other stuff, right? But.

my Cyber Truck, right, is one of the. most comfortable and convenient and easy. driving vehicles that I have. Really, that's the reason why a bunch of these. cars are actually in the garage cuz my. truck been out there and I just they. just came picked it up to do something. this morning. But you just get in it. You don't have to crank it up. You don't. have to wait till now. You just get in. and you just go. I don't have to stop at. the gas station. I I got all the water I. need here. I don't need to go to no. store. Atlanta gas station is the most. dangerous places in the world. I don't. have to go that way. The truck. bulletproof. I ain't having no beef and.

no smoke, but I'm ready to if I have to. I could just, you know what I mean? And. and and it just and it's fast. I got the. sour be go from 0 to 60 probably about. 2.3. Oh yeah. So I them electric them. electric cars roll out. So for me, I got. a charge up here and charge at the house. and it's like it was like a hundred and. some thousand, right? You know, this was. 500,000, you know, even that I paid. almost a couple hundred thousand for it. You know what I mean? So I'm looking at. the Lambo, you know, this all this stuff. two 300 400,000 and the truck just. reasonable. And I But that may that I.

hadn't seen cuz normally they they seem. like they all coming in two tone now. Well, this a one. This is this probably. this probably about a 2012. Wow. Yeah. This this car right now, somebody trying. to buy me buy from me from half for a. half a million. You don't get a profit. I I might I thought about it. Yeah, I. thought about it. Yeah. I mean, you. ain't going to get you ain't driving it. no more, Ch. Let it go. We going to ride. in it, though. So then what the hell we. going to do? Oh. Oh, we going to ride in. it. Yeah, we going to ride in it. That's. what I'm talking about.

[Music]. Good morning, [ __ ] ass [ __ ] Numbers. and [ __ ]. All right. So, I want to show you my man. cave. You got to have a pool table. Yeah, man. Every, you know, you got to. have these are essentials. Pool tables, you know, TV, video games, and and with. a man cave, a lot of the times with I'm. married, so with a man cave, you're able. to decorate how you want to without the. woman's assistant saying what she do or. don't want. Cuz this is your man cave,

so it's what you want. I can do what I. want to. Yeah. Yeah. Um, right here is a. pair of my old Levis's I used to wear. You cut them up and made them into a. chair. Okay. I like that. Yeah. Just a. just a different type of creativity. You. a country boy. Yeah, I I appreciate. that. I got one for you. This be about. my yard. You supposed to have called him and. relocated him. Uh-huh. He relocated up. here. This where he at now. That's where. I got him at up here hanging out, man. I. see that. 72 lbs, man. Man, in the back. one. Yeah, my backyard dog on damn near.

made a damn back there. Oh, yeah. He. absolutely absolutely. I never seen or. heard one. And then, you know, somebody. So, I I got him. You trapped him. Yeah, we just trapped him and he he still he's. he's still with us, y'all. Don't get. upset at me. But look at how I'm looking. at all the jersey. You got Steph Curry. and KD. This one is important. This is a. Kobe jersey that I had on at one of his. all-star games. So, the picture is. missing, but Kobe actually signed that. jersey while I was on my back. It's a. picture of me kind of hunched over where. he where he did that. And and that's. always going to be at the apex for me.

LeBron is a friend. He's a a brother. Um, that the game he had 47 in, he went. crazy on y'all. Yeah, he got a birthday. party same night. Just low down. Just. low down, man. He do me like that in. front of the Hawks, man. I'm a fan of. the Lakers because my father was a fan. of Magic Johnson. Okay. He was a fan of. tall guards, 69. He knew I was going to. be tall. So, that's how I got the love. for the Lakers and not because LeBron or. even Kobe. It it kind of a little long. Now, I'm from Atlanta, so obviously I'm.

Hawks. I know the whole, you know, the. front to back with the Hawks. These are. the reasons why I have those kind of. like for other teams. But yeah, this is. my I like to show y'all this cuz it just. man means so much to me. So this is um a. picture of my mom and pops. Okay. Before I got here. Okay. All right. So. this is is painted by a gentleman. My. pop was in. prison. And I don't I'm learning now. It's crazy that I'm in my 40s and I'm. just really learning how they met, how. they got married, where they got. married. But this was a guy in prison.

that did his oil painting uh of a. picture. My mom sent a picture in and uh. it's a letter on the back of it to her. So they were married before he went in. Correct. They weren't married at all. They weren't dating. This is part of his. coat and part. Yeah. So he has some art, you know, made for I don't know, you. know, the artist name on here, but the. year actually says, you know, I don't. know, 70s something. It's very early. Um, and uh, same frame, you know. Uh, my. father's no longer here, but uh, it just.

got that it just got that history. I. think my mom was maybe 25 on here or. something like that. She'll be 75 July. 26. Okay. So, I can say these pictures. maybe 50 years old. So, absolutely. I. just got a place for them right here. This picture means a lot to me because. this was July 4th, 1996. Okay. 80% of. these people are not no longer with. them. Yeah. Some pictures are they just. a piece of like a memory that you just. can never get back, right? It just, you. know, this is me and uh bankroll fresh. Rest in peace, Bankroll. It just you.

just can't get these moments back. These. me and Nipy hustle when he came to. Atlanta. I w Do you remember what year. that was? Maybe 18 or 19. Came to. Atlanta. Um I met him at the club. So. you had never met him prior to No. No, I've been Oh, you do? I know. I know. Never. I've been to his store. I. gambled. I gambled in front of his. store. That's kind of how I got. accepted. A long time ago, maybe 2010, I. went out there and started a crap game. in front of the marathon store around. like a bunch of crips and stuff. And. okay, they were like, "Yo, this dude got.

to be out his mind." I guess I now. looking at everything and hearing. everything. I probably was out of my. mind. Yeah, you absolutely. But I was. smart. I'm from the south. I take some. winners and I make sure my partner got. some, you know what I mean? Yeah. I. wasn't just keeping it. But Nipy was a. just great guy, great energy. I'm sure. you know you've heard it many times from. many different people. He was at the. club. I pulled up on he was performing. I get up there and perform with him rock. out. Now then they play some of mine. You know I get the mic, let them know we. brothers. You know what I'm saying? We. shoulder right here. So you know I.

always remember that. Did you break the. game up? I I won the game. I won the. game cuz you hit 10 or four cuz you know. the 10 and four break the dice game up. because Yeah. They don't think you can. do it 10. There you go. Now see it's. crazy that 10 that 10 or four is what. broke the game. That's how in my. sophomore year in high school, okay, that's how I got be my own friend. You ain't going to do that 10. I say. said, "Bro, don't don't do it." He say, "Man, you ain't going to do the 10." I. hit that 10. I hit the 1,600. Woo! You.

did hit it out the door. I go get this. Yeah. I get the money. My friend stand. in front of me while I'm down to get the. money. Stand on. No, y'all get back. Yeah, we got y'all ass. I take the. 1,600. I go get two goals in my mouth. and I go buy me some. work and I and I that's a part of my. like hustling. Right. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Cuz I was hustling with some one or 200. when I got that 1,600. I felt like I was. almost a king pal. For real. But that. 104 break the dice game up. Yeah. Will.

All right. Let me show you my. studio. Hold on. Let me let Shannon come. in. Oh, okay. He got he got a. fingerprint. Yeah. You can't just walk. in here. Yeah. This where the magic happen. So. this So this is where it all goes down. My personal Yeah. This is it for me. This is a Sony mic. This one is about 15. to 20,000. That microphone. This mic. right here. I got two mics up in here. One is a older mic, but it's still. useful for you. But this Sony mic, this.

is the one that all the, you know, major. league superstars use and stuff like. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Check. check. Yeah. [ __ ] It time. Yeah. Yeah. It time. Yeah, Shane, turn that beat up. Yeah. Yeah. Turn that beat up. Y'all. know who it is. It's your favorite. coming at you live one time on Tuesday. Yeah. Me and my boy Tune Change, we. about to turn this thing all the way up, right? Slow that beat down. Everybody. know that I'm a King James fan and. everybody keep talking about the uh. Y'all keep talking about OKC. It don't.

matter to me. Mhm. OKC. Mhm. UFC. Uh-huh. Lakers and five. Lakers and five. Lakers. and five. Lakers and five. Ooh. LeBron. James. We call him the Benediction cuz. you know the other night they played the. Houston Rockets and they got a gentleman. by the name of Amen. Yeah, they do. They. do. But y'all saw what the benediction. did cuz y'all know when the benediction. is read, ball game over. That's how they. go. That's how it. go. Baby, I got to get right. I got to get.

right. Who some of the big wigs you had up in. here? I mean, everybody's really been in. here without You don't want to name drop. name dropping? Yeah, there ain't no name. dropping. Hell you the name. Yeah, I've. been in here. But most of the artists. that I've worked with, man, I you know, I just dropped an album with Larry June. and Alchemist. We were in here working. on the album and, you know, doing some. content in here. Uh, as of recently, I. was working with Vory. I had Yachty in. here recently. Quo comes through. Are. you one of these guys like, man, got.

your engine there on, hey, bro, meet me. at the studio. I got something on my. mind. I need to get at this. Oh, no. Or. are you like or you plan it out? No, my. engineer lives with me. Ain't no come. through. Oh, he So, so when that thing's. on your mind, let's go get it. Yeah. Yeah. I have everything. A part of my. life is convenience. Okay. I got to have. like everything I need. See, the people. get mad at me talking about I'm spoiled, but I spoiled me. No, no. Really, what. you work is kind of hard for not really. the money make the freedom the.

convenience. Yes. I look at you got the. cross, you got the candle burning. Is it. about an ambiance? Is about setting the. having a mood that okay, I'm getting in. that mindset. Just like an athlete, a. lot of times they listening to music, they got their mind, they getting ready. to go perform. Here, you're getting. ready to go perform. What happens in. here is that I'm so excited about not. knowing what version of me is going to. show up every day. Okay. I don't write. raps. Anytime you've ever heard me or. heard anything that you love for me, it.

was off the top of my head from whatever. I was feeling that day. Really? You. don't write anything down? I haven't. wrote a rap ever in my life. Wow. Ideas is a form of currency. Mhm. I have. a lot of ideas, Shannon. I'm rich. Wow. I got a lot of ideas, bro. I got a lot. of ideas. Still to this day wake up with. another idea. Now, only a handful of. guys have I ever heard. Lil Wayne, I. think Hoveve, they don't write anything. down. They just come to the mic and they. just start speaking. So, a lot of. artists, and I can tell you, I haven't. seen Ho record, but I've seen Wayne.

record a thousand times. A lot of. artists don't write anymore. Some. artists will just get in front of the. mic and they'll go one line, one line. Wayne is still very much from an era. where you couldn't even mess up. So, he. would do he'll do his whole verse. straight all the way through. He still. does that to this day. Wayne will I'm. someone that could probably if you give. me four or eight bars, then I can do the. rest when I get on the mic. I mean, I. you know, I come in already halfway. ready. You kind of know where you want. to go. Yeah. I already know where I want. to go based on, you know, what I'm. hearing. But that's the the excitement. is not knowing what I'm going to say.

tonight in the studio, you know what I. mean? And then rideing home listening to. right to that. Have you ever recorded a. verse, heard somebody else burst and. say, "No, I got to go back on this. thing. I got to get back on this one." I. don't rap with the best rappers in the. world. Uh the song I did with Eminem, I. did my verse. I sent it to Eminem. I. sent people my verse. Yeah. That's how. that's how I'm coming. So you already, man, I just look like this. I'm super. confident. I give you mine first. Like. here go here you go. You know um you.

know so when me and Wayne are doing. projects we going back and forth you. know sometimes you send him something. you like I know I. and then he send something back where he. wrote on in space somewhere. You know. what I mean? Like damn man with that. You know what I mean? But it's that. friendly competition of just like you. know knowing you going to hold yourself. you know still sharp and steel. Yes. But. so but I like to consider myself like. high level you know what I mean? And and. early on in my career, I used basketball. analogy a lot because I played sports.

But even when I played sports, and I I'm. I'm sure this is not you because you you. all American, but for me, I used to play. according to competition. Yeah. So. sometimes you play up good competition, you play down pretty dang good. And I'm. I'm actually saying to my son, I'm going. to try to tweak it cuz he'll walk some. like little boys just like on some, you. know what I mean? But the great go hard. even on that, right? Killing that with a. sledgehammer. Yeah. like and so when I. get in the game, you put me on a song.

like uh what Drake Yeah. any of those. people, man, I'm just going to go crazy. cuz the competition there. Yeah. But. then if a pop star K, you know, pop star. call me or something like that, I might. not get it to them too hard because it's. not that they not like me musically, but. it's not like what I'm doing rapping. like. So, so but now I'm on I'm I have a. different mind frame. Now, it don't. matter. It don't matter. Whatever. I'm. kill it. I have to in order to stay. around, stick around. You can't even. play with these folk.

None of that [ __ ] Born in 54, died in. 63. Get to it now. Do it. Oh, you see. that? Okay, let me get these out your. way. Yeah, let me get these out your. way. Yeah. Five and nine running mates. Okay, I know what's going on. What? Jesse James Car. Uh-uh. That look like. that was It was That was the point, but. don't worry about it. I'm going hit you. again. You caught her. Okay. Can't catch. anything. I don't do no I don't do no. catching. There you go. Throw yourself. You out the door. Pay up. That's what.

I'm about to do cuz you caught them. I. don't catch no dice. One of them old. cheating southern Georgia. Oh, that's. another nine. If I was born in 54, died. in 63. What's my point? Nine. It is two. Oh, 45. Damn. Out the door. Sell my out the. door. We going to v on this one. give you a. little rund down. Who do you meet first in the industry? Was it Luda or was it Lil Wayne? I met. Luda first.

Ludy used to work on the radio down. here, right? And you know, we had a. mutual friend together and so I met Luda. through that way and then eventually. signed it to him and then with Lil Wayne. some weed story, but it's. I had like gave baby some weed and then. like he hadn't paid me for it. So, I had. went to New Orleans to collect on the. weed. Yeah, because it was only like. $900 or whatever. It was the time I, you. know, you had no bread like that. Have. it like that. So, he don't know I'm. going down there for this, but I'm.

following him down here like, "Uncle, I. need this, you know, or whatever." And. then I end up meeting Wayne that way and. we built a great relationship. I kind of. like smoking and Wayne didn't even know. I rap for a while, you know. Did Luda. know you rap? Yeah, he knew I rap. Okay. Yeah, he knew I was trying to rap. Trying to rap. Yeah. Yeah. Wayne had no. clue. We thought maybe I just sold weed. So started telling I did that on the on. the side. But I'm rapping rapping is. what I really try to do. And this is. what I want to do, you know. And then. honestly being around Wayne shaped me to. be, you know, the artist I am now. Wayne. had a Mayback with a driver. He had a.

chef. So I was able to get around him. and pick up on certain instincts and. certain things that I felt like helped. make him successful. And it was. convenience. It was like having all. these things around you. Well, you. didn't have to do a lot. You know what. I'm saying? You just need to focus. Now. you can just focus on one particular. thing being the best at what I want to. do. Yeah. So it's not a secret. I got. that directly from Wayne. The work ethic. of him just, you know, studio every day, every night. I got that from him. You. mentioned that being around Lil Wayne, you saw he had a May Maybach and you saw. he had a private chef. You saw he had a.

certain thing, a level of convenience. What did you learn from Luda? Because. Luda had had blown up at that time and. now he's a household name. What did you. learn, if anything, from that situation? Lud is very businesssavvy. So, I can say. I picked up a lot of the business. savviness from him and his team. Um, if. it was a product somewhere, it was. product placement. He was getting paid. for. He wasn't just holding a product. You know what I'm saying? He just wasn't. rapping about something that he not. getting paid. You know what I mean? So, he was somebody that I guess I can say,

you know, kind of taught me how to. monetize, you know, things through. music, you know, product or whatever it. could be. Is it hard to really blow up. when you sign to someone else's label? No, I mean we saw Drake and Nikki was. signed to Lil Wayne. Correct. It just I. think it just Kanye was under. Yeah. Ho. So I think I think it just depends. You. know, sometimes it it looks good. The. numbers the more you know the the. strength and numbers things kind of look. it looks good if everybody's doing well,

but you know sometimes it's only room. for this one thing to go through or this. or two things and and if you're not a. part of that, you seem to get put on the. back burner and feel some type of way. So just to cut the emotion out, let me. just be responsible for my own career. Lil Wayne, um Jermaine Dria trying to. sign you. What made you what what why. did you decide to say, you know what, I'm going to do this on my own? Jermaine.

actually called me one time. He had Hov. on. three-way and he tells the story. different. He said that I said it was a. young man's game or I I I don't even. talk like that. But what I what I said. at the time was my manager who is my. manager now. He was a DJ. Okay. But like. many other people like a DJ Khaled, he's. bigger than a DJ. You know, most DJ DJ. drum a lot of DJs mustard and all those. they should just drop the DJ off their.

name. People actually think their name. is DJ or something like that. Right. So. when I'm. telling them on the phone, they're. trying to invite me somewhere like to. meet up with me, which I was like still. flattered. Like me and Ho, he would we. would talk about it to this day, bro. You know what I'm saying? I don't know. what would have happened either way if I. would have went or you know what I'm. saying? I know what happened by me not. going, but I don't know what would have. happened if I would have went. Yeah. And. so I said, you know, I you know, if you. don't mind, I want to, you know, bring. one of my partners with me who kind of. been helping me. you know, beat the concrete and get to.

where I'm even on y'all radar. You know. what I'm saying? Like is it, you know. what I mean? Cuz I'm recognizing that. when they come what happened Tech and. and Charlie, my my management at the. time, they came to me and they they. offered their assistance on the first. thing they told me was, "We think you're. a superstar." And I thought the same. thing. So we already Okay, we we in. agreeance. We in agreeance. Well, okay, cool. Okay, cool. And then they told me. like what they did for another group,

like we did this, we made this kind of. money for these type of folks. You know. what I'm saying? I'm like, oh. man. Like, man, you can do that with. that type of stuff. I'm going see what. you can do with mine. You know, and you. know, that might have been 2010 or. something. Okay. I get the call around. maybe I don't know. 2011 from from JD and I just was saying. do you mind if I bring you know my. partner with no you don't you don't need. nobody with you want to bring my partner. you know. who I'm thinking tech might I'm not I'm.

thinking JD might know you know uh DJ. technique they oh a man but you don't. need to bring your DJ with you ain't got. no you know it's kind of like a a little. joke a little bit but you ain't got no. show or nothing like nah you know like. home be helping me. And you know, it was. a situation where I don't even know if. it was calling my bluff or whatever, but. and I think they were sending me a jet. I didn't get on the. jet because they wouldn't let me bring, you know what I'm saying, my who was. helping me cuz Chris Brown told the same. story that he somebody wanted to sign. him and he and he was like 14, 15. He.

said, "Okay, cool. I just Yeah. Hey, hey, just tell my mama. What you telling. me?" Like, "No, I don't need to talk to. your mom." And he said, "I didn't sign. with him because you talking to a kid. and if everything's on the up and up, you can't tell my mom." So if everything. is cool, you mean to tell I can't bring. my partner, somebody that I trust that. I've been around. Yeah. And and I'm, you. know, looking back, they they don't know. that he was probably that to me. You. know what I'm saying? And and probably. looking like, boy, you know, this a. blessing and an opportunity. You know.

what I'm saying? And I got this book. coming out. and be out like another year. It's. getting edited right now. Right. The. name of the book is The Voice Inside. Your Head is God. Right. Wow. And I talk about this in the. book JD. And now I don't talk about. them, but I just talk about this. instance. um me listening to the. voice and wondering if it led me in the. right direction. Obviously, I'm right.

here now, but what happened if my if I. say I just go on my own and you I don't. know what would have happened, but this. is one instant where I listen to my. voice and they said I couldn't bring. bring my dog and I I didn't go. But I. always wonder what would have. happened. You know, listening to this. voice has got me to this point now. Yes. Yes. So, I don't even know why I'm. questioning it, but I do wonder. sometimes. Had they said you could bring. him, would you have gotten on that.

flight? Absolutely. I I didn't say I. want to get on the flight. I definitely. want to get on the flight, but I almost. wanted to be loyal to a to a partner. that's been there for Yeah. Yeah. He. kind of like that. That's all. Yeah. How. do you get Wayne to hop on a song with. you, though, man? Me and Wayne, he was. just cool, man. Man, him were like I. said, we were friends first. And then I remember if it wasn't a. Mayban we just bonded quickly. We've. been you know he's my one of my best men.

at my wedding. So you know anytime it. just it was just been a anytime thing. for him. I've been in the studio with. him many times where he ain't I haven't. rap one one second because he likes to. just do what he does in the studio. Then. it's been many times that we get in and. kind of you know what I'm saying? Sharpen each other up. So, is it true. you paid him 150,000 for him to hop on. the give you a feature for duffel bags? Well, at this time, Wayne was charging. well, Baby was charging 100 and he was. charging uh Wayne 100. So, how he.

charging? He ain't on the song, but he. was over cash money. So, anybody when. Wayne was so hot, if anybody wanted. Wayne, he would be like, I need 100, too. And people would obviously do it. Absolutely. So Wayne does the song for. me for for So this is really what. happened. Wayne used to um wear like. these skateboard shoes. Been skating a. long time. They were called Supras and. something like this. And I will wear. stuff like Pradas and Gucci shoes and. all this stuff. And so I go to uh Gucci. and they got these red red Gucci out.

I'm like, "Hey shorty, what size shoe. you wear?" You know what I'm saying? Boom. You know, he'll he represents the. red team and all that. So, I get these. red um Gucci's and I take them to him at. the studio. He don't know I'm about to. take it to him, but I also got like a. beat CD, right? And I'm not doing this. for the other thing. But I just take it. to him and he like, damn. You know what. I'm saying? You know, you know New Orle. if you know New Orleans people, they say. [ __ ] a lot. You know what I'm saying? Like, damn, [ __ ] This [ __ ] [ __ ]. [ __ ] [ __ ] [ __ ] These harder than a. [ __ ] These [ __ ] these [ __ ] hard. You know, whatever. So, um you know, I.

end up saying, man, I hang out with him. I say, I got this. He already he. working. And I give him this, it's a CD. at the time. I give him a beat CD, right? I give him the beat CD. Um, time. goes by, Katrina happens. He moves to. Miami. Mhm. When he moves to Miami, um, he like, "Man, you ought to come, you. know, come visit." You know what I'm. saying? Come holl, you know what I mean? Boom. I I I catch a flight to Miami and. him and Cortez, who was his manager at. the time, they pick me up. We go from.

the airport to the mall because he is. trying to I guess show his appreciation. for me buying him shoes. So now he like. what size shoe you wear. Let's get all. you know let me get this for you know. whatever we doing that. And then out the. blue he says what you thought about the. hook I did for you. And I don't know. what he talking about. And he's like uh. I I sent you he he asked TZ did you. email him the song? And he says yeah I. did. And he said email. I'm like that's. not my email. And they said, "Oh man, I.

don't know where I done sent this song. to." So So Wayne is literally in in the. mall. He's like trying to remember. This. is where we could go to the mall. Crazy. He was trying to remember the hook. He. like, "But I don't do nothing." But he. couldn't remember. So he we literally. right there. He was like, "Let's go to. the studio." And when we go to the. studio, which was the hit factory in. Miami, right? It's a room. He mashes. play. This beat comes on and this hook. comes. on. And I remember I remember at that. particular time knowing what a hit.

sounded like because it just sounded. Yeah. So like and I looked at him like. of some damn like a like he had eight. heads. I said man you did that for me? He like yeah boy. I'm like I run out. called my boy Dollar. I'm in player. circa at the time. Oh man, we got us one. like what? I said man home on here you. know. I'm like home on here singing and. everything like for I'm like bro this. [ __ ] you know hard I got to get back to.

Atlanta bro I'm going to make sure I. come you know next couple days I get up. there you know that was it that was it. man and it just really helped you know. so you who got the beat so n I got I'm. saying who who did he email to beat to. the the hookie I don't know they. somebody still got it somebody still got. it but when Wayne did that he didn't. charge me but so baby was so it's only. going to be just 100 not 200 baby still. one of his 100 right Baby, come to. Atlanta. Say, "Nephew." I said, "What?". Uh, we gonna need some rooms and we.

gonna need some I hear baby. Oh, man. Aunt. Man, man. I Man, ain't aunt tell me say, "Man, don't even worry about it, bro.". He said, "Don't even worry about it, man." And he could tell like I had he. like, "Don't even worry about it." And. he already knew who I was dealing with, right, with, you know, Luda and all. those guys. And he just told me, "Man, you know what I'm saying? don't even. worry about it. And uh we I brought them. to Gobby Road on Old National, which is. very very epic. It's like bringing, you.

know, it's like bringing a superstar to. any hood. You know what I'm saying? And. it was received very well. Had a lot of. people come out that's some here, some. no longer with us from that era as well. And I I haven't looked back. Wow. We're just pulling up to Esco, one of my. first establishments. It'll be nine. years. This was the first place. This is. your first business. Yep. So, right here. I own on this street. This is Peter. Street. I bought three properties. I.

actually own the dirt. You know what I'm. saying? Right. Hey, that my son. That my. building too. That my son right there on. the Oh, that's Halo. Yeah, that's Halo. I'm a dad. We're at Esco. This is uh 327 Peter. Street. Like I say, I probably own the property. maybe 11 12 years as far as the dirt, but I've owned the business for about 9. years. We have uh we franchise this this. place now. So, we have a location in. Marietta that's franchise. We have a.

location in Memphis that's doing, you. know, exceptionally well. Uh Columbus, Ohio. Well, that one is moving. And. Dallas, Texas. Okay. Yeah. So, if you're. interested in being a franchisee, uh, it's it's not hard to find out. Just. we ought to go to Houston, chain, it. turn up in Houston. Somebody add me one. time about Houston. It'll turn up in. Houston. I'm down. If you down, I'm. down. I got the blueprint already laid.

out. See what the It's already laid out. for you. All you got to do is just run. the play. The receipt. Me and Larry take our lies. Put the vibe on the beat. Say my name a. couple times. Lamb chops. Mashed potatoes. Broccoli. These are. turkey ribs. Turkey burger. Jerk jerk. shrimp. Lemon pepper shrimp. I added. some of the lemon pepper shrimp on my. salmon Alfredo right here. And this. pasta right. here. I rocking with this lamb chop. Let.

me see the mashed potato. I sure hope they took their shoes off. cuz they got their foot in. them. Hey, they got their foot in. They. got that foot in the m potato for real. I ain't never heard that one. These. turkey ribs. I ain't knew. ribs. Mhm. Mhm. The way I've eaten, people think I.

was a hostage at one point. What's the most you ever paid for a. burst? When I did FZ is watching for for. real, he made me think about a little. different. He was like, "Just pay me and. then if I need you, I'll pay you.". Really? Yeah. And I and I kind of wish I. did a lot of my business like that. because some people that owe me, I don't. even want nothing from them. It like that. Some people owe me I don't. even want nothing from them. So I'm. like, I should have just got my my money.

on full of greed. This is your first business. This is. your first establishment. Yeah, it is. What made you first successful? I like. to say too, you know, they be saying. black restaurants ain't going to stay. open, you know, a couple years. So to be going. on a decade is it's an honor, man. Food. is very expensive. It is. Especially. with, you know, eggs and everything to. cost. I say I got chickens at home. So. like it's a, you know, we had six eggs. yesterday, right? I don't know how many. we had today, but um it's almost like I.

was mad when my my wife went and bought. four. They was only $4.99. Little bitty. little chicks like that, man. They this. big now, dropping eggs every day. So, it. almost look like we were just ahead of. the curve, right? I eat at my. restaurants, man. Food expensive. Man, you don't know till you go somewhere. else and eat, man. Man, I go to the. breakfast. spot. No [ __ ] man. I go to the. breakfast. spot. I order shrimp and. grits,

egg, and I think they had a waffle, a. sweet potato waffle or something like. that. Man, them folk come back. I I send my. person in the in the restaurant. I'm in. the car. I give him $40. I send them on. in in the restaurant. My boy come out. that he come out with them same $20. bill. Said, "This ain't enough.". I said, "What the what?" I had to get I. had to give him the food was almost like. like 60 bucks, right? So now I'm now I'm.

being pet. I'm eating my food. [ __ ]. Ain't five shrimp in. here. I'm being p I'm a fire, you know. But food is expensive, man. Food is very. expensive. So I have three businesses. inside of Atlanta that serve food. So. Esco serves food out of here. I might. eat their uh salmon uh our salmon uh. fetuccini. Our fries is good. That. turkey burger be good. The shrimp good.

I eat everything out of here. My my even. though like I said I'm not vegan. The. pizza place I eat that at least once a. week. I go get me a a big old pie and. eat me a pizza once. And then Candyland, we have food at Candyland as well. And. we have everything from a bachi chicken. tacos and stuff like that. So, you know, 7 days a week I'm eating out of my. businesses most of the time, man. When I. have to take my wife and kids out, we. not eating out at Candyland. But, you know what I'm saying? For me, for my convenience, man, I What you got.

a good chef for? You know, if you ain't. going to use them. So, that's my that's. my take. When other entertainers come to. you and say, "Change, how you how do you. do it? I want to I want to start a. business. I want to get in the. restaurant business or I want to get. into certain this." H how do you explain. what do you how do you how do you go. about telling them the best way to do it. to like now this ain't for everybody now. now I tell them just like I tell you I. align I would tell them to align. themselves with someone who's who's. passionate see when you when you get.

opposite rappers we have money and then. you spend the money. on stupid stuff early cuz you just do. you want cars you want all that stuff. you get the money then you start. thinking man how can I make some passive. income come. How can I invest? How can I. put my money in place? I get these. questions from a lot of a lot of. artists. You know what I'm saying? Because when you look up, I've been had. the club two, three years. I've been had. this two. When you look up, you be like, and then now you just not locking in on. I need to do something like this. And I. tell them, man, if you just doing it.

just because like now you can do that. with real estate cuz you it's not you. just buy all the real estate. I'm I'm a. hoarder. I'm a I'm a I'm a lit literally. a real estate property. I'm a property. hoarder. You get a sit on it, man. I'm. getting all I'm get I be getting. penalized and stuff for what? But it's. my dirt and I know they don't make no. more. They ain't making no more of it. Yeah. Unless AI start making. smoking and driving while I'm riding. trying to dodge all the scandals like. the potholes in Atlanta. Post some.

coding in the phantom. Drinking coding. in my phantom. Got her on my bandana. Came with three hoes like I'm Santa. Yes. J you posted and I think it was a. couple of weeks ago that I think it's. your nail shop that one of your former. employees went in there and took TVs, whatever else they took out of there. And you told a story. And so your uncle. I think you say your uncle said if you. can live with it I can live without it. Which meaning if you can live with what. you did to me.

I can live without having it. Yeah. I. learned that a long time ago. That's how. I move around. If you can live with it, I can I can live without it. I'm not I. forgive. I'm not tripping or anything. like that. It was just a day I was. walking. I had my son with me. He was. asking where everything was in a nail. shop. So I just tell him and then I. decided to tell the world. And that's. not my normal approach, right? But. apparently that's how you work social. media. I guess that's how you work it. I. already knew it was Oh, you knew it was? Yeah, I knew it was, but I never was. going to beat him up, call the police or. anything like that. It was just. principal based. That's all. It was just.

a principal. Did you bring it back? No, I don't even need it back. I don't need. it back. But it was somebody that I. looked out for and that that was it. But. even then, I'm not like it's a sofa and. TVs are like $100 these days, you know? And so if they can live with it, I can. live without it. Apparently she she. probably needed it, you know, but she. probably could have asked you Shane and. you might have could have helped her. easy. Now she can't come back and get. nothing from you. That's that's exactly. that's that's that's exactly right. So. that's that's the only thing. And now.

that's happened a lot where all you had. to do with this, but now you just out of. Yeah. Now you don't now you done burned. the bridge. Not only did you burn it, you nuked it. I mean the the land I mean. somebody that cuz see this what it is. If it's something that I rap and stuff, but if it's something that I don't like, if if it's chef or what I I I share all. I share everything because I'm gonna. look out for you. Yeah. Exactly. Cuz if. I rock with you, I rock with you. If I. don't, don't don't even bother. But you. know that though anyway. Yeah. What's.

some of your wildest purchase? You look. back, you like you've had this. illustrious career. You mentioned you've. been in the game for two decades and you. probably been the last 15 years. You. probably been working some real paper. When you first got paper, what was the. first thing that you did? I think I. bought a Phantom anime back. Damn, that's that's damn near 800. That. is 800,000. But look how I do though. Look how I do though. I'm tell you how I. do, okay? Cuz every time I do something. stupid, I try to re I try to balance it. out, right? I got this property I had. bought out of Decada. Okay. I bought the.

property for about. 160. I put in about a 60 and I sell it. for about 350. Right. Right. So when you sell a property, you have uh. a certain amount of time before you have. to pay taxes on the property that you. sold if you don't use the money. Right. So I getting booked so much in Florida, Miami, paying for all these rooms room. I go down to South Beach and I I learn.

learned that many people don't live on. South Beach, you know, and I end up but. I end up getting my Florida home which. I've had for 11 years now. Okay. So, I I. take that money, boom, I take the three. whatever. I go find another spot in my. um in Florida, let's just say in. Florida, and I put another six with it. Right. Right. And then I get a home that. we go to every year. we, you know, all. it is is just, you know, property taxes.

that I pay. But that's how I balance out. a lot of the. impulsive purchases. When I go buy a. bunch of chains, I'll be like, man, soon. as I go buy a couple of chains, I would. I would hit my girl in um know the girl. that's handling my my real estate. business and tell her like, "Can you. send me some properties to look at?" Cuz. I would be at the studio just looking at. properties for hours cuz it's just. intriguing to me. I like I'm into. interior design and Have you always been. like this? I always have, man. I be.

looking at sconces. I'm like lowkey. I. be looking at But you always knew. You. always knew even when you were coming up. as a kid and and you know we going to. talk about, you know, playing sports. that you always knew you was going to. have some money and you like this what. I'm going to do when I get it. I knew, see, being from Atlanta, you got all. these, you got all these examples on how. to how to make it look good, you know, how to make it feel good. You know, when. I'm young, I'm looking at older people. pull up in bins and having chains and,

you know, having that a certain look, you know, and you know, you always I. always wanted this rapping up my therapy. mushroom like they jelly bean. She just. want some kettle. This right here. Kanye. tried to sign you to his his label, didn't he? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I was. agony. I'm like an indirect member of. good music for sure. I learned from that. situation, too. Try to learn from every situation I get. in. You know what I'm saying? Yeah. You. mentioned that uh you was doing versus.

for free and Kanye say, "Man, hey, he. charging 100 bands now." Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Exactly what he. did. And they and they went up to 100. right then and there. Yeah. I mean, I. could have been charging the whole time, but it was like, man, I was just. knocking that junk out, man. At the time. and still. now, when somebody would ask me to do a. future, it would be very important to. give it back to him like the same day. So, it was more about me just showing. the my level Mhm. the level of business.

and work ethic that I had. You know what. I'm saying? As far as I'm going to get. this done. I'm going to get back to you. I'm going, you know, make sure I show up. and show out and I and hopefully, you. know, I got somebody to handle the type. of business for me. But you know when. you you know it wasn't that I was just. first in the game. It was just that I. was you know becoming successful at that. time. And you know when you get. successful a lot of people going to call. your phone or you know ask for certain. things. So I think I just wanted to be. like the dude that got on and wasn't. acting funny. You know what I'm saying?

Yeah. Yeah. I think that's what it was. like. Man don't I I ain't changed. You. know what I'm saying? That's I kind of. kind of just try to play by that right. there. And then sometimes people try to. take advantage of that. Mhm. People take. your kindness all the time. They'll play. with you until they know they can't play. with you. Same color orange. Kanye put you on one of his songs. You. featured on one of his songs. Kanye. still huge, but during that time it was.

probably was at the. crescendo. When when you get the call, okay, Kanye weeds, it's a big and they. want you on it. Do you do I mean, does. you like, okay, okay, yeah. So, with. what with with Kanye, he reached out. when I was like at at my um we had a. studio on Old National 5540 that was. really like a trap, but it was it was a. studio in the back. And every day a. different artist was was was calling me.

And so, um it's funny, man. one of my homeboys. He he's no longer. here. Rest in peace to to Troop, but he. Troop was like a hustler. You know what. I'm saying? And he was trying to figure. out a way me knowing Troop, he was. trying to figure out a way how he can. get something out this this this. introduction. Mhm. You know what I'm. saying? And and what Yay had did was sent out a. few different messages on trying to get. in contact with me. So, it was coming. from a couple of different directions.

Mhm. And he finally got me on the phone. and our first time ever talking on the. phone. We probably talked just probably. more than an hour and like it was almost. 2 hours. It was It was weird that we. y'all talking like y'all known each. other for years. Exactly. That's how. that's how we got it was the first. conversation just didn't start with like. It didn't stop with like, "Man, I like. your stuff. I like your stuff. We got to. hook up." It just got to get into other. stuff and talk about other things. Mhm. And uh we built a real cool rapport with. that. I remember him being on tour.

with with uh Jay at the time. Mhm. Or. about to go on tour. But yeah, and then. I got invited into a session in. LA where this is it was a hotel that. that basically he he rents out the whole. floor and used it for a studio. So I'm. there with at the time Tiana Taylor and. Saha and a few other artists that were. affiliated with Good Music. And. uh you know I have a hotel I have a room.

across the street from the room they're. using for a studio. So I'm I'm just is. right across the hall. Right across the. hall, excuse me. And I go over there and. I do a verse and I do the verse fairly. quick. You know what I'm saying? And I. hear the guy Chay, my homie Chay, he on. the phone with Yeah. And I guess he. telling him, "Man, he he knocked it. out." He like, "He did what? What you. mean he knocked it out?" I hear I guess. he's saying like he's he's done. And so. I guess he telling him to pull up pull. pull up something else. So he pull up. something. else and I knock it out again. And I. remember I remember Sah at the time he. asked me like, "But you had you must.

have this verse wrote already in your. head." And I'm really like, "No, I'm. just really like motivated. I'm coming. in here. I'm you know, I want to do. something. I want to prove myself." And. so this happens about three or four. times where they tell me, "Pull up. another song and I, you know, I knock it. out." Fast forward, I go about my. business. I get a call. They tell me um. a single going to drop tomorrow with. you, Kanye, Push, and Sean. Now, keep in. mind, I've never heard the song before. I've never heard it. When I did the. song, it didn't sound like this. This.

person wasn't on it. Yay. So, I don't. even So, I'm like, man, can I hear the. song? So, I hear the song and it's it's. mercy, right? you know, and that's when. I started realizing like that magic home. possessed because the song sounded. nothing like that when I did my verse. too, you know, and would go on and Mercy. becomes, you know, whatever it becomes. But yeah, that's that's like the. beginning introduction of, you know, our. relationship. Is Mercy your best. verse? What you think your best verse. is? What you on? Who you on?

I actually think some of my best verses. is on my latest project. Really? which. is cool to see because. um that's cool to know that I hadn't. like peaked out. You know what I'm. saying? I burnt out. I think the project. that I just dropped with Alchemist and. Larry had some of my best some of my. best verses on it. Um but I I have some. scattered around. My friend just sent me. a text message with the verse I did on. this school boy Q record. He said it was.

like seven, eight years ago. U which is. the homie. And uh I think the song I got. with gang. alumay was a hard verse. You caught the. little sturdo online when you said you. had the hardest verse on Mercy. I did. though. I did. I did. Which camera. should I look at? I had the hardest. verse on Mercy. I had the hardest verse on Mercy. I had. the hardest verse. I'm not trying to be. funny. I did though. I did though. I did. though. Big Sean called you and say you. had the hardest one on. Yeah. Big Sean.

know that too though. Big Sean ain't. nothing to play with. First of all, Big. Sean one was the ones, you know, right? But, you know, when it came to that. right there, man, I just took pride in. it, you know, cuz everybody from. somewhere else. Sean from here, Push. from here, Y from the South, you know. what I mean? So, it was just like that. kind of like it was it was a nice. mixture though. Mhm. It worked out real. well, right? Seemed like everybody been. uh getting into it with Kanye. Big Sean. say, "Man, that man owe me. money." Cuz he J he Kanye said that Jay.

making money off his catalog. Big Sean. say, "Well, you ain't you know you got. mine. So what's the you don't have those. problems." Yeah. Neither do I speak on. anybody else's. I like that. I like. that. Me and my wife, we still w. somewhere you can't find. Turn your. location off and don't post the. background. To me, a gangster is someone. to take care of their child. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. How you doing, man? It's my friend right.

here. How you doing, Jenny Sharp? Nice. to meet you. It's a pleasure to meet. you. Thanks for coming by. Thanks for. having me. Dave and our partners here. Pizza for how long have we been open? Uh. 11 months. 11 months going on a year. So, uh but but we we've been winning. awards left and right. This came off the. press Friday night. It's their annual. 200 225 best of Atlanta and after 10. months they did the analysis and we got. best vegan or vegetarian restaurant in.

the entire city. Wow. After 10 months. and they're competing with guys who won. all kinds of awards and not just vegan. pizza for all plant-based food number. one in the city. Thank you, sir. Thank. you. No, I couldn't do it without this. guy. I couldn't do it without your. passion for this product. You know, ever. since I met you, David, you've been. just, you know, you've been a a. passionate person, but especially in. this space, going to the market every. day, getting fresh this stuff. He goes. to the store every day. This stuff fresh. out in the farmers market. I can tell.

I'm looking at him as they explain it to. you. I can see the look on his face. And. that's what I tell when I talk to. people. I say, "Find something that. you're passionate about and you'll be. successful at." What's going to what. makes you jump out of bed in the. morning? Yeah. Cuz if you got a Oh, man. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Like, yeah. I got my. car in a LLC. I got my pistol in my. wife. I eat all this [ __ ] I got a. garden. My garden has. [Laughter].

[Music]. Bro, what if I garden that weed in that? Oh man. I have um basil, banana peppers, bell. peppers. I have mint. Yeah. Now there you go, man. Aunt now. Now this looking Now this look like. something. Yeah. Aunt Aunt gonna [ __ ]. that up. Yeah. Oh, this thing nice and. warm. So So David, this this the uh uh car,

which Italian means like me. So Shan. said, "David, but is it me?" I'd say. it's like me. Yeah, it's like me. We tested I don't know how many. plant-based pepperoni and sausage and. get ones that looked right, tasted. right, and felt right in your mouth. And. this these nail it. So, I have to break. up fights, arguments. People say, "Oh, it's got to be pork and beef." God fell. saying, "Dude, you can't read this on. plants." Mhm. But it tastes like the. real dish. It does. Mhm. Yeah. You look.

happy. Mhm. Take that pepperoni. You You. take that. pepperoni. I mean, James, I'm in the. Muslim reserve. One weekend out the. month and two weeks out the year, I. don't eat no pork. Ramadan's over. You're safe. Ain't no. pork in here. Mhm. It actually tastes like pepperoni. It. actually tastes like salty. Mhm. It. tastes like a real pizza. That's That's.

what it tastes. It tastes like a real. pizza. The sauce, but the but the crust. I mean the Yeah, that bread. Where we. source this bread from? Y'all went to. New Jersey. Somewhere got their bread. Jersey. Hackinack Jersey. Italian. family. He ain't going up the street. getting no bread. Them folk care. Them. folk going way New Jersey. See what I'm. saying? New York connect. You going to. tell me go get the bread in the world. I'm going to public. [Laughter]. I'm still full from Esco. That's why.

Yeah, I am too. But I had to try it. I. got room for the we go to the next. place, you know. But we going to try. something over there too. Oh my god. We going to vibe on this. Give you a. little rund. down 285. You got a product out you. sell? No, man. I got into a situation. with a dispensary and uh I'm I'm about. to sue them. They they they uh ran a. scam on me. I want to call it a scam. The people involved. So, I'm about to. sue them people. Um Pineapple Express,

right? Yeah. I'm s I'm not about to. So, I'm in the process of suing them. You. know, you get my money back or we could. just however you want to do it, you. know. Um, but yeah, I had a situation. with them. So, that didn't work. I had a. strand out before, but then my strand is. sold out. Now, I got to wait till y'all. harvest a whole another. So, you ain't. even got enough fl. So, and it wasn't. enough money. I sell I don't know. I was. in 94 stores dispensary. They come get. me a check for like 40,000. [ __ ] Me, you don't keep using my name and make.

all this money. So, that didn't work. The dispensary didn't work. So, I just. have to find other ways on getting the. money with cannabis. Not exactly with. cannabis. You know what I'm saying? Not. with the flower itself, but just some. other kind of way, right? When you meet. a blood, that's your real connection. How you get on the song with Ariana. Grande? Inspire. I inspired her to do. something. through that inspiration, she. reciprocated it by.

doing a a hook for me. So she had like I. when I did the Pretty Girls Like Trap. music thing where everything was pink, right? And you know just I had the pink trap. house in Atlanta which inspired the trap. museum that TI has that. So I had a. museum that was pink but like Tip told. me I didn't own mine so he end up so. that was a lesson I kind of learned but. that was that inspiration but it just. some of the ideas that I put out into. the world inspire other things and so. with Ariana Grande it inspired her to do.

her stage basically just like mine all. pink car all you know what I mean and so. I knew somebody or it was somebody that. knew both of us it was a mutual person. that put us together because it was just. different you know if you get caught up. into that. social media stuff, you know, which I didn't. We communicated. We. figured out a way to make it work for. both of us and and it did. Who is. someone you haven't worked with that you. would like to work with? I I used to. want to work with Ho because I know he. you know, he does it when he wants to.

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. He ain't. really in that that ain't he got to be. in that space. He got to be he got to be. there. And I understand and respect. that. So, I think I might have might. have missed my you know, opportunity. Yeah. You know, it might have just was a. bet. He's just a, you know, you just. respect him as right what he's done and. everything. And then when I look at, you. know, and think of all the and just list. all the people you named, there's not. many people left that I hadn't done. anything with. Brother old or new. I. just shot a video of Ron Eley. I had Ron. Eley, man. My mom, aunties, it was photo.

shoot. I had Ron and Ernie on the block. Ernie playing the guitar on on on. Morning Morning in front of the corner. store. So it's like, man, I'm just so, you know, blessed. But in that in that. in that in that vein, I guess the only. person would be left would be him. I've. done something with like I mean everyone. else, but everyone else, man. All the. all my favorites, all the you know, I. love Drake and Kendrick. I love. Scarface. I love.

um you know Eminem is such a lyrical. giant doing something with him you know. all all the and then you just talk about. people that just like this is what they. want to do rap at a high level um and. then you go to talking about like just. people who got something to do with the. culture like you know the Migos rest in. peace takeoff and just being a part of. like you know just different generations. of Atlanta you know Atlanta is someone. that's been just doing their thing for. so long 3000 that's who you want that's. Andre 3000 three stacks. That's it. And.

he doesn't really rap anymore. No, he. like he done. He don't really rap. anymore. But cuz I heard him on the. interview. That's who I actually just. super love, bro. I love I heard on the. interview he said uh at his age you're. like what he rapping about. Yeah. He'll make it sound cool though. Yeah. He'll make he'll make a he'll make. he'll make somebody that don't want to. get no colon he probably make somebody. go get one cuz he just man he's just a a. real cool Atlanta player man. I love I. love him and Big Boy actually. Yeah. You. won um a Grammy with Chance the Rapper.

for no problems. What was that moment. like, man? It was one of the moments. where I'm going explain. this. I'm explain this in a way that you. can understand. Okay. So, I was very happy to get the Grammy. Very very very excited. So when I my first platinum plaque I got. was no lie. Right. Right.

And I was happy but it had Drake on it. Mhm. And then the second plaque I. got was birthday song and I was I was. happy because it was my song but it had. Yay on it. My third platinum plaque was. I'm different and it was nobody on it. It was just me, my hook, my verse. DJ. Must did the beat. And when that went. platinum, I got chill bumps because I. realized that a million people had. bought my my just my idea, you know, and.

so with the. Grammy, when I look in the mirror, I'm. thankful for the Grammy, but I know like. it, you know, even though like Chance. didn't know Wayne, I put Wayne on the. song like that was my he didn't know. him. I would have did all that. Chance. came to my studio, shot the video. I was. really helpful for it. and thankful for it. But it's Chance. song, right? It's Chance.

You want to Grammy on your own? You so. smart and you so intelligent. It's. crazy. Mhm. Yeah. It's an interesting time for business. Tariffs and trade policies are dynamic, supply chain squeezed, and cash flow. tighter than ever. If your business. can't adapt in real time, you're in a. world of hurt. You need total visibility. from global shipments to tariff impact. to real-time cash flow. That's Netswuite. by Oracle. Your AI powered business.

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costing you and how to pivot fast. It's. one system, full control. Tame the chaos. with Netswuite. If your revenues are at. least seven figures, download the free. ebook, Navigating Global Trade: Three. Insight for Leaders at. Netswuite.com/shay. That's. netsweet.com/shay. Y'all won that Grammy. over Fat Joe's all the way up. Really? Yeah. I didn't know that. Yeah. Yeah. That was that was in the I probably was.

so surprised cuz that song that all the. way up. Fat Joe don't play either, man. Yeah. Pat J not play with them folk, but. he put out when he put out one, he he. let you hit. Yeah, it's one of them. Um. the story about Dre, like when you went. Dre and you was trying to rap and he's. like, "Bro, I can't what I can't. understand your dialect, bro. What's. Yeah, I told you. know Dre Dre is a perfectionist and. that's why I guess you want to be around. him, you know, but he is a per you know.

what it is. It's like. Dre. It's like rap is at a point now. where you It's like AI when not AI, but. it's quicker and faster. And sometimes. if a if the end of a word is not. annunciated, it's still taken as like. dope cuz it's a vibe. It's an energy. Dre ain't going for that. He want to. hear the T. He want to hear he want to. hear the dot on the eye. I said, "Man, I. got a overbite, bro. I can't. Some of. this stuff just ain't going to come.

through." Okay. Yeah. And he he he I. think I'm gonna just get a couple lines. He stopped me. No, no, no. Go back and. and say that one again. But man, I. really enjoyed being around Dre because. of obviously who he is to the coach and. who he is. Yeah. And man, and the people. around and just he record every day. whether he going to put somebody. He. work hard, you know. He in the studio. going hard every day. I'm going there. He playing full songs that he with a. whole. man all type of instrumentation, a whole. skit involved. I'm like, he I did this.

three songs today. So, it's it's cool to. know that he's still, you know, musically motivated. What's it like going to the studio with. a Dre? Because like you said, I mean, when it come to this hip-hop, it ain't. it ain't many bigger than him. I mean, you he go back to the NWA and then he. brought it forward. Mhm. Well, Dre, we. we got cool. We got cool quick. He. showed me around the house. I'm into. interior design. So her house so f you.

know what I'm saying? Home got. fingerprint. I guess where I got my. fingerprint fingerprint man I get. something from there. You know what I. mean? He got the fingerprint but he got. the real like some you know. Yeah you. got to cut it off and and and you ain't. going to be he got if he ain't there you. dead. So but he got all this stuff and. you know then he got a gym kind of same. bond you know what I mean? And then you. know I I smoke you know often and so his. place had never been his studio. He was. even saying like at the time I don't. even know Snoop had even been over there.

but no one had smoked over there but he. said you know what change I'mma let you. smoke man and smoke we just I appreciate. it I sure appreciate it cuz when I did. work with Eminem I couldn't smoke in. there they put my when it was time to. work with Eminem it was actually kind of. kind of funny when it was time to work. with Eminem they put and this is his. people it's not Eminem is somewhere. writing he's not even standards but his. people are just so concerned with them. They put the speakers outside so I can. listen to the beat. So I'm outside. It's.

a beautiful day in Malibu. I'm just. smoking the speakers outside. So then I. come back in to do my my my verse and. the door is closed and I'm and I'm in. the booth smoking and I see him I. actually see him out out there. So I'm. like he in here while I'm recording this. hard. And so he's about to like come in. and say something and like I some of his. people like you know no you know don't. go in there he's smoking and M looks. like man what the man sit the down like. y like what they I guess he was thinking.

like what do you think I'm about to do. like you know I guess he think like what. you I don't even know if that. let you know at the time though that's a. DVD player. Yeah, that's a DVD player. Put a DVD in to watch a movie. But but I. remember them kind of like tripping on. on him being around and he was not. tripping at all. But other than that, that's that's basically like all I need. for a studio. A couple of joints, you. know what I'm saying? I'm self. motivated. I don't need You don't need. much. I don't need much. I'm not going. to say he was instrumental. But Drake,

what did I mean cuz Drake has helped a. lot of people and we know what Drake. represent and uh you cool with Drake. So, how was that how was that how did. that relationship uh uh start then and. and then you working with him through. Wayne? You know, he's with Cash Money. So, when I had uh when we had the song. Dumper Bad Boys, Wayne was on tour. Um. it was called the I am music tour. when. he went on. tour, the first night he went on tour, he did he wrapped my verse to Double Bad.

Boys on stage like somebody had like. told me in Florida. So I'm calling him. like, "Bro," and he was like, "Man, you. need to come out here because I can't. just stop after the hook. People know. your verse type stuff." You know what. I'm saying? So that was like a indirect. invitation to and when I went on tour. with him, I met Drake and a few other. people, you know what I'm saying? And. Nikki and all of those people. So that. was maybe like 0809. Met them and you.

know, we all did a tour together. So. that's how those stuff kind of happened. You. um but you the the uh the song I don't. you like and I heard you talk about it. You like that ain't got nothing to do. with me. The man put my name in the. song. I thought it was cool, but I ain't. got nothing with that disc and stuff. because I guess Drake means a lot to the. culture. I mean, Savage has worked with. him. You've worked with him. Um, I'm. trying to think who else has worked with. Drake that I know of off the top of my. head. Um, but it's been about five of. the Atlanta rappers. I mean, Drake is is.

is huge with Atlanta culture. You guys. love him. Yeah. I mean, it's it's not. it's not even that. It's just like when. people ask me how I felt about my name, it's like, "Yeah, how did you what? What do you want me to is I don't even. have an answer. I don't have zero. feeling about it. I have zero emotion on. it. I have zero because this is what. happens, right? This is this is this is. exactly what happened. If he say your. name, you you you you feel a certain.

way. If he don't say your name, you. going to feel a certain way. Right. Right. You know how many people from. Atlanta he could have said. it? Okay. And and and it's vice versa. So why I'm going to get into a a thing. of man I'm glad or man I wish he won. like it really it I really have zero. zero zero emotion about my name being. said if you really want to know people. have probably said two chains in their. rap I don't know I guess it just rhymes. with a couple of different things you.

know a few a few times I hear it a lot. you know what I mean so it don't it. don't bother me man I ain't getting. caught up in How about this where are. you on ghost riding I've never had a had. a ghost rider are you out on it. You. just never have it or you don't feel. that. Okay. If you are because I hear a. lot of people say if you're a true MC, LL say he a true MC. This one says. they're true MC's. True MC's write their. own verses. Yeah. So, I've thought about. this a couple times because when I think.

about Michael Jackson and Beyonce who've. all had writers, right? Mhm. And hits. hits off these writers. And then here I am writing my stuff. every. night. Who's doing it the right way? I. don't know. I don't have an answer for. that. So, I can't. As bad as I want to. be, like man, my confidence lies with me. knowing that no one helped me articulate. this idea, get this metaphor out, like I.

came up with these words. But at the. same time, my pride hadn't let me accept. a song from somebody and re I won't even. do if if somebody has a hook and they. say, "I I would like for you to read.". If I didn't come up with the hook, I. don't even say it. Wow. Yeah. Somebody. said, "Man, I want you to say down.". Like I ain't saying I'm sorry, brother. Like I'm sorry that ain't me. You know, it's got to be you. Yeah, because. somebody like they'll think they'll hear. me saying something like this, but I'm. just I wouldn't do it. So yeah, everything has very much been me. But.

like I say, I don't know if that's the. right or the wrong way because I mean. I'm here. That's just not your way. Yeah. But this this is just how I've. been operate. You know what I'm saying? But when I really sit back and think so. many people has had writers help them. get over. some other place, you know, and but I. can honestly look in the mirror and. that's one of the things I can look at. the mirror and kind of be a priest above. too. Like man, every everything that. y'all heard in the universe has been. from from from me internally. Would you. ghost write for an artist? I would.

Yeah, I have before. Of course. Oh, have. you? Yeah. Sampling. I love. [Laughter]. sampling. I do. I love I love I love But. but I love the create. I love the. creative part of taking a little piece. of something and modernizing it, upgrading it. Like I love I love. samples, especially like feel good. samples, sofa samples, stuff like I. don't know, you might have heard as a.

kid or whatever and they've been able to. chop that up and then add something to. it. I like samples. Original originality. is dope, too. If you can make a beat. from scratch, I rock with that. But I. like samples. If somebody were to sample. one of yours, do they do do they do they. need to play you the song or you like, "Hey, they call you up say change. I. want to sample this." And you like, "Okay, it's going to cost you X, Y, and. Z." Or do you need to hear the song. before you like, "Yeah, I'm always hear. the song. I'm always hit the song." Cuz. you don't want nobody put no boooo on. your track. But even if they put boooo,

I don't want to I want to hear a song. I. don't want to be affiliated with. nothing, you know, crazy, right? But if. the song is boo boo, I still make clear. because I know what it's like for my. song not to be clear. I know what that. feeling like. So, I figure out a way for. it to make make sense for me. Long as. it's not a huge interpolation of what I. did. If it's something small, whatever, I ain't really tripping on that because. it's just a way to, you know, kind of, you know, kind of keep keep my algorithm. going.

Tyler Creative recently showed you some. love. Do are people sleeping on your pen. chain? Yeah, but that's cool though. I. mean, Tyler is dope, too. Yeah. Just. took took my daughters to see his. concert and he gave me a shout out while. he was on stage. So, that was that was. cool. Um, you know, today is it's all. it's dope for people who have that kind. of um impact, right? To, you.

know, throw some shine on something as. opposed to shade, right? And so when he. did that, I looked at as he was, you. know, throwing some shine on something. [Music]. Good morning, [ __ ] ass. Welcome home, Shay. Man, welcome home player. I switch whips in the A.M. pick up the. bagel with the cream cheese. When I. played, I didn't get an opportunity to. really enjoy it because I was so caught.

up in the journey. I wasn't really. concerned with the destination. And then. once I arrived at the destination, which. was when I completed my career, now I. get back like, man, I did that. I had a. great blah blah blah. Do you have an. opportunity? Do you sit back and just. think about what you have accomplished. in your young career? No. Um I think that's one of the. the that's something that I. think I started feeling a little late in.

my career. I didn't become really. successful till I was in my 30s. And. then I think by taking me so. long to become successful, I didn't want. to celebrate too much. I didn't want to. go on vacation. I didn't want to, you. know, take the time to. like reflect, look back, or even judge. where I was currently. And so now as I. start to get older and understand, you.

know, how life works and how the. universe works, I I really wish I would. have spent more time in that in those. places like and not just like. figuratively speaking. I'm talking about. internalizing what I was doing at the. time, you know, but I'm still here and. confident that I can make some more. waves and experiences along my journey. We're here in Candyland. For your 46th. birthday, you brought yourself a strip. club. Of all the birthday presents you.

could have gifted yourself, why why a an. adult entertainment? I mean, why not? You know, this was a once in a-lifetime. opportunity. Okay. Um, how this whole. thing came about, it it was just God involved. You know. what I'm saying? And um anybody from. Atlanta would be interested in having. something to do with a strip club. because it's a major fixture in the. city. Correct. But you're not able to open up any strip.

clubs unless you have a dancing permit, which. they stop. even Yeah. issuing them in 93. Wow. So. you would have to actually buy one from. someone who has one or get grandfathered. in. Right. And so, um, I was able, my. partner was already in the midst and in. a situation to where he was starting. that process and God just put me in the. picture at the right time. At the right. place at the right time like me and you. discussed it. And so that's what.

happened. I end up being at the right. place at the right time. But I didn't. put all my eggs in the basket. I put a. lot of them in the basket for this one. And I just feel like it's one of those. things. It's just going to be around. You know, we have food. It's. entertainment. And you know, I tell the. dancers that that you're entertainers. You know what I'm saying? So, you have a. fan base as well, right? You know, it's. always cool to try to, you know what I'm. saying? Spread some game. Yeah. Here we. go. Let me show people the food. Yeah. You You Man, so.

greedy. Look at. this. Um, smell like these seem like. like hot like hot. These seem like lemon. pepper. These seem like barbecue. I. don't know what else. It look like a. little look like the mosquite type of. stuff. Yeah. Yeah. But I'm Yeah. Oh, we. got fries over here. You know, we love. them. Show the fries. Show y'all the fries. Y'all see this? And since Shay is doing such a great job.

of promoting my product, let's not. forget my brother got his own yak. He. just won an award. He told me about. gold. Got a gold medal or something. So, you know, I don't even Let me tell you. something. Don't even worry about what I. don't do. I'm gonna go ahead with it. Okay. I'm gonna go ahead with it. I I'm. go ahead with it. Let me try it. What. you do? Hold up. You don't You swirl it. around. We swirl around then. What we. call nosing it. Nosing it. Yes. Now, I. I've done that with red wine before.

Well, does this let it breathe more or. something? Yes. Um, this stuff in. barrels. Yes. Okay. In order for it to. be a cognac, it has to originate in the. region for at least two years. So it has. to grow up in the Kgnac region. It is a. grape. This is a uni blanc mixed with a. petite champagne. Each region in Kgnac. has a particular type of grape. And. according to how you want your contract. cognac to taste, you that kind of grape. And so this is a Uni Blanc grape. A very. pro probably I think maybe 70% of the.

grapes that's in that region is a Uni. Blanc grape with a petite champagne. Um this is a BSOP very special old pale. bsop has to be aged between four and six. years. Wow. And then as you gone up and. you know so forth and so on. So we think. we've done a great job. Uh Laortier is. my grandmother's porter in French. Sheay. my name and so Shay by Laortier. So how. long have you had this Kgnac? We came.

out uh we tried to come out in uh in. 2000. Then the pandemic happened and. it's funny is that this bottle wasn't. the original bottle. We had a bottle. using a company out of Italy and they go. bankrupt during the p during the. pandemic. So we had to scratch that. Now. we weren't able to come out in 2020. So. now we had to push it back to 2021. So. now they're sending me products all. through the mail. I'm sampling. I'm. tasting. I'm like, "Okay, I like this.". And my partners and I like, "What are we. going for? Are we want something that.

tastes good? People are going to buy. it." It's like, yeah, that's that's the. end goal, but we want to produce an. award-winning Kanye. And now we've won. 14 awards. We've won the SIP award, which is the highest award you can win. because it's a blind taste test. And. again, we won another taste test today. Uh the only Kgnac that won. So without. even starting the. process, your partner in this knew that. the end goal was awards. Yes. I guess he. say everything else will fall.

everything else. Everything else you can. get award. Yeah. Yes. And uh it's a VSOP. that drinks like an exo. XO is extra. old. XXO is extra extra old. And then. you start getting into the specialty uh. cognacs and stuff that's barrel 25, you. know, 50 years. As a matter of fact, we. went over there uh this past June, June. of 24, and a guy had Kgnac that was in a. barrel that was pre-Ivil War. He let us taste it. Yeah. how they keep. I mean cuz everything is it has to go.

through the process. It has to be cuz. our Kgnac is very unique. We don't add. color. We don't add sugar. It's the this. how it looks. This how it comes out of. the barrel. This is how it comes out of. the barrel. We're a small batch. We can. control it. You see your mom cooking for. 10 people is going to taste different. than she's cooking for a thousand. people. So when you you you try to cook. something so now we can control the. taste. That's why you get the. consistency and that's when you become. great at something when you're. consistent at it. Yeah. So, here we go. Congratulations on everything. You've.

you've been very consistent. Thank you, brother. Appreciate it. Thank you. That's a good there. I promise you, nobody going to beat us on the market. We don't talk about anybody else. We. just tell you what we do. And what we do. we do very well. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I you. know. we got to get it in candy. We got to get. it in your step. Yeah. We easy. See.

that's easy. When you when you own something it's. like it's easy. I can really make that. happen right now. If you had a case. something Oh, we get to that. So this is. Kgnac. This is Kgnac. Yeah. See how it. has to originate because see you like. wines can start anywhere. You can have. wine from California. You can have them. in Oregon. They can be all over the. place. But they call it a kgnac. It has. to originate the first two years in that. region in kgnac. In kgac. Has to bre go. through the copper pot. It has to be. stored in the wooden barrels. Yes. The.

VSOP. In order for you to call it a. VSOP, they got to be 46 years. 46 years. of age. and just sitting up in the barrel. Sitting there marinating. Does that make it stronger? Uh well, it's it's the process in which it goes. through because you know, you have the. grapes, you have a certain amount, and. it's a it's a blend because as you like. we got another one coming out that's a. that's a premium that's a step above. this. And as it as you start to blend, it gets more and more expensive because.

you're blending older and older cognacs. to try to get the the blend that you. particularly want. So you might be. blending something that was, you know, say 10 years old with something that's. 15 years old to something that's 20. years old and you're trying to do x. amount. But like because we're a small. batch, we do re really, really well. We've done really well. People have been. very receptive. Uh when they taste it, they know there's a lot of love, there's. a lot of care, there's a lot of support. that's going in. You can hear that when. you describe it. Honestly, I'm not. obviously a big Kanye drink, but it was.

smooth. It was smooth. And you know, the. trend is is whatever it is right now is. more shot based. So, I wasn't sure if I. was supposed to sip it or take a shot of. it. Just a little sip of it. Now, if I. was to. add a a drop of water, it'll open up the. body. You're supposed to actually add a. drop a drop of water, not a ice cube. Because the ice cube, you can't control. the melt because if the ice cube melt, it's more than what you intended to get. in there. So with a a drop, you get to.

control how much water actually goes in. and it opens up the body. What about a. juice? Would you Oh, yeah. Here's the thing. Would you drink juice. with your Kgnac? No. I uh now and over. there they drink ginger ale. They mix it. with ginger ale. That was the big thing. over there that I didn't know. Kanyak. and ginger ale. Yes. But it makes a great side car. We have. drinks like determination, discipline, determin uh dedication are things that. are factor that are that that are really. important to me and how I kind of got to.

where I got. Uh we have drinks. Um we. have a mixologist, in-house mixologist, and his job is to come up with drink. with specialty drinks. Not just the. Kgnc. Now, you can drink it by itself. Yeah. Cuz a lot of times people they do. mix drink, they try to hide it cuz you. ain't your your your thing ain't that. good. Okay. We really good. We stand. behind it. We prefer we would prefer you. like a chef. Don't add no seasoning to. my dish. That's right. When I send that. steak out there, I don't send ketchup or. whist. Because I already know what it. is. Yeah. They don't like that. Them. real [ __ ] We know. We know what this.

is. So, we we stand behind that. So, let. me ask you. That's what I want to know. You go home, you're like, "Oh, man. My. 46th birthday, man. I think I'm have me. I think I'm having me on adult. entertainment." How you explain that to. the mama? Oh, my mama was here. I ain't. talking about your mama. I'm talking. about your girl. Old lady. Yeah. She she. we we we likeminded. That's why we. together. Okay. Okay. She about that. She She on that paper. We come here we. come here together. Really? Absolutely. We come here together. It's.

just sometime I party too hard and it be. hard for her to recover for a couple. days. But we come out, we hang together. This ain't no secret. Like I wouldn't. even try to play like that. Right. Yeah. So we come out, we hang out together, have a few drinks, whatever. you know, whatever we do is it's we share the same. like similarities and I think that's. what that's what work in most. relationships and that's what drew you. to her. So, how did you know she was the. one? Man, it's just beautiful, man. Beautiful inside and out and and I.

remember she used to uh go to church and. take notes and stuff really. I thought. that was so interesting, so cool. And. then maybe look at him here and there. So just a God-fearing woman who's just a. super angelic like. personality and you know we laugh every. day. We got some beautiful kids out this. deal and just just kept moving. I I knew. you know I Where' you where'd you guys.

meet? We've been knowing each other 20. We've. been know each other. Who made the first. move? I did. You said I'm from a I'm. from a pre DM era. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I'm You had to walk up on them. Yeah. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Was how you know have something to say, have instead of like just send like an. emoji to communicate. It's a little. different, but I I saw her. and and uh we just, you know, just hit.

it off, man. Were you nervous? No. I've. never been nervous when it comes to. females at all. Yeah. No, no, no. I'm. I'm you know I'm I'm one of them I think. I'm a pretty charming pretty charming. fella you know I'm cuz I know what I. bring to the table too. So yeah it it. wasn't it was just about me knowing that. this was the one more than anything you. know which which I believe I think I. think I read a stat where it says like I. think maybe 80% of the men have never.

asked a woman out on a date personally. So like you walk up to that individual. like hey how you doing such and such my. name is this what's your name I would. like to take you out. No, I think I. think that's too scripted, right? Anything about let's go on a date, it. doesn't normally h happen. You meet. somebody. I you hang out, you know? I just don't. right now. Right now, a date with me and. and my girl, we might be at the studio. It's just anything. Oh, okay. You know. what I'm saying? Like a date. You don't.

like the script that okay, we going out. to eat. We going out to do a date. Yeah. Like that don't even sound right. That. sounds like a real script to me. You. know, I I think the normal way is you. end up at Candy Land, you know what I'm. saying, having a drink or two or. whatever, and you know, you you might. don't want to say it was a date, but. that's exactly what that was, you know? So, yeah, that's what I like to Before. you I mean, were you were you uh heavy. into the adult entertainment industry? Would you come in here? Was that a. thing, a normal thing that you would do? I came here before I owned it. Yeah. I'm.

like, being from Atlanta, the strip. clubs is one known to break music. Mhm. And too known to have like popular. people absolutely congregating. So I've. been coming to strip clubs. I like maybe. like 15 to 16. It was a strip club on um. Cleveland Avenue called Pleasers and. they used to do and we might need to do. it here. They used to have free popcorn. like little and that little smell. I. used to be hungry. I go in there man. I. eat three four things. Hey, you know I. thought you was going to say that one on.

pause. I thought I mean know I thought. you going to say Claremont. CL. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, that one. Not that. one. Not that one. D, they don't know. nothing about the clerbot. No, I can't. believe that that that club that he's. talking about actually have, you know, women upwards of 50 60 years old. 70 70. years old for sure. Yeah. I wouldn't see. I I'm I'm not co-signing that because. once I heard that that what was going. on, you got to go if you got to go one. time to see it for yourself cuz you. don't believe it. I I I don't I do.

believe it. And I don't have to see it. You got to see it. I do believe. You got. to see it. I've heard it from too many. different people. You got to see it. But. man, to know that women and I ain't. judging cuz it's it's men's in there. watching and women, but it's 70 year old. women in there. Both teeth, no teeth. Hey man, say they say they they tang. wave like like you see it like on on. National Geographic the the the women on. Africa, they Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Atlanta. is that's the culture. Yeah, man. I. think Magic opened his spot in the 80s.

So Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But you I. mean you you So you like, "Okay, I'm I'm. going to get this." You like, "Okay, baby. I I can see that." Yeah. Okay. Yeah. This this whole spot is is been. refurbished. You know what I'm saying? So the seating, the everything. So that. whole process, they came in now. My mom, I was just cuz my mom, if she could, she. would come in here, but I was like, "Mom, just don't do me like that." You. know what I'm saying? Like she goes to. all my spots, esco and all that. She'll. be with my aunts hanging out. So she my. mom will come up here and eat but she.

won't hang out right. You know what I'm. saying? Um but you know my wife and. everybody else will and it was just a. whole process from beginning to end that. they were definitely a part of it. No. one was in the blind with this. What do. you think the top three cities for adult. entertainment is? Atlanta, Houston, and. Miami. Can't go wrong. Atlanta, Houston, and. Miami for sure. Yeah. Houston made a. come up. Yeah. Yeah. That's it right there. Them. the cities.

Uh with the video where you uh uh I. guess I think it was a video with you. and you shot it with Kiki in in the uh. in the uh strip club. Kiki Palmer. Oh, Kiki ain't been in here. Kiki Kiki. hadn't been in here. I don't know where. Kiki Kiki had been. It wasn't in here. But where was where do you remember. where it was? Uhuh. No, but Kiki um I I think she a birgo.

like me. So we've been we be we cool but. I had seen in a minute. Like I know this. last movie was hard with uh Scissor. Scissor. Yeah. Yeah. But we I've had too. many enter it's an entertainer here. every weekend though. Yeah. It's. entertaining here. Football player. Like. I ain't ain't that but like it's an. entertainer here. It's. Yeah. If you're a part of the culture, you you've been in Yeah. I want to know. cuz I know M or been knowing M 30 years. Do you like when when when the dancers. want to come in, they come and audition,

you audition them? I've been here for. auditions before, for sure. So, what. what's what's the idea? What are you. looking for? Is there a particular. height? They're a particular shape. They're a particular personality. There's a particular I mean, it's hard. to tell personalities doing audition. because you're not really talking to. them. Mhm. You get them on stage and. it's two songs, one with clothes on, one. with clothes off, right? And you see if. they can dance first because this is, you know, an entertainment facility. Uh. if they can't dance, then that kind of. ends it right there. If they can dance,

then you start looking at other other. things. And then, you know, it's not. really about because people like natural. bodies, people like BBLs, people like. white, people like black, people like. different things. So, it's up to me, fake boot. Yeah. So for me to try to. have a little bit of everything. So when. I'm when I'm in here trying to get. girls, I'm trying to feel voids for. something that we may not have at this. time. Okay. Or if we got too many. looking this way, I'm trying to bring in. something like that. So I'm just trying. to have options for people who come in. here. Right.

What is it about the strip clubs and. music? Because you get some of the best. music in in in the Dota. It's the. energy. It's about dancing. So originally girls would come on stage. to do their set and they would tell the. DJ what they wanted to dance to, right? And so the reason they're telling the DJ. to play this is because it's making. people spend money, right? And so it had. a direct connection with everything. that's going on. So that's why records.

really when they do good in Atlanta. strip club they do good all over because. it's like a weird science to it to where. people tip or do something to the song. you know and it doesn't even have to. have that kind of connotation in the. music but if it's the tempo is right and. it has that vibe to it and people can. throw money or dance to it once it once. it incubates in the strip club it can. just live anywhere. Were you around? You were obviously you. around, but did you ever bump into Big.

Meech when he when they were in Atlanta? Yeah. Yeah, for sure. That was that was. that was a time it was it was a time. that could never be duplicated, man. Cuz. you I've never seen that. many, you know, brothers get along and. have they and and everybody had. Yeah. And shine. I can actually say I saw that. with my eyes. and you know the prices on. the streets was different and everything. you know and I was in my I was selling.

weed at the time so it was like I wasn't. even in the same game that they was. dealing in. So I just wanted. to I just wanted to get I I remember. just really wanting to like have access. to me to just like. sell my weed to him. I would have to. sell it to a few other members around. before I could even just get to them. But yeah, I mean it was it was a time in. Atlanta that I don't think can be, you. know, duplicated, man. Too much money. flying. around, too many zero cares given, you.

know. So, I tell you what, something. else that won't ever be duplicated, freak Nick. Nah, Freak Nick won't be. duplicated either. I remember being I I. remember those days, too. I I saw from. 92 to 96, I saw. girls before the word twerking was out. They would do they were twerking way. back with that that was I mean I that. ain't what they called it but they was. doing that back back in here wearing no. clothes guys doing the most too much.

dudes doing too much dudes doing too. much cuz they and the traffic you think. it was like freak nick when they came. here for them for that Thursday night. Friday night Saturday night what you see. at the Atlanta traffic it was like that. way back when I mean it was worse. because you remember at at at a certain. point in time they even blocked the. intersect. They blocked the the exit. So. once you got on 8575, you had to go damn. near to Clayton County to turn around. Yeah. Wow. You remember that's crazy. I. was on feet. You you look up. You've.

been on walk eight miles cuz you know. these people they'll park in their car. and getting out and you just meeting. people. You interacting. You Somebody. got this big ass camcorder. Yes. And you. just don't even know what footage you. you shot with yourself back there. You. people would literally It was a. gridlock. So 85 was like a parking lot. you people literally stopped and they. was dancing on the street and just like. and I was I remember thinking to myself. I said ch I don't know how much longer. they gonna let this go on because this. thing getting out of control it's sc. when it start scaring y when it start. scaring black folks it's over and they.

remember they shut down the mall they. started shutting down the malls at 3:00. in the afternoon when it start getting. making black folks scared the. last James you want I mean you've done a. little acting you wanted to just is that. something you would like to take on take. on a more responsibility do a little bit. more of I wouldn't mind doing acting, but I'm actually interested in being. behind the camera. Okay. So, okay. Yeah. I shot my first short film uh called Red. Clay. I shot it last summer roughly, you. know, based upon my life and uh it will.

be in a few festivals. Yeah. You. mentioned it's like it's a short film. It's only 20 minutes. Mhm. But it's it's. it's really well put together. Um and so. I'm excited about getting that off my. chest and everything that comes with. that. And I'm also excited about. producing what's after that which will. be aligned and tied to that. So right. that's where I am with it. I'm I'm. really and it and up to now I kind of. have kept it a little you know to myself. kind of a secret a little bit but right. now I think it's time for people to.

really know I really got something. special coming out and um and um I'm. just as attracted to this feeling of. doing something good as I was back in. the days with my mixtape my music. I. just feel like I got something special. to bring to the table. I may ask you. this earlier. You got 50 to narrate your. album with uh Lil Wayne. How were you. able to pull that off? You knew you had. a relationship with 50? Yeah. Yeah. I. just called. him. He um I either called him or I saw.

him cuz I was in BMF. Before I was in. BMF, I was invited to a dinner where I. met a lot of the producers. and writers and stuff. Mhm. And then. obviously he put me in um the BMF the. BMF thing. Yeah. And so. you know what's the the worst thing. somebody could tell you is no. You know. I figured out a long time ago if you. don't ask you won't know. So I like get.

fed. Yeah. I got this, you know, I got. this I want you to narrate because he to. me when I was describing when I was. describing the album, it felt so. cinematic and I felt like I wanted. somebody to narrate the project, but I. wanted to be somebody that um never said. their name, but you just know who it is, right? You know what I'm saying? Just. they just you know who it is. Yeah. So, you know, you got your you got Snoop. It's a few of Right. Snoop. Um, fifth. Uh, Samuel Jackson. Um, like a Morgan Freeman. You hear.

Morgan? Yeah. It's like they don't have. to say, "Hey, um, this is more." You. don't They don't have to say their name, man. So, I don't know. 50 just got this. So, I actually wrote everything he said, man. And he just killed it and send it. back. And yeah, your last name is EPS. You were telling me that he uh Omar, which is a cousin of yours, helped you. write your uh your 20 your your short. your short film. You related to Mike? Mike I I want to say Mike is an eps.

marriage if I'm not mistaken. Okay. Mhm. But most eps are related. Let's just say that. Yeah. I'm trying to. figure out why do so many rappers come. from the southside. Thug, Future, Gunner, Little Baby, Outcast, Jeezy, Gucci Man, Walka Flock. They none of. them from the Southside. Where they. from? Yeah, like like Gucci from zone 6, Future like Kirkwood. See, you talking. about See, you talking about zone six, you talking about that first 48, they. take care of everything in zone. Southside would be like College Park or.

Clayton County. And so your Southside. artist would be Jermaine Depri. Okay. Lotto, right? Uh Waka Flock of. Me. Uh you can somewhat say uh Outcast. because they were from East Point, right? That's the south side. But. basically everybody else is from either. the west side of Atlanta or east side of. Atlanta. I mean, did you know any of. these any of these artists when you were. coming up? I've known Gucci a very long. time. I've known Gucci a very very long.

time. That's who I can out of all those. people. You went to North Clayton. Yeah. Monica and Sierra graduate. Yeah. Monica. Monica. Me and Monica. I went to. school. We went to school during the. same time. I'm not sure if Cece went. there or not. Maybe she went there for a. year or two or to Riverdale. She went to. one of those schools. But I I met Monica. in high school, right? I have known her. for that long. Titty Boy, how do you get that name? Titty Boy is a homegrown name that I got.

from basically just being an only child, a spoiled brat, somebody that's very. close to their mom. Me and my mom have a. great relationship even to this day. We. talk every single day. Um she hangs out. with me. Hey, we go to the game. together. We, you know. Yeah. So, um, people used to be like, ain't nothing. but a titty boy. He be hang, you know. Um, you know, that's where your like safety. zone, the comfort zone for me was at.

early on. That's boy first true love. Yeah. And so, and my mom, she liked that. too. She kind of like like I love you. mom. She borderline bully. So, ain't. nobody going to mess with me or her. You. know what I mean? So, I'm just like used. to just being a bunner and stuff. How. was it being raised by a single mother? It's. actually it's like it's cool. I don't. think I would change it. I don't know. how I don't think I would change it.

because now I had to be the man of the. house, right? So I replace. Now it's definitely some obstacles. Mhm. But it forces you to grow up faster, mature faster, you know, play time be. over real quick when you when you the. only only Yeah. Playtime is over real. quick. like did um is there a part of. you that resent that that you didn't. really get to have a full childhood.

because like you said you're the only. man in the house and so you're expected. to grow up a lot sooner than say had. your dad been in the house or there's. another dominant male figure in the. picture. No, it's no when when I. was seven Mhm. I remember this very. vividly. My older cousin, he threw away. the toys I had. Like threw away my toys. I was playing with like a Hulk Hogan. wrestling. Just like like Charlie, we. not playing with no toys. You know what. I'm saying? Threw them away. And I I.

remember being crushed like being hurt. because I'm an only child. I'd be. sitting up here having a whole You got a. whole conversation. You got a whole. story going on. I got a whole This is a. I'm in the middle of a WW. This is a. whole cage match. You got a whole match. going on. I don't even know what. And. so, but when I look back, I appreciate. the moments. because I. couldn't I.

couldn't think like a. kid or even, you know, I can act like a. kid, but my my I I grew my my mental or. my the way that I think mature way. faster than my act my actual physical. strength and all of that. I was mentally. strong way before I was physically. strong, right? But that was due to um me. having to do that, right? And so. um they always say, "What? Don't you. know kill you make you stronger?" In.

this case right here, um I I appreciate it. I I I wouldn't I. can't sit here and give you a story on. me being close to dying or that I know. of. You know what I'm saying? But I can. tell you how much I just lived. You know. what I'm saying? And I've lived being. consciously a little bit more mature. than say somebody else that can just go. around play act like nothing is going. on. Like I had to way back learn how to. do money orders or fill out certain. things and and know how to ask for.

menthol. uh Newport whatever menthols and all. this old stuff that I ain't got no. business. They don't even sell this. stuff to kids. No. You know what I'm. saying? But I'm going to the store. I. got to get all this stuff in. my stockings. You remember when women. used to wear stockings? Absolutely. I. do. I got to go in the store by. stocking. I got to cross. You got me the. stocking cap we had. We done cut my. grandma. That's what I'm talking about. Put You know exactly what it is. I done. had to walk across Kendall Road. This is. this is thing is busy just to go to a a. store ask for cigarettes and stockings. for her and all this old stuff. So, you.

know, I can't imagine like why he was. even doing this type of stuff at 11 or. 12 years old. You know, you got. arrested, I think, at 15, got arrested. again at 17. Did you feel an obligation. because like you said, you're the only. you're the male figure. You're only a. child and you wanted to do something to. help your mom because you saw what your. mom was going through. Nobody knows what. a person going through except somebody. that's really close to that person and. you saw your mom struggle. You saw your. mom going through that. Is that why you. kind of got into that.

life or was there something else that. drew you to it? So if. I if I live in Hawaii, if I was born in. Hawaii, I think I would know how to. surf, right? Mhm. Is I adapt. If I was. raised in Colorado or whatever, I would. be good at skiing, right? But my family, my mom lived in these low.

socioeconomic spaces and they were. traps. So I'm I live in these traps. It's not like traps are really place. places. People come there to buy drugs. and leave, but it's like the zoo. They. come to the zoo and leave. But I'm. staying at the zoo all day. I'm I'm here. forever. I'm like, and so I'm from the. trap. So everybody around me does the. same thing. It's kind of. like neighborhoods and gangs and stuff. like that. Like some people are just.

It's really because they mom live here. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? My mom. lives here. You know, it's always this. special kid or somebody we don't want to. exposed to this lifestyle or whatever. But I wasn't that kid, right? And this. the actually the 15year-old the when I. go to uh get in trouble when I'm 15. Um. um my mom knows I sell drugs. You know. what I'm saying? My mom knows this. It's. not even a secret. My my mom used to do. drugs, right? So,

um, it it wasn't like a huge secret and. that it was just this time my my father. was already incarcerated and my mom just. had I don't even know if this was a. boyfriend or just a somebody who sold. dope, but they came in our. house after being chased by the police. to try to come in the house and flush. it. Just kind of like made their way in. our house. And I I was asleep. I. remember being on my little air.

mattress, sleep, but what I used to do. before I go to sleep was eat like Oreos. and milk. It was like a routine, a. little milk. And and that night I had. like I don't know 10 crack sacks or. whatever. And I put the crack sacks in. this napkin. I borrowed the napkin up. and I put it in the red little cup that. my milk was in. I sat it by my air. mattress because honestly at an early. age I had to be creative with where I. put stuff because people would steal. from me while I was sleep. Mhm. Still. money out my p I would put pants under.

my pillow and money still would be. missing. So I would start having. creative ways of just hiding stuff. around. The police come in and. eventually I'm I'm kind of handcuffed in. the hallway and eventually I kind of see. somebody kick that cup over and when. they kick that cup over I see the sacks. come out. Now the sacks all this happens. in my room. Mhm. So they take my mom to. jail with this dude. They let me call. somebody like a cousin to come get.

me. I leave and when I come back some. people in the neighborhood because the. house has been busted. People had ran in. the neighborhood and just start going. through my stuff. Yeah. Going through my. our apartment. So and the door off the. hinges. So my friend lets me move like. live with him for a while. He stayed in. apartments as well. And so while I'm. living with him, I'm going to school. He. don't go to school as much as me, but. I'm going, you know, as often as I can, I'm going. And I think that they tried.

to serve me a warrant for that stuff, that cocaine being mine. And I was. nowhere around to be so they had to come. to my school and get me. So that's how. that that particular incident happened. But my mom was fully aware of of what I. had going on. Did she ever say, "Hey, son, stop that. You going Did you Did. your mom ever try to?" No. No. No. No. It's deeper than It's so deep. It's. crazy.

They say association bring on. assimilation. Yeah. It's deep. So, they take you to juvie, right? How long you in juvie? Like a. week and a half. But I didn't know. like they had as you know I'm like. playing. basketball. So I got people coming up. there that I guess is it's Clayton. County so people know people. So I guess. people are in areas where they can see.

me and I can't see them. People are. checking up. on but like uh the first two or three. days. I was super to myself. didn't want to. even really shower, but then I got. sprayed with whatever they spray you. with. So, I had to like take the initial. shower like after they got they spray. you down, make sure you got no bugs, no. lice, no after they spray infestation. After they spray, but they were really. like shorty, they was telling me, "Shorty, you going to have to take a, you know, you going to have to get that.

stuff off you." So after I did that, the. next couple times I just kind of stayed. in my room and. then then they played. basketball. So I said, "Oh man." I said, "Uh, I'm I'm, you know, I got everybody. got on the same shoes, whatever." So. that's what got me through that little. extra little week or whatever was. basketball. And then I don't know how. they figured it out. Somebody quarter. pointed, somebody looked out for me. And I. remember my name being called and Hold.

on. Is this the first. time? Yeah, cuz one of these times, one. of these times, all right, so either. that time I I got called and they. released me, but maybe the next time I. got locked up, which was in high school. again, we they called my name and I. remember just talking so much [ __ ] to. the to my sies and everybody else or. whatever. And I gave him my store. And. then when I walked out, they put me in.

maximum. And that's where like real. people do real stuff. Yeah. And I said, "God has punished me from break." I. said, "I don't supposed to be in here.". They said, "Ben, put on this red suit.". I had on the orange suit. They told me. to put on this red suit. And I done just. damn near boop. I done damn near did. everything leaving out this sale. And. for some reason, I don't know what. happened paperwork wise, but they got me. in here next to somebody who done. swallowed a razor blade and tried to go. to the hospital and escape. This person. is a serial rapist. The sale is maximum.

It has the electric doors when they. close open, but it's it's um it's too. many people in there. So, you got people. sleeping outside of it. And it was just. like that experience was even kind of a. little bit more nerve-wracking than the. than when I went to Jubia or whatever. just because of the maximum. I could. still hear the maximum doors and then. it's just a bunch of in there telling. stories or whatever. But that was like. my and I've been when I became a rapper. I got in way more trouble than I got in.

back then. It feel like I was targeted. But back then it was almost like the. situations I I went. through I I wouldn't even be right here. now next to you if I didn't go through. them. But when I was currently in that. in that position, I thought my world was. going to end, right? I thought my world. with the jewelry thing, I it was the. most I was the most shame. I was so. ashamed. When I got to my 12th grade. year, I had scholarships to many. different schools to play basketball. And actually, um, missed the SAT just. just just my mama mama told me don't.

even take all this weed to school. You. know what I'm saying? And it's not even. a lot of weed at this time. It's like. some Nicks. It's a $100 worth of nicks. or something crazy. So, it's not even a. lot of weed, but I get I get caught with. it and that puts a blemishes. I lose. scholarships. I lose people. So, it make. you feel like your life going to end, but then I end up going to somewhere. else where I meet these different people. and the love of my life and some other. things and it just worked out. differently. So, I tell anybody who.

which I have told some of my um like. little play nephews that that have grown. up but has got into some trouble right. now. I tell them just to live long. enough, man. anything have you live long. enough, you know, stay out of prison, stay stay out the graveyard, man, man, this stuff can turn around and you can. just this just can be a part of your. story now because the end of your story. Yeah. I can just tell it so freely now. Like, boom. And it might sound cool. I'm. not trying to make it sound It's not. cool at all. Right. But I actually. experienced it. I I had to tell my kids. this like, you know, I went to juvie at.

15. Why you doing all this? Like I. really like So just to just to express. that. I just feel like sometimes we go. through stuff and it just it really do. make us a a better person because now. I'm not interested in none of that type. of lifestyle, you know, in the in the. hood getting shot, shooting somebody, going to jail, any of that is a part of. puberty. It's like part of adolescence. You fully don't even develop or grow up. unless something like that has happened. Like, man, you ain't been shot. You.

ain't shot nobody. You ain't never even. been to jail. It's like one of those. things. It's like I don't know if you. really been through this. So that part. even through all that you get an. opportunity. You get a scholarship. You. start off going to ASU Alabama State. All right. Uh what happened at Alabama. State? Alabama State was tricky. So they. called me, man. Super vulnerable, but. I'm happy they did, man. They called me. um after they heard this is pre social. media. So the schools that's recruited.

me don't know I got locked up in school. So, I'm literally damn there. like like. somebody asks me in a letter cuz I'm. getting these letters every week. You. know, after practice when you good the. coach, I'm sure you but it's two, three. players that get like these letters from. from people that's interested in them. You know what I'm saying? And it's me. and my homie getting these letters and. um I wish I had these letters now. But.

but one of the letters was asking me how. how you think you did on the. SAT, you know, and uh I started being. like, damn, this crazy, you know. I'm a little. ashamed. I done got caught with weed in. school, right? You know, and uh the. Alabama State, they call I talked to. them on the phone. They say, "We heard. what happened." You know, man, we. looking for a big guard, you know. We 2. hours from Atlanta. It was already some. people from my school that was down. there. So, it made my transition a.

little easier. And when I go down, when. I go down there to play, they get fired. The coaches that was showing me so much. interest, just telling me everything. what they was going to promise me, you. know, little weight program to put a. little little something on me. And they. gets fired before anything. before I. even ever I never even ran a practice. with these guys, right? And here comes a. coach and his own four players. And I.

remember I remember him walking in to my. left. I remember him walking in and four. other tall, you know, looked like. hoopers. And from that point. on, I ain't care about basketball no. more. really kept by that. You lost. interest just that quick cuz he came in. his whole energy change when he came in. He already had his mindset on he. wouldn't have brought these players if.

he weren't going to use them. And so. that just you know it just took it just. discouraged me for so many reason. because I've been playing basketball. since I was 7 years old. You know what. I'm saying? Here I am playing here I am. in my mind I don't even supposed to be. at this school, right? And now you. telling me or whatever showing me I. ain't f to play off. Man, I just just. did not mess with it. You know what I. mean? So, commence the trapping, commence the going up and down the road. But you leave that and go to VSU. You go. to Virginia State. No, I go to TSU. I.

mean, no, I'm sorry. Tuskegee. Everybody. that I went to Tuskegee, which is a 30. minutes up the road, right? So, here it. is. Atlanta dude in Alabama, right? You. can imagine like the ego or the. mentality that I have. And I was taught. a few lessons in Alabama. Like, you. know, there ain't nothing to play with. I was taught a few lessons. So, I have a party at a. club and and I got on this. This is when. Park wearing the silk Versace. Yeah.

Yeah. They like 450. Yeah. I got me one. Got on I got on some I'm I'm like I'm. sharp, Shannon. Yeah. The club ain't got. nothing but Andre looker. The It's. called Andre. I think it's about out of. $20. Yeah. But I'm from Atlanta and I, you know, I've been to 112 a couple. times and these people, they have. ballers in the club. So, I'm just I'm. going represent the Atlanta culture down. here at Alabama, man. Before you know, that's a huge. fight that breaks out in the club. Oh,

and when the fight breaks out, a young. lady gets her eye damaged severely. I'm. talking about up sight in it almost you. know and uh everybody just started point. the finger at. me my party and he this shirt that's all. I'm hearing for shirt me shirt me so I. do like anybody who got sense I'm. getting out of here I ain't sticking. around so I. immediately immediately bro I just went.

to a whole another school soon as I. started here it's probably took two. weeks I go to a whole another school. because I got I got a couple home boys. at this other school is 30 Minutes. They've been coming down here kicking it. with me. So, I got a homeboy that play. on their team and and and Tuskegee was. D2, but they still was good. Alabama. State was D1, but they was really like. still um 30 minutes. So, I go down to. this school and it was very very. interesting because my degree was. something in computer or programming or. something like that. So when I go to.

Tuskegee, um I end up changing my major. to psychology because the actual teacher. was my my grandfather's sister, so my. great aunt. So it was just interesting. to meet her and she already knew so much. information about me. I figured she was. going to let me cheat, which she never. did. And I end up taking that and and. graduating from that. But I end up. leaving Tusk and going back to Alabama. State. You meet your wife. I think the question. that you probably get asked a lot and. correct me if I'm wrong is that they.

like change bro how you stay married how. you stay committed all the time when you. have all this around you at your. fingertips and you go home to the mother. of your three how all the. time I've seen I've seen what it I've. seen what it I've seen what it looked. like you You know what I'm saying? I've. seen what outside look like. I've seen. all perspectives. You know what I'm.

saying? But it's just something about. having that stability and that loyalty. I mean, really, that real loyalty, that. real love. Yeah. You can't really just. find that everywhere. Especially when. you become a. certain when you get to a certain level, you don't know how real affect. Yeah. It's easy. It's easy. Everybody, oh, Chain. Oh, I love Chain. Oh, he look. good. Do you see the way? It's easy to. say that now. But when I wasn't too. changed. Yeah. When y'all was calling me. by my government name. Yeah. It's I. think that's just, you know, even.

working in a in a or owning a strip. club, even in this space right here, I. already I already knew that, you know, people were probably just assuming that. I was going to just Yeah. You know, throw it all away. Yeah. You know, and I. just couldn't wait to prove people, you. know, wrong. You know what I'm saying? And girls walk around me naked all the. time. Now I don't know if that's done. something to my libido cuz a girl. walking here naked now I just it just. she just be naked. It won't even like.

it. She just be a naked girl. You be. naked, man. Hey, you might need to get. on them roast bars like your boy. Yeah, them roast bars. Hey, no no no no. Everything still work real good on me. Okay. No, no. Let's let's we No. Everything works really good on me. Really really good on Yeah. You know. Pause. Everything worse. But but that. just I'm just saying it's any given day. is 30 or 40 50 naked women in here. I. ain't walking around with no boner in.

here by seeing no 40 50 women cuz I see. it. So I just see it every day. You know. you on your root whatever that ros. Yeah. Rose whatever you taking in the. time of 20. Yeah. You going to be around. here looking stabbing folks out. here. Excuse me. stabbing folk trying to. get to the I gota go to the bathroom. like they calm down. I got control over. Debo. Yeah, I got control, man. You proposed. that to your wife. Did you know you was. going to propose? Cuz you proposed at.

the Met Galla, correct? Oh, man. I had. to, man. That was big, man. I went. That's You know, sometime you got to do. something where they can go back and. it's historic. They go back and Yeah. Were you nervous? No. So, this is what happened, man. I. get there. I get invited by Versace cuz. I'm doing a collaboration with Versace. and my homie. We go. They let us go to Versace to on. Fifth Avenue in New York. We get all. type of [ __ ] You know what I'm saying? They got custom. They got a lady that.

done flew over the dude Kha makeup from. from all this just everything, you know? So, I had already planned. I said, "Man, this would be dope. Everybody see it.". You know what I'm saying? Be play. I be. throwing my little player card, whatever. We just It just be like, you. know, put it up, man. Listen, we get. there all kind of stuff try to prevent. me from doing it. Get there, wait up the. line. It's just all type of stuff. So, man, I get I'm thinking a couple time, man. I got it right here in my pocket.

I'm thinking, man, I just keep. thinking said, man, I'm going to do. this, man. I want to do it on the So, it. takes so long to get there at this. point. It seems like it's just never. going to happen. So I get there, we get on when I finally. get there, we get on the steps. and Kha, she look around. So I go door. now and then but it it won't come out. So I said, "What does this mean?" You. know what I'm saying? Like cuz I don't want her to see me.

doing this. I want to already have it. out. You know what I'm saying? So I get. to pulling I get to pulling it and it it. comes on out. And so I get on a knee and. then Kha turned around look at me and. said, "Baby, you all. right?" She's like, "You okay?" She. think I I guess fail or something cuz. she just didn't expect it. So I think it. was cool for it to be a surprise on on. such a huge stage, right? But you had. proposed before at the BET award in.

2013, right? No, we just went out then. and people thought it was like that. Like me and Kesha, we look good together. and stuff in pictures and every time we. would step out and then she was somebody. that I was calling my wife before we. even had, you know, before we even Well, you know, you had to be there cuz uh you. make that presentation the court say, "Okay, that what you've been saying.". Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I been. saying, you know how you Oh, yeah. That's why you Yeah. Your why you know. how you just say that like this. You. just I mean, you know, and for a long.

time I felt like she deserved the. weather. She deserved the she deserved. all that but for the most part I was. treating her like a wife anyway. Yeah. It's uh you had a star study wedding. Kim and Kanye Lil Wayne Keith Switzbe. Gucci Mane Monica attended the at the. Versace wedding at the Versace mansion. in Miami. Is that what you had to Yeah. I'm trying to think Monica. came my mind. It was a blur. You don't. remember. You were just so focused on. making I'm trying to think that I don't. think Alicia or Swiss came, but.

everybody else came. All those other. names came. But it was nice, man. I had. a The thing about that wedding was. wasn't so much the celebrities that came. out. It was the people that I was able. to show. something like my uncle who I was. telling about who had all the necklaces. that's no longer here. He was there. U. Kesha Grandmama was there. Like it was. people that hadn't been to Miami Beach, hadn't been to Versace. I got the I I. got the mansion and the hotel next to. it. I rent the whole hotel for everybody. else. Yeah. So, it's just the situation.

that we this close, you know what I'm. saying? And it's unlimited food and. liquor. So, I I like to show people a. good time like in the space. I don't. know about you, but I like to show. people like, you know, I I love like I. like to show them a good time. Yeah. I. like to show them a good time. They'll. bring their ass back. I won't show them. a bad time. I show people a good time. and it just be like I had a good time. It might be a one-off thing like, man, you know, I had to put my mom on a jet. You know, I'm keep jumping on jets. Let. me put my mom on a jet. You know, it's. just certain things I like just want to. offer the people that I love. Right.

The kids aspect. You mentioned that you. were the only child raised by a single. parent. It almost seems. like you did the total opposite with. like you wanted to be you felt you. needed to be around for your kids that. what you went through your kids would. never experience what you went through. Absolutely. I had. to I had to sell drugs. I actually. started selling drugs at 12, but they.

were just nicks. But it was for my mom. and her boyfriend, right? And you know, it was almost like they. gave me a little something to keep, you. know, like it was $40, $50, but I never. have to even go through that with with. Halo or Heaven or Harmony. Like I don't. have to tell them that. Now, granted, when I'm trying to teach them a lesson, sometime I may have a flashback and tell. them, yo, um, I love you, right? Like. this is the reason like, you know what. I'm saying? I didn't have this. This. wasn't around. I had to learn the hard. way or whatever. But yeah, me me growing.

up with one not in the household. necessarily, not my father anyway, um it. it made me want to like be around and. also like you know I got the money so. but I just got to try to like offer. certain experiences too like they can. remember like certain trips or certain I. don't know games or whatever I do. I. mean you know you'll never get it 100%. right but I'm I'm I'm I'm trying. Damon Wayans told me the best thing his. dad did was come.

home. How do you balance How do you. balance change? Because you not having. having to do what you did but and it got. you to here to make sure you're like, "Okay, I want to give my kids enough but. not give them too much because you know. tough times create tough men. Tough men. create easy times. Easy times create. weak kids. Wow. We kids create hard. times. Cycle. How damn does Chain who didn't have a.

lot but you know your mother loved you. How do you impart instill and partake. the wisdom partake the wisdom that you. learn to make sure your kids appreciate. what you're doing but not take it for. granted? That's a good one. I'm might have to ask. AI that. because you know what what do we always. say change? I don't want my kids to go. through none of what I went through. But.

think about what it made you. I don't. Man, listen man. I literally and this is. an inside. joke with me and my wife. I literally. got a song that I play in my head to. take cold showers. Mhm. And it's like a joke like if like we go. somewhere in the water ain't just [ __ ]. be like it's ambitious of a ride about. Tupac. I play that in my head, but I get. in a shower, just take a a cold. Man, I've been wired to do some because like.

I ain't have no hot water. Or we had to. turn the water off from 6 to 6 and then. take the same little tea thing and turn. it back on. Or even stealing lights, stuff that I they would never know. about. Like it just it just wouldn't. even happen. You know what I'm saying? But like even still or borrowing lights, not even stealing them. going to your. neighbor getting an extension cord from. their house all the way to your house. and you see this big old cord going. through your big old orange two three. orange cords connected going to your. house like.

man it's just unbelievable that that I. you know it's just good to be on the. other side of that absolutely you know. what I'm saying you blew up at 35 what. do you what what do you tell people that. feel like it's too late for them because. a lot of time people don't feel like. they make it by 21 22 like oh it's over. for me but here you are had success. later. I mean, it's not it's not like. you 50, but I'm saying it's a lot of a. lot of people have success a little. early, especially in this game, but you. had success at 35. What do you tell. people that says, "Man, it's and just.

not in music, but in anything, because a. lot of times people don't feel like. they're successful early on, there's no. chance for them to be successful later. It may be too late, Paul, if that's if. that's what they believe." Okay. That's. their thought process, right? If that's. what they believe, right? Yeah. But if. you confident like me, you. might put out a number one record any. time like I'm trying to be upwards of a. 100 million for us all over. I'm nowhere. near content right with my space or. nothing I'm doing. So it's about the. person and I also feel that you.

know you know the person knows like let. me ask you this. Did you know you was. going to the NFL? Yeah. Every time I ask. somebody that's they and it's crazy that. it's like you didn't know. But but did. you It's something about Yeah. I didn't. have no plan. I didn't have no plan B. I. didn't have no plan C. That was it. Everything. I had a ton of vision. I. didn't see anything but see myself in. the NFL and getting my grandmother out. of that thousand square foot center. block home. That you just I'm telling.

you man. So people in positions like us, if it's like I would like to tell. somebody that that's like man like. having that little wonder, you will. know. Yeah. You you can't trick. yourself. You'll know. Yep. Now for me, I didn't know when, but but I just knew, bro, I could just change the climate of. a room. I knew my personality. I knew I. wasn't no lame. I knew I'm from Atlanta. I knew how to dress. I knew I was.

popping. I know I really hustled. I know. I really hooked. I know I really just. was well known. So I just it just was. just I was just waiting on the dots to. connect. Right. Let me ask you there. Basketball when you've growing up. obviously frame who who who who what are. some of the players that you like that. you like man I really like his game. I. kind of model my game after that. Um, my game I I'm. a tall guard. Well, not even anymore.

Like I'm probably a short I'm 6'5, right? So, right now, according to the. league, I might be a a short guard right. now, but when I was playing, I was like. labeled as a tall guard. I would like. watch more, you know, tall guard stuff, whether it was somebody like a Penny Pip. Pip Pennney was my number one player. I. got recruited by Memphis. Okay. Yeah. So, that was one of the places I thought. I was going to play to like live out.

his, you know, footsteps or that type of. stuff like that. But Penny was like my. number one player, man. I like I like. everything about about Penny. There been some great uh rappers that. that hoop. So I'm going to let Okay, you. got Cole, Drake P, Master P, Damon Gillard, who is. Gilly the Kid, Chris Brown, Quavo, Lil. Dirt, Game Nelly. Uh, I think Dave can.

play, too. Dave East can hoop. French. Montana can hoop. Uh, that's a lot of people that can. hoop, man. I I like that cuz I kind of. can tell you your child, you know what. I'm saying? By how you shoot. I can kind. of tell your childhood. And I like I. like I like that. I like that people was. outside playing ball. You know what I'm. saying? We was growing up or whatever. So yeah, man. I'm trying to figure out. how you and Little Baby lost to Quavo. and Jack Harlo. Quo and Jack. Oh, I know.

how we lost to them. Little Baby. No, I. just It just It just It wasn't a day. That wasn't a right. You supposed to. dominate that game by yourself. I should. have. I should have, but maybe next time. Give me your top. five basketball players of all time. Shane's top five. That don't have to be. the best, but who are your top five? Jordan, Kobe,

LeBron, I throw Shaq in though. Mhm. And if I want to win all the games, I'm. going to have to put Steph in. them. A nice little. list. That's a nice little list. You got. a few old. You didn't go too far back. I. see. I see. I've been living long. I can. do I can do the whole I can do errors. I. can do the Jordan era. I can do the Kobe. era and I can do the LeBron era. You. know, they always argue, but none, you.

know what I mean? So, I can really do. one from each era. But if I just had to. combine them, them three would. definitely be on the team. And then I. fill in the blanks. Who's your goat? Who's your basketball goat? Man, I just Man, I just love that Kobe. guy, man. Cuz you got a tattoo of Kobe. I don't got no Oh, yes. I got the number. 24. Yeah. How you be knowing every damn. thing? Yeah, I do, man. But I think. everybody went and got Mamba this, Mamba. that when he passed away cuz it was just.

so out the blue. And I had just saw him. New Year's. I just saw him bringing in. New Year's and uh I just shot him a DM. like Christmas day just DMing going back. and forth. I think uh Vanessa had just. had had a had the fourth girl. Okay. And. I was like, "Bro, I know you trying, but. bro, you just can't get no, you can't. just get little mamba." And he say, "Hey, these little mamba seed that I got. I got mine." He was talking about the. one that passed away with him. He said, "That's my that's my son." Yeah. Yeah. Cuz she was like that. Yeah. And um so.

so I met I met I met Jordan once or. twice. He he was really nice. He was. cool. I met Kobe many of times. We had. conversations about basketball and it. somewhere seemed like he might have. respected my IQ. Mhm. And then LeBron. and I are good friends. Real great. friends. Yeah. Cuz he LeBron was a on. your record, right? Yeah, man. Me and. him have have hung out. my kids has been. to his house and all of that. My our.

wives have has hung out before and all. that. So, yeah. So, help me understand. this because there's been a lot of. conversation. Bronnie getting drafted. They make it seem like Bronnie went top. five. He's the 55th pick in the draft. They only got they only got 60 spots. It. been So, you go the first two rounds, you only got first two rounds. So, he. went 55. There only five players that. were 56 57 596. So, only five players. went after him. They make it seem like. he top five. There's been a lot of. criticism about, oh man, he wouldn't.

even be in the league if it wasn't for. his daddy. Y you're forced to. fall. What's he supposed to do? I mean, if you're in position to help your kids. or ain't that what you should do, change, you know that you know that's. how you. know that it I'm going to show you what. nepotism look like when mine get. old. Show. you have you can't get there on Come. here, brother. Hey man, look out. I'll. be back. Right. Dropping him off now. I.

figure out. But it's just like that's he. did nothing wrong. And then actually. you're seeing a whole another side when. Bronny been playing uh in the G- League. and just the the the culmination of just. what this season doing. He just he just. he's a different player already. And. that's what happens. It's like when kids. play up, right? You know what I'm. saying? When kids play up, they get. better. They get better, man. You ain't. got no choice. You get stronger, you do. all type of stuff and you don't even. know your body can do this type of. stuff, man. It's just interesting.

That's how it was with me changing. My. brother's three years older and then my. next youngest my next youngest cousin is. five years and it went six years and. then it went seven years. So I'm playing. against guys three to five to six to. seven years older than me. Damn. I ain't. got no choice but to get better. Oh, it. get tough. And get to Oh yeah. Yeah. They knock your ass down. They didn't. care. You had to be tough playing. against them because they man and this. is what I know now from my son playing. ball. It's a difference between. seven 8 n and 10 year old like body.

difference like how they move uh. coordination you know footwork and. everything. So yeah you mentioned the. cybert truck earlier uh and people like. man I don't want no cybert truck Elon. Musk yada yada ya. You like, "Man, I. love my Cyber Truck, man. I just leave I. leave here on Friday night, man. I get. me a order of fries." Yeah. I get in my. truck. I put it. on. autonomous and I just let it take me.

home while I eat. [Laughter]. fries. And I tell. myself, "This ain't drinking and. driving, right? I ain't doing nothing, man. I'm eating. some fries. This is eating fries and and. that's it in the car. It's going to It's. going to hit it blinker. Yeah. It's. going to stop. It's going to do all. that. It's so small. It's.

like It's like me. It's like whoever run. Apple do something and then now they. like you gonna keep that Apple phone. like get off my line with. that. Get off my line with that. You. know what I'm saying? This is Yeah. Yeah. I'm keeping it. You crazy. Yeah. Yeah. I'm keeping it and driving it. And. so yeah. So, you know, with that being. said, I ain't here to sell no product. cuz I ain't get no money. I had to pay. for mine. But at the end of the day, it's it's one of my convenience. And we.

talked about convenience. It's it's it's. convenient for me. You got anything you. want to promote? You got anything you. want to sell? We talked about red clay. We talked about everything. Yeah. I got. some stuff for you. What you got? I got. some stuff for you before I go. Let me. do Let me give you Let me give you some. product for you before you get out of. here. We have We have had a All right. All right. First of all, this is some. Hall of Fame. Like I be seeing you now. Yeah. Cuz you don't like the cush. You. be you be like ish. Yeah. This this this.

is this is some Hall of Fame is right. here. Okay. This some Hall of Fame is. It looking good. They love they they. they they going crazy about the these. the Candyland Letterman jacket. That's. for you. That's for you, Shannon. Let me. take this. Yeah. That's That's the new. Hall of Fame. is spending on me. Yeah. Yeah. I love. it. Look at this. Yeah. Dollars float at Candyland. They float.

They be floating in there. Gravity. Oo, that's nice. I appreciate that. Thank. you, man. Temperature supposed to drop. later on. You might have to. And then. this right here. Oh, man. This right. here, this real merch, Candyland merch, a couple t-shirts, and I think we got a. bottle of Halo cologne in there. Halo. has sold 1,000 bottles of cologne. already called Halo by Halo. And you can. go to me and Halo.com to purchase it. But the man doing so good with the we we. having a few meetings about taking up.

another level really and yeah you just. I'm telling you man the man can sell I'm. talking about he got that from his daddy. huh wow that is true huh this the. cologne halo by halo yeah try see what. it smell like right there cuz see we. sell it in the club too we sell it here. at Candyland damn yeah the house mom and. the dancers and all that got some of. this stuff around Christmas great. grandma. gift seeing You think it's something? Yeah. Yeah. He ain't know. Okay. Yeah. See, that's a real See, I know. He.

thought Nuhuh. I thought he going to. have like some like smell like a little. kid stuff, right? The grownups around. here squirting that on them. Oo. Yeah. Try to get me a hit upside my head. Yeah. Yeah. I appre Hey, two chains. [Applause]. All my life been grinding all my life. Sacrifice hustle paid the price. Want a. slice, got to roll a dice. That's why. all my life I've been grinding all my. life. All my life been grinding all my.

life. Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price, want a slice, got to roll dice. That's. why all my life I' been grinding all my. life. [Music].