Shannon Sharpe At New York City Projects w/ Steve Stoute, FaceTimes Nas & Untold Kobe+LeBron Stories

I grabbed the. gun he said wait that's the guy that. makes Biggy Smalls. beats I was gonna say look out. wish he told the story how style came up. in here like he own the place man you. about to get aired. out it's different. [Music]. now you asked me how' you first meet n.

everyone wanted to work with him but no. one could find him my job was to find. him and I ran into these guys and it. didn't start off so. healthy so take him through the story. where were we this is the corner where. Nas took the picture of Il madic this is. the the same Corner that he's looking at. in a picture where his face is a little. kid and this is that corner we saw you. know I mean mad crack on this corner. this was a Legends every corner people. went to jail fought shot to death. robberies everything happened right here. where we walking now so Stout parked.

like right here and he got out the car. and it was like a walk you can walk. through the grass this gate wasn't here. n the gate gate wasn't there you no gate. being there but you can walk through. this grass or walk around since he cut. through the grass that meant he was. aggressive you know what I mean that. meant he might be coming to Rob us we. sitting on the benches now so you pulled. up like you do like you supposed to be. here he's pulling up like he [ __ ]. like he like he here this is a nice. neighborhood to pull up ask hey hey do.

you know where n n and [ __ ] bro how you. roll up in somebody else Hood you don't. know. nobody what you supposed to do. call who do you call and now he pulls. over now my heart start being I'm like. for real he's pulling over he must he. must want this [ __ ] so now I'm like yo. you know I sat down boom boom the gun is. down there you know what I mean I'm like. all right what is he going to do he got. out that car and cut through the grass I. grabbed the gun I said yo everybody look. out.

and whiz said no he said wait that's the. guy that makes Biggy Smalls beats he. made one more chance he's looking for n. he made one more chance for Biggy and I. said what you you went over there and. talked to him in the middle and you told. me to chill and if you wasn't there bro. you know what I mean it was been nuts. you know I mean pitch hi my name is. Steve Stout he said yo I'm just looking. for N I want to manage him he said I. don't want to see him with Mad Skills. and not making no money behind their.

skills he said I'm here to change that I. want to talk to N I. [Music]. said I was going to say look out. wiiz no I was going to definitely aend. you. though we appreciate we appreciate that. we app apprciate appreciate you one of. my best friends I ever had in my life I. love him so much we been through mad. [ __ ] this is Na's brother I don't know. if you picked up on all that oh real. talk that's his brother he I don't live.

out here no. more I'm rich too. [Applause]. see hell no [ __ ] I got to get. the [ __ ] out of. here but you know they love me forever. you know but you don't know some little. [ __ ] man you know when I was young I. was pressing anybody right it's. Christmas m [ __ ] it's December you.

don't know what this the hood you know. what I mean it's the project you can't. predict the projects but this is where. I'm from I lived I lived in that. building over there you know grew up out. here and everything but I'm gone now I'm. say I'm gone that's what up that's what. there you. go you already know my style outside you. know I'm out you know where we are you. know I'm outside. boys what's up dude what's up my brother.

how you doing I'm doing great man I'm. out here with your brother with people. from the bridge. bro. up I appreciate that I told Shannon. sharp where they used should tackle you. at over there where they was hurting. they was tackling you Mo Mo Ro and Mayo. was tackling you so hard over there man. [ __ ] was crazy man it made you cry man. he told the story how Stout up in here.

like he own the place man he about to. get aired. out yeah I heard about. that do that he had a lot of heart he. asked a lot of questions about us early. in the beginning and I really said a lot. of it stemmed from how we met just you. knew what I was you know my. determination and that determination led. to a friendship that's lasted 28. years absolutely man absolutely the the. brother always wanted.

like older. brother really really really talk to me. and got me on the um got me focused man. so always appreciate you Steve it's. amazing that y'all went out there I. can't believe I can't believe [ __ ]. Shannon CHP is right. here you're a real one for that. Shon Shannon is a real one right hey bro. the people they love they was hly when I. got out the TRU but hey man that's they. love you out here hell yeah so I'm good. yeah they so you one of them Super Bowls.

and [ __ ] out here appreciate that man. you may end up in a verse. Now My Sacrifice hustle P the price want. a slice got the roll of dice that's why. all my life I been grinding all my life. all my life running all my life. sacrifice hustle P the price want a. slice got the roll dce why all my life. been grinding all my. life.

bro man man we got you in Brooklyn man. thanks. [Music]. Bro. Look sh on the and the guys. our a lot of the w we had won that's. JZ yeah JayZ sneak we did those are the. fals original ice creams he did those.

it's mostly advertising Awards you got. the Billboards up there some billboard. yeah may we got look we got some. Hardware man you know we we we've done a. good job. [Music]. right this is where it really took off. for me Shannon right um you know I did. the Men In Black soundtrack right that. was great that was like a Will Smith. comeback album because music changed on. them wuang biggie Nas that came in and. sort of like happy rap right was kind of.

off to the sides and then because but. will was a movie star and we made men in. black and the song Went Crazy changed. his music career you got them back but. the thing about this that was nuts is. that the album sold 10 million but the. glasses sold more wow and we never got. paid from the glasses and the small. advertising agency that did the product. placement for the glasses I spent time. with them and literally over the next. three years I left the music business. and got into advertising that's how I. got into advertising cuz I'm like if you.

could if if the music could sell all. these glasses imagine what I could do if. I left the music business and focused on. the product and that's why I made the. Jay-Z sneaker and the forel sneaker and. the gunit sneakers I started trying to. make products because I thought that we. could use the music and that's where. that's kind of where we are today but I. was back on that super ear you doing you. was doing the collab before the collab. was cool it wasn't even a collab it was. we it was. more it was to me it was obvious man. like if you can move culture and you can.

move people why wouldn't you sell higher. margin items right like you could sell a. CD for $699 you could sell a sneaker for. $110 right you know what I'm saying you. could right Will Smith was selling those. glasses he didn't get paid from the. glasses either when Will Smith said I. make these look. good those glasses was. [Music]. gone he's a very Innovative businessman.

founder and CEO a music industry vet a. multi-talented marketing genius an. industry leader and entrepreneur. award-winning record producer and. advertising exact artist manager New. York Times bestselling author you were. inducted into the advertising Hall of. Fame achievement recognizes ad color. Awards innovator of the Year named. executive of the Year by ad age has one. of the fastest growing companies most. creative people in business a guru Game. Changer icon Trailblazer Visionary known. as the commission. he has the Golden Touch Steve stop I.

love that intro I love that intro did I. leave out anything cuz man my. researchers are not mad that was good n. you're good you're good man I I feel. like yeah I was thinking could he add a. little bit more to that but n i I mean. we could add a little bit more season. but we we don't want to overseason no it. was season perfect okay I appreciate. that I don't know how many people know. this but Kobe lived with you for 6 weeks. how old was he when he lived with you. how old was he he was going into his.

second year so he's about 18 yeah. yeah and you said is it true that you. signed Kobe to a recording contract uh. yeah I signed Kobe to a recording. contract so to do what the math went. just like this I hear Let me this. one when Will Smith Made Men In Black. and sold all these records M the music. business had changed where it was like. you know it was again Nas wuang and and.

and and Biggie and sort of mob deep it. was that kind of you know much darker. sound yes right compared to what he was. doing right he was bright as bright can. get right you talking about will I'm. talking about will talk about will right. now yes okay so I'm like if this guy and. he wrapped over a sample and it became. super popping successful I'm like if we. can do that just maybe but hold on Shaq. just did it Shaq sold millions of. Records man correct people no he really. did it is not a fake thing right Shaq.

had a successful recording music. career and I'm like if Shaq can do it. Will Smith did it big sha just did. it this kid Kobe people will love this. guy mean he went to the prom with Brandy. there was a lot of energy around him and. he actually had a rap group he when I. signed him he was in a group mean you. know Kobe God bless he went he went solo. soon after. yeah say.

yeah he was in the group though he was. in the group and um he put in the work. he came to my house he lived at my house. for six weeks I lived in New Jersey um a. very dear friend of mine uh Charles. Oakley came out used to come out the. jersey and hang out with him worked out. with him a few times and Kobe us to you. know we in the morning get up I got him. to go to this local gym he would shoot a. thousand. shots um then he would he had these. tapes um it was Michael Jordan going.

left Michael Jordan going right so it. was just the tapes were split of Jordan. moving left Jordan moving right Jordan. guarding people going left Jordan. guarding people going right and he'd. watch it for hours and then we would go. to the studio and record that was his. routine uh every single day I learned a. lot of discipline um the discipline uh. from a young man I thought I was you. know I thought I was pretty disciplined. and doing my thing and I seen another.

level of it uh with him very very. special talent I could I could talk. about him for for hours because um. during that period of time when I got to. know. him he wasn't really into having a lot. of friends a lot of people never got a. chance to get deep in in in get a chance. to get close to him because he was he. was closed off like that and um for. years man I we we would we would we'. speak all the time I mean we became very. very close friends. um so obviously it was unfortunate I.

took him to Rucka Park he played in. Rucka Park man and uh he wanted to play. cuz all these guys go out to all these. NBA guys go to Rucker Park it's like you. know we got to play in the Rucker it's. like a rout of Passage yeah and we go. out. there um and I gave him to my man I. didn't have a team I Irv Gotti grew up. in my neighborhood I let him play for. ir's Murder Inc team at the time and he. goes out there and all the guys are. there and he starts putting on the a. show Shannon a show he loved.

it it starts to. drizzle I'm like we got to close this. game down I mean I'm not letting him. play but he's not going to let the game. he's not going to want to be the one to. call it so that he starts telling the. basketball team how to play on wet. surfaces wow pick I'm like we're not. doing any of this cuz I already know. this man gets hurt on watch it's on my. watch uh so we shut it down but uh yeah. he put I he scored 30 points in you know.

12 minutes or some crazy number and [ __ ]. like that um so could you tell because. you said he's so disciplined he's. watching Jordan go left watching Jordan. go right Jordan's Garden left Jordan's. Garden right and he's back in the studio. recording did you knew did you know then. with the level of discipline that an. 18yar old kid had that he was going to. be what he became Oakley told me Charles. told me Charles Charles told me. immediately the similarities between him. and Jordan. as a with work ethic he he knew it.

immediately like he came in talking that. I didn't know what the [ __ ] he was. talking about I'm like whatever he said. that but the other thing he did was he. asked me um and I had this guy who. worked for me uh at the time he's. actually now his name is Anton marshan. he's actually uh recruits for the. Cleveland Cavaliers he worked for me in. the music business at the time Kobe was. going to guard Allan Iverson that year. and he was very much respectful of. Iverson's speed and all that and he said.

go get he wanted to get young guards. from New York that could you know do. they thing cross over and all that we. got him went to this indoor gym he lined. 10 of them up they came in from the. three-point line he stood at the foul. line and they would come in like an. assembly line and he would guard them. try to strip them take them to the hole. and then run back to the line before the. next guy came he ran that he never got. on offense he ran that like a like an. assembly line wow he was just guard he. was guarden guys 6 foot fast as [ __ ].

they get past him steal from him block. it you know uh rub their [ __ ] against. the backboard come back guard the next. guy he was doing this over I couldn't. believe that he was doing this no. offense no nothing and it was like this. level of discipline and in a like and in. a a tough. guy tough like just a strong disciplined. tough principle Driven Man we are when. night um to this bar and back then.

Street guys would buy all of the. crystyle yeah right but let me tell you. something they're buying a crystyle. because what they want is assuming not. cuz they are drinking all of it if. somebody comes in they want to and you. order cstyle you got to check in you got. to check in so I ordered a. cisy he's not even drinking Kobe's not. drinking at all back then he was not. drinking alcohol at that time. guy says I have to check.

in there's a guy down at the bar. whatever I'm like I don't feel like. doing it he's like man [ __ ] this just. thing so I got the. crystyle no I didn't get the crystyle I. didn't want to do it I'm like I'm not. [ __ ] this I'm not doing this we go out. to a d Diner like 2 3 in the. morning and the same guy Street guy. won't say his name is sitting there and. Cole is making jokes about his outfit. and he's being a little.

loud I'm like yeah you got to chill with. that bro yeah he's not chilling with. that. bro he's. loud the guy send somebody over yo buah. I want to talk to you I go. outside I'm like yo the young kid he got. the gun out he's like yo he got the gun. out y I'm like yo he's he's a young man. D I'm trying to tell him that's how no. one he didn't even know who he was all.

right so he didn't even know what Kobe. Bryant is I'm like he's a my young man. thing he's cool whatever whatever Kobe. comes outside sees the gun I'm like go. go back in he goes I'm not going. nowhere he did this on 23rd and 9th. Avenue he did that so what the old boy. at 18 the whole thing I it it died when. he said he ain't going nowhere I'm like. yo he's just thing he don't know who you. are I was already it was already the guy. felt embarrassed it wasn't like it.

wasn't crazy the guy felt embarrassed he. really wanted an apology for the. embarrassment That was cuz it was loud. right and I was giving him that it's. cool man it's fine he didn't mean no. disrespect he doesn't even know who you. are man he's not even from here. right when he hit the thing out when he. said I ain't going. nowhere I'm like what kind of person is. this I'm giving you the out right this. is not your problem I'll deal with this. problem right he don't want that this is. our problem wow man I never told that.

story. man so what I mean so you knowing that a. kid is so disciplined know that he's. standing as they say now in. business what what did he teach. you you can run through walls man you. believe it you could do. anything there's nothing you can't do. that you that if you believe in it. that's what he taught me he never. did he speak about the basketball aspect.

I understand he was there to do music. but he did he talk to you about what he. wanted to become in the oh hell yeah man. he had no he manifested all of it but he. really did the work he he. knew that if you did all the work that. ultimately it was going to happen he. didn't even think about it he all his. whole thing was that everybody who has a. talent always Tapped Out in doing the. work I asked him one time we were at a.

we were at a um a. restaurant and we're sitting there. talking and I I just and I always wanted. to ask this question dude what do you. think about athletes that come from I. ask you this man athletes that come from. two parent households versus athletes. that come from single parent households. so you got these guys who come from. single parent households they're in the. football field and they anger and the. [ __ ] that they I'm doing this for my. mother I ain't got no father whatever. the circumstances are they bring in all. that energy on the basketball court on.

the football field and they play with. that level of Rage yeah and he goes I. said how do you feel about them versus. he goes you know those guys are. intimidating and they play with that. rage and it works until they run into. the real. thing Michael Jordan me Magic Johnson. they run into that and we got the same. level of work ethic and rage. but we have we come from a solid.

foundation and that solid foundation. that's the that's the thing that those. guys can't beat he said that to me I was. like all right wow you also knew LeBron. at a very young age I mean LeBron was. what like 15 16 when you made I know I. met LeBron when he was 17 I pitched. LeBron I the the the the whole story. about LeBron and the $10 million check. that he turned down I was there I'm it. was my idea to give him the check. I was in the room to give him the check.

a kid with a single mom I couldn't. believe it living in an apartment yeah. and you got a $10 million checko Paul. fan so I tell Paul fan I'm like we leave. we're in New York for meetings we're. flying up to uh Massachusetts to meet. LeBron he's flying the plane yeah from. akan it's like a 6 o'cl 5:30 meeting he. I had to finish school come to. me boom I'm like Paul he goes Adidas is. going to do the deal Nike's going to do. the deal he wants to go to Nike his.

agent is already pre-approved a deal. with Nike I'm like let me tell you how. you deal with this in the record. business when you want to sign somebody. you give them the money right there in. the front like you know what whatever. you think the number is we'll give you. this signing bonus right now tonight. even take the other meetings cuz I. figure if you're meeting me you're. really considering it right I'm going. give you a signing bonus to make on top. of what you think you should get so that. there's no reason for you to take the. other meetings $10 million is a number.

he calls his wife this is when I seen. some early some balling [ __ ] he calls. his wife when we land on the FBO there's. a $10 million personal check waiting at. the thing because we're going right to. the office I'm leading the pitch to. LeBron and and and Maverick and aent at. the time I can't remember this guy's. name Gordon I'm sorry Aaron. Gordon doing the pitch doing the whole. thing and we get to the thing to the. final stage and Paul's going to going to. present him the.

check Paul presents him the check I. remember staring at his. face this is huge we're GNA sign LeBron. James we leave the room we come back. when he leaves the. check and says he's going to take the. other. meetings I. clapped I knew the world. changed a young black man 18 years old. walked away from $10 million was going. back to the projects I.

clapped I clapped and it was my idea. that didn't. work it meant so. much not that the rebok was wrong or the. check was wrong but the the freedom and. confidence and belief in yourself to do. that this is a new generation of. individuals this is a new generation of. thought that's coming from. African-Americans that's all I thought. about and I was so proud of us at that. moment wow and you pretty much been in.

his life because you did the Beats By. Dre commercial with him you did it with. with man man LeBron and I like this man. me Lebron Maverick Rich they I could. tell you everything mean Ramos those. these are my brothers right these are my. brothers Maverick worked with me you. know since he. was 6 months before that Maverick was. with me you know staying at my crib. working out my office you know me.

mentoring him giving him you know the. tips showing them the business whatever. like those are my brothers right it's. like that I've been in every iteration. of that camp from the before the. decision to this to every single thing. love those guys love LeBron and and how. you feel about him is you know I just. tell you right now forget the arguing of. the who's the best basketball player of. all time there's not even a question. he's the best athlete of any sport of. all time but forget whether he's the.

best basketball player or not he's the. best professional athlete in any sport. I've ever heard of seen. of nobody's even close you did Alan. iris's first commercial it wasn't his. first commercial was the only one he. showed up. to well Chuck I love you Chuck the bad. did say practice not a game but practice. so the likelihood you get for a. commercial was going to be tough he.

showed him to the. commercial um and it was a very special. thing that will you know the commercial. with him and jiss man it played on radio. like a song The it became a song it was. Alan Ivon bouncing a ball creating a. beat that J kiss rap to right um and. when I did that Hype Williams who's a. great uh music director uh at the time. he shot a lot of music videos he. dominated shooting music videos shot.

that no one thought he could shoot. commercials at the time why I I have. still have no idea why that was even a. thought and we shot that commercial and. it was you know part of the the package. of tooking about rebranding we had to. rebok was skips me me very Qui you know. what skips are and people I don't wear. those are those are skips yeah you don't. want to wear those right right you skip. those and find something else you skip. something find something else those are. rebok we to Rebrand.

that part of it was um this changing the. lettuce to rbk yeah um Jay-Z obviously. and 50 Cent and all of that stuff and. then it was Ai and J to kiss so we we. did work around Ai and J toiss we did. another spot with um Stevie Francis and. Scarface at the time uh very that wasn't. as successful but we were doing this. thing to fuse music and Sport together. cuz my whole thing was like every rapper. wanted to be a basketball player and.

basketball player wanted to be a rapper. and um that was that's less true than it. was back then uh today but because of. that I wanted to create marketing and. advertising around that fusion and that. was the way we rebranded rebok right how. were you able to convince Jay-Z uh to. create a sneaker with a with. Reebok it wasn't really hard to convince. him Nike at the time didn't believe in. music as perform the Nike was very um.

disciplined to its Manifesto about. athletes and performance they wouldn't. mess around with anybody else so an. artist the most you can get from Nike. was some free sneakers right they. wouldn't do business with you there was. no commercial opportunity and Jay-Z knew. like the great ones do that he was. moving the culture okay so when he told. everybody we wearing button-up shirts. we're going to change clothes that was. happening. if he did a pair of sneakers with Reebok.

forget. Reebok's uh whatever they were if he. puts his name next to it they gonna buy. his sneakers right and he didn't have. any self-doubt. that forget Nike I could do this with. them and by the way while he was wearing. his sneakers and selling his sneakers. sometimes he'd wear Nike too and he's. like people ain't going to believe me. all I did was wear my. sneakers I got to show them that I.

choose to wear my sneakers like I choose. to wear those it's an option but like. this whole idea Like Only We your. sneakers he knew that would that that. looks fake cuz that wouldn't be real. right what's real is I do like these I. also do like those but it's creating an. option right which put that put Reebok. in the conversation um so it didn't. really take much convincing the. convincing was you know getting a deal. done not if Reebok was the right and he. wasn't an ambassador he was a partner.

Jay-Z is not the ambassador of anything. except. himself he was a partner he was a 5050. partner how do that's the thing because. a lot of times these Brands will throw a. large sum of money and a and an athlete. or an Entertainer would take that it's. like okay fine but how do you convince. them like take less of this and become. part sh or Equity.

stake Jay-Z understood that from the. beginning cuz he was an independent. artist okay so when Jay-Z was selling. music at the back of a. trunk the back of a. trunk which Master P did which Birdman. and Cash Money did Luke Skywalker did. there's some great entrepreneurs who. sold like literally hand toand combat. with Distributing music what they knew. was whether they got there because they. tried to get a record deal and then they.

got turned down so then they had to just. do that they learned the margin was. there they actually that was the first. time you got a chance to look under the. hood and realize wait a minute this. thing that cost me you know a dollar to. make that I could sell for $16 all that. money right there that's mine if I got a. record deal I'd be getting a small. fraction of that once they learned once. you learn that once you see that you. can't see that right so betting on.

yourself becomes the right thing to do. because that's where the margin is when. I started United. Masters the whole point of building this. company a music company was that I felt. like artists should be independent they. should keep a Lon share of the money. they shouldn't give away their name and. likeness because of a of a they got. money when they was 18 years old or. their first record deal in order for. that deal to be a good idea the record. company has to have a belief more belief.

in you than you have in. yourself right because they're basically. saying I'm giving you a half a million. dollars and you're going to give me your. name and likeness for the next 10 years. or whatever the term. is you even get a chance to find out. what it's worth on your own right being. independent there was a period of time. where it was hard to be independent when. those guys did it not everybody was. built for that but today while music is. being distributed between Apple and.

Spotify and you have a platform like. United Masters that you can go through. and put your music out and get it. distributed everywhere why would you not. do that versus going to get a record. deal getting some money but sacrificing. giving away all of the upside for a. short-term check it just don't make no. sense but Steve is it is it a case of. I've always wanted a record deal I. always wanted to work with a a record. company yeah it is that by the way two. chains had the same argument me years. ago he goes you don't understand I'm.

like that's the. Dream well the fact of the matter is. part of the dream is to get paid that is. not how you get paid that's you're not. going to get paid that. way. secondly this is. not 20 years ago where you have to take. CDs and get them in all these points of. distribution and print up a bunch of CDs. so your your cost outlay was so hard was. so expensive because you had to make the. song and make 10,000 20,000 of these.

things you were out a lot of money. before you found out if it worked you. can find out if it worked for $50 right. right now you know for for nothing. essentially nothing the course the. recording has gone down you can sign up. to a platform like I was for $60 put all. the music out you want and you find out. if you have a hit at least do that to. find out if you want to make that. decision and then you have leverage when. you make make that decision later man. maybe I will get a record deal but you.

already got a hit so now they can't sit. and tell you well we're betting on you. no no no you know I got to hit right I. already bet on me I already bet on. me so come correct you see you mentioned. that Jay-Z when he partnered with Reebok. and we see uh Travis Scott now with Nike. I think M had something with Nike you. see uh Jack haros with New Balance uh 50. was gunit had something with rebot. now you see the culture as you spoke.

about and you believe the influence that. it had with Brands you see a lot more of. that you I started no no I started that. that's what I'm saying you the go no no. no no no started that everybody knows. that that's you that's me that's. called Corporate. America I'm me introduce you to this. thing called hip-hop okay and the music. and the culture and everything that it. represents can help you that's what I. did um and everywhere I go around the.

world anyone who knows me knows I did. that I feel great about that right I. only it. not I still do. believe that we should be way more. protective of who we give that to right. uh because you don't want to give it to. people again that's not your partner. who's going to invest in it to further. it versus see what they can take from it. right just for short-term game you don't. want to give it away for that um I don't.

think it's worth it how do you determine. whether or not to take a salary a large. salary or take a smaller salary with. equity and something how do you how do. you determine that how does Steve Stout. determine. that so I'm in the music business yes I. went through something yeah okay if you. don't mind me telling you the story I. would love to hear. it I'm working at the record company I'm. at in escope I went from Sony I went to. oscope my salary is $2.5 million a year.

I'm 27 years old I'm doing well by. anybody's standards better than well. yeah right um making money more money. than football players back then in so 97. yeah okay for. sure this opportunity comes along where. I. see you know Men In Black happens the. agency that put uh the glasses in. product for for Will Smith oops sorry. that's you the agency that did that I.

wanted to work with them cuz I'm I've. never met an agency before I'm like damn. You Will Smith wore these glasses the. glasses went crazy and everybody thinks. that was an accident I could do that. [ __ ] every single day I know exactly who. the people are that should be touching. these products in order to create you. know an opportunity to sell more of that. product I spent time with that agency. the guy made me an. offer I'll I'll give you 25% of the. agency and $150,000 salary if you come.

here so I'mma leave the record. business $2 and5. million all of the perk that come along. with that come with it who you are the. rooms you walk in everything that comes. with that to go work in an agency where. I don't know anybody I really don't even. know the business I just know that one. aspect of the business and I'm like if I. don't make that bet on myself now when. I'm 28 years old 29 years old when would.

I ever do it when I have a family when I. have kids I'll never make that bet right. I made that bet we sold that agency. within two years for $190. million w i was Rich As [ __ ] at the. 31 yeah I was 31 years old wow doing it. at an extremely high. level I'll tell everybody that when I. built this company United masses the. employees get equity in the company I. want people to get Equity I want people.

to to make more money but you can't. teach people sacrifice that's. unfortunate yeah you just can't teach it. that's what then you got to be willing. to give that's some you got to be. willing to do. that I will offer that but if you're. going to sit there and think short. term then you're really betting against. yourself you got to be willing to bet on. yourself you can't think that you're. getting away with something because. somebody overpaid you you got to believe. that you are worth more than that salary.

and that you can prove that and if you. are worth more than that salary why. wouldn't you have. Equity whether I mean I just think that. it's time over. time the whole working class idea how. you work has shifted from the indented. servant the slave the employee to. ownership you got to have ownership I. mean this is your show and I'm proud to. do this with you because everybody.

publicly seen what you did that you knew. your worth you created value and you. knew your worth and you got what you. deserved because you got what you earned. cor and if you don't have an opportunity. to have ownership then no matter how. good you are you'll never feel the. impact of your. value right so like you got to do that. and you're going to take a shortterm l. to do that so what right could you I. don't want to be one of these people I.

never wanted to be one of these people. who said man I came up with this idea I. invented this I did all this [ __ ] but. you never got a chance to benefit from. it because you took the shortterm. money that's not cool and you see it all. the time but your a lot of your pars I'm. sure you you want to tell them all the. time man I don't know what you could do. to help them but a lot of these guys are. they they are trapped by that m. mentality of shortterm they feel like. they're stealing or something like they.

like every time they get a check they're. getting away with something no you're. giving away too much. right well it comes down to how do you. see yourself do you see yourself as. Talent or do you see yourself as a. partner or do you see yourself as an. owner for so long we've been we've been. talented taught to believe that yeah. because you come into football they cut. you a check you're not part of you don't. own part of the team you come to. basketball but in this media space. what we've been able to do. digitally okay no hell no but you know.

what even outside of the digital and I. ask you something man I watch your ex. partner not your partner your ex host. skip I don't even understand why all. these other black athletes even go on. the show now I I don't even understand. what they're doing it to me it's so. clear that he needs block Talent. athletes rappers he's doing everything. to prop himself up and I know he's.

getting paid over there and everybody. else is getting Pennies on the dollar. I'm like why would you do that why would. you go over there and do. that he clearly isn't the guy he needs. you why don't everybody leave the show. and watch let's watch him do it for for. a minute that show would be dead. immediately they get all these guys over. there they give him Pennies on the. dollar and he and they prop him up I'm. like. we got to stop doing that man we can't. do that no more it's not it's not worth.

it and there's nothing that comes out of. it. longterm except what they benefit from. well I like where I am right now so get. in on the action with draftking. Sportsbook an official sports betting. partner of the NBA new customers who. deposit $5 or more can get no sweat bet. up to $1,000 back in bonus bets download. the draftking Sportsbook app now and use. code Shannon new customers can get a no. sweat b bet up to $1,000 if your first. bet loses only on draftking sports book.

with code Shannon the crown is yours. never found my place in the crowd so I. stay for the crowd they laugh at me then. but look at they faces right now jig. gave me the blueprint I've been chasing. it out. never this is literally The Greatest. Albums that came out in 1988 like EPMD. Follow the Leader and by any means. necessary kid play Run DMC salt and. pepper yeah easy Ro easy Ghetto Boys.

yeah this all came out ultr magnetics. the great Advent Slick Rick Big Daddy. Kane this all came out this is literally. one year where a lot of these artists. worn independent labels so they had. creative freedom and made some of the. best music that defined an era Public. Enemy it takes it takes a nation of. millions NWA was this I even said to Dre. Dr Dre I'm like you made Straight Out of. Compton and you made the easy easy does. it the same year man you made two crazy. beautiful Classics slick one year yeah.

salt and pepper and that's that's where. I grew up at I grew up in uh in Queens. this is like in my neighborhood man this. is where I grew up so I just look at. this this is reminds me of being 15. years old just watching this like they. they literally lived here while they. were stars wow so like you go to the. mall and you would see them and LJ like. in the mall wow. at block parties L ja seen that do block. parties in Queens then what happened why.

can't stars now still do that you can't. even go back to the same neighborhood. you go up in you should be a. representation they should man this guy. lived here in this very neighborhood and. he got out we can look what happened to. nipy man yeah he went back in his own. neighborhood you know going back to your. head there's a bit of jealousy people I. don't know man back then there was no. choice I mean the artists were getting. big and they were getting famous but the. art form hadn't gotten to the point. where they got really rich right so.

people seen them it was like oh [ __ ]. that's whatever but when the money. started to get in play everything. changed yeah everything. changed we headed over to your B we. headed over to Queens where it all. started from you yeah is Queens the most. overlooked hip-hop bur well we're. leaving Brooklyn right which gets lot. more hype because of Jay-Z and Biggie. and queens definitely gets overlooked.

yeah you got LL You Got Run DMC keep. going you got 50 yeah you got Nikki yeah. you got tribe cor Quest yeah you got Nas. for sure you got mob deep they always. forget about mean J Ru yeah Russell. Simmons yeah IR Gotti uh myself you know. you it gets overlooked for some strange. reason I don't know why where I grew up. at within like a 10 m radius was where.

all these people were from I used to go. to the mall and see LJ battling like in. a in a mall or or go to a block party. and see him you know that cuz those were. the venues where guys would get off the. the art form was so small right it's. like the equivalent of guys playing with. leather helmets this is the beginning so. everybody's doing all kinds of they just. trying to move it from point A to point. B and plus Eddie came to America and. landed in. Queen that's so. I can't even believe he did that on. Queens. Boulevard Zamunda he came right from.

Zamunda so why do you think Queens. doesn't get the credit or has the. popularity say like a Brooklyn when it. comes to Hip Hop because of the um. houses backyards grass yeah you know. Queens is associated with middle class. right you know with Brooklyn and the. Bronx it's more. like as that New York Vibe real the New. York Vibe so Queens gets treated like. you know and meanwhile it's not true but.

that's just the that's probably been the. energy associated with it um but. everybody knows Queens get the money so. I can tell you that I mean KRS and. Boogie Down Productions Molly Maul the. bridge bridge I mean hold on tell about. Molly Maul produced in Queensbridge yeah. okay Molly mul is from Queensbridge yeah. um obviously Caris one is from the Bronx. um but that beef between queens and the.

Bronx the Bronx won that. beef they won that be I mean krs1. was KRS was I I just said it man I mean. I know but I just. said you don't have to bring it. up they beat y'all. down oh [ __ ] that's. funny.

as far as you can go back who were the. first rappers to have beef well the LL. and K mod D cuz that was the first. that's the first one I could I could. think LL kind of embraced the whole beef. thing I'm trying to think who before LL. who had beef that was blatant they was. like um kumod D was actually a a battle. rapper it was a um there was a mixtape. early was not if you really know hip-hop. that was like Kumo D and bzy B and that.

was like a very very famous tape that if. you heard that tape you heard them. battle right and that was like for me I. must have been 14 that was like oh [ __ ]. that was the battle in. MC's so when L CJ and Kumo battled it. was like oh [ __ ] oh you ready for that. smoke this guy Kumo was a made man. already From The Underground scene he he. got famous with um ww west and all that. yes yes but he was already like a made.

man before that okay we getting busy MH. when they. battled I couldn't believe LL came out. on. top because Kumo was like that dude and. then LL took him down and then l l took. down L made a song call to the break it. da and took out he took out IC tea and. Kumo. and Hammer he did all three of them one. was on he gave each of them a.

verse yeah that was like he was really. into that he's always into that right by. the way that's one of his issues he he. only that's the only mode he knows right. like when he R A lot it was like I'm. going girls mode or I'm. going this mode I'm this mode we rapping. and we going after it we did a song with. uh we had this kid idolized him uh I F. cannabis yeah and yeah can and and Al.

just [ __ ] on the kid for no reason. man he's L is crazy man can when he when. he was when L was rapping like all way. he still raps but when L was in that a. younger guy rapping like that we put. Foxy Brown on a record he puts on on I. Shota remix and then he puts on the. record female rappers too I don't give a. [ __ ] Boo this girl is 17 man. this girl 17 on the record why are you.

saying you get take out female rappers. too I don't give a [ __ ] he's like a guy. man who's like it's either. war or we talking about girls right but. it's in between [ __ ] is not what I do. why you the best guy to interviewing. music people right now that [ __ ] is run. with that man yo run there is nobody. there's. nobody nobody I'm a sports guy but I. wanted to Branch out I wanted to show my. versatility but I was just more than a. sports guy the [ __ ] baby interview.

the cord interview even the Damon Dash. interview as [ __ ] up as that was he's. a gigantic almost almost not he blew it. he had Jay-Z he had the most important. artist of a generation so what happened. with that relationship how did that. relationship that was so good sour so. fast Dame antics. would just it became like people Al over. time you mature it's like you didn't.

have friends at 16 but by the time you. turned 19 they were still doing the same. [ __ ] that you was 16 and you're like I I. can't I got yeah we got to you know you. start spending less and less time with. them because of it it's like one of. those things where. Dame Dame wouldn't change the way he. spoke to people the way he treated. people. his he was angry about what bro you.

getting paper no he was angry because he. had a strong perspective. about his business philosophy and if. anytime a partner of theirs tried to. like go around him or um meanwhile. people weren't going around him the. people around him wanted to meet with. other people right they they people. wanted were becoming less Holden to him. but he was unaware of it then he would. like you know while he was building.

businesses which partly he was he would. go off all around the world with cameras. and girls and all kinds of crazy [ __ ]. and then come back flipping out on. everybody as if you know they were wrong. yeah or or like why' you guys do all. this [ __ ] without me like bro you didn't. build a business that was so. operationally tight that you could just. go away and come back and [ __ ] be the. same all that [ __ ] it wasn't even like. that Jay grew. up you know Jay wanted more I think Jay.

seen Dame's ceiling I mean I think. that's really what it was I mean uh Jay. seen Dame ceiling you can't f a man from. wanting to get better yeah he wanted to. he wanted more and um everybody wanted. more I Dame just had a very particular. way of approaching that he wasn't he's. far from stupid right very very very. smart right uh very. talented ego through the roof through.

the roof so you there was no working. with him right that no one wanted to. work with him there was no work as much. talented Talent as he has nobody want. work got to want to work with Jimmy iven. had this line when the [ __ ] gets bigger. than the cat you got to get rid of the. cat. right how did the beef start between 50. and Jau I a good question well I know. you know the answer yeah um I think 50.

knew that J. was not who he was portraying as an. image um. Jah you know Jehovah Witness Jehovah. Witness not supposed to rap I'm not. saying they not supposed to rap but like. J was coming out with this gangster. image and he was like that's a stretch. for you. right and I think 50 that was one thing. and then they had some like very. neighborhood beef and I. remember when we signed 50 there was.

something going on I think he snatched. Jos chain or somebody snatched. somebody's it was one of these things. and they had a fight in. Atlanta 54 them in. Atlanta and it was just like I didn't. even understood it I'm like why do you. keep having problems with this guy it. was like always it was like he was. looking for problems with him to be. honest with you but it I think it was. driven. by this idea that he this image he was. portraying that he didn't think was was. authentic or whatever and then he had a.

problem with him and it led to you know. big issues and then jaah and his guys. ran up on 50 in a studio one day right. and you know they touched him up. um so they ain't going to never be cool. no they're never going to be cool and. now it's kind of I'm happy that it's all. kind of over with because it's what I. don't like at this point is older. Statesmen yeah like them still beefing. still because it makes the art form look.

bad right you know these guys are are. made men now you know like I I love what. fat Joe's Persona is today and I love um. obviously what Jay represents and and. what Nas represents and you know the art. form the leaders of the art form you. know doing well you know being positive. representing sort of as not Role Models. but representing the movement and the. culture of hip-hop well right for guys. still to be beefing and still. associating that and dragging that back.

in not on the older Statesman level the. younger guys should be doing that that's. cool but like the older guys man you you. in your 40s bro I mean why are you what. are you talking about you got kids at. home you got why if you got we already. know this is not what it is so why are. you doing that I don't like that but. look it's also none of my business um. but I do always feel like like hip-hop. the business of hip-hop culture is. something that um I carry with me so I. do have an opinion on it where where.

some people would say Steve it's not. your business keep doing your thing do. you remember when uh 50 crashed the. stage with ho did in TI yeah. um 50 is a wild boy man he he's a wild. man he don't mind beefing with anybody. he he doesn't mind beefing with anybody. he likes that thing he he he loves it in. fact I think he wants he the attention. from it he understand what that brings. the best thing to do is to ignore him.

okay if you ignore him then it's over. with because he really is doing it for. the attention the attention of it um and. by the way that's fine it's a great. business tactic right you know because. it does bring a lot of attention I just. think there's a but like for him now I. mean this guyy is such a successful. producer I don't think he he needs to do. any of that he's a businessman I don't. think he needs to he needs to do that. and he's talented man if the people like. like power and those shows the the BMF.

shows I'm going to tell you something. right now and this is what you hear. first if that guy with his real talent. is. comedy oh yeah when he takes what he. does in production and apply that to. Comedy it's over with it he's that. talented wow that that's his thing. comedy. was. [Music]. days. only.

many this is my this is my high school. man there's a story. here that I I've never said on camera. I've told my daughter the story I'mma. tell it to you cuz it changed my life. and I want people to understand it wow. when I first came I didn't try for the. football team till I was a junior we. doing two. days and this [ __ ] is killing me like. it's killing me okay like I'm getting.

beat the [ __ ] down and this is a moment. that changed my. life I come off that field I got my. t-shirt on it's probably day. four I can't do this [ __ ] no. more I walk. out I walk right up this way we walking. right now I'mma. quit I can't do this no. more I didn't think it meant anything. thing to. me I want to play football I I I I can't. do what they asking me to do [ __ ] is too.

much that's what I thought so I came out. I walk this way and I stand up here at. this bus stop while I'm there one of the. coaches sees me coach comes by looks at. me and. says aren't you on the football team man. what you. doing I looked at him like no man. I I'm not no I didn't say I quit I said. I said I'm not on the football team I.

don't know what you talking about. Meanwhile my name is on the back of the. Jersey so he walks off he knew I was he. KN he knew I was. lying what I did. was I left and I had to accept the fact. that I I quit. right I came back that year as a senior. I did everything I was supposed to. do and made the team and the last half.

of the season I started at running. back the fact that I went back to finish. that job that I started and they never. let this football team ho. across that's like the Premier Football. in within an hour in this in this thing. right that that and to come back as a. senior and do that was the first time I. did something I was successful at where. I was like man I quit but I couldn't. live with that in my heart and I had to. come back and do that and that [ __ ]. changed my life man I told my daughter.

that story. because everything that I did from. getting into the advertising business. right getting into the music business. there was no clear path there was no. path for none of it right it was very. easy to just say. yo. quit but you didn't I didn't quit I. didn't quit time I did quit I went back. and fixed it so I could erase it and it. became the greatest lesson of my life.

had you not gone back would you be the. Steve sty stand right here I swear to. God no way no way if I got away with. quitting cuz you quit once it's easy to. do once you quit once it's easy to. [Applause]. do is that one of your greatest lessons. yeah that is the greatest lesson I've. never seen anyone fail who didn't. quit. yeah yeah yeah oh yeah were you cool.

with Jay-Z and Nas when they had their. beef yeah so how did how did you stay. swizzling to stay. neutral part of it was easy because I. know how much respect they had for one. another I don't know if you ever been in. a situation where two people had respect. for one another they just never shared. it with each other corre and you're. sitting in between them thinking if they. only knew what each other felt they. would this would go away that's what I.

felt the part of it that was difficult. was the outside pressure of people. thinking how could you be friends with. both of them at the same time you must. be passing information or something like. that there was no information in the. past they had known each other before. they knew each other before. me actually they knew each other before. me right and the issues that they had. had nothing to do with me it was it was. very unfortunate to my earlier point. about being an elder Statesman when they.

had a beef no guns MH nobody got shot. right lyrical mhm songs. right and you know what they made up as. men right in front of. everybody that's what it's supposed to. be they had a. conflict it was handled through music. music and they made up publicly no one. got hurt no one got no guns none of that.

that's that really did a. lot as far as I'm concerned for letting. people understand that disputes can be. handled. right. yes and that was dope that was the dope. part that came out of it Jay and I had. cousins oh yeah I mean I don't talk. about it because there's no reason to. talk about it but I went to my grand. father's funeral and his grandparent is. buried two lots down like they it's like.

one of those type of things not knowing. is that how y'all guys developed a. friendship even though you didn't know. no we developed a relationship. friendship honestly over Madden and you. know you know literally over Madden and. um there was some there was a business. deal that we were working on right he. was working on that he wanted that I. decided I want wanted to be a part of. right it was an artist that we were. going to sign and it was a problem and. then when we went to settle a problem I.

was like man I don't even give a [ __ ]. about this right little thing I care. about really big things and it was the. way I talked about my dreams and. Ambitions for big things and he's like I. like this guy right and then we became. we became friends we became very close. friends over. [Music]. time. how did you come to manage or be in the. presence of Nas after IL mtic I was.

representing these producers called the. track masters okay the track masters. were are very talented producers who. produced for. um biggie they produced their big hit at. the time was um Candy Rain yeah uh my. love yeah they produced that joint uh. Mary J blig what have you but they. produced they produced under P Diddy.

right and he had this this group called. The Hitman so you never really got your. own just out of it because you were part. of a conglomerate your name was just. like Puff Daddy and the Hitman. so they wanted to get out of the Shadows. of that and really be the thing and I. you know was all for that type of thing. um to help get them set them up their. own business didn't have to do all that. so Nas makes IL madic IL madic comes out. IL madic is successful and the first.

thing the track masters want to do they. produced biggie they were making big rap. records they wanted to produce Nas. everybody wanted to produce Nas the. problem was no one could find. Nas you know Nas is a is a is an. artist's artist you couldn't find him. through you know a series of events I. got to NAS spent time with him he. trusted me as his manager and we went to. make on make the It Was Written album. and the It Was Written album was his.

biggest selling album of all time and. the first song that the track masters. when I put them together they made was I. rule the world wow working with nas is a. it's one of the greatest accomplishments. I've ever had in my career really oh. yeah Nas is one of the greatest writers. of all time in in on any topic writer. and when you get a chance to work with. that level of the one of the best who. ever did it that this just doesn't. happen you know it's just a very it's a.

privilege to be able to say that you did. that and at the age of 26 25 26 when I. was doing it working with him when we. first. started all I knew was that I was. working with this artist who was hot and. had a you know make a big follow-up. album when you look back at it 18 years. later you realized you got a chance to. work one of the greatest who ever did it. how did you get him to to adopt a more. radio friendly and more commercial. friendly rap considering that he had had.

success with El mtic doing his. way who's helping you with these. questions I'm just ask I'm just I'm just. asking you man I'm just you know we put. a lot of time and Research into this to. make sure we get to. know it was a risk he bet on me he. trusted. me he believed in me I I don't know how. he. knew to trust me but I spoke to him a. lot about the fact that we have to.

evolve he understood that right he. understood that what that meant so that. meant making bigger music appealing to. more than cuz his first album IL mtic. was just considered one of the greatest. rap albums of all time right hadn't sold. that much it wasn't popular but those. who knew it the purest of the art form. understood it and respected it and held. it in high. regard but this was also that plus make. money right and we had to make money. which meant we had to you know expand.

and and grow um which is what you know. me coming into the fold and helping him. make it was written was about but how do. you get him to understand that because I. read where in the beginning he didn't. really care about money success he. wanted to write he was a writer he. wanted he wanted to perfect this craft. but success and fame and money wasn't. what it was. about what he knew was was the thing was. working there was a very clear line. between the artist that.

was making successful music and looking. successful as a result of it and the. artists who were underground local right. couldn't couldn't get out the local. moniker and he didn't want that to be. him so whether it was about caring about. money or not he definitely cared more. about expanding his audience right right. so he wasn't it wasn't driven by money. like he we. we but the other thing that was.

important uh Shannon was that during. that. time making money or being successful. was a part of what was successful right. people wanted to see you know Versace. and ah and ah and ah that was part of it. right. so that was the lifestyle attached to it. to to the music. he didn't care about money but he did. care about being successful okay yeah so.

you know my interpretation of that was. let's make bigger music let's make. bigger songs and let's find the. producers um and the talent that can. help us and that was obviously working. with the track masters going to get you. know Dr Dre to produce uh on that album. which nobody had done before making. music videos and visuals getting Lauren. Hill to do sing rule the world Lauren. Hill nobody could get Lauren Hill Lauren. Hill is Lauren Lauren Hill you know so.

the combination of all of that was what. led to you know us doing something that. important now you see transition he's. NOS the businessman the big private. Equity you know and all the stuff that. we see him a part. of was that you talking to him like okay. take to the next level to be what you. want to be no I'm gonna be honest with. you I introduced Nas to a very dear. friend of mine uh Ben Horwitz okay who.

invested in in me and in United Masters. and uh I introduced Nas to him because. Ben is a is a tremendous fan of of of of. rap music and you know there was this. whole idea that people who can move the. culture should be involved in technology. right you know because of that Nas you. know were a was able to get going early. in some very important Venture. Investments coinbase being one of them. which was Big Ring the the Amazon thing.

ring and then you know that got him. going and he built a a VC firm around. that and he you know he has Mass Appeal. and you know Nas is a great businessman. he's a Nas is a allaround talent man. he's a he's a very special person that. that people loveing to Door the seemly. the new thing now is people seem to be. unloading their catalog Taylor Swift did. something very unique she released her. entire. catalog and now she got new Masters and.

the record companies are trying to say. now that they're try to change. agreements yeah yeah there's. two types of cataloges you can sell okay. one is your publishing catalog which is. the your share of writing right which. are most artists can sell. right their vers their portion of. writing a song right then there's. another side of the catalog which is the. master side right most artists don't own. that to sell they don't own that to S.

Taylor didn't own that to sell right. okay that's the reason why she was mad. cuz somebody they they sold it to. somebody else and she wouldn't give her. a chance to buy well that's and and and. I'm going tell you something about that. that nobody ever talked about her father. owned piece of that company so I don't. know why her father didn't tell her her. father owned piece of the company that. sold it right so I don't know how she. didn't. know any of that to be to be frank with. you and I got no horse in this race it.

was just to me it was just very odd that. the beef was so loud that they sold it. nobody ever told her about it and I'm. thinking well your father benefited from. the sale of this right number one number. two most artists don't have that which. is the reason why I fight for that about. ownership of Masters because that's the. thing that has all of the long-term. value that you could you know your. family could benefit from for for years. to come right which is the reason why. you should maintain and own your master. rights the multiples that are being paid.

for these things are really high very. very high and for those who can benefit. from it it's great which is the reason. why again the artist should should hold. it to me it's one of those things that I. personally if I was an artist I wouldn't. sell it if I own my catalog right you. can get a loan against it right right. Bor against it whatever it's it's very. Val you can license it right but I. wouldn't sell it it's because what's. happening is as technology.

changes it keeps unlocking new value so. it was worth one thing then all when. when it was when there was a vinyl and. then all of a sudden when CDs came it. became exponentially more valuable. because then everybody started reing it. again right right all of a sudden you. started buying Bob Marley's Greatest. Hits or you know whoever um uh uh Barry. White's greatest hits name the act that. you. like every time new technology comes out. the catalog becomes much more valuable.

again because people are you know. reformatting the music in which they. have it on or re buying that new format. right so it's very hard the guy who's. buying it is betting that the that the. new format change is going to only lead. to more value over time the person. selling it thinking it's not if you can. afford. to get a loan against it or license it. you can still get some money without. necessarily selling it that's what I. would do but the but the key is to own.

it it if you don't own it you're not. even in this conversation you can sit. here and ask artists what do you feel. about selling. catalog and they'll sit there and tell. you I have no idea what you're talking. about I don't have any catalog to. sell which is the which is again [ __ ]. up is it true at your wedding Kanye took. the mic from. Maxwell. man how do you know this man that. happened for real man shut up who told. you.

that the Knight has a thousand eyes on. most night no man who told you this I'm. just at Steve I'm just asking a question. I just want to know I think of my my. audience want to know Maxwell was. performing Kanye got up there and. started. freestyling yes or no that happened. that that's so while that you know that. man I'm tell Anthony who who would tell. you that yes Kanye grabbed the.

mic and started. freestyling and it was. um craziness that's all I could it was. crazy so what this about W your wedding. night so what are you thinking you got. Maxwell he saying This Woman's Work. silently uh uh fortunate fortunate yeah. Urban hang sweet the whole album.

yes you help the NFL secure a $250. million deal with Apple H how how is. Steve Stout able to walk in any building. get a meeting and can close a deal man. you could man you could sell hey you. could have a chicken to be secured at. the H house. how I'm good. man it's better than that it's more to. it than that Steve no I'm good at what I. do man I see it it's the it's the.

halftime. show. it's it's the NFL halftime show it's all. about music why wouldn't Apple music. have that why wouldn't the Music Company. be there Pepsi's fine and Bridgestone. before Pepsi but like why is it a tire. company and or Pepsi why wouldn't it be. apple music I mean why isn't that. obvious to. everybody I don't even understand what. the only thing genius about that is that.

nobody else seen it but it was obvious. so being able to speak to you know Eddie. q and the guys over at Apple from Tim. Cook to Eddie Q at Oliver those guys. they love the idea and the NFL of course. would prefer to be in business with a. company like apple who doesn't want to. be in business with apple apple music. and we did that deal it was you know. Rihanna year one and um you know we know. it's Usher this year I'm sure you're. going to be there uh you're damn right.

you'll be there veg so you know it it's. fantastic. I'm I love doing deals and doing. business that makes significant. impact and I love the idea more than I. care about my own personal what I. personally stand G seriously it's like. Bono said something to me a long time. ago you can get anything done as long as. you're willing to not take. credit.

wow the idea as long as you remove who. gets credit for it then the the politics. around what makes a great idea come. together become much easier to see right. yeah and that was one of those types of. things I had to get in deep enough to. get it done and then I got out of it. once I knew we had a deal right but I. didn't run around talking about I did. this deal and yeah for. what what you you see where the prices. are going for these commercials 78. million for 30 second spot yeah where.

where we Steve where we headed are we. headed 1015 million for a 30 30 second. spot yeah you see where these teams are. valued yeah right where these teams are. valued the fact of the matter is man the. top 100 shows on. television 90 of them are NFL yeah and. the more it becomes rare to get that. level of audience around something the. more they can charge because there's.

nothing else that guars that level of. attention yeah at one period of time if. you break it down it's probably the best. money spent yeah you got 100 million you. got a 100 million people watching for. three hours how about this and oddly. enough wanting to see the commercials. yes that one event is the only event. where people go I can't wait to see the. commercials. there's nothing else every every other. thing you're trying to skip the. commercial Get Around the commercial.

this is the perfect time to use the. bathroom not the not the Super Bowl. right that's when people want to watch. commercials so 78. million whatever and and and and I think. that I think the NBA finals and NBA. playoffs people want to watch these. things man I would I would charge more. it's the only game in town it's the only. thing live sports. dominate television yes they can charge. whatever they want and it's worth it I.

mean it's worth it because the the. attention that you get is very hard to. Cobble putting together a bunch of other. different media it's just very difficult. to get have you ever Comm uh uh uh. created a Super Bowl commercial is that. something you liked hell yeah. man I did a Super Bowl commercial so. long ago and the [ __ ] blew up and I. didn't even realize how big it was was. Terry Tate office linebacker yes yeah. that's you hell yeah do you remember. that I do remember Terry he just started.

tackling people in the office I did that. for rebok man I did that for rebok this. guy was running around with a film of. this guy tackling people in the office. um he's a famous director now rossen. Thurber and he had this young guy was. showing this film I seen it and um we. representing Reebok we pitch it to. Reebok and literally it was a rebok . commercial go to reebok.com and that. thing went crazy Terry Tate office. linebacker I remember that where the.

agency the the Creative Solutions. company uh as I like to call us because. that's what we do we solve bigger. problems for uh the NBA has been a. client of ours for many years State Farm. All State Farm commercials that you know. Aaron Rogers and Chris Paul Cliff Paul. and all that we've done all that work. for years uh and now uh AT&T uh is one. of our clients our clients for four five. years but I want to talk to you about. cuz we get talk about this helmet and. special what makes this helmet special.

yeah what we did he man uh which I'm. very proud of is a lot of times people. talk about advertising and it's like. selling stuff right but I like to really. think about how do you use the power of. advertising to tell a story or solve. problems and we found out about the. story about gy de which is a school for. death hearing hearing impaired there was. a time we're hearing AED players. actually made it to the pros there were. a few of them who made it to the pros. but as techn play one my uh my second.

year Kenny Walker went to the University. of Nebraska he was here and paed so then. perfect so now what happens is as you. start putting in technology and the. helmets now you can call audibles. and if you playing quarterback or lineb. you you you can't even compete if you're. hearing a PID you can't so we' seen this. problem we took it to AT&T and the great. team over there they actually wanted to. say how can we help solve this problem. using 5G technology okay so what we did. was uh we worked on this for three years.

Shan this helmet um has a special chip. here and this chip allows players who. are harder hearing to actually see the. play versus just hearing it right right. so the coach takes this and and. literally I can put the play in here. Flex uh you. play action Pittsburgh right so that's. the play the coach calls and I can just. put in the audible right here and the.

audible comes up on this visually wow so. the so the player gets to see this this. is a game changer we put this on these. players it changed their lives man this. players saying I I got the speed I got. the vision I got the eyesight I got. everything as a professional after I. just can't hear right I'm hearing imp. per um so they using this now they're. using this right now man they're using. this right now it's one of the most. things I'm most proud of that we did. that and we're changing people's lives.

so you know I when I say that we are a A. Creative Solutions company that's not. advertising man that's coming up with. new ideas that's going to help change. people's lives right it's much bigger. than advertising right right so you're. the consultant for the ncks you did some. work for the uh to make the net cool. well I moved the Nets from from Newark. to Brooklyn right right so we did that. very early I'm also the we also. represent the Big 12 yes to make them. cool yeah well the Big 12 what's going. on in college sports is so crazy now.

because the game the rules have changed. bro I mean the nil the between nil deals. between the relocation of the the. relocations of of every team you it used. to be Regional MH right yes like you if. you played for the Big East then you. were in the big store man you could go. from there and be. there the region regions don't even. matter. a lot of it I I still think I have a. problem with because of what it does to. the student athlete the fact that you. got to travel across the country I could.

you even study how could you actually. get your schooling together if you're. playing in different time zones USC USC. and UCLA coming to the the Big 10 yeah. how yeah that's that's a lot right um. but anyhow between nil deals and the. fact that these teams are changing. conferences so fast recruiting materials. around recruiting how you Market your. teams how you Market your team and your. program uh changes dramatically look man. we at the Big 12 we we just got Colorado.

right you want to have Colorado like and. I'm sure everybody was pitching Colorado. the ad at Colorado to get them you know. we put together the materials to help. make them more uh make them very. successful and you know I work with. Brett Yark who's the commissioner of the. Big 12 I worked with him when he was at. the Brooklyn Nets when we moved him from. Brooklyn from nework New Jersey to. Brooklyn and I work with him now uh for. the Big 12 and love working with Jim. Dolan uh very very misunderstood man. talented as hell loyal as hell how do.

you go about rebranding because to. Rebrand something people have an idea or. perception of what it is how do you. change that. perception there's a lot of different. things that go into it um how it sounds. you know the the the the sonics of a. brand like you know when we did I'm. loving it for McD Donald's you remember. those but you also remember da da da da. right so sonically those are branding. elements that you have to deal with the.

texture and tone um the when you. sometimes you ever watch a TV. commercial and because it has a white. background already you kind of know what. it is before it comes on or there's. certain colors that you can tell colors. play a very important role in in. branding so sometimes when you're. rebranding you you play with colors you. play with sounds it's not just casting. right like oh let's just use this famous. person or let's you know put two white. guys and one black guy and make it. different than like things like that.

it's really understanding the totality. of what leaves an impression with. somebody breaking that. down and figuring out what aspects of. that story that you're going to pull. together in order to retell that story. um it it's a craft it's very it's it's. craftsmanship and you know most people. unfortunately think that just act throw. a famous person against this and close. your eyes and it'll fix it some yeah you. know a lot of times putting famous.

people against. Brands two things happen you don't. believe it right right so there's a. celebrity and the brand have shared. values right shared values what do we. have in common so that when people see. us together they go oh that makes. perfect sense cuz they that's how they. Rock. right so that's successful partnership. around shared values or you put them. together and they're just expensive. ideas that nobody ever believes like you. put I used to always use like you know.

back in the days like who believed that. tiger woulds drove a. Buick you like how are we going to get. how we gonna get this off like how we. going to figure this one out you know. and so there's a there's a lot of bad. ideas like that right now to this very. when you look at it and you're like are. you serious the other thing I tell a lot. of you know uh guys in the music. business specifically cuz all this brand. money is coming at. them is you got to be careful who you. choose as a partner because when they.

sign the deal it's one thing you get a. check you feel good but when they fire. you for lyrics or fire you for behavior. that you was actually doing when they. hired you correct but it's really loud. now cuz getting fired is a loud thing. you famous you got fired you got let go. be careful about those people man not. not every check is a good check right. and make sure you are going into a. partnership with somebody because these. Brands I will tell you man they will. sign you and as soon as they feel any.

temperature they cut bait and they will. cut bait and it will be loud and you. will look as if you did something that. they were completely unaware of which is. the exact same thing that made you. famous is why they got in business with. you choosing a brand partner is almost. as important as choosing a life partner. oh yeah because the brand partner can't. affect your. reputation 1,000% when they let you go. or they say something about you because. they parted ways with you however you.

know eloquently they decide to to say. that you guys parted. ways there's a stinch on your name as if. you're not cuz what do you think the. other brands do don't mess with that. person right right as a result of that. so again that becomes contagious so you. have to be very careful who you partner. with because some of them they're not in. it for the partnership they just in it. for the quick burn of Fame how many. followers you got how many likes you got. this that and the third they're not. really invested in you they don't give a. [ __ ] about you they care about that and.

as soon as that gets a little bit. tainted a little bit uneasy cuz you said. a word that they didn't know or somebody. didn't those are in your lyrics already. man right you know um so I'm I'm I I. always give that advice and anybody. watching this that's a musician or look. at or influencer make sure you pick your. partners correctly make make sure. they're really your partners how do you. strike the how do you strike a balance. because you said you left the music. inury in Industry to get into.

advertising so how do you strike the. balance between athlete and. brand because you have a vested interest. on both sides cuz a lot of these. athletes you have a relationship with. and obviously a lot of these Brands you. have a relationship with and you want to. continue to Foster that on both sides. because there's because there there is. there actually is a true Sweet Spot. between athletes and Brands there is a. great relationship if. you don't you you look at TV you see. these some of these commercials and just.

like what about this story that they're. telling is actually going to help make. this athlete. look aspirational important like they're. doing something that really matters. sometimes they actually use the athlete. and make them look like dumb jocks MH. sad enough to say they make him look. like that versus somebody who us should. look at as a rare unique special. talented individual who's more than an. athlete okay to quote LeBron and what.

they do at bring like but if you but if. you work with people who are not willing. to get deeper past the surface to help. tell those. stories then you're going to end up with. commercials where the athlete says two. words try not to let them talk too much. and just put everything around them and. just cut around them that's not that's. not they not making that much money off. of that anyway why you even doing it. right you got $10 million $15 million. $20 million guaranteed contracts they. not paying you that much money to do the.

commercial so only do it if it's doing. something to help manage up your image. and you ask you ask Chris Paul you ask. LeBron you ask Jason Tatum you ask. anybody who works with me there's. nothing that I do unless I could look at. it and go did we do something to elevate. your image did we do something something. to tell a story that you always wanted. to tell but this is the greatest Outlet. to tell that story if we're not doing. that we're not doing no. business that's not that's I don't work.

that way I'm looking at some of the. athletes that you work with in. entertainers jannis Lil Baby johnar clay. Meg jannis man Yiannis we told the story. we show a film going back no when he. talked really intimately about the fact. that he'd go to Greece Greek because. he's Greek he'd go to Greece go home and. they'd look at him like he was a black. guy so there was a certain level of R. tension around that racist T and then. he'd be in Africa and they looked at him. like he was white guy from Greece and.

how he had to live within the balance of. that and the power he found in growing. up in those two worlds we told a. beautiful story about that with uh uh. with with with with uh his Partners at. um WhatsApp what'sapp is the Global. Communications company and very few. artists athletes are AS Global as. Giannis corre and we told that story. through that lens man I mean that's the. kind of stuff I love doing you shouldn't. have to worry when you buy tickets to.

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work out of buying tickets with Game. Time download the game time app create. an account use the code SH Shay for $20. off your first purchase terms apply. again create an app redeem the code Shay. for $20 off download game time today. last minute tickets lowest price. guaranteed I watched you for the last. two and a half years just watch when. you're on on the FS1 show how long You'. been on that show four years I was I was. on that show for seven years yeah uh we.

uh came in together uh skip started they. we started the show in. 2016 and uh it was a great run it was I. watched you on the show and I watched. you get better over time. and when you started getting comfortable. and bringing in your all of your natural. self to it to the table it was a game. changer yeah it was a game changer well. that's the thing you were sneaking in. those lines with the the brown the. bracket miles and all that and then. social media started to pick it up and. you know the right delicate balance.

which is very hard the producer Craig. Barry is a friend of mine who produces. um Inside the NBA Inside that that show. Y and it's that's the magic how do you. get that talk off while still being an. expert at the core thing which is sports. correct correct did you think that 50. what it started 50 years ago hip hop and. you said it was in his empy when when LL. was doing what you know you could go to. the mall and you could see LL and you.

could see Run DMC hanging out in the. mall and you could see the battles did. you think it would be what it is. today I mean you're great for think no. no no no no no not I knew what I I never. thought the music would be this big I. knew that the other things around it. would be big right um the clothing right. um the stock. I never thought the music I never. thought at any point in time it was. going to be the number one music in the. world I I I didn't think that I remember.

I used to go to to France if you do your. thing out there you have no idea what. happen so I went to. can and um I seen graffiti and I was. like when I see graffiti every time I. see graffiti it makes me. think the culture has touched this place. yeah I get comfortable around graffiti. because I know there's people who are. trying to say something and they're. looking for a cand to say it.

right I love that I love that I've. always loved that you say ll's from. Queens I mean we go LL was the first I. mean the the guy that that's what you. like when you came yeah man L was there. no look I love when L and Kumo de. battled I grew up on how old are you 55. I'm 53 all right so we used to go you. lived in the rurals yeah and how are you. getting the music I grew up about 65.

miles from Savannah and they would come. to the Civic Center uh Kumo d uh The Fat. Boys Run DMC Houdini and you went of. course yeah yes. yes cuz L LL and I are about the same. age yeah and. so anytime that they were coming to we. were there and they had a show they had. Houdini they had uh LL they had uh Run. DMC I mean it was like seven groups and.

it was unbelievable and everybody knew. all the words every last one of them LJ. was a was a was a I mean is a star I. mean he I don't think he get the credit. he deserved. though how he's a yeah I no I'm talking. about the commercial but I'm saying when. you talk about great rappers don't. nobody mention L you know what. L you're just funny man what would he be.

in. sports I have an argument all the. time this is funny to. me everybody like there's a certain. style that people appreciate more so. they don't. give a different version of that. approach the same amount of credit so l. was he as great as a Lyricist as rockim. or Kane no. no was he a better total package.

absolutely yes AB why he still has a. career to this day he made bad albums he. made bad albums he made he made really. good albums then he made bad he used to. go through this pattern where he would. experiment and make bad albums he'd. probably tell you that what was. considered a quote unquote Bad album was. learnings for the album that came after. that that was great but he was willing. to take chances and make big records as. a result of it so he doesn't get the. credit for that but a lot of the guys. that do get a lot of credit you realize.

had really short careers yeah really. short careers yeah um in sports I use. this analogy like you know everybody. thinks you know Mike Tyson is I mean. obviously Mike Tyson is a larger than. life figure Mike Tyson was probably. great for four years yes yes yes four. mhm you know what I'm saying. where you couldn't even touch him no and. then after that he became whatever. affected his life it all changed correct. you know a lot of these guys who get.

more credit than LJ as rappers really. have short care because if you think. about it big and Tupac short care what. what was Tupac five years biggy five. years if that yeah that's listen man you. ain't got to tell me that's why there. should be statues of Nas and Jay-Z oh. for sure these guys who endured right. the entire they were there before and. after yes you know to go to to go. through the gauntlet of what it was.

whether it be East Coast West Coast beef. or drugs or drug dealers or just. whatever the issues were that comes with. being a young man in your 20s and. millions of dollars in attention media. attention Global attention you know. people want to kill you whatever it may. be to avoid all of that to get to the. other side yeah is they should have a. monuments well I tell you what since you. you're you're close to my age and you. you like I said Big Daddy Kane krs1 you. know Molly M I mean you you know you.

know them all uh m h Weezy Nas Give Me. Your four. goats M if we had a m Rush more give. rush you do this all the time I do I. should do. um let me see if I have to throw your. list out the window I'm going roll this. window. down throw your list out the window well. let me before let me just ask you this. question before we get to the list okay. are we factoring in tenure cuz if I just. took everybody's best album and to base.

it off of that that'd be different than. if I yeah but I don't I don't I don't. think you can say I say who's the best. running backs of all time right well you. can't say that whoever had the best year. because there a lot of there are a lot. of running backs that had better years. than b had a better year than emit had a. better year than than Jim Brown had a. better year than Walter Payton but that. doesn't make but it goes into the longev. ask people who the best running back of. all time is they don't immediately go to. EMT who has more no no no no no they. prob none of them probably going to say. emit they probably say Barry Sanders. they'll say Walter pyton they'll say Jim.

Brown you know I I think it's it's all. Barry even though Barry never won a. championship and would lose a lot of. yards and a lot of carriers but it was. the style he was so electric people like. that style he was so electric uh Jim was. was was a man amongst men I mean he led. the league in rushia like eight times in. nine years years he's won the MVP as a. rookie wal to p with sweetness bad. offensive line but he still gave people. that work so people people like that for.

uh like I said uh as far as Lyricist KS. was one of my favorites M but and for. the longest time I was on this thing. like it was Tupac for me but after la. like the last two weeks of just. listening to Wayne and I love. yeah we Wayne Wayne Wayne is Wayne is. ridiculously talented I for me it would.

be um just ability superb ability. Marksmanship it's Nas Jay biggie rockim. yeah Rock him was like yeah and then. that other spot I you don't got them all. you ain't got four spot four those I. would take those for and I love Eminem. is nice Eminem has a unique gift about. him the way he Cadence how he raps and. puts words together around that Cadence.

as special Wayne. is as good as anybody Wayne Wayne and. his career is amazing yeah you talking. about longevity I mean the dude 13y old. no Wayne is Wayne is Wayne is a special. dude man Wayne is a special dude for me. he. just Reasonable Doubt. and. Illmatic um I mean Jay has more albums. Nas has a couple more albums but that. body of work is just so strong and it.

and it hits me right here where where. Wayne does that to like if I ask Rich. Paul's question Rich Paul would. immediately have Wayne Like Jay-Z Wayne. Right he'd have Wayne right there right. you know because it's just younger and. he spoke to him right what about. Kane people don't get Kane to credit. either yeah Kane Kane had Kane was tight. Kane was tight his career was short. that'd be the problem with short you. know but if you go back and look at it. if you think about it guys didn't have.

10 15 year careers now you got you got. to have more than two albums but l l is. an. anomaly to be able to do what he did in. the 80s and here he is doing doing what. he's doing right now no but you gotta. the be but you got to you got to stick. to your craft man you got to do you like. you got to make two two three four five. six albums you got to make you got to. keep making music so so you want so you. got you know a lot of gu you know how. hard it is for these guys uh Shannon you.

grow up in the projects. M. fine you go to the projects and um. you're writing your first album based. off of everything you went through your. entire life correct right so you have 18. years 20 years of material however long. to make this first album right when you. make second and third albums now you're. using the material that happened between. when you put out the first album and. that second album second album but now. there's money there's women there's.

access so now all of a sudden your. material starts. to fade because you start you're. indulging in all this other stuff. there's a difference you don't live that. now you now you move to LA now you. writing about something else so a lot of. times it's very hard to write that. second third second you can still get. away with off the fumes of the first. album the third album becomes really. hard right oh get it look most artists.

who write the who had a great first and. second album fail miserably on the third. album it's so hard to draw from the grit. that you had before you made the first. album that and then and then now okay. fine can you get back to it now right A. lot of times they can't get back to it. and it just slowly f it slowly falls off. LOL went back to it LOL made Mama Said. Knock You Out right he made all that. [ __ ] made this went like this and then.

Boom Mama Said Knock You Out he came. back Kane didn't make Mama Said Knock. You. Out honestly Rakim didn't make Mama Said. Knock You Out they couldn't make it they. couldn't find that record seven years. later he said he made Mama Said Knock. You Out and round the way girl yeah oh. and that one he had uh and then he made. after years after that you jingling baby. uh jingling Baby.

remix then he made love you better after. he has a phenomenal hey lover you know. yeah yeah I worked on that album that. was 95 yes hey lover and uh doing it. well that was 95 Man by the way that's. 95 he was dropping records in 87 we have. a. correct by 95 came around I don't even. know where Kane and rockim was I'm. bad I'm bad with no don't do that don't. do that Steve don't do that don't do.

that I ain't gonna let you do that now. come on. now listen I'm an L coj fan too the. dance routine and I'm bad when he did. the shark fin I know that's what you was. doing yeah that wasn't the real thing. right there that was a little too much. and I'm going back to Cali by the way. huge Rec. that's a risk that artists wouldn't. take listen to that beat that's a risk. that artists wouldn't take that was on. the less than zero soundtrack that that.

was that was look at the video art seed. black and white very very Avant guard. like that was way ahead of its time. those are the risks that those guys. wouldn't make uh that he was willing to. make he's a true artist and he does. deserve he does deserve way more credit. than he deserves as an artist that's all. I wanted you to say now we can move on. conversation see but he one of the first. also to have Commercial Appeal outside. of the rap game doing Foo boo he had the. Gap stuff yeah the Gap stuff I don't.

know if he he did something in the Gap. commercials one of the most gangster. shits I've ever seen before he's in the. Gap. commercial and he has a fuboo hat on. yeah do you remember the r i don't. remember but I I remember let me tell. you the rap forget it wasn't that he had. the Hat on like damn this [ __ ] is in a. gap commercial with a food hat. on Gap people didn't even know what that. was right whatever that thing was right. in the commercial he raps and says for.

us by us on the low that's in the rap. right they don't even know that's what. he. said he said for us by us on the law. every commer for the ga for The Gather. no they don't even know what on the low. means they even know what for us by US. mean they think he's just saying for us. by us right I don't know some rapper. [ __ ] right cuz I had Damon John on and. he was he was tell he was telling me.

that story about uh L shooting. commercial and doing the rap and had it. on what of the guys from Queens who. started with who started FUBU with Damon. is a guy named Keith he he he we went to. kindergarten through third grade. together so there was also some great. entrepreneurs obviously from Queens as. well who helped start um. uh start start fug I mean y' I mean look. Queens like I said you guys y'all get. overshadowed because obviously you know. Brooklyn has some of them the names but.

if you look at what you guys were able. to do as far as not only just music but. culture and and the clothing and. merchandise would you consider that Run. DMC brought fashion into the. hip-hop because they had the le le. that's one we Le pants leather pths the. uh the Shel to Jus with the fat scw shoe. string the big. ropes yeah prior to Run. DMC guys were looking like if you look. at.

um some of the early if even even kind. of like Sugar Hill Gang but after Sugar. Hill Gang if you look at Africa bambata. they got they were dressing more like. earthwind and fire like a lot of custum. yes yes and then Run DMC because of God. bless Jam Master J said let's dress like. those boys so they dress like the way. street guys dressed drug dealers were. dressed and that's and when they put. that look. on Kango shelto leather blazer this that.

and the third then they looked like they. was just getting that money right it. wasn't about that costume it was a. complete uh left turn from what those. guys are doing and that was that was. huge how big was. Supreme the name says it all man I mean. Supreme team was Queens they ran the. streets of queens and there was a they. were a presence to not to be [ __ ] with. right and um you know to me I I never I.

actually never met Supreme I seen him. before but he was you know a a big. Larger than Life figure that that had a. you know a big organization that were. Street guys that liked the party you. know and they were like part of the. business you know so yeah they were big. I mean they were big Supreme team was. big um then years. later you know BMF was big right you. know coming out of Atlanta what is about.

D boys and rap and rap and D boys that. seem to be so. interwoven well the kids come from the. artists are coming from the. street so as a result of the artists. coming from the street the guys that. around them and the guys they idolize. they probably at some point worked for. right with the street guys and sometimes. the street guys were the first guys to. give them money there was the startup. money you know go make this music go. into the studio what have you and that's. a lot what led to you know what got them. going so that's that's the con that's.

the connection but the truth of the. matter is even prior to the fact that. that was the guys they looked up to uh. and gave the money that's what the fans. wanted right so you were emulating the. street guy so a lot of these guys very. few of them really are Street guys. rappers they were more. emulating Street guys because that. worked with the fans how have you been. able to create the music the advertising.

with some of the most successful. companies in the world you started in. the music business you transition to the. advertising and you work with a lot of. these Fortune 500 companies how have you. been able to transition and parlay that. your music your advertising and with. some of these Fortune 500 companies how. have you been able to do that so. sucessfully early on it was hard it was. hard for two. reasons I wasn't necessarily good at it. uh I didn't I didn't go to college and I.

dropped out of college so I didn't have. any formal training and The credibility. that comes with that formalized training. to go into Fortune 500 companies and be. like this is what you should. do and then the second thing is the. thing I was trying to recommend them. doing was really tapping into culture. and the culture that I was leaning on. was hip-hop culture mhm and that was. tainted with gangsters and all kinds of. reputational issues so you got me coming. in with no formal training and talking. about something that is related to.

something that they don't even think is. brand. friendly um and then I would say you. know to the CEO because I'm really good. at with talking to people so I'd speak. to the CEO and I'm like ask your 17y old. at home about this cuz if they had a. teenage at home I'm going to win and I. would speak to them about things that I. knew was not necessarily on their radar. screen but it was the Next Generation. concern Next Generation something they.

celebrated and I call that future. proofing if you want to Future proof. your business so that the next. generation is excited and you're. relevant to them then you should listen. to what I'm saying because I'm talking. about something that may not necessarily. relate to you but it relates to the next. person coming down the line and CEOs who. are open-minded to listen listen to that. were the ones I've had the most success. with and their business has. benefited man the first thing I the. first thing I did I mean it's written.

about was the Reebok work man I mean you. got Reebok I I told the the the the CEO. Paul fan founder Reebok I said I don't. care this is a 2 2002 maybe I said to. Paul I said Paul there's nothing you can. do to make kids believe they can jump. high. or run faster in a pair of reboks over a. pair of kns there's no chance that take. that idea that you're going to beat them. at that game completely out of your mind.

so then he started talking further he he. was intrigued by that by the certainty I. had with that belief and he started. talking about brown shoes I'm like why. do you say brown shoes he goes because. people wear brown shoes to work I said. Paul no they don't kids are wearing. sneakers to work right in fact they're. not even wearing wearing the sneakers. because they want them to perform well. they they wear them because they like. the color in it cuz it matches their. shirt it matches their hat so we need to. actually go and play and pay that play.

that game and pay attention to that. consumer and that's what led to Reebok. rbk and then we started thinking about. like who are some of the people that you. could work with that would fit and so to. be the cohort the cohort is the the. prototype for this thing and was Jay-Z. I'm like this guy he don't like to move. a lot at all he don't like to sweat you. know right and he's the perfect person. to be the lifestyle Ambassador and we.

created not an ambassadorship but we. actually created a brand called the. sarter which. was the first of its kind an original. sneaker um that was Reebok powered and. made it and that was successful and then. we did the guns and then the the ice. creams by Fel and we built a business. around Reebok that changed the brand it. it made them go from a brand that was. relegated to like third and fourth place. to something that was aspirational. because they were tapping into the.

culture more uh by you know tapping into. these artists and what these artists. represented so how do you go about. building a strong lasting valuable. relationship in business yes. yeah you know I think it's the. fundamentals of of anything man you got. to do what you say you got to always do. what you say you can't say anything that. you don't mean um and people resp so you. under promise and overd deliver no no I.

overpromise and overd. [Laughter]. deliver so you over prom you tell people. you're going to do something yeah and. then you times it yeah yeah it's the. same thing you you push yourself if I. tell you I'm going to do something it it. means so much to me to live up to my. word I'll ask somebody when I hire. him 6 months later eight months later.

did I tell you anything in that. interview process that I haven't. done I want to check myself on that I. want to hold the mirror up to myself. specifically on that topic because I. don't want to use my brain as a weapon. and tell you something and be convincing. to you and actually have no intent or. don't follow through on it I just think. that that's a terrible use of talent. right so I do talk about my stretch. goals which is the over promise I'm. going to do this we're going to do this. we do that but I'm a entrepreneur I'm a.

Visionary as a Visionary your job is to. see things before other people see it. correct I'm used to being in that. uncomfortable place of seeing something. early so I make those promises and and. and and I do everything I can to overd. deliver against that the funniest thing. is that you guys don't get penalized for. being wrong. he wrong no problem all you guys [ __ ]. on jayen Herz but he have but you don't. think he's improved but he did lose his. job at Alabama cuz he couldn't throw. consistently that's why Tua got the job.

yeah but but they thought but even in. the. pros if you look at him from his rookie. year to where he is now he's increased. his throwing percentage by 10% that's. huge his accuracy. yes yes you said 10% 10 he was he was. barely a he's like in the high 60s as. opposed to the low 60s 50 the high 50. you don't think that has anything to do. with Antonio bro AJ AJ yeah of course of. course but you have to understand what.

did he what think about what he had in. Alabama and then what he had at uh at. Oklahoma so yeah give it him give it him. back but he improved he put the work in. I don't want a short change him and just. says AJ he put the work in he put a lot. of work in because you can see him get. exponentially better and his confidence. grow that many basketball players that. came from Queens there's some but not. Kenny Anderson Kenny Anderson probably. Kenny Smith yeah Kenny Smith from right. over here Kenny from left rack which is.

right over here uh Kenny Anderson's from. over here there's a couple not like but. not like all the way right all the way. what what place you think is more. overrated where football Talent comes. from well we know well we know we know. Texas and Florida Texas Florida. California. Georgia is right there Georgia Florida. California it's the southern states. where the weather is nice the majority. of time Louisiana you mean where people. are work people are running in the. heat you call that nice I'm just saying.

if that's what you call nice no it it. needs it needs to be. warm New York how about hot New York New. York well it's hot it's hot okay warm. more time than it is cold you're not. gonna get you might get one or two from. New York or some Co Squan like s Quan's. from New Jersey yeah M now s Squan from. uh is he from alqua he from he from. Pennsylvania ain't he no uh yeah. Pennsylvania I'm sorry that's not the. South no but I'm saying you no I talking.

about the south I talking about the New. York I'm talking about this area that's. all man y'all ain't got no man. y' from New Jersey from. Hashburg hbur bro do the weather's not. nice in these places you just name two. places weather's not nice I'm trying to. figure out what you y'all got like four. people in the in Georgia got like 30. California Texas got like I'm not even. the last thing I'm doing is comparing. New York. football we give y' we give y a little. basketball prop but no not not a little.

I mean New York basketball no no no no. no y'all used to have that when y'all. had do J Kareem and all those guys it. ain't the same no more where where does. Kyrie come from it ain't the same no. more where does Kyrie come. from where's Kyrie come from I mean it. ain't the same. no it ain't the same it ain't the. same no it's not the. same because you know because now guys. the guys go they go to other they go I. mean they might be born from here but.

you know they go now they go play to. mount Veria they go to Oak Hill and they. go to things like that and finish IMG. Academy and things like that nature guys. are not being from an area playing at a. high school like okay and and moving on. that that ain't happening no. more what do you think about the. transfer Pro portal and what it's going. to do to college sports man I don't know. and and and what do you think and right. next to that.

is as much as I'm so for college. athletes getting their fair share LeBron. and I and Maverick did a documentary on. this did a thing on called a student. athlete right um we followed four. student athletes man one of them got. hurt no Health Care [ __ ] up the whole. thing but. but gu a walking around campus for $5. million yeah for sure because there's no. guarantee like you said he get hurt and.

then he can't play in the NFL or he. can't play in the NBA yeah well he got. $5 million he got a great head start on. life get it I wish didn't get 10 million. but I just saw the uh the quarterback. from Ohio Ohio State and uh Oklahoma is. in the portal right now. yes why. the the starting quarterback starting. quarterback of Ohio State starting. quarterback from Oklahoma or in the. portal looking to get better deals.

yep Oh I thought guys were going in the. portal because they were not going to. start so they were like oh let me go in. the portal because I can get a better. opportunity somewhere else but if you. already started Ohio State you started. Oklahoma where you going that's what I'm. trying to figure out what are they doing. money somebody go give me an opportunity. like like Caleb you don't think Caleb. Williams had an opportunity to make. money in Oklahoma but think about what. he got in. USC what do you think about him right. now I think he going be the number one.

pick uh can make every throw he's. athletic great improvisational skill. have you spoken to him before I have not. trying to figure out this his head on. right I I think the thing is what what. they're going to ask is like bro I mean. I think his defense was terrible but. they're going to ask bro you that good I. mean you couldn't win like none of these. shootouts but I like him I think he's. going I think he's going to really be I. think there's a lot of quarterbacks in. this draft but it's like anything man. you don't really know I mean Brock P was.

a seventh round draft. pick the these guys in the NFL are. really not as good as they think they. are at picking Talent no no no no. because it's like anything it's just. like you you you picking horses it don't. guarantee your horse going to win the. Derby or the pakis or the Bell Kno or. Santa neita you don't know what what do. you think about this whole idea of not. even giving these guys a chance to warm. up to get their game together just. throwing them out there like that. because you think that's the right thing.

to do because here's the thing I know I. know they can pay him short money and. they can find out but see the thing is. is because I need to know by that third. year before I give a guy $300 million. contract you mean to tell me I got to. give a guy 300 million I don't know if. he can play they don't know if the. Giants don't know if their quarterback. could playay they paid him they knew he. could play but what if they didn't have. no options have to pay Daniel Jones. where they where they going to go go. with Tommy DeVito no before we even. heard Tommy DeVito they could have known. they W they didn't have to pay that man. $160 million well they they they paid.

him based on last year they disregarded. all the things that they had done up. until that point and it says you know. what we believe this is the guy we're. going to get moving. forward and then the same thing with. Carson Wentz yeah but car Carson had you. know Carson was about to be be the MVP. until he tore his knee up in week. 13 he's going to be the MVP.

and but it it it it it it's a special. type of. quarterback that's good get paid and. then get. better you look at the Brady the Manning. you now you look at the Patrick Mahomes. you look at those guys uh the Rogers. those guys that Roger Aaron Rogers yeah. when he was in Green Bay get paid excuse. me and get. better Dak yeah Dak Dak has been very. impressive this year he's been very.

impressive this year but uh are you. watching the games I am watching the. game have you watched every single play. okay so you watched it for seven eight. years right yes so okay so you know the. history right yeah okay I I I I yeah he. I have not he in big games I have not. seen him okay against the 49ers 2 years. ago against the 49ers last year and a. year before that I said two years ago.

that would be two years ago they play. they 49ers beat him twice back to back. years in the play I just said two years. last year and the year before okay what. about this year the regular season did. you see that game 4210 did you watch. that game yeah I don't know I understand. why you would turn it off I didn't. understand that game what what didn't. you understand you understand good old. fashioned ass. whipping I don't understand why the. defense could not slow them. down I don't know why the def Dallas. defense got well why your offense.

couldn't score with 10. points you just told that you just got I. know I know I know I know I you just. told me about. Dak the Dak CD thing wasn't working back. then it's on fire right now. okay we're going to see him in the. playoffs um. but yeah we we now we that was that. that's listen I'm not I I don't disagree. with you Dak makes really bad mistakes I. I it's shocking to me sometimes shocking.

though you don't even like Brock pie I. it's not about like or dislike I got to. evaluate a guy on what I've seen kind of. like now I need I need to see more. consistency you making your girl you. he's one he's one you making your you. making a you making a your girl after. after a couple of dates no oh you want. to see you want some cons you want okay. okay that's all I'm. saying you think Justin Fields they can. get a third round pick for him for yeah.

I think they get more than a third and. they're in great shape then yeah they're. in great shape would you trade them I. would I don't I don't believe me. personally I don't believe they're going. to pass up the a CH well yeah I don't. think they're going to P they would pass. up because it looks like they're going. to get Carolina they have Carolina more. and they're going to have their own yeah. that first and four. so and with Justin. Fields if I can get. me a qu a. topnotch veteran.

player cuz there are a lot of teams. that's going to need. quarterbacks I just think Justin Fields. needs a change of scenery yeah I don't. think he's a bad quarterback neither. right I just think he needs a change of. scenery in. Chicago. IND they got where they just drafted. Richardson with the fourth pick inft he. got hurt that's right that's right he. was playing good too but. uh let me see who who the uh the Raiders. could use a quarterback you don't think.

the Raiders can use a quarterback. Pittsburgh could use a quarterback they. don't want to agree with it that. yet um there still a denial about that. kid who pick it man. please the fans about to start picking. I'm going ask you a question that's. separate of of topic okay when you got. to Baltimore yeah. yes and you seen Ed and Ray Ed wasn't. there when I was there he came after you.

he came after me he came after I had W. back to. Denver oh so you never got a chance to. play with him never got play I played. against him I didn't play with him you. played him against him when you were in. Denver yes have you ever seen anybody. like that. no no here the greatest safe ter I. played against off on F he's. phenomenal P Manning tells stories he. told the story on the the the the the. Manning cast the not the Manning cast he. told the story on when the NFL did the.

100 grandest yeah he told the story but. Ed picked. him he well. Ed Ed hit in the shadows of uh Lucas. stadium in the oil in Lucas Oil Stadium. he that he couldn't count him he. couldn't he couldn't find them he. couldn't find him in a pre- snap read. and that was he told me that story live. that he couldn't find him and he he he. he couldn't find him in the pre wasn't. the other safety. white I'm not what Ed was did it was a.

white safety it was yeah yeah he cuz he. told the story that he could see that. guy but he couldn't find Ed he could. know where Ed was and Ed was squatting. in the shadows almost like he knew where. the shadow was and he couldn't [ __ ]. find him then he told a story where Ed. he fool Ed fooled him on the the post. that was inol more and Ed Ed what he did. was that Payton looked him off and Ed. pretend like he was going to drop one. side. and. and and picked the ball off from uh.

regie Wayne yeah he has to it's it's one. of the greatest play that you'll ever. see and you have to understand what he. did and how he did it to fool that. guy because pton just knew he had him. dead right like I got. him and probably paid you seen the play. I saw the play I saw the play at the. time that it happened and it was like. I'm like how. why there is no there was no. indication that he should have done what. he.

did and how about Ray Ray was a student. of the game he was ferocious he loved. the game of football he put time in it. to be great he worked hard he was a. student he's very disciplined I spent. time with him I I love hanging out with. him yeah yeah. I'm actually going to Zamunda I'm going. to Nigeria oh uh next week yeah we we. are opening up United masses in Lagos. Nigeria I can't wait to go I can't wait. to go um I'm really excited about it uh.

the independent music scene in Nigeria. and uh South America specifically. Colombia and Argentina is going crazy. wow yeah cuz all these. people they don't know of record. companies they just know make music get. it out and they're writing they're. writing monster Hits yeah but except. these songs are becoming number one. records wow they're not they're not. they're not just like reasonal songs. they're becoming Global impactful.

monster number. records Jay mentioned you in a song. think you get Jay to put me in a song. want to be in a song man I ain't never. been in a song you don't I ain't been in. a video I ain't been nothing man you hot. already cool life man no you hot already. you crazy you don't need to be in no. song. Shannon somebody ref somebody said. Shannon sharp and something I'm sure if. I Google Shannon sharp in the song I'll. find some [ __ ] I hated no song bro Steve. I want to thank you for bringing me to. your office show me around Queens I.

really appreciate it continued success. yeah Steve sty ladies and gentlemen all. my grinding all my. sacri price a SCE got the roll of dice. that's why all my life I've been. grinding all my life all my life been. grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle P the price want a. slice like the roll of dice that's why. all my life I've been grinding all my. [Music]. life.