TK Kirkland On P. Diddy, Kevin Hart, Jay-Z, Elon, Tupac, Biggie, Cam Newton, Performance by Awich

And I normally don't say this about. people. Somebody need to whoop his. so he can get some guts. Grinding all my life. Sacrifice hustle. paid the price. Want a slice. Got to. roll the dice. That's why all my life. I've been grinding all my life. All my. life been grinding all my life. Sacrifice. Hustle paid the price. Want a. slice. Got the rolling dice. That's why. all my life I've been grinding all my. life.

[Music]. Hello, welcome to another episode of. Club Shay. I am your host Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay. Stopping by for conversation and a drink. today. He's a trailblazer, a pioneering. force in the world of comedy. Hip hop's. first nationally recognized comedian, a. season veteran with over 40 years in the. entertainment business. He performs to. soldout crowds around the world with an. unapologetic delivery. One of the most. authentic voices in the industry. He's. celebrated for his original storytelling.

motivation and advice. An underground. legend, a versatile actor, prolific. writer, multi-henated businessman, and. wellrespected host. He helped launch. careers of so many legends. The best. kept secret in America. Tofo K. Here he. is, ladies and gentlemen. TJ Kirk. Yo yo. yo, bro. Thank you. That's how you introduce. a [ __ ] man. It is a pleasure to. have you on Club Shay Sh, man. 40 years. in the industry, man. We got to toast. this. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. Bro, thank you.

for stopping by. Appreciate your time. I. know you're busy. You got a lot going. on. I see y'all around. Appreciate you. stopping by. You know, I really This. means a lot to me as well. You don't have my drink club. Oh, that's. so good. Ah, yeah. Going to have meed up. in here. TK since you started your. career and you've opened up so for so. many um. who NWA and Luda and Jay-Z some of the. biggest and brightest. So for you today. to come here we're going to open up with.

a very very special performer. She flew. herself all the way from Japan. Here she. is ladies and gentlemen a witch. you. karate hunger with a boss mental diamond. cut so essential tiger like kinsel box.

like bento call me miss me when I b you. in your dental. wax on wax off close at the luggage got. to get the bags on never graduated but. you get your cap You run by my weight. Got to shut the dice. Sh. Sh. Wax on. Wax off. Hey. Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off. Things could get. vicious. So this better greet us. Show. me who your leaders. I can argue with. the filling up arenas running up the.

voice to them. If it's run up, they kick. it and they married to the grandma. So. many want to kick it. Think it's scary. Indiana yos and the mice and them shir. and my washies. I was on the side. catching flies with my chopst. like that pop. Tick tock. Hurry up. Sit. them clockicking. in the dojo with a sh crush label. Okay, now what? Hey, don't make me take a trip. to Okinawa. Break a brick with a chop.

Keep a stick and a chopper. I teach you. how to block. You ain't know it lup. warrior poet. Yeah. Bum bum when I tell. you back. Bum bum. When I say you call. backum bum when I say you call back. You. know how we go. We got the flow and the. flow and we show with the sw. When we. throw back the through your throat, you. be gone like with the storm and we come. and we slow. If you go with the bombs, we could go to the to like wax on. Wax.

off. Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off. Wax on. Wax off. Yeah. Awesome. Wow. Stick around, guys, because we're. going to bring back a witch to perform. again, and you're going to learn more. about her story. As I mentioned, you. started your career, and I didn't know. this was a thing until recently when I. see a lot of young comedians and they.

say they open up for X, Y, and Z. But. that's how you started your career. You. opened up for NWA way back when? Way. back 1988. Wow. And I got my start and I. always I wanted to start giving New. Edition their start. I mean their their. props. Props. Okay. Because New Edition. I toured with them first. Okay. And. because I toured with New Edition and I. met Easy E because Bobby had left New. Edition and Al Heyman who's now in the. business manager of Floyd Mayweather um. loved my style of comedy and he booked.

me to host a show with Bobby Brown. I'll. be sure. Tina Marie and Keith Sweat. Wow. At the LA Forum in Los Angeles. Turned it out. But during intermission, um, a a DJ put in a cassette of a local. rap group. It was NWA. Me being the kind. of guy I am, I need to know who these. people were, right? So, Bobby was next. to me. He told me where they were. He. saw them in the audience. I walked up. the stage. I walked up to this young man. and I told him my name was T to the MFK. And he said I was easy MF.

and Easy E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, all came. to see me perform at the Comedy Store, right? A week later, Easy E said, "Yo, let's go." And I went on my first. national tour straight out of Compton. So, so you started, you started with New. Edition. New Edition. Then you met NWA. I met NWA and then. they put you on and that's kind of where. you start and then that's what took me. to everybody else. And I always had that. same formula, right? Right. So that.

formula took me to writing comedy skits. on albums. Then I was rocking with Too. Short. Then I was rocking with um Luke. in Miami. Okay. I was rocking with. Jay-Z. I was rocking with Lloyd from I. did Players Diary. I did Timberland's. first album. Um Gwen Stefani, right? So. I did everybody's stuff. So I always. kept quiet because nobody knew my my. path of my career. So, I always just. stayed low-key and all that because I. come from a different era than the. comedians today because I was in the.

streets as well, right? So, my OG's, we. had a certain style of communication. We. don't say nothing. Even back in the day, the way we take pictures now, you would. get beat up back in the day. If you took. somebody's picture, they didn't. authorize it. But now, everybody takes a. picture. But we we didn't want to be in. the spotlight. But because of the. business I'm in, I have to be on. Instagram, right? which I kind of hate, right? I have to do it. You got to sell. I mean, but you independent. You got to. sell yourself. I got to sell myself. You. hit it right in there. But there's going. to be a day and it's coming soon where.

there's no more text messaging. There's. no more videos. I'm just going to stop. then. What's go So, what's what's what's. the next step? What's the progression? Well, the thing is, um I just want to. continue traveling the way I do. I I. think I've saved up enough um financial. security to take me into when my time is. over, right? And I just want to enjoy I. got grandkids. You understand? We. getting there, right? I mean, we work so. hard and it's only so many damn jokes.

you can say. Even though and I want tell. my fans, even though I love. when they come to see me perform, I love. getting ready just like I told you I was. getting ready for you three years ago. Wow. I was preparing for you three years. ago. So when my team was like, "TK, I. can't wait for you to do Shay Club Shay. Shay." I said, "Don't worry about it. It's going to come. It's I promise you. it's going to come." So when I got the. call, I thought it was fake because.

somebody had sent me a fake email. pretending it was you, right? And they. was like, "Oh, we want you to do club. Shannon's a big fan of you." But they. didn't have no phone number, right? They. did it twice. So when your guy Yeah. So. when Dave reached out to me, um, he had. the phone number there, right? I knew it. was official, right? So when I called, he said, "Man, Shannon, want you got I. said, "Boom, it was set." So we supposed. to have done it a month from now, but I. had I got to do Boston in Massachusetts. So when I said, "Yo, let's do it.

earlier." Everybody said it was okay. Perfect. And boom, here we are. You. mentioned that you opened up for a lot. of a lot of rappers. Is it common now. for comedians to open up for rappers. now, or is that was a thing of the past? It was thing of the past. I I don't. think um the one thing I know for sure, you had to have a gift to open up for a. rap group. See, Leo Cohen said it best to me. I was. opening up, it was the Rough Riders, Cash Money Millionaires, Eve, we was.

doing the um show in New York. It was. packed 18,000 people and I'm turning it. out. So Leo Cohen said, "TK, a lot of. people don't know you have the most. important job of the night because you. have to control the climate of the room. You can sight a riot or you can keep. them laughing." And I always kept them. entertained. And that's what always kept. me going. And that's one thing I could. say for sure that will solidify my. position because most comedians don't.

have comedy IQ. Like you guys in. football know who was the great running. backs. You know who's the great. quarterbacks? You know, you do you watch. film to know when you play a team, who's. that guy, right? In our business, comedians don't do their homework. They don't have what I call comedy IQ. Really? Yeah. They don't have it. They. do not have it. So, comedy IQ is knowing. your history, right? A lot of people. think Russell Simmons started black. comedy, but it was a gentleman named.

Michael Williams, right? Michael. Williams started black comedy in South. Central on 43rd in Krenshawar um a place. called the Regency West. The Regency. West. The reason why he rented out the. hall cuz he had the best standard. comedian probably ever touched the mic, Robin Harris. Oh yeah. But this is. before they would let us into improvs, right? The Funny Bones. See, comedians. think that's easy now for them to get in. there. It wasn't. It wasn't. I'm not. saying they disliked us, but we did. Only people back in the day was Rich.

Prior. Correct. Mooney. It wasn't It's. so many more comedians a day. It's. insane. But back then, it was only a few. black comics. So, we had to get our own. venue. And once that took off, it. started spreading to Chicago, started. spreading to Miami. Then, um Bob Serner. and Tina Graham, who worked with Russell. Simmons, um started Death Jam. Right. Now what they did with Death Jam is So. you think that's why they gave Russell. Russell get so much credit because he.

started Jeff Dev comedy Jam. Yeah. because people don't know the history. and it kind of blew up. It blew up. So, he's going to get the he's going to get. the credit and um the rest is history. And that and but by Def Jam starting. is what got everybody into the improvs. into the funny bones. And that's what. that's why I always tell comedians if. you can always try to work at a. blackowned. comedy club at least two three times a. year, right? To get our people, our.

black owners rich because we made. everybody else rich. Correct. And we. don't take the time to look out for our. own people. And that's so important to. me because I remember when we only get. $20 and two chicken wings. Wow. Yeah, sir. See, I go way back then. So, comedians are making a lot of money now. They make a lot of money. And and and. and but if they knew the comedy IQ, if. they knew the history, they would say, "Yo, it's my duty. to give back." To give back. And that's.

what's important. That's what's missing. Do you uh were you the first comedian to. open up for rappers? Was there somebody? Yeah. There was nobody before me. And. anybody could say that nobody if you. wasn't doing comedy in 1985, which most. of them wasn't. You wasn't before me. I. started in 1985 and 1988 I was on tour. with NWA. So what what was your wildest experience. being on the road with NWA? I could tell. you exact it was easy. Um our first day. going to Indianapolis.

Um this is for headphones. So Dr. Dre. was on the plane with the boom box and. he was playing loud on the plane. Damn. Exactly. Flight attendant came and said, "Sir, you need to. Turn that off. Dr. Dre said, that's exactly what he said. Damn. So, nobody thought anything. Next thing you. heard, the pilot say, "We're making an. emergency landing.". They dropped our asses off. Where did.

they drop y'all off at? In Arizona. Damn. Y'all had even made it halfway. Not halfway. They dropped us off. But. Easy was so rich, he bought us four. tickets and put us on another plane and. we left. But yeah, that's the that's the. crazy experience have have I had with. NWA. Is it true that uh Ren slept with. your old lady? Yeah, that's so true. Hold on. It was reported that you took a. sharp and had a knife for Ren. Yo, that's so funny. Y'all been doing your. homework.

Shout out to Ren. But he taught me the. game, you know, cuz I was always been a. player. Yeah. You know, so you know, I. flew the girl in and I've never get the. man role manager was like, "No, TK, liability. you can't. bring her like no we could do it easy. didn't care. so we go shopping we hanging out so I. because I'm the MC right I got to be. there first. so she you left her back at the hotel I. left her at the hotel so it's 6:00 7.

it's 8 I think she finally got there. around 8. so we do the concert nothing happen I. see her we doing our thing hey how you. doing girl good to see you 2 o'clock in. In the morning, I get this knock on the. door. Boom, boom, boom, boom. It's easy. He says, "Come out with me. Come in. Come in." I come out. He said, "A ren has sex with your girl." Huh? And. then he fell out on the floor in the. hallway and rolled. Easy was funny. He.

was funny. He rolled down the hallway. and laughed. But because of my mindset, I had to go get my stuff for her stuff, put in the bag, and I threw out the. hotel. Dang. Yeah. That was my first lesson of. um being a player, but getting played. Yeah. Yeah. Do Ren Do you and Ren have a. conversation about that? We We see each. other. We don't bring it up. We just. laugh. Yeah. Yeah. We see each other. I'm quite sure he he sees the interviews.

over the years. It is what it is, you. know. It was a valuable lesson. Was that. the only time you had a a young lady. taken from you? Well, she wasn't my. woman. Yeah, but but but she the I mean, you brought her in. Yeah. Yeah. Got a. nice outfit. Yeah. I think that's the. only time. I think that's the only time. Yeah. But that's why I'm glad you. brought this up. because men today will shoot somebody. now. For sure. Right. Yeah. Or kill the. girl or kill themselves. Yeah. And what.

I want men to understand since Shannon. brought this up is a great segue into. this. Learn to control your emotions. Because you guys get so upset that you. want to kill someone and risk your whole. life over one woman when it's a billion. people out there and I want men to I. know it hurts. We know it hurts. It. hurts. especially if you invested in her. because you know the more time you. invest the more you know if you invest. money you invest time you invest energy.

it but it's just like anything like when. you're an athlete and you invest all the. training or the eating right the the the. denying yourself going on vacation. denying a lot of things and so when it. doesn't work out in your favor it hurts. you and sometime you see athletes crying. you're like man what man it's just the. game no it's not because you don't. understand what I invested in in order. to win this game and so anytime you. invest time energy effort into something. and it doesn't go your way, it hurts. You invest time, you invest whatever the. case may be, your love, your attention.

into an individual and it doesn't go. your way, it hurt. And it should because. the more invested you are, the more it. should hurt. Yes. But control your ego. cuz it's your ego. That's Yeah. Your ego. is what's hurting, right? Can't believe. she did that to me. I'm me, right? And. then you lose your life. And gentlemen. and ladies, yes. Hold tight cuz they. will be a better tomorrow. And that's. important for us to say that to the. world because they crashing out here. Yeah. Bad. Yes. You can't even.

compliment a woman on tattoos or. compliment her. It leads to a fight of. killing. Yeah. Crazy. Um, you open up. for Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, M, uh, Nelly, Outcast, Luda, Cash Money, Rough Riders, DMX. What's your favorite story? Give me. a couple of your favorite stories from. opening up from cuz bro I mean you. talking about you some heavyweights Jay. Lil Wayne cuz you're talking about top. five top 10 rappers. There's not a whole. lot of there are not a whole lot of list. that won't have whole Wayne uh uh M on.

that list. Yes, I totally agree. We. start with Lil Wayne first. I was. rocking with Lil Wayne and we were 16. So I was like a big uncle to him, right? and he loved me to death and um we just. truly enjoyed each other. Baby showed me. how. um money didn't matter when he first got. his $30 million deal. Um me and a man. named Ron Bird. Ron Bird is the person. that introduced me to Cash Money. Okay.

So me and another gentleman, we hanging. with Baby and him the night that um we. was doing a concert in New Orleans, right? And baby took the whole community. shopping. We was on Canal Street. shopping for everybody. But then he. stopped at a Bentley dealership. He was. he bought five Bentleys at one time. This is in 90. This is 1999, 1998 when. Bentleys wasn't even out like that. And. I was telling my man, don't look at him. cuz probably he going to get us a. Bentley. You know, he has people just.

don't care. And you you don't want to. make eye contact. So maybe you look the. other way. He might say, I thought that. was going to happen. I ain't going to. lie. But it didn't happen. But no, no, we a get to Bentley. But Baby Baby was a. Baby was something else. And still a. great gentleman to this day. Um Jay-Z, what I liked about Jay-Z, and shout out. to Jay. Um I hired him first for my. birthday party. Yeah, your 35th 35th. birthday party. He came, he was late. I. didn't want him to go on and my crew. that I was working with, Eric Bonzip,

Frankie B, Haitian Jack. I rode with. some real powerful people back in the. day. And um they said, "Nah, T, I'm. going." I was being a little. egotistical, you know, cuz like we mink. coat fly. Yeah. And um and he showed up. late like you ain't going to show up. late to my party and tell you about to. grace the state. Exactly. That's exactly. how I was. My crew got in my ear and. said, "Let him go on." He turned it out. Yeah. He turned it out. And him, Damon, Dash, all them was there. And the love. came when he blew up. He took me on the.

Hard Knock Life Tour. Wow. So we rocking. the hard knock life tour and that's how. I met with Cash Money. Um. Um and it was just a great moment. Timberland, what I liked about. Timberland, I knew his father. Okay. And. Timberland was just getting ready to. come out and I was doing interviews on. everybody's album from the Loonies to. Luke to everybody. And um Tim just. showed me love and respect and he just.

wanted him Missy Elliot they truly just. loved what I was doing and I just loved. it. So I mean it's good. I love your. questions because this is giving the. comedians who's going to watch this. education on the history of of comedy. which is very important. Right. Help me. understand this. Uh Ray Daniels um he's. in the industry and he says he's kind of. lost some respect for Hoveve because. Hoveve won't help Dame Dash out of his. financial situation. Now I saw that.

there have been times that Dame has. taken an opportunity to to kind of take. a dump on hold. Yes. Yes. And so it's. kind of hard. I agree. When every time. somebody got a microphone or a camera in. your face, you taking a shot at me. Yes. Now when you at your lowest, you want me. to pull you up? Yes. That's a good question. H I want to do. this respectfully because I love both of. them. Yeah. Um. I truly felt what hurt Damon was he.

talked too much. Yeah. And the goal in. life. is when you get the plug, when you get. to connect, is to shut up and get the. money. Mhm. You get the money. You don't. care about the fame. And what most. business people do where they mess up. is they want the fame. Mhm. And that's. what hurt to me. Damon Dash. Now that this has happened to Damon and.

it hurts to me that that it has because. he was the guy that had it all. I've. seen him, man. He was one of the great I. love that dude. Like I've seen him on. tour. I've seen how what they came up. with. I remember us driving down Park. Avenue. You know, we got the fly rise, you know, and I thought my car was fly. He pulled up at the red light with some. even flyer. We got the windows down. We. talking mess to each other. I'll never. forget those days. And um. when I read that in the article, I was.

hurt. But Jay-Z, as men now, we're men. Yeah. We're not. 17. Nope. We're not 18. Back then you. find loyalty like I'mma look out for my. people, right? But now when you have a. family, you've got mortgage. I don't care if you got a billion. dollars. Yeah. It's going to be hard for. somebody to to talk about me in a. negative light. Basically every chance. they get a man, right? When you're a. man,

unless that person, you actually agree with that person from. the core, you won't look out for him. It has to be. a special bond. And they separated. because to me, too much talking. And that's why I was. telling one of my friends the other day. about Elon Musk. Topic for a second. Elon Musk played himself like a female. He gave um Donald Trump 250 million, but.

what he should have did was shut up and. lay in the cut. But he want to be in all. the meetings. Yeah. He want recognition, right? He want to be seen, right? And. destroyed his stock in his business cuz. I got [ __ ] stock in it. Um. destroy his relationship with Mr. Trump. Yeah. Destroyed it. Yeah. I want people to use that example is if. you ever get put on, right, get your. money and shut up. Shut up. To this day, you don't know who Will Smith's manager.

is. To this day, you don't know, right? To. this day, you have no idea who. represents Will Smith cuz his manager, and I know him, I'm not gonna say his. name, moves low key, right? And people. want always want to be recognized, right? Stay up, get your money, stay. lowkey, stay off the radar, so to speak. Let me I want to pivot back to Jay-Z. because Jay-Z, although he got his start. in music, he doesn't do a whole lot of. music now. Maybe he'll jump on.

somebody's feature, but for the most. part, Jay-Z is a businessman outside of. the world of music. Yes. When you was. with him, did you saw did you see this. entrepreneurial side of Ho then? Absolutely. He comes on the streets. So, when we was in the streets, all of us. used to see each other. The thing about. Jay-Z, and I always noticed this in. life, when you take care of your crew, you get blessed, right? When Jay-Z turns. the corner in the Bentley, his crew. turns the corner and a Bentley, right?

We did a show in Philly. And they must have had nine Bentleys. pull up backstage. I'm talking about. damn cream top, burgundy. I ain't never. seen these colors in Bentley's before. Now I got a little jewelry on. But when. they hit the stage, it lit up the stadium, right? Like when. the lights hit it. Yeah. They out like. that. It was ice like that. It lit up. the stadium. It was like It was a. different type of rainbow type blue, purple, pink. I still remember to this.

day cuz I I was there. So that's what I. liked about Jay-Z. Now in life, men and. women, women, everybody's not going to like you. Right. You can't make everybody happy. Right. It's impossible. A lot of times. the more successful you get, the more. you're disliked. Yeah. The more you're. disliked. I had something that happened. today. The dude told me he didn't like. he didn't like me. He said, "Your word. doesn't mean nothing for the struggle.". And I said, "I don't even know who you. are." I said, "But if you need help with.

your credit or need to get out a little. apartment, they got websites to get you. together because you should don't get. mad at me because of your situation.". Because of my situation. Like I'm I'm a. old Anybody getting mad at me should be. embarrassed. I'm damn near 70 years old. Like to be upset with me is. embarrassing. 70, bro. I'm damn near 70. I mean, I. would never believe that, bro. And let. me explain to you what I mean, right? Once you get past.

50 something years old, for sure. You. done day to day. 70 to is here in like. three days. Yeah. Yeah. People don't. understand that one day you 50, you wake. up, you 70 something years old or 60. something years. This is a fact. It is. move. And then when you got schedules. like us, we know what we're doing three, four, five years from now. Yeah. We know. what we're doing. When you have it like. that, it's even faster. So you play if. you want to, you know, you play you want.

to, it goes by fast. So that's what I. liked about Jay-Z. He whole crew. was straight, right? You also went out. on the road with him. What What is it? What is it about him? What I mean did. you did where would you rank M? Did you. know M? I mean like cuz he Yeah, because. the thing is look, Vanilla Ice had what. he had Ice Baby and it just blew up and. he made so much money off that one song. But M was really the first white guy. Yes. To put it down. And you know, okay, the Beasty Boys. I mean, the Beasty Boys.

back in the in the mid 80s. I remember. the Beasty Boys. Uh but M was the first. with that with the I mean the flow the. uh the way he the way he said I mean. you're like damn that's a he was like. for rap M was to rap what Tiger Woods. was to golf. I totally agree and what at. one point in time Tiger Woods was the. best golfer and he was black and M was. the best rapper and he was white. And. let me tell you to the world what I.

see when you say that. to blow up you always need a co-signer. Yes. Right. You need a cosigner. I'm. going to take you way back. It's. probably before you was born. Um in 19. 68. I was born in ' 68. You said Yeah. So you don't see this. I got a I got a I. got a I got I got a birthday of the. week. Yeah. 1968. A man named Barry Gordy who ran Mottown. Yeah. Discovered a group called the. Jackson Five.

What Barry Gordy did was to blow the. Jackson 5 up. And you can Google this. You go go on album I'm about to tell you. on the Jackson 5 first album. It says. Diana Ross presents the Jackson 5. That. was the first moment of my life I. understood co-signing. Oh, so they used. Diana Ross who already had a name who. was already established. So basically. she was co-signing for the Jackson. Exactly. If I'm going to put my name.

behind them, they got to be good. They. got to be good. So now let's fast. forward to Dr. Dre. Yeah. Snoop Dogg. The whole Compton move. Dr. Dre co-signed Eminem. He Dr. Dre already had the movement. If. Dr. Dre touched it, you must be good. because he was the NWA and then he had. Snoop in the Chronic. So he spoke and. Tupac. Tupac. Yeah, he had him. So this. guy.

must be good. Now watch where I'm going. Get get deeper. I see where you That was. his co-signer. Now Eminem is a rock. star. Eminem Dr. Dre is is still. phenomenal. They find another gentleman. named 50. Co-sign him. Yep. co-signed and said the world, hey, you may not know who this guy is, but we. got the next superstar. So, for 50 and. Dr. Drea cosign 50 Cent, it was.

rockstar. Um, I read where Andre 3000 three stacks. gave you some great advice and we're. going to talk about this a little later, but how to deal with your child's mom. Yes. Yes. I was having some issues, but. most of us have as we growing up. And I. remember we was going to the airport cuz. um me and Outcast are good friends. Right. Right. Good friends. And one day. was like, "Yeah, I need one of them. puppies." Yeah. We um 6:00 in the. morning, we're going through the airport.

and me and him were talking. and I didn't know where to stay with my. you know how we all get when we have. that those the kids you don't want to. lead the kid you want to be there to. raise your your child cuz you think. that's the right thing to do especially. when you're educated because you educate. you don't want the woman that you have a. children with to be a single mother. correct this is what you start saying. that I don't want to be a single mom you. you know you want to be they don't women. some women don't know that men think. that way. We think that way to stay with. the family because we don't want you to.

be a single mother and we don't want no. one else to raise our child, but I want. to be in my kids' life. I'm going tell. you what a therapist told me one time. He said, "Shannon, sometimes you can be. in a relationship with a woman and while. y'all together, you're a single man.". Yep. So true. So. I told him that and I remember and I. share this with people, right? He said, "TK, you got to choose which pain you want.". That's what he said. You got to choose. which pain you want. I didn't understand.

it. So, one day, um, great big situation happened. It had to. happen that way because I'm into quantum. physics. I'm into the universe. I'm into. God. And me and her had a big blowout. And it was the greatest thing that ever. happened because I probably would have. kept coming back if it wouldn't have. happened that way. And I'm here to tell. young men and women sometimes it's good. to go separate ways, right? You think. the kids um.

want y'all to be together and they. probably do, right? But sometimes it's. best just to get away. Yeah. Best. And. and believe it or not, you'll you'll. live. You will grow. You will. become better depending on your. determination in life. Um, you will. educate yourself to become a better man, better woman. And I'm here today to say. that cuz I've actually lived it. And. that's why I always tell young men on.

social media. You could be 25, 29, 42, even the 50s. And I said, there's. nothing you could tell me. I'm damn near. 70. I'm here to tell you because I look. young is a gift and a curse. They if you. don't know me, you think I'm this young. kid talking, but I've seen it all. And. the best thing sometimes is let your. baby mom go on her way. You move on with. your life and um the kids going to love. it down the line cuz they get two. Christmases, two birthdays. It's a win.

Cuz sometimes, I mean, you you try to. stay to make it work and all you do is. argue. That's not good for the child. you realize that, you know, you get. pushed away and you're not there every. day and that's not good for the child. So, you're kind of dealing with. basically a dilemma, two equally. perplexing situations. If I stay is bad, if I go is bad. Damn. Yep. It's it's. crazy. I totally agree. And I actually. lived it. And I can honestly tell people. everything the universe threw at me,

I took it and built it brick by brick. And here I am today on Shannon Shop. We appreciate you having me, sir. You. also was on the uh you tour with DMX. You open for DMX? Yes. DMX is my man. Rest in peace. Yeah. God bless him. Um. to this day, DMX is the greatest solo rapper I've. ever seen in my life. Really?

No, nobody can touch him. If I had to go. solo rap artist, it's DMX number one. because um he didn't have background. dancers. It was just him, a jumpsuit, a a rockwaller dog collar and a mic and. some Tims and he and some Tims. He'll. hop on the the speakers. He'll run. through the the stage. He'll run through. the audience. And I remember watching. him.

not today. you you appreciate it cuz. when you're young right but when you get. to our age you go wow I was here for a. special moment and he was phenomenal I. will put as a solar DMX as a duo. Buster rhymes really listen to me. have you seen anybody since DMX have. that kind of energy on stage as a rapper. not at all not at all even though I love. what Atlanta is doing they have their.

own movement. style. Um, but it's just something about the people. that came up in the 80s and 90s in rap. that was just phenomenal. The DOC, um, Nelly, all all these guys was just. phenomenal. I mean, they paved the way. for these kids today doing what they're. doing, but DMX was amazing. And like I said, Buster RS and nobody. want to follow that dude. He was that. good because he performed. Right. Right.

He performed. And then Oakland had they. had Too Short. Yeah. And Too Short had. what I call that street. swagger that was missing in the world. He Now, let's just say if Eminem and Dr. J would have co-signed too short, right, he'd have been a rock star. Wow. He. would have been a rock star. But it's. all based on marketing. It's all about. if you got the machine behind you and.

that's the difference in success. Tupac. and Bigger, you had a relationship with. both of those guys and you were with. them days before they passed. That's. crazy. That's good. You know that. Yeah. Um. they died in different years. Um like a. year apart. One is in 96 and the other. was like March of 97, but very very. close. Both I've I've been blessed to be. both sides of the game. Biggie and users type me, little Kim, even Puff, you know, before the.

freakoffs, right? You know, Puff and. that and don't everybody know Puff used. to throw. some of the best parties in the game in. the early 90s. God bless him in his. situation. What I've learned in life, too. When people in trouble, don't wish. them well. Bish don't wish them bad. Just say, uh, I wish that person the. best and thank God it ain't me. And you. move on about it. Um, Biggie, I was with him the day he died. Um, but. Tupac had died first, right? And Tupac,

me. Vegas, it was me, Tupac, Mike Tyson, we. all hung out during that day and um. after the fight, we went was going to. club. 66 Su was throwing a a party, but. my dumb butt again. Um, I was working. out and I took some fat burner pills. Don't know why I'm not fat. I took fat. burner pill. Never forget it. Try to. speed up your metabolism. That's it.

Took the fat burner pills, but I didn't. know you couldn't drink alcohol with it. I drink alcohol later that afternoon. So, as we're going to the party, I leave them. because I'm not feeling good. Like. whatever that fat burner did, it did. something that I I never. for like you could actually feel it in. your skin. Oh man, it was it was painful. I stayed. in the um the hotel like a week. So I.

saw the Tupac thing on the news that he. had got shot. I was like, "Wow, that's. crazy." And um I saw I said he's going. to be all right, right? And um when I. started getting well, that's when I. found out he had died. So I had to fly. from Vegas to Charlotte to do a show. Yeah. Later I'm hanging with um um Lady. Note Blacknor who was Puppy's assistant. at the time. And um. we're hanging out Biggie and all of us.

having a good time. I had a comedy show. that night at the Comedy Act Theater. that the guy Michael Williams owned. Yeah. And when we went to the party on. Lebreer, it was at the museum. Um I'll never forget Biggie was like, "TK, you better go do your show." But. the party was amazing. Yeah. Oh, Shannon, this party that night was. amazing. In those situations, TK, did. you did the day see did anything seem. off? Did it seem like a normal Saturday,

a normal Friday or whatever the day the. case may, did anything seem off or just. seemed like a normal day? It seemed like. a normal day, but I saw all the street. guys. I saw the gang members there. Everybody was in suit, right? I said, "Ah, [ __ ] This [ __ ] ain't going to. last." That's what I felt, right? So I w. up me always pulling women snatched up. three girls. We get in the whip and I go. do my show, right? But we coming right. back. You I got a certain time I got to. be there. I'm going to go on and I'm. coming back. As I'm coming back, I'm. coming down Wilshire. See all the police.

cars. My man said TK Biggie got shot. Nah, they can't get shot. I'm brushing it. off. Right. I go hang out with Outcast because they. on Sunset Boulevard getting ready to do. their album release and I wind up. hosting their party. After I'm hosting. that party, I walk into this other room. and I'm looking out on Sunset Boulevard. I'm just staring, right? I said. maybe Biggy did get shot. Hopped in the.

car and something just told me to go to. um. Syina Hospital. Suicide. Suicide. Uhhuh. And I walked up and Leo Leote, shout out. to Leo. I haven't talked to you in. years. She said, "Biggy died.". I said, "What?". And I was just standing there and I. never got staying at this hotel in um. Culver City and I went and called my mom.

and told her that Biggie had died. Now, the reason why I called my mother cuz my. brother died in 1995. Mhm. But he Biggie. got shot on the day my brother birthday. It was March 9th. Mhm. So, um that was. my brother's birthday even though he was. deceased already. Yeah. And I was. talking to my mom about that and um that. was the story. I've been in some crazy. situation with people when they death. Even when um my guy.

fathers from the OJ's. Okay. Yeah. What's his name? OJ's. Who's it? His. father his his father's OJ's both of. them passed away. Yeah. He said the. beard heavy set dude. Oh, Levert. Levert. Gerald Levert. Levert. So me and. the J about to do this years later and J. dies before the night before we do our. concert and um. I just never forget that to see these.

gentlemen pass away and in my journey of. entertainment. and like I said you seen so much death. that um every it affects everybody. different. Yeah, for sure and something. that you said that was very important. I. appreciate this [ __ ] cuz I've been doing. this since I was burying people since I. was 11. So I don't take nothing for. granted. I know people can pull you away. from it. People can really bring you. down to their level and destroy your. life. And what people need to understand.

is don't allow no one to destroy your. life. You got to love yourself that. much. And what David Clayman had taught. me, he said, "TK, you're not afraid of. nothing.". I said, "What do you mean?" He said, "You're not afraid to go to jail.". He said, "You got to be afraid." There's. nothing wrong with being afraid. Be. afraid that you don't end up there. And. I've always took that for the rest of my. life.

Are you surprised Biggie went to Cali. considering that he knew how the West. Coast felt about East Coast and East. Coast felt about West Coast? Especially. because like you said, Tupac had just. died. I mean, it wasn't even a year. I. think Tupac died in like September, October, and here it was March and. Biggie is in Cali knowing how the West. Coast felt about the East Coast. It's. called um inexperience. Mhm. When you. don't know, you think everything's going to be okay.

Everything. Yep. Right. So, when my boy. got locked up saying that he was the guy. with the situation behind um Biggie. getting killed, my business, my partner, my street guy, Eric Bonzip, they said Puffy had gave Eric Bonzip a. million and Zip never gave it to the. people to do the shooting, but the. shooting happened, right? So, um, everybody zip d, but they knew me and. him was partners. So, room on the street. was I had got the million, right? Because, um, me and him was tight, but I.

wanted everybody know. I don't I don't know nothing about no. money. That was it. You've also been featured. on album. You worked with Missy Elliot, Madonna, uh, Gwen Stefani. Uh, and we're going to talk I want to. get ask you this, but when I go back and. I think of Missy, I think of creativity. Yes. I think of the videos. I think she. was ahead of her time. I don't think she. gets the credit that she deserves and. and that's not a knock on anybody that's. currently that's in the genre that she's.

in. But Missy was way ahead of her time. She was futuristic. Yep. Absolutely. She's 2085 and happened to be in the. 90s, early 2000 when she was doing her. thing. I totally agree. She was creative. in the videos. She was very unique. Um, very creative and I love that about her. I mean, you all you can say is she was. great. I mean, you have the female. rappers today and yeah, they're good. I'm no don't no don't no don't no don't. no don't no don't no don't no don't no. don't no don't no don't no don't knock. nobody but everything in the 90s when it.

came to hip-hop. was on a whole another level whole. another level and it's good to know I'm. glad to know I was part of it you know. what I want that's what I want to ask. you. people say. like somebody can do an album like man. you do an album and you're really good. you have success but I want to see him. do something else he does something else. man I want the old guy back. That's so. true. I mean, it's like nature. Yeah. It's like a, you know, change, you know,

it's inevitable. Yes. And you know, you. see an actor, man, that's all he does is. that I want to see him do something. else. And then when he does, he or she. does something else, man, I don't like I. want him to see the old thing. So, how. do we get because you you see a lot of a. lot of rappers, a lot of entertainers, um, be it R&B or whatever the case may. be, they try to expand. Kudos to. Beyonce. Yes. because I don't know if I. would have had to go country, which is. so far away from the genre that she's. in. And she says, "I don't care. I'm.

going to do it." Do you understand the. the husband. say I've seen someone do it to the level. I'm here, but now I'm going go way over. here and get the acclaim and the. adoration that she's been. And that's. and you hit that right on the nail. Most. people don't understand how hard that is. to do cuz it's very it's impossible to. do. And she's actually done it. She's.

actually done it, you know. And the tour. I guess the tour has done sold out 19. sold out shows all the money that she's. been able to to accumulate. But I don't. think she did it for the money. I think. she I think she strikes me as a as a. young as a woman that likes to challenge. herself. It seems that way. It it. definitely you got to like a challenge. TK if you do that now. Yeah, you have to. for her to go way country. Amazing. It's truly amazing. Yeah, I I I. met uh I met um Beyonce a few times.

Beautiful woman. Stunning. Um. and I'm glad Jay-Z pulled her. Yeah. Yeah, he pulled her cuz a lot of. people was after her. Yeah. You know, and I remember all of us hanging out. Um, Aaliyah, um, Beyonce, uh, Ananda Lewis, God bless, God bless. Ananda. Um, and I've seen everything. from Lane in the cut, you know, cuz they. used to always say, TK, you like the. headline cuz I always kept a bad.

breathing on me. Yeah. You know what I'm. saying? So they was like, "Who is TK?". Cuz I always kept a fine woman. I kept. one. Kept one. No doubt about it. Let me ask you a question, TK, because. you you've been at like you said you've. been at this thing since the 80s. Mhm. What happened to the music video? You. know, like we got the music video with. Oh, yes, man. And Missy, we go back to. Missy. But the man, I I miss the days of. MTV or and whatever the case when I saw.

the music. I get excited the song and. I'm like, "Oh, man. I can't wait to see. I can't wait to see." Yes. I can't wait. to see what this video is going to be. What happened to the music video? AI. AI changed the game. They started in the. the music business. So many executives. lost their job. They cut down the. budgets. Now they want artists to be pretty much. famous before they take you on, right? Because social media, YouTube, they want.

to know how many YouTube followers you. have, how many um um songs got played. It's big numbers, right? So, nobody. wants to work no more. Nobody wants to. even It's just not the um Well, if I. build it up, I don't really need you. If. I'm going to build up my YouTube. channel, I'm going to build up my social. media, my IG, my Twitter, my threads, or. whatever the case, maybe Tik Tok, why. the hell I need you. If I got all this, if I got across the board, I got 30. million, why do I need you? I respect.

what you're saying, but most men don't. think the way you think or I think. They. think they need someone. And in today's world, you don't need a. co-signer. Today, you got your phone. Today, you can really market yourself, right? NBA Young Boy is the prime. example of what I'm saying. Multi-. multi- multi-millionaire. And he doesn't need nobody. And you. don't see no Harley, no videos. He only.

thing he had he has little, you know, his own personal problem, right? But he. was very successful at it. So when. people come to me and say, "TK, what do. you think, man? I'm trying to get on." I. said, "Why are you trying to get. signed?". I said, "You could do it your yo, do it. yourself, dog. You You know, I had wanted to do Netflix.". And I still do want to do it cuz the the. people are so brainwashed. They think to. make it, you have to be on Netflix. Netflix. But I have my own network.

called TK Kirk. TK.network. Well, I. mean, you saw what Alison Deique did. you saw with Erns Jay is some people are. just doing it and going to YouTube. So. you theor I mean you can do that is I. mean look I think Netflix is a wonderful. platform. They do an unbelievable job. Um but I think the thing is now in. today's time you can do it yourself and. you cut out the middleman. You know what. your cover of your um project's going to. be. Yeah. You know the date that you. want to release it. That's important to.

me. Right. Cuz one thing I I've never. had an agent, never had a manager. really. Never. I've done everything on. my own. And. I just don't like the fact you have to. call someone and wait for them to call. you back or someone say they out of the. country or someone say they doing. something when what you're about to ask. them is only going to take 30 seconds, right? But because they took a week, two. weeks, maybe a month, you get frustrated. I never like that.

So when I've always been my own man. So. when I snatched up DL Hugley, when I. snatched up Goffrey, when I snatched up. Mike Eps, um Sandra Bulock, I taught all. them the game, you know. Um because I. was in the streets, I had to really stay. low-key because my partners Tommy um. Chester and David Clayman um two Jewish. guys who love them very dearly. I I was. confused young kid. They pretty much. said, "TK, you got to fall back because.

you about to about money." That's about. to say because you don't know who what. you want to do yet, but you ain't going. to about money, right? So, but he said, "TK, this going to be the easiest money. you'll ever make in your life." But. nothing got done unless they ran it past. me. That's what I liked about these. gentlemen. So, everything from Sandra. Bulock, you know, when we did, you had a. nice little You had a nice little cut of. Sandra for like two decades. And not. just her, I had Anthony Michael Hall. Wow. John Lucasamo,

all these guys on the artistry. management, but because of me going. through what I was going through at that. time, um, I had to stay low key. I was. still getting a check. Right. Right. So, um, it teaches you things, but I've. always taught independence. I always. taught ownership. Just like you running. your own podcast, you your own boss. And. we want to show men and women to put. themselves in position to be on I I hate. that somebody got to say to someone, I.

got to speak to my boss on Tuesday. See. if I can make my son's graduation, right? No disrespect. No man to me. should have to live like that. That's. just me. Well, I think the thing is how. do you see yourself? Do you see yourself. as talent or you see yourself as. ownership? That's so true. Talent, they. cut you a check. Ownership you do. collapse. Well, one rule I got, I sign. the front of the check. Yeah. Yeah. My name is in the top left. Yes. I. signed the front of the check. That's. something that I truly believe in. I. signed the front of the check.

TK, when you came up, comedians. basically, you had to hit the circuit. You're black. You probably started out. on the Chitlin circuit and you go to. these little small clubs. Maybe there. was 20, 30 people in there piling and. you tell you get 10, five, five, 10. minutes and you keep it moving. You do. 15 shows a week cuz you're just trying. to make it. Now you see comedians, they. can get on and do a skit on social media. and blow up just like that. So true. It.

is so different now. Totally agree. Than. what it was then? What do you like now. about this new the the new comedians? What is it? Because I mean I get. different results. I mean something like. yeah it's easy to do a skit and it's. easy to be good for a year but can you. be good in year five can you be year. good I can see that 18 20 30 I look at. from an entrepreneur thing I believe. that things change right um. Jake Paul in boxing.

right what he and his brother doing same. in comedy right you you created a. gimmick and you won at the end of the. day I always tell people when you in. line at the bank. The teller doesn't. care how you got your money. You could. be a hoe. You could be a thief. Yeah. Cuz you all. look the same. It's green. All look the. same. So, everybody gets their money a. different way. Correct. I respect what. happened for them. Wish them the best. Um I'm on the other side of the. mountain. So, I'm not really I don't.

care about certain things, right? I just. live life. I see things change. I just. know that I took care of me. I look. amazing for my age, right? I'm healthy. I go to the doctor every I don't go to. the doctor once a year. I go to the. doctor every four months. Yeah. Cuz I. don't want nothing catching me slipping. Like I'm that kind of man. Right. So um. it's good to see it. And I wished all. the comics you like me TK. Anything. start to feel bad. Man, ain't nothing. wrong with you. I want the doctor to. tell me ain't nothing wrong with not. you. You ain't got no medical license. I.

ain't got no game. I I I love life. Shannon so much that I don't play with. it. Right. Right. I beat the odds like I. told you off air. Um, I really love this. yo. I love life, right? I'm not going to. let nobody take it away from me. I'm not. going to let nobody pull me down to. their level of disrespect. because I've been in jail. I've been. my life almost taken away. I told the.

story years ago. um one time I got locked up in LA. and um didn't care about it now, but. it's interesting today. The Menendez. brothers is in my chamber. Oh, damn. We. was in protective custody. Okay. See, most people think you're a punk if. you're in protective custody, but what. LA does is if you're famous, you go. there because they don't want to deal. with general population. So was the. Menendez brothers,

Rick James, Tupac, and M. all in the same cell that week. So um. you could still hear other people talk. And what they said to me, this is. hilarious. Yo, Scott is saying the same. thing. They said, "TK, tell us a joke.". Cuz you know Rick James really loved me, right? And I said, "I ain't telling no. joke. I'm fighting the case, right? Ain't trying to be funny. Listen to me. Do you know them [ __ ] booed me.

in LA County? I'll never forget that. I'm talking about it had to be 200. something people booed me. Yo, it was like the garden. It was that. loud. I'll never forget. And I wind up telling. some joke and they loved it. And I'll. never forget that. That was You got to. be the only the only the only the only. ninja that got booed in jail. Got booed. dog. Boo. And I mean that guy. Boo. Wow.

How How did you How did you meet Mike? Mike Abs I love that gentleman. Um. when I was touring. I used to go in the clubs and right. before I would go on I always sat in the. back and watch comics. Now my blueprint was Easy E and those. guys because Easy was a entrepreneur. Mhm. And I knew that I had a different. style of comedy.

And I needed comics. that was going to I was going to bring. on to get him in TV and film to help. pave the way. And I was going to be the. slingshot come right behind him. Right. Right. That was my goal. So I watched um. Mike GPS for a year and I felt like he. wasn't ready. When I came back the following year, I. saw him again. It was him and a. gentleman named Nard. They both were. good. Nard was from now. He's deceased. now. And I had a choice. I wanted to see.

which person I was going to pick. And I talked to Mike Caps. I said, "Yo, come meet me in New York." He believed. him. I got in New York, stayed at um my. business manager's apartment, and boom, the rest is history. And he went on to. be very, very, very successful. And I, you know, I I've known Mike for so long. and just to see his achievements is just. a blessing. So that's that's pretty much. how I met Mike. It was at the Atlanta. Comedy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia way.

back in the day. Woo. Like 1990, 1991. It seems to be a lot of natural the. progression as a comedian starts on. stage and then he goes into the movies. Yes. Um, you know, Richard Prior, you. saw Eddie Murphy. I mean, there have. been so many uh uh uh uh who is it? Bernie M. Bernie M. We see Kevin Hart. We see S said the Entertainer, you know, even Cat with Cat Williams did. I mean,

there have been so many uh DL had a had. a TV. Yeah, it sure did. Is that is that. what the was that something that is that. a natural progression? is that you see. guy because you're used to performing. You can perform in in in front of a, you. know, a thousand, 2,000, 5,000 people. You definitely can perform in front of a. camera, in front of an audience, 200. people. Easy. Um, two things. One, I. never cared. I had this philosophy.

Um, I pretty much taught those guys the. game. And I was had a choice. When you. go for an audition, somebody's about to. make a choice on your life. Mhm. They. have to like you out of all these people. that you're everybody's audition for the. same spot. I never wanted to be a part. of that competition. Really? Never. My. thing was what's real? What's real was. doing a show and the money was in my. hand. This was a maybe. I got to get. somebody to like me, right? It's levels.

to entertainment, right? Then let's say. you get the gig, you have to do a pilot. Now the executives of the company have. to like you to give you a green light. Then if you get on air, you have to hope that the Midwestern and. the rest of the country because it's all. about ratings. Correct. Do the rest of. the country likes you. I couldn't put my. life in.

those people's hands. You love You want. instant money. I get on the stage, hand. me my check, hand my hand my cash, the. check, however I'm going to pay. And I'm. more successful than the people who have. done TV and film. Wow. See, the illusion. is that everybody thought because you. saw certain such in a movie or such as. such as a TV show that they was rich, but I play I bet it on me, right? Every. day. I may not have done what uh Kevin. Harts and most comics have done and most.

comedian who don't mo most people in. this country and world who don't have a. high comedy IQ that's how they base. success right you have to be on TV. I went for the bread I knew how to do. stocks I knew how to save. um and it paid off so when I talked to. certain people I say yo you a. millionaire what do you mean I a dog. I. know you a millionaire. I'm not going to say what I got, but I.

know I got a M behind my name. Wow. I. know I got an M. Right. I know I got M. And it's not. And one thing I've learned. in life is not how much you make, it's. how much you keep. You keep. Yeah. See, I floss a little bit and you know, I got. a little stuff I put. I mean, just. enough. I mean, but because I tell you. the thing, I mean, you work hard. I. mean, look, we didn't come to stay. That's so true. Everybody gonna leave. My grand boy, we ain't come to stay. Yep. That's right. I'm not going to be. frivolous. Yes. But I I think I should.

enjoy myself. Got to enjoy yourself. because guess what? You know what you. notice a once and then once I got into. position TK and I and I want to know. what you think about this, okay? Is that. I started to notice people. enjoy your money more than you. They. damn sure do. So while I'm sitting here saving, I. can't buy this and I can't do that. I. promise you if you when you go from here. and you leave it to somebody else, they. gonna enjoy it. They gonna enjoy it. And.

that's why I teach my kids respect. money. Yes. And and my business partner, David Clayman, used to always say, TK, don't you get old and be broke. Oh, yes. Bad. He said, don't you get old and be broke. And I want people to listen to what I'm. saying. It's not a good look. You play you play. with your life all you want. All you. care people all your listening people. that's going to be watching.

and it's worse now. Yeah. Cuz it ain't going to be no Medicaid. Ain't no Medicare. Yeah. It's worse now. It's about to We about to see something. I mean, you older men. Yeah. We about to. see something we've never seen before. and it's coming. And if you. didn't respect money, right, if you didn't respect your health, Mhm. you done.

I don't know. I'll say it. I read a lot. And um. over 80% of this country don't even have. $5,000 in their bank account. I read. that. I saw that. You saw that, right? Yeah. What was like if. if you have like 10,000 and no debt, you're like the top 80% 85% of the. country. 10,000 10,000 with no debt.

It's insane. And I can we can't save the world. No. Right. Hurts me sometime. I'm being. honest. Right. Sometimes I wish I could. do every something for everybody. Right. I wish I had Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. money and I would give everybody a. check, but that's not the world. Then. you wouldn't have Elon Musk and Jay. Beas. Yeah, but but I do. But you you're. like me. You like I I'm like that TK cuz. I got a heart and I hate to see you. people struggling like but I can't save. all.

and and and and we live in a world of. social media. Everybody lies. People get. on my social media. Some women like I I. got three kids. I need blah blah blah. and you don't know whether to believe. them because so many people lie and you. don't want to like I don't want to get. played right and then if I take it deep. I'm like yo you you had sex to three men. and you struggling your choices you. likelihood you probably was struggling. with the first one exactly put yourself. back in that situation for the second. one so men of our caliber we don't like.

to make decisions like that like I I. don't I don't want to be in that. situation all I could do is just pray. for some. reach out to me hating right you know. who are you and all this and I'm at the. movies and I got a text of dudes out of. nowhere was f you. and because of my nature exactly I said. how is it how was in that small. department. [Laughter].

I said how you doing in that small. apartment like I had to mess with them I. don't know you. don't know you and to the people. listening he's mad at you for a. situation. Yeah. Don't be mad at me cuz. I worked through my thing. One dude talk. about you, we don't care about you. You. You don't represent the struggle. I. don't want to have nothing to do with. the struggle. Yeah. But I struggled. I. struggled. Yeah. I'm in my I'm like I. said, I'm close to 70. I want all of you people.

to work hard and make it. I promise you. because. it's a beautiful thing when when you. overcome Yeah. and achieve. Like I told. some gentlemen that um you don't become. a man until you're 42 years old. And one. dude said, "I'm a man now at 29.". And when I said, "You got to be in your. 50s and 60s to look back. You got to. have that much mileage in life. You got. to have some different diff distance to.

see when you became a man. You ain't a man at 29. You might be. responsible. You might have kids. You might have. bought a home. Haven't lived long. enough. Haven't lived long enough. You. got to be in our age rack bracket, right? To look back. to know when that happened. But you. know, a lot of times people see where we. are and not where we came from. That's. so true. And I said something I was on. Nightat with OO and I said, you never. judge a man by where he's standing.

because you don't know how far he's. come. That's so true. So you look at. somebody that's laying on the street, but yesterday he was under the bridge. So true. So while you judge me for where. I am, do you know where I've come from? You look at my you say, "Well, he's a. failure." No, there's just delayed. success. That's right. I'm on a success. story. Yes. Um and so I think the thing. is, and people get upset, oh, you got. this, you got that. But do you see from. 1968 to 1988 when I didn't have that?

That's right. That's right. And it's all. the old game, right? Remember we was. coming up? We saw the the older men and. women successful. Yeah. And they worked. hard. You saw Mr. Williams and he's open. the door for his wife, but they we just. went to church. He got the nice coat on. and the nice slacks and you could tell. he's walking with success. He earned it, right? See, when hip-hop came around, nothing wrong with hip-hop. It changed. the mindset of the world. Everybody. thought you can get successful.

overnight. But in the old day, most. millionaires are created in their 60s, right? 50s and 60s. If you can get money. in your 20s and 30s, I'm happy for you. But is a curse. Make sure you keep it in. the 40s and 50s. Here's the curse. When I saw the R. Kelly's, the Puffy Combs, most young kind young most young singers.

and rappers who got rich in their 20s, it it it created ego. and the ego all came back to bite them. in their ass when they became a man. When I saw people. success come later because they truly. earned it. You see character, respect, honor. Most people don't have that.

And that's why we have the issues that. we have from Suge to Puffy to R. Kelly, right? because their ego. got in the way and it destroyed them. And. I've seen even when you when people's. hustling and they came into money. Mhm. It messed up their ego and destroyed. them. And if you take your time,

you may not seem like you could do it. now, but one day you will be 60s. something years old. And if you take. care of yourself, you won't be a fat old. slob or old guy. You'll still be have. some type of health, right? And you But. at least you hope you can be 60. You. hope you hope that's not promised to. you. We know this. Ain't promised. Yeah, cuz everybody everybody got a. appointment they can't reschedule. That's right. You just don't know what. it is. That's right. But all you can do. with the universe is extend your. contract. So you take care of your.

health. The universe wants to see you. win. And if you do right, Yeah. They'll. extend you another few weeks or another. 365. Right? That that's how I see the. universe. They want to see you win. You. are the person sabotaging your life, right? If you could re recreate any. decade and uh you're like you're in 60, so you've been around for six decades. If you can recreate any decade, what. decade would you recreate? Now. Right.

now. Yes, sir. because all the things I went through um. when I was coming up, people um you know. think you was a bad person. You think he. was on the on the wrong path of life. Then you get to be my age and you. understand the universe, right? The universe is sent me here to teach me. these lessons.

And. you can't teach nobody nothing if you. ain't been through nothing. Right? So. everything I went through made me the. man I am today. Um I'm happy. I'm. healthy. I'm independent. Um. kids have graduated from college. I got. grandkids. I live to see that. Right? You. understand what I mean? I live to see. it.

people who are watching us, they won't make it to that, right? Or. they have grandchildren already at a. young age, but there's nothing like it. the way to me, the way you're really. supposed to go. You supposed to get your. grandkids in your 50s and 60s, not at. 30, not at 40. Right. Right. It's just. being honest, right? You know, because. you want to have so much wisdom and. knowledge that you can teach your. grandchildren something. If you're. having grandkids in your 40s, you you're. going to pretty much they going to see.

the nonsense that you still have in your. life. And that's just not I don't you. know I don't agree with that. You met early in your career Kenan, Richard Prior, Prince. What was it like. to meet. I mean they weren't at the level that. they became. So you got them in their. early years. Yes. And to see them to see. Kenan Arians and to see what he created. with a living color and you see him you.

know him and uh Robert Townson yes. writing and you see what he's been able. to do with his brothers Marlin and uh uh. Sean and Damon you see uh Richard Prior. goes without saying and Prince. the way he could write could play all. the instruments could entertain. He's. one of one and we might not ever see. anything like that again 100%. Totally. agree. Did you understand. that you were in the presence of. greatness then? No. You took it for.

granted cuz we didn't know cuz we were. kids, right? Prince was a phenomenal. guy. Um saw his career take off. But. Prince used to have a club in Minnesota. Yeah. That he used to do comedy shows. because he was a big fan of comedy and. loved TK. I'm just so I get excited when. I tell have these interviews, right? because I start thinking about what I've. accomplished. [ __ ] is amazing. Was Did. he have the club before Glam Slam or. First Dave? After. Okay. After. And he was just.

amazing. I remember being in the studio. and he had like. 20 pieces of equipment. here. Go to each one and set it up. Yeah. You don't you don't you don't. That's impressive now. Back then you. just think that's what you're supposed. to do. That's what you're supposed Yeah. Yeah. It's is insane when you talk about. Richard Prior. I was getting my master's. degree at Cal State Northridge in. California. I lived on Parthenia Avenue. I lived two doors from Richard Prior.

Wow. Didn't even know it at the time. He. lived two doors down from me. I was on a. track scholarship. So, they had me in. this beautiful home on Parthnia. And um. got to meet Richard Prior down the line. And me being crazy, I always used to say. I I wish I could have saw him running. down Partni on fire, right? Because I I. would have told him I need a certain. amount of money. I would throw this. water on him. You know, that was almost. my inside joke. You know, I wish I saw.

him on fire so I could bargain with him. to get a few dollars. Crazy story. And. Keenan to this day. is the. Kennedys of comedy. Comedy. I'll say the. Kennedys and the Jacks of Five. Yeah. He. understood the game, right? He took care. of his family. Mhm. He put all them on. Damon, every last one. Sean, excuse me, Kim. Yes. Every last one, which was.

phenomenal. And when you grow up in a. family, you see brothers and sisters. arguing, you think that might be the way. the world supposed to be. And then it's. the ways. Mhm. And they show you how a family is. supposed to take care of each other. Absolutely. Because of Kenan, mostly all. of them are millionaires. Because of. Kenan, most of them have a job. And I. seen it all. Right. And um I haven't.

seen Keenan in years, but um. he put me in um I'mma get you sucker. Yeah. He he put me in I'm going get you. sucker. And I wasn't really really doing. standup at that time, but he he liked me. as a person. Robert Townsen put me in. the Black the Bold the Beautiful. Uh he. loved me as a comedian. I played the. butler in the Black the Bold the. Beautiful. and um sit here talking to.

you Shannon, I'm just so thankful about. um. what I've accomplished because I think. the thing is like when you're an athlete. or you're anytime any anything and you. have success, I don't know if you really. get an opportunity to enjoy it while. you're in it. I totally agree because. you don't want it to go away. So, I got. to stay focused on this. And then when. you're done and as you get older, you're. getting into your 40s and and and the. career is starting to dwindle down and. you're not doing it as much. You get to. your 50s or 60s, you're still doing.

comedy and hopefully you can continue it. for as long as you want. Yes. But. sometimes like when you're in stuff, I. really never appreciated my career when. I was in it because I was too caught up. in it and I was so afraid that it might. go away. So I didn't get an opportunity. to enjoy like, man, I won a Super Bowl. or I did this or I did that. Now I get. an opportunity to look back, you know, 20 plus years after my career. I was. like, damn, I guess I I guess I was. okay. I guess I did. That's so true. It's a beautiful feeling, man. I love. it. Yeah. Beautiful feeling. And people. always want to know when I'm getting.

married. That's been this big thing. Yeah. When you get married, I tell I'm. going to say it on your show. I've been. married now for over 30 years. Oh, you. married to the Game of Comedy, huh? I'm. married to the Almighty Man God. Oh, okay. That's who I'm married to, you. know. So, um I still have my fun. Yeah. You know, I got somebody who I love that. I give a PDD to. You know, you know PDD. is a proper dick down.

Cuz when people on social media, they're. like, "Oh, you're going to die alone.". And all that. And I tell people, I got. news for you. You're going to die by. yourself anyway. You know, ain't nobody. jumping in there with you like that. People are crazy. Take me. Yay. Yay. Yo, people is insane with that, bro. So, um. I'm all right, Shannon. Yeah, I'm on Sh. I'm on Shannon's shop. Yo, listen. Listen to me. I I.

I predicted I was going to be on your. show three years ago. I appreciate you. taking time to come on it. Three years. ago, I telling my team, they said, "TK, we need to do sh." I said, "Calm down.". That's how I always move. calm down. It's going to happen. It's going to. happen. It's in the universe already and. it has to come natural because if we go. after it, we ain't going to get it. right. Y'all called me. Yes. Which was. beautiful. And when a team calls you,

you know you want it. Yes. And I always. tell people, go where you celebrate it, not tolerate it. Correct. And you're. celebrating me. And that's it's a it's a. difference, right? Uh Eddie and Charlie, you met them. You you've Yes. It's it's. a it's and and and I knew it was coming, but let me share it with you. All I. could say with the Charlie Murphy sit. because everybody thought it was Eddie. Murphy, right? But it's really Charlie. Murphy. All I All I can say I never got. a chance to apologize to Charlie cuz he.

had died. So you were a klepto back. then? No, I wasn't a klepto. I was just. doing stupid [ __ ] You were just a. Steve, huh? No, I was just doing stupid. [ __ ] Yeah. Why you take the mad Rolex, TK? I was just doing stupid [ __ ] It was. a bad thing. I was young. I was 19 years. old. 20 years old. So, how long had you. known him, Charlie? I didn't know him. that long at all. Damn, TK. Yeah, it was. a bad situation. And you made it I mean, you went to jail for a couple couple of. time, but I'm saying you and you made it. to be 66. You're really blessed. I see.

why you turned your life over to the. man. That's right. Right. You like, "Hold on. I'm been I'm living foul out. here." No. No. Did you think did you. think about it at the at the time like. cuz like when you doing stuff TK you. don't really think bad stuff going to. happen like no I agree you don't really. think about it and then you get back and. look back like damn but I was crazy when. I was young really yeah man. using them street streets yeah people. don't know that people I've given so. many people a pass over the last 10. years that things have happened they.

have no idea the kind of man I used to. be but that grew out of you or you I. mean the man that you are now. So was it. is it like you're like you know what. you're at peace now with who you are. Yes. Uh obviously you say you're a man. of man man of God you and and and you. know talking a little bit I I can see. that in you. So you think that's what it. is? I think you grow up. Everything don't got to be solved with. violence. Huh? Yeah. Everything has to. be solved with violence. And.

what you learn in life is they got a. place for you. Yeah, you can be tough. all you want. They can break you. They. got a play. And they broke me. Really? Yeah. They broke me because I was on. probation for like 20 years. Damn. Yeah. So, you understand? But not in one. state. I would get in trouble in one. state, they give me five years. They. moved to another one. Then I get in. trouble in another state, they give me. five years. Damn. So by after 20 years, I had submitted. I understood because.

they wasn't playing. They wasn't. playing. And um I got in trouble with Puffy in. 1998. It was a um What happened with. that situation? I had robbed Puffy. And um Really, TK? Yeah, Doug, I told. you I was crazy. And um the judge, Margaret, at that time, she wasn't playing and Margaret was. like, um, she didn't care about Puffy.

What she cared about was how did he get. away with all the other [ __ ] that was so. concerned. She wasn't playing cuz you. know you look at somebody's record. She's saying like I should have been. locked up years ago, right? How did he. get to me? That mean somebody wasn't. doing their job. That's she going to. make sure she do her job. She going to. do her job. She And I could tell she was. not playing. So I out finessed her. Right. I told you I'm smart. I out finessed her ass. When you say,

you know, you fail on the mercy of the. court. Say, hey, I out finessed her. I. got the best attorneys, but things when. I say I, the universe wants to see you. win, right? So, I tell you the story. I. don't think I told it on nobody else's. show. When I got arrested for the Puffy. situation, they was already looking for. me, right? I was on the news and all. that. Damn. It was bad. It was bad. Yo, it was bad. My mother was embarrassed.

No, you embarrassed your mom. Yeah, it. was pretty bad. It's bad. Mhm. So, I was. supposed to I had a surrender date cuz I. I still had money. I was just doing dumb. stuff. Right. Right. I was rich, but I. was doing stupid stuff. So, basically. what I see now, I did I don't think I. wanted success. I think I was sabotaging myself. That's. the only way I could look at it. I. didn't want that. I was rich, but for. some reason I didn't want to be richer.

Yeah. You know what? Yeah, it does. Because uh I had Damon Weighins on the. show and he said Kenan always tells the. younger generation of the of the. Weighins family uh nieces and nephews um. told his younger brothers, he said, "You. were born on the road to success. Why. would you want to take a detour?" So. true. You had money. Why would you want. to detour and do bull drive? Yeah. And. but sometimes you got to go through it. And like I said, the universe, remember.

I said, yeah. When you get older, the. universe wants you to go through these. things because you're now a model to. teach other people, don't make the. mistake. That's what you learn when you. get in your 60s. Yes. You don't. understand it when you're younger. When. you're younger, you just [ __ ] up. And. some, you know what, TK, I learned. sometimes when you're younger, people. don't won't listen to you because they. don't feel you've had enough experience. Once you get to your 40s, 50s, 60s, and. 70s, people like, "You know what? He. probably been through some things." I. think if I looked if I was gray and came.

in here with a cane. Yeah. People. respect what I'm saying that they. absolutely would. But I took care of. myself, right? So like, nah, they don't. know what he talking about, right? Yep. You're right. So with the puffy thing, and this I could share with the world on. how bad they always wanted Puffy. See, even in 1998, New York didn't like him. Really? Oh, man. But he OG. I mean, Puffy B he born. and raised there. Let me tell you, I'm.

about to I'm about to rock your world. So, I catch my case and um I had a. surrender date, but I don't turn myself. in for 3 months. Damn. I'm on the road. getting my money. I told you about my. money. Yeah. And um but the FBI come. into all my locations, houses and [ __ ]. So I finally come in. I got my attorneys. with me and we walk in. We surrenels and. they put me in the tombs. And normally. when you get the tombs you it takes like.

a whole day to get out. I think I had. the record like I had my attorneys, everything on set. We walked in and we. was out of out of jail. I bailed out. like less than three hours. Wow. Right. Okay. So, I'm eating at the Shark Bar in. Manhattan. Um, Lobster Shark Bar Shark. Bar used to be used to be bumping back. Exactly. You remember the Shark Bar? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The way on the 10:00. news. I'm sitting there eating and I see. myself on the 10:00 news and everybody's. looking like like they talking about. him, but he's right here. So, I got my.

crew from up in Harlem. We all down. there eating and they people mad at me, you know. I got to admit they mad what. I've done, you know. So, um, I fight the case for a while and. then I wind up getting ready to take a. plea deal because I had a u a thing. called predicate felony on my jacket. Predicate felony. You caught a felony. within a year. Another another another. felony after they already committed one. mandatory four to six in New York. No.

negotiation. Four to six. So. during that time, I fly to Vegas and I'm gambling and I'm. gambling with some powerful people. And. a guy name is Tony Capella or Frank Nad. You got to Google them from Long Island, powerful attorneys. and I explained to them um what my.

situation is and they knew who I was. They said, "TK, we need you to do us a. favor." I was able to help them out, right? So, they came to represent me. And when they came to represent me, I. told him, I said, "Listen, don't come to. this court late." I said, "Because this. judge don't play, right?" And I said, "You got to be there at 9:00." So, we stayed in touch for 3 months. He. finally came. He he gets to court at. 11:30. They two hours and two and a. half. He got caught in traffic coming. from Long Island. But.

but everybody know that. I mean it it's. a long from Long Island to the to the. city. You already know what was up. Yeah. But Margaret didn't care. Judge. Margaret, she sent me to Rawway State Prison in. Jersey in Rawway. Rawway. No. Riker. Island. Okay. Rikers. Yeah. Sorry. Riker. Island. So, I'm in there for 30 days. because I took my deal off the table cuz. I took a deal. I was going to do four to. six. I was going to turn myself in, but.

when I came to court, I took the deal. off the table. Um, during that time, now here's how the. universe rocks with you. Puffy catches a. case for Shine and Jennifer Lopez. Yep. The firearm charge. Firearm charge. The same people that wanted to lock. Puffy up comes to Rikers to want me to. testify. against Puppy Combmes and lie and say I. saw him with the gun. So they said, um, my attorney is like,

TK, you want to help out the. prosecution? Me being smart, I said, um, tell them to get me out of here. We. could talk about it. So they don't take me out of jail, but. they take me from Rikers, bring me back. down to the tombs. Okay. They come down and the cos know me and. they see the FBI and everything. They. like, "Yo, wow. All these people here. They got the FBI jackets on. [ __ ] look.

crazy." Yeah. So they take me. downstairs. I'm in the sedan and we. zooming through Manhattan to go to the. club that Puffy had the shooting. So. they wanted you, they didn't tell you. what to say. They wanted you to read. between the lines. Jennifer Lopez was. here. Sean was here. Puffy was here. And. you were right here. Like I'm putting. Yeah. Yeah. I was right there. Right. there. I was right there. Exactly what the [ __ ] I was saying. I'm. right the [ __ ] here. But during the time I'm ordering food,

they paying for it. I'm getting lasagna. I'm getting the three days I'm eating. the best food. I'm enjoying myself. Yeah. So after 3 days, um, my attorneys come see me and they say, "Hey," they want to know if you're going. to help them because they're getting. ready to go to the grand jury, right? And they want me to testify against the. in the grand jury against P. And I. looked at my attorneys and I said, "No, I tell them I'm okay. I'm all right.". Then quit them. You done got a belly at. the people food. Got they good drink.

some good. That was That was my move. That was my move. So I wound up getting 5 years probation. That was the last state that I got in. trouble with. No, California after that. But. by the time the last one I got the last. five years probation. I, you know, very. successful. It's in California. It was. domestic violence case with my. daughter's mother. I had a little issue. So I'm at work release and um but I'm.

still living like a king. Mhm. I'm. putting couple guys that's on working. I. put them through college. I put them. through the ride. Not a major school, but I'm paying their way through the. ride. Before Uber Eats was out, right? When you were being on the highway and. picking trash and all that, I used to. lunchtime. I will order food and have. the people restaurants bring the food to. me and my crew. We eating on the side of. highway. We eating in the park. Living. it, you know, but I'm still living like.

TK. I'm still that player. I I know that. I messed up. I'm gonna get through this. This has taught me a lesson I'll never. forget. I'm in San Bernardino Park. I'm. picking up trash and I'm still famous, right? People still want to take a. picture. So, I got the yellow jacket on. and the tweezer thing to pick up the. trash, taking pictures with people, right? But it taught me a lesson, Shannon. And when I got through it, I. tell people the thing I wish for people. the most is peace of mind. M.

once you know what peace of mind tastes. like and you lose it, you'll fight. forever to get it back for sure. You. will fight to get it back. And I fought. my whole life to get it cuz I knew what. it tastes like. I knew what it felt. like. And I wasn't going to not let. nothing else stand in my way of getting. that feeling of being your own man. Being free. Being free is one of the. greatest emotions any man or woman can.

have is that peace of mind. And once I. achieved it, I made a um a promise to. myself that I would never give that up. for nobody. Let help me understand. Um Tory Lanes is. in jail and um he end up getting stabbed. 14 times. How is he it? How is he in. G-pop? He's trying to be something that he's. not.

Some guys think they tough and No, that's a whole different animal. That's. that's that's a different world in. there. That's a jungle. That's just. Serenetti. Thank you, sir. You. understand? It's not about being tough. Some of those guys in there are the most. manipulative, most manipulative, clever. people you ever imagined. Just like. it's just human nature, right? Somebody. don't like you cuz they see you on TV. Somebody don't like me, right? Never met. us before in our life, but they just.

don't like you, right? That's just their. nature. If he's in there, he's in general. population. You never know what people. are feeling towards you, right? You. never know if somebody just wants to. kill you. And that's what happened with them. You. got to do things in life to protect you. I've learned to. fly like a ego. What I've learned about that because I. me and you read a lot. You understand.

what I'm saying? Crows. attack eagles. Did you know that? Mhm. And the way they got memory. You do. something to them. They remember. They. remember. And what crows do I mean what. eagles do? They don't fight you. You. know what they do? They rise. Right. And. the higher they go, the altitude. off the for the crows. So what I did was. I rose and all the crows I left behind. So I don't put myself in situations. I.

don't hang around certain people. Uh. I've always been independent moved by. myself anyway, but I do it in a a. strategic way now. So when I'm in. Burka Bkina Faso, when I'm in Berlin, when I'm in Spain, when I'm in Paris, dad on the no flight, they on the to the. no do not enter, but I'm living. Yeah. Cuz I'm not. walking the streets uh in America, right? Mhm. And I achieve things a lot.

of people cuz 80% of the population. still haven't been on the plane. M see when we fly we think it's nothing. right 80% of the population have not. been on a plane. so there's people there are people who. are alive but they haven't lived. and I lived wow you were part of the st. scared straight program y'all been going. deep so so you one of the actors in. there like you want to come this is way.

before then really this is the original. scar so there was Actually, there were. actually programs where they would in. the 70s. Wow. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is. down the line. This is when it I was. there when it first started. So, they. would bring kids that were getting in. trouble and like, "Look, if you go and. you was in there like, "Son, you don't. want to come here." I can tell right. now, this ain't the place for you. Yes. And guys bigger than you. Yeah. I saw. him in booty shorts.

Huh? Dresses. Shirt tied up. Yeah. with. the um. the bandana. Bandana wrapped around like. a woman. Yeah. Scariest [ __ ] I've ever. seen in my life. Yo, so all these kids. out here shooting. thinking that they tough. That's a. different animal in there, huh? You understand? Here's the here's the. worst thing about getting locked up. One. of the worst things getting locked up is. when you go through processing Mhm. And.

they give you underwear to put on. You. know, maybe 5,000 people don't had that. on. Oh, they don't give you no new draws. Nah, D. They don't let you get no your. own fruit to lose Hannes. Nah. So, you wearing draws somebody else they. had on? That's my point. Damn. Yeah. Humiliating, is it? You. understand what I'm saying? Yeah, for. sure.

Yeah, this ain't the place for me. I. ain't coming back here. And they still. they think it's a game. The whole system is set up. to lock you up. But you got to take. accountability cuz people are like, "Oh, they wanted to put us in jail." You. ain't doing that. They ain't can't put. nothing. They can't put no Yeah. Yeah. That's just facts, right? You got to I. always say, you want to put the police. out of jail, stop doing crime. Yeah. Put. them out of business. Yeah. Put them out. of business. You you give them a job, right?

Yeah. It's it's it's it's a rough. situation. So, when the kids come in. there, what was your pitch to them? The. kids come in there, uh they I guess. they're between the ages of 10 and 15. No, no, no. I was the guy Oh, that was. you. I would go in. I was So, you were. the one that's trying to be They was. trying to scare you straight. Yeah. They. was trying to scare me straight. I. thought you was Oh, no. They trying to. scare me straight. And it worked. Like, I wasn't wasn't I wasn't a troubled guy, right? Um, it's just that I didn't get. in trouble until I went to college. I. had never been in trouble before in my.

life and I just went down a path of um, self-destruction, but it's a like the lady said, city. council in Jersey City, New Jersey when. they was giving me my um, street named. after me. She said, "Mr. Kirk, we're not. giving you the street because of what. you've accomplished." She said, "We're. giving you the street because you got. off track. and you got back on track to achieve. your goal." Wow. She said, "We want. people to know that because you can you.

can mess up and so achieve." So, as I'm. reading through life, I know that if. Maya Angela would have died at 22, she'd. have died a prostitute. If Red um if. Malcolm X would have died as a. youngster, he would a pimp or a drug. dealer named Dirty Red. Mhm. So, I talk. about this in my standup as well, and I. tell people, you don't have to start out. great. You can start out great and mess. up. Mhm. But you can get back. and win and have a story to tell. And I.

always say to people, try to win. Get a. story to tell. Don't think that. it's over cuz it ain't over till it's. over and you can win. And I'm an example. of that. What are your thoughts on fame? What are your thoughts on Hollywood? That's a great question. I never been I. tell people don't take it seriously. This ego thing they walk around they got. to have security.

People thinking that they bigger than. they what they really are just cuz you. got more money than another person. Um. looking down on people. It's a horrible. thing. Um, I think the goal of I've always told. people, get the money, take care of your family, take care of. your loved ones, treat everybody good. Yep. It's a beautiful feeling. Yeah. Shaking hands cuz when you become an. entertainer, there's. it's a rule. These people made you.

famous for sure. In actuality, you work. for them. They want to picture care if. you exhausted. Take the picture. Somebody wants to. autograph, sign it. I remember um. staying at the Ritz Carlton in. Cleveland. No, I like the Ritz Carlton. Y'all can tell. the Phoenix Suns was in the same hotel. Mhm. And at that hotel, the kids stand.

across the street in a cold to get. autographs of the ball players. some of the ball players is coming. walking right past him. and I got mad. cuz I'm like yo these people out here. they made you you these these basketball. players ain't getting no chunk change. right they getting more even if you sit. on the bench I went on the bus.

yeah I don't play I said yo sign these. [ __ ] autographs dog all the. money that y'all And. DK, that would have went down well. No, no, no. I'm I'm protected everywhere I. go in this world. Trust me, I I always keep a crew. You. may not see people with me. Yeah, but. I'm one of those guys. I got always have. a crew on deck. Yeah. All I got to do is get out alive, right? But I got a crew on deck. Uh, what have you learned about money?

You got to respect it. You have to. respect money. And I teach people how to. invest. Now, I I made a lot of money in. in the investment world, but not because. I did anything smart, right? Well, I had. to do something smart, but what I I. didn't have a certain strategy. I just. invested in everything, right? Like I. just not in one company. I put money in. about over 20 companies and made a lot. of money doing that way. And I tell.

people um no no represent you know. Fidelity and all them they send you the. stuff to represent you so they could put. your money in certain places so they. could take 3%. So I had a conversation I. said so you want me so I bust my ass my. whole life. hand all my money over to you. You. decide what's best for me and you take. 3% of my money. You got to be out your. damn mind. Wow. You said I do it myself. I do it myself. So you I tell people.

invest in stuff that you go to all the. time. If you go to Chevron, you go to. Walmart, go to Target. One of my female. friends, I explained to her. I said she. spends $546. a month at Starbucks. Well, miss did it. At least you get some. of it back. And this is what I told her. This is a strategy. I said, wouldn't it be nice if you walked in. there knowing they work for you? That's the attitude you got to have.

Even if you just took half that money, right, and put it in stock, they work. for you, right? And in 20, 30 years, boom, boom. Like I had a thing I did um. I think I did on breakfast club. and I was talking about ask your girl. for $10,000. Mhm. And and people thought. that I the the women thought I meant get. give the guy 10,000. And I said, "See, y'all never y'all wasn't raised by. hustlers." See, I came up with hustlers.

Our goal was that we found the woman. that we cared about. Even though you. knew you wasn't going to be with her, you asked where her money situation was. her money situation was right because. you want to get her you want to put her. her in position to be ready for the man. she's supposed to be with down the line. because most men know they not going to. be with the girl they with right but. they won't teach her nothing they won't. elevate her okay and the goal is to ele.

no matter what woman you meet today. elevate them make them better than when. you met her exactly that's what you're. supposed to do so I I tell the eyes and. I've told the ladies the 10,000 tells me. where you are in life, right? So now we. I say look because I I rock with you and. I respect you. Let's take your 10,000. put it in Morgan Stanley. at compound interest and annuity and in. 20 years your 10,000 is going to be. $296,000. You can Google it. You can.

call Morgan Stanley. This is facts. Mhm. cuz I want you to have your money right. for the man you supposed to be with cuz. I belong to everybody. [Laughter]. What's your worst purchase? What's the. worst what's the worst thing TK spend. his money on? Because I know before you became. financially conscious, you had in order. for you to become financially conscious, you had to have made some mistakes.

It's a good question. None. I've been that conservative with. money. Really? Yeah. I've been very. I'm almost cheap, but I have a rule, stay low-key and flex occasionally. Okay. So, that rule always kept me. conservative. And the rule is the more. money I got, I live beneath my means. Really? Yeah. People get money and they. go beyond. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I don't I.

go the opposite. The more money I get, I. go under. Still look still living good. I live in a very conservative. neighborhood. Those people mostly white. Yeah. If they know who I am, they know I. move very strategically, very quiet. I. move certain way. Not not no women. coming in out of my house. Um, only. thing they probably showed different. over the last 20 years if I always had a.

brand new car every six, seven months. Always catch something fly, right? But. you're not doing that no more though. No, not doing that no more. So, I got a. Aston Martin and I got a Bentley. Damn. Yeah, I got all the but I'm getting. ready to get rid of them and and get. what? No, I'm I'm I think I'm getting a. minivan. A minivan? I think I've always. wanted a minivan, dog. To do what? I. just want to drive. your kids, your. grandkids. Yeah. I just want to be in a. mini cuz I'm going to do my new podcast. in a in LA in April in January and my.

grandkids are in in there and I think. but maybe that's something that I was. putting into the universe that I'm going. to be with them so much. And I'm looking. forward to. um hanging with my grandchildren, but. I'll probably get rid of those cars and. then I have to be honest, I might get a. Ferrari, the big boy. But um but the. minivan straddle. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I already got it. I I've. been looking at it. So, I'll see what.

I'm going to do. I ain't been looking at. it. Yeah. I'm You know, I'm out of that. phase. Yeah. I've been there. I know. what you mean. I know what you mean. I. just want to get the Ferrari on on some. fly. Have you ever had a Ferrari before? Yeah. Yeah. My car down the Bentley. I. love that thing. Yeah. Cuz it just the. way it takes off. That thing just flows, you know? So, um. I'm just enjoying, man. I mean, how I. mean, what else can you do at this age, right? You have sex, sip on your drink,

you sip on Louis the 13th, you smoke. cigars, you get manicures and pedicures, you stay out the way. Um, you stay away from haters. Yeah. Right. You got to stay from haters because you. can have a million people love you. Only. take one mother to knock you off. Yeah. That's it. That's it. Hey, but you know. what I always wondered and it the way. the brain is wired. is that 10 million people can applaud. you, but you'll always hear the one that.

be boo. Isn't that something? Well, how. the brain wired like I think we are. drawn to negativity. We are just like. you thousand great beautiful comments, but you always respond to that one that. one hate. You don't respond to the one. like, "Hey Shannon, we love club sh we. love TK on there. We love this person. Love that one. Man, you should have. asked this. Why you always being messy? Yes. But what? It's hilarious. It is. But that's how we are programmed. So. true. Your stand up. Let's get to your. stand up because that's what you're kind.

of you're known for. You ever been. booed? No. How do you Were you a class. clown? How did you How did you even. discover? Were you funny as a kid? Did. you entertain your family? You entertain. friends? How did you know you had this. side of TK Kirkland? I wasn't a class. clown. I was a hustler who turned the. negative into a positive. I got lucky. doing stand up and when I did it, I was. good. I was already starting out as a. businessman. So, it goes back to the.

Eddie Murphy, Charlie Murphy situation, right? So, that happened in 1982, right? In 1985, I started standup and a guy. named David Jones, who was Eddie. Murphy's best friend, okay? He still was. my friend even though that situation. happened. And what people don't know, even though that situation, me and. Charlie Murphy still was cool. You were. cool. And what Charlie told David Jones. was that um cuz David didn't know if he. still could should be my friend because. he was best friends with Eddie. Yeah.

And Charlie says something right in. front of him. He said, "TK's your. friend. That's your friend. That's your. friend. Regardless of what happened, that's your friend." Mhm. and me and David um he helped me put. jokes together, right? So I was helping. putting these jokes together and shout. out to David Jones if you're still alive. and um I wound up doing a a my first. comedy show that I rented the venue and. all because I was always a businessman.

and I rented at this club called Carlos. and Charlie's on Sunset Boulevard, right? And invited so many people not. thinking the business side of it. Everybody got it free at the end of the. day. The owners didn't care. I mean, people you invited. Yeah. At the end of. the day, you owe the bill, right? So, everybody paid whatever, right? And I. think my profit was $2. Damn. That's. what I made. And I gave David a dollar. and I kept a dollar. And that's how I. went up into the sunset. And that's I. come to this day. I have um problems.

with some clubs all the time. They. normally give me what I want, but I. usually try to get my 90% of the door. Wow. Yeah. So, some clubs do it more so. than others or they negotiate with me, right? You know, or I get on their. nerves and we don't talk for a minute, then we come back around. But I don't be. caring. I'm I'm getting my money. Has. someone ever rushed the stage on you? Have you ever I mean, you do you do uh. hecklers come and they try to, you know,

and try to get you off your game? No. No, no, no, no. Never had that problem. I had a problem with a gentleman, but he. doesn't exist to me no more. So I I got. to I got to pivot out of that one. What. I've learned in life is I don't give. other people energy to give them because. they not on my level. So what I've. learned in life is not to even mention. them so that you give them life cuz I. worked hard to get to where you are. And. I'm not going to put them in a position.

to win. It's something that um that went. down on some u you know you got haters. Yes. And then you got people who will. put their mix into the universe and. because people want to believe what they. want to believe um it teaches a lesson. The lesson it taught me is not to. mention who they are. Um. I saw in that situation where um people. was messying and people like click. baiting because everybody wants to be.

famous, right? Yeah. Everybody. wants to be in front of this camera, famous views on their social media and. they would lie. to get it and I don't fall for it no. more. Cancel culture. Is there a joke. that you won't tell on stage? Oh, I'll. say anything and and don't give a. is I just man your favorite comedians. today. So, let me ask you a question.

What what do you think the biggest. difference is between comedians? Whether you going Eddie, Red Fox, Richard Prior, Robin Harris, uh uh. Bernie Mack, comedians of yesterday and. the comedians that we see today. What's. the biggest difference you think? I. think we could they the kids today got. the fame first before they earned the. reputation. Yeah. But if they're smart. in 10, 15 years, they're they can be. done and don't even have to do it no.

more. Huh. They could be done and be. done with it, but their talent would. match the fame, right? Whereas we had. the fame first and not the money cuz we. had to go in the trenches to get it. We. had to get We only had Arsenal Hall, right? David Letterman. Um, what's the. radio guy that's been around a long. time? The white guy. Oh, Howard Stern. Howard Stern. See, we had those shows to. make us famous. Yeah, that's not that. many. Think about now. They don't really. have comedians on like that. You know,

Johnny Carson used to have a night where. he had comedians on. He give them five. minutes to do their thing and if they. really good, he'll bring their ass to. the couch and hey, that was such and. such and they go, shows aren't like that. anymore. No, not like that at all. So, those things change the game. But, um, it's like David Kleman, my business. partner, told me before he died years. ago. He said, "Everything we learned, throw it out the window because it. doesn't apply now.". See, there's no blueprint for success.

People think you should do this, you do. that. Now, 30 years ago, the Kardashians. would have never been on TV, right? And. it's no disrespect to them, but I saw. the. mentality of the universe decline. Um, I knew he was in trouble when Flavor. Flave got a show. But you ain't like flavor of love. Nothing about flavor of love. It was. when I saw them women chasing this. mother through the through the show like. he was the finest dude on the planet and.

that was confusing to me. So when I saw. the Flavor Flave show, I knew then we. was in trouble. Shout out to Flavor. Flave too by the way. Yeah. Yeah. I knew. man say really. that's how I looked at the world. You got in a fight with Robin Harris? Didn't get in a fight in it. We just. didn't get along. It's just like why why. you didn't get along? Well, it's like in. football, you know, somebody don't like. basketball. A lot of people didn't like. Michael Jordan, you know. Um I thought.

about that today. It's crazy. I love to. be prepared. What I've learned in life. is since he's deceased, I can't discuss. his situation. He ain't here to defend. it. He's not here to defend it. So, um. we just didn't get along, you know, just. life. That's the What about Michael. Black? I love Michael Blackson. Me and. Michael, he just had a kid. I know. His. old ass, you know. Shout out to Michael. He said he wasn't gonna have no kid. Um. me and Michael Blackon are um great. respect each other. Well, we never never. had a problem. He just thought that I.

didn't I wasn't making money, right? Because I always stayed quiet, right? And Vlad had asked me one time about how. much I make. And I ain't telling no. I. don't know when people start. I'm I'm a. oldhead. think different. The way we came up, no one's supposed to. know how much you made, what you made. Cuz when they do, boy, they coming. Yeah. Like where when do they start. advertising such and so sign a five. dealer worth $122 million? You people.

don't know you put a a X on this man's. back or woman's back. That's dumb. So, um, everybody thought we was mad at each. other, but we wasn't mad. It's just that. what I had said, we was somewhere and I. told him I get like, um, 40 something a. show, right? But what he didn't. understand is that my shows, most of my. shows don't come from the comedy world. It's people who are still making money.

in the streets that book me for stuff. And because my crew loves me or people. who have been rocking me for 30 years, they going to pay me what I want, right? So I get it. I get my money different. different way than most comics and I. created my own lane, right? So yeah, Michael Black, shout out to Michael. Blacks. So we always have a good time. You mentioned that uh the Netflix and it. obviously look when you get a special. now Netflix it used to be HBO. Yes. Uh, you know, Chappelle Netflix, he he did.

his thing and Chappelle has been. unbelievable. Uh, who else? Quake had a. Netflix special. Uh, Cat had a Netflix. special. So, I guess that's the new. that's the new HBO have your special, but I see Alice Sadique take a different. route. I see uh uh who else took a. different route? Uh, Ares Jay took a. different route. Yes. Are you okay if. that Netflix special don't come pivoting. and saying, "Okay, I got a YouTube. channel. I put it on YouTube. let people. view it for themselves. I've been doing. it way before these guys. I have my own.

network. I I put my own stuff out. The. thing that got what happened to get me. more popular. was shows like yours, the Vlad TVs, the. Breakfast Clubs. I knew in the 90s. in order for me to get the recognition. that I wanted, it was going to come from. the younger generation. Didn't know. about social media. Didn't know about. the internet. But podcasting, internet, social media changed my world. Yep. So.

now I'm more popular than I was. Even. though I'm funny. I think I was funnier. back then than I am now. But more. eyeballs. I'm more popular now. So with. that said, um, now I could start I could. promote my shows even more, my standup. I was doing independent stuff way before. most comics and um making decent money, you know. So what what people need to. understand, Netflix will pay you a. certain amount of money, but they own.

you. They own it. You don't own the. content. It's done. Once you they pay. you, they own it. They own it. So they. keep running as long as they want to. And me owning mine, I may not get my all. the money that Netflix will give me at. one time, but you going to get over the. course of time. Over the course of time. And it ain't how much money you make, it's how long you make money. Exactly. And that's what people don't get. We're. so brainwashed. And sometime you want to. fight everybody to prove to them how.

they wrong. But man, boy, were you on a. comic view or death comedy jail? I did. comic view. I did comic view. Right. I. never did Def Jam. Do you regret Do you. regret not being do comedy jam? No. No. No. No. No. Death Jam. Um, if you ask. Bob S and Tina Graham, they invented was. they invented it was based on my style. of comedy, right? And I turned it down. the first time, right? Because I did a.

special called um Mo Funny with Mom's. Mly. Yeah. Um, Richard Prior and it was. um introducing me to the world as the. next voice of standup comedy. Right. But. then I got in another situation in crime. with Russell Simmons. Oh yeah. So I had. another situation after that. So then. you stayed in some issues. I stayed in. some [ __ ] So then when I came back. around to do it, I couldn't do the show. Yeah. I said,

"No, we good." Yeah. They we good. Do. you believe in gatekeepers? Are they. gatekeepers out there? Cuz people keep. saying it. Yeah, I think it is. But I. never got caught. I never cared about. I. I'm so I'm so deep independent. None of. that exists to me cuz like I said, I got. an M behind my name, too. Most comics. don't have it. Right. I had to do. something. Right. Right. And I'm damn. near 100 something years old when I was. on the show. We started what? I was 60. something. Right. We've been here so. long. I'm I'm aged a little bit. I'm I'm.

think I'm 103. Do you have you written jokes for. comics? No, we might maybe once in a. while we say something and we say you go. ahead and keep that. Yeah. But that's. it, right? That's it. My style of comedy. is really unique. It it really is, you. know. So, I take pride in it. Um, one of. my friends had explained to me that Dave. Chappelle was talking about me, right? And he said TK Kirkland is really one of. the best comedians out of there because.

of my cadence, right? He said that I had. a a way of speaking that hypnotized. people. And I thought that was a great. comment. So, shout out to um Chappelle. Dave Chappelle. Gary told me that, Dave. So, let you know. Has someone ever Where. are you on joke stealing? Has someone. ever stolen your joke? I'm pretty sure. they have. I think it's the most. pettiest kitty [ __ ] that I've ever seen. in my life. Somebody steal your [ __ ]. unless it's a signature piece. Right. Right. Because. what I notic in this game, especially.

AfricanAmerican, you may not have had the same material, but you might have the same topic. Right? If Will Smith did the smack and. everybody had a joke about Will Smith, they just did it a different way. But it. was the same topic. I think when I saw. that, I thought it was petty. I thought. it was nonsense. But I'm older than. everybody, so I was like, "Let them kids. play with the game, play with their. toys. I ain't had time for it.". What is it about? Why do why don't. comics like following each other? Because that person that goes on in.

front of them is is is about to destroy. the room. And that's why I had to always. go last in my coming up in in my day, right? Because everybody knew that TK. Kirkland was going to rock the room. If. you ever talk to DL Gaffrey again, um, these guys will definitely say to you, nobody wanted to follow TK Kirkland. Nobody. I would put a hurt on your ass. And that's a fact. I mean, it's true.

This is true. Is I mean, is that the. intentions? Is it like you you like. first of all, when you get booked for a. show and then when okay, everything is. settled, you know who's going to be on. that show? And that's a great question. Um, Shannon, when you're young, you want. to destroy the world. What I learned in life and I tell. younger comedians, listen to what your. headliner. is, um, what his show is about. Understand comedy IQ. Don't talk about. the same things that he might talk.

about. And don't burn the show because if you. don't burn the show, that comic might. take you on the road with him cuz you. know because that's how you'll learn to. eat. I was destroying everybody so I had. to find my own lane cuz nobody was going. to take me on the road. Right. So I sat. down with Damon Wayans one day. and he said, "TK, you can't get mad at comics who won't. book you." Yeah. He said, "You're too. funny.

Nobody's going to book you. This ain't happening. And I've learned. that. So, I created my own lane. And. over the years, my name is on the. marquee. I try to teach comics about. comedy IQ because I want a certain I. want clean comics going before I go on, right? Because um because you gonna be. grungy with yours, huh? And I want it to. be shocking, right? I don't want three. people might step on certain things I. might talk about by the time I get on.

And the example I'm going to give the. world and you it's like if we was. watching a TV show right now and we had. different actors and they was talking. about certain topic. We turned the. channel. different actors but same topic. You. said I saw this already. It's the same. thing sitting in the audience. If. everybody goes on and talks about the. same topic could be different material, right? But the audience, people are. saying, "Yo, did you hear what the first. person said? He said the same thing he. just said." And people comedians don't.

talk with each other, right? Before they. go on stage really and they should talk. to say, "What you going to talk about. today?" Because I don't want to talk. about what you're doing. And that's how. I always do my shows. TK, you've been at. this thing a long time, damn near longer. than anybody. Did you know that. comedians had this kind of resentment. towards each other? Yes. Petty, which. don't make any sense. That's like I've. always stayed to myself. It's it's it's. is it's truly bad because like I said, I. came up with street guy. Yeah. Most of.

the guys they didn't have. they didn't have confidence. They didn't have a um. they didn't have a title. Mhm. And comedy somewhat somewhat gave them. confidence. They was able to talk to. women. You know, I was pulling women. since I was 11, right? So, I seen it. I. seen it from the far. Just watch it. Seen them getting girlfriends, having. babies, and I seen them all change. And.

they take this thing cuz nobody never. had nothing till they got a little name. for themselves, right? It don't matter. Don't matter. If you're not in touch with yourself, you don't have a few dollars in the. bank, you don't have good credit, you living. off a woman, you done, dog, right? From a man's. perspective, and I pretty much know.

everybody's business. That's not good. Yeah. When I say I when. I say I pretty much know everybody been. some of the women that these guys are. married to, I probably dated them first. Damn. They probably still stay in touch. with me. No, no, no. I'm not I'm not. saying who they are. I'm just saying are. you proud of them? No, I just because I. dated them before you, that doesn't make. I'm not the bad guy. You the bad guy. I. I I [ __ ] them first. Like what do you. mean? Some of these guys is married. Yeah. Because of what I taught their.

girl. Oh my goodness. TK. What? That's just game. Lord have mercy. Some of these guys, and this is true, if. you married and you know that girl dated. me first, she might have didn't tell. him. You don't know. Yeah, but they. know. Baby, they don't know. I hope they. don't know. I read you were I read you an athlete. What you What you were you football? I.

mean, cuz you I mean, you got some you. know, you got nice eyes to yourself. I. was a track star. Track, I guess. Now. you don't have you rolling. Guess who I. ran with? Man, did research. I'm going to say. Bruce Jenner. Carl Lewis. You ran with. Carl? You beat him? No. No. No. We. didn't run against each other. Okay. In. New Jersey in the 70s. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Carl, that's where he's from. Yeah. We was the hottest track circuit.

in the world, right? So, we had Carl. Lewis, Butch Wolf. Yeah. From Westfield. We had Ronaldo Skez, Neil Meyer. Remember them, right? You had Lee Brown, Guy Williams, TK Kirkland. A lot of. people don't know that I used to run. track. I won the Melrose games at. Madison Square Garden. Did you? 1979. What you were 60 me 60? No, no. The My. Rea ran ran had to run somebody down. You You got them got them my relay. 197.

Melrose games. So I I I've had a and. still have an amazing life. That track. thing I love that's my favorite sport to. watch. Isn't that But it was my favorite. thing to run, you know. I some could. That's why they couldn't catch you, huh? When you did something bad, that's. right. That be real bad. You a track. athlete and and the cops catch you with. all that gear on, TK. So I'm going to. tell you I got a crazy story. I did. something at a school. I ain't going to. say the name of the school. And um I. dropped my bag. They couldn't catch me,

but I dropped my bag and my ID was in. the bag. Oh, and they came to the house. That's how they got you, huh? That's how. they got me. Mother, I'm something else. I told you. Are you. disappointed Tyreek and uh uh Noah L. racing? I'm disappointed. Yeah, because Noah LS is a different. kind of man. Yeah, he be hating on He be. hating on them athletes. Yeah. And I. hate to say this about him.

and I normally don't say this about. people. Somebody need to whoop his ass. Like he need he need to go in the room. and get up. so he can get some guts because I'm. disappointed how he moves as a man. I I. don't like that either. You can't get. mad for something you don't have that. somebody else do and you talk down on. them, bro. Yeah. And all them dramatics. and coming out before you run. I ain't.

got no problem with that. It's just the. hating. Well, this guy got a shoe. This. guy got a shoe and I ain't got no shoe. I'm the most popular guy. They ain't a I. mean, you go back and study track and. field. I ain't but a handful of guys. Car not uh Usain Bolt and probably. Michael Johnson. Yes. I mean, people are. not going to just make a shoe cause you. fast. People going to make a shoe cause. it a sale. people in the in here's what. you're saying that people don't get the. man character. Yes. Do you have a. personality. to sell when you see Usain Bolt? Yeah.

What is it about him? He's generous to. the people. Yeah. And he he gives. results. He wins. Yep. At the end of the. day, good character and results. Let's. take football. Yeah. When your contract is up, they talk. about, "Do you deserve all the money you. about to get, right? If your character. is not good, people, these athletes, these people don't know this in the. world, right? Yeah, you can have the. talent, but they decide he can't handle.

that kind of money cuz they've been. watching your character and if you your. character is that right, you could lose. seven, eight, 10, even 20 million.". Yeah. Because someone is deciding, right? Can you handle the money they're. about to give you? And if they don't. think you can handle it, they'll shorten. you 20 something million. Yeah. Yeah. I. I don't have Look, I understand if he. wants the shoe, he feels he's deserving. He's earned the right for a shoe. I. ain't got no problem with that. Complain, but don't talk about what. somebody else has because you don't have.

it. I totally agree. That's that's the. only problem I have with you. And keep. delivering. Be a man of your word. If. you're supposed to race, Tyreek, train, right? Train. because we know you're the. best. Tyreek can't beat you, right? But. it was in Time Square. I think I think. if if it all depends on what they're. running. That's they run if they run a. 40. I think Tyreek can beat him in a 40. Yeah, I totally agree. Now they run 100. He ain't beaten him in 100. No. And I'm. quite sure if he was smart, he'll run. 100. Like I wanted to run Cat Williams. And Cat will beat you. I got Cat. Yeah.

No, he cat called me on one of the radio. shows, right? Yeah. And I got Cat. I'm. just saying I put my money on C. Yeah. But what I'm going tell you what. happened. You know, when you're old, you. think you still that 19, 21 year old. kid. And I when I saw Cat run, I said, "I can beat Cat." That's a That's the. kid. Yeah. So, I'm working out one day. I said, "And it just nothing happened. I. just realized, yo, you fall back from. that mess you was talking about with. Cat." Yeah. Cuz you got to pull up.

everything. Yeah. No, no, I'm in good. shape, but I know I ain't that fast, right? It's a difference, right? And Cat. called me. I was doing a podcast. Shout. out to Cat. And uh he said, "What's up, old man?" He said, "What you want to do. about that race you wanted to do?" And I. said, "Cat, let me tell you something.". I got the thinking, "Doug, you can have that cuz I got a. feeling." I said, "I feel young, but I. know that's and that's that thing when. you get older. You think that you're. still as fast as you used to be, and.

you're not." No, not even close. I can't. even When I run across the street, you. know when you're in shape. Yeah. When. you bounce. Yeah. Everything I do now. feel like I'm stomping in the ground. Heavy. It's heavy. So, you know what I. mean, right? You don't have that I don't. have that bounce. It's gone. Yeah, it's. gone. Look, you had a uh you have. offered a critique of Cam Cam Newton. Have you had a opportunity to talk to. Cam? Have y'all had an opportunity to. discuss that and clear? I'm glad that. you brought that up because let me tell.

you what I thought. I said something to. Cam and I'm gonna apologize. I'm going. tell you why. In life, you see people at a certain. place in their life and then they grow. up and they become better people. And I. saw him his growth. Mhm. And I'm man enough to say I was wrong. because I saw his growth just like one. time I said Kevin Hart wasn't funny. Right. And Kevin Hart is funny. But what.

I didn't see at that time was Kevin was. a young kid. Comedy is based on experiences and. maturity. And the older you live in this. game, the more you experience, the boy. you become funny. And I saw that in. Kevin. When Kevin did that host for um. the rose for Tom Brady for Tom Brady. Listen to me. I think I watched that. show about 20 times. Yeah. because Kevin.

was on fire and I just truly enjoyed. him. How he grew up to be a a young man. His um his timing was impeccable and I. just saluted him. I watched it that much. and I even love seeing him on the. commercials. He was born Yeah. to do. those City Bank commercials. What's in. your wallet? Like I I love that. Right. Yeah. I thought that was phenomenal. So. when people give an opinion.

of someone, what I've learned from that. is keep it to yourself, right? Because. they're going to evolve. Mhm. Just like. if someone would had an opinion me years. ago, they like, "Oh, he'll kill you. He'll put you in a trunk type man." And. now today criminal criminal and look at. me now, you know? So you do evolve. Barry White was like that. um. Johnny Cash, all these people were. probably worse than me, right? And.

became phenomenal people. You have seven kids. Uh you caused a. little stir on the I think it was the. Breakfast Club where you say you don't. pay you didn't you don't pay or you. didn't pay child support. No, it wasn't. just Breakfast Club. It was another. show. Another show. You said Yeah. And. and the girl was upset with me about. that. Yeah. And I explained to her, when. you're a man and you deal with women, they don't they don't care. I still. don't know how you got out of there. No, I just think that when you're a man, the. women that you mess with, if they need. something, you look, you take care of.

it. Cuz I wasn't married, right? My my. most of my um babies was one night. stands. Uhhuh. Yeah. I didn't have. relationships with these kids' moms. I. saw you. We hooked up. But you don't you. can't say that though. Uh TK, why can't. I say that? Because the kids. No, I told. them. All the kids know. You told them? Yeah, I told him. I said, "You told them. that your mom was a one night stand?". Yeah, one night stand. Damn, TK. What? Let them have this this dream that my. mom and dad was in love. Your dad was. smooth. Your father was smooth. My kids I had.

this conversation with my kids already. This not like this not if they hear. How. old was the youngest kid? My youngest is. six 17. The oldest is how old? 38. Damn. So you had your last kid at 50? Yeah. You done now? It's possible though. Man, you made this plan. Let's see what. happens tonight. Put man on the roof. I don't know what's going to happen. tonight. Sh. You know, I might have three left. You.

66. Yeah. Hey, you got grandkids. How. you going have grandkids older than your. kids? Let me tell you something. All the. parents will go down tonight. No, I'm. messing with you. I'm done. I had to get. you on that. Now, no more. Listen to anybody thinking. about having children, I want you to do. me a favor. Get in your car. and go to three dayc carees in your. neighborhood. Yeah, that'll stop you. And you will that will stop you. Yeah. Am I right or wrong? You stop you.

Forget plan B. Go see what they charge. at daycare. Yeah. And you will not have no children. Yeah, they probably charging like $3 $400 a. week. It's more than that. More than. that? What? Shannon, it's like $3,000 a month for a. kid. A week? Oh, lord. Ain't nothing. Look at me, Sharon. A week be watching. Coco Melon at the crib. That's my point.

A week, Shannon. A week. No, your father drowned at 35. You had a. brother murdered at 35. Your youngest. brother had an aneurysm. You had a tough You had a very tough No. What I want to know who the person that. works for you to find out information. We need to put them at the government. cuz they'll track anybody down, dog. Oh. my god. But we great over here. Yo yo yo.

yo on point. Yeah. Um all this happened. before I was 40. So my dad drowned, my mom died of. cancer, my brother got shot by the. police, and my youngest brother died of. anorism. So um. that's like how I always talk about life. and death. I was about to ask you, is. that why you so appreciative of life? Because you've seen so much death. I've. seen so much death. I've been burying. people since I was 11. Bam. And that's. my I paid for my own funeral. My funeral.

was paid for already. all that. I got. everything done already. So, my kids. won't have to deal with all that, right? Because um um. it takes a certain man to be prepared to. know that you your demise. And I know. how my like there's no funeral. There's. no memorial service. Really? Yeah. No. funeral, no memorial service. You don't. want anybody to grieve over you? Nah. Wherever you are in the world that day, just say TFK. We keep it moving. And now the reason.

why I do that. cuz when my family was dying, I always I. know it's kind of weird. I always felt. it was an inconvenience really. I ain't. had time to go to no damn funeral. And I. remember when my aunts died, I asked my. mom and I said, "Mom, do I got to go?". And she's like, "Yeah, you got to be. there." You know, cuz I was always about. I was always. My mother used to always say that boy. never lets dust get under his feet. Mhm. Because he's always on the move. And I.

think about de every day and I thought. it was a bad thing, right? My. accountant, he's deceased now and we had. a talk one day years ago. He said, "No, TK." He said, "What you. how you thinking is amazing." He said, "Because you'll never get complacent.". You take I live every day like it's my. last. Y and. I love it. Whether it's sitting in my. house smoking a cigar, walking. mountains, right? Um going to the gym,

um catching a plane to my apartment in. Paris. I live this thing, man. Oh, you just. going to gloss over there, huh? Yeah. I. love I love being in Paris. Power to. Paris. Yeah, because you I get up I get. there like 6:00 in the morning. I always. lay 6:30 in the morning. I check it. I. go in my apartment. I change. There you go. You just hit right on. there. I go sit in the in my cafe and I. watch the cars go by. They know me, Mr. Kirkland. I have my cappuccino and.

croissant. And I just sit there and. chill and I start laughing because I won. this n word here. One of my homies was said cuz I was. going to Spain that week too. He said, "Man, you know you flexing." Yeah. And. I'm going to tell you something. I'm. going give you some game. See, everybody I roll with is. successful, right? Never do we say. reflexing because when you rock with. winners, it's the way it is, right? When.

you mess with people who are not on your. level, and you on my level, but I got to. change your mindset right here. I got to. educate you. It's not bragging, it's. wins, right? So, you roll with winners. cuz when you're with winners, it doesn't. sound like brags, right? So whenever you. hear someone doing their thing in the. future, right, you always say, "No, you. doing your thing." Because people who IQ. or their mentality or they don't rock. with people who are successful will. always say, "Yo, you flexing, right?".

But everybody I rock with got money. So. we ain't never said that. Wow. Play to. play or pimp the pimp. In your 40 years in the business, what's. been the best advice you've been given? never get old and and be broke. I like it. Yeah, that's the I live by. that every day. If you could do anything differently in. your career, I'm going to give you I got. a time machine and I'mma give TK the. ability to go back and do something.

from his past differently. What would it. be? Nothing. I thought about it 100. times cuz I like what I've become. And. you don't feel you could have become. that without the experiences that you. experienced while you I don't know. because I haven't experienced it. So I. only go by what's real, right? And. what's real is me sitting here with you. and my achievements and what I've. overcome and what I had to do to get. over it. Would I do it again? No. Once is enough, man. If I had to do it.

again, nah. No. If I could survive. But. to see where I'm at today, I'm blessful. I know what I I what I had. to go through to get here to to tell my. story on Club Shay Shay to um And we. appreciate it, too. Yeah. To and I. appreciate you. And to um. know what I've achieved,

man, it's a blessing, yo. It's like winning. the Super Bowl. What advice would you. like to give this next generation? Be it. about business, be it about health, be. it about anything. What info, what words. of wisdom, knowledge would you like to. pass along? Um, educate yourself. Knowledge is key, but understand. knowledge is a gift and a curse, right? Because the more you know, the more you. dislike people, right? Um, respect.

money. Love yourself first before you want to. grow up and be a family. Because. everybody in this room, everybody in the. world, what I'm about to say, you've. done it. When I say everybody once in. their lifetime said, "I can't wait till. I grow up." Mhm. And it's truly one of. the worst damn things you could say in. your life. We all know that now. Yeah, man. I can't wait to get grown. My sure. wish I was a kid again, man. Don't we.

Don't you? Am I right or wrong? Don't. rush. to be an adult. Don't be rushing to have. babies. Don't rush to get old. Don't. rush to be old, man. That. teach people to stop saying that, right? Because. even though you can handle it, take your time. Yeah. If you take your. time and and really enjoy this thing. called life. Yeah. It's so much better.

Everybody want to rush having sex and. babies and you don't have the financial. means to take care of a kid. You don't. have the proper education, right, to get. a good job. And everybody suffers. Yeah. Everybody suffers. And I tell people if. you can try not and people think I'm. crazy when I say this, have kids on your. in your late 30s and 40s. Now I had 20. something years old. People like, "Oh, you could be dead." But then that's the.

chance you take you. It's better than. the kid being in poverty and struggling. People don't get it, right? So that's. the advice I would give and follow TK. Kirkland on Instagram at TK Kirkland. That's the advice I would give him as. well. What about you got a you got a uh. you got a YouTube channel? No, I do. It's TK TK Kirkland podcast. TK on. Twitter is TK Kirkland as well. the. YouTube um the new podcast will be out. in January called Who Raised You, right? Um we calling it the the people's.

podcast and I'm excited to do it. It'll. be um nine years, you know, I did stuff. with SoundCloud and Charlemagne the God. We couldn't do video at the time cuz I. just wasn't going to stand still. Now. I'm getting ready to do this. I'm. excited. I'm going to do something a. little different and we'll see what. happens with it, you know, cuz like I. said, I'm I'm going to give myself a. 10ear run. a 10 year run for me. I'll be. I'll be 70 almost 77 years old. God. damn. I'm going to be here though. TK Kirkley,

my man. Appreciate you, bro. Thank you, man. Yes, sir. All right, let's welcome. A Witch back to perform on Club Shay. It. goes from the vineyard to the elbow. Golden. from the far eastago. snakes with the venom. Yeah, we put them. in the bottle to the pain. It's a hard. to swallow. They rap and we scream. I. got loud. Yo, Tokyo racing news. congested n spray a feeling all this. chemistry boy stay blazing and we still.

having bad dreams like that [ __ ] [ __ ]. you pay me occupy your nobody give us. guidance. Now you want a [ __ ] cuz you. see my good finest but your daddy in my. DM like yeah understanding body with the. solid mathematic my aesthetic so poetic. is funny manic floated pic golden. jealous a carrot with carrot bring it. panic if you want it come down to the. shop we going to eat tonight it come.

down to the shop is worth. come down to the show what's yours is. mine. Come down. We going to grind to the. spine. Got the finest of the fine. Give. it to your raw if it's how you lie. Listen, even the vegetarians can fit the. criteria. Slicing out the barriers. Serving life like veterans. I'm from the. jungle with the military trenches. Cinderella trying to hop by the fences. Used to be that girl on the gate two. streets. Now I'm making y like I'm real.

Japanese. Running on my numbers to the. nearest 100,000. I ain't got the time to. cut the ones who stout it. Bow Bobby got. the yacht at the dot. It's the rock bush. on the rocks in a claim. Ashing DVX in. my lot from the sh. mix with the slider all these drunken. monks in the cipher. I'll be with the. shell shock boys from the island. If you. want it, we can chop it up. Come down to. the butcher shop. We going to eat.

tonight. Chop it up. Come down to the. butcher shop. Uh-huh. is the word die. Come down to the but. what's yours is mine. I'm down. We're going to grind to the. spine. Got the finest to find. Give it. to your ride if it's how you lie. Thank you so much. Oh man, that's. awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for performing on Club.

Shay. The name a witch, it means Asian. wish child. Yes. How did you come up. with that? It's my real name, Ako. Uhhuh. Ako, uh, it means a child that. Asia has wished for. Okay. Like A is for. Asia. Okay. Key is for wish and C is for. child. Oh, okay. Like when I combined it. 14, I pushed it together and came up. with a wish. Wow. But everybody hates. that name cuz it sound like a witch, right? But I didn't mean to be a witch.

I try to change it so many time but. every time I change it some sign will. come to me and like say change it. Yeah. Just keep it. You're from Okinawa. Yes. Now Okana if I'm not mistaken I think. the US still does it still have a. military base there? A lot. Yes. Okay. So you were around people that spoke. English although you didn't. You learned. to speak English from watching Tupac. Yes. Yes. Um well when I was well early. earlier Mhm. in my life before I even. discovered Tupac. Okay. I study English.

on the military base. Okay. Like I went. to went on to. uh this teacher who was married to a. military guy. Okay. American. Yeah. Yeah. So she taught me English. But then. so I started digging like American. music. Okay. Then I discovered hip-hop. and then I discovered Tupac. Okay. And. you was hooked. Yeah. I watched all of his video, all of his. songs, read all the lyrics, his. interviews, his like documentaries. He.

was already passed when I discovered. him. Okay. So, Okay. All the movies, everything. Mhm. Yeah. You know what? TK. actually had a relationship with Big and. Tupac. He had a really good relationship. with Tupac. So, maybe you can lend some. insight and help her get a better. understanding of Tupac. So, when you. when when you knew you was going to do. Shannon Sharp, when did you start. preparing? um like a like a month ago. About a month ago. Yeah. So, you're a. true professional. The reason why I say. that, um Shannon's been around for a. while and I've been in the business 40.

years and I started out with NWA. Yeah. And I learned from everybody from Jay-Z. to Tupac and all of us. And the thing. that he's going to laugh, I've been. preparing for Shannon Shop for three. years. For three years is a mental thing. So, do you prepare how you was going to. sound, what you was going to wear, the. outfit that you was going to wear? That. it comes all the way down there. To me, that's just a true professional because. a lot of people don't put that much time. into it. And you haven't probably I've.

been preparing for over a month cuz we. first talked maybe like three months. Okay. Wow. Three months. Yeah. Cuz we. first preparing like that. Like it's. it's really we take it that seriously, you know? Like I'm already on the year. 2032. and I'm 66 years old. So you did not. Yeah, I'm 66. So I just think that helps. to keep me alive and keep me going. I've. always been like that my whole life. Now.

one thing about Tupac, when he started. with Digital Underground, he was a. different type of gentleman, right? And. I saw him. he was looking for someone to guide. He. needed a OG. Mhm. He didn't have an OG. and he went down this path of um. rebellion, strength, um um saying what. he felt was necessary and against all. odds, right? So, how does that inspire. you? Do you want to um put that type of.

energy out to for the people or what. message that you're trying to give to. the universe? Well, it definitely taught. me, he definitely taught me to give back. to the community. Okay. So, I'm doing. charities. I have my own brand of sake. that would create employment in Okinawa. Okay. And um I'm always doing like um. like going back to school like a school. do speeches and things like that because. I learned that from Tupac. Okay. Wow. Cuz he he like I watched his community.

center speech, you know what I mean? So. um that that part of Tupac is definitely. like is in me but also his other part. like a rebellious part like his. contradiction his everything like he's. being honest like brutally honest with. himself all the time. So to not be. afraid to be honest of who you are how. you feel at like this moment.

as well as to give back. I have one more. question. Is this your first album or. first tracks or have you put different. albums up in the past? I have a lot of I. have well I have a lot of works done in. Japan. Yes. Um. um I have I've accomplished a lot. Okay. In Japan. Okay. Great. So now this is my. like a first song first project that I'm. working with Rizza. Okay. That will. probably cross over to like overseas. audience. He likes that. He likes that. type of um that style. Chinese Japanese.

karate. Y let me you you said you had been. preparing to come on club Shay for. almost three months. Yeah. What did you. know about Club Shay? Why was it. important for you to like you know what. I want to perform and I want to perform. on that platform? Um that is it's like. you always talk about the performance is. performance but the interview is like. what makes me want to be on the show. Wow. Thank you. It's very spontaneous. It's very natural and like um like a.

conversation. It's a real conversation. Thank you. And it's funny and it's. serious, emotional, so all of that. H. how did how does a an Asian young lady. how do you get into of all the genres of. music rap? I used to like um write poetry. Okay. All the time when I was like since I was. 9 years old, I still have the books cuz. I couldn't sleep. Like I think I see. ghosts. Uh oh. you the six sense. You.

see dead people, huh? Yeah. Oh, I don't. see see like clearly but they come to. you. Yeah. Okay. So, as ever since I was. a child, I couldn't sleep at night cuz I. couldn't close my eyes. So, I would sit. up and write poetry. So, that kind of. like transferred into rap music really. easily. Wow. So, that and I couldn't. really sing. So, I'm like, man, I I. can't be a singer. Then I met rap. I'm. like, oh, you don't have to be a Yeah. Yeah, you don't you don't have to sing.

to be a singer. So, let me try this. And. it it fit me. So, when you were growing. up, did you always I mean, did you play. with dolls? Did you play sports? Did you. always know that kind of like, you know, I want to, you know, I want to be a. singer. Then you're like, well, you. know, my voice is not really going to. carry that, but I can rap. So, once you. discovered rap, you were all in on rap. Nothing else mattered. You didn't focus. on anything else other than rap. Since I was 14. Yes. True. But I went through like a lot.

of ups and down in life. I got married. and I have a daughter when I was like 20. years old. Uhhuh. And then I took like. 10 years off. Wow. And then my husband. passed away. Mhm. And then uh went to. depression and then came back out. My. daughter helped me out a lot and I. promised my daughter I'll be the best in. Japan after I came out of the. depression. And now I am. So I took I. took like a a minute off but I've always. was into like creating writing. I never.

quit writing. Right. Yeah. Your parents. when you told them that you know what I. want to be a rapper you came to America. you end up have because it it you know. when you have a child it's already. difficult when you know when you. crossing races. It it was it even more. difficult when you took when you went. back home with your daughter and she's. not full-blooded Asian. you know, but I. probably you probably see a lot of that. on Okinawa. Yes, I do. I do. Um, but how. would you receive when you went back. home? When Well, wait, wait, wait, wait.

I'm sorry to interrupt. You have racism. there in Japan? Is that what you're. saying? Yes. Yeah. So, really, yo, but. um but I So, I'm Wait, wait, wait. I'm. sorry again. So, me went over there, we. would have issues being black. M. not so much today. Not so much today. Um. but back in the days cuz my daughter is. um 17 now. Wow. You look about Yeah.

Yeah. I was say I was confused. Yeah. I. thought you I was I thought you going to. say you had like a four-year-old. Let me. let me explain. I'm 38 years old. Yeah. Wow. So I've been through a lot and then. came back in the scene in Japan. Maybe I. was like 29 30 years old. So it was. unheard of already for my age to to. start. uh to break out. So everybody called me. a big sis and all that. But when so I. have 17 years old, but when we came back.

to Okinawa, she was 3 years old. Okay. Um, we don't have like um. um. luckily my daughter didn't experience a. lot of racism. Okay. Bullying and all of. that stuff, but I remember this one time. she had um she had very like a big afro. afro. Yeah. And she had this cute puff, two puffs, and I you know tie her hair.

up. She was like one day she would came. home and she was like, "Tomorrow please. like braid my hair." Wow. Please braid. my hair. Braid my hair. And I said, "Why?" She was like, "I just want you to. braid my hair." Oh. And it turned out. this boy bullied her for her like a. fluffy hair. Like it's cuz it's. different. When she braid it into like a. a one braid, it doesn't show that much. difference. So she begged me. So then I. realized that was the reason I was like.

no like go like that right because you. wanted her to accept who she is. Yeah. And then I want her I want him to ac. accept it as well for who she is. And I. want her to know he do not know what. cute is right. He do not know what. beauty is. He do not know what fashion. is. Go back there and watch him and how. he dressed and how he look like and. that's true. That's true. And so he she. went so I convinced her to go and she.

went and she came back happy. Wow. And I. said, "What the boy said?" And she was. like, "Nothing." And what he look like? He has some dirty soccer ball shirt on. I said, "See, I told you, right?" So she. was like, "You know, I know what's I. know what's cute. Your mama know what's. cute. Your mama know what's beautiful. I. know. So just listen to me and you. good." So you uh. what what was it about Rizza? Um Rizza. is a member of the Wuang. Um what was it.

about him that made you want to work. with him? Cuz I know he's as TK was. saying, he's big into karate. He's big. into the martial arts thing and uh you. you mentioned earlier that Okinawa is. the birthplace of karate, right? So he. came to Okinawa for about a week on a. project and I was guiding him through. Oh, like you know different places. Yeah. So I showed him the military base. to show him the temples, the karate dojo. and the you know the clubs and. everything. I took him I even took him.

to my parents house. Wow. And he they. had drinks together, right? It was like. a dream watching my dad and and Rizza. Wow. Like cheering. So And how did your. meet? How did your meet? So when he was. coming to Okinawa, he was like in need. for somebody that could guide the spaces. of like um Japanese hiphop. Okay. And. also like know the local places and the. traditions and um the philosophies of. like this Okinawa. So I knew karate. Um.

I have a first degree black belt. Dang. Wow. That's awesome. Only first degree. That's okay. That's it. There's a lot of. Yeah. You who have Look, there are a lot of. rappers. I mean, you know, obviously. Tupac is probably one of your favorite. rappers, but currently is there any. female rapper uh male rappers? You know, you got Meg, you got Nikki, you got. Glowrilla, you got, you know? Oh, yeah. I love So, who would you who would you. like to jump on a project with? Megan.

Megan. We met Meg Style. Yeah. Megan and. u Glorilla. Yeah. Me and Riza talked. about um getting, you know, glow on a on. a track. Wow. We're still trying. Okay. We're still trying. What about guys? Who. what what what uh male rappers you like? Male rapper is a lot of them. Um but I. like right now I'm listening I'm. listening to Lil Wayne. Okay. And um Lil. Tekk. Okay. JCole. Kendrick. Definitely. I just went to his concert in Detroit.

just to see. What did you think? It was. amazing. Mhm. I see I saw his like this. is my second time watching him and his. like the the level of art is is amazing. and is always in everybody's mood board. Wow. So when you came to America you. went to Atlanta and not New York and if. I'm not mistaken is that where you met. your husband? Yes definitely. So why why. ATL and not NYC? Um, you know, when in Okinawa, you see a.

lot of American guys in the military, but like coming from different places. all over America, right? But I always. click with the southern. You let them. southern gentlemen, southern southern. guys, southern, you know, people. And. they're like this country pride. And. Okinawa is kind of like the same thing. The Tokyo is good. like Osaka, they have. their own culture, but Okinawa has this. like a rebellious country, right, soul.

to like we are we like we are who we. are, right? So, um that type of style. kind of like I was gravitating towards. So, I'm like I'm not going to LA or it's. all it's all made up. But Atlanta at. that time, it was like 2006. Okay. 2005. 2006 it was like rising. Yes. Yeah. It. was popping. It was popping like it was. coming up. So I was like definitely. Atlanta. You met, fall in love, you go. to New York. So that experience, did you. tell your parents like, you know what,

I'm going to get married and u he's. black. Yeah, it it was just like that. So well, it was more than that in my. case because at that time like a lot. happened. He was in a street. Yeah. when. I got pregnant, he got picked up again. Oh. And he got locked up. So when I had. to tell my parents, um, I had to tell him, not only his.

black, but like the race part, my. parents was open-minded. Okay, they. don't really care. But damn, he's like, "What? He's gone? He's He's away. What. do you mean?" So I like I couldn't tell. him the details. So I kind of shut shut. them down. So they were worried. um they were worried so much when he. came out I flew him flew my parents to. Atlanta to meet him and when they met it.

was all good. Yeah. Yeah. But I mean you. speak the lingo you're like yeah you. know when I met him he was in the. streets he got he got picked up you know. he got locked he got locked up and so. you know I had to tell my parents he you. know he was you know he was on vacation. for a little while but he going to be. back real soon. Yeah. So, yeah. So, what. did he say to you to get your attention? Like when y'all was out, you know? Oh, my my my uh husband. Yeah. Uhhuh. What was it? He basically what he said,

what was it about him that attracted you. to him? Okay. So, when um. I was walking. in a tight ass pants. Say that part again. In a tight pants. Okay. She's walking in some tight ass. pants. What you see? Okay. So, so there. was uh he was in the car like he honked. and like stop. Okay. Yeah. That's what I. want to hear. So, where you going? I. said to school cuz I was going to.

school. And I And mind you, I love going. to school, right? School is my thing. Where you going? Georgia State. I went. to Georgia Perimeter College. Okay. Okay. I know what that is. Yeah. Yeah. Done with it. Okay. Done with it. Yeah. But at the time, I was living uh in. Clarkston. Okay. Yeah. I know. Exactly. where that is. Right behind the deck. right behind the strokers. Okay. Oh, you. know about what you know about strokers? Oh, man. Come on. Hey, witch. I live. right behind it on the broken road. Yeah, bro. Exactly. Yes. I was walking. the broken road. Yeah. Trying to There.

used to be a Ferrari dealership over. there, too. Well, yeah. Okay. I I'm I'm. very I have a home in Atlanta. Been in. Atlanta for like 35 years. So, I know. all the places that you're talking. about. So, you behind stroking. So, he. he pulled to the side. Hey Shy, let me. holl at you right quick. But he's from. New York. Yeah, I already know. You. know, he's like, "Yeah, what you doing? Where you going?" And I. said, "School." And he was like, "Let's. go over here. Let's go over there." And. I said, "No, I'm going to school. If you.

going to take me to the school cuz I was. already late and I have to catch a bus. and the train and the bus. So if he. could give me a school, I know it's. reckless, right? But if you give me a. ride to school, I will get in the car. cuz I was rushing, right? Like if you. going to take me to the school, I'll. ride with you. He said, "All right, come. on." I could have been dead. Like I. could have been dead, but he took me to. school. And in the ride to the school, we talked about a lot of things and I.

told him like I rap. I told him um I. draw like at the time I was designing. tattoo for a lot of like people like a. design tattoo for all the military guys. in in Okinawa. And uh I showed them I. had my sketchbook. So I showed him my. sketchbook and he was like start like. dissecting them in the 5enter lingo. Okay. He was a 5enter from the nation of. gods and earth. Yeah. Oh this is the you. know it's the supreme mathematic. It's.

the ones and twos and like you know so. I'm like I never heard of that before. like what are you talking about and it. kind of like made me interested. So you. know what that's called what? Sapioexual. Oh yes I think I am. Yeah. that's exactly what that's called. So he. got you off intelligence and. conversation. Yes. And that's a. beautiful thing. Yes. Mhm. Definitely. proud of you on that one. Thank you. Yeah. But when he pulled up on you in. the car, you know, I already knew. Well, can you tell me his name? Um, AZ. He.

went by went by a because his name um. the 5% the god's name is a uiatic Allah. Okay. Everybody has Allah. I was just. trying to see if I might have known him. That's all. Okay. Yeah. Youatic Allah. He was he would have been in his he. would have been 51 this year. Yeah. It's. possible I know cuz you in Atlanta. hustling back in the day. You pretty. much know everybody. So, I pretty much. know everybody, you know, especially,

you know, I've been out going to Atlanta. since 1988, you know, and I grew up in Jersey City. and Harlem and New York, so it's it's. possible, you know, so I just wanted to. know. Yeah. Yeah. Sioexual, but I like. that it got you from conversation. Yes. You mentioned that once he got out, you. know, things was okay and then he ended. up getting murdered. Sent you, you know, now you got y'all have a child together. she's not going to be there to help you. rear this child and you fell into. depression. And you said it was your.

daughter that helped you get out of. depression because you had to realize. like she doesn't have a father that's. here and if I I can't be of service to. her if I'm dealing with these internal. issues. I need to get my stuff together. to make sure she has the best life I can. possibly provide for her. Yes, definitely. Well, um, she helped me through the whole. depression. Like, she was my support. system. She was because I was like. sleeping all the time, not being able to.

get up out of the bed or get out of the. uh room that funk that you was in, right? But I kept on writing like. writing diaries and writing all this. like confusions. But. um it was definitely my daughter and it. was uh another one is the conversation. with my dad. Okay. My father went. through the war like she he was born he. didn't went through the war as a a. grown-up but he was born on the day of. the part harbor. Okay. So uh 41. Yep.

1941. Yes. Um so postwar era. Mhm. And. he saw his mom or his, you know, brother. like lose their lives or like mourn the. loss of their loved ones and things like. that. So, and he and he's like, "Don't. feel entitled because you lost your. husband because everybody has lost their. loved ones or their friends or their.

family in Okinawa and they still. survived and that's why you're here. today." And when he said that, it. clicked in my head. M if I am truly um. proud of my family or like where I'm. from, I have to stand up and it's tough. Yeah. Yeah, it's tough. Keep going. And. when I So I didn't have nothing to lose. at that time. When when I when I have. the support from my family and I don't. have nothing to lose, what do I want to. do? I said music. And when I decided to.

get back on the music, I have to be the. best. Like I promise my daughter, watch. me. I'll be an inspiration to you. Wow. I have one more question. I think we got. to give it a go. What's your plans. as you get older when the music stops? Um I want to build a school. That's why. I have a charity. Um now it supports. kids from Okinawa to study abroad. Okay.

I this is my second year. Last year we. started it. We launched it. We do 100. kids um homeay. within Okinawa into American families. Wow. Okay. Like um because we utilize we. can utilize studying abroad, right? Is. that called? No, I think she said the. American families are in Okinawa. In. Okinawa and you put you put the children. with American families. So families so. they can learn like a a c like a. different culture. Yes. Okay. with the.

way of their life. Yeah. Within Okinawa. Okay. Like utilizing the uh unique. situation that we have as Okinawan. Island and then they take exam. Out of. 100 kids, three can go to Atlanta to. study for a week. Wow. Okay. Um and then. uh this year we're doing the same thing. Plus we pick two kids from Atlanta to. come to go to Okinawa. an hour for.

exchange. Yes. And we are I'm I'm. looking to like expand the days cuz we. could only like do short days now. because of the budget, but I'm I'm. looking to expand that to kind of like. so that they can learn for a year or. like real studying abroad. Yeah. Yeah. It makes a difference. And then, you. know, bring that back to their own. community and help their community. Now, I have another question. in your in your. is it city or country? Okanawa city. City, right? Japan. You guys You guys.

have a Rich Carlton there. What is it? Like a Rich Carlton hotel? Yeah. Cuz I'm. I'm into like I'm spoiled. Yeah. I'm bougie. I ain't going to lie. Like I come from the streets, but I work. hard and my my sheet my thread count got. to be on point. So cuz I go to different. parts of the world and I've been there. like I'm not going to trip. No, I can't. do it, dog. I stopped that. Like, no. Everything I do now got to be on point. because I'm into BMW. I gotta have it,

man. I'm bougie, yo. I ain't going to. lie. And I'm not afraid to say it. You. know, I'm from I'm from the streets and. I've been through all that, but when I. go to certain countries, do you have Four Seasons? Um, um, the. Ritz Carlton, the Waldorf Histori. Damn. Yeah, I gotta do it. He said, "Damn.". Yeah, I gotta do it. In Japan, definitely in Okina or do we have four. seasons? I don't think we have four. Well, long as you got the Ritz. Rits. We.

Ritz. Hi. Hi. I I rock with the high. I. can rock with the high. Yeah, I can rock. with Maybe there's a curious. I'm just. curious. Okay. But it's a it's it's. certain part of Okinawa is resorts, right? Yeah. It's a lot of like the cuz. that's really one of my plans to come. to. I I travel the world. I was just in. Berlin. I was just in Great Britain. Yeah. But one of the things is um I. wanted to do Japan, but what I was. looking for who had the city of Ramia, New York. Right. Right. That's what. that's was important. I wanted to go to. the city life. I didn't want to do my.

daughters like the the culture and all. that. They could do what the hell they. want to do. Right. Right. I'm old. I. just want to lay in bed, have my. espresso, get my hands and feet done. That's what. I want to do. But kids think I'm crazy, but I love it. Yeah, we do. We do have. it. So, what can fans expect from Awitch. moving forward 2025 and beyond? Uh, I'm. coming out with a project. Okay. Uh, with Rizza, fully produced by Rizza. And.

in that album, we have the song that I. just performed. And the first song is. called Wax on Wax Off, right? It's. featuring Frag and Lupe Fiasco. Wow. Because Lupe is a true samurai and he. know all kinds of martial arts. I didn't. know that. He didn't. You didn't know? I. did not know. His father owns a dojo in. Chicago. So as as he grew up, he know. all kinds of like budo like all the. martial arts. Wow. He can do swords,

swordmanship, karate, dojo, judo. Yeah. Wow. So you can never judge. a book by its cover. No. See, years ago, you could argue with someone. When I was. growing up, you you go fist fighting. Now, you get in an argument, you got to. really think. You don't know what a. person know, right? You gota really like. you got to be looking looking at. somebody ears. If they got them. cauliflower ears, like, no, man, you got. it. That's so true. You know what I'm. saying? You got to go ahead. And that's. why, and just to put this out there, that's why on your interview, if you.

ever anybody get into an argument, always do it a gentleman and lady way. cuz you never know what the person. standing in front of you is capable of. doing. Cuz when I think of L, I would. never think like I'm no not trying to. diss him or anything. I just like I'm. amazed. Yeah. And I'm impressed. Wow. That's awesome. So you got a project. coming out with him as well also. He's. just on your project. He's on my. project. And how long did it take you? You still working on the album? Yes, I'm. wrapping up. And how many songs you have.

on there already? Like 10. So 10. Okay. Okay. And when is do you know your. release date? September. September. Now. you going through your own label or you. being distributed by someone? My own. label. Wow. Independent. That's what I. wanted to hear. And the reason why I. asked that question, um, I used to tour. at New Edition. Mhm. And one when Bobby. Brown left New Edition, um we did a. concert, I met a man named Easy E. And. one thing I know what Easy E did, he he. put $6,000 up for Straight Out of.

Compton, right? That was his budget. That's what he spent. And he made $27. million off Straight Out of Compton. So. I've always from in in movies, TV, um. music industry, I always ask people are. they going independent? and you really. believe in yourself, you'll go. independent because you cut out the. [ __ ] and that's how you never get. play. And that's why the Dr. Dre and Ice. Cube was always one compared to the East. Coast in hip-hop because they owned no.

one could tell them what to do and. ownership. Yeah. Is everything. So, I'm. proud of you on that. Thank you. Thank. you. Thanks for coming by. Thank you. Do. you know much about Kgnac? Hey, which. KNC? Yeah. You know about it? A little. bit. Yeah. But um I have my own saki. brand of sake I want you to try. Okay. I. absolutely will. Rock it. We going to. rock it. So, this is habush. Habush. Okay. See, I said it right. Habush. And. what it is, they got that snake in. there. Do it. Yes. Oh, Lord. There's a. snake in there. Not inside. Like, not. the snake itself. Yeah. But it has the.

snake extract in it. Okay. That's. interesting. And it's a Okinawan. tradition to to marinate snake in the. sake. because it used to kill like this is a. poisonous haboo is the name of the. snake. M he used to kill people like it. used to bite and people get you know. they get bit and they die. So they have. to kill the snake but instead of. throwing it away they thought to put it. in their drink and drink their strength. into themselves. So instead of the snake. letting the snake bite them and die they.

figure they'll marinate the snake and. drink that and die. Yes. Oh Lord have. mercy. So you want to try it? Turned out. it it's full of amino acid. It's good. for you. It never give you hangover and. it's aphrodesiac. Oh, let's let's I think we should let's try. that now. Yeah, we got some more. glasses. Let me I got I got to go check. We can. knock ours out. Hey. Hey, TK. This might. be our last drink.

So much cognac. In order for it to be a. Kgnac, it has to originate in the in the. region in the Kgnac region. Now, this is. a VSOP. That means it has to be aged. between four and six years. So any any. Kgnac, it has to originate there. The. first two years of its existence, it has. to originate in the Kgnac region. It's a. grape. And people don't I don't know if. people realize realize this, but Kanyak. originates from a grape. This is a Uni. Blanc grape and a petite champagne. So. it's a combination 46 years. And uh.

we've won like 13 14 awards. We've won. the SIP awards twice. This is yours. This is mine. A I didn't know that. A. [ __ ] That's I got Let me go get some. water. I'll bring But you know about you. know about the opening to drop the water. in to open it up. I'm just I'm just. going to pretend that was my drink. No, but actually if if you if if you. drop a if you drop a a a thing of water. in there, it'll open up the body. Okay. Yeah. Because you can't control it with. an ice cube because the ice cube going. to melt. Yeah. Ice cube is going to melt. and it's going to give you more water. than what you need. But a drop of water,

it'll open it up. But wow. Congratulations. I love that knowledge, boy. Now I'm going be using your [ __ ] on. [ __ ] salmon. You got put a. little water a drop of water in there. Wow. You took that to the head. Oh, not. supposed to. Oh, Lord. I thought you. know you know we sip and you know like. Hey. Yeah. How you doing? So what? So. what? So how was your day today? I think. you don't have to. Yeah. It's usually a. sip. It's usually a sip drink. Oh. Yeah. You didn't know. You know. So we we do. it like this. You do it like that. Ah.

You big. You're a big girl. All right. Let's try yours. Snake. Snake extract. Yes, but it has 13 different types of herbs, so it's aromatic. Am I supposed to just. drink take it all in? I get to your. head. Yeah. Really? I don't know. After. the BP and this God dang. Which you need. more? No, I don't drink no more. I was. see this going to do. You going to drink. with us? Yes. Okay, here we go. Well, Kai is uh is a Japanese word for cheers.

Okay. Kai Kai. Kai. Kai. Cheers. Kai. Kai. Kai. Kai. Okay. It tastes good. It does. It's sweet. It. tastes good. Yes. It's the um You taste. a little cinnamon in the end. Yes. Right. Am I right? I t I taste cinnamon. on the end. It's got cinnamon. It's got. um 13 different types of herbs. Now, do. you have extra bottle? I do. I do. You.

mind? But but you have to sign it for. me. And you have to sign his too. like. sign it, put your name on it. That would. be nice. Well, thank you for joining us. Really appreciate it. Thank you. Thank. you so much. All right. Good job. I'm. coming over there so I'll give you my. information. I'm saying that the rich. though defining. all my life sacrifice hustle paid the. price a slice. Got to roll the dice. That's why all my life I've been. grinding all my life. All my life been.

grinding all my life. sacrifice hustle. paid the price want a slice not to roll. a dice that's why all my life I've been. grinding all my life. [Music].