Latest / The Grounded Show / Grounded Show Ep. 55 - For The Culture
Transcript
- So check this out. This might seem a little douchy, but I don't got a shirt on. It's not because I'm trying to show off. It's just this is really high be before the show. I always put a shirt on for the show, and the spirit being me one hundred percent, I just kept it off. We all saucy on top of that. You know, y'all gonna get the full, unadulterated version you heard me in this. I've been in this bit making margaritas from scratch. You feel me, so I'm feelings. I'm scratched, but I'm a squeezing limes and shit, damn, that's the line. Boy. Quincy is the king of new recipe stuff, facts and chat. Quincy always dropping something that he just made, like just random, like like a apple infused rubber butter rubber buttery cop be like sating that recipe your fast. I don't know if you said it on the podcast before, Quincy, but you went to school to be a chef originally? Yeah, yeah, that's actually like literally I started off like when I was graduating in high school, Like in my mind, bro, I was like, I'm gonna be a chef, and the thing that stopped me from doing that is that I hit. I hit like the first or second semester, and I was like, yeah, bro, I ain't trying to be on my feet in the heat all day. Like I like cooking, but not that damn much, you know what I'm saying. And so yeah, that's why I didn't. That's why I didn't, you know, pursue it. But I do enjoy cooking, and you know what I'm saying, making just creating, Bro, I feel like cooking is such a dope way to create, you know what I mean. And it's an instant gratification. As soon as you're done, you get to like enjoy what you just put all that work into. Yeah, but I've probably been the guy who opens the fridge and just make something out of everything. And I do the same thing. He just makes it the Spanish quad because it's all Spanish food that all America getting. Yours came from the struggle, for sure. For sure, that's a struggle thing. Bro. You open the fridge and you look around, it's like, how can I put these things together to eat something that's good? The White Rights and the Friday egg yo facts, that's a classic, bro. I'll still be having that now, bro, Like it's like a struggle meal, but it just hits. It's funny too, because my kids love ramen right, Like, I don't know where they got it from. And they got it from my wife a matter of fact, which is funny because my wife always kind of had money, like growing up, like not rich or nothing, you know what I mean, But she was pretty decent, you know, middle class vibes. So like, I don't even know where she got it from. I look at the ramen and that just brings back horrible memories, bro, you know what I'm saying. Like, you know, back in the day, five ten cents for a pack of ramen and you buy a whole bunch and that's just last you for your whole life, you know what I mean? Those were terrible times, bro. I don't even y'all was the same with spam, Bro, Like I hate spam. I ain't gonna lie bus fried spam and mac and cheese shit. Yeah, well no, my homians, but I'm gonna touch a little bit on that. One of my homianes I grew up with and now he's doing great. You know, he as a family as a house. But he will eat spam for breakfast every weekend, if because that's that's just his ship. And then being in Hawaii for a week back in February, that's a that's a major part of their dish. Yeah, the McDonald's big Big breakfast me comes with spam. Yo. You know what's crazy? Crazy? I wonder what makes the difference in your mind that makes you still eat some of that stuff? Yeah, because you won't do one thing, but yeah, you know what I mean, Like like there's like sometimes you get like these negative connotations with certain things that are from the same Like for example, like even just growing up like low income, Like there's certain things that like you still carry with you, but then there are certain things that you just hate it, you know what I mean, Like like this this kind of doesn't fall into that. But for example, like whenever we buy oreoles at the crib like before, like let's say like maybe like five years ago, so it wasn't even that long ago, bro, Like we would get oreos and I would get like two of them, and then I will go eat my oreoles and I'll tell my wife like dang, I want some more, man. But like in my head, it's like you could only have two, you know what I'm saying, because like back in the day, it was like, bro, you can't eat you know, we're not gonna have a long time, so you can eat two a day so that don't last, you know what I'm saying. And then my wife was like, yo, why don't you just go get more oreoles. I'm like, and I thought about it for a second. I'm like, you know what, right, this is my house, doog? What am I doing? And it just like made like a little switch in my head where it was like it made a switch in my head, like to the point where like where I will go to stores, I wouldn't get the cheapest thing of everything anymore, you know. I mean I realized, I'm like, bro, what am I doing? I'm not in the hood no more, you know what I'm saying. Like, And and it's funny because it's like a delicate balance, right because I'll wa lived by this like idea of leave below your means as far as like how you spend your money and all that stuff, your house, all that all those things so that you have a better life. Like to me, it's like if I'm not spending all my money on you, know, my house, my car, the things in my house. It gives me more money to be more comfortable, and it gives me more money to actually do things that I really want to do, you know what I mean. Like I'm not gonna spend money to have a whole bunch of stuff sitting around here that I can't use all the time, you know what I mean. I'd rather spend money on the stuff that actually is gonna matter. And I always try to carry that with me, just from like back in the day and even like that, Like I've been on this internet and fastening thing, bro, since probably like two thousand tennis, you know what I mean, like two thousand cents two eleven, And even that came from like literally not having nothing to eat. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. Like once the internet and fasting thing kind of like became popular, and I looked at him, like, Bro, I could do that. I used to do that, you know what I'm saying, like without no choice back in the day, you know what I'm saying. So like I kind of adopted that, but really, like it wasn't something that I had to so much train myself on. It was like something that I was already used to and just because I kind of carried that over but turned it into something that actually benefited me. You know. Now, people be like, yo, I don't know how you'd be doing that, because like usually I'll go like I won't eat. I usually will eat, like around eleven in the morning. Usually I'll have water and coffee. Then around eleven I'll eat, and then I won't eat again, usually till like seven or eight, you know what I mean. I might have a snack before bed, like around eleven, But that's kind of like how I schedule my eating, you know what I mean. And a lot of people when I tell them that, they're like, yo, you're crazy, And it's like dog like back in the day, Yo, shout out to my boy Josh Man, like he did a lot for me as like when we were kids, bro Like he was a little bit older, but he and we were all broke, but he always kind of took care of me. Like he always had a couple of extra bucks. We will go to the Hardys on the corner and I'm worth you know what I'm saying that, like a two for three chicken sandwich and he'll give me one, or like he'll buy like a pack of cookies, like two packs of cookies to give me one, you know what I mean, Like he literally like there was a lot of days where I wouldn't have eight if it wasn't for Josh, you know what I mean, And like just kind of like coming from that, it's like okay, having a real meal and kind of spacing them out. That's cake, you know what I'm saying. Facts, Yeah, And that's what's funny. I think it's like it's like you said, like it's what it makes you feel, like like I don't. I do not enjoy eating on plastic plates, paper plates with like plastic fortune lines Like I'm like, nah, I used to point where I don't gotta eat on that no more. But then again, I will go eating gas station food real quick. If me, like when if I'm home alone or if I'm somewhere lower down my wife and like I'm out of town and she's out of tumb bro, I would live off gas station food because that takes me back to I know, I could get a couple of sandwiches, a back of chips, drink. I'm good for the day. It's so funny you say that about the paper places, man, because like you know, my fiance, she she comes from a much you know what I'm saying, kind of like a higher income background, you know. Um, and she didn't grow up like that at all. Bro. Like me, Like Bro, we had like you know what I'm saying, like actual plastic go ahead, go ahead, my bad. Just I'm gonna go off of what you're saying so you can keep talking. But do you specifically remember anything where she kind of realized like, damn, this dude really ain't have shit? Oh yeah, But was that like a specific moment you remember that? She's like what and then you were kind of explaining and she's like, wow, I don't even get that. It's not even like specific moments, Bro. It still happens to this day, you know what I'm saying, Because like there'll be a situation like for example, Bro. And I'm glad you asked that question because you was there for this situation. When we went to Miller's elhow it was me, you and Robin and we just started just kind of just reflecting and thinking about Wentworth and we was talking about stories from back then and we were just laughing and just like just reminiscing and thinking about it, and then Robin was like, yo, ya, y'all making this up? Like what the fuck? Yeah, She's looking at us like what the fuck are y'all talking about? Because everything to every story that was coming up, you would think we made it up, but like no, bro, this is like this is our life, Bro, this is what we lived through. So like still to this day, bro, chill, like, you know what I'm saying, something that happened, and I'll have to explain like a past situation or a past experience and not love it though, because it's like, you know what I'm saying, she teaches me the same way I teach her because there's a lot of stuff that she knows that I don't know. You know what I'm saying, I've never been on that side of the fence, you know what I mean. So, and it's funny because I kind of have the same situation with my wife where it's like she also kind of teaches you how to value yourself more, you know what I'm saying, because like, growing up, we always had this thing where we kind of belittled ourselves. We kind of knew that we were always lesser than like just as far as money wise, like we never had rides anywhere, we never had extra money to do anything. So it's like you kind of get into this mindset where like you almost humble yourself to like the size of an ant, you know what I'm saying. And that's why, And this is like the perfect transition into one of the concepts we wanted to talk about, because that's why for me, the when people mentioned like the trap or trap music or you know what i mean, all these different things that like you know, reflect on the lower income coming up, it's not just like it's so in your face, but it's a physical trap because we're actually trapped, you know what I mean, Like we're not getting opportunities to get out of that situation. But then mentally we're trapping ourselves because because we feel like we can't get out of those situations, we start to accept that fact as truth when it's not truth. And going to your point, Lester, that's why when we have these partners that are like helping us, you know, value ourselves, it matters, bro, you know what I'm saying, It really matters. It kind of goes into what Ronnie was talking about with us the other day. When we're playing Call of Duty. Shout out to Ronnie Man. He's Ronnie's super dope because he's one of the dudes that grew up almost the same exact way that we did. Because he was right down the street, bro, you know what I'm saying, Like he was two three minutes away in a car from us, but he took a way different approach. But at the same time, you know, he wasn't in like a neighborhood the way we was. Like it's a little different when you're in an apartment complex and everybody's right there, bro, Like you cannot escape it, you know what I'm saying. But it kind of goes back to that where like this is something that I've always noticed with dudes that really like not saying everybody else's face, but a lot of dudes that really really really really came out the gutter, like they don't want to be around that no more, you know what I'm saying, Like, like speaking of the trap thing, bro, Like when I was in high school, Dog, I lived with a dude that, you know, basically had a trap, you know what I'm saying. Like the house was like one couch and a TV on the floor in the living room. You know, the room we stayed in was like two air mattresses and the microphone that we used to wrap on. You know what I'm saying, Like we never had any food or nothing in the crib. You know, it was just like things like grits, oatmeal. You know what I'm saying, Like if we ain't eating out, there ain't nothing to eat there. You know what I'm saying, Like it was just like a whole bunch of dudes playing fight night all the time, you know what I'm saying. And then it's like I don't look at that back. I don't look back on that finally, bro, you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't. I don't think about those times like damgn man. Like you know, obviously we got them crazy stories and stuff, but even a lot of them stories was from being outside, you know, like from the actual like time where you're away forgetting about what your actual situation is, you know what I'm saying. And Ronnie was just kind of talking about, like it's kind of crazy how mainstream culture has kind of taken a lot of those elements from that lifestyle and kind of made it seem cool slash something for people to imitate, you know what I'm saying. Like even when like I'm in like a suburban area and I'm like, you know, let's say I'm at the mall or something and I see a group of kids and I hear how they talking and see how they dressed, and like it's like, Bro, you guys are here with your parents credit cards. Dog, like you, there ain't no way, There ain't no way that you should even be like feeling like talking the way you talking, dressed the way you dressed, Like where did that come from? And where it came from? Is like that culture, that mainstream culture. Dog, there's so many guys that love young thug and like, for example, like going off of what we're talking about, Bro, I never had money growing up, like I was like after like my mid twenties was like when I actually had some money where I can do like extracurricular type things, you know what I'm saying. So like me and Quincy, matter of fact, he I went with him to my first music festival, you know what I'm saying, Like I've never been to a music festival. I had never really been to concerts like that, you know what I mean. I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what it was about, Like, I ain't know nothing about that. So we went to Rolling Loud. I think it was in twenty eighteen nineteen, one of those nineteen. It was right before COVID twenty nineteen. Dog. I was shocked at everybody there was white bros. And then I come to find out that that's all the festival crowds, And I'm like, bro, why these kids are here to see Young Doug twenty one savage? They here to see like Rick Ross. Like I didn't understand it, bro, Like it didn't make sense to me, you know what I mean. But like as my world kind of started opening up and I started kind of seeing that kind of stuff, I'm like, dang, it's crazy because everybody always wants what's not their reality. Everything always looks cooler on the other side, you know, And it's like, yeah, you want to you want to dress a certain way, and you want to say slime and all this stuff and everything. But dog, like the stuff young Thug came from, Like you see him right now in a court case. Crazy court case, Bro, Like that's from the lifestyle bros. You know what I'm saying? All these people, oh you know this is and not slime slide. Oh the little little white boys doing this. You know what I'm saying, Like, Bro, if you don't got a cold, you better stop with that. Ye no, yeah, I mean I know, like one of the things that for me, Bros, that's like you do. The older I get, the more in touch I get with just trying to like really experiment, not really experiment, I don't like that word, but really just um, what's the word I'm looking for? Kind of learn more about like my culture, you know what I'm saying, And learn more about where I actually do come from, because that's the problem with a lot of us as black people, bro. Like half of us don't even know where we came from. You know what I'm saying, Like we truly don't bro like the last we will say we're from New Orleans. You know what I'm saying, That's why I was born, But I have no idea where my roots come from. I had I took a DNA test, and that might be a lot, you know what I'm saying. I saw Malcolm X clip the other day where this interviewer obviously you know, had a little agenda. He really he would not let go of what's your last name? To Malcolm X and he bro, He explained to him, I don't know my last name. You know a lot of people got last name is John sin Smith of all this stuff. When you look back in the family tree where they got that name from, usually it's from their slave master. He's like, I'm from Africa, Bro, my name ain't Smith, Johnson, none of that. So I don't you know, I don't know what my last name is. And the guy's like, yeah, but what was your given last name? It's like, Bro, I'm not even going to acknowledge that because that's not my last name, know what I'm saying? And it was. It's just one of those things, bro. And another thing Ronnie asked that I'm going to ask you is, for example, somebody like me versus somebody like at those Roland Loud concerts, how do you feel about somebody like that versus somebody like me as far as like upbringing and just all the cultural things that have to do with how we are the way that we are. Somebody, like I said, somebody that's choosing to kind of be a part of that life slash. They're just intrigued by it versus somebody that actually came from that kind of life. And I don't want to conflate black culture and low income culture because that's not fair obviously, but because of the situations that have happened in America, it overlaps so much because like you said, it's a trap, Yeah, exactly, And I'm gonna just call a spade a spade. Bro it really for me, I mean, I'm just speaking from my perspective. Not all black people gonna see it this way, you know, but from my perspective. But you could just look at the flip side of it. If I'm a hood dude, or if I come from you know what, I'm saying, the hood and I'm trying to portray myself to be something I'm not, no matter how you slice it, as lame as fuck, you know what I'm saying, no matter how you slice it. If I'm a fucking Spanish person and I'm trying to portray myself to be something I'm not, it's lame because dog, you're you're portraying yourself at the end of the day. So to go back to your question, I think that's what really kind of bothers me the most is that not only are you portraying yourself to be something you're not, but you're portraying yourself that everyone else will perceive as less than Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So it's like, what is the what is the logic behind that? Because hey, bro, we could trade lines. What's up. I'm with it because y'all got all the privilege. You know what I'm saying, we could trade. But at the end of the day, you know that's not really that's that's not the bottom line. The bottom line is that it's like, at the end of the day, trying to portray yourself to be something you not, it's just lame dog and and and it's it's double lame if you're trying to portray yourself to be something where it's like, Bro, like you said before, you said, you know, you're trying to be hood but you got you're using your mom's maxed out platinum or not maxed out, but like your platinum credit card. You know what I'm saying. It's like, you know, for what you know what I'm saying, what's the point? So that that's really my my take on it is just I just feel like, no matter how you slice it as lame as fuck and you know, it is what it is. Yeah, I think that relates to John Morant, even John Morant. That that's why it bothers me so much with John Morant, you know, because like you know, the way everybody kind of like is like digging digging on him. Pause, you know, as far as like you know his background and his upbringing. It's like, Bro, that's not what you come from. Dog Like, why I try to portray Bro? You already literally have made like you were in a decent situation and made it even higher. Why would you portray yourself to be in a situation that you're not in? Dog Like? It makes no sense? And rare occasions are you in that situation and just do it because you love it? But most of you in this situation because you have to and you have to survive. And the thing is that it's like he's not in that situation at all at all. And then they say, you know, one of the things that I, you know, excuse me just being in the music industry, unless I'm sure you you hear it all the time they always kind of say, I don't know if y'all know this, but like a lot of the record labels and stuff have like money invested into like prisons, and you know, with that being said, they basically say that, you know, the reason certain artists get marketed the way they get marketed, it's because it promotes that behavior. It promotes that, you know, if you look at him by amazing life insurance policies they take out on certain artists and the artists exactly exactly. So it's like at the end of the day, it's you know, a capitalistic situation that it's like, yeah, okay, you know, it's cool. It's what's in right now, it's what's you know, the you know as far as like, well what everybody's doing and listen to but like, dog, what's what's wrong? Will being you? You know what I'm saying, Yo, shout out to Jari Man, Like he just dropped a video recently kind of talking about and and he's always been on this streets as a myth thing, and I've always been like super behind that just from the point of view of you know, just literally breaking that down, like a lot of the streets stuff ain't even real, Like if you remove yourself from that situation. They don't even exist anymore, you know what I'm saying. Like it's all like like a it's basically like if you choose, it's like imagine the Ninja Turtles, Bro, Like you don't even know that the Ninja Turtles is in the sewer unless you go under there and you look for them, you know what I mean. Like that's kind of how I look at it, Like, don't go in the sewer, you know what I'm saying. But he just dropped the video recently on his Instagram kind of just saying how hip hop is kind of like the only business that they will put millions of dollars behind somebody that's actively in the street doing illegal activities, you know what I'm saying. And he's like, and it's like, what is the logic behind that? They don't do that anywhere? Look at what happened with John Moran, Bro, that's a you know, the NBA's a billion dollar industry, and as soon as he was showing that stuff, they was like, nah, bro, yeah, they strategically gave him twenty five games. Why because he will not meet the requirements to get any bonuses for any incentives this season. He won't make all NBA. He won't make you know what I'm saying, like, he won't get most Improved, you know, MVB, none of that, because there's a minimum requirement of sixty five games. Twenty five games will bring you at six Oh no, no, my bad, twenty five games fifty seven games. So you can only play fifty seven games, you're not gonna make the sixty five. So they basically said, we're gonna take away X amount of money from you. We're gonna take away the opportunity for you to even hit any bonuses this year because hey, you should not be doing this. This is bad now. Flip side hip hop, Young Thug dropped an album today. Today is Friday, June twenty third. Young Nug drops Businesses Business. Right, He's in jail on trial on a raico charge that the album covers him in the courtroom, and the rico charge is a slew of charges that have to do with all kinds of street activity. Right, So he drops an album in jail, which more than likely, I mean not more than likely. Pretty much all the music was recorded beforehand. They probably just kind of, you know, figured out what was his best stuff, kind of put it together, did some post production, got some features, whatever. All Right, he drops this album where, like Joe said on the cover, he's in court in the in the middle of a courtroom, and all the music is the same type of music, same stuff that he was dropping from before, talking about the same stuff he's on trial for. Gunna drops an album last Friday's he just got out of jail. Suppose you know, allegedly he's a snitch and he's rapping about the same stuff. And even one of the main songs on the album he's talking about he's taking some veiled shots at somebody that hangs out with a snitch. So it's like, what other industry are they gonna amplify these guys that are already in jail or just got out of jail for these same issues that they're talking about on their previous albums, and they're gonna say, hey, let's put some marketing behind these new songs that are the same stuff while these guys are in jail, because people are gonna rock with it because he's in jail right now. And that's why for me, it's very bothersome when you know these little I guess you could say white kids or whatever, you know, follow this behavior because they don't suffer the same consequences. You know what I'm saying. This, The music, the industry, it all promotes this, this certain behavior that only a certain particular, you know, group of individuals have. You know, when they get influenced by it, they deal with consequences for it. It's actually it's actually very maniacal and and genius if you think about it from a standpoint of if I was, you know, in government and basically trying to continue doing what the government has been doing since forever. You know what I'm saying, not three strikes rule, you know what I mean, thirteenth Amendment, all that good stuff that that basically the what was it, the U the Crime Bill, all of that stuff that basically systematically, you know what I mean, oppressed a certain group of individuals. It's just another way to do it, you know what I mean. They're gonna always figure out a way to do it. And that's why it's super lame to me, because it's like you're portraying something that even if you portray it the way I portray it, you're not going to deal with the same consequences. Yo perfect example of what you just said. It reminded me of a story when I was about fifteen or so, Me and my friends from went Worth, We went to the movie theaters. You know what I'm saying, hang out. Everybody hung out at the movies on a Friday night. You know, that was the thing back in the day. We went to the movie theaters. It was a late night. You know. At the end of the night, we were waiting for our moms. Like just imagine, like that's how young we were. We're waiting for our moms to pick us up. So we're sitting on a bench in front of the Target at Waterford Lakes in Orlando. So the movie theaters connected in the shopping plaza. We went to the Target to wait for our moms. We're sitting there, I would say, maybe a group of like six or seven of us on a bench. Then the other bench on the other side of the entrance to Target. It was a group of white kids. Right. The white kids are just chilling, like how we are only differences. They're smoking cigarettes, right, We're just chilling though, you know what I'm saying, We ain't doing nothing, smoking nothing. We're literally just waiting for our moms. Sitting on the bench. The white kids are on the other bench smoking cigarettes. Right, they looked like they were about our age, which was less than eighteen, you know what I'm saying. So obviously they smoking cigarettes is illegal. So were sitting there waiting for our moms. All of a sudden, two big like green dark forest green SUVs. They were from the Sheriff's department just kind of like cornered us in when we weren't even We're not even running. We're not even moving, bro, We're sitting on some benches, you know. So they kind of like came like screeching, cornered us saying, came out, you know, a whole bunch of hollering and stuff. Basically, they just wanted our ds to see who we were whatever what we were doing. It's like, bro, were waiting for our moms to pick us up. We obviously kids. One of them officers, because I was with a whole bunch of black people and dark skinned Spanish people. I was the only light skinned Spanish dude in my group. So one of the officers pulls me aside. Keep in mind, we all dressed the same, we all looked the same, same vibe. Everything One of the officers pulled me aside and basically tells me like, hey, you don't need to be doing this, you don't need to be involved in this kind of stuff. I was like, bro, what are you even talking about? Broe here waiting for our moms, Like why are you singling me out and pulling me to the side and telling me that obviously it's because I look white, and it's exactly what you're talking about, Quincy. It's like you're pulling me to the side to tell me, hey, you don't need to be doing this, when first of all, we wasn't even doing nothing while you trying to, you know, read the Riot Act to everybody else. My mom ended up having to take everybody home because she was the first mom that got there. And my mom was always like, I'm not leaving these kids with these cops, you know what I'm saying? Like that was always her thing, like, because you know, it wasn't It wasn't the first time, it wasn't the last time. But there was a few times that my mom pulled up and there was cops on us and we was literally not doing anything, bro, And my mom was always that I'm never I'm never leaving these kids with these kids with these cops. You know what I'm saying. She always said, I'm taking them and she'll take us home. We'll go home and they'll pick me. They'll pick up everybody from my mom's career, you know what I'm saying. But it's just exactly what you were talking about, Quincy. Everybody's not suffering the same consequences from these things and the lifestyle they portraying. And literally all we were doing as far as quote unquote portraying was we was dressed hip hop, you know what I'm saying, Baggy jeans, white teas, you know, fitted hats, but we're obviously kids, bro. And I remember I don't remember if it was me or whoever, but somebody literally when the cops was there, there was like, hey, you don't see them white kids right over the air smoking cigarettes. They obviously not eighteen. Why you ain't go to them? And the cop was like, well it was random, and we chose you. Yeah random, Yeah, good word, yeah, man. And you know it was something we were talking about a little bit bef for the podcast too. Man, Like I'm not a person that hates white people or is racist against white people. But I'm not gonna lie. Bro. A lot of times in my life, I have not have pleasant experiences with white people, bro. And part of it is because I don't look like I'm Spanish. They feel like they're comfortable enough telling me things and saying certain things that they feel like they can say with me because they feel like it's a safe space. And I immediately tell them, Bro, I'm Puerto Rican dog, like you're barking up the wrong tree. Oh my bad, this is no, not my bad, Bro, You're just feel comfortable. You just feel you feel comfortable exactly. And I have I always I have that other angle as far as like that situation, because you know, I don't know if I've said it before, but it's always been something that, you know, in my in my regular conversation, I've always talked about, like, Bro, ain't no way you could tell me that black people are the black people all of that, because throughout my whole life, Bro, black people have embraced me and treated me better than even Puerto Ricans. Bro. Puerto Ricans look at me and they say, oh, you're a white boy, and they make fun of me. Dog. You know what I'm saying. Porto Ricans don't even accept me the way black people accept me, you know what I'm saying. So it's like I've always had that angle of it where it's like, bro, like like when I see people and I hear people saying certain things, I'm just like, Bro, where are y'all getting this from? Because I've never seen it. Bro, you know what I'm saying. Even like I have a business with my father in law and when people come in there, I promise you, bro, the black people of the time are the most respectful. They're the ones that talk to you like a person, you know what I'm saying like, and I, honestly and not even Puerto Ricans, I can say, are the same, you know what I'm saying. And it's so crazy to me because you know, I always always equated to this. It's what you're around and stuff, you know what I mean like, And it goes back perfectly to what we're talking about. The portrayal of black people in America is. So it's you're showing a one percent, which is if you show the one percent of white people of Puerto Ricans, everybody else, if that's what you amplified, everybody would look bad. You know what I'm saying, but black people are the only ones that they're literally taking out the hood, fresh off the block and saying, hey, I'm gonna give you a million dollars so you can put this on display for the world to see. In fact, and again what Quincy said, Bro, we did, man, even to get even more behind the scenes with the music stuff. Bro, like when we used to run around Atlanta and just you know, try to make this music thing shake. The reason why me and Quincy have shifted so hard to the independent route is because we saw how clear that the music industry itself, as far as like push the big artists, they're looking for the most ignorant out the street rapper, so just pluck them out and say let's put them out there. That's literally what they're looking for. At all these events, at all these studios, they're looking at quote unquote the voice of the streets. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I've learned from y'all firsthand. I learned from just what I know that the rap game is a system, just like everything's a system, and this world run by white people that were all control facts. Man, And even kind of leads into like another thing we wanted to talk about and kind of just use it as a jumping off point. But that little, uh, the little submersible that ended up imploading trying to like kind of discover I mean, not discover, but just kind of go to see the Titanic and kind of like a little tour, I guess, and just the idea of how global and how big that thing got, when at the same time, you know, there was like actual people that weren't even like trying to do something like that that we're lost, you know what I'm saying. It was like a boat of like seven hundred like people. Did y'all see that story? It was a boat over seven hundred refugees that that got basically I don't know if they got lost or what exactly. I didn't look too deep into it because I tried not to like consume myself for too much negative because honestly, you know, if you you can go every day, bro, and you're gonna see things that can bring you down, and I just try not to like consume myself with it. But you know, I did see the story, and it's unfortunate, but you will see how, like you said, less, how amplified those those five individuals that chose to go to a freaking find Titanic, like nobody told y'all spent mad. Like, Bro, some people just let me just cut you off with quick, just to leave this little disclaimer. Obviously, anybody passing away for whatever reason before their time, it's terrible, you know what I'm saying, like, I don't want to come off and sensitive to the loss of those families. I don't want to come off like, oh, their vives are not as valuable because they chose that. But it's just in the large scale outside looking in when you when you look at it from a thousand yards away, it's like five people that chose to be in a situation versus seven hundred people that are just trying to find a better way, and they literally have to take the risk to find a better way. And tis that sizes perfectly back to the trap thing. Bro. A lot of people say, oh, just choose not to do drugs. It's kind of sell drugs and all this stuff. And it kind of goes back to the thing I was talking about with Ronnie Bro, Like he chose to take the right path, you know what I'm saying, and it worked out for him and that's great, you know what I'm saying. Everybody has that option, but when you're specifically in a certain environment where no one around you is positive, no one around you has money, no one around you can even provide a way. It's like you can tell me there's a way, but if I don't know anybody around me that has taken that way and succeeded, why am I gonna try to take that way? There's nobody in my hood that said, Yo, a matter of fact, you know what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna go to school and do X, Y and Z that made some money that I could see and be like, yo, man, I need to go do that route. You know what I'm saying, though, I'm already basically being taught that, like, I ain't shit, so a lot of funk would I think I am shit or I'm special or anything that any person that can do something like that, you know, yeah, man, it's just it's it's it's very interesting and kind of going off what you're saying, Quincy, like that's and I want to toss it to you, Joe with this to kind of get your overall thoughts and even what I'm saying and now like that's why I'm not I don't consume myself with what's going on, because that's even something I learned from back in the day. Bro, Like when I was a kid and when we're running around, my whole world was wentworth you know what I'm saying, Like, regardless of what was going on outside, I was dealing with my reality. And that's something I've kind of carried on like through life, you know what I'm saying, Like my reality, my family's reality, the situations that I could control, the life, that I can create to make it better, that's my focus. Bro. I don't care about what's going on anywhere, Like you'll never not never, But it's very rare that you'll see me post about current events, share stories about current events if it's not some sports related. Bro. It's not that I don't care, it's just that everybody's going through stuff. Everybody got these situations. Bro, I don't got time to be worried about what everybody else is, Like everybody else's internal struggles and all this stuff. Bro, Like I got my own life worried about. Yeah, I could pleatly degree and it's a good way to button. But in this topic up the same thing. If it if it really doesn't affect me, I don't care. And as hard as it sounds, so but what I consider, you know, just my new drama and just something to talk about. Um, there's some things that I treat me a little more just because there's maybe a scientific factor behind it, some sort of engineering, which I enjoy. So I try to learn why things happen. But outside that, nah, I'm just saying I agree one percent. It's just I'm not focused on it. Um. I do go on YouTube a lot, and actually just comes up, So I ended up I end up just watching at random things all the time. But once I watch it, it's done and move on to the next thing. Something that you touched on a little bit in the past episode that I would like for you to elaborate. And it's like you are the son of Slash and you are yourself also an immigrant, you know what I'm saying. You. I believe you said you were born here, but you did go back, right, So it's like you spent considerable amount of time outside of the US when you were young, you know what I'm saying, and you came here you kind of had the upbringing but at the same time you had that you were in an environment where you were kind of around like different people, you know, different races, you know, white people, black people, Spanish people. You were in a more diverse environment, So like, how do you kind of see what we're talking about? That you were kind of more you were more multiculture than we were. There was no difference to me. I really thought everybody was the same. Everybody lives the same life I do. And it was until I got older, in a sort of processing a little more, where I realized it's not the same for everybody. That it started meeting friends who were nothing like me, who didn't have a lifestyle like me. We got along greade. They invited me into their homes and I see they have like sort of star every day and it's brand name soda and then breakfast, lunching, dinner every day and it's good food and it's all ran And I'm like, people think this life all the time. Yeah, you know what, go ahead, I'm sorry, No. That that that was. That was a moment where I realized what I grew up with, it wasn't what I thought I was gonna all I was gonna add to That was that it's so funny that you said it in that way because even me being black bro as a kid, and I feel like, when you're a kid, you can have a good heart or bad heart or whatever. You know what I'm saying. You're a kid, you know what I mean. You go down whatever path you go down. But if you have a good heart as a kid, it's so innocent. And I feel like that's where you're coming from. And I feel like, even me being black as a kid, bro, I was so innocent and I was so like oblivious to what was actually going on, you know what I'm saying, because like you know, I tell this story all the time, and I've told it on the pot. I've told the story of how I got robbed, you know, when I was working at the bank. And for me, that situation was my transition from a boy to a man because I realized, you know, I was like twenty years old when it happened, but it wasn't until I was around that age. You know what I'm saying that I really had gone through a specific situation that had nothing to do with me. But I was made out to be the villain as a black man, and that was a big like you know what I'm saying, Like just something to work through mentally, you know what I'm saying. And ever since then, I've kind of just gone down a different path and really try to like understand like the world that I live in. Because yeah, Bro, before that, man, I like you know, I was cool with everybody. Bro, I was prom king in high school. You know what I'm saying. My high school was predominantly white, can you feel me? But but like I was cool with everybody bro, White, Black, Spanish. It didn't matter, Bro, it was cool. I was cool with you and even the black Some of the black people didn't like me because I was cool with certain white and Spanish people, But I didn't give a fuck because it's like I'm cool with who the fuck cool with me? You know what I'm saying. Bro. Part is, me and Joe went to the same high school. And I would like to hear from you, Joe, because when I first went there, I want to say, around ninth grade, the race thing was still real big. Like when I was in ninth grade and University Dog, there was a big brawl, like a brawl between the white people and the black and Spanish people in the courtyard bro. Like, I was like, oh my god, Like that was even the first time I had like seen and met like the country white people, bro, like the ones with the cowboy boots and the camera and stuff and high school dog. I was like, Yo, what is going on out here? Like these people different dog fast. It was like it was it was like that. They called it the meet that me the hallway whether the Puerto Ricans hang out. Yeah, And they had their hall way. So there were sections of the school. There were four races. So the meat I meet us had this hallway going into the main camp for the people that I don't know. Meata Meta is like a Puerto Rican person. You know what I'm saying about the island, because all you're here is meat I Meeta metatas Like yo, you know, mad meet us, Like yo, you know you called out meat that was real mad at Yeah. Uh yeah. So they had that the cowboy boots and the and the cowboys had white people. They had the tree. Everybody knew what the tree was. That's where they hung out on the tree. And if you ain't them, you don't hang out on the tree. And that's literally where they were when the brawl happened. That's crazy, bro Um, not exactly the black people they had it. The black people had it right in front of the lunch room. The lunch room, Bro Joe. We didn't even oversect in high school. Bro. And that's exactly what the layout was when I went, broxt what it was. I hang out right in front of that that little lunch I sang the trash can in front of the door. A B and Sea lings given everything And I'm three years behind Leicester, bro and same shit. Yeah, because I'm Spanish, but because I was more urban, like I listened to hip hop, I dressed hip hop, I talked like a New Yorker. And because I played sports, I was I had connections to all the crowds just because we had that connection just being Spanish like like not not not every Spanish person played sports like I did football and wrestling in high school. So I had to play with these white dudes, so they ended up knowing me from sports. And then the black people. Spanish people always hung out. But like the Island people, I had like those girls in my class rooms and I would just talk to them and like so I always felt comfortable. So I always felt comfortable by around all of them because I'm like, now, these are all my people, but I have people who did not feel comfortable right now of them. And it wasn't like white white white each other white sting them. But I ain't gonna lie, Joe. We're very similar in that regard, Bro, I promise you We're very similar in that regard, even though I wasn't like super into sports because truthfully, Bro, I got out of school in an hour and a half later. Bro, I was working my part time job, you know what I'm saying. But at the same time, while I was in school, Bro, I was just cool, man. You know what I'm saying, Like I was a joking ass dude. You know what I'm saying. I had good energy and I just got along with people. You don't feel me And I've always been that way because I'm chillless fuck, you know what I'm saying. Like not even to be that dude, but I'm just a chill person. And at that time, there's not a lot of people I haven't got along with for no reason. Yeah, man, I mean it's different now, I'll tell you that, but you know, at that time, you know, um, I ain't have no reason to have any hate in my heart. That's the best way to put it. I didn't have no reason to have any hating. I cut the ball on this crowds and I was fortunate, and that is not experienced a lot of people have, and at a youth stages that carries on into your adult life. I'm older me. That probably allows me to be around these sixty year olds, seventy year old executive dudes and just talk to them like they grewing this up in the same neighborhood with me, and they see that, and it's easy for me to just be comfortable around like you're nobody, bro, You're just another person sitting in another section of my high school. That's all your is, yeah, man. And the kind of tie it all back together to put a button on it, it's like a lot of I feel like a lot of times the thing that kind of puts people in the wrong mindset when it comes to races and classes and stuff like that is just not understanding that America is very different in all the pockets, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, I've lived a completely different life in a twenty mile radius depending on where I was in that twenty mile radius, you know what I'm saying. So, you know, a lot of people many just gotta understand that just because you didn't grow up a certain way doesn't mean that that's not going on in other parts and people ain't having to deal with that, you know what I'm saying. Everybody you meet comes, you know, comes with a story. Man, Like I always look at it like my story is not special, It's just one of the stories of the many. And understanding that everybody has they struggle, you know what I'm saying, Like everybody has these things, and I feel like a lot of other people should have that mentality, like just understanding that hey, you got a different struggle than me, as long as you good people were good people. Yeah, yeahs big facts. That gives that every Yeah, no, I was gonna say, I give everybody that benefit of doubt. First, I'm gonna say, I'm gonna assume you're good until you show me you're bad, exactly, and and and that's what it is, you know, and kind of what we take a little bit from that old life is like the reservednist, you know what I'm saying, Like we've just seen like you know, speaking for me, Like I've seen a lot of like the worst of people, you know, just being in those environments, and it's just let kind of let me know, like you know what people are really about at the route, you know what I'm saying. So like I'm always a little hesitant discernment. I'm always like I'm a big I'm a big believer in time as far as like only time could show me who you really are, you know what I'm saying, Because you could be in a certain way for two weeks, you know what I'm saying. You could be a certain way for a year, You could be a certain way for two years, bro, But over five years, that's you. You know what I'm saying. Like that, that's like I'm one of those people that the only thing that can make me cool with you is time, none else. You know what I'm saying, I could find you cool, but until that time is passed and I can really see the resume, you know, I'm not messing with you like that, you know what I'm saying. Like even like Quincy, bro, like the reason why we even reconnected was because we already had that relationship from before. You know what I'm saying, We wasn't as cool when we were kids. We were definitely cool and we had fun together playing video games, basketball, hanging out the neighborhood and stuff. But we wouldn't even have reconnected if that that thing wasn't already there facts, you know what I'm saying, because because that's a big thing for me, you know what I'm saying. Like, even like you know Joe, like I was in that fantasy football league that we've been in together for mad years, bro, I never talked in that thing, you know what I'm saying. Never, Bro, Like, never said a word for like two three years, Dog, until like finally one year I was like, you know, it was enough people that I knew in there. I had known you long enough, you know what I'm saying, And I was like, all right, cool, you know what I'm saying. Everything's cool in here. And then it just off the racist from there until it wasn't. Oh my gosh, bro, Yo, we gotta talk about that. That's a story about that next time. Dog. Oh my gosh, I forgot about that. Bro. I'm not going even flex dog right here is right now, man, that's the end of this part. I just want y'all to stay butter mut m