Latest / Don Talk - Conversations with Mike Turner / The Failure that Changed My Life
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- Tyrone Miller: You internalize it. You you question everything. And for me, it created a dog. It made me, yo, I gotta, I gotta do something to make people forget about that. And I think that was one of the turning points in. Like I ain't gonna say my rap career, my life. Like, dog, I said, it made it put a drive in me that I don't think I had. it was the one the most embarrassing experience I've ever had, but I'm so thankful for it now. Mike Turner: welcome everybody to another edition of Don Talk Conversation with Mike Turner. We got a special guest in here tonight, Tyrone Miller. We're gonna be talking about When does proving them wrong stop being motivation? So that's the topic for the day. We're gonna jump right into our little our little rapid fire questions. We're gonna try to get into to some some deepness of you. Before we get a true introduction of you, Ty, we they they call you the Renaissance man, right? So we talk about Tyrone Miller: Factor. Mike Turner: some of the stuff that you know you've done reality TV, rap, writing, podcast. coach, you actually done budget jumping, which I'll never do. I just can't do that. But Tyrone Miller: Yeah. Mike Turner: and you've been cutting your own hair. All all that's true. What haven't you done? Tyrone Miller: Man, I ain't even man, you might do good research, man. I ain't look, this bald head is fresh from two days R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Exactly. Tyrone Miller: ago, man. Did it myself, you know what I Mike Turner: Ha ha ha. Tyrone Miller: mean? Very proud of my work. But yeah, man, I'm a Renaissance man. I I think out of necessity, bruh. I think a lot of I'm sure a lot of brothers can relate, man. You know what I mean? I I've been always chasing my dreams, doing the things I wanted to do, but at the same time raising a family, being married. You know what mean? So the the plate is pretty full and in that fullness, sometimes you gotta pivot. I made a bunch of pivots, started off as a rapper in the entertainment space. had a good time doing that, but I learned a lot. Look, like we're gonna talk about a lot of this stuff later, took a lot of losses, learned a lot of things, made me a much stronger man. And I never thought I would get that out of hip-hop, but I got it out of hip-hop. So that led me to do a bunch of different things. Worked in schools, motivational speaking, did wrote a book, which I'm very proud of that. And now, you know, full-time entertainer, man. I'm an on-air personality in New York City on the Fanatics Live app. So Monday through Friday, you can catch me there. But man, it's good to be talking to y'all brothers, man. Usually I ain't gonna front. Most of the time I'm talking to people that don't look like y'all. I'm just happy to have some brothers on here. Tim: Thank you. R. Manasseh Thornton: Man, that's quite the resume, Mike Turner: so I make R. Manasseh Thornton: bruh. That is quite the resume. Mike Turner: yeah. So so here's a here's a quick hitter. Tyrone Miller: And blessed man I Mike Turner: What's the what's the dumbest thing you ever done out of for competition? And you sat back, you're like, damn, why'd I do that? Tyrone Miller: Mm. Man, I to be keep it a stack, bruh, I don't I don't really move out of my character when I'm doing these things 'cause I I take pride in being a black man and especially when it's going out to the world, I wanna make sure I don't embarrass. I mean, so if I'm doing something in that space, I ain't like I did stuff rapping I probably was ashamed of. Not even ashamed of. I stood out all night. We rapping all day. All night. This MTV audition stood out all night for a show that never even came on. We rapping, rapping, rapping literally all night. Got out there, ate at night, went to the next morning. By the time the morning came, bruh started fighting. So the audition never even happened. But You know that that's one R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tyrone Miller: where I'm like, damn, I I and I thought I should have just went out there in the morning, sat out there all night, got home exhausted, got a great story to tell, but I don't really have no regrets or nothing in that space. And I mean my personal life, I got R. Manasseh Thornton: Never anything on the Tyrone Miller: regrets. Say that again? R. Manasseh Thornton: Never anything on the even on the battle tip on the battle tip, Ty, never like a a overstep or something or a line that you maybe wish you could walk back 'cause you thought it was maybe been inappropriate later on. Tim: Thank Tyrone Miller: No, no, the I stopped rapping when I was still fairly young. So at that point, I was kind of like, man, it was whatever. I mean, I did lose on 106 in Park, but I I think I turned that into something good. So I don't regret that, but that's one where I'm like, damn, I wish I would have we we gonna get into that. I'm sure we're gonna get into that at some point, but man, R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Mike Turner: But that's that's a great segue. Tyrone Miller: that that's the closest thing I have to a regret. Mike Turner: That's a great segue because that's kind of what I wanna Yeah. So let's talk, let's talk about that battle, Tyrone Miller: Hey pre hey man, you know this is what I do, Mike. I'm I'm you I'm good with the segue. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Mike Turner: that that infamous rap battle that you lost. Like you you have the rap battle, you get home, what hurt the most? Was it the loss itself, the public embarrassment, or people remind you about it? Let's talk about that. Tyrone Miller: So I'm gonna give you the full story. so it's 106 in Park Freestyle Friday. And you go so I went to an audition about three, four years before that. I get called back that next week and they say, yo, we're gonna put you on at some point. So I'm thinking a year, yeah, you know, a couple months. Then a year goes by. Two years go by. Then I have a child. So I'm in a totally different mental space at that point. So they called me. I they called me same. They called me Tim: . Tyrone Miller: at like 11 o'clock, said, look, this is four years later that no, three years later from the original time that I auditioned for Freestyle Friday. They called me. Can you be here today by four o'clock? It's 11 o'clock. I'm at work. So I'm like, all right, man. Tim: Wow. Tyrone Miller: Forget it, I gotta go. So I you know what I mean? Go tell my job I'm gonna do freestyle pride. I'm thinking my life about to change. Go tell him. Go home, tell my my girlfriend at the time, which is my wife now, my son home. I'm about to go do it. Boom, I'm on the train, called all my boys, couldn't nobody come because it was last minute. I wasn't mad. So I get up there, I like you said, I I went on, lost. I I went for the win though. So I was proud of that. Cause you know, I was thinking, you know, when you rap, you got a million and one rhymes, you got a million and one. Books, I could have went up there, just spit around and could have made I probably wouldn't have won, but it would have looked better. So the way I did it, I said, man, I'm going for the win. I freestyled off the top. Didn't go as I planned, didn't go well at all. And I lost. And then after that, if if you you ever been to New York City, anybody out there, it's 106 in Park is literally was at 106 in Park Avenue. So getting back to the train, I had to catch the subway by myself. After I took an L. Now I mean, ain't nobody around. I'm walking after I'm leaving. People just smile at Ain't nobody tell me I did good. Now I mean. So I'm just and then you gotta stay there for the rest Tim: Thank Tyrone Miller: of the show. You just sitting there like, all right. Alright, man. Then you you thinking all this in your head, like, damn man. Then so that happens. Then I ride home on the train. Ain't nobody saying, I'm not saying nothing. This is but When I did it, it was 2001. So I don't think I had a cell phone. I think I was had like a two-way pager texting all my people, yo, how you do? I ain't say nothing to nobody. Get home, my lady. She's R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tyrone Miller: like, what happened? I said, man, I took an L. But no, I started dancing, I made made it fun, but took the L. So it doesn't come out till the next week. So that whole week, I'm like, damn, I'm in a you don't realize how you do because you're in the moment. So the week comes, I'm like, and then me, I'm gonna tell everybody, like, I ain't think it was that bad. It's still national TV. I at Tim: Thank you. Tyrone Miller: that Mike Turner: Ha ha Tyrone Miller: time I had never been on national TV. I'm like, yo, I'm gonna be on 106 and park. Word spread like wildfire through the hood. Everybody's talking about it. I'm like, all right. So boom, it comes on. I'm watching it with my lady and my son. My son probably ain't even one year old. Matter of fact, no, my son. This was 2000. My son's 2002. So yeah, doggy. So this was 2002. My fault. I said 2001. It was 2002. My son was still months old. And dog. I'll never forget the first one. I'll go to the corner store, D D's, out North Trenton. Tim: you Tyrone Miller: I walk in. And a dude looked at me. And if anybody knows Trenton, New Jersey, that's an area where you could buy mixtapes in there, heavily hip-hop store. Everybody goes in there, they sold food too. When there got some food, dude looked at me like, yo, and I'm I could see him kind of looking out the corner of my eyes. You talking about me? Then another dude come out. man, yo, you took a L the whole hood. Dog, I was hurt. And I already was hurt. R. Manasseh Thornton: Ha ha ha ha ha. Tyrone Miller: But that the embarrassment of it made it ten times worse, bruh. Cause you know what I mean? And then I R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, yeah. Tyrone Miller: got my my lady, all my boys, I done told all these people. And you know, as a r at that time I was young, I was prideful. I was like, man, well, I'll be c battle right now. Anybody got something to say? I was on national TV, da-da-da-da. But inside that thing hurt, R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. Tyrone Miller: and bruh. It and I told my wife, soon as that happened, I said, dog, I gotta do something to get this stink off me. Cause all the whole everything R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, yeah. Tyrone Miller: this went on for maybe six months, bruh. This wasn't like a, you know what I mean, you lose, cause people might not see you for a while. Say that again. R. Manasseh Thornton: And you know what's crazy too about New York folks, bruh? What's crazy about them New Mike Turner: wow. R. Manasseh Thornton: York folks is they he they not gonna give you the the props on being on TV. They just gonna be like, you got that L, huh? Not that you're on TV, national TV, Tyrone Miller: Nah. Nah, dog. I caught the L and it was a bad L. Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: rapping your hood. Tyrone Miller: Bruh, I would I was at dog, R. Manasseh Thornton: It's not. Tyrone Miller: and the worst, let me tell you the worst, the worst thing that ever, the all that all at the hood, I was, I kind of got used to it. I had people that still was in my corner that would say, yo, man, you did your thing, what da da da. I said, all right, I appreciate it. But then I'm at a family function. So my tell my mom, my mom tells all the sisters, my aunt, don't even listen to Rat. Yo, what happened on the battle tie? You, Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. Tyrone Miller: baby, you I'm not gonna say you embarrass the family. Well, that is what you say. You saying I embarrassed the family. So, dog, I was mad at the family. I was mad R. Manasseh Thornton: Wow. Tyrone Miller: at the hood. And then you internalize that, bro. R. Manasseh Thornton: Wow. Tyrone Miller: At that age, I thought I probably was 24, Tim: Thank Tyrone Miller: 25, somewhere in there. You internalize it. You you question everything. And for me, it created a dog. It made me, yo, I gotta, I gotta do something to make people forget about that. And I think that was one of the turning points in. Like I ain't gonna say my rap career, my life. Like, dog, I said, it made it put a drive in me that I don't think I had. I've always been somebody to not be afraid of failure. Like Tim will tell you, man, I'll be outside, I'll be wildin', I'll crack on people. I was always the life of the party. And I never really experienced having that. Like, not me, having people see me and just, man. Dog, I'm riding by in a car, people pointing. dog, it was the one the most embarrassing experience I've ever had, but I'm so thankful for it now. Because dog, at you know, I'm 50 years old now. Now I'm kind of like, I don't care what people think. I done been like that, kind of R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tyrone Miller: set the tone for the rest of my life, career, and just the way I live my life moving forward. Manessa, you looking too happy. R. Manasseh Thornton: Amen. I just want to speak real real quickly to that. Tyrone Miller: He all I see is the smile like, man. No, man. Yo, you would have been one that was, hey man, what happened on the battle? Ain't nothing, that's R. Manasseh Thornton: No, no, no, no, listen, like I I can relate to that. Tyrone Miller: how I used to go. They ain't seen me. R. Manasseh Thornton: I can relate to that. I can relate to it. And it's like you know, I want to speak to Tyrone Miller: Dog. R. Manasseh Thornton: the fact that, you know, these young kids, you know, and even in our time, how many people, if they would have just allowed that experience, that that that negative experience, whether it's, you know, you got beat up at school or you got, you know, you took an L in the in a in a battle or or you know, whatever it is. A lot of times, you know, especially dudes from the hood or some to some of the places that we grew up in. Dudes lost their lives off of stuff like this. Like, you know what I mean? Just the embarrassment, not a lot, you know, you you just like cat saying something Tyrone Miller: It is true. Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: slick to you and you like pull, you know what I mean? Like put you in a bad space that you make a decision that Tyrone Miller: Right. R. Manasseh Thornton: can change your whole life. You know what I'm saying? And so for you to like be able to to to walk past that moment and be able to continue on your journey and then have a story about that situation instead of it just being the end. You know what I'm saying? It's just a testament, bro, of walking through the wall. You know what I'm saying? It ain't always easy, but you did something that most people will never be able to do. You know, the fact that you was even on TV speaks volumes. You know what I'm saying? But like cats want to talk about the L. The fact that they even brought me on is a testament to at least your work ethic and how you was able to get up. You know what I mean? Like people will look past all of that and just be like, you could took that. Look at that. That cat got chewed up. You know what I mean? Like we just gotta be in a different mindset. And like you said, I'm 52, bruh. I'm fifty, I'm 50 as well. I'm not 52. I'm 50 as well. And I can I can relate Mike Turner: Yeah. Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: to things that happened in the past. But you know what I'm saying? You if I if there was internet back then, you know what I'm saying? If there was social media with some of the stuff that happened to us, we would be in a ton of trouble. You know what I'm saying? So I feel that, bro. Salute. Mike Turner: Tim, I gotta imagine like you've been through the same thing similar because you playing football in the stadium of fifty-five thousand people and plus you got millions of people watching, you miss a tackle or get ran over, like you go through the same stuff. What type of emotions do you go through that same environment to like bounce back from that? Tim: you know, as an athlete, you have to have some type of mindset and you have to be able to say, OK, I got, you know, they got me this play. I bounce back the next play. And I would like to liken it to prime, Deion Sanders, the prime time hit that persona that he had. You know, he was the greatest thing since sliced bread. And in every athlete, I would say that has made it that far. And I would include yourself in that, Mike, as you were D1 athlete too in track. You can't sit there and get down on yourself or one thing because Mike, right, just like you, you went to a meet and you had a bad day and your jumps was not good, right? Or whatever profession you're in, you might've had a bad day at work or whatever, but you can't let it get to you. And so to that, that other layer of being on TV or in front of the crowd, know, the biggest threat was to be on ESPN. And one of my teammates was on ESPN getting run over by Ron Dane. So that was that, that you can get embarrassed on the national stage because that was the intro to ESPN for like that season. You know what mean? So there were some things that could continue to bring that about if you had an embarrassing moment, but you still had to get up and play. They paid for the scholarship that you couldn't quit on yourself. So it was a mental testament of how you can compartmentalize and say, hey, that happened. It's over. I have to move forward. in order to be successful in the next practice, the next game and in life and in my schoolwork. So that's kind of my thought process. was it when you made that decision to be a stay at home that what were you already working? And then you said, okay, I need to stay home. Or was this something that you just did from the beginning? Because I think that's important. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Yeah. So I I'm in I'm a social worker by trade. I've been in social work for twenty years. And Tim: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: and before we had our first child, we were married for six years. And and we was just my wife was in medical like finishing up medical school in her residency. She didn't want to have any kids. I never wanted to have kids. So I was kind of cool with how our situation was. Mike Turner: it's funny that that like I brought up cutting your hair 'cause it's funny 'cause I think when I when I was going when I realized I was going to Purdue University, I went on my recruiting trip there, I saw middle cornfields No I ain't see I saw one other black person there the whole time doing my recruiting trip. And that was my host. So I was like, I gotta learn how to cut my own hair because can't nobody up here cut my hair. So I've been cutting Ty: What words? Mike Turner: my hair f since ninety-five, been cutting my own hair. just real like how do you go from cutting your hair, what motivates you to start doing it yourself? Was it out of financial needs or can't nobody do it better than me to to that to now? Like What mo what was the motivation behind writing the book, Forty Jewels for Life? Ty: Dog, pretty much, bruh. My son. My son is the reason I started cutting my hair, because I'm like, dog, he was young and then going to the barbershop, getting two haircuts. I'm like, man, this you all know barbers like back in the day you get a ten dollar shape up. You can't back you take you and your son to the barbershop, like, dog, you paying forty dollars. And that and that was then. Now you probably paying even more. So I'm like, man, let me start cutting my head. And then R. Manasseh Thornton: Well you yeah. Yeah. You out of one fifty. Ty: And and you know, I gotta thank God again, man, cause you know, once you get a bald head, all you cutting is facial hair. So I said, Let me start lit started doing that. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, same. Ty: Yeah. So I started cutting bit my hair so I could prepare to cut his hair. Was cutting his hair for R. Manasseh Thornton: Yes, sir. Ty: man, look, he ain't g he didn't go to the bar. I got good. Like I got pretty nice, man. So now I mean he ain't go to the barbershop. I think his prom, his mom would not Let me cut his ass and know he's going to the barbershop. He needs to go to the barbershop. And then like she liked the haircuts. She just was like, he needs to experience going to the barbershop. You know, y'all, I don't know R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, yeah. Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: if y'all are married, but y'all know they was they wanted to experience everything. So he went, I ain't go. I said, look, I'm gonna drop him off, I ain't even gonna walk in. He went in. Said it was cool, but nah, I after the prom he went back to me cutting his head right before his senior year. Say, yo, you gotta start cutting your own hair. Well, you it's kinda like you, Mike, where you going to school at? You ain't gonna bet and get nobody to cut your hair. So and then I I feel like it modeled it for him. Cause now he he cut his hair to this day. Yeah, he's like, I ain't spending $40 on no haircut. I cut he and he got hair. Mike Turner: Yeah. Right. Ty: I mean, he beginning with self-sailing. R. Manasseh Thornton: I'm telling you, man. Ty: Worry. R. Manasseh Thornton: Like I've been cutting my hair since I was in the eighth grade. Ty: Word. R. Manasseh Thornton: I got two boys, 15 and 13. They ain't never been in no barbershop. You understand? Nah. Ty: Nope, that's what I'm talking about. Don't let go. Don't let your wife do it, man. Heck R. Manasseh Thornton: No, you Ty: yeah. Stay that man. R. Manasseh Thornton: know what I'm saying? They trust me. You know, I'm not like no professional, but I is it's good enough that they little friends be like, hey, who cut your hair? I'm like, okay, we good then. Ty: That's it. That's it. Well, the highest Mike Turner: Ja Ty: compliment I got in that situation, one of his friends said, yeah, can't you dare cut my hair? Said, nah, I ain't cutting his hair. Cause his parents ain't gonna R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, what? Ty: be coming over there unsatisfied. Cause they ain't paying me. What I'm gonna know what I mean? So I said, no, not that. But to get to answer the other part R. Manasseh Thornton: Right. Ty: of that question, Mike, I dog, I it was COVID. I was spinning like, dog, what am I gonna do? I wasn't working. And I said writing a book was always something I wanted to do. I never was an academic, but I always was a reader. I was always I read the newspaper every single day as a kid. I had magazines come into my house as a kid. I was a big time reader, and I never really got into books. I read the autobiography of Malcolm X when I was young. My uncle gave it to me, so I read it. And then I would pick book, Donald Goyne's books, I would read. Certain certain books I always read as a young man, but I felt like I wanted to write a book for people that don't really read books. Somebody that you could pick it up, you read one page, you can put that thing down for three weeks, go back, pick it up, boom. You know what I mean? And that's that's what I wrote with 40 Jewels for life. So man, just thinking outside of the box, doing something, challenging myself to do something different. I've always been that guy. Just staying outs coloring outside the lines, bruv. You supposed to color inside the lines. I'ma color outside the lines and keep doing it. And it's it's done me well for my life. R. Manasseh Thornton: You I'm telling you, Mike Turner: All right, what's the top? R. Manasseh Thornton: Ty, you did you the spirit animal, bruh? That was the I I wrote a Ty: Hey, my brother. R. Manasseh Thornton: book too. It was the it was the same situation. You know what I'm saying? Trying to I'm I was a stay-at-home dad, wasn't working, trying to figure out life. You know, the kids getting older now, they at school. I'm like, I I ain't working. What am I gonna do? How am I gonna pull myself out of this situation? How I'm gonna gain some identity back for myself and and work through these little demons that I'm dealing with. And and writing a Ty: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: book was that, right? You know, you you you and I'm not a I'm no Donald Goring's novel writer either, you know what I'm saying? Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: But I wrote a book that a normal person can read, put down, pick up, read, put Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: down, and it's it's in the same way that I speak, it's in the same way that I talk and think, because I wanted to relate to the to the common man, I wanted to relate to to brothers who just really don't quite have a somebody who might be talking to the in their ear about that real stuff. You know what I'm saying? I giving them those jewels. They might not have somebody giving them some little epithets on how to move through Ty: Como... R. Manasseh Thornton: life. And that stuff is important, bro. That stuff is important to how we maneuver and how we go through life. And brothers like y'all are like, man, they all giving me like a battery in my back right now. Y'all don't understand how good this feel talking to y'all like that. Tim: Yes. Mike Turner: Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. Tim: Appreciate the compliment. Yeah. Mike Turner: yeah. I Tim: Thank you. Mike Turner: wanna I wanna say one thing because I I'm sitting here laughing inside because when we was talking about barber going to the barber or cutting her own hair, you notice Tim was real quiet because Tim Tim go to the barber, take his kids R. Manasseh Thornton: So you ain't never got your hair. Mike Turner: to the barber, he don't do his own hair, he gotta he gotta go to somebody else to get it cut. Tim: Now listen, hold on, Mike, don't get yourself caught in the line now. Because you know who used to cut the team? I used to cut the football team. And I used to cut my own hair. Remember when you first bought those nice expensive clippers when you was in grad school at 1010? You remember that? I remember that because I wanted them. Yeah, you remember. Mike Turner: I remember. I remember. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tim: man, we lost our road again. But yes, so I do know how to cut my own hair. I do a, what is it? one to two ratio. So I will get my hair cut, then cut it myself, and then get my hair cut again. So that's what I'll do. But R. Manasseh Thornton: Okay. Tim: my kids, I used to cut Bryce's hair, but I just stopped just because when Bryce got older and then Kai, just the logistics of it, I just couldn't keep up. And then I traveled for work. So that was the other thing. And you know, kind of the Tyrone's point, you know, my wife is a big, okay, picture day, any type of event, the hair needs to be cut. And so if I wasn't R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tim: there or whatever, so I was just like, I'll let that go. But I still cut my hair. Yeah. Yeah, I still cut my hair. R. Manasseh Thornton: You have to let yeah, you gotta let the rains go. Yeah, you gotta let the rains go. Mike Turner: Yeah. I think the last time I Tim: Like I said, I do a one to two ratio. Mike Turner: Yeah, I still go every blue moon. R. Manasseh Thornton: Hey, for the record though, Mike, for the record, listen, that that whole learning how to cut your hair, I did it early on, right? I was Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: like in eighth grade. My dad used to do like my dad was a Renaissance man and did he worked in the steel mill, did a little this, did a little that. He used to cut hair, do hair, all of that, right? So I learned from him. Like one day he just gave me the clippers, was like, go on ahead, do what you're gonna do. I had a part in my head, bro. The size of this damn canteen one time, man. Mike Turner: Ha ha ha. Tim: you R. Manasseh Thornton: Hey, you talk hey Ty, you talk about embarrassing moments, my guy? My what televised, Ty: Well, hey. Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: but going to school with that part of my hair like this guy? my man, I was Ty: Hey, look. R. Manasseh Thornton: roasted for weeks. Not for the fan of it. Ty: You you blessed you grew up in the Michael Jordan area, bruh. Because growing up in the Michael Jordan area, you should R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Ty: cut a baldy. I'm I'm disappointed you ain't cut the baldy. Because that whenever you mess up, just cut that thing off. Mike Turner: Ha ha ha. R. Manasseh Thornton: Man, I couldn't. I had too Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: I had too much hair. I had too much. It wasn't like a Caesar. I had like like a little mini fro, bruh. I tried to part that boy, man. It was like, man, it was the worst situation of all time. Ty: But you know, it it worked out for you though, because now you you saving all this money Mike Turner: Yeah, my father taught us I was the youngest of five. Ty: with the boys. Go ahead, Mike, sorry to cut you off. R. Manasseh Thornton: I'm good with it. I'm good with it now. Mike Turner: No, no, you good, you're good. I was as young as a five, so my father I don't I don't remember ever going to the barbershop. Or it was on rare occasions, but he would always cut all our hair. And then Ty: Mm-hmm. Mike Turner: when he didn't have time, then my oldest brother would cut our hair and it just trickled down. Then the brother next brother would cut our hair. So then eventually I was like, I'm you know, I'm about to leave. I need to figure out how to do this myself 'cause, you know, it ain't gonna work out there in the in the in the cornfields to Indiana. Ty: So it's it's a certain R. Manasseh Thornton: That was that was my mother's mother's going away present to for me when I graduated high school. She bought me a pair of like a wall, like the barbershop where the blade come off type shit. It was like $110 at the time. And Ty: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: she was like, listen, I know you have to cut your hair because I ain't got no money for you to get it cut. So Ty: Word. R. Manasseh Thornton: she bought that for me for my my graduation gift. And you showing up down in down at Wilbur Forge University. I was trying to keep it right. Mike Turner: All right, Tim: Thank you. Ty: No, you you I bet I guarantee you was keeping it right. So when you got the clippers, dog, all it takes is a couple R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Ty: days. Man, I got to shake this up, man. You know, dog. My beard don't ever, Mike Turner: Right. Ty: it might not ever look pristine, but it don't ever look bad. I mean, yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: We don't ever look bad. You gotta look close. You gotta look close for the little mistakes. Ty: Right, right. So if it's always like that, people are man, you always go to the barber shop. Now I don't ever I ain't been in the barbershop in damn near twenty years, man. I went just to get his line once. R. Manasseh Thornton: For sure. Ty: I said, man, I and then the worst part, I went to the barbershop, didn't even like the cut, man. Nah, man, I could have did this better myself. Pay twenty five dollars for this. Yeah. No, I mean R. Manasseh Thornton: You gotta go home and line it up again. Yeah, yeah. You gotta go back home and fix the lineup. Like, man, they got me wild out here. Ty: Yeah. I mean messed up, man. I ain't doing this ever again. Ain't been back since. And mom look, I'm proud to say my last time my boy cut his hair, I mean got went to the barber was prome He said, Yeah, I ain't going to the barber shop. I said, well when you get married, man, that'll be the next time you go. R. Manasseh Thornton: Hey man, we ain't even Mike Turner: There you go. R. Manasseh Thornton: talk, we ain't even touched the surface about the culture, about the sitting waiting Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: two hours for a dude to get out the chair, and Ty: bro. R. Manasseh Thornton: then the dude got you in the chair and he talking on the phone and you still another hour and a half before you get done. You in there four or five hours, man. Stop playing. Ain't you gonna charge me a hundred hours? Ty: Bro. You you ain't charging Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: me a hundred hours. You're gonna charge somebody else a hundred dollars. And then listen, man. Mike Turner: Ha ha R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Ty: If you bro, like there's a tie, I think it's for young people or people that don't have other stuff going on in the life. I don't wanna be in the barbershop three hours. Cause every barbershop I go to is a dude R. Manasseh Thornton: No. Ty: that be in there every day. Like, dog, I don't wanna be. This is a this is an inconvenience. I'd much rather be doing Life stuff, handling what I gotta handle. Seeing bros is always R. Manasseh Thornton: No Ty: happy to see bros, but I don't need to see them once every two weeks. R. Manasseh Thornton: Come on, man. Man, if I got an eight o'clock appointment, I don't expect to be s sitting no later than eight fifteen. If if I gotta wait Ty: Real tone. Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: two hours for an eight o'clock appointment, then I don't need to be there. Ty: Especially now, bruh. Like this is this ain't gonna take long, Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: man. My man told me my man say, come see me, man. He's gonna wrap my head up and give me a facial. And man, I just want my hair cut, bruh. I don't need all that. Man, you ain't talking. No, I'm cool. I'm cool, bruh. Crazy. Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: yeah, nothing. Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, I'm cool, bruh. Mike Turner: Hey, Ty, let's get back to this forty Jewels of Life. Top three Jewels that you want to drop on us? Ty: Man, like so in the book, they're not necessarily Jewels. These was most of the they were 40 anecdotes from my life that I took something from. You know what I mean? And the first one is the one that meant the most to me. So I don't have no number on them. And I to be totally honest, I don't remember half of them. Now I mean this was 40 days of my life that Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: something happened that made me say, damn, I I want to write about that. So dog, it's one. Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: Like I said, I always read the newspaper. Every day read the newspaper and I was driving and I got the newspaper from a cat. Every day got the newspaper from a cat. Now I mean, this is when they were selling them on the streets. Now I mean, grown, like they was really with newspapers, was kind of, I ain't gonna say popping, but when people actually read them. So I would ride past the brother, always see him. One day, I don't have no change. Now I mean it was at the time, I think it was either 50, 75 cent. I see him. I don't have no money. I said, yo, bruh, I got you. Like, can I get the paper? I'll give it to you tomorrow. Cause you know I rolled past here, got it from a merry day. he let me go. I come back, I give him five, like long story short, he was rushing, I was rushing, life was about to change. I gave him a five cent, told him to keep it. And I felt like, man, I'm great. You know what I mean? Like I felt like, you know how you when you do something good, you feel good about it. So that's what the situation was for me. I come back the next day. Give me three dollars back. He ain't taking a half month, 75 cent, whatever, 50 cent. And he gave me $3 back. And I'm like, bruh, what you doing, man? I'm like, and you know, I'm thinking, like, I ain't gonna say judging, bruh, but Tim: Thank Ty: like, you know, I need I know he need the money. I'm in a good position. I could give him a little somet, something. He gave it back and then like, I'm like, yo, he's like, you need it more than I do. What? Like, and Tim: Whoa. Ty: in my mind, what are you talking about? You know what I mean? So I'm sitting with it. Nah, nah, bruh, I don't get it. So when I leave next day, go back and say, nah, man, look, you got stuff. I ain't got nothing. Like, nah, I mean, my life is simple. Your life is complicated. Damn. Tim: Hmm. Ty: Damn. Like, dog, when Tim: Mm. Ty: you and you think about that, you in my mind, I'm blessing this, bruh. He like, nah, you know, I don't need that. I don't need that money. I I get the little money I get here. I live off it. I'm fine. I make it work. And That perspective changed my life, bruh. Cause like we live in an excess society, bruh. Everything is that excess. And he kind of in my mind had it figured out. Like, dog, if I ain't have a wife and kids, maybe I'll like, you know what I mean, be pursuing my dream living Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. Ty: in my car. Like I always thought in my mind, I Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: thought that'd be cool. Like, dog, live in your car till you make it. You know what I mean? But in his mind, he like, I don't need none of that. And if and if I wasn't pursuing entertainment or any of those type of endeavors, what do you really need? All this other stuff is is you don't need it. You know? Yeah, it's a distraction R. Manasseh Thornton: Yes sir. Yes sir. A distraction. It's a distraction. Ty: from what's really important. And I see it in the bros got a Facebook page. I still see on Facebook, 'cause you know, everybody got a phone and the access to that now, but it really changed my perspective on life, bro. Like it made me look at things that that was important to me that's not really important. All these material things don't really mean nothing. And us i especially as black men, I think that like Getting that from him, I kind of took it and I'm gonna get this to other people. You know what I mean? Like, none of this stuff really important, bruh. The essence of who we are, we're a shining light. I consider every black man, I meet that. And that's how I greet him. I show him love. I hug you, I show you love. Cause I feel like that's what he gave me in that moment. Like, damn. Brought me right back to where Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: I needed to be. Cause I never really got that in life. Like, you don't need none of this stuff. You, you need it more than I do. You got all this. You got a car, you got a kid, you got all this life you gotta take care of. My life is simple and I like it like that. I appreciate it, but I like my life the way it is. R. Manasseh Thornton: And that's that's over that's over a few dollars. You know what I'm saying? That's Ty: Word. R. Manasseh Thornton: over a few dollars. That would be like you know, some stacks. That's just the it's just the respect level of it all. It's the Ty: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: it's you know what I mean, like just getting the grace of it all, like just giving Ty: Okay. R. Manasseh Thornton: a person grace in a moment when you know what I'm saying, you see that they actually need some help or or a word or or an eye contact. You know what I mean? Like, hey man, I see you out here. There's been times I've been Tim: No. R. Manasseh Thornton: in the store, I see a black dude with his kids or a child, and I'm like, man, you doing a good job, dog. He don't know me from Jack, but listen, man, Ty: Right. Right. Tim: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: ain't nobody about to tell you this. You doing an amazing job. Keep up the good work. Ain't nobody gonna give you this but you doing an amazing job. Keep doing it, bruh. Like cause you we Ty: Word, word, bruh. R. Manasseh Thornton: just out here as black men, I know, I know, you know. I know we got our things. We do. We got our issues and our situations. But man, we do not get the grace of being a human being in this fucking world. We just don't. Ty: Sad to say we don't, bruh. And that's why it's important for us as brothers to give each other that humanity. Like, though, I tell every bro, I tell them I love them. They look at me. Some look at me like I'm crazy. Like, bruh, I love you, bruh. Like just Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. Tim: Thank Ty: random dude. I don't know this double. You know what I mean? Hey, love you, bruh. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, yeah. Ty: What? And then some of them, man, I love you too, bruh. They get reciprocated. Some of them just look at me Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: like I'm crazy, but I'm gonna keep doing it, man, because I feel like humanity is what you said. And I think love, humanity, grace, we don't get we don't get enough of that, bruh. Cause we all got we got a lot of going on, a lot on our plates. And I'm like, for me, I feel like I'm blessed because I get to do things I want. And every and not just that, I'm looked at as people usually see me. And I'm revered. And I ain't gonna say I'm revered. I'm not like a celebrity, but people, if you know me, you say, man, he's doing his thing. And that's usually what I get. And I'm R. Manasseh Thornton: Uh-huh. Ty: like, there's some brothers that's doing a thing in other spaces. That don't get that. So I'm like, That's why when you reached out, I'm like, man, you're doing your thing. I love what you're doing. You know what I mean? All y'all. Like, man, just keep doing what y'all doing and keep spreading that love. Keep if I feel like that's the way that's gonna change the world for us. Cause you know, as black men, bruh, I tell people all the time, best dads I know, black men by far ain't close. Been in a bunch of different environments, black men are by far the best dads. Doing homework, doing like we there. We we like dog. We I ain't gonna say we like mom because I don't get into that mom and dad stuff. Like, dog, job y'all a partnership, Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: y'all do what y'all gotta do. But dog, I know that, like I know for me myself, I be cooking dinner to this day. Like, dog, my kids grown, like, yo, come through. You can eat. I'm gonna cook dinner, I'm gonna do all the stuff that's not necessarily dad stuff, but and I know mad black men that do that, but that's not the picture that the world sees. Worried. R. Manasseh Thornton: But it is dad stuff. It is. It is dad stuff. And that's that's the difference between what we were raised in and what we have to and had to transform into. Without what and listen, and this is all we doing all of this without no this generation, us, bruh, we're doing this without no example. And I ain't saying like there was no good dads out there. I'm saying our Ty: Yep. Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: dads wasn't doing what we doing. Ty: I know exactly what you say. The dads we are R. Manasseh Thornton: You know what I'm saying? Like that's that that's all I'm saying is how did we learn to morph into these types of dudes? Because I Ty: Nine. R. Manasseh Thornton: I d I don't I didn't know what black dude that's doing a lot of the things that we have to do and the the Ty: Remember. R. Manasseh Thornton: juggle act that we gotta that we gotta juggle with the social media, with the you know, with the new situation in the households, like all of these things is different. But back in the day, if there was a a I mean there was no such thing as a stay-and-home dad. That that never even existed. If you was at home and you weren't working you was a fucking loser. Ty: Yeah, you was a straight bum. You wasn't a stay-at-home dad. You was R. Manasseh Thornton: Point blank period. Ty: a clown ass ninja. You wasn't no stay at home dad. Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: You was, this ninja right here. That's who you were. Not no stay at home dad. You was this R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, you were fucked up. Ty: ninja. This ninja right here. That's like dog. Right. But now stay like dog. R. Manasseh Thornton: This ninja right here. Yeah. Right. But like that that whole Tim: Yeah. Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: listen, that whole mentality, bro, like depending on it it it because the the the whole situation of how we was raised, we know now has been all toxic and and and unrelatable. That shit Ty: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: that they was teaching us about the talkatorys and the you know I'm saying he-man and all you can do is be strong and Thanos and all of this shit, that shit is weak, bro. Like Ty: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: Our kids need us. Our kids need us there. They don't need us at work. They need us there. They need us to keeping Ty: Right. Let's do it. R. Manasseh Thornton: them from the tracks of this fucking society. That's what they need Ty: Let's R. Manasseh Thornton: us. They, you know what I mean? Like you you can bring home the bread, but that that can't be your only job, my ninja. Like that cannot be it. Ty: Right, and that ain't gonna get it like dog, I tell people all the time, I got two moments with my son that was like the most powerful in my life. I coached him in football, we won a championship, and dog, everybody celebrate. Literally, we would like last second, well, it wasn't for last second, we win the game. He's eight years old. I walk, I'm, you know, I'm coaching, so it's like three other coaches. We out there cheering and all, like, yeah, yeah, yeah. Then my son, he got his helmet on, takes his helmet off. All these tears. I'm like, man, what's going on? He like, I said, You all right, man? I'm thinking he hurt. He like, nah, man, I'm just happy. I said, Damn, my ninja cried tears of joy at eight years old. And I embraced it. I cried with him. Dog, my dad would have, dog, can you? Come on. I don't know about y'all, pops. My pops was not having that. If he wouldn't have, he might not have said nothing, but he wasn't gonna cry with me. That it moved me. I'm like, dog, that and then he's in high school. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Yeah. Ty: He's having he was right, matter of fact, right here. He had a rough game. Dog, we in the car riding home, he played baseball. So he, man, you know, baseball is a singular sport. You know what I mean? You get up, you strike out, it's it's glory or it's failure. Ain't really no in between. So he's upset, and I'm like, we talking, and I'm like, yo, bruh. If wanna cry, you cry, dog. Like me and you, we we drive, I'm driving. You cry. Man, this boy broke down crying, like, man. I'm like, yo, it's all right. Like, dog, if you put in your stuff, I'm explaining to him why him crying is okay. Like, dog, you put in time and effort. You wanted to be successful. You weren't successful today. Get the tears out, cry. I'ma I'm gonna sit there with you, pulled over, we cried, and then. Now you gotta get your shit together. If you you don't want to feel this no more, you ain't gotta feel it. But the garage is open. Go get your work in, do what you need to do, and you ain't gonna feel it no more. And that's what he did. And R. Manasseh Thornton: So That's right. Ty: but them was powerful moments because dog, I it was I gave him an okay to cry about stuff. And then that made me kind of more emotional. Because dog, I'm I don't know about y'all. I watch SPN. Dog, some of them stories dog, I used to cry once a week on Sundays watching the SPN, bro. R. Manasseh Thornton: Come on, bruh. Come on, bruh. Come on, bruh. Ty: That's beautiful, man. Crying. I cry all the time now, bruh. But Mike Turner: Yeah. Ty: I ain't ashamed of it. Like, dog, it ain't a it ain't a bad thing like it was Mike Turner: Right. R. Manasseh Thornton: No. Ty: back in the day. Because my dog, I seen my dad cry R. Manasseh Thornton: No. Ty: one time when my grandma died. That was it. And the and the messed up part about it, I kind of thought it was funny. I was like, man, I I ain't never seen this dude cry before. Like, cause that's how the relationship we had. So now for R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Ty: my son to see me crying a regular, it may and my daughter as well. They get to see, dog, if yo you get a dude and he can't feel his emotions, he can't express how he feel, that ain't somebody for you, baby. And for you, dude, you gotta show your emotions. Cause you'll you'll go crazy. Like you mess around, kill somebody. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah. Tim: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: Yeah, Bonnie. For sure. Mike Turner: At what you at some point you have to realize you have to have the right people around you in order to to feed that positive energy into you. I'm a firm believer in you, you know, what they say, show me, you know, six close with friends and I'll show you your future. When Ty: huh. Mike Turner: did you realize that I like, let me get rid of the neck negativity, let me put myself around the right people so I can grow and and and get to where I need to be. Ty: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: I mean I'll I'll a I'll a I I'll answer that first. so really believe that my superpower is discernment. If if I was like a superhero, that would probably be my like my soup, like my superpower. I've always tried to surround myself around like amazing people. Like always. I've always like people always said I was older than my like my age. I always wanted to hang around older people, more mature people. I've just always kind of galvanized around people who either knew more than me or had some kind of or the energy was right, the the vibration was right or whatever. I've always tried to maneuver in that in that kind of space. And so for me, it was it's like I just I've just tried to surround myself around as many good people as I've I could have my whole life. And I think that I've done a pretty decent job. Like most of the friends I had when I was younger, I still have. Even though we don't talk all the time or whatever, if we ever link up, it's it's nothing but love. It's nothing but you know, discussion and memories and all of that. And I still got friends from like elementary school, like dudes from like second and third grade that I still chop it up with and still keep in touch with. I think it's just important, man, that, you know, a lot of times we want people around us that's just gonna make us feel good. And that Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: feel good, depending on where you at in life, ain't always a good thing. That feel good could be like, yeah, go fuck that that motherfucker up. Go fuck, you know what I'm saying? Go go beat that boy ass or go do this. That and it'll make you feel good in that moment. But like the pe like when people are there as your support system that's gonna hold you down, call you out on your bullshit, you know what I'm saying? Like because they know you know you. Like, you know, I mean I Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: got frat brothers that I can't if I ever became famous, like I c there's only so far I can go. As far as like acting like I'm somebody I ain't, because I got people in my life that'll be like, bruh, are you serious? Like are you are you serious? Like I remember Tim: Thank you. R. Manasseh Thornton: that time when Blase's bleed happened. Don't let me have to put that out there. Like you ain't that guy. Like you know what I'm saying? Like there's people that will hold Tim: Thank Mike Turner: Who but like so yo you R. Manasseh Thornton: you accountable. Mike Turner: I feel like your story is unique because when you your one of your greatest triumphs was when you're at home as a stay-at-home dad writing your book. Like R. Manasseh Thornton: Mm-hmm. Mike Turner: you're not around anybody. Like where were you finding that that energy to be revitalized, get around your people when you're a stay-at-home dad writing that book? Where was your motivation? Who were your people during that time? R. Manasseh Thornton: Well, like, you know, the I a lot of stuff happened during COVID where, you know, where we s was connecting with each other a lot more. And so, you know, a couple of my brush got we started these little chats and stuff like that and started talking to each other and we actually even started a my podcast, me and some of my frat brothers from the from Wilburforce and and we did that all through through COVID 'cause everybody was home, there was nowhere to go. Everybody knew where everybody's schedule was, so it wasn't no problem, you know what I'm saying? So I I did get it through that. And and just, you know, reaching out. Like I I'm a communicator. So I don't I go in my hole to take care of my business, but I will reach out and let people know how what's going on in that business. You know what I'm saying? I'm not a hermit to the point where, you know, I'm just a a no a no a nomad. I'm just going into my little hole and I don't come out. I come out and I be like, look, man, this shit ain't what y'all think it is. If y'all need might want to rethink this. I start talking and then I go back in my hole. And then you know what I'm saying? And and and handle my business and take care of my responsibility or whatever. And then I come back out. My boys be like, yo, you good? I'm good, man. I'm dealing with this. You know what I mean? Like it's a it is this, you have to be communicative. Like you as a man, you have to be able the the emotional chart. If if if we if you look at the the the chart of emotions, it it don't just say mad, angry, pissed off. And sad. Like there's it is a gamut of emotions. And if and and unfortunately, as black men, we are taught at an early age to not be able to explore the gamut of those emotions. There's sadness, there's disappointment, there's like, you know, insecurity. There's like there's a lot of emotions on that chart that we as black men don't ever attach ourselves to because it makes you look weak, it makes you look soft. And it's it makes you a target. And so we stick to mad, sad, you know, pissed off, you know, frustrated. Nah, bruh, you you you s you you you more than sad. Like you disappointed, like you hurt. You you know, you you you might be a little weak right now. Like that those Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: are all part of the the that emotional you know roller coaster. So you know, to have people in your corner that can like build you up, not tear you down. People that can, you know, give you sound advice when you need it. People that can call you out, call you to the carpet when you need it. Those things are real, bruh. And you need that support. And so to find people that are not like, you know, you want to find people that are like-minded, but you also want to find people who are not just tell you what the hell you want to hear. Because that's where you fall, that's where I think a lot of even our celebrities Tim: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: and people we look up to fall into that trap. You just get you don't get told no. You don't get told it you know, like for even Ty, like s you know, I'm sure there you know somebody might have came like, Man, you you man, you killed that. Like man, who who you lying to? Everybody took you know what I mean? Like, you don't gotta lie to me. Just be honest with me, my guy. Like tell me what it really is. So like Tim: Hmm. R. Manasseh Thornton: having people like that in your corner is really, really important, bruh. Tim: No. Mike Turner: I hear that. I hear that. I know Timmy, you don't got that problem. You you stay connected with everybody, but it still gotta be the right people. Tim: Yeah, I think, you know, the story I always tell is if I ever became rich, like, you know, wealthy or something like that, the greatest joy for me were to bring every single one of my friends to a party or for the weekend, because I think it would be a grand event. I enjoy the connections that I have. And Mike, you've heard me say this before, the biggest compliment that I've ever got is one of my friends told me, man, I wish I could navigate a network or group or my friend group like you do. Mike Turner: Mm-hmm. Tim: Because I try not to lose touch with anybody. And because of that, I know a lot of people, I can help a lot of people, which brings me joy. And I usually know somebody in some type of industry that can give me advice or something like that. And, you know, I really appreciate my friends and I take it seriously. Yeah. Mike Turner: Yeah. that's what's up. That's what's up. Ty: Yeah, R. Manasseh Thornton: It's really about cultivating those relationships Ty: I I think man, like R. Manasseh Thornton: that mean something to you, right? Like, you know what I'm saying? Just not it's just it's it's like tending to a flower or a plant. You know, you you you reach out, and we have so many forms of of reaching out now that you ain't gotta call people all the time. You can send a text and just be like, hey man, I've been thinking about you. I know you was dealing with X, Y, and Z a couple months ago. How you doing? House pops. How you know mean like I drop those because I'm not a caller. I ain't gonna, you what I'm saying? I ain't gonna lie. There's some people that I'll call in my circle, but I I'm gonna reach out. I'm gonna find there's so many options and ways to reach out. You can reach out to people and let them know that you're thinking about them or that you, you know, that you're considering them and and and try to find out what's going on with them Tim: Thank R. Manasseh Thornton: where it ain't always gotta be a phone call. Or it can be a quick one. It can be a phone, hey man, I ain't I ain't trying to hold you. Wanted to hear your voice. You good? Tim: I wonder. R. Manasseh Thornton: And then make that pause, you know what I'm saying? Like like Duran said that you know in that one podcast we did, Mike, you let you leave that pause to allow Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: a person that that courtesy to kind of say something that they may not necessarily want to say, but they feel comfortable enough saying it. So like those things, man, are so important, especially for men, because we just be like, Yeah, we let that yeah, I'm good. We let that shit ride too much. You know what I'm saying? We let it ride too much. And it's like, hey Mike Turner: Yeah. R. Manasseh Thornton: man, come on, man. I know you was dealing with this a couple months ago. What's going on with that? I know you was talking about the little health situation. What's happening with that? And and if you give them the the the space, they will a lot of times will give you more information than than than they think they will give you. And that will tell you a lot. Tim: Yeah. Yeah. I wonder if