Wiz Khalifa | Ep 90 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

Grammy nominated rapper Wiz Khalifa joins episode 90 of ALL THE SMOKE and reflects on his musical career. Plus, he talks hip hop legends, Kobe, and more.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to All the Smoke, a production of The Black
Effect and our Heart Radio and partnership with Showtime. Welcome

(00:20):
back to another edition All the Smoke. Jack, what's up?
What are you doing? Brother ahead? I look nice? Have
it to be back. Appreciate you, bro. You're explaining we
need to get them shoes though, to me, l b J,
shout out Jack, these lebron's right your boy to Twitter.
I couldn't figure out what sweatsuit to go with because
this goes with this one and the other one goes
on the other one. But yeah, these motherfucker's clean right here.

(00:41):
Hey man, we got a special guest in the building,
man legend in the space. We're gonna start it off,
but obviously we got Wis Kalif from the building today.
Appreciate you coming so, y'all. Appreciate you all for having
me super fresh. I was like caught up in the freshness.
Shit real way was a world wind. What did you

(01:04):
take from this last year? For me? It was all
about like family time, like balancing, kind of like reconnecting
and ship like I haven't been off of the road
and at least like ten or twelve years I've been
touring consistently, recording consistently, Um, just just moving and shaking,
you know what I'm saying. There hasn't been a time

(01:25):
period where I wasn't doing anything. So for me to
not be traveling and not going anywhere, it was like
a crazy reset, you know what I mean. It hasn't
been like that since I was a kid. Hell, you know,
especially having to stay in the house, to like not
being able to physically go anywhere, be in contact with anybody.
It was it was like it's pretty extreme, but um,

(01:46):
you know, having my eight year old is really cool.
Like shoutout to Sebastian and my son, and you know,
just making sure his life and his routine was kind
of going how it should. School kept him entertained, so
he had to stay on the zoom school, but also
giving him breaks in between that and trying to keep
him physical and moving around and just entertained throughout the

(02:08):
whole thing. So it was it was a cool little reset.
And you know, as far as business, I did a lot,
you know, business wise that didn't have to do with music. Um.
I started a online restaurant called hot Box with wiz
Yes delivery only, so we were able to utilize the
fact that people weren't, you know, going and sitting down
in restaurants. So I was able to do that. My

(02:30):
liquor company went up because everybody was at home. The
pressure drinking uh khalifa kush went up because we was
an essential business and you know we've been doing that
for years. So it was a lot of cool little things.
Acting in television, Um, I'm on the show called Duncanville
where I do a voiceover. I played. His character's name

(02:50):
is Mr Mitch. He's like the counselor. He's like the
cool ass nigga that that all the kids funk with.
But I was able to record two seasons at home,
you know what I'm saying, just sitting right in my
backyard in my studio. So um, business wise, I got
a lot of ship done. I just wasn't able to
like physically traveling this ship. But what they say, I mean,
you should, you know, bearing health, come out of this

(03:11):
better than you went in. Yeah we we didn't. Yeah,
we came out a lot better than we went in,
you know, with blessings and like you said, just being
on that ground. So it was definitely for for me
to first time you got you think we start pooping
and traveling at sixteen seventeen eighteen, traveling in the world
for basketball. It was the first time. And then once
we retired to we're both working for news stations, so
we're traveling across the country and doing this show. That

(03:32):
was the first time I got to sit out and
kind of just reflect and kind of appreciate life and
what was going on and be more of a dad.
So I definitely appreciated the reset to Man, yeah, I'm
glad it's over because the home school was stressing me.
Was a movie bro. I found appreciation for teachers. Man,
shout out to you teachers out there. Man, it's hard

(03:52):
to keep two in and ten. I couldn't imagine keeping
the whole gut them class entertain Yeah, school is needed,
like you realize, Like yo, they need to be social
and they need to so much more than just to work.
It's interaction and it's I love my son to death,
but I appreciate his time at school and what they
can do for him. And he need to teach him
for a reason. It ain't cheat. So Born in North Dakota,

(04:18):
you were an army bratt, moved all around, lived in Germany, UK,
Japan before settling in Pittsburgh. Talk to us what your
childhood and upbringing was like. Bouncing around so much, just
being a new kid all the time. My parents always
made sure like I played sports and I did this
and that. So I was always like reintroducing myself and like, yo,
I'm calming this that blah blah blah. So uh, you know,

(04:40):
growing up, I had moved to Pittsburgh because that's where
my family's at. But then I moved away and then
when other places and I came back. So there's a
lot of mother Funcker's I knew from my childhood that
were reintroduced to me when I got older and ship.
So it was cool, man, it was fun. I definitely
got to experience a lot. And like you said, you
went to a high school with like a mixed crowd

(05:00):
and ship like that. I went to high school all
white kids. Well you went to high school white kids,
and I got to mix it up a lot. Like
Pittsburgh is super hood, but like moving around, well there's
inner city and then there's a suburbs, and then moving
around in the military families, you get to just mix
and mingle with everybody. So it was cool. It was
fun to be around a lot of different crowds and

(05:22):
and and really just expand you know what I mean.
And it helped me out, like getting older too, to
figure out what type of crowd I wanted to associate
myself with, and being able to move in different crowds
like my my younger like my junior high was mixed,
and then my parents didn't want me to go to
school with that crowd, so they put me in the
all white high school. So that's really when I've learned
how to And people say, because I'm half Italian and
half black, like I didn't really start being around white

(05:45):
kids until I was like nine years old, you know
what I mean, Like that was new to me. I
was around black Mexican Asians. So to be able to
have both sides and kind of understand how to maneuver,
that's how you really you feel that now, that's how
you can move in business and move in different crowds.
And that's just important, man, it helps out a lot,
definitely important. When did you start writing? When when did
that become a passion of yours? Um? I started writing,

(06:08):
and like third grade, maybe I got like a lot
of older cousins and ship, so I would just be
with them. And this was maybe like nineties six nine seven,
so like Pocket Biggie had just died, fucking you know,
Puffy was kind of like that nigga. Uh. You know,
everything was kind of changing. Music was changing. You had, yeah,

(06:31):
you had your really really mainstream hip hop, and then
you had like your hardcore ship like d m X
and ship like that too. Rest in Peace. But like
I remember going and getting his first album like as
a kid, you know what I mean. So that's the
type of ship that I grew up listening to. And
my cousins they were banging like master p and all
of that ship. So I had like a mixture of everything,

(06:51):
and they were right and they would battle, and man,
we listened to so much music. Bro. Like we would
go online and like fucking get the lyrics and learn
the words, and we're all being in the room wrapping
that ship together. And that's kind of how we you
know what I mean. We first started doing our little thing,
and then as time went on, like my musical tastes
changed a little bit. I got more into like lyrical ship.

(07:14):
I had to go back and do my homework because
I'm young, I'm only thirty three, so a lot of
like the early nineties ship like n w A and
NAWS and Wu Tang and all of that. I had
to just re educate myself on that. So that's what
I spent my teams doing, like really just listening to
like hardcore, like really really hip hop ship. Then I got,
you know, like sixteen seventeen. That's why I started hustling

(07:35):
making money. So I'm listening to camera on uh state property,
you know what I mean? Like that's my type of ship.
So it was just a process of just my own
musical taste and then just developing, you know, my own
style throughout that. Yeah, but I started writing and in
third grade? Who were some of your inspirations? You mentioned
some people you were listening to? You know, you said
Jay was, you know, instrumental in parts of your game?

(07:58):
Who did you do try to patting your game to
anybody else's? Do you take bits and pieces from people? Yeah? Absolutely,
man Um. I feel like my whole just existence is
just a combination of everything that I've seen and love.
I love groups, so Bone Doesn't Harmony is one of
my favorite groups. Wu Tang Dip Set, like just the
whole you know, having the whole your own slang and

(08:21):
your own logo and your own way of dress. That
always influenced them. Bust A Rounds is one of my
huge influences. I love his videos and how animated he
is and just being yourself. Yeah, energy performance on stage,
crazy jay z uh, swag on stage, you know what
I mean. So these are all little things that I
pick and choose from that I love. Cameron is my

(08:42):
favorite artist out of everybody, just as far as like swag, attitude, lyricism, um.
You know, people try to like say that he don't
really rap rap, but he dumps it down like you
know what I mean, Like, Cam's that nigga. Yeah, Cam's hard,
so he's wanted not to cut you off. I just
heard him kind of just listen to J cole Ship

(09:04):
the other day shout out J cole uh, and I
thought Cam was gonna wrap. I thought He's going at
least give us eight bars. He didn't give us no bars.
He was just kind of the hype man for the
first song. I'm like, yeah, they got cold and Cam,
you got you got Cam out of retirement and Cam
just kind of hyped it, didn't he got he Cam
to spite what I was hoping. So where did your
Where did the name Wiz come from? Wiz comes from

(09:25):
me always being into technology and ship and just being
like a smart dude in general. Like I always was
into school, like my dad made me do like fucking
homework projects during like the summertime, and ship. So I
was always kind of like nerdy, you know what I mean.
So that was my first name. It was fully Wisdom. Yeah. Yeah,

(09:47):
but my dad used to just call me Wis, and
everybody on the block you just be like, yo, that's
young Wis, blah blah blah. So it kind of just stuck.
And then the khalifa my dad, I mean, my my
granddad is Muslim. So I got that name when I
was real, real young. I just put them both together
and then came up with it, just converted. Congrats, Brom,
I appreciate it. Yeah, you said you stopped drinking and

(10:08):
all that. That's gangster. I'm happy, you know what I mean.
I'm in a good place. It's a good place to be. Tattoos,
When did you realize that that was something that's going
to be a part of who you are. I think
I got my first tattoo when I was sixteen, and
it was crazy because my mom actually was like, yo,
you don't want to get on tattoo your mom? Yeah
hell yeah, but yes, So I got my first one

(10:33):
and then just like you know, my influences. I was
influenced by Little Wayne and Travis Barker like at the
same time. So it was like, how the fund can
I be like Little Wayne and Travis Barker. I was like, yeo,
I gotta tap my whole body, Like I didn't just
have one or two. It was like, what was your
first tip too? That's right here on my on my
on my bicep. It's the rap group that me and

(10:55):
my my cousin's has. It was called Mammals. Like it's
like being the animals, like being the beast. Yeah yeah,
so you completely covered any more space. I still got space,
Like I'm still doing my legs and ship that let
them legs here different. Yeah, here's any kind of tattoo,
nummy cream or dude, Like, what's your routine because you've

(11:15):
got so many everyone's routines. What's your routine when you
get tattoed? I just smoke. I don't like to get
too high, honestly, Like people be like yo, yet that
ship makes you freak out when tattoos, Yeah, you feel
like a yeah yeah, and then the time doesn't pass
because you're counting the moments in your hand. Yeah. Being
stunned and getting tattoos, it's like it's not the best. Um. Yeah.

(11:37):
I like to just have music playing, like a couple
of shots. It's like a party, you know what I mean.
I get tattoos in the studio and ship, Like, the
more going on, I feel like the better. If it's
just me and that person sitting there, it's pretty bad.
But I don't use no numb and cream or anything
like that. Yeah, And I usually funk up and like
try to get like a small tat and it ends
up taking like eight to ten hours and ship. So

(11:59):
a lot of my tattoos weren't even supposed to be
as much as they are. But most painful, the most painful,
I would have to say, if there's a tie between
the back, like anywhere on my back and my motherfucking feet. Yeah,
she's a bit hands. I didn't like my hands. My

(12:21):
hands s foll up like boxing, yeah, like boxing elbows, yeah,
anywhere where it's like that that bone popping out where
they're just hitting the needle of the bone. Yeah, yeah,
I'm not. I'm not a fan. Explain the mixtape days,
the process of getting your music out there, you know,
like on Dead Pail and stuff like that. Explain what

(12:42):
was your thought process during that time. That was a
fun time for me. I was really just finding my
way kind of putting people onto what I thought was cool. Uh,
still am, but at that time it was like there
was like a real opening in the game because I
had signed to Warner Brothers first, and I really see

(13:03):
like what the industry was like, what mainstream and what
you know, kind of just we got ten records, we
only like this one, you know what I mean. And
that's difficult to go through as an artist because you
you love all your shoes, but they'll tell you in
the heartbeat like nah, like we don't even want to
hear that ship. They'll skip through it and they only

(13:25):
want to hear that one or that too. So that
let me know what that was like. But that also
let me know that I didn't want to be that
type of artists where it was just that song, you
know what I mean. Like I was more concerned with
the substance and the content and I can make that
song as well. So it's like, how do I entertain
the building, like make them happy to where they'll be

(13:46):
like yo, which is this ship? But still keep my
fans be like this nigga is killing it, this nigga freestyle, this,
that and the other thing. And that's more where the
mixtape mentality comes in, where it's like I get ideas
every day and it's just me being creative, and social
media gave me an outlet to literally just act on
all of those ideas as soon as I feel them.

(14:06):
So if I wake up in the morning and I
hear al Green sample, you know, I can listen to it,
show people on the internet, go to the studio recorded
that night, put it out on the internet, and shoot
a video for it showing me recording it. And it
just like involved everybody in the process and made it
more real to the point where a lot of artists

(14:27):
weren't doing that at the time. So um yeah, it
became an experience and it's fun for me. I love
this ship, so you know it's something that I'll always
be into. Um. I love making albums, but mixed tapes
and and just fun ship, you know. Content for the fans.
That's that's always where my heart is gonna be at.
You see, that's what it's gonna ask. I mean you
have some legendary mix tapes. I mean legendary, like we're

(14:49):
just bumping your ship before you came, not just because
you were coming, because like your mixed taste have always
gone so hard. So what is the difference between preparing
for a mix tape and then, like you said, a
studio albu right, Um, for a mixtape, it's more of
my own ideas in the production. Um, if I'm listening
to if I'm working with this producer or these types

(15:12):
of beats. So this sound is what I'm going for.
I'm able to just lock in and just do that,
no interruptions, no distractions, and when I put it out
is what I wanted to be, especially before streaming went crazy,
because that made it harder to like sample songs and
things like that. They'll come back and get at you later.
But the album is more like a collaboration. You have

(15:34):
to work with people who are great at what they do.
So you know, me coming in the game wanting to
make hits, I'm not going to do it with an
unknown producer. I have to do it with somebody who's
made hits. I have to get in the room with
somebody who's actually, you know, had a few number one
records before. And um, it's just a process of figuring

(15:54):
out who works and who doesn't, and who likes this
song and who doesn't. It's more of a team effort.
And yeah, that's all the difference is to me talk
to us about the U taken from us too soon.
Mac Miller yeast in peace. Um, that's my little homie man.
I love school. Yeah, he went to the same high school,

(16:15):
but he was younger than me, so when I was
out of school, he was doing his thing. But I
always appreciated him and still do because I got to
watch him come up. I got to see him be
uh like an excited, you know kid in the studio
sucking a couple of dollars for some studio time to
being a global fucking superstar, you know what I mean.

(16:37):
And you don't get to witness that a lot of times,
like sometimes you're just meeting nigga, like when they're on
their way up or blah blah blah. But I actually
seen his whole process and he's really really talented, Like
he played all of those instruments, and he wrote and
he was really passionate about his music. And that's the
thing that I love from him the most. It's just
like his raw talent. Many So you drop your first

(16:58):
CD showing improven oh six, how does life change after that?
Or well, what's because you got into kind of had
a falling out with Warner Brothers m But explain that
process and where you were in your life at that time. Ship.
I was still in high school, so it was like
my dad was like, nig what then you're doing rapping?
Like that's cool, but you need to go to college

(17:19):
or some shing like that, And I'm like, no, I'm
gonna do this rap. Ship like going back and forth
to New York. They had this thing called the Breeding
Ground back then for all hip hop. That was one
of the major sites, just kind of like just running
up in buildings and taking you know, meetings and kind
of just meeting artists at that time who are who
are on the come up. I remember b O. B

(17:40):
Was one of the artists who was on to come
up at the time. Kids in the Holiday from Chicago, Uh,
the New Boys, like they from out here just random motherfucker's.
Like it was cool being in that scene and kind of,
you know, just trying to figure it all out. But
I don't think any of us knew exactly what the
funk we were doing. We were just figuring it out.

(18:01):
So say, yeah, I was a hit. What was it?
What was that? Like? What was that experience? Like? I
was signed to Warners, so I had I had met
with everybody. I met Tom Wally who signed TUPACS, so
it was like all hyping that ship up and he
kind of just like walked in the room and looked
at me and then walked out of the room, and
I was like, fuck, But it was cool, Like it

(18:22):
was a process for me. I feel like that was
more work than anything. Um. I got to see how
to like you know, do the radio thing, and any artists,
I don't think nowadays they get the opportunity to really
learn like how to talk to DJ's or do meet
and greeds and program directors and the importance of that

(18:43):
ship like building those relationships. That's what say, yeah, it
was for me, it was like a relationship builder where
I met a ton of DJs, uh, a ton of
motherfucker's who like you know, that might have been their
first interview at the time, and then they went on
to become bloggers or this or that or presidents, and like,
it was just a good time to just put down

(19:04):
that groundwork in that foundation. So you went to indie route.
After the Warner Brothers situation didn't work, I started doing
my thing independent. But um, it really wasn't like a
bidding war because I was already making so much money
on my own. I didn't want to sign like I
was just like, I wasn't taking no meetings. I wasn't
really talking to anybody. And uh V, who was the

(19:28):
n r AT at Atlantic, he had got with my
manager at the time, Benji, and they had a conversation
and Benji was like, I'm just gonna bring him to
the show. I'm like, bring him to the show, but
do not introduce him to me or none of that.
Like I don't want to meet him. And he's seen
the performance, he's seen like everything, and he kept flying
back to Pittsburgh. Was just like bagging me, begging me,

(19:50):
begging me, like, yo, please, I know you hate labels,
but we're gonna do it right this time. We're gonna
give you a ship ton of money. We're gonna leave
you the funk alone and let you have your own direction.
Blah blah blah. So I was like, all right, cool,
you know what fun it. I'll go I'll go meet
with Atlantic and see what they're talking about. And then
when I met with them, I met Julie, Craig Kaiser
and all of them, and I was like, oh, they

(20:11):
are actually kind of really fucking cool. And that's when
my team came along, like Marcia and like Manual, and
there was a lot of people who if it wasn't
those individual motherfucker's, I wouldn't have done what I did,
like you know what I mean. So it definitely had
to do with the people as opposed to just uh,
you know, signing them, signing them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, what

(20:32):
was the first thing you bought? I know, you know
when I first got uh, well, I was drafted almost
the second to last pick in the draft and I
got to advanced for twenty five racks and you know,
I come from the block sos was a million of me,
especially cash, and then it's coming from a check. You

(20:52):
know what I'm saying, it's pre Monday to me. I
don't have to work for the run from the police
for it. So I went to picked to my homeboard
might be his sister, my brother. We went to the mall.
Every Amax polo I left out of that was probably
by two thousand. What you did when you got your
first big check, first big check? Huh? Yeah, ran out

(21:15):
to my first my first big check. I bought the
I bought the Yellow and the Black Zixact Change, and
I bought the Black and Yellow Challenger. That's what I did. Yeah,
and then and then I wrote black and Yellow right
after I had to get the money back. Yeah, definitely

(21:41):
did so talk to us about that process. Black and Yellow,
it was. It was inspired the Pittsburgh Steelers end up
going to the super Bowl. Yeah, right after that, it's
it's been you did a purple and yellow. But talk
to us about where that came from, and that the
the vibe and the wave that was on it and
it was your hometown team. Yeah, that was crazy because

(22:04):
I always wanted um like, I look at people's moments
in their careers and ship like that, and they say,
you gotta like moment the grades to becoming great. But
just me, I know what a standout sucking moment is
to look at what people's moments are, Like Snoop Uh,
you know what I mean, when he came out and

(22:25):
his first video and he's running from the dog. Actual
he turned to the dog and he's like on top
of the the record store and everything. It's like that's
the monumental Snoop Dog moment. And the songs like from Snoops,
like Gin and Juice like that will never ever, ever, ever,
ever ever ever go away. So when I'm creating my

(22:45):
first single, now mind you, I'm coming off a cushion
orange juice, and I hate record labels, but I'm like, okay, cool,
I'm back in the building. I gotta make a single,
you know what I'm saying. Like, I'm not gonna walk
in here with a mixtape record. I gotta make a single.
So my idea of a great single and something that's
a standout moment is something that represents my city because

(23:06):
I love Picksburgh so much. Everybody from Pittsburgh, we love
our city. We reaped four, one, two, black and yellow
all day. So that was my initial thing was like, Okay,
I'm gonna going here. I'm gonna write a hit about
my city. The actual words and the beat and all
that ship that just came from up above, Like you
know what I mean, that's just that's magic how that

(23:28):
stuff happens. But the intention was there was like make
a hit, make it be your standout record. Um I
recorded that song and maybe June and uh. Black and
Yellow didn't come out until August, I think, and that
whole time, the Atlantic was trying to give me to
record more and more songs that we need another blah blah.

(23:50):
I'm like, no, that's the one, that's the one, that's
the one. So eventually they went to radio with it,
and it had a really really slow start, like this
started off super super slow, but it picked up a
little bit more. I went on tour, I went to jail,
still have started winning a couple of things just made
you know my name. I think at the time I

(24:12):
was one of the most google names like in the world,
just uh, off of the uniqueness and you know, just
me smoking weed and doing what the funk I wanted
to do. So all of that combined boom Black and
Yellow Steelers. I think they went to Super Bowl like
the same week that the ship went number one, So
it was crazy. It was like, like I said, it

(24:33):
all came from above. It was a blessing, but it
was definitely like intended to be. You know, my my
moment from the beginning. Rolling Papers debuts two thousand eleven
is the tenure anniversary. What's what stand out from that
and what are some of your favorite songs on that album? Um,
my favorite songs on there, like the race on my

(24:56):
level started show ship. We had had, we had, we had,
uh the deluxe come out, and there's a Nipsey verse
on there that I remember getting from him. He was
at my house and he recorded that. That was just
a special album. It was a fun time. Black and
Yellow was on that album. Like I was saying, I
was coming off of the mixtape stage, So everything that

(25:17):
I was doing I had intentions on. You know, it's
sticking and it lasting for a minute. And the fact that, uh,
the album came out ten years ago and people are
you know, still talking about how classic it is and
what it means to them and how it changed them.
Um that that that makes me happy for for what

(25:38):
I did with that project. You spoke on nip Um.
I know you guys had a unique friendship. He was
an instrument in your life. Very welcoming you guys. Really
Vibe talked to us about your relationship with him. Yeah,
Nip was my partner. Um, that's my homie, man, Like,
you don't get too many friends like in the industry,
and know when when you say it like that, that's home.

(25:59):
When you say like, that's exactly, exactly, exactly currency, that's
one of my partners. So you got a couple of
people who you feel that type of way about. And
we came up together. We were on the same double
x cell because the legendary cover. Yeah, that Tampa TA
or something like that. Yeah, yeah, funk I forget. There

(26:20):
was a lot of niggas on there though. Juice Man
was on that cover. Yeah yeah, Juice Man was on there.
Jay Rock was on there. It was a lot of
niggas on that cover. But yeah, it was cool. That
was the time we was all coming up. We were hustling,
we were couch surfing, we were sleeping on couches. Some
of us had Louis, some of us had not so Louis.

(26:44):
So it was cool, man, It was fun, man, it
was It was a good time to be a young rapper.
Yeah yeah, yeah, And even just coming up and seeing
his transition. You know, Uh, it's funked up. He was
taking away from us, but he was he was definitely
about everything that he's that he was about. I got
a chance and you know, meet him in like oh nine,
and like you said, if you've seen him and really

(27:06):
seen him, you see his involvement in talking about every
level of that, but always getting to that next level quickly.
Because it was a smart dude. Yeah yeah, second album
and f C December twelve with a top single work
Hard Play Hard. Was then the pressure to file up
a debut. What's up with something bad after that? I

(27:26):
don't I didn't feel like there was any pressure for me. Uh.
I think the label Private fails some pressure and something
like that. But I just I just like to create.
And when I made that album, I was in a
really good creative space. I was listening to a lot
of like old school like Marvin Gaye ship, and I
just wanted to make something that uh musically just stood

(27:49):
out to me and of course, like I wanted my
fans to get it too, but I was just trying
to impress myself. So it was really based off of
my life and where I was that and my experiences
and the thing I was going through, and yeah, I
felt like I got it across. And then like later
on in life, it was as crazy to hear people

(28:10):
like go through some of those same experiences and be like, oh,
I feel I just now figured out what you were
talking about. Just that, Oh and I f c ship
right here. I'll be like, yeah, yeah, for sure. You yeah,
tell us where Taylor Gang came from, the origin of that.
You really made that kind of your thing. So Taylor

(28:30):
Gang was just the It just started off as the homies.
I'm the youngest side of everybody, so I couldn't even
get in the club at certain points, and they were
the ones really in the club, popping bottles and you know,
paying the DJs to pay the reck, play the records,
grabbing the mic and going crazy and so that's what
I seen coming up, and that's just what I wanted
to do. So as soon as I was old enough nineteen,

(28:53):
I had a chain and I was in the club
with my niggas and he was going crazy. So it
was just really about the party life and in the
in the in the in the excitement and making that music.
And we were all from the same neighborhood, so it
was like everything we did was the same. We all
talked the same, we've dressed the same, and when we
walked into the room, it was just like, you know,

(29:13):
you knew what it was. So we just took that
attitude on the road and as it spread, it just
became more of a lifestyle of just doing whatever you
want to do. And we met more and more tailors nationwide,
whether it be Chicago, Detroit, uh Louisiana, Atlanta, uh l A, Toronto,
Like you know what I mean, there's tailors everywhere, So

(29:35):
it just even out of the country, Brazil, in the UK, everywhere. Um,
it just became a lifestyle in the in the in
the in a, in a, in a brand. I thought.
I thought it meant the way y'all rode y'all joined
because I heard you in a couple of what I'm saying,
smoking tailor the old school time to Bay Area. Yeah,

(29:59):
and mcmas just say that smoking on the Taylor. Yeah,
when did you When did you fall in love with
the plant? I started smoking weed early. I usually don't
say say what age because I don't want to inspire
anybody to you know when I started. Yeah, I started
smoking really young. But on an everyday basis though consistently

(30:23):
for real. Damn, that's every day. Yeah, that's crazy. I
don't see I don't see my mom my smoking age.
But it was young, and I think you know it
was crazy because I was in the studio, Like I
used to sell weed. I used selling like white kids
and ship like that. So that's how I learned about it.

(30:45):
But I was in the studio and Nigger told me,
was like, bro, like you're hard, like you could wrap
your ass off. But as soon as you started smoking
weed and wrapping, he was like, you're gonna go to
the top. I was like, man, I don't need that ship, bro,
I'm a sooner. I started smoking weed and rapid. That's
when it happened, like my association with the weed and

(31:06):
the music. I heard ship that I never heard before,
and I started like years old. Yeah, it was like
the under under the real music, you know what I mean.
Like it wasn't just a surface level thing anymore. And
that's what made me really falling and fall in love
with weed is the relationship with music that that that
it goes together. You talked about kind of evolution. You

(31:28):
were someone I remember and we were talking about this before,
but you convinced. Remember me, you were snooper doing something somewhere,
but you were like, you guys gotta smoke paper. You
guys paper. We're both smoking swishes. At that time. I
was twenty years in on swishes because I just joints
never really worked, but you kept pushing on it. So
I tried it, and bro haven't went back since I
was probably like six years ago, proud because I didn't

(31:50):
really proud of you know, I mean, but you talk
about your evolution of kind of with the plant, how
it's kind of started as you selling it and then
the homie telling you and it took you to other place,
but it's really come a real, real part of your
life now. Yeah. Yeah, I think we all started smoking
weed like relatively the same. It's just with the homies.
Like you probably got a parent or something like that
who smokes weeds. So you smelt it in the house before,

(32:12):
and it was really fucking bad back in the day,
Like that ship you start to hide, like for real,
you couldn't just smoke weed out in the open. And
that's where I come from. Where it where it's like
buy a little sack and split it with the homies.
And as time went on, um, we smoke a lot
of weed in Pittsburgh, so just having like a little
a for a quarter wasn't enough. You have to have

(32:33):
a zip, like, so we're burning ounces like you gotta zip,
you gotta zip, I gotta zip. That's the session right there.
We're all going and we're smoking at all, like nobody's
saving anything exactly. So as time goes on, we started,
you know, branching out, going different places and finding better
fucking weed. Me. I didn't like blunts like. I didn't

(32:54):
like the taste of them, I didn't like how they
made my clothes smell. I didn't like how they made
me feel in the morning. And I was like, if
I could just smoke weed and not blunts, like that
would be awesome. And then that's when I bumped in
the spin and he was on his papers, like and
and my mom had papers. But I didn't associate it
with you know niggas, like we will never see the

(33:15):
homie smoking papers. But when I got with him, he
was like, yo, bro, I hate months as well. Let's
just smoke papers. Let's come up with our own rules,
not be like anybody else, and you know, just smoke healthy,
like just smoke clean. And that was the thing. Like
we documented it, We put it out there. We went
around and spread the good word to everybody else and eventually, uh,

(33:39):
you know, possible cleaned up. Yeah, in the last ten years,
weed is cleaned up. The idea of weed is cleaned up.
A lot of different people who weren't into it before
into it. Now. It's it's an essential business. Uh, people
aren't as scared of it. It's recreational in a lot
of different places. And yeah, I think that's what the

(34:00):
main thing is. People's thoughts about we just have to change. Yeah,
and when you're just thinking about like niggas rolling around
smoking blunts, you know what I mean, it's not that inviting.
But you know, you're having little fucking tea parties and
sucking edibles and fucking gummies and shit, It's it's all good. Now.
Everybody get high. Everybody want to get high. There's medical

(34:24):
research backing it up. Now, that's why I think it's
more acceptable. Um, but Tucky, you've turned your passion into
a business. Talk to us about Khalifa cushion and all
the stuff you're doing in the cannabis space. Yeah, that's
basically what it is is, uh, just cleaning, cleaning up
the look of it, um, the packaging. Uh. People love
pre roles, people love edibles, people love lotions and and tinctures.

(34:48):
And it's just there's there's way more uses for herb
as a plant than just the way we like to
just put fire to fath bombs all that time, you
know what I'm saying. So it's using it as an
ingredient and you know, spreading it all across the board
as opposed to just you know, bagging it up and

(35:09):
selling it. Right. Yeah, now, talk to me about something
because we've all been consumed for all fathers as well.
Have you had that conversation with your son yet about
cannabis and when he should or can or anything like that.
I try not to talk to him about when he can,
because that's a I don't know, that's it's hard to
call it, you know what I mean. But we definitely

(35:32):
talk about that ship just so he knows and he's
fully aware. And I think it's important that you educate
the kids early on it, because our education on it
early was, YO, it's bad. It's gonna make you a
fucking idiot. You're gonna not be successful. Like, let's switch
that around, like it's medicinal. You don't even have to

(35:53):
smoke it. You can grow it. Uh you know what
I'm saying. There's all different types of alternatives where you
can benefit off of it, where you don't just have
to just block it out of their life like it
don't exist. So that's my main goal with him, is
to just you know, be realistic about it. Yes see,
because he's what eight, Yeah, he's eight. So I remember
when the twins were nine. They remember I put them
to bed one time and then they looked out the

(36:14):
window and saw me smoking. So the next day that
came down. They're like, Daddy smoked cigarettes. And I'm like, damn,
do I tell him the truth and not? And I'm
just like no, So I went for I'm like no,
it's a joint, and they're like withstand. I'm just like,
you know, Daddy doesn't really drink and I can't take
pain killers, but my knees and my back are always
sore from basketball. So when I smoked the joint, it
takes all the pain away and I can sleep. Like
then Carter, one of the twins, is like, well, Dad,

(36:36):
you know I sprained my ankle. When can I speak?
It was an instant like fireback, where can I I'm like, oh,
you gotta be older than thirties, Like, oh yeah, thirties,
I can wait till thirty. But like I said to me,
and I read it rich, you said to me, I
would rather educate them because you never know what their
friends are telling them, what they're seeing on the internet,
or any of the stigmas they made me listening to.

(36:57):
So I like to have a real even if it's
maybe too early, but just at least if you visit
the conversation, you know next time you come back around,
it's going to be something he's ready to talk about. Absolutely,
that's important. I think that's important as parents. You collaborated
with Tyler, Yawe and Gonna on the song All of Smoke.
A lot of people thought that wanted it to be
our theme song and thought it was our thing. So

(37:18):
on how that came together, I should do that. You're
gonna do a sign off on the way I got you? Yeah,
that was Tyler's idea. Tyler's like, uh, he's up and
coming artist. I always funk with, like the young homies
on their way up. That's been a main goal and
like point of mind is just always you know, reach
out and I do versus for free. I don't even

(37:40):
charge my fucker's Yeah. So it's like when you get
your number one record running back, but now it's it's
the little homies. And not to call him a little
homie like that, but that's good. Yeah, that's the young
homie and we got to use our platform to help
each other out. So the same way he's being a

(38:02):
new artist and using his platform and keep me relevant.
It's like me as an established artist or a goat
or what people you know consider it. It's like that.
It's like an even transaction in my opinion. You know
who does that well is up Yes, Snoop for sure.
Good And that's why part of his longevity is if
being able to stay relevant with the young people. It's

(38:23):
important to keep your ear to the ground. Um, we
talked about this when you were outside. Just the excitement
of kind of getting back to life on the road
and performing again, and you're acting and doing also to
talk to us, particularly about getting back on the road
and doing music. Yo, I'm actually like fucking scared as fuck.
It's crazy, Like I'm anxious. I'm nervous. It's weird, um,

(38:46):
because I feel like that hustle is it's like muscle
memory and you gotta be in it to to feel
it and know what it's like. But just on the
outside looking in, you know exactly what you're getting yourself into.
You know you're about to like have fucked up flights,
like shitty food, be sleeping crazy. I mean, it's not
that bad for me, but I've got used to being comfortable,

(39:10):
you know what I mean, So anything outside of that
comfort zone, it's like it's like a red flag a
little bit, you know what I mean. But I know
when I get into it, this is what I made for,
this is what I do. So I'm definitely, you know,
ready to do it. But am I excited about it?
I don't know. It's a lot of work. And congratulations

(39:33):
for your residency and Vegas talked to us about that.
Thank you. Um, I appreciate that. Yo. Dre's they always
look out. I do Dre's in Vegas and I do
the White Club in Dubai, and um they let me DJ.
I got a DJ. Name is DJ Daddy Cat. I've
been doing that for like three Yeah, I've been doing

(39:53):
that for five five years now, five years in the
game like that. Yeah, yeah, so I performed the night
before and then I DJ the next night. Yeah, double
double up. Yeah Yeah. What's one thing you missed about

(40:14):
performing in front of the crowds on the road, sold
out venues, Just the real interaction You get to feel it,
You get to see people, uh just scream and their
eyes light up. And performing new music. I love to
do that as well. I haven't gotten the opportunity to
perform anything unreleased or anything new and just get that

(40:35):
that that party, you know what I mean, Like that's
how I feel my uh my stage performance is it's
not only like songs that you already know, but it's
an experience. So you might hear some ship. I might
throw some ship on and just start freestyling. I might
make up a chance based off of this side of
the crowd, like yeah, it's just going off of everybody's

(40:57):
just dude, might punch somebody in the fucking head over
that ship hypes you up when you're on stage, like
you just love that ship. I involved in you and
selecting the acts that travel with you on tour. Shit,
we do everything and will we like Yeah, we like
Pinky and Brain. We we do it based off of

(41:19):
ticket sales of course, as we're on Live Nation. So
being a company man, you know, I try to do
what's best for everybody, for everybody, and they know that
they can come to me. Like I said, it's it's
an experience. It's not all about just with Khalifa getting
out there and doing his thing. Is experiencing a party.
It's hearing some new music. It's seeing somebody that you

(41:41):
might have fucking not have seen in a long ass
time in this type of you know what I mean. Uh,
there's different ways to mix and mingle, and a lot
of superstars have come off of our tours. I mean
I could name countless motherfucker's who started out performing in
the daytime when the fucking mom wasn't even and now
they have their own, you know, sold out arena tours.

(42:04):
You did what I'm saying, And to me, that's a
big point of it as well, is to just put
everybody on and extend everybody's career and just make this
whole thing, you know what I mean, a huge lifetime
motherfucking party. Talking about tour lives, because there one then
you event Arena. You remember that, you just felt like
it was incredible, Like life can't be this good. It

(42:25):
was the the Championship like right before the super Bowl,
uh in Picksburgh, and I got to perform at that
ship and they flew me private, like from one of
my shows. So I had a show that night and
they were like, we have to have you come performed
Black and Yellow to night because it's Stiller is winning.
Were going to the super Bowl in the games in Picksburg.

(42:46):
So I'm like, all right, let's get it. So I
flew there, Chevy with me, everybody with me. It was
it was yeah, it was. It was. It was like
it was like a movie. Bro. It's like some ship
that you know you really wish would ever have. And yeah,
that was probably like one of my favorite moments out
of a lot. Yeah yeah, you know, like I said,

(43:08):
Cam's my favorite rapper like as far as like lyricism
and swag and ship like that, but Snoop is probably
the person who I modeled myself after the most. Um.
I will watch him just walk in the room and
just be like wow, like that's really that nigga, Like
you know what I mean, And to see that respect

(43:29):
that I do a lot of research. I watched like
a lot of documentaries and backstage stuff like that. So
I would watch him on the road and be like, man,
I just want to hype man for that nigga, or
I just want to like just beat the young homie
like back back then. It's like, Yo, I would just
like roll weed for that nigga. If I could just
be yeah, I would do anything. And there's I feel

(43:51):
like there's a lot of people who feel like that,
but you know, to really put those intentions out there
and then to see it happen. And Snoop took me in,
you know, under his wing immediately when I moved out
here to l A. One of the first things he
did was like, you know, get a crib around the
corner from my spot. We're gonna record at this studio.

(44:12):
We're gonna shoot this movie. We're gonna make this album. Yeah. Man,
it was like damn, Like instantly, it wasn't like, Yo,
We're gonna get high and eat junk food all day.
It was like, Yo, this it's time to It's time
to make a moment out of this. So that's why
I mean by I modeled myself after him. Because I see,
you know, his position in the game and still how

(44:35):
hard he works and what he does and um yeah,
just moving forward. It was like, yo, I'm on tour
with this nick. I get to share the stage with
him every night, like he goes and then yeah, I
was about to say, he goes, I go, I go,
he go, and like the crowd's partying and of course
I know his motherfucking words because I'm a fan like

(44:58):
everybody anything, and like we'll get up there and sing
that ship with all of their hearts. So that was
like the most like gratifying, like you ever do another
macndevon being that, Yeah, sure we're gonna do we we've
been writing it for years. We just going on. I
got ship going on, so you know, we just gotta
get in the room and really make that ship happen.

(45:19):
But I executive produced a whole album for him that
we're gonna put out. Of course we're gonna do the
soundtrack for mcndevon too, and uh yeah, y'all in the movie,
tell me how instrumental in your life he was though,
So it sounds like he talked to your grind, you model,
you know, someone you monitor your game after but how
instrumental was it? Um you're saying that? Why? Like how

(45:43):
just explained to to to everyone how important he was
in your journey uh through the space. Oh so, Snoop
is fucking rare, especially in the rap game for the
simple fact that there's nobody currently who can say that
they have their second coming of them who's like successful

(46:03):
killing it went on tour with everybody kind of competes
or hides the keys to the game and doesn't really
show the homies like what was really good. But Snoop
put me onto plays like he'll be meeting with the
dude from Raising Kanes and be like, you know who
y'all need to get in business with Wins And he'll

(46:25):
call me FaceTime me yo, Wins, I'm sitting here with
the nigga from Raising Canes right now. That's how we are, Bro.
That's crazy, Bro, Like, that's that's real. As a lot
of people in this business won't do that. And to
have a big homie who's not only a legend but
isn't scared to put you up on game and bring
you up, you know, none of that all positive reinforcement

(46:47):
and we chop it up, bro, Like we just you've
been to the compound. We just showed up the compound.
We smoke. If you need to get away from the
house or whatever it is, just go kick it. It's
a vibe. So yeah, he's been very instrumental in in
in uh just my sanity in life not gonna. He
had been through everything. I mean, he's been a bit,

(47:08):
you know. I mean for me to be such a
big fan, that mean to me U C l A
and us become friends. You know, when you really look
up to someone and getting this space, it's just like
you have such a long journey, but just like damn,
that's Snoop and like we're doing charity football games together
and that knows my kids and do what. It's just
like you kind of have to pinch yourself sometimes because
it is just so cool and welcome and and the

(47:29):
real how real O G should be? So I do
this thing. We perform at amphitheaters, and in any amphitheater,
there's like there's the v I P. That's the seats,
there's the like the pit like that's the most, and
then there's the lawn in the back that's like the
cheaper's eas um the most people are actually in the

(47:50):
lawn though, right, But if you're ever in the lawn
and you watch the show, you either got to look
up at the screen the whole time. But yeah, you
just gotta look at the screen all time because the
actual person the performers, like this fucking big you can't
fucking see him. And I was always in the lawn
when I was, you know, attending a concert, So this

(48:11):
was I did that. I came up and being on stages, Like,
what if we put another stage back there by the
lawn and I could run from up here back there
and go perform like a few songs for them and ship.
So that's what I usually do during my tour. So
I'm up on stage. Halfway through, we'll black it out,
put some ship on the screen and I'll run over

(48:32):
and then they'll hit the lights and the boom. I'm right,
I'm in the lawn, Yeah, and they're going crazy. I'm
doing this ship with Snoop and he's like, Yo, what
the fuck? He's like, first of all, I've never done
no ship like this, and my motherfucking life. Second of all,
we got about a minute, less than a minute to
get all the way up there. I'm trying to run
up here and he's like, bro, Like, he's like, I'm

(48:53):
a little bit older than you. Fail, but he sucked
it up and we did it and we killed it.
What's the one piece of the best piece of advice
he ever gave you. The best piece of advice he
ever gave me was probably just to be myself. Keep
doing me. And he's like, you know you're gonna be
around and he refers to himself as Snoop dog He's like,

(49:13):
you're gonna chill around Snoop Dogg. But don't be like
Snoop Dogg. They could be ways and they gotta love
because you ways your motherfucking rock star. You work hard,
you do this, you do that. You funk with this aldience,
you funk with that on it And he's like, always
keep that, never change and never give it up. We
missed this when we were talking earlier because we transition.
But where were you at and how did you find

(49:36):
out about the Nipsey passing. I was at home when
Nipsey passed, and I found out because I lived with
people from the neighborhood. O g s from the neighborhood.
So as soon as it happened, phones was ringing and um, yeah,
man sucked up. We spoke on DMX earlier. He's someone

(50:02):
you patterned uh your music after. How important was the
way he came and spit uh to you? Yeah? DMX
to me was like he was just so passionate about
his music. He was raw, his flow was infectious, his
b selection was crazy. Yeah. In person, he's such a

(50:25):
good dude. I have family from New York, and he
reminds me of my my real family, like just outgoing,
just a you know what I mean. It's a great
spirit of great dude. And when I was younger, you remember,
I told you I started listening to rap, like you know,
in like second third grade, well like hardcore rap second
third grade with my uncles and ship. So I had

(50:47):
d m x's first album. But then I live with
my mom when I was in Pittsburgh. But then I
went to live with my dad in Japan and he
actually like found my whole CD collection and was like,
what the funk is this? Like why are you a
kid sitting into this? He just took all my ship
and like I thought he threw it away, but he
took all my ship and he was listening to it

(51:07):
and some of it he funked with, and some of
it he didn't, But he really fused with d m X.
And he sat down and told me, like as a kid,
I remember vividly, he was like, Yo, all that other
ship you was listening to his trash, but I'll allow
you to listen to this one because he's saying this.
He's talking about this and it actually means something, so like,
not only did you know he connected with my pop

(51:27):
and like I was able to, you know, enjoy his
music as a kid because of his realness and his rawness. Yeah,
I had a crazy story about DMX. Um. I'm a
sick DMX fan. I got a tattoo when he say
my life ain't long. I thank god my last breath
of my life ain't wrong. And I ain't never met
him two weeks before he died. I bumped into him
in the ice box Jewelry two weeks before he died,

(51:50):
and it was just crazy that I got a chance
to meet him before. It was crazy before he passed
because I felt like he had touched a lot of
people right before he left. There's a lot of people
who got to see him in his last couple of
moments and he was happy. Like when I seen him,
he was in great spirits. We listened to music. We
was with Swiss and we was that we was at
Snoops compound and we just chopped it up. It was

(52:13):
just genuine, fucking just real game, you know what I mean. Yeah.
I remember giving them a lot of weed in Atlanta.
In Atlanta one time too, just rolling joints m back
to back and sending them to the dressing room. Yeah. Yeah,
if he were smoking Hella back then. So your versatility, uh,
doesn't limit you from doing other things outside of music.

(52:34):
You're in the acting space now, how did you initially
get into acting and and and how much are you
enjoying it? I first started acting with Snoop and um,
I would say, like my my introduction to the game
was kind of theatrical with my day to days and
just everybody seeing behind the scenes and me being more
of a personality as well as a musician. So the

(52:58):
transition to you know, make a actual movies, um, it
was kind of natural and just fun and it's it's
all an experiment to me, is to just see how
far I could take this ship and what I can
actually do growth. Yeah yeah, yeah, for real, Like, I'm
inspired by a lot of different movies and just people's
moments that do ship. So it's like, you can't be scared,

(53:22):
like you said, just put yourself in your in that box.
You have to just go with the freaking flow and
use the tools that you have. And you know, one
of those tools is my personality, my fucking ability to
remember ship and just being cool on screen, you know
what I mean. So I want to utilize that. I
want to have fun and I want to make other
people happy, and I know that them seeing me on

(53:44):
screen doing different roles and just you know what I mean,
just just fucking doing whatever I think. I know that's
gonna be good for everybody. I also have the voiceover
things that I do as well. I love voice acting
too because it just gives me the opportunity to be
like whatever the funk I want to be. Right. Yeah,
so that's we're trying to do some animated cartoon stuff

(54:04):
between me and him. Yeah, you gotta do it, man,
and we would do our own voices. Yeah, you spoken
Duncingville earlier, talk to us about Dickinson and what parts
you playing on that show. Yeah, well, let's go back
to Duncanville because Duncanville is on Fox, So yeah, Dickinson
is on Apple Plus or Apple TV, which is cool.
I like Apple but Foxes, but Dickinson is. Um, we're

(54:29):
in the I think the second season just dropped and
we're about to start shooting the third season, and we
had touched on it earlier. They came up with a character,
so it's about Emily Dickinson. She's a poet and she
was obsessed with death at the time, and a lot
of her poetry was really dark and just fucking cynical. So, um,

(54:54):
this particular show, it's not really a comedy, but it's
crazy how to flip it because it's set back in
that time, but they use a lot of current ship
like music and just jokes and just ship that people
would resonate with right now, but they do it with
the story for back then. So in the story, she's

(55:15):
infatuated with death, and they made death and actual person
and that's me. It's like a smooth I get to
smoke weed, I ride around in the cherry and I
got ghost horses and you know, I'm playing fucking you
know Marvin Gaye or some some some low rider music
or whatever at the time, and it's really just a
playoff of who I am just back in that time.

(55:38):
It's like a smooth you know, uh, fucking male interest
to her. And it's cool, it's fun. I get paid
for it. I get to you know, fucking excite people
as death. It's really interesting to see how see that's
my nerd mind working. Like I go there and they
think I'm just acting, but I'm looking at the cameras

(56:00):
and how they set up scenes and how you fucking
actually shoot a show. I'm like, all right, so this
is the show for Apple. I'm gonna take all the
notes from here and I'm gonna bring that back in
this I'm gonna start shooting my show. Hell yeah, so
I'll be I'm happy to be in the room as
far as that goes. To talk to us about Duncanville. Yeah,
Donald Fox, that's that real TV right there. Yeah, Yeah,

(56:22):
that's it. It's um it's it's kind of a kid show,
but it's more mature. That's like a family guy type
of situation. And that's another one where I'm just bringing
the coolness to the show. Good to be you exactly,
it's important Yea. The fighting Lee Yeah, PFL. Talk to
us about that and how you kind of got in

(56:44):
because I kind of followed your journey, like I've been
a fan and we got to meet a while ago.
But you came in Frere and then you started getting
in training yourself and eat running in your mind right,
look like you gained some muscles. Like, talk to us
how your fascination in your own kind of health and
wellness led you to the Yeah. So I was never
a real like a professional athlete, Like I never worked

(57:05):
out or anything like that. I play ball in the
hood like anybody else, But I never you know, had
a regiment eating right, working out, sleeping, doing recovery, this,
that and the other thing. Yeah, exactly, that's real athletes
ship and I respect professional athletes because it takes so

(57:26):
much to discipline yourself and live your life, you know
what I mean. Exactly, it's a it's a really really
crazy balance and to not get injured or to you
know what I mean, just to be in the right
mind state. Um, it's a lot. And it's different than
music because when you're being creative, you get to just
wake up and smoke weed and take a shot and

(57:49):
you know, smack a chick. On the ass and make
a song about it. Bro Like nobody cares like it's
like that's acceptable behavior when you're a rapper, but yeah,
when you're a professional athlete, you have to like really,
you know what I mean, walk walk that line exactly.
So I have a lot of respect for it. And

(58:10):
in the past few years of my life, UM, training
martial arts and mixed martial arts and um, you know,
just learning about the science of the body and things
like that. It's definitely taking a high priority and it's
opened up a lot of business opportunities as well. Um,
they just started. We just started to fight. Well not we,
but there's a league called the PFL, the Professional Fighting League,

(58:34):
and it's basically an alternative to the UFC where it
gives UM each fighter a chance to earn points throughout
the season, and then you have the playoffs and then
you have the championship and that's who gets the belt,
and you also get to fight for a million dollars.
So it's not really based off of a popularity contest.

(58:55):
It's really actual stats. And we have fighters who are
on the come up, who are gonna become superstars, and
then we have fighters who have actually been in the
game for a little bit and maybe didn't reach that point.
But it's like, yo, I'm trying to you know what
I mean, I want to compete, I want to make
some money, and I want to have a shot at
still you know, being that nigger so or that that
that chick. So you know, it's good for Everybody's good

(59:18):
for the fans and for me, um, you know, my
dedication to health and fitness and kind of just let
me down that journey. Um. I linked up with Jay
Glazer Unbreakable and started training with Ernie Uh, Ernie Rays,
who's like a legend in the game, and a lot
of other you know, freaking champions who kind of just

(59:39):
got me sharp and to the point where I'm able
to even just look good on camera. But you know,
other than actually looking good on camera, I could actually
bang too. But that's not really for you know, I mean,
that's just for sport, and that's just too you know,
you practice the technique enough you need to actually be
able to use it. But you know, I've worked a
long time to be able to, you know, be confident

(01:00:01):
in both of those things. So Kevin Hard is a
part of that as well. Right, So how how is it,
uh what kind of situate? But how is he a
part of it? How are you guys? It's essentially the
same thing. Um. I'm more like a creative director where
you're just gonna see me just like hyping it up,
you know what I mean. Musical aspect, music, Yeah, entertainment.

(01:00:22):
Everyone's kind of in there and do what you're good
at exactly exactly, like just hyping it up and whatever
they whatever they really need. I'm that guy. And Kevin
is more uh financial and and also his platform is
different than mine, so it's just gonna take it to
you know what I mean. If he's in a movie

(01:00:44):
and they have a mixed martial arts scene instead of
having whatever company on the floor, it's gonna be pfl
you know what I mean. Ship like that just easy,
not not real, nothing too crazy, but we all do
our part to lift the company up. What's thoughts on
Mayweather Paul? I like it. I like the Mayweather Paul ship.
I like the I like the whole celebrity celebrity boxing thing. Um.

(01:01:09):
I think they're getting it together. They're making it events
better for the fans. I think the fights are going
to get better and better of course Mayweather is not
gonna get in there and try to beat the ship
out of Logan Paul and like, of course, I think
all that. I think you guys are brainwashed and the
hype has been working on you. But good job, bro,

(01:01:31):
that's all hype. It's a hat. Yeah, but foy, you've
never seen Floyd with hair. Yeah, Floyd's been working on
his hair. Was kind of hiss had like some kicked
up carpet. Jay Paul is a genius. He could say,
you could purposefully say, bro, grow your hair out. Look
crazy like we're about to go viral fail. Let's do this.

(01:01:52):
Let me show you how to do this. You've done
you've done this before. I'm gonna show you how to
do this now this new game. And nobody's gonna get up.
That's the cold park, because ain't nobody Finn get hurt.
He caught it, he caught it left. He caught a
black eye though it was just it was all did
you see actual footage of the black ir did you
just see a scruffy eye. Well, well, we got a

(01:02:13):
homeboard here who works here, who real cool with both
of them, and he said, he said, he got sucked up.
I'm sorry, that's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying.
You don't want to hear it. He ain't get in
your pockets, man, you know your motherfucking pockets because that's
what they want. Yeah, exactly, that's exactly. That's exactly what

(01:02:35):
that's the game. Buy into it. Yeah, I dig it.
But we're gonna be out there, right, we're there of course. Yeah,
it's in Miami fighting. Yeah, come with us? When is it?
What's the date we're bringing WIRs with us? Yeah? I

(01:02:56):
could leave Vegas and I could go down there. You
gotta go. Wow, not even to the year here. It's
been a while. I've been a good time ago. Yeah,
why not? UM see you again? Eleven times platinum. Uh

(01:03:18):
A song that went unfortunately right along with with with
it with the tragic loss of Kobe Bryant. Um, talk
to us about that song, how it came about. Obviously
it had a meaning too with um my fregeringness name
Paul Paul Walker rested peace Paul Walker. But talk to
us about how important that song is in just the
process of coming up with it. That song, UM, for sure,

(01:03:42):
biggest song of my career. UM, one of your moments
you're talking about Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, And it just
uh like being in the airport in Korea and here
motherfucker's singing, you know, the hook and the verse and
ship like that. They don't even speak English, you know

(01:04:02):
what I'm saying, Like that that type of ship is crazy.
You you can think that your song is gonna do that,
but for it to actually happen, it's just like all right, wow.
And the process for making it was was cold, because, um,
they came to me, the people from Fast and Furious
and the Mourner in Atlantic. Uh, they came to me

(01:04:23):
and they were like, you know, we're trying to put
this song together, and your verses is going to be
one of probably like eight you know what I mean.
They're like, we want to make this like a compilation song.
And Charlie's hook was just supposed to be just like this,
like the reference. They were like, we're gonna get this
artist on the hook, We're gonna get this verse from
this person and that. And I was like, all right, cool.

(01:04:45):
So I just wrote my verse and just sent it in,
you know, with no thought about it or whatever. I'm like,
it's a soundtrack. It's a little bit of money, Like cool,
And then they were like, no, we want you to
do the whole song and I'm like, all right, cool,
So I another verse and they're like, well, we like
this part of this verse and we like that part
of that verse, so can you flip this? And can

(01:05:06):
you I'm like, oh, I know what's going on here,
y'all turn y'all turn this to a motherfucking production. So
in my head, I'm like, just be available, be ready
for every little step. If these motherfucker's tell you that
they don't like one bar, just be available, be ready
to change it. And it was kind of a process
of like tweaking the song for a few months and
then you know, we shot the video before we even

(01:05:27):
released it, and along with the release and just the
song coming out, it just took off. It did with it.
It went crazy and the message behind it and of
course the Paul Walker thing, and it just really really like,
I don't know, I had no idea that they was
about to go that crazy with it, but yeah, it

(01:05:50):
did everything that all the energy that we put into it,
it did everything that it was supposed to do. Yeah, Yeah,
and the fans made it go crazy. It was freaking
number one for I think fourteen weeks as I don't
know how many times platinum and it's the only rap

(01:06:10):
video at however many billion views that it has. But
I was the first rapper to ever get a billion
views on YouTube as well, So it helped me make history,
you know, in a lot of different ways. And it
touched so many people. Talk about your tribute, UM that
you and UM Charlie did. Yeah, man, that was big.

(01:06:34):
I was actually in Miami the night before UM because
it was Super Bowl weekend and the Super Bowl was
in Miami, so it was just a fucking craze fest.
I had a whole week book down there to just
to be in Miami to work and you know work.

(01:06:54):
And I was like they hit me last minute, was like, yo,
we're doing because of course nobody can expected that ship
to happen. And then there was the home game. It
was like the first home game and they were like, uh,
you know, we want you to do it, and I'm like,
I'm in Miami, of course I'm gonnaucking do it. I
don't give a funk what I gotta do, Like I'll
jump on a jet blah blah blah. Charlie just so

(01:07:17):
happened to be in Miami too, so we both got
on the same jet the next day and just flew
out and knocked it out and like that was just
such a such an honor and such like a I
wouldn't have been at the crib, Like, yo, I wish
I could do the fucking tribute for you know what
I'm saying, Like that was just a beautiful ass thing.
It was a great opportunity and you know, he could

(01:07:37):
couldn't ask for for better stuff like that, you know
what I'm saying, Just to hold it down and the
kind of put people at ease about the situation. It
was the energy Like in the arena that night, it
was like quiet, like you know what I mean, Like, yeah,
it was like it was like a hoop game, but
nobody was really there though, you know what I mean.
That's what it felt there. Yeah, it felt full, but

(01:07:57):
it didn't feel like nobody was there. And yeah, man,
you ever met Cobe? You ever seen him play? Yeah?
I never seen him play, but I got to meet
him a couple of times. Always a cool ass dude, bro,
Like just great energy, smiling, very welcoming. I do a
lot of charities and things like that, and I will
always see him at those events, things for single fathers

(01:08:17):
and things for families and things to help out, um,
like real ass situations like Kobe would be there and
even like the Sucking party and like seeing I've seen
him at like puff Daddy's house. What I'm saying, just
kicking it. Yeah he's a cool dude. Yeah, alright. For Shure,
you talked about fatherhood, current state of hip hop and

(01:08:41):
and and how do you kind of touched on it,
but with what kind of your your way of staying
relevant in this space as you also cross over into
music and music and film television, film excuse um, I
look at music like, uh, like music is always young.

(01:09:01):
It's like a baby that never grows up. And if
you try to mature it too much, then you'll you'll
be like, you'll be lost in the sauce. So I
just I enjoy everything, and enjoying and digesting are two
totally different things, completely different. So you know everything that

(01:09:27):
you know, it's not all being processed. But I enjoy it.
I love it. It's fun, it's good, it's good for
for for kids, it's good for people's families. Um, it's
making a lot of people a lot of money. Um,
I do want to see the young rappers be a
lot safer. I see a lot of violence and too

(01:09:47):
much that it's not even really about. And it's like
we do music to get away from that ship and
get out of that. And I'm a fond believer of
as soon as you become an entertainer, and you're an entertainer,
like that's all. Yeah, you ain't no gangster. No, I
mean gangster is taking care of your family, making it
home safe. That's gangster like to me and everybody else

(01:10:09):
who've been through it but really been through it. Yeah,
but like all that tough stuff, if you want to
be tough, there's a place for it. Join the fight league.
Join your league. You know what I'm saying. You think, yeah,
you think. So. That's how I've been a very very

(01:10:31):
very big advocate and trying to keep these youngsters safe.
Try tell them the right thing, Try tell them to
make the right moves, watch their surroundings, watch you there around,
and you know, I want to see him live long
and being the game forever man. That's what's about. So yeah,
coming down the stretch, quick hitters, first thing to come
into your mind. All right, give me your top five

(01:10:54):
rappers from the East Coast and your top five rappers
from the West Coast. Cam Cam one jay Z. We're
talking about East Coast and let me go old school
big Daddy came. Now let me go sleeper. Cannabis right o,

(01:11:17):
all right, cannabis was ill and uh damn already say
cannabis for the lyricism. Oh nas, I gotta say nas. Yeah,
congrats on that grammy. Yeah, well that's a lot of things, man, man,
it's just hustling. Yeah. He's behind the scenes, behind the

(01:11:40):
scenes ring and we just watched something he just produced
the other day, that monster, yeah, with sap in it. Yeah,
he's behind the scenes killing it. We got we gotta
get see, he's a virgo. That's what we do. I'm
a very too. We're behind the scenes, kill it, Swiss beats,
you know, very good businessman, very artistic, you know what

(01:12:01):
I mean. Just silent killer, you know I love that?
All right? So quick here the top five? Who else?
West Coast? Cute? Sugar Free Yeah, yeah, snoop uh mac
dre um, that's four. Burner yeah yeah. Burner is a

(01:12:25):
bazillionaire do yeah. Burner is my man. Yeah, we definitely
got to. But I gotta say too short too. I'm sorry.
There's well yeah, the West Coast deserves yeah, yeah, we
give them keep going. If you can have one artist
a group dead alive to collaborate with, who would it be?

(01:12:48):
Jay Z? Yeah, I haven't. I haven't done a song
with Hove yet, and that that needs to happen. Hopefully,
hope it's gonna happens. Even if it happens in ten years.
What happened happen? You know? Five dinner guests dead or alive,
five dinner guests O d b uh ship all of

(01:13:12):
my own probably be they wouldn't even be here. No,
I have dinner with odib Bob Marley. Uh oh up there,
up there, um uh uh. I would either say Biggie

(01:13:33):
or big Pun, but I'm gonna say big Pun because
I know we're gonna eat good. We're gonna eat good.
Um uh. Let's see. Let's see. Let's see somebody who
who's gonna put me up on some game who like
a chop game with? Oh, Prince, Yeah, Prince would be

(01:13:56):
dope to invite to the party. And then Rick James
because you're gonna bring some bitches Yeah, that's the party
right there, Yes, sir, five songs in rotation to smoke too,
do be Ashtray Devon to Dude. A lot of people

(01:14:16):
don't know that Devon is one of the man the coldest.
That's why, that's why I grew up in the area
south by Southwest. We got super loaded, maybe some perfect
place to run into super blow and they didn't really
like you smoking out there either. No, hell no, that
ship you fucking throwing, yank you out of the car.
I've seen somebody pad. That was first time I ever
seen somebody pass out on weed. Was at his concert, Mike.

(01:14:39):
It was hot as hell in there, and their eyes
just rolled in the back of their head. I was like,
what the fuck. I've never seen it before, but it's
a real thing. Like I've seen it in the coffee
shop right before you came down the waterway and man
had to take this girl outside, flip her upside down,
pour water all over, and it looks crazy, right, It's
not for everybody, it's not. It's not. It's not. I'm

(01:15:00):
never seen that. I can't come to one of my shows.
You'll see it looks wold, yo, so uh so, do
be ash Tray Um, Footsteps in the Dark, Asley Brothers, Um,
Purple Hags, I Can and Friday by Busy And you know,

(01:15:24):
I think, what's at three or four? That's four, that's four?
One more uh uh uh it was. It's a Nate
Dog song. Fuck. See Now I'm thinking about all of

(01:15:45):
the one More Day, I'm thinking about all of the
Nate verses, but I can't think about the song. Oh,
I'll just do one of my songs, the cut. Yeah,
a Whish song. There you go. Can't go wrong with that.
One More Day by Nate Dog is a class that
One More Day is. Yeah. A lot of niggas don't
even know Nate's album. Bro, it's fucking crazy. See. I

(01:16:06):
got little riders, so we ride around we Sunday alright,
shout out r M y M writer gang Cruise Life
already heard you've been on the Cruise Show on the
way when you're gonna Bill George, I got my eyes,
finally got my bronco. So I got me Oh Jay,
I just gotta get a lot of money that nobody
wants to take up. We just got so is it

(01:16:27):
already ready? I've been driving it around low key. I
just don't want to cruise, but you got some you
got got beat in there, all right, everything. I take
the top off that one, bro. But that's the thing.
That's when you bring it to the cruise to test
it out. Yeah, you don't just test it out, you
gotta bring into the crew back, Oh ship, I gotta
fix this. Oh damn fucking thing came off the door,

(01:16:48):
you know what I mean? It's just all right, No,
it was a random mass day they pulled. Remember the
day you guys pulled it. It It was it was him said, yeah,
who else Percy, right, Pete and a couple of ranly
chilling in My was one day in the backs, but
I just happened to be barbecue and smoking watching TV.
These motherfucker's just, you know, pull up open the gate,
like who's out there? These motherfucker's driving a little hot
rods in And that's when I started, Yeah, and then

(01:17:11):
found out this motherfucker right around the corner from we're
about to start it back up rider gang shout out
r M M. One bar lyric of yours that you'd
want to be remembered by. How fuck it might have been?
Too deep? I can't even I can't even narrow it down, dog,

(01:17:31):
That's that's cold, because like I got motivational bars that
I would funk with this and I got game too.
It's like, yo, little nigues need to hear that maybe
your favorite song and then see that's the thing. I'd
be like going to let other people do that, but
me personally, my favorite song. I got a song it's
called I Still Remember. It was way back. It's on

(01:17:52):
this uh mixtape I did called star Power. I was
probably like nineteen twenty years old when I did this song.
But that's that's my favorite jam that I did. It's
Rolling Papers on the card Beat. I got a song
called Rolling Papers too, but I don't know if I okay, okay,
it's a song on Rolling Papers. It's no, it's a
song on It's the Christian Orange Juice with Cardo and

(01:18:16):
I'm trying to think of it. Are you talking about Mesmerize? Mesmerize?
That's my favorite that's my favorite song. Yeah, Yeah, that's
my favorite song. Yeah. See I was going to think
about a bar from that song. But that song is
like so much pimping, Like, yeah, that's so hard. It's
a lot of pimping in this That's how that if

(01:18:37):
he was a fan and you can have one personal
all the smoke. Who would you want to see on
the show courtesy? So that's my partner, and that's my
partner too, yet life together. Yeah that's my boy too. Yeah. Yeah,
we need you. Where are you at? Man? We're good.
That's a rap man. Appreciate it. Thank our guests, Whiz.

(01:19:05):
You can catch us on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the
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This is All a Smoke, a production of The Black
Effect and Our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime