Ali Siddiq on Life in Prison, Fighting the Ruff Ryders, & If Drake Can Rep Houston

Summary

Podcast Summary: Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh Episode: Ali Siddiq on Life in Prison, Fighting the Ruff Ryders, & If Drake Can Rep Houston
Release Date: June 25, 2025

Hosts: Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh
Guest: Ali Siddiq

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Introduction

In this vibrant episode of Andrew Schulz's Flagrant with Akaash Singh, comedienne Ali Siddiq joins the hosts to delve into his tumultuous journey from life in prison to becoming a celebrated storyteller in the comedy scene. The conversation navigates through themes of racism, personal growth, the challenges within the comedy industry, and the importance of community and honor.

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Breaking Out of the Bubble

Akash Singh opens the discussion by acknowledging Ali Siddiq's significant online presence, noting his "35 million views" and "hilarious storytelling." He raises the question of whether Ali feels confined within a "little bubble," despite his widespread success.

Ali Siddiq (00:44): "Yeah, I think I'm in a little bubble. I don't think it's popped the ceiling yet."

Akash Singh counters this by emphasizing the vast viewership Ali has amassed, suggesting the "ceiling" might be much higher.

Ali Siddiq (00:52): "I'm waiting on India."

This exchange sets the stage for a deeper exploration of Ali's reach and the cultural barriers he faces.

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Racial Identity and Experiences

The conversation shifts to Ali's experiences with racial identity, particularly during his performances in Boston.

Ali Siddiq (01:02): "I think white people think I'm Indian."

He recounts an incident in Boston where a white audience member mistook him for Black, revealing underlying racial tensions.

Ali Siddiq (02:04): "I would have never come if I knew he was black. Indian. Yes, he was black."

Akash Singh (02:11): "I think with Ali Siddiq, you might get Pakistan first."

The discussion highlights the complexities of racial perceptions and how they impact Ali's interactions and opportunities.

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Life in Prison and Personal Transformation

A significant portion of the episode delves into Ali's time in prison, illustrating how these experiences shaped him both personally and professionally.

Ali Siddiq (05:35): "It's just me and Scotty. Sit down. It's amazing how they just try to diminish what he did in basketball. He has 11 championships."

Akash Singh (10:51): "I've thought about this too. It's like a movie."

Ali Siddiq (12:20): "So people understood. He's going to say whatever he's going to say regardless. Fighting him is not the way to go."

Ali discusses navigating prison life, handling confrontations, and using his comedic skills to build rapport without inciting violence.

Ali Siddiq (13:19): "I'm gonna put my resort in Cabo up as collab."

This segment underscores Ali's resilience and adaptability, turning challenging circumstances into opportunities for growth and connection.

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Building a Comedy Career: Independence and Integrity

Ali emphasizes the importance of maintaining independence in his comedy career, resisting the pressures to "sell out" or conform to industry norms.

Ali Siddiq (43:46): "But if I think about you, I'm gonna call. I'm not gonna waste the time to call."

He critiques the entitlement within the comedy industry, advocating for earning one's place rather than relying on connections or favors.

Ali Siddiq (50:43): "All the people that I know that own multiple Rolls Royces."

The hosts discuss the disparities in recognition and support for independent comedians versus those with major label backing, highlighting Ali's commitment to authenticity and community.

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Emotional Storytelling and Audience Connection

A poignant moment arises when Ali shares deeply personal stories, including the loss of his sister, illustrating the therapeutic role of comedy in processing grief.

Ali Siddiq (126:16): "Our artists laugh at other artists because in our mind, you're not living better than us. You're not making more money than us."

He reflects on how sharing his vulnerabilities on stage fosters a genuine connection with the audience, allowing both him and listeners to navigate their emotions.

Ali Siddiq (135:08): "So the day that I saw you, I'm gonna call."

This emotional honesty sets Ali apart, demonstrating that true comedy goes beyond jokes to encompass shared human experiences.

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Challenges and Gatekeeping in the Comedy Industry

The hosts critique the gatekeeping prevalent in the comedy world, where established networks often marginalize emerging independent voices.

Chad (94:52): "I think there's a lot of that, and I'd love to know your opinion on that."

Ali Siddiq (95:14): "I don't think because they have not made me, they didn't have their hands putting me together."

Ali argues for the recognition of diverse talents and the dismantling of barriers that prevent independent comedians from thriving.

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Respecting Legends and Cultivating Community

Ali stresses the importance of honoring comedic legends who laid the groundwork for current artists.

Akash Singh (144:37): "How much I owe you."

Ali Siddiq (144:58): "You have to earn this space. It's like, I had to earn it."

This segment emphasizes building a supportive community where success is shared and legends are celebrated, not overshadowed by newcomers.

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Future Projects and Continued Growth

Ali reveals his upcoming special, "Rugged," which explores his struggles with domestic tasks post-prison, blending humor with heartfelt storytelling.

Ali Siddiq (157:54): "Rugged is about a man that is on the road, and then he tries to come home and be handy."

He also discusses his desire to remain independent, resisting traditional industry pathways in favor of authentic, self-crafted content.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts expressing admiration for Ali Siddiq's journey and his unwavering commitment to authenticity and community. They highlight the importance of supporting independent voices in comedy, ensuring that diverse stories and perspectives continue to flourish.

Ali Siddiq (183:19): "We have to choose between Nas. Big Daddy Kane."

Akash Singh (184:43): "We're just chopping up."

The episode serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of comedians navigating personal and industry challenges, underscored by Ali Siddiq's compelling blend of humor and heart.

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Notable Quotes

• Ali Siddiq (00:52): "I'm waiting on India."

• Ali Siddiq (13:19): "I'm gonna put my resort in Cabo up as collab."

• Ali Siddiq (43:46): "But if I think about you, I'm gonna call. I'm not gonna waste the time to call."

• Ali Siddiq (126:16): "Our artists laugh at other artists because in our mind, you're not living better than us. You're not making more money than us."

• Ali Siddiq (135:08): "So the day that I saw you, I'm gonna call."

• Ali Siddiq (150:59): "Next time you come up, rot."

These quotes encapsulate key moments of the discussion, reflecting Ali’s perspectives on cultural identity, independence, community, and emotional honesty.

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Final Thoughts

Ali Siddiq's episode on Flagrant offers an unfiltered glimpse into his life, highlighting how personal hardships and experiences have molded him into a distinctive voice in comedy. His dedication to authenticity, coupled with his ability to navigate complex emotional landscapes, provides valuable insights for both listeners and aspiring comedians. This conversation not only entertains but also inspires, reaffirming the power of storytelling in overcoming adversity and fostering genuine connections.

Transcript

[Ali Sadiq]

What's up, everyone?

[Akash Singh]

Welcome to Flagrant. And today that we have Alisa Deek in the building. Goat Storyteller, one of the best comedians out there. You've seen him on Def Comedy Jam and his domino effects specials, Four of them. This is unprecedented, the amount of comedy he's actually put out for free for all of you on the Internet. Garnered over 35 million views. Rave reviews on YouTube. Ali turned his tough life into comedy gold. He's raw. He's real relentless. No gimmicks. Just pure hilarious storytelling. I want to dive in because I feel like what you're experiencing was a lot of us have experienced experience when we put stuff on YouTube is like, you're getting big views, you're selling out these huge venues. But there's also this thing where it's like, is it just in our little bubble? Have you felt that?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, I think I'm in a little bubble. I don't think it's popped the ceiling yet.

[Akash Singh]

But then you look at the views, like, if 100 million people have watched this, what ceiling?

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm waiting on India.

[Akash Singh]

I think with Ali Sadiq, you might get Pakistan first.

[Ali Sadiq]

I think white people think I'm Indian.

[Akash Singh]

No way.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was. I just recently did Boston.

[Akash Singh]

Hold on, hold on.

[Chad]

Can I tell you something crazy? When I was a kid, white people couldn't understand that I was. They thought I was black. When they were racist toward me, it would be. Go back to Africa. They would call me the N word, and I would be like, I think I'm supposed to be offended.

[Akash Singh]

Wait, what happened in Boston?

[Ali Sadiq]

So this is when I was. I. I hate to put them out there, but. Because she rectified it. But it was. I was at Boston. Laughs Right?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And two white guys open for me, and I walk out, and this white dude was like, I thought he was Indian, and he just turned his back to the. To the wow. To the stage. I was like, what?

[Akash Singh]

How much does this white guy love Indians? What's the specific racism they use more?

[Chad]

I think he hates black people.

[Ali Sadiq]

I would have never came if I knew he was black. Indian. Yes, he was black.

[Akash Singh]

Now I like how Buzz is just getting a little less racist. It's like they've accepted the color spectrum a little bit.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Yeah. Really? And you thought they would get over it with Bill Russell bringing so many championship, you know, championships, like, here. Racism a lot.

[Akash Singh]

I. I've thought about this too. It's like there might have been a period during Bill Russell's reign, because it's not like he didn't just win him.

[Ali Sadiq]

As a player, he won him as a coach.

[Akash Singh]

And like, I. I'm wondering what is happening to like the racist people in Boston at that time when he wins, what, nine as a player and then they're going to bestow like the most important position for the franchise that they.

[Ali Sadiq]

Care about go the coach. So this is my. This is my thing against racist black men who argue about Jordan. Because I think you just. This is. This is my problem with it, with the whole Bill Russell thing. Okay, so if somebody said, who's one of the greatest coaches of all time, they're going to mention Red Aarbach. They're not going to say, oh, it was the era. He didn't know. No, they're just going to mention. They just don't mention it.

[Akash Singh]

This is a great.

[Ali Sadiq]

So. But when it gets to Bill Russell. Oh, he didn't play against nobody. He played against everybody in his era.

[Akash Singh]

Wilk. He played Wil and everybody else.

[Ali Sadiq]

So. But then when he left, when Red Albach left, he became the coach and he played and coach Jordan. There's no way Jordan could have played and coach. No way.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. And played 36 of golf. Impossible.

[Chad]

He a cut 10 players on the team.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's just me and Scotty. Sit down. It's amazing how they just try to diminish what he did in basketball. He has 11 champions.

[Akash Singh]

I wonder. I wonder if part of it is like, that was a time, I think in the NBA. My dad would tell me these stories. So Bill Russell, my dad saw. He was the first person he ever saw dunk a basketball. It was like during a layup, lines. And he was like, I just saw him jump up there. Dunk, he goes. To me, Bill Russell is the best player that he ever saw play because he completely changed the game, even defensively. Yeah, but this was a time where my dad would tell me that, like when the Knicks were playing at the same time. The. What is it with clowns and stuff? What is that called? Circus. The circus. When the circus was in town, what.

[Ali Sadiq]

Did they call it?

[Akash Singh]

I almost called it the carnival. I forgot the name of that.

[Ali Sadiq]

Anyway, I might call it the Barbershop now.

[Akash Singh]

He told me the Knicks would be bumped out of the Garden.

[Eddie]

For the circus.

[Akash Singh]

For the circus.

[Ali Sadiq]

I could believe it.

[Akash Singh]

So this is at a time where.

[Chad]

Like, I guess finals are on tape delay.

[Ali Sadiq]

Apparently Ringling Brothers was huge.

[Eddie]

Come on, bro.

[Akash Singh]

We might need to see it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hey, hey, hey. We're having a circus here. A little game outside the Ruckers.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, I mean, Anyway, that was yeah. Kind of wild times.

[Eddie]

Bill Russell. Dude that has a picture where he's just wearing all the ring. Iconic picture.

[Chad]

More rings and fingers.

[Akash Singh]

Player and coach.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Unreal.

[Akash Singh]

At a time where they weren't even letting him. I think in certain cities stay in the same hotel.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

As the white players.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he did all this in chucks.

[Akash Singh]

That's why they had to dribble like this. Because I think there was only crossover.

[Chad]

You know, the craziest Bill Russell stat. I if. I think if it's 140 in game sevens. He never lost a game seven.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Game seven Bill Russell, you win. That's it. There's nobody else I can think of that ever had that.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, just. Were you a big hoop fan growing up?

[Ali Sadiq]

Always.

[Akash Singh]

Really?

[Ali Sadiq]

Basketball. Yeah, definitely.

[Akash Singh]

For sure. But what was your team? Obviously Rockets.

[Ali Sadiq]

But like obviously wrong.

[Akash Singh]

What do you mean?

[Chad]

No, it wasn't the Rockets.

[Ali Sadiq]

Who was it?

[Akash Singh]

Wait, you were a Knick fan?

[Ali Sadiq]

Always.

[Akash Singh]

Is your family originally from New York?

[Ali Sadiq]

No. This. You ever seen Cowboy fans? They all. They all over the world, right.

[Chad]

I'm from Dallas.

[Akash Singh]

Why would anybody. They don't understand.

[Eddie]

They had to do.

[Ali Sadiq]

Man. Man, look who played for the Knicks. That's who's on tv. You. You. You root for the people.

[Akash Singh]

Like remember we were all Braves fans for no reason. It was just cuz they were on tv.

[Eddie]

He was a circus fan when he was growing up.

[Akash Singh]

Couldn't go hard, bro.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then Patrick Y went to the Knicks. You know, you watch Georgetown and then your player get drafted to the. To the Knicks, like oh, for sure.

[Chad]

But as a Dallas guy, Houston people are so annoyingly loyal.

[Ali Sadiq]

You a Dallas guy?

[Chad]

He's one in Dallas.

[Akash Singh]

I heard you love the Cowboys. Like what is it.

[Chad]

With you?

[Ali Sadiq]

Always?

[Chad]

I love that until about two years.

[Ali Sadiq]

If you would have drafted Jerry Rice, I still wouldn't have been with. I was like, Jerry's good with the. The rest of the time. And that's my favorite football player. Jerry and Dion, you know, and I make a strong argument for Dion being one of the greatest. Being damn near the greatest player over lt. And I'm a Giants fan, but over lt.

[Chad]

I don't think that's crazy.

[Akash Singh]

What? Okay, so what is. I think we have to accept that LT at his prime, I think was high cocaine. For sure. Why do we diminish like the value of cocaine in the excitement of the sport? Because remember in like the 80s when the basketball players were just fist fighting on the court?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. I thought all of them was high. They were, they were fighting they ass off.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And Olajuwon is when. I remember when Olajuwon. Olajuwon was still fighting in his era, before Olajuwon, it's like nobody wanted to fight. The dream.

[Chad]

Vernon Maxwell story.

[Akash Singh]

Have you heard Vernon talk about.

[Ali Sadiq]

I know Max.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, really?

[Ali Sadiq]

And me and Max used to be in the club back in the day. But when he said about Olajuwon slapping him, I was like, yeah, the dream. The dream was like, hey, man, stop all that fat mouthing, bruh.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

In his broken Nigerian language. I've been at the mosque with him.

[Akash Singh]

At the where?

[Ali Sadiq]

At the mosque? You know he's Muslim.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, of course.

[Ali Sadiq]

So him. His brothers are bigger than him. It's crazy how big his brothers are. Okay, but just be next to him in prayer.

[Eddie]

The big carpet.

[Ali Sadiq]

He's like, yo, man, I'm gonna go to the back. Cause this seems. This thing's like, I can't even concentrate.

[Chad]

I imagine being right behind those feet.

[Ali Sadiq]

Come, man. Like, you, man, pray in the back, bro. It's crazy how. How big he is.

[Akash Singh]

So, wait, were you in Houston going to the mosque while he was playing for the team?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Really?

[Chad]

So he would just go to 84.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was. I was not there. I was locked up in 80. That's. That's the thing about I. I always go back to, like, I missed. And I hate it, too. Like, people be talking to me about years.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, and you're locked up during Houston's rings.

[Ali Sadiq]

And let me tell you the terrible thing about this. They playing the Knicks.

[Chad]

Oh, that's right. Painful memory for all of you.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm the only one in a Texas prison rooting for the Knicks. And so.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, you just want your life to be hard, bro.

[Ali Sadiq]

So when the Knicks lose, it's like everybody in the cafeteria was waiting. Like they wasn't even eating. They were just as soon as I came in, Y' all ain't. Then I remember San Antonio was playing the Knicks. I had on a Knick jersey. I'm performing at this club downtown, and I'm with Rodney Winfield. He's a legend. And this how he talked. Rodney was like, God damn, why don't you just take off the goddamn jersey? Because I'm walking downtown and everybody fucking with me. Cause the Knicks lost to San Antonio. He was like, yeah. He said, man, just take it off the jersey, bro. Cause I can't fight with you. I'm old.

[Akash Singh]

He looking out for himself. He's not even worried about you.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Yo, okay.

[Akash Singh]

I've seen like, so many videos obviously tell these great stories. I think there's like a little part of me, like, as a comedian, like, like, if ever, God forbid, I got locked up, I'm like, well, what if I could use my. My comedy abilities to lighten the mood in the jail or whatever? And I'm. I'm watching. I know, it's so stupid, right? But I'm. I'm very curious because a lot of your stories, you're talking about kind of teasing people. At what point do you build up the courage to be like, roasting guys who are locked up? Probably for some dangerous. Is. Is there ever a point where you're like, man, that's not the guy I'm gonna tease? Like, how do you build rapport to be yourself?

[Ali Sadiq]

I knew coming in, you know, I was there for like six. So the first two, I was making my bones.

[Akash Singh]

Okay?

[Ali Sadiq]

So people understood. He's going to say whatever he's going to say regardless. Fighting him is not the way to go.

[Akash Singh]

Cause you grew up boxing, right? Okay, so you had some hands.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I know mass. Majority of people can't fight. I know it. So I'm like this. I'm like, you really want to do this?

[Akash Singh]

So you weren't scared at all?

[Ali Sadiq]

I've never been scared.

[Akash Singh]

Not even in the beginning. You tell this great story is one of the first things I saw on Ari show about the Mexicans are wearing boots.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. I was unaware, but not scared. Cause I wanted to know what it meant.

[Akash Singh]

I like, have you guys heard?

[Ali Sadiq]

What did that mean? Yeah, I just, you know, was unaware. So in Domino Effect 3, that's why it's damn near my favorite one. Because it's showing how unaware I was when I got locked up in the county. I'm like, I'm so unaware how this. The process when dudes was at the bars like, yo, you slapped my sister? I'm like, no, I've never slapped a woman. Don't even know your sister. And then once I figured out they was talking to me, I was like, oh, shit, so you trying to start something with me?

[Akash Singh]

Oh, they're making up a big thing.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm like, And I. And I couldn't. And once I figured out they was talking to me, I couldn't wait for them to come and let me in the cell. And I was. I'm like, okay, okay, cool. You, you, you. You making up shit. Okay, cool. I don't like to be lied on.

[David]

So you immediately I heard this story. That's when I knew I was pussy. Cause I'm like, he goes up to the two guys that are.

[Ali Sadiq]

As soon as I get in there.

[Akash Singh]

Wait, wait, tell me. These guys are big.

[David]

Tell them.

[Ali Sadiq]

Bars. And we. When they getting ready to lock you up inside, they. They put you like in the hallway, right? And so that. But the people can see you. They. Everybody can see you. And they locking up other people. And I'm sitting there waiting with this sandwich that I'm not gonna eat. Just because you think. You don't never eat because you think you gonna get out.

[Chad]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You don't eat nothing. You're like, I'm straight.

[Chad]

He didn't know how much his bond was worth. His bond was ended up being like 150,000 or something. So you don't know.

[Akash Singh]

Not prison.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. At this point. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You're in jail. Right, right. So you think you're getting out.

[Ali Sadiq]

Okay, quite. Let me go back. I can make the bond. But my attorney said he was.

[Chad]

Yeah. Oh, that's right. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm. He's like, yo, I say I can make the bond. He's like, but you don't have a job. I'm just trying to understand.

[Chad]

He's like, I gotta go to court. Say you're not a drug dealer.

[Ali Sadiq]

I gotta go to court and try to act like I need bond reduction. Yeah, yeah.

[Akash Singh]

I'm gonna put my resort in cabo up as collab.

[Ali Sadiq]

And so I'm waiting and the dude was like, yo, that's him. And I'm looking down the hallway like, who?

[Akash Singh]

No, they're not talking about me.

[Ali Sadiq]

Who these guys talking to? Yes. Yeah, that's who slapped my sister. And I was. I was like, who is this abusive guy.

[Akash Singh]

Who should him up?

[Ali Sadiq]

Who they talking to? And then they, yeah, yeah, I'm a step. I'm whoop your ass when you come in there. And I'm. I'm. I'm like, oh, am I the only one this hallway? Oh, so they talking to me. Oh, okay. So my first thing is like, yo, as soon as I get in there, we gonna. We gonna see, because I do not like to be.

[David]

Didn't he have a friend who was like, jacked and tall and.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, that's Brian. Brian. He became my friend too. It's Poo Poo and Brian. They. And this is. This is the. That they do to. To bother people when they getting ready to come in. So as soon as I get in, I put my stuff down and I'm like, yo, what's up? And dude's like, what? I said? You said I slapped Your sister. He's like, man, I'm fucking with you. So I'm like, yo, but I'm still wanna fight because you made up this narrative about me, and I just wanna get it on. I don't have. But I used to hear about this tank when I was in the street. 10B3. It's 1301 Franklin Street. This is a notorious place.

[Akash Singh]

Okay?

[Ali Sadiq]

And you would hear about it.

[Chad]

They'd be squabbling in 10B3.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, you would hear about it. And people say, you don't want to go to a corner tank. And so when they're assigning people tanks, I'm just sitting there, I'm standing, and they giving all these people these other floors. He get right to me and say, 10B3. I'm like, Ain't that some. So that's my. That was my whole thing. I still wanted to fight.

[Akash Singh]

And did you guys end up.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, they. Cause they was just bothering me. So then maybe I'm in the same tank for about what? Fight my case about five, six months now I'm doing the same to other people. That's him.

[Akash Singh]

That's funny. Okay, so you. You get convicted because you end up going to. To prison. Okay. Upon conviction. You said you've never been afraid, but it. You have to be, like, processing outcomes, right? Like, are you worried about, oh, I'm gonna bump into this person who has beef with a friend of mine on the outside.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, I didn't really have a lot of beefs on the outside. My crew was protected, but my whole crew was locked up. They got all of us at one time.

[Akash Singh]

So it was a homecoming.

[Ali Sadiq]

So it was like, yo, all y' all come on this way. So I. I really wasn't concerned about that.

[Chad]

Was it really the last drug deal you, like, legitimately?

[Ali Sadiq]

That was. That was legitimate. I was done.

[Chad]

And he got pulled into one last year.

[Ali Sadiq]

It was like a movie. And I wasn't even supposed to be at this shit. Like, I was literally out.

[Akash Singh]

What do you mean? What do you mean? What do you mean you were out?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Like you decided you're doing something else.

[Akash Singh]

With your life partner.

[Chad]

I'm done. I'm out.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm done.

[Chad]

Do one more with me.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he was like, yo, man, just do this last run with me. Watch my back. I'm like, oh, okay. And then I'm there. And I kept saying it like, we never would have been locked up if they. If Mo would have listened to me and wasn't on his. See, when people have financial woes, they make bad decisions.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, desperation, you know, dude, with your.

[Ali Sadiq]

Friends, you got all this other. So I get there, and we in this hotel room, and they won't let me go to the bathroom. They say they. They taught something wrong with they toilet. Okay. And this is just me processing all of it. So when we sit down and they bring out the money, the first thing I asked my life. Wow. Hundreds and fifties. This is a drug dealer. 150. I'm like, oh, that's weird.

[Akash Singh]

Why? Because lower amounts would indicate when you.

[Ali Sadiq]

Sell drugs, it's going to be a lot of tens and fives and twenties and sliced up.

[Chad]

That's what you're getting paid in.

[Akash Singh]

And if you got clean bills, it's.

[Ali Sadiq]

Probably coming from a sting operation, and it's clean bills. And I asked. I said, hey, what's these numbers on the money? And he said, oh, man, that's a bank. Numbers came from the Franklin bank in New Orleans. I just left New Orleans, and I was like, franklin Bank. Franklin, Franklin. I said, okay. So I thumbed through the money, and then I did the sign. I knocked on the table three times, which ended. They're supposed to tell Mo, this is the police. We done. Let's. Let's dip. We go outside and I say, mo, tell Charles. Charles, don't come to the parking lot with the coke. This is. This is bad. He goes down and tell Charles, once I find out, once we get locked up and we had to go to court together. Charles told me what he said. He said, oh, man, he man, your boy nervous. And he man, it's all good. And I'm asking Charles, as a grown man, why would you think I was nervous? Yeah, he's been running with you since I was 14. When was I. When was I ever nervous?

[Chad]

All right, guys. Not that many show dates. Dubai. I'm gonna be there for the Dubai Comedy Festival October 5th. The tickets are already over half sold out, so hurry up and buy those tickets. And last but not least, I'm very excited. I went to India like, a month or so ago. I interviewed some people. I'm very excited about it. I also interviewed one or two people in the States, and I'm gonna start dropping those. My first episode with Rami Yousef will be dropping either this week or next week, but look for it on my YouTube page. I'm very excited about. I love y' all. Thank y' all. Let's get back to the show.

[Eddie]

What's up, guys? Special announcement. I want to shake your hand. I have a very secret and special and important message for you listening.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yes.

[Eddie]

You right now, driving your car, working. And the best way for me to tell you that is if you come to my shows. I'm going to Portland, Oregon, Fort Worth, Austin, Texas, Stanford. I'm also doing the Hard Rock in Times Square in New York City. I'll be doing a show produced by my good friend Alex Media on July 19, also at the end of the month.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, suck his dick.

[Chad]

Suck his dick. Suck his dick.

[Eddie]

Don't do it. Please don't, dude. Father Ben, my priest hit me up and you was like, yo, why does Aakash keep saying that?

[Chad]

I said, get his dick sucked.

[Eddie]

Chandler, Arizona, Washington, D.C. san Diego. Burlington, Vermont. And then also at the end of the month, we're doing a show at Mary Lou, New York City. It's my show with Joey Avery. I'll see you guys there. I can't wait to tell you my secret message. See me after the show.

[David]

What's up, guys? Finally, I'm here. I'm throwing a show. Comedy show. It's going to be fun. No two drink minimum, all that shit. Just buy or take it it.

[Chad]

And he's paying the comics more, and.

[David]

I'm paying comics more because comics be broken. You know, I do good stuff.

[Chad]

Do not suck his dick. Why not? I. Because that's why. Because that's why. Do not suck his dick. He's an engaged man.

[David]

We're talking to the dudes.

[Chad]

When he's married, you can suck his dick because then that's all that stops.

[David]

Yeah, but if it's dudes not cheating.

[Chad]

That's true. If you're a man, you can suck his dick. It's huge.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, fuck.

[David]

This is going to be an episode.

[Ali Sadiq]

Okay.

[David]

We're throwing a show on the June 28th at Barloom and then also July 19th at the Hard Rock.

[Chad]

Julyteenth. Also known as Julyteenth. Cancel comedy.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Chad]

Cancel comedy. Cancel comedy. Julyteenth. We're making it a day.

[Akash Singh]

From now on.

[David]

Just go to Cancel Comedy X on Instagram, check the bio. We'll have a link for all the tickets. And let's get back to the show.

[Chad]

How you and Charles became friends is the funniest story. This might be my favorite story in the whole.

[Ali Sadiq]

So in Charles is running in the apartment. And what does that mean? Like, he's the supplier for mostly everybody in the apartments.

[Akash Singh]

Got it.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's selling. There's something, though. And we. Where we live at is maybe one, two, three, like six sets of apartments.

[Akash Singh]

Okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

Everybody got their own Little section. But the Greens is where nobody goes. They. They swear the police is over there. So I'm buying my dope from Ronell, okay? Charles's brother in law. And they in the crew.

[Chad]

You don't generally meet Charles.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, you don't really meet Charles.

[Chad]

You just probably don't want to.

[Ali Sadiq]

So I'm buying my little stuff from Ronnell, and I decided to go to the Greens. Cause it's. And how I go to the Greens is because it's a homosexual guy named Tink that tells right there. It was very sassy. He was sell. He was selling. He was buying something from Ro and he was like, ronnell, why I gotta buy my cracks over? But T is fucking crazy. The outfit is. Tink must have been like a. A fan of what's the man? Simmons. Richard Simmons. Because he had on like these little bitty ass Carl Lewis shorts, right? And these leg warmers, and he had this hat and he had a curl that really didn't. So it was just wet hair. He had on a half shirt that said Thriller.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

He's terrible. But when he buy, I run around and catch him in the parking lot. And I was like, hey, Tink, it's people over here tomorrow. Yeah, we over there. All you gotta do is come over there. I give everybody. So when I get to the pool, I get to the pool area. He told me to wait at the pool. And it's like, yo, he wasn't lying. It was so many fiends over there. They started coming out like Thriller, like Michael Jackson. So I'm over there, son. So I'm.

[Chad]

So now he's making money.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, so you're servicing this area that nobody went to because they thought the cops over, but it was really just gay people.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, Tinker's the only one that's gay.

[Akash Singh]

He only takes one. Everybody else is just regular people.

[Ali Sadiq]

The only one over there with this bullshit.

[Eddie]

You've seen Thriller. You buy one, they all get so scary.

[Ali Sadiq]

So. And Ronnell notices that I'm buying more from him, you know, very rapidly. So Charles wanted to meet me, and we had everybody hang out the park. I don't know why drug dealers take over a park, but it's very.

[Akash Singh]

They like the greenery. I'm gonna be honest.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's not even a green park. This is a park in an apartment where they put down some, like, rug structure on top of it. This is crazy.

[Akash Singh]

They're doing their best.

[Ali Sadiq]

You can look and see the pool, but it's. So I'm over there, and Charles wanted to meet me. And I came over there to buy something from Ronnell. And Charles keep trying to talk to me. And I'm like, no, I don't. I don't want to talk to him.

[Akash Singh]

Wait, why? Why?

[Ali Sadiq]

Cause this is like, Nino Brown.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, that's the top guy.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, I don't. Charles. Hey, man. What's up, little man? I'm like, hey, can I just get my stuff so I can go? But. And then Charles like, hey, man, that. He told me that I was gonna work for him cuz I was selling so much. He said, hey, man, you gonna work for me? I'm like, no, I'm pretty cool.

[Akash Singh]

You said no to it.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then, Charles, at the time, I didn't know what this gun was. You know, I found out later, but this was the biggest gun I had ever seen, which was a Desert Eagle come to stage, and he pulls his gun out. He's like, hey, man, what I say, you gonna do? You gonna work for me? And. And I had a.25 automatic that I had two weeks prior. Got into with this dude and took his gun. His gun fell out of.

[Chad]

Crackhead. His gun fell out.

[Ali Sadiq]

He took the gun, and I kept it, right?

[Akash Singh]

It's like a video came out.

[Ali Sadiq]

So when he pulled out his gun, I pulled mine. I was like, no, I'm not gonna work.

[Akash Singh]

Hold on, hold on, hold on. A guy points a Desert Eagle at you, and then. And in that time, you take out your gun and point it back at him. Is there any concern that normal people without you have, like, for some reason, have, like, no fear? You have high fear tolerance. But normal people would be like, if I pull out my gun, this person's just gonna shoot me, and then I'll die. Why were you not worried that that was gonna happen?

[Ali Sadiq]

Because he's got. He gotta shoot. Yeah, you gotta shoot. You can't pull something on him. You gotta shoot.

[Akash Singh]

Actually, I've heard this, like, if you pull the gun out and don't shoot. Some people say, like, they're not willing to shoot in the first place.

[Ali Sadiq]

I've been. I have had a gun pulled on me three times, and I've never been shot by either person.

[Akash Singh]

This is actually the worst thing to happen. Cause now you're probably too confident about that.

[Chad]

You said either person, which lets me know someone pulled it on you twice. But that's.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, three different people.

[Chad]

Okay, okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

And if my boy, Kid Styles was here, Kid Styles, he'd be like, yep, this is what happened. A dude put A gun on me because I was ribbing on him in the parking lot.

[Akash Singh]

This is what I'm getting at.

[David]

Those gonna be the first to sh.

[Ali Sadiq]

He gets mad cause I'm talking about him in the parking lot. And he pulls his gun on me. And I look towards Kid, I said, kid, he bout to get his ass whooped. And I turned and I said, hey, you better put that gun up before I fuck around, get mad out here. And then I just turned back talking to Kid and he put his gun. And Kid was like, yo, you are a crazy man. I was like, man, if he was gonna shoot, dude, he would have shot. Because if I pull out on you, I'm going to shoot your ass. Yeah, I'm. I'm for 100 going to shoot you. Yeah, it's. It's not even a doubt in my mind that I'm gonna shoot you. I'm gonna blow your brains out. Because in my mind I can't pull a gun on you and not. And not shoot you.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's me.

[Akash Singh]

But what happened in this situation where he pulled the gun out?

[Ali Sadiq]

We're in the middle of Jamaica. Jamaica, it's a club. All these people out here, you're not fucking finna shoot me.

[Akash Singh]

Got it. Got it. So you were, you were, you were telling Charles.

[Ali Sadiq]

You were basically like, Charles, that was another person. But going back to Charles, when he pulled, when I pulled my gun out. Charles is a big dude, he's not a small dude.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Charles snatched my gun out of my hand and said, this motherfucker got heart. And I'm still sitting there with my hand like this, like, you just got.

[Akash Singh]

Your gun finger up with no guns.

[Chad]

And the way he says in special spurs, she's like, this landlord put a gun on me. Like he's laughing about it, then snatches it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Nah, this is like all he. This in his mind. I just got heart and I didn't pull the gun on him. He don't give a.

[Akash Singh]

So he respected it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. And then gave me my gun back and told me, anybody with you, man, you let me know.

[Akash Singh]

Get the out of here.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

So do you think a guy like him is so feared that he's actually looking for people with heart?

[Ali Sadiq]

He looking for people with heart.

[David]

And especially you're like 16 at the time, right?

[Chad]

14.

[David]

Oh, 14, yes. The young ones, you want to get them early.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

And if you see a young guy with heart.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You're like, I can, I can school this guy up and he's either gonna.

[Eddie]

Be with you or against you.

[Chad]

I can teach him whatever he needs to know too. Like I can teach him all that.

[Akash Singh]

Now were you calculating that in the moment? Were you like I have to show him that I'm not scared or it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Was just a knee reaction of you putting a gun on me and. Okay, I got a gun too. Yoshi got a flash though. Cuz if this get crazy, I'm. I'm gonna shoot you. Now I may not hit you cuz it's a 25 which is the most inaccurate mother gun time. But it's, it's the, it's the fact. Because I've already acclimated myself to what's going on out here. At first I was very naive to it, but I've been through some, some, some little instances out here. So I gotta get my shit together.

[Akash Singh]

Even at 14 years old.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Drug dealing is not an easy thing. If I would go back to 14 in this whole situation, I would just hoop who. I just do something. I'm like give me a heart, train my mind for something else. But. And I. And the crazy thing is I never had to be out there.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. I was thinking like both your parents and your mom successful. Your dad, Your dad also. Was it like a courier service?

[Ali Sadiq]

Carrier service?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, carrier service.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he was, my dad never sold crack. He only sold powder because that's who he was doing all this, these carrier stuff for with these attorneys and they. Could you give me some powder? And then he started, started selling powder.

[Akash Singh]

Because he's selling it to the attorneys. Yeah, hilarious. So he's doing the money drops and the exchanges for the attorneys because this is a time where I guess, I guess what. You're not going to be like sending bank transfers or whatever like that. This is an in person.

[Ali Sadiq]

He started that company in 1980.

[Akash Singh]

So you have these successful, obviously smart parents. You don't have to deal drugs. You're in the environment. But then your mom moves away at a certain point in time. She moves to a nicer area.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

So like there is a version. You're clearly a smart guy. Is there ever a version when you're like around this world where you're like, what am I doing? Like I don't have to do this.

[Ali Sadiq]

This is why I was getting out.

[David]

Yep.

[Akash Singh]

Okay. Okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like, man, this is for the birds, you know, what am I doing?

[Chad]

How much money do you have? At that point I'm curious about.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm gonna say tangible bread. So £84. I'm probably sitting on a like 230. Wow.

[Chad]

230 cash?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, cash.

[Chad]

Which is at.

[Akash Singh]

At how old?

[Ali Sadiq]

At this time? I'm 19.

[Akash Singh]

So 19 years old. Quarter million dollars in cash.

[Ali Sadiq]

So I'm going say 18 because I'm about to get out before. Cuz my birthday is October 17th. So I turn 19, we get busted on the 21st. So I was only like 19 on the street for like four days. This is a terrible present.

[Chad]

Here's a question. When I'm watching though, you got 230 cash. Afterward you're like, I'm out. That's not quite enough that you could just invest it and be like for life.

[Ali Sadiq]

Where you got that from?

[Akash Singh]

No, dude, at the time, like we're talking about 80s. That's probably for the rest of your.

[Chad]

Life with 230 cash.

[Akash Singh]

No, you start a business, you can.

[Chad]

Yeah, but that's why I'm. So what is your plan beyond this? You have a plan.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like I'm going to do all type of going on. Like I wasn't just making money from selling though. I had, I had a condo my mama didn't know about. I could have released that out. I had all type going on. Like I had invested in this rap group. I, I had a lot of going on.

[Chad]

So that's what I was wondering because I know you, you got to think.

[Ali Sadiq]

Of 2:30 in the 90s. The early 90s.

[Akash Singh]

Crazy.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

In Texas.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, that's true. Texas 19.

[David]

That's a lot.

[Chad]

Oh, it's a lot. I'm curious if he doesn't get locked up, is there a point when he's like 25 or 23 where he's like, man, I was making so much money before I could go right back to the that. Because that is kind of what happened at 16. Right. We were dating that girl. Everything is good and the money gets a little.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was, I was chilling.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Charles, get out. I'm looking for you, baby. So this thing that's 16 and I'm. And I'm a kid, so I'm super kid at this point. I'm just in high school now. Just move up to. I'm out of school.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, right.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I'm moving around and I'm good. I got 230 cash.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know how many investments I, I could have started? Anything at that point.

[Akash Singh]

Did you have to manage street politics at that age? Like did you maintain business relationships with other like rivals? Were you well liked? Were.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was mostly I'm a kid, so it's not a lot of people who know me. Charles is the Main front face. But I think that sometimes people get the eras mixed up.

[Akash Singh]

Okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

See the early night, this is early, late 80s, early 90s. It's not like whatever this is now or in the two middle of 2000s. I. I didn't have to know anybody. Cuz you. Nobody's coming from their side of town to my side of town.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, God.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying? We're. We're. I'm not even going three streets over. That's not my.

[Akash Singh]

Now it's so interconnected. But before it was neighborhood by neighborhood.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like people was trying to take over. Over you trying to take over a city now. But then it was. I just need my block, my apartments.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

In the apartment complex. You know how many people in apartment complex? Yeah, yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You got everybody that you need right in front of you.

[Ali Sadiq]

And what you. I wouldn't even find out what people were doing until Memorial Day. Memorial Day is when all the drug dealers and successful ones go to the beach. Go to Galveston, okay. And kick. Cause everybody off. And you just go in and this is where you show your car off. You know, what kind of car you got, who you with, all this, Your whole crew. You know what I'm saying? So that's how you knew. Hey, man, what's up, Sherman? People that you know, or you go to the club and you see people who. I was never supposed to be in anybody's club, but I've been in the club since I was 15. I never was supposed to be in the club.

[Akash Singh]

Was there a moment where, like, you're 15, 16 years old, and there's like, grown women. Men that you have access to.

[Chad]

Yes.

[Akash Singh]

And they don't even know that you're a teenager.

[Ali Sadiq]

I know.

[Akash Singh]

So they was rap.

[Ali Sadiq]

Wow.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, so you're 15, you're with grown women. You got quarter mil. Well, by 19, you got a quarter million.

[Ali Sadiq]

But I had a. I had a. My girlfriend was a girl that I went to high school with. I kept my girl. But in the streets, you got a grown woman. Woman. Hey, what's up? I'm like, hey, what's happening? But I'm not gonna be seen with her. The. The grownest person was Adrian.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So I'm 18, Adrian's 24, and Adrian's awesome. This is awesome. And I don't even know why I like it because she smokes cigarettes. But Adrian is awesome. Like, anybody ever saw me with Adrian. It was like, yeah, she is awesome. Like, I don't. She was awesome.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Smoking cigarettes in my BMW. I Never use this ashtray. She's the only person ever used that. It was weird. I. I wasn't drinking, I wasn't smoking weed. I wasn't doing any of that. I was just a dude who just. I wasn't even in the streets like that. I was the person that picked up the money now.

[Akash Singh]

So you had other guys working for you.

[Ali Sadiq]

Got other in this operation, you got you scale up who got you into the life.

[Eddie]

Like how did that happen?

[Ali Sadiq]

Nobody got me into it. You outside his shoes got made fun of. That's what you outside.

[David]

I relate to that. Cause it's like I have a similar story, but not nowhere to the level where you at, but just doing knucklehead shit. And I didn't need to do it at all. Like I was good at home. My mom had no idea the stuff I was doing. That's why one of the funniest stories is when you actually get locked up and you have to call your mom.

[Ali Sadiq]

And tell her didn't wanna call at all.

[David]

My mom had no idea I was doing any of the shit that I was doing.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's the worst thing when you gotta call and reveal your fucked up life to your mom. And I was there for really two weeks before I called my mom.

[Akash Singh]

Sweet. You didn't go home for two weeks. Your mom was probably worried.

[Ali Sadiq]

I live with my mom.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, got it. So she's used to you not.

[Ali Sadiq]

At least she used to me not.

[Chad]

Were you still calling her like, hey, what's up?

[Ali Sadiq]

Just checking in. No, can't call from the jail the.

[David]

Way you did that first call. Didn't you do a three way?

[Akash Singh]

So it buffer.

[Ali Sadiq]

I need a buffer, man. Cuz he like, yo, this is terrible, man.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, so what happens when you tell her?

[Ali Sadiq]

What? Oh, my mama is guest. She is like, yo, how do you.

[Akash Singh]

Break it to her?

[Ali Sadiq]

What do you say? What is the first thing you say?

[Chad]

You told me I need to be.

[Akash Singh]

Out when I was 18.

[Ali Sadiq]

I said, I said, man. They say, they say down I was selling. They say I'm like, what the you mean? They say, who is they? The Fed? They say I was selling. Like it was just terrible, man.

[Akash Singh]

Now did she immediately. Is she furious? Does she step into mom mode where she's like, I need to protect you. Okay?

[Ali Sadiq]

She cries.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, that's heartbreaking.

[Ali Sadiq]

And you on the phone like this. Damn. Yeah. And you, this, you turn, this is how you turn the phone up. You feel deflated.

[Akash Singh]

You like, damn, man.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hang up, Byron. He's like, man. And she's like, where you at? I'm like, I'm in the county, man. What's your bond? And she was like. And I'm like, hey, we can make this bond. And she's like, what, man? You know, remember I used to come to your house and plant stuff in your garden? Like, yeah, yeah. You're gonna have to dig them begonias up.

[Chad]

That line killed me in the spell. You got to dig up them begonias.

[Ali Sadiq]

I cackle begonias up. But she was, was pissed, bro. My mom was, cuz she, it's like real, real time. I was not honoring everything that she had been through to, to make our life good.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I think that's what people don't think about. Just like even now these kids that's in the streets, you don't want to honor your family. You rather family sacrifice some dishonorable shit. And to, to appease people that don't really have any type of, they have nothing to do with your life.

[Akash Singh]

There's Akash had like, we were just talking about your specials and Akash had like, I thought a really great take on especially Domino Effects. And you, I want you to say more but like this idea that like you take accountability for your actions.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

A lot of times, you know, especially in comedy, a lot of us are talking about the things that have forced us into these situations.

[Chad]

We are the victims.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Chad]

And it's like so sad for me.

[Akash Singh]

It's like a, a cool rare take where it's like, no, I made these decisions and I did this stuff and I think it's very easy to be like, well, society made me or these things made me. But even now, as you talk about, you're like, no, no, I, I, I disrespected my mom's sacrifice. She did everything that she could have done to make me not do these things. I thought that that was, I thought that's a brave take.

[Ali Sadiq]

I, I think that's a huge thing about, about honor. And so when you hang out with other, with other ethnic groups, other cultures, they have a big thing like, I don't know, not one Pakistani guy that I asked a person to know that's not what his parents told him to be. I don't know. Not one Indian guy that doesn't do what his parents told him.

[Akash Singh]

He fucked up.

[Chad]

Yeah, but you think my parents told me to do this.

[Ali Sadiq]

Doctor, lawyer.

[Chad]

I tried, I tried.

[Ali Sadiq]

You tried?

[Chad]

I tried, tried as hard as I could.

[Akash Singh]

His mom thinks he's in the circus.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, and that's the thing that we Lose honor within this society. I want you to go out and just be a good, functioning human being. Now that. I want a drill. What?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And you. You start to take on American. America's theme of the bad guy. Everybody want to be the bad guy.

[Akash Singh]

Get money at any cost.

[Ali Sadiq]

Good guys finish last. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, they.

[Akash Singh]

No, they don't.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, they really don't.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying? Yeah.

[Chad]

You've seen last.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, yeah. They finished safe.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I. It's a. It's a. My favorite line of all of the specials is it seems like I'm the only one locked up for what I did.

[Akash Singh]

Why? Cause everybody else.

[Ali Sadiq]

Everybody else was. I was in. They framed me. I'm like, they framed you? Okay. You just finished robbing somebody two cells over. I think they got you pretty fucking pegged down. You still here robbing? What do you think? Yeah, you know, that was. It's embarrassing.

[Akash Singh]

I had. We were doing a pod, but charlamagne, and I had a guy in the pod, and it's just really great stories and hilarious. But he ended up getting locked up for, I think it was like, 10 years and for something he didn't do. And I asked him, and I was like, can I just ask you, did you do other. That you should have got locked up for? And he goes, I should be in here for 200 years. So it's like, maybe they didn't get you for the one.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

But there were Al Capone. Exactly. Capone, like, evaded taxes or whatever like that. Deserved to be locked up with God.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then when he died of syphilis.

[Akash Singh]

Syphilis.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's like, hey, can't get you on this, but take that syphilis and go on. It's a thing. Even in comedy, you have this thing where people feel like you owe me something. In comedy, I'm supposed to. Or you have this entitlement. Yep. And I'm like, nah, it really doesn't work like that. So I'm. I'm. A lot of times comics, especially young comics, used to be mad at me. Especially when I was in the club. I would come in, I'm headlining, and I'm putting all of your stuff out of the green room because this is a earned space.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, interesting.

[Ali Sadiq]

So you wouldn't even. I didn't come with you if you didn't come with me.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Then this is not your space.

[Akash Singh]

Interesting.

[Ali Sadiq]

You have to earn this space. It's like, I had to earn it. Damon Waynes was at my home club at the Improv. Houston.

[Akash Singh]

Great club, by the way.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he asked for me to, to come or they asked for me to come. He didn't know who I was. They asked for me to come. And I get there Saturday. No, Friday. I do Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Somebody had. He had replaced his feature for Thursday. He didn't like them. And I just came into town. They asked me to come, so I came up there. I never went in the green room.

[Akash Singh]

Out of respect for him.

[Ali Sadiq]

Then Sunday, he had his son in law, hey, man, can you get out of here for me? I came in the green room. He said, I. I understand this is your home club. My. You know, why did you. Why didn't you come in this green room? I said I wasn't invited. He said, you old school. I'm like, very much so. Because now say if you got all your stuff in the green room, Dick Gregory takes a nap between the shows. So you going in and out of the door while he's in. If you come with. If I came with you, then yes, I'm in there.

[Akash Singh]

You know what I expect.

[Ali Sadiq]

But if I did not come with you, I'm not going in the green room. I don't know what you got going on in there. It's not my space yet. You have to earn the space. And the feature wants to. The opener wants to. Hey, man. No, because I didn't come up like that. I came up under. This is the space for the headline get himself together feature and host. Y' all find somewhere in the club to be. Be.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And that's what it. That's what it is. And they, and they didn't. They never understood it. But then you get to the. The space where it's yours, and then you understand, like, hey, man, I'm in here. You. I'm in here trying to get my mind together. You in here talking about some other.

[Chad]

God knows what arguing.

[Ali Sadiq]

You in here arguing with your wife while I'm trying to get my mind together. I'm like, get your ass out of here. That's not. I don't want that type of energy.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then especially if I don't know you.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Just like going on the road like this new thing that people do. It's crazy. You. You probably get this. You'll go in on Instagram or somebody that messaged you, hey, I hear you coming to Seattle. I would like to be your opener. Right.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't know you. It's not about you being funny and I don't know you. And being in this space is an intimate space. You want your friends. Friends around you. I'm not some strange person.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

That you have no idea who they are. So then you put them on the show, and then. You listening. Yeah, I. The elephant last night, you like, what?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

My audience don't agree with this.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah. It's. There's a version of it where it's also. You're curating, like, a night for those people in the audience, and you're putting in a variable that you really don't know what could happen. And I think a lot of us come up where, like, I just want the opportunity to open for somebody. And you think that maybe by opening for them, maybe they'll take you on the road. And that does happen, and it is awesome. But the best way I think it's ever been done is, like, comics will ask to open, and they'll just send a joke. And if I watch a joke and I think the guy's, like, hilarious, I'll be like, oh, this is awesome. Yeah, it'd be great to have, like, a local guy on, but the entitlement of just. Yeah, let me do 15 minutes in front. It's like, do you not think that I don't have, like, some friends that I've been doing comedy with this whole time, that I would love to give that opportunity? But we have an hour and a half to do this show. I think a lot of times, maybe when you're young in comedy, and I'm sure I'm guilty of this, it's like, you don't think about, like, what the headliner is creating as a night for the audience. And it's important to not interrupt that.

[Ali Sadiq]

The best way for me is to use someone who knows me 100%, that knows you. Oh, how I got on. The first time I ever opened for DL Malik s called me and then DL like, yo, I want him to do the show. Like, now, if I qualify, if I send somebody to D.L. hey, D.L. you in Cincinnati, if you can allow how this person. Yeah, it's coming from me.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So if anything happens, it's on. It's on me. It's something. You don't have any type of buffer.

[Akash Singh]

Yo. It's. It's funny. The guy who sent me a clip asked me to wreck him for someone else who was in town. And it does make it so much easier in that way when your friend, who you believe in their comedy, goes, yo, this kid is nice. He's funny, and he's familiar with their stuff, he's not gonna Fuck an elephant on the stage or whatever, because that shit is important. I don't think that like, like people realize. I don't want to call it our anxiety, but like when you, when you create something and. And I like calling it art because I think it art.

[Ali Sadiq]

When.

[Akash Singh]

When you create it with those expectations, you don't want to disrupt that.

[Ali Sadiq]

Don't want to disrupt it. It's like you have to get validation and you have to get passed.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, from somebody else to somebody else. Everything in my career I've got past. I got on Ari show because of Eric Abrams.

[Akash Singh]

Abrams. Oh, Abrams suggested you'd already. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And that's the. That's where it came from.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And Eric Abrams has directed every special I've done.

[Akash Singh]

Really?

[Ali Sadiq]

It's just Eric and Jordan. Me keeping that guy.

[Akash Singh]

Jordan is great.

[Ali Sadiq]

Me, Eric, Jordan, Joe, Matt.

[Akash Singh]

Wow.

[Ali Sadiq]

We just, Just the four.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Four wise men and me. It's like. And we just rolling. And if somebody else. Before they bring somebody else on, it's always a conversation.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, it's not. Oh, this is such and such. It's just a weird thing. And I think that now younger comics have gotten entitled where we owe them something. But what bones do you know that I made? Like, what do you know about my career?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Other than, oh, you see a special? No. I've been doing stand up for 27 years.

[Akash Singh]

I think what some might know is that you're gonna have sold out shows that weekend and they can't wait to get in front of sold out crowds.

[Ali Sadiq]

So you want to skip the club and come to the theater.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And the theater is a different monster.

[Akash Singh]

This is something that I think is important. I think a lot of comics learn is silences in theaters are very different than silences in a small club. You got to be very comfortable owning those moments, and that's a skill you learn. Like theaters expose jokes that aren't ready yet. You know what I mean?

[Ali Sadiq]

Jokes and people.

[Akash Singh]

Yep.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's a thing. It's a thing. And a hundred people being quiet is different than 2000. It's a different. It's a different monster.

[Akash Singh]

You're right.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then you have to. Even when you first. When you first started doing theaters, did you realize how tired you were after the show versus when you were doing clubs?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, there's a different. I think it's because you put so much hours in. Like, I, you know, my journey was I was doing clubs kind of pretty early, and I did like three or four rounds before I ever even got A door deal. Like, I did maybe two rounds of clubs where I was selling them out. And I got those bullshit bonuses they give you.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Where you sell out the whole weekend. They're like, well, here's $500.

[Ali Sadiq]

5 extra $100.

[Akash Singh]

And I was like, I'm rich. The club made 100 grand on me that weekend.

[Ali Sadiq]

I got $500.

[Akash Singh]

Like, I'm so excited. But I think I did that a few times. So, yeah, you start to understand the pacing of that. Of that size room. And then when you first make that jump into the theater, I definitely remember, it's like, ooh, that joke wasn't ready yet. I could sell it in the club, but the theater, the joke wasn't developed enough for the theater. I couldn't hold the tension enough in that joke. That punchline wasn, make them erupt. And it is a. It is like a luxury, a privilege to do those big rooms. But I will say, like, it will sharpen your comedy in a very special way.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I'm not even talking about the material. I'm talking about your body. Because in a comedy club, and what you. 20 steps this way, 20 steps that.

[Akash Singh]

Way, you can engage them. You're right there.

[Ali Sadiq]

20, 20. You're not really putting. You putting maybe a. A extra hundred steps in your life. Yeah. A theater. I can't sit right here. I gotta go over there. Yeah, I gotta go. So I done three miles. Yeah, on this stage, I'm done three miles.

[Akash Singh]

You know. You know, something that, like, I think even it helped me for theaters is, like, when I would do clubs in the city, and I've noticed you've done this as well. You do it, but, like, I would sit down, down, and I would try to use, like, as little energy as possible. And it was. It was really, like, testing if the jokes were strong enough to carry it on its own. I was like, I know I can perform these things, but, like, what if I just kind of clip my wings and see if the joke can carry it? Because you can. We can all, like, dance up a joke in a small room, but, like, if you can take almost everything away from it and just focus on that connection. And I've seen a lot of your stuff, and I know you talk about walking around, but you'll be seated and you'll let them come to you. And I think it's like developing that ability to hold attention while not doing anything is crucial for going into these bigger venues, because even taking a few steps to somebody that's on the top, top balcony, that Just looks like sitting down to them, you know what I mean?

[Ali Sadiq]

So I did the Beacon. Right, Right. And I knew that I didn't want a whole store feature. I just wanted to do it myself. It was a thing. Yo, last year you came. Somebody opened up then Ryan Davis, you know, of course.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, Love my.

[Ali Sadiq]

Came out. But in my mind, this time it's just me and the people. Peter Parker, great dj, he did his thing and then. And when the lights went out, I heard this eruption. Like, they knew I was. And I felt like when I was at the DMX concert, I just started screaming for no reason, because I knew he was coming. I was like, no, man. I was like, oh, dx. So when I walked out, they didn't. They realized. Didn't know that I was coming out first.

[Akash Singh]

Oh. So it was a real surprise for them. They're expecting an opener.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. And then I watched the whole place erupt because they like, oh, no, that's him.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And this lady DM me and said, it's crazy because I've never done this before. You walked out, out. And I was so excited, I just started crying and I was like almost a Michael Jackson. And. And it was like a great compliment that she was so excited. And like, I've been that excited to see probably one person, your life who X. Yeah. It was like Dead Man D. It was crazy. And he. When he. He did a movie premiere in Houston and he was sitting right in front of me and my boy was like, you losing it? I'm like, fucking right. So he shot a. A video. He shot his video in Galveston.

[Akash Singh]

Which. Which song?

[Ali Sadiq]

I forget the song that he shot in Galveston. But they can probably find it. It. But his crew was at this club called Cloud 9. And this is back when I was drinking Hennessy. Like, crazy. I was a crazy person. So I get thrown out the club because I was standing on their furniture. And I wouldn't stop. So I'm out of the club, right? And this dude named Wham from Chicago, Wham. Come out and Wham was like a big time gangster. He was the only person I ever seen being able to carry a shotgun in the club. Like, like, with no. I don't even think he had no license or nothing. So he comes out, who's standing on my goddamn furniture. And I was like, I'm so drunk. I'm like, I was standing on your furniture. And he's like, ali, you need to cut this shit out. So some other dudes named Fats and they from Queens, they started Laughing. I'm like, y' all laughing about. And when they slit. When they threw me out, it's like the parking lot is gravel traveled, so I kind of slid. And the Rough Riders was on this bus, and I was like, yo, y' all can get it. And everybody on that bus can get. Oh, no. So they get off the bus and they walking towards me. And Wayne got a shotgun. Say, now y' all ain't gonna fuck with him. He was saying, ali, go back in the club. I'm like, no, no, no. Wham. What they talk about? I was like, yo, you know you losing your mind right now. I'm like, hey. And then when he. I went back in the club. Club and about. I'mma give it 10 minutes. I'm right back on that goddamn furniture. Me and this girl named Sobia was dancing on the furniture. And he's like, yo, Ali is terribly drunk right now.

[Akash Singh]

Are Rough Riders in the club at this point?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, no, they still outside.

[Akash Singh]

Okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

And Capone, cuz, this comic Capone brings me here. I'm doing BBQs, and it's a little box. And. And I'm like, capone, I need a. I need a store. He said, nothing can fit up here. I'm like, no, I need a chair. And the microphone comes down. And then I'm doing my thing. And the Rough Riders are upstairs, are in the back. They, like, in the back. And I turn. I did not get into it. Y' all in Houston. And he was like, oh, you better not start that. I didn't give a. Like, man. He like. Capone was like, yo, you a crazy man. I said, all I'm going to do is. And I remember saying this to them. I said, you know something? Y' all ain't going to do nothing to me. Cuz if I go out there and push them bikes over, y' all going to cry.

[Eddie]

That's the real domino.

[Ali Sadiq]

And we had a good time. They knew I was up. Like, yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Did you ever get to meet X?

[Ali Sadiq]

Just at the booth, Just at that.

[Akash Singh]

At that moment? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chad]

That was before all this happened, though, right? He didn't remember you from trying to fight his entire crew.

[Ali Sadiq]

He wasn't there. He was. They was already setting up in. In Galveston. They was headed to Gal, but they would stop the party. But I remember being that excited to see because it's like, I can relate to everything that he was saying that he was saying, you know, it's not like a lot of new rappers. I don't relate to none of this. Shit.

[Akash Singh]

They be saying nothing.

[Ali Sadiq]

Nothing. Like I'm like, that's what y' all doing? This just sounds stupid.

[Akash Singh]

Really? All right, guys, let's take a break for a second. There's some copy here. Let me just tell you what I want to say. They turn supplements into gummy bears, and it's absolutely fantastic. Okay? I walk into the office, I grab a pack of these gummy bears. It doesn't matter what's in them. Antioxidants, anti this, anti that, I don't know what it could be. Anti Semitism. The point is, the second I get these gummies, I pick them up, I tear it and I eat it, and they're delicious. And then afterwards, I get to feel good about it. I don't get to feel like I ate gummy bears. I get to feel like I got my daily supplements. This is genius. Groons. Am I pronouncing it right? Groons Because I saw that little oomlat, so I assumed it was groons.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Everyone in the studio is eating these every single day. Probably too many packs a day. I would like to show you what they look like. We ate them all because it is a fantastic snack and it's actually good for you. It's low in sugar, gut healthy, and has immunity and cognition benefits. You want a supplement that you can enjoy. This isn't a chore. It's not something disgusting that you're just eating so you could live, live forever. This is the thing that you want to eat non stop. I would eat it for four meals a day if I could. The point is, you got to go to www.gruns.co and you're getting up to 52% off. Use the code flagrant. Go do it right now. They're absolutely delicious. Now let's get back to the show.

[Chad]

All right, guys, let's take a break real quick. I'm literally going to eat this right now because we have to record for three more hours and I'm not going to have time for food. And this is the healthiest, best protein bar on the the market. There's a protein bar with a simple concept. It's the most protein with the fewest calories, 28 grams of protein, 150 calories. You know how insane that is for a protein bar? Most of the time if it's got 28 grams of protein, it's like 300, 400 calories. They cut that in half. It's fantastic. Stop around, buy these. Adequate protein intake is critical for building and preserving muscle now, and as we age. It also plays a vital role in metabolic health, preventing excess, bad body fat accumulation. Listen, I'm trying to get like less fat. I'm eating one of these every day. I think it's working so far. So that's all you need to know. Look at me. Do I look good? No. Do I look less shitty? Yes, I believe so. David bars. That's why David is also available now in stores in New York City. So if you're in the city, stop by the grocery store. The Morton Williams, the bodega, whatever it is, get your protein fixed, stop around, get these bars. I promise you they're good. This is the. I like this flavor. Chocolate chip cookies dough. I co signed that ferociously. I co signed cinnamon roll. What are yalls favorite flavors? Peanut butter, peanut butter chocolate chunk fire. Regular peanut butter fire. They got six delicious flavors. They're all worth trying. Find the one that works for you. And if you buy four cartons, you get a fifth for free. So if you're curious, which you should be, try it for [e-mail] flagrant now let's get back to the show.

[Akash Singh]

That's nobody new that you, that you really with?

[Ali Sadiq]

No, no.

[Akash Singh]

What about not just rap? What about any other. Any other new music?

[Ali Sadiq]

What's crazy, who I was listening to like real heavy.

[Chad]

Sabrina Carpenter.

[Ali Sadiq]

What's my girl name? Ella May.

[Akash Singh]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Ella May. Yeah, real hard. I'm R and B. I'm more R and B. I like my to be soothing. Yeah, you know, I don't know.

[Akash Singh]

You went through enough stress.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't want nothing to hype me. I don't want to be listening to nothing to me.

[Akash Singh]

I don't want you hyped up either.

[Ali Sadiq]

We need Ali as calm as possible, you know, real. I was doing another podcast.

[Akash Singh]

Whose pod?

[Ali Sadiq]

Waving a red flag. Okay, okay. And I almost didn't come on here.

[Akash Singh]

No way. What happened?

[Ali Sadiq]

I was going to call my manager. I'm like, yo, he got something against black women. I'm not fucking with him. He saying I'm not fucking with him. Don't believe the Internet, Ali, come on. So no, this is what I did. I went on pivot and watched the whole interview. Like I was doing interviews, watching it. They was like, you gotta come in. I'm like, I don't wanna miss it. Like I can't pause the shit. Right. So as I constantly listened, it made sense.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, and I was like, my first. And then you said your knee jerk reaction was to go. And my knee Jerk reaction. Oh, I'm not with.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And. And that it made more sense because that's what happens with us a lot.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's people that don't. With me, period.

[Akash Singh]

And they probably don't even know you. It's a headline or one line that you said. Yeah, this is. And this is like, I think we're all guilty of this. And that's why I kind of have empathy when people are saying these certain things. It's like the version of me that you think I am. I probably would feel the same way as you. That's just not. Not who I am.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. It's like people got mad at me because I said something about Tupac. Well, he was a dancer when I met, like, you. You mad at me for the truth? He was dancing.

[Akash Singh]

I'm like, this is public record. This is public. What did you say about him being a dancer?

[Ali Sadiq]

I just said when I met Tupac, I'm already in the street.

[Akash Singh]

Streets.

[Ali Sadiq]

So when I meet him, he's with Digital Underground. I meet him with Digital Underground. When he be. I'm sitting there, he's in an elevator. He's there in Houston for a music conference.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I meet him then. It wasn't the Thug Life Tupac at the time.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

But why would it be when I'm all. I'm already in the streets.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I wouldn't have looked at him like that.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So then when I go to prison, then I hear all the rest of this, this. And I was like, oh, okay. But I didn't see it.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I never saw them in concert. I never saw Biggie in concert. I was my. Started at 14.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

They wasn't in the streets like that when I was. When I was coming up.

[Eddie]

Why did this make people so mad?

[Ali Sadiq]

Because they. They got some love affair with a person that they don't know. Yeah. Yeah. Out of. I. It's people that was. That was in my dm that probably wouldn't defend their mom like this. You won't honor your family, but you want to honor the legacy of Tupac when you won't honor your family.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't think it's one person on this planet that I actually don't know.

[Akash Singh]

That I would defend that vehemently. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

That I'm a. I'm going to. To take my time out to say a threatening message to you. Incriminating myself on the Internet.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like, okay. And then in my mind, I'm like, I'm. People don't understand. I. I never said I was the toughest dude. I'm just willing to defend myself with everything that I have in my family.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

You don't have to be tough for that.

[Akash Singh]

I think some people call that toughness for sure.

[Ali Sadiq]

But I'm. The level that I'mma go through to defend myself is crazy town.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, it's like, you can't even imagine the type of shit I do to defend myself.

[Akash Singh]

But now you're at a level where.

[Ali Sadiq]

People say that shit all the time. No, no, no. I don't give a shit about 20. You got so much to lose.

[Akash Singh]

Because this is something I deal with. It's specifically with the situation you just brought up, where it's just like, there is. You get to a level where people know you so casually earlier in your career, they probably know you intimately. Your super fans have seen probably 10 hours of your comedy. They know everything that you. They know. If you say this about Tupac, they're like, yeah, because he met him when he was a dancer. They know everything about you. Like, the people that listen to the podcast. Podcast religiously, they know everything about us. So when they hear some, like, stupid rumor on the Internet like that, it was like, yeah, that's not Schultz at all. Like, what are you talking about? But the people that know you casually, the bigger you get, the more people know you casually and will start having opinions about you based on that casual nature. They will be wrong. That's where I start to go. If you fight every single wrong opinion about you as you reach super stardom.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You'll never stop fighting.

[Ali Sadiq]

Never stop fighting.

[Akash Singh]

So there has to be a certain point where it's just like, I know you're willing to die for it, but for the person that doesn't even know you, does that make sense?

[Ali Sadiq]

Okay, I go with that.

[Akash Singh]

You know what I mean?

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm. Which one you want?

[David]

But I feel like a part of you is like, but still, if they call me out my name, I'm still.

[Ali Sadiq]

Don't meet him wherever.

[Akash Singh]

They gotta know there's a cost. But you can't be paying that debt every single time, because that is the nature of success. Like, I thought about that. I mean, we have this conversation all the time where it's just like, the cost of success is the lack of understanding of who you truly are. There are people that think, who's the guy that plays Iron Man? What's his name? There are people who think Robert Downey Jr. Is actually iron Man. They don't think he's some guy.

[Ali Sadiq]

I actually love Robert Downey.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Cause he's Iron man to you.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it took me a long time to get back to him, and I've always liked his shit. But then he did Less Than Zero. And I was like, I don't know.

[Akash Singh]

Wait, wait, wait. What happened at Less Than Zero?

[Ali Sadiq]

It's some scene where he had semen on his mouth. I just, like. I was like.

[Akash Singh]

I knew it was some gay shit.

[Ali Sadiq]

I knew it was some Robert Downey Jr. I was like, yo. And it took me a while to get back. I watched all the Iron Mans. He's like, he got.

[Akash Singh]

He got me back. It wasn't until he died in Avengers that you were like, I forgive him.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like, oh, come on with this, man.

[Chad]

Son, this is the funniest thing, too. When he first gets locked up, he gets put on a block that is known as. Back then, they call it the sissy block. It's all gay people. And then there's some OG telling him like, he's like, I'm not. I know. Don't need out.

[Ali Sadiq]

I can't believe they're thinking like they. And this. And this is the crazy thing. This is what I. Why I learned. I learned how to speak up for myself. So the warden. When you get processed on this unit, the warden comes and he ask you questions. And me being so cavalier, he said, well, you think you can protect yourself on this unit? And I said this. I should just said this. Why you got to be direct?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yes or no? Me, my cavalier. We'll see. And he's like, okay, cool. Put his ass on.

[Akash Singh]

T2.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I didn't. I didn't know, right? So the first time we went to eat. This is so funny. First time we went to eat. So all these. All these bananas.

[Chad]

They'Re not even chewing.

[Ali Sadiq]

Spitting into the guy. Goddamn cafeteria. And my. My. I come in late. I'm the last person. And my boy Elliot was like, what the is you doing over there? I'm like, I don't know. I'm just where they put me. He said, man, you gotta get the. From over there. You look at. Look at your cellies. I'm like, I don't know what the whole rest of the prison look like. I just know these motherfuckers is weird, but, yeah, clean.

[Akash Singh]

They've organized the cell well, and they.

[Ali Sadiq]

Then the night came.

[Akash Singh]

Wait, wait. No, no, no.

[Ali Sadiq]

The night came. This. You can't take this. You like, okay, I'm in this cell and you being all type of smacking.

[Akash Singh]

You want to talk about Rough Riders.

[Chad]

And I'm like, x is coming.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I was like, yo, I'm. And this old. This old dude that been over there, but it's like, PC. This old dude, I get out. I said, yo, man. He said, man, I go to sleep at night. I don't be up. Yeah. So I go to sleep. I don't know none of the activities. I know this is fucked up, but it's Cadillac over here. I said, man, I don't give a shit. I gotta get from over here.

[Akash Singh]

What's Cadillac?

[Ali Sadiq]

That's what it's called. It's laid back, okay?

[Chad]

No fighting, no nothing. He could have done the easiest time ever.

[Akash Singh]

I think listening to guys suck each other off is pretty difficult.

[Ali Sadiq]

Listen to ear close.

[Chad]

What the fuck are we talking about?

[Ali Sadiq]

I asked.

[Akash Singh]

Same place I would have been. Like, yo, I'm chilling over here.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hey, hey, man, y' all think y' all can move me. And the CEO told me now, sissy, I'm like. Like, not me. I'm just off, man. Hey, bro, I just need to be moved. And old schools, I mean, it ain't nothing but a couple ways to get moved. Either they move or you gotta start beating people up. And I asked them one more time to move me, and they was like, no. And then the shit went bad. And old school, like, oh, come on, youngster. You're fucking the Cadillac up. And I'm in there hitting people. That ain't got shit to do with nothing. So they take me out, they put me in solitary for two days. And the warden comes, he said, I'm gonna put your ass on the worst block on here. And it was M block. I get to M block, and this is like home. Like, they in there gambling. It's all type of file, prison going on over there. And I'm sitting there like this, sleeping peacefully. Like I'm in the back of the Cadillac now. Like, I'm good. I just. I didn't want to be associated. That's a hard time to do.

[Akash Singh]

Because then if. Because if you're there, people start thinking that you're there for a reason.

[Ali Sadiq]

There for a reason.

[Akash Singh]

And then you could be a victim, right?

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, you possibly could be that they would have found out. Oh, no, he's. They just misplaced them. Now, it was. It was a bad situation. So once I got the M block, you were good. It was. It was straight.

[Akash Singh]

And you knew enough people at M.

[Ali Sadiq]

Block where I didn't know anybody on block.

[Akash Singh]

And did anybody not try you on some gay shit, but anybody, like, test.

[Ali Sadiq]

Your like, they heard. Heard why I got moved over here.

[Akash Singh]

So they were like, all right, we respect.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yo, that was not staying on that block. And apparently other people had gone through that.

[Akash Singh]

When you were beating up the guys on the block, were. Did any of them enjoy it? Were they like.

[Ali Sadiq]

Adam is so mad.

[Akash Singh]

What he start doing? What he start doing? Don't enjoy it.

[Chad]

Trust me.

[Akash Singh]

Enjoying this beating.

[Eddie]

They start punching her zone.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't know what to do.

[Akash Singh]

Yo, prison just seems so good.

[Ali Sadiq]

I never even thought of that. I would have been so fucking mad.

[Akash Singh]

That's all it takes.

[Ali Sadiq]

Some dude's like, yes.

[Eddie]

I'm gonna keep that in mind. If I ever go to prison, if someone tries to fight me. If someone tries to fight me, I'm gonna call him daddy immediately.

[Akash Singh]

I'll be good.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's not the word you.

[Akash Singh]

It'll work.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's not a safe word. That is an awful word. Oh, it's so bad. So I can just see. Oh, we were. Daddy.

[Akash Singh]

He'S strong.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, man.

[Akash Singh]

How crazy is it that the co's made you do some. Made you do some up just so you could get to a place where you wouldn't do up?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

I don't understand the whole, like, how much control do you have over where you sleep in prison?

[Ali Sadiq]

Basically none. You. You gotta kind of get known.

[Akash Singh]

Does known mean like, you curry favor with the COSOs, or does known mean administration? Oh, it's above them.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, above. Love them.

[Akash Singh]

So by the end of the time, like, you seem like you have high emotional intelligence. So by the end of your time there, Trustee camp. Got it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like your trustee camp. I'm chilling. Like, I'm late. I'm so chilling that I got Dexter Manley moved to where I was at.

[Akash Singh]

Who's Dexter Manley?

[Chad]

One of the greatest college football players.

[Ali Sadiq]

One of the greatest football players of all time.

[Akash Singh]

Hold on, hold on, hold on. So you find out that Dexter is there.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You politic with the warden.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

And you're like, yo, bring him.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yep.

[Akash Singh]

And was. Despite his role, did you guys have some sort of. I don't want to call friendship, but.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, Dexter's from Third Ward in Houston. Wildfire.

[Akash Singh]

No, not Dexter. The warden.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, Mandoza. Oh, Mandoza was a one bro. He. He was.

[Akash Singh]

How do you build a relationship with these guys? Like, where does that start? I imagine it's like a years long.

[Ali Sadiq]

Process where it started, because the funniest thing, things, when I got to Torres, they was in a crazy gang situation. It was a lot of riots. I came from Another unit with. I was considered a old head when I got to.

[Akash Singh]

You're 20 years old.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm 21. And I'm like, I'm consider old kid. I'm coming from a unit of old school kids.

[Akash Singh]

Right. Got it.

[Ali Sadiq]

So when they send us there, they sent us there to get the unit under control.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, there was too. Too many young dudes who were causing problems, know how to do time. Got it. Got it. So they. They strategically will send some OGs there to get the young guys to kind of stay in line.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hey, man. Cuz. Oh, let me tell you about. Oh. Oh, that's kind of smart.

[Akash Singh]

It's like understanding that the prisoners do run the. The prison to a certain extent. So you can't just bully them into submission. You have to kind of work with them.

[Eddie]

You need a boss to go over.

[Ali Sadiq]

Wow.

[David]

Like having a veteran in the locker room.

[Akash Singh]

It's Udonis Haslam. It's like he don't even have to play, but he's going to keep everybody in line.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hey, man, you can't. You don't want to do your time like that. You explain to people, man. You don't want to do your time like this.

[Akash Singh]

That's right. The young guys are coming into their first bid and they just like, I'm going to act crazy like this. And the OGs need to come and be like, dude, this is every day calm the down. Let's pass this in the best way possible.

[Ali Sadiq]

Talking to people.

[Akash Singh]

So you get tapped. How does he know that he can. This is kind of the interesting thing. Are you already friends with Mendoza? Not friends, but do you already have, like, enough trust built up with him?

[Ali Sadiq]

Mendoza noticed that everybody on my block start enrolling in school.

[Akash Singh]

Interesting. Okay, so.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I would come. I would. I was the person that would. With the young. Because you had different age groups and old heads go to different. You can talk to them. You can talk to these group people. So you had people that was already in the field that started enrolling in school, enrolling trades. Because now you have somebody who saying, so this is how you gonna do your time? What you gonna go back outside with?

[Akash Singh]

To nothing. Yeah, go outside. There was some sort of education. You're gonna have a.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I look like them. I'm the same. I'm the same faith. It's just like now when I go to. When they ask me to come somewhere, I don't speak to children that's in trouble. Like, I'm not a part of this trouble. I don't go in with the you gotta do. I'm like. Like, let me tell you what I was doing, and let me tell you how embarrassing this was. Let me show you how the road that you're going to end up if you continue to go down this road, you know, Let me show you the weakness in you by showing you how weak I was at this time. That's why you never hear me glorifying selling drugs.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because it was. It was so crippling to my community. I remember being Roy Bus Jr. I tell his story. He still doesn't realize how him. Chris Cotton.

[Chad]

Piece of Chris Cotton.

[Ali Sadiq]

Rest in peace. Chris Cotton saved me. We doing Comedy Central does a festival in San Francisco, okay. And they're doing Ari's shoulder. This is not happening. And I'm there to. To do the show, to tell another story or whatever. And I'm so depressed because I can't find a road to the theater that wasn't riddled with homeless drug users. And I'm so sad because my mind keeps saying, what was the role that you played. Played in this? In this?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, it's probably the Fillmore that you were performing at.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. This is the offspring of your actions. Your actions. Yeah. And it was. Man, I would. I would walk 10 blocks down to go down 10 blocks, come around and still.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

With. See, and it. I was like, I was really depressed. And. And when Roy asked me what story I was telling, and Chris Cotton was talking about what he. What story he was telling. And Roy told this. Told me the story he was telling about when he got booed at the Apollo. And he was staying. He didn't really have no money to stay. He was standing next to, like, this prostitute who was doing her business, and she had told him about all these people she had to stay with, and he had got booed. And then he came. He was sitting on the steps, and she walked up saying, it didn't go well, huh, baby? And he was like, nah. He said, now, you know, when I told you about them dicks I was sucking some of them dicks, had bumps on them, saying, but you gotta keep doing what you got doing.

[Akash Singh]

Could be worse.

[Ali Sadiq]

He said, it's gonna be a bump in the road. And I'm like, I am laughing hysterically. And it kind of broke me up from, like, Roy, that is awesomely funny.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, it's. Yeah. I go through these. These times where I blame myself for this. Even this. This culture, how these kids. I was. I was out there. Wow. And that's. That's what was my. My My initial thing, people, was like, well, when you think that you gonna get. You gonna blow up. And I would always say, when I pay the universe back for the wrongs I've done. And that's a big thing. If you believe in energy, you believe in karma, the things that you did, that was destructive, you have to, you know, rectify. Rectify those things.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Before you get to another level and be destructive again. Like, I don't want to be destructive in my speech. I don't want to. I don't not want to be.

[Akash Singh]

A.

[Ali Sadiq]

Beacon of light for people. That's why I don't mind telling the stories about prison, because some people look at it like, oh, I was in that. In that same condition. How can I do this? And I tell. I tell them now, this is not the goal.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

The goal is to have a normal life, functioning life. You don't have to be a. Because I don't consider myself no superstar. I don't consider myself even a celebrity. Celebrity I'm not invited to. I'm not a celebrity. Goddamn thing.

[Akash Singh]

Yes.

[Ali Sadiq]

I saw you at the Tom Brady thing. You was on stage. I knew everybody up there. I was just sitting in the. I was behind Earthquake.

[Akash Singh]

I saw you backstage before I saw you.

[Ali Sadiq]

But you was on stage.

[Akash Singh]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was invited by my publicist.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

My public. Like, do. I do. Because the publicist that was. Was running the thing. Well, I was paying. I'm talking about. Damn. They. They should have got me a ticket. All that money. I was paying per month. Yo, it's crap, man. You'll pay a publicist five grand.

[Akash Singh]

Seven grand a month.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Do nothing.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Sometimes. Sometimes they. They are effective. I think early in my career, I was like, this is a waste of money. But I will say this. Like, last run, I thought they did a really good job of, like, getting. Get in. Especially for guys like us who do YouTube and, like, social media stuff. Getting mainstream sources to pay attention to what we got going on. It's almost like Hollywood and, like, mainstream outlets have no clue. The views that we're getting. Like, they're completely uneducated about what's happening on the Internet, which is where all the people actually are. There's a huge disconnect, man.

[Ali Sadiq]

You. You talking about. I. I've been on the Emmy ballot three times.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And people with lesser material. I'm like, okay, don't.

[Akash Singh]

Don't seek justice in this business, bro.

[Ali Sadiq]

I stop. But the point. I keep plugging at this particular thing, the Emmys and the Grammys, because One of us had to win shows. Yeah. One of the independents have to eventually win.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And now the floodgates are open if one of us wins anything.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. I went out there for this, like, Emmy's thing, this, like, introduction thing that basically Netflix pitches the people that they're, you know, hoping might be nominated and win. And. And it was one of those things where it's like, I'll be honest, like, one of the execs came over, like, listen, this isn't exactly, like, a meritocracy. You know, there are certain people that just kind of get nominated every year.

[Ali Sadiq]

Every year.

[Akash Singh]

And I'm not trying to show them. I just think that they're Is, like, a lack of understanding of, like, what we're doing. And I'm very fortunate that it feels like, especially maybe even with the last special, the. The mainstream, for better, for worse, there's criticism, but then there's some time. Celebration at least is becoming more aware. And that's why I've been paying attention to what's happening with you, because at a certain point, the numbers can't be ignored. You know what I mean? It's like they just break through on their own. And, like, I witnessed it happen for me, like, even being invited to the Tom Brady thing, like, Tom Brady thing was Sunday, just to put things in perspective. Friday and Saturday, I did Madison Square Garden. So it was like, if that's where I was in my career and that's how I've always kind of looked at things, in order to get that Tom Brady opportunity, I need to first sell out Madison Square Garden twice in order to get jfl, like, New Faces. Remember that thing?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

I had to have five shows on mtv, and I'm looking at other people on New Faces like they are new because I don't even know your face. So, like, I've just. I've accepted that it might not be a meritocracy, but I'm going to have to work, I don't care how many times harder. I'm just going to have to work to get it. And that's literally why I was very excited for you to come on, because I'm seeing what's happening with you and. And is it delayed? And is the awareness from, like, maybe typical industry delayed? Yes. But is it imminent? Absolutely. Because you cannot deny numbers and appreciation Skill. You can deny. I think people deny skill all the time. All the time, but they cannot deny a wave of interest.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

The community, an audience that really fucks with it.

[Akash Singh]

You cannot deny.

[Eddie]

And whether you get an Emmy or not. I feel like your audience won't care either way.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, because they know the real. They see it, they consume it.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, I. I. Sometimes you just reminded me of something about Montreal. Like, with Montreal, I get. They call me and say, hey, man, you. You got. You have Montreal. They want you to come to Montreal, and you're gonna do, like, six theater dates, but that theaters are smaller, you know, I was invited to the galas, and nothing.

[Akash Singh]

Of course. Yep.

[Ali Sadiq]

So. And I asked. I said, for what? Like, what am. Why am I going? It's like, what? I said, I don't want to go to Montreal. And he's like, no, this. This is the super bowl of comedy. I said, yeah, what. What do you go there for? To get management to have a deal on. And at the time, I had to deal with Congress and central. I had an agency, and I had management. I said, did y' all quit or something? They like, no, but you just go. And they had to really convince me to go. I'm glad I went.

[Akash Singh]

It's an education process, dude. I. It sounds crazy. I know it sounds crazy because. Because I know the exact position you're in, by the way, where it's just, like, you're doing bigger venues than these people that are getting, like, nominated for things. You have bigger numbers, and. And you're just looking at the raw data going, what the fuck am I missing here? But Hollywood is really a bubble. Like, even anytime I've done a movie, the only people that know me on the movie set are the guys that are, like, they're working the set. Like, the grips lighting me, because they're the ones that are watching the real shit, right? They're not watching, like, what is this avant garde new, like, movie that's in French that, like, if you say you like, it shows you have taste in cinema. Like, now the real people will kind of know, and eventually that becomes so deniable, it. It trickles through.

[Ali Sadiq]

Would you do the Addams Family? Would you do Gomez?

[Akash Singh]

Because I look like him.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Speak Spanish fluently.

[Akash Singh]

If they're. If they're rebooting, maybe I'll check it out. I got to read the script for sure. All right, guys, let's take a break for a second. Listen, we're in the same stuff that we wore last week. Not like anybody's noticing that, but we would like it up because we're authentic.

[Eddie]

Dude, what a finals, right?

[Akash Singh]

Listen, we are. We are.

[Eddie]

I mean, unreal.

[Akash Singh]

You know what's funny, though, is, like, we're recording this right now, we have no clue if World War three has begun, you know, like, so. So it is. If it has begun. This is what life used to be like.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Oh, it's like a little time capsule.

[Akash Singh]

It is a time capsule.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Pretty nice.

[David]

We might be dead right now.

[Akash Singh]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. You don't think they can't do it? Why would you say that?

[David]

I'm just saying, you don't got an iron Dome yet.

[Akash Singh]

I'm on vacation, bro. You know, right now I'm on vacation.

[David]

So you're closer to the fucking fight.

[Akash Singh]

Who knows if I'm on vacation. Yeah.

[Eddie]

What are you doing right now?

[Akash Singh]

I can't tell you. I'm not going to give up my location. God forbid. God forbid they do some sort of, like, targeted attack. I'm not going to do it. Point that I'm trying to make is that there's a big UFC fight that is this weekend, if America still exists. Okay, where is it? Las Vegas.

[Eddie]

Even if it doesn't exist, I have a feeling Dana's gonna be like, yo, we're doing it.

[Akash Singh]

He's gonna make that fight. He's gonna make that happen 100%. It will be in the desert no matter what.

[Ali Sadiq]

So, yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Toporia versus Oliveira. I listen, with all due respect to Oliveira, I can't see how Toporia loses this fight.

[Chad]

Same.

[Akash Singh]

I. This Toporia guy is. Oliveira gets touched, he gets hit, and he has amazing resilience. Like, he'll go down and then get back up, but I just. I can't see. I can't see Toporia not connecting, and I can't see him. Yeah, he doesn't have the jiu jitsu that Oliveira does, but he's a great wrestler. So I just. I don't. I don't see. I think it's going one way.

[Chad]

Yeah. I. Yeah, I don't know much from what I'm seeing of Toporia. He's nice.

[Akash Singh]

I'll tell you one thing, that the fight before it is Pantoja versus Cara France. Kai. Car. France. Kai's a Stylebender's boy, and Pantos is just an absolute menace. That's going to be an interesting one right there. That's going to be an absolute. What is it? A barn burner.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, yeah.

[Chad]

Barn burner.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Why is that a saying?

[Chad]

I don't know. But Charles Barkley always chuckles saying, that's a barn burner.

[Akash Singh]

Where does that.

[Ali Sadiq]

Why is that.

[Akash Singh]

Why do we describe that as, like, a good thing?

[Chad]

I don't know.

[Eddie]

Yeah, I don't know. I've never seen a barn burner. I imagine it's probably pretty hard.

[Ali Sadiq]

Awesome, though.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Right.

[Eddie]

If that shit's going up.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Be like a party.

[Akash Singh]

Feels like there might be like something racial undert.

[Eddie]

This is a real Wall street burner. You're like, oh, wait a second.

[Akash Singh]

That's not good.

[Eddie]

Didn't work out.

[Akash Singh]

A Dutch farmer burned his own farm down to get rid of rats. A Dutch farmer burned his own farm down to get rid of rats. Got it.

[Eddie]

Insurance fraud.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, we know what that is.

[Chad]

Around 1939, probably.

[Akash Singh]

Anyway, Jes.

[Eddie]

Anyway, better bet on the Dagestanis. All right.

[Akash Singh]

Steak is the leader in global betting and US Social casinos. Bet on top sports and political events and use the promo code flagrant for your welcome bonus. Now let's get back to the show.

[Chad]

Let me ask you a question that I don't know if you. And you can shit on this if you want to. I do feel as a minority, there is within the industry a certain type that there's. Whatever it is, they're a little bit more comfortable with. And those guys get the shots first. And part of the reason I was so Happy to see 85 South south get the Netflix specials, because I know how talented those guys are. And I remember being on Wild and Out and I top to bottom, no disrespect to anybody on this couch, that's the most talented cast I've ever worked with. It's monsters everywhere. And I would go into agencies and be like, I'm on Wild and Out. And they'd be like, we're looking for like a Two Broke Girls kind of show.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Chad]

And I know as. As an Indian, they want a certain narrative. I feel like with black people, it's a little bit like we want black people that want. That we're not quite so scared of telling stories about some shit that's like.

[Akash Singh]

They want the skin color to be diverse, but not necessarily the personality and experience. And I don't know if that's like. I don't know if they're even aware of it. You know what I mean? Like, I wonder if it's like.

[Chad]

I remember there was a pilot, and every pilot I've ever seen for an Indian is he's married to someone or in love with someone who's non Indian or can't get someone at all. And I was like, yeah, I just don't. I had a holding the old abc and I was like, I don't really want to audition for this. I was in a position where I felt Like I could say that. And she was like, why? And I was like, well, I explained the reason why exec in la and I don't think she wasn't racist at all. Poor girl truly didn't understand. She goes, but he's Indian. Like that was. She couldn't understand that.

[Akash Singh]

That's not something she'd be happy. Yeah, you got something that.

[Ali Sadiq]

That is the perspective.

[Chad]

And there was a thing I. And I. I don't. That's why it's so beautiful that we have YouTube and you got double digit million views on one special. And like you get to talk to your people and do it your way and it's awesome. But I do think within the industry there's a little bit of that. And not to discredit anything you're saying, you probably might be experiencing both, but I think there's a little bit of that and I'd love to know your opinion on that.

[Ali Sadiq]

I think we just isolated just to me, because I can't speak for what they're looking for because some things that, that I have done, they have accepted from other people, I'm saying. So I, I don't think that. I think because they have not made me, they didn't have their hands putting me together.

[Akash Singh]

This is a massive thing that, like, it's interesting. I think a lot of times people won't even like to admit it's. Taking ownership over someone's career is very important for people. Like, they want to know. Even back in the MTV days, like MTV2 and MTV were separate. And if you were popular on MTV2, the MTV people are like, but that's not one of ours. We want to do it. It's like it becomes part of their identity. And when you are quote unquote made. I don't like self made. Like made by the people. Like, the people.

[Ali Sadiq]

This is about community.

[Akash Singh]

They can't go, we put him on.

[Ali Sadiq]

Exactly.

[Akash Singh]

And I do, I do agree with you. There is a little bit of a hesitation. Like they would. They've invested three specials or three things in this one person. Rather that person get this opportunity than this guy who did it on his own and forced his way in. But I'm telling you, it reaches a breaking point.

[David]

Yeah. You know what?

[Akash Singh]

It's tidal.

[David]

It feels like early Kev. Like you feel like our guy, our secret that we consume. And the rest of the world knows, even though clearly the rest of the world knows about you, but it's like, it just feels like, oh, that's our guy. And it's like we relate to everything. And I'm speaking from the black point of view.

[Akash Singh]

And.

[David]

And Kev just got to a point where it's like, okay, undeniable. Hollywood had to pay attention. And I feel like you're right there.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't even compare to Kev because I'm so out the box. Like totally indie. Yeah.

[Chad]

And I love Kev, but Kev has Dave, Becky, who's like the manager.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, I don't know about all the behind the scenes. He had. He had a machine, you know, Three Arts and David. They had a lot going on. It's no machine. I'm in Houston and I'm generating what I'm doing from Houston, from my hometown, with my bread, with my own money.

[David]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, that's what I'm doing.

[David]

It probably just feels like that to me just because I remember, Remember Kev, like when passing around the DVDs, like being at the barbershop. And that's how I discovered Kevin hart, because the DVDs were being passed around.

[Akash Singh]

I think you're right in terms of like public perception. Whereas like, I think the perception early on in Kev's career was like he had some pilot. It didn't go. And then, then it's like he's in the clubs. I think on the street. People aren't aware of like who your representation is. It's more just like, oh, he's doing shows at Caroline's and he's grinding.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's a normal thing for every, Every comic has the story where they were selling their CDs and DVDs outside the club. Like that's a normal thing. That's not a. It's not isolated to one. To one person. I know I. I have people's DVDs that. Cuz I use them as. Remember this? How they going on with that? I'm like, I'm. I bought it.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, I support it.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it's like. It's like. It's not. I'm talking about before the DVDs, you know what I'm saying? So you had. Where it was no DVDs you had just people that had their stuff on CD where you could just listen.

[Akash Singh]

It was. Yeah, the audio. Just the audio with a shitty printed cover. I mean, it was.

[Ali Sadiq]

Paper is paper that they just.

[Akash Singh]

That they just cut properly.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's new and it's fading. It wasn't even like, oh, this fade over time. No, this started off like that and it's some weird ass picture of them with a microphone. Like, man, where you made this At Kinko.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's synonymous with the people who come up in that era. Errors are very important when you think about comedy. When you think about Damn anything. Like I was doing an interview with Vlad and I was talking about K Goods and.

[Chad]

And if you didn't come on this pod and went on Vlad, I'd have been so. I'd have been like, are you kidding me?

[Ali Sadiq]

As do we. It. It was. It was pulling teeth. It was another. It was another like, I don't know. You not f. To get me to incriminate me with some old. And.

[Akash Singh]

And I saw a part of it. Great story.

[Ali Sadiq]

Willie D called me to do that.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, really?

[Ali Sadiq]

Will took a buffer. Willie D called me like, hey, man, listen, bro, I know, I know. He thought when he saw some. I know, I know. Yeah, yeah. He a even say me what it is yet.

[Akash Singh]

I'm like, what's up?

[Ali Sadiq]

Like. Like, Vlad in town, he want to interview. I'm like, Willie, he like, leave, man. Just do this. And that's.

[Akash Singh]

I thought it was good and I thought the views were crazy from it.

[Ali Sadiq]

It. I got some other feedback about something else, but I. I ain't gonna talk about that. But Willie D is a buffer a lot of times when it comes to things.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Cuz they. Cuz he's very well respected. And Willie will tell people, hey, man, man, let me call him. Cuz you calling him, it's going to go all bad. And he called, hey, man. I'm like, what's up, man? Because Willie knows that I'm. I'm a different can of worms. And it doesn't. I said. And I'll be like, what? They say I'm coming. And he know I'm coming by myself.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I. Because I'm not the crew, dude. And it's something about if you in a. If you got a crew of people and a person shows up by themselves. Yeah. If I was in that crew, I would be concerned.

[Akash Singh]

Why is he so comfortable?

[Ali Sadiq]

We said a bunch of foul shit and he showed up by himself. Like, did he have a Bob on it? And I'm like, yo, man, man, I be on some John Wick shit if you see me, man. I know how crazy my mind works. I was mad at these people and they thought because they had a bunch of people that I was not gonna show up. When I called my friend, I said, hey, do you have a stick of dice? The mic? And he's like, what the are you talking about? I'm like, yo, I just want to just walk up and just light this and throw this towards their ass and stick it down.

[Akash Singh]

So that's the ever heard tunes ass crime. Even if you didn't light it, if you just put it on the table for the interview and you just playing with your lighter, the whole. Why they gotta look at the stick of time to make?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yo, cuz, my, my, my. My friend tells me, hey man, you know really why we don't call you a lot of times when shit happens? Because you are a grenade with the pen out. Yeah. And like I'm not. I'm not it. You have to, you have to provoke it. You have to be provoked. But other than that, I'm just happy. Go lucky I'm living my life.

[Akash Singh]

And then that's what a grenade is though.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. A grenade is just a baseball until somebody takes the pin out of it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Almost.

[Akash Singh]

You are a grenade actually. Cuz with the pin in it is no different than a baseball. You throw it around to your friends. Everybody's playing cat. The second the pig goes out, it's like, all right, I le went off the.

[Ali Sadiq]

Everyone's dead. Everyone's dead now.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

But you know what's weird is this like, say like Tom Seguro. Yeah. He wouldn't say that. Tom's like. He's awesome. Like, like when it, When I'm a around, it depends on the people that I'm around.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because sometimes people be extra aggressive for no reason and I just be like towards you just in the room. Because sometimes people really have.

[Akash Singh]

Is there an ego thing? It's like sometimes an insecurity thing. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

This is why I always hated to go do certain shows because I would do shows with rn.

[Akash Singh]

I know what you're saying.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it's like everybody there wants everybody to win.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

But then it's. I'm gonna go wr. It's just all about them. And I'm like, yo, man, this a show for every body.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And you can be around Bruce. Bruce, Don, D.C. curry some more. And who else is on that show? Lavelle Crawford.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Happy as a clam on the show. I'm the youngest one. I don't have no know what they know. They like, yo, when that mother going cuz he f go out. But they know what it is. But you happy. Then you get around some other people.

[Akash Singh]

And there seems to be a competitive.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, why are we competing?

[Akash Singh]

That's. I mean, you know this already. It's like I think there is an insecurity with folks. And like sometimes people the way that they Present their insecurities is kind of debilitating to like building friendships and building any kind of community. Like, if somebody thinks that you're funnier than them, there are people who are confident that are like, man, I'm a huge fan of yours, dude. I love that. Like your. Your skill doesn't make them feel bad about themsel.

[Ali Sadiq]

Exactly.

[Akash Singh]

But then there are some people who are like, I got to find a way to cut him down. Cuz I think in my head he's better than me, so I got to convince me he's ain't. And then you feel that animosity. And I think that. I think that is the worst version of Elise. Our industry. And I know it presents itself in other industries too, but it's like that's the work, to be honest. Like low key. I think this is something that Rogan has helped in comedy because he's so supportive. Like, he so wants to shine a light on people he thinks are talented. That I think it got a lot of comics who are generally kind of bitter and angry to be like, yo, maybe there's a different way that we could do this.

[Eddie]

There's enough.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, there might be enough.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, Rogan's mad at me.

[Akash Singh]

Why would happen?

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't know.

[Chad]

I can't imagine.

[Ali Sadiq]

We talked. We talked all the time.

[Akash Singh]

You guys had a great episode.

[Ali Sadiq]

We had a lot of great episodes. And then it's like, I can't even get back on the show no more. He's not accepting my calls. What did I do?

[Akash Singh]

Rogan, he did tell me he was taking a break from black people, Muslim people.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, I reached out.

[Akash Singh]

I'm like, I'm sure it's nothing.

[Ali Sadiq]

I mean, I'll holler.

[Akash Singh]

It can't be.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's one of the things that you. That people get busy.

[Akash Singh]

Exactly. I'm like, but in our heads, we build it up.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm like, bro, get mad at me.

[Akash Singh]

No, no, no.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I'm like, I'm still around all your friends. I can't f. I'm kill Tony. I'm coming to do it.

[Eddie]

Oh, dude, that's going to be fun.

[Akash Singh]

That would be fun. When are you going to that do killed Tony?

[Ali Sadiq]

Probably in August, cuz he had so I supposed to do it in June or something. He had something going on. But Tony came to the club when I did the mothership.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And Tony's crazy.

[Chad]

He's crazy.

[Akash Singh]

Tony's crazy.

[Ali Sadiq]

Wild boy crazy.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And. And I like his crazy. Yeah. Like Tony, he walked in and said, seems like Your people showed up. And I was like, but it's all white people out there, Tony. He's like, oh, I didn't look. I just know it was sold out. All white people out there.

[Akash Singh]

No, Tony don't give a. I like it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Tony the man, he don't give a.

[Akash Singh]

It's great.

[Chad]

He really doesn't.

[Akash Singh]

It is great.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, it is, man.

[Akash Singh]

No, it's gonna happen, man. But the, the interesting thing is that, like, I'm curious, once you see the industry support, if, if you'll even care, because I, I think that you have the thing that matters the most, which is the people. Like, this is something I learned early from Charlemagne. And he's just the best at this. He's like, you could either be a man of the industry or man of the people. You can't be both. And he always leaned into man of the people because the people are what's going, going to like, sustain you. Sustain you. It's like people, if you're a man in the industry, like, you can look at all the Comedy Central comics that like, they existed with Comedy Central. And then as that started to dissolve, Comedy Central really.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, man. I just. Big shout out to Ann Harris. She did a great job doing stuff with me. I was really confused when I did the hour space special they showed at 11:50.

[Akash Singh]

It's like, who the hell's watching comedy on Comedy Central at midnight on a Friday or whatever it is.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then they never showed it again. It's like I, I and I and something told me this wasn't going to be the, the thing.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, so we just start putting eggs in a bunch of baskets. Yep. You know, I, I, I went on bring the funny just to get gain new fans.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then people couldn't even see me. Cuz for some reason these damn senior citizens that watch bring the funny, they was buying them tickets. Like, oh, really? I, My demographics went like, yo, you know, Everybody out here 55 and up.

[Akash Singh]

Like, like, oh, no.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it was crazy. That's who watched the show. I think that, like, a lot of this stuff has taught me about how people view you as successful. So I got phone calls about Club Sh Shay.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh, we made it. It's over. And I was like, okay, but you didn't call me when I was on Good Morning America.

[Akash Singh]

Exact. Dude, the game has changed.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's success is whatever they watch. Watch it.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

What is the. It's the term. It's like life is a Rorschach. Was it Rorschach? The ink block. It's like whatever you already feel, you see, you know what I mean? Like, if, if you feel that Club Shay Shay is the biggest platform that to you is making it not being on this like traditional institution, which is Good Morning America. But how old are you?

[Ali Sadiq]

51.

[Akash Singh]

So you're 51. I'm 41. Like we grew up watching Good Morning America and seeing Tom Cruise on Good Morning America.

[Ali Sadiq]

So we're like, yo, that must be.

[Akash Singh]

Making it being on Good Morning America to younger people, man. They're not watching Good Morning America.

[Chad]

It's like being on the 6 o' clock in the local news.

[Ali Sadiq]

You ain't pop no balloon yet. No, you're right. So it's one though. It's one of those things that I felt you have to be. I feel that you have to be proud of your journey.

[Akash Singh]

Yes.

[Ali Sadiq]

You have to be proud of your journey, bro, no matter what happens, you know, and, and if. And I'm still one of them guys who's still trying to kick over the table when it comes to you, the greatest comic of all times. Because you were in a movie or a sitcom don't mean. I don't think that got nothing to.

[Akash Singh]

Do with the stand up comedy.

[Ali Sadiq]

It has nothing to do with the comedy. Yeah. And so people are. And my thing with like, when I say industry support, I mean the com. The comedy community. Right?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Don't call my phone and ask me a bunch of questions of how to do something and get a bunch of advice from me. Tell me how I'm the greatest. And then I see you in the.

[Akash Singh]

Interview and you don't say much.

[Ali Sadiq]

And when you talk about the. All these, your top five these. Com. You don't mention, you don't never mention me. And you're telling the joke that I wrote for you. But you, but you saying, but you giving this, this credit to somebody else.

[Akash Singh]

The amount of times I went through this, like, I've seen this, I'll walk people through their whole YouTube special rollout, like, do the whole thing. And then they get some interview and they'll be like, yeah, I did it because I saw this person doing this person do. I'm like, oh, is that why? That's, that's, that's, that's right.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was compared to you and didn't know what you had going on.

[Akash Singh]

This is great.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's like, yo, yeah, you doing, you doing the shows. I'm like, what? I'm not doing no show shows. Had a goddamn getting ready to run. But he had a Whole layout of. I'm like. I started. I had zero. Do you.

[Akash Singh]

No, this is great.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's worth how many people from YouTube I had. When I decided to shoot a special for YouTube. Yeah, that was a script that shocked to me.

[Akash Singh]

Ye.

[Ali Sadiq]

Eight people. Then I said, hey, I'm gonna shoot a special. And boom. I'd already been putting out independent stuff. I've been on XM Radio doing albums forever. I'm coming to your question. Doing albums forever.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

2007.

[Akash Singh]

It's just what you're normally doing.

[Ali Sadiq]

So you're like, yeah, I'm just hustling my own. So then I say, I'm gonna put this, this. This YouTube thing out. I shot it for YouTube and we had 28 people. And then I went to this. My manager hooked me up with this marketing guy and said, hey man, we gotta grow your page. And I'm like, on Instagram, I probably had maybe 1500 people, right? And my Facebook. Oh, the Facebook numbers was. Damn. The same as YouTube. Like. Yeah, I couldn't even get into it. This is how bad this was.

[Akash Singh]

I didn't even know your password.

[Ali Sadiq]

I didn't know how to get into because I wasn't checking it. It was no movement. So we started creating the movement with the advice from them. I didn't. I had no. When I saw your. When I heard your whole thing, it was like, he had a deal then it didn't have this. So he put it out on his own. And I was like, oh, he. And then I said, oh, he. On some Louisiana K. Yeah, he like, who? Who?

[Akash Singh]

It's so funny, dude. Yes, exactly though.

[Ali Sadiq]

Damn you other. What's crazy is, you know he won a Grammy a couple years ago for album. They like, they forgive you. Oh, yeah. And I was in. I was in the same goddamn heat at the same time. Like, I ain't even did that.

[Akash Singh]

All I did was so cracking about it.

[Ali Sadiq]

So the thing is, when I saw. Actually saw your thing and you had. The guy with the smoke was coming out the thing.

[Akash Singh]

Like, yeah, the Bruce Buffer shit.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like. And this is. I told my friend, how they gonna say I'm on this? He got all this money, got fired smoking. But then I'm on some broke.

[Akash Singh]

I was like, that was my. That was my like fifth thing we put out. So, like the first one, matter of fact, the first one was. Was super early. The second one we did, we were in Europe and this is how. This is how broke it was for one of the Shoots. We were in London. We use a. A gum to balance the camera. Do you remember that? Like, because we didn't have a tripod, we ran out of tripods. We could only travel with like two or three tripods. So we got two sticks of gum and we put it under one part of the camera.

[Ali Sadiq]

And the.

[Akash Singh]

In the wide shot, when people are laughing, you could see the camera shaking. And it's not because of the tripods, because the gum wouldn't give us enough suspension or some shit. So we went. I mean, it was just, just. But whatever. I. I know the journey that, that you were on, and I respect that majorly. Just because I've experienced it, man.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. And when I started looking into yourself, like, oh, he's getting it. Like, he can, you know.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Out the mud.

[Akash Singh]

Out the mud.

[Ali Sadiq]

And even with the Europe, Europe is over me, it's crazy. I've been to London countless times. So now they passed this law, if you've ever been killed, convicted of a crime, oh, wow. You can't get in the country. And I'm like. So we had a tour lined up to go to back to London. And I get all this. And when you coming to the uk, I said, UK is kind of over me. I'm. I'm like, man, you know, you know, this is 30 years ago, bro. You.

[Akash Singh]

This is actually crazy. This is actually awesome because eventually they're just gonna like, lift that. And then when you go, oh, yeah, it will be like this celebration. I. That's actually kind of cool. It sucks for now. But let me. Let me call up Uncle Donald real quick.

[Ali Sadiq]

Eric Abrams, he always finds some good. This is what you need right here.

[Akash Singh]

You starving them. You starving them. And eventually when you're able to go. Because they're not gonna keep that forever. Like, I'm sorry, 30 years ago. You're gonna like to stop somebody from going over.

[Eddie]

Can you do something nearby? Like, can you do like Ireland or France or something and.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, what about that?

[Ali Sadiq]

Probably. I probably can. But they not asking me to come to Ireland and France.

[Eddie]

I remember they get the British people to come over.

[Ali Sadiq]

London is asking me to come.

[Akash Singh]

And I would even say that, like, stylistically they would be way more used to what you're doing out there. Like, the long form storytelling is more similar to European and like British style standup than American.

[Ali Sadiq]

I've been over there.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, so you already know it? Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Plus, I love the Peaky Blinders. I'm trying to go, awesome show.

[Akash Singh]

Hold on. Can we pee real quick? And then Come back. Is that cool? All right. You got any?

[Chad]

You know, I got.

[Akash Singh]

All right, guys, we'll take a break for a second. Today's sponsor is Kraken, your go to for everything investing across crypto and stocks. By the way, Kraken is really up their game, man. You know, I trust any of these platforms. What do you call the crypto exchanges that have weathered the storm? A lot of them folded. Akash famously lost tons of money because why? Because they weren't based on reality. They did not have the support that they needed. They were too frivolous. But not Kraken. Kraken has thugged it out and they are going to the moon. That is the saying. They're going to the moon because they're expanding. It's not just crypto. You can also get stocks. They also got this Kraken payment which is fantastic. You know, just send money to your friends, some cryptocurrency to your friends. It is incredible. 11,000 US stocks and ETFs. Over 350 different cryptocurrencies you can choose to invest in. So Kraken hooked each of us up with $10,000. Do we get to keep that? That'd be really awesome if we get to keep that. Let's look into that. So look, Kraken hooked each of us up with $10,000 in USDG and now we get to build our own investment portfolios across the thousands of crypto and stocks that they have on platform. Now we might check out what's trending, set up a recurring buy so we can automate some of our investments. We'll see.

[Chad]

Send me meme coins, yo.

[Akash Singh]

Because because AKA is a gambler. Also low key. Like if they gave us the money, there's not much risk. So we should all be investing in far corner coin 100. They gave us this real money to go ahead to head build portfolios, see who's got the best instincts and strategy. Let's see who flips that 10k into something serious and who buys the top and cries by next week. Kraken also has a offer going on for the Flagrant fam. Sign up at Kraken mobile [e-mail] flagrant use the code flagrant25. You're going to get $20 in free Bitcoin. You would think it would be 25.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Chad]

What are we doing? Kraken.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, we should figure that out. Kraken. Kraken invests in everything all in one app. Let's get it. By the way, there's a disclaimer here, not investment advice. Crypto trading involves risk of loss and is offered to U.S. customers, excluding Washington, New York and Maine through PayWord Interactive, Inc. Now let's get back to the show.

[Chad]

What's up, you limp dick?

[Akash Singh]

Hilarious.

[Chad]

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[Akash Singh]

You know that one friend who somehow.

[Ali Sadiq]

Knows everything about money? Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Now imagine they live in your phone.

[Ali Sadiq]

Say hey to Experian, your big financial friend. It's the app that helps you check your FICO score, find ways to save, and basically feel like a financial genius. And guess what? It's totally free.

[Akash Singh]

So go on, download the Experian app.

[Ali Sadiq]

Trust me, having a BFF like this is a total game changer. We're back in.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, you're. This is your second hour. Within two months or three months. May 15th.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Two sons.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Yeah. My two sons. June is Rugged.

[Akash Singh]

Is Rugged. Can you at least give us, like, a little teaser about Rugged? I know that you're probably protective of your material. Material. But can you.

[Ali Sadiq]

Rugged is about a man that is on the road, and then he tries to come home and be handy. And this is not his skill set anymore. No matter how.

[Akash Singh]

Who is this guy?

[Ali Sadiq]

No matter how great you think his Storytelling is. Is. This is how he gets the stories. Because he just fell off this ladder that he shouldn't have been on.

[Akash Singh]

Don't, after 30 years, try to be Mr. Fix it in the House. You miss to fix it on the road.

[Ali Sadiq]

You got to. You gotta try because it's very intimidating for some other man to come to your house and fix something. And they always, like, they trying to drive.

[Akash Singh]

I was just telling him, my wife asked the contractor to teach me how to make a fire. And I never felt so emasculated in my life.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like, yo, come on.

[Akash Singh]

I was like, babe, babe, that's a private conversation. That's a boy scout skill.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. That's a badge. Understand? Me coming home and my garage won't go down. And I'm. I'm like, bay, yeah, Garage to go down. He come out there. She. I said, don't worry about it. I'm just call the number on the thing. So I call the man. He comes over and I say this. I said, hey, man, you need anything, I'm going. Just be right inside. Just knock on the door.

[Akash Singh]

I'll come right back out.

[Ali Sadiq]

I didn't even get a chance to close the door good. He. I said, I know damn well he don't want to knock already. I'm like, well, he said, I'm finished. I said, what? He said, you gonna be mad than a. I said. I was like, what happened? And I didn't like the fact that he. He did it. Is it the insta. Damn the rope. He's like, yo, you can just. Oh, no. He did, like, three times just to show me how it goes.

[Eddie]

He could have pretended to take longer.

[Akash Singh]

He here for an hour at least.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he's like, no, let me tell you. This is the part. Remember I told you you gonna be mad, motherfucker? This is the part I said, man, how much I owe you? According to company policy.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, don't, don't, don't. Don't start with that shit. Don't start with that shit.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it was like. It was like $170. Like, what company policy?

[Eddie]

What did you tell your wife, though? What did you tell your girl?

[Ali Sadiq]

I ain't say nothing to her. Yo, the door came off the end. Y' all not paying. Wow, is that tearing up my house is I got to make it old scene.

[Chad]

If you want to feel like a man, I'll tell you something more embarrassing. Do you see how this finger kind of dips down like that? I was reaching over my car when I was 15. Years old, pull the cord. Fractured my finger on that exact cord doing that.

[Ali Sadiq]

But you 15. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You're supposed to up.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm 51 years old. This is like, man, I forgot, right?

[Chad]

I was like, 20.

[Ali Sadiq]

Bro.

[Akash Singh]

I didn't know how to open the garage from outside. My wife doesn't know this. For the last, like, month, I've been parking my car, going into my house, coming around to the back door of the garage, walking into the garage, open it from the inside, and then driving the car in. And then I was. I was in the kitchen, and there's a little bowl, and there was this little, like, almost like, remote boat type of thing. And I was like, babe, what is this? She's like, it's the garage door opener. She goes, how have you been opening the garage? I go, obviously, I know the ground.

[Ali Sadiq]

Said.

[Akash Singh]

I thought you just walk in and then open it.

[Eddie]

No, the worst is that my girl will compare me to her dad. Her dad was an engineer, so he just fixed everything. So our dryer breaks. And I go, let me call the guy to fix it. She goes, oh, why don't you just fix it? I go, ah, we should just let him do it, right? And she goes, oh, it's so weird. My dad would just fix it. No, would call him.

[Akash Singh]

Nah, we're not doing that.

[Ali Sadiq]

See, you have a girl, a wife.

[Akash Singh]

No, he got a wife and kid, right?

[Ali Sadiq]

So you just calling your girl.

[Akash Singh]

Good, good.

[Ali Sadiq]

Cause, see, I can't call mine. A lady who live in my house, she, like. She refuses to go by that. But when I say at the shows, it's. That's when everybody comes up and says, hey, this the lady who live in my house. It's like. It's a fun thing. Boom.

[Akash Singh]

The lady who lives in my house.

[Eddie]

A roommate, maybe.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's weird.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, it's because, like, on the.

[Ali Sadiq]

For.

[Akash Singh]

You're on the road for so long, you develop a very specific set of skills, right? And they're, thank God, appreciated by a lot of people. And we can provide and we can do these things, but because of that, we never develop the most basic skills at home. I love that. I love. So the special is really about you spend a little home time and just being completely unequipped.

[Ali Sadiq]

And she is.

[Akash Singh]

You gotta bring up prison. You'd be like, I was locked up when I should have learned this shit.

[Ali Sadiq]

And what's crazy, I was very good at useless shit in prison. Like, I could start all type of shit. I could fix everything that I need to fix. I fixed my ankle fractured. I Fixed this myself. But this is. Man. And she's always talking shit. Always. So that. That's rugged and rugged is. Is fun. It's just fun.

[Akash Singh]

Like, how long you been married?

[Ali Sadiq]

Shit, 22 years. Wow.

[Akash Singh]

Wow.

[David]

I love the way you put out material. It's always like chronological of your life. And so this new special is where you're at now. But there's one thing from the second one that I was bawling, crying.

[Chad]

Oh, yeah.

[David]

When you tell the story about your younger sister got God. Busted, dead. But like, boy, I've never been laughing hysterically then bawling, crying, and then immediately right back to laughs. I've never seen a special that made me do that before.

[Chad]

How many times have you told that story on stage? Because you're also.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, that was.

[Chad]

That's what I was wondering. Because the way he's crying, dog, that's what got me aside from the story. But like, I was like, there's no way you've run this 50 times.

[Ali Sadiq]

I didn't run. I didn't run that special, period.

[David]

Wow.

[Ali Sadiq]

Wow. Eric. Eric.

[Chad]

Favorite part.

[Akash Singh]

This is Domino Effect part two.

[Ali Sadiq]

Part two.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So, Joe, nobody knew what I was doing. I just told them how I wanted to. To look. And they was like, well, you give us something like, I got it. Wow.

[Chad]

And holy.

[Ali Sadiq]

We did it. We recorded. Was no running of that. It was no. It's.

[Akash Singh]

Did you know you were going to tell that story?

[Ali Sadiq]

Or.

[Akash Singh]

Okay, so you knew going into.

[Ali Sadiq]

I knew the years. So.

[Chad]

And you mapped it out in your.

[Ali Sadiq]

It was no way to skip that part. That part.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's no, like, I knew crazy because he had asked. He had asked the question, did I know I was gonna put it out in that order?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So we did domino effect 1. And then people asked what was the rest of the story. So then I did two. So we went from 10, you know what I'm saying, to 16. Then we went from 16. So we just. We went in order of the year.

[Chad]

So see, I thought you had this whole thing mapped out part one to part part one.

[Ali Sadiq]

We didn't have it. We mapped it out after one, after the success of one. And people wanted to know the story, so we figured we would just do after two. I knew I was going to do three and four, but it was no, like, if I tell you, I. And it's like with me, I don't talk about other people's craft. That's what they doing. But when I watch somebody else try to create that moment.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's like, you're discrediting a very honest thing.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Moment.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because I knew without running it. I knew as soon as I got to that part, I started feeling it.

[Akash Singh]

Feeling it. Yeah. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And my older sister is in the audience.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, wow.

[Ali Sadiq]

And this is her first time ever hearing our. My account of what happened because she had went back to the Navy.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I. I don't think people understand. My little sister is like the heartbeat to me. You know what I'm saying? It's like, it's. It's a different. This is like the purest happiness before my kids. You know what I'm saying? So she's tattooed on me twice. It's. It's a thing when it comes to her, you know? So it was no way that I.

[Akash Singh]

Could run it off over and over. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It was no way. It was. It was like, man, get to it and not know how you was gonna come out of it.

[Akash Singh]

That. Yes, that's what I was gonna ask. Like, you know, you're gonna tell it. Are you able to stay in the moment with everything that's leading up to it, knowing this comment that this is coming.

[Ali Sadiq]

Get here, get here. And then you're going to have to figure it out after. After you're there, because you may not be able to continue.

[Akash Singh]

Yep. Wow.

[Ali Sadiq]

So I don't know what to prepare my head to continue with.

[Akash Singh]

Yep.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because it's so. Man, I think this is the most damaging thing ever in my whole life. It's like, people talk about the prison. The prison, that's whatever. But. And I'm. The reason why I'm there is because she's gone. Because this turned me into something different. Like, I was a different. I became a different dude. I would stop doing whatever I was doing to make sure I went to pick up from school.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

So me picking my daughter up from school, me picking my kids up from school is a big thing because it's the steal. The connection that you have with your little sister. My little sister.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So it's. It's like a punishing thing.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And so I still ask her for help when I'm in. In. In positions. And she was only 8, and I was like, yo, man, you're gonna have to. You're gonna have to walk me through this. And that's. It's punishing when you lose your happiness like that.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying? So to. To do the set, as I'm thinking about it, I am on stage and I'm like, damn, how. And what can I Actually even say, yeah, that's going to honor the moment. Turn this around. And I'm looking at my sister, right? And my sister is just balling. Balling in the audience.

[Akash Singh]

Yep.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then one of my boys, street dude, he is on one and I see him looking. He looking off. He can't even look at his wife. He's looking off because he ballin. And he knows the situation. Like he was around. And it pops into my head out of nowhere. Cause I was asking him like, yo, you gonna have to help me through this, shorty. And then Pops came to my head, this dude who used to sell dope for us. During that time, the only person that could make me laugh was Pops. Because I would come to the cook house and he would be in Speedos cooking drugs. And I was like, yo, man, this dude is insane. He's insane. And Pop was sick and he had on Speedos. I'm like, yo, man, what you got going on? Hey, man, don't worry about what the chef got on. I was like, yo, man, this is a crazy person.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So that helped me to remember that. That moment. Why? And I was digging in my head, like, what made you laugh at this time?

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it was only.

[Chad]

And you thought of that during the taping.

[Ali Sadiq]

During the taping. Wow.

[Chad]

Because after the thing. So you're crying. It's like beautiful. Then afterward, you talk about the anger, which most people don't talk about. Most people don't think about when they think about loss. And I remember you said it with this. This fury. I was like, there's no way he's ever said this before because it turned me into a monster. I will kill you if you say what's up to me. I'll end the feeling.

[Ali Sadiq]

What's up against you get would get you killed.

[Chad]

And I was like, there's no way he said this. There's no way. He's run this a hundred times. It's just not possible.

[Ali Sadiq]

I only cry because I have regret of time that I didn't spend with her.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

That I could have been doing. But I'm out doing other. Okay, you going to pick up from school, you spending time with her. But you could have did more. That popped up. Probably wouldn't have. And it. And it's not even. It wasn't even my thought pattern at the time. Right. Yeah. You said how much you love this little girl and the moments that you did. Like, I can't look at a Ashley furniture truck and not think about her. Right. Because I never get to Time we walking home and she let my hand go and start running. I'm like, what you doing? Said you got to come on. I got to catch this man. He got my truck. Cuz it said her name on the side of. And when she dressed up like a she Halloween, she. She had on all black and she had her face painted like a cat.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I was like, man, what you got going on? She's like, me, me. And it's like all these things. And when I. When she passed, I would sit in her room and I would hear her in the closet playing like she normally would be doing. And I know how devastating this was for my family.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

This like, crippled my mom.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because this was. And then I learned why it crippled my mom. This was the first time that my mom was in a comfortable position that she could actually raise.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, wow.

[Ali Sadiq]

So she took care of us.

[Akash Singh]

But she raised.

[Ali Sadiq]

But she raised her. And so this is me understanding why this was. My mom asked me all the time, hey, was I a good mom? You know. You know I love you. Right? And it's because this is the effects of her not completing the job. She didn't. She's never got a chance to. To comfortably raise a child for kids. You know, it was, you know, me and my sister, she had us early. You know, my mom had me. I'm. She's 20 years old, and my sister's two years older than me. So she just going through life just taking care of us.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

But now she's in our country. She's a established. And she. For eight years, she's raising.

[Akash Singh]

She's leaning in. She's all.

[Ali Sadiq]

She's getting everything that she. She's getting to do everything that she never got a chance to do. You know what I'm saying? So that's an angle. And then for family members never to have seen her living.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Cuz lived out of town and they. They was always planning to come and never got a chance to. And the first. First time my grandmother is seeing her. Her grandchild in a box, man.

[Akash Singh]

What is it. What is it you think about? And I'm reacting to your concern about. I'm sure there are some reactions that people were like, oh, is this put on for multiple shows? Or whatever. What is it about? You think? Maybe it's even comedians like our contemporary. That. Why do you think they felt the need to try to discredit that moment?

[Ali Sadiq]

I really tried not to make sense out of nonsense. I had no idea. Cause maybe it was a. This is not something I Could have did or whatever the situation may have been.

[Akash Singh]

I think you're onto something right now.

[Ali Sadiq]

But I know the theory that I own. Somebody said something to me on the Internet in the rage that I responded with, speaking about my sister.

[Akash Singh]

What they say.

[Ali Sadiq]

Some weird that I don't even really remember. I was so mad like, like it was a fake thing or some. Or. And I. And I said, I remember. I just remember what I said. I promise you on everything that I'm gonna hunt you down and I'm gonna break your neck backwards because you speaking back, you're. You're speaking on. I remember a dude, I'm beating him in basketball in prison and he said something about, I don't worry about it, I'm finna do something. Whatever he said, like that that's tattooed on your chest.

[Akash Singh]

Does he know? Is he aware at the time?

[Chad]

You got a pretty good idea.

[Akash Singh]

But he's. He doesn't know the story.

[Ali Sadiq]

He doesn't know it's my sister. He don't know nothing. And I never forget this brother named Black show the look that he gave that he knew when I. I threw the basketball and hit him in the face. And this is the first time they. They'd ever seen me come glue come aloose, ever. And then I had to, I had to get talked to. He said, bro, people not gonna know.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

They just talking.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And that dude was, was severely injured. And I. And I'm like. And every time I saw him, I just, I only felt.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. You couldn't detach it.

[Ali Sadiq]

I couldn't detach from situation. And I know now it's people that are troll you of course, to try to try to get a response out of you, to make you do. And I've. I've probably gotten it under control now. But to. With, with, with. With that particular special, the criticism of.

[Akash Singh]

People think it was manufactured. Yeah, I think it's people's. I think there's a distrust a lot of times when it comes to entertainment and it's this idea that it. It's like this thing that's workshopped and put on and they're feeling these very real emotions and they don't know how to handle those real emotions. They either have to accept that they themselves are also touched by this moment, enraged by this moment, broken by this moment, or they don't accept those feelings and they go, ah, this isn't real. This person's not putting it on. And I think it's an inability to accept that, that that moment is maybe punishing them as well.

[Chad]

And especially if you're a comic of Peter.

[Akash Singh]

Oh yeah.

[Chad]

Where you're cynical, you're, well, you're also watching.

[Akash Singh]

You have to belittle everything that is like beautiful or successful because you're watching.

[Chad]

I'm watching that moment and in my honest reaction, I didn't disagree.

[Akash Singh]

Both of them hit me up and they're like, dude, I, I, I'm balling, I'm balling watching this thing. Now. What I would say about us specifically think it's like a cultural thing on the pod, which is like, there is a celebration for things that are great. We try to reduce cynicism and it's hard. But like, if there is something that is beautiful, the knee jerk reaction shouldn't be to undercut it.

[Chad]

Because I, I was watching, like, I don't know if I could get this reaction out of an audience. I don't know if I have that level of thank God, pain or what rage or whatever. And I don't know if I'd have the balls to, to do that. And I'm watching thinking, this must be the first time he's done it. So that is a reaction I had. But you got to try to fight against that party that wants to discredit it and be like, hey, I have a different purpose from God, whatever on when I'm on that stage. But that moment, I do remember being like. And that's why I was, I was like, you guys need this is, I've never felt this watching anything. I've never felt this. And I don't know if I could elicit that reaction. But a lot of people, instead of just accepting that and saying, I have a different purpose or I'll do it differently or whatever, will be like, yeah, but he xyz. You see what I'm saying? That's where it comes from.

[Ali Sadiq]

And I think the, the people that was there, if people listen to the audience, it's people crying. Yeah.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

What was the feeling like coming off stage? Was that, was it cathartic?

[Ali Sadiq]

I was out when I came off. I was met by my, my sister. I just went into my sister's arms when, when, when it was over. I wish they had because it was such a, the, the camera people. Eric was like, yeah, I'm glad you didn't send, I'm glad you didn't do anything with this. Like, it was no way that we could have knowing going into this. Yeah, this would have been very hard. And yeah, to, I, I think it was a bigger purpose for me to do it. Yeah, than not. I needed some relief from it. I know how many in. In the fact that I'm going to. Going through losses and people are going through losses and from the losing the girl to how many, how unprepared we are for losing anybody.

[Chad]

And you say a thing early in the part two, which is like, when people talk about this game, drug dealing or whatever, they never talk about the losses. I'm gonna tell you about the losses.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm gonna tell you about what is going on in a person's life that's going through this. It's a lot of ails in this.

[Akash Singh]

But what's. What I think is like profound about these moments. And you rarely see them as stand up. But it's like, it's not just about your loss. There are countless people who have had losses that don't always get to process their emotions in the same way. And they're processing their losses while they're watching it. The people that know you are thinking about your sister, the people that don't.

[Ali Sadiq]

Know you thinking about the people.

[Akash Singh]

And like, in my last special, I have like a, A moment that is. It's my wife and I was really tough for us to get pregnant. It was like, like very tough. And we were able to do it. And I didn't know at the moment when I'm writing the special that people struggled with this shit. I had no feeling clue. And when we were starting to go on the road, like, and there's this montage of like my wife getting to see our daughter for the first time. And like, you go see these people in the crowd. And at first I was like, oh, that's beautiful that they're reacting to my story. And then I start to realize they're reacting to their story. They're reacting to like, their trials and tribulations, the joy that they have with their kid, the. The struggles they've had trying to get it. And it's like, I wonder if that, that moment, despite some cynical idiots criticism, I wonder if that moment creates this deep connection with the people that are watching that special. Like, deep connection where people start to process those feelings that they've probably kept bottled up for a long time. And also to see a dude, you might not call yourself tough, but like a tougher dude break down like that. Imagine what that gives you. Imagine as a consumer, imagine what that gives you the freedom to. All right, maybe I'm allowed to process this shit and feel this shit a little bit.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know, I didn't speak about like her Funeral because my dad. Right. My mom. My dad been separated for a long time. And inside the funeral, all these people in the there. But when I walk out, my dad is like in the corner of the parking lot, black leather coat. And he's standing there and he's just crying. Yeah. Had nothing to do with this. But he under. For some reason he wanted to be. Be there for the. We talking about somebody who's not there for most. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And he just like. And I never forget looking at his daughter was. He's totally out of the picture. He's like, yeah. But he was standing there like, yeah, like this tough bro. And he's always been the. My mom. My mom is tough as rusty nails. My dad has always been the unflappable un. Like I'm just here. I know where the moment is and I'm. If you need me, I'm here. My mom is trying to keep it together, but she is. It's like my mom's falling apart and I never. Until I realized why it's like this. And to this day she. It pains her.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like. Like I. My. My pain is one thing, but you talk to my mom. Oh, this. This shit is bad. You talk to my mom.

[Akash Singh]

Did she watch it? The special?

[Ali Sadiq]

I never told her. Her it happened. Never told it happened. This is the. This is the one thing that I never told her that I did.

[Akash Singh]

And. Do you.

[Ali Sadiq]

You don't. My sister. My sister may have told her and I don't even think she did. It's. I don't even like leading her down the road. So I never even mentioned domino effect to her. Wow. Never even mentioned it.

[Chad]

I was wondering because you have people in your life. You have your older sister talking. And I was like, my sister.

[Ali Sadiq]

My old sister spoke. My boy her spoke. My boy aunt spoke. And I never even mentioned it to my mom. Wow. It's one of the things like it's back to like if I was selling dope. I'm not.

[Akash Singh]

I don't need to tell you these stories.

[Ali Sadiq]

She would have to call me and say, hey, I saw the special. But I'm not bringing it up cuz.

[Akash Singh]

You don't want her to have to live through that pain.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't want to have to live through nothing.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Don't you hate that?

[Akash Singh]

I hate that.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was even saying something and a ketchup fell on my shirt. I was like. I just felt like I wanted to burn. I was like. I was doing. I was having a good moment.

[Akash Singh]

Go home.

[Eddie]

Let's go home. You get mad at the restaurant, like.

[Akash Singh]

Why the you put this ketchup on it?

[Ali Sadiq]

Cuz I looked. Cuz once you spill something in your shirt, you look fat.

[Akash Singh]

It's over.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't give damn what size you are. You like this is fat bastard feeling sauces on his damn.

[Akash Singh]

So I try to hide in my armpit.

[Ali Sadiq]

Man, what a gift.

[Chad]

You talking about some real painful and then right into the funny. And you're just living in the moment.

[Ali Sadiq]

When he did it, I was like.

[Akash Singh]

He fell for me, I fell for you.

[Eddie]

He understands the pain.

[Chad]

Talking about your dead sister and having empathy for his pain is crazy. It's crazy. It's crazy.

[Ali Sadiq]

I feel like the ketchup is there again.

[Akash Singh]

It was coffee too. I was hoping it was just some of the moisture.

[Ali Sadiq]

Goddamn. Call me. But as a, as a comic, I think that's your. That's your. That's the craft. Yeah. Not the job. That's the craft. If you look at this as a job, I wouldn't show up.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

I wouldn't show up. This job. Like if soon as I start feeling like it's a job, I take off like I'm getting ready to go to Greece just so I can wear some Speedos and think I'm sexy.

[Akash Singh]

You know what I'm saying?

[Ali Sadiq]

All them fat bastards over there just wearing speedos and I'm going to do it too. So it's just the experience, man. And as a stand up, I said a stand up one time, this old dude said, no, you a fucking sit down. You don't do shit but sit down and talk to him. Like you right. But I think that's the part that you have to be brave. Everything that we say when you actually end the curse, craft is brave. You know you speaking about you and your wife trying to conceive.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Did she. She. When you said when she first got a chance to see it, she was in a nicu, she.

[Akash Singh]

It was a C section. So she. There's this big curtain up so you don't actually get to see the baby pulled out of you and you're numb.

[Ali Sadiq]

Oh yes.

[Akash Singh]

So the baby gets.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm just thinking, was it.

[Akash Singh]

No, it wasn't preme.

[Ali Sadiq]

It.

[Akash Singh]

It was to term. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It soon as you said it, it took me to the moment to where I didn't get a chance to really connect with her. Non. Because she was in the NICU for two weeks and they just put her like in this incubator. She just flapping around and you gotta put on all this stuff. To go see him. And it's no real connection. And I couldn't wait to be able.

[Akash Singh]

To just hold them.

[Ali Sadiq]

Hanan and just. And Hanan is like, the manager of all the kids. Like, even though she the. She young. She's 9, but she's the man. She's. Hanan is who I talk to about finances, all my money. Is she gonna have to be the one divvying them? No, no, no.

[Akash Singh]

Dig up the begonias.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Her non. Man. That's. That's my. My. My girl. And she reminds me of my sister so much. This is who I talk to. So now imagine this. Imagine how having a fear of losing your kid. Like, I'm not really comfortable until they pass 8 a dude. Wow.

[Akash Singh]

I was going to ask.

[Ali Sadiq]

And it's like, I have this.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

This whole thing, like, until they pass 8, it's like I'm on pens and needles.

[Akash Singh]

You're holding your breath. You're holding your breath.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, please don't. Don't let. Dude, nothing happen to them. Like. Like any of them. And I remember Jaden. Jaden's a chef. She's a wonderful chef. I was so scared, bro. It.

[Akash Singh]

The. I remember this whole tumultuous journey to get to this moment, and everything that could have gone wrong went wrong up to this moment. And we're in there, and, you know, my wife's not dilating, and she's all up on the pitocin and all these things that they get, and she's still not dilating. And there's a moment where the baby's heart rate dropped on the monitor. And keep in mind, like, I have not the same level of concern, but you're still like, something's going to go wrong because everything has gone wrong on this process. Every single thing is going wrong. And I start to see this monitor drop, drop, and then comes back up in the monitor drop, and then the monitors drop, and it's beeping for a while, and I'm, like, running in the hallway looking for a nurse, because in my head, I'm like, it can't go right. I haven't felt anything go right. So why would anything go right? And you think, like, once you see the baby that everything's going to be okay, but the fear doesn't go away. You're like. They're like, okay, we need a test to make sure that she can. Can see and hear. You know, they do that. And you're like, okay, now is the moment. And I literally felt maybe until she was, like, walking and Running. That was the first time I felt like I could take a deep breath.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

So I can't even imagine what that's like. For eight years, just looking at each one of your kids and just going, please, like, when can I relax? Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. And. And it's. It's. Then they get grown and you hope you don't get a call. Oh, dude. Something like, Jay is 26, and.

[Akash Singh]

I.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm concerned about a. Every day.

[Akash Singh]

So it just doesn't go away.

[Ali Sadiq]

It just.

[Akash Singh]

We're just stressed until I've heard the.

[Chad]

Fear doesn't go away. The fears just change.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't even know if it changes or it goes away. You just pray all the time. Time that just. You can manage it. Yeah. Nothing. And. And that you don't have to manage something. I'm a manage this fear, so I don't hope that I don't have to manage grief.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, it's. You have to have a choice. It's one or the other.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, you have a choice. And then the days that you miss or they all argue or something that you miss with them, you like, yo, man, this time is precious. And. And I'd rather fix it than keep fussing. Like, how do we fix it? Or you just want to fuss.

[Akash Singh]

Do you think. Do you think that you've invested. I don't want to say more time, but do you think because of that horrible circumstance you've experienced, that you have valued time with your kids in a different way?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yes.

[Akash Singh]

And not just kids. People just. Yeah, it's like, it's put time in perspective. And like, in a weird way.

[Chad]

I.

[Akash Singh]

Mean, what a thing to give to you. Like, I'm not saying that there's no way to be grateful for that at all. I'm not saying that that's perspective, but.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, it's a way to be grateful because you, You. You start to understand how valuable every fucking day is.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

In this. Me, you develop a few friendship, you call me. If I miss something that I said, I'mma come to, I'm. I'mma. It's going to bother me. Like. Like, me and David Banner, right? Me and David Banner have developed a friendship. If I don't. He called me. If I miss his call, call him back.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And say, if you call me, say, hey, Lee, come do this. Come do this show. I'mma come. No matter the circumstances. Because Patrice o' Neal called me a pussy one time. Only person ever living, not living.

[Akash Singh]

You know, he's the goat to me. He's the greatest of all time.

[Ali Sadiq]

Call me a pussy.

[Akash Singh]

Tell me this. What happened.

[Ali Sadiq]

So Patrice comes to Houston. We do a show together. Patrice's like, yo, you fucking dope, man. Your storytelling is crazy.

[Akash Singh]

I mean, this is, like, the biggest compliment. And Patrice is my number one.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. So he. The next year, he comes to Houston. He calls me like, yo, you gonna come do the show with me? And I say, yeah, cool. But a ice storm happens in Houston.

[Akash Singh]

Okay.

[Chad]

City, Texas, shuts down.

[Akash Singh]

Y' all are afraid of snow and.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, we're not scared of snow. We're scared of ice.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Snow is fine.

[Ali Sadiq]

Ice, you. We have all these freeways, these old pads. You can't see this. Yeah, yeah, it is.290 wrecks on the freeway and on the streets, right? Like, people just slide into. It's insane.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So when he gets there and he's like, yo, you coming? I'm like, no, I'm not. Yeah, what happened? Yeah. I say, it's a lot of wrecks here. It's a lot of black ice. I'm not fucking with it. I can drive, but there's other people that can't. I'm not fucking with it. He's like, come on. You know, Patrice, I don't give a. What you say in the north, in.

[Akash Singh]

The Northeast, that is some. The idea that we wouldn't go somewhere because of ice.

[Ali Sadiq]

You're not gonna mind trick me.

[Akash Singh]

Y' all get stuck into dying.

[Ali Sadiq]

Dying on the highway. You don't know where I gotta come from. I'm not coming. And he's like, yeah, you're not coming. For real, I'm not coming. Okay. Patrice, do I have to hang up on you to let you know that I'm not coming? And he was like, that's some Leo. Like, I don't give up, okay? It's an expedition sliding down the street right now. I'm not. You being club on your own. And it. It was. It was light that. That night.

[Chad]

Yeah. I'm thinking people don't show up.

[Akash Singh]

Nobody showing up.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Yeah. Nobody showing up. Should you go? They might as well cancel this. You might well be at the club by yourself, cuz, you know, nobody. The people. Okay. The people who can walk to that club.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, that's it. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

It is not happening, Patrice.

[Chad]

Honestly, walking. You probably bust your ass a few.

[Ali Sadiq]

Times on ice, with ice.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Chad]

And we don't have salt trucks.

[Ali Sadiq]

And. And that's the whole other thing. He didn't understand.

[Akash Singh]

This is a northeast thing.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Damn. So we got them now with sand.

[Chad]

Trucks in Dallas is like, who the one needs sand? Yeah, salt the road.

[Akash Singh]

Melt this.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's. It was. It was terrible. So he called and I was leaving town the next day. Months go by, he's gone. And the first thing came to my mind is I should have went. Didn't hang out. My friend at least. And so when earthquake called me company's birthday party. I got up, flew out there. This is my friend with my friends in this business. And that's hard to get in this business. True friends that outside of this ain't the account. Like, I have some really good ones and if I'm not gonna miss that time, all right, I'm not. I'm just. I'm just not gonna be able to do it because I don't know the next time I' ma see you. And so that has been. If I. If I think about you, I'm gonna call. I'm not gonna waste the time to call. Especially if you constant with my send to me call now. And the people who I. I hadn't called have left his place. And then I. You. That's one of the. That's one of the things. One of my greatest. Well, another regret. David Arnold. I'm. I'm on vacation and David Arnold his hit me DM me and said, hey, I thought I had your number. Here's my number. Call me when you get a chance. I said, man, I call him when I get back in the country. I'm in Mexico having a good time calling when I get back in the country.

[Akash Singh]

So if you don't call someone back, they die. I ain't never calling you. I can't risk it, Lee. I can't risk it, my boy. I can't risk it. I'll be staring at my phone. I saw you read it, Lee.

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm gonna call you right back. Like, look, hey, Greece. I'm in Greece.

[Akash Singh]

Send me the Speedo picture. Everything's good.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's my stuff. Like, man, but those are the moments that you think about this. You like. Because it had. David Arnold had never reached out to me out of nowhere. It's like, yo, man, I talked to you about something. I thought I had your number. And I'm like. And in my mind, like, why the. I just didn't call him back because I was in Mexico having a good time. And I said, well, he'll be around, you know, And I call him to get back. No. So I call people immediately. Like, I. Soon as something happened. What? What's what? What, What? This ain't got to be important. What is.

[Eddie]

What is it?

[Ali Sadiq]

Rodney Perry. It just. I got a call now. If I miss man, I. I don't hesitate to call. Sydney Castillo or Malik S or.

[Akash Singh]

Yes.

[Ali Sadiq]

Not. It's not even especially DL, but DL's older.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Chad]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

So, man, this is. This is like my. My guy. Yeah. Yeah. You know, this is the dude. Like, even when DL's been. Even when I've did some. That he was. I'm talking about. So not in agreeance with it.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

He's called and said, okay, you up? Let's see how we can fix it. I'm like, like, is it that bad? He like, yes. It's awful.

[Akash Singh]

What you doing. What happened?

[Ali Sadiq]

I'm not. I'm not rehashing that. Like, D called me like, yo, this is awful. You have. Oh my goodness. They going to make you apologize. I'm like, what? He's like, listen, I'mma walk you through this. This. But when they asked me about it, I'm g. Say, hey, that's. That's still my guy. And I'm like, yo, is it that bad? He was like, it's call me tomorrow. And then I. Then I called him. He was like, for him.

[Akash Singh]

Good for him for standing by you though.

[Ali Sadiq]

Cuz I stood by him with the goddamn. He said. And what he saying? I'm not rehashing. My bad.

[Akash Singh]

My bad.

[Eddie]

Tupac is a dancer. What's man.

[Ali Sadiq]

Is stupid, man. People get mad. Why that they see him doing. He pull this up when they get around with the underground.

[Akash Singh]

He was a backup dancer for Digital Underground. For Digital Underground?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, for sure. Even with the whole other thing is this I Liked Brenda Had a Baby album.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

He wasn't thug. He wasn't that on there.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. Also, people got different expectations for thugging. Like, if you've actually been in the game, I'm sure it's a little different than like someone like me who hasn't been in the game.

[Ali Sadiq]

I didn't go to Juilliard. Yeah, Juilliard.

[Akash Singh]

How many super thugs came out of Julia. That was a great point.

[Ali Sadiq]

Make the connection.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, no.

[Chad]

Yeah. There's a lot of.

[Akash Singh]

It's like. It's like killing people.

[Chad]

I bet you heard about the guy with the mandolin was a drunk ping pin.

[Ali Sadiq]

And yo, you know. You know it sounds. I think Jada Kiss wasn't the coldest rappers of all time.

[Chad]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

But with his daddy was sitting on that stage that he went to private school. Went to private school.

[Akash Singh]

That was so funny.

[Ali Sadiq]

I was like, get your ass off my list, J.

[Akash Singh]

We love you, J. I love you, J.

[Ali Sadiq]

You can kill me with that one.

[Akash Singh]

Your dad was like, but I love his dad. Keeping it real, though.

[Ali Sadiq]

That was coffee company. He went to private. You had a chef in the house. And Jay was like. Like this God damn. Jada still dope. Like, I just heard a new.

[Akash Singh]

And the Fat Joe is so funny. Have y' all seen you see clips from Airpod? Nah, that kills me, bro. Yeah, Fat Joe just says. He just says the wildest in Jadis.

[Ali Sadiq]

The wildest.

[Akash Singh]

Fat Joe is like, I'm a glizzy gobbler or something. And Jada just goes, whoa, whoa, whoa. He hit pause on his own podcast.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yo, him. Him and Camron Mace be killing.

[Akash Singh]

He's so poised. We not your little homies. We. We don't got big homies.

[Ali Sadiq]

But on the real, J, Prince ain't really.

[Akash Singh]

We gotta talk about J, man.

[Chad]

Yeah. I've been wanting to ask you about. About this.

[Akash Singh]

Can you explain to people maybe from New York, like, what Jay is to Houston?

[Ali Sadiq]

Shit, J. Prince is the mogul. Like, we. We watched him come up. You know, he's one of the first independent rap labels. That's why our city is so independent. We was. We've never been looking for deals due to the prototype of. Of what Jay and other guys cultivated. So when you. I don't even know if what he is just to Houston, but just to the whole hip hop industry. He was really different from Puffy and Suge and everybody else because he was the format. He was the formula. When there was no formula.

[Akash Singh]

It's like, how else can we get on? How else can we create music and be part of the. This industry, which seems to have a lot of gatekeeping. And he was like, well, we'll just create our own version of it. Which is why Houston has this flourishing hip hop scene that's not reliant on any major record label. There's all these independent hip hop musicians in Houston, and it's influenced music in general. Without this, like, label push, I'm going.

[Ali Sadiq]

Say this with good gusto. Our artists laugh at other artists because in our mind, you're not living better than us. You're not making more money than us.

[Akash Singh]

Because you getting 80% of your. Of your album sales in Houston getting.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, man. Ro. This is. This is all the people who I know that own multiple Rolls Royces.

[Akash Singh]

Yo, it's. Dude, it's so much. I think it is important that people aren't understand this. So, like, Slim.

[Ali Sadiq]

Slim, bro.

[Akash Singh]

Slim was like, Building up neighborhoods. Do you remember this? Like, he was riding around, like, a neighborhood that he built. Not just like he owned a condo. The neighborhood.

[Ali Sadiq]

So we. Yeah, we do this all the time. So. But people gave. When Mike Eps built Smiles, they was like, oh, you know, we was like, that's old.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah. But now shout out to Epsy, though. That is cool that he bought back the house.

[Ali Sadiq]

And that's cool. But we've been doing it, right.

[Akash Singh]

And I think because you're doing it on your own, it's like, it doesn't permeate industry standard. And I think it's because industry doesn't want people to know that it can be done on its own. Why would they promote it?

[Ali Sadiq]

Just look at, man. I don't know. A broke rapper in. Okay. Sauce Slim, Powwow Pow. Chameleon Millionaire, Ro Killer, Calione Brad, which is Face. Willie D. Yes. Beat King before he passed. Megan. Megan with Megan. Industry, though.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying? Travis Scott.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yo, Mexican ot.

[Eddie]

He's from out there, right?

[Chad]

Bay City.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, Bay City. But it's right. It's right outside of the. To Houston. Really? We can walk there. It. It's like. It's so. Man. It's.

[Akash Singh]

It's its own industry.

[Ali Sadiq]

It's his, man.

[Akash Singh]

So J. Prince, you think is the. Is the battery behind Watts, man, it's just so many.

[Ali Sadiq]

I remember pulling up to a function, and it was just a line of Rolls Royces. This a line. Little old. This is a line of Rolls Royces. Right. None of this is rented. All this is owned and paid for. And I was just backing mine in, like.

[Akash Singh]

And is this an example of how, like, the record labels are extracting the majority of money from the artists?

[Ali Sadiq]

Yes.

[Akash Singh]

Like, when you go to Houston, you see the artists that are owning large percentages of their catalog, they're making.

[Ali Sadiq]

Man. Fat Bat Hawk before he passed Walness, man. Bro. K. Reno. I can name multiple rappers who just. Good. Like, they like, man. We good, right?

[Akash Singh]

Like, it is a profession there where it feels like outside of. And it's not just Houston. I think that, like, there are other areas that has popped up as well, but it doesn't seem like there's the most wealth that has been concentrated in that, like, area of independent artists, at least. But it. Okay, so here's a question. Drake has had this, like, perceived connectivity to Houston, and I think it's because of.

[Ali Sadiq]

That's because of jazz.

[Akash Singh]

Because the. Yeah, Jazz is his son, right?

[Ali Sadiq]

J. Prince Son.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah. And he seems to really like, lean into Houston and have this. It seems genuine again, I'm an outsider. I don't know. This appreciation of Houston, is that a business deal or is that, like, a real connection and affinity to those artists? Like, does Houston really embrace and welcome Drake in that way? And you don't have to give me, like, a fucking hot take or this is like.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't know.

[Akash Singh]

I'm just trying to ask from outside perspective.

[Ali Sadiq]

I don't know what his real relationship is because. Cause I'm not a part of it. I know what my real relationship is with them.

[Akash Singh]

And you. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, you. We genuinely happy to see each other all the time. No, just. Just see each other.

[Akash Singh]

Like, so it's like real friendship.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, Kiki, I was walking through Galleria. Kiki was trying to go find some little Kiki. And we saw each other. My son was right there. He's like, yo, man, you just hugged old boy. I said, that's Kiki. He's like, oh, shit. I didn't realize that. But he know him too. But it's like we have a genuine love for each other's success. I don't know what some outside artists situation is. You know, I know who I see, and I'm not talking about, oh, I came there for a weekend and did some. I'm talking about I know who I see on a consistent basis. You know, like, it's like. Like when I said about me and what it did. This is a. This is a. We don't have to be talking about no business. This is. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

You guys just chopping up. Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

When I. When I. I see face. Last time I saw face, we was at this spot called Davenports. I just stopped through and he was coming out. He was like, man, it's pack as hell in there, man. What you about to do? I'm like, well, I'm not going in there now since you told me that it was back.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

And then we. I think we walked to a food truck or something. Like, it's the. You know, I was genuinely hurt when BK King pass. You know, like, when, man, we, like, Ro. Me and Ro. Our relationship is different.

[Akash Singh]

Row.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah. Zero.

[Akash Singh]

Okay.

[Chad]

Okay.

[Ali Sadiq]

You. You. If you listening, you would know a lot of. Okay, you get your pass.

[Akash Singh]

Thank you. White privilege.

[Ali Sadiq]

No. So a lot of our artists, man, they just in their own bubble a lot of times when it comes to outside industry. So with Drake thing, I know that he was getting embraced because of affiliation, right? Not earned. Not earned. You know, nothing really earned. So. But you can go to any other city and do that same thing by affiliation.

[Akash Singh]

Right.

[Ali Sadiq]

But you got people like Luda that they actually have a, A real affection with.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, really?

[Ali Sadiq]

You know what I'm saying?

[Akash Singh]

Even though Luda's from Atlanta. Yeah, but he's just embracing loved in Houston.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah, it's it. He's embraced cuz he put time in there, you know, with certain artists. Everybody. When you get embraced, you gotta be like, I'm gonna tell you who embrace jj, not Jazzy Faye, Jazzy. For people to fucking love Jazzy Faye. You know what I'm saying? That's, that's a real thing, right? Without. With our R and B artists, you know, we have a lot of different genres of music. Most people don't even know Travis Scott from Houston.

[Akash Singh]

I think that he's reached such superstardom that he's just known as like, American musician. But you guys are like, nah, this is Houston.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because we get discredited credited for the artists that we do put out.

[Akash Singh]

That's the second they leave. It's like, we know that Beyonce is from Houston, but I don't know if she's thought of as Houston, but that's.

[Ali Sadiq]

Crazy because she's definitely.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ali Sadiq]

Represents so Houston.

[Akash Singh]

Yeah, yeah. That's interesting.

[Ali Sadiq]

Like, she's so Houston.

[Akash Singh]

You lose your identity as being from Houston the more popular you get. Even if you, you don't want that, like the rest of the world takes you on.

[Ali Sadiq]

Ask you a question. Is Jay Z embraced in New York? Like that?

[Akash Singh]

Of course.

[Ali Sadiq]

Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

I mean, yeah, this is.

[Ali Sadiq]

Is it? Of course or just by industry people. Are they people?

[Akash Singh]

No, no. I would even go so far as to loved. I, I, I don't even know if, I don't even know if Jay's embraced outside of New York. I would say that that's kind of a hot take, but like, where we put him, like, I, I don't know.

[Chad]

If they pretend he had no idea about Diddy. It's like really crazy. They're like, there' you and it's like, well, that's weird.

[Akash Singh]

Like, his, like, in our minds, he's, he's, he's a stadium act in all countries around the world. I don't know if, if he is that, but in our minds, he is. Is that fair?

[Ali Sadiq]

St. I'm talking about away from the act. I'm talking about beloved.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, he's. He is unbelievable. It's, It's Yeah.

[David]

Good. In any hood, he can walk around. Yeah.

[Akash Singh]

Like, for us, like, walk.

[Ali Sadiq]

No, I, I don't think y' all really Understand what I'm talking about? Oh, what are you talking about? Muhammad Ali embraced with no security, with. No. None of that. You just. What? You just. Outside, like. Like I'm outside. He doesn't.

[David]

He doesn't do that.

[Akash Singh]

But he could.

[David]

But he can.

[Akash Singh]

I think he's got that much in New York.

[David]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Ali Sadiq]

Okay.

[Chad]

As an outsider. The way they love him is like. Yeah, it's. I think for us, it's like, I'm a Texas kid.

[Akash Singh]

Jay Z is. Is like. So there's two different things. It's like, like, again, I, you know, I'm curious your perspective, too, but it's like, who do I want to hang out and kick it with? As far as, like, New York goes, rappers goes? It's like 50. I want to just. If I'm going to party, if I'm going to hang out, who watch? I just want, you know, 50 is just gonna make everything hilarious. And he's gonna say wild jokes is gonna be. He's the goat, right? And. And then there's Jay Z, who is like, oh, this is the.

[Ali Sadiq]

The.

[Akash Singh]

The businessman tycoon. So I think that there's a lot of inspiration, which is almost like, unfair for 50 in terms of, like, what he's achieved in his career as well. Like. But I think you look at these two people, and despite obviously some, you know, rough stuff that's gone on in hip hop or at least in, like, gang life, 50 Cent could go wherever the he wants. Jay Z could go wherever the he wants. And they are just Mount Rushmore in New York City. There's two. There's not four. Four, there's two.

[Ali Sadiq]

And. Which is. Which is crazy, cuz y' all.

[Akash Singh]

Biggie, rest in peace. I'm talking about alive, y' all.

[Ali Sadiq]

Y' all are. Put these. Y' all put those two rappers on a Mount Rushmore and forget about all the rest of them. Nobody is above Rakim. Not neither one.

[Akash Singh]

You're talking about a generational thing right now. And I think that, like, older heads will look at a Rakim and they'll be like, this is. Is, you know, the greatest rapper we produce. I think the younger people don't. They're not as familiar with a Rockham.

[David]

And also another thing with God, New York. Yeah. Something that's different from New York compared to Houston. It sounds like we have the crabs in the barrel mentality. Like, it. It could only be one. You choose your guy, and now you got to go hard for your guy instead of just embracing everybody and loving everybody.

[Ali Sadiq]

And they even Beat suspect Heavy D. And I'll be like. Like, yo, y' all losing y' all goddamn mom.

[Akash Singh]

But again, this is. But this is like, this is. This is like dumb generational where it's like, I think that does exist.

[Chad]

Same Bill Russell type.

[Akash Singh]

This competitive nature, like Bill Russell type.

[Ali Sadiq]

We have to choose.

[Akash Singh]

We have to choose between Nas.

[Chad]

So we don't appreciate it.

[Ali Sadiq]

Big Daddy Kane.

[Chad]

Nas is going to get disrespected by the young generation.

[Ali Sadiq]

The whole thing is just. Cuz you didn't see it doesn't mean that it didn't set the fork the. The foundation for what you doing now.

[Akash Singh]

True truth. But they don't know.

[Chad]

You're absolutely right.

[Ali Sadiq]

You know why they don't know? Because y' all are not teaching them. No, no, no. I'm just going with the Charlemagne.

[Akash Singh]

No, Charlamagne says this exact same. He's like, we're not celebrating the people who have laid the foundation. We're not celebrating the OGs enough. There's this like, immediate reaction to like, what is hot and new now. Instead of embracing the legends, music in.

[Chad]

Particular is so youth driven.

[Akash Singh]

Whereas it does feel like in Houston, there's still an embracing of. Of the legends. But I also think they keep putting out music. It's like these guys, they're not taking.

[Ali Sadiq]

Time off for a long time. They going, they gonna stay screw in every song.

[Chad]

Yeah, pimp.

[Ali Sadiq]

Because it's in Pimp and I and Bun. I didn't even mention Bun Bun on a whole other level. But it's just, man.

[David]

But it's a cultural mentality thing because over there, you guys all get along. Like we, our major artists, used to beef with each other. So how you gonna root for the guy who's beefing with my guy?

[Ali Sadiq]

We've beef beef with each other before too. We just never let y' all in on the beach.

[Akash Singh]

Oh, that's family business.

[Chad]

Yeah, that's some Southern too. Yeah, that's some stuff.

[Akash Singh]

There's also another thing. You gotta get out of here. You got a flight. But I don't know what you miss. But like, there is one little thing that I would also say is that there are so many people that move into New York and a lot of New Yorkers that grow up here end up moving out. So there is this kind of like refresh of New Yorkers every 20 many years. So a lot of these new people that moved in from all these other places, they don't remember going to the tunnel and seeing these artists. Yeah, right. So they just have no connectivity to it. The OGs that are, like, staying here tell the stories about it, but then the young people, like, I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't lived that way. So because of that kind of like.

[Chad]

Recycling, every friend I have from Houston moved back. It's crazy. Yeah, every friend moved back.

[Akash Singh]

I do think that that plays a little bit.

[Ali Sadiq]

How would you come home when you come home?

[Chad]

I'm never going back to Dallas to live. It's a giant strip.

[Ali Sadiq]

You gotta play.

[Akash Singh]

You gotta play. Listen, Alicia D. Go check out Rugged. Go check out. I think you gotta check out parts one through four.

[David]

Watch everything.

[Akash Singh]

Just watch it all through. Go check. There's tons. It's gonna be in your algorithm and you're gonna enjoy it. We wish you much success, my man. And I definitely see it in the.

[Ali Sadiq]

Future when we doing the tour together.

[Akash Singh]

Establishing now.

[Ali Sadiq]

We got.

[Akash Singh]

This is a fantastic idea.

[Ali Sadiq]

Independence.

[Akash Singh]

Independence forever. Until they drop 100 mil in our.

[Ali Sadiq]

Bags and then we go.

[Akash Singh]

We might be a little dependent.