Club Shay Shay - Bow Wow Part 1

Summary

Club Shay Shay – Episode: Bow Wow Part 1
Release Date: April 30, 2025
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: Bow Wow

---

Introduction

In this engaging episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL legend Shannon Sharpe sits down with the multifaceted entertainer Bow Wow. They delve into Bow Wow's illustrious career in both music and acting, his early life in Columbus, Ohio, interactions with industry giants, and personal growth over the years.

---

Early Life and Background

Growing Up in Columbus, Ohio

Bow Wow reminisces about his childhood in Columbus, emphasizing the simplicity and camaraderie of his early years.

[04:33] Bow Wow: "Best memories growing up in Columbus, Ohio? Just being a kid, you know what I mean?"

He discusses the local spots like the United East Skating Rink where he and his friends would hang out, highlighting how Columbus remained close to his heart despite moving to Atlanta later in life.

[05:08] Bow Wow: "But Columbus is my heart. It's my soul, it's my everything."

Family Dynamics and Aspirations

Bow Wow shares insights into his family life, particularly his relationship with his father and stepfather. He reveals his initial dream of basketball stardom, aiming to attend Duke University, and how a pivotal conversation with his mother redirected his path towards entertainment.

[05:55] Bow Wow: "I wanted to hoop. But I realized it wasn't working out, so I shifted my focus."

---

Career Beginnings

Meeting Industry Legends

A significant moment in Bow Wow's early career was meeting Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre, who recognized his potential and mentored him. This relationship was instrumental in shaping his career trajectory.

[12:37] Bow Wow: "When Snoop brought me out, I knew I was about to embark on something big."

He recounts his experiences touring with major artists and how these opportunities propelled him into the limelight at a young age.

Transition from Music to Acting

Bow Wow discusses his seamless transition from a child rapper to an actor, highlighting his role in "Like Mike" as a turning point that expanded his horizons beyond music.

[51:38] Bow Wow: "Acting brought me stability and a different kind of happiness that touring couldn't offer."

---

Music Career Highlights

Rise to Fame

Bow Wow details his ascent in the music industry, from winning local talent shows in Columbus to achieving multi-platinum success. He shares anecdotes about his performances, including selling out Madison Square Garden at a young age.

[05:46] Bow Wow: "Selling out Madison Square Garden three times before turning 16 was unreal."

Navigating Competition

He reflects on his early competition with peers like Lil Romeo, emphasizing that his focus was always on personal growth rather than rivalry.

[41:46] Bow Wow: "I never felt competitive because I was just focused on doing me."

---

Acting Career Highlights

Breakthrough Roles

Bow Wow elaborates on his roles in movies such as "Like Mike" and "Lottery Ticket," sharing behind-the-scenes experiences and interactions with co-stars like Mike Epps and Cube.

[57:56] Bow Wow: "Working with Mike Epps and Cube was a learning experience that solidified my passion for acting."

Interacting with Celebrities

He shares memorable interactions with sports legends like Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, providing unique insights into their personalities and work ethics.

[63:36] Bow Wow: "Playing one-on-one with Kobe was intense. He was relentless, and it taught me a lot about dedication." [67:42]

---

Personal Growth and Reflections

Maintaining a Childlike Spirit

Despite his fame, Bow Wow emphasizes the importance of staying grounded and retaining his childlike enthusiasm.

[17:07] Bow Wow: "I’ve always remained a kid at heart, no matter how big I got."

Financial Management

He touches on his experiences managing substantial earnings, including his first major purchases upon turning 18, illustrating the challenges and responsibilities that come with financial independence.

[77:07] Bow Wow: "When I turned 18, managing my finances was a learning curve, but it was essential for my growth."

Legacy and Future Endeavors

Bow Wow contemplates his legacy, drawing parallels between his early aspirations and his current status in the entertainment industry. He expresses a desire to continue evolving, both as an artist and as a business-savvy individual.

[48:05] Bow Wow: "Legacy is everything. I want to leave a mark that transcends my early success."

---

Conclusion

In this insightful conversation, Bow Wow opens up about his journey from a young talent in Columbus to a renowned figure in music and acting. Shannon Sharpe skillfully navigates the discussion, allowing Bow Wow to share personal anecdotes, career milestones, and lessons learned along the way. This episode offers a comprehensive look into Bow Wow's life, making it a valuable listen for fans and newcomers alike.

---

Notable Quotes:

• Bow Wow on Columbus: "But Columbus is my heart. It's my soul, it's my everything." [05:08]

• On Transitioning to Acting: "Acting brought me stability and a different kind of happiness that touring couldn't offer." [51:38]

• On Legacy: "Legacy is everything. I want to leave a mark that transcends my early success." [48:05]

Transcript

[Ryan Reynolds]

T Mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com keepandswitch up to 4 lines of your virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualifying unlock device, credit service support in 90 plus days device knowledgeable carrier and timely redemption required. Card has no cash access and expires in six months.

[Bow Wow]

When it's tip off time at my house There are a few things that are must haves on my checklist my fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey. It is good luck. Check an iconic drink that's a fan favorite? Check Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard on my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth. So grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17% alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely. Drink wisely.

[Unknown]

Okay? Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. The fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back and degree listen and that doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up and are bringing the original Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason why it's the number one men's antiperspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart Target and try the OG Cool Rush for yourself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn. I just knew you didn't know about this.

[Unknown]

I was you went public and you posted it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You good you post it.

[Unknown]

I would know that you not hosting me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's why I was insinuating. I'm trying to keep it low key. I'm trying to all my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice hustle, paid the price Want a slice got to roll a dice that's why all my life I've been grinding all my Life all my life Been grinding All my life Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price Want.

[Unknown]

A slice, got to roll a dice.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That'S why all my life I've been grinding all my life.

[Unknown]

Hello, welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay. I am your host, Shannon Sharp. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay Shay. Stopping by for conversation on the drink today is one of the originators of aura, one of the most influential people in hip hop. One of hip hop's biggest name and most recognizable voices. He's earned a spot in the Guinness Book of World Record as the youngest solo rapper to have a number one hit on the US R B and rap chart. He sold out Madison Square Garden three times before the age of 16. He has a career spanning over 25 years. He sold 10 million albums. He and he's only 38 years of age. A certified child prodigy, a former teenage sensation, an era defining artist, a gifted performer and well rounded entertainer. He has multi platinum selling songs and chart topping tours. A Hollywood blockbuster actor and a global star. A TV personality and a host. A one of a kind creative and outsized personality. A business savage entrepreneur. A significant figure in the early 2000s. He's an influence on the culture and he's undeniable. Here he is, ladies and gentlemen. Bow wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

What's up big dog?

[Unknown]

How was that intro, bro?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I love that intro. I was caught up in. That was dope.

[Unknown]

You like damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I did all that.

[Unknown]

I did all that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That was fire.

[Unknown]

So when you know what, I don't know if you drink anything, bro, but I got. You got to just. You got to just sip.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was always told like if you walk into somebody's house having a drink, you gotta have it. So.

[Unknown]

To the success, bro. 25 years.

[Shannon Sharpe]

25. Woo woo. It's that brown too.

[Unknown]

Yeah. God damn, Bob.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's smooth though.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Almost a sip on. Yeah, we gonna sip like a shot. Like a shot. All right. I thought it was a shot.

[Unknown]

Thanks for coming. Stop. Thanks for stopping by. I really appreciate it. I know you're busy and you took time out of your busy schedule to give us a few moments of your time. So I greatly, greatly appreciate.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Likewise.

[Unknown]

Let's go back to where it all started. Columbus, Ohio. What's your best memories of growing up in Columbus, Ohio?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Best memories growing up in Columbus, Ohio? Just being a kid, you know what I mean? Just being a kid and doing what young boys like to do.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Playing football. Of course, that went kind of fast once I got hit for the first time. I remember telling my stepdad at the time, like, yo, I'm going to defense. I think I'm about to move to db, right? I think that I want to do the hitting. I don't want to get hit no more. So just things like that, just, you know, places that I used to hang out, you know, United East Skating Rink was. Was. Was like the. The thing growing up, me and my boys used to go to the skating rink, get dropped off all the time, and, you know, that's where all the little girls would be at. And we'll think we doing something up there, but just. It's just a peaceful place for me. When I think about Columbus and growing up there, being raised there for. For the time that I was there before I came to Atlanta.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

But Columbus is my heart. It's my soul, it's my everything.

[Unknown]

You get back much?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You wanna go back?

[Unknown]

Yeah. Do you get back?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, we just. I just left. We was just in Cleveland, which was crazy how everything is aligned because it was my birthday. So it was kind of emotional returning home. Sold out crowd. Birthday brought out some legends. I brought out Bone Thugs, you know, of course, they're from Cleveland. Had a chance to bring them out, and Jermaine came out, Jermaine Dupree and JD came out, surprised me, did a little speech live on stage. I got kind of teary eyed and start, you know, crying. So the people of Ohio, they know how much, you know, Ohio means to me. Not just Columbus in particular, but just the whole entire state, period.

[Unknown]

But when you were growing up in Columbus, Ohio, what did you want to be? A football player? An athlete?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wanted to go to Duke.

[Unknown]

So you wanted to be a Hooper?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wanted to hoop. Like, I didn't know that, like, basketball players was as tall as they are like now, because I've been around them. I saw the movie and all that. But growing up, like, I didn't have no access to players. So on tv, everybody to me looked like normal height, like, right? And then I remember one day, somebody like, you too short to play. I'm like, what you mean? And I finally, like, I'm like, oh, damn. Yeah. Yeah, this ain't gonna work. Everybody's six feet up, like, it ain't gonna work. But that was my first. It was to go to Duke. And then I said, if that wasn't gonna work out. Jerry Maguire is, like, one of my favorite movies. I said, if I can't play the game, then I'd rather have some type of, you know, arm in it, which would Be a sports agent. So once I saw Andre McGuire, I was like, wow, there's a thing that I could do where I could still be around sports, but I don't necessarily have to get hit. I don't have to worry about breaking the limb or nothing like that, but I could still be in the game.

[Unknown]

Be close to it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Then that would be it.

[Unknown]

Right. So what was the dynamic of your family? So you have siblings. You mentioned your stepdad, your mom. So was your real dad. Did you know who he was? Was he around?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, Pops definitely know my pops. Me and my father, we had kind of like a. I wouldn't even say a weird relationship. My father, you know, indulged in alcohol. Lane, you know, I mean, was an alcohol. Like I said, I'm proud to say was too, because he changed his life.

[Unknown]

Wow, that's awesome.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Over, like, completely a whole different person where now we're able to catch up, you know, go have lunch. He's able to reach out to me now. So I always knew my. I always wanted the best for my father. And I think growing up without him, you always want that. That father figure, that person to be there. I mean, I've had him, but it's nothing like your own blood. And I wanted that with him. But, yeah, growing up, really, it was just me and moms. You know, my moms did get married at one point. That was cool. And, you know, but even before that, it's always been me and moms, and now it's me and moms. So it's me and moms loose and the wheels fall off.

[Unknown]

Right. You know what? Let's talk about this. And I just want to move past this. You're from Columbus, Ohio. There's another famous person from Columbus, Ohio, who's an all pro football player, played with the Pittsburgh Steelers, went to the Jets. I think he finished his career with Kansas City. And I don't know. I don't really know how it started by. Well, maybe you can add some context to this. I think you said, like, okay, I'm the most famous person, or I'm the.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I said I'm the biggest.

[Unknown]

You the biggest. From Columbus, Ohio.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay, that's how I feel. I mean, I'm supposed to feel like that anybody with some type of success, especially coming from a small city like that, I mean, we got a lot of legends. James Buster Douglas, God rest his soul, he's from Columbus. Myself, it's a list of others. Even Latto, right? A lot of people don't know Latto, Atlanta, but yeah, Lotto from Columbus.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, that's where she was born. Let me say that. But, yeah, man. I mean, it's just.

[Unknown]

Did you expect to get any kind of backlash?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I knew it. I knew it.

[Unknown]

Oh, you knew he was gonna say something or somebody was gonna.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I didn't know that Le'Veon was gonna say something, but I knew somebody was gonna say something just because of the energy. Look, it all stemmed from the national championship game, okay?

[Unknown]

The Buckeyes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Buckeyes is in Atlanta. It's rare that I get Columbus and Atlanta together, okay? And it's in Atlanta. We go to the Dome. I go to the suite. My boys. All my boys from Columbus, they. We all gotta. Well, they got the box. And so I'm looking. They like, you gotta have a drink. I'm like, I ain't got nothing over there. I drink. They're like, we got Tequila. I'm like, bro, I don't drink Patron. That's Patron, right? Happened to take a couple shots. We won. And I got on live, and it just. I just. I thought.

[Unknown]

I thought I won. Yeah, I thought. I.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I was trying to make it. People don't know this. I was trying to get to the field. My security said, bow, you just kept trying to get to the field. And I did get to the field, and they were celebrating. I'm like, yo, y'all gotta let me out there, right? They're like, ba. Man, we would, but we can't let. I'm like, you got to let me out there. Like, I'm the biggest thing from the. And riding off of emotions. I went on my live and I said what I said, but I didn't know that he was going to come back. And I will say this. I reached out to him as soon as I saw the video. I'm not like, most cash in. I'm not like the back and forth on the Internet.

[Unknown]

Try to keep it going. You try to settle.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'mma call you. So I hit him on a dm, like, yo, call me. I don't do the Internet gathering over my own thing. We spoke like men, passed it up. I told him where I was coming from with it. He apologized. Like, man, you know, I jumped out there not knowing, blah, blah, blah.

[Unknown]

I like that. I like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And the people spoke for me. I ain't had to say much, right? But I got love for Levi on. It's all good.

[Unknown]

Okay. I appreciate it. Did you know he was from Columbus?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, I knew.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I knew he was from Columbus.

[Unknown]

Okay. Yeah. Nice little Thing. So let me ask you this. So before you. Because, okay, you're in Columbus, Ohio, you say, I want to go to Duke, but you really come to the realization, it ain't working, it ain't gonna happen. And so now you shift your focus now, you realize they come to the realization, basketball ain't happening. Now, what is the focus?

[Shannon Sharpe]

The focus was just being a kid, okay. And letting it just happen.

[Unknown]

Okay?

[Shannon Sharpe]

So I remember at the time, I want to say I was on the football field, okay? And my mother walked up to the fence and she was like, come here. And I was like, all right, what's up? So we're going to Atlanta tomorrow. I'm like, for what? And she's like, I know you said you just wanna live a normal life. You wanna be a kid. You don't wanna do the thing. Cause after the whole Death Row thing fell out, I was over the music business. I was like, I'm done with it. So. But there's this guy by the name of Jermaine Dupri I want you to meet. I'm like, who? He found Kris Kross. And growing up, I was so envious of Kris Kross.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause when Snoop had me, I felt like that was my time, even though it wasn't. And I was like, I don't wanna meet him. I don't wanna go nowhere. I'm in full pads and gear. I'm like, I don't wanna go.

[Unknown]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wanna be right here.

[Unknown]

I'm about to get this pic, Momma, Take it to the house.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wanna be a kid. I don't wanna do that, man. My mama, like, I don't wanna hear nothing you got to say. You. We going. And sure enough, I. I never look back.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Unknown]

So what? As have you playing sports and being a kid, so obviously your mom realized that you have a talent. So you're doing talent shows.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

So are you in a group?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No group.

[Unknown]

No group is you solo. It's me solo, rapping, doing R B. So what. What. What is. What is your. What is your spiel? What. What are you doing?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Believe it or not, it was comedy. My mom bought me that red, white and yellow blue Fisher Price microphone set. I used to always mimic people. I used to always mimic stuff. So it went from that to my mom playing rap music. I got a young mom. So from that, then it went to, okay, he want to be an entertainer.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

There's something in him. We just don't know what it is. Is it the comedian stuff? Is it the music? But the way I would hold a comb or remote control resembling a microphone in my movements, I just knew how to imitate what I saw, right? And then, you know, that one special night when Snoop and Drain Them came to Columbus, I had a night. I had a chance. That was my chance, and that was my night to really flex what I've been not really working on, but that I just possessed. Like, it just. It was just second nature to entertain and just have fun with it, right? And then I think when mom saw that and saw me up on that stage front of all them people, and then Snoop and Dre wanted to meet me, right? That's when it clicked for Mama.

[Unknown]

Like, okay, this is what he's doing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This boy about to be a rapper, right? I don't want you focus on nothing else. Rap, rap, rap. When you get out there, they gonna take care of the school and all that, right? This is who you are. And I never look back.

[Unknown]

But you had originally, before you became Bow Wow, you was Kid Gangster.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, how you get. How did you get?

[Unknown]

Did you give yourself that name or somebody gave you that name?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, somebody gave me that name. Cuz I love gangsta rap, right? You know what I mean? My mom, Like I said, even with.

[Unknown]

That heavy cursing, your mom would let you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, let me hear all that. Let me hear all that. Like, that was me. That's me on Doggy Sound on Snoop album. All the kids cursing and all that. So it just fit me. And then I remember getting with Snoop, and he was like, what's your name? I was like, kid Gangster. He was like, this. That ain't gonna work. Then he looking like. But he little me, though, right? He little Snoop. And then he saying, lil Snoop, I'm the big dog. I'm the big Bow Wow. You. You Lil Bow, right?

[Unknown]

So Snoop gave you that name?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Snoop gave me the name.

[Unknown]

And it stuck. Stuck. You liked it, though.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It was weird at first. Cause I was so used to Kid Gangster. And I'm like, Lil Bow Wow. I'm like, it didn't really ring. And I remember him telling me, I want you to repeat it. Like, I want you to get comfortable saying that name. That's who you are. That's your name. Your name is Lil Bow Wow. And I was like, that's dope. And basically, it's like, no matter where you go in life, no matter who you sign with, no matter what you do, you gonna always have a piece of Snoop with you. Cause you are the little me, and I gave you that. So you know that name. Mean everything to me.

[Unknown]

So in other words, you were the first Lil. There are a lot of lil. There are a lot of lils, but you were the first.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was one of the first. Kim was out before I was a little.

[Unknown]

Kim. Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Kim was out before I was. Am I one of the biggest littles? Absolutely.

[Unknown]

So in the talent, when you did talent shows in Columbus, you were rapping.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct.

[Unknown]

You win them, you win all your shows.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Killing them.

[Unknown]

You're killing them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Jack the Rapper. That's one of, like, the biggest hip hop.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Jack the Rapper was here in Atlanta.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep, yep.

[Unknown]

So you came to Jack the Rapper did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Jack the Rapper did all that. I was at everything, like, opened up for Tupac and Yo yo, back in the day. Yeah, man, I wanna find that picture so bad. That picture's so tough. Yeah. Opening up for people. I mean, I was doing everything. I mean, you name it, man. I was. I remember doing valses.

[Unknown]

You was a traveling.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. It was up.

[Unknown]

It wasn't just no okay in Columbus. And then I go to Cleveland and I go to Canton, and I go to these. Ohio. You was going state to state.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I really didn't have to move much because Columbus, you know, that's the capital. And then for me, being at Columbus isn't like a big city like in Atlanta or New York. If you ringing bells in anything, sports music, like, you can seriously own the town. They will get behind you in rallies to let you know, like, you here. So it's almost like I really didn't have to go nowhere. Like, a lot of the competitions that we were doing in Columbus, I was winning them. Performing at East High School was. It was, Man, I did it like, I've done it. And everybody in Columbus that they know like this boy, it didn't happen overnight. Remember Bow coming in here, sneaking in here. You know, his mom and them were. I mean, we. I. I did it all. I did it all.

[Unknown]

How did you learn that stage present? Were you ever nervous? Because it strikes me like you just a natural performer and nerves was never an issue with you, or did you have to develop that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I love that stage. I love the stage. It's.

[Unknown]

Cause your mom probably had you performing in front of family and friends at a very young age. So they come over, hey, baby, do that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. My mama be like, don't hold. Stop covering the damn mic. You can't cover the mic. You muffled. All y'all rappers wanna cover the mic. You gotta hold the mic right there underneath. I'm like, man, it just feel when I'M hosting, right? But when I'm rapping, I gotta get in my bag, right? LL Cool J.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

LL did it for me, watching him perform. So many similarities that I see when I look at L pertaining to myself. Heavy female records, the. The women fan base. But when you watch him perform, to me, that's my idol. That's my go to. That's my goat. That's the film that I watch. You know, we watch film and we study. I watch old El Cool J performances. And you will see the moves that I've stole from this man. I'm happy to say this. He knows this O my. He knows he's my goat. And when I watched him, I was like, yo, this dude rocks. Like, he rocks a crowd. That's what I want to do. I got a. It's cool to have a hit. It's cool to sound good on the record. It's cool to. But when people come see you live in concert, that pay their money and the music matches, but what they see live. Live is different, right? You, you, you got. You got it. So for me, I took. I take the stage very serious. And I come from that cloth. I come from that era where performing is everything, right? Rocking the crowd, rocking the house. So LL is the only person that I watch for that. And you'll see it, like little subtle things. The leg thing I do is all L. When I've been down, when I'm rapping fresh, I mend. I feel like I'm performing bad. I'm bad every night. When I do fresh, I really feel like I'm doing it bad. So he means so much to me, just performance wise and everything that he's done.

[Unknown]

Did you ever get nervous and forget a lyric or forget a step or something while you was on stage?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I. I did one time. One time I was in Chicago. That's when I first came out. Jermaine was on stage first. He brought me out to do bounce with me. I come out there, I kid you not. I wrapped the second verse on the first verse and it completely threw off everything. I'm hearing my ad lib saying different things. And I promise you, I remember like it was yesterday. The face that Jermaine had on. Oh, it was that. It was. Are you serious right now? Like, that's what it was, right? And I'm looking at him like he can see it in my eyes. But I'm just gonna keep rapping like he see. I'm gonna just keep it going, right? But I knew.

[Unknown]

Did the crowd know?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, they Most definitely knew.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But the thing is. Keep going. But I've had my mishaps. I done fell through holes on stage.

[Unknown]

Damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. Like, we know this, right? We. I have these things on stage sometimes where I get launched out of, right?

[Unknown]

Yes, yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you got to be careful, because if somebody else is coming up, if I have a surprise guest, it'll be down, right? So, you know, this wasn't this tour. This was the. Our first run with the Millennium. Well, my second. My first run with the millennium. And I had Soulja Boy in the Hole. And I forgot that the night before we did msg, I didn't have them because we couldn't bring our stage. So it's down. Soldiers in it waiting. And I kid you not. And I was a little hungover. It was my birthday the night before. I literally went missing. Bam. Fell on top of soldier. He in the hole. Like, what the hell is going on? I done fell on him and I said, bro, oh, my God. And then he looks at me, he go, man, you ain't doing what I think you did, bro. I said, bro, I fell through the hole. All these people. I said, we gonna stand up straight and we gonna come up together. And when we came up together, we came up laughing. And it was a moment. But my manager was like, yo, as soon as I got off the stage and said, you gotta post this before anybody else post it. So. But, yes, things happen. Things happen.

[Unknown]

So as a kid, were your mom allowing you to go to concerts as a kid and see some of this gangster rap and see some of these rappers? Do you remember the first concert you went to?

[Shannon Sharpe]

First concert I went to was the Chronic Tour. Wow. Snoop, Dre, Boss and Onyx, right? Yep.

[Unknown]

That was six years old.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep. I was there. I was there.

[Unknown]

And from that point on, you was hooked, gone. So they brought. So did you know they were gonna bring you out?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not at all. So AJ Johnson, God rest his soul, who plays Ezel on Friday. Yeah, he was the emcee, was the host of the tour. And during the intermission, he said, you know, anybody wanna come over here and think they got what it take? And, wow, he picked me out the crowd. Like, man, bring little man up. Oh, I'm talking about in front of, like, 16,000. I just started rapping. Rapping, you know, a little rap somebody might have wrote for me. Crowd going crazy. They throwing money on the stage. You know me. I stopped rapping. I'm grabbing the money. I'm like, man, this right here. I'm like, forget this. I'M like, damn. You know what I mean? And then crowd was going crazy. And Daz, actually, Daz was like, he was the one who saw me. And he said, man, I'm about to take you to the back and let you meet Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. I'm about to bring you back here, little homie. Cold, right? Brought me back there, met him, and that's when I met Dre and Snoop for the first time. We got this epic photo right at 6 years old in the middle of Dre and Snoop. And then that's when they was like, you know what? We gonna do this every night. We gonna bring him on the road, put him in the crowd, and we gonna yell like, who wanna come up? We gonna pick him every night, and we gonna let little man get off every night.

[Unknown]

Oh, so that's how that work.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Unknown]

Okay. So now I be knowing. Cause they be like, oh, and they be bringing this person up, and that person already be planning it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Might already been planning it, but that's where they stood with like, yo, nah, we gonna bring lil man with us. And I never look back.

[Unknown]

So when they told you, okay, we gonna do this. So when you go out there and they say, oh, dad takes you back, you meet Snoop, you meet Dre, and they say they gonna bring you out. Do you remember the song that you performed out there with him?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I definitely don't. I definitely don't. And it was towards, like the ending stretch of the tour, right? So what I do remember was as soon as the tour was over, they went in production for Snoop album for Doggy Styles. I was around when he made Doggy Styles. I was in studio sessions while.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They were making it and creating it. Like, I'm watching Unk in the booth. Like, I'm sitting out here just watching them work on this album, right? And that's how I got on the album, you know what I mean? From being there. Then I did a couple records that leaked. They on YouTube. They out, it's bad, it's bad. The language that I was using is crazy. They had me on something.

[Unknown]

Yeah. If CPS would have found out about it. They didn't came and got you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, my God, wouldn't they? I mean, it was crazy what they was on. They were really molding me to be Lil Snoop, like, for real. I had corrupt writing my rhymes. And, you know, at that time, it was just stuff that, you know, a seven, six year old shouldn't really be rapping about. And Snoop knew that. And then, you know, that's how that whole thing kind of played out.

[Unknown]

Did you feel like everything? Because it happened so quick. You're six years old, you're on stage, you had a concert, you see him, you go back, you start doing this. Did you feel like everything was coming easy?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not that it was coming easy. I feel like it wasn't coming fast enough.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Actually, you know. Cause once I got to la, a lot of artists. Well, I don't know about now, but I know back then a lot of artists had to sit on the label. We call that basically when they sign you. But you gonna wait your turn, right? Artist development, we gotta get you right and all of this type of stuff. So I just felt like I was ready.

[Unknown]

You felt you was already right. It wasn't no sense in waiting, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was ready. I wanted. You know what I mean? But obviously it wasn't my time. Kris Kross is on fire. ABC was out. I probably would have drowned. Like, they had the market sold up, you know what I mean? So it was perfect timing for Snoop to be like, you know what? I know the person I'mma put him with.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I know exactly where he need to go. Because this Death Row thing is just not it for him. Like, it's not safe. And I don't want him growing up being influenced by the gang culture. Now he banging and he doing this. I know exactly what to do with him. I'mma place him right with Jermaine Dupri. And I know he going to take him exactly where I know he need to go. Yep.

[Unknown]

But before that happened, you signed the Death Row and you moved to Cali and your mom didn't go with you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now mom's. Ain't my moms end up coming out there later.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But off the rip, I was staying with Nancy Fletcher. That's. That's one of Snoop's background singers at the time.

[Unknown]

How old you. You remember how old you were?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Probably like six, going on seven.

[Unknown]

And your mom didn't say eight. Go ahead. Yeah, That's a lot of trust.

[Shannon Sharpe]

A lot of trust. But trusted Nancy with everything. She was such a sweet person. Sweetheart. Took care of me, took me in, I lived with her. And I really wasn't around the guys much, like it was a home environment, even in la. Then my mom end up coming out there later and we end up getting an apartment.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I believe out in Sherman Oak somewhere, I think it was. And then from there my mom went back, and then I went back after her, back to Columbus, and that's when I wanted to Play football and just be a kid. Then we got that call, right? Time to come today.

[Unknown]

Wow. I mean, things are happening so fast. So, okay, now you rapping on a Dog style album you like. But Snoop, Snoop, not only he did you a favor twice. He brought you out there because he saw the talent in you, but he also saw that, you know what, what I'm rapping about and what this culture is about. He doesn't need to be a part of this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Unknown]

And he moves you along because did you know that's what he was doing it for? Or you thought, like, maybe I'm not good enough and they don't believe in me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It never was a moment where I felt like I wasn't good enough. I understood. Cause it was so hard.

[Unknown]

Did he explain that to you?

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, he never did.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But it was so self explanatory. It didn't have to. The writing was on the wall. I seen it. Okay. Just being around, witnessing the things that was going on and seeing what Snoop was going through.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I knew he didn't have time to focus on no artist. He had to focus solely on himself. And he felt like that was so selfish. It would be selfish of him to worry about him, but still having me near. I'm getting older. I'm getting older. And it's like, man, this dude, I know this kid can go, right? I just gotta put him with somebody. I don't wanna be the reason he doesn't make it. He has to make it. And we done moved him out here, the next thing for him is boom. JD and it was almost like. Almost like dropping off your kid and come back to get him. It was like, Here you go, J.D. but look, nephew, I'mma swerve around the block a little later on. We gonna meet. All right? And once I got hot, it was up and first album, second single, Snoop Me and Dog, number one. So it was like he was right. I'mma place you there and we gonna. I'm gonna come back around and come get you. Yeah, I'm gonna come get you. And he got me when it was.

[Unknown]

On Dog Father, you Gin and juice. Did you know what gin and juice was?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nope. I just remember seeing this green bottle all the time at Laraby Studios with the little red circle on it. I'm like, man, why y'all be having that around? And there was always some orange juice around, right? I'm like, what is that? Like that's tangled around Eric? That was the thing back then, right?

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You don't hear like you don't hear nobody talking about. Nobody talking about, hey, bring me 20 bottles of gin. Like, you don't hear that. Like, that's not the thing. But, yeah, I had no clue. I just knew. This is green bottle with this red sticker on it. And it's always in the studio or it's around, and it's always next to some damn orange juice. I don't. I don't get it.

[Unknown]

But around that time, Tupac was around.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

And I read that you tried to sneak in the studio.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, absolutely.

[Unknown]

With Pac was in here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely. Just one thing about me. I always remained, like, being a kid.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No matter how big I got, no matter what I was doing, being a child meant everything to me.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know? And yeah, that's true. Pac was working. And I'm like, I gotta see this. I wanna see it. I wanna see him. And I don't even know if he even remembers me. Cause I opened up for him years, years back. But I don't even think, you know, it's the same kid. You know what I mean? So definitely try to sneak in. Most definitely. I wanted to see that approach. But I'm glad I got the chance to watch Snoop, though, because to be there to witness watching him create one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time and say he was in the same room and watched it. I was. And back then, how the tracks were, you know, they used to have to get the razors and cut the. Cut the tape. Like, it was amazing watching how it all came together. Yep. I was there for it. Like, I hear these. If I play doggy style now, it's like, it's weird for me because every song I just remember where I was. Like, I love. I'm glad that I was able to have that moment.

[Unknown]

Was Suge around during that time?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, most definitely. Suge was around, right? 100%, most definitely.

[Unknown]

So you left. So Snoop drops you off at Jermaine Dupree.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Unknown]

What was your first interaction? What was your first conversation with J.D. like.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why you late? Damn, why you late? That was it. And he couldn't believe it. Cause you gotta think I. I despise. Like, I didn't really rock with JD at first.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because of the crisscross stuff. So I'm like, man, now I'm about to go work with the person who put the. Put them in motion. And I don't know, man. What if he tried to sabotage? I don't know, man. I don't know. I wanna be with my Unc, man. I Want a dog, man? I wanna be with Snoop. And I remember he picked me up in Buckhead, me and my mom from the Hyatt Hotel.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And all. JD Correct me if I'm wrong. I don't know if it was the black one or the white one. He had two Bentleys, right? Big boy Bentleys, right? And he picked me up at 1. Never seen a Bentley in my life. So I'm walking into the hotel, I'm like, man, you late.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile with.

[Shannon Sharpe]

A message for everyone. Paying Big Wireless way too much. Please, for the love of everything good in this world, stop with Mint. You can get premium wireless for just $15 a month.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Of course, if you enjoy overpaying.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No judgments. But that's weird. Okay, one judgment.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Anyway, give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to 15 per month required Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full terms@mint mobile.com when it's tip.

[Bow Wow]

Off time at my house there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check My favorite jersey. Check. An iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth and just like the banners in my stadium. Letting people know that we take championships seriously. Having Hypnotic at my watch parties lets people know that I also take quality seriously since it's crafted with high quality ingredients for a championship level drinking experience. So the next time you need a break from the action with a distinctive timeout, look no further. Grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17 alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely, drink wisely.

[Unknown]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them, it's the right thing to do. But we all know Degree Cool Rush deodorant well. Last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with the fans. Degree's whole thing. It turns up sweat and other protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does cuz Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the OG Formula. One guy even started online petition. And degree Listen, they admitted they effed up and are bringing back that OG Cool Rush scent back. And it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp, and fresh. It's back at Walmart, Target, and other stores for under $4. There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy when the recipe was changed. So listen, if you've never tried, it might be a good time to try. See what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target and try the OG degree Cool Rush for yourself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, he had me and my mama sitting at dog till all day. Like, he like, damn, that's crazy. Like, this kid is a star. Like this. The first thing he's telling me, I'm like, yeah, man, cuz, he look like a kid to me too. Jermaine was fun and short. I'm taller than him now. But like, I just.

[Unknown]

But y'all was close to the hype back then.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We was close to height back then. And I'm just like, that was it. I was like, you late. And then the first question I asked him, I said, yo, why this car ain't got no logo on it? It's just a B on here. Like, what? I never seen it coming from Columbia. I've never seen no car with just a B on it.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

There's a Bentley. I'm like, I never. I don't know what that is. But all I know, Shannon, he had the thick rabbit fur. You know what I'm talking about? He was coming to Bentley. I mean, I was like, nah, this different. This, this, this.

[Unknown]

Okay, I like this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's something. Yeah, yeah, we ain't got these. And. And then from there, he knew exactly what to do. He's like, went to the crib, went to his house, flexed it on me. Eleven cars in the driveway, never seen nothing like it. Boy had two Bentleys, Porsches, Rovers, the 745s when they was out back then. I mean, Ferraris, man. JD Was wilding. And when I saw that I'm where I was, I was like, mama, I'm kind of glad Unc passed you up here to J.D. i ain't see this. This different.

[Unknown]

I'm like, you saw six folds out there, huh?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, listen. I'm like, man, J.D. he.

[Bow Wow]

He.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I will say this. The first man that I seen. I'm on two eyes that I Seen myself, and I said, dang, I want him to be like, he's what I. I look up to him as. As a father figure. Jermaine filled that void that my father left. You know what I'm saying? Like, when I saw him, I knew, man, I want to make him happy. I want to. I want to make him the most money so we can keep buying cars. I want.

[Unknown]

He.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He. He showed me the BluePR, everything he got, plus more, right? And, you know, that's like being a kid on the block and you see the dude come around in the S550, you like, damn, that's gonna be me one day. I just gotta know how to get to it. And when I saw that, I'm like, all right, this is.

[Unknown]

How old were you at that time?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm probably like, 11 now. Okay, probably like 11. JD had me like, 11, right? So when I saw Shane, I was like, when we get in that studio, that's what I wanna do, right? And he made me sit for a minute. We did a song on the Wild Wild west soundtrack for Will Smith. It ain't Do Nothing, and the song Ain't Do Nothing, but it made it to the soundtrack, but it ain't do nothing. It wasn't. He was just making sure I was ready. But I was so happy to do that record. And I remember playing that song all the time, like, all right, we got some chemistry. We gonna make some magic here. This is up. This is me and you for life. For sure.

[Unknown]

You understood. You said he had Kris Kross, Brad, Usher. So you knew he had made big stars. And you're like, well, hell, he did it for them. He can do it for me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

Without your thought process, you think that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And there's sometimes where it could be a top producer and it don't happen for you like that. Like, I've seen cats come to so death and it might not work out for them, right? And I see them leave so. So death and they blossom. So every situation ain't. It's totally different. You know what I mean? Yeah, but Jermaine just. He. I told him, I said, listen, if I'm not the biggest artist you ever had on your label, then I failed. Like, I want to be the biggest artist you ever had, stand next to you. That's what I want to be.

[Unknown]

Why do you think you and JD had the chemistry that you guys. That you guys possess? You had it. You felt it right off the bat. Why do you think there was such great chemistry between you two?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think because Jermaine is the only child, and I am, too.

[Unknown]

Oh, okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And also, being at Jermaine was still.

[Unknown]

Y'all the same place.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That, too. And I just think that he might have always wanted a little brother.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I always wanted a big brother or father, and I never had it.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And he never had. Until we met each other. Right? So at first, it started out like, that's big bro. That's big bro. That's little bro. Then it's like, nah, that's really like your son, bro. Like that, man. Me look up to you. Y'all talk alike. Yeah. Walker, everything. And it was true. And I think that's what made it so perfect. I was looking for something, and he was probably looking for something, and then boom. Like, to this day, he like, I ain't gotta have no son. I got. He is my son. Bow is my son. That's my son. He'll say it. Say it proudly, too.

[Unknown]

Working with Usher, did you feel like he was gonna be able to do that? Because you said a lot of times you see guys that be with these great producers and they don't find success over there, they go somewhere else that the producer that's not as known, but he had Usher and Usher was just. Fire exploded.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was there for that. I was there. Look, man, I had to confess this album before anybody had it on a burnt disc, like, coming, like, from the studio, though, right? Jermaine used to ride around to it before it even came out. I knew what that was gonna be. And just. Yeah. And not only just my projects that Jermaine has worked on, but being there for the Confessions album and watching him and Brian Michael Cox, how they did it, and, you know, it only inspired me more. And I remember Jermaine, like, he sent me to an Usher concert one time. Like, I need you to go get inspired. I think you just getting a little bit too relaxed. So he sent me off to Usher's concert, and I believe it's a Confessions tour. I went and I was just mind blown. I was like, man, all right, I gotta. I gotta fill it again. I gotta get it. I gotta turn it back up. So Jermaine is just a wizard of. He just knows. He just knows how to put you in certain situations. He knows that each artist is different, but he knows how to tap into each one of his artists. But I definitely told him, if I sign with you, if I'm a roll with you, I want to be the biggest artist you ever had.

[Unknown]

He did that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did that.

[Unknown]

When you started to blow up Bounce with me. You had that's my name, Puppy love, Ghetto girls. How did that change your life? Now you're in a different stratosphere.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now it's on.

[Unknown]

Did you act differently or were you still the same bout?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was bad as hell. I was bad as hell. I was bad as hell. I would go, listen. Okay, so around this time, this triple platinum battle, this is the first album, right? Man, I'm pulling up to the so so Deaf offices, going out, hitting the power surges. Boom, boom, boom. Lights go off in the office. Everybody computers, meetings going on. They're like, what the hell? Jermaine banding me from the studio. Jermaine banning me from the office.

[Unknown]

Damn, you cutting up like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was a bad kid. Like, I knew. And that's why I believe when people ask me, like, how do you think you still have your head on your shoulders? I'm like, because I had my childhood, right? You know, Nobody took that away from me. I played. Like I said, I played football. But even when I was famous, I remained a kid. I was pulling pranks on people. Like I said, turn off the power at the office. I just had no care. And not only being a superstar, a young superstar, but I'm still a kid, so I got that. Ha ha. There's really nothing you can say right now, right? Cause I'm paying your bills. I'm paying your bills. I'm paying your bills. I'm keeping the lights on so I can turn these lights off whenever I feel like it. So. And I'm a kid, so there's only so much you're gonna do but call my mama, right? That's all you can do or tell Jermaine. And Jermaine be like, stop.

[Unknown]

And I ain't stopping.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I ain't stopping. So, yeah, I remained a kid, bro. And if. If. If Jermaine was here, he'll tell you, that's one thing that boy did. He. We could be anywhere. He just always, at that time, he was a kid, and he remained that.

[Unknown]

What was your favorite? What's your favorite memory from that time?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Favorite memory from that time, it'd be selling Master Squad Garden.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. MSG for sure. The Garden. And it's so many moments. Like, I'm just sitting here thinking, there's so many. Me and Madonna. So many. So many memories. But that one right there was different for me, right? Because I'm like, all the history that happens, and it's been 13. A little boy from Ohio. Really?

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

16,000 kids in here. This is crazy. And Then to do it again, then to come back and do it again, and then to be 38 and we still doing it, it's a blessing. It's. I never, I never imagined.

[Unknown]

Did you think. I mean, because, I mean, I don't know. I'm trying to think, is there a child star that's as big as you were now? As big as you were back then? Because you had to. I mean, yeah. Teenage girls follow you, small girls follow you. Fainting. Just like, wanted to take a picture, wanted to get a glimpse of you. Wanted to see. Just wanted to see Bow Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, one person come to mind. The closest thing to Lil Battle would probably be Bieber. Okay, I'll give it to jb. That's my man. That only because he started young. I was 13 though, so I was the youngest. I'm not sure. I think Bieber might. Might be 13, 14, whatever. But the closest that I've seen because Chris started at 15, 16, right. He was already getting to it where, you know, me and B was probably like 13 years old. Right.

[Unknown]

Cause when Michael blew up, he was in the group, he wasn't solo like you and Beef like you. Like you were like Biebs were. He was with the Jackson 5. And then once he went on his own.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Good night. Good night. Good night.

[Unknown]

So what was the craziest fan interaction?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now this. This is good. I'm in Chicago.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I had three sold out shows in one day. All right. That's how they used to do them theater shows, right? We'll do like the 1:00, then the matinee, and then we'll do the 7:00pm one. Right. Three sold out shows in one day. It's crazy. So during, I want to say after the second show. Yep, after the second show, I go out to my tour bus and it's a loading dock and you just look up and you see all the fans waving their posters and screaming. And I just see legs, feet and bottom of tennis shoes in there. Girl jumped off the loading dock, off the bridge, like the tunnel, and lands on the top of my tour bus. And she was. I'd never seen her like that. And I was like, what the hell?

[Unknown]

She wasn't hurt.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nope. And she said, I'm not getting down until you sign this. Please, we gotta sign this. We had to call the fire department, had to come out, put the ladder up to the bus, get her down safely. I signed it for her and the rest was history. The funny thing is I've. And I know she's watching this I've met her again since, and she always reminds me, you know, who I am. I'm like, mm, I heard I jumped off your bus. I'd be like, oh, my gosh. And she's grown now, and every time I see her, it's funny, just she always bringing it up all the time. But yeah, that was wild.

[Unknown]

But during that time also, there was another little came out. Lil Romeo. Was that a healthy competition between you two guys?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I really didn't feel no competition, honestly, because I never really looked at him or nobody.

[Unknown]

Anybody else in your space.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. And it's not even from like an arrogant or thing. It's more of I was just focused on doing me. I didn't really have time to. You know what I mean? I feel big. I mean, 3 million records, I'm touring arenas. Like, there's really no right. I'm not trying to compete with nobody. I'm just doing my thing and I'm winning. I think during that time with him and me, when he came out, it was a lot of it was easy to compare.

[Unknown]

Right. Cause you're both young. You little Romeo.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You little bow wow. I got the Mickey Mouse, he got the Bugs Bunny. We both have two iconic hip hop gurus behind us. I got J.D. he got P. It was just so easy to pin us together. And me and Rome never wanted the fans to pick and choose and do all that.

[Unknown]

There's enough space for both of them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's enough space to eat. And we always had a cool relationship, you know what I mean? And I remember as we got older, he told me, like, bro, do you know why I did all that, bro? I did that cause I looked up to you, bro. Like, you know what I mean? Like, I was no different than every other little boy with braids, bro. It was you. Why you think I'm Harlem shaking in my videos? I know that's yours. Why you think I'm doing the Seawalk movie? I know that, but I looked up to you, bro, and I never told you that. And I want to say thank. And he gave my roses. When me and Soulja Boy did verses, he came on the stage and gave another speech like, bow you the Jordan, I'm the Kobe. And you know, Soulja Braun, however you put it. But yeah, I never in life had a problem with Romeo. Never in life. I think it was more of. And if he was here, he'll say the same thing. It was more of the people, the.

[Unknown]

Fans doing, trying to. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Stir up something to give the media and everybody something to Talk about. But we ain't let it happen, though.

[Unknown]

Have you ever been starstruck?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hell, yeah. On two occasions.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

One of them, I was bowed like. I'm like, me, I'm here now, right? Barack Obama got me. Really, man, to this day, I still feel like it was fake. I feel like it was a cutout. Like, was it really him?

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Bro, I went to the White House. Like, that's a big flex for me. Because I remember. I remember, like, we used to have to save up our money and ask our mamas for field trips. They used to take the bus up to D.C. yeah. Just so you can go 13 hour trip or 8 hour drive on a yellow bus to go stand outside the gate.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah. To see the White House, to see it not going inside.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not going inside it. I mean, nothing. I'm like, man, it's the boy. This the flex. Well, I've got a. I'm in here, right? Like, I'm looking. I'm. Man, what. I'm walking around. And they. And immediately they called our group Bam. Time to go downstairs and take pictures. I'm like, all right. I ain't know what to expect. I'm like, man, I'm damn, this crazy, man. You see it on my face. I'm like, man, this is wild. Like, I never thought, man, I walk, I hit that corner. Miss Michelle was right there. Obama right there. First thing he said, roll bounce. You know, we shot in Chicago. It's like, roll bounce. You already know. Let go. I'm like, oh, that's dope. You saw it. That's hard. I appreciate that. That's hard. And then we took the photo. Bro, if I. If we post a picture of myself and, bro, I had the biggest smile that probably the biggest smile you'll ever see on my face. Cause I just couldn't believe it. And I sent a picture right to my mom. And, you know, that was a moment right there. That definitely was a moment. And then the first time I met MJ, I call him Mr. Jordan, but Michael. But Mr. Jordan. I call him Mr. Jordan.

[Unknown]

It like he levitating in there. He don't seem real, does he?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I be trying to tell my boys that it's different. Y'all here, it's different. It's different. I know who your goat is. We gonna get to that later. But it's different.

[Unknown]

He don't seem real.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm trying to tell people it's different.

[Unknown]

Dude, levitate, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's different. It's different. And how we met for the first time Is crazy. Cause Marcus is one of my close friends. Pretty much grew up together. Every Scream tour, I stayed at the house, right? The house that they just sold. I will always stay there. And how we met was. We didn't even meet during, like, Mike, right? So just imagine. So I'm over at Marcus nem house. I told you, I'm a big Duke fan, right? That's a North Carolina. That's a Tar Heel house.

[Unknown]

You don't play that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I wore Reeboks to the house. I wore some opposites. That was my guy. Right after. After Marcus dad retired, AI was my man. That tapped the braid. I just saw me. So I'm in the house of the opposite. I wake up, me and Marcus in his room. We wake up in the morning, I just see that door crack open. Like a father, like a real dad. Hey, what bullshit is these? And Marcus looking like. I don't even. You already know. Don't even look at me. It's Jumpman forever, right? I'm on the floor asleep. I'm like, huh? He like DJs bow. I'm like, yeah. Shit's going in the trash. John Michael, man, Get a little man some kicks, man. I never saw my offices ever again.

[Unknown]

Marcus threw your shoes in the trash?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Threw my offices away. Gone. Gone. That was my introduction. And ever since then, anytime he see me, it's short shit. When you gonna grow? When you gonna grow? Some mention short shit. You still short as shit.

[Unknown]

Look at you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ain't gonna grow in grow ends. Look like he always gon pop it.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He going to pop it.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you know, that was probably.

[Unknown]

Wasn't even.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Probably the only two times I was like, oh, wow. Okay, okay.

[Unknown]

These photos.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ah, that's crazy.

[Unknown]

I mean, people don't know this, but you do realize, like, LeBron is only two years older than you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I know. Do you see how, like, tall he is? Yo, I got one of the coldest pictures. That's crazy.

[Unknown]

Beyonce's five years older than you. So how old do you think you are in this picture?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm probably like 13. And I feel like 14. No, 13. Probably 13 going on 14. Or I might be 14.

[Unknown]

That's it. I think. No, look at this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That picture is incredible.

[Unknown]

Is this when you, like, you're like 6? How old are you here?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause that's whole, genuine. I'm like 13 right there.

[Unknown]

Hold on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's probably all in the same time. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cause was my album out then? I want to say no, I don't think. Beware of we were probably working on my album at the time. Cause I got the Iced Out Mickey Mouse chain, so. I got the chain already. But I don't think Bounce with Me came out. It was about to come out, right? Yep. This around Money Ain't a Thing era. Cause I came out and performed with jay Z&JD in Atlanta here at the Atrium. So, yeah. Yeah, that's around that time.

[Unknown]

When you see those pictures, what goes through your mind?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is that kid 78 years old now or yet? Legacy. Legacy.

[Unknown]

Do you remember how old are you in this picture? 13?

[Shannon Sharpe]

16. 16 in that picture? Yep. Bron was about to go to LeBron at 18. I was 16. And I was at TRL when we did that. I got a cold picture of LeBron after that, when he got to the league that I've never shared with nobody, right? And I told myself, my boy noticed. I said, the day he retired, I'm gonna post it. I got a fire picture in Atlanta, too.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

LeBron fire. Can't wait. I can't wait to post it.

[Unknown]

You did the remakes Jumping Destiny's Child remix. What was your interaction with them? I mean. Cause to meet Beyonce. Cause at the time, they're Destiny's Child. Beyonce hadn't gone off on her own yet, but they're still there. The hottest women's group out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely, absolutely.

[Unknown]

And so you meet them. So what's going through your mind?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I go to Houston for the first time with JD And Brian Michael Cox. We go down there. They working on the record. I'm in the studio with them. Beyonce was younger back then. Was a thrill to work with. And the thing is, we were labelmates, so Destiny Child was on Columbia, I was on Columbia. So we always intertwined, like, always was moving through each other. If I'm at the wars, they're there. If I'm in the office having a meeting and I'm in New York, the girls are there too. So I will always see them. And that's how me and Solange was able to have our own friendship and our own thing. And you even see her play a little part of my career. And we did a movie together, Jonathan Fan Vacation. And then she was in one of my videos. And that's how that whole thing kind of stemmed. And then Yvette, who works very close to Beyonce, was also overseeing some of my projects too. So we were label mates, so it was just so easy to have that blend. But, yeah, man, it was a pleasure working with them. And even to this day, when I see B, she's Always the same Kelly as well. They're all Michelle. They're always the same. I can say that, like never changed, never switched up. And I was happy that I had. I got a chance to work with Destiny's Child, the group. Like, that's something I hold dearly.

[Unknown]

Your song Bounce with Me, it was in the soundtrack. Big Mama House. How did that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How did that.

[Unknown]

How does a. If you get a song on a soundtrack and it's obviously the movie, how does that help a song? Does it help or does it really take it to the next level?

[Shannon Sharpe]

If it's a hit, yeah. If it's a hit, yeah. But also, I mean, soundtracks were so big back then. They were talking about Men in Black soundtrack soundtracks doing double triple platinum, right? And yes, there were. The first single off of a soundtrack usually nine times out of ten was a smash record, right? And I guess that's what happened with Big Mama's House with Bouncer, because it became a number one record, right? And it definitely jump started everything having placement in the movie, hearing it and. And then bringing it to life with the video and how Jermaine presented me to come. Cuz the first single off of that Big Mama south soundtrack was him and Monica, right? And Nas. And he ushered me in at the end of that video. It was like, he's the future. Who is this? I come busting through the door. It's the beat to the. Oh, they like, whoa. Like, who is this little kid? And it was the perfect setup and Jermaine teased him and I remember the screen blowing up off of it. And then that's how we segue into Bounce with him. He let me do a little bit of bounce at the end of the day video, right? And we went and shot the real thing.

[Unknown]

Now, okay, you're blown up, you're doing your rap thing, you're singing. How does this transition takes the little. Right. And now you're doing movies. Did you always want to do that? Did you see that natural?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I had no idea. I had no idea. That wasn't even in the plan by me playing so much basketball and incorporating sports into my videos. Once Beware of Dog came out and we went triple platinum. It's like all eyes is on this kid. He's the biggest thing in music right now. And then 20th Century Fox is working on this movie about a kid could play basketball pretty good. We gotta get Lil Bow Wow. There's only one kid. And it was because of how hot I was over here, brought the attention and they came and got me so John Schultz, the director of Like Mike. He came to Columbus, Ohio, right now. I'm 14. I did like Mike at 14. I'm 14 now. Yeah, we're in the gym then after trial for the movie, cast. Me, I was cast before they came down, right? We just in the gym shooting, talking, just like how we are, right? And. And, you know, you got the part of something cooking when they like, okay, cool. So, you know, we gotta get the schedule right and get you out here to, you know, to la and da, da, da, da. So think about this. I'm not taking none of this stuff. He's saying serious, like, nothing. He's telling me. Cause I'm so ghetto in my mind, that when you say movie, I'm thinking baller block. And I'm thinking, we about to go shoot a dvd. Like, straight to dvd. Like, when you say movie to me, like, at the age I'm at, that's how far off from Hollywood I was. I'm thinking, like, the movies that I like to watch, right? Cause the movies I like to watch, it don't look like, you know how to make them type of movies. So it just don't. So we get to la. I still don't know how big this thing is. I reported to set, and I was like, what is going on? I am lost. Like, I knew nothing. I never had an acting coach. I thought I had to memorize my whole script. Shannon. Like, I didn't know. We break it up in days and we shoot three scenes. No, no. I thought we were gonna shoot the whole movie in one day. And I thought I had to memorize this whole script, right? I was thrown off, but I've always been the type person. Throw me in the water. Let me. Let me figure it out. I'll learn how to swim, right?

[Unknown]

Man, you look at all these movies, all about the Benjamins. Like Mike Johnson's Family Vacation. Roll Bounce, the Fast and the Furious, Tokyo Drift, Lottery Ticket, Madea. Big family. Big happy family. Scary movie 5F9. You've been in TV shows with Steve Harvey, Medisha, Entourage, CSI Cyber. Now you having to like, okay, I got this music career and I got this acting career. Did you? Would you ever. Torn. Like, I feel like I'm Che. I feel like I'm cheating on one or the other.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Earlier I was. Earlier in my career, I was. Because, you know, to sustain that hotness in music, you got to stay with it. But then as I got older and I started figuring the music business out and the ups, the downs, the stress, I was like, this Hollywood thing is Hawaii. Yeah, this is a mess. Once I got to that point I could let go of that feeling because then acting and being on the set brought me so much happiness because of the stability right Rapping I'm moving, I'm on the road, I'm touring, I'm in a different city every night. The sleep patterns off I'm in the.

[Bow Wow]

When it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check My favorite jersey. Check an iconic drink that's a fan favorite. Check. Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five I consider Hypnotic the point guard of my game day roster because not only is it versatile like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth and just like the banners in my stadium. Letting people know that we take championships seriously. Having Hypnotic at my watch parties lets people know that I also take Quality seriously since it's crafted with high quality ingredients for a championship level drinking experience. So the next time you need a break from the action with a distinctive timeout, look no further. Grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17 Alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely, drink wisely.

[Unknown]

So we all made mistakes, right? But owning up to them, it's the right thing to do. But we all know Degree Cool Rush deodorant well last year they changed the formula and it did not go over well with the fans. Degree's whole thing, it turns up sweat other protection when you turn up the effort. And good thing it does because Cool Rush fans really turned up the effort to bring back the OG formula. One guy even started online petition and Degree listen they admitted they effed up and I'm bringing back that OG Cool Rush scent back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. It's back at Walmart, Target and other stores for under $4. There's a reason why it's been the number one men's antiperspirant for the last decade. It's the same reason why people are not happy when the recipe was changed. So listen, if you've never tried, it might be a good time to try. See what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart or Target and try the OG degree. Cool rush for yourself.

[Ryan Reynolds]

T Mobile stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel. Because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network. Switch now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off up to $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com KeepAndSwitch up to four lines via virtual prepaid card. Allow 15 days qualified unlocked device credit service port in 90 plus days device and eligible carrier and timely redemption required card is no cash access and expires in six months.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Club. I gotta host. I gotta do this. I got. It's just sometimes it's like woo, woo, woo, woo woo woo. It just becomes a lot with the acting side of things. You know what you're shooting Monday through Friday schedule, you know what time to wake up. It's the same thing. It's like a 9 to 5 that just pay like a 9 to 5. You know what I'm saying? That's all it is, right? And that's what made me love acting more than the music at that particular time. I can't say. I can't. It's not the same now.

[Unknown]

Not the same now?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nah.

[Unknown]

The first movie you were in, if I'm not mistaken, was all about the Benjamins with Mike Epps and Cube.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Correct. And if that's not correct, then it's Carmen with Beyonce and Most Def. Okay, I did Carmen. Robert Townsend directed that movie.

[Unknown]

So you do the Mike Epps and Cube. How did that come about?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Being Bow Wow? Being the hottest kid in the world in Cube. One of the badass boy to play that part and similar like Mike, go get little Bow Wow.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I remember being in Miami, that was the first time I went. It was hot as hell.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I was sitting all day. We played this interview back. People like seven labels sat on just. Yeah, definitely was. But it was. It was cool. It was fun. It was fun. I remember like it was yesterday working with Mike Epps and working with Cube and then to fast forward time and now look, it's like, damn, you mentioned lottery ticket. And now they in my movie Cube and Mike Epps, like full circle. I went from having three lines with Mike to him starring in my movie with me. So God is good.

[Unknown]

And then you do like Mike and you have NBA players, you have AI Vince Carter, Tracy McGurk, T. Mac, Steve Francis, Dirk, Gary Payton. Gary Payton, what's your favorite? What's your favorite moment about being on the set. And now all of a sudden, these. These NBA players. Because at once upon a time, you wanted to be a basketball player. And so now you're on. You got your own movie, and you're on the set, and you got NBA players. These some of the best NBA players.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was doing to them what Cats do to me if I go to a URL battle or if I go somewhere. Yo.

[Unknown]

Battle.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Let me rap for you. Let me get that. What? Man, I was challenging them left and right. I need that. I need that one on one. I got to see if I can. No cap. Jason Kidd played me. Gary Payton played me one on one. I beat Lonzo, even though he wasn't just talking about NBA players in general. Beat him. That's recorded. That's documented.

[Unknown]

Lonzo Ball. You beat Lonzo Ball?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did I? With no shoes on. You cooked him with no shoes.

[Unknown]

You got the footage.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's everywhere.

[Unknown]

You cooked him. Wow. You cooked him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They was talking about this on ESPN return.

[Unknown]

I don't know about that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, man. What Lakers came down here to Atlanta when he was playing with the Lakers? All of them. Brandon Ingram, everybody was at the studio. We got it. You know, Jermaine got it. We got a gym inside. Full court, basketball court, playing around. Okay, I need that. I need that bow. No shoes on. Bow, bow. I beat him in the first round. Second round, he came back, he did his thing.

[Unknown]

He might have took it seriously.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, he took it real serious. He wasn't playing because we was filming, so I knew he was like this. They about to put that out. Of course. Of course. Of course. We gonna put that out there.

[Unknown]

Being at your height in the movie, you dunked?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Unknown]

What's that feeling like? Because you have to, like, be in a back. Like, I wanna know what it feels like to dunk.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was nervous.

[Unknown]

Really?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was nervous because we had to test it. Like, I was on this harness on this rig, right? So as I'm running, I remember they pulled it too hard, and it's like, whoa. And I got to the rim too fast, and it was like, yo, then, all right, we gotta slow it down a little bit. But once we got it, I really had to run. And then they would do it and I would go up, right? It was. I loved it. It was fun.

[Unknown]

You doing all kind of crazy dunks.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, my God. I was ready for the league then. I was ready.

[Unknown]

What about, you know, LeBron did. Did a remake of Space Jam. Would you like LeBron to do a Remake. Is there somebody out there that could do a remake of Like Mike? Would you like to see a remake of Like Mike? Or is it too soon?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't think it's too soon. I think it should have happened already.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And they tried to do a part two. They tried to take it to the street ball aspect. That's when. And one came into the mix. It didn't do good. To this day, I don't. And the fans don't consider that a part two to nothing. I don't even, like, talk about it. Talk about it. You know what I'm saying? But I definitely feel that there is something. There's been ideas that we've been playing around with. Just talking, nothing locked in. Even if it's, you know, my daughter or, you know, does Calvin have a son now?

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Does, you know. Okay, is it.

[Unknown]

I like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Am I. Am I now. Is. Is. Is. Is Morris Chestnut now the head coach or he's the owner? Am I still playing? And I'm now the. Yeah. Like, what's the dynamic? And we definitely can do it now. I. I feel. Because even women's basketball is dominating too. Yes. But I just see it. I see the Steph Curry. I see Bron. I see KD D book. I just see that cover of with the new guys. And I think that'll be dope to do it if done. Right.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I think that is highly possible.

[Unknown]

What if Nike released a, like, Mike shoe? I would.

[Shannon Sharpe]

With my. Me and Nike spoke about this. And then we did it. I'm be happy as hell. Sha. What to come up. Because a lot of people don't know the, like, Mike shoe was the converse. The Dr. J converse. Yes. You have no idea. Like, they had. We had the Blazer, which is the shoe I actually wore in the movie.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then we had the Converse.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Tar Heel with the star with the Dr. J joint.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And we was torn between the two. Twin. Ish rock. They could not pick. Fox could not pick. They were like, yo, I'm like, you gotta go with the Nike. Like, what are we talking about here? And they dropped the blazer. People still rock the blazers. They come in different flavors. But I definitely felt like being that that movie was so iconic and so monumental.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The blazers should have came out immediately. Can you imagine how much money Nike would have made if they would have sold it? Like, Mike shoe.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, right in time of the movie release and put that shoe out?

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That would have been crazy.

[Unknown]

Another guy that you played one on one was Kobe, rest his soul.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I knew he was gonna bring this one up.

[Unknown]

You got it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hell no.

[Unknown]

See, Kobe don't take care of that. He don't take it easy. He going for the gusto.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yo, let me tell you, man. Yo, he. I thought I was going to have a cool moment for the Internet. Like, I'm about to go play Cole. I'm about to, you know, do my little thing, make a little couple buckets. And, you know it's going to be what it's going to be, right? I went. The only reason why we played was because Jermaine's assistant at the time played Kobe.

[Unknown]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And got smoked.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, bad. So I'm like, man, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. All right. No, no, no, hold up. And at the. And at that time, I'm big on Brian. Like, I think Bron is, like, right? And I wore my Cleveland Indian hat to the. To the. To the. To Kobe camp, all that. I'm like, man, you ain't about to do him like that. I'm like, it's Team Heat. I'm like, you're like, what you want? I'm like, man, yeah, you still playing? I want to play. So Jermaine like, all right, hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. And I'm gonna tell you something. All that. He bow wow. And he. Nah, he took it for real. I left. Yo, I left that gym, and I said, I will never play in the NBA, nor do I want to. I was so sore. Then I went to Orlando. That's right. I went to Orlando to go hang out with Chris. We go to a Magic game, big baby lands on me. Now this the next day after I play car, I'm sore as hell, right? His big ass lands on me. Like, I'm like this. I just couldn't do it.

[Unknown]

Like Kobe, how many points you get on Cole?

[Shannon Sharpe]

None.

[Unknown]

He scunked you?

[Shannon Sharpe]

None. He smothered me. He pat his thumb in my waist. He was doing like.

[Unknown]

He was playing you like you a real Hooper.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He was hand checking and doing all this stuff. If Kobe. I promise, God rest his soul, if he was alive right now, if he was allowed to play defense, like, he played defense on me in the league, or the league could play defense like that nowadays. It'll be a problem. Like, he literally had his thumb, like, in my side, and he was telling me, you gonna go wherever I tell you to go. You gonna go where the I want you to go. I'm like, I'm doing this. He's like, yeah, slap me. Push me, push me. I like that shit. Push me. And then what was so dope about the one on one is people got a chance to see Kobe in a light that they never got a chance to see Kobe in. You hear about the mama mentality, but it's hard to hear it when you're watching TV, right? But when we did the YouTube, we play one on one. You hear him? My condolences, man. Man, we can't play like that. I don't give a who. Who said you can make rules. You can't make no rules. He talking to me, talking to me crazy. He talking to me like I'm not bowed. He talking to me crazy like, mother, you ain't talking like you. Yeah. And the bet was a thousand dollars, or if I made one shot, he was gonna pay for two floor seats for the entire year for me. He was gonna eat that.

[Unknown]

Damn. You know them Laker tickets cost too it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's why he ain't. That's why he went so hard. Cause you know, you be courtside em gain them. We know how they up there.

[Unknown]

Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So to pay for two for the whole year. What? I was trying my best to out this.

[Unknown]

You tried to get one basket.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Look, it's a clip.

[Unknown]

All you had to get was one basket.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Listen, man, there was a clip. If we watch it, we play it back where he misses the ball. The ball go over here. I go get the ball. I swear to God, I grab the ball. You gonna hear Jermaine saying, let's go, bab. Shoot it. Shoot it. I wanted to, but by the time I raised up, it was no time. Like, even though it was probably space, the way he closed out that six, six that, man, it turned into like seven one. I'm like, oh, hell no. I said, I ain't shooting it. Then he just slapped the ball in my hand. He pushed me around. He throwing me. I'm like, man, I can't do it. Then he dunked on me. Damn.

[Unknown]

About all you had to do was get one basket and you get floor seats to the Lakers game. For the whole year, I tried my hardest.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He wouldn't let me do it. Wouldn't let me dribble. Said he wouldn't let me dribble. I'm having a ball, man. He reaching over me, grab me like. God rest his soul. And yeah, man, that. That meant something to me. That's something I can look back at my life. That right there is like a bucket list. Like, every kid would love to play Kobe Bryant, one on one play, Kobe.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then for that to tragically happen. Yeah, that's something I'm always holding dearly to my heart.

[Unknown]

For sure you do. Johnson Family vacation. Steve said Solange. You knew Solange before you did, correct?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep, yep.

[Unknown]

So that's what it made it easy. So what was it like on the set? Because you got two great comedians, Ced and Steve. They probably kept it light the entire time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They did, they did. They was always joking around. And especially when you work with comedians, the best part is they go off script. That's when they. At their best, they don't even pay attention. You'll be watching them and miss your turn like, oh, damn, it's me. It's my line, my fault. I. They went off script and that's when, that's when comedians at their best. No, no. Story really sticks out. Really crazy. Cuz Steve came and shot all of his parts in one day, if I'm not mistaken.

[Unknown]

Really?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep. He was in, out. Yeah, Steve was in and out. But I spent a lot of time with S. Learning from him, talking to him. And Ced knows how to turn it on and off, right? Like, Ced is a real cool St. Louis cat. Like he's just laid back, super cool and you know, he'll say things and it'd be funny. Like, man, you know that dude over there that she. He'll say like something, but he was always super cool. And I remember just being in school all the time. That's all I was doing, working on movies and it was school. I spent more time in the classroom than I did on set. That's how I go.

[Unknown]

Right? Roll, bounce. You got Nick Cannon, Megan Good, Mike Epps, Charlie Murphy. What, what was it about that. How was that set?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Rollbound set was. I'm trying to find the words to describe it to me. It was work. It was work. I was at a different. I was in a different place in my life. I was 16, almost 17, living in Chicago on my own, becoming a young man now, smelling myself a little, little too big. I was in a weird space in life. That's why I was able to, to, to do that role and, and, and, and do it because I wasn't acting right. You know what I mean? I was just getting paid to show my real raw emotions. And that's, that's how I was feeling. The scene with the car, me breaking it, crying. And it was intense. Like that movie brought. That movie turned me into an actor working with Sean McBride.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I remember before we. The day before we shot that scene, the garage scene with the car, he told me, look, tomorrow, I'm not gonna talk to you. I was like, what? He's like, I'm not gonna say a word anymore. I need you locked in. I'm gonna need you. I need you tomorrow. I didn't understand what that meant. Came to set. Next morning, when the trailer. Good morning, everybody. What's up? What's up? Shy? No, good morning back. Okay, cool. He's in character. So I'm going off your energy, then I'm on. What you on? So I did the same thing too. I locked in. I ain't want to talk. And when we got to that set, he drove himself down. He drove his car and sat in the car and said, don't call me out here until y'all call, Roland. And he told me right before they called action, I'm about to bring it out your ass today. I'm bringing out you today. I know what he meant. It's like you about to see a different you today. Action. Bam. Right into it. Da, da, da. Looking at him, my mom, I just start crying. I just. I don't know. It was just he. And he just gave me the biggest hug after he was done doing it and said, I'm so proud of you. Then he. Then was his real tears then, right? He really cried with me. Like, I'm so proud. You are an actor, boy. And that day was the day I said, oh, yeah. And I never had an acting coach, nothing. But that was the day.

[Unknown]

That was the day that you said.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay, I'm an actor. I can finally say I'm an actor. I'm not a rapper who acts. I'm an actor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not getting these roles because of the rap stuff no more. I'm getting them because I can do it. And I'm going on tape and I'm killing it. And I took it very serious from. Very serious.

[Unknown]

You did Fast and the Furious, but like Vin Diesel, Luda, none of those guys.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I worked with them. You did the last one. Yo, yo. I finally got a chance to work with them.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I was. I was waiting on that. Like, I was like, okay, we gotta meet up at some point. Because the movies that Luda wasn't in were the ones that I was in. I felt like the Luda of those movies pretty much. I was the. You know, I was the rapper.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know what I'm saying? And for me to get that opportunity to be in the scene with Reese and Luda, I always visioned that to happen. I always. Twinky has to meet Luda's character. It's just only right that they meet. And that was the dynamic of that scene, was us. This was the first time we've ever seen each other in life, but we've heard of each other, but we never met. So that was dope. And then to work with Vin Diesel, he sold. I worked with Venezuela twice. Such a good dude. Stand up dude. Easy to work with the whole family. Easy to work with, like fast and furious sets. Is. It don't feel like work because everyone's been together for 10 plus years, right. So it's just. We get it. You don't have to worry about nailing that the way you don't have to worry about coming to set that scene. I can't remember my line, man. It's normal. Like, it's just so normal. It's so easygoing. And working with Justin Lin, who I feel is the greatest fast and furious director ever. I feel that deeply in my heart. And I had the chance to work with him on his first one, which was Tokyo Drip.

[Unknown]

Right. Now there's the last one coming up. They bringing the rock back. You gonna be in that one?

[Shannon Sharpe]

If they call, we there, we there. Andy. If they call, we there, we there.

[Unknown]

Right? You worked at Madea's, what? Big, happy, happy family with Tyler Perry. What's Tyler? Because, you know, I've heard only great things about Tyler about, you know, his set and how professional it is, how he pays, how he takes care of his. Woo.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Put it this way. You know how, like, you might play for a team.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And let's say you about to. You get traded. You about to go to this team.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you get like a. Let's see, a Bill Belichick. You done went from having a cool, fun coach to you doing it your way. And then you get traded. Now Bill Belichick, your coach, you like? Ah, damn.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Unknown]

I gotta be on my best behavior. Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I gotta be on mine.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

TP like that. Really, mister? Oh, yeah, Most definitely. Because his style is. He comes from plays, so he's used to things moving very, very quickly. Right quick. So when I got to set, I'm always prepared, so I'm never worried. Right. I'm ready for whatever. First scene was the hardest scene of the day. He gave us the. I'll never forget first scene was the backyard scene with the fellas. It was a long scene. I said, damn. He giving us this scene first. This the first scene we seen first out the gate. Like, he don't want us to crawl into it. No. And he wants you to move fast. You gotta know it on next close next. So it was like, you gotta get it. And he's so hands on. And he's a genius. He is the person that came up with the Byron. That was tp. He did that. Cause I remember Teanna going off of me in the scene. And da, da, da, da. All you hear is Mr. Perry behind the thing going, pat, pat your weebly. You gotta pat it a little harder. Pat it like this. Pat it like this. Tiana, like, get in and get. Now, Byron. I wanna say Byron. The crew laughing. I'm trying not to laugh. But he saw it. He's watching the monitor and he's like, something's missing in the middle of the scene. He'll just throw stuff at you, like. And you gotta be able to get with it and go. And Tiana Grassman, she got it. She's like, get ghetto. Even more ghetto with it. Bye, man. I want you to annoy people.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And boy, did she. She did not disappoint. She did not disappoint. So that was a title thing. He's like. I said, he knows how to. He mixes that play right stuff with the movie. And I love it. I love working with Tyler. Cause I love to work fast. I love to move on. And Tyler's the only person I know in the film business who can shoot a movie, a big production movie, in seven days. And it's gonna come to the theaters and you'll think it took three months. He knows. He changed the game, man. I'm telling you, that man changed the game. I've seen it. I'm like, I'll be on sets. I'm like, oh, my God, I wish this was a Tyler Perry studio production. They move fast. So, yeah.

[Unknown]

How was it working with TT Teyama Taylor?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, fun. Been on TT for ever. Like, super cool person, talented. Now she's directing, which is dope. And now I wanna say that was her first movie. Yeah, that was her first movie. She did really, really, really, really good. And I expected to see her more stuff. I think she should have did more right after that. But like I said, she's very talented and I wish nothing but the best for T. That's my dawg, Bob.

[Unknown]

Do you remember the first time you opened up your bank account and you saw 1,000, 100,000, a million dollars in your account?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nope. But I remember turning 18. I had to go back to Columbus and I had to sit in front of that judge. He was like, okay, I'm about to turn over your finances. I was like, okay. Cause, you know, when you. It was like the jack.

[Unknown]

So in the beginning, you said the trust.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep. Can't touch it. It's got, like, a Jackie Coogan account or something like that. Did I say that right? Yeah, I think that's what they call it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but, yeah, you can't touch it like, your parents can't. Nobody. The judge oversees it. And then when you turn 18, he turns his.

[Unknown]

Okay, he turned it over to you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He turns it over to you. Here you go. And I, I, I. I was so happy because he did. The judge never understood why I needed a Ferrari at 17. I had to go to him for every major purchase.

[Unknown]

Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He had to approve it. I'm like, I am a rap star.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And it's my money.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. I need a chunk. Yeah. I need a Ferrari. It's not safe. He can do something. Like, a 3 Series BMW would be perfect. It's like, bro. Like, you are, bro.

[Unknown]

You know who I am, and you talking about a three series.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Three series. Beamer told me that's what I can get or get. You know? I'm like, you don't understand the culture, dawg. I can't wait till I turn 18 and get it. But, yeah, of course, man. You always remember seeing that. And even to this day, I still get excited, right? Like, my manager will go over numbers, and you know what I'm saying, we'll handle business. And he always shows me stuff, and I'm like, damn, God is good.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's all I can say.

[Unknown]

God is good. When they turned the account over to you, what was your first major purchase?

[Shannon Sharpe]

I went car crazy. Cause remember Jermaine?

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I had to catch his ass.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So I went. My first purchase was a. I wanted it. I started out small, but I really wanted this car, the Nissan 350Z. When they first came out, okay, I wanted them. It was cool. Everybody, that's your favorite.

[Unknown]

Fast and Furious or something like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Not Did I do fast? I did fast after fast. Yep. I wanted that car. I just thought it was cool. Got that. You know how it is. You start getting more money, you see different things. I went from there. I gotta go. I want a Maserati. Maserati. Second car. And I kept calling it Maserati Ferrari because, you know, they sell Maserati at the Ferrari dealership. So I used to tell my boy, I got a Ferrari Maserati they like what? I got a Ferrari Maserati, black on black. They like. You got a Maserati, right? No, no, no. It's a Ferrari Maserati, and they don't exist. I didn't like them telling me that don't exist.

[Unknown]

So you had to go get.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Took it back.

[Unknown]

Got it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Got the yellow 360, got a Ferrari. So at the time when I had the yellow 360, I had that. I had the Billy Rover Hummer Maybach. Took the yellow Ferrari back, got a drop red fo 30 spider. Had that for a minute, got rid of that and got an Oris Lambo. Mercy Lago bought that. I went car crazy. That's all I loved was cars. I already had the house I wanted whips.

[Unknown]

Yeah. Cause I. Well, that your reality show, you and your mom and you went and got the Maybach.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep. Is that my second Mayback? I bought my mom, bought me my very first one. Right. My 21st birthday.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then I didn't really see a point of having one then.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It was a waste of money.

[Unknown]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But when I went and bought my Maybach on the show, I bought that one. But I really now I could enjoy because the lifestyle is different. I don't want to get caught having to DUI when I'm going out hosting and I'm working, or if it's a late night at the studio and I'm trying to make it all the way back to the other side of town, which is, you know, Atlanta traffic. Crazy. 55 minutes.

[Unknown]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'm far, so it's like, I never want to be put in them situations. So I've got the Maybach just for comfort reasons. And it just makes sense for me. I live far, filming every day, travel just moving and grooving. And besides, like, even after this, I used to love just getting in my car, taking my shoes off.

[Unknown]

Your kickback.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And kickback.

[Unknown]

You ain't got to worry about driving.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You ain't got to worry about nothing.

[Unknown]

Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nothing.

[Unknown]

So, yep, this concludes the first half of my conversation. Part two is also posted, and you can access it to whichever podcast platform you just listened to part one on. Just simply go back to Club Shay Shay profile and I'll see you there.

[Bow Wow]

Here's why April chose to vaccinate her child.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I think actually meeting someone who was not vaccinated and now has a lifelong struggle with a childhood disease really cemented for me that it's super important that we as parents continue to vaccinate our children.

[Bow Wow]

Talk to your pediatrician or visit y vaccines.com brought to you by Merck when it's tip off time at my house, there are a few things that are must haves on my checklist. My fellow friends and fans. Check my favorite jersey. It is good luck. Check an iconic drink that's a fan favorite?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Check.

[Bow Wow]

Hypnotic can turn any cocktail into an iconic creation. With its game changing color and tropical flavor, Hypnotic should be in everyone's starting five. I consider Hypnotic the point guard on my game day roster because not only is it versatile, like having it on the rocks or as a base for cocktails, it also finishes smooth. So grab a bottle of Hypnotic and make your next basketball watch party Iconic. Enjoy the vibrant taste with friends and turn every game into a memorable celebration. Hypnotic where every sip is a slam dunk. Hypnotic Liqueur Bardstown, Kentucky 17 alcohol by volume Hypnotic reminds you to think wisely. Drink wisely, okay?

[Unknown]

Have you heard about this? Last year, Degree changed the formula for their Cool Rush deodorant. The fans rebelled and wanted the old scent back and Degree listened and that doesn't happen often. They admitted they effed up at our bringing the original Cool Rush scent back and it's exactly how you remember it. Cool, crisp and fresh. There's a reason why it's the number one man's antiperspirant and it's back in Walmart, Target and other stores now for under $4. So try it and see what the fuss is about. Head to your local Walmart Target and try the OG Cool Rush for yourself.