Club Shay Shay - K. Michelle Part 2

Summary

Club Shay Shay – K. Michelle (Part 2): Deep Dives, Real Talk & Unfiltered Stories

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe
Guest: K. Michelle
Release Date: May 20, 2026

Episode Overview

In Part 2 of her candid interview with Shannon Sharpe, singer and reality TV star K. Michelle opens up about her unconventional path to music success, the realities and complexities of life as a woman in the industry, her experiences with fame, dating, abuse, business, and more. This episode is a masterclass in vulnerability and authenticity, packed with memorable anecdotes, sharp humor, and piercing insights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

K. Michelle’s Journey: From College to the Strip Club to Stardom

• Early Days as an Exotic Dancer
  • K. Michelle describes her time dancing in Atlanta at clubs including Magic, Flashers, and Genius Stroking. She tried to buy the building at Flashers before it was demolished and would feature her former customers on her TV show.

    “Even when I had my own show, all of my customers, I put them on tv.” – K. Michelle (00:17)

  • Despite earning a college degree, K. Michelle chose dancing over traditional job paths, emphasizing the comradeship and intelligence of her fellow dancers.

    “The most impactful thing of my whole life was me being a stripper.” – K. Michelle (01:37)

Hustle, Heartbreak, and the Boxer Saga

• Relationship with Antonio Tarver
  • K. Michelle recalls an emotionally charged relationship with boxer Antonio Tarver who left her with “$10,000 and a Jaguar—and embarrassment” after suddenly marrying someone else:

    “He left me but $10,000 into the Jaguar and embarrassment, Shannon.” – K. Michelle (01:07)

  • She recounts a now-infamous record label meeting marred by personal drama involving Tarver and his associates:

    “The secretary who sat at the meeting had his name, Antonio Tarver, tattooed on her… That’s the secretary or the executive.” – K. Michelle (15:09–15:19)

  • On lessons learned:

    “That’s when I tell women: get your money. What right did I have? You should have a right as a woman. Yes, but not in this day and age. You gotta have the same money as a man.” – K. Michelle (19:19)

Strippers in the Music Industry

• Respect and Realness
  • K. Michelle highlights the prevalence and resilience of many music stars—Cardi B, Eve, Lady Gaga, Trina—who started as dancers:

    “The girls that women deal with, those girls are just who they are. They gotta take care of their family, do the things… I was a stripper. A lot of the girls I respect in this business, they were strippers.” – K. Michelle (06:26)

  • Relationship with Cardi B before her fame and the authenticity she admires in her peers.

Collaborations and Music Industry Realities

• Mentorship from R. Kelly
  • K. Michelle refers to R. Kelly as her mentor, credits him with shaping her artistry, and discusses the conflicted feelings about his influence given his legal troubles:

    “He taught me so much…3 minutes and 30 seconds is how you make a movie.” – K. Michelle (24:00)
    “I do not condone…what Rob allegedly has had going on. I just know—when it comes to Robert Sylvester Kelly—when it came to a musical understanding, this girl’s a bit mental to y’all… No, that’s from him.” – K. Michelle (30:38)

• On Working with Usher, Chris Brown, and Others
  • Quick turnaround for a collaboration with Chris Brown, showing mutual respect and professionalism:

    “I reached out to Chris Brown… By the time I woke up, it’s the Chris Brown and K. Michelle. Either way, he had already given me my verse and said he respected who I was.” – K. Michelle (31:22)

• Songwriting & Theft
  • K. Michelle confirms her songs have been stolen by other artists but chooses to focus on creating more:

    “If I’m a writer, I can make a lot of songs… I’m gonna keep making.” – K. Michelle (72:33–72:41)

On Relationships: Love, Abuse, and Marriage

• Abusive Relationships
  • Candid talk about why it’s so hard to leave an abuser and how love and money complicate things. K. Michelle openly discusses her capacity for forgiveness and hope for her partners’ growth.

    “I really loved him. I really wanted him to do...I really wanted him to be the next.” – K. Michelle (35:16)

• On Marriage & Partnership
  • Reflects on her 13-year relationship leading to marriage, the shifting expectations, and the importance of mutual understanding over superficial labels:

    “Marriage for me... you know how I got married? People are on a whole debate right now about it… me and that man… like, I didn’t get a honeymoon face. He should have been married me.” – K. Michelle (41:07)

  • “You’re supposed to sleep with the same sausage forever… like, I started getting a whole nother respect.” – K. Michelle (40:30)
• Dating Within the Industry
  • She prefers dating those in similar worlds for shared understanding and “something to lose.”

    “You should deal with the people who could lose their job, just like you.” – K. Michelle (39:28)

  • Comparison of dating regular guys, athletes, musicians, actors; admits athletes were often the toughest to date due to lifestyle:

    “Dating an athlete… is something that is not for the weak.” – K. Michelle (46:03)

Fame, Reality TV, and Business Moves

• Reality TV’s Impact
  • Both positive (exposure, opportunity) and negative (scrutiny, stress) aspects of fame.

    “Bad—people think that they know you. Good—I don’t have to hide a lot of things. I get to walk in the room as who I am.” – K. Michelle (50:15)

• Transitioning Between Shows & Networks
  • On joining Real Housewives of Atlanta and resistance from established cast:

    “Atlanta girls have this clique, Shannon… I’ve never fit into anybody’s clique… So when they found out a girl from Love & Hip Hop was coming to Atlanta… they really tried to give me a hard time.” – K. Michelle (56:11)

• Business Lessons and Endorsements
  • Speaks on her Jack Daniels endorsement—being the first Black artist to partner and design her own drink, and the financial windfall from this move:

    “I created that drink. I created the packaging... the most money I’ve ever seen in my whole life and career.” – K. Michelle (62:17)

  • Currently developing a moonshine, inspired by Southern tradition.

On Country Music and Racial Gatekeeping

• Barriers and Challenges
  • Despite a lifelong love for country music and performing it at her shows, she was initially told by industry gatekeepers to stick to R&B. The genre’s resistance to Black artists remains a challenge.

    “Tried to get a country music deal, and they told me... I could never come into country music.” – K. Michelle (85:29)

• On “Cookout Culture” & Jack Harlow
  • Critical of outsiders using Black culture for clout without deep understanding:

    “You can respect our music and love our music… But to say I got blacker. No. You will never get to be as black as us.” – K. Michelle (83:12)

AI and Musical Authenticity

• AI Threats
  • Concern over AI-generated voices diluting artist originality and stealing opportunities:

    “How would you feel? …That a robot... is coming to take something from you, too.” – K. Michelle (86:43)
    “You can’t even beat this robot ass.” (86:52)

Iconic, Relatable, and Hilarious Moments

• On exes still screenshotting her Snapchats:

  “Why are you screenshotting my Snapchat? …Maybe he still loves you... It will never. I hate the way he eats food.” – K. Michelle (21:53, 21:55)

• Joking about lack of “honeymoon phase” after marriage:

  “He ain’t no honeymoon face.” – K. Michelle (41:43)

• Light banter about Shannon’s love life and potential matches:

  “I feel like I do good at hooking people up… Give me, like, three days. …I want you to have this bad, smart, educated woman…” – K. Michelle (65:34–68:33)

• On watching other celebrities rise:

  “I just love [Cardi B's] personality. I love she is unapologetically who she is and that’s who she is.” – K. Michelle (64:05)

• On Real Housewives cliques:

  “I just give myself.” – K. Michelle (56:24)

• On business losses:

  “I’m on my fourth restaurant. This one is kicking my butt… I’ve never taken a restaurant L, but this time I’m taking an L and I’m taking it with grace.” – K. Michelle (59:55)

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Notable Quotes and Timestamps

• On stripping shaping her life:
  “The most impactful thing of my whole life was me being a stripper. And I don’t care how nobody feel about that or say.” (01:37)
• On heartbreak and resilience:
  “Imagine graduating from Florida A&M as Ms. FAMU... and then you start dating a boxer, a huge boxer… he leave you with $10,000 and a Jaguar.” (00:56)
• On her unconventional marriage journey:
  “Thirteen years before you got married? Yes, he wouldn’t marry me... Because when I got into it, I said I never wanted to be married. Well, damn. He took your word.” (42:02–42:10)
• On industry ‘typecasting’:
  “They told me… I could never come into country music.” (85:29)
• On business success:
  “I created that drink… the most money I’ve ever seen in my whole life and career. Regardless of going to sing a song and do anything.” (62:17)
• On AI & creativity:
  “I’m not with it… A robot… is coming to take something from you too. I can’t even beat this robot ass.” (86:43–86:53)

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Segment Timestamps

• [00:00–03:00] Early dance career, Atlanta club stories, impact on life
• [07:00–11:00] Relationship with boxer Antonio Tarver, career hustle vs. heartbreak
• [24:00–31:00] Mentorship, influences, and tangled realities working with R. Kelly
• [40:00–42:00] Marriage and relationship dynamics
• [50:00–56:00] Reality TV, Love & Hip Hop, and transition to Real Housewives
• [62:00–64:00] Jack Daniels partnership—historic endorsement deal
• [84:00–87:00] Challenges breaking into country music; commentary on AI threat
• [87:35–88:41] Who she’d do a Verzuz with—throwing playful shade at an unnamed rival
• [79:50–81:52] Reflections on fame, public support, and community after controversies
• [81:53–84:18] On representation, black music culture, ‘cookout’ gatekeeping

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Final Thoughts

This episode is a compelling testament to K. Michelle’s grit, resilience, and wit. She pulls no punches about the music industry, relationships, and her own vulnerabilities—always delivering with humor and fire. Whether sharing lessons on business, love, or self-acceptance, K. Michelle proves herself as both an entertainer and a sage, closing the gap between celebrity and listener.

For those seeking an honest, unfiltered conversation about struggle, hustle, and heart in the spotlight, this is an episode not to miss.

Transcript

[A]

Thank you for coming back. Part two is underway. You were an exotic dancer?

[B]

Yes. I loved it.

[A]

You did? Here in Atlanta?

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Where'd you work at?

[B]

I worked at magic, at genius stroking. And then I worked at Flashers. So I tried to buy the building. So even when I had my own show, all of my customers, I put them on tv.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Yeah, because I wasn't like, I. I don't anyone.

[A]

Why do you go to Cheetahs?

[B]

Huh?

[A]

Cheetahs.

[B]

Cheetahs. I just went there on spring.

[A]

I know what Cheetah is.

[B]

Yeah. But Flashers was the one on Roswell Road. They just demolished it. I tried to buy it before they demolished it. I pulled all of my customers, I put them on tv.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

And they came because everybody was paying so that I could be a singer and I was a counselor. Imagine graduating from Florida A And M as Ms. Famu.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And then you start dating a boxer, a huge boxer. And then he leave you with $10,000 and a Jaguar.

[A]

Okay, he left you with something.

[B]

Come on.

[A]

Damn. What? Damn.

[B]

K. He left me but $10,000 into the Jaguar and embarrassment. Shannon.

[A]

But let me ask you a question. Sometimes women get left with nothing.

[B]

Well, I didn't. I took that $10,000, and you know what I did?

[A]

You flipped it.

[B]

Yeah. I was like, I'm gonna be a stripper. My, like, immediate friends. Like a stripper girl by. You got a college degree. You done got into three law schools. You finna be a stripper. I went right up there to Roswell Road and I looked around. Do you know how many college them girls done graduated from college?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Do you know the girls that I dance with are still my friends to this day? Do you know my customers are still my friends to this day? I literally walked in there, saw girls on the floor, drugs, they had pimps. I would talk to them. I would fill out college application. Going to college and everything. That's great. I get it. But the most impactful thing of my whole life was me being a stripper. And I don't care how nobody feel about that or say, I remember Jazzy Faye came in and I was dancing the country music on stage. I used to dance the only country music rascal flag.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I would dance and do. I had overalls on as a stripper.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

I had overalls, titties pushed up. And I would do all of this as a stripper.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Hey guys, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. I'm Joe. I'm Kevin. And I'm Nick. And guess what? We created our own podcast called hey Jonas.

[A]

We invented a podcast.

[B]

Well, we didn't invent it, we just contributed to it. We're the first people to do podcasts. We get to ask other people questions because we're sick and tired of being asked questions. Well, sick and tired is a strong way to put it, but you know, tired and sick. Tired and sick. Listen to hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

[A]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter.

[B]

Where does your group perform?

[A]

We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Will Ferrell's Big Money players and iHeart

[B]

podcast presents soccer Moms. So, I'm Leigh Ann. Yeah. This is my best friend Janet. Hey. And we have been joined at the hip since high school.

[A]

Absolutely.

[B]

A redacted amount of years later, we're still joined at the hip. Just a little bit bigger hips. This is a podcast. We're recording it as we tailgate our youth soccer games in the back of my Honda Odyssey with all the snacks and drinks. Why did you get hard seltzer instead of beer? Well, they had a bogo. Well, then you got them listen to soccer moms on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. I made a lot of money, get the money off. But then hire another girl to perform the acts was just two different things. Yeah, Like, I never would give up my body. And they'll tell you I was more of a counselor in the strip club, sitting there, how they hated their wife. All men hate their wife. You don't think that's bad?

[A]

I mean, I think some men have pretty good marriages, and they love their wives. And then I think sometimes they tell you that to try to get with you. Like, oh, he hated his wife.

[B]

I knew it wasn't happening by the time y' all paying me for counseling sessions in the private vip. And you're saying how your wife's sister, you hate her and all of that, and y' all paying me for that. So imagine being on stage dancing to God Bless the Broken Road and singing that song and singing country music. And imagine Jazzy Faye walking in, then you run off stage, and then you end up getting, like, a record deal. So.

[A]

So you made good money.

[B]

I made amazing money, but that was at a time when people actually had money. Like, yeah, I made amazing money as a stripper with a college degree.

[A]

You put that Money.

[B]

I was Ms. Fam. You was a stripper.

[A]

You put that money away. You made some good decisions.

[B]

Absolutely not. I didn't put anything away as the lady took that money. And one day I made a lot of. And I said, I'm never coming back. And I got a record deal. God, I didn't have any leads.

[A]

I mean, you think about it, there have been a lot of, like, Cardi B. Wilder, dancer, Cash Doll, Eve, Lady Gaga, Trina, yourself. I mean, what is it about? I mean, do you feel if that

[B]

is all the girls I love, Is

[A]

that a prerequisite to be a rapper? You gotta start off in.

[B]

No, like, all the girls I left. Like, even Cardi. Like, I would watch Cardi before she got on Love and Hot, and that's why we are close. I would watch her and I would say, oh, she's a star. She would sing all my songs. Like, while she was dancing. Yeah, like, sing all these songs. And when they said, cardi B gonna be on Love and hip off set, she's outta here. That's a star. And she's always been respectful. Everything. So think about this. The girls that women deal with, those girls are just who they are. They gotta take care of their family, do the things you could talk about strippers all you want. We could do whatever. But I was a stripper. A lot of the girls I respect in this business, they were strippers. And, like, my first time, like, my mentor was R. Kelly.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And my first time meeting him, he said, are you a stripper? I was like, no, no. He was like, well, you came in here like, give me my money. Like, strippers, I think, were able to talk to men. I think it's a thing of. We gotta take care of our family.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But we get to see a different thing. Like, imagine going from being Miss Florida, a university, to having a rich man and getting run off the road by women. And to him saying, I'm gonna leave you, but I'm gonna leave you with $10,000 in a Jaguar. And to saying, I'm not going home to Memphis. I'm gonna take this money and do a demo, and I'm gonna dance to this country music.

[A]

Mm, mm, mm. You ever get any fights?

[B]

No. Everyone was my friend. Like, I never got into fights in the strip club. And I would always go back. Like, even when I had a number one song on the charts, I still went back to my strip club, and I never played that well.

[A]

Was Mace the first person to discover you? What's. I mean, what's that face for?

[B]

Mace did like, that is in. We're giving my age. Mace was in my space time. And, you know, he had the top friends on my face. Somebody from Memphis. That's why I'm so. For my city that I never. I didn't know anything about him. He had me in his top five. And Mace said, who is that girl? She's a star.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And he hit me and said, mason's looking for you. I was at FedEx. Federal Express in Memphis is the ultimate of jobs.

[A]

Oh, you work at the FedEx. Okay. Yeah. That's the headquarters.

[B]

Yeah, I was there. My mom was a huge manager there. She had been there for years, graduated. Of course. I get a job there, and I'm on the work computer, and my space is popping, and then someone tries to give me a record deal, and then it's Mace. And we didn't know it was Mace until we got him on the phone and he was talking that slow, and we realized that he was talking so slow. It was actually Mace.

[A]

It's him.

[B]

Yeah. So he moved me here, and that's what it was. And I have a lot of respect for him.

[A]

But y' all didn't have a relationship, though, right?

[B]

No.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

No, I didn't Wanna sleep with the pastor?

[A]

Oh, okay. Wise decision. Antonio Tarver.

[B]

I blame him for everything.

[A]

Was that the boxer you were with that left you with the Teen Titans?

[B]

I didn't. You, me and Antonio Tarver was a whole situation.

[A]

No, I'm just saying. Was that the boxer?

[B]

Yeah, I saw him in Memphis. Yeah, At a club in Memphis. And he was trying to talk to me. And I said, I don't wanna talk to you. I want a record deal.

[A]

So he's like, okay.

[B]

He was like, no. He said, I can't do nothing about that. I said, no, you can. You can call people to know people. And I started to date him. And he was making calls. And then he put his money where his mouth was. It was like, I'm gonna fund her career. The girl is talented. And then he got married on me at All Star Week.

[A]

Hold on. How he dating? You're dating him? He's making calls to help get you put on.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then NBA All Star or what? All Star Week.

[B]

NBA All Star Week. My friends called me. Cause, you know, you might be popping in Memphis. My friends called me. They was like, girl, can you ask your dude to get us rooms at the All Star whatever? So I tell him, he was like, you don't need to go. Cause you got a meeting. You got the biggest meeting of your career.

[A]

Yeah, okay. See, I like that. Keep you focused. That's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about. Magic Man.

[B]

The biggest of your career. So I'm in his house, we around here moving around. And I'm like, I'm gonna ask him about All Star Weekend for my friends. Cause I wanna show out. It's my friends. And he said, you can't go. Cause you have to sing.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So I was like, yeah, I gotta sing. Can't go to All Star Girls.

[A]

Yeah, sorry.

[B]

It's an article come out that say he got married. So then my mom calls me and say, are you in that man's house, girl? Yeah, I'm in his house.

[A]

Hello. He left. He went and got married.

[B]

He said, I can't go. He said to Denise, her little scandalous ass. He says that I can't go to All Star Week. And he says that. Cause I'm a singer and I have to focus on singing. So imagine this. I say, he's going on All Star Week. So imagine getting a text saying, I will love you forever. Okay? My mom says, where is he? Where are you? She's my mom. Real Christian, straight across. Well, I'm at His house, everything. So only thing I'm preparing for is the biggest meeting that I've ever had in my career with Kevin Black at Warner Brothers. This is so big for me, okay? And I'm gonna go sing my song, right? The girl called me and canceled my meet. He was married, but I didn't completely have it come in. But I'm in his house. So she's like, I'm on my way. I'm like, I don't care about anything. And I'll start. I'm going to sing. I'm gonna be a star.

[A]

Hold on. You say the girl canceled the meeting. Was that his. The girl that he got married to or somebody from the.

[B]

Somebody else? So listen. So when I say I'm leaving, I'm saying I'm going to go do this. I'm getting a record deal. I don't care what this man did. It's a man. I'm a singer. I'm in his house. I'm finna fly out. So when my manager calls me and says, you, meeting has been canceled for your record deal. And I say, no way, no way. I said, put me on the phone with her, else you fired. With Kevin Black's secretary. Get on the phone with the secretary. She just had an abortion. She just had an abortion. Couple days prior. And he done went and got married at the All Star Weekend. I said, he married me. I'm still being tough. I'm still being nervous. He married me. So why can't I have my meeting for my record deal? Cause I want to sing. She like, you know. You know what? You right. I ain't gonna cancel it. So I'm thinking, you told me Kevin Black thought that I was like Mary J. Blige. He thought that I was everything. So imagine banking your whole life on getting on this plane to present your music for the first time. So she said, come on, you still. This man's still avoiding your text messages. He's still avoiding you. He won't say nothing, but you in his house. So imagine flying to a place. Cause you just want to sing. You just want to sing. You go get ready to sing. I remember what it looked like in la. We're pulling up to Warner Brothers, bedded on Black. Kevin Black, huge executive. I walk in, I hadn't even seen my man since he left for All Star Week. But he lightly answering me, I don't give a fuck. I'm finna go sing these songs, man. I'm finna be a star. I walk in, guess what Kevin Black say, To me, what? You look like Keech Cole, girl. I said, what you say? He said, oh. He said, why she here? Oh, she look like Keech Cole. I'm like, I know that this man's supposed to get married, so I ain't gonna have nowhere to live or nothing.

[A]

Mmm.

[B]

Walk into the meeting. The secretary who sat at the meeting had his name, Antonio Tompra, tattooed on him, on her. I look at her tattoo.

[A]

Cause I see, see, you had. I'm sure. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Because when you said the secretary had just had an abortion, I'm trying to figure out, well, how did the secretary have an abortion? Have to do anything with this story? She had just had an abortion from Antonio.

[B]

She done set him up a meeting. And he telling me, Cause I'm a star. I got a meeting. Cause I'm a star. But you got a meeting. Cause you. Girl, that's the secretary or the executive. So I fly. I don't even know. They say he got married. My mama, like, you gotta pay, but

[A]

not to the secretary.

[B]

Yeah, but she counseling my means. I called her.

[A]

So that's who he got married to. The second time, no.

[B]

Another girl.

[A]

So.

[B]

So I tell her, keep my meeting on. I ain't. He ain't marrying me.

[A]

So. Yeah, why you got beef with me?

[B]

Yeah, I ain't got no. Cause I still thinking that Kevin Black want me here, right?

[A]

Okay, okay, okay, okay.

[B]

So I'm like him, man. I'm gonna be a star. I don't care. I'm gone. So I'm flying. I ain't talk to the man I talk to every day, my man. I ain't talk to him every day. But it's been like we about three days. So they say you got married, but you ain't saying nothing to me. You keep avoiding me. Cause we poking on a trip. We leave this. Me, we supposed to fly out.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

So we go to this thing. The man said, oh, you look like Keisha. And I said, oh, okay. Cause I love Keisha. Yeah, I know the similar. You know, the similarities of what we sing about. Heartbreak, this and that. Still a whole respect for her. I don't care. So I go in, we sitting at a table, say this. The whole table, okay? Kevin Black, he sits down as I sit down. He's like, so what we here for Donald Woodard, like, he said here, one of the biggest lawyers in Atlanta. He had. Jeezy had everybody. You told Antonio Tava. You told Donald Woodard to fly, to do this record Deal with me. So I got a lawyer here. Everything we think we just ready to sign a deal. The executive sit down and say, why I'm here.

[A]

He had no idea why he was there.

[B]

He thought I was Keisha Cole. He had no idea. He said she looked like. He didn't know nothing. So I'm thinking, I'm here to sign a deal, when here. He didn't know why I was here. I hadn't seen. I look across, I see Antonio. I'm staring at him. I'm looking across.

[A]

So Antonio's there now?

[B]

Yeah, he coming to the meeting. This is my first time seeing him since he left home. And we all sitting around the table, and I had a song called what you may not know is that your boyfriend, he's a ho. It's gonna shock. You won't believe. So the secretary, like, yes, he's a ho. I'm sitting like I'm being punk. There's no way this is my real life. And I saw her tattoo.

[A]

She got Antonio Tarver tattoo on her.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

You had one, too?

[B]

No, I ain't never put no man on my body. So we get in the car. He get a driver. We get in the car, guess what he do. We gonna talk about this at dinner. Dinner. That's when you be. When you ain't got no money. That's how men do you with money. We ain't got nothing. You always have it with him. We go to. It wasn't. It's not even Cheesecake Factory. It's like, grand looks. You know the grand.

[A]

Yeah, I know. Yep, yep, yep, yep.

[B]

So we sitting up there, and the wife walk in into the dinner, and he tell. I said. I thought. He said. He told me. He gonna tell me on our trip. He gonna tell me he got married on our trip. Are you kidding me? All the shit I've been through, you gonna tell me? So she come. I'm just stabbing the table with the knives. Like, man, that girl don't even love you. This girl. You know what I'm saying?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm just hitting the tape with the knife. And I said you weren't gonna tell me nothing. Right before she walked in, he said he was gonna tell me on I vacation. He gonna tell me he got married on I vacation. Cause what right do I have to speak up? Cause I ain't got no money. So that's when I tell women, get your money. What right did I have? You should have a right as a woman. Yes, but not in this day and age. You got to have the same money as a man.

[A]

When the wife walk in, what she say to you?

[B]

Oh, she sat down, Denise. She was all cute. She was cute and she didn't. I don't even think she knew what was going on.

[A]

Yeah, she's like, who is this? Who is this?

[B]

I don't think she understood. I never had a problem with her. So I started saying, just yelling out shit.

[A]

You can't be loud in the restaurant, though.

[B]

I don't care. I'm yelling out shit like, girl, this, man this and that. So then he sent me on my way, and I didn't have nothing. So everybody wants stuff from people that's not in your name. I had a Jaguar and $10,000. Yeah, that's a good send off. But imagine that type of embarrassment out of here, you know?

[A]

Damn.

[B]

So I went through that. That's why I see life differently.

[A]

Did you have any idea that he was seeing you and other women or there were other women?

[B]

I knew he was seeing women, like. Cause he was. You know, you start seeing athletes and things like that. I knew he was seeing women. But imagine being in Memphis and just being in the club and someone trying to talk to you, and you're like, I don't want to talk to you. I want to be famous. And this was before any of the men I've dated. This was like the start.

[A]

Yeah. He's the first one of seeing the

[B]

shit that rich men do.

[A]

Rich men ain't the only one rich men do.

[B]

Rich men do. And I said, never, ever, ever in my life would I allow one of y' all rich men.

[A]

Don't be lumping us all in there. Some of us good.

[B]

Are you good, Shannon?

[A]

I can't believe that.

[B]

You can't believe what?

[A]

Nothing. I'm gonna have to have him on here and get his side of the story.

[B]

You can get his side. Cause all he gonna do is yap like in boxing. And I see him screenshoting my Snapchats. He's the only one screenshots, my. Why are you screenshotting my Snapchat?

[A]

Maybe he still love you. Maybe he still got something for you.

[B]

It will never. I hate the way he eat food.

[A]

What you mean? Damn?

[B]

His tongue be out his mouth and he be. I hate it. I hate that. Eat the fucking food like I hate it.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

K. But that is the thing that if you don't have the money, you got to deal with eating with food falling out they mouth. Oh, Lord, I hate it. It's a thing for me. So I thank him.

[A]

Tarver my boy, he's a cool.

[B]

I can say this. Tarver, you got evil people. Tarver's not an evil person. He was just being a man. And he never thought enough of me. He never thought enough of me. He thought, she can sing. Let me get in on that. Oh, she love me. She's stupid. He never thought that I would be who I am.

[A]

But if you sexy. I mean, he looking at you.

[B]

You, like, care about sexy. Sexy don't do nothing in this business. Are you kidding me?

[A]

I mean, he was trying to do. He was trying to do something else, though, while in the process of helping.

[B]

He wasn't. He was only trying to hump on me and make.

[A]

Is that what I tried to say?

[B]

Oh, okay. I'm like, he humped me.

[A]

He was trying to get a little friendly hunching in.

[B]

Yeah. He never thought that he would have to experience and his life would be there and he would be Snapchatting. He never. He.

[A]

Is he still married to that lady?

[B]

No. She took everything. She took all of his money. And then she opened up beauty supply stores. Do you know I could have opened you up the beauty by opening up all your money. Like she opened up.

[A]

She took it back.

[B]

She took. Like she didn't love him. Like I actually had your back. Mm. Mm. She took everything.

[A]

You work with. You work with R. Kelly.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Is R. Kelly still. Look. And I've had this conversation with her.

[B]

I'm in so much trouble this week.

[A]

No, but the thing is, I believe you can admire someone's craft while saying what he did was wrong.

[B]

Yeah. And that's why I stand. Robert Kelly fought the industry at a time where he didn't, you know. Cause he was still robbed.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

Man, that man taught me so much. I understand that 3 minutes and 30 seconds is how you make a movie.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I understand the value of music. The. The value of everything. The fact that to experience that type of life and support the fact that, you know, Rob would be scared to fly. He wouldn't fly nowhere. Like to have to talk to a legend and say, okay, you gotta go here. You gotta go meet these Mandelas. Oh, we gonna begin to the Mandela situ. Like, really, really Mandela. And to watch Rob not. He not be able to read. He cannot read. Let's just stop this. Like, I am a feminist. Wanna be a star. No problem. Anyone can shine on TikTok. Post your first video today. Real life, real story. Real you download TikTok and get started. Hey, it's us, the Jonas Brothers. And guess what? We have some Big news.

[A]

What's the news?

[B]

Huge news. We created our own podcast called hey Jonas. We invented a podcast. Well, we didn't invent it, we. We just contributed to it. First people to do podcasts. Pretty. Yeah, pretty wide range of podcasts, but this one's extra special. So how do we, how do we actually come up with the name hey Jonas?

[A]

Guys, I honestly don't remember.

[B]

I think it was on a call about what we should call it and well, we were thinking. I'm originally calling it one of the early names of our band before Jonas Brothers. This is how you guys remember it going down? Yes, I have a very different memory of this. We were talking about a thing a

[A]

bit for the podcast where people could call in and say, hey Jonas.

[B]

And then I wrote down on my little notepad hey Jonas and offered it

[A]

up as a potential title.

[B]

Oh, the podcast.

[A]

But thanks for remembering that.

[B]

Guys, Listen to Hey Jonas on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Just listen. We don't care where you hear it.

[A]

Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy not quite on Humor Me with Robert Smigel and Friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier this week. My guests, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an acapella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to Humor Me with Robert Smigel and friends on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, fam? It's Isaiah Thomas and I'm CJ Toledano and our podcast Point Game is about defying the odds. Like LeBron heading into the playoffs without Luka and Austin Reed and finding ways to win no matter what. He's the smartest player to ever play the game. His IQ is at a level that we've never seen before and he knows without Luka and Austin Reaves, I gotta manipulate the game. We get a player's perspective on the challenges of the playoffs. I think Joker's gonna be exhausted this series because when they don't have Rudy in the lineup, he has to really guard guys like Nas Reed, he has to guard Julius Randle and then he has to give us everything. He gives us on a night to night basis on offense. And when it's friends stop by like Quinton Richardson, we dive into some playoff history too. Steve Nash would Get that thing, that man. Hell, get the flying. He running up the court, licking his fingers while he got the ball. Like you go through a training camp with that, Isaiah, you figure it out real quick. Oh, yeah. Get your ass up and down the court, and you gonna get the ball. So listen to Point game on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[B]

Here's something that should not be as complicated as it is getting a racist statue removed. And here's something that should be a whole lot easier than it is getting a new one put up in its place. As long as there's a politics of

[A]

race in America, there's gonna be a politics of remembering the Civil War. To get to school, I had to go down Robert E. Lee Boulevard, get to the grocery store. I had to go down Jefferson Davis Parkway.

[B]

If you're a historian and you leave out half of what the history is, you're not doing your job. I'm Akilah Hughes, and Rebel Spirit Season 2 goes deep on both of those things. The fights, the politics, the people who won, and my personal campaign to add something to the Kentucky State House that's actually worth the wall space.

[A]

We are more than our bodies. We contain essence. We contain spirit.

[B]

How do you represent that?

[A]

They are just fueling a fire that is really catching.

[B]

You'll see what I mean. Listen to Rebel Spirit Season 2 on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And I'm for women, but I'm also, regardless of how, no one has hurt me more than a black man.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You know?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

But no one gives me the passion more than black women and men. For Robert Kelly to go in there to do a record deal, and for Robert Kelly, you came in for him to sign you, then someone else signed you. And then when you're going through abuse, for someone who is considered an abuser in the world to say, y' all not finna abuse that girl. Like, I watched him call that record label and say, y' all want her to be Mary J. Blige so bad. But the truth is this girl got her ass like this, act like this, and she's a country singer. Can we. This is the gimmick. This is what we need to do for the gimmick and to sit in writing sessions, just me and him, and he keeps saying every minute counts. And. But you got 3 minutes, 30 seconds. Like to be taught in that type of way. I do not condone. I do not play in anything that Rob allegedly has had going on. But what I can say, I've witnessed the people around. I witnessed those people. That's not an excuse for his behavior. But I also have witnessed the enablers who don't help him read, feed them things and don't do that. I'm not taking up for anybody. I just know when it comes to Robert Sylvester Kelly, when it came to a musical understanding, this girl's a bit mental to y'. All. I'm watching. She's amazing. No, that's from him. Like, our songs together, our things like that. I'm not here to defend R. Kelly, but I am here to say there's always different sides of people. That's all I'm here to say. I'm not saying that he's wrong. It's not wrong. But I am saying that if you're gonna. If he was white, y' all would be talking about the good and bad of him. You get what I'm saying? That's all I'm saying. I don't have a heaven and hell to put nobody at when it comes to my career and writing. He was very influential, and he did take me out of an abusive.

[A]

Right.

[B]

He took me out of an abusive relationship, so I never saw him as abusive.

[A]

Chris Brown and Usher are going on tour together.

[B]

That's amazing.

[A]

I never thought I'd see this happen.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

It's gonna be crazy.

[B]

I think it's crazy. Like, I had reached out to Chris Brown, say it's a random Wednesday night, and I needed a record. By the time I woke up, it's the Chris Brown and K. Michelle. Either way, he had already given me my verse and said that he respected who I was. So I hit him. Say it was a Wednesday. I got to his management, I really need this record. And then by the time I woke up on that Thursday.

[A]

You had it.

[B]

Mm. Yeah.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

You said R. Kelly would turn your arguments into songs.

[B]

Yeah. The. The. Though I love you and I care. Cause I really liked him. I think I did. I really.

[A]

You had a relationship?

[B]

Yeah, Like, I really liked him. I would protect him, everything. So I remember one day sitting with him and saying, though I love you and I care about you, but you keep hurting me. I just can't do this. And then that man sang in my face. No, it's funny, but the only way you.

[A]

Are you serious? You telling him. You're telling this man about the pain that he's causing you?

[B]

He sang in my face immediately.

[A]

And what did you say?

[B]

He said, though I love you, he Said, so say it again. And I said. He said, though, I love you and I care about you, but you keep hurting me and I keep forgiving you. And he got the. Jess, can he do this? I was so angry. But it was a genius record, and it was writing life. He always says, write life and not music.

[A]

You said something very interesting. You said that you seen mothers give their daughters to R. Kelly.

[B]

I said that people should be in jail.

[A]

Yeah. Yes.

[B]

That's what I said.

[A]

Hitmaker said the same thing. I had Hitmaker on. And he said women would bring. Mothers would bring their daughters.

[B]

It was disgusting. He wouldn't even be on that. And to watch women say, look at my daughter, she's a star, pushing up they titties and doing it. My mama never did that. You get what I'm saying? Like, that's not an excuse.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Have to behave the right way, treat people of their age and everything, but to sit up there and thank God for your mama to witness. To witness mamas being around like, my daughter is a star. Look. And y'. All. Y' all pushing up your daughter's breasts this and that. It's no excuse for nobody behavior. Everybody got the answer to the things that they do.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Which is why I still feel like those families. I couldn't go to the gas station without my parents looking for me.

[A]

Right.

[B]

You get what I'm saying? Like, I couldn't drive up the street.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

So I just don't think it's right. Sorry. I don't. And I think everyone should be held accountable, Robert included. Everybody should be held accountable.

[A]

You speak about. You've spoken about being in abusive relationships.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Why hard is it? Why? You know, it's always because, you know, you hear people talk about, you know, and say, well, why didn't you just leave? Kay? How's how? Or why? Excuse me? Not how. Why. Why is it so hard for you to leave. To leave those relationships?

[B]

Have you ever loved somebody?

[A]

I have.

[B]

Have you ever really, like, unconditionally love?

[A]

Yes. Yes.

[B]

So I would like to understand our unconditional of love is our unconditional. Okay. So a combined unconditional with money and then things like that. Um, I love the person that I went through abuse from everyone about. I really loved him. I really wanted him to do. I really wanted him to be. I really wanted him to be the next.

[A]

Yeah. Big right.

[B]

I want him to be Diddy. I want him to be the next because. Not Diddy. Now, I didn't know. I don't know about that. But I wanted him to be the next everything. So I took a lot of things in his life, and I took them as his reason and not his why. So I.

[A]

Because a lot of times you're like this money thing. But let me ask you this.

[B]

You see, I keep going back to it.

[A]

Yeah, but what about if somebody didn't have money or didn't have that astronomical amount of money? Could you still be with that person? Could you still love that person unconditionally? Money aside?

[B]

I could. Like, my relationship with my husband is not about money.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's about that. He allows me to be me, even in my wrongs, and say I'm wrong, but he doesn't judge that. So when it comes to, like, my abuser or, you know, or Rob, I just want the. I'm sorry. Like, I be wanting the best for the people I love, even if it,

[A]

you know, even if it's not with me.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You spoke about having a relationship with Idris Elba.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Did people believe you?

[B]

Um, yeah. And I think they were disappointed.

[A]

Why?

[B]

To hear Charlamagne Tha God say, when y' all found out that Idris loved K Michelle, it was like turning. It was like turning wine into Arbo Mist. That's hilarious. Go ahead, laugh. No, it was hilarious. But you gotta understand, for a young black girl, for y' all to do this, that man have never denied me my biggest selling album to this day. That still charts is about me and him. He doesn't. We don't play them games together. Idris was amazing. He was an amazing man, but it

[A]

makes it seem like. In other words, he made it seem like you were not worthy to be with Idris Elba. It like, that's what you did.

[B]

Charlamagne.

[A]

What would Idris want with her? We could have anybody.

[B]

It's a whole hood. I am so sick of y'. All. Because Idris could put on a suit.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Idris would do fine in Memphis. Damn, Idris with the accent and all. You talking about a DJ that was in the streets and, you know, in Hackney, but he still, like, we don't have no hate. That man is married. Him and his wife. I think she's gorgeous. I think you know what I'm saying. Yeah, I want that. But my album, I never exposed that we did everything together, but people thought that I was not good enough. So every time you would see me and Idris, you never would even put that.

[A]

You thought they would just. They probably thought you were just hanging out. Y' all were just friends, huh?

[B]

Oh. Cause we did. I took a musical. I redid my album before, and he produced it. We did all of that, but I have nothing bad to say about Idris. We went through what we went through. I sent my album first. I sent my album to him first.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And he did. So. This is a masterpiece. I hate we've gone through this, but that is a. That is a hood, nigga. Like, we gonna. Stop. We gonna. That is a hood. That is a hood, nigga. I don't care how fine, how dense I want him to be. That is a street hackney. That still is a street dude. Don't do that.

[A]

Do you regret having sex with men? You worked in with this, in this?

[B]

Absolutely not.

[A]

You think you'd have gotten fathered? Or did it hinder you? Did it help? What did it do?

[B]

They was gonna do it regardless. They were gonna try to take me from me regardless.

[A]

But you do realize, like, you know,

[B]

you're not the only people I'm around is the people I'm working around. I'm not.

[A]

But that's okay. You can just. Cause I. Let's just say, for the sake of argument, I work for a company. They got 20,000 employees.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

So you mean to tell me I'm not gonna go outside of that building? You mean to tell me I can't find nobody outside of the building?

[B]

You shouldn't.

[A]

Why?

[B]

You should deal with the people with something to lose.

[A]

True.

[B]

You should deal with the people who could lose their job, just like you.

[A]

But here's the thing, though. But you would lose. You stood more to lose than them.

[B]

Um, now I see that. But at that time, did who. Who stood more to lose when I still have remained successful, I haven't had to go out here and be chopped up in a box or put up on crime files.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

These men, we know who they are. We know how to contact them. We know what they bring to the table.

[A]

Right.

[B]

That's a better thing for me. I'm sorry. It just still is. When it comes to work and comes to living and being what it is, I don't want to date nobody that doesn't understand what I'm understanding, you or what you're going through, I don't wanna do it. I don't wanna go meet a man at a bar. I just don't. I don't want that. You don't understand my life. You don't understand what I've gone through.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I want somebody that does business and understand my business.

[A]

Well, congratulations on getting married last year. How has marriage changed K. Oh, my God.

[B]

It's like you're supposed to sleep with the same sausage forever. Like, I started getting a whole nother respect. Like, it's one thing to be like, I want to be married, but after the ceremony or whatever, what happens? So thank God my husband is my. Like, he's really my best friend.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

So what's it like? Because everybody has this look. This marriage is the ceremony.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Okay. Once the ceremony is over, all the friends are like, oh, we're so happy for you. Congratulations. And you dance and you eat the cake.

[B]

I didn't get any of that.

[A]

And you go. To go on the honeymoon. You. When you bring your ass back home.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And y' all just.

[B]

But we've been doing this for so long.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, that's the thing. Like, we have been close since high school. You get that?

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Like, you be around this person since high school. This and that. So marriage for me, like, you know how I got married? People are on a whole debate right now about it. It's the whole thing I'm dealing in. But me and that man, like, I didn't get a honeymoon face. He should have been married me.

[A]

You could. Well, hold on. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. You left?

[B]

He ain't no honeymoon face.

[A]

You didn't give him. No. You didn't give him the time of day he wanted to.

[B]

Yeah, when we started dating. Since then, when I'm saying we've known each other, it's not that. That 11, 13 years has nothing to do with the high school this was after. Oh, this has nothing to do with.

[A]

So y' all dated for 13 years before you got married?

[B]

Yes, he wouldn't marry me.

[A]

Why?

[B]

Because when I got into it, I said I never wanted to be married.

[A]

Well, damn. He took your word.

[B]

But then when he didn't do it, he tried to, let's go to Vegas and get married. I was like, no. And then once, he never tried to come back around, and people was like, why y' all not married? I'm looking at him like, you said

[A]

you didn't want to.

[B]

Yeah, but why wouldn't you?

[A]

No, see? No, see, see, there you go.

[B]

But why wouldn't you try?

[A]

He tried and you said, no, but

[B]

why wouldn't you just try?

[A]

No, see, there you go. See, that's what women do. See how y' all do that? Women. You see what I'm talking about? The man said, I wanna marry you,

[B]

but why not try if you love somebody? And when I said to him, why weren't you trying? He Said, because you don't wanna be married, girl.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

This is your control. This is something that. This is his power. This marriage proposal was his. Yeah. So I had to do what I had to do.

[A]

Give me the difference. All men. A regular guy dating a regular guy dating an athlete.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Dating a musician.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Dating an actor.

[B]

Okay. I would say that everybody in entertainment is entertaining.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And, you know, it's like finding out Santa Claus is not real. Like, you know, all your friends, like, if I can meet him. Then you found out he's just a regular guy who didn't take care of his child support. Like, he's just a regular guy dating an actor. He's acting. He makes a living off of being fake, you know?

[A]

Can you tell when he's acting or when he's been.

[B]

Absolutely. It's always. It's always on.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Dating an athlete, you like them the best, though.

[A]

I can tell. I can tell.

[B]

Athletes. Yeah. Athletes are. They can be grounded. They can be that because they have to work hard and they, you know, they have to go really in. Like, they have to like you. Like me. And you were talking like, you have to be healthy. You can't do this, this and that. It's a lot of dedication. So that type of dedication connects.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You know, with someone like me. But athletes, baby, if you're not prepared for those flights, those. Running up.

[A]

Were you there after his side piece ran up on you?

[B]

Oh, always. Like, I was always dealing in that. I would never.

[A]

You would never run up on.

[B]

Oh, absolutely.

[A]

You have.

[B]

I have.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

I've ran up on a lot. Like, I have ran up how you

[A]

run up on somebody.

[B]

Yeah. But I feel like that was my boyfriend.

[A]

What, were they disrespecting you?

[B]

Yeah, disrespecting me. Like saying things. I would have to write songs and all of that. That was like 20s, like top of 30s. That's nowhere in me. But I will say, for the women who date athletes, that is a life that doesn't leave much room for your own. Yeah, I believe that.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah. Cause they kind of like, they kind of want the woman available when they want her available. And so it's kind of hard for you to have a real full time job because when he needs you to pick up and go somewhere, you know,

[B]

if you got a job, it's about him. It's about his health, it's about how he moves. That's your whole family structure.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Nothing's wrong with that. But if you want something else for yourself, that's when it gets very difficult. I can say that.

[A]

Who did you tolerate the most from the regular guy, the athlete, the musician, or the actor?

[B]

Oh, I felt like the actor I did. Never had to tolerate anything. Perfect.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Acting, gentlemen.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The athlete I had to tolerate the most. It was always. It's always a game. It's always something going on. They always gotta be fed, they always gotta be taken care of. They always gotta feel their body's gotta be good. Everybody in the whole family. Dating an athlete is something that is not for the week.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

If an individual is not married, is it okay for him or her to have conversations outside of that relationship?

[B]

Yeah. Absolutely.

[A]

Huh.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

So. Well, Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Another time. I need a full time out. So for the sake of argument, you and I dating, we're not married, though. You feel that it's okay for you to have communication with other men?

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Okay. We ain't gonna be able to do that.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

We ain't gonna be together.

[B]

Is it okay for you?

[A]

No.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

What type of conversation are we talking, though?

[B]

Conversation? You just asked me about one conversation.

[A]

Because, hey, I don't want you. You be. Go see, see, you gonna be at the bar. You gonna be at the bar having, you know, having.

[B]

But you. You assume that. You just assume that you just wrote me. Is that. You assume that. What type of conversation are you talking about? That you asked me in.

[A]

It's gonna feel. It's gonna be some type of way. Even if you're not married, the other person is under the assumption it's one on one and there are no outside people.

[B]

Having a conversation is too different from a bedroom and mattress dancing. That's two different things.

[A]

But they might be trying to. They might be having a conversation to try to lead that direction.

[B]

Okay, but if she shuts it down, okay, what does that mean? Conversations can always take place. Especially when you have not solidified that this is who I am with for life. I think that's when the problems lie. When you give so much to a man or you give so much to a woman and there's no real defined thing, okay?

[A]

There's no defined thing.

[B]

Nobody's angry, okay? The only real defined thing is marriage. Anything other than that. That's not true.

[A]

So let me. So when you get. Let's just say your husband's like, okay, look. Cause I'm assuming that you, like. A lot of women said, look, I'm dating with the purpose of getting married, okay? And so that. So if you say I'm dating with the purpose of Getting married. He's like, okay, I'm cool with that. You do a wage your roster at the beginning. Yeah.

[B]

He said, absolutely not.

[A]

No, no, no. K. You said you're dating to get married. He says, if you date with the

[B]

purpose of getting married, what that means is what Women have not been taught that that means. Yeah, dating with the purpose of marriage is with the purpose of marriage. If this man, you don't know if he's gonna be your husband, you're dating. You're not dated to one person. You're dating. You're supposed to be dating. I didn't tell you to go pop it open for everybody. I didn't tell you to do any of that. If you're dating, you're dating people.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

Dating is dating, right?

[A]

Mm.

[B]

Dating isn't like.

[A]

What if you say, kay, I want this, I want this exclusive. I want this between you and I.

[B]

Okay, well, we've had that conversation. And if we both decide that, then it's between. We don't do that.

[A]

But see, I've already had the conversation. I'm telling you what I want.

[B]

Okay, okay, well, then we talk about that. There's no. Men don't come up to you and say, oh, let's date. And this. I just want me and you to date. That's not the conversation that is had. It's always like, I'm not ready for a serious relationship, but I want you to be serious to me.

[A]

Is that what he be saying?

[B]

That's what they say. You know that. And that's not happening. If you want to get to know me and we're gonna exclusively get to know each other and date, then that is a conversation that's grown.

[A]

Like that girl got grown folk talk.

[B]

But if not, I can listen to whatever else or any other man that's talking to me.

[A]

But he. I mean, he might be worried about somebody come beating his time.

[B]

Well, he should get up on his time. If it's something there, then it should be something there. It shouldn't be these. It shouldn't be these lines and drawn that don't make sense for just. It makes sense for him. But not her nowadays. No. I am old school, though. I'm old school in dating. I'm very old school. Like, my parents are together. They've always been together. I would love that if, you know, while dating and this. I get that. But that's not what's going on now. So now you have to just say, I pay my bills, I make my own moves, and that's what it is okay.

[A]

Reality tv. How did reality TV change K's life?

[B]

Good and bad. Bad. People think that they know you good. I don't have to hide a lot of things. I get to walk in the room as who I am.

[A]

You making good money on love and hip hop making.

[B]

Well, I ain't been there in 10 years, but.

[A]

But you was making a lot of good. So did you, did you? I mean. Cause now you like you making, but you can sing. You making good money. But love.

[B]

Hip hop was good for me.

[A]

You like it? Do you enjoy it?

[B]

Yeah, it was good for me. It was a lot of stress. But at the end of the day, it also was a situation that allowed my talent. I opened up love and hip hop singing a song. I have gotten all type of number one albums which people who never did reality that like to judge and never got to do in their life. And I had been singing, talking to people ever since. Loving hip hop was great for me.

[A]

I mean, you were on there with Atlanta with Joselyn and Mimi and Rasheeda and Karlie and Stevie J. Scrappy Momma Dee. What are some of the things that happened that didn't probably. I'm assuming, considering everything probably made air. Is there some things that didn't make air?

[B]

A lot. A lot of stuff didn't make air. A lot of stuff that now would be absolutely air. Absurd. I'm happy that it didn't make it. But that cast was not put together. It wasn't a fake anything. They put us on TV and we ran amok and we. No one understood what happened. It was like number one and it was all for our real lives

[A]

with Mimi and, you know, Joselyn and Stevie J. That interaction. Why you got your nose turned up like that? It was too much. It was a lot, huh?

[B]

You know, like I like, I love Joselyn. Like me and Joselyn, we fight, I think. Cause personalities are similar. But when it comes to like, you know, she got on the show, she didn't get a dime, she didn't get paid. No. Because it was a lead. Like they felt a way about who she was as a person. And that's why I always. I don't love everything Joselyn does, but I can say she thought out of a lot of things. Imagine if you get on TV and your man for Mimi, your man got a whole nother storyline with a whole nother woman. So yes, I popped Mimi with those flowers and you know, I feel bad about it, but I don't.

[A]

How you gonna say I feel bad, but I don't I don't.

[B]

Cause it was a huge TV show that, you know, made, and she.

[A]

What do you think when her sex tape came out? Did you know about it? Had you heard was the whispers?

[B]

Yeah, I had heard everything. So I wasn't even on the show. So for them to put me back on the show with Joselyn to.

[A]

To discuss it.

[B]

Yeah, to discuss it. It was like, okay. I just wish it was a good sex tape. You know, if you're gonna do anything, be the best at all the stuff that you do. The sex tape was very mediocre. Like the shower rods. You could have. You could have hung there better. It was not.

[A]

I mean, the mere fact that she's

[B]

hanging on the shower, it wasn't a performance.

[A]

I'm like, what did they reinforce with.

[B]

It wasn't a performance. It was very much performative, but it wasn't perform. It wasn't, like, exciting. So if you're going to do a sex tape and your kids get to watch it, I would make the best sex tape.

[A]

I don't think they was wanting the kids to watch it.

[B]

Oh, they had to. If you go and re Sign and go sign a deal, in order for the sex sex tape to be distributed, you should have redone it. Well, you get what I'm saying?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like, whatever you stand on, make it great. That wasn't a great sex tape. You know, that wasn't a great sex tape.

[A]

I ain't watch it.

[B]

Like, if I'm gonna go down, I want the best sex tape ever, you know? That wasn't a good one. It was like, ugh.

[A]

But you so good. I mean, they put you on love and hip hop New York. Love and hip hop Los Angeles. You be. What is it about you? How did you get. I mean, normally, if you on a series, you don't get to like, we're starting another series. And over here. Hey, let's bring K. Oh, we started another series over there. Let's bring K. How are you? What is it about your person?

[B]

Chillin' Shannon. I be chilling. Like, anything I see, I'm gonna speak on. I just. I'm myself. Like, it's not a city that can hold me. That's not it. Like, I'm chilling.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Like that show, it is culture that also is a part of culture. And I just feel like I was. I feel like there's a lot of women that look like me and act like me. So I'm not putting on a character. I'm being exactly who I am. So every city has A me.

[A]

You were on Love with Los Angeles with Ray J. What's Ray J like? Cause I think we see.

[B]

You did Ray J. You interviewed me?

[A]

I did Ray J. Boy, he was on one that day. He's on one most days.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

He was laying down, jumping over the couch.

[B]

Yeah. Ray J's amazing. Like, we did a play together. They had to separate us because of our behavior. We grown people making a lot of money doing this play, but they had to separate us. When it comes to Ray J, I feel like he doesn't like how people try to box him about his. About his sister. Like, Ray J is his own character. He's his own person. He's his own being. But one thing people will never say, that Ray J ain't cool. And Ray J, you know what I'm saying? If you call Ray J, he gonna have your back.

[A]

Right?

[B]

So.

[A]

But now you're on the Real Housewives of Atlanta. You could, like, switch networks, switch franchises. So what's that like now?

[B]

People are mad. It's a thing. It's like a trending thing.

[A]

Like, once you hear, you stay here. Don't be going over there.

[B]

Yeah. And to watch the girls. See, the girls in Atlanta have this clique, Shannon. Like, I don't know if you've gotten into the clique yet, but it's the clique of, I'm cool, I'm rich, I'm this and that. I've never fit into anybody's clique.

[A]

Right.

[B]

So I've never been the girl. When I talk about blacks and being a lead and things like that, I've always had the written paper, accolades, but my behavior has never.

[A]

You still that girl from Memphis?

[B]

Yeah. It's never given that, and they hated that. So a lot of these women want to be on this type of show. Great money, showing your life, dealing with all of that. So when they found out a girl from lovinhip was coming to Atlanta that was, you know, upscale, this and that, they really tried to give me a hard time. But the thing is, I am a housewife. Regardless of the types you see or what you think, I give this housewife, I give that housewife. I just give myself.

[A]

Right? But now you're on there with Portia Phaedra Drew, Angela Oakley, Pinky Cole. What's that? What's it like? What's it like? Now?

[B]

When I first had. I was shocked. Cause, you know, you think this and that. You know, here it's a mental, and it's a verbal spark. Like, it's completely different. Like, you ain't gonna slap nobody. You're not finna do that.

[A]

Right.

[B]

Everything is mental, and I think I get a kick out of it.

[A]

You like that, huh?

[B]

Oh, I think I get a kick off of just, like, thinking and saying what needs to be said.

[A]

But you was interacting with oak, and I know oak. I've known Oak 30 years. Friends. What's oak like on reality television?

[B]

Kim? Honestly, he is so cool. So in order to be in a room of all of this going on and, like, our first connection is what? Like, first episode came out, everybody's like, can we please get, get Charles and K just to sit and, like, talk. He just him, like. And I took to that. Like, it was just cool. It wasn't. I'm being extra. I'm being Charles Oakley. It was just that, you know, me and my wife, we cool. And that's what I took to and I enjoyed the both of them.

[A]

Pinky Cole is on the show. Yes. And, you know, she had the slutty vegan and it was booming, especially during COVID and after that. And she ran into some financial hard times. You are Rep. Farmer, restaurateur.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

What's some of the conversations that you had with her that probably didn't make the show?

[B]

We talk every night outside of any camera. She's a Delta. I'm a Delta. She's smart as hell.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

When I say smart as hell. One thing about being a winner, you always have to accept your Ls.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And the things that happen to you. I'm sorry. The best of winners. No one wins every time.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

Like, we gonna always go through things.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

When you're fighting to be great. She's a prime example of being honest. And you know her. I don't even wanna say losses in her lessons. And that girl. To have a franchise that big.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And it's still going. Even when people try to take it from you. I can say that I just really do respect her strength in what she does.

[A]

When the investments that you made, I mean, obviously you're a singer, you're a restaurateur. You still, you own these shows. Have you made any sound investments?

[B]

No. I have bought investment properties. Me and my husband. My dream home. I do not plan on buying for another three to five years just because I like that. I'm going through a restaurant situation now. I wanted to be ghost from power. I thought I, I, I thought I had that streeted me.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I'm on my fourth restaurant. This one is kicking my butt at this time. I would like to exit for it. I don't want to say I didn't take anything from business. I took the lessons. And I've understood. Just because you have the money doesn't mean that you need to spend it on anything else. So that is what I have learned in business.

[A]

It's tough.

[B]

It's tough. It all is tough.

[A]

It's all encompassing. It's all you think about. Eat, sleep.

[B]

You take on another baby. When you take on a business, then you take on another baby.

[A]

You absolutely do.

[B]

And it's a lot. So for me to be in a deal like right now that I'm getting out of, that was supposed to be like about 10 people. I wanted to take it on myself. I've never taken a restaurant l, but this time I'm taking an L and I'm taking it with grace. And it is what it is. I still enjoy it.

[A]

You're the first bar. You're the first black artist to have an own drink with Jack Daniels.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

How's that partnership and how did it come about?

[B]

I'm the first black ever endorsed by Jack Daniels, period in life. Okay. When I signed to my label, they told me, not gonna happen. They are not Ciroc. They're never gonna give you a deal. You're not Beyonce. It's not happening. And the number one buyer of Jack Daniel's Honey was African American women. And after that, they wanted an African American who really loved Jack Daniels. So I was getting these big bottles with bows on them at every show. They wanted to know who I was. So they called. I did the BET Awards. It was like, how did she get all these entries? They said, we're gonna give you some more money. I said, no, I need a drink. They said, it'll never happen. I said, well, bye. And then about three months later, they said, we'll give you a drink. We're going to give you the lowest hanging fruit of a drink, which is a country cocktail. And we're going to let you come in to create it with another black woman. The flavor profiles are all created by a black woman at Jack Daniels named Jarita. And we went in and created these drinks and came up with Southern peach. And it was every day. They said, I couldn't have a gold cap. All the men, the executives. I said, I need a gold cap. And they gave me a gold cap. The drink went into 14,000 stores. I got paid off of every case sold and the most money I've ever seen in my whole life and career. Regardless of going to sing a song and do anything.

[A]

And so you made more money from this partnership than you have in your music career.

[B]

Yeah, I created that drink. I created the packaging of that drink. They would not give me Jack Niniels is amazing. They teach me about business to this day, but they would not one thing that as black people we should learn. They would not give me any piece of long term business or a piece of that business. And Jack Daniels was created by a slave,

[A]

Ernest Green, I think.

[B]

But they never like uncle nearest, like they never took it from me. They never took that I was black. They always told me speak exactly how I feel. And they've always been like that. So right now it has been over what we're probably about a two and a half, three years where I go to distillery in Kentucky and have created a moonshine. If you are southern, you understand when people come to your house, they bring you illegal moonshine and glasses. So now I have a moonshine coming with my country album. And look, I just know everything I've gone through, I know how to do this.

[A]

How did. How did reality television help your country music career?

[B]

I haven't seen it yet. I don't know what it's going to do. I helped my R and B. I was able to do this and that. But now I'm introduced to a different demographic of women and things and we will see within the next six to seven months what country music and reality tv because it hasn't been done what it will do, right?

[A]

You look at Cardi and she was on love and hip hop. Kind of got her career started there. And then she broke the highest grossing debut arena tour by a female rapper. I love people can't make me hate Cardi. I just love her personal. I just love her personality. I love she is unapologetically who she

[B]

is and that's who she is.

[A]

I believe it. I believe this is. I believe what you see on television. I believe when there's no cameras around and she don't have makeup on, I believe she behaves and acts that exact same way.

[B]

That's exactly who this woman is. She will always like. I will never forget. Like I was in my kitchen and I love Cardi. I listen to everything. But some said call her like it was random and I had hit her and I said, are you okay? And she said, that is scary. I literally have been listening to your songs for a week. That girl, I just feel like she's real life. Sorry. Like nothing is perfect. But she is who she is and I'm gonna always Stand for someone like that.

[A]

Well, next time you talk to her, tell her to come on Club Shay Shay.

[B]

You wanna come on Club Shay Shay?

[A]

I would do.

[B]

Would you date Cardi?

[A]

Huh?

[B]

I mean, she's single.

[A]

Where'd that come from?

[B]

You're single. Would you date her?

[A]

No.

[B]

I would think that.

[A]

No, I can't, to be honest. I wanna go out and eat in peace. I don't want cameras on the street.

[B]

You're never going out to eat in peace. So hang that.

[A]

I was just out last night eating in peace.

[B]

No, but they knew it was.

[A]

Yeah, but I'm saying no, it was.

[B]

You could say that, man.

[A]

Let Cardi's. The tour is doing well. She's raising kids.

[B]

But you also know who I think would be good for you?

[A]

Who?

[B]

Like, I think you and Keyshia Cole would be good together.

[A]

Oh, Lord have mercy.

[B]

You've said her name before. I do good at hooking people up. I. I feel like. Who doesn't think that? I think that. That. Oh, my God. I think. And you know the other. What's the other girl like to you?

[A]

Who?

[B]

The delicious girl. I wouldn't like her back. So that.

[A]

Oh, delicious.

[B]

I wouldn't put that on.

[A]

What's a real deal?

[B]

I wouldn't want her either, sir. I wouldn't put that back.

[A]

What you mean.

[B]

Hold on.

[A]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Who said that?

[B]

You didn't say anything back.

[A]

I didn't say anything.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Oh, oh, you talking about when I first see. I said. She told me when I first went over. When I first went on. Well, at first I didn't see it. At first I didn't see it. Cause I wasn't on social media like that. C.J. was explaining to me like, you know, she shot her shot, blah, blah, blah.

[B]

I think she's gorgeous, but I think. Yeah, I don't think that would work. Maybe you and Keisha. Cardi. You and Cardi would be so exciting. But I got you. Give me, like, three days.

[A]

Listen, I ain't nothing. I'm not Cardi

[B]

like, the dude everybody love.

[A]

I ain't Cardi's type. I'm not Cardi's type, you know?

[B]

How do you know Cardi?

[A]

Cause you've seen the guy she's dated.

[B]

That doesn't mean anything. People always, like. By the time they get in the thing, people date.

[A]

And I heard them Dominicans, they be on one.

[B]

Well, so.

[A]

Mm. Mm. I can't do that.

[B]

You can't.

[A]

I gotta lay low now. I gotta lay low.

[B]

Oh, no. I'm gonna get you some one. Because I just feel like. I feel like culturally we should not let Unk go.

[A]

Okay?

[B]

I appreciate it. We should not let Unc go. Unc, we all love Unk. We want Unk to have that woman. So we all. Oh, now that's my job. I'm gonna get it done. Watch this, babe.

[A]

They done put me together with everybody. They put me with Dr. Bryant.

[B]

I don't like that for you.

[A]

Why you don't like Dr. Bryant? She was so nice.

[B]

No, I like her. I don't like that for you.

[A]

Okay, so you want me to have you a hip hop star? You want me to have.

[B]

No, honestly, I don't. You know what I want you to have?

[A]

I've never.

[B]

Can I say what I want you to have?

[A]

Yeah, what you want me to have?

[B]

Okay. Can we speak honestly?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I want you as this successful, handsome black man that every. Like that, like our culture loves. I want you to have this bad like smart, educated woman who has this things going on. It don't have to be hip hop. I'm. No, I definitely don't just want you. I'm just talking about someone who could do. Who personality wise, could deal with. Jurisdictional. Personality wise. That's what I'm talking about. They don't have to be hip hop. I don't care if they were a doctor or this and that. I want you to have a fly. Just. Just like a fly woman who can get you together.

[A]

Okay, okay, okay.

[B]

Like who can get you together like I want you to. That's what we see for you. Like, I think the world is rooting for this Shannon Sharpe who is going to be. But I think I'm saying what everybody thinks, right? Everybody wants that girl for you. Everybody wants that girl for you.

[A]

But I don't think they envision Cardi.

[B]

Well, I would envision Cardi. Cause I want the best for both. But okay, so if you were to think about who Unk. If you see Unk out, who would Unk be with that would do that? I would say. No, I'm not gonna say that. Cause she's married.

[A]

Who.

[B]

You know who I saw the other day yesterday?

[A]

Regina Hall. Oh, but.

[B]

Oh,

[A]

now you got. Now you cooking. Die you cooking.

[B]

Oh my God, she's amazing. She is beautiful, successful. That is what. Cause guess who I was gonna say who I saw yesterday? Who I had seen Megan good with Jonathan. Yes, but I would have seen Megan good.

[A]

I had her on the show. She's awesome.

[B]

Oh my God. But I was saying. Okay, Regina Hall. That is What? Where's her phone number? That is. Do you understand how people, like, would feel like her? She's like, auntie, she's beautiful. She's. Oh, my God. Do you know what that would do you and Regina Hall. Do you have her phone number?

[A]

I don't. You need to get.

[B]

Oh, she's gorgeous. She's talented, she's smart.

[A]

She's everything she is. I met her one time.

[B]

She's a grown woman.

[A]

Grown. Grown.

[B]

So that mean you like her?

[A]

No. You worked with Neo also. What was it like working with Neo?

[B]

He's dope. Like, when I worked with Neo, I had had, like, an edible, and I was wilding out.

[A]

Damn.

[B]

No, I was wilding out. And Anita Baker.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

I was wilding out so bad. And Anita Baker had DMed me and said, you are so gifted. I need for you to shut up.

[A]

Sweet love. Say sweet.

[B]

She said, I need for you to chill. And I said, well, you don't care about me. And she said, give me your. Where you're gonna be? I'm sitting there with Neo, and all of a sudden, Anita Baker's like, I'm here. And I said, who? He said, there's no way that's Anita Baker. She doesn't go anywhere. So that was me and Neo's, like, work relationship.

[A]

She came in, she pulled up on you.

[B]

But that's. Ain't that what we supposed to do?

[A]

Yup.

[B]

She pulled up to get me together, and she did. She got me together good. She told me, cut that foolishness out. Yeah. She wasn't playing with me. Anita Baker said, I'm rolling up on you.

[A]

Neo has this situation now. Could you date a man that had multiple partners? Knowingly. And he expressed and said, you know what? Hey, I like you. I wanna spend time with you.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But I got X, Y and Z also.

[B]

I do respect it. I do respect the truth. Um, I left Neo as a writer. I don't know if I would let him do that to me.

[A]

What you mean do that to you?

[B]

I don't know if that would give. That.

[A]

Give you the satisfaction that you need.

[B]

Yeah. But I love Leon. I wouldn't let him do that to me.

[A]

Have you ever had any of your songs taken by another artist?

[B]

You do know that that's why you asked me?

[A]

I ain't asked. I don't know.

[B]

Yeah, a specific artist did, and we're gonna get to that. But, yeah, I've had some.

[A]

This artist took your song.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know it was yours.

[B]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Did she apologize? Did she send you anything?

[B]

No. She just tries to make me a bad person. That's it. It's gone.

[A]

You cool with that, huh?

[B]

I'm not cool with it. But you pick your battles. If one thing, if I'm a writer, I can make a lot of songs.

[A]

Right?

[B]

I'm gonna keep making.

[A]

So you gonna make you write another one?

[B]

I'm gonna write em for your favorite artist and write em for myself.

[A]

Let's not. Let's not. I don't want them people to come on, Regina. No, I don't want them people come for me here. I don't want them people to come for me. Cause you know they will. They will.

[B]

It will go bad. Yeah, it goes so bad. I just really like this Regina hall thing. Can I sing at that wedding?

[A]

Yeah. Okay, well, you and Michelle Indigo Chello. Cause when I get married, she gonna be singing. Oh, that's one of my favorites. Probably Michelle, Indega and Maxwell.

[B]

So you do want to get married?

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Okay. You want kids anymore? What you can have.

[A]

I just told you. I'm 50. I'm about to be 50.

[B]

What does that mean? You can't have a kid because you're 50?

[A]

No.

[B]

Why?

[A]

Cause you shouldn't have one child and one adult both wearing diapers, that's why. The hell?

[B]

Look, not dealing with you. Really?

[A]

No.

[B]

Okay, so like, if you love this woman, love her. Ooh. Say you love this woman.

[A]

Love her.

[B]

Just really wanted a baby. You wouldn't do this. You wouldn't do it.

[A]

If she already has kids, I have no problem.

[B]

So what do you see, like, the rest of your life? Like, family wise?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yes, yes. I don't know about that. Travel. I ain't much of a traveler though. K. I ain't gonna even lie to you. I ain't finna hold you. I ain't no traveler. Cause the people, like, man, you don't want no vacation. Vacation is for people that want to get away from something. I don't feel I need to get away from anything. I love what I do. I love my. We talking offline. I was like, I love what I do. That's why I do it. This is my fourth taping of Club Shay Shay in three days and we've done three episodes of Nightcap.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

I love it. So I've been doing two shows, sometimes three shows a day over the last three days. I love what I.

[B]

So what is your. If you see your life now? Like, what do you want for yourself? Like, what is your goal? What is your ultimate happiness for Unk.

[A]

One of old bungalows in the Maldives. Doing something bad. Doing something bad.

[B]

Okay, okay. Forever?

[A]

Not forever. No, no, no. Look, at some point in time I'm gonna have to go on vacation. I haven't been on a. I honestly haven't been on a vacation probably in, ooh, 30 years.

[B]

Is it fear?

[A]

No.

[B]

You know how some people don't take a vacation because they fear that if they move out of their space and if they don't, it is.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hate, I hate breaking a routine, but it's just hard for me to turn my mind off. Even at night I don't sleep well. Cause I'm always thinking, okay, I need to do this and this needs to go well. I want to be, you know, cj, hey, I'm calling, you know, I try not to bother CJ after a certain time, understanding that he has a family. And I'm like. But I'm constantly thinking, I'm constantly trying to like, okay, how do I make Shay Shay Media better than what it is? How do I grow this? How do I scale this? How do I do with La Portier and how do I do X, Y and Z? So it's just really hard for me to just like to go and to turn my mind off. Cause you go on vacation, you just gotta, you know, you just gotta let whatever's going on where you left, let that be until you get back. And it's just hard for me to do that.

[B]

Do you think like with you, like people have always saw Unk as the most perfect.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

You get what I'm saying? Like the most perfect uncle this and that. Do you feel like the last things of what you have gone through have even made you bigger in the world because it shows that you are vulnerable and it shows that you are human?

[A]

Yes. I think the thing is, is that because I don't share a whole lot. I don't, you know, I don't really post a whole lot about what I got going on in my life other than work related and people know about my brother and my sister and the kids a little bit. I post a little bit about the kids, but not too much. Cause I want them to have their own lives and be their own individuals. But yeah, yeah, it did because I was very, very private about my personal life and things that went on in my personal life. And I hate that people got an opportunity to see something about me that I didn't get to share.

[B]

But was it your own reality show?

[A]

Oh yeah, it's that World. I wouldn't wish what I went through. I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

[B]

I think the community and everybody fought and fights so hard for you. And you could say I'm wrong, but I feel like after everything that you've gone through, I think it only made people love you more. But the reason. Because it. Because it showed that you are human. Like, we have always looked at you as, like, perfection. Like, no, like, if just talking to friends and people around. We've always looked at you and perfect. This man is perfect. But even. Even anything, as far as anything happened, that still doesn't make you perfect. That just makes you human.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

And I feel like, even after this, like, I feel like people related, like, to you more. When you say unk and you say Shannon Sharp. No, people be like, I'm going hard for him. Like, that is our.

[A]

I didn't realize as big as I was until, like, I'm like, oh, wow. Like, trending, trending, trending, trending, trending. Like, I don't want to trend no more.

[B]

You don't want to trend no more?

[A]

No, I don't.

[B]

Even if it's a trending of, like, helping, like, when you speak, people listen.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I still, you know, look. I still do. Look. I'm a type of guy that I've done. I do a lot of things behind the scene. K. Because I don't want. I don't want. When I do something for someone or something, I don't do it for attention. So when I do things, the objective is to make sure they know. They're not to tell that I did X, Y, and Z. Mm. So that's just how I am.

[B]

Well, I felt like you was already big, and I felt like after all the bullshit, however, whoever was trying to do whatever to you. Cause you get to a point, people gonna always like, yeah, but I just felt like you took on a whole different. A whole nother level of people support you. I do. I'm sorry.

[A]

I do appreciate the support.

[B]

I feel like you have done. For years. You have done. You have been great in your field.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

You have been great in your field. And then you did this, and you took podcasting and talking to people to a whole different level. People have been comfortable, and I feel like for years to come, I think it's a different comfortability because people know that you are human, and it is what it is. And I'm done.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

Please, Beyonce.

[B]

That's the truth, right? Y' all don't feel like Everybody really even took in him.

[A]

Yeah, they did. I was embraced. You know, look, you know, the thing is, is that I had to get away from the street community. I don't listen at what social media say. I just know when I went out in public and the people that talk to me, that still embrace me is like, hey, they were praying for me. Hey, keep your head up. Things of that nature. But, hey, if you try to listen to and follow social media, boy, it's a.

[B]

It's gonna defeat you every time.

[A]

Absolutely. Beyonce sent you flowers before they released the country album. What did that mean? Beyonce? Cause, you know, she was in the country spaces. She did. I mean, her album, I mean, won the Grammy, I think album of the year. She had a couple of songs, but she's amazing. You know, she's the cream of the crop. And for her, it is like, you know what? Hey, congratulations, girl.

[B]

I think that that was stand up as, like, even as a woman, like, to be in country, like, this isn't anything new to me. It wasn't like, Beyonce, do this and I'm gonna be country. That wasn't that. There's a group of us in Nashville, 20 of us in Nashville that fight down to a tee every single day. And for her to pay the respect and do all of that, I think Beyonce's a class act. And I honestly feel like I was shocked. I had a show that day. I didn't know. I knew that album was coming out months prior. Cause Nashville was buzzing, right? And who gonna tell when Beyonce album coming out? That ain't for me. They ain't gonna beat me up, right? So it wasn't that. And I was going walking on. They was like, oh, Beyonce looking for you. I said, who is Beyonce and who you talking about? I'm talking about, you know, somebody in Memphis name Beyonce. Who you talking about? And they was like, oh, no. Beyonce. They're calling like, they're trying to. They've been trying to hit your page. Can you look in your page and not.

[A]

Oh, so you don't read DMs?

[B]

No.

[A]

Why not?

[B]

I only read DMs to see if I still got it. Oh, I can put together a whole team in my DMs. Like, probably all star team.

[A]

Yeah. Cause I know God's been trying to slide.

[B]

Yeah, I like that.

[A]

That's why I erased mine.

[B]

You erased your dm?

[A]

Yep, I did.

[B]

Oh, my God. So no one can do it?

[A]

No, I erased it. The one I sent you that what I did. Cassidy, you never have me caught Up.

[B]

I seen it.

[A]

Now you have me caught up. You ain't finna call me caught up.

[B]

I wish I hadn't saw it. I didn't see it.

[A]

No, no, don't worry about it. You won't see it now.

[B]

Oh, my God. Unseen it. No, but I thought it was great. I did. I thought that that was real. She doesn't have to do any of that. And I just think, like, again, cultural leaders.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And saying, I see what you're doing. And, yeah, I think that's respectful.

[A]

Have you listened to Jack Harlow's new song? New song, New album.

[B]

Which one asked me about that?

[A]

Because you said, man, we let anybody in.

[B]

I didn't say that about him, though.

[A]

I didn't say. You just said you let anybody. We let anybody come to the cookout.

[B]

Now, come on, man, can we do this? Can we just not like Blue Eyed Soul gets to make all of this money. We can't sing our own music, and then we're fighting to sing what is society calls other people's music. When we did start country music, too,

[A]

we started all music. Every music, all the industry originated from us.

[B]

So you get that? Yes, I do. So imagine so. Jack Hollow has an album he's released called Monica. Does that mean my ne. What is Monica?

[A]

Oh, Lord, don't start me to lie.

[B]

Did you think about that?

[A]

I did.

[B]

Monica.

[A]

I try not to think so much.

[B]

Is that what we're doing? Is this my. I like his hat. I would like to know where the hat came from. I would like to wear the hat. But I also would like to know. You can respect our music and love our music, and it's a thing, man. But to say I got blacker. You said you listened to something and got blacker.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

You got blacker.

[A]

Mm.

[B]

You can love music. I love black music even more.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But to say I got blacker. No. You will never get to be as black as us. You never get to be as black as me. I can go up here, I can yodel all day.

[A]

Yeah, he could be what you call him. He can get as black if he want to, but he ain't got them black people.

[B]

Monica, why did you name it? If it's appreciation for R and B single. Monica, I'm all for it. We gonna support Monica. Why? Why is that? Why are you walking through the hood with this hat slouched to the side? Why are you speaking half words in it? I mean, I get it, but at least Jack Harlow, you can never come out with a white woman. I hope that you get you a bitch from Memphis. That's the only way you're pulling this off. That's the only way you about to pull this off, right? If you. The only way you got to pull. You got to be with something from Detroit. What did LeBron say? Milwaukee. You got to go when LeBron don't want to sleep. That's the only way you can pull the album off.

[A]

How hard was it for you to get in the country? Because you say you've always wanted to do country, but it's not a genre of music that a whole lot of blacks are partaking in. I mean, especially and has success. I mean, you look at Charley Pride, you look at Darius Rucker, I mean, there have been some blacks to have success, obviously, Beyonce recently. But it's not a genre of music that blacks haven't typically embraced, even though we started it. It's not a whole lot of. It's not a genre that there are a whole lot of us in,

[B]

but it's a genre that I've loved. Like, the first tape I ever got was the judge. It wasn't, you know, who people would expect or this and that. I watched Oprah and one day I saw the judge, right? And that's when I started wearing fire red hair and all of that. And country music, like, I get down. Like a Friday night for me is a bit. I get down when I say love, like, love it. It's not a thing. I've been saying it that's never been new. Even before any R and B, I tried to get a country music deal, and they told me I needed to sing R and B and move over, that I could never come into country music.

[A]

You can start from country, okay.

[B]

Mm. So the music is amazing, the songwriting. And I've been in country music even. I've never played, even in R and B. I kept talking about country music, and my real fans say that girl been singing country music at every show since she came out. I got a whole country music section.

[A]

Wow.

[B]

For years. Over a decade.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Mm.

[A]

AI, how did you feel about AI?

[B]

Forget them. I got to fight with. I don't wanna be fight with no robot. You get what I'm saying? Like, you gonna fight with robots, too. So imagine when you was out there doing football and they had a robot that was gonna hand pass the ball to run it.

[A]

Yeah, he's gonna do my job.

[B]

He gonna do your job, right? So imagine someone who is winning at AI and your name is in their bio and said, it's a mix of K. Michelle, Keyshia Cole and Money Long. And this person comes to all your concerts and this girl's story topics, how she sounds, the tone of everything, the prompt. It's your voice in pieces, and you ain't even had no say so in your real life. Imagine how defeated that you feel that a robot.

[A]

Yeah, for sure.

[B]

Is coming to take something from you, too. Mm. Like, God, die. I can't win for losing, man. You finna have this robot.

[A]

Yeah, come on.

[B]

I can't even beat this robot ass. Like we really gonna do this. So I'm not with it. I was happy. Like, people like Janae AKA and Kalani, all these people come out to talk about this is so not wrong.

[A]

So wrong.

[B]

Y' all really Taken from the likeness

[A]

of y' all taking food and money off. Y' all taking food off my table. Money out of my bank account.

[B]

Yeah. So I had to say something. And then if you're not even paying attention, and then you get that abundance of messages saying this robot sound like, hey, Michelle. And then people go over there and look in your name in the bio. How would you feel?

[A]

Yeah, you feel you should feel some type of way.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Would you do versus?

[B]

Oh, I think I should do a versus.

[A]

Who you gonna go up against?

[B]

Probably the Muppet. But I mean, who the Muppet? I'm not. I will not. She supposed to be so much better than me. She as an elitist and black person. She's so refined, but she's the one with teeth, knocked out, sleeping with married men, not me.

[A]

I don't know who you talking about.

[B]

Not me, but I'm low level, low class. Because of your family?

[A]

You don't wanna tell me, tell me in my ear.

[B]

No, I would never. Because I think people understand as far as that. I am over what they were saying in the last couple years of like 10 million, and this person is about 2 million. And I put the two on the sister. And you steadily attacking me. So I've been quiet on your attack. So now get up there, do your verses, little lady. Go for it, little Muppet. Let's rock.

[A]

Thank you for joining us. Memphis song K. Michelle.

[B]

Come on, Regina. We in this wedding. This wedding is happening. I'm singing, I'm there. All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price Want

[A]

to slice, got to roll a dice

[B]

that's why all my life I've been

[A]

grinding all my life all my life

[B]

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.

[A]

All my life.