Club Shay Shay – Memphis Bleek Part 2

Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Shannon Sharpe (with interviewer "Colin" in transcript)
Guest: Memphis Bleek

Episode Overview

In the second part of his candid conversation with Memphis Bleek, legendary rapper, entrepreneur, and longtime Jay-Z associate, Club Shay Shay delves deep into Bleek's journey through hip-hop, the reality of loyalty in the industry, lessons from Jay-Z, his own stints in business, and the evolution of rap culture. They dissect recent headline rap battles (Drake vs. Kendrick), reflect on what stardom and legacy mean, and explore the personal side of Bleek—fatherhood, marriage, and self-development. The discussion is honest, humorous, sometimes raw, and rich with insider perspectives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Drake vs. Kendrick Beef and the Nature of Rap Loyalty

Timestamps: 02:47–07:45

• Memphis Bleek comments on the unprecedented scale and impact of Kendrick’s diss tracks:
  "I've never seen a Diss record do that." (03:04)
  "No, you won't. I think this is the one only time...they don't love you, man. It's just like the streets. You a showman, you here to perform, do your show and go home." (03:08)

• Fans’ fickle loyalty:
  "Where's the loyalty or the love of the fans, right? It's like almost they didn't exist." (03:37)

• On Drake’s career resilience:
  "I don't think this is career ending, like a lot of people say. I feel like Drake can definitely come back from this." (06:12)

• On taking rap disputes to court:
  "I got a lot of diss records about me...But I'm never gonna take him to court...Rap beef in court, like, should have been some physical altercation for that." (05:36, 05:56)

Loyalty, Crew, and Industry Realities

Timestamps: 07:18–08:47; 59:44–61:38

• Industry friendships are transactional:
  "There's no love in this game, man. People gonna use you. For what? They need you. When they done with you, they gonna put you back." (07:27)

• Reflections on loyalty:
  "Not be so focused on my friends. I felt like I was one of those guys who felt like, this is forever my crew...I focused on them more, their happiness more than mine." (59:44)
  "You realize now loyalty was probably a one way street." (60:22)
  "Definitely not everybody look at loyalty the same way as you do." (60:28)

Rap Beefs: Staying on Wax vs. Reality

Timestamps: 08:47–10:33

• Difference between artist beef and crew beef:
  "It's crews. It's not necessarily the artist." (09:05)

• “If they call you off the porch...”
  "But if they call you off the porch, you gotta go. If you get called off the porch...you don't show up, you might as well tell Mom Trends for school." (09:45–10:08)

Beat Selection & Missed Opportunities

Timestamps: 10:44–12:10

• On passing up iconic beats:
  "I could tell you I turned down Rest In Peace, Black Rob beat. 'Whoa.' I had that beat first and I didn't use it." (10:46)
  "Oh, yeah, I had that. I had that...Just Blaze was in, you know, I had that. I passed that up. Joe Buttons got that one. That's cool." (11:59 – about 'Pump It Up')

Ghostwriting & Authenticity

Timestamps: 12:10–13:12

• On ghostwriting:
  "I feel like it's not good, but a lot of these guys got a lot of writers in the room...But as far as somebody writing your 16 bar verse, no, you can give me an idea, you can give me a chorus, but you're not giving me a verse. Only person who could give me a verse is Jay." (12:14)

• Being 'too close to the sun' with Jay-Z:
  "Because I'm too close to the sun. When anything is too close to the sun, it dissolves. Jay is the sun, man." (13:14)

Celebrity Encounters & Starstruck Moments

Timestamps: 13:57–15:15

• On meeting Michael Jackson:
  "Michael Jackson. That's it...I couldn't even go. Like, if you look at the pictures of everybody on stage, I was on stage, but I'm not in the picture. Cause I was that starstruck." (13:59–14:09)

• Comparing fame: MJ vs. everyone else:
  "There'll never be another album do that. Never." (18:57)
  "They said...out of 3 billion people on the planet, 2.6 billion of them people were Michael Jackson fans." (18:59)

Sampling in Hip-Hop

Timestamps: 19:42–20:35

• The art and importance of sampling:
  "Some of the best music is made from sampling...But it has to be the right sample and the right person chopping the sample." (19:43)

Stories from the Industry – Destiny's Child, Missy Elliott, Atlanta's Rise

Timestamps: 20:35–25:13

• Destiny’s Child getting booed in Philly:
  "Philly rough, man. Philly boo. Santa Claus." (20:42)

• On Beyonce:
  "If anybody is I see going in that Michael Jackson stratosphere, she's the closest." (22:01)

• Chris Brown’s career potential and canceled performances:
  "No ceiling, man. I don't see no stopping without that incident." (23:35)

• Missy Elliott’s underrated creativity:
  "One of the greatest ever and phenomenal writer, wrote so many hits for countless artists and R and B groups." (25:05)

• ATL’s dominance in modern hip-hop:
  "That's the Mecca is what new. You know, that's how New York was 20 years ago. Now Atlanta got it. And I'm happy to see them because Atlanta was a small, vibrant city. Now if you look, ATL is like a major city." (30:39)

Chasing Authenticity & Dangerous Allure of "The Streets"

Timestamps: 27:08–31:58

• The misunderstood appeal of gang life:
  "I think it's family, man. They want that love that they never got at home. These kids go outside and the streets show you the love that your family don't show you." (28:41)

• Trying to live up to a “local tough guy”:
  "A lot of these guys get record deals and try to act like the local drug dealer they saw or the local tough guy they saw. And they want to live that life." (31:18)

Finances, Rap Hustle, and Business Moves

Timestamps: 40:46–47:08

• Money Lessons:
  "That is not the most important thing. Family is more important than money. Money is something that makes life easier, but it doesn't make life better." (40:46)

• Rappers living check-to-check:
  "A lot of rappers are living paycheck to paycheck...You have to be able to sell things other than records to get the money today. It's the endorsement deals." (43:27)

• On payola and reciprocation in radio:
  "It's one hand wash the other business. Basically, that's what it is. It ain't really pay to play my record. It's like, hey, dawg, you got an opportunity. Show me that I got an opportunity with you before I support you." (44:59)

Doucet, Entrepreneurship, and the Spirit Industry

Timestamps: 47:01–54:21

• Getting into spirits business thanks to his wife and Jay-Z:
  "I give all the credit in the world to my wife for me even being a part of this...She was like, yo, your brother owned a hundred different businesses. You don't want to get. Play a role in nothing but the music." (50:08)

• Hands-on work to make Doucet a success:
  "You have to be involved. Hands on, 10, toes down. You gotta do all of this stuff. Cause it ain't gonna sell itself." (51:55)

• On market reality for Hennessy vs. Doucet:
  "Hennessy is made in Cognac France...but it's not sold in France. You know that, right? It's not sold nowhere outside of America." (53:04)

Family, Marriage, and Fatherhood

Timestamps: 54:22–57:46

• Marriage and maturity:
  "Raised me, grew me up. Made me grow up like I was a grownup." (54:26)

• On being a dad and learning about himself:
  "Never said the word dad in my life. So when I first had my son, I didn't even like him calling me dad...as I got older...it's like, wait a minute. Call me dad, dad. Call me dad, homie. I earned that." (55:54)

• Daughter being the boss:
  "My daughter is the boss. No one told me, when you have a daughter, it's different that you have a CEO." (56:44)

• Advice to his son:
  "Three things in life. You don't play with a man, family, money, or his livelihood...You just stay clear of those three things and you got a clear path in life." (58:13)

Closing Reflections

Timestamps: 59:44–62:02

• Rethinking focus on friends vs. self:
  "Not to put so much focus and love on my crew, man. I feel like I focused on them more, their happiness more than mine." (59:44)

• On how pride and ego can ruin relationships:
  "Egos, man. Pride will destroy a relationship faster than the fire." (61:30)

• Promoting entrepreneurial projects:
  Bleek plugs his new album “Apartment 3D,” cannabis brand “My Right Exotics,” Doucet, and his new Vegas restaurants. (61:43)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On loyalty in hip-hop:
  “They don’t love you, man...the masses is not gonna love you. They’re gonna respect you. But there’s no love here.” —Memphis Bleek (03:08)

• On career resilience after a beef:
  “You could lose a battle, right? But you gotta win the war.” —Memphis Bleek (04:28)

• On rap beef and legal tactics:
  “Rap beef in court, like, should have been some physical altercation for that. I don't know, man.” —Memphis Bleek (05:56)

• On missed iconic beats:
  “I could tell you I turned down Rest In Peace, Black Rob beat. ‘Whoa.’ I had that beat first and I didn’t use it.” —Memphis Bleek (10:44)

• On being judged closely for affiliation with Jay-Z:
  “Because I’m too close to the sun. When anything is too close to the sun, it dissolves. Jay is the sun, man.” —Memphis Bleek (13:14)

• On Michael Jackson’s fame:
  “They said...out of 3 billion people on the planet, 2.6 billion of them people were Michael Jackson fans.” —Memphis Bleek (18:59)

• On money and family:
  “Money is something that makes life easier, but it doesn’t make life better. Love makes life better.” —Memphis Bleek (40:50)

• Financial wisdom, loaning friends money:
  “If you love your friends, never loan them money.” —Memphis Bleek (45:55)

Detailed Timestamps for Important Segments

• Kendrick vs. Drake & the fickle nature of fans: 02:47–07:45
• Life lessons on loyalty, crews & disillusionment: 59:44–61:38
• The origins and impact of classic diss tracks: 03:04, 04:28
• Behind the Doucet story—business hustle after music: 50:08–54:21
• Modern money in rap—including “payola” and endorsements: 43:27–44:59
• Industry change, from New York to Atlanta dominance: 30:39–31:45
• Advice on family, fatherhood & being a present dad: 54:22–58:54
• Tough truths on the “street life” allure: 28:41–31:58

Tone & Style

The conversation is real, direct, and peppered with street wisdom and lived perspective. Bleek is reflective, unfiltered, and often funny, speaking on both triumphs and regrets. There's nostalgia for rap’s “golden era” but also respect for the new generation. The rapport between the host and guest is casual, blending serious insights with light-hearted banter.

Final Reflections

Memphis Bleek delivers a master class on what it means to survive—and keep evolving—in hip-hop and beyond. He sheds honest light on loyalty’s limits, the importance of hustle, the power of legacy, and the ultimate value of family, all while keeping it authentic and approachable for fans old and new.

Promotion Plugs:

• New album: "Apartment 3D"
• Cannabis brand: “My Right Exotics”
• Doucet Cognac
• Las Vegas ventures: Roma Kitchen & Tuscan Patio Bar

For newcomers and fans alike, this episode is a deep, entertaining journey through hip-hop’s past, present, and enduring lessons.