Club Shay Shay - Tony Yayo Part 1

Summary

Club Shay Shay - Tony Yayo Part 1

Podcast: Club Shay Shay
Host: Shannon Sharpe (with guest Tony Yayo)
Release Date: September 10, 2025

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Overview

In this rich and candid episode of Club Shay Shay, NFL Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe sits down with Tony Yayo, iconic rapper and founding member of G-Unit. The conversation digs deep into Yayo's upbringing as a Haitian immigrant in Queens, brushes with street life, ascent in hip-hop, loyalty, family, violence in the community, prison culture, and reflections on fame, survival, and legacy. With both humor and gravity, Yayo shares lessons learned from the highs and lows of a turbulent life, offering a unique insider perspective on American hip-hop and the realities behind it.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Journey from Queens to the World

• Early Life and Upbringing

  • Tony Yayo, born Marvin Bernard, details his upbringing in a strict Haitian immigrant household in Queens.
  • Parents emphasized hard work—his mom was a lifelong nurse—and invested all they could in his education, putting him through Catholic school (20:00).
  • Moving from Brooklyn to Queens, Yayo notes: “Every Haitian and Jamaican, they go to Brooklyn first. I don't know why… I'm really supposed to be a Brownsville nigga” (15:13).

• Tough Love & Street Realities

  • Describes life under tough love: “My parents never did ‘I love you.’ … It was always tough love. My moms would go to work, Christmas, Thanksgiving, food on the table. That’s how Haitian is” (20:05).
  • Laments how exposure to the streets began gradually after his parents’ divorce, when “my pops went to Florida… now my mom’s got to work every day… I’m on the block all day” (31:30).

• Cultural Identity

  • Growing up Haitian was once a source of shame; now it’s pride: “Now it’s cool to be a Haitian or African. … Back then you keep Haitian being on a low, but now… everybody want to be a Zoe” (16:50).

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2. From Hustling to Hip-Hop Fame

• Early Hustle and The Block

  • Yayo candidly recounts street hustling, exposure to crime, and the allure of fast money: “Now you’re caught up in the game… Because that pass easy money, $30 off a pack… Now I’m an official drug dealer. No job, no W2 forms, nothing” (32:12).

• Forming G-Unit

  • Chronicles meeting 50 Cent at age 10, the formation of their friend group, and ultimately, G-Unit (51:41-53:30).
  • The group’s chemistry: “50 was just a natural writer. Banks, he just write bars for breakfast… I think people respect my energy. I have bars. But I think people love my energy on stage and as well as with the music” (53:25).

• Behind the Scenes in Hip-Hop

  • Describes the environment that made G-Unit so “militant”: “We always had to move militant—bulletproof trucks, vests… come on. It was a time where, man, there was guns everywhere, man” (45:08).
  • Highlights dangers in the rap business, from street beefs to hip-hop police: “I believe Hip-Hop Police was damn near created ‘cause of us… They used to jump us out the car, government name, grab us by our hip…” (40:55, 44:14).

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3. Reflections on Loyalty, Fame, and Survival

• On Loyalty & Credit

  • Profound gratitude toward 50 Cent, Eminem, Dr. Dre: “Never bite the hand that feeds you. That’s what I learned. 50 could diss me tomorrow… no disrespect, because you turned the lights on for me, and I appreciate that” (63:57).
  • Acknowledges the frequent difficulty in giving people credit: “We worldwide ‘cause of Eminem… I don’t know why people have a hard time giving people credit” (62:44).

• Surviving Violence & Street Beef

  • Vivid stories of family trauma: “My mom’s crib got shot 22 times… They could have been not here. Luckily, the level of the house… If it was one floor, somebody would have been unalived in there” (38:28).
  • The cost of authenticity: “We were the most dangerous rap group in the world. … Being an artist, you never have your peace” (44:14, 45:50).

• Perspective on Fame

  • Fame as a double-edged sword: “For me, I don’t care about jewelry… At a certain point, when you’re an artist, your face is a jewel… So, niggas like Nipsey Hussle—face was a jewel. Pop Smoke, PNB Rock…” (43:40).
  • “I’m more appreciative than a lot of other people, right?” (41:53).

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4. The Realities of Crime, Prison, and The System

• Prison vs. Street Life

  • Candid about prison experience and the myth of jail as a badge of honor:
    • “To me, that’s the real gladiator school… One thing about New York—New York grimy is different than everywhere else… Rikers Island—like a motherfucker will spit a razor out on you, cut you, and you wouldn’t even see it coming” (75:52, 76:19).
    • Glorifying jail in the culture: “It’s a fucked-up thing… anybody who’s in jail really don’t even wanna be in there. All the n****s doing life, natural life, man, I don’t wanna be in here” (94:40).

• Lawyer Money & Navigating the System

  • “We had a lawyer for every situation… A lot of these kids, they get in trouble and they don’t even have the lawyer money. The lawyer money is the main thing you need… With a Legal Aid, you going straight to prison” (77:24).

• Snitching, Pleas, and Public Backlash

  • On the complexity of plea deals (re: Gunna, Young Thug): “People take pleas… It just looked funny because it was on camera. We don’t know what his lawyer told him… The only one that could judge you is God… If you drop dope music, I’m listening” (96:03–97:58).

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5. Social Issues: Guns, Youth, and Community

• Youth and Drill Culture

  • Reflects on the increasing violence and younger shooters: “Shooters are getting younger and younger. … They 13, 14, got drill rap now. … There’s a difference between gangster music and reality. … My mom’s crib got shot up—I don’t wanna go through that” (85:22–86:50).
  • Critiques the glorification of the shooter: “Now they glorifying the shooter—the dude with five bodies. … That shit is really real” (86:25).

• Guns in the Community

  • Dissects the ease of gun access despite strict laws: “How they getting all them guns? It’s hard as hell to get a gun in New York, Yale. … Guns is like T-shirts, man” (87:41).
  • “Now the reason how we fit it is—how do they get to the street? How does a 16-year-old kid got a 9 with cop killers in it? With a switch on the back?” (88:44).

• Cycle of Violence & Indictment Game

  • On street indictments: “Let’s talk about an indictment… You let a person do crimes… nah, let’s let him get more shootings… Because you need more time on them. … Give him 80 years, give him 100 years” (89:31).

• Hope for Change

  • “It starts with people like me and you talking about it. … What can we do to make a difference? … My kids are good. Now it’s what can I do to make things better? … Why can somebody make a 3D gun now? Where’s this all coming from?” (81:12, 85:11).

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6. Memorable Quotes & Interactions

On tough decisions and gratitude:
“The realest shit Dave Chappelle told me: ‘Why you turn down all that money? God said my belly full.’ That was the realest shit I ever heard from somebody.”
—Tony Yayo (46:50)

On surviving street life:
“I had a starter jacket… they pull a .38 out on me. I’m a little kid, I’m in the eighth grade… Cried all the way home. Jeez, 38. I never forgot that.”
—Tony Yayo (22:44)

On hip-hop history:
“Queens, we the pioneers… When you look at Marley Marl, he put out Big Daddy Kane… When people say, ‘what’s your top five rappers?’ — what era we talking about?”
—Tony Yayo (10:06)

On LL Cool J's legacy:
“Hell no, they don’t give LL as much credit as he deserves. Why? I don’t know… from the ‘80s to the ‘90s to the early 2000s, even when he had ‘Hey Lover’… We gotta do top 10 and top 20 instead of top 5. It’s kinda hard.”
—Tony Yayo (11:12)

On handling fame and danger:
“For me, I don’t care about jewelry… at a certain point, when you’re an artist, your face is a jewel… at a certain point, your face is jewelry. You don’t even gotta wear jewelry. Niggas know who you are.”
—Tony Yayo (43:40)

On credit and success:
“Never bite the hand that feeds you. That’s what I learned. 50 could diss me tomorrow… no disrespect, because you turned the lights on for me, and I appreciate that.”
—Tony Yayo (63:57)

On New York vs. Southern culture:
“That’s just New York, we just different. People from the south take it personally… they do. We help everybody. Like—no, don’t do that.”
—Tony Yayo & Shannon Sharpe (72:19)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:55] – Shannon welcomes Tony Yayo; foundation for discussion set.
• [13:14] – Yayo on balancing fame vs. street life: “I’m outside. People know me, but they’re not running me down… I like my fame a little better.”
• [16:50] – On being Haitian in New York as a child and now.
• [22:44] – The story of Yayo getting robbed for his starter jacket.
• [31:30] – How family life and divorce led to more exposure to the streets.
• [38:28] – His mother’s house shot up during street beef.
• [40:55] – On G-Unit’s dangerous reputation and hip-hop police.
• [43:40] – Thoughts on flashing jewelry and how fame changes what’s dangerous.
• [53:25] – The formation and chemistry of G-Unit.
• [61:15] – Yayo in the studio with Dr. Dre and Eminem.
• [75:52] – Raw depiction of life in Rikers Island.
• [86:25] – Reflections on drill culture and the glorification of violence.
• [94:40] – “Glorifying jail in the culture—it’s a fucked up thing… anybody who’s in jail really don’t even wanna be in there.”
• [96:03-97:58] – Perspective on plea deals and public judgment (Gunna, Thug).
• [101:15] – Yayo: “It ain’t safe nowhere. That’s why I say the hardest thing about being a celebrity… it’s a dangerous job.”

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Final Takeaways

• Tony Yayo’s candid storytelling offers a powerful window into the challenges of growing up in an immigrant family, navigating street violence, the allure of hip-hop, loyalty to roots and friends, and both the glamor and danger of fame.
• The relationship between street credibility and music success is complex—Yayo does not glorify the path, but neither does he shy away from its reality.
• The conversation touches on urgent social issues—gun violence, the prison industrial complex, failures of community support, youth drifting toward violence, and how these play out in music.
• Yayo’s gratitude, humility, and survivor’s wisdom anchor the episode: “I got a billion dollars worth of experiences. And I feel like that’s what life is about” (35:11).

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For fans of hip-hop history, the realities behind the music, and the lived experience of one of its most resilient figures, this episode is a must-listen.

Transcript

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[Tony Yayo]

Good morning. Welcome to today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Tony Yayo]

The real shit. Dave Chappelle over here told me. Why are you turning down all that money? God sent my belly full. That was the realest shit I ever heard from somebody. Turned down 50 million. Crazy. All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price, wanna slice got to roll the dice that's.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why all my life I've been grinding.

[Tony Yayo]

All my life Look. All my life been grinding all my life Sacrifice, hustle, paid the price wanna slice Got the rolling dice to swap.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All my life I've been grinding all my life.

[Tony Yayo]

Hello.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Welcome to another episode of Club Shay Shay. I am your host, Shannon Sharpe. I'm also the proprietor of Club Shay Shay. Stopping by for conversation on the drink. Today, the real talk of New York. He's a street legend, a key figure in the world of hip hop. A certified platinum selling rapper, chart topping artist, a natural entertainer, a member of the Passport Boys, Inc. He defines the word loyalty. That from the iconic group gg. GG Unit. What's up, creator? You can't see me dance. Wave your hand. Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, Tony Yayo.

[Tony Yayo]

What's up, Yayo?

[Shannon Sharpe]

What it do?

[Tony Yayo]

Yo, he made that sound so good, man. It's about time I get some love, man. Get some props.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You deserve some love, bro.

[Tony Yayo]

It's been a long journey in this industry, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Bro, we brought out the best for you.

[Tony Yayo]

Thank you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

This is my cognac, Shay, by Laportier. A platinum vsop. Let me know what you think. I know you gonna keep it a buck with me.

[Tony Yayo]

Mmm, that tastes good, man. I can't front 50. Got some cognac, two Branson. Mm. Y' all got some good shit. Maybe I need to collab with something. Cause this shit is some good shit right there, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I appreciate that. And I know, see, I know you know something about brown too.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I know about the brown liquor. 50 got the Branson. I've always been a fan of Hennessy. And like right now, I was just telling my friend, I don't know if the liquor's watering down, but it don't taste like that. Like, I don't know if these liquor brands is getting cheaper or something, but everybody was complaining about the Don Julio in the street. He was complaining like something just wasn't right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

And when I was overseas, liquor was tasting different. It was tasting better. So I don't know if it was a U.S. thing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, I mean, obviously. And it's native. I mean, seemingly things taste better over there.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Than it does over here.

[Tony Yayo]

Definitely.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You think there's. There's something to that? You think there's something to it? You think the market, the US Market.

[Tony Yayo]

I think overseas, like when you go to like a Subway or something, they got like low fat mayo only, you know, and the sodas are real small.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

You know what I'm saying? Everything is like more kind of more healthy. They don't have no Captain Crunch Frosted Flakes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

Anything with like added.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Processed, preserved.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, they don't have it over there. So that's the healthy thing. And then, you know, there's no gun violence over there like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

Certain places have guns, you know, like sweetened and stuff like that. But that's like in a. Probably the bad neighborhood, but they clean that up. Like how Trump trying to clean up America right now, you know, he got running down the street in D.C. i was talking to my man from D.C. he was like. He was scared to drive his own car in dc. My man. Country, right. That's Dave Chappelle, you know, guy. Right. So. And he was saying that he went with his moms. He had to go through checkpoints and all that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I ain't trying to.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. Cause the streets is crazy right now, especially, you know. Where we from? New York City, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Thanks for pulling up the club. Shay. Shay, how you been, man?

[Tony Yayo]

I'm good, man. Just came back from overseas. Where we went to Estonia, where we went strike. Estonia, Paris, Poland. Damn. We came out with Chris Brown in Manchester, which was. That's like the new Michael Jackson.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I've been seeing snippets of it on social media.

[Tony Yayo]

Shout to Chris Brown. He the new Michael Jackson.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, that one. He did that performance he did in the Rain.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, man. I was talking to like Curtis Battle. Cause he did production for Eminem and 50 and a whole other people and a whole bunch of stars. And he was just Talking about one LED screen was like $40 million. And I was wowed by that. Like, people gotta understand the money he's spending on production. The production. You know about that. You know what I'm saying?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely do.

[Tony Yayo]

Millions of dollars. So a lot of the money that he's making, he's spending production on the world to give the world a good.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Performance, to make sure everybody know this is the top of the.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. Sold out MetLife St. What was that? I think 80,000. Two nights in a row. Never been done by no artist. Wow. And it was raining. I was like, man, this guy is the new float. So for me to be on stage with him, 50, you know, Uncle Murder was there. You know what I mean? To come out on stage with Chris Brown was crazy. I'm like, yo, I'm a part of the show. Like, that was big. We came to Manchester. He sold that out, like, three days in a row. Wow. So, yeah, he is the new Michael Jackson, man. I gotta give it to him, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I can believe it. You're from south side Jamaica, Queens.

[Tony Yayo]

Yes. Shout to Southside, Queens.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So is there a North side Jamaica Queen?

[Tony Yayo]

There's a North side Queen.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So why we only hear about Southside?

[Tony Yayo]

Cause that's where we from.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Ain't nobody come out of north side.

[Tony Yayo]

Nah, north side is lit. North side is you. Could we consider Gym Master J, right? Yeah. Hollister, Hollisburg, Run dmc. So north side ll, they was, you know, big in the rap game before.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Southside was even put on, right? You know, those are the guys we look up to, obviously. 50. He was signed to Jam Master J. Rest in peace to him. You know, his mural's right on Jamaica Avenue. Right? But, you know, like, we looked at. I looked at Run dmc. To me, was my best rap group of all time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, they kind of got kicked off. Look at Brooklyn. Brooklyn Got Biggie J Hov, Kane Kim. Queens got LL, 50, NAS, Nikki. The Bronx. We know about the boogie down Bronx.

[Tony Yayo]

KR1 BDP. Shout to fat Joe man, too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, man. Can't forget about you. So is Queens the best borough?

[Tony Yayo]

I mean.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause I was in Queensbridge with Steve Styles. And I was with Nas Bro Jungle, and got an opportunity to see down there. So I didn't get a chance to go over there.

[Tony Yayo]

What was that line Nas said a while ago? Queens, Run y' all niggas Asked Russell Simmons, was that. That was the line, right? It goes back from in time. When you look at Run DMC when it's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens, right? I remember having a boombox. I had Haitian parents. I had to plug it up. They never let us get batteries. Cause they feel like you gonna get robbed or something, right? So my man Bobby across the street he was spoiled. He had the boombox equalizer. Always that spoiled kid. He had batteries. But we had it plugged up to my mom's porch. We couldn't leave the porch with the radio. And we played that tape till the tape popped.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

And you gotta think about it. What was they hit? They was the first rappers to be on mtv.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Tony Yayo]

Right? They had a song with Bon Jovi. Mm. What was that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Walk this Way? Well, no, that was Aerosmith.

[Tony Yayo]

That was Aerosmith. You know, I don't know too much about the rock and roll.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Walk His Way. I don't know. But I look at, like, Queens. We the pioneers. You know what I mean? Even when you look at Molly Ma. Molly Ma, he put out Big Daddy Kane. Mm. So, you know, me and my friend, we always have this Brooklyn Queens argument. But our Queens, come on. Marley Ma put out Kane. And Kane is like, when you look at people, always say, yo, what's your top five rappers? What era we talking about?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

Cause if we gonna go 80s, which we gonna go? Rakim, Rel, Kane, KRS1, Slick Rick.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn. You went all lyricists. You went all lyricists. I'm talking about the wordplay is exemplary. I think if you go into 80s, you gotta put L in that.

[Tony Yayo]

Of course, LL had hits from the 80s, the 90s, to 2000s, to tens, to the 2000s. He did, you know. You know, it's just. What was it? Was he signed to Def Jam when Jay took over? I think that's what kind of made shit a little funny for him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

And I love ll that's like, hands down, one of my favorite rappers of all time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you feel l get the credit he deserves?

[Tony Yayo]

Nah. Hell no.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I agree with you.

[Tony Yayo]

Come on. Cars ride by with the booming system the Brooklyn Queens Doing well, going back to Cali.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Doing well. Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Going back to Cali. I'm gonna knock you out. I need love. From the 80s to the 90s to the 2. Hell, no. They don't give LL as much credit as he deserves. Why? I don't know. Cause I think the rap game, he.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wasn'T rapping about drugs.

[Tony Yayo]

Rap game is more about image, okay?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And he doesn't fit the image of what a rapper should be or look like. Cause he was in shape. He had the fat gold chain, he had the cane, girl.

[Tony Yayo]

I just feel like executive wise.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay, okay.

[Tony Yayo]

When he signed A Def Jam and he was under Jay, was DMX on the label at that time, too? Them niggas wasn't feeling that. Cause at that time, no Disrespect to Jay. He sold a million 10 records. I think a million apiece. But DMX went diamond, right? Ll he. Hell no. He don't get enough props. From the 80s to the 90s to the early 2000s, even when he had hey Lover, yeah, he was in shape. He had the image. So he's one of them. We gotta do top 10 and top 20 instead of top 5. It's kinda hard.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, it is. Especially when you talk about. You talking about 50 years of rap. Let's just say for the sake of art, we're gonna just take 50 years of rap.

[Tony Yayo]

Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And you gonna whittle it all the way down and say, okay, give me your top five.

[Tony Yayo]

That's what I'm saying. That's hard to do. I like Kumo D. I like Steph Sistonic. Salt N Pepa was the first. Nicki and Kemp, you know, those were the first girls that Spinderella. I was still mad at them when they got the other Spinderella, the original Spinderella. Because back then, the DJ was as important as the rapper. Like, Public Enmity had Terminator X, right? Jam Master J. Yeah. And then you had Jazzy Jeff and as well as other DJs. You know, I just can't name, but I love hip hop. That's what I feel like. It changed our lives. Like, we went from being in my man fat shop basement when the police chase us off the block, to being around the world. And people know Tony Yayo. I might not have the fame 50 guy, right? I don't even want that fame. I like my fame a little better, right? Because I feel like when you go.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can go places and don't have to. You can play it right on in.

[Tony Yayo]

I'm outside. I'm outside.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can play it right on in.

[Tony Yayo]

I'm here. And yeah, people know me, but they're not running me down like I'm a Eminem or Jay Z or Beyonce or Chris Brown. They gotta be in their room on their phone, right? Nah, I don't wanna do that. Just give me the money. They got half of the money.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. They Haitian.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Before I get to that, let me ask you a question. How the hell do you get Tony Yale for Marvin?

[Tony Yayo]

That's a funny question. You see my government, you know, from watching Scarface, that was one of my favorite movies, right. I could have been Tony Montana. But you got French Montana.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

But I went with the Tony Yale. Cause I was just a hustler, right? And then you know, when we first got on 50, be like, yo, what would you call yourself? Like what would be your name? Like, describe yourself. Who are you? And I'm like, well, I hustled my whole life. So I guess Tony. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And that ished up.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. Cause I love the block. That's one thing about me. I used to. I used to really love the block. People go party. I'll stay on the block. Easter time we was on the block. Cause it just felt like it was a gang. But it wasn't a gang.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

You know what I mean? Now the stuff that's going on now is crazy, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

So being the son of immigrants, what was your American experience like? So how like did they bring like all the entire culture of Haiti or were you able to like, did they give you some of the American experience as you were growing up?

[Tony Yayo]

Well, my parents. My mom's coming from a. I think it's called Mumbai. Mumbai. Something like that. I forgot she's from that town. My dad is from Port au Prince. They came to Canada first, which my uncle was from her brother. And then from Canada they came to. You know every Haitian in Jamaican, they go to Brooklyn. I don't know why they go to Brooklyn first. I'm really supposed to be at Brownsville Nigga okay, okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Born in Brooklyn Hospital, but they go to Brooklyn first. Then from Brooklyn, we move to Queens. Okay, so where we from, you get a better life. People come from these places. Like you said, you come from a small town, you come from a small town. So, you know, my mom's been a nurse her whole life, retired. So they come here and they work. That's all they know is work, work, work. That's what I learned from my moms and pops, right? Work, work, work. But now it's cool to be a Haitian or African. But as a kid, you African, you Haitian, go back to your nation. You know, used to keep Haitian being on a low, but now it's like, everybody want to be a Zoe.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is it? Is it? Can you be lazy as an immigrant?

[Tony Yayo]

Nah. Because. Nah. I've never met a lazy, lazy Mexican, Jamaican, Trinidadian. I never met that. Cause, you know, they all come from struggle. We all can relate to that. Like, I've been to everywhere in the world and can't go to Haiti. Ask me why. Why they might kidnap me out there. The gangs control the city.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You got this dude barbecue, and, you know, he's one of them dudes that, you know, they talk about. But what I like about it, when you watch what they talking about, they talking about Haiti been robbed since the beginning of time. We are the first people to free the slaves against the Napoleon army. People don't know that I got fire in my blood. Like, we freed the slaves before anybody. We beat the Napoleon army, right? And then we had to negotiate a deal because they didn't like that there was some kind of deal where we had to pay them $150 million back. I think it was just paid, like, 10 years ago. And then years after that, Americans came there and they raided the Federal Reserve. They took all Haiti's gold. So when you go to Haiti, it's nice beaches, nice water, nice everything. But they deserve a lot of money back to them.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But that's not the image. That's not how Haiti is portrayed, though, because as you mentioned, it's controlled by the gangs. You couldn't go back there. You feel like you'd be kidnapped and held for ransom. There's a lot of violence going on in Haiti. So the portrayal that we as Americans that we get from Haiti is not very pleasing.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, but people can't eat. There's nothing to do. You can't get clothes. Like, my mom sends clothes to Haiti when she came, we send clothes. I give her clothes and stuff, and you send it there. But it's like, it's like they forced in a position where the government is not helping them. They had an earthquake. She just fucked up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

I mean, you know, so you can't just. We can't just blame it on the violence. I feel like when you see violence in anywhere like Brooklyn, you just had 14 people shot, little kids shooting people. Switches. Where do switches come from? Where do the switches come from? How's a kid, 15 year old can get a switch, make a gun a handgun into a Uzi. How is that even possible? Yeah, you know, back in the day.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Couple of years ago, you wouldn't even think about it.

[Tony Yayo]

Back in the days, you heard a got shot 10 times, yo, he's still alive. They have the bullets and the ammunition like that. Now they got switches.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

And innocent people out of the 14 people, old ladies got hit. It's crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Cause New York now, New York is ridiculous. It's just like la. There's gangs everywhere. You got Bloods, you got Crips, you got G. I don't even go out. If I gotta go somewhere where I gotta bring a gun, I don't even go.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah. If you gotta take, if you gotta take that.

[Tony Yayo]

Two weeks I'm chilling in Hampton somewhere with my lawyer man. Shout out to my lawyer. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So give me a typical day. What was a typical day like for you growing up? Your parents are immigrants. What they're talking to you about? They're trying to make sure you get your school, make sure you do the right thing, stay out of trouble. So what was a typical day in your household? Like?

[Tony Yayo]

I feel like if your parents are like Haitian or Jamaican, it's love, but it's always tough love.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

So it's not I love you, I love you. I felt like I always look for that for my whole life. Cause my parents never did it. And I love my moms. It was always tough love. My moms would go to work, Christmas, Thanksgiving, food on the table. That's how Haitian is. You go to school, get good grades. If not, get on your knees, you won't get beat. Like those are the kind of beatings we had. So when I go to people's house and I don't open your fridge, it's because we got so many beatings back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

In the days, you can't open the fridge.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, it wasn't like that. It's all about respect, you know? And pray to God every day. Cause my parents, they worked hard. They put me in Captain school from first to eighth Grade. Damn. Don't tell nobody, though.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But damn, you like that?

[Tony Yayo]

You like.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The Eminem character was battling.

[Tony Yayo]

So look, banks and 50 of them went to the criminal school. At the point, 72 is good. Now shout out to 72. But at that point, 72 was a bad school. My parents didn't want me to go there, right? Haitian parents, they'll send you. They'll spend their last for their kids to go to Catholic school, right? I went to Catholic school, church. I turned in my criminal life, like eighth, ninth grade. From first to seventh grade, we used to take the yellow bus, okay? So everything was like, more preserved. You get dropped off on the corner block. Eighth grade, I had to take the public school bus with a uniform on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That to clown you.

[Tony Yayo]

So now I got the uniform. I gotta go from Laurelton, from Rosedale to Southside Jamaica, Queens. I gotta take the Q85s, right? You know what I mean? And I had to stop at Springfield High School. Back then, Springfield High School, you heard about a girl getting acid thrown in her face. Like, Springfield High School in Jackson was like, the school's like, oh, shit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You don't want to go there.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, you don't want to go there. It was crazy back then, you know, the gangs were just different. They, you know, you had toy soldiers, Shadow Inc. Lost Boys, dudes with hammers. Cause I had to go to Jamaica Avenue when I went to high school, but that's later on. So I got on a public school bus now. And now I'm seeing the realities of my life. I'm seeing N on the bus fighting. I'm seeing people getting cut for bus passes. And I'm like, oh, shit. I wasn't exposed to that, right? My parents, I'm on the bus, like, this shit is crazy, right? You know? And I'm sitting on the back of the bus. If you ain't really. If you ain't really gangster like that, you supposed to be sitting in the front.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You gotta get off quick.

[Tony Yayo]

So, yeah, I'm an innocent kid. Yeah. I'm on the back of the bus witnessing fights, people getting cut. I'm like, oh, shit, this shit is real. So I got a starter's jacket. Back in the days, remember we had the starter jacket, eight balls. My parents bought me a starter jacket. Never forgot this. Came on the bus from Springfield. And the dudes was on the bus. So I had to ride to, I think American what crown? American Basley. I think American Basley. And that's when they pull a gun out on me. I'm a Little kid, I'm in the eighth grade. Hold on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you actually think you could get on the bus with a starter jacket and get off with it?

[Tony Yayo]

I thought I was good, yo. I was preserved. I had Haitian parents. They don't play. You gotta be in this. When that light go on, nigga, you come in the house, bro. Don't leave the porch. I couldn't do whatever. My parents wasn't letting me just run the streets like everybody else was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you understand how what a starter jacket was back then?

[Tony Yayo]

Shay, Shay, not listening, bro. I went from being on the yellow bus. Yes. To not seeing crime. To getting on a public bus. And now I'm seeing the realities of the world.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you saw the reality. So what made you possess you to wear that jacket?

[Tony Yayo]

Cause I didn't think I was gonna get robbed. I was in LA la. Okay.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Tony Yayo]

Soon as I got to my stop, it was snowing that day. I never forgot. I think that changed my life and made me. Look at.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He made you come up out of. In the snow. You was short sleeves on the washing snow.

[Tony Yayo]

Cried all the way home. Jeez, 38. I never forgot that. Right on Mercabe's like, put a snub nose on you. Snub nose. I'm a little kid, 14 years walking from the bus stop. Damn. Yeah, had to walk all the way Rochdale. No coat.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Then you should have said, man, come on, bro. I'm just a kid.

[Tony Yayo]

Come on, bro. He had a.38. I'm like, you ain't do no talking. You just supposed to talk about.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You're supposed to say, man, come on, man. My mom worked hard for this.

[Tony Yayo]

Cause back in the days, remember eight ball and the starter, a lot of people not here. Cause.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes, that's what I'm saying. That's what's going through my mind. I'm thinking about it. The eight ball jacket, the starter jacket. And you, like you said, okay, I was on the yellow bus. Everything was cool. But once I started getting on the city bus, man, I'm seeing all this going on and I'm thinking, man, what.

[Tony Yayo]

Would possess you to do that? My mom said I wanted the jacket. Jeez.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, I ain't say not get the jacket. But you know certain situations where you can't.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I should have thought it out, but I wasn't thinking it out. I just had to start. I wouldn't think nobody was gonna rock.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You wanted the floss at school.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I want the floss to spill it. I did. And I had that starter and they got Me for it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

Cause back then, come on, eight balls and starters, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Man, everybody wanted them.

[Tony Yayo]

Companies should pay. Some of them fans, like.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So people got a line for the.

[Tony Yayo]

Jacket because, yo, we make the culture, bro. A lot of stuff that we was wearing. Ava Rexes. Even Ava Rexes. I remember dudes was getting shot for those Members Only. Members Only. Pele's polo.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Tony Yayo]

So it's like, man, and then when I went to high school, I went to high school on Jamaica Avenue. Right. Where Jim Master J's studio was at. They changing that in the condos now, but it was the Coliseum.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

So that was the block where everybody meet at. And that's when I just. Nothing but crime up there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You're the youngest of three.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you close your assembly? Y' all close?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, yeah. I would say.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You would say.

[Tony Yayo]

I would say me and my brother more. Me and my sister. We all right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right. Was she mad at you cause you died? Cause I read that your mom wouldn't let your sister go outside because she kissed the boy. Did she see the.

[Tony Yayo]

Did.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did they see it or you dime her out?

[Tony Yayo]

No, no, no. My next door neighbor. Rest of miss people. She was one of them neighbors that could slap you in the back of the head.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

She was always in the window for mischief.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

So rest in peace to her. So she seen it and she told my parents.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

And yeah, that's how Haitian people.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's community, apparently.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. They'll have you in the house for 20 years. After that, I never see my sister again. Wow.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So your parents. So in other words, you're telling the story. Your parents were really strict.

[Tony Yayo]

Listen, I remember. You know how you remember back in the days when you.

[Colin Coward]

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[Tony Yayo]

Welcome to Today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is your best start to the day. It's a new season and every morning we're here to help you take it all along. As the forecast calls for football all across the country, Blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

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We're getting back to all of it.

[Tony Yayo]

And the best way to start is together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watch the Today show weekday mornings at 7:00am on NBC.

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Tony Yayo]

Okay, ladies, when I said we came to play, didn't I mean it?

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[Shannon Sharpe]

We can get massages at Sense's spa. Have a meet and greet with Black Panther. Oh, I love him.

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And I can't wait to sunbathe on the private island.

[Tony Yayo]

And the kids will be fine. Girl, they're good. Exactly. While they hang in the kids club.

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[Tony Yayo]

Mm. And do it well all day.

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[Tony Yayo]

Used to go on bike missions. And they used to go to the good neighborhoods to steal bikes from the rich kids and all that. My brother went to do that. He got caught. He got caught by the firemen, though. They brung his ass back to the crib. My brother got his ass worn out in front of the firemen. Like, Haitian parents don't play. Jamaican parents don't play. Anything from that island, they don't play.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I read your dad, he didn't want you to hang out on the boulevard.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, never, never. Cause he knew what was up there. 1, 3, 4, and got Brewer. It was. You know, that's the arena. You know, everybody up there sold drugs. That's what everybody did. So it was nothing good up there. You know, you had gambling spots up there. You had the alley fiends up there, winos. He went up there to play lotto. So when I started hustling, I still had to worry about him. Cause he would chase me off the block.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Come on, man.

[Tony Yayo]

Papa do that chase. Get out of here. Get out of here. Haitian crazy voice. Get out of here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, pop, you blow, you blowing.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, I just had to run. What I'm gonna do.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It was 12 chasing. It was Pops getting you up off the block.

[Tony Yayo]

Dukes was chasing me off the block, man. Haitian parents. Cause he knew what was going on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you know what happens normally when parents don't want a child to do something? It pushes that child in that direction. If a parent says, I don't want you to see that young lady. Or, I don't want you to see that guy, what does it do? It's almost like Romeo and Juliet. It brings them closer. It makes them want to do it.

[Tony Yayo]

Even more, I think.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did that make you want to?

[Tony Yayo]

I think the ass whippings is what always saves somebody life. Like when my parents divorced.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

And my pops went to Florida. That gave me leeway for the bullshit. Now my mom's got to work every day, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

She can't keep an eye on you.

[Tony Yayo]

She's working at General Hospital. She's a Haitian lady working 24 hours a day. I'm hardly seeing her now. This gives me leeway to go bag up in her house. Cause if she find that shit, she doesn't do drugs in the garbage. She find a gun, she throwing that shit in the garbage, she don't care. You know what I'm saying? So my pops left. There was no more. It was more leeway. The father figure, he was gone. Now I don't Got nobody to chase me on the block. So now my mom's at work and I'm on the block all day, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, is there anything, do you think there's anything your father could have said? Do you think there's anything your mother could have said that'll make you not want to hang out on the block? Because you saw what was happening. I'm sure you saw some of your boys get scooped up. I'm sure you saw some of your boys get laid down. But that still wasn't enough to deter you.

[Tony Yayo]

No. Cause I feel like people turn into the environment. So like you got little kids in The Bronx, that 12 year old, 13 year old killers, they're turning them to what the environment is. They're forced to, right? Meanwhile my kids don't gotta go through that, right? You know, got em in a nice neighborhood and that's what it is. I think it's the environment. Cause people turn into what the environment is. Now if all them dudes was doctors on the block, maybe I would've been a doctor. But they was all drug dealers, right? And at the end of the day, they was putting packs in little niggas hands. Niggas was 16, 15 when you really think about it, right? Like here, take this. But they, you know, there's no rules to the game. It's my responsibility. I took the pack. Cause you start off as a worker, then you work your way up having your own shit. Now you're caught up in the game, right? Cause you that pass easy money, 30 off a pack, 25 off a pack. You couldn't just get your own work around. My way, it was structured, right? And then I had to work my way up there and get my own work. Now I'm an official drug dealer now. I don't have no job, no W2 forms, nothing. Sometimes it's just best to get a job now, right? Police.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But he done paid his taxes. Cause we don't want him to come back and say, oh you have no W2, no 1099. But he done paid, he done back in the day.

[Tony Yayo]

This is back in the day. But I just feel like the kids, it's the environment like right when you look at New York City, it's a lot of gangs man, it's just like la. You can't discredit New York and say oh yo, the gang start. Them little kids don't want to hear that. They straight up stone cold killers.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How important was school to you? It had to be very important because they put you in A Catholic school for the first grade to seventh grade. So obviously it was very important. It seems to me that your parents knew the way in order for them to live their dream through you was education.

[Tony Yayo]

Yes, sir, definitely. But it was important to me until, you know, I told you I started getting into the streets, right? And then it was like, if your.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Parents don't divorce, your father's there. Now you got that system of checks and balance. Because you're saying your mom is working. She's working 14, 16 hours a day. She can't keep an eye on Tony, you know, like, she's like. She's like. She want to or should. Pops is in Florida. He ain't got no eyes. He ain't got that kind of connect.

[Tony Yayo]

Nah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And so now you just got free reign. If your dad stays in the picture, are we having a different conversation?

[Tony Yayo]

Definitely 100%. Cause I wouldn't have leeway to be outside like that, bagging up. And then three and a half grams turned into 100 grams. And now I want to get half a bird now. Now I want to do this. Now I can bag up because my mom's not there, right? You know what I mean? She's not there. I can go kitchen table and bag up a whole bunch of work. She's working all day.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Were you ever scared that while you bagging up, she might come home?

[Tony Yayo]

Nah, I knew her schedule. Knew her schedule. Yeah, I knew her schedule.

[Shannon Sharpe]

All that being said, you dropped out of school in the 10th grade.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, 15. Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why?

[Tony Yayo]

Drugs. Selling just negative shit around school and.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Selling drugs, they don't go dead. They're not synonymous.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, they're not synonymous. I think any kind of crime in school is not synonymous, man. It just doesn't go together, you know? It's a terrible thing. I don't try to glorify it. Cause I made it this far, and I got an opportunity to see the world. Like, I'm not as rich as a lot of the rappers, but I got a billion dollars worth of experiences. And I feel like that's what life is about, right? And sometimes in this game, you feel like it's the devil's playground. You know, a lot of bullshit goes on behind the scenes. Cause always want to be in control of the. That got the money. They always want to kiss ass. So, you know, like, I love 50. It's never 50. Sometimes it's niggas around him. Cause and. And it's good. And 50's a good dude. There's dudes, like you said, that'll Never get a job. One of my friends, he caught a murder, he forget he's forgiven for it. Cause God forgive everybody. But he got a job. You know, a lot of dudes, you know, did jail time. Now you got a job because where you gonna get a job at without 50? So I love 50, 50's you know, I love Banks. Banks. My dude Banks, you know, we brothers, right? So I remember us being in basements rapping when it was just the Core G Unit, 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Tony Ayo, you know, Game, dope rapper, but he was from la, right? Buck, dope rapper, but he was from Cashville. And when you look at Buck's situation, that happened when I went to jail, right? Um.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said your mom threw. Your mom threw away a hundred grams?

[Tony Yayo]

Yep. A honey. And the garbage. I told her it wasn't mine, so she helped me find it. Then I went and got it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How you gonna lie tomorrow? You could let that pass. You couldn't let that weight go.

[Tony Yayo]

No, no. 100 grams back then. Hell no. Find that. That can't go in the garbage. That's money, right? Yeah, that's how we looked at it. That's why I'm glad I'm out of that life, man. I had to left that behind. And the luck of music.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is there anything your mom, if your dad has gone. Yeah, he's in Florida.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. He.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If your mom sits you down and say, she's not calling you Tony, she's calling you Marvin. You breaking your mom's heart, you're gonna end up in jail or you'll end up dead. Is there anything your mom could have said to get you away from that lifestyle? Or had you gotten so ingrained in it, that's what you knew, and there was no turning back.

[Tony Yayo]

The worst part has been calling it after you get locked up. You hear all that? You know, when you get locked up? My moms that come get me in Pennsylvania for selling drugs, like me and my man gj, rest in peace. His mom's Ethel Branch. They came to pa. We got caught with a little bit of shit. Cause, you know, we was done for the day, right? But we was from out of town, right? So they came and got us. So. There's nothing like a motherly love, man. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just the worst part is calling, you know? Cause that's what a lot of these kids don't understand. Your moms, you breaking our heart, your dad, yo, I'll come see you in jail, right? I'll send you some commissary. It's more of a tough guy thing with us. But the moms, you break her heart. And that's real up. That feeling, making that call, mom, I'm locked up, or mom, I gotta put the house. I done jumped bail and had bail bondsman giving her a heart attack. I was up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Even with this rap shit. Like, my mom's crib got shot 22 times, 207. Beefing with henchmen back in the days, right? So for me, that shit is like real shit. Like, they could have been not here. They could have been unalived. Luckily, the level of the house, there's levels. People's upstairs. If it was one floor, somebody would have been unalived in there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

And that's like with this rap game shit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did your mom ever say, I told you, See your head hard. You won't listen, but one day you will, son. Did your mom ever tell you, I told you so? Or she was just like. She was always there for you.

[Tony Yayo]

My mom used to say, I'm a vakabon. She start cursing in crayoles. That'd be curse. Vakabone, I think means idiot, right? Strike, idiot. My Creole ain't that good, but vaquebon means like idiot, all kinds of shit. She just start cursing the Haitian, you know? But she'll always come get me. That's one thing about that lady, God bless her, you know? And she's still around my pops, you know, he passed away, I think, 2018, right? My mom's still around. Love my mom's bro. And you know what's crazy? She's still living the house that got shot up. Cause that's how Haitian people is. I don't care. I'm gonna be in my house till I die.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow. You don't wanna go nowhere else.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, that rap beef can get real serious, you know? It can get real serious. That's why I say, when you have Joe on here and Khaled and you talk about the Khaled situation, I could never be mad at Khaled. Khaled was just being loyal to Joe, right? I was being loyal to 50, you know? Wow. So. But shit can get real. The only thing you see with Joe and us, we could be friends. Joe, I need that deal with volume up, too. The thing with Joe is, like, it never got crazy where it never got physical, right? And nobody ever got shot and killed. Rest in peace to my man, Lody Mac. He got killed in a situation. My mom's crib got shot up, right? You know, my mom's crib, silencer shit get real bullet through stoves. And, like, people gotta understand being signed with, like, a Kanye west or Jay Z is chill mode. Everybody's cool. We signed with 50 Cent. The that got problems with everybody. And we talking about Street World, Jimmy Henchman, Pretty or history.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did he have beef with them or they had beef with him? Cause it's two different things. I mean. Cause it seemed like when 50 made it, 50 was, like, done with that life. But they keep trying to bring 50 back.

[Tony Yayo]

It's just always been drama.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Can you ever leave that?

[Tony Yayo]

Like, I'mma tell you, I believe Hip Hop Police was damn near created cause of us. Like, Hip Hop Police used to pull me over. Used to be like, yo, you number one on the list, yo, at that point. Cause we had so much drama that it was like, G Unit was, yo, why they never out? G Unit's banned from the club. Niggas had bulletproof trucks, like my bulletproof truck. I remember I had some people from Hot 97, the radio station, right? And they was like, yo, you know you got bullet holes in my truck? And that shit was normal life to me. Cause when I came home, I came from a dream. I'm at 50's house, his grandmother house. Rest in peace to his grandma and his grandfather. And it's a little house, not much room. It was all a dream. We listening to Summer get Richard die trying on the stereo. And then I come home, I go to jail. I'm hearing him on the radio every day. We blowing up off the mixtapes, and he blew up. It's all a dream still to me. I'm here with Shannon Sharpe. I'm on the Shake Shake Show. Like, this is a dream to me. So I'm more appreciative than a lot of other people, right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you ever worry about, like, getting robbed? Because, like, you know, this is a cash. This is a cash business, bro. So you know, when you give up, you. You take the money, you put it in. People know you got money on you.

[Tony Yayo]

Listen, when you got a, like, 50 telling you, my first Jacob watch. I got a Jacob on now, too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, this is five times on. I used to have one of them.

[Tony Yayo]

Listen. So Jacob. Jacob watch. He gave me my first Jacob watch. And 50 said, yo, never don't forget. Blow your head off for this. See, 50 was a. He was ahead of his time. That's what people didn't understand, right? He was ahead of his time. Meaning he was. Cause I'm only two. He only two. Two years older than me. Right, right. But he was ahead of his time. Even when he was outside at 12, that had him more advanced than a lot of niggas. He was ahead of his time. He always was a marketing genius. He always was smart. When he gave me the watch, he said, oh, don't forget a nigga. Blow your head off of that. That shit stuck in my head like, oh, shit. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, you should have learned your lesson with that damn starter jacket.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I did. That was it. That's true. The starter jacket back in the days.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So you know what they'll do for a Jacob.

[Tony Yayo]

No, but for the Jacob, he had to remind me, because a lot of rappers, you know their jewelry. You know, some, you know, they feel like they'll die for their chain. Look at Rest In Peace. PNB Rock, keep it up. You know, they got him. You at the Waffle House in South Central.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Look at Pop Smoke. You know, you in Beverly Hills, but Hoover street down the block. Yeah, it's a sad thing, but for me, I don't care about jewelry.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hell no.

[Tony Yayo]

I don't give a.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's insured.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, give me a nice car, I jump out of that with nothing on. I don't care about it because I feel like at a certain point when you an artist, your face is a jewel.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

So niggas like Nipsey Hussle Face was a jewel. Pop Smoke Face was a jewel. PNB Rock, your face is jewelry. You don't even gotta wear jewelry. Niggas know who you are. And if you don't wear it, niggas ain't gonna do shit to you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

They don't care. But now robbers know. Oh, yo, that's a Richard Millie. Oh, shit. That's a.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's ap.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. That's worth a hundred fifty thousand. FB Dorn. Oh, shit. Yo, yo, that's a auto. Yo, yo, he got. And you gotta think you got niggas in the hood that where they live is cheaper than with that watch you got on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, for sure.

[Tony Yayo]

And it's like this everywhere. Philly, Chicago, New York. Cause I just. For me, I'm to the point in life where I just don't hang out in certain places. I'd rather hang out with my lawyer or something, go to dinner or go somewhere. I don't need to bring a pistol. But 50 was telling us that years ago. Like, yo, you don't need to go here. Yo, you don't need to go there. And we used to have hip hop police on us. They used to jump us out the car government name grab us by our hip hop police was on us because we was the most dangerous rap group in the world. Don't let these. These the industry fool you. Cause they always knock G Unit because of what we done. We got down with Eminem, my favorite white boy. They be mad at him. We got down with Dr. Dre, a West coast nigga. We left New York. Yeah, that was the best deal ever, you know? And we took over the industry. We sold video games, we sold clothes, we sold sneakers. And we definitely sold records.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, and a lot of people try to take away because we was the most hated. We was the. That was like, y' all events, your parties, your white parties. This 50 always been like that. So it made us like that. We always had to move militant bulletproof trucks, vessels. Come on. It was a time where, man, it was guns everywhere, man. I ain't gonna lie to you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Isn't that a very tough way to live?

[Tony Yayo]

It's very tough. To this day, I watch my back. Cause it's just. Being an artist is a tough thing.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But damn, you don't have peace. You don't have peace. You say you have to watch your back.

[Tony Yayo]

I think being a rapper, you never have your peace, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

I just think that's just the life of a rapper. You're never gonna have your peace. It's gonna be obstacles, it's gonna be women, it's gonna be drugs. It's gonna be gambling addiction, car addiction, jewelry addiction, Keeping up with the Joneses. See, for me, I don't care about all that shit. Cause it's all about image. That shit all fake. I pray to God every day he makes sure I'm good. The realest shit. Dave Chappelle over here told me so. Yo, why you turn down all that money? God said, my belly full. That was the realest shit I ever heard from somebody. So for me, being in rooms with Mike Tyson. Dave Chappelle, I'm up. Listen, I'm like a sponge. I remember Tyson telling me it's a party. My first time meeting Mike Tyson. Everybody's in there. Serena Venus. I'm like this. I'm a. From the hood. Like, yo, I can't believe I'm in a party with these people, you know? And Mike Tyson said, expand your horizons. Yeah, y'. All. Some caviar came, and I never forgot that. That's what made me. Caviar, escargold, caviar pancakes in Paris. Them experiences for me is good. I'm good. I'm straight. Yeah. I'm. I feel good being room. We just was in Italy partying with the owner, one of the owners of Ray Ban and the owner of Dolce Gabbana.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, I done been in parties with Wesley Snipes. I'm like, this from New Jack City.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, I'm thinking of New Jack City when I see this. We somewhere Aspen. We somewhere film festival. Kardashians in there. We performing with Jim Carrey. I'm like, yo, this is Jim Curry. Oh, shit. I'm meeting Samuel Jackson. Oh, shit. I'm in these rooms. To me, that's worth a billion dollars, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

I could be going to mall and I'll take that with me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So how do you. The drug game. So how do you get into the rap game?

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, well, my man Fat Shy, he used to be a dj. So he had one of them houses that everybody can go to. We go smoke, his pops wasn't tripping. Shout to rp, that's the Big G. And we used to just be there when the block was hot. We used to run there and we used to rap on the mic in the basement. Cause, you know, in Queens, it was all about the mixtape. You know, we Grandmaster Vic, DJ Dog, Tom Blazin, Amazing Dwick. We had all kind of DJs. So that was like the shit to go to the Hole in the Wall parties. They might get shot up, but that's back in the days, my man has to bring 8, 10 crates. So back in the days, those were the. To me, I love DJs now, but all this computer shit is different.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Party gets shot up. My man Fat Shot, we still gotta stay there and get his 10 crates. Cause he's gonna die over his crates. Rest in peace to my N. Yeah. You know what I'm saying?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Cause he got the album. We started like that. We used to be in the basement. We'll rap over Wu Tang shit. We used to listen to Joe Jealous one, Envy. We used to listen all kind of shit. My man was a dope dj, right? Everybody knew him in the hood. So that's when we started rapping and playing around. I started rapping with him. First. We had a little group, Rags to Riches. And then, you know, 50, you know, we had Lost Boys popping in the hood. Rest in peace. Freaky Todd, that was like the first niggas. Freaky Todd was popping in the hood. Lois Boyz being around 50, had, you know, the deal with Gym master Jay. But 50 was to get money. Had the Benz and all that. So that's how he got to deal with Jay. Cause he was like 17 with the Benz.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

You know what I'm saying? So Jay looking at him like, who this? He box, run around the hood. 50 was a crazy. Like, everybody smoking, drink. He running around the projects. I'm like, what the kind of shit. So with that said, 50 was a different. Like, he knocked out in the hood. So, yeah, he had a name, you know what I'm saying? Cause he boxed, right? Saying. But he had to deal with Jay. So from Jay, from there, he went to Columbia. So I used to be with him all the time. Like, yo, this fif is ill. Like, fiff was in the basement. I ain't even. You know, he was a hustler. I ain't know him for rapping, but he started rapping. Shit was crazy. His first album, he did Power with a Dollar. Still one of my favorite albums.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Wow. Why does it seem like it's a natural progression from somebody that comes off the street and they go straight to the rap game?

[Tony Yayo]

Remember when Biggie said, you have a sling and crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Those were your two choices, huh?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. I mean, it was like music was an outlet. Like, people music is a way for somebody, you know, it was our get away from the hood. You running away from gun police, you running away from narcotics. You running away from, you know, bullshit going in the hood. You know, it's just like it was our escape. And we started doing the mixtapes, and people accepted. That's why shout out to all the G Unit fans. They rock with us. Because what we did was solid. We had the streets. You know, back in the days, people wanted to beat up bootleggers. The bootleggers was our friends.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

That's what I was saying with 50 with marketing, people used to come up to, yo, fifth, I'm gonna beat up this bootlegger. He got your. And fifth be like, why you doing that? They're the marketing team looking at him like he turned down deals for millions. I used to be in these meetings, like, why are you doing that? Not fifth? That's not. Not. Yeah, that's not the deal. Fifth. We riding around in a 19. I don't know what year this van was. We had a Buick with no ac. We got vests and guns on. Why you just turned down 1.5 million? Nah, yo, yo, that's not the deal. Was always smart, always ahead of his time. That's why people be mad. Yo, you always mention 50. 50 is the reason a lot of Shit happened. But you know how shit is now. You can't even post a picture or say nothing good about a nigga.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, you glazing.

[Tony Yayo]

You watching 50 Cars, you glaz. No, he was gonna say 50 yo things, 50 yo. But you know, he was the reason a lot of niggas lives changed. And I never take away nothing from him or talk bad about him because like I said, it's never him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you? So how. So how old were you when you first met? 50.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, I knew 50. Like 50 had to be like 12 years old. He was like the youngest on the block. So when I used to go to the store when he was 12, I was 10. Okay. I'm thinking about Chuck Norris, Bruce Lee, right? Like that. You know, Transformers. He man, you know little shit, right? So you go to the store with my pops, you see the littlest on the block, 12 years old, and they have the rhinestone jacket that say Boo Boo with the hot rod rings. It's a little kid. So he stood out. She was like. I said he was 12 years old. Got a little on the block. This size with nothing but old grown it with a rhyme. Stone jacket. A rhinestone jacket. Back in the days was the shit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

In the high rising ring, you look alike. Hold on. The fuck.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So is that from that basement when you go to your partner's house and his pop was cool with you guys smoking? Is that where G Unit was formed at?

[Tony Yayo]

I would say that in a way, but not in a way. Cause 50 had to deal with GM Master J.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Tony Yayo]

And then after he got shot, he came back and, you know, me and him got together. And then I brung Banks to him. I brung Banks to him. Cause Banks was a little younger. Banks was younger than both of us. And then he just came with the blueprint, like, yo, we gonna do this and y' all gotta go to the studio. So me, him and bank started going to the studio, and then we started doing the mixtapes. And the mixtapes was killing the streets, right? Like, we had New York City online. Stop taking away from G Unit, y'. All. And Banks is one of the top five two lyricists. But we just had some shit, man. We was dropped. We was dropping, dropping, and people was loving it. Fifth was just. He's just a natural writer. Banks, he just write balls for breakfast, you know, me. And me, I think people respect my energy. I have balls. But I think people love my energy on stage and as well as with the music, you know?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you remember about getting. Do you remember what you were doing the morning, mid afternoon, late afternoon when you got the call that 50 had got shot nine times.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh no, I remember that. Yeah, I went right to his block. Like I forgot who called me, but I went right to his, to his grandmother block. Cause he only lived two blocks away, you know. And you didn't hear anything?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You didn't hear no commotion?

[Tony Yayo]

I didn't hear no shots. I guess I got up late or whatever and I walked to the block and the block was cut off already.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Fixed off?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, it was cut off and it was yellow tape there and shit. Mad yellow tape. I'm like, oh shit, I feel like I need my chapstick, man. My chapstick. I can't find it. But it was mad yellow tape on the block. So you couldn't even go down.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You couldn't get to it?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, you couldn't even get to it. Oh God. Lighter. I don't even got chapstick, yo. So I couldn't get to it. And I went to the hospital because. What's the one on Jamaica Avenue? That's Mary Macklin. Mary Macklin, that's the hospital that saved him. And I went in there and you know, it was mad, you know, people there, people we knew.

[Colin Coward]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, NASCAR major league baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all live, edge of your seat plays, high octane moments and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox one, we live for live streaming now.

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[Tony Yayo]

Welcome to Today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is your best start to the day. It's a new season, and every morning we're here to help you take it all on.

[Colin Coward]

As the forecast calls for football all.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Across the country, blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

[Annabe Sofa Advertiser]

We're getting back to all of it.

[Tony Yayo]

And the best way to start is together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watch the Today show weekday mornings at 7:00am on NBC.

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[Tony Yayo]

Okay, ladies, when I said we came to play, didn't I mean it?

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

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[Tony Yayo]

And the kids will be fine, girl, they're good. Exactly. While they hang in the kids club.

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[Tony Yayo]

And I was like, yo, what's going on? And he was like, 50 don't want to see nobody. And then later on down the line, I asked him, I was like, yo, why you never wanted me to see you? And he was like, at that point, I couldn't see you see me in week. It would have your head up, probably would have scared you, you know? Cause the niggas that he's dealing with, like, premium. Them niggas ain't no. Know what I mean? They ain't no pushovers.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, they real with it.

[Tony Yayo]

It's real niggas. So he was like, yo, I wouldn't want you to see me like that. But 50 didn't give a. Like.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, you do realize for somebody to get hit nine times and survive, he got a calling.

[Tony Yayo]

Definitely. I believe it's his grandma. Rest in peace. She was his. She was outside when he got hit. And then, you gotta think about this. She was a church lady. You know, she was a church lady. You know, all I know when I was over there, I used to be scared of 50 grandma. She's real stern. She might not say much, but she was an ongoing church lady. I think she 50 quiet side, and I think 50 loud side. Where he get crazy, is his grandfather's side. Cause I remember his grandfather, one day, I'm laying on the couch on the run, and he was like, yo, you gonna have to face the iron curtain someday. Damn. And I was like. I thought about being on the run. I'm like, damn. He my day up with that one. Yeah, rest in peace to grandpa. He fucked my day up with that one, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you think you. Did you think 50 would make it through this situation?

[Tony Yayo]

I mean, did they give you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, did the doctors tell anybody? Because you couldn't see him, but did the doctors come out there when he was talking to his grandmother? You happened to be around his grandfather, and he says the prognosis doesn't look good.

[Tony Yayo]

I mean, I didn't even know. I just remember saying he didn't want to see nobody. Was at the hospital for a while, and everybody just left.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How old was 50 at this time?

[Tony Yayo]

Had to be in his 20s, man. 24, 25.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

And then he came back. When he came back, he used to be strapped every day. You know, big vest on. We used to drive in that van. And he didn't care if he seen his enemies. It would have been over at that point.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, I'm glad y' all didn't see nobody.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, me too. Cause we made it this far.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, hopefully. Hopefully, it's over now.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, when you heard the song Wangsta, he played it for you.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Did you think, like, okay, this it, Wangster?

[Tony Yayo]

I didn't think. You know, when you never know what's the hit record, really?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know what? I'm glad you said that. Because you know what? Every time I ask somebody, oh, I know that thing was smoking. Oh, I knew he was gonna be a star. Oh, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And I knew.

[Tony Yayo]

I was like, well, damn, cut the cap. You never know it's gonna be a hit record. Like, artists might have a record that they like. Like, yo, I like this record. And then a record that they don't even think. Like, 50 didn't like many men. I had to talk him into that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Really?

[Tony Yayo]

He didn't like many men. Yo, this record's too slow, man. I used to be in the crib. You bugging. This is one of the hardest records.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

One thing about me is I always had the ear when we in the studio. And I'm in the studio with Dre and them. You just know that Get Rich and Die Trying is gonna be some shit. Like, that's one of my best experience in my life, being in the studio with Dr. Dre and Eminem. Dr. Dre was different for me. Cause, you know, he smoked hella weed. You know, the weed is in there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

The cognac's in there. I'm in LA for the first time. Like, oh, shit. He's playing in the Club Beat. He's playing Pimp Beat. He's playing. He got all this shit in the Vote. I'm like, damn, this Dr. Dre gotta be one of the best producers in the world. That's one of my best experiences. Then when you with Eminem. Eminem is more serious. Like, he got playing pianos and guitars and shit like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You like, damn, ain't no smoking.

[Tony Yayo]

Eminem will tell you many men, the footsteps. He'd be like, them footsteps are from Poltergeist. Like, what? You know, that's a producer. That's like that. Those are the footsteps from Poltergeist. I'm like, that's. And Many Men. I'm like, he's listening to the little things. Damn. They just take. They take away from Eminem. Let's keep it real. Cause he a white boy. Yeah, let's keep it real. I don't listen to Eminem. Duh. I don't listen to him in the car.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can't name five songs.

[Tony Yayo]

Em, it don't. Yo, listen, it don't matter. He still do billions on. He still do billions of streams.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Give him his credit.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, when you look. And then look at what he did group wise, right? You got D12.

[Shannon Sharpe]

D12. Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You got G unit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yep.

[Tony Yayo]

50 cosine. You got Griselda, right? No, no, let's not forget. Let's forget about Joe Buttons. Let's go back to Slaughterhouse. Cause you can't forget Joe Buttons in them. And then Griselda, all them co signs help bring success to these artists. You don't think so?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, for sure.

[Tony Yayo]

We worldwide. Cause of Eminem.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't know why people have a hard time giving people credit.

[Tony Yayo]

It's Benzino. It's the only one. Benzino, he can't get over it. Because when you look at M, it's like, M damn. It's like damn near destroyed the Source magazine, when you really think about it. Nail in the coffin. It was over. Yeah, Benzino kept getting that Eminem, but the machine was so big that it was like, what?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you can't touch.

[Tony Yayo]

All right, you got the biggest rapper right now, 50 Cent. Eminem, we gonna go to double XL.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And then you got the Source, and you got. But you got Dre. Dre.

[Tony Yayo]

At that time, Dre was the big Dre. Come on, you heard them beats. Don't give a. Stop trying. You're an Eminem beast. Come on, bro. When Dre. Snoop Dogg. Come on. Shout out to Snoop.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Like, if you an actor and you say, well, you know, Denzel Washington's my acting coach. That's instant credibility.

[Tony Yayo]

Even when you look at game. Game did 5 million. He sold a lot of records. I would never hate on Game, I was on his first album. But come on. Dr. Dre co signed. Yes, 50 co sign at the same time, Eminem, G Unit. Come on, bro. Anybody who signed on Junior at that time was going platinum, going gold without a problem.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

But never bite the hand that feeds you. That's what I learned about this. Never on the person that turned the lights on you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

50 could diss me tomorrow. Yo, him. I'm good. Fifth, no disrespect, because you turned the lights on for me, and I appreciate that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Sometimes people have a hard time remembering or real. Or they have short term memory.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Because. Well, they didn't do it yesterday. That was 10 years ago. That was 15 years ago. Because we live in a society now. What have you done for me lately?

[Tony Yayo]

Exactly.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I'll never forget what someone has done for me. Be it 10 years, 15, 20 years, it doesn't matter. Everybody got at me. Because when Skip and I had our public thing on television, right? I said I was sitting across from him because he hadn't signed for me. I wouldn't have been able to. I wouldn't have been able to be in that situation. So he could get at me like that, right? I got back on television. I was out of television for two years. Even when they didn't want the higher ups at Fox didn't want. He says, I won't do the show unless he's across for me.

[Tony Yayo]

That's real. Turn the lights on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You can't forget that.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I mean, he might say it might. Yeah. It hurt at the time, but I still realize that the position that I'm in, a lot of what I have was because I got back on television, and he gave me an opportunity to show how well rounded I was, that I could talk about a lot of other things other than football.

[Tony Yayo]

Right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He gave me that opportunity. I'm ever grateful, me.

[Tony Yayo]

That's how I feel. I'm forever grateful. Anybody put me on. That's why I always shout out Eminem and Dr. Dre.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, for sure. You sure?

[Tony Yayo]

You do too much now. You can't even put a picture on social media. He glazing, yo, 50 50s kids. This that you're watching, 50s car.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

But it's cool for me because that I learned. I put my faith in God. That don't mean to me. I've been making money before there was a Instagram. I've been traveling the country before there was a Instagram. That shit don't mean nothing to me. And I know how the rap game is. Don't like me, right? And I'm cool with that. I'm not mad at anybody. I got money with 50. I don't need to be friends with everybody. I never disrespect nobody, Right. You know, I just sit back and be humble. That's it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When you guys started to blow up, you on the run?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I had a gun charge.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Why did you go on and face the charge?

[Tony Yayo]

Honestly, there was this judge, his name is Judge Wong, and he was like, no joke. And I just didn't want it. Nobody wants to go to jail.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Well, damn. You should have put them. You should have put that thing. You put the tool down.

[Tony Yayo]

No. So, yeah, I mean, I was bugging out. I got caught slipping. Things happen. But for me, I didn't want to go to jail, okay? So I got a passport. I put my brother's name on it because we look alike. I went in the passport building and everything, and I got a passport and traveled everywhere. I went to Barcelona, I went to Spain. I was around Eminem, Dr. Dre. I. Damn, I never wanted to go to jail. I was like, yo, I got a friend like that. He was running forever. He just got caught the other day. Word. Nobody wants to go to jail. They'll run if they have to. So I was running. I'm like, damn, I'M traveling the country. But after 9, 11 happened. Rest in peace. To everybody in that situation, it turned into a federal crime. So people at the office were so stupid. I'm gonna tell you what it was. It was. I don't wanna say the girl name, but they gave me my paperwork. I'm just from jail. I had my first day out. Coming home, I got my paperwork. I didn't even check the paperwork. The paperwork had the passport in it, and the passport had my brother's name. It was a faulty passport. I go to parole and hand this shit to my parole officer. Yo, here, man. I'm excited. I'm home. I'm Tony Ayo. Oh, shit. The paperwork home. Get to see my daughter. She was born. Gave the paperwork to my parole officer. He was like, wait a minute. It's a passport with your face but not your name. This is a phony document. He called the feds. And my first day out, I had to go back to the jail. I went to federal prison. What? Well, fed. It was a reception jail. Mdc. They had me in there for a minute. I was in mdc. Cause that was like a. They gave me six months in probation. Cause it was a federal law once after 9, 11, you got a fake passport. Not a federal crime. Damn.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You get out one day, just my luck.

[Tony Yayo]

Life ain't never been easy for me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You like, damn, I got buzzed luck.

[Tony Yayo]

Hell, yeah. Fuck. You know, I was in that cell. Like, fuck. That's when you drop a tear, when you buy yourself.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Was that the first time you cried in jail?

[Tony Yayo]

Nah, I mean, that was the first time. Yeah. Cause I did my first day. I'm like, you out.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You have freedom. You know, you skipping up there.

[Tony Yayo]

You know what's up on a ride. I'm handcuffed. And I'm hearing, I want to get to know your G Unit song. I'm like, oh, my God, bro, it's on the radio. That shit is G Unit's playing. I want to get to know you with Joe. I'm like, damn, man. Got to my cell. Yeah. I dropped a tear. We only human, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You spent time on 50 unit? On 50's couch, of course. Slept on his couch.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Family's around. Tell the people the protocol. If your man's let you sleep at his place.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And he got a baby mama.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. The protocol is make sure you fully clothed. Always keep sweatpants on. Try to stay out the way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

Your business.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, keep a shirt on.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

And try to stay out the way. As much as you can, right? Don't smoke in the house. Don't do too much. Don't open the refrigerator unless if asked. If you asked.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause sometimes I don't know. I mean, 50, a real one. I don't know, man. To live there. I mean, like, on the couch.

[Tony Yayo]

I live with Fifth. Nah, he know I'm not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But I'm saying. But just you. I mean, you crashed the couch, man. And his people's there.

[Tony Yayo]

I feel like this for me once this year, lady. I don't even look. I look at her into my eyes as that sis. That's just how I was dressed up. Yes.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Okay.

[Tony Yayo]

That's, you know, get smoked for shit like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

For real, though.

[Tony Yayo]

Like, I'm not with your wife. I don't even want your side joint if you have one. Like, I'm just. That's just how I am. I don't play, dude. Play with dudes, women. So for me, that was sis at that time, right? You know, And I had love for a son. I still got love for a son. Marquis still got love for him. Know what I'm saying? I still got love for him. You know, sometimes his baby moms get at me a little bit online, but I don't pay no mind to that, man. I just stay humble, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You know, you told the story that 50 granddad told you. So you gonna have to face that. That steel curtain.

[Tony Yayo]

I remember. Yeah. I remember 50 baby moms. One time we was at dinner and she was like, y' all are all robots, right? Cause we only listen to what 50 said. We never. She say something we ain't. We ain't. That's white. That's your girl. We over here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

So 50 say something. We do it. So I remember one time she said, y' all are all robots. And my man Halleen was like, we are robots. That shit was funny, man. I got the stories, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

She got.

[Tony Yayo]

I'm always getting put through the ringer, Yayo. Cause look, when somebody don't talk to 5th no more, it's automatic Yayo.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Except for Banks, you know what I mean? It's automatic Yayo, yo. Yayo, too, man. And I'll be like, damn, I ain't even.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, you gotta be with him. How I get drugged into it.

[Tony Yayo]

It's always like that. You heard Fat Joe. We wanted to kill Yayo. Throw him in the trunk. They were serious. Everybody. It's always Yayo, right? And Yayo stay out of the business. I love 50. I stay out of his business, whatever happens. What he does personally. That's what he gotta deal with. I don't. That's not.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I don't get involved in that.

[Tony Yayo]

That's your lady. That's your kid. I ain't got nothing to do with that. As for Marquis, I got love for him. I ain't got no problems with him.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But that's between him and 50.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. I stay out of.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nothing to do with that.

[Tony Yayo]

None of my business. I stay out of people relationships.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You know how sometimes in the hood might be slapping up his girl or something like that and come save her? And now they all both beating you up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, that's what happened. Yeah, that's what happened.

[Tony Yayo]

Stay out of relationship business.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause you. Hey. Cause you know they gonna be back. Yeah. You know they gonna be back together a day or two.

[Tony Yayo]

I stay out of people's business.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You got to.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, that's how I made it this far. Especially where we from. Mind your business. New York City. That's one thing we good at. Yeah, y' all do business.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Y'.

[Tony Yayo]

All.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Y' all pretend y' all don't see nothing.

[Tony Yayo]

It's like, man, you just saw people take. And you know what? People from the south take it personally.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They do. We help everybody. Like. No, don't do. Don't do that.

[Tony Yayo]

Listen, when you even think about it, right? Ross and 50, right? Ross is not. They got a beef. Cause 50 didn't say what up to him. That's just a New York thing. At one of the awards. I wasn't there, but that's how it sparred, right? Nigga ain't say what's up to me. Cause down south, y' all have more of a.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Hey, how you doing, nigga?

[Tony Yayo]

Bring you an apple pie or crib. Nigga from New York is looking right straight.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Absolutely poisoning. Yeah, they do.

[Tony Yayo]

My man mom's one time, we eating. We rest her soul. My man Stripe, we eating, she come to us. You know, if the people next door offer you food, don't eat it. Two minutes later, guy came and tried to run us a plate. We like. Nah, we good. I don't know till this day why she said that, but I listened to her, right? New York, we. We just different. Be getting beat up. I don't care if you're white, Jewish, black, Mexican, Dominican, Puerto Rican, whatever. Nationality, Jewish. Everybody's tough. You might think this dude is soft. Don't talk to me like that. Be ready to box. So New York, we just naturally mind our business and keep it moving, right? So when you look at the whole World situation, right? And I know he probably gonna go in. Yo, yo, I'm in my pool, you whatever. Because I don't care about all that material. My. My. My higher powers up there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

Right. So for me, like you just met, you have a beef with a nigga. Cause a didn't say what up? But that's just more of a New York thing, right? Down South, y' all embrace each other more. And I love that too. I love going to Atlanta.

[Shannon Sharpe]

We do.

[Tony Yayo]

I love it like that. We love it. You go to the country and people say hi to you. We not used to that shit. Shit, sir.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause when I moved, I remember when I moved to Atlanta, the white guy crossed the street, he brought me a cake.

[Tony Yayo]

New York, New York City. When's the last time you seen that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

He brought me a cake. Yeo. He says, he's like, if you ever go out of town, you need me to watch your house, I'll watch the house. I end up giving the man a key to the house.

[Tony Yayo]

That's crazy. I'm gonna tell you why. When we overseas, me and my man Uncle Murder, we do odds and evens to see if certain white people gonna get in the elevator with us. Cause we black niggas in a five star hotel, right? But we not supposed to be. We the only niggas in the hotel. We here. Cause, you know, on a behalf of 50 cents, we do odds and evens. Yo, is this gonna get in the elevator with us, right? Damn sure. Spin around. I seen a little kid run in the elevator. Mom's go, what are you doing?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Snatch him up out of there.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, we in Amani Hotel. We in the best hotels in the world. They ain't never seen a name like, man, what. We got pulled over on our way here yesterday. My man want to argue with police, I'm like, why you all. You know we got pulled over for. Shut the.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Yo, what I got pulled over for, nigga? You know. What the fuck you mean?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause, yeah, you fit the description.

[Tony Yayo]

That's. I hate sometimes. I ain't gonna front. I hate when people argue with police. What I got pulled for. You know what you got pulled over for? All this Trump shit going on. Like I told you, my man running through D.C. he gotta. Don't even wanna drive.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, don't. I hope they don't come to New York and all these other places. Yeah, yeah. But it's crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Rikers. What was Rikers? How long were you at Rikers?

[Tony Yayo]

I was in Rikers for like a couple of months. That's the worst place to be in. Is it? Yeah, it's the worst, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's over there by LaGuardia, isn't it?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, it's the worst, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Y' all see the planes take. Did you daydream? I mean, could you sleep?

[Tony Yayo]

That's the real. To me, that's the real gladiator school. Like, one thing about New York. New York, grimy, is different than everywhere else. Like, niggas used to spit razors out they mouth. Like, people used to be professional girls who cut you. Like, New York is just. It's grimy. So like Rikers Island. Like, a motherfucker will spit a razor out on you, cut you, and you wouldn't even see it coming. That's how it is for breakfast. It's not a game. That's one of the most scariest experiences you could have in life.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

It's going to Rikers Island. You're going over the bridge, you see the home of the boldest. You bumping on it. It's your first time in, you know? It's the most insane thing I had to deal with in life. I never wanted to go to jail again. You got to smell other people's. Take showers and shit. Watch your back. This just broke up with his girl. You got gang over here extorting this. You got buckets stolen, mother cut for cigarettes. Like, what the whole nother world. Jail and prison is a whole nother world. I never. I did skid bids like I learned my lesson off of little bits like, all right, that I could never do this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So what's the difference between jail and prison?

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, jail is Rikers island, mdc. Prison is, you know, up top the mountains. You know, you gotta figure out what car you gonna be in. That's prison. Prison, a whole nother world. That's when you go up north, green, all that. Yeah, Attica. That's prison. Jail is Rikers island, right? Mdc, mcc. That's federal, you know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Yo, listen. It was to a point when this G Unit, and this is one thing why I say I love 50 again, is we had a lawyer for every situation. We had Steve Murphy bodies. We had Scott Lehman Federal. We had Bob Macedonia State. The list goes on and on. Edwin Hammond, I haven't heard from him. He was a parole lawyer. There's a different lawyer for every situation. So a lot of these kids, they get in trouble and they don't even have the lawyer money. The lawyer money is the main thing. You need to make sure you good. Cause with a Legal aid. You're going straight to prison.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. You go, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Even if you innocent.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, yeah. He gonna. What you call. He gonna be a dad? Hey, he gonna plead that. He gonna plead that, Yale.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. There was a lawyer supplier for every situation. Every situation. And I needed one for that. But jail experience, prison, I never really went to, right. I did a shock program. Everybody be like, oh, he went to shock. He didn't go to real jail. That's right. I wanted to get home. It was blowing up. We outsold Jay Z that year, right? We're beg for mercy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

I remember seeing it in the paper. One of the COs bumped to me. I was like, beg for mercy. That's you, right? I was on the COVID How'd that look?

[Shannon Sharpe]

You on the COVID of magazine and you in here?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They like, bro, if you don't get your ass out of here.

[Tony Yayo]

That's why I always say Eminem wearing the Free Ao shit at the Grammys was like, that was a turning point in my life. Because he didn't have to do that. I was on Rikers island and I was like, yo, Free Yo Eminem, you know, at this point, he's selling 16 million records. Hard copies, not streams.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Not a machine. This is facts. Like, you going to fye Blockbuster Tower. Yeah. Target good times. Yeah. 16 million.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So when em got that shirt on Free Yale. Are you watching it?

[Tony Yayo]

Are you watching? He watched it.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And they look at you like, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Shout out to Tracy McNew ol Rosenberg. They called me from shady Mark LaBelle. And they was like, yo, make sure you get to watch the Grammys that night. And you know, I'm in my house, C73. I didn't go on no Debo shit. Because, you know, jail's about politics. Cause you know you can get stabbed over the TV and newspaper. That's what they tell you. Three warnings. Tv, newspaper and the phone. That's where a lot of shit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Is it first come, first serve, or is there seniority?

[Tony Yayo]

You know, you got the Spanish dudes, they might want to watch Caliente. And then you have the black dudes, they may want to watch BET or something. But I told them that night, yo, I just need a couple of seconds to watch the Grammys. And then he let me rock and I watched the tv. It wasn't like I came, yo, give me the fucking tv, right? I was locked up with one of diddy security guards, big bonds. Word, that was diddy. Like, man, that was my man. That's my man till his day, named Barnes. It's my dude.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You said something very interesting. You said blacks versus Hispanics in jail. You said Hispanics go to jail, they're protected by their own. But when blacks go to jail, they're beefing with their own.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, that's how Rikers was. So Rikers, they could be in the same gang. You could be blood and I could be blood and they still banging. Or you could be Crip and you could be Crip and they'll still bang. Why? I don't know, man. It's just the way it is.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But you said, I mean, you said the Hispanics or the Aryans.

[Tony Yayo]

Oh, yeah. When a Spanish dude get to jail, you know some Spanish, you good money. You good money. Yo, you need sneakers, you need protection, you need a knife, you need this. Because that's how they stick together, bro. You know, it's a shame sometimes black people shit stick together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How can we do that? How can we stick together?

[Tony Yayo]

I think it start with people like me and you talking about it. It's like, what can we do to make a difference? You got little kids out here with switches everywhere you go. Nobody cares about them. You know, Trump just took away a lot of after school programs. So you got more little kids in the street.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, and then the guys that are trying to help them that get the grants and try to get the guys off the street, like my man dro.

[Colin Coward]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sport so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, NASCAR, major league baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all live edge of your seat plays, high octane moments and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox one, we live for live streaming.

[Tony Yayo]

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[Tony Yayo]

Welcome to Today.

[Shannon Sharpe]

From back to school to tackling your to do list, the Today show is your best start to the day. It's a new season, and every morning we're here to help you take it all along. As the forecast calls for football all across the country, blockbuster stars, live concerts, and so much more. Wake up to where it's all happening.

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We're getting back to all of it.

[Tony Yayo]

And the best way to start is together.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Watch the Today show weekday mornings at 7:00am on NBC.

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Tony Yayo]

Okay, ladies, when I said we came to play, didn't I mean it?

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Shannon Sharpe]

Have a meet and greet with Black Panther. Oh, I love him.

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[Tony Yayo]

And the kids will be fine. Girl, they're good. Exactly. While they hang in the kids club.

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[Tony Yayo]

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[Tony Yayo]

Shady, you know, he works with the kids. He brings rappers around him. People like you, they need a way out. That's what it is. Cause my kids are good. I'm good. You know, now it's. What can I do to make things better? We gotta talk about it. Where do switches come from? Why can't somebody?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And why they ended up in our community?

[Tony Yayo]

Exactly. Why? How can somebody make a 3D gun now? Like, where's all this coming from? So we say we want to clean up the streets, but where is it coming from?

[Shannon Sharpe]

And why do we need a 3D gun?

[Tony Yayo]

Because you being in places where, when we go to the Bronx. Man, listen, I don't even go to the Bronx. The Bronx for me is a no fly zone.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn. Yeah, yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

I ain't going to the Bronx. I might go to Fat Joe on them dispensary or something real quick, but I ain't going to hang out, mingle, shoot a video. Dangerous out there. And what it is, is, you know, the kids, the shooters are getting younger and younger. They 13, 14, got drill rap now. I just smoked your brother. That shit is crazy. That shit is some crazy shit. And I'm not against all the drill music sometimes, you know, some of it is entertaining. But when you saying you smoke somebody brother or. Or did this and did that, I killed your brother. That shit is back and forth. That shit is really real.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So now where does it stop? Cause you do me, you do my brother. I gotta get you.

[Tony Yayo]

It never stops. Cause they go right to Instagram. Cause now I think, like, you know how back in the days we used to glorify the drug dealer?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Now they glorifying the shooter. The shooter to do with five bodies. That's why let's keep it real. That's why we like King Von. That's why we like Bloodhound. Right? Bloodhound. Little Jeff. That's why we, we. We like it. People, I'm. And listen, I like gangster music, don't get me wrong. But there's a difference between gangster music and reality.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

You know what I'm saying? I dealt with the reality part. Like I said, my mom's crib got shot up. I don't want to go through that. That was some real when shit happens. But now with the drill rap, it's a whole different game now, right? Yo, you shot my brother. We gonna kill 10 of yours. Go right on Instagram. Cause now you got social media. Well, that's even more crazy. Cause they don't care if your mom's in the spot. Your kids, you see it every day.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They run down on anybody now.

[Tony Yayo]

They don't care, man. They don't care. Some people, innocent people getting shot, just riding through blocks in Chicago. Oh, shit. That's the op. No, you just shot an innocent lady. Now that's when it's going too far.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Protect yourself. Cool. Protect yourself. You should always be able to protect yourself, right? But when innocent people get hit, like I told you, the Brooklyn thing. Yeah. Lady was 61 years old in the Jamaican spot.

[Shannon Sharpe]

How they getting all them guns? It's hard as hell to get a gun in New York, Yale. Nah, I mean, they get.

[Tony Yayo]

They hard for you.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause I'm trying to do it legal.

[Tony Yayo]

Huh? Guns is like T shirts, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If you want what you can.

[Tony Yayo]

Yo, look, I used to think there was no guns in Canada until I went out there. It's just the price of a gun in Canada costs more than the price of a gun in New York. To get it to Canada, that shit might cost you $10,000, $5,000, you know what I mean? So the price go up for the gun, but the guns is everywhere. Them shit's like, hey, come on, bro, you see them kids in Philly, man? Yeah, the kids in Chicago, Come on. I heard a man say with this shooting in Brooklyn, a dude got shot so many times, when they lift him up, there was. It looked like there was no more blood in his body. Like I said back in the days, get shot five times, eight times, survive. Yeah, you don't got a three, you got a nine point. A nine point?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You put a seven millimeter, they get, they get hit with army with stuff made for the military.

[Tony Yayo]

Got military, yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

308, 223.

[Colin Coward]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

Now, now the reason how we fit it is how do you, how does it get to the street? How does a 16 year old kid got a 9 with a cop killers in it? With a switch on the back.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah, they shoot, man, they got, they carrying guns that they use to hunt elephants and lions with.

[Tony Yayo]

That's why, that's why I say that to me. When I learned, when I got out the street, I learned that this shit is all a business. Jail is a business, Rich, buying the jail. Motherfucker gotta sit there, do the jail time, right? So put theyself in jail. Cause with the technology they got now, like, let's talk about an indictment. What is an indictment? You sit there and you let a person do crimes. Well, it lock them up for the first shooting. Nah, let's let him get more shooting. Let's get more shooting, more shooting.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause you need more time on them.

[Tony Yayo]

Give him 80 years, give him 100 years. Being caught like, yo, he got 112 months in the feds. What the. Is that natural life?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

You put a hit out on somebody. Like when I did my little time in the feds, I read the fed lines, fed guidelines. And that was like, damn. Selling the feds fake bricks. It might not even be real work. It might be sugar. And you still getting charged for them bricks.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah. So you came out better selling than real.

[Tony Yayo]

If you call a hit. Yo, I wanna get this killed, man. I get a motherfucker from LA to kill a nigga in New York. Oh, that's natural life then with the cameras. You got the license plate cameras now speed cameras. So for any criminal, you do a crime, you gonna get caught. Then you got your phone, you go do a hit.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That's the worst thing.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, you see it all the time. Motherfucker go do a hit. I wasn't there. You know how many niggas I know locked up, y' all wasn't there.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And that thing ping.

[Tony Yayo]

Let's just go to this AT&T, bro.

[Shannon Sharpe]

That thing ping.

[Tony Yayo]

It's a lose, lose situation. It is facial recognition. I be talking to Lisa Evans. I don't know if you know her from Fox 5, but that's a friend of mine. And she tells me the technologies that police have, like, yo, yo, they got. They'll take cameras off the atm, they got facial recognition, they got DNA off the clothes. Now you're gonna get caught, bro.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You mentioned in 2023 that Tory Lanez would be a target.

[Tony Yayo]

Mm.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And lo and behold, why was he not? Why was he not? Why was he in G Pop?

[Tony Yayo]

Well, when you look at it, man, with street credibility, people respect you more. Like me being Tony A. Owens in General Population. On the island, it was more respect.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Cause once, man, damn, that. Damn, that respect.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, that's. It was stupid. It was stupid on my part, I ain't gonna lie. But when you in PC, they look at it like, oh, yo, you in there with punks, dudes, pedophiles. You know, you ain't a real one, so don't wanna be in PC. It's less movement. You might not. Can't get your weed, you know, on the island, you on PC, you got police walking with you. So it's really no comfortability. And then really, it's a status thing. Cause let's keep it real. If he wouldn't be in PC, you wouldn't listen to his music. The kids ain't. They want it to be real.

[Shannon Sharpe]

So to be hard. You gonna be in there and almost lose your life.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, it was a dumb thing. General population, but it's a dumb thing. But, you know, he should have been secluded. Cause he's a star. And you the biggest target. Any rapper go to jail, you the target.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You'll make a name. Yeah, that's just like, that's like with anybody, like a serial killer. We saw with Jeffrey Dahmer and we see they can't put you in G Pop, somebody gonna make a name off you.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah. And it's terrible what happened to him. And, you know, he should have been more secluded. Even my time on the island, when they started to know who I was, they didn't wanna. They were supposed to be so called hits on me, know what I'm saying? But they didn't. They. I was leaving, so they was like, all right, we ain't gonna put them in PC, but they'll forcefully put you in there. But like Tory, they probably wanted to put him in there. And he probably was like, nah, I don't want to do that. But that's the life we live. They want you to be what your music is, you know, that's just the life we live, man. And it's. It's a point of ignorance. But I can't say, you know, I was once ignorant. You know, we was like the first rapper showing guns on mixtapes, right? And so I can't say, you know, I ain't have my part in some of this shit, but, you know, the whole thing is how you make it better, right? I'd rather see a motherfucker get on than be on the block and shoot something. Cause with New York rappers, we just got bad luck. We always get indicted or get killed before we get on, right? Casanova Pop, smoke the list, go on and on. I either get killed or get indicted ahead of time.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you see Blueface, new tattoo?

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, he got all of his face. Blue face. Yeah, he's tatted up.

[Shannon Sharpe]

You getting the tattoos while you in?

[Tony Yayo]

Nah, I think that tattoo is LA thing. More like them LA niggas put a tattoo on they forehead. New York niggas really wasn't. That's my first time seeing a tattoo on the head. I always tell a story about Suge Knight when we ran into the. I think it was 118th street, and that's the first time I seen like a. With a full blown tattoo on his forehead. New York niggas really don't do that shit right on they face like that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When did. It was probably before you. But when do we start. When do we start glorifying prison culture? When was that? Okay, when was that a badge of honor, man?

[Tony Yayo]

It's a sad thing, but I think it was just. It's just been from the, from the 80s to on. It's like graduate school and be like, yo, him and then come from jail. And we just, it's just like we was always trained to have something for him. Yeah, yo, send him 10,000. Yo, yo, give him these sneakers, yo, get him a chain. So it was like from the beginning of time, like from the 80s, just that was the thing to do every time somebody came home. And I'm not saying anybody can't make mistakes, you know what I'm saying? But I feel like a that graduated high school or college. He should get glorified too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yes.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, he should have a bag waiting for him too when he graduates. Not just the. That came from jail.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Uh huh.

[Tony Yayo]

You know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Yeah.

[Tony Yayo]

But it do come a trend though. You right, we do glorify jail. We do. And it's a up thing. Cause people, you know, when you really, really sit back and think about it. Cause jail, anybody who's in jail really don't even want to be in there. Nah. All the is doing life, natural life, man. I don't want to be in here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They would trade with the person that's on the outside. And it seemed like the person on the outside trying to do everything they to get on the inside, right.

[Tony Yayo]

Cause usually when you see like the dudes that do long bids and come home, they come home, find the lady, relax. They don't ever want to go to jail again. 20, 15. But the dudes that do like short bids, 5, 5, 5, 2, 2, 2. They always go back to jail. I don't know why it's like that, but really learn they lesson when they.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do that long, they do that long stretch.

[Tony Yayo]

Mm, no, niggas like that, they're 15, they doing the right thing. They work nonprofits, they work out, got they lady and just chill. They out the way.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I heard Fat Joe say yesterday he felt not. He didn't say it yesterday, but I heard it yesterday that he felt guilty enjoying Gunnar music because Gunnar was labeled.

[Tony Yayo]

You know, I mean, I look at it like this with Gunnar, man. Gunnar make dope music. He's one of the dopest to me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

He's Indy number one now.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, he like number one. I think he did like 80,000. I look at it like this, right? People take pleas. Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

It just looked funny. Cause it was on camera. We don't know what his lawyer told him. My lawyer done told me to take pleas before, you know what I'm saying? So that's just copping out. Like, yo, I don't want to go to trial. I'm gonna take this Plea, Right. So with the plea, he didn't know his lawyer. His lawyer just said, yo, his lawyer probably came and sell you. I'm gonna get you out today. Just take this plea. Okay, I bet. Know what I'm saying? So when he took the plea, his lawyer saying, the DA is saying, yo, this was a gang. They already felt in their mind that they was a gang. He said, yeah, he probably didn't know all that was gonna happen. He was like, yeah, I'm gonna get out of here.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

I gotta make my money, make this. At the end of the day, Thugger took a plea too.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right?

[Tony Yayo]

Is a thugger rap for that?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

The only one that didn't take a plea was one of them. Right?

[Shannon Sharpe]

Right.

[Tony Yayo]

Everybody else took a plea. It's just that he did it before Thugga, so it looked funny to the public. And then if that plea wasn't on camera, niggas wouldn't be saying that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Do you think Thug and Gunna ever reconcile?

[Tony Yayo]

I don't know. It would be dope for hip hop, but right now I think Gunna's, you know, he just dropped his last, what, two albums? So he's out that deal and he's doing perfectly fine by himself. Is Thugger a legend for Atlanta? Yes. So is Gunnar, though, right? But, you know, I think people is quick to judge. And so the only one that could judge you is God, right? So when you look at all the shit, I don't feel with him, I don't with him. His music is still dope. You can't deny dope music. I don't give a if you feel like a toe a nigga's this way or a not gangster or is a nerd if you drop dope music. Nothing defies that. Dope music's dope music. I'm not here to judge Gunna. I'm here to listen to his music. If he drops some dope music, I'm listening. I'm listening to it as well as Little Baby, as well as Future. I listen to all them, but you know what I'm saying? But dope music is dope music, bro.

[Shannon Sharpe]

If you could give some advice to Lil Durk, what would you tell him?

[Tony Yayo]

I would just tell him to hold his head. You know, it's tough when you facing federal charges. Hold your head and listen to your lawyer. It's easy to get in trouble and it's hard to get out. It is. A wise man once told me that it's easy to get in trouble. It's hard to get out. And as rappers, we being watched. Let's not act like we ain't being. You got millions of dollars. You got enough money to do whatever.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And now, Yale, they taking your lyrics and say, okay, that's real. Because they tried to use Thugger's lyrics. They tried to use Gunner's lyrics and say, see, he telling you what he did. And some, maybe some they do put.

[Tony Yayo]

They using social media as the feds. And everybody's using social media as the outlet. Like a motherfucker put up a gun and the feds would go get the serial number and yo, lock him up. That gun is stolen. They could freeze on the serial number. Do it. They using social media and lyrics now. Because in their eyes, we making it too easy. A motherfucker, y' all just killed this nigga. Da da, da, da da. They gonna use that. He just said he shot him the way the murder was.

[Shannon Sharpe]

And that wasn't publicized, so how would he.

[Tony Yayo]

Yo, he just. He just said he shot him this amount of times. He just put that in the song. Of course they gonna use that, right? The DA gonna play that shit in court.

[Shannon Sharpe]

When did it become cool to start flossing your tool? Guys used to keep that thing tuck. Not everybody wanna.

[Tony Yayo]

You right, you right.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Everybody wanna.

[Tony Yayo]

In the G Unit. We did it. We used to have them on the covers. We. You know.

[Shannon Sharpe]

But I see for a fault, for a photo op, okay, I get that. But these guys on social media waving that thing around like.

[Tony Yayo]

I think the traditional suburban kid that doesn't live that life that wakes up to lobster, you know, Like, I asked some of my friends in Long island, they'd be like, dang, my kids are arguing over lobster. You know, I think the entertainment for them is the side of a life that they would. They would know nothing about, you know? And I feel the kids to the point is like, I don't give a. I got opps. This is my life. I ever make. Cause look how many artists like Bloodhound, Little Jeff, you know about dope artist. He was about to be like the next King von. He's gone Q50. Another artist that's with him, his car just got shot up in St. Louis. Shit is real. St. Louis is cool, but I'm not going sightseeing around that mother. I'm staying in the room.

[Shannon Sharpe]

People laying folk down.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah, I'm not. LA is cool, but I'm not going sightseeing around that motherfucker la. You can go to town and a waiter could be crib or Mexican gang. Yo, Shannon in Here, he got some jewelry on. Niggas got the drop on you while you eating.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn. Cause that was definitely a thing. Cause they was running during COVID You know, people. You had to be outside. People running up on you, taking your ap. Taking your paddock. They follow you home, lay you down.

[Tony Yayo]

N. Robbed. What's the kid? Jack Dougherty. They robbed him on Rodeo with a security. These don't care.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Nah.

[Tony Yayo]

That's why I don't. I don't care to wear this.

[Shannon Sharpe]

They. They. They get the drop on and.

[Tony Yayo]

Look, it ain't safe nowhere.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No. Yeah. You know, if they want to get you, they going to come get you.

[Tony Yayo]

It ain't safe nowhere. That's why I say the hardest thing about being a celebrity or. Or being, you know, in some kind of limelight. It's a dangerous job. It's very dangerous to me.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Tell about that.

[Tony Yayo]

KAC P. Carnac is fire. You gotta give me a bottle of that.

[Shannon Sharpe]

I got you. We gonna get your address.

[Tony Yayo]

You need some more of that. But it's crazy. Shay, man.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Damn.

[Tony Yayo]

Even. And you know. Cause, you know, back in the. You know, Rodale, you like. I ain't getting Robin.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Oh, you. Oh, man, that was. Man, I remember the first time I went to Riddell and seeing all these shops, things that you. I remember the first time I ever saw Riddell.

[Tony Yayo]

Yeah.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Was Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous.

[Tony Yayo]

Robin Leach. Robin Leach.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The lifestyle of a Richard Fiber. And so I'm seeing it. And now I'm on Rodeo Drive, and I'm seeing, like, man, Tachi and Tiffany and this. And I remember the. I forget the guy's name, but he had a yellow. He had a yellow. I think it was a Rolls Royce at the time. I think it was a Bentley now, but in Bijon. And it's right out front. And me and my brother, we walking down. I'm like, man, I'm on Redale Drive and everybody. And don't nobody gotta care in the world. Women got their purse twirling around their head. Ain't worried about nothing.

[Tony Yayo]

You ain't worried about nothing. That's when Cali was fun.

[Shannon Sharpe]

Now women on Rodell Drive got their purses like this here.

[Tony Yayo]

I'm like, well, damn. Even Atlanta. Atlanta. I remember us going to Ludacris Day. Craziest thing in the world I see. I loved Atlanta. I said, man, Atlanta. I wanted to move to Atlanta. I said, man, this is the place. Beautiful women over with everywhere. The vibe was cool. Not a worry in the world. Now you go to Atlanta, go see my man, he like, yo, load the whole truck up. Nigga can't even stop at the gas station.

[Shannon Sharpe]

No, no, no. That's the most dangerous.

[Tony Yayo]

The gas station.

[Shannon Sharpe]

The most dangerous place.

[Tony Yayo]

Atlanta, yo. Atlanta is the. I've never seen a place where you hear say, yeah, man, the kids bought a U Haul and they rammed in the gun store. What? From New York? We ain't in the gun state. They rammed in the gun store, took all the guns, man. Listen, it's too crazy.

[Shannon Sharpe]

It's getting crazier.

[Tony Yayo]

It's getting crazier.

[Shannon Sharpe]

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

[Colin Coward]

This is Colin Coward from the Colin coward podcast on Fox 1. Now you can stream your favorite live sports so you can be there live for the biggest moments. That means NFL Sundays and college football games, nascar, Major League Baseball, postseason and more. With Fox one, you get it all live. Edge of your seat plays, high octane moments and that feeling like you're right there in the action. Fox one, we live for live streaming.

[Tony Yayo]

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