The $0 Networking Hack That Landed Me Shaq as a Client | DJ Irie DSH #939

Summary

Digital Social Hour Podcast Episode Summary

Episode Title: The $0 Networking Hack That Landed Me Shaq as a Client | DJ Irie DSH #939
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: DJ Irie
Release Date: December 1, 2024

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In this engaging episode of the Digital Social Hour podcast, host Sean Kelly sits down with renowned DJ Irie to delve into his remarkable journey in the music and entertainment industry. The conversation covers DJ Irie's rise to prominence, his unique networking strategies, personal growth, and his impactful collaborations with high-profile clients like Shaquille O'Neal.

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2. DJ Irie's Journey and Career

DJ Irie shares insights into how his career in the music industry took off, emphasizing the importance of being in the right places at the right times. He recounts his early experiences on the tennis tour, where he interacted with top athletes and musicians.

DJ Irie (00:46): "It's crazy how life, you know, things happen when they're supposed to happen."

He highlights a pivotal moment when he was offered opportunities by tennis legends like Roger Federer but initially declined, focusing instead on building his own path.

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3. Health and Personal Growth

A significant portion of the discussion revolves around DJ Irie's dedication to maintaining his health despite a demanding schedule. He attributes his well-being to positive lifestyle changes inspired by his wife and a reflective period during the COVID-19 pandemic.

DJ Irie (02:42): "Shout out to wifey. She's got me, right? You know, she's changed my life for the better because things weren't as healthy before."

He explains how the pandemic served as a catalyst for personal transformation, leading him to adopt healthier habits and make smarter decisions.

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4. Networking and Building Relationships

The core of the episode focuses on DJ Irie's innovative networking strategies that cost him nothing but yielded significant rewards, including landing notable clients like Shaq. He emphasizes the power of genuine relationships and being present in the right communities.

DJ Irie (08:10): "Ask."

He details how participating in various events, such as Kevin Hart's weekend in Vegas and hosting his own tennis tournaments, facilitated valuable connections within the entertainment and sports industries.

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5. Contributions to the Music and Sports Scene

DJ Irie discusses his groundbreaking role as one of the first DJs in professional sports, particularly with the Miami Heat. His collaboration with Pat Riley revolutionized the fan experience and set a precedent for other sports teams to incorporate DJs into their events.

DJ Irie (16:15): "Pretty much. And I can honestly say that [...] DJs are now a mainstay."

He shares anecdotes about mentoring Shaquille O'Neal in DJing, leading to Shaq's successful foray into the music scene as DJ Diesel.

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6. Family and Personal Life

A heartfelt segment of the conversation explores DJ Irie's dedication to his family, particularly his efforts to provide a better life for his son. He narrates the meaningful experience of gifting his son a new car, underscoring the values of hard work and financial responsibility.

DJ Irie (21:02): "I've been trying to give my son a better life than I had."

His reflections on his upbringing in a strict boarding school in Jamaica and the sacrifices his family made to support his education further illustrate his grounded perspective on success and privilege.

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7. Philanthropy and Giving Back

DJ Irie highlights his philanthropic endeavors, particularly through the Iri Foundation, which has positively impacted countless lives. Inspired by his friendship with Lonzo Ball—a player who overcame significant health challenges—he emphasizes the importance of using one's influence and resources to make a difference.

DJ Irie (34:25): "Time can make a huge difference in somebody else's life just by spending some time with them."

He recounts memorable moments, such as speaking to students alongside Lonzo Ball, which reinforced his commitment to community engagement and youth empowerment.

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8. Future Plans and Events

Looking ahead, DJ Irie outlines his upcoming projects and events, including live performances at the Roommates Podcast in New York and his niece Jamie Foxx's wedding in Los Angeles. These engagements demonstrate his continuous expansion in the entertainment industry and his dedication to both professional and personal commitments.

DJ Irie (36:41): "After this, I'm going to be going to New York. [...] Then heading out to LA for my niece Jamie Foxx's daughter Corinne getting married."

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9. Conclusion and Takeaways

The episode concludes with DJ Irie sharing valuable lessons learned throughout his career. He underscores the significance of perseverance, authentic networking, and giving back to the community. His story exemplifies how strategic, zero-cost networking can lead to extraordinary opportunities and lasting relationships.

DJ Irie (36:07): "It's what you have at the moment. [...] Maybe it can help one person."

Sean Kelly thanks DJ Irie for his inspiring insights, leaving listeners motivated to apply similar strategies in their personal and professional lives.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• DJ Irie (00:46): "It's crazy how life, you know, things happen when they're supposed to happen."
• DJ Irie (02:42): "Shout out to wifey. She's got me, right?"
• DJ Irie (08:10): "Ask."
• DJ Irie (16:15): "Pretty much. And I can honestly say that [...] DJs are now a mainstay."
• DJ Irie (21:02): "I've been trying to give my son a better life than I had."
• DJ Irie (34:25): "Time can make a huge difference in somebody else's life just by spending some time with them."
• DJ Irie (36:07): "It's what you have at the moment. [...] Maybe it can help one person."

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Key Takeaways

• Authentic Networking: Building genuine relationships without monetary investment can lead to high-profile opportunities.
• Personal Growth: Reflective periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can catalyze significant personal and professional development.
• Health and Well-being: Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is crucial, even amidst a hectic career.
• Community Engagement: Giving back and mentoring others not only benefits the community but also enriches personal fulfillment.
• Family Values: Prioritizing family and instilling strong values in the next generation is essential for long-term success and happiness.

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Listeners who are aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, or creatives will find DJ Irie's experiences and strategies particularly valuable for navigating the complexities of the digital and business landscape. His story serves as a testament to the power of perseverance, authentic connections, and giving back to the community.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Is that when you got big on tennis?

[A]

That is. It's crazy how life, you know, things happen when they're supposed to happen. Some of the biggest and best tennis players in the world, and I'm not even following what's going on, and I'm there taking it in, watching the best tennis players, and I'm just existing to a point where even, even Federer was like, hey, man, if you want to, you know, go hit, this is in Dubai. If you want to go hit, you know, I was like, I don't want to waste your time.

[B]

You have to go hit.

[A]

Yes. Damn. Yeah.

[B]

And you turn that down.

[A]

Yes. I would never turn that.

[B]

All right, guys, finally made it happen. DJ Iri, you got him in Vegas.

[A]

Yo, we're on the pod right now.

[B]

We're on the Strip.

[A]

S.K.

[B]

My hometown, man.

[A]

Man, good things come in time, right?

[B]

They do, man. You've been all over the place.

[A]

I've been moving, man. I've been moving. I see that out here now with. For Kevin Hart's weekend.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

So we did that yesterday over at Resorts World and yeah, this timing worked out great, man.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

I think if we can do it anywhere, it might as well be in your hometown.

[B]

Might as well, man. So are you the DJ for K Heart?

[A]

Well, I played one. It's a bunch of people.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, it's, it's, it's myself, Akon Ludacris. Sweetie. Brian Till. Bryson Tiller.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, yeah, it's stacked.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That's all for his show? Like, for Kevin Hart show?

[A]

Yeah, yeah, for sure, for sure. So, I mean, it started yesterday. So, you know, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, day and night. Janelle Monae, AKA DJ Johnny Jane, with me yesterday. So she did her thing. Yeah, it's. It's good.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

I think Kevin's doing his show Sunday night.

[B]

Yeah. How often are you at an event? Because I know you got re. Weekend. You got Shaq, you got Gronk.

[A]

Yeah, man, we got a lot of stuff going on, man. Like, just. Just back to. Back to back. You know, Our weekend's coming up actually tomorrow. It'll be next month. It's. It's October 9th through 12th in Miami. In Miami. In Miami. And that's going to be pretty stacked as well.

[B]

I just don't understand how you stay this healthy while going out till 3am every night.

[A]

You know what? Shout out to wifey. Shout out to wifey. She's got me, right? You know, she's changed my life for the better because things weren't as healthy before. You know what I mean? I mean, this is like. This is not, like, anecdotally. I mean, like, this is. This is empirical. Like my. I got my blood work done about a couple weeks ago.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And the numbers speak for themselves. Like, everything's going in the right trajectory, so I'm very appreciative of that. Naomi. J. Appreciate you.

[B]

I love that, man. I love that.

[A]

Getting your boy, right?

[B]

No, that's incredible, because you some. You see some people in the nightlife space, and they look like they've aged, like, 10, 20 years.

[A]

Oh, no, for sure, for sure. And I think for me. Well, you know what's funny, too, is that, you know, pre Covid, right? I'm talking, you know, 20, 16, 17, 18, you know, 19. When I tell you I was probably, like, in a death spiral. Whoa. Seriously, I. I can. I can honestly say that I was not taking care of myself at all, right? And you want to burn the candles on both ends, you know, And I'm sure I was literally taking years off my life, you know? And then Covid hit. And here's the thing. I know for a fact, you know, some families got just devastated, you know, between losing loved ones, loss of income. I mean, you name it, right? You know, people being very, very sick. For me personally, it was one of the best things ever happened to me because it took me out of that spiral, Right? It took me, you know, having to have everything stripped away to be able to have that experience of, like, just sitting my ass down. Right? Just sitting down and being like, okay, well, you know what? There's nothing else to do but let me go for a run.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, let me start eating better, you know, spending more time with the family. You name all these things, having those experiences, because I just didn't have it, you know, was like, no, I. I want this, right? I don't want to let this go, you know, and then that's when, you know, better decisions started to come out of that.

[B]

Interesting.

[A]

So it was good.

[B]

So Covid forced you to kind of reflect on yourself?

[A]

Yes, yes. In a very, very positive way.

[B]

Nice. Is that when you got big on tennis?

[A]

That is so. You know what his thing about it? I was, I was. I was. It's crazy how life, you know, things happen when they're supposed to happen. Because I was on this tennis tour called IPTO. This is back in 20, like 16, 17, right? And I was on tour with like, Nick Kyrgios, Serena Williams, Roger Federer, some of the biggest and best tennis players in the world, right? And I'm not even following what's going on because I'm. I'm the DJ for the tour, right? And someone has to go in my ear and be like, okay, play now. Because I didn't even know when the point was over, right? I didn't know when the set was over, when the game was over, you know, And I'm there taking it in, watching the best tennis players. And then I'm just existing, you know. Future you faces some big expectations. Work out more, go to bed earlier, and most importantly, make smart money decisions. Thankfully, today you has bank of America one place with tools and guidance to help balance tasks from budgeting to saving. So you can just be you with big plans. Do more with the bank that asks, what would you like the power to do? Explore our tips and [e-mail] futureu shop blinds.com Cyber Monday sales event.

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[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

If you want to go hit, you know, here. And I was like, I don't want to waste your time.

[B]

Federer hit you up to go hit?

[A]

Yes. Damn. Yeah, man.

[B]

And you turn that down?

[A]

Yes, I would never turn that down. I mean, because I just, I just, you know, I had no interest whatsoever.

[B]

Oh, you weren't playing at the time.

[A]

I would know. Not at all.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

This is like this, like, 20, like. Like. Like 16, 17, right. And I had no interest whatsoever. It wasn't until a buddy of mine bought Prince, right? You know, the bracket. And I use those. Yeah. And sent me, like, a whole kit, you know what I mean? With. With the racket and the balls and all that stuff. And another friend of mine invited me to go play one day, right? And I was like, man, I'm playing with tennis. You know? There's like, wait a minute. I have all the things. I said, you know what? Let me go ahead and use this stuff, because I've been sitting in my closet, you know, for all this time. And I went out there and I was so terrible. I was. I mean, I was. I was. I was like Babe Ruth, you know, just hitting home in homers. I was so bad. Like, we had to leave because we ran out of balls. I kept hitting him into the water. I was like, all right, let's go home. And I felt like, you know what? I got to do better than this, you know? And that's when I decided, okay, I'm going to work at it at least, like, you know, be, like, decent, you know, getting on the court. And then I just got hooked, man. I play every day.

[B]

You play every day?

[A]

Every single day.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Like, two, three hours a day. Sometimes twice a day. Like, listen, you know how to get me to play tennis?

[B]

How?

[A]

Ask.

[B]

That's it.

[A]

That's it.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

Now all you gotta do is ask. The answer is yes, you know?

[B]

I love it, dude. So tennis over pickleball.

[A]

Who? What? What? Who. What is that?

[B]

That's a rare opinion these days.

[A]

Listen, nothing against, you know, people that play pickleball, but there's nothing like the workout you get with tennis.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, in my opinion. And it's like, you know, I go out there and I track it on my watch, and I'm hitting 1900 calories, dude. Which is insane. Yeah, like insane. You never can do that playing pickleball.

[B]

Hell, no.

[A]

This is not gonna happen.

[B]

So do you play, like, the ratings, or do you just play casually?

[A]

I play. I play casually, but I'm starting to get into tournaments. Actually, I'm hosting my own tournament over the weekend. Matter of fact, I usually do a big pool party in concert on Saturday. And I was like, you know what? Scratch that. I'm doing a tennis tournament. So now it's golf on Friday and tennis on Saturday, and I play in it.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Of course, you know, so last year was the first one. This should be the second one. And. Yeah, I take it serious, man. Let's go, I think. Yeah. Come on. Anytime.

[B]

Let's do it, baby.

[A]

Just ask.

[B]

All right. Who wins the golf one usually at your event?

[A]

You know what? The 11 team. The 11 team. The guy named. So it's. It's. Well, Jeremy spun, who's not officially with 11, but, like, he plays on their team. And what's my. Zach. Zach. Zach Booch.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Zach is a beast. So Zach, Jeremy, and they have, like, two other, like, scratch golfers that are on their team, and they crush it every year, man.

[B]

Oh, so you allow, like, pros to compete?

[A]

Well, I mean, they're not like, pros pros, but they're really, really good. They're really good, man. It's probably not fair. They're really good. They probably could join the tour, but they're. They're. They're super, super good. They crush it every year, man.

[B]

Oh, yeah, dude. And you've been having this IR weekend for how long now?

[A]

This year's year, number 18.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

Isn't that crazy?

[B]

Dude, dude, that's insane.

[A]

18, it's. And it's been a. It's been a grind, man, but it's a blessing that we. It's been a huge success. Every year gets bigger and better every year. I mean, this year I'm doing it on a cruise ship.

[B]

What?

[A]

It's kicking off on a cruise ship? Yeah. So our friends from Princess Cruises, they gave us their brand new Sun Princess ship. And it's serendipitous because I did the launch of the ship in February out in Rome, right? And then we put out our save the date earlier this year, and my buddy that works for the line gets it, and he's like, yo. He calls me, he says, yo, your. Your gala, your kickoff is on the 10th. And I go, yeah. He goes, you're sure? I go, absolutely. He goes, the date won't change, right? I go, it's Columbus Day weekend. It's definitely going to be the 10th. He goes, because the Sun Princess is going to be in town on the 10th for one day only. It will never, ever be at port again for the full day, right? And we want to offer it to you to do your event. What about, like, come on.

[B]

Destiny, right?

[A]

Just the one day out of 365. The one day. And it lines up. And I was like, all right, let's do it big. And that's when we just. We committed.

[B]

You got the whole Ship.

[A]

Got the whole ship.

[B]

Holy crap.

[A]

And I was like, holy shit crazy.

[B]

You know, how many does it fit?

[A]

Well, we're gonna have. We're gonna have about 1500 people on there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then because they have their debut event as well, so they probably have another 800 or so. So we'll have our own spaces to do our stuff.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

There gets. And we'll all converge a Melito deck. I have Ryan Reynolds here for I.

[B]

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[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[B]

I mean, honestly, when I started this.

[A]

I thought, I only have to do.

[B]

Like four of these. I mean, it's unlimited to Premium Wireless.

[A]

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[B]

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[A]

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[B]

Wow.

[A]

To kind of like close out the night. So everybody will be on the LEO deck for that and it'll be awesome.

[B]

That's legendary.

[A]

Yeah, man. It's going to be good.

[B]

How's the Miami Heat stuff doing these days?

[A]

The heat, the heat, the heat. Heating up. The heat are heating up.

[B]

They're looking good. They're looking good.

[A]

They're looking good. They're looking good. It's crazy because, you know, thinking about, I mean, they've really, really been one of the more, you know, consistent and successful teams, you know, over the last decade.

[B]

I would put the spurs first in the Heat second.

[A]

I agree, I agree. So you really, really follow basketball?

[B]

I do.

[A]

You do, yeah. It's been amazing. I mean, even 2020, like, who would have thought that we would have ended up, you know, in the finals, you know, in the bubble. Yeah, right. And then, you know, a couple years later, back again. Like, it's crazy, dude. It's crazy. With completely different lineup, you know, so.

[B]

That shows to the culture, though.

[A]

It does, it does, it does. And you know what? When you have an owner like Mickey Harrison, that's all in. Right. That's all in on whatever it takes to win. Right. And then you add that with the insight and the discipline of someone like Coach Riley. I mean, that is a winning combination.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, and that's where it starts. You know, and then it kind of flows from there. So, yeah, I think, I think big things. I mean, this season this season, you know, we'll see. We'll see. Because competition is.

[B]

Celtics are nice.

[A]

Celtics, yo. Like.

[B]

And they're going to be pissed after what happened with Tatum and Jalen at the Olympics.

[A]

They are, they are. You saw the kid in Miami, I was like, really? Of all the places, hey, go to Vegas, you know.

[B]

Yeah. They got a chip on their shoulder.

[A]

They do, they do, they do. But we. We'll see. We'll see. We'll be ready.

[B]

I love it, man. And they were the first organization to hire dj, right?

[A]

Of the Heat.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, man. Yeah. Not just in. In. In basketball, but in professional sports.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Whoa.

[A]

Because I was trying to figure out what the deal was, you know, when. When I sat down and met with them, I was like, damn. Okay. You know, it sounds like a great opportunity, right? But I mean, how is this being done, you know, in. In Chicago or in la, you know, in New York? And I asked these questions and said, hey, you know, we looked into that. They're not doing it, right? Like, okay, what about, like, in the NFL, right? Or Major League Baseball? Like, we looked into that, too. No one's doing it. And I was like, all right, let me go ahead and screw this up for everybody, you know, so you were.

[B]

The test on me.

[A]

I really was. I was. But it was. It was so cool because that's what made me say yes. I actually. I initially said no.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know, when, like, keeping it real goes wrong, that was the situation. I almost kept it so real that it was a bad decision because I was doing. At that time, I had, like, the number one mix show on the hip hop station.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

99 JAMS in Miami. Right. And all my clubs, I was playing, like, you know, hip hop and reggae, and people were coming to see me. You know, it's my name on the marquee, right. And I was doing what I do. I would have to do something completely different and off brand at the time, you know, to be able to, you know, change my style for the. For the arena, right? And I was like, you know, these season ticket holders aren't the people that are coming to my parties, you know, and probably not listen to my radio show, right? So I was like, no way. And then. And then when they told me, hey, you know what? This has never been done before, and I was like, you know what? I can make this mine. You know, I can do this my way and I can figure it out. And either I'd be the first to make it successful or still be the first to try. It and screw it up, but I'll be the first. I love it, man. So that's what made me say yes and thank God we would make it successful.

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Three rings later, you know, listen, I would never have even seen an NBA ring. Have you seen me dribble? You don't want to see that. It's ugly. You know what I mean?

[B]

And now every team has dj, right?

[A]

Pretty much.

[B]

Crazy proliferate. You've revolutionized the whole professional sports.

[A]

Yeah, I can. I can honestly say that. And that's. That's the biggest blessing of it all, you know, for, you know, DJs, very talented DJs to now have a new lane, you know, for revenue and new opportunities that really wasn't on the table before, you know, the very first year, I remember the first year, the first full year full season that I was, you know, in that post for the Heat, I got a call, you know, from the league and they're like, hey, you know what? They do this meeting every year called best practices, you know, and they go through and every team kind of submits, you know, what they're doing new. That's really working. And for the Heat, they submitted me, you know, like, hey, we have this dj and he's great, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then other teams start calling, you know, like, hey, you know, what are you doing? How are you doing it? You know, and I was like, let me tell you, you know, and I actually helped some teams get their DJs. And. Yeah, it's just. It's just really, really awesome. Like, it's. It's now it's. It's a mainstay. Nice. And when I'm out at the Heat, though, there'll always, always be a DJ at the Miami. And I think there'll always be a DJ at most of the teams now going forward.

[B]

I love it.

[A]

Dude, that's awesome.

[B]

Do you travel with the team or do you just do home games?

[A]

Only at home.

[B]

Got it.

[A]

Only at home.

[B]

Got it. Because they have their own DJs when you travel, I guess.

[A]

Correct.

[B]

That makes sense. You built a bond with some of the players, right?

[A]

Of course. Yeah. I mean, it's really cool because not only do you build a bond with them, you end up being a part of some of the most important moments in their life, you know, like I did you Donna's Haslam's wedding.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Right? Chris. Chris Bosh. What's my man from? Karan Butler. Right. You know, I did, you know, Shaq's kids birthday parties, you know, and you start to really, you know, get intertwined in their lives, you know, all because of this, you know, music post that you have, you know, And I remember when. When Shaq first came to Miami, I'd known him before, right? You know, we were cool. We were friendly. But then when he came to Miami, one of the first thing he did was, was pull me aside and he goes, yo, I want to start DJing. I was like, what? He's like, yeah, let's make some mixtapes together. I was like, all right, well, let's get you DJing first. And I would go to his house on Starlight, and he built out a studio in the house. Yeah, right. And I'd go over there, like, after games, even when he was at an away game. He'd get back at, like, 2 in the morning. Hit me up, yo. You up? Yeah, I'm on the way. Wow. Yeah. And would put in, like, you know, two, three hours of work, you know.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

And he got nicer. And today he's DJ Diesel.

[B]

Yeah, he's at the Win now, right?

[A]

Yeah, yeah. He's crushing when he's doing. He's doing, you know, festivals all over the world. Like, I mean, he's. He's legit. But the difference between, you know, Shaq and other quote, unquote, celebrity DJs, whatever, the guy freaking loves it, obsessed with it, and he really and truly put in the work.

[B]

Right.

[A]

You know, and he has the talent, you know, so it was. It was really cool to. To be there at the beginning and work with him. And being at the heat, you know, is what opened up that.

[B]

Yeah, that's cool to hear, because I thought he didn't start that till after he retired, but he was starting before.

[A]

Oh, yeah, for sure, for sure. Actually, if you go online and research it, we have, like, a series of, like, four or five mixtapes that we did. Wow. Yeah. Like, like, called the season opener, the All Star Edition, you know, so all tied back into basketball. But we were out, like, you know, getting exclusives from, like, Slim Thug and Young Jock and, you know. You know, it was really cool. It was really cool.

[B]

He's always been into music.

[A]

Always, man. I mean, the guy has a. Either gold or platinum record, right?

[B]

I saw that hit. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, man, if you don't understand, like, like, like Shaq legit.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Shaq does this music thing. Like, he really does it.

[B]

Yeah, he's talented. Is this something you want to teach your kids? Hand this off to them.

[A]

You know what? So my son, he's a trip Because I've obviously wanted to share this with him, you know, from, like, he started to understand music. Yeah. You know, and he does love music, right? But I had a whole studio set up in my place, right? The turntables, like, everything was all set up, you know, really, really nice system. And I would show him, you know, hey, man, this is how it works. And he was never interested, right? And then we decided to remodel the house, right? So we had to take everything apart, take everything out. And this was just over a year ago, right? The second I take the studio, he's like, hey, dad, you know what? I think I want to really learn how to dj. I was like, your timing is incredible, dude. Like, seriously, this thing has been there for 16 years and like the month after it goes apart, he wants to learn.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

So, you know, when everything gets back, you know, up and going again, I'll try to teach him, but he'll be in college, so. Damn the timing, you know, he didn't.

[B]

Know until he lost.

[A]

Timing isn't his strong suit.

[B]

Right. That's funny, man. I saw you got him a car for his 18th.

[A]

I did, I did, man. And wow. It's just, it was really a moment, obviously a moment for both of us, you know, but, you know, my thing, my thing is I work hard to try to give my son a better life than I had. Right. And my parents worked very, very hard to give me a better life than they had. Right, Right. And you know, for me, you know, I grew up not wanting for everything, for anything. Right. I didn't have every single, you know, amenity and luxury, you know. Yeah. And I didn't always get what I wanted, but I had everything I needed, you know, and my situation was one of, you know, I have an older brother, so a lot of hand me downs. Right. Didn't get a lot of things new. Right. So I got, you know, a second or probably third hand car. Yeah. Right. And, you know, for me to be able to begin to give him a new car, you know?

[B]

Right.

[A]

And say, hey, man, this is this, this is you. You deserve it. You've earned it. You know, you've been a really good kid. You're working really hard in school is amazing, you know, And I keep instilling in him like, you know, the things that you do get, it's not because, you know, your dad's able to just give you, you know, whatever you want, right. You've earned it, you know? You know, he's earned these things and I want him to understand that his kids should also earn these things and work hard to be in a position to be able to, you know, give your kids a better life.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So try to, you know, shed light and make a lesson out of. Out of, you know, almost everything.

[B]

What a special moment. I saw the video. You two were both very emotional.

[A]

Yeah, man, it was really cool. And the setup was even better because he used my car the night before. Yeah, right. And he's. He's a good driver, but sometimes walls get in the way. You know, they're pesky. They keep just jumping out there, you.

[B]

Know, he said a few walls, so.

[A]

Yeah, so he actually. He actually got a. Tore up the door on my girlfriend's car for a girlfriend. So. Yeah. So he used my car the night before. And I was like, dude, you scratched my car. He was like, what? I go, yeah, man. Like, matter of fact, come downstairs, I gotta show you. Right? So if you really listen to the video after, he's like, oh, my God, it's so great. He's like, so I didn't scratch the car. I was like, nah, man, you're good.

[B]

You know, the timing on that's immaculate. He thought he was getting punished.

[A]

He thought he was in big trouble. The whole time he's like holding his head. He's like, man, how does this keep happening to me?

[B]

Yeah, it's tough raising kids growing up in the spotlight and money, you know.

[A]

It is, man.

[B]

It is, because they get influenced by their friend group. So.

[A]

Yeah, it is. It really is. But, man, he just got a really, really good head on his shoulders.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

You know, I knew. I knew I was going to be okay with him when this is years ago. We were out and we're shopping for some stuff from you go back to school. And there's these shoes that he really likes, and we going to go get him the shoes. And he didn't realize how much they were. Right. And I didn't really have an issue with it. They were. They were expensive, but I didn't really have an issue with it. And he was like, no, this is way too much. Freshman shoes I'm just going to wear to school.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I was like, you're right. This is a test.

[B]

Nice.

[A]

I was like, you passed. I was like, God damn. But, but, but he's conscious about these things, you know? And I was like, wow. Like, he understands the power of a dollar. He understands that money doesn't just, you know, grow off trees. Right. And that's important. That's important. Especially, you know, in the. In the, in the circles that. That he's in, you know. You know, he has friends that, you know, their families are very well off, and it's not really a thing for them to have something, you know, super exclusive or luxurious. Yeah. And he appreciates being around that. But he understands the value of a dollar.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and doesn't take that for granted.

[B]

I love that. Yeah. Sounds pretty disciplined. I think he gets it from you, man.

[A]

Yeah. Well, I hope so, because I definitely understand it. Yeah.

[B]

Have you always been that way?

[A]

I have. I have. And I got it from my family. You know, my. Listen, my. My parents, they worked extremely, extremely hard. You're right. And I can honestly say that most of what they worked for went to us. You know, we went to the best private school in Jamaica.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know.

[B]

Oh, you grew up in Jamaica.

[A]

So my family moved to. So obviously my whole family's in Jamaica. Yeah. If anyone pick up on the iri thing, you make the connection now. Right. So. So my whole family's from. From Jamaica. I'm actually the only one that wasn't born there.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

Right. I was born in the virgin islands, so my mom was a nurse, and she. There was a shortage of nurses in the mainland and U. S. Territories, so they were offering. The hospitals are offering, like. Like a lot of money to get, you know, nurses from the Caribbean, other places to come over. So she got a great offer for the Virgin Islands. I popped out. Right. Then they moved to. Got a better offer in California. We all moved there. Better offer in Texas, Galveston. And then they moved to Miami to be closer to Jamaica. Right. So they go back and forth. So I did elementary school, all that in. In. In Miami.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And then middle school, you know, early high school is when they sent me to boarding school in Jamaica. And it was one of the elite boarding schools there.

[B]

So it was strict.

[A]

It was strict. But it was also really expensive. Yeah. Right. And it's funny because I'm there and the kids that I'm there with, you know, you know, this person's dad is the CEO of, you know, the sugar cane company, and this person dad is the CEO of the aluminum, a bauxite company. It's a big thing down there. And like. Like just really, really, really, you know, huge families, you know, And I'm like, what the hell am I doing here? Right. And they worked really hard, you know, to give me that opportunity, you know. And, you know, the more I started to understand the sacrifices that they made because what they were paying for, in terms of what they were paying For. In terms of the tuition. Yeah. They could have bought, you know, many luxury cars.

[B]

Oh, it's that expensive?

[A]

It was really expensive. You know, matter of fact, my. My. My bunk mate was a guy named Sean Enriquez. Right. And his family was a major family. They were into banking and bottling.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And he was also a music guy. He. Today, people know him as Sean Paul.

[B]

Wow. That was your bunk mate?

[A]

That was my bunk mate.

[B]

Crazy.

[A]

Yeah, right?

[B]

What are the odds of that?

[A]

No, the school was crazy, man. It was. It was nuts. It was nuts. So understanding that they. They forfeited having a lot of different things that they could have had, you know, terms of luxuries and amenities and vacations and all these things they did without that, you know, and sacrifice for us. Yeah. You know, so, you know, seeing that. That. That's something that I will never, ever, ever forget. And it's. It's probably helped, you know, kind of dictate, you know, how I view money, you know, and. And. And have a profound respect for it. And a pro. Respect. A profound respect for sacrifice.

[B]

Yeah. I could see why Pat Riley likes you, man.

[A]

Oh, yeah.

[B]

You fit the system.

[A]

Yeah. Right. Because you. I'm all good with it, man. I get it.

[B]

You've seen people come and go there.

[A]

I have. You better believe I have. Speaking of Pat. And this is. This is funny too, because here I am. Think I'm doing a great job at the Heat. This is probably the first. Within the first five years that I was there.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, I'm rocking. I'm doing my thing. I'm pumping the crowd up, you know, And I forgot how. Oh, it was when. When. When Coach Riley was getting accepted into the Naismith hall of Fame.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. Right before. Right when it was announced, I was like, man, this is great. Coach is being, you know, like. Like, this is awesome. Right? We're all super happy. So probably one of the Knicks games before he actually had the ceremony when they. When they announced that he was. He was going to make it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He comes over to me in my DJ booth. He never comes over there ever. Okay? And I'm like, the hell's going on? Like, he's definitely walking this way, you.

[B]

Know, am I getting fired or not?

[A]

Like, what is going on? He comes over to my booth and he's like, hey, dj. And we. We know each other already, you know, because I did his daughter's wedding and did his daughter's graduation, you know, and he comes over and he goes, dude, I got. I gotta. I gotta tell you something. And I go, what's up, coach? You know, I'm like, I'm not gonna suit up today, you know? So he was like, I gotta be honest with you, man. You know, when you first got here, I thought you were terrible. Wow. I'm like, wait a. This is gonna be the best pep talk ever. Right? He's like, I thought. I thought you were terrible. I thought you were just annoying and just loud. And I was like, I get the loud part, right? And he goes. He goes. I didn't. I didn't get it, because I didn't get it at first, you know? And as time went on, I understood that what you do really brings a different dynamic to this building, you know, and to the fans, you know? And I understand now why the fans love you, understand, you know, how important it is to have you here.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Right. And it would be my honor if you'd come out and perform at my party.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know, and I was like, didn't see that coming the way it started. It was rough, you know, but it's crazy, you know, he laid it out, you know, he's like, man, I really didn't get it, you know, because, you know, Pat. Pat's a great guy, but his taste in music is. His taste in music. Okay. It's not necessarily a lot of stuff I play.

[B]

Different generation.

[A]

It's a different generation, but he's got a great taste in music. I mean, impeccable taste in music, but it's just a little different than the stuff that I play, you know, at the games. And. But for him to share that with me and then give me that honor, you know, was just really. Really.

[B]

Yeah. That's profound, man.

[A]

Yeah, He's. He's. He's. He's. He's the best of the best.

[B]

You got to love how blunt he is.

[A]

Yeah. For real. I respect it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I respect.

[B]

I'd rather be told that than have someone talk, you know?

[A]

You know what you're dealing with.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, the cards you're being dealt, you know, And I'll take that any day.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Any day.

[B]

What are some other lessons you learned from some of the players there? Any big takeaways from, like, D. Wade or something?

[A]

All of them. But probably most profoundly would be Alonzo. Morning.

[B]

Alonzo.

[A]

Alonzo. Alonzo has helped shape my career. He's helped shape the person that I am, my outlook on life. Wow. And. Yeah. Yeah. And. And. And. And. And probably most of all, what it means to. What. What. What community means. Right. And, man, I'm probably gonna get a teary eyed on this man, because I got very close to the Lonzo very early, right as soon as I started. He's one of the first guys to really embrace me, you know, and he would have his Zo McGroove, right? And he would always have me out, you know, DJing the events. And that's what really helped expose me to other players, you know, like, yo, that guy is nice, you know, And I started traveling and doing. Doing events for other players because he put me in that situation, you know. But even more importantly than that was, you know, we started like hanging out, like, doing social stuff together. And then he got sick, right? And when he got sick, it was really crazy because I thought he would never be able to play again.

[B]

Wow. It's not bad.

[A]

It was that bad. Oh, yeah, yeah. He'll. He listen. He wrote a book called Resilience and he really lays it out in there.

[B]

If you guys, I didn't even know about this.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So. So he had to have a whole. I believe it was a kidney transplant, if I'm mistaken. Yeah, yeah, it was. It was really, really serious. Really serious. He wasn't even supposed to be able to come back and play again, you know, so, you know, seeing him go through everything he went through and fight back to a position not only where he was able to play again, but win a championship.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Just unbelievable. Unbelievable. You know, and then the reason why every weekend exists is because of Alonzo Morning.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know, I actually, the parties are the parties in terms of his weekend. But he invited me to come with him to speak to some kids at school, right? And I went with him and he was like, he's like, you know what? The kids would love if you came out and did some music for them. And I'm like, yeah, for sure. You know, and when I went out there, not only did I listen to him, you know, give his remarks to the kids, you know, and these kids were like mesmerized because they're like, wow, Alonzo Morning came to our school, you know, And Alonzo was the biggest thing in Miami, you know what I mean? And, you know, for him to do that, it was really impactful, like, and I saw it on these kids faces, you know, And I even asked one of these kids, you know, like, hey, man, what was today like for you? You know, and the young man, and he was like, you know what? I have to do better. He's like, I have to do better. I need to make my parents Proud. I want to make Alonzo proud. Like this kid was saying that to me.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

And I was like, man, just him taking that time. He's supposed to be there for, I believe it was 30 minutes total. He stayed there for an hour and a half.

[B]

Damn.

[A]

Answering every single question. Like there was no more questions, to be honest. He answered every single question. You know, even his hand was like, yo, we gotta go. He was like, no, there's another question, you know, and just seeing that was just so motivating, you know, And I was like, wow. You know what? People can make a difference, you know.

[B]

Right.

[A]

It can be, you know, time, resources, whatever you have, you have to, you have to just use what you have. You know, if you have resources, great. But it could just be time. Time can make a huge difference in somebody else's life just by spending some time with them.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, and, and giving them your focus, you know, and my outlook before that was. Yeah, I was always down to help. Like, you know, when Dan Marino called me to do something, or Shaq or Jason Taylor, whatever, I was always down. Right. But I never thought, like, I mean, they're, they're stars, right? Like they're, they're, they're, they're wealthy and they're, they're big celebrities and, you know, they're all these things so they can do that. You know, I'm just DJ Iri, you know, and. But being in that situation changed that out. Like, no, I'm DJ Iri.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Right. I can do what I can do. Right. I'm going to reach out to my network. I'm going to, you know, I'm going to, I'm going to pound the phones and I'm going to do all the things that I know I can do within my power to make a difference, you know, and that's why I did what I did.

[B]

Dude, that's an incredible story, man.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And look at it now, 18 years later. You probably saved thousands of lives.

[A]

Of course, you know, we've raised millions. We've changed and touched so many youngsters lives. Like it's unbelievable. Unbelievable. I get emails sometimes out of the blue. Hey, you know, I'm such and such. I went through this program, you know, with Iri foundation or a program that we, you know, help fund or whatever. And now they're, you know, in college, about to graduate.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

You know, they just got accepted, you know, for a job interview. You know, some like this is crazy, you know, but it's a beautiful thing.

[B]

Dude, that's so inspiring. I can't wait to get to that level. I want to start a charity one day too.

[A]

Oh, you absolutely should.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And it doesn't matter. You know, what I understood, you know, from that time with Alonzo is that you might think like, okay, well, it might not be the right time. Or you might think like, okay, well, you know, I'm not, you know, I don't have enough this or enough that. It doesn't matter. It's. It's. It's. It's what you have at the moment. Because no matter how small you think it is, maybe it can help one person. You know what I mean? Maybe gonna help two people doesn't matter, but any help puts. It puts our whole humanity in a better place.

[B]

Absolutely. I love that, man. You know, Ari, what events are next for you? Where can people find you, man?

[A]

Yeah, man, we got some good stuff coming up. So obviously here right now for Kevin Hart's weekend. After this, I'm going to be going to New York. The roommates podcast, guys.

[B]

Oh, Bobby Lee.

[A]

Yeah, so they're doing a live event.

[B]

Oh, nice.

[A]

In New York. So I'm going to go and play that for those guys and then heading out to la. My niece Jamie Foxx's daughter Corinne getting married.

[B]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

So you're DJing that?

[A]

Yeah, yeah yeah, of course, man. I gotta take care of the fans. Love them. Got to take care of the fam. And then have some other stuff in LA too. Can't even remember. But yeah, we're going to be, you know, bouncing around, man. You know, all kind of good stuff coming.

[B]

Love it, dude. We'll link your stuff below. Thanks for coming on, man. That was super fun. Glad we made it happen.

[A]

SK Baby.

[B]

Let's do it. Peace, guys.