Shyne EXPOSES Diddy Fallout, Survived 10 Years In Prison, Music Comeback & Plans To Run Belize 🚨

Summary

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Podcast Summary: Earn Your Leisure

Episode: Shyne EXPOSES Diddy Fallout, Survived 10 Years In Prison, Music Comeback & Plans To Run Belize 🚨

Hosts: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings (iHeartPodcasts)
Guest: Shyne Barrow (“Sean BZ”) – rapper, former Bad Boy artist, politician
Release Date: April 9, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode features a deeply engaging interview with Shyne Barrow, the Belizean rapper-turned-politician, who candidly discusses his tumultuous journey from rap stardom and incarceration, to political struggles in Belize, and his highly anticipated music comeback. The conversation spans his fallout with Diddy (Puff Daddy), the challenges of leadership, his spiritual evolution, navigating betrayal and adversity, and his ambitions to transform Belize—both politically and economically. The hosts, Rashad and Troy, encourage an in-depth conversation, blending hip hop history, personal redemption, music business, political philosophy, and investment insights.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Shyne’s Political Upheaval and Controversy (06:43, 10:42)

• Coup Attempt and Losing His Seat:
  Shyne shares that internal betrayal within his party led to a “coup d’état attempt” that cost him his parliamentary seat in Belize:

  “People within my own political organization tried to overthrow me. It was a coup d'état attempt.” (06:45, Shyne)

• Plans to Reclaim Political Power:
  He explains the recall process in Belize, his focus on regaining the Mesopotamia seat, and his aspirations to become Prime Minister:

  “I have to get my seat back first and foremost ... Our constitution in Belize allows for a recall petition.” (14:03, Shyne)

• Perspective on Political Loss:
  Having lost more before, Shyne sees the defeat as part of a larger journey:

  “Losing a seat is not as bad as spending 10 years in captivity. Losing a seat in parliament is not as bad as being deported and not being able to return to the States … I’ve been through the worst of my life.” (17:49, Shyne)

2. Resilience, Spirituality, and Growth (16:26)

• Path to Enlightenment:
  Shyne credits his mental stability and ability to overcome setbacks to spirituality and deep reflection:

  “If it was not for religion, I don't know where I'd be. But religion has a boundary and I'm fortunate that I have evolved to a level of enlightenment … I live in a space of humanity, a space of enlightenment.” (16:26, Shyne)

• Personal Recovery:
  He details coming back to serve his community even after political loss and how he uses his setbacks to fuel his next moves—like returning to music and entrepreneurial endeavors.

3. Unfiltered Reflections on Diddy / Puff Daddy

• Reconciling and Fallout:
  Shyne describes his complex history with Diddy—publicly reconciling, later being re-triggered by recent lawsuits and revelations.

  “If you watch when me and Mase were talking, it's triggering. We both … agree that, yeah, that's something that Puff would do when he offed that pink cocaine or whatever … He’ll get to talking ... 10 years behind the wall. 13 years deported. Lost my career, lost everything.” (103:12, Shyne; see also 06:52, 99:25)

• On Being the "Fall Guy":

  “Everybody knew that I was thrown under the bus and I was the fall guy.” (06:52, Shyne)

• Forgiveness vs. Truth:

  “So when people say, well, you was on stage with him. Well, yeah, because I moved on and I recreated myself ... But then when everything is coming, the lady saying … Puff shot her … Little Rod ... That's a lot.” (104:27, Shyne)

• Prayers for All Sides:

  “I also pray for Puff. I pray that he is able to reform, rehabilitate, and ultimately have his redemption … and to make amends for the damage and the destruction that he caused.” (107:00, Shyne)

4. Music Comeback: The Next Chapter (11:21, 24:21, 43:53)

• Return to Stage & New Projects:
  Shyne is launching a world tour and working on three new albums—‘The Honorable’, ‘Rap Prime Minister’, and ‘Actual Intelligence’—with an all-star producer lineup (Dr. Dre, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, RZA, Hit-Boy, etc.).
• Creative Process & Themes:

  “Once a musician, always a musician ... I wasn’t in a space of being the best at it for vanity’s sake. I was in the state of my enlightenment ... When me and Dre made our records, that is Harvard, PhD level and beyond ... It takes a lot to make a classic album.” (24:56 & 47:09, Shyne)
  “Why can’t the conversation that we have been having for the last 45 minutes…be rapped about? … I’m definitely not going to be 19-year-old Shyne.” (50:07, Shyne)
  “The content ... that’s what people are not understanding. You don’t have to be a dope boy to make great records. … Greatness is greatness. It doesn’t matter the genre.” (53:02 & 54:21, Shyne)

• Ownership in the Music Industry:

  “I own my publishing always from the beginning ... I was very fortunate to just have an intuitive entrepreneurial spirit ... I was always a reader. I was always someone that immersed themselves in reading.” (65:31–65:55, Shyne)

5. Reflections on Hip Hop and Aging Artists (54:53–58:28)

• On Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop:
  The group debates the new acceptance of mature themes in hip-hop:

  “I vehemently disagree ... It doesn’t matter. I’m not with the ages. Throw that in the garbage ... The point that I’m making to you is what hip hop was all about was always making hits.” (55:26–55:59, Shyne)

• Authenticity and Self-Expression:

  “I'm gonna be me, who I am today ... my artistic integrity, I'm not gonna be the person trying to chase the ghosts of 19-year-old Shyne.” (58:44 & 60:53, Shyne)

6. Shyne’s Perspective on Global Issues (32:02, 39:05)

• On Israel-Palestine:
  Drawing on his time living in Jerusalem, Shyne advocates for a centrist, two-state solution:

  “My experience was I did not face any apartheid ... My position is a two-state solution as per the United Nations Charter ... I want to find a solution.” (32:16–34:53, Shyne)

• On Cuba and Democratic Values:

  “I can never and will never support dictatorships. That is a dictatorship in Cuba ... You can’t have freedom of press. You can’t criticize the president ... So how can CARICOM nations that are democratic nations not align themselves with the United States when it comes to the removal of these dictators, such as Maduro and Cuba?” (39:16–43:39, Shyne)

7. Entrepreneurship, Investments, and Belize’s Future (11:21, 111:18)

• Tourism & Real Estate Investment:
  Shyne details major projects—from luxury resorts and a Brooklyn Chop House in Belize, to broader ambitions to lift the country’s economic status:

  “I want to develop … more for consumption of the tourists. I want to create a Hilux river experience, jungle experience, Hilux beach experience ... I’m finalizing several partnerships to do the same thing.” (111:18–113:09, Shyne)

• Commitment to Belize:

  “Unquestionably Belize. It will always be Belize first ... I am me in totality because Belize birthed me, and Belize is my everything.” (117:07, Shyne)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Betrayal and Legacy

• “The price of admission is excruciating pain and suffering … But listen, losing a seat is not as bad as spending 10 years in captivity.” (17:49, Shyne)

On Evolving from Pain

• “...when Little Rod says that Puff says that he shot up the club and he made Sean take the fall, that struck a nerve… 10 years behind the wall, 13 years deported, lost my career, lost everything.” (103:12, Shyne)

On Comeback and Celebration

• “This is a celebration of triumph, of resilience, of old po, new po. … People that love me … they've grown up too. … That’s what this is going to be, a worldwide celebration starting in Brooklyn, of the legacy of Shyne.” (107:18, 108:45, Shyne)

On Artistic Integrity

• “I’m not going to be the art police ... I’m going to be me, who I am today.” (58:22, Shyne)

On Hip Hop’s Purpose

• “All I'm saying is Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Jay Z, Big, NWA ... They all have in common that they made classics, they made incredible hit records.” (54:21, Shyne)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Timestamp | Segment / Topic | |-----------|----------------------------------------------------| | 06:43 | Political betrayal, coup attempt, losing seat | | 10:42 | Shyne’s post-politics business ventures | | 14:03 | Explanation of Belize’s recall and parliamentary process| | 16:26 | Spirituality, enlightenment, and resilience | | 24:21 | Early music comeback reflections | | 43:53 | Details on new album projects, producer roster | | 47:09 | Creative process, Thriller-album mentality | | 50:07 | Modern themes in Shyne's new music | | 54:21 | Greatness in music, genre comparisons | | 65:31 | Music business, owning publishing and masters | | 99:25 | Fallout and complex relationship with Diddy | | 103:12 | Emotional trigger from recent lawsuit allegations | | 107:18 | Emotional meaning of Brooklyn return & world tour | | 111:18 | Belizean economic vision, real estate, J Prince | | 117:07 | Identity: Belize vs Brooklyn vs global citizen |

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Tone & Language

The conversation is honest, reflective, and intellectually driven. Shyne’s tone is deeply philosophical, mixing street wisdom, business acumen, and spiritual insight. The hosts maintain an atmosphere of respect, brotherhood, and open curiosity—keeping it relatable for both hip-hop heads and new listeners.

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Conclusion

This episode offers a remarkable arc of adversity, accountability, and vision—as Shyne reveals hard truths about the music industry, hustling for self-ownership, public betrayal, and the power of personal reinvention. It is a lesson in resilience and transformation, with Shyne poised to celebrate his legacy not just musically, but as a leader intent on elevating his nation. The blend of music, business, politics, and honest testimony make this a must-listen for fans of hip hop, entrepreneurship, and comeback stories alike.

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For tickets to Shyne’s Brooklyn show & updates:
Follow @shyne_bz on Instagram.

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Transcript

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

She was stolen.

[Host]

What happened? What does that mean?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

People within my own political organization tried to overthrow me. It was a coup d' etat attempt.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

What does this moment feel like for you?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Man, if it was not for religion, I don't know where I'd be. Losing a seat is not as bad as spending 10 years in captivity. When Puff says that he shot up the club and he made Sean take the fall, that struck a nerve. 10 years behind the wall. 13 years deported. Lost my career, lost everything. Everybody knew that I was thrown under the bus and I was the fall guy.

[Host]

Let's talk about the journey.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I wasn't in infatuated. I wasn't smitten. It's not like, oh, you know Puff. It was like, no, I could be Puff. And yeah, that sounds great, but I was 18, 19, and the beat was over here and I was over there. Bottles and bottles of Cristal everywhere I go now. When I got into the studio, the music wasn't sounding the way it was supposed to sound. I was being a superstar, but not putting in superstar work. When she told Me? You're nobody. Like you haven't sold one record. Nothing devastated me more than that.

[Host]

What do you rap about now?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You don't have to be a dope boy to make great records. Greatness is greatness. It doesn't matter the genre.

[Host]

All right, guys?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Nah, that's not how I wanna start.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Dear America, I'm only what you made me.

[Host]

That's a fact. Man, we got our good friend, the good brother Sean in the building, man. It seems like just yesterday we got introduced and we did Art Baseline. Shout out to Steve O.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Just telling somebody about that year. Respect to Steve O. December 2021.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yes.

[Host]

Yes.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

When you guys were just, you know, emerging and, you know, young superstars in the making with the vision of everything that you have today. But, yeah, we did the Art Basel. Eyl on the couch. I had all the art, the artwork.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yep.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I brought a bunch of paintings from some of the most promising artists. Le. And yeah, we did the exclusive. Sit down.

[Host]

That's a fact.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I wasn't in Miami.

[Host]

That's a fact. And then ever since then, man, we've been locked in.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yes, yes, absolutely. We've been locked in Atlanta to support you guys.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We spent three days with us.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We had the. The Nobu dinner. Yes.

[Host]

No food dinner.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yo, you was outside with us.

[Host]

You was in the club. You was in the club with us.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I don't remember that. It's Women's Month, and so you guys always have. You know, your female supporters are top tier. I mean, some of the most extraordinary women. Diplomatic support.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yo, this guy's a real diplomat.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, I'm just telling you.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's true.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, and the ratio, you know the ratio, my brother, is Lenny S. Right? Shout out to Lenny S. Everybody has a more incredible ratio than Lenny S. But you guys come close.

[Host]

I appreciate it. I appreciate it, my brother. So, man, so much has happened since then. I know we got the show coming up.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Maybe second. Brooklyn. Newton.

[Host]

Brooklyn.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We showing up King's Theater. So it's gonna be my hype man right here.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Oh, you already know.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Set it up.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

When they dropped to join the club, I was like, you want me to

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

do it or you?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

He was like, nah, I got it.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We're gonna be my hype man.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We ready to go.

[Host]

We gonna do it. So first and foremost, thank you for joining us, brother.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

It's a pleasure to be here. From Belize. Paradise. Belize. I've been traveling the last couple of weeks. Just came from Las Vegas. I was working with Dr. Dre, and then I went to see Mason Can.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah, we heard about that.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Shook the room. Shook the room with that one.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I mean, just catching up with my.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

You said sitting up in my room, what'd you say?

[Host]

I said, he shook the room.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

All right, right, right. I get that. That was a good one.

[Host]

So. So what we been up to, man? I know. All right, let's talk about the journey. Because when we met you, you was in politics.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I'm still in politics. To the people of Mesopotamia and serving the people of Belize and hopefully one day becoming the Prime Minister of Belize. But unfortunately, a year ago, a few days ago, makes a year. March 12, I lost my seat in the House of Representatives. I maintain my seat was stolen. A lot of fraud took place. So since then I have been focused on private sector investments in Belize, doing resorts, doing a Brooklyn chop house in Belize with my guy Dom.

[Host]

Oh, yeah, yes, that's coming.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Absolutely. And some real estate developments for like a marine community vacation, community beach community. But more important than that, I would even say, because the platform to drive the traffic to consume that for me, is going to be returning to the stage May 2, King's Theater, Brooklyn, New York, to launch my world tour, which will begin here in the United States, and then we'll go to Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Caribbean. Yeah. And as well, I had, when I put out the documentary the Honorable Shine on Hulu, I had mentioned that I wanted to put out new music that I wanted to attach albums to to the film projects, but I never had the opportunity because of my occupation in Parliament. And I wasn't just a member of Parliament, I was the opposition leader of Belize.

[Host]

So basically, so to put it in perspective, that would be like Hakeem Jeffries for people. Right. Like, you'd be like. You was like Hakeem Jeffries. So you was a pretty high ranking member in the Belizean government.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Prime Minister then myself.

[Host]

So when you say it was stolen or it was, what happened? What does that mean?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Well, we had an internal conflict where people within my own political organization tried to overthrow me. It was a coup d' etat attempt, and so I had to take them to court and get a restraining order and interim injunction. But unfortunately, the judge didn't make a determination in the case until after the elections. So the people that were trying to overthrow me were purporting to be the leader of the party, and then they were appointing candidates to run against the official candidates, and they appointed someone to run against me. And so in my constituency, the people have never voted any color but red. They've never Voted for anything party except the party that I led and the party that I was the member of parliament for. But then there was a confusion which was fraud, in my humble opinion, which, yeah, that led to it being stolen because the people were confused. They were genuinely confused. Who is the UDP candidate? Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So, so how, how does it work now? Because you said you're still in politics, obviously you, you still have ambitions to be the prime minister to do. You have to like go that whole process again.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I have to get my seat back first and foremost. So I'm going to recall the current area representative in a couple months. Our constitution in Belize allows for a recall petition. So if you get, I believe, I think you gotta get 51% of the registered voters in the constituency to sign. I believe it's 51% or maybe it's 30%. Actually. No, I think it's 30% and you need 51% of 60% of the registered voters have to come out to vote on the petition and you need 51% of that. Then we'll have a by election. So that, that's the first step.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So the seat is still there, the prime minister.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

See, well, you don't run for prime minister. You need to. I need to get my seat back. Then there's going to be a convention in the United Democratic Party in 2027, which is next year. Next year, November, there'll be another convention for the leader of the party. And then hopefully in 2030 when the general elections are due, I'll be the leader by then. I'll have my seat by then and I could lead the party to the majority in the House of Representatives. Because unlike your presidential election system in Belize, the system is a westminster parliamentary democracy. So its first past post. Whoever gets the majority of seats in Parliament, they form the government and their leader becomes the Prime Minister.

[Host]

Okay, how's your, how's your mental health? Let's do a mental health check because you've been through a lot as far as being incarcerated, being exiled out the country, moving, you know, you had a lot going on and then I know you had very high hopes of becoming the head of the country. That didn't work out. So how's your, how's mental. How, how is your mental health and how has your mental health journey been? Cause I know it would take an adjustment to do 10 years in jail, come home. I know you was very religious at one point. You moved to Israel. Your life had a variety of different stages. Like walk us through that journey.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I think that's One of the reasons that I went to Israel, because spirituality has always been what has given me great mental health, what has given me peace and allowed me to retain my sanity. If it was not for religion, I don't know where I'd be. But religion has a boundary and I'm fortunate that I have evolved to a level of enlightenment. So it's not that I'm not like, I'm not religious. The Judaic religion is the formation of my foundation that allowed me to evolve to a level of enlightenment where now I'm not bound by the rigors and the dogmas of religion per se, but I live in a space of humanity, a space of enlightenment. Be honest, be kind, be compassionate, be tolerant, have integrity, have character. Yeah. And I'm empowering people. I'm looking to uplift people. I'm not thinking in terms of myself. I'm beyond myself. Religion creates infrastructure to get to that point. Some people may not get to that point in this lifetime. Some people may get to that point at a later stage in their lifetime. I'm fortunate to have gotten to a stage so I can drive on Shabbat, you know, I don't have to wear a yarmulke. I don't need to live in Jerusalem.

[Host]

Are you kosher?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I don't eat non kosher food, but I would eat at a non kosher restaurant, but I would not eat non kosher food. I don't eat scavengers, you know, I don't eat pork. I wouldn't eat meat if it's not kosher meat at a kosher restaurant, but I'd eat fish and chicken anywhere. But that's just for me. Those are my sciences. But like, I don't wear sit sits, I still wrap my tefillin, but that's all personal, private things. And that's why I say so. A religious person from, from that religion may say that I'm not religious. Doesn't really matter to me because where I'm at is a, as I said, a level of enlightenment. So I don't need to be with a rabbi, I don't need to be in Jerusalem because I've, I've evolved to a level where my, my connection with the creator of the universe is second to none. And I'm on a path of where I need to go as far as serving humanity and serving my ultimate purpose. So I'm great. As far as losing my seat of all that I've been through, losing a seat in parliament would definitely not rank on the top of things. That would shatter me, because that seat was me serving the people. I volunteered to help and to go to Parliament and be their advocate and be their voice. So, yes, you know, you feel away. You feel, man, you know, I was on a path to really making their lives better and hopefully becoming the next prime minister, which would make so many people's lives better outside of Mesopotamia. But then it's like, you know what? This is a journey. You don't just decide you want to be prime minister, and that happens overnight or it happens in a couple of years. The current prime. Excuse me, the current prime minister, he's been in politics for 20 years, or maybe actually 25 years before he became prime minister, he was minister. He was deputy prime minister. So, you know, while Barack Obama. Obama may have only been a senator for a couple of years and then he became president, it doesn't always happen like that. So there's nothing to necessarily be shattered about other than the betrayal of my party colleagues and the coup d'. Etat. But that inspires me to keep going and to keep fighting, because these are people that should never leave the country. And if they were to ever get the opportunity. Opportunity, that'd be worse than the current government. And so for me, it's not a matter of sitting there being depressed. I. I took one day to reflect, and I. And I went back into my con. It was March 12th. March 13th is. Is a fast day for me because I fast on Mondays and Thursdays. So I did my fast and I reflected and I said, okay, I'm going back to Mesopotamia on March 14, going to, you know, help all the people that I promised on the campaign trail. I gave out a power industrial power washer to a young man that wanted to start his own car wash. And I kept doing that up to now. When I go back home next week, I'm going to give out laptops and small business grants. And so my commitment remained firm. And then in that reflection, I said, you know, it's time for me to work on that album. Came up with my list. Dr. Dre, Swiss Beats, Timbaland, RZA, Boy Wonder, Hitboy, Pooh Bear, Alchemist, no ID. And the list goes on. You know, I have film projects that I need to work on about my life, my memoir. I said that, you know, it was my 25th anniversary. This is the year of my 25th anniversary. From September 26, 25 until 26. I said, I need to return to the stage. Better way to celebrate my 25th anniversary than to return to the stage. So I didn't have time to get into a slump. And that's never really been me. Like, you know, even when I was incarcerated, I put out a number one album, and I was always the best version of myself. So thank God I've never had those challenges. Right? Definitely. As a human being, you know, sometimes you're like, man, what's going on? But for me, my spiritual connection is what lets me know that what's going on is a part of the process. Nobody becomes Michael Jordan. Nobody becomes Derek Jeter. Nobody becomes one of the greatest of all time. Nobody becomes Bob Marley, Nobody becomes Malcolm X. Nobody becomes Barack Obama without going through the most rigorous process. That makes you to want to give up. That makes you want to just say, what is going on here? Yeah, it doesn't happen like that. The price of admission is excruciating pain and suffering. But listen, losing a seat is not as bad as spending 10 years in captivity. Losing a seat in parliament is not as bad as being deported and not being able to return to the States and losing my career and. And, you know, losing all of the promise and potential that I had. Right. So I've been through the worst of my life. Thank God, right? To be able to say that. Okay, you know, I have a few years until the elections. So I go in the studio with Dr. Dre. I'll go in the studio with Hit Boy. I'll go in the studio with Timberland. I'll go in the studio with Swizz Beats. You know, I'm going to return to the stage in Brooklyn Kings Theater, where I grew up at, and sell out the show. That's, you know, that's like a blessing. I'm so happy right now. I've never been happier, to be honest.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We are happy for you to see that evolution. I told you the first time we met, I got a car in the year 2000, 2001. And I told you the first CD I put in was it Acura you got. I had the Camry. Toyota Camry. It was a 96 Toyota Camry. First CD I put in was your joint. So dear America, that's why I want.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You got to do the real Dear America, America, I'm only what you made. Yeah, all right. Young black crazy, please save me. You can't compare to the barricade Too many people can. What you do, it's fire.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

But I wonder. You said that the religion gave you the foundation.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And there was a point in time where I thought that the music wouldn't come back. I thought that, you know, what you're going to leave it behind. It was part of your journey. It's part of your career.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Did you find at a point it became therapeutic, or was that old? Always God's calling, Like, the music was always there with something he was going to come back to.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Once a musician, always a musician. But I. I will not hold you. I definitely did not. I. It's not what I was thinking about. To lead a country, to have the. The. The burden, the responsibility of creating solutions for people's lives policies and health care policies, as far as economic development policies, as far as citizen security, education, housing, infrastructure, agriculture. There's so much when you want to be a leader. You guys know me. I don't front, I don't cap. So it's not as if I was just saying I wanted to be the Prime Minister for the sake of I'm hip hop. Whatever we do, we want to be the best at it. And I wasn't in a space of being the best at it for vanity's sake. I was in the state of my enlightenment. If you're going to. I want to help people. All of our politicians have been failing people for decades. They get there, they don't deliver, and it just seems like a vicious cycle. So for me, my challenge was to be able to get there with the solutions. Not currently the opposition in Belize, all they do is say is, what's wrong with the government? That's not what I want to be. I want to have solutions so that when I get elected to the office of the prime minister, we can solve problems. Right? So that takes bandwidth, intellectual capacity, intelligence, great research, immersing yourself in policy making throughout the region, throughout the world, looking at what other democracies are doing and how they're solving these problems. So it's great study and as I said, great immersion. So I don't have time to do what I'm doing now, because what I'm doing now, that in itself is a great science. Right? When me and Dre, when we made our records, that is, you know, Harvard, PhD level and beyond in another galaxy. So it takes a lot to make a classic album. It takes a lot to put a performance together and a tour together. Those aren't things that you just lightly do, right? We're professionals, we're Grammy Award winning, the best on Planet Earth level. And to perform at that level, I would have needed great bandwidth. So I wasn't even considering that. But if you go back to when I was doing the press run for the honorable shine, I said that you know I want to put out an album attached to the documentary and to the other film projects, but in practical terms it just wasn't doable because of all that I just said I just wouldn't have the bandwidth to give a superior product and and I couldn't do that to my legacy.

[Host]

I want to talk about the music, everything you got going on, but I feel like you're a man that wears many hats and you're not just a rapper obviously, so you have valuable insight and takes hey Earnest, what's going on? We always talk about using tools that help you stay in control of your money.

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Hey everyone, check out this guy and his bird. What is this your first date? Oh no.

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, the bird looks out of your

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

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[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What's up? I'm Miles Turner. And I'm Brianna Stewart. And our podcast, Game Recognized Game, has

[Host]

never been done before.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Two active players giving you a real look at our lives and what we actually think on and off the court. Nothing's off limits.

[Host]

We talk trade requests.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What's the vibe of that? When it's like your star player is like, well, I want to leave, and then actually, now I'm gonna stick. We talk tanking. I mean, honestly, like, I might get in trouble for this answer, but I think it's, like, definitely happening in the wnba. And, yeah, we talk about our mistakes too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be rolling around the city like this the night before games, doing this, doing whatever. And of course, family stories. They'll be like, mommy, why did you miss that? Mommy, do you play basketball? Check out Game Recognized game with Stewie and miles on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Host]

So I want to talk about Israel. You lived there.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

So you have a unique perspective that most people don't. What is your take on the current situation, and what was your experience as a black person living there?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

My experience was I did not face any apartheid. I did not face any discrimination per se. I lived in a religious cluster. In a religious cluster, I was accepted. I lived at the Wailing Wall. And I didn't see the things that some people claim. What I saw was a security situation, a legitimate security situation. Two brothers. Because Ishmael and Israel are both sons of Isaac. So Jews and Arabs are only separated by religion. You know, one believes in Islam and the other believes in Judaism, but they're the same blood. Yeah, but I wasn't necessarily focused on that because I was there studying, you know, the five books of Moses, who Islam claims Moses, his name is Musa. You know, everything in Islam is in the Torah. But I wasn't focused on that. But, yeah. So as far as what is happening now, let me say this. Being religious doesn't mean that you're a Zionist. So being religious has nothing to do with People who. And again, it may not dawn on some people, but when you go to the books of Moses, Jews have been in Israel for thousands of years.

[Host]

Well, they were there when there was a country called Palestine.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

They were there indeed. And before it was a country called Palestine, it was called Israel. If you read the Quran and you read the five books of Moses, it refers to a land of canon and then it's called Israel. Now this is by the testament of both Muslims, Jews and Christians. There is a time where it becomes Palestine and whoever lives in the land of Palestine is a Palestinian. So practically and technically speaking, Jews would be Palestinians, Arabs would be Palestinians, Christians that lived there would be Palestinian. Anyone could be Palestinian. But my position is a two state solution as per the United Nations Charter. It's complicated. Yes. You know, Jews have a legitimate claim that they've been there for thousands of years. Arabs have a claim that they migrated there as well or they were born there as well. And I believe that the United Nations Charter of the partition was the most practical solution. And I would like to see that come to fruition where there is a Palestinian state for Arabs and whoever else wants to live there and the continued Jewish state that has Arab Israelis and Christian Israelis and anyone can live in the state of Israel. I think the problem that you have is that in, in a state of Hamas Palestinian state, you can only be one religion. Your orientation, the way you dress, everything is dictated in extreme terms. And their position, their charter is that Israel does not have a right to exist. So I'm a centrist, I want to be in the middle. I want to find a solution. There are over 40 Arab states. There's only one Jewish state. I accept that Palestine should be one more Arab state because of what the United nations had agreed to. And so that we can have a solution, fine. But the solution will never be that Israel does not exist. It will never happen. Right? We're wasting our time. If the position is going to be that Israel doesn't have a right to exist. But I don't think associate myself with some extremists in the Israeli government and in Israel that don't accept that there should be a Palestinian Arab state, I don't agree to that. But I answer the question because as a journalist, investor, I want to be respectful and polite. But respectfully, my concern is Belize. Obviously, what happens nonetheless, what is happening in Iran, in these different places, in Venezuela and Cuba. It impacts Belize though. And so that's why I answer your question as well. When we think that terrorists, that people who are extreme people who feel that because, you know, you dress like this or because a woman wears tight clothes or because, you know, a woman shows her face, she's evil, she's the devil. That's how these extreme religious zealots think. And that's how they feel. And they believe that we should all be destroyed. So, you know, Iran, the dictatorship, the ayatollah, they sponsor terrorism all around the world and they're reviled and loathed by their Arab neighbors. So when the United States and Israel eliminates those threats, I'm sorry, I support it. I believe that they have to have a comprehensive plan of exit. And we hope that it's not going to be Afghanistan and Iraq all over again, where it becomes a quagmire. But listen, when Obama eliminated Gaddafi in the worst way, it was terrible what they did to Gaddafi, how they dragged him through the street, it was terrible. But he had intelligence from his CIA and his military apparatus, and that's what they felt they needed to do. And Biden, Bush 1, Bush 2, President Trump, Clinton, they've all felt the same about Iran. It just so happens that this is

[Host]

the administration, tough to get out. But let me just follow real quick with your political question.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

My last political question.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

You as somebody that has aspirations of being president of Belize or prime minister of police.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Should the Caribbean nations, I'm counting Belize as a Caribbean nation, they are.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

They are part of character.

[Host]

Should they be in support of Cuba, a country that has supported Caribbean nations for over 50 years?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Most respectfully, I appreciate the sentimentality of what you just said, but principally, I can never and will never support dictatorships. That is a dictatorship in Cuba. You're not going to allow to be you. You can't have freedom of press. You can't criticize the president, you can't criticize the state. We have to under. They put people in jail, they kill people for dissenting.

[Host]

They have a safe country.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I don't know about that. I really don't know. I couldn't imagine. And you have to remember who you're talking to. You're talking to someone who was the opposition leader of the Belize. I used to go in the House of Representatives and shut the House of Representatives down. I used to tell the prime minister all types of things, legitimate information and intelligence that I had. And the speaker of the House would be like, hold on, done. You know, parliament is over. Right. But nobody would arrest me. Nobody would be outside, you know, to shoot me. Nobody would come to my house and kidnap me and tie Me up in Cuba, you don't even have an opposition leader.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

You don't.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

The people of Cuba don't even have an alternative. Right? So for me, I'm sorry, my good brother, you know, you're my good brother. I respect you. I've never understood the fascination with dictatorships, but I get it. There was a time long ago, and one of my heroes would agree with you. He would be very sympathetic to Cuba, a gentleman by the name of Michael Manley. He was the prime minister of Jamaica. That's my political hero. But I totally disagree with him on the alliance with Russia and Cuba. It's an axis of evil. It's making a deal with the devil. Because at the time, it was a different America. They felt like America was racist and America wasn't doing right with African Americans and brown people. That was a different America. I believe that. But I get you. So there was a relationship forged there to be against the real apartheids that were happening, the real Jim Crow, the real people drinking at different water fountains. So, yeah, America didn't really have a moral compass at the time. And so, yeah, aligning with dictators, it kind of made sense because it's like, well, you don't even give us equal rights in a country that we built. You traffic us to a country, we build it, and you treat us like this. Right? So I get it. But now is the time to transition. I think we've long arrived at a time to transition to aligning ourselves with people with democratic values. I can't live with myself aligning with people who don't give their populace the same opportunity that I have to be great. The same opportunity that I have to criticize governments. The same opportunity that I have to choose. At least the people in Belize and the people in America get to choose who they want. Right now, I don't get into your politics as far as the performance of President Trump. I didn't get into the performance of President Biden. But however the people feel about the state of affairs in the United States right now, if they're not in accordance with going to Iran, if they're not in accordance with whatever the policies are of the current administration, midterms coming up in November. You get the vote. The people in Cuba don't have that alternative. So how can CARICOM nations that are democratic nations not align themselves with the United States when it comes to the removal of these dictators, such as Maduro and Cuba?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's why I appreciate Sean, man. He's a well versed person and very Intelligent. You alluded to the music. And I want to talk about it, because you said that there's three albums, not just one. This is not just.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I got it.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

The Honorable Rap Prom Minister, which I think is a dope title and actual intelligence.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Intelligence. Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Come on, man. You know I got you, bro. You know I got you. So I wonder, how do you envision those laying out? And let's break down the titles, because like I said, Rap Prime Minister, I think you told us that before, and now you.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Actually, I may have said that off record.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah. But now you put it out to the people.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I had to, because, you know, I don't want anyone to run with anything. Things are moving fast in the culture.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And, you know, certain things that I saw and that I was doing months ago is all happening. Like, I decided I was gonna go on Tour to celebrate 25 last year in September. HOV is going back on stage now.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

There's a couple other guys that are no.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

1 on the 30th anniversary of a Reasonable Doubt.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah. Wayne just announced he's doing a 20 year anniversary of the Carter.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So, you know, it's just important to put certain things out there so no one can rewrite history. Right?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah. So how are you envisioning the layout? Cause the producer list is crazy. You talked about Dre, which. That's crazy. You don't even know him, but you were able to work with him. How were you envisioning, like each producer is getting. Each album has a different theme. How is this going to be worked out?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Well, what I'm doing right now is just following the Thriller template that I got from Jay Z. And I've told the story before. Maybe you've heard it. When Jay Z came to see me in Rikers island in maybe 2004, Maybach just came out. Pulled up at Rikers island in the Maybach. We sat in the lawyers station for visits with those held in captivity. And he was talking to me about moving forward. And we put out the Godfather, Buried Alive. It was number one. But then he was like, well, what's next? You know, we can't just make another album. And that's when he went into his conversations with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones about the making of Thriller. And the information that was given to him by Mike and Quincy, bless their souls, was that every song had to be better than the other song. So you make a Thriller. That's when you make Billie Jean. That's when you, you know, you just keep going and going and going. And so that's the mindset. And that's why my.

[Host]

My.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

My producer list is like that, because I'm so excited about Dre, which is, you know, I'm in a dream. But then you hear the Swiss records, like Fallout. You hear the Swiss record, but then you hear the Timberland records, and they

[Host]

all picked up the call.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Easy.

[Host]

It was easy.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I don't want to say easy like it's easy, but I think the same love and respect that you guys have for me, relationships, everybody that I mentioned, by the grace of God, they have that love and respect for me. Some for me as a human being, you know, not as much as the music. And Dre is particularly that person because, you know, like, what can Dre do next? Like, what? What else? Dre doesn't have to do anything. He was a billionaire then, and then, you know, went down. Now he's a billionaire again. And, like, what else can Dre do? But for our connection, it was more as a leader and my evolution on being in the opposition leader of the House office and the things I wanted to do for Belize, he was really impressed with that. And that's how our conversation started. And when we had that conversation, we had so much in common with what he was doing in Compton with the hundreds of millions he was. Was investing in education and philanthropy. And then it's like, oh, man, come on, let's go downstairs. Let's go listen to some music, right? So Hit Boy, you know, Big Boy, that's my guy. He's my plug. He. Anybody I want to talk to when I go to la, he puts it together. But it's not like Big Boy telling Hit Boy, yo, please talk to Sean. It's like when Hip Boy, when Big Boy calls, hit hiss on the phone like, yo, Sean is my favorite rapper ever. One of my, you know, like, all time. And so that's the energy. That's the energy. That's the energy. By the grace of God, you know, when I go to see Tim, it's like, you know, he's a legend. He's a goat. But, you know, he respects the contributions that have been made. Like, it's so incredible. When I went to see Tim, I got a gift because I didn't have Polo the Dawn on my list most respectfully. And his catalog is crazy, incredible. But I just didn't have him on my list that he wasn't on the vision board, and he happened to be there, and we had a whole versus in the studio because he was so excited to meet me. And again, he loved the music, but he loved the, the human being, the leader, you know, the, the hip hop and fit the evolution. And he gave me some of the best music that I have ever heard. When you hear Polo the Dawn. When you hear the Timberland records, like I said, listen, the Swiss record was so crazy. Me and Dre working on our music and I played them the Swiss and he like, let me help you with that.

[Host]

What is the raps? That would be my question. Because when you came out, you was 19 years old coming from Brooklyn, you was a street dude. And the raps match that Godfather, Buried Alive. We know that. But then your life just changed. You became religious, you became a father, you became a politician. You're in your 40s. What, what do you rap about now?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Why can't the conversation that we have been having for the last 45 minutes.

[Host]

No, you can, but you can, you can. And that's what I think that's exactly. What is that? Is that what we rapping about?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I mean, where your life is at? I don't want to give everything away,

[Host]

but no contemporary, I'm all for.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I'm definitely not going to be 19 year old shit. And I'm sorry for anyone who expects. And I'll tell you, yeah, one of my. Someone, a young man that I'm so impressed with and I, I'd say a young man, no disrespect, he might be, you know, I don't know his age to be honest, because I don't haven't done much research, but someone that I just got turned on to, I might be late to the, to the party is Stove. God.

[Host]

Oh yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

They were asking me like, who's. Who's in New York or who's a new young artist that, that you like. And I would never say the things that he said because I'm not living that. And I don't even. And on my leisure, you know, if I'm, you know, out to dinner or I'm at the house. That's not what I'm listening to. But because I'm, you know, I'm getting, you know, back into the arena. I'm getting ready for, you know, the NBA season or the NFL season, the mlb. You got to look at what, you know, what the, the how, how the terrain is right, and, and, and draw inspiration. And I draw inspiration from what is the art of hip hop? What makes Stove Guard impressive to me? Not because he's talking about, you know, heroin and narcotics and all of that. It's his wordplay, his penmanship, the Metaphors, the triple entendres, how he's painting on the canvas, his personality, that talk. Like, he's. He's New York right now.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah. That's why when I heard the titles, I'm like, yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What I'm saying is I could. I could give you Sean poe without being 19 years old.

[Host]

I'm all for it.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What made Shine shine was a lot

[Host]

of the things

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

and a lot of the things that impressed me about Stove Garden was my attitude. It was how that talk. It was the word play. It was the melodies. It was the flows. It was. It was. It's a lot that goes into making a classic album. And I still got the formula that.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So that's why when I. The titles. When I heard honorable, I'm thinking, we're going to get DeShawn, who is living in this moment.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Right.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

The honorable right. And then I'm thinking, the Rap Prime Minister is like, let me get on my. My shit. Like, let me show you how this pen really works. Like, when I hear Rap Prime Minister. We heard that with Rakim, Big Daddy, and Big Daddy. So I'm thinking like, oh, come to wordplay. And then the. The last one, the actual intelligence is like the conversations that we've had that aren't on camera, and it's like, yo, this is one of the most brilliant people we've ever met. That's in my mind how it's being.

[Klarna Representative]

Is.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Is being mapped out is, am I. Am I off task by.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Put all that together on every album. And the bottom line is making hits, because most respectfully, that's why every platform is different. What you'll get from a lecture is different than, you know, what you'll get if you go to my show. My performance is a celebration of great music. Yeah, right. For you to bop, for you to dance, for you to, you know, for you to get in your feelings, for you to get inspired, for you to get excited music. I remember where I was when I. When I, you know, go back to certain songs. So making a song is different than anything else that you would do. And to make great songs, it's a formula. The beat has to be incredible. Your flows, your melodies have to be incredible. And then you just be you. The content that. That's what people are not understanding. You don't have to be a dope boy to make great records. You don't have to be a gangster to make great records. I go back to Bob Marley, who made more hits than Bob Marley.

[Host]

Well, hip hop is a different genre.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Not at all.

[Host]

Than reggae.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Not at all. I vehemently disagree. We. I'm talking at a level of greatness. Greatness is greatness. It doesn't matter the genre. And all I'm saying is Michael Jackson, Bob Marley, Jay Z, Big nwa What do they all have in common? The Beatles, you know, Rolling Stones, Marvin Gaye. They all have in common that they made classics, they made incredible hit records.

[Host]

But we're just getting to this. All right, Hip hop, right?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

I like to think of myself as a hip hop historian. I think we just got to the point where we're at adult contemporary hip hop being accepted mainstream. So when. All right, so Nas could come out and rap about real shit that he's dealing with as far as casinos. And it's adult rap. Jay Z444 album. That wasn't always the case. Previously, elder rappers or rappers that were in their 40s tried to still rap like they were 20 and didn't make any sense at all.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I vehemently disagree with you. Let me interject. Let's go back to the foundation, Mr. Hip Hop Historian. Rakim was never selling dope.

[Host]

But Raim, that's how he came out. That's like J.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

But off in. Is off in this. We never.

[Host]

He was paid in full.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

But. No, no, no, no, no. But you're missing my point.

[Host]

When Tribe Called Quest never sold dope.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, but I'm just saying.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

But they also never got to rap at 40.

[Host]

Exactly.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, but it's. It doesn't matter. I'm not with the ages. Throw that in the garbage.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What I'm saying is when hip hop first started, there was no such thing as gangster rap. So the point that I'm making to you is what hip hop was all about was always making hits. And what it doesn't change. The reason Rakim is. Rakim is because his flow was incredible. Let me finish. The reason Big Daddy Kane was Big Daddy Kane was because his flow was incredible. The reason KRS1 was KRS1. Right. Is because when he hit, his flows was incredible. I think, you know, a little bit too much on the lecture side sometimes, but you know that.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's a Brooklyn bias. Not a Brooklyn bias. Do that.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

K Russ is. Was born in Brooklyn. If you didn't know KRS was born in Brooklyn. Listen, listen. Let's bet we could bet.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Well, South Bronx claims it, and that's a Brooklyn bias. Don't do that.

[Host]

Let me reframe this from a hip hop perspective. Right? It wasn't necessarily because even now there's Rappers that don't talk about drugs at all. Hip hop has always been centered to the youth. It's always been youth culture. It's been youth culture.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, but who says the youth? This is what I'm trying to say.

[Host]

No, I'm all for.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Who says the youth need to be thugging and bugging? Who says the youth. And then look at J. Cole.

[Host]

No, no, but what I'm saying.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

J. Cole is not a gangster rapper.

[Host]

No, but not at all.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And the youth love him.

[Host]

But that's what I'm saying.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

But now Kendrick is not a gangster rapper.

[Host]

But now we have the youth love him.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He's gotta be dope.

[Host]

But we have the transition of adult. We didn't have Rakim and them wasn't 30, 40 years old when they was rapping. I'm saying now is the first time in history that we have adults 40 years old.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

That's a different conversation than asking me what am I going to be rapping about and how is that going to transition? That's different.

[Host]

No, because that's the conversation. Because you got two groups of people. I think you got the older people that. And when I say older people, I'm in that book. I'm 42. You got the older people that rap about stuff that's really relevant to what somebody 42 is going through. That's what I want to listen to. Then you got people that's 45 that's rapping to try to make songs for the club. There's a disconnect because you're not in the club.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I don't know. I. I wouldn't. Because I never want to be the art police. I never want to be the music police.

[Host]

But you have an opinion.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No. You're a hip hop.

[Host]

No, no, we're not doing that. You got an opinion. Man, we can't be politically correct. We're not talking about politics. We talk about rap. You could be politically correct when it comes to politics.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Step to the front.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, I'm telling you, this is my, this is my principal position. I'm not going to tell a 45 year old that wants to still live like he's, you know, 20 year old not to do that. That's up to him. Let. Let, you know, let him be great. If that's, if it's not connected, that's on him. Let him take that. L. But I'm not going to sit here and say I'm not even thinking about that because I don't really, like, I don't get into people's minds and why someone would do that. I know why I'm not gonna do that. I know what I'm going to do, but I'm not gonna say because there may be, you know, hov might come out with some young hov or some, you know, young boy hits and we would never even see it. And that's what I love about music and I love about creativity. Because someone can always do something that you didn't think was practical. And it just. There's no way he could do that. And they'll come and they'll do it right. That's what I love about creativity. So my thing. And that's why I'm having so much fun. Because I'm gonna be me, who I am today. And I agree with you on that point, that there are people that have grown up with me that want to hear the conversation about, you know, getting to a trillion dollars and growing GDPs and, you know, investments and, you know, instead of. Instead of buying watches, you know, building an entire community, you know, but the challenges that we face as human beings never really change. We always have betrayal, we always have heartbreak, we always have disappointment. So all I'm saying is the canvas is there and it's just for me to paint my truth. But all that matters at the end of the day, because your truth can be as compelling as possible. If it's not a hit, then it's like you in the wilderness, you in the forest, and nobody trees falling, nobody's gonna listen to you. So at the end of the day, it gotta be hits. Content comes after the fact. But as far as my integrity, my artistic integrity, I'm not gonna be the person trying to chase the ghosts of 19 year old Shaq.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

How is this working for you? You have a list, two part question. You have a list of producers that are coming together to make the project. You said, we got a Swizz joint, we got a Pharrell joint.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I already got all my beats. I mean, like, there's one person I'm so fortunate. I'll get to you like boy Wonder. I hit him. I said, listen, you know, it's time. He said, say no more. He sent me a file. And of that file, I walked away with a whole album. I could do a whole album with him.

[Host]

Just boy Wonder.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Just boy wondering, right? Mids, ups, slows. Just him alone. That's how fortunate I am. Yeah. And. And it's. It's like that all across the board. I hit rza.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's the one I really wanted to Talk about.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Oh, man. Because I did mention Riz. What do you mean?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, no, I'm saying you haven't mentioned that the track is done yet because you said you got.

[Host]

You got the Rizza built the track

[Co-host/Interviewer]

because, you know why Frizza, I think. I think he kind of gets slept. It's weird that he slept on because we grew up in an era where he was making all the Wu Tang tracks.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

And then it was kind of a singular producer.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

But he also. But then he's CEO.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And the CEO.

[Host]

But then he didn't work with a lot of other artists outside of Wu Tang.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Exactly. Well, he's on Life After Death, which I think is an incredible. Probably the best double album. But he's also on My Twist of Dark Fantasy. So it tells about that evolution, how he's grown. But you haven't heard anything in the past few years from him as a producer. So when I saw RZA and I didn't hear you say the track is done yet, I'm like, how is. What's up with the RZA's situation?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I'm not giving out all my secrets as far as what's done, what's not done. All you gotta know is he gave me the missiles. Yeah. He gave me incredible records that gave me exactly what I wanted, what I knew he was capable of. Because the approach that I have, it's not necessarily, you know, what have you done lately? You know, did you make a hit in the last couple of years? No, I'm just. I'm enjoying myself and I want to work with who I want to work with. I want to. You the same way. People admire me and I'm their favorite. Briz is one of my favorites. And so now he, you know, if he'd have gave me or if I couldn't find. Because nobody's going to give you 100%. And so sometimes even your favorites will give you 10. But if I walk away with five, I'm good. If I walk away with one from my favorite that I love, then I did it. And I'm telling you, I walked away with a few from RZA that I love. And I don't take. My grading is harsh. I'm stringent. I'm not. Because I believe that what I have to deliver and what I want, not what I want to deliver, I want to deliver. When I'm listening to whoever. When I'm listening to that Don Toliver or I'm listening, you know, to whoever. To a Burner boy or to a Wizkid or, you know, to Chris Brown or whoever's putting out those great records to a Drake, to a Kendrick putting out great records. And I know how I feel when I'm listening to those great records and ooh, just hit after hit and it just keep going. And that's what I want to create. I'm not gonna create anything less. So it starts with me. So if I don't love the record, so I'm not doing anything because it's so and so. So the only reason I'm. I'm working with so and so is because I know that they could give me what I love. And I've not been disappointed. Everyone has hit.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

This is the second part, because I got the list of producers here, the one name, and maybe you've worked with them or did something growing.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I didn't see Premiere Premier's on the list. Yeah, I reached out to him. I'm just waiting to hear back.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

All right, perfect. Then I could. I could live with that.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He's on the. No ideas on the list.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I. I saw that.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Just waiting to hear.

[Host]

Oh, my gosh, that bad boy era. You. You owned your masters and you owned the publishing, is that correct?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I own my publishing always from the beginning.

[Host]

From the beginning.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

But I didn't own the masters for the first album. Second album, yes.

[Host]

How did you own your publishing from the beginning? Because that was always a big thing with artists saying that they didn't have their publishing. So how did you have enough leverage, enough knowledge at that young age to even fight for that? Most artists, they get a watch and they. They cool.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I was. I was very fortunate to just have intuitive entrepreneurs spirit. I'm an entrepreneur by birth. I'm a leader by birth. I got to chalk it up to genetics. I have some powerful brains that I inherited respectfully. You know, I was always a reader. I was always someone that immersed themselves in reading. I remember one of the first books I read that I remember to this day was Michael Eisner's biography about Disney. And then I would end up putting out a documentary with Disney. I read that when I was like 10 years old. Yeah. So I was always reading and my brain was always working. And the hand of God, you know, has always been on me. And so when Chris Lighty, I met everybody. I met Puff. I rap for Puff. Thanks to Mark Pitts. I gotta call him as soon as I. I leave here before he goes to Japan. I missed him in la, but, yeah, so I had rap, you know, I got discovered by kid named Austin Took me to Don Pool doing Brooklyn Chop House together. My guy, Imani Helly, Hollywood executive. And so we were making our rounds. Rap for Puff God with Mark Pitts. Rap for him. Rap for UN. You know, I think I rapped for Sylvia Roan. That's like my mother. She's one of the most incredible human beings. And that was like, in September. October, November, no deal signed yet. You know, I ran up on hov. Yeah. You know, that story, that hilarious story. We don't need to repeat it here. And then Chris Lighty. I got the call to go see Chris Lighty at the Def Jam building on Varick Street. And that changed my life. Because once I went into his office, he was like, all right, you know, I hear. You know, everybody's after you. All right, you know, I want to hear what, you know, what you got going on. I'll play you this. This dat tape from a young producer. His name is Swiss Beats. And I moonwalked all over the Swiss Beats. Like, you know, he was just playing beat after beat. And I just kept bong, bong, bong. And he's like, all right, stop. You can control himself. Couldn't contain himself. He's like, you're not leaving here unless we sign the deal. He took me to Lior's office. I did the same thing thing. That's when I first met Irv Gotti. I was talking crazy, and that's Jay Z's best friend. But I was talking about, you know, HOV at the time. Because he. He threw my tape away. Yeah. And that's what. That's what really put me in a position to have incredible leverage. Because once Puff, I think. I think that all the moguls, all the CEOs, they're all friends, and they all compete with each other and are inspired by each other. So I think Chris and Leor thought they had the deal done. And they called Puff, like, to talk, celebrate. To talk crazy. Like, yeah, yeah, you wait, because remember, Def Jam wasn't, you know, like. I wouldn't say Def Jam was cold. Cause they had meth. You know, meth. People sleep on meth. We were talking about sleeping on rza. People sleep on meth.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Brought him back. Him and Redman. What are you talking about?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Sleep on meth? Red man.

[Host]

DMX is around in that song, too, right?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

This is 94.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

95 is red man.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And come yet. But this is 97. We just heard X on Double. No, not Double up on Harlem World. We just was hearing X on 24 hours to live. Yes, we just was hearing X on Stay out the dog. If I catch you in the Senate. Two, one running clown. Hold on.

[Host]

Oh, he was on fire then. He's building.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He's building.

[Host]

Right.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So. But as he. But he's building. But. But, you know, Puff is still Puff and bad boys. 97 bad boys. Like, it's 97. Is nobody else. Is life after death. Is no way out. Life after death. There's nobody else. Right. Yeah. Everything else is building. But remember, X is building on Harlem World. Right. And then building on Mr. Smith, you know, respect to the iPhone.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We can't leave every Gotti out the conversation. Recipes. Cause Ja Rule's happening at the same time.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yes, yes, but I'm just showing you how it's building. Yeah, then. But so it's Puff. Everything is Puff bad boy. Everybody's building. And then we'll get to what happens in 98. But. But they're building. But it's not the 98. Hard knock life Dark Hell is hot. Ja Rule, you know, put it on me. You know, Murder Inc. Def Jam is not there yet, But I just wanted to give respect to Uncle L and meth.

[Host]

So you signed your deal in 97?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

In 98. But I'm just telling you, when I met with.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, Chris. You talking about.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I met with Chris December of 97. So it was still all Puff, all bad boy.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, the biggest record company on planet Earth. So now. And I'm just going into the leverage, we get to 98. But in 97, I'm telling you that they're chasing Puff. And so the conversation is like, yeah, we about to catch you watch. Right. Is what I think. Because then Puff hit. Hit the line. And he's like, yo, come to California. I'm ready to sign a deal. Come now.

[Host]

Then he had a better offering.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, no, no, no, no. Hold on. So we get to California. First time I leave Brooklyn, I leave New York. Me, Don Poole, Matt Middleton. I land in California. Go check in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Eddie Murphy coming out the elevator. I'm getting on the elevator. I'll never forget it. Got to tell you that story. Go to Record Plant. Jlo. Puff at the Record Plant. JLO is doing. I'm sorry. Puff is doing the Godzilla record.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Come with me.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, he's recording that. He comes out, he's like, well, you know, I know everybody wants you. I know what's going on. But, you know, I'm not. I'm not gonna do that. If you want to sign with me, you know, let's sign. And I'm like, yeah, of course. Before he was like, yeah, you nice, but I gotta teach you, you know, how to make hits. And he kind of left me on ice. Now he's like, listen, if you want to sign, let's sign now. And, you know, welcome to the family. And I was like, yeah, but everyone was after me. So then, now I'm taking pictures with Puff and. Well, there was no social media back then, but I don't know how it was going viral, but it was going viral that I'm out in LA with Puff. With Puff, and the deal is done. And, you know, I'm the newest bad boy. So Puff is at a mega mansion in Mulholland and has a party. Everyone is out there for Soul Train Awards. So Lior Russell, Chris Lighty, come to the house for the Soul Train award party. Everybody, Chris Tucker, you know, NBA players playing basketball. Everyone is at the house. So they pull me to the side like, yo. Meanwhile, my lawyer, Matt Middleton, he's like, listen, they. They'll give you anything. Everybody's prepared to give you anything. So I'm like, okay, what's Puff offering? All right, tell him you want triple. Triple that. So that's what I said. I had an entrepreneur spirit. I was not, like, I was impressed, but I wasn't impressed. The hand of God was always with me as to just my vessel expanding and expanding. And I didn't necessarily. It's kind of. It's a gift and a curse because I didn't feel Puff was doing me a favor, but he was. It's a great opportunity, but I was great because everybody saw what he saw. It's not like he saw it. And, you know, he's manufacturing me. And everyone that ever heard me rap thought I was incredible initially, except Jay. But I was literally sitting there running the numbers up because I wasn't. I wasn't infatuated. I wasn't smitten. It's not like, oh, you know Puff. It was like, no, I could be Puff. I could be any. I always had that mentality. I was just shot when I was 16. So, like, in 96, I was shot 90. I graduated. I'm delivering messages. Like, I went through so much coming from Belize, not even a toilet system. Father abandoned me, poor mother. And. And where I'm at right now, now I'm in Beverly Hills. Every record label want to sign me. I, by the grace of God and my mother, got myself there. I never had any help. You know, I had an uncle who loved music and used to give me advice. So. So basically, no, I had that entrepreneur instinct. And I just kept telling Matt, run the numbers up. If puff is saying 150, tell Def Jam 400, tell Sylvia 500. Just keep running the numbers up. Numbers went up, man, and we ran them up. The publishing thing, that's not even on the table. Let Pub know. No, publishing off the rip. Off the rip. That's not. That's a deal breaker. Non starter. Right. And so nobody else could get the publishing. I did a great. I don't remember the lady's name, but I did a great deal. Joint venture with polygram. But I just kept running the numbers up and. And people kept accepting the numbers.

[Host]

What was your deal? It was a million dollars advance. Yeah, publishing. You had your publishing.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, deal with.

[Host]

You had an apartment?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, no, it was just that.

[Host]

Okay, but you had an apartment though, right? You wasn't. You staying? You say you was like Soho or something? Like you had like a luxury apartment in Manhattan?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Well, well, no. Well, Puff had a apartment like next to Alucino.

[Host]

Okay, so that was his apartment.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, but everybody would go there. Mark Curry, everyone like Mace used to be there. But I was in Fort Lee. I had a penthouse in Fort Lee. Yeah, Biggs Rockefeller, they were out there too. But yeah, so I just kept running the numbers up and I had that entrepreneurial spirit. But ultimately I also had the genius because I think people who make it the furthest are people that have honest self analysis and can rigorously assess themselves and, and, and, and do the heat check and be able to say, nah, you know, maybe a little bit more. Nah, I'm not quite ready for that. No, I don't have that information. And instinctively they asked me about this the other day. Jay Z went from shadowing jazz. His name is based on jazz. Jay Z is jazz. Right. Jay is admitted that Hawaiian Sophie, he went through a process before we got payday. Distributor, CEO of Rockefeller Records, along with Damon Biggs. Right. There was a process before you got there. X and D and Y and Rough Riders. There was Born Loser on Sony before we get Rough Riders, JV with Def Jam. Right. A lot of what we saw were people going through processes. Puff was Andre Harrell before Andre Harrell, he was dancing in videos and Al B. Shore videos or whatever videos he was dancing in. There are processes that people have gone through before you get to that point of being a CEO. And, and I think for what I ultimately became, I went through the right process. I think if I'd have gone, you know, one of the things Jimmy told me because he had. Jimmy wanted to sign me as well. I forgot to mention that. And he said, listen, you know, I'll give you anything you want, but what I want from you is to be self contained. If you're going to come to Interscope, it's because you're going to be Death Row, you know, you're going to be Aftermath, you know, you are going to do your own thing and I'm just going to support you. And yeah, that sounds great, but I was 18, 19. I had never even been in the studio. I'd gone in the studio one time and the beat was over here and I was over there. You know, no lies told. Don Pooh, you ask him about that the next time you go to Brooklyn Chop House. So not to say that it couldn't have worked with Def Jam or Interscope, but in the immortal words of Kanye, I guess we'll never know, right? But I felt the need. I went back after, you know, buying out the whole Iceberg store in Beverly Hills. We went back on and living in the Peninsula for weeks and driving to 600. We went back to New York, me and a guy by the name of Eric Nix that was working for Violator, Def Jam. And I was living in the St. Regis. I was going to. They were waiting to close the deal. I would go to John McNeil every week or at least a few times a week, just to keep getting money while they're waiting to close the deal, because that's how bad they wanted me. I'm living in the St. Regis and I just wake up one day and I call Mark Pitts and I'm like, yo, let's sign a deal with Puff. And again, remember, I'm not pressed. I left the. The. The Mega Mansion. I left, you know, whatever off he had on the table. And Puff was Puff. And this is before Hard Knock. Life is Dark and Hell is Hot. And Forever came out and he went flat on his face. This was before that. This was him at.

[Host]

That was. That was it. That was a cheap shot.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, I'm just.

[Host]

You say he fell flat on it.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, come on. After forever. That. That was it. It was Bad Boy with Cole. What happened after that? Come on.

[Host]

Black What? Black Rob.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Black Rob come out. No, Black Rob and G De.

[Host]

That's what I'm saying. They had. They had a resurgence. They had a resurgence.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Sir, sir, sir.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

What year? All right, then. What year are you talking about?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

This is 98, sir. From 98.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

You know what? This is crazy.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Depp ain't come on till dep. Till 2000. God bless his soul ain't come out the number one.

[Host]

2000, 2000.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He. I think his album came out after my album.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

All fairness. All fairness.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We talking from 98 until. Until bad Boys comes out and. And Woe come out.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Puff and Bad Boys cold. Nothing is happening.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Define cold. Because he has number one records.

[Host]

R B? You have R B artists?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, the number one. The number one. Public Enemy number one was the number one record. Godzilla was a number four records. I don't think they're great songs.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

It's not hot. We talking about you don't go from no Way Out Forever, Come on Forever album.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I'll give you that.

[Host]

So when you came out, Bad Boy was.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We brought. I brought Bad Boy back.

[Host]

Bad Boy back.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Me and Robio, those things. Rest in peace. To Robio. That is true. Don't get me wrong. Don't get me wrong. Let me correct the record because, yes, total was hot.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

112 was still hot.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

112 was hot. So I take Carl Thomas. Let me revise.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

It's getting hot.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah. So, yeah, Carl. Carl is bringing him back. But that's on the R B.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yes, yes.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So he stayed hot on the R B. Respectfully. So let me correct that.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Okay.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He stayed hot on the R and B. But it wasn't the. It wasn't. Remember his glory days over, his claim to fame? The glory days over is life after death. No Way Out, Harlem world. That's the claim to fame. So if you're not there, then you're not anywhere. Right. But respectfully, Faith was still hot. Yes.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Faith was still hot. Total was still hot. 112 was still hot. Respectfully. Let me revise that. And then Carl Thomas. Carl Thomas really brought. Really, really took it light.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And the year you're talking about, for sure.

[Host]

Yeah. And that was Summer Rain.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Not before Summer Rain. I wish I never met him.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Did you know? Did you. I'm about to give it to you. Did you know I was on the remix?

[Host]

Yes, I heard it.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I heard. This is the thing with LL S

[Host]

to the H to the. Like you said.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, that's. That's the. That's the face joint. That's the face joint.

[Host]

What song is that?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

That's a capital S, capital Y, capital N. That's. That's. That's. That's my little sister from Oakland. That's Keisha Cole.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, that's Keisha Cole joint. But you are on the Faith and Carl Thomas joint.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, they just did.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

When they did the video. You wasn't in the video.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, that's because, you know.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

The truth. So they. I didn't even get my Grammy.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's a fact.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

For that.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Here's the crazy part. People not gonna remember this. Yeah, we heard about you before we ever saw you.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I think the first time I see you, and maybe this. I could be wrong. The first public appearance I ever saw you on was like, trl. And that was because they had just signed you and they brought you up there. And I was like. Everybody was like, oh, that's him. Am I off on this?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Well, I definitely had the buzz.

[Host]

You had a buzz.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

The buzz was there.

[Host]

Everybody heard about you. That's before social media. That's what I'm saying.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We never saw him. But remember, everybody. Everyone was trying to sign me, so I was buzzing from the door. Yeah, Ben Wall was incredible. And. Yeah, so it was incredible buzz. Yeah, it was incredible buzz. I was moving. I was moving like a superstar out the gate, you know, like I was folklore. I was, you know, 600, you know, leave the 600 dead door open, come back and get in the next morning, you know, Gucci Park. I was Gucci every day, you know?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yes.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You know, the. The. The. The Platinum rolly out.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

First person to buy the. The. The Audemars pk introduce Aud to the hip hop world as. As Jacob the Jeweler. No lies told. Nobody else was buying aps. I was the first one. I bought the titanium AP from him. Ask him. He could correct me. No one was wearing the AP in. No one in hip hop at least. So, yeah, I was on, you know, Alpo without being a snitch. Rich Porter. Yeah. Az. You know, Frank Matthews from Brooklyn. Harry. Oh, you know, his was interesting.

[Host]

And.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And I was on it.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

It didn't dawn.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So that. So, So a lot of that had the buzz, right? I was running around with.

[Host]

And then big.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

The big.

[Host]

The biggest comparisons.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Hold on. I was running around with the pop divas. Rap divas, so don't forget that part. No, I'm just telling you. So you got. It was. It was a. It was a lot. It was a lot with the big comparison. No, but when. So, so. So then when I was going in the studio, when I was going, you know, bottles and bottles of crystal everywhere I go. And so now when I got into the studio, the music wasn't sounding the way it was supposed to sound. And that's where the comparisons came in, because I was doing the most the whole year. 98 you know, being a superstar but not putting in superstar work in the studio to get superstar material. And so when I did go in there, you know, records were getting leaked because I had built up, you know, so much anticipation, some would say, you know, animosity, because as I said, I was, you know, taking away the CEO's girl, ended up becoming his baby mother. Respectfully, you know, she was incredible. Like, you had to be there. So there was a lot of, there was a lot of negative energy. Like, like, who does does this guy think he is? Yeah, it was a lot of that

[Host]

came out the gate on something and

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

so, and, but, and, and as I was saying.

[Host]

And you was like a one man army too. That was the time where everybody had the crew.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, I didn't have a crew.

[Host]

You was by yourself.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah. And, and listen, you, you hear the baritone, it's. It's 28 years. It's 1997. It's 29 years.

[Host]

At the time, I never thought. You sound like gorilla Black. Sounds like big.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

The baritone. Yes, the baritone has not changed. But I believe what happens is, as I said, I was doing the most, so I wasn't on my superstar performance level. Hadn't had much experience in the studio. So as you're getting in there, you're not performing at high level one. So the records weren't the hit records that you heard on the Shine album. Definitely nowhere close to that. Right. One number two. Whenever you hear someone new or see someone new in the NBA or anywhere, compare them, you have, that's just, that's what we do.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And it's the same label.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Right. When we saw Kobe, we were like Michael Jordan. Yeah. But then Kobe ended up being Kobe and now we see other players and we like. Yeah, he reminds me of Kobe. Right. Maybe not the best analogy, but it's some, you know, unfortunate for how things turned out with this gentleman. But there was a time where he was like one of the goats and, and, and surpassed the person he was compared to. And that's R. Kelly, who was compared to Aaron Hall. When. Yes, I know. When, when, when. I remember when, when he first came out. Yeah. You know, a lot of people that he was, you know, there was an Aaron Hall. That's a fact.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's a fact.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And then, and then R. Kelly surpassed him, became, you know, one of the best musicians. Musicians, Musicians ever. Right. Regardless of the things that he's away for right now, respectfully, the victims. Pray for them. Pray for him. Yeah. Let's not forget. So I'm just saying for me I'm always me. I'm always him. So what that did is it inspired me to. To get myself together. So when the stuff leaked, I was getting the feedback, you know?

[Host]

Yeah, yeah. It wasn't.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And everybody, you know.

[Host]

Prof. Everybody.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That was 2001.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So hold on. So. So I'm. I'm swiping sniping the CEO's girl. Then hold on. Then now, then hold on.

[Host]

You gotta chill. You gotta chill. You gotta chill. You gotta chill. Yo, where'd it go?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Left.

[Host]

Where'd it go?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Go left. But. But I'm tying it in because then now the feedback is negative. So then he's like, yeah, don't put him in the studio. Nobody's feeling him. We about to shelf him. Right. I'm just trying to show you how it ties in. Right.

[Host]

So Baron, Levy.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, hold on. Before we get there. Before we get there. That's. That's why I don't. You know, I'm always grateful. And when I talk about people, it's always with love. And I always have to give Brandi the credit for getting me, right? Because we had a situation with her and a rap superstar female, and they had an argument relating to Shine. And this was like the end of 98. Like, I said, I was doing the most. I was not focused, not performing top tier in the studio. No hits. Whole year passed by. And my hits. I have a greatest hits, but it's not the greatest hits in the studio. It's another greatest hits, right? So Brandi is like, after the argument with the rap superstar female, she calls me and she's like, from Brooklyn. My. My guy, my God, you're doing the most. You want to tell me now? Pull back,

[Co-host/Interviewer]

man.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You want to tell me to chill, but then you want to do the most.

[Host]

Investigative journal.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I'm starting to think there's a bias there, right?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, no, no, no.

[Host]

I'm not gonna do that.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

We can't do that. Upper New York bias there. Is that Mount Vernon bias there, right? Anywhere. But. But. But back to Brandi and me giving her her flowers. Yes, Right. Well deserved. Because as I've always put on the record, I. I admired her. You know, meeting her was a dream come true. I had the biggest crush on her. And just having, you know, been able to be invited into her world and spend time with her was one of the greatest things that ever happened for me. But when she checked me and told me, like, yo, you know, you're wild, and you, like, you know who I am. You can't be treating me however you think you could treat me, you're nobody. Like, you haven't sold one record,

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Stone.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Like, because I couldn't. I couldn't say. What could I say? What could. What could I say?

[Host]

Yeah, you had to get in the booth.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

What could I say?

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I was like, go make a hit.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I was like, say less. Okay, you know. All right, you're right. You're right.

[Host]

So that was the motivation.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Nothing devastated me more than that. I mean, but, you know, obviously, I'm the. The record label not putting me back in the. In the booth, you know, because, you know, the CEO, he's feeling a certain type of way.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

It's a lot happening him.

[Host]

But when did. But you obviously reconnected with him.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

This is my point. After that, once she. Once that exchange happened, I was like, nobody's ever going to talk to me like this again. I'm going to have hit records. I'm going to sell millions of records. I'm going to be the superstar that I came here to be, and that's starting now. And I was like, at the end of December, right around New Year's, and I. And I, you know, stopped going out, started going in the gym. And I found Puff as soon as the new year was over and made amends. And I was like, listen, I need the Holy grail. I need the instruction manual. I need all the secrets so that we can make this classic album. And I'm gonna do everything in my power to make sure that I realized my full potential. And I started in January 99. And that's how we got the Bad Boys, because I was shadowing him. I was on my understudy protege mode, and that's all I was doing, right. That's how I got on Sitting At Home. We did the Sitting at Home record. That was really my first set off where the label felt that that was. That was that I delivered. Because one thing, you know, I give Puff. You know, he's his. He's harsh when it comes to if it's great and if it's not. And then with all the criticisms that we were getting because of what was being leaked, he was like, listen, we're not putting anything out unless it's undeniable. And so they thought that the Sitting at Home was undeniable, and. And they were banging that in the club. And then I did the. I think I did a 112. The 112 remix. I forgot the name of it, but I did a 112 remix that was hitting as well. And so there was the buildup. And then In August of 99, I got the beat for Bad Boys in the Hamptons. We were in the Hamptons. Maybe it was a little bit before August because we were still finishing Forever. So maybe it was July, right? Because Forever came out in August. So we were still finishing up July. Maybe it was even June. Maybe it was before August. It was June for some reason. I remember August. Maybe we were coming back. Maybe we'd already put out Forever and he was still working on music, but we were working on music along with Junior Mafia and a bunch of. I think the locks were out. Everybody was out there in the Hamptons working on music for Puff. And. And that's when he gave me the EOP beat. And he was like, if you body this beat, you're out of here. This is it right here. This is your moment. You did the remix. You write. I remember I had. Oh, I was on the Forever album as well. I was on the reverse track. And I. And I wrote the remix for PE for him. And yeah, like, I was the moment. You could tell in 99, the momentum was building. I did that guy in. In the uk. I forgot his name. He's where everybody goes to freestyle and to go on his show. He's a big radio host.

[Host]

Tim Westwood.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Tim Westwood, yeah. That freestyle. Those incredible, if I do say so myself. But yeah, and. And I went in and I. And I. I did the most with Bad Boy.

[Host]

I.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You know.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Can I ask you this, though? Because at the time. The.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

The time period you're talking about, that's August 99.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

You. I mean, even to recently, you know, when I saw you with. With Cam and Mace, I was like, damn. I never really thought about how your relationship was. Right. Like you and Mace, because at the time, he is the superstar that is carrying the torch outside of Puff at the time, and then you're the next superstar. But your. Your times kind of. Did they cross paths or did, like, did y' all have a relationship at the time? Like the story you told, I was like, I didn't even know that they was cool.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You know, that's. That. That was my guy. He initially, obviously the. The Brandy thing happened, so there was, you know, a little confusion, if you will. But him and I became close because, remember, I was on the second album, but that was as a result of, you know, us connecting. And as he said, you know, he definitely gave me the information in the manual as to his experiences and what he went through and things that I needed to avoid and how to deal with the system and how to make it to the superstar level. We definitely Harlem together. Definitely. His guys were my guys. Huddie, God bless his soul. Huddy's one of the people that really solidified the PO name. Cause, you know, he's from Harlem. And they, like, I said, the way that I moved, they felt that I gave him that Poe vibe. But I have to give it to, like, a. An executive who was my friend, Tracy Waples, along with another executive, Rhonda Cohen. You know, they think Tracy, she was at Def Jam, then went to Sony. Rhonda was at Def Jam as well. And they were like, you know, sisters, but they knew Alpo. So, you know, they used to be like. Like, you look like him, you act like him, but I didn't snitch like him. So. But anyway, but being me and Mace. Yeah, me and Mace, we definitely, you know, he definitely was a brother. He definitely, you know, before he left and even after he left, you know, I would see him, I guess, when we would go to Atlanta. Yeah, but. Cause remember, he hadn't left yet. I think he left after.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

After the Double up album.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Double Up?

[Host]

Double up, yeah. Let me ask you this, because I feel like Invest Fest was almost like a bad boy reunion, where backstage we had Puff. Obviously, he was the headliner. You was there?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Shout out to the brother, Amir. Y' all was speaking. You spoke with Puff. It seemed like it was a good. I remember I put you on FaceTime, actually. I felt like that was a good. You was in a good space with him. Where did it go wrong? Like, as far as. Cause obviously you had the issues. It seemed like that had been made whole. Y' all were in a good space. And then shortly after. That was his downfall, and everything fell apart for him. But now it seems like you're not in a good space with him. When did it fall apart?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

It's not, for me, a matter of not being in a good space, necessarily, because I'm not in a space at all. I'm always focused on what I'm doing. However, when media pundits ask me questions, I have to answer truthfully and how I got to a truth where I mentioned how I feel based on what was historically factual. So the questions are, what do you think about the woman who says Puff shot her and it wasn't you? Then it's like, yeah, well, I've been saying that. So what am I supposed to do? Because we reconcile, I'm supposed to rewrite history. I'm not the one that, you know, Came forward after all these years and said, no, it wasn't Shine that shot me, it's Puff that shot me. And for the record, I could show you email after email, NBC, New York Times, tmz, everyone asking me to comment, and I declined comment. But then there's sensationalist journalists here and there in Belize that as the leader of the opposition, that should have nothing to do with me being the leader of the opposition.

[Host]

So they try to bring that. They try to bring it up to

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

try to try to draw me.

[Host]

He's a thug.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Or just to, you know, just put

[Co-host/Interviewer]

mud on your head.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Whatever it is, whatever their resume motive is. And then for me, I'm about transparency. And this is not Cuba. Journalists can ask you what they want to ask you, no matter how off it is. And unlike some leaders that'll tell you, stick to the script. I'm. You know, I'll. I don't want to run away, and I never want to take away a journalist's freedom to ask what they want to ask. And as a matter of historical fact, I had always maintained that I didn't shoot those people, that I was defending myself, that the bullet fragments weren't mine because they never took the fragments out. So that's how we get to talking about Puff. It's never me going from being in a good space to a bad space, but I will tell. So that's where it started. It started there. Then there was a lawsuit from Cassie. And to tell you, instinctively, initially, I felt sorry for him. I felt that he was under attack. And this might have been some systematic orchestration to destroy another icon the way they did Michael Jackson and the way that they've done to our icons past. Instinctively, that's how I felt. That's the record. But then when the Little Rod lawsuit came, I'm just. I'm. I can only give you my truth. You could laugh, right? But little.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I'm not laughing.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

No, but Little Rod made. Made the Love album, which is one of the greatest albums. I can't listen to it right now

[Co-host/Interviewer]

because of the Tiana Taylor record we can listen to.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I can't listen to nothing, man. I don't even wanna. That's why I didn't watch the Diddy documentary.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Fair enough.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Fair enough.

[Host]

Well, Little Rod just went too far, though.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Hold on, man. Let me tell my story. What I'm saying is we don't know what any. We don't know what the truth is. All we know is what people's truth are. Nobody wanted to. To believe me at A point. People thought that I was capping, that I was being the bitter rapper, that it's not Puff's fault, it's your fault. And come on, we all know what happened.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

So the Little Rod story changed it for you.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Hold on. I can only deal with what spoke to me. Right? And I mean, listen, man, I don't want to get into nobody's orientation. People's intimate lives don't matter to me. But when Little Rod says that Puff says that he shot up the club and he made Sean take the fall, that struck a nerve.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Okay?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And if you watch when me and Mace were talking, it's triggering. We both. Me and Mace both agree that, yeah, that's something that Puff would do when he offed that pink cocaine or whatever it is that he does. Yeah, right.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He'll get to talking and get. And I'm like, right? I'm like, no, like, really? That's what you out here doing, like 10 years behind the wall. 13 years deported. Lost my. My career, lost everything. I would have been a billionaire. People like to talk about what this one would have been and that one would have been if I would have gotten all those years out here after Shine album, Godfather, Buried Alive album. Right.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So let's not rewrite history. So when people say, well, you was on stage with him. Well, yeah, because I moved on and I recreated myself. I resurrected myself, and I had my own success in political leadership, and I let the. Let that go. But then when everything is coming, the lady saying that, yeah, Puff shot her. I seen him shoot me. It wasn't Shine. All right. Yeah. Okay, Cassie. All right. Yeah. Okay, then. Now, Little Rod, like, come on, That's. That's a lot.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

That's true.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

And. And I.

[Host]

He.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I actually talked to him. He hit me like, yo. I'm like, well, what do you. I'm not saying anything. That's not true. I always felt that way. I've always maintained how I felt. I just decided to put it past me because I need to move forward and even right now, if you didn't ask. Listen, I did. I guess I can't say what media it is on your media.

[Host]

No, you can. Yeah, it's okay.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Well, I was on BET yesterday. What's. Rodney, what's the lady's name from bet? Mia Bell. All right, so respect to Mia Bell. She's from Hot 97. She interviewed me. Me for BET, and we didn't talk about this, and we could have kept going.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I'm just saying, if you. If you don't bring it up. I won't talk about it. So it's not that Shine is out here, you know, going from when we were in a good space to now, it seems like we're in a bad. I don't care to talk about it. But if, if you ask the question,

[Host]

it's an explanation, information.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I, I feel that I, that I have to share. But you know, I'm in such a great place right now. I pray for Cassie. I pray for those people, for Little Rod, for everyone. Because respectfully, to, to Alex who made the documentary and to 50 who supported her, I'm not going to be the one to disbelieve anyone because I remember what it was like for people not to believe my truth when everybody knew that I was thrown under the bus and I was the fall guy. But notwithstanding, I also pray for Puff. I pray that he is able to reform, rehabilitate, and ultimately have his redemption return to the streets to be a father to his children and to do whatever it is that he can to make amends for the damage and the destruction that he caused.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

And yeah, I want to talk about you, man. Yeah, I want to talk about May 2nd. I want to talk about coming back to Brooklyn, New York, being in Brooklyn, celebrating 25 years of the self titled album Shine. I mean, what does this moment feel like for you, man?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

This moment, I'm so elated. It's so surreal, everything that is happening right now. I say that, you know, God is the ultimate screenplay writer, he's the ultimate director. He's definitely created a movie for me, a motion picture that I just, I couldn't imagine it all happening the way that it's happening. You know, I always say to God when I pray that I have suffered for so many years, all those years in captivity and then being deported. As much as I loved Belize, we got to make sure we talk about Belize, what we're going to do with Brooklyn, Chop House, the resorts investment opportunities there. We need to do invest fest and Belize, I've been telling y' all that for years. But yeah, I always say to God when I pray that, you know, I was deported for all those years, as much as I love Belize and it's paradise is not about not wanting to be in Belize, but as an entrepreneur, as someone who had such a vast portfolio and such great opportunities in the United States, to not be able to travel here, to do my business, to continue to pursue my dreams and my professional life was devastating. That was another sentence.

[Host]

Yeah, I could imagine that could be depressing.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You know, it was tough, but I would say to God, fine. It's my journey, my price of admission for now, what you see happening, right? So when I get the grace of Dr. Dre and RZA and Timbaland and Swiss and all these, and Hit Boy and Boy Wonder and all these incredible people that are, I, I want to work with him. Polo. That's what I prayed for. That, well, let the next 30 years be, you know, a trillion times better. Better than the past. Bad to suffer. Amen. And so when you see these things happening, I prayed for this. I prayed for this. And, and so that's what this moment on May 2, because they're going to be an entire tour of the United States, of Europe, of uk, Africa, Latin America, Asia, the Caribbean. That's what I prayed for. This is a celebration of triumph, of resilience, of old po, new po. It's a celebration in totality because those people that love me, those people that have been with me since I was a 19 year old child, they've grown up too. Some of them, some Gen Z's are just getting onto it. Like, like this kid, Rockstar, right? He's a young Caribbean kid, he's Barbadian and, and, and Trinidadian and he knew bad boys. And so he was playing some music, I was like, man, I need to let you hear the album. I need. And when he heard the Shine album, he fell out. When he heard the Godfather, Buried Alive album, he was floored. The point I'm making is there are people that love Shine and they never got a chance to have this celebration. And that's what this is going to be, a worldwide celebration starting in Brooklyn, of the legacy of Shine.

[Host]

Can they get tickets?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I think there's still some tickets left. Go to Shine, underscore BZ and press the link in my bio. Yeah, and get your tickets before they're gone.

[Host]

Before we leave, talk about Belize, your country that you love so much. You, you always a great patriot for, for the country I know J Prince got. What does he got? Like a.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He has. His real estate portfolio is expanding rapidly. He started off with one island. Now that island is fully developed, he's developing another island in Ambergris Cay, what we call San Pedro in Belize. He bought thousands of acres of farmland, I think last year. The year before that, he bought a mega mansion that's in like the jungle river vibe. His real estate portfolio is exceptional. So yeah, he's down there and that's the direction that I'm going. So, you know, I'm finalizing several partnerships to do the same thing, but more on the development side. Whereas he's doing some development. I think the farmland is for him personally. He's big on that. I think the jungle mega mansion is again, another place that he may like to go. And even the island is like where he goes for New Year's Eve. Right. But for me, I want to develop things like that more for consumption of the Taurus. Right. So I want to create a river experience, Hilux river experience, jungle experience, Hilux beach experience. And so, you know, the first places I'm going is San Pedro and Placencia. So we're going to build five star resorts, Brooklyn, Chop House, restaurants, tourism shops. Yeah.

[Host]

When can we go to Belize?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I gave you an invitation.

[Host]

No, but I want to go when you're there. Like, I gotta go like, you know, you got. I gotta get the full. I gotta get the full experience.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, we just gotta coordinate. I'm going back home next week, but I'll only be there for, for Easter.

[Host]

What's big, like, what's a big day? What would they, what's. They have Carnival.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Maybe you should come for Carnival, because I definitely, I. I should have breaks around there from the tour. But so, yes, September is a great time to come because that is our most important month, most important days of the calendar. Because we have September 10th, which is the Battle of St George's Key Day, which is when we defeated the Spaniards along with the British. So the enslaved Africans along with the British enslavers came together and we defeated the Spaniards. And then September 21st is our Independence Day. So we celebrate, I believe, 45 this year. And my other political hero, which is George Price, he was the first prime minister, first premiere of Belize, and he led us to our independence. And then Carnival is in between that, which is like I think the seventh. It's the second week of September. So I think it's right before. I think it's either right before they do it. Depends how it falls. It usually falls on a Saturday. So it's like the Saturday before September 10th. Because we do it September 10th on September 10th. But I think we do Carnival first week of September, so that'd be a great time.

[Host]

And that's the only, the only country in Central America that speaks English. Right?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah. Remember, we are a part of Central Latin America as well as a part of the Caricom Caribbean nations.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So we're.

[Host]

But you're on the Central America.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yes, we are. Literally, we land border Mexico and Guatemala and the Bay of Honduras yeah, no,

[Host]

we should definitely go. It's after Invest Fest.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You know, and there's so much.

[Host]

There's look at some real estate.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

So much to look at as far as real estate investment, agricultural opportunities there. But tourism, Tourism is really the safe.

[Host]

We're going to Beaches is a one.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

A one. And again, every time I do interviews such as this, these projects that I have coming out, you know, they're all being used as a vehicle to promote and market Belize. So now is a great time to get in because by God's grace, I'm going to be extremely successful with the film projects, with the music projects, with the touring, with everything that I'm doing. The memoir. We talked about the memoir. Yeah. And so everything that I do with my partners who are going to be some of the biggest distributors, biggest publishers in the world, is all going to be at the highest level, and I'm going to use it all to put a spotlight on Belize. So now's a good time to get in.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Is the tour coming to Belize?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, when we do the Caribbean.

[Host]

Okay, my last question is, you know, people that speak Spanish, they say that, like, when you. Whatever language you dream in, that's like the dominant language. So you speak English and Spanish. When you dream in English, that's when you know you've officially made the switch over and you're like a full time. Okay, Brooklyn and Belize. When you dream, you dream Brooklyn. Like, what's your. Because you, you speak. You speak how you're talking now, but I know you speak the patois. You walk both sides of the street. Brooklyn, Vietnam, and then you, you know, Brooklyn, Vietnam. I know you. I know it's both, but what's that? What's that like? What's the one that's like, un.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Unquestionably Belize.

[Host]

Okay.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

It will always be Belize first.

[Host]

Okay.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yes, everything believes, but I, I don't. You know, it's a. It was a. A very, very tricky question to put because I am so. I am so transcendental. And, and, and I, I'm just. I'm. I'm me in totality because Belize birthed me, and Belize is my everything, you know, but it's like when God created man and woman. If you read it, it says that the wind had something to do with it, the earth had something to do with it, the water had something to do with it. Like, God went to all of them and said, you know, I'm going to create this human being. I want y' all to be a part of it. You know, that's you know, you read that in the Quran, and you read that in the Bible in the Torah. So that's how I look at myself. Right. But definitely is beliefs. And then, yes, Brooklyn. Brooklyn definitely played a part, a massive part. New York played a part. But then, listen, I'm in California. When you hear that hitboard California bop.

[Host]

Going back to Cali vibes going back to California.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Got Jermaine. How can I. Dupri.

[Host]

Jd, you got. You cooked up. You cooked up with him.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Oh, come on.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Love to see who you didn't mention.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I was one of the first.

[Host]

You got. So you got the All Star.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

You didn't mention Khed, but obviously we see what Khed a lot.

[Host]

He. He's not a producer, though. What you mean he produces?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah, he make. He make records.

[Host]

Produces.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Come on, let's not get.

[Host]

No, no, that's my.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

You want to spare the CEO, but then you want to go in my guy.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, no, we're not going to say mustard. You didn't say mustard.

[Host]

Mustard on the beat. Mustard on the beat.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Mustard is incredible. Right? But, like, mustard is like. I think he's, like, out of here. But I did hit him because he's on your list. He wasn't on my list.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

No, I got this from you.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I did send you that list.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

It's on your IG page, but must is on there.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Nah, we can make some calls. Well, I put him on the list.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah. He wasn't on the. I'm never gonna be this.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

He wasn't on my initial list. I'm not gonna lie to you. But then after the fact, I was

[Co-host/Interviewer]

like, yeah, now he's having a hell of a year.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

I did. I did hit him. But then the reason. Maybe the reason I didn't put him on my list initially because, like, I feel like he's so. It's like. It's. It's so obvious.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

That I would go there. Right.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Because he's out of here.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah, he is.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Right. And then after that, I said, you know what? It shouldn't be. I shouldn't discriminate because he's so gone. And it seems that he's on another planet right now. You know what? Yeah.

[Host]

Why not?

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Shot Mustard might, you know, might actually happen.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

I like that. I will say this, man. I've told you this personally when we first met that huge fan. I think people who've known me since I was a teenager know, like, you're my guy. Like, there's a couple people that you're one of my guys, and they always tell you shouldn't meet the people that you admire because it'll go terribly wrong for you. I will say that it's been the complete opposite. I said that. You've been a good brother to us. You've lended your time, your service, and your intellect. So I appreciate it, man. I appreciate this.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Thank you.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Yeah.

[Host]

Sean, my brother. Get your tickets. King's Theater. This show will sell out. Special guest alert. There will be some special guests.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

We can't tell y' all that you

[Host]

can't, but just know.

[Sean 'Sean BZ' (Guest, Rapper and Politician)]

Sean, bz, get your tickets.

[Host]

Brooklyn alone. It should sell out just in Brooklyn alone. Yeah, that's easy. All right, guys. Thank you for rocking us. We'll see you next week. Peace.

[Co-host/Interviewer]

Peace.

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