My Momma Told Me

"Gangster Army: Motherf*ckin Mini Episode (RE-RELEASE)"

Hosts: Langston Kerman & David Gborie (“Bora”)
Date: October 9, 2025
Podcast Theme: Comedians Langston and Bora examine Black conspiracy theories—silly, scary, and everything in between, often submitted by fans.

Episode Overview

This mini episode dives into a conspiracy theory from listener Alex, questioning if the US Army is using video games and the digital avatars of Black rappers to recruit Black youth and glamorize the military. Langston and Bora riff on military indoctrination, video game culture, and the complicated relationship between entertainment, celebrity endorsements, and systemic propaganda—mixing insightful skepticism with signature comedy.

1. Listener Email: Black Rappers, Video Games & Army Recruitment

Timestamp: 02:29–04:10

• Alex’s Email:
  • Subject: "USA army using video games to recruit black youth?!"
  • Alex highlights seeing famous rappers (Snoop Dogg, Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage) as playable characters in Call of Duty, with full voice acting and likeness.
  • Claims video game companies and the US Army are “in cahoots,” using these rappers to make joining the Army seem fun/cool for Black kids.
  • Describes a broader entertainment trend of glamorizing the military and "Yassifying Western imperialism."
• Langston’s Reaction:
  • “That's a very damning, if true subject line right from the start.” (03:00)

2. The Power of Propaganda

Timestamp: 04:10–09:29

• Langston’s Take:

  • Strongly agrees with the idea that military recruitment efforts are built into all aspects of US culture.
    • “...there's a fair amount of evidence in every facet of our society that military, and certainly like the US Government, supports military propaganda. That they're constantly trying to get poor people and young people... to sign up for this shit.” (05:02)
  • Calls out normalized rituals, like the national anthem at basketball games, as evidence.
    • “The fact that we stand for the national anthem during fucking basketball games and shit is crazy.” (05:34)

• Personal Anecdotes:

  • Langston grew up “not standing” for the national anthem—his dad was very principled.
  • Bora reflects on peer pressure and high school, specifically post-9/11 patriotism backlash.
    • “I thought everybody felt...like, yeah, I don’t know.” (08:14)
    • “9/11 was sad because people died, not because I, like, the besmirching of our honorable—you know what I mean?” (08:49)

• On Indoctrination:

  • Teachers tried to pull Langston aside, telling him he was “better than this” for not standing—highlighting the pressure and “indoctrination” in schools. (07:04)

3. Generational & Cultural Distance from the Military

Timestamp: 09:29–11:14

• Family Background:

  • Bora notes both hosts’ upbringings made them less likely to buy into patriotic narratives.
    • “Maybe we were never gonna be those people... we already were gonna be disillusioned by it.” (09:38)
  • Langston:
    • Mixed influence—mother interested in “socialist ideas,” father steadfast in not participating in patriotic displays.
    • Jokes: “What am I gonna do, become a fucking sergeant?” (10:12)

• No Chance at Enlistment:

  • Langston says joining the military would have been his dad’s “greatest disappointment.”
  • Bora: “Letting your father down to serve your country. Yeah, that's backwards.” (10:56)

4. US Army, Gaming, and Drone Warfare

Timestamp: 14:06–15:45 & 22:37–23:36

• Recruitment Evolution:

  • Alex’s further argument: The Army targets gamers for drone operation, leveraging their gaming skills for real-world military action.

  • “There seems to be a pretty concentrated effort for U.S. army recruiters to target gamers to become drone operators who will use their gaming skills to bomb poor black and brown people...” (14:20)

  • Langston:

    • “At the very least it is meant to soften your discomfort with the idea of militarized violence.” (15:18)

  • Bora agrees, emphasizing the intentionality—“obvious that this is like a very intentional sort of like recruitment strategy.”

  • Later, Langston concludes:

    • “Drone technology is becoming more and more rooted in what the military's focus is. And a person that is good with video games and also comfortable with blood splatter... is probably a perfect recruit for the military...” (22:37–23:05)

  • Bora quips that “nerds aren’t going to make it through basic training,” but Langston thinks that’s beside the point as military roles evolve. (23:05–23:20)

5. The Rapper Branding Machine—And Selling Out

Timestamp: 15:45–18:43

• Bora’s Frustration:

  • Points out how easily rappers “give it up,” often legitimizing scams and dubious endorsements simply by appearing.
    • “It's always Rick Ross... so we thought it was legit.” (15:37)
  • Notes a pattern: Rappers have built their brands on being “street” and overcoming adversity, but now, are wealthy and disconnected from those roots.

• Langston’s Critique:

  • Criticizes Snoop Dogg—“You know you not supposed to sell your sh*t to the fucking military... You just wanted to do that.” (16:25–16:42)
  • General jab: “Y’all will pop that pussy for any motherfucker that got a dollar.” (16:53)

6. Side Tangent: DJ Envy, Real Estate Scams, and Scammer Culture

Timestamp: 16:58–22:29

• Context:

  • Riff on DJ Envy’s real estate scandal, drawing a parallel to trust placed in celebrity endorsements, which can enable both scams and military recruitment motives.

• Key Moments:

  • Langston describes watching a “supercut” of guests on The Breakfast Club calling DJ Envy a scam artist. (17:18)
  • Both agree they distrust famous people when they start pitching real estate hustles. (17:49–17:55)
  • Favorite anecdote: Joe Budden’s response to Envy, “You’re going to jail.” (18:00)
  • Duo doubts DJ Envy’s claim of ignorance—his financial cut was too grand to not understand. (19:16–19:53)

7. The Breakfast Club & the Cult of Celebrity

Timestamp: 21:00–22:29

• Langston:
  • Wonders how DJ Envy landed his role on The Breakfast Club.
  • “I think the other two are real useless dum dums that offer very little to anything. And I think that had he not been [Charlamagne] this provocateur and f*cking antagonist, the Breakfast Club would have just died off and that's that.” (21:49–22:04)
  • Only notable moments for Envy or Angela Yee are when “they’re getting cussed out by somebody else.” (22:13)

8. Conclusions: Yes, It’s Recruitment

Timestamp: 22:37–23:36

• Langston:
  • Asserts the Army’s use of video games, especially with rappers’ avatars, is an “obvious” and “intentional” recruitment and normalization technique.
  • Notes a fundamental shift in military culture as drone/push-button warfare replaces traditional physical requirements.
• Bora:
  • Sarcastically doubts “nerds” could pass basic training, but the point is moot given changing military strategy.

Notable Quotes

• Langston:

  • "At the very least it is meant to soften your discomfort with the idea of militarized violence." (15:18)
  • "What am I gonna do, become a fucking sergeant?" (10:12)

• Bora:

  • “Letting your father down to serve your country. Yeah, that's backwards.” (10:56)
  • “It's every time they make a scam and rappers... that's why you can't listen to DJ Envy.” (16:48)
  • "Y’all will pop that pussy for any motherfucker that got a dollar." (16:53)

Tone & Style

• The tone is irreverent, sharp, and humorous, with Langston and Bora punctuating criticism with jokes and personal stories.
• Their skepticism is clear, but there’s camaraderie and empathy for listeners’ concerns.

Final Thoughts

Langston and Bora agree that the digital inclusion of Black rappers in military shooters is not just commerce—it’s an intentional softening of anti-military skepticism, targeted at Black youth. They view this as part of a long history of propaganda and celebrity sell-out, cautioning listeners not to be seduced by hip-hop glamour or celebrity endorsements—military, financial, or otherwise.

Listener Call-to-Action:
“Send us your own drops, your own conspiracy theories... send it all to mymamapodmail.com, we would love to hear from you.” (23:51)