Episode 363 | Our Casual Opinion

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL – Episode 363 | Our Casual Opinion

Release Date: April 18, 2025
Hosts: iHeartPodcasts and The Volume
Guest: Mech Mac

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Introduction

In Episode 363 of New Rory & MAL, titled "Our Casual Opinion," hosts Demaris and Matt welcome longtime friend and multifaceted industry professional Mech Mac. Known for his diverse roles as a journalist, writer, podcaster, rapper, and manager, Mech brings a wealth of experience and candid insights to the discussion.

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1. Music Industry Insights

Influence of Athletes and Industry Veterans

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the intersection of athletics and the music industry. The hosts highlight the unexpected yet impactful roles athletes play in shaping music careers. Mech Mac references renowned athlete-managers like Zach Randolph, who notably discovered rapper Moneybagg Yo, stating:

"That's one of those wild stories... You wouldn't expect it." [02:00]

Q Tip's Role in Megan Thee Stallion's Success

A significant portion of the conversation centers around Q Tip's influence on Megan Thee Stallion's career. Mech Mac and Demaris discuss how Q Tip's mentorship contrasts with typical athlete involvement in music labels, often leading to both high successes and glaring failures. Demaris remarks:

"He saw Iggy Azalea and was like, no more." [02:54]

The Shift from Albums to Singles in the Streaming Era

The hosts express concern over the music industry's pivot from cohesive albums to standalone singles, primarily driven by streaming platforms and social media optimization. Mech Mac elaborates on how this shift undermines the creation of meaningful, lasting bodies of work:

"It's, like, you're arranging a business, you're setting up this industry to fail in that regard." [12:58]

Quality vs. Popularity in Modern Hip Hop

A heated debate ensues regarding the quality of current hip hop compared to its golden eras. The discussion touches on legendary artists like Nas and Busta Rhymes, evaluating how their work stands up against contemporary trends. Mech Mac challenges the notion that modern beats are inferior, while Matt defends older classics:

Mech Mac: "Rapping was a prerequisite. There was a floor." [22:41]

Matt: "But the fact that he's on there, going at Jay..." [41:58]

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2. Podcasting and Show Dynamics

Navigating Show Changes and Internal Conflicts

The conversation transitions to the challenges faced in podcasting, particularly regarding the stability and continuity of shows amidst cast departures and leadership decisions. Mech Mac shares his perspective on maintaining professionalism and avoiding unnecessary conflicts:

"If I'm not involved, if I'm not directly involved, I'm not injecting myself into anybody's situation." [56:03]

The Importance of Communication and Leadership

Demaris and Matt discuss the necessity of transparent communication between podcast hosts and leadership to prevent misunderstandings and ensure the show's smooth operation. Mech Mac acknowledges the complexities but emphasizes personal accountability:

"You can't be biased... It's not mine. It's not my say." [74:12]

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3. Personal Relationships and Advice Segment

Voicemail Advice: Navigating Friendships and Relationships

The episode features an interactive segment where listeners call in with personal dilemmas. In one notable voicemail, Rory addresses issues related to best friends pursuing past flings, prompting a discussion on boundaries and maturity in relationships. The advice centers on honest communication and setting clear expectations:

Demaris: "Why is my man's only trying to fuck with girls I used to fuck with?" [107:42]

Matt: "Just say, 'Yo, let me get a piece. Every time I get a sandwich...'" [93:20]

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4. Recognizing Veteran Artists and Their Influence

Celebrating Iconic Figures in Hip Hop

The hosts express admiration for legendary artists like Busta Rhymes and Missy Elliott, acknowledging their enduring influence and dedication to their craft. Mech Mac highlights the authenticity and work ethic of these veterans:

"He's genuinely like, yeah. Oh, hey, that's him." [85:14]

Demaris: "My dream Super Bowl would be Missy and Bus together..." [86:15]

The Role of True Artistry

A recurring theme is the distinction between artists seeking fame and those committed to genuine artistry. The discussion praises artists who prioritize meaningful content and authentic performances over superficial popularity:

Mech Mac: "True artistry looks like and sounds like..." [87:33]

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5. Conclusion

Final Thoughts and Future Directions

As the episode winds down, Mech Mac shares his plans to expand his presence on YouTube while reflecting on the podcast's impact and the importance of maintaining authenticity. The hosts reiterate their commitment to fostering genuine conversations and supporting the show's core values amidst an ever-evolving media landscape.

Mech Mac: "I'm happy to see that everyone's on their feet, successful and doing their numbers." [115:30]

Demaris: "We've been a fan of you guys before you started the show." [115:29]

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Notable Quotes:

• Mech Mac at [02:00]: "That's one of those wild stories... You wouldn't expect it."
• Demaris at [02:54]: "He saw Iggy Azalea and was like, no more."
• Mech Mac at [12:58]: "It's, like, you're arranging a business, you're setting up this industry to fail in that regard."
• Matt at [41:58]: "But the fact that he's on there, going at Jay..."
• Mech Mac at [56:03]: "If I'm not involved, if I'm not directly involved, I'm not injecting myself into anybody's situation."
• Demaris at [107:42]: "Why is my man's only trying to fuck with girls I used to fuck with?"
• Mech Mac at [85:14]: "He's genuinely like, yeah. Oh, hey, that's him."
• Matt at [93:20]: "Just say, 'Yo, let me get a piece. Every time I get a sandwich...'"

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Final Remarks

Episode 363 of New Rory & MAL offers a profound exploration of the music industry's current state, the evolution of podcasting, and the dynamics of personal relationships within professional circles. With Mech Mac's insightful contributions, the episode provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of these multifaceted topics, blending industry critique with personal anecdotes and advice.

Transcript

[Mech Mac]

The volume?

[Matt]

No.

[Mech Mac]

Worrying?

[Demaris]

No. We could do a rolling start. Peach wants us to do an icebreaker to start this episode. What icebreaker did you have in mind, Beach?

[Matt]

Exactly.

[Demaris]

Suggested something without the solution. All right, well, we are back, and we are joined by a friend of the show. Journalist, writer, podcaster, rapper, manager. Every single hat you can think of in the industry, this gentleman has worn. He's also just an incredible human being and has been a friend of mine for, I don't know, 15 years.

[Mech Mac]

At this point, I. I think we're rounding 18, actually.

[Demaris]

Something like that.

[Mech Mac]

Something stupid.

[Demaris]

We are joined by Mech Mac.

[Matt]

What's up, man?

[Mech Mac]

What's happening, fellas?

[Demaris]

It's our live studio audience.

[Matt]

Oh, wow. Oh, yeah. You didn't see all 17 of them, right? Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Hello. Thank you.

[Matt]

That's what they don't see.

[Mech Mac]

Thank you so much.

[Demaris]

What is your elevator pitch like? How do you. Because you've done so much. Like, what do you say?

[Mech Mac]

I do what I want.

[Demaris]

I like it.

[Matt]

I do what I want.

[Demaris]

Yeah. What do you do for a living? What I want.

[Matt]

Hold on, hold on, hold on. The whole mic came off, including that breaking shit.

[Mech Mac]

That's what I do. Okay.

[Demaris]

And we're back. I take back that entire intro because.

[Mech Mac]

Matt came in here.

[Demaris]

He's not the professional I thought he was. He took the label off the water. So I was like, finally, we're dealing with a professional here. But never mind. He broke the microphone. So I take back everything that I erase his entire career just based off that microphone.

[Matt]

Right. Before we get into that, though, episode, a new episode of Don't Know Balls available now with. With our guy, Zach Randolph.

[Demaris]

Yeah, it was great.

[Matt]

Shout out to ZBO for kicking it with us for a few legendary, legendary power forward, 17, NBA vet, and a great businessman, and just one of the most solid dudes that probably have ever made it through the NBA. So shout out to Z Bo for kicking it with us.

[Demaris]

I didn't even know before we did the research that he discovered Moneybagg, yo. Like, I had no idea that he was behind.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, that's. That's one of those. That's one of those wild stor.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Comes out of the blue. You wouldn't expect it.

[Demaris]

It would be him who's the guy that found Meg. Why am I blanking?

[Mech Mac]

Q Tip.

[Demaris]

Besides Q Tip. Yeah, Crawl.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, right.

[Matt]

Oh, the baseball player.

[Demaris]

Because usually athletes fuck up labels, like, pretty quickly. Those two are the only ones that have really been successful.

[Matt]

Right. There's probably some more sprinkled in there. Quietly can you.

[Mech Mac]

Can you call what happened with mega success?

[Matt]

Yeah, Mega Stallion?

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. I mean, like their time together. Oh.

[Demaris]

I mean, it was bad business, but usually when athletes dump all their money into a rapper, they usually go absolutely nowhere. So it was bad business. But that's not an athlete thing, that's a music thing.

[Mech Mac]

True, true. That's why I give the credit to Q Tip.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Demaris]

Which is also the wildest thing.

[Mech Mac]

That was the story for me, knowing Q Tip had a hand in like, Meg thee Stallion. And then you hear about all the other careers he's helped launch, and all of a sudden Meg doesn't seem so far fetched.

[Demaris]

He saw Iggy Azalea and was like, no more.

[Mech Mac]

That was going towards the good stuff.

[Demaris]

Remember when Q Tip started a Twitter just to give her a dissertation on hip hop? And he's defensed. She's like, why are you telling me this?

[Matt]

That's hilarious. That was over. Damn. How long ago was that?

[Mech Mac]

Many moons, right?

[Matt]

At least, what, 10 now? Almost.

[Mech Mac]

When's the last time you heard an Iggy song?

[Demaris]

I have. Probably 2013, 2014, something like that. Q Tip wasn't wrong. He was predicting the future. We should have paid attention to what he was saying.

[Mech Mac]

He was trying.

[Demaris]

He should have added all of us, not just Iggy.

[Mech Mac]

I thought it was coming from a place of, like, really wanting to help. I. I didn't see a lot of malicious talk.

[Matt]

But you know how it is, Mac. You can't even when you're trying to help an artist or somebody that's trying to do something, it's once it's publicly, like, once you make it public, that conversation is public and you say something that the artist may or may not like, it's gonna be deemed and turned into something negative and, oh, he's trying to play. Or they're trying to disrespect you. You know how it is. It's never taken as constructive criticism.

[Mech Mac]

You can't leave it there. I understand that. That's how it is.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Like, once it's public now, if we had a conversation privately, and then I went to the timeline and said, you know, some of the things we spoke about, that's different. But if I'm addressing you for the first time, cold addressed publicly, there's never any good that's gonna come from that.

[Mech Mac]

Okay. But now the other side of that coin is I don't say something and I'm the OG and this person's career derails and goes head on into a ditch. And then it's the OGs don't help. The OGs don't say nothing. And then even when you say something behind the scenes, and they take the information and go a completely different way with it, and then they run it off into the ditch, right? It's. Well, nobody was helping me. Nobody. X, Y, and Z. You make it public because the career is happening in public. And I want everybody to see me trying to actively help you. I don't want it to be something that stays behind the scenes because the career's not happening behind the scenes. Career's happening. I'm a public figure. You're a public figure. Okay, here's my public advice to you publicly. For all the shit you keep doing in public, the backfire is the part that I don't like. Cause then it's like, well, the OGs don't help the young cats. But when we say something, we trying to play you.

[Matt]

But that's what I'm saying. It has to be a private conversation as well.

[Mech Mac]

I think we need to change that narrative. Why?

[Matt]

If you really trying to help me, like, you know, don't just help me on the timeline.

[Demaris]

If Iggy is publicly speaking like Crocodile Dundee and then getting on a record publicly rapping, like what she thinks a black girl sounds like, I think Q Tip can publicly say, shut the fuck up.

[Matt]

No, no, he can. I'm just saying, like, if you really trying to help. Oh, I don't think he was person or the artist.

[Demaris]

I don't think he was trying to help. I think he was trying to make a point of where things.

[Mech Mac]

I thought he was trying to help, but you gotta have thicker skin.

[Matt]

I think he was trying to drain the swamp. Let's see. Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Two things could be true at the same time.

[Matt]

I think he was trying to drain. Like, that was a. He casted a wide net. All of you that's in this game that just trying to get a check and trying to just capitalize off this culture. Stop.

[Demaris]

Can we reactivate his Twitter now to ommyrichman. Is that doable?

[Matt]

What's wrong with Tommy, man? Tommy didn't want y'all to box him in. He was talking to Mech when he said that. Don't box him in. He's not just a rapper.

[Demaris]

Listen.

[Matt]

He's not just hip hop.

[Demaris]

The CIA link with the FBI. Sexy Red, Tommy Richmond. Listen, you guys said he was hip hop, and then he said he wasn't, and now he's hip hop again.

[Matt]

No, no, he said he's not just hip hop. See, we gotta. We Gotta make sure he said, don't.

[Demaris]

Box me in, but let me submit for a Grammy in the hip hop category.

[Matt]

Yeah, absolutely. Naturally. Yes. I got a better chance of winning in that category. Yes.

[Demaris]

Demaris, you defended Sexyy Red and Bruno up and down.

[Rory]

I. Okay. Allegedly.

[Demaris]

We can all. Now that the dust is settled, we can all agree that song stinks, right?

[Rory]

I told you it stinked.

[Matt]

Okay, which one is this?

[Demaris]

I don't know the name of it.

[Matt]

Bruno and Sexy.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah.

[Rory]

Bad, Juicy and Wet. That one.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, my.

[Matt]

That song was terrible.

[Mech Mac]

She did the movement with it.

[Matt]

Yeah, that song was. That song is nasty.

[Demaris]

And they owe Nipsey's family royalties off that.

[Matt]

But last time that I checked, this.

[Demaris]

Is just a bite of that. And then they threw Bruno Mars on it.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Demaris]

Fat, Juicy and Wet.

[Matt]

Yeah. Or last time that I checked, it was Fat, Juicy and what.

[Demaris]

I don't think that's. What.

[Matt]

I don't think the last time that I checked.

[Demaris]

YG or any of them. Take us with that.

[Matt]

That's definitely not what it's not.

[Demaris]

Really what Now Bruno should have checked in is what he should have done.

[Mech Mac]

What's happening here?

[Demaris]

Welcome, welcome.

[Mech Mac]

What is happening?

[Demaris]

Listen, man, I don't dislike Tommy Richmond. I thought his remarks were. Sometimes people just shut the up and like, think about what they're saying. This is another ploy. You guys called me crazy for saying that. They're just using Sexy Red as the fill in ghetto girl.

[Matt]

Is she the token black girl? Yeah.

[Demaris]

The way they tried to do with Cardi, they're now doing with her and Tommy Richmond coming off that like, this is. This is so label put together. It's kind of disgusting. And the song's probably gonna be great. I think it'll be far better than the Bruno one. But it still looks nasty as fuck.

[Mech Mac]

That's. I don't. I don't know about. Well, we'll see. Well, I. I don't like to.

[Rory]

Tommy don't miss.

[Demaris]

I loved his. His project, but it's. It's very Post Malone.

[Matt]

Tommy don't miss is just hilarious. Like, we acting like Tommy Richmond is like this legendary. Like, I'm not saying he's not, you know, a good artist, but saying he don't like. We know the people that don't miss when I don't know if Tommy is in. That is in that conversation. Don't miss.

[Mech Mac]

The disclaimer is coming. The disclaimer's coming.

[Rory]

I say don't miss. It means Tommy.

[Matt]

Tommy doesn't miss. Like J doesn't miss.

[Rory]

Like, Tommy makes music that is hard not to. Like, he's not taking a huge risk.

[Demaris]

Yes, it's palatable, and, yeah, it's palatable.

[Rory]

Yeah, it's not going to be the greatest thing in the world, but it's not going to be bad.

[Mech Mac]

So that's different from not missing.

[Rory]

But that's not. It's not missing.

[Matt]

So Tommy Richmond is like, New York pizza. It's going to be hard to find terrible pizza. But, you know, but there's.

[Mech Mac]

And even when you do a pizza.

[Demaris]

And then there's dollar life.

[Matt]

Yeah, exactly.

[Demaris]

Pizza's still pizza. We know what's. What's better.

[Matt]

In New York City, you have to, like, actively try to find bad pizza.

[Demaris]

So you're saying Tommy and Sexy Red are two bros?

[Matt]

N. That's not. That's not. That's not what I'm saying.

[Mech Mac]

I'm actually not that bad.

[Matt]

No, that's not what I'm saying.

[Demaris]

What, two roads affordable?

[Matt]

Yes.

[Demaris]

When you find, like.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, it's everywhere.

[Rory]

Two bros is good, though.

[Demaris]

It's not bad. A dollar slice is not bad at all.

[Matt]

Two bro. We not. Listen, we not even going down this hole. Two bros is.

[Mech Mac]

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

[Rory]

Hold on.

[Demaris]

A dollar slice.

[Matt]

That's terrible.

[Demaris]

They brought the dollar slice back.

[Matt]

You ain't saying weed is good because it's $5. I don't want to hear that. That's bad weed.

[Mech Mac]

You are literally getting what you paid for. Yeah, literally. You're literally getting what you paid for.

[Matt]

That don't mean it's good, but it's still pizza. Just say it's a dollar, but don't say it's good. Say it's cheap.

[Demaris]

They got rid of the dollar slice. Two bros came around in, what, like, 2010 or some shit? Yeah, yeah, they brought that shit back in 2010. I needed a dollar slice.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Two bros saved my fucking life.

[Rory]

Who was next door to Liu. I ate that shit for dinner every day.

[Matt]

I mean, for a dollar, you can't really be in there talking about, oh, what is this? Like, you can't. Well, you can't$, right. It's a dollar.

[Mech Mac]

But you also wouldn't use the term this don't miss.

[Matt]

I'm not gonna say two bros don't miss.

[Demaris]

They don't miss, though, man.

[Matt]

I know what I'm getting.

[Mech Mac]

Every single dollar for a dollar.

[Matt]

They don't miss with that bum slice, man. That's a terrible slice of two bros.

[Demaris]

And it's a factor. You just have to wait in line Till you see the.

[Mech Mac]

The pie, the fresh pie come. Yeah.

[Rory]

Then you really getting like with the mango madness. Come on now.

[Mech Mac]

No. Oh, wow.

[Demaris]

Mango madness is fire.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah.

[Matt]

The marriage used to be a chicken head. You. You see how fast you went to Mango Madness? Snapple like yo, Mango madness. Snapple in a slice. That's chicken head.

[Demaris]

And she daily put 99 banana in it.

[Rory]

Student.

[Matt]

No, no, for sure.

[Mech Mac]

Smell the pink oil moisturizer all over coming down the hallway right there.

[Rory]

I know you all talking about pink. Talking about pink lotion.

[Mech Mac]

Pink lotion.

[Rory]

Old as shit.

[Mech Mac]

I have grown sisters. I lived in the house with all kinds of everything.

[Matt]

I've seen it all.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, bro. Pink oil straightening combs in the kitchen.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Like all burnt necks. I know the smell of all these weird things walking around that house.

[Matt]

That's part of the smell growing up in the black house.

[Mech Mac]

It's just right there for you.

[Matt]

Who earlobe is burnt. I smell it.

[Demaris]

Maul used to blame it on his sister when he was cooking something else.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Don't talk about that though. Try to expose you see like burnt hair. We talking about Tommy. No talking. We talking about Tommy, right?

[Demaris]

She was flattening her hair.

[Rory]

Tommy.

[Demaris]

Why do these pots and pans look like this?

[Matt]

We had to do what we had to do, man.

[Mech Mac]

Spoons are up.

[Matt]

Make a mashed potatoes.

[Rory]

That cooking crack though, like cuz a.

[Matt]

Lot of today, what is happening right now? Like what are you asking me?

[Rory]

Did you really had a wrist though?

[Matt]

I've never done that. I've never done those things hypothetically, but like for fun. Hypothetically.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Like the way people lie in raps.

[Matt]

Like we do that with raps. If I was rapping. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I know how to. Yeah, yeah. We could break that down and that's going. It's going to lock up. It's going to come right back.

[Demaris]

When I met you, you worked at the hospital, right?

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah. Great times at the hospital. Shout out to the armistice for the hospital.

[Demaris]

You in and out of town a lot.

[Matt]

Healthcare on the east coast. You know what I'm saying?

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

That's what I got to count for something.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah, but Tommy. Yeah, I didn't hear this song. We didn't.

[Demaris]

It's just a snippet. Yeah, it was a snippet. Let me hear this.

[Matt]

I don't, I don't. You know, I'm not clicking on the Tommy Richmond snippet, but you know, y'all said he don't miss. Let's see if he don't miss.

[Demaris]

I get the formula. Do you think we'll ever get a sexy Red album, or is she just gonna be the personality? Insert verse.

[Rory]

I think they've already released.

[Demaris]

I know. I'm saying again, we may be down.

[Matt]

To only maybe really seeing consistent albums from maybe 12 artists.

[Demaris]

We need to just have that in the mainstream. Yeah, you're not wrong.

[Matt]

I think a lot of people are just singles. You know, put something on, maybe a soundtrack or something, if that's even the thing anymore. But as far as, like, these artists really putting out albums and labels getting behind every artist to get an album done, those days are. We're further away from those days than we are closer to those days.

[Mech Mac]

It almost feels like it's more trouble than it's worth.

[Matt]

Oh, absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

To put the full body together. When you see somebody have this massive success from a single and here you are putting all this time and energy. But I still think bodies of work from OG Artists.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Are still. Because very much needed.

[Demaris]

Their consumer wants to hear that and is. That's how they consume music, is body work. But these new artists, especially if you sign to a major. If I look what a single does with no overhead and just a digital budget, why the fuck would I have a whole recording budget for an album?

[Matt]

Right? Exactly.

[Demaris]

Like then I gotta do.

[Matt]

But first of all, the songs, the songs we were talking yesterday. The songs now are even being constructed for, you know, social media. Just to have that one 20 seconds of a song that's like, they love that. They love that part of the record. May not ever hear the other parts of the record, but that part we saw the artist that was mad at his show a couple years ago. Why is his name leaving me right now?

[Demaris]

Steve Lacey.

[Matt]

Yeah, everybody, you know, you got to play the air guitar. When everybody got mad, when he got mad that everybody was coming in.

[Demaris]

That's the song. Go again.

[Matt]

No play too, though. That's important. Everybody just does this. This is nothing. You got to do this too. But yeah, when they were coming to his show just for that song, because that was the song that was big on TikTok, and that was a song that everybody loved. And as an. As a true artist that Steven Lacy is, he's like, yo, like, you know how much other shit. That's like asking Prince. Well, not to compare him to Prince, but if everybody just wants to hear Purple Rain, right? Prince is like, y'all know how much other dope shit I got. Like, why y'all just so again, music is being made for just that quick consumer. 20 seconds. I like that 20 seconds. I could post my picture, my, my carousel on social media with my, you know, my vacation just to that 20 seconds. So why would that, why would a label want an entire album from artists that's not proven to be a true artist?

[Mech Mac]

I think, well, number one, if they haven't, if they're not proven to be a true artist, you probably shouldn't have signed them.

[Matt]

No, but not if you, if not using logic. Yeah. If they have success, if they haven't, if this artist is, you know, clickable every time, you know, traction impressions, things like that, they pay attention to analytics. Anytime you attach this, this person's name to something, everybody clicks on it, they visit it, they making money like that. Now with the music, it's like, I don't need this to be Beyonce. I don't need them to be a true artist like an Usher or any of these other people. I just need them to be, you know, sexy. I need them to, you know, their name to be clickable. I need them to have some personality. That's it.

[Mech Mac]

And you set up an industry where we lose 40% of sales. You need to chop down the staff massively.

[Matt]

Exactly.

[Mech Mac]

Shit turns into McDonald's. So fast food. The cultural aspect starts to wane and, and, and you train the fans to literally turn something off after a few minutes. And you can't maintain a fan base that way. Like again, you'll get people who show up to the concert, wanna hear the 20 seconds and then leave and get bored. Like long term, big picture, you are arranging a business, you're setting up this industry to fail in that regard. The new fans only know what you show em. We all have our experiences where music was the backdrop of whatever it was. Certain songs fit certain moods. If every song is coming from a new artist and no song, no artist has a collection that makes you sit down and go, damn, this album was the one that was behind me when this thing was happening. Like, I know a lot of people who Reasonable Doubt and the Blueprint go back and forth because at that time in their lives, these were the albums that spoke to them. If you only have a song, I think it's up to, I think it's, I say all that to say I think it's up to the executives and the people who are making these decisions to think about the overall health of the business. And I don't think this practice is healthy.

[Demaris]

But is that a music problem or just a world problem and music is a result of that? Because even if the music business had good intentions and wanted to train the new consumers to love bodies of work and real musicians, you're trying to teach a brain that can't be taught that because the environment they're in now is microwave as is. Like they can't be purists in one thing and also get raised on TikTok for 15 seconds. Like their brain can't even be trained that way because they grew up in a time that's just like.

[Mech Mac]

I get, I get that. But you, you don't stay a kid. You know what I mean? Nobody stays a kid. When I was a kid, I did kid things. When I grew up, all of a sudden I had appreciation for all this other fly shit that was around me. And I would think just as a businessman, the long term goal, instead of the short quick flip would be a smarter thing to look at the overall health of the business. I just don't think this is overall healthy.

[Demaris]

Well, I mean, the labels got in to the tech business. They're not really in the music business anymore. Like they own 25% of Spotify. They are in the tech world where music is just something to keep them on this tech platinum platform that they already own. So these execs are not viewing it from a music standpoint. You know, you don't have the IRVs anymore, you don't have the dames. Like these people are in that office looking at analytics and tech. That's about it. They're not really here for music to begin with.

[Mech Mac]

Hence the problem.

[Demaris]

Like even with that whole TikTok shit back and forth with Universal, you looked at Universal's overall goes. What 1% of Universal's business was, was UMG. That's crazy. Yeah, UMG, which is a billion dollar company, is 1% of Universal's overall goal. They don't give a.

[Mech Mac]

That's the problem.

[Demaris]

Yeah, but I, I don't want to complain because I think there's a balance. Like what Mass Appeal just announced seven new albums. Nas and DJ Premiere, Ghostface, Big L Mob, Deep, Raekwan, De La Soul. Like there is still a balance. We can't be the old people that just. Yeah, but these are about that because there is. If you go and search for it in the streaming era, that is one of the positive things about it. You don't have to deal with what the machine is putting out. You can go search for your own music. Yeah, but your own playlist, own shit.

[Matt]

The thing about this is talking about we don't have to be, oh, these are all old artists.

[Demaris]

I know, but I'm saying there's still a balance. I want to hear. I'm 34. I want to hear from all of these people.

[Matt]

Yeah, but you're a different 34.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, that's. That's a fact. You're different.

[Matt]

You're into a different part of the culture and the industry, the artistry, the music.

[Mech Mac]

Your intersection is different than the average 34 year old number one. Number two, where's the room for the people that this group inspired? Like, where are the kids who are inspired by Ghostface or the rappers who are inspired by Nas? Where's the room for the Simbas and the. You know, what's the boy out of Houston? Marcus Clay? Like, where's. I'd like to see space for them. Cause it's not really even an age thing at this point for me. It's a class thing.

[Demaris]

I mean, Jid's about to put out an album. Would you not say he's inspired by these seven artists?

[Mech Mac]

I'd like more. I'd like more. That's all I'm saying. And again, the overall health of the business. If money is your goal, the big play would seem to be the one to make as opposed to the short term quick flip trying to regurgitate the exact same thing over and over again.

[Demaris]

The rapper Mike just drew out an incredible album that I could tell was definitely influenced by Doom Ghost. All them, like, it's there. No, it's not your Facebook. Since when was that ever in our face? Like, let's not act like in the 90s, early 2000s, like real hip hop just fell from the fucking heavens. And that's what was played on the radio all the time. That was on mtv. Like, even the stuff we love, you still had to search for like. Like, yes, there'd be one Ghostface single that would make it. But like, you still. It was still technically underground in the 90s. I mean, Wu Tang would have singles.

[Mech Mac]

Obviously, but okay, that's. That's a lot of members. That's a lot of people right there.

[Demaris]

You don't think there was, quote unquote, mainstream being played in the late 90s, early 2000 on the radio constantly that hip hop purists complained about all the.

[Matt]

Time on the radio. Yeah, it was hard to hear on the radio.

[Demaris]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

At one point, yeah, we might be mixing up errors.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

In the 90s, early 2000s, I loved Nelly, but all the older people on my block, older friends, cousins, whatever, would be, oh, shit is trash, man.

[Mech Mac]

Why are you listening to that, what block was this?

[Demaris]

They would just call it some queens. They would just call that shit old mainstream bullshit. Like they wanted to hear the purest shit. And I'm like, dog, this is great.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. I mean, but, you know, there's also taste. Everybody has different tastes. You can't. Nelly had bars. If you. If that. If you focused on them, he had some rhymes that actually. Oh, shit, that's kind of cool. Went for.

[Rory]

The young kids will say the same thing to y'all about their artists.

[Matt]

They can't tell me none of these niggas got bars because.

[Rory]

Well, not. Wouldn't say none. I think it's less than it used to be. But a lot of people will complain about some of the subject matter. But that's what's hot on the radio right now. What on people's. What's on people's albums is different. People will talk about different things on their albums. The stuff that y'all might not hear. But the singles, yeah, they are going to go with.

[Demaris]

When Snap music took over, that was a nasty time.

[Matt]

We was going through something as a Snap era. That was just a weird. No, they not. That was just a weird time for rap. I'm saying I'm not mad at the music and having fun, because I'm from the era of Kid and Play and Kwame. Like, they was having fun and dancing and shit like that. So I understand that part of it. Like the Snap shit. But they was also. It was also just a certain level of rhyming that Kid was doing. Yeah, like, you could have fun, but you still had to be rhyming, though. De La Soul was fun. Yeah, but they was rhyming.

[Mech Mac]

It was rapping. Rapping was a prerequisite. There was a floor. And we. I think a lot of times we forget that Big Pun had records in the club. Public Enemy had records in the club. EPMD headbanger went off in the club. Like, crossover. Played in the club. Depending on what club you went to.

[Matt]

Rakim played in the club.

[Mech Mac]

Thank you. But everybody had different tastes, you know, if you didn't. I'm a hip hop head, right? I'm not necessarily a rap fan. I'm a hip hop head. I listen to the hip hop.

[Matt]

Okay, I was about to say, explain the difference in.

[Mech Mac]

There are plenty of people. There are plenty of people who like rap music, right? And for them, it could sound like whatever rap sounds like to them. I'm a hip hop head. I like graffiti, like breakdancing. I appreciate DJing, and I listen to emcees who really have something to say. Right. When I'm talking to the youth, I even hate using that expression. But when I'm talking to kids who are just coming off the porch, I've heard shit like, these niggas got too many words.

[Matt]

Mm.

[Mech Mac]

I'm sorry, what?

[Matt]

Well, that's. Cause the kids these days, too much high fructose corn syrup. The attention to detail is very short. You know what I mean? Like, they don't. They.

[Mech Mac]

They want to. They want to feel more than they microwave.

[Matt]

Yeah, they microwave babies. They want it right now.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, they want to feel more than they want anything else. Like, it's all about the vibe. It doesn't even have to. What he's saying is irrelevant. Which is why I think communication is such a lost art. You think losing cursive is bad? Like, wait till they can't actually speak to you.

[Matt]

Yeah, no, that. We're already there.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. Yeah, maybe.

[Demaris]

Yeah. I just think there was already a form of that even when Puff came around and like, people were shitting on a lot of the stuff that Puff was doing. From the purest perspective, this has happened in every era of hip hop. So as much as I hate this generation and I'll be the first one to not tiptoe around and be like, no, it's something from. No, everyone sucks now. Yeah, but like, I'm with that. But this. Oh, it's always been an era where people thought the bullshit was on top in mainstream and in our faces. Before the good shit was.

[Matt]

Yeah, but you mentioned the point of. Now they're pushing more of the bullshit because there's more of the bullshit to push in here because you can literally upload your bum ass project the same day Beyonce puts her album out on the same digital platform.

[Demaris]

And okay, but which one is getting playlist? Which one's going to be on the main page?

[Matt]

Which one is going to good in your bullshit ass album? 12 seconds of a song that's gonna end up on everybody's page.

[Mech Mac]

The right hashtag will have you neck and neck with her for.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's like, yo, what do we.

[Demaris]

Okay, but is that not just another version of the one hit Wonder? Like, no disrespect to like Mims, because I loved this is why I'm hot. But is that not the same version? Did they not push that record? Crazy.

[Matt]

Not saying it's a one hit one. I'm not saying they didn't. Yeah, but it's different than being one hit wonder. And with some of these. Some of these dudes are a 12 second wonder. Yeah, 20 seconds.

[Mech Mac]

That's because our attention span is shrunk to the point where the one hit wonder is now the 12 second wonder. And again, it's not good for the overall health of the industry. Oh, that's the only point.

[Demaris]

That's the only point at that.

[Mech Mac]

But that, that especially like without getting scientific. That for sure. But as someone who exists in this business, fellas, whoever's like in control of this, whoever's in charge, fellas, this is not a good idea, like to keep going in this direction. The people who are pushing the buttons on this, this is not a good. We can't sustain this model. It won't last. This is not a good idea. And the crash will be epic.

[Demaris]

What is a career right now?

[Mech Mac]

It's subjective.

[Demaris]

It's being a personality. And then you also make music totally subjective.

[Mech Mac]

Commercial, totally subjective. When I sit down with a. If I'm ever sitting down with an artist, I have a client. My first question is, all right, what are you looking for? What do this to be? Pit? Show me what success looks like to you. And the answers as I've gone on have gotten weird, wide and weird. Like, I've heard everything from. I want to use this to launch my clothing label. I want to use this to get into movies. I just want some commercials to. I want a tour. I don't really want to put albums out. I just want to be on tour. I'm not really looking to, you know, be albums or yo. I'm trying to do like, you know, I'm trying to get that Drake run going. I'm trying to, you know, 10 years, bunch of different albums. I want Grammys, I want plaques. But the list is like, wide. Some people just want to be known on their block. Like, you ask me what a career is, they don't know because they rarely see one. Like you said, it's right in the pocket of what you're saying. The examples are not really there. To show you why it depends on where you're looking. Cause if I'm looking at a drill rapper and he's his age, he's famous in our school. And my world revolves around this one neighborhood and this one school. This kid is like the hero. And it doesn't matter that he won't be here next year. It doesn't matter that he's got like maybe one or two of these songs in him. And then people get bored and move on to the very next one. If he even gets that second one off, he could Be gone by the second one. Again, the health of the business, like trying to sustain that shit. And I'm just thinking about the overall. Like, the music industry has done plenty of good for plenty of people as foul as it is. But it's no fouler than any other business. No fouler. Any other industry. We talk about this one because it's the one we're in. We talk about it like sometimes we talk about it like it's a unicorn. Like if you go into textile manufacturing, they don't have the exact same kind of fuck shit happening over there. It's everywhere. This is the one I care about. Cause this is the one I'm involved in. And it. Fellas, the overall health of what you're doing is not. You can't sustain this. And the crash looks crazy to me. Like almost CDs are not really a thing anymore. You're gonna buy a bunch of flash drives and push the music on the street that way, like going back to the trunk is almost non existent. We've almost made it. So you can't. The laptops don't play CDs. They only play flash drives. Flash drives cost a little bit too much money and I have to get.

[Demaris]

An adapter to put the flash drive on with certain.

[Matt]

Mm.

[Mech Mac]

You know what I mean? The technology has boxed you out of being able to do it hand in hand. So where do you go when the apps completely lock up or social media completely decides to shut that door? Yeah, I'm thinking about the health of the artist.

[Demaris]

The new hand to hand is spamming IG comments.

[Mech Mac]

Gross.

[Matt]

Gross.

[Demaris]

Is it not?

[Matt]

No, that is true.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

It's going onto a blog page and saying, yo, am I trash or fire? Click here to find out. That's the new masterpiece out the trunk.

[Mech Mac]

Marketing. Yeah, that's the marketing.

[Matt]

I want to pivot back to the mass appeal seven album thing. Who do we think is going to be the surprise return?

[Mech Mac]

Rakim Cool G Rap? Big Daddy Kane.

[Demaris]

Like, I can see Big Daddy Kane would be crazy. What do we think this big album.

[Matt]

I was going to say album is.

[Demaris]

Going to sound like and who's producing on it?

[Matt]

Hello.

[Demaris]

No, big old Big O would be Lord Finesse.

[Mech Mac]

Like if it's not. If digging into Crate chain involved. I don't know if I.

[Matt]

You don't even want it.

[Mech Mac]

I. I don't. I don't want to hear rehashed. I hope they got fresh verses, number one. I hope they got fresh verses, number two. Lord Finesse, showbiz and AG definitely need to be represented. And then I want to know who the executive producer is. Who's in charge of the sound bed. I know who's directing it.

[Demaris]

I would love.

[Matt]

Would it be Nas?

[Mech Mac]

Okay.

[Demaris]

Or Premiere? I mean, Premier was the executive producer of Big Picture, which was.

[Mech Mac]

Which Death.

[Demaris]

And to me, doesn't sound like a post Death album at all. Like, I'm quite a fucking classic album.

[Mech Mac]

If it's primo. I'm quite. Oh, what if it's Most deaf? What if the surprise artist is most deaf?

[Matt]

Okay, that makes sense.

[Demaris]

But they already announced the Most in Alchemist album.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, yeah, I missed that.

[Demaris]

And. And Most is not putting his on any streaming. He's made that clear, which I appreciate. True. But even with that said, like, I would love now that Cam and Mace are back like Children of the Corn reunion, all that. It should just be Harlem on that big L that. That we. We fire that we've been deprived of.

[Matt]

Children of the Corn, y'all swinging for the fences now.

[Demaris]

Why?

[Matt]

I'm not mad at. I'm not mad at the attempt, though.

[Demaris]

Cam sounds like he's in shape when he does those freestyles.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, no, that's a fact.

[Matt]

No, Cam is. Cam is definitely.

[Demaris]

And Mace is Mace.

[Matt]

And Mace is. Mace is underrated. One of the most underrated artists I think we have. But I think we would have. I don't think those gentlemen would have kept that under wrap. I think they would be right here with us, like. Yeah, like.

[Mech Mac]

You think Mace is underrated?

[Matt]

Absolutely.

[Demaris]

As a rap. Not as. Like, he gets his just due for the singles. Harlem World, all these. But, like, as a rapper. Rapper.

[Matt]

I don't think you was out. Mace is under. Mace was a superstar, bro.

[Mech Mac]

You know what?

[Matt]

Mace had singles with Mariah Carey.

[Mech Mac]

Let me. Let me do this. I think he is rated fairly in the circles I'm in.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

Those are specifics. That's like, I've never heard.

[Matt]

I'm talking about overall.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, but I. Okay, all right, all right, all right.

[Matt]

Super under. Mace doesn't get talked about enough. He kept the lights on that bad boy.

[Mech Mac]

That's you preaching to the choir.

[Matt]

You know what I'm saying? No, I know. Cause you're from that too. But I'm just saying, like, people don't know and they don't recognize that.

[Mech Mac]

That's hard for me to.

[Matt]

Because of the circles you're in to grasp.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, I guess.

[Matt]

I mean, but I'm talking about in the casual. And we just start talking to people and come in passing.

[Mech Mac]

I don't talk to casuals?

[Matt]

Well, yeah. I just said the other day I don't want to talk. I just said the other day I don't want to talk to nobody that didn't use a landline. Like if you didn't use a landline.

[Mech Mac]

I don't.

[Matt]

I'm not debating with you no more.

[Mech Mac]

You can label it whatever you want, elitist, backpacker, snob, whatever it is. I don't talk to cats.

[Demaris]

I just saw a J1 tweet. I don't talk to people under 26 about music. I was like, that was very liberal of me.

[Matt]

Under 26.

[Demaris]

That's really nice. You're a really nice person for 26 to cut it off.

[Matt]

What kind of conversation about rap would I have with a 26 year old? Well, I've had conversations with you when you were 26 about rap, but again, you're different.

[Mech Mac]

But like Roy didn't know how to take that.

[Demaris]

He's like, I felt offended.

[Matt]

But we've already established. Rory's just, you know, I can just see the bullshit.

[Demaris]

But it comes from a good place.

[Matt]

No, no, but you absolutely, you've listened to enough and have studied enough of the things that have happened to be able to speak on it. But now today, I don't even know a 26 year old that I would want to talk about hip hop with that isn't like maybe from that tree of their parents or into the industry and things like that. If it's just a casual 26 year old, I'm scared to even hear what they might say.

[Mech Mac]

Well, a casual fan at any age is a casual fan.

[Matt]

Yeah, but a casual fan in 98 versus a casual fan in 2025.

[Mech Mac]

He's still a casual fan. He's still telling you he can only name the songs that was on the radio. He's still a casual.

[Demaris]

I feel like casual. I stopped myself cause I was about to say some bullshit. I used to think that casual fans didn't even want to debate. But now after the last year and a half debate, I have noticed that those are the main people that.

[Matt]

Those are the debaters. Those are the great debates.

[Demaris]

That's why I stopped myself.

[Matt]

Those are the great debaters.

[Demaris]

Used to be a casual fan would just be like, yeah, whatever. Like, I like this, I like that.

[Matt]

Yeah, the cash is. Yeah.

[Demaris]

No. Now the main people that want to argue that are misinformed.

[Mech Mac]

Why do you think I have that look on my face when I say I don't, Bro, I'm not, I'm not like that that you Know me. You've known me forever. I'm not like that. I talk to everybody about everything. But lately, the conversations. These guys are so, like, wrong and strong is a real thing. And it's like the gospel. Yo, he's the goat, bro. Just say he's your favorite.

[Matt]

Yeah, just say he's your goat.

[Mech Mac]

Just say he's your favorite. Just. You like him better than everybody else. That's cool. Nah, he's the goat. All right. By what, metric? What standing? I don't know what you mean. God damn it. I'm instantly pissed. How you measuring? Tell me. What, What.

[Matt]

What is it?

[Mech Mac]

What are we judging by? Like, is it. Are we talking sales? Are we talking Grammys, talking shows? We talking influence? We talking bars? We're talking features. Like, give me the criteria.

[Matt]

Who is the goat, in your opinion?

[Mech Mac]

Oh, shit. Again, all those questions have to come into. Have to come into play. There are a lot of people who.

[Matt]

But I'm saying you. If somebody asks you, your mech. Who is your goat? That we all have in our mind. Who is our.

[Mech Mac]

I just have my favorite. Like, the greatest is all accolades for me. So who's put up the most accolades?

[Matt]

Yeah. Who's your greatest, in your opinion?

[Mech Mac]

It's hard to make it pass hov.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

And that seems like such a cliche answer, but when you talk about all the boxes that need to be checked, it's not culture, cultural influence, bars, awards, plaques, features, test of time. Influence is huge. Influence is a huge. The man put industries out of business.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Stop wearing jerseys because he said so. He didn't buy X5 because he said so. You put on a oversized button up shirt because he said so.

[Demaris]

He didn't kill Autotune or Tim's, though.

[Matt]

They took a hit. Yeah, well, they took a hit.

[Demaris]

Who took a hit?

[Matt]

Tim's definitely took a hit.

[Demaris]

Let's go. Let's go through 2009.

[Matt]

You want to see the years, the numbers.

[Demaris]

I want to see. I want to see Timberland's tax returns.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

I promise you, when him and Drake said we off that nobody was off that. All of us, all of us kept.

[Matt]

Like four or five months. They took a dip and then they got right back to it. Got cold again. They said that in the summer. They said that in the summer because.

[Demaris]

I went 40 belows and jean shorts.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, wow.

[Matt]

That's.

[Demaris]

I wear 40 belows, 80.

[Matt]

Couture. You was on that School Shooter Couture right there.

[Mech Mac]

Wait, wait, wait. School Shooter Couture.

[Matt]

That's school shooter. 40 belows. And Jean shorts.

[Demaris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt]

He about to go shoot some up, man.

[Demaris]

I'm channeling Colin Bind and Prodigy.

[Mech Mac]

All you need is a leather jacket.

[Matt]

And you also. You're channeling Remy from higher learning as well.

[Demaris]

I did that with a haircut already.

[Mech Mac]

So that's exactly what it is.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Loud and clear.

[Matt]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Demaris]

And yeah, Auto Tune just got better. But HOV has killed a lot of stuff. That was the two things that we quietly, as hope stands, don't bring up.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

That just was not killed whatsoever. But, I mean, it's hoving than everyone else.

[Mech Mac]

Even then. We talking three for five. Like, three out of five is still.

[Demaris]

A pretty good average.

[Mech Mac]

No, I'm just out of what we named just now. It's three for five.

[Matt]

I mean, I always go back to, you know, just seeing, you know, having a lot of dope artists in one room and seeing it firsthand and then seeing when Jay walks in that room, like, you can just see the difference in the respect level from artists that are huge and have accomplished a lot. But when it's Jay that walks in the room, it's just a certain level of. And then from the guys that I think are ghosts, like Rakim, when I see the way Rakim embraces Jay and things like that, when you see those guys, the way they put their arms around him, I think that it's clear that he is the one that they look at.

[Mech Mac]

I've been in rooms with Busta Right arm for him. I've watched other stars get starstruck around him. Trevor Noah walk up singing his verse. Clifton Powell from across the room starts screaming out Pastor Courvoisier. He may have had a couple, but I'm bullshitting. But singing a song, I've seen that. I also saw what a compliment from Jay meant. Two bus, right. I see one guy who influences a bunch of people. I see another guy who influenced a bunch of people. But a lot of people didn't try to be like Busta. Right, Right. Busta's on that one on one shit up there.

[Demaris]

Cause they couldn't. You would have looked corny trying.

[Mech Mac]

Right? He's got children. He's got children. I see his influence, but a lot of people didn't try to be like. But I saw a lot of motherfuckers try to be like Jay. Tons to the voice. What was homeboy's name? Sakari. There was. Was it Sicario?

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Who wrapped with Angie Martinez?

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. To the voice.

[Matt]

Like he was all right, though.

[Mech Mac]

No, it was fire.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

If Jay didn't exist.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mech Mac]

You know what I'm saying? Like, if we didn't have that guy.

[Matt]

To go to, he might have seen more success.

[Demaris]

Yeah, Chris felt the same way.

[Matt]

Yeah, he loved going to that.

[Demaris]

That's not something that I didn't come up with that.

[Matt]

No, but you love going to. I didn't say you come up with it.

[Demaris]

I don't actually think I said you love. It's that way whatsoever. I really don't.

[Matt]

You bring that up way too much.

[Demaris]

That's a whole. The same way the. The stereotype is Nas picks bad beats. I think that's a stupid stereotype that hip hop has just taken on. I don't know if you say Tupac.

[Matt]

But he rapped on a lot of bad beats, though.

[Demaris]

Yeah. He's had a 30 year career. It's gonna fucking happen. And he put out a house once a year.

[Matt]

Don't say that.

[Mech Mac]

He also. He also. Okay. He also.

[Rory]

Take your time.

[Mech Mac]

This is weird. No, it's weird to say. I interviewed him and I asked him about that.

[Matt]

About the beat selection.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. Actually, he's one of my cover stories. One of my proudest moments.

[Demaris]

This was the source.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. Yeah. Many moons ago, sitting in the Spotted Pig, his restaurant. We were like, upstairs, where no one was. Me, him, and Gabe from Def Jam.

[Demaris]

Shout out to Gabe.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, for real.

[Demaris]

Insane human being.

[Mech Mac]

I asked him why he did that.

[Matt]

Why did you pick Bad Beasts?

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, Like, I don't. I don't remember the exact words.

[Demaris]

I commend you for that, by the way.

[Mech Mac]

I had to. I had to. I'm in a room. I can't be. I can't be biased. And I'm from Queens, you know, this is like the guy. If I don't ask this question.

[Matt]

You're not asking any questions. Yeah, you don't ask that one.

[Mech Mac]

Everybody else is at the office, go, what the did you do? I'll never get another story again in my life. I'll never get a feature again in my life. So I asked him, and his answer surprised me. Two questions I asked him that. His answer surprised me. One, I asked him, like, why he got married. At the time he was married to Kelise, and I just wondered. And he said, all my heroes have been married men. Everybody I've ever looked up to have been married men. Besides the fact that I think my wife was made for me. All my heroes in life have been married men.

[Matt]

Respect.

[Mech Mac]

I was like, okay. He started, like, rattling Malcolm X, blah, blah, blah. All my. Okay, got it. The beats thing. I was like, you know, the story is you pick bad beats. What's up with that? And he goes, I want people to pay more attention to what I'm saying than what the beat sounds like. You can't ever think that. I don't get offered every beat under the sun from every producer under the sun, for sure. And I kind of gave him like a little side eye. And he said, think about it. I always give you one. I know what you want. Every album, I give you at least one or two. I make it a point to do that. But I don't want the beat. He basically said, I don't want the beat to be more important than what I'm saying. So I'm not picking like the super illest beats, but I do that when it's time to. And he starts rattling off his albums and he's naming the tracks on those albums where the beat is crazy. And he's going crazy. He was like, but I'm not going to do that like every time. And whether you believe him or not, whether you believe him or not is irrelevant.

[Matt]

Yeah, I mean, I'm not. I'm not mad at that because again, I never thought that Nas's beats were, you know, and every, like every track on every album was terrible. But there was some joints, like, to me, you know, the battle with him and Jay, I. To this day, I think Ether is one of the worst beats.

[Demaris]

I don't disagree with you there ever that.

[Matt]

But the fact that he's on there going at Jay kind of to what he overlooked. It's what he's. What he's saying.

[Demaris]

If you go to YouTube now and just type in Ether instrumental without Nas on it, you would be like, what the did this guy even hear in that studio? How did this even make it onto a dat.

[Matt]

Yeah. Sound like it's not finished. But no disres to.

[Demaris]

To Brown.

[Matt]

He did. He has classics beat for in that moment is like, how did you land on that?

[Mech Mac]

Fits right into the answer that he gave.

[Demaris]

Yeah. And it was effective.

[Mech Mac]

After he said that, his whole career just kind of like shifted over a little bit. His whole discography, you look at it way different. You look at the songs where he's really saying some shit and those beats are kind of not the greatest that he could have found. But his whole thing to me was, do you really think I don't get those beats first? You think they don't send those to me? You think all these producers are sending me that?

[Matt]

Definitely think he does. But I. I love Nas. One of the. You know, one of my hip hop heroes. But he's absolutely insane for passing on some of the. That I know he's heard, like, and then be like, nah. But you know what I'm saying? I really want to get off on this one.

[Demaris]

Okay. But.

[Matt]

Because what I'm saying is gonna overshine the music.

[Demaris]

It's like you did you think the hate me now beat was fire?

[Matt]

It wasn't terrible.

[Demaris]

That's a great beat.

[Matt]

Yeah, it wasn't terrible.

[Demaris]

Nas got killed for doing that.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Like, he can't win for losing. If he went even I'm on the side of you owe me is fire. But Nas got killed for that. Anytime he's went the route of the beats that people want him to do, he gets killed for it.

[Matt]

Yeah. But I think he got killed more for you Owe me because you owe me is incredible. The hook and then genuine. It was just too much. It felt too industry, too shiny. Two record two record industry.

[Demaris]

It's like five entendres in that hook.

[Matt]

Like, y'all made this and said like, oh, we got radio with this. Like, and I hate when rappers do that.

[Rory]

But that's not fair because Jay did that a lot, too. And he don't get killed for it.

[Matt]

Every rapper does that. Jay got killed for what?

[Rory]

Well, I was young, so, yeah, Jay.

[Matt]

Got killed for a lot of joints. Oh.

[Demaris]

I mean, most of volume one, he got killed for.

[Matt]

Yeah. Sunshine. He had the shiny side of all the.

[Demaris]

I'm fine with great record, though.

[Matt]

I love the record. But he got killed for that. Every rapper has to have, especially then. And you have to have that moment where it's like, okay, I'm in the music business now. I have to kind of, like, adhere to what the labels are saying they want.

[Mech Mac]

And they need. His answer for doing. His answer for Omi, when I asked him, was, I wanted to show them that I can do what they do while they can't do what I do. I wanted to go in their world and show them I can do this whenever I feel like it. And you can't come in my world and do what I do. But your shit is so easy. And this is so candy. I can go over here whenever I want, walk in your world, wipe my feet on your carpet, and then walk right back out. And you can't follow me and go do the stuff I do again. His.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

The interview put a lot of things in perspective for me.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

And I mean, even with that, let's go with Nas's Prime 94 to 2002, Illmatic. It was written. I am Nostradamus still mad at Godson? Yes, you can say Nostradamus wasn't the one. Even though I think comparing to NASA's catalog, yes, it's not it, but it's better than half of every rapper's first project ever. Where are their bad beats? In those? In everything. I just named 94 to 2002. Tell me where there's bad beats.

[Mech Mac]

Well, you can't even start with the first one. That was the first super producer album. That was like the original experiment. A bunch of super producers get together with this fucking prodigy and put together a perfect album.

[Demaris]

It was written, starts with the message.

[Mech Mac]

I don't have the slander. Fair. It was written that other people seem to. I don't get.

[Demaris]

I think, think I could make a case that's better than Illmatic?

[Mech Mac]

I've heard that argument before. I don't agree, but I've heard that argument.

[Demaris]

It has more replay. Maybe it's just because Illmatic is like Thriller. You've heard it so many times that.

[Mech Mac]

You don't always go back for whatever reason. I, I, I like. What did I say?

[Matt]

I'm not mad. I hear the argument, but it's not better than it.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, I don't agree, but I'm not even doing that. I get it.

[Demaris]

I am. Starts with New York State of Mind, Part two, which I could argue is better than the first one. Then to hate me now it had. It has Nas is like on there. Like, what do we talk about with Nas and babies? He said this is a stereotype that hip hop took on. And because it sounded cool, everyone kept going with it.

[Mech Mac]

I don't know about that. Because he knows. He knows. He.

[Demaris]

Because it's been a stigma, but that.

[Matt]

People always say, but nobody truly did.

[Demaris]

Nobody gives me the beats that are bad. What's a bad beat on Stillmatic? You're the man was probably the best beat of that year.

[Matt]

No, but you know what, though?

[Demaris]

Because Second Childhood is one of the best beats he's rapped.

[Matt]

I understand what Mech is saying though, in him asking Nas that.

[Demaris]

Got yourself a gun now that you.

[Matt]

Running off these titles, I could hear the beat and I'm like, if I didn't hear Nas rapping on that, would I love that beat, though?

[Mech Mac]

And here we go.

[Matt]

You see what I'm saying?

[Mech Mac]

The ceiling is different when you start comparing. When you have a rapper who you can only compare to himself.

[Demaris]

Okay, but what is a rapper's job when they go into the studio. It is to produce the best song that they can make.

[Mech Mac]

Right.

[Demaris]

So if this is what brings out the best Nas and I can say this song. Song is incredible my ears for hip hop is for the final product of the song. I'm not listening to Got yourself a Gun and going, you know what? I love this. But let me just go listen to the instrumental and decide if this is okay. No. Nas took that beat, put his foot in it, and created an amazing song. That's the point of a rapper.

[Mech Mac]

I think that's one of the ones where he was saying, I always give you one. I think that's one like, you're naming the ones that he. Don't.

[Demaris]

Got yourself a gun smoking, you're the man Rewind one mic, Second child, Destroy and rebuild the flyest rule Name a baby.

[Matt]

Again.

[Demaris]

I get what you're saying that everyone needs to stop saying about Nas.

[Matt]

I get what you're saying. But if there are some of those beats. All right, put it like this. If you run those off, right, but then be like, yo, let me hear the shit you turned down when you was making this album.

[Mech Mac]

Oh.

[Demaris]

I mean, but that's.

[Matt]

Then you're gonna be like, yo, you passed up on this.

[Demaris]

But then again, that's the difference.

[Mech Mac]

And we're not in the studio to know exactly which ones he's talking about he turned down.

[Demaris]

But to me, that's something that you can't prove. And it's like that beat we love. Maybe Nas wouldn't have done what was supposed to be done on that beat.

[Mech Mac]

I only. I only. I asked the question because there's a stigma. I only back it up because he acknowledged it. But I. Again, I only think he acknowledged it because he understands that we're comparing him to him. Yeah, he's. He's in different airspace. Jay is only whack when you compare him to Jay. You can't compare Jay to the landscape and say he's whack. Okay, well, what about this dude? I mean. You know what I mean? When you start running into the artist where their name alone ends the argument, right? Which is. I hear that a lot. Well, what do you think about this? I mean, I'm not Nas, but when you start hearing shit, I mean, I ain't Jay. I mean, but that's Jay when you start hearing that shit. We're now only comparing them to them. You don't compare them to anybody else. So Nas's lackluster facade stigma is because they're comparing everything to him. They want more and when he switches the tone, when it's no longer the gritty, grimy sound of Illmatic and it's the slick sound of. It was written. Ah, come on, man. Come on. What you doing? They want him to follow up a classic. But then when you have the generation that came in under under. It was written. Well, then the next one sounds kind of, Ah, come on. Bring track masters back. What you doing? Yeah, bring Primo back. What you doing? How come you never did the album with Prem? You know, all that shit catches up and that builds the stigma. But the fact that he acknowledged it tells me that he knows he's turned down some shit.

[Matt]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

In order to give us the joints that he's given us. But I don't. I don't disagree with you.

[Demaris]

Godson starts with get down.

[Mech Mac]

I love that track.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Made you look is on that album.

[Mech Mac]

But that's one of them ones. He actually named that one. He was like, think about it. This one, this one, this one. As you're rattling them off, I'm remembering him saying that one. This one.

[Demaris]

Like, would I love the I can beat in the studio? Probably not, but Nas's vision of that, of what he was going to do with the kids on the hook and the message. Yeah, that beat fits what he was supposed to do and made a classic song.

[Mech Mac]

And he also wanted you to hear what he was going to say. That's one of those message right Records.

[Demaris]

Yeah. I mean, it made me. It was like the first time. What do Republicans want in schools now? They want to get rid of.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, Nothing.

[Demaris]

What's the cultural. They want to get rid of prayer. See, yeah, that. That was the first time I felt like the white guilt. I was like, damn, we did all that. Everyone was. Kings just showed up. Jesus Christ.

[Mech Mac]

What the.

[Demaris]

Now I understand why the Republic kids. I was a young white kid. Everyone was, how could we do this? Before we get off music, I want to say I went to Millie's release party last night and shout out to.

[Rory]

How was it?

[Matt]

Shout out to Millie's. I ain't going to lie.

[Demaris]

Blanco. Seven out right now.

[Matt]

He was one of those. He was one of those ones I thought about the white rap Mount Rushmore.

[Demaris]

Oh, he.

[Matt]

He.

[Demaris]

He could outra a lot of names.

[Matt]

He got rap a few on that. Mount Rushmore, if we be honest, 100%. Yeah.

[Demaris]

I want to say this very. Just to the room. I know we're recording, but if you were wondering where all the pretty women are in New York City if you cannot find them, they're with Millies.

[Matt]

All of them?

[Demaris]

Every last one of them. Now, Rory asked me.

[Mech Mac]

I don't like how that sounded. All the pretty women are with Millies. Wait, I missed that.

[Demaris]

Which camera? Millies. I apologize. I knew you were an incredible rapper, incredible artist. I was not familiar with your game, bro. I've been wondering for the last five years where all the women hang out. I did not know they were all with you.

[Matt]

It was at Millie's album release party.

[Demaris]

They were all matching him.

[Matt]

That's crazy fire.

[Demaris]

I was like, damn, I didn't get the all white memo. And then I realized it was just the women in Millies.

[Matt]

Shout out to Millies, man.

[Demaris]

Project sounds great.

[Matt]

He's one of those ones that's. For a few years, he's been putting out consistent joints. He's been consistent. And anytime you hear Millie's, whether it be a freestyle or, you know what I'm saying, Anytime you see him, like, he's rapping for real, know, you know, Jada signed him.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Somebody who obviously knows about bars and rapping, so.

[Demaris]

Oh, I, I, I saw, I saw dad Jada last night. Because, you know that's his artist. Of course he's showing up. No, he was exhausted and wanted to go home. Yeah, he was in the corner like.

[Matt]

Yeah, I just can't wanna go watch first.

[Demaris]

I have to be here for my artist, is my guy.

[Matt]

But no, I want to go to bed. I want to go to bed.

[Mech Mac]

Millie's is one of those dudes I used to. I had this thing at the beginning of every episode of my expert opinion. I would shout out somebody who I thought was dope. So he definitely made the list. Blew me away after the first list. And I've been fucking with him ever since. Millie's Villain Park, Marcus Clay. Ali. Ali. Wow.

[Demaris]

Vegas.

[Mech Mac]

No, no. God damn it.

[Matt]

Don't do that. Vegas.

[Demaris]

Wait, no.

[Matt]

Ollie is one of my. That's one of my favorites, man. That's one of my favorites.

[Demaris]

Oli. Vegas is dope.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, man. I can't remember his name.

[Demaris]

Well, what made me.

[Mech Mac]

Amir Ali.

[Demaris]

Amir Ali is the.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

I didn't want to forget him. Amir Ali out of Philly. That boy is a. Is a problem.

[Demaris]

Millie is. Outside of being the talent that he is, I'm just happy that he is carrying the torch to prove that lyrical rappers also get all the women.

[Matt]

Oh, yeah. Like, that used to be the thing, though. That's what it used to be like if you was really nice.

[Demaris]

Like, like these hoes love freestyles.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

Wow.

[Matt]

They do. They do.

[Mech Mac]

Wow. How long you been waiting to say that?

[Demaris]

No, I figured it out last night. These chicks was bopping their head to. To Millie's pain. I was like, oh, wow. Women are into this, bro.

[Mech Mac]

There's never been.

[Demaris]

Stop with that SOB stereotype where there'd be no chicks. I'm telling you, I have not seen that amount of women in one place.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's that artist in New York.

[Demaris]

In quite some time.

[Matt]

Yeah. Shout out to Millies, man.

[Mech Mac]

There's never been a time in hip hop where the lyrical guy wasn't top of the food chain.

[Demaris]

Yeah, for sure.

[Mech Mac]

We talk like, it's like, not, but.

[Demaris]

There'S never been a single year in hip hop where that wasn't the case ever.

[Mech Mac]

But people would. The guy that everybody was scared to rap with, that guy, and he pulled. He did whatever you wanted. There's always been that, dude, I hate that stigma.

[Demaris]

Yeah, it's definitely.

[Matt]

Yeah. That's a new thing.

[Demaris]

Since we have to get off music, we have to be messy because it's podcasting. What is going on with my expert opinion? I do not know the barbershop. I have been just because, you know, love the show. Fuck with math. I've just been paying attention to what's going on. We're not here to judge. We understand how fucking crazy it is to try to keep a podcast business going, but where does this leave the show?

[Mech Mac]

In the hands of the owner.

[Demaris]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

In the hands of the owner. I don't have a lot of information as far as, like, where it's gonna go. I found out a lot of things in real time with everybody else. I knew the lights were off.

[Demaris]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

We went to do an episode. I'm the one who called him and told him the lights were off. So, you know, that's jacked up. I told him to fight for the shot, not because. Not because the aesthetic is so needed, but because I felt the way it was done was dirty. I don't think you should let people get away with the bullshit. So you should fight for the shop. But, you know, the spot isn't the show. The voices of the show, the energy is the show. You guys, you, too, could pick up, go someplace else and still be Rory and Maul. You dig what I'm saying? Like, when you left, when it was Joe Budden, and then next thing, it's Rorian Maul. You're still Rorian Maul. My expert opinion will be my expert opinion no matter where it is. Agreed. It's not. I don't like the fact that all the business is on Front street. But that wasn't my call either, Dig. So we'll see what happens. We'll see what shakes out. People are hitting me up for answers that I'm kind of watching with everybody else. Matt, can you see what's going on? Yeah, I'm looking right now. This is crazy. You got some popcorn? That's nuts. Do you see this shit? Wow. Fuck. Did you see this?

[Matt]

So you and Math haven't had any personal conversations at all about it?

[Mech Mac]

We spoke. We spoke months ago, and we knew that the landlord was, like, being a little shaky. You see him walking by, looking in, like when we're filming an episode, but dozens of people walk by and look in. You see a barbershop with a bunch of bright lights. You know what I mean? And microphones. Of course, you stop and what the fuck is that? So I didn't pay attention to every. I didn't even know what he looked like. And I stayed out of the business part of it. Like, if I'm not involved, if I'm not directly involved, if I can't help in any way, shape or form, I'm not injecting myself into anybody's situation, especially when it comes to finances.

[Demaris]

Yeah, right.

[Mech Mac]

Those are your pockets. You spend your money, you do what you do. I don't wanna know how much you're making. I don't wanna know. I'm from Queens. All I care about is my bread. I don't need. I don't want any of yours. I need all of mine. That's the philosophy. And I'm not here to pocket check or pocket watch you under any circumstances. So as far as. As far as, like, the being, he did tell us when homeboy was trying to. After the light thing, homeboy's trying to kick us out. Blah, blah, blah. I'm like, well, he needs barbers in his hand. There's nobody. He told us all the same stuff that he said online. So, yeah, we had that conversation.

[Matt]

But wait, the landlord said he needs barbers in the shop?

[Mech Mac]

I'm not saying anything that's not already. Yeah, of course there's something in the contract that says you have to have barbers in the chair. Or there's like a subsection where it says you can use it for other purposes. Right, but the main thing is the barbershop. And I can understand that if I'm a landlord and I own a spot and I walk by, you know, three or four days out of the week, and the shutters are down and the lights are off. And this is my place. I want to see it active and moving. You don't want your building looking like it's abandoned, basically.

[Demaris]

I mean, if the agreement, though, is per month, I owe you this. What I do with it is kind of none of your fucking business.

[Mech Mac]

Unless there's a suspicion that you're doing something illegal.

[Demaris]

Okay. Which obviously was not happening.

[Mech Mac]

What? In that if we selling drugs on.

[Matt]

Camera, like, bro, you might have just did something with that. We ain't think about that.

[Demaris]

What you think RFK was there for?

[Mech Mac]

Wow. Wow, okay.

[Demaris]

Well, that was where the suspicion started. What is RFK doing here? It's been so long some shady drugs.

[Matt]

Have been sold on camera, boy, absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. Not when I'm around.

[Matt]

Right?

[Mech Mac]

Not when I'm around. So, you know, some shit makes sense, some shit just doesn't. I didn't communicate with him because I wasn't asked to. And it's. It's not. It's not my. It's not. For lack of a better term, it's not my place.

[Demaris]

Okay, but is that something you at least check in with him on, of, like, the status of, like, what's happening or. You have so many resources, I couldn't see why math would hit you to be like, yo, this is what's going on. Is there something you can help out with?

[Mech Mac]

That never happened.

[Demaris]

Okay, then I just feel like somebody like you would be the first call with the resources that you have and could provide.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, sure.

[Demaris]

To keep that moving.

[Mech Mac]

But that never happened. Like, we. We are where we. If that was the case, I don't think we. You know, if he'd asked and I. And I could figure it out, yeah, of course I would. When have you ever asked me for something and I said, nah, go fuck yourself, Never. Or, like, didn't even answer the phone for you?

[Matt]

Never.

[Mech Mac]

Like, if I'm not answering the phone. Excuse me, if I'm not answering the phone, I'm busy as fuck. I am working on albums with an icon, so my days are jumbled up. And if we're not filming the show, then I have things that I definitely need to put my attention to. But juggling wasn't a problem. And anybody calling me for anything, it's nothing to be like, okay, I got you, but if I don't have it, if I can't help you, I'm not going to pretend I can.

[Demaris]

You think there's a window with this? Because, I mean, the podcast world is so unpredictable with fans, algorithms, everything with the Steam that y'all had, you know, being one of the top shows. Is the window small to come back? Just the way shit operates and how quick everyone moves, how quick do you think you guys need to come back?

[Mech Mac]

It's not risk free. Right. I'll give you that. I'll say that. It's not. I can't. I don't have a. Because they also say absence makes the heart grow fonder. You know, and we were obviously providing something that, you know, was different from our peers. We don't do what Rory and Mal do. We don't do what Joe Budden does. We don't do what Drink Champs does. Not in the same way we're all doing something different. Your voices are unique again. Wherever Rory and Mal go, it's Rory and Maul. You can't duplicate the voices. Right. Wherever my expert opinion goes, it's my expert opinion. You can't duplicate the voices, you can't duplicate the energy. So if people miss that, then there's always gonna be a window for something that somebody misses. You know what I'm saying? But maybe the main eyes, like. I heard that.

[Rory]

Sorry.

[Demaris]

No, it kind of goes back to the. To the casual fan combo.

[Mech Mac]

Totally heard.

[Demaris]

We were having, like, there's podcasts that I'll watch all the time, and if I start clicking other and somehow they get out of my algorithm, it's not at the top of my mind.

[Mech Mac]

Sure.

[Demaris]

Because it doesn't pop up. I just think that's how we're kind of trained with everything. Now I'm falling off with podcasts. Not because I dislike them, it's because with all the busy I'm doing during the day, sometimes my algorithms is what's going to be the thing that I click that day for sure. So, I mean, that. That's where I think not a window would be small because you guys have already built a core fan base that's always going to be there.

[Mech Mac]

Like, you know, there's a million subscribers on that.

[Demaris]

Yeah. It's incredible. Like, so you guys were the only podcast that. I don't want to say late to the party because it sounds, like, disrespectful, but it's not. When everyone. The podcast boom hit, everyone tried to do a podcast and they all failed. You guys were the only ones that came in after, like, the core and passed us, like.

[Mech Mac]

I see what you mean.

[Demaris]

Yeah, the only one. And to me, that was, like, the most unique ever. When Math launched it, I was like, oh, this is a really good conversation. But this is when Everyone has a podcast because they saw what the rest of us were doing. Y'all were the only ones post boom that actually stayed. So I do think, of course, no matter what, there's. The window is open.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. But there's magic with.

[Demaris]

Because we've been through it. So, you know, there's no judgments on this side. We have a little therapy session. What have these ups and downs been like with people leaving the show? Messiness. New podcasts every single day. They're talking more about what's going on with the cast rather than the actual show. What has that been like? Because you've been, I feel like the only one from the original cast that's still there.

[Mech Mac]

I'm not even the original cast.

[Demaris]

Oh, yeah, I guess you're right.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah. No, I'm second generation at best. I'm not even original cast. And I think there might have been an iteration between the first and the second. I might be third. But the question is, what has it been like?

[Demaris]

Yeah. Navigating with, you know, now that we have bag fueled them, leaving the space Go situation. Like, there's been a lot of drama with that show and who are we to speak. We've had the same type of.

[Matt]

But I don't know if we had the same type of.

[Demaris]

Oh, public breakups.

[Mech Mac]

Fallouts.

[Demaris]

Yeah. Like they. I mean, even everybody is part of our breakup was on their show. Like we.

[Mech Mac]

We've had. Yeah.

[Demaris]

Often.

[Mech Mac]

How about that?

[Demaris]

How has that been? Because, I mean, I know you still have a great relationship with the guys at Bag Fuel, and I don't know your situation with Space Ghost, but how have you navigated that? Like, because who gets who in the divorce? Like, I still. I still love Savon, but, you know, it's weird.

[Mech Mac]

Nothing. Nothing's weird for me. This is going to sound very anti climatic. I'm chilling.

[Demaris]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

I'm really, I'm chilling. I don't have any beef with anybody. I don't have no smoke with nobody. Me and math is still in business. Me and Esso are cool. Me and Heineken are cool. Me and Space are cool. These people were mentioning didn't do anything to me. Facts, you know what I mean? And I also live by a very specific philosophy. My father told me a long time ago, if you didn't violate somebody's kids, violate somebody's wife, send somebody to jail to take somebody's life, it's not that serious. You can work it out. You can figure out a way to coexist with that other person on the other side. Of that thing. Money loss, you can give it back. Food, gone. You can give it back. Like Tom gone. You can make amends. You can figure that shit out. The only four unforgivables were the ones I just named. And none of that happened in any of these situations. Nobody did anything to anybody. That's so crazy you can't get back. Right. And when it's not that I can't. I don't have. It's hard for me to put energy into beef friction, like whatever you want to call it. It's hard. I don't.

[Matt]

It don't have to necessarily be a beef. But outside of those four things, there's things that people can do that would definitely warrant you never fucking with them again, though.

[Mech Mac]

Sure. But even that doesn't come with any anger. It doesn't come with malice. It doesn't come with any. And if it's not that, then what? If it's not that? If I'm not looking for you to actively harm you, it's not beef. I don't understand what we're arguing about. Like, we disagree fundamentally. We're not seeing eye to eye creatively. We go our separate ways. When I see you out. Yo, what up? How's it going? What's poppin? You didn't do nothing to me. Like, nothing crazy. And if you did something, I got it back. So what we talk about, you are never gonna. My other philosophy in this business, you'll need me before I need you. It's always been true. Every year of my career, it's been true. Anyone who's ever tried to do me dirty has had to spin the block or look for another me and end up with the TEMU version. It's always been hilarious. I don't even. It's to the point where I don't even trip anymore. And I don't have that situation now. I don't know this landlord. You know what I mean? Whatever he did, I don't know the business. I wasn't there when the paperwork was signed and the contracts were signed for me to jump in now and go, hold on. Wait a minute. What about this part? I look stupid doing that, right? Like, whatever. He signed the lease. I didn't know it was a. I didn't know he was subleasing. I didn't get invited. Math owns the shop. Okay, cool. He doesn't own the shop. Okay, cool. We subleasing. All right, cool. What part of finding that out? Yeah, what part of finding that out changes anything that I have to do My job is to show up.

[Matt]

Be.

[Mech Mac]

Me, talk about the things I know, research the things I don't, and keep the show. Keep rep the show, rep the energy, rep the spot. We're not a crew, we're not a gang. You know what I'm saying? Not family. We're people. We work together. And it's a good look. And we all do great work together. And as long as it's that. I learned late in my career on some Source magazine shit. I learned very late in my career, way later than I should have. You can't get but so attached to something that does not belong to you. Facts, Bad idea. And Rory, you may remember there was a time when I was just Mecca from the Source. That was my whole. I was in people's phones.

[Demaris]

That was literally the sent. Like that was the fullness name.

[Mech Mac]

Nobody knew my last name. That Mecca from the Source for everybody. Regardless of where I wrote what I. That's how hard I was with that brand. When I got offered other spots, I deaded it because I felt like you were insulting me. How dare you question my loyalty to what I'm doing out my face? Think I'm a jump ship? I look like to you, I smack you know what I'm saying? I got. I got angry, like to the point where you think that of me? You think I would actually do some shit like that, bro? When the Source started making wild moves and I'm in the back going, no. What the fuck? No. Oh, my God. And he did it anyway. It's not mine. It's not mine. Doesn't belong to me. It's not my say. It's not my call for me to sit here and scream at the top of my lungs, get all upset and get an ulcer over somebody else's decision. It's crazy.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, but I mean, at the same time, you know, I think that it is some sort of communication that should be had so that you're not blindsided when you don't have to know the exact details of everything. But if you're saying you found out about shit when I found out about shit, that's a problem.

[Mech Mac]

To me, finding me finding out ain't the issue. Him telling everybody is pretty much the cornerstone of the gripes. Right?

[Matt]

That's where all the smoke came, him telling the public.

[Mech Mac]

Right, okay, right. Could I stop him from doing that? He never asked me. He never told me he was gonna do that. He didn't tell any of it. I can't speak for any of us. I know. He never told me. I found out. He was online like everybody else. I'm getting. My phone's blowing up. Yo, you see your man? I got a lot of. Who we talking about? Rory? I got a song. What do you mean?

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

No, Buster.

[Demaris]

Cool.

[Mech Mac]

What? Motherfucker? Nah, Math is okay. I'll go look. I went and looked. Oh, shit. Well.

[Matt]

Right.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, run that back. But what am I supposed to do about it? You know what I mean? Like, I get upset, get mad, get excited. It's his shop. It's his show.

[Matt]

Yeah, but it's. I mean, but you've also dedicated a lot of, you know, sweat equity to the brand.

[Mech Mac]

That's worth. That's worth whatever it's worth. And I did that.

[Matt]

It's a worth to it, though.

[Mech Mac]

I did that. Because of me.

[Matt]

Yeah. No, for sure, absolutely. But I'm just saying, like, I just thought that there would be some type of communication between you and Math to where you would at least not be blindsided by some of the things you're hearing him say publicly. I thought that you would, you know, you would at least know what was going on a little bit, maybe not exactly what's in the paperwork.

[Mech Mac]

I knew a little bit about what was going on, like I said. I knew the landlord was acting a little shaky. I knew I was the first one to find out the lights was off. And I kind of figured. I don't know if he actually. Yeah, he told us that the landlord was out to evict us, but I didn't realize it would get. It wasn't in that order.

[Matt]

Okay, I got it.

[Mech Mac]

Like, the lights off are the last thing. Oh, shit. The lights are off. Called him, told him, hey, I don't know how we gonna do this episode. The lights is off. You might wanna call somebody. I don't know what's been happening. The light. All right, no episode today. All right. All right. I'm going to the studio. Gotta do X, Y, Z, A, B and C. Let me know what's happening. Next time we need to come to a show, I'll pull up and do my part. But outside of that, no one's obligated or entitled to anything. No one's entitled to any of that. Nobody's obligated. It's not frowned upon when it happens.

[Demaris]

Yeah. From a leadership standpoint, maybe it would be better and behoove the staff to know everything that's going on just for the show. But I see what Mech's saying, because, like, that's a drastically different situation than ours where you're sitting behind expenses. We have a contract that is based off everything that is spent here that we need to see this and that. That's in a contract. It was started from. Together with sweat equity. It's. It's drastically different. But him being second, third generation of that, like. Yeah. If that was the case, like. Like, when I've been hired to do stuff, I know this is what it is and ain't my fucking business. Like, as long as you have my check every month, there's not really much I can say here.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Nor. Nor do I want to because it's not my. I'm paid to show up, to do this at the best of my ability and grow the show the best way I can.

[Mech Mac]

I got. I would get. Yeah, but you. Yeah, but how you. But you. But Mech is.

[Demaris]

But I mean, back to your source comparison too. Like, I remember when Scythe left Hot 97, when he had that revelation. Like, I put my life into this logo and then realized I was expendable. And they did not give a single about me. Even though I was the most senior person in there as far as years in. I was fighting for a logo that did not give a. Like, why would I even do that? No, I should have just showed up.

[Mech Mac]

It's not show my morning show and.

[Demaris]

Went the home and not even fought with Breakfast Club and like, nah, dude, I don't care about this logo.

[Mech Mac]

You get caught up. You get caught up. You want. First of all, when I was at the Source, bro, that was the bible. Grew up on that magazine. Yep. Fucking, that's like the perfect word. Who wants to let that go, right? Who wants to see that ruined? Who wants to see that tarnished when it's literally your dreams? I was writing about hip hop as a hip hop head in the hip hop Bible. Every day you had to tell me to go home. You know what I mean? I was in the office all the fucking time. I had a toothbrush in that bitch. I was there. I wear glasses now because I stand in the screen for way longer than I should have, way longer than it was healthy. Now I need glasses. I did that because of my love for this place. But it doesn't belong to you. Every career I've ever worked with, every artist I've ever helped foster or get his shit back on track or put this album together, whatever, Whatever. When it comes time for them to make the decisions that they want to make, you have to remember it's not yours.

[Matt]

Right?

[Mech Mac]

You can see the Red flags can look like a fucking parade in China. You can see it a mile away. You can scream at the top of your fucking lungs, bro. What they want to do, they are going to do. And that goes for anything that you are not directly in control of.

[Matt]

Right.

[Mech Mac]

And you are disrespecting them by assuming that you have more say or you have any say over their shit.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

But also from. And I'm not making this a math specific thing because I know nothing about his leadership outside looking in with that, though. Like, if you have people that are leaving, you are also responsible for the chemistry of that show. As a co host.

[Mech Mac]

Sure.

[Demaris]

So you do have to deal with the decisions that the leader does make. Like when Esso and Heideken left, I'm sure the interviews in the beginning were a little different because part of that show was gone. A chemistry was gone.

[Mech Mac]

Sure.

[Demaris]

Like how you guys played off each other. Who was asking specific questions. Like, you have a very specific set of questions. Math has a very specific. Like there's. That's why the show was so great. So many different perspectives. As a leader, I do feel like you should keep your team at least involved in some of what's going on with that info because they also are going to have to move this show with the decisions that you make and just showing up with me like, oh, they're not here. And now I gotta figure this out. Wish I would have known.

[Mech Mac]

I'm past that point in my. In my career. Not. I'm not trying to sound like Mr. Cool, but from being honest, I've been in places with high turnover. You know what I mean? I know what that's like. It's not. I thought that team put numbers on the board in a real way. Me so Heineken, Mav, Biga, Space Ghost. That was the unit that Eminem shouted out. First rapper to ever like big us up. Just out of nowhere. Hey, those guys know what the fuck did that was amazing. Shout out to em for that. I never forgot that that was the unit that put numbers on the board. Now the units changed. Is beefing about it gonna make it gonna change that?

[Demaris]

No, just try to get more clicks.

[Mech Mac]

I tried to have. I tried. I tried to. And this story is out. I tried to set up the dinner for all of us to sit down and air out our grievances. Bigga had the spot in Little Italy. We were all supposed to meet up. Sr, Heineken, Space Ghost, me, Bigger math. We were all supposed to sit down and have the conversation. It did not happen.

[Matt]

Why?

[Mech Mac]

Mav said he wasn't going.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

And again, this is public information. He said it. He said he wasn't going.

[Demaris]

His decision to make is his.

[Matt]

But.

[Demaris]

I get it. But leadership as well. Again, outside looking in.

[Mech Mac]

My pops told me one time, when the results don't change, the why is irrelevant.

[Matt]

Yeah. That's a fact.

[Demaris]

Fair.

[Mech Mac]

I. Stop asking. I don't.

[Demaris]

I don't even want to know at this point.

[Matt]

Yeah, it's like it. Let's move on.

[Mech Mac]

If. If I found out, would it change something?

[Matt]

Right.

[Mech Mac]

Why won't you cut one second? It's gonna make him pop up. I'm like. I'm talking into it. He's a grown man, right?

[Demaris]

Yeah, I still suffer from that. I've gotten better in my 30s, but I'm definitely one of those people that harps on the why. And it never really changes once I know the why. But, yeah, I'm like, I need to know why.

[Mech Mac]

If. If I shot you in the foot, Knowing why wouldn't unshoot you. You. Well, even if I didn't mean to shoot you in the foot.

[Demaris]

You sleep with my best friend after Kylie's pool party. Well, yeah, it's right there.

[Matt]

One of the. One of the artists.

[Demaris]

Too soon. My bad.

[Matt]

One of the artists that we didn't mention for the Mass Appeal 7 album.

[Mech Mac]

Hang on, hang on, hang on.

[Matt]

No, I'm trying to get. I'm trying to. I'm trying to.

[Demaris]

I'm trying to give public record.

[Matt]

Yeah, I know, but I'm trying to give pj.

[Demaris]

I'm not Team Free. Tori as Tori.

[Matt]

You know, I get that. I get that. One of the artists that we never.

[Mech Mac]

Should have said shot. You never should. Ran right into. That was all my. My far right.

[Demaris]

Who shot your Meg?

[Mech Mac]

Well, you can't help.

[Demaris]

And you being quad all the time. What the entendre jokes. Let's go. What were you saying?

[Rory]

They suck.

[Mech Mac]

Sorry.

[Rory]

I'm so sorry. I'm so. That was an intrusive thought.

[Demaris]

I didn't. I didn't say they were good.

[Mech Mac]

Abandoned ship.

[Matt]

One of the artists that we didn't mention for the Mass Appeal 7 album. Special Ed.

[Mech Mac]

Again, I think he's done. When we interviewed him, he seemed very content with not fucking with music. I could be wrong. I could be wrong, and I'd love to be wrong. Special Ed was nice, but his impression. The impression he gave to us is he's quite.

[Matt]

I would want to hear Special Ed today, though.

[Mech Mac]

I would want to hear a lot of. I want to hear good MCs, bro. Like, I don't care what era they come from. You can't convince me that new shit is good just because it's new. That don't make no fucking sense. Again, another line from my pops, garbage still stinks no matter how fresh it is. I've been applying that to music since I got here. That shit doesn't make. I want to hear. I want. I think the detachment that we have, the ageism that we have in this business has detached the youth from a generation that can actually help them navigate this business in a better way.

[Matt]

Yeah, for sure.

[Mech Mac]

And then influence them creatively in a better way. Hey, youngin, you ain't gotta start from zero. Here's a dude who's like a top tier guy who you can learn from. Imagine what you'll be able to do.

[Demaris]

But I mean, even some older legacy acts aren't really in touch of what's going on. Like with the last Tribe album that proved that hip hop is not just, you know, country for young men. Like, they put out an incredible album in a time when they wouldn't be quote, unquote, relevant. But that's because Q Tip is very much in touch and relevant to everything that's going on at the moment. We'll use Special as an example. Sorry, Special Ed. I don't know if Special Ed is like that right now. I don't know if I'd want to hear that from him because I don't know how in touch he's been with what's going on. Not to say he would have to sound like now, nor did the last Tribe album. But you can't just go back to the same shit like I would have been. As much as I love Bonita Applebaum, I don't need a new tribe album in 2015 when that came out of you trying to do yesteryear shit or, or the. Hey, this is what we.

[Matt]

No, you want to hear what Tribe sounds like now, Now, Right.

[Demaris]

They prove that beyond measure. That album is incredible. But let's not act like that is across the board with all of our legends when they put out projects later.

[Mech Mac]

No, but everybody has a. You new artists have a bad album. You know what I mean? No one's immune to a bad album. And the causes for a lackl or album are varied. It just so happens that as a grown ass artist, you have. Okay, well, this is one more thing that you may have to be aware of is that your favorite sound may not be the sound right now.

[Demaris]

Where does Busta Rhymes rank On the most aggressive dappers of all time.

[Matt]

Yeah, I seen Bus one night.

[Mech Mac]

God tier.

[Matt]

No, he's in my shoulder. He's the illest dapper of all time.

[Demaris]

He separated my shoulder and then put it back in place in the same dap.

[Mech Mac]

Bro, I've lost chewing gum fucking with that dude. Good new piece just got into him.

[Matt]

Yeah, what up, my nigga?

[Mech Mac]

Break bread with the guard.

[Demaris]

Bang if anybody's choking, Heimlich, whatever. Just give Bus a hug, bruh.

[Matt]

Yeah, Bus gonna give you. He gonna give you seven daps in 12 seconds.

[Mech Mac]

100% the wind from that shit. Yeah, the wrist that he has that big ass link on that one of. Yeah, Problematic.

[Matt]

Yeah. And Bus is one of those where you give him dap. He hold your hand and talk to you.

[Mech Mac]

Yo, with the.

[Matt]

With the grip.

[Mech Mac]

With the grip, cuz.

[Matt]

He wants you.

[Mech Mac]

Wants you to know exact.

[Matt]

My Uber's downstairs.

[Mech Mac]

N that Call another one, K. Get another one.

[Demaris]

You have to dap some more.

[Mech Mac]

I can't stand it. I can't take it.

[Matt]

We gotta adapt some more. Not done dapping.

[Demaris]

Like, I love Buzz so much, but. Oh, my God, every time I see him, I get, like, kind of nervous when he. Cause I know what's going on.

[Matt]

No, you gotta brace yourself for a bus dap. Like, bus daps is like. Yeah, you gotta embrace yourself. You gotta know that it's gonna be as strong, it's gonna be aggressive, but it's sincere at the same time.

[Mech Mac]

You know what I've learned? He really is a workaholic. Right? You know this.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

If you.

[Matt]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

He has hundreds, thousands of songs that have never seen the light of day. Right. That's how much he's just after it. What he wants is to be at this stage, got the accolades, got the money, got the fanfare, got. He just wants to rap with the best, right? The collab with Royce, the 5 9. The collab with Kendrick Lamar. Two things I was directly responsible for. And they only happened because I was enjoying this music. And he wanted to know who that guy was that I was listening to. Get him on the phone. I want to rap with him. That's it. That's it. Not a clout chase, not anything. Kendrick Lamar rigor mortis remix was because Meck was listening to Section 80, having a field day. Cause the shit was crazy. I want to rap with that kid, the kid that you're excited about. Bring him here.

[Demaris]

And I love that that record eventually came out, but you could hear that that was section 80, Kendrick in when did that come out? 2020. 2020.

[Mech Mac]

No, no, no. Before that. Way before that. It's 20.

[Demaris]

I thought it was during the pandemic. That album came out.

[Mech Mac]

No, no, no, no, no. The Rigor Mortis remix.

[Demaris]

No, I'm saying the Bus and Kendrick record, that was from that time.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, oh, yes. That was El E2. 20, 20.

[Demaris]

2020.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, yeah. 2020.

[Demaris]

That record is Fire.

[Mech Mac]

That was the first. That was my first time a RM for him. My point is, he spends so much time in the studio. This is something I learned. He's in the studio all the time. He's not socializing like that, like, industry things. So when he sees somebody that he remembers and he likes, like you said, it's really sincere and he really misses you.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, shit. It's like a family reunion every time. It's like walking into church and seeing that cousin you ain't seen in forever. All of his interactions, from what I've seen, they're so, like you said, sincere, so genuine. And then what you miss is after you leave, we'll be in the studio. He'll be talking about that person for, like. He'll tell you the story of why that person is so cool, what that person did, what they worked, what him and that person worked on together. Be a female, be a dude, whatever it is. He'll tell you the story and then just sit back and go, man, that was dope. When I see. Call him back. See if you want to come tell him. Just tell him. Pull up. Whatever you want to pull up, club. But that's how he is.

[Matt]

Yeah, He's.

[Mech Mac]

He's genuinely like, yeah. Oh, hey, that's him.

[Demaris]

I went to Quad with Crisis and HV years ago. I think he might have been there, too, with Bus. How should I feel that one of the dap hugs my feet left the ground?

[Rory]

Oh, no. Why would you jealous people that?

[Demaris]

It's my first time saying it out loud.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Matt]

You should feel like I was looking.

[Demaris]

Around the studio wondering if anyone saw that my feet left me.

[Matt]

You should feel like. Like all white people should feel. We've been carrying y'all.

[Demaris]

That was overcharging for what they did to the CO Crush.

[Matt]

We've been carrying y'all forever. Rory, you know. You know the footprints? You know, do you know the famous picture Footprints? I carried you when it was only one set of footprints. And it's.

[Demaris]

Yeah, Jesus was white.

[Mech Mac]

Only in the pictures.

[Matt]

Only in the pictures. Blond hair and blue eyes in America.

[Demaris]

I've seen it in my Catholic church.

[Mech Mac]

Cubic hair of bronze wool and feet of burnt breast. Ladies and gentlemen, golf clap for that, that, that, that mall. We've been carrying you before we get to voice.

[Demaris]

My dream super bowl would be Missy and Bus together and like putting them at opposite sides of the field and.

[Mech Mac]

Letting them perform their way to the.

[Matt]

Middle of the back and forth.

[Demaris]

The craziest super bowl ever.

[Matt]

I caught Missy show in Chicago when Bus was on and I was telling him, I was like, yo, dawg, like, you know, seeing Buster and then having Missy come on after that was just like, this is crazy that these two are still performing at this level, Busta. I mean, when Budweiser Superfest was a show, I've seen your age. Yeah. In the 90s, I've seen Busta do that. To then see him almost 30 years later in Chicago and it's still the same, same level. I'm just like, bro, this is absolutely crazy that he's still able to perform like this and has these records. And then when Missy comes out, she's.

[Mech Mac]

On that same town.

[Matt]

I saw her at Budweiser, one of the Budweiser superstars, probably. And she's still able. Visually, both of them are able to give you a show, like a real show. And they're really rapping, like really rapping. You understand what I'm saying? So to see that all these years later is just a testament to what true artistry looks like and sounds like. And then two of the most iconic figures that we have in our culture.

[Mech Mac]

I think about that every time we're in the studio working and I have my A and R hat on. There's a standard that you cannot let slip. Like Chris Lighty was his A and R dog.

[Matt]

Right? Right.

[Mech Mac]

You imagine like, no pressure, just like this legendary fucking God tier A and r responsible for 80% of the music of my fucking childhood when I first came off the porch. These incredible, classic, iconic records from these incredible class, iconic artist. And that's the guy who was in this dude's ear. And now I gotta sit in that, bro. You know how much I feel like I'm kicking my feet at like the kids sitting at the grownups table. I'm a grown man, but it's. Yeah, I'm intimidated strictly by the knowledge that he has made such a mark over a 35 year career. The standard is set in stone.

[Demaris]

Not just Chris Lake, native tongues in general.

[Mech Mac]

The whole Violator. No, I just. You started native tongues go to violator.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Mobb Deep ll Missy busted like. Stop there, stop. What are we doing?

[Demaris]

Then continue to G in it.

[Mech Mac]

I. I didn't want to. I didn't want to because it just gets stronger and stronger as you go on. And like you said, Bus is not. He's not taking days off. He's not slacking. He wants to rap with whoever feels like they can rap his stage show. He takes no shorts on that. Entertaining the people is a thing.

[Matt]

Yeah. That's probably his priority, actually, is entertaining him and Spliff. Yeah, that's number one.

[Mech Mac]

And again, Dragon Season, a new album about to drop. He's performing tracks from that shit, and he's got to mix that in with the classics. When your catalog is packed with so many classics that that can be the show. The chore is mixing in the new shit, which is ridiculous.

[Demaris]

Adding feature verses like, that's.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah, bro.

[Demaris]

I don't even know how you put that together.

[Mech Mac]

Told you. The features we got for, like, Toby Nagwiwe, Killer Mike. I can't even talk about the ones on the project coming up. But just, like, the joints that have already been put. Simba like. Like, it's insane and all these. The idea of the album was for him to rap with people I felt we felt were from his vintage. Like, he maybe not be solely responsible for their careers. Of course not. But open the door for this to be acceptable. Toby definitely, you know, multiple kids. The colorful video, like, that's definitely vintage. Bus for sure. The song they have together just came out crazy. Talking about fatherhood.

[Matt]

Yeah. Toby is incredible. It was one of my favorite artists, for sure.

[Mech Mac]

Me. We had a great convo.

[Demaris]

I mean, he's been on the fatherhood shit. What's the Rhapsody and Bus song? Best that I can. Rhapsody. First woman to ever take accountability.

[Matt]

First woman ever on record.

[Demaris]

Maybe I'm not a great mother.

[Matt]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Demaris]

Maybe I've been an. To my baby father. And maybe I'm affecting my child's life because of it. Just maybe he's not this monster that I'm trying to make him out to be.

[Matt]

Right?

[Demaris]

I love that. Best that I can. If you have not heard that record, please, please. Especially if you're a father, go listen to that. But, Josh, we got voicemails.

[Matt]

You've got mail.

[Demaris]

Meg, this segment, people call in stories, advice, all that. They're usually fun.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, groovy.

[Rory]

Hey, y'all. What's up?

[Matt]

Love?

[Rory]

Everybody shout out to everybody. My question is, is the scam still a scam if you are a willing participant and you know you're being scammed. No, I got a homegirl to do hair. So America, long story short, normally, what she charged, I'm like, apparently, she giving me, like, a deal or whatever, and I'll do content for her. Sometimes we'll do an exchange, whatever. This time around, I guess hairstylists be trying to pay they whole fucking rent with one client.

[Matt]

Period.

[Rory]

That's what the period. I respect for you, and I know that you're up charging me. You're coming up with, like, all type of random shit just to. Because you don't. You feel like I need to pay more, but I need to get my hair done. And this bitch been doing my hair for a minute. But for me, it's the principle of the fact. Bitch, just say, don't make up the imaginary big toe feet. And now, now I gotta pay this. And I've been coming for you to you for the longest. So I feel like, am I. I know. I know you playing with me, but I need to get my hair done. And is the principle the fact. Do I need to stop going to this because she played in my face rather than just saying, hey, girl, I need a little extra this month?

[Demaris]

I don't know.

[Matt]

Yeah, I would say she got to find somebody else. We got to.

[Rory]

She gonna go through the same thing with other people. It's nasty out here.

[Matt]

Yeah, but when you. If you've been going to somebody for so long, like, y'all have years in. I'm talking like, shit, my barber. I've been going to my barber probably 15 years. Like, if my barber tomorrow told me, like, yeah, nah, you know, it's gonna be extra for, like, more alcohol on the app. I'm like, what. Who you talking to? Like, you know what I'm saying? Like, you know how I'm paying you? Sometimes I give my barber $100 here, and you know what I'm saying? Like, for the month here, I might go to the barbershop twice a month, maybe. You know what I'm saying? So it's like, for your hairstylist that you have a relationship with, because you have a real relationship. If you've been going to a hairstylist.

[Rory]

15 years, they might have been going to each other for two to three. It ain't been 15.

[Matt]

Okay? So if it's two years, that's still some time invested. There's money invested, you know, conversations, you know. You know, your hairstylist, after going for two years, you've had conversations. You know, it's a different level. I get the economy, you know, things like that. Products may start costing more. Things like that. But there is a conversation that your stylist should have with you before you sit in the chair. And then they start throwing these surprise fees at you.

[Rory]

But this is the thing. When you don't know how to do your own hair. This is why these hairstylists are able to get up, get out with this. And this is why y'all see me sitting up here with this bun on my motherfucking head. These hair stylists know that it's supply and demand. There aren't a lot of girls who know how to do hair well. They're not available and they're not cheap. So they know that they can charge girls damn near whatever. Because girls are like, I need to get my hair done. Like, I don't have a choice. So that's. That's where it is. If you need to get your hair done that bad that you're not willing to stand on your morals, then whatever she's charging you is her price. And she's worth that price because you're making her worth that price. You won't even stand on. You know, this playing with you. You won't even stand on it. You calling in us, asking us if you should still let her play with you. If you are willing to do that, then she's worth that. She knows that she can do that.

[Demaris]

She knows she face tear of my hair.

[Rory]

It's like that. Oh, y'all don't know it's dark out here.

[Demaris]

Oh, no. I. I've said this on this podcast. My barber, I sat down after the cut, and it was $10 more because he said he saw the acidic Jews moving in on Facebook. I've told that story on here.

[Matt]

Yeah, that's what I'm talking about.

[Demaris]

He raised. He raised the price and told me in the chair, because he was like, y'all was on Facebook. I see the acidic Jews moving into the neighborhood. So I gotta. I gotta raise the price.

[Matt]

Yeah. That's when I would. That would have my last cut.

[Demaris]

Oh, no, I stayed.

[Matt]

I hugged that.

[Demaris]

Like, moved to North Carolina, but I stayed. Another 10 years, I'd have hugged him.

[Matt]

Like, bust around like, yo, peace, king.

[Rory]

Yeah, some. Some people, it's the. The price and the value is. Is high. It's. Where do people say that the value lies? So it's tough. It really is tough.

[Mech Mac]

Today's price.

[Rory]

Yeah, but that's the same haircut, though. These people that are doing hair like, these girls that are. Are putting these wigs on and these weaves. Like, I'm not.

[Matt]

That's the other thing, though, Baby D. Ladies, what's her name? D. She might be baby D. Number to. She got.

[Demaris]

Listen, D. Square.

[Matt]

Yeah. If you. What y'all getting, though? Like, what y'all. What. What type of hairstyle? Cuz y'all be sitting in that chair bald headed and then get up too much. We just being real.

[Rory]

What is wrong?

[Matt]

I'm just saying. What are they getting? What are you getting done to your hair? If they're doing the bells and the whistles and adding this and taking that and installing this and uninstalling that, that's going to. I could understand if somebody be like.

[Rory]

Yo, it's gonna cost.

[Matt]

This hairstyle is taking three and a half hours.

[Rory]

Like, it's gonna cost for sure. But this the thing though. Like, like, I, Me personally, I understand charge what you feel like you're worth. If you're in high demand, you're in high demand. You're free to charge what you're worth. And I'm free not to pay that motherfucker. But I feel like hairdressers should not be making more than nurses. And I just refuse to pay that.

[Matt]

Regular people need hairdressers.

[Rory]

I'm not pocket watching.

[Mech Mac]

But people need hairdressers more often than they need nurses, God willing.

[Matt]

No, no, let's keep it real. Some of these hairdressers is performing surgery on some of these women's heads. Heads.

[Mech Mac]

Then there's that.

[Matt]

Let's just. If you pulling out the same my nurse would use. If I cut myself, I got a suture. This the same stitching movement.

[Demaris]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Happening. If you got more stitches in your sewing, then I got in this buck 50 that this blood just hit me with. Matter of fact, yeah, you gotta pay.

[Demaris]

I don't even think the nurse is qualified for, like, the sewing work that a hair stylist does.

[Rory]

All right?

[Demaris]

Oh, you gotta apprentice that nurse can't do that at the hospital. They gotta wait for the doctor.

[Matt]

Now, some nurses.

[Rory]

No, I want them to whoop y'all. I hope they whoop your ass. I'm not gonna lie.

[Matt]

Who, me?

[Rory]

No, the nurses.

[Matt]

No, some nurses could.

[Demaris]

Some nurses.

[Matt]

Some nurses could absolutely install stitches. That's a fact.

[Mech Mac]

The question was, is this a scam? If I know it's a scam, if I participate in the scam. Not a scam. It's. It's. It's an upcharge. And you're. You're in on the heist. You just don't like your cut.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Y'all must not be that cool. If you can't have the conversation, girl, what you doing? How you charging me for? Blah, blah, blah, blah. My barber, who I've been going to for a bunch of years. If you ever upcharge me, I could say something. Hey, what. What's this? Yeah, exactly in the words of my man ball, I got the same haircut. Why is it costing?

[Matt]

I'm grandfathered in. Same like my contract with my barber's grandfather. I don't care what these start charging for rent. You know what I'm paying.

[Demaris]

I'm at and T from Singular Wireless.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Demaris]

You know, ain't changed.

[Matt]

You know what? I'm just the same. You're gonna hit me with the same. The same. I'm out of here.

[Mech Mac]

We don't even talk.

[Matt]

We don't even talk.

[Mech Mac]

You know what I'm getting My barber know what I'm.

[Matt]

As soon as I sit down. He don't even. He just. He know what it is.

[Demaris]

Y'all can't do that. Because when the price of goods go up, the price goes up. If I go to a grocery store for 30 years, the price difference is going to change. They're spending more on the apples that day. Yeah, that's. The consumer always loses.

[Mech Mac]

And the alcohol is going to cost more. Like, everything. These tariffs are really affecting. I got a homeboy who's running a. I can't even blow his business up. He's running like a beverage company. One of the main ingredients is grown in Vietnam. The tariff on getting that ingredient alone is eating up his money to the point where he's not. The profits are going directly into just getting the ingredients.

[Demaris]

That's why shit going up. We're the only ones that are going to suffer because business owners that get shit overseas are not going to keep the same price. They're not going to lose the money.

[Mech Mac]

Right.

[Demaris]

They're just going to charge more for everything. But I mean, shit. My old barber used to cut the alcohol with water when it got crazy, which was fine, but I just didn't like that. He talked like he was chapo when he was doing. Doing it. Like, I can. I can tell the difference. Like, I'm not my. I'm not crying. This is very watered down, but I get it. I mean, prices was going up. He had to cut some of the alcohol.

[Mech Mac]

Sweetheart, it's not a scam.

[Demaris]

You.

[Mech Mac]

You're involved.

[Matt]

Yeah. She's in on it.

[Demaris]

And because you have a choice there, like American taxes, that's a scam. But we have no choice.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Matt]

Because we're in America, so we're not in on the heist though.

[Demaris]

Even though we know what's.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, no, no.

[Demaris]

Where's the heist?

[Matt]

Yeah, where the heist?

[Mech Mac]

Where the mark?

[Matt]

Yes.

[Mech Mac]

Where the mark? We're getting got. Where the mark.

[Rory]

I would tell her either. I mean keep looking all. Keep looking for a new stylist. And also, girl, learn how to do your own hair. We the recession indicator. Learn how to do your own hair. That will. Because then you can always get your hair done at the drop of a dime. Anything. Learn how to do a cute style on yourself.

[Mech Mac]

Pull a pj. Shave it off. Just get rid of it.

[Matt]

Shave it off.

[Rory]

Not everybody got the head for a ball head.

[Matt]

Shave it off.

[Rory]

It's not everybody got the head for a ball head. Me being one of them. That's why I don't have a ball head head. Not everybody. No. My tall ass forehead. You bugged the out.

[Mech Mac]

She said I got a tall forehead.

[Rory]

I'm very aware of myself.

[Mech Mac]

I think you could do it.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's what we don't. Listen.

[Matt]

Make it happen.

[Demaris]

Please make it happen. I didn't.

[Rory]

You thought you Peach was gonna come near my head with some.

[Demaris]

Yes. I didn't think Photoshop. I thought you were telling Peach to get some clippers.

[Matt]

No. You know pe's gonna make it happen.

[Rory]

In post to get a corner.

[Matt]

It happen. Peach.

[Mech Mac]

I, I. Please, if, if you want, at least.

[Rory]

Give me a bang.

[Mech Mac]

Like I don't bang on a ball head.

[Matt]

A bang on the ball head is crazy. Yo. Just keep this right here and let that hang down right there.

[Mech Mac]

You sucker. She gonna have two or three curls.

[Matt]

Yeah. D. Just find somebody else.

[Demaris]

Go to Myrtle AV and get that curl.

[Mech Mac]

Abandon ship.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Too soon.

[Matt]

Josh. Another one.

[Mech Mac]

What's up, Rory? Maul Damaris. So I'm getting annoyed with my best friend.

[Matt]

We've known each other since third grade.

[Mech Mac]

We're 29 now and I'm in a three year relationship.

[Matt]

Nope. There you go.

[Mech Mac]

Everything's going good.

[Matt]

There you go.

[Mech Mac]

Not in.

[Matt]

Well, but your girl don't like him.

[Mech Mac]

My boy, he's been asking me can he hit some of my past flings. Not my actual exes, but like women I used to deal with. What the.

[Demaris]

And sound like Damaris.

[Mech Mac]

It's always been a thing. Like we'll pass them back and forth. Never together. Did anything together. Let me make that clear. But we'll pass them back and forth. But we're doing that in our younger 20s. We're getting older now. Like I know you can pull if you wanted to. Why do you keep messing with the women I used to mess with? And I want to confront him about it, but I don't want to come off way too harsh. But, like, it's to the point where, like, it's getting weird. Like, I don't know. I love them. I'm gonna keep loving them, but it's getting weird, and I think it needs to stop. All right, thanks for the advice.

[Matt]

Well, I would say it is weird, number one. Number two, it sounds like, you know, you just want to grow up and you just want your best friend to grow up with you and stop doing the things that y'all were doing when y'all were in your teens and early twenties. And then there's, you know, just got to try to cover all bases here. He might just like you, Maul.

[Rory]

Not everybody is.

[Demaris]

What's funny is I knew Maul was going to go with that angle in the middle of that, I mean.

[Matt]

Cause you feeling me, you feeling me?

[Rory]

They could just have the same taste, too.

[Matt]

It ain't the same taste. Sometimes your nigga want to taste you.

[Rory]

Oh, my God.

[Matt]

I just keep it. Let's keep it real. Fridays, Damaris, what do you want me to do here?

[Rory]

It's Thursday.

[Mech Mac]

Thank God it's Thursday. I'm out.

[Demaris]

Yeah, but this come out Friday.

[Mech Mac]

Oh, for the love of God.

[Matt]

It's. You know, what you want me to do. It is what it is.

[Mech Mac]

Not say that.

[Matt]

I'm just saying it.

[Mech Mac]

It could be.

[Rory]

I would love to hear from our guests. What does our guest think? Outside of ma thinking everybody is flaming?

[Matt]

I don't think everybody's flaming.

[Demaris]

I'm just saying that guy is.

[Matt]

I gave three different scenarios. I'm just saying that could be one of them. I don't know this gentleman.

[Mech Mac]

I think you shouldn't care. You've been with your shorty for three years. I don't think you should care what your man is doing and who he's trying to hit. I don't think you should give a shit unless you plan on running it back with any of them women.

[Matt]

No, no, no, no, no. But it is a thing that my best friend is. Every month, he sent me, like, yo, you know who I was with last night? Big Booty Kim. Remember you used to fuck with him? I'm like, yo, dawg, like, why are you still running behind all my horses?

[Mech Mac]

He shouldn't even be asking him, like, okay, I'll speak for.

[Matt]

But it's your best friend. Y'all gonna talk shit.

[Mech Mac]

I don't care what you're like. If it's funny, he might think it's funny.

[Matt]

He's saying it's time to grow up.

[Mech Mac]

Like, yo, bro, I can't dictate when another man decides to grow up, especially if I've been with my shorty for three years. I don't really care what you do. Don't bring.

[Demaris]

Yeah, but that's. That's not. Because I halfway agree with you. No, of course I wouldn't care about what my old work is doing. I'm in a happy relationship not even thinking about that. But I can recognize a pattern and find it odd. Why is my man's only trying to fuck with girls I used to fuck with? I don't care about those girls.

[Matt]

But why do you care about my man?

[Demaris]

What's up with you? Why do you want to do that?

[Matt]

Yeah, what's up with you?

[Mech Mac]

Because you've. Because I've put some numbers on the board and I've had some All Stars, and he wants those same all. He wants the All Stars that I.

[Matt]

Yeah, but go get some new stars.

[Mech Mac]

Yours is accessible.

[Matt]

They're right there.

[Rory]

What Cassie said. Cassie said they heard I was good. They want to see if it's true. Stop running your motherfucking mouth.

[Matt]

Who said that?

[Rory]

You can go and say they got the best sandwich.

[Matt]

I don't know if that's the name we should be throwing in this type of conversation right now.

[Rory]

No, but she. But the point of it is, you can't go and, like, brag about the sandwiches over down the street and then be mad when your homeboy want to go taste the sandwiches that you keep bragging about.

[Demaris]

In my younger years, when my friends have came, yo, it's crazy. I never went in my head like, damn, I got to have it, too.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Like, if I beat your own sandwich, I don't want your sandwich.

[Matt]

Like, if I got a sandwich and I bite into a sandwich, you like, yo, let me get a piece. Every time I get a sandwich, my.

[Demaris]

Get where? Just.

[Matt]

You just left the store with me. We was just in the same bodega.

[Demaris]

You calling me another PB&J? No, make your own PB&J.

[Matt]

When I ordered this turkey and cheese, you were standing right next to me, okay?

[Mech Mac]

But now you told a.

[Matt]

Let me get a pastrami.

[Mech Mac]

You gotta. Now you got a personal chef in the house, and he want to go back to the sandwich spot. You got your own.

[Matt]

Yeah, but go. Go to the sandwich spot and get a new sandwich.

[Mech Mac]

Stop going through the trash about the sandwich. I mean. And you got a chef.

[Matt]

Yo, listen, if I go outside my. My crib and see somebody digging in through my garbage every day, I'm like, yo, what's up with you?

[Mech Mac]

God, these chicks is garbage.

[Matt]

I've been there. I had that already. Why do you want that?

[Mech Mac]

I'm not. I'm not saying I would do it.

[Rory]

The way y'all talk about women.

[Mech Mac]

I'm not. I'm not saying I would do mean.

[Demaris]

I'm not saying the genders, then. Yes, reverse the genders. If a girl was acting that way, like, yo, that's. Why does she want to all the dudes that you.

[Matt]

Hold on, hold on. No, because I don't like what the marriage do that. She would say that if a girl was doing that 100. Like, the marriage be trying to get that.

[Rory]

What he said. He did not say it was any of his exes or women that he was in love with or that's like. He said it was women that he.

[Mech Mac]

Just hit have flings.

[Matt]

Okay? So when I say, you going through.

[Rory]

My homegirls, yo, you know, the ones that I was in love with. Okay, go ahead, have fun.

[Demaris]

We've joked about that. With not exes, but chicks I've dealt with. You being as gay as you are is like, damn, I. I need that. You cool with that? Like, in a joking way, I'll be dead.

[Matt]

That's not crazy.

[Demaris]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. It's only with, like, two specific ones that she brings up consistently. If she did that with everyone I fucked with, I'd be like, damaris. What the fuck is wrong with you? Now you have a weird thing with who I'm fucking. Rather than finding two women I happen to fuck attractive. Yeah, I don't think Demer is weird when she says that. If she went through my whole body count and wanted to add it to hers, I'd be like, all right, you have something weird going on.

[Rory]

Coming from the friend's perspective. Do I think the friend is a little freaked out? Sure. But you have really good taste. So even if you had never slept with those women, those would still be women that I was attracted to because we have the same type. So you. If his best friend has the same type as him, you can't be.

[Mech Mac]

I'm not.

[Rory]

But if you was out here fucking everything, walking in the city, and now you wifed up, and now I can't talk to nobody in the city because you. You done fucked them all. That don't make any sense.

[Demaris]

It's the specific part of him hitting him up about women. He's like, okay, well, he needs to stop.

[Mech Mac]

He don't want to make it win. He's trying to tell him, listen, bro, this is about to happen. I'm just trying to let you know what I'm about to do.

[Rory]

She's right there, and I'll tell him, and then he be really pissed.

[Matt]

Yeah, but it's a. There's a thing.

[Mech Mac]

Not to mention the women are down. It's not like he's. It sounds. It sounds like they happy to do it.

[Matt]

That's the part Damaris ain't speaking to that I'm trying to speak to. The women is rolling and they know. Yeah.

[Rory]

Ain't close like that. He said, this is bestie. I don't know.

[Matt]

They know each other since the third grade. They've been cool, and they.

[Mech Mac]

29 now.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

No, they.

[Demaris]

Let's use New York City, for example. Women over 20 years old. New York City, 4.3 million.

[Rory]

Oh, Rory. Okay, why you.

[Demaris]

Why you focused on the five girls? I. You know.

[Rory]

You know, how.

[Demaris]

What the Is wrong with you, you.

[Rory]

Know, hey, if it's only 5, this.

[Mech Mac]

Will be over in a year. Just. Just settle down.

[Rory]

Everybody walk into a spot. Rory run into a piece that he done hit.

[Demaris]

New York is hug me.

[Rory]

Made it nasty.

[Matt]

I'm saying give me a hug. I miss. I miss you hoes. I miss you hoes. Give me the hug.

[Mech Mac]

Get off your feet.

[Rory]

The best friend is a little. The best friend could do better. But my thing is, like, you. Like. Like Mex said, he's you. You married. Like, you damn near married.

[Demaris]

You in love.

[Mech Mac]

Don't.

[Demaris]

Why you worried you guys are missing more on our point?

[Matt]

That's okay.

[Demaris]

Completely disagree.

[Mech Mac]

To disagree. If it was me, he wouldn't even have to tell me. Like, I'm. I'm being. I'm being real with you. I wouldn't even need to know. I wouldn't either.

[Demaris]

Go.

[Mech Mac]

I'd literally be a little annoyed.

[Matt]

Super Cap. I'm calling it, fellas. It's Cap. We not. We not gonna act. Like, we wouldn't care, and we not gonna act. We not doing that.

[Demaris]

I would not act weird.

[Mech Mac]

I wouldn't care. I'm not acting. I really wouldn't care. I don't care now, okay?

[Matt]

If it was your ex or just a fling.

[Mech Mac]

If it was a fling, I don't give a shit what you do, but.

[Matt]

If it was X, you would care.

[Mech Mac]

X is different.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

All right, cool. X is a different Energy.

[Matt]

Okay.

[Mech Mac]

But I fling.

[Demaris]

I would still find. I wouldn't care, but I would raise an eyebrow.

[Mech Mac]

Like it wouldn't be enough for me to call into a show and ask for advice. It's a fling.

[Demaris]

I think this is weird.

[Mech Mac]

I didn't care enough to keep. Keep her. This is my whole point. I didn't care enough to keep her.

[Rory]

Maybe she ain't care enough to keep you. Well, be acting like y'all always the ones leaving. Like y'all don't be getting.

[Mech Mac]

Sometimes we be leaving sometimes.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

I love not being nine times out for me.

[Mech Mac]

I don't know if y'all have done this check this study, but nine times out of ten, men don't leave. Even when they cheat, they don't leave. Men don't break up. The men don't file for the.

[Rory]

Y'all can hate it during. Y'all will stay.

[Mech Mac]

Say it again.

[Demaris]

Yeah, that's our thing.

[Mech Mac]

No, we just. We just. Just the. The keeping. Keeping the. Keeping the family together is more important for most dudes.

[Rory]

No, that's not why be staying. Like, what? Stop.

[Matt]

Yeah, I just seen Anthony Edwards. He only want to see his baby. Yo, he said, I'm cool. Take a cash me outside. That aunt said, cash me outside.

[Demaris]

Fatherhood at 1.8 is hilarious.

[Matt]

He said that 1.8 quick. He had that in his book bag. He's like, how much is it, man? Take this sheet.

[Mech Mac]

I saw that story. She told him she was getting the abortion first. He gave her 100k for that. And then she never got it. And she came back around with the baby.

[Matt]

Cash me out.

[Mech Mac]

We are entering interesting times. But I knew this was going to happen eventually. It was just a matter of time.

[Demaris]

This shit been happening already. It's just social media where you can screenshot.

[Mech Mac]

I'm talking about fathers legally opting out of fatherhood. I knew we were going to get to that point. Point. The argument was too, too strong on both sides.

[Matt]

The argument is it was a named Anthony Edwards that had had access to 1.8 million right now, today, versus my dad, if he probably would have cashed out too, if he had 1.8. Like, our father didn't have that money. Just sit down around liquid.

[Demaris]

They said, megan, get pregnant. Let me get pregnant. I need that 1.8.

[Matt]

That's the difference is that men don't have it to be like, all right, you gonna put me on child support? Obviously I gotta, you know, help take care of this baby. But.

[Mech Mac]

But now, see, at one point, the next thing is the scale of what? Anthony Edwards operates at a high scale. Yeah, they're gonna scale that down for guys who don't operate it yet.

[Matt]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

The numbers gonna. They gotta tariff. Yeah, the numbers are gonna start coming down. I'm only watching this cause I got a homeboy who's a lawyer. He's really into, like, the whole child custody such and such.

[Matt]

It does need to be addressed.

[Mech Mac]

The biggest argument is if a woman can walk away from being pregnant whenever she feels like. Like, men should have the right to walk away from that whenever they feel like it. There's always that argument happening in the middle. I knew eventually somebody was gonna score that. Some judge, some lawyer. Somebody was gonna be like, oh, word. Nah, fuck that, go ahead. Somebody was gonna agree and set it off. Now I'm trying to figure out where we go from here.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Adding in legality to abandoning children is hilarious. Hilarious. Like, where are we at?

[Matt]

It's always. It's always been.

[Demaris]

No, I think the Chappelle joke is hilarious. You have the right to abort it. I have the right to abandon it.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Like, I get the logic in there, but family doesn't mean logic. Love doesn't mean logic. Like, that's true. Legally, Yes, I guess you do that.

[Mech Mac]

Birth doesn't mean fatherhood.

[Demaris]

Of course.

[Mech Mac]

Like, so again, we. We come right back around the other side of the corner. I'm not. I'm not pro. I'm just. I'm on the outside looking, but I'm really curious as to where, like, now that that's happened and that's in the books and that's a precedent, it's like, wow.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

Slippery slope. Okay, let's see. Let's see what the cause then. Now the next one is. Well, you know, I'm a mechanic, but I don't want this kid. And she's having it. What do I need to pay now? What's the standard? What's the number? How much do I need to come up with for her to leave me alone for the rest of my life?

[Matt]

Well, they usually go by the income and things like that.

[Mech Mac]

Again, that's how they determine child support. So now I'm like, opting out completely. What's that number gonna be for? Like, the.

[Matt]

Well, they'll break it down. What's your income? Okay, so. So $2,000 a month. That's what, 24,000 a year?

[Demaris]

There's a child support calculator on.

[Matt]

Yeah, yeah.

[Demaris]

On your phone there's an app for that. Yeah, that's a wild.

[Mech Mac]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

Oh, just bleep it.

[Mech Mac]

Oh. Again, we're in slippery, slippery, dangerous times. I don't know where it's going, but when I saw that, that was like. And I see the women who are pissed, but the woman he paid isn't.

[Matt]

Of course she's not.

[Mech Mac]

So it's like that was her whole goal. Right. So you can't even defend her. You can't even get mad on her behalf. You can try and shame him, but he never wanted. The fact that it's legally allowed is where I'm.

[Demaris]

Yeah, I get it.

[Mech Mac]

It's where my interest is. I can't wait to see how this shakes out for everybody.

[Matt]

Yeah, I think it obviously is gonna change a lot of things, especially when you talk about, like, athletes making that amount of money. Anthony Edwards is probably gonna make close to a billion dollars playing basketball. So, you know, when you talk about that and, you know, having kids and, you know, he doesn't want to have a kid. They agreed on abortion. He sent her a hundred thousand at one point, you know, she. She went to Turks instead. I mean, you can't be allowed to double back and then try to hit me for child support on a kid that I thought we were aborting a.

[Mech Mac]

Pregnancy that we agreed on. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt]

So it's like, come on. Like, the, The. The man has to be protected to us some point at some cost they don't care about.

[Mech Mac]

Well, now, yeah, now.

[Demaris]

Now.

[Matt]

That's what I'm saying.

[Mech Mac]

Now.

[Matt]

Now men have to. Men because, you know, they don't really care about us. Well, Michael Jackson told us that. But if you look up, it is. It is a thing where, you know, athletes are targeted or men that make.

[Mech Mac]

A lot of money of a certain tier are targeted financially.

[Matt]

Yeah, they should be protected. That's all. You know, whatever that looks like. I'm just saying that the men should be protected.

[Mech Mac]

It's looking like. It's going to look like the ability to opt out is going to be one of those options financially. Opt out. And I, I'm, I'm.

[Matt]

What does that severance package look like? What's the severance on a.

[Mech Mac]

A whole severance package?

[Matt]

Severance package. Like, yo, just pay this, Boom, I got.

[Mech Mac]

I got two grand. And then my Chevelle, we just.

[Matt]

It's called even Stevens right here. Yeah, yeah, just take it.

[Demaris]

Be a trend. Tell Con Ed, yo, I opt out. I'm not paying it, though.

[Matt]

Yeah, no, I opt out.

[Demaris]

Your mortgage. I opt out.

[Matt]

Yeah, I don't want that.

[Mech Mac]

I'm done. I'm not with you.

[Matt]

All right.

[Demaris]

Thank you, man. Really appreciate it.

[Matt]

We appreciate you, man.

[Mech Mac]

Fellas, having me like, this is one of the shows that I've been a fan of since you guys started it off. I've been a fan of you guys before you started the show.

[Matt]

I appreciate that.

[Mech Mac]

I'm happy to see that everyone's on their feet, successful and doing their numbers. I'm just really, really happy to be here.

[Matt]

Appreciate that, man. Thank you, bro.

[Mech Mac]

Salute to Busta Dragon season coming out. Mr. Mech on YouTube. I gotta start pushing that now, which I've never done before.

[Matt]

Yeah, Nasty, right? You just feel crazy doing that, but it's okay.

[Mech Mac]

I never cared. I always thought it was. I always thought my career was supposed to be behind the camera writing the whole nine. I thought that's where it was gonna be for the rest of my life. Now things change. This is where the people are, and this is kind of where. So now I have to say Mr. Mech on YouTube after I get like, share and subscribe and become part of my vocabulary.

[Matt]

Absolutely. Yeah.

[Demaris]

The behind the scenes people are the better people for on camera. That's what I've noticed in the last 10 years.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Demaris]

All the people that were striving to just be on camera were in it for the wrong reason. Reasons. Not because they had something to say. They just wanted to be on camera.

[Matt]

They want to be seen.

[Demaris]

These people have something to say. They live and breathe this entire thing. That's why the shift has happened. We never went in saying, I want to be on camera. We wanted to come in and contribute to what we love. So we have way more of a perspective on it than anyone else. The rest of y'all just wanted to have the lights on and look this way and repeat whatever your program director told you to say. You have no perspective.

[Matt]

My family still can't believe you like fame.

[Demaris]

You don't like the culture.

[Matt]

Yeah, I've never, ever wanted this, but, you know, grateful for it, happy for it, glad we're building something. But this was never my to be on camera, Mike.

[Mech Mac]

But you're so suited.

[Demaris]

Same.

[Matt]

No, no, I mean, thank you for that. But, you know, I'm just. My friends that really know me that they. They laugh at what I do. They like, dog, you don't talk to nobody.

[Demaris]

Like, But I think doesn't even talk to me.

[Mech Mac]

I think that's how this happened. Like, there are those of us who are just who we are, and next thing you know, there are a group of people who resonate what we say resonates. With them so crazy. Your friends, they may laugh at you, but at the same time, you're saying the thing that they would say.

[Matt]

Absolutely.

[Mech Mac]

Which is why they fuck with you.

[Matt]

They appreciate it.

[Mech Mac]

Rory's exact same. And I know Rory's. They look at him and go, what he said is what I would say. And then I get that. It's like, yo, your perspective on the show, the things you. If I was there, that's what I would have said. I fuck with you. Keep. Now it's like, okay. But I never looked at it that way.

[Matt]

Yeah.

[Mech Mac]

I always considered it that when it was artist. Like, you don't want to be good. You just want to be famous. You just want to be known. You don't care about being dope. You just want to be famous.

[Matt]

Oh, now podcasters want to be famous, and they think that they're artists.

[Demaris]

That's another topic. That's a whole nother.

[Matt]

We'll talk to y'all soon.

[Mech Mac]

Be safe, be blessed. I'm that nigga.

[Matt]

He's just ginger. Peace.

[Mech Mac]

No warrior now.