Nick Grant Wants All The Smoke

Summary

Podcast Summary: New Rory & MAL
Episode 385 | Nick Grant Wants All The Smoke
Release Date: July 3, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 385 of New Rory & MAL, the hosts delve deep into the intricacies of the music industry with special guest Nick Grant. The episode, titled "Nick Grant Wants All The Smoke", explores themes of artist recognition, industry politics, personal integrity, and the challenges artists face in gaining acknowledgment for their work.

Discussion on Ryan’s Album and "Took It Personal"

The episode kicks off with Ryan discussing his latest project, describing it as the "rap album of the year so far" (03:23). He elaborates on his previous work, particularly the album "Sunday Dinner," which solidified his position among elite rappers. Ryan explains that his new album, titled "I Took It Personal," represents a more experimental phase where he aims to balance heavy personal narratives with lighter, danceable tracks.

Notable Quote:

Ryan: "I wanted to give them something like, let's dance a little bit this time... It's a continuation of Sunday Dinner, but I didn't want to give the people such a heavy album again."
07:32

Industry Politics and Recognition

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the struggle artists face in receiving recognition from media outlets and influential lists. Ryan expresses frustration with how some talented artists are overlooked despite their skills and contributions.

Notable Quotes:

Ryan: "I've been pissed off since I came into the business... I feel like I'm the coldest rapper, one of the coldest rappers ever."
11:18

Rory: "There’s a lot of other shit going on. But yeah, I just felt like I was the dopest rapper."
16:00

The Role of Relationships and Networking

The hosts discuss the importance of networking and building relationships within the industry. Nick Grant emphasizes that personal connections often play a crucial role in an artist's rise, sometimes overshadowing pure talent.

Notable Quote:

Nick Grant: "It has to be personal relationships. It has to be politics... When did that become something that stopped giving recognition to dope albums?"
22:07

Balancing Artistic Integrity with Business

Ryan and Nick delve into the tension between maintaining artistic integrity and navigating the business aspects of the music industry. Ryan shares anecdotes about refusing to compromise his values, even when lucrative opportunities arise.

Notable Quote:

Ryan: "At the end of the day, I only do stuff that I wanna do if I feel comfortable doing it... I just can't do it."
29:34

Personal Stories and Experiences

The conversation takes a personal turn as Ryan shares experiences from touring with legendary artists like Nas, Lauryn Hill, and Andre 3000. He recounts memorable interactions and the impact these relationships have had on his growth as an artist.

Notable Quote:

Ryan: "When he was talking to me, he was like, yo, when we do a record, I ain't holding no punches. I'm gonna kick your ass."
35:28

Nick Grant: "If you could rap with Jid the way he’s showed up in the last five to six years... you gotta walk with that."
63:56

"Bars vs Yelp" Segment

Adding a fun twist to the episode, the hosts introduce the "Bars vs Yelp" segment. In this segment, Rory and Nick present statements and challenge each other to determine whether they are rap lyrics (bars) or actual Yelp reviews. This playful segment highlights the lyrical prowess of the guests while engaging listeners in a unique game.

Example:

Rory: "I paid $80 for brunch and still left hungry."
Nick Grant: "That's a bar. Larry June Breakfast in Monaco."
85:30

Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Nick Grant praises Ryan’s latest project, encouraging listeners to stream and download it. The hosts reaffirm their commitment to authentic and honest discussions about the music industry, emphasizing the importance of perseverance and staying true to one’s artistic vision despite external challenges.

Notable Quote:

Nick Grant: "I took it personal. Available now on DSPs. Congratulations on a phenomenal project."
102:00

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Key Takeaways

• Artist Recognition: Struggles with gaining acknowledgment despite talent.
• Industry Politics: The influence of personal relationships and networking.
• Artistic Integrity: Balancing personal values with business opportunities.
• Personal Growth: The impact of relationships with legendary artists.
• Engaging Segments: Innovative segments like "Bars vs Yelp" add variety and entertainment.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Ryan: "I just can't do it."
  29:34

• Nick Grant: "Flowers is just recognition, appreciation..."
  (Referenced, exact timestamp not provided)

• Rory: "Forget the rest of media, the rest of the world really works that way."
  25:48

• Nick Grant: "It's the business side of it."
  10:44

• Ryan: "I'm always happy, I'm like, hey, what up?..."
  58:37

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This episode offers a candid look into the challenges artists face in the modern music landscape, emphasizing the need for authenticity and resilience. Through personal anecdotes and insightful discussions, New Rory & MAL provides listeners with a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes dynamics that shape the careers of talented artists like Nick Grant and Ryan.

Transcript

[Ryan]

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[Nick Grant]

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[Rory]

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[Nick Grant]

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[Rory]

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[Nick Grant]

No worry and mouth all right Rory, we back.

[Rory]

Yes, it's hot today. Too hot.

[Nick Grant]

It still feels like do the right thing outside. We had three showers, minimum a day now, Rory. Usually it's two. We have elevated to three. We had a level three. Now level three showers, four if you.

[Rory]

Have to run errands you forgot about.

[Nick Grant]

Yes, absolutely. But, you know, we. We pushing through it. We in the studio today. Back in the studio today, we are joined. Well, first. First. First and foremost, Rory, we're sponsored by Boost Mobile.

[Rory]

That is a fact that goes without saying.

[Nick Grant]

Unlimited. Unlimited sayings. Unlimited talk. We have unlimited talk.

[Rory]

Unlimited sponsorships.

[Nick Grant]

Unlimited sponsorships and unlimited talk. Brought to you by Boost Mobile. But today we are joined. We got family in the studio today.

[Rory]

Yes, absolutely.

[Nick Grant]

This gentleman has just released his latest project. I took it personal, which to me is definitely so far. B Dot, update your list. This is to me, rap album of the year so far. And he's in New York for a couple days, so we had to have family drop by. It's a family.

[Rory]

Picked a shitty week. But I understand, you know, coming off the release on Friday, Bacon outside.

[Nick Grant]

But it's all right, though. We push it through. Today we are joined by Nick Grant.

[Ryan]

What's up?

[Nick Grant]

What's up, family?

[Ryan]

Man, I'm glad we don't have, like.

[Rory]

A studio audience to clapping, yo.

[Ryan]

That's so crazy. You read my mind.

[Nick Grant]

It's so good. They clapping at home. It's all good now, Nick.

[Ryan]

Clapping at home.

[Nick Grant]

Y' all clapping at home, right?

[Rory]

Somebody was just in traffic, like, in.

[Nick Grant]

The car, on the train. Wherever you at clap, Nick, they. They lost. Well, Nick told me they lost his luggage.

[Rory]

Then you got some context.

[Nick Grant]

But then I got some context to.

[Ryan]

Where he chilling on me.

[Nick Grant]

And they didn't lose his luggage. He left his luggage at the. At the gate. Not. Not even at the gate. Yeah, at the gate.

[Ryan]

At the gate.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, he left his luggage at the gate. But, you know, hopefully they'll have it at the. They'll have it at the airport for him. But we here today. How you feeling, man?

[Ryan]

Hot as a motherfucker. I'm never coming back here during the summer.

[Nick Grant]

Yo, listen. Summertime in New York, we talk about that all the time. Summertime and. And not. And we gotta be. We gotta be real. Summer came in swinging.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Sheesh.

[Rory]

But knowing New York is gonna be, I don't know, 40 degrees next week.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, like, we about to have thunderstorms for the next six days. It's gonna drop down to 70 degrees. So, you know, we getting this 102 degree weather outta here in the next couple days. But yeah, Nick came during the start of the summer. I didn't think the summer was gonna get straight to business the way it did. I thought we was gonna kind of taper into, you know, taper out of the spring and getting into the summer gradually, but still summer. First day of summer, I think it was like 90, 94 degrees. Officially was 94 degrees first day of summer. But it's all right though, man. We here. We here.

[Rory]

My entire grid lost power last night.

[Nick Grant]

For real?

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Whole neighborhood.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, wow. Yeah.

[Rory]

And they sent me like four text messages over the last three days saying it could happen.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

To the point I've never seen this in my life. Text 0 if your power goes out. Never seen that before. That's some new.

[Nick Grant]

Damn. That's we. Don't you.

[Rory]

How many times I hit 0?

[Nick Grant]

Because I remember when we had the blackout, I forgot what year that was. 03. Yeah, we had to blackout in 03. And I remember it was steaming outside. And literally we was all in the block sitting outside until sun came up. Like, we was like, it ain't. We can't go in the house. It's dark. You got candles lit to just kind of show your way through the house. Flashlights. Everybody on the block was like, man, let's just sit outside, bring the chairs outside. We had, you know, the. The lawn chairs outside. And we had to plug. We had to plug into the. Into the light.

[Rory]

Yeah, they got rid of that.

[Nick Grant]

So we. Yeah, the street light so we could get. Get some. Get some power to charge our phones. It was crazy. The Blackout 03 was legendary, though.

[Rory]

I mean, the fact you think about charging your phone at that time is kind of nuts.

[Nick Grant]

I mean, we had to find. We had to find a way to do it. We had a generator. Somebody bought a generator outside. Like you got a generator just in your house.

[Rory]

So the way the. The outlet in the light pole worked.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. So the light poles, I think. I don't. Was it the light pole? Something outside we plugged into and everybody kind of took turns to kind of charge their. Charge their phone.

[Rory]

I just mainly remember all small business owners just being terrified. Yeah, that's like my main, like remembrance.

[Nick Grant]

Gates was down everything. But I do remember it being steaming hot outside. It was like, not only do we not have power, but it's just.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

Scorching hot outside. And then we found out that something happened in Canada. They said a tree fell on a. A power grid up in Canada street falls.

[Rory]

And no one hears it. New York loses power.

[Nick Grant]

It sounds like somebody didn't send the check they were supposed to send. And Canada got pissed at us. That's all it sounded like.

[Rory]

But, well, yeah, I was baking. Amara took that time to think, oh, yeah, just laying on top of my face would be like, I'm cooler or something.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Amara, get off me. It's a thousand degrees here.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, it's hot. But it's all right, though, man. We keep it cool today in the studio. So, Nick, man, what's up, man? You in New York for a couple days, man?

[Ryan]

I'm here, man.

[Nick Grant]

Album done. It's out. How you feeling, man?

[Ryan]

I feel amazing, bro.

[Nick Grant]

Love.

[Ryan]

I love the reception, the response to.

[Nick Grant]

It, what they saying?

[Ryan]

They love it.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah, they love it. They.

[Nick Grant]

You took.

[Ryan]

You took two classics. Two classics, back to back.

[Nick Grant]

Well, Sunday Dinner, you know how I feel about that album. To me, that. That album, out of all the projects that you released, to me, I think that was the one that kind of solidified for me, your place amongst the elite rappers and MCs.

[Ryan]

That, man. Appreciate that.

[Nick Grant]

But this album, I took it personal. We spoke about it when you was writing and laying it down, and you said you wanted to experiment with this one a little bit.

[Ryan]

Yeah, this wasn't even me. Like, I was pulling back on a lot of these records. It wasn't even me. Like, going, like, Sunday dinner was, like, stressful. That shit was like counting rice. That shit is like, you gotta have conversations, different people's perspective on, like, situations that I saw. And just like, what did you feel about when this happened? Like, having conversations with my mom. My mom was like, my mom is like my sister. My mom didn't raise me, so my grandma raised me.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

So my mom would all. My mom always calls me. She leaves these voicemails and stuff and just say different stuff. So it's like she's opening the album and all this shit. I'm like, yo, this is heavy. This is something I gotta, like, do a deep dive in and, like, you know, just talk about. But I gotta do it the right way. So it was me talking to my siblings, me talking to my mom, me talking to uncles, aunts. So, yeah, but that was like. I don't know if you ever seen this shit where Kobe was like, man, I had to lock in. Everything had to be basketball for me to, like, win the ring. And I think that's what that album was for me, like, just locking all the way in, getting it together. And it was like, man, that shit took. Played a little bit on My mental health. It was a lot of shit that I didn't, like, overcome and lock in.

[Rory]

Like, fuck the rest of my family's feelings. This is my perspective of what happened.

[Ryan]

I mean, I gotta get the approval. Cause I got it. To speak about certain shit. Fuck you. When it's time to write it down. You know what I'm saying? But I gotta get you. I gotta get your approval. I don't wanna do that. Cause it's like, certain things they might not want the world to know.

[Rory]

Yeah, for sure.

[Nick Grant]

Natural as an emcee. But that has to kind of like, you know, get in the way of the creative process a little bit. When you got to take accountability and, you know, the storytelling. When you get into your storytelling bag, how's my family gonna feel? Has there ever been a moment where you've laid something down in the booth and then, you know, whether it be mom or whoever heard it and was like, nah, you can't say that. And then you gotta go back and.

[Ryan]

Kind of like, yo, my mom's a bro.

[Nick Grant]

Okay, all right.

[Ryan]

Like, real black.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Country lady.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

From the South. Deep South.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

The. Is you doing what you. Yeah, got us out here naked going on. I'm like, yo, all right, all right. Let me change it. Let me flip it.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

She was like, nah. If you want to say it, say it. It's cool. I ain't really tripping. But, yeah, like, don't just be laying, trying to.

[Nick Grant]

Right.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? So it don't really take away from the process. I remember recording with Ray Murray from Organized Noise, and I was like, man, I don't really like this sample. I like the sample, but we gotta clear the sample. Cause at this time, the people like the management that I had, they always had me thinking business and clearing samples and all this shit. And I remember Ray saying, like, man, get the fucking idea out. Fuck the sample. We'll figure all that shit out later if I gotta change it and play it over. So I took that approach when it came to, like, you know, telling certain things about my life. So, yeah, I. I would ask after I create. Create the record. Okay.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, no, it makes sense. So where did the. I took it personal thought first. Cross your head in the process of this. Who pissed you off? Who is this directly about? Or at least sparked the idea of the album title of the industry. I took it personally.

[Ryan]

The business.

[Nick Grant]

The business side of it. Yeah. That's something that I think that a lot of artists, you know, I love when the Artists. And Rory, you're an artist as well. You can speak to it. When they realized, damn, the business gets in the way a lot.

[Ryan]

For sure.

[Nick Grant]

It's politics, it's relationships, it's, you know, I gotta do that. Like, I just wanna create, put it out. Hopefully people enjoy it and they accept the art and, you know, they live with it. But it's so many other things that get in the way that can kind of turn you off as an artist. Like, I don't even wanna do this if I gotta do all of that. If all of that comes with it. I don't want to create.

[Rory]

The four of us, or Four of Us with Vince Staples sat in the studio and talked about this entire thing. For sure, that has to be the top thing on your mind before you can even create season two.

[Ryan]

Right, right, right, right.

[Rory]

So, yeah, that's what steps in front of you. Because I'm on the side of create and we'll figure it out later type of thing. But that can only go so far. At some point, something's going to be a roadblock and you have to plan for that.

[Ryan]

On the second, for sure, you'll fall in love with some shit. And it's like, oh, no, we can't do that.

[Rory]

And then you hear the sample replay and you're like, I don't even like the song anymore.

[Ryan]

Yeah, it's like, yeah, for sure. So it's like a lot of mix and matching verses at that point. So, yeah, that's what this was. But sometimes I just be like, man, catch me if you can. Like I'm putting this shit out, you know what I mean? So a lot of that shit is that too. But yeah, to answer your question, I've been pissed off since I came into business. Cause I'm like, I'm seeing everybody get their motherfucking flowers. And I feel like I'm the coldest rapper, one of the coldest rappers ever. Especially in this time. I feel like I came out at a weird time. There's a lot of other shit going on. But yeah, I just felt like I was the dopest rapper. And I felt like if people were considered lyrical, if they had a certain cosign or a certain thing going for them, they were pushed to the forefront, you know what I'm saying? And you know, I wasn't. I wasn't, you know, like mad. I was pissed, but I wasn't like, like really upset. It wasn't like I wanted to hurt anybody or do anything, but it was like, man, like, come on, Dog, Like.

[Rory]

I, I, I've noticed since the blog era, since Twitter, really. I'll say. When it comes to media, there has been obviously, like the A list and people that are on majors, but then there's the underground that may not do any of the numbers that match to what the media says about them. They become the darling of the Twitter worlds or the darling of the blog era. And then you see what they saw and listen, I'm not here to. I'm glad these type of rappers get their shine.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Anyone I'm thinking in my head is dope. But they become the darling of the blog type of media for sure. Did you feel left out of that?

[Ryan]

I think I came after that. You know, I think I came after.

[Rory]

That, but it even folded over. Like, I'm not gonna. Let's use B Dot as an example. Just because B Dot was there from the blog era to now, as far as still doing lists. And if you go through his list, which I appreciate, it's not a sales thing, per se. It's supposed to be for talent. But I see a lot of rappers that aren't in that inner circle of blog shit. They still not selling nothing, but they're in the inner circle of media.

[Ryan]

It's, it's weird. I see his list all the time. I even told him, like, you out of touch with a lot of this shit, bro. Like, just being honest.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, B Dot, you hear that you out of touch with a lot of this shit.

[Ryan]

You fell out of touch with it. So it's like, Sunday Dinner came out that year. I heard, and I didn't see it.

[Rory]

On the list, like, which I thought was crazy.

[Nick Grant]

No, but. Nah. But you say. Cause you had a conversation with B Dot about it.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

And what was his response to not having Sunday dinner on the list?

[Ryan]

Oh, man, you gotta get active outside of the albums, which I respect, but, nigga, the album still came out. Like, the album is out. I just dropped the album and saw you. Right. Like, which is cool. I get, like, you gotta stay active and do all this stuff. But I was also active. I was still putting out other shit, putting out freestyles and doing other stuff. But, you know, me personally, I just felt like it was an excuse.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You know, what's the definition of getting your flowers, though? Cause I feel you. It's a thing. It's hard to explain.

[Nick Grant]

He gets it. Cause when you.

[Rory]

Who decides?

[Ryan]

No, at that time, at that time, I get him now. Like, I get him now from, like, the music business and different people. Different people in the business. And I've got.

[Nick Grant]

You've been on tour with Nas.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Nick Grant]

And Lauryn Hill. You've. Andre 3000 personally came to one of your shows for sure. Pulled up. So, you know, when you. Things like that, those type of names, when they recognize you and they give you your flowers and think that you're dope and take you on the road. Yeah, I mean, I understand getting your flowers, but sometimes it's like, well, don't leave me off.

[Ryan]

I'm giving you the flowers. Yeah, don't leave me off none of these lists. Cause I'm not on none of the lists. Which I don't really. I don't really care. But it's like.

[Nick Grant]

But that's what I think it's about.

[Ryan]

That make me feel. Yeah, it make me feel like it's about something else.

[Nick Grant]

Right. Okay.

[Ryan]

Cause I'm a nigga from somewhere else, so I be feeling like, you don't really fuck with me like that. What's going on?

[Nick Grant]

What's up?

[Ryan]

Yeah, you got a problem, right? You know what I'm saying? Cause clearly I should be mentioned up there.

[Nick Grant]

Absolutely.

[Rory]

Yeah. And I mean, I've had countless conversations with Wale, for example, on mic and off mic about this very thing. And that's not a secret that Wale is very vocal when he feels like he's being slighted or blackballed or like, there has to be a real reason why you leaving me off this. Because my art does not match what you guys are putting up on this.

[Nick Grant]

It warrants me to be on these lists.

[Rory]

And, you know, everyone's response to Wale is like, look at all your number ones. Look at your career and all that. Like, yeah, that's cool. And I think that's a dream that you could be on tour with Nas and Lauryn Hill. And I probably the three greatest rappers have co signed you. Yeah, that doesn't feed your kid. Like, a co sign is another thing.

[Ryan]

And.

[Rory]

And not to say that the list really validates that, But. But if you're not in the inner circle of the media of constantly being on list or thrown into the casual fans face, you're going to start to feel away like, did I do something.

[Ryan]

To y' all right?

[Rory]

Why am I not in this certain mix? And then you have the real rap fans, like, nah, but Nas think you ill. And it's like, dog, Nas is fine.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Right now.

[Nick Grant]

Life is great. Life is amazing.

[Ryan]

That's a great point.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rory]

So that's where I feel like Wale, where He gets misunderstood. I understand.

[Ryan]

I get it now. I feel even.

[Rory]

Even with, like, the complex list stuff, with podcast stuff, even with my album, I felt away. When I was looking through the top 50, I was like, ain't no way I can name. I can name 25 albums that are way worse than my album. And you start because it does. It does add an accolade, like, for sure. Even with the Grammy shit. No. Grammys can never validate an artist. Never will. I don't want artists to think that way. But don't act like you don't get more opportunities. When a public publicist is sending out a bio that says Grammy nominated Grammy Award winner, like, you get more shit.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And if you're signed to a label, that could be a point to then renegotiate. Like, there's so much into that with media that I don't even want to be the hip hop nerd purist that's like, man, if Lauren thinks you dope, then, yeah, just be fine.

[Nick Grant]

Like, not tell us to the landlord. Like, no, first come around like your Lauryn Hill think I'm fired. Yeah, yeah. What the hell are you moving?

[Rory]

Like, yeah, that's a different. That's a different level that we aspire to as kids, but as adults, like, yeah, shit is cool.

[Ryan]

Yeah, 100%. Yeah. Cause we manage this as artists, man. We just sacrifice so much. We sacrifice time for my family sacrifice. Just, you know, just not being in the right head space sometimes with people that we love. You know what I'm saying? Just because we so focused. And if you want to be great at this shit, this shit is, like, very tedious.

[Nick Grant]

It's very.

[Ryan]

Takes a lot of hard work. So, you know, when we. When we get slighted, that's like a big deal. It's like, you know, we have. We have some of the biggest egos in the world. So it's kind of like, you know.

[Rory]

And on top of that, like, you even see albums that you think are dope, then you're gonna sound like a.

[Ryan]

Hater if they go, that's what I'm saying. I can't, dentist you. Like, I can't.

[Rory]

And that's where. That's where I feel for Wale. When that shit got leaked with Complex, when he was like, you about to tell me my album's not better than Juicy J. And after that, Wale looked like a hater. Obviously. Wale loves Juicy J for sure.

[Nick Grant]

But you fall into that space of.

[Rory]

Feeling like you a hater and you not.

[Nick Grant]

It's like, I'M not hating, but y' all gotta look me in my face and tell me that y' all feel like Juicy J. Juicy J's album was better than mine. Like, fall into a space of, damn, what Juicy J did to you. And it's like, no, he didn't do anything to me. He put out a good album. But y' all gonna tell me that my album is not good, Is not at least as good as UCJ's. So it's a weird space that I think artists fall in.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

And not that you're looking for validation from anybody.

[Ryan]

Yeah, no, it's just. It's just. I just feel like underlying shit.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

That's all. Yeah.

[Rory]

I guess the theme of that entire.

[Ryan]

Thing was, I don't like my flowers. Yeah. I don't like my ass kiss. But.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Is it. Is it about something else not getting.

[Rory]

No, it's not that. It's, like, proven work.

[Ryan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Rory]

It's not even validated. The work is validated.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Rory]

Once I put it out, it was validated. Everyone knows what this is, but 100%, we can't all work in the same business and not acknowledge what this entire thing is. So, yeah, I guess my question, which I can't answer, is, what is flowers.

[Ryan]

And what is flowers?

[Nick Grant]

Flowers is just. To me, like. I think flowers is. Is, you know, recognition, appreciation, even just words like, you know, sometimes just letting the artists know. Like, yo, fire.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

Like, I see artists that in passing. We was in LA for BET weekend, couple guys I seen, and I was just like, yo, I like it. I see what you doing. Like, that's flowers for some. You know what I'm saying? It's like, all right, cool. Like, guys that you feel like have a certain taste level and have a certain level of what they expect from MCs and rappers when they recognize you, even if it's just a dap in passing. Like, yo, I like what you doing. You sound good. Like, to me, that's what it is. Just let me know that y' all hear me and y' all see me.

[Ryan]

Exactly.

[Nick Grant]

That's all. You ain't even if you don't put me on the list.

[Ryan]

Yeah, but when you see me. Nah, put me on the list. Yeah, fuck that. Put me on your list. N. Cause you heard it and you. You know, you felt some kind of way when you heard it. Yeah, don't tell me I ain't on the list. But the album is dope.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Like, I fuck with. Yeah. Nah, put me on the list. Fuck that.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Then the catch 22 on that is I've talked to plenty of artists that get all the lists and mad that they don't get the sales that artists that aren't on the list are getting. They can't sell out a show. They can't sell out a show the way an artist that has never made a list, period.

[Ryan]

Right, right, right.

[Rory]

Like, you know, I always quote Fonte on everything record I loved on their second album. I almost retired because I had more press than sound scan. I was the most revered on every blog on earth. Nobody was buying my.

[Ryan]

It's like, yeah, stop.

[Rory]

Stop revering me on the Internet like, somebody buy a album, dog.

[Nick Grant]

But what do we think that is, though, is that is like, what's the disconnect in an artist being super dope, putting out a great project? And then when it comes to these quote unquote lists or these blogs or whatever, it may be being left off of those. Like, what is the disconnect? It has to be personal relationships.

[Ryan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Nick Grant]

It has to be politics. It has to be, you know, because now it feels like, damn, the people that's creating these lists, whether it be, you know, complex or whatever, it's like, oh, because I don't know nobody up there.

[Ryan]

Right, right, right.

[Nick Grant]

I don't have a relationship with somebody up there. They left me off this list, like. Cause you're not gonna tell me these 10 albums that you have on this list are better than my album, right?

[Ryan]

100%.

[Nick Grant]

So it starts to feel like it's more politics and there's more shoulder rubbing and things like that. Like, I gotta have a personal relationship with these people in these spaces. But when did that become, like, something that stopped giving recognition to dope albums?

[Rory]

Here's the thing. Like, you know, I'm always creative, first artist side of everything, but you could say that about literally every business in the United States. Like, it is politics no matter what. On everything. Whether no matter what job you work, politics is going to somehow be involved in your rise and fall in what you're doing. Shit. I think we are a very objective podcast, but there's guests that we'll make priority over somebody else. Like, now we got people that we. We fuck with personally.

[Nick Grant]

That.

[Rory]

That's just a human nature type of thing. And that's where I feel for artists, though, because that's where you need a great manager like Hovain. Rest in peace. I watched Hovain's whole rise. I watched Hovain when I was working from building to building Hovain would be in every building, right. He would get to know every exec, everybody in marketing, everybody in socials. Like, he made sure, even though Troy did his own thing on. On the street team side, Hovain was working. Yeah, he was rubbing shoulders. And not in like a, you know, bowing down type of way, but he was. He was networking in a great way. And that's what helped Troy so much. That's why Hovain ended up being so big in cinematic music and everything. Like, artists do need that person.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Because. Because that's no matter what. We could pretend in fucking some utopia that artists. If you make good music, it'll get out there. That's not the case.

[Nick Grant]

Like, it's just.

[Ryan]

I think in my story, like, too, I'm not easily swayed and I always ask questions. And I think in this business, too, that pisses a lot of people off. So it's like, if you can't manipulate me or get me to do something I don't want to do, like, nah, fuck, nigga, I ain't doing it. I don't want to do that. So, I mean, I feel like that causes conflict or that causes somebody to keep distance in a way. Yeah. So, yeah, I think in my story that may be the case. Cause it's like, nah, you need to be like this. You had a lot of people. I had a lot of people on my journey telling me I need to be like this. Yo, you gotta be this big personality or you gotta do. That's not who I am, dawg. I don't come from that.

[Nick Grant]

That was part of the conversation that we had when we was in LA in the studio with Vince. And Vince was saying, like, man, don't let them tell you you gotta do this and do that. No, you don't.

[Ryan]

100%.

[Nick Grant]

Cause Vince was like, I don't do none of that shit.

[Ryan]

Right, right, right.

[Nick Grant]

You know what I'm saying? And he was like, I don't do none of that. And I'm still, you know, selling this and ticket sales here for a live show. Like, he was like, so don't let them tell you you gotta do that, because you know you don't.

[Rory]

Do you remember what I said to Vince, though?

[Nick Grant]

No.

[Rory]

Everybody. Not you.

[Ryan]

Yeah, not you.

[Nick Grant]

Well, yeah, everybody not Vince, but Vince, he built his self to that, but he's always been kind of like, I don't really fuck with all of that. That's always been Vince's demeanor. And his thing from day one was like, I'm not really into all that. Extra shit.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

And it works for him. It's like, yo, you know, this is who I am. Either you love Ramona park broke my heart, or you don't. You know what I'm saying? Like, it is what it is. Either way, it's still available, still out. And I think. And I think it's dope. So I think there is a space of politicking, relationship building, and things like that. Those are important, but those should never outweigh somebody's decision to hear a project and be like, damn, that's fire. Just because I don't know this artist personally.

[Ryan]

Right.

[Rory]

Oh, I mean, you know, I've never been on that. I'm the opposite of that. I just don't think the rest of media, the rest of the world really works that way. To be quite honest, I cannot like.

[Ryan]

You, and I'd agree with you all the time and still think your shit is, like, crazy.

[Nick Grant]

For sure.

[Ryan]

You know what I mean?

[Nick Grant]

For sure. That's why when people like, oh, you hating, I laugh. I'm like, yeah, bro, I don't even know these dudes personally, so I can't hate anybody personally. Like, when we was going through the whole. Me and Nick was laughing about the whole shit last year, Rory, you know, with the whole Drake, Kendrick shit. Like, Nick was one of the guys that would call me every day like, yo, these niggas think you the most hating ass nigga. And they don't really know, like, deep down the side, you don't give a fuck about none of these things. Like, you really. And it's real. It's like, yo, I love the music. I don't know this artist personally.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

So it's never personal for me. It's like, yo, I just. I didn't like that. Or I do like this, but it has nothing to do with the fact of, yo, I know that person personally, which is why I don't understand these lists. It's like, yo, do you like the album or not?

[Rory]

But we have the freedom that our opinions on this podcast are ours. And, yeah, I'll speak not for all podcasters, but podcasting, that's kind of been the allure of the entire thing. It felt like, okay, finally we getting some real takes from people that don't really have an agenda or have anybody to, you know, have to say something. For now, you got to think about the list. Shit, let's use Complex. What they used to do was have a whole boardroom fudgeing 30 writers. All they're trying to put 100 albums of the year list together. Every last person in there has rent to pay, has bills to pay.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Has family going on in their life.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So while, yes, they are there for the purity of music, as a, as a young kid, they probably thought, yo, I got my complex job. I. All I did was love music my whole life. I finally made it. Yeah. Is a little different when you know there may be agenda in the building and something that you bring up may have a certain level of an exec staff look at you and say, you not on the same time we on. You're suggesting. Now you just suggesting bullshit. You not on the same page we on. You can't come in this building and suggest that. I've worked corporate before, you know, I was quiet in certain times where I was like, I could say something that would make a lot of fucking sense, but I know it would fuck with.

[Ryan]

My job for sure.

[Rory]

And my ass stayed.

[Nick Grant]

That's a real thing.

[Rory]

Dead quiet in that seat. And was just like, see, I got.

[Ryan]

To, I got to grow up.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, I must.

[Ryan]

Because I'm going to say something.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

I don't like this shit, bro. Like what you niggas in here doing.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

But I mean, you just got to think. You got to think of the 20, a 2 year old that this the same way you sat and was like, I want to be a rap. I want to get out of my situation the best way possible. This is my dream job. I can't wait to work at Hot 97. I can't wait to work at Def Jam. I can't wait to work at Complex. Then you get that job. Not everything is like the end of a movie script where it's like, nah, fuck that. Real hip hop. And then they go out and start their new label, right? Some people, some people need that $65,000 a year and they're not about to compromise it over some rapper they, they don't even know and just like their music, right?

[Ryan]

So sometimes it's not real hip hop though. Sometimes it's just some underlying bullshit. A motherfucker just.

[Rory]

It's corporate.

[Ryan]

It's all bullshit. I get it. But it's like, man, what about integrity? What about. You know what I mean?

[Nick Grant]

They don't care about that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, no, no, no, they don't. I mean, I'm learned, I learned, I've learned that now they don't care about it, but it's like, yeah, I got to care about mine.

[Nick Grant]

What's that?

[Ryan]

What's that?

[Nick Grant]

Because, you know, and I'm asking You, we kicking it. We just talking. But I already know a lot of the answers to this shit. But what is that like for you, though? Like, because I know how. That's how we kind of aligned and clicked was like our moral compasses is kind of in the same space, but as an emcee and as a rapper, like, how do you deal with that battle of being in those rooms and knowing if, you know, I part with my integrity or if I kind of shift my moral compass a little bit right here? This may further me in my career. Like, how do you fight that battle like, of doing that versus, like, nah, I gotta be nick.

[Ryan]

At the end of the day, I only do stuff that I wanna do if I feel comfortable doing it. You know, I'm all in. But if my spirit don't agree with it even a little bit, we can talk about it. We can have a conversation about it always. But if my spirit don't agree with it 100%, I'm not going. Yeah, I just can't do it. Yeah, I can't. No matter how much money, I always been like this.

[Rory]

Like, has there been examples? I mean, you don't have to get in, like, super details to expose any specific people or anything. I mean, if you want.

[Nick Grant]

Listen, if you want to, we can.

[Rory]

Family. So. No, I prefer if you said everyone. Some examples throughout your career, because you've been in so many different situations, so many different management teams, and. Yeah, around you. What are some examples of that?

[Ryan]

Some examples of that would be. All right, so I had. I had. I had a situation where somebody knew, like, my people and they, like, dis my hometown.

[Nick Grant]

Okay.

[Ryan]

And I'm like, yo, like, this was. This was one of the things that made me, like, not want to work with this person anymore. So they, like, took him to my hood, took him everywhere, you know, and this my whole, like. And mind you, my city is very small. So it's like everybody in the business that you met, you know, is from my city. And they said something like, yeah, stupid motherfuckers. Like, from people from here. And I'm like, huh? The only people you met was my family. You know what I'm saying? Like, how the can you say that.

[Nick Grant]

Right to me, right?

[Ryan]

So once I heard that, I was.

[Nick Grant]

Like, yeah, I can't.

[Ryan]

I can't do this. You know?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, it's about to go another way.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Win, lose, a draw.

[Rory]

Was that a situation where it would have probably behooved you to rock with them on a industry side or career wise?

[Ryan]

I mean, the people that really know me, it's people that would. They don't really know. The people that don't really know me said like, nah, man, it's not that. It's not that deep. It's not that bad.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And I'm like, you not really for me, because I'm not that kind of guy.

[Rory]

Yeah, right.

[Ryan]

If you say something about this and I've opened my doors to you, like I open the door to my family. You know what I'm saying? Everybody don't know my mom. Everybody ain't met my mom, my sisters, my brothers, you know what I'm saying? My cousins. You met everybody. You're the only person that's really met everybody. So when that happened, I was just like, nah, I'm cool.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, okay.

[Ryan]

No matter how much money's on the table, I don't give a fuck about how much money I can make, nigga, I'm outta here. I don't give a fuck. Fuck it.

[Nick Grant]

What is it like for a young Nick Grant or artist to be on tour with a Nas and Lauryn Hill? What are those conversations with Nas? Like the MC conversation or just Life? What are some of those conversations you had with Nas while on the road with him?

[Ryan]

Man, when I think I told this story with y' all last time when he. When his shaka was like, yeah, Nas is gonna pull up. And Nas actually pulled up with the Hennessy, and we just talked about all day long who was dope, who was whack.

[Nick Grant]

You know who you said was whack, though? Cause I know you. Because sometimes I'll be talking to Nick, I'm like, yo, I like this little Nick. Like, nah, he whack. I be like, damn. So. So who are you telling Nas? Like, nah, he was telling me.

[Ryan]

He was telling me who whacked. So I can't really.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? I was just listening. Cause I ain't really know him like that. So I'm like, I don't want to say too much to throw him off.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But when he was talking to me, it was like everybody he thought was. Was whack.

[Nick Grant]

Did he say somebody was whack that you thought was nice? Cause that's the thing. Like, when one of your favorite MCs thinks somebody is whack and you think they nice, it's like, damn. Like, all right.

[Ryan]

Nah, we share the same sentiment.

[Nick Grant]

Okay, okay.

[Ryan]

I thought he was. I thought. I thought the dude was whack, too.

[Nick Grant]

Okay, all right.

[Rory]

It broke my heart when Nas Got on the radio and dissed Nori. I was like, I love Nori. And on top of that, I loved all the Angie Martinez songs that were out.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You remember that power 105 rant?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

[Rory]

I was like, damn, my favorite rapper. Yeah, Angie, I like your songs.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

He said, nori, step your rap game up. Hot 97. Stop having your host rap. I was like, oh. Because at that point, I don't think we had heard like a rapper go on a. A rant like that before. Outside of PAC maybe.

[Nick Grant]

Right.

[Rory]

But I was too young for that. That was my first time. Like, oh, rappers do this for real?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah. Did you ever have. So now the whole Joey Badass versus.

[Ryan]

Going to the end.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, like, Joey Bass. So what is that? What is that like, for you? Like, sitting back, watching that as an mc, Like, I mean, and you in la.

[Ryan]

I have a. I, but I'm not from la. I have a dog in a fight. But yeah, I was watching, like, wish would, you know what I'm saying? Like, so I'm watching the whole shit. But, man, I thought that. I thought that was a great moment. That's like, it made it exciting.

[Nick Grant]

I did too.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? I thought that was. I thought that was a dope moment. I thought everybody that put out records are like, dope artist. So, yeah, I was like. Was hyped about that. So hyped. I was like, yeah, I got it.

[Nick Grant]

You was ready to go in the book.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I want to get in just for. I don't even know none of these n. For real. But. But nah, I thought it was a dope moment.

[Nick Grant]

Now you spent some time around the TDE camp. Yeah, like, a lot of people probably don't know that. What was that time? Like, what was some of those writing sessions about? Who were you the most surprised by? Like, when you heard them lay their verses down? Like, what were some of those sessions? Like?

[Ryan]

Man, the person that I knew the most was, like, Punch. So I would be with Punch every day. Punch would just hang out every day. That's my man. That's my man. To this day, I got so much love for Punch. Like, Punch was one of the. He's another person that's like, knows my people, like, my family. Like, when they come to la, I'm like, yeah, we going to Punch House. So he, like, super cool, opened his doors to me, like, and I'm a person that's like, fuck music. This my guy, you know, and you my guy for life after that. No Matter what happens. So, yeah, so he was the person. And I think the first person to reach out after I, like, dropped a project was, like, Kendrick. And I just always respected his pen. I always got love for K Doc, even for that. Cause most people run from this. She's not even hyping myself up. Like, I'm the greatest motherfucker in the world, but most people run from me. So when he was talking to me, he was talking to me crazy, like, yo, when we do a record, I ain't holding no punches. I'm gonna kick your ass. You know? So I'm like, okay, all right. It's gonna be the fight of your motherfucking life. You know what I'm saying?

[Nick Grant]

Right, right.

[Ryan]

But that's how MCs talk. But I always. I always had love and respect for him since. Since day one. That's one of the greatest to ever do it, for sure.

[Rory]

Do you feel like that would. Would have helped maybe, like, earlier in your career not to where. Where you're at now? Cause I think you found peace in your lane in what you're trying to do. Yeah, but having that click of a bunch of MCs that you grew up with that were together on the same label, the way TDE came up with A.B. jay, Rock, Schoolboy eventually, and Kendrick, you think that would have helped?

[Ryan]

Hell, yeah.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Ryan]

You know, just that. That cloth of just elite rappers. I think if it was. If it was done the way that I perceived it, it would have been. It would have. It would have been great for me and growing and, you know.

[Nick Grant]

Why didn't you sign with td?

[Ryan]

I think it was going away from the agenda that I was trying to. That I had for myself. The plan that I have for myself. Punch had a. He got a group. He got a group now called Room Full of Mirrors and, you know, shout out to them, too. Real dope crew of artists. But it was like, you know, I was this artist that already had, like, LPs out, and I was, like, trying to stay on the path of that. And I found myself, like, focusing more on that than, you know, and people. Not people knowing me more for this, but it was like such a big break in between putting out my own material. And I felt like I was losing. Maybe it was my own insecurities, but I felt like I was, like, losing a grip on the thing that I was trying to push and push forward. So.

[Rory]

Would you ever entertain another deal in that capacity?

[Ryan]

No.

[Nick Grant]

Okay.

[Ryan]

I'm extremely happy right now. Like, I just like the way my life is set up. I like my. I never had a routine in life. I get up and jog, and I kind of just do what I want every day. You know, I'm with my kid every day. So I'm like, go in the room, put him to sleep, write the rhymes. It's less headache. It's less, like, you know, it's less stress for me right now. So I'm like, that's the best way to create. That's the best way to, like, put out material.

[Nick Grant]

Yo, and Nick's son, whenever he says dmx, he starts. His son starts growing. No, it's the craziest.

[Ryan]

That's the real. I gotta show you when the camera's on.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, it's the. This out. Nick said, dmx. Dmx. I'm like, where did he get that?

[Ryan]

I'm gonna tell you the ill about it.

[Rory]

What are you teaching your child?

[Ryan]

I didn't even teach. Teach him that.

[Rory]

Yeah, that'd be the craziest shit. With your kids, you don't teach them a single thing. I was like, where the fuck you learn that?

[Ryan]

I said that shit. 1. I was like, dmx. And he growled. I was like, yo, what the fuck? Cause we have, like, you know, music videos playing in the crib. And this was the nigga that he gravitated towards. Yeah, why do you like this? And then I thought about who I was, and I was like, oh, I see why. I get it. It makes sense.

[Rory]

So, I mean, you wrote a letter to your son, Which I tweeted. I mean, I didn't cry. Somebody was cutting onions.

[Nick Grant]

Was this something to say?

[Ryan]

Something to say?

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah. Off. I took it personal. You know, I. Listen, man. You know, Kia be in the crib cutting onions.

[Nick Grant]

And I get it. Just.

[Rory]

It's just. I was like, you stop doing that. I'm trying to listen to music. It wasn't because.

[Ryan]

You cried.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I would say the matter of fact, the fir. The night before, we all got in with Vince. I was with Child the night before, and we were working on him.

[Ryan]

I'm.

[Rory]

I'm trying to go down that path of the. The record to Amara.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I got, like, two bars. I'm like, I'm cool. Like, yeah. I was like, yo. And yeah, I. I took something that she was doing on the DJ that I have already. Like, I sampled her for it, and her voice, and Yanni put some together. That was insane. And we started to write. I was like, I'm yo. Yeah. Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Yo, we better, like, come on, let's get an ear cleanse. Let's get out of here, man. Let's go do something else.

[Nick Grant]

I get it.

[Ryan]

I get it.

[Rory]

What was that like, you know? Cause we. That's the most we talk about.

[Ryan]

You and I talk about his kids. Like, new dad shit. Yeah, we the experts. I'm telling you. We the experts without really being the experts. It's niggas that I calling, but this is my guy when it comes. Hey, man. Hey.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

So what was that process like, finishing that record, man?

[Ryan]

That shit was tough, bro. Cause I started thinking about, like, my dad and shit. You know what I'm saying? So just thinking about stuff that he. We did and we used to hang out. My dad wasn't the best dad. He was always in and out. But my dad was wow, wow, hood nigga, man. You know what I'm saying? He had me out with the MD 2020. I said that in the rap. With the MD 2020. Drinking MD 2020.

[Rory]

My dad used to mix Mad Dog 2020 and Wild Irish Rose together.

[Ryan]

Together. Trying to make.

[Rory]

No, when you said the MD 20 times, I was like, yo. I felt something like, yo, Other people drank Mad Dog 2020. So Boone's Farm. My mom would give me a little of that.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

That's the. Now you give that to me in a cup. I'm passed out. 30 minutes.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? Take me home.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

So, like, as I'm pinning this, I'm thinking, like, because I used to be hard on him as I got older. You ain't.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know, so now once I have my kid, I'm like, man, he had his own shit going. He had his own issues, he had his own problem. So once you start looking at him like a human, you know what I'm saying? As opposed to this person that's supposed to do everything for you. Yeah. You know what I'm saying? Superhero type shit. I learned how to look at it from a different perspective through my son. So it became like, you know, closed chapter. Cause I did it on the last album, but I felt like it wasn't enough. Cause I had more shit to get out. That's why it's like, yeah, I'm gonna put this on this album too. I'm gonna give him something. But, yeah, man, you know, just learning a lot about me and my dad's relationship through me and my son's relationship, you know? So it was like. It's like closure for me.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Where are you at? I wanna word this correctly. But I don't really give a How they interpret it. Where are you on raising your son in the most. The most. Health. The most healthy way possible and where that may deter his ambition in life?

[Ryan]

Man, that's a great question, because I know we're sports.

[Rory]

We have to raise our kids in the best environment possible, no matter what. Make sure every last thing they do is amazing. Take care of every last bit.

[Nick Grant]

Right.

[Ryan]

I think for me, it started with myself and, like, just cleansing all of my insecurities and all my trauma. Trying my best to do it. I still. I'm not perfect, but just trying my best to do that shit. And, you know, and whatever I'm learning about myself, what to do or not to do, I'm applying that in how we live day to day. Yeah. And whatever he gravitates towards, I support him. But, you know, his mom is like, she different. We come from different. Two different spectrums of life. So it's like a whole different thing. And I'm learning stuff through her, too. So with him, I think it's dope. Every morning he, like, prioritizes a book. Like, he'll get up and drag the book, and then he'll get up and. All right, read the book to me.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Even if I'm like, all right, I got you. Just give me a second.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, let me get up. Let me wake up.

[Ryan]

Nah, nigga, flip these pages, nigga.

[Rory]

Come on.

[Ryan]

Like, he'll flip the pages for you. So, yeah, so I think that was dope. So I was like, all right. It kind of got me in a routine for him, like, through his mom doing certain shit and. Cause you know, I'm gonna do what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna make it easier for him day to day. Like, all right, come on, let's watch this. Come on, let's do this. Let's do this. Let's have the fun. But that's cool. But it's like, structure is the most important thing. And, you know, she was raised a certain. A different way than me, so she's applying that, and I'm watching that, too. And I'm like, okay, this is really how it's supposed to be done. You know what I'm saying?

[Nick Grant]

But, I mean, that's dope, though, to kind of, like, have that moment through having a kid and, you know, having a great mom, for sure. Great mom. And her instilling that structure in him and things like this. Things you probably didn't have growing up. But then it's like, okay, like, you Watching her as a mom, like, I like the fact that she's giving my son that. Like, every morning he grabs a book first and he wants to read, and it's third. Like, you need those moments of. Okay. Like. You know what I'm saying? Like, we gotta. I'm gonna sprinkle some of mines in him. Yeah. Like, mom. Mom's definitely.

[Ryan]

You got to have some of my shit, too.

[Rory]

Burn all books and not feed your child. I'm suggesting that I want to give my daughter everything in the world. But is that going to hinder her progress when she gets older?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

That's where I'm really getting at with the entire thing.

[Ryan]

Like, got you.

[Rory]

If I make it too fucking easy.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

And you get everything you want. Like, you're going to be like one of the Hilton sisters.

[Ryan]

Like, for sure. I mean, it's a balance with me. I'm like. I'm like, tough love. I'm like, all right, we can read this book, but I ain't picking you up. We ain't doing none of that. We gonna swing this baseball. You like doing this shit. We gonna do it longer than you wanna do it. You know what I'm saying? Like, shit. Like, I'm. Tough love. Like, all right, pick this toy up. Put this shit over here. Like, clean this shit up. You know what I'm saying? And he's only two September. So, you know, just little stuff like that. Like, I'm tough. I'm not too tough on him. Cause he's a baby of mine.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But I'm like, yeah.

[Rory]

I'm saying more like, as Tonga shit, man.

[Nick Grant]

Little man got nick wrapped around his finger, man. I'm daddy.

[Rory]

I have no tough love. That's why I'm sitting here. Like, God, I got a little. I'm gonna fuck this little girl up because I'm so nice to her.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I got a little bit. I got a little bit. I got a little bit in me.

[Nick Grant]

But we should. You should. You should spoil your kids a little bit, though. I think that's. No, I think that's something that we all, you know, I'm saying you should do at some point. Spoil your kids. The. The. The objective is to make sure they had it easier than you did.

[Rory]

Without question.

[Ryan]

Yeah, for sure.

[Rory]

But, you know, I'm just keeping the back of my mind as the years go. Like, all right, tomorrow.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. You gotta start tapering it off a little bit as they get older. Like, all right, we not just giving you everything you want. Like my nephew.

[Rory]

I've met people that had that.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

They're not good human beings.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. My nephew, when he found out that I could send him money to his phone.

[Ryan]

Ah nigga.

[Nick Grant]

He found when he unlocked that.

[Ryan]

I ain't ready for that.

[Nick Grant]

Oh my God. My sister gave better better blessing he was on.

[Rory]

He was on FaceTime with his son and said Apple pay. I was like like, you guys are already there.

[Nick Grant]

My nephew is there. Like in these games. They making it easy. Minecraft. Who invented Minecraft? I'm gonna beat the out here Minecraft. Me and the that got beat. Who created Minecraft gonna fade when I get.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

How much you gotta spend in those games? Like, I'm like, you need another 50.

[Ryan]

That crazy.

[Nick Grant]

You gotta buy some more. Like. And when I bought Super Mario, that was it. I didn't need to pay for nothing to get to the warp zone world and all that.

[Rory]

I had to figure it out once I was. I just blew in the cartridge when it didn't work.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Like this.

[Rory]

It wasn't an upgrade and it wasn't even mine.

[Ryan]

I borrowed the whole system.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Yeah.

[DJ Wells]

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[Nick Grant]

So now with Andre 3000. I know because you spent a lot of time in Atlanta, so I know personally with 3,000 means to you. What's some of the conversations like with 3000? And when is he giving you your verse?

[Ryan]

Man, that's a great question. That motherfucker don't give a fuck about nothing. Yeah he don't care about nothing, dog. He. And I love that. Like, even just learning that and watching how he move and how he create, he's just limitless.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? Yeah. I met him through. I met him through Jason Jeter. Remember Jason calling me to the studio.

[Nick Grant]

Shout out to Jeter. Yeah.

[Ryan]

I'm gonna tell this story again because this is like.

[Rory]

Like related.

[Nick Grant]

Jason Jeter to Derek Jeter. No.

[Rory]

Okay. I've never met. Y' all have met Jeters before.

[Nick Grant]

No, no, no, no.

[Ryan]

That name is so rare.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

It's a rare name. So. Yeah, yeah. Nah, he was managing me at the time, and he was like, Yo, 3000 wants you to come to the studio. This was the first. First time we ever met. He was like, yeah, just play me some stuff, man. He was super cool. First day I met him, he was cool.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Second day I met him. Aw, motherfucker. This is just Nick.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? So super cool, man. Just those conversations are, like, super creative. Super. Like, you kind of understand, like, why he is who he is. Just from speaking to him, even to seeing the motherfucker walk, nigga, walk different.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Talk. Talk different. Yeah, yeah. But, yeah, I learned so much for him and from him, how he created, you know, I learned a lot of intention from him. You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

So what do you mean by that?

[Ryan]

Just how he, like, approaches music. Like, I see this motherfucker making a beat with the producer. I never had that, like, until, like. Yeah, I'm like, damn. Making beats, too. He like, motherfuck, can't make your music without you. You know what I'm saying? So I was like, I always carried that with me. But, yeah, one of my heroes. And you gotta think, too, like, this was somebody that's like, I grew up in South Carolina, but I moved to Atlanta when I was seven years old. And when I moved to Atlanta, I moved to his neck of the woods. So that's all they played, you know what I'm saying? And it was at Aliens. It was Southern Playlistic motherfucking Equimina. All this shit was, like, the soundtrack to my life at that point. And if you know anything about old national, in 1995, it was, like, the hub for, like, culture, especially Atlanta culture, of course. But, yeah, he was like. So to meet him, all this stuff plays into my mind, like, how I lived and the stuff that I was going through. And it was like, motherfucker almost dropped a tear in there. So the second time I meet him, he's like, bowing like, man, I couldn't write a verse. You know, I write a better. You'll force me to write a better verse. And I'm like, me. Mm. Shit, that's crazy.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Like, all right.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. N. Start getting some ideas. Like, feel like. Help me push his pen a little harder. Okay.

[Ryan]

Yeah. I'm like, yo, this is crazy. But, yeah, like, all of the older guys, like, they respect me in that way. Cause I'm, you know, I'm just a product of everything that they've put out. You know what I'm saying? I studied all of these guys. You know, I always put money to the back and put music and studying first. Cause I always was told that, you know, the money comes when you just focus.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

And it's almost been 10 years for me, and I'm still.

[Nick Grant]

Well, you know, they say that's the year. Yeah. Everybody needs 10 years at it or 10 years doing something for it to really take off 100%. You know, you look at it, my brother, Hip hop, he has this song, what I call the Hip Hop Bible.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

And he broke down literally every rapper. I was telling Rory about it. It's the craziest shit I've ever seen. He took every rapper, every MC ever. And he has it from the year that they were born, the year they dropped their first, I think, single or album.

[Ryan]

That's crazy.

[Nick Grant]

And it literally is. Like, you can see the 10 years, like, from when it took off. Like, you can see it like, yo, this is when this album, then this single dropped. That's when his career took over. And it's like, I'm looking at it. And the one person who has probably the most unique timeline is Jay. Because Jay was introduced with Kane in 88.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Nick Grant]

So he has it, like, Jay was really supposed to take off, you know, sooner than he took off. If you look at it, the ten year thing, it's like, I'm glad you said that. Jay lived. So jay, literally his 10,000 hours.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

Like, is happening, like, in real time. Like, he's supposed to have. Ben took off.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

So it was so interesting seeing that. And I'm like, damn. But so it's a real thing. When you say 10 years. Like, you say 10 years. 10 years. And that's, you know, all creatives need to understand that. Like, you gotta put that time and you gotta put the energy in. Because the greats. Just because when you saw them take off don't mean that they ain't been doing this for 10, 12 years, like, you know what I'm saying? They been doing this shit.

[Ryan]

And even before that, before we even.

[Nick Grant]

Knew him, before that, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, with you, Nick, I remember hearing you, you know, years ago and then seeing you on all the radio stations, whether it was in Atlanta with Saha and Jeezy. That's my brother, you know what I'm saying? Or whether it was with Sway, like you've always been. Anytime I would see you online, I would say, all right, let me hear what Nick doing. And I would click it. And you can hear the progression. You can hear the bars getting better, you could hear the flow change, and you can hear the content changing. Where you are now, Sunday Dinner to me, bonafide classic, man.

[Ryan]

Appreciate it.

[Nick Grant]

I think if anybody found you during Sunday dinner, if that was anybody's first time hearing Nick Grant, it would be hard for them not to love you as an MC and as a rapper, because that's some of the best rapping in MCing. I think that especially in these times, it's hard to really find that where it's like, this ain't no machine. This ain't no. Dress it up and make it sound good. So it goes everywhere. No, this is skill set. These are bars, these are flows. These is like. This is real. A real hip hop consumer's dream. It's like going to the record store and going through the vinyls and finding something like, oh, yes. This is the type of shit I've been looking for. Nah, for sure now, when I took it personally.

[Ryan]

Appreciate that, too.

[Nick Grant]

You again, you said earlier you experimented a little differently with this one. You wanted to change the sounds a little bit. Are you happy with where it landed as a final product?

[Ryan]

Absolutely. Absolutely. I think it's a good continuation of Sunday Dinner, but I didn't want to give the people such a heavy album again. I wanted to give them something like, let's dance a little bit this time. Cause, man, I know I done told y' all, motherfucker. Mama on drugs. You done gave us the whole thing. I done gave you my baby mom having a kid. I done gave you so much. I gave you so much heavy shit. It's like.

[Nick Grant]

But it's real. It's your life.

[Ryan]

It's definitely real shit. And it's some real shit on here, too, for sure. But it's like, let's dance a little bit. We'll get back to this for sure. But to continuously do that, at least for me, it'll put you in a dark place. You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

Yeah, let me just.

[Ryan]

You don't.

[Rory]

As an ear cleanse.

[Ryan]

And, you know, I'm always happy. I'm like, hey, what up? You know, I'm one of them niggas, like, so I don't like being down. I don't like being. And if you want to be great at telling your story, you gotta be, like, in tune with it. You gotta always be in tune with it. You gotta stay sharp. You gotta have those conversations. You gotta talk to different people. My family is older, so I go home and just listen to a lot of those conversations. I just fly home from la. That's a long way just to hear conversations, just to hear certain people talk for that album. And it's like, all right, this is why people love it, because it's like. It's another level of, like, being in tune. But it's like, man, this is like. It's some good moments, too. Like, my family's like, my. My mom is the second youngest of 15 kids, so. And all of her siblings are still alive. My mom. My mom. My mom's 65, so her oldest. Her oldest sister's like, 90.

[Nick Grant]

Bless you.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

So record everything. No, no, that's what I'm doing with my family. All my. My audio record message on this is I leave this with my family talking.

[Ryan]

Yeah, just.

[Rory]

Just to keep all that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, for sure. That's fine.

[Rory]

Yeah, I got, like.

[Ryan]

I got, like, footage and not even.

[Rory]

Like, put out on an album.

[Nick Grant]

Like, you're not.

[Ryan]

For sure.

[Rory]

Just to have it to pass down to your son. Like, this is.

[Ryan]

Man, it's a great idea.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Oh, no, I do that with everybody now. So everyone's getting old.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I'm going down there. I'm just listening to conversations and doing all that stuff. I'm like. So when I. When I approach this album, I'm like, that was a lot of fucking work, bro. I don't know if I got that shit in me right now. I got it in me. I can do it. Cause, you know, I'm attentive and I'm listening, and I know how to, like, translate the shit into music. But I don't want to do that shit again right now. I give you, like, this surface level, you know, some good shit, and it'd still be a great album. I can still do that, too. And it's, you know, great continuation of it. And I'll get back to the storytelling in depth, but you gotta. You gotta have that. You can't have that shit in.

[Rory]

Gotta reset.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you got that shit in waves, bro. You can't just do that every album.

[Rory]

Yeah, for sure.

[Nick Grant]

So we know the album. If you didn't download it and stream it yet, do yourself a favor. I took it personal. Available now. So we got the albums, we got the great stories with NAS and 3000.

[Ryan]

Jay Z too, nigga.

[Nick Grant]

Jay Z. Yeah.

[Ryan]

Jay fuck with me.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Ryan]

Always show me love. Every time I see him show a n love, man, I fuck well.

[Nick Grant]

I mean, it's the skill set.

[Ryan]

I fuck with it.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, you gotta. Those guys, Nas, Jay 3000, they recognize when they see you know the skill set that they have. And you know they. They know when they see it.

[Ryan]

Like, okay, J cool though. Jay play me cool. He like, yeah, all right.

[Nick Grant]

You.

[Ryan]

You special.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's. Yeah, but that's Jay and everybody, like, he's just. He's the coolest in the room at all times.

[Rory]

The first five year anniversary print of written testimony vinyl. The first. The first press.

[Ryan]

Wow.

[Rory]

And he said, said, I've never gotten a gift. Hey, man, I've never gotten a gift. I've never gotten a gift. I said, I man B ain't never.

[Nick Grant]

Bought you nothing home like a cut.

[Rory]

This man, I think he like, thought I was bringing it for somebody to sign or something. And I was like, nah, it's the first press of the five year. Like it's a different color of the vinyl. And I was like, this is the first press I never got to get.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That lying. Yeah.

[Ryan]

I remember being in Atlanta, we did like 444. Somehow I end up in like his skybox. And it was a lot of star studded like a. Yeah. And everybody chilling, eating their wings and shit. You know what I'm saying?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Motherfucking bodyguard comes through with the light. I'm like, who the about to come in here, bro? Beyonce about to come in. Yeah, like Obama, motherfucker.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

About to come here. Beyonce walks through when I tell you this ain't give a. He was like, everybody out. Yeah, yeah, everybody out. I said, all right, if you kicking these out, I gotta go.

[Nick Grant]

I gotta go. That's a fact. Yeah.

[Ryan]

So he like, I'm about to walk out. He like, nah, you good. Yeah, just don't sit on the front row, right? I'm like, oh, that's fly. Yeah, you don't give a.

[Nick Grant]

How many other sound like Martin at the sky box was like, yo, you get out.

[Ryan]

Tell Them, hey, yeah, nigga, get out. Yeah, yeah, I was on that. But yeah, yeah, nah, dope, dope moments, man. Dope, man.

[Nick Grant]

But what is that? I mean. Cause again, you just. You a student of the game of hip hop. So, you know, to have that Type of Access1, but then to have those moments with the guys that, you know, you looked up to, and you had posters on your wall of these guys, and then to be in the same room with them and have those, you know, those encounters, like, what is that? That has to let you know as a person. Like, okay, I'm doing something right. Like, I'm in the room with my heroes. They acknowledge me. They, you know, they like what I'm doing. They love what I'm doing. You have to kind of walk with that. Like, just got a brand new head, nigga.

[Ryan]

I was Jay Z, nigga. I was rapping to the niggas on the wall, nigga. Like, you hear this shit?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? What's the sheet loops line where he's like, yeah, I rapped to Biggie and I swore he moved like, right, right. You know what I'm saying? I used to do shit like that. I used to, like, write these niggas rhymes and put my name in place of their name in the verses.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? So I used to love these. These guys are like superheroes. So just to see them, like, embrace me, take me on Tour, or like, Andre 3000 come to a show, that's like, huh?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

I'll be telling my brother every day, you can't with me. Yeah, you can't with me. For real. Yeah, we be playing like that and. But yeah, I be telling, man, like, I used to always tell everybody like, yo, I'm gonna do this. I'm gonna be serious about this.

[Nick Grant]

So. All right, so we got the Kumbaya out the way. Got all the Kumbaya.

[Ryan]

Pe Peach clip it. Yeah, all the Kumbaya. I just.

[Nick Grant]

No, let's. Let's get. We got the Kumbaya. My Lord. We done sing go the three stacks.

[Rory]

All that high frequency beautiful is over.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, it's beautiful. We done cried about the kids. Love the kids, all of that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Nick Grant]

But let's get.

[Rory]

See some blood. Blood.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, let's get to this.

[Ryan]

Them kids.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, them kids. All right, so kids is good. They with their mama. They good. So the other day on. On Twitter, somebody said, it ain't a on this earth that can rap with Jid. Not one and Nick GRANT music Nick GRANT music retweeted that with.

[Rory]

You said his old government name.

[Ryan]

NICK GRANT music My last name.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, he. He retweeted that with five baseball caps.

[Ryan]

I should have put 10.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. So let's talk about it. So why did you respond with Cat?

[Ryan]

Cause it was Kat.

[Nick Grant]

Is it because you don't feel like Jid is. Well, first of all, does it feel like.

[Ryan]

I think he dope. I think he dope. I think, you know, got his people that like him. I just think I'm better.

[Rory]

He supposed to feel that way?

[Ryan]

No, I just think I'm better. Okay, hold on. Let me ask you.

[Nick Grant]

Do you feel that way?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Rory]

I love Jid.

[Ryan]

Not cause you my man though, but.

[Rory]

No, no, not because of that. No. Jit, I think is. Is a high level lyricist. But yeah, I would take. I would take you versus Jid in a battle for sure.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Not because Nick my man, but I. I fuck with Jid, I fuck with.

[Rory]

J I D. But again, I mean.

[Ryan]

Man, that's your man.

[Nick Grant]

No, I mean I fuck with Jid though. I fuck with. I like him. I think he could rap. He definitely wanted ones that I listen the.

[Rory]

All this Kumbaya. No, I'm on Jid's side. What's up? Yeah. All this Kumbaya. No, no. And I'm gonna actually tell like actual facts. If you've looked at from the younger generation right now, I'm not sure if there are people that can rap with Jid the way Jit has showed up in the last five to six years. When it's come to making music, when it's come to guest verses, anytime Jid shows up, everybody stops what they doing. Why do you think you could take Jit?

[Ryan]

I'm just better, see.

[Rory]

Do you feel like we gotta go to studio tonight?

[Ryan]

You want me to show you? I can show you.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

All right, I'll show you.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. I wouldn't.

[Rory]

I was. Don't diss Jit on my behalf. Like, I'm not part of.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, nah, nah, nah.

[Rory]

I'm not part of Dreamville.

[Nick Grant]

No, no, no. But this is like we said earlier, I like where we at in rap where if a rapper. Yeah, just competitive rapper feels like better than homie. And then you get in the booth and lay it down. I'm with that. Like we just saw with Joey versus everybody on the West Coast. Everybody start putting out they. They records the next day. I like that type of. Right now with Pusha, you know, just talking about his discrepancies with. With Travis.

[Ryan]

Right, right.

[Nick Grant]

I'm just glad ain't on IG Live talking and all. Like, I don't want that. If you as a rapper, got a problem with another rapper, or if you just feel like another rapper is not as dope as you. Yeah. Prove it. Get in the booth. Let's hear some bars. I'm for that. I'm always for the rap.

[Ryan]

Yeah. That's what I'm. You know, it's hard for me to, like, do this. Cause if people feel like, ah, that nigga hating.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, they always gonna look at that.

[Ryan]

They always gonna say that.

[Rory]

Trying to be, all right. The objective fan.

[Ryan]

But I'm just like, it's sport, nigga. Like any nigga on the court. I'm like, hey, let's hoop. Show me that you better than me. Show me why this motherfucker's so dope. Cause I might not see it. Or I might be like, oh, he Cole. Or, you know, I want to try my. My hand at, you know, shooting a couple shots.

[Rory]

Yeah. Why I picked you over Jit is I've been a Jit fan for a long time, but it's always been off music. He raps really well and makes really good songs and knows how to blend into a song while rapping really well, which is probably the hardest thing to do on earth.

[Nick Grant]

Right.

[Rory]

I've seen you do that. Plus, I've been a fan of just your freestyle, know, destroy everything.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

For a decade. Jit has done that before, but probably not the same clip as you. But I've also never seen either of you in a battle.

[Ryan]

That's why. That's so.

[Rory]

So now I'm sitting here like, I don't even know who I would pick, because I've never seen either of y'.

[Ryan]

All go, better put your money on. I'm telling you. Lose your money. Because you. You've never seen it publicly.

[Rory]

No, I have seen my money get lost publicly.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Rory]

I make a bet with Eve or. Or somebody buy somebody. Yeah, I'll make a bet. Barry, my guy. That's his manager, Barry, we could do a bet on.

[Nick Grant]

On Jade and Nick.

[Rory]

Yeah. And by the way, I love the. The Jid and Offset record that's out right now. I'm excited that Jit is about to do this. But listen, if. If Jit want to get in the ring the way.

[Ryan]

Give me a line real quick.

[Rory]

See, I don't like. I don't like that. I don't like that.

[Nick Grant]

What? Give me a line. Spit a line from Jit don't do that.

[Rory]

See, I don't like that he did that to me.

[Nick Grant]

But that's Nick favorite thing. I don't like that I'll be talking with this about some niggas. I'm like, yeah. He had him like, yo, give me a line. Let me hear something.

[Rory]

You know what's funny? The strategy I use in arguments. I hate when people do it to me.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Because I say that. Of course, knowing like, no, no, don't. See, that's unfair.

[Ryan]

Yeah, give me any line.

[Rory]

He said, I records albums.

[Ryan]

Like, give me a. Give me a line. Give me, like some phenomenal line that. That a said.

[Rory]

Do we have voicemails?

[Ryan]

All right, all right. This will tell me what I need to know. Give me some crazy that I've said. Either one of y' all.

[Rory]

Voicemail. See?

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Nah, let's keep it. I got a bunch of Nick lines just off this last album. I took it personal. I was listening to it earlier today. You said the, The, The. The. The. The line with your dad. My dad fell sick at 40. Maryland. 20, 20 something. It's something adding up.

[Ryan]

Niggas can't fuck with me. Why?

[Nick Grant]

That was hard. That was hard. That was hard. I'm not gonna lie. That was a hard borrower.

[Ryan]

I appreciate it. Nah, that nigga dope, man. He dope.

[Rory]

I know. He's just.

[Ryan]

Yeah, I'm just talking for not.

[Nick Grant]

But if you. If you wanna.

[Ryan]

I'm not just talking shit. Cause I'm. I'm always prepared for whatever. But, nah, he dope. I'm not taking nothing away from him.

[Nick Grant]

Is there. Is there any. What's this? Nick Grant's list of MCs. That gotta. That you wanna see, like, I gotta. I gotta. I wanna get on the court with him. I gotta see if he's really as good as they say he is.

[Ryan]

Yo, I'm a Kendrick fan, bro. I like, you know, when he was talking to me like that, you know, I have the utmost respect for him. Yo, I want to. I don't. I don't want to rap beef with the nigga. I'm just like, let's go back and forth. Go back and forth on the verse.

[Rory]

What. What do you think would be more valuable? Let's say Jid, for example, since we just, you know, joking around with that. Would y' all want to get on a record together?

[Ryan]

We did that already.

[Rory]

I know, but I'm saying with this type of scenario.

[Nick Grant]

But he never put it out. Did it come out? No, See, I don't like that.

[Rory]

It's not fair.

[Nick Grant]

Why?

[Rory]

Had to be objective. You Jid some. I mean, with labels. What's going on with his rollout?

[Nick Grant]

I'm not saying it's just fault. I'm just saying if. If. If two dope rappers, two dope MCs, have a record together and it don't come out. I don't like that it didn't come out.

[Rory]

I'm not a fan. I agree.

[Nick Grant]

I'm not saying Jit stopped it from coming out.

[Rory]

Yeah, but you never know how that. That may not be like, a thing Jit did is all I'm saying.

[Nick Grant]

I'm not saying he did. I'm just saying I don't like the fact that we haven't heard that. That. That's the. That. No, I haven't heard it. That's what I'm saying. I don't like that.

[Ryan]

I ain't heard it since we did it.

[Rory]

Oh, you even get a bounce. Oh, yeah. No, I feel the way the song.

[Ryan]

The song wasn't even finished.

[Rory]

Yeah, I mean, I. I get that.

[Ryan]

But I mean, I mean, he said he was going to do. Finish it later.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Nick Grant]

And we never got it.

[Ryan]

We never got it.

[Nick Grant]

Okay, well, I don't like that. See, I don't like that.

[Rory]

Well, Jid notoriously takes his time with. With everything cool. That's like a very known cool thing. Cool behind the scenes, like J takes his time.

[Nick Grant]

I respect that. So I'm just saying, hip hop, consumer. And if you say, yo, I'm with you.

[Rory]

Finish my question. All right. What? What? Joey and Daylight Ray and all them, you. Would you rather do that, or would you rather just get on one record together and see who could.

[Ryan]

I want to do that. I want to do what they were doing.

[Rory]

Okay, all right.

[Ryan]

I want to do what they was doing with him. I want to do what they was doing.

[Rory]

What do y' all think is more valuable at this point, monetarily?

[Ryan]

I think. I think what they was doing was. Was better monetarily. Opportunity wise, like. And it's people that's never heard of Rayvon Facts.

[Rory]

And I'm not saying he didn't get that RCA deal because of that whole thing, but it definitely helped.

[Ryan]

Yeah, no, for sure. All that definitely, definitely helps. And he's super smart for, like, engaging in that. Um, but, yeah, like, I think. I think that helped. I think that created, like, oh, this is a new face. This is a new. I think it even helped Daylight.

[Nick Grant]

Mm.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

This is gonna hurt me to say Cause I'm here to be objective. I think the only person that lost some allure in that entire thing was Daylight.

[Ryan]

No, he definitely lost. He lost for sure. But as far as, like, we had.

[Rory]

Daylight, Alien, you're up here. That was the first time I felt like Daylight was human.

[Ryan]

I think it translates different on beats.

[Rory]

But I've heard Daylight rap. We said before the whole thing popped off. I always felt Surf and Daylight were the two best battle rappers on beats. Like, I've heard Daylight smoke some shit.

[Ryan]

Nah, for sure.

[Rory]

I was shocked that it went that way.

[Ryan]

I wasn't okay. I think it's just. I think when you battling, it's just not cerebral. I just think it's, like, all style. And, you know, I think a nigga on the corner cracking jokes has more experience in a battle than somebody who's super cerebral.

[Rory]

Why do you think it's different now with 50 doing how to rob in. What was that? 99, 2000 to now, if you just wanted to. Actually, tonight, if you just went to studio and dish Jid with no real issue at all, just for the sport of it, you'd be looked at as a clout chaser for sure. What happened in rap where that was the case? Because everyone used to just shoot at each other with no reason to shoot each other.

[Ryan]

Everybody want a participation trophy. You know what I'm saying? Everybody just wanna, you know, when did that stop? That's the only reason.

[Rory]

Why can't you just shoot at people?

[Ryan]

Well, I've been holding back from a lot of people. Cause I'm like, I don't want to be looked at as that guy. I still gotta, like.

[Rory]

They'd be like, yo, he's got beer.

[Nick Grant]

I got.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? Like, And I'm not gonna let this person, you know, highlight what I'm doing. You know what I'm saying? It just gotta make sense. It gotta make sense. And that's not just him. That's anybody.

[Rory]

I mean, even with everything now, we get so much information. I don't think it'd be weird if two rappers agreed. Cause we know what the Joey thing was behind the scenes, for the most part, everyone knew what type of time it was. This is not gonna get violent. Like, we really just doing this for sport.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Why couldn't you and Jid again, for example, tell the world? Like, yeah, no, we cool. We just decided today we just want to rap against each other. Like, why can't that happen? Why would the public look at that weird? Like, yo, y' all doing weird shit. Nah, we just both think we could rap. And we decided today that we was gonna rap.

[Nick Grant]

Well, because now it's. It's. You know, the beef or battle is looked at like a rollout or like a.

[Ryan]

A.

[Nick Grant]

A clout.

[Rory]

Where have y' all been?

[Nick Grant]

No, no, no, listen. I told you, if we go back to the first hip hop record, it might be a disreco.

[Rory]

Did you guys just show up here?

[Nick Grant]

The first hip hop record. The MC might be dissing somebody on that. She might be dissing another MC on it. That's the way. That's the foundation of this thing.

[Ryan]

That's what it is.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

What's wrong with that?

[Nick Grant]

No, it's nothing wrong.

[Ryan]

It's just this new generation of insecurities.

[Nick Grant]

Insecurities.

[Ryan]

You know what I'm saying? Like, people, like the ego was like, it's different now. It's before social media. It's not constantly in your face if a nigga win. You know what I'm saying? They posting that for hours. You can't even do the thing that you addicted to. You can't even look at this shit. Like, I'm caught up. Like, this is how they viewing me. And you think it's the end of the world just as a rapper, you think it's the end of the world when you lose. You know what I'm saying? And then you got somebody telling you every second that you lost. Yeah, it's tough.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I mean, but I've only seen that happen twice in my entire life. Drake and Kendrick, ja ruling 50 Cent. And by the way, all four of those people are doing completely fine.

[Ryan]

For sure. Yeah, for sure.

[Nick Grant]

On the other side of like. Yeah. And guess what?

[Ryan]

All four of those in the moment, it ain't cool.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

I'm just saying everybody's fine.

[Ryan]

Yeah, man, it depends on what you fight for.

[Rory]

I mean, the John 50 shit is. I'm just about the rap shit.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Nah, for sure. 100%. I'm with you.

[Rory]

Ja is doing fine. If you knew what Ja got for a fee to do a show.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You'd be like, wait, he got killed.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, right. He lost. Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[Rory]

His career was over.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

That's hilarious.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

But nah.

[Rory]

And you see, I mean, shit, I thought Ray lost that to Joey Badass again. I think Ray put his hours in RCA deal tde relationship. I don't think it's just the battle, but look what came out of it. Ray ain't fucking lose.

[Ryan]

Right, right. Right now, for sure. For sure.

[Rory]

And even with Jid, like, again, we're just using this as an example. He putting his single out with Offset. Let's say he lost. Jid wouldn't fucking lose.

[Nick Grant]

He's Jid.

[Rory]

He makes great music. I think that would just bring more hype around what was going on. No one is doubting Jid's penny. No, like, I'm not talking about Nick versus. I'm not even gonna say a rapper, but, yeah, like that. You know, somebody that could rap. You're not gonna lose.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, no, I think it's. It's a lot. It depends on how you're looking at it.

[Rory]

You're gonna lose, but you're not gonna lose when you.

[Ryan]

I'm kicking ass.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, like, if he got me and I, like, baby, he kicked my ass.

[Ryan]

But you're saying that hurts. That's. That's a whole nother thing. Like, as artists that people. Well, at least me, like, yeah, I had a homeboy, man, when I was growing up. This motherfucker used to kick my ass, like, every day. Come on, let's battle. Let's battle. Let's battle. I think the last time we battled, we would always go back and forth, but he was ready every day. I'm like, man, we gotta battle again today. He kept me on my shit last time we battled. I got him, but he was the guy that made me super sharp, young. And I just think, man, we, you know, we lost that, man. Like, that's what I be telling you. It's just rap, bro.

[Rory]

That's actually the only good thing about this microwave era. Like, even when we have, like, bad POD Episodes, fans be like, yo, this week sucked. We coming back three or four episodes next week.

[Nick Grant]

We're back in 48 hours.

[Rory]

Like, yeah, there's so much redemption in this microwave era that I think people forget about, right? Like this Joey badass race.

[Nick Grant]

That.

[Rory]

That was great. People are gonna move on. They move on right?

[Ryan]

Super fast.

[Rory]

We care about what your next shit is at this point. So, yeah, you could go out and battle anybody. And if you lose, I promise you'll be fine. If you continue putting out dope shit.

[Nick Grant]

I wanna see it. Like, I wanna see you in a JID trade.

[Ryan]

You don't wanna see that.

[Nick Grant]

I wanna see that. Yeah, I wanna see it. Why not?

[Rory]

I was speaking in general, but yeah, I hear you.

[Nick Grant]

No, I wanna see it, though. I would love to see that. The hip hop head in me.

[Ryan]

You ever seen Mike when he had the ball and he had the ball, like, he was keeping away from Lily.

[Nick Grant]

See? All right, all right, now that's why I want to see it.

[Ryan]

You see the.

[Nick Grant]

That Nick talking. I want to see that as a hip hop consumer, I need to see that.

[Ryan]

All these niggas know I'm gonna say this. Everybody know, though. Everybody knows. Yeah, they know. Yeah, everybody knows. You know what it be, though? Camera's on, motherfucker. Be like, hey, man, call this motherfucker everything.

[Nick Grant]

I fuck with you, nigga. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Fuck with your nigga.

[Ryan]

Raise your motherfucking voice, nigga. What? Yeah, come on, let's do a record. Yeah, send it to me. I got you, bro.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, fake kicking it.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, man, I don't be liking that shit.

[Nick Grant]

That's the industry shit. I ain't.

[Ryan]

Yeah, you know, Cause I'm a nigga of my word. If I say I got you, I got you. It might not be in the timeframe. You want me to do it right? But I'mma do it.

[Nick Grant]

I'm gonna get to it.

[Ryan]

I'm gonna get to it. But you know, oh, I appreciate it.

[Rory]

You gave me a 12 hour turnaround. Yeah, you shut to the studio 12 hours, like, yeah, now I'm here to show.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

I just like to rap, dog. I just love rapping. Win, lose, draw. I just want to rap. I feel like that's. That makes, you know, that makes me better. That makes the artists better. That makes hip hop better. That makes the culture better. That makes, you know, that keeps everybody in tune. That keeps everybody happy. So, yeah, that's just what I'm on.

[DJ Wells]

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[Nick Grant]

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[Rory]

Well can I can I see how deep the lyricism rabbit hole goes down I came up with a segment while you guys were on your way.

[Ryan]

Hey, man, don't make me feel like I don't know.

[Nick Grant]

No, it's gonna be great.

[Rory]

Me and Peach were kicking it, trying to. Trying to think of a segment. I'm. I'm not gonna say that Chad. GBT helped us out, but maybe they did. So we came up with this idea of bars versus Yelp.

[Ryan]

Yelp.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, bars versus Yelp.

[Rory]

Can you decide if this is a rat bar or if this is a. A Yelp review is how our segment is going to go here.

[Ryan]

Okay, I might get all of these wrong because this is gonna be funny.

[Nick Grant]

Though, because if I feel like a bar is a. Is a Yelp review. That's hilarious.

[Rory]

So in our first segment of bars versus Yelp featuring Nick Grant, we're gonna start at number one. You guys can look at the screen. I paid $80 for brunch and still left hungry.

[Nick Grant]

I hope a rap has to say that.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hope so.

[Rory]

You guys are gonna get yourself in some beef.

[Ryan]

Yo, yo, look, look, look, look.

[Nick Grant]

You gonna tell the answer. That's why I said I hope.

[Ryan]

You gotta tell us the rapper, though.

[Rory]

No, you guys have to guess. Is this a rapper or Yelp review?

[Ryan]

No, I'm saying after. If it's. If we wrong and the rapper said it. Oh.

[Rory]

I'm gonna tell you guys.

[Ryan]

Okay, okay, okay.

[Rory]

I'm gonna tell you the city and star review. No, we didn't make any of this up. These are real Yelp reviews and real rappers.

[Nick Grant]

I'm. I'm gonna say. I'm gonna.

[Ryan]

I'm gonna say Yelp.

[Nick Grant]

I'm gonna say I paid $80 for brunch and still left hungry. I'm gonna say that's Yelp.

[Rory]

That is a bar. Larry June Breakfast in Monaco.

[Nick Grant]

Larry said that Lifestyle rap.

[Ryan]

I get it. I get it. I get it. I fuck with him, though.

[Nick Grant]

I fuck with Larry. I should have known that bar.

[Ryan]

I fuck with him.

[Rory]

The wings were mid, but the eye contact was rare.

[Nick Grant]

All right, now that better not be. Yo, they better not be talking like that. I'm gonna say that's a bare. The wings were made, but the eye contact was.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that might be a bar they run.

[Rory]

That sound like it sounds like a setup to something else. Yeah, you are wrong. That is a real four star review to a dive bar in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[Nick Grant]

What?

[Rory]

The only reason I'm not putting the restaurants is because we did that last time. Yeah. So I'm. I'm. I'm. These are real I promise. I'm just gonna put the rest were mid, but the eye contact was rare.

[Nick Grant]

Whoever said that need to be a rapper. Whoever said.

[Ryan]

That's what I'm saying.

[Nick Grant]

He got some to get off. Yeah, I with that. The wings were made, but the eye contact was red.

[Rory]

All right, number three.

[Nick Grant]

That's hard.

[Rory]

The lobster was unseasoned, but the breakup was well done.

[Nick Grant]

The lobster was under seasoned, but the breakup was well, fam. If this is a Yelp review, it's some out here.

[Ryan]

That's dope spitting, right?

[Nick Grant]

The lobster was under seasoned. Breakup was well done.

[Ryan]

Hey, that might be. Yeah, that's. I'm going. Yo, I'm going.

[Rory]

Bar Nick is in fact correct. This is three star review on a very famous seafood spot in Miami.

[Ryan]

You know, I got it though, cuz. It sound like the last thing.

[Nick Grant]

It's the same le. The lobster was under season, but the breakup was well, sound like the last motherfucker.

[Rory]

All right, next one. The bill came and so did the silence.

[Nick Grant]

The bill came and so did the silence. That's a bar.

[Ryan]

Oh, yeah, that's a bar. The bill came with that.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar.

[Rory]

That's our guy. Idk. Crying church.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Yeah. Cause I. Yeah, I heard a nigga say something like that. Like, yeah, bitch, get on the phone when the bill coming in. Yeah, that's.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar. That's a bar.

[Ryan]

Far.

[Rory]

Next one. The burger fell apart in my hands just like the last relationship.

[Ryan]

It's the same.

[Rory]

This was a two star review in Portland, Oregon.

[Nick Grant]

The burger fell apart in my hands just like my last relationship.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that's yo. Yeah, that's yo. Cause the better not be rapping about.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, no, that's yo. That's definitely yo.

[Rory]

We're gonna stay on theme with this next one. She talked over the waiter, then over my heart.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar. That's a bar. That's a bar. That don't even. Who you see. Who are you talking?

[Rory]

We already saw, though, in Yelp reviews, they be leaving, like, real dangers.

[Nick Grant]

This is a bar.

[Ryan]

Yeah. Cause this ain't even about the restaurant.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, this is about a real relationship. Yeah, this is a bar.

[Rory]

That's Mick Jenkins Martyrs.

[Ryan]

Okay.

[Nick Grant]

Absolutely. That's a bar.

[Rory]

The table next to us got their food faster and their relationship seemed healthier.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's yo.

[Nick Grant]

That's yo.

[Rory]

Oh, I thought that was a hard bar.

[Nick Grant]

It could be a bar.

[Rory]

That's a brunch spot in the Lower east side.

[Nick Grant]

Are you saving these restaurants? Because we gotta go. Yeah, we gotta go to these spots. This is crazy. You gotta go to these spots, Josh.

[Rory]

Next one. I got a room at the top. The view was mid. The steak was cold, and the waiter had an attitude.

[Nick Grant]

That's yo. I got a room at the top. Stop. The view mid. The steak was cold. And the way they had an ad. So I'm gonna say that's Yelp, yo.

[Rory]

That's Freddie Gibbs real.

[Nick Grant]

What? I got a room at the top. The viewers wait.

[Rory]

I had to, like, take out bars so you guys couldn't realize everything rhymed. So. Yeah, you can't see the scheme.

[Nick Grant]

Okay.

[Rory]

But. Yeah, no, that's.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that's what I'm like. That don't even rhyme like that.

[Rory]

No, it does rhyme when you.

[Nick Grant]

All right, I want to know what Freddy said right after that.

[Rory]

Yeah, we can pull up the real lyrics.

[Nick Grant]

See, I want to know what Freddie said right after that.

[Rory]

All right, next one. Too much pepper on the shrimp, not enough so on the gumbo.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's yo.

[Nick Grant]

Too much pepper on the shrimp. Not enough soul in the gumbo. Damn. I want to say that's a bar.

[Ryan]

That's yo.

[Nick Grant]

Too much pepper on the shrimp. Not enough soul in the gumbo. That's yo. I'm say yo, though, if you thought.

[Rory]

It was a bar, who would you think it would be?

[Nick Grant]

Too much pepper on the shrimp, not enough gumbo. That might be two chains.

[Rory]

That'd be a great guess. This is, in fact, not a Yelp review. This is a bar. This is Big Crip. My subpar, too. Oh, that's a big Crip bar all day.

[Nick Grant]

Shit. See, I was gonna. I thought that sound like a two chains bar. Too much pepper on the shrimp, not enough soul in the gumbo.

[Rory]

And the inflection. Too much. Yeah, he was.

[Ryan]

Too much pepper on the shrimp.

[Rory]

On the shrimp.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

Not enough in the gumbo.

[Rory]

All right, next one, the chicken pink. But I ain't complain. She cooked it with love. I took it with the pain.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's a bar.

[Rory]

Or this is to throw y' all off.

[Ryan]

Nah, that's a bar.

[Nick Grant]

All right. See, but, Rory, that. See, now, hold on. See, that's why this is whack. Good. Because if you adding sauce to it and it's a Yelp review and you making it feel like a bar, that's. That's up.

[Rory]

We didn't set the rules for this. First time doing this segment.

[Nick Grant]

The chicken pink is funny, though. The chicken pink. But I.

[Rory]

You've been there before, and I'm trying.

[Nick Grant]

To hear it, like, in a rapper's voice. The chicken pink. But I ain't complain, love I took it with pain. Let me know. Say bar.

[Ryan]

I don't say bar.

[Nick Grant]

I'm going say bar.

[Rory]

That's Conway the Machine.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, that. Yeah, that's a bar. That's a bar. That's a bar.

[Rory]

All right, next one. I asked for no onions and she gave me a lecture on character.

[Ryan]

That might be Yelp, that's for sure. Yeah, that might be the way I thought.

[Nick Grant]

That'd be the.

[Rory]

The fire part of the last bar ever. I was gonna steal that.

[Ryan]

She might have knew him.

[Nick Grant]

That's crazy.

[Rory]

That's a real Yelp review from an Oakland vegan soul spot.

[Ryan]

Yo.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, my God.

[Ryan]

Yo.

[Nick Grant]

I asked her for no onions and she gave me a lecture on character. That's hilarious.

[Ryan]

That's crazy. You found it. How you find.

[Nick Grant]

Even these need to be, like, in a coffee book. Like a coffee table and a book called Coffee Table.

[Rory]

All right, next one. I got high and cried into a chicken sandwich.

[Nick Grant]

That gotta be a bar.

[Ryan]

That's.

[Nick Grant]

Yo, nobody's saying that on. Yo, I got High. That's a bar. Man. That gotta be a.

[Rory]

Who you think it'd be from?

[Nick Grant]

I got high and cried into a chicken sandwich. That gotta be my man. That gotta be either.

[Rory]

That would be Action.

[Nick Grant]

Either Action Bronson or. Yeah, Damn. What's my man. What's. Damn. What's. I'm going bl. What's my man from New Orleans?

[Ryan]

Currency.

[Nick Grant]

Currency.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Currency has a lot of food.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

All right, so this is, in fact, a five star Yelp review. What I'm going to say the restaurant, because it's the chain. This from Harold's Chicken in Chicago.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, my God. I got high. Crowded To a chicken sandwich. As a real Yelp review, me and.

[Rory]

Peach have definitely gotten high and cried to a chicken sandwich together in Chicago.

[Nick Grant]

That is because.

[Ryan]

Why are you saying that in a rap? That's crazy.

[Rory]

All right, next one. The rice ain't done, the bean still hard, and the Kool Aid tastes like cardboard.

[Nick Grant]

I hope that's yo. That scheme that. If not, I need to hit it. The rest of that scheme right there. That's yo man.

[Rory]

All right, if you guys were to.

[Nick Grant]

Guess, there's some spots that serve Kool Aid, for sure.

[Rory]

If you guys were to guess what rapper it would be, who would you think?

[Nick Grant]

The rice ain't done, the beans still hard, and the Kool Aid tastes like cardboard.

[Ryan]

It.

[Nick Grant]

Kool Aid, rice and beans.

[Ryan]

Petey crack, Ross.

[Rory]

That's booy badass.

[Nick Grant]

Oh my God.

[Rory]

Mind of a maniac. This is a real ball.

[Nick Grant]

This is a real only be booy Kool Aid.

[Ryan]

Got to be said though, it's so.

[Nick Grant]

Detailed and booy make the best Kool Aid. How we not pick that? Oh, I should. I should have no know that.

[Rory]

All right, next.

[Nick Grant]

What that said. Voila. They go. That's Boosie.

[Ryan]

Yeah. That's crazy.

[Rory]

She left her feelings in the Uber with my leftovers.

[Nick Grant]

She left her feelings in the Uber with my leftovers. Damn, I hope that's a bar. She left her feelings in the Uber.

[Rory]

Nick. Nick kind of been batting a thousand. He could. He can tell when is outside of the boosie. He's told everything correctly.

[Nick Grant]

That's a ball.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

It's Brent. Fire as loose.

[Nick Grant]

Okay. Okay.

[Ryan]

You kind of see how just writing it.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. She left her feelings in the Uber.

[Ryan]

See, I don't know if you leaving out though. So I'm still like definitely.

[Rory]

No, no, no. I didn't edit anything. I just. I took out like the schemes on certain. Yeah, but n. I mean that I would write that in a heartbeat. You've never felt that way?

[Ryan]

No, for sure.

[Rory]

But at the same time you realize people on Yelp now are like doing this type of right. They're putting reviews like in bar form.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

That's crazy.

[Rory]

All right, next one. The room smelled like broken dreams and champagne.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's a. That's a bar.

[Nick Grant]

The room smelled like broken.

[Rory]

I. I have been to restaurants that smell like dreams.

[Ryan]

Hold on, hold on. Let me take that back.

[Nick Grant]

N Cuz this could be a hotel review.

[Ryan]

That could be a club review too.

[Nick Grant]

The room smelled like. No, it's the room. So that's like a hotel room. It smelled like broken dreams.

[Ryan]

Club that sell wings.

[Rory]

Private room at a restaurant.

[Nick Grant]

Okay. The room smelled like broken dreams of champagne. Mean. I'm gonna say that's a bar.

[Ryan]

I'm gonna say that's a Yelp review.

[Rory]

Mo is correct. That's Freddie Giz, Scotty B.

[Nick Grant]

There you go. The room smell like broken dreams of champagne.

[Rory]

All right, the next one is. Is a little easy, but it's for fun ordered surf and turf. With a tech in my lap.

[Nick Grant]

That better be a bar. If not, they coming to look for him with a tech in my lap.

[Ryan]

That might be the hardest one.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Ryan]

I don't know which one. That's a bar.

[Rory]

That is in fact a Yelp review left by Conway the machine.

[Nick Grant]

Get the out of here.

[Rory]

Nah, it's Conway's first three.

[Ryan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

Next one. I ordered that Alfredo pasta then ate it in the kitchen.

[Ryan]

Oh, that's a bar.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, that's a bar.

[Ryan]

Ain't letting niggas in the kitchen.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, that's a bar, Drake.

[Rory]

No telling.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, that's a bar.

[Ryan]

Gotta have some privilege. Go back there.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

That's a fact. Yeah. You ain't just eating.

[Rory]

No, but it's funny, the Yelp reviews that I left off, this is a lot of men bragging about what they did for their in the restaurant. Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

That's crazy.

[Rory]

Like all the. I was like, it wouldn't even be fun because it sounds like straight up bars.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

That sound like hov lines in some of these Yelp reviews.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, No, I need these in a. In a book though, for the coffee table though.

[Rory]

All right, next one. Josh, I ordered two plates more for the duck fat than the taste.

[Nick Grant]

I ordered two plates.

[Rory]

Just cause it rhyme don't mean.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan]

It could be anything.

[Nick Grant]

Just cause you don't understand him don't mean that he nice.

[Rory]

Cause he wearing Kufi. It don't mean that he already right.

[Nick Grant]

I order two plates more for the duck fat than the taste. I'm gonna say that's a bar, man.

[Ryan]

That's a Yelp review, Moss.

[Rory]

In fact, correct. That's Action Bronson brunch.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Next one. Ordered the grouper. Tell the chef I'm serious.

[Nick Grant]

That's west side, man. That's not like.

[Rory]

That does sound like it's not west.

[Nick Grant]

Side, but it's ordered the group to tell the chef. I'm serious. I'm serious.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

I'm gonna say that's a bar.

[Ryan]

Say a bar.

[Rory]

That's Rick Ross triple platinum.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah. Order the group and tell the chef I'm serious.

[Rory]

All right, we. We get into to the last five now. I feel like we. We should do head to head pause.

[Nick Grant]

Okay.

[Rory]

Because you guys have Nick smoked you in the first half, but you've definitely redeemed yourself.

[Nick Grant]

All right.

[Rory]

Oh, and it's easy for from all now. I ate some well done seared scallops that were to die for.

[Nick Grant]

That's. That's Drake, right?

[Rory]

100. Yeah. I knew that was the easiest one. Yeah, yeah, that don't count.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

Scallops. Anytime you hear said scallops. That's great.

[Rory]

That were to die for.

[Ryan]

Yeah.

[Nick Grant]

Drake is the only thing rap about seared scallops. Another rapper ain't get that all.

[Rory]

All right, next one. Josh, the chicken was dry, but not as dry as her personality.

[Nick Grant]

That's yo. That's definitely yo.

[Rory]

Y. You couldn't put a bar together that would sound that good?

[Nick Grant]

No, but I could tell that that was Yelp, though.

[Rory]

Ah, damn. I feel bad now. I thought that would be one that would stump y' all. Nah, that is a real three star review from a Harlem soul food restaurant that we both know.

[Nick Grant]

Amy Ruse.

[Rory]

Gotta be.

[Nick Grant]

No. What? Not Melba's. Melba's.

[Rory]

No, you guessed it correctly the first time.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Rory]

The vibe was off, but the lighting was amazing.

[Nick Grant]

That's yo.

[Ryan]

Yo.

[Nick Grant]

That's yo.

[Rory]

That's Tyler, the creator best interest.

[Nick Grant]

Oh.

[Ryan]

R. Rapping about the lighting.

[Nick Grant]

The lighting was amazing. Okay.

[Rory]

Flux lights. All. All that for salad in a silent ride home.

[Nick Grant]

All that for a salad and a silent ride home.

[Rory]

By the way, I feel like this would. If mall rapped, this would be his bar.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, for sure. All that for a salad and a silent ride home.

[Ryan]

Nah, that's a problem.

[Nick Grant]

I'm gonna say this is Yelp.

[Ryan]

That's some life experience.

[Rory]

Shit facts.

[Ryan]

Bish was in the car. Quiety paid for the meal. Give me some coffee.

[Rory]

You think a bar.

[Ryan]

That's a bar.

[Rory]

Okay. This is from a West Hollywood spot that only sells lunch. Why this review was so funny to me was he spent a whole silent ride home with the sun out. Like, I've had bad dinner dates where, like, shit ain't go well. Like. Like, yo, I drop you off in the Uber. Two stops type thing.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, dog, it's 2pm we was coming from Earth Cafe. Yo, for Earth Cafe.

[Rory]

It's just like Earth Cafe. I'm still like, yo, you left a review in the Uber with a silent chick when the sun was out. All right, we get. We get into the bottom here. I don't even like oysters. But she wanted the experience.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar.

[Ryan]

Hold on, hold on.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar. That's a bar. That's definitely a bar. I don't even like oysters. Yeah, that's a bar.

[Ryan]

Yeah, that's a bar.

[Rory]

This is a one star.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, my Yelp review.

[Rory]

And there was an explanation. He got dumped mid appetizer while she was eating the oysters.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Ryan]

That's. Yeah. Damn. Wow.

[Rory]

Last one we close out should have got the lobster.

[Nick Grant]

Should have ordered the lobster.

[Rory]

The cook got my order wrong, but the blunt made it.

[Nick Grant]

That's a bar. That's a bar.

[Rory]

And you know who that's from? You already guessed who it was.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, that's Gun.

[Rory]

Nah, that's not. That's currency.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, that's. Oh, the cook got my order wrong. But the blunt. Yeah, but the blunt made it better. That's definitely currency. Shout out to Spitter, man. All right. That was cool, man. I like that. I like that.

[Rory]

Yeah, we. We did a little too much, but yeah.

[Nick Grant]

No, I like it, though. Yeah.

[Rory]

I think there's a new segment we can start to add in.

[Nick Grant]

It's cool. It's cool that we got a lot of them.

[Ryan]

I lost the last one. Yeah, he me up with that one.

[Nick Grant]

Yeah, the cook got my order on, but the blunt made it better. All right.

[Rory]

You know, I already started plotting with peach of bars or pornhub Comments.

[Nick Grant]

Oh, wow.

[Rory]

That's going to be the next. The next one that we were plotting on.

[Ryan]

That's a good one.

[Nick Grant]

That's fire. All right, Nick. I took it personal. Available now on dsps. Congratulations on a phenomenal project.

[Ryan]

Appreciate that, man. Thank you.

[Nick Grant]

Stream that, download that, Follow Nick Nick Grant music on Twitter and is the same on IG. Nick Grant 88 Nick Grant 88 on IG. Follow real rat, real bars and jid clock is on you, man. Whatever you want to do. Nick said he ready for it, man. He ready for it. My God. We'll talk to y' all soon. Be safe, be blessed. I'm that he's just Ginger. Peace.

[DJ Wells]

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[Ryan]

This is an iHeart podcast.