Episode 466 | .IDK.

Summary

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New Rory & MAL - Episode 466 | .IDK. (March 12, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode welcomes DMV (DC/Maryland/Virginia)-bred rapper and producer IDK to the show, fresh off the release of his highly praised mixtape Even the Devil Smiles (ETDS). The hosts, Rory and Mall, dive into IDK's creative process, life experiences, the DMV music scene, and the stories behind his impressive lineup of features, including DMX, MF DOOM, Pusha T, and Black Thought. The tone is candid, insightful, and warm—with plenty of laughter and the kind of authenticity that makes this podcast a mainstay for hip hop conversation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The DMX Feature: Divine Timing and Hustle

• How IDK got a posthumous DMX feature:
  • IDK worked on a song with DMX and Denzel Curry before X’s passing. Later, a beat from Kaytranada sparked the idea to revisit those unreleased vocals. He got in touch with DMX’s team, gained the estate’s blessing, and properly cleared the feature.
  • “It’s an actually approved or estate-approved feature that came out since his passing.” — IDK [06:35]
• On connecting with DMX at South by Southwest:
  • “I chased him down at South by Southwest to clear this thing… I gotta make shit happen regardless of wherever I was at.” — IDK [06:43–06:49]
  • He reflects on the importance of humility and “rolling up sleeves” even as he’s risen in the industry.

2. Building Relationships for Features: Audacity & Spiritual Energy

• IDK credits sheer audacity and respect for connecting with artists—sometimes just reaching out cold.
  • “The real answer is audacity. I just ask. I hit Jay Electronica on a DM and see if he responds. I’m just like that.” — IDK [08:58–09:11]
  • He often feels, “a divine energy… things happen” when he approaches feature requests with genuine intentions.

3. MF DOOM Collab: Serendipity in Creation

• Long-standing connection with DOOM:
  • A leftover DOOM verse from an earlier project found the perfect home thematically and sonically on ETDS, uniquely resonating with IDK’s own experience of incarceration and struggle.
  • On creative alignment:
    • “I had to go deep within myself and go back to places that I didn’t want to go back to… trying K2 for the first time… I wanted to put you in my shoes for that moment.” — IDK [13:36–14:28]
  • Do fans spoil surprises?
    • A misprint revealed DOOM’s name on the vinyl, turning an intended secret into fan anticipation.

4. Drugs, K2, and Prison Realities

• First time using K2 (synthetic weed) in jail:
  • On his birthday inside, he tried K2 and saw hallucinations turning inmates into animal-like versions of themselves—a “dark” and scary experience.
    • “Everybody in prison that I saw looked like themselves, but an animal version of them. It was dark, though… it was scary.” — IDK [16:03]
  • The lasting effects made him quit weed altogether after prison, due to lingering paranoia.

5. Coming Up: From UK to the DMV

• IDK’s background:
  • Born in London, moved to the US at 2—“I’m American more than anything” [19:42]—and rooted in the DMV, but still deeply tapped into London’s music scene.
• What makes the DMV special?
  • Cites the area’s unique blend of cultures and “raw artistic talent… the hub of pure creativity.”
    • “When you kind of put that together… I think it creates what I like to call a color that doesn’t exist. Something new, something unique.” — IDK [20:33]
• New Balances and regional culture:
  • Fun interlude on claims over New Balances’ popularity between New York and DMV. [21:32–23:18]

6. DMV Music Lineage Breakdown [28:46]

• History:
  • Traces from go-go music in the ‘70s with Chuck Brown, punk rock roots (“Punk rock came from D.C.”), ‘90s figures like Nonchalant and Junkyard Band, through Tabby Bonet and Wale, then to Fat Trel, Shy Glizzy, Logic, GoldLink, Rico Nasty, Shaboozy, Masego, Zanman, and others.
• On the DMV “sound”:
  • “It’s kind of the same way there’s a lot of subcultures… what you may get that’s consistent is a certain type of slang, a certain type of respect and flow that’s derivative of go-go music.” — IDK [35:06]
  • DMV’s lack of a robust music industry structure often means pure talent but fewer breakout stars.

7. Industry and Artistry: Loners and Cosigns [61:50+]

• On being a “loner” in rap:
  • IDK relates his outsider mentality to 50 Cent/G-Unit, preferring not to belong to any particular scene.
• Major cosign discussion:
  • He recalls almost signing with GOOD Music, but decided to build his own foundation—ultimately, Adult Swim proved a pivotal platform for him.
• Advice for artists:
  • “When you’re given a small opportunity, how can you maximize it for yourself? Network across with everybody.” — Rory [73:31]
  • IDK’s take: “Niggas be playing games out here… I do this shit… I love this shit, man.” [71:03]
• On learning the business: Artists need to manage themselves and build their own relationships within labels and brands.

8. Addressing Rap “Beef” and the Drake Rumors [38:45+]

• On people thinking he dissed Drake:
  • IDK denies any shots at Drake, explaining timing was coincidence and that rumors often originate with fans.
    • “I wasn’t thinking about no Drake when I made [that song]. It was dope to see that people dig that deep… keep digging. Sometimes I do be saying some clever shit.” — IDK [38:56]
• IDK’s respect for Drake:
  • “Drake, I listened to Take Care when I was locked up. That was a record that shaped how I even listen to music… I don’t think people give him the props he deserves.” [41:51–43:22]
• On confrontation:
  • Advocates for direct communication: “If you feel away about me, bro, I will call you. Some niggas be scared. Any nigga who don’t want to answer the phone and have a conversation but wanna talk on the Internet… that’s not you performing.” — IDK [45:03]

9. Prison Stories, Karma & Survival

• On doing time in jail as a minor:
  • Discusses being sentenced (15 years, suspended to 3), the reality of private home detention, and eventual prison time: “That’s where the real hyenas be at… that was where I was at with it. I hustled, I did what I had to do. Got the fuck out that joint.” — IDK [48:01]
  • Navigating jail/prison gave him a different perspective on fear, confrontation, and the music industry.
• The “Christmas Eve body” rumor:
  • Lyrics drawn from exaggerated experiences to portray the role of karma and survival in his life.

10. The "Suburban Trap" Sound & Career Intentions [56:49]

• Origin of Suburban Trap:
  • IDK set out to fuse his suburban upbringing with trap influence, purposely distancing himself from glamorizing street life—and crafting characters based on real people from his journey.
• Career plans before rap:
  • Plan A was IT; Plan B was nursing. “Rap was in the plan… but it wasn’t the end all, be all.” — IDK [59:01]

11. ETDS: Inspiration, Creative Process & Mixtape vs. Album

• Musical influences:
  • Mall hears echoes of Farside and Tribe; IDK says the initial inspiration was 50 Cent/G-Unit, but the project became a sum of his own musical DNA.
  • “I let production dictate what I do. I think I was just being IDK more than anything.” — IDK [61:50]
• Creating new bars:
  • “I love when rappers say a line that I never heard… you said ‘cutting corners like a picnic sandwich’—I’ve never heard a rapper say that.” — Mall [60:37]
• On outshining high-profile features:
  • Rory praises IDK for never being outshone on his own tracks—rare for projects with such a star-studded lineup.

12. On Giving Back: Free Show Tickets for Fans [78:48]

• IDK shares a policy of giving tickets and meet-and-greets for free to fans who write him explaining their circumstances, often those who've fallen on hard times. He’s moved by fans’ stories and encourages this kind of community support.

13. Light Moments & Memorable Quotes

• On go-go heritage:
  • “People were rapping over go-go. Let’s not get that twisted.” — IDK [29:05]
• On New Balances:
  • “We made New Balances popular.” — IDK [21:32]
• On industry games:
  • “All this shit is like high school.” — IDK [63:59]
• On dedication:
  • “My last $10,000… was about the most money I ever got in my life at that time. For my mom, my blessing, you know what I mean?” — IDK [72:15]
• On cosigns & relationships:
  • “Those cosigns are more important for your solo crew.” — Rory [69:03]

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Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• “I chased him down at South by Southwest to clear this thing… gotta make shit happen regardless.” — IDK [06:43]
• “The real answer is audacity. I just ask… I hit Jay Electronica on a DM and see if he responds.” — IDK [08:58]
• “Everybody in prison … looked like themselves, but an animal version of them. It was dark, though. It was scary.” — IDK [16:03]
• “We have some of the highest concentration of pure creativity.” — IDK on the DMV [20:33]
• “I could see niggas when they really that, when they really not that… you learn how to sense fear.” — IDK [50:32]
• “I wasn’t thinking about no Drake when I made [that song].” — IDK [38:56]
• “All this shit is like high school. I know the type of nigga I was in high school.” — IDK [63:59]
• “When you’re given a small opportunity, how can you maximize it for yourself? Network across with everybody.” — Rory [73:31]

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Segment Highlights with Timestamps

• 04:52 — The story behind the DMX feature.
• 10:00 — On “divine energy,” spirituality, and feature serendipity.
• 13:36 — Crafting a song with MF DOOM vocals and personal storytelling.
• 15:10 — First time on K2 in jail: hallucinations and trauma.
• 19:32+ — IDK’s immigration, upbringing, and London roots.
• 28:46 — The musical history and lineage of DMV hip hop.
• 38:45 — Unpacking the rumors about a Drake diss.
• 41:51 — The importance of direct communication, coping with “rap beef.”
• 48:01 — The reality of being a minor in adult prison, learning survival.
• 56:49 — Birth of Suburban Trap music and IDK’s original career plans.
• 61:50 — Creating ETDS, inspirations, mixtape freedom vs. albums.
• 72:15 — Investing his last funds to tour; making the most of every chance.
• 78:48 — Giving free tickets and meet-and-greets to struggling fans.

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Final Takeaways

• IDK’s journey is shaped by independent hustle, a willingness to reach out (against the odds), and a real commitment to authenticity—in life and music.
• ETDS is praised as a milestone for modern hip hop: honest, experimental, full of intention, and decorated with landmark features.
• The episode provides wisdom for artists about co-signs, self-belief, and maximizing every door that opens.
• Listeners get not only industry advice and hip-hop lore, but also a heartfelt account of survival, self-worth, and giving back.

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If You Only Have Time for a Few Highlights:

• [04:52–10:00] — IDK on securing the DMX feature and serendipity in music.
• [15:10–19:14] — Surreal prison/K2 story and reflection on fear.
• [28:46–36:46] — DMV music lineage and identity.
• [61:50–69:02] — Creative process behind ETDS and the loneliness of the indie route.
• [73:31–74:37] — Maximizing opportunities and business savvy in the industry.
• [78:48–80:15] — IDK on giving back to fans through free tickets and genuine community.

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For more:

Listen to New Rory & MAL, Episode 466 | .IDK. on all podcast platforms. ETDS by IDK is out now on all DSPs.

Transcript

[IDK]

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[Mall]

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[IDK]

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[Mall]

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[IDK]

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[Mall]

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[Rory]

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[IDK]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

Open your free iHeartRadio app, search 40s

[IDK]

and free agents and listen.

[Rory]

Now. This is the biggest night in podcasting. The countdown is on to our 2026 iHeart Podcast Awards. Live from south by Southwest, March 16th. We'll honor the very best in podcasting from the past year and celebrate the most innovative, talented creators in the industry. It's truly a who's who of the podcasting world. Creativity, knowledge and passion will all be on full display. And the winner of the I Heart PODC. See all the nominees [e-mail] Podcast Awards

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

when

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

Segregation in the day, integration at night.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

It was like stepping in another world.

[IDK]

Was he a businessman?

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

A criminal? A hero?

[Mall]

Charlie was an example of power. They had to crush him.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

vision of like, I gotta achieve.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

This was off the strengths of like, I want to make a better life for us. If you knew Better brings real talk from women Who've lived it unpacking, career pivots, relationship lessons, and the mindset shifts that changed everything. Listen to if youf Knew Better with Amber grimes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts, no worry.

[IDK]

And now, Conductor. No.

[Mall]

All right, Rory, we are back. Today we are joined by a very special, very talented guest. I got a beef to pick with you, but I'm gonna pick that beef with you after, I guess, leave. Because we shouldn't argue, we shouldn't fight in front of company, but you should have sent me this project the night it dropped.

[Rory]

I talked about it the day it dropped on the pod.

[Mall]

But you know, I have adhd, so you're supposed to like. No, no. Stop what you're doing and play this project. Today we were joined by another dmv. We just talking about the dmv.

[Rory]

Yes.

[Mall]

And it being like, you're just a hub for extreme talent, a dmv. I'm gonna say he's a legend. IDK is in the building. Ladies. Well, there's no ladies here, gentlemen. Yes, IDK is in the building. We never have ladies in the building. How you feeling, fam? We never have. You know what? Podcast world is weird. We don't really have ladies in the building like that.

[IDK]

We gotta fix that.

[Mall]

We gotta fix that. Well, we got. We have some ladies sometime. We got some ladies coming in.

[IDK]

Next time I come.

[Mall]

Yeah, bring some ladies with you. How you feeling, man?

[IDK]

I'm good. I'm Good. Yeah.

[Mall]

So ETDs, right. But before we get there. Cause I was reading up on you, obviously been following you for a while, but listening to this project, ETDS, even the devil smiles available now DSPs. If you haven't heard this, it's one of the best projects that you're probably gonna hear in the last 10 to 15 years. Without a doubt. I'm getting right to it. How the hell did you get a DMX feature?

[IDK]

That's easy. I'll be. Is it easy? You can't say that easy. I don't mean getting the features easy. Answering the question. I did a song for him before he passed.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

It's actually me and Denzel Curry.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

And he'd done. We cleared prayers for the projects prior. So it was like, you know, by the time he, you know, left us, I had a beat. Well, when he left us, a little after that, a couple years after that, I had this beat from Kay Chenada, and I heard it, and it was a beat I originally passed on. And then I heard that shit. And I was just like, yo, this sound like some Rough Riders type shit, but, like, with a little bit of a different swing. And the way I seen him dj, it made me understand the beat more than before I had actually seen him dj.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

So, like, he just got this thing where he'll play something like that, and it'd be ladies dancing to it and all this stuff. And once I saw that vision, I was like, all right, this beat is, like, a little different than what I originally thought. And I was like, man, I wonder what happened to them vocals and what they doing with that song. So I hit Pat from his team, and Pat was like, yo, I still got it. You know, we don't know what we want to do with it. And I asked for his blessing to try it on the song. Once we tried it and we all loved it. It was like, oh, let's go through the proper channels. The family, fiance, everybody to fat kids to clear it. I got on a call with everybody, let them know my intentions for it, and they gave me the blessing. So it's the actually approved or a state approved feature that came out since his passing.

[Mall]

That's why I left with that question, because I. I mean, getting DMX feature while he was still with us was tough.

[IDK]

Right? Right.

[Rory]

How'd you originally connect with him?

[IDK]

I chased him down at south by Southwest to clear this thing.

[Rory]

That's a brave thing to do, to chase that down.

[IDK]

Yeah. No, I really was like, yo, all right, he's performing at this joint because I always, like, never left that mentality of, bro, I gotta make shit happen regardless of wherever I was at. I don't rolling up my sleeves and just hitting people and staying on top of certain shit. Some people have, like, an ego about it, but I look at it like how I looked at it when I first started rapping, I went to pg. When I got out of prison, I went to PG Community College to just try to do, like, computer science or some shit. And I would be, like, rapping. I'd be in the cafeteria looking crazy by myself, just, like, writing and stuff like that. And I knew that I looked crazy, but I always knew that at the end of the day, those same people that thought I was crazy are gonna see me where I'm gonna be at, and then that's not gonna be crazy no more. Right? So I have the saying. I wrote this when I was locked up. Fantasy without reality is insanity. So I've always been that way. So me, like, I was in a place where I didn't necessarily need to chase them down necessarily. But I was with all that because whenever I believe it makes sense to do something, then I'm cool to do all that stuff. If it don't make sense, I probably feel weird.

[Mall]

Right.

[IDK]

But if I think it makes sense and I'm like, yo, X, this. What I have of you on this thing is great. I just want your blessing. And they brought me backstage and he was like. I talked to him and he's like, it's good. Whatever you need, it's good.

[Mall]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Rory]

I was going to say, how do you pitch a DMX in the situation?

[IDK]

I showed him what I was doing and it was, you know, had to do with religion and my fight with God and. And whether he's real or not and all these things. And I told him the pitch and he was like, it's good. Whatever you need, it's good.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

You know, I mean, so then it was good. Yeah.

[Rory]

Because, I mean, you're. Your entire discography. You have some of the most impressive features.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

You go through your whole.

[IDK]

You too, though. You too, though. Yeah.

[Rory]

I'll just be biting your feature. Because you've never, like, struck me as someone that's. That tries to be in the mix so much.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So that's where. Or even, I guess, a networker way. So how do you get these types of features?

[IDK]

I mean, they're all different, but the real real answer is audacity. I just ask. I asked. I hit Jay Electronica on a DM and see if he responds. I'm just like that.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

And I think I move with, man. I don't. I don't mean to come, like, come, like, off like this, but this is actually true. It's like a divine that I move with that's really connected in a way where I think things happen. I'm working on something. I can't speak on it just yet, but when everyone hears that I'm doing this, I think people can be. Some people that may be mad, but most people are going to be like, wow, that's crazy that you're doing that. And it's because of the divine energy and the connection that I have. I really respect, like, people who. Especially when someone has passed away and I have a record that I want to do, I speak to them, like, and I thank them for allowing me the opportunity to even do this when they're not here and the path just starts to clear.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

I mean, I'm just being real, like. And so that's what it is. Anything I Do I always make sure that in my mind, this, this, this, and this makes sense because of this, this, and this. And if it don't add up, I don't hit niggas, bro. Yeah, if I'm calling you, it makes sense.

[Rory]

I love that you just had to. DMJ electronica. I had to fly to the mountains of Mex. Like, hike up the side of a mountain to the top of a pyramid to get my feature. What?

[IDK]

I'm not guessing.

[Rory]

I'm not guessing.

[IDK]

You're not joking.

[Rory]

I'm not joking at all.

[IDK]

I mean, that's actually sicker than my situation. I'd rather be.

[Mall]

You would rather go that route. That's fire.

[Rory]

One time I brought ball with me. It was a couple trips to Mexico.

[Mall]

Literally. Yeah, man. Yeah, it was. J Elect is an interesting guy.

[Rory]

Beautiful.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mall]

Turtle from Spirit. One of my favorite people ever. But you just have to be prepared for anything.

[IDK]

Trust me, when moving around with him, right?

[Rory]

1000% AR15 had to be put in Mall's face by the Federales for me

[Mall]

to get that was in Mexico to

[IDK]

get that feature for real.

[Mall]

And we were getting pulled over. Wild times. Great times. But Jay is. He's just one of those people, man. The definition of free.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mall]

He's the definition of somebody that is free. Somebody that does what they want to do, lives how they want to live. It's admirable. But it is. You know, when you have.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

When you.

[Rory]

When you.

[Mall]

When you meet people like that, you realize, like, oh, yeah, like, I'm not living. Yeah. Like, this person, he's living.

[Rory]

He's living, waking up and doing whatever he wants.

[Mall]

Whatever the fuck he wants to do.

[Rory]

Did you feel the same way with Doom? Because I know you guys had worked before.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Another feature on the album.

[IDK]

Like, yeah, yeah, Doom. That one's really special, man. When I say I move with, like, divine energy and a certain connection. This is where I think it might make the most sense with Doom. He did a feature for me a while back, and Dale the Funky Homo Sapien got on the song, so I had to cut his verse down a little bit. I didn't have to, but I felt like it was necessary for the song because he did a pretty long verse, and then I grabbed that and I held onto it, not thinking I'd ever use it for anything. Then when Red came up, I asked for his blessing to use a piece of it. I wasn't gonna actually make it a feature. It was just, oh, that's doom. You know what I mean? And then he passed away. And then when he passed away, I was still waiting for Jay to get me that verse. And he DMed me. He was like, nah, I gotta make sure this happens. You know what I'm saying? He's like, I got you. And then he text. He DM'd me again. And he was like, touchdown. And then he sent me the joint, and that's how that happened. And then I still had more left, though. And by the time I started making this project, I had to go deep within myself and go back to, like, places that I didn't want to go back to, which was being incarcerated behind bars, all of that shit. And then once I did that, I started writing the records. And then Conductor sent me this beat. I took what he had. I chopped it and made the. The verse on that beat is me chopping his beat. And then the hook is the beat he basically sent me. So then I thought about him like, yo, I wonder if those doom vocals would fit here. And it happened to be like, the X things similar bpms. And then I was like, yo, he's talking about being locked up. The irony of him talking about being locked up. And that happens to be the piece that I left. And I'm talking about being locked up the whole time. I was like, this gotta happen. So that's what I'm saying. Like, I didn't plan that that happened. I put it together, I pinned it. I went to my experience of being behind bars at that time, trying Kate, too, for the first time, all that shit. And I wanted to put you in my shoes for that moment. And that's what came out. So. And then obviously, same thing. Sent it to the powers that be. Nah, it got approved. It wasn't gonna be a feature at first, but then something. They messed up something on accident on the vinyl, and my fans was zooming in on the. You know what I'm saying? When I put out the pre sale, and it was like, doom, Doom. So I tried to hurry up and change it, and then I changed it. But then people just kind of was

[Mall]

like, nah, we saw that. Yeah, we saw that.

[Rory]

Which would be a very doomed thing to do, though, to take it off.

[IDK]

So I never. When I announced it, I never said anything about doom. And then people was mad. He was like, man, how disrespectful is it to not list doom as a feature on the project? But I wasn't trying to. I wanted it to be a surprise. And also because it wasn't a full verse. It was just on the Hook. I didn't want to gas it, so people thought, okay, so that's what happened. And then I just. All right. It's like, I guess we just got to put it as a feature then. You know, that's just what ended up happening with that.

[Rory]

So, speaking of spiritual connections and you being locked up, what did you see on the first inhale of K2?

[IDK]

I saw some weird shit. Okay. This is.

[Rory]

Walk me through the day.

[IDK]

This is my birthday.

[Rory]

Okay.

[IDK]

And, you know, this is when K2 was new and shit, so nobody really understood how people knew people would trip off of it. Don't get it twisted. Yes. But most people didn't really know that all the way, how bad it could be. So, you know, it was my birthday and my boy D was just like, yeah, man, I got this. Da, da, da. And then, you know, we smoked it. And you gotta. You know, you smoke it slow so that the high could last. Because sometimes the high is really quick. Sometimes you don't know what high you're gonna get. Actually, that's the thing. It's not consistent, so you don't know what it's going to do to you. And I smoked it and I just started like. Basically everybody in prison that I saw looked like themselves, but an animal version of them.

[Mall]

So themselves.

[IDK]

Like, if you look like kind of like camel, okay, to me in that moment, you look like a real camel. You know what I'm saying? And it was like. But it was. It was dark, though. It was like, scary. Like, it wasn't funny. Oh, no, I'm sure it was like, yo. And then, you know. You know, like, you. You looking around like, n. I'm. I'm. I'm locked up right now. Like. Yeah, you starting to. The reality starting to really kick in. Like, I don't really know when I'm getting out.

[Rory]

I'm a cage bird for real now.

[IDK]

Hey, it's my birthday and I'm looking at this like, you know, we had. They got me, like, these little donuts and all this.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

My birthday. And I'm like, I don't want to eat none of this. This, like, I try to eat it. It tastes nasty.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

I was like, you know, I just need some milk.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

I'm gonna lay on my bunk and let this go away. And I remember hearing this beat in my head. I still remember the beat to this day. I kinda gotta make that. I gotta make that shit. Okay? And it was just this dark ass, weird ass beat. But if I make that beat, there's nothing in music that sounds like this shit, actually. And that literally was my experience doing that. I did it a couple times, though. It wasn't like, the only time I did it.

[Mall]

Oh, so you went back for another K2.

[IDK]

I think I did it before that. And then that was my birthday time. Yeah, but that. I think I tried it. I don't remember exactly how much I tried, but I'll tell you this. When I got out, I didn't smoke weed no more. Yeah, I couldn't smoke weed no more after that. Like, every time I tried it, I would get this weird paranoia high that I didn't like. So I just stopped smoking.

[Rory]

Yeah, I think I accidentally smoked K2 once.

[Mall]

Accidentally.

[Rory]

It was you. 2010. And, like, the synthetic weed was.

[IDK]

That's when I did. I was around that time and I.

[Rory]

Yeah, it was synthetic weed. But part of me feels like in 2010, that was K2. And we just didn't really know. Definitely it was K2.

[IDK]

That's K2. That's what K2 is.

[Rory]

There was a name. I forgot the exact name.

[IDK]

Spice.

[Mall]

Spice.

[Rory]

Spice, Yes, I smoke Spice. Okay, So I smoke K2.

[IDK]

Yeah, you definitely smoke K2.

[Rory]

But no, it definitely makes you trip out. For real.

[IDK]

The reason why we would do it is because it was just like, oh, yeah. It was like, you can't. It doesn't show up on your piss test. So that's why we smoking. I think I even smoked a little bit when I got out because it didn't show up on my piss test. But honestly, it was one of them things where I was like, yo, I realized my weed high was starting to, like, like, be not what I remember being.

[Rory]

So I. I can immediately tell when drugs are not for me because I don't like them or because I may like it too much.

[IDK]

Right, right, right.

[Rory]

Like, shrooms I don't do very often, but I've done them multiple times in the right. Shrooms is cool setting. Yes, shrooms, I think. Especially microdosing this and that. But, like, I tried coke. I was like, nah, I'm cool. Cause I may end up liking that shit.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

So I left that alone. But that K2 shit, that one time I smoked it in that living room, I'd never wanted to go near anything synthetic for the rest of my life.

[IDK]

Yeah. Nah, facts.

[Rory]

Like, nothing about it was cool. It wasn't fun.

[IDK]

None of that.

[Rory]

It wasn't a story we could talk, like, later. It was just like, nah, fuck this.

[IDK]

None of that shit is cool, man. Like, I mean, to each his own, but that Ain't my style. I don't even drink.

[Mall]

I never did shrooms. I had shroom tea before.

[IDK]

Okay. Yeah.

[Mall]

I just was never like. I never like, outside of weed, I was never really like, with trying. Cause I'm scared to have like a trip and never come back.

[IDK]

Right.

[Mall]

That's like my biggest fear. Like, I'm gonna turn into a whole different person and I'm not gonna be

[IDK]

able to snap out of it.

[Mall]

And it's like everything is different now.

[IDK]

Right.

[Mall]

So let's talk about the beginning of idk. Originally from the uk.

[IDK]

Yeah. Born in London.

[Mall]

Yeah, born in London. At what age did you come to America?

[IDK]

Two years old.

[Mall]

Oh, two. Oh, so, yeah, yeah, I'm American.

[IDK]

You're American more than anything.

[Mall]

But are you still tapped in with the London sound? Like London rap?

[IDK]

Yeah, for sure. I got like Goldie on my project. I still like. It's in me. You know what I'm saying? Like, for. But I'm mostly just a dmv, like, you know what I mean? That's mainly what I am. DC, MD, VA, for those of you who don't know now, the DMV.

[Mall]

Cause me and Rory have been talking about it. What is it about the DMV that just keeps creating such unique, such talented artists, like throughout the years in hip hop and R and B, there's something about the dmv. Is it just the culture of the dmv? Is it the close proximity and so many different people are able to connect with each other? What is it about the DMV that just keeps giving us, like, such talented artists?

[IDK]

I think that we have some of the highest concentration of pure creativity. Not creativity meets opportunity to expand creativity. Because, you know, when you look at LA and you look at New York, it's easier to expand your creativity to an audience because they have the industry there. We just got the raw creativity. So, you know, when. When you look at something as unique as Go Go, then you look at how people have adopted certain cultural things. This is like a big African community there. There's a big Hispanic community there, obviously black community and all of these things. You know, when you kind of put that together and we're all close nearby each other, I think it creates what I like to call a color that doesn't exist. Something new, something unique. And even in the way we dress and all of that stuff, you know, we made New Balances popular, you know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

When my dad was living in Baltimore and PG county, that's how I even

[IDK]

got you honest you from New York?

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah.

[IDK]

New York niggas be trying to claim the New Balance.

[Rory]

Jim Jones tried, which was kind of funny, but that's Jim Jones. He's going to claim he's our soldier boy. He was the first to do everything. But no, I've always. Because I was wearing New Balances. And I'm not saying this as a stat, but when they weren't popular up here, right. And used to get kind of like, New Balances, I'm like, in Maryland, that's all they wear. I fell in love with New Balances

[Mall]

in the early 90s, though, in New York.

[IDK]

We wore New balances in the 80s.

[Mall]

No, I'm sure y' all did, but I. I remember. I remember, like, the 90s, like, new balances were a thing.

[IDK]

And I remember when I wasn't born in the 80s, but I remember seeing pictures in the 80s.

[Mall]

I definitely. Listen, I'm not all, but I. I do know that New Balances was def. Something that New Yorkers wore, like, early in the 90s, probably before that. But I'm just speaking for me and my friends, we definitely started wearing New Balance in the early 90s.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Up here. And like, when my dad moved to Maryland was like, oh, two, three, four. Somewhere in that time. And nobody was wearing New Balances up here. Like, when I went down there, it was foreign. I was like, oh, New Balances. And they're comfortable. As I could, like, actually do things.

[IDK]

Definitely.

[Rory]

But, yeah, that in the early 2000s, at least, my era was definitely not wearing Balances whatsoever. That was definitely a DMV thing.

[IDK]

And listen, I'm definitely like. I credit New York for popularizing a lot of Styles from D.C. you know what I'm saying? Like, how people were dressing all the drug dealers, all that stuff. People popularized a lot of stuff back then in New York. And I think there's some sort of an admiration for people in New York and how y' all get down and the swag and all that stuff, for sure. But the idea.

[Mall]

I knew the butt was coming. Once they give you. Once they give you credit and they give you props, but.

[IDK]

Yeah, nah. But it's just really one of them things where, like, you know, I think that D.C. specifically and the DMV, we do a lot of things and maybe don't get the credit. So a lot of people are vocal about it. That's really more so. What it boils down to,

[Rory]

Mall Boost Mobile, is proving that you don't have to overpay for great wireless. I don't know why you do that to yourself? I do do that as as a friend. I'm sitting here. This is an intervention to tell you you don't need to do that anymore.

[Mall]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[IDK]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

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[Rory]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[IDK]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Rory]

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[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

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[Mall]

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[IDK]

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[Mall]

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[IDK]

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[Rory]

And yeah, we talk about our mistakes too. They pulled me to the side and was like, hey, man, we got a call last night, man, you can't be

[Mall]

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[Rory]

No, you know, doing this, doing whatever.

[IDK]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

What do you think the. The DMV music lineage is like? For example, you could start with disco in New York, which then went to Cool Herc and then went to Curtis Blow, Caris went. And so on and so forth. You kind of could tell the entire. The entire story of New York hip hop.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Where did. Where does DMV start?

[IDK]

Well, so I'm gonna speak with a lack of all of the information and education and answer it the best I can with what I. What I understand. I think the 70s, maybe the late 70s, is when go Go kind of came. But people were rapping over Go Go. Let's not like, get that twisted. People were rapping over Go Go. And I think, you know, people like Chuck Brown, things like that, they were coming in. Then you get to the early 80s, I'm pretty sure. Don't quote me on this, but look it up. We came. Punk rock, came from D.C. okay, I'm pretty, pretty sure. I'm like, like 90% sure. So we obviously have that. And then. And then I think in the 80s, Go Go started to expand a lot more. I think that the 90s came and then we had. Is it nonchalant 5 o' clock in the morning when you. Around that time, right.

[Rory]

Smalls era.

[IDK]

And it. By the way, I'm gonna probably miss people, so I don't wanna, you know what I'm saying? No disrespect to anybody that I miss, but I think around that time that started to happen. Then we had like, Junkyard band and all these people that started getting, like, real recognition, being signed to, I think, Def Jam Records, things like that. And then the era where I really started paying attention to certain things was when Tabby Bonet and Wale was coming out. Cause Tabby Bonet was the first nigga from back home, from what I remember, to be on mtv. Shout out to Tuma. Cause Tuma was working at MTV around that time. And I remember seeing that, like, yo, this could really happen. I started seeing Philade around that time as well.

[Rory]

Shout out to Phil, friend of Phil,

[IDK]

you know, a little later, actually. But Wale was the first time I really seen, like, somebody, like, doing something. You know what I'm saying? And that kind of rubbed off on me. Like, it's possible. Cause not only is he from where I'm from, he's also African, you know, he's talking about the struggle of being African, being made fun of all that shit. So it's connecting with me in a real way. So by the time I got locked up and got out, I remember saying to myself, yo, I'm not gonna take rap seriously. Cause my biggest thing is I wanna rap, but I don't ever wanna perform. Like, the idea of performing was so crazy and scary to me.

[Mall]

You wanna rap, but you don't wanna perform?

[IDK]

No, I just wanna put out songs.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

And I was like, I wanna have a local buzz like Wale when he first came out. But I don't wanna be like a big superstar or nothing like that. Okay?

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

And that was my mentality going into it. My plan A was to finish school, you know, and try to do something with that. I still got my book from jail when I wrote my plan A, my plan B. And both of them were not rap at the end. They had rap in it, but that wasn't the end all be all. And so. But like, I'm back to the lineage part, you know, you go Wale, then you start seeing, like, fat trail in them. And then Shy Glizzy. I was locked up when Shy Glizzy, yeah, I remember being locked up. And they were like, yo, shot Glizzy, shot Glizzy. He beefing with Fat trail. Da da da n telling me. You know what I mean? And then there was just mad other eras. Like when you go from that era to the next, I guess the next era was me starting to be like Gold Link and Chaz French people, like, that was coming out. Shaboozy was around too. Like, Shaboozy was always running around. Me and him got songs from when he was like, fucking 17 or something, like, you know what I mean? And Shaboozi coming up around this time, all of us is like. Like doing our thing. But that Gold Link wave was serious. When that came out, that was like, oh, like, you know what I mean? I can't forget. There was. Even before that, it was like Booby one way booby. And all these, you know, all the street rappers, it was coming out too. Big Wax, Everybody, Circle Boys, all that. Then we go to after that era, we all kind of was doing our thing. We was growing. I want to say logic was around that time as well. A little bit before that. And then the next era was like when Big Flock and Rico, Nasty and Shabazz, Cue the Fool, all them started coming out. That was a whole thing. Then we got Young Manny and all them guys. Zanman which is basically they originated the flow that everybody's really using now. And then there's probably another era right after that, which is kind of more so now where you get Nino Paid and you get who else is out there. You get El Cousto, you getting. I mean, I would say that's even a little after maybe or close to that, where, you know, right now, I think after that Earl sweatshirt clip went viral, niggas was like, oh, shit. Like, that's our flow. That's like the DMV flow to the T, you know? But right now, I mean, like, you got people like, even Masego coming out. They came out a little bit before, around my. My era.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

Like all, like, we just got so much shit.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

So you running down this list. It's so much talent.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, we were. I think it was last episode when we were talking about Foggy's album.

[IDK]

Like, Foggy too.

[Rory]

The DMV has a sound, but it doesn't if that. I guess, because there is just so many different types of artists where there isn't a definitive sound. But there is, like, I think Foggy, and I mean this respectfully. Like, I can hear some of Gold Link in his music to me, which is a very much a DMV type of tone.

[IDK]

Maybe. Maybe I. You know, that was the one thing I was saying. I don't see it all the way, but I can see maybe from the outside looking in how it could be. I see the nuance a little more.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

So I'm like, Foggy sound like Foggy to me, but like. But when I hear what he's doing, it is a lot of sub pockets of music. Right. But it's kind of the same way. There's like a lot of subcultures in general in the dmv. Right. But ultimately, what you may get that's consistent is a certain type of slang, a certain type of respect and flow that's derivative of go go music. And then after that, it just becomes what type of style you want to do over what type of beats. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, but I'm probably miss, like 90% of all of the shit that's really has been going on in these eras. That's the thing. But we don't have the industry like that. So when you hear certain things, they kind of like become like this thing where it's like, it's dope, cool, people taking from it for sure, but it doesn't have the chance to incubate and become this big thing. Every now and then you get certain things, but not. Not so much. Right. And then, bro, like a lot of the artists, they be like, they don't have the foundation around them. So structure wise, like management, certain things like that. So that's why I say we are the hub of pure artistic talent, whether it comes to style, whether it comes to music, all of that shit. Like we got that in the purest form. We got the Blue magic, you know what I'm saying? But we don't. We're not always able to distribute it throughout New York City.

[Mall]

Got it.

[IDK]

For lack of better phrase.

[Mall]

Yeah, I get it.

[Rory]

I see with the Not Atlanta record, with what Russell's been doing with the Bay, I see everyone arguing what's the city and what's not the city? Is the clips DMV or not?

[IDK]

Yes, I say. Yes, I say. Because I've heard Pharrell say it out of his mouth.

[Rory]

Okay. I mean, I'll go with Pharrell said.

[IDK]

Right, right. I think people try to write off certain places because it's a little too far. I think there's two ways to look at it. There is. It's like if I'm out of town, I'd rather just. I'm. So I'm closer to D.C. than I am to Baltimore.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

So when people say, where you from? I just say dc. But if you're from DC and you say you from dc, but you're not from dc, yeah, that don't fly. So you gotta know the context in which you speak in on. If I say the dmv, and this pertains to the clips, it's the most general, broad aspect of the DMV we can have. Now, the real dmv, like the honest to God real version of the DMV is the metropolitan area right all around. Like, basically, if you're. If the train don't go to where you from, it's not really the DMV kind of. Okay, that's the way some people look at it. But because dc, Maryland and Virginia are the DMV specifying it, you kind of gotta be from there to really understand why you gotta specify it. So because of that, clips is dmv.

[Rory]

Okay, fuck it.

[IDK]

If they say it, then that's it. That's it. You know what I'm saying? I ain't bad. That ain't bad at all.

[Mall]

No, definitely.

[Rory]

Remember the Titan Squad is dmv.

[IDK]

Right, right, right.

[Mall]

Cuz as a New Yorker, I. We still claim the clips.

[IDK]

Born here.

[Rory]

You're the only New Yorker.

[IDK]

I didn't even know that. I've never heard that in my life.

[Rory]

You said face before, and he said, no, I'm not.

[Mall]

I don't care what saying. They from New York, from Tracy, from the Bronx, man. They from the Bronx.

[Rory]

I mean, speaking of. Of the clips and Pusha T, you and I were. Were talking the day that record came out with Push. Why do you think people thought you were dissing Drake on that record?

[IDK]

I don't know.

[Rory]

That was a very odd perspective because you made me like.

[IDK]

It was like they was like I said ice this and ice that, and I wasn't thinking about no Drake when I made. You know what I'm saying? Like, ice. And, you know, it was. It was dope to see that people dig that deep. And listen, man, keep digging. Like, sometimes I do be saying some clever. Yeah, you know what I mean?

[Mall]

It's rap.

[IDK]

But I think it was that. And I think just by nature of the timing, that's why I say divine timing is interesting. I didn't plan for that to happen at that time. And I think they said something about Drake, posted something about Ice, and then we dropped the song. I was not. That had nothing to do with what I was. You know what I'm saying? So, hey, look, people probably said it because they just thought that that's what it was. And hey, I let the Internet have.

[Mall]

They try to dig and find little anything that may look like a shot or beef or disrespect. That's just what rap is these days. Everything is like, Mike was under the microscope. Like, what he meant by that, like what he said about that. And then like you said, if somebody drops a song and then you drop something or somebody posted something and you drop something, it looks like the timing of it all is like, nah, that ain't no coincidence. Like, he talking to him.

[IDK]

Yeah. I don't even think Push was talking about Drake, you know, like, I could.

[Rory]

You could maybe make a case. But I still don't even think Push was talking about Drake on that verse.

[IDK]

Yeah, and it's kind of one of them. I'm not about to ask that, man, unless you know what I'm saying, like. Like that. It's just like our conversations don't really. That's not what it was like, you know what I'm saying? I think he would say what it is if it's necessary to be said. I think he was just expressing himself with that pen, like we all do as artists and whatever people want to say, let them talk.

[Rory]

Yeah. Because I even saw it got weird in those threads. I saw people saying, you. You had. Who kid hosted. Cause. Cause of family matters. I'm like, if y' all really thinking

[Mall]

about Drake, like, that's too much like,

[IDK]

I'm not the kind of guy that obsesses over trying to make a point or insert myself into a conversation that I have no business in, right? I don't think that ever goes well. I am a guy that if somebody says certain things about me, I don't like bullying and I don't like. And mostly trying to bully me, it's cause that's the mentality I developed from being locked up. It's like, you let somebody play with you behind them walls, that's gonna be your time. The rest of the time there, you might as well just crash out and not have to deal with that no more.

[Mall]

Let's cut that short now.

[IDK]

Crash out, bro. If that's what you gotta do, that's what you gotta do. Because at the end of the day, this shit is about survival. When you buying them walls, you gotta to figure out how to make your time the most comfortable possible. I'm not about to have nobody make my time uncomfortable, bro. I gotta eat. I gotta do what I do. I don't bother nobody. Leave me alone.

[Mall]

Yeah, I'm over here.

[IDK]

I'm in the C. And I don't like that. Sometimes people think because I'm a nice guy to people, for the most part, they think that they could maybe play with me. That's rare, by the way, but that's what I don't like. But to me, to just go out of my way and be like, oh, man, let me try to even stretch it. Cause some niggas to hear some shit and then they'll be like, oh, this is my opportunity. He said this one little line. Yeah, and I'm gonna try to make it then. Nah, man, that don't. Again, I move with divine energy. If that ain't what it is, that's not what it need to be. I actually with Drake, you know what I'm saying? I fuck with some of the shit he does. A lot of the shit he does. Drake. I listened to Take Care when I was locked up. That was a. You know, that was a record that shaped how I even listen to music. I don't think people give him the props he deserves for the music he's put out. Even though commercially he's successful. I think from a respect standpoint, people write it off. I was arguing with Torre about this shit. Like on a joint. Cause he has his feelings about it. And I'm like, look, I don't know about the ghost writing shit. I don't really. I'm not in the room to know who did didn't. But what I heard when I hear on them speakers, my argument with him was, are you saying what he's saying, what's coming out is bad or is it because he may have a ghostwriter? And once it was like, what he's hearing is bad. I'm like, I don't agree with that. That nigga is clever. I said this to his face. I told him, I was like, you know how to say simple clever shit in a simple way. That's hard.

[Rory]

Extremely hard.

[IDK]

That's very hard to do.

[Rory]

Probably the hardest thing.

[IDK]

So man, shout out to him and what he does. No, you know, and that's not no disrespect to push. That's not no disrespect to other people that I fuck with. I'm just a fan of what this is. And that guy has never done nothing to me that I. You know what I'm saying? They try to say, maybe he. He had a idea that was inspired by something I did with the Kaytranada joining. And honestly, nevermind, whatever that was like an Internet thing. I actually saw him after that and the energy was just cool. I left it at that. So when people try to put all that together, they make shit weird.

[Mall]

People, the fans sometimes make shit weird.

[IDK]

And then the other thing is some people be. I'm not saying he is. I don't know him him. But some people be sensitive and take that seriously. Yeah, I'm not one of them guys. Like, I really got. Like I said, bro, being behind certain walls and being behind them walls, bro, you look at life differently. Like, you look at time differently, you look at being patient differently, you look at who could be an enemy and who's not very different.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

So for me, like, I don't move. I move with the principles that I learned from that. And yeah, yeah, I think a lot

[Rory]

of artists obviously are sensitive, but they kind of let the fans and the Internet dictate how they. They should move. Because a lot of times it's not even that. And then the artist will be scrolling for two days and be like, no, you know what? Maybe it is. Maybe he was talking about, no, they made this up, bro. But like, you should understand that the fans are the ones that are making you think that someone is saying some about about you.

[IDK]

But gang, that's Why I got a phone my hit my line yeah, DM me like I'm DMing Jay electronica yeah, talk to me if you feel away about me, bro. That's why I don't like. This is just man time. If you feel away about me. If I feel away about you. Oh man, ask anybody that. I will call you. Yeah, I'm gonna hit your phone, bro. And some niggas be scared. They don't want to answer the phone. And they any nigga who don't want to answer the phone and have a conversation but want to talk on the Internet. I already write you off. That's not you performing.

[Rory]

But that's.

[Mall]

Yeah, that's.

[Rory]

That's ego too.

[IDK]

Because I'm one of those people which

[Rory]

Mark can attest to I do in a dumb way a lot of times as well. I will always approach somebody if there's something that needs to be said.

[IDK]

That's mad.

[Rory]

I never understand like we could just have a five minute conversation.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[Rory]

That doesn't mean we have to confusion. We could just both coexist if it is like that and just move forward. It's not. I never understand why people can't just have a conversation.

[IDK]

Be avoiding, bro. Yeah, listen, bro, I keep going back to this, but I'm telling you, I had to realize I'm the way I am because at pivotal ages, from 17 to 19, I'm to 20, I'm behind bars. So I'm looking at my mind, my brain is developing and I'm learning these things. You can't do that back. You know you can't do that in that situation. You like, you can't hide from niggas. You gotta confront shit. I've been in situations where I'm hearing shit about a nigga, he feeling away, nigga pacing back and forth. I don't know if he has a knife on him, I don't know what he's. I literally walk up to this nigga like, yo, let me holler at you. Let's sit down and talk about whatever the fuck this misunderstanding may be. Because I gotta go home at the end of the day, bro. I can't deal with like all this. And this nigga on some probably crash out shit, he mild, he don't know when he going home. I don't have time for that, bro. Let's talk about it. And if it from there it still escalates, then that means I did everything in my power to de escalate it. And whatever happens after that is what happens after that.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

That's my mentality. So when it come to these, this is a piece of cake. It's just like. Just get on the phone, bro. Scary ass nigga. Be scared, bro. It's a phone call.

[Rory]

It's a phone call.

[IDK]

Are you scared?

[Rory]

It's a message.

[IDK]

We grown men got kids, and I don't have no kids. I'm saying, got kids or gonna have kids? What are you doing?

[Mall]

Yeah, let's just talk.

[IDK]

Imagine your kid think that's my daddy. You know what I'm saying? My daddy. That's how my dad.

[Mall]

My daddy's scared.

[IDK]

Your dad's supposed to be a superhero.

[Mall]

You scared for nigga learning kindergarten.

[Rory]

Talk it out.

[IDK]

Nah, but that's my. How I look at it.

[Rory]

What was that feeling like when you thought you had to do 15 and it ended up, you know, just having to serve the three?

[IDK]

So I need to make that clear. I never thought I had to do 15. I have 15. I got 15. Yeah, but it got suspended to three.

[Rory]

Was that because you were minor or.

[IDK]

I think that helped, played a part.

[Rory]

Okay.

[IDK]

I think they would have fried me if I was. If I was 18. They considered it, but they charged me as an adult. So it's like, it's a consideration, but it's not. It doesn't legally make them not do or not do something, I think. I didn't have no record prior to that. I was 17 when it happened. They didn't find said gun. There was a lot of little shit that was like, in my favor. So then the judge is like, all right, man, I'm gonna give you three. Boom. You could do it on private home detention, which is a trick bag. Cause it's like, it sounds sweet and it's better than going to prison. Let me make sure that's clear. But private home detention you gotta pay for. It's not state, so it's a little more strict. It's a little different. And then to be 18, living your life as a 18 year old at that time, it's kind of hard to have that level of responsibility for that long of a time. So I went in, back in for violations and shit like that, you know what I'm saying? And then I ended up having to do the rest of my bid, what they call up the road in state prison, where they basically, it's sweeter, it's fun. More fun and more livable than jail. But that's where the real hyenas be at. That's where the real extortion happens. That's where the Aryan brotherhood and all that type of shit is over there. And you have to know how to navigate gang culture. That's why this music industry is a piece of cake to me. These niggas ain't, you know what I'm saying? Like, I really had to be in that situation and navigate that as a 19, 20 year old, my nigga. Like I had to be. I was a tutor, so I help people get their ged. So off buck, everybody fuck with me. Yeah, yeah, like off that. And I used to cut niggas hair. I used to have a blade and a comb. Imagine they catch me with a blade, you know what I'm saying? Like I'm in the back cutting niggas hair for $2 soups like nigga, two packs of noodles. Hitting niggas with the shape like all that. You know what I'm saying? Like that was where I was at with it. I hustled, I did what I had to do, Got the fuck out that joint, man. Like so that's why I say this shit. I could see niggas when they really that. When they really not that like when they are scared. You learn how to sense fear. Like you could see a nigga heartbeat and like, you know, so you could feel it. And one thing I definitely never do is take advantage of people's fear. I just try to make niggas, you know, calm niggas down. Like, yo, I'm not a bad person. We good. We can get through certain shit. It's just when niggas try to act like they, you know what I mean? Or act like I'm scared cause I'm being nice.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[IDK]

I just. That really gets under my stuff.

[Mall]

That's something that happens in the industry.

[Rory]

Pardon the Vlad question, but just since you, you know, you mentioned it on mixtape. What was the Christmas Eve body that they tried to put on you?

[IDK]

Oh my God.

[Rory]

That you did not commit.

[IDK]

That's a whole nother. So that's.

[Rory]

You rapped about it. That's the only reason why I'm asking.

[IDK]

Yeah, no, no fair. And, and. And you know, that's come up quite a few times that particular conversation of what I was saying. I want to make sure it's very clear. A lot of that was based off of imagination and exaggerating whatever the scenario is to explain the effects of karma.

[Rory]

Yep.

[IDK]

Okay, right. Like going through all this shit, getting away with everything, thinking I'm. And then come back and now I got charged with some I didn't even do. Yeah, I did have a Situation where some charges came up. We don't need to talk about the charges, but they came up, bro. I was in my cell, and they're like, yo, you getting moved to Virginia. Like, Virginia? They put me in a bullpen. I'm like, in a bullpen. Like, what did I do in Virginia? I don't even be in Virginia like that.

[Mall]

It's the Damn.

[IDK]

And so they say I had my nigga. So they say I had some charges. And I thought about, what the fuck? And I remember the only time in my life I ever got robbed. I was around with these niggas, and them niggas was. I'm tell you, that was the day I realized I didn't have a certain level of fear. Meaning I want to get a little bit into the story. Like, I'm chilling, you know, in the dmv, niggas wear ski masks. That's like, a thing.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

So I see a nigga with a ski mask, and I'm with somebody who's supposed to be him, right? And I remember I seen a. But I ain't really think much of it. And I remember came up to the car. Next thing you know, bro, I got a gun to my neck. And they like, where the coke at? Where the coke at? And I'm like, coke? I don't got nothing to do with none of that, bro. But I know the. That I'm around. They into certain.

[Rory]

You sitting there. I'm a K2 guy.

[IDK]

No, they into shit. They into certain. Yeah, I had got out with my first bid. This was me trying to figure out I sold, like, Impala ss. So I had, like, six bands on me. I remember feeling that money. And in the moment, the first thing I thought is, whatever this nigga need, I'm gonna just give him to him. It's not worth my life, right? So he's got the gun with a coke at da da da. So then he proceeds to try to rob me, right? I do this thing where I get on the ground and this is a car right here, and I start filling in my pockets. And my nigga, when I say I think the six bands was right here. I have a couple dollars right here, and I had my wallet right here. I was about to give him everything, and then I realized, man, I felt them six, that six bands. I'm like, I'm not giving this this money, bro. So what I did was, I'm Ricky Zeky fast, right? So I'm like this. I'm moving my body underneath the car a little bit.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

Right here. And I'm like, giving the money out of here. Boom.

[Mall]

And I'm throwing the other pocket.

[IDK]

I got changes some more. And I'm like, the wallet too. Like the wal. Meanwhile, I'm pulling this money out of here and I'm doing this. And I pull it, put it under the car, and I shimmy out. And I'm like, I ain't got nothing else.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

And he goes over to the other and he. This crying and some more like this. I got kid like. But the ugly cry, like, yeah, yeah. And I. I remember in that moment, like, looking at this nigga supposed to be. Not that. Listen, man, you can cry if you're getting robbed and you might lose your life. I'm not gonna. But I just ain't expecting.

[Mall]

Well, we gonna laugh. So you can do it in the moment. You could cry, but we gonna laugh.

[IDK]

So that shit happened and shit. And that's when I realized I didn't have a certain level of fear. I was like, I still had that money, nigga. I still got it.

[Mall]

Yeah. That's all you was focused on, that six bands under the car.

[IDK]

So boom. So that's the segue to that story. But back to what the original thing. So my Social Security was in that wallet. So when the shit came, came up, I'm like, man, what if they got me for my social and did some wild in me? Oh, okay. Now I'm getting hit for that. And it was a serious ass charge. It was a very serious charge. Luckily more serious than the shit I was in there for. Luckily, they never moved me. They were like, there's a mishap. Blah, blah, blah. Man, I was like, so relieved, bro. I'm like, I'm never getting out, like, at this point. Because even if you. Because if you get a buy body, you still gotta be in. In court for like a year. Fighting that.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Hell yeah.

[IDK]

And I'm like, that's what it sucks about. Even if you ain't do this, if they got enough evidence or believe they have enough evidence, you gotta be in there for a minute.

[Podcast Advertiser/Host]

So.

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah.

[IDK]

No. Absolutely.

[Mall]

No worrying.

[Rory]

Today's show is brought to you by a presenting sponsor, Hard Rock bet, which is Florida's sports book March is here mall. So you know the madness is going to take over. So angry college basketball. So mad center stage. Every day we have games. I cannot wait. The temperature is rising. The shots are falling. And now it's time to hit the hardwood with Hard Rock bet. Sign up today and double your winnings on your first 10 bets max $50. That's right. Your winnings are doubled on your first 10 bets. So if you would have won a hundred bucks on your bet, make it 200. Maul. That's how you start March, so don't

[Mall]

sit on the bench. Download the Hard Rock Bet app today and let's get the party started.

[Rory]

Dancing boots on.

[Mall]

Payable bonus bets. Not a cash offer. Offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida in Florida. Offered by Seminole hard Rock Digital LLC in all other states. Must be 21 plus and physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia to play. Terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, you call 1-833-play- wise in Indiana, if you or someone you know has a gambling problem wants help, call 1-800-9 with it. Gambling problem, call 1-800- gambler Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia. Junior. Let's talk about Suburban Trap. Yeah, because I like. I like that, that, that. That term. How did you come up with creating that name or that sound?

[IDK]

So it's interesting. When I first got out the fl. Well, when I got out the last time from actual prison, there was this thing in my mind where I just wanted to just be like a normal guy, normal scenario, whatever was in my past. I wanted that so far away from me. I was like, I'm gonna come out rapping, but I don't wanna talk about nothing, about being locked up, none of that shit. And I just wanna separate myself from anything that could be considered street. So I grew up in the suburbs. The way PG county is set up. Maryland, Maryland, if you don't go to a private school, you still go to school in the hood, with the hood. That's mostly the scenario. Or if you go to a school like in, like, let's say Bowie, for instance, it's a lot of niggas who come from certain areas that end up going to that school. So it's like weirdly still bad, you know what I'm saying? Like, shit just still go down. So I was like, I wanted to create this thing that made it very clear that I come from this. And at this time, I'm not trying to talk about anything that I did, going to jail, all that shit I was just talking about. Look, man, I'm just this nigga that's hustling, selling weed, trying to make music work. And that was what the Suburban Trap thing came from.

[Mall]

Okay?

[IDK]

And I created these little characters, like all these different people that represented people that I did meet along the way, being behind bars, things like that. But I wanted to make sure that my story was very clearly not that.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

And so I talked about college a lot, trying to go to college. I barely went. But, like, that's what I put, like, you know, more in the music. And that's. That's how subject. That actually changed my life, that project.

[Rory]

When it came out, you mentioned your plan A and plan B written down. What did you want to do instead of plan B performing, per se.

[IDK]

But plan B was like, a registered nurse.

[Rory]

Okay.

[IDK]

And plan A.

[Rory]

That's not what I was. That's not what I was expecting. You can't just say registered nurse. Do well, man.

[Mall]

No, no, they do, but I wasn't expecting idk. They were like, not registered nurse. That's what I wanted to do.

[IDK]

Yeah. Because my mom was saying shit like that, and you can make a lot of money.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

And the other thing was, she was talking about it. So that's plan A. Trying to get an it.

[Mall]

Okay.

[IDK]

When I went back to school at PG Community, I was trying to do computer science, okay. And learn that aspect. And that was my plan A and my plan B. Rap was in the plan, in the diagram I drew. But it wasn't the end all, be all. I was just trying to. I was just trying to get a good job, man. Knowing that I got felonies and try to, like, figure it out. You know what I mean?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

That's really all it was.

[Mall]

Now I was texting Rory about this project and listening to it the last two days, like, just on repeat. I haven't. I don't think I've enjoyed a rap project like this in a very long time.

[IDK]

Wow.

[Mall]

Like this. This had. This reminds me of how I felt when. When Mock dropped Pray for Haiti. Obviously you got conduct on there. So that DNA is. Is there. I'm a. I was. I came up in the. In the. In. In the 90s, early 90s. I'm an 80s baby. So this is. This reminds me of. I felt the far side.

[IDK]

I felt Tribe Gotcha.

[Mall]

I felt, you know, that whole era of 90s rap, hip hop, was that, like, making this album? Was that the intent? Was that the feeling, the vibe, the energy that you was aiming for? Or was this something that just happened? Because this is definitely, like, real rap, hip hop on every level. The music, the bars. You said a line in there. Like, I love when rappers say a line that I never heard you say. Cutting corners like a picnic sandwich.

[IDK]

I've never heard rappers say that.

[Mall]

I've never heard a rapper Sing with shit like that. So when I heard that, I was like, hold on. Not only is the music incredible, but whenever a rapper says things that I never heard any other rapper say, I'm impressed. You know, it's hard to create new things and new and new sounds and things like that. So just the music and the rapping and the bars and then the intention and then just everything all together. I was really impressed with this. And I told Rory, I was like, dog, I can't believe that. That this album has not been in my rotation.

[Rory]

It's a mixtape.

[IDK]

Yeah,

[Mall]

it's a mixtape. Like. And again, you know, mixtape is just a name. Yeah, right. But there is something that is a difference in. As far as. In creation with artists, that it's a different type of freedom when you're creating an album.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Versus a mixtape. But this, this, this. This is like some of the best rapping, been one of the best projects that I think we've had in a very long time. I had to come in here and salute you for that. But, like, what was the intention? Or did you feel like, yo, I wanna go for this energy, this vibe of the golden era of rap, hip hop? Or were you just being idk?

[IDK]

I think I was being IDK more than anything. I let production dictate what I do, and I think I was this. IDK the artist in this, IDK the producer. And I think that when I put the records together, then that started coming out. I was thinking, especially the first half of the record, the project, I was thinking more like 50 cent, 50 cent and G Unit. Reason being, I'm by myself for the most part. I got my peoples and that's it. I don't belong to no subculture, no community of rap. I'm cool with everybody, but I'm like a loner. Sometimes people even think I think I'm better than them. I could tell the energy. I've heard people say that, and it ain't even like that. It's just. It's like went back to just being locked up. At first, people didn't know how to read me. And I actually like that. I like when people can't read me. I remember OG came up to me, I had the beard, all that shit. He like, man, I still can't put my finger on you, man. I can't read you. And the reason why he said that is. Cause I would be quiet. And then next thing you know, I'm cooking somebody or making fun of somebody, how they dress or whatever the fuck, like, whatever it Is so he was like. He came up to me because after that, he was like, I thought she was the quiet nigga. Now you roasting niggas and shit. He's like, I can't put my finger on you. And I always move with that because I always like to look at the room, see what everybody on, see who's who. All right, that's the loud nigga right there. That's the quiet dude over there. This nigga I'm not really sure about. Let me see. And I think in the rapping industry, I inherently just do that. So if I. If someone's really quiet, I'm more loud. If someone's really loud, I'm really quiet. Yeah, I'm just paying attention. You get what I'm saying? This is, like, interesting. So I think because of that, I felt like I was a loner. And then it's just like, bro, it's just certain be trying to style on like, they did they that. And I'm like, bro, listen, man, I asked you for this whatever record or whatever or whatever we doing. Don't try to act like you better than me or cooler than me. I understand you where you at.

[Mall]

That's industry, though. Yeah, that's just industry politics.

[IDK]

But I think about this shit, all this shit is like high school. I know the type of nigga I was in high school. I was a certain type of nigga. I got niggas from high school with me right now. I wasn't the type of nigga like you do that kind of shit to. I wasn't the type of nigga that wasn't cool, didn't get no hoes, none of that shit. Like, I was a certain type of nigga. I in high school.

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

And I look at certain. I know the type of they was in high school, but they got a little bit of. You know what I'm saying?

[Mall]

Yeah.

[IDK]

And they move like that's who they are. I could tell, right? And I'm like. I get offended by that, right? Like, nah, bro, I'm this, you that. We cool. Yeah, but you don't got a style on me. I'm good at what I do, right? And for my resources and never being a part of a big community, that catapulted me. I figured it out.

[Mall]

So listen, the features on this.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Mall]

Like, let's just run through it real quick before you.

[Rory]

While you're looking them up. I had said to mall earlier today, I think you outshined the features, which is kind of a very difficult thing to do. With the type of features that you have.

[IDK]

I appreciate it.

[Rory]

I mean, Black Thought did go nuts.

[IDK]

Yeah, he was.

[Rory]

Black Thought is Black

[Mall]

Thought, though.

[Rory]

But to still have the presence that you have next to a push or next to a Black Thought takes a different level of talent in my. Because usually when people expect these types of features, you end up kind of like, that's the highlight of the project, which I feel like you're the star on every song, even with the features, which to me is very difficult to do.

[IDK]

No, I appreciate that.

[Rory]

That's where a lot of I think rappers up, especially if they sign to a major and now get the opportunity to have all these crazy features. Like, well, now your album is feature presentation. Like, now this album is dictated based off other people. No one's really going to connect with you.

[IDK]

Yeah. And you know what? To that point, it's interesting. You know, I look at, like, our future, for instance. I remember when I was. I first heard about our future from a double XL magazine in a cell. And I'm like, these niggas look as weird as Tyler, the creator. These niggas on some demonic shit. Like, I don't really like, you know what I'm saying? Like, when you. Like when. When you around, like, certain people, that shit is weird to you. I didn't grow up really on that, so when I seen it, I thought it was weird. But then when I started seeing them, like afterwards and obviously Tyler done stuff on albums and shit like that for me, like, I started to get it more when I got out more, you know what I'm saying? I went to school. There's like two white people. The whole school was like, all black. You know what I'm saying? I only knew one thing. So the interesting part of that is, is I see that they had a movement and they did their thing. I realized I thought I needed a cosign up until like 2017. I'm like, damn, you know, JID is with JJ Cole and them, and they stamping them. And then you see Kendrick came in with Dre. When he really came in, he came in with Dre. And then Cole came in with Hov Wale, a little bit of hov. Kanye with hov. Then Big Sean came from Kanye, and I was like, man, Nicky, Wayne, all that shit. So I'm like, man, it's always been people passing the torches. And I'm like, man, I had gotten a deal from good music at some point, but I didn't want to do it because I'm like, is Kanye gonna be back at me. And it didn't sound like he was gonna be too deep into the. You know what I mean? So I'm just like. And then it got to a point where I had to just go back to the mentality I always had. It's like, I can't make that happen. I have to do what I can on my own. That's when I went to Adult Swim with an idea. I was like, yo, I got this project, but I want all the songs to sound like they could be on Adult Swim. The only reason why that worked out is because when I dropped a project called Empty bank, bro, when I say Crickets, it was the second. It was right after Subtrap, I dropped Empty bank. And I'm like, yo, this is going to change my life. Da da. And it was crickets. Nobody was really fucking with it like that. Nobody.

[Mall]

My.

[IDK]

And I experienced. Oh, this thing doesn't just keep going up because you consistently put out music or even better music. That's not how that works. It's about attention.

[Mall]

Right?

[IDK]

And I was crushed by that. And one thing happened that was probably the most important thing, one of the most important things in my career. The guy who created, directed, and created Toonami and Cartoon and Adult Swim, he tweeted about the album, how much he loved. So we had a relationship. And that's why when I had the idea, I was like, hey, man, I got this idea. And then he was like, I'm gonna get behind you. That's when I started realizing that's the co signs. I gotta. I can't be waiting on no other rapper to come fuck with me and then give me a bad deal on top of that. And it may not work. I was like, all right, fuck it. I'm gonna fuck with Adult Swim. I'm gonna fuck with this brand that makes sense with what I. And then they help market my shit to an audience. And Adult Swim is gonna. The kind of what kicked off me having, like, a cult following. Like, they. They were the ones that really, like, did that for me. So. Yeah.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's fire. No, those.

[IDK]

Those.

[Rory]

I completely agree. Those CO signs are more important for your solo crew. Cause even, like, I mean, of course, Sean did just fine, but he was signed to good music when ye's coming off 808s and heartbreaks going into my beautiful drum.

[IDK]

Right, right.

[Rory]

Arguably his peak.

[IDK]

Right, right.

[Rory]

You're not going to be the biggest part. You'll get a look like he's on the bonus track. Track on my Be Dark Twisted Fantasy, which I'm sure helped. But his real co signs because I was in the building at Def Jam at that time. That was him networking with the building. That wasn't a Kanye thing. Like, he really put in. He had to go put the work in. Cuz Kanye, rightfully so is focused on his career.

[Mall]

Biggest artist in the world.

[IDK]

Yeah, right, right.

[Rory]

I can't sit here and put together the entire. Like, yay. Took a break for a second to do the push. Tiana, Nas, like, that's when he's like, I'm stopping what I'm doing.

[IDK]

Right?

[Rory]

And I can focus on producing other. Other people's shit. But at that time, nah. You signing a good music, though. This guy's at the height of his career.

[IDK]

Right, right. Yeah.

[Rory]

I mean, how many Kanye beats are even on finally famous.

[IDK]

Right, right, right. No facts. That's one. Right?

[Rory]

First of all, Marvin Gaye and Chardonnay. I was in the office. Sean had. I think it was the Bape store. Sean had shut down the entire street in Soho. And that's when Kanye. And it's not a slight to Kanye. I'm just telling the truth of what happened. Kanye in the building took notice. Like, wait, wait, wait. Big Sean booked the Bait store by himself, Shut the whole block down. Cops had to come. Like, there was too many kids out there. That was the day that ye was like, I'll get on Marvin Gangstart now.

[Mall]

This kid got something. This kid. This kid is somebody. It's a certain respect that you gotta demand for yourself and create.

[Rory]

And again, it's not a slight to. Yeah, he's got his own shit going on. That's why it's just tough for artists, which Maul always makes a great point with, with Wayne. Wayne at the peak of his career, stepping aside, putting his ego to the side to help Nikki and Drake and Tyga and everyone was. That's the rarest thing that does not happen ever.

[IDK]

Like, yeah, yeah, yeah. You got. That's self confidence, though. Yeah, that's. I was getting pussy since high school confidence.

[Mall]

Yeah, right, right.

[IDK]

Like, no, he heard the story.

[Rory]

Wayne's been getting pussy since he was 10.

[IDK]

Nah, real shit, though. Like, that rubs off on. On you in a certain way when you move a certain way. Like, I could do shit like that with my eyes closed if I ever had an artist. Like, you know what I'm saying? And the other thing is, you just explain something that's really important that a lot of people don't understand how to maximize opportunity. Niggas be playing games out here. Like, nigga, I don't play with this shit. Like, I do this shit. I love this shit, man. I'm about this life. I made myself focus on this thing to get where I needed to get to. Like, like, bro, like, same. That same album that kind of flopped for me. My nigga, the one thing, another thing that happened. Dave Free. Dave Free was like, that shit is fire. I'm gonna put you on tour with Isaiah Rashad. I think Peter Rosenberg sent it to him, and he was like, I can't lie. I can't front. That's fire. And he put me on tour with Isaiah Rashad. I got, like, a bunch of. Bro. I ain't had no money. My mom had just passed away. I used the life insurance money, bro. Car to pay for that. My last 10,000 mile, my only. That's the most money I ever got in my life at that time. Yeah, the $10,000 I got from that, I. I was about to try to get a little van with it, and they're like, man, and I just rent a Sprinter.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[IDK]

You know? And I think it was a rush card that gave me a little bit of money to do. Remember, Rush card is crazy. They gave me money. I had to have people sign up.

[Rory]

It was a great idea in theory.

[IDK]

Yeah, I had to have people sign up. But that's the dedication, like, my last. You know what I'm saying? For my mom, my blessing, like, you know what I mean?

[Rory]

And I think that's something that people. That separates what I've seen in the 15 years I've been doing this shit. When Shot money allowed me in the building, I was not expecting Shot Money to then guide me to every next pillar. You allow me in the building, I'm gonna maximize every last thing. Since you gave me a key card, I'm talking to everybody in this fucking. I'm gonna get to know everyone. I'm gonna try to figure out how I can help with everyone. I think rappers lose that mentality, too, sometimes. When you get signed to, say, a Jay Z. All right, Go get to know Sherry. Go get to know the entire team. Someone's giving you an opportunity. That doesn't mean they're gonna lead you to the fucking water. Yeah, they just allowed you in the building. Now it's your time to go do something. I watched Sean talk to everybody in marketing. He was asking assistants to help him out with stuff. Like people that were 20 years old making $45,000. Big Sean was nobody. Yo, some of those people are still on this team to this Day.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like that's what you need to do when you're given a small opportunity, how can you maximize it for yourself? Network across with everybody.

[Mall]

Right.

[Rory]

That's where rappers fuck up too. This still a business at the end of the day. I'm still of the belief that creatives should be able to be left alone and be creatives. But it's 2026.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like you have to be able to manage yourself to some degree as well, because no one's going to get your creativity better than you are. You need to explain that to pr. You need to explain that to marketing. Your manager can only do so much in that regard. You got to have those relations, relationships.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

And let's not act like, especially people that work in music don't have some type of vain star mentality as well.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

They want to talk to the artist. They'll work harder for you if. If you get to know them.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

Like they want to talk to artists. That's why they got in the businesses to work with artists. So if managers cool, I get it. But if you're not putting in a thousand hours the way you did with the guy from Adult Swim, like that means something. He. He liked your project. He didn't like you, your. Your PR agent's project through you.

[IDK]

Right, right, right.

[Rory]

Like you got to talk to these people.

[IDK]

Right.

[Rory]

And I think that's where artists up a lot.

[IDK]

Yeah. I think just be just. Man so used to getting a dick sucked and they just don't know how to.

[Rory]

No, you're not wrong.

[IDK]

Nah, it just be like, bro, they forget that they're human and sometimes so they just be trying to like, they expect to have everybody. It's like list, look, I think Gay said, the day you become famous, you stop growing. So you're whatever age you are, that's how you're gonna be the rest of your life until you're not famous anymore or whatever. And that stuck with me because it's like these niggas be like babies and shit, like crying about certain shit. It's like even like reviews and stuff. Like niggas hear a review. Or like Charlamagne said something about the. He said black thought bodied you, bro body. He was saying this shit on Breakfast

[Mall]

Club about the song.

[IDK]

Yeah, but you know what's funny? He thought the nigga singing was me. So he said, nah, that ain't gonna cut it. He didn't hear my verse. He heard the piece. So he's saying this and I just said, man, thank you for Even reacting to the joint, like, I DM'd him. He just DM'd me yesterday, like, on some. Like, yo, nah, it's all up. I was like, but you know that wasn't me that You. You thought that was me singing? That wasn't me singing, like. But see how that. Like, that could have been like, oh, man, you could have met that one.

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah, you could have met that with a question.

[Rory]

Also on top of that, like, you brought up Peter Rosenberg. I remember when Jay Z was on Juan Epstein and they brought up the Nas line, Eminem killed you on your own shit. And HOV was like, while I don't agree with that. Okay, why would I not want. It's my album. You don't think I'd want an amazing Eminem verse?

[IDK]

That's what I'm saying. Yeah. At the end of the day, of course they would.

[Rory]

But, like, you don't think I want a good verse from Al?

[IDK]

And you know what? What I did say, what also is great about that? I talked to Tariq Black thought we was in the studio, me, him, Erica, and Paz from De La Soul. And he literally was like, man, I did that verse. But, man, you came with yours. Like, you really. I was bigging him up, and he's like, no, but you be doing your shit.

[Rory]

You dropped a bunch of names down there.

[IDK]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

Just said, I'm with Black.

[Mall]

Yeah, Tariq. No, Tariq, not Black.

[IDK]

It's a difference. Yeah, but I mean, what would that

[Rory]

matter to me more than lightning odors to be around that. That type of energy.

[IDK]

It was amazing. We were talking about eight tracks. I was trying to understand how was. When they was growing up, they never understood the A track. That's what he was talking about. I was talking about. Y' all ever had beef with anybody before and they had some crazy interesting stories. Erica was amazing. She played very amazing project.

[Mall]

Yeah, that.

[IDK]

I can't wait for that shit to come out.

[Rory]

If it's the one I think you're

[IDK]

talking about, it's the one. Yeah, I can't wait.

[Rory]

I don't understand why it's not out.

[IDK]

To me, it's really good.

[Rory]

It's incredible.

[IDK]

It's almost too good.

[Rory]

No, it's really actually, like, absolutely this.

[Mall]

Even The Devil Smiles E.T.D.S. mixtape by by IDK. Listen, man, I just want to thank you for this project because this is like, such a refreshing, just vibe energy to hear raps and music like this, man. It's like, we don't. Like. We was talking about off mic, like, they don't. People don't put the effort into music as much as they used to. They don't have the intention, the attention to detail as much. People just wanted to get an album done and get it out. But this project, from top to bottom, bruh.

[IDK]

Thank you.

[Mall]

I mean, Pusha T, Black Thought, no

[Rory]

ID Conduct, rza, which we didn't even talk about.

[Mall]

Rza, dmx,

[IDK]

bro.

[Mall]

This is just a nigga. I can't stop talking about this. I started listening to this. Definitely one the of of my favorite projects in the last however many years. And this is the type of albums that we should be talking about. Rory. Like, everybody want to talk about all these other artists and shout out to other artists.

[Rory]

Have you heard Bravado?

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mall]

I was about to say, but this, to me, is like, to have this now. You know, like we. And we said this year, 2026. We've gotten a lot of good music so far this year. But this is one of the albums or mixtapes that I think everybody should be playing and talking. Cause it's that incredible.

[Rory]

Before we let you go, go. I'm not sure if this is something you want to advertise, but I thought it was great. So by the time they hear this, your event in New York would have already passed. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it is tonight. You were mentioning that there are fans that may not have the means to come to your show and write in letters to get free tickets. I thought that was, like, a really cool thing that you were doing. How long you been doing that?

[IDK]

I think I did it before one other time. The last time I went and did a couple shows. I just think, like, a lot of people, I think the world is an interesting place. And I think that a lot of people are trying to figure out how to escape where we're at. And I like for my shows to be and my music to be a aid to that. But then some people just ain't got it like that right now. I've heard. I saw people talking about they lost their family, and financially since then, they ain't been good. They had to cover the funeral. And they just asking for tickets. They just asking for tickets, my G. Like, so I give them the ticket and the meet and greet for free. You know what I'm saying? Like, it's just like, if you're willing to write a letter about it, you care. You know what I'm saying? Like, if I can do that, I can do that. And I have great fans to where some of them are buying tickets for Other people, you know what I'm saying? Which I thought was really special as well. So it's just really that. It's just really that. But hopefully nobody abuses it, you know what I'm saying?

[Mall]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, hey, write a letter, get some tickets. All right, I got you.

[IDK]

Right.

[Rory]

That's why, like, I mean, I guess we could say it now since we're on the topic. Mall and I have done that a lot with people that have DMed us or even people in our discord that just buy regular tickets, get a greet no matter what. We just haven't advertised it because I just don't want my DMs to be all 800 people at the show say,

[IDK]

right, right, right, right, right, right, right.

[Rory]

But yeah, that's definitely a special thing that I. I admire that.

[IDK]

I appreciate that.

[Rory]

Is there anything we can expect for again? This is. This will be out.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

By the time the show's over, but yeah.

[IDK]

Yeah.

[Rory]

What's the show look like tonight?

[IDK]

This one I'm just gonna do strictly what's on this record. So it's like. It's the show you would have normally done, right. When the record comes out for fans. But, you know, we wasn't expecting certain things or whatever, so we ended up putting it together fairly last minute and putting it as at the time. And that made sense. I was gonna be out here for Fallon and all that stuff, so that's what happened. But. But the great part of it is I'm just gonna give them this record now. There could be something later on where I do this and all the other stuff and probably something new. But for this, what to expect is learn them words, say them words. Put that, you know, that's what we're gonna do in New York and LA Fire. Yeah.

[Mall]

All right, well, idk, man, we thank you for giving us some of your time, man. We know you got a busy, busy Fallon. Thank you for this mixtape. Incredible project, fam. And if you haven't heard it, I don't know what you're listening. Turn that off.

[Rory]

Turned on.

[Mall]

ETDs. This is incredible. We're gonna hopefully see you soon next time when you run to New York.

[IDK]

Thank you.

[Mall]

I'm that nigga. He's just ginger. That's IDK ETDs available now.

[IDK]

Yes. This is an I heart podcast. Guaranteed human.