Episode 526 | Reliving Reasonable Doubt with Memphis Bleek

Summary

Podcast Summary

New Rory & Mal – Episode 526

“Reliving Reasonable Doubt with Memphis Bleek”

Release Date: July 31, 2026
Guest: Memphis Bleek
Theme: 30 Years of Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt, Roc-A-Fella Memories, Hip-Hop Culture

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Episode Overview

This special episode celebrates the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s pivotal debut album Reasonable Doubt. Hosts Rory and Mal are joined by Roc-A-Fella legend Memphis Bleek to reflect on the album’s legacy, share behind-the-scenes stories from the Roc era, discuss hip-hop debates old and new, and engage directly with fans’ questions. The conversation is candid, full of humor, and rich with hip-hop lore from one of the culture’s most influential crews.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Opening & Setting the Stage (04:33–06:02)

• Occasion: The episode marks 30 years since the release of Reasonable Doubt.
• Guest Welcome: Rory and Mal welcome Memphis Bleek, describing him as “family” and a fundamental part of the Roc-A-Fella ascension.
• Internet Rumors: Early banter about Internet speculation—especially the so-called “tension” between Jay-Z and Drake.
  • Memphis Bleek: “This is why I'm glad I'm here, cause I wanna clear that up. Why we got beef with Drake? Because Kendrick did the Super Bowl?... That's rap shit.” (07:11)
  • The crew agrees “the Internet is not a real place” and much of the chatter is manufactured hype (09:53).

2. Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Show & The Power of Legacy (09:24–20:38)

• The Significance: Jay-Z’s sold-out Yankee Stadium show is framed as a moment that proves “social media is not real life.”
  • Rory: “That moment was the epitome of the Internet is not a real place.” (09:41)
• On Jay-Z’s Legacy: Bleek underscores how Jay has continuously pushed the culture forward (“teacher, leader of the culture”) and how being on that stage was surreal.
  • “Thirty years ago, I was eating sardines out the can. Today, we gettin’ sushi made right there on the table.” (20:38)

3. Reasonable Doubt Memories & Roc-A-Fella Origins (19:01–24:58)

• Reflecting on “Coming of Age”: The experience of recording with Jay and the missed opportunity Shaheen (Wu-Tang) could've taken Bleek’s iconic spot.
  • “I’d probably be eatin’ sardines…” (22:00)
• How it Began: Bleek shares stories about his humble position in the Roc hierarchy, initially the “10th phone call,” not an inner-circle player.
• Infamous Studio Stories: Vivid tales of stealing CD copies to impress the block, getting “called out” by Jay and Beehive. (22:19–24:33)

4. Roc-A-Fella Camaraderie, Rivalry, and Making Timeless Music (25:03–29:11)

• Holding His Own: Bleek speaks on not getting his full credit for holding his own alongside Jay, Beans, and Sauce Money but says he prefers it that way—“the ones who feel like they can compete don’t want to compete” (26:24).
• Unit Dynamics: Recalling the friendly yet fierce lyrical battles within the Roc family.

5. Roots Picnic, State Property, and Chasing Lost Albums (14:37–17:40)

• Recent Shows: Bleek reflects on returning to the stage, Roots Picnic rehearsals, camaraderie with State Property, and missed recording opportunities.
  • “Last thing you want to do is force music. It’s not gonna be real.” (17:18)

6. Jay-Z’s Writing Genius & Studio Process (58:22–63:29)

• Bleek and the hosts marvel at Jay’s creative process—writing in his head, one-take verses.
  • “He does not put pen to paper… One take. Hov come back out, let’s clear this out.” (63:10 – 63:29)
• Bleek admits he tried to mimic Jay’s process on 534, but admits he “fell off”—not everyone’s meant to write like Hov.

7. Sauce Money, Jazz, & Missed Opportunities (36:31–39:48)

• Sauce Money’s Absence: Bleek explains Sauce’s absence from the Yankee Stadium show due to past personal issues and pride.
• Jazz’s Influence & Reconciliation: Bleek expresses regret for ever being on bad terms with Jazz-O, credits him as a mentor, and honors Jay for publicly thanking Jazz on stage.
  • “We never supposed to disrespect... Without him, none of this would be possible, bro.” (38:03)

8. Hip-Hop Debates, Sample Rights, and Musical “What Ifs” (39:51–41:01; 69:10–81:49)

• Sample Clearance Woes: Legendary Roc tracks like the original “Hypnotic” and Freeway’s “Night Shift” never released due to uncleared samples.
• The “Whoa” Beat: Bleek clears up the rumor that he passed on Black Rob’s “Whoa” beat—didn’t see the vision.
• Producers Bleek Wishes He’d Worked With: Dr. Dre, Mannie Fresh, David Banner (69:23).

9. Fan Q&A & Hip-Hop “Inside Baseball” (75:45–81:49)

• The “Dead Presidents” Debate: Part One vs Part Two.
  • Bleek: “Part one is like the classic, classic it is.” (77:15)
  • Rory: “If I had to play a record for someone who never heard rap, I would play Dead Presidents 2.” (77:02)
• Kanye vs Just Blaze for a Beat Album:
  • “I made masterpieces with Just, but I’d say Kanye because I never got beats from him the way I wanted to.” (80:29)

10. Detailed Roc-A-Fella Memories & Hip-Hop Culture (41:37–74:52)

• Baseline Studio Battles: Stories of buying boxing gloves for the studio when MCs vied for booth time.
  • Sparks touted as the best fighter in State Prop. (57:48)
• Early Kanye: Describing Kanye as “such an outsider” but with undeniable talent and drive.
• Jay’s Acting in “Streets is Watching”: Bleek remembers the making of the landmark rap movie—done “sans budget,” with street funding and visionary director Malik Abdul.
• On Dame Dash & Internal Beef: Bleek says he doesn’t like to comment, out of respect; refrains from speaking on situations he wasn’t part of. (49:08)

11. Closing Reflections: Jay-Z’s Albums & Hip-Hop’s Future (88:16–91:54)

• Top 5 Jay-Z Albums (per Memphis Bleek):

  1. Black Album
  2. American Gangster
  3. Reasonable Doubt
  4. Collision Course (w/Linkin Park)
  5. Volume 2: Hard Knock Life

• Should Jay Drop Another Album?

  • Bleek & Rory agree: No, unless Jay truly wants to. He’s said everything he needs, and any release today would spark endless debate regardless.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Bleek on Jay-Z’s Evolution:
  “He always been ahead of the game. The whole game was on gold. He brought out platinum. Everybody was on Moet. He was drinking Cristal.” (20:38)
• On Social Media:
  Memphis Bleek: “The Internet is not a real place. They get together in their opinions and try to make it seem like it’s a thing.” (09:53)
• On Recording with Legends:
  “Rapping behind Jay and Beans is a task in itself. You know how it felt to go in the studio… like, ‘nigga, I knocked the horse off your polo sweater.’ Like what the fuck am I supposed to say after this?” (27:06)
• Reflecting on Missed Collaborations:
  “I definitely don’t [get the credit]. But I love when they don’t give me the credit. Because the ones who feel like they can compete don’t want to compete.” (26:24)
• On Jay’s Recording Process:
  “He does not put pen to paper… One take. Hov come back out, let’s clear this out.” (63:10)
• On the “Dead Presidents” Versions Debate:
  “Part one is like the classic, classic it is.” (77:15) “If I had to play a record for somebody that never heard rap before…I would play Dead Presidents 2.” (77:02)
• On Jay Z’s place in Hip-Hop:
  “You cannot beef with Jay Z. There’s no… It doesn’t make sense.” (11:41)

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Noteworthy Fan Interactions

• Voicemails: Listeners asked Bleek to weigh in on Dead Presidents versions and a potential Just Blaze vs Kanye album, to which Bleek responded with stories about industry politics and creative process, always keeping the banter light and honest.

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Funniest/Most Memorable Anecdotes

• Being “Little Bro” in Roc-A-Fella:
  “If they had a third stringer, I was the 10th…the 10th phone call.” (22:19)
• Classic Roc Tour Stories:
  From getting girls snatched by the OGs, to watching would-be groupies switch allegiance when Jay walks in—hilarious, deeply nostalgic.
• Chopped Cheese Discovery:
  “First time I got my first salami and cheese hot off the grill, I never ate a cold salami again.” (44:17)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro to the Discussion / Opening Banter: 04:33
• Internet Rumors & Jay/Drake Chatter: 06:11–11:41
• Yankee Stadium, Legacy, and Reflecting on the Journey: 19:01–20:38
• Early Roc-A-Fella Stories: 22:19–24:58
• State Prop, Roots Picnic Reflection: 14:37–17:40
• Jay-Z’s Writing & Recording Process: 58:22–63:29
• Baseline Studio Antics: 57:03–57:43
• Jazz-O & Sauce Money Discussion: 36:31–39:48
• Dead Presidents/Just vs Kanye Q&A: 75:45–81:49
• Top 5 Jay-Z Albums / Final Reflections: 88:16–91:54

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Tone & Style

This episode is upbeat, full of laughter, and loose. It mixes deep reverence for hip-hop history with the irreverent spirit that has defined the New Rory & Mal show and Roc-A-Fella’s legacy. Bleek is forthcoming, self-deprecating, and jovial, never shying away from poking fun at himself or the wild stories of his youth.

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In Closing

Episode 526 is an essential listen for fans of Jay-Z, Roc-A-Fella, and anyone interested in the stories behind Reasonable Doubt and its influence over the past 30 years. Memphis Bleek provides invaluable perspective—both as a firsthand witness and as an unfiltered storyteller—making this a vibrant commemoration of one of hip-hop’s foundational albums and eras.

Transcript

[Memphis Bleek]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Mal]

Guaranteed Human mal. You know what's funny?

[Rory]

What's that, Rory?

[Mal]

Hip hop fans can literally debate about anything.

[Rory]

That's very true.

[Mal]

So we do on the show. From the best rapper alive to the best era of hip hop to what's the best album to who has the best verse. It's never ending conversations until you lose your mind. But thank God, Sprite is giving us a whole new argument. The Sprite Living track list is 50 songs that helped shape hip hop culture, from rap legends to the hottest artists carrying the hip hop torch today.

[Rory]

But Rory, the coolest part isn't just the tracks, it's the stories behind them. We always like to talk about how rappers came up with bars and metaphors and things like that. The lyrics, the moments to impact. Check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living track list.

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[Mal]

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[Rory]

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[Daniel Cormier]

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[Mal]

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[Rory]

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[Mal]

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[Rory]

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[Memphis Bleek]

Conductor. No warrior.

[Rory]

We are back.

[Mal]

Yes.

[Rory]

Special episode. This is the official 30 year reasonable doubt episode sponsored by Boost Mobile Unlimited. Talk, text and data. Rory. Today we are joined by special.

[Mal]

Special.

[Rory]

This is a special guest. This is family right here. This is family right here. We've been waiting for this episode for a minute. He's been stirring a little bit of trouble on the Internet.

[Memphis Bleek]

Not me.

[Rory]

So I think we caught him at the right time.

[Memphis Bleek]

Not me.

[Rory]

We caught him at the right time. But all jokes aside, this is family. Somebody who was very pivotal in the, you know, the ascension of the Roc A Fella. Family. The Roc A Fell. We are joined by Brooklyn's very own legendary Memphis Bleak is in the building.

[Memphis Bleek]

Appreciate it. Appreciate it.

[Rory]

My God. What's up, man?

[Memphis Bleek]

What's up, man? Same grind, different time, man.

[Rory]

Yeah, we've been trying to. We've been trying to connect for a minute.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, man. But we had to. After you pick sides, it got.

[Mal]

It got derailed.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

When he picked. Once we found out, I was like,

[Mal]

I chose their side.

[Memphis Bleek]

Next available spot, I'm there.

[Rory]

Yo, it was funny because I spoke to Bleak and Bleak. It was like, yo, what happened?

[Memphis Bleek]

I thought it was R. I was

[Rory]

like, yo, what you mean, man? He said, nah, I'm coming up there, man.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, Like, I had to. Cause I understand you. They call you OVO more. But they said you said you didn't go to the show. I forgot why you said you didn't,

[Rory]

but I. I didn't go because I didn't. I felt like that's to me, from what I see, that's. That's Jay's last New York moment.

[Memphis Bleek]

You think so?

[Rory]

I think so. Cause what do you do after that?

[Memphis Bleek]

Me? Blizzle. The Blizzle tour. Coming to age 30.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Wait. 534 days. After 534.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, I bring him back out.

[Rory]

All right, that's. That's fire. I'm talking about Jay's, like, his show.

[Memphis Bleek]

Oh, yeah.

[Rory]

Nah, I think that that's them. That's like.

[Memphis Bleek]

But you didn't want to see.

[Mal]

Yeah. People called, said you was full of. For that. Do you take his. His story?

[Memphis Bleek]

Nope. I believe what the people say. I'm with the people.

[Rory]

You believe. All right. So you believe.

[Memphis Bleek]

I said OVO said no.

[Rory]

So you believe that?

[Memphis Bleek]

I believe that. I believe that. Yo, I do.

[Rory]

So I.

[Mal]

So it was how you think Drake worded it?

[Rory]

So it was come from.

[Memphis Bleek]

Drake came from probably top five. They know you top four. It came from top five straight to top four.

[Rory]

All right, so you believe I couldn't go because OVO said I couldn't go. And then I heard another one saying that I was gonna get beat up by Roc, a fella.

[Mal]

True.

[Memphis Bleek]

Who?

[Mal]

Or that one? I believe.

[Rory]

I don't know. I think they thought Biggs was gonna beat me up. Hop was gonna beat me up. He was gonna beat me.

[Memphis Bleek]

Little brother, big brother, what we fighting for? Yo, this is why I'm glad I'm here. Cause I wanna clear that up. Why we got beef with Drake? Because Kendrick did the Super Bowl. I wanna be. I wanna know. We got beef with Drake. Cause Kendrick did the Super Bowl.

[Rory]

Well, I think that. I think you said something that you felt like Drake should do or shouldn't do during the battle. And I Think Drake may have responded to that.

[Memphis Bleek]

To me.

[Rory]

Yeah. I think you said something on a podcast like, I don't think you on Drizzy. No, I'm not saying you on him. I think you said something that you thought he should have did during the battle. I can't really remember what it was.

[Memphis Bleek]

He did it. He came back and made hits. That's what I said. Don't focus on the draft. Focus.

[Rory]

I think it was something you said when you were sitting down with Jim.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. I said, got to make hits, you got to come back with.

[Rory]

And I think Drake had a response to that.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. And I said, I fell off in 96, so he can't. I mean, that year, he said, Rappers from 05 talking. I said, he ain't talking about me. I fell off at 05. So it gotta be something.

[Rory]

It's not. It's not beef, though. It's no beef with, like, we just in that tension.

[Memphis Bleek]

Where is it?

[Mal]

Because it's on the Internet. It's on the Internet because Drake said a few things on Iceman, and then Jay went on Roots Picnic and just said, check the right charts, champ.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, but that's rap shit. It big.

[Mal]

But the Internet.

[Memphis Bleek]

The Internet, that's rap shit.

[Rory]

This is what I've been saying, nigga.

[Memphis Bleek]

I done took shots at Bing's hov. Look at you, me, him, and her. I'm talking about them niggas.

[Rory]

Yeah, Yeah. A lot of people don't know that. A lot of people didn't know that.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, but, no, you trying to be the best, and anybody coming in that spot, you're going to throw them shots. So it's respected. I don't look at them like, yo, we see them. It's up.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah. No, no, no.

[Memphis Bleek]

So why would that thing is up with you?

[Rory]

That's Internet. Yeah, that's why I said that's why when people was like, oh, you didn't go. Because Drake said, I'm looking at this. I'm like, what? I'm like, there was mad people in the building that. That literally had beautiful Rockefeller at one point.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, it's. Yeah, listen, we never had beef with nobody, though. Well, it was because, remember, we don't start.

[Rory]

No, no, no, no. But you don't got to start trouble to have beef.

[Mal]

Well, y' all have had beef.

[Rory]

But, yeah, there's been beef with Rockefeller, and it's a lot of guys that

[Memphis Bleek]

now we're gonna defend ourselves. But we don't see that as beef, though. When it's really up.

[Rory]

My rapper beef.

[Mal]

What's about 20, 26 rapper beef.

[Rory]

I'm not talking about real. Like, families are in danger.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's like Twitter beef.

[Rory]

Exactly. But that's where a lot of this shit stems from. It's social media. Which is why Jay being able to sell out Yankee Stadium and older people come out was such a beautiful thing. Because if you let social media tell

[Memphis Bleek]

it, he can't do it.

[Rory]

He's washed, he's old. He doesn't have any influence.

[Daniel Cormier]

Exactly.

[Rory]

So that's why that moment was the epitome of the Internet is not a real place. It's a very small corner of people that get together in their opinions and try to make it seem like it's a thing.

[Memphis Bleek]

And it's not that you said that the Internet not a real place. Because they tell me, yo, Drake, Hov don't come on your part. Nobody never say, yo, Drake. They come up, yo, Drizzy.

[Rory]

No, no. They say, that was the whole reason for me defending. But the thing is bleak.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know what it is?

[Rory]

That's what they claim. What was my stance on the whole

[Memphis Bleek]

battle was because of this is my thing. Right. Even if you did get that interview, like, I feel like with the J shit, where you go next? Now I gotta go for Tyler Perry, Oprah, Taylor Swift. Cause you can't go from Jay and Drake. No disrespect. I even throw me in there. If you got this episode could come after the Drake episode. No, it ain't the same number. Yeah, but the numbers ain't going right, right, right. That's the difference. So I ain't want to throw another rapper in there before they diss me too smokey out here right now.

[Rory]

Very smoky.

[Mal]

Yeah. Also, like, maybe I'm a bad friend. Just because my friends start a podcast doesn't mean that I now owe an episode. If that's the case. If anyone ho's lifesty start a podcast now, he got to go to on a show.

[Memphis Bleek]

And they don't want that conversation. I don't want that conversation. I want people to know the. Nah.

[Rory]

Yeah. It's a lot of you want to run from.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, I run this to the world, right? If ho sit there, he gonna tell him. I don't.

[Rory]

Right. It's gonna be put into perspective.

[Memphis Bleek]

So it's like, no, yeah, chill. I run this fam stay over there. Let me run this.

[Rory]

Now. A lot of. A lot of the. A lot of the, you know, Jay Drake, quote, unquote, tension, it's not real. And I'm glad that I have you here today to kind of echo those sentiments. It's not a real thing. I tell people all the time, jay is not beefing with anybody. You cannot beef with Jay Z. There's no. There's no. It doesn't make sense.

[Memphis Bleek]

I don't think he paying nobody attention.

[Rory]

No, I'm not. He hears everything. He sees everything.

[Mal]

I gotta give y' all some pushback. What you mean, nobody could beef with Jay Z? I've heard him reply to Hov. We talk about rap Beef, right?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, you could be.

[Mal]

I've heard him reply his whole career to everybody. Today he just went on Roots. And mind you, people have been talking about him for years, but a lot. He has every right to reply, but don't.

[Memphis Bleek]

And that's.

[Mal]

You can't say that.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's. That's what I.

[Mal]

You can't say that. HOV don't have anyone's attention. I think HOV has a burner account and pays attention to everything just because he's a good businessman and understands the market.

[Rory]

I agree with you. I'm saying Beef meaning, like that Roots Picnic thing was him responding to years. Years of not rapper shit. Years of people trying to defimate his character.

[Mal]

Sure.

[Rory]

You know, the whole Tony Busby shit, He's selling out the target. His whole political thing with the NFL and the super bowl, taking that job like. It wasn't like he was responding to a bar rapper said about him. That's what I'm speaking about.

[Mal]

Well, he was replying to a Drake bar from Iceman.

[Rory]

Well, Drake would be the only one.

[Memphis Bleek]

This is my thing, though. Everybody took shots for years and years and years and got one shot back and went and cried, of course.

[Mal]

Oh, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's insane to me.

[Mal]

We knew at Roots, we were all sitting there before I allegedly got kicked out. We was like, all right. Jay just gave. Not according to the Internet. I got kicked out of the Roots.

[Rory]

Apparently I got kicked out.

[Mal]

Apparently. Apparently J. Apparently Jay came to the do say Riser and said, you're friends with Drake. Get out. This is what Tasha K put out to the world Bleed.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, chill that can't they. Can they. That's real.

[Mal]

That's real. Yes, she did. Like a whole stream on and everything.

[Memphis Bleek]

But in between the do say Rise

[Mal]

a little,

[Memphis Bleek]

like being real. Like. Yeah. I don't think he know where it's at or what it looked like. Cause it changes every show. So I guarantee you he didn't know what the Root.

[Mal]

I'm guarantee you he doesn't even know that I was there.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, no, that's crazy.

[Rory]

But I like it because it's things to laugh at.

[Memphis Bleek]

And me, I like these people, man. Like, it's entertainment, the Tasha K's and all of them. Because to me, they just replaced Inquir Hirer. Remember, you walk in the store and the baby born, this person gave birth to an alien.

[Rory]

Yeah, they.

[Memphis Bleek]

That.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

So it's like, yeah, I need that.

[Mal]

Yeah, yeah. But that used to just be when I was waiting in line to pay for my groceries. Yeah, that was five minutes of my time. Now you can't open your phone without seeing.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's it. Yeah, but then you need to inquirer. We get the member, you get the daily News, you get the UK blogs, all that. But then you need that Tasha K. That, that left field that, you know, just don't make no sense. And it's like, yeah, it's the Inquirer section, right?

[Rory]

Yeah, it's the ball.

[Mal]

Wasn't even in Philadelphia.

[Rory]

I wasn't even there. I was home watching game seven of the Spurs. I got kicked out City.

[Memphis Bleek]

You wasn't even there.

[Rory]

I wasn't even there.

[Memphis Bleek]

So I need that kick out.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. So it's like, you know, you gotta. You gotta laugh at that.

[Mal]

Well, how was performing Roots Picnic? Because that, that had been a little minute since you were on stage.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, with Jay, it's been a minute, man. Jay, he know I'm the nicest, you know what I'm saying? He know I get up. That's why he don't want me on stage.

[Rory]

He running from that.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, he's like, Glee gonna try to burn me. Set up the verses, right?

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

So it's like, nah, fuck that. Get outta Go one verse. Get out of here, shorty. Yeah, so. But nah, the verse, I mean, Roots Picnic was dope. Just to be able to get to see the state property set again, to see them open, that's what I was looking forward to. Like, when I went to the rehearsal and saw the set list, I was. At first I'm like, blizz only got one joint up there.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Who?

[Mal]

Guru? Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

And then when I read the rest of the set list and seen State probably, I'm like, it makes sense. Yeah, let them do they thing, Ms. Philly. Let them shine. Like I told them, how many more J shows we gonna get like this, where we could stand on this stage and do this. So to see that was really, really dope. Petey Crack. Everybody out there showing their Thing that was fire.

[Mal]

What was like rehearsals, like seeing all the guys together.

[Memphis Bleek]

It was like one big movie, man. Cartoon again. Everybody back together, laughing, popping. Shit. Neef trying to tell me why he ain't come to my part. Yeah, yeah, I've been looking for.

[Mal]

He was waiting on Jada.

[Memphis Bleek]

He was ducking me. Yeah, Nef ain't come to the party. I forgot what he told me. He said I hollered at somebody. That's why he come. So you ain't come to holla at me? Cause I holler. Me and Nef still need another conversation, but that's my bros, you know? So it was like. It was almost like being adult on the Hard Knock Life tour again. That's what it felt like. One night from Hard Knock Life. But instead of us being kids, we were adults able really reflect and look back on that. We miss opportunities, we up and how we could fix it. You know what I mean?

[Mal]

Did you and Beans talk about the album that you guys still owe us? Yo, I haven't forgotten.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, listen, right? I'm be honest. Bean's gonna be mad at me. He gonna call me. But that's my dog, right? At the Roots picnic, I told Jay, I said, yo, we need to do five song ep, you know, just on some rock. He like, yeah, make it happen. If ain't got five verses, I don't want his. So I'm like, no, I got five, right? So you know, Beans, what up, Free? What up? Everybody like, yeah, Bink sent us a five pack. Matter of fact, Bink sent us ten beats.

[Mal]

Okay?

[Memphis Bleek]

You know how many verses we laid? Zero.

[Rory]

So wait, what? But what happened? Ain't have verses.

[Memphis Bleek]

I don't know what happened.

[Mal]

Didn't this happen before? One time when y' all was together and Jay said, why don't y' all go to the studio? And none of y' all went to the studio.

[Memphis Bleek]

Nah, that's what Chris said. He said we all went to the Rihanna party.

[Mal]

Yeah, well, I mean. I mean, I get it.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, yo, you gotta understand,

[Rory]

these beats gonna have to wait, man.

[Mal]

Big still gonna be big.

[Memphis Bleek]

But the Roots picnic, I don't know why we didn't get together and do it. Everybody was in the studio. We went to Freeway, got a studio in Philly. We went. Freeway's playing music. I played music. Bing's play music. It's just timing. Like, I believe everybody focused on their own path. And when time is right, we would do it. I don't. Last thing you want to do is force music. Yeah, it's not going to be real. It's not going to be right.

[Rory]

It's not going to sound good.

[Mal]

I mean, but it's cool that Jay Z to open like to like, yo, play me five records.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Instead of like, nah, fuck no.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's why when we came to New York, it was like, oh, bleak. You not going to let this slip. Let's get one. Like you said. How many more chances of this you going to get that light again on the Rockefeller era? I got to take advantage.

[Rory]

I just think that was the culmination of like again. I just. Where does Jay go from that president?

[Memphis Bleek]

We want the White House.

[Mal]

Dog Mall's a Republican.

[Rory]

Anyone vote for him?

[Memphis Bleek]

He definitely voting then. Cause they fucking shit up right now. They got shit twisted out here. Gas high. We at war. Real war. Not that ex war. It's real war.

[Rory]

You don't think Jay would be a Republican, A black Republican.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's because he might have saved taxes that year, made a record. Now he the black Republican, want to save taxes every year.

[Mal]

I prefer Papa's version of black Democrats. That was my favorite freestyle.

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm saying, yo, Pap is super nice.

[Mal]

I love pap. I love Pap. Is our guy. Definitely friend of the show.

[Memphis Bleek]

Nice. He don't get the credit he deserve. Man is super nice.

[Mal]

Pap is great.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's one of them dudes. Have your shit together. You. You getting on the record with him?

[Rory]

No. For sure.

[Mal]

So night one, Reasonable doubt. Yankee Stadium in rehearsals. Did you know that out of the

[Rory]

base that was two your favorite ones?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. Cause I'm on stage.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Mal]

I prefer that night too.

[Memphis Bleek]

Coming to age was the end for me. It's significant because it's what we pray for, bro. It's like, you know how when you living in the moment, you don't really get to reflect on the journey?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That night was the. Was like. Now they say you see your light flash before your eyes, but that only happens during a tragedy. This happened to me during the celebration. I stood there and was like, oh, shit. Remembering the baskets. We was wrapping up the senator DJs. Remembering the nights going to Maria Davis talent shows.

[Rory]

Mad Wednesdays.

[Memphis Bleek]

Mad Wednesdays. I'm remembering all of those days. The stretching. Bobbito trying to get up there. Rest in peace. Big Al tonight to piggybacking with Big Al. Bang. Original flavor. All that shit just played in my mind. It was like, yo, it's crazy. Like 30 years ago this is what we prayed for and now it's air.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

It felt surreal at the time. At the time when Reasonable Doubt was being recorded, at the age you were at that time, did you think that.

[Memphis Bleek]

But

[Rory]

it would end 30 years later, Yankee Stadium sold out would be a thing like, in that moment. Because when you listen to Reasonable now, now in 96, everything that Jay was rapping about, the music, everything was so ahead of his time. And a lot of people didn't understand it unless she was really living that, unless she was around that. So from 96 to 2026, and you being at Yankee Stadium and seeing all of these people in the stands, like, what is that feeling like? When you think back to Young, Bleak and Marcy and where Bleak is at today on stage at Yankee Stadium, just

[Memphis Bleek]

like what you said with the fans, man, I didn't even understand the album. Like, you know what I mean? Certain shit on that album I'm doing now and be like, hold on. This nigga was talking about this shit 30 years ago. What the fuck? And I just figured it out. So Jay always been a teacher, leader of the. Of the culture to me. Cause it felt like when everybody was doing this, he went on that the whole game was on gold. He brought out platinum. Chicks thought it was silver and shit. Everybody was on Moet. He was drinking Cristal. Then he, like. It's like he always been ahead of the game. And back then, I was watching from now, I want to say a fan. Cause they wasn't famous and we grew up together, so it's hard to be a fan of your bro. It's like inspiring. Like, that's somebody, man. When I get older, I hope I'm living like that. I hope I got my team like that. And, you know, and for him to rip a piece of paper out of a notebook and tell me as fast as you remember this, this. This rhyme is as fast as your life change. Thirty years later, we on Yankee Stadium stage. Looking at my life completely changed. Like, it's like, wow, 30 years ago, nigga, I was eating sardines out the can. Yeah, today, nigga, we getting sushi made right there on the table. You heard, right? Fly the chef in, Right, right?

[Rory]

Yeah, it's a difference.

[Mal]

How much different would your life have been if Shaheen from Wu Tang got the coming of age verse instead of you?

[Memphis Bleek]

I'd probably be in sardines.

[Mal]

Going back 30 years. Do you remember? I mean, obviously Jay had features and, like, a few records out, but do you remember when he was like, bleak, I'm working on an album. Like, when he actually took this shit serious because he's Always talked about he really didn't take rap serious in the beginning.

[Memphis Bleek]

You got to remember I'm little bro. I was. A lot of people think I was part of the move, the action when they was in the street. Nah, I was the. If they had a third stringer, I was the 10th. The 10th phone call. That's little bro. What are you doing? We get you when we need you. Go in the crib, we holla at you. Go on the block, do what you do. It was that type of relationship. So I used to have to steal records, like. Cause I wasn't in the studio all the time. So we go to the crib and he'll play records. And then they leave. And I'm at the crib and like, up, let me get this cd, go to the hood, play this for the homies. I remember I got a call. They got a calling. Jay and Beehive knocked on my door. It was like, yo, we heard you down here burning copies of the record, De. So I'm like, ah, ain't me who told you that. And they bought one of my right hand mans standing there like they was the fed. Like, bleak, tell them you did it.

[Rory]

They got us. They got us.

[Memphis Bleek]

And I'm looking at him like, fam, you going, yo, they just cut a hair, man. DJ Ray hand in you.

[Rory]

Yo, bring your man to the door. He like, yo, tell him, like, what you mean?

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, no fair. I did. I gave you the copy on some lotion and you ratted.

[Mal]

He play over the whole hood. Your copy probably said Bleak the evils on it too.

[Memphis Bleek]

I thought I got. I thought I was out the whip for that one. I was like, I up. I can't take no songs from the studio. In the hallway like this yo was telling me, talk to you. And you know that's the crib. You living with moms. You think you invite in. Like, nah, come in the hallway. That come in the hallway?

[Rory]

Yeah. You don't know if in the house.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's just serious. You knew something was up. That's not regular talk.

[Rory]

We not disrespect your mom's house. Yeah, come outside real quick.

[Memphis Bleek]

We ain't gonna disrespect their homie hiding behind the elevator wall waiting for me to say, nah. Yo, come here, family. Yeah, yo, it was us.

[Mal]

What?

[Rory]

That's hilarious.

[Mal]

So this was before he asked you to get on coming age?

[Memphis Bleek]

No, I was on coming age already. But it was other records being made that they were playing. I'm like, what the is this? What's that so when D Evos was like, nigga, this. That shit. I gotta play this for the homies. Ain't no way niggas can't hear this.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, you know how it felt to be doing Coming to age one, coming to age two, you go to the hood, you tell niggas, I just did records with hov Niggas like, me hear it.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, yeah. I can't believe.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Until it come out.

[Rory]

Until it come out.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's like, man, this capping, he ain't in the studio with Jay.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Because I stole D Evil. They never gave me copies of no other record until I started making my own record. They used to tell, don't burn the CD for bleeding.

[Rory]

Yeah, we gonna take that right back.

[Memphis Bleek]

Bootlegging early.

[Rory]

I did that with when we was in baseline, when Jay did psa. And I remember I got like. I had to. I took the train to D train back uptown. And I got to the block, I said, my. This Jay got a wreck. And niggas is like, where's that? I'm like, yo, I don't got it. But when heard PSA for the first time, they was like, oh, yeah, right. It's over.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, that's how it was, man. Like, that shit was, like, real secretive back then. You know how many engineers got their head chopped? Like, for sure. You had braids, you had a blowout. Niggas hitting you with the clippers.

[Rory]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleek]

You did what, one gag?

[Rory]

Yeah. Do you feel like. Cause you got on legendary rap verses, legendary rap records with guys like Sauce Money, Beans, Jay. Do you feel like you get the credit you deserve for just being able to hold your own with those type of MCs and rappers? Cause not everybody can step in a circle with a Sauce Money, Jay Z, Young, Beans, Jazzo, and really hold your own.

[Memphis Bleek]

I definitely don't, but I love when they don't give me the credit. Because the ones who feel like they can compete don't want to compete. I tell all these guys, I just hit Swizz yesterday. Swizz was hitting me, telling me, yo, we see what's going on. We watching like, you ready for the Versus shit? And I'm like, I'm ready for it. For whoever. There's no target, whoever. You can pick the opponent. Like, that's how confident I am in what I did over the years. And it's like, people don't remember. They don't remember. They don't give me the credit. And like you said, rhyming behind Jay and Beans is A task in itself. You know how it felt to go in the studio on you, me, him, and her hov like, nigga, I knocked the horse off your polo sweater.

[Rory]

Right?

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, what the fuck am I supposed to say after this? Like, huh?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, it was like, I had to rhyme after that. Then you bringing up Source money. Like, come on, man.

[Rory]

Right?

[Memphis Bleek]

Source was just like, the ultimate. Like, it was times the way I felt like he made Jay.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Better.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, Source was, was, was. I remember when I was in the projects one day with Source and thinking, man, you not that nice. I want your spot. Because remember, Source was the next up in line on the rock before Beans. Everybody before me, right? I don't know what happened between him and Jay or how I skipped the line, but Source was supposed to be the next up. I let him tell his story because I don't even know what to tell it, but I remember I tried to take that spot. Like, you can't with me. I'm new, young. What up?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

And the projects had all my with me ready to rhyme. He like, all right, let me hear something. I spit. I think I spit, like, six lines, and I just remember the one line, so. Thought they was Chinese the way they duck sauce. Listen, I'm like, cool. Tell hov I said, what up? Call me when y' all need me. You feel me? Was like, the fuck who I thought I was playing with. That's like thinking, you ready for the bully.

[Mal]

They can hit you.

[Memphis Bleek]

You like, wait, I see stars. My bad, fam.

[Rory]

My bad,

[Mal]

G. I'll ride with you for free.

[Memphis Bleek]

Tell home, give me another piece of paper. Let me practice.

[Mal]

What, did they take you seriously, though?

[Memphis Bleek]

At that point, I felt like when Beans came around. When Beans came around, the way everything shifted and was on him, that it was like, oh, niggas, even my home team is sleeping on me. Like, they don't think I got it. So when me and Lenny just went and made Coming to Age the album, and we turned it in and it came out like that, and I skipped the line like, oh, first we were dropping this before everything. It was like, then I earned the respect off Coming to Age the memph. Bleak is what you think of that regular cat? And it's like, oh, my God, I'm mad I never shot a video for that.

[Rory]

I was about to say, why you ain't never shoot a video for regular, regular cat?

[Memphis Bleek]

Cause I ain't control the budgets.

[Rory]

And that record was. That was the one.

[Memphis Bleek]

And all I cared about back then more. I ain't gonna cap. I was the major thotty body. Yeah, yeah, yeah. The video girls, like, why y' all bought them for me?

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, that was.

[Memphis Bleek]

That.

[Rory]

That was. That was a day to remember.

[Memphis Bleek]

Come on. Are you kidding me?

[Mal]

You was on set.

[Rory]

I had pulled up late. They was wrapping up, but it was girls everywhere, like, bleak. Bleak was like. At one point, it was like all the cute girls in the hood was like, yo, bleak. Bleak. And I was like, hey, oh, they

[Memphis Bleek]

really like bleak out here.

[Rory]

Cause Jay was like, you not gonna even see Jay. Like, you. Y' all don't have a chance to even have a conversation with Jay. You would see that right in the middle of the hood, right?

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm walking the strip. Right as I used to be holding him behind the velvet rope on the opposite side. What we doing? Yeah, I'll be on stage. You stand at the. Yeah, right on Sun Road. That was me and Hovie like, yo, why you telling them the hotel, nigga? You better stay at a different one. Put us at the Red Roof Inn. We going in, cuz.

[Rory]

Yeah. I'm mad you never shot a video for Regular Cat like that record was.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's a couple records. I wish that Infatuated.

[Mal]

Ooh, that was my ringtone.

[Memphis Bleek]

The one with Rihanna. Infatuated. I should have shot that with Riri when he first got on. You know what I mean?

[Rory]

Yeah. Rest in peace, Khali. We burnt Infatuated down, bro. When that came out, we burnt that record. Me colleague Vaughn, we used to. That's the only song we was playing in the city. And you never shot a video?

[Memphis Bleek]

No.

[Rory]

Jesus Christ.

[Memphis Bleek]

Wasted. I wasted that one. I got a couple mishaps. No players for up. No worrying now.

[Mal]

Today's show is brought to you by presenting sponsor, Hard Rock Bet Mall. Some sports fans think this is the slow period because football is not for

[Rory]

a little bit malarkey.

[Mal]

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[Rory]

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[Mal]

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[Rory]

So if you're ready to step into the baddest box, sign up with Hard Rock Bet today and place a $5 bet. If it wins, you get $150 in bonus bets on top of your winnings. That's an extra $150 in your account sounds good to me, Rory. So download Hard Rock Bet and swing for the fences today. Pairborn 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 col. Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia

[Mal]

mall I was scrolling through the Sprite Living Track list the other day and immediately started arguing with myself because certain records like California Love still not a player back then. Of course they are songs, but they're also moments. They're memories. They are in the timeline of hip hop and what was going on at that moment. And that's where Sprite gets into the debate. They've spent over 40 years celebrating artists who define the culture, and now they're turning the conversation over to the fans so we can debate in the comments, on pods anywhere we we can debate. And if you're like me, the real fun is getting into the why? Why did that song matter? Why did this line hit? Why did it change hip hop forever?

[Rory]

Rory, I can't promise you any answers, but with Sprite you'll have a good time figuring it out. Check out the full Sprite Living Track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List.

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[Mal]

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That's it.

[Mal]

Happy ending, zero tears.

[Memphis Bleek]

Give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 months, $90 for 6 months or $180 for 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes

[Rory]

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[Daniel Cormier]

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[Rory]

But what happened? What happened with I know that's his story to tell, but that was one of the figures that I think everybody felt Cause it was dope to see Jay give Jazz his flowers on stage and Yankee Stage and say, you know, this is the guy that's responsible for who I am as an emcee. And you know, you said the same about Sauce. Like these are the guys who he kind of honed his skills with. But like what? Not getting too personal into it. Like what happened with Sauce? Like why wasn't he there? It may be two Persons. But, like, is him and Jay in a space where they even, like, cordial. Cause for him not to be at the Yankee Stadium show. I'm not gonna lie to me. That was one of the guys that I just thought was gonna be there.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, you heard me, bro. When we did rehearsal and that' I seen the trailers and we all. And I see Jazzo, I'm like, oh, okay. I know Source here.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Then when I go talk to Jazz and I'm like, yo, what's up with Sauce? And he like, you know, certain just don't want to let go, bro. You know, like, certain people harbor feel is different than others.

[Rory]

Oh, yeah, 100%.

[Memphis Bleek]

And certain people want that direct.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Sorry.

[Memphis Bleek]

If they don't receive it. It's like, fuck the world. Maybe that can be him. I don't know.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Source is a very private person. Like, he never really been out talking on the mics and, yo, this person. So you. Yeah, we really never gonna know. I tried to get him to come on the part, but somehow him and Nori got some smoke, so he like, nah, you bleed him and Nori in the word. Yeah.

[Mal]

Like a quiet, passive person.

[Memphis Bleek]

But like you said, you could be quiet and still have drama. Can you just tell me that?

[Rory]

Yeah, See, true. Nori might have said something that he heard.

[Memphis Bleek]

Felt like Nori did it publicly and apologize was behind the scenes. He felt like the apology should be public.

[Rory]

It should. It should. I'm one of those guys. I think the apology definitely. If the disrespect is public, the apology should be sometimes.

[Memphis Bleek]

Go make the apology public. Pull up the drink chair.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Pull up the rock solid. The way I could tell Nori, pull up when you here. You know what I'm saying? Sometimes everybody not gonna come to you. You gotta go take it.

[Rory]

Yeah. That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleek]

And that's with apologies and opportunities.

[Mal]

What was that first convo with Jazz, like, at rehearsals?

[Memphis Bleek]

My first convo with Jazz really wouldn't have had him on the pod.

[Mal]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

That was my first convo, and it was like, man, I feel so bad that we even went there with Jazz. Oh. Like, Jazz was. He's the OG og. Like, I literally went to Jazz for tips on how to write hooks. Tips on, yo, when should you put the punchline in the verse? When, like, at what bar should I think of the illest line? And he just, like, used to give me all different tips and pointers on this, on how to make a song, how to rap. Sixteen bars and all of this. My first studio sessions before Coming to age before line s. Before come. Before all of that was Jazz picking me up in the projects, getting in the car, then going to the studio with him and Biha. And it'll be us in the studio trying to figure it out. And like, it was like, man, like, seeing him now older, and it's like, damn, bro, why we ever get into it with you? We master from the bricks. We never supposed to have ever raised the depend on Jazz. So if it's anything in my career that I regret, that is like, we never supposed to disrespect.

[Rory]

That's real.

[Memphis Bleek]

For sure.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Yeah. But I mean, that's why I was happy that Jay did that on stage. Because rarely does Jay give like that.

[Memphis Bleek]

That.

[Mal]

That long of a speech. Some.

[Memphis Bleek]

A Jazz deserve some humility.

[Mal]

Not to say a Jay and noble, but that was.

[Memphis Bleek]

Without him, none of this would be possible, bro. He saw it before we all did. Really shout out to Nike. He really saw it. And we gonna steal them back. Cause y' all Queens niggas take a lot of shit, man. But I just wan. Y' all know niking them is not from Queens. You know what I mean? They are from Mossy Shirt Kings is from Mossy Project. They got money in Queens, right?

[Mal]

It's a difference.

[Rory]

It's a difference. It's a difference.

[Memphis Bleek]

We taking them back.

[Rory]

Yeah. Yo, the Hypnotic record with you, J and Beans, and it didn't get cleared. Is there any.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, that got cleared. It was on the album Hypnotic.

[Rory]

The original version.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, the original didn't get clear. Clear.

[Rory]

Is there any way it was there, dog.

[Memphis Bleek]

Come on.

[Rory]

F. Stop playing with me. Bleak. Like, is there any way in 2026 we can get that clear?

[Memphis Bleek]

I don't think so. That's like the record with Freeway, man, never got cleared. The Was that song Night Shift.

[Rory]

Oh, okay. Yes.

[Memphis Bleek]

That never got cleared was that sample.

[Mal]

Cuz, I mean, I see what Jay's doing now. Re releasing everything now that he could do it under his own imprint.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Was it safe sample? Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

They don't be certain estates.

[Rory]

That original version Hypnotic is crazy.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, Certain estates, you know, that go off like ye name how much money? They think they gonna. Yeah, they think you're gonna waste their record. They get like, yeah, they had rapper Tomcat.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Not making it because what you think of that was like, that. They didn't clear the sample. That was supposed to be the first single before Memph. Bleak It. They didn't clear the sample until Jay put a verse on. It was like, you.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Were. Were you around when Rockefeller was calling mall space cakes?

[Rory]

That was. Yeah, yeah. That was big.

[Mal]

Were you there when the incident happens? Like, we've got. We've gotten.

[Rory]

His point of incident happened. That it. I think it was Christmas. It was Thanksgiving.

[Mal]

You had said.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. No.

[Rory]

And everybody, like. Like the. A week after I went to baseline, and everybody had heard the story by then. And I think Beans is the one that came up with the name Space,

[Mal]

which he said in a rap, but

[Rory]

everybody started calling me that. That was the worst night of my life.

[Memphis Bleek]

And those was the flag when. As a shorty, the space cakes was hitting. As a shorty, them little shits is mad nasty.

[Rory]

Man with the ball slept over in the middle.

[Memphis Bleek]

Fucking die. One of those.

[Daniel Cormier]

What.

[Mal]

What was early mall swag like? Like, what was your early memories?

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, Harlem always came through with that extra fly. Like, they gotta take your.

[Rory]

That was not what I was. That wasn't my energy. Because y' all was rappers, but still we ain't. I don't rap, so I gotta stand out somehow. I gotta be funny, I gotta be fly. I gotta smell good. I gotta have a haircut cut. I gotta do all the other shit.

[Memphis Bleek]

It was a different aura of Harlem, though, back then.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, Harlem felt like going out of town, at least to me, is being in Brooklyn. Brooklyn. How can I explain? I. For those in Chicago, they would know Brooklyn is just like Chicago. It's no standing outside like, you on your block. You chilling, you all right. Cool shots might ring up, so y' all better keep a gun in the vicinity. That's how it is on Chicago. Like, I remember being out there, and niggas like, yo, the west side outside. On the south side ain't outside. You can't stand around. You might spin that block and blow your head off.

[Mal]

Right?

[Memphis Bleek]

So it's like, oh, it's like, where I'm from, Okay, I like Chicago. But then you go to Harlem Indictment. Everybody outside, block parties, police even enjoying the festivities. Yeah, like, what the Going on over here? So it felt like going to another place.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

So everybody up there fly. Everybody talk Spanish. Everybody got Spanish homies. It's like, yeah, what the Are we missing in BK that?

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know what I'm saying?

[Rory]

So.

[Memphis Bleek]

So they had a different level of fly that we felt like. Nah, these niggas ain't gonna out fly us. What you think you gonna take all our bitches? Cause you got the new ups, you got the new pele.

[Mal]

So how did you feel the first time Jay brought, like, biggs Dame. Just the whole Harlem crew to Marcy.

[Memphis Bleek]

I didn't meet them in Marcy. I met them on First Avenue.

[Mal]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

I met Dame Dash on First Avenue when he had the crib. I don't know the name of that project, that condominium.

[Mal]

Oh, 1199.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yes. He was living there on First Avenue. It's so crazy because Diamonds in the Rough was living there too. Yeah, Chink and Rebel was in the same joint. That's when I first found out about the salami and cheese from the corner store. They make the shit hot with the grill. Changed my life. Was like, what the fuck they doing up here? They cook this shit in the store too.

[Daniel Cormier]

Whoa.

[Memphis Bleek]

The fuck? We gotta bring this back to Brooklyn.

[Mal]

The concept of a deli.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, word out.

[Rory]

Yeah, so, yeah, hot sandwiches wasn't a thing like that.

[Memphis Bleek]

Not back there. Not hot like you go get a little sandwich, but the N like, yo, you want me to fry it on the grill?

[Rory]

Hell yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

You want do what back then, Bobby?

[Mal]

Well, that Hodges invented the chopped cheese. That deli across from 11.99, that's the legendary deli.

[Memphis Bleek]

Oh, yeah. That's the one that invented chopped cheese.

[Rory]

That's hodgies.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, that's where I first got my first salami and cheese hot off the grill. And I never ate a cold salami again. It was over for like, that's on mommy. That shit gotta be cooked. But yeah, so meeting them up there, like, Dane was chilling, you know, at that time, Dane was managing original flavor. You know, they had shout out to Tony Stone Hooker. Stone Hooker, Ski. Shout out Chubby Chub. I mean, Chubby Chub Diesel Chub now. Yeah, he not chubby no more. So, you know, like that. That was that vibe. And it was like Dane was always on that, yo, man, we gonna take this over. Ain't listen to us. We go kick that door. That was always that energy of, we gotta get it. Biggs was laid back. Like, I'm getting money. Yeah, I think it's got the plan together yet. Yeah, but I owe Big. Biggs got smoke with me and he don't even know it.

[Rory]

About what? What happened.

[Memphis Bleek]

See, I'm married now, so I can't pay him back. Yeah, yeah, but I gotta do something.

[Rory]

Okay, okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, it's like a prank. I gotta do something to get him back. Yeah, yo, listen, you know, as a shorty, you going on the road with the OGs, they give you the game. Yo, you let the chick know where you stay at, you know, bring it to the hotel, you don't go nowhere with the girl. Girl, none of that. I'm the young 15 on the road. First time on the road with these. Now, mind you, they all 24, 25, big this. At the time, they was wearing big bracelet with the. They had the pinky ring that looked like Liberace. They took it from him. Yeah, they was jeweled up. I had nothing. I was naked, man, playing Jane Me nothing. Girl looking at me like, hey, we outstairs. So it's like, wait, you want to know where I'm staying? Got a name, everything ready. She like, yeah, I'm coming back with you. Yeah, you coming back to the hotel with me. So I was like, what? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, I got one. Yeah, yeah, the fishing line working. It's. Oh, we got something. I go tell Biggs.

[Mal]

Cause you know your young, naive ring.

[Memphis Bleek]

He the OG next to me. I don't got no cab money. I don't know the drivers for the car to take me to the hotel. I'm here on consent with y', all, so I have to leave when y' all leave. So I tell Biggs, yo, what time we leaving the spot?

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

He's like, why? He's like, nah, just what time we leaving? He like, yo, we about to get out of here. Like, 30, 40, man. After Jay finish, you know, we gonna pop a few bottles and we out. I'm like, nah. But I got this joint ready to go that said, which one? Yeah, I pointed out her over there. He went and took her and left. Y' all listen. So all I did was warm it up.

[Rory]

Warm it up.

[Mal]

You entertained her until time releases.

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Yes.

[Memphis Bleek]

Over there being the major, major lemon king.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mal]

Using every bit of game you got,

[Memphis Bleek]

every joke you had 30 years, you know? He think I let that one.

[Mal]

Probably married with kids moved on. Bleak still talking bleak.

[Rory]

Married, kids, married, still like, nah, I need my gift.

[Memphis Bleek]

That was like the ultimate little bro. Like, get out of here, little bro. We got this.

[Rory]

That happened to me. That happened to me when we went to all star weekend in D.C. 2001 with Jay.

[Memphis Bleek]

See, I was late. Couldn't do that.

[Rory]

Yeah, we was at the Ritz Car. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton. And I had a. I had a nice one with me. I'm in the hallway. Jay like, yo, come here. I go over there. So the Big's like, nah, come over here. They in the hallway like. But the room's on opposite ends. I turn around, all I see is Shorty running down the hall with Jay. Man, I Said, nah, niggas ain't do this to me. It's four in the morning. It's four in the morning. Security got the police, got the whole block of the hotel locked down.

[Memphis Bleek]

You can't get in nothing. Yo, you learn early when you met a joint. Don't bring them around. Just if J and them over there go this way. Cause I've seen girls lose. They cool.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Remember when Foxy had the video with the big hat? I would never forget this. We in Texas somewhere, Shorty. Bad as a. Sitting on the couch, chilling.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Hov came that got up and started crib walking. Hold the hat, hold the hat. Like, yo, I would never forget this. And it just made me lose all respect.

[Rory]

It's like, yeah, I thought you was cool. And you can't say nothing. Cause then you hating like. Like, word, like jaywalking. Y' all get real different in here.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, why the Crip walk? I was bugging. Like, we in Texas, Shorty. Like, how you even know that dance here? Yo, I'm telling you, we used to see all kind of shit, bro.

[Mal]

That was her mating call to ho.

[Rory]

Yo, what a time, yo.

[Memphis Bleek]

Back then, classic time was the best time, man. Was the best.

[Rory]

Yo, how do you feel about. Cause I get asked the question, so I'm throwing it on you now. How do you feel about everything going on with Dame right now?

[Memphis Bleek]

I don't feel. I don't pay, I don't indulge. I don't pay no attention because I got too much respect for that man to laugh and look at him on whatever.

[Rory]

I do too. But when he said, fuck, Biggs bleak. I ain't gonna lie. I can't like that shit.

[Memphis Bleek]

He don't mean that, though, bro.

[Rory]

So why say it?

[Memphis Bleek]

Because you want a response. I think at this point, it's like, us men, when the chick think you been there before, girl leave, she like, I ain't talking no more. She ain't picking up that phone. You start taking a bitch, I'mma kill you. I fuck you up.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Just to get a reaction.

[Memphis Bleek]

Just that react. Just that response. Sometimes I think it's that, bro.

[Rory]

Yeah. But you know, like, we. It's just to me, Dame is doing and saying things that at one point, he always thought was. That's the. Like, why would you do that? Why would you say that? That's corny that men shouldn't do that.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's like he's the definition of everything he preached now, right?

[Rory]

But it hurts to see it. It's almost like, damn, I want somebody to reach out and talk to him, to be like, yo, like, bro, listen, I don't know what's going on, but this is not who you are, or at least who we know you to be.

[Memphis Bleek]

I believe that's been done, and I just don't believe Dame receives it the right way. Like, a lot of people care. A lot of people reach out. No, I had conversations with Big Face Nori. You know what I mean? Dame got kids. They older. I'm pretty sure they look at they father and go have a conversation with him, you know? What I'm saying is, like, I don't think. Dang listening to no one, man. Dang been the driver of the ship since he started.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

I think he's gonna relinquish those keys to anyone. You know what I mean?

[Mal]

Yeah. I've watched some of the Haven stuff on. On YouTube, and he seems to be in a way different space than back in the day on some of that stuff. And it seems like he not reaching out, per se, but seems like he's open to a conversation, whereas the Dame thing is kind of. Kind of lost at the that point.

[Memphis Bleek]

Gil is. Is like. It's weird to me, because I see he bringing my name up in certain now.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, yo, fam, I was a kid when y' all was mobbing. I wasn't.

[Rory]

Yeah, right.

[Memphis Bleek]

I ain't have nothing to do with that. I don't know anything about.

[Rory]

But you know why you did that.

[Memphis Bleek]

But, no, he want me to speak about it, and it's like, how can you speak on something you don't know? All I would do is give misinformation or information I heard through the grapevine, and that would be wrong on my part to do so. I just don't speak on it.

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Now.

[Memphis Bleek]

Do I know him? Yeah, I know him. But I knew you as a kid. I don't know you as an adult. Last time I probably seen and have a conversation with Gil, I probably was 12, 13 years old. I'm 48 right now. I don't know him as a man. Like, his niece is my God sister. His sister, rest in peace, is my godmother, rest in peace. And that's my family. We talk to this day. You know what I'm saying? But with him, I never had a conversation. I never needed to. Like you, J. Friend.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

I didn't have nothing to do with that hustle. I mind my business, as they would tell me if it was back then.

[Rory]

Right.

[Memphis Bleek]

Bleak. Mind your business.

[Daniel Cormier]

Right.

[Memphis Bleek]

So that's what I do.

[Mal]

Yeah. Yeah, no, that makes sense. That makes sense. I did want to go through a few records or verses, per se.

[Memphis Bleek]

Thank you.

[Mal]

And you just talk about what the sessions were like. Let's starting with one 900 hustler, which I've said, when you aren't here. This isn't cudger. I think you have the best verse on one Eye.

[Memphis Bleek]

I murdered them.

[Mal]

What was that session like?

[Memphis Bleek]

Nah, that session was super dope. Because it was like we were in there. Like if you could almost bring a comic book to life. That's like, you know, a comic book you read in the. You see the action, but then you see the little bubble of what they thinking. That's what it was. It was like all of our thoughts. And then you tell Bink. That's Bink on the phone calls. Doing a. Yo, man, I got somebody online, yo. Been two chickens and all that. And you know, Beans and Jay was the ones thinking about the chorus show. We should do this little hustle of that. It was J idea. It was J idea. We should do the 1900 hustler. Like a hotline for hustlers. And then Beans was coming to the idea, yo, but homie on the phone talking reckless and, you know, somebody riffing with him. And then to hear it being played out and was like, yo, you just gotta write a verse. Bleak online too. What you gonna tell a shorty? It was like the easiest rhyme I probably ever wrote in my life. And people could say it's like one of the best. That's how I feel about the song. You just brought up hypnotic. Like, people say that's one of my hardest verses too. And it's like, that was the easiest rhyme I wrote.

[Mal]

Yeah. Coming to age two specifically. Cause the first one, obviously Jay was heavily involved with the first one.

[Memphis Bleek]

Part two, too. I didn't. Yo, Jay is a genius, man. And this is what I say. Like, that's why I never put my hat in the race for the top dog. Because just off those two records, I'm disqualified on. On Rap Rules. I'm disqualified.

[Mal]

Yeah, but then. But you have 20 years, a body of work of writing, but it's still

[Memphis Bleek]

like, if we gonna do it to others, I gotta do it to myself. I'm not gonna.

[Rory]

I respect that. I respect that.

[Memphis Bleek]

I gotta disqualify myself. So that's why I don't even argue. I am about.

[Mal]

And while we're quickly here, can you please put to rest what Maul and the rest of the OVO crew have put in the world that Calico has been writing Jay Z rhymes. That's the funniest.

[Memphis Bleek]

Cali, man. That's my dog. That was getting low record. We need those publishing checks. If he wrote them, he wrote all

[Mal]

the Black album according to the ovo Internet.

[Memphis Bleek]

We need those pub checks.

[Rory]

That's crazy.

[Mal]

Did you watch the. Like that whole little doc they tried to do where Calico wrote?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. The Fade to Black. They put the clips and everything else

[Mal]

in it, but you the culprit. They said that hard drive. That's like every hard drive in every studio. The one you was holding, that was Calico's Black album that then you passed on.

[Memphis Bleek]

Ooh, I'm that nigga. I like the Internet detectives. They be detecting shit.

[Mal]

They zoomed in on you holding the hard drive and was like, we got him.

[Memphis Bleek]

And that was the clear hard drive.

[Mal]

Right.

[Memphis Bleek]

I remember.

[Mal]

I think it was the lacy orange joint.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, I remember that. That picture. That's me holding the hard drive. Mad that this shit ain't work. And we trying to go to the place. Cause they had a spot in the city that used to recover all the shit off your hard drive. So you had to have the one and the other there together. So we was actually going to rec the hard drive. Cause the shack crashed. Cause I was teaching all of them back then. This is when Pro Tools came out. When we was using it on a laptop. We were set up anywhere and record. So that's why you will always see every picture. You see Cali and it's a mic, a laptop, a hard drive or something. Because him Proof G, the K, them boys know how to record. They can operate and run a studio right now if they wanted to. Because, like, we taught all our artists how to be the bosses of their own career, too. That you didn't wait for engineer. You didn't wait for studio time. You go do what you want when you want to do it. And for them to dig up all these years later to say Cali wrote for Jay is like, whoa. I know he sitting somewhere like, nigga, I wish. You kidding me? Like, what? He had to wrote one hook.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, you know what I mean? Like. And Cali a good dude, man. I know he not. He not one of those guys that's celebrating this.

[Rory]

Like, nah, he's not feeding into that.

[Daniel Cormier]

No.

[Memphis Bleek]

Such a good dude. He ain't with that. He's super nice. Just never. You know, a lot of guys at that time, I felt like Rockefeller were moving so fast.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That a lot of people missed Opportunities or didn't get the opportunity they deserve.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know what I'm saying?

[Mal]

I mean, what was baseline like in. In that sense where you had all estate prop, which state prop grew crazy. It was like seven of them, and then you got all of get low. Like, I'm sure that must have been. How do you even get paused to the microphone with exactly people every day?

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, we. We had. First of all, every day. Everybody ain't getting along. Every day fighting. Like you said, studio time. You in there bullshitting with beats, you bullshitting with bars. You waste the time. They get the out the booth. So excuse me. OG Juan and them bought boxing gloves for that one. You want to get it off your chest. Remember we had the big booth.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Where it was the glass where you

[Rory]

could go watch, get your off.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Why did this make fake the black?

[Rory]

Yeah. No. No cameras for that.

[Memphis Bleek]

Was in there getting up. A lot of was on the floor like this, looking through the glass like, stop the fight. Stop the fight.

[Mal]

We don't have to know who lost, who got busy the most. Who was the better fighter.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, who out of a shotgun. Who got hands, man? Sparks.

[Mal]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

Sparks a few up in that booth.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Thinking, yo, Zoo, zoo, I want to fight.

[Daniel Cormier]

Zoo.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Z got in there. Zoo whip like, hit the with that Zoolander.

[Rory]

Yo, wait. The first time I remember in baseline seeing Kanye, and I remember everybody in there was just talking about the way he was dressed. He had on, like, a motorcycle leather. He had on some Durango boots.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. Kanye was different.

[Rory]

And everybody was like, yo, who is? And then once we went in the B room and started listening to the beats, I remember Jay walked in, was like, yo, who is that? He was like, yo, that's homie in the front in the pool room and going the front and he in there, and it's like, it didn't match. Like, wait, he's making all of this heat. And I tell people all the time, like, yo, when ye first came around, it was like he was such an outsider. Cause he looked different, he talked different, he dressed different. But when he started playing that music, I remember seeing everything in bass line.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, Kanye, man. I can honestly say, man, where Kanye got to his career and where he at, that's the definition and the results of a man who don't take no 1,000%. It's like, y' all think it said no. Yeah, fuck y'. All. Watch this. That's that sure desire and will to win and never quit and never listen to what nobody Gotta say. Cause back then, people was not even checking for his raps. It just with the beats. He was making beats and shits. Everything he made and played was phenomenal. Domino like, oh, that's why if you think I probably got one Kanye beat out of them years in baseline, because everybody was on him. He didn't have a chance to breathe. So then when he got to the point and he started playing music, I was one of the only niggas in there listening, like, yo, Bell, my G, you gonna be one of them greats. You gonna take this over. So the difference in Kanye I see is that weird in this business only mean two things. You either gonna win and win a lot. Because all the weirdos that we consider different, that's. How can we say they weird and they world, they probably weird. You know what I'm saying? Everybody looking at us as fucking weirdos. You know what I'm saying? Like, but they win because in their mind, they. They already know they got the plan, what they want to do. Where us. We so cool, bro. We think we got it, and it's like, we don'. We just go off the cool factor where the guy like that, that shit is written down in the attic. And he know exactly every step he want to take, and he did it. So that's how, like, Jay is the coolest weird to me. Cause I ain't go weird as a motherfucker too. Jay, for him to be like that up there, you gotta have a little.

[Mal]

That successful has to be a little weird.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, my nigga, I watched this nigga write a whole song in a limo to the airport thing from that bar. All right. Perspective BARK Lady Center, JFK. It's about a 15 minute ride. N Wrote a whole song, canceled the flight and went back to the studio.

[Mal]

The rest of us, it's like an hour.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, yeah. All right. Yeah. J. 15 minutes. Yeah, but to drive, that's like we in the limo going to jfk. He be playing. We get to jfk. Yo, Karlene, cancel the flight. Yo, book studio time. I gotta lay this song. And then we turn around, go to the studio, lay the song, and Babyface come do the hook.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's not normal.

[Mal]

This was with volume two.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, it's not normal. I thought we was on our way to Houston.

[Rory]

What happen? But Jay's process of writing, obviously being privileged enough to. To experience and see it. You don't know he's writing until he leaves out the room and goes in the booth. You're like, oh, cuz. The whole time, you think he's staring and you trying to figure out, like, what I did.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Like, what happened. You think he asked you something? You didn't hear him? You like, huh? And he, like, he waved you off, and he turned the other way and look. And then he go in the corner and then just open the door, go in the booth. And that's when it hit you. Like, oh, he was in here writing.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, ew. I tried that when I fell off. Yo, I did. I gotta keep it real, man. Like, people listen to coming to age and the understanding and like, you know, oblig was on his. When we went to 5, 3, 4, and. And. And made. It was like, I think I'm h. Now I have to.

[Mal]

I like five, three, four a lot.

[Memphis Bleek]

We think this.

[Rory]

Yeah, I like. I like five, three, four.

[Memphis Bleek]

But it don't bang like the first.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

And then now, apartment 3D. I backed up.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

I ain't ho. That's why they like.

[Mal]

Yeah, but that was the problem in that era. Like, when Jay would say, I don't write nothing down. Be like, all right, cool. Then other rappers started saying, be like, yo, we could tell you should probably. Like, you should probably write something.

[Memphis Bleek]

Why y ain't tell me that?

[Rory]

That right, Right.

[Memphis Bleek]

They should have. Y' all could have kept it real, yo. Normal, yo, we could tell you ain't right. That.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That sound like you freestyle something.

[Rory]

Yeah, it's not. It's just. It's just crazy for somebody to have that ability to do that and just be that successful. Like, you know, over the years, people here like, what you mean? He don't write, bro. He does not put pen to paper.

[Memphis Bleek]

Nope.

[Rory]

Like, it just like, he'll. And then won't. It's not like he going there and it's like, fucking up. He'll spit it all the way through.

[Memphis Bleek]

One take. Hov come back out, let's clear this out. And they're gonna do ad libs, right? Which is one take. Yeah, like, they. Everybody else double. They verse. Ad lib.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

They could do one take. That's it.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

And that shit sound like that. Come on, man. That's. That's verse.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's not. Yeah, that's not normal.

[Mal]

What's the fastest y' all have seen him write? What record that we know?

[Rory]

The fastest that I can remember. It was something on the Black Album, I think. And I don't. And I might be overspeaking. Cause I don't. He may have had some shit in his head already. But we was in the studio for no longer than 15 minutes, and he went in the booth and laid some shit. And I was just like, there's no way this nigga just wrote that in his head.

[Mal]

You remember what record it was? Cause it was on Fade to Black. There was songs that didn't make it. You could tell, like, all right, this is.

[Rory]

I think it was a lore. I think it was something on the lore.

[Memphis Bleek]

Favorite joints, man. Yeah, my fastest, of course, is Sunshine. Cause like I said, that record happened on Supposed to go to Houston and then. Hey, Poppy. Okay, like, cuz Bill was supposed to meet us in the studio and do the third verse. So when I came to the studio, his verse and hook was already done. He like, bleak. Do a verse, a mill gonna do the third verse. So I'm like, all right, cool it. Let me do my verse. Lay my verse. He said, ail not coming. I got the third verse. When the. I just was staying right in my. Like, when you got your verse, say each Belden like, yo, she not coming. Now I got it.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's like, okay.

[Rory]

When you got it.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, telling you was like, yo, that Jay is different, man. Jay like a.

[Rory]

A.

[Memphis Bleek]

A musician.

[Mal]

Mall. I was scrolling through the Sprite Living track list the other day and immediately started arguing with myself. Because certain records like California Love, still not a player back then. Of course they are songs, but they're also moments, they're memories. They are in the of hip hop and what was going on at that moment. And that's where Sprite gets into the debate. They've spent over 40 years celebrating artists who define the culture, and now they're turning the conversation over to the fans. So we can debate in the comments, on pods, anywhere we want. We can debate. And if you're like me, the real fun is getting into the why. Why did that song matter? Why did this line hit? Why did it change hip hop forever?

[Rory]

Rory, I can't promise you any answers, but with Sprite, you'll have a good time figuring it out. Check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars at Living Trackl. This is the Sprite Limit track list.

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[Memphis Bleek]

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[Memphis Bleek]

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[Rory]

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[Rory]

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[Memphis Bleek]

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[Rory]

Allow eight weeks.

[Daniel Cormier]

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[Rory]

Is there anybody. Is there any artists back then or producers that you wanted to work with that you never got the opportunity to work with? Producers, artists and producers.

[Memphis Bleek]

I say, like top three producers I wanted to work with, I never got to work with. Of course you ain't going to say Dr. Dre. Every artist wanted to be from Dr. Dre. Dr. Dre. It's like a dream, you know what I mean? Then like number two, I would say gotta be Manny Fresh.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

I wanted a Manny Fresh beat for sure.

[Rory]

Actually, a bleak Manny Fresh song does make sense.

[Mal]

Oh, it makes sense. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Manny Fresh was that too. And then you gonna hate me because I'll be up names. What's my man who did Rubber band man for T.I.

[Rory]

oh, so David Banner.

[Memphis Bleek]

Okay, so I'm saying a lot of people don't know David Banner Production.

[Mal]

Yeah, no David Banner.

[Memphis Bleek]

Serious.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

So he's one of those producers that I was like, oh, I'd love to work with him too. You know what I mean? And he's a good dude. That's my guy. Like I have any conversations with him. Very great guy.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

You. You brought just around, right? Was just Blaze.

[Memphis Bleek]

No Guru. Did Guru brought you and just Blaze? Yes. I. I didn't bring him. Well, yeah, I co signed him coming Shout Out l'. Oreal. She was managing all the engineers at the time. And one of my engineers was. He called out and she was like, I got a new engineer from DC Just got down here. I just started managing him. I'm like, he smoke weed? She like, yep, send him. Yeah, in come Guru. Who the fuck knew Yoda was that tall?

[Rory]

That's crazy. That's crazy.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Rory]

Who the fuck knew Yoda was that tall? That's crazy.

[Mal]

Guru. What was like early just like at that time.

[Memphis Bleek]

The same as now. A fucking big game up. You gotta go drag just out the. Out the front playing Call of Duty, Zelda and all type of other, you know, kids who play Zelda was always going to be super smart.

[Rory]

Absolutely. Like, yeah, you playing what?

[Memphis Bleek]

Exactly.

[Rory]

Why you. I'm on.

[Memphis Bleek]

And now you got to go to Japan. Handcuff. Just bring his ass back like a federal agent. Like, get over here. You getting extradited back to America.

[Rory]

Remember? Just had all the two way alerts.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo Used to make beats. Remember he made his own beats for the two Whalers. Insane, bro.

[Mal]

Yeah, crazy. I mean, since obviously you. You grew up in the same building as the entire family. The first time you heard the last verse of youf Must Love Me about Jay and his situation with his brother, what was your response to Jay? Like, Dan, you really about to talk about this?

[Memphis Bleek]

It was like, yo, you know, you hear Pac say the realest shit I ever wrote. I can honestly say that might be the realest Jay ever wrote.

[Mal]

It's one of my favorite J verses.

[Memphis Bleek]

Love me because It's a hundred, 100%, all the way facts. Yeah, like, you know what I mean, the cousins and all that. It might be hypothetical where he changed a man to a female, but the story is still a hundred percent facts. Yeah, that song, my favorite J song in. My favorite street record in hip hop, period, is Streets Is Watching. It don't get no better than that. That's top. Top tier. Literally. I'm knee deep in the game, and I'mma tell you the fears and the. Of the hustlers mentality, if any. Who hustle, I don't give a. You sell fireworks or you sell spy mats. If you hustling, you can relate to that song. One of the only songs that got four verses.

[Mal]

Yeah, that three verses these days is crazy.

[Memphis Bleek]

Is not normal anymore.

[Mal]

How much of the movie were you around for?

[Memphis Bleek]

The Streets Is Watching? Yeah, I was around.

[Mal]

I mean, I know you're in a

[Memphis Bleek]

lot, obviously, but, like, the strip scene, him and Source Money, they leave me out for those videos. Like, I remember watching the movie. Like, wait, wait, when y'.

[Rory]

All.

[Memphis Bleek]

When y' all shot this?

[Mal]

When did you have 50?

[Memphis Bleek]

But, like, I couldn't get the call for that.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mal]

What was. What was. Like, the production of that movie? Like. Like, just behind the scenes every day shooting that. Because, I mean, that's. To me, that. That's one of the. It's the best rap movie in my opinion.

[Memphis Bleek]

Original Hype Williams, Malik Abdul, man. Malik Abdul, that was our real Hype Williams. Like, he was the guy who had a lot of vision before vision became the thing of the day. Like, you know, I feel like back then he was like, what, the Robert Townsends of the music industry with videos. Like, he shot at Visionary for sure. You know what I mean? Like, all those. All the beginning career videos of Jay, dead Presidents, all the In My Lifetime remix, My lifetime one. When they went to St. Ty's Me on the speedboat, all that's Malik Abdul. Even the Streets is watching. And he shot State Property you know what I'm saying? Like, he's that guy, and I don't think he get enough credit like a lot of the guys in the industry. So back then, seeing them do it, and it was no label. There's no label funding. This. This was funded by the corner of New York City, like. Like straight up, like, the fun ran out. Somebody got go stand on that block and get the fun back up, and then we go shoot some more tomorrow.

[Rory]

Right?

[Memphis Bleek]

So seeing that and back then, I didn't understand it, but come being where I am now and looking back, it was. Was like, not only was he ahead of his time, but Dame and Jay and all of them was too, man. Because to put a movie, to know that the fans didn't understand your music, right? And to put it in movie format with still videos, but it flows like a movie and feels like a movie.

[Rory]

Ahead of his time.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's never. I don't think it could be done again. Nobody album even that solid to do a whole movie on your shit. We gonna have to leave some songs out.

[Rory]

Some have tried, but it didn't land.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, they put the wax on.

[Rory]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Mal]

I mean, was there any thoughts of Jay, like, not acting? Because I don't know Jay like that, but he's cool and laid back. Like, Dame, I'm sure was like, I'll act. I got you. But Jay doing that, did anyone have to talk him into like, yo, you're gonna lead a whole movie. Of course it's music videos, but you acting through this whole shit.

[Memphis Bleek]

Nah, I don't think so. I knew he. He knew what he needed to do.

[Rory]

You know what I'm saying?

[Memphis Bleek]

When you have a goal and you want to come accomplish something, you don't need coaching. You just need direction.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

You just need a target.

[Mal]

True.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, Right.

[Mal]

I hear that. We want to get in some voice mouths. On our show. We have listeners call in and tell stories, ask questions, and it's specific for you.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

We.

[Mal]

We let our fans know on Patreon that you were coming by. So we got some bleak questions.

[Memphis Bleek]

Let's see. Hope we ain't get no personal. Hey, Bleak, you remember me from Virginia?

[Mal]

Hey, I'm the girl that Biggs took from you. I just want to say I validate you as a human being. You don't need to carry this anymore.

[Rory]

You've got mail. What up, guys? This is Darius. I am calling from Charlotte. And my question slash topic regarding Reasonable Doubt. It's around the. The two versions of Dead Presidents, which for me, my personal favorite and the ones that. That when I hear the beat, my mind defaults to part one. But I know that part two is probably the most popular one. The one on the album and probably the one that people relate to more. But just curious on you guys thoughts on which version you think is the better one. And for Bleep specifically, do you think it was the right call going with part two for the album cut and which one that you prefer? What's your favorite? I'm always just curious to see what people think about the two versions, which one they prefer and how they feel about it.

[Mal]

So I'm curious both y', all part one or two.

[Rory]

Let me know your thoughts on that piece. I always tell people if I had to play a record for somebody that never heard rap before and this was their first time hearing rap, I would play Dead Presidents two. Me personally.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, I think I'll play part one. The one that made the album is Fire. That's fire. But part one is like the classic. Classic it is.

[Rory]

But Dead Presidents too, bro.

[Mal]

I never knew. Why did he do parts? Not that I'm complaining, but why just change the verse?

[Memphis Bleek]

The verse just changed the third verse, I think. I don't know. Could be some type of rights and ownership record. Cause then one came out on payday, the other was released on Def Jam Rockefeller. So it be some type of splits and ownership. Okay, I gotta get out my publishing deal. Let me throw another verse on here.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, play the game a little bit. But Dead President is two to me. Like obviously part one is. They're both classics. So there's no wrong answer. But I just think that his energy on part two was just like. It felt like. Oh, and another thing, that's the vibe I get from Dead President.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Us too.

[Rory]

It's like he has some other to put to that.

[Memphis Bleek]

How many people you think can release a record and then re release it with new rhymes and it hit harder. Yeah, originally.

[Rory]

Yeah, that's not.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's not.

[Rory]

That's not something that can be done.

[Mal]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rory]

And that was the wrong answer. But I.

[Mal]

For me too, that video was a part one or two that had like az big. They was all playing your brother. They was all playing Monopoly with real money. That was in depth. Two or one, that video.

[Rory]

That was one, I think.

[Memphis Bleek]

I think so. Yeah, that's.

[Rory]

That was okay.

[Mal]

Yeah. I have the cheat code. I would take from part one, the second verse, and part two, the first verse. And that's the perfect Dead President. That's my cheat code.

[Rory]

Answer

[Mal]

version.

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I Need.

[Mal]

Yeah, we. Another one.

[Memphis Bleek]

What's going on? Pod more Rory, baby.

[Rory]

D name is Main out the Bronx. My question for Bleak is if you

[Memphis Bleek]

had the chance to do a.

[Rory]

An album produced by Kanye or just Blaze, which one will he pick and why? Peace.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's a good question.

[Mal]

It's a great question.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's a great question. Oh, man. So we gonna not talk about the present day people.

[Mal]

We gonna talk about what's your opinion on the Jewish community?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, cheers. Cheers. They gave me Oshkosh. Be. We good?

[Rory]

Yeah, yo, we good.

[Mal]

Some medics aside, just blaze a Kanye west of who you would want to do a project with at.

[Memphis Bleek]

At this point, just Blaze for the last 30 years is going to be the same fucking problem. I gotta go find this. Yeah, he ain't easy to be found. And they even got a car that's drawn like a comic book. You know, it's like at night, you can't see the outline of the car. He got to paint it the way at night, it turns invisible almost.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Just as different. So with that being said, today's Kanye West, I had to find him, get him some help, counseling, so I wouldn't be today's Kanye. So let's go back in the day.

[Mal]

Okay. Yeah. Before you know, the opinion of anyone just as discovered in town, I think

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm gonna have to say Kanye.

[Mal]

Okay. Why?

[Memphis Bleek]

Because I never got beats from him the way I wanted to. Just is my bro. I love him. I made masterpieces with just. We have some classics for sure. Like I said, I have over 10, 15 records with just already one with Kanye. So I would say Kanye just off that fact to relive that moment and getting to work with him.

[Mal]

Yeah, I've heard you mixed on the Uchiwale beat. Is there any just a Kanye beat that she passed on?

[Memphis Bleek]

They said I passed on.

[Daniel Cormier]

Oh, boy.

[Memphis Bleek]

It wasn't Uchi W. It was whoa.

[Mal]

It was Whoa. Okay, Whoa.

[Memphis Bleek]

Shout out my.

[Mal]

I forgot who passed on.

[Rory]

You passed on whoa.

[Memphis Bleek]

But yeah, the beat, not the. It wasn't Whoa. Wasn't. They wasn't there. That's what I've been trying to tell people. Black BR made it say.

[Rory]

But even that beat, though, like, I'm. I'm like, I don't see no, that's a beat like that.

[Memphis Bleek]

I think what you think of that

[Rory]

over there over that.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's on the same tape.

[Mal]

Okay, well, that worked out okay for everybody, but I can see that too. Even the woe beat, of course, is crazy. But if you take out Knowing what Black Rob did on that, that could just be like some radio freestyle beat.

[Memphis Bleek]

At the end of the day, I didn't see the vision he heard. The beat was like, yo, everything like, whoa.

[Rory]

Yeah. Just hearing raw beats. What you think of that? Or whoa, what you think of that? Would definitely grab your ear and you'll be like, okay. Yeah. Especially if you thinking, I need a single. Like, what you think of that? Just.

[Memphis Bleek]

It moved a little bit. Yeah, man. I got some class, man. A lot of people. I still discover records. Like, Buck Wild did that.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

No Bucks is crazy. Yeah, Ryan, we got the last one. That's. That's non bleak related. But I do want your opinion. This gentleman's going through some things.

[Rory]

Yo, what's up to the Marist, Rory and Mall.

[Memphis Bleek]

My name is Ox.

[Rory]

I'm from Port St. Lucie, Florida. I got a story to tell.

[Memphis Bleek]

I'll make it quick.

[Rory]

So I tried this before work.

[Memphis Bleek]

It didn't work.

[Rory]

I got baby mama. I've been with her since 06.

[Memphis Bleek]

We broke up in 2019. She end up cheating on me. She cheated on me with his chick.

[Rory]

That does happen.

[Memphis Bleek]

Just so you know, game was real or not.

[Rory]

You can't compete. They ended up. I found out some years later because we stopped talking.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, not even for the kid.

[Daniel Cormier]

We.

[Rory]

We just stopped talking. Was toxic as well, but we stopped talking.

[Memphis Bleek]

But she married homegirl.

[Rory]

Homegirl ended up leaving her because she found out she had Ms. She couldn't deal with that. That wasn't like, yo favor. Just recently, she started giving me some rhythm. I'm not apprehensive on how to pursue that. If I should pursue that. Part of me wants to pursue that, but part of me is like, yo, that's just dead and gone, bro.

[Memphis Bleek]

Get out.

[Rory]

My daughter, she starts 15 this summer.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, it's time to get out.

[Rory]

It's. It's over.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know me.

[Rory]

I just want some advice.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know, yo.

[Rory]

From one of my favorite podcasts. That's what's up.

[Memphis Bleek]

Help me out. Help him out. I need to start a help out loud. Because that. That. Is that Jamaica. You guys said that's wicked. Any bad? Yo, that's wicked mind.

[Rory]

Yo.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, I watch laugh, but he said she left me for a chick.

[Rory]

Yeah. Got married right there.

[Memphis Bleek]

Let you know. Yeah, he wasn't paying her no attention. No, girls love attention. Girls gonna give each other that attention. Go get that lunch, that brunch. So, yeah, you ain't paying your no attention. Somebody will.

[Rory]

Somebody will for sure.

[Memphis Bleek]

There you go. That. But then the Girl left her. That means she double bad.

[Mal]

No, she's 50.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Something said she giving me rhythm.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

What he was feeling before the baseline,

[Mal]

like the treble for sure. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

He's at treble.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Now he feeling the rhythms. Got the rhythms well. And he says daughter is 15.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

He gotta go. Get out. He answered his own question. He said it's over.

[Mal]

That's why I think sometimes he said, people call in, they just need to listen to their own voicemails, to listen back to what you just said, like. Cause this girl Chili on you with a girl and cool. That ended up being her queen. Whatever. She went to staples. She wanted her scissors and she got them. And she's happy. Yeah. But then her queen, who she finally found that would pay attention, got Ms. And I thought it was death do us part. We had to. Through sickness and health, she gets Ms. And she's like, nah, I'm out of here.

[Memphis Bleek]

I need a regular back to the

[Mal]

only guy that she knows because they share a kid and she know that bitch is terrible.

[Rory]

But not only that, though, they knew. He's said they knew each other since they were six, I think. I think he said that since they were six. Right, right.

[Mal]

Like, they grew up together since.

[Memphis Bleek]

09. And they say what they call that Simply. What's his name? He ain't Simply oj.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Simply OJ with another.

[Rory]

Yeah, Simply OJ would handle that. He would have handled that another way.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Simply OJ would have win. Simply.

[Rory]

Oh, my God. Dude. Yo, Bleak, before we let you. Before we let you go, is there any way we can bring amends or some peace to you and Yayo and murder?

[Memphis Bleek]

Tell them niggas come holla at me, man. They want me to come on the war. What is it? The war report. The real report.

[Rory]

The real report they can pull up

[Memphis Bleek]

to the real report, they can pull up to Rock Solid. Yo, bro, I have no beef with nobody.

[Rory]

You said it was cool. You and Murder was cool.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, we got three videos. We got mad swords together. Me and True, Life is out here looking for the ops together. Now I'm the op. How that happened? Me and True just was riding in the car, ready for all smoke. Now I'm in the smoke. Like, God damn.

[Rory]

But a lot of that's him holding his guy Yayo down, though, so. And I think that he kind of felt like what you said about, you know, gun it or anybody G Unit affiliated, he felt a way about that.

[Memphis Bleek]

He can't do that. He G Unit sending Syndicate, man, that's Like Wu Syndicate. He not an original member of G Unit. The way he gonna take on the scars and the wounds that they had from the beginning.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

He said in the beginning to 50 face he would never sign to him.

[Rory]

Right?

[Mal]

Right.

[Memphis Bleek]

So you can't now wear the scars.

[Rory]

My.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, come on, bro. That's like a get down with us right now. I'm not going. He gonna just act like he had beef with Nazi Johnson. Like, come on, man. That's not right. Right.

[Rory]

But there is room for y' all to sit down and all the time.

[Memphis Bleek]

Cuz, I don't. I don't have no pee for nobody. I'm out here chilling, living my life. Got records, moving. No more moving. I'm. The last thing I'm looking for is to be riding around New York. Oppy.

[Mal]

It's too hot.

[Rory]

Yeah, it's too hot is too old.

[Memphis Bleek]

I don't even know how to get back in op mode. Like, wait, what's the outfit for? The op territory now the streets are

[Mal]

gentrified now you even know Same L. Exactly.

[Rory]

Like, what the. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

They could run up on you with a Fit Fitbit bracelet and kill you jogging.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Get.

[Memphis Bleek]

Count his steps and clip you. We not ready for this.

[Rory]

Count your steps in the killer.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, we're not ready for the new war, man.

[Rory]

All the way. Chilling. But I am happy to hear that y' all can sit down. And of course, we got to make that happen.

[Memphis Bleek]

Before it went this far, we reached out to. To murder.

[Rory]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

Because I wanted to get some clarification as to what you yay, yo meant. Maybe he could have sat down with me and we could have cleared it up right there. He didn't have to go this far.

[Mal]

I think I can.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

But who knows, man? You know what I mean? We gotta make. Let's tell 50. Come sit down.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Want to know what's up with him and the big homie? Come talk to me.

[Rory]

Yeah, we definitely need that

[Memphis Bleek]

Oppy out here. Might change my name to Optimus Pr.

[Mal]

Oppenheimer out here. Before we let you go. To celebrate reasonable doubt, 30 years as of July 31, 2026 top five J albums, in order in order from number one to five.

[Memphis Bleek]

Me.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Black album number one, American Gangster.

[Mal]

Okay.

[Rory]

O. I wasn't expecting you to say that.

[Memphis Bleek]

Number three reason. Reasonable Doubt.

[Mal]

Before

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm gonna put a curveball in there. I'm gonna go with the album with him and the rock group the Lincoln park shit. Lincoln Park.

[Mal]

Okay.

[Memphis Bleek]

The live album, because that got some gems, like when they remixed them. The beats.

[Mal]

Yeah, it's cool. Remixes on it.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's hidden, different.

[Mal]

The whites. We love that in the bar.

[Memphis Bleek]

Number five.

[Mal]

That's a great. That's a great karaoke album. If you go down. If you go down Jersey Shore. That does numbers. It does numbers. Seaside, Italy.

[Rory]

South.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, you know, I be lbi like.

[Mal]

And congrats. You performed for the first time in. Yeah, no, congrats, bro. That's. That's fire, man. Congratulations.

[Memphis Bleek]

Thank you, bro. Do say moving Number five. My fifth album, man, I would say Volume two, because that's the one that took us overboard. You know what I mean? Hard Knock Life. That's the one that changed everything. That crossover planet.

[Rory]

Yeah. More reasonable. Hard Knock Black Album Blueprint.

[Memphis Bleek]

Oh, I forgot.

[Rory]

Blueprint.

[Mal]

Yeah. You gave Linkin park over Blueprint. Blake, I'm never gonna forgive you.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, no, it ain't over. But that's just, like, a fake.

[Rory]

Yeah. Um, and then probably American Gangster got you.

[Mal]

Mind changes often, but after Yankee Stadium, it used to be Blueprint at one, but reasonable doubt. Blueprint Black Album, American Gangster 444, see, and you.

[Memphis Bleek]

And let's get this. You said it might be the end of the New York run. What About Black Album 30? Blackout 30?

[Mal]

Ooh, that's Shea Steady Stadium.

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm starting.

[Rory]

That would be ridiculous.

[Memphis Bleek]

Like, blackout 30. We gotta have a new New York Blackout. You gotta have the city shut down

[Mal]

the power grid like it's 03 do.

[Memphis Bleek]

You said what's next? That's what we do. Shut down the power grid. Blackout 30, whole city black.

[Mal]

When's the so Far Gone anniversary? Might be the same year.

[Rory]

Do you want. Do you want Jay to put out a new album?

[Memphis Bleek]

No.

[Rory]

I don't either.

[Memphis Bleek]

Me neither. I don't.

[Rory]

I don't either.

[Memphis Bleek]

I think he could. He could give you one. One. One joint. Yeah. Cause he got. Jay is on some major. Because I'm a rapper and I know what rappers do. You practice? You might see some like. Oh, that gave me an idea. Yo, Goo. Put this beat on. Lay some. Nobody hear it, but boo, right? You don't know Goo. Tell me. Yo. Yo, Jay got some.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

It's like, go steal that hard drive.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

The way they said Cali, let's steal the J Hub. We want the Cali hard drive. Let's get the J hard drive.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's already changed mad lives I got. I'll be Oprah with it. It's all for you. It's all for you. It's all for you.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's how Much on there, like I told you. Ah, Oprah Optimus.

[Rory]

I'm here. Yeah, but I don't. I don't think I want another J like a new J album.

[Mal]

If he has to something to say, I want to.

[Memphis Bleek]

And all he gonna say. See, this is the thing. I think we live in the world that no matter what he say, people gonna have something to say.

[Rory]

Oh, of course.

[Memphis Bleek]

So it's like it's no right or wrong thing to say in this. He wants anything you say is gonna be whatever people deem it as. Because ever since, like, think about it, they crucified me with the activism stuff because I did violate like, yo, I ain't with the activism. I don't know what I was thinking. Yeah. I never want to say no like, that I gotta make sure I don't trip and slip or some like that ever again.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

But ever since I called the black hood Farrakhan, my son been crickets.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Now, no, now the activists don't want no smoke with a real activist.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

Wait, you and mice have. Have.

[Memphis Bleek]

No, that's my dog.

[Mal]

Okay. Okay. That's the hood, my son. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. They better put respect on. On the front line. All these on the front of the post. He's on the front line. All the front of the post people was all in my comments going crazy. I bought the front of the line. Who outside with it? Crickets. Now quiet. They don't want no more smoke. That op died. I'm cool. Activist community. I'm back.

[Rory]

Yeah. I'm about to get out.

[Mal]

That's why we have you here, Bleak. Do you have an exit strategy for Iran?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yo, yo, listen. The exit strategy for Iran is the reset button, like on Nintendo. Remember how you go too far in the game? Like up, like reset. Let's start over and either just reset this and start over. Just be like, yo, listen, we wild.

[Rory]

Yeah. Start from scratch.

[Memphis Bleek]

Start over. Everybody erase you. You got one on the books. We got one on the books. This is back to zero.

[Rory]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So even start over. Yeah, it's even.

[Memphis Bleek]

Stevens, we started off on the wrong foot.

[Rory]

Yeah, absolutely. Yo, Bleak, we want to thank you for finally coming up, man, doing this episode. Episode, man. Salute to you.

[Memphis Bleek]

Appreciate it.

[Rory]

Cause we're talking about reasonable doubt. 30 years, but obviously you've been there every step of the way, still holding the flag, still repping the rock. And I just want to say we appreciate everything that you've given the culture, everything that you've provided over the years. All of the bars, all of the Moments. And we hope to continue to see you Bill and do say appreciate it. Rock solid pocket. We got to come do rock solid.

[Mal]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Yes. Y' all gotta pull up, man.

[Rory]

Yeah, we doing rock soldiers. Rock solid. We gotta do rock solid.

[Memphis Bleek]

I'm glad I did this. Yeah. Now I know my T O card is still good.

[Rory]

N. Yeah, you good, man. You good to Toronto. It's no be official shout out Cardinal.

[Memphis Bleek]

Real Toronto legend that on the show with you. You better pull out all your joints because he gonna make you this legend. People don't let him perform first. That's all about fights. All right. You better touch the stage first.

[Rory]

That's somebody else we want to talk to too. Is card now. So we got to get Cardel up here, man.

[Mal]

That's easy.

[Rory]

Give him his flowers and he died, man.

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You.

[Rory]

I mean, absolutely.

[Mal]

That six.

[Memphis Bleek]

I haven't been to the six.

[Rory]

You got to come to the six. Come on, man.

[Ad Read (Various Advertisers)]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Go make sure we good.

[Rory]

Yeah, we good, man.

[Memphis Bleek]

Out there taking changes.

[Rory]

That's family Toronto, man.

[Memphis Bleek]

I was the criminal across the board. They like no America, you buggy now these got guns. They we sh.

[Rory]

Toronto always been like that, though.

[Memphis Bleek]

They had the most diverse girls. What happened to the. The sh Came out of nowhere. Was the one in the place in the world where you went. Every rapper. That's why any basketball player that ever got traded to Toronto, they never complain.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

You never heard a like, yo, we don't want to go play like we want to go.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Bugging beautiful. Is I out there?

[Mal]

My biggest issue with Drake is making that city so popular. Why you tell the rest of the world how amazing this place is?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah. No, I be out there.

[Mal]

It's a 45 minute flight.

[Rory]

Yeah, he.

[Memphis Bleek]

He should be mad. I'm trying to make sure I'm still good over there. You good, man.

[Rory]

We all good in Toronto, man. That's family up there, man. Everything good.

[Mal]

Why don't we shoot his pod in Toronto?

[Rory]

Let's do it.

[Mal]

That's easy Flight. We got the equipment. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

Make sure top five there. He got to make. He got. I got to the top five certain on Internet they do their thing. I'm watching. I gotta beat you. Like, I got to I with your st. Like.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Mal]

I got to gift him the Nazi chain. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

This is what I'm saying. Like I. Come on.

[Rory]

You got questions?

[Memphis Bleek]

Yeah, yeah. I gotta sit with Top. What is. What is the ops like out here? What a day banging out here.

[Rory]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleek]

I gotta know because back then it wasn't like it is Today. So it changed.

[Rory]

Yeah, it was more. It was, it was. It was more. If you know, you know, back then now with Internet, you know. Exactly. Toronto is like New York, bro. I tell. I tell people all the time. Toronto is a lot like New York.

[Memphis Bleek]

That's why people better not sleep on that right there next to Buffalo. If you know Buffalo, everything illegal go through Buffalo.

[Rory]

Yeah,

[Memphis Bleek]

that right there.

[Mal]

What are those things called? Parking Rides by the bus. Buffalo is a parking ride.

[Memphis Bleek]

Absolutely. Tell Slingshot you a pack across the. Before the drone. Now you can drone drop the 100.

[Daniel Cormier]

Yeah.

[Mal]

And I'm not with top five. He got it.

[Memphis Bleek]

How y' all gonna put that? See Top out there putting in that work. Yeah, let them know about top four up here from New York, man. Yeah, I mean, I think the top four putting in that work.

[Rory]

This nigga's crazy. That was 30 years of reasonable doubt. Shout out to Memphis. Blinking. He's just ginger. Always love family.

[Memphis Bleek]

You know what it is, man. You know what it is, y'.

[Mal]

All. Before we let you guys go, I have to leave y' all with a question. Mall what is a hip hop lyric that changed the way you saw music? Because that's really what Sprite Living Track List is about. It's not about crowning winners. It's about starting a conversation and debating. Fifty tracks, generations of artists and endless debates. And Sprite didn't just put lyrics on the can mall, they went even deeper, bringing together hip hop experts and tastemakers to help unpack the stories and the impact behind every single song on the list.

[Rory]

Check out the full Sprite Living Track List and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtrackless. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List.

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[Daniel Cormier]

This is Daniel Cormier from the Daniel Cormier Show. This podcast is sponsored by Total Wireless, the official wireless partner of ufc. Power doesn't wait in the octagon or outside of it. You either make the move or you miss the moment. That's why you need a network that's just as powerful as you are. With Total Wireless, you get unlimited 5G data keeping you in the action from the walkouts to the knockouts. Now that's a total power move. Make your total power move today. Visit totalwireless.com or stop by your Neighborhood Total Wireless Store. Additional terms apply. See totalwireless.com for details.

[Rory]

Hey everyone, it's Kel Penn. I'm inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with

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with my podcast, Hearsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club. Every episode, I nerd out with amazing

[Rory]

guests and dive into the best new

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audiobooks available on Audible.

[Mal]

It's the book club for your ears.

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Listen to Earsay, the Audible and iHeart audiobook club on the iHeartradio app or

[Mal]

wherever you get your podcasts.

[Memphis Bleek]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Rory]

Guaranteed Human.