← Not All Hood (NAH) with Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Candace Kelley
Not All Hood (NAH) with Malcolm-Jamal Warner & Candace Kelley
Tribute to Malcolm- Jamal Warner: Malcolm Left The Mic On - Part 1
01:11:08
In this deeply moving Not All Hood special, co-host Candace Kelley and Executive Producer Layne Fontes, is joined by Producer & Creative Director Troy W. Harris Jr., remembering the life and legacy of Malcolm-Jamal Warner. From his groundbreaking role as Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show to his tireless dedication to reshaping how young Black men are portrayed in media, Malcolm’s career was marked by intention, integrity, and love for his community. Friends, colleagues, and fans, including Toure’, Jessica Meisel (from The Resident), Dr. Daniel Black, Lamman Rucker, Isaac Hayes III, and Kimberly Latrice Jones share intimate stories of his humor, humility, and unshakable principles. We hear about his behind-the-scenes fights for cultural authenticity, his devotion to fatherhood, and his gift for connecting with people on a soul level. This celebration of Malcolm’s life is as much about the man as it is about the mission creating space for truth, humanity, and positive Black represen...
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- [00:00]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Amazon Pharmacy presents painful thoughts. 20 more minutes to kill in the pharmacy before my prescription is ready. Maybe I'll grab some deeply discounted out of season Halloween candy. I never had a chocolate pumpkin with raisins before. Those were raisins, right? Next time use Amazon Pharmacy.
- [00:23]
Troy Harris, Jr.
We deliver.
- [00:24]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
And no, those were not raisins. Amazon Pharmacy Healthcare just got less painful.
- [00:30]
Candace Kelly
This podcast is sponsored by Talkspace.
- [00:32]
Lane Fox
Last year I went through many different life changes.
- [00:36]
Troy Harris, Jr.
I needed to take a pause and.
- [00:38]
Candace Kelly
Examine how I was feeling in the inside to better show up for the ones who need me to be my best version of myself. When you're navigating life's changes, Talkspace can help. Talkspace is the number one rated online therapy, bringing you professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatry providers that you can access anytime, anywhere.
- [00:57]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Living a busy life, navigating a long.
- [01:00]
Candace Kelly
Distance relationship, becoming a first stepfather, Talkspace made all of those journeys possible.
- [01:06]
Lane Fox
I could speak with my therapist in the office. I could speak with my therapist in the comfort of my home.
- [01:10]
Candace Kelly
I was never alone. Talkspace works with most major insurers and most insured members have a $0 copay. No insurance, no problem. Now get $80 off your first month with promo code space80 when you go to talkspace.com match with a licensed therapist today at talkspace.com sign up. Save $80 with code space80@talkspace.com Malcolm Jamal Warner.
- [01:33]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Malcolm really left the mic on because his message, the person who he was, it lives on. It speaks. He reshaped the way that young black men were seen on tv.
- [01:45]
Danny Vaughn
He carried the torch with grace to show us how to shift the world's imagination even into adulthood with consistency. Malcolm would always say going for the parts that got ratings would never replace his sense of self.
- [01:57]
Lane Fox
And that's why he did the podcast in the first place, to shape the narrative about how they see us. I'm Candace Kelly and I co hosted the podcast Not All Hood with Malcolm.
- [02:08]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
I'm Lane Fox, Executive Producer.
- [02:11]
Danny Vaughn
And I'm Troy Harris, Jr. Producer and creative director. We spent a lot of time with him and shortly after his death we recorded this show. Malcolm left the mic on to share with you the Malcolm we've known for years.
- [02:23]
Lane Fox
All of the good things that you have heard about Malcolm are absolutely true. Through his work, he told so many stories. But the most important story he shared was the one he lived.
- [02:34]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
This is part one of our tribute to Malcolm Jamal Warner. Enjoy the conversation, comrades.
- [02:44]
Lane Fox
Wait a minute.
- [02:44]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Social media's gonna have a good time.
- [02:45]
Lane Fox
Sure.
- [02:46]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
So I grew up so, you know, I grew up watching. You know, there was different strollers, right? Facts of Life. It was Webs.
- [02:55]
Lane Fox
Oh, yeah.
- [02:56]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
It was Jefferson, Sanford and Son.
- [02:59]
Lane Fox
Good times.
- [03:00]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Good times. So I grew up watching these shows because, like everyone else, I was so starved to see black people on television. But they weren't necessarily shows that I ever really liked.
- [03:14]
Lane Fox
Like.
- [03:17]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
They didn't. The shows never resonated with me. And I knew that I was watching them just because I wanted to see, would see myself, you know, see people who look like me on television. And I remember when I booked Cosby, I remember feeling like, oh, wow. Like, I relate to this show. I relate to this family. And my family looked nothing like the Huxtables from. From every aspect. We were not them at all. But I think what. What I came to realize was this was the first time where I was watching. I say watch. I was a part of it, but I was still. But this was the first time there was a sitcom experience with black people where the humor was not predicated upon being black.
- [04:15]
Lane Fox
Right? Like, all right, listen, everybody. We have gotten the messages. We've seen the post soul on this night of remembrance. In so many ways, Malcolm really left on because his message, the person, really was. It lives on. It speaks to how he reshaped the way that young black men are seen on tv. He carried the torch with grace to show us how to shift the national imagination, even to his adulthood. With pure consistency. He would always say, he would tell all of us, listen, going for the parts, for the ratings, that's never going to replace his sense of self. And that's why he did the podcast in the first place, to shape the narrative about how they see us. I co hosted Not All Hood with Malcolm, and I'm here with Lane Fontes. He's the executive producer of the podcast, as well as Troy Harris, Jr. Producer and creative director. We spent a lot of time with him, so we are sharing. We're sharing some private video we want you to share with us. We want this to be a whole thing where we all just convene around what we know about this man. What we always like to say is, whatever you thought good about Malcolm, like that friend in your head, if you didn't know him, all those good things, they were wonderfully tripped. They really were. And I know that Troy and Lane based upon just some of the memories they've had, too.
- [05:47]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
So, first, comrades, thank you for showing up today. We're. We're here because Malcolm mattered. He mattered to all of us, not just for what he created, but for, you know, how he made us feel, heard, valued. You know, his life was rooted in love, truth, deep belief that we could all be better. So as individuals and as a community. So today's a circle that, you know, a space that we sit in, you know, just to talk about Malcolm moments, some gratitude, some reflection and, you know, process this together.
- [06:24]
Lane Fox
Yeah.
- [06:24]
Danny Vaughn
So we definitely want to first thank you guys for joining us here on our platform to make sure that we just created this space, like Candace said, to just share good moments and good times that Malcolm kind of helped provide for all of us, be it on the TV screen or right here in person. So thank you and welcome.
- [06:43]
Lane Fox
Yeah. Now for those people who are watching online, you can go to our not all hood platforms and there is a link where you can get on there. For those people, we're simulcasting on a few places. So for those people who are not on with us yet. All right. Because you can go live with us and speak. Just know that if you go to our platforms, there is a link where you can come in and you can speak with us. So just go to our platforms, whether it's on YouTube, whether it's on Instagram. Right. Folks, I'm asking Lane and Troy here and you can join us in this conversation. I want to just make sure that people know too, that this is going to be some appointed guests, if you will, as well as some people like you. Get people who we've been hearing from so much. We actually are going to bring in Torre. I think that Torre is ready to come in. Let me speak to my producer here. We're going to bring him in and we're going to bring in a lot of people on this evening. We're going to bring in people to talk about grief. We're going to bring in people who know Malcolm personally. You know, for those of you who are familiar with the podcast, there are many, many people who are going to be on here tonight who've been on the past podcast or he. Who were even scheduled for the podcast that we were going to have, we were going to be recording on August 21st. So that all, all of this is. Is a process that we are working through and we, we really are working through it with you. And, and that's why we want to commune in and around this. Is Tori ready to come up on the big screen, going to read some of the comments? Hey, how are you doing? Good, how are you?
- [08:25]
Danny Vaughn
How are you?
- [08:26]
Lane Fox
You know, I'm not going to speak for us all, but it has Been a very rough week. But we are here, and it is amazing to celebrate Malcolm. I know that you know him personally on an intimate level, and we were having you on to really give us the cultural context and some memories that you have of Malcolm, a space for you to share.
- [08:51]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Oh, my God. I mean, you know, we did a great interview last year on my podcast, Tory Show. I want to get into that a little bit, but, like, just starting from the beginning, I am six months younger, maybe seven months younger than Malcolm. So what his character, Theo was going through was the same things that I was. So I saw him as a brother, which is a testament to his ability to play the role, to get me to see him as a kin. And, I mean, everybody loved him. Everybody thought, like, he was cool. Actually, he told me he did not think that Theo was cool. And he wanted. He asked the writers, can you make him more cool? Because I think he's corny. And he, as an adult, he understood the value of having Theo in that lane, of being a little more corny, which is what fueled him to be really liked all over the place. I can tell you how liked he was. We were at the same Jack and Jill party when we were both. I believe we were juniors in high school. It was in New York City. This was like the Tri State area. Like, all the Jack and Jill chapters from around, like, come together for this party at the Copa, the big annual, like, Tri State gathering. I was from one of the Boston chapters, and I remember being there and, like, the dance floor was, like, below the other floor. So you'd, like, walk down into it, and you could walk down into it from any of the squares. And when Malcolm arrived, everybody's head turned because this is the Cosby Show, I think, was third season at that point. So they were hot as fish grease. So everybody turned. He walked into the dance floor with his arms up like this, like, I am here. And like, every girl turned to start being dancing with him. Even she wasn't near him. She was like, so none of the guys were like, so we have nobody. He just took basically all the girls at the party. But, you know, he was.
- [11:01]
Lane Fox
He was.
- [11:01]
Troy Harris, Jr.
He was such a nice guy. When we talked, he talked a lot about, Theo is not going to be my zenith. This is not going to be the end of my career. Like, I'm going to go much further than this. And he says something really interesting, too, about how he got started with people around him noticing him as a child actor exuding it factor. And I think for sure that was the case. But you don't usually hear people say that about themselves. But he's saying to me that he had it factor without communicating ego or airs. But just, like, this is one of the tools that I happen to have. You know, I could speak another language. I could walk, and I could, like, you know, project a certain it factor. And it wasn't like I was the man. I mean, everything was very down to earth and humble. Even though he had come from so high, I just. I found him to be really interesting, really smart. We actually had a great little moment, too, about Meghan Markle, because people were talking shit about she's tried to hide her blackness. I'm like, I don't think so. I'm like, you were on suits with her. Did you know she was black? And he said, well, of course I did. But more importantly, she knew. And I'm like, that means you took the time to see her and really, like, check in with, like, who she was as a person. But also, I'm like, that's the key answer y' all out here talking about. Well, I don't think. I don't think, like, she knew that she was black. Like, so just, you know, it's just a fascinating conversation and an honor to meet him and just a lovely, lovely guy.
- [12:40]
Lane Fox
Yeah. Yeah. You know, it's interesting. You said he checked in with people. Malcolm did a lot of that. He did a lot of checking in with people. You know, if you look at the posts online, he was always following up. He was really detailed and intentional with really connecting and checking in with people.
- [12:58]
Troy Harris, Jr.
And I think, like, you can be a good actor by being a student of people. And I think that's partly what he's bringing to bear, that he's, like, looking deeply at people and really paying attention to others. And I think a lot of some of us get stuck only thinking about ourselves. And, you know, it's admirable when you can spend more time thinking about others. And I think that he was able to, like, see others in a way that allowed him to really, you know, replicate other people. We actually had a really open and frank conversation about Malcolm and Eddie, which was totally different than his Cosby.
- [13:41]
Lane Fox
Can you break it down? Because, you know, these are the things that people should know about.
- [13:45]
Troy Harris, Jr.
He said we hated each other. And referring to him and. And Eddie. And the way he explained it was that he. Malcolm, had come from the Cosby School in that on the Cosby show was very important to show black people in a positive, uplifting, empowering light and that show was amazing for that, and he wanted to bring that forward through the rest of his television life. And he wanted Malcolm and Eddy to be like these. And he's like, I. On Cosby's show, we had mostly white writers. We got shitty scripts, and he had to go in there and like, change stuff. Like, so don't think, like, everything was just handed to us. So, you know, it seems like Eddie, per Malcolm's description, came from more of the Richard Pryor school of things. And I am the biggest Richard Pryor fan there is, but I think by that he meant just go for the funny. And I could see where Eddie would be like, let's just make them laugh. And Malcolm would be like, but we could also uplift and educate and do so much more within the broadcast and the fabric of. And Eddie being like, nigga, we just make it laugh.
- [14:54]
Lane Fox
You know what I mean?
- [14:55]
Troy Harris, Jr.
And like, and, and. But Malcolm held to his principles and the way that he felt like television should be done, which is that it should be uplifting to black people. And that was a big source of the conflict between them.
- [15:10]
Lane Fox
Yeah, yeah. Listen, I know that you have to get out of here and we've got other guests. I just want to. I just want to thank you. But we can certainly identify, especially when we select guests, which, by the way, Tori was going to be one of our next guests mid August. But, you know, Lane, if you just could explain how the guest selection process was very intentional, because Malcolm will be like, no, no, no, we're not having. We want that person. What do they represent?
- [15:38]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
It was always very intentional and sometimes it was very grueling. Right. It would go on for hours. But. But honestly, we put a lot of thought to it. Malcolm put a lot of thought to it. So, you know, so even pulling you out of the hat, it was like, oh, he's perfect. Actually, we didn't think too much about you, actually. It was just like him.
- [16:01]
Jessica Meisel
Yeah.
- [16:01]
Lane Fox
You were not a three hour person.
- [16:03]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
No, you were not. You were a quickie and.
- [16:08]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Pause brother. But it's such an honor.
- [16:11]
Candace Kelly
Thank you.
- [16:12]
Troy Harris, Jr.
For Malcolm to think that of me, because I thought that of him for my show. And the entire time that I knew who he was, I thought of him, you know, from teenagers as like, you know, just dope person, you know, thought the world of him. And then to meet him and like, and for you to say, like, he wanted to talk to me like that, like, come on, forget about it. Oh, my God.
- [16:36]
Danny Vaughn
Another thing he was. He was very big and intentional on is, well, what are we going to talk about and what's going to be the lesson for our audience? But again with you, that. That didn't occur at all. It was like, let's go greenlit. Let's do it.
- [16:48]
Lane Fox
Right, right, right.
- [16:50]
Troy Harris, Jr.
That means a lot. That means a lot.
- [16:51]
Lane Fox
We thank you for tonight, sir, and we're going to let you go, and we'll see you next time.
- [16:58]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Thank you so much. So sorry for your loss.
- [17:00]
Lane Fox
All right, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Yeah. All right. As we move on, we know that there are some people that want to jump on. I think that we have. Do we have Danny still? I mean, we're talking about someone from the community who wants to get on is Danny. We can pop up. Danny Vaughn. Hello. How are you doing?
- [17:22]
Dr. Daniel Black
I was muted.
- [17:23]
Lane Fox
Hi. Hi. It's good to see you with a smile on your face. I know why Dani got in. Danny got in because you worked on the Residence and you were Malcolm's makeup artist. And let me tell you, makeup artists will get to know a lot of information. Very intentional and potential. We just open up to makeup artists. And I know that you had a lot of thoughts about Malcolm and were very close with him over the years.
- [17:51]
Dr. Daniel Black
Yes, I was. Malcolm was a phenomenal person. He was a phenomenal human being. So I wrote this post about how I felt about him on my page, but I wrote about his character today specifically for this, and I wanted to share that with you guys. All right, So I wrote that.
- [18:18]
Lane Fox
He.
- [18:19]
Dr. Daniel Black
Was sophisticated, regal, intelligent, multifaceted, honest, disciplined and authentic. These are my favorite adjectives that I like to use to describe him. His personality and smile was infectious. The level of integrity and grace that he continually showcased could have actually been a case study. His compromise couldn't touch him with a thousand foot pole. He stood firm on core principles that mattered most to him, like culture, character, love, vulnerability, and masculinity. He handled people with caution and care regardless of their tenure with him. His light ignited hearts and the hearts and minds of millions across the world. He was indeed one of a kind, a magnificent example of brilliance personified. His legacy is a standard of excellence that is both inspiring and impactful. Although God called him home, his purpose, kindness and impact will live on rest. Well, mjw.
- [19:31]
Lane Fox
I also know that, you know, Tori talked about him going into writer's room and saying, hey, this script right here. Yeah, not so much. Oh, yeah. You saw him? Yeah.
- [19:44]
Dr. Daniel Black
Oh, yeah. So they would write something. So, you know, in our industry, they have these things called sides, so. Which is basically like, what you're talking about for the day. So he'd look at it, and then if it was something that was ridiculous, he'd, like, storm in there, and he's like, well, man, they got to change this. Like, if it was not about. If it wasn't about what was effective for the culture. Everything that he did was intentional. I think I heard Lake Lane say that. That was a core principle of his, so it was bigger than him. So if he seen something that, you know, didn't sit well with him, he was gonna. Absolutely. He was gonna amplify it, he was gonna change it. So it really wasn't about him. How does this translate to the culture? How does this benefit black men? How does this benefit black women? He was very much that.
- [20:38]
Lane Fox
Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. I also know that you. You know, he was about family, and I know that's going to be a theme. He was about family. So, you know, I know that people, when they hear about, you know, his passing and all of these mixed reviews, I mean, the one thing that we just need to explain is how much family meant to this man. I mean, there was never a day, never a time. He wrote me once and he said, am I mentioning my family too much on this show? I said, go with it, brother. That is okay. Go with it. People want to hear that. I was like, tell your story. You know, it is okay to hear your wife and daughter every other minute.
- [21:28]
Dr. Daniel Black
He absolutely adored his daughter. He adored his mom. He adored his wife. Like, that's just who he was. You know, his dad, he would always, you know, talk about the man that he is and, you know, the origin of his name, and he just was. He loved family, but also he loved people. So he's the person that, you know, when he would go out somewhere and, you know, he would be dog tired because Malcolm is, like, always falling asleep somewhere and say he's, like, off in a corner somewhere sleeping.
- [21:59]
Lane Fox
Cause he's just.
- [22:00]
Dr. Daniel Black
He's the million and one things, like, juggling in the air, you know, he's like. He has a set at a show. He's, like, practicing for one thing, and he's, like, reading lines for another show, and he's. While he's on a show and he's. You know, he's just had all these things going on, and so he'd be dog tired, and he never called his fans fans. He never did that. He never did that. So if someone would come up to him and be like, oh, my God, Theo, in the industry that I work in, if you Call an actor by their name, like, their stage name. They hate that. He was never that. So if you'd be like, oh, my God, Theo, can I get a selfie? He'd say, sure, sure.
- [22:39]
Danny Vaughn
Every time.
- [22:40]
Dr. Daniel Black
You've never. You're gonna never see him attached to a scandal. He would never take a role that was like, you know, that misappropriated the culture. Like, you won't see him playing a drug dealer, or you may. You'll never see him playing, you know, womanizer or anything that misappropriates or any misrepresentation of a black male or the culture, you know, at large. He'd never do it.
- [23:05]
Lane Fox
Danny, I want to thank you. I want to thank you for being with us. Thank you for having me. All right, all right.
- [23:12]
Danny Vaughn
We appreciate you.
- [23:14]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Thank you, Danny.
- [23:15]
Lane Fox
Is a collective brief. I finally kind of came up for air today to call many people back. And, you know, the people who I was on the phone with, who did not know Malcolm personally, they were crying hard, crying, and they just. They were just so profoundly moved by who he was as a person. And I think that that's also the effect that we saw lame when we would go out, because people weren't just, you know, screaming at him like the Beatles. They were like, I am proud of you. Like, my son, my brother, you know, my. My person. You know, that's exactly how he was.
- [24:00]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
It was. It was. You know, I was just. I was going to springboard of what you said. Like, sometimes, honestly, you know, being out with Malcolm is like. It was like being out with the Beatles sometimes. You know, the moment that someone recognizes them, and it's like. It was like a magnet. But it was always great praise, and it was always the conversation of how you changed my life, you know, and it was moving.
- [24:30]
Lane Fox
Yeah. Yeah. Troy, you remember that time where we had a guest and he was actually moved by Bill Cosby, The Cosby show, the history of it. He broke down crying. And then what did Malcolm.
- [24:47]
Danny Vaughn
Malcolm actually is. Uncle Mike is Ray Daniels. Uncle Malcolm actually called Bill Cosby on the phone right away because his story resonated with the story that Bill Cosby was showing at the time about people in the Navy. Uncle Mike was in the Navy at the time. So he was able to just sit there and talk to him, I want to say, for about five to 10 minutes. And that, to me. That, to me, was so golden, but it kind of just showed and personified the person that Malcolm is.
- [25:16]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Yeah, Malcolm usually did either. So it was funny when he did that. It was so quiet. Because I remember you saying, I thought he had a doctor's appointment, and he was talking to his doctor about something because he said, hold on, Doctor. And then he came back and he handed over the phone, and it was Bill Cosby on the phone.
- [25:37]
Lane Fox
Dr. Bill Cosby. Right, Right. Yeah. I was mistaken. I said, wait, there's a problem. You know, there's a doctor speaking to a doctor speaking to a doctor. I was all wrong. But you know what he did for that man in that moment after he got off, he said, you know, I've never done that before. Right. Because I'm sure a lot of people come to him and say, oh, you know, but at that point, he was like, you know, this man who's broken down in tears. Malcolm was a connector. Malcolm was connector of people. He would see something. He would see somebody, and he would say, you know what? I've got something for you. I've got help for you. I've got a person for you. You know, when we would have our podcast, people would come and record, and when they would record, they would always stay a little while. Right. I know Troy loves that because it felt like home, you know, and that really was in large part because of Malcolm. And he would stay was like many, many stories. I mean, it could be just years going by and Malcolm would take you back into his home. We saw it a lot of times, and I do remember them. I mean, they embraced, they looked at each other. I remember that very well. I've got some great pictures. We did a lot of live events where we could see people come out. That time we were out with Raheem Devon in New Jersey, and we were talking about issues about mental health and understanding where we came from and what's in our DNA and how do we fix problems. Again, something in terms of a show, content that Malcolm curated, if you will. This is something that he wanted to do and he thought was important. How do we handle ourselves when it comes to being vulnerable and mental health? He always. He always. Troy, he always had a message, an omission. I mean, it could be just a regular Tuesday. Malcolm was going to have a message and a mission.
- [27:43]
Danny Vaughn
Literally every time.
- [27:47]
Lane Fox
Then we're going to hear from Jessica Meisel. She is from the Resident. She going to give us a lot of insight about Malcolm and what he brought on set. So here we go. All right, so a lot of people that have seen Malcolm on the Resident, they love that character. All right, let's bring Jessica up. She's coming. Hello. How are you?
- [28:19]
Jessica Meisel
I'm well, how are you?
- [28:21]
Lane Fox
All right. We are in there. Jessica, I know that you have a lot to say. You were so excited to be on here with us tonight. You know, we're really just going to open up the floor like we have done with other people tonight to share with us just some of your thoughts. Thank you for sharing those pictures with us. It must have been great to work with Malcolm. I can imagine. Very excited to say bring me on tonight. Bring me on. Yeah.
- [28:49]
Jessica Meisel
No, I was. I had the privilege of working with him for five seasons. And, you know, as you know, he was a brilliant surgeon, and I was always his funny little scrub nurse in the surgery scenes. But something I was. I've kind of been reflecting on since, you know, I got the news is so. I don't know what the right word is, if the word is, like, strange or surreal. But it's such an odd thing, too, and horrible to lose a former colleague and friend. And he was also my neighbor as well. We lived, like, just a block down the street from each other. But it's so strange to lose someone like that and then see them kind of in tabloids and all over the news. It's just a very odd experience. But it's also put in perspective for me his. His greatness. And I don't even know if he was fully aware of it or if he was. He certainly had never let him. It never impacted the way that he treated people. I think that's the thing I was so taken by when I first met him because I was nervous because he came on with us for season two and, you know, obviously I knew who he was and he seemed like a great guy, but you just never know before you meet somebody if you're going to be disappointed in someone you admire. But he. My God, he exceeded my expectations. And I was so struck by his endless curiosity. Curiosity and his warmth and his elegance, but mainly his ability to make me and others feel like an equal. I never felt like he was looking down at anybody else. And I don't. I don't even think that was something he had to be conscious of. I think it was effortless. I think it was, at his core, an unshakable value. Core value for him to see everybody as human and as an equal. And it really permeated throughout the whole set, I think. I think it encouraged others to treat everybody, everybody that way. He led by example. And so the set, I think, because of him, was such a great, fun place to work where we really, really.
- [31:21]
Lane Fox
Cared about one another. Yeah. Do you have some personal stories or funny on set stories about Malcolm. You know, he could be serious, but he could also, you know, be very playful. And you're like, wait, where did that come from?
- [31:37]
Jessica Meisel
Oh, my God, he's the goofiest. I mean, that's the thing. I mean, like, at the end of, like, we would kiss. Okay. There's so. I have so many stories. I think something that I'll probably always associate with Malcolm is the sound of a trumpet. And he was determined to learn how to play the trumpet. And I think it was, like, toward the end of season four, if I remember correctly, maybe beginning of season five. And look, I'll be honest with you. He wasn't very good at first. He wasn't. And you know what, though? He didn't care. And he wanted to learn how to play it. And so he would be in his trailer and he would squeak along, and we all had to kind of endure it, you know? But it came to be something that was a real comfort. Like, whenever I'd pull up to set and I would hear it, I'd be.
- [32:31]
Lane Fox
Like, oh, my husband's here.
- [32:32]
Jessica Meisel
Great. He really improved, though. I remember coming back for season six, and I could. And I got out of my car and I heard the trumpet, and I was like, he's better now. Like, he really got better. And I think that that is such a testament to his work ethic and also to the fact that he wanted to learn how to do it, and it didn't. He didn't care if someone else was, like, judging him. It was something he wanted to do, and he did it, and he was relentless, and he really. He really improved. And so, yes, a trumpet sound. And then, of course, his laugh was just one of my favorite sounds in the whole world. And he was the king of adding a button to the end of a scene. You know, he'd be doing a serious surgery scene, and he would add something completely silly to the end of it, you know, and always with a laugh. Those are the fond memories. You know, he was so silly and so funny and.
- [33:39]
Lane Fox
Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely. And I know that all of your cast members felt the same way. There seems to be this general consensus about knocking. Like, it is the same thread, and that's incredible, especially in Hollywood.
- [33:58]
Jessica Meisel
And I think that's. I think that's the other thing I was thinking about. It's kind of. I hate to say it, but I think it is rare to find that in this industry somebody who. Who just doesn't seem to really care about the idea of celebrity. You know, he. He wanted to be. He always came across to me as someone who wanted to be a teacher and who wanted to make an impact. There was never any surface level conversation with Malcolm. It was always more profound and more meaningful. And like, for example, on. On days where we would have surgery scenes, we would usually have all of the surgery scenes packed into one day. And so they were very long days. And, you know, you get hot because you're in all the surgical gear and you get kind of cranky, but he never really did. And I remember we talked about.
- [34:49]
Lane Fox
He.
- [34:49]
Jessica Meisel
He talked about how he approaches each day with gratitude because he had gone through times in his life and in his career where there wasn't a job where he didn't have the work. And so he knew what it was like to not have that and in turn, made him grateful for when he did have it. And that was something that I'm always going to carry with me. And it would be something I'd have to remind myself in moments where I would feel a little tired and I wanted to go home, I'd be like, no, I need to be grateful that I am here today, and I'm always. I'm always going to carry that with me forever.
- [35:30]
Lane Fox
That's wonderful. Jessica, thank you for your time. Thank you for so welcome. Sharing all of that. We really appreciate you this evening over there in California. Wait, no, you're in Atlanta.
- [35:42]
Jessica Meisel
I'm in Atlanta.
- [35:43]
Lane Fox
Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right. We appreciate you. Thank you for wanting to be a part of this.
- [35:50]
Danny Vaughn
Thank you.
- [35:51]
Jessica Meisel
Thank you, guys.
- [35:52]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Thank you so much.
- [35:55]
Lane Fox
Bye. Bye.
- [35:55]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
That was beautiful. When I think she said, you know, the gratitude and, you know, that's how Malcolm started his day, with gratitude and the 10 things he's grateful for. And his gratitude walks, so.
- [36:09]
Lane Fox
That's right. His gratitude walks. Good morning walks. He would come in and say, oh, you know, I took. Or sometimes we'd be in the middle of a show at the beginning, you say, oh, you know, I got up this morning. I said, gratitude walk. And, you know, that's a. That's a big deal. That's a. It was just a wonderful day, a wonderful way for him to think of himself. It seemed to have a really, really good day. The show remember, y'? All, let's every single show with what's good, what's good, what's good, what's good. And sometimes I'd be like, it's 20, 25. Okay. I might have to work a little harder on what's good. But he would always encourage Nah, there's something good. There's something good. There's something good.
- [37:00]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Is there anybody in the audience who wants. Want to, you know, has anything to say? Also? We're, you know, this is live on YouTube as well, guys.
- [37:11]
Lane Fox
Yes, it is live on YouTube. It is live on all the. Not all. Who channels. There's a link where you can get in. Oh, do I see a doctor? Is that a Dr. Black?
- [37:22]
Danny Vaughn
Daniel. Dr. Daniel Black.
- [37:25]
Lane Fox
Dr. Daniel Black. I'm not sure if he knows who that he is on, but for anybody who is familiar with. With Hidden In Plain View, we heard about Malcolm playing the trumpet. Malcolm also taught himself to play the bass. Okay, now we know, right? Because y' all have been to some of his shows. He could play that bass like he was born different. So he taught himself the trumpet, taught himself the bass. But the reason I mentioned Dr. Black is because Dr. Black is on his album. But as well, he has been a mentor to Malcolm for many, many years. So much so he wasn't invited on the podcast. Not once, right, Troy?
- [38:07]
Danny Vaughn
Not twice.
- [38:10]
Lane Fox
But three times. Okay, so we know that this was some. This was someone who was highly respected because, as we said, he's been on the show three times, so we definitely have some video. And you can see why he has had such a profound effect.
- [38:24]
Candace Kelly
Yeah. You know, I can be like, I fucks with you. Right? With me.
- [38:33]
Lane Fox
Like that, with those words.
- [38:35]
Candace Kelly
But.
- [38:36]
Lane Fox
And.
- [38:37]
Candace Kelly
But what's so brilliant? And the reason I use this is because every time students have said it, they're horrified, right? They're absolutely horrified that they offended me. Like, oh, no, no. I was really saying that. You, my boy. This is my favorite class.
- [38:50]
Lane Fox
Oh, no.
- [38:51]
Candace Kelly
Don't get me wrong. I said, brother, I knew what you were saying.
- [38:54]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
And my mother was like, I don't care who pays the bills. I'm still the mama.
- [39:00]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
So the.
- [39:00]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
The first time I was able to find a place that had a dishwasher, we had a place with a dishwasher. I still loaded the dishes. But all of those church, like. Like that stuff. That stuff did not change. And my mother was very clear that nothing changes around here.
- [39:16]
Candace Kelly
I love that.
- [39:17]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
And that, obviously, that has served me absolutely. That kind of order.
- [39:20]
Candace Kelly
Absolutely.
- [39:21]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
I mean, you look at my journey and my life and where I am, like, that kind of order.
- [39:25]
Candace Kelly
Right. And that answers your question. Then when we circle back and that is your daughter has got to wash those same dishes, right? If.
- [39:32]
Troy Harris, Jr.
If.
- [39:33]
Candace Kelly
If we're going to get the fruit out of her, that we get out of this. So I tell My daughter.
- [39:37]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
I'm going to put this part on.
- [39:38]
Lane Fox
On. On loop.
- [39:40]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Every time I. Every time I hear that, it just makes me think of Malcolm, because I can't tell you. I only. You tell times. We've been in the middle of a conversation and Malcolm was washing dishes.
- [39:52]
Lane Fox
That's right. All right. I saw the good doctor getting ready, but, yeah, and, you know, the theme that we also heard and we were talking about that before, you know, is. Is his daughter. Right? You know, just those cherished moments. You know, I remember one night he said, you know, my daughter loves to sleep out in the backyard under a tent and watch the stars. So tonight we're going to be going to do that. And it was just wonderful to hear just everything that his daughter was doing and how he was so present in her life, very private about his family. We all remember the couple of times where she just couldn't. She could help herself. She had to come in because she drew a picture of all of us and she made a presentation and was like, I drew a picture. He was like, all right, this is a lost battle. Let me put her up on my lap. Let her show her picture. Explain some good drawings, too. She did that a couple of times, too. So you talk about daddy, little girl.
- [41:01]
Danny Vaughn
The times I remember, too, is when Malcolm would walk away to go do something, and she would just pop up from the bottom and just be on the zoo.
- [41:10]
Lane Fox
Just pop up. Just pop up. All right, I see Dr. Black. Dr. Black. We are getting Dr. Black's hope.
- [41:19]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Dr. Black.
- [41:20]
Lane Fox
There you go. Can y' all hear me? Yes.
- [41:25]
Candace Kelly
Okay. I'm trying to get away from this noise.
- [41:29]
Lane Fox
I see, I see, I see.
- [41:33]
Candace Kelly
Hold on.
- [41:34]
Lane Fox
I know what to do. I know what to do. Hey, listen, listen. We will wait. We will wait for the man who was on the show a few times.
- [41:44]
Candace Kelly
Oh, my goodness. Can y' all hear me now?
- [41:46]
Lane Fox
Yes. Yes. Oh, no. You're gonna wait for Dr. Black because you were revered. You are his mentor. You are someone who he highly respected, and, you know, he transitioned us all in with you, and, you know, it was really beautiful. I know that your insight is really going to take this to the next level about his impact not just on the world, which is what we're dealing with, but just on kind of the cultural trajectory that he was a part of. Even brought that to his family and his work at all times.
- [42:24]
Candace Kelly
Yes, yes, yes. Well, you know, I'd say a couple of things, and thank you all for. For including me in this platform. And it's very healing. I'm so grateful. And to all those who are listening, thank you all for gathering. Because in moments like this, we as African people, the strength of who we are is in each other. None of us carries the kind of strength to bear this kind of burden alone, right? In our distress, we gather. Because in gathering, we find power. And there are three quick things I'd like to say about Malcolm. One of those is that Malcolm believed in the power of the Word. He believed in the magic of poetry. He believed in the power of literature. He believed that words have life and words have life force. And he absolutely believed that a person could put words together was a person who could construct reality. He was. He. He believed that a person who knew vocabulary, who knew the expanse of. Of the human tongue was a person who. Who possessed the power to create. Which is why he was always playing with words, right? And so in my head, you know, in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And that word was Malcolm. And it always moved me how he absolutely believed that if we could say a thing right, that the words would do a work that human beings and human beingness could never, ever achieve. The second thing that I think is so beautiful about Malcolm is that he absolutely honored and worship a thing called fatherhood. In fact, the way we met Malcolm's mother, dear Mama Pam, read a book I wrote called Personalities. And she told Malcolm about. He called me, et cetera. And we started talking, and Malcolm was asking me about fatherhood and about, you know, how fatherhood works and. And what wisdom might I give him about being a father? And what was so is he was already an excellent daddy, right? But he was trying to figure out how to have no flaws at all as a father. He wanted to give his daughter a father that was so excellent and so pristine and so magnificent that she would find no fault in him. And as a black man, I thought that was just the. The most remarkable thing that a young black girl would get to grow up and say, I was raised by Christ, you know, somebody who was so careful about how he treated me and what he said to me and how he loved me and how he honored me and how he honored my mother. Right. His wife. And so Malcolm's commitment to fatherhood, I think, was something. I think it was literally something out of this world. And then the third thing that I want to say, which I think is so very, very, very, very important, is I think Malcolm transitioning in the water is so unbelievably, symbolically important. I think it's so important and to have done so in the ocean, where, for all practical purposes, our first ancestors reside. Those who were thrown overboard or those who lost their lives in the middle passage, right. In my imagination, those ancestors gathered and met him in the water, right? And literally dressed him and told him that he was needed in a realm greater and higher up than this realm. And so for me to understand what really has happened here and to really come to terms with knowing who Malcolm is, I think Malcolm thought of all of us. I think he literally thought of literally all of us on this platform. He thought. I feel like he thought of his mother and his daughter and his wife. I think he thought of all of us. And having been convinced that he could be more useful to us in the invisible, I think Malcolm surrendered. And what that means is he loved us. See, it's not just that he was a nice guy. He was that. He was that. He was absolutely that. But he loved us. And I think this is just my own feeling. I think Malcolm loved us so much that he agreed to go in order to move things in ancestral realm on our behalf while we were yet in this realm. I believe that. I believe it. It took me minutes to get there, but I absolutely believe, because I think his love for us, his love for black people, was so extraordinary, just so remarkable that I think. I think his moving was absolutely, positively a decision to. And to love us. And we'll see it. We will see it. If we'll keep our eyes open, will see the fullness of it. And so I honor you, brother Malcolm. I. I love you. I, I, I. I lift you up and I magnify you. And I thank you. I thank you. I thank you for what I know and what I don't know. But what I do know is I thank you. Thanks y'.
- [48:03]
Lane Fox
All. Listen, I want to say one thing. I think we have seen so much of it already. You know, I was speaking to someone, a reporter, and she said the story, when they posted it, got 4 million views. That was bigger than the Royal Wedding.
- [48:20]
Candace Kelly
Wow.
- [48:21]
Lane Fox
Just shocked. But it speaks about. It speaks to the impact and what you're talking about and how people are understanding and realizing the message that he was given. Because it was. It was strong, like you said, it was so strong. You were in his presence. You knew exactly what his mission was.
- [48:40]
Candace Kelly
Absolutely, absolutely. Absolutely. And thank y' all for giving me space on the platform. This. This helps, and it helps to heal me. So just thank y' all tremendously. Love you.
- [48:49]
Lane Fox
All right. Thank you. All right. I'll be back. Good to see you. Good. Doctor.
- [48:53]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Thank you, doctor.
- [48:55]
Candace Kelly
See y'.
- [48:55]
Lane Fox
All. Yeah, Yeah. I know that we. We have other people that, you know, want to speak. I know that the three of us. Could we. Yeah. Now, we've got stories for days, but we're going to give people a chance to speak. I've got a lot of people that have been DMing me, texting me, and really, I want to hear from other people because my story with him has been shared in different magazines and all that. So it's not about me on this night. We're all just kind of managing the folks who want to speak. All right. As we bring up someone. We were going into our second year of not our hood, interest had really grown. Troy. And you know, Troy, I know you African American studies. Right. That's your. And I just want you to speak to. Just kind of why you think the podcast, which again, came from Malcolm. Why do you think it resonated with so many people, especially to hear it through his voice?
- [50:04]
Danny Vaughn
That was a Malcolm's, I think kind of similar to, like, what Dr. Black just said. Like, when we gather in numbers is just powerful. You know what I mean? And I think being able to have a platform where we could speak about what we wanted to talk about while also not saying anything bad and just be 100% US was very important and is very important. Like, it's good for the platform we have because we're telling stories that aren't told off usually, you know, like you. The roles that Malcolm wouldn't take, normal roles and identifiers of us as a people. So I think having a different conversation and one that people could picture themselves happening at the living room, in the living room dining room table is very important.
- [50:54]
Lane Fox
Yeah, I'm sure you saw that, Lane, as we worked through guests, as we worked with people, real intentionality about what he wanted the show to look like. Because here's one thing that we know about Malcolm that he believed in legacy, knew the torch that he carried, and was not going to mess with that. I don't care how many times I suggested some other shows where weren't in. You know, they were playing all, you know, they were in all different types of roles. He would just say, no, no, I would never be on that show. I'm not interested. I don't care. Respectfully, though, some of these shows have some good fighting.
- [51:39]
Danny Vaughn
No, no, but respectfully. It was always respectfully, though.
- [51:44]
Lane Fox
Right, Right. Respectfully. Respectfully. What you're watching is bringing down the black race. I'd be like, okay. Respectfully, though.
- [51:59]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Yeah, I think Tori or something.
- [52:02]
Lane Fox
Yeah, yeah, we have somebody in the queue.
- [52:09]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
I don't see anyone on.
- [52:10]
Lane Fox
No, well, no, you know.
- [52:13]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Well, I. I do have a question. Somebody asked.
- [52:15]
Candace Kelly
They said, are you guys going to.
- [52:16]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Keep the podcast going?
- [52:18]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Absolutely. The podcast is. This is the conversations we were having about community. It was. It was big. That was the thing, right? It was. It was the first of all. We were supposed to be. We feel like we're in our living room, right? We're talking about the black experience. We're opening up the floor for the black experience. We want to talk to everyone. There are 47 million black people in America, and we wanted to actually live each person's experience. We wanted to hear everyone's voice. So are we going to keep this going? This was part of Malcolm's legacy, creating room for our voices and our stories and collective growth. So, you know, so we invite everyone to please stay engaged and subscribe to the conversation and join the conversation. Absolutely.
- [53:10]
Lane Fox
Yeah. I, you know, I think about what he would want, how you'd want it. I. I think he would be on a. Yes. To continue it, I will say I will have to have more internal conversations in around it. It's just, you know, it's just a process, you know, because going through the grief and have not fully, fully, fully thought about it yet, but I know how important creating a narrative is where we have choice. He would explain it that when we create these narratives about black people, we allow for greater humanity because we allow for other people to see us in a different way that they may not have ever seen, may not have ever interacted with someone of color so that now you tell a story that they're identifying with by flipping the channel or on a podcast, that that helps them see the humanity in someone else. And that is the power of storytelling. We were always talking about storytelling in some way, whether we were telling a story, whether it was a story that he said, you know, we talked about Broadway plays, movie suggestions. You know, there'd be a running list that we would share with each other about shows that we thought embodied what we wanted to see more of growing up. In that clip that we heard earlier, he said, you know, that there was just such a dearth of Black people on TV that we were just so thirsty for anybody on TV, we would have taken anything, but in 2025, we don't have to. And that was his point. That was his point.
- [54:55]
Candace Kelly
I have a quick pivot if you guys up to it or not.
- [54:58]
Lane Fox
Instead of zoom calls.
- [54:59]
Candace Kelly
We can.
- [54:59]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Might take phone calls.
- [55:01]
Lane Fox
Sure, absolutely. Let's do that. We really just want to hear the voice of folks. So let. Let us do that. Let us do that.
- [55:11]
Candace Kelly
Let me try to set it up.
- [55:12]
Troy Harris, Jr.
In the back end. And while I do that, you guys keep.
- [55:15]
Lane Fox
Sure, sure, sure. And we appreciate people hanging out with us. You know, this is the first time that we have all spoken collectively like this kind of. And more of a feeling of joy. Right, Troy? As opposed to. Well, this headline said this and this headline said that, and it was just distressing. And it really is not what Malcolm represented in terms of these headlines. And thinking of him in that way, very consuming. But this is the real story. This is the story that Malcolm, you know, definitely would have wanted been told. You know, Dr. Black was right. I remember Malcolm said to me, I really do hope, because I would talk about my father a lot. He passed a while ago, five years ago, but, you know, dear my father. And he said, wow, you know what? I hope that my daughter, just like Dr. Black said, I hope that my daughter reveres me the way that you revere your dad. Oh, I hope for that so much. I mean, he was. I mean, he. He was like, I'm going to get this perfect dad trophy. Watch me. I mean, really. He really, really, really, really was grounded in that gospel sex, and he really love.
- [56:37]
Troy Harris, Jr.
Oh, real quick, someone asked how you guys are doing?
- [56:45]
Lane Fox
Sorry, Lane. I. I appreciate that. I see the message there.
- [56:54]
Danny Vaughn
Go ahead, Lane. Lane had something surreal.
- [57:01]
Lane Fox
I kind of.
- [57:02]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Feel on my Dr. Black sentiment. There's also these ebbs and flows that, you know, it.
- [57:10]
Lane Fox
It's.
- [57:11]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
I'm digesting right now. I'm digesting. I had a lot more colorful language about it earlier this week, but it's. It's. I really am digesting. You know, we. Like I said, we spent a lot of time with Malcolm. You know, whether it was. So it feels like just seeing the three of us on the phone, there's a gap because there was always four of us on the phone. You know, whether it was. Or texting or going back and forth or throwing ideas. You know, I'd say I just told someone yesterday. I said, you know, when we got on the call, work call, that we were supposed to be going through, you know, think, you know, things we were supposed to digest through the podcast. 70 of the time, it was just. It was us shooting the. Excuse my language. And then the other 30 of the time, we might have got some work. Right. You know.
- [58:14]
Lane Fox
Yeah.
- [58:14]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Whether we came in with an agenda or not right. That's how it went. So there's.
- [58:20]
Lane Fox
I don't.
- [58:20]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
You know, I'm speechless.
- [58:24]
Lane Fox
Yeah.
- [58:27]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
And it takes a lot for me to be speechless.
- [58:31]
Lane Fox
Yes. Troy, I know that. I called you this morning just to check on. Just to check on you. I know I'm pretty on the spot here, you know, but it's good to share. There's really a collective healing that comes and sharing.
- [58:50]
Danny Vaughn
Yeah.
- [58:51]
Lane Fox
And, you know, just talk about being numb.
- [58:55]
Danny Vaughn
Yeah. So, you know, like. Like you just mentioned I'm kind of doing. I won't say I'm doing bad or good, but just kind of doing, you know, like Wayne just mentioned, too. It's like, I did the math. We've been doing this for about two years.
- [59:12]
Lane Fox
Years.
- [59:12]
Danny Vaughn
There's 52 weeks in a year. We talk at least once a year. That's a hundred times that, you know, we would talk and just be engulfed in each other's lives and just processing. Not being able to do that has been a bit difficult. But, you know, I try not to spill that out on everyone else. So I'm just doing. And just mentally doing the work, I guess you can say, to make sure that we continue to lift his legacy and do things like this, to make sure that we kind of help fill that void that people now have for what he provided. And I think that's the best way I can put it in word.
- [59:56]
Lane Fox
And, you know, it's a process. I mentioned that my dad had passed five years ago, but I just took a bereavement class this year because it just wasn't coming together. I just finished it at the beginning of April. And so when this happened, it triggered a lot. But, you know, I had a lot of downtime. But I am glad to be speaking in volumes about him in this way, because that's the good part. The good part was the light he did, you know, talking about storytelling. That's a good story. Malcolm's story is a good story. You know, there were a few other people who passed this week, and one of the headlines was, we're running through the scandals of Mr. Hulk Hogan. There's not going to be anything like that. That was actually one of the headlines. Here are the scandals of Hulk Hogan. I said, it's not going to be a headline like that for. For Malcolm. We're just not here. High, high standards. And the weight of what we are seeing now in terms of the cultural torch that he carries, you didn't see that on him. He really handled it beautifully. Like, it could have gone either way. But he. He handled it beautifully. I think Lane, from. From. From day one. Just. Let's get to work. Let's get to work.
- [61:26]
Troy Harris, Jr.
We have Kimberly in the green room. Let me add her in.
- [61:30]
Lane Fox
Okay. Yeah, let's add Kimberly Latrice Jones, who. I mean, friend to the show also. People know her as author, social activist. When her face comes on, you don't know it. Dots with Kimberly. So we really appreciate her coming on. Hey there. How are you? I'm grand.
- [61:54]
I
How are you guys?
- [61:56]
Lane Fox
All right. We are grand to see you. I know that Kimberly. Yeah. Friend to the show. In fact, you were booked to come back on. We were going to see you. Yeah, yeah. You know, I remember.
- [62:12]
Danny Vaughn
Hold on, Candace, real quick. I remember when it happened, Kim was like. She texted me right away, troy, I know it's not true. These tabloids are lying. I'm gonna see you guys on Friday. And I almost broke down. I forced myself to laugh, but I certainly almost broke now. I was like, oh, man, I love Kim.
- [62:30]
Lane Fox
Right? Right. Really? This can't be true. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, it hits hard for a number of different reasons. And I'm wondering about your friendship and his impact on you.
- [62:48]
I
Yeah, man.
- [62:51]
Lane Fox
Jesus. Yowza. I think this has been the hardest.
- [63:05]
I
Conversation is having to have this conversation with Yaozha. So when I went viral in 2020, I had a lot of people reach out to me and want to make connections with me and for me on the social justice journey. But I noticed, and this is my commentary on them. This is just life. A lot of people by the end of 21, definitely by mid 22, I've not seen. So they have been in rapid communication with me and maybe Even some in 2021, end of 21, mid 22.
- [64:02]
Jessica Meisel
They.
- [64:02]
I
Were no longer in communication with me, no longer at the forefront of their mind, and they definitely weren't trying to make a deeper connection because the high moment had died away. There's two people that I could think of who, in that moment, when they reached out to me in 2020, decided now, you, my friend, and I don't know if you noticed yet, but you, my friend, and this is. This is what it is like. Yeah, I reached out to you about that video, but you my sister now. So I want to know how you're doing. I want to know, as you continue to work for our people, you know, how you're feeling? Are you okay?
- [64:48]
Lane Fox
How can we support you?
- [64:50]
I
What can I do? How's your child? How's your life? Do you want to hang out? Do you Want to get a drink.
- [64:58]
Lane Fox
Come hang out with me?
- [65:00]
I
And of those two people, Malcolm was.
- [65:02]
Lane Fox
One of them.
- [65:06]
I
Because he really did care about the conditioning of his people.
- [65:14]
Troy Harris, Jr.
So.
- [65:19]
I
Making a connection with me was not a fleeting thing for him. It was not the cool thing to do in 2020 when everybody was trying to be woke. It was a genuine connection.
- [65:36]
Lane Fox
And.
- [65:39]
I
You know, recently I had a medical issue. I had a seizure, and I. I made a post in my Instagram stories, and I was just like, y', all, I've had this issue. I, you know, live. I've lived with epilepsy, you know, for 30 years, and I have not had a seizure in probably 10 years. And now I've had three back to back, and I need to get a handle on that and figure out, you know, what I need to do. And I know that first steps is dieting and exercising and getting in better health, and that will help me to fight my epilepsy. And the first text message I got, which is the last text message I got from him was from Malcolm, and.
- [66:28]
Lane Fox
I'm sorry.
- [66:33]
Danny Vaughn
It's okay. Take your time. It's okay.
- [66:38]
I
And just the care and the concern, and not just, like, the lip service, care, concern that people give, like, the actual, like, what do you need me to do? Do you need me to bring juice to your house, like, as you're on this journey? What do you need me to do, sis, to make sure you're okay? And his last statement was, because I need. He was a real friend. And so, yeah, it's just the genuineness of his spirit. And I know people are talking a lot about his creativity, which was so much him, and it's so beautiful. But the thing that. To your point that you were making before I came on, I love that so much of the content right now is about his character.
- [67:58]
Lane Fox
Strong, strong character that you could really sense from one conversation. Really good. Genuine.
- [68:15]
I
So genuine. So genuine.
- [68:22]
Lane Fox
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, we talk about, you know, the seriousness and, you know, how can I help you with. With you know, the drinks, this and all that, but he was funny. He was funny. It catch my guard, like, what you just saw.
- [68:39]
I
I told. I told Lane the other day. I said, I am. I am usually the person who could find the funny when somebody transitions, because that's always been my thing, even. I just gave a eulogy at my best friend's service a couple months ago, and I, like, started the eulogy by the saying they were playing, like, this sad organ music, and I was like, you all don't need to Play that for me because I ain't going to be safe. I was telling Lane the other day, I said one of the things that I'm getting a kick out of and it is making me capital. And me and Yanaja, I was laughing about it and I was talking to Lane about it. I was like, yo, my favorite thing right now, all the conspiracy theories around his transition.
- [69:19]
Lane Fox
Because Malcolm loved conspiracy theories all the time. And I was like, I saw under.
- [69:29]
I
One of the conspiracy theories, the people were under there like, this is ridiculous. He's passed on.
- [69:33]
Lane Fox
Cut it out.
- [69:34]
I
I'm like, I wanted to comment so bad, but I kept it to myself.
- [69:37]
Lane Fox
I wanted to be like, no, don't cut it out. He would love it so much that there was so many conspiracy theories about him.
- [69:43]
I
I told Lane I found one where.
- [69:45]
Lane Fox
They said a mermaid took him. I'm like, he would love that. Oh, my goodness. Kimberly, Kimberly. You know what's funny? Because when I first heard it and I got the call and I said, first of all, I just texted him yesterday. So, no. And number two, we have sat in that podcast studio and saw Malcolm when he died twice. He pulled it up. He was right there, saw Malcolm, £500. Malcolm was £500, in a wheelchair and a double amputee. I was like, I reject. And yeah, no, I'm not sure why you're calling me, but I. I reject because I've seen him die before. Twice. No, that's why I texted Detroit.
- [70:37]
I
I was like, they gotta cut this out. This is starting to get out of hand. People actually believe this one.
- [70:41]
Danny Vaughn
Believe this.
- [70:42]
Lane Fox
Yeah, exactly, exactly, exactly, exactly.
- [70:47]
I
I think I'm gonna just start going online. I'll make myself a dummy account and I'm just gonna make up a bunch of conspiracies and spread them around.
- [71:00]
Lane Fox
That's gonna be trending now, Kimberly, because even I'm like, I gotta get to cuckoo on that one. Oh, my goodness.
- [71:10]
Kimberly Latrice Jones
Oh, he just gave validation to the person who posted that.
- [71:18]
I
Whoever post about the mermaid.
- [71:28]
Lane Fox
Listen, we want to thank you for bringing, like you said, something genuine just about him, not about all the accolades, you know, that we hear that collectively, we culturally hold him in that space, but really just about him. That actually deserves a lot of accolades in and of itself for the person that he was becoming, was. And worked it hard at just being better. All in the name, really, of humanity. He would literally say those words, that we have a greater humanity when we reach out and, and, and collect ourselves around each other and tell the truth. So, Kim, thank you. I'm going down the rabbit hole today. I'mma text you and be like, I'm gonna send you some mermaid stuff. Send me all these series. Send them all out of them.
- [72:26]
I
You.
- [72:26]
Lane Fox
You guys take care of yourselves.
- [72:28]
Jessica Meisel
I will.
- [72:29]
Lane Fox
Be seeing yourself. Thank you, Kel.
- [72:32]
I
You too.
- [72:32]
Lane Fox
Thank you for making us laugh. All right, see you next time. See you next time in Atlanta.
- [72:39]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
Amazon Pharmacy presents painful thoughts. 20 more minutes to kill in the pharmacy before my prescription is ready. Maybe I'll grab some deeply discounted out of season Halloween candy. I never had a chocolate pumpkin with red raisins before. Those were raisins, right? Next time use Amazon Pharmacy.
- [73:02]
Troy Harris, Jr.
We deliver.
- [73:03]
Malcolm Jamal Warner
And no, those were not raisins. Amazon Pharmacy Healthcare just got less painful.