Mysonne | ROC Solid w/ Memphis Bleek

Summary

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ROC Solid with Memphis Bleek

Guest: Mysonne | Episode Date: July 21, 2026

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Overview

In this episode of ROC Solid, hip-hop artist and activist Mysonne joins Memphis Bleek for a raw, real conversation about the intersection of hip-hop and activism, the divisions within the culture, the Target boycott, the Kaepernick/NFL/Jay-Z controversy, and the need for more unity and positivity among Black artists. The episode moves seamlessly between personal reflection, cultural critique, and untold behind-the-scenes stories, keeping the tone honest, supportive, and at times, humorous.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Clearing the Air: Activism and "Selective Jay-Z Rage"

Timestamps: 02:44–05:53

• Memphis Bleek and Mysonne address recent misunderstandings about activism, specifically around Jay-Z’s role and Bleek’s alleged criticism of activists.
• Bleek admits his comments were made in frustration and were not meant to disrespect activism:
  "That's not what I think. I'm all the way behind what you're doing. Like, y'all been at the front line for every movement we had out here." (05:17–05:30)
• Mysonne explains his motivation for becoming an activist, rooted in his experiences with incarceration and witnessing systemic injustices against Black and Latino men.

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2. Hip-Hop and Activism: Hand in Hand

Timestamps: 06:32–09:13

• Music and activism are described as inseparable in the Black community.
• The influence of Jay-Z, Nas, and other icons as inspirations for activist work is emphasized.
• Mysonne points to Jay-Z’s silent contributions to the movement, underscoring the media’s tendency to ignore the community-building work done behind closed doors.
• The idea of “selective rage” is coined:
  "It's selective rage with these people, man, because they just pick him [Jay-Z] because he's the biggest target." (08:50–08:57)

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3. Target Boycott and Community Mobilization

Timestamps: 09:13–12:36

• The debate over the Target boycott and Jay-Z’s alleged involvement is unpacked.
• Mysonne clarifies that the boycott was powered by the people, not any behind-the-scenes deals:
  "The people decided. People said what Black people say, yo, we spend a bunch of money in Target... if y'all gonna take DEI away, we gonna boycott." (10:02–11:10)
• Over $5 billion in losses to Target are mentioned as evidence of the effectiveness of unified action.
• Both emphasize the importance of targeted, strategic protest, using the Montgomery Bus Boycott as an example.

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4. Conflict and Division Within Hip-Hop

Timestamps: 12:53–17:25

• The culture’s self-destructive tendencies are laid bare:
  "All they do all day is shoot at each other. Go from one [platform] to another. If this one drops an album, it's critique." (13:05–13:35)
• The conversation explores how younger generations inherited divisiveness from hip-hop’s past, while modern platforms (and algorithms) reward controversy over positivity.
• Bleek asks:
  "What podcast do you see that's positive? That's amplifying other people, that's going viral?” (15:15–15:51)
• Both agree that platforms promoting positivity get less attention than those focused on beef.

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5. The Incentivization of Conflict in Hip-Hop Media

Timestamps: 17:25–26:33

• Talk turns to internet personalities—Akademiks, Wack 100, Charleston White—and their impact.
• Mysonne sees a parallel with old-school shock jocks, but Bleek calls out the lack of balance:
  "I had this conversation with Flip. Tell me one thing positive that AK has done for Hip-Hop." (24:54–25:07)
• They highlight the algorithm’s bias for controversy, noting a lack of positive viral content and criticizing a culture where one’s value is judged by viral beef, not constructive contribution.

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6. Media Control and Challenges Creating Black-Owned Platforms

Timestamps: 27:21–29:17

• Bleek and Mysonne discuss the backlash Jay-Z faced with Tidal, noting the repeated obstacles in building Black-owned distribution and media platforms.
• Bleek:
  "Heavy is the head that wears the fur. You doing something different. You going against the structure." (27:39–27:51)

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7. Skepticism Toward Black Leadership & Internal Community Critique

Timestamps: 29:17–31:08

• The phenomenon where Black leaders are inevitably labeled "sellouts" is explored.
• Mysonne recalls Harry Belafonte’s enduring mentorship and how generational fatigue erodes activist energy.
• "You don't realize all this shit he sacrificed; the average have never sacrificed like Muhammad Ali." (29:57–30:07)
• Bleek shares:
  "Every person that fought for us was a sellout." (28:40–28:50)

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8. The Kaepernick/NFL/Jay-Z Controversy: Inside Perspective

Timestamps: 30:08–37:46

• Bleek expresses confusion about criticism of Jay-Z for working with the NFL post-Kaepernick, questioning why more blame isn’t placed on Kap’s own teammates or the league’s players.
• Mysonne gives an insider’s chronology: his organization’s pivotal role in the protests, Kaepernick’s sudden disengagement from activist communications, and his perspective on Kap’s NDA/settlement.
  • "If you put your face...on the line to stand with a [person] and he just disappeared into thin air...That just didn't make sense to me." (36:09–37:46)
• The duo calls for nuance instead of scapegoating Jay-Z; both stress the importance of communication and transparency in movements.

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9. Grace, Disagreement, and Control of Narrative

Timestamps: 42:32–46:55

• Mysonne and Bleek agree it’s OK to disagree with public figures—even those you love.
• “We don’t give our people no grace...We just look at...if a [guy] got five championships and he lose one game, he’s a bum.” (43:10–43:27)
• The lack of narrative control within the Black community is called out as a root problem, as is the double standard in how white and Black figures are treated by media and the system.

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10. Unity over Division: Ending Hip-Hop Beef

Timestamps: 47:09–51:13

• They reflect on the tradition of keeping only one person at the top, which fuels unnecessary conflict.
• Bleek:
  "It's because they've taught our culture that can only be one person at the top. So I gotta shoot at you." (47:33–47:56)
• The emotional impact of the Jay-Z and Nas reconciliation is recounted:
  "Literally had a tear in my eye…that was hip-hop." (50:33–50:41)
• Both agree the culture has space for more than one legend to coexist and succeed.

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11. Mysonne’s Activism, Future Projects, and Youth Empowerment

Timestamps: 51:35–54:57

• Mysonne shares his ongoing work on criminal justice reform and his vision for “centers” (more than schools) to help young Black boys find direction through career coaching, sports, mentors, and holistic education.
• Personal stories drive home why alternative models are vital:
  "My third grade teacher told me I'd be dead before I was 18... if we don't got us teaching us, then we doomed to fail." (53:13–53:27)

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12. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I gotta speak my truth and let people know, you know, that was out of anger. And that's not what I think. I’m all the way behind what you're doing.” — Memphis Bleek (05:14)
• “Activism and hip hop is hand in hand. It can’t—it’s never going to work without each other.” — Mysonne (08:23)
• “They divide and conquer. Oh, he think this. And this is his ideology. And y' all beefing with each other now. We not beefing with each other.” — Bleek (12:02)
• “If the playing field is even, we gonna win every time. That’s a fact.” — Mysonne (54:47)
• “I literally had a tear in my eye...This is Jay-Z and Nas on stage. And that's what this is.” — Bleek (50:33–50:41)

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Timestamps for Significant Segments

| Timestamp | Topic / Quote | |-----------|----------------------------| | 02:44 | Mysonne Introduction & Bleek's Public Clarification | | 05:53 | Mysonne on Transition to Activism | | 08:50 | “It's selective rage with these people...” | | 10:54 | Target Boycott Deep Dive | | 13:05 | On Self-Destructive Hip-Hop Media | | 15:15 | “What podcast do you see that's positive...” | | 24:54 | Bleek on Akademiks & Toxic Platforms | | 27:39 | Jay-Z’s Challenges with Tidal and Black-Owned Platforms | | 29:57 | “You don't realize all this shit he sacrificed; the average have never sacrificed like Muhammad Ali.” | | 30:08 | Kaepernick/NFL/Jay-Z Controversy | | 36:09 | “He was the general of the army and left the army in the trenches…”| | 43:10 | “We don’t give our people no grace…” | | 47:33 | “It's because they've taught our culture that can only be one person at the top...”| | 50:33 | The Jay-Z & Nas Moment at Yankee Stadium | | 53:13 | Mysonne's School Story & Mission for Youth Centers | | 54:47 | “If the playing field is even, we gonna win every time.” |

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Final Reflections

This episode, through spirited debate, clarifies major misconceptions and drills down on what truly stands between hip-hop, activism, and community progress: miscommunication, media manipulation, old patterns of division, and a lack of grace. Mysonne and Memphis Bleek demonstrate what unity and honest dialogue look like and call for hip-hop to reclaim its roots of uplifting, not tearing down.

Key Takeaway:

"I want to see us start promoting the positivity...We gotta bring it back to lifting each other up, because when we do, everyone wins." — Memphis Bleek (27:02)

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ROC Solid is available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Stay ROC solid.

Transcript

[Memphis Bleak]

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[DJ Envy]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Sam J]

All?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy from the Breakfast Club. I'm not gonna lie, I'm hyped right now. I'm getting ready to hit the red carpet tonight with my guy Curtis, 50 Cent Jackson, and the cast for the premiere of Starz new series Fightland. This one's a family crime drama mixed with boxing. Real pressure, real revenge, all in and out of the ring. I'm excited to see it first on that red carpet. And trust me, you're gonna want in on this too. Fight Fightland drops July 31st only on Starz. Again, you're gonna wanna see this. Fightland drops July 31st only on Starz.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Hey, Portlandia fans, Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here.

[Fred Armisen]

The dream of the 90s is alive in podcast form.

[Carrie Brownstein]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together. Breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words, but a song about.

[Memphis Bleak]

Well, I thought you were all going to write a song.

[Carrie Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts or. Or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Raider of the Lost Podcast Host]

On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on project Hail Mary.

[Memphis Bleak]

It was like the Jaws shark didn't always work, came with its own problems.

[Mice]

That's what made it great.

[Raider of the Lost Podcast Host]

The cast of Obsession on set, there was so much magic happening with each scene. We were putting together deep dives into classics like 2001 A Space Odyssey or, or Fight Club, plus weekly Episodes on all industry news, Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow @raidersoftheloss podcast and @TikTok podcast network on TikTok.

[Lele Pons]

Rock Solid.

[Memphis Bleak]

Solid.

[Lele Pons]

Rock Solid. Solid.

[Mice]

Yeah, y', all, you already know what it is. Yours truly back with another exclusive episode of Rock Solid Podcast. Yo, listen. This one right here is special because I watched this brother come up in the game along with myself. He was definitely one of my peers spitting. One of the guys I listened to him was like, ain't no way he that nice. I gotta go in the crib and burn these niggas. How these niggas all from the Bronx in Harlem get this nice. What the hell are they eating up there? I watched this man transition not only from one of the best spitters in hip hop, but doing the major, major service for the community that we need. And I definitely invited my brother here. Let's welcome my son to the building. What's up, my brother?

[Memphis Bleak]

What's happening to you?

[Mice]

How you doing, man? Yo, first, before we start, I want to just say I want to apologize to the whole activism community, everybody that's pushing the culture, moving the community forward. My words might have been taken the wrong way. I might said them the wrong way, because I definitely didn't mean activism. That's what we need. We wouldn't have greats like Malcolm X and all other greats. We have, like Martin Luther King and everybody else you haven't read about in the history books. My thing was selective Jay Z activism. That was my words. Because the homie I was speaking to, I think his name is Mousey or Mouse. He had me hot mice.

[Memphis Bleak]

I see, I seen. And that's why, you know, I went on the post and I seen it. And, you know, people send you everything, especially because, you know, they want to cause the conflict. When I seen it, I'm like, I know bleak. And I could tell that there's a level of frustration.

[Mice]

Ooh. I was. I was at the boys.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's frustration, you know? And I know being part of Rockefeller, I'm not even part of Rockefeller. And people act like I'm part of Rockefeller. So, you know what I'm saying? I'm supposedly getting paid by. So I know the frustration, you know? And I'm listening to you, and I'm like, nah, bleak don't mean that. It's just a level of frustration.

[Sam J]

And.

[Memphis Bleak]

And he's saying, fuck everybody that's going that jam Tired of N going, that's my big bro right there.

[Mice]

And that wasn't my point, like, what it was. It's like, first of all, I haven't done interviews in a minute since I got my own podcast. I haven't been sitting down with anybody because I felt like any point I wanted to get across, I said here. But being that I had music out, we just shut down Yankee Stadium. I went up there, I had no clue they was going to throw in the target. Kaepernick. So, you know, my natural defense mechanism always going to kick in. When it come down to my homies, I'm going to defend first and think later, you know what I'm saying? And then when I sat back and watched it, I'm like, damn, you could have said that a little different. Could have said this a little different. That's why, definitely, when you reached out, it's like mice is the perfect person to bring up here so I could speak my truth and let people know, you know, that was out of anger. And that's not what I think. I'm all the way behind what you doing. Like, y' all been at the front line for every movement we had out here, man. Anything that been going down in our community, you've been on the front line. And me, from a fan's perspective or watching you rap, I wanna know, like, what was the transition? What inspired you to even, like, be like, yo, I'm. I'm. This what I'm gonna do?

[Memphis Bleak]

I mean, I think for me, it was just actually being involved in multiple facets, Right? Being in the streets, being incarcerated, coming home, just understanding the seriousness of what we're dealing with. I think first it started with being incarcerated and knowing how many of us in those cells, especially young black and Latino men, right? And it was like, you know what? I've been in the streets, and I know how they have tricked us, you know, and we brought into the wrong thing. So I wanted to come home and change that narrative.

[Mice]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleak]

And tell these kids the truth about what's going on. Right? These. They got a whole structure that is designed to keep us inside of themselves and keep us, you know, away from anything that's positive, you know? So that's why when we talk about activism and we have these conversations about activism, and a lot of people don't really understand the whole level of activism, you know? And that's what I was trying to tell. I'm like, bleak is not coming from a perspective of. He's saying, fuck activism. He's coming from A perspective of people who are being attacked, especially when you in alignment. I'm attacked.

[Mice]

Like, I see it, like, literally, I'm

[Memphis Bleak]

on the front line doing work and. And people attacking me like, yo, you not for the community. You, the boule, and you with the Lumen. All types of. So I understand the frustration, but I do this work because it comes from my heart.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Right. So when I'm. When I'm watching and I'm seeing how people utilize and they try to tear us apart, they try to divide and conquer.

[Mice]

Definitely.

[Memphis Bleak]

Right. And that's what happens. And I'm watching all of these things every day, and I'm seeing how they attack Jay and they attack this, and they play the Jay and Kaepernick and they play the Rockefeller and everybody situation, and we gotta just be a little bit smarter. Right? Because they know how to say, well, what about this? And what about this? And sometimes you just gotta take a breath and just say, because we have each other's number. Right. Like, so when they talk about activism and they talk about this and that, you should say, I'm gonna have a conversation with my son about that.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because I have. I got that man's direct contact. That's one of my brothers. And I think that's. That's what it is, because they definitely try to play this. They try to play us against each other. But I'm. My activism comes from what Jay has done.

[Mice]

Right?

[Memphis Bleak]

When Jay was talking about show you how to move in a room full of vultures.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

When Jay was talking about the indigenous trading. It need to be taken over. When he talk about. I ain't. No, you're talking.

[Mice]

That.

[Memphis Bleak]

That. That was what said. I know hip hop has a place in activism because I listen to Jay. Right. Because I follow Jay and Nas and those. And brothers like that. So activism and hip hop is. Is hand in hand. It can't. It's never going to work without each other.

[Mice]

Definitely.

[Memphis Bleak]

So that's why we got to be. We got to understand. And that's why when people tell me about, yo, Jay did this, and I'm like, well, y' all don't even know a lot of the shit that Jay has done for the movement. Silently see that?

[Mice]

But that's why I say it's selective rage with these people, man. Because they just pick him because he's the biggest target.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Mice]

You know what I'm saying? But all of us, my G. I could walk. If you want to purchase an album right now. If you're not. If, like, physically purchase an album, I'm not talking about buy it from Apple, stream it on Tidal or Spotify. I'm talking about physical copy of an album. Where are you going to go, bro?

[Memphis Bleak]

No. And those are things that the average person doesn't know. Right? So. Because they don't know that it's people like us that explain that, because I'm gonna have a conversation when they say you're talking. Because literally, we called the boycott.

[Mice]

Yes.

[Memphis Bleak]

Tamika was the first person. I mean, Senator Nina Turner, Tamika and Jamal Bryant, they was the forefront of the boycott. So when. When that happened, and they say Jay did a deal with Target. I'm reaching out to people that's in round niggas, because we family. So I'm like, what's going on? And they like, this ain't no exclusive deal. This. This is the regular place that all of the records go. Everybody's music is there. We didn't have no exclusive deal with Target. So those are messages that we. That's why y' all gotta utilize. That's why I'm trying to say they can't divide us.

[Mice]

Definitely.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what. That's what the game is. I'm telling you. They divided. Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King. They divided. QEP. Imagine if Huey pulled Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, James. All of them was together. They couldn't. They couldn't do nothing with him. And that's. We in a moment right now where there's so much power. Well, when you. When you go to the Yankee Stadium and you see Jay z got over 40,000 people in the building. Right? This is historic. That means that he got the ears of the people, right? And they know that we have the streets, we have the people. That's that really on the front lines of the civil rights movement. They know that when we make a decision and we decide that, listen, we're gonna get behind the people because we work for the people. We don't. We don't call no boycotts because the people called the Target boy. Because let's really be clear, the people decided that Target was the target.

[Mice]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

So when people ask like, yo, why Target? Why not Google? Why not? The people decided. People said what? Black people say, yo, we spend a bunch of money in Target. We. We damn near treat Target like it's the club, especially black women. They going in there for seven to eight hours.

[Mice]

That's up to you.

[Memphis Bleak]

So y' all telling us that y' all gonna take Dei away from us after all the money and the time we spend it. Y'.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All.

[Memphis Bleak]

We gonna boycott y' all because we know that we're gonna directly impact it.

[Mice]

Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

And that's why over $5 billion they lost in that.

[Mice]

Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

So when. Act wise. Because we knew that we can impact that. We can't boycott. There's no boycott in history has ever been successful boycotting everybody. So there has to be a direct target. When you talk about boycotts, the Montgomery boycott, they boycotted one place. It was a bunch of places that was racist against black people. But now they said, yeah, we going to direct all this energy in one place. And he was able to move the needle and make the. The. The boycott. The Montgomery Bus Company say, look, y' all ain't getting on the back of the bus.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

So everything is a strategy, and we understand that, and that's why we got to you. We need to utilize y'.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

All.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, when we come to y' all and be like, yo, listen, this is going on, we need something to be amplified when you. We need you to get up here and say some shit the same way we got a piggyback. We can't let these people trick us, because that's what they've been doing for years. They divide and conquer. Oh, he think this. And this is his ideology. And y' all beefing with each other now. We not beefing with each other now. We got one of the biggest hip hop artists in the world who've been funding this movement, who've been behind this movie, silently doing shit for this movement for years. We not gonna let y' all separate us, even if we don't agree on everything. Because we humans. Exactly. My best friend, my mommy and my mother used to have all this.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause me and my best friends have all. It's not human nature, but we understand that we trying to get blacks to the places we supposed to be. That's right. And that's where we intersect that. So we're not gonna. I'm not letting y' all trick us out of that.

[Mice]

And you saying that that's why I love the movement. You have Boycott Black Murder.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's right.

[Mice]

Because I believe we are our biggest

[Memphis Bleak]

enemy at some point.

[Mice]

We are, bro. Like, it's. No, it's like me, like, just off of hip hop. I'm gonna keep it hip hop. I'm not even gonna dive deep into the streets.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Mice]

With us, because that's a whole nother wormhole. But just in hip hop. Right. If you look at all these platforms and everybody who has a podcast streaming network, or whatever you want to call it, or whatever they call itself, all they do all day is shoot at each other. You go from one is on this one, it's on that one. And if this one drop an album is critique them. Yo, this young boy. This nigga too old. This nigga young. He can't do it. No platform is big enough. Our. Our culture. But they say hip hop is dying.

[Memphis Bleak]

But why do you think that is? Tell me what you think it is.

[Mice]

I don't know what I believe it is is just natural instinct from what they believe the culture generation before them was. Because our generation, like, think about it. The J. Nas, you know what I mean? Cash money, no limit, never linked up. The. You know what I mean? Like, it was a lot of separation thing. If I think the only link up back then really was the Hard Knock Life tour. You know what I'm saying? Other than that. And what was that? The smoke. The Dr. Dranum tour. Smoke. But that was more of the Upping Smoke tour. That was more of the Death Row Records tour, or what they were. But back then, it was no what you would call up. Like, we didn't click up. We didn't link up. We didn't collaborate a lot. So I think the youth now and the streamers took that energy from music and put it on these platforms to where they just spread instead of rapping. I don't fuck with or these niggas. It's being sad now. And they dividing Artists think they divided fan bases, bro.

[Memphis Bleak]

They did, but it's like, but you got to think about this. And I'm not saying I disagree with you, but just even. And then I'm gonna bring it back to Jay because Jay said, truthfully, I want to rhyme like common sense. I sold 5 mil. I ain't riding with common sense. And the reality is that we live in a culture where the algorithm don't push the positivity. When we pushing each other together. If we not. If you not shooting at somebody else, it don't go viral. You do not see a viral clip of somebody celebrating somebody else or somebody bigging somebody else. Who.

[Sam J]

What.

[Memphis Bleak]

What podcast do you see that's positive? That's amplifying other people? That's bringing up. Amplifying people that's going viral. They don't do the clips that go viral. Ain't the evening Nori's podcast, right? Nori be up there and he. He. The first thing he do is, I'm bringing you up there with your flowers, I want to give you your flowers. They don't show that part. They show when he having a conversation and a person is saying that they had a conflict with somebody else. That's this culture that they created. They made it so that you cannot financially benefit off of nothing in our culture unless there is some conflict.

[Mice]

I don't, I don't think so tell me. So tell me that's true. Because this platform, rock solid. We don't bash no one here.

[Memphis Bleak]

But I'm just trying to say, ok, do you think that you get the same views as somebody that's bashes? No.

[Mice]

Hell no.

[Memphis Bleak]

And that's what I'm trying to say.

[Mice]

Hell no, it ain't. I don't forget a third of the views.

[Memphis Bleak]

So that's what I'm saying. So but you, if you was up here, if you was up here, controversial, saying, yo, these people. Yeah, you'll be going viral.

[Mice]

Triple the numbers.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because that's what they want to see. And it's not even. I don't think it's our nature. We don't want to beef with no. You think you want to sit around and beef with. I don't want to have no. And that's why my podcast, it's steadily just doing what it does because we don't sit up there and promote negativity. Exactly how blacks gonna move, how Latinos and us should be together, all of these things.

[Mice]

And that's my thing. I try to give out game to the youngins. Like if any youngins or even people my age that feel like. Cause you never too old to get it right, you know what I'm saying? So I made mistakes. So I try to be here and be transparent as possible with people and let them know, like nobody's perfect. I definitely wasn't. You know what I'm saying? And I made mistakes. These is the moves we made to correct them. And this is what I'm into. So I use this plat platform definitely to uplift not only my hip hop partners and my peers, but just like the community. Because I want these niggas to understand, like, I don't have to hate you to get money. That's where they. I think it's confusion where they think because you making all the money right now for me to get bread, I gotta, I gotta target you. And that's not bro. They burn money every year. They print and burn money every day.

[Memphis Bleak]

The average person, they don't see where the positive is beneficial.

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[Memphis Bleak]

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[Sam J]

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[Sam J]

And honestly, that hundred dollars back, I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

That's how you do summer.

[Sam J]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 250 reasons. Find yours

Savings based on the value of benefits included with experience beyond like entertainment and one year of AAA classic and dashpass on us benef require activation C plan for details get $100 via virtual prepaid MasterCard with eligible ported, no cash access and expires in six months. Issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC.

[Memphis Bleak]

Allow eight weeks what's up fam?

[Ari Chambers]

I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[Mice]

All?

[Sam J]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I heart women's sports because, let's

[Sam J]

be real, women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days.

[Ari Chambers]

So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii.

[Sam J]

My first thought is like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we?

[Memphis Bleak]

What are we eating?

[Ari Chambers]

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire

[Sam J]

timeline and the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalenka.

[Sam J]

Shout outs to you, Naomi, you get the Palm.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi, you get the Palm for that.

[Sam J]

Because we're not just interested in what happened, we're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to Everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Fred Armisen]

Hey, Portlandia fans.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Carrie Brownstein and Fred Armisen here, you know us.

[Fred Armisen]

Or rather, you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance. Spike and yes, the Chicken.

[Carrie Brownstein]

We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves to tell you about Podlandia. AO Rew Brand new podcast.

[Fred Armisen]

Each week we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the backstories of our most iconic characters, revisiting the Portland locations you know and love and Opening up about our creative process.

[Carrie Brownstein]

How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised, not just words, but a song about.

[Memphis Bleak]

Well, I thought he was gonna write. I thought you were all gonna write a song.

[Carrie Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that.

[Fred Armisen]

Listen to Podlandia Ayo rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lele Pons]

My first guest is Paris Hilton, Shakira, Luke and Yerin Samira E. I'm so excited.

[Memphis Bleak]

On the bouncy bed, you have surprises, many surprises.

[Lele Pons]

Welcome to Suite 305 where the group

[Memphis Bleak]

chat comes to life.

[Lele Pons]

What up?

[Memphis Bleak]

Hola, amiga. Hola, mejo amiga.

[Lele Pons]

Hola. What up?

[Fred Armisen]

Yes, se mi amante.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oof.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Oof.

[Lele Pons]

You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst. This is Sweet 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons as part of my cultura podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Memphis Bleak]

And that's what I had this conversation

[Mice]

because I see it with you, but you see it with D1.

[Memphis Bleak]

But listen, D1, even though D1 is controversial is because he's going at somebody else, right? Even though it's positive, he's saying that. This person right here is saying negative. So they promote the beef. They're not really promoting that. He's positive because when he's just saying, yo, we need to change what we doing in hip hop, this and that. If he don't say a name that's attached to ain't nothing, he. And unfortunately he realizes that and that's what happens. And a lot of. A lot of people said to themselves, damn, I've been trying to do it the right way a long time. So let me just pick up a beat.

[Mice]

I got.

[Memphis Bleak]

I got dudes who built their whole life on YouTube talking about me. I never respond, never had a conversation. But just because they built a website or whatever and decided they was going to talk about me, people tune in every week and it's strangest shit to me.

[Mice]

And.

[Memphis Bleak]

But, but that's what the culture has celebrated because that's where the money is, is the fact that you got, like, academics in them that do nothing but talk about people. And they literally have been rated the top hip hop. What the fuck he ever did in hip hop? Just think, just you think about how funny that is.

[Mice]

Yo, I feel you.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's crazy to me. We was born in hip hop like we was bred. We, I went from battles in the park, I battled dmx, I bet anybody you name, you know, we had to go through. We had to go through the trenches. I know everything about hip hop from the 80s. That man don't know nothing about hip hop. I don't know. But he could get on a platform and just talk and create beef with niggas. And they say that he dictates what hip hop is. So that's what I'm saying.

[Mice]

We in a fucked up place, bro. If that's what dictates hip hop, boy, we are in a fucked up place.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what it is.

[Mice]

I ain't gonna lie. I see the clips of act. I really don't pay attention. Some of them are entertaining. Some of them I do listen to. I'm not gonna lie. Entertaining, of course, because when he talking that hood gang shit, I don't get in that because that's not his life. So I don't like when promote something they don't know nothing about.

[Memphis Bleak]

But it's. But only clips you see is when he's talking about somebody else. No, there's never a clip you see where he's just giving you clips where

[Mice]

he breaking down the music.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, but he's breaking down the music. And he always be like, well, this is not that good. And that person is this good. And he can't compete with that because he always needs some conflict for the clips to go viral.

[Mice]

But.

[Memphis Bleak]

And they figured that out.

[Mice]

I'm not defending act. Don't, don't, don't. I want nobody to take that the wrong way because I want to have a sit down with him. The way he shoot at my team too. I want to have that.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't even want to sit down.

[Mice]

But listen, but this is my thing, right? But I think the people like academics whack 100. A lot of people might not understand them and get their message to Charleston whites. To me, they're needed, bro. They're needed. They're the new generation. Wendy Williams starring Buck Wild, Ms. Jones. It's the same thing. They were just on the airwaves.

[Memphis Bleak]

But I don't think it's the same because even when you talk about we

[Mice]

weren't gang members back then, bro, but they was talking about all the negativity that was going on.

[Memphis Bleak]

But they was in the positivity too, though. There was a balance.

[Mice]

Yeah, I give you.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know what I'm saying? There's no better. I had this conversation with Flip. I said, flip, tell me one thing positive that AK has done for Hip. Just one. Tell me one interview. Anything. One positive. Say, show me one positive clip.

[Mice]

See, I don't follow the kids, but

[Memphis Bleak]

that's what I'm saying.

[Mice]

I can't be like, yo, he did this. I watch. Like I said, I'm a clip watcher.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm just asking when you watch it, you. You'll see him break down the album because. But I'm talking about something positive.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You.

[Memphis Bleak]

If you're a millionaire and you ain't even never throw a barbecue in the hood and give kids no pencils, right? You tell you got 20 million. I made this money. You ain't give kids no pencils in the hood.

[Mice]

But is he from a hood?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

He is.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's what he said for. He said he from Jersey. You have not even from the hood. You ain't say, yo, you know what? We're gonna do something positive. We're gonna. We're gonna promote somebody. We're gonna do something on the strength. Like, I want to see. I think for me, right, I'm at a stage in my life where I've seen so many different things and I understand what the average person is dealing with in our communities. And I know how they grab on to bullshit. That's all you give them because it's entertaining, man.

[Mice]

TV is trash. So this is the new TV entertainment.

[Memphis Bleak]

Streaming all day. Like AB and them getting. I'm happy to see AB changing his life, right? I'm watching AB and I'm rooting for AB to be ab.

[Mice]

But listen, that better loan me his trainer for two months. Cause how the. That nigga lost that stomach in one week.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah, like, he up there with Zab. You see Zab. Zab ain't got no body.

[Mice]

Zab never been fat.

[Memphis Bleak]

Come on. He don't got no body fat. But that's what I want to see. I'm so angry that all we promote is degeneracy in our culture, bro.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Like.

[Memphis Bleak]

Cause we way better than that.

[Mice]

That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleak]

And it's. I hated that fact that we had to watch AB drunk every day, looking crazy, because that's not. That man was a champion.

[Mice]

But people watching them clean up, and I love that. I love that they watching him get right and get back. Because I'm watching. I didn't Watch the drunk part.

[Memphis Bleak]

I was a boxer. The boxer, like that man was seriously a great boxer.

[Mice]

That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleak]

So they wanted to. And I'm glad he's switching the table, but that's what I want to see.

[Sam J]

See.

[Mice]

Yes, That's.

[Memphis Bleak]

I want to see us start promoting the positivity.

[Mice]

I had Chubby Chubb up here. Like, they know.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yes.

[Mice]

DJ Diesel. And I'm like, you ain't document none of this.

[Memphis Bleak]

You guys said, no, no, he should have. He should have.

[Mice]

Like, that's the. We got to put in the community. We better take a careful.

[Memphis Bleak]

But who's gonna promote it? Right? We don't even have. We don't even got our own platforms or nothing. To where black beneficial power excellence is promoted. Where's that at? And think.

[Mice]

Think. We tried. When Jay tried to launch Title, everybody bashed him. Killed them for that.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, listen. That's part of the game. He knows heavy is the head that wears the fur. Cause the thing is, you doing something different. You going against the. You going against the structure. The white people own everything.

[Mice]

That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleak]

How you think that you gonna take all of your black star power and bring all of them? Nah, hell no. We gonna do everything we possibly can, but to deter that.

[Mice]

But that's the thing right there. Us as a community, right? If we know that, then why we won't all rally behind each other and push that narrative so we could change it?

[Memphis Bleak]

Because a lot of us are just followers of the structure, right? And. And what happens is there are not enough of us that's willing to just keep on going. And because I say that a lot

[Mice]

of people quit in life, period.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's. That's what I'm saying.

[Mice]

A lot of people quit in life, period.

[Ari Chambers]

You.

[Memphis Bleak]

When we talk about, I don't know, this is. And I'm going. Keep it real. I don't know no black leader that we had that at some point they didn't say was a sellout. Not one.

[Mice]

That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleak]

So I said.

[Mice]

They said, Jesse Jackson, rest in peace, everybody.

[Memphis Bleak]

Every person that fought for us was a sellout. And then you know what I started paying attention to? So God bless the dad, one of my mentors, Harry Belafonte, right? And I don't see people. Too many people ever say he sold out. But I watched. Watched him transition for the last 10 years of his life. And then they put out a documentary of him, and they showed about four decades of him, right? Like. And I watched him just age, and he had this energy like, he was grabbing the young activists. Like, yo, we gotta find the agenda. We gotta be out there fighting. Y' all out there protesting. This is how you got to do it. He was teaching them. And then every generation, he lost a little bit of energy.

[Sam J]

Energy.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because it was like, this is the same over and over. Yeah. Like, are we. Are we on the treadmill? Like, these things ain't gonna really let us get nowhere. And that's what starts happening. You got people that be fighting, and then you like, what the am I fighting for? Because the same people I'm fighting for is trying to kill me.

[Mice]

And then.

[Memphis Bleak]

And yeah, and then you say that, you know what? I'm gonna go over here, make sure me and my family is good. And then once you do that, they're gonna say, you sold out. No, my. Even when he took my all shot, I ain't gonna mean to cut you off. No, no, you. Man got locked up over 50 times. He did. Did a bunch of times in jail. Got shots that all types of. Nobody talks about that. They just call a minute. You don't realize all this shitty sacrificed, the average.

[Mice]

Never sacrificed like Muhammad Ali. That's what I respect. Nobody understands that sacrifice.

[Memphis Bleak]

You sit there and call a. A sellout that you didn't do 1% of what he did.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Our people.

[Mice]

So let me ask you, with that being said, how you feel about the Kaepernick slander that they give Jay with dealing with the NFL? Because to me, let me just tell you, me. My point of view and my. My perspective. Not like I spoke.

[Memphis Bleak]

This might go viral.

[Mice]

Not like I spoke this Jay. I didn't hear this from Jay. We don't talk about this. These are not his words. So don't think that this is my opinion.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah.

[Mice]

If you. Your choice is, I'm gonna make this movement, and that choice costs you your job. Right. And then artists that you don't know didn't grow up with don't own you. No allegiance, nothing. Come and take a deal with the NFL. However it went down, I don't know. I'm not in the meetings. But to change the halftime. The narrative of black culture, whatever they was, they was pushing their agenda. You know what? It was probably more than me. But my thing is, if your teammates didn't follow you, why should Jay have to follow you? Why is he wrong? They continued to play and still play to this day, but because Jay do a halftime show, he's wrong.

[Memphis Bleak]

Let me. Let me. Let me give you my perspective from the inside, okay?

[Fred Armisen]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

So that your. Your. Your perspective is a perspective. I don't know if I. I would exactly agree with that to the fullest extent that. But I'm giving you from the inside. Right? So when the whole cabinet thing first started, my organization was one of the first organizations to protest with Kaepernick. Like, we went to NFL, had a big protest outside the NFL downtown headquarters. We was at the headquarters. Like, we.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

We.

[Memphis Bleak]

We spearheaded all of that. We was on emails with Kaepernick. Like, I was front line. I had I'm with cap T shirts.

[Mice]

I remember all that.

[Memphis Bleak]

Boycotton the NFL. Yeah. I was to the point where there was a time like when they was doing the super bowl and the battle rappers. These are my. They did a commercial for the NFL. Like, they always battle rapping and they all dish. And these are my. And I went online. It's like, yo, your really selling us out up. We boycott NFL. And yet they. Y' all really. They really paid y' all to do this. And K. Sean, who was my man, me and him almost got into a situation in a club. We in the strip club, and he walk up to me like, yo, you attacking. And we. We face to face. I'm like, my, this is what we doing. And you're like, nah, but we don't know nothing about that. I'm a from the hood, just trying. And I said, I have to respect that and I love you. And we had both our teams together and we had to say, nah, that ain't like that. That this is my brother. But it caused tension. So I was really in this for real.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

So we going back and forth and we trying to boycott this and that. I see Jay come in. He got the cabinet jersey. He. He front and center with it. One day, Kaepernick stopped answering phone calls. We on the line like we done did. We plan the next action. We on the email. They like, your cabin is not answering nobody's emails no more. He done left the group chats.

[Mice]

Damn.

[Memphis Bleak]

And is like, what do you mean?

[Mice]

Yeah, I don't know nothing about that.

[Memphis Bleak]

This is what I'm saying. This. This. I'm telling you this for a fact. I know this for a fact. So I'm like, what you mean he left it? Like, we don't know. And this happened for weeks. Like, you can ask top activists. A lot of them don't say nothing, but a lot of them notice you happen.

[Mice]

Damn.

[Memphis Bleak]

So I'm like, what you mean? He left the group chat that. He's like, nah, they like, he just went silent on us. And then next thing you know, we seen Kaepernick has a settlement. He got a settlement. They say he signed the NDA. And I'm like, he didn't tell us. He didn't. So you saying that we did all of this that sacrificed and beefing with other and we doing all this and A we sacrificed for just disappeared from the movement and didn't even notify us and say, yo, look, I'm gonna take this. Cause you got the right to take the settlement. That's right, nigga. This is your job. Like everybody said, yo, he took a settlement for. And I'm. And he should have took a settlement. Cause they owed him his money.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

But he owed us, the people that sacrificed with him, the right and just the heads up to say, this is what we doing. This shit is. Cause we can't form movement for you without you.

[Mice]

No. Hell no. I can't fight with.

[Memphis Bleak]

I can't fight for you if you can't say no. You not saying. You can't even if you don't want to say no. Whatever it is, we can't fight.

[Mice]

That's right. You.

[Memphis Bleak]

You the face of this. We. You. Because we need to be able to be at the press conference with you saying we got Kaepernick here and we standing with him and the NFL need to do them. Right.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

So now we don't even got the evidence that you got that they said that they colluded and did this. You can't even present that to the public no more. You can't even expose the NFL for the. They did wrong. So how can we help you?

[Carrie Brownstein]

You.

[Memphis Bleak]

And you left us in the trenches with nothing. So now I'm saying to my. I'm so. Yo, I swear to God, I'm on. I'm like, y' all serious? Like, this happened. Actually, Charlamagne to tell you it's Will tell you that this literally happened. And I was so confused. So when Jay did, I'm like, well, gotta figure out how do we salvage some of this to where we just ain't left in the trenches with nothing.

[Mice]

Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

Because if you put your face and your.

[Mice]

Your.

[Memphis Bleak]

Your. Your capital. Your. Your. Your celebrity capital on the line to stand with a. And he just disappeared into thin air.

[Mice]

You got to make a move.

[Memphis Bleak]

How do I. How am I mad at him for saying, okay, that we gonna get something out of this?

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Right. We gonna. Black people gonna get something out of this because we didn't do all of this, come this all this way for him to just take a settlement. And we didn't get nothing like that because I didn't think that's what it was about. And even if it was, that was about tell us that's what it's about so we can fall back. And that's for me. And it's like. And I knew this for years. And I keep hearing say this. I'm like, yo, didn't Snake Kaepernick left us in the trenches, bro?

[Mice]

I'm glad this was a.

[Memphis Bleak]

He was the general of the army and left the army in the trenches

[Mice]

on the front line.

[Memphis Bleak]

And I did to tell me I'm lying. This is on my kids. I did. To tell me I'm lying. And that hurt me because I'm a cat. And I still love what he does to this day, bro. I love. He got the. I know your rights. And I'm not saying anything against what he sacrificed even. He just paid for the young boys autopsy, all these things. I love what he does. But I just don't like this narrative that did dirty by him when he literally left. And I'm. And if that's what you wanted to do, I'm just saying I would have never did that.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

I just would have never left that followed me and was willing to sacrifice for me. Me, because you sacrificed.

[Mice]

That's right. 100.

[Memphis Bleak]

So if I sacrifice, if I. I see you sacrificing and I decide that I'm a sacrifice with you, I'm at least say, look, yo, we're gonna take the settlement. I'm not gonna be able to say nothing.

[Mice]

Heads up.

[Memphis Bleak]

Give me a heads up. Hey. This day, there's never been a conversation and he act like he mad with everybody else. And I'm so confused with that, bro. No, for real, I'm being honest. That bothers me to this day. And I got love for the man because the way he sacrificed when I was watching that man kneel at them games and I knew he was taking all that, I was like, yo, I'm riding with him. I don't give what I gotta do. I don't care. I love NFL, but I'm not watching that. I'm not buying that. I'm not with that. Like, that's how I ride. If I ride with you, I'm riding with you. So for you to leave us like that, that just didn't make sense to me. And I'm just tired of the narrative that keep getting spread that did this to cap. That didn't happen bro.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

This summer there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile girls.

[Sam J]

Trip booked and switching to T Mobile help make it happen with experience beyond

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

switch and get $100 back plus $650 in value in built in plan benefits. That's $750 in your first year guaranteed and honest.

[Sam J]

Honestly, that hundred dollars back, I'm putting it towards the zipline now.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

That's how you do summer.

[Sam J]

Exactly. Best switch I ever made.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

This is just one reason to join T Mobile this summer. There are 250 reasons find yours

savings based on the value of benefits included with experience beyond like entertainment and one year of AAA Classic and DashPass on us. Benefits may require activation. See plan for details. Get $100 via virtual prepaid MasterCard with eligible ported, no cash access and expires in six months. Issued by Sunrise Banks and a member FDIC. Allow eight weeks.

[Ari Chambers]

What's up, fam? I'm sports journalist Ari Chambers.

[Sam J]

Hey, what's up, y'?

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

All?

[Sam J]

It's your girl, Sam J.

[Ari Chambers]

And we're the host of Everyone Watches Women's Sports, a new podcast from Together and I heart women's sports because, let's

[Sam J]

be real, women's sports is giving us way too much to talk about these days.

[Ari Chambers]

So Kelsey Finler, she became the first female solo rower to go from California to Hawaii.

[Sam J]

My first thought is like, what's up with the snacks? Like, what are we?

[Memphis Bleak]

What are we eating?

[Ari Chambers]

The highlights, the rivalries, the breakout stars, the moments that take over your entire

[Sam J]

timeline and the conversations that start during the game and somehow keep going all week. Every week, we're breaking down the biggest stories across women's sports.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi Osaka showing out. She beat Sabalenka.

[Sam J]

Shout out to you, Naomi, you get the Palm.

[Ari Chambers]

Naomi, you get the Palm for that.

[Sam J]

Because we're not just interested in what happened, we're interested in why everyone's talking about it. Because everyone watches women's sports. Listen to Everyone watches women's Sports on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Fred Armisen]

Hey, Portlandia fans.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here, you know us.

[Fred Armisen]

Or rather, you know them. Tony and Candace, Nina and Lance, Spike and yes, the chicken.

[Carrie Brownstein]

We've played a lot of iconic characters over the years, but today we're showing up as ourselves. To tell you about Podlandia. AO rewatch our brand new podcast.

[Fred Armisen]

Each week we'll revisit an episode of Portlandia from the very beginning, breaking down the sketches, exploring the Backstories of our most iconic characters, Revisiting the Portland locations you know and love, and opening up about our creative process.

[Carrie Brownstein]

How did any of this get made? Why do we think that was a good idea? We're ready to talk about it.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life. Guest stars, collaborators, and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy Mann, and many more.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised. Not just words, but a song, a melody.

[Memphis Bleak]

Well, I thought he was gonna write. I thought you were all gonna write a song.

[Carrie Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that.

[Fred Armisen]

Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Lele Pons]

My first guest is Paris Hilton. Shakira L and Yarin Samira E. Gracie.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm so excited. On the bouncy bed, you have surprises, many surprises.

[Lele Pons]

Welcome to Suite 305 where the group chat comes to life. What up?

[Memphis Bleak]

Hola, amiga. Hola.

[Lele Pons]

You're the only person I know that loves a yellow starburst.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's lemonade.

[Lele Pons]

This is suite 305. Listen to Sweet 305 with Lele Pons as part of my cultura podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mice]

I'm glad you explained that. Cause they was trying to crucify me. Like I did the morning show with Mero and them on high 97. I forgot the female name. You remember her name? Chicho. God bless me. Beautiful, but you still beautiful. But she tried to crucify me with the cap.

[DJ Envy]

Shit.

[Memphis Bleak]

Was it his wife?

[Mice]

No, no, no. It wasn't Nessa. I know Nessa. Shout out Nessa. I knew Ness before she became his wife. I had, you know what I mean, Met her before, but. But I'm glad you brought. Brought some light to it, some insight to it. Rather not even light, because they've been crucifying Jay, like, as if he went to the NFL and told them, yo, move, homie, out the way. I got this. And the play didn't happen.

[Memphis Bleak]

Like, what I would say is that I think he could have phrased the we done kneeling better, like I said. And I had that conversation with Des. I said, look, bro, like, we had. He didn't have to say that. He could have just said, look, we listen, Kaepernick is here. He done what he doing. We're just trying to move and do something else. You know, we trying to provide a different situation. But the Done nil. And it just came across as the wrong way. And that's it. And I could say I disagree with that, bro.

[Mice]

I could disagree with many things Jay said. It's just like when I just slipped up and said, man, fuck activist. Like, yeah, I'm pretty sure what he meant wasn't how it was.

[Memphis Bleak]

And that's what I'm saying.

[Mice]

You feel me?

[Memphis Bleak]

And we gotta give our people enough grace to think that. But the problem is that we don't give our people no grace. No, we don't.

[Mice]

No.

[Memphis Bleak]

We don't look at the resume in totality, right? We just look at. It's just like if a got five championships and he lose that one game and that nigga's a bum.

[Mice]

Yeah, I'm a bum.

[Memphis Bleak]

I just want five. I got five chips. You forgot them chips over there. Yeah, that's how it is. You just as good as your last.

[Mice]

But that's just our culture, bro. I believe that's just in our community because we the only culture that you're guilty even after you're proven innocent. My like, even after you prove it.

[Memphis Bleak]

Another reason why, because we don't control the. The narrative. We don't control our own narrative. They. They get to control what gets pushed to the people. They control the media. Like, we got a president that does what the he want. This is the biggest scammer in the world.

[Mice]

Yo.

[Memphis Bleak]

And they'll tell you. But I've never seen no, like, yo, but listen. He literally scamming in in front of you. Like, listen.

[Mice]

But I'm be honest.

[Memphis Bleak]

I know you're gonna be honest.

[Mice]

I'm not Republican, I'm not Democrat. But how you gotta respect it, man. He a New York. He's stating that bag right now. If you put a hustler, one of my Marcy in that office, they gonna do the same thing.

[Memphis Bleak]

But they couldn't do the same thing. Cause if a black or Spanish try to do that, they gonna clip. You've been in jail the first day. Like, you've been in jail the first day. So that's what I'm saying. I just want. But I. I wouldn't respect you if you was telling me that we could do that. If you gave. If you saying, yo, look, this is easy. Everybody could do it. Give us the same playing field.

[Mice]

Yeah, then I'm cool with it.

[Memphis Bleak]

Y' all can't keep controlling the playing field. Y' all get to control who gets this. Y' all can get control. What message gets put out. Y' all get. Nah, my That's. That's what white supremacy does. And we. We. And a lot of us don't even understand white supremacist. Oh, we ain't no fucking white people.

[Mice]

I don't like people that say it's no racist. Like it doesn't. Like it don't exist. Like it don't exist. You kidding me? I deal with it every day. Every day, every day, every day.

[Memphis Bleak]

And it's like. You know what I'm saying? So that's what it is. And it's like. And that's why I understand where we are and I understand that we don't have the time to be beefing. I'm not. Unless you somebody like that. I could say that you've never done nothing positive. And I. I don't know what you add. I'm not beefing with another black Hispanic.

[Mice]

I'm cool if it don't affect my family or my money.

[Memphis Bleak]

If it's not affecting the bottom line of the coach. If you're not doing some. That's directly is going to impact us in a negative way. You might say some different than I say. Like, just like when you said what you said, I said, let me hit bleed.

[Mice]

Exactly.

[Memphis Bleak]

But that's my man. I ain't going online say, yo, what Bleak trying to. That's. You're not gonna get that from me.

[Mice]

Because that's, you know, me and we knew each other over 30 years. You know, that's not what I meant. That's not how I feel. I love my people. I want to see us win.

[Memphis Bleak]

They can't wait. You know, people just kept sending me that. So what I'm supposed to do? Go up there and bash Bleak. I'm supposed to go up there. They'll have to send you this now. Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. Because they have to send you this. So we so quick to do that.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

That we don't do that. I just.

[Mice]

We need to be quick to do that.

[Memphis Bleak]

Even when Jay did the. So I'm in. I'm inside the stadium when he's talking about the target.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Right.

[Memphis Bleak]

So knowing that we did the target boycott and he, like, it's. You know, is it this or that? That can't wait for him. So hit me like, so what you gonna say? He told me about the target boycott. How you feel about that? I said, well, I don't agree with what he said, but I still love Jay.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

And I can disagree with Jay. And I actually wrote a letter to

[Mice]

Jay, you don't have to agree with everything.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't have to agree. And that's. That's what I'm trying to say. Nobody. I don't have, like, yo, you can't talk. I don't have a relationship with a. That I can't disagree with.

[Mice]

That's a fact.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm a grown adult, man.

[Mice]

That's a fact. We ain't living.

[Memphis Bleak]

I don't. I've never had to bite my tongue to nobody. There's nobody that's above reproach and above critique to me. And if I love you, I'mma tell you that because I want you to be better.

[Mice]

Well, even if it hurts you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Even if it hurts you, and even if you disagree with me and we can have a disagreement and I can still love you.

[Mice]

Hashtag non dependent. My bad, My bad.

[Memphis Bleak]

I got nothing to do with that. That's y' all situation. Cause I love all your. You set it up.

[Mice]

I just had the hashtag.

[Memphis Bleak]

But I wish that y' all could fix that too. Cause I don't even know where that should come from. And you know what it is?

[Mice]

Me neither.

[Memphis Bleak]

I just. That's another thing, right? When I watch the 50 and J. Because it's 50 and J. Right? I'm gonna say it that way. It's because they've taught our culture that can only be one person at the top. So I gotta shoot at you.

[Mice]

I gotta remember they on the. Our culture is that. That is the living example of Ricky Bobby.

[Memphis Bleak]

But that's.

[Sam J]

What.

[Mice]

If you ain't number one? If you ain't number. Wait there. If you. If you ain't number one, you number

[Memphis Bleak]

two or some Ricky Bo crazy. Because these are two icons that did they. And both did it their own way. They both moving, both successful. Imagine both of them at Yankee Stadium. Imagine.

[Mice]

I don't think it happened. I could just imagine.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yeah. Imagine them doing some in New York, like. But that's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But I.

[Memphis Bleak]

That's. That's what it is, bro. They taught our culture that only one person can be at the top. And I gotta shoot at you, and I gotta shoot at you. And we can't. Can't be friends. Because the people need to see that conflict. See the minute that they think that we mended the thing, then there's no more use.

[Mice]

This is the thing, though. Mice. I never. I watched the G Unit movement from the beginning to where they are now. And they come on. They doing the television thing, got the lyric. They got the spirits just like us doing their thing. Bro, I never watched a man pocket a day in my life. I never care how you paid your bills or why, just long as you did. That's all that matters to me. So for a person to sit there and wonder how I pay my bills on the strength of whoever. Bro, I gotta speak on that, because

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm not saying you. I'm saying you're a grown man. You supposed to speak on and defend yourself and not deal with. You don't have to tolerate disrespect. I'm just saying, why is it the disrespect? Like, I want to get to the root, right? Because it ain't really.

[Mice]

Y' all don't have no crazy.

[Memphis Bleak]

Ain't nobody shoot nobody. Ain't nobody kill nobody.

[Mice]

But you know what's so crazy?

[Memphis Bleak]

It's some unit, some shit that was created to keep people separated, especially keep our people safe.

[Mice]

Like I told you, I have a. I sit down on this couch. I sat down on this couch with many people that we disagree with. Went to war. We had problems. I spoke to Jim Cam. I got mad people up here, bro. I invited Uncle Murder here before all this shit happened. Remember me? Uncle Murder got a relationship. I invited him here, and he denied that.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

It.

[Mice]

Tony Yayo. No, he could come up here and have a manto man conversation with me anytime he want. I'm never going to deny that. And we could settle whatever, but it's not no beef. I'm not looking for that. Definitely that.

[Memphis Bleak]

So it's just. It's not even. I think it's, like I said, it's a conflict that comes from just status and feeling like it can only be one number one. Like, I don't. I never felt like that. And I'm. I'm so mad that our culture pushes that.

[Mice]

Yeah, it's whack. It's whack.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm so mad.

[Mice]

That's why I participated.

[Memphis Bleak]

Yo, my best moment was watching Jay and Nas come on that stage.

[Mice]

That was fire.

[Memphis Bleak]

Even though the third. The day three, was crazy. Just watching all of the. But that moment right there, my. I literally had a tear in my eye.

[Mice]

Yeah. Nah, that was hip hop.

[Memphis Bleak]

I was sitting next to Joe.

[Mice]

That was hip hop.

[Memphis Bleak]

Fat Joe. We was in Joe's suite, and I looked at Joe, Fat me looked at each other. Other, and we just.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

He.

[Memphis Bleak]

You know how Joe. He was. Oh, yeah. And I was like, yo, my. This is Jay Z and Nas on stage. And that's what this is. Like, these from the trenches.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

AD Living for Each other. It could be too. They rapping on each other beats. And they know. They, they know that in their own perspectives they are great.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

And they don't feel. No, they, they come to the point and understanding like, I can be great along with you being great.

[Mice]

That's a fact. It's enough, like I said, it's enough money out here. It's enough room for us.

[Memphis Bleak]

Enough money that's is doing entrepreneurial casinos.

[Mice]

They even tried to battle them with the casinos because that's what they wanted.

[Memphis Bleak]

They can't wait to pick us against each other.

[Mice]

Yo, this is crazy. No matter what you do, they battle going, yo, so what's next for you, my G? What's the next move for my guy?

[Memphis Bleak]

Well, you know, I'm doing a lot of activism. Shout out to the mayor, New York. You know, I was working with him on his. Yeah, shout out the home transition team.

[Mice]

Word, I forgot you was with the mayor, running around. Yeah.

[Memphis Bleak]

Working on criminal justice reform and also community safety. So I really just want to, what I want to do is create centers, like not even schools, but centers for young, average young boys. Right. Because a lot of our kids don't want to go to school. They want, they want careers, right? So I want to have them send us to where you got career training, you know, teaching them how to do anything they want. You got sports in there, you got mentors in there to where it's at home. That's a space where they could come and they feel comfortable because I, I, I, I realized some with my 10 year old I was taking, when he was, I think he was 8 or 9, I was taking him to school. He just started crying randomly. I'm like, what the are you crying for? And he's like, cause I don't want to go to school. I said, why you don't want to go? He said, because I don't really learn in school. I said, they want, he said, they want me to sit down. I learned off the world. I learned off just being outside the energy, just seeing different things. And they just want me to sit in this chair and be quiet all day. And, and that's not how I, I feel comfortable. And that's how most of us, I never felt comfortable learning like that.

[Mice]

And that's crazy to say that. I went to a center as a kid like that when I used to go visit my grandmoms in Brownsville called the brc. And you know what's crazy? As a shorty, they had the sports, the basketball. They had the baseball shit, they had the business classes in there, they had everything. And so what you talking about is like word. I remember seeing shit like that as a shorty.

[Memphis Bleak]

And you got the right people in there, you got mentors, you got men like us who understand what they going to, you know, they're not, they ain't got some stiff white man trying to tell him to shut up because he don't even identify or who the they are. Because I remember I was in third grade, my, my third grade teacher told me I'd be dead before I was 18. Dang, look me dead in my face. You'll be dead before you was 18.

[Mice]

Damn.

[Memphis Bleak]

And this white man look, he was so serious about that, bro, that's crazy, you know what I'm saying? So if we don't got us, teaching us and we don't got us, you know, mentoring us and putting us in the right direction, then we doomed to fail. So I want to create that. I know it's a lot of at risk in this energy, right? Especially these young gang members. They just got misdirected energy. These are leaders with misdirected energy. Shout out to John o', Brien, he said a drug dealer is just a misdirected business person. He understands import export, he understands how to negotiate. So when you show him all and you put him in the right, Jay shows you that.

[Mice]

That's right.

[Memphis Bleak]

Even, even 50 showed you that once you took them out of that element and you give them that same skill set and you put them in them corporate offices, they gonna lights up, they gonna win lights out. You know what I'm saying? So I want to be able to captivate that these young kids early because I, I have had seminars with principals is asking me why can't we keep these young blacks? Because we young black boys have the lowest graduation rate.

[Mice]

I already know. I already know.

[Memphis Bleak]

And they're like why we can't keep them because you don't have anything that

[Mice]

is entertaining and grabbing their attention.

[Memphis Bleak]

So I want to create that, that for them. I want. Cuz I know what we could do when you give us. We shouldn't have to go to jail and then figure it out and come home and be. Nah, cuz if you give us the opportunities and, and you steer us in the right direction and, and we see how we can get there. We going to win if the playing field is even, we gonna win every time. That's a fact, you know, so that's what I really want to focus on. I'm putting on Working on some more music.

[Mice]

I see we still got the bars.

[Memphis Bleak]

Listen, Shop, man, we gotta get in the studio, man. We owe that.

[Mice]

We owe that one time, right? Come on, one time, man. Yo, I appreciate you.

[Memphis Bleak]

Love, man, you know that. Always.

[Mice]

Love always. Anytime you got anything to address, say, my door's open. My platform is open.

[Memphis Bleak]

We got to bring you up on our platform. Let me do it. My G have some questions for you.

[Mice]

Yeah, she gonna drill. I gotta go. I gotta go spa. I gotta train like Rocky in the snow like he fighting Drago. Cause Tamika's serious.

[Memphis Bleak]

She gonna drill you. She gonna drill you. But, yeah, man, you gotta come up.

[Mice]

But now let's get it, my brother.

[Memphis Bleak]

Love you, King.

[Mice]

Love you, my brother. Keep doing your thing, man. Boycott black murder all the time. Shout out my song, you know what

[Memphis Bleak]

it is for life.

[Mice]

I love activism. Don't ever get it twisted.

[Memphis Bleak]

He love activism. So don't send me that video no more.

[Mice]

Exactly. Just you Jay Z chums. Stay out. Dimensions. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. And you can follow me on any social media platform under the name Memphis Bleak. You see anybody frauding, flag them.

[Memphis Bleak]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. The sound of a seatbelt. It's one of the most important sounds in our car. It means everyone is ready and everyone is safe. The more our kids see us put on our seatbelts, the more natural it is for them to put theirs on, too. Make it a priority. Buckle up every time. Hear the sound, make it a habit. Paid for by nhtsa.

[Raider of the Lost Podcast Host]

On Raiders of the Lost podcast, we explore cinema like no one else, including huge interviews with stars like Ryan Gosling on Project Hail Mary.

[Memphis Bleak]

It was like the Jaws shark didn't always work. Came with its own problems.

[Mice]

That's what made it great.

[Raider of the Lost Podcast Host]

The cast of Obsession on set, there was so much magic happening with each scene. We were putting together deep dives into classics like 2001 A Space Odyssey or Fight Club, plus weekly episodes on all industry news. Listen to Raiders of the Lost podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. And for more, follow aidersofthelosspodcast and I Tock Podcast Network on TikTok.

[Lele Pons]

My first guest is Karen Tilton. Shakira, Luke and Yerin.

[Sam J]

You have surprises, many surprises.

[Lele Pons]

Welcome to the Sweet 305 podcast, where the group chat comes to life.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

What up?

[Lele Pons]

You're the only person I know that loves a yellow Starburst.

[Memphis Bleak]

It's lemonade.

[Lele Pons]

This is sweet. 305 here, oversharing is encouraged. Listen to suite 305 with Lille Pontification on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Hey, Portlandia fans, Kerry Brownstein and Fred Armisen here the dream of the 90s

[Fred Armisen]

is alive in podcast form.

[Carrie Brownstein]

We're launching Podlandia AO Rewatch, our brand new podcast where we revisit every episode of Portlandia together, breaking down sketches, going deep on our iconic characters, and pulling back the curtain on how it all got made.

[Fred Armisen]

And we'll also be joined by the people who helped bring it all to life, guest stars, collaborators and friends, including director Jonathan Krisel, the mayor himself, Kyle McLaughlin, legendary musician Amy man, and many more.

[Carrie Brownstein]

Kyle is going for it. Here you fully improvised not just words, but a song.

[Memphis Bleak]

Well, I thought you were all going

[Raider of the Lost Podcast Host]

to write a song.

[Carrie Brownstein]

I remember you thinking that. Listen to Podlandia AO rewatch on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Memphis Bleak]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.