RZA Talks Wu-Tang, Creation, New Film

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Adam Friedland Show – RZA Talks Wu-Tang, Creation, New Film
Date: May 7, 2026
Guest: RZA (founding member of Wu-Tang Clan, producer, actor, director)

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Overview

This episode of The Adam Friedland Show features a candid, wide-ranging interview with RZA, legendary founder and producer of the Wu-Tang Clan. Adam and RZA dive into topics spanning Wu-Tang’s evolution, the role of cinema in RZA’s life and music, his latest film "One Spoon of Chocolate," hip hop history, creative process, mentorship, and personal stories. The tone is informal, comedic, and warm, with moments of genuine insight and playful banter.

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Main Themes

• RZA’s Artistic Evolution: From early hip hop innovator to filmmaker.
• Wu-Tang’s Origins and Legacy: The drive behind "36 Chambers" and underground battles.
• Crossroads of Music & Cinema: How film and soundtracks inform each other in RZA's work.
• Mentorship and Influence: RZA’s impact on producers like Kanye West.
• Personal Reflections: Life, failure, positivity, and family, with signature candidness and humor.
• Comedy and Camaraderie: Strong rapport between Adam and RZA, mixing deep questions and playful teasing.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Kung Fu and Early Wu-Tang Obsessions

[00:41-03:30]

• Adam opens with a playful (fictional) Kung Fu narrative, tying his own fascination with martial arts to RZA’s well-known love for Kung Fu films.
• Sets the lighthearted and irreverent tone that continues throughout.

Personal Life and Relationships

[04:03-05:00]

• Adam and RZA discuss relationships and engagement stories.
• Adam humorously recounts his failed engagement proposal in Mexico City:

  “We try to go like six different places... By 3am we finally found this place, it was lit... She was cold... then they took out the ring box while being patted down by security.” ([05:26])

• Both joke about typical “guy” vs “girl” habits (e.g., women liking hotter showers).

Producer Validation and Middle Age

[12:09-13:00]

• Adam: “You are the second greatest producer of all time.”
• RZA on validation:

  “No, no, on the real, nobody can validate me or invalidate me, bro. I don’t really care what anyone thinks.” ([12:46])

• Emphasis on contentment in middle age and letting go of the need to be “cool.”

Wu-Tang’s Sound: Music as Cinema

[14:44–16:42]

• RZA’s films and albums:

  “My ambition was to make albums that was like audio movies... My music was always made to be listened from beginning to end. I wasn’t really thinking about singles and hit records. I was thinking about cinematic experiences...” ([15:16])

• Inspired by digging through VHS collections and a love for ‘cinematic’ experiences.

Origins and Struggles of Wu-Tang

[38:17–41:37]

• RZA’s legal troubles before Wu-Tang’s debut; crediting personal transformation for later success:

  “From the time I stopped being a negative motherfucker... it wasn’t even a year later, bro, that I was platinum.” ([40:04])

• The group’s craft was the result of years honing lyrics and skills, with neighborhood tapes circulating before commercial releases.

Hip Hop Culture and Battling

[25:07–26:57]

• Old school battling:

  “We used to get on the train and look for motherfuckers... to battle a motherfucker at a house party. That’s hip hop.” ([25:42])

• Pride in being driven by competition, not conflict.

Sampling, Influence, and Evolution

[22:03–54:23]

• RZA was a pioneer of soul sampling in hip hop:

  “The emotion of a soul record... that fucking A minor chord... I didn’t even know what a C chord was when I made a platinum album.” ([22:14])

• On evolving as a producer:

  “As a producer, you should be able to hear, feel the vibe of the artist and compliment them... I tried not to do the same thing over and over, but all the footprints I’m leaving, other motherfuckers is picking them up.” ([53:22])

Mentorship and Legacy

[55:30–56:06]

• RZA helped jumpstart hip hop in unexpected places:

  “I’m the hip hop guy that was in Germany when Germany didn’t have hip hop. I gave kids five grand, ten grand, told them, go start it.” ([55:55])

• Acknowledges Kanye as a student of his style who “learned a lot from the Abbot.” ([56:06])

Movie Scoring vs. Producing Albums

[58:47–61:01]

• RZA on scoring for film:

  “When you’re working as a composer, you’re working for the betterment of the film... it’s not just about coming in and making a fucking beat, bro. ...every instrument represents a character.” ([59:36])

• Describes humbling learning curve working with Tarantino for "Kill Bill".

What Drives RZA Now: Filmmaking

[61:45–66:21]

• Ambitions have moved from music to film:

  “Cinema. I want to add to the catalog of cinema some great work that even 20, 30, 50, 100 years from now, somebody could pick it up and look at it and go, ‘yo, that’s some shit.’” ([61:47])

• Wants to streamline film production and distribution for more creative freedom, akin to the democratization seen in podcasting.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• RZA (On Artistry):
  “I always tell young people that, yo, positive is not an easy road... but for me, art was my true calling. Even though I was trying to be everything else but an artist.” ([40:26])
• Adam (On Producer Greats):
  “You are the second greatest producer of all time. ...I would say it’s Phil Spector then you.” ([12:09])
• RZA (On Notoriety):
  “Nobody validates me. You know what I mean? ...Nobody don’t take me. Can validate me or invalidate me, bro.” ([12:28])
• RZA (On Sampling and Filmic Records):
  “My ambition was to make albums that was like audio movies.” ([15:16])
• RZA (On Mentoring):
  “Bro, I’ve dropped beat machines and keyboards on so many people. You could forget it, bro.” ([55:42])
• RZA (On Film Score vs. Album):
  “When you were working as a composer, you were working for the betterment of the film... not just about coming in and making a fucking beat, bro.” ([58:56])
• RZA (Current Passion):
  “What’s in my belly is to make cinema that can last and stand the test of time and inspire future generations, and I’m gonna be striving to do that the way I did with music.” ([64:52])
• RZA (On Podcasting & Indie Art):
  “Podcasting, talk shows, broadcasting... have given outlets of voices and made it easier. Cinema, it's hard for that to happen... I’m trying to simplify that and open the door.” ([65:17])

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Fun Moments & Wu-Tang Affiliate Name Game

[44:03–50:34]

• Adam reads out wild Wu-Tang affiliate names (“Shorty Shit Stain”, “Holocaust”, “Gab Gotcha”, “Black ass Billy the Kid”) as RZA tries to remember which are real. RZA shares a hilarious anecdote:

  “He came to the studio... had a long coat on, bro, and he had a fucking duck in his pocket. ...He pulled out a duck and started petting this motherfucker.” ([49:13])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Kung Fu & Wu-Tang Origin Anecdote: [00:41–03:30]
• Personal Life/Engagement: [04:03–05:07]
• Hot Showers & Relationship Stereotypes: [07:31–08:01]
• Producer Validation Discussion: [12:09–13:00]
• Music as Cinema/Production Process: [15:07–16:42]
• Wu-Tang Early Years/Lyric Craft: [38:17–41:37]
• Battling Stories in Hip Hop: [25:07–26:57]
• Sampling & Influence: [22:03–54:23]
• Mentorship & Generational Transmission: [55:30–56:06]
• Scoring Films vs Producing Albums: [58:47–61:01]
• Cinema as Next Artistic Goal: [61:45–66:21]
• Comedy/Affiliate Names Segment: [44:03–50:34]

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Conclusion

This episode provides not only rare insight into RZA’s deeply artistic mind and philosophies, but also showcases his humor, humility, and drive for legacy beyond music. The interplay with Adam Friedland is relaxed and sharp, yielding plenty for music and film fans—whether they’re longtime Wu-Tang devotees or simply interested in the creative process.

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Recommended Listening:
Check out RZA’s new film, “One Spoon of Chocolate,” now in theaters.

Notable Moment to Start:
RZA on shaping music like cinema and sharing hilarious tales about Wu-Tang’s sprawling creative family ([14:44–16:42] and [44:03–50:34]).

Transcript

[A]

Just had some jalapeno fucking lay's potato chips.

[B]

You know what? I just tried that. The Jalapeno cheddar Chex mix.

[A]

Whoa.

[B]

Hello and welcome to the Adam Friedland Show. I'm host, Adam Friedland. You like it? I like that. Okay. My guest this week is the legendary rapper and producer, the rza. You may know him as a founding member of the Wu Tang Clan, but that's a side of him I only learned about quite recently. See, me and the RZA have a shared interest, an obsession, some might say. And that is Kung Fu. My journey began at the Wudang Mountain Kung Fu Academy, where I was dropped off as an 11 year old baby. I studied for years under Master Wang Ximing in the disciplines of sword, fist and acupuncture, pressure honing, what he called a tian fu, or natural gift for the art form. I was the best. I was the best and I knew it. One day during training, Master Shen Ji Jing called me into his office. He told me that as his most prodigious student, I would be sent to represent the Wudang in a battle against our natural rival, Shaolin. Of course, I accepted the opportunity to show my disciplined superiority. So I hopped on a bus to Zhengzhou and I entered the temple and ready to display my mastery. I was soon introduced to my opponent from the Shaolin temple, an American man named Robert. He was strong, intimidating, with an eerie calm about him. We bowed, quickly began our Chan chu. I attempted a blow with my right hand. He perfectly blocked it. I tried for low leg kick. Robert jumped all over it, almost bored with my attempt. And after many more failed strikes, it was clear he had had enough. He was done playing with his food. So with one swift strike, he chopped my head off and I died. I later found out that Robert was a celebrity known as the RZA from a very Harold and Kumar 3D Christmas. Now, is that story true? 100%. And let the moral be this. Don't try to steal the chicken just to end up losing the rice before they hatch. My guest's new film, One Spoon of Chocolate, is in theaters everywhere. So go see it before it's gone. Please enjoy my conversation with the rza. Bobby Digital. Bobby Digital, the scientist. That was great. Best friend, Best episode. Best episode.

[A]

I got one last question, like, what is this for? There's nothing in it.

[B]

There's nothing in it.

[A]

Go to the store, put Coca Cola, something in it. Water, Water. There you go.

[B]

It's vodka. No, no, no.

[A]

You can tell that they're doing suicide Well, I think the. I don't really. I don't got. I don't be around too many people, bro.

[B]

I know

[A]

I can't measure.

[B]

I'm at this stage in middle aged adulthood where I'm like, I really just. I want to go to work.

[A]

Are you married or you.

[B]

Are you engaged?

[A]

Engaged? How many? I mean, you want to talk about that on camera or.

[B]

No, we don't have to.

[A]

I don't know. I don't. I like to.

[B]

No, I like to create an illusion that I. I'm like bad bunny. I could be straight, gay. I don't. No, no, no, no. Yeah, no, I've mentioned it before. Yeah. We're engaged. We've been together for five years.

[A]

Oh, nice. Wait.

[B]

She's awesome.

[A]

I met you Omor Coleman. I'm interviewing this guy. How many. How long for the engagement?

[B]

The engagement? Like a year.

[A]

Oh, yeah. You were doing the right path, bro. Yeah. Cause after, first of all, after two years of dating.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. Then three years of dating, it's really just whenever they want, you know?

[A]

Yeah. But then to say going to engagement, that means that you feeling shit is good, bro.

[B]

I want to get married to her immediately, but I'm just one of those kind of guys. I was just waiting. It was embarrassing. So I didn't tell her. And I was waiting for her to be like, you have to get engaged to me. I bricked the engagement, though.

[A]

You broke it?

[B]

I bricked it. It was like.

[A]

It was a disaster.

[B]

I went to Mexico City and then we were visiting a friend of hers and I was like, can you make sure we're at a party and when the countdown happens, I'll just give her the ring? And then just like, we literally just. Have you seen that movie After Hours? The Scorsese movie? No, it's the one where the guy goes out, he's just like, everything's a disaster after disaster.

[A]

Like, I didn't watch that one.

[B]

But yeah, but like, yeah, we like, we left somewhere. We got to another place. It was complete. No one was there. I was like. And then I told her friend, I was like, can you find a party? We get to the party. There's like, like six people around a coffee table in the living room. I'm like, I'm not getting engaged in front of these freaks. And they're like, yo, dude, I loved the last episode. I'm like, I'm definitely not getting engaged

[A]

for the guy who's. Who fucking watched my last episode.

[B]

We try to go. We try to go like six different places. And like, by 3am we finally found this place. It was, like, lit. It was like. Looked great. And she was cold. You know how, like, women, you know how they're always. I'm cold. Yeah. So she was wearing my jacket. And then I get patted down. I go in and I turn around, I'm like, oh, shit. And then she's getting patted down. They're like, what's this box? Oh, yeah. Then they took it out. But I was like, being such a bitch all night. It would have been a romantic thing if that happened. But I was like, all night. She was like, why do you have such a bad attitude to New Year's? I'm like, I'm fine. I'm having a great night.

[A]

I said, trying to find a fucking place to propose.

[B]

And then she was like, oh, well, it didn't work out tonight. Maybe another time. And it was like. It was so nice. But also, I was like. Felt so emasculate. I was like, yeah, I'll try again.

[A]

Another Spam, Alemba.

[B]

Then the next day, he says, hey,

[A]

baby, let's do it. You said something about women always being cold. How many women do we have here? Zero.

[B]

Yeah. Let's just say. Let's tell it like it is. That's not a lie.

[A]

I'm sorry.

[B]

Yeah, they're always cold.

[A]

The way the light was hitting, the hitting this dude right here, I thought we had. No, because his hair's here. From this angle.

[B]

This is the alpha pack, leader of the crew.

[A]

This guy. No, but it's angry, bro.

[B]

Don't get it twisted.

[A]

I was like, how many women we got? I was like, none. I was like, wait a minute. None. Oh, okay. Take these off. I don't need these.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, but in prison, you'd be the belle of the ball, James. Don't forget that.

[A]

Well, the reason why I was asking is that can your girl and anybody can answer this?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Can they fucking stand a hotter shower than you?

[B]

They shower so hot.

[A]

Exactly. What's the science of that? What is it?

[B]

Women love a hot shower.

[A]

What the fuck is that?

[B]

Yeah, and it's insane. You get in after them and it's insane.

[A]

And burn your whole shit.

[B]

It is. It is.

[A]

Like, so you down with that? It's female. I get more witnesses. Okay. All right.

[B]

Yeah, that's right. Tell it like it is. And there's no one here that could stop us. All right. We'll see how they like that.

[A]

Just want to make sure I wasn't alone in that shit.

[B]

Oh, my God. Don't get me started, brother. You know how they tell the most. The best stories that are really funny and interesting? You know how they tell their girls those stories that they just told you, and you're like, what the fuck is this? And then their girl is like, huh? What? And you're like, what are you. What are you hearing?

[A]

What's the punchline?

[B]

And then they tell a gay guy, and the gay guy's doing that. But I know the gay guy doesn't think it's a good story. The gay guy, he's a double agent. He should tell her. It's a bad story.

[A]

But you know what, though? I gotta speak up for my wife a little bit.

[B]

She's a we.

[A]

No, no, bro. I didn't realize how funny she was, bro.

[B]

They are funny though, bro.

[A]

She was hitting me. She been stabbing me with jokes for 10 years. I didn't get, but she was hitting me with them. I, you know, like, what style, bro? Like it wanna come up. And if it comes up, I'll be like, that's my wife.

[B]

My friend has a list of just things that his wife says so he doesn't snap.

[A]

Yeah, she's good.

[B]

She asked him if a trillion is 3 million. How funny is that? And then she said. She asked who won the war when he was talking about World War II. She's like, who won? What are they doing? That's funny, though, and don't get me started. They use Apple Maps. It's insane the way they.

[A]

Apple Maps?

[B]

Yeah. Cause it's on the phone. You're like, get Google. You're gonna fucking drive off a cliff. Apple Maps never works. It's psycho. I don't understand how they figured out the maps. You use Google Maps like a man or Waze like a Zionist Mossad.

[A]

Would you believe I don't drive, bro.

[B]

You don't drive at all, bro.

[A]

I haven't drove since 2011, bro.

[B]

Really? Do you have a driver?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Really?

[A]

Somebody else. Stress. You know what I mean?

[B]

Do you have a window that you like.

[A]

No, no, no, no.

[B]

I don't want to talk to you.

[A]

I mean, depending on what kind of car, but I got an Escalade. He drives the Escalade or whatever. But I don't drive. I just gave up, bro.

[B]

You're done with it. I'm a terrible driver, too.

[A]

You should give up, bro.

[B]

Yeah. Yeah. And also my girlfriend is way better than me. And it is emasculating, too. Yeah, I will. I know how I'm gonna die one day, actually, because I have this. I Do this sneezing thing where I can't sneeze once. I sneeze like at least three times in a row.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

And I'm gonna be on a. On a freeway and then just.

[A]

Yeah, well, you get a lot of blessings then.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

How many of you sneeze? Bless you. Bless you.

[B]

Not once. I'm one of the least respected. So you have a lot of nicknames. I only have one. You're like, you have like, you know, the scientist, Bobby Digital. Robert Fitzgerald Diggs. Yeah. You're also.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You're named after rfk.

[A]

Yeah. No, no, no, wait. No, Fitzgerald.

[B]

John Fitzgerald.

[A]

John and Robert together.

[B]

Your parents loved them. Yeah, they were those kind of baby boomers. Yeah, they were like. It was Camelot. It was phenomenal. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah, it was. Well, somebody cared. Yeah, it felt like somebody cared and those in those days, because it was, you know, it's like nobody cared.

[B]

You ever meet the son?

[A]

No, never met Junior. Nuh.

[B]

He's got some opinions.

[A]

Yeah, well, some other guy with the. He got a deep voice. His voice is deep, bro. What the happened to his voice?

[B]

No, he's got a voice like. He's got like something stuck in it.

[A]

Yeah. What happened? What's that?

[B]

Oh, just kidding. Well, he deserves it for all the, you know. You know, Mr. Trump. Yeah, that's what he gets. Yeah, he has cum stuck in his throat. That's what he says. No, I'm. Yeah, there's a very funny video of him. Cause he's like clearly on like roids trying to do push ups. And he could like only do three.

[A]

Get out of here.

[B]

Yeah, he has muscles, but he's weak. Yeah, it's hilarious.

[A]

That's deep.

[B]

Not us.

[A]

No, no. I could do more than three. I got a bad shoulder and I could do definitely more than three.

[B]

Okay, let's get to you. Let's get to the interview. Even though you're my best friend, I

[A]

thought this was an interview.

[B]

No, no, I have. I actually have.

[A]

You gotta make an intro.

[B]

I have topics.

[A]

Okay, well, we were rolling on that.

[B]

We were rolling on all that. I just wanted to chill with you the rest of my life. And I knew that it would be this.

[A]

Ah, shit.

[B]

When I've thought about this, this has gone exactly how I thought it would go. You're like, adam, you are the second greatest producer of all time. You think you get your flowers actually

[A]

in terms of like all that in the industry itself.

[B]

Producer, specifically.

[A]

I don't know. I think this. I mean, I see it a lot, you know, I mean, I'm always in somebody's top five or whatever, whatever. But it's like nobody validates me, you know what I mean?

[B]

I would say it's Phil Spector than you.

[A]

Hey, yeah, Bill was good.

[B]

He was pretty good.

[A]

That's it. But I think that. No, no, on the real world, nobody don't take me. Can validate me or invalidate me, bro.

[B]

I don't really care what anyone thinks of this person.

[A]

That's no sin.

[B]

It's nice being middle aged.

[A]

Yeah, right. You don't give a fuck.

[B]

I don't have to be cool anymore. I stink. I stink. And if you're watching this, shame on you. You're a loser.

[A]

We're gonna upgrade you though. We're gonna upgrade you.

[B]

Did you have like a lineage? Cause I feel like when, like we should get to the movie. Cause I know you're promoting it, bro, I have like a million questions that I've had my entire life.

[A]

But like, let me start this, Let me look, ladies and gentlemen, this is my first time here.

[B]

May 1, 2016.

[A]

But I will say, hold on, hold on. I'm interrupting this guy. He's gonna get me back for this. But yo, bro, I'm just here to have fun with you and spend some time with you.

[B]

Me too. That's all I want to do. Also. I'm just trying to show.

[A]

Okay, that's it, bro. He's just.

[B]

I should do a proper introduction. Ladies and gentlemen, he doesn't need one. It's the rza, his new film. What's the name of your new film?

[A]

One Spoon of Chocolate.

[B]

It is in theaters May 1st. Everyone go see it. It is inspired by your own life. It's your story.

[A]

It's inspired by a lot of shit, bro.

[B]

It's the inflection point, kind of of everything for me.

[A]

Yeah, there's a lot of things going on in there. It's inspired by true events. And I think now that we promoting my film, at first we was just chilling and shit, but now that we promote my film, I would say that.

[B]

Cause the money men here, all they care about is the dollars. They're looking at me. They're like, promote the film. Why did you do it? You paid good money for this. Well, all you care about is your brands and your commercials. Yeah.

[A]

But I will say that it's definitely a film that will hit every emotion. You know what I mean? Like, you're gonna feel comfortable, uncomfortable, happy, sad, fulfilled. And you still may walk away with some questions. And that's what cinema should do. Cinema should make you be like, yo, woo, that was good. You know what I mean?

[B]

There's something about you that's like movies and music is kind of one thing. Like, I mean, like the first time you listen to 36 chambers or like any of the, you know, the albums that you produce for, the solo albums that you produce for them, it's all like just some of the. I mean like we listen to Liquid Source. That's about two minutes of a sample. That's a long one up top.

[A]

It's a movie.

[B]

But like you are. Do you view music as cinema in a way? Like, are you like, are you experiencing an album? Like it's a kind of like a.

[A]

Yeah, that was my ambition. My ambition was to make albums that was like audio movies, I'm making movie, I'm making music. Back when you. There's no DVDs, bro, that was like

[B]

one of the questions I had.

[A]

Think about that.

[B]

How did you see so much like specifically Blaxploitation and kung fu movies? Like, how were you exposed?

[A]

I guess growing up to, oh, VHS was everything. Yeah, I actually had a. I actually bought. I tried to start my own video store in Ohio. And so I bought all the fucking movies from this video store in Staten Island. So my collection is ridiculous on vhs. I'm talking about thousands of VHS movies. And I watched shit, you know what I mean? I was digging through movies like people who dig through crates of records, you

[B]

know what I mean?

[A]

And so. And my goal was so New Yorkers, we would leave New York and drive to Virginia D.C. or Virginia. Yeah, this was when the street pharmaceutical business was part of the trade, right?

[B]

Viagra. Dallas.

[A]

Yeah, before that.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, before that.

[A]

Okay, this should probably shrink your dick. All right.

[B]

Oh, yeah, that's the worst experience in the world, which is like.

[A]

Yeah, this probably was shrinking people dicks.

[B]

Cut that, please, please cut that.

[A]

Wait. This is a Greek curse on this, bro.

[B]

Yeah. Oh, fuck. Yeah.

[A]

Okay, I'll make sure. But anyway, driving down to when you drive through, when you drive, I always wanted somebody, you know, with a big fucking Benz to put my cassette in and go on a journey while he's driving. That was like my ambition to like have an audio movie. And so my music was always made to be listened from beginning to end. I wasn't really thinking about singles and hit records. I was thinking about cinematic experiences without knowing the word was called cinematic. And then eventually, of course, I realized that all along I am a film director, but the toys I had was a sampler A turntable, a four track machine, or a beat machine. Now, of course, I've been blessed and I got motherfucking. You know what I mean? The whole set.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean?

[B]

I mean, you've scored films. Of course, the Tarantino films. You also. Wait, did you see that clip of him that one time when he was on 106 in Park Tarantino?

[A]

I see it. So

[B]

he's being very. He has a lot of stank on the way he's talking. He's putting a lot of stank. He's like, yeah, what'd he do? He's on BET where he's like. He's like, yeah, but he's talking like 70s black guy, because. Which matches, I guess, his movies. But the code switching is one of the funniest videos.

[A]

Yeah, I gotta see that. See y'.

[B]

All. What up, slick? Give me a little touch, slick. He's talking like a pimp.

[A]

Well, that goes. You know what all your slang.

[B]

I know. He's a friend. He's a friend of.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Definitely, you know? Yeah. No, I call him the Godfather in my film world. Right. But all. No, this goes to anybody. Everybody's slang depends on your fucking age, bro.

[B]

True.

[A]

If you meet a dude in the 60s, from 1965-75, he gonna, what up, jive turkey? You're like, what the fuck is that?

[B]

It's like listening to a Lenny Bruce comedy album where he's like, this cat over here?

[A]

Yeah, this cat? Yeah, yeah. You're like, what the fuck is that?

[B]

What the fuck is this? Is this funny to people?

[A]

Yeah, but the funniest thing worst is that the shit come back around. Yo. Now everybody's like, yo, bro. Yo, bro, dude. You hear that a lot now from these kids.

[B]

Were you from the bro generation?

[A]

No, the bro was before me.

[B]

Oh, bro was seven.

[A]

He came before me.

[B]

When did bro first pop up?

[A]

I'm from the sun. Yo, what up, son? Son? That's me. What up, thun?

[B]

That's New York, though.

[A]

But that's me.

[B]

It's so funny how I was just, like, listening. I was listening to the infamous and just copying the way they're talking. Yeah, well, as a Jewish boy, literally, when I moved to New York, where

[A]

you moved from, I gotta know.

[B]

I lived in D.C. before that, and then I grew up in Vegas pretty much. Yeah.

[A]

That's a weird place to grow up. I mean. I mean, the ping pong is definitely.

[B]

I went to college in D.C. then I started Comedy. Then I went to New York, but like, I was literally on the G train listening to the infamous. And I was like. I was like Emily in Paris. But I was like. But I was like, they're rapping about the G Train in this song, right? And if anyone knew what was going through my mind on the train, they'd be like, this is the lamest guy of all time.

[A]

Yeah, but son and thun is for me also, you know, from New York. Ever since we was 11, we was calling each other. Yo, yo, what up, God. Peace, God. Yo, G. Yeah, you know what I mean? That's respect.

[B]

That's nice.

[A]

Yeah. So it was always so all that bro jive turkey shit. None of that shit made it to me.

[B]

Was Staten island considered, like, you were like a country bumpkin at the time?

[A]

Nah. Was that.

[B]

You guys were the first kind of act? Yeah.

[A]

I mean, people now, New York did look at Staten island as a forgotten borough.

[B]

Yeah. They're like, what the hell are these?

[A]

Until they came over, these wops.

[B]

Oh, these fucking dagos over here.

[A]

A lot of Italian brothers over there.

[B]

But sorry to their friends of the show, the Italian.

[A]

But until they came over there. Cause, yo, you could come to Staten island with all that other sucker shit.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And don't go home.

[B]

What was it like growing up around those guys?

[A]

Which guys?

[B]

You know, the Itralians.

[A]

Oh, those are my peoples. Y' all was in. I mean, that's the last. Yo, I'm in school, I'm in the eighth grade, and my classmate last name is Castellano.

[B]

Uh huh. Okay.

[A]

So that says all good. I'm like, I spent the night. You know what I mean? Cause he had Atari, he had a castle.

[B]

Oh, yeah, he had Atari.

[A]

He had Atari back when. You know what I mean?

[B]

So you remember hanging out with a rich kid who sucked, but he had all the gaming systems? Yeah, yeah, that sucked. Yeah, yeah. He just had all the games.

[A]

And you have a bar with a cartridge and never take it back.

[B]

Of course. Tell his dad to buy him another one. That's what you get for being fucking 1%. No, but wait, so you were born in Brooklyn, you grew up in Staten island, and in the south and Midwest, all over.

[A]

By the time I was 21, I lived in 20 locations.

[B]

Uh huh. Yeah.

[A]

Not by choice. It just happened to be that way for me.

[B]

I think what's clear, like from the early records is like you were using like soul. A lot of soul samples, which is kind of like. I think, do you feel like you were one of the first producers kind of. Cause that's defined hip hop production. I mean, Kanye's first three albums don't happen. I think.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

If I don't feel like you don't put that, like.

[A]

Yeah, yeah. I think I definitely helped bring that into it. The emotion of a soul record. I actually realized that that fucking A minor chord was.

[B]

Everything breaks your heart. Yeah.

[A]

And then you'll see, like, even though Lisa Keys first came out, it's an A minor.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That scale, those chords. I think it was something about them that really attracted me sonically. I didn't know what the fuck it was, but I didn't even know what a C chord was when I made a platinum album. And you go, hey, hit the C note. I'd be like, hold on, bro, let me. I might dig in my pocket, try to prank it. Think it's a C note is a hundred dollar bill. You know what I mean?

[B]

And just for the record, speaking of A minor, no one has ever come forward and said that they were molested by Drake. It's a very cruel. It is a cruel, anti Semitic. It was clearly a hit job. He was one of the first artists to sign the Palestine Letter. And DJ Khaled hasn't done it yet, actually. Despite being the most famous Palestine. Don't get me started. But how did. I just want to put that out there.

[A]

This guy likes it. This guy likes it.

[B]

I just want to put that out there.

[A]

The A minor is just a chord, right?

[B]

Well, it is just a chord, and it's at the Grammys, the Super bowl, and the Oscars. At the Oscars. What does the fucking song have to do with movies?

[A]

Sorry.

[B]

Don't get me started. It is one of the most anti Semitic things I've ever seen.

[A]

Can you wait till May 15? Are you excited about May 15?

[B]

I'm so excited.

[A]

Okay, make sure. Okay. Everybody knows.

[B]

Do you know the. Do you know the product? Do you know my friend? I would assume he will be as good of friends as us if we had, you know, Aubrey Drake.

[A]

Greg, you called him Aubrey. He said, you stupid Aubrey. You know what?

[B]

We know each other from the meetings.

[A]

I've met him. I met him. I respect him. Yeah. Like, sometimes an artist. Yeah. I know you, right? And I can't say I know him.

[B]

Right. But you have his phone number, maybe?

[A]

No, I have his pop's phone number. You have. Whoa, you do?

[B]

Because his dad's brother was in Sly and the Family Stone. Is that correct?

[A]

Nah, I don't know. I don't know the History. I think his father was in.

[B]

Dennis Graham. Yeah, he was from Memphis. Yeah. I think his uncle was in.

[A]

Yeah, I think they been in music their whole life and shit. But I know if you'da asked me this a few years ago, you know, so. And so I go, yeah, I know him. But then I'm saying to myself, like, yo, you don't really know. Like I said, even we met today. Somebody said, oh, you know rza? Yeah, I know. Well, we hung out.

[B]

My dude, I wouldn't say that.

[A]

But you can't say I know this motherfucker.

[B]

I wouldn't say. I'd be humble about it.

[A]

I met this motherfucker I would say I met.

[B]

But in my head, I know we know each other well, so.

[A]

But. Yeah, but I'm a fan of Drake's music. I met him. He's a cool motherfucker.

[B]

What did you make of when the kid seeing these knuckleheads?

[A]

The Battles?

[B]

Yeah, knuckleheads.

[A]

Listen, bro, that's part. I'm from New York. Yeah. That's how hip hop tapes started circulating. It was like, yo, you heard this tape of Busy B and Kumo, dude. Yeah. You like what put it in. And they fucking talking shit about each other or they battling, you know what I mean? So hip hop has been that. You know what I mean? But it's part of hip hop is a sport. Don't get it twisted.

[B]

Who did you guys have problems with early on?

[A]

Nobody.

[B]

Nobody. Cause you do karate and beat them up. They were probably afraid of the karate.

[A]

Well, we had our battles before we became famous. We used to get on the train and look for motherfuckers. Really? Seriously?

[B]

Really?

[A]

Yo, bro, even as a dj, I'll give you one little egotistical one. Yo, as a dj, bro, from Staten Island, I got on the ferry to the fucking train to go way to the Bronx to a project building that I never been to, to battle a motherfucker at a house party. That's hip hop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I'm saying? Beat this motherfucker and go back. You just doing it just to beat him and head back home. You get no money.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You ain't getting nothing. All you know is that you beat that motherfucker.

[B]

Do you get his girlfriend or something?

[A]

Or you don't get nothing.

[B]

You don't get anything.

[A]

Nothing. I did the same. I did it. Then two weeks later, they like, yo, they got this DJ in Lower east, said he could get you. It's always some guy that knows some guy.

[B]

What an idiot, right?

[A]

He's like, yo, on the year, I'll be there Saturday, you go there, Turntables out, block party. You ain't. You don't even belong there, bro. You know, I mean, you a fish out of water in all reality. But hip hop is so big now. You battling, you beat the guy now guns come out, motherfuckers shooting blow, blah, blah, blah. You laughing.

[B]

You're laughing at the guns.

[A]

Yeah, you laughing, really, Know what I'm saying? Because it's just like, yo, I could burn all y' all motherfuckers. I'm the best.

[B]

And your hands are lethal weapons. Probably from all those movies you've been watching.

[A]

But that's hip hop.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, that's the era of hip hop when it was like, it was such a passion to be great, Such a passion to be number one. So when it started becoming music and making songs and all that, that sport did travel over. Now it dwindled and it led to damages in the 90s, of course. You know, we think about Pac and Big, you know what I mean? I think it ended admirable with Jay and Nas, you know what I mean? They actually ended up working. Now, it got mean.

[B]

That one got very mean.

[A]

Yeah, but they end up working. And then we get to Drake and Kendrick, it was like, well, it hasn't been nothing really in a while. And then this becomes not just fucking hip hop, bro. This became world news. Like, you could be watching fucking the View and the girls and the ladies at the table talking about Drake and Kendrick. Like, hold on, boy. It became like a boxing shit. Yeah, I'll pass you the mic. And said, anyway, Joy Bay Horror Story.

[B]

Well, I thought in the third round, family man is he switched up the flow four times. The way that fat. The way fat 40 year old white guys with beards were taking.

[A]

That's what I'm saying, bro. This is amazing.

[B]

They were like, well, if you analyze the cadence of the flow in the fourth round, I'm gonna give this one. Shut up, shut up.

[A]

I gotta ask you the question, bro. Why is the MPC here on the floor? The MPC 1000.

[B]

All right. I was smoking Corona Dutch Master Blunt in college with Ari Stern over there. And we were one time, and we were listening to Arthur's Scene by Christopher Cross. And we're like, someone should chop this into, you know, the song when you get lost between the moon and New York City, you know, it's crazy.

[A]

Cross. I just played Christopher Cross. I just did a yacht rock show.

[B]

Really?

[A]

SiriusXM. Really? Yeah, they say I'm gonna be the guest DJ. No, he wasn't there.

[B]

You know what happened to him? They thought he was gonna be next. The ne up next and then one album. But it was before there was like. Then his face.

[A]

They said what happened? He gained weight or some?

[B]

No, they said he wasn't. People saw that he wasn't handsome. No, I don't want to on the guy made him incredible music.

[A]

I've seen this documentary, bro. Yeah, you can't knock that kid.

[B]

Dude. I love that. With the flamingo, the green, whatever sailing, I think.

[A]

Yeah yeah, right. Oh, on the way to Mexico, right? Yeah, he said he's on his way to Mexico. He was you. You made you. You proposed in Mexico.

[B]

I propose. Yeah. I break.

[A]

Makes sense. Yeah, I see the Christopher Kors connection now. It's all coming.

[B]

I did it for.

[A]

I doubted. It's all coming together.

[B]

I'm on the Ren. Wait, so like.

[A]

Okay,

[B]

so Ari put these samples on his npc. I don't know. I mean, we loaded it and I.

[A]

What you wanted to do.

[B]

I mean, it's kind of offensive. I mean, it's like saying like, I'm gonna make George Martin make a new Beatles song for me.

[A]

What's that?

[B]

He knew. He knew already. How did we. That's exact.

[A]

Grabbing tits.

[B]

Wait, that. That was literally what we were saying. That just if you loop the best that you can do. I mean, it's kind of a just.

[A]

Yo, somebody should do that. Yo, bro, do it. Don't knew it.

[B]

Do it.

[A]

No no, not me. Because the samples cost more when I do it.

[B]

We'll just do for. As an exercise. You're demonetized. I don't give a fuck.

[A]

Wait, listen. They gonna edit all this shit out your shit, bro.

[B]

No, who's they? The rabbis? No, they're not gonna take anything from me. I'm onto them. I'm onto them.

[A]

It's just gonna be like.

[B]

I saw what you did to Michael. You're not gonna do it to me.

[A]

He gonna play his content. It's gonna be like this content has no fucking audio. Just.

[B]

Just. But if you were just. Maybe we'll edit it out. But if you were.

[A]

I'm doing it another day.

[B]

What about just maybe?

[A]

But yo, that's.

[B]

Yo, it's a great moment in talk show history right here.

[A]

Yeah, listen, I will say this. It's a good shot, bro. I think you gotta. Oh, that's simple. Let me see. Hold on.

[B]

And then you maybe pitch it up like a little.

[A]

Yeah, pitch it up. And you Got to take off. You gotta pitch your velocities at full level on your mp.

[B]

Exactly.

[A]

That's that button right there. There you go. It's just a button, you know what I mean?

[B]

And then you got.

[A]

Then you know. Cause look, if it's off, it's this like that button. You hit it here every time you hit it. You know what I mean? It's the best moment of your life. If they take it off and then put it on. One shot, you got it on. You got it on. Pulse and shit, bro.

[B]

Oh, you can change it in the program window.

[A]

I know what you can do. I'm telling you. I'm telling you that. You supposed to have that shit. If you wanted me to fuck around, you're supposed to have the shit ready to go.

[B]

Ari, I thought you were gonna have the program window for him. I don't know why we wanted it. This is the best day of my life.

[A]

All right, so he got it on velocity.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But anyway, no, back to another question, bro.

[B]

Just you caressing the paths of Mr. Ari Stern's MPC. What a moment. What a moment for us. What a moment for us as a team. When people talk about energy recovery performance, they usually jump straight into training, protein or supplements. But one of the most overlooked pieces is gut health. If your gut is not dialed, everything else struggles to work the way it should. And that is where momentous fiber plus comes in. Most people think that fiber is just about staying regular, but fiber actually plays a major role in energy stability, recovery, focus, and overall performance. Once you understand how gut health works, menses Fiber plus stops feeling like just another supplement and starts feeling foundational. When gut health is not dialed in, other supplements and training habits don't work as well. But you could be doing everything else right. Without the strong foundation, results fall short. Fiber is often the missing link. Momez's fiber plus is a complete 3 in 1 formula with a soluble fiber, insoluble fiber, and a prebiotic resistant starch. This combination is designed to support gut health from start to finish by feeding beneficial gut bacteria, improving digestion, and helping stabilize blood sugar for steady energy without spikes or crashes. Right now, Momentous is offering our listeners up to 35% off your first order with the promo code TAFS. Head to livemomentous.com and use promo code TAFS for up to 35% off your first Order. That's livemomentous.com promo code TAFS. This podcast is sponsored, brought to you by Squarespace. Squarespace is the all in one website platform designed to help you stand out and succeed online. Whether you're just starting out or scaling your business, Squarespace gives you everything you need to claim your domain. Showcase your offerings with a professional website, Grow your brand and get paid all in one place Guys, I've used Squarespace before. I used it when I was a young comedian. I made my first comedy website on Squarespace and looking back, their easy to use platform and simple tools made it easy for even an idiot like me. Squarespace gives you everything you need to offer services and get paid all in one place, from consultations to events and experiences. Showcase your offerings with a customizable website designed to attract clients and grow your business. Get paid on time with professional on brand invoices and online payments. Plus streamline your workflow with built in appointment scheduling and email marketing tools. Get discovered fast with integrated Squarespace SEO tools. Every website is optimized to be indexed with metadata, descriptions, an auto generated sitemap and even more so you can show up more often on search engines and bring in more of your ideal customers. Check out squarespace.com tafs for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TAFS to get 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com TAFS for a free trial and when you're ready to launch, use Offer code TAFs to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain. There's a lot of noise out there about hair loss. 10 in one shampoos, random advice, expensive clinic visits. HIMS cuts through all that with real trusted treatments and 100% online process. HIMS offers convenient access to a range of prescription hair loss treatments with ingredients that work, including shoes, oral medications, serums and sprays. Dr. Trusted ingredients like finasteride and minoxidil can stop further hair loss and regrow hair in as little as three to six months. You shouldn't have to go out of your way to feel like yourself again. HIMS brings expert care straight to you with 100% online access to personalized treatment plans that put your goals first. Find the right hair regrowth treatment for you with flexible subscription options, access to 24.7 provider support and once a day treatment options that fit your daily routine. Think of HIMS as your digital treatments front door that gets you back to your old self with simple 100% online access to trusted real health concerns all in one place. For simple online personalized and affordable care for hair loss, weight loss and more, visit hims.com tafs that's hims.com tafs for your free online, visit hims.com tAfs Featured products include compounded drug products which the FDA does not approve or verify for safety, effectiveness or quality. Prescription required. See website for full details and restrictions and important safety information. Individual results may vary based on studies of topical and oral minoxidil and finasteride.

[A]

So where you get those shoes from?

[B]

Yo, I got them.

[A]

I like the ridges. I like the ridges right here.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I got them in Texas.

[A]

Austin.

[B]

Yeah, Austin.

[A]

See, we was in. Yo, bro, I only own one pair of cowboy boots.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And I got them from Austin, Texas.

[B]

Where'd you get them at? Lucchese.

[A]

That's the. Right.

[B]

That's where I got these, too. But I found out that that's where a Dallas businessman gets them and not the real cowboys.

[A]

Well, we. Well, you know, we don't got horses, you know?

[B]

Yeah, we don't got horses.

[A]

We don't got horses. We got. We're just passing through, you know?

[B]

Passing through. Of course. Dude, we're just two guys living life.

[A]

Yeah. Passive.

[B]

Not like the money guys over here. We're just living. We're the artists.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[B]

Well, let's. One thing that was. I said to you before the show that it was like, I had no idea. The inflection point that we were kind of referencing before was like, you caught a charge in 1993, but a charge was in 91.

[A]

I got acquitted in 92.

[B]

92. Yeah.

[A]

And Wu Tang comes in 93.

[B]

How do you do? Like, how is 36 Chambers the first? How is it so perfect? Immediately, I think.

[A]

Thank you for saying that, for saying it's perfect. But I think that what happened is that it's years of us trying, right? So in my hood, there's tapes that's floating around. Even some of the lyrics on 36 Chambers is referencing songs you never heard but only people heard. It was the people in our projects.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So we had. So by the time you meet Wu Tang, right? This is used. I use myself as an example. You meet me, I'm 21, 22 years old. I've been writing lyrics since I was nine years old.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So now you done met a guy who's been doing this shit 10 to 12 years that done ran through New York City and battled.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But even though I'm a kid. You know what I'm saying? So then the Juzza doing it even longer and stronger. So that's why I come to his verses on that first album. He probably got Some of the best verses on the first album, because he was the best of us. You know what I'm saying? And then you see, meth is a couple of years younger. Ghost a couple of years younger. But by the time you get to Cuban Links, like, oh, shit, now they getting their 10, 12, 13 year mark. You know what I mean? So 36 Chambers is capturing these dudes, right? Approaching mastery level. Some of us were at mastery level. Some of us were advanced, regardless, you know, I mean, like. Like Nas, I call him an advanced MC.

[B]

He was 19 right when he made.

[A]

Yeah, but he was 16 when he was already considered. Like, yo, who the is this in Queens? Yeah, yeah. So. So. So that kind of energy. So. But going back to what you were saying as far as the story and the point. And this is just. This is not funny. You can make a joke out of it, but I'm not going to. Yes, you is.

[B]

I refuse.

[A]

Okay. So from the time that I stopped being a negative motherfucker.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? Which was April 22, wasn't even a year later, bro, that I was able to be platinum.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

But before that, every time I tried to do something which was mostly negative, shit was failing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And so I always tell young people that, yo, positive is not an easy road. Like, you look at Method man with muscles that ain't come overnight, bro. You gotta go to the gym, bro. Go work out. You know what I mean? Work your material out, bro. And don't be deterred, because something that could easily tell you to turn left and fuck up all the shit that your true calling. And for me, art was my true calling, even though I was trying to be everything else but an artist.

[B]

Yeah. It's just like, you have to catch. Ls probably to get better.

[A]

Yeah. Or you got to catch. No, you.

[B]

Well, you gotta fuck up a bunch of times before. Like, you have to work your ass off.

[A]

You gotta work your ass off, but you don't gotta fuck up. I tell people that, like, you don't gotta go through hell. I went through hell.

[B]

I've been through hell.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah, me too, bro. All right. We've been through hell. No. Now, I wouldn't say anybody else who gotta go through hell. I'm saying whatever hell it is. Yeah, yeah, Right. When you have your son, you ain't gonna want him to go through your hell. His hell gotta be different. He going through your hell, then you ain't do your job.

[B]

God forbid. Yeah, yeah. It's just the agony of being alive.

[A]

You feel me?

[B]

Though I feel you 100%.

[A]

Yeah. So my son didn't go through my hell. I know that for a fact.

[B]

Sure.

[A]

He's most laid back, nonchalant. He wakes up at one in the afternoon, motherfucker.

[B]

Do you think they're like rich kids?

[A]

You know Who?

[B]

Your kids, Right?

[A]

You know what?

[B]

Cause, like, you grew up in the projects, right? And you're like, you guys are fucking pussies. No, I wouldn't say.

[A]

Well, I wouldn't say. I wouldn't call him that. Right? Yeah, because I didn't.

[B]

But it's just like, come on, you don't know.

[A]

They're rich and hard.

[B]

They're rich in heart. They got you in them.

[A]

They got rich and hard, but they didn't have to be. Yo, I met a dude, bro, and I talk about this dude a lot, but, hey. And I know he expects me to talk about him. He's a serious dude, you know what I mean? Did his time, did his crime, did his time. Mike Tyson. Nah, this dude is deep. I won't say his name, but he told me that while he was in jail, he read one of my articles that came out, whatever, in one of these magazines where I was like, yo, at the end of the day, I'm a fucking nerd, bro. Right? You give me some electronic shit. As soon as I saw this shit, I was like, yo, ready to pick it up? Give me a comic book, right? So this dude, he was in jail with another dude who was in there for murder, and he probably shot about multiple people. This guy is like. He was shooting motherfuckers.

[B]

All right. Jesus.

[A]

But at the end of the day, when they was talking to each other, it's like, yo, at the end of the day, this dude could fix computers. This dude was a nerd.

[B]

They're both nerds.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

They gangsters now, they don't get it twisted, but they nerds. The gangster is the. Is part of the environment made you have to be that, the circumstances made you have to be that. You know what I mean? It's almost like, yo, bro, I'm a vegan. Right? Right. But pause.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

If I got a fucking.

[B]

I'm sorry.

[A]

He's stupid.

[B]

Why did I say that?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

I don't know why I said that. That's okay. Sorry.

[A]

I'm a vegan, though. But check this out.

[B]

Why would. Where do I get the confidence?

[A]

It shit get tough, bro. I'm eating meat, kid.

[B]

Yeah, sure, sure, sure, sure.

[A]

But this guy's stupid.

[B]

Wow. It's the best day of your life.

[A]

Hold on, hold on. No, no, don't say yo when niggas say pause, right?

[B]

It's so funny.

[A]

Somebody else could be like, yo, it rewind.

[B]

It's the middle. There was one. There was one.

[A]

I like this guy.

[B]

Do you know every. Do you know every. Do you know every affiliate's name?

[A]

Ooh, that's.

[B]

You can't possibly know.

[A]

I don't think I could do that. But let's fuck around. Let's see what you got.

[B]

Wait, by the way, at our Jewish summer camp, a Wu Tang affiliate came and performed like they were like, oh, 12 year old remedy.

[A]

Remedy Kane.

[B]

He did Never again for us.

[A]

Holy shit.

[B]

Yeah. And like, there was like, that's beautiful. Rebecca Goldstein. We were like grinding. It was like, for him. As a gig. For him as a gig. Yeah, to an. To a Holocaust song. Also, you had a guy named War Cloud, AKA the Holocaust.

[A]

Yeah, his name was Holocaust Horse.

[B]

Holocaust.

[A]

Yeah. Then they was like, yo, you might want to shift that. Then he went war. Then he went Holocaust. Yeah.

[B]

And Holocaust died last year.

[A]

He died? Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know, who knows Holocaust? Look, verbatim. Who's Seth Rogen, bro?

[B]

Seth Rogen's friends with the Holocaust.

[A]

No, he's not friends with Holocaust. But he. Yo, he knew that when I first met him. He dropped that 16 like it wasn't shit.

[B]

Oh. I mean, it's a thing that we would know if you had a guy named Holocaust. Holocaust died last year after October 7th and everything. I can't believe. Cut me, cut me. You have a guy named Dexter Wiggles?

[A]

Oh, you know Dexter Wiggles?

[B]

I'm reading the funniest names that I found.

[A]

I like. Oh, like this. How do you know Dexter Wiggles?

[B]

Cause I read a list of all the 3,000 Wu Tang affiliates.

[A]

Okay, keep going.

[B]

How do you even join? How do you do?

[A]

Well, give me some more names first.

[B]

Cheesy Rat.

[A]

Now. That guy didn't make it, bro. I don't know him. Now. Now you're going into the unknown charted shit.

[B]

Rap Master 1. That's a terrible name. You should.

[A]

I don't know that one either. He didn't make it.

[B]

Yeah, Polite.

[A]

Yeah, Polite made it.

[B]

Polite is. That's nice.

[A]

Yeah, Polite. Yeah, Polite. That's my man.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Give me another one.

[B]

I say please and thank you and excuse me, Spanky Splash.

[A]

Wait, hold on, hold on, hold on.

[B]

Shorty Shit stain.

[A]

They're the Shorty Shit stain. He's not having no. Serious. You know what? No. Shorty. Yo, yo, yo, My nigga. Hold on. That's a shorty Shit stance.

[B]

No, I would never.

[A]

I'm a big.

[B]

That's your cousin? Yeah, I'm a big fan. Yeah, it's just a funny name.

[A]

Yo, Shorty.

[B]

Shorty, Shit stain.

[A]

Shorty Shit stain. Yo.

[B]

What is it? Does he mean to poop his pants or something? I am kind of short, you know? Mine is.

[A]

Give me another one.

[B]

The Coward. Wait, this is.

[A]

No, no. Who's the coward? That's not in it, bro.

[B]

I heard crazy allegations against this one guy. Go like these parties where there were, like, abuses. There's a guy named T. Diddy.

[A]

Nah, nah.

[B]

Did you see the trial?

[A]

Nah, he's not in the trial.

[B]

How did you have this monster in your.

[A]

As one of. He's stupid.

[B]

Yo, T. Diddy. What?

[A]

He's an impersonator.

[B]

But that's a real guy.

[A]

No, no, no, not yet.

[B]

Someone just put T. Diddy on the list.

[A]

Yeah, give me another one.

[B]

Asia Addict. That's funny.

[A]

No, Asiatic, bro.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

That's too on the nose for like a Wu Tang affiliate.

[A]

Okay. What you got?

[B]

Stomach with a K. Don't know him. Mike Boston. And it's not like microphone with a C. It's M, I, K, E. Boston.

[A]

You know what? I don't know. It's the first time I heard that motherfucking name, though. But I don't know him. Gang, what you got?

[B]

Belichick brought a lot of rings to the city. Who? No, no, I'm just thinking of Mike Boston calling him.

[A]

Oh, I thought that was name shit.

[B]

There's a guy named DL.

[A]

Yeah, on the DL. Give me another one.

[B]

I heard some things about DL and the Holocaust with Legion of Skanks.

[A]

Nope.

[B]

Zak Amico.

[A]

No. You're getting some shit now, bro.

[B]

Cigar?

[A]

Nope.

[B]

Cigar is one is on the list.

[A]

I'm gonna open the morning.

[B]

No cheesy rat.

[A]

I told you, bro. No cheesy rats, bro.

[B]

I think it is. He was in the Chuck E. Cheese band.

[A]

Was he? Oh,

[B]

the animatronic band.

[A]

I remember that. Remember that shit?

[B]

That was so sick.

[A]

Well, first of all, every time you take your kids there, they come back home sick.

[B]

Yeah, well, it's disgusting. Diarrhea food, but black as Billy the Kid. He's cool.

[A]

I don't know. Black ass Billy the Kid. Well, there's a cousin Billy.

[B]

Cousin Billy?

[A]

Yeah. You got that on there?

[B]

No, I mean, there's more on the.

[A]

He got some shit.

[B]

He pulled some selects.

[A]

Give me some good ones, bro.

[B]

I mean, good ones. Shorty should say is one of the best. One of the best I've ever heard. Okay, let's go back to the list. Okay. The Holocaust is so funny. Insane.

[A]

Let me tell you something about Holocaust real quick, right?

[B]

Yeah. All right.

[A]

So rest in peace.

[B]

I'm sorry for your loss.

[A]

Yeah, no, rest in peace. To Holocaust.

[B]

To the Holocaust.

[A]

But, yo, bro, I ain't seen him for years at one point, right? And then I saw him. He came to the studio. I was working on Afro Samurai. I said, you know what? I'm gonna let him come do a song. He showed up to the studio, he had a long coat on, bro, and he had a fucking duck in his pocket.

[B]

Why?

[A]

I don't know, bro. He pulled out a duck and started petting this motherfucker, bro. I'm like, what the fuck? What's the science?

[B]

What drug is that exactly?

[A]

What the fuck is a pet D? Wait, bro, how do you have a fucking pet duck in your pocket, bro?

[B]

Like, how do I. Wait, how do you. Do you guys have a barbecue or something to get together? Is this like a family reunion?

[A]

This is. No.

[B]

Do you have a three legged race or like a sack race of all the Wu Tang affiliates?

[A]

Not yet, bro.

[B]

How do Ari and I become. We gotta chop this bead and send it to him.

[A]

Yeah, they chop this up. So I'm getting. Let's do two more names and let's get out of this chamber.

[B]

What's this guy's name falling down? That's me. That's so me. That is so me.

[A]

Oh, that's it.

[B]

What's Fugi Fresco P? Gab Gotcha G. Clef G. Flex G. No, hold on.

[A]

They put Gab Gotcha on there.

[B]

Goldie Max. Who's that you don't even like?

[A]

I know Gab Gotcha.

[B]

There'd have to be some guys here that. You're like that guy.

[A]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. He was thriving.

[B]

Gab Gotcha. That's like a pedophile.

[A]

Gab Gotcha. He was fine and shit.

[B]

He was a nice guy.

[A]

But you had Goldfinger. Goldfinger was actually a producer. You know who Goldfinger did, y'.

[B]

All.

[A]

He produced a song called Superman. Fairy Tales.

[B]

Nevermind.

[A]

That was the first song, I think, that Kelly Khalees was on. Oh, really? Yeah, he kind of brought Khalees to the. It's the owner, Gravediggers. I remember Fairy Tales. You know the Gravediggers.

[B]

All right, yeah, we'll go. Gravediggers. That was with Prince Paul, right?

[A]

Yeah, with Prince Paul. Or.

[B]

No, that Was horrorcore? Is that what they called.

[A]

That's what they called it.

[B]

Scary.

[A]

It's dark. Dark.

[B]

Spooky. It's kind of like. Do you think that the Jay Z verse on Monster was horrorcore? When he's like, goblins, ghouls, spookies, things that go bump in the night, scary things, nightmares.

[A]

He make it sound like the $25,000 pyramid question, though, right? The guys are like, things that go bump in the night. Things that.

[B]

Wait, wait, what's it called? Fairy tales.

[A]

Fairy Tales on the Gravediggers album.

[B]

But that's not a very gravedigger's thing. A fairy tale is a nice thing.

[A]

Yeah, but they probably made it dark, bro.

[B]

All right.

[A]

All fairy tales was dark. Brother Grimm's.

[B]

Wow. You look handsome on the COVID of this. That's a nice picture.

[A]

All right. Thank you.

[B]

Yeah. Pause. Wait, I can't compliment my friend. No, wait, so who produced this?

[A]

That's the first time I ever said pause in my life. Well, really?

[B]

For me?

[A]

Yeah. It's an honor.

[B]

Wait.

[A]

Goldfingers, right?

[B]

So, Gab Grabby.

[A]

No, no Gab. Gotcha. We left him behind.

[B]

He didn't produce those.

[A]

No, Goldfinger did this one.

[B]

Wait, can I ask you a question? What is an understood thing about 36 chambers? Is it was fueled by. That is a. That is a cocaine album. Is that correct? Or is that just a.

[A]

What you mean, bro? I mean, like, everybody was doing cocaine.

[B]

That. But it sounds like everyone's just.

[A]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[B]

So that's just.

[A]

That's a myth.

[B]

That's some gossip mongers.

[A]

That's a myth.

[B]

You guys gotta deal with these.

[A]

Yeah, you gotta deal with.

[B]

How about the money guys? Deal with some of these gossips. Gossipy whim.

[A]

I'm not a cocaine head. Don't sniff coke. Too cool to sniff coke.

[B]

They said that it was fueled by. I mean, it sounds like they might have meant. Everyone's rapping hard.

[A]

They might have meant, like, because we had no money. The money that we did have could have came from.

[B]

That's totally different.

[A]

The pharmaceutical business.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

So maybe the pharma they were talking about that way. It was fueled by pharmaceutical. Yeah, yeah.

[B]

Anthony Fauci. One thing I like about, like, the solo records you produced afterwards is that there's a distinct identity. Like, you're kind of in. You being an auteur, like, directing a film. Like, Tikal is, like. He's kind of just fighting against, like, the beats that you're making, right? Then there's, like, there's I think for Iron man, there's a lot more soul stuff there. Yeah, a lot of soul. You kind of like, you kind of directed each of their movies in a way.

[A]

Well, as a producer, you should be able to do that, right? You should be able to hear, feel the vibe of the artist and compliment them. And also you should be able to make sure that you're not doing the same thing over and over. I'm gonna say this to you like, as you got your NPCs. One thing I tried not to do, right, was repeat myself, but not realizing that, which is cool for me. But all the footprints I'm leaving, other motherfuckers is picking him up.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? If Method man doesn't do Tikal, there's so many rappers that don't exist. Even though Method man will never do an album or those flows again.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? So all the. So, you know, hear the soul samples, like, after the laughter, there'll be tears or shadow boxing or that sped up shit. But then by the time you get to Bobby Digital, I'm using all electronic equipment. I'm not even using samples. You know what I mean? So the point is, like, you want

[B]

to grow as an artist, right? Yeah.

[A]

But you don't realize that sometimes your fans just want you to do this.

[B]

Yeah, but fuck them, right?

[A]

And then sometimes you don't realize that. You know what? Oh, you don't want to do that no more. I'll do it. And so many other people are now doing that because you already sold, like, let's say. I'm saying, yo, everybody love donuts, right? And I'm like, yo, you know what? I ain't selling donuts no more. They making motherfuckers fat trying to. Trying to help these kids.

[B]

How dare he say that?

[A]

I'm moving over to Dilla.

[B]

Dilla from helping obesity? You think Dilla was promoting obesity?

[A]

No, that's fast brain. But what happens now is that you don't do it. Somebody else does it, bro.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That album is beautiful.

[A]

Oh, yeah, yeah. I love Dilla.

[B]

We were at. I was at the. In D.C. at the African American History Museum. They have his MP DC that he made donuts. Yeah, but he was in the hospital, right? Wasn't it?

[A]

Dillo is beautiful, man.

[B]

Who do you see? Like, who's. Did you have baby bros, like, producer wise, that, like, you were there, like, kind of. Kind of. I don't know, sensei. That was fast too. The way that it works. I like that

[A]

when you come across people that say they learn from the Rizzo, they study the rza, they'll let you know. You know what I mean?

[B]

Yeah. Do you give them. Was there anyone younger that you give feedback to or, like, like, looked up to you and, like,

[A]

bro, I've dropped beat machines and keyboards on so many people. You could. You could forget it, bro. I'm the hip hop guy. That was in Germany. When Germany didn't have hip hop, I gave kids five grand, ten grand, told them, go start it.

[B]

Yeah. Really?

[A]

And then. And then left them alone. So. So that's a whole nother chamber about me.

[B]

Did Kanye look up to you?

[A]

Yeah, Kanye.

[B]

Cause I see kind of a lineage there.

[A]

Yeah. No, no. He said that, you know, he learned a lot from the Abbott. The Supreme Clientele album was very inspirational to him as well as. Just, you know, just, you know. Yeah. I mean, he once said that. I don't want to talk about Kanye like that, but he once said that, you know, they asked him, who was your hero? And he said, the rza. You know what I mean? So that's respect. But I respect him as a genius and as a brother.

[B]

I think as a producer, he doesn't get enough credit. Honestly, I think he's one of the best.

[A]

He gets a lot of credit, bro.

[B]

But I think people know him more as a. I think people know him more as a famous anti Semite, but, like. But I'm like, wait, have you heard. Have you heard the Late Registration, for instance? No, he's stupid. You've done, like, as a. Oh, when

[A]

I say you stupid, bro, I'm not.

[B]

And I. And the apology. You didn't even need to apologize. Yeah. I've loved you, and I just want you to be okay. You're my hero. I love you so much. And it didn't really even hurt. And you know what? It kind of was not. It was not bad for us because it seemed like you were having a tough time, and so it made anti Semitism seem like a product of someone having a tough time instead of something that all the signs are.

[A]

This guy's crazy.

[B]

Cut all that. Cut all that.

[A]

They're not going to cut none of that.

[B]

The money guys, they were like, we're putting you on our.

[A]

Yeah. When I call you stupid, though, bro, I'm one of you. Hey, Adam, when I call you stupid, it's a compliment.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

No, you know that.

[B]

No, when you date like a Latina, she's like, you stupid. Yeah, it's Cute. That's good. That's like my dream girl kind of girl. Honestly. I mean, my.

[A]

You ever have a New York Latina as a date?

[B]

I.

[A]

You can't talk now. You can't talk now. Yo. No, they're the best, bro. Let me tell you something about the New York Latina, so you can just

[B]

know I wanted to talk about this.

[A]

Yeah, they're just special, bro.

[B]

They are.

[A]

You know what I mean? Yeah.

[B]

That's all I gotta say. They're amazing. Shout out to all the Latinas in New York City.

[A]

Yeah. Beautiful people.

[B]

Keep doing your thing. We love you. You guys are awesome. It really does feel great to be called stupid, though. It's like, ooh, I am being stupid right now. You. You know, I think you've done kind of everything, right? You've done, like, everything kind of in art wise.

[A]

Art wise.

[B]

Or like, in music and movies. You've kind of, like, done all the things. I mean, you haven't been like a best boy or a grip before. Maybe you have. I don't know. No, no. You weren't like a teamster driving a truck, but, like, no, you've acted, you've written, you've scored films, actually, movie scores.

[A]

Like how?

[B]

Like, approaching a film score. Like, what differentiates the process? Does it feel like you're just making an album?

[A]

When you were working as a composer, you were working for the betterment of the film, and you're working at the service of the film. Yeah, at first I thought I was working for the service of the director. I realized, no, it's not for the director, it's his vision. But you have to serve that film. And so it's a different approach because it's really. You gotta have a skill set, an ear set, and an ability to do it. But it's not just about coming in and making a fucking beat, bro. What I had to do to try to understand it was I went back and studied Peter and the Wolf. So in Peter and the Wolf, every instrument represents a character.

[B]

Different character. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

And so the flute was the bird. Right. The trombones was the wolf and all that. So once I understood that, and that's going back basically to classical, going back to operas, going back to suites, as they were called, the Nutcracker Suite, et cetera. So I studied that first, and then I understood that I can kind of do that with characters and I could kind of do that with inanimate objects in a film. So it helped me. But even after that knowledge gets you, it doesn't matter. Right. I was writing a scene in Kill Bill. I was writing a scene, and I thought I had it, and I showed it to Quentin. He was like, no, that's not it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Now, that shook me, because I'm the rza, right? Right. And at the time, it was like, what I did was probably considered undeniable, but it wasn't good for that film. And then I did it again. This went on for two weeks, bro.

[B]

That.

[A]

It was like, no, that's not it.

[B]

You hadn't had to collaborate in a while, I imagine. Right. You've been like, you've been lost.

[A]

Right. And nor have I been at service.

[B]

Right.

[A]

See, collaboration is one thing, as service is even higher than collaboration. So then maybe on a week, three, I'm just in there doing what I'm doing, and he burst it into the room and was like, that's it. And I was like, okay. Understood. Like, it's nothing personal. It has to serve the film.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Different process.

[B]

I mean, that score is awesome.

[A]

It's a different process, though.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, what have you enjoyed the. Like, I guess you're getting into what, your. It's your fourth. This is my fourth decade.

[A]

Fourth decade. I thought you'd say my fourth feature film.

[B]

Fourth feature film.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But it's kind of your fourth decade in making art.

[A]

Slow that down. Slow down.

[B]

Kind of.

[A]

Yeah, I got signed. Yeah. Unfortunately. Yeah. I got signed as a teenager.

[B]

So I guess, like, you kind of answered this question a little bit earlier. But, like, you're like, you shouldn't grow complacent and, like, you know, just do the same thing over and over again. You grow restless, and you want to change and evolve over time. Like, what's in your belly right now? Like, what's motivating you right now?

[A]

Cinema.

[B]

Cinema, Yeah.

[A]

I want to be. I want to add to the catalog of cinema some great work that even 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, 100 years from now, somebody could pick it up and look at it and go, yo, that's some shit, yo. You know, I remember during the pandemic, when everybody was stuck at home, I discovered Burt Lancaster. You know Who?

[B]

Burt Lancaster. Yeah, of course. Yeah.

[A]

And it's just like, I'm watching movies that I've never seen before, you know? And it's like. It's fucking inspiring.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm getting shit, you know, I discovered.

[B]

Have you seen Local Hero?

[A]

Local hit? No.

[B]

Is that. Is that the one last film? Who's the guy? The old guy?

[A]

I didn't see that one, though.

[B]

Cut it if I'm wrong. Cut it if I'm wrong. Fast. Fast. Thomas. He is. Yeah, yeah. It's his last. It's his last performance. It's an unbelievable movie. Very slept on flick.

[A]

I gotta see that. Local Hero. Thank you.

[B]

Local Hero. Yeah. One of my favorites. It's in a category, which I call for the fellas, where it's like, if you're, like, at a bar with your friends, you're like, yo, let's watch Moneyball right now.

[A]

Right?

[B]

Let's watch Master and Commander right now. Right? And then you go home and you're like, literally dapping each other. Cause you're like. That's what it's all about.

[A]

Yeah, right. Brotherhood.

[B]

Local Hero is like. Like, definitely like that slap shot.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Wolf of Wall Street. It's just like, for the boys.

[A]

Wolf of Wall Street. What a masterpiece.

[B]

So good. Let's go.

[A]

What point I'm making, like, okay, so let's use Wolf of Wall street as an example.

[B]

Wait, you were saying you're studying Lancaster, though?

[A]

Yeah. No, no, yeah, I just saying, like, I'm going use the same thing I was going to say about Bert. I'm going to say about Leonardo and Scorsese and Wolf of Wall Street. But you can watch them 50 years later, bro. Yeah, you're gonna be entertained, bro.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And so my ambition now. I did it in music. Whether I. Whether I thought I did it or not, I know I did it now because they said the Wu Tang is in the Rock and Roll hall of Fame. So I did it in music. Yeah, I want to try to do that in film. I want to try to have some films that you're like, yo, I gotta see this. Tell somebody. You gotta watch that for whatever it does for you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You know what I mean? One spoon of chocolate, maybe that's the one that fucking make you think about relations, right? You know, man with the Iron Fist, which. We watched that recently in California. Yeah, bro. It's really almost the first black superhero movie after Blade. But I didn't know that. You see what I'm saying? So cinema, I think, is my way as an artist now.

[B]

What about Blank man with Damon Wayans? Have you seen that?

[A]

Yeah, Yeah.

[B]

I thought it was a superhero. It's very funny movie.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Have you seen it?

[A]

Someone.

[B]

He's just being like.

[A]

He's being gay. I don't know.

[B]

I'm trying to think of black superheroes. I keep going, sorry, yeah, I cut you off.

[A]

You know, that's all good. But like, yeah, just as you Asked me what I wanted.

[B]

You didn't realize that until you saw the Iron Fist.

[A]

Yeah, no, no. In my belly, ladies and gentlemen, the question is, what's in my belly? Yeah, in my belly is to make cinema that can last and stand the test of time and inspire future generations. And I'm gonna be striving to do that the way I did with music.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And you're hungry, Ambitious.

[A]

Yeah, I'm ambitious about it. We have a new company called 36 Cinema.

[B]

Oh, cool.

[A]

You know, like, you guys are doing your own thing. We're doing our own thing. And. And look, look at. I'm gonna say this out loud to you. Podcasting, right? You're a comedian.

[B]

It's a talk show.

[A]

Yeah, right. I'm just saying, talk shows, podcasting, broadcasting, all these things have given outlets of voices and made it easier.

[B]

Yeah, right.

[A]

And then it become a point where you're like, yo, fuck that, bro. We got our own cameras, our own fucking lights. We do this shit the fuck way we want to do it.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Cinema, it's hard for that to happen. Even though AI is here. It's hard for it to happen at the level that it projects on a big fucking screen.

[B]

You need a lot of people there.

[A]

Yeah. A lot of energy. I'm trying to simplify that and trying to open the door for that so that it's not a 30 hurdle race. It's only 10:12.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. So that's one to streamline the production process.

[A]

Yeah. And the distribution process.

[B]

Process. Yeah, yeah.

[A]

You know, I mean, in a positive way, though, where everybody makes money, everybody makes a smile, and more art is shared.

[B]

You're the best. I want you to know that. I mean, this has been the best. Seriously.

[A]

Thank you.

[B]

I like, you're like. I think, yeah, you're. I've been a fan for so long and it's really cool. And especially meeting you is like, you're just such a. Such a sincerely lovely person. Like, thank you for being here. No homo. Thanks a lot. There is a guy, Sam,