Best of full interview: 112, Case & Total On The 90s R&B Generation, Biggie's Magic In Studio, Cool Vulnerability + More

Summary

The Breakfast Club – "Best Of: 112, Case & Total On The 90s R&B Generation, Biggie's Magic In Studio, Cool Vulnerability + More"

iHeartPodcasts | Air date: December 26, 2025
Guests: Mike (112), Kima & Keisha (Total), Case
Hosts: DJ Envy, Charlamagne Tha God, Jess Hilarious

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Episode Overview

This special "Best Of" episode reunites '90s R&B icons from 112, Total, and Case to reflect on their enduring impact, behind-the-scenes Bad Boy magic, and the roots of R&B's hip hop crossover. Discussing their upcoming tour, creative legacies, insights on vulnerability in music, unforgettable moments with Biggie, and challenges in the music industry, the episode is a nostalgic and revealing look into the era that defined a generation.

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Key Topics & Insights

1. The 30th Anniversary Room 112 Tour

• Announcement & Reunion Energy
  The groups and Case are joining forces for the 30th anniversary Room 112 tour, aiming to bring “that ’90s nostalgia” back for fans. (03:27–04:41)
• Tour Dates & Lineup
  • Tour kicks off Nov 12 (Stamford, CT), Nov 13 (Brooklyn, NY) among others.
  • Only current members are touring; some original members remain absent.

Mike (112): “We wanted to bring back that 90s nostalgia. You feel me?” (04:34)

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2. Life After Hiatus

• Returning to the Stage
  Total describes coming back after years away for the “Queens of R&B” tour and finding the groove again.
• Balancing Family and Music
  Support from older kids and the muscle memory of performing made the transition smooth. (05:08–05:42)
• Maintaining Signature Moves Fans still want “those dances from the old videos.” (05:47–05:55)

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3. Defining '90s R&B: Bad Boy, Hip Hop, Authenticity

• Bad Boy Era’s Culture & Grind
  Stories of the Bad Boy Records dominance, learning the grind, and club culture (e.g., The Tunnel). (06:26–07:12)
• Total’s Identity: Authentic, Street, Sexy
  Staying true to their Jersey roots & individual personalities. (06:03–06:26)
• Case at Def Jam
  Straddling hip hop culture at Def Jam as one of their only R&B acts, learning on the fly with label head Russell Simmons. (07:41–08:16)

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4. Musical Legacy, Innovation & Biggie’s Genius

• Pioneering the Hip Hop/R&B Blend
  112 asserts their influence on the rise of hip hop-infused R&B, crediting Puff Daddy for encouraging “sing like you’re in the club, talking to a girl.” (10:40–12:16)
• Collaborative Studio Vibes
  Biggie and Faith Evans’ freestyle recording techniques—never writing lyrics down. (21:45–22:12)
• Creating Timeless Hits
  Case reflects on intentionally avoiding ‘trendy’ music for songs with lasting impact. (08:21–08:35)

Mike (112): “The way music sounds now—112 had a lot to do with that because no one can really give us a group that did it the way we did it before 112… singing over hip hop beats.” (10:40–11:51)

Case: “Big and Faith are the only two I’ve ever seen [not write anything down].” (21:45)

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5. Stories Behind Landmarks: ‘Juicy’, ‘Can’t You See’, and Studio Sessions

• Meeting Puff & Getting Signed
  Guided by Kathy Dukes, Total auditioned for Puff with an impromptu song placing his name into it. Their energy impressed him instantly. (14:14–15:52)
• ‘Juicy’ & ‘One More Chance’
  Total’s uncredited involvement on “Juicy” and “One More Chance.” (16:02–18:33)
• Collaborative Magic
  Sessions often happened by chance, with artists hanging around Daddy’s House studios, leading to organic features and classic tracks. (40:43–41:46)

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6. Vulnerability, Competition, and Changing Times

• Why Vulnerability Mattered in the 90s
  The group discusses how R&B celebrated emotion versus today’s transactional tone—citing cultural shifts, club scenes, and technology’s role in altering fan connection. (22:41–25:01)
• Studio Rivalries: Friendly Fire Healthy ego and friendly competition on tour help push everyone to their best (32:28–32:57)
• Mental Health & Industry Pressures Balancing the highs of legacy with industry demands and mental health. (35:04–36:03)
• Fan Experiences Then and Now Real-time engagement versus today’s phone-based documenting—what’s lost when everyone’s on their devices at concerts. (36:41–37:59)

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7. Personal Stories and Behind-the-Scenes Tales

• Family & Upbringing Kima’s family history—from church choirs to a mother who sang backup for Aretha Franklin. Both she and her sister Vita (the rapper) charted their own distinct paths. (38:01–39:52)
• Funny & Wild Moments Case’s struggle to record “Missing You” due to illness led to the infamous “I can’t sing no more” line—captured in one take. (25:14–31:03)
• Wendy Williams Confrontation Total describes confronting Wendy Williams at a radio station after persistent rumors and negativity. (43:32–45:21)
• Missy Elliott, Omar Epps, and Cross-Artist Collaborations Missy’s early involvement around Bad Boy studios; debunking rumors about Omar Epps writing for Total. (39:42–43:14)

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8. Nostalgia & Hopes for the Tour

• What They Want Fans to Feel The aim is to rekindle '90s joy, provide a “refuge” from today’s stresses, and offer pure, high energy nostalgia. (48:50–49:45)

Mike (112): “If we can give you... three hours of just being able to separate yourself from bills and these badass kids of ours—feel good just for a little while—that’s our mission.” (48:56)

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Mike (112):
  “We wanted to bring back that 90’s nostalgia. You feel me?” (04:34)
• Case:
  “I always wanted to make music my parents would listen to from 20, 30 years earlier… If I could do that, then I’d be happy, and everything else would fall in line.” (08:21)
• Keisha (Total):
  “All I wanted to do was be successful… My mom sung backup for Aretha Franklin, but [at home] it was pretty normal. She was our number one fan, but she didn’t push us into [music].” (38:13)
• Charlamagne Tha God:
  “Y’all defined not just a genre, but y’all were a soundtrack to our lives…” (19:07)
• Mike (112):
  “It was deeper than the music… It was a full blown culture, a movement.” (19:55)

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Important Stories and Memorable Moments

• Biggie’s Studio Brilliance
  Both 112 and Case recall Biggie’s ability to create tracks like “I Got a Story to Tell” entirely in his head without writing—painting a vivid picture of his genius. (21:45–22:18)
• Total’s Surprise on ‘Juicy’
  Many fans (and even some hosts) were unaware that Total appeared on “Juicy”—it happened organically in the studio, not as a planned feature. (16:02–18:48)
• The Reality of 90s Stardom
  DJ Envy and guests reflect on celebrity’s relatability then versus now, noting how less media and no VIP sections made organic connection possible. (36:03–36:41)
• Wendy Williams Showdown
  After negative rumors, Total got Puff's OK to confront Williams live, ultimately ending the criticism with a memorable in-person visit. (44:02–45:21)
• Case on Vulnerability:
  “With everything going on in the world… you gotta be able to sing about something more than threesomes in the strip club.” (24:28)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [03:27] Tour announcement & 90s legacy
• [06:26] Bad Boy era stories
• [07:37] Case’s Def Jam experience
• [10:40] 112’s hip hop/R&B innovation
• [14:14] How Total met Puff
• [16:02] The making of "Juicy" and "One More Chance"
• [19:07] Did they enjoy their ’90s moment?
• [21:45] Biggie & Faith’s creative process
• [22:41] Vulnerability in R&B: then vs. now
• [31:22] Balancing egos & friendly competition
• [35:04] Mental health & industry demands
• [38:01] Kima’s family & music journey
• [43:32] The Wendy Williams incident
• [48:56] Hopes for tour/audience impact

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Tone & Language

The conversation is lively, candid, and sometimes emotional, with all speakers displaying a camaraderie rooted in shared history. There’s a mix of nostalgia, honesty, and humor—especially during stories about old studio sessions, friendly tour rivalries, or wild moments on the road.

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Final Thoughts

This episode captures the lasting impact of ’90s R&B, the innovation and camaraderie of the Bad Boy family, and how the genre’s culture, competition, and creative edge left an indelible mark. With the upcoming tour, the guests' passion to relive and share this magic with a new generation shines throughout the discussion.

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For more*:
Catch the 30th Anniversary Room 112 tour for a dose of true 90s R&B nostalgia and unmatched energy.*

Transcript

[Keisha]

This is an Iheart podcast.

[DJ Envy]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

Charlamagne Tha God here. And the end of the year is the time to set the foundation for next year. New ideas, new product drops, new goals. And when I'm building anything meaningful, I need the right tools. That's why I always tell folks, especially black entrepreneurs and small black owned businesses, Shopify is the move. We use it at the Black Effect Podcast network. And I've seen firsthand how it helps creators and business owners grow with confidence. Okay, Shopify is like having a whole team behind you. Your chief of staff, your personal assistant, your co founder, all in one platform. Wherever your people are, Shopify makes sure your business can meet them where they're at. So if you're ready to take the next step in your life, whether it's merch products or anything in between, get on shopify.com ben and make it happen. It is time to stop putting off your future and start your new role as your own boss today.

[Case]

Whoa. What a vibe we've got, y'.

[Kima]

All.

[Case]

As always, it's classic HBCU energy. Nonstop action. The band is rocking and the crowd lit. Chants echoing, drums beating, everybody showing that school pride. Moments like this. Yeah, they call for an ice cold Coca Cola. Crisp and refreshing. That's a game changer right there. Mm, yeah, that taste always hit the right note. Just like the band at halftime. Passionate fans, school colors everywhere. And an ice cold Coca Cola. That's a winning combo. No matter the place, no matter the moment. Everybody knows fan work is thirsty work. So grab a Coca Cola and. And keep that HBCU pride going.

[Kima]

So let me get this straight.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Your company has data here, there and.

[Kima]

Everywhere, but your AI can't use the data because it's here, there and everywhere?

[Mike]

Seems like something's missing.

[Kima]

Every business has unique data. IBM helps your AI access your data wherever it lives.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

To change how you do business, let's create smarter business.

[Kima]

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[Keisha]

Pressure is coming down.

[Announcer]

Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.

[Announcer]

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[Kima]

Hold up.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Every day I wake up. Wake your ass up. The Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Morning, everybody. It's DJ Envy. Just hilarious. Charlemagne the guy.

[Case]

We are the Breakfast Club.

[DJ Envy]

Lorna Rose is here as well. We got some special guests in the building.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Come on.

[Mike]

Now we have 112chia.

[DJ Envy]

We have total, and we have Case.

[Case]

Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome.

[Kima]

How are y' all doing? Great. Great.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Guys, this is not a random link up. Y' all going tour together.

[Kima]

That's right, man.

[Mike]

This is the 112. Room 112 30th anniversary tour. We're so excited. Brought our brother Case, and our sisters told her with us, so we know. Time to have a good time, man. First. First show is when? November 5th.

[Case]

5Th.

[Mike]

November 12th. Stanford, Connecticut, Brooklyn is November 13th.

[DJ Envy]

So there's some members missing. So are the members going to be on tour or. This is the tour.

[Mike]

Oh, this is tour.

[Kima]

Okay.

[Announcer]

Okay.

[Case]

Yeah.

[Kima]

Nice.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Case]

My other members is coming.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You by yourself? What made now the right time for all of y' all to come together for this tour?

[Mike]

Ooh, that's a great question, bro. Honestly, man, it just felt right, it being 30 years, you know, us being in the game. So it just made sense for us to just get out there and just show the fans that we really appreciate what they've been doing, you know, been rocking out with us for the last 30 years, man. Man. So, you know, we're really excited about it, man. Like, we're managed total, and 112 are managed by the same, you know, crew. So, of course, that was an easy, you know, decision to make with that. And then Case, you know, being, you know, the.

[DJ Envy]

That's the bro.

[Mike]

Yeah, that's the bro. You know what I mean? And all of us having that catalog is definitely. We wanted to bring back that 90 nostalgia. You feel me?

[Kima]

And all y' all can still sing. Thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Thank you.

[Kima]

That's, you know, not everybody doing it, but y' all can still sing.

[Mike]

That's important.

[Kima]

That's good.

[Mike]

Yes, ma'.

[Announcer]

Am.

[DJ Envy]

So you were you guys on the road already on tour before, or you. You had to break from family obligations and be like, I'm gonna need to take some time out and get on tour?

[Keisha]

We. Keisha and I were on. We just started back a year ago. We came back out. We did the Queens of R B tour. Prior to that. Yeah, we were home. We came out from our family.

[DJ Envy]

And how difficult was that? Getting back on the road, getting back on dancing, getting back on singing. How difficult was that?

[Keisha]

It really. It wasn't. It. It really wasn't difficult. It's like, you know, like riding a bike. Once you did it, you done it. So it was just, you know, my kids are older. Keisha still has a high school child, but so wasn't hard at all. They're very supportive, you know, they actually was like, go do it.

[Kima]

Like, bye.

[DJ Envy]

Get out the house, Mom.

[Kima]

Get out of here. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Rehearsals was dope. We had to, you know, work it out a little bit. But like Kima said, it's like riding a bike once you get started, you know? Like, you know, and our vibe is.

[Keisha]

Very authentic, so it's. You know.

[DJ Envy]

But people want them dances from the old videos.

[Case]

Like, you got to do that if.

[DJ Envy]

You ain't hitting them. Them dances.

[Keisha]

We have dances, and we got our bop.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How did y' all find that balance back in the day between. Between being, like, sexy but strong but still street with it? Like, how did y' all find that balance?

[Kima]

It.

[Keisha]

It was just natural. Like, that's just who we are growing up. Jersey, like.

[Kima]

Yeah. And that's what made us. To me, that's what made us who we were. Total. The name started out as total opposites because we were all individuals in our own way, you know? So it was. It wasn't like you had to buy the brand. We came as we were.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

How was the bad boy ever back then, growing up? Right? Because There was a time, 90s, 2000, it was nothing but bad boy and radio, Nothing but bad boy on the streets, mixtapes, the clubs. How was that era where it just. It felt like anything y' all did hit, it was.

[Kima]

It's a beautiful thing.

[Keisha]

It was fun. It was. Yeah. That's. That's where we learned a lot of our grind from that whole era. Just grinding just out there, going to the tunnel, like, it was just fun. It was just like a big old party.

[Case]

Yep.

[Mike]

Yeah. That tunnel, that was crazy, right?

[DJ Envy]

Us coming from Atlanta, you know what I'm saying? Like, it was a different. It was like a different culture. So, you know. You know, you can imagine how that felt. He's coming. I know he's from the. From south side. You know what I'm saying? So you coming to New York?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Culture shot.

[DJ Envy]

Culture was a shock, you know, so, you know, but but it was so much fun because it was just like, okay, club's smaller, but you know what I mean? But it was like in your face. So you know what I'm saying? So we. But we learned a lot musically here. Now, what about for you, Case? Now, you weren't on Bad Boy. You were on Def Jam. You were songwriter. You had. You have the. I always say you have that one wedding song that you will get paid for for the rest of your life.

[Case]

Happily ever after, like. Let's hope.

[Kima]

So.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

How was.

[DJ Envy]

How was it coming up for you in that. During that time? Because at that time, you were Def Jam. Def Jam was heavy hip hop. And you was probably one of the only R B singers at the time.

[Case]

I mean, it was. It was cool for me, except for the only problem was they was learning on the fly how to do R and B. And so I get caught up in that sometime. But yeah, I mean, you know how big they was then. So that part was cool. It was just a lot of times they had a lot of hip hop sensibilities because it's Hip Hop label. But one of the things that helped me was that I was the last artist that Russell personally signed to Def Chair. So I could always call him and be like, yo, I can snitch.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did you know them records was gonna be so timeless? Like, touch me, tease me, Happily ever ever?

[Case]

I didn't know, but that's what I always wanted to do. Like, I never wanted to make, like, trendy stuff. I always wanted to make music. Like, my parents would listen to stuff from, like, 20, 30 years earlier, and they would have me doing it. And so my thing was like, if I could do that, then I'd be happy, and then everything else would fall in line.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You worked with Mary J, Beyonce, Foxy Brown.

[Case]

Foxy Brown, Usher.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Usher, Usher.

[Case]

Who else? There's a bunch of people. Ll, Ghostface, Ghostface.

[DJ Envy]

Genuine Tyrese.

[Case]

Yeah, Genuine Tyrese. Jamon Lewis.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What's a session that changed the way you saw yourself as an artist?

[Case]

Probably Jim and Lewis, because I was a huge fan. And I'm like, I'm sitting in a room with Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, and I'm like. And they was like, well, yeah, Janet. We're gonna have Janet come. She loves you. And I'm like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. So they try to call her. Yeah, yeah, we don't need to do that. I was just saying I love. I don't have. Don't have a walking hair. Because that have been different. Yeah, but it Was really that one. Because I'm like sitting there. I been listening to him forever, and I'm like, dag, I'm sitting here. Another one was the first time I worked with Charlie Wilson. I had wrote a song for him and I was a huge fan. And I'm sitting in the booth behind him on the floor while he's doing his vocals, and I'm tripping out like, dang, this is really happening. So it was a lot of different moments.

[DJ Envy]

I felt like Def Jam didn't treat you like a regular artist. Right. With total and 112, I would see them out in the club. Like, Bad Boy would have him out and Def Jam, all this. Def Jam would have them out. I didn't see you. Def Jam put you out as much like that. Was it because you didn't want to.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Go out or probably didn't know what to do with him because he was.

[Case]

R B. I think a lot of it. Yeah. First of all, I hate going out, okay? So if I didn't have to be there, that's why you always be like, yo, I ain't hearing a lot of stuff about you, because I know how to. Yeah, I'll be over here. So, yeah, I mean, I wasn't really big on going out or when I did, it'd be. I'd be somewhere else. Unless I had to be, you know, somewhere with. With them.

[DJ Envy]

Gotcha.

[Keisha]

Did you guys. Well, Mike, I saw you say that you feel like, you know, you guys first album without that. You don't think that R B would be as prevalent or as worldwide as.

[Kima]

It is right now.

[Mike]

Oh, my God.

[Keisha]

Okay.

[Mike]

Okay. Yeah, so, yeah, because we. We felt like we contributed a lot more. 112, you know, we walk around with. With modesty on our shoulders and stuff. And I know that that's, you know, hubris to say that while you're talking about modesty.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right.

[Mike]

But yeah, we. We always walked around with this. This mindset that, man, we'll let our actions speak for themselves. But we would always challenge people like find us. Because our niche in. In the industry was hip hop and R and B. We weren't just hip hop artists. I mean, R and B artists. We were hip hop and R and B artists. So, yeah, the mind frame was. We started that whole trend. It's like the way music sounds now. 112 had a lot to do with that because no one can really give us a group that did it the way that we did it before. 112, like, as far as singing over hip hop Beats and stuff like that. Like you, I challenge anybody, find me a group that did it. Because back in the day, what, you had the A side and you had the B side, right? And then on the B side. So the records, right, they. They had the records. You had the up tempo records where they were singing, but they were always all that singing over up tempo beats and stuff. It was like, it was confusing. Puff, one thing that Puff told us was like, when you're in the club, when you, when you're recording a record, right, Sing the song as if you're in the club drinking and you're trying to holla at a girl. You ain't gonna be in this girl talking about, yeah, you gonna. Girl, I want to be with you.

[Case]

No one else.

[Mike]

You know what I mean? It's gonna be something smoothing. So when we wrote records, when we wrote the Up Timbo records, and then Slim having the voice, being able to just lay on the tracks the way that we did, like, that started a whole era where people now, like, when you hear R B, it has a hip hop element to it as well. It's not just R B, it's a hip hop element.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But isn't that the bad boy formula, though? Wasn't that Diddy? Like, I feel like Diddy did that like with Jodeci. I feel like he did that with Mary J. Blige. I feel like he did that with Total.

[Mike]

I'll give you that. I'll give you Mary J. Blige because, yeah, she. She helped. Because we always say that Mary is between Mary and 112, but 112, really? And then, yeah, Puff did, you know, he did contributed because we came in just. Man, we R B. We R B, bro. Like, forget all this stuff, man. Like hip hop that's gonna cheapen our sound and all this other stuff. And he' vision was like, yo, this is what's going to separate y' all from the Drew Hills, from the Jaggeds, from the, you know, the Agits and all these other groups that were coming out at the same time.

[Kima]

And you know what that is? That didn't make perfect sense, right? Instead of all I would love a to come up to me in a club, let me tell you what you want to do.

[DJ Envy]

Like, you just straight up, straight up. You got my attention.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right.

[Keisha]

What you want?

[Mike]

You know what I mean? Exactly.

[DJ Envy]

That's exactly what it was.

[Case]

You know what I'm saying?

[Mike]

Nine times out of 10, they ain't gonna be able to sing. So he's like, bro, all of that in my ear. Like, I don't want to hear all that.

[Case]

You know what I'm saying?

[Mike]

So that's. That's.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Do y' all agree with Mike's assessment? Not to start any arguments here, but Case, do you agree with that?

[Case]

Yeah, I mean, it was. It was part of it. I mean, that during that era, that's when hip hop and R and B was coming. Yeah, yeah. So pretty much.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I feel like Bad Boy was at the forefront.

[Case]

Yeah, definitely.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Kima]

Because Total was hip hop with that touch of R B. We R B group, but I think we were more based hip hop with the touch of R and B. And Mary definitely was the pioneer of that sound.

[Keisha]

So in total, you guys are some of the first. I'm sorry, Go ahead.

[Case]

Shout out to Q. Kid Capri.

[Kima]

No, no, no. I was just gonna say when he. When Puff did the remixes with Jodeci, because Jodeci was just the R B. And then he brought the hip hop element.

[Case]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Ghostface and Raekwon on the freaking you remix, you know, like, I can't even. I don't want to hear. Can't you see without Biggie part. Like, I hate, hated when some of the urban AC stations back in the day didn't play rap.

[Case]

They would just play the R B.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, I hated that. Really? Right. Yes. Because they didn't want a lot of urban ncs. Didn't play the rest.

[Mike]

Truth.

[Kima]

Yeah. You got played. Wow.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So how did y' all sign to Puff? When did y' all meet Puff? And Puff was like, this is the group that I want. How did that start? Because.

[Keisha]

We met Puffy through this long story. We met these guys that introduce us to Kathy. Kathy was from Mount Vernon.

[Kima]

Kathy Dukes.

[Keisha]

Kathy Dukes. She's how we met Puff. Puff is. Was her son's it. What is her son's godfather.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Keisha]

He's the little baby. The little first bad boy baby. Oh, put him on my closer.

[Case]

Yep.

[Keisha]

So that's how we met him.

[Kima]

Can I. Can I bring. Can I bring them in? So Kathy, one day, when she. When we were introduced to Kathy, Kathy was like, I would love to represent y'. All, manage y'. All. So we ride and ride. And Kathy was like, y' all gotta always be ready. Always be ready. So she pulls up, she goes upstairs. She's like, I'll be right back. She comes downstairs, and she was like, okay, I need y' all to make up a song and put Puffy's name in it. Oh, yeah. At the time, Puffy's. Puffy he's actually in the studio with Jodeci doing the remix. So he comes downstairs, he introduces himself, and then we just start singing. But we're performing. Yeah, we, like, had them all backed.

[Keisha]

Up against the wall in the elevator. He was looking at us like he.

[Kima]

Had his mouth open.

[Keisha]

He was like.

[Kima]

How old are you? He asked our ages, came upstairs. We watched him, you know, direct Jodeci. And then he asked us, how well did we get along in the studio? Like, if we had an argument, did we get back in the studio? And we were like, yeah. So he was like, okay. So he was like, yo, y', all. Y' all sound really good. He was like, yo, I just encourage y' all to keep doing what y' all doing, you know, don't let nobody break y' all up. Two o' clock that morning, he called Kathy. He was like, don't take them nowhere. I wanna sign them.

[DJ Envy]

What was the first song that y' all did? What was the first song y' all recorded?

[Kima]

Well, we recorded songs that never went anywhere because we were just trying to find our sound. But can't you see no. Juicy.

[Keisha]

Juicy. We're Biggie.

[DJ Envy]

Juicy was the first record y' all did.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. And how was working with Biggie?

[Kima]

Amazing.

[DJ Envy]

You gotta break it down, both songs, Juicy and the.

[Keisha]

Can't you see the story behind how we wind up recording? Juicy is like, Big was like our little big brother. Like, we were close with Big, so we would frequently be in New York hanging out in the studio with him. So he called us one day. He was like, come to the city. We was in this. He was in the studio. So we went to the studio and he was playing Juicy. Keisha started humming something. Biggie was like, y' all should go in there and put that down. So he, you know, just gave us some words or whatever, and we went in there and we put it down. And Puff had us come back the next day and do the One More Chance song. So that's how it started.

[DJ Envy]

I didn't want much because it was all Juicy. I never knew that.

[Keisha]

Yeah. There's an original One More Chance. The one on the album is different from the one with the.

[DJ Envy]

With the voicemail in the front.

[Kima]

Yeah, we need to work on that.

[Keisha]

Juicy. It says it now when you Google it, but I assume that it wasn't necessary. Supposed to been a feature for Biggie because it was his first single and stuff like that. So.

[Kima]

Yeah, and we.

[Keisha]

I don't think, you know, we were new. I don't think it was something that just happened. Like, we was in the studio and we got in trouble. Our managers, like, don't do that no more. But I just think they didn't plan for it to be Biggie's first album to have a feature on it.

[DJ Envy]

Did y' all get writing credits for that or. No?

[Kima]

No, because Big wrote it, right? Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I'm be honest, I didn't know y' all was on Juicy, y'.

[DJ Envy]

All.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And we know those records verbatim. The One more chance dirty version is like, one of my favorite records ever.

[Mike]

Wow.

[DJ Envy]

Hold on. And can't you see. How did can't you see come together?

[Kima]

We just came to the studio and the track was playing and we were like, oh, snap. And then Terry Robinson. Terry. What was the group that Terry was?

[Keisha]

The girls.

[Kima]

Young Terry Robinson. She's so incredible as far as songwriting. And she came. She was like, this is. This is what it is. Okay. Verse. I like that verse. She liked that verse. Like, that verse. We went, recorded it and it. It was. What it was.

[DJ Envy]

Was on it or.

[Kima]

No, no, Big wasn't on it. He was in the studio and then he came in and laid it down.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Kima]

It's crazy.

[Keisha]

Wow.

[Mike]

That's crazy.

[Keisha]

Yeah. I was gonna ask when you said, we gotta work on it, you can go back and make sure you guys are credited on the song now.

[Kima]

Even though, like, it's been listed certain ways.

[Keisha]

Certain.

[Kima]

Like, how would that work? Because I think. I think Pam was able to do that with Hypnotized.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Kima]

So.

[Keisha]

And then we get our sounding. We get. We get performance royalties for it. Like, our sound exchange and stuff like that. And, yeah, it has gotten updated. We had it updated on the Internet. So now if you look it up, it does say featuring Total, but it. It just didn't go out like that.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[Case]

Crazy.

[Kima]

A lot of people never knew it.

[Keisha]

I know.

[Kima]

We were like, wait. But if y' all total fans, how come y' all can't. You know, you don't. I just never, like, realized that it didn't say featuring. Right? Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, y' all voice.

[Kima]

Definitely. Y' all know.

[Case]

Y' all know.

[DJ Envy]

Everybody know of.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Did y' all enjoy the moment of the 90s? Because when I look at y', all, it's like y' all are like mythical figures to me. Right. Like, you know what I'm saying? Because y' all defined not just a genre, but, like, y' all would have soundtrack to the our lives. Did y' all enjoy the moment?

[Keisha]

Yes.

[DJ Envy]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Keisha]

Absolutely.

[Kima]

We had a lot.

[DJ Envy]

Yes, sir.

[Mike]

Listen when they said Bad Boy was in the building.

[Kima]

I mean, we were on a high. I mean, you couldn't ask for a better label, you know, and a place to be and especially like aspiring artists, when this is something that you dream of doing to land on Bad Boy and I do. We remember the time clearly when it Bad Boy was everywhere, right? It was nothing to just walk in a club or walk anywhere and just get that love, admiration and respect.

[Mike]

Like it was black leather. They in the world wearing black. You know, we wearing, you know, the headbands. Everybody's doing head like we were. It was, it was deeper than the music.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Mike]

I mean it was, it was a full blown culture. It was a, it was a movement.

[Kima]

And we loved each other. Yeah, we still go in each other.

[Mike]

Sessions a lot of ways. The how the record got together, like, like we tell the story of how we, we were on big. Like if you look at. Listen to Life after death, right? 112 is all like big, he shouts us out throughout the whole album. That's because we were in the studio with him. Like so daddy's house had the Neve, the SSL and the pre production room, right? So 12 is in the pre production room. Junior mafia, big is all in the neve room. Ceeze come out and says, yo, Big wanna holler at y'.

[Announcer]

All.

[Mike]

So we go in there, from here up. Weed smoke, right? So we can't see when nobody's interested. So we fill around. So Big is just sitting there, right? And, and we use this all that. We use the word genius. We throw the word genius out a lot. But this is true definition of genius, right? So we walking in, Big cs, he said, yo, what up? And that's it. He says nothing else, right? So everybody else, Junior mafia, they moving around. Everybody's laughing, everybody's smoking, having a good time. Everybody's drinking, you know, 12, we baked out our minds because we don't smoke. We bake, right? So around two, three hours later, Big's like, yo, I'm ready. And the engineer's like, ready for what? So he dude gets up, going to the booth and does, I got a story to tell. So the part where my 112 CD blast because we were in the room with him. So he's listening to everybody's story. He's listening to Junior Mafia tell that story. 112 tell that story. And then he goes in. That doesn't write anything down. And that's what a genius. Like we, we saw that firsthand. Like this dude never wrote Anything. Him and Faith. Faith.

[Case]

Heaven.

[Mike]

Like, Faith doesn't write anything down either. Like, so Faith don't write that. Faith don't write anything down either.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Jesus.

[Mike]

Yeah. Faith don't write anything down. We watch her. Do you abandon me? Love don't live. We were where we was at. What's the other studio, bro, I forget what is Hit Factory. He was. Yeah, she was a hit factory. Well, doing that record with Mary J. Blige. And she. She just went in there and just did that whole thing without. No, like, yo, where the paper? She don't need no paper or marker. Nothing.

[DJ Envy]

Like.

[Keisha]

Just singing from life.

[Mike]

Big and Faith are the only two I've ever seen.

[Kima]

I got a story to tell. Just straight came to him. He went after just hearing everybody.

[Mike]

He's watching everybody tell their story, like.

[DJ Envy]

And he's like, Kaiser.

[Kima]

So.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Kima]

Perfect, bro.

[Mike]

He kind of say the hell out of that record.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Him and Jay Z, the only people that do that.

[Case]

Oh, yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, Tip. Do it.

[Mike]

Tip. Don't write nothing down there.

[Kima]

That is a gift for sure.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Back in the day, it's like R and B used to celebrate, like, love and heartbreak, but now, like, it feels transactional.

[Keisha]

Yeah, right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

What do y' all think made vulnerability cool back then?

[Kima]

Well, I.

[DJ Envy]

You know, I just think that it was a time. It was just a time period where, you know, where everything was going on in the world. We use music as our getaway. It was our medicine. You know what I'm saying? Anybody remember the 90s when we came to the club or we came anywhere? Everybody came to party, to dance, you know what I'm saying? You know, now you go and you go into places. I don't know how it is too much here in New York as much, but I know in Atlanta, everybody's staring at each other. It's everywhere now. Or they're on the phone, you know, and it's like. It's a different type of a feel. So, you know, so unless it's homecoming. If it's homecoming. Oh, okay, that's true. But regular clubs is. But even when you say that, you know, the alumini, it's us, and they're cranking it up. You know what I'm saying? So, you know. Yeah.

[Mike]

And back then, R B was kind of. It was more hyperbolic, you know what I mean? It was, you know, good. Damn. Well, we're not climbing no highest mountain Swimming no deepest sea but we gave, you. Know, we're not doing all of that, but we gave you the impression we sung it and Made you believe that that was possible. Anything was possible. And nowadays, man, it's just, it's different. The music is too.

[Kima]

And we came from good music, from our parents.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Exactly.

[Case]

That's what I was about to say too. I think the other thing that did it was hip hop became more hyperbolic. Definitely a good word for that. But when it merged with R B so much, it became not cool to have feelings. But I guess that's how people felt. And then the strip club culture got involved with it. So everything is that. And I always say that, like with everything that's going on in the world, in people's lives, you gotta be able to sing about something. More than threesomes in the strip club. There's something else going on, you know what I'm saying? And nobody really does that. Well, I won't say nobody, but a lot of the music doesn't have that no more. They don't have the feelings, they don't have the vulnerability. Like you said, it's all trying to.

[Mike]

Be rappers, all the singers trying to be rappers.

[Case]

And a lot of that is technology.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But it's so crazy because even the rappers back then, most of the rappers back then, we loved him because they were vulnerable. You love Pac, cause he was vulnerable. You love Big because he was vulnerable.

[Case]

Love Kanye because he was vulnerable.

[Mike]

And it's like now you can't be vulnerable.

[DJ Envy]

You were so vulnerable at the end of.

[Kima]

I think it's missing you. You said I can't sing no more.

[Case]

I was fighting for my life.

[DJ Envy]

It was OK.

[Kima]

Singing that song. And I was all day. Listen, so when you said I can't sing no more is you really couldn't or you was.

[Case]

No, I was sick.

[Kima]

You were sick?

[Case]

Yeah. And when I got there, what happened was I went to LA on Monday to do missing you. We supposed to do it on Tuesday. I don't know what happened. My voice went out. So I spent all day Tuesday, Wednesday trying to get it back. And Thursday it came back. So what did I do? I went hanging out with Ja and.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

So right piece of the planet Charlemagne, the God here. Now, you know, the end of the year is when like a lot of business owners, I really lock in, all right, this is the time to set the foundation for next year. You got new ideas, new product drops new goals. And when I'm building anything meaningful, I need the right tools. That's why I always tell folks, especially black entrepreneurs and small black owned businesses, Shopify is the move, okay? We use it at the Black Effect podcast network and I've seen firsthand how it helps creators and business owners grow with confidence. Entrepreneurship is very important to me. Okay, there's nothing wrong with working for people. There's nothing wrong with partnering people. But you should strive to own your own as well. And Shopify can help others grow into entrepreneurs. It's like having a whole team behind you. Your chief of staff, your personal assistant, your co founder, all in one platform. Whether you're running a side hustle or a full storefront selling locally or worldwide, Shopify takes all the guesswork out. Shopify brings everything into one place. You can sell on your website, on social media, and even in the real world. Like some of our partners at our Black Effect Festival coming up in April. Wherever your people are, Shopify makes sure your business can meet them where they're at. Plus, you got Shopify, Sidekick and their AI tools. Total game changers. I love how it's like having an assistant giving you insights, content, ideas, edits. Shopify's got your next move covered. So let me ask you this. If you're ready to take the next step in your life, whether it's merch, products or anything in between, get on shopify.com ben that's shopify.com ben and make it happen. It is time to stop putting off your future and start your new role as your own boss today.

[DJ Envy]

Hey, what up, y'?

[Case]

All?

[DJ Envy]

It's DJ Envy. And the holidays are here. The time of year that's all about connecting with loved ones in person or over the phone. In fact, hearing someone's voice can evoke a similar emotional response as a hug. And while most of us can hop on a video chat to really bring that connection to life, using tech isn't easy for everyone, especially some of the older folk in our lives. AT&T has been doing something special here to help. They offer digital literacy workshops that help older adults learn how to use technology to do things most of us take for granted, like video conferencing and sharing photos. Take Nancy Shand. She joined one of AT&T's workshops to learn how to video chat for the first time this holiday season. Nancy won't just be hearing about family gatherings. She'll be a part of them, sharing stories, opening presents, and making memories all through a screen. Nobody should have to go through the holiday season alone. So be sure to connect and stay connected to your loved ones this holiday season.

[Kima]

Connecting changes everything.

[Keisha]

AT&T. You ever notice how wild life gets when you don't slow down? From meetings to errands to your Phone buzzing nonstop. It can feel like the day never ends. Sometimes you gotta stop and reset. That's when it's time to grab a Diet Coke. That crisp, refreshing taste, crispy as some would call it, allows you to make time for you time. Maybe you're wrapping up a workout, finishing that last email, or sitting on the couch scrolling. Or maybe you're catching up with friends, cruising through your neighborhood, or enjoying a quiet moment nobody else can touch. Whatever your break looks like, Diet Coke can make it so much better. It's not only a drink, it's a signal to take a breather, reset and remind yourself the moment belongs to you. Because when you choose to pause, you're choosing you. So next time life feels non stop, hit pause, crack open a Diet Coke, take a sip, let the bold taste cut through the noise and remember, your break is yours. Make time for a Diet Coke break. Diet Coke. This is my taste.

[Kima]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract for $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. In someone will be eliminated.

[Keisha]

Pressure is coming down.

[Announcer]

Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop? Voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades. Visit lg USA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11 PC Mag. Reader's Choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Case]

Went to the club Ja Rule and then that night we did Living it Up. Then it left again the next day because I was out all night. So it got to Friday. It was like, we don't do it today. We can't do it.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[Case]

So I went in there, I was drinking stuff all day, wouldn't come back. Got to the studio. It was like, he can't sing or talk. So he's like, can you try it? I'm like, all right. So I went there once. He said, can you do it one more time? And I got to the end and I felt it going. I'm like. And then I said, I can't sing. No, but I want to say it. So I sang it. I'm like, I'm knocking on the glass and had to go. That was it. That was. That's why I didn't sing nothing else. I came out and tapped him on the shoulder. I'm like. And I was.

[DJ Envy]

I just literally thought you missed us.

[Kima]

So much that you can't even.

[Case]

I was fighting for my life and. And then what Crazy thing about that. I got nominated for Grammys for.

[Mike]

Truth.

[Case]

But, yeah, that's crazy part. They got nominated for Grammys for both them songs.

[Kima]

Amazing.

[Case]

Which was crazy, man. But, yeah, I was fighting that night.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah. How do y' all balance egos, you know? You know, when you're dealing with three legendary acts who all had their individual moments. Yes.

[DJ Envy]

You know, bro, gratitude.

[Mike]

It. It's. It's a respect level.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Mike]

You know, I mean, it's like. Because I'm. I'm actually fans.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah. Actually fans.

[Kima]

I love that.

[Mike]

And I know it sounds cliche or whatever, but it's. It's the truth. And, you know, we. We so often we don't tell the truth. You know, we get in this type of form or whatever, but we are genuinely like. Total was our first pick to be on this room 112 tour. Case was our first pick to be on this. Because Case, his catalog. We just spoke about his catalog. Ridiculous. Total. Ridiculous. 112. Ridiculous. And we wanted to bring back that 90s nostalgia, you know, and just bring back that whole era of. I knew where I was when I heard Only youy for the First Time.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Oh, my God.

[Mike]

You know, I knew where I was when I heard Cupid, when I heard I'm Missing youg. Or when I heard can't yout See for the first time. Like, I remember where I was when I heard these records.

[DJ Envy]

Not where I supposed to be where I was at when I heard all that.

[Case]

I think that ego is healthy on the tour, especially like this, because you have to.

[Keisha]

You.

[Case]

If you use it the right way, like, for me, it's like, okay, I'mma try to kill everybody. And then they going to feel the same way. And then the fans are the one that win, as opposed to people who just go up there and don't care with no ego. Like, I just got to chill.

[Kima]

We come from that.

[Case]

Yeah, you got it. That's what I'm saying. You got it.

[Kima]

We come from that camera and be like, total 112 just killed y'. All.

[Case]

And that's how. That's how you got to do it. That's how you got to do it.

[Kima]

Friendly competition.

[Case]

And that's the best. Cause the only people that win is the fans.

[DJ Envy]

Was there ever a low time for y'?

[Kima]

All?

[DJ Envy]

Cause I feel like my daughter's 24, and she loves 90s music more than anything. Right? It's probably. Cause dad plays it in the house. Mom and dad play it in the house. But I just. I feel like. Was there a low time? And then I feel like 90s just came back and is stronger than even this year's, like, this decade's music. Was it ever a low time for y'?

[Keisha]

All?

[Mike]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it definitely was. I think for us, the resurgence of the 90s, you know, was something that was what we appreciated more than anything. And that happened about what, maybe almost like six, seven years ago.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, it was like, where the pandemic. You didn't know when you didn't. You didn't know what the state of music and how the industry and how we were going to perform was going to be. Remember, everybody started experimenting with the whole, you know, taping, you know, and then the video. It was just. Yeah, I thought we were gonna just. It's gonna be that, you know, so. So much gratitude now to, you know, I mean, see it for where it is. And. And we feel like it's a blessing that of all the errors they chose to pick, they picked the 90s, right. You know what I'm saying? So thank you.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

And I would want to go back. Just. I really want to experience it in New York. Like, oh.

[Kima]

You laughed at me.

[Keisha]

I think that one time you laughed at me. Go back.

[Kima]

I just feel like the.

[Keisha]

The time that you guys were like, like the top. It was such a good time here. It doesn't seem real. Like, when we hear the stories or, like, I mean, just sitting here listening to y' all talk about just walking in the studio.

[Kima]

Big Biggie's just there and, like, you.

[Keisha]

Know, I can't imagine being young and just being, like, on top. Yeah. Like, in that time.

[Mike]

But you. You're working so hard that you don't even realize it, you know, like, you don't even realize where it took us to step away from it, you know, and. Okay, we can use it as our downtime, you know, and say that that was the time for us to go back and look at it and say, man, we did more than just sing, you know, we contributed to a culture. Like, we are part of history. You know, we're part of history.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Define the culture.

[DJ Envy]

Yes.

[Mike]

So that was amazing. It's looking at it now, being older. Like, you're looking at it now, because my kids now they're going back and they Googling like, dad, y'. All. Y' all did pizza and cream. Look at the video, bro. That's me. You know, my kid. No, because I don't go around. I don't. I don't go around. Hey, look at Mike. You know, I don't. I don't do that. You know, I like, they. They just, they. They grew up as normal as I. I hoped I could because I could teach them to be. Because it's such a mental ill strain that the industry takes, like, it gives, but it also takes. One of the things is, you know, the. The lack of, you know, the mental health that comes along, you know, saying with that. Because you're. You're inundated with all of this, you know, you have to be perfect. Every time you see you, you're out. You all. Your face has always got to be right, right? Your clothes got to always be right or. Oh, man, they done fell off, bro. Like, I just came from the gym, you know.

[DJ Envy]

But I think the camera messed that up, though. The camera messed it up because when, like, the reason I asked him if he was out is I would see everybody out, right? I was a kid growing up, so I would go to Grand Tomb and see y' all on 125th Street. I would go to the tunnel and see y' all in the tunnel and different things. And there was no VIP area. Like, that's what it was. And it gave you a connection with an artist. But there was no phone. So it was no, I'm taking a picture. It was no. The only thing that you would possibly do if you want. And nobody went to la, Corny, but you might ask for an autograph, but nobody wanted to come in the club and do that. So it gave you. You enjoyed the moment. And I feel like people are not enjoying the moment.

[Case]

And everybody had. I hate when you come out on stage and everybody got a phone. I'm like, so it's happening right here in front of you?

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, yeah.

[Case]

And then for me, anyway, I don't think that. Because I think part of when you perform, it's the. It's how it sounds, it's how it looks, but it's the energy in the room. And you can never. If you go back and watch that, you're not going to get that energy. The energy is right there in front of you. Right? Like, for me, I would maybe take a picture, a quick video, then I would put my phone down. I went to see Stevie. Wonderful. I ain't even take A picture, right? I sat there because there's an energy that goes with it, and I think a lot of people miss that because you like this. And I'm like, yo, it's right in front of you. If you put the phone down, it's happening right there.

[Kima]

Exactly. Because if you record, you gotta watch the phone to see if you got.

[Case]

The right angle behind singing.

[Mike]

Off key.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[Case]

And so I'm like, am I messing up? When I see the videos, I'm like, no, that's her singing. I'm like, hold up. Did I just. Ain't no way I just did that.

[Kima]

Yeah, I did.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah, I did that.

[Kima]

Beyonce's tour. And I'm like, I've never went live, ever. Went live on Instagram, and I wasn't expecting this. Beyonce came out, and she just started speaking. I'm on live. I'm like, I'm on live, y'.

[Keisha]

All. This is B.

[Kima]

And she started speaking, and I started crying. I was not expecting it. I was like, okay, guys, I gotta go. Literally, I might have been filming for, like, 10 seconds. You gotta be in the moment because it's an experience. You know what I mean?

[Case]

Watching it back is not the same.

[Kima]

No, it's not.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Kim. I wanted to ask you, Kim, what was your household like growing up? Because I got four daughters, and, you know, a couple of them express wanting to be in the arts. You and your sister Vita, y' all actually made it happen. Was it your parents pushing y' all to both be in the industry or what was it?

[Kima]

No.

[Keisha]

God's plan. Vita was always a lot more outgoing than me, so it wasn't surprising for me that she got into it. No. Like, my mama had us in church. My. You know, my mom was. Was a struggle for her. So, like, I know for me, all I wanted to do was just be successful. I wind up singing. We sung in a choir and stuff like that, but I wound up being in a group and entertaining the industry through Keisha. When we became friends, she heard me sing, but it was just something that we just always did. My mom sung back up for Aretha Franklin. Grew up in that era, but it was pretty normal at home. Like, I really honestly didn't have time to dream because I was so busy trying to figure out, okay, how I'm gonna help my mom. Like, I needed to work, so, you know, that was my plan soon as I was old enough. So, nope, she didn't push us. She supported us. Like, she was our number one fan, but she didn't push us to be into it be an inch.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Need to go to rap.

[Keisha]

Missy Elliott. Oh, Missy told Vita she had a rap voice. And Vita ain't stopped rapping.

[Announcer]

So this is.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Was this when y' all did what about Us? Or was it around this time?

[Keisha]

Well, yeah, like, Missy. We had met Missy before we. She started writing what About Us and stuff, like. Because like you said, everybody kinda hung around each other. So Missy. We began.

[DJ Envy]

Missy lived in Jersey for a while, too.

[Keisha]

Yeah, we became Missy. And I was really close at one time, and she was at my house at Jersey, and her and Vita talking. And she told Vita, you should rap. Be the start of rapping.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wow.

[Mike]

12 got a story for that, too. So Missy used to hang out at Daddy's house all the time, right?

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Mike]

And so she was like, yo, Puff, I want to get on this record. So we wrote a record for Gina Thompson. So we wrote that, right? Missy came in, she was like, yo, I need to get on this, Joan, I need to get on. And then that's the first time you heard her do the he record. That was the first time that, you know, she was in Sister. She was in the girl group Sister at that point. But she had came up and she was like, yo, I need to get on one of these records. Need to get on this record. 112, I'm gonna write this. So she was just. All the time. She was just in Daddy's house, man. And that was the energy that was around bad boys. Like, we were just all in each other's studio, like, hey, Keith. Hey, Mike. Come in here and sing this real quick. All right? Faith, you know, come in and sing this record. Like, a lot of times it wasn't, you know, just. It was by design. It was really just being in the room at the right place at the right time, you know, and just making it happen.

[Case]

Because Faith wrote the song that got me signed to death.

[Kima]

It.

[Keisha]

Wow.

[Kima]

Crazy wow.

[Keisha]

Was it.

[Mike]

That's. That's.

[Case]

It was a song called Don't Be Afraid. And Misa, who was managing me at the time, got Faith to write it, which. There's a hilarious story for that, though. We. We had a Me and my homeboy KB shout out to Murray. We went to. You know, you had to get the actual cd. So we had a rental car. We drive to Brooklyn to meet Faith at that crib. She plays it for me. I take the CD. Big comes in. He don't know us. It's 90, 94. So he like. She like, yeah, this case, he's an artist, blah, blah, blah. He Looking. So we leave. We go outside. The rental car won't start. They leave and come back. We still sitting there because we trying to call somebody to come. We sitting outside the crib for, like, maybe three and a half hours. I'm like, we look suspect as hell. We sitting there. I'm like, yo, if I was them, I'd start shooting. I hope they don't. So we sitting there.

[Mike]

Finally, we leave.

[Case]

And then when we had. It was a radio station that I was. I was hosting. They was. I was coming out. Big was coming in. And we laughed about it, but he remembered that. I'm like, yo, this looks crazy. The car wouldn't. I'm like, yeah, we sitting across from his crib now. It's dark. It's just two strangers that were just in the crib. I'm like, yeah, this is crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Wasn't no Uber back then.

[Case]

It was barely cell phone. We were going to the paper. It was barely no cell phone. This was in 94. That's crazy.

[Kima]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Case]

I gotta ask.

[DJ Envy]

Back then, either Omar Epps write a lot for Total. I heard he used to write a lot for Total.

[Kima]

No, that's not true.

[DJ Envy]

That's not true.

[Kima]

Oh, that's not true. No. Yes. I just posted the other day.

[DJ Envy]

That's what I'm asking.

[Kima]

And I wrote, tell me what you want.

[Case]

Really?

[Kima]

I mean, I said, tell me what you want. Tell me. So that's when Omar and I were just friends. And he would drive out to Jersey, and we would just listen to music, Freestyle the music I played him. I was like, this is a song that they. A track that they just gave us. We just started freestyling, took it to Puff. He was like, yo, this is crazy. We played it. Faith came in. Faith pinned some more. That's how it made the album.

[DJ Envy]

Most people don't know Omar was a rapper. Adult rapper from Queens.

[Case]

Yes.

[Kima]

A dancer and then a rapper.

[DJ Envy]

A dancer and a rapper. Yeah.

[Kima]

And a singer.

[DJ Envy]

I didn't know the singer part.

[Kima]

Oh, yeah. And Omar can blow.

[Case]

Really?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Maybe he only does that to you, Keith.

[Kima]

Omar can sing. So you heard a video? Vision Group? Yeah, they.

[Mike]

They were.

[Kima]

I think I want to say, Def Jam.

[DJ Envy]

Really?

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Kima]

They were, like, signed to Def Jam. Omar can really sing.

[Mike]

Wow.

[Kima]

Damn.

[Case]

Yeah.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[Case]

But I remember. I don't remember Omar being in it. Oh, he was in it before they got signed. I never knew, man.

[Kima]

I'm man of many towns.

[Case]

That's crazy.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

I want to ask Keisha and Kima, back in the day, what made Y' all decide to go up to the radio station and press Wendy Williams? Like, what did she say to y' all that that caused y' all say, you know, we gotta go see her.

[Kima]

Were you there?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No. Hell, no way. No way. Before my time. Okay, that was the 90s, right?

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[Case]

I don't even remember.

[Keisha]

Were you there?

[Kima]

Were you looking out the window?

[Keisha]

Were you the one that runs in the wind? She just, you know.

[Kima]

And she was playing with our money.

[Keisha]

She just was disrespectful.

[Kima]

And we had already sent a warning. And then she just kept saying, like. First Wendy was just like, oh, she called us. Something broke. And then we came up. We came up to the radio station, we sang. She was like, oh, we sang acapella. She was like, oh, y' all can sing. Then it was that. It was just like, oh, they're Jersey, and I hear that they can't pay rent and they can't pay their rent and stuff. And we were like, you know what? Enough is enough. Because at that time, that's all she was doing. It's like, listen, you know, when we get these opportunities as black artists, we gotta uplift them and talk about the positivity that they do, right? Instead of. You give a moment. A blitz of something that they did positive and then something that happened negative. You playing that all day. So we were just like, enough is enough. Keema was like, puff, can we go up there? Period, Period.

[Keisha]

Cause I didn't, you know. I know politically we would have been in trouble if we just went up there. So we asked permission, and he didn't say no.

[Kima]

He was like, go ahead. What is that that you had to say? And she was like, no, no, no. Talk that stuff right now. And then her. Her husband at the time, security, he had said something to our security, like, come on, man. Come on. And she ran to the car. She got in the car and stuck.

[Keisha]

The middle finger out the sunroof.

[Kima]

Out the sunroof. And then we never heard no more from her.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

No, she just tells the story. You say y' all sent her a warning. Was y' all the one that sent the fish?

[Keisha]

No.

[Mike]

No.

[Case]

What fish, boy? I don't really want. She was a de. Boss sent that dead fish in the mail.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Yeah, somebody said that.

[Case]

Sleeps with the fishes. Yeah, he said that. She said that. De. That was Boston. Rest in peace. To Boston. I was on around that time, and it happened around the time when I just signed and I just met her. Shout out to her, too. She passed a few years ago, but, yeah, I didn't even know about that. Wendy used to. I can't say nothing about Wendy because she would find out stuff about me, but she never. She would call me and be like, look, this was I'm hearing. And she would send me the faxes. I don't know why she looked out for me. I'm glad she did, because some of it was dead on. Nah, I hope not. Not a crush on me, but.

[Kima]

Right.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

But the reason I missed that error, though, is because y' all was able to pull up on people. Nowadays, people just be in their basement behind the computers talking crazy. You know what I'm saying?

[Case]

That's the worst Internet, though.

[Kima]

Keyboard bullies.

[Case]

Yeah, they got to go, guys.

[Kima]

Oh, damn.

[DJ Envy]

They said they got to leave.

[Kima]

Just getting. Damn. All right, all right, real quick, my man. All right, I. Two question. Two more questions. Did y' all like Tiana Taylor? How you want it, right? Cuz she sampled. Tell me.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Kima]

Did y' all like that? Yeah. Yes. Yeah, I love that. Yes, we do. Okay, perfect. And King. King Combs was on it as well, but, yeah, I thought that was. That was a bop that took me back, you know what I'm saying? Like, to y', all. So I thought that was dope. Yeah, stay tuned. You might be seeing something with that. Okay.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

All right.

[Kima]

Now, Case.

[Case]

Yes, ma'.

[Kima]

Am. Yo, the best man I can be now with all those egos you got. Jen, Tyrese, RL and yourself. How did that studio session go?

[Case]

I felt like it was cool, but I'm gonna tell you, it probably would have not been as cool, but it's Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, so. Yeah, you gonna kinda act right, even if you don't want to. Okay, so it's them.

[Kima]

Did y' all record at once?

[Case]

Yeah, we all flew in and recorded at the same time. Yo, yo, I was the last one that got there. Cause my flight got delayed away. But, yeah, we was all there. Actually, I was having a party at Jimmy's, A platinum party that night that I missed.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[Case]

Because I had to go up there and do that. But it was cool because it's jamming Lewis. Like you ain't gonna get in there and ask with them.

[Kima]

That was the funniest music video I've ever seen.

[Case]

I'll be seeing the memes now.

[Kima]

Y' all was going in.

[Keisha]

So who.

[Kima]

Who did the most?

[Case]

I don't know. I was worried about me at the video.

[Kima]

I'm talking about in the video shoot. Who. Who do you feel did the most?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Always Tyrese.

[DJ Envy]

Now, I Might have been genuine back then.

[Keisha]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Kima]

But who do you think did the most? Tyrese definitely did the most.

[Case]

I think be probably out of RL and Tyrese.

[Kima]

Okay.

[Case]

Because I seen a meme recently. He was like, yo, Tyrese threw the hat in.

[DJ Envy]

What's their face?

[Case]

I'm like, yo, I never noticed that. I think that was actually. I think he was throwing it and he walked. I don't know. I was high. Yeah, I was high. And I'm looking at them, I'm like, yeah, I'm not doing all that. Oh, man.

[DJ Envy]

Hit the blood again.

[Case]

I'm like, I'm not doing. Wear my glasses.

[Kima]

That's one of my favorite songs. But I just always wanted to ask one of y' all who did the most? Cause the most was done.

[Case]

Yeah. It was fun, though. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Now that there was no jamming Lewis there, so I already knew that was gonna be different from the session. Yeah. That was gonna be a thing.

[Kima]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So that's what I wanted to know.

[Case]

Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

Yeah.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

When the tour kicks off, what do you want fans to feel when they see all of y' all on stage?

[Mike]

That nostalgia, man. We want how we're Talking about the 90s and just bringing back that era. We want. With so much BS that's going on in the world today. We want to be what we set out to be, which is a refuge for all that bs, you know, that's going on in the real world. So if we can give you an hour, an hour and a half, three hours of just being able to separate yourself from bills and these badass kids of ours. Feel good just for a little while, like, that's what we're. You know, that's our mission. We want to feel the nostalgia. I want to go back and listen to all the records because we're in this, you know, rehearsal now, and total show is. Is amazing.

[Kima]

Tough. So is 112. Listen, crazy high energy.

[Mike]

High energy.

[Kima]

Want everybody to have a good time.

[Mike]

You know, Just have a good time. Just reminisce. Yeah, just reminisce.

[DJ Envy]

Wow.

[Mike]

That's right. November 13th, we'll be in Brooklyn. Where's the King's Theater?

[Case]

Kings Theater.

[Mike]

Kings Theater. Yeah.

[DJ Envy]

So we'll be in Stanford.

[Mike]

Stanford, Connecticut on the 12th.

[DJ Envy]

Got so many questions. I know you got it now. We appreciate it. I just gotta ask one more. I'm sorry. Did no one else beat. Were y' all confused when y' all first heard that beat?

[Kima]

No.

[DJ Envy]

No. Because there was snares all over that place.

[Kima]

Well, you. We did not know what was gonna be put over it.

[DJ Envy]

Okay.

[Kima]

Because that was Terry. Once again, Terry Robinson. It's like, how are you gonna write over this?

[Case]

That's what I said when I heard it.

[Kima]

We went crazy. Yeah, it's one of our favorites. It hit so hard. If we could just get all of those acts on the stage one day, we're gonna stay hopeful.

[Case]

That joke was crazy.

[DJ Envy]

All right, well, thank you guys for joining us. 112. And it's the Breakfast Club. Good morning.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

The Breakfast Club.

[Kima]

Finished or y' all done? 10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit. Only one of you will leave here with an IFIT contract worth $250,000. This is where mindset comes in. Someone will be eliminated.

[Keisha]

Fresh is coming down.

[Announcer]

Trainer Games on Prime Video January 8th. Watch the trailer on trainergames.com did you know Microsoft has officially ended Support for Windows 10? Upgrade to Windows 11 with an LG Gram laptop, voted PCMag's Reader's Choice top laptop brand for 2025. Thin and ultra lightweight, the LG Gram keeps you productive anywhere. And Windows 11 gives you access to free security updates and ongoing feature Updates upgrades. Visit LGUSA.com iHeart for great seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11. PCMag reader's choice used with permission. All rights reserved.

[Kima]

Season 2 of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more are back to redefine the game. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO.

[Announcer]

Max support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like EFTs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio that's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures [e-mail] Disclosures A new year.

[Kima]

Is on the horizon and your 2026 savings start here. Right now you can access the Washington post for just $2 every four weeks. Head into the new year with six months of savings at the special intro rate. After that, it'll cost $12 every four weeks. Cancel anytime. You'll get unlimited access to trusted journalism that helps you understand the year ahead and the world around you. Now's the perfect time to subscribe because great habits and great savings start together. Go to washingtonpost.com iheart that's washingtonpost.com iheart and start your year informed with the Post.

[Keisha]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.