Ish is Crazy: Kendrick Lamar Makes History

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Breakfast Club Episode: Ish is Crazy: Kendrick Lamar Makes History
Release Date: May 2, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this electrifying episode of The Breakfast Club, hosts Lauren LaRosa, Brandon, Carlos Polk, and special guest DJ Head delve deep into the monumental achievements of Kendrick Lamar. The conversation centers around Kendrick's unprecedented success in the music industry, particularly his co-headlining tour with SZA that has set new financial records.

Kendrick Lamar's Record-Breaking Tour

Lauren LaRosa kicks off the discussion by highlighting Kendrick Lamar's historic accomplishment:

“Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper in history to gross over $9 million in a single concert. The co-headlining tour between Kendrick Lamar and SZA breaks Eminem's 2019 record in Melbourne, grossing $900 million, which is a huge deal.”
[07:40]

Brandon adds context to Kendrick’s success:

“These numbers are astronomical.”
[09:15]

DJ Head recounts his personal experience attending Kendrick's Atlanta show:

“I was at the Atlanta show and the Mercedes Benz stadium. It looked crazy to me. It was packed.”
[08:07]

Comparison Between Kendrick Lamar and Drake’s Approach

The hosts engage in a comparative analysis of Kendrick Lamar and Drake, discussing public perceptions and personal branding:

“Drake raised them [fans]. So it's like, it's like telling them that Santa Claus ain't real.”
[09:42] – DJ Head

Lauren challenges the notion that Kendrick needed Drake’s influence to achieve his success:

“I don't know why it is with Kendrick and him. Maybe you're a little closer to the source.”
[09:33]

Brandon counters the idea by acknowledging Kendrick's consistent ability to sell out shows:

“He was always selling out. Sell out artists though.”
[09:05]

Cultural Impact and Authenticity in Hip Hop

The conversation shifts to the authenticity and cultural influence within the hip hop community. DJ Head emphasizes Kendrick's genuine connection to his roots:

“He’s always been discounted, but he’s been discounted for not indulging in the fruits of being a star.”
[10:32]

Carlos Polk reflects on the authenticity Kendrick brings to his music compared to Drake:

“Drake didn’t grow up the way that we did, but he knew how to speak to it and make music around it.”
[15:13]

Perspectives on Press and Social Media Influence

Lauren and the hosts discuss the role of media and social platforms in shaping public opinion about artists:

“I'm not a journalist, I'm a DJ, because I respect journalists.”
[20:24] – DJ Head

Lauren critiques the manner in which information is disseminated and the importance of journalistic integrity:

“I think we, as journalists, vet things a lot differently. We have conversations a lot differently.”
[20:39]

Personal Reflections on Success and Work Ethic

The hosts share personal insights on maintaining humility and gratitude amidst success. DJ Head recounts a moment backstage with Kendrick:

“I was holding the key to the city, looking at it, and Kendrick was like, 'This is crazy.'”
[23:45]

Lauren emphasizes the importance of staying grounded:

“It's the work. You put in the work.”
[24:12]

Carlos Polk adds a reflective note on appreciating one's journey:

“Your life is a story for somebody else. So it's important to take a second to take it in and say, 'Yo, this is crazy.'”
[24:35]

Conclusion and Key Takeaways

As the episode wraps up, the hosts distill their conversation into essential lessons:

• Gratitude: Acknowledging the blessings and opportunities that come with success.

  “I'm blessed.”
  [01:57] – DJ Head

• Work Ethic: Emphasizing the importance of hard work in achieving and sustaining success.

  “It's the work.”
  [24:12] – Brandon

• Authenticity: Maintaining genuine connections and staying true to oneself amidst fame.

  “Don't fake the influence.”
  [20:05] – DJ Head

Lauren closes the episode with heartfelt appreciation for the listeners and guests:

“At the end of the day, there's always a lot to talk about. You choose to be right here, and I appreciate you for that.”
[25:34]

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Lauren LaRosa on Kendrick's Historic Gross:

  “Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper in history to gross over $9 million in a single concert.”
  [07:40]

• DJ Head on Authenticity and Influence:

  “You can't fake the influence.”
  [20:05]

• Carlos Polk on Life's Journey:

  “Your life is a story for somebody else.”
  [24:35]

• Brandon on Work Ethic:

  “It's the work.”
  [24:12]

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Final Thoughts

This episode of The Breakfast Club offers an insightful exploration of Kendrick Lamar's monumental success, juxtaposed with Drake's influence in the music industry. Through candid conversations, the hosts dissect the elements of authenticity, cultural impact, and the relentless work ethic that propels artists to greatness. Listeners gain a deeper appreciation of what it takes to make history in the competitive world of hip hop.

Transcript

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm the homegirl that knows a little bit about everything and everybody.

[Brandon]

You know, she don't lie about that, right?

[Carlos Polk]

Lauren came in hot.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right, y'all, we start with a clap. Bring the dopamine up.

[Brandon]

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

The energy. All right, y'all, welcome back to another episode of the Latest with Lauren LaRosa. I'm your host, Lauren LaRosa, and you know that this is your daily dig into all things pop culture, exclusive news, and the conversations that shake the room. I'm the homegirl that knows a bit about everything and everybody. But joining me today, Brandon's here, as always.

[Brandon]

Yes, I am back.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We got Los has been on the podcast.

[Carlos Polk]

Carlos Polk is back.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Carlos.

[Carlos Polk]

Carlos work.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's his podcast name, Carlos Polk.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But we have a special guest in the room. West coast is in the building. DJ head is here.

[Brandon]

Another round of applause.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Another round of applause.

[DJ Head]

Greetings and salutations. Appreciate you.

[Brandon]

It's my first time meeting dj and we had some wild conversations, so.

[DJ Head]

Yeah, this is my first time. Yeah. Interacting verbally. Yes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So, wow.

[Brandon]

Excited to see where this podcast goes today.

[Lauren LaRosa]

All right, well, the way that we kick off the podcast head, your first time here is we do a behind the grind. Behind the scenes of the grind. Check in.

[DJ Head]

Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Because, you know, people, we be moving. We'd be grooving. You literally are here for like 24 hours, if even that.

[DJ Head]

Literally.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Exactly. And we working all day long and people don't ask you, how are you doing? If they do, they don't really mean it.

[DJ Head]

But here, I never ask people how they doing because I don't be genuinely giving a. So I just. So I. People be like, hey, how you doing? I'm like, hey. I don't like, ask it back. Yeah. Because it's a rhetorical question.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's exactly. So normally this is exactly why we do it this way, the way that we do it here, because it is not rhetorical here. So I'm going to ask you, how are you doing? I honestly want to know. It can be one word, it could be one sentence. We keep it concise and then we dig a little bit more. But it's real cute. But it's a real check in.

[DJ Head]

Okay.

[Brandon]

Back on the grind.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So how you doing, head?

[DJ Head]

I'm blessed.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, blessed is a good. I didn't know where you was going to go.

[DJ Head]

Scientifically. I'm blessed. You know, I'm not sleeping, but I'm blessed.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay. Why you feeling blessed? Like, is there something specific that happened recently?

[DJ Head]

No, it's not that. I mean, I'm. I'm definitely blessed with opportunities and stuff, but I think that, like, anytime I just wait, I think life is really cool.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[DJ Head]

I wake up every day and, like, I'll be at my house, and I'd see birds outside, and they'd be chirping, and I'm like, this is some cool, like, life in general.

[Brandon]

Like, everything is, like, symbiotic and working together.

[DJ Head]

So I'm just grateful for life and animation. Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, that's a good way to think about things. That life is really, really cool. I feel blessed in the moment as well, too. Brandon, how you feeling?

[Brandon]

I'm feeling good, too. I'm feeling good as well. I want to add to what you said earlier about, like, just the how are you? Question.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

My people, I know overseas say that's like, an American thing where we'll say, how are you? And just walk right past the person. Like, we don't really.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So what they do overseas, they be like, hi, how are you?

[Brandon]

And then they stop and be like, hey, I'm doing fine.

[Lauren LaRosa]

For all podcast Americans.

[Brandon]

Be like, how are you? And just keep it moving. Don't even care how you. You do it. So I thought, bro. Yeah, it is.

[Carlos Polk]

It's hella fake.

[Lauren LaRosa]

When I ask y'all here, how y'all doing? I really care how you're doing.

[Carlos Polk]

Oh, so do you stop.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I'm stopping here. We're having full conversation about you.

[Brandon]

Was asking so we could just contemplate with ourselves.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I really want to know because it'd be a lot going on. I feel like people who are career busy and very, like, career and. And, like, you know, pushing through the grind, we compartmentalize very easily, and that is a good thing. But it can also be a bad thing because eventually, like, those compartments get full. And, I mean, I had. I know you don't like to be vulnerable and stuff, but it's not that.

[DJ Head]

I don't like to be vulnerable. I just. I just express myself differently than most people.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Okay, I'll take that.

[DJ Head]

But I'm emotionally divergent.

[Carlos Polk]

Divergent.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Please explain that, because that could have been how you doing today?

[DJ Head]

No, it's just like, you know how people are neurodivergent, which I also subscribe to. I think I'm emotionally divergent. Meaning you're just outside of the norm.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, got you. Well, I mean, inside or outside of the norm, the reason why I do it is just because I feel like in my own personal life, I'm one that be like, no, I'M cool, I'm cool, I'm cool, I'm cool. And then it gets to a point where it starts to show and work that I'm not cool. And then I got to take a step back.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

I think we're scared of the bad answers, though. Like, he's, oh, my mom just died.

[DJ Head]

Like, God damn.

[Brandon]

Like, now I gotta really console you and comfort you, and I'm not mad that your mom died. Anything. But I'm just. It's a lot to take in when somebody just throws.

[DJ Head]

So then why even indulge?

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[Brandon]

To be nice. To be nice.

[DJ Head]

But it's not nice if it's disingenuous.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[DJ Head]

If it's being. If you're being disingenuous, how is it nice?

[Brandon]

Yeah, this is a courtesy. I don't think you got to be. I think they'll still take it as a. As a gesture. I don't think you necessarily have to. I feel, like, genuine, like, genuinely know how somebody's doing. That's a little nosy. Like, just really nosy. It's a little nosy to ask, how you doing? And expect a deep dive answer.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I think it's a setting as well, too. So, like, here or like, if I'm with, like, my friends and we're in a. Like, it depends on who I'm talking to and where we are. Sometimes I do just say out of courtesy because it's like when you walk into a room, you speak. You have to speak, like that type of thing. But in other settings, if I ask, I really, like, you know, like, how you doing? Like, how are you?

[Brandon]

Hey, we just deep dive into that. How are you? Let's get it to the topic.

[Lauren LaRosa]

How you doing?

[Carlos Polk]

I just want to chime in. There is this guy a monk, Buddhist monk, that he escaped and moved to New York.

[DJ Head]

And it's you.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah. His name is Don Depani. And he would say. He would say, don't ask people, how you doing? Because you're asking to take on their energy. Just send out good energy. Like, I hope all is well.

[Brandon]

I think that's what I'm getting at.

[Carlos Polk]

So a lot of times you might hear me say, I hope all is well, Or I'll start an email off, I hope all is well. If it ain't, then I hope. But I ain't ask you if it wasn't. I'm just correct.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I start my emails off like that because I was just trained in work, that that's how you do.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah, but when somebody give you that Energy you asking for a lot because you ain't even start your day sometimes. Yeah, like, oh man.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But you're feeling okay?

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah, I'm feeling great. I do. I am beginning to think I may need to get like evaluated. I think I might be on the spectrum a little bit. I think I said something about. I'm just starting to think that way. I might be. Put it out there. But like what it is because some people be sensitive. So if I say I feel like I might be autistic, then they might take that as like a. Like a. Or if I, you know, I'm with you, bro. Yeah, I do feel like I'm a.

[DJ Head]

Little spectrumy for sure.

[Lauren LaRosa]

What made y'all feel that way?

[Carlos Polk]

Cause we so different.

[DJ Head]

Oh, just. Cause I've neurodivergence is not being of the norm. I just think that I'm just completely out the box. Most of the time I come off as insane, especially to women, but Jesus.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So it's so crazy though because I feel like you're like super comforting and like, like as a friend, you're like a really good friend.

[DJ Head]

Yeah.

[Carlos Polk]

Can I. Can I. Can I say an interjection? It's kind of okay for us to talk like this too in the beginning. Cause we are the latest. Like we are the latest. Like we're the next latest. People gonna be talking about us. So it's good. And people talk about him all the time.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, we sitting here with big money right now.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah, we big money.

[Lauren LaRosa]

How you doing? Can I hold something?

[DJ Head]

I'm on your show in the Iheart.

[Carlos Polk]

Building in New York. We. Billy, can I hold something?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Hand like, what's up?

[DJ Head]

No.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Damn.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah, not yet. Not yet.

[Lauren LaRosa]

People don't be like, I ain't got it. He just said no. All right, well, speaking of the latest, we are going to get into the latest and because we have head here, y'all know we're going to get into some K do. Kendrick Lamar is the first rapper in history to gross over $9 million in a single concert. Now it is being reported that the co headlining tour between Kendrick Lamar and SZA breaks Eminem's 2019 record in Melbourne, grossing that $900 million, which is a huge, huge deal. Especially because in the beginning all this when the GNX tour announcement dropped, people were saying people weren't going to go out to see Kendrick people. People literally said they people did not want to see a Kendrick Lamar.

[Brandon]

Yeah, I don't think that's true.

[Carlos Polk]

And they were kind. If it's like the first Thing they do is make a comparison between Kendrick and Drake. His shows and, and, and Kendrick shows and then say his ain't going to sell out.

[DJ Head]

I don't know. It was, I was, I was there. I was at the Atlanta show and the Mercedes Benz stadium. Not, not dome because it's not to be confused. The Mercedes Benz stadium. And it looked crazy to me.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[DJ Head]

I didn't see hella open seats and all that kind of. It was packed.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Now this is a 39 stop stadium tour.

[DJ Head]

That's insane.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I was 39 stops.

[DJ Head]

But that's not even included in multiple days.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Carlos Polk]

Oh, oh.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Multiple days in different stops.

[DJ Head]

Yeah. So he's doing three at SoFi at.

[Brandon]

Home, two at MetLife, right?

[DJ Head]

Yeah, two out here, three at home, two in Toronto that I know about. So three at home at Sofi. That's where the super bowl was like Taylor Swift I think is the only other person that did three days as a sofa.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Wow. Wow. Yeah.

[Brandon]

I really think all that situation with Drake sent him to another stratosphere. Obviously he was selling out before that, but it really. I don't think anybody could deny that he wasn't gonna. Anybody could say he wasn't gonna do well after everything. No, Kendrick, after that phenomenal year he had like there's no way he wasn't doing this.

[DJ Head]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So you feel like without. Not like us, he couldn't do this?

[Brandon]

No, no. I think it would have been a, it would have been a little smaller. But I think he was always selling out. Sell out artists though.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, because I asked you that. Because that has been the conversation.

[Brandon]

These numbers are astronomical.

[Lauren LaRosa]

But when this news broke, the conversation was he needed Drake to do this. And people always throw about Kendrick and the conversation right now. But in 2023, the big stepper store became the highest grossing raptor of all time. It was eclipsed the following year by Drake It's All a Blur tour. But it did happen first. So I think that. I don't know why it is with Kendrick and him. I don't know. Maybe you, you a little closer to the source. People like that, like Kendrick, like this all just happened overnight for him. Like they.

[DJ Head]

Because people, it's. It's two things. The first thing is people are super fans of Drake. Like Drake raised them. So it's like, it's like telling them that Santa Claus ain't real.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You can't tell me that.

[DJ Head]

You know what I'm saying? Like it's certain shit that you can't say about certain people. For instance, even when even when certain people are probably flawed just like everybody else. Like, you know what I mean? Like, we have moguls that are probably no longer heralded as what they once were because you fuck around and find out that they're just a human being like everybody else. You know what I'm saying? And so my. That's the first thing. The second thing is he's always been discounted the whole time, but he's been discounted for. For lack of a better way. Just saying, oh, he's not a star. Just because he doesn't indulge in the fruits of being a star.

[Carlos Polk]

Right, Exactly.

[DJ Head]

So. And. And I said this before on the air, but I think, like, he has the same problem that, like, Jokic has, you know, on the Denver Nuggets. Like, he just win a championship and don't even give a fuck.

[Brandon]

Yeah, he don't care with his horses and shit. He just don't.

[DJ Head]

So you have somebody who's completely indulgent in being a superstar, and you have somebody who don't even give a fuck about being a superstar.

[Carlos Polk]

Do you sincerely think Drake care about being a superstar, or is he trying to be a Persona?

[DJ Head]

No, Drake.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I think it's a little bit of both, but go ahead.

[DJ Head]

Drake 100% cares about stardom.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Is that a bad thing, though?

[DJ Head]

I don't want to say it's a bad thing. Nothing is bad. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's how you go about it.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And you don't respect the way Drake goes about it because what's the why?

[DJ Head]

It just depends on it. Depends on what. What facet. Like, for instance, the way that. The way that he uses culture to manipulate. I don't. I don't. I disagree with that because I try.

[Brandon]

To say the AI stuff with, like.

[DJ Head]

Snoop, and it wouldn't even be the AI stuff I'm talking about. For instance, if. When you like. I'm not saying that there aren't rough areas where he's from, but where we're. Where I'm from, where DOT is from, you can't. We call it false flagging. You can't false flag. Like, I don't ever claim to be a game member. I'm not a game member. I'm considered a non affiliate. So if I get on here and start cousin and blood and stuff, I would get quote, unquote, G checked when I get back home. But what happens is when you don't get checked, you go without checks and balances. Then you arrive at a place where now you're the dictator of those checks and balances, I. E. Kanye west, you know what I'm saying? So now it's like you're allowed to just be whoever you want to be without any. While any repercussions. And I think that's kind of like, what's going on.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, recently, Young Thug sat down with GQ magazine, and they asked him about the whole Kendrick Lamar, Drake thing. He's like, I don't know where this came from because I'm a Drake fan. Like, I don't understand why Kendrick Lamar brought me into it. I mean, I get what you're saying as far as culture, but, like, when you got people like Young Thug saying, like, yeah, nah, but I don't subscribe to that. Doesn't. That. That doesn't help what you're saying, because.

[DJ Head]

No, but everybody has their own experience. Just like some people would say, you know, there's. They're probably individual. There might be individuals that say, weinstein was a good man. You know what I'm saying? Or I'm not Weinstein. Epstein got you. You know what I'm saying?

[Brandon]

I think Kendrick's point was that he was keeping these people around him for credibility.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Exactly. But I'm saying if. If Kendrick's point is you keeping all these people around you for credibility and to be able to, like, you know what I mean, falsely throw this flag. But the people who are around you are like, I mean, but that's my boy. That's my homie. It doesn't. There. There's no, like, there's. There's no checking. There's no big homies that are like, no, this is not okay.

[DJ Head]

Correct.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, if I said I'm a Drake fan, but, like, I get what Kendrick is saying, because, like, nah, this is our. That would have been different.

[DJ Head]

He wouldn't say that because that's his homie, though. But also, see, that's what I'm saying. Like, yeah, where we're at in a culture is the two things are conflated. You have street, you have. We call it glasses, call it street, urban culture, and you have rap. Those two separate things that get conflated because hip hop is looked at as this one umbrella. So where we're from, it doesn't matter if you've done something. For instance, you could take Lil Wayne, for instance. Lil Wayne is from New Orleans, Louisiana. Right. But he's also quote unquote, from the mob. Mob Piru. That's in quote unquote, in Compton. Right. So if one of my OG Homies, I ain't gonna say no names. One of the homies, and he's like a reputable from that section, and he says, this my little homie Wayne. He from the section. That's it. That's law. Meaning there's no questioning. You don't get to. You don't. That's just what it is. It's my homie. And now he from the section. You get what I'm saying? So I'm not saying that that's what Thug is doing, but it's things that are not the same thing. One to one in hip hop got you.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I mean, it's coming on a year this week that everything happened. I remember I was in y'all remember where y'all were. We're not like us dropped. It's crazy, but for real, I was in a party for Cinco de Mayo. It was Single day Mayo. Right. I was in a party. I was drunk. I remember. And then somebody came to me. I was in Delaware, and it was like Kendrick finally dropped because he was waiting on it.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And. And then they played the not like Us.

[Carlos Polk]

I felt like Kendrick was trying to say, like, when he did the party, the party died or something.

[DJ Head]

Watch the party die.

[Carlos Polk]

Watch the party die. It was like his music did that without saying it. Right. It was like, I'm gonna show y'all how to party differently. I'm gonna show you how to embrace who you are as a black person. I feel like Drake's music, while it's good and it's fancy and you can dance to it, I do feel like he. Like, he didn't. He didn't grow up the way that we. Oh, it doesn't feel like he grew up the way that we did, but he knew how to speak to it. And because he knew how to speak to it, then he can make music around it. You get what I'm saying?

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah. How y'all feel about. When Kendrick brought out Playboy Cardi, people were upset about it. They said that, like, he was basically exploiting artists for, like, the same thing that he accuses Drake of doing. How y'all feel about that?

[DJ Head]

It's a bunch of people who aren't part of the music game commenting on the music game like they were. He was in Atlanta. He brought out Playboi Carti, who's from Atlanta.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right.

[DJ Head]

And they have three songs that gave him three features on the album. Yeah. And they perform one of the biggest records right now. So I don't understand. People are just silly.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So do y'all feel like people are ever going to get to a point where, like this. Because, you know, like, people beef and then we just like move on and we don't even really talk about it. We're talking about this as if like, like, I mean, it is history, but you know what I mean? Like, we just remembered where we were when songs dropped.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

You think that that feeling will last? Like, generational or like, eventually we'd be.

[Brandon]

Like, yo, what feeling of this specific.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Like, yo, you remember where you were when not like us dropped or when the beef started.

[Brandon]

I think it was definitely a moment in time in hip hop especially. I. I definitely always remember numbers wise, Super Bowl.

[Carlos Polk]

But then the only comparison I can have that I remember and I was young was Jay Z and Nas. And I felt like niggas talk about that for a long time and I've.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Been like, the beef arguing.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah. And they. And they became friends on top of that. So it's like, damn, Drake, Drake. And then after they became friends, look how long it took for people to actually like, all right, like, okay, they're friends. Like, it's not a game.

[Lauren LaRosa]

I don't think Drake and Kendrick ever becoming friends.

[Brandon]

Nah. And I think in the moment of.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That time head is that. I mean, am I crazy for assuming that?

[DJ Head]

I don't see it happening.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, I don't see that happening.

[Brandon]

They weren't friends before.

[DJ Head]

But also, you gotta understand, like, he. One person crossed the line before the other person. So I think that's the nuance that gets lost in translation is just like, you know, like, he said it in the record. But when you get off, when you offer somebody a friendly, that's amongst the homies. Like, if we homies, I offer you a friendly fade. That's like that again. That's where I think the disconnect is happening in these conversations. Street, urban culture, rap music and rap music. He can't say that about you. Street, urban culture, there is no rules. Rap, rap, rap world is you cross the line. Street, urban culture, I gave you a line, you crossed it now. Now it doesn't matter now. No lines exist, exist. That's the difference.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah. And that's what happened.

[Brandon]

So what was the specific line cross that you're referring to?

[DJ Head]

I mean, I think he said, we ain't gotta keep. We ain't got to make it personal. I think Drake made it personal first. And then after that.

[Brandon]

Okay, all.

[DJ Head]

See, the thing is, once where we're. Where I'm. Where we're from, if I give you a line and I say, hey, bro, let's. Let's have a fight.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[DJ Head]

Because we just having a disagreement. Right? And you tell me where I'm from. You tell me. All right, look, look, we could fight, but, you know, like, I got shot and I got a. I got a bad rib. Yeah, don't hit me in my rib. And I just keep. I hit you in the rib. You like, bro, what the fuck? Now there are no rules because you gave me the line and I stepped over it.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Behind the scenes, because there were. There were things that. Claims of, like, people being removed from, like, songs or, like, something like that because they were associated with Kendrick. And then the lawsuit came and, like. Like, that type of stuff. Or was it, like. No, it was really trying to be outside in the streets.

[DJ Head]

No, it ain't. It ain't none of that. It's just if I have a conversation with you about what the line is.

[Lauren LaRosa]

So they had a conversation about what the.

[DJ Head]

I'm not saying that. I'm saying if I do have a conversation with you, okay. And you step over that line that we. That I. That I presented to you, now it's up.

[Carlos Polk]

I thought he, like, low key. Put it in the music, though. Like, yo, well, like, once you talked about his family and his children and who they messing with, stuff like that. That's the line.

[DJ Head]

If I tell you my line and you intentionally cross it, there is no such thing as I went too far.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Right. Well, I mean, we don't even have time to get to other topics because we had such a great conversation. No, but I've enjoyed hanging out with the guys on the podcast.

[Carlos Polk]

We got minutes.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We do. So what we do after we get through our latest. Our topic rundown is we take it outside to the streets in the tweets, which is anything that's happening conversation on the Internet.

[DJ Head]

You. For the tweets.

[Lauren LaRosa]

We outside. We outside. We outside. Outside in the tweets. Every other page I go. So I went to your Twitter head.

[Brandon]

Oh.

[DJ Head]

And oh, my gosh, you're such a.

[Brandon]

I feel like people never earn a list. People never remember what they tweeted.

[Carlos Polk]

Oh, I know everything you tweeted in 2013.

[DJ Head]

I stand on my tweets. I don't have tweets before 2014 because I got rid of them. But anything after 20. Oh, yeah, you. Yeah, I gotta put you on. You gotta hire somebody. No, you don't. Oh, you don't? No. Okay. But, yeah, I'm a nerd, so I figure out. But, yeah. So any tweet that is out there. I stand on my shit.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I mean, it wasn't a crazy one, but now you got me going down your timeline trying to find a crazy one.

[DJ Head]

The way you reacted, it's not gonna be anything crazy.

[Lauren LaRosa]

No. I don't see nothing crazy. But you had. You had tweeted videos out from the Kendrick Lamar concert, and you captioned it. You can't fake influence.

[DJ Head]

Correct.

[Lauren LaRosa]

A great way to end the show, because I think right now you also have a pin tweet that says, I'm not a journalist, I'm a dj, because I respect journalists. And I remember during the time of all the back and forth when, you know, people were looking, you were one of the Kendrick sources and academics was on the other side with Drake. I don't know if people knew how to title you because the information was coming from you a lot sometimes.

[DJ Head]

Well, I know that that person claims to be the best, the number one journalist in the game. And I just have. I have too much respect for. I think journalism is a craft, just like being a doctor or a lawyer.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah.

[DJ Head]

And so I respect journalism too much to just pop out and be like, I'm a journalist.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah. I don't think that academics is a journalist at all. I think the machine got a drunk rant. No, that's fine. I mean, whatever. The. The machine of what he's built, I say, I always. I respect the machine of what he's built, but he is not a journalist. I think we, as journalists, we vet things a lot differently. We have conversations a lot differently. I'm not mad at what he's doing, but I think that there does always need to be a defying point of anybody who does something at a. He's a professional, but, like, it's different.

[DJ Head]

Like, I know you on radio, and you come from a background of journalism, which, you know, there's. There's two things that. That exist within the confines of broadcast journalism, whether it's print or any kind of signal. Right. And the two things are. One is journalistic integrity. And the second one thing is something called libel. Go look up libel kids. And so I think what. Because you don't learn these things when you just turn on your stream or whatever, you. You just. You could say whatever you want to say, and then you end up like Tasha K. And so I think, like.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Oh, the menopause Maddie. She talks about us too.

[DJ Head]

And so I think. And so I think what happens is people just start podcasts, get cameras, get mics, and start saying what they think, and then be like, oh, DJ Heads, he's being cryptic. He's not being real. It's like, no, there's such thing called libel that I take serious because I'm a professional broadcaster. You know what I'm saying? And so if you look up libel, you'll understand where these things and why these safeguards are in place.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Well, I want to read some of the responses to your tweet. The tweet was Can't Fake the Influence. And somebody said Junior shoots Mind of Junior is his at Said just left the show. It was rocking Rayo. I think this is a bot page, though, because, yeah, I've noticed every time Kendrick sees a rise in popularity, Drake is somehow involved. Take Care Feature Slash Tour Effing Problems Feature KJMC Poetic Justice Promo Control Verse Controversy, Then the beef. We talked about that a bit. Somebody said pride. Nolo14 so, unfortunately, I won't be able to attend these shows. So I've been living through the videos y'all post. No, Cap. This show is based. Just based on video. Seemed like the crowd was effing lit up. They tried to play with Kendrick at the super bowl with the videos.

[DJ Head]

I know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Behind the scenes.

[DJ Head]

I know.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Does he have anything to prove at this point because of that?

[DJ Head]

He don't even care.

[Lauren LaRosa]

He really don't care at all. Is he always unbothered, or has he gotten to a place with this where he's in a good place, so he's unbothered.

[DJ Head]

Now, if you watch the Squabble up video and you look at. And you look at his face, that's how he is. The Day Not Like Us came out and I called him like, hey, bro, you. I'm going crazy. This crazy. You won. He's like, man, he didn't even get. He don't even give a.

[Brandon]

Does he have those feelings going into the Toronto shows? Like, is. This is nothing.

[DJ Head]

It's not. It's nothing, bro. I'll give you an example. Last. The last show, I went and seen him backstage and we had a moment because when he got the key to the city in Compton, I was there. I'm sitting on the mayor's desk in her office. Yeah, no, I'm sitting on her desk and I'm holding this key to the city. I'm looking at this and I'm like, this crazy. He was like, bro, this crazy.

[Brandon]

Oh, so that's.

[DJ Head]

And then we was backstage at one of the shows, and I was like, bro, I'm looking. I'm like, this crazy. He's like, bro, this Crazy to me, too.

[Brandon]

Okay.

[DJ Head]

That's. That's the reaction.

[Lauren LaRosa]

It's like he's still, like, kind of not coming to terms with it, but it's like, man, like, there's so much in front of him. He not looking at all the other stuff.

[Carlos Polk]

It's the.

[DJ Head]

It's. He said. He says it's the work. And it's just. You put in the work.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah. You gotta put that work.

[Lauren LaRosa]

That just made my heart feel so warm, because that's how I feel about life.

[Brandon]

It's the work.

[Lauren LaRosa]

And when you head down and doing the work, a lot of that stuff, like when I say, even if you do feel like stop playing with me, it just doesn't matter. It's so small.

[DJ Head]

None of this. None of this matters in real life.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Wow.

[Brandon]

And it seems like.

[Carlos Polk]

But in actuality, just remember that in hindsight, all this shit is something.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Something.

[Carlos Polk]

And that's what I think that people don't look at, like, your life is a story for somebody else.

[DJ Head]

That's how I look at my life.

[Brandon]

Yeah.

[Carlos Polk]

So it's important to, like, yeah, you got your head. Now you're working. But also know that. Take a second to take it in and say, yo, this crazy.

[DJ Head]

Yeah.

[Carlos Polk]

You know what I mean?

[Lauren LaRosa]

That's how I feel sitting here with y'all right now. Coming from TV is so different to radio. And being a journalist, coming on the radio where they. Especially Breakfast Club, they say and do what they want, they get crazy. I was freaking out a lot of times, and he used to always just tell me, shut up.

[DJ Head]

Just shut the fuck up.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah. Literally, like. No, Literally, like, that's how he. And he thinks it's so funny. Like, one time I call him Crashing out. He just laughed like, no, but I. I just had. Has helped me through, like, some really crazy times in radio, figuring out this whole navigation. Because he comes from radio, so. And then now we're here on the podcast because he's here in New York. So this is like a man. This is crazy moment for me, too. So thank you for joining us. Los. Thank you for joining us.

[Carlos Polk]

For sure. Thank you.

[DJ Head]

Thank you for having us.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah, y'all. So what have we learned from today's episode besides Shut the F up.

[Brandon]

It's my only takeaway.

[DJ Head]

Huh?

[Carlos Polk]

We learned that.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Grateful.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah. I was gonna say, put that work.

[DJ Head]

In and don't be. Don't be too high up to look down and just say, oh, this is crazy.

[Carlos Polk]

Yeah, There we go. That's it.

[Lauren LaRosa]

Yeah. This is crazy. All right, y'all. I'm Lauren LaRosa. This has been the latest with Lauren LaRosa. I had the guys join me today, so this is an amazing episode. I tell you guys each and every episode because I mean it. At the end of the day, there's always a lot to talk about. Y'all could be anywhere doing it with anybody, but you choose to be right here, and I appreciate you for that. We are a lot of thousands of people Download strong. So I really, really appreciate you guys tuning in. Download it. And telling a friend to tell a friend that Lauren got the latest. I will catch you guys in my next episode.