129.) Family Matters + Generic Father's Day Texts (6/26/26)

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Ebro, Laura, Rosenberg Show

Episode 129: "Family Matters + Generic Father’s Day Texts"
Date: June 26, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode is a quintessential “Family Friday” – warm, honest, and sometimes irreverent conversations about parenting, family routines, generational traditions, and the pressures of modern adulthood. The trio—Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez, and Peter Rosenberg—pull listeners into their daily lives, discussing everything from the right way to say “good morning” in diverse households, the tricky terrain around IVF and parenthood, to the evolution (and sometimes pitfalls) of Father’s Day greetings in the age of group texts and social expectations. Add in a signature mix of humor, cultural critiques, and a dose of listener mail, and it’s classic ELR.

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Family Routines, Traditions & Parenting Real talk

[01:40 – 21:20]

• Who’s Been “Outside” & New Parenting Chapters

  • All three hosts joke about how their social lives and “outside” time have shifted since having kids.
    • Laura explains, “I’m mostly outside with my kid … but now I’m taking more time to spend with friends and Ricardo, just because before, I would just prioritize work and my child.” [03:01]
    • Hosts agree: as kids age, routines change, but that underlying pull between parental duty and personal identity never really goes away.

• Bedtime Rituals: When Does it End?

  • Ebro wonders when parents finally stop doing bedtime “stuff” like reading stories.
    • Rosenberg: “I go in there, I kiss her on the forehead … a little chit chat. Now, when’s that over? I don’t know.” [03:50]
  • The consensus: Story time, chat, or at the very least, a “good night” lasts much longer than people admit—sometimes into the teens, sometimes it ends abruptly.

• The “Good Morning” Rule & Cultural Differences

  • Debate on the importance (and cultural roots) of greeting everyone in the morning.
    • Rosenberg: “You do not wake up in a house you’re not paying for, have an attitude … Say good morning. That was like a thing.” [05:00]
    • Laura (Guatemalan/Latina): “Buenos días, Mommy. Buenos días, papi. You have to do it.” [06:24]
    • Ebro (Caribbean): “Better be good morning and good night.” [06:40]
    • Ebro jokes about never having that ritual growing up, leading to laughs about childhood routines and “good morning violence”.

• Breakfasts & Chores: TV vs. Real Life

  • Romanticized TV breakfasts vs. real-life morning chaos.
    • Rosenberg’s mom: “She used to put the toast in some eggs and throw it in a pan and call it French toast.” [08:33]
    • Laura: “Mine was quick like that. Except the weekends, you ate, you cleaned the house. It was just a routine.” [08:14]
  • The hosts agree: most families are more grab-and-go than full-table mornings.

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Teaching Boundaries & Discipline with Young Children

[11:30 – 21:20]

• On Privacy (“Don’t Close the Door”)

  • Ebro shares Maya, at just 17 months, wants to close doors for privacy. The panel agrees: not yet!
    • “We don’t close doors here.” – Laura [12:05]
    • Safety cited as primary reason: “You don’t want them closing doors … what if their fingers [are] in the way?” – Rosenberg [13:12]
    • Narration of “bass in your voice” and when to use it for discipline.

• Gentle Parenting vs. Setting Limits

  • Ebro: “I’m trying to find the balance because I don’t want to bust that out very often, but I do want her to…” [14:01]
  • Rosenberg: Demonstrates escalating the “no”: “Start with, ‘hey,’ you grab her hand, say ‘no’… associate no with stepping it down.” [15:11]
  • Ignore and set consequences if dangerous or repeated behavior—“Now we’re going inside.” [16:11]

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Modern Fatherhood & Family Structures

[30:53 – 46:00]

• IVF Journeys and Talking about Infertility

  • Rosenberg’s openness about IVF resonates with listeners:
    • Laura: “I’ve gotten a couple of people who have mentioned this before, how thankful they were for the conversation about IVF.” [30:57]
    • Rosenberg: “It’s such a huge part of people’s lives now … as regular as regular conception.” [31:07]
    • Stories about friends, shame, and breaking cultural silence around non-traditional conception.

• Generic Father’s Day Texts: A Sensitive Subject

  • Rosenberg laments the flood of generic texts before he was a dad: “If you don’t know me well enough to know whether or not I’m a father, why are you sending me Happy Father’s Day?” [35:06]
    • The group contrasts the intention behind messages vs. the pain they sometimes cause, especially when dealing with infertility or after a breakup.
    • Laura describes the flip side for women: “It’s very much a why? Like for me, I had Kenza later on in life … people would always question me, ‘Why?’” [37:45]

• Society’s Pressure on Parenthood and Family Size

  • Hosts call out the cultural expectation to have (and keep having) kids:
    • Rosenberg: “Why? She’s gonna be alone. I was like, alone is good. She needs to learn how to be alone. It’s rough in the world.” [40:10]
    • Ebro: “If you are not super in on wanting to have a kid, … I would say life seems a lot easier and probably better without.” [39:19]
    • Call for empathy: Don’t assume everyone wants kids or more kids, and don’t guilt them if they don’t.

• Legacy, Finances & The Realities of Having Multiple Kids

  • “People who think legacy means a lot of children.” – Rosenberg [43:28]
  • Large families are beautiful but demanding; legacy is about quality, not just quantity.

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Listener Mails, Voice Notes & Community Check-ins

[25:25 – 65:00]

• Emotional Yolk Toy, Listener Businesses, and the Value of Community

  • Highlight: “Emotional Yolks”—hand-painted egg art to express feelings, from a military vet named Fort Taylor III.
    • Ebro: “If you’re gonna send us something … make sure it’s quality.” [28:07]
    • Discussion of supporting veteran and small business projects.

• Bay Area Slang Correction

  • Francisco (listener): “According to E40, the only thing that can slap is music. Food doesn’t slap. Food smacks.” [55:17]
  • The team learns and laughs about regional slang, guac vs. guap, and the confusion around “dub”.

• Parenting Advice: When is 18 Too Early to Leave?

  • Linda (voice note): “You cannot put him out if you did not do your part in making sure that he was equipped to be successful.” [65:24]
  • Hosts agree: Parents shouldn't kick out kids at 18, especially if that child isn’t yet ready.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Morning Rituals:
  • Rosenberg: “I was raised on the good morning violence, not the good night.” [05:00]
• On Responding to Annoying Questions about Kids:
  • Laura: “Maybe they can’t have kids. Have you ever thought about that?” [38:09]
• On Parenting Energy:
  • Ebro: “I’m tired with the one. I know. I don’t even understand [how large families do it].” [48:53]
• On Generic Holiday Messages:
  • Rosenberg: “If you don’t know me well enough to know whether or not I’m a dad … why are you sending me Happy Father’s Day?” [35:06]

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Listener Interaction: Family & Father’s Day Reflections

[61:00 – 78:19]

• Listener Poems, Email Love, Community Feedback

  • A listener shares a poem about the New York Knicks’ championship, written by his dad [60:31–62:42].
  • Multiple listeners praise the ELR team for their authenticity and openness.

• Father’s Day Cards & Emotional Dads

  • Rosenberg reads a card from his daughter Issa: “You are and will always be my number one fan. You’ve encouraged me to follow my dreams and even help me get there.” [72:03]
  • The hosts reflect on how being a girl dad hits different and the fleeting moments of parenting (“Father of the Bride” movie reference).

• Encouragement for Fathers

  • Rosenberg: “Keep showing up, dads. … So many dads I know, you don’t show up because you’re embarrassed. … If you could just show up, so many positive things will happen.” [74:20]

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Fun & Lighthearted Parent Updates

[75:16 – End]

• DJ Lessons & Creative Play:

  • Ebro’s teaching his daughter Maya to DJ: “I was proud of her though, that she started being able to stop the record without the needle skipping.” [75:58]
  • Laura’s daughter Kenza takes online art classes; Ebro and Rosenberg joke about how every child’s drawing eventually seems to involve fire or death.

• Smacks, Slaps, and Generational Slang:

  • Extensive debate about “slap” vs. “smack” and the origins of words like “guap” and “dub.”

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Closing Reflections

[78:19 – End]

• The hosts look back at their seven months into their new digital chapter, joking about how to grow the audience and how not everyone knows where to find them—despite their best efforts.
• Ebro: "Just don't call it a podcast." [79:47]

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For Listeners:

• Timestamps are approximate, given the free-flowing style and breaks caused by listener calls and emails.
• Listener participation is central—voice notes, emails, shout-outs, poetry.
• A sincere, warm tone prevails, even when the crew challenges cultural norms or pokes fun at one another.

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Resources

• YouTube & Patreon: For full conversations, behind the scenes, and community interaction.
• X: @theelrshow
• TikTok: @ebrolaurarosenberg
• Email: [e-mail]

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Summary Takeaway:
This episode is a heartfelt, occasionally hilarious meditation on what family means today—uncertain, messy, joyous, and always up for debate. If you’re looking for reassurance that no one really has it all figured out (but we’re all trying our best), this one’s for you.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Laura]

Black Music Month Amplified Voices is sponsored by aarp.

[Rosenberg]

Just don't call it a podcast.

[Ebro]

The Ebro Laura Rosenberg Show.

[Rosenberg]

Okay, It's a family Friday. After a busy week, Rosenberg is stretching

[Ebro]

time to go outside. I've been outside a lot these days, folks. Been outside a lot.

[Rosenberg]

That was last week.

[Ebro]

Outside again. What do you mean? I was outside Wednesday this week too.

[Rosenberg]

True, true, true, true. Outside had the HOV situation, the HOV jump off.

[Ebro]

And then there's going to be more HOV. Is that. That's in like three weeks? Two weeks.

[Rosenberg]

Not that far off. Yeah, that's 10, 11, 12 Yankee Stadium.

[Ebro]

Yeah, I'm going Fri. Just Friday, but then I got to go home for our friend Molly's wedding that weekend to D.C. it's going to be an active weekend.

[Rosenberg]

What about you, Laura Styles? Are you out? How's your outsideness?

[Laura]

Honestly, everything's always outside. Everything's blurry. Yeah, I go. I'm outside a lot, but I'm mostly outside. My kid.

[Rosenberg]

I mean.

[Laura]

Yeah, I mean, I take time, but

[Ebro]

compared to other adults, you're pretty good.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah. No, no.

[Rosenberg]

But she's also in a new chapter. Laura Own it Yeah, you gotta. You gotta.

[Guest]

What you mean?

[Laura]

What you mean? What you mean?

[Rosenberg]

You got a six year. Ken's about to be six. Yeah, that's a different zone.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rosenberg]

You're in a different. You're in the muck. And Meyer, you haven't. You haven't. Like, you. You're still postpartum. You're still.

[Ebro]

Yeah, yeah. It's a totally different world.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. No, we're good. Like, Kenza can stay with her babysitter, and she's cool. She'll be like, all right, Mommy, I'll see you later. Like, and then now I'm taking more time to spend with friends and Ricardo, just Because before, I would just prioritize work and my child. And don't get me wrong, I still prioritize my child, but it's important to me.

[Rosenberg]

I.

[Laura]

You know, I want to spend more time with my friends.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, but keep it a buck, Kenzie. You about to be on your own, my chick. No, let's keep it a buck. Put yourself to sleep. Wipe your ass, take a shower, fold some clothes. See you tomorrow.

[Ebro]

When. When does the sleep routine sort of go away? Where you stop doing bedtime stuff?

[Rosenberg]

Nah, you're always doing bedtime.

[Ebro]

Yeah, always.

[Rosenberg]

Well, not well. What do you mean, stuff? Like, read a book, get calm.

[Ebro]

Like, everything beyond. All right, good night.

[Laura]

I still do it.

[Ebro]

Well, of course.

[Rosenberg]

Well, no, I still do it.

[Ebro]

What do you do with Issa?

[Rosenberg]

I go in there, I kiss her on the forehead. I say good night. I'm like, yo, you good? You know, how was your day? Kind of thing.

[Laura]

Talk a little bit.

[Rosenberg]

Little chat? Little chit chat now.

[Ebro]

Okay. When's that over?

[Rosenberg]

I don't know. I don't know.

[Ebro]

You haven't been there yet. But not yet. Not yet. But it's coming.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, I'm sure it is, but I don't know, maybe. And also maybe because our. Our, you know, it's not like our apartment's that big, so. And everybody kind of goes to bed at time. The same. Same time. So there's a collective good nighting going on.

[Ebro]

What about, like, stories and truly putting them to bed. When does that.

[Rosenberg]

That's like, I'm still there.

[Ebro]

You're still there.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

9. Depends on the kid, too.

[Ebro]

So it could be story time up till 8. 8 years old.

[Rosenberg]

I mean, if they want it. You mean to tell me if Maya's like, daddy, I miss when you. You're reading the story.

[Ebro]

That's what I would think, yeah. That's why I'm Asking. I don't know.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, there's probably. Some parents will email us and be like, yo, I got a 13 year old and she still likes to.

[Ebro]

And they're ones who'll say, my kid was three and they just walked off to bed. You're like, all right, see you tomorrow.

[Laura]

Yeah, peace.

[Ebro]

Yeah, I don't. I don't know what's.

[Rosenberg]

We're a big good night, good morning household, though.

[Ebro]

Yeah, I know how you feel about that. If no one. Someone doesn't say good night or good morning.

[Rosenberg]

Well, I was raised on the good morning violence, not the good night. The good night wasn't really a. I don't think was a thing. I don't remember. It wasn't my big production. The good morning, though. My white mom, my. You do not wake up in a house you're not paying for, have an attitude like what? Nobody understands what the hell you're doing. You pay for nothing.

[Ebro]

So you have.

[Rosenberg]

You're up, and you just had a good night's sleep, and you woke up upset. Like, what's happened? Say good morning. Like, that was like a.

[Ebro]

A thing.

[Rosenberg]

Now you come home from a tough day, you got a little emotion. All right, cool, Cool. You literally just woke up from a beautiful night's rest with.

[Ebro]

But you don't know that someone woke up from a beautiful night's.

[Laura]

Doesn't matter.

[Rosenberg]

Well, nine. You woke up from a beautiful night's

[Ebro]

rest, but you don't know that.

[Rosenberg]

I mean, hey, let's.

[Ebro]

What I'm trying to remind you is your parents didn't know what the hell they were doing. They were making it up like.

[Rosenberg]

Well, I'm. I'm on the same page. If you ain't paying no bills and you wake up with an attitude. I'm getting at you.

[Ebro]

But what if you had nightmare?

[Rosenberg]

What if sometimes kids, you better speak on it. I had a bad night's sleep. Say something.

[Laura]

But you can still say good morning. And then I had.

[Ebro]

I'm just pushing back here. I hear you, but I'm saying that you can have a bad night's sleep.

[Narrator]

Absolutely.

[Ebro]

Just because you grow up in a nice house and everyone's doing well doesn't mean you can't have a bad night.

[Laura]

But you still got to say good morning. It's just common courtesy.

[Ebro]

Laura, I'm white. No one said good morning. Wasn't like, good morning, everyone. Let's get out and start the day.

[Rosenberg]

It was white. People say good morning.

[Ebro]

Not my. Not my white.

[Laura]

I was buenos Dias. Buenos dias, Mommy. Buenos dias, papi. You have to do it.

[Ebro]

I have no recollection of that ever being a thing in my life. Yeah, everyone cared about Good morning.

[Laura]

Good morning. Morning.

[Rosenberg]

What'd you say, Rasan? Oh, you guys didn't say good morning over there either. Tells the whole story. No, we definitely Caribbean. Come on.

[Ebro]

It better be good morning and good

[Laura]

night and good night.

[Ebro]

I love it. Everyone says whatever their background is. Of course, we had to. I'm Caribbean.

[Rosenberg]

Well, clearly you said, I'm white, and we did.

[Ebro]

I was making it up. It's just my household. I just don't remember that being a thing. Like, I, I'm sure everyone said good morning. No one had an attitude problem in the morning, but I was also generally, I'm thinking, I can't think back to pre teenager being honest with you.

[Laura]

And you would remember if your mom was like, what, you didn't know? Good morning. She would have an attitude, like my mom would. That cannot happen.

[Ebro]

I, I, My mom never got me an attitude with me about anything. And my dad wasn't. I wasn't interacting with my dad in the morning. To be honest with you, Perry, I don't think so. I wasn't really dealing with my dad in the morning.

[Laura]

He was gone already for work.

[Rosenberg]

Indy, should I. We need to, I need to talk to Minnie. She should have got attitude with y'. All, check y' all about something, some, somebody. And she should have took her frustrations out with your dad on y'. All. That's what she should have done. Should have been like, you know what? Let me go ahead and project my frustration with him on y'.

[Guest]

All.

[Laura]

Hit you with the.

[Rosenberg]

Make this real dysfunctional.

[Ebro]

But again, I don't remember being little, so I don't remember what it was like when I was, like, at the age where I was having breakfast or something. Because high school, there was definitely no breakfast. It was waking up and running and leaving the house. I was already in the. My best friend's outside honking the horn, waiting for me. I gotta go.

[Rosenberg]

Peace.

[Ebro]

It wasn't like a sit down, we're having eggs and we're chatting. I've never had that. The, the, like, morning in the house, you do stuff.

[Rosenberg]

I don't remember.

[Ebro]

I'm kind of jealous of it. That actually sounds kind of nice.

[Rosenberg]

We had it, but it wasn't a do stuff. It was a rush. It was a scramble. It was like, yo, I left some stuff on the stove. Make a plate, take your vitamins. We got hit the Door.

[Laura]

Yeah, mine was quick like that. Except the weekends, you ate, you cleaned the house. It was just a routine. You ate. My mom cooked. And then I washed the dishes.

[Ebro]

And everybody had chores the weekend I could. I. Obviously that's easier to picture, but like, you know on tv when they're always having breakfast in the morning.

[Rosenberg]

I never had that.

[Ebro]

But even rushed, I think it's impressive when there's like, full breakfast.

[Rosenberg]

I'm like, fully at full, bro. I think my mom used to. She used to put the toast in some eggs and throw it in a pan and call it French toast. Sprinkle some cinnamon on it, grab one of those.

[Laura]

That is French.

[Ebro]

I'm not gonna hold you. That sounds pretty full, bro.

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

I mean, but.

[Ebro]

No, but it was eating.

[Rosenberg]

You crack a couple eggs, you throw it in there. Cinnamon. Throw it in a pants.

[Laura]

That is French.

[Ebro]

You're making freaking French toast.

[Rosenberg]

Yes, but it wasn't like it came with sides. I was just. Oh, my God.

[Laura]

You know what I got? I got toast with butter and jelly if I wanted.

[Ebro]

See, now we're.

[Rosenberg]

See, now we're talking.

[Ebro]

The fast. You did. Nothing is toast. Pop tart.

[Laura]

Yes.

[Ebro]

Or bowl of cereal. Yes. And I don't mean with fruit chopped up. I mean like little bowl, spoon, go

[Rosenberg]

and drink it by hand.

[Ebro]

Oh, well, yeah. Because you're in a rush again, like, you're. If you're having it.

[Rosenberg]

My mom used to hate it. I used to put it in a cup. She hated get a bowl. I was like, nah, I could just hold it and just eat it and

[Ebro]

drink at the same time.

[Rosenberg]

And it wasn't. It was just honey nut Cheerios.

[Ebro]

Great. And then the milk at the end tastes like honey.

[Rosenberg]

Incredible slamming. Incredible.

[Ebro]

Well, I'm gonna. Maybe I'll try to implore this. Employ this good morning policy.

[Rosenberg]

You know, it's a good tone setter. I ain't gonna hold you. Yeah, sounds like a good tone setter in the morning. Like, I. As I've gotten older.

[Ebro]

Because it's not what I had with you setting the tone on our morning show. I'll tell you that.

[Rosenberg]

The good tone setter.

[Ebro]

Good morning. It was not that. No. I just want everyone to know Ebro's full of shit. His home life looks so lovely. It does not get mirrored with his family at work.

[Rosenberg]

Well, because I don't want to leave. So now you guys have made me leave to go get my pissed.

[Ebro]

We didn't make you. Someone made this. Government made you. We get often, especially when we're working from home. Just Belching. Just loud burping in our headphones. That was good morning. Y' all see this shit about Claude Davis? That's what that was. And at home, he's like, good morning.

[Laura]

He's dying. Cause he does. It's so true.

[Ebro]

That's why you need Louis Cam Baskin. That's Louis Cam.

[Laura]

Hilarious.

[Ebro]

But I like the idea of the good morning vibes at home. That's a nice.

[Laura]

What about Natalie? I'm curious with her.

[Ebro]

I don't actually understand what we're talking about. Do you mean you walk around to each room and you go, good morning?

[Rosenberg]

No, it's when everybody. When you enter, when you interact in some collective area, generally, like, I don't know. I see Issa walk out of her room to the bathroom. She stops and she goes, good morning, Dad. I go, good morning.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

She goes to the bathroom.

[Ebro]

That seems like normal. Most people do. We're still on the stage where my. We literally. It's like waking her up as a whole. Good morning. It's like. It's singing.

[Rosenberg]

It's like, why wouldn't you want to keep that going?

[Ebro]

No, I think we would. I hope we go for as long as you want. But as you. As you'll see on Family Friday, things start to change, man. Things change.

[Rosenberg]

Well, only if you let him. Some things you got to hold the line on Baskin.

[Ebro]

You have the video of the. Of Maya in her room.

[Laura]

Let's see.

[Ebro]

Because I'm trying my best. Ebro. She's only 17 months old.

[Rosenberg]

Okay. But that's.

[Ebro]

I'm learning.

[Rosenberg]

Excuse me. Don't close the door.

[Laura]

She wants privacy. Hey, Maya. No, you can't close the door in this house. Okay, okay.

[Guest]

No, no, no.

[Laura]

You keep the door. We don't close doors here.

[Rosenberg]

Same. Same exact. They love it.

[Laura]

Set her straight, babe. Setters do not close doors.

[Ebro]

Maya, this is your father speaking. We don't close doors. No, we keep doors open. Right? We keep doors open. This is your father. The serious.

[Rosenberg]

The knock is crazy. As if she gets privacy.

[Ebro]

No more. No more. Thank you.

[Francisco]

Y.

[Ebro]

So, but yes, as of now, big good mornings. But if she starts shutting the door

[Rosenberg]

on my face, they have a little thing that you can put in the. In the. In the wedge of the door. So if she tries to close, it just doesn't.

[Ebro]

Never. Never. Did you have that?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, we had it for a while. Yeah.

[Ebro]

What about now?

[Rosenberg]

We use it sometimes. I think Jazz uses sometimes, but I just bark. Stop closing doors.

[Ebro]

Does she learn it? Is she like.

[Rosenberg]

No, she'll just keep Testing. Yes. They'll learn eventually. But the truth is, you don't want them closing doors. Mostly because what if the door's locked?

[Ebro]

Correct.

[Rosenberg]

Or what if their fingers in the way?

[Narrator]

Or what?

[Rosenberg]

You know, it's really more of a safety thing than correct today.

[Ebro]

Because now when I open the door, I don't know where you are.

[Rosenberg]

Right.

[Ebro]

Your finger could be in the hinge. There's. Which is my biggest nightmare.

[Rosenberg]

Or I can't hear you, or I can't see you. Line aside. You know, it's all safety stuff. It's not really.

[Ebro]

Right.

[Laura]

Has Maya gotten to the point where she reacts when you put bass in your voice? So I've seen Selassie.

[Ebro]

I feel like there's only two. I feel like there's only two things for Maya. She doesn't care what you say, or you get very serious and she cries. And those are the two. Right now. That's. I'm trying to figure out the balance. Like, Nat, the other day, she did something. She did something actually worrisome. Whatever it was. I don't remember something that she. That was. And my. And Natalie got a. You know, Was like Maya. You know, it was like a serious. And then it's the. You know, the slow. So for me, I'm trying to find the balance because I don't want to bust that out very often, but I do want her to.

[Rosenberg]

Well, you got levels. There's levels, yeah.

[Ebro]

So what about this one on our balcony, which she loves. She loves the balcony on Long Island. She's super into it, which I love because it's an enclosed area. That's right where I can sit on the couch, listen to some music and watch her. And she can run around. She has a ball. It's fenced in. She can't go anywhere.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

However, she did two things this weekend. Number one, stood on the rail, put two feet in and stood on it and grabbed. So that made me, of course, run over and say no. And then the other one she's doing is we have, like, a little very low. Very, very low coffee table thing out there. Put your. Literally put a drink on, whatever. And now her thing is she walks up and just climbs onto it and wants to walk on that.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

Neither of those things are okay. And can we have.

[Narrator]

What do you.

[Ebro]

What do you think is the appropriate measure?

[Rosenberg]

Start with. Hey. Well, she doesn't understand.

[Ebro]

No. She's 17 months. There's not a lot.

[Rosenberg]

So you can't. When you're doing words, you. You grab her by the hand and you Say no, and you step her down so she associates no, no with I'm coming down. She's going to try it again and again and again. And you hit with the no, Maya, no. Then you might have a level up where it's a no, and it startles

[Narrator]

her a little bit.

[Rosenberg]

But you don't want to startle her while she's in the act, because then you could potentially get a hurt. Right. But you want to have that, because, unfortunately, I'm going to have to scare you a little bit, because I'd rather scare you from not doing something than you get hurt doing the thing. So for Selassie, like, I have. I started this when she was really. I'd just be like, ah. And she was just.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah.

[Ebro]

I do random sounds.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. And she. And. But I did that with Issa as well, because where we live, there's cars. We're on a corner on a street. What if she turns it? I need something. If she starts to make a quick move that.

[Ebro]

It makes her turn back.

[Rosenberg]

It makes her stop. No, it makes her stop. And like, what the hell was that? Just out of. That's my own little thing.

[Ebro]

So then if she kept doing it even past that, though, then what is the next thing? Okay, now we're going inside.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. You lose it. Okay, we're done.

[Ebro]

Yeah. Like yesterday, she kept the wrong food on the floor. And we just said, well, dinner's at. Dinner's done now. I mean, you obviously don't want anymore. If you were hungry, you will. You would stop.

[Rosenberg]

Well, also, she's looking for you guys to give her feedback. So she wants the smoke. That's. What are you going to do?

[Ebro]

They love that.

[Rosenberg]

What are you gonna do?

[Ebro]

This is good.

[Laura]

I'll test you.

[Rosenberg]

And what you do is ignore. Pick up. And I would. I've left Selassie just sitting there. She's just like, nothing with nothing.

[Ebro]

Right.

[Rosenberg]

I need to do it with Issa, too. I'll just leave you sitting there. You get nothing. You're just sitting there in your own thoughts. No tv, nothing.

[Ebro]

Right. Now we're gonna eat.

[Rosenberg]

Now we're gonna eat. And that's that.

[Laura]

And I made Kenzo when she was a little older. Pick it up. I made her pick it up.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, absolutely. Like, three, four, right?

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah. Three, four.

[Laura]

That food up. Yeah, pick it up.

[Rosenberg]

Pick that up. Clean that. I'm starting that now with salas.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

And Jazz is, too, worse. Like, put that back in the box. Clean up your toys. If you want to do XYZ shout

[Ebro]

out to Ms. Rachel. Maya is pretty good. She makes a mess all the time, of course, but she's pretty good at. Put it back. Because we hit her with the. Put it back, put it back, put it.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, back.

[Ebro]

And then she'll like take her book and.

[Laura]

That's cute.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

Walk over. So you said Kenza. I remember Kenza. Look what we found, I think. Was it Target?

[Rosenberg]

I don't know where they sell these.

[Laura]

They sell them in different places.

[Ebro]

Oh, it's no Marshalls. The Marshall's tag is on here. Looks like your regular standard issue little avocado. Avocado guitar. Because who doesn't need that?

[Rosenberg]

Selassie had one. It was fire. John Blazer used to play it all the time with baby Kenza.

[Laura]

It's so cute.

[Ebro]

Natalie was like. She calls me. She's like, I'm at Marshall's. I just found Kenza on a box of something here. And then she was like, when was Kenza a model? I was like, I vaguely remember it being like a couple of times.

[Laura]

Yeah, it was short lived. Short lived.

[Ebro]

It was a short lived career.

[Francisco]

Yes.

[Ebro]

But here, this is for you.

[Laura]

Thank you.

[Rosenberg]

Wait, so you guys don't have one?

[Laura]

No, I didn't. I never saw. I just saw pictures of it and I saw it on social media, but I never actually got. Let me see.

[Ebro]

It's so cute.

[Laura]

There she is.

[Ebro]

So what? Is she there too? Not even. Yeah, she's probably like Maya's age.

[Laura]

Yeah, like Maya's age.

[Guest]

Yep.

[Rosenberg]

Wait, so when. When I got that. When Selassie got gifted that. And I told you, and I asked you, hey, is Kensa on the side of an avocado thing? And you were like, no.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Because you didn't know that she was on that.

[Laura]

Nope. They don't. They don't tell you. You go in for a photo shoot. I didn't even see the pictures. A listener sent me a photo on social media from the Skip Hop Instagram. She's like, look, I found Kenza. I was like, oh, my God. They don't tell you anything. That's like. I was like, this life is not for me.

[Ebro]

So how much guap you think she get for that?

[Laura]

Oh, it's nothing.

[Rosenberg]

$50. And then that's why I quit in eternity.

[Francisco]

$200.

[Laura]

I got paid for that photo shoot. Yep, yep.

[Rosenberg]

I bought that. You've now found that.

[Ebro]

So it's a real toy that's moving around.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah. And it's probably going to continue, but that's like qu.

[Ebro]

What does it do when you push the buttons? Anything.

[Rosenberg]

Well, you never play with the avocado guitar.

[Ebro]

Give me that guitar. Oh, but don't. Don't open it.

[Rosenberg]

No, I'm a professional avocado guitar player.

[Laura]

There's no battery.

[Rosenberg]

No, it comes with a battery. The on and off.

[Ebro]

Oh, no, it's on the bottom. On, off the bottom.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, no.

[Guest]

Here it is. Here it is.

[Ebro]

Oh, it's a bop. So cute. Oh, and then the avocado. What does it do?

[Narrator]

Anything.

[Rosenberg]

Wow.

[Ebro]

So if you see an avocado guitar, just know Baby Wenza, huh?

[Laura]

All right.

[Ebro]

Hero's in his country bag.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, no, I used to be on this. Me and Salasa used to jam blues bag.

[Laura]

So cute.

[Rosenberg]

But yeah, the Arno is right. But, you know, put this in your collection of amazing things that you should keep and take. Get rid of something that.

[Laura]

This is the.

[Ebro]

Yeah, that one's worth it.

[Laura]

Yes. This is the one thing I wanted.

[Rosenberg]

And get rid of all the mother rando Japanese toys. Y' all gotta up in that crib.

[Laura]

Chill, chill, chill.

[Rosenberg]

Yo, Family Friday. Let's see. We got voice notes, we got emails, got more videos.

[Narrator]

This is the beat of 250, and we're celebrating Black Music Month, a celebration of the legacy, creativity, and global influence of black music today. It's all about Sly Stone, one of the great architects of Font so and American popular music. Born Sylvester Stewart, Sly Stone blended the spirit of the black church and gospel harmonies, doo wop, jazz, soul, and psychedelic rock into a soul that felt revolutionary. With Sly and the Family Stone, he gave us classics like Everyday People, Dance to the Music, thank you, if youf Want Me To Stay, and Family Affair. These were not just hit songs. They changed the sound of the 1960s and 70s and helped shape modern music. Slicetone's influence can still be heard in artists like Prince, Michael Jackson, George Clinton, d', Angelo, and Kendrick Lamar. His music, music still moves people and reminds us that black music has always led the future.

[Laura]

Black Music Month, Amplified Voices is sponsored by aarp. Myopia, or nearsightedness, is becoming more common in kids. And it's not just about needing stronger glasses. If myopia continues to progress untreated, it may increase the risk of more serious vision complications later on in life. The good news? An eye doctor can help identify myopia early and recommend options designed to help manage it over time. One of those options is Essilor Stellus lenses.

[Ebro]

Stellus lenses are designed specifically for children and are part of an approach to myopia management that Corrects their vision while supporting eye health as their eyes continue to grow. They look like regular glasses, but they're purposely built for young wearers. Every child's vision is different, which is why starting with a professional eye exam matters. If you have concerns or even just questions, your eye doctor can guide you through what solution is is best for your child. Clear vision today can help support your child's future. It all starts with an eye exam. You want to hit this part, Laura?

[Guest]

All right.

[Laura]

Visit essilor.com to learn more about Stellist lenses and to find an Essilor expert eye care professional near you. That's E S S I L O R dot com.

[Rosenberg]

Yo, I saw some guys doing an acapella version. Oh, I saw it online. I was gonna bring it in.

[Laura]

I forgot it was fire.

[Rosenberg]

Rare conditions. So, yeah, we. We read your emails. We talk about our families. That's what Fridays is all about. Does it ever strike you guys how often you hear a song that's complaining about the. The going zones of the day?

[Ebro]

What do you mean?

[Rosenberg]

Like that song right there. To read good news in a news. It's a rare condition to read good news in a newspaper page.

[Laura]

Yeah,

[Rosenberg]

we're still in that zone.

[Ebro]

Yes.

[Rosenberg]

And they were in that zone. And then you go back to, like, the late 60s, the songs were saying the same thing. Like, people been complaining for a long time

[Ebro]

because it's been bad news forever. Is that interesting?

[Rosenberg]

Well, because as humans, we love bad news. We're more satiated and titillated by bad news than we are good news, unfortunately. Well, love the drama.

[Ebro]

Yeah. And it drives. I mean, local news is the worst. To your local newspaper on your local TV news. What's that? Local tv?

[Laura]

What about Spanish news? It's doom and gloom.

[Ebro]

But that's America. I mean, is it worse than here?

[Laura]

Yes.

[Rosenberg]

Here.

[Ebro]

No. But here's so bad, Laura. The local news. You would think New York is the most unsafe place on planet Earth.

[Laura]

I don't know. What do you think? Louis Primeri. That's worse.

[Rosenberg]

Terrible.

[Ebro]

At least they got hot chicks doing it, though.

[Rosenberg]

You know it's bad for man and pacto. I swore when I was watching it. Ain't no way. Y' all already at the bank rob.

[Guest]

I know.

[Rosenberg]

Like, this is staged. How are you there already as the bank robberies happen? And how didn't you stop it? So how'd you have camera set up? How are you there?

[Laura]

It's so nuts. I. I don't. I don't. I don't know. I don't know.

[Rosenberg]

But, Rosenberg, speaking of good news, how's your emotional yoke?

[Ebro]

I'm glad you brought that up.

[Rosenberg]

Let's. How are you really feeling?

[Ebro]

Let's take a look at the yolk.

[Narrator]

All right.

[Laura]

All right.

[Rosenberg]

Looks like joy to me. I'm dead now. Laura, who gave us these, man?

[Laura]

Wait, hold on.

[Guest]

I have one too.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, wait. Laura, how you feeling today?

[Laura]

This is a Guatemalan egg.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, okay.

[Laura]

And it says Guatemalan bochinche.

[Rosenberg]

All right, all right.

[Ebro]

I love that. Hey, that looks just like you.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, my God.

[Ebro]

Oh, my God.

[Laura]

This is so funny.

[Ebro]

We got. We all got emotional yolks. Tell us the story because it's a

[Rosenberg]

very cool business from somebody in the family.

[Laura]

Yes. Can you give me his name? Because I don't have his actual name here.

[Rosenberg]

Let me see that one. Rosenberg.

[Ebro]

Fort.

[Rosenberg]

Fort Taylor the third.

[Laura]

Okay. He's. He says, in the military, when you ask someone, how you doing? The answer is usually the same. Living the dream. I'm good.

[Guest]

I'm fine.

[Laura]

But a lot of times we're not fine. And that is not only in the military. It's a human thing. Parents, kids, co workers, friends, strangers. We're always experiencing various emotions people can't always see. We can be laughing, smiling, joking on the outside, but in the inside, we may be sad, grieving, angry, scared, overwhelmed, and just trying to hold everything together. So this is the idea behind emotional yolks. So this wonderful fight, after years in the military service, he found himself bringing home emotions and he created emotional yolks. Pretty cool.

[Rosenberg]

So listen, I gotta say, what's his name? Fort. Yo, shout to you Fort. The craftsmanship here.

[Ebro]

Nah, man, it's a really.

[Rosenberg]

It's a really cool thing. They're hand painted and they're hand painted, which is amazing. Looks great. I don't understand it, bro. What is. Why a yolk? Why an egg? Why is the egg yolk emotional?

[Ebro]

Yeah, I don't know why, but it's cool.

[Rosenberg]

It's a cool thing.

[Ebro]

No, and like, the way he crafted it is, Is really nice. He sent me a Validate me one that I put in our other studio already. Like, it just looks like it's really neat. The yolk thing is a little confusing.

[Rosenberg]

Well, so Rahsaan is the New York Knicks. When he came out with this, which is the. Expressing the emotion of the, of the, of the, you know, New York Knicks fan base. And they come on a stand so you could, you know, put it up.

[Ebro]

Is the battery, Is the battery in the stand or. Not yet. Cuz they Cuz he sent a stand too that it rotates on.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Rosenberg]

So you can just. It's kind of cool to have in your office.

[Ebro]

It looks.

[Rosenberg]

It's a cool conversation piece.

[Ebro]

Yeah, it's like this is for. This is a wrestling reference. This is like Trick Williams entrance. This little stand that is spinning here.

[Rosenberg]

It's probably magnetized, I'd imagine you guys, it's.

[Laura]

The materials are very good. This is high quality stuff. You see, There you go.

[Rosenberg]

Well, this is setting a dangerous precedent, I gotta tell you.

[Ebro]

As far as what?

[Rosenberg]

Well, somebody sent us something and it happens to be quality material and we're showing it and then everybody's gonna get the, you know the idea to send us something to have to be like.

[Ebro]

But hold on, hold on. But there's an emphasis here.

[Rosenberg]

Trash.

[Ebro]

But there's an emphasis here. The point is that you're making. No, but this was like really well crafted. Yeah, like if you're gonna send us something, like with all due respect, you doing like your arts and crafts that you just came up with and it looks like a hunk of crap. Maybe keep working on it. My man's done the work here. Yeah, like this is, you know, this is a super interesting piece to have. It's really well crafted. So shout out to him.

[Rosenberg]

Man, we just gave you a free commercial.

[Ebro]

Well, yeah, you really did. But guess what? He gave us free eggs. Ebro.

[Rosenberg]

I don't even know why it's an egg. I don't know. Is yo the yolk emotion.

[Ebro]

I guess that's what he just looked to that day when he was trying to figure out how he felt and bask him. Here you go. This is your New York. Nick's egg.

[Laura]

Pretty cool.

[Ebro]

It's good. Like what's it.

[Rosenberg]

What's his name? Fort. What? Fort Taylor. Shout to you, brother.

[Ebro]

Yo, how is my man in the military? And literally it sounds like he's name. The his name is like an army based name.

[Rosenberg]

Shout out to. And by the way, shout out to all the veterans and everybody out there serving too. Ebro. Laura Rosenberg at Gmail. Laura, you got the first email.

[Laura]

All right, I'm gonna go with Eliza A Good morning ELR fam. I try to keep this short, but feel free to hit me with the button. I'm a 20 year old Puerto Rican woman from the Bronx, but live upstate. I've been a fan of your show since I started to learn how to drive. Well over 10 years ago, I fell in love with culture, energy, honest information you guys provide in the mornings Especially as a young listener trying to navigate through tough political climate. Let me jump. I'm cutting a lot of exits. A lot. I just wanted to say I love and appreciate you all. Everything you do for the city. As a born and raised New Yorker, ignore the haters. You have all contributed so much to New York City and hip hop that us real New Yorkers know this. And we've got new. We've got your back and you got New York in your veins. I'm a YouTube and Patreon subscriber and I purchased the merch. And I love everything that you guys have started since you left the Plantation station. I truly feel you guys. I truly feel like they were dimming your light. And us viewers have been able to get it now on a deeper level, especially producer Griff, Ron and Lou. So it goes on and on and on, she says. I wanted to mention that even though I'm single with no kids, I appreciate hearing your stories about family and your personal lives. I was especially touched when Rosenberg opened up about his IVF journey with his wife. My sister and her husband had recently went through IVF and are expecting their first baby July 15th. So I thank you for being so open and honest and letting the people know that it's more common than they think. But there's a large community that needs support. I'm so sorry and heartbroken about Lady Shells. She seemed like a dope person and may her memory live on, sending much love and light to all of you. Aw, that was sweet.

[Rosenberg]

Shout to you.

[Laura]

I will say, Rosenberg, like, I've gotten a couple of people who have mentioned this before how thankful they were for the conversation about ivf.

[Ebro]

Yeah, it's. What's. It's so. It's such a huge part of people's lives now. It's like this is. It's. Well, and it's also as regular as regular contraception. Well, it's the word conception. What's the word?

[Rosenberg]

Contraception and conception. They're both words.

[Ebro]

Yeah, they're both in there, right?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, but. Yeah, Conceiving. Yeah, but it. But I think a lot of it too, right? Like the. The pressure to have done it a traditional. I'm using air quotes, traditional way, you know, that people feel, you know, and they're fearful to share because of judgment or religion or whatever it is. Yeah, no, it's very common, though. I mean, I always remind people who. Who are like, are people doing that? I'm like, these companies aren't in business to not make money.

[Francisco]

Uhhuh.

[Rosenberg]

People are Doing it. And that's why.

[Ebro]

But who would ever say, are people doing this?

[Rosenberg]

Well, because people are unsure, because they don't know people's true stories.

[Ebro]

I'm saying, like, oh, yeah, but you're very fortunate. If you don't know how real it is, then you obviously, like, it's so common that for people who are, you know, used IVF to have kids. When you hear about people who just have sex and a baby comes out, it sounds like the most insane thing you've ever heard.

[Rosenberg]

But you know what? That's culture.

[Ebro]

You're like, that happens.

[Rosenberg]

It depends on your world. Right? Because some people are having kids at 25.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

It happens.

[Ebro]

No, and some people, like Ron, they just go upstairs, and 10 months later, baby comes downstairs and like. And then when you're someone who has to go through an IVF journey and you did all the work and you're like, this just isn't happening. You're like, how is that even possible?

[Laura]

Yeah. But I will say, out of my friend circle, I have three girlfriends who went through IVF and multiple rounds.

[Guest]

It's very.

[Laura]

It's very hard on your body. And I commend anyone because let me tell you something. When I had to give Natalie that shot, I was like, oh, God. Like, I had to give her this shot. We were at the beach house.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Francisco]

She.

[Laura]

Laura hooked me up, and I was like, I got you. When I saw that needle, I was like, do I?

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

Well, that was pretty early. That was pretty early in that. And Laura, you actually helped change the way I did the shot after that, because I saw how fast Laura was. She just, like, took. It was like.

[Laura]

I was like, hey, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ebro]

She didn't, like, hesitate. I'm like, oh, the. No. Hezbo.

[Laura]

Yeah, you got to go. Go. You got to go and do it.

[Ebro]

I would. I would sit there like, eh, eh. And I remember the one time I did it bad. It was when I hesitated, and I could feel that I was like, ah, it wasn't clean. But if you don't hesitate and you just go, it's kind of nothing. And we were. By the way, we were lucky. We did two rounds. Both were effective in creating embryos. And then the first time that we implanted myacam, that is incredibly lucky. Mad people. You're doing it multiple. Multiple times. So, yeah, that was super lucky. This is a good subject for the family Friday because I put up a post earlier this week on my Validate Me page and talked about it some on Validate Me this week. The. The Father's Day being tough, bro. The Father's Day and Mother's Day being tough. Like, you know how much it irritated me. I know no one meant bad by it at all. But pre having Maya the first 44 years of my life, I was not a father, obviously. But when you get to your late 30s, people just, like, start assuming you are.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

And I would get the random generic text. You tell me, Ebro, when did. When did Father's Day become, like, Thanksgiving, where people started sending all the generic texts?

[Rosenberg]

It's recent. It's last five or six. It definitely wasn't when Issa was born.

[Ebro]

Okay, cool. So I was trying to gauge. I'm like, when did this happen? Issa was born in 2014in the last five years, Laura. It's become, literally. It's like Thanksgiving. You wake up on.

[Rosenberg]

Thanks.

[Ebro]

I woke up. Oh, yeah. And you've been, like, a public dad for a long time. You wake up on Father's Day.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

And now, God bless them. But people I. Who I have not talked to in a long time, I'm sure Ebro and I got some of them from the same people filling our phone with happy fathers. It's lovely. It's a nice thing to do. But people do that. And I wasn't a dad.

[Laura]

I know.

[Ebro]

And I'd be like, so do I write back to you and go, well, A, this is a sore spot. B, I wish you knew me better because I'm not a father. If you don't know me well enough to know whether or not I'm a father, why are you sending me? Happy Father's Day.

[Laura]

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[Rosenberg]

You don't need to send it. I think the last piece is fair. Right. Like, if you don't know me well enough to know whether or not I'm dad, you're just sending it to guys, you know, who might be a dad. Then you're just out here, then, like, first part of it being a sensitive spot.

[Ebro]

People don't think of it.

[Rosenberg]

Well, A, they don't. They don't know what. What people are going through. Right. And that's not something that people necessarily want to share, but also be. You know, there's also the fact that you want it to be a dad. And so, you know, there is some positive vibes in that. There's a glass half full.

[Ebro]

Totally. And you know me, I. Mr. Glass half full. No, but you're right there. It definitely didn't come from a bad place. But I remember the year after my first Marriage broke up. When I was at my worst spot, Father's Day that year hit in the worst kind of way because we had just done ivf, thought we were about to have kids, it all went away. And now I'm like, there's no one on the horizon. I can't even think about meeting anyone new. I'm just alone. Spent Father's Day in D.C. went to.

[Rosenberg]

Well, wait here. Glass half full. At least you still had a dad.

[Ebro]

Yes, totally true. I was with my dad on Father's Day. You're right. Wasn't able to see that at the moment. Father's Day with my brother, my dad, my brother's father in law at the time, we're all at this Chinese restaurant and the manager at this well known D.C. chinese spot, he's a very chatty, friendly manager, comes over, oh, how's everyone doing? Blah, blah, Father's Day, everyone's a father. And I remember when he did it, my sister in law's dad was like, he's not a father now. Listen, he's not wrong. He's pointing out he didn't know what

[Rosenberg]

he was going through.

[Ebro]

And I was like, thanks. I'm not. Everyone else here is real man. I am little girl man with no baby. My guys don't go into the thing.

[Laura]

Stop. They go, weeee, stop.

[Ebro]

I need special technology to make my guys go, oh, but by the way, they don't have anyone to go to. There's nowhere for them to swim. So I was just like, this holiday sucks. So I just feel for everybody who's gone through. And then of course with mothers, probably even worse in terms of the societal expectation.

[Francisco]

What?

[Ebro]

When you're a 40 year old woman without kids. Yeah, it's like a what went wrong in your life?

[Laura]

Oh, it's very much a why. Yeah, why? Why? Like for me, I had Kenza. Later on in life people would always question me, why? So because I don't want a kid. I don't want a kid right now. That's why. And when I would tell him like that, like, oh, oh, sorry, sorry. I think it's so important.

[Rosenberg]

But it's also like, what's the other answer? Like so if it's not I don't want to have a kid right now, the other answer would be, I can't. So why are you pressing?

[Laura]

Yes. So I had. So one of my best girlfriends was having trouble having went through multiple IVF journeys to the point where I was like, I don't even know if you should do this anymore. She's blessed now. Thank God, right? She was able to. To have a child, but we would be out together with couples, and people would be like, so you guys aren't. When are you guys gonna have kids? It happened all the time. And I was ultra sensitive because I knew how it would affect him and her, and I had to tell people, hey, why don't you stop asking people why don't they have kids? Maybe they can't have kids. Have you ever thought about that? You know, and people are like, oh, wait, I didn't. I think it's an incredibly selfish.

[Ebro]

And what about on the flip side? But back to, yo, what if they just don't want to? And by the way, what if they look at your life and their life and that life and think, that sucks? I don't want to do that like that. It's so funny, because I. I think I know that you certainly would see things very close to this way. I love Maya is the light of my life. Yo, bro, I tell anyone right now, if you are not super in on wanting to have a kid, like, you want one affirmatively, I would not want one.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

You see what I'm saying?

[Laura]

Yes.

[Ebro]

If you don't desperately want that specific thing, I would say life seems a lot easier and probably better without. So the idea that you already assume and it's also the same thing. Used to feel this way about marriage, too. Is this built in? I did it. When are you doing it? Yeah, yo, my life's good.

[Rosenberg]

Misery loves company.

[Ebro]

Yo, I see people with three and four kids running around miserable non stop. It never ends. It's brutal. And they're looking at other people. When are you gonna do this? They're taking trips every weekend. They're having sex. They're having fun.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

What are you like, let them be.

[Laura]

No, I get it all the time. When are you gonna have another one? But why would you do that? You're not gonna have another one. She's gonna be alone. What about when she grows up? You guys are gonna be alone. I'm like, we're gonna be just fine. We'll give her everything.

[Ebro]

And she has mad cousins.

[Laura]

That's it. That's it.

[Rosenberg]

Listen, they used to hit me with the Issa needs a sibling joint, like, uptight. And I'll be like, why? Well, she's gonna be alone. I was like, alone is good. She needs to learn how to be alone. It's rough in the world.

[Laura]

God willing, I'm here. So she's like, I'm alone.

[Ebro]

I'm figuring it out.

[Rosenberg]

You know what I mean?

[Ebro]

And it was hard.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

Figured it out though.

[Rosenberg]

Figured it out.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

But, but I, you know, people are big on that.

[Ebro]

They're going to be alone. I'm getting that about mine.

[Rosenberg]

I wanted to have a best. She should have a best friend. And look, yes, that would be great, but that would require me making sacrifices.

[Ebro]

I don't know if I want to make.

[Rosenberg]

I don't made a bunch for you already. I may not want to make more.

[Ebro]

And that's your choice like that. And also you just don't. It's just so unreasonable. All of our kids. First of all, Issa Selassie is not going to be Issa's best friend until Issa now is like 30 years old. Okay. Hopefully that's where it goes. Hopefully. We never know. Everyone makes up what their version of everyone's life is going to be. And as parents, we all hope. That would be amazing if that happened, bro. It's people just projecting their own ish onto us. Lauren, Rick are me and Natalie's biggest inspiration when we go, should we not have another one like Lauren, Rick and Kenza? That looks like a fun like little unit they have. Like, it's really nice. It's the three of you guys. And I, I don't know, that seems very appealing to me at times.

[Laura]

I, I mean, I love it. But the worst is when people try to guilt you. You know, people are like, but why, but why? Why? You. You're healthy, you can do it. What makes you think, do you know my personal medical history?

[Ebro]

First of all, how do you know that?

[Laura]

That's what I'm saying.

[Rosenberg]

They don't even bring up affordability, time management, making sure that you can actually engage with the children and actually sit down each night and have conversations with them, cuddle with them, like share time, have moments together. Like, there's so many things that make a well rounded human. Right beyond just, do you have a sibling?

[Laura]

Right, right.

[Rosenberg]

Me and my brother are five years apart. So yeah, we shared a bedroom sometimes, but most of the time I was on his goddamn nerves.

[Ebro]

Right. Five years. Right at that point.

[Rosenberg]

And then by the time he's 18, he's out the house.

[Laura]

Same with my.

[Rosenberg]

So, you know, I mean, like, we weren't best friends ever.

[Laura]

We're tight now. I love her, but what I'm trying to say is like, yes, if you can have multiple kids, if you want to have multiple, multiple kids, God bless you. I think that's amazing. But don't on people who only want to have one.

[Rosenberg]

Well, or not. I think. I think some of this. Some of this is cultural, right? Because we all come from cultures where multiplying is an incentive, Right. In American society, it's a financial incentive. Tax breaks and all other things that have children. Right?

[Ebro]

Which is a lie, though, because it's way more expensive.

[Rosenberg]

Exactly, Exactly. And then there's. There is a. A fulfillment that you get from investing in another person and their, you know, life's journey. Like, that's a thing. But you can. You don't have to have children.

[Ebro]

How much too, though. The. Like, I'm not gonna lie, guys. Sometimes it crosses my mind. I'll see people walking around. Baskin, please don't feel disrespect, because I'm not talking about you. But I'll see people like. And they are like, they're bunch of kids. And I'm like, no, it is. We really need all y'.

[Francisco]

All.

[Ebro]

Yo, you really.

[Rosenberg]

No, no, that.

[Ebro]

Y' all are. That dope. Do we really need.

[Guest]

But.

[Ebro]

Okay, I know that's. I know that's selfish, but crossing my mind.

[Laura]

I'll tell you this.

[Rosenberg]

Laura, just finish the talk, okay? It is selfish. There are people who think legacy means a lot of children. I had a lot of children. That's my legacy.

[Ebro]

But one of them's in jail. That's your legacy.

[Rosenberg]

No, you did nothing with them. Like, so your legacy is. Is you multiplied and invested. No time. No, you weren't there. You were hanging out with your boys, or you didn't have the time, Right. Because you were so busy balancing jobs, so you never actually were able to make them better than you.

[Ebro]

Right? So what's the. And I made the joke about jail, but, like, what.

[Rosenberg]

So what's the legacy?

[Ebro]

What's the legacy? That's what people have if you have less and less time for each one.

[Rosenberg]

But some of that is archaic thought where it's like, well, they have my last name. It's like, is that. So your legacy is just your last name?

[Laura]

But I will tell you this. I have gone to people's homes, friends of mine, that have big, beautiful families, and I find it so beautiful.

[Ebro]

True.

[Laura]

Like, I'm there. I'm like, damn, this is dope. Because I never came from a big family, so I like. It gives me joy. I just don't want one for myself.

[Ebro]

I do have that same thought. And, like, depending on what happens in my career and finances, I would be like, man, if we had a lot of money, like, we were really felt like we're just good Would it be cool to have, like, a bunch just because I'm already an old dad? Would I hate the idea that from now, for the next 30 years, you know, basically till I'm an old guy, there's always new life and sort of joy and kids and, like, they're. That again. I'm being selfish, though. I'm thinking about what would feel good to you, to me, and to Natalie, what would make our house feel fun.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

You know, I, I, I'm not. I don't know if I've been. I wanted to have a lot of kids. I did. But as I got older, I realized that my joy isn't having kids. My joy is being able to do something with my kids and be able to support, like, right now, being able to support Issa. Like, yo, what are you into? That's dope. You want to do more with that? How much do you want to do with that? How far do you want to take that? I got your back. Whatever it is, like, that's.

[Ebro]

I can do that.

[Rosenberg]

Like, I have time.

[Ebro]

I have one sibling that I have to deal with.

[Rosenberg]

Right. And when it's her time, what are you into, Selassie? What do you want to do? I'm going to introduce you like I did with Issa. I've been introducing her to things. Basketball, tennis, Pickett, soccer, whatever. What? Whatever.

[Ebro]

All I know is that you attempted to be clever.

[Rosenberg]

Exactly.

[Laura]

But I will say I'm sorry, But,

[Rosenberg]

but all of that to say that I, I found that that is actually then just ha. Than just sitting on the couch. Look, I have joy when I'm sitting on the couch and all, everybody's in the house, and it's like, yo, this is dope. Right? But if that was all I had to offer, I don't think I'd feel like that was dope. Right. You know what I mean? Like, if I literally couldn't do anything

[Ebro]

with them except hope, every once in a while, you get a moment, and by the way, there are people listening who. That's the situation they're in now. And no disrespect to it, because, you know, you're here now, you love your kids, you're doing the best you can. But seeing as we're older parents, because our career motivated us first, which is very common in New York, we speak with a little bit of privilege of we were able to watch and see and kind of now pick how do we want to do it?

[Guest]

Of course.

[Ebro]

And I think for us, it seems to be leaning towards the Maybe less, a little bit more.

[Rosenberg]

Well, and some people were raised to believe that, you know, yes, you graduate college and you get kids or you get. I know some people was like, yo, you're 18, you're 19. They have families being like, yo, when are you going to have kids? Like, not even talking about marriage. It's just like, yo, you're supposed to

[Laura]

have children or because they want to have grandbabies.

[Rosenberg]

Right. Pressure from. I want my grandkids. Where my grandkids at?

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

So that. Some of that is cultural. Right. I think, look, there were multiple times in my life where, you know, the person I was seeing didn't want to have the child. Like, that happened. And I wasn't ready either. Like, there was honest dialogue about, like, yo, where you at in your life? Where am I at in my life? And that happened. But the realization of how much investment it takes, just time, not money, right? I'm not talking about money. I'm talking about you get home from work and it's like, I'm going to take you out to ride a bike. I'm going. We're gonna go to the park. And just, you know, a lot of times that's like, I tell Laura, I've told you guys this multiple times. I just drive up to Palisades and find a little overlook with some little nature paths and would take Issa just on a nature path walk. That's the afternoon. Grab a sandwich, going to nature pathway. We spent $0. Didn't cross a toll, didn't do anything. But those are the moments. Like, even now, Issa brings up just riding around in the car, listening to music, because that would be.

[Laura]

That's your thing. Yeah, but I like, I pay attention to Rahsaan, right? He has his beautiful boys, bro. He's there every baseball game, every art project, every. Like, I look at him and I'm like, wow. Like, it's beautiful to see how present for all his children. I know you're tired. I know you're tired. But his. He made a decision to have these kids, and I see him present, and it's beautiful because he decided to have children. And he's there for all those special moments. And I give them so much credit for that because it's hard.

[Ebro]

I'm tired with the one I know I don't even understand.

[Rosenberg]

While we're bigging up Rah Ron Ron, he's there for all the special moments, but if he don't get his health in order, he is.

[Ebro]

He miss everyone.

[Rosenberg]

You'll miss all the Special moments. And the reason I bring that up is because when you have a house of six, keeping your health in order, tough. How are we doing that? Yeah, right. If you can't get out to exercise because you got to do this, you got to do that, or the food that you have to. You know what I mean? Getting everybody. And they're eating on different. You know, you got growing boys. I got a friend, he's trying to keep his weight in order. He got wild animals in his house. They eat half a cow a week, bro. Like, what are we talking? I can't stay healthy. I can't even. They're eating bags and loafs of bread like, non stop. Like, you can't.

[Laura]

I know. Teenage boys is a different thing.

[Rosenberg]

He's got four boys.

[Ebro]

Even. Even little tiny girls. Little baby girls, once they start eating, it's a non stop snack. A thon gotta bring them veggies, berries. Natalie has a thing of peppers with her all the time. We gotta be eating. I'm like, these kids eat. Yeah. And you're trying to keep your ish together. Now, fortunately, if peppers were my biggest problem, I'd be fine. Ron, how are we doing with the gummies?

[Narrator]

No gummies.

[Ebro]

None. Since we had to talk. None.

[Francisco]

No gummies. No gummies.

[Ebro]

No ginger ale.

[Laura]

Yep.

[Rosenberg]

So what. What sugar are you having each day? Just honey in your tea.

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

And what? Any fried food? Fried food I have.

[Ebro]

But my cheat days on Fridays.

[Francisco]

Okay.

[Ebro]

I may do like Chinese or this week I had yo yo chicken. I had like a hamburger.

[Narrator]

All right.

[Rosenberg]

Not bad.

[Laura]

Not bad.

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Have you lost weight?

[Ebro]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

How much?

[Ebro]

I think I'm down six.

[Laura]

Wow.

[Rosenberg]

And that's what, three weeks?

[Ebro]

But he also. But, but I would say.

[Rosenberg]

And he's not even trying to lose weight.

[Ebro]

He's just the number. The number. The number will take time and whatever, but I see it on. Physically, he looks different to me. Like in the face. Yeah, my dad said the same thing.

[Rosenberg]

He said, I see it in your face.

[Ebro]

Like, yo, your face looks better, bro. You looked. I don't want. I don't want to be mean, but you looked old and disgusting. Oh, my God.

[Guest]

God.

[Rosenberg]

So I'm waiting for the phlegm to clear up. That's why I'm waiting. I'm waiting for Ron.

[Ebro]

I was kidding, Ron.

[Narrator]

But you do look better.

[Ebro]

You just look. You just look. You look fresh.

[Rosenberg]

I'm waiting for Ron's phlegm to clear up.

[Ebro]

By the way, you're an. That's how he talks, bro. It's not Going away.

[Laura]

He's just raspy.

[Ebro]

You think he's gonna lose the. The phlegm?

[Rosenberg]

I think he's. I think he's got inflammation in there that's gonna eventually go away once he really gets this in order.

[Narrator]

You.

[Guest]

You.

[Laura]

I don't think that's just his voice.

[Ebro]

Yeah, I've been raspy all my life.

[Rosenberg]

Not like I've known you for, what, how long?

[Ebro]

Like 15, 20 years?

[Laura]

Yeah, he's been raspy.

[Rosenberg]

Raspy. There's Flemmy in there.

[Ebro]

You could be right, but you could be wrong. Maybe he needs to do the one thing that we've ever seen. Change of voice. Stop working with us, cuz Shawnie's voice got fixed. He was like, hey, it's me, Shawnee. I was like, what the hell? So Baska, maybe leave us all of a sudden? I don't think that's changing.

[Rosenberg]

Well, I don't. I don't know what Shani sounds like. I haven't talked to him.

[Laura]

He sounds clear.

[Rosenberg]

When's the last time you guys talked to him?

[Laura]

I wished him a happy Father's Day.

[Ebro]

Oh, damn. I didn't hit him.

[Rosenberg]

Did he hit you back?

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, he doesn't hit me back.

[Laura]

He hit me back.

[Ebro]

I actually talked to him on the phone a couple weeks ago, but when I've been texting him, the joints coming up, like, it bounces back.

[Laura]

He changed his number?

[Ebro]

No, I don't know, but it's like. Like I said, I called him and it rang and he answered. Yeah, but when I text, I get like the red dot, you know, like it won't deliver to a green number. It's like, do you want to try again? I don't know.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I get that too. And he doesn't pick up my call.

[Ebro]

So the combination of all. So you don't know what he sounds like?

[Rosenberg]

I have no idea what he's.

[Ebro]

Well, rest assured.

[Rosenberg]

And I don't hear him on the air either.

[Ebro]

Yeah, I don't really hear him on the air very much, but when he was on the air, crystal clear, but

[Rosenberg]

maybe that helped his voice talking less.

[Ebro]

I will also say, though, people been. I think low key people have been so sick. Like, I think there's just been weird illnesses going on that have been lingering for months and months. Bro, I was sick more this winter, spring than ever in my life.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, there was a lot of. A lot of different things.

[Ebro]

My brother had. My brother had a six. Like a six week one. And then my brother got hit with the vid. Last week from traveling.

[Rosenberg]

They still got that out.

[Ebro]

Still got the vid, bro. He got it hit him really quick where all of a sudden he had a super bad cold. Tested, had the vid. He tried to go with the paxlovid. They wouldn't give him Paxlovid, but they just gave him like cough medicine.

[Rosenberg]

We had, we didn't have any vid in the house this year. We had flu and strep.

[Ebro]

Oh yeah, I remember the stress and

[Rosenberg]

I positive for strep, but I didn't have any symptoms, but I took an antibiotic.

[Ebro]

You did pretty good though. You never really got sick. I had these long lasting phlegmy things that were just.

[Narrator]

This is a beat of 250 and we're celebrating Black Music Month, a celebration of legacy, creativity and global influence of black music. Today we celebrate Roxanne Shantae, one of hip hop's earliest and fiercest voices. To understand Roxanne Shantae, you have to understand the history of the mc. Long before hip hop became a global movement, black communities mastered the art of call and response. You heard it in the black church, where rhythm, energy and storytelling people together. That tradition carried into block parties and clubs where MCs became the voices of that moved the crowd. Then came Roxanne Shantae. Coming out of Queensbridge, she became a teenage battle rap legend with Roxanne's revenge helping launch one of hip hop's first major rap battles. Sharp, fearless and commanding, Roxanne Shantae provided that a young woman from Queens could dominate the mic and help shape hip hop history forever.

[Laura]

Black Music Month, Amplified Voices is sponsored by AARP Constant.

[Rosenberg]

We have a video. Let's hear from Francis. Or let's see Francis.

[Francisco]

Greetings, Ebro. Laura Rosenberg, ELR show. My name is Francisco, coming to you live. East Bay. Bay area, California.

[Rosenberg]

Oakland.

[Francisco]

And I wanted to send a message to kind of set everything straight with Rosenberg and his use of some slang. Oh, when you're talking about food, when you're, when you're on vacation, when you're in Italy, when you're in Rome and you have the best food ever. Please, please, please avoid saying that it slaps.

[Rosenberg]

Ah, true. Smacks.

[Francisco]

According to E40, according to the ambassador to the bay, the only thing that can slap is music. Food doesn't slap. So East Coast. Just remember, when you're talking about food, don't say it slaps, it smacks.

[Ebro]

He's right.

[Francisco]

Just like what E40 would say. I'm a small business owner. I have a small business Called Oddly Awesome.

[Rosenberg]

I like the tea.

[Francisco]

You guys inspired us to come up with some media and content. So I hope one day in the future I can get you guys on or even get a drop from.

[Rosenberg]

Are you gonna drop all day get a drop?

[Ebro]

Right now, we.

[Francisco]

We focus on art and design, and we like to have that discussion and put on, like, independent artists, local artists, so on Instagram, it's at Oddly Awesome. Sending you all the love from the Bay Area.

[Rosenberg]

Love.

[Laura]

Thank you.

[Ebro]

Yo, listen, man. Yo, this is Rosenberg. Say something, bro.

[Rosenberg]

Yo, what's going on? It's Hebro.

[Laura]

Hey, it's Laura.

[Ebro]

Yo, we're rocking with our people, man. The East Bay's own Oddly Awesome. It's official tissue.

[Rosenberg]

You're not not mean, yo, and their graphics slack.

[Ebro]

I don't know.

[Rosenberg]

Would graphics slap or smack? I don't know. They don't smack. Only music slaps.

[Ebro]

Only music slaps, so it smacks. He's right, yo. Thank you, bro. I appreciate that. Actually, I forgot. So when I got back from Italy, I said it was slapping.

[Laura]

Yeah, but I say slap, too.

[Guest]

I'm wrong.

[Ebro]

We're all frauds. You're the only one who should be. You should be correcting us.

[Laura]

Okay, but I feel like I've heard you slap it up a couple times, too.

[Ebro]

He's been gone from the bay a long time, by the way.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. I'm gonna tell you, one of the most irritating bay. The New York transitions. It still irritates me to this day is out in New York, they would. They would call money guap.

[Ebro]

I know you've talked about.

[Rosenberg]

This one irritates me because it's guac. Guacamole as in guacamole as in green, because money's green. What the is a guap?

[Ebro]

Nice fact.

[Laura]

Guapolid.

[Ebro]

Yeah, we'd say guapole. What is guapilade? What is. It's like a plan. Go up, play.

[Rosenberg]

What is guap?

[Ebro]

What is guap?

[Laura]

Where did guap come from?

[Ebro]

Because it had to come from guac. It had to come from. People just said it wrong. Yeah, that's a big slang thing, right?

[Rosenberg]

I think so.

[Ebro]

They were saying that guac and New York was like, yeah, that guap. And then just ran with it.

[Rosenberg]

Well, so the other thing that still irritates me to this day is people in the east coast would call a loss a dub. Oh, he got dub. That's a dub. You got dub. I would be like, why dub a dub? A dub is a short for a W for a win.

[Ebro]

But was it wasn't it first that. Which one came first?

[Rosenberg]

A dub.

[Ebro]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

They got the W. It was a win. The win.

[Ebro]

The win was the first.

[Rosenberg]

Caught an L. A loss.

[Ebro]

That's what I would think. I know, but you can say dub either way. That's really annoying. Having a phrase like having a word like dub mean win or loss is like having slang. One that's left.

[Rosenberg]

He got dubbed.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

What does that mean?

[Rosenberg]

Does that mean, like, erased? Like dubbed over? Like a tape? Is that what it means?

[Ebro]

Can't be. Can't be.

[Guest]

That.

[Francisco]

So when I.

[Ebro]

When we used to use dubbed when I was in high school, and it was like when a girl played you, right? Yeah.

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

What does that mean?

[Ebro]

Yeah, but what he said. What does it mean? Ebro knows what it means.

[Rosenberg]

He said, I know how you're using it, but every slang has an origin, right? Right. Like, if it doesn't just people, like kids are talking about riz. It's short for charisma. You got. He put the riz. It was like a whole thing.

[Narrator]

Right?

[Rosenberg]

Right. Like, it all comes from somewhere. Like back in the day. Be like, yo, that's fresh. Meaning it's new. It's fresh out the box.

[Narrator]

It's.

[Rosenberg]

It's. It's fresh. It's dope. It's like drugs. It's addictive.

[Ebro]

It's right. You get high. It's all the things.

[Rosenberg]

You know what I'm saying? Like, it all starts places, right?

[Narrator]

What.

[Ebro]

Where did dub come from as a bad thing?

[Rosenberg]

And what is guap?

[Laura]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Ebro]

What is guap? It's a great question. It's an eternal question. Why do they say guap, like, even flea?

[Rosenberg]

Like, when they'd be like, yo, fleek. Like, they would say fleek. People were articulating that fleek came from flea, like fly, because the Spanish dude would be like, yo, I'm flea, I'm fly. They were mispronouncing it. That makes sense.

[Ebro]

Is that true?

[Rosenberg]

That's what people said. I don't know if it's actually true, but that's what people said at the time. That. That's the old. You know, my eyebrows on fleek was fly. Fleet. Whatever. Okay. Mispronunciation, translation. I.

[Narrator]

Cool.

[Rosenberg]

I would love to hear more.

[Ebro]

You just want to understand. I get it.

[Rosenberg]

You know what I mean?

[Ebro]

Not mean.

[Rosenberg]

All right, Rosenberg, you got a. An email.

[Ebro]

Yeah, yeah. Let's see, let's see. We have so many different people. How about. Oh, wow. How about Yanzuli sharing a poem about the Knicks that his dad wrote.

[Rosenberg]

All right, Yanzhou Lee.

[Ebro]

It will mean the world to me and my pops if you guys read his poem live on air.

[Francisco]

Okay,

[Ebro]

I'm still buzzing from the New York Knicks championship victory. Nothing right now feels better than this awesome win to me. I've been a die hard Knicks fan since I was a kid. Through the good times and bad times. Whatever they did, long heard negativity from haters and fans as well. Even I said often, what the hell? I often questioned, will they ever win in my lifetime? Or should I forget about dreaming and just let the sun shine? Then suddenly came the fantastic playoff run in 2026. During the run, I kept saying, let's go Knicks. They steamrolled through the first three rounds of the playoffs like nobody's business. Straight to the finals. I said, this is serious. In the finals, they won games one and two and lost game three one, game four. I'm gonna try to get the rhyme right. In the finals, they won games one two, lost game three one, game four. Thanks to a game winning tap in by OG that was tough. They played from behind in all five games. It didn't matter. The result was the same with bad officiating against the Knicks and Wemby's dirty play. The Knicks kept going. Nothing got in their way. The spurs tried their best to bring some smoke. The Knicks brushed them off. It was no joke. Big Body, Brunson, Cat and the rest of the team played tough like New Yorkers, if you know what I mean.

[Rosenberg]

Nah. Meeeeeee.

[Ebro]

They finally clinched the finals in game five, which lit up the city. It was truly alive. Fans throughout the city were in the streets seeing Empire State of Mind by Alicia Keys and Jay Z. New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made of. The Knicks definitely showed that by giving us love. We're almost there, folks. The joy and excitement that the Knicks gave this city with this great win. Hopefully this coming season they'll do it again. I must say loud and proudly to the orange and blue. Let's go Knicks. New York loves you.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Narrator]

Wow.

[Guest]

Nice.

[Ebro]

I mean it's. It's like Walt Whitman. Rock him, Allah.

[Rosenberg]

Yo, I want to shout out to. Let's see the Robinson family. They say give Griff a mic. Happy TGI Friday. They're newer FOTs in the last couple of years. Want to give the husband a shout out? They're from Brooklyn.

[Ebro]

Griff does need a mic. Griff yelling from the back isn't new to elr. As long as I've been listening, his distant voice has Been there.

[Rosenberg]

It says, are we still on the radio? This from Lewis. Lewis, Good morning ELR show. I want to ask this. I can look up the information but I'm lazy. If I can email you and hear a response, it's a feel good. Growing up in the 2000s, I'd listen to y' all because of my sisters playing radio. Outgrowing radio over the years. And coming back last year because I had access to a radio. Didn't last long. Now I'm on YouTube music. Saw you had an interview with Hassan Abi. Maybe he means Hassan Piker. Then I started listening to y' all every morning. Are y' all no longer on the radio? And why not? That's from Lewis.

[Ebro]

Come on, bro.

[Rosenberg]

Well, we got fired.

[Laura]

There you go.

[Ebro]

There's more you can go find, but it's in there.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, we got fire. Are you guys tired of talking about it?

[Ebro]

It just feels, it just. No, it's just at this moment feels like dated and redundant to people who

[Rosenberg]

listen to us shout to Dave, who wants to give clothes away on from his brand on the show. Okay, Dave, send us the clothes. Let's let us look at them. Be prepared though if it's trash. And why. And why? Like what's the, what's the tie in here? Just because you want promo. Well, like is it saying something important?

[Ebro]

Yeah. Does it fit in some way?

[Rosenberg]

Helping people in some way? Maybe. And then we have, let's see, we got a voice note here from Linda. Let's see what this is all about.

[Guest]

Hey, hey, family thought of the show.

[Rosenberg]

Love you guys.

[Guest]

Hey Linda fan. Since the plantation, I did want to say we absolutely love what you guys are doing. Love your banter. So be easy on the interviews. Don't over saturate. We like to hear from you guys. I did want to respond to the guru segment though of the mother who wants to put her 18 year old out. Oh yeah. There are people, adults who have careers who are out here struggling financially. So to want to put a 18 year old out out who just graduated from high school is a bit aggressive. You have to be honest as a parent and recognize when you have failed in some areas of your parenting. You cannot put him out if you did not do your part in making sure that he was equipped to be successful. Don't put him out. He needs guidance, he needs support. And if it's coming from the husband, then the husband needs to, to be checked.

[Rosenberg]

I mean that's pretty much what we said.

[Laura]

Yeah, right. That's how we all feel.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. Thanks Linda for chiming in early in the week.

[Ebro]

And that was basically how we felt. Right.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

Like it does in 2026. That a concept of just like you need to get up out of here at 18. At 18 on the dot.

[Rosenberg]

It just now, if you, if you're going away to college. I think the, the emailer was talking about the Navy, right?

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah. But he had failed the test, remember, like twice.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Laura]

So.

[Ebro]

So, yeah, he hadn't yet passed.

[Rosenberg]

So he's making attempts to have a thing.

[Ebro]

Yeah. And then, and then the part that specifically bothered me was when she was like, you know, you're just gonna live here and have a dead end job. I was like, damn, he has a job. He still can't live there. It just. I didn't feel right. And when you added in the fact that it was coming from the new boyfriend or stepfather guy, that's nasty.

[Laura]

Yeah. And they just had a baby, so I felt like he was trying to push her old life out and to make room for their new.

[Ebro]

You know who else I felt bad for in that way? Tom Brady this week, man.

[Rosenberg]

What happened?

[Ebro]

Father's Day is crazy.

[Rosenberg]

He didn't get no Father's Day shout.

[Ebro]

Yo, life is crazy. Listen, I know nothing about what happened between Tom Brady and Giselle. So I'm being silly. But the, but, but I will say the, the feeling that I had when I saw the story. It was Gisele Bunch and shows Father's Day love to her new husband. You know, no mention of Tom Brady. Right. Or whatever. They have what, five? They have five together. Four.

[Rosenberg]

No, I do.

[Guest]

I don't know.

[Ebro]

You know that mad kids, though. Her, they have mad kids together and she put up a post. It just made me laugh. Is the new young hot husband with their infant. And she's like, you're such an inspiration to us and you're the best.

[Rosenberg]

Were the other kids in the photo?

[Ebro]

No, no, it's just him and the little baby.

[Rosenberg]

Oh.

[Ebro]

And it's just funny to me because as a new dad myself, like this guy doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. He has a six month old, bro. The man, the other dude who had your fork, you had four kids with. I mean, you know, y' all raised four kids together. They're sitting on a billion dollars because he did pretty good at doing some stuff. Maybe he was a horrible guy.

[Rosenberg]

Well, I was gonna say together that together part. You raised four kids together, right? You know, cuz there are people.

[Ebro]

Maybe it was bad. I don't know.

[Rosenberg]

Just Supplying the finances and all the things that, you know, the finances can get is not enough.

[Ebro]

So maybe this guy, he's there every day.

[Rosenberg]

Yes. He's more present in the ways that she wants.

[Ebro]

Right. And Brady was like, you know, he was out playing football.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah. He was out, you know, making your, you know, everything easy financially.

[Ebro]

Right. But he was emotionally, Maybe he was. I knew nothing about the man.

[Laura]

Right. We don't know.

[Ebro]

But I hold his tiny baby. I'm like, don't get me wrong. I'm a guy who has a tiny baby. I appreciate Father's Day, but year one, when she was, like, three months old, I'm like, it's sweet to call me the best dad ever. I haven't done anything yet.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah. I want to shout out Dave. Actually, I missed the other part of the email. The brand is called Where Love. Where as in, like, wear clothes. Love is so it is about love.

[Guest]

All right.

[Ebro]

I like that.

[Laura]

Nice.

[Rosenberg]

You know what I mean? It says that the start a clothing line called Love is the idea Simple. The world could use a lot more love. We like kindness, grace, and understanding. And I wanted to create something people could wear that reminds them of that every day.

[Ebro]

I dig it.

[Rosenberg]

Okay, so he heard us talking about giveaways, so send us over a couple of teas, and if y' all want to Support Dave. Yo, El army, go check out whereloveis.com support Dave. He's a fat. Started a clothing brand. See what it. See what kind of gear he's got, and we'll go from there. Now on speaking of Father's Day, before we wrap this family, Friday, I had a pretty active weekend. Weekend. Well, week, week, weekend.

[Ebro]

We didn't see any of your videos yet.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, it starts with Jazz's B day. We were, you know, went out to dinner and things like that, you know. Then Thursday, we're at the parade, me and Issa, and I told you guys, there we are. And in some watch party where we literally know no one.

[Laura]

Well, I was downstairs, by the way,

[Rosenberg]

and we went to the wrong floor, but I didn't want to give that spot up in front of the window.

[Ebro]

It was the same view. You were just alone.

[Laura]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

Now bring that photo up. Look at Issa's outfit.

[Ebro]

She wore a tutu.

[Rosenberg]

She wanted to wear a blue tutu.

[Ebro]

Okay.

[Rosenberg]

And some Nyx color beads. Some blue beads and a Nyx tee. That was her outfit she chose.

[Ebro]

I like it.

[Rosenberg]

She had an orange bandana around her leg. She went super themed out, and she had some blue. What is that stuff the football players put under there.

[Ebro]

Eye black.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, but it was blue. I blew so it wasn't black. You know what I mean?

[Francisco]

Cute.

[Rosenberg]

There you go.

[Ebro]

That was the parade.

[Rosenberg]

He said I was a parade.

[Francisco]

Good.

[Laura]

Interesting. Aggressive.

[Francisco]

Crowded.

[Laura]

Very crowded. And loud.

[Rosenberg]

It was fun, though.

[Laura]

Memorable.

[Narrator]

That was.

[Rosenberg]

Just walking away from it already. Go, Nicks.

[Laura]

Cute.

[Ebro]

Listen, at least y' all made it there, right? Some of us came up short. How were the snack? Oh, you don't know. You weren't important. How were the snacks, Laura?

[Laura]

Pretty good. They had, like, sliders, salads, like, it was cute.

[Rosenberg]

They had baked goods at the one I was at.

[Ebro]

Really?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

That the strangers had.

[Rosenberg]

Some strangers had some good baked goods. They had a Papa Shot over there, too. What do you have there? Rah. Oh. Thought you had something you wanted to say. No.

[Ebro]

He's got more videos, though. Ron does. See, we got Ron.

[Guest]

Yay.

[Rosenberg]

Did you make that for dad? Oh, Father's Day. Selassie made me her first Father's Day card.

[Ebro]

She made that?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, at school.

[Laura]

That's so nice.

[Rosenberg]

Yes, I did.

[Laura]

Good job.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, there we go. With the B day card photo inside.

[Ebro]

And they made it.

[Guest]

Her.

[Ebro]

Her nursery school?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro]

She's school every day.

[Rosenberg]

No, Three days a week.

[Ebro]

Three days a week. Got it.

[Rosenberg]

And then she. Well, she has an activity every day. She goes to a couple other programs.

[Ebro]

Listen, we know in the Darden house there's gonna be some activities.

[Rosenberg]

Oh, listen, if I gotta get out and go somewhere, you gotta get up and go.

[Ebro]

Someone's gotta go.

[Rosenberg]

Everybody. Everybody better have a schedule.

[Ebro]

Yeah, Someone's got an activity on the front.

[Rosenberg]

Here we go.

[Ebro]

Here we go.

[Rosenberg]

Happy Father's Day. And then you said, they're telling you to move into the picture. And then it says, funny. The F is funny. And then the A is the A and patient, and the T is in strong, and H is hero, and the R is reliable. O and the P is provider, and the S is supportive.

[Laura]

Provider.

[Rosenberg]

Provider. R, Father. Provider. She's. Dear dad, you are. You are and will always be my number one fan. You have been with me every step of the way. You've encouraged me to follow my dreams and even help me get there. Issa's cards make me cry every time.

[Ebro]

Oh, boy.

[Rosenberg]

Being a parent can be hard at times, but you make it look effortless.

[Ebro]

She's dropping gems.

[Rosenberg]

My parenting dates and the whole solar system.

[Laura]

Wow.

[Rosenberg]

That was good.

[Ebro]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

With the cards.

[Ebro]

I gotta look away. This is too. This is too much.

[Laura]

I know. It's so cute.

[Ebro]

That daughter stuff is different now.

[Rosenberg]

It does, right? You start. It's starting to get you.

[Ebro]

Oh, yeah, Totally different.

[Rosenberg]

Which parts get you?

[Ebro]

All of it. Everyone's everything. The, the songs, the bro. The, the. The father of the bride came on TV when Steve Martin, when she tells them that they're pregnant, I mean, that she's engaged. And Steve Martin's like, his brain's like, not computing. And it cuts to her as a five year old going, daddy, I met a man in Europe and we got. We fell in love and we're getting mar weeed. And that's how he sees her still. And there's the part where he goes, you know, honey, you should really. This is in the commercial. Hey, honey, you should really wear a jacket. It's cold outside. She's like, no, dad, I'm fine. And then the new fiance is like, honey, it actually is cold outside. She said, oh, really? I'll get my jacket.

[Guest]

It.

[Ebro]

And it shows him. Like, it's just little stuff like that. But I'm like, damn. All that stuff really happens in life.

[Rosenberg]

I mean, that part is the part that's supposed to happen.

[Ebro]

And, you know, that's the bet. And, well, 22 in this era, 22 would be tough because in the movie, she literally, she just graduated from college and she's getting married. Yeah, that's not. I would say that's not ideal, but, yeah, overall, it's stuff you want to happen, right?

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, I just feel like 22 is so young, man.

[Guest]

It is.

[Rosenberg]

Issa told me over the weekend she wanted to get married at 28. I said, I said the same thing when I was about to. When I was around your age, too. I thought.

[Ebro]

You thought 28 was about the number.

[Rosenberg]

Yeah, I thought it was 28. And she was like, yeah, but you're gonna be like 70. I wanna, I want you to see grandkids. And I was like, damn.

[Ebro]

Yeah, yeah. You're thinking about what I'm gonna get, right? That's really nice.

[Rosenberg]

Nah, man, it hits, man, for the dad. Yo, shout to the dads, man. Keep showing up, Dads. And look, the toughest thing for a dad. Look, I'm sure there's a dash stealing with something, and your family's dealing with something too, because you're not there enough and you feel like either A, you don't have enough to offer, or you made some mistakes that are irreparable. Keep showing up, Maji. Just keep showing up, dads. Make an appointment. Be where you're going to be when you say you're going to Be there. Key. There's so many dads I know. You don't show up because you're fucking embarrassed and your ego won't even allow you to say, I feel embarrassed.

[Ebro]

I haven't been around.

[Rosenberg]

I haven't been around. I screwed up. I'm embarrassed. I don't have. I'm not making enough money. I'm embarrassed. But man, if you could just show up, so many positive things will happen.

[Ebro]

Speaking of which, I showed up. Do you have the video of me teaching Maya to get her first gig in Ibiza? Her standing on the 45 boxes.

[Guest]

So cute.

[Ebro]

Gentle, gentle, good gentle.

[Rosenberg]

That is not scratchable.

[Guest]

No, but.

[Ebro]

But it was better than lifting up

[Rosenberg]

the record very much.

[Ebro]

No, no, no, no hit. No, See, that's the part we need to work on. This is an in effect.

[Rosenberg]

No, she wants to be a push button dj. She don't want all this vinyl, by the way.

[Ebro]

She had it dancing and just pushing the button. That is DJing.

[Rosenberg]

That's it. Now you got a gig.

[Ebro]

So I was proud of her though, that she started being able to stop the record without the needle skipping.

[Rosenberg]

Right?

[Ebro]

That's really the first step to scratching, honestly. If you can just touch the record and not have anything skip, nothing bad happen. Because at first she would literally take her thumb, put it under the record and, you know, lift it up.

[Rosenberg]

Well, you have the, you have the weight adjustment, probably so high because you're so heavy handed anyway that her little hands ain't gonna do nothing.

[Ebro]

No, no, it bounces. But. But she loves it. She really, I mean, she just walks over to the turntables. First thing she loves, loves, loves it. So that's pretty dope.

[Rosenberg]

Well, she sees you loving it and she sees that she gets celebrated for it. That's how the kids start interest.

[Ebro]

Right, right. Are you, are you clapping for them and being.

[Rosenberg]

Do they get the feedback from the people that they revere the most?

[Ebro]

But I'm telling you, with her in the music thing, from the second she first noticed the jukebox playing to then when I first played a record, she just comes up and goes up, up, up, and just wants me to hold her up and let her look. Then once I let her touch it, now it's up and then, yeah, I want to touch, you know, but like,

[Rosenberg]

but music's a big part of your house, man.

[Ebro]

Yeah, no, it is. So maybe this will actually be a thing for her. Like I'm being silly, but. But who knows?

[Laura]

Just keep having fun with it. Yeah, yeah, that's it.

[Ebro]

Maybe she'll be the DJ always.

[Rosenberg]

Kenza's gonna be collecting toys and sneakers and going to Japan.

[Laura]

You know what Kenza's doing now? It's really cute. Her cousin Waffle, who lives in Palm Springs, so they. They do a lot of stuff online. So she's. She's been taking drawing classes. It's cute. Little Santoro drawing classes. She sits there for 30 minutes. It's. It's a really cute teacher that does a phenomenal job.

[Ebro]

And she can concentrate online.

[Guest]

Yeah. And they.

[Laura]

And they follow instructions, and she's drawing these little characters. Super into it.

[Francisco]

Yeah.

[Laura]

So she likes Waffle doing it too, huh?

[Ebro]

Oh, they're in the same class.

[Laura]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's virtual, you know, but it's cute drawing right now. So that's her thing.

[Ebro]

No, no. Death or murder.

[Laura]

Sometimes there is some. But, you know, she's mixing it up right now.

[Rosenberg]

She's drawing the characters, so then she could draw the scene where they get killed.

[Ebro]

She definitely set up to get them murked.

[Laura]

She definitely added some flames the other day.

[Ebro]

Oh, yeah, Some flames burning.

[Rosenberg]

Hell, you bas. Bastard.

[Ebro]

Murder. Murder, Murder. Kill, kill, kill.

[Rosenberg]

Yo, Killer Kens. Killer Ken. Anyway, yo, man, I spent family Friday, bro. That was a good one, man.

[Ebro]

Have a good weekend, guys.

[Laura]

Love you guys. Subscribe. Hit that, like, button, please.

[Ebro]

Yeah, we got it. We. We still have, like, a few days to get to 100,000.

[Rosenberg]

Are we up at all?

[Ebro]

I mean, we're up from where? You know, every day we're up, every day's up. Is it up enough?

[Rosenberg]

Are we. Now the real question is, we can hold this for next week's Patreon. Are we, as a team doing enough? Are we doing the right thing?

[Ebro]

Are we doing the right. I think the best question is, yeah, enough. And also, it's not always smarter. It's always harder.

[Rosenberg]

Sometimes a great time to evaluate. We are seven months into. Into the deal. Yeah, it's a great time to look back. What worked, what hasn't worked.

[Ebro]

Yeah.

[Rosenberg]

What do people like? What do they respond to?

[Ebro]

True.

[Narrator]

Yeah.

[Laura]

We want the feedback, so give it to us.

[Ebro]

All right. Next week. It's a good topic.

[Rosenberg]

And then there's just people who don't even know where we are that.

[Ebro]

Well, that. Then that's. And that's. How do you solve that? What's the best, most effective way to solving that? Right, but today's topic, self destruction.

[Rosenberg]

And it really isn't the rap audiences bugging.

[Ebro]

No, it's one or two. One or two suckers, in my opinion,

[Rosenberg]

Just don't call it a podcast.