61.) J. Cole Speaks + Akademiks Responds To Ebro (3/23/26)

Summary

The Ebro, Laura & Rosenberg Show

Episode 61: “J. Cole Speaks + Akademiks Responds To Ebro”
Date: March 23, 2026
Hosts: Ebro Darden, Laura Stylez, Peter Rosenberg

Episode Overview

This wide-ranging episode blends signature commentary on hip hop culture, politics, and the media, with playful banter and deeper perspectives on recent social issues. The hosts examine trending debates in their media circles, public feuds, the complexities of property theft in New York, and major moments in music, highlighted by fresh insight from J. Cole’s interview about his recent album and the Kendrick-Drake beef. The show weaves between laughter, insider media critiques, and serious reflections on justice, activism, and the responsibilities of artists.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Akademiks’ Challenge & Hip-Hop Media Feuds

(01:41–10:27)

• Akademiks vs. Ebro Debate:
  • Akademiks responded to prior comments from Ebro and issued a public debate challenge. The co-hosts question what the subject of such a debate would be, suggesting it might be mere promo rather than substantive disagreement.
    • “What would I be debating academics about?” (Laura, 04:36)
    • “It was more like an intervention. It wasn’t a debate.” (Ebro, 03:47)
  • The hosts discuss the performative aspect of such online callouts and promotional stunts.
  • DJ Vlad & Adam 22: Vlad allegedly wants to box Ebro, described as more promo-fueled antics.
  • Pete Rock & Hot 97 friction:
    • Discussion dives into Pete Rock’s critical comments against the show, accusing the hosts of “ruining radio” and not supporting real music.
    • The hosts defend their legacy of supporting legendary artists and New York hip-hop, emphasizing the business realities of mainstream radio.
    • Quote: "A legend who we love, who shakes our hand and hugs us, and then jumps in the comments and leaves paragraphs on how much he hates us is worth note on our radio program." (Ebro, 08:27)
    • Laura notes the generational communication gap, suggesting some older heads are just “kooky” (09:00).

---

2. New Show Features & Listener Engagement

(11:21–14:44)

• The team discusses forthcoming tech improvements—most notably, a call-in phone line for the podcast’s YouTube iteration, and their experiences with “contest pigs” (habitual prize callers on radio).
• Contests & Hustles: Humorous exchange on how “prize hustlers” treat contests as a livelihood.
  • Quote: “Winning contests, couponing, buying and reselling. Those are all the same people. They’re hustlers... probably clear like $3,500 a month, bro.” (Laura, 14:06)
• Banter ensues when Rosenberg mishears “juice” as “Jews,” leading to tongue-in-cheek references and segue into the next segment.

---

3. NYC “Deed Theft” & Real Estate Exploitation

(15:19–22:38)

• The hosts address recent viral reports about deed theft in New York, especially affecting elderly Black and Latino homeowners. They share a powerful clip (Jennifer Kings, 17:40) exposing the multi-step scam:
  • Fake health aides gather personal info.
  • Hospital admissions are used to trigger home thefts.
  • Corrupt notaries and shell companies flip properties to gentrifiers.
  • Victims are left with no legal recourse; police won’t record it as a crime.
    • Quote: “You cannot even call police to report deed theft as a crime. These families lost everything while their loved ones fought for their lives in hospital beds.” (Jennifer Kings, 18:44)
• The hosts note the antisemitic turn in some online commentary, clarifying the problem is systemic, not attributable to ethnicity or religion.
• Squatters’ rights: Discussion expands to related stories of homeowners being unable to reclaim houses from squatters.

---

4. Larger Political Landscape: ICE at Airports & Policy Gridlock

(24:34–29:38)

• ICE officers at TSA lines:
  • Worry over green card holders and naturalized citizens being mistreated at airports under new policies blurring immigration enforcement and airport security.
  • Ebro and Laura argue the disruption is a politically staged crisis, blaming Republican refusal to separate ICE and TSA funding.
    • Quote: “This could have all been avoided... if we didn’t vote the country to vote for Trump.” (Ebro, 28:46)
• Disempowered public response:
  • The hosts bemoan how misinformation, apathy, and performative both-sides-ism have eroded civic engagement.
    • “Do you pay taxes? If you pay taxes, you can’t say you’re not involved.” (Ebro, 30:15)
    • Laura passionately defends voting and local engagement, critiquing the “voting doesn’t matter” stance.

---

5. Global & Domestic Injustice: Gaza, Media Blackouts, and U.S. Accountability

(34:00–43:28)

• Wars abroad & government deception:
  • The show draws parallels between property theft, “rules” of society, and global lawlessness—pointing at Netanyahu, Trump, and U.S. complicity in violence abroad.
  • Rosenberg shares a personal story of an American unable to get State Department assistance to escape violence overseas, exposing the limits of U.S. protection.
  • Hiding military casualties: Viral commentary notes the U.S. military’s move to ban media from filming returning coffins, framing it as an attempt to hide true costs of war.
    • “We are at that stage, everybody, where the United States of America is going to hide how many soldiers are dying in a war for another country.” (King Trev, 39:53)
  • FCC threats to media over “improper” coverage are mentioned, with hosts tying this to a playbook of distraction and authoritarian creep.
    • “Just do so much stuff at one time that we’re all dizzy.” (Ebro, 43:52)
  • Confusion over “Project 2025,” with Ebro unfamiliar with the right-wing planning document.

---

6. J. Cole Speaks—First Interview Since Album Drop

(46:03–52:44)

• Interview with Nadeska (Apple Music):
  • The co-hosts highlight Nadeska’s interview with J. Cole at his childhood home, delving into his remorse and soul-searching following his involvement in the recent Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar beef.
    • Quote: “I felt like I misrepresented myself. … I felt miserable about it. My whole demeanor, my whole—my wife could tell.” (J. Cole, 48:11)
  • The hosts commend Cole’s maturity in stepping away from negativity and refusing to escalate the conflict—a move they wish more fans, and artists, understood.
    • “If you’re the kind of person who really dislikes J. Cole because he decided to do what was right by him and man up and get out of it, you’re childish, bro.” (Ebro, 50:15)
  • They explore the gap between hip hop as authentic expression and its consumption as entertainment, where empathy for artists is often lacking.

---

7. Hip Hop News: Lotto’s Pregnancy & Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium Shows

(53:21–59:59)

• Lotto’s Announcement: She’s pregnant and has a new album on the way; speculation about the child’s father (21 Savage).
• Jay-Z at Yankee Stadium:
  • The show dives into the excitement about Jay’s special events featuring full-album performances of “Reasonable Doubt” and “Blueprint,” the logistics and festival-style rollout.
  • Playful debates about attending both shows, tickets, suites vs. GA, and previous snubs by Roc Nation provide levity.
  • Questions arise about whether Jay-Z is done making new music or poised for a new creative phase, with the hosts advocating for art-driven releases:
    • “When rap artists can stop thinking about domination and get to a place of comfort, of just art … that’s the next place for people to go to.” (Ebro, 59:43)

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8. Celebrating DJ Premier’s 60th & Hip-Hop Legacy

(62:22–65:52)

• DJ Premier turns 60: Showers of praise for Primo and a correction on Guru’s family history.
• Top Hip Hop Producers: Pete Rock, Dilla, and others mentioned; playful rivalry talk and reminiscence about personal connections to the culture.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Everything's a promo." - Laura, on the endless cycle of hip-hop beefs & stunts. (04:36)
• “Winning contests, couponing, reselling... They’re hustlers.” - Laura, on prize hustlers. (14:06)
• "You cannot even call police to report deed theft as a crime." – Jennifer Kings, activist video on Brooklyn home thefts. (18:44)
• “Do you pay taxes? If you pay taxes, you can’t say you’re not involved.” – Ebro, on civic responsibility. (30:15)
• “If you’re the kind of person who dislikes J. Cole because he manned up and got out of it, you’re childish, bro.” – Ebro, on maturity in hip hop. (50:15)
• “You’re keeping score of a game I don’t even play.” (Ebro quoting a Fonte lyric, reinforcing authenticity over metrics. 65:46)

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Timestamps to Key Segments

• Akademiks challenges Ebro: 02:35 – 05:09
• Pete Rock & “ruined radio” debate: 05:39 – 10:27
• NYC “deed theft” explainer: 15:19 – 18:44
• Global war, media, and U.S. military casualties: 34:00 – 43:46
• J. Cole speaks (Nadeska Interview): 46:03 – 52:44
• Jay-Z’s Yankee Stadium & hip-hop news: 53:21 – 62:07
• Top producers & DJ Premier's birthday: 62:22 – 65:52

---

Final Thoughts

The episode masterfully balances pop culture news, music debate, insider industry drama, and serious social critique—demonstrating why Ebro, Laura, and Rosenberg remain central to hip-hop’s evolving conversation. Their blend of authenticity, humor, insider access, and sober analysis makes the show essential listening for anyone who cares about the intersection of music, media, and society.

Transcript

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Ebro Darden]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Laura Rosenberg]

Action Simon Williams audition for Wonder Man. I'm gonna need you to sign this.

[Ebro Darden]

Assuming you don't have superpowers.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'll never work again if anyone found out.

[Ebro Darden]

My lips are sealed. Marvel Television's Wonder Man. All eight episodes now streaming only on Disney.

[Depop Advertiser]

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[Ebro Darden]

Hey, still got my hoodie?

[Depop Advertiser]

Nope. But I've got tonight's dinner paid for. Start selling on Depop. Where taste recognizes taste list. Now with no selling fees, payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Just don't call it a podcast. The Ebro Laura Rosenberg show. Okay, Okay. We're kind of red day on a Monday.

[Ebro Darden]

Let the record show Bascom was going. Are y' all ready for at least the last three or four minutes though?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And is he ready?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

He was.

[Ebro Darden]

For us to broadcast, yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay, but is he ready?

[Ebro Darden]

You mean is the.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Nah, it's all good. We here, man. It's a little rainy in our situation over here in the tri state, but we hanging out, man. It's Hebro Lauren Rosenberg. Make sure you hit the like button and you subscribe and you do all of the algorithm things to get us popping Lou's favorite king Lou seeing results from that hype button. Right, Lou? He gave us a thumbs up. I did not expect a thumbs up on the.

[Ebro Darden]

I thought. You thought it's sarcastic.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, I thought he was gonna give us a sarcastic and then hit you with the what's your favorite? Oh,

[Ebro Darden]

nah, listen, Ebro. Listen, regardless of the hype button, the fact of the matter is, you know, if you look around the world, last week we were hot.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Last week we were talk to us people.

[Ebro Darden]

People wanted to chat. Everyone, everyone needed to get in on the Rosenberg New York conversation.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

That's your fault.

[Ebro Darden]

Hey, you mean Mike. You mean Rosenberg. I give you credit. Thank you, Laura. I take it number two, Ebro. Ebro, having a big back and forth academics has challenged him to a. I don't know if you've seen this.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I didn't even wait a Minute. When did this come out?

[Ebro Darden]

Like, there's a couple days after you said you felt sorry for him, and he was. And he was depressed and alcoholic.

[Laura Rosenberg]

All right.

[Ebro Darden]

A video came out from that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Ebro Darden]

Of him watching. You didn't see this?

[Laura Rosenberg]

I saw him watching our video while mixing a drink. While.

[Ebro Darden]

You saw that, right? He's stirring a drink.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I missed the debate part of it. I didn't see.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't watch it, but I saw the headline said, academics challenges Ebro to a debate on any topic. I don't know how we landed there.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I think because somebody sent it to me, and I think that he wanted you to go to his studio.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. He didn't want to come to our bummy studio, though. But he. I don't know why Debate. Because, like, it wasn't really a debate issue.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What are we debating?

[Ebro Darden]

It was more like an intervention. It wasn't a debate, but he landed on debate. So I don't know what you're supposed to debate, but if you're interested.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I don't know. I'd love to hear more. I don't.

[Ebro Darden]

I also.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I want. I want to make sure I prepare for said debate.

[Ebro Darden]

Someone also sent me a clip this weekend, too, where DJ Vlad apparently was having a conversation with Adam 22.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. About white guys and.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, it was the. It was the Culture Vulture Summit. I don't know. And Culture Vulture Summit and Vlad as well. And Vlad also said he wanted to fight. He wanted to box me. Wanted to put on gloves and. And bite and. And box.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

So.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wait, wait. What's wrong with you? No, no, no, no, no, no. Wait, wait.

[Ebro Darden]

That's what I heard. I didn't.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So this. This goes right into my. My. Everything's a promo.

[Ebro Darden]

Everything.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Everything's a promo. This falls right into it. Like, why would. What would I be debating academics about?

[Ebro Darden]

I don't. I don't even know. I don't know what the issue is.

[Laura Rosenberg]

The debate is what's the combo? What's the conflict? What are we disagreeing on?

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. What are we going to solve through an argument? Like a discussion?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo, A. If you're watching this, please articulate. What are we disagreeing on? What are we going to debate? What are the terms of said debate? And because this is clearly promo, maybe it's a shared platform thing.

[Ebro Darden]

Shared platform.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. Maybe there's a way for us.

[Ebro Darden]

So you could be open to it. You could be open to it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, I. But, you know, I. I guess I don't know what's in it for our platform. I Don't think our audience is big. Academics, fans.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And vice versa.

[Ebro Darden]

And I don't think we're getting a lot of people from his crowd.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, I don't think he's interested in our content or who we are or how I look or what hip hop I like. Really? Nothing?

[Ebro Darden]

No, I. I agree with you, but

[Laura Rosenberg]

I do appreciate the promo act.

[Ebro Darden]

No, so I'm just saying last week was a good. Like, we were out. I'm saying a lot of people. A lot of people have a lot to say about the program. Flex got into my thing.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So I saw Flex and Pete Rock and Pete and Flex like, yo, Pete. And going at Pete and talking about how we supported Pete Rock, and he was on our show.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, he was right. Flex was very right. And everything he said to Pete, Rock, Pete, Pete. Listen, I will always wish Pete well, and I will always consider him one of the greatest producers who ever lived. I will celebrate his music till I'm no longer on this earth. I don't care what the man says or does.

[Guest or occasional contributor]

All right?

[Ebro Darden]

I love his music. His attacking of us is among the craziest things so I've ever experienced. Like, I'm saying, literally crazy.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I read what I was taken back when I started seeing him in the comments. I was like, pete, but we just had you in the studio promoting your album, Laura.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He was in that studio laughing and smiling. I brought him Ebro.

[Ebro Darden]

Had him at Apple.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Ebro Darden]

Siphon. I had the one up live with him in common at S.O.B.

[Laura Rosenberg]

all right, the line. He's got a line, guys.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

You don't. Laura, Laura, hold on.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You're not from New York. Laura.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Not from New York. But you remember us kind of even getting in trouble because they were like, yo, you. Not prime time.

[Ebro Darden]

What about Pete?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, and we wanted to air it prime time.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

We would play songs.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. We were playing the record all the time.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Played the daylight, Played him in common all day in the morning. Like, all day in the morning.

[Ebro Darden]

And his thing is. Pete Rock's thing is that he said in no uncertain term. And Scythe hit me like, yo, bro, this debate was. Has been fun. It's fun and not that deep. And then he showed up with the all caps, aggressive. And I'm like, pete, are you sure?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Are you sure he's being aggressive or he just writes in all caps? Because I'm not quite sure all the time with older heads and people who don't.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, this. All I know is. All I know is it was all about how we ruined radio. We don't support good music. We play the bullish. We ruined Hot 97. The station is better now that we're gone. Okay, bro, first of all, our show, we support every project and we talk about one thing people don't appreciate. We on a morning show which is very mainstream, like, you're catching a drive to work kind of audience. We were just talking about the legends casually all the time. They were in our world all the time. Talked on great beats. But. But I specifically have paid. Played every Pete project, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Rosenberg, stop. I mean, here we are. We're on week two. Now, what I've done and I did.

[Ebro Darden]

No, it's not about that. It's not about that.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

It's just.

[Ebro Darden]

What's wrong with you? No, I'm not. I'm not. Yo, I got to say this. This one thing I went along with, the whole game of. It was a good play on the validate me thing. I really. Just so everyone knows, last week did not upset me. I promise I'll let you all know if I'm actually upset.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I.

[Ebro Darden]

That debate is an interesting.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's not upset. I'm not.

[Ebro Darden]

But I don't even. I slept great. I did not feel I needed the validation.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Still talking about. No.

[Ebro Darden]

A legend who we love, who shakes our hand and hugs us and then jumps in the comments and leaves paragraphs on how much he hates us is worth note on our radio program.

[Laura Rosenberg]

We're not on the radio.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I was a little sad, Rosenberg.

[Ebro Darden]

On our podcast program.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yes, on the podcast. But I was a little sad, too. When I said I was like, Pete.

[Ebro Darden]

It's Pete Rock.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I couldn't believe it, too. But you know what? Now you know.

[Ebro Darden]

That's how you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I wasn't sad. I thought. I thought Pete was kooky for a long time. And so I saw what he said in the Saigon Post.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I was like. And I've seen him say this before, but he still came and supported my show. So you know what? I responded and said, thanks for supporting my show.

[Ebro Darden]

Right. Sure. That's nice. It's really you supporting him, but sure.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, but he doesn't have to come.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, but he's promoting an album and there's other.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I mean, maybe there's other things that are better. Maybe there's more New Yorky programs.

[Ebro Darden]

There are. But guess what? I mean, if you want to get super in the weeds. But Chris Atlas and Yvette were managing that project and smartly brought him to our shows.

[Commercial Announcer]

So good friends.

[Ebro Darden]

And he was good friends of ours

[Laura Rosenberg]

and enjoyed it totally.

[Ebro Darden]

But that's weird. That's. That's just really.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's why I went with kooky. It's all cookie.

[Ebro Darden]

No, no, it's cookie. It's kooky. That's a great word choice on this. It's kooky.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Like, I don't understand what are we doing? Like, and I can understand you being passionate about New York, and I can understand you thinking.

[Ebro Darden]

I mean, but you already saw Flex' comment, though. You're from Mount Vernon. You're not even from New York.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You're from upstate. No, but it's all ridiculous. And it's also like, another thing where Pete. Pete and others like him think that the music that's being played on mainstream radio. Right. Is not popular or something like that. They're in the business of just, like, playing records to be, like, as true to the culture, as poppy as possible. It's not what happens on morning radio, by the way. By the way. By the way. On any station. And by. And there's also, for all you, you know, keeping it real. New York cats, there's more than one New York radio station.

[Ebro Darden]

That's right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So what's the other one playing that's so different?

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, no, it's much more mainstream. There's. They're not throwing in the random Pete Rock records that we would throw in facts.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So I. So. And then you would say, well, they're not hot 97. There's no expectation. Right, okay, fine. But it's hot 97's in business to play, was popular.

[Ebro Darden]

But the.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And I. And I asked.

[Ebro Darden]

Pete knows better, though, keeping the music for 35 years. No, no, he knows how radio works.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, he's been producing records. He hasn't been in media, though. And, And. And Pete and the rest of y', all let me know how your listening experience changes. Keep us updated since you're so passionate about it.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, we'd like to.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I would love to hear how much New York music they're playing all day, every day. And, oh, the other caveat you guys like to put in there.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, yeah, because they're said, it's gonna be better now.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's gonna be better.

[Ebro Darden]

So now that it's be. Let us know if the music changes. That's great. It's a great point, but I'd love

[Laura Rosenberg]

to hear about it now. Laura, you got a big rundown. Yes, yes, we're gonna get to that. Anything in the super chat, Pete, let us know as we roll. Griff, are we gonna have. I think this would be. We've got plans. 2.1 ish. Where are we in the. We Got plans.

[Ebro Darden]

I. I don't know.

[Laura Rosenberg]

At 1.5 we have a phone number.

[Ebro Darden]

Yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How far away are we from the phone number? The company.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Okay.

[Ebro Darden]

That we bought it from.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

They like holding it hostage. So I'm going back and forth.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What do you mean? We bought something that we can't have? I don't understand what you're saying.

[Ebro Darden]

They're trying to get, get like our business name and everything.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Right.

[Ebro Darden]

So they won't fully release it.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Okay. Okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What sort of company is this? Something you just found on the Internet.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

All right, all right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay. So we, we working on it. We have a phone number, but you say we're a week away, two weeks away, a month away.

[Ebro Darden]

I was on the phone with them on Friday, so hopefully I solve it today.

[Laura Rosenberg]

All right, we have a solve today. The technology exists in the building.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, we have.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You mean technology is here for us to have phones.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So we could have phones where you guys could call us as well as chat within a week.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm excited about that. I will say that the phone element will be a new. Because if we're being truthful, we barely even utilized phones like in the recent iteration of the show. We would do phone topics here and there. But like you. I don't know, it's gonna be fun in this setting to have phone calls

[Laura Rosenberg]

out, you know, I mean. Yeah, I mean, you know, it'll be interesting to see how we sift through. How we sift through trolls and that whole thing, you know, because it's YouTube now, so you throw up a phone number, it's who knows what we're getting.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, but you're also removing some of the contest pigs. Laura's favorite term.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. I never understood why you disrespected people who wanted to win a contest.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Because it's annoying. The professionals who have like 10 lines at home and are constantly trying to

[Ebro Darden]

win and they get through and they said, you can clearly tell they're a 75 year old white man who never listened to his music.

[Laura Rosenberg]

They probably also participate in Nielsen ratings too.

[Ebro Darden]

Probably.

[Laura Rosenberg]

For those of you out there disrespecting your people who win prizes, people who like to win stuff, are the ones who really drive radio listening.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I get it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

As far as radio, even the other

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

ones who are actually dialing the number.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. They're regular people who try to win, sure.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But they're just likely, you know, not participating in Nielsen is all I'm saying.

[Ebro Darden]

We don't know. I just know that the. I used to try to get Win radio contests. It's hard. It was hard to get through back in the day. You're a prize.

[Laura Rosenberg]

She called.

[Ebro Darden]

You know, that's not. That's not saying I was a listener who would try to win the contest.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

That's who I'm fighting. They.

[Ebro Darden]

The people Laura and I are talking about, they literally time their life. No, but they don't know. But they time their life around. They're on. They're on Z100. They're on Power. They're on hot. They're timing and trying to win every.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

It's like a job, especially if it's a cash prize. That's when. That's.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, they go crazy. Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, no, no. Winning contests and like, going to casinos, figuring out how to win things, couponing things, playing radio contests. They could probably. And then winning things. Reselling, buying and reselling. Buying tickets, reselling. Those are all the same people. They're hustlers. Yeah, bro. They could probably clear, like, three grand. $3,500 a month, bro. Just at the crib, hustling phone.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Playing contests, whatever.

[Ebro Darden]

It seems like a lot of work. The deal doesn't seem as worth.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Is not worth the squeeze.

[Ebro Darden]

Sorry?

[Laura Rosenberg]

The juice. Oh, it's not worth the squeeze?

[Ebro Darden]

Not at all. What did you say? Well, no, because we're doing this whole thing about.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

He said the Jew.

[Ebro Darden]

Because he's talking about this contest of people being cheap and reselling. Well, the Jews. And I was like, here we go.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wait, Contest.

[Ebro Darden]

The juice. You said the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. You're sensitive about the Jews right now.

[Ebro Darden]

Welcome to the show. Welcome to Ibro or Roseman. No, it was a joke. But I don't think the Jews are worth the squeeze either. It seems like a lot of work, and you can only win at a place once a month, so they got to keep rotating around. So if you have a good month, by week three, you're down on stations. I don't even know if they have contests. How far down the dial you're going. You're trying to win on npr. I don't know what they give away.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, speaking of the Jews.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, all right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Can we look up. Can we bring up clip 7?

[Ebro Darden]

I don't like this.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Start the deed crisis in New York.

[Ebro Darden]

Why is this Jews?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Because all the comments on these things are, it's all the Jews.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, oh, that. They're saying it's all the Jews getting the deed. Are they correct or No, I don't know.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I think a lot of the reports have shown that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Guys, guys. They're bad people. It's not because they're Jewish. No, they happen to be Jewish. And you're in New York City, where there's a lot of Jewish people in real estate. It.

[Ebro Darden]

That. That is a fact. Let's see the video. What do you got?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

This really boils my blood. Okay, I'll show you.

[Activist or Reporter]

Wow. You are arresting this homeowner on Eid, of all days?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I can't do this, guys. Can I step off the property, please?

[Activist or Reporter]

While the world is distracted with the egregious war crimes being carried out by the United States and Israel, they're annexing Palestine. Well, they're doing the same exact thing here in New York City. The NYPD has just showed up to a property owner's home. An elderly woman who has been in her home for over 20 years. Multiple NYPD cars here, multiple NYPD officers. They are suiting up in riot gear to carry out an illegal eviction. They are in riot gear to carry out an illegal eviction against an elderly woman and her family. And they're threatening arrest for everyone inside.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, my God.

[Activist or Reporter]

Here in Queens, New York. They are annexing New York City as we speak under Zionist billionaire real estate heiress Jessica Tess. And this is the true purpose of the nypd.

[Ebro Darden]

All right, well, I need. I'm gonna need a little more info than that video gave.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

So I'll tell you this because I've been paying attention to this, because this is happening heavy in Brooklyn, too, and they target Latino and black folks. That's what I've seen. I've seen people who are, like, grassroots activists talking about this. Just. I want you to look up deed theft.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, no, I know what it is. It's bad.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So I want to shout out that woman, Jennifer Kings. Go to number 26. Now, here's a better explanation. That was what was happening this week.

[Ebro Darden]

Shout out to you, Jennifer, but give us more information.

[Jennifer Kings]

Did you know that 47 homes worth $34 million were stolen from elderly black families on just one street in Brooklyn last year? Welcome to Eastern Parkway in Crown Heights, where criminals turned six blocks into the most dangerous place in America to own a home. Here's how the scam works. Fake health aides befriend elderly homeowners visiting daily and collecting personal information. Meanwhile, Scouts monitor Kings county hospital records, waiting for medical emergencies. The moment Grandma goes to the hospital, three office buildings between Bedford and Utica Avenue spring into action. Corrupt inspectors create fake violations Phony social workers pressure families to sign papers, all using the same crooked notary with identical forged signatures. Within days, shell companies flip these stolen homes to luxury developers for millions. They call it the Eastern Parkway pipeline. A complete theft to gentrification machine targeting the most vulnerable. The worst part, you cannot even call police to report deed theft as a crime. These families lost everything while their loved ones fought for their lives in hospital beds.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So there have been. I've heard there have been some arrests and I guess there's something in the real estate laws of. I don't know if it's the city or the state. When you get these like violations on your home, this hasn't been kept up. You get this sort of thing that needs to be fixed in this needs to be fixed, et cetera, et cetera. That piles up and there's something. There's a loophole for them to be able to take ownership of your property. But yeah, if you look in the comments of these things, obviously people want to go full anti Jew, anti Semitic in the comments because a lot of the people who are running these scams on these older people are Jewish.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, the first video we showed was the woman just saying this is just Zionist. She got into no information. And by the way, chat, I'm angered by deed theft. It's real and disgusting. I'm just saying in the first video, she just goes, this is a Zionist plan. She didn't give any information that I thought she was gonna say. No, it's literally tied to something Israel related. It sounds like she's saying it was just tied to Jessica Tisch, who is also a rich Zionist.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's right.

[Ebro Darden]

But this is evil. It's so I do not like. And there's. So is there no way to fight back against this at all?

[Laura Rosenberg]

People are fighting back, but some of this stuff is already. It's done. It's said and done. It's gone. These people.

[Ebro Darden]

But it's done with fake paperwork still

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

happening, by the way it as we speak, it's happening.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Laura Rosenberg]

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[Ebro Darden]

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[Ebro Darden]

I'm wide awake.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Try it today at Starbucks.

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[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, and so look, if you're in the chat and you know about this, if you live over in Brooklyn or any neighborhood where this is happening, we love to hear more about it. But I do think some laws need to be passed. It sounds like people are really ramping up on it. But as of yet, you have elderly black and brown families losing property because of whatever these legal loopholes are that are being used.

[Ebro Darden]

I thought the first that. That seems even more complex a scheme than the first things we heard about.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah, because I've heard that people, I guess you can find deeds online and they just forge signatures.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Or they come in.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Some of those people have been arrested for that.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Ebro Darden]

This is more comp.

[Laura Rosenberg]

This but like this is mo. This is definitely.

[Ebro Darden]

Listen, this is done by a super big company.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Like no, it doesn't have to be super big. If you work in a hospital or you have a. You're a notary public, you know, people who have that little stamp to sign your thing and somebody's going to slip you a hundred dollars here, a couple of hundred dollars there. Hey, if you notice this person comes in, people are doing things for that. You know, you get somebody killed out here for fifteen hundred dollars. If you find the right person. It's not like. You know what I'm saying. So to pay people who have access to things a couple hundred dollars, thousand dollars, whatever to get info and run a scheme. It's not tough, but.

[Ebro Darden]

But like I'm just. It does require like a bunch of different people. Like they said, you have to have a nurse who's going there every single day and they're reporting information and then you have to have the people.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

There's levels to it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

This is sad, bro.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

It's so bad with that and the whole squatters rights. The whole squatters rights thing is insane too. I saw a video, went on vacation, she went away for the summer, came back. There's people living in her home. They, I guess, you know, found a way to get a bill sent to that home with their name. And when she came back, she could not get them out. Police arrested her because they got a

[Ebro Darden]

bill sent to a house that wasn't there. They ran the squatters rights scam.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

We've been living here. This is our home. Yeah, bro, it's wild.

[Ebro Darden]

I don't understand how people could be this evil. I just don't understand.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I hope the city.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Congratulations, you played yourself. People have no shame, Bro, if we're watching, bro, if we're watching what Netanyahu and Trump are doing, this is small, this is peanuts. It's terrible, it's evil. We're watching people get murdered, bro. We watched Gaza. We watched children get murdered. Our country killed little girls out of school because they used old technology, lied about it, and are still trying to sweep it under the rug.

[Ebro Darden]

And then when it's all said and done, and I saw someone speaking about this online, and I thought it was a really great point, they not only did it, lied about it, et cetera, it then just gets tossed out the window. As a footnote, like things happen in war. If, God forbid, that happened here, 150 schoolgirls killed in one moment, it would be like 9, 11. Our whole country. And it should be as it should be. Our whole country would stop. Yes. However, when it's in another country with brown little girls that we don't know and haven't seen, it's just war happens.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Brown little girls don't matter here either. Look at Uvalde.

[Ebro Darden]

True.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Look at how many children were murdered and nobody cared. After a while, oh, well, the officers are free. Nobody, nobody has been held accountable. I think they're going after a teacher, blaming her for leaving, like a door open or something. I don't know where we're at, but last time I saw they were blaming a teacher, it's.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And that was the mass shooting, if you forgot. There's so many things going on.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

All right, guys, I just want to remind you guys that as of today, Monday, ICE is supposed to start entering to help, quote, unquote, help TSA workers.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, yeah, that's right. I got, by the way, finally, America's getting great again. I knew it. ICE workers at the airport. What could go wrong?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Congratulations.

[Ebro Darden]

No, listen, it's going to go great. It's going to go so good. I know, me, personally, I wouldn't be triggered if I was at the airport dealing with an Annoying security situation and some ICE officer started interacting with me. I know I personally wouldn't maybe lose it and get dragged out of the airport. I'm sure this is going to go really well.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

And I'm also worried about, you know, my green card holder friends or friends who have been naturalized, you know, because even though they've been doing everything right, I could easily see those.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, no big detainment.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Being like, ah, green card what? Green card action. This will help us meet our quota.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Now, Rosenberg, you were just in the airport over the weekend.

[Ebro Darden]

I was. I was in Newark. And I was in Orlando.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How'd it go?

[Ebro Darden]

It went fine. I took the last flight out of Newark on Thursday. It was empty. Besides one. You know what? Every once in a while, you're watching your bags go through the conveyor belt, not the bags you're bringing with you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. The security line.

[Ebro Darden]

Security line. And you're watching the bag to see when it gets to that point, is it going to go the wrong way or keep going straight. I had one of those people. I got there as my flight was boarding, and each bag, she was like, oh, God.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Doing. You mean doing her job.

[Ebro Darden]

But like, fam. We're. This is. We're going really far right now. Each bag took so long anyways. It was fine. And then on the way back, Orlando was a little crazy. Orlando, you could see the effects of what's going on. But it was the first time since I've had it and I've talked mad ish about Clear that I think Clear is such, like, a flawed, dumb plan. Clear jumped me past. Honey, everything Clear comes through. Sometimes it can be awesome.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It could be whack.

[Ebro Darden]

It can be.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But TSA Precheck can too, now.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, right, right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So if you have both.

[Ebro Darden]

No, it just feels crazy to me that the only system they have basically to, like, make things faster if you're willing to pay the money is the same as jump the line at the amusement park.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

That's crazy to me. All they have is we walk you in front of everybody else. You're like, sorry, I'm rich. Like, that's crazy.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I paid my 150.

[Ebro Darden]

I paid my money. Or in my case, my Amex included with my Amex. Thank you. Like, they don't have a separate. They couldn't just do another lane for Clear to make it not feel.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Depends on how much space they got. Sometimes it's a space issue.

[Ebro Darden]

It's disrespectful when you just cut in front of everybody. But guess what? It Saved the day. I'd say the pre check line was like, looks like 30, 40 minutes. And the regular line looked like.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But now you said that you feel like this whole Trump. I said airports. You're like, you're convinced that this is a game against the Democrats to force

[Ebro Darden]

them to sign that and a distraction. It's twofold. It's number one. They have it all wrapped up in one. As we talked about. DHS and TSA are all together when they don't need to be. The Democrats have offered like, seven different versions of like, hey, let's separate out the TSA and get that done.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Republicans don't want to do that.

[Ebro Darden]

They don't want to do that because they want to always do what they do. And people believe it. They will just say, yo, yesterday the New York Post lines crazy among Dem stoppage. It's not a Dem stoppage. The Democrats simply don't want ICE agents to wear masks. That's it.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

To be better trained to wear body cameras.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, you mean operate like other law enforcement?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Have real warrants to enter people's private property. That's what they want.

[Ebro Darden]

They want people to follow the rules. And it's all tied in there with our TSA workers stuff. So as a result, now we don't have enough TSA people. They're blaming the Dems and in a genius move, because, man, they. They know how to. Their evil moves are incredible. Now bring the ICE agents to the airport and have them involved because, congratulations, you played yourself.

[Laura Rosenberg]

This could have all been avoided. I just want to remind everybody all of this could have been avoided.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, if we didn't vote the country to vote for Trump.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, all of it. None of this would be going on right now. Oh, and also how your gas prices look are. You have your grocery prices dropped,

[Ebro Darden]

you making more money.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And I. And by the way, And I. You guys hate when I do it. You guys hate when I do it.

[Ebro Darden]

Don't say, I'm gonna be all right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I told you I was gonna be all right.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

My God. Nobody wants to hear that, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I know they don't, but I'm just letting you know I'm not telling you things because it benefits me.

[Ebro Darden]

Right. No, I know, I know.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'm trying to help you, but you would rather listen to the marketing from billionaires. You would rather listen to people who don't live in cities like you. You would rather listen to people who are taking money on the low. You know what I mean? Who. All of the, you know, two sides are the same people Are both sides the same?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I hate when people say that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Literally what you're looking at right now. Yes. Are. Are there things about Democrats you could dislike and are there things about. Things about Republicans you could dislike? Whatever side you're on, yes, you can pick it. But if you're just looking at it, would a Democrat president be allowing what is happening right now?

[Ebro Darden]

It's a great and very interesting argument. The people who fundamentally don't believe in voting goes against their. Like, they don't want to sign up for anything. Now, Ebro's response to that has always been strong, which is, do you pay taxes? Because if you pay taxes, you can't say you're not involved.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You're already involved.

[Ebro Darden]

You're in. You're in. In the worst place. You're taking your money, you're paying them, you're paying for it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yes.

[Ebro Darden]

So the question is, since you're already paying for it, because if you're living between. So, Ebro, you would. You could show. So are you saying you would have more respect for someone who says, I literally make cash only. I don't pay taxes, I don't live in the margins. I'm hustling the government altogether.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay, cool.

[Ebro Darden]

That you could respect.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Absolutely.

[Ebro Darden]

I don't vote. I don't do any of it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Now, if your kids go to school,

[Ebro Darden]

well, now you got problems.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You got problems. If your grandmother needs support, now you got problems. Go to the pharmacy. You should probably want to participate.

[Ebro Darden]

So. So I don't know, the, the cipher sounds of the world, the Shawnee cultures of the world, These are just people that are in our universe, but many others who just simply believe that, like voting, the whole thing is a charade. So they don't vote.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And there's. And by the way, I don't disagree with some of that. Right, that's true too. But there are local politicians, state level politicians who are really trying to do work.

[Ebro Darden]

But even in this situation, even if you thought the whole thing was absolutely crazy, so one person is saying, hey, we have a book, a step by step booklet so we can get this country into full Nazi territory. And someone else is going, hey, I'm kind of just a run of the mill Democrat, I'm probably not gonna change the world, but at least everything will stay basically the same. And your principle of not voting was bigger than the principle of being anti Nazi. Yeah, that's a crazy level of Congratulations.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You played yourself.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Hey, yeah, guys. Yes, yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And I, look, I get it. I get it. It's all confusing. It's hard. I don't do the research. I don't follow it, I don't know who to believe, Blah, blah, blah. All of that is valid. I'm not invalidating any of that. But if you are a mature, adult human being and you have responsibility to your family and your children and your community at any level, and you're paying taxes out here, you got to pay attention, man.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

You have.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You can't just throw your hands in the air and act like you don't care.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

And I will say to our audience, because I've had people.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You can wave them in there.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

People have spoken. Oh, well, you know, Mom, Donnie hasn't done this, hasn't done that. First of all, I just want to say none of us blindly support people. You're allowed to criticize everybody. You have to, especially whether you elected them or not. But please look deeper into where you're getting your information, because there's so many people, Ebro, that are sending me all these crazy videos. Like, but look, I'm like, have you even looked at this person who he aligns with, what he. What. What he's regurgitating? And sometimes quick Google searches will show you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Like, hey, this is not happening.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's. It's the other thing I. I really would like to say to everyone out there. Yeah, man. You know, I realized this as I got older, and maybe you're not here yet. And you. Maybe you will get.

[Ebro Darden]

Here we go.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I like rules, man.

[Ebro Darden]

Big rules guy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I like them. I like when we all collectively decide on them. You're not going to always get everything you want. But as a collective, hey, we decided. Here's the rules. Now, you could decide to break the rules, maybe get away with it here and there. Maybe they hit you with it. Take it. Once in a while, you can get together and change them. I like that. You know what? Let's get together. This isn't working out. Let's change them.

[Ebro Darden]

Rules, laws. You're saying all those things.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'm okay. I'm okay with it. Are there laws I don't like? Absolutely. Are there people in charge of making laws that I don't like them, and I don't like what they want for black people. That's absolutely true, too. But I like some rules. And so I'm willing to do the work to change some rules or play by the rules.

[Ebro Darden]

I am with you in lockstep. I had. I had a similar thought this weekend, too, about how complicated the world is and how, like, necessary laws Are like. It's like. It's crazy. They can't be laws.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Like, for instance, if Netanyahu and them was following laws.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, that's why I was thinking about it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

They wouldn't be doing the things that they're doing.

[Ebro Darden]

That's why I was thinking about it. Because Trump attacked the President of Israel, because Israel has a president and a prime minister, and the president, obviously, as we can tell, doesn't have the same power as the prime minister, but he does have power, and he will not give up that they're going to continue to prosecute Netanyahu. So Trump called him weak and stupid and all the names.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's actually the opposite, because he says,

[Ebro Darden]

we have laws here. There's no precedent for us to throw out Netanyahu's case. There's no precedent for that. We can't do that. And I was like, oh, man. Even in Israel, which at this point you'd believe has no rules whatsoever, they have these laws that are being ignored and broken the same way we're seeing constitutional ideals broken and thrown away here. It was great. I ran into this Israeli who I work with somewhere. I won't say more than that, but I work with an Israeli somewhere. And we had never spoken. All we'd done was the generic, oh, my wife's family is Israeli. Oh, where's your family from? You know, we'd done kind of that game, but I'd never broached anything. And I saw him recently and was like, how's your family? And he was like, ah, you know, like, they're in shelters all day. And we, like, it was so funny. Like, we were doing this slow. Feel each other, feel each other out

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

game, trying to see where you stand.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. And I was like. I was like, yeah, man. He's like, I just hope that, you know, this ends soon. And I was like, I don't know, man. With Trump, I kept it light. But I was like, with Trump and Netanyahu, and all I had to say was that. And he's like, netanyahu is the most evil, worst thing that's ever happened to our country, and this is insane. And he just like, this is a young. A young Israeli.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

And he just completely went off. And it was just nice to, like, I don't have a lot of personal interactions with stranger Israelis on the street, and to see that we were in lockstep about this thing. And, like, his family's in shelters every single day. How could you, Yo, Even just being selfish. I get it. Netanyahu doesn't care at all about Gazans or Iranians or Lebanon. It seems like he wants to annex all of it. You don't even remotely care about the life and well being. These missiles are starting to get through by the way. The Iron Dome is an iron doming all the time.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So I have a friend who just got back from Bahrain, told me I could talk about, his name's Chris and he was teaching English over there. Okay. And he would go back and forth, go over there for like four or five months, come back to his family. He's in Bahrain when it's getting bombed, four miles from where bombs are going off. And he's an American citizen. And you know, as an American citizen they say call this number and we'll get you out of here. They call the number, no help, we can't help you. He had to get himself out of Bahrain, missiles flying overhead. He had to drive to a low Ike. He told me I, you know, I probably shouldn't give it all. He had to drive to a specific place, get himself there and pay $6,000 to get an airline, to get a commercial flight, to get a flight out. Cory Booker and other state legislators in New Jersey received a letter from his wife and other family members who had family members there. They wrote to them to help him get out. Those state legislators, federal, you know, Congress went out in the media and said, yes, we've spoken to the families and they're gonna get home safely. They never spoke to the families.

[Ebro Darden]

His wife just received a letter and didn't do anything.

[Laura Rosenberg]

She was like, we never spoke to anyone. No one reached out to any of the family members.

[Ebro Darden]

Even though we reach out to them,

[Laura Rosenberg]

even though we wrote a letter to them,

[Ebro Darden]

we have this basic fundamental idea that in the worst situation, America will like help you now more than ever. That's just not a realistic thing.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Nah, no, it's just not.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, and when you're in regions where like remember Iran is sending, so we're calling it bombing, they have these small, this is according to my friend who was there and saw it. They have these small drones that can avoid, like you said, things are getting through. They have these like few thousand dollar drones with bombs on them or explosives on them, whatever that can avoid the iron dome or whatever these interceptor missiles are. Have you? And there's report by the way, this isn't even information that's like, this has been reported on where we're spending millions of dollars to drop bombs and Iran is spending thousands of dollars to use

[Ebro Darden]

better technology, to use technology that gets

[Laura Rosenberg]

around our super expensive stuff. And. And I told you guys this. Where is. Let's see, clip number 12. Rahsaan Club rundown next.

[Commentator or Guest]

Yo. The United States has stated that we will no longer be allowing cameras to record cord coffins coming from the Middle east of soldiers who have been killed. And before you happy my goddamn comment saying, oh, well, that's out of respect for the families. Let me tell you something. I was in the military and I also used to do funeral detail. We have. They usually bring them to large international airports like o'. Hare. Thousands of people have cameras. That means they're going to probably be sending bodies back to the states in private aircrafts and at private airports where they will strictly prohibit camera footage of the coffins coming off these planes. Because we are at that stage, everybody where the United States of America is

[Laura Rosenberg]

going to hide how many soldiers are dying in a war for another country.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Oh, man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

As who is king Trev on Instagram. And so, you know, Rosenberg and I joke often because to get like, information or to, you know, bring in videos for. For what we're going to talk about here, sometimes it's just people from IG it's because all of the media outlets aren't either. Don't have the capacity to cover how much stuff is happening in detail. Right. Or they're. They've been taken over.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Or they're intentionally challenged and threatened.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, no, people are trying. You know, people who work in these places have mortgages and children and children daycare. They're trying to keep. Keep their job.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Absolutely right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So to be some like, hero who's gonna like, throw out a story on a. On a. On a social media feed or something to try to get the truth out. You're done. So donezo.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. And just because now Paramount is taken over by this one and this one, what are you gonna do?

[Laura Rosenberg]

And just like you saw there, who is king Trivia did put up, according to fox News, they're gonna stop doing that. Why would they stop doing that? Who's gonna go again? Who's gonna go against that story? Are you guys seeing this story? And it plays into what I told you guys weeks ago that people are saying more than this. Because at this point, how many people do we know have died in this situation who are, you know, or in the U. S. Military? Are they still running with 7?

[Ebro Darden]

We. We don't know the number.

[Laura Rosenberg]

We don't know the number. I can tell you that there are hundreds of soldiers stationed in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait. There's families over there, where these people are staying, they're flying these explosive drones into these places with precision. That's being reported. And so you mean to tell me there's no casualties from that, bruh?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Also, remember, there's threats from the FCC saying that if people. If broadcasters don't report the war the way they want it to be, you lose your license, they're going to pull your license.

[Ebro Darden]

It says, congratulations.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I told you all that when Trump got back in there. Everything I've been telling y', all. I hate to be that guy. First thing I said when. When he got back in office was, watch, they gonna come for us, and then they gonna come for all the media.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, I told y' all that. Do we have that slide? Do we have the tweet that. That summed him up perfectly that I sent yesterday. Bascom, I just copied this. I saw someone post this, and I was like, if this doesn't nail. Trying to provoke both a world war and a civil war at the same time, while demanding a Nobel Peace Prize is a level of insanity never seen before. That's really it. World war on the brink. Civil war growing every day. And give me my Nobel Peace Prize. Nah, bro. Nah. It may be worse than I thought. It could have been. Maybe worse.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, congratulations. You're about to read something.

[Ebro Darden]

Rosenberg was.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I. I thought you were gonna go to the.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, Gemini.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Gemini says 13 to 14 service member fatalities.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's what they're reporting.

[Ebro Darden]

Reported.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. But they won't let people film their return home. The bodies returning home. And we're. The problem is, is we can't believe y'. All. We never really could, in my opinion. But other people are on my side now, so maybe y' all believe me. I got more people.

[Ebro Darden]

How could. Why would we.

[Laura Rosenberg]

How could you believe. How could you believe them?

[Ebro Darden]

Under what they lie about literally everything to your face. Trump. They never. Trump. Trump lied about the happening to school with the girls in Iran. Even Hegseth was like. And they still never came back and corrected it and said anything. They just.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

They're like, oh, they'll forget about it. They'll move on. There'll be another headline.

[Ebro Darden]

And they do. Now we'll be talking today about the ice at the airport.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

This is the play they told us they were gonna run. It's all Project 2025 issue. Just do so much stuff at one time that we're all dizzy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But he didn't know what Project 2025 was.

[Ebro Darden]

No, I never heard of it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Never heard of it. Let's get to the rundown Laura got

[Ebro Darden]

the rundown Screens on GLOW when she

[Laura Rosenberg]

pull up headlines heavy but we still cut up life still flashing we don't

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

slow up I know this promo hit your algorithm, and honestly, it got me. Did you see Camron and JCole?

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, I. I only saw it cuz you sent it, but I was like, ah, ah.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Let me. Let me give you guys a clip if you missed it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

My girl can't be a stylist, Neva,

[Ebro Darden]

when she s fixing somebody collar.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I don't know what may happen next.

[Ebro Darden]

Sashi,

[Laura Rosenberg]

What's up, man?

[Guest or occasional contributor]

I'm just saying, like a lawsuit, bro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Lawyers, you know, it wasn't like that.

[Guest or occasional contributor]

I'm just saying, bro, you got.

[Ebro Darden]

Cam going with the wrestling with the wwe, walk in, walk in joint.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So that begs the question, was the whole lawsuit fraudulent or. It was real, and this is the make good.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I think it was real. And this is the make good.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Kobe, where you at?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

That's what I'm going with.

[Ebro Darden]

I could see Cam being the kind of guy who's like, nah, bro, we made a deal. You breaking it, I'm suing.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

And then Cole's like, hey, bro, I just didn't get around to it yet. Can we not do this? And he's like, sure, come in. I believe that you go in there

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

because the trade off with verse, if I remember correctly, was either a verse for cam' Ron or a sit down interview on a show. Yeah, that's all he was asking for. So maybe now they're like, all right, I'm not buying.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I. I don't know. I know Cam. I don't think Cam takes any of this stuff that serious. No, but, you know, I think he's. That he's down for these type of shenanigans. He might have been plotting this the whole time. Cole might have told him, yo, bro, I'm about to drop my album. He's like, yo, let me run a play. I'm. I'm act like we got a lawsuit. And then that way, when you come in after the album's already out, it's got a little, you know, I mean,

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I hear you, but I don't. I think I could also see J. Cole be like, nah, man, too much negativity. I don't want this. I don't know.

[Jennifer Kings]

We'll see.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

But speaking of J. Cole, we had a treat over the weekend. Our girl Nadeska had a sit down interview. The first interview since dropping his new album. She went all the way down. Okay. Inside his childhood home, which was super North Carolina.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yep.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

She went down to North Carolina. And this is 20.

[Laura Rosenberg]

This is literally 2014. Forzil's driver.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, the actual house.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah, actual home, which I thought was super cool, super dope. During the conversation, of course, J. Cole talked on the on the Drizzy Kendrick beef. Now check this out.

[Commercial Announcer]

So you're on this episode is brought to you by Subaru. Go further in a long range Subaru Hybrid with up to 597 miles per tank in the Crosstrek Hybrid and up to 581 miles per tank in the Forester Hybrid. Subaru Love goes the extra mile. Visit subaru.com hybrid to learn more. Range based on EPA estimated combined fuel economy in a full tank of fuel. Actual mileage and range may vary.

This episode is brought to you by Venmo with the Venmo debit card, a taco in one hand and ordering a ride in the other means you're stacking your rewards. Nice. Get up to 5% cash back with Venmo stash on your favorite brands. When you pay with your Venmo debit card, pick a bundle with your go tos and start earning cash back. Do more stash. Get more cash. Visit venmo.com to learn more. Venmo Bundle terms and exclusions apply. See terms@venmo me terms max $100 cash back per month.

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[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

The stage at Dreamville Fest and I

[Laura Rosenberg]

always wondered what was going through your

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

mind in the five seconds before you made the apology. The five minutes, the five hours before. Was it something that you had really

[Ebro Darden]

thought of and planned?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Or did you get on the stage and felt like I need to do this?

[Guest or occasional contributor]

No, it hit me an hour before, okay, but. But before that I was stressing out for, for. But in the moment that the idea came to me, like via God, it's like, oh man, I lifted and I got light and I got excited. I got so excited because, you know, to tell you that two or three days before that it was, it was like, oh my. Nah, this is terrible because I felt like I Misrepresented myself. You know what I mean? It's like all of a sudden, I'm giving life to division into a negative. To negative storylines or negative perceptions on somebody that I. And got love for. You know what I mean? Somebody that I, like, care about. And it's like, oh, in my mind, of course. I mean, I could take you back to. We know why that happened in the first place. But just to answer your question, that's me feeling terrible. Cause I'm like, oh, my God. Like, this nasty. This feel. Right? And of course, leading up to it, in a moment where I wasn't clear, I chose to. To. To go this way for reasons that I could tell you about. But all you need to know right now is like, yo, I was. I felt miserable about it. Like, literally, like, my. My. My whole demeanor, my whole. My wife could tell. And so I'm like, oh, my God, I gotta go on this stage and. And, like, come out here and pretend. Almost like people think that I'm represented. Mike Delete later had just dropped. It's the biggest news. Not saying Mike Delete later is. But just the drama of all of this is the biggest news happening. And I'm coming out as a representative of what the fuck they just heard.

[Ebro Darden]

I love, first of all, great job by Nadeska. Great conversation.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

That's a treat.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But available on Apple Music, by the way.

[Ebro Darden]

I love that he felt exactly how we sort of assumed he did. You know what I'm saying? Like, we were on the big defend J. Cole train.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

When everyone was, like, looking for a reason to be angry about that. And my whole feeling was like, he obviously wasn't good with this. It went to a place where he was like, ah. I thought we were play fighting. I was down for some play play. I didn't know this was gonna be.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, yeah. So, like, I was slap boxing, and y' all brought out Uzi.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. And so not with this. So I just. The fact that there are two kinds of people in this world, bro. If you're the kind of person who really dislikes J. Cole because he decided to do what was right by him and man up and get out of it. You're childish, bro. I'm sorry. You're childish. You don't. You've never been through real things. You haven't made big, big boy and big girl decisions in life. You believe you just have to stand 10 toes deep. No, 10 toes down, no matter what you do. Get the hell out of here.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, I mean, there are people who Consume hip hop as just fandom. So they're not. There's zero for some. Zero empathy for the actual humanity of the artist.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

They're only here for the shenanigans, the battle. They're not interested in your humanity. Like, that's just a thing.

[Ebro Darden]

The people are all just like characters

[Laura Rosenberg]

in a product on a shelf. Yeah. It's product on shelf, characters in a show. Yo, there's a battle going on. It's hip hop. You supposed to battle. But they've never had that level of. They just have never been on a level of. Of gravitas where they've been responsible for, you know, being in front of millions and having to make a decision to either put positivity out or put negativity out. You know what I mean? And until you've been in that, it's tough to empathize.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. And.

[Commentator or Guest]

And.

[Ebro Darden]

And obviously.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So we're going to be closer to that.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. I've never been through anything like J. Cole was through, but we've all been through our share of things where it's like something I've said or done is out there, and you're going, well, it's being received. Now let's see how this go. Do I want to stand by that? Yeah. And then you're like, I don't want to stand by.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I contributed to something that I don't want to be a part of.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. I'm going to say sorry. You know what I'm saying? We could do a top five sorrys list. I'm down for. Because sometimes you get it wrong. And he obviously felt he got it wrong.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But I've always wondered, too, why people were like, it. It. It's not like he didn't show up to get in the battle. He put out a record to get in the battle and then realized, and we've heard behind the scenes, he was informed that it was gonna unfold in ways that weren't just a battle.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Of. Of lyrical prowess.

[Ebro Darden]

Deeper than rap.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It was gonna get deeper than rap. And then. And that's also which, like, you could see in that conversation with Nadeska where he was like, look, we could talk about those things too. But just to answer your question, in that moment. Right. You know what I mean? And. And so great interview by Nadesca.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Also, you know, that J. Cole album. I don't know if you guys are still playing it as much as I am, but I love it. I love it. And I love that he's. I love that he's on Cam show. I love that he sat with Nadesca. I love she went down. I love the whole thing. I love the. The Honda running around. Didn't the Honda break down?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Laura Rosenberg]

The Honda, bro. Finally broke down.

[Ebro Darden]

Had a good run.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Who knows? But I like. I liked it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's at the shop in Arizona.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

All right, well, yeah, Shout out to Nadeska again. Go check out the full interview. It's available on Apple Music. It's a real treat. Also, congratulations to Lotto. Big mama is expecting her first child.

[Commercial Announcer]

Okay.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Now, she dropped a song called Business to personal, revealed her pregnancy and her new album on the way.

[Laura Rosenberg]

There you go. I like the new record, too.

[Ebro Darden]

Wow, that's a really cute. I'm looking at the leopard. Really cute. Is that a leopard?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Looks leopardish.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Cheetah.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Could be cheetah.

[Ebro Darden]

Could be a cheetah.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

You know, her whole chester.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It's giving Cheetah in the face. Oh, yes.

[Ebro Darden]

So is it cheetah?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, Cheetah has the thingies under the eyes.

[Ebro Darden]

I got to tell you, you know,

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

she leans into the cheetah print thing.

[Ebro Darden]

A baby cheetah is a cute animal. There's no way around it. That's a very cute animal. Very high level.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I would encourage everyone not to get a pet cheetah. They will scratch your face.

[Ebro Darden]

Nah. Yeah, you don't want to do that.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I mean, look, there was a lot of conversation because, you know, obviously everyone, you know, says that speculates, or some people feel like they're sure that the father is 21. Savage.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

So everybody was kind of digging through, like, visuals.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Wait, wait. There's speculation that the father's 21.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Because, I mean, no one has ever really come out and said, this is my partner. It hasn't come out for it. Lotto hasn't said it. Or 21. Even though he has two kids and they were saying that he's married.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He's married to another woman. Who liked the post. Laura.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I know, but I Googled. Well, listen, I googled it and I said he wasn't technically married, but people

[Ebro Darden]

hit the low down drop. You got it. You got to hit the drop.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

He is married because of his immigration status.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Remember, it's not a real. It's not a marriage like that. And also, I wish everybody would quit chatting, including me. Like, stop chatting. Because if it is what everyone's speculating, it is. If they did do that, that's against the law.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I mean, they have two kids together. So I think there was a relationship at one point.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm proud to say I don't know what anyone's talking about. Didn't know there was a thing about the two of you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

There you go.

[Ebro Darden]

I know not. I'm proud.

[Laura Rosenberg]

My name's Paul Rosenberg.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, my name's not Paul, but this is between y'. All. Shouts to Paul also.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Guys, we got so caught up. We didn't even talk about JC Yankee Stadium.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. Hit us with the button.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah. We got so caught up. We were like.

[Ebro Darden]

A lot happens every day on this program. Well, listen, we've been talking about what it's going to be. Yeah. So far, we haven't been 100% right, but we've been pretty right. Like, there's a lot going on. We got the Roots Picnic happening.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yep. They put out the full lineup over the weekend. I saw Flex on there. Who else?

[Ebro Darden]

Kehlani Badu.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Listen, I really want to go. Yeah, in my. Now, in my. No, no, no. In my brain, I really want to go.

[Ebro Darden]

No, but you're not going to. Because now J. Now the J. Things happening up here.

[Laura Rosenberg]

But I want to go to that, too.

[Ebro Darden]

So you're not. Well, I'm just here to tell you you're not doing all of it.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And then the next time, I won't go to the thing.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, I think, babe.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Can I go to all the things can now.

[Ebro Darden]

Reasonable doubt the first night the Friday.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yes.

[Ebro Darden]

And blueprint the Saturday. It feels like we got to go to both. Feels like it's got to be like a week. Is this like a whole week? This is like a fat. This is the best kind of festival.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, I'm in there.

[Ebro Darden]

We're going to do a family festival where we go to all of it, but in between, you just go home.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I love that.

[Laura Rosenberg]

So are you guys going to reach out to your Roc Nation contest?

[Ebro Darden]

No, we're going to rely on you.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I wouldn't do that.

[Ebro Darden]

No, we're going to have to.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'm not doing that.

[Ebro Darden]

No, we have to.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why?

[Ebro Darden]

Because my connect isn't good enough. Well. And I already saw the people that I do know already put up, like Lenny. Lenny already.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

They want to be left alone.

[Ebro Darden]

Lenny posted about Philly. Leave me alone.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

No, no, no. Yeah, I think you all about this, too, huh? Leave me alone. I have nothing. Memphis Bleak said I have nothing. Leave me alone. You have my tickets.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Well, that is a real thing you do. I'm buying tickets.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Pre sellers today.

[Commercial Announcer]

If you're a. I buy.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I buy tickets.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

A city card holder.

[Laura Rosenberg]

All right, well, I bought. I bought. I buy for everything. So that there's no free.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, then, fine. We'll all buy. Yeah, but we just need to go through your. I don't have, like. I'm not a rock guy. The Rock has never loved. They. I'm good. I'm fine. It's not bad with the Rock. But you guys saw. I didn't get invited to the. To the museum. I don't get the rock treatment. They don't think.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo, Roc Nation, Y' all don't rock with Rosenberg.

[Ebro Darden]

It's crazy. You know, it's crazy. No one's been down with the Rock longer than me, and for some reason, I'm not non grata. I'm non grata.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

All right, we're gonna. We're gonna figure it out. Just everybody else.

[Ebro Darden]

Congratulations.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You played.

[Ebro Darden]

Maybe. Maybe I missed the note. You know when you got the thing where you had to start. Like when people had to start wearing their paper planes. Hats on the low to, like, show their.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You didn't wear your paper planes.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't wear the people playing at.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Come on.

[Ebro Darden]

So I didn't. I didn't show. But we're going. We got. Here's my question. We gotta go.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I am.

[Ebro Darden]

No, no, we're all going. Here's the question. How much. How much do you think they run for a suite, though?

[Laura Rosenberg]

I. More than. I don't even want a sweet. I want to be able to. You love Sweets. I like being able to move around.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Me, too. I like being in the mix.

[Ebro Darden]

Do you?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah, I do.

[Ebro Darden]

You're sure?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I'm positive.

[Ebro Darden]

You. You're sure two nights in a row? You wouldn't rather have a nice comfy.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I think I'm gonna do two nights.

[Ebro Darden]

I think I'll do one.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'm in there.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Sweets.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Where.

[Ebro Darden]

You can come outside.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I gotta ask my lady which one she wants.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, she's gonna go to both, right?

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah. I don't know. But, you know, she's gonna get. She. So when. When Jazz wants to go, she's gotta. She's outfitted up. She's. It's a night out on the town. It's not like me, where I just throw on a T shirt and I'm, like, moving and grooving. I gotta. You know, she's got heels. I gotta hold hands. I gotta make sure, you know.

[Ebro Darden]

So you're saying you don't want her both nights?

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, that's not what I'm saying.

[Ebro Darden]

It sounded. Because that's where it went at the end, right? It started with. It's gonna Be hard for her. It landed on. It's gonna be hard for me.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It is hard for me. It's hard for me. But I'm willing to do it. I'm willing to do it.

[Ebro Darden]

I feel you though.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I'm willing to do it.

[Ebro Darden]

Oh, no. I think if I had to choose one, though. Had to choose. It's blueprint.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Me too. That's what I'm gonna go.

[Ebro Darden]

It's. It's. You don't know. It's Heart of the City. It's. It's girls, girls, girls. That. The intro, the blueprint.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Here's the obvious. Next question. Everybody's take over. Are we getting a new album this year? That's obviously the next question. After all of this we're getting. There's three shows booked.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I feel like we could. And this could possibly be the last one.

[Ebro Darden]

Why the last. So we got. Let's stop doing the last one game.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Why? Yeah, why?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

I look at. I look at Hovind, I feel like he has no more interest. I feel like.

[Ebro Darden]

But he obviously does.

[Laura Rosenberg]

He can't.

[Ebro Darden]

He can't leave rap alone. The game needs him and he needs the game.

[Laura Rosenberg]

I would guess he has interest, but knowing how to put it all together, like, what's the reason? Like, I think he needs. He has interest, but it's not like I want to be. I want to drop a number one album. I need my song on all the radios. Like your his motivation.

[Ebro Darden]

But that's what I'm saying. Exactly. And that's why it's like when rappers. When rap artists can stop thinking about domination and get to a place of comfort, of just art. Like, I just want to experiment and make art. That's the next place for people to go to.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Some artists are already there and some are already.

[Ebro Darden]

We're loving and they live their life. Keep rocking.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Common amazing project.

[Ebro Darden]

You're right. It was a good project.

[Laura Rosenberg]

It was great project.

[Ebro Darden]

But like, by the way, no. Tons of people live there. Hov can go there, bro. Listen, man, I listen. Paul Simon can barely sing anymore. His voice only is like halfway there. He retired. I saw his last show. I paid for the tickets. I went to the show. We saw him at the Beacon. He did the only. The songs. He can still kind of do. That was it. He's 83. Oh, man. I can't bl tears. It's over two months pass. I. I'm running 15 dates this summer. Like he's in his mid-80s.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, but also when. Listen, I'm 51 now, so I'm in the 50s.

[Ebro Darden]

Congrats, I'm in there. You might as well be 80 the next 20.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You're figuring out, like, how do I do what I want to do?

[Ebro Darden]

But he already. Jay figured that out.

[Laura Rosenberg]

What? That's what. Can I finish my talk?

[Ebro Darden]

Sorry, go ahead.

[Laura Rosenberg]

And I think Jay already finished.

[Ebro Darden]

Figured that out, so why not?

[Laura Rosenberg]

But that's what I'm saying. So her saying this will probably be his last. Last what? What are we saying?

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, like what? Just he's gonna sit in his mansion and wait to die. Like, what are you gonna do?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Multiple projects.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah, but sometimes rapping is. I rap. Like, I like to get to these bars. And I think the Roots and him together, the live band set up and maybe doing smaller things or intimate things or, you know, the. Like you said, more. More art. Like, just for the art of it. Like, I would love if he just dropped like a five song drop and it was just him and premiere right now. Wouldn't that be exciting for you as a pop fan?

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, he could do that with mad different people.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Mad different people where he's just like, yo, I'm throw out a little three. I'm throwing a little of this just for the sake of it now. You know, I don't know. It's always tough when you're used to things being such a movie when you come out to, like, not want all of that regalia and noise. That's the hard part, right? Is like, you know, this is special. Roots Picnic with the Roots. Yankees, Yankee Stadium. 25 years of blueprint, 30 years of reasonable doubt. This is still all top line marquee. Big moments taking up the news cycle. So that's the tough adjustment.

[Ebro Darden]

That's why. Yeah, even people like Jay Z still feel the need on some level to be validated by having it be the biggest.

[Laura Rosenberg]

When it's like, you got. Maybe he'll come on your podcast before he figures out this transition and be like, hey, validate me. Yeah, let's talk about it.

[Ebro Darden]

Let's talk about it. You don't need your thing. Doesn't have to be the biggest thing. Rocking on it doesn't matter. You're already it. You're enough, Jay Z. You are enough. While we're at it, Happy birthday to DJ Premier. Turn 60 over the weekend. Still making Flames.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Happy birthday, Primo.

[Ebro Darden]

The best man.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo, did he jump in the comments about the you're not from New York and be like, yeah, P, me either.

[Ebro Darden]

No, he saw our post, though. But he saw the post where I talked where you and I Were joking about Gangstar.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Because he's from Houston and Guru's from Boston. Yeah. He did hit me to correct me, and I'm glad he did. I said, Guru's dad was a minister from Boston. We messed up and you co signed it, so I blame both of us.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Ebro Darden]

His dad was a judge.

[Laura Rosenberg]

A judge? A judge.

[Ebro Darden]

So Primo was like. Primo was like, yo, just want to let you know, family just wants me to clear that up. Judge. I was like, my bad, Judge. I knew it was a lofty, like, important community position, but, yeah, Happy birthday to Primo. I mean, for my money. For my money, he's probably the greatest, but, like, I don't even care about ranking in that regard. He's just one of the greatest musicians.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Is Pete Rock in your top? Rock?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

As a human, he's amazing.

[Ebro Darden]

As a human, he's amazing.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Love you, Pray.

[Ebro Darden]

Pete.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Rocking your top five.

[Ebro Darden]

Pre Preet. Still, he's close. He's right on. He's right.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Listen, I'm only asking to see start problems.

[Ebro Darden]

Primo. Dilla. Primo and Dilla are. Are absolute locks for me. Pete, I'd say, is right there. Yeah, man. Pete has so many. So many, bro. I mean, listen, shut him down. Remix alone could have put.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Pete, you love that.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

What?

[Ebro Darden]

House of Pain, that jump around remix. Let's talk about it for a minute.

[Laura Rosenberg]

That's tough.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, even if we're talking Jay Z. Even that Jay Z, Kanye. The joy that Pete Rock. Pete Rock. Let the needle drop.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Sheesh.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo, Pete, this is the guy you was going at, man.

[Guest or occasional contributor]

Shame.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, you remember when I had Pete and Pre? You didn't come. I don't think. But I had. I don't think either of you. You and I weren't close yet.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Okay?

[Ebro Darden]

But I don't think you came when I had the birthday party on a boat. Do you come to that joint?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

Oh, no, I didn't.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No.

[Ebro Darden]

In, like, 09.10, I had a boat party for my birthday, and the DJs were Pete and Primo.

[Laura Rosenberg]

You know, it would matter if you were from New York.

[Ebro Darden]

We'll do gurus tomorrow, I promise. And send your emails. We need more emails.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Gurus.

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

We do. We do. Hit the, like, button. Hype us up. Subscribe.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Yo.

[Ebro Darden]

Definitely you're gonna go with this? You're not from New York forever.

[Laura Rosenberg]

No, because I know. It's amazing. He hit it.

[Ebro Darden]

What did you hit it on yesterday? Oh, the picture. When I posted it for Primo's birthday. You're like, too bad you're not From New York.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Because it doesn't matter, though. That's why it's funny to me. Because none of it matters. Because there's people who really do things from their heart for the culture, for art, and then there's people who are just on a grift hustle and don't give a damn, you know what I mean? And. And people, like, who really love something and do it out of love, I don't feel like they ever really get their just due, like. And that's not even a hip hop thing.

[Ebro Darden]

That's just a thing, like a thing,

[Laura Rosenberg]

period, you know, People who do it for the front page, the headlines, the. It seems like they always get celebrated the most.

[Ebro Darden]

Yo, me and Rory were talking about this yesterday. There are people out there who, like, they literally would try to come after you, people like us, and compare what they do. And they're using a metric I don't even use. And he brought up a Fonte quote of you're keeping score of a game I don't even play. I don't even care about the game you're playing, and you're keeping the score.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Look at this, though.

[Ebro Darden]

I made this money. I made that. I'm like, I never. That wasn't even my scoring system, right?

[Co-host (possibly Lou or another regular)]

So have a good day, Ebro.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Laura Rosenberg, New Patreon. This week we will do the Gurus as promised.

[Ebro Darden]

And.

[Laura Rosenberg]

Oh, I'm a jam. Laura up tomorrow. We got. We need a merch update. I went to the phone line update today, so we got a lot of things happening. We got plans. Just don't call it a podcast.

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[Laura Rosenberg]

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