Black Movie Table Talk

Summary

The Friend Zone Podcast – Episode: “Black Movie Table Talk”

Date: August 12, 2026
Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), Asante

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Episode Overview

This lively episode of The Friend Zone dives into Black representation in movies and TV, industry controversies, headlines about upcoming Black-led films, and the impact of casting and creative choices. The crew also explores community news, wellness tips rooted in Black agriculture, and new music. As always, the trio brings humor, real talk, and candid cultural commentary, all while rooting for everybody Black.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Food Safety Scandal: Taylor Farms & Food Recalls

Timestamps: 01:16–08:54

• Dustin vents about Taylor Farms’ repeated recalls (lettuce, guacamole, salsa) due to salmonella.
• Conversation on lack of corporate accountability, food supply chain regulation rollbacks, and the impact on consumer trust.
  • Dustin: "What the fuck is going on at Taylor Farm? Y'all ain't got no quality control over there?" (04:12)
  • Connection to broader mental health/wealth: “Mental agriculture” as a new theme.
• Fran notes: People are learning to check their barcodes to see if their produce comes from Taylor Farms.

2. Community Engagement: Show Announcements, Thanks, & Black Business

Timestamps: 09:04–19:02

• Dustin thanks listeners for supporting "Monday Night Live".
• Patreon updates: Video intros on YouTube, new Patreon chat room named “Le Chat” (homage to rapper La Chat).
• Ongoing book club: "Honey" by Imani Thompson.
• Black Business of the Week:
  • Spring Break Watches (SPGBK): Black-owned watch brand built on culture, creativity, and HBCU partnerships.
  • Notably, landed on Oprah’s Favorite Things list.

3. Recap of Last Week & Listener Reactions

Timestamps: 19:03–26:42

• Revisiting recent debates: School starting dates, surrogacy ethical dilemmas, and more.
• Readers share opposing opinions respectfully—a value the hosts highlight.

4. Roller Coaster News (Community Corner)

Timestamps: 24:26–26:33

• Dustin spotlights the Corkscrew at Cedar Point being named a historical "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark".
• Shared nostalgia between Fran and Dustin over Cedar Point, representing Black joy and community.

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FEATURE SEGMENT: BLACK MOVIE TABLE TALK

Timestamps: 29:36–97:30

A. Black Movie Headlines & Representation

• Conversation leaps into Black representation in media, new casting choices, and how cultural stories are interpreted.

(30:10) Asante: "It's nice to have little round tables about Black news, Black movie news, Black things happening..." (30:39) Joking about “categories” of Black entertainment—humor leads the way.

Recent Films & Experiences

• Fran: Loved "The Odyssey"—plans to reread the classic after seeing the movie.
• Dustin: Repeated cinema visits for "Wicked"; praises Ariana Grande and the soundtrack.
• Discussion on immersive movie experiences (4DX and treadmill screenings for “The Long Walk”).

Black Panther & Blade Franchise Updates

• David Johnson announced as new Black Panther (release planned for 2028).
  • Breakdown of MCU timeline, Black Panther franchise complexity, and responses to legacy after Chadwick Boseman.
• Mahershala Ali exits the Blade project due to Marvel delays.
  • Asante: “[Mahershala] tweeted, ‘If Marvel really wanted to make the movie, we'd have made it. I've moved on.’” (58:37)
  • Discussion on actor contracts, creative development, and industry impact, especially for Black talent.

Black Authorship & Adaptation: Children of Blood and Bone Controversy

• Author: Tomi Adeyemi (sibling of artist Toby Lou)
• Movie adaptation embroiled in issues:
  • Public distancing by Adeyemi from the Hollywood production.
  • Vague, cryptic social media posts about creative disputes and casting (Amandla Stenberg).
  • Fran, Dustin, and Asante dig for answers, highlighting lack of transparency and the importance of clear communication for community support.
  • Dustin: “We trying to figure out how to support you... but we don’t know how.” (91:13)

Big Questions Raised

• What do Black audiences want: faces/visibility or deeper protection of Black narrative/identity?
  • “[Are we] asking Hollywood merely to put Black faces on screen, or do we actually want them to protect something about Black identity when those faces get there?” - Asante (96:22)
• Reflections on how industry choices affect perceptions, and the responsibilities of Black creatives.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dustin (on Taylor Farms): "That's not sustainable if you get a quick bag...people are not going to continue to source their vegetables from y'all." (06:00)
• Fran (on growing food): “It hits a little different to get it passed down. All their tips and hacks...from their grandparents and their grandparents. And I just think that that is so precious.” (100:11)
• Asante (summarizing the uneasy state of Black film adaptation): “It was a race to get another Black Panther. It was a race to get another Blade...it was a race to get to this Children Blood and Bone story. Because why the fuck is Tomi doing all this?” (95:47)
• Dustin (on La Chat): “She is—in her own words—the bitchy bitchy bitch we love to hate. And I've always connected to that...” (12:19)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

| Subject | Starts | Ends | | ------- | ------ | ---- | | Taylor Farms Recall | 01:23 | 08:54 | | Black Business of the Week | 15:49 | ~17:40 | | Community News & Thanks | 09:04 | ~14:53 | | Listener Feedback | 19:02 | 26:33 | | Black Movie Table Talk Main Segment | 29:36 | 97:30 | | Wellness Segment: Black Family Gardeners on YouTube | 98:25 | 118:15 | | Music Rec (Rhapsody, RJ The Weirdo, Lil Baby, etc.) | 118:15 | ~140:15 | | TV Segment: RHOA Reunion, Bell Collective, OWN reality | 140:13 | ~145:55 |

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This Week in Wellness: Black Family Gardening

Timestamps: 98:25–118:15

• Fran spotlights Black YouTubers teaching gardening and homesteading:
  • Channels: Growing Lunch (North TX), Gardening With Bear Brown, Foraging Family Homestead (Alabama), A Gardener’s Journey Homestead (Tennessee), Playing in Dirt (Georgia), Prolific Family Stead.
  • Representation matters: Black elders and families sharing agricultural wisdom inspires self-sufficiency.
  • Tips include types of crops to start now, container gardening, and practical soil/fertilizer advice.

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Music Highlights (Songs Played)

Timestamps: 118:15–140:13

• Rapsody “Apple Juice”
  • Fran: “[Rapsody’s] singing—not rapping. Interesting pivot.” (125:47)
• Noemi “Holy”
• RJ the Weirdo “Tricks”
• Future “If I Could”
• Steve Lacy “Choke”
• Sauce Walker & Conway The Machine “Dangerous Daringer”
• Debbie “More of You”
• Colette Lush “Buttons”
• Lil Baby “Dead Fresh”
• Zara Larsson & Tyler, the Creator (discussed)

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TV Segment Highlights

Timestamps: 140:13–145:55

• Real Housewives of Atlanta S17 Reunion: “Incredible...no lulls, no boring shit. The ladies were in rare form.”
• RHOA Ultimate Girls Trip – Roaring 20th:
  • Return of Nene Leakes to Bravo marks healing for fandom.
• Bell Collective Reunion and New OWN Spin-off:
  • Dustin teases a messy new couples’ show akin to "Never Ever Mets".

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Episode Mood & Tone

• Energetic, comedic, community-focused, and unfiltered.
• Running thread: Pride in Black creativity, sharp but loving shade, genuine investment in Black wellness (mind, money, body, community).

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Closing Thoughts

• “Thanks for hanging with us yet another week... Stay Black and protect your magic.” (146:10)
• The Friend Zone team continues their mission: advocating for Black mental health and joy, while calling out industry failings and celebrating Black achievement.

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For more:

• Patreon: patreon.com/thefriendzonepodcast
• Instagram/TikTok/YouTube: See episode description
• Email: [e-mail]

Transcript

[Francesca]

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[Dustin Ross]

I love my phone but not my carrier.

[Asante]

What do I do? Well, there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile.

[Dustin Ross]

Like what?

[Asante]

You can keep your phone and your

[Dustin Ross]

number and T Mobile helps pay it

[Asante]

off up to $800 per line.

[Dustin Ross]

So I wouldn't have to buy a new phone?

[Francesca]

Yep.

[Asante]

Plus your plan price stays the same for 5 years on experience plans.

[Dustin Ross]

Nice. Find your reason@t mobile.com via virtual prepaid guard card typically takes 15 days after rebate submission price guarantee on TalkText and 5G data exclusions like taxes and fees apply. Welcome to the Friends.

[Francesca]

I'm Francesca, also known as. Hey Friend.

[Dustin Ross]

Hey.

[Asante]

My name is Asante. This is the Friend zone.

[Dustin Ross]

When do you.

[Asante]

When do it become.

[Francesca]

That always makes me think of Carrie Wind.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay. Quando. Okay. When do it becomes? Because it's some shit going on. It's a lot of trickery going on right now. And it gets to a fucking point. And by it I mean none other than disgusting ass Taylor Farms. Okay?

[Francesca]

Oh my God.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know if people are not. Apparently Friend and Asante are a shitty situation. I don't know if people are not Taylor Farms, which was just recently in the news for the lettuce recall, the Taco Bell of it all and the Trump administration of it all. The donation of it all and then the reversal of. Anyway, you thought you picking up what I'm putting down. Taylor Farms is back in the news. This is less than two weeks later, I believe because they've announced a recall for guacamole, salsa and other foods due to possible salmonella contamination.

[Francesca]

What is going on over there?

[Dustin Ross]

Connected to jalapenos that were also received by Chipotle and Qdoba. Now I know I've eaten Chipotle a lot in my life. I know. Or I've eaten Qdoba. I know some. I'm sure some members of our audience probably have too. So there's some shit we need to know.

[Francesca]

You know, I've never heard someone say that out loud.

[Dustin Ross]

Qdoba.

[Asante]

Qdoba.

[Francesca]

Qdoba it's not something I've ever heard anyone say. I'm going to Qdoba.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't know they made food. I was like, you get shoe. Is it an outfitter? You know, do you get shoes and rei? Anyway, like I said, they have announced a recall of over a dozen prepared food items, including salsas, guacamole. And this is due to concerns about potential salmonella contamination that's connected to jalapenos that were sourced, they say, from a farmer in Sinaloa, Mexico.

[Francesca]

Oh, here they go with the bullshit.

[Dustin Ross]

Yep. And this is all after another ongoing investigation of a salmonella outbreak that has, at the time of printing, which was yesterday, according to the Neighborhood Talk. What's up? Neighborhood Talk infected 345 people in 27 states and resulted in 36 hospitalizations.

[Francesca]

Jesus.

[Dustin Ross]

Chipotle Qdoba. They received the peppers but have stopped using them since, according to reports. And so far, Taylor Farms has no reports of illnesses connected to the recalled products, but they are actively looking for new suppliers of jalapenos. Salmonella can fuck you up really bad. So this is a big deal.

[Asante]

Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

Through the jalapenos.

[Asante]

It's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, I don't like spicy food. And I always thought that I. I knew not eating spicy food would avoid me having the shits, but know it would be for this reason, you know what I'm saying? What the fuck is going on at Taylor Farm? Y' all ain't got no quality control over there? Ain't nobody watching out. There's not a tower up above. Ain't nobody walking around saying, hey, do it smell like boo boo in here? Or vegetables especially. What is going on?

[Francesca]

They are. With the level of partnerships, you know, it's like you would think they would have the technology, the budget to not have to cut corners on the food monitoring.

[Dustin Ross]

You would also think that. That if you bitches and sons of bitches. Because it's your mama's fault, too, at this point, if you're doing nasty shit like this, you would think that you motherfuckers would have some systems in place if you're a food provider.

[Francesca]

That's what I'm saying.

[Dustin Ross]

The one thing you need to do is make sure it's safe. That's the top priority on your list of shit to make sure you do every single day with every single order, every single crop, every single whatever the fuck.

[Asante]

Right?

[Dustin Ross]

I don't understand what's going on at Taylor Farms. Do we need to send Taylor gang over there? What's going on you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Maybe they're just. You know how. Because they rolled back so many of the monitoring, surveillance programs, maybe they just don't have. They're not getting audited. They're not getting inspected the same way they would have before. I'm wondering if that's what it is. And so now it's falling through the cracks. They get to cut corners, they get to profit more, which is really what they care about at the expense of people.

[Dustin Ross]

That's not sustainable if you get. If you get a quick bet. Because let's be clear, this is a scam, right? So if they're able to get a quick bag like this by fucking with the current administration or whatever, it's not

[Francesca]

sustainable long term for your legacy.

[Dustin Ross]

You're a farm. That means that you have to. People have to buy your shit for you to to be successful. Stories like this. People are not going to continue to source their vegetables from y'. All.

[Francesca]

Right? Right.

[Dustin Ross]

It's not worth it.

[Francesca]

Stain. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

I had never even heard of y' all until this started hitting the fan.

[Francesca]

Same. And then people started showing how you can check if your produce comes, if it has the TF in the barcode. And I was like, oh, my God,

[Asante]

they've been around forever.

[Dustin Ross]

Taylor Farms and the foot. You know what I'm saying? The fuck too meaning shit on the jalapenos. It's supposed to be on them till I them out being spicy and irritating

[Asante]

my stomach on the jalapeno because I wish. That's just a crazy sentence.

[Dustin Ross]

Talk about gut health. What Health. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Yikes.

[Dustin Ross]

This is a damn shame.

[Francesca]

Perfect timing, Dustin. With my wellness segment this week, it could not perfect.

[Dustin Ross]

We see each other.

[Asante]

Hopefully people need it. Very timely is what you're learning. Is what you find.

[Dustin Ross]

Me personally, I'm finna buy some stocking. Charmin Scott, Okay. Quilted Northern, all of that. I'm buying stock in it. Cotton, nails, ass.

[Asante]

Okay?

[Dustin Ross]

All of them. Hey, y' all shop at Costco, Kirkland. I'm about to buy some stock in toilet paper because you is finna be if. And it's just the jalapenos and lettuce, so you got to at least eat vegetables for this. Wait till they start with chips.

[Francesca]

Oh, that's when they'd get me.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm trying to tell you this. This is not okay.

[Francesca]

Me, I'll be outside protesting.

[Dustin Ross]

We need that lady from Houston. What's that lady's name? Dr. Candace Matthews, I think is her name. With the she wears the 10 gallon cowboy hats and be cussing motherfuckers out. Go down to Taylor Farms. We need her down there on the motherfucking land. Okay. Getting to the bottom of this because Taylor Farms is tripping right now. Yeah, I don't want to get sick.

[Asante]

I don't want to get sick at all. Not even a little bit.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm trying to put on weight, not lose weight. So Taylor Farms, whoever is over there sleeping on the damn job, right? Okay. Whoever ruining this, the PE people up there that are making. That are enabling Taylor Farms to continue operating while this is going on, they should have been shut down and y' all should have voted for Kamala. And with that being said, okay. Welcome to the Friend Zone, your weekly looking at all things mental health, mental wellness and mental agriculture. Because who in the hell wants a

[Francesca]

Mental agriculture is good.

[Dustin Ross]

Who in the hell? Thank you. I was impressed myself. It just came to me in a moment. But who in the hell wants to have the shits from with Taylor Farms? I know I don't. Hey, friend. Asante.

[Asante]

How are you doing?

[Francesca]

How y' all doing? Do you have anything you want the listeners to know before we officially fully jump in?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes. Thank you for the love on Monday Night Live, the talk show that I co host with Claudia Jordan, Carlos King and Blue Taluspa. I see y' all in the messages. And the messages have been getting back to me through my cousins who are in the comments and trying to invite people for me telling me that I

[Francesca]

need to jump in there.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, they do it. I'll tell them not to, but they be dming motherfuckers and shit. Anyway. Love you, Misty. Anyway, they the. The Friend Zone has been showing up, showing a lot of love and I just want to give a legitimate, clear thank you to our audience for supporting all three of us when we do other stuff. I just appreciate it. So you always gonna be locked in.

[Francesca]

Yeah, y' all are the best core family. Also, if you are on our Patreon patreon.com forward/the friend zone podcast. Hi, Patreon, right? Dustin says, we love you, Patreon.

[Dustin Ross]

We love you, Patreon.

[Francesca]

We just activated the official LE chat room. So Patreon has allowed chat rooms now, so we activated it and y' all are very active on there. It's nice, but it's nice for y' all to have a space where you can talk about the episodes to each other and just having that space if you're interested in and hanging out with more of the core friendzone family and listeners. Definitely check that [e-mail] thefriendzone podcast and obviously the binge as well, which is our TV and film recap series. We're about to start cross season two, since you're located by Asante, which is gonna be great. Cause we love Aldous Hodge.

[Dustin Ross]

Scream like that meme.

[Francesca]

I do need to know if it's lighted.

[Asante]

They changed the color grading this season. So, you know, you can see a little bit. You know, it's season two.

[Dustin Ross]

They use white niches. They didn't put bleaching cream on the show. On the. On the tv.

[Francesca]

On the lens.

[Asante]

Hold for lens.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay. White mission.

[Asante]

No. So, yeah, we're definitely that. Also, if you want to know how the chat was born, it was actually born during the wind down, which happens at the end of every month. So on the 26th of August, because if you're listening to this on the 12th, you know, or later need to be in the building. Okay. We go live at the end of every month. And that is again Wednesday the 26th. Okay. At 8 Eastern Standard Time. That is where the chat is, was born, if you were trying to figure it out. So come join us and find out. So you can join.

[Francesca]

It's fun, too.

[Asante]

It's so much fun. We love y'. All.

[Dustin Ross]

Le Chat is not French, although we love our French.

[Francesca]

They do. Some people are like, le Chat. I'm like, no, it's Le Chat.

[Dustin Ross]

And it. And it is a reference to poet Lorate and wordsmith Lichat of Memphis, Tennessee, from three six Mafia. That is who. That is, what it's from. It's a reference to her name. We speak her name.

[Francesca]

Me too.

[Dustin Ross]

We pay homage to Lachat that way. And, you know, every month, it just feels so good to support black women and honor her and her contributions to society and to. To art overall. So that's why it's called the Chat. And I just want everybody to be clear on that, because she is, in her own words, the bitchy. The bitchy bitchy. The bitchy bitchy. The bitchy bitchy. We love to hate. And I've always connected to that. I've always found solace and comfort in that and have really used it as a mantra and a compass to navigate my own thoughts and experiences. So that is where it comes from. And I just want to be clear on the intention of the name.

[Francesca]

So now y' all know the reference. Also, we have the Situation, which is our book club right now. We're reading a book called Honey by Imani Thompson.

[Dustin Ross]

Right.

[Francesca]

We actually have it right here as well. And this is facilitated by Dustin Ross. It's been a really good book.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you. Crazy, crazy Twists. Twists and turns.

[Francesca]

Twists and turns. But knives. Fascinating concept.

[Dustin Ross]

So she don't give a what this. Just giving it out.

[Francesca]

We have a really good time with the Patreon members that join us for the book club. It's really cool. I love, I love that we do. And hanging out with y', all, I think it's one of the best things.

[Dustin Ross]

Makes me feel like our brother Claude Kelly.

[Francesca]

Right. Shout out to him. But yeah. So join us for the live stream, Join us for the situation. Join us for the binge and join us to. So you can watch the video version of the weekly episode which we also. Now that I say that we are also on YouTube now. I know it's been a long time coming. Y' all been asking for it. Obviously we can't post the entire video because that's what Patreon's for. But we do post at least the intro segment so you can get a little taste of what it's like to hang with us on video form. Just a paint just a little bit. And then it goes okay. And then it goes into the audio form so you can enjoy that. I know some of you were saying that you actually enjoy your podcast on YouTube and we're wondering when we were jumping on. So we are there now. I hope you enjoy that as another platform. So catch us on YouTube, catch us on Patreon, catch us on Instagram, TikTok if you're wondering how to find us. All that information is in the description box and if you want to email us info atthefriendzonepodcast.com.

[Dustin Ross]

so for opportunities, we're available for public speaking opportunities, we're available for brand partnerships, we're available for sponsored episodes, we are available for, you know, written articles, write ups and magazines, all that stuff. So feel free to ring our bell if there's that type of interest. We would love to partner in alignment with good, lucrative opportunities.

[Francesca]

Absolutely. We are always available for that. So info at the friend zone podcast dot com. Just have to throw that out there because I feel like we forget to put that information out there sometimes. On top of the show.

[Dustin Ross]

We got a whole. We got an act. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

We sing.

[Dustin Ross]

He's saying you brought the sunshine by the clock Sisters if requested. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

That's.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what we do.

[Francesca]

So yeah, Asante, you have a black business of the week that you would like to share with us today, right?

[Asante]

That is correct. The black business that I would like to highlight this week is known as Spring Break watches, or spgbk. SPGBK was founded by childhood friends and frat brothers Kwame Moden and Maurice Cherry from Fayetteville, North Carolina. The black owned lifestyle brand has built a name for itself creating stylish, affordable watches and accessories inspired by culture, community and storytelling. The brand has been making headlines with the launch of its sweet summer capsule released as part of the Nordstrom anniversary sale. The limited collection features vibrant summer inspired accessories designed to capture the energy of the season while accounting while continuing. Excuse me. Sbgbk's mission of blending fashion with culture. SPG BK Spring Break has also partnered with several HBCUs including North Carolina A&T, NCC Winston Salem State, Johnson C. Smith and UNC Charlotte to create officially licensed collections celebrating those institutions. The company has grown from an online startup into a nationally recognized brand with products carried by retailers like Nordstrom. As mentioned earlier and Belk.

[Dustin Ross]

They even landed two watches belt down south holes.

[Asante]

Yeah, I love a little belt.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, a belt. Parisians too. Absolutely. I want to take you shopping at Parisians. Yes, of course. Yes.

[Asante]

They even landed two watches on Oprah's favorite things list in 2023. So if you're looking to support a black owned business, you can go to spring breakwatches.com the spring break spelled out.

[Francesca]

I'm gonna link them up.

[Asante]

Yeah, Spring break watches spg. Get into it. The watches look cute too. They're really cool. I'm like, okay. And then HBCUs, black folks and some beautiful black girl in the front rocking all the colors. They got so many nice colors. I think I should go check them out, get y' all a little timepiece.

[Dustin Ross]

I have a business request before we get out of this space. Yes, there is a clothing company called Ruggero Clothing out of Detroit that has been dressing days look. Dejloaf has been wearing some of their pieces and Dej Loaf performed recently in New Jersey and had on the 360 or 385 presidential release jogging suit. But they only have it in kids so I want to know if it's available in in adults because I really want this jogging suit. Dejlope had it on and it looks so dope and I want it so bad. So if anybody out here, I don't know, it's a shot in the dark. But if anybody out here has a connect to regret. Yeah, it's worth it. I Want it that bad? This is it. It's so. It's so. I don't know if you can see what. It's so dark. Oh, I see that on you. And it would look. Don't you see that on me? I see it on my body. And you should have seen it on Dej Loaf. Like, I was like, I want that outfit. So if anybody.

[Asante]

What was she wearing that on or in?

[Dustin Ross]

She was performing in New Jersey. I'm gonna send you the video so we can put it in the carousel. But I want this jogging suit so bad, please.

[Francesca]

It's cute.

[Dustin Ross]

Anybody has a connection to Regero clothing, I need that. But in a men's adult extra large. So please make it. I would love to encourage others to want it too. So thank you. That's all. You gotta shoot your shot.

[Asante]

Hell yeah.

[Francesca]

Let's jump into this week's recap segment. So last week's episode, singing a ransom note. That was last week's episode.

[Asante]

And for her to keep going.

[Dustin Ross]

I can do it right now.

[Francesca]

Did you see her say she. She wants a redo?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes. And we don't redone ever again. We respect you, so it's hard to discuss that.

[Francesca]

You know, that was all Dustin Rob.

[Dustin Ross]

Integrity.

[Francesca]

Anyway, on last week's episode, there were things that you need to know, and Dustin's gonna make sure that you do. It's time for this week's Hot Topics. I love how that's written. Hopping friends. Let's talk about people y' all think wrote the copy for that Asante who stood out.

[Asante]

A lot of people had a. A plethora of amazing things to say. I'm just going to share a couple of comments out in the Spotify streets. This first comment comes from Sophia. I don't know how to say your last name, so I'm gonna just say Sophia. Okay. Sophia's comment reads, omg RP to Vapiano. Us and DC are hurting so bad. You know, when we had that moment of Appiano, I just remembered like, that damn. Y' all had it like, y' all had more than one Rapiano. So y' all had it real bad when y' all lost the brand.

[Dustin Ross]

So it's personal.

[Asante]

I'm sorry for y', all, but we felt y' all when we. We mentioned it.

[Dustin Ross]

Deeply grieving deeply.

[Asante]

Next. Next comment I want to read. And last comment I wanna read comes from Jazz. The comment reads, imagine my surprise when I learned this episode was titled after my great aunt who got on that mic and cut up. Yes, Martha Reeves is my Great aunt on my mom's side and we have been cutting up in the family group chat because who let her do that? This.

[Dustin Ross]

And she Please blur out the names. Please blur out the names and send us a copy of the family group chat. Blow out the. Blur out the names and numbers and let us see the group chat.

[Asante]

Please send us just a little bit, please. And you double down recently. Love you, auntie. But

[Dustin Ross]

shout out to you. You a real one.

[Asante]

Shout out to y' all like those. We know what happened. Like, we know that y' all be part of the thing when y' all be tuned in like that.

[Dustin Ross]

That is a jewel that makes me want to start going in the comments. For real.

[Asante]

What did you find out there in the streets?

[Francesca]

So let's see. Tiffany said, as for the surrogate story, I'm on the bio parent side. We don't know their circumstances. What if the surgery leads to a bunch of other surgeries? Then what about the quality of life for the child?

[Dustin Ross]

That's true.

[Francesca]

It was actually a lot of debating in the comments where people were on the bio parent side, people were on the surrogate side. People were just unhappy with the conversation as a whole. We also have Lee John. Hey, Lee John. I love Lee John. Every time I see his face, I'm like, hey, John. He says. Lee says I only knew of school starting in August and ending in May in the south because remember I was asking about school starting earlier, so I guess that makes sense. He says, when I lived in New York, we went to school from early September to late June. And that's really it because I don't remember school being any different. I also don't have any kids in my life that are in New York. So I don't know what if that has changed at all for them.

[Dustin Ross]

In Michigan. We got out around June 6, June 5. Our last day would always be like June 3, June 4, June 5.

[Francesca]

Right. It would be like mid June for us and then we'd be back in school like the first or second week of September, but they just, they're already in school first week of August. That's so crazy to me. Right? Craig G. Says, Fran, I do remember school starting in the beginning of September when I was in high school in the 90s. I also remember Christmas break being longer than what it is now. I believe we would be off around the 19th and would and wouldn't be back until like the 3rd of January. I remember that too. Is that anymore?

[Dustin Ross]

It was like two weeks.

[Francesca]

It was always two weeks, like a full break.

[Dustin Ross]

I used to feel like a whole new person when I came back. And then, you know, we didn't have Christmas presents, but our mama would take us shopping and we all. We had to have new clothes because we would be looking at them like this. So we. So we have to have new clothes. We would come back to school. I felt like a new person after Christmas. It's transformative. Yeah, it is.

[Francesca]

And it's a new season. Okay, my last one is Jazz, who says my best friend has hlhs. Her mother was told she would never live beyond a certain age. I believe this is what the baby. What the baby has. Right in the surrogate story. So we have been friends for 20 years. Needless to say, she's 31 years old, married to an amazing man, and owns a non profit. Also her own business. I understand raising a child with such a serious and rare disease is a lot. And I would never tell a woman what to do with her body. But you never know what a child will survive or become. If you want to become a parent, you should expect the gamble. It could be disease or sexuality, a disability. If you're not ready, don't do it.

[Dustin Ross]

I mean, points were made.

[Francesca]

Okay. That's what I'm saying. There were a lot of opposing views, which I always appreciate. And I always appreciate when y' all can oppose with respect, that's the biggest thing.

[Dustin Ross]

Absolutely.

[Francesca]

That's it for me. What about you, Dustin Ross, would you find in those Twitter streets?

[Dustin Ross]

So, speaking of finding love in the comments, I have gotten a lot of tweets from people who appreciated the roller coaster community news that I saw.

[Francesca]

I saw that too.

[Dustin Ross]

So I see you. We see each other, we speak your names for sure. And we back at it one more again, since I know there's a. A desire and an appetite for it. So this week's tweet comes from the actual American coaster enthusiasts Twitter account, which we all know.

[Francesca]

Wow. Y' all have a Twitter.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, it's. It's ace, right? If you're an ace member. Whatever. So the official account for the American coaster enthusiasts, dedicated to the preservation, promotion and enjoyment of amusement rides. So they tweeted about my personal favorite theme park in the world, which is Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It was my home park growing up. Fran has a connection to it. I feel like that ties us. I don't know.

[Francesca]

Isn't that so funny?

[Dustin Ross]

But, like, because we know being on the peninsula, we know. We know what it means to ride down that causeway and see Cedar Point off in the Distance as approaching it. And that feeling of the water around you, we know that.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

This is why this tweet is important. So they said a landmark anniversary deserves a landmark. American coaster enthusiasts is proud to recognize Corkscrew at Cedar Point as an Ace Roller Coaster landmark. The landmark plaque will be presented on September 12th during the ACE Eastern Great Lakes event. Coaster Palooza. And they tag Cedar Point in the tweet. So this don't mean nothing to y', all, but it means something. That's because Corkscrew was the first triple looping coaster in the world. It is iconic, friend. You'll remember when you're walking down the main causeway at Cedar Point, there's an old roller coaster and you walk under the loops. Yeah, that's Corkscrew. Now it's an official landmark, which is like something deemed historical.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dustin Ross]

And it's cool. So it's official. So that was for the roller coaster nerds.

[Francesca]

I love that for y'. All. We have fun,

[Asante]

you know.

[Dustin Ross]

And that's that. That's it for me this week.

[Francesca]

That is super cute. That means that that's it for the intro segment. Let's jump into this week's episode.

[Dustin Ross]

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[Asante]

What do I do? Well, there are 250 reasons to join T Mobile.

[Dustin Ross]

Like what?

[Asante]

You can keep your phone and your

[Dustin Ross]

number and T Mobile helps pay it

[Asante]

off up to $800 per line.

[Dustin Ross]

So I wouldn't have to buy a new phone?

[Francesca]

Yep.

[Asante]

Plus your plan price stays the same for 5 years on experience plans.

[Dustin Ross]

Nice.

[Francesca]

Find your reason@t mobile.com

[Dustin Ross]

via virtual prepaid guard card. Typically takes 15 days after rebate submission price guarantee on TalkText and 5G data

[Asante]

exclusions like taxes and fees apply.

[Francesca]

This week's episode is an Asante production. What we getting into this week? Asante and don't lie.

[Asante]

This week we're getting into business. Well, I mean not really. We're. We're talking about black people in movies yet again. I feel like it's important because black people, so many of us as creatives and entertainers and content creators. I say creators already. I just put content on that second time. I don't know why. Anyway, us that just wants to be happy out in the world, right. We want to be supported and I feel like in supporting everyone Black, it's just nice to have little round tables about black news, black movie news, black things happening in, you know, those industries.

[Dustin Ross]

Very Easter. Right to the bullshit. Rooting for everybody Black.

[Asante]

Absolutely. Always, always over here. This conversation was rooted in a couple of different things. So it's going to go a few different places. But. But honestly it's literally just like a few major like movie headlines and kind of how we feel about the things that are going on or if we even care about the things that are going on. Right.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

Because the types of movies that I am going to talk about all fall under that Very special. Asante category of porn, you say?

[Dustin Ross]

What Porn? Ebony porn.

[Francesca]

Amateur.

[Asante]

Okay, you both.

[Dustin Ross]

Pov.

[Asante]

Pov. Please stop before Slam Pig comes out from somewhere. This is not. Rory, please.

[Dustin Ross]

Tasty Treasures or some.

[Asante]

Is that what they was talking about

[Dustin Ross]

on Nasty Black or something?

[Asante]

Tasty Black.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, Tasty.

[Francesca]

Tasty Blacks. Is that. You know what? Let's.

[Dustin Ross]

There you go. Name of the episode.

[Asante]

Oh, since we are talking about TVs and movies, I'm really gonna talk about movies mainly this week. But I just wanna know what y' all have been watching. What's the last. What's the. What's the last good movie you've seen either at the movies or at home?

[Francesca]

The Odyssey.

[Dustin Ross]

Wicked. Oooh,

[Asante]

wait, part one or two?

[Dustin Ross]

Both of them.

[Asante]

Did you see them both in the theaters?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes, multiple times. Multiple times? Yes, Sat through that multiple times. I had to hear her sing. And then once I became familiar with the soundtrack, I had to hear no one mourns the Wicked, but Ariana be hitting them hard.

[Asante]

That's a good one.

[Dustin Ross]

I had to hear that multiple times. So.

[Francesca]

But. And weren't there people that watch them together? Like the movies being shown back to back?

[Dustin Ross]

If I can't smoke in there and then, you know, eat and get comfy and shit, that's not gonna work for me. I have to break it up. But yes, and don't get. And don't feel no shame either.

[Francesca]

You shouldn't.

[Dustin Ross]

I watched Strong on Peacock. Did you watch?

[Asante]

Oh, I did watch Strong.

[Francesca]

What is Strong?

[Dustin Ross]

With Chloe Bailey and Lynn, the incomparable Whitfield.

[Francesca]

Oh, that.

[Dustin Ross]

She's the best grandmother. You hear me? Lynn Whitfield, New Orleans finest. That's a Louisiana woman. Okay.

[Francesca]

She's so sweet.

[Dustin Ross]

So shout out to Lynn Whitfield.

[Asante]

She is never to be played with.

[Dustin Ross]

I want her to come on the show. Lynn, if. Ms. Lynn. Ms. Lynn Whitfield, if you listen to this.

[Asante]

Please, come on. We'll be so honored.

[Dustin Ross]

I just want to dig in and just tap into Lynn Whitfield. She represents a lot of things that I identify with. You know, how certain people who just embody that scowl. Oh, my God, Lynn. If I had tits involved, I'm telling you, I would be very much a Lynn Whitfield type of being. So I love Lynn Whitfield and I really want to talk to her on the show. So that'd be cute.

[Asante]

If any of y' all know her, she might be one of y' all aunties.

[Dustin Ross]

Lynn, let's dig in and talk some shit. Ms. Lynn Whitfield. Let's do it.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

I would love this, friend.

[Asante]

What's the last good movie you seen?

[Francesca]

The Odyssey I just saw this weekend.

[Asante]

Did you see it in 40x,

[Francesca]

right? No, I saw regular standard screen.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Francesca]

It was amazing, though. I had such a great time. What a great movie. And I was trying to remember because I was asking Claude. I'm like, I. We had to read that. I just couldn't remember.

[Dustin Ross]

Y' all went together school.

[Francesca]

No, no, no. We were talking about it because he. He saw it too, because, you know, he's traveling right now. He's in South Africa.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, he sure is. Where is he? In Durban.

[Francesca]

Huh? Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So what a life.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

I wonder if they did the Hustle, the Tamiya Hustle over there. I know I would have had to hit it in Durban one time with Tamia. Like, somebody hold my phone.

[Francesca]

But we were trying to remember if we read that from middle school or high school. And I was like. It was like, imagine, right? Like, it has to be more middle school. I'm thinking eighth grade. I just can't remember the class. But I'm like, now I want to read it again. Because you're so young in eighth grade. I know we understood it because the teachers broke it down, but it's different to read it on your own and see what kind of kicks up for you. But I loved it. It was a great.

[Dustin Ross]

Should we go there with the situation

[Francesca]

to watch the Odyssey?

[Dustin Ross]

To read the Odyssey.

[Francesca]

Oh, to read. Ooh, should we do that? That'd be interesting.

[Dustin Ross]

I ain't afraid of no ghosts. I read that book as an adult. I love. I love stimulating myself intellectually like that.

[Francesca]

Oh, no. That's why I'm like, I still have my copy from school. So I'm like, I keep all my

[Dustin Ross]

school books from having conversations. I can get sex from having conversations about me just reading, rereading the Odyssey, you know, Sure, I make people want to give me some. So, yeah, I think we should do it. I think we should do it.

[Asante]

Books of power.

[Francesca]

Okay. But, yes, I'm gonna. I'm looking forward to rereading it just to see what I understand at this point in life. But, yeah, that's probably the best movie I've seen. I'm trying to think what else I've gone to the theaters for that I enjoy.

[Asante]

Do you know that I think I saw the Odyssey in theaters as well?

[Dustin Ross]

Because it is still Peter.

[Asante]

It was a really good movie. But what I asked you prior, had you seen in 40x, I saw 40x, which was very Very, very distracting.

[Francesca]

What was. So what is 40x?

[Dustin Ross]

Did you have to wear glasses?

[Asante]

No, thank. So you don't have to wear glasses, and that's why I agree to it. I was told you don't have to wear glass. Yeah, well, IMAX, 3D or. But anyway, I don't want to do all that.

[Dustin Ross]

I just want to watch a movie.

[Asante]

The way that it was sold to me is that the movie is better and you get a better seat. You don't have.

[Dustin Ross]

It was made for that. Right. Wasn't Odyssey. It was made to be seen.

[Asante]

The movie is literally shot in a certain way and they literally, like, it's interactive in the theater. So, like, there's little holes in the back of the seat that'll shoot air out. There are little misters that will shoot water out. The seats be rocking real hard.

[Francesca]

Cool. I've seen that.

[Asante]

Where you bonnet where you buying it for swim cap? I would like to thank God. At one point my lid wouldn't stay on, right? And so I held it for a second.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, your cup runneth over.

[Asante]

Well, thank God it didn't because abundance of scientific. I didn't hold in my cup. So I was like, the lid. So I was like, let me go ahead and put this back on here. And then right after I put it back on there, the chair started shaking so hard. I was like, if I would have

[Dustin Ross]

left this lid off, I would have been, we need to go see that in that form, in that format with some old school church people and don't tell them. And not tell them. Don't tell them. You know what I'm saying? No, like some church mothers and shit. We need to go with them and don't tell them that that's happening. Happening.

[Asante]

You are so right.

[Francesca]

You know, that was a thing I've seen. No, not that. I've seen clips of that theater on Tick Tock, I think, or just online. And I thought it was AI because it'd be jerky.

[Asante]

It's funny that you mentioned Tick Tock, because after, I don't know, I kind of felt like I was like. I feel kind of used the way I was like getting shook and took in that chair. Like, I don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

I just didn't like that.

[Asante]

So I. I was on Tick Tock and this girl, she was like, y', all, I just watched Spider man, the new Spider man, and I watched it at 40x and I was in there getting my ass kicked. I was the villain and Spider man was with my ass. And then at some Point I was Spider man and the villain was with my ass. And at some point they wasn't even doing nothing and I was still getting my ass.

[Francesca]

That sounds cute. Low key.

[Asante]

It is.

[Francesca]

I'm assuming that's not in every state. Is it, like limited? Because that seems like a lot.

[Asante]

I did see it at an AMC, so I'm sure the AMCs, they got them in multiple places. The 40X, you know, I'm have to look this up.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

But yeah, I love the. All the content that people are making. Like, especially the, like, rappers and shit that have little kids when. When they get dressed up with like Spider man gear on and take their kids to the movie.

[Asante]

I love that.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to do one myself, but I don't want to just do it. I feel like that's corny. I would have to be hired by, like, Marvel or Spider Man. You know how they do the little host of deals and shit. I want to do that kind of stuff. So if you work in them kind of movies and shit, I want to do that.

[Francesca]

Dustin, I want to do that.

[Dustin Ross]

I put on a Spider man sweatshirt and get a bucket of popcorn and smile. I would do that. So I'm gonna do that.

[Asante]

Yeah, that would be cute.

[Francesca]

I actually want to see Spider Man. That's on my list.

[Asante]

You'd be watching a franchise friend who

[Dustin Ross]

wants to see Spider Man.

[Francesca]

I really do. I think it's. I've seen them, which is weird because I'm not that person necessarily. But I like the Spider Man.

[Dustin Ross]

You enjoyed it?

[Francesca]

Maybe it's just because Zendaya's in them, but it's just cute to me.

[Dustin Ross]

She makes anything cool. She's about to play somebody too, in a movie. Who was it? The girl that sings Be My Baby or whatever? I think it was. But she's gonna play like an embattled singer in this relationship back in like the 50s.

[Francesca]

And it's coming out nice. Okay.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

And I think. I think Barry Jenkins is doing. Let me. Hold on.

[Francesca]

Well, her and Tom Holland are having a fabulous summer.

[Dustin Ross]

And I love it for them.

[Francesca]

I love that summer. What?

[Dustin Ross]

And I owe it out to you.

[Francesca]

I love that.

[Asante]

That's a duo right there. They don't even do that like that no more. It's just. Is it just them? Like, who. Who out there popping out like them?

[Francesca]

No one, literally.

[Asante]

That's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

So here we go. Be My Baby is the name of the movie. It's an upcoming A24 biographical drama starring Zendaya as 1960s music icon and Ronette's front woman, Ronnie Spector. The film will be directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins and focuses specifically on Spector's turbulent relationship with producer Phil Spector, rather than a conventional life story. So I think we onto some Zendaya. I feel like there's an Oscar loading for her.

[Francesca]

I mean, A24 and Barry Jenkins.

[Dustin Ross]

How can we go wrong? And Zendaya. And Zendaya, like, what the fuck?

[Asante]

Like that.

[Dustin Ross]

And who don't like that song? Be my, Be my little baby. You better sing. I just wanted you to sing, friend. Be my baby now.

[Francesca]

I don't know why that activated. Come on, be my baby tonight.

[Asante]

That's where I went the first time

[Francesca]

my brain activated both.

[Dustin Ross]

Happy birthday to his son, David Otunga and Jennifer Hudson's son turned 17 today. I saw her on Instagram. I remember her being pregnant in a black and white striped shirt in a picture. Y' all remember that picture? She was pregnant. I remember that. And that child is 17 years old. Shout out to Jennifer Huntington. David. David, come on, be my. Wait, that's not him. That's.

[Asante]

It's not. I was like, I didn't know that they were together.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't realize they was both reality shows. Never mind.

[Asante]

I was gonna say, I didn't know that they was together.

[Dustin Ross]

That's a different David. My bad. But anyway, happy birthday to Jennifer Hudson.

[Asante]

Happy birthday. I was gonna say, congrats on that kid. Right?

[Dustin Ross]

I know, I know. Punk. Looking at me like, yes.

[Asante]

I couldn't remember which one it was,

[Francesca]

you know, when the person was deciphering the codes, I was like, is that.

[Asante]

Wait.

[Dustin Ross]

It made sense to me at the time. Time.

[Asante]

So, I mean, it could have made

[Dustin Ross]

sense, but Happy birthday, David Otunga.

[Francesca]

They got a similar build, literally, that

[Asante]

it's still a random pairing, if you want me to be honest.

[Dustin Ross]

And they do have a similar muscular black man in a white era. I live in Arizona, ass. They do. They do. They both look like black men in white cities.

[Asante]

Like Phoenix, black man.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Oh, my God. I need to go.

[Asante]

Y' all crazy. So for the movies. Yeah, I saw that in 48. For the last good movie. Oh, the last good movie that I saw. And we. Since we talking about movies in theaters, I'm glad I didn't see this movie in the theaters because I feel like we talked about this on the show before the Long Walk. Have y' all heard of this movie?

[Francesca]

I saw the trailer when I was in theaters, and I was like, so the whole movie is about People walking.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, is Jill Scott in it?

[Asante]

Nope. She was not invited. And thank God, she. She probably was. Giving the invite was like hell to the N in it.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm your hair.

[Asante]

Countess. No. So the Long Walk.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

When they were doing the screenings in theaters, apparently they had the treadmills and you had to walk while you were watching.

[Francesca]

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Now hold on, hold on, hold on.

[Dustin Ross]

What kind of orange theory ass movie is this?

[Francesca]

Wait, there's a theater with treadmills and you walked while you watched the movie? You're kidding. I would have thought it was AI.

[Dustin Ross]

Good idea. Low key.

[Asante]

The Long Walk treadmill challenge. For the promotional release the Long Walk, Lionsgate hosted an extreme endurance screening in Los Angeles.

[Dustin Ross]

They invited this?

[Francesca]

Of course.

[Asante]

I mean, honestly, like, you know, as inconvenient as this is, I do want to get healthy. So it's like if I had to walk to and watch a movie, it's like this promotes. There's something to this on a different

[Francesca]

is two hours though.

[Asante]

I know that now that I mean

[Francesca]

it's fine because if you're doing your 10,000.

[Asante]

That's what I'm saying. If it's walking and you and you distracted watching TV and need to start losing anyway because you know, go to the movies, get popcorn. Big ass popcorn big. So go to movies and walk.

[Dustin Ross]

I was like, you know, and you gotta get cute. You gotta put on some fly shit for this. I would have wore like some rude basketball shorts with T shirt and like some Prada America's Cups. Yep. And then you have like a. A nice tumbler Stanley cup or whatever. That's what you take. And a headband. That's so weird to do this. I love this look.

[Asante]

That's good. Look good emotional gear for people that want to volunteer to do it. Anyway, they invited guests and influencers to watch this movie. The movie was an hour and 48 minutes. While the people walked on treadmills, they were required to maintain a pace above 3 mph, 3.0 or be escorted out.

[Dustin Ross]

Or you can get the out now.

[Francesca]

That's actually really funny marketing.

[Asante]

That's great. And it's great marketing, but it's also because of the movie. So the movie is based on the Stephen King point. Yeah, no, but the movie was crazy. And I don't want to spoil the

[Dustin Ross]

movie, but I spoil it this yo the movie horror.

[Asante]

Okay? So first of all, I watched it friend.

[Dustin Ross]

I watched at home.

[Asante]

At home. Literally. Like last week on HBO Max. I was like. I was like, this is HBO Max.

[Dustin Ross]

I'd be more scary watching a scary movie at home than I would.

[Asante]

Well, yes, because you feel like, get you in the house, like, you meet

[Dustin Ross]

the movie Thriller video still.

[Francesca]

You know how everyone been talking about that movie obsession and it's like breaking all kinds of records. So I don't do horror, but I was like, damn people really fucking with this movie. So we were like, like, let's see it. Let's just see. We turned it on.

[Asante]

Does it turn off?

[Francesca]

Turn on, turn on? Yeah. No, we didn't make it. I was like, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Asante]

How long?

[Dustin Ross]

I love suspense.

[Francesca]

Maybe like 30 minutes. I was like, okay, enough.

[Asante]

30 minute mark.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, God.

[Asante]

Look, you. You. You made it deep in there.

[Francesca]

I tried.

[Asante]

I ain't gonna lie.

[Francesca]

I just can't do it.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, what made you not. What made you abort?

[Francesca]

Just the end. Like, I just don't want to feel that way. You know what I mean? Like, why am I sitting here making myself feel that gory and bloody?

[Dustin Ross]

Or is it all of it?

[Francesca]

It's like psychological. It's gory, it's murderous, it's just. Yeah, no, I'm good. I don't do hard and just have to accept that it's not me.

[Asante]

Well, the long walk, it was like a. So the premise of it is there's like this government sanctioned walking competition and you have to walk until there's one, the last person standing. And what that means is once you get tired, you get shot. So all throughout this movie.

[Francesca]

Crazy.

[Asante]

It's literally the camera crew following the actors walking and like for miles an hour or for miles on end, I think they totaled out how many hour miles they walked. And I forgot what they said the number was. But the movie.

[Dustin Ross]

You know who I would have went with if I was in LA for that?

[Asante]

Who?

[Francesca]

Who?

[Dustin Ross]

Our girl, Wheezy. I would have called Wheezy. Girl. Yeah. I'd be like, girl, you want to go to this? I would. I would have asked Wheezy. Yep.

[Francesca]

I could see her too.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Finding something like this after 40x, if I was walking on that treadmill and they would have like been playing the gunshots or like, you know, a gust of air past my ear when something was happening or something. Like, I wouldn't. I would not have been able to do it. I just.

[Francesca]

It's just too much coordinating. Like, I'm trying to watch the movie but also monitor my pace. Like, I can't. I don't know if I could do both. I would be. It would take me out of it. But you know who. The lead actor. Who's the new Black Panther?

[Asante]

This is my segue. Go ahead.

[Francesca]

I love him.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Francesca]

I watched him in industry. Industry. Thank you. I was like that finance show. Love him on industry. He was great in that. There's something else. Oh. I watched this movie of his. It's like him and a girl. It's like a UK kind of rom com. It has Nate. It's like two names, whatever their names were. I didn't.

[Dustin Ross]

Queen and Slim.

[Francesca]

I didn't really love that movie, but I love him as an actor. I just think he makes.

[Asante]

Was it the West End?

[Francesca]

No, it was like two names. Like, whatever the couple's name was.

[Dustin Ross]

Kim and Croy.

[Francesca]

One of those, which. You get what I mean. Kim and Croix.

[Dustin Ross]

A trashy love story.

[Francesca]

But, yes, he's a really good actor, so I'm excited to see him get this opportunity.

[Asante]

Yes. That's actually part of the reason why I watched the Long Walk as well. Because recently, on July 25th at Comic Con, Ryan Coogler invite us to that, too.

[Dustin Ross]

This is the show shooting a shot. Invite the Friend Zone to Comic Con. Pay us to come out there. We want to do it. It would be good for everybody involved. Invite us to Comic Con.

[Asante]

Yes. Because of me watching this film. I was watching it because of the announcement that was made that David Johnson is going to be the new Black Panther. He's taking up the mantle of T', Challa, which is slated to be out in 2028, which is a whole time.

[Dustin Ross]

We need a little time.

[Asante]

We do need some time. And honestly, Black Panther was always a complex thing in itself for so many reasons, but we also didn't want the franchise to die. And people already had their opinions about the Black Panther being a woman. So there's a bunch of different things here.

[Dustin Ross]

What woman could play Black Panther?

[Asante]

Well, no, because the sister took on Shuri. Name Leslie.

[Dustin Ross]

She dope.

[Francesca]

The actress. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Who else could do it? I think Nene could do it.

[Asante]

Leticia.

[Francesca]

Right, Leticia. Thank you. I kept saying Felicia. I knew it was something with Aisha, but aren't. Isn't this like multiverse things too, where different people can play Black Panther? Isn't that my understanding of how that works?

[Dustin Ross]

Asante, That's a you question for sure.

[Francesca]

You know, I don't know.

[Asante]

Look, and here's my honest answer. Unfortunately, I did not nerd up, nerd out enough and get into the Black Panther franchise as a whole. So it's like I don't actually know. And I'M not. And I haven't followed the Marvel calendar in years. Now, let me explain what that means. Right, because that was a perfect me question. Marvel, they dropped these movies, and they drop movies. Series, animated series, they dropped these in phases. And so there's always, like a superhero movie that also includes cameos from other superheroes or villains or storyline PL lines that show up in their other offspring that happen later. All that to say, like an example, Iron Man. Iron man had his movie. Well, the Robert Downey Jr. Version. And then the Avengers happened, which was a culmination of a bunch of the different ones. And then Spider man, the new Spider man came out of that one. Tom Holland. Because Tom Holland's Spider man picks up off of him being in one of the Avengers movies, which I was like, oh, this is so cool. Like, we've established a Spider man here and now we have one. But I always hated that we're doing another Spider Man. So when that conversation first came up of why didn't Donald Glover get Spider Man? And it was Tom Holland, it was like, all right, this sucks, but here we are. So this thing of representation always comes up. But yes, Black Panther is just complex for a myriad of reasons. Regardless, I want to see David Johnson because he's been announced and slated as this Black Panther that's going to be released in December 2028. I'm just curious and infatuated to see what that's going to look like.

[Dustin Ross]

Wait, so it's not Shuri?

[Asante]

No, this. No, Shuri is not the Black Panther in this one. But. But again, I'm not familiar enough with the story to know what this next story is like. I think in the first one, it ended. There was, like, a baby that t' Challa had with. I can't remember the girl name because Angela Bassett.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, no, that was Mama. Ramona. What was her name? Ramona.

[Francesca]

Just throwing names out.

[Asante]

You are killing me. What's her name?

[Dustin Ross]

Because then she. She was about to win the Oscar for this.

[Asante]

Because I hate that. I hate to even hear her name. All I want to say is, Angela. Bessie did something.

[Dustin Ross]

Queen Ramona. Was that her name? What was Angela. Oh, it's for real. Tay. What was Angela's name?

[Asante]

I know. Hold on. Give me one second.

[Francesca]

It could not have been Ramona.

[Asante]

It was definitely not Ramona.

[Dustin Ross]

Regina.

[Asante]

I'm stopped saying it because. Rolanda, you're making me. Okay. The Black Panther franchise. Letitia. Leticia. Angela.

[Dustin Ross]

What's her name? Regina. Right.

[Asante]

Stop saying that.

[Dustin Ross]

Roslyn. It starts with an R. Queen Roslyn.

[Asante]

Queen.

[Dustin Ross]

Queen.

[Asante]

Why won't it just show it to me?

[Dustin Ross]

Was it Roz? It was something with an R. Queen Ramona, I believe.

[Francesca]

Queen Ramonda.

[Asante]

Ramonda.

[Dustin Ross]

Ramonda. Ramonda.

[Asante]

You were close, I will give you that. I knew.

[Dustin Ross]

I knew it somewhere.

[Asante]

All he was missing was the D, which is crazy because you from. So, yes, the Black Panther story is continuing and I do want to see it. I just hate when these movies are announced so far in advance because as we just saw, this was a great win for black people. But we just also took a great L for not black people, but Blade fans, because Mahershala just announced that he ain't been doing nothing with Marvel, so he's not going to be continuing the project because basically Marvel ain't did nothing with him. So Mahershala, he was.

[Dustin Ross]

He's a hot commodity.

[Francesca]

I love him.

[Asante]

So, I mean, when you say hot commodity, I mean, we had been asking at one point, like, damn, where has Mahershala been?

[Dustin Ross]

And I knew he was cooking.

[Asante]

A part of it was he was under this Marvel contract, so he wasn't cooking as much as he.

[Dustin Ross]

He could be.

[Asante]

Yeah. And he was mad about that, locking

[Francesca]

him in so much of his time.

[Asante]

Like, not even just like two, three years, like seven, eight years.

[Dustin Ross]

Cause, hell no. Hell no.

[Asante]

I think he was announced back in like, 2019. So that's why it's like, y', all. I want.

[Dustin Ross]

So what did he say? So has the contract expired? Like, how is he legally able to do this? Tay.

[Francesca]

And he's in that new movie coming out. What is it? My mother. My mother. My mother still Magnolia.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Asante]

See, because you do things like that, it makes us hard to believe you when you say other things. But even remember when we were talking about the movie centers, a lot of the costumes and set, like, those designs were sold from the Blade project to Ryan Coogler. So it was like that project and Mahershala had been training, like, he went

[Dustin Ross]

to TJ Maxx, where he go.

[Asante]

But for Hollywood, he went to TJ

[Dustin Ross]

Maxx and got this at the beginning, it was over type.

[Francesca]

Not at the Beverly Center.

[Asante]

And this is so funny. I don't know if y' all even remember. Y' all probably don't remember. Actually, I just had a thought back in, like, two. Yeah. I was in high school at 2005. Six. No, no, no.

[Francesca]

I was like, you was a sticky.

[Asante]

Y' all know, sticky. Y' all remember sticky fingers?

[Francesca]

I had a job.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't want to say now you got me feeling so Old and antique.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Asante]

I don't say nothing when we talk about the other stuff. Okay. Don't do this to me when y' all be like, yeah, I remember.

[Francesca]

Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. But it'd be recent stuff, you know, sometimes. Oh, my gosh.

[Asante]

So, yes, it was announced back in July 2019 that Mahershala was going to be played, that he was going to play Blade. Now, he actually had approached them. It was like a passion project. Marshal. He wanted this project. And we hadn't had Blade since Wesley Snipes, which was a great Blade. Wesley Snipes was such a great blade.

[Dustin Ross]

Cynthia Revo could do it.

[Asante]

Look to me.

[Francesca]

I mean, you know what? I watched it again with these eyes now, and it wasn't the same experience.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, that's how things age.

[Francesca]

Yeah. They still are clowns.

[Asante]

It was definitely further to enjoy that.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

When we did, you know, I don't feel. I don't feel shamed about it.

[Francesca]

No, not at all.

[Dustin Ross]

Janelle James played Blade for the Halloween episode of Abbott.

[Asante]

Did happen.

[Francesca]

She have the hair and everything.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes. And it was so funny.

[Francesca]

She is so damn funny.

[Dustin Ross]

So funny, man.

[Francesca]

Oh, God.

[Asante]

Well, Mahershala, basically, he was spotted somewhere, and he'd been saying, like, he'd been at. He been asking, and they had been asking him, you know, where is that? Yeah, right. He basically kept saying, call Marvel. Like, you know, ask them, like, I'm ready. Like, he'd been waiting and waiting, waiting.

[Francesca]

That's way too much of his life as an actor.

[Asante]

Mahershala Ali, he has two Oscars, I

[Dustin Ross]

believe he needs to play. Yeah, he has two.

[Asante]

Yeah, he's one for moonlight and one for Green Book.

[Dustin Ross]

Green book. Oh, Jade got a green book dress. Did you ever see it?

[Francesca]

What?

[Asante]

What do you mean?

[Dustin Ross]

Jade, she got a dress with the girl with a bunch of pictures of green book all over it. You ain't never seen it?

[Francesca]

No.

[Dustin Ross]

She wore it at a. She was doing something at an event or something, and she wore it. She got a green book dress. Jade.

[Francesca]

So ransom.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I used to ask her.

[Dustin Ross]

I laughed so hard. I was like, jade, you wearing what? She said, it's a green book. I was like,

[Francesca]

with her rice bag, y.

[Dustin Ross]

Which is fire. She got a green book dress. For real. I'm not even exaggerating.

[Francesca]

Oh, I love her so much.

[Asante]

Well, Blade, they basically went through a bunch of different disasters. Because, remember, this was announced in 2019. Y' all know, Covid happened shortly after that. But. But even, right, Marvel was still dropping.

[Dustin Ross]

He immune. He a superhero.

[Asante]

That's why it's like, yes, these things happen. But, like, y' all were still dropping even in 2021. There was a Marvel movie where at the end of that movie, there was a. Like. Cause y' all know what these movies, there's always, like, these Easter eggs. Like, you know, at the end post credit scene, Mahershala Ali's voice was in it as Blade. And so it was like a teaser because, y' all know, announced in 2019, this happened in 2021. So we thinking, like, okay, maybe Blade is coming 2023, 2025. It's 2026. We still don't have the Blade. So it's just like, Blade just kept getting pushed, pushed and pushed until, you know, ain't been going down.

[Dustin Ross]

So did we find out how he was able to do this yet or.

[Asante]

No, we don't know how he was able to do it, but he basically tweeted, if Marvel really wanted to make the movie, we'd have made it. I've moved on. So it's not even that he was dropped from the project or maybe that it's not happening, but maybe he's still at the point where he's just trying to be like, y' all better hurry up.

[Francesca]

For y', all, it just has to be prioritized.

[Asante]

Right?

[Dustin Ross]

Who do y' all want him to play in a movie?

[Asante]

You say what?

[Dustin Ross]

Who do y' all want him to play in a movie? Like, if he's gonna play somebody else in a big film, big biopic, who you wanna play?

[Asante]

Big biopic. I was gonna say I trust Mahershala's eye. Whatever script he chooses.

[Dustin Ross]

Patrick Ewing.

[Francesca]

Patrick Ewing.

[Dustin Ross]

Give me a basketball movie and let him pay. Patrick Ewing? Yeah.

[Francesca]

Well, he's so little.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, he is, ain't he? Well, he seems big on Twitter.

[Francesca]

I'm like, that would be kind of tough.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Francesca]

Boosie do not do marshal.

[Dustin Ross]

He'll win an Oscar playing boosie. Get on there and act ignorant. Action. You know, he'll do that.

[Asante]

It's funny that you say that, though, because part of the reason that Blade wasn't, like, happening is because they spent a lot of time on these scripts. And so apparently the script, they just couldn't. They couldn't come together.

[Francesca]

Right. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, good that they stopped it. Better than giving us a shitty movie.

[Asante]

Yeah, because. Because the script has to have its own, like, strong story, but then it also has to fit somewhere within this Marvel universe. So it's like, either introduce characters or whatever. And so it's like when you have an actor Like Mahershala, there's so much potential and possibility there. But then, you know, with writing, there are just other factors at play. Like, you know, what's the message?

[Dustin Ross]

Put Ms. Pat in the writer's room. Put Ms. Pat in the writer's room. Hell, yeah. So he can say, you motherfuckers. You know what I'm saying, when he talking his shit.

[Asante]

I wrote that.

[Francesca]

Oh, my Hershela. When he's out, though, I see seen he was promoting a new movie.

[Dustin Ross]

How tall is he?

[Francesca]

He don't strike. Let me see. How tall is Mahershal Ali?

[Dustin Ross]

I know his name.

[Francesca]

He is six two. Six two.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, so he's not so small after all. But not Patrick Ewing.

[Francesca]

Damn. I didn't know Marshall was six two. Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

I did. Because his legs look long driving that car in the green book. I was like, this nigga is leggy like Dr. Jackie. Steeled ass.

[Francesca]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

We hope they get it together. And we hope they get it together.

[Asante]

Black Panther was one of those movies where it's like, we needed that at the time. And Blade is just one of those movie. This movie, Blade was something we thought we were gonna get before Black Panther because we already had the Wesley stamp. So it was like, all right, so, like, we're gonna get a new Blade thing because we always get a new spider man. So it was exciting when we had that Black Panther moment for a bunch of different reasons, like, people that weren't even movie nerds or comic nerds. For them to come out and, you know, be like Wakanda forever. That was beautiful.

[Dustin Ross]

We were so excited that we wore Black Panther costumes for from the 70s Social Action Network. We wore berets and leather jackets.

[Francesca]

Did you get dressed up?

[Dustin Ross]

We wore berets and leather jackets and held our fists up that first day in the morning. It was about Africa. We was all in there with black berets and shit on. On the dead homies. We went to Kips Bay, the AMC in Kips Bay. To Kips Bay. That's how excited we were for the moment. N was dressing like Black Panthers and Africans all in the movies. Yeah. We didn't know. We was just happy to support and be a part of the thing. Oh, well, it's the truth, kids Bay.

[Francesca]

I love Kips Bay. I do want to say this. I saw the trailer for a movie that Mahershala has coming out next month. It's called you'd mother, your mother, your mother. And apparently starring Dr. Heavenly, starring Marshalla Ali as a religious hitman navigating single parenthood in Houston.

[Dustin Ross]

This sounds great already.

[Francesca]

Yeah, the trailer is amazing. So I love him. I just think he makes everything.

[Asante]

It's funny because you see he a hitman. So that that Blade training came in.

[Francesca]

Yeah, that's when I. But the thing is, when I saw the trailer, I was like, oh, yeah, this is his way to sort of get that off. Yeah, I'm happy for him.

[Asante]

So if Marvel people watch that movie directors or producers, whoever, they can literally look and be like, damn, this would have been a hard ass shot for him as Blade.

[Dustin Ross]

But now eat your heart out so

[Asante]

now they can watch it. And he said, your mother, your mother,

[Francesca]

your mother and your mother. Yep, yep.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the friends. All right, y' all know what time of year it is. And starting the school year, feeling behind can shake a kid's confidence fast. And who wants that for their baby, their children, suckling youth? Who wants that for them, right?

[Asante]

Not me.

[Dustin Ross]

And I don't even have none. But for the ones that I love, I don't want that for them. And neither does ixl because IXL keeps them walking into class ready and reassured. Okay? IXL is an award winning online learning platform that helps kids truly understand what they've been learning, whether they're building math confidence, strengthening reading and writing skills, or even reviewing science concepts. And that is because IXL is used in 96 of the top 100 school districts in the United States. You know, numbers don't lie, okay? And that kind of representation is definitely saying something. And also, studies show that kids who use ixl, they score higher on tests and they're proven in all 50 states to have done so. I have children in my family, although I am not a parent, I am involved in some youth. Much like that song used to say on that TV show. I can't to the young black youth, in my case, you know what I'm saying? And because of us working with ixl, I suggested it has been such a great benefit in these young scholars lives. And seeing it put to use in that way makes me really believe in this product. So this is not something that I'm just talking about. This is something that literally will help kids get back into a learning routine. It closes gaps from last year and it builds confidence in challenging subjects. And starting with the new year, off strong, which is what I know you all want for your kids. That's the thing that IXL can help make happen now. You can make an impact on your child's learning. And get IXL now. And the friend zone listeners can get an exclusive 20% off of IXL membership when they sign up today at ixl.com friendzone visit ixl.com friendzone to get the most effective learning program out there at the best price.

[Francesca]

So I recently had to buy a new hammock because my hammock was looking crazy. The weather here is very up and down. You know, it's an outdoor hammock. It's withstood a lot of changing climates, let's put it that way. And it's kind of my fault because that's one of those things you kind of need to be taking in and out of the house, you know, But I just left it out there because I like the vibes. But I bought a new one, and it's so beautiful. And I've been out there the past couple of weeks just reading, you know, the situation books that we have and some personal books that I'm enjoying, and I'm laying there with the trees. And it really inspired me to start getting more outdoor space furniture. You know, it's like I had like, a little table and some chairs and my hammock. But I realized that I hadn't really put a lot of energy into making it an oasis. It was more so just things that were practical and needed. We had the table for outdoor eating, the hammock for outdoor reading, and just a couple more little seats for when we have guests in the grill. But I started looking through Wayfair and realizing how many of the beautiful couches they had, the beautiful sets with the two seaters and three seaters and the single seaters and the fire pits, I mean, you name it, everything that could really help you create a beautiful Zen experience in your back deck. And even though I know people are feeling like summer is almost over, but don't forget the fall. The fall is nice, too, to sit out with your cozy sweaters, your cozy blankets, your teacups, you know, your mug of hot chocolate. Your book is still a vibe, and we have plenty more months of that as Dustin puts a blanket on right now. So shop furniture and decor that stands up to your real life and the real times at hand at Wayfair. So whether you're all about curating your space for, let's say, dinner parties or just for your cozy nights in at Wayfair, you'll actually find quality materials that are built to last, and you'll find options that fit your style and your budget. And plus, Wayfair is verified your shortcut to durable pieces that are hand vetted by product specialists using attempts Standpoint, quality, inspection, testing, things like the quality of materials, functionality and features, and even how long it takes to build. So like I said, my favorite part about Wayfair is you can start realizing you need outdoor furniture and then you'll see cute blankets, and then that'll remind you that you need new bedding. And then when you go to the bedding, you start seeing the headboards behind them and realizing maybe there's a update I could do for some of the the beds in my house. And Wayfair has everything. It really is a rabbit hole, but it has something for everyone and every occasion. So if you're interested, join Wayfair Rewards today to get 5% back on every purchase and start saving on your next home upgrade. So head to Wayfair.com to shop all things home. That's W A Y-F A I R dot com. That's Wayfair. Every style, every home.

[Asante]

Shout out to Mahershala Ali and shout out to black people everywhere. Because it's after it was people, it was actors like Wesley Snipes that paved the way so we could have things like an updated Blade with Mahershala Ali. So it's like, damn, I really, really want that. Like, I really. I still want that. I don't know if they got to come to him with a whole bunch of money and be like, hey, not only will we take care of you for this movie, but whatever the next two projects you do, we'll compensate you for doing that, for wasting your time. For the past few years, something negotiated

[Dustin Ross]

a nasty kill fee in that Marvel contract so that if the movie doesn't happen, he walks away with a huge bag. That's a really good.

[Francesca]

And he should. They wasted a lot of his time. Yeah.

[Asante]

And this is. It's funny because people talk about, or I've seen, like, actors talk about why they choose to do movies over TV shows or theater over, you know, Hollywood. Like, I think it's so interesting to watch people move in their different dynamics, but I can see how timely movies can be if you're under a contract. Even when you're not, like, doing anything, it's like, oh, you can't say anything. You can't sign up for nothing. Hell, you really can't be seen. It's just like, damn, I can't even walk a red carpet. Because it's like, you gotta. We gotta keep you fresh. People ain't supposed to know what you look like or what you're doing or, like, it's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

And that's why Prince had us calling him the Artist Formerly Known as Prince and put that slave shit on his face.

[Asante]

Face.

[Dustin Ross]

Because he was locked in that contract. So, see, they. They ain't going to have me locked in that contract.

[Francesca]

Contract.

[Dustin Ross]

That's right. My heart.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Well, I want to quickly touch back on a book that we previously read, because there was a plot line in this book that brings me to this next piece of this next and last piece of news. Okay. Because I just want to talk about, like, movies as a whole. And. And this is a movie that is coming out as well. You know, I wanted to talk about Black Panther first because that was a really good thing. And this last thing could be a good thing, but it's just like, now there's controversy behind it, so it makes it kind of like, what is it? But well, before I give it to you, the callback that I want to quickly give you guys is Seven Days in June. I don't know if y' all remember the main character in Seven Days of June. And Patreon. Shout out to Patreon. We read the Seven Days in June a while back.

[Francesca]

So that's one of our first books.

[Asante]

Yeah. So some of this is a little. Little foggy, but I just distinctly remember because the lead. Eva. Eva, the lead, she was an author, a writer, and not only was she a writer, she was a writer of a fantasy series. Like, remember? She. It was like, between, like a vampire and a werewolf, and she was the vampire, and the. That she ended up being with by the end of the book was the werewolf. Anyway, that's neither. Nor there. It was just funny because this was a book about a writer, and at one point in Seven days of June. Seven days in June.

[Francesca]

Seven days in June, I think.

[Asante]

Yes. Seven Days in June. Excuse me. From the early.

[Francesca]

Dustin. Killing me, please.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm at my bookshelf trying to remember Dustin.

[Asante]

E. The real reason I remember Seven Days in June because that one started with her masturbating. It was just like, okay, girl. Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

Like, vaguely.

[Francesca]

She was like, I'm finding it.

[Asante]

They. Were they in New York?

[Francesca]

Yes, in Brooklyn. My bookshelf, remember, because her child's dad was in California or something, and the.

[Asante]

That she wanted to be with.

[Dustin Ross]

He.

[Asante]

He was like a teacher, a mentor or some. Yeah, Look, I'm sorry, Dustin. It wasn't a test, I promise. I'm gonna just. I'm just skip. Okay, so the main character in Seven Days of June, there was a part of the book where she was having a meeting with someone because again, she was A writer within this written work. And her written work was being turned into a film. And she was having a struggle with trying to find the right people because they wanted her to make changes to her film that would have involved changing the colors.

[Dustin Ross]

You about to talk about children, the Bone and Blood, Cuz that lady is. She's pissed. I know who you talking about.

[Asante]

She said.

[Dustin Ross]

She said, don't ask me about that damn movie. It's the worst experience I ever had and I don't want nothing to do with it. I already know the story.

[Asante]

Come on.

[Francesca]

That sucks.

[Asante]

I'm actually glad that you know the story. And she's convicted.

[Dustin Ross]

Convicted firmly.

[Asante]

This sucks. Okay, so for those of you that want to know the tea, I'm sure a lot of y' all already know the tea, but some of y' all probably younger and y' all know. Anyway, there's an author, her name is Tony Tomi Eddieemi. I'm actually familiar with this author because she's related to a rapper that I mentioned often, Toby Lou.

[Dustin Ross]

Are they related?

[Asante]

They related. Okay, cool.

[Dustin Ross]

That's sufficient.

[Asante]

Yeah. Because I feel like someone had told me that on the show way back when and I never wanted to verify. So that's.

[Dustin Ross]

So it's like usually it's the last name. In this case it's the first name.

[Asante]

Well, but that's the artist name. So they could be brother and sister. So.

[Dustin Ross]

And that could be the last name and they use it as a first name.

[Asante]

Tomi Edeyemi and Toby Lou are siblings. AI has said siblings. Yes.

[Francesca]

Cool. Talented family.

[Asante]

Yes, very talented. Because Tomi Adeyemi, she has been writing for. She's been writing for a myriad of years. One of her more popular works is Children of Blood and Bones.

[Dustin Ross]

Children of the Blood and Bones.

[Francesca]

I've had that book for years on my shelf. I really need to get to it, especially now.

[Dustin Ross]

I thought it was a sequel to Bebe's Kids.

[Asante]

This book is a fantasy book. It's rooted in West African and Europa inspired mythology. Yes. And basically this, it's being turned into a film now. And the author is. Who had previously been seen saying, go see the film. Oh, well, it's still saying go see the film, oddly enough, but has previously, previously been saying, you know, been supporting this film, has now come out to say that they are not supporting this film. As Dustin said earlier, don't ask me about it. She's fine with it list. Don't, like, leave me out of it. I got a new book. Go read my new book.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what she said. And I read what happened.

[Asante]

I don't know what happened.

[Francesca]

I know this started with the casting, right?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

Like somebody.

[Asante]

So. Amandla.

[Francesca]

Amandla Stenberg. Steinberg. Yes.

[Asante]

Because there ain't no I there, so I'm always like. And then there's an L there.

[Dustin Ross]

So Amanda, is it? Hi, Amanda. It's Amanda.

[Asante]

Yeah. So Amandla Stenberg, she was cast in this film as the character Princess Amari, and Amari, her character in the book, which I have not read. So, please, listeners or viewers, Amari's character apparently faces criticism. And they. They. They take issue with Amari's skin color, which is notably darker than what Amandla has been casted at, or what they see Amanda as. The. The readers who have read this book.

[Dustin Ross]

I thought she was talking about the author. I was gonna say, so are there.

[Asante]

So the author initially was saying, you know, like, yeah, you know, Amandla is exactly what I had in mind for this. Yada, yada, yada. And it was like, the author, is she her.

[Dustin Ross]

Right?

[Asante]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

We assume.

[Dustin Ross]

But you throwing them theys around.

[Asante]

Well, because they is the people.

[Dustin Ross]

The he.

[Asante]

Sometimes they be the people, and sometimes she and he be the people.

[Francesca]

Oh, wait, so she was. She was happy about the Amanda. Cassie.

[Asante]

Initially they. There was, like, interviews with her, and she. She seemed like she was me too, forever.

[Francesca]

She.

[Dustin Ross]

Wait, I thought that's what this was all about.

[Francesca]

What got this rolling. I had no idea.

[Asante]

Apparently there are different. And. And for those of you out there listening, there are a multitude of things happening because I noticed that people don't like Tomi initially already. So there are different things. Well, they. She's been quoted. And that's why I hate kind of putting out this part of the narrative. It's already a messy story. But, you know, they're trying to say that she's been touted as difficult to work with. I couldn't find the evidence to support that.

[Francesca]

That's usually hard to listen to.

[Asante]

Exactly. The only.

[Dustin Ross]

What I never said I did find was experience it.

[Asante]

When she dropped Children of Blood and Bone, apparently later that year. Damn. Which author was it?

[Francesca]

What?

[Asante]

She had a beef with Nora Roberts, the author. Nora Roberts had dropped a book called Of Blood and Bone, and that dropped that same year. And so she was trying to say that, oh, she stole my book. But Nora Roberts was like, girl, I've been here. I've been doing this thing. I've been stole from. So I, like, don't be accusing me of that. Is Nora Roberts Black Nora Roberts has only been seen on my, like, on the back of the book cover for me in the bookstore. But she is a white woman. A red headed white woman. Nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, so. Okay, so. And this is. This is when people first started accusing her of being difficult to work with.

[Asante]

This was one of the only, like, receipts that I saw. People being like, oh, she. Oh. So after, you know, the Nora Roberts thing happened, Tomi actually came back and said, hey, y', all, Nora called me. She ain't steal my book.

[Dustin Ross]

We good.

[Asante]

Like, that was amazing. Amazing. And so then people were like, well, girl, why did you bring us into it then? Like, you. Like, you said she stole, like, as if you knew that she stole. So, like, she didn't steal. And now, like, what? Which it should be like, okay, cool, y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Asante]

Cool. But at the same time, it's confusing.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, it should have been private.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

It's confidential.

[Francesca]

Because it's okay if, like, you get presented with new information and now you're like, okay, I. I misunderstood. But why did you say something before finding.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, that's the issue.

[Francesca]

Maybe you should have read the book first, Tommy.

[Asante]

Yeah, well, I don't know what. People be passionate about this. Right. Mind you, Noah. Robert. She had been, like, putting books out for so long. So she was just like. And like, that's why she was like, you know, I've been stolen from and literally offlined her. Was like, let me, you know, don't. Didn't even know her, I guess was like, you know, let's. I gotta get her contact and called her, maybe DM'd her.

[Francesca]

But it'd be understandable to perk up a little bit if you dropping a book that's damn near the same title in the same year, like, and then how many times have we heard this happen? So that's why I.

[Dustin Ross]

Me, personally, I would have hit Nora up like, girl, you know, our book signed alike. Let's figure out a way to, like, do a book tour together. Like, something. I would have figured out a way to, like, turn that. I'd have used her.

[Francesca]

The marketing. Yeah, especially she's a bigger writer.

[Dustin Ross]

Told me I'm just playing because I don't want her blood and bones coming after me.

[Asante]

Please. It's basically. And.

[Dustin Ross]

And her brother gonna make a diss track about me and.

[Francesca]

Oh, no.

[Asante]

So the thing about the Amandla thing, apparently Amanda said that Tomi had given her the blessing for the casting.

[Francesca]

And.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, wasn't she did that then?

[Asante]

So I don't know, but that's the thing Tony distancing herself from this. We don't know why.

[Francesca]

We don't know if I was a man.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, me either. Because I would already seen this coming.

[Francesca]

You have to see.

[Asante]

Which is interesting because. Which is so interesting, right? Because. Let me take you back with the.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm not mad at her for it. I mean, to cut you off, Dave, But I wouldn't have done it. You know what I'm saying? But I don't think she was, like, wrong for taking opportunities. I just personally would have been like, I'm not doing that.

[Asante]

My first. My first.

[Dustin Ross]

So, Fran, you want to fight her?

[Asante]

The first time, I was like, you bitch.

[Dustin Ross]

Why would you take that motherfucking rock?

[Asante]

The first time I saw Amandla, I was fighting for her because of the role that she took. People were telling her she wasn't supposed to take, but it was actually in text that it was a black character. So it was just like, which role was he telling? So in Hunger Games. In the first Hunger Games, that's where

[Dustin Ross]

I recognize her name from.

[Asante]

Yep. In the first Hunger Games. Katniss. Not Katniss. Let me not get in the character's name. Amandla's character was a beloved participant from a different district in the book. And this district was described as Loki, being the black district. So it was like, okay, okay, well,

[Dustin Ross]

then she belong in there then.

[Asante]

No, legit. It was like, oh, I saw the people from this district, and of course, they had the. You know, they were beautiful and brown, but this little girl was a little bit lighter. Huh.

[Dustin Ross]

Was there a Martin Luther King?

[Francesca]

So she was played Rue.

[Asante]

Rue was the name of her character. Yep.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

From District 9.

[Francesca]

That I don't see.

[Asante]

That's why I was like it. Because it was the black district. It was two from the district. It was a black boy and a black girl, and it was black people at the black district. So I was like, but people, white people initially, I don't know if they just didn't want the character to be black because the character story, it was an important story because the main character, she had this like, you know, do I save myself or do I save this harmless little girl that's also part of this that we were both throwing in? And so she was trying to protect her, and this harmless little girl just so happened to be black. And so it was like, well, we was already protecting her because she was black. And so the fact that this white woman decided to protect her, too, that was powerful to us. Well, some of us. But some people didn't read it that way. Some people read, oh, this, you know, girl, other girl. So. No, I'm talking about the white people that wanted who to be white. They were like, you know, it was like a sisterly thing between white women or white girls. And it was like, no, that's not what it was.

[Dustin Ross]

Write your own show.

[Asante]

It's my own show. That it was because of the black thing. Because it wasn't Russo or it wasn't that she saw that she was a black girl. She just saw that she was a young girl. And it's like, damn, we both in this. And she was from the black district, so it was a black girl. And that's what's like.

[Dustin Ross]

So black people get hungry, too. And you play games.

[Francesca]

You know what?

[Dustin Ross]

So when we spades and dominoes and, you know, curb. You know what I'm saying? We love. We love all those games. So them people, black people are involved. We have ownership in the Hunger Games, too.

[Asante]

Absolutely.

[Dustin Ross]

And she's already been casted and was in it, so stay mad because there's nothing you can do.

[Francesca]

And that's how it was written.

[Asante]

And so with that. And so with that, I wonder what it was for Amanda to take, like, you know, to your point of. I wouldn't have taken this role. I wonder what was the thing that made her be, like, okay, cool, or like, you know what? Like, great. Like, was it her and told me, talked, and she was like, yeah, girl, like, I had you written in mind. Or like, you know, like, this could work because xyz, Like, I wonder what it was like.

[Dustin Ross]

Do we have a documented point in this timeline where there was a shift in Tomi's conversation around Amanda's casting?

[Asante]

See, when did it notice that? Because I didn't know that everybody was beefing like that, because when I was on TikTok. TikTok is the reason that it was being broke down for me that apparently Tomi and Amandla were cool. But then Tomi at some point had fell out with Amandla and had blocked her on social media and had been tweeting her to keep her name out her mouth, too. And it was just like, oh, my God, these are things that happen.

[Francesca]

Unprofessional.

[Asante]

But these are things that I don't really get into like that. So I was trying. I was reading all this on the back end. Like, this is crazy. Like, so am I supposed to go see the movie or not? And Tomi, she keeps saying, like, I'm not doing that. Like, it sucks that this Happened. Y' all should go see the movie. I don't care. But, like, you know, fuck everybody. And she's like, what?

[Dustin Ross]

She needs to shut up, number one. Number two, if you. Because it is not contributing to her benefit in any way. The ways that she's communicating about her issue with this production. Right, right.

[Francesca]

And what is the issue?

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know. But to me, she needs to take a legal.

[Asante]

We don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

To. To resolving it as opposed to venting on social media. Because now we're all. We're all sitting here confused about a movie that I don't know nothing about. No, children's. Of the Buttons and the Bones. I don't know nothing about that. But I was excited because it was a black film that y' all had mentioned on the show in book form, and I was excited to see it adapted into a film. Now I'm completely confused on whether. Whether or not we should financially support this. I know that's an artist being exploited. You know what I'm saying? Like, what the fuck we supposed to do?

[Asante]

Dustin, I'm a. Your head up even more because. Did you see the trailer?

[Francesca]

Yeah, I just saw it and I

[Dustin Ross]

didn't like that they use. Well, let me be quiet because it's not creatively.

[Asante]

We can even. We can even come back to that.

[Francesca]

The sound.

[Asante]

Amanda Stenberg. Damson Idris. Cynthia Erivo. Viola Davis. Idris Elba. This is something we were. It was just like, name, name, Face, Face. It was like, whoa, I'm a roll.

[Francesca]

But was it just me with the trailer? But it did.

[Asante]

It did seem a little.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, it was.

[Francesca]

Did it seem like some corners were cut with, like, costume design and hair

[Dustin Ross]

and it seemed unserious?

[Asante]

Yeah, it definitely gave that. It's not like. Actually. Never mind. No, I say that.

[Dustin Ross]

It's your show, man.

[Asante]

Yeah, it gave like. I don't know if a bunch of people called in favor or what, but, like, some of the budget went maybe to paying the actors more so than some of the other things. But again, we're seeing that was just from the trailer, so maybe, hopefully. And again, I don't even know if I'm supposed to go see it, but, like, when we go see it, it'll be different and better. But it's just like. I hate that when we talk about representation and wanting to get people's stories out there, we have this black woman with this great story of children and blood and bone, which people have been talking about for years, and now we're going to see this film. But then the author or writer is, like, having these issues.

[Francesca]

But what are her issues? Do you know what this.

[Asante]

And then we can't figure out. She literally gets on Tick Tock or whatever, like live. She'd be on. Because I'll be seeing the clips and she'll be like, you know, she won't say explicitly. I can't talk about that. But she'll be like, you know, things have happened and they're still. Yeah. Very cryptic and dry and.

[Francesca]

Which I'm sure legally she can't get.

[Asante]

There definitely has to be some reason for protection for that. But also, it's like, you need to wait it out. You need to wait it out silently or wait it out by promoting other things. Like, just don't do this to me.

[Dustin Ross]

I will say this. After watching the trailer, I felt like whoever edited the trailer or made some of the creative decisions, I won't say specifically which ones. It felt like they were intentionally trying to appeal to an urban Gen Z. Gen Z audience by including certain elements. And it fell flat on me. It did not. But I don't know. I just wasn't impressed with the trailer. I wasn't.

[Asante]

Yeah, it felt like when somebody who

[Dustin Ross]

is not a cool black person try to write a cool black person scene.

[Francesca]

Yeah, that's what it felt like.

[Dustin Ross]

Like somebody that went to. From the suburbs trying to write some of the scenes like we seen on Nemesis. I put a name on it where some of the dialogue was like, hey, bro, bro said it's gonna be down. Nah, G, we're not gonna do that. Like pbs, stay up. Oh, all right.

[Francesca]

Especially the guy.

[Dustin Ross]

Nobody talks like that. So I felt that same. That same tone and energy. That was my takeaway from the Bloods and Bones trailers.

[Asante]

You know what's funny, Dustin? I'm sure that there are, like, nerdy or, like, hardcore nerd people that would agree with you too, and be like, yeah, that shit looked like cause for me. Yeah, I'm speaking for all of us.

[Dustin Ross]

Us. You know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

For me, I just felt like this is a cute. Like a little taste. There are some things that I take taste issue with, but I'm excited or I want.

[Dustin Ross]

I love the actors with all my

[Asante]

heart, but I hate when movies are like that too, because again, we, not we. I personally, you know, scream for fresh talent all the time. And not that I don't want to see, you know, Regina King, we don't see. And then together, like. Like when. When we see a bunch of actors together like that, it's it's beautiful, right? So when we just see certain things, aren't positioning them as amazingly as we know them to be, it just is kind of like, damn.

[Dustin Ross]

And Tommy, you already done bothered. That lady bought that book. I don't know, like, what's going on.

[Francesca]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dustin Ross]

And you need to speak up. Piss or get off the pot. We need to know what it is that the gripe is. What's the legitimate gripe that you have?

[Francesca]

Right. So we can.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Protesting. Does she want us to protest? I'm trying.

[Dustin Ross]

She's been vague about that. And we want to support her because if she was mishandled as a creative, that's inappropriate.

[Francesca]

Let us know.

[Dustin Ross]

We speak out on behalf of shit.

[Asante]

Because it's like, we don't know if she's upset because she's something. Like, maybe she signed a bad deal.

[Dustin Ross]

If you just pissed about something.

[Francesca]

Yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

And who knows, homie? Somebody might not. Tell me. Tell me. If you want to come on the show and talk, we can talk.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, speak your piece.

[Asante]

I ain't mad. Like, you know, we not. We not mad at you, girl.

[Dustin Ross]

No, we trying to figure out how to support you.

[Asante]

Yeah. Because it's like, yeah, look. And here's how you can support her. She has a new book coming up, because that was another thing you gonna

[Dustin Ross]

be mad at Random House. Well, you know what I'm saying, Like, I don't even know what to do now.

[Asante]

It's funny, too, because the book. Because the book had threw me off. And y' all know, I just started reading books. But the book, it has her face on the COVID but it's not about her. And it's this. It's a fiction. So I was like, what? Why are we doing this? But I would have to read the book maybe, I guess, to connect it or. I don't know. Maybe it don't connect. I just thought that was funny. Tell me. Tell me anymore funny. I want to have a conversation with her. I do.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, I definitely do.

[Francesca]

I guess there was more detail. I thought there would be more detail around what the issue is.

[Dustin Ross]

So there's no, like, what the Is going on.

[Asante]

I promise you, friend. I was watching, like, video after video waiting for, like, like, the.

[Francesca]

That.

[Asante]

The thing. And there was never, like, those, like, things. It was always just a bunch of, like, around it. You know, I'm not happy. You know, there are people doing things that they know they shouldn't be doing, and it's like, speak, like, who or what are the things? But it's like, again, it could be she trying to protect herself in some form, and I'm not mad at that. But you can protect yourself even better by not putting videos up like that. Like, or if you wanted to promote the book, you could. And I know people wanted to hear her say something, so just be like, hey, I can't share what you guys want to hear or what I would like to share. All I can say is, you know, be patient. Go support the movie or what, Anything. I don't know. But saying that you ain't with it but still go support it, kind of me up.

[Dustin Ross]

You need to help us, fundamental. We trying to help you, sister. Yeah, but we don't know how.

[Asante]

I hate to end this on a bad job.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. And I just knew the bones hit the window or the bones fall out the closet.

[Francesca]

It got to be soon, right? Because I saw the trailer in theaters.

[Dustin Ross]

I thought, yeah, the bones is rattling.

[Francesca]

Or maybe it was Twitter.

[Asante]

Well, January 15th, 2027.

[Francesca]

Oh, okay.

[Asante]

It's. And it's. It's scheduled to. To release in theaters and IMAX then. But a winter.

[Dustin Ross]

That red carpet fashion is gonna be crazy.

[Asante]

Since there is still time, I hope there's like a. There's time to get like a. Like a professional grade put on it or something.

[Dustin Ross]

Something I'm coming into in a skeleton outfit

[Asante]

or like a beer head on

[Francesca]

your chest seeing all the feedback. And we'll make adjustments.

[Asante]

Yes, but that. I just wanted to have like a Santa.

[Dustin Ross]

You so messy bringing this to the show.

[Asante]

It's messy, but it's all. Look, listeners, I know y' all seen some of this mess. Leave your comments and opinions down below.

[Dustin Ross]

Listen, I'm invested now. Know I. I'm invested, too, about this.

[Asante]

I also am, like, I don't know what to do because even the whole exchange between her and Amanda, it was,

[Dustin Ross]

yeah, what's up with that?

[Asante]

We didn't even know why you come

[Dustin Ross]

on the show, too. You got something to promote because you want to hear from everybody.

[Asante]

Because again, and maybe. Maybe Tommy didn't actually agree with the color casting, and maybe she was trying to act like she was with it. And then maybe somebody or Amanda was asking for too much, and she was like, no, that's too much. And that's when it just got of up. Because, you know, sometimes, like, the. And the reason I brought up the. The book before Seven Days in June was because the author was having that struggle of, you know, I'm successful enough because I've sold all these books, and now it's being turned into this movie. But it was like the third or fifth time she'd met with some people, and they were trying to tell her to change the lead to, you know, from a black woman to a white woman or, you know, both the leads be white or something like that. It was like, no, like, I am a black woman, and. And this love interest is clearly about my real life who is in ao black.

[Dustin Ross]

So why you just do that?

[Asante]

Huh?

[Dustin Ross]

Why you just do that?

[Asante]

Just do what? Oh, because, you know, like, again, it was about my. Like, I was being an author in the book, talking about that, and it just felt like I felt like evil was cut. So evil would have, you know, did this every now and then. It started off, yeah, method podcasting, shout out to UK community. I got. Y' all got to see that. So, yeah, I just felt like that struggle is real, and maybe that is. Is part of it. But again, friend, there was never a. An actual, like, no, Amanda shouldn't have been here. It was, yeah, Amanda's cool. And then now, now, now block the man. Tommy is wrong for just sharing this because it's like, you. Like, if Amanda would have shared them text, then we would have known. If somebody else would have shared that this was going on, then we would have known. But these are things coming from Tommy, so that's why it's like, I don't want to call her difficult, but it's like, girl, you putting your business out there.

[Dustin Ross]

I feel like doing like this right now. Like, tell me what is going. What do you want from us?

[Asante]

Let's go grab a matcha or whatever, girl, and kick it. You know, I just don't.

[Dustin Ross]

What do they do to you?

[Asante]

Because people talked about Children of Blood and Bone, and. And it's a series. I think there's what, two?

[Francesca]

Oh, shoot. Damn.

[Dustin Ross]

They should put a sequel book.

[Asante]

I'm not entirely sure. Hopefully I ain't make that up.

[Dustin Ross]

Who's playing the children's?

[Asante]

You'll know. Say I see no one.

[Dustin Ross]

I recognized put Aries heiress and Jabria.

[Asante]

I knew he was gonna get here. And I just feel like every time we go to Eris, she just curses out, so I just try to stay away.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, y' all was wrong for how y' all didn't support her. Y' all trying to tone me her ass.

[Asante]

But, you know, you're right, because that representation matters. You know, like seeing Old Girl from How to Get Away with Murder back on the screen. And Eric, it was just like, okay, yes. And then I didn't Support them.

[Dustin Ross]

Too late.

[Asante]

I'm trying to take accountability. You're right. I did not support the sisters the way that I'd be supporting the sisters. You are absolutely right. We supported Kiki Palmer.

[Dustin Ross]

You do the Kiki Palmer. And look at how we made out for it.

[Asante]

Well.

[Dustin Ross]

And they got renewed. Ain't that a. I was about to say Gross Garden Society went away, but what's it called?

[Asante]

You know, I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. I fucked with the white people on the burbs more than the Garden Society. I did. I'm sorry. I just. I just fucked with the white people more. I did.

[Dustin Ross]

You're hurting, Eris.

[Asante]

I know. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Eris.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, you're not. And you're in it.

[Asante]

I apologized. I try to take accountability and apologize anyway. There's been a lot of things happening throughout this episode. I didn't want to title it Changing Races, but it just felt like a race because it was a race to get another Black Panther. It was a race to get another blade, which we're not going to get anymore. It was a race to get to this children blood and bone story. Because why the is Tommy doing all this? But, yeah, I don't know why. Changing Races.

[Dustin Ross]

We need Jocelyne Hernandez for Tony. What you talking about? What you talking about? What you talking about?

[Asante]

But I think a lot of this comes down to. Or a lot of this brought me back to this last question. And I will leave you all with this and we can close this segment. Are we asking Hollywood merely to put black faces on screen, or do we actually want them to protect something about black identity when those faces get there from the Black Panther? Because a lot of people did not want to see a new one after Chadwick. They were like, that's the one. We gotta leave it there. And it was just like, hold on. Black people, yes, we want to be seen. Yes, we want to have these stories. But we also don't want to, like, you know, kill a plotline. So that was another reason I was just so happy and thankful for, you know, David, the announcement for him to play the new Black Panther. And I still want to kick Hollywood's ass. Cause y' all fumbling this blade. We need this. I need this. And told me I would just love some answers from you on what to do.

[Dustin Ross]

So what's the question again? Do you. Are you asking us to answer that?

[Asante]

No, just.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

That's just the question that I kept coming back to, like, photo people, because it's like, okay, when I look at Hollywood and I'm like, you know, how can y' all help? Again, this is not a test. This is the friend zone. This is not class. We are not in session. As a matter of fact, we about to be out of session because that was it. Right?

[Francesca]

And that means that that is it for us. Let's jump into this week's segment.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the Friends.

[Francesca]

With Cricket Wireless. You can count on reliable nationwide 5G because Cricket Wireless is on the AT&T network, which means you can start listening to that new album that just dropped at home while running errands and at the gym without any hiccups. Find plans with unlimited data for every

[Asante]

lifestyle and price point.

[Francesca]

Switch to Cricket today.

[Dustin Ross]

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[Francesca]

place this week in wellness. So this is why I was telling you, Dustin, that you're intro was aligned with my wellness segment this week. So I told y' all that when I was in New York, I stopped by one of my childhood friends, parents, house, and her mother had a wonderful garden in the Bronx. She walked me through all the things she was growing. She had squash and cucumbers, grapes, all kinds of herbs and spices. It's just impressive. A pineapple. She's growing everything. And so she had given me a ton of seeds. And so I was kind of doing research. And then me being me, I started watching other people that are growing food on YouTube, but specifically, like, black families, black and Brown families on YouTube. And, you know, the algorithm is aggressive. Yeah, you watch one, two videos now, and your entire feed will be that one topic. But the good thing, normally I hate that because it's just like, od. Like, I just want to watch one video. You didn't have to change my whole shit. But this was perfect because it opened me up to an entire world of black creatives that have been gardening. My favorite thing is that it's all ages. There's so many, like, grandmas, which I think is so damn cute because they're, like, in their backyard filming themselves. You know how they're gonna film themselves?

[Dustin Ross]

Like, the angles, like, eating good with Freddie Jean. Love her. Yes.

[Francesca]

And I just love that they're putting themselves out there like that. This, to me, is such valuable information to get it, because, you know, you can Google it, you can get some books, you could even take some classes.

[Dustin Ross]

I'd rather her tell me, you know,

[Francesca]

it just hits a little different to get it passed down. All their trip, their tips and hacks, facts and things that they learned from their grandparents and their grandparents. And I just think that that is so precious. But it started with a family that popped up for me called Growing Lunch.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Francesca]

Beautiful black family. They're out in North Texas. And he. It was the husband and the wife, and they were showing, what, five crops? You can actually start print planting now in August. And showing you how to get it started from, like, these little seed starters, you know, like the little mini containers you put in the seeds. He was showing you everything. What kind of soil to get, where to get the containers from, how deep you have to put the seed in, how to keep the soil moist without, you know, over watering, how quickly each crop will take. He was telling you, you know, right now you can do seedlings for carrots and beets and lettuce and kale. He's talking about arugula. And I just was sitting there, like, this is what I felt had been missing from that scene where either the people just didn't have, you know, they didn't captivate you or they didn't give you enough detail. They had been gardening and farming for so long that they forget.

[Dustin Ross]

Right.

[Francesca]

The person that's just coming into it. Okay, but how do I start? Yeah. So I love that they consider that and. And all of their videos with them. I love them because they give so much detail. They walk you through everything from starting the seed to harvesting their crops. It's all in their backyard. They had another one. This is Uncle. He's like a unk. It's called Gardening with Bear Brown.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay. Yeah.

[Francesca]

The fact his name is Bear Brown, I love that he teaches you a lot about soil because he was showing you that when you get the potting mix, like, if you're gonna grow things in containers, you have to season that.

[Dustin Ross]

You have to put seasoning salt and seasoning salt.

[Francesca]

He was showing that a lot of times they fill it up with wood chips.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

To make it, I guess, a sturdier bag. But you have to try to kind of, I guess, strain it in a way, like, strain the soil to get the wood chips out so that it doesn't interfere with germination. Yeah. So just these tips that are just like, I'm So sucked in. And I love that it's like elders, but there's also young black families that are figuring it out. I saw one family, they're called the Foraging Family Homestead. And it's a young black family out in the mountains of Alabama.

[Dustin Ross]

Wow.

[Francesca]

Okay, okay. And they have 12 acres. That is amazing. They live there with her parents. So it's like a multi generational farming homestead. Her, the girl is. Her name is like Ariel. They have three kids. Like I said, they live with their parents. She. I like her videos because she talks a lot about like extreme heat, obviously being out in Alabama. How do you deal with crops with this heat that just kind of zaps, traps them of all. All their life source. She talks about wildlife and critters systems that you can create to keep the harmony of your gardening and your farming, but also being in relationship with the wildlife around you. Right. Because we're not trying to harm them, but also you want to protect their crops. And I think that's a good conversation. And then another one was a gardener's Journey Homestead. There's a lady named Barbara. She's from Tennessee, and she teaches you a lot of. Because, you know, we all live in different zones, so you grow things differently depending on like the sun and the climate. And so she walks you through your zone, talks to you about your zone, which you can grow when you grow it. Zones. You know what?

[Dustin Ross]

I can't wait to watch. For real.

[Francesca]

I just think it's so awesome that there's a lady too that popped up for me called Playing in Dirt. I love that name. And she's in Georgia. This is a cool thing too. You have Georgia, you have Alabama, Tennessee.

[Dustin Ross]

Her dirt is Virginia.

[Francesca]

Her name is Fleur. And she actually does have. Right. She doesn't have a backyard. She doesn't have lands. She just has a patio. And so she buys the big containers and they also have grow bags and just teaches you if you have limited space, here are all the things you can absolutely still grow. And honestly, it was so impressive to me. She has a patio, y', all, which most people can relate to. And she showed. She gave a tour. That's the video that. That popped up for me of hers, y'. All. She was growing eggplant, tomato, squash, sweet potatoes, beans, okra, like four different varieties, peppers, cucumbers, all in her patio.

[Dustin Ross]

Damn.

[Francesca]

Things that we use.

[Dustin Ross]

Secret garden, right?

[Francesca]

Amazing. And then there's also a cute fam. I want y' all to also check out the prolific family stead. This is another beautiful young black family I like them because they have a lot of energy while they're walking through, especially the husband. They're a black family out in Georgia. It's like a married couple and their three babies.

[Dustin Ross]

The prolific stand.

[Francesca]

The prolific family stand. Yeah. And obviously all these channels that I'm mentioning, I'm gonna leave them below so that you can, can find them and click them, support them. Especially if you're someone that's interested in starting your journey. I think when you hear things about Taylor Farms and just, you know, how our government administration is cutting corners, this really push us to start leaning on these people who have been doing this, the elders who are passing on ways that we can continue it. And the fact that you can do it on your patio. I mean, some people don't even have a patio. One girl just had like a very small terrace, but she just agreed to use the space for all the grow bags and containers. Like, she don't be out there chilling, she's out there growing food, you know what I'm saying? And I think that's so impressive because it's food.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Like we're talking about.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, how much the sacrifice, you know, one.

[Francesca]

So much money, so many potatoes from one bag.

[Asante]

Literally got everything you need right at home.

[Dustin Ross]

I'll be out there like Shirley Caesar, greens, beans, potatoes.

[Francesca]

And she was saying, and she was like, she, this is important for her and her family, you know, like, this is their food, this is their harvest of potatoes. These are the let, this is the lettuce that they use. Imagine being able to just pop into your terrace or your backyard and just grab the herb that you need, cut up your little cucumber, get your sweet potato, you know, like, like goals. And then

[Asante]

what would be so good all the time?

[Dustin Ross]

And when I went sun dried tomatoes

[Francesca]

by me, and when I went to my friend's mom's house, it was just so cool to see her with her little basket. And she grabbed what she was gonna use for that week, you know, for the meals that she was preparing. And I was like, this is so beautiful. This is goals. And she doesn't have a massive space either. It's like a very typical backyard in the Bronx, you know? Yeah. The amount of she's growing. What I. The video I saw from the Prolific family stead that got me was he was showing you how to grow sweet potatoes. And he was teaching about this thing that's called sweet potato slips. I didn't know what that was. When he was saying it, he was like, I'm gonna show you how to do the slip slips. But I looked a little piece of

[Dustin Ross]

paper they give you in the potatoes. Gay.

[Francesca]

You know what? As soon as you did this a

[Dustin Ross]

chance it's MX potato head.

[Francesca]

So the slips apparently are the small rooted sprout or vine cutting. Right. That you get when your sweet potatoes that you buy are maturing. You know, sometimes you'll see the roots start coming out or sprouting if you haven't used them in time. Especially with potatoes. Right. So that's slip. That's what you use. And he said from that slip you can grow thousands of potatoes. And I have seen the people use that and they'll have the grow bags, you know like the little grow bags one lady showed she had like six or seven of those small red potatoes that I love. And even the russet potatoes and the Yukon she had like six or seven in each bag. Six or seven.

[Asante]

Like six, seven.

[Francesca]

And you don't even have to do much. It's like you plant it and keep it moving. Just make sure you keep the soil moisturized.

[Dustin Ross]

Delicious and safe from the Taylor Farms.

[Francesca]

That's what I'm like this is. Yeah. This is something I know people kind of like fantasize about growing food and a lot of people romanticize that lifestyle. Yeah. But I think it's like we have to kind of get that trip out, the group chat, that vibe, you know what I'm saying? Like let's, let's actually like I'm excited. I'm. I told my. My friend's mom like you single handedly pushed me in ways that I needed just by us, us sitting there and eating a meal based on her backyard garden. So I'm excited to start my little seedlings based on a lot of the knowledge I've gotten from these channels in particular about what, what crops you can start growing right now.

[Dustin Ross]

Will anything be done by the time I get out there later this year?

[Francesca]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. I mean from what they said going out there today.

[Francesca]

Yeah. I'm actually going to the Portland nursery this week where just to get more information on you know, the seedling starters. The type of soul my friend's mom was like just go to a farm and ask them if you could have get some of the horse like the horses when we were making own fertilizer. She was like 50 of the 50 of the soil. So you know, just trying to learn and, and just start making that healthy. So that's the part that's edgy for you.

[Dustin Ross]

I can't do it. I can't.

[Asante]

When I say I need to be suited up. Like, I can't deal with this full hazmat suit.

[Dustin Ross]

And I need like constant like horse manure. I need constant like summer in my

[Asante]

damn suit while I'm.

[Francesca]

Or you could do like, like what's his name? Where they was using their own. Remember, it's a girl Nature boy. Nature boy. I would say brother nature, but it made them.

[Dustin Ross]

It made him go crazy. I think that's what was wrong with all them people. They was eating that food, them shit, mayoes and melon, all this that they got that they was growing in the backyard.

[Francesca]

But I know people who. Their toilets, right? They don't use traditional water systems. They use the sawdust system where basically you into, let's say a bucket and then cover it with sawdust. Cuz sawdust is an older eater. And then they take that bucket with your. And you put in compost. And then you know, you get that compost after some time. And that's what you use with your land and your fertilizer and all that. So it's common practice.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm like, remember?

[Francesca]

But how was going to your friend's farm eating their food, knowing that got they.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm not doing it. I'm not gonna eat that. I'm actually not gonna eat.

[Asante]

I know we. We eating all kind of people and

[Dustin Ross]

things, but we don't know about.

[Francesca]

Rather not.

[Dustin Ross]

We don't know about it. I'm not making a choice to do that. You know what I mean? It's happenstance, but. But to willfully say, hey, friend, I know that you.

[Francesca]

So when y' all come to my house and see the sa.

[Dustin Ross]

Well, I know, I know you ain't doing that.

[Francesca]

And then you gonna eat my pickles.

[Dustin Ross]

You ain't doing that. Fran is flushing the toilet. Please believe that ain't even her. She don't even get down like that. She respects it, but she ain't doing no shit like that. And her partner definitely ain't doing that like that.

[Francesca]

You see his face the day that Maya was talking to him about how the toilet works. He was just like trying to be supportive. He was trying so hard to be supportive. He was like, wow, man.

[Dustin Ross]

That's why I'm comfortable knowing that things won't go too far in friend's house. I already know they won't. Like, she's fine. Let her explore. She just wanna be knowledgeable.

[Francesca]

I do. I think this is. I think my goal is to be that older person that people are like, oh, we could pop through Fran's farm and get some eggs, you know, or some herbs or come get your lettuce. I wanna be that, that that community centered service provider. You know where when like this is happening literally and figuratively.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

You have that black farmer that you can trust that you can go get your produce from. You know like I'm, I'm starting to think in, in that way and just really want to get my knowledge up to be that person.

[Dustin Ross]

I think that would be really good. You're not, you're not nasty. So like you just want to know that this is happening and understand the benefits. But you're not going to to go. I feel 100% confident declaring this. You nor your household anyone is going to take the step to in buckets of sawdust and or the backyard. You're not going to have contact.

[Francesca]

You're not going to have contact the more traditional way. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You ain't doing this horseshoe horse, horseshoe horse manure either. You're going to buy fertilizer.

[Francesca]

No, I'll do the natural way for sure. If it's, it's. If it makes more sense like if it's cost effective, it's if it's healthy.

[Asante]

Because you know what?

[Francesca]

When you go shopping too for the fertilizer it's a lot of the same that we're dealing with with the food. It's like who what person prepared this? What's their intention with the type of soil that they want you to use?

[Asante]

Them animals.

[Dustin Ross]

What Spencer. So you know, that's why I want

[Francesca]

to do some, you know, I want to do. Do proper research about who I'm getting what from and why.

[Dustin Ross]

Maybe when I come out there we can do some content making fertilizer.

[Francesca]

You. You will you maybe you could come with me to a farm and we'll go get some horseshit. Oh that was classic with you.

[Dustin Ross]

And I'll react. I'll do that. I would do that.

[Asante]

I want to pull up for that. You have to like the time.

[Francesca]

That would actually be really classic and I would love to that so I'm gonna get started.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You get the lined up.

[Asante]

Line that up, line that up brand. Line that up. Line that.

[Francesca]

We have garden beds in our backyard but they were already full of what the previous or not.

[Dustin Ross]

You got to toss all of that.

[Francesca]

Right. So I talked to them and they were totally okay with us resetting it

[Dustin Ross]

to got to do it with some soul.

[Francesca]

Yeah. Cuz the things that they were growing weren't necessarily things things we were interested in. So like artichoke no shade Watercress

[Dustin Ross]

and

[Asante]

water chestnuts when you sit down.

[Francesca]

So we gonna grow some lettuce,

[Dustin Ross]

tomato collards.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, that bit. Mustard greens.

[Francesca]

Right. I'm gonna start. I want to grow some beets. I want to grow. You know, so I'm gonna do more.

[Dustin Ross]

You got the beats. You got the beats together.

[Francesca]

So we. You know what, too? I will. Once I get started, maybe what I'll do, too, when I'm creating the seedling and starters, I'll film that for Patreon.

[Dustin Ross]

You should definitely.

[Francesca]

Right. Which I think would be really cool, just in case anyone else needs a little nudge, because I'm learning from literal scratch, and so whatever I share will be me learning from scratch. I'm sure a lot of you been gardening. A lot of y' all been farming. If y' all have lot of advice, tips, hacks, anything you want to share. Right. I'll definitely read that on the show. But, yeah, I want to create a space, especially on Patreon, where we discuss this more and have space to, like, learn together with each other. So we'll see how that works out. But, yeah, that's where my head is at.

[Asante]

I want to Crystals your friend's garden.

[Francesca]

Right. I want to put that in your awareness in case you're also getting that nudge. And so I will put the links to all of these wonderful. Literally, I have 10 channels written down that I just felt worse.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm watching all of them.

[Francesca]

I can't wait to go in there, yo. And, you know, a black family gardening is just, like, the best combination. The way we talk about the crops, like, it's just so good.

[Dustin Ross]

I love a purview into worlds like that that are not similar to mine, just things that I love and enjoy watching. I love people. So this is. Right. You knew I was gonna watch this.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You brought it to the show.

[Francesca]

No. And it's so. It's so interesting. And I'm also, more than anything, proud of these black families, you know, that are doing the work and rightfully taking up space. That's the same in. In a YouTube generation where a lot of it is about luxury and how much money. And, you know, and it's like, this is. Is equally as valuable, if not more. And so I'm happy to create space for that. So. And a lot of channels are small. Like, some of the aunties and the grandmas, they're only getting a couple hundred views, and that blows my perfect time for us to get in there. Yeah. Yeah. Because I'm like, this is so important. And I'm happy that we can kind of start leaning towards those sides of YouTube and supporting those aunties and those uncles and those grandmas and those black families. And so. So I'll link all that below. And that's it for this week in

[Asante]

wellness, this week in music. Give me that morning do.

[Dustin Ross]

All right.

[Asante]

There's been a lot going on in music. We talked a little bit about some things last week. Beyonce had released Morning Dew Donk a while back. Not a while back, but recently and even more recent, she dropped a remix with her husband. Jay Z is on the Morning Dew donkey. There was a remix pack that dropped, but this remix with Jay Z is the one that is going everywhere. And that's where I went. I heard the remix, and I loved it.

[Dustin Ross]

I check West Beat.

[Asante]

We up with the Shack West Beat, which is crazy because she loves it like that. But also could have been Jigga's decision. Could have been mutual, but that's why they're married. We love the Carters. Haven't heard a good remix in a while. So this was a good. A good remix because I already. With Dunk Dunk already. But me too. This was a nice.

[Francesca]

There was something stuck in my head.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

Just for years, though. That's the crazy.

[Asante]

And so for it to have come back up, it was like, wow. But then for it to be remixed after that, it's like, damn. Like, what are we doing? So, yeah, I enjoyed this remix. Dustin, did you have a chance to listen to the remix?

[Dustin Ross]

Of course I did. I loved it. Jay Z did great. The only part I didn't. Wasn't too crazy about was he was saying whatever my yo. Whatever he was saying, he was. I got a new Vik on my Whatever. He kept repeating it. It's like a section on my. Yeah, whatever. I was like, okay.

[Asante]

Hating on my wrist. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

It was just too lengthy. But other than that, like, I love it. And I love. I love that. That Shaq west song anyway. What is it called? Mamba or some. Whatever. Whatever that Shaq west song is, I love young Sha west, son. I'm really, really rich. I love that song. It gets me excited in parties and stuff. So I've always loved that song.

[Francesca]

Oh, mo mo mo Bamba.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Mo Better

[Francesca]

blues. I'm over here talking about Black Mamba.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Thinking about Loop James just now. Sorry.

[Dustin Ross]

But I love that song, though. And so I like this remix. And I like the Touch of Love. She got a Donk that they sampled or interpreted, too. I like that.

[Asante]

Yes, I enjoyed and I Didn't just enjoy because it was Beyonce. And I didn't just enjoy because he's Beyonce's husband. I just enjoyed because everybody and everything came together amazingly. You know, some people, like, I guess I'll tolerate Jay Z or whatever, but I guess I'll listen because, you know, it's crazy. Beyonce has, you know, Beyonce or some people, some Jay Z fans, like, I guess I'll listen to his Beyonce song because we could find. Are you kidding me? Like, that's.

[Dustin Ross]

What kind of Jay Z or Beyonce fan are you if you hating on that spouse?

[Asante]

It just. It made me feel like, oh, my God. On the Run three could happen. But also, we still got act three coming up.

[Francesca]

Up.

[Asante]

And speaking of act three, Megan the Stallion be playing.

[Dustin Ross]

She looks so good in that promo.

[Asante]

Megan the Stallion, literally a day post

[Dustin Ross]

right here, shout out to Kellen.

[Asante]

She posted herself backwards with a short white bob and her ass out in some fur boots. And all three shot, all four shots are just her from the back. The first shot, the first pick literally says Act 3 on it, which is like, it just kind of me up. It takes me places, you know, you just don't know. But all I know is the last says, I'm back. And that's. Is what. That's all I need to know. You know, Megan went. Megan. She has. She started off really strong. Then we had a little bit of happen there, but my girl is still here. Okay. She took the summer charge. She let the sum. Yep. She left the summer hot for the rest of y', all. And now she's back to take over the fall.

[Francesca]

So nice.

[Asante]

I'm excited. I can't wait. Even though it's the Tina Snow Act 3, Act 3 could be a bunch of different things. Just as how it went from, wow, this could have been cool for on the Run three and. But Tina Snow has act three, and we're still waiting on Beyonce's act three. So crazy how things could come together. Anyway, last story that I'm gonna share. Actually, not any story. A lot of music came out. Lil Uzi Vert dropped a new project. Future. I dropped a project last month, but we didn't talk about it because we're on the break. Did you listen to Futures? New project? Dustin, the real me is a frog's ass.

[Dustin Ross]

Watertight.

[Asante]

Dustin, what are your thoughts and feelings on Futures? The real me.

[Dustin Ross]

Love it.

[Francesca]

He loved it.

[Dustin Ross]

Love California girls. I've been banging California girls over and over again. In fact, I'm gonna play a song from that album on today, period. Thank You.

[Asante]

You all right?

[Francesca]

Well, I am too, actually.

[Dustin Ross]

Hey, just see. Oh.

[Francesca]

Listen to it.

[Dustin Ross]

With that said, I really leaned into the camaraderie of it.

[Francesca]

I saw the way you lit up.

[Dustin Ross]

I was excited.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the friends.

[Francesca]

Every time I'm in the with Cricket Wireless, you can count on reliable nationwide 5G because Cricket Wireless is on the AT&T network, which means you can start listening to that new album that just dropped at home while running errands and at the gym without any hiccups. Find plans with unlimited data for every

[Asante]

lifestyle and price point.

[Francesca]

Switch to Cricket today.

[Asante]

We can go on ahead. That's all I want to talk about those artists that I want to mention this week. Now we can move on to the listens lately songs to play portion. Cause Fran, I know. I want to know what you've been listening to and what songs you've been been playing.

[Francesca]

So Rhapsody dropped a new song. Did you hear it? It's called Apple juice and she's singing on it. She's not rapping. Yeah. And I thought it was an interesting sound for her.

[Dustin Ross]

And I think she sound just like Samara Joy.

[Francesca]

You think so this is how it goes. All this love inside I'm hesitating why.

[Asante]

I can't just reply until you have how I feel.

[Francesca]

Maybe I. Need a little he from you. If you play with me. Got a jones for you.

[Asante]

You like sugar in my. In my apple juice

[Francesca]

Maybe I got a toast for you

[Dustin Ross]

Sweet too.

[Asante]

You like sugar in my apple juice.

[Dustin Ross]

She sound like Anderson. Pac a little bit. She sound like Anderson.

[Francesca]

I like the d' Angelo sounding albs too, which made me miss him. But. But I thought it was interesting, right, for Rhapsody to kind of take a pivot.

[Dustin Ross]

You're saying like a top. I got a jones for you.

[Francesca]

My favorite new artist. Well, new to me. Not new artist, but know me who I've mentioned on the show.

[Asante]

Oh, my God, I wish listen to her in the car.

[Francesca]

So good, right? My favorite discovery of the year. She has a record called Holy that I've been listening to a lot. And this is how it goes goes. I want to be yours. I like that.

[Dustin Ross]

Right? I love it.

[Francesca]

Sounds really good. And then the last one is RJ the weirdo.

[Asante]

Oh, my.

[Francesca]

Another artist I discovered this year and he has. He did a collab with R B only and okay. Sang trip tricks are for kids. And this is how it goes I could fool anyone else with you I tell on myself.

[Dustin Ross]

You

[Francesca]

know me better than myself can't hide what's under my belt What I gotta love for if that's just a fight I know I I'm going to lose Cuz you already know the truth. You so entitled living in my house more than I do none of my tricks work on you Suffocation. Hard to breathe. I want to breathe again. You should find another thing to do. I know that you think you've been holding me down but you slowing me down I used to let you have it but you started taking advantage I'm not used to all of this baggage and it's way too much for me to manage. Maybe I'm wrong. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Beautiful.

[Asante]

Hell yeah.

[Francesca]

Really, you should check him out. Yeah, his music is tight. So Those are my three for the this week.

[Asante]

All right, Mr. Ross, what have you been listening to?

[Dustin Ross]

All right, well, I told y' all I was gonna play some Future. So this song is off of his album, the Real Me. And this song is called if I Could. I love this, so. Ain't told you I love you in a minute though I ain't doing you wrong Flash it in a motherfucker already carries on Flash it down, ain't crash

[Asante]

out in a minute I've been in

[Dustin Ross]

my zone I get lit up like

[Asante]

a stadium all you cares on me

[Dustin Ross]

I've been thinking about the principles and not the normal rolling do the difficults and for the nonsense who was trying to follow my stuff but need to finish school Told my sons they be better than me I told them the truth Been doing numbers, making sacrifice and playing Dude, I'm going so hard Sometimes I be feeling misused Too many flunging in these streets Already beat the move, Sorry. Cause I would have played the whole song. So that's. That's if I Could by Future. And you know, I love it when he's in his R and B melodic bag with it. You know what I'm saying? It really makes me happy. Here's another song that I've been listening to. I told y' all I've been the Steve Lacy choke on. Yeah, this is the feeling.

[Francesca]

Something's burning, I smell fire. The devil's working hard to keep me alone.

[Dustin Ross]

I know

[Francesca]

we're down to the wild why can't be without you I often wonder where your head is so confused the heart takes what it wants I'm not scared, dare to please.

[Dustin Ross]

We had to let that ride out a little bit. But I love that song, cuz it makes me feel like 80s vibes. I don't know. Y' all know I love them kind of melodies. The last song that I'M going to play is by Sauce Walker and Conway. The Machine. This is called Dangerous Daringer. And this a song me and my brother be smoking to. I know the type of

[Asante]

the nonsense. Smack a with a palm fist.

[Dustin Ross]

Knock his eyeball, not his head dropping son.

[Asante]

Kids, I'm on mix Walking red. It's a Glock 40 helmet but it's a nine in the head issue.

[Dustin Ross]

Both of them. I be having modified guns transform some Decepticon every day.

[Asante]

I'm walking with a weapon on stepping

[Dustin Ross]

on Lou go whatever that is.

[Asante]

TSL business.

[Dustin Ross]

Sauce Walk. I've been that kid that did made

[Asante]

a couple million off of that.

[Dustin Ross]

What's the name? Don't matter.

[Asante]

The fame my not Rihanna but these

[Dustin Ross]

Anyways you get the vibes. That's it for me this week. Nice shante.

[Asante]

All right, first artist I'm gonna play. Her name is Debbie. I think I played a song of hers before, but this song is called More of you. And here's how I got.

[Dustin Ross]

I hope it's 80s pop.

[Francesca]

I'm all about the small things. Like baby, how was your day? Some days I like to call in I hope that's okay Cuz every time I reach out you push me away oh, you're messing with my head, boy we're too old for games I could go leave you on your own maybe then you would see it My affection was needed no why waste time if you're not willing to try? Cause I could give you all I have but darling, we never let snow A little love was all I asked was all I wanted Am I supposed to be content with a man who gives nothing? I could push, I could try and fight But I'm left with these Asante

[Dustin Ross]

likes that part when the beat changes. He like, he likes that last part there. You like that part? I know you.

[Asante]

That part's all right. I just. I just like her voice. I just love her voice. It's something about her voice that I. I'm always seated. There was a video, I saw her on social media when I first heard of her. So that's why, like, I can just really appreciate hearing her, like, oh, yeah. Because it was like literally a clip of her that I fell in love with. And she was just singing and she was like, I don't remember the damn song. But I was like, damn, girl. And it was. The song was haunting me. So it's just something about her voice that I really, really, really enjoy. Again, that's Debbie. Go check her out. Since I talked about seeing her on social media this Is this is a white girl. This white girl I seen on Tick Tock. Her name is Colette Lush. This song, she just. She just doing her damn thing. And I'm with this song because I keep hearing and just seeing her do a little white girl thing. Here's how it goes. Buttons.

[Francesca]

Used to be a shy girl no one's type girl Now I get what

[Asante]

I want I can never hold back

[Francesca]

but you know that I can never bite my tongue it's so sleazy, hard to please me I piss them off for the love of the game they're all the same. I know all the buttons and push I know all the right words to say I know all the right moves to make to get my way. Boy, you making it so easy. Promise me I'll never change. You're so predictable. Like Texas. I'm a holder.

[Asante]

Emotions like Texas.

[Dustin Ross]

I know that's right.

[Francesca]

Yeah, that's nice.

[Dustin Ross]

She said Tyler, I know that's right. It's up. I know that's right.

[Asante]

You can't let me back to back

[Dustin Ross]

Texas. I whip Tyler's ass in a holder anyway. But, yeah, I like that.

[Francesca]

Yeah, it was good.

[Dustin Ross]

It's a battle.

[Francesca]

He's down.

[Dustin Ross]

Speaking of Tyler, one thing, Tay, before we get off of this, my friend, one of my gay friends. Good gay friends, made me sit down and watch that Tyler and Zara Lawson video. You know what I'm talking about? Oh, that collab was impressed.

[Asante]

Sorry.

[Dustin Ross]

That's a good. That white girl is good.

[Asante]

That white girl killed that she.

[Dustin Ross]

Now you can feel the Beyonce all over her and the way she move and sing. From the minute they showed her, what made me think about it was this. Cause when they show her, she be hip, rolling on that wall, and I was like, yo. Immediately, like, she drew me in, and she's not trying to, like, be nothing other than what she is, and it just. It feels authentic.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So I like her. So look, look, I'm aware she's on my. She's on my. In my awareness.

[Asante]

I'm so glad you said that, because I literally.

[Dustin Ross]

Good gay friend set me down and had me watch that video from start to finish.

[Asante]

I didn't even. I seen the video. But, like, when I heard her on the track, I was like, oh, Ms.

[Dustin Ross]

Zara said, you got to watch the video.

[Asante]

I'm saying when I first heard the

[Francesca]

trap, girl to watch for sure.

[Asante]

When I first heard the track, Zara had killed it. So when I seen that video, I was like, oh, so she really, really isn't. But I thought that I was making it up when I heard it, but I'm singing it.

[Dustin Ross]

She dangerous.

[Asante]

For real.

[Dustin Ross]

She can move and dance and sing and she's cute. I like her. Yeah, she ate Tyler up.

[Asante]

No high key. High key. That's why I said it's Tyler.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't think you need to do

[Asante]

this no more, baby friend for me, friend. As a gay man, I've done a lot of research for that white girl to come on that girl's song and

[Dustin Ross]

just be like, this is definitely the video you play at the pregame like that. Like, my friends will be surprised that I know it because they gonna ask me to play this when we pregaming and I'm gonna play it and know it and they gonna be dead. But it's good. I'm telling you.

[Francesca]

I've seen clips, so I know of the video, but I never sat and watched the whole thing.

[Dustin Ross]

Me. But I'm telling you. One of my best good, good, good gay friends. Gay. They came over here and made me sit down and watch it. It was good.

[Francesca]

I'm g. Watch it.

[Asante]

All right, last song that I'm going to play comes from Lil Baby. This song is the song that me and my cousin smoked too. And we love this song. Cuz we played this song on repeat and we looked at each other like, how high are we? It's called Dead Fresh. Here's how it goes.

[Dustin Ross]

I love this. This is my

[Asante]

okay on Dead Fresh cardigan. Virgin Mary flower say I pull up

[Dustin Ross]

fishes here Everyone else got m give me a bitch money coming in I

[Asante]

put my nanny in Chanel made it

[Dustin Ross]

out of slum I got my granny puss in her mayback if I lose it all is you going to hold it down for real.

[Asante]

Hold on, hold on. This be came from for real.

[Dustin Ross]

First of all, I am not a trick little bitty Never mind. Ty got to edit that out.

[Francesca]

He will, he will.

[Dustin Ross]

But that's who it was. And then you watch it. Forever missed.

[Asante]

Anyway, so, yes, that was a little

[Francesca]

baby like my good.

[Dustin Ross]

That's who it was. He was like, you got to watch this because I know you ain't gonna see. And made me watch it.

[Francesca]

I was like, no, I' ma watch it literally as soon as we get off. Because I'm curious now.

[Asante]

Well, that's it for the Music man

[Dustin Ross]

segment this week in tv. So boom. First of all, the Real Housewives of Atlanta season 17 reunion part one came on. Incredible reunion from start to finish. Incredible part one. No lulls, no boring shit. The ladies Were in rare form at each other's throats. K. Michelle was active and participating.

[Asante]

Very active and very respect, respectful.

[Dustin Ross]

I disagree. No, very active. Not very respectful to me. But I respect your opinion. And it's. But it was good. Everybody showed up and was doing what the fuck they needed to do, including Andy. Shout out to Andy. It was just good. It's a great. If you love the Real Housewives of Atlanta specifically, then you recognize that they have something special with this current cast and this reunion. I don't even have to tout it. I don't even have to say that this cast is special. All you gotta do is watch part one of this reunion and watch it on Peacock, where it is. Or as I like to call it, on Peacocks, where it is uncensored and extended 15 minutes. So watch that version. But that shit is good. The Real Housewives of Atlanta reunion is so good. Watch it, watch it, watch it. It's a three parter. I mean, it's good. Also. While we're on Bravo, they had the season premiere of season five of the Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip, which is where they mix up members of the cast from each different franchise and send them on a girls trip, right? So it's like a fever dream for Housewives fans. This season is very special because it celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Real Housewives in general. Right? It's been 20 years, and so they're calling it the roaring 20th. They have. They're going from city to city, from Orange County, Beverly Hills, Atlanta, New York, Booster, Miami.

[Francesca]

Of all the different wives. Oh, cool.

[Dustin Ross]

And in those cities, a bunch of the old Housewives from all the different seasons are showing up to these big parties that they're having. So these motherfuckers are arguing, getting into it over old beef, all kind of shit. And then members of the other shows are in the mix because that's the way that it's mixed up. It's the ultimate girls trip. So it's great. Episode one came on this week and it was very special because guess how it opened up. Portia Williams, who is on the cast,

[Francesca]

I can't say I was like, is it that clip?

[Dustin Ross]

Portia is on the cast. Exactly. Representing Atlanta. And she's the only cast member who was not a season one OG cast member of their franchise. Right. Cause Portia came in season five, but right now, she's the lead marquee cast member over there since Cynthia is a friend. And so Portia represented the franchise. But the scene that opens this season is Nene Leakes, going over to Portia's house to help Portia pack for this trip. This is a huge deal because we haven't seen Nene on Bravo since she walked off of the virtual set of the season 12 reunion by saying, well, it's gonna be a day. I can just do this here. And closed our keyboard. Never to be heard of again until we heard of the lawsuits and allegations and litigation and all the shit that has gone down between her and Bravo up until now. Seeing her on the TV screen on a Sunday with that Bravo logo in the lower thirds, crazy felt. I was just very happy to see Nene on tv. She looked great. She seemed to be in good. And so it was good to see Nene and she will be seen again because, as I said, they're going to come to Atlanta for a huge event, and she is a very big part of that. I think she throws the event. So it'll be interesting to see that Nene is back on Bravo and this is really a healing for the fandom in the Bravo universe. Yeah. We have been waiting and begging for this, and it seems that the stars aligned for it. So I'm very happy.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Also, the Bell Collective shout out to the Belles over on OWN network. The bell collect. The Bell Collective had their reunion. All the ladies had on gold. They look beautiful together as a group. And I love Bell Collective. Y' all know that's one of my favorite shows. So Bell Collective. Okay. The reunion came on, and y' all need to watch. Okay. There's another show that I think I'm watching it now, but we may be binging this over here because it's our kind of mess. So you know that OWN has the show put a ring on it, right? Well, they have a noob spin off of that show. They got a spin off called cheat something. But basically they have all these couples that are engaged in a relationship or whatever come in this house and then go on dates with the person that they cheated with. They almost broke up the relationship. It's very reminiscent of the Never ever Mets. It's that style of production.

[Francesca]

Oh, no.

[Dustin Ross]

So, yeah, very messy. It's currently airing on its own. I think they're two episodes in. So I'm watching it. I'm familiarizing myself. And if it is good and measures up to the level of entertainment value that I know our audience wants, we will definitely be watching this over on Patreon on the binge when it's time to watch this. So I'm gonna see because I don't even know how many episodes it is or whatever. I'm just gonna watch it, see what's up and then we'll take it to Patreon. But yeah, that's it for me this week.

[Francesca]

Perfect. That means that is it for us this week. We hope you enjoy this week's episode. We love you guys and we do not take you for granted in any way. Thanks for hanging with us yet another week and we will catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Stay black and protect.

[Francesca]

Bye.

[Dustin Ross]

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[Asante]

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