To Catch A Brick

Summary

The Friend Zone Podcast – Episode Summary

Podcast: The Friend Zone

Episode: To Catch A Brick (#TheFriendZone)
Date: June 24, 2026
Hosts: Dustin Ross, Hey Fran Hey (Francesca), Asante
Main Theme: This episode blends hot topics, personal updates, community shoutouts, TV/music picks, and wellness trends with the trademark humor, candor, and insight of the hosts. Central to this episode are discussions of public misinformation, community pride, cultural moments, and how technology is reshaping wellness.

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Episode Overview

The trio kicks off with a powerful and passionate Hot Topics segment led by Dustin, who takes aim at bigotry, misinformation, and recent viral news. The hosts weave in updates on their personal lives, community meetups, tour stops, and relatable adulting moments, emphasizing the value of friendship, self-care, and not letting negativity interrupt their joy. Later, they discuss shifts in healthcare accessibility and wellness (especially the rise of concierge medicine and tech-driven health data), before wrapping with music and TV recs.

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Key Discussion Points & Notable Segments

1. Taking on Misinformation and Bigotry

[02:00–10:09] – Hot Topics: Pride, History, and Countering Hate

• Debunking Jillian Michaels’ Comments:
  Dustin reacts angrily to Jillian Michaels’ recent anti-Pride Month rant, correcting her misstatements (“Pride started in 1969 when a black trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson threw a brick at a crowd.” [04:13]). He fiercely critiques ahistorical and divisive talking points, particularly the notion that veterans are "undervalued" compared to queer communities, reasserting the real timeline and purpose of Pride.

  “I wish you would’ve been standing in front of Marsha with your face leaned out to catch a brick. That should be the title of my memoir: To Catch a Brick.” – Dustin Ross [04:22]

• Passionately Highlights the Dangers of Ignorance:
  Rips into those who perpetuate misinformation about LGBTQ history and rights, connecting these narratives to wider patterns of societal harm.

2. Personal Updates: Joy, Community & Friendship

[10:09–18:45] – Life Updates & Tour Talk

• Dustin’s Tour Stop in Philly:
  Reflects on a successful, love-filled Juneteenth show in Philadelphia. Shouts out Pop Roast, Michelle (manager/friend), local supporters.
• Fran’s Guest Kia Visits the Pacific Northwest:
  Details the joys of finally hosting a close friend, sharing special moments, and her love for her peaceful, “fairy tale”-like new environment.
• “Adulting” Realizations:
  Fran describes a moment where she sees herself as a full-fledged adult—hosting children’s water fights outdoors, cooking to Tiny Desk concerts, and feeling deep gratitude for building a calm, safe home.

  “You ever get those moments where you’re like, I really am enjoying the way that I’ve designed this?” – Francesca [20:54]

3. Aging, Socializing, and Friend Group Energy

[25:07–27:23]

• The group laughs about how much their routines and social lives have changed (“We only get dressed up really cute to go eat, that’s it.” – Fran [25:07]).
• Discussion about earlier and earlier dinner reservations, the joys of low-key nights, and the difference between youthful nightlife vs. adult priorities.

4. Community Connection – Announcements & Black Business

[33:00–34:39]

• Black Business of the Week:
  Dustin spotlights Carefree Black Girl Inc., a multi-city lifestyle brand, podcast, and event series supporting Black femmes—now celebrating its 10th year and on tour.

5. Recap of Previous Episode & Listener Mail

[34:39–44:35]

• Fran and Asante highlight powerful feedback from listeners touched by recent deep-dives into men’s mental health.
• Shoutouts and advice on handling credit report issues, as well as amusing stories from listeners working in unexpected places (like autonomous taxis).

6. More Hot Topics: Viral News, Parenting, and Cultural Moments

[50:39–98:56]

• Viral Black Joy: The Knicks Parade “Traffic Light Lady”
  Dustin enthusiastically recounts the story of a Black woman becoming a “New York legend” by defending herself and owning the crowd at the Knicks victory parade. (Hilarious, detailed storytelling from [74:14–83:18].)

  “She is a New York City living legend, beat her ass, twerking with her pom-pom… The crowd roars!” – Dustin Ross [80:22]

• Mama Dee’s Food Truck Opening in Atlanta:
  Humorous skepticism about trusting (“everything went wrong”) “grand opening” kitchens—“Mama Dee might have something under her fingernails.” [52:20]
• Disciplining Kids – Brandon Marshall’s 2am Son Punishment:
  The crew debates “fantasy parenting” (run laps instead of talking or discipline) and publicizing discipline for social media. Consensus: unnecessary, performative, sometimes even dangerous.

  “Kids need discipline for sure, but promoting it online? That’s humiliating.” – Dustin Ross [62:55]

• Confrontation & De-Escalation: Don’t Call Me White Girl Mona:
  Applauds Mona’s calm response when provoked by a woman in the street/store, highlighting the risks of celebrity, maturity in conflict—and some backstory on Mona's physical vulnerability due to recent surgery.
• Young Thug Comments on Vasectomies:
  Claps back at the rapper’s claim that vasectomies "anger God", noting the hypocrisy of moralizing given his history and broader issues of judgment in public discourse.

  “These are the worst things you can be accused of—Young Thug’s been accused of them, but a vasectomy is where it stops?” – Francesca [72:41]

• Quick Trip “Bathroom Karen” Incident:
  Distills outrage at a white contractor harassing a father for helping his daughters in a women’s bathroom. Conversation about public vigilance, parental anxiety, and misplaced accusations.

7. This Week in Wellness – Tech & Health Accessibility

[101:14–127:04]

• Rise of Concierge Medicine & Direct-to-Consumer Health:
  Fran describes how hard it’s become to get doctor appointments, especially after moving across the country. Introduces growing availability of membership-based, retainer “concierge” medical care—no longer just for the rich.
• Bloodwork Startups & Tech Integration (Function Health, 23andMe):
  Examines the appeal and uneasiness of mailing biological samples (“something about shipping my vials of blood to a startup… I don’t know… especially as Black people, look at the history…” – Francesca [110:14])
• The Double-Edged Sword of Wearables & Optimization Culture:
  Dissects the wellness industry’s boom in wearables (Oura rings, Apple Watches, smart hotel rooms, etc), questioning if tracking everything truly makes us healthier, or just more anxious and tech-dependent.

  “I started feeling this real push away from the wearables… Needing a reward system for things I’m supposed to do… It’s like, just go for your walk.” – Francesca [117:28]

8. Music & TV Recs

[130:06–154:21]

• Music Picks:
  • Francesca: Masego’s "Breathe," Malaya & Q’s "Oblivious," EJ Ross & Jay Versace’s "Can’t Find Her"
  • Dustin: Trap Dicky’s "LA Nights," Cash Cobain’s "I Want to Rock," Libra Jolie & Rob49’s "Give Youe"
  • Asante: James Blake’s "Trying Times," Key Glock’s "Face Down," and an infectious Britney x Ginuwine mashup "Toxic Pony" from Love Island
• TV Roundup:
  • OWN’s Belle Collective, Real Housewives (Atlanta, Rhode Island, Potomac), Versuz (Pretty Ricky vs. B2K), Netflix’s The Polygamist, and upcoming documentary recaps.
  • Special mention: Charlemagne & Lauren LaRosa on The View.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dustin on Misinformation:

  “You dumb as fuck. And none of you should have children, be responsible for rearing anything other than your car into a brick wall to end this for all of us.” [09:55]

• Fran on Gratitude in the Everyday:

  “Thank you, God. This level of safety, beauty, and calm – everything just felt right.” [21:01]

• Dustin on Parenting for Show:

  “You a professional athlete… Not by terrorizing this child at 2am… And in them neighborhoods y’all live in, a Black child running at 2 in the morning is a safety risk in and of itself.” [61:59]

• Dustin (about the traffic light lady):

  “She is a New York City living legend… The blue pom-pom kept bouncing as she whooped her ass! The crowd went wild.” [82:01]

• Fran on Tech & Wearables:

  “It’s just pinging you watching circles close every day… I feel better now that I don’t wear my watch. I’m sober and I feel better.” [118:22]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:00] – Dustin tears into Jillian Michaels’ Pride critique
• [04:13] – Marsha P. Johnson & Pride history correction
• [10:09] – Episode welcome and theme: resisting negativity
• [10:36] – Dustin’s Juneteenth Philly show recap
• [13:13] – Fran’s visit from Kia, “adulting” joys
• [20:33] – Fran’s realization of full adult contentment
• [25:07] – Discussion of grown-up social lives
• [33:09] – Black business spotlight: Carefree Black Girl Inc.
• [50:39] – Hot Topics: Mama Dee’s food truck (Atlanta)
• [56:53] – Brandon Marshall “not your friend” parenting debate
• [65:05] – Mona (Don’t Call Me White Girl) de-escalates street conflict
• [74:14]–[83:18] – Knicks parade “traffic light lady” legend told in detail
• [101:14–127:04] – This Week in Wellness: concierge medicine, bloodwork startups, wearables
• [130:06–154:21] – Music & TV recommendations

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Overall Tone & Takeaways

The episode is fiery, hilarious, and heartfelt—moving from social commentary and combating ignorance, to celebrating joy, friendships, growth, and Black culture. The team critiques performative outrage, spotlights community businesses and wellness tools, and reconnects listeners with the importance of everyday gratitude and self-care.

Whether you’re here for the rants, the music, the wellness insights, or the friendship energy, this episode delivers the classic Friend Zone mix—irreverent laughs, deep vulnerability, and actionable gems.

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Listen if you want to:

• Hear passionate, intelligent takedowns of anti-LGBTQ rhetoric & misinformation
• Feel the warmth of authentic Black friendship and community
• Get caught up on viral moments, parenting debates, and grown-up “real life"
• Learn about the latest trends (and worries) in wellness and health tech
• Discover new music and must-watch reality TV

Skip: The ads and the bookends – the real content shines from [02:00] through [154:21].

Transcript

[Francesca]

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[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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[Francesca]

Ask your doctor about eglis and visit ebglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-800-545-5979.

[Asante]

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[Dustin Ross]

welcome to the Friends Every time I'm in the zone. My name is Dustin.

[Francesca]

I'm Francesca, also known as hey friend. Hey.

[Asante]

My name is Assante. This is the friend Zone.

[Dustin Ross]

Let's start the show. I'm in a zona if you don't

[Asante]

sit your God damn ass down with them spaces in between your teeth.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm not even going to waste no fucking time today because these idiot ass okay, we're saying it today have pissed me the fuck off. Starting with this first one who is Jillian Michaels, who ain't none but a white who need to be somewhere doing a leg lunge instead of running her mouth on a fucking microphone. Listen to what she had to say. And then we're going to debunk literally everything she says in this clip.

[Francesca]

The word pride. First of all, you are, quote, born this way. Or at least I am born this way. I'm not proud of it. I'm not ashamed of it. But a very long time ago, it was a death protest. Too much because we were ashamed of it.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

And people were hiding in closets. So then they. They put too much out there with the whole like, no, I'm not ashamed, I'm proud. And that's what that was. And then it became like, we're marching in the streets, we're not afraid and all of that. And then you had the fight to get married and the fight to be able to adopt kids. And all of that has ended well over a decade ago. And pride month continues because it has been co opted by places like Target to sell small children like gender affirming bathing suits so they can tuck their genitalia. It has turned into something that infuriates people, that forces this down their throat, and they truly resent it. And the reality is that when you give gay people a month and veterans a day, I think you have wildly lost sight of your values and your priorities. Is she running for office?

[Dustin Ross]

She need to be running to an incinerator to take a dive? Okay. Face first in a gasoline body suit. First of all, I ain't never been ashamed of being gay. What I have been is scared for my motherfucking life when I'm walking out in these streets because people like her and her cronies who all look like they have Crohn's. Okay, I'm tired of them. Second of all, you talking about some pride started because people wanted to get married and have kids. And all that ended like a year ago because 10 years ago when they stopped marching in the streets, fool. Pride started in 1969 when a black trans woman named Marsha P. Johnson threw a brick at a crowd. And ho. I wish you would have been standing in front of her with your face leaned out to catch a brick. That's what I wish. Second of all, To Catch a Brick episode title. To Catch a brick. That's right. Okay. That should be the title of my memoir. To Catch a Brick. A memoir. Second of all, you sitting up here talking about some winged pride when pride gets a month and veterans only get a Day, you know, we got a problem. Yeah, we do have a problem. We have lost our priorities, and you done lost your mind because you're a moron. Veterans not only have a day, they have two months. Two. Okay? You want to know what they are? Look like to hear it? Here you go. First of all, May, you fool, is National Military Appreciation Month. Okay? That's May. That's the first one. The second one, since y' all love to always cry and have these bleeding heart sentiments and wrap them around family values all the damn time. Meanwhile, Kristy Noem husband got titties. But since you're so concerned about family values, guess what, ho. November is National Veterans and Military Families Month. So while you sitting up here talking shit breath smelling like cigarettes, no earrings on mind, you, you should be glad you can't wear earrings. You should be glad that you have that option because you have been allowed to be a. Because of the hard work that we've had to do fighting in the streets, you. And you've done nothing but benefit from it. You sit up and you eat pussy, that's fine. But we can't have Pride Month. And somehow you've taken that as a sight to the veterans who have two months that your stupid ass didn't even know about before you started talking shit. I'm tired of them. Second one, I'm tired of Laura Trump if. Do you know who she is?

[Francesca]

I do not.

[Dustin Ross]

Congratulations. If so, I'm sorry. Okay? So Laura Trump set up there with her motherfucking ventriloquist dial looking ass like somebody carved her cheeks out of wood. She sat up there on Fox News talking about the Obama Presidential center and library was ugly and a waste of money.

[Francesca]

The irony, the irony. The absolute irony of a Trump saying

[Dustin Ross]

calling anything or even speaking of wasting money, um, have you seen the reflecting pool that you can't even see a reflection in? Reflections of what that pool used to be.

[Francesca]

Weren't they just having a wrestling match or some shit that they built out a wrestling ring or whatever in front

[Dustin Ross]

of the motherfucking White House, y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

In front of the goddamn White House. And they let that motherfucker that was shitting on itself and throwing up on itself at the end stand up there and say that horrible shit about Michelle Ob Mama. I want to see what his mama look like, okay? Cause she probably looked like him. I want to see what his mama look like. Probably eat the chicken bones when she eat a piece of chicken. I'm tired of these, man. I'm sick of them. And this Is the. That I'm talking about the misinformation. Sorry, you know, sick of these spewing misinformation and then people who are dumb as hell believing it and fucking with us. I'm tired of it. And it starts with these kind of motherfuckers right here. I don't even get on these shows and call women out their name, but I'm gonna call these women out of their ass.

[Francesca]

Okay, Jillian Michaels been a problem. Do y' all around Biggest Loser?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

The shit she would say to those contestants and how she would treat them.

[Dustin Ross]

The way I would have said on her. I'm already big. I would have been like, what you said, bitch and took a seat. I would have squashed her. Squashed her ass. That's what I would have done. Use this to my advantage today since you want to play them games. You know, I'm just sick of these motherfuckers, man, making life hard. People just want to. After the Knicks won. We'll get to more of that later. But after the Knicks won, you know what I'm saying? I felt an overwhelming sense of pride and just community and humanity that I haven't felt in many, many years. The last time I felt that was when Joe Biden won that election and I was literally leaning out of my apartment window yelling into the street on the Upper west side, okay, I was happy. I felt that when the Knicks won. And it made me think about what has been stopping me from feeling this in general. When good things have been happening, lots of bad stuff, some good things have happened. Like the Obama Presidential Library center open. I realize it's you, it's y' all hoes that's making this shit hard for everybody by doing stupid ass shit like this for no reason other than to interrupt joy from black people. That's what y' all want to do. Well, I'm not having it. Y' all can kiss my ass. Every word you say is a goddamn lie. And you dumb as fuck. And none of you should have children be responsible for rearing anything other than your car into a brick wall to end this for all of us. O With that being said, welcome to the Friend Zone, your weekly look into all things mental health, mental wellness and mental hygiene. Because who in the hell want to sound like them idiots? Hey, friend. Hey, Asante, how you doing?

[Asante]

Welcome to the Friend Zone.

[Dustin Ross]

That's right, we popping our man. I'm tired of these, man. I'm sick of them making everything hard

[Francesca]

the same talking points with no research. Anyway, how are y' all. Hi. Wait, Dustin, how was the first stop of the tour? Juneteenth in Philly. Yeah, Clap it up.

[Dustin Ross]

Overwhelmed. I'm overwhelmed. I'm so happy. I'm so grateful. I felt so much love. I had it. It was an incredible show. Shout out to everybody that was there. Chris Diggins and Alexander Rogers from Pop Roast, the popular YouTube talk show. They were there. Lots of support. Our girl Michelle. Much love to our role manager, Michelle.

[Francesca]

Michelle, I miss you.

[Dustin Ross]

It was also our friend. She was there. It was just a very, very good, loving show. Ray was there. Alex was there. Just. It was just a good show. Lots of love. I felt so good afterward. You all got so much love. So many people told me to tell y' all hello, and they love y'

[Francesca]

all and love y' all back.

[Dustin Ross]

Just feel good. THEY LAUGH I said some really horrible, controversial things that I actually feel bad about now because it wasn't even in the script.

[Francesca]

Must have been bad.

[Dustin Ross]

But it just, you know, it just came out. But they was doing what Asante's doing right now when I said it, so I was like, okay, well, it worked. But I really did have to go reconcile that, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Oh, my God.

[Dustin Ross]

I couldn't believe it. It just came out. But that's how you know it was a great show. Shout out to everybody that came in Philly. Next stop is Chicago on July 7th. [e-mail] There'll be Internet promo and shit coming up in a couple of next few days, but Chicago, July 7th, St. Louis July 9th, Boston, Atlanta, and Nashville after that. So. DustinRossLive.com and thank you to our partners, our good friends at City Winery.

[Francesca]

And the link will be in the description box, so if you're interested, it'll be easy to access. Congratulations. I'm happy you kicked off really well, thank Shout out to Philly, too. That's a good way to start a tour, right?

[Dustin Ross]

If I'm able to cuss on stage and make people laugh, that's how I. I see God in life, you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

And Philly is like the perfect city for that.

[Dustin Ross]

On Juneteenth.

[Asante]

On Juneteenth.

[Francesca]

Can you get a better combination?

[Dustin Ross]

You know, I told them what I would have been doing if I was a slave, and them rolled up on a horse and told me, hey, put it down. You ain't got to pick another bill. I went into a whole thing about what I would have done if that happened to me in Galveston. You know, that's where it was. That's basically Houston. Houston has always been fun. So I would have shined my horseshoes up, went right on up the road and partied in Houston, because it's over. You know what I'm saying? Juneteenth is great. So it was. It was a good time, though.

[Francesca]

You are so funny. Guess who. Guess who I spent the weekend with.

[Dustin Ross]

Who?

[Francesca]

Friend who came to my neck of the woods, came to my house, and stepped into my little bubble out here. Essentially, my first. Well, no, I can't say my first guest, because the sisters from loan and the whole family have been to my house, but from our friend group, I should say. Yeah. Kia.

[Asante]

Oh,

[Francesca]

is that not the best? Is that not the absolute?

[Dustin Ross]

She blessed the crib.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

Yes.

[Francesca]

She came over, and we had so much fun. I got to take her to one of my favorite restaurants. We went on a walk, like, perfect. No, no, we didn't.

[Asante]

We.

[Francesca]

We were too busy yapping.

[Asante]

Yes, good.

[Dustin Ross]

That's so wonderful, boys.

[Francesca]

And it was so cute because they were carrying her suitcase, and it was. You know. You know, our suitcase had the heavy tag on it. But he. I told him, no, no, no, we got it. That might be too heavy. He was like, no, I got it. And then when he was lifting it, he was like, bless his heart.

[Dustin Ross]

Bless his heart.

[Francesca]

But we had so much fun. And it just. You know, it feels good because, like, I'm in such a bubble out here. So for one of my friends to. To finally come experience it. Yeah, it's just like, this is so nice, you know?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

It was great, and we had a really good time.

[Dustin Ross]

I love that.

[Francesca]

Y' all know we love our kids, right?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

And even walking with her, like, we went on one of my little walks. That felt so cool. It just was, like, such a cool intersection.

[Dustin Ross]

What was she saying?

[Francesca]

No, literally, girl, I told you. Literally. Kia was like, this is like a fairy tale. Like, I get it. It's like a little hippie utopia, you know? It really is. She was like, I totally understand. She says she really, really does, because, you know, she's been out here in the Pacific Northwest for work. Like, you know, she comes out here a lot. And so I guess this time it was Portland as opposed to Seattle. So I was happy about that.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I was like, come, come, come. Come to my house.

[Dustin Ross]

I need to bring my ass out there, please.

[Francesca]

Because it really legit felt so nice. And Jade is coming in September.

[Dustin Ross]

Maybe I'll do that.

[Francesca]

Yeah, she's coming in September around her birthday. I. We're gonna just Spoil her and just, you know, she's a hippie, little hippie. So we're gonna do hikes, and I have restaurants lined up that she has to try. So we have that trip planned. So I'm excited. Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

She can come roll her eyes and grunt at people in the Pacific Northwest. I think that's wonderful for her, and I love that I need to come out there. I feel so bad that I haven't been in all these years. You've been out there, what, six years?

[Francesca]

Yep. It's about to be six years in October.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm bringing my ass out there.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm glad.

[Francesca]

Oh, you know, Claude. Claude. I forget that Claude did spend a week here, too, so I was lucky. Yeah. Shout out. Claude. He came, like, probably my first year here, because he was just like, I want to make sure you're good. And, you know, he wanted to see the house and just, like, what Portland was like. I told y', all, he loved it so much, he said he would get a place here. I was like, please do that. That would be amazing.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my God, man.

[Francesca]

Are you kidding?

[Dustin Ross]

You know what? Speaking of Claude and. And Chuck, I had y. I had a good day. So I was just listening to music I love, and I was blasting Electric blue, singing it off of America. I knew you.

[Asante]

You knew he was. You knew he was.

[Dustin Ross]

When they first played that, I told y' all in the motherfucking studio when I heard that that beat, Jay was the one. Yeah, I was blasted.

[Francesca]

I love Clyde and Chuck. I love them. And I'm coming to the Nashville stop of your tour, and Claude and Chuck are coming with me. Just letting. And I told Kia, because, you know, she's got natural ties. I told her I'm gonna be there that weekend, and she was like, you know what? I am, too. So your family's pulling up for you, brother, for the last stop of your tour. I was gonna surprise you, but I was like, no, we're all just gonna pull up, and it's. You're gonna see us in the audience. It's gonna feel so good to see you.

[Dustin Ross]

I love y' all so much. I'm about to make y' all motherfuckers laugh that night. I'm telling you right now.

[Francesca]

And shout out to Nashville. Cause I have. I haven't been to Nashville in years. It's been a long time. Obviously, I visit Claude, but it's been a minute since I've been. And so I'm excited to pull up. I've actually never been able to chill. Chill In Nashville. I've literally fly in, go to Claude's house. We just order food and talk for like three days and don't leave. And then I get on a flight. So I'm curious.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to go smoke weed and cast. Smoke pot in Claude's nook.

[Francesca]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to go small. I want to go. I want to go get in that book nook. I want to go in his nook. His book nook. I want to go be in his book nook. Yes. We're going to that book.

[Francesca]

I wonder actually if he's going there. I need to ask.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Because it's so fancy.

[Dustin Ross]

I want to do that. It's like one of my bucket list places to smoke. It is.

[Asante]

Well, brother, it looks like you're gonna get to cross it off sooner than you realize.

[Francesca]

We'll have a whole excited. But yes. So that was great. Yes. You know it. We love you, brother. And I had a really good weekend with my sister that I needed, and that just made me so happy. That kind of just set a fabulous tone, and I just had a good weekend overall.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

The boys were away camping, which was cute because Kia saw them, like, getting their. Their fishing rods and packing up the car to head to camping. She was like, this is just too cute. She was like, I can't believe this. You know this. All these cute little boys packing up their bags and with their hiking boots. But there was a moment before they left where you. You ever have a moment where you really feel like an adult?

[Dustin Ross]

Like, yes.

[Francesca]

Like, the. The is. For some reason, it just hits you sometimes, like, whoa, I'm really the adult

[Dustin Ross]

inside when I put sand every month?

[Francesca]

Well, yes.

[Dustin Ross]

I shriek again.

[Asante]

Ouch.

[Francesca]

But at one point, we were list to. It was Floetry's tiny desk.

[Asante]

Was it?

[Francesca]

It was like three tiny desks back to back that we just let roll. It was like Jo flow a tree. No, hers was there, I think it was.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Francesca]

So they all kind of came on back to back. I feel like I'm missing someone big too. That we watched. Oh, Jill Scott.

[Dustin Ross]

It was Jill Scott.

[Francesca]

So, like, four tiny deaths, we just let roll. So we're like, cooking in the kitchen, playing the tiny desk hella loud throughout the house. And then the screen door is closed, but the main door is open. So, like. And the kids are having a water fight on the street with the neighbor's kids.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my God.

[Francesca]

And so we hear them laughing, playing. They're shooting each other with the guns and the water balloons. We're cooking, playing music and it's just like a perfect sunny day. And I looked up. I look over at the kids outside laughing with the neighbor's kids and us cooking and the music, you know, And I was like, oh, God, who is this adult?

[Dustin Ross]

And you created all of that.

[Francesca]

You know, that level of peace and seeing the trees swaying, my, like, wind chime. Blowing in the wind. The hammock. Like, I don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

You look like Tanisha on Bad Girls Club when she walked up to the house and set that suitcase down and was like.

[Francesca]

And looked up.

[Asante]

That's the energy.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

You ever get those. Those moments where you're like, I really am enjoying the way that I've designed this.

[Dustin Ross]

And I thank God for that.

[Francesca]

And you should thank God.

[Dustin Ross]

You know, when you're sitting in your house to attain it, we.

[Francesca]

And we know it.

[Dustin Ross]

That takes controlling a whole lot of. To come together.

[Francesca]

So many factors that can just cause so much destruction. So when you sit, you know, when you're in the middle of your house and you look around and you're just like, thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you, God. This of safety and beauty and calm and just. Everything just felt right. So I just had a great. I had a great couple of days. I think there was just a lot of peace that was coming over me. And I think Kia was just the cherry on top for that. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm so happy.

[Francesca]

Her face. I know. And she pulled up to my. Because I always leave my door open. I'm such an old lady. She popped up to the screen door and. And was like, friend. And I was like, hi. Like, are you kidding? Are you kidding? She's standing in my porch. You hear her, right? Friend.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

Why am I emotional? The is wrong with me? I'm a g. It almost made me want to cry.

[Francesca]

Like, I just. Like, that is the most beautiful, awesome face to see. Pulling up on my screen door.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my God, that hug. I would have just broke down on some real. Y' all know me. I would have been able to help.

[Francesca]

Share that. I just have to share that. Really appreciate your friends and your life as much as you can, because it's a crazy world. But those glimpses just. We need them. They just really helped.

[Dustin Ross]

But anyways, that we would have had. Oh, my God. I'd be like. And friend. Yes. Leaning on the tree. No, you know what? It was.

[Asante]

It was.

[Dustin Ross]

We would have been rolling. We would have been going gossiping the whole fucking walk. You can only catch up certain ways in person. You know what I mean? Like, I got to look at you when I'm telling you stuff.

[Francesca]

And I gotta take her to dinner. And hearing her say, fran, this is some good ass food. I'm sick. I missed her. I'm telling you. See, Asante said, what y' all eat this? This braised beef papay Dell.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my God.

[Francesca]

With this fry bread.

[Asante]

See, and then you ain't just say nothing. You ain't just say nothing regular, too. See, this is exactly why I asked.

[Francesca]

Candied pecan salad. I mean, I can't even explain it. It just is like a phenomenal meal. For those of you who are traveling here or already here, you might know about it. It's a. This, It's a pasta place called Goomba. And it is phenomenal. I know a lot of people be like, friend, I'm coming to Portland this weekend. Can you tell me your favorite restaurants? And it's hard because I don't know what you like to eat, so.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

You know, it's hard for me to customize that. But if you're looking for good pasta, Goomba is phenomenal. I was telling Kia that I had been walking past a couple weeks ago, and I saw that they had closed down, and I almost fell to my knees.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my.

[Francesca]

Fell to my knees. Wait, so we're walking down two blocks. They just moved, that's all.

[Asante]

Oh, oh, okay.

[Francesca]

I know my heart.

[Asante]

I was like, wait, so did you pay to reopen the for kid?

[Francesca]

And I was like, do you know I. I love them so much. I opened the door and I went, you guys are still here. And they started laughing. They were like, everyone's doing that. Yeah, because it gets sideswipes you to see it closed on one side. And then you walk past and see they just move down a few doors. But it's really good. A phenomenal meal. And yeah, I just. I just had to talk about that because that just made me really happy.

[Dustin Ross]

But anyway, so that's where y' all was gossiping at. It actually wasn't on the wall. It was at dinner.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

Because then you can use your fork to really emphasize the points you making. And the. And I know. Clink, clink. Yes.

[Asante]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Y' all know that's one of my favorite things to do. Sit at a restaurant with my friends and just gossip.

[Francesca]

You know, she. Over really good food. What more could you ask for? We was talking about how washed we are now. Even though she doesn't view. She don't view it as washed. But I was like, kia, we're so washed. How we literally only get Dressed up really cute to go eat. That's it. I was like, I don't even goals. No, it's not.

[Dustin Ross]

You don't sweat. It's great. You know what I'm saying? You just get to. Everything is picture perfect for the whole experience.

[Francesca]

We were saying to get super cute, then you go have dinner, come home, put your PJs on and go to sleep. I was like, wow, what a life. But anyways, you know, Eric, because, you

[Asante]

know, you like home anyway, so sometimes you want to leave to get something.

[Dustin Ross]

I do keep going after the restaurant. But that's. That's me. That's that one.

[Francesca]

And I told you the restaurant dates are getting earlier and earlier because before I used to do nine. You want to do 9:30? I'll meet you 9:30. Now it's like, like 8:30 is good. Now. The other day we. We've been like, we should do eight.

[Dustin Ross]

We should do 8:30. That's late

[Francesca]

now when we start jumping to the sevens. Yeah, Wash.

[Asante]

But anyway, I've always been a 7 o' clock dinner person. Like always. Yeah. Because it's just the perfect. It's a perfect time to have to just have food. And then like Dustin said, you can either keep the party going or you could just go home. Like, I feel like once. The later you get, like when the restaurant's closing and stuff, sometimes that is a sexier vibe. But sometimes it feels inconvenient if you're feeling rushed. I just think that the 7 8, it's like always safe.

[Francesca]

Yeah, we do that at home. Like if I'm meeting the girls and I'm in New York and we usually be like, let's meet at 7 normally. Because Jade is going to be 40 minutes late. So you have to account for the time you actually get to eat the food. So I do miss that. I miss. Oh, I got to. I'm going to New York next month. I just miss everybody.

[Asante]

Got to be there.

[Dustin Ross]

I hope I'm here when you hear.

[Francesca]

Yes, I hope so too. But I'm gonna go after this leg of your tour ends because basically what I would do is leave Nashville since I'm already on that side, then I'll just fly to New York.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Francesca]

So that's what I'm probably gonna do and just stay that week there and just, you know, see my mom and catch up with the girls and all that.

[Dustin Ross]

And then can we please take her to get seafood?

[Francesca]

Yes. Especially at the Dominican spots, which is her favorite in Dyke too.

[Dustin Ross]

So.

[Francesca]

Yeah. So I'm down All right, so it's planned. Do you guys have any announcements or anything you want the audience to know before we jump in? Jump in.

[Asante]

Yes. If you are part of the gated community and you are listening to this episode the day it is released, that is Wednesday, the 24th of June. I was about to rewind all the way to January. That was crazy, mentally. June 24th, Wednesday, 8:00pm Eastern Standard Time. Our Patreon gated community members, we are going live for our Wednesday wind down. That's right. If today is Wednesday, we are winding down. If you've heard this episode after Wednesday, that's okay because we do a rewind that you can watch. For more information on all of those fun things along with our binge and situation shows that you could listen to commercial free or watch and see our beautiful faces as part of our premium package. If you will, go to patreon.com friends on podcast. A lot of you, we love you, Lechat. We can't wait to talk to you because I've got some things to talk about. It's about Love island, so I hope you all have caught up. I think.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what? But I'll try.

[Francesca]

I'm gonna try to. Yeah, I fell behind a little bit.

[Asante]

It's gonna be a lot to catch up on, depending on where you at, but I'm all the way in.

[Dustin Ross]

Pull some clips for us for tonight.

[Francesca]

Okay. I was gonna say we can't watch them, though.

[Asante]

Some YouTubers in the chat that do some really good recaps if you want, or some Tik Tok pictures.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what, dude? Just for. So we can use them while we talking about it. Like, pull some pictures of the people

[Francesca]

and you think Dustin will find Corbin cute? I'm at the episode where he just came on his voice.

[Asante]

We are at. We are in Casa Amore. Friend.

[Francesca]

Lady friend.

[Asante]

We are in Casa Amore.

[Dustin Ross]

He got a good shape.

[Francesca]

He's making Chinese. Yeah, he's like six.

[Asante]

Okay,

[Francesca]

Wait, I' ma sound like. What's her name? Is it Ayanna or. She was like. He got hazel eyes and curly hair and he light.

[Asante]

So much has transpired. We are at Casa More. The boys have been sent. The boys have been sent to Casa More. So there's six girls for the six boys, but the girls back at the villa, they. They. They've been given 12 guys, so you need to catch up.

[Francesca]

Yeah, but the guys that Love island picks. I know never, So I don't. 12.

[Asante]

Fran. It was so funny because. Because they did the girls. They did the girls Sunday, and then they did the guys Monday when the girls came in. First of all, to your point, all the girls, well, not all of them, but most of the girls was bad. It was like. And then they showed off the guys and I was like, okay. So you know when you listen to a good album that only got three, three or four good songs, and it'd be like 20.

[Francesca]

Hire me for the men's casting, please.

[Asante]

I don't know what it is. And you will be surprised with some of the switch ups, depending on where we go from who is paired up so far. So, friend, you got a lot to.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I'mma catch up because I literally just got to Corbin making out with people in that little room. As far as I've got.

[Asante]

All right, who do you see Corbin matching with so far?

[Francesca]

Just from that epic,

[Dustin Ross]

friend is one person should be like, Dustin, I want you to meet this person.

[Asante]

I think, like, okay, I trust.

[Francesca]

And you would trust me? Yeah, I think.

[Asante]

I think Frank hit that on the nose.

[Francesca]

Justin. With someone that tall, I don't see. Not that I think.

[Dustin Ross]

Look, I don't have no problem folding clothes. I know him folded.

[Asante]

Listen, I know Dustin likes a category, but there is a variety in that category, and I think Corbin does fit in there.

[Francesca]

I feel like he would find him cute.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Me knowing Dustin, whether he'd like his personality, I don't know. But I think he'd find him cute. The rest would just have to be the movie.

[Asante]

Right?

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

But I'm gonna catch up because that way we can talk about it during the live stream. So definitely follow.

[Asante]

Who do you think Corbin's gonna match up with?

[Francesca]

Well, I saw him in the episode. He's kind of seemed to have some chemistry with Melanie. Is it the Dominican girl And Kada. Is that her name?

[Asante]

Yeah, Kada. I like Kate a lot.

[Francesca]

Those two seem to be. Because if you notice in that episode, I mean, it was far back, but he only was really trying to, like, flirt with them. Everyone else he was just having convo with. It didn't seem like he was actually, like, trying to.

[Asante]

Wait till you see where he lands and then where he isn't gonna be the white girl during Casa Moore. Yeah, I don't have a good poker face like you.

[Francesca]

You just slapped me.

[Asante]

The face of the question. I was like, you weren't supposed to ask me nothing crazy.

[Francesca]

You know, it is what it is, Kings.

[Asante]

So, yes, Wednesday, wind down tonight, Lechat. We can't wait to see 8pm Eastern Standard Time, patreon.com friendsonpodcast. Join us.

[Francesca]

Join us. Anything else?

[Dustin Ross]

Buy a ticket to my show, please.

[Francesca]

Dustinrosslive.com that's where they at.

[Dustin Ross]

I need the help and I really appreciate it. Thank you. That's it. Come see me on stage, man. Yeah, bring a friend. Bring somebody. Tell a friend. Even if you can't tell them, say, go to that show and they get a ticket and I'll be happy. Thank you.

[Asante]

Amen.

[Francesca]

Amen. This is a Dustin Ross production this week, which means you have a black business to share with us.

[Dustin Ross]

I sure do. So I was so fortunate to be one of the co hosts of the BOMISI conference last weekend a couple weeks ago in Detroit, which is the Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute. That's what BOMECI stands for. So while I was there, one of the panelists this year was a lovely young lady who runs a company called Carefree Black Girl Incorporated. So that's this week's black business of the week. If you go to Instagram and go to Carefree Black Girl, Inc. See, you'll find it. It's a community and lifestyle brand and it's also a podcast for black films for your pride. Okay. They celebrated their 10th year of operation this year. They're actually on tour right now having the Carefree Black Girl cookout. They just had a stop here in Brooklyn.

[Francesca]

Really, really dope.

[Dustin Ross]

Yep. And the tour dates are available on their Instagram. They will be at Essence Fest July 3 through 6 in Philadelphia on July 19, amongst a bunch of other cities all summer long and really all year long. So just a really, really dope thing for black women of all walks of life, straight, queer, whatever, black fibs, black women. If you're black woman, go be a carefree black girl with Quanah. Okay. Shout out to Quanah. She's the creator. You can go again, go to their Instagram, Carefree Black Girl, Inc. And you can get all the information and keep up with everything that they have going on. But I think it's something that'll be really dope.

[Francesca]

Perfect. Thank you, Dustin Ross. Now let's jump into the recap segment. Last week's episode titled Twinkle Toes. Thank you, Fran. We highlighted black and brown men's mental health by answering questions from the you good brand deck of cards. We talked love, heartbreak, friendships, good memories, bad memories, elder wisdom, and so much more. It was a great conversation and I'm glad my brothers allowed me to focus on them for it. Those of you listening really enjoyed it and had a lot to say. Who stood out to you, Asante.

[Asante]

A lot of people doing their work over in the Spotify streets shout out to you all and shout out to some of you all, but the ones that I want to highlight, first and foremost, I want to thank the listeners and the people that have been around, even the newer listeners. Everybody just thank you all so much for supporting our show. The first comment I want to share comes from Joseph. Joseph, you have been a supporter forever. You be holding it down over in Discord. So just shout out to you Joseph. Joseph's comment reads, this week's episode was classic Friend Zone for me. And kudos to Fran for hitting two birds with one stone as I see the episode as being on time for both Men's Mental Health Month and yeah, Mental Health and Pride months. I too want us to get back to how Pride used to be fun Asante, and that you could attend Pride and not need money to have fun. Lastly, Dustin talking about nudging Asante from the other side to buy that car got me thinking of Kadeem Hardison and Marlon Wayans in the Sixth Man. First of all, I haven't seen the six man in so long, Joseph, but for you to have that reference, I don't know why it took me out. It made me laugh. Next comment I want to share comes from There were a lot of good comments. Next comment I want to share comes from T20X. The comment reads, when Dustin said anger and Asante said pain, I had to pause and just cry. As a gay black man who was in his late 30s, this episode hit home heavy. I've been. I've been here since the very beginning and I feel like I got knocked upside my head in a good way. You guys reminded me that this is a wellness podcast. This was so refreshing. Shout out to you T20X. This is a wellness podcast. We have fun over here. Yes, but you know, not only because of friend, but because of friend. We do, you know, get a little serious from time to time. We share. We share.

[Dustin Ross]

This show is wellness. I've always carried that. Okay, this is a wellness show and shout out to you T20X. And I don't know if you're into fitness, but you should start a fitness program to sell to other people because you got the name for it.

[Asante]

Another comment I want to read this one also is for you, Dustin. It comes from and thrasia. I hope I'm saying your name appropriately. This comment reads as a Houstonian by your grandmother. I love that as a Houstonian we learned our ABCs and most city Don promptly afterwards so shout out to you, Justin, for your music. Your music pick. Last comment I want to share comes from. Well, there were a bunch of comments about your. About the remark on your credit, friend.

[Francesca]

Oh, yeah, y' all are the best.

[Asante]

Yeah, let me read one of those and I'll read my last comment. The one I want to share comes from Jen. Also fave in the Spotify street. Shout out to you, Jen. Hey, Jen says, friend, you can go the pay to delete route with your credit. Once it hits your report, contact whoever the issuer is, tell them you want to pay to delete it off your report. Hopefully at that point you get a person who's understanding and will do it for free once they know the situation.

[Francesca]

I ain't in this world, but I.

[Asante]

I do know, right?

[Francesca]

They messed up and I gotta.

[Asante]

Okay, look.

[Francesca]

Oh, Lord.

[Asante]

And then full metal locks right above them. Also stated, friend, you can absolutely get that negative remark removed from your credit report. Good. You can challenge it via whoever the. Whichever bureau it was reported to, you will only need to either A, prove that charge is invalid, which should be easy enough if they're refunding you, or B, work the company directly to have it removed, which may be harder depending on how engaged their debt collection department is.

[Francesca]

Is.

[Asante]

So that I do believe, friend, you have some options. Okay.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I just have to do it.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Like y' all did this. I didn't.

[Dustin Ross]

I wasn't even a hand to do all this.

[Francesca]

My God.

[Dustin Ross]

Today, shout out to our village, though, because that. That information really can't help people out. So thank y'.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

All.

[Francesca]

I'm telling you, they have been helping me when it comes to anything related to the car, anything related to insurance or these types of. Like, I'm thankful because we have a lot of executive cameras and.

[Dustin Ross]

And our audience. I love y'. All finesse. Finesse. Gods love that finesse.

[Asante]

I hope. Scam. I hope not. Last comment I want to share comes from. You know what? I'mma call you D, girl, because I don't know if I want to share your name because I had read this comment. It made me laugh. It was the first one I read. The comment reads a little off topic, but I work for you all's favorite autonomous taxi company. I can't go into details. And mind you, your full name is up here, girl. So that's why I was like, I don't know if I want to do you like that. Look, thank you for being transparent, but I don't want you to, you know, too out there. Even though you out there. So last of the it reads, I work for you all's favorite autonomous taxi company. Can't go into details, but it's always funny when you all start going in on them the whole time. The whole time I'm listening to you all from one of their computers. Don't know if it'll. Don't know if it'll help ease your fears, but if you ever need help in one of the vehicles, the person to help you might be a listener from Detroit wealthy. Could you imagine what's up because. Because you over there listening to damn podcasts when you're supposed to be helping. Thank you for your comment that gave me. I hope you are enjoying your job. What.

[Dustin Ross]

What you say and the gift cards. That's coming too, right? Right?

[Francesca]

No, you did it. Imagine, Imagine you hear. You hear the like, you know how sometimes they can. Their switchboards can get messed up and you just hear friend zone. My God. While you're in it, like wait, that.

[Asante]

Thank you. Thank you for your comment. Girl. That. That tickled me very, very much. A lot of other great comments to share, but y' all gonna have to go read them, friend. What did you find out there in them streets?

[Francesca]

So Nandi said, I really appreciate how open y' all are about grief listening on my friend's birthday. He passed away suddenly four years ago. So pouring one out for my boy. You love Nandy and to your friend as well. Sharifa said, the fact that y' all titled the episode Twinkle Toes has me crying. Additionally, it was so lovely meeting Dustin at the layout. He's always so kind. I was visiting NYC for the weekend with some of my best friends and as a New York born person that lives in Atlanta, that weekend felt so magical. The energy of the city was everything after the wind. Also, I now want to make the layout a tradition because I had such a fun time with beautiful people and great vibes. Dustin, I saw you in Monroe Steele's YouTube video. That made my day.

[Dustin Ross]

She made my day.

[Francesca]

I'm on the couch folding laundry and here comes Dustin on my tv. I said oh my God.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Y' all know and you look so handsome.

[Francesca]

So you do everything out there.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you. Thank you friend. Thank you so much, friend. I had such a good time. I love Monroe still and her content so, so, so, so, so much. So being able to tell her that felt so good to me. Yeah, she looks so cute. She was on her shit like always.

[Francesca]

Of course she said it too. She was like, I love Dustin. She said something like he always shouts me out on the podcast and she says she she was really grateful for the love that you show her.

[Dustin Ross]

I gotta watch the new video. Much love to her, man. That's my girl.

[Francesca]

Shout out to a sweet surprise. Okay, Emmy Hale said there's a concept in Methods of Play for Children that talks about going deep with a few things versus wide with many a friend. And I were just discussing it recently, but within the context of friendship and specifically male friendship, you can spend so many years knowing a person and being truly their friend, which is going wide. But to be really known by someone, which is going deep is a practice and it takes vulnerability and patience. This conversation was so great. Thank you, Fran, for bringing those cards to our awareness. I'll definitely be checking those out for some of the men in my life. And thank you Dustin and Asante, for all that you shared. Y' all definitely dropped drop some gems.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you, thank you for listening.

[Francesca]

And then lastly, Shelly said, Fran, just so you know, if you ever have a mark on your credit for something that you know is invalid, there's a procedure you can do by contacting the credit bureaus and have them investigate that ping on your credit. The big con, however, is that when you contact the bureau, it's all AI. Oh, no surprise, no surprise. And she said, and if I recall correctly, you can do it entirely online. But that's just if you happen to call. She said, I had to do this when my mortgage company incorrectly flagged a missed payment. So I contacted them and the bureau's and it all worked out. I hope that this helps. Not the mortgage company. I'd be fighting everybody. That's way too. Are you crazy?

[Dustin Ross]

That's like the most your mortgage payments. Those are the big bills.

[Francesca]

Yeah, altering errors. I don't like that. And I don't like that you have to sit here and battle AI because somebody didn't do their job. But anyways, Dustin Ross would you find in those Twitter streets.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Well, this is. Breaking Deuce. This is breaking news. I've been practicing. I feel like I'm getting better. But anyway, according to Complex, Judge dismisses all lawsuits against Jay Z's ROC Nation by Tony Busby. Now, if you've been keeping up with anything, right, you know, ambulance chasing ass Tony Busby was responsible for a whole lot of lawsuits that were directed and aimed at at ROC Nation.

[Asante]

ROC Nation.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying? But apparently not by the hands of Tony Busby. Now me personally, I ain't hiring no attorney whose last name is Busby. That just don't even sound.

[Francesca]

Don't it sound like it's. You know, this sounds like. What's that, Pastor? The cash. What is it? The white pastor that's like the money.

[Dustin Ross]

Pastor Olsteen.

[Francesca]

No, his name is, like, Cash something or money something. Yeah. I don't know what I'm talking about,

[Dustin Ross]

and you know I don't.

[Francesca]

The listeners are yelling at it right now. Cash Cobain. No, it's not. I'm gonna find it. Y' all know who I'm talking about. I'll find it.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Cash Cocaine. He's white. But, yeah, I. You know, I think that that's a good thing for Jay Z's organization. I'm sure that they feel a lot of relief, especially over there in that legal department. I know they always like, man,

[Asante]

I

[Dustin Ross]

thought it was like, finally, we done with that. So shout out to him. That's it for me this week in the tweets.

[Francesca]

Hold on. The name is gonna buy. I think it's Creflo Dollar.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, Creflo Dollar.

[Asante]

Yes.

[Dustin Ross]

Creflo Dollar.

[Francesca]

Bruh.

[Asante]

You said cash.

[Francesca]

I knew it was like, Creflo Dollar.

[Dustin Ross]

It sounds like Pastor came to me

[Francesca]

and said that it was his name. I would walk like that. Meme of Homer Simpson walking into the bush.

[Asante]

I ain't heard that name so long.

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

Cryptocurrency.

[Francesca]

Look at his picture. Look at how popular.

[Dustin Ross]

How many crypto dollars you got? Yeah, yeah, Dollars you got. Okay.

[Francesca]

He got a double collar on or some Roblox.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Hell, no.

[Francesca]

All right, let's jump into this week's episode.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the Friends.

[Asante]

If there's one thing that you all know about me is that I love money. And if that's one thing that I know about you all, is that you love money, too. Even though we all love money, I know that I personally struggle to save money. When I log into my bank account, there's no better feeling than seeing how much money that I have. But that high gets blown so quickly when I see how much money comes out of it. And if I'm going to be a millionaire one day, I know I have to just reach these financial goals responsibly. And what better way to do that than by using Rocket Money? Because Rocket Money helps track your spending. It just helps do everything that I need to do to be a better person when it comes to my wallet. Okay. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow your savings. Let Rocket Money help You reach your financial goals faster, like I'm trying to do. Try it for $0 at rocketmoney.com zone. That's rocketmoney.com zone question for new parents. When was the last time you ate something that was healthy, delicious and also not whatever your kid didn't finish? Sprouts Farmer's Market gets it. That's why Sprouts has a variety of healthy and delicious protein bowls, fresh ready to eat salads, and chef created oven ready meals. You can even grocery shop online or get home delivery. Being busy doesn't mean you can't eat healthy. It just means you have to make it easier to do so. So whether you're a new parent or on any other health journey, it's easier at Sprouts Farmer's Market.

[Dustin Ross]

All right, you guys know I love my outdoor space. And this year I'm finally making the time to improve it the way that I really want to. And I feel like it needs to show my personality. You know, it needs to be a vibe just like me. So outdoor seating, grills, major appliances, storage for out there, lighting for the patio, rugs, decor. Wayfair is going to be my one stop shop for home decor for my patio. Now you can shop with Wayfair Verified, which is your shortcut to the good stuff. Their team of product specialists vet everything by hand and they use a 10 point inspection to do so, testing things like the quality of the materials, functionality, features and even how long it takes for you to build. And that really helps during the buying process. And with over 20 million five star reviews, you can hear from real customers before you buy. Plus, Wayfair deals with the hard part so you don't have to. Installation and assembly services are available for a truly seamless experience, which I know firsthand because I've used Wayfair multiple times for updates. You know, I love home decor. You know, having a nice, you know, you fix your house up, you know, it needs to be expressive of your personality when people walk in the door. If there's one piece that I would tell somebody to buy right now for their outdoor furniture, if you're like me, it's the seating, something with a deep cushion. The point of being on an outdoor space is to relax and catch a vibe. So you need to be comfortable and slouchy. Patio access and patio season is here and these deals won't last. Head to Wayfair.com right now to get your outdoor space ready for way less. That's W a Y F A I R.com all right. You know me. I don't need no introduction and bringing y' all Hot Topics, big news, and you know what I'm saying, that's why I'm here. So I love entertainment news reporting. It's one of my passions. It's something I love doing. I love commentary, and I have a lot of things to say. We have opinions. So we're gonna do things this week the way we always do it when it's my turn. It's time for Hot Topics.

[Francesca]

We need a song in.

[Dustin Ross]

Wendy walked over to the chair. Okay, now, first of all, in food, you ain't gonna eat, and neither am I. News Mama Dee from Love and Hip Hop Atlanta, as I like to call her Mama Dee of Love and Hip Hop Atlanta. She has opened up a food trust duck. Okay? It's called Royal Class Kitchen, which what got my attention was the fact that she opened it up by saying everything that could have went wrong did. Now, why would I go eat somewhere where you talking about everything that went wrong?

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

What does that mean exactly?

[Dustin Ross]

Let's take a listen to what she had to say.

[Asante]

I went through hell to open this food truck.

[Francesca]

Things went wrong. And with where they put go wrong, they with.

[Dustin Ross]

So we can leave it right there. She said, hey, first of all, this is how she addressed the onlookers who came for what was essentially like a ribbon cutting ceremony. It was an opening. She said, first of all, this is what she said. This is how she addressed the crowd. She opened her dialogue with, like, first of all, y', all, I went through hell opening this food truck. Everything that could have went wrong went wrong. That's what she said. Now, me personally, you would have heard my tires going out there. Okay. Heels clicking. What the you think I'm finna eat coming out of there and you already letting me know that everything that went wrong could have went wrong. Yeah, that means some fell on the floor. That means something was left out. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Yeah, that's the part that had me wondering.

[Asante]

Yeah, I just went violations.

[Francesca]

Mama did.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying? And second of all, Mama D don't really strike me as a person who's kitchen. I really wanna. Yeah. You know. You know, go in and eat out of. To be honest with you, Mama D seemed like she might have some under her fingernails. Her teeth flew out her mouth.

[Francesca]

I was wondering if that was her.

[Dustin Ross]

That's her. The one whose teeth flew out singing I Apologize. If I'm not mistaken, she was singing I Apologize by Anita Baker when her Teeth. Teeth flew out. Yeah, Mama Dina, I want to eat out of there. You know what I'm saying? And no offense, because I'm sure that's good. What kind of food you think it is?

[Francesca]

Is it soul food?

[Dustin Ross]

Greek? What kind of food you think it is?

[Francesca]

Friend, you never know.

[Asante]

Did you say. Did I hear.

[Dustin Ross]

Let's see. Because the menu is actually on here. I'm gonna tell you exactly what comes kind of food. It is barbecue chicken plate, fried chicken.

[Francesca]

How would you say that?

[Dustin Ross]

Plate herbal chicken plate, meatloaf plate, lollipop, lamb chops plate, which is $35 oxtails plate, rib tips plate, salmon plate, turkey wings plate, gumbo bowl. And the sides are collard greens, green beans, Mac and cheese, cabbage, fried corn, kale, potato salad. Oh, no, kale. Kale. Pasta salad, potato salad and yams. And all plates include one entree and two sides. Yeah. Now listen, hey, these are all dishes I cook, so I'm not, you know what I'm saying? I'm not judging by anything.

[Francesca]

No, we eat. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying? So I'm not judging at all. And for what it's worth, she does have a good headshot photo, though.

[Asante]

That is.

[Francesca]

Oh, that's beautiful.

[Asante]

Yeah, she really, really nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Are you going to eat the food?

[Asante]

I, I personally will.

[Francesca]

I don't really be in Atlanta like that.

[Asante]

I mean, I do, but I.

[Dustin Ross]

Location. It's a, it's a.

[Asante]

I, I will admit it's a location issue, Francesca.

[Francesca]

This is so far away.

[Asante]

I will admit it is a taste issue for me. I just will not be tasting.

[Francesca]

Oh, yeah, you be there.

[Dustin Ross]

I ain't even gonna hold you. You want to try? Because when I want to play. No, I'm not going there.

[Asante]

Oh, okay.

[Dustin Ross]

We're not gonna jump out the window with this thing, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

I thought that we was going right to the restaurant.

[Dustin Ross]

No, I'm going into the club. And so if I'm at the club in Atlanta with my friends and shit, nine times out of ten, we're going to be in a jovial mood. We're going to patronize this. It's fun. Yes. So if this truck is open at, at between the hours of 1am and 6am, you just might get me, you

[Asante]

know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Because honestly, that would be so smart of her to be an after hours food truck.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, yeah, that, that. Now you might get me. In that case. It's just funny because Mama D did it and everything she does is funny.

[Francesca]

And I know you're gonna vlog it. If you do it on your Instagram.

[Asante]

She's.

[Dustin Ross]

And that song, in that order. She'd be like, I look good. I smell good. I look like a million dollars. Order some wings and some ways and that. Don't forget my wedges. In that order. That's what she says.

[Asante]

I promise it happens.

[Dustin Ross]

Rapping and singing about food.

[Francesca]

The fact I'm gonna look up the song because I can't tell if he's

[Dustin Ross]

in that order by mom. Absolutely.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So go to the royal class food truck. If you in Atlanta, go support Mama D. See what she talking about. Let us know how the food is. I'm not above it. Let us know how the food is. I just have. I'm hesitant. You know what I'm saying? I'm just hesitant.

[Francesca]

Watch it. Be good. I'm sure somebody in our listenership has gone already and gotten them some plates.

[Dustin Ross]

Somebody else. In other news, okay, Ex NFL player Brandon Marshall makes his son run through the neighborhood at 2am as punishment, right? And he says that his quote is, this is my son, not my friend. It's accompanied by, this is, according to our friends at the neighborhood, talk. Shout out to the neighborhood. Talk. What's up, Kyle? These are the video footage that accompany the headline. And here's what he had to say to his son. I want y' all to hear some crazy ass shit.

[Asante]

There's no different than when we were in LA Santa Monica running at midnight on the pier. We wanted to do that. We love to do that. And then there's correction. Then there's discipline.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

You're walking.

[Dustin Ross]

Run, run.

[Asante]

Discipline. Correction is good. Even two in the morning, we run you. I don't got to put my hands on you, but I'm training you up to be a warrior. I'm training you be a up to be a leader, to serve, to have discipline, to be better than me. Run, run. Let's go. If you don't start running, we're gonna go three miles. So you better start running because you don't know when I'm gonna tell you to stop.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, yeah, three miles from now, apparently we gonna go through miles. But here's my thing. And as you can see it in the video, he is riding alongside the young man as he's running through a neighborhood. Yeah. And he's in what looks to be a Tesla truck, which. First sign, right there. Second thing, right? This fantasy parenting. Y' all gotta chill out, okay? He's not gonna be a warrior because we don't live in medieval times. Or whatever the. Okay, he. He's. He's gonna be a functioning adult member of society. That's what you're.

[Francesca]

Well said.

[Dustin Ross]

So shut the up and y' all just be saying anything. I'm ready. You'd be a leader and serve. That's two different things, you know what I'm saying?

[Asante]

Like you can.

[Dustin Ross]

You can do them concurrently, but you don't know that and I know that. So shut up. If you're gonna whoop the little ass, make his little pants hot, you know what I'm saying? Give him a little one, two, nothing extreme and then let him go to bed and. And grumble and cuss at you in his room like normal kids. That running three miles, that military ass training on only works there. And even there, the people leave out fucked up. I personally don't agree with this approach. That's just me.

[Francesca]

Okay, how old is this child?

[Dustin Ross]

It doesn't say how old the child is, but I will say that Brandon Marshall captioned the photo. This is my son, not my friend.

[Francesca]

The part that threw me off is him comparing his son doing this regimen to him doing it as an athlete. Well, sir, this was your job. Wasn't he saying we would run? Okay, but this was your job that

[Dustin Ross]

you got paid a lot of money.

[Francesca]

A lot of money that you. And. And I'm sure the coaches weren't making them run at 2 in the morning.

[Dustin Ross]

I mean, 2 in the morning.

[Francesca]

That may have been by choice as well. You know what I mean? I don't know why he's comparing that to discipline for a child. Like you said, just sit him down and have a convo.

[Dustin Ross]

He just as bad as him. Quote, unquote, patriots riding horses to the polls. And quit living out your fantasy. I'm saying in real life. This is real life. I just thought that was weird as. And I would have been so mad. This is driving and taunting me along the way. At least let me put my AirPods in, you know what I'm saying? Like, this is. And ignore you, man.

[Francesca]

I wonder how his son feels about it. I also wonder how old he is.

[Dustin Ross]

I think. I think I could speak for him. If you want to know how his son feel about that. I think. I think we can arrive at a reasonable conclusion.

[Francesca]

Right?

[Asante]

I'm glad he put it out there though, because there are a lot of people that are going to agree with him and so we can finally tell them all to shut up. Like, there's just so many people that think that that's like they're going to be like, yeah, you know he's doing this, right? Like, they not friends. It's like, okay, they are not friends, but this is your child, and this is how you care for them. Like, are we like, we're losing the plot? And I just don't understand why people want to justify bad behavior and wrap it up in something else just so they can continue to exert their control. And then they run a social media, and they're like, yeah, see, y' all

[Dustin Ross]

agree with me, right?

[Asante]

It's like, yeah, there are going to be those that agree with you, but there's also a bunch of us that I'm like, no, actually, like. And if you want to keep your parenting to your household, don't put it up on the Internet.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you. Kids need discipline for sure. Some kids need they ass whip. They do. Okay. I'm just being honest. Some kids need their little asses with blue face. Daughter need her ass. I was so glad to see Carlissa pop her ass the other day on the Internet when she was hitting. Hitting Carlissa and cussing. She was doing all the things everybody wants to do to Carlissa, right? But she's what, four or three or something like that? And Carlissa said, hey, she snatched her little ass up and popped her one good time. And I was like, that's what her ass needed. But this is extreme to me. Beating your kids is extreme to me. This is extreme physical punishment. And it just don't look right to me because you don't have to do all that. Some kids might need that, but that little boy looked like he was not happy to be there and promoting it. Yeah, and why are you sharing it? What, you want a pat on the back? You a motherfucking professional athlete. You should get your accolades elsewhere, bro. Not by terrorizing this child at two in the morning. And in them neighborhoods y' all motherfuckers live in, a black child running at 2 in the morning is a safety risk in and of itself.

[Francesca]

Okay? Right, Right.

[Dustin Ross]

So what the are you trying to prove, right? Would you be better than me? I'm gonna end up hating you. You must want me to hate you.

[Asante]

Yep.

[Francesca]

But that's what I was gonna say. I. I do agree when people say, you know, there people shouldn't do too much commentary on people's parenting.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, yeah.

[Francesca]

Because also, at the end of the day, they're the ones that have to deal with the consequences of how they chose to raise their child if their child decides to go no contact, which you're see love, you know, that's on you.

[Dustin Ross]

A lot of this

[Francesca]

on you.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So, yeah, I'm just trying to put

[Asante]

it on the Internet. Not y'. All, but like. Like, I know some parents, like, they're

[Dustin Ross]

very well got no damn kids.

[Asante]

Well, especially your ass knows playing. I just know some people are very

[Dustin Ross]

well putting my damn discipline in my baby. No, I wouldn't. Now I would discipline the out of my children. And y' all know that. That. But I would never put that on the Internet.

[Asante]

That's.

[Dustin Ross]

That's humiliating.

[Asante]

Like, I already have my qualms about social media, but putting like, showing your parenting style on social media is just like that. I don't really think that's appropriate. So, like, you know, discussion maybe, but, like, I'm gonna show y' all what I do. Go get the switch. It's like, why are we archiving pain and. And trauma and like, you know what I'm saying? So I was like, I don't even want to see that, let alone comment on. But people putting those videos up, it's like, why are you putting this out there for people to talk about? I don't want to talk.

[Dustin Ross]

What the fuck you want from us? Even if you did feel like you was the fucking father of the millennium, right? And we was like, man, you good father. See how stupid that is? Because there's nothing further. That's just. It's a dead end. So you just want the attention and you need to get it another way. New only fans. You know what I'm saying? Since you love physical activity so much, do that and you can get all the attention you want and you don't have to involve your kid. That's crazy.

[Francesca]

Just show us your 2am runs.

[Asante]

Yeah, It did almost seem like you were kind of going that direction, Frame. I don't know why. Like, I knew you were gonna say this, but you show us your.

[Dustin Ross]

That's why I grabbed the wheel from her tits. Up next, y'.

[Francesca]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

This made me feel some kind of way. So we all know shout out to don't call me white girl. Mona, the incredible stand up comedy and podcast host, right?

[Francesca]

She's so dang funny.

[Dustin Ross]

Brought us. I feel like Anita Baker when I think about Mona.

[Francesca]

You bring me joy.

[Dustin Ross]

She bring me joy.

[Francesca]

You know she does.

[Dustin Ross]

I've been working on my Anita Baby Baker. Or you just gotta sing like you yawning. I've been working on that.

[Asante]

It's you and your techniques.

[Dustin Ross]

So Mona was. I'm assuming this was Philadelphia, but that part I'm not sure on. May have been Baltimore as well. But she was in some city and she was accosted by this woman on the street and in the store who was legit trying to like, fight her and start a problem.

[Francesca]

Fighting. Love all.

[Dustin Ross]

And people were most surprised. It was a lot, of course, you know, ignorant as people gonna go that with it. But there were a lot of reactions to Mona's temperament and her manner of de escalating this. This conflict because she. She was apologetic to the woman. She was like, why are you trying to fight me? Like, I'm not even. I'm sorry, what did I say? Like, what did I do? Like, I don't want to fight you. And then she was like, I'm scared for my life right now, so I'm not. She was like, I'm scared. I don't want to fight. You know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Oh, man.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Mona tried to de Es. She tried her best to de escalate it. Let's take a listen to it and y' all tell me what y' all think. So, yeah, as you can see, this lady literally just pulled up on Mona, was arguing with her in the store, blocking her from entering the store, slamming the door of the store in Mona's face. It was a bunch of onlookers all around, of course, everybody pulling their phone out, grinning about that, scratching their armpits. So it just was a scene. But Mona now one time was like, bitch. She didn't say what I would have said, you know what I mean? To the lady. Like, her whole approach to the situation was one of de escalating it. Not at all present herself as a threat of no way, shape, or form. And the woman was clearly angling, like, to fight her. So this got me thinking about just being in public, Y' all know, about an incident I had, you know what I'm saying? Like, you really have to be selective about the spaces that you enter depending on how much access people have to you, because people will try to take up weird ass parasocial issues that they've created in their head with you. And that's crazy. Yeah, because there's something called gun permits, you know, and. And self defense and mace, you know,

[Francesca]

also just got surgery. Mona just got her body. And so I'm gonna guess, yeah, I'm 100 gonna guess that she. She de. Escalated it because she could not physically fight right now. And that would have been horrible. Imagine the pain. You know, she's literally, if I remember correctly, she just had surgery, like within the last two weeks.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. So she can't.

[Francesca]

She can't. I'm sure that's really what it came down to. But it's also scary because what. What happened?

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

Does it say like. No, but I guess we caught it too late when they were already kind of in the middle.

[Asante]

I even watched the video and I couldn't even really tell like, like what the issue was with the woman or what she was.

[Francesca]

But that's the worst part too. Yeah. When you get into those situations where the person was just having a shit day or whatever the case may be, it just activated them but nothing actually happened. And then you still gotta be there.

[Dustin Ross]

I hate that happened to me and Asante in Charlotte.

[Francesca]

Yep. I remember because I came out at the tail end of it. I said, what is happening? Who is this man?

[Asante]

That's what we were trying to figure out.

[Dustin Ross]

You got to be careful, you know, out here in these streets because you just never know what kind of bag people are going to come out of. And even like me, like with the work I do in the commentary space.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

I'd be thinking about that shit, you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

Or there are people that you don't know and they're right.

[Dustin Ross]

And I also think about like, what if that was me that somebody was talking about? I think about it that way when I'm. Cause these. These are reality stars, but they human at the end of the day. So unless you did something really fucked up, I address the shit the right way. But I'm not gonna make it like a personal attack unless it's personal. Like them tunts at Fox News, you know, like that. That's. That's the only difference for me. That's my line. So shout out to Mona for being mature in that situation and prior to that.

[Francesca]

And she also has a lot more to lose too. Like her star is growing, you know, Y.

[Dustin Ross]

That she did. She said after the video too had. Had leaked or whatever she said that she was like, you know how hard it is to walk away from a fight. She was like, oh, I bet. Oh my God.

[Asante]

She's like, it was so hard for

[Dustin Ross]

me to do that. So. Right?

[Francesca]

Mona, stay out the hood.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, you got to the store somewhere. You got to have somebody go to the store for you because it is certain you can only get the store

[Francesca]

at this point. I know how it is. You want to go back home, chill where you chill. But your star too big, girl.

[Dustin Ross]

So speaking of somebody whose star must be too big for them to say the dumbass, they said young thug, this one Hurt me too. This made me feel that. I felt bad having to say this, but Young Thug's dumbass was just talking to a streamer and said that vasectomies will anger God. God and are stupid.

[Francesca]

All right.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, man.

[Francesca]

Thank you. We really wanted to know what you thought.

[Dustin Ross]

So he was literally on Blackboy Max's embattled live stream, and he said that Blackboy Max was talking about how he wanted to get a vasectomy or either has gotten a vasectomy. I'm not sure, because I don't give a. But he was saying something about being 23 with no kids and having. Or either getting a vasectomy. Vasectomy. Young Thug, that is, quote, really young. That stupid. He put you here to create. God gonna slap the out of you. That's what Young Thug said. All right, now and see, this is what I'll be talking about right here, is this kind of, you know, because I govern myself a certain way when it comes to being judgmental. If I have. We all have thoughts, feelings, opinions on shit, but you got to keep it

[Francesca]

it internally, but not everyone needs to know it.

[Dustin Ross]

And some things you can reconcile internally. You don't even. Like you said, not everyone has to know it, but Young Thug is as public as public can be, okay? Him, his art, his fashion, his choices, okay? And we all followed that trial in Georgia for how long? Months.

[Francesca]

Years, wasn't it?

[Dustin Ross]

Years, Yep.

[Francesca]

Low key.

[Dustin Ross]

We watched him literally shape shift and morph into a totally different person by the time he got out. The diet was different. We seen it. You know what I'm saying? But we also got a chance to hear a little thing called testimony, okay? And we got a chance to see court documents and. And got a glimpse into the decision making that goes on over there in Young Thug's head, you know? And you, the last motherfucker on on earth, need to be talking to somebody about doing something that God was gonna slap the out of them for doing.

[Francesca]

We heard them tapes.

[Dustin Ross]

We heard them tapes and them accusations. I ain't saying you did it. I was glad you got off, to be honest. Personally, I was glad, you know, it worked out for him. But that don't have nothing to do with this, okay? And I can't stand people bringing God in this. They love bringing God and faith into and judgment and eternal damnation and this boogeyman land that they feel like we're gonna go to for doing things that they've done, things that are 10 times worse than Young Thug was accused of a lot of Stuff.

[Francesca]

I don't even want to go into

[Dustin Ross]

details, but I'm talking about the worst things you can be accused of, he has been accused of doing.

[Francesca]

But a vasectomy is where it stops. Also, why is he commenting on plaque? Boy Q. Is that his name?

[Dustin Ross]

Blackboy Max.

[Francesca]

Black Boy Max. A streamer. A 23 year old.

[Dustin Ross]

Right? It's like, get a life, you know what I'm saying?

[Francesca]

I'm sure you have other things to worry about.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. I just thought that Young Thug was stupid for that. And he's the last person on earth that needs to be telling somebody what God is going to judge them for doing. He's a rap. He's a. Excuse me. He's a rapper.

[Francesca]

The first thing they scream, he's a rat.

[Dustin Ross]

But he's a rapper. You know what I'm saying? And the one line every rapper on the face of the earth knows is, what only God can judge me. Right? Everybody know that. So why would you say that? Because he's judging you first. You literally on the docket. I just don't understand, man. Yeah, so that really sent me. Anyway, next. Since Sante has nothing to say about

[Asante]

Young Thug, it's just that Young Thug always does something dumb. Like, what was the name of the last project? Like, what am I supposed to say about Young Thug?

[Dustin Ross]

Neeks. Neely Neeks.

[Asante]

Next,

[Dustin Ross]

we're gonna talk about the biggest moment of the year. For me, this moment eclipsed the Knicks actually winning the championship. For me, this moment spoke to me.

[Francesca]

Let's skin ask.

[Dustin Ross]

A cultural reset.

[Asante]

Oh, I just don't know where he's going with this setup.

[Dustin Ross]

It was a cultural reset. It was a celebration that we could follow in real time and. And ride along and root along with. And I'm talking about none other than the New York City new legend and icon herself, the traffic light lady.

[Francesca]

What? Fill me in.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know if you know, I

[Francesca]

saw the big building in his eyes, but I don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't know if you know, if

[Asante]

you're talking about who I think you're talking about. Out.

[Dustin Ross]

I am.

[Francesca]

Who?

[Dustin Ross]

So during the Knicks parade on Thursday, last Thursday, there was a literal American patriot, okay, who had decided that she wanted to take a photo on top of the traffic light. Right?

[Francesca]

Okay.

[Dustin Ross]

She. Now, you know, it's a throng, a sea of people out there, right? Everybody is literally sitting up on scaffolding,

[Francesca]

on bills, all of that crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

So she and I actually have always personally wanted to take a picture sitting up on the traffic light and I'm going to do it. I just haven't done it yet. But she wanted to do it. You know, the vibes. So you can see the soul. Brand new out the box, darling. Anyway, so she wanted to do this at the parade. So she climbs the post. There's a white lady sitting on the. Like, an electric box that's underneath the traffic light. And she protested to the lady climbing the traffic light. She told her, no, get your fat black ass down. You're a fat black bitch.

[Francesca]

Wait, are you serious?

[Dustin Ross]

Dead homies. She was like, get your fat black ass off of this box. Starts hitting the woman's feet, trying to make her fall. All this stuff. The lady who is sitting on a traffic light, she had her hair pulled into a ponytail right here on the back. And she had a big blue pom pom that was like iridescent attached to the back of her ponytail.

[Francesca]

Remember that as a story is a lot.

[Dustin Ross]

She was wearing a black. Like a black tank top and some blue shorts. And you could see like a orange. Something orange underneath her blue shorts or whatever. And she was up on the traffic light. The lady is trying. The white lady is like telling her, get down, bitch. Fat, fat bitch, right? You see the lady saying, what you gonna do? Make me. I'm not moving. I'm not moving. What you gonna say, do? The white lady starts hitting her, like, feet and ankles, trying to make her fall and hurt herself up in the air, right?

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

So the woman starts climbing down, right? Coming down off of the traffic, off of the traffic light. Of course, her feet and legs. She's lowering herself, right? So she comes down towards the electric box. The woman had been hitting her leg, trying to make her shoe come off while the lady was still up on the traffic light. I forgot this part. She takes her shoe off like, oh, bitch, you want to try to knock my shoe off? She takes her shoe off, off, throws it up into the crowd, like up into the air. And keeps her arm up in the air like that. Now, mind you, she has a big blue pom pom on her ponytail. So every move she makes where her head moves is emphasized in that way. Keep that in mind as we move forward.

[Francesca]

This is killing me.

[Dustin Ross]

So after all that, she comes down storytelling. She comes down off of the traffic light. She descends. It's a descent, right? She's coming down off of the traffic light. She gets down to the level where the white lady is that still talking shit, Might I ask? The white lady is wearing what appears to be either a crew neck or turtleneck shirt underneath a Knicks foot basketball jersey, right? Oh, shit, she's talking shit, bitch. You doing like that. The lady comes down off of the traffic light. When she gets level set with the lady, the white lady that's still talking, it was one of the swiftest movements I've ever seen. As she's coming down, she reaches out, grabs the front of that jersey, which is prime for grabbage, right? You know how the front of a jersey is made down. You can hook around both sides, sides and do that. She grabbed the front of that jersey and pulled back like this with her bicep. Sent the flying down on the ground, right?

[Francesca]

Oh, so they were both up there.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes, she was above. The lady was below as above. So below. She was below, right? So she comes down, throws the lady on the ground as the lady as she does it. And the lady is flying through the air and goes down on the asphalt. You hear the crop, mind you, you know how many people are out there

[Francesca]

and it's New York millions, right?

[Dustin Ross]

And the lady was a woman of color. So as she pulls this white lady and throws her down on the ground, the crowd roars. They go start celebrating, right? The white lady gets up off the ground pretty quickly, starts swatting at the black ladies. But because the black lady is still holding on to this traffic light to maintain her positioning, she's like, oh, she

[Francesca]

didn't come all the way down to the street level.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, the white lady. And at the. At this point, the black lady is holding on like this. The white lady is now behind her because she had to walk back over there. So she's facing the black lady's back and ass. She starts punching the black lady in the butt and pulling her pants down. She pulls the lady's pants down and starts trying to pull her underwear off her. She's wearing an orange thong that has got to be made of the stuff that those bracelets were made of. What was that book we made? What was that book we read the measure. What was that book? We read the measure. Remember how them bracelets would not come apart? That's exactly what this thong had to be made out of. Because I'm telling you, I don't know what kind of double stitching under armour, I don't know what it was made out of, but it was teflon. This woman is pulling this lady's thong with all her might trying to get it off. Her buttocks are now exposed, right? She, the lady starts twerking right on the thing in the. In the lady's Face. She starts throwing ass like this is great ass, left cheek, right cheek, one, two.

[Francesca]

And I already know the audience.

[Dustin Ross]

Roaring, roaring. The lady on the ground is furious, right? So she's punching the ladies, but she's now jumping up, trying to punch the lady in the head. Because I told you, she's got like a ponytail or bun with a. A huge royal blue iridescent pom pom on the back. So as she starts hitting the lady on the head, you can see the black lady who had been twerking do like this and. Cause she was drinking. She was just trying to have fun. She hit the lady one too many times. The black lady does the splits, right? It continues to twerk. And then the white lady hits her again in the back of the head. She comes down off of the thing, right? Right. Turns around on the ground and that smile, that, that closed mouth smile went to a one of these. And she starts beating the lady the up right down there, whooping her ass. His do throws her on the ground. Boom. Mind you, her ass cheeks are still out, right? And the blue pom pom. So as she's beating this lady up, you just see the pom pom. Yeah, she is literally a New York legend. Living legend now. But anyway, she beating the lady ass. Dragging her all through the street and shit. She literally dragging her. The lady is fake. It's so funny because the lady is face down and some people have stopped and done freeze frames of the woman going down, going down on the ground, right? So she beat her ass or whatever. They separate them. She goes back to doing headstands, doing the splits, all that. Friend with her ass off at a big blue pom pom.

[Francesca]

Crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

And she starts celebrating, right? And that is it. She is a New York legend. And she explained it in a recent Instagram video. She explains her side. And now I know that the rapper Scar Lip just shot a music video and had the lady in the video sitting up on the thing. She is.

[Francesca]

Wait, did she have her up there twerking while she.

[Dustin Ross]

I didn't see her twerking, but I saw them on set and the lady was up there. She is a New York City I love legend.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I love this.

[Asante]

That's real New York.

[Francesca]

I love this. That's. So please send me the link to

[Dustin Ross]

this because I absolutely am going to send the link. And her Instagram name is Reds Punch. R E D S. Yeah, if you go to Red's Punch on Instagram, that is the lady. She is a living New York City legend.

[Asante]

That's her.

[Dustin Ross]

That's the beauty right there.

[Francesca]

Look at her. Oh, they're young.

[Dustin Ross]

That's reds punch. She whooped that lady ass. And I. And it made me so happy. Everybody I saw in Philly at my show, I told them, y' all shout out to that lady whooping that lady ass at the parade. You know what I'm saying? It just. It brought us. It was another thing that brought people to together.

[Francesca]

Oh, my God.

[Dustin Ross]

During the next parade.

[Francesca]

Amazing storytelling watching it.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, It'll definitely be in a carousel.

[Francesca]

Right? Right.

[Dustin Ross]

We just have a few more items that we're going to get to today, one of which is versus is still a thing. I'm not sure if y' all knew that, but versus battles are still going on. Very excited.

[Francesca]

We saw the. What was it? Tank and.

[Dustin Ross]

And Tyrese.

[Francesca]

Yeah. That's the last.

[Dustin Ross]

When Latoya Lucky stole the show. Came out doing regret.

[Francesca]

Okay, okay.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm gonna sing my. She came out. She was doing that. I was like, yes.

[Francesca]

And that awkward moment with Trey Songz. Yeah. It was a chock full of nuts that night.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, he need to boil some lemons, don't he? And then, hello, hot water. You know, mustard plastic hot water bottle. Come on, Trey.

[Asante]

Come on.

[Dustin Ross]

You know you can do it, man. I love his music, but I don't know what was going on that night. They need to boil some ginger root, hot water, lemons. What else need to be in there to clear all that up? Cayenne, some ammonia tablets. Sniff some ammonia tablet box tablets.

[Asante]

Ammonia block.

[Dustin Ross]

We have to clear that out. None them of ear candle. What's that? They do.

[Francesca]

What is it you and kids say the histamine.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, we gotta be a block.

[Asante]

What is the. Don't you need a netty pot for that?

[Dustin Ross]

We need all that. Trey need all that. Okay. Or else he don't need to sing no more songs. Now there's another versus battle coming up soon. I don't have the date. It didn't show the date, unfortunately, but. Oh, yes, it did. Hold on one second. It is actually this weekend. June 25th. Pretty Ricky and B2K are going at it.

[Francesca]

What?

[Dustin Ross]

I'm excited. I ain't gonna hold you.

[Asante]

I know b2k did they thing and it was more mainstream, but I'm team Pretty.

[Dustin Ross]

Pretty Ricky Finna watch them, Nick. I don't even think you understand.

[Asante]

I'm team Pretty Ricky.

[Francesca]

I have to be honest. I don't know Pretty Ricky discography like that. I might know maybe one or two of the songs that used to Be. Be on. I was gonna say trl. Absolutely not. Could you imagine Carson Daly like. No. So, yeah. So I don't really have a dog in this fight because I don't know the discography like that.

[Dustin Ross]

Baby.

[Francesca]

Y' all feel Pretty Ricky is.

[Dustin Ross]

Hell yeah.

[Francesca]

The clear winner.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

What songs?

[Dustin Ross]

They got too many street records Closer. They got the licky from the front, hit you for from the back. Hey, they got all of that. I don't know what a number. What? Hey, it's because of my age, girl. But that age ain't nothing but a number. It ain't nothing but a number. I'm telling. They got street. These are club records. Yes. Street Records. Like B2K got, like, album cut. Street records that mean a lot to the people that's going B2K.

[Francesca]

Or Pretty Ricky.

[Dustin Ross]

Pretty Ricky. I'm sorry?

[Francesca]

Pretty Ricky.

[Asante]

Ricky.

[Dustin Ross]

Pretty Ricky. Yes. These are all pretty.

[Asante]

That's why I said B2K is more commercial, so a lot of people have more eyes on them. But I didn't buy their albums. I feel like I heard, like. And I thought just because I'm from the south. So it was dope to hear Dustin's point of view. And it makes me feel affirmed that Pretty Ricky finna take this but pretty far album alone.

[Dustin Ross]

Like what Pretty Ricky just got.

[Francesca]

Do y' all think they're gonna include people's solo records? Like, is Omari gonna be doing Ice Spider socks and.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, but they got pleasure.

[Asante]

Pull out whatever stops. They got pleasure.

[Dustin Ross]

P got some hits. You know what I'm saying? From Pretty Ricky.

[Francesca]

Tell me a pleasure.

[Asante]

P hit Boyfriend Number two.

[Dustin Ross]

Yep. Boyfriend number two. Pleasure. P

[Asante]

Boyfriend number two.

[Francesca]

It doesn't set the subtitles.

[Asante]

You was about to say name another video.

[Dustin Ross]

But no, he got some hits, though. Hold on, let me.

[Francesca]

You know what? I'm gonna learn some things. I'm gonna watch it because I genuinely don't know.

[Dustin Ross]

Did you.

[Francesca]

Are they gonna dance? Are they gonna dance? This will be dance battle, too. Yeah, probably.

[Asante]

They were just on.

[Dustin Ross]

They don't need to be. So Pretty Ricky don't look.

[Asante]

Yeah, it's. And Pretty Ricky has too.

[Francesca]

Yeah. BTK look the same.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

And they've also been on tour, right, for, like, years now with the.

[Asante]

I thought they were both on tour, didn't they?

[Dustin Ross]

They are on tour right now. And Spectacular from Pretty Ricky. Still got it. Pleasure. P is still working and. And writing and doing things. And then. I don't know about Spectacular is Rich. And Pretty. Pretty Ricky. He's rich. But he's rich.

[Francesca]

From like, okay, that's what to say from Outside Ventures. I saw him in that. In that clip with Mandy. Shout out to Mandy.

[Asante]

She know him. That's her friend from.

[Dustin Ross]

I've always just been. I prefer a little edge, speed kicks, you know, I've always liked that. I've much been always, you know, Tia, not Tamara, you know what I'm saying? Jagged Ed, Jodeci, not Boyz II Men, you know what I'm saying? Like, I like SWV and Escape not in Vogue type. You know? Like, I like, you know, a little jacket on it. Yeah. So for me, Pretty Ricky is the, you know, that's the way I lean in. But I'll definitely be watching it. And it's going on during Black Gay Pride in New York City. I just want to add that I don't know if the verse is in New York, but the. It's showing during Pride.

[Asante]

So that was.

[Francesca]

I wonder where it's going to be. Watch it be Atlanta or maybe la, maybe.

[Dustin Ross]

Maybe it'll be in Atlanta.

[Francesca]

Maybe I'mma watch. You said it's this Saturday?

[Dustin Ross]

Yep, this Saturday.

[Francesca]

I'mma definitely watch.

[Dustin Ross]

It's definitely a good one. Also, this is just one we're going to cover really quickly. Nene Leakes son, Bryson, got arrested for some more ghetto shit like unpaid child support, probation violations, and failure to appear. Bryson.

[Francesca]

I didn't even know he had a child.

[Dustin Ross]

Bryson. Nene's son Bryson, is ghetto and always has brought her down. Ever since she was telling him to clean up his damn room on the show during season three, Bryson has always been. She set him up with so many options to be successful. And that young man probably got his own story and traumas that he's going through that that have contributed to him making such bad decisions. But he don't even comb his hair and pull his pants up, and I'm tired of that. And Nene, if you get off of Instagram, you know what I'm saying, and get your ass over there and see what's going on with the father of your grandchildren, then maybe, you know what I'm saying, we can have some changes be made because that young man got daughters, he got children, you know what I'm saying? Multiple.

[Francesca]

I didn't know Nene was a grandma.

[Dustin Ross]

Wow, she's a glam, glam, yo.

[Francesca]

I promise you, y' all didn't even get it out. And I was gonna say, she strikes me as the glam. Call me glam.

[Asante]

Yep.

[Dustin Ross]

My mama got mad at me because her grandchildren don't call her grandma. And I was like, you ain't you grew a granny? You need to call that. Them kids call you granny. My mom was so bad.

[Francesca]

I find that funny. The. The grandmas that do not play that, they're like, do not call me grandma. They, like, call me Lola.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, Mimi,

[Asante]

it'll be anything.

[Dustin Ross]

You know what I'm saying? Yo mama's mama. Big mama too. You know,

[Asante]

I feel bad for Nene because she always is trying to, you know, put out the, you know, I didn't raise, you know, I didn't raise him to be this way. But also we do have to acknowledge, like, you know, like, I don't know if it's because he, you know, know Greg is gone. I know Greg was in his original daddy. I don't even know. But it's like, no, he lost both of his. I mean, he hasn't really had a father figure ever. And so it's like you're the only figure we see. But we see all of Instagram. And that's not to say that she's not doing anything for her son. I'm sure she's doing what she can, but I think that they both need some sort of help so they can come to some sort of resolution to keep him out of jail so they can repair their relationship. And then I know he has a brother too.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Who was. Who had health problems recently. Thank God he's doing well now, but

[Francesca]

he has serious two sons.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, her son with Greg. Brent is the baby, her youngest son. And he just had some really serious health issues. He was hospitalized long term.

[Francesca]

Oh, I'm so sorry.

[Dustin Ross]

My God. To the point where Nene was supposed to actually do traders. She's talked about it in interviews. She was supposed to go do the traders, but she didn't do it because her son was hospitalized. She couldn't go to Scotland. So I feel for her when it comes to that. But also, we live in a world where Nene ass was just on Instagram a week ago posting that Drew Sedora was thirsty because of some man, young boy who they had on the show, being introduced to Drew to date her or whatever. A young had to be like 29, something like that, who was talking shit about having Nene laid up, posting pictures of Nene in the bed with him and shit. And when this comes on the show, Nene is the one who goes to the Internet like the thirst is real. They always want to have my leftovers. And it didn't even taste good. Lol. Just ghetto. You too old.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

You look young, but you too old.

[Francesca]

Not that damn young.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. So come on, Nene, where's the maturity, Nene? Remember when. When Nene was in Chicago on Broadway, she had went to promote it on the View, and that's when she. That clip that always goes around of her singing. When you're good to mama, mama's good to you. That's what it's from. But in that same clip, she was showing the new home that her and Greg had just purchased. And it was like stock photos from what I assume would have been a real estate listing. So the home's kind of empty. And I remember Whoopi Goldberg. When they were showing the pictures on screen, all you hear is, Whoopi Goldberg

[Asante]

say, where's the furniture?

[Francesca]

No, Whoopi, didn't I ask her that on television?

[Dustin Ross]

So where's the maturity, Nene? That's what we want to know. Why are you on the Internet arguing with Drew about a.

[Asante]

You know what I'm saying?

[Dustin Ross]

That's that Monique was talking about. No, I'm just playing. I'm just playing. Anyway, so that's it on that. The last thing that we're going to cover is this male Karen who actually got fired from his job at the Kwik Truck trip over his foolishness. So.

[Francesca]

Oh, I think I saw this.

[Dustin Ross]

You saw that, right?

[Francesca]

Is this the one bothering the dad?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, there was a dad named Tyler Brodsky who stopped at a Quick Trip, and he took his young daughters, who couldn't have been no more than like, three and four. Yeah, he took them into the women's restroom to use it. You know, watching them while they use the restroom type shit. And he was in the. At the sink washing the little girl's hands. And it was a male worker at the Kwik Trip. This was in Mississippi, by the way. But it was a male employee at the Quick Trip who started straight up harassing this man, calling the police and talking about he ain't got no business in the women's bathroom. And this lady out there can't go in because he's in there and all this weird ass.

[Francesca]

And they're both standing there while the dad is trying to finish with his children. The part that killed me is I saw. Did you see the statement that was

[Dustin Ross]

written, released by Quick Trip?

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

What did it say?

[Francesca]

That man don't even work there. He was just, like, a contractor. Maybe he was fixing the fridge or some. But he don't even work there. That's the part that blew me. I mean, all of it blew Me. Like, even if you did work there, what do you say? This man is with his children. But it's the audacity of him not even working there.

[Dustin Ross]

It's a lot of weirdos in this world. And there you absolutely have to be on guard when it comes to people and bathroom like that. But not that. Not this picture that they're trying to paint. That man was. Was not in that bathroom trying to harass nobody with nobody. He was not on a weirdo. They're the weirdos in the situation for bringing that energy to it.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

He was with his daughter.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

And is it just me? But it was the solo bathroom. Yeah. It's not like he was in the one with stalls.

[Dustin Ross]

Right.

[Francesca]

Women coming out. And now he's gonna be standing there.

[Dustin Ross]

Nothing.

[Francesca]

Solo bathroom, nothing.

[Dustin Ross]

And they're all ugly. The father was the best looking person in the video, so he ain't trying to look at none of you. What is wrong with y'?

[Asante]

All?

[Dustin Ross]

For real. For real. All this about bathrooms, kids, all this stuff, and they be the main ones harming children. The main ones. Guns, doing this weird sexual deviant. It'd be them.

[Francesca]

I'll be thinking the same, because you are. You are way too invested in this situation.

[Asante]

And why did you decide it was that? Like. Like what? Like, what about the exchange? That wasn't extreme enough for you to call the cops? But was.

[Francesca]

No, he was calling them.

[Asante]

He was on the phone with the police.

[Francesca]

On the phone with them while child standing in the bathroom while the dad was just.

[Asante]

Okay, so what was happening that was extreme enough for him to have called the cops?

[Francesca]

Nothing. That's the problem.

[Dustin Ross]

Nothing.

[Asante]

See, this is. This is why I wouldn't have kids. Like, this is why. Look, unfortunately, back to that young thug comment and him saying, you know, guy, you need to have kids. This is why I don't even want to have children. Because you could be minding your own business out in public, and people can just decide and become, like. Don't even have to ask questions. They can just.

[Francesca]

And the babies were crying.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

Scared.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what I was gonna say. Scared. Scared to death.

[Francesca]

Crying. Because this man is. He was being.

[Dustin Ross]

Scaring them.

[Asante]

So. Because he wanted to prove whatever weird point he wanted to prove, now these children have to be terrified behind it.

[Francesca]

Like being totally aggressive with two little girls in a bathroom, which you shouldn't even be standing in with this dad in the first place. So. And then that woman. That.

[Dustin Ross]

The woman pissed me off because she's

[Francesca]

just standing there like a bozo, not even Gonna wait.

[Dustin Ross]

She waited, friend, until he. Till the other guy closed the door. And then she gonna tell the father, I'm so sorry about this.

[Francesca]

You're lying to me.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. I promise to God in heaven, as soon as the door closed, she told him she was. Say something. Speak up, all this shit is going on. And put a stop to it.

[Francesca]

See, I hate shit like that. I would have told her, shut the fuck up. And walked out and slammed the door

[Dustin Ross]

and told my daughter, fart on her on the way out of here. Y' all fart.

[Asante]

That's crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, So I just. These people have lost their minds and

[Asante]

I don't like that.

[Dustin Ross]

I just really want everybody to take a chill pill and actually protect us from the real.

[Francesca]

And. But. And the thing is, even with me, we were at the bookstore and it was a bathroom that had the stalls. And I was panicky a little bit, sending our youngest by himself because you just don't know who's in the bathroom. You don't know what man is in there. You just don't know. You know, my heart was beating so fast the entire time because it really. I understand if you're a parent, you're sending your child into a bathroom, you know, and then this bathroom was just a solo one. Like he had the right to go in there with his daughters. I obviously couldn't go in because it was a man's stall. But it's just. The world is just too much, you know? Way too much.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't even like using public bathrooms anyway.

[Francesca]

I mean, if it can be avoided, man, let's like.

[Dustin Ross]

So let's start there. Y' all really need. There's so much other in the world when it comes to protect. Let's not even intellectualize it because it's stupid anyway. So, yeah, we don't even have to go.

[Francesca]

That's his frequency.

[Dustin Ross]

That's it for this week, y'.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

Thank you.

[Francesca]

Your face into the segment.

[Dustin Ross]

Welcome to the Friends.

[Francesca]

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[Asante]

Question for new parents when was the last time you ate something that was healthy, delicious, and also not whatever your kid didn't finish? Sprouts Farmer's Market gets it. That's why Sprouts has a variety of healthy and delicious protein bowls, fresh ready to eat salads and chef created oven ready meals. You can even grocery shop online or get home delivery. Being busy doesn't mean you can't eat healthy. It just means you have to make it easier to do so. So whether you're a new parent or on any other health journey, it's easier.

[Francesca]

At Sprouts Farmers Market this week in Wellness. So I was being who I am and looking through the Global Wellness Summit that happens every year. Asante kind of reminds me of. What is it called? C ces what is it the. That.

[Asante]

The Consumer Electronic Showcase. Yep.

[Francesca]

Consumer Electronics Showcase. Not me remembering. Yeah, but it's like the wellness version

[Dustin Ross]

that means you don't have crs. Can't remember.

[Francesca]

Well, not today anyway. But they have the wellness version, right. Where practitioners and doctors and just people in the medical community and you know, creatives, all people get together and just discuss the different wellness conversations that are taking place that year. Obviously the past couple years it's been heavily based on AI. Different ways that AI is being integrated into laboratory work. You know, obviously because they have a different level of precision that they can assist with. Everything from the actual lab work to administrative. You know, it kind of runs the gamut. But what I was looking at when I was reading the articles of what people have been Discussing is just the ways that our doctor, our relationship with, like, doctors and going on doctor's visits is changing drastically. Right. I saw a conversation. It reminded me too, when I first moved here, you know, you moved to a new city, you're trying to get all your doctors and services in order. Like, I need my dentist, I need my gynecologist, I need my primary care physician. And I found it hard. So find a primary care. I can't say physician.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, my God, I've been up all day. Hey, y' all know it. Bless your heart.

[Francesca]

The word legit would not come out. I was saying physician, physician, physician. Whoa.

[Dustin Ross]

Equitable whoop my ass. And it wasn't even equitable. It was equity. Hi. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Francesca]

Hey. Yeah, yeah. But I remember finding one and apparently she's like one of the best out here. But it was like a three month wait. Like all the good doctors, all the good dentists, all the good service people, it's like months and months of waiting. One of them told me I wouldn't find. I wouldn't be able to have an appointment until the following January. And I called in the spring. So I was like, wow, what are. Why is it like this, number one? And number two, why is it so hard to just get an appointment nowadays? I don't remember it being like that when we were younger, Right. If you had to go to the doctor, your mom would just call and you'd be there the next week.

[Dustin Ross]

Right.

[Francesca]

If that. And within the, you know, next couple of days. So they were saying in the Global Wellness Summit that this is apparently an issue that a lot of people are dealing with on a global, global scale. And so now what's really popping off is memberships with doctors. Have y' all heard?

[Dustin Ross]

Really? No, no.

[Francesca]

So basically, you keep a doctor on a retainer, and it's not necessarily new. It's something that the wealthy.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. Like concierge medical service medicine.

[Francesca]

So, you know, it's something that the 1% has always had access to. But apparently, because of the situation that we're dealing with, more and more doctors are starting to offer this Right. For their general practice. And it's also a way, I guess doctors are also feeling away about insurances. Right. Because of the issues that happens between them, the issues that insurances can cause with their clients. And it's also kind of a way to cut the middleman. So basically you pay a monthly retainer. And I remember calling, crawling around when I first moved here, and one of the doctors that I spoke to, I remember her saying that, and it felt so foreign to me. She basically.

[Dustin Ross]

What you talking about?

[Francesca]

Yeah. Because she was like, if you pay, I don't remember her cost. I don't want to lie and make up a number, but I think it was like a hundred and fifty dollars, which is a lot, I think. Yeah. But most people also pay that for insurance. So I guess.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

Kind of the same.

[Dustin Ross]

On par.

[Francesca]

On par. So she was like, you pay 150amonth. Month. You basically have me on call. I can call her whenever. I can text her. I can have zooms. I can come in. I can set appointments that are. That can even be same day for an additional fee. So you pay either by the month or you pay an annual fee. And apparently there's a rise in this concierge, more membership style of having relationships with your service service with your doctors and your gynecologist. I was also seeing that this idea of direct to consumer, like that seemed to be the theme. Right. That's changing in these medicinal models, that model. And it's saying that it's just gonna change a lot of the ways that we have been experienced. Places have been structured. Yeah. Because also think of. I told you, I got hit up by Function Health, which is a company that Matt Damon actually had him heavily invested in. And Function Health is basically one of those blood work company startups where basically you. You prick your finger or something. Send them a blood. Send them blood. And they're able to give you like a hundred and sixty. Sixty plus panels, something that you literally couldn't do at your doctor because those panels are expensive. I went to get my blood check and she added a couple of things like, you know, I'm getting older. Some we added some hormonal checkups, some cancer checkups. When I tell you that bill, 15. When I was looking at it, mind you, I think I only did. I don't know, I want to say six, six, seven panels.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Easily $3,000.

[Dustin Ross]

3,000? I was gonna say 1500, but yeah.

[Francesca]

3,000.

[Dustin Ross]

Don't ask.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

Easily $3 thousand. And I kept thinking, wow, this. That's kind of insane. And even when they found that my. My vitamin D levels were low. And she said, and my iron. That's what it was. My iron was low. She wanted me to come in and get an infusion. That's how low it was. Guess how much one infusion cost?

[Dustin Ross]

$700.

[Francesca]

1500.

[Asante]

Wow.

[Francesca]

And they expect you to come in weekly for the infusion. And I kept thinking, these are outrageous prices.

[Dustin Ross]

Make you want to go to Mexico for real tourist.

[Francesca]

What is it? What do they call it?

[Asante]

Medical tourism.

[Francesca]

Medical tourism. It's completely understandable because this is nuts to me. And so you have new startups like Function Health. I actually saw a whole article come up on Forbes where they. This is like the new rage. Like you pay a membership as well. That's the thing. Direct to consumer. Another membership, that concierge model where you pay, I believe the function health one is like $499 a year and you have two times, you have the top of the year and then you have your mid year checkup where you send them your blood and they send you ev. I'm talking about every panel that they could possibly get on your blood. So you're seeing everything from your brain health to your heart health to your, you know, the more traditional ones that we tend to check, like cholesterol, you know, iron, all this stuff.

[Asante]

But that's so skin scary.

[Francesca]

And this was my question, right. Because I remember when they approached me, Function Health approached me maybe in 2023, 2024, I want to say. And they wanted, you know, obviously people trust me when it comes to wellness because I'm not a grifter. So yeah, I guess they were like, she's someone that if we got, you know, her to work with us, that could be valuable, especially in the black community. But because I'm that person, I. I'm also very cautious.

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

My alignment. And while Function Health sounds amazing, I mean, who wouldn't want your body from head to toe to be checked so that you can, you know, have access to information that your general probably would not be able to give you? Because most doctors, let's be real here, they pull up those panels once you're already showing symptoms.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, yeah.

[Francesca]

And it's most likely too late. Late. So love the concept of Function Health and just these biomarkers, but something about shipping my vials of blood.

[Asante]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

To a startup. Let's be real here. I know that's a, that's the hesitation for a lot of us, especially as black people. I mean, look at the history. Right. Henrietta lacks the cells. Like there's just a lot that makes it scary. And so I wonder, like, like, is this that thing where right now it feels scary because it's brand new, but it's just going to be the future of medicine.

[Dustin Ross]

That's fine though. It can be. We can wait until it is tested and true.

[Francesca]

We're comfortable.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah. You a machine.

[Francesca]

Say they used to say credit cards, people were scared of Credit cards. Like, what do you mean? I'm g. Just walk around with this thing that has all my money. Like, I could see how that was intimidating and not, wow, that's just normal for us. So I try to ask myself, yeah, this is strange, you know, but that access to information and. And Function Health specifically has a partnership with Quest Diagnostics. And, you know, Quest Diagnostics, anytime you go get your blood work, they're the ones that be sending you the bill. And then you'd be late on it because you forgot you had to pay $72.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

But they're in partnership with them, so you can essentially go into a Quest Diagnostics location, which they're all over. And that's how you would get, you know, the vials of blood sent. And I believe they need, like, three vials. Like, it's intense. Yeah. So that's. I'm like, it's amazing. I would love to have to. To know how I'm doing at that level and with that amount of depth, but I'm so hesitant on the side

[Dustin Ross]

of caution with that. This is your hand.

[Francesca]

Just wait. Yeah. And just wait. Because these still are startups. Like, these still are tech companies at the end of the day. So I even see, like, Amazon is getting into the, like, pharmaceutical game. Yeah. Where you can start getting your. Your everything from blood work information. Kind of like on my chart with Amazon and then. And that's crazy to me.

[Asante]

It is.

[Dustin Ross]

Here we are. This is huge.

[Asante]

It's crazy. But, I mean, you know, it is like. Like, it's literally what we've seen on Friend. What was that show on Amazon Prime Upload.

[Francesca]

Right, right.

[Asante]

Like where they were selling all those, like, premium afterlife death services. Like, you go from just buying your everyday products to buying your automotive services, a car, and then, you know, medical services. Hell, if they start building Amazon Hospital might go up in there. It's like, okay, these things are touching. That's weird.

[Dustin Ross]

I ain't doing no blood. I'm sorry. I don't even feel like I even did the 23andMe.

[Francesca]

I haven't either. And I. And when I tell you I want to do it so bad.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

So bad. But I have also not done it because of the same reasons.

[Dustin Ross]

But what if I find out I'm white?

[Francesca]

That's exactly what happened. Happens when you see the percentage.

[Asante]

Look, you better use your white privilege then.

[Dustin Ross]

I love being black.

[Francesca]

They're saying emerging blood tests can now detect early proteins associated with diseases like Alzheimer's. Like, I'm telling you, this is like such important access and. And the. The technology they're developing through these, you know, through having these biomarkers with these blood panels. Like, could you imagine you send in these vows and someone shows you 160 blood panels.

[Asante]

No, I think the deal.

[Francesca]

Pretty much everything that you are made up of, they're going to be able to tell you what you need to do to make your adjustment. It is.

[Dustin Ross]

I think I'll fall out.

[Asante]

I mean, definitely helpful, cool, crazy information. But, like, I'd be like.

[Francesca]

I could see it being overwhelming if, like your plan are trash. Like, if you have a hundred plus things that you need to work on. I guess maybe they don't even give it to you all at once because of that. Maybe it's like in doses throughout the year or something.

[Dustin Ross]

I have enough stress every three months.

[Francesca]

Right.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay. I cannot understand besides that and just general male health care. I. I can't take no more. I can't take it no more for real.

[Asante]

Real.

[Dustin Ross]

I cannot. So, like, it's gonna be a minute for me and I need the help and I. I recognize it and appreciate it as an option.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

Once we get to version three, you know what I'm saying? Maybe then.

[Francesca]

Right. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

After this is once we get out of this administration and we get back to some especially more trusted regulatory systems. You know what I'm saying? When it comes to protecting us. Does. Then I'll go. But right now, not gonna be able to do it. Can you do it? I'm not gonna be able to do it.

[Asante]

I can't do it.

[Francesca]

What about the concierge doctor? Like, how. Like paying one doctor to be. For you to be able to text them and be like, hey, I'm not feeling well. I have this little issue. Can I come in and see you?

[Dustin Ross]

I'm gonna call a doctor anyway, you

[Asante]

know what I'm saying?

[Dustin Ross]

To be honest, I can even find

[Francesca]

one out here that. That's. And then I waited. Remember I told you I found a black gynecologist? I was so excited because she has, I mean, glowing reviews. People are like, she is worth the wait. There are people that waited years to see her. I waited maybe I'd say six months to get in with her, but I was like, it's worth it. I'm gonna be here. I might as well wait. Time's gonna pass anyways. Do you know, I had my appointment with her and she just sent the letter last week saying that she's leaving, Thanking people for the many years of being.

[Dustin Ross]

Her pace would have rolled our Eyes. All the lips on my body would

[Francesca]

have been like I was so I was so tight. Okay, start from scratch. And I'm sure she's the only black gynecologist out here. Like, you know where I'm at.

[Dustin Ross]

So did she at least give some suggestions?

[Francesca]

No, but she said, you know, the person replacing her is amazing. That's all.

[Dustin Ross]

That's the only descriptor.

[Francesca]

But I looked the person up.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, you did? Yep. So, no.

[Asante]

Yeah, no, not the same.

[Dustin Ross]

The saxophones.

[Francesca]

But that's. I'm like, you know what? I can't keep doing this. I waited six months and now she's dipping. So I don't know, I might look into the congesting, just as in, in general, to just see where medicine is heading, where wellness is heading. They did talk a lot about the, like, wearables, you know, like the aura ring. Right. Of course we talk about Apple Watch. What's that other one? That's really nice. It starts with a G. It's another one of those fitness watches. It's not. It's like gamma or something like that, but it's really nice. It's more expensive than the Apple watch. And I think it gives more in depth, Garmin. Thank you. More in depth information. I told y', all, I just started feeling this real push away from the wearable.

[Dustin Ross]

I ain't wearing no choice hip.

[Francesca]

Well, not that far. But just the idea that my wellness is being monitored in that way, and then for me to create that, that, that ping in my brain that I need a reward system for just doing things I'm supposed to be doing. Like, right, you should be walking, you should be moving your body. And no, I don't need to know that I did 10,000 steps. No, I don't. You know, it's like, right. I don't like that feeling. I felt like I started falling into that, that pit of, like, my brain needing that reward system. Really, there's no way around it because that's all it is. It's just pinging. You watching the circles close every day. And now I haven't worn it. Literally, I haven't worn my watch in months. I don't even know where it is. And I feel better.

[Asante]

You're sober now.

[Francesca]

I'm sober and I feel better. Legit. I feel better. I don't.

[Dustin Ross]

Should we get you a pen?

[Francesca]

Right, so I'm. It's interesting that they said it's. It's increasing. It's like a multi billion dollar industry now. And more and more watches and more and more rings. Now they're coming out with necklaces. Now your bed, they said hotels are even stepping into it now where they're creating smart rooms that help you focus on how much sleep you're getting, the quality of sleeping. So the bed has some type of monitoring system.

[Dustin Ross]

That's a problem.

[Francesca]

How do y' all feel about that, though? Like, for it to be more integrated into society where if you travel, maybe the airplane has, you know, optimization for this and now you're better. It's too much.

[Asante]

It's too much, it's too much. I think that the numbers are cool and they're important, you know, they show progress. Progress. I don't think that you. That everyone needs them all the time or that they need to be used for everything everywhere, you know?

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Like. Like, you're at the point to where you just know to do the fitness. You know, your body needs it so you can get up and do it.

[Francesca]

You know what you got?

[Asante]

People, they. Some people, they know that they got to do it, but they need those numbers because they just calculate, and that's how their brain works. Like, it just reinforces, like, that's part of their thing. Some people use the numbers to get them in the boost, you know, like, you don't need them all the time. They should be measured everywhere and optimized everywhere, because now they're just trying to put the AI and everything to do it for them. It's like, it doesn't need to happen.

[Dustin Ross]

I'm pro choice. So you're able to say no if

[Francesca]

it works for your personality.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

I saw a TikTok where the guy was going for a run, and he was like, oh, wait, I need to take my super greens. And he, like, made his super greens. And he was like, wait, I got to get my watch. Got his watch. She was like, oh, my God, I need my compression socks. Wait, I need, like, my new.

[Asante]

Spent more time getting ready than actually.

[Francesca]

And he. It took him like, an hour getting all the little bits and bobs he needed for this run. And I was sitting there having a panic attack, like, you need to get dressed and go. And obviously he was making a commentary, right? On how now we have tacked on so much for the most basic shit. Just go and run. All you need is your T shirt, shorts, and some good enough sneakers, you know? But he had, like, 15 gadgets and gizmos and specific types of shirts from Nike that are sweat. What is it? Wicked. I don't even know what it's called. And, like, the shorts and the this and the that and the shorts that go under the short. And it's. I'm like, we all need to relax for real. Humorism, the optimization of absolutely everything we're trying to do. Just go for your walk.

[Dustin Ross]

I don't even have one of them water cups.

[Francesca]

To Stanley. Oh, my God. I remember this.

[Dustin Ross]

Stanley. I know, right? I wonder when. Ever since I seen that girl whooping ass with one at middle school.

[Francesca]

No, the one was when the girl's car burned down.

[Dustin Ross]

That's what started it all. And her stand. Stanley still there. Yes.

[Asante]

Loves me a cold beverage. A little cold water. And the Stanley is just. It's refreshing. I needs it. I'm used to it.

[Dustin Ross]

And part of the fun for me is the sleepwalk to the refrigerator. So I don't know. Like, I don't keep no cup.

[Francesca]

The naked. The naked sleep walk to the fridge. But yes. I just wanted to. I was curious how y' all were feeling about the way that all of this is changing, because it really is interesting. And I don't think y' all do a lot of the wearables. I know. Asante. You have an Apple watch.

[Asante]

I have one that I never wear just because it's like the. The option of having the notifications on my wrist. Like, I. I was like, you know, I actually don't need to be notified that I've been text them, y'. All. I'll be putting my phone on silent. So it's like, I don't. Yeah. So it just became too invasive. But then I just turned the notifications off of the messages and I just wore, you know, for time. Time. But I found myself always either seeing a clock or just kind of knowing what time it was anyway. And the watch didn't really even show me the time. It was always showing something else, whether it was a notification, your heart rate. Heart rate, stand. I'm like, I can't even get to the date up in this. Like, I don't want to wear this. So it's like, maybe because I'm. I'm not trying to act like I'm old, but it's like too many things are doing too many different things. Like, I don't need that. If the watch is just the ipod or something, I'd be all right. I. And sometimes. Or there was a version of it where I felt like. Like I could wear my watch and leave with my AirPods on and be like, all right, bet. So I could literally just have my watch. And that was dope. But I feel like they've kind of moved around from that concept. So, yeah, it's too much.

[Francesca]

But even back to the early part of a ring.

[Asante]

Oh, yeah, I remember you had that. But the earlier part of just every things being accessible as a whole. Like, I like the idea of the services, like direct being able to pay monthly for those, but like the rolling out of wearables and. And making those, like, a necessity. I don't like the idea of that. And I'm not saying you put those two things together. I just want to make it clear that, you know, I do like that because. Because everything is accessible in both of these conversations. But just the wearables, I feel like it becomes like you were saying with that skit. It's like a crutch, another piece to a puzzle that you're already trying to put together. And like, you already have all the pieces within yourself. You're trying to go get fit. You don't need those numbers offhand in see how much you work out. Like, maybe reward yourself with the Apple watch if you want. You know, work out so often. Like, all right, I see some results and I've been working. They see some at my job. Let me get the watch to see what those numbers are. But to be like, I'm not gonna work out till I get the watch.

[Dustin Ross]

It's like, yeah, yeah. I always took issue. Yeah, I took issue with them waves and going through my hand, the red light flickering.

[Francesca]

That's so true.

[Dustin Ross]

I did. I felt like growing up, up. I remember being told, don't. You can't sit too close to the tv. You know what I'm saying? We get it whooping if we set too close to the tv. So I just didn't want that on me. I've never. And plus, I've never liked the way Apple watches looked personally. Just to keep it so real. I never liked how they looked on.

[Asante]

I was like, design didn't appeal to you.

[Francesca]

Yeah. I mean, I didn't mind it just because I bought it for a reason. Like, it had a function.

[Dustin Ross]

The function.

[Francesca]

And I'm not one of those. Those people, you know, some people, right. Who would wear their watches with everything, like their outfits.

[Asante]

Right.

[Francesca]

I'm not one of those. I would literally throw it on to go to the gym, to go on my walks or runs. And then as soon as I was done, I. I did. I take it off, like with my gym clothes. So it was. It had a function. But outside of that, yeah, I'm not a fan of the design, but I don't even Wear it. I'm actually trying to figure out what to do with it. I'm like, do I sell it? I don't like, offer up or face it or give it to him. Maybe I'll give it to one of the boys because I know they'll probably be excited, but I'm just not a fan. I'm just. I don't know, I'm starting to move away from, from all of that. That, that obsessive optimization that a lot of us are starting to do. And like I said, the themes that I noticed in the Wellness Summit was this direct consumer meaning that a lot of us just want the information ourselves. Right. That's the, like, that's what people are clamoring for. It's like, I need to know my heart rate. I need to know how I'm sleeping. I need to know my sleep number. I need to know, you know, even my chart. I find that so intriguing because it was never like we never had access to our chart. Right, Right. That felt so crazy to me when the first time my doctor said sign up for my chart, and then now all my medical information is right there on my laptop. Something about that is cool but also scary, right?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

Because your could get hacked. You know, you just don't know. It's just like, it seems too vulnerable with the way that things, you know, people are fishing for your information all the time.

[Dustin Ross]

Hey, I hear you.

[Asante]

They gotta remove some risk from. From themselves.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

This way, if your stuff got out,

[Dustin Ross]

it might have been on your end.

[Asante]

So you not. We not liable here.

[Dustin Ross]

Go.

[Francesca]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Information.

[Francesca]

It's just such an interesting time and I've been really intrigued seeing how tech and the times that we're in is starting to integrate into the more wellness and medical aspects. But I was just curious and those of you listening, if any of you do concierge medicine, because also, how is that sustainable? Like, how many clients can you have as a doctor if you're on call for everybody? You know what I mean?

[Dustin Ross]

Yes.

[Francesca]

So if anyone can say, I need a same day appointment, Anyone can text you how.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, I get it. I totally get it. I totally get it.

[Francesca]

But I'm curious for those of you listening, how you are integrating AI into your wellness. You know, getting fit, eating well. Well, those are my thoughts for this week. That's kind of what I've been perusing, Mulling over. Mulling over. Great word. And that's it for me this week in wellness, Eczema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with f glist. A once monthly treatment for moderate to severe after an initial four month or longer dosing phase, about 4 in 10 people taking MGLIS achieved itch relief and clear or almost clear skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more clear at one year with monthly dosing.

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[Francesca]

Ask your doctor about eglis and visit ebglis.lilly.com or call 1-800-lilyrx or 1-8-5979 all

[Dustin Ross]

right, now everybody knows how your routines change every year. In the spring, typically we overhaul our wardrobe, get all new clothes, social calendar starts filling up, we start getting invites to outdoor events, day parties, patio events, and sometimes our work priorities even shift during this time right? All types of things just change in the spring and some of us even change our skin and hair routines for the change in weather. Depending on where you live, you live where it's dry. Put some grease on. However, whether you're curious about affordable GLP1 options or if you're looking for smart nutrition guidance and a supportive community, Weight Watchers is going to give you the tools to stay on track and reach your weight loss goals. Because spring isn't about starting over, it's actually about starting fresh with support that helps you keep up. Now with their Core plus program, you can get a customized plan that ships in real time based on your life and your goals. And that's no gimmicks or no fads. It's a science backed approach that's designed to support you in getting better results. And they have completely overhauled the app y'. All. They give you the support you need to succeed all in one place, making it so easy. You can join the 63 million members who have used Weight Watchers to help support their health and weight loss journeys. Stop the guesswork and start something that works. Join Weight Watchers Core plus program for the ultimate weight loss support and better results. Go to weightwatchers.comfreedom friendzone to get a special offer for our listeners. That's weightwatchers.com friendzone for a special offer

[Asante]

this week in music. A few quick stories here in the artist dimension portion of this and then we are going to get right to the listeners. Lately songs to play. I hope you all are ready. First story, I want to shout out the artist earth sign. Chelse I don't know if you all have heard of this young lady. Yes, my daddy did did yeah dad, my daddy died.

[Dustin Ross]

Oh yeah, yeah.

[Asante]

She's an artist from Chicago. She's been going viral as of late. I've seen her go viral a couple of times over the past month, but I believe she's been dropping music over the past couple of years from what I've seen. But she's a Chicago born rapper and she recently has a performance piece that has been put up on. Well, she actually dropped a music video but there's a performance of the song on the colors.

[Dustin Ross]

I just shared it.

[Asante]

Oh, you did? Oh my God. God.

[Dustin Ross]

Yesterday I think it was.

[Asante]

She's, her style is one of those because I was going to talk about a different artist but her name keeps coming up, coming up in conversation for other reasons. But she's an, an artist that has an interesting cadence and she stands out and her style is different.

[Dustin Ross]

It's original to me.

[Asante]

It is original. She had a video call already, one that came out or I saw like clips from like a month or two ago ago. Like it's like her rapping like, like she's got like one eye closed and I was like, okay, this is interesting. She kind of sounded like Nicki Minaj. But I didn't get into, I didn't

[Dustin Ross]

get Nikki from that. When I listened to her personally, you

[Asante]

know, I can, I can see the Nikki undertones. I can see it's always because of the, the certain things. Right. But I still got, I got Nikki from it, but I also got like a little like conscious. So like there was like a little maybe Kendrick in there. Like there were just other elements. So when women are doing things that sound different from, you know, some of their peers, you know, I think that it's interesting and so I like a lot of what she's got going on. But daddy died when I first heard it I saw. I was like, all right, I can still hear a little bit of the Nikki thing, but I never thought that it was annoying to me, like, because she's like, my daddy died.

[Dustin Ross]

Like, like, trim sounds exactly like Nicki Minaj.

[Asante]

Both. They both have sounds.

[Dustin Ross]

Ex.

[Asante]

They're both variations. Yeah, but they're. They're both variations. Nikki did a lot of different flows. That's why, like, you know how they call Brandy the vocal wife bible. If Nikki wasn't on my shit list right now, I'd try to give her a respectful name, but I don't want to do all of that. So, you know, a lot of different people can sound like Nicki. I don't think that there is one way to sound like Nicki Minaj.

[Dustin Ross]

And these are just trim.

[Asante]

These are two examples. I believe these are two examples of two variations of the Nicki Minaj that we have. Or. Okay, we've heard from Nicki, and so I can understand that. But I also think she's different from Nikki. Like, I can see the undertones. So I'll say. Say that I respect the art, the craft, I respect the. The subject matters. Obviously, there's some death there. Depth there that people are saying. Also, what?

[Dustin Ross]

My daddy died.

[Asante]

Mine didn't. Prayers to that man. And you know what? So check her out on. On the colors. It's a color show. Earth sign shows the song is called Daddy Died. But also check out her video. It's Earth sign, Chess, Chelse C H E L S Earth sign. Chelsea. And it's all together. Speaking of daddies, it was Father's Day this past weekend. This is not necessarily music news, but Beyonce made an appearance because they dropped the sacred video where she was narrating, you know, taking care of Jay Z's hair and getting him ready for the roots picnic. It was beautiful. They're both legends. It was great to hear her. It was dope to see Jay Z.

[Dustin Ross]

And can you imagine Beyonce washing your hair?

[Francesca]

What is this thing about people saying he has a wig? Why is that an obsession?

[Dustin Ross]

Ignorant. Just want to say something about Jay. Want to say something negative about.

[Francesca]

Is it the bots? Maybe it's the bots making this seem like it's a bigger conversation. That is. I refuse to believe there are people that really think that this man has been wearing a wig.

[Asante]

That's. I didn't know that. And that's.

[Francesca]

Yes, They've been doing side by sides of his locks now. And his cornrows. Like, look how thin. That doesn't make sense. I'M like people really. Okay. People need to go for walks.

[Asante]

They absolutely do. That is funny. And I can't stop thinking about how funny it is. But I'm gonna try to talk through it. I loved watching the video because it was beautiful to hear the story of why Jay Z grew his hair out, what he did for blue. Because I remember when some of these dirty out here were talking about a child, child and her hair. So to hear the story behind that was beautiful to hear and it's just amazing. It just makes me love Jay Z even more. Like he's always seemed like a great father. We've known him to be an amazing artist, but just to hear that side about him was beautiful. So I wanted to make sure that we all have discussed it. If we just saw the sacred video and skipped it. Make sure you go watch it. It's on YouTube, the seven minute version. Because I think there's like clips floating around on Instagram. But I watched the whole thing on the tube. Last piece of news that I would like to share is the that look since we on Rock Nation. Chloe Bailey. Chloe, she dropped a mixtape with Timberland.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I heard it yesterday.

[Asante]

The mixtape was called Res. It's called Resurrection. You said you gave a listen, friend.

[Francesca]

I did. I mean it's pretty long, so I didn't finish, but I got maybe halfway through.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

It is long. It's. It is a 13. I think it's 13 tracks on there.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Dusty, did you have a chance to give it a listen?

[Dustin Ross]

Not yet, but I'm going to. I plan on it for sure. It's Timberland and Chloe Bailey. Like it's.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I thought it was interesting.

[Asante]

So I forgot when the teaser for this drop, but a teaser for this drop, like maybe a week or two ago. And I remember thinking like, damn, that sounds nice. And I was disappointed just to see how many people were, you know, or already had negative thoughts.

[Dustin Ross]

I wasn't saying he was disappointed after you listened to it.

[Asante]

Oh, absolutely not.

[Dustin Ross]

I mean, you were friends.

[Francesca]

Yeah, I didn't connect with it at all.

[Asante]

I was gonna say I've seen people that have not. They didn't really like this project, but for me, I like this project because Chloe Bailey, she. First of all, Chloe's been quiet for a while, but it's a good sound for Chloe and she sounds so controlled. Sometimes Chloe be doing the absolute most. And. And that's good when you have the talent too, right? Like when you sound good doing it for a lot of people that's like. Well, you Supposed to do it when you sound like that, so good. But when you. When you have that talent and you can do the absolute most, but you are just finding those groups. Like when we were reading Brandy and she was talking about working with certain people and how they were giving her those things. I don't know if Timbaland was giving her that or who was giving her the notes in the studio or she'd been, you know, through her own craft and journey. I just feel like there's growth here, like, now as far as the landscape of music and her doing something groundbreaking, but for herself, her own personal artistry, and me just a viewer of the journey and me loving some of her past work. I really appreciate with this the Talking Dirty song. A lot of the songs were too short, but talking Dirty, especially the really too short. I don't know if it's for. Because of Tick Tock or what, but I hate when y' all do things like this to me, and I feel like, timber, you've done this to me before, especially so it's like, I want to make this your fault. But music people, when you have a good thing going, just go ahead and keep working. Because I know that song in particular. I think it was like a minute and 45 seconds. Even if you would have kept going and pissed me off and reworked the beat and kept the song going, going. I just like the talking dirty for Chloe, because Chloe do be talking real dirty sometimes. Like, damn, you got to be so crass. So prefer to just be sexually talking dirty and not actually be talking all the way dirty. It's like, okay, Chloe, and you're singing, and I'm liking it. Great. Like, I. I just like some of the boxes that were being checked. For me personally, I had a friend that said he went in with very low expectations, and he was very pleasantly surprised. Okay. I didn't go in with very less low expectations, but I enjoyed the project. Project. So you could also listen and she could sound like some other things that you've already heard before. But that's the beautiful thing about music. You know, it's all objective. That's all I want to share for the artist dimension portion of this program. Now we can get into the listens lately portion where we listen to what? Well, where I get to listen to what you all have been listening to lately, or you all get to listen to what we've been listening to lately? I guess. Yes, friend, I want to know what you've been hearing.

[Francesca]

Okay, so Masego, who we are huge fans of just Dropped a new song and it's called breathe and this is how it goes

[Asante]

Can I breathe? Can I live? Can I grieve? Get a minute Can I breathe? Can I I live Can I grieve Get a minute who I thought I was that deceased Rebirth baptized water Almost

[Francesca]

drown me Be no no high I came with a new mindset Trials, tribulations

[Dustin Ross]

that is what shape me don't miss making answer yourself.

[Asante]

Get to know me ask questions I ain't got no book for you to read for you to see Way beneath the skies

[Dustin Ross]

Very nice.

[Francesca]

His voice, so great.

[Asante]

I like it.

[Francesca]

This is a record by Malaya and Q and it's called Oblivious. This took me a minute Figured they threw my feelings make a business Keeps whispering like lemonade in my swisher Sweet prisoner can my soul be delivered?

[Dustin Ross]

Who could be so oblivious from turning

[Francesca]

into a sea Back and forth with nothing more so insecure I can't ignore Go on and on I've said before I'm stuck inside the universe Only my eyes can see Finding out of my way Singing my symphony like how a pretty liar is. I like how that record feels. And then last right feels good. And then lastly, E.J. ross and Jay Versace. I really love J. Playing with music. This record's called can't find Her.

[Asante]

Can't.

[Francesca]

I've been sitting right here thinking about just why can't you can't just find what I want Been a different city still I'm tripping if there's more to

[Asante]

see

[Dustin Ross]

I told myself I wouldn't let go let go, let go, let go why I can't find her? Why can't I find her?

[Francesca]

Why can't that find her? I could be the everything her heart desires I do everything in my power Nice. Okay. Of my

[Dustin Ross]

very good.

[Francesca]

When I be on this vibe in the car my partner be like your playlist is just one long song. It's just one long ass song. I think they sound different anyway.

[Asante]

What about you, Dustin Ross? What you been listening to right now?

[Dustin Ross]

I've been obsessed with trap Dicky latest sign E the tde. This song is called La Knights. I mix nation for real

[Asante]

having my

[Dustin Ross]

way like I don't got a parent

[Asante]

missing y' all in my business caring

[Dustin Ross]

my hair to spin the block not even caring they gonna do what I say Perry black out we got the boys too scary make a wish and I got it fairy fell in love with the streets we married Come off the bench like Jason Terry Start off the game like Jason Key Wherever I I stand that nation. Yeah. I with Trap Dicky right now.

[Francesca]

Nice.

[Dustin Ross]

Trap Dicky. Cold. Okay, so that's my first song. My second song I'mma play is called I Want to Rock by Cash Cobain, who Fran brought up earlier.

[Asante]

Here we go.

[Francesca]

Pass the cash.

[Dustin Ross]

Don't stop, Let me see you do it. My ex was a P. I heard

[Asante]

you was the solution I ain't trying

[Dustin Ross]

to play Lil bae I wanna get straight to it. Packed up my old hoe back to my old hoes Cash cannot go cold I came back and I'm gonna go in town promo I'm in and out Whoa, whoa for you I won't fall I just want to let you know that. I just want to let you know that. I just wanna let you know that.

[Francesca]

She has.

[Dustin Ross]

She's been popped like that last song I'm gonna play, this is a couple years old, but this is Libra Jolie featuring Rob 49. It's called Give youe Song.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

Yeah.

[Asante]

Yeah.

[Francesca]

He took me to it.

[Asante]

Then he took me to it.

[Francesca]

Can't rush the vibe Rando tell me bend that ass over. Yeah, he took me to it. Wobble it, give me all of it. Grab up on the micros Bust it down right on top of it Steady like it's slow.

[Asante]

Look up at him.

[Francesca]

Use a lot of if it wasn't for a plan B I have a lot of kids like my nasty like little boosie and big lotto smooth like jello but the waist look like a motto Instagram ain't the only time they follow Ask it the clap and show time at the Apollo.

[Dustin Ross]

That's one for y' all to play while y' all partying this summer, this weekend, all that. That's for y'.

[Asante]

All.

[Dustin Ross]

That's it for me this week.

[Asante]

All right. First song I'm gonna play is by James Blake. It's called Trying Times because.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay, James Blake.

[Francesca]

I love me some moody emo lake

[Dustin Ross]

make you want to get barefoot.

[Francesca]

Not barefoot.

[Asante]

You know I'm shredded by the time I home

[Dustin Ross]

like Paul is. End up alone Cuz there are things

[Francesca]

that they can never know.

[Dustin Ross]

So you're sight for.

[Francesca]

So.

[Asante]

That is James Blake's Trying Times. Because as we go through them, sometimes we need a good song to go with it. And that's the one I chose. Next song that I would like to share. My next offering is from Key Glock. This song is called Face down, and here's how it it goes.

[Dustin Ross]

Love this. Love this whole project, Man. Face down, ass up.

[Asante]

This bear won't pass up Stay down r my rack up the hoes all

[Dustin Ross]

up on getting rich with my brothers like our last name was Jones I'm

[Asante]

hitting it from the back Sound like

[Dustin Ross]

I'm stirring macaroni she acting like she sleeps.

[Asante]

Love that sample. Love Key, Glock. You know those.

[Francesca]

You got Dustin ready to go out. Rest in peace.

[Asante]

Take he yes, rip to take Keith. The last song I want to share. This is gonna go on ahead and segue it on over to TV Land. Y' all haven't heard this, but I did because when I was watching Love Island, y' all know the music on there is very like. Well, for me personally, I just be like, I ain't going to this club.

[Dustin Ross]

I can't get past the first episode because of that stupid ass performance scene.

[Francesca]

Do you know how much better that show would be if they had good music? Music?

[Asante]

Well, I don't know. I feel like this was an accident. I don't. Look, look, every now and then they do certain things. Like during one of the challenges I heard making the Stallion. So I was like, okay, this is one of those times. It was a mix I want to shout out, I guess I think it's Alo. I'm not sure how you say the name. I think These are the DJs or the producers that made this track.

[Dustin Ross]

Okay.

[Asante]

When I was watching Love island, they played a mashup of Britney Spears and Genuine. This song is on Spotify by Under Alteco. Britney Spears and Genuine. But it's called Toxic Pony. Here's how it goes.

[Francesca]

A guy like you should wear a war.

[Dustin Ross]

It's dangerous.

[Francesca]

I'm falling. There's no escape. I can't wait.

[Dustin Ross]

I need a hit, baby, give me it. You're dangerous.

[Francesca]

I'm loving it. Crazy.

[Asante]

I have been missing Britney Jean. So to hear her up on Genuine, I was like, oh, okay. I ain't know these went together. That was very refreshing for me and I enjoyed it very much. So I had to share with everybody. That's it for the Music man segment, child.

[Dustin Ross]

Hope y' all enjoy this week in tv. So this week, once again, I want to direct all eyes and ears over to the own network, Bell Collective Jackson, AKA the OG Bell Collective, is back. We got one of the scenes that has made me the happiest from that show this week, which was Marie Monroe, Latrice Rogers and Tambra Cherie meeting up just to kick it and hang out as girlfriends at a cigar bar. And if you've been watching Belle Collected from season one, you know that that is like A fever dream. These ladies never got along. Marie and Latrice have their own storied history of being feuding. Feuding rather on that show. Marie and Tambra have their own history of feuding on that show. Of course we know Latrice and Tam have a personal relationship off the show as true friends. So to see Marie now be included in that, it felt good. They figured out how to work in harmony on that show and they don't have to agree on everything, but they're actually. Sometimes you can have beefed with a person for so long, but you really have a shared history with them with so much time, you know what I'm saying? That actually, like, we really go back for real, for real type shit.

[Francesca]

That's so crazy.

[Dustin Ross]

And that's where they at with it. You know what I mean? And so it's really. It feels good to see. So that's great. Real Housewives of Atlanta is having a great season 17 still. And now we're on the final cash trip, the big dog cash trip, the international cash trip. These ladies are in Scotland. And so this trip, yeah, the trip is being led by Phaedra and Porsche who both were on the trader and spent time in. In Scotland. So it's themed to that. It should be really interesting. But watch that. Please watch the Real Housewives of Rhode island so that you can follow along in our Patreon exclusive recap on the binge where we're about to discuss the most important episodes of them all, which is the what Reunion. So make sure that you watch that also. The Real Housewives of Potomac are currently filming their cast trip for the upcoming season and they are in London. Monique is back as a friend. Robin is back as a friend. I think it's a white girl in the mix this season as well. Things are changing, so make sure that you follow along. Watch all of that.

[Asante]

Wendy went on the trip.

[Dustin Ross]

Yep, Wendy went on the trip. Her trial date has been set for January of 2027. And her and Eddie will be tried tried together. I know that they have been angling for separate tries. They'll be tried together. So we're gonna see that play out. I hope the best for them, whatever that looks like. But that shit is gonna hit the fan in ginger area.

[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

Shit.

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, it's a lot going on. So that's it. This week. I am going to also try to suffer through the polygamist on Netflix. And the reason that I say suffer through it is because the captions misaligning with the lip movements. It's hard for me to keep up because.

[Francesca]

What?

[Dustin Ross]

Yeah, it's an African show.

[Asante]

Show.

[Dustin Ross]

It's like. It is. There's an English voiceover. Oh. On the show.

[Francesca]

I feel like that kills it, but I'll try to.

[Dustin Ross]

Carlos King said it's the. He was like, dustin, I'm telling you, watch it. So I'm gonna try to watch it.

[Francesca]

That's the thing, Buck. And then weren't y' all talking about maternal instinct?

[Dustin Ross]

Oh, yes, we were. We might have to put that. Except for the bands. Oh, it's only one one. It's a special.

[Francesca]

So maybe we should. Do you know how we break off after we've done a long show? We should do some one offs of documentaries.

[Dustin Ross]

Let's do Internal Instinct.

[Asante]

All right.

[Dustin Ross]

For sure.

[Francesca]

We're doing it. So we're doing that for the binge. If you're on our Facebook.

[Dustin Ross]

Crazy. Okay. Crazy. Do you hear me? Also, I want to give a. A huge shout out to Charlemagne the God and the Lauren LaRosa, but specifically Lauren LaRosa. She was on the View the other day. Charlemagne and Lauren were on the View. Yep, they came on the View. And Lauren looks so good. It was just good seeing her. Congrats, Lauren on the main stage, baby. That's the main stage. So go ahead, Lauren.

[Francesca]

And as a journalist, I know that's big for her, so that's awesome.

[Dustin Ross]

Congrats, Lauren. Yes. She looks so good. And I love her with that short haircut too. Shout out to Lauren laros.

[Francesca]

Great decision. Yeah. Yeah.

[Dustin Ross]

But that's it for TV land this week. What else that mean? It's it for.

[Francesca]

And that means that's it for us. We love you guys so much. We do not take you for granted. We appreciate you so much and thanks for hanging with us yet another week. We will catch you guys next week.

[Asante]

Stay black and protect your magic.

[Francesca]

Bye, y'. All.

[Dustin Ross]

This is grim.

[Francesca]

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[Pharmaceutical Announcer]

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[Francesca]

Ask your doctor about EBGLIS and visit evglislily.com or call 1-800-LILY RX or 1-800-545-979.