Podcast Summary: The Herd with Colin Cowherd

Episode: Joe and Jada - Fat Joe, Jadakiss & Bill Bellamy tell HILARIOUS STORIES about Biggie, Michael Jackson & Eddie Murphy

Release Date: December 2, 2025
Host: Joe Crack the Dawn (Fat Joe), Jada (Jadakiss)
Guest: Bill Bellamy

Overview

This episode of The Herd, hosted by Fat Joe and Jadakiss, features legendary comedian and actor Bill Bellamy. The trio dives deep into iconic stories about Bill's rise in comedy during the hip hop golden era, interactions with the likes of Notorious B.I.G., Michael Jackson, Martin Lawrence, and Eddie Murphy, and reflects on the intersections between comedy, hip hop, and Black culture. The episode is energetic, candid, and packed with one-up storytelling, both hilarious and poignant.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Bill Bellamy’s Comedy Genesis and the Def Comedy Jam Golden Generation

• Bill outlines the unmatched group of comedians he came up with:
  • “There’ll never be another class better than us. We dream team. ... Jamie Foxx, Martin Lawrence, Chris Tucker, Chris Rock, Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey, Dave Chappelle...” (07:19)
• Highlights how stand-up comedy and hip hop were deeply connected in the early '90s streets and clubs (06:17–07:44).
• Bill reflects on the era’s camaraderie and cross-pollination between rising hip hop and comic stars.

Giving Martin Lawrence His Flowers

• Debate on whether Martin Lawrence gets enough credit:
  • “I don’t think people give Martin Lawrence his flowers the way they should. ... There was nobody funnier than Martin Lawrence on Def Comedy Jam.” (09:18)
• Joe and Bill riff on how Martin Lawrence’s natural, off-the-dome humor made him like a world-class freestyler of comedy (09:50–10:09).

Wild Early Days: Storytelling Smackdowns & Industry Humility

• Fat Joe discusses his ambition to do a one-man show based on his storytelling skills, inviting icons like N.O.R.E., Irv Gotti, and Rick Ross to try and one-up each other’s wildest stories (20:03–21:46).
• Bill underlines the importance of timing in storytelling and notes Fat Joe’s legendary status for being everywhere in hip hop for decades (21:54–22:03).

Legendary Industry Tales

The “Booty Call” Origin Story (16:27–17:22)

• Bill Bellamy recounts how he coined “booty call” based on a Mike Tyson moment:
  • “I just asked her to come to the room for a second... at 3 in the morning? ... That’s a booty call, right?... Next thing you know, I got a little small role in Who’s the Man... That’s insane. ... 30 years ago, bro.” (16:27)
• Joke spiraled into movie deals, pop culture catchphrases, and international recognition—though Bill missed out on starring in the film Booty Call because he chose a dramatic role instead (17:55–18:21).

Story: Bill Introduces Notorious B.I.G. at a Philly Club

• The first “party and bullshit” riot:
  • “I don’t know that Big got this song called Party and Bullshit. ... I’m hosting and I’m about—give it up—then the riot started! I thought I was about to die. ... That scene in the Biggie movie came from that moment.” (24:19–25:43)

Fat Joe’s Dangerous Encounter in Lebanon

• Joe describes performing for fans overseas and being invited by would-be Taliban admirers to “shoot rockets,” which made him flee to the airport in terror (25:46–27:16).

The Legendary Lake Havasu “Biggie Can’t Swim” Story

• Bill details coaxing a hydrophobic Biggie onto a floating party pod during a raucous MTV Spring Break (27:34–29:09):
  • “Big had to be on the pod... He was like, ‘Nigga, I can’t swim, nigga. With my fat ass falling in that water, nigga...’” (28:36)

Will Smith, Michael Jackson, and Closet Shenanigans

• Joe retells Will Smith’s viral story about meeting Michael Jackson in a closet after a BET Awards riot, admitting, “When I saw that shit... my storytelling days is over. When I seen Will Smith tell a story, it’s like, alright, it’s time to go.” (29:33–30:44)

Bill’s Unnerving Michael Jackson Interview

• The tension and security of interviewing MJ:
  • “Mike had to go to the bathroom. Yo, they went in the bathroom. It was a dude on the toilet. My man was like, ‘Break it off, fam!... You done? Boom, boom, the door. My man had to wipe his ass, get out.’” (37:41–38:36)
• Bill discusses how MJ’s team destroyed his list of questions, giving insight into how controlled access to MJ was in his prime (39:45–40:05).

Health, Hollywood, and Surprises

Fat Joe Nearly Saves Tommy Mottola’s Life

• Joe candidly shares a panic-inducing moment when music exec Tommy Mottola nearly chokes during breakfast. His storytelling gets the whole room laughing, but he underscores how shaken he was:
  • “No, not with Fat Joe. The craziest shit ever. I got scared to death. I’m catching anxiety explaining it.” (43:04–43:45, 44:51–45:18)

Jada’s Own Near-Miss Driving Emergency

• Jada shares a dramatic diabetic episode where he needed to pull a friend’s car out of traffic mid-health crisis.

  • “He’s in the driver’s side, I’m praying 75 Our Fathers, Bismillahs... He starts going like he’s talking gibberish... As soon as I threw it in park, he stepped on the gas. He would have went into the building.” (47:22–48:59)

• The conversation emphasizes the importance of managing health—especially in diabetes—within the community, and not lying to yourself about medical conditions. (50:01–53:06)

Relationships, Privacy & Social Media

• Bill weighs in on keeping marriages private and the pitfalls of social media oversharing:
  • “Keep your house private, bro. ... Once you start putting people in your house, they in your house. ... They get to change the attitude or the altitude of your house.” (54:02–54:38)
• Fat Joe jokes he’d never survive a reality show marriage with cameras on him:
  • “I knew I wouldn’t have a wife after one season... I go, ‘Yeah, you know, this this that,’ and I walk away. Be like, bitch—that shit on camera.” (55:14–55:25)

Eddie Murphy, Comedy, and Urban Movie Theaters

• The group reminisces about seeing Eddie Murphy’s Raw, sneaking into theaters as kids, and being kicked out for laughing too hard or falling asleep (59:05–60:45).

Closing: Bill’s Family Holiday Movie and Final Reflections

• Bill Bellamy plugs his new family-friendly holiday comedy film, "Worst Christmas Ever," about love and blended families during divorce (53:14–53:50).
• They end with playful banter about fat stacks, big shows, staying fly, and the importance of creating family and cultural moments.

Memorable Quotes

• On the golden era of comedy:
  “There’ll never be another class better than us. We dream team... It was like so many funny.”
  —Bill Bellamy (07:19)

• On Martin Lawrence:
  “I don’t think people give Martin Lawrence his flowers the way they should. There was nobody funnier than Martin Lawrence on Def Comedy Jam.”
  —Bill Bellamy (09:18)

• On storytelling:
  “Joe, I don’t know. I think you are one of the greatest storytellers. Cause you just been in this shit so long, and you got good stuff.”
  —Bill Bellamy (21:46)

• On coining 'booty call':
  “I read the article when Mike [Tyson] was like, ‘I just asked her to come to the room for a second. ... At 3 in the morning? That’s a booty call, right?’ ... Next thing you know, I got a little small role in Who’s the Man...”
  —Bill Bellamy (16:27)

• On Michael Jackson’s security:
  “Yo, Mike. Yo. ... Mike had to go to the bathroom. Yo, they went in the bathroom. It was a dude on the toilet. My man was like, ‘Break it off, fam’... My man had to wipe his ass, get out.”
  —Bill Bellamy (38:01–38:36)

• On reality TV and marriage:
  “They offered me all types of money to have a reality show, but I knew I wouldn’t have a wife after one season.”
  —Fat Joe (55:14)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• 07:19: Bill Bellamy remembers the legendary ‘dream team’ of early 1990s Black comedians.
• 09:18–10:33: Paying homage to Martin Lawrence’s comic genius—his spontaneity and streetwise relatability.
• 16:27: Bill explains the birth of “booty call,” its Mike Tyson connection, and pop culture trajectory.
• 24:19–25:43: Bill’s Notorious B.I.G. “party and bullshit” live riot hosting experience.
• 27:34–29:09: Lake Havasu story—Biggie’s fear of water and MTV party antics.
• 29:33–30:44: Fat Joe retells Will Smith’s MJ closet story.
• 37:41–38:36: Bill interviews Michael Jackson and experiences MJ-level superstar security firsthand.
• 43:04–44:51: Fat Joe saves Tommy Mottola from choking—real anxiety, comic retelling.
• 47:22–48:59: Jada’s diabetic driving emergency, risking both lives to pull over safely.
• 53:14–53:50: Bill previews his new movie, “Worst Christmas Ever.”
• 54:02–55:14: Reflections on privacy, marriage, and staying off reality TV.
• 59:05–60:45: The group reminisces on Eddie Murphy’s Raw and getting thrown out of theaters.

Tone and Style

The episode is lively, raw, and unapologetically honest, blending streetwise wisdom, nostalgic storytelling, and side-splitting humor. The camaraderie is palpable; every story one-ups the last, often with punchlines and vivid details from the speakers’ personal experiences in hip hop and comedy.

Takeaways

• The 1990s produced a once-in-a-generation cohort of Black comedians whose crossover into TV, film, and music influenced the culture at large.
• Legendary artists like Biggie, Michael Jackson, and Eddie Murphy remain larger than life, and their encounters with comedians and rappers birthed stories that blend hilarity with insight about the industry’s inner workings.
• Relationships, health, and privacy are recurring themes—showing that beneath the surface, even legends wrestle with the same real-life issues as everyone else.
• Storytelling—whether in music, comedy, or conversation—is the thread that ties hip hop and standup together in both eras.

For New Listeners

You don’t need to know every reference to enjoy this episode: it’s about the art of living large, laughing louder, and outlasting adversity—with every story illustrating just how intertwined comedy and hip hop are in shaping the culture, and how the OGs keep those stories alive for new generations.