Joe and Jada: Mike Epps Tells WILD Jay-Z & DMX Stories, Talks Dave Chappelle & Top 5 Standups

The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Guests: Mike Epps (comedian/actor), Fat Joe (host), Jadakiss (co-host)

1. Main Theme & Purpose

This star-studded episode of The Joe and Jada Show (within The Herd) is a celebration of hip-hop culture, comedy, resilience, and the journey from humble beginnings to iconic status. Comedians and entertainers Mike Epps, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss share wildly entertaining personal stories, dissect the realities of street life, reflect on success and hardship, and debate the pillars of stand-up comedy and hip-hop. Expect raw, unfiltered storytelling, plenty of laughs, and a candid conversation about where they came from, what shaped them, and their place in the game now.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

Growing Up Broke, Chasing the Dream

[03:31 - 14:39]

• The trio recounts their childhoods, highlighting strict parents, household antics, wanting to be fly, and the pressure of making it out of the struggle.
• Memorable quote:
  "I see you, I said, damn, this guy, Mike Epps, man, this guy live a fucking life. And you do whatever the fuck you want." (Fat Joe, 06:03)
• They share stories of hustling for basic things—food, sneakers, and clothes—exploring how being “the broke kid” fueled ambition.
• Fat Joe and Jadakiss reminisce about a different era, when small community stores and family discipline shaped them:
  "I used to go to supermarket with my mother with $2 and they get the rice, the chicken, a pack of cigarettes and bread and the milk for $2. That's before Christ." (Fat Joe, 09:58)

The Comedy Hustle: Darkness & Competition

[19:21 - 29:23]

• Mike Epps describes paying dues on the comedy club circuit in the Bronx (Jimmy's Bronx Cafe, Sugar Shack, the Peppermint Lounge) with legends like Tracy Morgan.
• Stand-up comedy is depicted as cutthroat:
  "The art form itself is not like rap music. It's a one-man band. You don't...that's why it's so dark. It makes you really, really cocky...worse than the rap game." (Mike Epps, 28:18)
• The trio unpacks how comedy, despite creating laughter, often hides personal darkness, referencing figures like Robin Williams.
• Jadakiss: "That's why I was telling the young dudes...the streets ain't really—it's really over. With all these cameras. You be a damn fool." (17:54)

Authenticity, Loyalty, and Street Realities

[13:25 - 18:20], [40:27 - 44:12], [51:31 - 54:48]

• Loyalty and betrayal in street life: Mike and Joe recount watching people turn their backs on “the money man” once they fall from grace.
• Discussion of how envy and being denied things as a kid breeds toughness and sometimes a street mentality.
• Fat Joe: "I watched people that my brother bought the TV, the furniture...Wouldn't let him in their house when he needed a meal." (16:16)
• The manipulative and destructive side of street hustles (e.g., pimping), and why leaving that life is usually best.

Comedy Mount Rushmore & Dave Chappelle Debate

[52:36 - 53:21]

• The all-time stand-up greats:
  • Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac, Robin Harris. (Jadakiss, 52:40)
• Respect for Dave Chappelle, but Epps and the crew put him in the "next generation":
  • "Dave Chappelle is...he's younger than me...He ain't up there with them. That's my opinion." (Mike Epps, 53:07)
• The generational divide is likened to hip-hop (e.g., comparing LL, KRS to newer rappers).

Wildest DMX and Jay-Z Stories

[75:24 - 77:50]

• Fat Joe tells a legendary DMX story:
  "DMX and Big Pun had a show in like, a baby arena in Brooklyn. We went to the gas station and DMX said, yo, hold up one second. And stuck the guy up for his chain and came back with the guy chain on..." (Fat Joe, 76:11)
• The unpredictable, dual-sided character of DMX: street tough, but with a tender, humble side (e.g., instantly turning polite around elders).
• Mike Epps muses on running into Jay-Z early, when he was just "a ghost" at clubs, quietly observing the scene:
  • "I've been standing right next to Jay Z at the Latin Quarters. He was about to go on the stage...And I was a ghost." (Mike Epps, 48:49)

Resilience, Staying Grounded, and Family

[45:13 - 47:01], [62:35 - 63:49]

• How growing up without a lot (or without a father) can make you strong — "the strongest people you ever want to meet are people who are missing something." (Jadakiss, 45:56)
• Fat Joe expresses gratitude for having made it:
  "I can't believe that I own a house...You know, shit was fucked up when I grew up. It's the simple things, the littlest things." (Fat Joe, 62:58)
• Discussion on their kids not fully understanding the struggle they endured, and wishing they could walk a week in their shoes for humility.

Comedy Tour, Projects & Creative Hustle

[39:27 - 41:18], [47:04 - 48:06]

• Mike Epps details "We the Ones Comedy Tour," sharing line-up changes and his new role headlining.
• Excitement over TV and film projects:
  "The Upshaws is coming out...me and Wanda Sykes on Netflix only on Netflix, y’all, January 20th. Got another movie coming with Kevin Hart." (Mike Epps, 47:17)
• The reality that there’s no “middle class” for comedians—either "rich or dirt poor"—hustling from couch-surfing to stardom.

Hip-Hop History & Authenticity

[74:53 - 81:14]

• Mike, Joe, and Jada quiz each other on deep hip-hop trivia—K Solo, Redman, Father MC, T. LaRock.
• Revealed: K Solo and DMX beef over “Spellbound,” their jail connection, and DMX’s rawness.
• “Tim Dogg was the first 6ix9ine...the realest. I knew was coming. Tim Dog...” (Fat Joe, 55:02)
• They lampoon the “fake” hip-hop commentators who never moved any records.
• Reflections on career legacies, connections, and who really puts on for the culture.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Growing Up:
  “I had a green sweatsuit, red one, and a blue one. By the middle of the year, I had a green shirt, green pants. I mean, blue pants and red every day...”
  – Fat Joe ([14:24])

• On Comedy’s Dark Side:
  “It don’t brighten up until it starts paying you. And you can get therapy with it. You can buy you a piece a little bit.”
  – Mike Epps ([29:09])

• On Authenticity:
  “All we want is peace and harmony.”
  – Jadakiss ([46:54])

• On Comedy’s Mount Rushmore:
  “Richard Pryor, Eddie Murphy, or Martin Lawrence, Bernie Mac and Robin Harris, can’t nobody beat that five.”
  – Jadakiss ([52:40])

• On Making it and Gratitude:
  “I can’t believe that I own a house. I can’t believe I got a car…It’s the simple things, the littlest things.”
  – Fat Joe ([62:58])

• On Parental Influence:
  “He didn’t know he was hurting you. He thought you looked good in that [plastic jacket].”
  – Jadakiss ([14:08])

4. Important Segment Timestamps

| Time | Segment/Topic | |----------|--------------------------------------------------------| | 03:31 | Mike Epps introduced, kick-off of stories | | 06:12 | Sun felt hotter as a kid, neighborhood nostalgia | | 13:25 | Trying to be fly, parental thriftiness, discipline | | 19:21 | Bronx club/comedy scene, coming up “a ghost” | | 28:18 | The darkness of comedy, cutthroat nature | | 40:27 | Going “last” on comedy tour, stealing jokes | | 45:13 | On not knowing your father, resilience | | 52:36 | Comedy Mount Rushmore, Dave Chappelle debate | | 75:24 | The wildest DMX gas station stick-up story | | 76:49 | Jadakiss on DMX: instant “church dude” with elders | | 62:58 | Fat Joe grateful for his home, post-struggle | | 63:28 | Kids not understanding the old struggle |

5. Tone & Style

• Language: Frank, streetwise, and peppered with humor—just like the hosts.
• Mood: Nostalgic, candid, and riotously funny; moments of deep reflection, but never preachy.

6. The Episode’s Flow

• Casual, unscripted conversation—stories unravel naturally, with one memory sparking another.
• The trio effortlessly transitions from laughing at old pain to legendary tales from music and comedy, always circling back to lessons learned and gratitude for their journey.
• Frequent debates on who and what deserves respect—whether in comedy, hip-hop, or real street life.

7. Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in resilience, authenticity, and culture. If you cherish behind-the-scenes tales from comedy, raw hip-hop history, and real talk about making it out of nothing, you’ll find this episode both inspiring and hilarious. Mike Epps, Fat Joe, and Jadakiss’s chemistry pops—from Marcy Projects stories to debates on stand-up royalty, to the meaning of success and giving back. Charismatic, unfiltered, and packed with memorable, quotable moments, it’s podcasting at its most real.

8. Further Listening

• Comedy “We The Ones” Tour info: [39:27]
• Bronx/Hip-Hop Museum talk: [59:55]
• Mike Epps’s Netflix & movie projects: [47:17]
• Unreal DMX & Jay-Z run-ins: [75:24 – 78:18]
• Jokes on food stamps & changing the game: [91:40]