Transcript

Crystal (0:00)

Meat Song. His fantasy lineup not so great. A no name QB and an injured rookie running back. But you know what is great? Getting a single line unlimited plan for $35 a month and a free Samsung Galaxy A15.5G at Cricket Wireless. No injuries, just reliable service. Cricket may temporarily slow data speeds if the network is busy. Must bring your number to Cricket on select unlimited plan. Pay $40. First month new lines only. First month service charge and tax due at sale. Cricket 5G is not available everywhere. Fees, terms and restrictions apply. See cricketwireless.com for details. Hey guys. The holidays are nothing without friends, family and flannel. That's right, flannel. The vibe that you can always count on, that you can always rely on. Okay? Especially now that I'm a Southern California baby. Feels like my right. It has to be from L.L. bean. It's the shirt you wear when you pick out your tree, the one you wear when you're decorating it. Maybe you wear in a pumpkin patch of sorts. Or maybe just having delicious seasonal coffee with someone that you will be breaking up with in a matter of weeks. Either way, holiday traditions are how flannel fits in. Okay, Maybe you'll wear it while you're opening some presents. Maybe you'll wear it while you're drinking a hot cocoa with a snide look on your face because you got the baby that thing that they wanted for the holiday. Maybe it's a family movie night. Maybe it's a friendsgiving. It's perfect to wear and it's perfect gift. It's flannel of the holidays, actually. It's the uniform of the season. And like all things Elbean, it's cozy, it's effortless, and it's made to last. So go check out L.L. bean Flannel. Invited to the holidays since 1912. Welcome back, folks at home, friends, niggas, etc to the program. I am the president and founder of Sheryl Lee Rowe Fan association.

Q Fury (2:29)

And I am Ahmed El Ahmed and this is the read. Thank you so much for coming back. And for those of you tuning in for the first time, welcome girl. Thank you for showing up.

Crystal (2:38)

Oh, there are some of y' all too, I guess.

Q Fury (2:40)

Always, you know. Got to say hello to those of.

Crystal (2:44)

You who are like in the group. There's always read.

Q Fury (2:46)

Okay, yeah, let me see what them niggas is talking about.

Crystal (2:49)

Yeah, Interesting.

Q Fury (2:50)

Fun and festive.

Crystal (2:51)

Well, here we are wrapping the month up and the year. This has just been one of those weeks. My wife, I just got back together today after two days of frustration. And I'm just like, it's delightful to have that experience to remind you how much shit needs the Internet in your hands. Like, can I use the microwave? What else has to use?

Summary

The Read – "Step Up" (December 18, 2025)

Hosts: Kid Fury & Crissle
Network: Loud Speakers
Theme: Hip-hop and pop culture's dramatic tales, personal therapy, and shade delivered with humor and candor.

Episode Overview

Wrapping up the year, Kid Fury and Crissle bring their distinct blend of humor and real talk to examine hip-hop and celeb headlines, personal woes, and fan letters with their signature unfiltered commentary. The episode features everything from Black Excellence to petty rap beefs, problematic men, and relationship advice, ending with their infamous Reads.

Key Discussions & Segments

1. Opening Banter & The Joys/Perils of Modern Tech (02:29 - 06:55)

Crissle vents about being disconnected from WiFi, realizing how much daily life is dependent on internet access ("Can I use the microwave? What else has to use...").
PlayStation woes: Crissle recounts her game play being cut short by license verifications—a funny take on digital-era frustrations.
Kid Fury quips: "What made you think I could function without that Internet working? I cannot..." (03:37).

2. Black Excellence: Deta Hedman – Darts Champion (05:18 – 08:22)

Honoring Deta Hedman from Essex, UK—the first Black woman to become world darts champion.
Crissle beams: "Shout out to black women doing it all, even when they shouldn’t have to."
Notable moment: Deta’s joyful reaction to her win, “When the dart went in, I just thought, thank God, finally I’ve done it… I didn’t think it was ever going to come” (07:26).

3. Hot Tops: Pop Culture Mess & Rap Drama (08:29 – 54:00)

A. Young Thug & Mariah the Scientist - On-stage Proposal

Hosts skeptical about the engagement and the history of public embarrassments in hip-hop relationships.
Kid Fury: “You gotta believe you deserve better than this... But you don’t, so this is what you’re going to tie yourself to.”
Comparison to Offset & Cardi B’s public drama.

B. Snoop Dogg's Netflix Holiday Halftime Show (12:13 – 17:40)

Snoop to headline Christmas Day NFL halftime for Netflix; hosts wonder who else will appear.
Kid Fury unfazed after Snoop’s questionable recent public positions: “Snoop is so deep on my shit list right now...I’m not interested in him performing.”
Brief detour into rumored Glorilla/Megan Thee Stallion beef, with both preferring "denial and delusion" as a coping mechanism.

C. Nicki Minaj’s Twitter Rants (19:09 – 23:03)

Crissle sighs over more “transphobic rants,” Nicki’s feud with Gavin Newsom, and her rabid stanbase dividing over her behavior.
“She’s just a mess, bro. She’s not well.” (Q Fury, 22:28)

D. OT Genasis Accused of Assault (23:03 – 31:32)

Stories emerge of OT Genasis harassing and spitting on multiple women.
Crissle delivers a direct message: “If you cannot take someone rejecting you without threatening to kill them, you should be in the custody of people who can look at us.” (28:23)

E. 50 Cent, Diddy Doc, and Rapper Pettiness (32:46 – 36:45)

50 Cent feuds via Instagram over unauthorized Diddy docs; Jim Jones/Maeno/Fab/Dave East podcast get dragged into the mess.
“Why are you trying to turn this into some late ass shit like this?” (36:38)

F. Chrisean Removing Blueface Face Tattoo (37:03 – 39:00)

Crissle celebrates Chrisean getting Blueface’s name lasered off her face as a first step to recovery, naming it a “step in the right direction.”

G. Future Named 'Friend of the House' at Louis Vuitton (39:00 – 44:19)

Pharrell’s influence at Louis Vuitton; hosts ponder the meaning of “friend of the house.”
Comedic highlights imagining "dirty Sprite" Louis accessories and Future’s silent appeal as a model.

H. Drake's Petty DM to Ebro & More Rap Drama (44:19 – 54:15)

Discussion of Drake messaging Ebro "Die slower pussy" after Hot97 show gets canceled, suggesting thin-skinned artist responses to public critique.
“That’s exactly what I expect a white boy to say.” (Q Fury, 48:06)
Reflection on Drake's insecurity post-beef with Kendrick and diss tracks that failed to chart.

4. Advice Letters & Therapy Hotline (58:12 – 95:11)

A. Should I Tell My Situationship I Want to Date Around? (58:46 – 70:15)

A listener, Tony, is dating a woman but wants to explore with masculine-presenting lesbians.
The hosts encourage open communication and self-discovery, emphasizing not confusing presentation with sexual preference.
Playful banter about "stems" and "super studs" in the Black lesbian community.

B. Can Exes Be Friends? (70:15 – 81:37)

Xavier asks about remaining friends post-breakup; hosts give a resounding “Nope” while emotions are raw.
Kid Fury: “You don’t build, maintain a friendship with someone while you’re grieving them... You have to put him in the ground.” (72:07)

C. Supporting a Struggling Partner (81:56 – 95:12)

Marisa wonders if her professional success is making her boyfriend feel worse during his career setbacks.
They suggest not projecting insecurities or inventing drama, but being present and supportive—unless he shows resentment.
Sharp eye toward red flags: “What is it about this nigga that make keeping a job so hard for him?” (88:37)
“I have my ‘No’ answers ready if he asks for money.” (91:29)

5. The Reads: Strong Words for the Week (99:21 – 126:51)

A. Crissle’s Read: Lazy Storytelling & Military Stupidity in Sci-fi (99:21–106:44)

Rants about Hollywood always turning monsters into military weapons—hates the trope and criticizes Quentin Tarantino’s Fortnite tie-in for “Kill Bill.”

B. Kid Fury’s Read: Russell Simmons & Out-of-Touch Journalism (106:44-126:51)

Drags Russell Simmons for trying to shift blame onto Kimora Lee Simmons about his relationship with his children, reminding listeners of Simmons’ grooming and criminal allegations.
- “Why were you best friends with a teenage girl at 38?” (109:43)
Blasts sports reporter Rachel Nichols for asking cringe-inducing, too-personal questions to athletes about their relationships, emphasizing professionalism and boundaries.
- “Why are you taking bored-ass losers’ jokes to the faces of legit athletes?” (117:09)
- “Let the Internet joke be an Internet joke.”

Notable Quotes & Moments

Crissle (05:18): “Shout out to black women doing it all, even when they shouldn’t have to.”
Kid Fury (28:23): “If you cannot take someone rejecting you... without threatening to kill them, you should be in the custody of people who can look at us.”
Crissle (72:07): “It’s like if this motherfucker died and you’re grieving while keeping his body on the couch... You have to put him in the ground.”
Kid Fury on Drake (48:06): “That’s exactly what I expect a white boy to say... trolling on live video games.”
Kid Fury on Rachel Nichols (117:09): “You’re taking their little jokes and bringing them to actual athletes and asking them in person about that dumb shit.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment | |-----------|----------------------------------------| | 02:29 | Show proper intro & tech frustrations | | 05:18 | Black Excellence: Deta Hedman | | 08:29 | Hot Tops Start | | 09:08 | Young Thug/Mariah proposal | | 12:13 | Snoop Dogg Netflix Show discussion | | 19:09 | Nicki Minaj’s Twitter Troubles | | 23:03 | OT Genasis Assault Allegations | | 32:46 | 50 Cent/Diddy/Rappettiness | | 37:03 | Chrisean tattoo removal | | 39:00 | Future x Louis Vuitton | | 44:19 | Drake petty DMs / Ebro beef | | 58:46 | Listener Letters: Dating/Breakups | | 99:21 | Reads (Crissle) | |106:44 | Reads (Kid Fury - Russell Simmons, Rachel Nichols)|

Overall Tone & Takeaways

The Read closes 2025 with classic shade, insightful commentary, and honest life advice, never shying away from hard truths or hard laughs. The humor is always balanced with sharp social critique, especially around gender, race, and celebrity culture. If you want a sampling of hip-hop and pop culture’s messiest moments with a side of therapy and community affirmation, this episode is a must-listen.