Stop The Cap

Summary

We Talk Back – “Stop The Cap” (August 6, 2026)

Main Theme & Episode Overview

In “Stop The Cap,” hosts TamBam and AJ Holiday explore the complexities of capitalism, social justice, and the nuanced expectations placed on Black celebrities—especially those who reach billionaire status, like Jay-Z. The episode weaves in recent news headlines, debates about economic systems, and sharp humor as TamBam and AJ encourage listeners to question dominant narratives and refocus energy on actionable improvement for Black communities.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Weekend Reflections & Personal Updates

• AJ attended a funeral, describing how emotionally drained she felt afterwards. Both hosts joke about low-key weekends, paying rent late (“I don't know why, I just intentionally wait…” – AJ, 03:56), and making maintenance requests (“Why everybody else in my building got keypad locks and I don't?” – AJ, 04:17).

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2. Headline: Sidney Starr Arrest

• AJ introduces the topic of Sidney Starr, a reality TV star arrested in Georgia for alleged crimes involving a minor.
  • Both hosts react with disgust and concern, emphasizing the importance of protecting children.
  • Notable moment: Discussion about how, when trans people commit crimes, society is quick to misgender them (“Once you commit a crime, you’re no longer trans…if he goes to prison, he's probably gonna go to a male prison.” – AJ, 07:24).

Timestamps:

• Sidney Starr headline and LGBTQ-predator debate: 04:39–08:18

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3. Celebrity Scrutiny: Ariana Grande’s Hiatus

• TamBam brings up Ariana Grande withdrawing from the public eye amid health concerns. Both hosts reflect on the dangers of social media scrutiny, referencing Chadwick Boseman as an example of public misunderstanding regarding private health issues.
• AJ ties in conspiracy theories about Hollywood, referencing memory “erasure” clinics, Kanye West's struggles, and government mind control programs like MKUltra (“MK Ultra is real…you could pull up government documentation on MK Ultra. It's a brainwashing technique that they do.” – AJ, 11:35).

Timestamps:

• Ariana Grande/cultural scrutiny: 08:28–12:29

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4. Club Etiquette & Gender Dynamics

• The conversation shifts to a viral podcast moment featuring Jim Jones discussing club booths and excluding women if they don’t “put in” for a bottle. The hosts poke fun at men who only want other men in their VIP sections (“He just want a bunch of niggas in the section. You want to be in a section by yourself?” – AJ, 15:20).
• Debate about kitten heels and the pressure on women’s club fashion, landing on the autonomy to choose (“Until you walk a mile in my shoes, please don’t tell me what I can wear, sir.” – TamBam, 15:04).

Timestamps:

• Club bottle scenario & “boys club” clubs: 13:32 – 17:47

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5. Jay-Z, Capitalism & Black Wealth Debate

The Jay-Z Controversy

• The latter half of the episode dives into the debate surrounding Jay-Z’s Target deal, the scrutiny he faces from the Black community, and lingering resentment about success within capitalist structures.
• AJ asks: “If not capitalism, then what?” – highlighting the cyclical dissatisfaction with every proposed system: capitalism, socialism, techno-feudalism, and even communism.
• TamBam notes, “There were Black communities that were thriving…with hospitals and schools” (26:09), countering the notion that Black Americans lack business acumen; it's often systemic sabotage, not community failure.

Are We Choosing or Assigned to the “Bottom”?

• Critical reflection: Are Black Americans put at the bottom, or do daily choices reinforce their position?
• TamBam insists, “I don’t think we are choosing it. I think all these systems are set up for us to be at the bottom…taking books out of schools, erasing Black heroes…” (51:12).
• AJ talks about personal responsibility in preserving Black history—downloading book PDFs, keeping libraries of knowledge at home.

Capitalism vs. Socialism vs. Communism (Breakdown)

• AJ and TamBam break down definitions and pros/cons.
  • Socialism is discussed more favorably in theory but critiqued for its limitations in growth and reward for effort.
  • Communism and oligarchies are depicted as systems where a small group always holds most of the power, mirroring issues found under capitalism.
• TamBam shares experiences with UK's free healthcare as a lived comparison.

Systems & Consumer Cycles

• The hosts scrutinize billionaires’ responsibilities, stating that a billionaire “couldn’t have gotten there without consumers,” arguing for more transparency about how they help the community.
• Caution about Black folks being the top consumers; calls for financial literacy (“We have to change our spending habits…AJ, 54:31).

Timestamps:

• Jay-Z, capitalism/alternatives: 23:38–45:53
• Are we choosing “the bottom” or is it systemic? 50:49–54:31

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6. Social Engineering & Media Manipulation

• Discussion of Black consumerism, Tavistock Institute’s targeting of Black consumers, and references to pop culture (like "They Cloned Tyrone") to illustrate “programming” and engineered desires (“Summer, we was fighting about chicken sandwiches at Popeyes…in order to change our vibration, you got to change the music.” – AJ, 55:36)
• AJ cautions about AI-generated music and the erasure/manufacturing of Black cultural product (“They are manufacturing soul. So now…they don’t need us to even be the artist anymore…” – AJ, 58:46).

Timestamps:

• Social engineering, AI, and pop culture influence: 54:48–59:18

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7. Accountability, Community, and “Mind Your Business”

• Closing thoughts stress individual and community responsibility:
  • AJ: “Don’t be a hater. Stop the cap…We know mechanisms exist to trip us up. That’s not our focus…Focus on your focus. Mind your motherfucking business.” (64:03)
  • TamBam wants more mutual care: “I agree with mind your business, but…we got to take care of each other.” (64:49)
  • Both hosts agree: support Black entrepreneurship and lift each other, aiming for many Jay-Zs—not just criticizing the few.

Timestamps:

• Final reflections—community, minding your business, mutual support: 64:02–67:22

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“Once you commit a crime, you’re no longer trans…if he goes to prison, he's probably gonna go to a male prison.”
— AJ Holiday, 07:24

“We don’t know who nobody the fuck is. Honestly, you never know. But just don’t fucking touch the babies. That’s my thing.”
— TamBam, 06:42

“MK Ultra is real…you could pull up government documentation on MK Ultra. It's a brainwashing technique that they do.”
— AJ Holiday, 11:35

“Until you walk a mile in my shoes, please don’t tell me what I can wear, sir. But it’s your section. …I can get my own section.”
— TamBam, 15:04

“There were black communities that were thriving…with hospitals and schools. …every time we build it, they come, they destroy it.”
— TamBam, 26:09

“Black people are the number one consumers. Black women in particular are the number one consumers in America. …We have to change our spending habits.”
— AJ Holiday, 54:31

“They are manufacturing soul. So now…they don’t need us to even be the artist anymore. If I can recreate what soul is—Yikes. It’s getting scary outside.”
— AJ Holiday & TamBam, 58:46–59:18

“Don’t be a hater. Stop the cap…We know the mechanisms, the machines exist to trip us up…Focus on your focus. Mind your motherfucking business.”
— AJ Holiday, 64:03

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Structural Timestamps Reference

• 03:56 – Rent and maintenance talk
• 04:39–08:18 – Sidney Starr headline & LGBTQ discourse regarding criminality
• 08:28–12:29 – Ariana Grande, celebrity scrutiny, and MK Ultra/Hollywood conspiracies
• 13:32–17:47 – Club etiquette, “boys club,” fashion pressure on women
• 23:38–45:53 – Jay-Z, Black wealth, debates on capitalism/socialism/communism
• 50:49–54:31 – Are Black people choosing the bottom, or is it systemic?
• 54:48–59:18 – Social engineering, Black consumerism, AI & pop culture
• 64:02–67:22 – Community accountability, mutual support, “mind your business”

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Tone & Style

• Bold, candid, comedic with sharp repartee
• Insightful cultural critique, rooted in lived experience
• Blunt, profane, and affirming—emphasis on honesty, self-awareness, and Black empowerment.

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Listener Takeaways

• Question the structures and motivations behind headlines, even in pop culture.
• Consider the real implications of economic systems—why are we dissatisfied, and what power do we have?
• Support for Black businesses requires accountability from both sides—community and the entrepreneur.
• Pay attention to how and why we’re marketed to, and the content we internalize.
• Most importantly: “Mind your business. But also be your brother’s keeper. Lift the community.”

Transcript

[A.J. Holiday]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Loril LaRosa]

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[A.J. Holiday]

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[Tam Bam]

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[A.J. Holiday]

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[Tam Bam]

We're just two unapologetically black women with an opinion who talk back.

[A.J. Holiday]

What's up, y'?

[Target Advertiser]

All?

[A.J. Holiday]

It's your girl, A.J. holiday. What's up, Tam Bam, y'? All.

[Tam Bam]

It's me, Tam Bam. I love y' all so much. Thank y' all for coming back again. And what's up, girl? What you do this weekend?

[A.J. Holiday]

Not a damn thing. Not a damn thing. Oh, aside from going to my. One of my friend's funeral.

[Target Advertiser]

Son.

[A.J. Holiday]

My friend's son's funeral. So that pretty much drained me, child. I was Saturday and I was no good. I probably didn't wake up till about 1 o' clock Sunday. Just a rough. A rough weekend kind of.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, man, I didn't do either this weekend. It was raining and I was just tired, so I went to work and I did not. Once I got home from work, I just did not leave again till Monday.

[A.J. Holiday]

Those are good days. That's usually how my weekends be. For real, if I'm in town, I'm in the house because ain't nothing outside.

[Target Advertiser]

For real.

[A.J. Holiday]

I'll even be like co mingling

[Tam Bam]

like a co mingle every now and then. But I just. Rent was due, you know, I was gonna stay in the house.

[A.J. Holiday]

I just. I just paid my rent this morning. I don't know why. I just. I don't know. I just intentionally wait to. We got, like, until. I guess it's to the fourth usually, but I just. I don't know why. Why do we. Why do you delay? You got the money today? Why delay Some control. Look, I did send a maintenance request along with my rent, though. I need a new washing machine. And why everybody else in my building got keypad locks and I don't.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

I need. I need some upgrades. Y' all hear me? I need some upgrades.

[Tam Bam]

I'm here for it. Don't get in the sins.

[A.J. Holiday]

Who we got going on this week, y'?

[Target Advertiser]

All,

[A.J. Holiday]

I really want to start with. This is a brand new headline. Of course, you know, you know, our shows are prerecorded, but today, the reality TV star, Sydney Star, the trans woman, which, I mean, I don't. I don't think is technically trans if you haven't actually transitioned, but the s. Reality show star Sydney Star was arrested in Georgia on multiple felony charges involving a minor. Okay, so apparently she got busted he got busted in a Embassy Suite hotel with a child under the age of 16. They have charged her with child molestation and sodomy. They have not yet released any details because the victim is a minor. But as of right now, Sydney has not publicly responded to the allegations. And.

[Target Advertiser]

Wait.

[A.J. Holiday]

And the case remains ongoing,

[State Farm Narrator (Alternate)]

so.

[Tam Bam]

Yuck.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes.

[Tam Bam]

My thing is, I don't care if you want to you, I don't care what you identify as, but please do not identify as a child molester, because that's a problem.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes, and I think that's a lot of people's concern with the LGBTQ community because they have been usurped, Right? The old school LGBTQ ain't for none of that bullshit. But they are trying to put these maps, these minor attractive persons, they're trying to add that in at the end of the queue. You see what I'm saying? Why it becomes to be, you know, becomes so dangerous wanting to be in female spaces, restrooms, stuff like that. We don't know who these people are, what they really into. And they're hiding behind the guise of, you know, just regular.

[Tam Bam]

We don't know who nobody the fuck is. Honestly, you never know. But just don't fucking touch the babies. That's my thing. Leave the babies out of it. Stop. Don't put your hand on no baby. Like, what are you doing with that child in the hotel room?

[A.J. Holiday]

Right? I thought he was also sick too. Am I making up a rumor? I feel like I heard that before.

[Tam Bam]

Like what kind of sex, what they

[A.J. Holiday]

call it in the gay community? The flu. Yeah, the flu.

[Tam Bam]

Very possible. I mean, there's a lot of people who live with that, but just don't fuck with the babies. That's where I draw the line.

[A.J. Holiday]

And it sounds like she got caught, he got caught red handed. I keep. I'm saying he because. No, like, you know, it's so weird like when a. When a, A trans woman acts or even like a gay guy acts, you know, feminine, you automatically be like girl. You know, it just comes rolls off. But something happens when they commit a crime. It's like collectively now people online in the comments calling him a him as opposed to she. It's very interesting to me, once you commit a crime, you. You're no longer trans. You're whatever you. Exactly. Because I mean, technically, if he goes to prison, he's probably gonna go to a male prison.

[Tam Bam]

Well.

[A.J. Holiday]

And that's where he would belong.

[Tam Bam]

Don't fuck with the babies. Leave the babies alone.

[A.J. Holiday]

Leave anybody alone. That's not a willing Participant in devotion.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, but still, especially an impressionable child.

[Target Advertiser]

So.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah. All right, let me go over this. This is what I found. Ariana Grande withdrew from London Musical after her rep shares she'll be taking a break from the public eye due to ongoing public scrutiny. Now, if. I don't know if y' all seen her, but she is very thin, and I think, you know, some people like talking shit, but a lot of people are concerned with her health. No. And I'm sure she reads the comments and probably feels very offended by some of the things that people say. And it just made me think about Chadwick Boseman and how he was sick and everybody was like, oh, saying real mean, ugly things to him, not knowing that he was fighting for his life. So, you know, decided to give her some grace. I worry about her.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, I worry about her. And what's the actress from Wicked, Cynthia Erivio Eruvo, or Rivio, the black woman who played the wicked witch in Wicked, who actually wasn't Wicked. But it seems like neither one of them have been the same since starring in that movie. And it's just the weirdest thing.

[Tam Bam]

It was some interesting energy when they were doing their promo tour for the movie with some interesting energy going on.

[A.J. Holiday]

It's almost like Cynthia was like a bodyguard for Ariana Grande.

[Tam Bam]

She was very protective of her. I thought they might have been scissoring after. I don't know.

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't know.

[Tam Bam]

It might just be like a sisterly or motherly love for her, perhaps, but it was very either boyfriend or mama bear energy. I don't know.

[A.J. Holiday]

I mean, if you look at their hands, the hands are all skinny, long nails.

[Target Advertiser]

It's just.

[A.J. Holiday]

It looks wicked, just like the movie. And I remember a while ago, there was a. Ariana Grande was on the red carpet and she was talking about how she went to the. Some clinic called Happy Days or some shit like that where they erased her memory. Brighter days, Brighter days. Okay, they. And I believe her, right? So online, they're trying to say she was being sarcastic and trying to be funny, but if y' all actually Google this video, she was dead ass serious, basically saying she needed to revisit the clinic to get her memory back. And there are places like that, you know, nobody. Nobody took Kanye west serious when he was saying that his trainer, a Jewish trainer who was in. He was in the Canadian military, basically drugged him and caused him to go into a manic episode. He literally put out text messages of this man telling him, you want to see your kids in the future. Watch what I do to you next time. And people act like Kanye west was the crazy person. He's literally putting it in your face that these people are. Are with, you know, with their heads. MK Ultra is real.

[Tam Bam]

It's a real program.

[A.J. Holiday]

You could pull up government documentation on MK Ultra. It's a. It's a brainwashing technique that they do.

[Target Advertiser]

So.

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't know, man. The world is crazy.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

And I'll never be trying to sound like a. I don't even subscribe to, like, conspiracy theorists, because the term doesn't even make any sense. Right?

[Target Advertiser]

Conspiracy.

[A.J. Holiday]

And you look up the definition of either one of those words, it just doesn't even go together. But at some point, you got to start questioning some of this shit, okay? And looking deep into it, because everybody ain't crazy.

[Tam Bam]

I agree. Yeah, well, prayers for Ariana Grande that she, you know, heals from whatever she may or may not be going through.

[A.J. Holiday]

A lot of them people sign up for exactly what we're seeing. They signed up for it. They had an expiration date they wanted. Like, it's just things you got to do sometimes, right? I don't know. I mean, I side more with how people want to live their life and what they want to do. I'm with it. If you like it, I love it. So anyway, Jim Jones, y', all, listen. I am a super duper dipset fan, okay? When I went to college, that's all I was playing. And my Mazda 929 with my Dolphin CD player, you remember, had, like, the dolphin graphics with the blue neon lights.

[Target Advertiser]

Yes,

[A.J. Holiday]

I'm a big fan. But when I tell y', all, that nigga be getting on my damn nerves. So now on, you know Jim Jones, Dave east, fabulous. And Mayno have a podcast, right? And Mayno to me, is the most funniest on that shit anytime I see it. I haven't really actually watched a full episode of this, have you?

[Tam Bam]

No.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, but they may know. Funny as hell. But Dave east was reading. I guess it was like, maybe somebody writing this basically saying, like, somebody wrote in, I guess. And Davies was reading it saying, if the club scene is dead, where women supposed to sit at in the club and like that?

[State Farm Narrator]

And when did nightlife turn into a boys club? Can the ladies get a seat?

[A.J. Holiday]

Here comes Jim Jones and left field. Talk about.

[State Farm Narrator]

No, you ain't put it on this bottle.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

What?

[A.J. Holiday]

We paid.

[Target Advertiser]

What do you say?

[A.J. Holiday]

Pay 980 hundred for a bottle.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

You talking about 800 a bottle of rose.

[A.J. Holiday]

Now, y' all can't Come in this set, who you want in the section.

[Tam Bam]

He said he was joking though.

[A.J. Holiday]

He only was joking. And this is why it's so important for men to check other men, right? He only said he was joking. And so the rest of the group said that shit wasn't cool, right? He wasn't joking when he was first saying it because then he later started talking about women wearing kitten heels to the club. And Tammy just told me too. We used to go to Clint, kitten heels is back in style.

[Tam Bam]

They are in style. That's why he talking about it, because he keeps seeing them.

[A.J. Holiday]

The don't like kitten heels in the section. So I don't know if y' all know you're supposed to still be wearing 6 inch stripping heels in a section. Listen, if you in a section with women your age, it's gonna be some kitten heels in that. Cause we tired of walking the heels

[Tam Bam]

with any age. And my thing is, until you walk them a mile in my shoes, please don't tell me what I can wear, sir. But it's your section. You don't have to have a single kitten heel in there if that's what you want. Because guess what? I can get my own section.

[A.J. Holiday]

He want Amari sneakers and Amari jeans. He just want a bunch of niggas in the section. You want to be in a section by yourself?

[Tam Bam]

Because what.

[A.J. Holiday]

What are we talking about? But yeah, it wasn't until the other men, right, Checked him on it. He was. He was standing by that shit that he don't want no in the section. And Mina was like, what? Nah, I need women.

[Tam Bam]

I want all the bitches in my section.

[A.J. Holiday]

Real men want women around and they like to do things for women, right?

[Tam Bam]

Drink up. There's more period.

[A.J. Holiday]

Champagne showers. Fuck you talking about? I feel bad for Chrissy, man.

[Tam Bam]

Sometimes they just don't like us. For real though.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. Because it's like some real life homo. What is the word? Not homoeroticism. It's homo sociality. And that's what I be talking about. When is gay in the mind. They may never physically actually do a gay act, but they really don't with women like that. You know what I'm saying? They don't like, prefer. Yeah. To have conversation and converse and to be around men. And that shit is borderline gay.

[Tam Bam]

I might got that because these niggas get on my nerves.

[A.J. Holiday]

You like to be around women more?

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, I enjoy the company of women more than men. I.

[A.J. Holiday]

Okay, I do enjoy being around. I kind of like being around a mix of everybody. You know what I'm saying? Like, yes, if I'm in, like, doing an intimate thing, I want to be with a man. If I'm, like, out dinner, like, or just maybe a trip and stuff, I like to be with a man. But, like, if we just doing, like, some bar shit, some club shit, like, lounge type shit, it could be, like a mixture. Like everybody, but just straight all women.

[Tam Bam]

No,

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, I like this. I just like a whole group of people, like, like minded. All us chilling, cussing, talking loud. That's fun.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah. We don't even have to be exactly like minded because sometimes having a diverse opinion group shakes things up a little bit. It makes it more fun. Yeah. Perspective. I can appreciate that.

[A.J. Holiday]

My days of debating is over with child.

[Tam Bam]

We ain't gotta debate. We just can have different perspectives. Always nice to hear someone who thinks a little different than you, you know?

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't even. I be trying not to even bring up shit. I got to even, like, have a different opinion on

[Target Advertiser]

you.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

Okay.

[Target Advertiser]

For real, man.

[A.J. Holiday]

Anyway,

[Tam Bam]

now that hovit is over, a lot of us had hovit, you know, like, just.

[A.J. Holiday]

Is that what it was called?

[Tam Bam]

That's what I call it. You like it?

[A.J. Holiday]

Interesting. Okay, let's go with it.

[Tam Bam]

We was going through withdrawals from, like, the Jay Z hovetello weekend in New York. And we gonna talk. We talking Jay Z today, right?

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, we talking Jay Z. And if not capitalism, what y' all niggas really want.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, let's get into that. What y' all want.

[A.J. Holiday]

We'll be right back. Hey, y', all, what's up?

[Loril LaRosa]

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[Charlamagne Tha God]

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[State Farm Narrator]

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[Target Advertiser]

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[A.J. Holiday]

I want to talk about the controversy with Jay Z and Target Deals. Like we kind of mentioned it a couple weeks ago when you were talking about being at the, the concert and yeah, and you know, the unspoken responsibility, right, our millionaires and billionaires supposedly have to the black community just because, you know, black people, we, we just at the bottom of the totem pole, right. And until we do collectively have like a mind shift, a complete paradigm in our culture, this is where we going to be at. I don't accept that particular positioning. I don't accept it at all. And you know what we're looking at is capitalism, right? I think it was Mandy. What's her new podcast name? Mandy from Decisions Decisions. I'm not sure she has another podcast. And I forgot the guests that were on, but they were talking about the Jay Z controversy and you know, I guess they weren't purchasing Jay Z tickets and shit like that. I know, you know, went to the concert.

[Tam Bam]

I ain't about to Take it you went with an employee.

[A.J. Holiday]

Charlemagne, a partner of ROC Nation. But I just want to know, you know, if not capitalism, then what. You know what I'm saying? Because all different types of economies, whether you're talking about socialism, communism, you know, you thinking about the Russians and the Germans, techno, feudalism. Yeah, that's where we at.

[Target Advertiser]

For real.

[A.J. Holiday]

Okay. Or socialism. They all have their pros and cons. For me, I won't say I'm a capitalist per se, but I like the free markets and I like to have the. The same opportunity as everyone else to make money, to create something spectacular and have people buy into my idea and be able to.

[Target Advertiser]

To.

[A.J. Holiday]

To fucking feed my family. I think it's because where at the bottom of this system, why people hate it so much. But if the roles were reversed, if we were the ones in power and we were the ones creating all the things, because really, if you think about it, we are the ones that have always created all the things. But then. But then we set. We don't know the science of business, right? And we end up losing ideas to these billionaires because just because somebody is rich, that doesn't make them smart.

[Tam Bam]

I don't feel like it's fair to say that we don't know the science of business. Because it's been proven that there were black communities that were thriving.

[A.J. Holiday]

Absolutely.

[Tam Bam]

With hospitals and schools. And they were.

[A.J. Holiday]

I'm talking about us now.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

But we've lost a lot of things because they.

[Tam Bam]

Every time we build it, they come, they destroy it.

[A.J. Holiday]

So, you know, and I think now they may not destroy it. And that since they just give you an offer you can't refuse.

[Tam Bam]

Right. Because they want us to be crabs in a barrel. And when we do come together and unify, they find a way to destroy it. So then we're all trying to just save ourselves.

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't think that no one has ever been able to do anything to the black community without assistance from somebody within the black community. You know what I'm saying? So we. Sometimes we gotta speak to that. We gotta look. I mean, shit, we can go black Wall Street.

[Tam Bam]

Do you think it was a black person helping them burn down the communities? They were dropping almost on that.

[A.J. Holiday]

No, not, not. Not in that sense. That was more direct disrespect. Right? But we know all our great. Some of our great leaders have been infiltrated or positioned. You know, somewhere somebody was positioned. A Judas was positioned somewhere to infiltrate. Those things happen, right? So we're not solid amongst each other. That's why Somebody can always come in and do something to us. And I mean, I'm thinking back even further. Before them people showed up on the shores, everybody looking like us. And then these pale faces showed up and our ancestors was probably like, oh, we ain't fudgeing with y'.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

All.

[A.J. Holiday]

So they went to Europe and they came back with our cousins from Germany that look like us. And we invited them in because that's just the people we are. And we got infiltrated. We lost the war several times. Right, right. But that's neither here nor there. But the controversy with Jay Z, again, this is Stop the cap. Do we really hate the system or we just hate our position in the system? I mean, since everybody hates capitalism, I want to talk about what's the alternatives to capitalism. So let's start with the definition first of what capitalism is. Individuals own businesses. Supposedly allegedly. Right. Competition drives business. People can become very wealthy. You can also become very poor. You might, you start a business and it doesn't do as successful as you would like it to. And then I mean that is, you have the opportunity to grow something.

[Tam Bam]

You get to roll the dice.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. Market forces largely determine prices. Right. So supply, demand, do people want the thing?

[Tam Bam]

We can give it to you.

[A.J. Holiday]

Perfect example, Pinky, what's the, the burger place that she had? Slutty vegan. Yeah. So like she's all in the news right now because her to, to the naked eye and to people who don't know business and, and in the broadest term possible.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because I'm not trying to say people just stupid and don't know things. But her filing bankruptcy, business, businesses do that shit all the time so they don't have to pay back. Corporations do that all we had a whole big bailout of banks and, and mortgage companies and all that shit. This is once one black woman, a small business with the way other black people are trying to. As if she wasn't successful. She was.

[Tam Bam]

What about Uncle Nearest? The shit that's going on with them?

[A.J. Holiday]

You know, I started following that some. To me it's a blend of bad business decisions, greed. Yes. And then now you're trying to get the community to also then buy in to this thing also. So I, I need to see, I need to see your portfolio, I need to see your financial statements. I need to see your fucking bottom line because you got million dollar loans here, all type of shit going on.

[Tam Bam]

But from what I understand, the couple, you know, that actually started Uncle Nearest basically got over by their financial advisor. Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

And then who would a Financial advisor usually is. Who's their attorney? Attorney, usually. What Kanye west said, why we don't own none of y', all, but they will bamboozle you out of your business if you're not careful. And I think that that's another problem. Right. It's just so many things.

[Tam Bam]

It's so many fucking things. And it just feels like we're always behind enemy lines.

[A.J. Holiday]

But even with. When dealing with each other, I can say doing business sometimes with black people is very challenging. Right. You know, getting people to do things on time, that's my biggest.

[Tam Bam]

That is like, one of my.

[A.J. Holiday]

You know what I'm saying? And I don't know if it's because maybe we have a higher expectation from black people because, I mean, other people be on the same bullshit sometimes, but sometimes the professionalism is just not there with certain things. And it's almost like black people make you feel like they're doing you a fucking favor. I'm paying you. Even with this podcast, like, finding people to show up on time, like, I think we've had some really great, great, luckily, right. Photographers, we like to do all the other things.

[Tam Bam]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

It's hard. It's hard to find good help. Paid help at that.

[Tam Bam]

Even when you paying. It's still hard.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. So, okay, so that's capitalism, the definition of socialism. Because, I mean, I think that maybe the last couple elections, it really was capitalism versus socialism. You had Bernie Sanders versus whoever else, and to me, he was more so for socialism, everybody get a house, a car, a job, and $20. I don't want that. So the definition is private businesses usually exists, but government plays a larger role.

[Tam Bam]

Is there any way we could, like, blend the two? Is it not possible to, like, have a way that. Because everybody does deserve a house, like, it shouldn't be, like.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because.

[Tam Bam]

All right, right now in the United States, the wealth gap is just growing and growing. People are getting richer and people are getting poorer. And then now is they're playing Monopoly with the housing market. They're buying up all the houses, all the land, and it's making it impossible for them.

[A.J. Holiday]

It's really like Monopoly.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

Do we have an episode on that? On the Monopoly game?

[Tam Bam]

No.

[A.J. Holiday]

I feel like we did.

[Tam Bam]

I don't. We don't have so many now.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, that was based on, like, the Monopoly gap. Forgot the woman who created it and then who was purchased by. But it is based on capitalism for sure.

[Tam Bam]

And now, you know, the average American can't buy a home.

[A.J. Holiday]

Absolutely. Like, where the. The area I live in, in Charleston West Ashley. Like the average house right now is $500,000. So imagine a 20% down payment on that. Now granted you could still get like a first time homeowner's little deal or whatever, but it's still much higher than just 20, 25, 2024, 2022.

[Tam Bam]

In 1980 when your mama was buying a house.

[A.J. Holiday]

50,000. Yeah, my mama house was $50,000. And now today is worth 500 and something thousand. So home ownership is definitely the way to financial freedom. And I think that is why they are trying to take away. They do not want us owning anything

[Tam Bam]

they want us to continuously pay for. And that just brings me to my, you know, the conversation about techno feudalism and like Charlamagne had me down a rabbit hole, like deep in a rabbit hole about like how your Elon Musk and your Jeff Bezos and people of that nature, they really run and shit.

[A.J. Holiday]

But we buy into it though. They don't just what can we do? Don't buy into it. We always have. How do you not? You don't have to purchase a Tesla. I remember in elementary school. Now granted in elementary they said that we would have electric cars by the time we got old enough to drive. They replaced it with a fucking Hummer. And then we were paying how much for gas and stuff like that. Now I'm not saying that electric cars shouldn't exist, but they were trying to pass the mandate to where it's only electric cars. Imagine how much more power that would give Elon Musk. The government pushed against that. Right? So that doesn't even make sense when you have a zombie apocalypse. My car can only go 400 miles. I gotta stop and plug it up. The fuck no, I need a gas car.

[Tam Bam]

That's why I don't wanna. 100% electric car is like driving an iPhone to me. I just don't.

[A.J. Holiday]

And that movie leave the world behind. How all the Teslas started driving themselves and piling up on the interstate so people couldn't get out of their towns. I believe that could fucking happen. So no, I don't want no all electric car. But we bought into these ideas.

[Tam Bam]

But it's not just like Elon Musk is. All these platforms you that you're like

[A.J. Holiday]

working, we are using them.

[Tam Bam]

And like Jay Z, let's take it back to Jay Z. He like, if he wanted to mass sell his, where he gonna sell it?

[A.J. Holiday]

Exactly. Ain't no black mom and pop. We don't have a black Target. There's not a black Walmart.

[Tam Bam]

There's nowhere to do it.

[A.J. Holiday]

And I've said this before about the, the, the boycott of Target. Same thing with the NFL with Colin Kaepernick. There are other black football players. There are black people that work at Target. Black black people are still employed by Target. The reason why people started boycotting Target is because of DEI stuff which if you actually go look into what DEI was, it still wasn't benefiting your black ass.

[Loril LaRosa]

No.

[Tam Bam]

So white women the most.

[A.J. Holiday]

Exactly. And gay. So now you, we, we, we without knowing about these things, we're boycotting when this, this thing.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

How can we exist in this system without these things? During COVID the only stores that was open was Walmart. They closed on auto bomb pops. You can't open. But all the big corporations got to stay open. And if you go look at these people financial statements just go to Yahoo. Yahoo Money. They're all yeah, Yahoo Finance. They're all are owned by the same top three companies. JPMorgan Chase, Vanguard and BlackRock. So even if you don't shop at one, you're still supporting.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah. It's like yeah, the big thing, you're not going to target the machine.

[A.J. Holiday]

You're still supporting. And it's all run by these big oligarchies like these big ass fucking families. There's no way around it unless you want to overthrow the whole system. But I just don't think today's humans are capable of governing themselves because that's what we would have to be.

[Tam Bam]

But in order to do that we would have to all of us. We have to sacrifice in a way that might not, we might not even be able to survive. You know, literally. So it's just like, I mean I

[A.J. Holiday]

could, I, I have went without and I think that you know covet a lot of people, they, it was a shock to them. They were afraid to lose their jobs. You allow man, you put your trust in man and got the shot and all that. Instead of trusting in God if you really need.

[Tam Bam]

What did you go without because you kept a wig on the whole time?

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. Cause I stock up on weave. You know how many closures I got at home now bitch, every time I get my closures from China and my hair from India. But I be buying shit in bulk just in case because now the tariffs and everybody's went up on prices. But bitch, I got about 20 wigs worth of closures right now and I can reuse my bundles.

[Tam Bam]

But what were your sacrifices? Cause you never look bad a day like during.

[A.J. Holiday]

But I do my own maintenance, you know What I'm saying, I don't. I don't depend on like nail shops and all that. Like, I never. I. I do live a real, like a minimalist sort of life for real. And when I. I'm talking about just like steady income, that's a sacrifice. Like people who are afraid to not have steady income, so they sacrifice their lives essentially for it. Because we don't know what this thing that they did to us a few years ago.

[Tam Bam]

Two sets of little eyes looking up at you every day, requiring you to.

[A.J. Holiday]

You know, this is why I be saying I get quiet. I've been more like, aside from this podcast, I be quiet a lot because you. You can't hear God when it's a lot of noise. So you gotta be quiet and listen. And I think that, that. Stop putting your faith in man. Like, we are so upset collectively at Jay Z for having me either. I say collectively. Right? So, you know, that's not everybody, but the collective is feeling some type of way about Jay Z. But to me, it's an inspiration, right? Because the more resources I get, that means I. I have helped people with nothing. I mean, I don't got shit, and I'm giving person somebody piece of the shit that I don't got. So imagine if I did have access to the resources to help my community now. I think what black people always want to see is somebody out loud. You know, everything on the Internet. And Jay Z is pretty private. Him and Beyonce, but he does a lot. Yeah, that's what I'm saying.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right?

[A.J. Holiday]

So now they are. They. He's like the face of capitalism for black people.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

But again, everybody has the opportunity to be a Jay Z. We bought into the idea of Jay Z. We put him up there. But for whatever reason, black people, they want to humble you and bring you back to their level at some point. Like why? Why, you know, make another billionaire another. Everybody should be. I always use Charlamagne because he's the best example. And I think he might be a billionaire at some point in our lifetime. For real. But I know he employs a lot of black people I know specifically black women.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because if you want a good nation, you gotta. You gotta uplift the women for sure. So that is more so how I judge a person. What are you doing with this?

[Tam Bam]

Running your mouth on the Internet, Right?

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, because just like I saw a little Duvall, and we know little Duvall does a lot, a lot in the community, and he probably publicized a lot of it. Like his Duval Day. A major economy generated for Jacksonville, Okay. He does that annually. And the is lit. He has a bunch of vendors out there, people, you know, people spending money, buying. Like he's generating a lot of money for the economy every year. And he publicizes it. But then people still acting like you're not doing enough. But what are you doing everyday regular person at home who works. What are you doing? Because you can still do something too, right?

[Tam Bam]

That's what I'm saying. Besides talking?

[Target Advertiser]

Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because all y' all doing is hating on the millionaires. And I like to listen to Reverend Ike. And Reverend Ike said, if you curse the rich, you'll never be one. So everybody's aspiring to acquire these resources. Why are you hating when somebody actually does. What extra do you think he should do?

[Tam Bam]

But I agree with you. But I do feel like people were. Because people were trying to come together to protect black rights. That was what they thought they were doing. You know, Thought, thought, you know, because, you know, if you look at it, we wasn't even benefiting necessarily from the deal.

[A.J. Holiday]

When did the boycott start and when did it finish? Is it ongoing right now? I just left Target. I went and got me some satin spray for my makeup.

[Tam Bam]

Listen, that's the thing. We are not organized or unified because. No. Who fucking knows?

[A.J. Holiday]

They lost a lot of money though.

[Loril LaRosa]

Target.

[A.J. Holiday]

Target was hurt.

[Tam Bam]

They did take an L. They took a huge L. And they.

[A.J. Holiday]

Are black people still work there that no black person stopped working at Target

[Tam Bam]

because they supposed to do.

[A.J. Holiday]

You know, if DEI was a real thing, it was actually affecting. Why are the black people still working at Target? They like based on that. Yeah. They would not have been. Been even getting hired.

[Tam Bam]

But what I'm thinking is it. Is it like corporate level.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes.

[Tam Bam]

Positions.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes.

[Tam Bam]

They're talking about. Yes. Not necessarily the cashier and the bagger.

[A.J. Holiday]

So yes, now that is where. And I can attest to that shit. You know what I'm saying? Like just last week we had the whole episode about workday, or not a whole episode, but in sins. We talked about workday and how it was systematically throwing out applications based on race, age, sex and all that.

[Tam Bam]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

If you put in there, we need 20 white people. No black. Like you could actually program the system the thing to do that. So yes, there are those things exist. Those things, those. Those mechanisms is just getting easier to discriminate secretly, covertly. But this shit ain't new. You know what I'm saying? It's not new. And that is why we need to create even more. We cannot complain about Jay z having his 30th year album. 30 year album, right. 30 year in target. When we don't have a Target like

[Tam Bam]

place to present it, to sell it.

[A.J. Holiday]

Was he supposed to open a store for you niggas to be happy? Like, I just be wanting to know, like, we didn't get through the, the definitions of this, of social. So socialism, socialism. Private businesses usually exist, but government plays a larger role and provides broader public services. Competition exists, but is balanced with stronger social programs. Wealth differences are generally reduced through taxes and public benefits. Markets often operate alongside government regulation. So socialism sounds like a, like a combination kind of communism. Major industries and resources are collectively or state owned. Production is directed. Correct. Excuse me. Production is directed collectively or the state rather than, I mean, excuse me. Or by the state rather than through market competition. The goal is to greatly reduce or eliminate large wealth differences. The government or central planners often determine production and pricing. The problem with that is that you still always end up on all of these. The cons for all of these, that 1% at the top, who's actually controlling us is corporations. Right. Socialism might be socialism and communism is families. Oftentimes I feel like the whole world ran by a couple families. You know, there's a lot of research out there that suggests that. So we, there's the idea that there's these different types of economies, these different type of governments and really it's all the same. So it's a false sense of freedom

[Tam Bam]

one way or another.

[A.J. Holiday]

Exactly. So I just want to comfortably get,

[Tam Bam]

you know, I, I, you know, I

[A.J. Holiday]

agree and disagree in ways, but you

[Tam Bam]

know, I was living in the UK where their health care is free. I'm like, wow, America deserves free health care. I was, I was like, this is excellent.

[A.J. Holiday]

Did you get what you pay for? Felt free as hell. Rice Krispies again.

[Tam Bam]

Like they just gave me like, right, like rice.

[A.J. Holiday]

Enough calories.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah. Rice cereal every morning. That's every. Like, because I was in the hospital for two weeks and it was just like whatever. Not, not Rice Krispies treater. It's just like whatever the fuck that is with some water milk on it. I was like, oh, this shit feel free.

[A.J. Holiday]

That's what I'm saying. Like if, if tomorrow, right, you woke up and everybody in America made exactly a hundred thousand dollars a year. They didn't earn it. Just everybody get the same money. Even if you were a doctor, how would you feel about that? Because that is what socialism is essentially. House, car, job, $20.

[Tam Bam]

I don't hate it and I don't love it at the same time. Because the reason why. I just feel like they hate us. I don't even know if they really hate us. They just need a bottle, you know?

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. Because that's how capitalism works.

[Tam Bam]

That's the problem where they lie. Where do they fall in this hierarchy of things? And if they put us at the bottom, they can make sure they can figure out where they fall. So I do understand. I like it in a way that there. How do you determine at the bottom if we're all equal? You know, then you can't put us at the bottom if we're the same. So I can respect that sentiment. But then there. There's nowhere to grow. How do you grow?

[A.J. Holiday]

Hey, y', all, what's up?

[Loril LaRosa]

It's Lorna Rosa. And we gotta talk. We gotta get into something that Sprite just dropped, because this is right up my alley. As somebody who's been in audio and hip hop culture for over a decade, this is exactly the kind of thing I geek out out about. Okay? It's called the Sprite Living track list. Fifty tracks, handpicked, that shaped hip hop from the ground up to right now. And this isn't just a playlist to bob your head to all cute. This is designed to start real conversation, to get people arguing. Y' all know how y' all love to do about the hip hop and the list reminiscing as well. Sending it to their group chats like, yo, do y' all remember when this song was it? And honestly, as a producer of content campaigns like this hit different for me. I spend my life thinking about how the perfect story gets told. How one moment in a song becomes a moment for the culture. And seeing 50 records that literally define eras of hip hop laid out like this, side by side. Yo, masterclass. Mwah. Chef Kiss. Now, this list itself, it's incredible. You've got the foundational stuff sitting right next to the new class. Real Then and now Vibes. My personal top picks from the pack. I gotta go with Unity, Bodak Yellow, and who's that Girl Child. You can't tell me nothing about that song because those are just non negotiables for me. But here's the best part. This goes way beyond the kin. Hip hop authorities and tastemakers actually break down the history and the impact behind every single track on the list. The samples, the influence, why it mattered then and why it still matters right now. That's the real story. So go run your own list. See how many of these 50 you grew up on, which ones surprised you and which ones you're sending to your friends. First, check out the full Sprite Living Track List and break down the stories behind your favorite bars@livingtracklist. Genius.com this is the Sprite Living Track List. Obey your thirst.

[State Farm Narrator (Alternate)]

This past weekend, like every other Sunday, you were on the court with the guys playing ball. Just a quick pickup game living out your hoop dreams. No triple doubles, but mean set of threes in between buckets. One of the homies mentioned he calls on a new crib. This is big. And while everyone's asking about housewarming and making plans to celebrate, you're asking the real questions. Like has he spoken to his State Farm agent yet about coverage? See, homeownership is one thing, but the right coverage is the real game changer. Even more than your last hot streak, it's how you protect your legacy. Dropping buckets and bars on the court. A State Farm agent can more than assist you with finding the right coverage for your new place. If you have a claim, your local agent can help you file it. Yep, that's right. Over the phone, in person, online or on the app, they are ready to help you and they don't drop the ball. You know what I mean? Like a good neighbor, State Farm is

[Target Advertiser]

there Back to School shopping is about more than just checking off a list. It's about helping kids feel confident walking into a new school year. Whether it's a favorite notebook, a cool backpack, or the perfect pair of shoes, Target is there to make a big difference. Target is showing up for families this back to school season with a huge variety of school supplies, apparel and accessories that help kids do their thing and express their personal style. And with low prices all season long, parents can feel good about getting everything they need at a great value. Think backpacks starting at just $5 and save up to 60% on school supplies. Plus, Target has the brands and collaborations kids are excited about, including Love Shack, Fancy Cat and Jack Overtime, and even personalized Oala bottles with stickers, charms and more. With the prices parents want and the brands kids love, Target has everything you need for back to school shopping all in one place. Because when kids feel confident heading into the school year, parents feel good too.

[Loril LaRosa]

Sephora. It's where you go for the makeup you love, the skincare your skin actually responds to, and the brands that just get you. They understand your skin, your routine, your lifestyle. That's why you keep coming back. But here's something you may not know. Sephora is just as trusted when it comes to your hair. Whether you're looking to repair Damage, add, shine, define your curls or simply upgrade your routine. They've got the products and the expertise to help you find what actually works for you. Think Kerasas, K18 and Gisu, all the brands you've been hearing all about all in one place. And honestly, it couldn't be easier. If you're already stopping by Sephora for your skincare, you can pick up your hair care at the same time. Or if you already know what you need, free shipping and same day delivery make it easy to skip the trip altogether because great hair deserves the same thoughtful care as great skin. Sephora's got you for skin care and for hair care. Shop hair at Sephora. Today.

[A.J. Holiday]

Are we being. I'm talking about today, right? We understand what happened in the past, but today are we being put at the bottom or are we choosing to be at the bottom through our daily. The things that, you know, we. We find important, right? Just through our daily living?

[Tam Bam]

I don't think we are choosing it. I don't think we're choosing it. I think all these systems are set up for us to be at the bottom. They're even preparing the future for this. They're taking books out of schools. They're taking things that represent us. They taking the heroes, the black heroes out of the archives. Just completely erasing these people from the stories so we don't know about them. So we can forget our greatness because they want us to be at the bottom.

[A.J. Holiday]

And it's always been our responsibility, right, as a people, as a culture, to make sure that our people know what time it is. I have multiple flash drives with thousands of books on them during COVID If you go to. It's like I forgot the websites, but any of the websites where you can go download book PDFs, if you go to them now, they all got a government fucking label on it. Like, you can't. There's the. The websites are no longer accessible. But I spent Covid downloading shit. You remember the lady who was recording the news and shit like that footage? You got to think ahead because these people have always been trying to do shit to fucking trip us up. My kids gonna know what time it is. My kid, Right, right, but your kid,

[Tam Bam]

but what about all the kids?

[A.J. Holiday]

That's what I'm saying. We be focusing on the wrong shit. Sp been like all the entertainment. Like if everybody had. I'm not gonna say if everybody had my mind because I sound crazy to a lot of people who just. But this is what's necessary. You see what I'm saying, and this is why I, I want to have this platform to put, to implant those thoughts because that, you need more people talking like that. You need more people to make people think a little bit differently.

[Tam Bam]

There's this, a documentary that came out. I think it's out. Yes, out already. And it's called the Librarian. And it's about they locking up the librarians for trying to keep the books in the library. Can you imagine that in the United States? They locking up the sweet librarian. I don't see that old white lady, the old black lady in the.

[A.J. Holiday]

What's it called? The Librarian. Yeah, it's a documentary.

[Tam Bam]

It's a documentary right now.

[A.J. Holiday]

Cause they want the books.

[Tam Bam]

Cause they want the fucking books and the libraries. I'm not taking off the shelf. And they locking these bitches up.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. Because, man, just look at that.

[Tam Bam]

Y' all watch it. It's crazy.

[A.J. Holiday]

Anytime I go to like, I like to, to like estate sales and stuff like that, and I'm always looking for old ass books. I got an old ass book on, on the Holocaust like books. Oftentimes the truth, these old ass books, the truth be in there right now with AI people depending on chat gbt, they get to put whatever narrative they want to put. People take it as. As gospel. Yes. And it's just not. It's still a man behind that.

[Tam Bam]

I just want to make sure that I'm, I'm quoting that.

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because what the librarian, what it's called.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah. Because I don't want to be telling y' all something. Y' all go look it up. Ain't know what the she was talking about. It's called.

[A.J. Holiday]

Oh, but when you were saying the librarians. Okay. When you were talking about us being at the bottom, for capitalism to work, there has to be consumers. And, and the truth is black people are the number one consumers. Black women, Women, period. But black women in particular are the number one consumers in America. Yes. In this capitalistic society, black people consume the most. Black women consume even more.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

We have to change our spending habits. And what we spend money on that does. Has nothing to do with anybody else. Even if they market this stuff to us, we don't have to purchase it. We don't have to engage. But we do because we like things. We like stuff. We like shiny shit. Because that's just all. That's where we come from.

[Tam Bam]

That's our DNA.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah. So they know how to with us. They know how to market to us. And if any of, if you're interested, Tavistock Institute It's a whole built by them people. A whole program on how to market to the Negro. Not just us, but yeah, how to market to us. We like flashy, we like. We like big. Like they know how to get us.

[Tam Bam]

It makes me think about. They clone Tyrone.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes. I can't believe they even allowed they cloned Tyrone on tv and I could not. When I saw the preview for that, I'm like, oh, I can't wait. It's so much disclosure and they clone Tyrone that people just straight up. I think a lot of people, they think it's fiction.

[Tam Bam]

Well, that's a lot of stuff.

[A.J. Holiday]

Summer, we was fighting about chicken sandwiches at Popeyes. That is a real thing that was happening. In order to change our vibration, you got to change the music.

[Tam Bam]

People was coming with their own bread because they had ran out of bread.

[A.J. Holiday]

They was coming to the store with

[Tam Bam]

a bag of bread.

[A.J. Holiday]

Like, just give me the chicken. Just give me the chicken.

[Tam Bam]

I was like, this is insane.

[A.J. Holiday]

What's in that chicken?

[Tam Bam]

The black lady that the picture went viral, she was working at the chicken restaurant. She was bent over on her break. I was like, what the is happening?

[A.J. Holiday]

And you know, I be. And that's why I be quiet and listen to God and I'm thankful for my diet. I have to go through that. I don't eat chicken. I don't know what the fuck and don't give a God damn what that.

[Tam Bam]

I mean, I would have got one of them chicken sandwiches. I ain't getting no fight over it. It wasn't like that deep.

[A.J. Holiday]

Wasn't that spectacular what it tastes like.

[Tam Bam]

It's just like a chicken sandwich, you

[A.J. Holiday]

know, imagine N was lined up like it had to be some. It may not be all of them. Just like Kovishad. It may not have been like something in all of them. Some of them could be a placebo, but there was some shit in that chicken that made niggas fight in line for it and. And lines out to the street for it. And nobody thought that is heavily like social engineering. They told you to go get that chick. And if they can do that, they could do anything to us. Put it in a chicken sandwich and the is gone.

[Tam Bam]

These advertisements on. You can mention some shit and then all of a sudden you just keep seeing it, keep seeing it. Like they're programming the whole. Because when we.

[A.J. Holiday]

When you download any app, they're asking you for controls, right? They want to control. They want controls for your mic, the camera location. You don't have to enable those things. But we just Be clicking acknowledged and go on, bitch. I literally. This is what I use ChatGPT for. I will copy and paste that whole shit and ask ChatGPT to pull out the most important details of it if you don't want to read the whole thing. That's a good way to use ChatGPT to make sure you're not signing up for bullshit. I seen a episode. Not episode. I saw a post on Instagram one day where this guy, he got into a car accident and it was some weird shit. It was a car accident. He got into some shit in the store. Slip and fall. It was something weird. And it was in a Netflix disclaimer or some TV disclaimer where he opted out of. That's how. Like imagine that some shit that came up on your TV is now affecting a lawsuit about some shit that don't have nothing to do with tv. Cause you don't know what the fuck you're signing or what you're clicking on.

[Tam Bam]

Oh, that's like that episode of Black Mirror Joan is awful. And it was like you click to like watch this platform. Like Netflix. It was essentially Netflix, but it wasn't. And basically by agreeing to the user agreement, you agreed to be filmed and they could use your life for the story.

[A.J. Holiday]

That is what they've done with AI. They have been using our voices, our likeness, all this. Like now they got all these AI artists. I suggest, highly suggest black people to not. Don't. Don't send me no AI artists. I got friends who. We swap music all the time, bitch. If I go on.

[Tam Bam]

I didn't even know though.

[A.J. Holiday]

If I go on Apple Music and your music. This song just came out in 2026. There's no other songs by this artist and there are no album. I know it's an AI artist. You can go to TikTok.

[Tam Bam]

What about a new artist?

[A.J. Holiday]

People? There's no such thing as a first song going viral. That's what I'm saying. The song went viral on TikTok. Why I'm even being scented, right? And then I go on Apple Music and this person has no. No new. No other content. And you go into Instagram, it just look like fake ass people. They are manufacturing soul. So now they're even trying to write us out of our own. They don't need us to even be the artist anymore. If I can create, I can recreate what soul.

[Tam Bam]

Yikes. It's getting scary outside.

[A.J. Holiday]

Stay inside. I mean, I'm never scared of this. It's just. It's just more so like I just like to be aware of stuff. I don't like let it put me in like a cocoon. Like I'm not going outdoors anymore. It's just I'm not a conspiracy theorist and that I just like to be aware so I can make the right consciousness. I can make informed decisions. That's what I like to be aware of. I don't know what the this got to do with the Jay Z shit. I just feel like I just, I want black people to do absolutely nothing, but I just want black people to do like, well, right. And I just want a black millionaire, a black billionaire to be the norm. Now me personally, I don't know too many people that can actually get to that level of that financial. Without having shitted on a lot of people in the path, you know what I'm saying? Or stepped on a few people.

[Tam Bam]

I feel like most people who do make it that far, not all, but most, had to leave a lot of ruin behind.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, I think the only, I mean,

[Tam Bam]

I don't even think anybody necessarily needs to be a billionaire.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yeah, it's just, to me it is. Why do you need that much money if you're not putting in? That's why people have this expectation from billionaires. Like, we've got you to this level, right? What are you now going to do for us? What are you doing? What are you putting back in the community? Did he revamp Marcy projects?

[Tam Bam]

Well, some billionaires would, would argue that they did that shit themselves, that they were not helped by them.

[A.J. Holiday]

No, it's, it's impossible. The concert. Imagine if nobody showed up at this concert that he, you know, spent millions to plan and nobody bought a ticket. Yeah, right. So they depend on the consumer, right. To consume their idea so that they can even, you know, become this thing. And to me, I'm not going to say I'm a capitalist. I might be a little blend of all. I do feel like there has to be social programs to help who. Because everybody don't have the wherewithal. You know what I'm saying? Everybody is not a CEO. Everybody's not a business owner. You have to have workers, right? You have to have people that do the low bottom tier type jobs also.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

But at least we live in a, in an economy where if you tomorrow wake up and say, I want to do better, you got the opportunity to do so. It's not a government regulating how much money you can make and capping your shit. And it's just a few families that own the companies. That's Doing all the things.

[Tam Bam]

Now, see here, there are all systems in place to keep you. There's like shit that's hidden in plain sight.

[A.J. Holiday]

That is built. Yeah, you gotta see the things.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right?

[A.J. Holiday]

But I still feel like just the way. The way black people's soul and energy is like, we just have always been able to maneuver through the fucking bullshit. Like, we always find a way to slip and stuff.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, they can't kill us.

[A.J. Holiday]

Exactly. Like, so why we even worrying about what they doing? We be up chilling and it's a whole machine trying to fuck niggas up. And we still be thriving regardless of what we gonna overcome every time.

[Tam Bam]

Every time.

[Loril LaRosa]

Right.

[A.J. Holiday]

And this is why they coming up with more creative ways. Like, what the. What's the bug that's out now? The new parasite.

[Tam Bam]

I got dookie right now.

[A.J. Holiday]

Why y' all with the Whole Foods? You know, niggas is focusing on.

[Tam Bam]

I had a salad. I prayed over that Caesar salad hard.

[A.J. Holiday]

And my stomach been up the whole time we've been in here. You know, Is on the. Is on the. The soursop bitter kick.

[Tam Bam]

And no berries, no lettuce.

[A.J. Holiday]

Yes. And now y'.

[Tam Bam]

All.

[A.J. Holiday]

Y' all with the Whole Foods because we're not with this food no more. Because we know what it is, what it ain't. America always been a project, though. Everything here is not like a lot of things that's allowed in America and our products and our food is not allowed in other countries.

[Tam Bam]

Well, I just want.

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't know what type of economy that's called.

[Tam Bam]

I would like a new meat.

[A.J. Holiday]

Shut up. It wouldn't be meat.

[Tam Bam]

Why wouldn't would. It's like the aliens brought some new meat.

[A.J. Holiday]

What would the new meat be? An alien?

[Tam Bam]

It would be a girl.

[A.J. Holiday]

You had some of that alien.

[Tam Bam]

A deer, bruh. Zebra and deer mixed together. Season it up. I don't know. I just want something different.

[A.J. Holiday]

We are herbivores. That's why we got these flat ass teeth. We ain't even supposed to be tearing

[Tam Bam]

in the meat on the corners.

[A.J. Holiday]

Barely. You think you gotta. You don't got no fang. My dentist, he drilled one of mine down and yours flat, too. Your fang's flat. Dogs got a lot of sharp teeth, not just the fangs. Yeah, so we supposed to be eating mostly fucking vegetables. Fruits and vegetables.

[Tam Bam]

And they making that shit up.

[A.J. Holiday]

So, I mean, that's a. I mean, it's not a bad. I need to shit up more. All right, what's your last?

[Charlamagne Tha God]

Last.

[A.J. Holiday]

Because we going off on a tangent and talking about my last. Last Is. Don't be a hater. Stop the cap. Okay? We all have. Pull your bootstraps up now. I don't fully believe in that shit. Because we know the. We know the things. The mechanisms, the machines exist to trip us up. That's not our focus, though. We focusing on the focus. Focus on your focus. Mind your motherfucking business. How about that? Mind your business. Mind the business that pays you and, you know, hone in on that tunnel vision. We're taking care of your family, and I think everything else will fall in place.

[Tam Bam]

Am I tripping a little bit?

[A.J. Holiday]

My business, like, literally.

[Tam Bam]

Because I. I agree with mind your business, but I also feel like we're all each other's businesses, black people. We got to take care of each other.

[A.J. Holiday]

We're not a monolith, though. That's the problem.

[Tam Bam]

Not. Not in that way, but, I mean, just love your brother, you know, stop treating your. Like. When we see someone like, you'll be. See a getting beat up, and they'll just record it. Everybody just record it. Instead of helping be. Be your brother's keeper in a way. No. Yeah.

[A.J. Holiday]

I don't mind my business. I don't.

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, me neither.

[A.J. Holiday]

I told y' all how my neighbor was getting her ass beat, and I knocked on that door like the police. Did I tell you about that?

[Tam Bam]

No, you did not.

[A.J. Holiday]

Oh, let me tell y. That right quick. And my neighbor, if she happened to realize I do a podcast and live across the way. Across the way from her, she might. This works in the office. First of all, she just started working there when I went to Costa Rica for my birthday. I came back, and somebody was then living across from me. This apartment was empty for a whole year. Girl, I'm watching. I think I was watching from in my living room, and I'm here to thump it. Moving around. I put my ear to the. Because the walls are kind of thin. I put my ear.

[State Farm Narrator]

Stop.

[A.J. Holiday]

Leave me alone. Like, she's saying this. So I immediately go. Immediately go get my pistol. Because in my mind, y' all gonna shoot through the wall if something were to. I just need to be prepared. So then I go stand by my. I open my door, and I stand at the door. So then I hear her then say, you're. You know, I'm pregnant. You're not happy. I'm pregnant, girl. When I heard that, I said, cut that out right now. I'm calling the police. Y' all can't live next to me. You. I cannot deal with hearing a woman getting her ass whooped. No I'm gonna around and die about this damn neighbor. That's. I need her to move. No, I need her to move. If you are a type of woman who get they ass because I can't listen to you get beat up next door.

[Tam Bam]

No, I agree with that.

[A.J. Holiday]

But I'm not gonna die about the neighbor, Right? I'm beating. Killed somebody about the neighbor.

[Tam Bam]

I like that better.

[A.J. Holiday]

You can't be next door to me getting beat up. So I be seeing your. Like, he ain't at work. You at work all day long. Like, he ain't doing enough for me, right? Y' all can't live next door to me, right?

[Tam Bam]

My last.

[State Farm Narrator (Alternate)]

Last.

[A.J. Holiday]

I'm telling the neighbor business right, bitch,

[Tam Bam]

but no be your brother's keeper. That was my last.

[A.J. Holiday]

I'm like, I'm.

[Tam Bam]

Everybody care of each other. You know, we gotta love each other more and support each other more. And, you know, even Jay Z, we gotta support him, you know, so. Cause if you.

[A.J. Holiday]

I mean, there's gonna be other Jay Z's. Hopefully. That's what we want.

[Loril LaRosa]

Is that.

[A.J. Holiday]

No.

[Tam Bam]

We want all of us to. To be Jay Z.

[A.J. Holiday]

Is that not what we want?

[Tam Bam]

Yeah, we do. All right.

[A.J. Holiday]

Oh, yeah. Anyway, if you guys enjoyed this episode, y' all, tune in. Sorry, neighbor. Tune in every episode. I mean, tune in every Thursday on iheartradiop. Where the you get your podcast at? This your co host, AJ Holiday 2.0 on Instagram. Kick it, Tam y'.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

All.

[A.J. Holiday]

It's official.

[Tam Bam]

Tam Bam on Instagram. I love y' all so much, and I appreciate y'.

[State Farm Narrator (Alternate)]

All.

[Tam Bam]

I appreciate y' all for tuning in to us and listen to us share our thoughts and opinions. And what else?

[A.J. Holiday]

That's it. That's.

[Tam Bam]

Oh, no. Follow me on Instagram. Official Tam Bam follow. We Talk Back podcast on Instagram. Send us your dumbest stories. We always love them. We want them. So send us those to us.

[A.J. Holiday]

You gonna say speak now, so remember

[Tam Bam]

to speak now and never hold your peace. I think that.

[A.J. Holiday]

Hold on dollars, though. Stop spending that. Like this second episode. Stop spending that. Gonna be mad at niggas who get money. We Talk Back Podcast is a production of iHeartRadio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Loril LaRosa]

Skincare means Sephora Makeup same. They've got the products, expertise, and the brands that fit your lifestyle. But when I talk about hair care, do you make the same connection? Well, you should. Sephora is just as trusted for hair. Whether you're looking to repair, strengthening, hydrate or add Shine. You'll find brands like Kerastase, K18 and Gisu, plus the guidance that help you choose what's right for your hair. And with free shipping and same day delivery, great hair care is easier than ever. Shop hair at Sephora today. Your first job. Your first home. The credit card you work so hard to qualify for.

[A.J. Holiday]

A diploma.

[Loril LaRosa]

A business. Everything we've built has our name attached to it. So when someone steals your identity, what do you do? I'm serious. What you going to call your bank?

[A.J. Holiday]

No.

[Loril LaRosa]

Identity restoration isn't what banks do. It's what LifeLock does. LifeLock truly protects your name and identity. Get LifeLock at LifeLock.com and use promo code Breakfast for up to 30% off your first year. That's LifeLock.com code Breakfast.

[Target Advertiser]

Back to school is here. And Target has everything families need to help head into the school year feeling confident and ready to do their thing. From school supplies and stylish apparel to accessories kids actually want. Target makes it easy to check every box on your list at a great value. We're talking backpacks starting at just $5 and up to 60% off school supplies. Plus, kids can express their style with brands and collabs they love, like Love Shack, Fancy Cat and Jack Overtime. And customizable owalla bottles with stickers, charms and much more. The prices parents want and the brands kids love, all in one place at Target.

[Sprite Living Track List Narrator]

Before we go, I gotta leave y' all with a question. What's a hip hop lyric that changed the way you saw music? Because that's really what the Sprite Living track list is about. It's not about crowning winners. It started conversations. 50 tracks, generations of artists, endless debates. And Sprite didn't just put lyrics on cans. Nah, they went deeper, bringing together hip hop experts and tastemakers to help unpack the stories and impact behind every track. Check out the full Sprite Living track list and break down the stories behind your favorite bars at Living Track List. This is the Sprite Living track List. Obey your thirst.

[A.J. Holiday]

This is an I Heart podcast. Guaranteed human.