April 22, 2024 • 29 mins
Hi guys! Happy Monday! Today’s episode features my little brother Mike Rivera. He rarely does interviews, so I’m pretty excited for you all to listen in on our conversation about the past, present and future. We completely lost track of time so we had to cut this interview into two parts. The second half drops tomorrow so be sure to tune in!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Brother two Times. So, guys,
if you don't know who my brother is, this is Mikey.
This is my little big brother. Okay, thank you for
coming to my podcast. Finally, Yes, but you make.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It seem like I didn't want to be part of it.
And then when I was on Jenica's you're like all jelly.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Belly, jelly belly, but your requested subject is very important. Yes,
but I wasn't. He wasn't. I'm still not ready. I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I think we'll talk about my reasoning behind all that
stuff today. But because I don't, I know you love me.
I know if we're, if we're, if we got pickles
with each other, that's abone to pick with each other.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
A pickle with me?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, what's the pickle? This sign? Oh okay, it's cute. Yeah,
I'm sure they got to here quick. I'm Jenica.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
She waited a year, but yes, so talking about Jenica
because okay, guys, Jenica has been on the podcast, Jackie
has been on the podcast, and Mikey has it. John
has been here a couple of times as well, and
talking about Jenica. Look at his sweater, you guys, okay,
it's over comfort.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Look at him.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
He comes to my podcast wearing his favorite sisters because
Jennica is his favorite sister. Yes or no, don't lie.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I don't have a favorite. She's my only little sister.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, that's true. He has two big sisters. That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Jennica is awesome, so.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
She's a best But yeah, and then this is also
I wanted to come like decent, and.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I know it was very hand separately.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, this is like everything else has paint on it
right now.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
The color coordination.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I like laundry every week now though.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Oh no, I'm so proud. So are you separating the whites? Yeah,
but I don't have very much white okay, okay, but
please separate the whites.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, no, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I separate and I even I even, I like, I've
started to use the bleach. But like you know, I mean,
I'm a black shirt kind of guy.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah you are.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I don't for white shirts.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, because I always have paint on everything. Talking about paint,
because we got to let them know what you're all about. Okay.
Mikey has his own own company.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's called Boss Graphics and my bigger LLC or is
a moonlight sign code? And that's that was my first
company and absorbed the company that I've been working at
for a while now, and it's going really well. It's
been this past year has been a big challenge, and
thank you for being there.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You're always I think.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
There's no such thing as a dumb question, but there
is dumb questions. And I'm so glad that I can
call you and I don't ever have to feel like
bad about asking a stupid question because you've lived through
most things, or at least have some level of experience,
especially when it comes to business. So I have you
as a lifeline, and I know, like we don't see
each other as much as we'd like. Yeah, you're such
(02:41):
a big part of you know, what I'm doing now,
and so thank.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
You for that. Oh you're welcome, brother. Oh my god, dude,
we're about I think we're going to cry about it.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
We do. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So a mirror list and a sign painter and and
just a guy just trying to get better at his art.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, and you're doing great, because that's what he was saying.
The pickle that he had to pick with me is
the fact that he didn't make my sign. I didn't
ask him to make my sign because he made Jennica
sign for her podcast over Comfort, and that's why he's like,
what the heck, But it's for METSI. I mean, I
didn't have anyone else do it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
No, you're about this, and I would have lagged a
little bit, but it's okay. I have ideas now, so
next season that might look a little different.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Oh I love that. Okay, you guys heard it here,
so you guys he said it. Yes, he's a man
of his word and going back to his business because
I think Mom would be very proud, because Mom was
all about, like, whatever you're passionate about, whatever that may be,
you freaking do it and you do be the best
at it, Mikey, And he said, Okay, if we talk
about this about your love for graffiti and how you
(03:38):
would do it illegally, whatever, you want to talk to me, okay,
Because he would freaking stress me out. Because I was
his supporter, I was like, Okay, if this is what
he likes to do, I don't necessarily agree hundred percent
because it's like, you know, he's doing this illegally and
he would hang you guys off of bridges and shit
doing graffiti and I'd be like, oh my, he said,
Oh I was hanging off.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That freaking BRIDGEI what But you would imagine it like
me hanging off I'm not that strong.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's like there's a footing, there's it's a weird space.
I shouldn't be okay there, but it's dangerous. Are you
going to tell everybody that used to take me?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Oh? Yeah, I used to take them.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Was a handful of times.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Jackie was my was my ride or jack like she
took me bombing a lot, like, yeah, my first era
of being prolific had a lot to do with Jackie.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
But you take me to Jackie, so.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Each other she is implicated in fifteen year old crime.
Oh shit, more than that, dude, come up on. Wow, yeah,
my brother, are you thirty you're gonna be thirty three? Jesus?
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Oh your Jesus here, I say, dan full for really. Yeah,
you're going to resurrect in good way?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah yeah, being reborn.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, reborn. But so I love the fact that you
did exactly what I wanted, came and became and now
a business and you're a CEO and a business owner.
And I know that that's president. President I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I feel like he was like anytime somebody like starts
their little like T shirt company or whatever, it's like
they want to throw like president sounds better for me.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, I like that anyway, Mike you for president? Well
he is a president, okay, So I think.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
She would be proud. I think.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So that's kind of like my biggest like thing is
she didn't really get to see a better version of me,
because I'm still not like the best version of myself
that I can be and that I'm striving to be.
But she didn't get to see me like okay because
it stressed her out a lot too, you know. And
and she and like to her credit, she never once
(05:30):
said like I remember the day that she like first
confronted me about it, and like, you know, like she
was never like don't do that, you know, like they
were like, at least don't do it this way, do
it the right way. Of course, I have to do
it in my own way. But so she was stressed out,
and I didn't believe I was going to turn it
into anything for a long time because that wasn't really
the point of it. Yeah, it was kind of more
(05:51):
of a to develop a sense of identity, and yeah,
that's kind of it's kind of it's it's led through
a lot of things, for good or bad, like of
who I am now, and it's been part of my journey.
So I'm like super grateful for it, but I think
I I might be past it, yeah, like mentally, yeah,
I mean right now anyways, just like I don't like
(06:12):
I don't have the same love for it. And I'm like,
I'm okay, I'm going through a part of my life
where things are you know, it's okay to accept the
things come to an end and things don't have to
be the same way forever. And even if it's something
that you feel like, well, this is all I've ever known,
like and that shit, it's really hard, Like I almost
want to cry right now, just because it's all I've
known and like for so many years.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I've part of your life.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, I've only associated with certain type of people, and
now that I'm trying to live my life on the
right path, I realized they haven't always been the best people.
A lot of you know, a lot of my friends
are guys looking with good and there's a few gems
in there. That are really guys that are really pushing
themselves forward. But for the most part, it's like holding
me back. And now I'm at a point where it's
like it's it's it's it's doue or die time right
(06:57):
now with you know, with the company and like really better.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
In myself, super focused and if.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, and it is just not serving me anymore, and
it's it's hard to say, you know, because I don't
you know me, I'm like, uh, I like the artistic
part of graffiti, like, oh, it's an awesome mural, look
at all the colors and all that. But I like
the illegal aspect of it in the Russia and the
fucking being scared shitless, like I shouldn't be doing this.
(07:23):
I shouldn't be fucking over here off of the side
of the freeway. And then I get home and I'm
looking at my pictures and that's the best sleep in
my whole life, where it's.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Crazy like that rushful. Yeah. And it's not just because
of that.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
There's just like I don't know if there's something to
take in public space back, Like I feel like we're
kind of bombarded with like buy this by this billboards
and signage and all this shit every everywhere. It's like, okay,
and because of you. I would never write on businesses
like small businesses or like people's property or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
But if it's.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Corporate, if it's on the side of the freeway, it's
it's like a little power box or something, whatever the
hell it is. It's like that's visually that's mine too,
you know, Like that's how I used to feel. I
don't necessarily I've grown up a little bit and it's
like that's not really how the world works.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
But that's what I was tell them. If you're going
to do it, just do it like where it's like
it's not going to like disturb anybody or upset anyone. Well,
it have upset certain people, but whatever, I mean, I
definitely I supported you and it made you happy. I
would pray for you all the time. I'm like, God,
please take care of them. And I get that rush
thing because when I used to sneak out to go
to the races over there in Compton, it was just like, dude,
I'm not supposed to do this, but this is so fun.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's more brazen about sneaking out of me. Dude. I
would never like hop out of the taking mom's car. Dude,
I was crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
We got to talk about that one day. I did.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
And then did you try to drive backwards to reverse
the mileage?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yes, stupid dude.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Yeah, all yes I did. Sure, it's all good. It's
all good because I must have been like sixteen years old.
I didn't have my license yet. Fifteen, Yeah, I was younger. No,
for sure, I did not have my license.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, I was very risk take her to the fullest,
d especially with the type of mom we had. I'm like, dude,
what the hell was I thinking?
Speaker 3 (09:06):
No, for real, and like.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
We I don't even think she knew later until yeah,
I think she.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I think you did say it, and I'm pretty sure
we had the conversation at some point and at that
point she's just.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Like like, well, yeah, okay, yeah, you know, yeah it's
crazy dude.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Anyways, Well, I'm I think what's happening in your life,
and I see it clearly is that, like, I don't know,
you're being very and I love using this word you
on the podcast, but you're very intentional right now. It's
like you know, it's like I want to be the
best I want to be the best person. I want
like you're doing things with intent and I see it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And I've always you know, me and my whole life,
I've been very nonchalant. Yeah, and it's kind of worked
for me. Like yeah, it's like, I mean, I've never
been a guy with the plan, and I've never been
like I need this to happen in the world for
me to be Okay. I think I've always been a journey,
not the destination. Yes, And I'm still very much enjoying
my journey, even on days when it's not fun, even
(10:07):
on days when I'm really stressed out and you know,
like I'm responsible for people's lives, like you know, like
and their family and they're they're and feeding their kids
and stuff and that, so that all rays on me.
So but even on those days, I'm like, I appreciate it,
like you know what, because it's like I get to
when I do make payroll, you know, and we do,
you know what I'm saying, But when we do make payroll, that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Shit feels good when it goes through.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And like when I know I have work plan like planned,
it's like I'm putting my people on.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
And so I'm so proud of you, dude. I forgot
what the no. But I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I'm proud of you because I'm listening to I hear
you speak and I'm just like, I've always You've always
been such an intelligent boy having to fight.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
It properly, and it's like, just imagine what I could
do that. That was the point where it's just like
I haven't ever really had a plan. It's like the
Joker says in the Batman movie, and just like a
dog chasing cars and like if I ever caught a car,
I not know what to do with it. But like
now it's just like and it's worked out well, But
I can't keep testing my luck because I have a
lot of it has to do with them and it's
(11:08):
twenty because I'm not I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
The least like that of all you guys.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, I believe in that heavy that mom in one
way or another, is it looks out for me and
she's you know, pushing positions to succeed or she's saved
my ass and when I put myself in dumb situations
and I'm like.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I really believe that. I feel like she has saved
your ass a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And that luck is only going to run out for
so long, and it's like, Okay, it's time to have
a plan now, and it's time to want more and
like see what you can do then, Like you know,
it's like I feel like, despite myself, I've been able
to make something in myself and now it's like, what
can happen if I stop getting in.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
My own way? You know, like nice's due because no.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Can't nobody hold you back, but you yeah, absolutely absolutely,
Oh my god, I'm telling you, I freaking love my siblings.
I always learn from them, and I'm just like I
love listening to them. I love to listen to you
guys speak because you guys are fucking like we dropping
like little like nuggets, which is those little gems like
today what you're saying about, Prince. I was listening Prince
all morningful because you know me too this morn in
the group.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Child, I was just like, hell, yeah, I'm glad we
have that like too, because there was like a lot
of people that I find it so weird when people
are like, oh, I don't talk to my sister or
like you know, or we don't really have a relationship
or we didn't really grow up close, and that's so
now that I'm older, I try.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Not to judge because everybody's raised differently, and everybody goes
through their own journeys, and people perceive other people's actions differently,
so I can't be like, always forgive your siblings. But
I'm so glad that I'm like I'm over here on
my well, I.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Think it was before my bike ride.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I was getting ready and I was like, I was,
you know, just flipping through YouTube and I'm like, oh,
that sounds interesting and like there was like some really
good stuff in them. And I was like, and I'm
glad I can, like I have someone to send that to.
And then we all had a conversation about it was great.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
We even we're good at that. We talked about Purple
Rain and you know that's your prince.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Is my father, you know, because I don't know if
I've shared this before, I'm pretty sure I have. But
I was conceived in a Monta Carlo at the drive in,
like the movie drive in Thinkies or whatever. Listened to
my mom. I guess you always told me this that
she was They were listening to Purple Rain, so I
was called Prince mat Patherno. So we were talking about that.
We were having all this dialogue. It was really awesome.
(13:16):
And I've shared with you guys that are that.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You were born from pre come, so pre come.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
According to my mother, I knew that wait till the
city never finished.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
At way too young of an age.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, so I'm you know, powerful, Hey, but wait, I
don't know, because then I know Dad is my dad
and my biological father father because what we have the
same father obviously, but anyways, because I look just like him, right,
But I.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Don't know where I heard this.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I do look like Dad.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah, I'm barely coming to grips that we look like
like that we look and now I'm like, oh, I
see mom now in my face, I'm like, shit, that's weird,
or even see like some of.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
My uncles, you for sure more these days, like.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Ones that we don't one that we don't speak to.
So it's like I'm like, I see it like you
do in like the rear view mirror. I this in
the bridge in my nose. I'm like, oh shit, that's weird.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
But yeah, honestly it's handsome father.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
My father, your father. I'm weirried about that word.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, But how do
you feel about dad now talking about that, are you
like more open to talking to him or you're like.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Nah, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Actually, this is something that I did do when we
were talking about, oh well, what should we talk about?
And I luckily Mom sent me to that school when
I was seventeen or sixteen, to the boarding school, and
that was we thought I was going away so I
can catch up in school. And that was the last
of their words, like we did everything on the computer
homeschooling program on the computer, but we did do seminars
(14:42):
and we did daily therapy and so eight months.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
It was pretty much eight months.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah, yeah, And in that school I had to deal
with And that's when when I came back, I started
going by the name because I was like I hated
Do you remember how angry I used to walk around
for that guy, Like how mad I was all the time.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Well, we were going through court for the whole trial thing.
Mikey actually got a little physical with my dad.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
I think that's one of the things people bring up
from the show a lot there, like did you really
beat him up?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I beat him up. I punched him once and they
got socked up by my other uncles.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh, yeah, by his family.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, but and it was a whole rumble, but it.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Was pretty crazy, I.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Don't know, And that was genuine like anger. That was
like my only chance that I ever and I don't
regret that at all. Actually, Like it was like Mom
was mad because she was like, you need to be
representing me better and show that I raised a man
with self control. Yeah, and I didn't have it in
that moment, but I were young, but yeah, I mean,
and I just needed to get that out. But you
have anyways that because even you would tell me where
(15:40):
it's like, you know, I would I would speak badly
about him because of the anger that I internalized my
whole childhood. And you would be like, and I would
think there was something wrong with you. You're like, you
don't need to speak like that about him, and I'm like,
and I thought that they're you know, I was like, yeah,
I was like, whatever, that's just Cheeky's being Cheeky's. But
then when I went to that school in Mexico we had,
I was forced to deal with it, and it's just
(16:00):
like really like genuinely like be like, all right, I
don't have to walk around with this forever, like he's
a human. He fucking made mistakes and he still needs
to out, you know, to to he's he still needs
to accept it or not or whatever. But whatever that is,
that's on his own time for me, for my sake,
for the sake because the people around me, for the
(16:21):
sake of my children, I need.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
To let that go.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, and see the silver lining that like whatever he
was as a dad, like and he wasn't there and
so I don't have that example. But I don't have
a clean slate. I don't have all these we have
generational things that you know, go on, but like as
far as dad, like, I don't got to hold onto that,
you know, and that doesn't have to be how I
carry myself with my kids and stuff. And so I
(16:44):
do when I say, I'm genuinely like no longer mad
at him and like no longer upset that I have
the same name. Like that's that that was a huge
thing for me. And like I feel like like I've
been told where it's like no, you just think you're
healed from it. You need to continue And it's like
that irks me.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
It's like how can I like it? I mean you
tell me, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Like I like genuinely do not hate the guy. But
when Jackie says, oh, he'd like to talk to him,
like I don't, it's.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
A closed door.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
That's something that you need to do.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Just there's there's so many doors ahead of me and
I'm not I'm not thinking about this one over here
on the right, and I don't need to see what's
on the other side of that.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It's okay, And.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's like, you know, it sucks because it's hard, and
I think about Johnny in this sense a lot where
it's just like growing up without a man. It fucking
makes being a man a lot harder. We like, yeah,
you still got to do it. I got to do it.
And it's so either what am I going to do?
Reopen this door and like you know, or just that
makes sense.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I mean yeah, because for a long time you were upset,
and which is why your name is Mikey. Why we
call you Mikey because he didn't want to be called Trinidad.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
I would like to clarify that. I like you guys.
People call me Mikey because.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
They hear the Okay, they saw the reality show and
like I'm with my family.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I like that one.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Now it's growing on me, like, you know, amongst you guys,
I am Mikey, but now like as a grown ass
man Mike.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
You know, I think that people have this thing where.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
They see it's kind of as like still the age
that we were back then.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, and I feel like, I don't know, it's not
Mike anymore.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
It's Mikey, it's m ighk.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's not technically on my on my anywhere, it's that
was my name one day.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah yeah, so okay, so that's why his name is.
That's what we call Why did okay? I always thought
Mom told me that it was because of Michael Jordan,
but in reality is it was because of the Ninja Turtle.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yes, but because he chose his name.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
That's I didn't know the I suppressed a lot till
I was like seven years old, pretty much.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
When dad was gone.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I thought it was normal that people's memories don't start
like till then, Like, but people, I know, I talked
to people and they remember being babies. Edward, our old producer,
said this, swear to god, he remembers being born Like
that's crazy, which I don't think that's necessarily true. But
my ship doesn't start so all out with seven, and
then like I didn't know, Like remember when I got
in When I became a teenager, I got really into
(19:09):
basketball again and it's been my favorite sword ever since.
I thought that that happened because I got close with Red,
but I'd always had that love. I didn't know I
played when I was younger. Yeah, I did, so it
could have been because of that, but it's part of
a memory that I suppressed and pushed back. That's what
I'm interested in. I'll be down to do like hypnotism
and just see what.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
To see what happened.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I don't know, dude. That's because I don't know. I
might have to do dad, or I don't really know,
you know.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Because at first it was Max, yeah, because of the dog.
Because of the dog. We had a dog named rock
Roller named Max. So he was like, I want to
be I want my name to be maximm was like, okay,
you don't want your name to be Trindad.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
We won't call you Trinidad. What do you want?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I want Max? And then after it was Michael.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yeah, and now the dog beat me or something.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I was like, fuck Max, but yeah, yeah, but Mike.
For me, what I associated with is is Michaelangelo the
Ninja Turtle.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
And I didn't know, like love that. I don't know
at the.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Time that they were all named after Renaissance artists. Like
I just thought he was cool. He's always cracking.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah, he was like the funny one, hating.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Pizza and riding a skateboard and like kicking ass, Like
that's what I want to be. And I'm like, so, yeah,
there's people think that, so Michael Jordan and it kick.
But yeah, I was like, I didn't even know my
middle name was Angela my whole life. Yeah, it just
happened to just happened to work.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Yeah, it's perfect. See Michael angel I love. That's my
favorite Ninja turtle. By the way, now that we're on
this topic, let's talk a little bit about your last name.
Our last name. I carry Marine. I never really wanted
to change it. We've never really talked about this because
it's a big thing, the whole Rivera thing, and like
(20:44):
how I don't use Cheeky's Rivera And that's not because
it's like I hate the last name. Obviously, I want
to honor my mother, but I feel that there's other
ways that I can honor her than to like change
my last name or use the last name or not
use it. But mom did, and she did ask us
before she passed, maybe like a year or two years,
I don't know, Okay, she she had kind of like
mentioned that why don't you guys change your last name?
(21:04):
Why don't you guys change it to Rivera? And I remember,
even when she was here, I would tell her, I'm like,
I like my last name. Mo, I'm like, no matter
what my dad did, like, I like Marine and I
don't necessarily want to be a Rivera. But how do
you feel because now you're going to change your last
name legally.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Right, I think?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
And with you, it's kind of like it's like like
I said, with Thrin Dad, it's it's like owning it.
It's like that's, yeah, whatever is before this point doesn't matter.
That's your last name, you know. Yeah, and not for
much longer.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, true, true.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
But but I mean so I understand that. I think
it's different because we're you know, I you know, I'm
a male, so I carry I give on. You know,
it's true the last name. And it's like, okay, Luna
already has Marine, and when it came with the second baby,
it's like do I want to is that the name
I want to push? It was like no, Like I'm like,
(21:55):
I'm my mom's child and I'm carrying on her name
and like.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Whatever attached to it.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Because even if you think about it, like there are
people that will say, oh, they're not actually Rivera's whatever.
They it's a name, who cares, you know, But even
like even if it's like not being even if it's
attached from the certain group of people.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Now like that was detected. We never knew any of
the Riveras in in cho you know, none of us
know them. We know that we don't like that.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, okay, that's grandpa's name and that's fine, and like,
you know, the mom's carried on his legacy, but I'm
carrying on my mother's and in my own way.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And it makes sense.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
You know, we've never talked about this, by the way,
this is the first time retection.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
It was kind of I think we were at odds
and we're like, we're not having this conversation.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
We're kind of like, hold up because there was a
lot going on. But now that you're explaining to me,
that makes a lot of sense. Absolutely, You're you're the man,
and like you're honoring your mother and you want so
are you changing Luna's last name too?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, And she's actually she wants her name to be hyphenated,
so she wants her she wants her mom's last name. Yeah.
And she even shows the order or whatever. It's Rivera,
I Bara. I was like, like, phonetically bar Rivera sounds better.
She's like, no, I want it like that, Dad, Okay. So,
and she's super excited about it because she she's in
her like her fan stage right now.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
She's been for a long time.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Yeah, she's like listening to mom's music and everything. She
listens to my music.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
She's like, I want to meet I want to meet
my my uncle Lupe. And I'm like, what that's so random,
like just because like, I mean, nothing against my deal,
but we just haven't you know, he's been out his
way for a long time. You know, we had we
were at odds. I think when I was younger because
of how I viewed things. Yeah, so I mean and
I against him, but it was yeah, I don't care
like that, but I just you know, it's it's just
(23:41):
like it's when she did it, when she asked me
out of nowhere, I'm just like, okay, like why might
Luca of all of them?
Speaker 1 (23:48):
But you know that little girl has a total mind
of her own. And I love that you and her
mom like you guys, You guys embraced that, like you
allow her to be here, like like show her individuality.
And I love that because instead of you getting upset
because there's certain things that Luna is his oldest daughter, guys,
and he has a little baby, he has two girls,
and you're and we'll talk about you being a dad.
(24:08):
But you sent a video in the group chat of
her or I think you posted it on Instagram of
her talking about what her future husband was going to
look like Oh yeah, dude, and you were just like, yeah,
tell me, And she was telling you what that she
wanted him tall, dark and hands, yeah yeah, And she
said she wanted tattoos and jet black hair.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Yeah. She's always but she's always known who she is.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Remember really early on, I stopped choosing her clothes for her,
like yeah, and you just let her.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
She's like, she wasn't happy in the little T shirts
and little jeggings I was picking for her, and she
wanted to wear this ridiculous, fucking trolls wig and like
a shirt a skirt and like two different socks because
they had different colors, and.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Like, you know, like I love it. And I of.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Course, like most guys that you know, when you find
out you're having a baby so soon and you know
it's gonna he's gonna do all the things that I
like and doing. Fuck that Luna came out. She's like, no,
I'm a girl. I don't know nothing about this, but
you better learn. I still can't do her hair, but
thank god, she's like she's just.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Like she's like, I like my hair down and I
don't don't don't touch what she's getting.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Back into styles and oh yeah, she's always known who
she is. And I'm like, and I just loved seeing
that it's come out because she was nonverbal till she
was four, and like, yeah, so even on days where
she's just like bombarding me like with questions and just
talking to me and being goofy, right now, she's in
her you know. I I I was like, damn, is
there something wrong with me? Because she's a lot to
handle right now. Sometimes but it's like I was remember
(25:32):
how annoying I was at like fucking at like eleven
years old. She just wants to be funny, and like
she's learning how to make jokes, and you know, she
doesn't necessarily know how jokes work, and so it's a
lot and sometimes it's not sensical, and I don't know
what to say. But I'm like, that's a lot better
than me when I was eleven purposely trying to get
on people's nerves and yeah, being a little bitch, dude,
(25:54):
Like I'm sorry, I don't know for a lot.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Of Yeah, you can say bitch and and all that.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
But like, you know, like, and so right now she's
in that phase. And so even in moments where I'm
a little overwhelmed, I'm like, dude, this is way better
than I thought she was gonna be non verbal her
whole life.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I have no reason, yeah to.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Believe she's thriving right now. Yeah, and she talks about
and she's so smart and has an amazing memory like
her grandmother.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Yeah, I think she's gonna be okay.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
And like, my biggest thing is, uh, is you know,
just anything that she wants to do, whether it's she
wants to go away for college, she wants her own apartment,
she wants.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
A purple Honda.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
She so she knows she wants to, you know, be
a nail tech, she wants to do hair, she wants
to be an actress, a singer, and who are we
to say that she can't do all these things? R
you know, like obviously I just want to let her
explore things. And obviously me and her mom have always
been very guarded guarded over her as far as you know,
So I don't necessarily want her making a TikTok right
(26:50):
now or open YouTube page. But do I want her to,
like if we get her in the studio so she
could record something that would be like the best, you know.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Like I think she wants to express herself because she
writes so and she writes things, and I think that
you guys, I love that. I love how you and
her mom have like just embraced it and let her
just be, which I think is awesome. And I was
talking about you as a parent. I remember specifically when
I one time I will tell you like, you're so
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you
(27:16):
for the dad that you are, and You're like, what
I'm just doing, like what I'm supposed to do, you know,
and I and when you said that to me, I
was like, shit, I guess so, but I guess I
was saying more of like I'm proud of you because
you weren't you didn't have your dad in your life,
you know what I mean, Like he was absent, and
the fact that it's just you're just such a great dad.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Like I try. I mean, I really are.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I think I'm overly critical in myself and everything, but
that's the only way I know how to operate. So
it's like I take everything with the grain of salt.
And then a lot of times I just feel like
because so many it was more common for my friends
growing up to not have their dad around. Yeah, and
you know, like yeah, and I didn't, you know, I
didn't think it was like it was kind of weird
that when I would go to my wife friend's Houston,
(27:57):
Narca and they had a full family or whatever.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
It was cool. I was like, oh shit, like this
is same.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
But most of my friends didn't have their dads growing up,
and like I think we all like that's we thought
that that was a normal thing. Yeah, and some of us,
some of us are like, you know, not not us,
because I don't associate with dudes that, you know, like
if you have your kids and you're a bump ass,
you know you're not you don't spend I can't get
enough time with Luna, you know what I'm saying, Like,
(28:22):
you know, so we actually take pride of that in
our generation, or you're the type of person like, oh,
I didn't have adet, so I don't have to be
around it, and I can't.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I can't.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
That can never be an excuse. And it's I think
a lot of people you get props for just being
around and for me that's not enough either, Like that's
you know, it's not just like yeah, well no, most
people's dads aren't around, so good job for just being there,
you know. And I try not to like pat myself
on the back for that too much because.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I just be like, I'm a provider and I get
you what you need.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
It's like, yeah, like there's.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Way more to being a parent, you know, like than that.
And with Nova, it's a it's a second chance to
start again.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Okay, guys, wait, we're running a little bit out of time, well,
well run out of time, so we're just gonna leave
the second part of our conversation for tomorrow, So tune
in tomorrow because we're gonna, you know, talk about a
little bit more.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Well, Mikey, come out of the closet. Who knows tuning
in in.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
This is a production of iHeartRadio and the Microda podcast Network.
Follow us on Instagram at michaela Podcasts and follow me
Cheeky's That's c h i q u i s. For
more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
Hey, guys, welcome to another episode of Brother two Times. So, guys,
if you don't know who my brother is, this is Mikey.
This is my little big brother. Okay, thank you for
coming to my podcast. Finally, Yes, but you make.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
It seem like I didn't want to be part of it.
And then when I was on Jenica's you're like all jelly.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Belly, jelly belly, but your requested subject is very important. Yes,
but I wasn't. He wasn't. I'm still not ready. I guess.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I think we'll talk about my reasoning behind all that
stuff today. But because I don't, I know you love me.
I know if we're, if we're, if we got pickles
with each other, that's abone to pick with each other.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
A pickle with me?
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Yeah, what's the pickle? This sign? Oh okay, it's cute. Yeah,
I'm sure they got to here quick. I'm Jenica.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
She waited a year, but yes, so talking about Jenica
because okay, guys, Jenica has been on the podcast, Jackie
has been on the podcast, and Mikey has it. John
has been here a couple of times as well, and
talking about Jenica. Look at his sweater, you guys, okay,
it's over comfort.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
Look at him.
Speaker 1 (01:12):
He comes to my podcast wearing his favorite sisters because
Jennica is his favorite sister. Yes or no, don't lie.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
I don't have a favorite. She's my only little sister.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Okay, that's true. He has two big sisters. That makes sense.
Speaker 3 (01:23):
That's okay.
Speaker 1 (01:23):
Jennica is awesome, so.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
She's a best But yeah, and then this is also
I wanted to come like decent, and.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
I know it was very hand separately.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
Yeah, this is like everything else has paint on it
right now.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
The color coordination.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I like laundry every week now though.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
Oh no, I'm so proud. So are you separating the whites? Yeah,
but I don't have very much white okay, okay, but
please separate the whites.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Yeah, no, I do.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
I separate and I even I even, I like, I've
started to use the bleach. But like you know, I mean,
I'm a black shirt kind of guy.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
Yeah you are.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
I don't for white shirts.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, because I always have paint on everything. Talking about paint,
because we got to let them know what you're all about. Okay.
Mikey has his own own company.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
It's called Boss Graphics and my bigger LLC or is
a moonlight sign code? And that's that was my first
company and absorbed the company that I've been working at
for a while now, and it's going really well. It's
been this past year has been a big challenge, and
thank you for being there.
Speaker 3 (02:18):
You're always I think.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
There's no such thing as a dumb question, but there
is dumb questions. And I'm so glad that I can
call you and I don't ever have to feel like
bad about asking a stupid question because you've lived through
most things, or at least have some level of experience,
especially when it comes to business. So I have you
as a lifeline, and I know, like we don't see
each other as much as we'd like. Yeah, you're such
(02:41):
a big part of you know, what I'm doing now,
and so thank.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
You for that. Oh you're welcome, brother. Oh my god, dude,
we're about I think we're going to cry about it.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
We do. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
So a mirror list and a sign painter and and
just a guy just trying to get better at his art.
Speaker 1 (02:56):
Yeah, and you're doing great, because that's what he was saying.
The pickle that he had to pick with me is
the fact that he didn't make my sign. I didn't
ask him to make my sign because he made Jennica
sign for her podcast over Comfort, and that's why he's like,
what the heck, But it's for METSI. I mean, I
didn't have anyone else do it.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
No, you're about this, and I would have lagged a
little bit, but it's okay. I have ideas now, so
next season that might look a little different.
Speaker 1 (03:17):
Oh I love that. Okay, you guys heard it here,
so you guys he said it. Yes, he's a man
of his word and going back to his business because
I think Mom would be very proud, because Mom was
all about, like, whatever you're passionate about, whatever that may be,
you freaking do it and you do be the best
at it, Mikey, And he said, Okay, if we talk
about this about your love for graffiti and how you
(03:38):
would do it illegally, whatever, you want to talk to me, okay,
Because he would freaking stress me out. Because I was
his supporter, I was like, Okay, if this is what
he likes to do, I don't necessarily agree hundred percent
because it's like, you know, he's doing this illegally and
he would hang you guys off of bridges and shit
doing graffiti and I'd be like, oh my, he said,
Oh I was hanging off.
Speaker 2 (03:58):
That freaking BRIDGEI what But you would imagine it like
me hanging off I'm not that strong.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
It's like there's a footing, there's it's a weird space.
I shouldn't be okay there, but it's dangerous. Are you
going to tell everybody that used to take me?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
Oh? Yeah, I used to take them.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
Was a handful of times.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Jackie was my was my ride or jack like she
took me bombing a lot, like, yeah, my first era
of being prolific had a lot to do with Jackie.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
But you take me to Jackie, so.
Speaker 3 (04:25):
Each other she is implicated in fifteen year old crime.
Oh shit, more than that, dude, come up on. Wow, yeah,
my brother, are you thirty you're gonna be thirty three? Jesus?
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Oh your Jesus here, I say, dan full for really. Yeah,
you're going to resurrect in good way?
Speaker 3 (04:41):
Yeah yeah, being reborn.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
Yeah, reborn. But so I love the fact that you
did exactly what I wanted, came and became and now
a business and you're a CEO and a business owner.
And I know that that's president. President I don't know why.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
I feel like he was like anytime somebody like starts
their little like T shirt company or whatever, it's like
they want to throw like president sounds better for me.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
I don't know why.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Yeah, I like that anyway, Mike you for president? Well
he is a president, okay, So I think.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
She would be proud. I think.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
So that's kind of like my biggest like thing is
she didn't really get to see a better version of me,
because I'm still not like the best version of myself
that I can be and that I'm striving to be.
But she didn't get to see me like okay because
it stressed her out a lot too, you know. And
and she and like to her credit, she never once
(05:30):
said like I remember the day that she like first
confronted me about it, and like, you know, like she
was never like don't do that, you know, like they
were like, at least don't do it this way, do
it the right way. Of course, I have to do
it in my own way. But so she was stressed out,
and I didn't believe I was going to turn it
into anything for a long time because that wasn't really
the point of it. Yeah, it was kind of more
(05:51):
of a to develop a sense of identity, and yeah,
that's kind of it's kind of it's it's led through
a lot of things, for good or bad, like of
who I am now, and it's been part of my journey.
So I'm like super grateful for it, but I think
I I might be past it, yeah, like mentally, yeah,
I mean right now anyways, just like I don't like
(06:12):
I don't have the same love for it. And I'm like,
I'm okay, I'm going through a part of my life
where things are you know, it's okay to accept the
things come to an end and things don't have to
be the same way forever. And even if it's something
that you feel like, well, this is all I've ever known,
like and that shit, it's really hard, Like I almost
want to cry right now, just because it's all I've
known and like for so many years.
Speaker 3 (06:33):
I've part of your life.
Speaker 2 (06:35):
Yeah, I've only associated with certain type of people, and
now that I'm trying to live my life on the
right path, I realized they haven't always been the best people.
A lot of you know, a lot of my friends
are guys looking with good and there's a few gems
in there. That are really guys that are really pushing
themselves forward. But for the most part, it's like holding
me back. And now I'm at a point where it's
like it's it's it's it's doue or die time right
(06:57):
now with you know, with the company and like really better.
Speaker 3 (07:00):
In myself, super focused and if.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
Yeah, and it is just not serving me anymore, and
it's it's hard to say, you know, because I don't
you know me, I'm like, uh, I like the artistic
part of graffiti, like, oh, it's an awesome mural, look
at all the colors and all that. But I like
the illegal aspect of it in the Russia and the
fucking being scared shitless, like I shouldn't be doing this.
(07:23):
I shouldn't be fucking over here off of the side
of the freeway. And then I get home and I'm
looking at my pictures and that's the best sleep in
my whole life, where it's.
Speaker 3 (07:30):
Crazy like that rushful. Yeah. And it's not just because
of that.
Speaker 2 (07:33):
There's just like I don't know if there's something to
take in public space back, Like I feel like we're
kind of bombarded with like buy this by this billboards
and signage and all this shit every everywhere. It's like, okay,
and because of you. I would never write on businesses
like small businesses or like people's property or anything like that.
Speaker 3 (07:51):
But if it's.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Corporate, if it's on the side of the freeway, it's
it's like a little power box or something, whatever the
hell it is. It's like that's visually that's mine too,
you know, Like that's how I used to feel. I
don't necessarily I've grown up a little bit and it's
like that's not really how the world works.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
But that's what I was tell them. If you're going
to do it, just do it like where it's like
it's not going to like disturb anybody or upset anyone. Well,
it have upset certain people, but whatever, I mean, I
definitely I supported you and it made you happy. I
would pray for you all the time. I'm like, God,
please take care of them. And I get that rush
thing because when I used to sneak out to go
to the races over there in Compton, it was just like, dude,
I'm not supposed to do this, but this is so fun.
Speaker 3 (08:25):
It's more brazen about sneaking out of me. Dude. I
would never like hop out of the taking mom's car. Dude,
I was crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
We got to talk about that one day. I did.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
And then did you try to drive backwards to reverse
the mileage?
Speaker 1 (08:41):
Yes, stupid dude.
Speaker 4 (08:46):
Yeah, all yes I did. Sure, it's all good. It's
all good because I must have been like sixteen years old.
I didn't have my license yet. Fifteen, Yeah, I was younger. No,
for sure, I did not have my license.
Speaker 1 (09:00):
Yeah, I was very risk take her to the fullest,
d especially with the type of mom we had. I'm like, dude,
what the hell was I thinking?
Speaker 3 (09:06):
No, for real, and like.
Speaker 1 (09:07):
We I don't even think she knew later until yeah,
I think she.
Speaker 2 (09:12):
I think you did say it, and I'm pretty sure
we had the conversation at some point and at that
point she's just.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Like like, well, yeah, okay, yeah, you know, yeah it's
crazy dude.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:23):
Anyways, Well, I'm I think what's happening in your life,
and I see it clearly is that, like, I don't know,
you're being very and I love using this word you
on the podcast, but you're very intentional right now. It's
like you know, it's like I want to be the
best I want to be the best person. I want
like you're doing things with intent and I see it.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
And I've always you know, me and my whole life,
I've been very nonchalant. Yeah, and it's kind of worked
for me. Like yeah, it's like, I mean, I've never
been a guy with the plan, and I've never been
like I need this to happen in the world for
me to be Okay. I think I've always been a journey,
not the destination. Yes, And I'm still very much enjoying
my journey, even on days when it's not fun, even
(10:07):
on days when I'm really stressed out and you know,
like I'm responsible for people's lives, like you know, like
and their family and they're they're and feeding their kids
and stuff and that, so that all rays on me.
So but even on those days, I'm like, I appreciate it,
like you know what, because it's like I get to
when I do make payroll, you know, and we do,
you know what I'm saying, But when we do make payroll, that.
Speaker 3 (10:29):
Shit feels good when it goes through.
Speaker 2 (10:30):
And like when I know I have work plan like planned,
it's like I'm putting my people on.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
And so I'm so proud of you, dude. I forgot
what the no. But I'm so proud of you.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I'm proud of you because I'm listening to I hear
you speak and I'm just like, I've always You've always
been such an intelligent boy having to fight.
Speaker 2 (10:48):
It properly, and it's like, just imagine what I could
do that. That was the point where it's just like
I haven't ever really had a plan. It's like the
Joker says in the Batman movie, and just like a
dog chasing cars and like if I ever caught a car,
I not know what to do with it. But like
now it's just like and it's worked out well, But
I can't keep testing my luck because I have a
lot of it has to do with them and it's
(11:08):
twenty because I'm not I'm.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
The least like that of all you guys.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
Yeah, I believe in that heavy that mom in one
way or another, is it looks out for me and
she's you know, pushing positions to succeed or she's saved
my ass and when I put myself in dumb situations
and I'm like.
Speaker 1 (11:24):
I really believe that. I feel like she has saved
your ass a lot.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
And that luck is only going to run out for
so long, and it's like, Okay, it's time to have
a plan now, and it's time to want more and
like see what you can do then, Like you know,
it's like I feel like, despite myself, I've been able
to make something in myself and now it's like, what
can happen if I stop getting in.
Speaker 3 (11:42):
My own way? You know, like nice's due because no.
Speaker 1 (11:46):
Can't nobody hold you back, but you yeah, absolutely absolutely,
Oh my god, I'm telling you, I freaking love my siblings.
I always learn from them, and I'm just like I
love listening to them. I love to listen to you
guys speak because you guys are fucking like we dropping
like little like nuggets, which is those little gems like
today what you're saying about, Prince. I was listening Prince
all morningful because you know me too this morn in
the group.
Speaker 5 (12:06):
Child, I was just like, hell, yeah, I'm glad we
have that like too, because there was like a lot
of people that I find it so weird when people
are like, oh, I don't talk to my sister or
like you know, or we don't really have a relationship
or we didn't really grow up close, and that's so
now that I'm older, I try.
Speaker 2 (12:22):
Not to judge because everybody's raised differently, and everybody goes
through their own journeys, and people perceive other people's actions differently,
so I can't be like, always forgive your siblings. But
I'm so glad that I'm like I'm over here on
my well, I.
Speaker 3 (12:35):
Think it was before my bike ride.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
I was getting ready and I was like, I was,
you know, just flipping through YouTube and I'm like, oh,
that sounds interesting and like there was like some really
good stuff in them. And I was like, and I'm
glad I can, like I have someone to send that to.
And then we all had a conversation about it was great.
Speaker 3 (12:49):
We even we're good at that. We talked about Purple
Rain and you know that's your prince.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Is my father, you know, because I don't know if
I've shared this before, I'm pretty sure I have. But
I was conceived in a Monta Carlo at the drive in,
like the movie drive in Thinkies or whatever. Listened to
my mom. I guess you always told me this that
she was They were listening to Purple Rain, so I
was called Prince mat Patherno. So we were talking about that.
We were having all this dialogue. It was really awesome.
(13:16):
And I've shared with you guys that are that.
Speaker 3 (13:19):
You were born from pre come, so pre come.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
According to my mother, I knew that wait till the
city never finished.
Speaker 3 (13:25):
At way too young of an age.
Speaker 1 (13:27):
Yeah, so I'm you know, powerful, Hey, but wait, I
don't know, because then I know Dad is my dad
and my biological father father because what we have the
same father obviously, but anyways, because I look just like him, right,
But I.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
Don't know where I heard this.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
I do look like Dad.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Yeah, I'm barely coming to grips that we look like
like that we look and now I'm like, oh, I
see mom now in my face, I'm like, shit, that's weird,
or even see like some of.
Speaker 3 (13:53):
My uncles, you for sure more these days, like.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Ones that we don't one that we don't speak to.
So it's like I'm like, I see it like you
do in like the rear view mirror. I this in
the bridge in my nose. I'm like, oh shit, that's weird.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
But yeah, honestly it's handsome father.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
My father, your father. I'm weirried about that word.
Speaker 1 (14:12):
Yeah, I know, I know, I know, But how do
you feel about dad now talking about that, are you
like more open to talking to him or you're like.
Speaker 3 (14:18):
Nah, I'm good.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Actually, this is something that I did do when we
were talking about, oh well, what should we talk about?
And I luckily Mom sent me to that school when
I was seventeen or sixteen, to the boarding school, and
that was we thought I was going away so I
can catch up in school. And that was the last
of their words, like we did everything on the computer
homeschooling program on the computer, but we did do seminars
(14:42):
and we did daily therapy and so eight months.
Speaker 3 (14:45):
It was pretty much eight months.
Speaker 2 (14:48):
Yeah, yeah, And in that school I had to deal
with And that's when when I came back, I started
going by the name because I was like I hated
Do you remember how angry I used to walk around
for that guy, Like how mad I was all the time.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Well, we were going through court for the whole trial thing.
Mikey actually got a little physical with my dad.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Yeah a lot.
Speaker 2 (15:07):
I think that's one of the things people bring up
from the show a lot there, like did you really
beat him up?
Speaker 3 (15:11):
I beat him up. I punched him once and they
got socked up by my other uncles.
Speaker 1 (15:14):
Oh, yeah, by his family.
Speaker 3 (15:16):
Yeah, but and it was a whole rumble, but it.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
Was pretty crazy, I.
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Don't know, And that was genuine like anger. That was
like my only chance that I ever and I don't
regret that at all. Actually, Like it was like Mom
was mad because she was like, you need to be
representing me better and show that I raised a man
with self control. Yeah, and I didn't have it in
that moment, but I were young, but yeah, I mean,
and I just needed to get that out. But you
have anyways that because even you would tell me where
(15:40):
it's like, you know, I would I would speak badly
about him because of the anger that I internalized my
whole childhood. And you would be like, and I would
think there was something wrong with you. You're like, you
don't need to speak like that about him, and I'm like,
and I thought that they're you know, I was like, yeah,
I was like, whatever, that's just Cheeky's being Cheeky's. But
then when I went to that school in Mexico we had,
I was forced to deal with it, and it's just
(16:00):
like really like genuinely like be like, all right, I
don't have to walk around with this forever, like he's
a human. He fucking made mistakes and he still needs
to out, you know, to to he's he still needs
to accept it or not or whatever. But whatever that is,
that's on his own time for me, for my sake,
for the sake because the people around me, for the
(16:21):
sake of my children, I need.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
To let that go.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Yeah, and see the silver lining that like whatever he
was as a dad, like and he wasn't there and
so I don't have that example. But I don't have
a clean slate. I don't have all these we have
generational things that you know, go on, but like as
far as dad, like, I don't got to hold onto that,
you know, and that doesn't have to be how I
carry myself with my kids and stuff. And so I
(16:44):
do when I say, I'm genuinely like no longer mad
at him and like no longer upset that I have
the same name. Like that's that that was a huge
thing for me. And like I feel like like I've
been told where it's like no, you just think you're
healed from it. You need to continue And it's like
that irks me.
Speaker 3 (17:00):
It's like how can I like it? I mean you
tell me, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
Like I like genuinely do not hate the guy. But
when Jackie says, oh, he'd like to talk to him,
like I don't, it's.
Speaker 3 (17:09):
A closed door.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
That's something that you need to do.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Just there's there's so many doors ahead of me and
I'm not I'm not thinking about this one over here
on the right, and I don't need to see what's
on the other side of that.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
It's okay, And.
Speaker 3 (17:19):
It's like, you know, it sucks because it's hard, and
I think about Johnny in this sense a lot where
it's just like growing up without a man. It fucking
makes being a man a lot harder. We like, yeah,
you still got to do it. I got to do it.
And it's so either what am I going to do?
Reopen this door and like you know, or just that
makes sense.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
I mean yeah, because for a long time you were upset,
and which is why your name is Mikey. Why we
call you Mikey because he didn't want to be called Trinidad.
Speaker 3 (17:49):
I would like to clarify that. I like you guys.
People call me Mikey because.
Speaker 2 (17:55):
They hear the Okay, they saw the reality show and
like I'm with my family.
Speaker 3 (18:00):
I like that one.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Now it's growing on me, like, you know, amongst you guys,
I am Mikey, but now like as a grown ass
man Mike.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
You know, I think that people have this thing where.
Speaker 2 (18:11):
They see it's kind of as like still the age
that we were back then.
Speaker 1 (18:14):
Yeah, and I feel like, I don't know, it's not
Mike anymore.
Speaker 3 (18:18):
It's Mikey, it's m ighk.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
It's not technically on my on my anywhere, it's that
was my name one day.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
Yeah yeah, so okay, so that's why his name is.
That's what we call Why did okay? I always thought
Mom told me that it was because of Michael Jordan,
but in reality is it was because of the Ninja Turtle.
Speaker 3 (18:37):
Yes, but because he chose his name.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
That's I didn't know the I suppressed a lot till
I was like seven years old, pretty much.
Speaker 3 (18:46):
When dad was gone.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
I thought it was normal that people's memories don't start
like till then, Like, but people, I know, I talked
to people and they remember being babies. Edward, our old producer,
said this, swear to god, he remembers being born Like
that's crazy, which I don't think that's necessarily true. But
my ship doesn't start so all out with seven, and
then like I didn't know, Like remember when I got
in When I became a teenager, I got really into
(19:09):
basketball again and it's been my favorite sword ever since.
I thought that that happened because I got close with Red,
but I'd always had that love. I didn't know I
played when I was younger. Yeah, I did, so it
could have been because of that, but it's part of
a memory that I suppressed and pushed back. That's what
I'm interested in. I'll be down to do like hypnotism
and just see what.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
To see what happened.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
I don't know, dude. That's because I don't know. I
might have to do dad, or I don't really know,
you know.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
Because at first it was Max, yeah, because of the dog.
Because of the dog. We had a dog named rock
Roller named Max. So he was like, I want to
be I want my name to be maximm was like, okay,
you don't want your name to be Trindad.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
We won't call you Trinidad. What do you want?
Speaker 1 (19:43):
I want Max? And then after it was Michael.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yeah, and now the dog beat me or something.
Speaker 2 (19:48):
I was like, fuck Max, but yeah, yeah, but Mike.
For me, what I associated with is is Michaelangelo the
Ninja Turtle.
Speaker 3 (19:58):
And I didn't know, like love that. I don't know
at the.
Speaker 2 (20:00):
Time that they were all named after Renaissance artists. Like
I just thought he was cool. He's always cracking.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Yeah, he was like the funny one, hating.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
Pizza and riding a skateboard and like kicking ass, Like
that's what I want to be. And I'm like, so, yeah,
there's people think that, so Michael Jordan and it kick.
But yeah, I was like, I didn't even know my
middle name was Angela my whole life. Yeah, it just
happened to just happened to work.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
Yeah, it's perfect. See Michael angel I love. That's my
favorite Ninja turtle. By the way, now that we're on
this topic, let's talk a little bit about your last name.
Our last name. I carry Marine. I never really wanted
to change it. We've never really talked about this because
it's a big thing, the whole Rivera thing, and like
(20:44):
how I don't use Cheeky's Rivera And that's not because
it's like I hate the last name. Obviously, I want
to honor my mother, but I feel that there's other
ways that I can honor her than to like change
my last name or use the last name or not
use it. But mom did, and she did ask us
before she passed, maybe like a year or two years,
I don't know, Okay, she she had kind of like
mentioned that why don't you guys change your last name?
(21:04):
Why don't you guys change it to Rivera? And I remember,
even when she was here, I would tell her, I'm like,
I like my last name. Mo, I'm like, no matter
what my dad did, like, I like Marine and I
don't necessarily want to be a Rivera. But how do
you feel because now you're going to change your last
name legally.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
Right, I think?
Speaker 2 (21:19):
And with you, it's kind of like it's like like
I said, with Thrin Dad, it's it's like owning it.
It's like that's, yeah, whatever is before this point doesn't matter.
That's your last name, you know. Yeah, and not for
much longer.
Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yeah, true, true.
Speaker 2 (21:34):
But but I mean so I understand that. I think
it's different because we're you know, I you know, I'm
a male, so I carry I give on. You know,
it's true the last name. And it's like, okay, Luna
already has Marine, and when it came with the second baby,
it's like do I want to is that the name
I want to push? It was like no, Like I'm like,
(21:55):
I'm my mom's child and I'm carrying on her name
and like.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Whatever attached to it.
Speaker 2 (22:01):
Because even if you think about it, like there are
people that will say, oh, they're not actually Rivera's whatever.
They it's a name, who cares, you know, But even
like even if it's like not being even if it's
attached from the certain group of people.
Speaker 3 (22:15):
Now like that was detected. We never knew any of
the Riveras in in cho you know, none of us
know them. We know that we don't like that.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Yeah, okay, that's grandpa's name and that's fine, and like,
you know, the mom's carried on his legacy, but I'm
carrying on my mother's and in my own way.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And it makes sense.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
You know, we've never talked about this, by the way,
this is the first time retection.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
It was kind of I think we were at odds
and we're like, we're not having this conversation.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
We're kind of like, hold up because there was a
lot going on. But now that you're explaining to me,
that makes a lot of sense. Absolutely, You're you're the man,
and like you're honoring your mother and you want so
are you changing Luna's last name too?
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (22:52):
Yeah, And she's actually she wants her name to be hyphenated,
so she wants her she wants her mom's last name. Yeah.
And she even shows the order or whatever. It's Rivera,
I Bara. I was like, like, phonetically bar Rivera sounds better.
She's like, no, I want it like that, Dad, Okay. So,
and she's super excited about it because she she's in
her like her fan stage right now.
Speaker 3 (23:14):
She's been for a long time.
Speaker 1 (23:15):
Yeah, she's like listening to mom's music and everything. She
listens to my music.
Speaker 2 (23:19):
She's like, I want to meet I want to meet
my my uncle Lupe. And I'm like, what that's so random,
like just because like, I mean, nothing against my deal,
but we just haven't you know, he's been out his
way for a long time. You know, we had we
were at odds. I think when I was younger because
of how I viewed things. Yeah, so I mean and
I against him, but it was yeah, I don't care
like that, but I just you know, it's it's just
(23:41):
like it's when she did it, when she asked me
out of nowhere, I'm just like, okay, like why might
Luca of all of them?
Speaker 1 (23:48):
But you know that little girl has a total mind
of her own. And I love that you and her
mom like you guys, You guys embraced that, like you
allow her to be here, like like show her individuality.
And I love that because instead of you getting upset
because there's certain things that Luna is his oldest daughter, guys,
and he has a little baby, he has two girls,
and you're and we'll talk about you being a dad.
(24:08):
But you sent a video in the group chat of
her or I think you posted it on Instagram of
her talking about what her future husband was going to
look like Oh yeah, dude, and you were just like, yeah,
tell me, And she was telling you what that she
wanted him tall, dark and hands, yeah yeah, And she
said she wanted tattoos and jet black hair.
Speaker 3 (24:25):
Yeah. She's always but she's always known who she is.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (24:29):
Remember really early on, I stopped choosing her clothes for her,
like yeah, and you just let her.
Speaker 2 (24:33):
She's like, she wasn't happy in the little T shirts
and little jeggings I was picking for her, and she
wanted to wear this ridiculous, fucking trolls wig and like
a shirt a skirt and like two different socks because
they had different colors, and.
Speaker 3 (24:46):
Like, you know, like I love it. And I of.
Speaker 2 (24:49):
Course, like most guys that you know, when you find
out you're having a baby so soon and you know
it's gonna he's gonna do all the things that I
like and doing. Fuck that Luna came out. She's like, no,
I'm a girl. I don't know nothing about this, but
you better learn. I still can't do her hair, but
thank god, she's like she's just.
Speaker 1 (25:05):
Like she's like, I like my hair down and I
don't don't don't touch what she's getting.
Speaker 2 (25:09):
Back into styles and oh yeah, she's always known who
she is. And I'm like, and I just loved seeing
that it's come out because she was nonverbal till she
was four, and like, yeah, so even on days where
she's just like bombarding me like with questions and just
talking to me and being goofy, right now, she's in
her you know. I I I was like, damn, is
there something wrong with me? Because she's a lot to
handle right now. Sometimes but it's like I was remember
(25:32):
how annoying I was at like fucking at like eleven
years old. She just wants to be funny, and like
she's learning how to make jokes, and you know, she
doesn't necessarily know how jokes work, and so it's a
lot and sometimes it's not sensical, and I don't know
what to say. But I'm like, that's a lot better
than me when I was eleven purposely trying to get
on people's nerves and yeah, being a little bitch, dude,
(25:54):
Like I'm sorry, I don't know for a lot.
Speaker 1 (25:55):
Of Yeah, you can say bitch and and all that.
Speaker 2 (25:58):
But like, you know, like, and so right now she's
in that phase. And so even in moments where I'm
a little overwhelmed, I'm like, dude, this is way better
than I thought she was gonna be non verbal her
whole life.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
I have no reason, yeah to.
Speaker 1 (26:10):
Believe she's thriving right now. Yeah, and she talks about
and she's so smart and has an amazing memory like
her grandmother.
Speaker 3 (26:16):
Yeah, I think she's gonna be okay.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
And like, my biggest thing is, uh, is you know,
just anything that she wants to do, whether it's she
wants to go away for college, she wants her own apartment,
she wants.
Speaker 3 (26:27):
A purple Honda.
Speaker 2 (26:28):
She so she knows she wants to, you know, be
a nail tech, she wants to do hair, she wants
to be an actress, a singer, and who are we
to say that she can't do all these things? R
you know, like obviously I just want to let her
explore things. And obviously me and her mom have always
been very guarded guarded over her as far as you know,
So I don't necessarily want her making a TikTok right
(26:50):
now or open YouTube page. But do I want her to,
like if we get her in the studio so she
could record something that would be like the best, you know.
Speaker 1 (26:56):
Like I think she wants to express herself because she
writes so and she writes things, and I think that
you guys, I love that. I love how you and
her mom have like just embraced it and let her
just be, which I think is awesome. And I was
talking about you as a parent. I remember specifically when
I one time I will tell you like, you're so
I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of you
(27:16):
for the dad that you are, and You're like, what
I'm just doing, like what I'm supposed to do, you know,
and I and when you said that to me, I
was like, shit, I guess so, but I guess I
was saying more of like I'm proud of you because
you weren't you didn't have your dad in your life,
you know what I mean, Like he was absent, and
the fact that it's just you're just such a great dad.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
Like I try. I mean, I really are.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
I think I'm overly critical in myself and everything, but
that's the only way I know how to operate. So
it's like I take everything with the grain of salt.
And then a lot of times I just feel like
because so many it was more common for my friends
growing up to not have their dad around. Yeah, and
you know, like yeah, and I didn't, you know, I
didn't think it was like it was kind of weird
that when I would go to my wife friend's Houston,
(27:57):
Narca and they had a full family or whatever.
Speaker 3 (27:58):
It was cool. I was like, oh shit, like this
is same.
Speaker 2 (28:02):
But most of my friends didn't have their dads growing up,
and like I think we all like that's we thought
that that was a normal thing. Yeah, and some of us,
some of us are like, you know, not not us,
because I don't associate with dudes that, you know, like
if you have your kids and you're a bump ass,
you know you're not you don't spend I can't get
enough time with Luna, you know what I'm saying, Like,
(28:22):
you know, so we actually take pride of that in
our generation, or you're the type of person like, oh,
I didn't have adet, so I don't have to be
around it, and I can't.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
I can't.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
That can never be an excuse. And it's I think
a lot of people you get props for just being
around and for me that's not enough either, Like that's
you know, it's not just like yeah, well no, most
people's dads aren't around, so good job for just being there,
you know. And I try not to like pat myself
on the back for that too much because.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
I just be like, I'm a provider and I get
you what you need.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
It's like, yeah, like there's.
Speaker 2 (28:51):
Way more to being a parent, you know, like than that.
And with Nova, it's a it's a second chance to
start again.
Speaker 1 (28:58):
Okay, guys, wait, we're running a little bit out of time, well,
well run out of time, so we're just gonna leave
the second part of our conversation for tomorrow, So tune
in tomorrow because we're gonna, you know, talk about a
little bit more.
Speaker 3 (29:09):
Well, Mikey, come out of the closet. Who knows tuning
in in.
Speaker 1 (29:17):
This is a production of iHeartRadio and the Microda podcast Network.
Follow us on Instagram at michaela Podcasts and follow me
Cheeky's That's c h i q u i s. For
more podcasts from iHeart, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you listen to your favorite podcast.
Host
Chiquis
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Intentionally Disturbing
Join me on this podcast as I navigate the murky waters of human behavior, current events, and personal anecdotes through in-depth interviews with incredible people—all served with a generous helping of sarcasm and satire. After years as a forensic and clinical psychologist, I offer a unique interview style and a low tolerance for bullshit, quickly steering conversations toward depth and darkness. I honor the seriousness while also appreciating wit. I’m your guide through the twisted labyrinth of the human psyche, armed with dark humor and biting wit.