HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY QUESTLOVE!

Happy 50th birthday Questlove! In this VERY special episode, listen as hosting duties are taken away from our uber talented leader so that Team Supreme may pay the proper tribute to a man who has given so much to so many. We also invited some of those folks to tell their favorite Ahmir bka Questlove stories. Some voices you may recognize (-; Ladies and Gentlemen this is your Questlove Supreme episode celebrating the FIRST 50 years of Questlove!

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Quest Love Supreme is a production of I Heart Radio.
It's your Bad Day. Well not technically, but you know,
for real, for real by people listening. I'm not looked
at the calendar yet. So oh okay, all right, well listen,

(00:22):
what is it? Wednesday? Thursday? It is Wednesday, your birthday? No? No, wait, okay,
I think it's Thursday. No, it's it's next Wednesday. Is
what day like to next? Wednesday? Today? Okay? Yeah, so

(00:48):
I this my last week. It's for you now, Okay,
I get it now. Oh my god, I'm all right.
So listen. Let me just get to it because I
wrote a whole thing for this, all right, Today it's
not about you hosting this show. We are Tay can
get away from you. Let me get up my little
remarks that I have made for you, Mr Thompson. Justice surprise, Yes,

(01:10):
I am surprised. Okay, So a mirror this isn't This
is fifty and this is a show everyone has been
waiting for that you may hate why, because today we
celebrate you and the first fifty years you have given
the world. Today we hear about you without having to
hear your longer versions of these stories. And why you

(01:38):
ask Oh, you're gonna hear these words a lot. Apologies
early because we love you. So here's what's going to
happen on today's episode. Mr Thompson, Bill Fonte, Steve and
I will host a healthy selection of people in your
life who you love and respect. Their task is to
tell the classic the mirror story. Of course, all did
not necessarily meet the requirements of one minute limit because

(02:01):
they are your tribe. But they showed up. Okay, there's
people in the waiting room. To our folks that are listening,
I have intentionally kept these videos to myself so that
the guys can all bask in the glory of the
real stories behind a mirror. Collie Quest love Thompson. Anyway,

(02:24):
this is your life. I love this. Okay. Well, before
I start from the beginning, I would like to start
with some words from somebody who is a little louder
and loves a little harder before we go sentimental. Are
you ready a mirror? You know? Alright? Nobody look at
my crazy screen when I do this. And here Okay,

(02:51):
not only is a Mayor one of the greatest drummers
ever like Buddy rich Gray. Not only is he one
of the greatest DJs ever like Grandmaster Flash, DJ Jazzy,
Jeff Gray. But what I love about a mayor, A
Mirror is the greatest fan in the world. That's right.

(03:17):
No one appreciates the arts more than a mirror. No
one in the whole world appreciates a good movie, a
good song, a great album, a great book. He's that
got Now. Occasionally he will recommend some bullshit because he
has a great heart. He'll say some ship Barbershop three

(03:41):
was the best one. Well, he's the only great thing
about the Mayor that you know has to be said.
He's a great man like this is a grown ass
man in that lives life to the fullest like the

(04:05):
nigga don't get high. And he is absolutely rock and roll. Okay,
my man is rock and roll. I've had some of
the best times all over the world with this guy, Okay,

(04:25):
as one of my favorite people on the face of
the earth. He is a trustworthy, decent man, and I
hope to be like him some day when I grow up.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are all honored, we are all
privileged to know a Mirror. Quest motherfucking love Yeah, y

(04:58):
can I can I addre get started? We just get
she was gonna be like this. Yeah, that's a whole
month awn to settle in. And I received the love you. Yes,
I've I've started my wee journey. Grace has taught me

(05:19):
to accept of my flowers. Okay, flowers, I have another
surprise for you, and still keeping it light, but this
is from one of your fur favorite former broadcasters, ex
Quest Love Supreme guests, who has framed everything that we
know about b Et. Check out this special tribute that

(05:40):
he did just for you. Okay, and here we go,
Mary Birthday a mirror. You know, covids maybe crazy, and
you're about to catch some of it right here in
this tribute to you. Born in seventy one in Pennsylvania's
biggest city. This year, when he's spending in the club,
you know, a club gonna be liddy. This year, a

(06:03):
Mere fifty Those Jackson shirts, I'm jealous they're nifty. This
year a Mere's fifth. Ashley Simpsons still want to fight
you over Milly Vanilly. She don't care if you're fifty.
You get them dollars from Disney. This year, a Mere's
fifty nine seconds. I'm gonna wear this shirt signed by
Tall Us fifty. This is years Bill in the summer

(06:25):
of eighteen sixty, the very last flame shift. Then we
would not be celebrating a Mere turning fifty. He left
some nineties and sixteen I was on last that night turns.
But this year, the day we get a new president
is the day a mere turns fifty. Mary Birthday to
my man Stephen Hills, signing in and signing out, Stay

(06:46):
saved and have a great birthday. Yo, multis. That was
a presentation that was epicure. I thought it was MC
Paul Barman U. Yo, dude, I totally wait because I

(07:06):
closed my eyes because she said, don't look. The first
thing I thought was I was like, oh, Paul Barman's
flow Like I like this jewel he pasted his head
on scar face. Yeah, if you realize that that needs
oh yeah, that's going up. And for everybody who's like
that where I need to see the visual, we're gonna
definitely put that on our q ls and whatnot. That's great,

(07:32):
thank you, And I don't want you to get used
to that, because that was as fancy as it really got,
as far as and whatnot. Hey man, this makes up
for it. Okay, alright, So now that we've done that,
you know what, I'm gun shot about these things, right? Why?
Because you don't like the flowers. During the night that
I thought that they were going to throw me like

(07:52):
a big gass. I thought that Stacy and Yamen were
throwing me this big gass thirtieth bash. And then I
came to the spot and it was like emptier ship,
and I realized they only wanted me to spend for
Martin Luther King's yeah yeah, yeah, Well and then plus
the mirror your heart because you know, for the longest

(08:13):
time but you said, thank God for grace, because now
you're in a place where you're ready to receive all
this love. You see, I'm stalling as I'm queuing up
my next uh. And the fact, I must say, the
fact that he's ready to receive it makes this episode
not as much fun because I was so ready. I'm fighting, Yes,

(08:36):
I'm squirming like a mother. Well, y'all think he ready,
but he might well, he might not be ready for
this next one. So now that we've had some fun,
let's start with some things that we may not know
about a mirror from the beginning of his life with
the person we would not who would who was the
reason that we know him? Period. I'm talking about my mom,
your mama, God, Mama, love am there. This is to

(09:02):
you on your birthday. You know you've told every story
that probably that could be told about you. But I
have one that I don't think anyone knows, and it's
about Dawn coming home from school one day while she

(09:22):
was in grade school asking me, Mommy, I want you
to have a baby. And I told her, oh, sure, okay,
I said, God will have to give it to me.
So I proceeded to try to have to get pregnant,
and in the process of doing that, nothing happened. Each

(09:46):
month I would be disappointed. So I guess six or
seven months went by and she said, Mommy, is God
mad at you? I forgot I had told on this
and I said, hmmm, no, I don't think so why
She said, because you said babies come from God and
you don't. You're not having a baby's So I then

(10:13):
I thought, okay, I have to go about this different.
I went to the doctor, got examined, and you went
through the whole everything there, the whole gamut. And the
doctor told me, look, you're fine, You're healthy, you can
get pregnant, and I on my way home, I thought, God,

(10:35):
I want a son so bad, and I thought, I'm
not going to tell anyone about it. I'm just gonna
keep praying and asking for her son. And I did
get pregnant, and I was so happy. I mean I

(10:56):
think I started with a maternity closed two months. For
three months, I was just happy to be pregnant. And
I went to Lama's classes. You know, I'm gonna have
the natural childbirth and I want everything to be right.
And so the day came when it was time for

(11:23):
me to go to the hospital January. And I got
to the hospital and I was in the room and
they wanted to give me, you know, we wanted to
give you some pain. But no, I said, no, I
get yeah, I'm taking nothing. I want my child to
come in. And I didn't know if it was male

(11:44):
or female. I just knew that I was praying for
a male and I said, no, I am, I'm not
taking anything. I want my child to come into this
world with a clear head and not have any kind
of medication going through. So at the same time, this

(12:08):
young doctor walked into the room and it's name was
Gordon Hotas and he introduced itself and told him I'm
going to be here with you and did all the
things he was supposed to do. Took a long time

(12:29):
for different things to happen, so they said take her
downstairs to get they wanted to get some shots. I
guess X rays or something because it was taking long
for you to come and you findingly we get on

(12:49):
the elevator. I'm sorry. We get on the elevator, and
I was like, what if I have the baby down there?
What will happens? Don't worry about that. We're gonna take
care of it. So but just being anxious. And when
I uh, we did the x rays, got back on

(13:13):
the elevator, came upstairs to the room and my water broke.
Rushed me to the birthing room and I just I
just knew last week I'm here. You and I were

(13:35):
talking about manifestation and intention, and I thought those prayers
came true. Not only did I get a gorgeous baby
who is now my son, I went trading for the world.

(13:59):
But I want to thank you for choose for choosing
me to be your mother, because you did I really
believe I wasn't getting pregnant because you weren't ready to

(14:20):
choose the mother that you wanted, but you chose me
to be your mother. And I love you so dearly.
You are so precious to me. And like I said,
happy birthday, and I just love you and thank Dawn

(14:42):
for telling me to have a baby. Man, have you
ever heard that story of me? I have not heard
that story. Y'all got me good? Yeah, y'all got me good?
I knew, Okay, So I believe once my dad told

(15:03):
me that they were trying I believe in sixty seven
sixty eight to have me, and after like seven or
eight attempts, they gave up, like they just thought, like, well,
we can't get pregnant no more. So I do know that.
You know it was a three to four year attempt
to have you. So I came in seven? How many

(15:25):
how many yearsers between you and Dawn? Um we are seven?
Oh wow? Oh wow? I realized a lotion, do y'all
little use around there? Money? The best lotion? Miss jack
Miss Jackie already she always looked like that. She's just

(15:46):
always been a gorgeous woman in that way. No, No,
I really wish people could see these pictures like his.
It's amazing and she gave us permission. We're gonna put
that on the QLs social so everybody can see it.
Everybody's gonna be able to see every day. But you know,
you just you hear it here first, Thank you? Hold

(16:06):
on a second. I mean that was like incredible. Um
it was, and um it also explains a lot you
were late get being born, you were late being conceived.
This explains everything you'd be late since before you were

(16:33):
I know, Brio, I'm the original CV time. Here you
go to Fante interesting about a mirror, and I'll let
his sister explain what your first words were. Um, they
was rather like offensive. Um yeah, music too, yes, your

(17:07):
sister Dante. Of course, at one year old, my brother's
first words we're mama, dad, motherfucker my adorable baby brother,

(17:33):
Mr Khalib Tonson the circumstances, our parents were newly signed
to a major label and they were on tour that year,
so my brother Amir and I I spent time with
relatives in l A. We had a cousin who lived

(17:56):
in Compton who with sometime baby sit us to come
pick us up and drove us to hang out with
his friends. He was a crip okay. So so basically
my brother got the full immersion and we became low
key fluent in the art of cousin at once. So

(18:18):
imagine months later, the tour is over and we're reunited
with our parents and at hello, a mere very casually
unleash is a garden variety of profanity, at a whirlwind,
a barrage of obscenity. Oh yeah. My mom was mortified.

(18:45):
Me on the other hand, and I'm nine, he's one,
and from my perspective, it was it was magical. This,
this was wonderment. That's what it was like for me.
I was like, look at him. You know, it was
like I had my own little leber Con and you

(19:08):
know what nine you don't you know? It just cut
out your parents. Um, but he was one and he
didn't get it. My mom really did it by reading
a book on child's psychology that talked about being nonreactive
and it passes, and it did. Growing up with the mirror,
growing up with you a mirror was an adventure. It

(19:30):
was otherworldly, was black. Lindsay, was a gift. So on
your special day and the only way I knew how
to say it, I say, who's counting? Keep up that
high pro glow, as is the Thompson, the Thompson Lewis

(19:53):
way ah, not a happy birthday movie thing. She had
all movie directing. She took Wait Till the World Sees.
The editing techniques are dog man ship and I'm sure

(20:17):
you know you know it was like a cinema. I
was a full blown crip. I have photos, no for real,
I was rocking on blues had Derby's and they were
not happy. Yes, even on tape. I always say, motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker, motherfucker. Wait,

(20:39):
you were a crypt at what age two? H All
my cousins were crips. Yeah, all my like when they
were making the Congress Alley Record. We stayed in content
with my grandmother and all of my cousins were crips,
like Wow, the original, like Monster Cody, the first generation

(21:00):
in Mons. They were those getting like your family, stay
loyal because the sample that's your dad and your mom
is the Snoop Johnson. Stay like crip loyal. So I'm
not gonna make you say too much withstand in your childhood.
But I do have one more that's a little shorter
that I know is going to be a super duper surprise,

(21:22):
and I think that y'all will all be surprised by
and here we go, Happy birthday on merr. I'm going
to take you back just about forty five years ago
when we first and that was when your parents, Jackie
and Lee, brought you to the Performing Arts School of

(21:44):
Philadelphia for an interview and to enroll you in the
elementary school program. Your parents, of course, both being professional performers,
decided that an education that included the arts was the
place for you. And I was doing double duty getting
a degree in dance but also serving as the classroom

(22:05):
teacher for a group of about twelve elementary school children,
and the director of the school, doctor Nodge and Ahamak,
asked me to interview you to assess your potential for
joining the group as a kindergarten student. Well, you walked
into the interview with your very remarkable afro and just

(22:27):
as remarkable smile. We had a great chat, as I remember,
and at the end of it, I asked, Amre, what
do you want to do and what do you want
to be when you grow up? You said, oh, Pearl,
I'm going to be a drummer. I then asked you
if perhaps you wanted to study an additional instrument like

(22:49):
the piano or violin just in case, and you said
very indignantly, no, Pearl, I am going to be a drummer,
and a very famous drummer. What was so astounding was
the clarity and intensity with which you knew, at such

(23:09):
a tender age exactly who and what you were to become.
And of course the rest is history. Fast forward to
a couple of years ago when I had the pleasure
of watching you perform live at the Tonight Show, fulfilling
the prophecy of that four and a half year old
not only to become a drummer, but a very famous one.

(23:34):
Happy birthday on here, and thank you so much for
the privilege of teaching you so many years ago. Man, man,
give me miss Safer. Yeah, she was the teacher that
um she's She's the one that started. If you want

(23:54):
to know the seeds of my liner note book writing history,
that's where it starts. Like my first homework assignment, songs
in the Key of Life just came out the week
of the first day of school, and so that was
our homework. We had to all purchase songs in the
Key of Life and of course, if you brought the album,

(24:16):
there's a booklet inside. There's thirty pages of everything. So
you know, in that class, I learned what an orchestra
section was, I learned what thank you notes were, and
I be that that was the book I was obsessed with.
And then you know that that plant at the seeds
of my liner note addiction writing shout out to miss Shaffer. Wow, well,

(24:37):
I mean this is emotional. Why am I crying as
Quest slaves virtual zoom and I know? Oh man, wow,
that that's really beautiful. I'm not even y'all broke me down.
I'm not even ashamed to take these flowers. I didn't
think it would go this. I love this flower, taking flowers.

(25:01):
Let's go garden. I feel like I should break up,
Like the sadness of it is this is this getting
is it getting too too sad? Give me a mean
story fired, I'll give you somebody else who makes us laugh?

(25:22):
Who was one of our favorite Quest Love Supreme guests.
How about that who actually is very important to you
and it is a mentor. How about that we do that? Okay, okay,
let's see who that's? See who that is? Quest Love
Your fifty fifty from a fellow fifty something. I just

(25:46):
want to let you know, fifties cool. I'm not saying
that you're just being cool. You've always been cool. Well
that one time that you came to the retreat in
as some infused corn and started playing drums on everybody's
song and then you so asleep and trailer and almost
ms salin. That's not cool, but it's cool and you're

(26:11):
cool now. I appreciate you, my brother, a lifelong friendship.
We have to do more drum DJ sets, even though
you DJ now and you did it by yourself and
kind of x me out. But we're not gonna talk podcast.
I want to wish my futile aquarium a very happy
fiftieth birthday. Much love my brother. You are officially cool

(26:37):
fifty quizzed. Thank you. Jeff. Okay, so this this goes
back to the Steve A Mirror being late thing. I
was late too to the retreat, Jeff. Jeff has his
annual um playlist playlist playlist Treat Delaware, right in Delaware.

(27:02):
So we're done shooting fallon. We rushed down Delaware and
I got there and you know, there was a taco truck.
So I was hungry, So I had a taco, then
I had two tacos. All this Mexican corn. I'm grubbing
it up, and not once did anyone tell me that

(27:27):
it was infused taco with like at least it had
to been like three hundred four hundred mega grahams of
weed and it I didn't even know people. And you
know a mirror as funny you say that, I think
you are queuing my next video because um, you know,
of course the assignment was to ask folks, you know,
their favorite of mirror story and there are some really

(27:48):
interesting parallels with your fellow roots made stro Um. I
would just like to play your birthday brother of mirror. UM.
I know everybody else probably has crazy story and stories
and droves because they've known you longer. Um, but that
doesn't mean that I doesn't don't at least have one,
which was I remember specifically we caught you were so

(28:09):
gracious to book a car for us to go down
to Jazzy Jeff's playlist retreat. Um, right after a gig.
We went down there. There was food, there was music,
there were some things in the food. Um, you didn't
realize that until it was too late. Um, and that
lasted until the following day at work, and which we
showed up and everything seemed fine except for the fact

(28:32):
that we were running through the sandwiches and walk ons
and stuff that we normally play. And some of these
walk ons and these sandwiches were very chopped and screwed.
Some of them were very kanyege, all very different tempos
in which we normally into in comparison which we normally
play them. Um. But the funniest moment happened on air
while taping, and I had this footage in my phone,

(28:53):
and I'm so mad that it's not in my phone
anymore because I never delete anything. Jimmy asked you a
question in the air, and you gave the dumbest response
the only man, which was huh, super funny. I probably
last internally for the rest of the episode because I

(29:13):
knew what that response was. Jimmy probably knew what the
response was, and he moved on very quickly, But I
never forgot it. Every birthday, Bro, why looking sound like
he's in Soul the movie? Right? That just me like

(29:36):
he'd sound like he like what does he play the
saxophone on the street corner? Yeah? Right? Like it? It not.
It knocked me out at Jeff's. But the thing was,
I immediately went to sleep, and then I got in
the car and slept in the car. The thing is

(29:56):
is that when you do that, you the rest of
my body, like you know, obviously I was still and
so when I started drumming, immediately it kicked in. When
I started drumming, and yeah, that was the highest ever,
one of the highest ever. That's hilarious, is it? Because
it's funny you say that a mirror because I have another?

(30:20):
Just come on, who is this? Oh? Did you already
know that? It was because he loves the story. I
wish a happy old man birthday to my old head,
not mean getting up there, old head. You know. I
was asked to put a video together, small thing, just

(30:43):
to kind of give a story about something that, you know,
something from our past, and figure, at the rate you're
going at this point, what does it matter if I
tell the story? You know, it's not like you can
get in trouble. Hopefully your mom doesn't see it. I

(31:03):
never ever forget the time. Um, we we're in Amsterdam.
Oh yeah, staying Amsterdam. But it was the first thing
that came to my mind when you know, this was
asked to me to give a story. So I remember

(31:27):
sitting in a coffee shop and you know, having good
times like we used to do back when we used
to travel, you know, back in the day, and uh,
we go to get something to eat after, because you know,
that's what you do after you have fun in a
coffee shop, to go get something to eat. So we

(31:47):
go get something to eat. But in this place that
we were eating, they offered, you know, desserts and things
like that. And you know, we know you're a foodie,
so what's the to chocolate cake? Right right up your alley,
we get a piece of chocolate cake. We're like all
of us, me, Rich Reek, you, We're all sitting there

(32:10):
and we're eating this chocolate cake. And at that time,
you know, you were very wholesome, so to speak, and clean,
and you know, you don't touch the the other things
in the world that we used to get into. And uh,
for fun, you decided you'd have a piece of chocolate cake.

(32:30):
And yeah, I remember the piece of chocolate cake. It
was fucking delicious, you know what I'm saying. But you know,
a piece of chocolate cake the way they made it,
you do one and done. Man, but na, not a mirror.
Not a mirror. He's like, this ship is good. I
need another piece of cake. I'm like, dude, don't eat

(32:52):
another piece of cake. Eats another piece of cake and
you alway happened after that? Right? All I'm saying is
somebody thought they saw Mickey Mouse chase started table in
the restaurant being crazy and runs out of the restaurant

(33:16):
saying that Mickey Mouse was chasing him. I don't know, man,
it looks to me like you come along way old
age and now you uh, you know, you don't have
those things going on anymore, all right, So that's my story.
Funny and ship to me. I wish y'all were there,

(33:37):
but you just can't imagine how this might have looked.
And it was crazy, A big giant dude with an afro,
you know, out of control and running from Mickey Mouse
in the streets of Amstead. What OK, It was just ship.

(34:04):
It was the very first time ever I got high
off of the edibles. The craziest thing. But the craziest
thing was we also saw keep sweat and silk walking around.
Yeah exactly. I mean when they were chasing me when

(34:27):
I was like I canna get out there. I gotta
get out of here, and I was like brisk walking.
The thing was is that it's funny. I had one
of the moments where I had one of the moments
where I think, that's the first time that like subconsciously
I was like oh man, like in in in retrospect,
that was one of the first times I was like, wow,

(34:48):
I really really does care about me. Because the thing
is is that the thing is that you got to
realize is that when you're walking in Amsterdam Um, there's
these long uh what do you call it where the
boats are and whatnot, and they don't have like guards
in them, you know what I mean. Like if you

(35:11):
fall into then you fall into the canal, that ship
could be like a hundred feet you know what I'm saying.
So I definitely remembered, like walking still out of control,
that Tariq Ambridge felt the need to stand on my
right side to prevent me from falling into the canal.

(35:31):
And I also remembered yokel sweat and silk and like
trying to chase them. That Christ was part of that
story is that you actually recognize the members of silk,
Like I'm the R and B dude and I in
my living room right now, little yeah, A little a

(35:56):
little G yeah, little G. I know, little G. And
I know Keith Sweat. I don't want your pad and
they're in your kitchen cooking with your wife so bad
right now, that's going up. That silk was absolutely unavoidable. Silk,
like you're in their relationship with American R and B
was at its height. So yes, you if if you

(36:17):
see Keith Sweat walking around nighttime and with five dudes,
then you like, yes, that silk. So and Mickey, Yeah,
I remember like them like a start, shut up, stop
on their spot up like they were very annoyed that
I kept yelling silk, silk? Who yells the silk? That's

(36:37):
why the first time. Yes, speaking of the Ruts, I
gotta I gotta slide in. Uh. One of your favorite
members who has already hit the fifties club that you know,
has a lot of jokes for you club. I think
this guy want birthday to my brother a Mayor Afro

(37:03):
Cresto Thompson fifty man, you made it. Congratulations. You come
a long way from that little weird old dude I
would see walking around West Philly and on the g
bus to now look at you you you old good
run right. We've written a lot of songs together, had

(37:26):
countless studio sessions together, countless times on on the stage,
countless fights, an argument, you know, which is what brothers
they're supposed to do. Anyway, Just want to say happy
birthday to the one dude that will reference uh uh

(37:47):
Sammy Davis Jr. When he was on the Yugoslavian TV
show in and we will reference that and get mad
at the rest of the band that we don't know
what you're talking about. That's who you are. Man. Shout
out much love, man, enjoyed today, be blessed peace you.

(38:15):
I love James. But in that clip, I also see
a bongo that I've been looking for for the last
fifteen years on the floor back wo Petty is such
a partion of our perths electric circus bongo I've been
looking for that. Petty is very aquarious people. It is
a part man. J James is my guy. Man. Wait wait, Bill,

(38:39):
did you say was he in Guitar Center? Yeah, it
looked like James Moon like, Yes, it was a very
impressive studio like guitars. He doesn't play and a bunch
of keyboards for sure. Yes, that guitar that is on
his album cover hanging up on the top left, Sammy
Davis really do a It was a breakbeat that I

(39:01):
was trying to flip for comming. Yeah, people, real, damn
a mirror. It doesn't me it does. James get more
tomaking as he gets older. That accent was like, yeah
it's roast yo. All right, okay, all right, but that's
around one more root, one more root, one more route
if you don't mind, If you don't mind, it'll be

(39:23):
a good one. I think it is. Oh what to
say to the man who's seen and heard it all? Um,
happy birthday, Happy fift this is this is huge. Uh,

(39:44):
leave it to black Dog. I'm so proud of you,
you know, I'm proud of of the person you've become
and of the person that you continue to inspire me
to be. Um, you're my brother, and I love you

(40:06):
you you. I mean, you know, I have a tremendous
amount of appreciation, respect, um, admiration for you and and
and always have and yeah man, uh, just very much
gratitude for what you've done, with what we've done together

(40:30):
and all as well as what you've done and for me, Um,
you literally never cease to amaze me. I mean that
being said, I don't I don't know. I don't have
a funny story, don't. I mean, I feel like they're
all funny. Um, it's weird, man. And I've been thinking

(40:51):
about this for the week or so now, but I can't.
I don't know what story. You know, to sort of romanio,
but you remember, you remember all those ships, um, and
you know there's though, I guess the greatest story is
the story of us. That is uh, that is thirty

(41:14):
three years in the making and and still a work
in progress. Are still going strong and uh you know,
there's no shortage of of hilarity and tragedy, valleys and peats,
wins and losses. Uh, you know, and through it all,

(41:37):
we've we we've weathered it all together. You know, we're
the legendary and that means a lot to me. So
here's the thirty three more happy fifties. Man, I love you,
Love you. Trek joined the Merchant Marine really because like

(42:00):
he just got off, the boat needs to be our
first visual episode. Just so that Bill's commentary, my commentary
is a point, and that's the only one last well,
you know, you know one of my favorite memories and

(42:23):
I actually got this memory when we did the uh
the Move episode, the Michael Africa episode when I talked
about the first time that we met um Ramona Africa.
Because actually the night before um, one of the funnest
nights of my life pre pre roots with Tarik was

(42:48):
his prom night UM because Tarik was two years younger
than me, so his prom night he graduated, it was
kind of like, actually Terk was on that Alexander pool
before Boys the Men Alexander, so he was going he
went to his prom and like this really dope short

(43:11):
set thing like it was a suit but it was
shorts and the school had kicked him out because they
just didn't understand like the joint was it was fresh
he I mean, he just had shorts on and he
was he was Alexander pulled up, but he still had
a suit on and they kicked him out. But the
thing was was that his grandmm ordered the limo. And

(43:36):
we trust me, we laughed about this. Um. The limo
that she ordered was the hearse that we unfortunately had
to bury his mom in Like maybe you know the
story we were dying we were because like we're stuck.

(44:02):
We're stuck in this limousine. Like He's like, I got
the limit for the nights, so let's all hey, so
we like me, him and a few are crew, Like
we just got in that hearse, just cruised all down,
up and down Philadelphia, but just showing up everywhere in
this funeral hearse. Yes, it was the most hilarious site. Yeah,

(44:23):
it was exactly like Black Ghostbusters. But I just died.
I laughed at the fact that that was the limousine
that she got a discount on that hearse. So yeah,
that was that was one of my favorite nights ever,
like pre pre retaining with them. Speaking of dying laughing,
there's a young woman that you met in high school

(44:47):
that you developed a rather viral website with called Player. Okay.
I thought it was gonna be I always thinking somebody else. Two.
I think me and the mirror on the same babe.
So no, you know what I should have called her,
but I don't even think about it. What she say
positive thing? Okay? So then yeah, so the person I'm

(45:07):
talking about though, um, she's a famous comedy writer and whatnot. Uh,
and she had some things to say about your beginnings,
you to the two of you and your happy birthday
on meor my favorite a mere memories? Actually I have two.
Do you remember back in the day Erica had Erica
Bado had just had her first hit and you had

(45:29):
to pick her up from the airport. She was doing
something with you in Philly and you don't drive, or
you didn't drive until you were like forty nine and
a half, and we had to pick her up in
my Dodge rust bucket, and so you were so uncomfortable
and you finally just came out. I was like, Erica,
I'm so sorry we had to pick you up in
this car. And I was like, motherfucker, I'm on your

(45:49):
pin roll. This is all too Do you remember when
you took me under your wing as a person with
pimples and told to drink more water. Again, I'm driving
you somewhere, so I think you thought you had to
like just make some small talk, and you just kept saying,
and you know, if you drink boat water, you ever

(46:09):
tried drink a bowl water? And that's what real friends do,
they tell real friends. You know, your face is fucked.
Thank you, I drink water. Look at me now, it's
like this is a filter. But anyway, I'm so happy
that my mom made me telemarket when I was fifteen
so that I could meet you and we could be friends.

(46:29):
I love you, man, drink more water ship everybody, you
know what's what about? And the story that she could
have told that was hilarious was that when I asked
for a phone number at our at our that insurance job,
she didn't give me the last two numbers. So my

(46:52):
dumb mass I had to yes figure out at home
doing every comment one to two, three six. Her last
two digits was sixty five, So I think, like I think,
maybe ten. I would attempt ten times a day until
I got it finally, like four days later, I got
the yes, that's I finally guess the last two digits.

(47:19):
But wait, no, there's another hilarious and movement that I
don't think the okay player world knows about, which was
the night we went out to a celebratory like meal
when we launched the site, and both of us, I
think both of us got food poisoning. So if you

(47:44):
if you remember the movie stand by Me, the ok So,
We're in Angie's car right and I'm feeling ill and
I feel like, okay, I think I might have to
throw up. So we're at a red light. We're in Philadelphia,

(48:05):
so we're at like we're on I think we're driving
towards my house. So I think we're on Pine Street.
We're we're maybe like on the leventh and Pine. And
I can't take it no more, as I say, look
and just pull over. I opened up the car door
and I run right to the corner and I just
start hurling. So I get back in the car. And

(48:28):
then I think seeing me do that made her want
to do that, So then she had a reaction. She
stops the car, gets out, it starts throwing up, and
then me seeing her throwing up, makes me then get
out the car. So we now have just a circle
and so men throw up. Now again she she's not

(48:50):
even double park like the car doors that opens only
two lane highway. And I'm telling and and run around
the corner so I don't see you throwing up. She's
like you, so literally we're trying to run as far
away from each other so that we don't get sick
off of watching each other throw up. That is me
an end in a are I'm about to say, really

(49:14):
are thirty year history together. Like that story. Remember in
the beginning when I said, we're gonna let them tell
the stories, and you ain't gonna take the longer version.
Her time told two stories in a minute, camyre she
told too. By the way, I'm not interrupting y'all. Off, y'all,

(49:35):
if you want to interrupt with a story anytime, please
feel free, fellas, because now I want to hear from
the people. This is our first time I'm hearing these.
We talked about okay players, so I thought I would, Um,
I have some love from an okay player who actually
thank God that he took a moment because he's been
out in these streets, who giving us what we need
in like been the struggle, out in the struggle. Honey, Yes,

(50:00):
this happy birthday. First of all, I really appreciate you.
I love you. You've been You've done so much for
me in my career. Um, I don't really even know
how to think that. It's been really amazing, and I can't.
You know, I have a bunch of pretty funny stories

(50:22):
and you know situations. I could talk about the Diddy
situation where you know, you helping me out and you're
writing to him on Twitter. Basically he got me the
job and I spoken to them the phone and changed
the trajectory of my career. Um, I can talk about

(50:43):
you and that stinking making Fox hoodie and the countless
other battles that we've had on Instagram and social media
in general. Um, it's been fun man, you know, like
your big brother to me, and I love you and

(51:03):
I wouldn't know where I would be without you. So
with that being said, I think one of my favorite stories,
you know, it has to do with We're at an event. Um,
there was some some companies event and I'm they're taking
photos and men network is going and you know, I'm

(51:27):
out there doing my thing, taking photos, doing my thing
like usual, and you point to me, you know, you
have your your stick and you're like and I'm like
me and this is maybe like five years ago, so
you know, we were good friends at this point. So
I'm like, okay, cool, you want me to come take
a photo from up here and get a good advantage
point Um, but uh, you told me to join in

(51:49):
with the fellas when they were dancing, and to me,
that was one of the biggest moments, uh, of my life,
you know, being a huge roots family and seeing and
watching and documenting you know that song so many times
and wishing that I could be on stage. Man, that

(52:11):
ship was fucking dope. I wished it was video. I
think we have a few photos of it um out there.
But man, that just let me know that how much
you cared about me, and how much you you know,
you you knew that that moment meant to me, like like,
fucking get up here and you know, do to THEMN
thing with me. I know, you know the moves and
I did. So yeah, man, like I'm happy that you're

(52:33):
still here. I hope that you live to be you know,
a thousand years old, you know, and in the world
as possibly. You know, anything in the world is possible
except for a probably your directing career, I don't know, yeah,
unless you're a cartoon and all of your success, all

(52:58):
your millions of jobs, and thank you for you know,
your support, and you know, yeah, when I work hard,
you know, I always I love getting that sample of
approval from you. You know, it means a lot, you know,
amongst all of our battles. But yeah, it's on and
popping tonight, baby, about to go on your Instagram right now.
And see what you wrote so I can get at you.

(53:24):
Brother Demetrius Cole. No, I don't know, I don't look,
I don't. I don't want people to miss strut like
because you know, my favorite thing is watching people like
threatened male thinking that he's a real troll. No, we're

(53:45):
we're we're actually good friends. He controls you. Yeah, I'll
be I'll be watching they based on Yes, Megan Fox
once complimented a hoodie I had on once and he
got mad at it, and that was the basis of
of our our our battle back in fry Rock. That's

(54:05):
my brother, man, yo, And not for nothing. I mean
it should be mentioned in Mirror that there are a
lot of people that you've known for over twenty years
that started in one place in their life and have
evolved into great places. And some of them have even
involved in the Roots organization, which I think is really dope. Wait,
wasn't mailing the Nelsonlana? No, No, I don't know. I

(54:27):
think it was. It was it was straight, it was
it was straight. I think he was sewing. He was
at a sewing shop. Mel Decole. Moonlighting is a yeah,
I'm definitely going to clear you or we gotta put
that on. Put that on a nail shop. You gotta
smelled subthing ation. Cole shout out mail for what he's

(54:53):
been doing for the last week though. Yeah, but yes,
he's been on the front lines of capturing of Vanilla.
Isis I feel like my my melody Cole, is the
one that's coming up next my fake troll it. Oh, actually,

(55:15):
I that is a good suggestion. Well, well, while we're
we're on the subject of a mirror, um, you know,
helping people's careers. I heard this story the other day.
I was at Electric Garden, which is owned and operated
by Ben Kane, who was an assistant engineer at Electric Lady.
Uh towards the end of my tenure there. He yeah,

(55:39):
he was coming in and he ended up becoming Russ
Elevator's assistant after me for years or whatever it's been.
He ended up co mixing Black Massiah and all that
and um. And so I was doing a session there
a few weekends ago with with Ben and we're talking
about the old times and he, um, he tells me

(55:59):
the story that, um, it was you who who got
him started as well. Um. And you may not even
remember this, but he jack in the box you on
the street in the village somewhere you were at, probably
working electrically, and you were walking around the village and
he was going to n y U and he was
nineteen or something like that and just walked up to

(56:22):
you on the street, recognized you and and said, can
you help me, you know, get started or you know,
I'm a musician, bubb something like that, And um, you
literally got him the internship at electrically, which started him
off on I didn't even know that, Yeah you got

(56:42):
And I'm like, you know because you started podcast, Like,
I don't collect receipts like that. Okay, I did that,
that accomplished. Wow, multi Grammy Award winning ben Cane. That's amazing.
I didn't even know that. Well. She she hasn't won
a Grammy yet, but she has been the support of

(57:07):
the roots for the past years. Her name is Tina Ferris.
Quest love question Ian Schmary. I can't believe you're fifty
years old, dude, you cannot. I remember you guys coming
to U c l A and me being scared to
talk to you, thinking that you were mean what you

(57:29):
are ultimately, but like, what is the best story? I
love being on tour with you as my solace when
I was sucking up with everybody else and I could
run to you and you'd be like, See, that's how
the niggas is. Once you let them know you know
how to do something, they're gonna keep asking you. And

(57:52):
true to form, I have been doing things ever since.
But I really appreciate your support and your belief and
you're seeing me larger than I see myself. Um, and
I just want to keep rocking with you for the
next fifty years. So I love love, love love, love

(58:15):
love love love love you from the top of my
heart until the wills fall off. Happy Birthday, Tina with
the voice I thought a house Bone Challenge sent the audio.

(58:36):
I was like, I'm dreaming about you for nights, Like yeah, yeah,
we should put some music behind that. Yeah. But I mean,
like I said, there's a long list of folks, you know,
Mayor who have come up and like Ferris. I appreciate

(58:59):
that because people don't know that Tina was actually like,
isn't Meror Tina was like a fan right like back
in the day in school that us Tina when she
was at U C l A. And we got cooler
and we realized that she's more organized than people that are,
you know, training to be tour managers. And you know
she look at it now, she's tour managed everybody, everyone,

(59:24):
everyone name it, Lauren Hill, Chris Rock, everyone, just literally everyone. Yeah,
speaking of people who have definitely come up in the world,
I don't know what this dude. I mean, would he
be the president of Live Nation Urban if not for
meeting a man named not at All? A k A

(59:50):
quest love a k at the question in the valley
a k A. The beat, recycling of the rhythm, the state,
Happy birthday, Dog, Happy fifty birthday. O g Um. You
know there's so many stories that that that I could
share that I could tell UM, but you know what,

(01:00:12):
I don't want to get fired, So I would just
say that, UM, I admire your your selflessness, not selfishness, selflessness.
You're probably the most selfless individual that I know, quite honestly.
You have such a big heart. UM. You have blessed
so many people, UM, in these fifty years, you've literally

(01:00:35):
changed the trajectory of people's lives, their families for generations
to come. UM. I being one of them, right, So, UM,
I want to thank you for that. UM. You will
forever be blessed for all of the blessings that that
you've bestowed upon upon so many people. I hope you
enjoy your day. I hope you enjoy your fiftieth year.

(01:00:56):
And you know, let me know how that feels, because
you know, I won't be there for a while. He
made like months, he made a while when he's saying
a while. But Shorngey is definitely my dad. Like I
take pride in the fact that I don't say what
it happened was to a lot of people, but most

(01:01:18):
of phone calls with Short's like all right, all right,
this is what happened. So you know he's always waiting
for the hustle but crisis advantage exactly. I appreciate my
mini fucks. Oh I think I have another life? Did
you change? And uh, fortunately for us, this is Steve's nemesis.

(01:01:45):
Here we go, the woman who makes a couple of
appearances on Quest Love Supreme being on camera here then
when I'm filming myself, Um, I would only do this
for you and there happy birthday. I know a million
in one stories that would embarrass the hell out of you,

(01:02:06):
but I will keep them to myself because it's your birthday. Um,
I will just say you are the type of person
that would send a thousand gallons of suit to someone's
house if they're sick, or car service if they're stranded,
or make someone laugh until their stomach herds, especially if
they're having a bad day. And you're the best, most special,

(01:02:27):
generous person that anyone could hope to have in their life.
And as far as family that you get to choose,
I would choose you every time. I love you. Happy birthday.
Oh and he just heard me. He is so cute. Gee,

(01:02:49):
how can I be on Nemesis like, I gotta stop
this jew on Drew crime example to your race. That's right,
don't fight your old people. I was about to say,

(01:03:10):
I the one thing I missed the most about working
at third year Rock Now is that there's no more
Steve Zarra arguments like the best part about going now Yeah, man, wow,
but wow, that's amazing pride on their first day at work.
There's no crying in baseball, But she cried on the
first day at work, And yeah, don't you cry like
every day? Man? She runs the world with an and

(01:03:34):
the reason I'm in all these movies And again remind
people that Zara came into your life as as an
assistant right like she was. She a page intern at Fallon,
intern at Fallon, and now she is the manager of Yeah,
the film division. So all the movies I'm directed in,
anything I've done on screen, to do with the television,

(01:03:56):
Zaria is that person that takes the meeting. So let
me one more person that life has changed. You have
changed life, and they are a part of your team.
And they'd be pissed if I didn't play their video
because when you met her, I believe was she a
bartender and a receptionist and now she lives out here
with with me. Hold on, here we go, Hey am here,

(01:04:20):
Happy birthday. So one of my favorite a Mere stories
is of course grounded in our decades long battle against
one another and scrabble, you being maybe the only person
I know who's more competitive than me, and two thousand
six you take me to a Grammy party at Prince's house.

(01:04:41):
Now keep in mind I had been bartending in Philly
just six months before you gave me this amazing career opportunity.
So we're in Prince's living room playing scrabble, and boom,
I put up s e X triple word score plus
the adjoining word. I got like a Jillian points and
you're like, no, you can't play that word here. Our

(01:05:04):
host is religious. This is inappropriate, although I still to
this day contend you just didn't want to lose in
front of all of a liss Hollywood Mayor, And truthfully,
thank you so much for believing in me. Thank you
so much for all of the opportunities. I'm so grateful
and honored to be part of this journey with you.

(01:05:27):
You can't be and me and so many others, and
we all love you so much. This is why you're
our son's godfather and why I'm so grateful to really
really love you. Happy Happy birthday, a Mayor. Damn she
got kids now, can't tell man, I know, I know

(01:05:53):
to tell the story about scrabble, but she I did
not fire her over a scrabble game, so so don
she does your DJ and doing. Yes, she's been my
DJ manager since YEA. Also used to be my road

(01:06:14):
dog when we would be rolling with you at certain places.
You don't remember. This is when we were friends a
long time ago. Okay, So moving on the fourth hour
of today. No, no, no, but okay, So now we're
done with the the you know, the heavy lifting of
who you've evolved in two beautiful people. Oh, I'm sure

(01:06:36):
folks want to hear from certain folks who have you
been affiliate affiliated with? And are your brother a mirror?
How do you feel about your birthday happening on the
inauguration day of a new person? Yeah, you know, it's
bitter sweet because uh, four years ago, everyone was depressed

(01:06:59):
when he was coming into office until everyone was angry
that day, and then four years and eight years before that,
when Obama first went in, nobody remembered except for Laya
because lay and I share the same birthday. This is
actually like his birthday as well. So yes, nobody sent

(01:07:21):
in any videos about that. That's the video. Why yeah,
let me why why you're searching for my next uh
ambush my love bush? Yes? How you see how you
can do that little sexual indiance you know you have
no well, I meant loving this being a love feston.

(01:07:45):
I was trying to make U forget when you combine
words together what it is anyway? Yes, I really yeah,
thank you because it's it's it's also like his birthday
as well, and you know I love. I've known my
yea since. Okay, can we rewrite the narrative of this story.

(01:08:10):
I'm sorry, and I'm sorry for the sound of face,
because you know what, it's very innocent story. I just
know that it sound. It can be perceived to sound
other ways, and it shi yeah, because I wasn't always
an old like right. We two ate off the assassin.

(01:08:32):
First of all, how dare you put that out there?
I was not bating him. Oh my god, you know,
y'all who us once you caught us walking, You caught
us walking down the street, you gave us a ride.
That does not mean that that's how we first met. No,
that's oh my god. We write the street wonderful every

(01:08:55):
time you make it seem like we met in line
talking and wanted to talk to Steve. We wonder we
met in the line. Wait, I know, I know. Okay,
So yes, light and I go Beeve. Remember that it
happened once it was dark and I was, y'all know,
I was walking down the street. We ate off, and
I said, ain't no way nobody's gonna see me. And

(01:09:15):
the motherfucking roots pulled up in a band and I said,
ain't this something it's like, y'all need a ride? Can
I can? I ask why his name was catch? That
that was his birth name? Right when it's his birthname,
I think, so yeah, you got a girl? That's he

(01:09:36):
had one song called get a Girl. The word A plus?
Where's the A plus? Right now? Wait? Let me let
me let this dude tell you happy birthday, because I
know everybody expected for him to say something anyway. So
who Happy birthday? May fifty birthday? Man? You know I

(01:09:58):
love you brother. You on of my greatest friends, man,
one of my closest friends that I met through this
whole thing, and I've just been blessed to be able
to have you as my boys, my homie, as my
guy and uh man, I just thank you. Man. You've
done so much for me from executive producer just to
be in there as a friend. I remember I needed

(01:10:18):
uh but I was trying to throw a great shin
dig for for girlfriend's thirty birthday party. You brought everybody
together and just made it happen. Hey, man, you would
be up nights tired. I remember you fell asleep playing
the drums that you were still playing. Well, I love you, man.
You bring so much to me to all of us. Man,
so fifty a birthday, brother were celebrating, alright, Uh yeah,

(01:10:45):
he was like, you know what were you then Steven Texas?
Where at Eric No Ever, he said, you know my
old girlfriend Nick, How do you have any old girlfriends? Guy?
Uh no, but yeah, the best part of that night was,

(01:11:09):
I mean Balau was in rare form. Oh God, and
the key yes yes, and and and and the real
and the very apt h very apt reference that you
brought up, h fante. Because the only person who I
had my eyes on the whole time Bala was performing

(01:11:32):
was watching Prince. And we did like a seventeen minute
version of uh Soul Sister and sometimes. And it was
to the point where Prince actually left v I P
and walked to the front of the pit of of

(01:11:53):
like where where like the commoners were. And it's the
way that his jaw was dropped. I knew that he
finally saw like the time past, like someone crazier than
him before. Mean, at that intensive level, it was one
of the greatest times in my life watching watching history

(01:12:14):
passed between the generation. Yeah, a mere story over, No,
that's fine, all right, Uh, this is a I got
a random one here It always felt random. But you
know what's funny because the mere had always talked about
his link to this couple on this show, and I
feel like most of us was like, Okay, all right, whatever,
and I'm talking about the alis my Herschela and his

(01:12:38):
wife pronounce her name for me. I'm a too. She's
from Philly. How did you get this birthday? Happy birthday?
We're here many different chapters, happy to skill, do here

(01:12:59):
and celebrate you. Yes. I have three small antidotes, and
one includes this person here thirty seconds coming home from college.
I think it was December between four nine. I think
Jackie Thompson. Happy birthday to you too. UM and us

(01:13:21):
all going to movie to the movies for Christmas, which
was mind blowing because I'm sitting there next to quest
Love at the movies and I was just like, Oh
my god, who does this girl know? Who does she
not know? I met you when I was fourteen and
see me too. It's nothing wrong with it. I was
as one of my bigger brothers. UM to this day

(01:13:42):
got one of the best birthday gifts I've ever gotten,
which was these mixtapes of soul music. UM. That a
package that whole cassette are set of cossette Yes, yes,
and and have been blessed to share different pockets of
time over time. You're talking too long. Just contribution after contribution,

(01:14:12):
and most importantly the positive energy to love, the knowledge,
the wonderful nerdiness that you bring to everything that we
all love and absolutely respect and just admire. So thank you, brother,
We love you. Man. We got on the show who

(01:14:34):
do what they did? What they didn't share was that
they helped me. But like you know, when when someone
makes it at a certain level, your like your dream
is to do something nice for your mom, like either
get her that house or get her that that item.
So you know, my first my mom. What my mom
didn't also share when she was sharing her story was that, uh,

(01:14:57):
my dad promised my mom her dream car. Which is
the history of weird cars in the Thompson family is
is nothing new doesn't start with my sigon. My mom
always wanted a Volkswagen Beatlee, right, So when they remade
those cars and brought them out, I got my mom one.

(01:15:18):
But I had this this idea that I said, what
I want to do is I want to make my
mom think that her old car, her broken down car
was stolen, and then Blama was surprised with the new car.
So basically, Mehrchela um I somehow got the keys from
my from my mom gave it to Mehersla and he's

(01:15:39):
the one that took my mom's car parked it like
way around the corner. So we went to the movies
and then get out the movies and then yeah, the
car's missing, and my Mom's like all devastated. And then
six minutes later before like we bring the cops and
I gotta tell the cops. Oh no, Mom, no, no no.
And then suddenly the shiny new uh bug is right

(01:16:03):
there and I'm like, Mary Christmas wind this this is
your This is like the first gift I've ever given her.
So story because again Herschel, they told their story in
a minute and twenty and it was two of them.
They were concise, do not act, okay, So before we

(01:16:27):
get out of before we before we finished with all
the guests, I gotta just two more left, two more
left that I want to run past you and the
next one a mirror. I want you to listen closely
to his story. I actually sent this to fontday ahead
of time because it actually answers a lot of questions
about the way you acted when we went and visited
this person and interviewed them for q L S. Bill

(01:16:51):
and Steve. Y'all will get it once I hit play,
because y'all too remember how a mirror was acting when
you went to l A to interview this person. Hey,
baby faces here, I wanted to be a special shout
out for your fiftieth birthday. And I know we're supposed
to tell a special story. So here's the story I
want to tell. Years ago, when I met you, we

(01:17:12):
met through a mutual friend of ours, Chloe Flower. She
was here working at the studio, and she told me
that she would come me by and she told me
that you were the biggest fan of mine. You were
a huge fan. You knew everything, you know everything about me,
and you would love me. And you said, she he
loves you, and so I said, well that's great because
I'm a I'm a big fan of his too, So

(01:17:33):
you know I want to meet him. Tell him come
come in the studio. She said, Now, he's just gonna
stop at the corner and pick me up. So I
walked down to the corner to the gas station to
uh to meet you. And so Chloe gets in the
car and I looked at I say, oh my god,
look look at that's quest Love. That's quest Love. And
and you look at me and you go like, what's
up whatever. I'm like, that can't be the mirror. That's

(01:17:59):
big and I supposed to know all my stuff and
he didn't. That Question Love and a Mirror must be
two different people. I thought, Quest Love and a mirror
with two different people. I had no idea you were
the same person, and that was I didn't really know
until we did the podcast together. Damn, you realize you
actually do kind of know the stuff I've done. And

(01:18:22):
I was a fan of yours and you were a
fan of mine. So it all worked out ultimately. So
I want to wish your happy birthday to a mirror
and Question Love. Happy fifty shady face. He moved like
the lefty guitar center ship was right right? Why back
to when we was at l A and me and

(01:18:43):
Fante was all excited singing out, singing and shoot him up,
bang bang song. He was like, he was like, no, no, guys,
no chill, She'd be professional, right right. I was like, wait, so,
so what's with you? On baby Face. You just want
you want to you know what it is, I nerd
it out on someone and it kind of went south

(01:19:04):
and you know, cool, you're overcompensated when you met baby Face. Look, okay,
I don't say that. Maybe I kind of freak Q
tipped out back in like nine three when we was
first making do you Want More? And then it kind
of got back to me like yeah, you were it

(01:19:26):
them ount man like you got you got money. No,
I don't know about it. You get nerd out over here,
you won't do it. Nobody gonna tell you to stop
or not. I think. I mean after that moment, I
just I turned it down by a bajillion whenever I

(01:19:48):
realized that you you won't get kicked out the club
if you just act cool. So like Nerd, that's a
lot of ship that you got held inside. I know
it was some but that you met that she was
like there's some people that still think, like, you know,
sometimes you gotta keep him at bay, like you okay, okay,

(01:20:08):
teach me, sir. I'm learned. Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, you know,
but it's you know, it's it's the rule. It's the rule.
Like wow, that's crazy, I was just I was too
nervous to to fan out on him, so I was
just like trying to be cool, like, well, hey, how
are you doing pleasure? I feel like last, but not least,
is a person who you have become very close with,

(01:20:31):
who has been so gracious as to post us for
records amount of time with his partner, records, amount of years.
Oh god, old alert. Yes, now you're half and half
half away fifty Oh, I see you, half and half

(01:20:53):
of a hunter. Oh, I got what you're gonna do.
He's gonna make love. That's what his name is. Oh, yeah,
that's true. Name, got love in it, quest love. That's right.
He told me his name was gonna be at one
point in time. No Questky, keep mentioning Questky, can't. He

(01:21:13):
had another one too that I can't quite recall. But
that's okay. It's better to be on a quest for
love about skiing, Yes, exactly, absolutely, damn damn, hey man,
what I wish you were? Happy? Lovely beautiful fiftieth And
if y'all need you need any advice on fifty we'll
see what we can remember. Because that was the picture

(01:21:36):
got the scards to prove it exactly but we love
you man, love you brother. Happy birthday. Oh man. They
need to be they need to be true to take
the season four. That's it. Jimmy and Terry Spy versus Spy.

(01:21:57):
They're amazing. O. God, guys, thank you you successfully got
me to really drop my guard. Yes, I died from
the Thank you. Bringing all the flowers like the floors. Yeah,

(01:22:19):
more flowers in a just so you don't think I
got flat of the years? What the hell we're it?
What do you about the birthday? Whatever? Useful? Oh wow,

(01:22:42):
I mean you would like it though. Yes, I'll make
this short because because we didn't tell our stories. But
that's fine. Oh I thought that was the end. I
mean that was the end of their stories. Were still here? Okay,
thank you? Okay, all right, so is everybody telling were
gonna stories and story time for us? You start off ahead, Well,

(01:23:04):
almost killed Steve, so we can start there. That's just
the that's just one time he tried to kill I'm
actually about to tell a story about another time where
he almost did kill me. You know. The If anyone

(01:23:24):
familiar with the the restaurant and venue BB King's here
in Manhattan, which is so now you know, it's been
twenty five years. I've spent a lot of time hanging
out with this guy in one place or another. And
when I'm with him, I like to play half security guard,

(01:23:47):
half like, you know, Okay, here's what I'm gonna do
if there's an emergency or whatever in the back of
my mind, and that includes winding staircases, you know, like
just on the side of my eye. I'm keep an
eye on this dude. If you slip, maybe I can
catch him, get a raise, you know, something like that. Um.
But I never actually wanted him to fall directly on

(01:24:08):
top of me. And that's what happened. Dude took a
fall down down the BB King winding staircase on the
way downstairs to the venue and just landed right on
top of me, and it took Steve with him. Broke
my fall. Yeah, and weren't we there for Jody Whatley concert.

(01:24:30):
I don't remember much after you after you landed on
Chris Steve like the tin man in the whiz ship.
I mean, can't you see it? I mean, what year
was this? This year? Was that year? Al right? Okay,
you know, alright, it was that year. Yeah, got next,

(01:24:58):
I'm sorry, No I mean, I've got plenty of voice,
but I'm saving him off my book and Sugar Network publishing.
She says, knows things about you. Please, Stevens, I'll thank you, Mayor.

(01:25:19):
You and I met working on Hamilton's record, and then um,
you invited me to be on this podcast, to in
fact be the first person on this podcast, and that
was one of the most bizarre knights of my entire
life that day. But what my story is about is
is we've seen each other every like for a while,
like every week for many years. So then whenever I

(01:25:41):
would see you, not at a quest Love taping, you
would not recognize me and reintroduce yourself to me. And
this happens all the time. So, like I would be
at a wedding that you would be tejaying and I'd
be like a mayor and you'd be like hey man,
and they put out your arm and I'd be like,
it's me. And then the second time he'd be like
blah blah blah blah. I was like, dude, it's me.

(01:26:02):
He's like, you look like my accountant, and I was
like fair. I was dressing every time. Bill. You you
had five major hairstyles and the beard hair con you're
like the stars character. I'm sorry, what are you talking about? You?
Sometimes your marvired gay had. Sometimes you're in your throw things.
Sometimes you're in your Yes if you had, if you

(01:26:25):
had a consistent hairstyle for a year, I promise you
I would have known that was my partner Bill whatever.
I mean, it was awesome. Ever came out because I
thought you were gonna get at me for stealing a
lot of big birds feathers. Oh well that too. We
go into that later back I know where the muppets
are buried. Alright, quick, happy birthday you turn thank you?

(01:26:47):
Oh okay, um man, Um, I guess for me, you know, uh,
history goes back to that sordid corner of the internet,
knowing it's okay player, but uh, you know with my
group little brother and just the way you're championed us
and you know, man, I just think you know for me, Um,
you know, I think we was texting then other night,

(01:27:09):
just on some silly ship. I don't evemember what hever
you're talking about, but it was just one of these
epic of merrre texts and um and I just remember
just thinking, like yo, the kid who you know snuck
out of school to go buy Illo dep half life,
you know, you know, and and you know, and with
left campus illegally. You know what I'm saying, to go

(01:27:30):
get this ship. Like he would be freaking the funk
out right now to ever think there was a possibility
that me and the Mirror would actually have conversations and
actually be friends, you know. And uh, and that's something
that you know, regardless of the fact that, um, however
long I've been doing this podcast and like we've known
each other, that's something that I never take for granted.
And that's something that I tell people. You know, when

(01:27:51):
I first started doing this, I had to let motherfucker's
know upfront, Like listen, I'm not the Quest Love Whisperer. Okay,
you know what I'm saying, Like not the quest Love plug.
Like you know, me and him, you know, we have
a me and a Mirror, you know, have a good relationship.
And the reason why we're able to keep that good
relationship is because I don't come to him with bullshit,

(01:28:11):
you know what I'm saying. And I respect your time,
and I respect where you are, and you know, I
just don't be calling you for no frivolge ship, you
know what I mean, And that means a lot to me.
And um, you know, man, I just look at just
hearing all the stories of all the people that came on,
and you know, it really just makes me think of
just how how thin like sometimes just the line between

(01:28:32):
success and obscurity is another person believing in you, and
you know, just you know it really you know somebody
like Don that was just you know, she was a bartender,
and somebody like Tina that was just doing you know,
doing whatever and now she's like this huge person. Yeah,
you know what I mean, m Angie. You know what
I'm saying, like everybody, And you know, I think just

(01:28:54):
as we get older in life, um, you know you fifty.
I mean I just turned forty two. But you know,
you've definitely been a model for me and the way
I kind of look at my life and career going
and defining a legacy. I don't think a legacy is
defined by what you do. I think a legacy is
defined by the people that you help. You know what
I mean, because they become your legacy is when other

(01:29:15):
people go on to do great things and you can say, well, yo,
well you know this was the dude that put me on.
You know what I'm saying, Area gave me this shot,
and you know what I'm saying, I remember my first gig,
you know, like those things are important, man, and so
and it's it's not a lot of people in the
game who will really do that selflessly. As uh as
Sean Gi said, that's just can give it and not
expect nothing in return. But just yo, I believe in you.

(01:29:37):
I think you dope, So I'm gonna put you on,
you know what I mean, And and you know what
that means a lot, man, I never take that for granted.
And so I just thank you just for everything, you
know what I'm saying, just for bringing me into your
universe is crazy and fucking disorganized as it can be sometimes.
But uh, but you know I wou I wouldn't. I

(01:29:58):
wouldn't Uh, I wouldn't change for nothing else, brother, And
I just thankful for you finish your loyalty man. And
um you know I love you and just wish you
fifty more broth for really, yeah, I appreciate thank you.
All right, let me say something real quick. So let
me say this. Although I've met a mirror when I
was I was a teenager. It's been a long, interesting ride.

(01:30:20):
Like from the moment we met, we clicked, and we
just clicked. We had things in common, We laughed, we
had fun together. And even when I went to college,
as you were going on your evolution and the band
was growing, you never never forgot you come to Atlanta
When I was in school in Atlanta. Can I come
to the show? Yes, I see your mirror. When I
graduated college and I moved to Atlanta, I mean when

(01:30:42):
I moved to Philly again, more mere growing our relationship
and whatnot. And you know, it's been a lot of
movie trips. Has been a lot of South Street diners,
a lot of you falling on to sleep on me
in the movies. Learned about that. Um, It's been a
lot of arguments and fights, you know. And it's funny
because the Philadelphia I was long for the longest I

(01:31:03):
was known as the Roots Warrior. Don't say nothing bad
about the Roots on the radio, Lae is gonna come
at you, even if your name is jay Z, which
I did, because those my boys, and I know who
the funk they are. They fucking dope. Why you why
you ain't doing nothing extra? You just like m c A.
I'm sorry, flashback, I'm sorry so um. But throughout this ride,

(01:31:24):
you know, it's just been, it's been, it's it's been beautiful.
And even you've just shown me so many things, from
going to Prince's house to sitting at a table with
jay Z, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and all these people
and wondering what I'm doing here. Oh, I'm shopping on
in the mirror, his date, Oh whateverything gets to be here. Um.

(01:31:45):
But from all those too, those moments whenever I would
call you and say can you come on the radio
real quick to talk about this? Can you come on
the radio real quick? I talk about that like you
always did well nine times out of tend you always
did so for those reasons, because we are born on
the same birthday, and we know, at our very essence
we are too alike, and that be our problem. Because
I will stay being the Lucy to your Charlie meyor

(01:32:06):
Callip Thompson, I love your ass, even though I don't
like you all the time, and before because I don't
think I ain't smart, okay, because we all know that
one last thing flowers, the last flower, the last flower
then a long year and maybe I think it's been

(01:32:29):
a year and a half, but I think all of
us on this show have noticed a very speedy evolution
of a mayor Callip Thompson. And we also know that
one of the major reasons and the person keeping him
on that Dick Gregory, mentally, spiritually and everything else. Something

(01:32:50):
to say, A Kat, my love and the best. I
don't even know what else to say that side as
you just you love so hard, You celebrate people, you
support them, You do such amazing things for people, and
being my glass of stylist is one. I mean, I
could just spend hours and hours waxing poetic about the

(01:33:14):
beauty of your heart and what incredibly inspiring person you
are and the gift of you in my life. But
what I would love for the next fifty years, besides
just playing like two little wild kids together, which I'm
so looking forward to, it is also you being loved
and supported and celebrated and honored and the way you've
done for so many people for so long. Yes, everybody,

(01:33:39):
get give it up a grace And I just I
want to say this whole effort was an effort, collaborative
effort between grace. A lot of dope women in your life.
People don't know that a lot of the Meres village
are dope women. There's Tina, there's don there's Zara, There's
there's two Rebecca's, there's a Brittan met there I mean,
and these are all in a diverse group women. Yes,

(01:34:02):
So thank you to those women for making this happen.
And this is just the beginning of your birthday celebration.
Thank you. UM, trust me, I'm I'm crying on the inside.
I've I've moved to tire, you know. I want to
say one more thing, because you all went back when
like oh N told the whole history with a mirror.

(01:34:24):
I'm not gonna. I can't. It's too long for me
to tell you all the different stops that we've had.
The dudes hired me for like four different jobs in
all these years, and UM got me the the Elvis
Costello album, the absolute biggest dream come true and all
that stuff, like a million things, and you're a great
person and this, that and the other thing. But I

(01:34:45):
think that of all the people, I might be somebody
who's been able to witness firsthand and here and watch
you drum Um the most hours, and I just want
to say, of you can help, can help when you
want to help. But you know, getting getting that opportunity
to watch you do the thing that you're absolutely the

(01:35:08):
best on the planet at, you know, has been really
the most special thing to watch you do your magic,
you know, for so long. So you know, you're a
great DJ and like I said, obviously a great person
in a humanitarian for God's sake. But keep on drumming,
you know what I'm saying you guys, I'm really touched

(01:35:29):
to my core. Um, it's this. This is the probably
the most beautiful birthday. This is probably the most beautiful
thing that's ever happened in my adult life. I never
I never had a uh in a live funeral or whatever.

(01:35:57):
Why don't I just called it a live funeral? Awake. Yeah,
but yeah, here's the bad news. We didn't tell you yet,
you know, Tot tot, You know, man, I'm I'm really
you know, uh, you guys are literally you know when

(01:36:18):
when when talking to Sean about how to do this show,
I mean, I I really wanted the people that I
look too the most for their opinions and their thought
process and just them as humans like I actually love you, guys,

(01:36:43):
and it I never get the sentimental I don't know
why I'm so resistant to this, not resistant, but I
don't do this more often. Yes, grace is slowly melting
the exterior out of me. But thank you so much

(01:37:03):
for organizing this. Uh you know, I appreciate this. I
think maybe from being around rich so much, I've somehow
I'll decided, okay, I'll do that, like just not uh
not celebrate too much, because I've always come from a
place like if you celebrate, then it'll be over, and
I never wanted to be over. But that's sure. Thank you, guys.

(01:37:30):
Can I at least wind up my own a live funeral?
Why not? There's no, there's not more, but I had
I had a Jesus Christ, lazy and gentlemen. The next
time we do this, I'll be seventy five years old.
So I love you. I love you Bill, I love

(01:37:53):
you Steve, I love you fantigolttle. I love you to
everyone that you know that that said those beautiful words,
and even those that weren't able to do so, all
my friends and all my family out there, I appreciate it.
I love you all, and we will see you on
the next go round of Quest Love Supreme. Happy Birthday,

(01:38:17):
Thank you, Hey, this is Sugar Steve. Make sure you
keep up with us on Instagram at q l S
and let us know what we think we should be
next to sit down with us. Don't forget to subscribe
to our podcast. What Love Supreme is a production of

(01:38:39):
my heart Radio. For more podcasts for my heart Radio,
this is the i Heart Radio app, Apple podcast, or
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