July 12, 2024 • 54 mins
Jerry Clark is a seasoned music executive and the charismatic host of the iHeart podcast "Story Time with Legendary Jerry" With a wealth of experience in the music industry, Jerry brings a unique perspective to his storytelling, sharing captivating behind-the-scenes tales and insider insights from his extensive career. His podcast delves into fascinating interviews with industry legends, making it a must-listen for music enthusiasts and anyone interested in the entertainment world. Jerry's engaging narration and deep industry knowledge have earned him a loyal following and solidified his reputation as a compelling storyteller and influential music executive.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Talking to Death is released every Friday and brought to
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and exclusive bonuses, subscribe to Tenderfoot Plus at tenderfootplus dot
com or on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Talking to Death is a production of tenderfoot TV and
iHeart Podcasts.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Listener discretion is advised.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to Talking to Death. It's a new week,
and that means we have a new guest for you.
If you listen to hip hop, you can thank Jerry Clark.
He joined the music industry in the nineties and has
been pivotal in bringing hip hop to Atlanta and the
world ever since. He's helped to grow the careers of
dozens of artists, many that you probably listen to today. He's
(00:43):
also the host of the iHeart podcast story Time with
Legendary Jerry, where he shares his wealth of experience in
the music industry. Payne and Jerry had a chance to
meet at iHeart Studios and chat about Atlanta. They talked
about the hip hop scene, both of their experiences working
in the music industry. They talk about music videos, they
talk about sports. They even go into some really personal
(01:04):
subjects about themselves. So let's jump into it. This week,
legendary Jerry Clark.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
To me, I think you're Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I sure around?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
What does that mean?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
I embraced the culture all the way around. And when
I tell you, let me back up. So I moved
here in eighth grade, which was high school at that point,
and since then I have jumped all the way in
and really embraced what Atlanta really is. And as I've
been in this music business and for thirty years, I've
(01:50):
really seen that we really, really, really we control what
goes on with the culture. And I saw that when
I first got here, from the dancing to the clothing,
to the dressing everything. And I entrenched myself in this
culture here in Atlanta, and I've been and I and
I've been doing it ever since I got here. So
Chicago is my birthplace and I lived there, you know,
(02:12):
at the beginning, but Atlanta is my home and this
is shit now I'm I'm at alien.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So what did you notice, Like, what was it like
back then? And why is it like the why is
it so impactful in the culture.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, I'll take it back to uh. Atlanta is
one of those cities where it has grown since the
black leadership of Mayard Jackson took over in the early seventies.
A lot of other cities they they had black mayors
in the early seventies and they tapered off. Atlanta just
(02:47):
kept growing and growing. And it goes back to the
leadership of this city from Mainard to Andy Young up
until now, we've had great leaders in this city and
that's what sets in line up part.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So to use that foundational into like the growth of
the culture.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yes, past, definitely, that makes sense. Definitely, that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
People ask me, uh, just because I'm from Atlanta, like,
how do you say Atlanta only people from are not
from Atlanta?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Sa tea at Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Talking to a bunch of like super white people.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Maybe you put the tea in it pain Atlanta Atlanta
in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, It's like okay, no, it's Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
But if you're around Atlanta, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And then I start saying, you know what, I hate
to hear people.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Say hot Atlanta. That'shit so corny, God like corny.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
The fastest way to know that you know nothing about
Atlanta is to say, at Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Did we ever say that pain You're from hot Lama.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Hot Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Buddy. Yeah, you from Hotlanta, Classic Uber Driver like New
York Like, oh, Hot Atlanta. I'm like, don't ever say
that again, and like, I know people who have more
of a reason to be offended by that.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
That is so stupid.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I want to talk about the old days in
the music industry when you got involved, because I mean
music evolution since the nineties, we've gone through so many
different chapters here, yes, and we're at a and it's
changing like by the year at this point, I feel like,
but this is in the day of tapes and CDs, Okay,
(04:27):
So like I feel like this was like the heyday
of the music industry, right, it definitely was, and.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
It was it was the golden day. It definitely was golden.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, And just tell me about how you got into
this and what.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
It was like. I came in the business.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I actually interned for two labels, and that's how bad
I wanted it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I was worried, do you want to do that in
the first place? Like lits sen hip, I.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Have found my uncle rest in peace, my uncle Stanley Bethel.
He was very instrumental in me wanting to get in
the music business because he was in the business, and
I watched how he moved and he used to take
me to some of the music conferences, to Jack the
Rappers Conference, the b r E Conference with him. So
(05:13):
I was I got you know.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yeah bug, And did you look after him?
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Definitely, like you wanted to be like I want to
be like him.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah. I mean I had my father as a as
a great male figure, and I had my uncle Stanley Bethel,
who was he was like a mentor slash uncle, just
a life he just got helped guide me with a
lot of decisions. You know. Of course I had my dad,
so he definitely guided me, but Stanley Bethel was that
guy for me, and he was in the business and
(05:44):
he had a lot of big positions over the years.
So he used to take me with him, and you know,
my eyes were big, and I was like, okay, initially,
paying kid, Yeah, yeah, teenager. Initially I wanted to get
into for the glamor and the glitz. It's a music
part of it.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It's a pretty fun part of it.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, So I wanted to get into it for the
glamor and the glitz. And Stanley Bethel told me something
and I'll never forget it. He told me, he said, Jerry,
I was a teenager. He said, you have a certain
gift that only a small percentage of people on this
planet have. He said, when you walk in a room,
people gravitate to you, and you have this gift, the
(06:26):
gap that every that a lot of people don't have.
So he said, you can either go onto politics and
you could be a preacher, a pip pain a preacher
pip or going to the music business.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Right, hey, well here you want.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
And the music business chose me. So I was interning
the two labels and I started grassroots.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I was.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I was. I was the street promotion rep, snippet cassaids
putting posters on the wall and retail story post the
boards on the pole, walking down the street. So that
was my entry point to the music business. And I
got it the grassroots rate. And I know a lot
of great executives. That that's how they started. Yeah, Donald Albright,
(07:15):
Lene Yeah, and Donald Foot Soldiers. That's a perfect exam
because Donald Albright and his team d the entertainment. They
were very good, Like they were younger than me. So
as I was transitioning more into the executive space, they
were like that team. You guys or something, and they
were good. So I just started growing in that and
(07:36):
label started taking note. And then I started graduating where
I started doing more, uh you know, building relationships with
radio station program directors and music directors and Mike Show guys.
So I started transitioning more into the radio promotion game
and it brought me, you know, from the street. And
then of course labels started getting going away from the
(07:58):
street market Why do we have a budget with that
isn't really working? And then when the Internet came and
social media, they really was like, we don't need it.
But you look at it now, there's nothing nothing like
gorilla marketing. Yeah, there's nothing like it. It still works
exactly and I and I see it, and I hope
that it starts coming back where people are still hand
(08:20):
in the hand. Don't get it wrong. You can press
one button on your phone on a computer and reach millions,
but it's never old for hand to hand and you know,
and gorilla marketing.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And that's why the value of a live performance.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Or something exactly. That's the analogy. Yeah, perfect, perfect one.
That's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It's hard to get content out there. It's like every
day gets harder.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Yeah, because a lot of labels, a lot of artists,
a lot of creatives have gotten lazy because they feel like,
oh we got TikTok, we got Instagram, we can just
you know, you still have to build your brand. You
still have to build it. And that's what I look
back on the line. I mean you look at like,
for example, for you to release two albums in one
(09:05):
year and both of them to go platinum. I'm talking
about DMX back in.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I forgot what you that's actually crazy. That's a crazy statistic.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Come on, mane, come on mine and this is these
are days when you had to go in the record store. Yeah,
those are physical buy things and buy record whether it
was a scene a million people, come on man, twice
in a year now, artists are coming out down to streaming.
Just in she just then threw a whole monkey wrench
(09:34):
and the artists you can't make no money. I think
it was Snoop Dogg. I saw something recently where he
did a he he like did a graphic on how
artists are not getting paid from streaming. Yeah, like you
could he I think he said somebody he had a
billion streams and may be made. I forgot what it
was it was like forty fifty thousands, right, come on, man,
(09:55):
a billion, I think that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
A billion streams, a million of anything. You should be
you getting millions at least eight dollars anything. The problem is,
it's like once the streaming music was introduced as a consumer,
you can't go back. Yeah, it's like we say that,
but it's like what did you listen do on the
way over here? Did you pop a CD and did
you stream it?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Of course, right exactly, And like that sucks, Like I
still support artists that I really love, like by going
and buying the thing or whatever or paying the extra thing.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Yeah, that's why I'm glad when I see like folks
like Killing Mike and Run the Jewels, they're still release like.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Vinyl yeah and there on that due covers like that.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
You want that in your living room? Right, yeah exactly.
So I mean, so that's back to your That's how
I got started in the music business. I was a
street promotion rep. And then my my name and my
brand and my cachet just started growing and growing over
the years where I started becoming a real power player
and that person to connect.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Dots and so give me an example, of connecting the
dots in the music business back then that resulted in
a major success for you.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Well, I have I have a few of those stories.
I'm gonna I'm gonna give you one. I don't know
if this fits directly into your question, but I'll give
you some some something that's close. I started doing some
work for Rebok, and I created an urban seating program
where I sent out two three pair of shoes a
(11:27):
month to at that point, the tastemakers, folks on the radio.
Even I found some old paper. Ludacris was at the
radio State he worked at Hot ninety seven. One was
seven like folks like that that were like out on
about yeah. And I sent them to three pair of
shoes a month and said, just give give us your
(11:48):
feedback and we will put it in like in a
in a report and send it to Massachusetts to.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
I could have ahead of its time.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I feel like that's like the data that like I.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Was ahead of my time. I want with a few things.
So we took that and then it then it came
about where I was in the meeting with Reebok and
on a conference called Way Before the Days of Zoom,
and I told them that you all are missing out
on a huge opportunity to really get involved with at
(12:19):
that point, the biggest label and some of the hottest
artists in the South, and they were from New Orleans.
It was cash money. I was like, because they talk
about rebox all the time, that's like that, you know,
Breeze and Ja Bowls. And I said, there's even a
certain shoe that if you go into any Champs foot
locker in the South, in New Orleans, in Atlanta and
(12:41):
you say, hey, let me get the soldier, they're going
to go on it back and get it.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Which one was the soldier?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
It was like the I don't know how to describe. Yeah,
it was yeah so and they couldn't believe it. And
I was like, this is this is an opportunity now,
I said, there that next big thing. So, uh, burrow Man,
he flew in town on Gregg Street from V one
(13:07):
O three, hooked the meeting up and we met and
uh he was interested. He you know, of course, he
was like the money got to be right. So we
met and then he flew back again by himself and
me and him met at a strip club during the
daytime and talked about it, and I went back to Reboxing.
Was like, hey, let's figure out how to do this.
I sent on one of those early cash Money Lil
(13:28):
Wayne tours. I sent them I'm talking about ken Eyven.
It was like shoes upon shoes upon shoe. Rebox, you like,
oh yeah, last my Rebox. You know. I just wanted
to make sure that going into a potential partnership that
everything was gonna be cool. But you know, Rebox, they didn't.
They didn't get it out, and like I said, like
unimag now, yeah, we was, we was ahead of our time,
(13:50):
you know. And then I know they look back like
damn this liquor, cash money, young money. Look at what
they be, what they become. But you know, but then
a couple of years later I saw them doing a
partnership with like Jada Kiss and stuff. You know, so
I was like, you know, I wasn't mad.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I was just came around to it because they missed
the boat.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Yeah. But plus you know the South, we still you know,
we still didn't get that, like it was a respect
then you know New York it was like yeah, you know,
we we rock with your music singing man, Oh yeah,
oh definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
When do you think that really changed or started to change.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Well, we forced we forced it, We forced the issue
when we started really taking over. And that's what my
podcast is about, is really talking about the narrative of
Atlanta and the South because and I say this all
the time. I've said it on my show, plenty of times,
I've said it speaking. You know, we just celebrated fifty
years of hip hop pain and at least twenty five
(14:50):
of those years, the South has really run this shit.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I disagree with you.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Come on mind. Yeah, there's the numbers back it up.
And it's just so these are cute, but yeah, the South,
Atlanta took the baton and then and then you know, Miami, Houston, Memphis,
New Orleans. I mean the South we've been, it's been,
it's been a stranglehold on it. So in a way,
(15:17):
we forced, we forced everybody's hands. Like you had to
rock with us. You had to because guess what we was.
We was controlling the next.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Either way, we're coming and we're here, right and then the.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Look you look, look at the music since ninety nine,
two thousand. I mean, you know, like I said, I
love New York stuff. I love when the West Coast,
you know, with Snoop and Dre and all that was
doing cute. But the South it hasn't been a run
like we've had, right, It's like it hasn't ended. I
guess oh yes, it still hasn't. And even when and
even when people was like, oh, Atlanta, it's over. It's
(15:50):
a wrap. You had killing Mike win three Grammys. You
look at the super Bowl show and that was that
was that was an Atlanta show, the handtime show, ship
and and true enough when when Thug, you know when
he got it, when he got you know, his legal stuff,
I was like, we got to take a hit because
Thug is I mean, he's incredible as an artist.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I mean one of my favorite.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Oh Thug is that dude?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
I mean he's so yeah, I mean arguably influenced a
lot of the rappers day today.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Right, definitely Thug.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
He first came out with that stoner. We were like,
not only who is this, but what is this?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Thug is that dude?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Right?
Speaker 4 (16:27):
So, Atlanta we took a hit when he went down.
We did. We took a hit.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Suck.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But guess what though, Atlanta influences everything.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
So do you did you know a guy named Matty P?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yeah, yeah, r I P.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Yes, yeah, I didn't know him like that.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Matthew Pearson, Yes, yeah, I knew him pretty well because
we were in a band together, like a alternative hip
hop group. So I'm from Kennesaw, uh, the suburbs, right,
I'm probably twenty years old at this point, and I'm
making these parody videos online and I'm at the apartment
(17:09):
complex office because my internet sucks, and I'm uploading this
video to YouTube of like me rapping with my friends.
And this guy is in there who also lives in
the same complex, and he introduced himself as an artist manager.
I ended up signing an artist a management deal with
this person, got out of it later, but he introduced
(17:30):
me to Matty P. And next thing you know, the
Kinnesau kids are driving down to Atlanta. In the first
day that I was in the studio with Maddie, Lloyd
comes through and he hops.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
On a song with me, and I'm like, holy shit,
like what is happening?
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Whoa and whoa whoa. We're the only white dudes in
the room, and they're like and like we feel like
why are they fucking with us like this? Also, they're
like it's like ever since then, I've been kind of
in my own way from music videos to the music,
like been around the hip hop culture in Atlanta and
(18:09):
the actual professional side, and it's just like the dopest
thing ever and like.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
You have to be in it to really I try
to tell people from other parts of the country, you
gotta really be in it to really feel it. Man,
It's like just just like the piggyback off your story.
It's just like a certain camaraderie here in the life
for sure. Like you said, you in the studio, Lloyd
just pops up again. I've been in the studio in
one room it might be two chains, another room it
(18:37):
might be tip, and another room it might be whoever gezy.
Like it's just that, and that's one of the main
reasons Atlanta has really taken off. We got a different
type of Southern camaraderie here man, absolutely, and it seems
as though, you know, I'm not not perfect, because it's
still of course, you know, it's clicksh and a little hate.
(18:57):
But still the reason we've been able to thrive is
that we put a lot of that to the side.
And it goes back to what I said a minute ago.
The culture of the city. Even when Maynard Jackson started
really putting his stamp on making Atlanta a true international city.
He was like, we're gonna put all this bs to
the side and we gon work together. Yeah, and we're
(19:18):
gonna make this city what it is. Black white, you make.
We're gonna make us some money, make this guard.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
We're in the money making.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, we're gonna make and we're gonna make this city great.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
And the year's later, we gonna get the Olympics and
then you know, we're gonna really take off and be
an international citat. So it goes back to that. It's
just the culture of this city. Man, It's it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Man.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I love I love Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
So what year did you get to Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Eighth grade?
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So eighty six, eighty six, And I mean we're here
during the Atlanta child murders.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
No, I was right, Are you aware of it at all? Like,
of course, because it's interesting you said that, because I
remember my dad was watching sixty minutes and he was like, man,
the folks down in Atlanta crazy, They ain't tripping, they
killing all these kids. A few years later we live
in that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Here, right, right, Yeah, I mean that was during his
reign inter Jackson, Yes this.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
This, Yeah, it sure was was.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
But yeah, I yeah, my dad was going to Georgia
Tech at the time, and like.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
He was even scared because no one knew what the
hell was going on.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
And that was that was a huge black eye for
the city. And you know, fortunately, uh we bounced back
from that absolutely, yeah, and you know, but it definitely
was and a lot of people, a lot of people
caught a lot of flat for you know, for to
continue that long exposed.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I mean not just Atlanta too, like nationwide.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Yeah, fbi, it pulled and pulled the covers back on
a lot of different issues, you say, not just facing
the city, but facing this country. And when you pull
the sheets back, you're like, okay, some bugs, and it
looks it looks neatly made, it looks nice. When you
pull it back into a bunch of bed bugs, then
you realize that it's real big. It's bigger than what
we think it is on the surface.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And bed bugs are no fun. Shit, nah, man, it's
not fun.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
At all, not at all.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
So do you think that hip hop has gotten more
popular in the last twenty years? Shit, I mean that's
a that's like a faceture, like I know the answer
to that, but like, tell me how why is that?
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Well, when you look at it once again, it use
his word culturally, and you go to Asia, you go
to you know, whether you in Tokyo, whether you in
Europe and Germany, or whether you in uh, you, you
name it. You look at the influence of hip hop
worldwide and it has blown away all of what I
(21:46):
thought it was gonna be I mean or something, yeah, exactly,
And you're like what, Yeah, it's like and I remember
my parents they used to say all this rap stuff
is like break down, say it to be gone in
a few years.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Right, which I mean, I guess at the time, it
was in the like infancy of what was about to
be the biggest thing ever ever, right.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
I mean, and you look at the popularity now, I'm like, wow,
this is really worldwide. Even like it's still like even
when I see certain things now. I saw some MC's
in Japan the other day, like balance, I was like,
and I saw how they were dressed, and I was like, damn.
I was like, man, this hip hop culture is really
(22:27):
it's really worldwide. Not that I didn't know that before,
it's just every time I see something like that, then
I'll see some guys in the ciphering like parism, you know,
and I'm like, you know balance, you know, just freestyling
in French. I'm like, wow, man, this.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Is it's crazy and like you can see and hear
Atlanta in it. Oh, oh man, are you proud of that? Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:47):
I'm definitely proudly because I had, I was part of it,
I helped contribute to it, and that's why I'm proud
of you. Oh, definitely, definitely. I was definitely firmly entrenched
and pushing in line of forward. And it's you know,
this business has been great to me. Then it has
(23:08):
his moments where his caused me something some of the
worst anxiety I've ever had for just dealing with pain,
just just dealing with some of the phoniest motherfuckers you
ever come.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Across, promoter types or what just all people.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Yeah, people, in all phases of his music business. It's
just so many three dollar bill last motherfuckers, man, And
it wears on your mind. It wears on you when
people I sit here with you and hey, pain, we're
gonna do this deal. Just get and then you don't
return no calls and no emails.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Like are we on the same pay? Are we doing this?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Like what happened?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Do you really want to?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
And then you'll see him a few months later, Hey man,
what's up with you?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Don't Yeah, after you've popped off and done some other
thing or what the fuck?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Bro Like, we sent out and had two three meetings.
We shook hands, said, hey, let's get to turn this
the deal. We go do these are the numbers we
gonna have, and you just disappear.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
That's why I quit music. Video is the same shit.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
And then like there's like ethical is its? Hey man,
it's yeah, it wears. But I'll say this, it's like
I made great money in this business. I raised a family,
so you know, it's just situations like that. Man. It's
just like I say, the industry has been great to me.
It's been great. I've provided a great life for myself
and my children. But it has been some It's definitely
(24:25):
has been some moments where I questioned. Especially the one
pain that really made me really poured back from the
business when a close friend, he wasn't just a colleague,
he was a close friend of mine, when he killed himself. Yeah,
that's what made me say, is this business really worth it?
(24:50):
Is it worth it? And I want to say rest
in peace to my brother, Shakir Stewart, one of one,
one of the most, one of the smartest, just genuine
dudes would ever meet. I had two beautiful kids, beautiful fiance.
You know, it ain't about material things. We had the
nice cars, the big house.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
How do you get to that point you think, I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I wish me and him could and we get right
and we spoke all the time because he's was it.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
A shock to you that that happened like out of nowhere?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
It was a shock to everybody. Everybody, y, Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
It was a shock to me because, like I say,
when you look at it, he had it all and
he just had the He just had the whole swagger.
He just was. He was just one of them dudes
that you wanted to be around and be where. He
was cool like that. Yeah, it sent me into depression
because I just kept in my mind saying, damn, shake
you had it all. I was just I just kept
(25:44):
saying that, and I'm like thinking, like, bro, like what
why didn't you know? Just why didn't you call me?
We just talked a few days before, like what was
going on dog? So when when that happened? That Actually,
he's one of the motivating factors the reason I do
storytime of legend Jerry's because I wanted to bring spotlight
to those behind the scenes, like a Shakiir Steward, like
(26:07):
a clay Evans Rest in peace, Clay Evans who made
so many things pivotal anything, or you don't see us
because we were behind the scenes. So when I look
at people like those guys, they are definitely a motivational
factor for me to do story time with Legendary Jerry podcasts.
But that the Shakiir death that that sent me painted,
(26:33):
it knocked me down.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
How did you overcome that?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And how did you not stay depressed about that and
eventually somehow work that into a positive thing to propel
you forward?
Speaker 3 (26:45):
In memory of that, like how did you make that switch?
Speaker 4 (26:50):
Good question, I don't even remember. I just know that
I know I had told myself that I didn't even
want to be in a business no more. I said,
I don't want to do it. No. Well, I had
just started my foundation at Jerry Clark Foundation, and I
was doing some things in the community, and I was like,
maybe I should do this to really make a change
(27:11):
in the community, to start deprogramming and reprogramming the minds
of young especially young black males, because I was like,
I got to make a positive not that I wasn't
making a positive difference in the music business. I just
felt like I needed to do something more because I
lost somebody that I considered to be very close to
(27:32):
me and I'm looking at my three small kids at
the time, and I was like, you know, let me
just pull it back from this shit.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
What's more important all these things that come with my success,
more like the people that I love in the process.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
But then it hit me like a ton of bricks
a year and a half couple of years later that
even though I was making cool money, I wasn't making
the money that I was making in the music business.
And I was like kind of backed into a corner
the pain, because I said, this is.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
All that I know is scary feeling.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It's this music business.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
So if you weren't doing music, would you have gone
back to I mean who knows?
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Right?
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, I mean that thought scares me. I'd be just
your bad server at fucking Houston. Yeah, that's so I was.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I was just like I was backed into a corner like, Okay,
this is all I know. I'm good at what I do.
I have great relationships in this business. Let me start
easing my way back into it. But like I said,
that the situation from Shakir's story that hurt me for
a while. It definitely pained. It knocked me on my ass,
(28:45):
like I said, because somebody and you know, suicide and
mental health, you know, in the black community for a
long time, for many years, it was just kind of
swept under the road, just pray about it, just you know,
just praying. I mean, don't get it wrong, prayer It
is great, But that was like that was it just
pray about Yeah, you depressed it. Yeah you're depressed, bipolar,
(29:07):
pray about it, right, yeah, you know. So that really,
you know, it made me start looking at my mental
health and like, okay, I gotta really make sure that
I'm good because I have kids and I you know,
I got to make sure that they're good. And then
it's crazy. After all that, a couple of years later,
I was in a bad car wreck and I started
(29:28):
having anxiety.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Damn flipped the car off, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Flipped off. Couldn't fly for a whole year.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
So what what did the anxiety feel like or what
does it feel.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Like for you?
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So it's different for everybody, Yeah, it is.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Mine was uh it made every So give you an example.
Right after the car wreck, the paramedics came. They tried
to put me in the back of the ambulance. They
tried to close the door and on the walls or
like closing and them. I said, I got to get
out of here. They was like, no, you can't. I said,
I can't ride back here. I was like trying to
get it.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You were like, this is not freaking right now.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Freaking out. Got me to the hospital, you know. They
didn't have any internal bleed and they let me go.
Two days later, I'm driving sitting in traffic on Pea
Street by Houston's cars. Bump of a bumper. I fucking
hopped the funk out, like sweating out of the car
(30:25):
because I felt like I was sending traffic.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Oh wow, this is sort of like yeah, so I was, yes,
that's exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
So I started tripping. So I chilled, and then I
was working at I forgot oh, I was I was
working at an Island depth jam, you know, because Shakiir
and jermaineu Pria brought me so the officers in New York,
and I tried to fly up. And I was walking
through the airport, got on the train, start having an
uneasy feeling pain, went down the escalator onto the train,
(30:55):
I was uneasy, got to my gate, I was cool.
Got on the plane, doors closed, playing, starts backing up.
I start freaking the fuck out, damn pressing the button.
I gotta get off. Did you try to open the door?
They pull it back in and let me off.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Next week, I tried to do it again this time.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Now are you even more anxious about trying it again?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Is there a little bit of build up or you
feel that little feeling and you're like, oh, oh, don't
go down?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Every time I flew the following week, I got to
get to New York cacause I got meetings. This time,
the anxiety kicked in, like before, I was going out
escalator to the train.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
So when I get on the flight this time, I'm breathing,
trying to trying to breathe. This time, the flight gets
all the way the plane gets all the way out
on the wrong way with third for takeoff. I don't
know what the fuck happened. I just start bugging the
fuck out.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
In the moment.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Are you like trying to get speaking about why this.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Is happening or like rationally explain it? Definitely and it's
not possible.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
It was like I was in it. I was closed in,
like I couldn't do nothing.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Like yeah, Like it was like you weren't even operating
yourself anymore, like an instinctual response yeah, which is scary.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
They had to go around pull the plane back in.
This time. They had the paramedics waiting on me, and
I never forget. It was just like a little old
black lady there. She was like, you got anxiety, so yeah,
something has something serious happened to you. Later you might
have PTSD. I was like, what is this lady talking
about me?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Right?
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Like putting on a little thing. I was like, I'm cool,
I can walk good, I could walk, I'm cool. I'm
just tired. I ain't been sleep.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yeah, I've been working hard.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Right.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
I went to the doctor, tried to get on the elevator.
The doors were closed. I freaked out, pressed the thing
jumped or walked up like five flights of steps and
they was like, yeah, you got you. Then I went
to a psychiatrist and they start prescribing medication. But you
know that's what they quick to write a write a
(32:54):
prescription for some ship. So but I took it upon
myself to start doing yoga. I did all uh hypnotherapy.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Oh nice, Yeah, like unpacking like childhood memories and stuff.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
And him or like therapy is very interesting. I bet
it is. I don't want to use the word. I
don't want to use the word weird because that let's
just say it was interesting.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Do you have tapes of yourself?
Speaker 4 (33:20):
I can't find them, but I had, right, that sounds
serious and put the headphones on, sit back and client
and they talk.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
So does it work?
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Are you like it helped me?
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Like did you go into advance or.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Yeah? I'm telling you, man, this ship is different.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Because I've I've read and heard that the way that
hypnosis works is that really you have to consciously allow yourself.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Do I fell asleep and then I would wake up
like I feel like I was snoring, and he'd be like,
but I remember at the beginning what she was saying.
She would be like, you've been flying you know she
had that boy, you've been flying your whole life, Like,
come on, you've been on elevators, mister clarr you it's nothing,
it's not you can't die when you you know, I
had to keep telling yourself you're not gonna die, Like
why are you acting like you're gonna die? Why are
(34:04):
you panicking on the airplane?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Interesting?
Speaker 1 (34:06):
It's help.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
This worked for you.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
It helped along with yoga and a little bit of medication.
I mean, I'm just ye, I mean seriously, like that's yeah,
between those, between yoga, hypno therapy and a little bit
of medication that help.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
So how do you manage it now? Anxiety in general?
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Stay away from fuck people's fuck boys seriously, right, yeah,
people that's full of shits.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Like that way you've treated your anxiety one of those
fun people that gets.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
You on, people that bring negative, demonic ass energy.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Yeah, don't made me think like that.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
And I went from two mead occasions to one and
I take my little twenty milligrams every day and like,
I like that regimen. When I do things, I travel,
I smoke cigar. My kids are grown now got cigars.
You're like, man, I like so many that I just
like a cigar.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
I used to smoke cigars, like when I was like
eighteen through. It's the weirdest thing. I worked at this
restaurant and.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Were they cigars are like black and Miles like, I'm
out in the cigar.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
You're right, that's not a cigar.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Because I had paint. I had. People said, man, I spoke,
I supposed cigars. I'd be like, what, yes, yeah, yes,
he was all that.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Yes, uh huh he was.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I like the like the cigar, Yes, I haven't had it.
You mean with the color taste.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yes, it's actually it's not like it's kind of like
it's some body to it. It's not really. But I
used to like, while I was working as a host
at this restaurant in Marietta, there was a cigar store there. Yeah,
like when we were dead, I would go over there.
I would literally sitting there smoking a cigar and I
get like a call or text from the restaurant.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Like to where are you, and you back.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Like, I'll be there, man, it's worse than you think.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
I mean there be over there in a minute. I
was like, wow, how did I not get fired?
Speaker 4 (35:52):
So that's what I do to you know. Now I'm
you know, I'm older, I'm wiser.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Like, and I'll say it again, I'll stay away from
people with energy. I don't want to be around if
you bring us a negative energy, I don't I don't
want that ship man.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yeah, why do you think it is that there's a
concerted effort to take down young Thug? I know that's
a deep, multi pronged question, But.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
Do you think it's a you think it's a concerted effort.
When you say concerted effort by who politicians and not Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (36:28):
You mean Atlanta as a city, I guess, and the
people who prosecute.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I haven't really just to be very transparent, I haven't
really been watching a lot of it because you can
go on social media and you see some of the
clips and like it's some real, real foolishness, Like it's
like and I'm like, yeah, you know it is. And
I'm like, at what point do they just say like
this this ship is a ship show?
Speaker 1 (36:57):
And that's why I keep thinking that let the guy double. Yeah,
That's why I'm saying concerted effort, meaning like it it
seems like they didn't like the hip hop rap star
part of this. Oh yeah, and like they went to
go look for something and then they found whatever they found. Yeah,
(37:21):
it started with them looking for something in the first place,
and that to me is just so like I can't
look past that. I'm like, why you guys pick on him?
Like what what is it about? What's so wrong with this?
I don't know, Like it's.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Say, a young dude, he's very successful financially, he's you know,
and I met him twice and he's cool, funny guy,
great personality. Then you have people that you know, feel
as though like I'm going to use this situation to
take my career to the next level. It's just like
(37:56):
I really, I don't know, Like it's just yeah, like
I just kind of I've been asked this question a
few times and I just I stay away from it
because it's it's it's politics, and no matter where you
where I go with it, you know, Like I say,
I like the the DA or the prior I don't.
I don't know. Yeah, the DA, I know, she's you know,
(38:20):
she she she might have some political you know, endeavors
in the future. So it's just it's unfortunate for the city,
is unfortunate for It's just unfortunate all the way around. Yep,
And I hate it, man, Like I said, Man to
see see this guy dragged through. I mean, like I said,
I like that, not just musically, but a couple of
(38:41):
times I met him, he seemed like a very solid
young man. And I know people from that area Cleveland
Avenue that say the same thing. So it's just it's
just like I'll say it again, it's just unfortunate all
the way around. Yeah, I hate it, man, I hate it. Bro.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
So I've been a few times, Like he would never
remember me, but I directed a few music videos. One
was actually a t I and young Thug in it.
But also Tip was always coolest ship too, Like yeah,
they're always in a fun.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Duo, Like is one of the coolest people you haven't like.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
For real though, ye, Like he's also funny at ship,
Like now.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
Is Tip is cool? Man, He's definitely funny. I see
why he's doing comedy now he's and he's he's really
growing in that comedy space. Like yeah, there's.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Lots of like of all around, like.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, he's Tip is a funny Yeah, yeah,
he's he's he's funny, and I'm glad to see that
he's starting to really become successful in that comedy space. Yeah,
I love to see that because he's a good dude.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Though.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Is a good dude, Yeah, family dude, like dude.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, he was always like I mean, he always did
remember me, which I I don't like you remember when
someone remembers you when you're on the other side of
the camera and you're like just a dude. Like, I've
been to a lot, I've felt a lot of rap videos.
Some of them are like they roll up and they're
like big as art as you know, let's see young
thug t I. I did almost all of August Alcina's
(40:08):
videos really, uh huh. That's how I met Donald in
the first place. J Khaled met him. Also.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
He was funny because like I flew to Miami last minute.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Rick Ross was there and we shot this really dope
video at this cathedral that we rented that was like
crazy and I couldn't Like my mind was blown. When
I saw DJ Khalid in person, just being DJ Khalid,
I was like, this guy is just literally he literally
says like another one and stuff like in person, and
(40:42):
I was telling my friends and they didn't believe me,
But now it's.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Like that's what Kalid is A cool last one. I
was like, iris much energy. He brings that good Nagy
makes sense now. It's like he's that guy to the
way you want to just be happy. He seems to
be happy. Yeah, seems to be right exactly. He seems to.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Be very energy, is infectious.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
He's got great energy. And this is and when I
tell you back when he was at the radio station
in Miami and I used to talk to him about
getting you know, records, play make sure whatever, he was
the same way.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
He was cool.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
He was cool. It wasn't no like Hollywood. I'm sure
people have made they may have a different store, but
with me, it was never no Hollywood shit, never no
high side industry shit. He was just cool man. You know.
So I pull for people like that. I like to
see people like that win. Absolutely, Yeah, you want to
pull for people that. It's not on that bullshit.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
You know, Like you said earlier that part of the
appeal when you first got into the business was like
the clips and the glamour. It was I get that,
like I kind of like as a creative person and
who's like been a music artist and like you know,
looks at his work like it's art, like it's you know,
not to be corny, but like I also have always
aspired to like be at the maximum potential of you know,
(41:57):
not necessarily being famous, but like if that it's the
byproduct of the world seeing my work, then that's what
I crave that part of ye like the biggest audience
there is for something I care a lot about. And
you know, over a couple of years, like having successful
podcasts and building tenefit with Donald you know, like I've
gained like some followers on Instagram, like not a lot
(42:19):
compared to a lot of people, but I've noticed like
other people around me who like I'd never even thought
about it, but.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
They're bringing up to me, like they think I'm an influencer,
and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
Bro, I just that's the profession.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Well, I do this work. People have just gone out
of their way to follow me here. I don't make
any money on this shit, but I don't care about influence.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
You got to put that on your resume.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
You're an influencer, Yeah, I'm sorry selling creams.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Yeah, I'm an influencer. Yeah, Payne Lindsey the influencer.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Give me three things that are the most Atlanta right now?
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Uh. Three things. Three people are.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Threings like or ways of doing something or not people, but.
Speaker 4 (43:10):
Like culturally limon pepper wings is okay, that's Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, uh and they're good.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Damn.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Where do you get your wings from? Usually American deli?
Speaker 4 (43:23):
No, what do you mean? No? No, Jr. It's only
I mean j yes, I go to JR. Creek.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
And let me tell you, of course, going to your question.
Things that are Atlanta. That's Magic City is Atlanta is
Atlanta through and through. Not because of the naked women
dancing in there, not because of the wings that we're
talking about, which are good, yes, they are great. But
you've got a black man that's been owning this business
(43:53):
and this building in the heart of the city since
nineteen I think eighty five or eighty six. I mean,
come on, man, heart of Atlanta. Yeah, it doesn't get
more Atlanta than that.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
It doesn't.
Speaker 4 (44:04):
The magic from Magic City. You think about a black
man owning that property now in the heart of the city,
Magic City, that's in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Okay, So that's two. What's the last what's the other one?
Speaker 4 (44:17):
The two?
Speaker 3 (44:18):
So you got lemon pepper wings, Magic.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
City, and those are kind of tiedy.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
The other damn right, you can do the both of
those at the same time.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
No, it is separate, Okay. So Lemon Pepper Wings is
in Atlanta. Magic City is Atlanta. I don't want to
sound corny and say the music, but you know.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
I mean if you like zoom out, like obviously the
music would be one. It's it's like, you know, like
growing up listening to the rappers that I listened to
from Atlanta and just hearing them like shout out roads
that like I'm driving through like I didn't come from there.
But also there's rappers from everywhere in Atlanta. Now it's
it's like you went to like a fucking price even.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Like you look at a quay won them they from
We're North Side, Yeah, exactly, like come on, man, that's dope,
Like yeah you got now you got cats. It ain't
just all fours on me, you know, exact titty but
to change them. They from the South Side, you know,
and then you got JD and them from College Park,
so it's the east side. Of course, you got Gucci
(45:17):
man and you know young Nudi in twenty one. They
all these have future if they from all over edge
where they from all over man?
Speaker 3 (45:25):
I shot so many videos that were like in like
the real hood and like it all you do. It's
always straight like you see on World Star.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
Yeah, and like we're like from the suburbs, but we're like,
you know, the safeties are off. I'm like, I'm like
a you know, like accidents do happen, but like the
shots looked dope, but like this isn't like regulated over here.
Speaker 4 (45:49):
You said, you said, I'm really in this.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
I'm doing this, so we out here as well said
they said, what do you say? Is said nothing?
Speaker 4 (45:56):
Atlanta is a different place, man, It's a different place.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
You're making me get hyped about sports right now, Like,
let's go.
Speaker 4 (46:03):
I mean I'm ready. I'm ready to brave today opening Day.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
I've been part side of the Hawks yet. Yeah, of course,
are you on the regular with that ship?
Speaker 4 (46:10):
I'm not regular, but I've done it. I've done a
few fun Yeah. I like it the Hawks. I want
to see the ownership like really get aggressive and making
us a winner. We just can't be.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
What do we need? We need a superstar?
Speaker 4 (46:25):
Right like, yeah, we got Murray. I don't know why
we can't and I think I do know, but why
we don't ever attract any of the big free agents.
I know they know they come back.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Okay, So why do you think that is Atlanta is awesome?
Speaker 1 (46:39):
What do you mean? What's up with it?
Speaker 4 (46:41):
A lot of these guys, especially if they're married, they wives,
they know Atlanta Atlanta will chew you up and spit
you out.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
Do you think that they they've been on the road
in Atlanta and they're like, we're not I'm not gonna live.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
I mean, let's just be real, man like that Atlanta.
Atlanta has some of the most beautiful women in America.
That is extremely And if you are the girlfriend, fiance,
a wife of one of these ballplayers, would you want
your dude to come to.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
This down the street from Magic City. I don't magine.
Speaker 4 (47:09):
Blue flame Cheetah clubs. I mean in Atlanta, nightlight seven nights,
seven nights a week, it's popping. It's somewhere to go.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
I didn't realize that Atlanta had like a surplus of
strip clubs until I went to other cities and realized
that they only have like.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
Two between churches, strip clubs and waffle houses. She'll find
those here in a yes, so we don't get the
free agents here with the Hawks, the Falcons. I think
mister Blank is a is a very good owner. Yeah,
but some of the decisions since the Super Bowl Tobacco,
I've questioned.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
It's like we have never fully healed from the.
Speaker 4 (47:47):
Yeah, we I think we still have PTSD from that.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
I do.
Speaker 4 (47:50):
Yeah, Yeah, I know I do too. So I think
we we got to start making better decisions drafting. And
I don't know why as the organization do we shy
away from drafting players from the University of Georgia. I
don't get that. With such a shit, I don't. I
don't get it. Man will intentionally pass over somebody to
(48:13):
go drive somebody from eastern Idaho a line back from
Eastern Idaho. I'd be like bros So and so.
Speaker 3 (48:20):
From Georgia in Athens.
Speaker 4 (48:22):
It's like, like, I just I don't. I don't know
what it is.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Man.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
Well, hopefully with the new regime with Rahie Morris and
you know, I hope that changes. But like I say,
Arthur Blank, he's won a championship with the with the
soccer team with the United and yeah, and I just
went to one recently there always and I know he's
getting up in age. I want to see him get
one with the Falcons, But I want to see him
get make some better decision his personnel, you know, because
(48:49):
I was always told over the years, you have to
trust your personnel, and he's got to be able to
trust his personnel to make the decision. I just right now,
I just don't see it, man, because some of the
decisions has been made over the last few years with
the Facons. I just don't fucking get it, pained.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
I mean, Kirk Cousins was here for one day and
he got a grill.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
You see that he.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
Had one hundred and eighty million dollars. Kirk between September
and November, he balls out. But I don't know, man,
I don't know what happens in December in January. Man,
It's like there's.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
Just people who have always been like that too, like historically,
like is it like choking?
Speaker 4 (49:28):
Like I mean, Kirk Cousin can play, though, man, I
know he can play. I know he's in you know,
mid upper thirties. And I look back back to the
decisions of the team like why wouldn't we had why
why didn't we go for Lamar Jackson? Like when and
we could and looking back at we might have pretty
much got him on like a deal to like how
(49:49):
to steer this.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
Gut point on let just run it. That's that's the
what you just.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
Said is the reason why mister Blank probably didn't go
after because of what you just said about Michael Vick
or what what did you just say? Vict two point though.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
Yeah he doesn't want what I mean, like from a
player standpoint, like the not like not but whatever.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
But you think that was part of it?
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Shiit chah shit chait.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
As much as we love he, you know, I know,
mister Blank, I know that they're cool now, all is forgiving,
but that that put a bad, bad taste in his moment,
put a stain on the team, all that stuff, because
it's somebody he trusted, man, and he he really went.
He went a bit above and beyond the lookout for.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Props a victor like coming back and having one of
the yes coolest games in history with the Eagles, the
coolest seasons.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
He was like the second m v.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
P that year, It's like wow, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4 (50:43):
Yeah, but mister Blank, man, he I just I look back,
I'm like, why didn't we go after Lamar Jackson? Then
the guy turns around and wins MVP and now like.
Speaker 3 (50:52):
He's better suited than Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
I feel like he feels like Atlanta quarterback. Like it's like, yeah,
and we want and.
Speaker 4 (50:57):
We and we have weapons. We got running backs, we
got the tight end, were.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Going through something this year, and got a pretty solid defense.
Speaker 4 (51:03):
So I just hope. I just want Kirk Cousin to
come in win ten eleven games and let's let's get
to the playoffs and see because anything can happened in
the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (51:11):
Yep, we've learned anything.
Speaker 4 (51:12):
So but I'm you know, I'm excited Braves, Georgia Bulldogs.
I'm excited man.
Speaker 1 (51:19):
Before before we uh part ways here. Yeah, any words
of advice you'd give to the younger generation who wants
to get into the music business, entertainment in general.
Speaker 4 (51:30):
I mentioned it early and I'm I actually mentioned both
things really and I'm gonna say it again. Make sure
you develop and cultivate strong relationships. Develop cultivate and really
appreciate relationships, and hone in on keeping just good relationships.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
Why do you think that's so important?
Speaker 4 (51:51):
It helps you monetize things, but at the same time,
it's everything is about relationships. I stepped back from in
the industry, came back. The reason I was able to
do that and transition right back is because of relationships.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
It's only someone else on the other end of the deal, right.
Speaker 4 (52:05):
Yeah, And people fuck with me. People like me, they
like doing bids with me, they like me personally, they
know that I'm not I'm not on the fuck ship.
And that was number two. Surround yourself with solid people
that really have you and their best interests. Because there's
a lot of fun boys.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
I a lot like you could be that one guy
who's not, but like your friends, you're.
Speaker 4 (52:26):
Surrounded by it and surrounded You're surrounded by people. So
those are the two things. Cultivate strong relationships and stay
away from phony two three dollar ass motherfuckers this that
don't see you and don't have you in their best interest.
And that's really it. If you're trying to come in
this business, you know, I could do all the work
hard and be you know, be passionate of course about
(52:47):
your ship. But relationships, man, It's about relationships, man.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
And say no to drugs unless they're like really good
and then.
Speaker 4 (52:57):
Death Jerry Clark storytell with my boy, look, I love
my boy, Hey with my boy paying Lindsay talking to
death man, make sure y'all tune in because this one
the dopest podcasts around. And I mean that.
Speaker 1 (53:11):
I mean that, So he tells everybody though, Yeah he
paid me that ship. Yeah, yeah, I got it back. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (53:17):
I appreciate you having me all.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
This has been fun due thank you much for coming out.
Speaker 5 (53:24):
Talking to Death is a production of Tenorfoot TV and
iHeart Podcasts, created and hosted by Payne Lindsay. For Tenderfoot TV,
executive producers are Payne Lindsay and Donald Albright. Co executive
producer is Mike Rooney. For iHeart Podcasts, executive producers are
Matt Frederick and Alex Williams. With original music by Makeup
(53:45):
and Vanity Set. Additional production by Mike Rooney, Dylan Harrington,
Sean Nurney, Dayton Cole, and Gustav Wilde for Coohedo. Production
support by Tracy Kaplan, Mara Davis, and Trevor Young. Mixing
and mastering by Cooper's and Dayton Cole. Our cover art
was created by Rob Sheridan. Check out our website talkingtodeathpodcast
(54:07):
dot com.
Speaker 3 (54:13):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Talking to Death.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
This series is released weekly absolutely free, but if you
want ad, free listening and exclusive bonuses. You can subscribe
to tenderfoot Plus on Apple Podcasts, or go to tenderfootplus
dot com
Talking to Death is released every Friday and brought to
you absolutely free. But if you want ad free listening
and exclusive bonuses, subscribe to Tenderfoot Plus at tenderfootplus dot
com or on Apple Podcasts.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Talking to Death is a production of tenderfoot TV and
iHeart Podcasts.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
Listener discretion is advised.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
Welcome back to Talking to Death. It's a new week,
and that means we have a new guest for you.
If you listen to hip hop, you can thank Jerry Clark.
He joined the music industry in the nineties and has
been pivotal in bringing hip hop to Atlanta and the
world ever since. He's helped to grow the careers of
dozens of artists, many that you probably listen to today. He's
(00:43):
also the host of the iHeart podcast story Time with
Legendary Jerry, where he shares his wealth of experience in
the music industry. Payne and Jerry had a chance to
meet at iHeart Studios and chat about Atlanta. They talked
about the hip hop scene, both of their experiences working
in the music industry. They talk about music videos, they
talk about sports. They even go into some really personal
(01:04):
subjects about themselves. So let's jump into it. This week,
legendary Jerry Clark.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
To me, I think you're Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (01:23):
I sure around?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
What does that mean?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
I embraced the culture all the way around. And when
I tell you, let me back up. So I moved
here in eighth grade, which was high school at that point,
and since then I have jumped all the way in
and really embraced what Atlanta really is. And as I've
been in this music business and for thirty years, I've
(01:50):
really seen that we really, really, really we control what
goes on with the culture. And I saw that when
I first got here, from the dancing to the clothing,
to the dressing everything. And I entrenched myself in this
culture here in Atlanta, and I've been and I and
I've been doing it ever since I got here. So
Chicago is my birthplace and I lived there, you know,
(02:12):
at the beginning, but Atlanta is my home and this
is shit now I'm I'm at alien.
Speaker 1 (02:18):
So what did you notice, Like, what was it like
back then? And why is it like the why is
it so impactful in the culture.
Speaker 4 (02:25):
You know, I'll take it back to uh. Atlanta is
one of those cities where it has grown since the
black leadership of Mayard Jackson took over in the early seventies.
A lot of other cities they they had black mayors
in the early seventies and they tapered off. Atlanta just
(02:47):
kept growing and growing. And it goes back to the
leadership of this city from Mainard to Andy Young up
until now, we've had great leaders in this city and
that's what sets in line up part.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
So to use that foundational into like the growth of
the culture.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yes, past, definitely, that makes sense. Definitely, that makes sense.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
Definitely.
Speaker 1 (03:08):
People ask me, uh, just because I'm from Atlanta, like,
how do you say Atlanta only people from are not
from Atlanta?
Speaker 4 (03:17):
Sa tea at Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Talking to a bunch of like super white people.
Speaker 4 (03:24):
Maybe you put the tea in it pain Atlanta Atlanta
in Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Yeah, It's like okay, no, it's Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
But if you're around Atlanta, yeah yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
And then I start saying, you know what, I hate
to hear people.
Speaker 4 (03:36):
Say hot Atlanta. That'shit so corny, God like corny.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
The fastest way to know that you know nothing about
Atlanta is to say, at Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (03:46):
Did we ever say that pain You're from hot Lama.
Speaker 3 (03:48):
No, I'm not.
Speaker 4 (03:50):
Hot Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
Buddy. Yeah, you from Hotlanta, Classic Uber Driver like New
York Like, oh, Hot Atlanta. I'm like, don't ever say
that again, and like, I know people who have more
of a reason to be offended by that.
Speaker 4 (04:02):
That is so stupid.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So I want to talk about the old days in
the music industry when you got involved, because I mean
music evolution since the nineties, we've gone through so many
different chapters here, yes, and we're at a and it's
changing like by the year at this point, I feel like,
but this is in the day of tapes and CDs, Okay,
(04:27):
So like I feel like this was like the heyday
of the music industry, right, it definitely was, and.
Speaker 4 (04:33):
It was it was the golden day. It definitely was golden.
Speaker 3 (04:36):
Yeah, And just tell me about how you got into
this and what.
Speaker 4 (04:39):
It was like. I came in the business.
Speaker 1 (04:43):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (04:44):
I actually interned for two labels, and that's how bad
I wanted it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
I was worried, do you want to do that in
the first place? Like lits sen hip, I.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Have found my uncle rest in peace, my uncle Stanley Bethel.
He was very instrumental in me wanting to get in
the music business because he was in the business, and
I watched how he moved and he used to take
me to some of the music conferences, to Jack the
Rappers Conference, the b r E Conference with him. So
(05:13):
I was I got you know.
Speaker 1 (05:15):
Yeah bug, And did you look after him?
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Oh?
Speaker 3 (05:18):
Definitely, like you wanted to be like I want to
be like him.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
Yeah. I mean I had my father as a as
a great male figure, and I had my uncle Stanley Bethel,
who was he was like a mentor slash uncle, just
a life he just got helped guide me with a
lot of decisions. You know. Of course I had my dad,
so he definitely guided me, but Stanley Bethel was that
guy for me, and he was in the business and
(05:44):
he had a lot of big positions over the years.
So he used to take me with him, and you know,
my eyes were big, and I was like, okay, initially,
paying kid, Yeah, yeah, teenager. Initially I wanted to get
into for the glamor and the glitz. It's a music
part of it.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It's a pretty fun part of it.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
Yeah, So I wanted to get into it for the
glamor and the glitz. And Stanley Bethel told me something
and I'll never forget it. He told me, he said, Jerry,
I was a teenager. He said, you have a certain
gift that only a small percentage of people on this
planet have. He said, when you walk in a room,
people gravitate to you, and you have this gift, the
(06:26):
gap that every that a lot of people don't have.
So he said, you can either go onto politics and
you could be a preacher, a pip pain a preacher
pip or going to the music business.
Speaker 1 (06:43):
Right, hey, well here you want.
Speaker 4 (06:46):
And the music business chose me. So I was interning
the two labels and I started grassroots.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
I was.
Speaker 4 (06:54):
I was. I was the street promotion rep, snippet cassaids
putting posters on the wall and retail story post the
boards on the pole, walking down the street. So that
was my entry point to the music business. And I
got it the grassroots rate. And I know a lot
of great executives. That that's how they started. Yeah, Donald Albright,
(07:15):
Lene Yeah, and Donald Foot Soldiers. That's a perfect exam
because Donald Albright and his team d the entertainment. They
were very good, Like they were younger than me. So
as I was transitioning more into the executive space, they
were like that team. You guys or something, and they
were good. So I just started growing in that and
(07:36):
label started taking note. And then I started graduating where
I started doing more, uh you know, building relationships with
radio station program directors and music directors and Mike Show guys.
So I started transitioning more into the radio promotion game
and it brought me, you know, from the street. And
then of course labels started getting going away from the
(07:58):
street market Why do we have a budget with that
isn't really working? And then when the Internet came and
social media, they really was like, we don't need it.
But you look at it now, there's nothing nothing like
gorilla marketing. Yeah, there's nothing like it. It still works
exactly and I and I see it, and I hope
that it starts coming back where people are still hand
(08:20):
in the hand. Don't get it wrong. You can press
one button on your phone on a computer and reach millions,
but it's never old for hand to hand and you know,
and gorilla marketing.
Speaker 3 (08:31):
And that's why the value of a live performance.
Speaker 4 (08:34):
Or something exactly. That's the analogy. Yeah, perfect, perfect one.
That's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
It's hard to get content out there. It's like every
day gets harder.
Speaker 4 (08:44):
Yeah, because a lot of labels, a lot of artists,
a lot of creatives have gotten lazy because they feel like,
oh we got TikTok, we got Instagram, we can just
you know, you still have to build your brand. You
still have to build it. And that's what I look
back on the line. I mean you look at like,
for example, for you to release two albums in one
(09:05):
year and both of them to go platinum. I'm talking
about DMX back in.
Speaker 1 (09:08):
I forgot what you that's actually crazy. That's a crazy statistic.
Speaker 4 (09:11):
Come on, mane, come on mine and this is these
are days when you had to go in the record store. Yeah,
those are physical buy things and buy record whether it
was a scene a million people, come on man, twice
in a year now, artists are coming out down to streaming.
Just in she just then threw a whole monkey wrench
(09:34):
and the artists you can't make no money. I think
it was Snoop Dogg. I saw something recently where he
did a he he like did a graphic on how
artists are not getting paid from streaming. Yeah, like you
could he I think he said somebody he had a
billion streams and may be made. I forgot what it
was it was like forty fifty thousands, right, come on, man,
(09:55):
a billion, I think that's crazy.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
A billion streams, a million of anything. You should be
you getting millions at least eight dollars anything. The problem is,
it's like once the streaming music was introduced as a consumer,
you can't go back. Yeah, it's like we say that,
but it's like what did you listen do on the
way over here? Did you pop a CD and did
you stream it?
Speaker 4 (10:14):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Of course, right exactly, And like that sucks, Like I
still support artists that I really love, like by going
and buying the thing or whatever or paying the extra thing.
Speaker 4 (10:24):
Yeah, that's why I'm glad when I see like folks
like Killing Mike and Run the Jewels, they're still release like.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
Vinyl yeah and there on that due covers like that.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
You want that in your living room? Right, yeah exactly.
So I mean, so that's back to your That's how
I got started in the music business. I was a
street promotion rep. And then my my name and my
brand and my cachet just started growing and growing over
the years where I started becoming a real power player
and that person to connect.
Speaker 1 (10:55):
Dots and so give me an example, of connecting the
dots in the music business back then that resulted in
a major success for you.
Speaker 4 (11:06):
Well, I have I have a few of those stories.
I'm gonna I'm gonna give you one. I don't know
if this fits directly into your question, but I'll give
you some some something that's close. I started doing some
work for Rebok, and I created an urban seating program
where I sent out two three pair of shoes a
(11:27):
month to at that point, the tastemakers, folks on the radio.
Even I found some old paper. Ludacris was at the
radio State he worked at Hot ninety seven. One was
seven like folks like that that were like out on
about yeah. And I sent them to three pair of
shoes a month and said, just give give us your
(11:48):
feedback and we will put it in like in a
in a report and send it to Massachusetts to.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
I could have ahead of its time.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
I feel like that's like the data that like I.
Speaker 4 (11:59):
Was ahead of my time. I want with a few things.
So we took that and then it then it came
about where I was in the meeting with Reebok and
on a conference called Way Before the Days of Zoom,
and I told them that you all are missing out
on a huge opportunity to really get involved with at
(12:19):
that point, the biggest label and some of the hottest
artists in the South, and they were from New Orleans.
It was cash money. I was like, because they talk
about rebox all the time, that's like that, you know,
Breeze and Ja Bowls. And I said, there's even a
certain shoe that if you go into any Champs foot
locker in the South, in New Orleans, in Atlanta and
(12:41):
you say, hey, let me get the soldier, they're going
to go on it back and get it.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Which one was the soldier?
Speaker 4 (12:46):
It was like the I don't know how to describe. Yeah,
it was yeah so and they couldn't believe it. And
I was like, this is this is an opportunity now,
I said, there that next big thing. So, uh, burrow Man,
he flew in town on Gregg Street from V one
(13:07):
O three, hooked the meeting up and we met and
uh he was interested. He you know, of course, he
was like the money got to be right. So we
met and then he flew back again by himself and
me and him met at a strip club during the
daytime and talked about it, and I went back to Reboxing.
Was like, hey, let's figure out how to do this.
I sent on one of those early cash Money Lil
(13:28):
Wayne tours. I sent them I'm talking about ken Eyven.
It was like shoes upon shoes upon shoe. Rebox, you like,
oh yeah, last my Rebox. You know. I just wanted
to make sure that going into a potential partnership that
everything was gonna be cool. But you know, Rebox, they didn't.
They didn't get it out, and like I said, like
unimag now, yeah, we was, we was ahead of our time,
(13:50):
you know. And then I know they look back like
damn this liquor, cash money, young money. Look at what
they be, what they become. But you know, but then
a couple of years later I saw them doing a
partnership with like Jada Kiss and stuff. You know, so
I was like, you know, I wasn't mad.
Speaker 3 (14:06):
I was just came around to it because they missed
the boat.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Yeah. But plus you know the South, we still you know,
we still didn't get that, like it was a respect
then you know New York it was like yeah, you know,
we we rock with your music singing man, Oh yeah,
oh definitely.
Speaker 3 (14:25):
When do you think that really changed or started to change.
Speaker 4 (14:29):
Well, we forced we forced it, We forced the issue
when we started really taking over. And that's what my
podcast is about, is really talking about the narrative of
Atlanta and the South because and I say this all
the time. I've said it on my show, plenty of times,
I've said it speaking. You know, we just celebrated fifty
years of hip hop pain and at least twenty five
(14:50):
of those years, the South has really run this shit.
Speaker 3 (14:53):
Yeah, I mean, yeah, I disagree with you.
Speaker 4 (14:56):
Come on mind. Yeah, there's the numbers back it up.
And it's just so these are cute, but yeah, the South,
Atlanta took the baton and then and then you know, Miami, Houston, Memphis,
New Orleans. I mean the South we've been, it's been,
it's been a stranglehold on it. So in a way,
(15:17):
we forced, we forced everybody's hands. Like you had to
rock with us. You had to because guess what we was.
We was controlling the next.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
Either way, we're coming and we're here, right and then the.
Speaker 4 (15:28):
Look you look, look at the music since ninety nine,
two thousand. I mean, you know, like I said, I
love New York stuff. I love when the West Coast,
you know, with Snoop and Dre and all that was
doing cute. But the South it hasn't been a run
like we've had, right, It's like it hasn't ended. I
guess oh yes, it still hasn't. And even when and
even when people was like, oh, Atlanta, it's over. It's
(15:50):
a wrap. You had killing Mike win three Grammys. You
look at the super Bowl show and that was that
was that was an Atlanta show, the handtime show, ship
and and true enough when when Thug, you know when
he got it, when he got you know, his legal stuff,
I was like, we got to take a hit because
Thug is I mean, he's incredible as an artist.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
I mean one of my favorite.
Speaker 4 (16:12):
Oh Thug is that dude?
Speaker 1 (16:13):
I mean he's so yeah, I mean arguably influenced a
lot of the rappers day today.
Speaker 4 (16:19):
Right, definitely Thug.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
He first came out with that stoner. We were like,
not only who is this, but what is this?
Speaker 4 (16:25):
Thug is that dude?
Speaker 1 (16:26):
Right?
Speaker 4 (16:27):
So, Atlanta we took a hit when he went down.
We did. We took a hit.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Suck.
Speaker 4 (16:30):
But guess what though, Atlanta influences everything.
Speaker 3 (16:37):
So do you did you know a guy named Matty P?
Speaker 1 (16:40):
Yeah, yeah, r I P.
Speaker 4 (16:44):
Yes, yeah, I didn't know him like that.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Matthew Pearson, Yes, yeah, I knew him pretty well because
we were in a band together, like a alternative hip
hop group. So I'm from Kennesaw, uh, the suburbs, right,
I'm probably twenty years old at this point, and I'm
making these parody videos online and I'm at the apartment
(17:09):
complex office because my internet sucks, and I'm uploading this
video to YouTube of like me rapping with my friends.
And this guy is in there who also lives in
the same complex, and he introduced himself as an artist manager.
I ended up signing an artist a management deal with
this person, got out of it later, but he introduced
(17:30):
me to Matty P. And next thing you know, the
Kinnesau kids are driving down to Atlanta. In the first
day that I was in the studio with Maddie, Lloyd
comes through and he hops.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
On a song with me, and I'm like, holy shit,
like what is happening?
Speaker 1 (17:49):
Whoa and whoa whoa. We're the only white dudes in
the room, and they're like and like we feel like
why are they fucking with us like this? Also, they're
like it's like ever since then, I've been kind of
in my own way from music videos to the music,
like been around the hip hop culture in Atlanta and
(18:09):
the actual professional side, and it's just like the dopest
thing ever and like.
Speaker 4 (18:17):
You have to be in it to really I try
to tell people from other parts of the country, you
gotta really be in it to really feel it. Man,
It's like just just like the piggyback off your story.
It's just like a certain camaraderie here in the life
for sure. Like you said, you in the studio, Lloyd
just pops up again. I've been in the studio in
one room it might be two chains, another room it
(18:37):
might be tip, and another room it might be whoever gezy.
Like it's just that, and that's one of the main
reasons Atlanta has really taken off. We got a different
type of Southern camaraderie here man, absolutely, and it seems
as though, you know, I'm not not perfect, because it's
still of course, you know, it's clicksh and a little hate.
(18:57):
But still the reason we've been able to thrive is
that we put a lot of that to the side.
And it goes back to what I said a minute ago.
The culture of the city. Even when Maynard Jackson started
really putting his stamp on making Atlanta a true international city.
He was like, we're gonna put all this bs to
the side and we gon work together. Yeah, and we're
(19:18):
gonna make this city what it is. Black white, you make.
We're gonna make us some money, make this guard.
Speaker 3 (19:23):
We're in the money making.
Speaker 4 (19:25):
Yeah, we're gonna make and we're gonna make this city great.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (19:27):
And the year's later, we gonna get the Olympics and
then you know, we're gonna really take off and be
an international citat. So it goes back to that. It's
just the culture of this city. Man, It's it's amazing.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
Man.
Speaker 4 (19:37):
I love I love Atlanta.
Speaker 3 (19:39):
So what year did you get to Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (19:42):
Uh?
Speaker 4 (19:43):
Eighth grade?
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So eighty six, eighty six, And I mean we're here
during the Atlanta child murders.
Speaker 4 (19:49):
No, I was right, Are you aware of it at all? Like,
of course, because it's interesting you said that, because I
remember my dad was watching sixty minutes and he was like, man,
the folks down in Atlanta crazy, They ain't tripping, they
killing all these kids. A few years later we live
in that.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
Here, right, right, Yeah, I mean that was during his
reign inter Jackson, Yes this.
Speaker 4 (20:12):
This, Yeah, it sure was was.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
But yeah, I yeah, my dad was going to Georgia
Tech at the time, and like.
Speaker 3 (20:21):
He was even scared because no one knew what the
hell was going on.
Speaker 4 (20:24):
And that was that was a huge black eye for
the city. And you know, fortunately, uh we bounced back
from that absolutely, yeah, and you know, but it definitely
was and a lot of people, a lot of people
caught a lot of flat for you know, for to
continue that long exposed.
Speaker 1 (20:44):
I mean not just Atlanta too, like nationwide.
Speaker 4 (20:48):
Yeah, fbi, it pulled and pulled the covers back on
a lot of different issues, you say, not just facing
the city, but facing this country. And when you pull
the sheets back, you're like, okay, some bugs, and it
looks it looks neatly made, it looks nice. When you
pull it back into a bunch of bed bugs, then
you realize that it's real big. It's bigger than what
we think it is on the surface.
Speaker 1 (21:08):
And bed bugs are no fun. Shit, nah, man, it's
not fun.
Speaker 4 (21:12):
At all, not at all.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
So do you think that hip hop has gotten more
popular in the last twenty years? Shit, I mean that's
a that's like a faceture, like I know the answer
to that, but like, tell me how why is that?
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Well, when you look at it once again, it use
his word culturally, and you go to Asia, you go
to you know, whether you in Tokyo, whether you in
Europe and Germany, or whether you in uh, you, you
name it. You look at the influence of hip hop
worldwide and it has blown away all of what I
(21:46):
thought it was gonna be I mean or something, yeah, exactly,
And you're like what, Yeah, it's like and I remember
my parents they used to say all this rap stuff
is like break down, say it to be gone in
a few years.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Right, which I mean, I guess at the time, it
was in the like infancy of what was about to
be the biggest thing ever ever, right.
Speaker 4 (22:07):
I mean, and you look at the popularity now, I'm like, wow,
this is really worldwide. Even like it's still like even
when I see certain things now. I saw some MC's
in Japan the other day, like balance, I was like,
and I saw how they were dressed, and I was like, damn.
I was like, man, this hip hop culture is really
(22:27):
it's really worldwide. Not that I didn't know that before,
it's just every time I see something like that, then
I'll see some guys in the ciphering like parism, you know,
and I'm like, you know balance, you know, just freestyling
in French. I'm like, wow, man, this.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Is it's crazy and like you can see and hear
Atlanta in it. Oh, oh man, are you proud of that? Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:47):
I'm definitely proudly because I had, I was part of it,
I helped contribute to it, and that's why I'm proud
of you. Oh, definitely, definitely. I was definitely firmly entrenched
and pushing in line of forward. And it's you know,
this business has been great to me. Then it has
(23:08):
his moments where his caused me something some of the
worst anxiety I've ever had for just dealing with pain,
just just dealing with some of the phoniest motherfuckers you
ever come.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Across, promoter types or what just all people.
Speaker 4 (23:22):
Yeah, people, in all phases of his music business. It's
just so many three dollar bill last motherfuckers, man, And
it wears on your mind. It wears on you when
people I sit here with you and hey, pain, we're
gonna do this deal. Just get and then you don't
return no calls and no emails.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Like are we on the same pay? Are we doing this?
Speaker 1 (23:42):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Like what happened?
Speaker 1 (23:43):
Do you really want to?
Speaker 4 (23:44):
And then you'll see him a few months later, Hey man,
what's up with you?
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Don't Yeah, after you've popped off and done some other
thing or what the fuck?
Speaker 4 (23:50):
Bro Like, we sent out and had two three meetings.
We shook hands, said, hey, let's get to turn this
the deal. We go do these are the numbers we
gonna have, and you just disappear.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
That's why I quit music. Video is the same shit.
Speaker 4 (24:02):
And then like there's like ethical is its? Hey man,
it's yeah, it wears. But I'll say this, it's like
I made great money in this business. I raised a family,
so you know, it's just situations like that. Man. It's
just like I say, the industry has been great to me.
It's been great. I've provided a great life for myself
and my children. But it has been some It's definitely
(24:25):
has been some moments where I questioned. Especially the one
pain that really made me really poured back from the
business when a close friend, he wasn't just a colleague,
he was a close friend of mine, when he killed himself. Yeah,
that's what made me say, is this business really worth it?
(24:50):
Is it worth it? And I want to say rest
in peace to my brother, Shakir Stewart, one of one,
one of the most, one of the smartest, just genuine
dudes would ever meet. I had two beautiful kids, beautiful fiance.
You know, it ain't about material things. We had the
nice cars, the big house.
Speaker 1 (25:09):
How do you get to that point you think, I
don't know.
Speaker 4 (25:12):
I wish me and him could and we get right
and we spoke all the time because he's was it.
Speaker 3 (25:17):
A shock to you that that happened like out of nowhere?
Speaker 1 (25:19):
It was a shock to everybody. Everybody, y, Yeah, it was.
Speaker 4 (25:22):
It was a shock to me because, like I say,
when you look at it, he had it all and
he just had the He just had the whole swagger.
He just was. He was just one of them dudes
that you wanted to be around and be where. He
was cool like that. Yeah, it sent me into depression
because I just kept in my mind saying, damn, shake
you had it all. I was just I just kept
(25:44):
saying that, and I'm like thinking, like, bro, like what
why didn't you know? Just why didn't you call me?
We just talked a few days before, like what was
going on dog? So when when that happened? That Actually,
he's one of the motivating factors the reason I do
storytime of legend Jerry's because I wanted to bring spotlight
to those behind the scenes, like a Shakiir Steward, like
(26:07):
a clay Evans Rest in peace, Clay Evans who made
so many things pivotal anything, or you don't see us
because we were behind the scenes. So when I look
at people like those guys, they are definitely a motivational
factor for me to do story time with Legendary Jerry podcasts.
But that the Shakiir death that that sent me painted,
(26:33):
it knocked me down.
Speaker 3 (26:34):
How did you overcome that?
Speaker 1 (26:35):
And how did you not stay depressed about that and
eventually somehow work that into a positive thing to propel
you forward?
Speaker 3 (26:45):
In memory of that, like how did you make that switch?
Speaker 4 (26:50):
Good question, I don't even remember. I just know that
I know I had told myself that I didn't even
want to be in a business no more. I said,
I don't want to do it. No. Well, I had
just started my foundation at Jerry Clark Foundation, and I
was doing some things in the community, and I was like,
maybe I should do this to really make a change
(27:11):
in the community, to start deprogramming and reprogramming the minds
of young especially young black males, because I was like,
I got to make a positive not that I wasn't
making a positive difference in the music business. I just
felt like I needed to do something more because I
lost somebody that I considered to be very close to
(27:32):
me and I'm looking at my three small kids at
the time, and I was like, you know, let me
just pull it back from this shit.
Speaker 1 (27:38):
What's more important all these things that come with my success,
more like the people that I love in the process.
Speaker 4 (27:47):
But then it hit me like a ton of bricks
a year and a half couple of years later that
even though I was making cool money, I wasn't making
the money that I was making in the music business.
And I was like kind of backed into a corner
the pain, because I said, this is.
Speaker 1 (28:02):
All that I know is scary feeling.
Speaker 4 (28:06):
It's this music business.
Speaker 3 (28:07):
So if you weren't doing music, would you have gone
back to I mean who knows?
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Right?
Speaker 1 (28:14):
Yeah, I mean that thought scares me. I'd be just
your bad server at fucking Houston. Yeah, that's so I was.
Speaker 4 (28:21):
I was just like I was backed into a corner like, Okay,
this is all I know. I'm good at what I do.
I have great relationships in this business. Let me start
easing my way back into it. But like I said,
that the situation from Shakir's story that hurt me for
a while. It definitely pained. It knocked me on my ass,
(28:45):
like I said, because somebody and you know, suicide and
mental health, you know, in the black community for a
long time, for many years, it was just kind of
swept under the road, just pray about it, just you know,
just praying. I mean, don't get it wrong, prayer It
is great, But that was like that was it just
pray about Yeah, you depressed it. Yeah you're depressed, bipolar,
(29:07):
pray about it, right, yeah, you know. So that really,
you know, it made me start looking at my mental
health and like, okay, I gotta really make sure that
I'm good because I have kids and I you know,
I got to make sure that they're good. And then
it's crazy. After all that, a couple of years later,
I was in a bad car wreck and I started
(29:28):
having anxiety.
Speaker 1 (29:30):
Damn flipped the car off, Yeah.
Speaker 4 (29:33):
Flipped off. Couldn't fly for a whole year.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
So what what did the anxiety feel like or what
does it feel.
Speaker 4 (29:37):
Like for you?
Speaker 3 (29:39):
So it's different for everybody, Yeah, it is.
Speaker 4 (29:42):
Mine was uh it made every So give you an example.
Right after the car wreck, the paramedics came. They tried
to put me in the back of the ambulance. They
tried to close the door and on the walls or
like closing and them. I said, I got to get
out of here. They was like, no, you can't. I said,
I can't ride back here. I was like trying to
get it.
Speaker 3 (30:00):
You were like, this is not freaking right now.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Freaking out. Got me to the hospital, you know. They
didn't have any internal bleed and they let me go.
Two days later, I'm driving sitting in traffic on Pea
Street by Houston's cars. Bump of a bumper. I fucking
hopped the funk out, like sweating out of the car
(30:25):
because I felt like I was sending traffic.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Oh wow, this is sort of like yeah, so I was, yes,
that's exactly.
Speaker 4 (30:32):
So I started tripping. So I chilled, and then I
was working at I forgot oh, I was I was
working at an Island depth jam, you know, because Shakiir
and jermaineu Pria brought me so the officers in New York,
and I tried to fly up. And I was walking
through the airport, got on the train, start having an
uneasy feeling pain, went down the escalator onto the train,
(30:55):
I was uneasy, got to my gate, I was cool.
Got on the plane, doors closed, playing, starts backing up.
I start freaking the fuck out, damn pressing the button.
I gotta get off. Did you try to open the door?
They pull it back in and let me off.
Speaker 1 (31:12):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (31:13):
Next week, I tried to do it again this time.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Now are you even more anxious about trying it again?
Speaker 1 (31:18):
Is there a little bit of build up or you
feel that little feeling and you're like, oh, oh, don't
go down?
Speaker 4 (31:22):
Every time I flew the following week, I got to
get to New York cacause I got meetings. This time,
the anxiety kicked in, like before, I was going out
escalator to the train.
Speaker 1 (31:32):
Oh wow.
Speaker 4 (31:33):
So when I get on the flight this time, I'm breathing,
trying to trying to breathe. This time, the flight gets
all the way the plane gets all the way out
on the wrong way with third for takeoff. I don't
know what the fuck happened. I just start bugging the
fuck out.
Speaker 3 (31:45):
In the moment.
Speaker 4 (31:46):
Are you like trying to get speaking about why this.
Speaker 1 (31:48):
Is happening or like rationally explain it? Definitely and it's
not possible.
Speaker 4 (31:53):
It was like I was in it. I was closed in,
like I couldn't do nothing.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Like yeah, Like it was like you weren't even operating
yourself anymore, like an instinctual response yeah, which is scary.
Speaker 4 (32:03):
They had to go around pull the plane back in.
This time. They had the paramedics waiting on me, and
I never forget. It was just like a little old
black lady there. She was like, you got anxiety, so yeah,
something has something serious happened to you. Later you might
have PTSD. I was like, what is this lady talking
about me?
Speaker 1 (32:22):
Right?
Speaker 4 (32:22):
Like putting on a little thing. I was like, I'm cool,
I can walk good, I could walk, I'm cool. I'm
just tired. I ain't been sleep.
Speaker 3 (32:29):
Yeah, I've been working hard.
Speaker 1 (32:30):
Right.
Speaker 4 (32:31):
I went to the doctor, tried to get on the elevator.
The doors were closed. I freaked out, pressed the thing
jumped or walked up like five flights of steps and
they was like, yeah, you got you. Then I went
to a psychiatrist and they start prescribing medication. But you
know that's what they quick to write a write a
(32:54):
prescription for some ship. So but I took it upon
myself to start doing yoga. I did all uh hypnotherapy.
Speaker 3 (33:02):
Oh nice, Yeah, like unpacking like childhood memories and stuff.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
And him or like therapy is very interesting. I bet
it is. I don't want to use the word. I
don't want to use the word weird because that let's
just say it was interesting.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
Do you have tapes of yourself?
Speaker 4 (33:20):
I can't find them, but I had, right, that sounds
serious and put the headphones on, sit back and client
and they talk.
Speaker 3 (33:26):
So does it work?
Speaker 4 (33:26):
Are you like it helped me?
Speaker 3 (33:28):
Like did you go into advance or.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
What is it?
Speaker 4 (33:31):
Yeah? I'm telling you, man, this ship is different.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Because I've I've read and heard that the way that
hypnosis works is that really you have to consciously allow yourself.
Speaker 4 (33:42):
Do I fell asleep and then I would wake up
like I feel like I was snoring, and he'd be like,
but I remember at the beginning what she was saying.
She would be like, you've been flying you know she
had that boy, you've been flying your whole life, Like,
come on, you've been on elevators, mister clarr you it's nothing,
it's not you can't die when you you know, I
had to keep telling yourself you're not gonna die, Like
why are you acting like you're gonna die? Why are
(34:04):
you panicking on the airplane?
Speaker 3 (34:05):
Interesting?
Speaker 1 (34:06):
It's help.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
This worked for you.
Speaker 4 (34:07):
It helped along with yoga and a little bit of medication.
I mean, I'm just ye, I mean seriously, like that's yeah,
between those, between yoga, hypno therapy and a little bit
of medication that help.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
So how do you manage it now? Anxiety in general?
Speaker 4 (34:23):
Stay away from fuck people's fuck boys seriously, right, yeah,
people that's full of shits.
Speaker 3 (34:29):
Like that way you've treated your anxiety one of those
fun people that gets.
Speaker 4 (34:32):
You on, people that bring negative, demonic ass energy.
Speaker 3 (34:35):
Yeah, don't made me think like that.
Speaker 4 (34:37):
And I went from two mead occasions to one and
I take my little twenty milligrams every day and like,
I like that regimen. When I do things, I travel,
I smoke cigar. My kids are grown now got cigars.
You're like, man, I like so many that I just
like a cigar.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
I used to smoke cigars, like when I was like
eighteen through. It's the weirdest thing. I worked at this
restaurant and.
Speaker 4 (35:00):
Were they cigars are like black and Miles like, I'm
out in the cigar.
Speaker 1 (35:03):
You're right, that's not a cigar.
Speaker 4 (35:05):
Because I had paint. I had. People said, man, I spoke,
I supposed cigars. I'd be like, what, yes, yeah, yes,
he was all that.
Speaker 1 (35:16):
Yes, uh huh he was.
Speaker 4 (35:18):
I like the like the cigar, Yes, I haven't had it.
You mean with the color taste.
Speaker 1 (35:24):
Yes, it's actually it's not like it's kind of like
it's some body to it. It's not really. But I
used to like, while I was working as a host
at this restaurant in Marietta, there was a cigar store there. Yeah,
like when we were dead, I would go over there.
I would literally sitting there smoking a cigar and I
get like a call or text from the restaurant.
Speaker 4 (35:42):
Like to where are you, and you back.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Like, I'll be there, man, it's worse than you think.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
I mean there be over there in a minute. I
was like, wow, how did I not get fired?
Speaker 4 (35:52):
So that's what I do to you know. Now I'm
you know, I'm older, I'm wiser.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (35:57):
Like, and I'll say it again, I'll stay away from
people with energy. I don't want to be around if
you bring us a negative energy, I don't I don't
want that ship man.
Speaker 1 (36:04):
Yeah, why do you think it is that there's a
concerted effort to take down young Thug? I know that's
a deep, multi pronged question, But.
Speaker 4 (36:20):
Do you think it's a you think it's a concerted effort.
When you say concerted effort by who politicians and not Atlanta?
Speaker 1 (36:28):
You mean Atlanta as a city, I guess, and the
people who prosecute.
Speaker 4 (36:36):
I haven't really just to be very transparent, I haven't
really been watching a lot of it because you can
go on social media and you see some of the
clips and like it's some real, real foolishness, Like it's
like and I'm like, yeah, you know it is. And
I'm like, at what point do they just say like
this this ship is a ship show?
Speaker 1 (36:57):
And that's why I keep thinking that let the guy double. Yeah,
That's why I'm saying concerted effort, meaning like it it
seems like they didn't like the hip hop rap star
part of this. Oh yeah, and like they went to
go look for something and then they found whatever they found. Yeah,
(37:21):
it started with them looking for something in the first place,
and that to me is just so like I can't
look past that. I'm like, why you guys pick on him?
Like what what is it about? What's so wrong with this?
I don't know, Like it's.
Speaker 4 (37:35):
Say, a young dude, he's very successful financially, he's you know,
and I met him twice and he's cool, funny guy,
great personality. Then you have people that you know, feel
as though like I'm going to use this situation to
take my career to the next level. It's just like
(37:56):
I really, I don't know, Like it's just yeah, like
I just kind of I've been asked this question a
few times and I just I stay away from it
because it's it's it's politics, and no matter where you
where I go with it, you know, Like I say,
I like the the DA or the prior I don't.
I don't know. Yeah, the DA, I know, she's you know,
(38:20):
she she she might have some political you know, endeavors
in the future. So it's just it's unfortunate for the city,
is unfortunate for It's just unfortunate all the way around. Yep,
And I hate it, man, Like I said, Man to
see see this guy dragged through. I mean, like I said,
I like that, not just musically, but a couple of
(38:41):
times I met him, he seemed like a very solid
young man. And I know people from that area Cleveland
Avenue that say the same thing. So it's just it's
just like I'll say it again, it's just unfortunate all
the way around. Yeah, I hate it, man, I hate it. Bro.
Speaker 1 (38:57):
So I've been a few times, Like he would never
remember me, but I directed a few music videos. One
was actually a t I and young Thug in it.
But also Tip was always coolest ship too, Like yeah,
they're always in a fun.
Speaker 4 (39:11):
Duo, Like is one of the coolest people you haven't like.
Speaker 3 (39:13):
For real though, ye, Like he's also funny at ship,
Like now.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
Is Tip is cool? Man, He's definitely funny. I see
why he's doing comedy now he's and he's he's really
growing in that comedy space. Like yeah, there's.
Speaker 3 (39:27):
Lots of like of all around, like.
Speaker 4 (39:29):
Yeah, yeah, no, he's Tip is a funny Yeah, yeah,
he's he's he's funny, and I'm glad to see that
he's starting to really become successful in that comedy space. Yeah,
I love to see that because he's a good dude.
Speaker 1 (39:40):
Though.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Is a good dude, Yeah, family dude, like dude.
Speaker 1 (39:45):
Yeah, he was always like I mean, he always did
remember me, which I I don't like you remember when
someone remembers you when you're on the other side of
the camera and you're like just a dude. Like, I've
been to a lot, I've felt a lot of rap videos.
Some of them are like they roll up and they're
like big as art as you know, let's see young
thug t I. I did almost all of August Alcina's
(40:08):
videos really, uh huh. That's how I met Donald in
the first place. J Khaled met him. Also.
Speaker 3 (40:16):
He was funny because like I flew to Miami last minute.
Speaker 1 (40:19):
Rick Ross was there and we shot this really dope
video at this cathedral that we rented that was like
crazy and I couldn't Like my mind was blown. When
I saw DJ Khalid in person, just being DJ Khalid,
I was like, this guy is just literally he literally
says like another one and stuff like in person, and
(40:42):
I was telling my friends and they didn't believe me,
But now it's.
Speaker 4 (40:44):
Like that's what Kalid is A cool last one. I
was like, iris much energy. He brings that good Nagy
makes sense now. It's like he's that guy to the
way you want to just be happy. He seems to
be happy. Yeah, seems to be right exactly. He seems to.
Speaker 3 (41:01):
Be very energy, is infectious.
Speaker 4 (41:03):
He's got great energy. And this is and when I
tell you back when he was at the radio station
in Miami and I used to talk to him about
getting you know, records, play make sure whatever, he was
the same way.
Speaker 1 (41:12):
He was cool.
Speaker 4 (41:14):
He was cool. It wasn't no like Hollywood. I'm sure
people have made they may have a different store, but
with me, it was never no Hollywood shit, never no
high side industry shit. He was just cool man. You know.
So I pull for people like that. I like to
see people like that win. Absolutely, Yeah, you want to
pull for people that. It's not on that bullshit.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
You know, Like you said earlier that part of the
appeal when you first got into the business was like
the clips and the glamour. It was I get that,
like I kind of like as a creative person and
who's like been a music artist and like you know,
looks at his work like it's art, like it's you know,
not to be corny, but like I also have always
aspired to like be at the maximum potential of you know,
(41:57):
not necessarily being famous, but like if that it's the
byproduct of the world seeing my work, then that's what
I crave that part of ye like the biggest audience
there is for something I care a lot about. And
you know, over a couple of years, like having successful
podcasts and building tenefit with Donald you know, like I've
gained like some followers on Instagram, like not a lot
(42:19):
compared to a lot of people, but I've noticed like
other people around me who like I'd never even thought
about it, but.
Speaker 3 (42:27):
They're bringing up to me, like they think I'm an influencer,
and I'm like.
Speaker 4 (42:32):
Bro, I just that's the profession.
Speaker 1 (42:34):
Well, I do this work. People have just gone out
of their way to follow me here. I don't make
any money on this shit, but I don't care about influence.
Speaker 4 (42:44):
You got to put that on your resume.
Speaker 1 (42:45):
You're an influencer, Yeah, I'm sorry selling creams.
Speaker 4 (42:48):
Yeah, I'm an influencer. Yeah, Payne Lindsey the influencer.
Speaker 1 (42:52):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (42:54):
Give me three things that are the most Atlanta right now?
Speaker 4 (43:01):
Uh. Three things. Three people are.
Speaker 1 (43:04):
Threings like or ways of doing something or not people, but.
Speaker 4 (43:10):
Like culturally limon pepper wings is okay, that's Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (43:15):
Yeah, uh and they're good.
Speaker 4 (43:19):
Damn.
Speaker 3 (43:20):
Where do you get your wings from? Usually American deli?
Speaker 4 (43:23):
No, what do you mean? No? No, Jr. It's only
I mean j yes, I go to JR. Creek.
Speaker 1 (43:31):
That's right.
Speaker 4 (43:31):
And let me tell you, of course, going to your question.
Things that are Atlanta. That's Magic City is Atlanta is
Atlanta through and through. Not because of the naked women
dancing in there, not because of the wings that we're
talking about, which are good, yes, they are great. But
you've got a black man that's been owning this business
(43:53):
and this building in the heart of the city since
nineteen I think eighty five or eighty six. I mean,
come on, man, heart of Atlanta. Yeah, it doesn't get
more Atlanta than that.
Speaker 3 (44:03):
It doesn't.
Speaker 4 (44:04):
The magic from Magic City. You think about a black
man owning that property now in the heart of the city,
Magic City, that's in Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (44:15):
Okay, So that's two. What's the last what's the other one?
Speaker 4 (44:17):
The two?
Speaker 3 (44:18):
So you got lemon pepper wings, Magic.
Speaker 4 (44:20):
City, and those are kind of tiedy.
Speaker 3 (44:22):
The other damn right, you can do the both of
those at the same time.
Speaker 4 (44:24):
No, it is separate, Okay. So Lemon Pepper Wings is
in Atlanta. Magic City is Atlanta. I don't want to
sound corny and say the music, but you know.
Speaker 1 (44:35):
I mean if you like zoom out, like obviously the
music would be one. It's it's like, you know, like
growing up listening to the rappers that I listened to
from Atlanta and just hearing them like shout out roads
that like I'm driving through like I didn't come from there.
But also there's rappers from everywhere in Atlanta. Now it's
it's like you went to like a fucking price even.
Speaker 4 (44:56):
Like you look at a quay won them they from
We're North Side, Yeah, exactly, like come on, man, that's dope,
Like yeah you got now you got cats. It ain't
just all fours on me, you know, exact titty but
to change them. They from the South Side, you know,
and then you got JD and them from College Park,
so it's the east side. Of course, you got Gucci
(45:17):
man and you know young Nudi in twenty one. They
all these have future if they from all over edge
where they from all over man?
Speaker 3 (45:25):
I shot so many videos that were like in like
the real hood and like it all you do. It's
always straight like you see on World Star.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
Yeah, and like we're like from the suburbs, but we're like,
you know, the safeties are off. I'm like, I'm like
a you know, like accidents do happen, but like the
shots looked dope, but like this isn't like regulated over here.
Speaker 4 (45:49):
You said, you said, I'm really in this.
Speaker 1 (45:51):
I'm doing this, so we out here as well said
they said, what do you say? Is said nothing?
Speaker 4 (45:56):
Atlanta is a different place, man, It's a different place.
Speaker 1 (46:00):
You're making me get hyped about sports right now, Like,
let's go.
Speaker 4 (46:03):
I mean I'm ready. I'm ready to brave today opening Day.
Speaker 1 (46:06):
I've been part side of the Hawks yet. Yeah, of course,
are you on the regular with that ship?
Speaker 4 (46:10):
I'm not regular, but I've done it. I've done a
few fun Yeah. I like it the Hawks. I want
to see the ownership like really get aggressive and making
us a winner. We just can't be.
Speaker 3 (46:23):
What do we need? We need a superstar?
Speaker 4 (46:25):
Right like, yeah, we got Murray. I don't know why
we can't and I think I do know, but why
we don't ever attract any of the big free agents.
I know they know they come back.
Speaker 3 (46:36):
Okay, So why do you think that is Atlanta is awesome?
Speaker 1 (46:39):
What do you mean? What's up with it?
Speaker 4 (46:41):
A lot of these guys, especially if they're married, they wives,
they know Atlanta Atlanta will chew you up and spit
you out.
Speaker 1 (46:49):
Do you think that they they've been on the road
in Atlanta and they're like, we're not I'm not gonna live.
Speaker 4 (46:52):
I mean, let's just be real, man like that Atlanta.
Atlanta has some of the most beautiful women in America.
That is extremely And if you are the girlfriend, fiance,
a wife of one of these ballplayers, would you want
your dude to come to.
Speaker 3 (47:06):
This down the street from Magic City. I don't magine.
Speaker 4 (47:09):
Blue flame Cheetah clubs. I mean in Atlanta, nightlight seven nights,
seven nights a week, it's popping. It's somewhere to go.
Speaker 1 (47:19):
I didn't realize that Atlanta had like a surplus of
strip clubs until I went to other cities and realized
that they only have like.
Speaker 4 (47:26):
Two between churches, strip clubs and waffle houses. She'll find
those here in a yes, so we don't get the
free agents here with the Hawks, the Falcons. I think
mister Blank is a is a very good owner. Yeah,
but some of the decisions since the Super Bowl Tobacco,
I've questioned.
Speaker 3 (47:45):
It's like we have never fully healed from the.
Speaker 4 (47:47):
Yeah, we I think we still have PTSD from that.
Speaker 1 (47:50):
I do.
Speaker 4 (47:50):
Yeah, Yeah, I know I do too. So I think
we we got to start making better decisions drafting. And
I don't know why as the organization do we shy
away from drafting players from the University of Georgia. I
don't get that. With such a shit, I don't. I
don't get it. Man will intentionally pass over somebody to
(48:13):
go drive somebody from eastern Idaho a line back from
Eastern Idaho. I'd be like bros So and so.
Speaker 3 (48:20):
From Georgia in Athens.
Speaker 4 (48:22):
It's like, like, I just I don't. I don't know
what it is.
Speaker 1 (48:26):
Man.
Speaker 4 (48:26):
Well, hopefully with the new regime with Rahie Morris and
you know, I hope that changes. But like I say,
Arthur Blank, he's won a championship with the with the
soccer team with the United and yeah, and I just
went to one recently there always and I know he's
getting up in age. I want to see him get
one with the Falcons, But I want to see him
get make some better decision his personnel, you know, because
(48:49):
I was always told over the years, you have to
trust your personnel, and he's got to be able to
trust his personnel to make the decision. I just right now,
I just don't see it, man, because some of the
decisions has been made over the last few years with
the Facons. I just don't fucking get it, pained.
Speaker 3 (49:03):
I mean, Kirk Cousins was here for one day and
he got a grill.
Speaker 1 (49:08):
You see that he.
Speaker 4 (49:10):
Had one hundred and eighty million dollars. Kirk between September
and November, he balls out. But I don't know, man,
I don't know what happens in December in January. Man,
It's like there's.
Speaker 1 (49:23):
Just people who have always been like that too, like historically,
like is it like choking?
Speaker 4 (49:28):
Like I mean, Kirk Cousin can play, though, man, I
know he can play. I know he's in you know,
mid upper thirties. And I look back back to the
decisions of the team like why wouldn't we had why
why didn't we go for Lamar Jackson? Like when and
we could and looking back at we might have pretty
much got him on like a deal to like how
(49:49):
to steer this.
Speaker 3 (49:49):
Gut point on let just run it. That's that's the
what you just.
Speaker 4 (49:53):
Said is the reason why mister Blank probably didn't go
after because of what you just said about Michael Vick
or what what did you just say? Vict two point though.
Speaker 1 (50:03):
Yeah he doesn't want what I mean, like from a
player standpoint, like the not like not but whatever.
Speaker 3 (50:10):
But you think that was part of it?
Speaker 1 (50:12):
Shiit chah shit chait.
Speaker 4 (50:15):
As much as we love he, you know, I know,
mister Blank, I know that they're cool now, all is forgiving,
but that that put a bad, bad taste in his moment,
put a stain on the team, all that stuff, because
it's somebody he trusted, man, and he he really went.
He went a bit above and beyond the lookout for.
Speaker 1 (50:32):
Props a victor like coming back and having one of
the yes coolest games in history with the Eagles, the
coolest seasons.
Speaker 4 (50:39):
He was like the second m v.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
P that year, It's like wow, okay, yeah.
Speaker 4 (50:43):
Yeah, but mister Blank, man, he I just I look back,
I'm like, why didn't we go after Lamar Jackson? Then
the guy turns around and wins MVP and now like.
Speaker 3 (50:52):
He's better suited than Atlanta.
Speaker 1 (50:53):
I feel like he feels like Atlanta quarterback. Like it's like, yeah,
and we want and.
Speaker 4 (50:57):
We and we have weapons. We got running backs, we
got the tight end, were.
Speaker 1 (51:00):
Going through something this year, and got a pretty solid defense.
Speaker 4 (51:03):
So I just hope. I just want Kirk Cousin to
come in win ten eleven games and let's let's get
to the playoffs and see because anything can happened in
the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (51:11):
Yep, we've learned anything.
Speaker 4 (51:12):
So but I'm you know, I'm excited Braves, Georgia Bulldogs.
I'm excited man.
Speaker 1 (51:19):
Before before we uh part ways here. Yeah, any words
of advice you'd give to the younger generation who wants
to get into the music business, entertainment in general.
Speaker 4 (51:30):
I mentioned it early and I'm I actually mentioned both
things really and I'm gonna say it again. Make sure
you develop and cultivate strong relationships. Develop cultivate and really
appreciate relationships, and hone in on keeping just good relationships.
Speaker 3 (51:49):
Why do you think that's so important?
Speaker 4 (51:51):
It helps you monetize things, but at the same time,
it's everything is about relationships. I stepped back from in
the industry, came back. The reason I was able to
do that and transition right back is because of relationships.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
It's only someone else on the other end of the deal, right.
Speaker 4 (52:05):
Yeah, And people fuck with me. People like me, they
like doing bids with me, they like me personally, they
know that I'm not I'm not on the fuck ship.
And that was number two. Surround yourself with solid people
that really have you and their best interests. Because there's
a lot of fun boys.
Speaker 1 (52:22):
I a lot like you could be that one guy
who's not, but like your friends, you're.
Speaker 4 (52:26):
Surrounded by it and surrounded You're surrounded by people. So
those are the two things. Cultivate strong relationships and stay
away from phony two three dollar ass motherfuckers this that
don't see you and don't have you in their best interest.
And that's really it. If you're trying to come in
this business, you know, I could do all the work
hard and be you know, be passionate of course about
(52:47):
your ship. But relationships, man, It's about relationships, man.
Speaker 3 (52:52):
And say no to drugs unless they're like really good
and then.
Speaker 4 (52:57):
Death Jerry Clark storytell with my boy, look, I love
my boy, Hey with my boy paying Lindsay talking to
death man, make sure y'all tune in because this one
the dopest podcasts around. And I mean that.
Speaker 1 (53:11):
I mean that, So he tells everybody though, Yeah he
paid me that ship. Yeah, yeah, I got it back. Yeah.
Speaker 4 (53:17):
I appreciate you having me all.
Speaker 3 (53:19):
This has been fun due thank you much for coming out.
Speaker 5 (53:24):
Talking to Death is a production of Tenorfoot TV and
iHeart Podcasts, created and hosted by Payne Lindsay. For Tenderfoot TV,
executive producers are Payne Lindsay and Donald Albright. Co executive
producer is Mike Rooney. For iHeart Podcasts, executive producers are
Matt Frederick and Alex Williams. With original music by Makeup
(53:45):
and Vanity Set. Additional production by Mike Rooney, Dylan Harrington,
Sean Nurney, Dayton Cole, and Gustav Wilde for Coohedo. Production
support by Tracy Kaplan, Mara Davis, and Trevor Young. Mixing
and mastering by Cooper's and Dayton Cole. Our cover art
was created by Rob Sheridan. Check out our website talkingtodeathpodcast
(54:07):
dot com.
Speaker 3 (54:13):
Thanks for listening to this episode of Talking to Death.
Speaker 1 (54:16):
This series is released weekly absolutely free, but if you
want ad, free listening and exclusive bonuses. You can subscribe
to tenderfoot Plus on Apple Podcasts, or go to tenderfootplus
dot com
Host
Payne Lindsey
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