November 23, 2023 • 21 mins
Karlous Miller talks about Atlanta restaurants with Keith Lee at One Music Fest!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Backwoods Lounge, Backwoods backstage at one
Music Fast and I feel like we got a real
treat because we got a special guest that we didn't
even know was gonna be here today. But I did
know he was in the city giving food reviews. Got
(00:22):
the whole town shook. I know him and his wife
gonna go home and wonder. I don't know what to
eat down there. These people are gonna start.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Today, do it? Do it?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
But we have at this point world renowned food critic,
food reviewer uh and his lovely wife none other than
Miss Keith.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I mean, mister Keith. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I was thinking Keith and misrunning.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That's what got amazing. It's honor to be here. I
can't even put this in the words I can, but
you can. I can't because everybody's waiting. Again. This is
one of the things I wanted to do. I don't
have a bucket list. I don't really have many things
I want to do for real, But talking to you,
DC and she got bean the pandemic, she was pregnant.
That's all. I will watch all I watch. I really
(01:16):
no no, I swear I would not lie to you.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I asked to do this. I'm like, I don't do
interviews with nobody. I'm a very quiet, sitting with my family,
sit in a corner, e food kind of person. But
with you, absolutely anti page just walked off the stage.
Gotta do that that mandatory.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
First of all, man, I gotta salute you for the
good things that you are doing out here for these people.
You blessing people left and right, and you and you're
doing it organically. I appreciating in your opinion, madness, that's
so dope because we've seen, like especially at the time
when you really first start doing the food thing, and
and you know, like we had the pandemic and people
(01:53):
were trying to recover from that, and just by you
stopping through and letting people know that you like it
and support it, you brought so many people back, and
you've given back so much of your blessing.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
And that's why you're gonna always be blessed. Brother.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Look, man, I believe in God. I'm just a vessel
and I've said that and I'm gonna continue to say it.
I just eat food, I eat fool I pray, I
stay with my family. I don't do nothing else. Everything
that happened past that is meant to happen. God just
put me in a place, and I'm supposed to be
where I'm supposed to be there and how I'm supposed
to be here. That's why I'm sitting right here talking
to you.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
That's why it's amazing, because like, how does it feel
to be chosen by the people to be one of
those ones that they love and support the way that
they do?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Man, surreal? Surreal not even a word when I tell you.
Every day I wake up, I be looking in the mirror,
like I tell her all the time. We Craig and
day they how to hell? Everybody talking about oh that's
Keith Keep I'm like, I'm really just eating food. If
only you knew, Like, I don't be shooting content. I
don't call my I'm out of celebrity, I'm out of
content creator. I'm not an influencer. I'm literally just a
(02:51):
vessel with God.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
But I was gonna say, how what made you stumble
into that? If you weren't creating content already prior to
like doing the food content, what were what you'd be?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Like?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
You know what?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I want to really just record it and let everybody know.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So I've always had very severe social anxiety. I've been
a terrible So I've been a professional fighter since twenty fifteen,
or until I was sixteen, and I've always just so.
I always thought I was gonna be a professional fighter
my whole life. So I wrestled all thro high school.
I went straight out of high school straight to being
a professional fighter. I fought in belator for three years.
And with fighting, I don't do nothing but punch people
(03:24):
in the face foot living, so I don't have to
be friendly and talk and go out and mingle with people.
When socialize with people, I can literally just go to
the gym, go home, and that's it. So that was
my daily routine. And then I was doing fight interviews
and I was so skittish. I was skittish, I was nervous.
I wouldn't look at nobody. I was sweating in a
room my whole day. So I vividly remember during the pandemic.
(03:44):
I remember asking her, like what can I do about
this social anxiety? Like I don't want to go out nowhere,
I don't want to talk to nobody. I don't want
to go around nobody. I'm doing these interviews and I'm
hating it, and I was like, but that's a super
vital part of the game, because it's one thing to
just be fighting, but you really got to be making
your name, no, especially when to come to social media nowadays.
So I was like, I'm gonna just set up my phone.
It's an app called TikTok that just came out. I'm like,
(04:06):
I'm gonna just set on my phone and I'm gonna
just record myself and act like it's a thousand people
in front of me, and I'm gonna just talk to
the camera as if I was sitting in a room
full of people, and it just started taking off. First,
it was literally just me cooking because I used to
cook NonStop. I used to cook like four or five
meals a day, So I was just cooking. She was
pregnant at the time. I'm times a day's pregnant, so
(04:29):
I literally would just cook for anything she was craving
out would make it, and anything that she wanted I
would go get it. And that was just all my content.
So I think I had gained like one million or
like one point two million followers, and this was last
year in November. At that point, I had like one
point two one point three million followers, and People Versus Food,
which is a YouTube channel, they reached out to me.
It was like, hey, we want you to come on,
(04:50):
and they do food reviews. So I asked her, I'm like,
what would I post on my page that make people
from their page actually come and follow me and not
just come and watch. And she was like, post food reviews.
You love eating food, you love we critique it anyway.
So I'm in the crib and I'm eating just my
food and I'm like, it's like a seven, it's like
an eight, and she's like, bro, just do that and
just turn the camera on. So I literally started doing it.
I was like, I'm oppost one four review every day
(05:11):
until we get on peop versus Food. We did that November.
We got a People Verse Food in December. By December,
we went from one point two to three point eight
million followers that one and it's crazy, insane, and it
just like when I say we was doing TikTok from
twenty twenty to twenty twenty two, or yeah, we'll be
in twenty twenty three, so yeah, twenty twenty two, So
two years it took me to get to one point
(05:32):
two within from November to now, I'm at fourteen point one.
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Crazy. Yeah, bro, hey man, you just got a birthday too.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I did, I did. I turned twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now I was gonna ask you this because you had
you got this man he out here crazy, all these
followers crazy. He was on the internet crying, man, like
a baby, and it was and you and it was
like the internet was like he's crying, and then you can't.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Make like So look I'm happy, So be for real
when I tell you it's crazy. Since we've been doing this,
we've been able to raise over forty thousand dollars for
a restaurant owner who had cancer in less than twenty
four hours. We've been able to raise over sixty thousand
dollars for a food truck. His name was mister Garrett
in under twenty four hours. We I ate this chocolate
(06:22):
bar and I told people it was good because it
was really good to me. The lady was a teacher
for twenty years. She was able to retire forty eight
hours after the review was posted. All of this amazing
things that we've been blessed enough to do, and all
of these things, all these spaces we've been able to
be in and the Shade Room only posted me twice
this year, and both times it was me crying, and
one it was me crying at the BT Wars because again,
(06:44):
last year, I was barely making ends meet. And I
say barely, I mean like we was getting food stamps.
I was making with fighting. I was making maybe like
a thousand per fight, two thousand dollars per fight, and
I was making maybe five six hundred dollars with TikTok.
So I'm barely making it. And we got kids, so
they be here now at the BT Wars talking to
y'all and being in spaces like this. Of course I'm
(07:05):
a cry I'm a real person. I'm not with people
think I am. I'm literally exactly what you what I
portray is exactly who I am. I don't live under
no mass, I don't live under no character. I'm a
real nigga.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Like your social anxiety when I tell you so again,
I think everything happens away's supposed to.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
My sister, my wife, my mom in law, my kids.
I go everywhere with them. That's the way I'm able
to be up here talking to y'all. Those are my
social batteries. They plug in my social If it wasn't
for them, I'm in and out. I don't go nowhere
about myself. I'm getting better, don't get me wrong. I'm
getting a lot better. But me two years ago, he
hell are proud of me right now. I'm telling you,
(07:46):
he's so proud of me. Like you said on stage
talking in front of people, I used to be a hermit.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I'm telling you, bro man, it's so crazy, despice that
you picked to go and me, because it's like it's
a few of them places where it's like, I know
you went to this one burger spat like.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
An old black dude.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I was like, I.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Knew that food was hidden. I want you to just
mailed me some shit.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Sometimes that's mister Geary you talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So it's crazy when I tell you, I don't you content.
I mean it because I don't have no set up schedule.
I don't have no people in my ear telling me
where to go or what to do. I literally just
follow what I feel like I'm supposed to be doing.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And you go off referrals a lot too.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So I either go with referrals or like emails dms.
But a lot of times like, so yesterday, for example,
I literally was in a car and I wasn't going
through on emails, no dms or nothing. I seen all
the backlash all the other restaurants was getting like that
Atlanta Breakfast Club, Real Milk and Honey. It was getting
crazy on Twitter. I'm talking about we was trending all
last night, all off of like these restaurants need to
(08:44):
shut down, these rules, it's crazy. So I'm like, Okay,
we're sending the car and I'm like, I want to
go to a place that as good customer service, good food,
but don't nobody know about them. I was like, that's
literally what I want, and I'll be set for this trip.
Five minutes later, I got an email from a place
called The Real Dining Experience. We pulled up, nobody was
in there but us. The guy who was our waiter
(09:04):
the nicest man I mes since we've been in here.
The food was amazing, the customer service was amazing, and
I literally asked for it before we went there. So
when I tell you, everything happens by divine timing for me,
and everything happens the way it's supposed to, I'm just
a line bro bro.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
On the if you've seen it. But Twitter is going
crazy right now in Atlanta. It's like, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How bad your customer service have to be for a
Jamaican restaurant to win Bestcus.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
You bro, I got something in the vault. Hey man,
that's gonna be crazy fire.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
You're not saying nothing that we haven't been saying as risen.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I just I tweeted the other week that ten chicken
wings comes twenty four dollars.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Around more than that. If you can't sit nowhere, you
can't order nowhere, you can't dine in, you can't take out,
you can't even order food at a restaurant nowadays? How
do you do this? When was at home though it
was good things, it was like come to Atlanta and
like the food is good, and they hyped us up.
And then when we got here Oline somebody line, yeah,
somebody not telling the truth. But again, that's one thing
(10:08):
that's real big with me. Everybody experience is gonna be different.
Everybody takes Buzzy different, Everybody gonna have a different experience.
So if you want to go to any of these restaurants,
I encourage you to go and make your own opinion.
I never want to believe or believe anybody's opinion is
the end all be all. That's why I got a
few spots.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I'm gonna say you, how long are you here?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
We leave tomorrow, leaving them all right for the next trip,
hit me and we're gonna put the I'm gonna get
with the city.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
We'll put the list together.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I told you, I'm only coming back for you, DC
and Chico. I'm not coming back from nobody else.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
That works for us.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
We had a lot of black owned restaurants in Atlanta,
and you know, sometimes black owned restaurants get the worst
bid when it comes to customer service.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I feel like he graded them on a real lenient scale.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I just feel like the places that he might have
went ain't the places that we would have win.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah, I'm asking locals. I'm asking like they I'm that's the.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Thing about it. I don't know. I don't feel like
it's different. I ain't making excuses.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm just feeling like you might have to just come
back and let us take you to the spots that
we go.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But you gotta realize you are the thousand person that
told me that today, then you're the thousand person that
told me that today.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
But the chances are the same other thousand people who
told you that gonna take you to the same place.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
But the issue it could be like you say, oh,
we gotta go here because this is the best spot,
and then I go, it's gonna be people in the
comments like you should have win here.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So what I'm saying, save, for instance, you go to
American DAILI, but.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
You don't go to the right one. All love it
right trash?
Speaker 1 (11:40):
If we all going to the same two or three's
thirty of them.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's why I don't tell people. If I do like
a local chain restaurant that everybody know about, I never
tell people a location I go to for that reason
because everybody got their favorite location better.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
If you go to the waffle house tonight after you
leave this, if you go to the wrong house, it's.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Gonna make the whole sea.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Because we know the waffle house that we go to
and they don't even cook the food before they clean.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
They cleaned the grill first.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
That's what happened when you went to that one, was
the real milk honey, They was cleaning the doors open.
People are still eating.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I'll give you if you do want to hit the
waffle house though, you just you might just think.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I really just want to go to Mom and pop shots.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Don't go to one. If the cook not standing outside.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Smoking a cigaret, smoking on the phone, just ride to
another one.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Gotta be a little dirty.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
If your waitress is not taking a nap at her
car in front of the waffle house, don't eat it
that one.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
No waffle house flow kind of gotta be a little sticky.
That's how you know what's gonna be. I was gonna say,
it's a food pritty. How you know a restaurant gonna
hit like we know they could put the waffle house
like if it's somebody sitting outside smoking and a float
sticky ship in the here, how do you know a
restaurant going.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It's so different. Like right now we're on tour, uh
and we're going to every city. Uh can I tell
them go ahead?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
No? No, we got five.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
We got five on the list, so we will tell
you one. I'm not gonna tell you what order we're
gonna go in, but one of them is DC, Okay,
one of them is Yeah, we gotta we got a
lot of and again, so the main thing that we're
doing right now and back in March, we gotta reach
out to a bunch of TV producing shows and like
they're like, oh, we want you on Netflix, we want
you on we want you on all this. But I'm
(13:36):
very intentional. I'm very big on the intent, and I'm
very big on my family has to be included or
I'm not doing nothing. So a lot of these shows
there was cookie cutter. They was like, Oh, we just
want to fit you into this show that's already made.
And I'm like, no, I'm what are we gonna do.
We're gonna show you that what we do works. So
we're gonna do it on our own, with our own money,
with our own funds. We driving, I'm driving the sprinter van.
(13:57):
He literally gonna get on feet and we're gonna show
you we blessed enough to have the power of the people,
and we're gonna show you when we go to them tables,
it ain't nothing that you can say, because now we
got concrete evidence that it worked in Atlanta, it worked
in the New Orleans, it worked in Chicago, Detroit, were
moving on all of the cities. So once we get
to them tables, I'm putting it down on a piece
of paper, like, look, that's what we've been able to do.
Now what you about to do? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You know what's dope though, is that this None of
the social media or the fame or the money is
changing your integrity as a person. But I'm letting you
know that, as a black person from the black community,
if you want to go out there and.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Pursue some of them opportunities.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And get some of that money, we ain't gonna be
mad at you. We already know that your spirit is
right and your core is right. You got a strong
black woman. Get you some of that paper too.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh, don't get me wrong. Life is good, hear me.
So we only charge big corporations that have a marketing budget,
but we charge them well real well. I don't charge
no mom and pop shops. I don't charge no restaurants
because I want to authentic experience. But when it comes
to them corporations, my family gotta eat.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
You let them know that, and you stand.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
On absolutely again, this is an honor of mind to
be This is crazy. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You the talk of to town right now.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
When I tell you Atlanta is different? Different? What's you
mean by different? I'm a native side. When I say different,
I mean, like y'all are interested in the drama, real
interesting drama. When I say a lot of restaurants or
a lot of places that we went to, they'll be like, Okay, cool,
he don't like the food, so we're still gonna go
(15:36):
with Atlanta. It's like, I've been waiting for you to
tear that motherfucker down, tear it to the brown, burn
it on Twitter. At the fire They're like, man, I've
been waiting for Somebody was like, yeah, my baby mama
went over there two days ago and they did the
same thing to herd tear it down. So it's like
it's different the amount of reception that we got here.
I will say that people here, other than the restaurant owners,
but that people here have been amazing, been absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
That's the thing the best, That's the thing that makes
this city great is we have so many different people
from so many different places, and the people who are
from here loving so much that they try to make
sure you have and author experience.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I can feel it too, because just going in through
the like streets like I'm driving I'm in a sprinter.
We ain't got no people running up to the side
of the car like Oh that's key.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
That's key.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Running in the middle of the green lights. Yeah, it's
crazy out here, but I love it. Yeah we in Vegas.
Yeah we don't get many of us. Bro, it's not fine.
You get a bunch of everything. You come here and
you see all this MELANDI okay, giving me some property
up here.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'm real comfortable.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
I'll tell you that.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Oh yeah, they feel like a cookout.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
That's how we feel today, Like we just kicking it
with our country cousins backstage and just vibing out like
it's lit. That's how Atlanta is, like you said, especially
if you're good people, you got good character, you do
good business. It ain't nothing like we look out and
we love each other, and it's like it's inspire hiring
to see other blacks doing things that they love to
do and being super dope and successful in it like yourself.
(17:07):
I think it just shows in this generation like it's
so much more you can do. And that's what I
learned from growing.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Up in Atlanta. Like that's what I was getting ready
to ask y'all.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Now, it's like all of this is coming so fast
you haven't even had time to you know what I mean.
Sit and organize and lot and playing like what's next
for you and your family?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
My boy, whatever God want me to be at, I'm
gonna be there. Wherever I'm supposed to be, I'm gonna be.
And I truly believe that I can see it's in
a lot of spaces. I can see it's in a
fashion space. I can see it's in a TV show space, movies.
I really want to set up a food tour to
where in every city that we go to, the places
that we being, you can set up like or you
(17:45):
can buy tickets and you automatically get chauffeured to those places.
All of those places get all of the funds. We
don't take nothing off the top. They get everything, and
we just set up a long last and keep lee effect.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Man, you know what to be dope.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
I was just sitting here thinking what if y'all did
like a dinner party in all these different cities, right Like,
you find a dope ass ship and have them sponsor
a dinner.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Party land that'll be fire.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Let people buy tickets and coming.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
What we're doing right now at every city we trying
to runt out an ice cream truck and just pass
out ice cream that's like when we was in California,
we bought out this random Venus ice cream truck and
we just walked around the neighborhood passing our ice cream.
So and then we post where we're at. So if
you want to come hang out with us, you can
hang out with us.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Hell yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Just want to drop it. You know what ice cream
truck can get. We've been trying to find one since
we've been here. I just want to get an ice
cream truck, completely buy it out and just pass it
off for free.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You've been trying to find the ice cream ice cream truck, Well,
let me take you this Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Somebody got one of the backyard.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Ice cream trucks.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
But don't be surprised if they got like a window
unit a c hanging out of like.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I'm from Detroit. Yeah no, but.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
I love that as a creative, you always doing things
that are like felthropic and just giving back. That's really
dope because a lot of creatives just doing it like
you said, to get on and thinking about themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Even I love how it don't affect him, like you
ain't get the money.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
It was like, I'm rich Brich.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Want to give out I want to be here. I'm
not even going out here. I didn't even want to
come here. My family was like, they want to go
to the one music fest. I'm like, I guess we
have to want music fests. I've never been to a
festival when I tell you, my social anxiety has always
been there. So it's like I've never really like done
a lot of crowded areas. But for my family, I'm
going everywhere. Brou I'm a soldier.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Whatever it was, man, God worked it out.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Absolutely, gonna have to get over it because people love
you and we're following you.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
And just know we love your family like our family. Bro.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
And the way you stood up for your family the
other week and say you can say whatever you want
to about me, keep my family out of this. Man
to man, that that's the biggest respect. And keep doing
your thing. Keith Lee, you stay on his ass and
make sure.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
You keep coming outside.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Keep this salute to the family that y'all got. I
know they're over there. Yeah, kids, one music fast. Brother,
the next time you come down here, let us take
y'all to favorite restaurantust and we have some dinner, lunch.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Something about this. So my family, they are. I'm the
secret shopper, so my family they go order my food
for me. They make sure that that they don't know
it's me. And when I get my food, I get
my food like everybody else, and they come back into
the car. I do my review, and then I go
in and maybe I'll talk to him, but more more
like we just leave in the postal video and they'd
be like, oh, he was already here kind of thing.
How about we do that? How about you?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Because I'm calling all the restaurants from the time you leave,
you the time you leave until you come back.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I'm just gonna be like.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Yeah, bitch, my cousin come back and keep who I'll
be like, don't worry about it, don't worry. Let my
ship not be right, Let my ship not be right, Let.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
My wing be let one wing be too little. Let
what cause you? They got some places out here, setting
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
And wing again again. We got some stuff in the vault,
but the wings like this big, and they had drenched
in buffalo sauce. I don't know what part of the
chicken that came from me. I only ever came from
a chicken, squirrel show, baby bird man.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
We appreciate you all stopping through the back Woods Lounge
and kicking it with us before.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
We can't wait to see what y'all got coming.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Up wait for I'm about to watch this back a
thousand times. I ain't no way I was talking to.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Them eighty five self show, Keith Lee and family were
out of here.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Back Wood's backstage. Hell yeah, that was
Welcome back to the Backwoods Lounge, Backwoods backstage at one
Music Fast and I feel like we got a real
treat because we got a special guest that we didn't
even know was gonna be here today. But I did
know he was in the city giving food reviews. Got
(00:22):
the whole town shook. I know him and his wife
gonna go home and wonder. I don't know what to
eat down there. These people are gonna start.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Today, do it? Do it?
Speaker 1 (00:35):
But we have at this point world renowned food critic,
food reviewer uh and his lovely wife none other than
Miss Keith.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
I mean, mister Keith. I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
I was thinking Keith and misrunning.
Speaker 2 (00:54):
That's what got amazing. It's honor to be here. I
can't even put this in the words I can, but
you can. I can't because everybody's waiting. Again. This is
one of the things I wanted to do. I don't
have a bucket list. I don't really have many things
I want to do for real, But talking to you,
DC and she got bean the pandemic, she was pregnant.
That's all. I will watch all I watch. I really
(01:16):
no no, I swear I would not lie to you.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Brother.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
I asked to do this. I'm like, I don't do
interviews with nobody. I'm a very quiet, sitting with my family,
sit in a corner, e food kind of person. But
with you, absolutely anti page just walked off the stage.
Gotta do that that mandatory.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
First of all, man, I gotta salute you for the
good things that you are doing out here for these people.
You blessing people left and right, and you and you're
doing it organically. I appreciating in your opinion, madness, that's
so dope because we've seen, like especially at the time
when you really first start doing the food thing, and
and you know, like we had the pandemic and people
(01:53):
were trying to recover from that, and just by you
stopping through and letting people know that you like it
and support it, you brought so many people back, and
you've given back so much of your blessing.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
And that's why you're gonna always be blessed. Brother.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Look, man, I believe in God. I'm just a vessel
and I've said that and I'm gonna continue to say it.
I just eat food, I eat fool I pray, I
stay with my family. I don't do nothing else. Everything
that happened past that is meant to happen. God just
put me in a place, and I'm supposed to be
where I'm supposed to be there and how I'm supposed
to be here. That's why I'm sitting right here talking
to you.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
That's why it's amazing, because like, how does it feel
to be chosen by the people to be one of
those ones that they love and support the way that
they do?
Speaker 2 (02:30):
Man, surreal? Surreal not even a word when I tell you.
Every day I wake up, I be looking in the mirror,
like I tell her all the time. We Craig and
day they how to hell? Everybody talking about oh that's
Keith Keep I'm like, I'm really just eating food. If
only you knew, Like, I don't be shooting content. I
don't call my I'm out of celebrity, I'm out of
content creator. I'm not an influencer. I'm literally just a
(02:51):
vessel with God.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
But I was gonna say, how what made you stumble
into that? If you weren't creating content already prior to
like doing the food content, what were what you'd be?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Like?
Speaker 3 (03:00):
You know what?
Speaker 4 (03:00):
I want to really just record it and let everybody know.
Speaker 2 (03:03):
So I've always had very severe social anxiety. I've been
a terrible So I've been a professional fighter since twenty fifteen,
or until I was sixteen, and I've always just so.
I always thought I was gonna be a professional fighter
my whole life. So I wrestled all thro high school.
I went straight out of high school straight to being
a professional fighter. I fought in belator for three years.
And with fighting, I don't do nothing but punch people
(03:24):
in the face foot living, so I don't have to
be friendly and talk and go out and mingle with people.
When socialize with people, I can literally just go to
the gym, go home, and that's it. So that was
my daily routine. And then I was doing fight interviews
and I was so skittish. I was skittish, I was nervous.
I wouldn't look at nobody. I was sweating in a
room my whole day. So I vividly remember during the pandemic.
(03:44):
I remember asking her, like what can I do about
this social anxiety? Like I don't want to go out nowhere,
I don't want to talk to nobody. I don't want
to go around nobody. I'm doing these interviews and I'm
hating it, and I was like, but that's a super
vital part of the game, because it's one thing to
just be fighting, but you really got to be making
your name, no, especially when to come to social media nowadays.
So I was like, I'm gonna just set up my phone.
It's an app called TikTok that just came out. I'm like,
(04:06):
I'm gonna just set on my phone and I'm gonna
just record myself and act like it's a thousand people
in front of me, and I'm gonna just talk to
the camera as if I was sitting in a room
full of people, and it just started taking off. First,
it was literally just me cooking because I used to
cook NonStop. I used to cook like four or five
meals a day, So I was just cooking. She was
pregnant at the time. I'm times a day's pregnant, so
(04:29):
I literally would just cook for anything she was craving
out would make it, and anything that she wanted I
would go get it. And that was just all my content.
So I think I had gained like one million or
like one point two million followers, and this was last
year in November. At that point, I had like one
point two one point three million followers, and People Versus Food,
which is a YouTube channel, they reached out to me.
It was like, hey, we want you to come on,
(04:50):
and they do food reviews. So I asked her, I'm like,
what would I post on my page that make people
from their page actually come and follow me and not
just come and watch. And she was like, post food reviews.
You love eating food, you love we critique it anyway.
So I'm in the crib and I'm eating just my
food and I'm like, it's like a seven, it's like
an eight, and she's like, bro, just do that and
just turn the camera on. So I literally started doing it.
I was like, I'm oppost one four review every day
(05:11):
until we get on peop versus Food. We did that November.
We got a People Verse Food in December. By December,
we went from one point two to three point eight
million followers that one and it's crazy, insane, and it
just like when I say we was doing TikTok from
twenty twenty to twenty twenty two, or yeah, we'll be
in twenty twenty three, so yeah, twenty twenty two, So
two years it took me to get to one point
(05:32):
two within from November to now, I'm at fourteen point one.
That's crazy.
Speaker 3 (05:38):
Crazy. Yeah, bro, hey man, you just got a birthday too.
Speaker 2 (05:43):
I did, I did. I turned twenty seven.
Speaker 1 (05:44):
Now I was gonna ask you this because you had
you got this man he out here crazy, all these
followers crazy. He was on the internet crying, man, like
a baby, and it was and you and it was
like the internet was like he's crying, and then you can't.
Speaker 2 (05:59):
Make like So look I'm happy, So be for real
when I tell you it's crazy. Since we've been doing this,
we've been able to raise over forty thousand dollars for
a restaurant owner who had cancer in less than twenty
four hours. We've been able to raise over sixty thousand
dollars for a food truck. His name was mister Garrett
in under twenty four hours. We I ate this chocolate
(06:22):
bar and I told people it was good because it
was really good to me. The lady was a teacher
for twenty years. She was able to retire forty eight
hours after the review was posted. All of this amazing
things that we've been blessed enough to do, and all
of these things, all these spaces we've been able to
be in and the Shade Room only posted me twice
this year, and both times it was me crying, and
one it was me crying at the BT Wars because again,
(06:44):
last year, I was barely making ends meet. And I
say barely, I mean like we was getting food stamps.
I was making with fighting. I was making maybe like
a thousand per fight, two thousand dollars per fight, and
I was making maybe five six hundred dollars with TikTok.
So I'm barely making it. And we got kids, so
they be here now at the BT Wars talking to
y'all and being in spaces like this. Of course I'm
(07:05):
a cry I'm a real person. I'm not with people
think I am. I'm literally exactly what you what I
portray is exactly who I am. I don't live under
no mass, I don't live under no character. I'm a
real nigga.
Speaker 4 (07:17):
Like your social anxiety when I tell you so again,
I think everything happens away's supposed to.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
My sister, my wife, my mom in law, my kids.
I go everywhere with them. That's the way I'm able
to be up here talking to y'all. Those are my
social batteries. They plug in my social If it wasn't
for them, I'm in and out. I don't go nowhere
about myself. I'm getting better, don't get me wrong. I'm
getting a lot better. But me two years ago, he
hell are proud of me right now. I'm telling you,
(07:46):
he's so proud of me. Like you said on stage
talking in front of people, I used to be a hermit.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
I'm telling you, bro man, it's so crazy, despice that
you picked to go and me, because it's like it's
a few of them places where it's like, I know
you went to this one burger spat like.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
An old black dude.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I was like, I.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Knew that food was hidden. I want you to just
mailed me some shit.
Speaker 2 (08:06):
Sometimes that's mister Geary you talking about.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
So it's crazy when I tell you, I don't you content.
I mean it because I don't have no set up schedule.
I don't have no people in my ear telling me
where to go or what to do. I literally just
follow what I feel like I'm supposed to be doing.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
And you go off referrals a lot too.
Speaker 2 (08:22):
So I either go with referrals or like emails dms.
But a lot of times like, so yesterday, for example,
I literally was in a car and I wasn't going
through on emails, no dms or nothing. I seen all
the backlash all the other restaurants was getting like that
Atlanta Breakfast Club, Real Milk and Honey. It was getting
crazy on Twitter. I'm talking about we was trending all
last night, all off of like these restaurants need to
(08:44):
shut down, these rules, it's crazy. So I'm like, Okay,
we're sending the car and I'm like, I want to
go to a place that as good customer service, good food,
but don't nobody know about them. I was like, that's
literally what I want, and I'll be set for this trip.
Five minutes later, I got an email from a place
called The Real Dining Experience. We pulled up, nobody was
in there but us. The guy who was our waiter
(09:04):
the nicest man I mes since we've been in here.
The food was amazing, the customer service was amazing, and
I literally asked for it before we went there. So
when I tell you, everything happens by divine timing for me,
and everything happens the way it's supposed to, I'm just
a line bro bro.
Speaker 3 (09:18):
On the if you've seen it. But Twitter is going
crazy right now in Atlanta. It's like, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
How bad your customer service have to be for a
Jamaican restaurant to win Bestcus.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
You bro, I got something in the vault. Hey man,
that's gonna be crazy fire.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
You're not saying nothing that we haven't been saying as risen.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I just I tweeted the other week that ten chicken
wings comes twenty four dollars.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Around more than that. If you can't sit nowhere, you
can't order nowhere, you can't dine in, you can't take out,
you can't even order food at a restaurant nowadays? How
do you do this? When was at home though it
was good things, it was like come to Atlanta and
like the food is good, and they hyped us up.
And then when we got here Oline somebody line, yeah,
somebody not telling the truth. But again, that's one thing
(10:08):
that's real big with me. Everybody experience is gonna be different.
Everybody takes Buzzy different, Everybody gonna have a different experience.
So if you want to go to any of these restaurants,
I encourage you to go and make your own opinion.
I never want to believe or believe anybody's opinion is
the end all be all. That's why I got a
few spots.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
I'm gonna say you, how long are you here?
Speaker 1 (10:25):
We leave tomorrow, leaving them all right for the next trip,
hit me and we're gonna put the I'm gonna get
with the city.
Speaker 3 (10:31):
We'll put the list together.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
I told you, I'm only coming back for you, DC
and Chico. I'm not coming back from nobody else.
Speaker 3 (10:36):
That works for us.
Speaker 4 (10:38):
We had a lot of black owned restaurants in Atlanta,
and you know, sometimes black owned restaurants get the worst
bid when it comes to customer service.
Speaker 3 (10:47):
I feel like he graded them on a real lenient scale.
Speaker 1 (10:50):
I just feel like the places that he might have
went ain't the places that we would have win.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah, I'm asking locals. I'm asking like they I'm that's the.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Thing about it. I don't know. I don't feel like
it's different. I ain't making excuses.
Speaker 1 (11:06):
I'm just feeling like you might have to just come
back and let us take you to the spots that
we go.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
But you gotta realize you are the thousand person that
told me that today, then you're the thousand person that
told me that today.
Speaker 1 (11:18):
But the chances are the same other thousand people who
told you that gonna take you to the same place.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
But the issue it could be like you say, oh,
we gotta go here because this is the best spot,
and then I go, it's gonna be people in the
comments like you should have win here.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
So what I'm saying, save, for instance, you go to
American DAILI, but.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
You don't go to the right one. All love it
right trash?
Speaker 1 (11:40):
If we all going to the same two or three's
thirty of them.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
That's why I don't tell people. If I do like
a local chain restaurant that everybody know about, I never
tell people a location I go to for that reason
because everybody got their favorite location better.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
If you go to the waffle house tonight after you
leave this, if you go to the wrong house, it's.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
Gonna make the whole sea.
Speaker 1 (12:04):
Because we know the waffle house that we go to
and they don't even cook the food before they clean.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
They cleaned the grill first.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
That's what happened when you went to that one, was
the real milk honey, They was cleaning the doors open.
People are still eating.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
I'll give you if you do want to hit the
waffle house though, you just you might just think.
Speaker 2 (12:26):
I really just want to go to Mom and pop shots.
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Don't go to one. If the cook not standing outside.
Speaker 1 (12:32):
Smoking a cigaret, smoking on the phone, just ride to
another one.
Speaker 4 (12:39):
Gotta be a little dirty.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
If your waitress is not taking a nap at her
car in front of the waffle house, don't eat it
that one.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
No waffle house flow kind of gotta be a little sticky.
That's how you know what's gonna be. I was gonna say,
it's a food pritty. How you know a restaurant gonna
hit like we know they could put the waffle house
like if it's somebody sitting outside smoking and a float
sticky ship in the here, how do you know a
restaurant going.
Speaker 2 (13:02):
It's so different. Like right now we're on tour, uh
and we're going to every city. Uh can I tell
them go ahead?
Speaker 3 (13:10):
No? No, we got five.
Speaker 2 (13:14):
We got five on the list, so we will tell
you one. I'm not gonna tell you what order we're
gonna go in, but one of them is DC, Okay,
one of them is Yeah, we gotta we got a
lot of and again, so the main thing that we're
doing right now and back in March, we gotta reach
out to a bunch of TV producing shows and like
they're like, oh, we want you on Netflix, we want
you on we want you on all this. But I'm
(13:36):
very intentional. I'm very big on the intent, and I'm
very big on my family has to be included or
I'm not doing nothing. So a lot of these shows
there was cookie cutter. They was like, Oh, we just
want to fit you into this show that's already made.
And I'm like, no, I'm what are we gonna do.
We're gonna show you that what we do works. So
we're gonna do it on our own, with our own money,
with our own funds. We driving, I'm driving the sprinter van.
(13:57):
He literally gonna get on feet and we're gonna show
you we blessed enough to have the power of the people,
and we're gonna show you when we go to them tables,
it ain't nothing that you can say, because now we
got concrete evidence that it worked in Atlanta, it worked
in the New Orleans, it worked in Chicago, Detroit, were
moving on all of the cities. So once we get
to them tables, I'm putting it down on a piece
of paper, like, look, that's what we've been able to do.
Now what you about to do? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
You know what's dope though, is that this None of
the social media or the fame or the money is
changing your integrity as a person. But I'm letting you
know that, as a black person from the black community,
if you want to go out there and.
Speaker 3 (14:32):
Pursue some of them opportunities.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
And get some of that money, we ain't gonna be
mad at you. We already know that your spirit is
right and your core is right. You got a strong
black woman. Get you some of that paper too.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Oh, don't get me wrong. Life is good, hear me.
So we only charge big corporations that have a marketing budget,
but we charge them well real well. I don't charge
no mom and pop shops. I don't charge no restaurants
because I want to authentic experience. But when it comes
to them corporations, my family gotta eat.
Speaker 3 (15:03):
You let them know that, and you stand.
Speaker 2 (15:05):
On absolutely again, this is an honor of mind to
be This is crazy. Yeah, it's crazy.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
You the talk of to town right now.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
When I tell you Atlanta is different? Different? What's you
mean by different? I'm a native side. When I say different,
I mean, like y'all are interested in the drama, real
interesting drama. When I say a lot of restaurants or
a lot of places that we went to, they'll be like, Okay, cool,
he don't like the food, so we're still gonna go
(15:36):
with Atlanta. It's like, I've been waiting for you to
tear that motherfucker down, tear it to the brown, burn
it on Twitter. At the fire They're like, man, I've
been waiting for Somebody was like, yeah, my baby mama
went over there two days ago and they did the
same thing to herd tear it down. So it's like
it's different the amount of reception that we got here.
I will say that people here, other than the restaurant owners,
but that people here have been amazing, been absolutely amazing.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
That's the thing the best, That's the thing that makes
this city great is we have so many different people
from so many different places, and the people who are
from here loving so much that they try to make
sure you have and author experience.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
I can feel it too, because just going in through
the like streets like I'm driving I'm in a sprinter.
We ain't got no people running up to the side
of the car like Oh that's key.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
That's key.
Speaker 2 (16:23):
Running in the middle of the green lights. Yeah, it's
crazy out here, but I love it. Yeah we in Vegas.
Yeah we don't get many of us. Bro, it's not fine.
You get a bunch of everything. You come here and
you see all this MELANDI okay, giving me some property
up here.
Speaker 3 (16:42):
I'm real comfortable.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
I'll tell you that.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Oh yeah, they feel like a cookout.
Speaker 4 (16:45):
That's how we feel today, Like we just kicking it
with our country cousins backstage and just vibing out like
it's lit. That's how Atlanta is, like you said, especially
if you're good people, you got good character, you do
good business. It ain't nothing like we look out and
we love each other, and it's like it's inspire hiring
to see other blacks doing things that they love to
do and being super dope and successful in it like yourself.
(17:07):
I think it just shows in this generation like it's
so much more you can do. And that's what I
learned from growing.
Speaker 3 (17:12):
Up in Atlanta. Like that's what I was getting ready
to ask y'all.
Speaker 1 (17:14):
Now, it's like all of this is coming so fast
you haven't even had time to you know what I mean.
Sit and organize and lot and playing like what's next
for you and your family?
Speaker 2 (17:25):
My boy, whatever God want me to be at, I'm
gonna be there. Wherever I'm supposed to be, I'm gonna be.
And I truly believe that I can see it's in
a lot of spaces. I can see it's in a
fashion space. I can see it's in a TV show space, movies.
I really want to set up a food tour to
where in every city that we go to, the places
that we being, you can set up like or you
(17:45):
can buy tickets and you automatically get chauffeured to those places.
All of those places get all of the funds. We
don't take nothing off the top. They get everything, and
we just set up a long last and keep lee effect.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Man, you know what to be dope.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
I was just sitting here thinking what if y'all did
like a dinner party in all these different cities, right Like,
you find a dope ass ship and have them sponsor
a dinner.
Speaker 2 (18:08):
Party land that'll be fire.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Let people buy tickets and coming.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
What we're doing right now at every city we trying
to runt out an ice cream truck and just pass
out ice cream that's like when we was in California,
we bought out this random Venus ice cream truck and
we just walked around the neighborhood passing our ice cream.
So and then we post where we're at. So if
you want to come hang out with us, you can
hang out with us.
Speaker 3 (18:27):
Hell yeah, I.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Just want to drop it. You know what ice cream
truck can get. We've been trying to find one since
we've been here. I just want to get an ice
cream truck, completely buy it out and just pass it
off for free.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
You've been trying to find the ice cream ice cream truck, Well,
let me take you this Atlanta.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Somebody got one of the backyard.
Speaker 3 (18:45):
Ice cream trucks.
Speaker 1 (18:47):
But don't be surprised if they got like a window
unit a c hanging out of like.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
I'm from Detroit. Yeah no, but.
Speaker 4 (18:56):
I love that as a creative, you always doing things
that are like felthropic and just giving back. That's really
dope because a lot of creatives just doing it like
you said, to get on and thinking about themselves.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Even I love how it don't affect him, like you
ain't get the money.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
It was like, I'm rich Brich.
Speaker 2 (19:13):
Want to give out I want to be here. I'm
not even going out here. I didn't even want to
come here. My family was like, they want to go
to the one music fest. I'm like, I guess we
have to want music fests. I've never been to a
festival when I tell you, my social anxiety has always
been there. So it's like I've never really like done
a lot of crowded areas. But for my family, I'm
going everywhere. Brou I'm a soldier.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Whatever it was, man, God worked it out.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Absolutely, gonna have to get over it because people love
you and we're following you.
Speaker 3 (19:40):
And just know we love your family like our family. Bro.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
And the way you stood up for your family the
other week and say you can say whatever you want
to about me, keep my family out of this. Man
to man, that that's the biggest respect. And keep doing
your thing. Keith Lee, you stay on his ass and
make sure.
Speaker 2 (19:58):
You keep coming outside.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Keep this salute to the family that y'all got. I
know they're over there. Yeah, kids, one music fast. Brother,
the next time you come down here, let us take
y'all to favorite restaurantust and we have some dinner, lunch.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
Something about this. So my family, they are. I'm the
secret shopper, so my family they go order my food
for me. They make sure that that they don't know
it's me. And when I get my food, I get
my food like everybody else, and they come back into
the car. I do my review, and then I go
in and maybe I'll talk to him, but more more
like we just leave in the postal video and they'd
be like, oh, he was already here kind of thing.
How about we do that? How about you?
Speaker 1 (20:37):
Because I'm calling all the restaurants from the time you leave,
you the time you leave until you come back.
Speaker 3 (20:44):
I'm just gonna be like.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Yeah, bitch, my cousin come back and keep who I'll
be like, don't worry about it, don't worry. Let my
ship not be right, Let my ship not be right, Let.
Speaker 3 (20:55):
My wing be let one wing be too little. Let
what cause you? They got some places out here, setting
a little bit.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
And wing again again. We got some stuff in the vault,
but the wings like this big, and they had drenched
in buffalo sauce. I don't know what part of the
chicken that came from me. I only ever came from
a chicken, squirrel show, baby bird man.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
We appreciate you all stopping through the back Woods Lounge
and kicking it with us before.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
We can't wait to see what y'all got coming.
Speaker 2 (21:26):
Up wait for I'm about to watch this back a
thousand times. I ain't no way I was talking to.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
Them eighty five self show, Keith Lee and family were
out of here.
Speaker 3 (21:37):
Back Wood's backstage. Hell yeah, that was
Hosts And Creators
DC Young Fly
Karlous Miller
Chico Bean
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