#626 - Mega Ran Talks Grammy-Nominated Children’s Album, Nerd Core , Wrestling & More

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yo.

Speaker 2 (00:00):
Before we get into the interview, man, I want to
give a shouts to all my radio stations all across
the country who have the Bootleg keV Show as an
official affiliate. Man, we're on the radio in about one
hundred cities nationwide every day. Want to give a shout
out to Real ninety two three in La Shout out
to the Beat in Miami, Shout out to Wild ninety
four one in Tampa, shout out to Hot ninety eight three,
and Tucson Power ninety eight three in Phoenix. We are

(00:24):
one O two nine. Importantly, we're all over the country,
so you could tap in with that radio show. If
you want to know for on in your city, just
go to Bootleg cav dot com. The fullest of cities
is there. You might hear us. Let's get into the interview, yo,
Bootleg CAV Show. We got a special guest in here,
my guy the now Grammy nominated Hey, Mega.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
Ran, you gotta say the whole thing now, it's like
a trib call quest. You gotta say Grammy nominated artists,
Mega Ran.

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Congratulations.

Speaker 1 (00:53):
This has been a long time coming, man, We've been
talking about getting this going. Thank you for making it.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Yeah, of course, so you're like for people who do
oh no, man, you have had a pretty crazy, like
you're og at this point, you've had a pretty crazy
independent hip hop career. I was trying to explain kind
of like your path to my boy Cook like underground rapper,
and then you kind of were you like the first
guy to do the kickstarter thing in hip hop. You

(01:17):
were one of them, one.

Speaker 1 (01:17):
Of the first, one of the first. Yeah, kickstarters kind
of like what people are doing with even now, where
it's like, yo, get the people to fund your projects,
and so I think that in band camp and Patreon,
like we were doing that a decade ago, where you know,
like getting the people involved is the way kind of
to build something well.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
And then like, I feel like you were so good
at like kind of carving out like this niche of
I don't know if it's game gaming bars, video game rap,
nerd core, nerd core is, no, that's what they call it.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
I went and did some I was just doing what
I do and then people were like, that sounds like
nerd core, and I was like, what the heck is that,
And they're like, Oh, it's guys who talk about gaming
talk about programming. Talk about comic books whatever. And I
was like, I mean, Sean Price has been talking about comics,
you know the whole time I listened to them, you
know what I mean, Or Pete Rock and all these people,
and so it didn't seem like it was stretching much.

(02:10):
It was like I'm already doing this and so but
when you add an extra bit of it onto it,
like they say, it's it's a it's a sub genre.
You have to self identify to be a part of it.
You like, I'm nerdcore because Chops Gambino had a song
where he said like f nerdcore and people were like, yo,
we made it, Yo, we made it.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
He acknowledged it.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
He acknowledged acknowledged me, you know what I mean. So yeah,
it was basically just like geeks who rap, you know
what I mean? Or like if somebody said, you know how,
rappers are usually the coolest guy, you know what I mean.
You get a lot of rappers here. They probably come
in ten deep, big chains, like really, you know, they're left.
There is a lot of that, and so the guy
who does not look like the rapper, that's usually the

(02:50):
nerd core guy. You're like, yo, are you the team account, like,
are you the the I T guy? You know?

Speaker 2 (02:55):
And it's like, nah, I do some raps.

Speaker 1 (02:57):
And uh, basically the way a lot of rappers like
maybe idolize and personify drug dealers in situations and real
gangsters throughout their music. It's Goku, it's Megatron, it's you know, Deadpool,
it's you know, taking those characters in the same way
and being like what if they could spit?

Speaker 2 (03:16):
You know, does the wrestling aspect like lead in to
the to the nerd core.

Speaker 1 (03:21):
I think it's all hand in hand like we see
it today. Like I say, wrestling is the best comic
book around. It's like a live action comic book. So
it's basically cutting promos Rick Flair, you know what I'm saying. Yeah,
that's what rap is, you know.

Speaker 2 (03:32):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:33):
I always say that Rick fair promos are hip hop.
So that's where like it to me fits hand in hand.
You got these larger than life figures their real life
comic book dudes, and it's like what if they could rhyme?
Shouted John Cena and he rhyme too.

Speaker 2 (03:46):
But you know what I mean, I feel like him
taking that route helped him probably with his mic work. Immenseally.

Speaker 1 (03:52):
Oh, I'm sure and like he was doing that, he
was really in it. I remember talking to Esoteric about
that shout esotericz our face and he was like, yo,
he would be at every cipher with us, like going
to every show in Boston.

Speaker 2 (04:03):
And like Jake One produced his theme song. I guess
people realize like Bumpy Knuckles was all over his very
hip hop one hundred.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
Yeah. I ran in the scena a few times, but
most most fun and time was I was backstage. I
was part of the rat Battle. It still is a
New Day Battle. And and while they was hosting and
and I'm talking to the New Day kind of showing
them a little bit of how to present their bars,
like you know, give that pause for the people here,
do this, you know, and Sena comes in the room,

(04:31):
you know, and then uh, and he's like, I just
want to say, you know, congratulations guys. You guys have
been doing great. You're holding it down since I haven't
been here, and uh, And I was like, oh, I
seen it. I thought you were coming to tell us
you were like about to jump in the rap battle,
like you'd be like, hold up, you'll barres done. And
he was like, no, no, Rap is a young man's game.
I'm done with that and uh and he was he

(04:52):
was serious. He never rapped again, so like I was
really like wow. But then I thought about it, like
seeen as my age, Like I'm aging myself now, but
seene as my age. I was like, You're never too
old for this, like and I feel like we got
to get out of that mentality that Rap is a
young man's game.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
Scene it has like fully it's funny because like, uh,
you know when he does his he did his his
last match. My kids started, My twelve year old watch
that and he's not interesting. But now he was like
he saw this whole the final Scena match, and he
was like just started going on a YouTube rabbit hole,
and I was like, damn seen a really like shed
like every little bit of his like Boston accent and

(05:28):
all that shits gone.

Speaker 1 (05:30):
That's character growth and development.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
And like he's just he's like a fucking superstar now,
like he's got to do movie junkets and.

Speaker 1 (05:37):
He's President Obama now like with the with theddiction, you
know what I mean. Like he's so he's that smooth,
he's so political with his answers, like like he's gotten. Yeah,
like it's character development like over the years and being
able to switch, you know what I mean. We call
it code switching, you know what I'm saying, And that
I mean maybe that's a part of it, you know,
for him as well. But like Sena was deeply entrenched
in hip hop, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 2 (05:58):
I always wonder when you can you've put out so
much music where you guys have like you've sampled video
game music, and have you ever ran into any issues
with like them, like sending you season desists or anything
for like artwork or anything.

Speaker 1 (06:11):
No. I thought it was gonna happen this back into
MySpace days by the way, I was, yo, yeah, let's
let's not bring that energy. Don't you put that evil
on me, Ricky Bobby. But honestly, I got to a
point now where I'm so I guess known in that
community where like I know these developers, I know that
these publishers, and they know me as the video game guy.
So a lot of them look at it as an honor,

(06:32):
right And with Capcom. When I started sampling Mega Man
and named myself Mega Ran, it was random. Before that.
I got a message on MySpace by Capcom and they
were like, oh, this is this is cool. You sampling
our stuff and I was like, yeah, it's because I
love y'all so much, you know. And the guy was like,
don't worry, this isn't a season desist, like we got
your back, and I was like, yo, for real and

(06:53):
they were like, however, Japan though different stories, different different people,
we don't run anything over there, so maybe don't go
to Japan yelling this out that you you know, but
but here we got you. So they started inviting me
to comic cons. I was coming out performing. Actually the
first rapper to perform on a comic con floor at

(07:14):
any sort of a comic con. It was at San
Diego in two thousand and seven.

Speaker 2 (07:17):
I mean that is the comic con.

Speaker 1 (07:18):
And then the next year they had a couple of rappers.
You might know they have method Man in red Man.
You might know that.

Speaker 2 (07:23):
You know, they just did what was in New York.
They had the New York comic They did Masiel. Yeah,
that shit was crazy.

Speaker 1 (07:33):
Nerdcore bro Like, we're seeing these things coming together with
nerdcore ghosts, Tony Starks, you know what I mean, Like
it's all bleeding it's bleeding now. You can't tell the difference.
I listened to I think it was Denzel Curry, who
does Mad Stone Cold and wrestling references, and I'm like,
it's there, like it's it's all bleeding together, like it's
just hip hop. That's really what it is. Like you
can't you can't hold it down and confine it to

(07:54):
even a genre at this I.

Speaker 2 (07:56):
Think too, it's like, you know, at the end of
the day, we have such a complex world where there's
so many people's hobbies and interests, but not everyone's into
like you know, listening and the dope dealing and shoot
them up rap music at all times. It's like, hey,
for people who are into wrestling and you know, they
want to scratch that itch or whatever. I feel like

(08:17):
hip hop is like anything else, man, Like there should
be some part of the genre to serve everybody absolutely.

Speaker 1 (08:23):
And I used to be one of those hip hop purists,
you know, growing up in Philly where it was like
East Coast rapp er die, you know what I mean,
where it was like that ain't hip hop, you know,
like we would get upset by certain things happening in
hip hop and like it's the latest point of view
where it.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Was like I used to be the same way, dude,
and then I can't.

Speaker 1 (08:38):
Hip hop grow Yeah, no for sure, like like that
ain't real rap. That ain't Oh god, I just like
cringe thinking about those thoughts. It's a very dinosaur kind
of way to look at it, like that ain't might
hip hop, right, you know? And now it happens in
you know, with the internet, especially like the gatekeeping of
stuff being like this is ours, you can't do this,
call it something else, and it's like you can call

(08:59):
it hip hop, like sound like our parents that we
literally sound like our parents. What's that beat? Bobby bobob?
We can't even I don't even know what they're saying,
you know, And it's like, let these kids be kids.

Speaker 2 (09:07):
Man, what were you doing when you find out that
you're nominated for a Grammy? Was it because I feel like,
were you guys watching the nominations or man?

Speaker 1 (09:15):
I was late to it, Like I'm late to everything.
We're just goofs. Me and Felix shot out the Feelix
we were. I had a little breakfast at the house.
It was my tenth anniversary, so we're celebrating our anniversary.
It's the same day, and we had people over for
breakfast and we're like, let's put on the stream, and
we try to find the stream and we put it
on YouTube and then we're at the end and it
says thank you for watching the Grammy stream. And I'm like, no, no, no, no,
let's find it. And then I get a texting and

(09:37):
I'm like, not now, I'm trying to find this Grammy stream.
My phone starts blowing up and I'm like, no, I'm
trying to find this stream. I'm not gonna look at this.
So then my boy Cisco was like, I found Variety
dot com. We got the list, everything's here, and we
strolled all the way down the list and I see
Magarin Buddy's Magic Tree House and I was like, yo,
but I still don't believe this, Like I mean, let me,

(09:58):
let's find the stream. And we go back and we
run at the beginning of to stream and we watch
it and I just burst out crying like I've I've
probably never cried about like a musical moment, right, you
know what I'm saying. But this was hard work and
also like the you know, I'm big on dates and
anniversaries like, so it was the anniversary of my album.
It was the anniversary of my marriage, and then the

(10:20):
Grammys are happening on the anniversary of my first release
of twenty years since almost to that. So it's like
the numerology starts lining up, and I'm just like, dang,
like this is like divine stuff, you know what I'm saying,
And it's bigger than me. It's bigger than hip hop,
you know. And so when I think about that, it
just it just brought emotions. Man, I'm just like crying
in the middle of my floor. My kid is dancing

(10:42):
around like y'all shut up, it's too loud, you know.
And it was just amazing. But I found out late
I was the last person of my circuad when.

Speaker 2 (10:50):
You like, because I always wonder, like, do you like
when you want to get nominated, you it has to
be like a conscious effort because you kind of have
to submit to.

Speaker 1 (11:00):
Submit, and that's where like people get it wrong. So
they try to act like they don't care about Grammys.

Speaker 2 (11:05):
No, you have to like, but you have to add
the week The Weekend no longer submits his music for
the Grammys. So if every every year it was like
the Weekend got snubbed. It's like, well he purposely is.
I didn't want to get it fucked the Grammy.

Speaker 1 (11:15):
But they made up.

Speaker 2 (11:16):
Now they're good, did they he performed last year? They
I don't know who his album to get nominated in
because I was like, one of the best fucking albums
of the years.

Speaker 1 (11:23):
It's timing to like, so it might be it might
be Ellegit is a great album. I hear the big
Michael Jackson influence for sure, But maybe it's eligible for
next year because there's a date.

Speaker 2 (11:33):
There's a cutoff September to September. I forget win in
September something like.

Speaker 1 (11:36):
That, so it could have been in the cutoff time
where it could be eligible for next year. I think
about that every time people put out albums. Now I'm like, oh,
it's a great album, but we're not gonna be able
to talk about it until next year.

Speaker 2 (11:45):
Yeah, Even like when gn X came out, I was like, Yo,
by the time this gets nominated for Grammy, it's gonna
be twenty twenty.

Speaker 1 (11:50):
So it'll be old, you know to some people. I
mean people still bumping and I'm sure, but yeah, GNX
came out in December, so it's like, yeah, you're gonna
wait a while before you get to celebrate it.

Speaker 2 (11:59):
So you I submitted as a team officially.

Speaker 1 (12:01):
Oh yeah, we submitted. I submitted my last two children's albums.
I've submitted before that too. I've been a member since
like twenty fifteen, and but I always felt like, I'll submit,
We'll see what happens, and then you know, it doesn't
cost anything to submit once you remember, So I was like,
I'm gonna submit, We'll see what happens. Of course, you
do a little bit of politic and you make sure
you talk to some people. You get advice from winners,

(12:22):
you know, and so that's what let me know we're
on the right path. Where like winners and nominees were
hitting me like this is some of the best music
I've heard this year, Like for sure, make sure you submit,
and I'm like, okay, I will, you know, and we
got it, man, Like it's it's just a testament to
hard work. But you have to submit, Like it's like
the lottery. You can't be mad that you didn't win
the lottery when you didn't buy a ticket.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
What what initially like kind of obviously having your son,
but what was kind of the initial spark to be like,
I want to do a whole children's album and like
keep doing them like you ever heard that so on
Baby Shark, Yeah, I mean, fuck I have.

Speaker 1 (13:00):
That's what made me want to them write better than this,
said we have to we cannot listen to this for
the nine hundredth time. We gotta do something else. And
so we would find other songs, and for the most part,
they were equally annoying and uh, and that's just the
big stuff that gets a lot of attention, so it's
not all. And that's what I started learning about what
they call kindi, which is kid music by indies, and

(13:23):
so you got to dig a little deeper. It's like
underground rap. And so I started finding independent artists who
are making really dope kids music. And I was like, oh,
you can be dope and do this. Like I thought
you just had to be like one, two, three, four,
you know, But realizing like you can be dope and
be fun, I was like, well, let me try it.
So I started writing songs. I wrote a song basically

(13:44):
based on what I was dealing with with my toddler.
So he liked fruit. So I was like, let's make
a song about fruit and let's see if I can
make it hip hop. Like I love Biggie, give me
the loot. I was like, let me give me the fruit.
And so we made a song about hip hop. It
was during the fiftyth anniversary of hip hop where we're like,
all right, I want to teach kids the story of rapping.
So we decided to make a song where I go
boom boom, boom bat, you know what I mean, and

(14:06):
then tell the entire story of how hip hop was born.
So it was just basically making the songs I would make,
but like so that my kid could understand it, you
know what I mean. And they call it dumbing it down,
but I don't think it was that. It's more for me.
It's like smiling a little more, you know what I mean.
It's like, instead of me trying to be so hard,
it's like, I'm gonna smile a lot more and I'm
gonna make songs that make me smile or that will

(14:27):
make somebody around me smile, and that's really it. And
it was hard. Man. I sat with Felix and I
was like, I don't think we can I don't think
I can do that. I remember sitting there with a
blank page.

Speaker 2 (14:36):
Like successions.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Felix produced and engineered the entire record with me, and
so we were we were sitting. Yeah, he sat through
this entire process and like he already knows, Like he's like,
you can write, and he wrote songs about freaking Transformers
the movie, like you can do this, and I would
still be like, I don't know, man, you know and uh?
And I think I think Will Smith said that, like, yo,

(15:00):
everything you really want is on the other side of
your fear. And I'm like, Yo, if you can get
over that fear, and if you feel scared about something,
it's probably you going the right way. You know what
I mean. When the last time you got scared?

Speaker 2 (15:12):
Oh fuck, I don't know, man, He's like, I ain't
never scared. I mean no, I'm sure.

Speaker 1 (15:17):
I just like an interview, like somebody came through you.
It's like, shit, what am I gonna say? You know me?
Or something like that.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
I don't I think the last interview I was like
pretty nervous for was was Snoop because that's the interview
I've always that's huge interview, so huge. Yeah, So I
was like I never prepared too hard for an interview.
And I was like, there's just so much on ask
I don't want forget nothing, like this might be the
only time I interviewed.

Speaker 1 (15:40):
Yeah, no, I get that. So yeah, like when you
when you're feeling if you don't feel I'm sean Michael
said that too. He's like, I was nervous before every match,
and if you not, it's time to quit, you know
what I mean. Like when you don't feel a little
bit of goosebumps when they say five minutes to go time.
You know, if I don't have to go take a
dump with that time, then I know it's not it's
not for me anymore, you know what I mean. Like

(16:02):
I instantly my stomach goes all right, well, I'll be
right back in five minutes.

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I was gonna say a lot of people don't know
you've done some theme songs too on the wrestling side. Yes, Yes,
the New Day, New Day, Thank God.

Speaker 1 (17:51):
For the New Day. I did the New Day's New
theme with my man say Zy shout out to them. Yeah, man,
they've always looked out man. What has been my dude
for decade plus?

Speaker 2 (18:00):
A fellow game And also, like I would say, like
when it comes to he's like the first guy to
really embrace the gaming shit on ye wrestlers.

Speaker 1 (18:07):
So I feel like they said, like all the guys
used to just play cards backstage, and then he would
bring a game system and then those guys are looking at.

Speaker 2 (18:14):
Them like y'all playing them dumb video games.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
And then they be like me, let me get a turn,
let me let me get on that mat, and let
me get them sticks, you know. And so he started
bringing games to the round and he was like, Yo,
these are hilarious moments. So he started a YouTube page
up Up Down Down, which is really dope. And yeah,
like had huge success with that, and it was a
time where, like you said, it was like they weren't
doing that right, like they didn't know what to do

(18:37):
with that, where they're just like, wait, what is this?
This is a whole new world like YouTube channels now
everybody has a twitch, everybody's doing their thing, and Woods
was the first man, Like I think, I mean, his
career has already been amazing, but I think post WWB,
like Woods is going to do something that's going to
blow everybody's minds, like because he's just got a mind
that's different, Like he'll show me pages like here's my

(18:59):
here's my creative suggestions for this year, you know what
I mean. And I'm just like yo, like he's constantly thinking.

Speaker 2 (19:06):
Was it were you nervous at all? Knowing you're kind
of like crafting the heel song for these guys, Yes.

Speaker 1 (19:11):
Because I'm the good guy. I'm the siding like.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
Some of the biggest babyfaces ever if you think about
like their main run.

Speaker 1 (19:16):
That's true, and but you know, it's it's more fun
being a heel. And I remember them saying that, like
it's really fun and so for me to have to
dig into a.

Speaker 2 (19:23):
Bad guy bag and scowl a little bit.

Speaker 1 (19:25):
I'm not smiling when I do these these verses, you know.
But but Kofe and Woods were like we wanted like
a back and forth, like a Jada Kiss styles kind
of thing, where you say something, the other one says something.
It's almost like we're talking to ourselves, like we're hyping
each other up, like he my brother, I'm you know.
So that was the vibe they wanted. So they let
me hear some songs for samples and examples and and

(19:46):
a lot of them was hard songs. And I was like,
what y'all know about this? They played me the game
Ali Bum and I was like, what y'all know about this?
You know? Like they they were like, this is the
kind of energy we want, and I was like I
can do it, you know. So yeah, I think it
was really fun. But it was weird because now it's like,
I don't know if I'm supposed to cheer y'all, I'm
supposed to be happy that my music's playing, or I'm
telling y'all to boo. I don't know. But what it

(20:08):
was like always boo, we're bad guys.

Speaker 2 (20:09):
Boos what is the process, Like, you submit it more
than once do they give you like heyo, change this,
hey do this? Because yeah, they give you some notes.

Speaker 1 (20:17):
I remember while they saying when he did the Big
E theme, it was like that where they kind of
have a stencil when they have an outline like all right,
this is kind of where we need to hook the hit.
This is where we want the boom to bath, you know.
So they have a formula to these tracks and you
can tell like you know what I mean, you get
thirty seconds of the song and then and then it drops,
you know what I mean, that's the moment you come
out the curtain or whatever. So they give you the

(20:38):
stensul kind of and you just kind of filling in
the blank s. You're like, all right, you say this, here,
give us a pause with this breathe. You know. So,
but I give them all the sessions I'll recorded with Felix,
and I'm like, here's the stems, y'all take.

Speaker 2 (20:49):
Out what you need. Yeah, yeah, I got a crazy
engineer at WW.

Speaker 1 (20:52):
I like the over deliver, you know what I mean.
But they, man, they work so fast with that stuff. Man.
I remember even with the king Woods theme, they were
in Saudi when he won of the Ring and somebody
emailed me was like, hey, Xavier wants you to do
his theme and I was like what theme. It's like
he's King of the Ring theme and at that time
he wasn't decided it yet and I was like all right,
and it's like we went this on TV by Friday

(21:13):
and I was like, it's Tuesday. It's like okay, so
got to work and then they mixed it and made
it sound good. I had it on TV by Friday,
so like they're they're they're on it, man, they're on it.
So shout out to their squad is it?

Speaker 2 (21:25):
Like do you is it? I always like if you're
the artist on the other side of that, because it
always feels like ww kind of typically is always used
like in house people.

Speaker 1 (21:33):
Yes, it's rare. I think it has to come from
the talent being like, yo, use my guy.

Speaker 2 (21:38):
Do you like essentially you're just like you give up
rights to the song, you get publishing.

Speaker 1 (21:43):
Oh, we get to get some inside baseball. Yes, you
become a work for hire in this situation, which is
you know kind of typically.

Speaker 2 (21:49):
You get publishing. You know, no, no pub.

Speaker 1 (21:51):
No, man. The biggest things I've ever done in my
life probably have no pub attached, which is crazy.

Speaker 2 (21:56):
That she gets played on TV every one. I mean
maybe not every week, but most weeks. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (22:01):
Yeah. Stuff I've done with aw I get pub on,
but nah, not with the E.

Speaker 3 (22:06):
I guess like we don't feel like now, yeah, we
don't want to write these tiny Like I did a
record for kofe Mania that was supposed to be used
and it didn't wind up getting used with me while.

Speaker 1 (22:17):
A akon like this crazy record and uh and they
were like nah. And now I'm like, well, can I
have the song because I want to put it out?
Like nah, there's a check. It's ours now, you know,
so if we want to use this later in the vault, yeah,
Like it's like I get it because they don't. Who
wants to write twenty five checks every I don't know
whatever it would take to do that to balance you know,

(22:39):
it would be nice. I will say that, but but
I knew that going in, so it's not like, oh,
they robbed me. It's like, yo, you the trade off
is thousands of people are going to hear your song
every week, you know what I'm saying, and they know
it's you and hopefully they know it's you. And man,
people send me videos from like Mania from them coming
out at that huge entrance with my voice coming through

(23:01):
that through allegiance, Like that was crazy to me. So yeah,
like the trade off in a lot of cases is
worth it. Like they say, the super Bowl is an
unpaid gig, you know what I'm saying, And then you
got to hire your production crew. So it's a.

Speaker 2 (23:12):
Nugget the super Bowl. It's literally like we're giving you
a look.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
Yeah, It's like, yo, that is the look. People say exposure.
Don't pay some exposure because the super Bowl, super Bowl
pace You also.

Speaker 2 (23:27):
Somehow fell into playing the fake drums at the WrestleMania
one year.

Speaker 1 (23:33):
That was in Philly. Shout out to my uh, this
is the guy collaborated with WRESMANI forty forty forty. May
you know what forty we're gonna be looking back because we.

Speaker 2 (23:43):
Were there, we were together, fucking freezing.

Speaker 1 (23:44):
I know it was cold, but we're gonna look back
as that was one of the last great moments of
wrestling because the bloodline saga. You know what I'm saying,
I mean.

Speaker 2 (23:53):
I think that I mean, like I for I think
that's top three Mania.

Speaker 1 (23:56):
Ever, yeah, yeah, they super delivered with everything, and that
almost never happens. So the morning of night Too, I
get a text from a guy named Frank who played
ironically on my very first album, which is about to
be twenty years old. The call he played sax on
that album and he's like, oh, I know you like wrestling,
so you're gonna like this. I'm actually at the stadium

(24:17):
and I was like, what are you doing at the stadium.
He's like, oh, man, I teach music in Philly and
they wanted some kids to come out and like fake
drum and fake composed for Roman reigns entrance. And I
was like you what and he's like sounds cool, huh.
And I was like yeah, Like are you just flexing
on me? And he's like no, actually, like if you
want to come in chaperon, like I'd love to have
you here like and I was like okay. He's like,

(24:38):
we're all black and meet us at the stadium and
I'm like, say less, And so I have to get
everybody packed up and we ride over there and he's like,
there's a school bus waiting to pick up all the kids.
You could ride the school bus. And I was like
I get there, the school bus is riding off, and
I'm like, dang, I missed the school bus and I'm
in an uber and I'm like follow that bus. So
did we ride? Follow the bus? Getting to the stadium.

(25:01):
It's a lot of hurry up and wait. We're sitting
in the tent. It was cold, like you said, one
was freezing so cool, and I watched the whole show
like the way the wrestlers do, where you like they
watching on them the monitor and you're standing there like
almost no seats. So it kind of sucked because I
didn't get to sit into my seat and enjoy the show.
But they basically were like, pretend to play drums, and

(25:22):
they were like, actually, we have a couple more shoulder harnesses,
like do you want to just pretend to play? And
I'm like yeah, hell yeah, I dude, like what like
a financial field, I'm an Eagles fan, Like, yes, I
want to do this. And so me and Teak Teeka
was with me shot the teak and we were like
let's go. And so we get up there and we're
just playing and they were like, you know, keep it easy,
no pictures and whatever. But luckily the drummer that was

(25:44):
sitting on the drum kit had the he had the
meta glasses. He was like heyo, got like some cool
pictures of us, and it was doe like before I
see the use of that.

Speaker 2 (25:55):
List like that's before those things were like it was
hot out here for those because now I feel like
people are looking like.

Speaker 1 (26:01):
Now they're looking for it. They have to light up
now to take the picture.

Speaker 2 (26:04):
Came up to me and start dapping me up and
talk to me, and he's feeling me though. I said, bro,
you fucking right now.

Speaker 1 (26:10):
I don't like that, dude. I don't like that.

Speaker 2 (26:13):
Man.

Speaker 1 (26:13):
If you got to let people know, they should tell
you like yo, you gotta let people know, like the
I don't know that the glasses should be like you
are recording every few seconds, I don't know are you raising?
But yeah, dream come true. Man got to play some
drums on the stage with the with the bloodline.

Speaker 2 (26:29):
What's your top three video games of all time?

Speaker 1 (26:33):
I gotta pick different eras then, but Mega Man of course,
Mega man X is probably the best one. Superintendo. Uh,
I heard some I heard some love. Mega Man X
is fire and today it's still super dope and it's
pretty much the blueprint for a lot of like side
scrolling type games.

Speaker 2 (26:52):
Fronal Fancy seven. Uh, it's my second and.

Speaker 1 (26:55):
A third man. This is hard bro. When I think
greatest ever, I think like a game that if I
see it, I got to pick up the controller and
play it. And that's probably Street Frighter two, you know
what I mean, Like Street Frighter two, if I see
it down, if I see it in the arcade, I
gotta PLoP a quarter in and give you this.

Speaker 2 (27:17):
Work with with Ken, you know what I mean, Like,
I just have to do it, never ry you. Huh. Nah,
they got the same moves. Nah, it ain't the same.

Speaker 1 (27:24):
Ken got the berserker rage even going crazy.

Speaker 2 (27:27):
Ryu's more like laid back feel like, yeah, I was
just like Ken look gay when I was a kid.

Speaker 3 (27:34):
Like he's got that long hair, he can't fight, And
then I do.

Speaker 1 (27:38):
I respect right you? And his story is the best
one at this ending because he wins the trophy and
they're like, oh, here's the ceremony and they're all up
there and they're like, where is you? And they turn
and he's gone, and then he's walking away and then
and they say, for you is walking to the next challenge.

Speaker 2 (27:55):
That's me.

Speaker 1 (27:56):
I never stop to celebrate anything. It's like, nah, I'm
on to the next one. I love that that low
Wayne Dock when remember I don't know if you remember
they the Carter maybe Carter three, when that blew up
and it was a little doc and they were coming
onto the bus to tell them that they went platinum
in a week or whatever, like yo, yo, we just
went platinum. And he had headphones on. He's recording somebody

(28:18):
doing a feature verse.

Speaker 2 (28:18):
He's like, I was to work it talk about.

Speaker 1 (28:22):
On the next, on to the next, Like you had
to head down and work in this business. Like I
think Kevin Hart said that too, like nobody cares keep working.
And I keep that in the back of my mind
where it's like so Grammy nominated and keep going. Are
you making six figures a show like Beyonce, Well, then.

Speaker 2 (28:39):
Keep going making seven figures.

Speaker 1 (28:41):
Well, but yeah, let's always room to grow. And I
think that never settled. Is the ryu way.

Speaker 2 (28:48):
Do you feel like, because it feels like with kind
of like how popular and mainstream like collecting and like
Pokemon's God, and you know it's there's so many people
in the space now if you are crowded. If you
go to comic con now, it's like it's like going
to like complex, like.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
Going to a rap show. It's just I think it's dope.
But I want the record to state I was doing
that before it was cool, you know what I mean.
I was getting laughed at, you know what I mean
when I went to comic cons. I kind of I've
written so many bars about that, just being like it's
kind of funny, but I don't look at it and
like a gatekeeper way like back in my day.

Speaker 2 (29:23):
But like I think it's dope, Like wrestling, Like everyone's wrestling.
It's cool now one loves wrestling all.

Speaker 1 (29:30):
Of a sudden, Like I wear wrestling shirts. I used
to like the part of the fun was like you
ain't gonna know what this is, and now they're like,
oh yeah, I love that, you know, and it starts
a conversation. Every time I wear wrestling shirt. I think
it's dope. Man, Like I think of it as the kids,
because I don't know about you. I was a kid
who got teased for all this stuff, you know, maybe
not wrestling so much, but like for liking video games,
for reading comic books, like Yo in Philly, in the eighties,

(29:51):
you could get beat up for liking this stuff, like
that's gay, Let's beat them up, you know what I mean.
And like it was to the point where a video
game magazines, I would put the sports illustrated on the
front of it and cover it up when I was
in class, like free reading time, and I'm just reading
my sports, you know, but I was really reading Game
Pro and Nintendo Power. Like, so I understand that it

(30:13):
was hard for kids growing up where you had to
be closet nerds, right, And now, man, kids are skateboarding,
they're doing everything where they would be like, man, that's
that white people's stuff, no offense. Everybody would be like, man,
that's weak while you doing that? Yeah, anime all like
these kids aren't free to be weird, which I think
is amazing, you know what I'm saying. And that's where

(30:33):
as much as I want to be like, yeah, you ain't,
you ain't. You didn't struggle for this like I did,
But you don't. You shouldn't have to, like we struggle
so that these kids today can be exactly who they are. Man,
And I think it's I think it's dope.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
If you had to predict the two main events go
under your head for Mania Night one? Night two? Whose
main event Mania?

Speaker 1 (30:55):
I think they running back Cody and Roman. I think
we run it back for three. Maybe you get Rockets
special against referee. I don't know. Maybe rock might show
up now that Smashing Machine didn't didn't really kill.

Speaker 2 (31:07):
Yeah, well I heard that. Well I heard Saudi Arabia's
like offered him the most for any wrestling event that
anyone's ever gotten. For next year.

Speaker 1 (31:14):
Next year, I was about to say, Saudi Mania is
gonna be different. I think of the Rocks, it's going
to be all the big names, but probably bring Triple
HF for that.

Speaker 2 (31:22):
But they like one hundred million dollars.

Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah, yeah, it'll be something crazy. I would have said
AJ's retirement could have main event at Night one.

Speaker 2 (31:33):
Do you think that's gonna happen?

Speaker 1 (31:35):
Yeah, so I don't know. So world title, I guess
maybe main events night But I think Cody and Roman
a main event without the belt. I think that is
just such a big moment.

Speaker 2 (31:45):
Yeah, it's kind of like it's it's it's the main event,
but it's you know.

Speaker 1 (31:49):
Co Maine, big main events. They'll do something like that.
I think as far as the World I don't think
the world title is yet ready to be a main
event title.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
No, But.

Speaker 1 (32:01):
If I had to pick the two main events, I
think Gunter is just gonna be kind of a maybe
Gunter Brock.

Speaker 2 (32:09):
Mm hmm.

Speaker 1 (32:10):
I think he's gonna be the you know, the attraction guy.

Speaker 2 (32:14):
Well, he's gotta be the guy like I mean, look,
if he retires Aj, he kind of has to be
the guy to like, like.

Speaker 1 (32:20):
He's gotta retire everybody. Like, I think it's Brock one
of them years, It's Randy one of them years.

Speaker 2 (32:27):
Probably probably Jericho, maybe Jericho.

Speaker 1 (32:30):
Yeah, he's going to be the guy to send everybody
to the old folks home, which I'm here.

Speaker 2 (32:34):
But you know what, though, that tells you how fucking
stupid they were to have Jay tap him out or
him tap out to Jay, because now every time the
fucking crowds screaming, you tapped out.

Speaker 1 (32:44):
Yeah, but this is your number one badass, bad guy.
But he tapped out to a dude who's in a
tag team division, now, you know, so that was a mistake.
That was a mistake, yeh was him winning a rumble? Mistake? Though? Jay?

Speaker 2 (32:57):
I think so?

Speaker 1 (32:57):
You think so? I mean because they didn't do more.
It was a shock, like you know what, we'd be
wanting surprises and we finally got one.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
I think with the sena whole entire run, they just
needed to play it, like play the hits, like yeah,
it's like it's John Cena in your life.

Speaker 1 (33:14):
Play the dude.

Speaker 2 (33:15):
Just play the hits, win the rumble, make everything, and
any of the in between matches make him super nostalgic
tier tier jerkers, you know.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
I mean, they kind of fumbled that, And then I.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
Just feel like too with like Jay, like he has
to be pretty gassed by the time it gets to
the ring every time because that fucking entrance to work
out it is real Cardio in.

Speaker 1 (33:40):
The stairs like it's it's card It's it is, like
I'll give him a little credit on that, Like he
does that for the people, Like he could be like,
let's just flip it and I'll just come down to
the no, But he does that for the people. I
just and then the same people will be like you guessed.

Speaker 2 (33:53):
I just wonder how long, like because I just saw
them do it with him and Jimmy, and it was
like it didn't feel like it hits as as it
feels like I don't know how you take that lightning
in a bottle with a wrestler who probably is like
an icy champ. Yeah you know, yeah, and keep because

(34:13):
he was selling so much merch.

Speaker 1 (34:15):
It's the merch man, like he's so popular. Like people all.

Speaker 2 (34:18):
Complain, but when you're at the show, the kids love.

Speaker 1 (34:21):
They run it back. They want the interest over and
over again, like so you gotta but that could be
I see, like you don't have to put them to
the top of the card to do that, and you'll
still sell merch.

Speaker 2 (34:32):
And you know, I mean, look at how prominent like
Domin is right now. Yeah, you know. And it's like,
I mean, I think that the trip has been dope
the way that they're kind of like.

Speaker 1 (34:45):
I hate that. I hate the only WW guys really
get over over.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
There, but liked Americanos fucking lit.

Speaker 1 (34:51):
Like they all get over it and now they're booing
their own guys freaking Vikingo had to turn like it's
it's kind of.

Speaker 2 (34:58):
It feel like the most over guy where there's miss Iguana.
Mister Iguana is a vibe.

Speaker 1 (35:03):
They should have done more with Finn when he did
that demon puppet.

Speaker 2 (35:06):
Oh, I thought that shit was dope. I bought it
and then they never I'm glad that they're Like Finn
needs I mean I saw like it was ten years
ago that he wanted to title and I was like, damn,
Finn needs it needs a run, bro, Finn was the
number Like when my kid was like a little kid
back then for his birthday, he fucking painted his face
like Finn Balor and like.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
That was so over, dude, and he still is.

Speaker 2 (35:28):
Like people still love well they brought that honestly then
bringing back that fucking song.

Speaker 1 (35:32):
I hope it stays so too. I feel like he
needs to go through some things like looks like Cody
did where they made a break up, the fucking he
kicked out the squad like that needs the.

Speaker 2 (35:42):
Needs to Like they've teased so many breakups.

Speaker 1 (35:46):
But they've been there the longest faction but he's had
in a long time.

Speaker 2 (35:50):
And like look very successful. Yeah they all get all
going gold. Yeah Damie Yeah, I think obviously Damian Priest left.
I think they've kept it fresh.

Speaker 1 (36:00):
May have man, every edge was I forgot. They were
like Devil worshipers for a minute and then they were
like a biker club.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Yeah, it's very confusing.

Speaker 1 (36:07):
It got weird. But I think Finn needs to get
kicked out maybe at Mania. I think it's I.

Speaker 2 (36:12):
Think they I think that's the match for Mania.

Speaker 1 (36:15):
Dom and Finn or Icy.

Speaker 2 (36:18):
Yes, I'm here for it.

Speaker 1 (36:20):
I saw somebody meme where they were, and I think
I think Ray mysterio with Dom because they do it
every Mania, so they're gonna figure out some way.

Speaker 2 (36:28):
I think Finn wins though, and if he doesn't win,
or that he doesn't win, he's kicked out. I think
Ray comes through and turns fucking heel and like helps
Dom win and retain.

Speaker 1 (36:40):
You're talking crazy.

Speaker 2 (36:41):
I don't know.

Speaker 1 (36:41):
Bad guy Ray.

Speaker 3 (36:43):
He's the greatest babyface. All the kids love him. He's
never been a bad guy never.

Speaker 1 (36:49):
That's fun.

Speaker 2 (36:49):
I mean you know if you know anything about that.
They're just down to throw any ship at the wall
to see if it sticks.

Speaker 1 (36:54):
I mean I can't.

Speaker 2 (36:56):
But is Dom is Dom is like as babyface as
you can get while being a quote unquote heel.

Speaker 1 (37:01):
Yeah, he doesn't really do anything that's heeler's except to
hate his dad.

Speaker 2 (37:06):
Like you know, people love him.

Speaker 1 (37:07):
People love him. That's gonna be a big turn too
when they if they eventually kick him out of this squad.

Speaker 2 (37:12):
I'm glad they got Omas Krack in two in Mexico.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
Yeah, Like, they got so much talent, so now they
have places to use the talent, which is really cool
and it makes you want to watch every show. Now,
I'm you gotta watch NXT, you gotta watch Triple A.
You gotta because guys just pop up and do really
dope stuff. So it's a good time to be a
wrestling fan. Yeah aw, aw's popping right now. Kenny is
about to be back on his game, The God of
Professional Wrestling Kenny by God Omega.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
So TNA's on anas. I don't really watch it, but
you know, I'll get to it. I just watched stuff
on Twitter. Yeah, yeah, I mostly catch a lot of
the Yeah TNA, I'm like, it's too much.

Speaker 1 (37:47):
Wrestling, man, It's wrestling every day of the week. Like
I can't.

Speaker 2 (37:49):
Yeah, I got a family dog for sure. Hey, we
gotta wrap up this interview another one presented by Hard Dann.
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(38:10):
the craziest gas you could ever ask for, And then
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Go to Harden Underscore Las Vegas, shoot them a follow
and when you're in Las Vegas and make sure you
shoot them a visit. All right, So the are you
gonna do any special? Like obviously if I'm sure you
guys are planning like some vinyls Grammy the Grammy Edition

(38:30):
vinyls for this album.

Speaker 1 (38:31):
Actually yes, like that, the vinyl is coming, the original
press is coming. But yeah, we're gonna slap something special
on it, maybe some maybe some new songs, new artwork.
At least put a sticker like Grammy Edition. You know
what I'm saying. So yeah, I love collectibles and like
this this moment is creating a lot of collectibles for me.
Like we did a special limited gold shirt colorway where

(38:52):
it was like all right, like we want to celebrate
this moment as much as possible because somebody wrote it
to my attention, Like Grammy Nominated never goes away, Like
whether it's two years, three years, later, you're still Grammy nominated, bro,
Like it's.

Speaker 2 (39:05):
A Grammy nominated.

Speaker 1 (39:07):
They have to say it. You gotta say the whole
thing like a Grammy Award winning. Let's gone.

Speaker 2 (39:15):
Then you just take that motherfucker with you everywhere, Yo, everywhere.

Speaker 1 (39:19):
I'm gonna be like, you want what you say? You
want to see my Grammy? Like no, I didn't say
that at all, Like what do you say grammy? Somebody
say Grammy because I got one right here, like it
would be everywhere with me. I'm gonna put it on.
Like now, you can't put it on the chain. You
can't do that.

Speaker 2 (39:35):
I think that's I mean, look, probably could, but it
probably would not be very comfortable.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Yeah, I heard it's a violation. Then they'll take it back.

Speaker 2 (39:42):
Like really, Kanye Piston one you put in.

Speaker 1 (39:46):
They probably don't want it back. Now.

Speaker 2 (39:49):
I've seen people use them as ash trayes.

Speaker 1 (39:51):
Wow, that's pretty gangster though. I mean, you can't wear
it out in public doing something defaced to it.

Speaker 2 (39:56):
Oh that makes sense, you don't want to like, yeah,
they got their brand, yeah yeah, brand guidelines.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Well I'll find out all the guidelines on February first,
when you tune in for Music's Biggest night on CBS.

Speaker 2 (40:09):
How do you like your chances?

Speaker 1 (40:11):
Man, any man with two hands has a fighting chance,
and so I believe that I put up a fight
anything else in that category. You know what's really dope
is there's one other hip hop cat in the category,
Future who did a record with his daughter, and Felix
makes one of the records. I'm actually featured on it.

Speaker 2 (40:28):
Oh, so you might win, like I.

Speaker 1 (40:32):
Got chances now, So I love it, and I love
all the nominees. Man, They're all really good records for
different reasons. So, but that being said, I'm very biased,
but I do think I have the best record, But
I like my chances. But that's not best. Isn't what
determines this, it's you know what I'm saying. Yeah, And
so you have to realize that and be like, this

(40:53):
doesn't This doesn't take away the hard work you put in.
It doesn't take away the talent or the skill you have.
By not being nominated, people get mad about being snubbed.
It doesn't mean your record wasn't good, right, It just
means people a couple people didn't vote for it, you know, Like,
so I know that we put our foot and ankles
in this record, so I can live with that. I'm
already a winner. I'm already a winner because I'm on

(41:15):
the bootleg cap.

Speaker 2 (41:15):
Show What if you had to? Because I I think, uh,
I think obviously Kendrick's probably taken home everything.

Speaker 1 (41:25):
They just announced the Clips performing, so well, that's my thing,
is like take that.

Speaker 2 (41:30):
I kind of hope. I mean, look, I love the
Kendrick album, but I think Clips's album is better. But
it's a moment but but Kendrick, But Kendrick had such
an insane year that is I just don't know. I
don't know if, like most people would even like bat
and I to vote for anybody else.

Speaker 1 (41:49):
Yeah, that's that's kind of how.

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Because I'm looking, I'm looking at Calshie. You could bet
on the Grammys.

Speaker 1 (41:54):
Oh, everybody's been talking about this Cauci, so you can bet,
Like did they show you the odds?

Speaker 2 (41:58):
Yeah, So it's like there's seventy six per chance Kendrick
wins Best Rap Album, but Clips wins.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
Okay, and that they both up for Album of the
Year and Rap Album.

Speaker 2 (42:08):
I think they're just both up for rap album.

Speaker 1 (42:11):
I feel like one and one gets the other Album
of the Year. So I think gn X gets album. Yes,
if they're both in both categories, I feel like they
could split it.

Speaker 2 (42:25):
But could you That's the thing though, how do you
win best rap album and not? But but then no, yeah,
how do you do you lose the album? Right, you
don't have the best rap album? It doesn't make sense.
But you know what it's votes, so it don't have
to make sense. I mean, he did put out one
song last year and was like this, so it's kind
of crazy.

Speaker 1 (42:42):
The line of the Drake Kendrick battle that's going to
live forever, it's I mean, there's a couple from Kendrick,
but the line from Drake is Kendrick just opened his
mouth right now because it's true, like no, like amongst
everything else. I think that's the line of Drake's where
it's like it's true.

Speaker 2 (43:02):
But I mean, listen, I think gn X is an
incredible body of works, great record. I think I think
it's a classic. I just think his best album, and
I think for me, i'd say to Paper Butterflies best album.
But I do think gn X is in the conversation
because it is there's like the conceptual ship, but this

(43:25):
is the most like I feel like commercially palatable record
he's had where you just throw it on and like
it's just something bump.

Speaker 1 (43:32):
Yeah. Just I like it. It's very West Coast, like
he had a firm plan and stuck to it and
just was like, I'm just make bangers.

Speaker 2 (43:38):
Yeah, I love it. I thought the album was incredible,
So shout out to Kendrick. I think whoever. I think
as long as it's Kendrick Tyler or Clips that wins
Wrap Album of the Year, I'm like, eah, those three
from a.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Great album too. Yeah, I think.

Speaker 2 (43:50):
But I think Jid's album is like a like a
little like below those.

Speaker 1 (43:54):
That's fair. And as I've learned the Grammys a little bit,
I've studied every trend. I've looked at every like, well
maybe this happens. People tend to go with familiarity, yeah.

Speaker 2 (44:04):
Because there's a lot of people who have votes who
don't know anything about this shit, and they're just.

Speaker 1 (44:08):
Like it is like I know that guy.

Speaker 2 (44:10):
Oh, Kendrick Lamar, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (44:11):
Taylor Swift, I know that you know so, and I'm
not gonna lie. I used to do that when I
first started. I was like, well, I don't know this guy,
but I know that name, and now like I actually listen,
and they've actually done a better job with that because
in the voting they have a listening center right next
like literally right next to the name, there's a play
button and you could it'll open your Spotify so you
can listen to it while you're voting, So like you
can actually make an educated.

Speaker 2 (44:32):
Inform who you voted for.

Speaker 1 (44:33):
Nope, oh you know what I will say one me,
that's obvious. I can't say I had. That's so funny. Man.
I had a Rolling Stone article that was about to
go to print and the guy was like, well, yeah,
just can you talk about like who you voted for?
And I was like nope, So article didn't happen, but
yeah you people like yeah, I wouldn't like, no, you

(44:56):
shouldn't talk about who you voted for, right, I mean,
country would be in a better place if people didn't
talk about who they voted for.

Speaker 2 (45:02):
All the like sports writers and shit, they all they
kind of say who they vote for. They do, Yeah,
you'll watch like these guys have podcasts.

Speaker 1 (45:12):
A man, they shouldn't sell that because then now you
look like biased, you look like a hater. Like it's yeah,
like I think it should be private, like your vote
is your vote, like it's your personal thing, Like it's
a decision that has to be made, And so people
were like, what have you ever Like he was kind
of asking me, like, have you ever voted for independent artists,
you know, like smaller artists thinking they could have a chance,

(45:33):
or do you feel like when you vote, he don't
have a chance. So let me just go with the
big guys. And I'm like, I don't think that's a
way to vote, Like you vote for what you think
is the dopest record of the year, you know, is
it going to be really hard on a year that
Kendrick drops? Yes, should you maybe hold on to your
album if Kendrick drops? Maybe you know what I'm saying

(45:54):
because or same with Taylor Swift, like go get out
the way, like because you know that that's that storm
is kind of coming. And even at a small level,
I was on the same label with Bizarre Face when
they put out a record, and my dude was like,
get out the way, like I think zar Face is
gonna pop and so don't drop anything, like you.

Speaker 2 (46:13):
Know, and they've kind of done their own version of
like the nerd Ship where it's like there's like the
artist is as important to the group. Is it's about
the collective.

Speaker 1 (46:23):
The art, yeah, yeah, the collecting that yeah, Like they've
built collectibles into it, and so it's a great, great thing.
That's what I wanted to do. I just didn't have
the budget for it. Like I want toys, I want
a megaanto.

Speaker 2 (46:33):
Because like the dude who does all the art is
like a part of the group, right, is he a
part of Sarvi? That's what I heard. I have like
Marvel people like ex Marvel people drive drawing. Really, I
always thought somebody had told me that, like there's like
a main artist who, like there could be who drew.

Speaker 1 (46:47):
The original logo maybe and does a lot of work.
I'm not sure that's so I'm an hitch you up
and ask you about that. Shout out to our face.

Speaker 2 (46:53):
I think my prediction is Kendrick wins Best Rap Album,
Best Album of the Year, and then Clips wins for
Chains and Whips.

Speaker 1 (47:00):
I was about to say Clips are up for a
couple of other things, up for best Video, They're up
for a few other things, So I do think that'll
get spread around. They're not leaving it.

Speaker 2 (47:08):
They or they win. I think they might the John
John Legends.

Speaker 1 (47:12):
Is that's a good like all right, we can check
off both because Kendrick's on it, so we're like, oh yeah, Kendrick,
all right.

Speaker 2 (47:18):
Bam is the John Legend record nominated? The Birds Don't Sing?

Speaker 1 (47:22):
Is that like sung?

Speaker 2 (47:23):
Rap could win too?

Speaker 1 (47:24):
They could? That's a great song. Yeah, to start off
the album with that, It's just like wow, bro, I
was like almost in tears from the beginning of that record, like, man, powerful,
powerful music. Man just say hip hop can't make you cry?

Speaker 2 (47:36):
Was that your favorite album of last year rap album?

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Well, that would imply that I voted for it, so
I cannot speak on that. But I do think it's
a really good album. No, that's not true, because.

Speaker 2 (47:46):
There was albums that came out from September to December
twenty four.

Speaker 1 (47:51):
Dayla Soul's my favorite album of this year.

Speaker 2 (47:52):
Great album.

Speaker 1 (47:53):
Love that record and like the whole Massifield roll I's
been crazy.

Speaker 2 (47:57):
But I think day Law is the best one.

Speaker 1 (47:59):
I think. I was about to say, I think it's
but the Mob one is really good too.

Speaker 2 (48:02):
Album is right there.

Speaker 1 (48:03):
There's some good stuff. I still go back to the
Supreme Clientele too, the Light Years. I'm still playing it.

Speaker 2 (48:10):
So yeah, that's the Light Years. The production disappointed me
a bit. Man.

Speaker 1 (48:13):
People have been trying to disrespect Primo and I'm not
disspecting him. I'm just now need to stop it.

Speaker 2 (48:18):
I just like, damn, what would this have sounded like
fifteen years ago when they really should have did this?

Speaker 1 (48:22):
And then he listened to like the Ransom and Primo
album and you're like, oh, these beats. I wonder what
would have happened if if he was on these, you know.
So it's like, it's not that Primo can't do it,
it's just maybe what they picked that you maybe disagree
with now.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
But I do think the two best albums out of
those were Dayline Mob Deep.

Speaker 1 (48:37):
That Daylight record. It doesn't leave my rotation. Man, it's
so good, so great.

Speaker 2 (48:43):
Yeah all right man, well listen, you're hopefully going to
be getting a Grammy trophy soon.

Speaker 1 (48:48):
I'll bring it back next time you do.

Speaker 2 (48:50):
You still do your wrestling podcast.

Speaker 1 (48:52):
Once in a while, man, shout out to the matt
Mania homies. I pop up on people's podcasts now. I'm like,
you know what, I don't want to produce a podcast,
but I will appear on your podcast. So that's basically
what I do. I'm on the Bumps and Bruises pot
with a couple of my homies and so yeah, I
just I pretty much every week I do on Twitch,
I do Monday Night ran and that's just me just

(49:12):
popping up talking about wrestling, and so yeah, I'm always like,
if somebody wants to talk wrestling, I will talk wrestling.

Speaker 2 (49:20):
What about do you do any of the streaming where
you game? And like people, Oh, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (49:24):
We play Mega Man, we play two K, we play Fortnite.
I played so much stuff. And then I'll do talking
streams talking streams team that seemed a little better, Like
people just want to ask questions, they want to be
a part of the show. And when you're gaming, it's
like I'm focused, I'm locked in, so I can't really,
you know, communicate as much. So the talking streams team
to do better. But I stream. It's like I think

(49:45):
about three hours a day during the week.

Speaker 2 (49:47):
What do you do you prefer people stream the album
or is there a way people can just go direct
to you and by and support them with their pot
however you like.

Speaker 1 (49:55):
But honestly, band camp is great because you can pick
your own price it's the highest quality mus You're gonna
get the high quality waves or flak or whatever you want. Also,
the money comes directly to me. Also, I think band
camp gives you the best percentage as an artist. But honestly, man, however,
you can get the music Spotify, Apple, Title, Deezer, whatever,
it doesn't matter. Like, what's important is you listen to it,

(50:17):
because I think even if you don't have kids, I
think it's a record that you can pick up something from.
It's good hip hop. It's hip hop mixed with jazz,
mixed with sky, mixed with reggae. Like I've had fun
with so many different genres, and it's important like messages
in it, you know what I'm saying. So I think
that people can pull something from it. I got friends
and be like, yo, I ain't even got no kids, man,
but I love these Buddies records. Like so, I think

(50:39):
it's just it's well mixed. Shout out to Felix, and
it's just it's just good music, you know. Like I
understand you have to put genres limitations on things. And
what I love about the Children's Grammy genre is that
there's no genre attached. So there's a hip hop album.
There's a folk album, there's singer songwriter, there's jazz, there's
story books. You know what I mean. There's so many

(51:00):
things that can be considered children's right.

Speaker 2 (51:03):
Well, listen, go support Finyl coming soon.

Speaker 1 (51:06):
Vinyl's coming soon. You can go pre order it now
Mega ram music dot Com goes right to my band camp,
which is the best place to get it. Shout the
needle Juice Records. They're printing those up. They're really cool
splatter design. It looks really good and it could be
a part of history, man, part of history.

Speaker 2 (51:22):
Are you strictly independent now? I am no.

Speaker 1 (51:25):
Actually, well, I've started my own company through through a
good homie at Old Soul Music, So I run HYPERCMBO.
So I run my own label through UH through another
company with distribution, and so I'm always looking for projects too,
So like, if there's anybody out there I like, I
like producer projects. So like, if you got beats that
are really interesting and cool, I would love to help

(51:46):
people put those out, Like I want to help artists
get their dreams out too, So hit me up about Hypercombo.
If you got some some fun, smart, kind of left
of center weird rap, albums or projects. You know what
I'm saying, Like I can, I can help at least
with my little bit of whatever I got in resources
when if something excites me like I would love to
help out. So yeah, hit me up.

Speaker 2 (52:06):
Go support the Grammy nominated album Buddies Magic Treehouse and
I hope you win, sir.

Speaker 1 (52:13):
Let's go. I appreciate that, my friend. Thank you. Yeah,