May 27, 2026 • 29 mins
Jordan the Ninja, the satirical king of Omaha's inner city construction, joins the show to talk about his new song, "Fahhgettaboutit," which pokes fun at the various construction issues Omahans face these days. He also chats about his social media boom and his transition to being a local celebrity while still performing music around the city.
Listen
Watch
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
It is the Emory Songer Podcast live and on your
radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We thank you for joining us so much.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
As always, a very special esteemed guest is back. Welcome
in once again to the legend himself, Jordan the Ninja,
the Legend.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Wow a man.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Well he's here, he's in the studio, but he's in
for a very specific reason. And this is why there's.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
A place called Omaha where people think they know it
all and everyone votes Red Butt District. Dude, it's only
thirty minutes wide, but trust me, it ain't worth the drive.
I'm certain, just like me, you'll be confused. There's Gene
Leahy and Benson and Blackstone in midtown and every which
(00:56):
way you can go, and more restaurants burg than most
in the States. But there's one more small detail to know.
There's construction everywhere and the city's in despair. Twenty places
(01:19):
you might eat if you can get across the street.
I say, forget about it. Chinese places you may go, well,
I say, or shit, that means no, pack up all
your hopes and dreams. You can blame it all on
Jeane and forget about it. The city they won't fix
(01:41):
my street. Yeah, but they can fill and patch a
sinkhole in less than two weeks. Well probably already seem bleak,
so you can take it off from me and forget
about it. We didn't want to fix the bus system,
so now we got a train and little business went
to the chamber, but most of the two hundred and
(02:03):
fifty thousand dollars went to marketing. The city's a construction zone.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And everywhere's a traffic cone.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
But if you'd like a little hope bite say, oh
no you don't. Just forget about it, suffer just like
the rest of us. They say, goh, support small businesses,
and then they don't support small businesses. I just want
to go and dance, but I haven't had a chance.
Just forget about it. Yeah, I'm sure you'd like to
(02:37):
drink about it. Well, don't even think about it. You'll
be on your way to mingle when your car.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Ball's in a sinkhole. Just forget about it.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Just forget about it, Just forget about it. You could
skip this coming rock, but they've got the airport blocks,
so forget about it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I said, forget about it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
That is the brand new song that is out by
the Omaha legend himself Jordan the Ninja. Well, what's the
song called, man, It's called Forget about It?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Of course it is, which is awesome, very on brand.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
You talk about, you know, your place in kind of
the Omaha zeitgeist these days.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
This is a perfect encapsulation of that as a song.
What was the inspiration? What made you? Because you're a musician.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
If anybody knows anything about you and you listen to
the first podcast that Jordan and I did a couple
of months ago, music's huge part of your life. What
was the inspiration to write and record this song that
kind of morphs both of what you're known for, the
music and your commentary on in a City Construction.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Yeah, in a City Construction. Uh, you know, I love
whimsical songwriting. That's like my my thing.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
I come from a musical theater background, so I was
instantly inspired. Just one time I heard this, I had
this idea and I was like, you know, it'd be
really funny if I made a song about it. It was
just like the same idea when I did the first
Construction video. I was like, Yeah, it'd be a really
great idea if somebody made a video about this. Construction,
and so I had this melody start come in my head.
I had the idea, you know, you have it for
(04:30):
like a couple of days or a couple of hours.
You dance around with the idea. Then I was like,
oh boy. Then I started really getting some real good stuff.
And then I was like, okay, I got to stop
in what I'm doing. I got to sit write it down.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I got to the.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Piano, I opened my studio, and then I just started
writing it out. I was like, okay, okay, there's a
police called oh Mahu where people think they know it
all and I.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Was like, ah, this is this is great.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
You know, the verse was a little uh, I mean
the yeah, the verse before the chorus comes in. You know,
that was the tricky part of making sure it all
comes in because I wanted to try to mention as
much as I could. You know, I couldn't put everything
in omaha about it. So then but I just had
to cut a shirt who we can get to the hook.
And then we got to the hook. You know, like
there's construction everywhere, which is true.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Let's talk about that process real quick, because I find
it fascinating how people do this I'm a big music
nerd and some of the great songwriters of all time.
I think we're writing songs in the late sixties and
early seventies a great time to be in music. And
I've heard people like Don Henley and Glenn Fry of
the Eagles, and heard people like Lindsey Buckingham and Steve
Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and their process and some of
(05:40):
the most popular and famous songs ever they say were
written in like a half hour. They like had it
all in their head and they had just had to
write it down really fast because that was the only
way it was going to survive. For you, whenever you're
writing a song, what is that typical process when you
know that you're onto something, whether it's lyrically or with
(06:00):
a melody.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Oh boy, it's the same thing, man. It's like one
of those processes. It's gonna have to be done in
like thirty minutes, or it doesn't have to be thirty minutes,
but sometimes it can be an hour or an hour
and a half. But it's like sometimes the bangers are
always you know, the little small times, and a lot
of times, well, sometimes you get the idea that it's
going to be a banger and then you write it
out as a banger. Sometimes it's the stuff that you
(06:23):
think is really stupid and silly, and then everybody thinks
it's a banger.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So there's a lot of stupid songs that have gotten
very popular.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah you know, or what did the fox say?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Boom? Great example?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, And I think I saw an
interview with him and he was also talking about that.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
He was like, that was like the dumbest song I
ever wrote.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
One of my favorite songs is Blue by Eifel sixty five.
I'm Blue Babadida ba die dabadida byea die dabadivada die,
you know, like it's something like that, and those guys
when they talk about it, it's the same thing. It
was like it was born out of we diddled around
and got to like this keyboard melody and we just
(07:05):
needed a song to put around it because it was
such a beautiful hook that we needed to get to.
So what's the process look like after you start writing
it down. How long did it take to formulate exactly
how you wanted it to go lyrically? How long did
it take you to kind of, like you said, you
were trying to work a lot of stuff into the lyrics.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
How long did it take?
Speaker 5 (07:24):
It took me about an hour, seriously, Yeah, maybe an
hour and a half or two hours. It's in between
an hour and two hours. The actual process of getting
it all shaped is one thing that takes about that's
the like the thirty minute process. You're like, Okay, this
is what I want to do. We're gonna start a lot.
You write something down, you gotta get a generic thing.
If you don't have time to finish it, sometimes you
(07:45):
got to come back to it. But I had time,
so I was like, oh, well, boy, I got this thing.
I got to work on this stuff. But you know,
you stop, you know because I have to other things
to attend to, just for a little bit. But then
I come right back to it. But the process for
all of that, it was about an hour to two hours,
you know. And it's just trying to find the right
rhymes in my head.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I try not to.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
I try not to use other things to write music
for me, you know, like a I that's right.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, yeah, hinted, he hint, hints all aspiring songwriters out there.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Yeah, it's all you aspiring word prompt artists out there.
So you know, I and I for the most part,
I'll try not to google, you know, even rhymes. You know,
sometimes you can google what rhymes with this word, what's clever?
I try not to do that either. But you know,
if I'm really really struggling with something, which I haven't
felt like I have been doing recently, If I am
(08:34):
really struggling with something, I'll do that. I'll like go
to like rhyme Zone or something like that. But you know,
I work out my little hooks and and it just
kind of gets I think with this song, I just
had too many ideas. Besides that, It's like, man, I
already have an entire series based off of this one thing,
(08:55):
so that really made it easier. It was just trying
to dumb down everything I was trying to say to
this thing that rhymes with that thing and that thing
that rhymes with the other thing. Yeah, so that was
kind of the process, but it was really it was
really easier I think for this one.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Well, and like I said, you're kind of marrying the
two things that you are most known for. Yeah, you
and I went into an ice cream shop before we
started recording here, right, and you were immediately recognized by
the people in there and it made their day to
see you, right.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
So it was really awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, and you talk about that, and it's the the
inner City construction commentary has become kind of we love
our town, but we are allowed to make fun of
some of its shortcomings.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
What has that experience been like for you over the
last six months or so seeing kind of your star
on the rise? I know you just celebrated a pretty
big milestone in terms of your followership on your platforms here.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, I mean it's a pretty big milestone for me.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
I got I'm now like over fifty thousand followers on
each platform. There's so long to go, I think, but
the transition between what was happening before and what's happening now,
as far as what I do, it's been really, really nice.
I feel like I was struggling in the first couple
of months, because I'm gonna put this out there. Sorry,
(10:18):
I'm not sorry. Actually two years ago, I was homeless,
so I was struggling, and I surrendered my car and
my lease ran out and I didn't have any dough
so I was coutsurfing for a while, and then I
ended up in a basement with one of my friends,
(10:39):
one of my bandmates at the time.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
And so that was two years ago.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I was twenty twenty four and now in twenty twenty five,
I started. I mean, I from then on, I was like, man,
and it's probably the third time I've said it, but
I was like, I'm not going to.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Be broken again.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
But I think this was the last time I said that,
and I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna
So I I stayed there in that basement for like
a year and a half, just building my empire what
I wanted my life to be like, and you know,
just booking things out, getting busy and busy and busier.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So it's the transition is.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Kind of wild to me because it hasn't even been
a year ago since I moved out of that basement.
And it was I moved out of the basement in September.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Last year. October I went viral.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And we're here, we are in May.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah, it hasn't even been a year.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Fifty thousand across all platforms.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, And I was, I mean, I had like,
I had fourteen thousand on I had twenty seven thousand
on Facebook. I had fourteen thousand on Instagram. It was
going down, you know, because if you're just not making
stuff that's really relatable, you're following people are deactivating their
counsel all the time. And then I had some on
TikTok as well. But uh yeah, it's been an interesting transition.
I think the biggest transition has been mainly just the
(12:01):
adjustment that I'm having from like like, ah, people are
looking at me, and like, you know, people have looked
at me for different reasons for sure, but now it's
like people are recognizing me and like, oh my god,
I've been watching your videos and like, you know, I
feel like I've been having a really heavy impact. It's
really given me a He's given me an iHeart for
the city.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Nice, well done, very professionally done there. I saw you
and I mentioned this in the first Bucks I well played,
well played. I will you know what. I saw you
for the first time, and I didn't know it was
you yet. It was the show that you did opening
for Yachtle Creue with your band par Fay, and so
(12:45):
this would have been like nobody would have noticed that
this was a guy who you know, was six months
away from really having.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
A star on the rise locally.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, But like I said, I mean like you've become
super recognizable, but you're doing it on your terms. It
wasn't like you sold your soul to do something else,
to make money or to get clout in the ether.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Here. It's stuff that you have.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Complete control over and that you enjoy doing and people
enjoy watching you.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Dude, that's got to mean something to you.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
For sure. It means so much to me. Honestly.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
I do a lot of the things that I do
for those small interactions. The one we had actually that
the ice cream shop that was E Creamery in Dundee,
and doing it for those interactions people who are really like, wow,
I watch your stuff. This is really makes me feel
a certain way, you know. And you know, I was
at a wowt before that, and it's like I've become
kind of friends with some of the newscatchers because they
follow my stuff and they interviewed me once and I
(13:42):
think I was in a farmer's market once and this
lady she comes up to me and she was she
life has been kind of hard, you know. You can
see it on her face. He's not saying it, but
she was just telling me that she gets up every
morning and she watches my videos because things have been tough,
you know, and it's not the steady situation isn't helping her.
(14:03):
And what she does is she watches the videos and
it makes her laugh and.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
It means that it gets me ready. Right here, I'm
pointing at my heart, by the way.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Your iHeart.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Oh whoa, sorry, five bucks, I'm not getting that. Uh
okay that, but but those are the stories, right and
you sharing your own personal story that's going to impact
people because it shows you shouldn't never get I mean,
obviously you're still a young person, but going through trials
and tribulations anybody of any age. Uh, there's adversity in
(14:39):
everyone's life and it looks different for every single person.
You being as public facing as you've become, whether it
is the fact that people can see you on all
these social media platforms having fun with the things that
are going around on around Omaha, or seeing you performing
at a farmer's market or seeing you perform at a
(14:59):
bar or a restaurant, and people can interact with you in.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Ways like that.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, you know, like like you there has to be
a weight that you're carrying around now a little bit
knowing that people are you know, like you can't really misbehave.
But at the same time, people see you as this
figure of joy in their life all of a sudden, which.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Is odd because I'm very negative about everything in all
of my videos.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
But you know, it is quite ironic.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
It is quite ironic. But you know, and I think
that the public accountability, I think it helps a little bit.
You know, there are a lot of people who are
you know, bigger time celebrities that are doing some things
that are a little questionable.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
But it does. I do carry the little a.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Little weight, you know, in my heart for stuff like
that and having that impact with people. Benny Green recently
talked about he's a jazz pianists about how music humbles you,
you know, and I think that that's what playing in
the farmers markets and playing a dive bars does for me.
(16:10):
You know, it's really easy, it's really easy to get
all in my head. It's really easy to think.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Man, I'm the stuff. Man, I'm the guy, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
And it's there's nothing wrong with being confident, you know.
I think I'm an attractive person. That's a confident thing.
But you know, do I think I'm the most attractive
person in world. Heck, no, absolutely not so playing in
the farmer's market, you know, that's where I that's where
I started nine years ago, when I started playing in
(16:40):
my music career, when I.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Dropped out of college.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
So it really humbles you, you know, to bring an
experience to somebody, you know, and it's people are showing
gratitude for for.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
You know, and they're tipping you. You know.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
But you know, there's nothing as as a crucive I
think is playing on the street. It really shapes who
you are, I think as a creative, especially as a musician,
and I create. I credit one of all my entertainment
skills to play on the street. You know, there's nothing
well and I guess this may be something that people
(17:14):
don't you can't really relate on in every way, but
maybe in a different way in life. You know, there's
nothing so disheartening about someone who doesn't even turn their.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Head to look at you.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
You know, you're playing a little song doing little dude
that and you're just like, come on, man, give me
that dollar.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Mean or it's not like.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That, but but honestly, that's a great, great place to
take this next question. Yeah, the acknowledgment all right, And
I've heard people who are like.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Panhandlers, you know, I've had a chance.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
To actually talk to a couple people who have panhandled
in their life, just standing on a street corner or
a median, and they say, even if somebody doesn't give
me money, them just acknowledging me, nodding their head at me,
waving at me makes me feel something inside absolutely. And
for you, you know, it's a little bit different when
you're performing music and there are thousands of people that
(18:06):
are running through that Farmer's Market and it is crowded,
there's a lot of people there. But what are those
emotions that you have when you're sitting there for a
few hours and you're doing what.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
You love to do and play music.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
But like you said, it's a very different environment than
being on the stage at Steelhouse or kind of being
the star of a show. You're just kind of a
part of this bigger operation. What are those emotions like?
Is you know, you know what you were feeling when
you were forming the Farmer's Market a year ago versus
maybe now when you're starting to get yourself a little
more attention for who you are beyond the music.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
You're playing.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
It's the exact same. Really, yeah, it's exact same.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
And that's one of the reasons why I like playing
in the street, because the stage doesn't it doesn't. The
stage isn't how high you're up off the ground, you know.
At now at the Farmer's Market, I lay at my
little carpet out, I put my chair out, and I
put my ca there. I you know, play my little
foot tambourine and and cahoone and play the guitar at
the same time.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
And that's my that's my thing now.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
But last year I didn't have a carpet, und I mean,
and I was actually sitting on top of my cohone.
Then had of Jim Bay, you know, and then before
then I wasn't even like years ago, I wasn't even
using a cahone, you know, at the time. So it
doesn't matter how high I am off the ground. You know,
you can anywhere you're standing, anywhere you're sitting, whatever you're
(19:27):
playing music can be a stage.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
And that's one of the.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Beautiful things I think about playing the street. I'm just
a panhandler with a guitar, you know, sort of.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, I mean, and this is no disrespect to the
panhandlers out there, but the like a busker. Like I've
seen professional buskers and that's not what you do per se.
But there are a lot of talent out there that
just gets completely undiscovered and overlooked just because they aren't
in the right place at the right time sometimes.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Well, and I.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Think that that's really not about that, you know, if
you're really I don't know, I don't know if I
want to say about the life, but it's not really
about getting the attention or trying to be in the
right place at the right time. Some of the most
phenomenal musicians in the world you've never heard of.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Yeah, you know, I was seeing some of these cats,
you know, especially in New York, those guys in most
of those guys, you know, you don't have to have
Instagram or Facebook. I mean, there wasn't a Facebook or
Instagram in the in the nineties, you know. And but
people you know, you hear about them, you know, or
you might hear about him, or you might not know
about them. Some of the people in the world that
are the best musicians you never hear or you never
(20:41):
hear about them.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Well, and that's it's a good point.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
I was in New York when I was in high school,
and this was just before the dawn of kind of
social media and people hawking their own CDs that they recorded,
you know, a couple of years earlier, and they're just
out there themselves, just trying to see no peop will
buy them for ten bucks.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That's one of my first experiences in New York ten
years ago. I was out there.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
We were Uh, I got to play, I got to
sing in Carnegie Hall. Actually, oh that's alretty cool. Yeah,
And but I was walking around. I got lost in
Times Square like twice. I got lost first time for
like two hours. The second time I got lost was
like four hours.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Oh terrible. That's not great.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I didn't know where I was going to New York.
It was weirdly weird.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
And I was like eighteen or something like that. Yeah,
I think I was just about eighteen. But yeah, man,
there's there's guys on the.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Street corner that give me their little CDs, and you know,
I took them home and I listened to CDs, you know,
and it's.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
It's music, it's something because it's yeah, they probably like it,
you know.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Self expression and that's the most important part of it.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
That's all art. That's all art, is right, It's a
variation of self expression.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yeah, and I'm just a different kind of busker, you know.
Busking is what I've been doing for I've been busking
longer than I've been performing on stage, you know, right,
unless you count theater, I guess maybe.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
The Yeah, I don't know if i'd count that to
exactly what you're doing. It helps it obviously, get gave
you a lot of experience. Uh, forget about it, you
know that's that. I mean, now you got you got
a good tune here, and the fact that it is
also themed in the thing that got you the attention
(22:15):
and notoriety here in town. And the fact that you honestly,
at this point, Jordan, you walk around in any given area,
You're gonna be more recognized than the mayor. You're gonna
be more recognized than the governor. I mean, people know
what you look like more than a lot of these
really important, like governmental type figures around town.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And with that being said, you know what I'm saying, Like.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Uh, you might be asked, what's next? I want a sequel?
To forget about it? Is there gonna be like a
whole weird Al Yankovic's type album of you know, commentary
on Omaha's inner city construction and weirdly oddly shaped buildings
like you.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Know, I don't know, actually, I mean, I write whimsical
music all the time. I try to just stick to
things that are a little different, you know, I guess
when I write. But that's the thing, you know, that's
that's one of the hardest parts about songwriting for me
is just that they all come out in a different genre.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
You know, I'll write a country song, I love that.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
I'll write like a hip hop and I'll write a
funky song, and I'll write a musical song. You know,
it's great, But then it's like, what are you attached
to the brand? You know, so many different things, and.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Of course jazz is always one of them.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
But yeah, I guess in different ways, I am a
little more recognizable than some people.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
But I think it's just because of.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
What I do and I'm out there in a different way.
And also the feeling that that I give out is
more popular than the word politics.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Oh yeah, you know, for sure, I hate the word politics.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I also do as well. I know a lot of
people who are in politics that hate the word politics,
that they see it as kind of a way to
give service to the community, and you're doing that in
a different way. Have you had any flack or pushback,
you know, now that you've been, you know, growing in
(24:09):
popularity the last four or five months, has there been
anybody that's just like, oh, this is getting older. Why
do you talk so much, you know, garbage about the
construction in Omaha. They're trying to do the best that
they can. Has there been anybody like that?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Really?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
I mean you're gonna get if you're going to get
a little bit of everything, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Because I feel like you're you're the way you do
it brings joy, Like you're doing it in a sarcastic
way that people are supposed to chuckle at. You're you're
you're talking about something that's real, but you're not doing
it in a like deathly serious tone.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah. True.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
I mean I work in satire, so that's one thing.
But you know, there's always going to be somebody out there.
I mean, even if it's even if.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
It's not picking up the message the way I would
like them to pick up the message.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
It's also we are all people, and we all disagree
with things, like, you know, I'm starting to come around
a little more on the street car project, you know,
and still the way they're going about it, I think
really sucks. I think the way it was handled really sucks.
I think the financial situation that came around with supporting
(25:16):
the small businesses really sucks. But do I think it's
going to move things forward eventually in the city after
all this chaos is going. So that's one opinion I
have on it. But before I was thinking to myself,
I was like, well, if they just fixed the bus system,
then we wouldn't even need a street car. And that's
actually that's true too, in a.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Way different, different kind of approach.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Yeah, right, so we could have started there, but there's
nothing wrong with going all the way, you know. But
then I have even one of my buddies, one of
my film buddies, he disagrees with me, and he thinks
the street car project is great, you know. So it's
like everybody has different opinions. I'm just somebody who has
my own opinions who says them out, and it just
(26:01):
so happens a fifty thousand people across all platforms on
each platform I agree with me, or maybe they don't,
you know, maybe they just think it's funny.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, And you know what, the people.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Who disagree with you will follow you just to tell
you that they disagree with you. And I still hear
that too. And there's an nothing wrong where people saying
their opinions.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
I think one of the ladies that owns the building
on tenthon Capitol was you know, she wasn't at my neck.
Of course, you know, she was really admiring and she
loved the videos and stuff like that, but she was like,
you know, once we open, you know, you got to.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Come down and say something positive.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
So you know, I do just happen to say a
lot of negative things about.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Now you're being told, hey, you better give me a
good endorsement after this, because you carrying your voice carries
some weight, you know.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, And I'm trying to I'm trying not to.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Like talk bad on businesses because I don't want I
don't want any smoke. I'm not trying to like actually
say if something, if somebody does something that makes you
feel a certain way, it's I feel it's corrupt or
something like that. And I want to publicize that and
I really feel like that's what I need to do.
Then sure, you know, but for the most part, I
deal in laughs, you know, making people think about things
(27:11):
while also giving them time to laugh at their day.
You know, everybody does stupid things and everybody has mistakes
that they make, so you know, I go around talking
about that. I even go talk around about the stereotypes
of Nebraska, like the fact that there's no black people
in Nebraska, which is hilarious, which is a crazy stereotype
because there's I mean Nebraska was I mean, well, Omaha
(27:32):
itself has always had a rich and vibrant black community,
you know, especially in the nineteen hundreds and like the
late eighteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So yeah, but the stereotype exists in the way that
you kind of shine light on that in its own way,
I think is satire and it's funny. And if people
have the right attitude when they watch your videos and
know that you're not taking everything super duper seriously, you
can't help but to laugh with the way that you
put it out there. So it's extended to the music. Now,
(28:02):
forget about it available where how can people find it?
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Forget about it is available on all streaming platforms wherever
music is, wherever music is, even iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Boom just like that, I owe your five dollars again.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
I don't know. That wasn't like a heart joke, no, but.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
It was an endorsement of the app, and I do
appreciate that. Yeah, of course, Jordan and Ninja follow him
if you're one of the few people who don't find
him on all social media sites. Facebook is actually where
I see most of your stuff. I'm kind of like
an old old soul in that way. But obviously TikTok
and Instagram or where it's really blowing up right now,
This was awesome.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Facebook is really coming up.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Facebook pays hey boom exactly now. See, this is a
businessman through and through. He dresses like a businessman, he
behaves like a businessman. Heard even though they're owned by
the same people. Now, but you know, thanks for coming
in man, of course, Man, I always really appreciate talking
to you. I will see you on Sunday at the
Farmer's Market probably.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Oh yeah, And June seventh is going to be the
official meet and greet date, So if you guys are
interested in coming to the meet and greet. It's going
to be at the key with Luminarium from four to
seven pm. We got Cameron Loxton Google them, Tober Williams
google them, Julia Carilla.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Google her, Cassie May Google her, and then me.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
We're going to do a social media panel at four
and then we opened up in sub Merch Keywit Luminarium
June seventh, four to seven.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Let's go. Yeah whatever.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
The opposite of scram is yeah, yes, ram to the
Luminarium on June seventh.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Jordan Nanja my Man appreciates you coming in, Doc
It is the Emory Songer Podcast live and on your
radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
We thank you for joining us so much.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
As always, a very special esteemed guest is back. Welcome
in once again to the legend himself, Jordan the Ninja,
the Legend.
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Wow a man.
Speaker 1 (00:26):
Well he's here, he's in the studio, but he's in
for a very specific reason. And this is why there's.
Speaker 4 (00:32):
A place called Omaha where people think they know it
all and everyone votes Red Butt District. Dude, it's only
thirty minutes wide, but trust me, it ain't worth the drive.
I'm certain, just like me, you'll be confused. There's Gene
Leahy and Benson and Blackstone in midtown and every which
(00:56):
way you can go, and more restaurants burg than most
in the States. But there's one more small detail to know.
There's construction everywhere and the city's in despair. Twenty places
(01:19):
you might eat if you can get across the street.
I say, forget about it. Chinese places you may go, well,
I say, or shit, that means no, pack up all
your hopes and dreams. You can blame it all on
Jeane and forget about it. The city they won't fix
(01:41):
my street. Yeah, but they can fill and patch a
sinkhole in less than two weeks. Well probably already seem bleak,
so you can take it off from me and forget
about it. We didn't want to fix the bus system,
so now we got a train and little business went
to the chamber, but most of the two hundred and
(02:03):
fifty thousand dollars went to marketing. The city's a construction zone.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
And everywhere's a traffic cone.
Speaker 4 (02:13):
But if you'd like a little hope bite say, oh
no you don't. Just forget about it, suffer just like
the rest of us. They say, goh, support small businesses,
and then they don't support small businesses. I just want
to go and dance, but I haven't had a chance.
Just forget about it. Yeah, I'm sure you'd like to
(02:37):
drink about it. Well, don't even think about it. You'll
be on your way to mingle when your car.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Ball's in a sinkhole. Just forget about it.
Speaker 5 (02:54):
Just forget about it, Just forget about it. You could
skip this coming rock, but they've got the airport blocks,
so forget about it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
I said, forget about it.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
That is the brand new song that is out by
the Omaha legend himself Jordan the Ninja. Well, what's the
song called, man, It's called Forget about It?
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Of course it is, which is awesome, very on brand.
Speaker 1 (03:31):
You talk about, you know, your place in kind of
the Omaha zeitgeist these days.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
This is a perfect encapsulation of that as a song.
What was the inspiration? What made you? Because you're a musician.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
If anybody knows anything about you and you listen to
the first podcast that Jordan and I did a couple
of months ago, music's huge part of your life. What
was the inspiration to write and record this song that
kind of morphs both of what you're known for, the
music and your commentary on in a City Construction.
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Yeah, in a City Construction. Uh, you know, I love
whimsical songwriting. That's like my my thing.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
You know.
Speaker 5 (04:09):
I come from a musical theater background, so I was
instantly inspired. Just one time I heard this, I had
this idea and I was like, you know, it'd be
really funny if I made a song about it. It was
just like the same idea when I did the first
Construction video. I was like, Yeah, it'd be a really
great idea if somebody made a video about this. Construction,
and so I had this melody start come in my head.
I had the idea, you know, you have it for
(04:30):
like a couple of days or a couple of hours.
You dance around with the idea. Then I was like,
oh boy. Then I started really getting some real good stuff.
And then I was like, okay, I got to stop
in what I'm doing. I got to sit write it down.
Speaker 2 (04:41):
Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
So I got to the.
Speaker 5 (04:42):
Piano, I opened my studio, and then I just started
writing it out. I was like, okay, okay, there's a
police called oh Mahu where people think they know it
all and I.
Speaker 3 (04:51):
Was like, ah, this is this is great.
Speaker 5 (04:53):
You know, the verse was a little uh, I mean
the yeah, the verse before the chorus comes in. You know,
that was the tricky part of making sure it all
comes in because I wanted to try to mention as
much as I could. You know, I couldn't put everything
in omaha about it. So then but I just had
to cut a shirt who we can get to the hook.
And then we got to the hook. You know, like
there's construction everywhere, which is true.
Speaker 1 (05:19):
Let's talk about that process real quick, because I find
it fascinating how people do this I'm a big music
nerd and some of the great songwriters of all time.
I think we're writing songs in the late sixties and
early seventies a great time to be in music. And
I've heard people like Don Henley and Glenn Fry of
the Eagles, and heard people like Lindsey Buckingham and Steve
Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and their process and some of
(05:40):
the most popular and famous songs ever they say were
written in like a half hour. They like had it
all in their head and they had just had to
write it down really fast because that was the only
way it was going to survive. For you, whenever you're
writing a song, what is that typical process when you
know that you're onto something, whether it's lyrically or with
(06:00):
a melody.
Speaker 5 (06:01):
Oh boy, it's the same thing, man. It's like one
of those processes. It's gonna have to be done in
like thirty minutes, or it doesn't have to be thirty minutes,
but sometimes it can be an hour or an hour
and a half. But it's like sometimes the bangers are
always you know, the little small times, and a lot
of times, well, sometimes you get the idea that it's
going to be a banger and then you write it
out as a banger. Sometimes it's the stuff that you
(06:23):
think is really stupid and silly, and then everybody thinks
it's a banger.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
So there's a lot of stupid songs that have gotten
very popular.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah you know, or what did the fox say?
Speaker 2 (06:32):
Boom? Great example?
Speaker 5 (06:34):
Yeah, yeah, you know, And I think I saw an
interview with him and he was also talking about that.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
He was like, that was like the dumbest song I
ever wrote.
Speaker 1 (06:44):
One of my favorite songs is Blue by Eifel sixty five.
I'm Blue Babadida ba die dabadida byea die dabadivada die,
you know, like it's something like that, and those guys
when they talk about it, it's the same thing. It
was like it was born out of we diddled around
and got to like this keyboard melody and we just
(07:05):
needed a song to put around it because it was
such a beautiful hook that we needed to get to.
So what's the process look like after you start writing
it down. How long did it take to formulate exactly
how you wanted it to go lyrically? How long did
it take you to kind of, like you said, you
were trying to work a lot of stuff into the lyrics.
Speaker 2 (07:23):
How long did it take?
Speaker 5 (07:24):
It took me about an hour, seriously, Yeah, maybe an
hour and a half or two hours. It's in between
an hour and two hours. The actual process of getting
it all shaped is one thing that takes about that's
the like the thirty minute process. You're like, Okay, this
is what I want to do. We're gonna start a lot.
You write something down, you gotta get a generic thing.
If you don't have time to finish it, sometimes you
(07:45):
got to come back to it. But I had time,
so I was like, oh, well, boy, I got this thing.
I got to work on this stuff. But you know,
you stop, you know because I have to other things
to attend to, just for a little bit. But then
I come right back to it. But the process for
all of that, it was about an hour to two hours,
you know. And it's just trying to find the right
rhymes in my head.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
You know.
Speaker 3 (08:04):
I try not to.
Speaker 5 (08:05):
I try not to use other things to write music
for me, you know, like a I that's right.
Speaker 1 (08:10):
Yeah, yeah, hinted, he hint, hints all aspiring songwriters out there.
Speaker 5 (08:14):
Yeah, it's all you aspiring word prompt artists out there.
So you know, I and I for the most part,
I'll try not to google, you know, even rhymes. You know,
sometimes you can google what rhymes with this word, what's clever?
I try not to do that either. But you know,
if I'm really really struggling with something, which I haven't
felt like I have been doing recently, If I am
(08:34):
really struggling with something, I'll do that. I'll like go
to like rhyme Zone or something like that. But you know,
I work out my little hooks and and it just
kind of gets I think with this song, I just
had too many ideas. Besides that, It's like, man, I
already have an entire series based off of this one thing,
(08:55):
so that really made it easier. It was just trying
to dumb down everything I was trying to say to
this thing that rhymes with that thing and that thing
that rhymes with the other thing. Yeah, so that was
kind of the process, but it was really it was
really easier I think for this one.
Speaker 1 (09:12):
Well, and like I said, you're kind of marrying the
two things that you are most known for. Yeah, you
and I went into an ice cream shop before we
started recording here, right, and you were immediately recognized by
the people in there and it made their day to
see you, right.
Speaker 3 (09:26):
So it was really awesome.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Yeah, and you talk about that, and it's the the
inner City construction commentary has become kind of we love
our town, but we are allowed to make fun of
some of its shortcomings.
Speaker 3 (09:38):
Oh for sure.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
What has that experience been like for you over the
last six months or so seeing kind of your star
on the rise? I know you just celebrated a pretty
big milestone in terms of your followership on your platforms here.
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, I mean it's a pretty big milestone for me.
Speaker 5 (09:55):
I got I'm now like over fifty thousand followers on
each platform. There's so long to go, I think, but
the transition between what was happening before and what's happening now,
as far as what I do, it's been really, really nice.
I feel like I was struggling in the first couple
of months, because I'm gonna put this out there. Sorry,
(10:18):
I'm not sorry. Actually two years ago, I was homeless,
so I was struggling, and I surrendered my car and
my lease ran out and I didn't have any dough
so I was coutsurfing for a while, and then I
ended up in a basement with one of my friends,
(10:39):
one of my bandmates at the time.
Speaker 3 (10:41):
And so that was two years ago.
Speaker 5 (10:43):
I was twenty twenty four and now in twenty twenty five,
I started. I mean, I from then on, I was like, man,
and it's probably the third time I've said it, but
I was like, I'm not going to.
Speaker 3 (10:52):
Be broken again.
Speaker 5 (10:55):
But I think this was the last time I said that,
and I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna
So I I stayed there in that basement for like
a year and a half, just building my empire what
I wanted my life to be like, and you know,
just booking things out, getting busy and busy and busier.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
So it's the transition is.
Speaker 5 (11:16):
Kind of wild to me because it hasn't even been
a year ago since I moved out of that basement.
And it was I moved out of the basement in September.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
Last year. October I went viral.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
And we're here, we are in May.
Speaker 3 (11:34):
Yeah, it hasn't even been a year.
Speaker 2 (11:36):
Fifty thousand across all platforms.
Speaker 5 (11:38):
Yeah, yeah, And I was, I mean, I had like,
I had fourteen thousand on I had twenty seven thousand
on Facebook. I had fourteen thousand on Instagram. It was
going down, you know, because if you're just not making
stuff that's really relatable, you're following people are deactivating their
counsel all the time. And then I had some on
TikTok as well. But uh yeah, it's been an interesting transition.
I think the biggest transition has been mainly just the
(12:01):
adjustment that I'm having from like like, ah, people are
looking at me, and like, you know, people have looked
at me for different reasons for sure, but now it's
like people are recognizing me and like, oh my god,
I've been watching your videos and like, you know, I
feel like I've been having a really heavy impact. It's
really given me a He's given me an iHeart for
the city.
Speaker 1 (12:22):
Nice, well done, very professionally done there. I saw you
and I mentioned this in the first Bucks I well played,
well played. I will you know what. I saw you
for the first time, and I didn't know it was
you yet. It was the show that you did opening
for Yachtle Creue with your band par Fay, and so
(12:45):
this would have been like nobody would have noticed that
this was a guy who you know, was six months
away from really having.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
A star on the rise locally.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, But like I said, I mean like you've become
super recognizable, but you're doing it on your terms. It
wasn't like you sold your soul to do something else,
to make money or to get clout in the ether.
Speaker 2 (13:08):
Here. It's stuff that you have.
Speaker 1 (13:11):
Complete control over and that you enjoy doing and people
enjoy watching you.
Speaker 2 (13:16):
Dude, that's got to mean something to you.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
For sure. It means so much to me. Honestly.
Speaker 5 (13:21):
I do a lot of the things that I do
for those small interactions. The one we had actually that
the ice cream shop that was E Creamery in Dundee,
and doing it for those interactions people who are really like, wow,
I watch your stuff. This is really makes me feel
a certain way, you know. And you know, I was
at a wowt before that, and it's like I've become
kind of friends with some of the newscatchers because they
follow my stuff and they interviewed me once and I
(13:42):
think I was in a farmer's market once and this
lady she comes up to me and she was she
life has been kind of hard, you know. You can
see it on her face. He's not saying it, but
she was just telling me that she gets up every
morning and she watches my videos because things have been tough,
you know, and it's not the steady situation isn't helping her.
(14:03):
And what she does is she watches the videos and
it makes her laugh and.
Speaker 3 (14:08):
It means that it gets me ready. Right here, I'm
pointing at my heart, by the way.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
Your iHeart.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
Oh whoa, sorry, five bucks, I'm not getting that. Uh
okay that, but but those are the stories, right and
you sharing your own personal story that's going to impact
people because it shows you shouldn't never get I mean,
obviously you're still a young person, but going through trials
and tribulations anybody of any age. Uh, there's adversity in
(14:39):
everyone's life and it looks different for every single person.
You being as public facing as you've become, whether it
is the fact that people can see you on all
these social media platforms having fun with the things that
are going around on around Omaha, or seeing you performing
at a farmer's market or seeing you perform at a
(14:59):
bar or a restaurant, and people can interact with you in.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Ways like that.
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Yeah, you know, like like you there has to be
a weight that you're carrying around now a little bit
knowing that people are you know, like you can't really misbehave.
But at the same time, people see you as this
figure of joy in their life all of a sudden, which.
Speaker 5 (15:23):
Is odd because I'm very negative about everything in all
of my videos.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
But you know, it is quite ironic.
Speaker 5 (15:29):
It is quite ironic. But you know, and I think
that the public accountability, I think it helps a little bit.
You know, there are a lot of people who are
you know, bigger time celebrities that are doing some things
that are a little questionable.
Speaker 3 (15:46):
But it does. I do carry the little a.
Speaker 5 (15:49):
Little weight, you know, in my heart for stuff like
that and having that impact with people. Benny Green recently
talked about he's a jazz pianists about how music humbles you,
you know, and I think that that's what playing in
the farmers markets and playing a dive bars does for me.
(16:10):
You know, it's really easy, it's really easy to get
all in my head. It's really easy to think.
Speaker 3 (16:14):
Man, I'm the stuff. Man, I'm the guy, you know.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
And it's there's nothing wrong with being confident, you know.
I think I'm an attractive person. That's a confident thing.
But you know, do I think I'm the most attractive
person in world. Heck, no, absolutely not so playing in
the farmer's market, you know, that's where I that's where
I started nine years ago, when I started playing in
(16:40):
my music career, when I.
Speaker 3 (16:41):
Dropped out of college.
Speaker 5 (16:43):
So it really humbles you, you know, to bring an
experience to somebody, you know, and it's people are showing
gratitude for for.
Speaker 3 (16:52):
You know, and they're tipping you. You know.
Speaker 5 (16:54):
But you know, there's nothing as as a crucive I
think is playing on the street. It really shapes who
you are, I think as a creative, especially as a musician,
and I create. I credit one of all my entertainment
skills to play on the street. You know, there's nothing
well and I guess this may be something that people
(17:14):
don't you can't really relate on in every way, but
maybe in a different way in life. You know, there's
nothing so disheartening about someone who doesn't even turn their.
Speaker 3 (17:24):
Head to look at you.
Speaker 5 (17:25):
You know, you're playing a little song doing little dude
that and you're just like, come on, man, give me
that dollar.
Speaker 3 (17:30):
Mean or it's not like.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
That, but but honestly, that's a great, great place to
take this next question. Yeah, the acknowledgment all right, And
I've heard people who are like.
Speaker 2 (17:43):
Panhandlers, you know, I've had a chance.
Speaker 1 (17:45):
To actually talk to a couple people who have panhandled
in their life, just standing on a street corner or
a median, and they say, even if somebody doesn't give
me money, them just acknowledging me, nodding their head at me,
waving at me makes me feel something inside absolutely. And
for you, you know, it's a little bit different when
you're performing music and there are thousands of people that
(18:06):
are running through that Farmer's Market and it is crowded,
there's a lot of people there. But what are those
emotions that you have when you're sitting there for a
few hours and you're doing what.
Speaker 2 (18:18):
You love to do and play music.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
But like you said, it's a very different environment than
being on the stage at Steelhouse or kind of being
the star of a show. You're just kind of a
part of this bigger operation. What are those emotions like?
Is you know, you know what you were feeling when
you were forming the Farmer's Market a year ago versus
maybe now when you're starting to get yourself a little
more attention for who you are beyond the music.
Speaker 2 (18:41):
You're playing.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
It's the exact same. Really, yeah, it's exact same.
Speaker 5 (18:46):
And that's one of the reasons why I like playing
in the street, because the stage doesn't it doesn't. The
stage isn't how high you're up off the ground, you know.
At now at the Farmer's Market, I lay at my
little carpet out, I put my chair out, and I
put my ca there. I you know, play my little
foot tambourine and and cahoone and play the guitar at
the same time.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
And that's my that's my thing now.
Speaker 5 (19:07):
But last year I didn't have a carpet, und I mean,
and I was actually sitting on top of my cohone.
Then had of Jim Bay, you know, and then before
then I wasn't even like years ago, I wasn't even
using a cahone, you know, at the time. So it
doesn't matter how high I am off the ground. You know,
you can anywhere you're standing, anywhere you're sitting, whatever you're
(19:27):
playing music can be a stage.
Speaker 3 (19:29):
And that's one of the.
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Beautiful things I think about playing the street. I'm just
a panhandler with a guitar, you know, sort of.
Speaker 1 (19:38):
Yeah, I mean, and this is no disrespect to the
panhandlers out there, but the like a busker. Like I've
seen professional buskers and that's not what you do per se.
But there are a lot of talent out there that
just gets completely undiscovered and overlooked just because they aren't
in the right place at the right time sometimes.
Speaker 3 (19:56):
Well, and I.
Speaker 5 (19:58):
Think that that's really not about that, you know, if
you're really I don't know, I don't know if I
want to say about the life, but it's not really
about getting the attention or trying to be in the
right place at the right time. Some of the most
phenomenal musicians in the world you've never heard of.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 5 (20:18):
Yeah, you know, I was seeing some of these cats,
you know, especially in New York, those guys in most
of those guys, you know, you don't have to have
Instagram or Facebook. I mean, there wasn't a Facebook or
Instagram in the in the nineties, you know. And but
people you know, you hear about them, you know, or
you might hear about him, or you might not know
about them. Some of the people in the world that
are the best musicians you never hear or you never
(20:41):
hear about them.
Speaker 2 (20:42):
Well, and that's it's a good point.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
I was in New York when I was in high school,
and this was just before the dawn of kind of
social media and people hawking their own CDs that they recorded,
you know, a couple of years earlier, and they're just
out there themselves, just trying to see no peop will
buy them for ten bucks.
Speaker 2 (20:56):
You know.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
That's one of my first experiences in New York ten
years ago. I was out there.
Speaker 5 (21:01):
We were Uh, I got to play, I got to
sing in Carnegie Hall. Actually, oh that's alretty cool. Yeah,
And but I was walking around. I got lost in
Times Square like twice. I got lost first time for
like two hours. The second time I got lost was
like four hours.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Oh terrible. That's not great.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I didn't know where I was going to New York.
It was weirdly weird.
Speaker 5 (21:17):
And I was like eighteen or something like that. Yeah,
I think I was just about eighteen. But yeah, man,
there's there's guys on the.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Street corner that give me their little CDs, and you know,
I took them home and I listened to CDs, you know,
and it's.
Speaker 1 (21:30):
It's music, it's something because it's yeah, they probably like it,
you know.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
Self expression and that's the most important part of it.
Speaker 2 (21:38):
That's all art. That's all art, is right, It's a
variation of self expression.
Speaker 5 (21:42):
Yeah, and I'm just a different kind of busker, you know.
Busking is what I've been doing for I've been busking
longer than I've been performing on stage, you know, right,
unless you count theater, I guess maybe.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
The Yeah, I don't know if i'd count that to
exactly what you're doing. It helps it obviously, get gave
you a lot of experience. Uh, forget about it, you
know that's that. I mean, now you got you got
a good tune here, and the fact that it is
also themed in the thing that got you the attention
(22:15):
and notoriety here in town. And the fact that you honestly,
at this point, Jordan, you walk around in any given area,
You're gonna be more recognized than the mayor. You're gonna
be more recognized than the governor. I mean, people know
what you look like more than a lot of these
really important, like governmental type figures around town.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
And with that being said, you know what I'm saying, Like.
Speaker 1 (22:36):
Uh, you might be asked, what's next? I want a sequel?
To forget about it? Is there gonna be like a
whole weird Al Yankovic's type album of you know, commentary
on Omaha's inner city construction and weirdly oddly shaped buildings
like you.
Speaker 5 (22:55):
Know, I don't know, actually, I mean, I write whimsical
music all the time. I try to just stick to
things that are a little different, you know, I guess
when I write. But that's the thing, you know, that's
that's one of the hardest parts about songwriting for me
is just that they all come out in a different genre.
Speaker 3 (23:13):
You know, I'll write a country song, I love that.
Speaker 5 (23:14):
I'll write like a hip hop and I'll write a
funky song, and I'll write a musical song. You know,
it's great, But then it's like, what are you attached
to the brand? You know, so many different things, and.
Speaker 3 (23:25):
Of course jazz is always one of them.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
But yeah, I guess in different ways, I am a
little more recognizable than some people.
Speaker 3 (23:35):
But I think it's just because of.
Speaker 5 (23:36):
What I do and I'm out there in a different way.
And also the feeling that that I give out is
more popular than the word politics.
Speaker 3 (23:46):
Oh yeah, you know, for sure, I hate the word politics.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
I also do as well. I know a lot of
people who are in politics that hate the word politics,
that they see it as kind of a way to
give service to the community, and you're doing that in
a different way. Have you had any flack or pushback,
you know, now that you've been, you know, growing in
(24:09):
popularity the last four or five months, has there been
anybody that's just like, oh, this is getting older. Why
do you talk so much, you know, garbage about the
construction in Omaha. They're trying to do the best that
they can. Has there been anybody like that?
Speaker 2 (24:22):
Really?
Speaker 3 (24:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 5 (24:23):
I mean you're gonna get if you're going to get
a little bit of everything, you know.
Speaker 1 (24:28):
Because I feel like you're you're the way you do
it brings joy, Like you're doing it in a sarcastic
way that people are supposed to chuckle at. You're you're
you're talking about something that's real, but you're not doing
it in a like deathly serious tone.
Speaker 3 (24:41):
Yeah. True.
Speaker 5 (24:42):
I mean I work in satire, so that's one thing.
But you know, there's always going to be somebody out there.
I mean, even if it's even if.
Speaker 3 (24:50):
It's not picking up the message the way I would
like them to pick up the message.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
It's also we are all people, and we all disagree
with things, like, you know, I'm starting to come around
a little more on the street car project, you know,
and still the way they're going about it, I think
really sucks. I think the way it was handled really sucks.
I think the financial situation that came around with supporting
(25:16):
the small businesses really sucks. But do I think it's
going to move things forward eventually in the city after
all this chaos is going. So that's one opinion I
have on it. But before I was thinking to myself,
I was like, well, if they just fixed the bus system,
then we wouldn't even need a street car. And that's
actually that's true too, in a.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
Way different, different kind of approach.
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Yeah, right, so we could have started there, but there's
nothing wrong with going all the way, you know. But
then I have even one of my buddies, one of
my film buddies, he disagrees with me, and he thinks
the street car project is great, you know. So it's
like everybody has different opinions. I'm just somebody who has
my own opinions who says them out, and it just
(26:01):
so happens a fifty thousand people across all platforms on
each platform I agree with me, or maybe they don't,
you know, maybe they just think it's funny.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
Yeah, And you know what, the people.
Speaker 5 (26:10):
Who disagree with you will follow you just to tell
you that they disagree with you. And I still hear
that too. And there's an nothing wrong where people saying
their opinions.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
You know.
Speaker 5 (26:18):
I think one of the ladies that owns the building
on tenthon Capitol was you know, she wasn't at my neck.
Of course, you know, she was really admiring and she
loved the videos and stuff like that, but she was like,
you know, once we open, you know, you got to.
Speaker 3 (26:31):
Come down and say something positive.
Speaker 5 (26:33):
So you know, I do just happen to say a
lot of negative things about.
Speaker 1 (26:40):
Now you're being told, hey, you better give me a
good endorsement after this, because you carrying your voice carries
some weight, you know.
Speaker 3 (26:46):
Well, And I'm trying to I'm trying not to.
Speaker 5 (26:49):
Like talk bad on businesses because I don't want I
don't want any smoke. I'm not trying to like actually
say if something, if somebody does something that makes you
feel a certain way, it's I feel it's corrupt or
something like that. And I want to publicize that and
I really feel like that's what I need to do.
Then sure, you know, but for the most part, I
deal in laughs, you know, making people think about things
(27:11):
while also giving them time to laugh at their day.
You know, everybody does stupid things and everybody has mistakes
that they make, so you know, I go around talking
about that. I even go talk around about the stereotypes
of Nebraska, like the fact that there's no black people
in Nebraska, which is hilarious, which is a crazy stereotype
because there's I mean Nebraska was I mean, well, Omaha
(27:32):
itself has always had a rich and vibrant black community,
you know, especially in the nineteen hundreds and like the
late eighteen hundreds.
Speaker 1 (27:41):
So yeah, but the stereotype exists in the way that
you kind of shine light on that in its own way,
I think is satire and it's funny. And if people
have the right attitude when they watch your videos and
know that you're not taking everything super duper seriously, you
can't help but to laugh with the way that you
put it out there. So it's extended to the music. Now,
(28:02):
forget about it available where how can people find it?
Speaker 3 (28:04):
Forget about it is available on all streaming platforms wherever
music is, wherever music is, even iHeartRadio.
Speaker 1 (28:10):
Boom just like that, I owe your five dollars again.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
I don't know. That wasn't like a heart joke, no, but.
Speaker 1 (28:18):
It was an endorsement of the app, and I do
appreciate that. Yeah, of course, Jordan and Ninja follow him
if you're one of the few people who don't find
him on all social media sites. Facebook is actually where
I see most of your stuff. I'm kind of like
an old old soul in that way. But obviously TikTok
and Instagram or where it's really blowing up right now,
This was awesome.
Speaker 3 (28:39):
Facebook is really coming up.
Speaker 2 (28:40):
Is it?
Speaker 1 (28:41):
Facebook pays hey boom exactly now. See, this is a
businessman through and through. He dresses like a businessman, he
behaves like a businessman. Heard even though they're owned by
the same people. Now, but you know, thanks for coming
in man, of course, Man, I always really appreciate talking
to you. I will see you on Sunday at the
Farmer's Market probably.
Speaker 3 (29:02):
That's right.
Speaker 5 (29:02):
Oh yeah, And June seventh is going to be the
official meet and greet date, So if you guys are
interested in coming to the meet and greet. It's going
to be at the key with Luminarium from four to
seven pm. We got Cameron Loxton Google them, Tober Williams
google them, Julia Carilla.
Speaker 3 (29:17):
Google her, Cassie May Google her, and then me.
Speaker 5 (29:19):
We're going to do a social media panel at four
and then we opened up in sub Merch Keywit Luminarium
June seventh, four to seven.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
Let's go. Yeah whatever.
Speaker 1 (29:28):
The opposite of scram is yeah, yes, ram to the
Luminarium on June seventh.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
Jordan Nanja my Man appreciates you coming in, Doc
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.