Dr. Jay Barnett and Kirk Franklin break down knowledge via experience and knowledge via age in a fantastic conversation on Den of Kings with Jonathan Majors, KevOnStage, Ray J and NLE Choppa
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
I'm a homegrowl that knows a little bit about everything
and everybody, you know, if you don't lie about that. Right, Hey, y'all,
what's up. It's Laura l. Rosa and this is the
Latest with Laura Rosa. This is your daily dig on
all things pop culture, entertainment, news, and all of the
conversations that shake the room. Now today, if we are
(00:23):
checking in behind the scenes of the Grind, today is
a good day, y'all. We are preparing to go and
tape something very very very very very very special Tamor Hall.
So I'll be headed to Tamor Hall. She taped here
in New York City tomorrow. So I'm gonna do as
much behind the scenes as i can from YouTube to
(00:44):
some audio content here for the audio side of the podcast,
just as much as I can, because I'm really excited
about it. In the podcast episode is a podcaster episode,
so we'll be there talking about the low Riders, which
are you guys, everybody that's listening in and tuned in,
and you know, just the building, I mean all from
the very start of us trying to figure out everything
(01:07):
from the audio and getting our you know, I feel
like we're in our groove. Now we got our our like,
you know, we got our thing going on to even
figuring out video to just everything. So we'll get into
it with Tamara Hall, y'all know she liked to get
into the thing, so we probably gonna get into the things.
But I'm really excited. So you guys, you know, stay
tuned for that. You know, I'll bring you updates from
(01:27):
wherever I go. We're like podcast bloggers ish, like taking
y'all like step by stepping the journey like a vlog,
but like it's on the podcast side. So yeah, so
behind the scenes to the grind, I am really excited
for that, really busy just preparing for that while also
working Homecoming just wrapped up. Shout out to Delaware State University.
(01:49):
We won our homecoming game seventy to twenty three. It
was pouring down, rainy outside, but man, we had such
a great time on the plots. And homecoming is always
such a good vibe you talking about, you know, feeling
busy and moving and grooving and doing all the things.
I was just saying, homecoming is like the only time
where you literally actually feel care free. If I'm being honest,
(02:12):
I think when I go on vacation. It's cool and
you feel care free, but like there's always subtle reminders
that you're paying for that shit. Like you that vacation
is coming out of your big grown pocket and you
are only going to do as much as you're willing
to pay for homecoming. I mean, it's not like everything
is free at homecoming, but because you're on campus and
you're on the plots, you're not really there's you know,
(02:33):
you're at the football game. There's not much you got
to come out of pocket for it. So everything is
really in the vein of come one, come all, have
a good time, and it feels like and reminds you
of the time when you, yeah, like you were just
in college and having that great time. I ran into
so many people shout out to you know, I was
(02:55):
Miss Black and Gold. When I was at Delawarescate University.
I ran into another set of Miss black and golds.
So Miss black and Gold is the miss of Alpha
Phi Alpha, which is the Greek fraternity, and they'll say
chapter is Gamma Sigma. So I believe I was like
Spring thirteen when the Alphas came back to campus. That
(03:17):
is the year that I was Miss Black and Gold,
but I met other misses. I got out the car
and they were like there was like a girls and like,
you know, their whole click getting ready to head on
over to the big cookout. And she was like, oh
my god, breakfast club. But she was like, I didn't
know you were Miss Black and Gold. And I'm like,
do I not talk about that enough? Yes? I was
Miss Black and Gold, which was a fire too because
(03:38):
shout out to the Alphas Gamma Sigma, the office at
Delst University. They are literally my brothers. When I was
Miss Black and Gold, and that line came back onto
campus and I keep saying line for those of you
guys who did not go to HBCU. When I say line,
I'm referring to So each fraternity has a different line
of brothers. So every year or er, we so often
(04:01):
they're able to bring new members that it's called a line.
So they're line brothers because they're all, you know, they
pledge on the line together. So Spring thirteen was the
line that I they I was gonna say that cross
with I didn't cross, they crossed, but I was been
Black and Golden and we just got so close, like
they used to let me like like fake travel with
(04:22):
them and like hang with them. We threw events together.
They got in trouble and all the things, but we
did it together and it was such a good time.
So they'll forever semented. So that was amazing. Then we
had it on over to the Capa Plots. So again
for those of you guys who are not familiar that
there's another Greek fraternity. On the way there, we walked by,
like I got to say how to all my Q
(04:43):
friends aka Friends Delta friends. The Greek like culture, the
Divine Nine. They call them the Divine Nine because there
are nine fraternities and sororities that are in the total
Divine Nine. The Divine Nine are made up of individuals
who wanted to become Greek organization members, so they wear
the Greek letters. But that really creates the campus culture
(05:06):
while you're on campus, while you're undergrad but also even
when you come back to campus. You know the Plots,
which is where all the Greek organizations are, is where
our biggest event is hosted. That's where there's multiple DJs,
there's food, there's community dancing, just stepping all of the
things you find it there. And I am not Greek
I am gd I'm a goddamn individual, but a lot
(05:29):
of my friends are Greek. And again, you know, while
I was at college and even now coming back as
an alumni, you just realize how powerful the Divine Nine is.
And that's why Kamala went and spoke to those sg
ros versus being anywhere else she was supposed to be.
Because Kamala, who is an Aka, she's an Alpha Kappa Alpha,
a part of the Greek Divine Nine, understands the power
(05:52):
and community that hbc used possessed, but especially within that
divine now. And so, yeah, this weekend, which is really great,
real quick recap of that. This weekend was just so great,
and I'm just proud. I'm so proud to be a
HBCU alum. I'm so proud to be at different places
being able to talk about it because I literally remember
people telling me that going to an HBCU was going
(06:14):
to make my life after college hart because people just
didn't hire people from HBCUs and HBCUs didn't have the
best reputation reputations. And I remember my school, Dell State.
If you're from Delaware, people will call it the thirteenth
grade all the things and here I am now. So
always a great time to be back at homecoming, letting
the people know that Dell State is where it's at now,
(06:44):
moving right along, talking about community and you know, conversations
and all the things. I was watching this interview Kirk Franklin.
He has this series and I've been telling everybody I
know about this series. So Kirk Franklin has this series
on his YouTube channel. It's called Den of Kings. He
(07:05):
has done about three to four episodes he drops. It
seems like he drops about one a month. And on
each episode he always has these like really impactful, well
known black men in entertainment. So this episode he had
Ray J. He had Nli Choppa, he had Jonathan Majors,
(07:27):
he had Kevi on stage, and he had doctor j Burnett,
who has the Just Heal podcast here on the Black
Effect Network. He's one of my Black Effect cousins. So
you know, all these men are here, they're on this podcast.
And prior to this episode, the episode before this one,
he had Tyler Perry, he had there's an episode with
g Z like he just brings together such big names
(07:50):
and they're so vulnerable. So this this episode was no different. Now,
the opening of this episode, they got deep from the
very opening. Right within the first twenty minutes, we learned
that Jonathan Majors had attempted to commit suicide. It was
on Suicide Watch during the time when all of his
(08:11):
domestic alleged domestic violence. You know, that whole situation was
going on to the point where he says he couldn't
even be left alone. And it wasn't something that him
and Megan Good ever spoke about as far as like,
you know, him saying I don't need to be left alone,
but because they had discussed some of his thoughts around
(08:35):
suicide and the fact that he had actually written a
suicide letter, she wasn't leaving him alone. One of the
reoccurring themes of this episode, which didn't happen on purpose,
to be honest with you, was knowledge because of life
experience or knowledge because of age. So every single time
Kirk Franklin does these episodes, what I think is like
(08:57):
really really fire amongst thes or whoever. Maybe it's Kirk
Franklin putting these episodes together, but kudos to to him
or the producers or whoever. They do a really good
job of not just finding people who have these amazing
stories that you would never think would like mesh together.
And not that I think Ray j and any Nli
Chopper or whoever don't get along, even though they did
(09:20):
kind of down little moments in here. But it was
all love though it was a very like it was.
It was very much brotherly love. Not to sound corny
or cliche, but it's very much that like it was.
We're gonna be honest, I'm gonna tell you how I'm
feeling it. But I love you though. But I just
would never think to put all these the names I
just named to you, guys Kevin on stage, y j
n Lli Job, but Jonathan Major's doctor Jibbernet. I would
(09:42):
never think to put them together in one interview. But
it worked so well because what I realized is that
there were different generations represented in the room, but as men,
they all had such real life experiences with self harm,
with the struggle to be vulnerable, not just to you know,
(10:04):
their partners but especially that but to the world. They
had all gone through instances where that lost for Jonathan
Major is the lost you know that he the loss
that he talked about was what we witnessed him go through.
He lost his career, he was isolated, he was you know,
all these things. We watched all of that right. For
(10:28):
Kevin Stage, he talked about the loss of his brother,
sudden loss of his brother too, because he says his
brother had survived cancer and then just out of nowhere
got really really sick. For Ray j he talked about
losing his family and not being you know, their day
to day with his kids and that whole co parenting struggle.
(10:50):
Doctor j Burnett talks about the you know, after he's
not playing football anymore, and Elie Chappa talks about you know,
having to shed parts of himself because internally he just
was not okay. But also he talks about loss too,
in the physical sense of losing people and what growing
up around you know, death has been like. Now during
(11:15):
this conversation, I think, I think one of the biggest
takeaways has been not takeaways, but one of the biggest
conversations out of this conversation. And it's unfortunate too, because
I think if you go watch this full conversation, there
was a lot more to it than just this has
been Nli Choppa and you know the fact that you know,
(11:39):
Jonathan Major's kind of had to you know question to
him a bit about some things. It was about the Bible,
let's take a listen and Christianity. It's a thing where.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
People praise the son learn more than they praise the father.
And that's what I don't like because if we are
man made in the likeness Jesus is our brother. Get
what I'm saying, why would I drop down and praise
(12:16):
my brother instead of praising my father? And that goes
back to honoring your parents.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I just gotta say, sorry, ah, I have you read the Bible?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Read I read the Bible.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I listened to the Bible. I would say, I received
from swords.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I would say, I would say, read it again, sir,
the mess you question right?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Kay? And then there was the part where ray J
basically felt like because there were a few times where
Kirk Franklin kind of had to like Astli chap like, hey, okay, cool,
let me like he was trying to talk and explain,
and Eli Chapel was he also wanted to explain and share.
And I think whenever you're talking about things so personal
(12:57):
to people experience it. And Elie Chapper also talked about
losing his grandfather. Everything is a priority to every person
because they personally experienced that. And I think what we
witnessed was n Eli Choppa was in a very safe
space where he felt safe enough to open up. But
also I think he has arrived at a lot of
(13:18):
different destinations for himself internally, whether that's spiritually, mentally, and
I think he just wanted to share the light that
he feels daily. But I wouldn't say that he intentionally
was not trying to listen. I just think I think
(13:38):
he didn't. I think sitting back and watching this conversation,
he probably would definitely see like, Okay, I could have
listened here, I could have allowed this person to just
have their feels and you know, not jumped in here.
But again, I think it was a thing of he
felt so much love in the room. He was just
trying to give that back by incurrentouragement and you know,
(14:01):
helping people get to where he's at. But I think
there were times where it was very obvious that the
people he's in conversation with either didn't agree with some
of the things that he was saying or the places
he said he's arrived that the way he thinks about things,
or they're just not there, and that's totally fine, and
they wanted to talk about the fact that they were
not there. So ray J comes in. I mean he
(14:24):
was already physically there. But he begins to speak to
Nli Choppa and again it's all love and he expresses
off the rep he's a huge fan or you know,
Nli is his bro. He knows him. He knows that
Nli Choppa has done so much and changed the trajectory
of his family through his art and through his career,
and he hasn't figured out. So that's why he doesn't
(14:47):
want to hear from anyone else. And it got a
little tense for a second, but they brought it back.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Let's say a listen, and Ali is he's smart as fuck,
he's his own He like, you've carved out your own way,
so you unders staying you are understand by being your
own boss.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So nobody can really tell you nothing.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
No that's not no no no no no no no.
Let me let me just let me just finish that.
Let me.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Nobody.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
No, no, you listen you listen, No no, no, you
listen to No no, it's not you listen to. But
what I'm saying is you're your like, think about it
and I know your mam. I know you like you
manifested where you are and so you understand that the
grace of God.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Cool, that's what you feel, That's what I know. Got it?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Got it? Now? Do you feel like you're at that
experience level to where you can tell he's give thee
some advice? You like? You know what I'm saying. You
feel like you can give Jonathan's advice?
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Feel that level?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Not successful?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Talk about experience?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah, do you feel like that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I can only give where man is willing to receive.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That doesn't make any sense, does answer to question down?
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I don't feel like your experience.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Do you feel like your experience in the world that
you can give Jonathans.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Some if he's willing to receive where I am I
smoke a cigarette? Sure, then let me jump in and
say this. But by the end of the conversation, I
think one of the things that you could really see
was that this that space that they're in. And I
think too, when you're sitting with Kirk Franklin, you feel
like you're sitting close to God, which is Kirk Franklin
(16:36):
is such like he's such a like he's such a
regular person, and I don't say that to me. I
don't think he's of God, because I do, but I've
met him. I did an interview with him during the
BT media room, and it threw me off how regular
he was, Like I felt like I was just with
one of the homies. And I don't know. There's something
(16:57):
about people in the church, especially people who lead the church.
And Kirk Franklin is not a pastor. He's a gospel singer,
but he's felt like our pastor for all of my
life through his music, So I think we look at
him as like a faith leader. And I think with
faith leaders there's always something about there's a sense of
safety that you feel with them instantly ones you can
(17:19):
trust anyway, there's a sense of safety. There's a sense of, like,
you know, pulling back a mass that no one has
to ask you to do. You just do it naturally
because you kind of think they have the answers, and
even if they don't have the answers, you feel like
that's a pillow you can lay your head on and
be comforted in. And that's exactly what you see happened
(17:40):
throughout this episode. And I think by the end of
this conversation even though it was you know, it got
difficult at times with them all trying to hear each
other and them trying to you know, it was like
such a big brother little brother love situation happening between
them and Elie Choppa. By the end of the conversation,
(18:07):
I think you could feel that no, there was no
heart feelings taken whatsoever. But you know that these men
like n Eli Chappa is huge, super viral artists, super
famous artists. Ray j has been famous his whole life,
and he even said out here he hates the church.
A lot of it was about, you know, growing up
in the church and kind of how that hurts. Kevin
(18:28):
Stage talks a lot about the things that he's been
through the church and being raised in the church and
you know, and not trusting that anymore. Doctor J. Burnett,
same thing there, Jonathan Majors. You know, everybody has their
doubts that they cast. But by the end of this episode,
I think we've really got to see in real time
what it looks like when you allow God to like
(18:50):
enter into your life and remind you of the fact
that it's not only you, like everybody in the world
has something that going through. But will you all get
through it. And that's why I like when I tell y'all,
I push Dinna Kings with Kirk Franklin to everybody. I
just think the conversations are so authentic. I think the
(19:13):
casting for each round table is amazing. I think Kirk
Franklin handles the conversation so well because he's just such
a real nigga like and I felt bad about saying
that about Kirk Franklin, but he told me I could
say it about him when he came to the Breakfast Club.
But it's like the best way you can describe him.
Like he's in control of his surroundings at all times
(19:33):
very much, but he also relinquishes control too while still
being in control. And that's what he does in these
conversations so well. And that's what he did a lot
of times here with you know this conversation, especially when
dealing with l E Choppa, because I think it was
beautiful to see him allow Nli Choppa to be the
youngest voice in the room express how he felt. Not
(19:56):
back down from feeling like I'm young, but my life experience,
I sh we can all learn from each other, and
I'm not going to back down from that. Because I'm younger,
but also Kirk Franklin gave him the space to say,
like literally, at one point, Kirk Franklin said to him,
I want to understand that Li Choppa was talking about
there's a war on black men, and Kirk Franklin said,
(20:17):
for you to be so young, that's kind of profound
to hear from you. I want to understand that. Like
he took the time even in times where I know
he felt like nl E wasn't really the most receptive
or you know, the of the conversation. And again I
think it's he was listening, but I think it's just
because he was listening to get his points out, and
that was it. Kirk Franklin still made space for him.
(20:39):
And I think all the men at the table watching
Kirk Franklin do that help them do it for Nli
Choppa and for everybody else that was at the conversation
that was at the table too. But it was just
a good reminder that like we all are in different
places of our own sahi t like we really are
all at different points of this big mess that we
(20:59):
call life, and life be life in man, and you
may be one foot further than I am but if
we all sat down and really, you know, hash it out,
we would all learn that. Like, we can all learn
from each other, and sometimes we need to sit down
and all learn from each other. And I think if
we did more of that, Like if you think about
(21:22):
people that like you listen to but you might not
agree to, if you've ever agree with, if you've ever
sat down and listened to, whether it's like politics or whatever,
personal opinion, whatever relationship advice, if you listen to someone
you don't agree with, it might not change your opinion
about whether you agree with them or not. But there's
(21:42):
always something where you're like, Okay, maybe I don't agree
with the delivery, maybe I don't agree with the point,
but I can see where that came from, or I
can identify what even the situation even made that person
talk about that, because I've been through that. We are
a lot more alike than we are different, is my
point in this. So make sure you guys go check
out that full episode. I can only break down but
(22:04):
so much. It was a little over two hours long,
and I ain't got that long, y'all. They don't give
me that long here at the latest, But please go
check it out. Kirk Franklin is on amazing things with
this show. And I saw a lot of the clips
of Nlli Choppa and Ray j and Lli Choppa and
Jonathan Major is going viral and I mean, yeah, those
were moments and the feeling was felt when you watch
(22:26):
it in full. I can't even say it misrepresents the conversation,
because no, it felt a little bit like, Okay, I
know they getting out of La Chappa, but I think
it was a great beginning to end watch to see
we might not all agree, we might not all agree
how delivery is, we might not all agree that we're
all in here taking something away, but we're all creating
(22:46):
space nonetheless, because it's love, and that's that's just that's
such a big thing for h should be a big
thing for us black people period. Like I don't gotta
love you, I don't gotta be bessies with you, but
I don't got to be the person making your life harder,
making your burden harder to bear. I think that's the
takeaway from this, So make sure you guys go check
(23:09):
that out. At the end of the day, there's always
a lot to talk about. Y'all could be anywhere with
anybody talking about it, but you guys choose to be
right here with me every single day, my Lowriders. This
is the latest with Laurenn Rosa. I'm your host, lauren
N Rosa, and I will see you in my next episode.
I'm gonna bring you some good stuff next episode, so
make sure you tune in.
I'm a homegrowl that knows a little bit about everything
and everybody, you know, if you don't lie about that. Right, Hey, y'all,
what's up. It's Laura l. Rosa and this is the
Latest with Laura Rosa. This is your daily dig on
all things pop culture, entertainment, news, and all of the
conversations that shake the room. Now today, if we are
(00:23):
checking in behind the scenes of the Grind, today is
a good day, y'all. We are preparing to go and
tape something very very very very very very special Tamor Hall.
So I'll be headed to Tamor Hall. She taped here
in New York City tomorrow. So I'm gonna do as
much behind the scenes as i can from YouTube to
(00:44):
some audio content here for the audio side of the podcast,
just as much as I can, because I'm really excited
about it. In the podcast episode is a podcaster episode,
so we'll be there talking about the low Riders, which
are you guys, everybody that's listening in and tuned in,
and you know, just the building, I mean all from
the very start of us trying to figure out everything
(01:07):
from the audio and getting our you know, I feel
like we're in our groove. Now we got our our like,
you know, we got our thing going on to even
figuring out video to just everything. So we'll get into
it with Tamara Hall, y'all know she liked to get
into the thing, so we probably gonna get into the things.
But I'm really excited. So you guys, you know, stay
tuned for that. You know, I'll bring you updates from
(01:27):
wherever I go. We're like podcast bloggers ish, like taking
y'all like step by stepping the journey like a vlog,
but like it's on the podcast side. So yeah, so
behind the scenes to the grind, I am really excited
for that, really busy just preparing for that while also
working Homecoming just wrapped up. Shout out to Delaware State University.
(01:49):
We won our homecoming game seventy to twenty three. It
was pouring down, rainy outside, but man, we had such
a great time on the plots. And homecoming is always
such a good vibe you talking about, you know, feeling
busy and moving and grooving and doing all the things.
I was just saying, homecoming is like the only time
where you literally actually feel care free. If I'm being honest,
(02:12):
I think when I go on vacation. It's cool and
you feel care free, but like there's always subtle reminders
that you're paying for that shit. Like you that vacation
is coming out of your big grown pocket and you
are only going to do as much as you're willing
to pay for homecoming. I mean, it's not like everything
is free at homecoming, but because you're on campus and
you're on the plots, you're not really there's you know,
(02:33):
you're at the football game. There's not much you got
to come out of pocket for it. So everything is
really in the vein of come one, come all, have
a good time, and it feels like and reminds you
of the time when you, yeah, like you were just
in college and having that great time. I ran into
so many people shout out to you know, I was
(02:55):
Miss Black and Gold. When I was at Delawarescate University.
I ran into another set of Miss black and golds.
So Miss black and Gold is the miss of Alpha
Phi Alpha, which is the Greek fraternity, and they'll say
chapter is Gamma Sigma. So I believe I was like
Spring thirteen when the Alphas came back to campus. That
(03:17):
is the year that I was Miss Black and Gold,
but I met other misses. I got out the car
and they were like there was like a girls and like,
you know, their whole click getting ready to head on
over to the big cookout. And she was like, oh
my god, breakfast club. But she was like, I didn't
know you were Miss Black and Gold. And I'm like,
do I not talk about that enough? Yes? I was
Miss Black and Gold, which was a fire too because
(03:38):
shout out to the Alphas Gamma Sigma, the office at
Delst University. They are literally my brothers. When I was
Miss Black and Gold, and that line came back onto
campus and I keep saying line for those of you
guys who did not go to HBCU. When I say line,
I'm referring to So each fraternity has a different line
of brothers. So every year or er, we so often
(04:01):
they're able to bring new members that it's called a line.
So they're line brothers because they're all, you know, they
pledge on the line together. So Spring thirteen was the
line that I they I was gonna say that cross
with I didn't cross, they crossed, but I was been
Black and Golden and we just got so close, like
they used to let me like like fake travel with
(04:22):
them and like hang with them. We threw events together.
They got in trouble and all the things, but we
did it together and it was such a good time.
So they'll forever semented. So that was amazing. Then we
had it on over to the Capa Plots. So again
for those of you guys who are not familiar that
there's another Greek fraternity. On the way there, we walked by,
like I got to say how to all my Q
(04:43):
friends aka Friends Delta friends. The Greek like culture, the
Divine Nine. They call them the Divine Nine because there
are nine fraternities and sororities that are in the total
Divine Nine. The Divine Nine are made up of individuals
who wanted to become Greek organization members, so they wear
the Greek letters. But that really creates the campus culture
(05:06):
while you're on campus, while you're undergrad but also even
when you come back to campus. You know the Plots,
which is where all the Greek organizations are, is where
our biggest event is hosted. That's where there's multiple DJs,
there's food, there's community dancing, just stepping all of the
things you find it there. And I am not Greek
I am gd I'm a goddamn individual, but a lot
(05:29):
of my friends are Greek. And again, you know, while
I was at college and even now coming back as
an alumni, you just realize how powerful the Divine Nine is.
And that's why Kamala went and spoke to those sg
ros versus being anywhere else she was supposed to be.
Because Kamala, who is an Aka, she's an Alpha Kappa Alpha,
a part of the Greek Divine Nine, understands the power
(05:52):
and community that hbc used possessed, but especially within that
divine now. And so, yeah, this weekend, which is really great,
real quick recap of that. This weekend was just so great,
and I'm just proud. I'm so proud to be a
HBCU alum. I'm so proud to be at different places
being able to talk about it because I literally remember
people telling me that going to an HBCU was going
(06:14):
to make my life after college hart because people just
didn't hire people from HBCUs and HBCUs didn't have the
best reputation reputations. And I remember my school, Dell State.
If you're from Delaware, people will call it the thirteenth
grade all the things and here I am now. So
always a great time to be back at homecoming, letting
the people know that Dell State is where it's at now,
(06:44):
moving right along, talking about community and you know, conversations
and all the things. I was watching this interview Kirk Franklin.
He has this series and I've been telling everybody I
know about this series. So Kirk Franklin has this series
on his YouTube channel. It's called Den of Kings. He
(07:05):
has done about three to four episodes he drops. It
seems like he drops about one a month. And on
each episode he always has these like really impactful, well
known black men in entertainment. So this episode he had
Ray J. He had Nli Choppa, he had Jonathan Majors,
(07:27):
he had Kevi on stage, and he had doctor j Burnett,
who has the Just Heal podcast here on the Black
Effect Network. He's one of my Black Effect cousins. So
you know, all these men are here, they're on this podcast.
And prior to this episode, the episode before this one,
he had Tyler Perry, he had there's an episode with
g Z like he just brings together such big names
(07:50):
and they're so vulnerable. So this this episode was no different. Now,
the opening of this episode, they got deep from the
very opening. Right within the first twenty minutes, we learned
that Jonathan Majors had attempted to commit suicide. It was
on Suicide Watch during the time when all of his
(08:11):
domestic alleged domestic violence. You know, that whole situation was
going on to the point where he says he couldn't
even be left alone. And it wasn't something that him
and Megan Good ever spoke about as far as like,
you know, him saying I don't need to be left alone,
but because they had discussed some of his thoughts around
(08:35):
suicide and the fact that he had actually written a
suicide letter, she wasn't leaving him alone. One of the
reoccurring themes of this episode, which didn't happen on purpose,
to be honest with you, was knowledge because of life
experience or knowledge because of age. So every single time
Kirk Franklin does these episodes, what I think is like
(08:57):
really really fire amongst thes or whoever. Maybe it's Kirk
Franklin putting these episodes together, but kudos to to him
or the producers or whoever. They do a really good
job of not just finding people who have these amazing
stories that you would never think would like mesh together.
And not that I think Ray j and any Nli
Chopper or whoever don't get along, even though they did
(09:20):
kind of down little moments in here. But it was
all love though it was a very like it was.
It was very much brotherly love. Not to sound corny
or cliche, but it's very much that like it was.
We're gonna be honest, I'm gonna tell you how I'm
feeling it. But I love you though. But I just
would never think to put all these the names I
just named to you, guys Kevin on stage, y j
n Lli Job, but Jonathan Major's doctor Jibbernet. I would
(09:42):
never think to put them together in one interview. But
it worked so well because what I realized is that
there were different generations represented in the room, but as men,
they all had such real life experiences with self harm,
with the struggle to be vulnerable, not just to you know,
(10:04):
their partners but especially that but to the world. They
had all gone through instances where that lost for Jonathan
Major is the lost you know that he the loss
that he talked about was what we witnessed him go through.
He lost his career, he was isolated, he was you know,
all these things. We watched all of that right. For
(10:28):
Kevin Stage, he talked about the loss of his brother,
sudden loss of his brother too, because he says his
brother had survived cancer and then just out of nowhere
got really really sick. For Ray j he talked about
losing his family and not being you know, their day
to day with his kids and that whole co parenting struggle.
(10:50):
Doctor j Burnett talks about the you know, after he's
not playing football anymore, and Elie Chappa talks about you know,
having to shed parts of himself because internally he just
was not okay. But also he talks about loss too,
in the physical sense of losing people and what growing
up around you know, death has been like. Now during
(11:15):
this conversation, I think, I think one of the biggest
takeaways has been not takeaways, but one of the biggest
conversations out of this conversation. And it's unfortunate too, because
I think if you go watch this full conversation, there
was a lot more to it than just this has
been Nli Choppa and you know the fact that you know,
(11:39):
Jonathan Major's kind of had to you know question to
him a bit about some things. It was about the Bible,
let's take a listen and Christianity. It's a thing where.
Speaker 2 (11:54):
People praise the son learn more than they praise the father.
And that's what I don't like because if we are
man made in the likeness Jesus is our brother. Get
what I'm saying, why would I drop down and praise
(12:16):
my brother instead of praising my father? And that goes
back to honoring your parents.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
I just gotta say, sorry, ah, I have you read the Bible?
Speaker 3 (12:28):
Read I read the Bible.
Speaker 1 (12:29):
I listened to the Bible. I would say, I received
from swords.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
I would say, I would say, read it again, sir,
the mess you question right?
Speaker 1 (12:37):
Kay? And then there was the part where ray J
basically felt like because there were a few times where
Kirk Franklin kind of had to like Astli chap like, hey, okay, cool,
let me like he was trying to talk and explain,
and Eli Chapel was he also wanted to explain and share.
And I think whenever you're talking about things so personal
(12:57):
to people experience it. And Elie Chapper also talked about
losing his grandfather. Everything is a priority to every person
because they personally experienced that. And I think what we
witnessed was n Eli Choppa was in a very safe
space where he felt safe enough to open up. But
also I think he has arrived at a lot of
(13:18):
different destinations for himself internally, whether that's spiritually, mentally, and
I think he just wanted to share the light that
he feels daily. But I wouldn't say that he intentionally
was not trying to listen. I just think I think
(13:38):
he didn't. I think sitting back and watching this conversation,
he probably would definitely see like, Okay, I could have
listened here, I could have allowed this person to just
have their feels and you know, not jumped in here.
But again, I think it was a thing of he
felt so much love in the room. He was just
trying to give that back by incurrentouragement and you know,
(14:01):
helping people get to where he's at. But I think
there were times where it was very obvious that the
people he's in conversation with either didn't agree with some
of the things that he was saying or the places
he said he's arrived that the way he thinks about things,
or they're just not there, and that's totally fine, and
they wanted to talk about the fact that they were
not there. So ray J comes in. I mean he
(14:24):
was already physically there. But he begins to speak to
Nli Choppa and again it's all love and he expresses
off the rep he's a huge fan or you know,
Nli is his bro. He knows him. He knows that
Nli Choppa has done so much and changed the trajectory
of his family through his art and through his career,
and he hasn't figured out. So that's why he doesn't
(14:47):
want to hear from anyone else. And it got a
little tense for a second, but they brought it back.
Speaker 3 (14:51):
Let's say a listen, and Ali is he's smart as fuck,
he's his own He like, you've carved out your own way,
so you unders staying you are understand by being your
own boss.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
So nobody can really tell you nothing.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
No that's not no no no no no no no.
Let me let me just let me just finish that.
Let me.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Nobody.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
No, no, you listen you listen, No no, no, you
listen to No no, it's not you listen to. But
what I'm saying is you're your like, think about it
and I know your mam. I know you like you
manifested where you are and so you understand that the
grace of God.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
Cool, that's what you feel, That's what I know. Got it?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Got it? Now? Do you feel like you're at that
experience level to where you can tell he's give thee
some advice? You like? You know what I'm saying. You
feel like you can give Jonathan's advice?
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Feel that level?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
Yeah?
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Not successful?
Speaker 1 (15:57):
Talk about experience?
Speaker 3 (15:59):
Yeah, do you feel like that.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
I can only give where man is willing to receive.
Speaker 3 (16:05):
That doesn't make any sense, does answer to question down?
Speaker 2 (16:08):
I don't feel like your experience.
Speaker 3 (16:10):
Do you feel like your experience in the world that
you can give Jonathans.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Some if he's willing to receive where I am I
smoke a cigarette? Sure, then let me jump in and
say this. But by the end of the conversation, I
think one of the things that you could really see
was that this that space that they're in. And I
think too, when you're sitting with Kirk Franklin, you feel
like you're sitting close to God, which is Kirk Franklin
(16:36):
is such like he's such a like he's such a
regular person, and I don't say that to me. I
don't think he's of God, because I do, but I've
met him. I did an interview with him during the
BT media room, and it threw me off how regular
he was, Like I felt like I was just with
one of the homies. And I don't know. There's something
(16:57):
about people in the church, especially people who lead the church.
And Kirk Franklin is not a pastor. He's a gospel singer,
but he's felt like our pastor for all of my
life through his music, So I think we look at
him as like a faith leader. And I think with
faith leaders there's always something about there's a sense of
safety that you feel with them instantly ones you can
(17:19):
trust anyway, there's a sense of safety. There's a sense of, like,
you know, pulling back a mass that no one has
to ask you to do. You just do it naturally
because you kind of think they have the answers, and
even if they don't have the answers, you feel like
that's a pillow you can lay your head on and
be comforted in. And that's exactly what you see happened
(17:40):
throughout this episode. And I think by the end of
this conversation even though it was you know, it got
difficult at times with them all trying to hear each
other and them trying to you know, it was like
such a big brother little brother love situation happening between
them and Elie Choppa. By the end of the conversation,
(18:07):
I think you could feel that no, there was no
heart feelings taken whatsoever. But you know that these men
like n Eli Chappa is huge, super viral artists, super
famous artists. Ray j has been famous his whole life,
and he even said out here he hates the church.
A lot of it was about, you know, growing up
in the church and kind of how that hurts. Kevin
(18:28):
Stage talks a lot about the things that he's been
through the church and being raised in the church and
you know, and not trusting that anymore. Doctor J. Burnett,
same thing there, Jonathan Majors. You know, everybody has their
doubts that they cast. But by the end of this episode,
I think we've really got to see in real time
what it looks like when you allow God to like
(18:50):
enter into your life and remind you of the fact
that it's not only you, like everybody in the world
has something that going through. But will you all get
through it. And that's why I like when I tell y'all,
I push Dinna Kings with Kirk Franklin to everybody. I
just think the conversations are so authentic. I think the
(19:13):
casting for each round table is amazing. I think Kirk
Franklin handles the conversation so well because he's just such
a real nigga like and I felt bad about saying
that about Kirk Franklin, but he told me I could
say it about him when he came to the Breakfast Club.
But it's like the best way you can describe him.
Like he's in control of his surroundings at all times
(19:33):
very much, but he also relinquishes control too while still
being in control. And that's what he does in these
conversations so well. And that's what he did a lot
of times here with you know this conversation, especially when
dealing with l E Choppa, because I think it was
beautiful to see him allow Nli Choppa to be the
youngest voice in the room express how he felt. Not
(19:56):
back down from feeling like I'm young, but my life experience,
I sh we can all learn from each other, and
I'm not going to back down from that. Because I'm younger,
but also Kirk Franklin gave him the space to say,
like literally, at one point, Kirk Franklin said to him,
I want to understand that Li Choppa was talking about
there's a war on black men, and Kirk Franklin said,
(20:17):
for you to be so young, that's kind of profound
to hear from you. I want to understand that. Like
he took the time even in times where I know
he felt like nl E wasn't really the most receptive
or you know, the of the conversation. And again I
think it's he was listening, but I think it's just
because he was listening to get his points out, and
that was it. Kirk Franklin still made space for him.
(20:39):
And I think all the men at the table watching
Kirk Franklin do that help them do it for Nli
Choppa and for everybody else that was at the conversation
that was at the table too. But it was just
a good reminder that like we all are in different
places of our own sahi t like we really are
all at different points of this big mess that we
(20:59):
call life, and life be life in man, and you
may be one foot further than I am but if
we all sat down and really, you know, hash it out,
we would all learn that. Like, we can all learn
from each other, and sometimes we need to sit down
and all learn from each other. And I think if
we did more of that, Like if you think about
(21:22):
people that like you listen to but you might not
agree to, if you've ever agree with, if you've ever
sat down and listened to, whether it's like politics or whatever,
personal opinion, whatever relationship advice, if you listen to someone
you don't agree with, it might not change your opinion
about whether you agree with them or not. But there's
(21:42):
always something where you're like, Okay, maybe I don't agree
with the delivery, maybe I don't agree with the point,
but I can see where that came from, or I
can identify what even the situation even made that person
talk about that, because I've been through that. We are
a lot more alike than we are different, is my
point in this. So make sure you guys go check
out that full episode. I can only break down but
(22:04):
so much. It was a little over two hours long,
and I ain't got that long, y'all. They don't give
me that long here at the latest, But please go
check it out. Kirk Franklin is on amazing things with
this show. And I saw a lot of the clips
of Nlli Choppa and Ray j and Lli Choppa and
Jonathan Major is going viral and I mean, yeah, those
were moments and the feeling was felt when you watch
(22:26):
it in full. I can't even say it misrepresents the conversation,
because no, it felt a little bit like, Okay, I
know they getting out of La Chappa, but I think
it was a great beginning to end watch to see
we might not all agree, we might not all agree
how delivery is, we might not all agree that we're
all in here taking something away, but we're all creating
(22:46):
space nonetheless, because it's love, and that's that's just that's
such a big thing for h should be a big
thing for us black people period. Like I don't gotta
love you, I don't gotta be bessies with you, but
I don't got to be the person making your life harder,
making your burden harder to bear. I think that's the
takeaway from this, So make sure you guys go check
(23:09):
that out. At the end of the day, there's always
a lot to talk about. Y'all could be anywhere with
anybody talking about it, but you guys choose to be
right here with me every single day, my Lowriders. This
is the latest with Laurenn Rosa. I'm your host, lauren
N Rosa, and I will see you in my next episode.
I'm gonna bring you some good stuff next episode, so
make sure you tune in.
Host
Loren LoRosa
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