Club Shay Shay - Club 520 - Starlito & Don Trip on Luka Doncic & LeBron James, Step Brothers 4 drop

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

We’re back with Season 3, Episode 46 of Club 520, and Jeff Teague and the guys are joined by Starlito and Don Trip where the guys discuss the Los Angeles Lakers trading for Luka Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to pair him alongside LeBron James, their favorite hoopers, coming up in the rap game, and announcing their Step Brothers 4 mixtape. #Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey all you women's hoops fans, and folks who just don't know yet that they're women's hoops fans. We've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spayne as we near the end of one of the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever. The most parody we've seen in years, with games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spayne on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

What's up everyone? Julie Swift Brinks here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together. Here we go. The Name? Energy Line with Nate and JSB. Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey, life. All topics are fair game, right?

Exactly, and you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julia's pretty well connected. She has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind, and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees.

Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeart Radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Tickets are on sale now, y'all, for our 2025 iHeart Country Festival, presented by Capital One, happening Saturday, May 3rd, at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see Brooks and Don, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Flats.

Coles Wendell. Sam Hunt. Megan Maroney. Bailey Zimmerman. Nate Smith. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com. All right, man, we back. Another episode of Club 520 podcast. I'm the host. My name is DJ Wells. We got some special, special guests in the building, man. Glad we could finally make this happen for sure, man. We got a special setup. It's only right, man. We got the whole gang with us.

We're going to introduce them last. But to my far left, we got my dog, Bishop E. Hitting out the Pearlies. How you what, nasty? What's happening, family? Let's get to it. It's going to be a good one right here. Now, listen, man, nobody asked, far left, we got my dog, Bishop E. Hitting out the Pearlies, how you what, nasty? What's happening, fam? Let's get to it, it's gonna be a good one right here. Now listen, man, nobody asked, I guess, on this show, you know what I'm saying, how they feel about the mountain, the pile, the Black Force, and with the white laces.

Bolido put up with his own, man. You set the tone, I like this energy. What a dog, man. I appreciate that shit for sure, bro. Love, man. And when you see somebody walk up in them shoes, what you think of Tripp? I don't know, man. I when you see somebody walk up in them shoes, what you think of Tripp? I don't know, man.

I only wear Jordan, so I, I, that's a unique kind of, I don't know. They took some effort, because them shits don't come with white laces. See, he either bought the white ones, took the laces out and ditched them, or he purposefully went and bought white laces and ditched the black laces.

But either way, that's a whole lot of effort for some black porters, man. That's just a staple, man. That's what I do. I can dig it. That's like putting that big ass Rolls Royce grill on your Chrysler 300. He just be excessive.

He pull up to the light and you cry. Bro got that black and forth swaddle, it's crazy. Did you ever picture the white laces in that joint at all? Nah, not until I start watching y'all show. I appreciate that bro. For sure bitch, out there. The Trill Center for sure. This man got a pile of them. It's a throw on the black horses.

There's plenty more around this motherfucker them. It's a throw on the blackboard. There's plenty more around this motherfucking tube. That's a fact. Mother Devon to my far right, my dog, young Nacho, young Tig, how you what? I'm chilling and I still fuck Stacey Dash. What a cheer, man. I'm just telling you, I felt it when he said that. Fuck, you out of pocket.

He out of pocket too. Oh, Chris, what you doing through? Shit, he out? Y'all low. You out of pocket. He out of pocket too. What you doing through? Shit, he out of pocket too. I'm excited, man. It should be a good show for the show. Man, listen, special, special guests, man. Glad we could finally make this happen, man.

Freaky Mike was early in this podcast. We all had our list of people we wanted on this show. Off the rip, he said, we gotta have the Step Brothers. We made it happen, man. Lido, Tripp, appreciate y'all pulling up to five, 20 minutes, 100 for sure. Thank you, man. Thank you for the job.

Thank you for the job, man. For real. Man, glad we could finally make this happen. Like we said, all our homeboys, even though we big fans, man, but especially our homeboys, they press the line with this too. For sure. For sure.

Yeah, for sure. Shout out to Jamar, who will say y'all names. Peace. Yeah, gosh, I don't mouth my own brother too, really. My older brother, for names. Yeah, we got shout out to my older brother, Torell. I'll get the day. And everybody. Keys, Keys gonna call me. Yeah, we was playing street ball the other day.

He called me, he was like, ah, no, no, no, no, my nigga back, play street ball. You ain't tap dead. I'm like, I got you, man. I got you, shout out to my dog, Keys, man. For sure, man, listen, we appreciate y'all sliding on this, man. Let's get first got you, man. I got you shouting about Dog Keys, man. For sure, man, listen, we appreciate y'all sliding on this, man, let's get first thing to it, man.

What made you both start making music? What was your inspiration? Who was some people y'all looked up to early on to kind of molded your sound and how did y'all want to get to it? I guess I'll leave that. Man, Chris Cross is what made me want to be a rapper. You know, being a kid, I don't know how much older they are than I am, but when I first

seen them, you know, it was a fucking, you know, it was a marvel to see kids rapping. So of course I, you know, I gained the inspiration to become a rapper. I thought I would become a rapper right then, which I'm glad I didn't, because what I had to rap about then wasn't worth me rapping about in the first place. But that's where it started, you know, the idea or the passion, I think it grew from that,

to see that kids could do it. And it ain't really started working out for me till, you know, mid-twenties but I think, it's life, it happens how it happens. Things had to take place in order for me to be in the right space and I think not to be arrogant in any manner but I think I had to grow to become an artist but that's where it started.

Once I seen them, it was a light bulb. I couldn't damn. For sure. Yeah, it was probably Ice Cube, Snoop Dogg, early like West Coast. West Coast, Snoop Dogg. Oh, lifestyle, aesthetic, I was like, just, you know, being a little kid and seeing that,

just thinking it was cool and imagery from the movies and all that. Little later, probably the high boys. For sure. The next thing. That was a time period when I probably started rapping. Before then, I just thought rappers were cool or whatever. By the time I was in high school,

it was like wanting some money, wanting to look like it, et cetera. And then when I actually started rapping, it was more the lyrical rappers that kind of got my attention. Jadakiss, Fab, East Coast, DJ Clue, Mixed Tapes. Damn, but it was still, you know, the Hot Boys and Wayne and Squad Up era

was probably like biggest influence at the time that I started rapping. Damn. Yeah, when Wayne turned into a whole different kind of rapper. That's crazy. You said squad uptakes. People forget how far the squad uptakes are. Yeah, that was before the dedications.

Yeah, do your research for sure. Yeah, definitely. Man, first of all, we're going to get to the music, but y'all ain't that, man. We pulled up to the game. I know y'all both love basketball. What's y'all first thought process when you see Luca and LeBron on the same damn team? Because that shit's still surreal to this point.

I know we just watched the game, it's still crazy. I don't think when I walked in, I was like, that's why them tickets were so damn hot too. On me. But it was, I mean, I'm like, you know, two legendary players, like really almost a generational part. You know, seeing them on the same team like that is like damn. I still don't know how they pulled that off.

Yeah, that's where I think when I see that, what really, you know, what's really going on. Highway robber? It's something. It's also crazy to see LeBron defer to somebody. Like, you know, LeBron ain't probably never been, I ain't gonna necessarily say the second best player on the team, but that's kind of the role he playing

and that's different. Man, I never thought about that. You right. Cause he was chilling the whole game. The whole game. Yeah, he was chilling, bro. Two points was the first. He was on paid vacation.

Yeah, that's the reason he was killing at first. He was going crazy. But it was a few times he really like motioned for Luca, like come get the ball, you got it. Damn. I seen LeBron play up here like three or four times, it ain't never looked like that to me. I wish he had did that shit when I was playing.

Yeah, they got the ball every time. Wasn't no defer. Nah, can y'all see them winning the chip? I was thinking that too, like they're all playing step up. Like, I mean, the way Hayes look, and what's doing at Ruey. They hitting shots like that. They got some bodies.

They got a chance, I ain't gonna lie, they do got a chance. Most definitely. Obviously, we know your order of basketball, man. Your man's coaching, head coach, TSU. How's that man, the girl with your party, now he leading man at the university, you know what I'm saying, around the way.

He just called me. What's up? He said that y'all got a point, girl. I swear he just called me. He was like, I swear he just called me. That's funny as hell. Yeah. Callers.

Yeah, I talked to him yesterday. Okay. I like that home cooking. I mentioned him twice in that song, cause like that's one of the, you know, my partner since middle school, and he wanted a few people like still getting paid our basketball, you know, for us to came up together.

And it was all our dream at one time, like he's still living it, you know. And so that's surreal. I mean, I went to TSU, so it was just super cool. You know, you're at the hometown school, HBCU, you know, setting some records, attendance records and everything else. Job security and otherwise is, I'm just proud of them.

That's why. That's it. Both of y'all hooped? Who? Both of y'all hooped? No, no. I ain't. No, I ain't.

I never really been able to get along with people. What did you say? Y'all wasn't the same. Okay. My mama said, even when I try, I try to go and like, try for a basketball team. My mama said, hell no.

I'm like, mama, why? She said, you don't get, you know, you don't play well with others. And I didn't, you know. I, I was, but I was an hell no. I'm like, mama, why? She said, you don't get to get, you know, you don't play well with others. And I didn't, you know, I, I was an angry kid. Yeah, I had a lot going on. So, you know, basketball wasn't gonna work. I would have probably been like the, you know, run our test.

You know. And, uh. I took it as a benchmark school. Dre Mongray? No, it had been all going in the stands. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It was a real crash up.

Yeah, yeah. It wasn't a work. So you need the black forces. I'm just like, you need the strength of the mid-tops. No, see, it be shit like, I don't know how accurate or how often it happens, but like when I see like basketball films and I see the like the, I don't know what the or how often it happens, but like when I see like basketball films and I see the like the,

I don't know what the fuck y'all call it. The shit, you know, the rookie treatment shit. Oh yeah. Hold another nigga bag and shit. Man to be so many niggas on a team with black eyes. Some of them holding a bag. You got me, when we get to the game, we got, you know, you got to catch the bus and all that shit.

When we get there, I'm gonna be the only one to suit up. They're gonna throw me in their back and I threw them motherfuckers to the side. When I realized I couldn't be a team player in that aspect, I said, yeah, sports ain't gonna be for me. It don't work for me. I'm ready to fight. I don't know how to do the, I don't know you know, it don't work for me. I'm ready to fight, you know. I don't know how to do the,

I don't know how to take orders, and I don't respect seniority when it's, you know. I don't know, that shit don't work. It just don't work. My nigga, I just talked about that on the show earlier today. Like, that respect to your elders shit is overrated. I ain't know. You gonna have to, if you don't give it,

you ain't getting it back. Exactly. And I don't know. And when I was little, when I was a kid, I don't know what kind, like I said, I had a lot going on. It didn't really matter if you was bigger than me. I might lose the fight, but I'm gonna give you a fight. So, you know, basketball wasn't gonna work out.

It wasn't gonna happen. He was like, you know, he won't stop fighting the team. You know, yeah. You said fuck the other team, fight my team. We ain't got to the game. We're gonna have some, it's gonna be some fights in practice, locker room, all this. It's a lot of shit I just, you know,

I never really been able to tolerate. So I ain't really got, you know, even now, I don't got many friends. The friends I got, I've known since I was fucking 10 or 11. Should I know I'm creative for like, think like 15 years now. But you know, I don't know. I just don't work well or play well with others.

So that wasn't gonna work out. So no counting way. Gotcha. I played high school at AAU and shoot. I wasn't trying to go to small schools. I was looking at him. I stayed home. Oh, damn.

No, see, he thought he was all star. No, it was like going to like the bottom of Alabama. He said, I ain't doing this. So what you had like some D2s or something looking at you? It was like D2s, D3s. I had a couple of looks, but I remember I think Tennessee Tech, one of their coaches kinda hollered at me. I was hype.

That had been solid, Luke. I'm trying to tell you what happened. I go into the coach's office, they looking at him, shit I'm hype. And the first thing the coach asked me was like, hey you know DeMarco Pope? Shout out to DeMarco, he was Mr. Basketball buddy. One of my partners from around my way.

I was like, yeah, like why? Basically it was like, shit, we recruit you, you can help us get him. My bad. Fuck you. See, and I would've said, fuck you. I mean, I probably would've done it, yeah. And TSU coach at the time was Nolan Richardson,

third maybe, Arkansas coach, his son. He was at a tournament and his son, the fourth, played in high school at the same time. And I dunked on his son. You know, we knew each other, we was cool and shit, but it was over with. That's why I wanted to play. Out the gate.

You fucked him, you fucked up your chances. You just gonna go to the store? Yeah, I was like, I said that. That was like a rival, I heard you like, around locally or whatever. Yeah. So after that, I skipped a grade and shit. I graduated young and it was shit. That's why I think we all can relate to y'all music

because y'all talk about stuff that like seem like around our area. Like because you all talk about stuff that seem like around our area. Like you all talk about wrestling and shit. And I'm like, damn. When I first started listening to that, I'm like, they rap about everything I grew up watching and doing.

How old are you? I'm 36. Oh yeah, we ain't that far apart. Yeah, we right by y'all. I turned 40 this year. Yeah, but when y'all said all that shit, like when y'all was talking about like Randy Savage, give me Undertaker casket and all that shit,

I was like, yeah, I'm tapped in. Cause that's when I first started listening. Cause my brother in them was like, you tripping. Cause Lito, you rap like you talking. So I'm like, he ain't rapping, he talking. He like, that's the whole beauty in it. He chilling. You like these hype ass niggas.

And I'm like, this shit calm hard. So I started listening and he put me on. Shout out to my brother Terrell, man. Howdy, man. Shout out to big bro. Man, obviously y'all had careers before I got to a show. What was the first time y'all linked up? Y'all first like, all right,

I kinda fuck with him type shit. Listen, my timeline's hard. Like 2010. Okay. Yeah, it was 2010. I don't know no dates and stuff. We like formally met through Y'all Gotti, actually. Choppy Gotti?

I was in business with him, and he was like looking to work with Tripp when he was coming up, and kinda, you know what I'm saying, placed us around each other, but we started working kinda on our own within that. Craig can kinda tell you. Yeah, we just, I was on the road with Gotti and he had a stop in Nashville and I don't know what the hell Gotti had to do. I don't really like, I don't like tagging along when shit don't got nothing to do with me. This nigga meanin' his ass. No, no, no, I'm just saying, you know.

He was on a side quest. Not quite, you know, and, God had had shit going on, he had business to tend to. I didn't wanna be the nigga sitting, watching him do what he gotta do. I wanna be along for the part of this that involves me, but certain shit didn't involve me. So like, you know, God is going to go do a verse

for so-and-so. I might be in the fucking studio five hours. I'm just going to be a nigga sitting in the studio. I don't smoke, I don't drink. So I'm going to be a nigga sitting in the studio like this. So when, you know, whatever he was going to do, you know, it was in that kind of, you know, he wasn't doing nothing that I needed to learn from or watch.

So while he was doing that, I think Stottenham had lined up a verse for another one of God is Artist. So I was like, all right, I'll write with y'all then. So I had no idea we was going to Lido's studio. So when we got to Lido's studio, he set him up to do the feature fast forward. He said, I don't know how he did it, but that was our first time meeting each other.

And at some point his people came down and told me, the guy wanted to buy a verse for me. I'm like, man, I don't know. I don't know anybody here. I just met him. So when I, you know, later on that night, I found out that Starr pretty much was the person that convinced dude to get,

I don't remember who the hell it was that got the verse, but we was on the road and what I was doing for, you know, my profession at the moment, well, at that moment, I couldn't do that traveling. So, you know, my pockets was a little light. He couldn't have knew that me getting some bread right then was, you know, that shit was like oxygen. So him lining that up, they kinda,

they kinda changed my perspective of who he was. You know, again, it was my first time meeting him that day. And all the way up until then, me being only familiar with his music, but being familiar with rappers, I had the preconceived notion that he'd be more like rappers. When you meet, I can't speak for everybody,

but when you meet rappers, some rappers don't turn the rapper shit off. Like, you know, you can tell that, you know, you're acting. I don't, you know, I don't need the camera version of you. I need the real version of you. And for me and so many, and it still happens even to this day, but that's how I assume Star would be.

So when I met him, you know, I met him, I was doing something, you know, I went back downstairs. So later on after, you know, finding met him, I was doing something, you know, I went back downstairs. So later on, after, you know, finding out he'd lined that verse up for me, and we said we'd rap for a second. Not, we said that we'd talk for a second. And, you know, I think that was the thing that made me have to be a little more open-minded, because I'm like, you know, I assumed he was this kind of guy and he's the total opposite. So he just made me some bread. He made nothing off it.

And he had no, there was nothing invested in it for him. He had to have just, you know, fuck with me for, you know, he had to have done that just cause he fucked with me as an artist, cause he don't know me as a person. So from that, you know, I think, you know, that gave me the, I don't know, like I said, I don't work well with others. So that was, I guess that was me the, I don't know, like I said, I don't work well with others. So that was, I guess that was like the olive branch,

so to speak. And he couldn't have known that, but that was the gesture that made me say, all right, you know, he a cool dude. I could get to know him and see where this goes. For sure. For sure. All right, man, before we go any farther, be here.

It's time to get some drinks up in here. Let's get a poppin'. Oh yeah, Barbie! Oh man, I didn't know what my guy was doing. That. All right, man, before we go any further, be here. It's time to get some drinks up in here. Let's get it poppin'. Oh, yeah, Barbie! Oh, man, I didn't know what my guy was doing. When that's freaky, you gotta figure out what that means sometimes. Be a couple things. Barbie, what's happening?

What's going on? What you got for us today? What we got? Blackberry and blueberry. Okay. What's in the blackberry and blueberry? We got a liquor in there. Oh, okay.

I can get you a mocktail of what I'm, okay. What's a what? No, no, no. Mocktail. All right, Barbie. I guess I put it was record time. But probably never been out this way. I'm about to say she to say she was on cue. That's what I'm talking about.

She was just drenching it. Flipping it, there we go. We got all the drinks you need. She gotta get out of here, usually she stay a while. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna put this nigga right here. You was looking for a little chair. You was looking for a little chair.

All right. She usually stay here chopping up with us. This is how it goes. And not today. Well, shit, moving on. She had to go to the skate zone. Chopped her straight, chopped her butt. So what was that moment y'all knew y'all was going to collab

and work together? Yeah, I was going to get to that. It was not collab and work together. Yeah, I was gonna get to that. It was not right away necessarily at first session, but even prior to then, like from the first things I heard, like you said, I rocked with it. I saw a promise in it. I felt like without knowing him, I felt like he was going somewhere with it. And when we started working, it was like right away,

like one, it was effortless for him. And I just, I took to like the, just a new like fresh energy of, because when we met, I probably was like five, six years in the game. I think I signed a deal like five years before then. So I was damn near at a point of almost like turning the corner and finding like a second win almost.

And I was trying to figure this shit out outside of having a deal. Finna go on my own. And he was getting a deal. So it was like, part of it for me was like paying it forward. I like, it wasn't like big homie kind of time because we really about the same age. But more so I'm like, man, if I can help bro

skip some steps or not make the same mistakes I made or any of that, that's what I kind of felt like was almost like a role I was due to play. But as far as making music, it was just effortless. You know what I'm saying? The first couple of songs we did, it was like, one, he just like killing the shit right away. But it was also like the first time I kind of met my match

or met my equals as far as on just a like talent skill level. I'm like, man, this nigga can't rap. Like, boy for boy, word for word kind of thing. So, and it wasn't like a competitive like, you know what I'm saying? Looking over your shoulder, it was more like complimentary. Yeah. I was going to ask you, because like I said,

all my friends listen to us, so we used to battle. We used to rap y'all shit and be batting like, nah, he beat him here, he beat him here. Did y'all feel like that? I know y'all just said it wasn't competitive, but did y'all feel like that? Like, I played my little brother one-on-one all the time. We competitive.

We family though, at the end of the day, we want each other to get better. Like, was it like that for y'all? Nah, I don't think so. Like that's, and I think that's probably why we still rocking 15 years later. Cause rap group don't last. You know what I'm saying?

You can kind of run down a list. I think what happens is we might have like favorite verses. Like, you know, I would say for every song I probably got like favorite verses. I would say for every song I probably got a favorite verse, but all of those favorite verses ain't mine, if it make any sense. It could be a particular record and I really fuck with his verse.

And like he said, I should, I don't know, because it's not a competition in any shape, form, or fashion. Like, if you ever sat in a session, or any person that's ever sat in a session, like, we ain't even on that kind of time. Like, when we started working, we working in unison. And we might speak to each other about where we going, depending on, you know, what kind of record it is.

But for the most part, our verses are all wrote at the same time. Damn. So when he go in the booth to do his, I'm going to do mine, or vice versa, whoever's first, or whatever order. Most of the time, our verses are wrote pretty much at the same time. Or I might be, well, one of us might be closing a verse and the other one just finished and he go in and record it. And we like to, at least when it happens.

I believe in just letting shit flow naturally. So if I'm writing my verse and he say something in his, in his verse while he recording, nine times out of 10, I know I'm probably at the end of the verse. But either way, if he said something that inspired me to say something or if I like the line, he said, you know, we'll repeat the line. You know where it came from. Or sometimes you don't. We don't much care because what we doing, we both fully aware of what we trying to build. I want you to like the song. I don't want you to like a verse

from the song. So, you know, when we doing the shit, we ain't really, I think it's competitive in a sense, but not so much, when we don't sit and say, oh man, I gotta get, well sometimes, but that happens on features. Sometimes people will get a verse from both of us. It's seldom, but they'll get a verse from both of us and it's only a select few people will allow to get both of us on the song.

Because we feel like, you know, that's lending our brand. But when it happens, most times I don't know the stars on the song. So when it happen, you know, I'm gonna just do what I do. And then Craig, it's happened a few times. Craig, kind of like, they ain't tell me you was put a verse on it too. Like, I didn't know you was on it. 48 bars on the song. Yeah.

Sometimes I just take over. But that's, you know, but other than that, we know when we create, especially like Step you know, but other than that, when we know when we creating, especially like stepbrothers music, whenever we create music that's stepbrothers, we do it in person. So, you know, I'm fully aware that he on the record. Yeah, that's right. That's dope.

We don't really do that. It's like still sharp and still. That's more than, you know, like you said, y'all play one-on-one, it's like sp sharp and still. It's more than, you know, like you said, y'all play one on one, it's like sparring in that sense, but when we working, it ain't, the end game is for you to feel the finished product. So it's like, I mean, for sure, I just been times

I'm like, they ain't kill me on that. But that's like a good thing. That means the song was better. And I'm supremely confident that when I go in and work with him, I know what he gonna do. So I can't have step, or you know, I know I'ma get smashed on the song. So it's more so that, like, you know,

you should want somebody to make you better. That's a fuck, true that. It was definitely. I wanted to ask you this question, because you said, you know, when y'all first inception to meet each other, you was just like, all right, I seen somebody in position, I can help, like, he's solid,

if I can help him skip a couple steps. Cause I first heard you, you know what I'm saying, Gray Goof, that's the first time I heard you. Early back, Chevy Day, I was like, okay, he cold. So then he said, time progresses, you just like, all right, I'll learn, I'ma help you out. Being with the major, being with other artists and then having your own spotlight,

you see somebody going into that situation, both of y'all obviously give a lot of respect for being artists and then having your own spotlight. You see somebody going into that situation. Both of y'all obviously get a lot of respect for being great independent artists and y'all right. I always like to be like, okay, I know what I've learned but I'm not gonna hinder what he going through because I want him to still have his journey but I'm gonna still give you the game so you don't make the mistakes.

Because you know this music industry could be really, really crazy. Oh yeah. And you the reason why I start drinking that nasty ass shit. I'm on that gray group. I know you know. And you're the reason why I started drinking that nasty ass shit. I'm on that gray goo. That was the time.

That was that shit, boy. That was the time. Who's scoring big in the NBA this season? You are, with all the new ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. You can pick how many points your favorite player will score, rebounds, assists, or any player props offered on DraftKings, the home of the EBA player props. New customers bet five bucks and get $150 in bonus bets instantly.

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For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see dkng.co.slash audio. It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League. And I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters,

and I have story after story to share. And believe it or not, I have plenty to say, and not just about hockey. Believe me, he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast, and it's gonna be, well, it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates, Nate. We're the Energy Line.

We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, Hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that Nate? I'm vibing

Julie, I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious somebody violated the FBI and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees.

The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the god-damnedest love story you've ever heard. I picked up the phone and my thought was, this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it.

I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention. Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Man, it's really like, I don't know, I think you gotta be kind of like a messed up person to be willing to watch somebody like, like I said, make the same mistakes, go through the same, like, same things you went through. So, to me, at his breakthrough point,

he had it more together than I did. I was 19 years old making club, crunk music, and just trying to, you know, when I get with Cash Money, it's like a dream come true. Like I said, I was inspired by the Hot Boys five years before that. I ain't start rapping maybe four years before that time. So I'm like, it's whatever. I'm just trying to get in where I fit in versus like,

he got in the game really more so off of like, emotion driven, like personal passion record, like, and just like no frills. It was like, it wasn't about a single, it wasn't about, you know what I'm saying? It was him just kind of being himself. I'm like, damn, like, it was more so like, on a fan level, even like, man, don't change that. Don't let the game change, it'll steer you away from that.

That's what works. That's what got you here kind of thing. And I think it's just, like I said, panning forward, man, I believe in karma and all of this. So I would wanna go out and rule, like I would wanna do what I would have wanted somebody to, you know, the game that I wish somebody would have gave me. You know, the thing, like, it was never like,

the irony we had made so much progress and history together, but it was never about like trying to like make something or get in on a situation. It was like, I met him at a point where he had options. Like, we could have signed with them, them, but then it was a little bit everybody trying to rock with him. I was even in a position where people was like,

man, you should get in. I'm like, nah, I think wait, you know, his trajectory is bigger than the help I could directly offer. But I just rather be like in on it. There's a lot of artists where like I met them early on, I was around and whatever small part I might've played in their story, I'm like, I just counted it. It's like, that's what's up.

I mean, it's a part of my legacy too. I was there. I reach out to everybody too. I don't have to know you. I think, you know, many people don't respond. I just use, that's really what I use social media for. So I be feeling like if I know you, you know, about to make a mistake

and I don't do nothing to prevent it, then I feel like I'm at fault. I feel like it's my fault you made that mistake. I don't know how much sense that really makes, but I don't know, it almost seems like a duty. Like I have to say it. I gotta DM you and say, hey man, you know, you got this and this moving,

you should maybe, you know, do X, Y, and Z, or not do X, Y, and Z. And you know, I try not to give people advice, because you know, my shit, my path wasn't perfect either. I can't tell you what wouldn't work or what won't work. But I can tell you what I did and how it went wrong. And you know, you take from that what you will. And you know, if you can make it make sense for you,

then that's great. You know, we can't all dunk, so you know. Nah, for sure. I suspect. You know, I wanted to ask you, like what's the benefits of signing to a major though? Spending somebody else's money, number one. Yeah.

But on and back. I mean, but if, but if, That's it. If you don't, I mean, if you ain't got it, like shit. Yeah. But I mean, it's a lot of benefits to it, truthfully. Like they moved a needle on stuff. Okay.

It's a lot of relationships, these companies and partnerships with each other. Like backdoor type of situation. So it's better to be on that side of the things that's moving, I guess tricks of the trade. But like Tripp said, whatever you take on the front end, you gonna cop them by something on the back end. Yeah.

What's up? Shout out to the game, man. Oh, yeah. Nah, I mean the thing now is just to be independent in the rap game and a lot of people go into it with no education behind it and shit on labels all the time. Yeah, yeah, not even a least bit. But see, I think it's pros and cons to both sides.

And music just happens to be, at least rap music. I can't say music as a whole because I don't have experience in other genres of it. But rap music don't got no prerequisites. Like, you know, you want to play ball, you know, you got to start, you're down in for elementary school, you got to do AAU shits and you know, you got to do all the camps and shit. But it's things in place to teach you how to become, you know, how to play team ball. Or how to adapt to it. Even, you know, as you progress to different levels of it,

you know, when you get to high school, you know, you play a little different than you played in elementary or middle school. They ain't no same for college, same for if you go into like summer league, sign for when you go to the actual league. It's a learning process, but it's things and people in place to teach you

how to move along with that. And the rap business, man, it's more filled with people that gatekeeper if anything, but ain't no, you know, I no, there's no way to learn this shit before you jump in this shit. Like you almost gotta make the mistakes to figure it out. And a lot of the people, like, you know, we feel the opposite about it.

There's a lot of people that feel like, shit, nobody helped me, so I ain't helping you. And, but that's the trigger thing about the music business. So right now, the you know, the fact the trend is to be independent because the word independent sound, you know, it may you sound self-sufficient. You sound like a self-made artist, a self-made boss. But in real life, you really want to do whatever benefits you. So I wouldn't say don't be independent. I wouldn't say go be independent. you really want to do whatever benefits you.

So I wouldn't say don't be independent. I wouldn't say go be independent. You got to go with what work. So if you step in and you spent however much you spent and you can't sustain doing this shit, because in real life you got real life to deal with. You know, that's why they say it's a young, I don't agree, but I understand why.

But they say it's a young man's game. It's a young man's game because you got the time to be able to go through the shit you gotta go through. At 19, signing to a label, then owing them fucking $500,000. Having to deal with that at 19 is a whole lot smoother than dealing with that at 36. And you got four or five kids.

You know, you got more responsibilities. You don't got the room to have to deal, well, you don't have the room to be able to work through that and learn from that. But in the music business, people think, you know, if they, like right now they think signing to a major is the worst thing in the world, in real time it's not. I think you just gotta know what you getting yourself into.

It's more about your plan. Right, and if you don't got a plan out. You can be signing without a plan, and get lost on the sauce. Exactly. You can be independent. You can be independent without a plan, and you just saying you're independent kind of thing.

I think signing up or whatever, it's just kinda like being able to work your plan. Cause even that's the thing, like the time that I was signed, it was like going to school. I use it, I ended up using it as an education. Like, cause it was a lot that I saw things working for other people.

I wasn't in the same position they was in and I had a leverage otherwise, but I saw like, and they working. Outside of just the machine and all like that, I'm like, man, these dudes never stop working. And so I'm like, all right, I'm gonna apply that. I might not be able to scale it the same way, but I'm gonna take what I got

and just double down on what works for me. Yeah, and that's what's super dope about y'all is that obviously y'all put your head down and the music sells itself and y'all both have cold followings. We talk about the independence opportunities and stuff now. You think it's a little bit easier for artists to jump into the game now because of social media and stuff like that?

Cause you got people like Jello come in. We now even know him as a rapper. Jello. Yeah, Jello gonna smack. Swerve hit that cone. I been saying that man name wrong forever then. I thought it was like Jello or something. He said Jello, I'm thinking Jello.

Jello. I'm excited, name Jello? Oh, I don't know if you want the copy. I was like, damn. I was baffled. It's a rapper named Jello. Access is plentiful, man. Like, you know, you can blow up faster.

You know what I mean? You can reach, you can go further faster because of all the resources. The internet make the world like very small. So people can get like hip to the same thing. Like even for y'all to say I was on Grey Goose, like what it took to get that record high was a lot of footwork, was a lot of like

pressing vinyl records and hand delivering them, putting them in a mailbox, sending them to DJs. Like going to Louisville for Kentucky Diaries, like this probably the trickle down of it reaching the Indianapolis. Going to all the HBCU football classic weekends, like we jumping out of traffic with like guerrilla marketing versus now, it's like a streamer plays your song

and it goes everywhere the next day. Like I mean, that's beautiful for, you know, I guess for people that can't advantage themselves off of it, but it's also like, you know, it's like microwave stuff, like the food don't taste as good. You know? And not only that, but like I said, ain't no courses for this shit.

So, you know, you take a 19 year old that didn't have any aspirations of being a musician or being in the business. And you know, they did a song getting popped and now they in the mix. Imagine how easy it is to manipulate, well, you know, for the industry to manipulate that person. He learned nothing from it. You know, he don't know how this works.

All of it is new and this shit move fast as shit when you important. And you know, and that's the tricky thing about it. A lot of times when, you know, a lot, shit, I'm sure we've all experienced it, you know, especially you, the whoever recruited you disappeared later. You know, they did all of the fantastic shit to get you where you was going.

And then once you got there, you weren't prom queen no more. They moved on to the next one to do the same process. And a lot of times what happens when you're not familiar with the process, you'll think you're on top of the world and you never start adjusting or you never start, like you say, you gotta learn from what's going on. So if you're on top of the world, you never start learning. What happens when,

cause there's no way to be there forever. So what happens when that shit slow down? What's your next step now? And in a lot of cases, that's what create, we see it all the time. It happens almost every day. You'll see a person that was some kind of social media sensation,

and now they got all kinds of weird legal troubles and shit. But it's because they was on top of the world at one point and they never fully adjusted to be able to manage not being on top of the world. It's almost like an instant high, and now you chasing that high, and in some cases, you'll never get it again. But that's cause, you know, shit's a whole lot,

it's a whole lot easier to get it popping, but that don't necessarily make it easier. Yeah, it ain't no such thing as a street team no more. Nah, you guys have a social media team, those are called gang members. Yeah. Yeah. What's up? I had a question.

So we was listening to music earlier and yeah, Five Times one of my favorite songs. But when y'all heard Seeing Green by like Nicki, Wayne, Drake and them. What's that? Yeah, it's just a song, man. But, well you know what I'm talking about.

I know exactly what you talking about. That make you look, I ain't looking. You don't believe what it is? I know you think we cool, but yeah, this is fucked. Man, that's a song, he was a signed sample. Yeah, same sample. It was all the same sample.

Okay, yeah, okay. I ain't know the name, but I never heard it actually. What you was asking about the sample. It was like, do y'all be like, damn? I mean, I know it's a sample, but it's like, cause we knew when I first heard it, I'm like, damn. Well, I heard this before. Man, I want to shout out Shannon Sanders.

It's a producer, songwriter from Nashville that actually, I think, produced the Heather, Headley song that was sampled. Somebody I know for like 20 plus years. I thought it was cool that they was sampling his work, you know, the same way we did. It's one of them situations, man, cause this happened to me like a lot of times in my career.

Like where things get recycled, re-wrote, repurposed, and very rarely, like I ain't looking for Nas and Maddux because that's her song, it's their song. Right, shout out to him. It's very similar. I don't know where she is. It's a very similar beat. And I mean, that's hip hop.

You know what I'm saying? Like people are making the same song down there, word for word, note for note, over and over. But when I heard it, I was just like, I thought it was interesting because that's one of our biggest songs. Man, what up? That's that shit.

I'm like, nah. I never heard your song. Yeah, he ain't heard it. Amen. Amen. But, nah. I'm thinking on, I don't know, I don't know,

I don't really believe in coincidence, so. A lot of times. Nah, I didn't either. It's too close, bro. It is. It's crazy. I remember the producer dude met doing, of course not the one that made the hours, but the dude that went viral making it in his car.

Yeah, people was tagging us on Twitter. Right, so I guess I was already conditioned for it. I understand the, I guess the process now for how they make beats. Yeah, you did. It ain't, not to say, I don't know, he know who made it, Street Symphony made it, didn't he? Greedy Money. Okay, my know, he know who made it. Street Symphony made it, didn't he? Breed the money.

Okay, my bad, greed it. Shit happens. But either way, like the sampling process ain't the same no more. It used to be, you know, they take the vinyl and you had to like, you had to put some work in it to create the sample you was creating to make the beat. And now it's a whole lot different. Like it's websites, they already got the samples,

already cut up. So, niggas just take it and start adding drums. So, I never heard Nicki Minaj's song on the beat, but I didn't know how I was aware that they used the same beat. I'm just not, just when I was interested in showing it. So that don't really even bother you. I mean, it just, when it happens over and over and over again, like.

Yeah, he's a big, no, he got, he got prior experience and such. But they are different too though, cause I can't charge it. I don't know where it comes from. Right, that's what I'm saying. It's happened to you more than that. It's happened like that.

I don't necessarily, I've had scenarios where I got to the source of it and figured out like where the inspiration came from. Those incidents were interesting. I've had songs with the same titles, with the same like, with the same terminology, same slang. It might have been East Nashville slang. Don't nobody even say that.

Nobody's like, y'all see how it's worked. If somebody, if a New York artist came out making a song saying that, I think everybody from around here would be like, man, where they, where did you get that from? And especially in real time, you know what I'm saying? I put out a song six months later, so the artists would understand.

The same song. You know, but I, every step of the way, like especially just growing up, just maturing, I take it like it's like complimentary or flatter, I'm flattered by it in its own way. I do, like, I guess that's why I think so much when people do give me props or salute me because you don't have to.

It's just easy to act like, you don't know who a nigga is. Or you know, so for all the people that do like give it up, I'm like, that's cool. Cause I know what the opposite feel like too. Yeah, I drew that. That was too close for me. I just had to say that. For me, for shit like, I was just like, this is too close. Cause that's my shit. For shit like Yeah, I drew that. That was too close for me. I just had to say that. For me, for shit like that,

I was just like, it's too close. For shit like that, I really just be looking to see how he react to it. Real seculism. Clearly. On our first take, they did, what's it called? Go Ham. Yeah, they did, they did.

I go ham, I mean, they, that's what it was called, right, I go ham? My song called it. Yeah, they did. They did. I go ham. I mean, wait. That's what it was called, right? I go ham? My song called. Yeah. What was theirs? Theirs just go ham, right? Go ham.

Sam. Man, listen. Yeah, it was. You gotta first remember. That was my song. That this is when I, when, you know, this is us first working in the go. Yeah.

So to see him react to it or respond to that, man, that shit was the funniest shit in the world. Like, Star was on some, them niggas got cameras in my house, dude. How they hit it? They beat it. It's my shit. Okay, maybe.

I don't really know. He had dressed up as the first them brothers. He did, that's what I'm saying. That's why it was funny. And me just being, me being the permanent devil's advocate. I'm like, who the fuck is this? I can fuck everybody. Matter of fact, you can Google it, man.

Right. The leader. Yeah. What happened? That's crazy. That's crazy. For sure, man, we gotta talk about Nap Town, man. Y'all are frequent here, y'all got hella love in the city.

They always show love to y'all, man. What's it like pulling up to Nap, man, for the people about Nap Town man. Y'all are free, we're here, y'all got hella love in the city, they always show love to y'all man. What's it like pulling up to Nap Man for the people who don't know man? Man, it's, it feel like home to me. Yeah, I was about to say it's welcoming. Cause I've only ever been here in the same space and environment just like where I come from. Okay.

You know, we was talking about like where we perform and it's been Sweet 38, which was Lime Light and was like. Cloud Nine. Cloud Nine. Yeah, been there for every phase of the same club. Every name. And Fusion and Spots. The re-rock for sure.

Yeah, give me your features though, like shout out to Lil He, you know what I'm sayin'? Shout out to Lil He. Yeah. You know it's love in the city when you can pull up the fusion comfortably, yeah that's love. That's what I told you, I said damn, well y'all made it out, well y'all are good in my city.

Love. That's a wild spot, they had to shut that motherfucker down permanently. I ain't even lie, it's like, it's y'all and Busey. Yeah. Y'all like stamped in the city. Like, yeah. That's a good space to be in though. Yeah bro.

If you ever try to learn rap music from Indianapolis, it would not be your typical people here. It's Bussy, Gotti, y'all like it's like, yeah. Platinum here. We talk to people out of town that we know about like, Big Artists, you know Future, we rock with Future. Of course, Jay-Z, Ho, people don't understand when we tell them, like when they come to my city it's cool,

but we more so like people who was close to us, like more relatable. So y'all stand out like way more than them like in our city for sure. As is. Nah for real though bro. Jay Z come here and be like cool, you know, for our though, bro. Jay-Z come here and be like, cool, you know, 4A's. And he's like, Lido pulling up, I just told you, bro.

My boy B just said, man, ask the nigga when he sliding back down to the city, man. That's a fact. They anticipating y'all pull up for sure. Yeah, it's always, I mean, even when we didn't have like music out, like new music, current music at all, it's always a packed house. Like we done sold out them spots, like music, it's always a packed house. We done sold out them spots like wild,

a wild quite a few times. We had Mike Epps pop up on stage and snatch the mic from us. And he was like, I don't know where he came from. You know, just, I mean- Wait, mid-show? Yeah.

Yeah. Like mid-show, like mid-song. He grabbed the mic and said, y'all really gotta smell like hot dog water. So the people in the club, they smell like hot dog water. That's a Daphne for sure. We didn't know where he came from. I thought he was just another nigga standing behind us.

You know, the whole hood is standing behind us on the stage. So, you know, I don't know who was who. So when he popped up and grabbed the mic, you know, our first reaction is who the fuck? Hope, you know, I don't know who was who. So when he popped up and grabbed the mic, you know, our first reaction is who the fuck? Hope, you know, this fucking Mike Epps. What the fuck? And we had a slight, we had a slight idea

you know, what was really going on, but it was cool, you know, and he just was showing love cause he handed it right back. He say shit about that. That was ridiculous. That's how the brand. It's always been, you know, I don't remember the first time I came up here,

like in a long time, but it's always been the same. Like we went to the game earlier, like we walked into the game, probably take four or five pictures, and we're out when we took hella pictures and shit inside of the game. But it's just like, you know, even going, I mean, I've been coming up here to Pacers Guns

and whatnot, but it's like, when people can see you, like you said, as far as being stamped, like it's some cities that we only saw one side of, you know what I'm saying? And that's the hood side, the urban side, and I think people appreciate you for it, because I do understand a lot of artists don't see that side of you.

And no, not to them. By the time they was coming to a market like this, they might almost outgrew the hood or they were going to the hard ticket venues or was on somebody's tour or otherwise. And it's like, I'm going wherever they got the bread. I'm pulling up too. So yeah.

Nah, for sure. Most definitely, man. Y'all pulled up to the city one time. Nah, for sure. Most definitely, man. Y'all pulled up to the city one time and performed with the Young Nacho jerseys. Yeah. That was legendary for sure. Yeah, when I got the picture of that.

Where the fuck y'all find that at? A nigga, I was starting to get it. I was like, I didn't know when you were in this one. I was like, I'm the head kid, fuck. I didn't know when. This one double-swinged, right? This one 44. I was 44, and I was staying right there. I was coming up for all God knows. This one double zero, this one 44. I'm 44 and I was stung.

I was coming off an awesome. I was stung. See how your niggas do you. There you go. It's the high blooded. He knew me like this every day, man. It's cool. I turnt up in the morning.

I was about to die. It was really hard. In a video too, in a bone shocker like a video. Yeah. I appreciate that, man. Javateen, boy. Man. Man, indeed. Everybody. He's genuinelyaka Laka video. I appreciate that man. Child's a Teen, what? Man, everybody.

Cause he genuinely real fans of y'all music man. So that's hard that y'all do that for sure. And I sent that mama revenge to my mama. She's like, nigga what is this? I was like listen to it. She's like, is this God for me? I said, yeah for me.

Why are you saying her name? this God for me? I said, yeah for me. I said, yeah for me. I said, for me? Oh man. I wanted to ask bro, how did y'all cross paths with Kevin Gates? Our stories is different. Well, you know, who wanna tell them before the fact? Man, I'd say that was like 2013.

It was before we actually met. This is just a strange, like I said, I don't believe in coincidence. So it happened like this. I'm pulling to the crib. And when I hear my garage, I take it, this is just days, it is probably 2012 maybe. I take the CD out, whatever I was listening to.

And so the radio pops on and it's satellite radio at the time. Literally when I typed the CD out, I hear Kay Slay at the time, rest in peace. He like, I hear him asking the artist he interviewing, he was like, man, so what you listening to right now? Like what you got in your, like, if you have a five disc changer, what you listening to?

And the artist on there was like, man, I don't listen to nothing but Starlito. I'm like, I'm in a car by myself, so I'm like, what the fuck? Like, you know, I'm about to cut the car off. And I sat there and was like, now I'm curious, like, who is this just shouting me out on satellite radio? So they play some music, when they come back,

I figure out it was like Kevin Guizer, I hadn't heard of him at the time. And I was like, man, that was real. He was like, man, that's the only artist I listened to. And so I went and checked his music out from there. And it was, I was rocking with it. A few months later, he had a guest signed with Atlantic and one of his A&R's had reached out to me through email and was like, man, we got this new artist we signed, and he wanna get you on his album or what not. And I was like, yeah, I rock with his music. We can swap something out.

I do the verse, get him to do a chorus for me kind of thing. He just, just swiped it. They sent the song, knocked it out. And I was on the way to Atlanta to meet Truc. We was working on Step Brothers 2 at the time. And I was like, man, I'm about to send a song. When I get to Atlanta, I'm gonna go through some beats and send you the song for bro to get on.

And they was like, oh, Kevin living in Atlanta right now. I'm gonna send you all each other number. This is the band, whoever from Atlantic Records at the time. I think Brian Johnston, if I recall. And so I'm like, cool, you know, I reach out, bro like he rock with the verse or whatever. We went to the studio that night and he ended up pulling up at the studio.

That was your first time meeting him too? Yeah, that was actually the first day I met him. Wow. So he pulled up to me and Tripp's studio session and like he said, I guess perspective said that day was different, but we did Leash On Life from Stair Brothers 2 and we did about a bitch called Turkey that had all three of us on one of the other.

Tripp ended up leaving and me and Guy started there and did about four or five more songs and just kind of chopped it up. From there, you know, just like forged a bond and moving forward, like me and Tripp ended up joining this tour, Strangin' the Fiction Tour, that file. I was on his album, the NYB song, he was on our album. Toured together and the rest is pretty much history. I talked to him yesterday actually. Nah, it's hard bro. I feel like y'all kinda introduced him well to us.

Like it was y'all that introduced him to us. He introduced him to me. I didn't know that was their first time meeting. I was, man, it's never personal. I just don't, I live in a bubble, man. it's never personal. I live in a bubble, man, it is what it is. So he was like, you know, my guy Kevin Gates spoke up, I don't know who that is.

You know what I'm saying? Then when Gates got there, Gates is one, like again, this is my first time meeting him. So I'm a, I guess I don't really talk much. So when Gaze came in, he sat down and he just started talking. He was just, I thought them niggas knew each other. But Gaze was talking and talking. And he was talking about all kinds of shit.

A lot of shit made very little sense. A lot of shit made no sense. A lot of shit made sense fucking six years later. But either way, he was just talking and he was like, one of the things that it tripped me out because it was random. But me, I guess following and paying more attention to him afterwards, I understood that for the most part he just speak his mind.

But out of the blue, nigga was like, you know, goats eat cans. They lick their adhesives off the cans. I'm like, why the fuck did you do that? It can't of nowhere. But then, when they started playing the music, and when they started playing the music, I was like, okay, okay, I can fuck with it. I fuck with it.

I fuck with the passion in it. And all the way up until then, I didn't really, I didn't know who he was. I didn't know who he was or what he do. I ain't know shit. So when we started playing the music, I'm like, okay. No, he got something. And they started discussing making music. And some of the shit that he was saying, some

of the shit he was saying about music kind of changed how I looked at certain shit. I can't remember what record, Star played him a record and the record was either too long or too short. I can't really remember. But Star was like, no, he was scared he was gonna make it too long. He was like, well, you know, I don't wanna do, or add another verse to it or something because then the song gonna be too long.

Gays was like, man, fuck, who give a fuck how long the song is? It was 40 seconds. Yeah, that's all you got. That's all you got. Put that shit out. They gonna eat that shit up. And when he said that, I'm like, that's crazy,

I don't even listen to no fucking 40 second song. And then fucking two, three years later, everybody's got fucking 40, 50 second songs. Somebody that nigga was onto something. And you know, the delivery was, you know, a bit odd to me, but it made part of it. Like what I said, you know, some of the shit made sense later.

But me and him then, I could've sworn them niggas had already knew each other. Gates was having like personal conversations. I knew them niggas knew each other. It's niggas funny, man. Having met his music prior to then, and I think the relationship he had with my music, and he like wasn't shy about it.

Yeah. A lot of it, at that point to me, was just kinda listening, or you know, hearing him out, cause he was explaining like how he got in, how and when he got introduced to my music, which made a lot of sense to him. Yeah. And I spent a lot of time in Louisiana,

so like, it was, I think I could understand. I think I understood. Some of the slang he was using was peculiar. I'll just say that. He knew exactly what the nigga was saying. And we bonded right away, and it really wasn't much different than me and Truett working together.

Like the work, the pace of the work just kinda just... It's just natural. With the natural flow. Exactly, like I said, we did six, seven songs in one session and it was all like out of here. You know, that was all smashes. I think he was on my call target. I had him like four times, something like that.

As much as like, you know, some people I get there, like, oh, the first time I heard him was here. For sure, I'm sure a lot of people maybe heard me for the first time on his project. And that was the same thing I'm saying. That's how I feel like it should go. You know, try it out, that kind of thing. Cause there's a lot of artists,

True early on with Yoh Gotti, working with Dolph. And it's like, for sure we tried to audience somewhere. And it's some overlap. And however, whoever you hired first, however you hired us, like, that's what it's all about. Like me working with the younger artists, working with Lil Baby and No Cap and et cetera, like I'm getting new fans, new audience,

even though I'm 10 years older than these artists. And it's just, I mean, it's just really just a solid. But I feel like when it's easy and fun and all that and creative to make music with artists, you gotta just like, you gotta ride that wave. And go with it. That shit just makes sense. For sure.

I wanted to ask y'all this question because you both were very vulnerable in your music. You get a lot of your fan base, like feel like they know everything about y'all when they meet y'all. Like you said, you just made Gays and Y'all Locked In because of the music. People hear vulnerable in your music. You get a lot of your fan base, like feel like they know everything about y'all when they meet y'all. Like you said, you just met Gates and y'all locked in because of the music.

People hear y'all music. They feel like they know y'all instantly when they meet y'all. Yeah. Yeah. In most cases, it get real awkward. Well, you know, I appreciate it. I value it.

But I think sometimes people get, they get so invested in it that they forget that you don't know me. So even like, you know, if you're listening to my music and you listen enough for you to feel like you know me, then one of the first things that should stick out is that I'm not a that I'm not welcoming, I guess, if that's a word.

So what happens, you know, we may be moving around, people call, I was in the airport yesterday, and a woman walked past and said, hey, Chris. I'm like, I don't even know you. I like your, I love your music. I'm like, you love to know that you think you could call me Chris. But that's how, you know, some people,

some people would be so into it that the line between, you know, entertainment and reality is almost invisible. And again, you know, I appreciate it. I respect it. I respect it, but I think, you know, we're aware of it enough and our background is pretty much the same. So we make sure to keep the boundaries present,

if that makes sense. So you know, you walk up to me and I'm with my kids, I get it, you might not know, I ain't done a trip with my kids. So, you know, I'll politely tell you, you know, I ain't doing no pictures or none of that, I got my kids. And you know, some people will get it,

more people get it now than previously. But if you don't get it, more people get it now than previously. But if you don't get it, so I know that if this goes sideways, I ain't really gonna get or I ain't gonna interact with it. A lot of, what's the word, I'm a try my best to diffuse even if all I'm gonna do is walk away. I was in the fucking putt-putt one time with my whole family and a couple asked for a picture and I was like, you know, I can't really do that right now with my family.

And guy just started snapping. He was like, man, you Hollywood ass niggas, niggas think he this, he think he that. And I was like, damn. What's that? That was in golf club time. No, see, but that's the thing. See, earlier I told you, I don't play well with others.

And- You sound like him when he be taking pictures with friends. The way my family, the way we was raised, it's come one, come all. So, it don't matter if you four feet or nine feet, you gonna get everybody's feet on your ass. So, you know, but I got my kids, so I gotta be a father right now,

or a role model, so to speak. This shit can hit the fan. When it hit the fan, you vastly out, I took my entire, it was 30 of us in there. And that's just how we rock. So if any physical altercation would have broke out, it would have been the worst case scenario. This shit wasn't gonna end lightly.

And no, I got to think 30 people stomping you out might kill you and him. On top of that, what's the effect they have on our kids? These are small children. No, at that time they were small. But these are small children and that's gonna be complete chaos. They ain't the shit they came to put put to be at a fucking, I don't know what you call it.

Was that a, is that considered an amusement park? Whatever the fuck it is. They came to have fun. They come to see a bra. So, you know, I got it, you know, I gotta be, you know, I got to, you know, I got to be, you know, I have to, I got to think, think about the, you know, the consequences of how far I can go. And I get it. You love my music so much that you blurred the line. You don't get it. So I'm gonna excuse you, even though, you know,

and then getting louder and louder. I'm like, man, and at this point in time, my brother was alive. And my brother is what was, was, he was extremely welcoming. But it was a facade. He was fake welcoming. Like, you know, yeah, man, we cool.

They plotting to rob you in like 20 minutes. Soon as y'all go to whatever the fuck, they for the, you know, they on your ass. So even then, I, you know, I gotta defuse him. Because again, the way my family rock, if he would've set it off, it would've been, you know, I wouldn't have been able to defuse it after that.

Ain't no, hey man, it's a one-on-one. We don't know what those are. That's what I'm saying. So, you know, every shit would've got weird. Ain't that right, Mo? So niggas know now, Y'all see Tripp, he got them babies with him. Leave him alone.

You know, you ain't got so, you know, it ain't that severe where you know, you can't speak or, you know. Nah, it just ain't no pitch though. Just set it up, just set it up fam. Don't do the, no, and if you do, don't get upset with me, cause I ain't, you know, I ain't,

I'm standing on what I'm standing on. And I'm in father mode, I'm in father, because they, you know, what happens when I turn, I take all these fucking pictures with you, and now I gotta go to the front, and have them call, do the fucking all call, because I can't find one of my goddamn kids. I was taking pictures with your ass.

Now I'm a bad parent. You know, I had to, you know, got to pick a time and a place for everything. And if I'm in Target solo, I'm with it. I take as many pictures as you want. She was just at the game. I ain't turning a single picture down. When we perform, no shit, we willing to take a picture with every person that's in there.

If I got my kids, we ain't taking not a single picture. And I don't agree with the idea of my kids being famous until they old enough to make the decision for themselves. So I ain't for to sit here and let you take pictures of me and my family. Or you got videos of me and my, you know, if you familiar with me of any sort, you check my shit. My kids ain't all over my social media.

And I feel like, I think it's a very thin line between that shit being cute and that shit being exploited. And I ain't trying to get no points off my cute kids. And they're fucking adorable to me. But dang what I'm in this for. And I feel like, I feel like in some cases, you know, the more you let people blur the line, the more blur it is gonna get. And you know, and that shit make my kids

extremely uncomfortable and people don't get it. I was in, when I came out of Target one day, I had my two oldest kids and, you know, I'm naturally paranoid because we, you know, come from where we come from. So, you know, when I come out, I peep this guy standing by this truck and he keeps staring at me. I'm like, man, I had, again, I'm paranoid. So I've already talked my kids, I won't say talked because we've never been in this scenario.

So I've already talked to them about what to do if shit goes sideways when we're out and about. And I've explained to them, I got enemies I've never met because I'm successful. That's what success brings. That's real. So, you know, when I peek the dude, I keep walking and you know, I'm walking on one side of the park

and he on the other side. So I peep him crossing. So I'm like, what's up, man? And I tell my kids to keep going, you know, cause if something happened, I prefer them to be away from right here. He was like, man, I've been circling the park. I saw you go in.

I've been circling the parking lot until you came out. Man, I fuck with your music so much. He was a fan. I was like, man, you know how weird that sound? You circled the parking lot in real time. I don't know who you are. Like, I appreciate the love. I really do. I'm like, man, you know, while't know who you are. Like, I appreciate the love I really do. I'm like, man, you know, while I was saying that,

he looked at my kids and my kids was like this. He was like, damn man, I ain't think about that. You know, I fanned out and you know, I ain't people, I just made your whole, oh nah, whole family, but you know, I made you and your family uncomfortable. And he was apologizing to them and shit. And when I got in the truck, I asked my kids, you know, are y'all good?

And it was crazy, because they, like I said, I'm paranoid nationally, and I ain't know that that rubbed off on them too. They was like, yeah, dad, we seen him, as soon as we walked out, we seen him staring at you. So they never stopped paying attention to him. And I told them to go to the truck when he stepped over. And when he pointed to my left, that's when I realized

they only moved like two or three cars down. They didn't go all the way to the truck, but that's cause they trying to make sure they see what's going on. But I say all that to say, you know, if you run into me and I'm with my kids, you know, tone it down. Keep in mind.

Leave this nigga alone. my kids, you know, tone it down. Keep in mind that they're lost. Actually. We'll fuck a wave at him. Chuck the Dukes keep it pushing. Just deal with it. The nigga I saw you at Target. You look good. You look good. I fuck with the music.

A handshake was suffice, man.? Hand shake with Suvice, man. You know, sometimes that shit just go too far, man. What's that feeling like, man, when people rap y'all, y'all perform y'all something, but you can see the crowd rapping every word for word. Like I played basketball, so you know, you see people fan out, they cheer for you, they like your stuff, they have your jersey on or whatever.

But somebody rapping something you wrote, word for word, bar for you, they like your stuff, they have your jersey on or whatever, but somebody rapping something you wrote word for word, bar for bar, what's that like? It's Julie Stewart Banks. I'm doing a new podcast from iHeart Podcasts and the National Hockey League. And I'm paired up with one of my favorite players, the always quotable Nate Thompson. I wore nine NHL sweaters and I have story after story to share and believe it or not I have plenty to say and not just about hockey.

Believe me he does. Energy Line with Nate and JSB is the name of the podcast and it's gonna be well it's gonna be quite the ride. We're officially line mates Nate. We're the Energy Line. We'll have plenty of folks join us, current players, some of my former teammates, Hall of Famers, and wait to see some of the connections that Julie has. She has quite the Rolodex. Okay, we'll lean into Nate's playing experience

and tap into our interests away from hockey and try to do what Energy Lines are supposed to do, provide an emotional boost. How do you feel about all that, Nate? I'm vibing, Julie. I'm ready to roll. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention.

This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild-haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious somebody violated the FBI and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century, and the god damn best love story you've ever heard.

I picked up the phone and my thought was this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life. I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention. Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. It's surreal, and it's imagine, it would feel the same way it would feel when you leaving the game or any time in life when somebody got like a basketball card a year.

Nah, that's different though. Cause people buy basketball cards to sell them. Yeah. Okay, I wanna buy that part of basketball cards. I can't sell me rap in them. For sure. Well see, I think that shit is euphoric. It's just, you know, I don't know.

I don't know a better way to explain it. I think that shit's, you know what I'm saying? It's a special feeling. Yeah, I think that's just, you know what I'm saying? It's a special feeling. Yeah, I ain't never imagined none of this for myself. Like you said, you was listening to the Street Bias song. Like I was wanting to who said that shit aside, wanting to rap just on some cool shit or trying to make some money,

trying to get the girls, whatever it was at that time. Like, I ain't never like expect or, you know, look at it as being like embraced or well received. Like I remember the first time somebody I didn't know telling me I was cold, you know what I'm saying? And that meant so much more just truthfully than like my friends and peers, people that I knew was on the,

they could just say that shit, cause they cool with me. Cause they been spoon. I'm like, I'm on the other side of town and these dudes don't know me. Or I'm, you know, I'm up at TSU in a parking lot, like in a Cypher, just rapping acapella and people like, or the next day people like,

man, rap something else, I'm telling my homeboy about you. And it's like, you know, sort of level up from there to like you said, something that I wrote down, something I put together, composed, and I'm four or five hours away from home, or I'm 10 hours away from home, or we're on a tour, and it's like night for night, or just period. Even like the new music just being received.

But like you said, seeing people really rocking out to it and it's like, like it's they song. It's like, damn, like, cause I ain't, it's a special feeling. I always want to ask this question, especially for y'all. Where do you get more joy in making the music or actually getting able to perform and to share it with people?

I think it's like even for me, it's like 50 50. I think making a music sometimes I was like therapy. And then to the last question, when it's received well and it's appreciated, like it's all another high to share it. Or like, we might've made music a month or two prior or over the course of time. But like at the time I'm putting it out,

my mama was enjoying it all over again when the other people listen to it in real time. But that feedback, that reception, the last question that kind of skipped over of how do you balance giving so much personally to people feel like they know you, that's the give and take of that. I was like, for me, my music is my personality.

My music is like, this is all I know how to be. You know, once I tapped into that, once I got out of like trying to work within a system, like I just went with, I'm gonna be the best me. I'm gonna be the best version of myself. So people taking to that is like, I mean, I don't really get no better than me. I'm gonna be the best version of myself. So people taking to that is like, I mean, I don't really get no better than that. I ain't have to put nothing on it,

the good, bad, happy, sad, in between. Cause the crazy part is people tend to like gravitate toward the darkest, the most extreme side. You know what I'm saying? I make music that for me, I might've been crying on the inside making it, but somebody else like, man, this changed my life. This got me through this.

Or like, he was rapping my life right there. And I'm like, damn, I was rapping my life. But the fact that it had that effect on you, like, it keep me doing it. You know what I'm saying? Let me know, I ain't doing it for nothing. I said the same. I think the joy come from...

I don't get joy out of creating the music, but like he said, creating it is the therapy for me. Creating the songs keep me from... Creating the songs keep me from doing other shit. I'll just say that. So I think the creating process is more like the release. And then the joy comes from another person being able to relate to something they wasn't present for, if that makes sense. To meet me and say you went through so-and-so, so-and-so.

Because when I'm making the record, I ain't thinking about what you going through. Like you said, I'm thinking about what I'm going through. And I think that's refreshing for all people to know you ain't the only one in that certain battle, whatever that battle is. So, you know, I think for the most part, the joy come from, you know,

receiving, from meeting people that received the music. Yeah, even when you say like the wrestling stuff or like generational stuff, like a lot of music is a time capsule. So we just speaking from art, this the era, this the generation we grew up in. Like it's music that's made today that I just don't get. I don't understand.

Cause I ain't, I don't. I tried to tell this nigga, man. I didn't grow up like, you know what I'm saying? Yo, Mappi trying to put us on. He try to put us on every day, I just can't get with it. But I felt like it's still, to say it's still somebody speaking for us or speaking a language that we understand. Cause a lot of my favorite artists that I came up on

don't do it for me anymore. Like, you know what I'm saying? Same here. When they making music present day, they trying to keep up with the new wave. And it's like, man, just give it to me straight, the way that you always had. And so that's just something that we tap into,

like even the project, well, I don't know if y'all was gonna ask about it, or we was gonna touch on it. Don't worry about it. Yeah, won't be. But I mean, it's like speaking a language that if you know, you know, that people that relate to it can understand.

It's like a sweet spot. Man, let's get straight to it, man. It is very hard to make projects with the same name and they all still great. Y'all on the fourth version of this, man. New set brothers on the way, man. Indeed, indeed, indeed. Buy you a four, baby.

Get it dated away. Yeah, we came here really to drop the date. We was gonna drop it on May 9th, Step Brothers for Life. Wow, we gettin' a drop. We in the- Step Brothers for Life, can I ask you this? Yeah. I'm married, I know you married too.

Are you still, no you not. No, I'm talking about what you're asking. No. I don't know what you're gonna ask me. I don't know what to say, bro. These two dudes, they in the room. Hey, this your nigga song for the purpose like that? No.

Clean it up. I'm married too, bro. I will. Clean it up, boy. Shout out to my wife, man. Yeah. Shout out to my wife too. Kind of shit, he's like,

I'm gonna knock you in the face. I have to add H, man, because he starts, he starts that Brother 3 off with that. I'm gonna stop you in your tracks. Then he starts that Brother 3 off with that. I don't even perform, man. That's why I laugh when he says it. I go mute while he's crashing.

He don't say that line no more, it's like. Oh, okay, well, fall respect. He actually censored it, so I had to say it for him. Yeah. We'll let y'all figure that out. I have to be responsible. Shout out to Stacey. Y'all are a flood.

This is my guy. For sure man, but listen man, y'all blessed us with all you for, man. We made the decision y'all to spin it black. Is this time? See, I think we ain't never, we never not in, I don't know how you would put that. To the audience or to the people who listen to our music, you'd assume that in between Step Brothers 3 and now

that we ain't a group or a tandem. I don't know how you look at it. I understand why people think that, but in real life, in between that, we ain't Mr. Beat. Like, he was in my wedding. We like, we know each other, we're around each other. We talk to each other, we have an actual relationship. It's not just music.

And even with music, like if, I'm sure somebody's gonna go and do it. If you sat and counted all the records we'd done in between. Don't worry about it. He sat, he just got the count right there. He just asked this this morning. He was like, besides Step Brothers, how many songs you think they actually on each other's album

all the time? Oh, you couldn't count? Okay, but you get what I'm saying. That our relationship was never contingent on us being the group. When we met, we was two solo artists. We just worked so well with each other that we never really, it don't feel like work.

So at some point, he good with timeline. I don't know how long it's been. So at some point, people keep asking about Step Brothers 4, Step Brothers 4, and I was like, you know, shit, we'll get to it when we get to it. And somebody told me, I think it might've been him telling me how long it's been.

I still forgot. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. It's been a minute. And when he did that, when he did that shit, I was like, oh, that makes sense then

why people assume that it's no Step Brothers for shit. But it is. Yeah, but it's just been life. It's just real. Yeah, definitely. And that's, I mean, the irony of the album being called Step Brothers for life is we really, you know, really thugging it out.

We really living this. Right. Our music is transparent. Our music is full disclosure, if you will. But like you just said, every Step of the Way, we've been in weddings, we've been at birthday parties, funerals for what it's worth, like every highs and lows. And we've actually, truthfully, like only grown

that much closer in the time between Step Brothers III and now. So I don't think it's felt like eight years for us because we was going through everything, every step of the way to get here. But I also think it's like perfect time and divine time. The original plan we dropped three was to drop again that year. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, he said it and people never let us forget it.

But I mean, you know, like life happened. Yeah. You know, just, I mean, you know, like life happened. You know, just, I mean, we got to... Right, it got real tricky. But anyway, you know, I think, I think right now we in a space, we're in a, in a accessible enough space for us to sit down.

And like I said earlier, we do all the Step Brothers records in person together. We don't email none of that shit. Yeah, we never sent a song over for- Right, nothing that's, every Step Brothers tape was recorded in person. And- How long does it take?

How long does it take? Yeah, like the process of y'all had to. The first one we did in three sessions. Damn. The second one, I don't know. I don't know. It wasn't that long. The second one, we started around the time

of that session with Kevin Gates, which was like early 2013. And we finished it like early summer by the time. The other one we did the mixtape for two? Nah, that was three. But it was, it wasn't three sessions, it wasn't quite as fast as the first one,

but we just would link out of town and was going to Atlanta a lot and just getting in a lot. It wasn't many sessions though. And the last one, same thing, we just get together. We did like an EP, a short mix type, and an album at the same time. And that was over the course of like, really the majority of it, about two months.

Two months time, maybe five or six sessions. And with this one, we gotten in, what, maybe four or six sessions and with this one, we've gotten, what, maybe four or five sessions and got the majority of it together. Just, I mean, even our last session, we did four songs in one session. Just not even really thinking about it. But in that time in between, like we had sessions

where we ain't even probably play no beats. We just sat in there chopping it like this. Look up and everybody tired and we just going our way because it just might be necessary as homeboys just to talk, you know what I'm saying? And them conversations are what make the best records anyway. Yeah, it turns into the art.

But when we really, like I said, you know, that's my brother. So we ain't on no schedule, so to speak. So when we do go in, of course, when we booking time, we keep that in mind that we got paid into whatever, but we don't really, I don't know, it don't feel like work. So I don't much keep up with it. It just happens how it happens.

And we don't do the, you know, like we ain't sit and say, man, we got to come up with a fucking single or catch it, this or whatever the fuck. We ain't into none of that. We go and whatever happens when we in there, it happens. And that's what we go with. And so far, that's what our careers have been based off, you know, us individually and as a tandem. This has worked because we've been who we really are.

And it don't make no sense to try to reinvent the wheel now. I'm just trying to think, I never hear y'all recycle shit, but y'all dropped so much music. Like I ain't gonna lie, I was a rapper, I would have recycled so much shit. Man, I can't remember all this shit. I was like, yeah, you didn't drop 36 albums.

Yeah, so- I wanna know, I wanted to ask why'd you do that. Like, what made you just get in the studio and like, man, I'm dropping 25 albums in two years. Man, we let people believe that me and him made some kind of bet, but in real time- Cause he dropped 22. I said.

Just drop it. He wilded for it. I said in it, I was in the studio with one of my rap friends. He paid pass away, long live Casino Jizzle. But while I was in the studio, I was working on a record. Oh, I was working on a record, well, I was doing a verse for him. And he was like, man, when you gonna drop something else? I was like, man, I just dropped it.

And he was like, it's been about two years. I said, what? And we know we said we'd do the, go through my timeline and this was like maybe 20, 21 or maybe. Either way, you know, I looked at my last release and I'm like, damn, you know, it has been a minute. And I had no excuse for why I hadn't released.

So actually that kind of spawned the idea of my I'm gonna put a tape out. And every time I said I'm gonna put a tape out, I didn't put a tape out. And I used to overthink it. You know, I sit and do fucking 40 songs and then pick 15 songs and then everything else just sit on the hard drive.

So at some point, I don't really know what it was, but I sat and I'm looking at all these fucking songs on this hard drive. It's just dirt. Nobody's ever heard any of it. And I said, man, fuck it. I'm gonna put this shit out. Then I thought about it again. I said, no, fuck it. I'm gonna put this shit out. Then I thought about it again.

I said, no, fuck it. I'm just gonna put everything out. That shit's still on the hard drive. I'm like, fuck this. I'm gonna put every, from that moment forward, I said, every record I record, I'm gonna release. They don't much make sense to hold on to it. I ain't, I don't have to answer to nobody.

So it don't much make any sense. And then I'm in my own studio. So I ain't even own no clock. So I said, fuck it. I'm gonna put out everything. And what was the first one? The first tape is eight records. So I told myself, I wouldn't ever put something out that's less than eight records. I feel like, I mean people do it all the time, to each his own. I felt like that wouldn't be, I felt like I'd be doing my audience a disservice to give you less than eight records. So I had no goal. You know, end of that month, I called the distributor, I'm like, you know, hey, I got eight records, I wanna put this tape out. Said, all right, let's do it. I did that, and I said, I'm gonna do the same thing.

And shit, after about four or five of them, I said, you know, I think I can do whole year work for this shit. They said, yeah, sure. You know, they've heard it all before from everybody. So even the distribution company didn't know why I was dead ass serious. So when I did them 12, really on the 11th one,

on the 11th one, I don't pay attention to the numbers. So they're calling me and they're telling me how successful the shit was. I said, oh, I can do this for 12 more than that. Man, when I started on that second 12, oh man, I was so exhausted when I got to fucking 24th tape. I said, it could, the way I, my process is different now. I used to be one of those artists,

always in the studio every day, I record a record every day. Now, throughout the whole 24 tapes, I probably recorded, I probably was in the studio for three days out of every one of those months, damn. And you mean, Craig can tell you, I don't remember what tape it was,

but I was in New York doing a press run, and man, him was on the phone, was on the phone for a while. We was on the phone, and I wanna say he called me about a particular song that he was working on. And throughout the conversation, you know, it really was this particular conversation,

I was more a ear than a voice. I'm just listening to him, I'm hearing him out. So at the end of the conversation, I think I was like, you know, I got to call our engineer because I can't get this shit to work like it wasn't working. I'm like, you know, trying to record here in the hotel and I can't get this shit to work right. He said, okay. You know, and he's fully aware of the timeframe you have to release music.

And it might've been like a Sunday or Monday we on the phone and he was like, okay when you dropping? I'm like Friday. He's like, okay, okay, shit how many you got? Not a single fucking song, gonna have anything. And shit's gotta be turned in like Tuesday or Wednesday for the shit to really be released. And Craig was like, man, how the fuck do you play on?

You got nothing? So I'm like, I got shit. And you know, by Wednesday, I had at least 14, or 12 songs at least. I don't know how many went on that tape. But I had the whole tape. I don't know, man, just. Times 24, like he did this 24 times.

Yeah. He did like, how, bro? I have no idea, man. I really, like I said a second ago, I just let whatever happens, happens. If you go to each one of them, every song is probably 300 something songs. No two songs are the same.

I didn't sit and say, you know, I'm gonna do this kind of record or make this kind of song. I cycled through beats and whatever popped in my head. That's what I say. That's what I'm trying to think. And with it being my real life, I don't have to worry about saying something I can't stand on. That's what I'm trying to say. That's amazing I say. And with it being my real life, I don't have to worry about saying something

I can't stand on. That's amazing to me, like how y'all can think of this shit. Like, I don't, I can shout out to y'all, man. Everybody's process is different. And when he was going through that, like at some point he said he was going to do it for a year, maybe halfway through or through the first year or so. I hadn't dropped in like three years.

Just I was kind of like, fuck rap. And seeing him go through that and conversations we was having, because I was on by half of those projects. I kind of worked my way out of that rut or that space and I did my love drug album. And it was kind of like at that time, like I'm gonna drop in December.

He had dropped 11 projects already. I thought he was about to turn the corner and do step brothers after that. Cause he was gonna do the 12th. So I'm like, yeah, I'm trying to get right. And kind of like, and then when he did the 12th one, and I'm like, all right, what's good, bro? He was like, I'm about to drop this January prize.

I'm like, you just did 12? He's like, do it again. I'm like, oh shit. You know what? Look, what happened, when I did the 12, people would come, you know, some people gonna give you credit, and a lot of people like to give backhand compliments.

So one person will say, man, that's amazing. He did 12 records in a year. And then somebody pop up and say, Papoose did it first. Then somebody said, Currency did it first. And I'm like, man, I don't know if they did it or not, but that ain't the point.

That's like saying, hey man, I bought a house. And you said, yeah, but my brother bought one before you. What the fuck does that matter? And I never respond to it because I know how quick you get twisted. And you know, my response could make currency, turn around and read it. And you know, because naturally you'd be like, fuck him.

It's like I got nothing to do with him. But it's easy for that to be misconstrued. And that's the last thing I want is for somebody to be able to take something I say and turn it into something. I pride myself on what I say. So when I started seeing it, I said, all right, okay. Anytime somebody mention fucking 12, y'all got,

somebody else did it. I said, all right, show me somebody that done 24. Now until you show me somebody that done 24, I don't respect your comment about somebody else did it before I did it. I had to, I had a point to prove to Nate Saylor. It killed you for a whole year. Yeah, it was so much music.

Me and Mike, like I told you, we be sharing the music. He'd be like, you heard Tripp out? I'm like, damn, they got just played it last week. He like, no, he dropped another one. I said, all right, Tripp, he lost me now. I got down, I was just playing, saying, look. He's on it. I'm on half of them, and I still ain't caught up

with the truth. But that was, I was about to say, I think that's the beauty of it. I ain't put all the music out, but I mean, it happened. There are people who like listen to every record when it dropped and I appreciate that. But I also value the person who, you know, out of 24 tapes, they didn't make it past 13.

Just that 13 tape, they was living in that space. And that tape speak to them. It happens all the time where people reach out and tell me about old records. They just not hearing this record. They like, man, what you said on so and so, so and so record, man, it spoke to me. I had been playing, say less for so long.

You know, I was stuck on that. And then I heard this new shit, man, I fuck with it. And I kind of look at that shit like Netflix series and shit, like you might not be hip to the film or the show that came out four years ago. And now it's enough of it for you to binge if you want to binge. And if you, you know, some of us only like what we like.

Like if, shit, I got a playlist right now, it's all R&B and it's probably filled, it probably don't, it might be 10 records that's been put out since 2020 that's on this, in this playlist. Everything else is from me growing up or, you know, whatever time period it was when I heard it. So I understand when people, you know,

when they live with the music so tough that they got no, no, no air for anything else. I want to hear the newer shit. I want to hear this. This is what I love. This is what drives me. And if they never move on to another record, so be it. I know I still feel-

You got enough music for them niggas to hold on to. Yeah, I say so. I knew y'all was good rappers. They all know my wife obviously, but my wife, she don't listen to nothing really. She doesn't listen to Spanish music and occasionally Lil Wayne. So she was like, hey.

Oh, is your wife Spanish? Yeah. Okay. So she like. I was like, that's different. Okay, makes sense now. They get on start. It makes sense now, okay.

But she like, out of nowhere, I swear to God, I never talk to her about music, cause me and her argue about music, and she was like, the Starly old guy can rap. He's pretty good. I'm like, fuck you. I'm like, she's in another one of yours. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

I was like, you're the fuck you. She's in another one. What the fuck you doing? You're supposed to get a divorce. I was like, who the fuck you? She was in the demo. I was like, what nigga you was in the demo? You're about to get a divorce. Who the fuck you? And then I swear to God, I started laughing. And she was like, what? And I was like, you don't know them.

She like, no, I like their voice. And she was like, Tripp, Don Tripp? I started crying laughing. I was like, I'm going to tell them that. We about to interview. She was like, you about to interview them? I ride to them in the morning. I'm like, what the fuck?

I really need to know where the fuck she heard that shit from. We gotta have a different conversation. Nobody see what you got if she add a hoop on 2K. Everyone's like that. She like, I ride to them in the morning. I'm like, look at the morning. She was kind of wild, bro. You ain't just do that on accident. I was like, what? You play that to Jill? She was like, what?

Zlito say, ain't no such thing as a coincidence. She ain't about to get you fucked up. Nah, that's real though. I mean. I fuck with that. Yeah, that's back to that. Like for us as artists, I could never like imagine the reach of the music

or the music to be like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, I'm just like, with that. Yeah, that's back to that. Like for us as artists, I could never like imagine the reach of the music or where it's gonna go. I made songs where I would have thought women would have hated me for making a song and that'd be the one that they take to, the one that they love.

Or, you know, I make something so personal or so vulnerable and I'm like, maybe nobody else will be able to feel this because it's just uniquely my own experience. And then it's the standout record or whatever. So like, I mean, that's what's up. I love to know what it was that picked that entry. I'm shit, me too.

I was hella confused. Definitely appreciate y'all longevity in this shit, man. Definitely appreciate y'all for pulling up too. Definitely big for us. Yeah. Man, I can't wait for Sir Brother's 4 Life. May 9th? Tap in.

May 9th. 4 Life. You got the drop on club 520, we appreciate that. Come on, man. You know we supported up here, man. May 9th, tap in Sir Brother's 4 Life. We appreciate y'all, man. We're gonna have to do this Come on man. You know we supported up here man, Maynife, Tab E, Sir Brother, Spoke Life. We appreciate y'all man, we gonna have to do this again man. I ain't man with it man, I ain't, you know,

I don't much agree to traveling to people so. Cause you don't get along with nobody. Sorry. Yeah. But for me, my bad. But for me, my bad. But for me, I don't know, it always means something to me when people really, you know, really rock with us.

I ain't no cosign, nobody hit you and say, you know, here's my artist or here's the guy we working with or whatever, you know, you fuck with me, you fuck with me genuinely because of me. You know, that's it. I, I, I, I couldn't go without showing my appreciation back. So we say love, bro. I was like, shit, let's do it. I'm with it. Nah, we appreciate it. We definitely fuck with y'all. I mean, obviously from the shoes, you can see I'm a fan. Nah, for sure. I mean, obviously from the shoes, you can see,

I'm a fan. Nah, for sure. I'm a fan of the platform, the podcast. I wanted to talk more basketball with y'all. Oh, we can't. No, no, no, no. We're here. I'm here.

It was a couple of things. One of my partners wanted me to bring up, see if you remember playing Nashville Celtics, said he gave y'all 35. My homeboy, Jamie Graham. That was one thing. You it, he gave me a 35. My homeboy Jamie Graham. That was one thing. You might, damn, 35? Yeah.

What year though? Did we win? I think he said, y'all might've won that one and they beat y'all in another tournament. That was his. 35? But, I mean. Shit, I ain't gonna lie, I never played no defense.

I might have 35. Shit, he probably had 35. Shout out to bro, man. Shout out to Jamie Graham. Yeah, cause I definitely play no defense. I might have 35. Shit, he probably had 35. Shout out to bro. Shout out to him, Grim. Yeah, cause I definitely play no defense. There we go. Nah, he played at Vanderbilt. Oh, Vanderbilt.

He played basketball and football, actually. I ain't never played no defense. He probably did. He ain't played no defense, man. I'm here to shoot this ball. That's what I was up to. I wanted to ask y'all, this is just a oddball question. What's y'all favorite basketball movie of all time?

Mine's Blue Chips. Damn. He got a game, bro. No, Ray Allen is the greatest basketball movie character ever. Basketball movie character? With the worst script of all time. Yeah, bro. I like Blue Chips though. Basketball movie never. With the worst script of all time. Yeah. I like both of them.

Basketball movie. What's yours? Mine is hoop dreams. I fuck with hoop dreams too though. It was like almost like. That was a documentary damn. Yeah that was relatable. It was too real.

Yeah. That was my, and I ain't going to the NBA moment. Like when you seen team. Just period. Like, man. Will was out of the pocket. So nobody likes Sunset Park. But I like Blue Chips. Hell damn, Tripp.

Sunset Park, give me Coach Prada for Sunset Park. Sunset Park was cool enough. It was cool enough. I thought y'all were gonna say- A butter rim. How about say a butter rim? I ain't play no ball, man. Butter rim, my rim. I was about to say a butter rim. I ain't playin' the ball, man. Butter rim, my boy.

Through the ball. The butter rim is the worst. And Alihope, you can tell. That's what I'm talkin' about. That's what I'm talkin' about. That shit. I'm talkin' about that. That's what we just talked about.

I like it. My boy took the ball out, threw that ball. But blue chips was so cold. Tommy Shepard. And he got that big. I was like. Because Penny and them niggas was real. I mean, obviously, we know they was good,

but the way they was, man. That's funny. That's funny. Tommy Shepard and the Thermo Bro was put. I was like, man. I mean, I was like, jeez. We know they was good, but the way they was, man. Yeah, Penny and Shaq, that was pretty good. Tommy Shepherd and the Thermo Bro was putting in work, bro. Man, he shot the same shot. 23 times. Same clip, same mini. I was like, a couple of quarter rods in a long time. Bro, fresh off the roof.

Not even Space Jam. Off the roof. I ain't never was a Space Jam fan. I didn't like toy movies and stuff like that. Y'all disrespect the first Space Jam was a classic, y'all. I ain't saying that. I know it ain't never was a Space Jam fan. I didn't like toy movies and stuff like that. Y'all disrespect the first Space Jam was a classic, y'all. I ain't saying that. I know it ain't. Man, we talking about acting, that shit trash.

If we keep it around, that shit trash. I wasn't into that. I ain't like Space Jam. I ain't like Space Jam. That's one, I assume that if you love basketball, you was a child, that you might've liked Space Jam. I ain't like Space Jam. I grew up, I got older brothers and sisters.

So I ain't really okay. I watch cartoons. You and shit. We turn cartoons on like I can sneak and watch cartoons. Yeah, I grew up thinking I was a creative player. For real. My brother was like, excuse me. Nah, you got no my brother.

Like, you know, I'm younger. It's real. He's like, yo, you gonna play like Alan. I'm like, excuse me? Nah, you gotta know my brother. Like, you know, I'm younger, it's real. He be like, yo, you gonna play like Alan Arbati. I'm like, who the fuck is that? He like, yeah, you gonna play just like him. I'm thinking he didn't create this nigga in his head. So then he showed me, I'm like, I'm gonna play like this nigga.

He good. Then I got brave. Then I got brave. This is the thing. He damn near retarded. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Why y' break. It's so funny. You need them to retort it. You know, I was just like. Why y'all was doing it like that, bro? Y'all know I was outside.

I ain't really watch TV like that. Unless it was wrestling. Oh, I was just crazy. I was real, bro. I was really, yeah, that's what it's like. I know, bro. I did, bro. My brother told me.

I only watch wrestling, bro. That's all I watch. I can dig it. I used to watch shit-outs and wrestling. That's all I watch. I can dig it. I used to watch shit outside wrestling. That's all I watched growing up. Dang. And it probably was not a good thing because I was already violent.

Him too. He took that wrestling shit to the NBA. Like, this is a real C character. I'm glad they came on the show because he about to start playing around. Like I said, it's why I couldn't play man. I would have definitely been, I would have been running on tests. Nah, I had some glimpses around our choice.

Yeah, but he's been injected for the first seven games. Every game, he's injected. Who was your favorite player growing up? Penny Hart, for sure. You have to coach Penny. And he a laid back cool nigga Penny Hart, brother. For sure. Yeah. He a laid back cool nigga too though, so that makes sense. Who is your game like, if you say you played like somebody, who you say you played like?

Man, that's a good question. Mookie and Blaylock. That's a good question. At the time, at the time, because of the time period, I graduated in 2002, at one point it was like D Miles. Tall and slim and shit. Was that the one in Wagner class too? 02, I think so.

That was the year before Brown. Yeah, that's JJ Reddick in them class. Yeah. Maurice out of Mar-a-Mello. Yeah. Helper class. Yeah, Ranifel and McCance. We played them junior Olympics.

Did you give them buckets? Man, they beat the hell out of me. Nah, people don't. I'm not gonna lie. And Shara McCance. Ranifel was the best player I played against on the court. For real, Ranifel? Right in the time.

Shara was the right player. He was a dog, dude.. At the time. I was like, I don't know. Like at the time I graduated. Corey Brew was in my district in high school. But he was like a couple years behind me. He was nice. Okay. You played against some shit. You just wasn't no regular regular regular player.

You played against some NBA talent. Yeah, we played like, how low are you? Yeah. You can hear in his raps. Like when he talk about basketball. Like the way he talk about it, I'm like, how low are you? Yeah. You can hear in his raps, like when he talk about basketball. Like the way he talk about it, I'm like, he really play basketball. And some people who play basketball,

like I get 30 like Curry. It's like, nah, he like move for real. Who said that though, was that one of your boys? That Friesian shit I said. I can't tell why he said that, we can't shit. What the fuck did think I am? Come on DJ man. What's the name of the team you say?

You know how you say I'm in the studio of my house? For the wrong reasons. I just wanted to make the video. Oh man. I'm about to get the video. Oh, man. I'm getting cracked on that soundboard. What's that mean? Climb up 20, 9 trip, starling, though. We out of here, baby.

That, bruh. For life, we out. For life. So, bro. Let's go back to the beginning. Hey all you women's hoops fans and folks who just don't know yet that they're women's hoops fans. We've got a big week over at Good Game with Sarah Spain as we near the end of one of the most exciting women's college basketball seasons ever.

The most parody we've seen in years with games coming down to the wire and everyone wondering which team will be crowned national champions this weekend in Tampa. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain on the iHeart radio app, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, everyone? Julie Swift, here, along with former NHL player Nate Thompson. We're doing a new podcast together here we go. The name? Energy Line with Nate and JSB. Each week we'll get together and talk about hockey, life, all

topics are fair game right? Exactly and you'll never know who will drop by to join us. Julie is pretty well connected she has text threads going that you wouldn't believe. Listen to Energy Line with Nate and JSB on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover in a hell-bent effort to sabotage a war. J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees.

Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Tickets are on sale now y'all for our 2025 iHeart Country Festival, presented by Capital One, happening Saturday, May 3rd at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas. Don't miss your chance to see Brooks and Don, Thomas Rhett, Rascal Fletz, Cole Swindell,

Sam Hunt, Megan Moroney, Bailey Zimmerman, Nate Smith. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com.