Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Donovan Bailey Kicks Out the Jams: Toronto Mike'd #1262
Episode Date: May 30, 2023In this 1262nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Donovan Bailey about the Order of Canada, his bid to buy the Ottawa Senators and his work on a CBC reality show before he plays and discusse...s his ten favourite songs of all-time. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, the Yes We Are Open podcast from Moneris, The Moment Lab, Ridley Funeral Home and Electronic Products Recycling Association.
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Today, returning to Toronto Mic'd to kick out the jams is Donovan Bailey.
Welcome back, Donovan.
Thanks for having me, man.
This is good stuff.
I mean, I think that a lot of people don't really recognize the role that music plays in my life or has played in my life.
And I guess we get to share a little bit of what's in my playlist.
Now, when I asked you for 10 songs, because we're going to play 10 today, I got what?
I got like 30.
Yeah.
And then I think I replied to you and I said, which 10 am i playing because we don't have time for 30 so i grabbed
like well you told me i could grab like i don't know 18 through 28 so we got 10 here but does
this mean you'll be coming back to kick out more jams well if we got if we got well 28 so i'll add
two more um so if you if you have 30 then it means that I have two more shows, right?
It means that I have to.
And I also want to show, like, the extent of my, like, music taste.
So, yeah, I'm sure I'm going to be back.
I'm sure, Mike, that I'm going to be back.
I'm sure you can get me back in here.
But, yeah, I mean, we got 10 today that we share with the audience
and uh yeah we'll see uh we'll see i'm sure every one of them has you know has some meaning or maybe
it doesn't maybe just makes me feel good who the hell knows okay so not one of your jams we're
going to get to your 10 jams in a moment here but i do want to spend just a few seconds off the top
because i learned from
listening to running things of donovan bailey the amazing podcast you co-host well you host and it's
co-hosted by jason portwando also a good fotm but i heard you got to meet tina turner would you mind
sharing with us uh about the times you met the queen of soul herself listen i'm very fortunate
in my circle to travel and competing in London.
She was performing in London.
She also lived in Switzerland,
and she was also,
and I'd seen her visiting a friend of hers
in Ville France in Monaco,
beside Monaco.
So it's my tiny circle
as one of the fastest men in the world.
At one point,
this has allowed me to open the door
and meet some incredible people
with Michael Jackson, Prince,
some of the greatest that ever did it.
Tina was one of the
ladies that I met, one of the
people that I met when she was
performing.
I'm naturally curious because this song
is the best
and that line we just heard is simply the best.
So do you hear this often when people,
let's say you're speaking engagement,
I don't know, you're speaking to a bank or whatever,
you're at some engagement.
Do they play this song for you
because you were the fastest man in the world?
Yes, that's a short answer.
I mean, yeah.
I mean, I probably owe Tina's estate some royalties.
This is a song, definitely a song I've been hearing quite a bit
or I've heard quite a bit over my life, over my career.
And so, yeah, the short answer to your question is yes, I hear this quite a bit.
And again, you were on Toronto Mike before.
So if people want to hear the A to Z of Donovan Bailey's life and times,
you got to go to episode 1002.
And what I wrote at the time is Mike is joined of Donovan Bailey's life and times. You got to go to episode 1002. And what I wrote at the time is Mike is joined by Donovan Bailey and Jason
Portwondo from the Donovan Bailey running things podcast,
which is actually now called running things with Donovan Bailey.
You're that big.
We know this is the Donovan Bailey.
Yeah.
They discussed Donovan sprint career with a keen focus on the a hundred
meters gold medal and the world record at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta.
His four by 100 meter gold his 150 meter race against michael johnson at skydome and the fact this is interesting i'm
kind of curious to hear your take on this i was personally shocked and dismayed that you had not
yet been inducted into the order of Canada, and we talked about it.
And since then, what's the news on that front, Donovan Bailey?
Well, yeah, I got inducted, or I got invested in the Officer Order of Canada.
I still have to, I think I have to go to Ottawa to go and,
and to attend the ceremony.
But yeah, it's always good to have great fans,
great support,
and get things out there for, you know,
to correct some of the wrongs that has happened.
Do I get any credit for this?
Yes, sure, why not?
Maybe the queen heard that episode or something
and made a phone call before she passed away.
That's what happened.
That's what happened. Okay, you said the O word, ottawa so i'm going to get to your first jam i want to get to the music
and talk music with you and then at some point you're going to get a big question about a ottawa
based nhl franchise so brace yourself but let's get to your song number one donovan bailey
are you ready to kick out the jams? I is. Go ahead. I put a hole in a nigga for fucking with me. My back on the wall, now you gon' see.
Better watch how you talk when you talk about me.
Cause I'll come and take your life away.
Many men, many, many, many, many men.
Wish death on me, Lord.
I don't cry no more.
Don't look to the sky no more.
Have mercy on me.
These pussy niggas put money on my head.
Go on, get your refund, motherfucker.
No radio edit on Toronto Mike, Jonathan, okay?
I love it, man.
I actually thought we were going to get the radio version, but I like it.
This is how I listen to it, and this is how I like it.
So tell me, what do you love about this jam?
What does it mean to you?
The mic is yours.
Well, listen, if you're looking at 50 Cent,
I mean, number one,
I think if people just list the rap music
and then try to equate the man to the rapper,
then you're really not going to get the essence of what this is.
This is one of the most intelligent business person that's out there.
And also, clearly, a man that's producing fantastic music.
But this is to me,
it's an absolute motivating tool because there is,
the world is filled with haters and the world is filled with negativity and
negativity.
And I think unfortunately you need to get up and you know,
faith is very important.
So you definitely got to pray,
you know,
you know,
but you know that there's people out there that's wishing ill will towards you.
And so you got to get up and do your thing.
Every single day, man, there's many men, many men that want to wish death upon somebody.
But you can't really care about them guys.
Get up and do what you got to do and kick the doors off and get your stuff done every day.
So this is kind of like a hype song for you, right?
Well, I mean, this is...
It gets the heart rate going, gets you ready to conquer the world.
Yeah, but this is right after having a coffee in the morning.
Absolutely.
This is, you know, you get a little caffeine boost and it's like, all right.
You know, I got, you know, this is going into, this either going to a workout for me or going
to a board meeting when we're doing a massive M&A.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, I get it.
So it's awesome.
You gave credit to 50 Cent for being a great businessman.
Right.
I got to bring up that O word, Ottawa.
Give me the scoop.
I need to know exactly what's going on.
I saw you all over the news a couple of weeks ago, and I was like, that's my buddy Donovan Bailey.
And what's your involvement in this bid to buy the Ottawa Senators?
Well, speaking of business people,
I mean, one of the things that I always try to do
is change the narrative from being, you know, an athlete.
You know, an athlete that's out there entertaining fans,
and we get to make money and travel and uh and travel the world and do a
kid's sport so the narrative for me is always uh changing it to from a business perspective i just
talked i just touched on 50 cent uh being a business person and so uh i always um i always
uh look at you know magic johnson michael jordan uh alex rodriguez um my like i get tiger woods Johnson, Michael Jordan, Alex Rodriguez, Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather.
I always look at athletes who've used their brand in business to become businessmen.
Jay-Z.
So an opportunity came to me.
you know,
an opportunity came to me.
Well,
Mark Sparks,
Nico Sparks,
his people reached out to my people from Los Angeles
and offered me an opportunity
to be part of a consortium
with Calvin Broadus Jr.
And, you know,
it's funny.
I say this
because people are like,
who is that?
I'm like, dude, Snoop Dogg.
They're like, Snoop Dogg?
That's Snoop Dogg's real name?
I'm like, yeah.
I said,
because obviously
if we're sitting in a meeting,
we're addressing each other as our real names.
So that is fantastic.
I mean, we...
So I got offered an opportunity.
Yeah, offered an opportunity, bro.
And yeah, this is...
What?
Original Snoop.
So yeah, this is...
So the opportunity in Ottawa,
we have put together a phenomenal bid.
We hope we get it.
I think it'll be great for the sport.
It'll be great for the community.
It'll be great for development.
It'll be great for culture.
It'll just be great.
It'll be great for the NHL.
It'll be great for everything.
So, I'm looking forward to seeing what the results are
depending on
the estate of the seller and
the
NHL. So again,
we've put together a phenomenal
consortium and I
am very happy to be a part of it.
I'm excited because it's
about time we had an
FOTM owning an NHL franchise.
It's about time.
Listen, this is great news.
Is Russell Peters involved in this bid?
Yes.
Yes.
His brother, Clayton, was just here last week.
Clayton Peters.
Clayton is actually good people, and I haven't seen him in a while.
He was here, buddy.
We just missed him.
I haven't seen him in a while.
Shout out to Russell.
I mean, I need to connect with him,
and hopefully we can grab a beer together sometime this summer.
Yeah, you might have to go to L.A. for that.
Yeah, Vegas, wherever, right.
All right, let's get to your second jam.
What?
What? Listen up everybody, the bottom line I'm a black intellect, but I'm refined
We precision like a bullet, target found
Just living like a hooker, the harlot stands
Now when I say the harlot, you know I mean the hot
Heat of the upgrade up, the buff is in the pot
Jalik, Jalik you wind up your hip, watch
Drafting of the poets, I'm the number seven pick
Licks, licks, licks boy, on your backside
Licks, licks, licks boy, on your backside Listen to the fate of Shahid, let's it glide 7-Pick. what's his voice's ass like? One for the trouble, two for the bass. You know the style trick, it's time to flip this.
I like my beats hard
like Judeo shit.
Steady eating booty
and seats like cheesecakes.
My man, I'll be sure
he's in effect mode.
Used to have a crush
on Dawn from Envode.
It's not like Honeydip
would want to get with me,
but just in case
I owe my condoms
to TLC.
Now the formula
is this me tipping Ali.
Do I have to fade it down?
No, I don't have to.
I mean, it's great, buddy.
A Tribe Called Quest.
Talk to me.
Oh, my God.
Listen, Tribe is, you know, for anyone who is, one, an old hip-hop head,
or two, if you think you know hip-hop and you're not a Tribe fan,
don't talk to me.
Just don't.
No, for real.
I mean, no.
Wu-Tang, Tribe.
talk to me just don't know for real i mean no it's uh wu-tang tribe i mean i'm just saying to you that there there's a few there's a few groups that are or or or hip-hop uh gods that that that
should be in every single collection tribe's one of them and you know whose voice you hear right
here this is buster rhymes too right here busters yeah Busta Rhymes, too, right here. Bustas, yeah, Bustas, man.
Honorary member.
No, no, Busta Rhymes is, you know, for real.
I mean, when I talk about, like, in the 90s
when I was competing,
Busta Rhyme was in my headphones quite a bit, man,
because Busta, Jamaican, fellow Jamaican,
Busta brought it.
Busta brought the energy every single time,
especially when I was competing against
some of those wily, fast Americans.
What was in your headphones
prior to the gold medal race
in Atlanta that you won?
I don't remember specifically, but
I want to
believe that it was
probably a mixtape. It was a mixtape
from either Stone Love or Kilimanjaro.
You know, because I was, again,
I'm a big dance hall guy too,
but I liked the idea of actually having a live concert
in my head.
So yeah, and a big reggae fan, you know,
so big, big, big reggae fan, you know,
so I believe that it was Stone Love or Kilimanjaro.
Were your ears burning yesterday around this time?
I had Steven Brunt here.
Brunt was at the race in Atlanta.
Nice.
We talked quite a bit, and he was asking about your jams, actually.
I told him you were kicking out the jams, so he'll be tuning in right now.
But I just got to spend 10 seconds and a little more just to play this.
I know we did this your first visit, but I got to play this call again
because I've said this to your face many times.
I've been lucky enough to spend, you know,
at least an hour a week with you for, you know,
a couple of years now.
And you, this meant everything in 96.
We had that, the horrors of 88
was still kind of afflicting this nation.
Like it really felt like we needed a remedy,
like we all needed to be cured.
And you did it with this.
This time they do get away.
Now it's Donovan Bailey trying to pick up runners.
Donovan Bailey is putting on a surge.
Adam Molden in the lead.
Here comes Bailey.
He's got it.
984, a world record for Donovan Bailey and a gold medal.
9.84, a world record for Donovan Bailey and a gold medal.
Donovan Bailey through the heats and into the semifinal indicated that he was ready.
He had the power down the stretch to overtake other runners.
He did not get his great start,
but it was improved over what we saw from him earlier.
And over the final 50 meters, it was out of olden.
And Frankie Fredericks, that he caught at the finish line.
And clearly, unlike the women's final, Donovan Bailey of Canada is the Olympic champion.
And at that time, on the scoreboard clock of 984 holes, it is a world record as well as a gold medal.
I got chills again, man.
Jesus, that's good, Mike.
This whole country celebrated that.
That was so big for everybody.
I mean, that's why you get to hear Tina Turner's the best
whenever you walk into a room, my friend.
But Don Whitman no longer with us.
I just want to shout out Don Whitman.
Love Don.
Great call, right?
Don lives forever.
Don's one of the greatest men ever.
And also one of the greatest race callers ever.
And, you know, I get to, I mean, such an incredible guy.
And we miss him so much.
And, you know, man, he gets to be alive every single time.
And, like, it's funny.
Yeah.
Hearing my race, you know you know i'm i'm living the
race but i'm actually just smiling at the fact that i can hear his voice and it's so fresh and
so alive and and so awesome well off the top i played the uh the introduction to the anchor
leg which is a segment on your podcast uh donovan bailey running things and there's some whitman
there that was actually taken from the uh the four by 100 meter gold, you know, Donovan Bailey pulling away,
I think is the expression he used. And, uh, yeah, listening to that.
I mean, 984 quick question about 984 before we get to jam number two,
still the Canadian record, like Bruni Surin matched it, I believe.
But, uh, are you surprised that no Canadian,
because Andre de Grasse is a world-class 100-meter sprinter,
are you surprised no Canadian has beat the 984 yet?
You know, the time, one of the things, I always play things forward.
So the time really has never really mattered to me.
I think that Bruni was second at the World Championships in 1999.
I felt he should have ran a lot faster, but he didn't.
That that's, that's the end of the day.
Um, Andre now, uh, and you've got Andre, Aaron, Brandon.
I mean, you've got some really great young athletes right now that have the, even the
ability with new technology, new track that they can, they certainly can, you know, they
can break the record. mean it has a track
change absolutely but it's it it's absolutely the technology the track the surface the shoe
the spike plate everything's changed for these kids to run faster the issue for me is
i think breaking the record is great but i'd rather rather see out. What I'd like to see is a Canadian who is a top sprint in the world.
That has not happened since I retired.
And,
uh,
and,
and frankly,
there's only been,
you know,
a couple of Percy Williams won the Olympics in 19,
uh,
28.
Right.
Um,
I won in 1990.
Well,
Ben won in 1988,
but we know that lasted three days. So I won it 1990, well, Ben won in 1988, but we know that lasted three days.
So I won it in 1996.
And for me, I'm hoping that we have one Canadian
that can get to the top of the podium in the 100 meters.
So you're the top sprinter on the planet.
And I'm hoping that Andre or Aaron
or one of these kids can do that.
That's probably more important to me than breaking the Canadian record.
But you know what?
The Canadian record is there for them to go snatch it, man.
So go get it. That's what I've said The plan must be led The hunger must be fed
Hey yo, y'all know
I'm looking through a hole in this field
Hey yo, nobody cares
Take a look in my house
Who they living there?
Hey yo, y'all know
Look at my shoes, can you see my toes?
But that's all this trouble, girl
Nobody knows Look into my shoes, can you see my toes? But that's only strong love Nobody knows
Look into my eyes, tell me what to see
Can you feel my pain?
Am I your enemy?
Give us a better way, things are really bad
Do you not really know?
This is gonna happen
Listen to my voice, this is not a trend
No, you say don't lie
Are you worried yet?
You've been talking about You you want the world to see.
But when you show some, we will show you peace.
Look into my mind, can you see the world?
Can you tell that I, wanna help myself?
But if it's happening that, I'm seeking for your ring.
Don't be mad at me, it's our survival thing.
Look into my heart, I can feel your fear.
Take another look, can you hold my stare?
Why are you afraid?
Music!
Fuck my younger face.
Yeah!
Or is it this thing?
Bulging in my eyes.
Look into my eyes.
Tell me what you see.
Look into my eyes.
Bounty Killer.
Oh, man.
Killer is great, man.
Killer is great.
Killer is one of the guys, another artist that i can stick on
my headphones and and there is nothing on this planet that i cannot do i've proven that on the
track i'm trying to do that in business uh you know whatever man and and so killer is just bounty
killer is just killer man and another one of those songs that any any morning any evening uh it can motivate me to
do things that uh people think are impossible here's the thing uh for me mike for my entire
life there's always people people have always thought that i was crazy with some of the dreams
that i've had and so i think. Doing this show is so important.
Just because.
Sometimes there's narrative out there.
There's a narrative out there.
And you know.
Maybe I'm.
Maybe sometimes.
I appear to be a sterile.
And me.
I don't know.
If you think that.
I'm going to have Pavarotti.
On my.
On my.
But I do.
That's what's really crazy though.
I do.
Like I have that. I have jazz. You know what. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. But. I do. Like I have that. I have jazz.
You know what?
But,
but Killer is one of the artists,
like just like Busta Rhymes,
where I'll be like,
yo man,
I got some stuff I got to do
and I got to get through this.
And so whether or not it's in my car
or on my headphones,
these are the people
that's going to get me through it.
Do you remember your first favorite musician, like that first favorite artist or band that
you loved as a kid?
Oh, man.
I mean, you know, I was a big James Brown fan from when I was very young.
You know, growing up in Jamaica, John Holt, Papa Michigan General Smiley, I mean, I'm
a country boy.
So Bob Marley.
Papa Michigan General Smiley, where, I mean, I'm a country boy, so, Bob Marley, I mean, I'm saying to you that there the radio, man, and whatever we might get to listen to on the radio
when we're at school or when I'm out with my little buddies back then.
So music played a huge role.
And we will show you peace.
What?
I forgot all this stuff, man.
Come on, play.
Oh, yeah, do a remix, right?
Oh, yeah.
Oh yeah! Impressive, authentic, please forget it You're mad cause my style, you're admiring Don't be mad, UPS is hiring You shouldn't have been a cop, fuck hip-hop
With that freestyle, you're bound to get shot
Not from Houston, but I rap a lot
Pack the gat a lot, the flame's about to drop
Pick up the brand new baby, yeah
Top of the new baby, yeah
I'm just kickin' new flavor in your air Like a brand new thing, yeah Word up, no rap, no crap, you bore me
You're okay, I picked the remix. Are you okay with that?
Yeah, man, it's good, man.
Greg Mack.
I always go with the remix.
For some reason i
know greg mack that was he had the jam and whatever and then puff daddy remix but the
the remix is where you get the biggie that's where you get everything so right dude man it's fine
it's fine with that i'm good with that east coast growing up again growing up with the what
separated my friends it's when i moved to Canada, what separated my friends was music and sports.
Like we didn't deal with racism and a lot of the,
a lot of the crap that's going on in the world today,
because we like our,
like everyone thought we had a gang when we're like 14,
15 years old.
And it was just,
and it was a gang.
Like no one knew who our friends were.
We like,
so it was myself,
Rick Patrick coming in from Oakville,
but we got a couple of Indian guys,
couple of white guys,
couple of Italian guys.
So no one knew who we were.
And this was what separated us,
was music, hip hop,
then we were breakdancing and stuff,
and sports.
So it was great, man.
Fantastic, man.
This is great.
Good stuff.
Good stuff, Mike.
Well, you did pick the songs, Donovan.
These are my songs.
These are your jams.
And I really, now that I think about it, this isn't a two-episode series.
This is like an arc, okay?
So this is episode one of at least three here as we cover all the ground.
Because I also want to hear the songs through your life.
You mentioned growing up on a farm in Jamaica.
Some of the old stuff.
Yeah.
Oh, God, yeah.
Oh, man.
I know we talked about You being a club kid right
Oh I was a club kid
Big house kid
Yeah yeah
Like I don't think people
Know that about Donovan Bailey
Yeah man
La Rotonda
Limelight
The Copa
This was
This was stuff that I did
Back in the day
But I could leave from
I could leave from
A straight up house club
And I could go straight
To a dance hall party, man.
You know, straight to a basement party,
straight to a sound system somewhere.
So it was great.
It was great growing up.
Great jams too, man.
I'm enjoying this very much.
Although I will say there's an outlier coming up next
that I'm dying to know the story for, okay?
Because so far there's like a, you know,
you're a hip hop head.
Right.
These are adrenaline enriched hip hop anthems
that we're hearing here.
The next jam,
a little different.
So let me ask you about
something that happened
since your last visit.
You were like a celebrity coach
on a CBC,
I want to call it a game show,
but it's kind of
Reality show.
Reality show, okay.
It's a reality show.
How was that experience?
I know you left me
last summer so you could go film this thing across the country but tell us a little bit about the uh
the show the ultimate challenge the ultimate challenge was amazing i mean it's it was the
inaugural season uh so we're hoping that that gets renewed and and i get on there this fall
uh but it was um it was if if for those fans out there for those fans out there who are fans of The Amazing Race, please look up The Ultimate Challenge online.
CBC Jam.
Yeah, exactly.
Six Canadian celebrities are coaching four Canadians through challenges that were created for us.
There's definitely some glitches
that happened last year.
I think that the show definitely has hopefully perfected it.
I'm looking forward to season number two.
Hopefully it's renewed.
And I get a call to participate.
But it's amazing.
Check it out.
For all of you out there,
Canada's ultimate challenge.
All right, we're going to roll into the outlier here.
The outlier.
The outlier.
Here we go.
Outlier.
Ah, I have no idea what's coming.
What did I give you?
What did I give you?
You'll find out when it's in your headphones.
Your gold-plated headphones, by the way.
Is that real gold?
Oh, yes.
Riders of the Storm.
Yeah, dude.
From Craig Mack flaving your ear Your Ear to the Doors.
You know what this is, though?
This is my Oakville influence.
This is when I got to Canada, people, and I'd go to my buddy's basement.
And we're there, we're playing pool.
Again, it's kind of like the environment.
I grew up in middle class in Oakville.
And this song to this day is one of my favorite songs ever.
The Doors is fantastic.
See, how did I get it?
Right away.
I mean, it's excellent, man.
I love it.
We'll hear a little of Jim Morrison and then we'll come back to The Doors.
To this world we're thrown
Like a dog without a bone
And packed her out on loan
Riders on the storm Like a dog without a bone and packed her out on loan
Riders on the storm
There's a killer on the road
His brain is squirming like a toad
Take a long holiday
Let your children play And, you know, Jim Morrison had a bit of that swagger.
I just said this.
So, full disclosure, we just finished an episode of Donovan Bailey Running Things
and Donovan arrives just in time.
But Jason gets here early and he sits here
and we kind of play songs and we chat
and we get our clips ready and everything.
And we were talking about, you know,
we were talking about your jams and stuff.
And yeah, I think i have a shared
experience as you man like in somebody's basement growing up as a teenager they throw in like a
greatest hits of something right ever right like i'm sure you were familiar with the doors greatest
hits no listen but but it's not even that i mean yeah okay so the short answer is yes but i'm saying
to you that this is where you know the doors led zeppelin i mean like
you know like uh you know got introduced to black sabbath back then i mean maybe rolling stones oh
god rolling stones genesis that's normal that was the normal stuff right yeah dude so i'm just
saying that you got introduced to this and also the fact that you're like my when we talk about my eclectic music collection and it kind of spans my friendships that I've had,
lifelong friends that I've had around the world
and the differences in how you meet,
hang out with each other,
learn so much about them.
And this is where this, for me,
the cultural intermingling that I've had around the globe
where I do have lifelong friends
a lot of it falls on the root of music uh so yeah this is so yeah when you're saying lord donovan i
mean because i because i sent this to you uh and he goes oh man um so this is this is easy this is
easy listening to you for me and and i think that mike you need to understand something. Yeah. Every single song that I send you, there's one theme.
So the theme is always like, you know, optimizing, get up, go do what you got to do, you know, that sort of thing.
So I think I believe that every one of them is sort of like that.
There's a killer on the run.
Killer on the run.
And you can run them down.
Right.
That's for sure.
That's for sure. That's for sure.
Now, we talked about the new technology and sprinting today.
And I didn't even know the track had changed.
I knew about the shoes and everything.
Because the shoes are technology in the shoes alone.
And I know I've asked you this privately.
But now you're being recorded.
This is a big moment here.
You ran 9.84 in Atlanta.
Which was the fastest time ever recorded by any human being for 100 meters,
984.
Right.
You won the gold medal.
Yes.
Usain Bolt has since set a new standard.
Absolutely.
He probably had better shoes than you had.
But today, 2023, if you could go back and rerun that 96 race with today's technology,
today's track, today's shoes, how fast would Donovan Bailey run 100 meters?
So I don't want to answer that question for me personally.
So what I'm going to do is tell you what my coach Dan Paff says.
So Dan believes that the technology and the track,
a lot of the times that you're seeing right now,
it equals to about 9.9 back in our day
because realistically
we were just running with shoes with some nails on the bottom that's what we were competing in
and and and the track was basically concrete with sprayed rubber on it so there's no give
and uh and and so dan had so then last year we're having a conversation when he was watching uh the
olympics and he just said hey man listen do you know that you know if you're competing uh you'd Dan, last year we were having a conversation when he was watching the Olympics.
And he just said, hey, man, listen, do you know that if you're competing, you'd probably be running 9.5, 9.6 regularly.
So that's Dan.
Wait, slow down.
Okay, remind me, what's Bolt's record right now?
9.58 is Bolt's record.
And Dan, your coach, said he could run that or even faster.
Yes.
He said that would be a regular thing just because of the power,
the torque that you had, and the power that you had.
Combined with the technology now.
But again, that's not my words.
That's Dan Paff's words.
Good, because you don't want to sound like you don't know what you would run, right?
Unfortunately.
I absolutely do not. I mean, if I ran today, it'll be three minutes to cover the 100 meters.
With AI and everything, maybe they can actually simulate this.
Maybe somebody has some kind of an AI input or something.
I don't know about all that.
Oh, man.
Okay.
We're halfway through the jams.
I'm loving this.
I just want you to know, Donovan, I have in my freezer a delicious lasagna from Palma Pasta.
Last time you were on, you got a lasagna, right?
Yeah, you gave me one, yes.
Did you eat it? Yes, it was devoured, man.
I think we had, the boys
had a, we had a,
we were watching the fight, I think,
and we got it, it was polished
off quickly, yeah. It's gone now. Okay, you got another
one coming your way, buddy. So you get another
Palma Pasta lasagna, and you got some fresh beer from
Great Lakes Brewery. Delicious
craft beer and more gifts to come. But let's
get to your next jam.
Music.
There you go. Press the wrong
button. We're going again.
I was spinning down the doors. No way you'll never make it Come with the weak shit, I break it Step into my zone, mad rhymes will stifle ya
Lines like rifles go blast when I kick some ass
A lot of rappers be like one-time wonders
Couldn't say a fly rhyme if there was one right under
Their noses, I hate those motherfuckin' poses
But I'm so real to them it's scary
And with my unique skills, nah, you can't compare me
And no, we don't make whack tracks
And all the suckers get pushed
back when i'm kicking real facts i represent set up shit like a tech boy you're paranoid
because you're a son like elroy and you'd be happy as hell to get a record deal maybe your
soul you'd sell to have massive Gangstar.
Mass Appeal.
Talk to me, Donovan.
What's there to talk about, dude?
I mean, this is, you know,
this is probably one of the baddest jams ever, man.
This is, Mike, I mean, I see you.
You're like, you're getting some rhythm up in here.
Oh, dude, this is, no, Guru, this is real music for me.
This is real music in my car. This is real music in my car.
This is real music in my headphones.
But more importantly, I mean, if I went to a jam and this come on, I'd be like, all right.
I mean, I don't even understand if you, you know, I went to a fundraiser this weekend that just passed.
My old friend Jonathan Shaw was playing.
And I'm telling you, dude, you know, when this comes on, man, if you're not bouncing, then you shouldn't be you're not bouncing then you shouldn't be there
man
you just shouldn't be there
you know what I mean
I totally know what you mean
I listened to this
in the 90s particularly
but still
like if I want to go
throw something on
just to
just to hear some
great music
I'll often put on
I'll put on
some Gangstar
I'll stick on
what I really like
is some Public Enemy
like
I live on
it takes a nation of millions to hold us back.
And then even Fear of a Black Planet,
like I could just play them over and over again.
But I love my hip hop, man.
And I love hearing you talk about it.
It's awesome.
You know what?
And it's also a time, I mean,
it's also a time when, you know,
it was, I mean,
there was obviously the story of people
growing up in their neighborhoods
and aspiring to get the hell out of their neighborhoods
But there was also
A phenomenal amount of positive lessons
You know
And positive things being said
And motivational things for people to get out
Of whatever situations they were in
And aspire to
Bigger greater things
And we're seeing this generation now
We started this deal with 50 Cent,
but think about where Jay-Z's at in his life,
you know what I mean?
Where people, where all of these hip-hop,
when you're talking about Method Man,
you're talking about all of these guys
who started out just rhyming,
and then all of a sudden now it's like
they turned their lives into business,
into global brands.
So that's kind of how I grew up.
That's kind of how it is for me.
And soon you'll be a part owner of the Ottawa Senators.
Yes, I hope so.
Way to make that happen.
I love that.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Keep your fingers crossed.
So I have a question.
This is what, earlier I started this story,
and then I forgot why I brought up Jason Porwano,
but we talk about, you know,
if Donovan Bailey ends up as a part owner of the Ottawa Senators,
like, will there be, like, tickets for us to see it?
Like, the Senators come to Toronto,
can we go to the Scotiabank Arena and sit in, like, a box,
an owner box or something for Jason and I?
What say you while I record you live?
Well, how the hell am I going to sit in an owner box in Toronto
when the senators come to town?
Okay, a box for like visiting owners.
I can do that now.
I can do that.
I know, but I can't do it now.
We're just looking out for me here.
I can take you and Jason along.
I can definitely take you and Jason for a hockey game in Toronto.
And we will get a box and we'll sit in it and we'll have drinks and watch the game.
However, if this comes to fruition, we will certainly be in Ottawa and I'll bring the crew with me and we'll sit in the owner's box.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, I recorded that.
That's binding now.
Beautiful.
Let's get to another jam.
Music!
What?
I actually had trouble finding a really good recording of this song.
Big Black Lincoln?
Yeah.
Nah, man.
This is music, man.
By the way, a big bass line for me, bro.
That's what it's all about.
You need the bass. I'm glad you're kicking this out because this is closer to home here, right?
We got some Toronto hip-hop here.
But talk to me about Big Black Lincoln.
Listen to it, dude.
I mean, again, when I talk about going up,
I'm just talking about something
that puts me in that place.
Yeah.
Puts me in that place
where everything's possible.
You know,
I'm originally a big East Coast guy,
so I'm like a big bass boom bop guy.
And for the hip hop head,
they know what that is.
And this is newish
this is one of the newish only 20 years old yes yes but i mean this is but this is excellent man
this is this is real led by uh socrates by the way for those well of course yeah but i'm saying
and this is and these are the guys these are the guys that grew up with me and these are the guys
that mean while i was well while i was killing things around the world in sports, with Sox, with Maestro, with all of these guys, man. I mean, Shaw Clare, this
is the crew, man. This is what it is.
Love it. Love it so much. Are you writing a book?
I is writing a book. Yes, yes.
You need help with that grammar? Everything will be grammatically correct.
I do have a book coming out in November of this year, Penguin Random House.
We will be doing a book tour.
We'll be doing all kinds of book marketing.
And yes, for Mike, all your fans out there, it's got to be a bestseller.
So come on and order and do whatever you got to be a bestseller. So come on and order
and do whatever you got to do.
But stay tuned.
Listen to the news
and my social platforms.
We will make announcements
or check with Penguin Random House.
But Mike, I'll definitely keep you...
Keep you in the loop.
Keep you in the loop
and I'll let you know
the specific dates. Okay Keep you in the loop, and I'll let you know the specific dates.
Okay, so in this book, will you have a reference to Donovan Bailey running things, your podcast?
Yeah, of course.
All right.
Of course.
It's what I'm doing now, for sure.
Will you reference the fact that not only will you at some point get your pin for the Order of Canada,
but you are also an FOTM.
That means Friend of Toronto Mike.
Is there a chapter about that?
We'll get one in there, Mike.
I don't know if they're going to
keep it in, but I'm not in charge of that.
Okay, in all seriousness, when you do go to
Ottawa and get the, not just get the
sends, but when you get the pin, like they're
going to have that ceremony for Order of Canada, will you
wear that pin for appearances
and stuff? Will that be wearing your Order of Canada pin, I'm wondering?
Oh, for sure.
I mean, I think the Order of Canada, obviously,
a distinction given to people, Canadians,
that have done incredible things in their life,
and I'm thankful and humbled to have received it.
And, yeah, I think that I will certainly wear that on occasions where I feel it's deemed necessary
because this is obviously something that needs and deserves to be protected.
So I'm not going to be wearing it to the gym.
I'm not going to be wearing it.
The swimming pool?
I'm not wearing it to the swim.
Well, it doesn't come in flesh colors or it can't be pinned on your chest.
It doesn't come in flesh colors Or it can't be pinned on your chest
But yeah I will certainly wear it
When the occasion calls for it
Let's get to more music
What?
What?
What?
Yeah.
Mic check. I never claimed to be the best type of rapper. But you have to show the motherfuckers what I'm after.
I'm after the gold and after that the platinum.
Reef after that Hurricane G packs the Gats, son.
Chigga bang bang.
Yo, bust the slang with my name.
It's the red man on the funk thing.
Psych your motherfucking rights tonight.
To do what I want to do.
To do it like dynamite.
The one perfected when the funk been ejected.
I'm roughing up the rough drive to like make it head split. Cut past the 40 and the plenty. Outro Music Redman, this is Tonight's Tonight.
Yes.
What's there to explain, bro? This is, again, this puts me in that place, man.
I mean, one of the good things about being in sports is that
you've got to feel invincible when you're stepping on your field of play.
And this is another one of these songs, bro.
Another one of these.
All of this music for me.
I mean, maybe I'd have Riders in the Storm on the way to the track.
But when I get to the track, all the songs that I sent you here are things that I'll be like,
yeah, I'm about to snatch somebody today.
I'm going to get somebody today.
Who is coming to test me today?
Sort of thing.
So this is excellent for me.
I love it.
Like the role of music in your life and how it's like essentially the soundtrack to the life and times of Donovan Bailey.
And then when you hear a song like this, it's like a time machine, right?
Like it brings you right back to that time in your life.
At any time whatsoever.
I mean, you know, I listen to what the hell is it?
I mean, you know, I listen to, what the hell is it?
Check.
I listen to, I'm trying to remember the program that,
why am I having a brain fart right now?
Because the jam's in your head.
Yes, exactly.
That's exactly right.
Chub Rock, Digging in the Crates.
Right.
And I'm saying to you that, I'm an old school head.
I'm an old school guy.
So, old hip hop head.
So when I hear any one of these things,
man,
and you can get in
and you can mix and scratch,
dude,
I mean,
I'm loving it.
I'm in my own heaven.
Do you still listen to vinyl?
I do.
I have about 3,000 vinyl.
Wow.
And I still have,
and I still have
two turntables.
Wow.
Yes, yes, yes.
You know, so at the end of the day,
I can listen to some incredible vinyls still today.
All right, I don't have a phonograph player.
I don't have a record player for you, my friend.
But I have a modern Bluetooth speaker,
courtesy of Moneris.
Okay.
Good partners of the program.
That'll sound great when you kick out your jams on that.
Oh, very good.
So in addition to your great jams, you're going to listen to season four of Yes, We Are Open,
which is an award-winning podcast from Mineris hosted by Al Grego.
And, you know, you talk about your business pedigree and you're a businessman.
Yeah, you were the fastest man in the world, but much like these other great artists,
you're leveraging that as a,
as a,
as a prominent businessman,
you will be inspired Donovan by listening to these stories that Al's been
traveling the country,
talking to small business owners and entrepreneurs,
and he's been gathering their stories.
So you will be inspired by these stories on.
Yes,
we are open.
And since you're listening to that, i don't know if you listen in
the dark but i have a flashlight for you courtesy of ridley funeral home it's christmas time and
christmas time you didn't know that well it is it's it's christmas christmas in toronto mike
i'm getting all kinds of gifts shout out to ridley funeral home and last but not least
recycle my electronics is where you go, Donovan,
if you need to throw out
some old electronics,
some old tech,
some old devices.
Recycle My Electronics.
Blaze.com. What? I ride 20 inch rims when I lean yo Ay yo them tins I know I keep them clean though
Come through storm the block like El Nino
Scoop up an Arabic chick before she close
She goes
Those my people
Yeah them broads from Puerto Rico
Them key folks
Yeah watch how the E-Load 60 Pro
Black rag, black interior
Shift on the float
Burn out
I do it for them kids
To hop on the turnstile
The E going wild
Yo like them white chicks on the DVD.
Yeah, I'm worldwide MTV and BET.
It's Eric Sermon, but it's got some Redman in there.
That's the second jam in a row.
But another good one, buddy.
Well, listen, Eric Method.
You know, man, dude, this is like, here's the thing.
How can you, so all of my hip hop is all about energy and movement.
But also, obviously, you've got, you know, you've got motivation, things that are said.
And, you know, you can basically, you can live your life gathering from the words that you hear from coming out of the mouths of these guys.
You can live your life gathering from the words that you hear from coming out of the mouths of these guys.
Everything that's, every single thing that's in my playlist is something that, again, if you're out there, you can't be my friend.
If any one of these, any tunes, any of these things, come on, man. And you're not bouncing.
I'm bouncing.
Well, I know you are, Mike.
It's okay.
Yes, you are.
You still play basketball, right?
I do.
I played last night.
So you have a weekly game that you participate in?
I play in Oakville with a group of guys every Monday.
And yeah, for sure, dude, this is what we do.
This is why I try to keep the fat Donovan away.
I try to do that to reduce that small tire that might be growing around my way.
But the, yeah, so when you're playing basketball, you guys talk, you watch basketball too.
I'm curious for predictions from you. Okay, so lastami squished the uh celtics squished what term would i use uh they buried them man they buried
them yeah they got they got hammered at home uh boston that's a team you were rooting for boston
right well i wasn't i know i wasn't rooting for boston but i'm just saying the logical
so i picked boston to come out of the East about three months ago,
four months ago.
Sure, sure.
I thought that they were the best team coming out.
Obviously, no one saw Miami coming.
But, man, Jimmy Buckets and his crew has been phenomenal.
They deserve it.
Kyle Lowry.
Well, we know that Kyle's an NBA champion with the Raptors.
So, listen, it's been amazing to watch.
I didn't expect Miami to come out of the East.
I didn't expect them to be in the finals.
But, man, good on them.
You know, Miami is going to make it.
Miami has made it now to the NBA championships.
I definitely do not think that they have a chance against Denver.
But I guess we'll all watch.
When you look in your crystal watch. Do you see,
when you look in your crystal ball, do you see a sweep
on the horizon? Maybe the Nuggets
sweep the Heat? I can't see
Miami winning one game.
So I do see a sweep. I'm B-L-A-C-K from the C-B-T
Where they dip them cigarettes in P-C-D
And them bras, they believe in me
C-I-B, the magnum totem
Keep my enemies on I-V once I'm toasted
Just like my bagels
Have them like Christians over their heads
Smoking halos
Call me Plato, I philosophize
By the brick and divided up amongst my guys
Then I call Lionel to press up the vinyl
So I can charge the game like a wild rhino
I know no one else could do it better
Is you stupid nigga? Get your shit together I like mine all black and like him and them Not the rugged ones, the ones that's feelin'
In the red, my dojo, you lose your mojo My karate chops in slow-mo
Fuck around and knock the hair up off your chest
My shots turn your brains to a fucked up mess Unless I put the potato on the end of the
barrel And watch your soul fly with the sparrow
Call me feral gorilla
Apparel's his mink
And sometimes I wear chinchillas
Yes, I'm the gorilla
Whether I pop Cristal or drink Millers
Turn wine coolers back to wine chillers
Yes, I'm the illest
No one is like me
No, that's unlikely
Gorilla Black, Compton, Beanie Man What? I'm the illest. No one is like me. No, that's unlike me.
Gorilla Black.
Compton.
The Beanie Man.
What?
Dude, that's the... Again, when he...
Again, you know,
that's original bad boy tune,
is what I would say.
Because this is like...
Mike, think about this.
This is like
the ultimate combination
of hip-hop and dancehall.
Yeah. You know, like, I mean, like the bad ultimate combination of hip-hop and dancehall. Yeah.
You know, like, I mean, like the baddest, I mean, the best music ever.
You know what I mean?
Baddest meaning the best.
I mean, and two artists, man, that got it right.
So this, again, another one of them things that, you know,
it's summertime now, so you can, you know,
if you got the speakers and you're heading, I mean,
I don't do this myself because I'm an old dude.
Yeah.
But I'm just saying for those kids out there who are, you know, heading, heading onto the campgrounds or, and you've got some big bass bins, you can let this one, you can, well, actually all of the tunes.
I'm a big bass guy.
So yeah, this is excellent.
You know, one thing about Gorilla Black's voice.
Sounds like Biggie.
Big time.
Absolutely.
I think a lot of people think that's a Biggie jam.
No, but it's not.
It sounds a lot, but maybe that's why it's so good here.
He's also good.
And good sample, too.
This is a great song.
I'm glad you chose this.
This guy's the best of all of it.
You know, yeah, good hip-hop, good dance song.
Can't be all old school stuff.
And this is newish.
Yeah, you know, 19 years.
Close enough, close enough.
And you'll be back to kick out more jams
because there's a lot of great stuff.
I mean, I only played 10, but like I said,
I got 28 in the hopper here.
So you, Mr. Champ, will be back to kick out more jams on Toronto Mic'd.
That's an order.
Well, no, dude,
I sent you,
I mean,
I was sitting at my desk at home and,
and I,
and I wrote out 28 songs.
We just played 10.
All right.
We just played 10.
And so,
yeah,
we'll,
I need to obviously add two more,
which is I can add 50 more,
but we will do that and we'll kick it out twice more.
And then I'll be complete for the year.
And I can't wait to read your book.
Sincerely, I cannot wait to get my mitts on that book when it's available
and read about the life and times of Donovan Bailey.
And what's the name of the book?
Undisputed.
Undisputed.
Love it.
No controversy in 96.
None. We had enough of No controversy in 96. None.
We had enough of that
in this country.
Never.
People can hear
Donovan Bailey
every week
on Running Things.
The proper title is
Donovan Bailey
Running Things.
FOTM Jason Portuando
is his excellent co-host.
It's basically sports,
a great focus on track.
I learn so much about track
by listening to you guys play the clips
and talk about the track and field game.
But there's more than that going on.
It's a great podcast.
So pause this,
go subscribe to Donovan Bailey Running Things.
Thank you, Donovan,
for your second appearance
and for kicking out the jams with me today.
Not a problem, man.
Thanks for having me.
And well, I guess I look forward to the second time I come in to kick off the jams with me today not a problem man thanks for having me and uh well i guess i look
forward to the second time i come in to kick off the jams soon peace out and that brings us to the
end of our 1260 second show you can follow me on twitter i'm at toronto mike donovan is at donovan
bailey our friends at great lakes brewery are at great lakes beer pal Donovan is at Donovan Bailey. Our friends at Great Lakes Brewery are at Great Lakes Beer.
Palma Pasta is at Palma Pasta. Don't leave without your lasagna.
Mineris is at Mineris.
Recycle My Electronics are at EPRA underscore Canada.
And Ridley Funeral Home are at Ridley FH.
See you Thursday when Mark Weisblot from 1236
makes his first appearance of 2023.
That should be fun.
See you then.
I'm a much better man for having known you
Oh, you know that's true
Because everything is coming up
Rosy and gray.
Yeah, the wind is cold, but the smell of snow won't stay today.
And your smile is fine, and it's just like mine, and it won't go away
because everything is rosy and gray.