Ice Cube | Ep 94 | ALL THE SMOKE Full Episode | SHOWTIME Basketball

time for our country, are the world? What is what's something you took from? You know, same ship, different toilets. It's ugly, you know when you know all the deck is stacked against you and and you make it known and you pointed out and you make your case and nothing changes because you know, same people that that got you in this position is the same people that you need to make the changes. So it's uh, you know

what I'm saying. Like I said, same ship, different toilets, And I know it's extensive, but kind of give us the cliff notes with your contract with Black America and what what what's that really about? Well, it's just about you know, after um, you know, a lot of the protests, a lot of people were screaming, really, what needs to be done. There's a lot that need to be done.

And I was, you know, just I couldn't find the document that really said, hey, these are all the problems right now, and here's some suggestions to move us forward. So I said, well, let's you know, yeah, I've tried to find the smartest people I know, and UH said, let's create this document where the average Joe, anybody can look at this and see the wide range of problems that need to be solved and get in when you fit in. You know, if you feel like you can

do something on uh, police brutality, jump in there. You feel like you could do some of voting rights, jump in there, uh banking, venture capitalists, Um, you could just jump in where you fit in, because these are the wide range of problems. So that was really what the Contract with Black America was about. It's just a foundation.

It's just forever growing document that you know today, if you came with a better idea for section four, we would we were plug it in and fill it in because we want the experts to step up and help us perfect this document. So you know, I just wanted something that anybody can look at, college kid, grown folks, anybody and say, oh, this is why we're in this position. It's not just us. It's not just the same own narrative that you know, black people can't handle our own affairs,

you know what I mean, that's just not true. It's uh, it's systematic. And you know, you would have to be blind not to know that since you came on the scene, something you've always been about is pro your people. That's

what you've stood for from day one. So when the stuff around the election happened with the Trump team the Biden team and you took a lot of heat, it bothered me because, like I said, I've been a Fannie for since I was young, and the one thing that stands out to me the most is you've always been for the people. So when that kind of ship hit the airwave and the way social media plays with it and and does what they do, how did that make you feeling? And what actually happened? I mean, it's it's

kind of scary when your history don't matter. You know. It's like, no matter how long you've been a stand up dude, you know, the minute somebody see something you don't like, or you say something somebody don't like, you know, they throw your away. But I wasn't really worried about that. You know, I knew that once I studied the problem

that black people are upon in this game. You know, we're political football, and people use our emotions and our uh passion are our fight for justice to get other issues and things solved and and not necessarily our issues and our things, but it's always piggybacked or our movements are hijacked in ways. So knowing that, I know that neither party is the answer totally. It's a problem that both parties ate it, and it's a problem that both parties gotta solved. You won't. You know, it's not fair

to put it on one side or the other. You know, it's not fair to us. You know, this is a an American problem across the board, so it needs to be dealt with like that, UM is bipartisan issue. Uh So I wasn't gonna let that stop me. You know how people feel, you know, I know black people all lean Democrat or mostly, So I wasn't gonna let that stop me from trying to shake this um. You know, like I said, this stalemate of of our progress, you know with you know, well, some people promise us the

world or don't promise us enough and don't deliver. And then some people, you know, on the Republican side, I feel like they off the hook that they don't. You know, that's the Democrat problem to deal with that, and it's just not true. No matter who's the president, we're still

in the same position. So it's it's a thing where you know, what I would want us to do as a people is to become independent, not to vote independent, but to hold our vote and say, okay, Democratic X do some for it, you get it, or Republican acts do some for it. You get it. But you know, this whole you know, the way we've been going is just not been working. I kind of compared it to to the Jay Z situation when everyone jumped on him

for working with the with the NFL. But to me, if you have a seat at the table, you have an actual opportunity to affect the outcome, and no matter what situation where like you said, your track record speaks for ourselves. So whether whatever situation it is, you're for us and you have a voice in the seat at the table. So, like I said to me, that bothered me. I commend you for a kind of standing because sometimes standing for us right or or standing on a strong

opinion isn't the popular and it ain't easy. But you've in dealing with the kind of negativity and hatred your whole life, so you're pro at it. But that we just want to say we definitely respect you your pace because when you and I talked about your playing with Black America, we didn't end up bleinking because we both got super busy, but definitely proud of it and want to continue push forward with the mission. Yeah, I mean

it's something you can use to this day. You mean, anybody can go take a look at it and figure out, you know, from their vantage point or from there you know, um angle how they can you know, try to solve this problem. You know, nobody has the answers because it's a it's a complex problem that that sometimes you know, creates its own weather. You know, it's like it's a

it's a it's a bad situation. Pivoting UM lifelong Laker fan, UH big big showtime Laker fan, UM champion, Yeah man, thank you, you know you made the year worth living for real. You know, it's like, you know, until that happened, I was like, man, it's got to be the worst ever. So, um, you know, the Lakers the Dodgers was you know my and I didn't want nobody to play. You know, I know people if they watched me on on social media. I was like, man, we don't need to play nothing,

you know what I'm saying. We just need to focus on the mission at hand. Um. But at the end of the day, you know, I'm glad they played and give people a little bit of relief, man, because you know what, what what we've been doing is giving a lot of energy to negativity, and the negativity has sucked our energy. And we've been giving too much energy to the negativity. And we gotta give way more energy to positive things. And so you know, that's the reality of it.

Because whatever effect you gotta, um of reaction, you know what I'm saying, it's it's like you you you gotta make sure that you know one thing is gonna cause another, you know what I'm saying. So whatever you got that reaction, I actually got a reaction. I get that ship right, you know. I went to uh the l a Unified school district. So if I'm sucking this up, but but yeah, you know, so giving all that energy to the negativity to the beasts is making the be strong. Talk to

us about just when? When when did your journey with the Lakers start? Obviously, you know, I'm from California, so I grew up even though it's in northern California. Up a showtime Magic Johnson Laker fan. What do you mean when did it start? It started from the womb, started from conception. It was in you. Yeah, man, I mean now it was a purple sperm that hit the egg, and it's like, when did it start? I don't understand that question. I don't remember when I wasn't a Laker fan,

you know. But you know, seriously, like when I was ten years old, my brother sat me down. He was like, yo, I want you to watch this, dude. I was just getting into basketball because it was just letting me play. You know. My backyard was some of the most ferocious basketball game. It's like prison ball, you know. So they were starting to let me play. I was getting strong enough and good enough, and he said, I want you

to watch this, dude, And we watched. It was my first time watching Magic Johnson play Larry Bird in that championship game, and you know, I wanted Magic to win, you know what I mean. He was the cooler dude. So you know a few months later he come give me from out side, he said, guess who's a Laker. No way in the world. I was thinking he was gonna say Magic Johnson. So when he said Magic Johnson, something just erupted in me, you know what I mean. It was just like I was glued and locked in,

and then that team going to win the championship. I was done. I don't know how you could give me back from that. What are some of those early We actually had Jenie Busts on the show the other day. What are something some of the things you remember from that that showtime era and what it meant to the city. Before Magic Johnson, it seemed like basketball was like a job.

It's like everybody was mad, it seemed like, and it seemed like this dude brought in like the fun, the way we played, the you know, the the point and the smiling and like, you know, just the energy felt like it felt like our street you know, I grew up on a street car van Wick. We had a lot of boys on our street. It was very athletic street, so we had fun playing. So to see the Lakers now having fun playing running at uh showtime fast breaks style, it just was electric. Man. You know, it just was

I was glued to that team. To me, it was like and I didn't lived too far from the forum, you know, and so just being able to drive past that form sometime. You know, I used to drive past that the basketball practice and just knowing that that my favorite team played right there, you know, it was just, Uh, I felt lucky to be you know, in l a and a Laker fan at that time, you're part of it. Fast forward into the kind of Kobe and Shock era. Uh you know, the next great run that the Lakers

team had. UM thoughts on that team and you know, they were able to capture five championships. They probably obviously could have captured more if they stayed together. But just how amazing was it seeing day in day out Shock and Kobe play for your team. I mean seeing them at that form, like the form is so intimate. Um, you know you could hear my voice yelling at the refs, you know what I'm saying. So, uh, it was just magical. To get shocked, it was like, oh damn. I just

couldn't believe the Lakers pulled that off. You know, I've seen the Lakers pull off stuff, you know, like you know Macadoo and you know these players that should be like, damn, we got him to make us better. But to get shock was like, I guess it's how it felt when they got Kareem. You know, I wasn't really hit when they got Kareem, but it was. It was remarkable. And so I'm there to see Shock and my wife say, did you hear about the young kid we got? And

I'm like nah, And he looks. She's like, we got a young kid eighteen. I'm like eighteen. I'm like, is he seven foot? Talk? Because if he ain't seven foot, and he ain't gonna make it because back then it was like you had to be a big to come out of high school. And he came in the game and uh, he got loosen and dumped. And I just told my wife, I said, you know, we ain't never had nothing like that, just like we never had nothing like that. So I was just on Kovie, you know,

even though we had Shock. I'm I'm just locked in on Kobe and just seeing his progression as a pro and I'm yelling, Dale Harris put him in, put it in, Kobe, put in. Come yelling, you know what I'm saying, because they just keep this kid on the bench. Oh game. I'm like, damn, man, come on, neck a gun a gun, get him in there. Uh Ship, what's your most memorable live performance about Kobe? It got to be to comeback? Um?

When the seventh game's um. You know, I was in the suite with the homey K Mac and we we like, how did we how did this happen to us? We are there reading the eulogy, like how we're in the fourth quarter, in the fourth quarter, we're losing by fifteen seventeen, and we're just looking at each other saying, how did this happen? Man? And I'm like, I'm just gonna watch the rest of the game. I'm like watching, and you know that comeback you start to flow, that momentum switching,

and I started doing the calculations in my head. I'm like, yo, we get this down to this before the five minute mark, you know what I'm saying. And they just come and come and coming, and you know, seeing him do that dunk um to cross over live and seeing that that you know, explosion. It was crazy. Now I missed the eighty one game I was out of I was in Cabo with my wife, was in Mexico. We watched it on TV. But I'm damn the day we don't go

go for eighty one. And then I missed his farewell game because I'm filming Barbershop three years something in Atlanta, and and I can't come to that last farewell game. So I missed the sixty point game. But I didn't miss nothing else. I didn't miss nothing else. That's big. So you co narrated the thirty for thirty Laker Celtics thing. The Lakers obviously hung their seventeenth banner. Uh talk to us about the experience of being able to do that

for a team you grew up idolizing. Now you're narrating a story for him. Man, this whole life is surreal. You know, it's um. We started. We was you know, our favorite groups was in you know, Run DMC and

and all the East Coast groups. We thought those was the pros and we was trying to be that and so to be able to create our own niche and music and become our own you know, celebrities, and then get a chance to share stages with run DMC and get get a chance to get invited to All Star Games and meet your favorite uh you know, athletes, entertainers, and then for somebody to come and tell you, look, we want you to narrate. You know, this precious rivalry

that you lived through. I mean in eighty four when the Lakers lost to the Celtics, I was this close to killing somebody. I was like, I was this close to killing somebody because I had never experienced this whole Celtics Laker rivalry. You know. My thing was like I hate them seventy sixers because they beat us. And you know they beat us in eighty two, they beat us in eighty three. Where about the Celtics. We got magic, we got we got Kareem, we got worthy, you know,

and so do we ha worthy? We had worthy, I don't think. But anyway, my brother when we when he was like, yo, We're playing the Celtics, he just got sad. He was like, oh damn, I'm like what we could beat him? I lived through this, I lived through the sixties. We couldn't beat these dudes and and we lost, and I just you know, I was crushed. So you know, long story short, we finally beat him in eighty five

and then beat him again in the eighty seven. You know, they got us when we were shorthanded, but we beat him again. But you know, so I had real feelings, real passion for that as a kid crying over these games. And to be able to uh put that on wax, so to speak, it was just, you know, it was just one of those dreams come true moments. Talk to us about your upbringing, how you find your path into music. I can grow up like everybody else. You know, nothing, um,

nothing special, you know what I'm saying, But nothing crazy. Um. You know, we had a you know, a neighborhood that you know, anything could jump off, you know what I'm saying. You just had to be ready for for everything. You know, most of the time it was cool, though, but sometimes you had to you know, it could get you know, violent, it could get uh crazy, or you know, or it would be cool. You know, so you just had to be ready for that, and you know, find your pack

and order. You know, it was a pecking order in the hood. You had to knuckle up and figure out where you where you fit at. And once you found out where you fit at, it was cool. You know, you knew, Okay, this dude is in my range, this dude is out of my range. I gotta get with this one. I might need to go grand my brother and we might need to mop him together, you know what I'm saying. So it was you know, it was that kind of neighborhood. You just had to be tougher enough,

you know what I'm saying. So uh, and music came because you know, I wanted to be creative, if you know what I mean. I wanted to be productive and not destructive. I wanted to either play sports or do something else, you know what I'm saying. Um, banging it didn't really turn me on like something I had to do. You know. I just was like, I'm gonna just be down for me. Anybody sweat me about where I'm from and then you know, I'll go get the homies about that,

but I'm gonna just be down for me. And so um That's how I approached it, and it's got it it Uh. It led me where I was looking for different avenues and then you know, sir James moved down the street from me, and his cousin is Dr Dre, and so he's the only one on our street with turntables. This is Jinks turn tables with you know, he's bringing cardboard outside. He's spinning on his head and ship and we're like, we know, I just really looking like, what's

up with this dude? You know, we didn't know about breaking and all that ship. But he was graffiti. He just was a B boy. You know. He was the you know, the hip hop guru on the streets. So I started to go down there hang with him because I used to go out with his sister. So I just go hang with him this UM thirteen fourteen fifteen and UM, and people with Trip they'd be like, man, why are you coming out to have that weirdo? Man? I'm like, man, some dope ship in that room. Man.

I started rhyming, and and me and him, you know, we just started working. He would put on beats. He would help me lyme on beat because I didn't have no beats. I was just a cappella you know what I'm saying, So help me. Then then Dre came through one day and herd me rhyme and Drake, and I took me under his wing um because him and James, I mean James were always want to compete with him. I'm better DJ nig, I'm better, I do be better beats, I do better. Everything would be like, come on, man,

you know, don't stop me out with that. But I would be you know, more helpful, you know what I'm saying. I was like, what y're working on as the wrecking crew? You know what I'm saying. Like we write something, you you know what I'm saying. I was like trying trying to get in and I wrote something for him and it was a hit. We wrote it together, me and Drake. It was a hit, and they they had a they had slow jam hits like turn Off the Lights and ship, but this is actually a hit that was moving that

they was playing all day on the radio. So he trusted me. He started doing mix tapes. He would do traffic jams for the radio station. You start doing mixtapes for the hood, and he'd be like, I want you to wrap on it, but don't worry about what you say. Just rap about the ship. That's you know, the wraps that you wrap about the ship. That's going on around here? Do them wraps? So I'm like, all right, you know they got cussing in them. It's like you don't matter,

don't matter. Before we was thinking, if you cuss Donna get on the radio, you know what I'm saying you. It was like, you don't do that unless you wanted to be Blowfly or Dolomite us some ship, you know what I'm saying. So he was like, this ain't We weren't trying to sell these on the radio, so you can cuss on them if you want to. So I just started rapping about what was going on in the neighborhood and ship I was saying. And then those tapes

were selling. It was selling fast. And then Easy came up on one of those tapes, track Down the Dude who got him? Main it was like, who's who doing this? It's Dre And you're like Dr Dre. I know Dre. So you start coming around us and um, you wanted to be in a music business. I wanted to get out your dog gag and Dre it was like, uh, you have Q right something one of your groups. Because he was finding groups. He's finding these like rappers all over the city, you know, and like to find a rapper.

Back then, that ship was like hard. It wasn't easy. Everybody wasn't rapping, and if they was, they wasn't good enough to put on a record. So, um, I wrote a rhyme for him and they didn't like it, and then Trey got Easy to do it, and you know it's all in the movie, wasn't hood. Yeah, that's how I got in. When did you kind of realize that this n w A thing you'all was thinking about was becoming reality When we went to the studio and started recording,

you knew you had something immediately. Yeah, because we already had hit hits with Easy. He had hit singles with the Easy. So when Easy said like I want to I want to all star group c n w A. It's considered an all star group because we all came from I was in a group called c I A which was Criminals in Action, but Minso made us change it to Crew in Action. Huh how were you whenever? I was about seven teen eighteen, and uh he submitted

to an all star group. You know, he got Easy, pulled Dre from Record Crew Pull Youth from c I A. And then we started working. And as we're working more people start kind of coming around. The Arabian Prince started to hang. It was like, well Raby and Prince was working really a lot with Uncle James Army, so he was like you part of all stars to you know what I'm saying that. Then uh yeller, the record crew

had broke up. Dre wasn't really men some with lines on them one so Yellow came over with us and and it was us. As soon as we did a record, I went off to school. We went to uh schooling and Phoenix called p I T. Phoenix Institute of Technology, and I go off to school. And then they had shows because we had a hit record. But I couldn't make it to all of them. So brands start coming a ruck to cut you out. But what made you leave your passion and go to school? Did you think

it wasn't gonna paying out ship? It was just a passion, you know. We was like making tapes with all that cussing on them was one thing, but making a record with all that cussing on them, it was like, man, nobody gonna I ain't gonna play this ship's We're not about the big stars from this well, be neighborhood stars. We have a couple of people knowing our records through the neighborhood probably, But this ship is too hard. Who's

gonna play this, you know what I'm saying. So we just back then, you just figured it was too hard for anybody to play but people in the neighborhood. So but we was fine with that. We was like, if we if we just stars and Compton, Watts, South Central, Inglewood, blah blah blah, sh we we got a better life

than we had before we were stars in Compton. And you know, so I was like, man, I need to have something to fall back on because I ain't about to be a professional rapper, not rapping this ship right here. So I went off to school and uh it started blowing up while I was in school. I got right, well, I got a certificate. It was only four years of trade school. Yeah, it ain't a university. So yeah, I got it. I stayed. I wasn't gonna I wasn't gonna leave,

even dark wanted to every damn day. I was like, man, I started this ship, I'm gonna finish it. It's only a year. And uh, but man, they would call me from the road, nigga, are you crazy? What are you doing? Man? I'm doing homework by bad hang up cold be sitting there saying, damn. I was so frustrated. One day I tore up fund the police. I tore it up, through it in the trash because I figured we wasn't gonna do it in my homie Phoenix Field. Shout out to

Phoenix Field. He was like, no, I didn't tear it ab I bought it up. He pulled it out and he flattened it back out and put it in my notebook. I was like, no, that's too good. Yeah, how instrumental was easy in all of this? Very instrumental, you know what I'm saying. He was, you know, putting up all the money for the project, and he was saying, what kind of records we need to make? Um, Liza wouldn't

let us make those kind of records. You know. He was like, man, this thing was like nobody want to hear about the nigger going to jail, you know what I'm saying. That was his biggest thing. And I'm like, you know, is he right? I don't know who knows. I'm I'm young, I'm seventeen years old. And Easy was like, man, these the kind of records I like, So I'm gonna put my money behind him, and he's the kind of records I'm gonna do. And that's just it. So once he kind of let us do our thing, like we

was harnessed a little bit. Why wasn't in the reckord Crew? But I did a record full line Zone and the Wrecking Crew, And Lionzo was a good dude, you know what I mean. He he could have kicked us, you know, we was getting on his nerves and ship. He could have kicked us out and then leave my artists along, like y'all kids, get away from here. But he was cool and m and the Easy came around and just kind of let us do what we the hardcore hip

hop that we really wanted to do. So so he was a genius and uh, you know, he was just a genius at knowing what people wanted. Take us through the creation and straight out of conflict. You know, it was a fun record to make. Um. You know, you had trades undivided attention, you know, to have him um

very hype and motivated. Is you know, one of the best places the artists can find itself in is in the in the room with Dre and he's hyped and motivated about, you know, making this song what it's supposed to be. It's gonna be worked. It ain't gonna be just going in wrap the lyrics that come out. He's

gonna get every phrase and every line perfect. And so I knew, like, you know, if I just went to the went to the studio with some ideas that you know, he may pick a few of them implement him into the song on and to see that process too, uh, is incredible. So you know, I think it was a lot of friendly competition because we was all trying to out rhyme each other. DLC doesn't get a lot of

credit for writing a lot of those those verses. DLC the doc he wrote a lot of that of easies verses on not only his album, but but on on n W A two. So um, we were just all trying to I'll do each other, I'll rhyme each other, you know, And because Dred tell you straight up like if you ain't dope, you're not going on the record.

And if you listen to the record, it's some records that some people on some records and some people like and he didn't come with it that day, so you know he gave a chance to go back and try to make it right. He would take your ass off of that record. And that's the worst feeling in the world. Yeah, I mean, what's it like working with with Dre? I mean, you said you said he kind of took you under his arm and kind of taught you as part of the game. But what is it like? What? What kind

of mad scientists he is? He back there? Because I've seen someone like Kobe working and with his brain and how crazy he is with perfection and being great is a similar with Dre. Yeah, you know, at some points it's frustrating because you like, this ship is bananas and it's not for him yet, you know what I mean, it's like not quite and he's like what and you don't understand. He like, what's wrong my ears? I mean, you know, going in the bathroom, you're shaking your ears out.

You're like, what, I don't hear? This ship is crazy? And man, he'll shove that song. You'll never hear it again. And you'd be like, man, what about the song we did? Oh fool? Or you know that you're still holding on to that ship a hit now, right, No, man, we gotta do something new, So you know that could be frustrate, but when you let them go, they're usually right, you know. So it's just I mean, how is it in the kitchen with your mama when she cooking Thanksgiving dinner? You

know what I'm saying? You stepped back and trying not to get in the fucking way. You know what I'm saying? Like when do we eat? You know what I mean? That's how it's like, you know, I mean, you're just going smelling around, You're seeing you know, all the musicians there, and you know it's gonna be hot. You just gotta worry about your rhymes and your delivery. So luckily the Whobie from from uh Phoenix saved the police. Was there any hesitation because at that time, like a song like

that is just absolutely unheard of. Was there hesitation by anyone in the group? Once you present, it was everyone really just like let's get this ship. It was hesitation. Drey he didn't want to do the song because he had an ankle bracelet on and he was doing weekends at the county. They was making me. I was like, man,

fucky man, ain't ain't. So I got to do with these fucking shriffes man every weekend, and and I ain't going in there with a song like this man, So no, So I didn't think it was gonna get made until you know, months later, when he was, you know, doing the record because we had did some solo records, you know, before we did Dope Man, we did Gangster Gangster, so he was gonna do another solo record, which was fun Police,

and he was like, not that one. So um, after all that blew over, after he you know kind of you know, had the case dismiss or whatever, he was down to do it because he didn't have to see him every weekend. I was. I wrote the song because I was mad he would have to go in on the weekends because he was our way into every party in the city. You know, I'm like, we were Drake n what's up? Go in? You know what? I'm here without him? It was like, hey, who who all went?

We were? We was with Dre last week. It's like it ain't it ain't last week. Don't get to the back of the line. So our party and was on e you know what I'm saying. We was house partying. Like, man, this house party ship is dangerous. You know what I'm saying. We need to go back to some clubs like skating rinks and ship like that, you know, to get straight up was getting in free straight out of Copter reached

platinum level? How big was that? It was incredible, you know, just being able to you know, go across the country see that see that record like move in a wave of underground greatness. You know, it wasn't being blasted on every station, but it was moving like it was. And so we was proud, and we was proud that the groups we had looked up to now was um engaging with us on a whole another level. You know, before it was like you know what's up? Now it was like, hey,

y'all that record got it's crazy, you know. So it was that kind of interaction with you know, the llls of the world, Slick Ricks, Chuck d Flav, Chuck Deeve was always cool when we was just opening up. Chuck Deeve was cool with us. Button you know back there, you know what I'm seeing to be like, that's your crew, that our crew, and the mingling was only mingled with who you knew and so it was cool too to start getting some of the respect and um from the

groups that we respected. So that's what was amazing about it because you could be in the game, you know, y'all both NBA players and money is cool rings all right? That respect everything. It means more than all that other ship. Combine that people don't look at you and be like look at suck as you know what I'm saying. People look at me like salute for the way you word, where you play, um and and who you are. You know, that's more important than anything, and a lot of people don't.

I don't realize that. You know, you lose that respect and it's hard to get it back. Can Can you imagine the movement you guys had, how you have captivated everyone if there was social media back then. Yeah, I mean I think it would have been maybe too fast to sustain itself, you know what I'm saying. It's like I like this the organic way. I like having you know, the underground find out about us and they and the mainstream is nervous, scared. A few of them have enough

courage to bump it, you know what I mean. And I just liked that energy that you know, it organically grew as a movement um and not overnight quick pop. You know what I'm saying, because you can burn fast. I mean n w A already burnt hot. You know it burnt hot. You know what I mean, it's about it's about three years off, you know what I'm saying. In this over maybe two years of red hot in w A, you know what I mean, eight seven eighty

nine and it's over. It's crazy to think that, but the impact you had in that small amount of time was really changed to change the game completely. I mean, it's the family, triers, the branches. It's the roots and the branches and you know, Dres Trunk and we all the branches off that. So you know that's what that's the movement. You know, it's all. It's the whole West Coast movement and inter twined together in a way as athletes.

You know, Jack and I never really kind of got to appreciate what we've been through the experiences we had until we were done. I mean, you're not done, but you're not in it as heavy as you were in the past. Do you ever just sit back and think, like damn, like we did this? Yep, you know, but I did that every step of the way, you know what I'm saying, because I didn't want to. You know, I want to be present, you know what I'm saying. I don't want to be uh taking anything for granted,

you know what I'm saying. So I always, you know, just kind of reflect and give thanks, praise for all the blessings and and recognize them. No, in real time, your relationship with Easy, your reconciliation before his passing. Uh, talk to us about that and how important it was to reconcile with him before his untimely passing. Man, it was very you know, I feel very um, you know,

satisfied because I was able to do that. Um. I think I would be you know, real restless, you know about it a little more if if he didn't know what he really meant to me. You know what I'm saying, outside the bullshit. And I was able to express that and we was able to truly get past it. You know, sometimes you could say, you know, we squashed this ship, right, and it's like, yeah, yeah, all right, yeah, we squashed all right. You know, but you ain't about to mess

with dude ever again, you know what I'm saying. But but sometimes you can squash it and he really be squashed and you just continue like it never even happened. Almost, And I knew that I was gonna reach out to him. I was gonna work with him if he wanted to, if he could put n w A back together and get Dre back on, I was gonna work with So, you know, I just knew that, you know, um we

really squashed our beef that day. So it was great your departure for m w A. Obviously it was portraying the film and you can read about it and we know a better. But for those who don't, what was your main reason behind leaving n w A. I just felt like we wasn't uh the top priority of the management.

I felt like it was a conflict of interests in a lot of ways that you Jerry Helen was so close to um O owning and running ruthless with Easy, that him being our manager, that he would look out for Easy and not really in w A. So that was one conflict. And he just proved me right on how he was dealing with my business in particular, and and he's straight up lied on my mom's you know what I'm saying He's like, he lied on that for

no reason. There's no reason to lie. And so as a youngster, all the other things you can kind of get with. But but but one thing is the starter breaks the camel's back. And that was it. And I'm like a man that a lie to a dude about his own mama, it's not a man to be trusted. I didn't trust him. I didn't sign the contracts when they was presented, and they ostracized me. And what was crazy is like once I left the group, they they started to pay me, Like once I had a solo deal,

they started to pay me. And I didn't understand. And I went to my manager, past Charbonnet, and I'm like, why why they Yeah, why they're paying me now? It's like they caused all this ship. We are fused in the streets, We got records against against each other and all kind of ship. Like, why they're paying me now? He said, because you're right, and um, they don't want you to sue. And I said, why didn't just pay

me when I was in the group. He said, well, they would have had to pay everybody else, so they rather get you out the way and not have to pay for other people, you know what I'm saying. So some bullshit, dirty games, dirty America. As must wanted the album cover, he says, you're the one you're most proud of.

Why is that? That One's dope? Because it you know, it was a new technique you know overland if you really look at that, or RT work, and so I was just proud of what it stood for, the symbolism in it, like, uh, all of Los Angeles is behind me, you know what I mean? And and or all of the countries behind it. It It depends on which way I'm standing, you know. You know, if I'm facing I'm facing the West.

I got the whole country behind me. So I like that, um, because you know, that's how we gotta move to to to get some kind of justice around here as a unit. What goes through the process when you're creating album covers, trying to have something that standard test of time, trying to have something that when you see it, it explains what's in it, like when you see the album that the album represents the flavor of the record that's coming there.

You know, I think it's all art and it has to be treated like art or it's not, you know, what I mean, either it's art, either entertainment and music, or it's not. It's street you know, regular, oh amateur ship. You make your acting debut. Uh in Boys in the Hood something that I read that you didn't really want to do. You didn't want to act? How important or how thankful for you that you actually did and how impactful do you feel that classic of Boys in the

Hood is? You know, I didn't want to act because I didn't think I was qualified. I thought you had to go to Juilliard or some kind of school on like like the shoot don't find you know what I'm saying, Yeah, I did, like go to one of them schools to actually be an actor or you was just bullshit, And so I was like, why you want me? You know what I mean. I'm like, there's a lot of actors around. With John Singleton, he was just an intern at at

the r Senior Hall show. You know, as I started, I'm back there, I'm near to see our Senio because I want to give him a piece of my mind because he had the two live crew on the show and he wouldn't have in w a O. I'm like, man, the two live crew, that's some dirty ship. You know what I'm saying here, Like how why you can't have us on? But I never got a chance to talk to him about it. Instead, I spent it all my

time talking to this little intern. Singleton was telling me that I'm perfect for his movie, you know, and I'm like your movie. He's like, yeah, man, I'm a junior. I'm a junior at USC, and I got a movie that's perfect for you. Like, all right, all right, man. I end up seeing him a year later. He runs up to me. He said, remember me, And I'm like no, he said, are said the Hall Show? Remember the movie I told you that she was right for I'm like yeah, he said, Man, I'm a senior now at USC, and

uh i' gonna put you in this movie. It's all right, all right, all right, dude, you know whatever, I'll leave in w a go solo publicanting. He got a show at the Palace out here in Hollywood. I go, dude, tap me on the shoulder. It's John Singerton, remember me. I remember your ass? Now, what's up? Man? You got a movie for me? I know I know what is it? What is it? Said? Yeah, No, I just wanna tell you about that side all right, all right. So after the show, we're in the parking lot and he telling

me the movie like, damn there. I'm like, what what what? You know? I'm ready to leave, and his ride leaves him, so he has to ask me for a ride to his dorm something like that. Damn damn. But you know, I'm like, I want to I want this dude to get hurt out here. Sorry, I saw dry. I don't hear nothing from him. You know. I dropped him off that day. We didn't even exchange numbers. It was just like, all right, man, And because I never really believed him.

And then my manager months later said, um, somebody want to put you in a movie. You know. She was even surprised, like, somebody want to put you in the movie? Who? What? Huh? I forgot all about this dude. You know, months go by, I'm trying to be the best rapper in the world. I ain't thinking about acting at all. He sends the script. It's like, yo, you gotta you got an audition. I throw the script in the backseat of my car. I

folded the sides, which are the ship. I gotta practice, put that in my pocket and never look at it. And I go to the audition. And when I get to the audition, it's him sitting there. It's like remember me, Like yeah, he said, yeah, I told you I was gonna do it. You didn't believe me. I said, man, I did not believe. And he said, all right, listen, I want you to be dope with Ship. He said, you're ready. And I'm like, oh, let me find these sides out of my pocket, reading them like I'm reading

them whacked. I'm whacked. The audition is garbage. He looks at me, He's like, man, did you read my script? I was like, nope, did you read the size? Like you know? He's like, cute, man, Come on, man, he said, look, I'll give you one more shot, dude, go home, read the whole script, start to finish tonight and then come back tomorrow. And once I read it, I'm looking at my wife Kim. I'm like, damn, they're doing They're doing a movie about our neighborhood. Read this ship. This is

about how we grew up. So I'm tripping that. I'm like, damn, this is movie worthy. I'm looking at it like yeah, I guess, so they're doing a movie on it. I guess it's movie worthy. Damn nixt care about how we grew up. All right, So I go in the next day and I kill it. I'm ready, you know, and you give me the part of me kind of coached me through the movie between him, Uh Lawrence Fishburne you know and uh Cuba Goodon Jr. No, they held me down on that movie and helped me get through it.

That's question we asked d on this too. Was your curl wet or drive back then? Come on? Now, you know I had a dry turl with a wet look ship. Look, but it was dry. Yeah. Man, you had to get the right you know con you know what I'm saying. He had to get the right you know, right, Yeah, but yeah, but it was dry. It was dry, you know what I'm saying. So, yeah, I I wouldn't. I wouldn't. You know. I used to see dudes dripping. I'll be like, hommy,

you're giving us a bad name. Yeah, that's because I meant my dad in the early eighties, this ship dripped like the ear that drip, that's what you're going be wiping my neck off all day, like gonna Yeah, the white talle around this ship. Yeah, that was just pat that ship down a little bit. Man. You ain't gotta have you dripping. That's why it ain't got no hair now. Chemicals, yeah, yeah,

the chemicals that burn stand out. Some stand up moments from the set from John signal to you remember the part, you know outside what the dude pull the gun, shoot the eight K. We all pull off all that's real? Not not not, of course it's a film him shooting a gun. But they did not let nobody know it was gonna be real gunshots, you know they somebody over Yeah, yeah, but it was real. Yeah, yeah, I thought it was.

You know, it's it's a lot of people out there, you know what I mean, it's sixties out there is it's everybody out there watching us film and it's the people in the movie. And then John kept saying on the bullhorn, when I say bang bang bang bang, everybody run like it's a you know, We're like all right, it's like, yeah, I'm gonna okay when I say bang bang, all right, say bang bang bank So we could do this. But when it was time to shoot, they pulled out a real a K and let it off. Just see

how everybody reacts. That's real. Everybody. I'm trying. I was trying to get out of here. I thought Movie over turned, how cold? How could they act that good? With cube almost taking that's real, trying to get out of there. I'm thinking, just movie over dead, somebody killing. I mean, it's a k for real. And so he got us on that one man, you know, you know resetting that scene, bro, it was hard to give people to come back still running. It's like they're calling you come back, man. We did

that on purpose? What what we did on there? No wait, I'm going to my trailer, No come back, because that was in the real time. That could really happen on set. Nobody shot movies around there, you know what I mean. It was like it was so many it was. It was that element already out there watching us shoot this big gass Crunshaw sing like taking over the street. They loved. So we didn't know what was gonna happen. We was

worried about that the whole time. We got threatened, you know what I mean when we we went when they heard that, we we heard ice cubes supposed to kill some bloods in the movie. That it was a problem they wanted to, you know, sweat John Singleton, like why he killing bloods in the movie? This? That another, It's like, man, this is a movie. So um yeah, it was some issues because we did it right there in the jungle, you know what I'm saying, and right where they be

and they weren't happy. They weren't happy about it. But you know, somebody got paid. I guess they let it happen. Classic. I mean, this is your first film, but you get the chance to work with a Lawrence Fishburne obviously a John Singleton cubid. What was that like for you, kind of your introduction into this new space. I was big fans, you know. I was a big fan of Lawrence Fishburne, you know, from corn Bread Earl in Me. You know, I don't say I love that movie. And I was like,

damn a little boy in Cornbread Earl and Me. He was like yep. Then I loved him in Apocalypse now, you know what I'm saying. I didn't know Cuba Gooden Jr. And you know Angela bas said and all those people kneed along. I didn't. I didn't know them, but they was dope actors. And I was like, they're in the movie, so they must be. It must be official, and you

know we got it. We did a lot of rehearsals like improv where you know, I really was able to get my feet up under me and get my balance on what it takes to to do good acting and when it takes to be bad. You know, I may have done some bad act in the movies, but now he was just showing me the way. You know, how did Friday present itself? What kind of sparon was was that I wrote that with the homie DJ pooh, Yeah, DJ pooh, shout out. We have been big fans of

Hollywood Shuffle, you know, shout out to Robert Townsend. He's a genius. You know. Without Robert Townsend, there is no Friday because he shot that movie with a damn credit card there there. You know, he showed us like, don't wait on Hollywood man, guerrilla that ship if you have to and tell your story. So and he had some great comedians, you know, uh, I stole John Witherspoon from from from Robert Townsend and so we was fans of that.

We was fans of and Living Color hum and we have saw so many movies about how we grew up from boys in the hood to Minister Society to South Central even Colors was like, damn man, niggas think it's Vietnam around here. It's like, is it that bad? I mean, we didn't we have fun around here a little bit? Like yeah, it's like, let's write a movie about how we looked at all this ship instead of how you know, we don't want nobody to feel sad for how we grew up, you know what I'm saying, Or be like damn,

you know y'all surprise y'all ain't in prison. So um, we just wanted to have fun, you know, have two dudes on the porch just tripping off how crazy their neighborhood is and m and that's how the ball started to roll on. You know what Friday was gonna be about. How do you find Chris Tucker. I saw him on Deaf Comedy Jam, you know, shout out to Russell Simmons him on Deaf Comedy Jam, and I was like, this

kid is funny as hell. And then he did a small little part in the House Party three and I was like, kid and play fucked up because they did not use this kid enough for this movie. So I was like, if I get a movie. I'm I gotta find something this dude. And I felt the same way about Bernie mac too. Um. And so Friday came up and we were gonna raise the money and do it ourselves. But then New Line came in and said, you know, we want to give you all the money. Call on

it with y'all. And so it was like cool, you know, because it was struggle. It was a struggle to get the amount of money we needed to shoot it right. So he was happy to have, you know, shout out to Bob Shay, you know, uh when the New Line knew what they was doing, but shout out to Bob Shay. And so they come on and they say, I say, I don't want y'all to do the movie because y'all gonna mess it up. Y'all don't know what y'all don't know what this is. This this is some hood ship

that I didn't see. Y'all mess up too many movies. It was like, we won't touch it, we won't touch it, just bring us the finished movie. Basic He's like, okay, give us the money. So they said one thing though, Um, I had I had DJ Poo playing Smoky me and him, and it was like, you've been in movies, Cube, but who hasn't, So we need somebody to be smokey. We can get pull another part, but smokey is the most of the movie. We need it. How about Tommy Davison.

I'm like, I like Tommy, but we gotta have somebody kind of unknown, like you gotta believe he ain't nobody but Smokey. I mean, I'm already ice Cube doing a comedy. You got to believe I'm Craig. So we need somebody you don't know. So I was like, I know this kid, Chris Tucker. Everybody was like, who no, no, boom boom boom. I was like, y'all just put him in a movie, y'all saying no, y'all put him in the house. Party three said, let get a dude audition. Fly him out here.

Let's give him audition. And once we got on that, like we auditioned together, it was a rat over like told you, told you, but transition obviously you were able to make more Friday's losing him, but then picking up Mike Epps, like, Mike Guess is my favorite person to work with because Mike is what you see is what you get. It. It's no act. It's not like, yeah, it's not like he gotta be day day. I mean, it's like, damn, it's a real, walking, living data, you

know what I'm saying. Song. You know, I wanted somebody to have you know, you can't replace Chris Tucker, but I wanted somebody who was, you know, crazy and fun and in his own right funny. And so we was lucky to get Mike and to have him buy into the series. And you know, I've done several movies with Mike. We did all about the Benjamin you know, Jakie promoters, So you know, I hope to work with him my

whole career. I hope we just do movies like like a Cheeta Chong, like I got a nice, dynamic, poetic justice. I heard a story that they came to you first to play Janet's love interest and it just wasn't your thing. Yeah, John had wrote it for me. You know, he was like, I just had one part in there that I just couldn't get down with. And I was like, John, dude, you gotta change this part, and he was I'm not changing one word. Just got a damn Oscar nomination for

my last God damn John. And it was the part I'm like, dude, I can't play it. Dude who kicked his homie out the car over a chick he just met, even if his janet got Damn Jackson. I can't do that. That part of I'm not cool with that. I said that that ain't the part I want to play. So that's crazy picked it up and then it ran with it. Yeah, you know, and uh, I think it was better for him,

you know what I'm saying. He he did a great job, you know, and he you know, pockets a movie star anyway, so you know he Uh, I went to go see it. I liked the movie, you know, I like, yeah, yeah, is it true you keep the head from the end? Yeah, yeah, got to head. Uh I got to hear on my show, I got the head. You know, you've been there for a long time. Fight dust that bit off, But yeah,

he'd be sitting there looking at me. How was the transition and how important was it for you to go from part of gangster rap creation to making kid movies. That crossover has been legendary, and I don't think anyone's had such a drastic crossover period than you. You know, always was like, you know, you can't and you shouldn't judge a book by its covering, you know, you really, if you do, you probably uh, you probably miss judging

and you're probably on your heels if you do. When I did Boys in the Hood, you know, people thought, why would you do a comedy, Why would you do a movie like Friday? You know, you got this lane, you know. I was offered Old Dog too in minutes really yeah, And I was like, man, I'm I'm like, I just played dough Boy and just play Save Line and Trespass. I'm not gonna play another the Killer Killer. Yeah. Yeah. So I'm like, no, man, you know I don't want it.

But you know, I'm always just like, let's push the envelope. Man, you know, don't box me in with nothing. Don't don't don't even think about it. If you think you know what I'm gonna do, you know what I mean, You're wrong. So doing Friday, you know, showed okay, I could do comedy, you know, and I'm not just stuck with the traumas about the hood. And then we did Barbershop. Barbershop was a PG thirteen movie and it was Tim's story's first movie,

and it blew up, you know it was. It was a movie that showed that we don't all think the same, you know what I'm saying, Even though if we come from the same neighborhood, that don't mean we think the same. So I was like, well, if I could do a PG thirteen, can I do a PG? Can I? Can I do it for the kids? Because it's crazy when you got five even six year old saying I love Friday? I'm like, what's your little ass doing watching Friday? You know? So I'm like, uh, my fans got kids, now, let

me um do something for them. Because the worst thing in the world too as an artist is if yo, fans have to tell their kids who you was, Like that dude ice Cube, he used to be the ship. So you don't want that. You want the kids to know who you are, you know what I'm saying. So doing that movie, kids know who I am. You know, the kids love you know what I'm saying, because they love Nick, they love you know, the characton. Are we there yet? So it was the attempt to grab the

next generation with quality. They just don't make movies like that for our kids. So to do something I knew this movie is gonna standard test of time for the youngsters like Friday is for the So it gave every age group something to be down with. Yeah, how did it straight out of Compton come about? I didn't think about making that movie, but I heard they was gonna make it. Here we go with new line again. So these dudes was gonna make the movie. Jerry Heller's version

of it from his book. I said, Man, y'all want me to really pull that bad out again? I really really want to heard somebody up the here. Why would y'all do that? Man, y'all gotta do this movie with us. We got me Dre, we gotta you know, and um Um Tamika who had the rights to the music and stories, Like I do the movie with the people that was there. Jerry don't know ship. He wasn't there. He came after the sauce was made, you know what I mean. He

came after the dinner was late. So they're like, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. So they they pushed him off to the side start working on my script. We got it all the way there, and then they didn't want to spend the money to do the movie, like they wanted to spend like sevent eighteen million dollars to do Straight out of Compton, which is a thirty four million dollar movie. So picture that movie done at seventeen million. It's not looking as good. It's the quality is not there. It's

not it's epic. We ended up, you know, thank guy for Donna Langley. We ended up getting her to buy the movie and take it over to Universal, and she did it right and it's huge hit. What was it like watching your son play you? Because you just said some ship and I'm going back to the movie you you sound you and your son sounded exactly same. You're talking about Jerry. That energy came back. But I felt your son on that ship too. It's amazing for him to be able to get the art because a lot

of people think it's a shooing. I could have just gave him the part. But movies it's a process, especially the big ones, and this thirty four million dollars up, somebody gonna have something to say. So, you know, he had the audition, he had to go through the process, He had to get approof from the studio. So I put him through the ring. You know, I actually thought that We're doing so much to this kid, he's gonna

quit before we even get to the set. And if you do that, then nobody got to know about it, you know what I'm saying. He got bit by the bug because I was I was, you know, sending him to trainers to study in l A and New York. And I was thinking he was gonna say, I don't want to go. Man, why am I doing this? You know what I'm saying. But he was like, I'm with it, man, I gotta meet my ma, act and coach, and you know,

he was getting hyped about it. But I still hadn't told Gary Gray, like because he was the first person I needed to tell. So pulled Gary aside, said hey, man, so I gotta tell you something. He was like, what I said, I want my son to play me. Gary was like, man, what the fuckque I thought we was making a real movie here, man, I said, this is a real movie. This is a real movie. Gary, you're gonna do to me with John Singleton? Did you're gonna do it for my son with John Singleton did for me?

You're gonna walking through this and he's gonna be great, and you ain't gonna find nobody better, and so he was like, height, let me see. And then as the auditions and all the stuff started coming around and screen tests and camera tests, he was like, he housed that ship. Ain't can't nobody to do it? Something said when he went to the audition and it was other Ice cue there. He was mad for you. I gotta do this for the family. Family. Legac't let you bozos played my pops.

Now he's doing his own ship. Yeah. Now he in Star Wars. You know, he got this Obi wan Kenobi movie he did, uh got Zilla. I mean, he's doing big gass movies. And he was a fan of all these things. So to be able to part of it, to be a part of them, he lived in his best life for real. But um, it's a movie he's done recently. Oh yeah yeah yeah that's uh yeah, that's his movie. Yeah yeah, I gotta give much problems with Yeah. Yeah, he was the man and that I mean he flipped

it on him. Yeah. I was looking at the moment, like what kind of that set it up for a part two? Yeah, yeah, he set it up. Yeah, he's gonna he gonna do part two. It came out and with the Part two then the things. Yeah, yeah, he's a good actor, man. You know, he ain't just you know, he ain't just bullshit. And he got two chops. Speaking of his son, you know you got another the sun.

What's the best part of being the father? Being able to teach them the game and the pit falls that's out there for him, Being able to put them up on as much as this um, you know, the intricate workings of this world. Putting them up on that game as much as possible. Uh, being there, you know what I'm saying, Just being there as as being present. You know some men are home, but are you present? Just being home, being in the in the back room and

shipped on that game, ain't present? Give them stability, um, Making sure they're not you know, some of those same o statistics, Um, because of my actions, you know what I'm saying. So it's just been great to see them become you know, respectable grown men. They're just good people. And to me, that's the biggest accomplishment is that the good people. What's the biggest a piece of advice you've

given them? You feel, man, it's hard to say that because I give them so much, so much advice every day you know, just telling them about who they are and what they up against is It's some of my best moments. You know what I'm saying, because you know, my pops from a different area, you know what I'm saying in their areas. You know, uh, my own business work. You know what I'm saying, Hey, k your family and stop on the fucking complaining. You know what I'm saying.

That state philosophy and yeah, and my philosophy is similar to that. But it's like, nah, you know what I mean. I want to I want to fight the powers that be right. How did the concept of the Big Three come out? I mean to think what you did and obviously you know Jack being right there in the mix. Once you got going, I was just I want to heard it. I was like, this is gonna be crazy if it ever happens. And you made it happen. Talk to us about that process. I mean made it happen

with some great people. I mean Stax was the hard and soul all time leading score of ye all time leading score in the league when he hung it up, and so you know he's gonna be a coach now trilogy, but he set the tone. Thank you just being a fan saying saying, y'all retire and knowing it. Damn, I know they got more gaming. I know it. Like I'm not listening to what people are saying. I'm not listening to announcers and people who already want to talk about

his age. Are they want to talk about is how old somebody is, And they're not talking about can you do it or you can't because you've got young people that can't play, right, you got twenty one year old trash, you know what I'm saying. So it's either you can do it or you can't. So seeing dudes retire after building up fan base from high school, junior high, college pros, like these dudes got twenty years of fans and they just poof gone, Like that talent has to be pulled

somewhere where people can see these guys still play. And you know, doing the half court game to me was a no brain. There's something we all everybody here probably played more three on three than five on fire except y'all. But but growing up, that's what you do, and and it's a great game. It's it's some of your most ferocious games are gonna be three on three nowhere to hide. You know, so I said, man, why isn't this elevated

to the professional level? I would literacy seven footers in that paint, banging like that, you know, that would be amazing. So that's where it came and came from being a fan of the game. I want to see it continue for people that you know, spend decade, you know, fifteen years watching. You know what I'm saying. I want to keep watching until they say it's over, because the NBA could tell you it's over just because they just because the NBA tell you, so that don't mean it's over.

It's over when you say it's over. This man right here retiring on his own terms, he said, doesn't playing pro sports. That don't mean he ain't gonna ball somewhere here and there, but pro level done on his terms. And the reason I think him for being the heart and soul of the Big three because at that combine, nobody knew the first By seventeen, nobody knew what kind of league is? This is this pick up game, all

star kind of field. We're just kicking it is this go after the chill, just get a check and get a couple of shots. Are going to fifty half court. This is easy, peasy and stacks. He was like, y'all, I ain't got no friends out here. When I touched this ball, it's over. Don't come asking for no kind of take it easy, stop chilling stuff. I don't want to hear that ship. And he walked around everybody like circling. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, that's what I want

to hear. And he got in there and he went at him hard, you know, just nothing dirty, just hard core playing. And everybody said, man, we gotta bring it. You know, I see eyes getting big. He damned it was a fight. And then and then you got you got Oakley, rick Berry, Charles Oakley stopping a fight. I'm like, oh, we got something. We got up in saying fellas sell us, I'm saying, ship, we got something, man. And if he didn't do that, who knows what kind of start we

would have got off to. Who knows if we would have actually turn this from a great idea into a real league where pride and game is on the line, legacy on the line, and people still willing to put it out there. That meant a lot to me. You can ask my my fiance now, I took a picture of that message. I got a mess from him and I think it was like late at night and he was like, I just want to thank you for what you've done for the League's like this league wouldn't be

the way it is without you. And you know that means a lot of to us because I didn't get all the props I I deserve as the NBA player, so to be a part of a league of professional league and to get that from our founder, that meant a lot to me. Bro. I'm gonna always give your problem, you know what I mean. You got car Blanche to this league, and we're gonna grow to the league and we're all gonna, you know, sit back and think about

who was there at the beginning. Who dudes didn't have to stick they game, legacy next or anything on the line for you know, brother, with the idea of trying to make it work. I can't make it work by myself. I need great athletes to buy into it, take it serious, and and play them win. That's all I ask for, you know, I'll pay just just come to win and not just don't play just to play. Nobody wants see that ship. Come to win. Shout out Jeff, Yeah, my man,

Jeff Kuantans. We thought it just together. We brainstorm for a year, argued over rules, um, and you know how we was gonna treat the players in the league, and and um, it's been a dream come true. We need to get all the smokers one of the Big Three sponsors. Hell yeah, man, please some time basketball. All right, y'all got the contract, make it happen. Right, So you guys took a hiatus obviously with COVID. Your return and tell us about your return this year. Are we back this year? Um? Now,

we've looked at our sport. You know, the youngsters start calling it fireball the way we play, so we've decided to lean into that. And you know this is not yea grandfather's three on three. You know what I'm saying. This is a whole different sports. Like you got boxing and you got UFC. You know what I'm saying. You know, you got the NBA plays basketball. The Big Three plays fireball three and it's a different game and it got its own wrinkles that may not be you know, with

traditional basket goot ball. And we wanted to be able to start to make our own superstars. UM, So we're getting younger this year. We're letting UH players as young as twenty two UH joined the league. And we also are having an open tryout, UM, and we'll invite ten players to our combine. And Nick, you're getting the combine. You got a chance. We're working it out, you know, hopefully we can get it up. UM looking at middle

of May. UM, two different cities will make the announcement for the ballers and south there that want to give it a shot. And it's gonna be our coaches and captains picking who get to go to the combine. But ten players will get a chance to compete in the combine. And if you get to the combine, you know, stack, you might make a team. You might make a team.

So that's unique, is boards. It gives you know, athletes out there who are might not be great, you know on the full court NBA level, but might be perfect fireball three ballers, you know what I'm saying, Big three ballers. So is it gonna be called fireball three now or with the name of the game is called fireball three? But it's still the league is still the big I mean them Frank Nino, Frank Frank he was a Drew

League legend. Yeah, I mean it never really got a chance in the league real life, but through your Big Three got an NBA trial. That's what it's all about. You know, we're not stopping any of those dreams. You know, we want to give these guys a platform where they can show, Look, I can play at this level. Just give me a chance, Johnson another run in the league. Yeah, you know, and that's what it's all about. You know,

we welcome that. It gives our league credibility. People think, you know, I don't have to just go to the G League. I can you know, the Big Three guys to games on CBS. You know what I mean. I could be seen every Saturday on CBS. Though. You like, a lot of basketball players financially and mentally were at a place where they had nowhere to go, and that

Big Three saved a lot of them. I know, you know, it's it's not opposition to same names, but I know a lot of people that then came to me and gave me words that should have been directed to you. You know what I mean, Man, I'm glad this league here. Man, you know, have a real conversation because I haven't been around. Man, you don't know where it was last week. But this, you know, this team rax a week helping me bro

baby mom. You know what I'm saying. I got a lot of players might not say it to you, but you're saving lives. That's what it's all about too. Man. I look at myself as a you know, a rap. I do movies. But if somebody came to me at thirty five, thirty six, it's like cute. So for man, no more records, no more movies, You're done, you out the league? Like, how would that make me feel? You know what I'm saying? When you know you still got

more in the tank. You still you know you can out wraps all these you know, Yaster is coming up, and you know you can still act, you know, with the best of them. So you know that, how would that make me feel? And I just have that sympathy for the athletes that we love, we cherish, we cheer, We these are heroes and we let them down at the end of the career, at the end of their career and treat them like they that they never played the game. Man, And it's it's uh, you know, not

no more. You know you got a home, you can come to the Big Three. If you still got game, you can make a squad. Come on. I think it was perfect, but you know, obviously Jackson NBA ended before it should have, you know what I mean. And he fought his ask to try to get back and sho didn't work. So that to me as a friend, seeing him go and do what he did in the Big Three and get to leave on his own terms like that ship was dope to me. That's what it's all about.

It's all about knowing I'm and I can watch that I don't. I don't care if I touched that ball or not, you know what I'm saying. Worst to be sitting there with the hitch, thinking, oh man, I wish I was out there other league that I know that I meet person Stevien Jackson to walk away as a leading scored then walking straight into a coaching position, I don't know no other league, So you know what I'm saying.

That's why that's why I didn't mind giving my all to it, because I know from day one the first thing he told us, this league gonna only be what we make it, you know what I mean? And it was. It was a lot of players that didn't understand that at the time, you know what I'm saying, But the core guys understood that, you know what I mean. And it's still like that. We still gotta we still got a lot of opposition, a lot of a lot of people want to only play with the big boys, and

you know, we like, look, we're coming. We we we're some of the most exciting basketball in this summer. And you know, it takes everybody takes all hands on deck to continue to should to blow this league up straight up. Outside of the Lakers, so on teams and players you kind of get when you get some time, you like to check out man Dame Lily. Love his gag, love his attitude. You know, he's what He's what you want, you know what I mean, He's he's like, y'all you want, Yeah,

you want nobody in there? Friendly? Friendly? You know what I'm saying. You want? Yeah, you want that, you know, gunfighter, you know what I mean, Like I come in and seek and destroy, I come in. Yeah. So when I see those type of players, you know, they become my favorite athletes when they got games over the ones who are just you know, nice to everybody and you don't know if they care if they win or not. I think we got what it takes to repeat if we're healthy.

It's all about health. Um. But it's cool that these youngsters and these new players are getting a chance to play without Lebron and in a d and when you know, they're showing like yo, we we Lakers too. It ain't all about them two players. So I think that's gonna help us in the long run. But you know, Brooklyn is they look tough, man, they're not stacked up, and we'll see. Health is key. How you fell in love as you started early, but you fell in love with

the game in the early eighties. Obviously a very physical, defensive minded game. To see what it is from there to how it's a hundred thirty games and barely any defense. Thoughts on kind of the evolution of the NBA. I like a strong competitive game, you know, I like, you know, regular season NBA games are okay. Playoff games to me is what's what it's all about. You really get to see, you know, the neck guys getting down to the nitty

gritty and giving that extra effort on defense. You know. Um, it is, you know strange sometimes because I remember hearing like no layups in the playoffs and actually seeing it, but it meant that. It meant that like going there for layup, man, you better have your gun out, like you know what I'm saying, so to see dudes just golide to the rack. You know, nobody really you know,

challenging hard. Um M. That's why I let certain things go on in my league, you know, not I don't want hard files at the rim, but I do want, um you know, the hand checking and letting guys actually play defense and stay in front of a guy. And I think that's important. You know, nobody wants to see, you know, a hundred fifty point game every every time. I recently, the great DMX is hospitalized. You posted the studio session with him. Obviously we're alston in our prayers

to him. How special was he as an artist? I mean, he was one of the greatest to ever touched the mike. At his height, he was as big as any rapper out there, was selling five and six million copies. Um I got a chance to work with him early before he even like blew up. I think before he even had his first might have had one record on the radio. Um I was doing a We'll Be Clubbing remix d J Clark Kent shout out Clark Kent me. Yeah. He

was like, all right, you who you want? I can get anybody in New York on this who you want? And I was like, man, I'm hearing about this young kid I heard on radio man named d m X. He's like, yeah, I know you're talking about He said, you want him? I said yeah, he said, all right, I get him. He went got d m X. DMX was like, man, thank you, thank you for putting me down. You know what I'm saying. And then we did the track. It was bananas, and I flew him and the rough

Riders out to shoot the video. You know, I remember meeting Eve before she was even a star. You know, she was just part of the rough Rider crew, just hanging out. So just seeing him blow up and do movies and um, and then you know, go through his issues and didn't hear his backstory on you know old you know, dirty ass, you know, yeah, you know, got

him hooked on that ship. So um, you know, I still, you know, I hope for the best, wish for the best, believe he's gonna pull through and be the same old d Mex he always been, So I'm playing for him. Love and prayers to the family. Rushmore, Yeah you too, Short Snooped Doug. Yeah, man, we we gotta you know, I did so many dope records, like we got Ship in the can. You we argue on which one is

coming out first, which you know. So it's fun. It's fun being a part of something that's you know, building and anticipation and and and know that we got good music. It's not just you know, hype. So we know we got the ship and we know people want it. Now it's just about you know, we're doing stuff, getting our visuals together, photo shoes, videos. We just want to be cocked and loaded before we dropped the bump. I'm going to drop a Big Three song. Well, you know, we

got a song that that I cut together. We did this something call locked In. We we didn't cut it to the Big Three stuff, so maybe that had a hole throughout the whole something up. Now we'll we'll do something new. We had forty and Short on the show and they were their excitement was they was ready. Yeah man, you know everybody it's rejuvenated and excited and we know this is an epic project and we laying to do you know, multiple records make an appearance. Yeah, he on

the song. He on one of those songs called I think it's called Block Cowboys. So yeah, you know, whenever you get the dock on it, you take it to another level. If you're going to create the best Big Three player from the past or President, who would it be. I think a player like you know, Damn Pastor Man. Come on, man, too many ballers out there. But you know, if you had a game, you know, a person like

Scottie Pippen who can do it all long. Um, you know, he's a damn there a smaller version of your honest you know what I'm saying. And yeah, he got that that kind of athleticism. I think he would. You know, any player like that would be great in the league because you gotta have all your skill. You know, anything you we get, it's going to shows. You know. It's like, that's why some players that did great in the NBA didn't do so well in the Big Three because anything

that you week get, it's gonna be exposed. But I loved was. I introduced my twins to it at the time, and they want to say they were eight or nine and we watched the handful of games, actually watched the playoff run, and in the next season they're watching it without me. Kids love the Big Three because they played, They played three or three when they get to school or what I'm saying. There, and our games are fast, you know, you can see a big game and an

hour or less. You know, our games are used about thirty five and fifty five minutes per game, so you know, you ain't sitting there three hours. And there's no there's no garbage minutes because there are no minutes. You got to play. You know, your buckets are not you know, so everybody played from start to finished without no We're about to win this. So I could kick back none of that the same team and have uh to thirty

seven and lose and lose. You know, it's you gotta keep playing till you get fifty and more real quick. I mean, I'm such a huge fan. And this is not on the last part, but any Pock stories that stand out to you working with him, getting to know him. I hung out with him mostly when he was with Digital and before he started going solo, and I just remember he was a ball of energy. He uh. He was just a fun dude to hang around, you know, one of those dudes that was like the life of

the party. You know, you hear him coming a mile away. We did a show and somewhere in the Bay Area and it's like, I gotta be three in the morning, four like everybody done done. Shut it down, you know what I mean, and party you know, all night and shut it down. Park still up, Come knocking on my door. You sleep, man, funk that, Get dressed, Get dressed. We're going downstairs. Man, we gon keep this going. I'm like, pop, homie, I'm tired, Man, I'm tired, Like now, I never get tired.

He Funck before about twenty minutes at the door, just won't leave you. I'm like, man, I ain't going down there, man. And then and I just see him just you know, like I'm going I'm gonna I'll tell you I was, and just bouncing off the walls and I'm like, man,

this dude is having a ball with this ship. So you know, Park was one of those dudes who you know, people knew him on one level, but you know, you get him one on one and you realize you're dealing with a smart and humble dude, you know what I mean. And that's what I remember about him. You know, it was like you always I was happy to see him coming, you know what I'm saying. With I was around, We was we'd be up Echo Sound doing records. Park was

doing this solo album. I remember he you started driving and ship, like man, I wrecked this and wrecked his beings two or three times. It's like, man, I didn't drive when I was young. We need drive on the East coast at all. So I got to West because I ain't worried about driving, like, man, don't kill yourself in that damn thing. So I just remember him being, uh, just a good dude. I was always loving what we

was doing because he was. He was sitting me like man, I do my solo ship, and I want to make records, to make them kind of records about the hood, like y'all do. Because it's ill where I live. Man, it's crazy where I live, and don't nobody know. I need to talk to I need to tell people about that ship. Like man, I was just encouraging him, like you gotta do what you feel or and they ain't gonna you ain't gonna be happy with it. But ain't it Ain't

that crazy? I mean, obviously that's parking. That's a million more people. Just the inspiration you gave that everyday person that looked like even looked in your neighborhood. The inspiration

gave him. It's a blessing, you know, because I was giving that same inspiration for mother, you know, m c's or people that you know showed me the way, you know, Iced Tea was a great mentor you know, for young MC trying to figure it out because he had went through a lot of stuff, um with with with his lyrics, and he gave me the best advice any MC ever gave me, which was, um, don't wrap it if you don't if you can't explain it, like don't don't just

be rhyme and ship like you know what you're talking about, because they're gonna ask you about it. You want to know every line. You want to know why you wrote it, what it means to you, and so you can intelligently explain yourself when they come at your bottom, because they're coming at you and you did that, and so that was great vice because you know, rapper, you're just trying to rhyme, clever ship it slick talk, you know what

I mean, slick talking. But when you start getting into the political areas, you have to know what you're doing and know what you're saying. You know what you're talking about all time. NBA starting five, ice Cube starting five all time. Damn that guard. I got magic who Lord? But you can do it with Lakers alone? Yeah? I probably should. At the two, I got Kobe. At the three, you got lebron m at the four, Wow, I gotta Tim Duncan mm hmm. At the five, I got shocked.

It's tough. It's not losing very many, not at all. That's when you finish uh five dinner guests that are alive, you plus five around the table for dinner. The Hormie uh crazy tunes, Rest in peace and um my grandfather rest in peace, My grandmother rest in peace. Um John Sington Man. I lost a lot of harmes. But for people that know people, give me with the spoon. If you could pick a guest for us to have on all the smoke, who would it be? But you have

to help us get this guest. That's the party. Y'all tell me which one y'all want I mean, I'm doing all these names. You've got a lot of names, now, um iced tea. You said a lot of people. Now, did y'all have Kevin Hard on here? Now? That's that's what we need. Kevin Hart, that's what we need. Hey man, that's a wrap ice cube. Man. We appreciate your time. Y'all got a cabin back, man. You can cast us on Showtime Basketball, YouTube and the I Heart platform Black Effects,

see you next week three. This is all a Smoke, a production of The Black Effect and our Heart Radio in partnership with Showtime