From iHeartRadio and Doghouse Pictures. This is Fight Night. I'm Jeff Keating.
And I'm Kenny back KB in the house. Finally, after twenty years, we are on the mic together.
I'm believe incredible. Honestly, like twenty years of Fight Night. In September fifth, we are going to be on Peacock's sharing this amazing story with the world. How do you feel, Jeff, Because this is a literal twenty year journey for you personally.
I've been asked that question a lot recently and honestly just trying to get a grip on even how to answer. So this is the best way I can describe it. I feel at this point now like I was dating the.
Hot up and coming actress.
Now I'm just say the hot you know that that knew that she was going to break out at some point and one day she would be a star. And now she's left me behind and it's oh no, yes, way, And it's all too big for me now, Like I feel like it's so big, like it's just surpassed me.
Like, you know what, it's ironic you say that because
the entire process, that's how you acted on set. But we're gonna we're gonna go back, okay before we come forward, and we're gonna talk about how you heard about this story originally, and you know, we'll get right into how we met because you know you heard the story from your dad, right yep, and talk about a little bit for the newcomers because we have way more fans, yes, ready for fight night September fifth, and we had when we had the podcast.
And by the way, we always want you to go back and listen to the podcast which is on iHeartRadio another platform platform.
Thank you, sir, Yes, sir.
My dad and mom were in Atlanta back literally in nineteen sixties and getting ready to leave on their second honeymoon. So they had eloped to Italy, Wow, without telling any of the fam. My Jewish grandmother, Elizabeth Hoffman, God Rest her soul, said no, no, no, You're going to have a wedding here in Nashville with all of our family. Ok So they're basically coming off of that second wedding. They're in Atlanta about to go back to Italy for another honeymoon,
and Ali's in town. Obviously will this come exactly So the morning that they're leaving on the plane to go to Italy. My dad remembers reading the article. Okay, so that's how like in his mind this get captured. We'll get to mom at some point, but she was working obviously at the hotel, the High Regency, where all this, you know, goes down.
And it was amazing, by the way, because we were actually there when you first told me about the story with your dad. We were literally at the hotel shooting night. You know. It was the first time I heard you tell that story. Yes, no, since I've known you. When we were shooting fight night, right, like you told me the story. We're in there, I'm like, this is crazy.
Oh so you didn't know that part of it.
I didn't for some reason. And I'm like in there and I'm feeling all the fields. I'm looking at you know, Terrence and Sam and Kevin and you know Atkins, you know, Ory Harvey coming through in the white and I'm like, wait, your dad like literally told you the story. So we fast forward a little bit, right, you heard the story from your dad. What age were you when you were like, you know what, I want to dig into this story?
Well that would have been so I started writing, you know, attempting to write screenplays let's say late twenties or early thirties, which would have been around two.
Thousand ishes, okay, And.
After a couple of attempts just to you know, get writing and just learn what that's when my dad brought me the story. So it probably like he probably a fish brought it to me, you know, let's say two thousand and one, two thousand and two, somewhere around there. Yeah, And as soon as I go to the library and we're sitting there looking at microfilm and the headline comes up, I turned to my dad and decater library and just say, this is my next movie, Dad, Like, this is amazing.
And that's where it kind of started. So the research for you know, a year, you're reading the articles all that stuff, and ultimately it led to that interview with j. D.
Hudson the cop Yes, and then finding out.
That spoiler alert somebody was still around, and getting that interview with Chicken Man or calling the church, and so that's a good story right there. So this was the chills moment one, and there's a few of them, but this was the first. Well the first was sitting in JD's house, you know, tough black cop shaft refusing to turn off the Williams sisters on wimbleds me with my little.
Microof you know, trying to get.
A cassette radio and finding out that Chicken Man's still alive and literally like pacing his living room like you know, a giggler.
I'm just giggling. I was like, oh my god, and he's looking at me like I'm crazy.
Exactly.
So a few weeks later, we're calling churches around Atlanta.
We get Salem bapt In Church.
We find out that there's a Reverend Williams there, and I get on the phone and I say, hey, is you know Reverend Williams there today? I'd like to speak to him. Comes to the phone, yes, and I basically say, hey, Reverend Williams, this is Jeff Keating. You know, I'm a producer. I've been researching this story. Are you the Chicken Man right now? What year is this again? Two thousand and three?
Okay, got it?
Boone goes dead. I'm telling you, Kenny.
It seemed like about a good ten seconds like there was like do I even want to respond to this question? And then ultimately you just hear, yes, son, I am the Chicken Man.
And then from.
That that was you know, was it a thing though, because you got to imagine there was. They were enamored by the story. You you know, are I mean clipping you took me back in the day, was saying you were looking at microfilm. Yeah, you know you you have these articles in research and you have personal testimony, right because you'd already met jdep and now he confirms that he's the Chicken Man.
It's almost like this, It was really and just to know that because again you got to remember there was probably let's say seven to ten articles that said he was killed, assassinated in a contract. Yeah, so many drug deal going arrival but whatever, exactly. So shocking that, you know, news always doesn't get it all, you know, Instagram and social media just like but now we're talking fifty years ago.
But it's like people are printing this that anybody just you know, research and call and find out this guy still anyway.
So how did you wait? So you have this, this this confirmation that the legendary Chicken Man exists. It's still alive. He's a preacher. Yep. It just doesn't go together on some levels when you're about to see this amazing, this is this coming September. But I mean, what what was the next step? So you had Jack going to visit him in person? Chicken Okay, so you go to the church. At the church, was he talking that fly shit or was he.
So that's what I'm saying. I never this is what's weird.
You did what I'm saying, though, like you did go back into character after he started.
Talking, not at all. I always knew Reverend with this is what's crazy. I only met Reverend Williams. I saw a glint or a shimmer of Chicken Man, but I never met Chicken Man.
I was wondering that show up.
Only a glint, a smile, a glint in his eye, but nothing like this stuff.
You know what I mean.
It met Rev.
I met Rev and only met Rev.
So it's weird to hear about Chicken Man and other people talk about him, and JD talk about him, and hear stories. Even the way he told it, it's Rev talking about Chicken Man. It's not Chicken Man talking about chicken It was like this mythic figure almost right, that I really never met.
Right, And then we are seeing, you know, fast forward to kind of shooting Fight night and been on set and seeing like Kevin become the Chicken Man and Cheetah with j D.
Hudson, Yes, and Cheetah.
I mean seeing him on set, seeing them both on set, I mean you see the genius set. What were some of the things that when you initially had the conversation, right, but you've now talked to them both, you're now in process or so you get the life rights. We'll just get to the life right. You get to the opportunity where you can tell the story, you start to go pitch. What was the first thing you did?
Get them both on camera for the first time ever talking about it. So they hadn't seen each other in over a decade, So just imagine that. You know, first of all, it's two guys that years ago used to be on opposite sides of the street. You know, you got JD and Chicken in mutual respect. But it's like, you know, you're gonna do your thing you're doing, I'm gonna run, I'm gonna chase you.
You know.
So it was always that, but again and for some reason this mutual respect they had, and now Gordon is reverend. So as soon as they walk in, I mean they both light up and it's just this hug that they come together, and I think he says, JD to Chicken Man, my pastor, you know, my pastor.
But how does so So when when when rev Aka Chicken Man sees JD, do you think they went immediately back.
To Oh you could tell. I mean, it was this friendship. It was this like love for each other.
It was real. Long had they not seen each other a.
Decade at least since I got them on camera, and they'd never been on camera together ever, So now you got them like in front of you know, and telling this story. And one of the things that on during the interview they talked about is that JD never called him Chicken Man, right, you know, so a lot of people did, but JD never did that.
So so then it was just.
Kind of them reminiscing and all of us that were there. You know, I had some camera people, photographers, my mom, my sister and all these people just kind of watching their care and stuff.
Again go back and type. But even there, I'm telling you.
Right, he still was real. It was real. So this is ironic, right, You witnessed history, right, because during this time you're eager to tell the story. You don't know what's going to happen? You know you're a part of this magic right because you know? And how dare you ask me to host the podcast, Ladies and gentlemen, for those who are listening right now and have been on
this journey with the entire podcast. Jeff Keating actually asked me to be the host of the Fight Night podcast, and I was like, Jeff, how the fuck could I tell the story better than you? And you like having these moments, Jeff, this is why it's here. You did the research, You were really on your journalism thing, you know what I mean, let me get to the bottom of this story. And then you had the two pillars, the foundation of the story to you know, be your music.
Some people have to go off of clips like up Town Saturday Night. You know, this is Uptown Saturday Night. I don't know if you've ever said this. I know I've said it a million times, but was based off of this actual story. But you have these you know, superheroes in this particular storytelling and your de phenomenal job. By the way, thank you. I'm proud of you. Yeah, didn't want to get on the mic. Ladies and gentlemen.
You should have seen him on set. He was he was like, it was almost as if he wasn't the guy who brought this to Fruition. But you know, I am proud of you. You know. But the next phase of this is when we really met. I think, right, we can fast forward, you know, to you trying to shop.
Well, I think you got to start at least with Dallas. The fact that absolute, Yeah, let's give our versions, because again, right about that time is the first time after let's say a couple of years of getting the life rights and doing the researches, but now we're trying to sell it, okay, exactly, and Dallas would have been the first stop. So you tell because again you worked for Dallas's companies.
Yeah, exactly.
See, you tell your version, I'll tell mine, and then we'll kind of show how our world's collide, which was but by the way, years later, because two thousand and four, I think, is when I get my first option from Dallas. And then it's around two thousand and eight ish that you and I like, you know, finally.
Yes, yeah, So I was, you know, working with Dallas and Dave Gates, and I heard the story and I was just enamored by the fact that this heist happened, right, and in theory, you're thinking about, how can a heist happen for a million dollars at this little last house new mind you, I live in Atlanta, you know, I had started my career ninety two, so I'm you know, like you said, it's twelve years later almost, and I'm just hearing this story. And I had heard so many stories.
I mean, BMF had you know, just entered the scene. All these things are happening, and I'm like, wait, this is so interesting. But then it was like, I don't know what to do with it. Like I'm not in the film business. I was strictly music man at that time. And I'll never forget I had launch Revolt Television with Sean Colmes and Andre Herrel, and I was looking to find content to put on the network. And I remember
I drove in Gumball three thousand. I had did like these little shorts and all this stuff, and I was just getting the bug, you know. And then I remember reaching out to Dave Gates to see if Dallas Steele had Fight Night and he was like, no, he doesn't have it. And I was like, all right, cool, can you find you know Jeff Keating because he was like, yes, his name is Jeff Keating, he owes life wright. So can you find Jeff? He was like, yes, I can
find him. And so I remember him calling he called me, yeah, but I remember him calling me, say he got in contact with you. And then what did you think when he was calling? Like, where were you at even with the project at that time when he called you? And I was looking for.
You, If I'm not mistaken, it had gone through a second fruition with another company, which we don't want to mention they weren't good at all, but as.
I had my gun noise like a push.
But anyway, I got the option back again, got it okay. And so after that, Dave calls me, and I was working with Lars at the time because they were trying to get it off the ground.
And and they and so they basically connected you with Lars's reps, who was repping the project at the time, and you ended up, I think, getting on the phone with either Lars and or his reps.
And at some point I want.
To say remember that, but I want to say that you'd already connected with the trip with Will, which I want you to tell that story because it's great. But I think let me let me ask you this. In your mind, do you remember contacting me before you ran into Will or afterwards?
I think I did before, okay, because actually that was.
Just a lucky break.
I had booked something with Kevin, okay, and I had mentioned it to Kevin, but Kevin was too busy.
Okay, And I remember what you booked with Kevin, You remember.
The film, and I had set it in like passing, and you know he's on fire at this time, so it wasn't like a real thing I could follow up on souse. I know how these things go. And then I remembered that I had pitched Will with the script that I had wrote called Fantasy Reel, And I was like, you know what, let me go back that you wrote. I co wrote a script called Fantasy Real, loosely based off of Purple Rain. You know, obsessed with Prince. He
is my father in my mind. So I was like, you know, we go to Will, let me see what he thinks about the story. Immediately he was like, oh my god, this is all over. Backup, because there's a longer and better story. You either long.
You either ran you were on a plane with him somewhere that's.
Not you know, we were I mean, but this is all a part of the courting state, right, So I told him the idea. He was enamored by it. Ironically, we were on a plane together and he his car service wasn't there, so I got an opportunity to use my car service to take him to his house. You know, reiterated the story, talked about it more, and that's how those things happened. But I mean, in all, well, he loved the concept of that of the story. He's like,
what a million dollars heights in George. I mean, he's Atlanta at that time, right, He's breaking records. He's almost unbelievable nobody. But it was amazing to your po I'm glad you reminded me about the plain thing because I was like, oh shit, I.
Get another It's just that's a lucky break where his car service and now you get the long because you're like, Jeff, at the end of that ride, I knew he was.
In and that's absolutely and honestly, yeah, it definitely sold him. But at the same time, I felt like he was in from the door. I just think that he had so much going on. It was you know how things are, of course, and so you know, after that we had a meeting, and the meeting was unbelievable. And I do want to tell a funny story about that because and I think the culprit is James Lopez. James Lopez, I think invited Tip, right, So this is how the story goes.
So after I know Will is excited about it. We've had several conversations about it. You know, I started being proactive. I created a movie poster. You know, I put rayleiod on the.
Only Way You left me that movie.
But you didn't talk much back then. Actually it was and Brian and so you know, we were you know, gearing up to like, you know, get ready for something. I didn't know what it was going to be. And so you know, I had Taraji on the post Ironics. She ended up being in it, and so I just was a dream sequence of like, you know whatever, and I was like getting into like I want this to be like Harlem Knights, you know, all these black superheroes. You got it early, yeah, you got it, yeah, very early.
And so I was like yeah, so you know Will was with me, and he you know, encouraged me, and I'll never forget. I was like, okay, Atlanta has to be in this project. So I'm calling you know, I had already called Mike Epps. You know, he was excited. He called t I, and t I calls me and he's like, yo, you know I want to I want to be in it. Okay, cool? He said, yeah, my mom and Chicken Man or my daddy somebody named him in his fanst all this stuff. And I was like, absolutely, think it.
I think it might have been Tips uncle and Chicken Men that were pretty close.
Yeah. So I'm like absolutely all the things. Now, mind you, I'm not telling him I want him to be a producer, none of that. I'm just just talk. I'm being proactive because this project exactly. But again back to this story, so it's a whole thing. So he goes into this whole thing, and I think James Lopez had invited him to my next meeting with with Will. So I'm in the meeting and I you know, I know business and I know how people try to get in where they
fit in, and so, uh, we had this conversation. At the end. I'm like, Will, you need to make sure you're in control of what's going on? Because I didn't invite touch touch here. I don't know what's going on. You know what I'm saying. I don't want to because you know, it's just it gets weird and everybody's in the streets all the time. We're at the same events, and at that time I was deep party man. So
I'm seeing this motherfucker every two weeks. And so, long story short, I remember when we finally, you know, got to deal with Universal for our feature and Lars wrote that whack ass script and it was it was kind of here. Listen, let's at least clean. Don't clean up what I said. You can say something if you like, but that's script. Got a shelter.
Possible. But listen, no, let me say.
A coupled with Kevin and uptown.
So let me say this, though you got executives and I know the guy working on that that wasn't pushing or promote the project at all, which is if our script was amazing, would we have not chased the guy.
We'll get to shamee a minute, but you got.
Hello, it was meant to be. But I'm gonna talk about it, and that's why you want me on it. Okay, great, So then we get this, we get this deal our script, and coupled with the fact that Kevin had announced uptown Saturday night, it got super weird loosely based on the same story, and so rival projects, all that rival projects, all types of things will have amazing things happening and going on. So he didn't want to fight, right, so
we got shoved. And you know, I remember in that process though, I was at the c I Double A. I don't know if I ever told your story. I'm at CI Double A right now, mind you. In this process, you and I did right by Dallas. We got him a check, he got paid, he signed off on a contract in that process, I know, I remember when the announcement came out. I was at the c I Double A and back to back phone calls. You will not
believe this. So I am literally about to go to an event by client BMW's downstairs to pick me up in the new seventh series. I'm on my waist. I get a call from a Dominican area code phone number. No, this is unbelievable. So I'm literally, you know, I'm in love right now. We just had an announcement from Universal. I'm I'm like, I'm I'm a fucking executive producer, you know, and I'm transferring all my energy into film and television. And all of a sudden, I answered the phone because
I never answer numbers I don't know with me. So I answer the phone and it's Haitian Jack. Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is a known gangster I'm talking about. When you look at the two POC documentaries and see what he got caught up in in the rape allegations and when he got shot, this man's name comes up and I'm like, and I know him by the way I know him, And so he's like, kidd, hey, how you doing.
I'm like Jack, He's like, yeah, man, I'm into Dominican. They won't let me back in the states Man. But this motherfucker Dallas Austin called me and said, y'all.
Got a problem. Now, mind you if you got a call from Haitian Jack in the nineties, you got to pay right. And I'm like, I know this motherfucker Dallas that did not call Haitian Jack and say that I didn't do right by him, or whatever the case. I don't even know why he called him. So immediately in anybody who's ever been in the street, you have to kind of put your foot down immediately or they start pressing harder. So I was like, look, man, you ain't
calling me about no motherfucker shit. I handle because I paid the man. He got paid. Oh no, no, no, no no. And I know Jack, So you know it was it was either like he was gonna press me if I was going to go for some money, or he's gonna be like, you know, I need something, so short enough. I was like, Jack, he got paid. Oh man, man, fuck Dallas. You know I'm calling about my documentary. Can you help me out with so flip the script same day, get in the sties to go to I mean, I
think we did the event. I'm at Ruth Chris and Tip cost me and so I'm like, this is a day, Like what what the fuck is going on? He's like, yeah, man, I just don't feel right, you know what I'm saying, Like, you know, I was at that meeting with y'all, and you know this movie's coming out and I'm not a part of it. It's Atlanta. I mean, I said, listen, bro, I need you to listen to me because I just had a phone call. I'm turned okay, I'm with the shits.
I'm not really feeling all this energy because you know, you had nothing to do with this project, so I don't. I don't even know why you're calling me. I told you I want you to be in the project. I still want you to be in the project because at this time we still had a feature coming. But I
don't know what else you want from me. And you know, Tip is a very he has a lot of Puff Daddy in him, as far as the way he could Jedi mind trick you, you know what I mean, or make you feel like we are one and we Atlanta and we should be doing And I'm like, nigga, I just told you that I don't. I don't. I'm not giving you shit. You don't deserve shit. You ain't do shit. And it was to the point where He's like, I don't really like the way you're talking to me, and
I'm like, well, I don't know how to talk. I'm offended, So let's just get off the phone. You know what I'm talking about? Picked back up, won't you?
Calls Jack and trying to enjoy a day where you got a couple of yeah and history wise. I mean I never talked to Tip. I mean I had heard through one you know, phone call, but I mean it's you know, seventeen years of me working.
But he tried it again.
I know of people that I talked to and work with along the way.
It was you know, for me, it was uncomfortable because, like I took a liking to you right at this time. It's the first thing and I'm like, no, I know who I've been talking to the whole time. I know who I've been working through the process with. And it was just uncomfortable because I feel like, you know, although it would have been great for Tip to be in it and Dallas, if you'd have had your your rights, you'd have been involved. But everybody who did something got paid. Yeah,
and those who did not we moved on. So needs to say we didn't end up doing the feature.
And we'll get back.
But just one more thing about okay, so at the end, first of all, we didn't get it. I got to say this because this is public, okay, But in the middle and for so somebody that is trying to get such a huge project off the ground and going through the business side of this for the first time before you and I even meet. When Dallas has the option, he gets busted over in Dubai for cocaine possession.
No, it's cocaine possess. That's that's what I'm saying.
You listen if I'm saying that wrong, but if I'm not mistaken, go back drug whatever, thank you, And it's public. But I'm just saying on my side, like that's my guy at the time. So I'm like, oh my god, my project. Like he's trapped over there, You've got cinners. So I'm like, what's gonna again. I want him to get out, you know, it's like I don't want it,
but I'm just thinking, like what's going to happen? So fight night for months like sits because it's like we don't have and then he comes back, Thank goodness, he's out. He's back in the States again, and they he's got like his team. They're trying to figure out, hey, we may just want to buy this off Jeff, And they at some point come to me, they say, hey, listen, how much to buy it out exactly? And whatever they
gave me was close. I almost sold, Like if they would have made a legitimate offer, I mean back in the day, you know, that kind of money.
It's like you know, and I'm just like.
Oh yeah, looking back finger, it's like, what's the whole Yeah, I'm just saying, like it shows you how close like buyouts can happen or things can turn. I mean, it's just for people that are listening and how there's so many ups and down.
So there's a lot of luck in all this.
There's a lot of a lot and it's a lot of timing, timing, and it's also to standing, you know, strong on what you believe. This project could.
Become a fucking turtle man, Like I'll know you are like that race goes on the biggest budget TV hairs passed the hair twenty times and I'm just like, I just go.
Here a superhero. I have to cut him off, y'all because he just doesn't know how to celebrate himself. But we have more a fight night to come.
From. iHeart Radio and Doghouse Pictures. This is fight Night.