A COMMON-sation! with Common

end we leave it, which is a lift disperence. You think you want to revisit, So your first take a list of your folks, say it slip old folks that we take it. Hey, no kiss, do what you do, nokish do what you do, can't no fish do what I do? No. Good afternoon, Lord Hogan, good morning, good afternoon, good evening. Wherever you at, come on, come on, come on, come on and come on. We're ready for y'all right here on the show. Welcome to laugh and learning. Yes,

and today, thank you. I only get pretty for you. It's a pandemic. So you know, no makeup has been a thing. Oh well, makeup, no draws, no brawlies, all that exactly exactly. We were welcome you guys to laugh and learn today. We have a very special guest coming in later, but I want to talk to you. How was your week? My week was good, actually, and I ended it with you, or I began my week rather with you, because we were together for what fourteen hours yesterday?

My god, we had a beautiful video shoot yesterday for the h h F, which is a Health Care Foundation parody video for condoms. It was raining condoms on my head. Literally, I was in I was in high heels. It was a twelve hour day. I was in high heels for ten hours with six hour legs. Let me just tell y'all that the bitches in pain right now. I told you not to wear them shoes the whole day. It wasn't gonna work out. You won't listen to me. I've never been on stage in flat so I'm a real girl.

Well I know you said that, but still I knew. I knew it was gonna be a problem. Well that's not why I failed. I failed because I was so into my committed trying to remember the words, and I didn't count the steps. And once they I say, yeah, but I'm still here. You're playing bad Trady down old trading down down and you said, where's my life alert when I needed that was a highlight for sure. It was a great time we had. I had a great time.

We gotta finish it today. So immediately following this show, we're going to another set to but look who's look who's joining us right now? We got to bring this player in. Yes, indeed he is a part of this laugh and learned trio. He she we all three, y'all full fail y'all twelve, y'all you look fabulous. Yes, you have the right. It's a one. It is fabulous. I can see your short though, we see your draws both. Yes, God, we got it quick, We got it quick. Yes, now

now we're good. Your son is on here with no no pants on. I'm just telling you. I know You're raised him better than that too. I know, Hugh, I know him. I'm trying to wasn't because I was afraid. Flame was like, get up off me, you know, So I was trying to make sure I had that right. This is a perfect This person is a shout out to our photographer Kendall, who was on the camera for those people at home here and I worked through this last week He's like, uh, Nick, you know you're right

up on me right. I'm like, I'm trying to figure this out. So we've been working on it. So yeah, hello, Mr Smith. That ladies young welcome Nick Smith, who was a part of this Laugh and Learned production. He's the heat and the he she weed and here's the she and you know, of course I'm the weed. But we are so glad that you joined us this morning. Nick. How was your week? My week was good until events. You know, honestly, Uh, last week they kind of had

me a little bit shook, like everybody else. Hold on, so let me put on Matt, because we've seen very Let me tell something. As much as happened in this country last week, I saw things. I saw the glass half full because we won in Georgia. Let me put my blue glasses on. I don't know what was happening nowhere else. But while they was losing, we were winning, and we won both seats. Enjoy as up and wore hats out, weig off all that, panties off the tape,

all that. But we want so what what was happening on your side of the world? You know what? I just feel like, I feel like Georgia and the work of Stacy Abrams and all the other groups on the ground and Georgia Less. Let's not forget about Fair Fight and how they really just mobilized voters, because one of the studies I read Flame talking specifically about the Georgia runoff election Senate runoff election is that as many as ninety thousand new voters came out who did not participate

in November. So Flame, Lauren, when I look at that, that lets us know that there is still a need to get people engaged in the civic process. For some reason, people chose to not vote in November, but said, you know what, Wow, it really matters now for me to vote in this runoff election. Yeah. And I want to say shout out to Hannah Invesper specifically, because they really also helped us understand what was going on in the

ground on the ground. I'm sorry, excuse me, and Hannah specifically said there's a lot of people, you know, black folks that didn't want to come out and vote. So thanks Hannah, thanks Vesper for helping us understand that more and bring you know, some more ears to the conversation. We greatly appreciate that and you remember, they also let us know about different ways to get people to the polls who might need a ride, and things like that.

All these things help to get people who might be in rural communities or have mobility issues to the polls. Whatever it took, it seemed to work because Georgia elected both Democrats to to the Senate. More importantly, it's first black senator. Its first black senator, okay, in the history of this country. And and he's single, and he's a preacher, and you know those preachers be a little kinky. I'm

just saying, ladies, if you're up for the challenge. He got some big old hands too, and a great, big old nose, I'm just saying, and single, you know, playing he did the work too, and he kept it elevated. Um. And again we can refer to Vesper and Hannah on this, who were just two of the people in Georgia. I actually see it in real time. But you understand, I'm since reading so many things after the fact where Leffler uh purposely ran ads where he was a little bit

darker than he actually is. Uh Uh, not saying it overtly, but you know what that's supposed to suggest. Uh that he was a little bit darker. She ran ads where they purposely took pieces of his sermon out of context, piecing it together to purposely try to divide that it was a super negative campaign ran by miss Leffler in this race against Mr Warnock. And I want to add to that too. She even took it a step further to attack her team that she is a co owner

for for the NBA. I'm sorry the w n B A and I watched that last night and they the players were so offended that they said, you know it, Okay, we're going to specifically endorse Warnock. So they've wore those T shirts that said vote Warnock on them and um one of I don't remember the exact team, but they're in Seattle, and uh so shout out to the w n b A two for being at the forefront of

this entire movement. Really, when it came to the Black Lives Matters protest, they were always at the forefront before the NBA even came on board. And then I watched with team war knocked right, Oh that was gangster. I didn't because I was not listening, but the TV was on, so I saw them was and that. When you said that, I'm like, oh, that was I need that team. I know, I got me one stood on their haboo. But you know what, this goes back to what you and I

have talked about so many times. What do we do to get more people engaged in the process, you know, because clearly that's the secret. Well, I guess today is definitely gonna answer some answers with us on that question, because also he was on the ground down there. Common was down there doing concerts, They were doing door to

door knocks. They were having not telethons, but they were really getting the message out because when you're familiar with something and it looks like you, it makes it easier for you to intake. So Common looked like a lot of them young brothers down there. He could speak to them on their level as the way if it was me down there, you know, they might not look at me the same because I don't look like them, even

though the message is pretty much the same. So he's gonna come on and tell us that because I was telling Lauren Lawan is HBCU law and graduating from Spellman, we need more black and brown people not running to the post to vote, but we need us to be in the in the positions to be voted for. We need more statesmen, more government, and they have to get

these kids young. They gotta get these kids in college before they get their records blemish, because I little Jack Jack can make a mistake at the age of nineteen, but his family is so politically connected or connected to the laws and the government that they can expunge his record and it disappears. As to where a little tron gets into the exact same situation, but his record haunts him for the rest of his life where he can't run for government. We need to make those changes. That's

where we gotta start at. But they got to get these kids in college. They gotta get these kids young. And I think that goes to us talking about reform in general. You know, it just can't be. It has to start at the local level, because we can't start from the top and then expect things to trickle down. We see in so many instances where that ideology just doesn't work. So two flames point and to even some things that you have said as well. Nick. You know,

we need to get you know, police reform. You know, we need to elect the appropriate officials so that way they can in essence pave the way for the younger generation to have opportunities to be in these spaces to create the much needed change that we need in America. You know, we've talked about that, even in the areas of defund you know, and I know that defunds for so many people can have this negative connotation, but you know, we've talked about this, and we have no problem when

we talk about defunding education. We have no problem when we talked about defunding health care UM, and we know what those things mean, but we never get the pushback on that, and we saw what lack of defunding can do. An example, on Wednesday, I called you flame because I was just visibly upset. I was I was bothered by what I was saying as a veteran UM, as a black man, as someone who really does know no other place but this country as my home. I was offended

because that's not part of the deals that I hold true. UM, that is not how I want to see things resolved when you disagree with the outcome of an election. I don't know anyone who was not disappointed in my circle in when Hillary Clinton was not elected President, I don't remember anyone in my circle taking to the nation's capital

to demonstrate that way. I don't remember anyone in my circle after Charlottesville doing that, after we watched our President of the United States stand back and say they were good people on both sides, when we watched them carry pitchforks screaming Jews will not replace us walking with nooses, which only have one connotation, as far as I know in my limited view of things, and I'll admit that.

So when they show up the nation's capital this past Wednesday with a news hang Mike Pence, you may have been screaming Mike Pence, but if you don't know what that imagery relates and says to people who look like me and who know the history of my community, I can't help but be offended and feel neglected and dejected. I political officials and those who are elected who will not step in and say this is unacceptable. Well, I think that's the main thing. They knew what it meant.

It wasn't a matter of ignorance. That was intentional. You know. That's what when people say, oh my god, this is not America in flame, you know you've said this too. And I completely agree with you when people say things like this is not America, This is exactly what America is. This is how this country was built in essence, you know, we had these Europeans come over here that we had

indigenous folks already here. Not only did they, you know, indigenous folks, they taught these Europeans how to cultivate, how to survive, how to be in this space. And what did you do? You raped, your murdered and you killed them. And you know, you guys were escaping you know, religious you know, persecution, but you did the same thing when you got here. And then when you realize it on

your own accord, you could maintain what you stole. You went back and got black folks from Africa to be slaves. That's how you built this country. You know, this country was built on you know, revolutions, insurrections, That's how this was built. So that's all that these people know to do. And now we're seeing it in a broader space nets on social media, and we have, you know, these platforms

where we can actually visually see what's going on. They can't hide anymore, and people are like, oh my gosh, I'm outraged, this is what's been happening. This is nothing new at all. And Lauren just to piggyback on that. And I guess the thing that bothered me probably more than anything, out of just an array of images that were disturbing. I'm watching the men and women in blue whom we're told, you know, listen, all lives matter, Blue

lives matter, Black lives matter. Okay. I watched many of these men in blue stand back and literally pull barricades back, open doors, let these marauders, these rioters, these insurrectionists into the building, like, uh, well, look Pelosi's office down that way, like you know what I'm saying that they're like, uh, this, this was antithetical to everything that we were supposed to believe. That if the ideas that we're all one, I did

not see that demonstrated. Lesson changed the name. Boo changed the name. Why are they marauders and insurgeons? And you know they were thugs and gangsters and ghetto just like they would have called us. We're gonna flip the coin, flip the gap, damn coin flame. The difference in this situation, the reason why they need to be called marauders and insurrectionists,

is because this particular act moved against. There is a term for those who do this against the state and the nation and laws, and that's insurrections, and that is a federal offense. Let me say, well, use that for use that for the crime. But let me tell y'all something. Why everybody else is watching that? Like you said, you were offended, and I was. I was not offended. I didn't give a fuck. Let me tell you the truth.

I didn't give a fuck. Not that that somebody got hurt, but if that would have been Black Lives Matter moving in like that to not even get to the stairs, they would have murdered and slow everybody out there. It would have been dead bodies everywhere. It looked like when you take this vaccine, because after they take it back and give it about a year, all y'all gonna be

laid out. I see what the funk I said. I said, if you don't like it, I don't give hell dr fault you called me nick, I'm bigger, you come on, bring it any who. I it was so and I'm telling you I didn't celebrate it because the loss of life is a loss of life. That was somebody's mother brother's son, uncle, what have you? But the police for them in real time to take photographs with these people, for them too. They always said that they feel threatened by a black man walking to the car shooting him

in the back seven times with no weapon. And y'all had on riot gear, bulletproof vest, you had guns. But I watched the police physically run up the stairs from the mob. You had a gun, you could have shot everything down, but they didn't because if that hadn't been uncing, they had to pulled me over at a stoplight to say that I didn't make an illegal signal. They would they would have shot me down and it would have been on videotape and they would have gat away with it. Oh.

I'm not speaking personal about Jake Obama. Oh, I'm just saying, uh, I didn't care. And I don't mean that in a negative way, because I love when people always holler that's not what America is, that's not we that we've been screaming that, and they say black people we overly sensitive. We crab, baby, it's always about black people. You all feel entitled because you were slaves. We've been telling y'all for four hundred plus years that that who that's who

America was. God damage and the whole world has seen who America was, and we had shipped to do with that. Not we wasn't even we was in Georgia voting celebrating what I blew on looking book. Yes, even in that there were those who had their lives threatened on Wednesday and still voted to question the legitimacy of the election. And this is where you just have to say, Ted Crews, what are you thinking? You know who, hollywool you know?

Uh flame, I'm going to throw out there. One of our favorite quotes Jay is Baldwin Um, When a white man in the world says, give me liberty or give

me death, the white world applause. When a black man says the same thing, he's judged a criminal, and everything possible is done to make an example of him, and this bad so there won't be anymore like him, say Lord, saying because I can't say it, say it Lord, because of what if I said, black man as a black man Andre but tittis, give me liberty and give me

death or what color you want your casket? Yeah. I just think the level of hypocrisy here overall is just something that one is an embarrassment for them, but it's also it's laughable because you these the same group, these Trump supporters, were the same ones to say, how dare you say defund the police? That's disrespectful in Blue Lives Matter, But y'all are the same one that we're beating up officers, stomping them to death on the steps of the Capitol.

It's and to your point, the sayings they're not universal. They conveniently fit narratives. You know, they give me liberty, give me death. You know, I had a friend I sent you guys a video. She made a statement that in the Bible it says, you know, the first shall be last and the last I'll be first. These sayings are conveniently, you know, spoken, but they they're not accurate because as soon as these things start to happen, everybody's

in the uproar. You know, we like you guys have said, there was four hundred years of you know, us being suppressed, and now that we are actually learning the system and using the same system that was built to oppress us, but we're using it to our advantage. Oh, people are upset and they're going to continue to be upset because guess what, we understand the game now. We're playing it accordingly, and you may have built it, but we're playing it

better than you. And this is exactly why I want to continue, because I know we've got common coming up today and I'm super excited about that. To talk to him about Georgia, because in all of this, Georgia was a success for those who are on the ground, and I don't want that lost in this process. There's a lot to be said for Raphael Warnock and John Assoff and all that was accomplished with that. So I want to make sure that those who are on the ground

get their due diligence. All right, let's give this conversation a break and listen to a few quick ads. We'll be right back. Is my boy don't here yet? That is, Lady and gentlemen, please welcome to this show. I show laugh and learn the Emmy Award winning, Grammy Award winning, Oscar Award winning. But then they didn't called me from the job yet, Producer director all that Hi comment, Hey, Laura, what's up? Hi? How are you you gott You gotta speak to Nick too, even though he's not right here,

He's still Nick. I just heard Nick talking. Man, I mean, you'll have some real strong conversations. Sorry, don't be trying to give us no flash. I was dating work, trying to get you'all a little quick little flash. Tell her. I don't want me looking at that. I don't want my boss to find me typically my boss. Don't be

funking with my change coming. Let me STI the first stop by saying thank you, I appreciate you doing this player, and then you know me and you go, wait, look, we go way back for at least about a year and a half. Uh, let me tell you what happened when I met coming through Tiffy of course, and uh, we were just playing cards. Now the nigga came playing on space. He from Chicago anyhood. But but you know what I respected about common common accepting me for just

how I was this mouth. Sometimes I'm in drag, sometimes I'm not. I'm still what's up? He she we whatever, and never look look past whatever I was to have just a regular conversation. Mean, you're a good dude for that one, but you still ain't put me on the shot. But we're talking about that as the show Shameless Plugs shameless plugs, flame, I got, I got love for your heartest, your hardest, white count and we connect like we just

connected automatically. I don't you know, that's Chicago, Chicago. It's Chicago. We you know, we're welcoming. Like and even when my when my homies met you, I felt it was an advancement for them, like because you know, we grew up on the South Side, you know in certain ways. And when my friends met you, they was like flame, cool as hell, You're flame, went to CBS like I did, like and it just was like a breakthrough, you know, and I for some of my friends and I felt

good about that. But anyway, it was it was natural for me to love you, your your actions towards me and that statement that you just made somebody out there who's unshow up how they feel about somebody because they look you just changed their man and their heart because you're a real nigger. I appreciate you coming. I do, and they and he gave me a birthday party for my birthday last year and the food was so good. I was introduced to jack fruit at you, but I

had never had that before. I know that jack fruit. She hooked it up we gotta shout out Chef of Mirror. She did a great job with the jack fruit and your whole birthday that was fun. Like the kids was here, my daughter was here, Tiffany, all of us. Man, we celebrated you, and I felt I felt good. Man. It's like all that was going on in the year, we just was able to share love and just be able to celebrate you. So I'm happy we had that time.

Thank you coming and my son. Your whatever conversation you had with my son on the side on the load, you changed my son. Stop process. My son is gonna be a great man. Possibly in spite of the words, because of the words that you see now, because I say some of that stuff too, But I guess coming from me, it don't mean the same thing. It's different. I don't want no awards or nothing, you know. Let

me tell you this. My daughter don't be actually listening to everything I saved, you know something, She's like, yeah, whatever. But when she get in trouble, like she just had an incident with a Karen Um yesterday and she was like going through it, she hit me up on because you know, I'm a real niggative. You know, I'm a real cat for so I'm gonna give her a real and she you know, she was able to take that. So you know how it is. Parents ain't always listen

to us. But I'm glad we got the village. That's why we got the village. I appreciate you, but we were we were gonna go to Georgia right now. So you've been there, You was in it common, you was

in the battlefield. We want to know what it was like because some of your stories might not have made CNN or TMZ, some of the things that you experienced down there on the ground that we want to know what that was like to tell us, well, I thought, I mean when I first got to Georgia, it was it was powerful because we went to the to this restaurant um called Slutty Vegan, and uh and John Alstoff and Reverend Warnock was there and we were I sat down and met with them and and the and the

owner of Slutty Vegan, a black woman, and we all had a talk and then we went out and talked about people. And then I mean we went talked to the to the press and stuff, and I was like, man, this is America. This is what America's post like look like this black woman on this spot we're here, Like John also was cool. He understands apply to black people.

You know, a white kid it Reverend war knock Is is an old Southern, young Southern brother that got Southern traditions, and they all looking for positions and in government and looking to do things in the community. I was moved by Georgia. And then I met people who who, like what was so educated on what voting was like in the hoods of Georgia. And we you know, we went eventually to Augusta. We went to to who's their mayor was super cool. We went to Savannah men with black

business people. Georgia, Man, it moved me. And I was actually in Georgia feeling a movie the night that the day that Biden and Kamala Harris won and man, it was like man, Georgia was celebrating man and it was it felt so good. I felt like the world was changing that day, Like that night, I felt the change in the ship and to be in Georgia at that time, and I want to shout out, you know, I was

a part of this this thing. But you know, obviously the stacy Abrams and and people like Killer Mike and Ts and people on the ground of the Keisha Lands Bottoms and the people on the ground Black Pack. They've been doing that work in Georgia for a long time, so I don't want to, you know, kind of perceive that like we know they they've been doing the work. I just kind of came in and did my part where I could. Well. I think first and foremost we should say thank you for doing your part, because you

don't have to do it. It's not an obligation, it's something that you decided to do. But I'm also want to know how did Vote Georgia really come into play, Like what was the thought? Well, how did it? What was the inception of it? Just so our viewers know, Well, it started with this this like earlier last year, me and my team Tama Brown, couple of my team that we do social justice work, We were like, we gotta

do something for this election. So we created something called Urgency and it was me and Alicia Keys and and offset from from from me goes. We all like we're doing certain things and around the election. But even everything went out there in the public, it was like some things just behind the scenes. So we eventually teamed up with this group, this group called P sixty eight, and we started and we went on a camp. We went campaign, and not only in Georgia. We went through Canvason and

and and meeting candidates and encouraging people to vote. Through Florida, we went through North Carolina. We went to South Carolina, um and so that was part of We went to Georgia too. Now, eventually, once we won with UH and I say we because I never subscribed to a to an actual political party. I've never been like yo, I'm a Democrat. I'm a I just try to support good people. I support people I think are gonna do right by

our people and do right by the people. So and I and I do my research, and my research is usually in the face, sitting there talking and before our preface and get all the information about somebody I like being in the presidence if I can. So I did my research, and I went out and supported the candidates I supported. Once I said we won, that means the people who I felt like had our vision in mind, the Joe Biden's, Kamala Harris's, the Rapier WARNOCKX and and

and those of such. We we ended up doing more. We we said, Georgia still has Georgia was still up for the Senate thing for the you know, for the Senate race. It was a Senate battle. It was a runoff. And what I didn't know back when Obama was in office, but you all probably knew, was flame. You are very

intelligent when it comes to this stuff. And Lauren, I would assume you might have known too, But I didn't know that was that Obama couldn't get a lot of things done because the Senate was blocking, because the House is blocking. I wasn't even not educated when Obama was in office. But let side noticed, we gotta acknowledge. The fact that this this guy was in office really catapulted a lot of us to educate ourselves even more politically the fact that Donald Trump was in office, I have

to say that. But anyway, that being said, I realized that we had to have the Senate. We had to

have the Senate. So the the things that that Joe Biden is talking about and Kamala Harris when they say they want to want criminal justice reform, when they say they want to like take care of student loans, where they say they want to get health care for them to get some of those things done in us to see the system at work, you gotta have the Senate in the in the House in place, so now they can do it, and now we can hold them accountable

for real. And you will know I just noted. I wasn't just out there canvas and campaign and speaking up. I will be at their deaths when I can, and and all of these politicians deaths on their phone saying hey, what are we doing bringing the people and the community workers to them? And what that what's gonna happen is we're gonna be able to see some real change. Y'all know it. I think more people are starting to be aware of it, and I feel inspired by it. Yeah,

come and let me ask you a questions. So what do you think because you were there and you resonate with the young and the old, because of through your music and through your acting and the way you talk. I've seen you talked to young men on different platforms. You talked to them very real. That's Chicago for real. If y'all know about Chicago, we were people from Chicago. We talked plenty ship but we get the job done.

But what do you think can we can do to get more young people, not just to the post, but involved in government whether they're young, Because I made a point earlier about if you're from a prestigious family, white and you in nineteen years old and you get in some trouble, they can make your ship disappear, they can explode your record. But if you're a black kid and you're in the same situation, it haunts you for the

rest of your life. What can you do or we do as a as a community to get more young people before they get blemishes on their record involved in government. So not only are we at the post voting in droves, but we're voting for us in droves. Well, that's a great question. I think that Um, a lot of that flame is us educating nine young people and saying having those talks like let's take off set for example, off set from Meg He didn't know he could vote because he had been he got it, he got put in

jail for a second. Is that Cordie's more for her husband yesterday? Oh? Well, he know he could vote us. He was caught up in that walk. Anybody, come on, you know something about that player, you know something about that Hey, hey, hey, I'll definitely be caught up in land Land. It is a beautiful place. But let me say, you know, I was like he was young. He is young, and and he was like, man, he didn't know he

could vote, so like his mother told him. His mother is very intelligent woman who was really telling him, like, you could vote, man, even though you know in certain states you can have a felony and vote. And when he found that out, he said, man, this is exactly what he said. He said, Man, I won awards, I've been I've had these achievements. But he said that voting sticker on his jacket was one of the greatest things

he ever felt. And it's like just having that votestick and having people walk out and say, man, thank you. Now thank you because you offset for me goes, but thank you for voting. And and I think more young people need to feel their power in that, and we have to educate them on that power and let them know what they can do and break break down some of the like yo, you got homies that's been locked up for for marijuana. These are the people that can

change those laws. And here are some of the people that are changing the lass and show them, the show them the iohan Omar's like the Congress women like that, and and Ayana Pressley's and show them, you know, the Kim Foxes and states attorneys in Chicago who are from where we're from and are who we are, and I'm working to do the things we need. And then let them know it ain't that difficult to to run, like to run, educate yourself and and man, we need people

like you. If you see something going wrong, why not step in and be the be the change, be the person who does it, because I mean, we all human beings. One thing I learned as much as I look up to Dr King and Malcolm X and and Frederick Douglas and and Harriet Tubman, they still like they are a great state. Mhad alieds my inspiration, but they're still a human beings. And I can aspire to be great in myself. So I think we got this inspire young people to feel that. Yeah, I want to touch on a couple

of things. I would wholeheartedly agree with you on the fact that if it wasn't for Trump, this is the one thing he can get credit for. I felt safe when Barack Obama was president. You know what I mean, I don't. I wasn't watching the news like I am now. But because of all of the craziness that's happened in these four years, I have better educated myself. I'm learning so many new things about government for sure, and also too in terms of getting more black and brown youth involved.

You know, it takes a village. It's kind of like what you and Flame are talking about in terms of parenting. It takes a village. You never know where that you know, lightbulb may go off when you're talking with folks. But I have a separate question that I kind of want to take it to the side here. You were a part of creating music for a very I would say, Um, I don't know, It's just it was. It was such an amazing film. What was it like working with Ava

Duvernet on such a special project. What was that experience? Like? Well, I love Avis, one of the the most intelligent and like most thoughtful and just dope people that I've ever been able to work with and been around. Um to see this black woman as a leader on the on the movie set really changed my life Because I had been on movie sets where I've been playing action and playing you know, and most of it were led by white men, you know, like that's just what it was.

I don't think I've been on any other sets where, you know. So my first movie with a black woman and as the head of things was was um Selma and that is how I got really connected with Abra and got to work with I met her before Sundance and you know, from there it was just like seeing her put she had the makeup department was was was a black person. I sent a photographer, Bradford Young Black like it was beautiful, like the costume designed Ruth called it.

Who just went on the one oscar for black for black panther is? I mean, all these people were working. So I saw ava creative world and allows you to see possibilities and gives a lot of people opportunities. So when she was doing The Thirteen, we had already worked together. She didn't necessarily say, man, do a song for this film, but I was like, you're doing a movie on what And it was kind of like close to being done

and she's like, yeah, just keep it quiet. And I was like, I called Robert Glassman Karne Riggings and said, man, let's go on the studio and make a song for this, and we made it. We started making the pieces of it and I was like, sent it to A and she said, give me a call. She texts me like come. I was, I hope this is good. And then she she got me on the phone and was like, Yo, I like this song. This song is it? She's I want you to change your second verse. So I ended

up flipping my second verse and flipping it. We were going back and forth because it was really astute musically. Some people know, some people don't know. She used to rhyme. She used to be in a hip hop group. Like it was dope, like a dope voice and everything like. So anyway, I didn't either to Rob's my uncle. I don't know if you remember meeting me a couple years ago, robbed my uncle. Yeah, no, no, no no, I'm understand. We were. We met in l A. You guys were in the

studio recording your first album for August Green. Yo. I really looked at you. I was like, I know her. Yeah, that's because she was sitting next to all this beauty small world. Yeah. Yo, but Rob, Yo, we did and we you know, man, I go front. We did that from the heart. We was like I was. I felt like I've been speaking on a lot of different things, but I never addressed the prison system so specifically, like

the way Thirteen told it. I wanted I'm music to be a reflection of that because you all know, we grow up, we think jail is normal. You know, our cousin Ralph went to jail while hold me John John John went to jail like yo, so it's like normal. We didn't really think of it as a systemic thing, and definitely I didn't. But until I read The New Gym Crow and read you know like and saw not just saw the Thirteen, but read New Gym Crow, that

I really started thinking of it from slavery. It was a form of slavery, and it was explained to me where I could articulate, hey, you know this is slavery right here. This is basically another form of slavery is the mass incarceration. So doing that song was very inspine. As you know, we ended up right been caareem and I we want emmies for that song. It's that's that's

my That's a great same way to my question. Because you got the oscar, you gotta grand meet you gotta e me what we're gonna do to complete the set, to get that Tony, what you're working on. I want to know because I know you want it. Don't tell me you're down because you told me my birthday. Man. Of course, of course I wanted. I mean not like I'm I'm a person that I love. I do art because I love all art. I want to change people's lives.

I don't want to inspire people, but I do appreciate the awards that come with that when it when it does, because it's like you're being celebrated for your art and it's touch enough people that they like, look, we're gonna award you. We're gonna give you this award. So my plight is to do theater, like for sure, it's one of the things that I was actually planning on doing last year, doing some theater piece I was acting in.

But I also want to get to writing theater. But I'm gonna do it with the passion and love that I do all mare and you know, God willing the Tonio come, what bo What kind of character you want to play on that? You want? Serious? You want comedy? What you want your singing? Your singing voice is only okay, you're you're you're like a B list rapper, so you're singing. But that's my boy, y'all. First of all, I never claimed to be a singing that's that west Side. Listen, listen.

I want to do drama. The play that I was set to do it was a drama that it was really dope. And then you know, I actually wrote a piece that I did with that I did for Audible that y'all got to check out. It's called Bluebird Memories. It's like a play mixed with the music. It's a play and we did it a year ago. Exactly a year ago. We did a theater in New York called him Another Lane Theater and it's on Audible for audios style. But it was a step into me creating my own play.

But I'm gonna do theater just I wanted to do theater before any award. I wanted to do theaters. I'm an actor. I love Oh you're gonna get it. I don't even know how long it will be before Broadway comes back with all of the the Yeah, right now they're sut down until June, but who knows what's gonna happ come and let me ask you a personal way. Let me ask you quit any person with ship. We don't here talking to all the folks, so you know they

got the vaccine. Now I'm completely against it. Baby. Let me tell I got enough for and ship going on in my body. I ain't been putting nothing extra in there. Let's a potato ship with the ritos and chicken or something. Are you? Are you? Are you planning on getting the vaccine or why or why not? Um? No, I don't plan on getting the vaccine. Uh. You know, I've been at a certain point in my life. I started like focusing on health and wellness. And that doesn't mean you

you know, you immune from any disease. But I've been working to build myself and my immune system up um and and just take care of myself. And I just don't believe that. I'm not into like taking a bunch of drugs and pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines and stuff like that. I think the body has so much power in itself that they could heal itself in different ways if we eat the right foods and have the right natural things. I mean, our ancestors was doing it. I believe we

could do it. We just have. We have more things about them because we got foods is being ejected with all type of stuff, you know, and and we got electricity going all around me, you know, technology all around it. So some things messing with our body. But I still know, you know, you gotta understand. I've been around Dr Saby, who you know has healed people with cancer and and help people with lupus. I've been with doctors and have friends who were dealing with lupus and their doctor said

you need to eat raw and they healed. They were healed of loopus. So I've really seen the power in and foods is medicine and seen the power and eating naturally, you know, and taking natural things. So I'm gonna go on that route for for a while. And you know, that's just where I am with it. I don't knock anybody for what they need to do for that body, but I'm telling my family and my loved ones to

not take a vaccine to take care of themselves. Well that's kind of seguys, because actually Flame brought up something regarding e D or rectile dysfunction, and it's like we see more and more now that there's more you know, debilitating diseases that are affecting people at you know, a younger age more and more. So, what do you think is really happening that, you know, we even talked about last week Chrad with Boseman just recently, you know, passed

away from you know, colon cancer. It's just at forty three years old. We're just seeing more and more issues at younger age and folks, especially folks of color, Like, what do you think has happening in Wait a minute before you answer that question, because how old are these these something that's haven't eated in the twenties. Yeah, let me tell you we question the answer to that because the girl and me was like, what's wrong with you? But the player and me was like, when I was

in my twenties, keeping them up wasn't the problem. Keeping it down was the issue. I was getting hard in church. God damn, I'm telling you right, Oh, I ain't the only one. Baby, don't let these cities fool you. I'm not understanding how you can't get erect in your twenties. Baby, The owse are like golden years. Let me let me take this wig off for real. Okay, alright, comm I went to the twenties boys back, take me back ship boy.

It's it's hard to just try to get yourself focused though when you're that being said, though, Lord, I'll say, I think, you know, I think it has been the foods um that's there's been some of the things that we're dealing with this affecting our bodies. While you see younger people, you know, attracting diseases and dealing with what you just said, the rectile this function and some of the things that we heard, we didn't see young people

getting those things, like we weren't here a boy. Our families and and and and as our families would safe man ate pork and I hate all this, but they but they were eating it, and it wasn't treated the way it's treated. It wasn't shot with it. It must bus that they're shooting into it now. So so that is one of the key things. I also think mental

health and wellness is important. Um, I mean, I mean, I think that can affect you all because I know, when my mind is like going through a lot, I ain't got as much sexual job just point blank you know.

So like I think even mental health and wellness is a part of of getting what you talked specifically when it comes to that, but I think in general, In fact, I think in general we gotta we gotta keep because one of the things that I did understand too, and my mother used to say this to me, but I believe it even more now is man stress causes diseases to Stress causes like like your body to to weaken up, and it just breaks things down in different ways. It

breaks you your body down. So stress is one of the greatest causes of it. So I think the combination of us being aware and taking a health making healthier choices, and also you know, having like mental health support, were better, you'll see more twenty year olds rolling around hard, hard, they'd be they'd be ready to get Yeah, y'all work for me. I'm trying to be good. So you're American. You here, we enjoyed the celebrating, but they in d C doing something else. I know you saw it. You know,

you know I'm as a comedian. I'm not talking ship. It was very it was a very sad part of the world to me. But what you feel about and you just give us the sugarcoat and answer, we don't know who I was. I'm I'm gonna give you a wrong. I'll get to Chicago's I'm gonna give you to Chicago. You know, I like it. I go front. I really didn't care about it. I didn't even care what they do. Like like I was sitting there like, thank you man,

do y'all understand what we it's accomplishing this country? I was like, man, they're distracting this this real celebration that's happening, like this real like change, Like a black woman is the deciding factor on laws and and and bills being passed federate like Kamala Harris will decide if it's if it's a tie between between you know, like the votes, Kamala Harris makes the decision of black woman vice president.

Y'all understand where we are in history, and and the to be able to celebrate that was when my energy was and and and I always believe I don't know what the how the Bible verse exactly says it, but if a fool, if you start arguing with a food, you know, it's hard for people to determine who the fool is. And I kind of was like taking in all the energy of like hearing Tamika Mallory talk about that. Ain't not fight hearing people saying man, you know me,

my my instinct was like, this is not this. Ain't us Let them be who they are. Let them they gotta show who they are. That's who they are, and the world does need to see it. Unfortunately, as you I heard you say, Flame, and I agree. I never want to see anybody lose their life or you know, be damaged. You know that's not where my heart is. So I'm never like happy about that. Adult say, I

don't I don't care. I do care that people lost their life and lost their lives, but I don't care about all the commotion going on in all the hyper Man, this is even for us to be like, even for us to be like, man, if this happened to us, we know that, Flame, You know that. We know that. We already knew that. We we passed that. We know if if a lot of ship happened to us, it's gonna it's gonna be different. We already know that. So

what where are we now? Right now? We all right, we got people in office that we gotta hold accountable to say that if this does happen to us, what it's gonna be changed? And that's where my mind is is focused, eyes on the price. So I let the

fools be fools. Well, let's quickly shout out HBCUs too, because we got a Howard alum who's aficial, who's officially a vice president of a country on January twenty, we have a more houseman who was the first black senator in our country, and all at the same time, a Spellman alum helped get them all elected. So shout out to hbc US and what we're affording black folks in this country. Comment and you know, I know you love

women period, all cross the flavor. But let me ask you, as a Black man in this country right now, how proud of you are the black women's accomplishment Because you know, I love women period. I'm not one of them, I love baby. You know I'm real nasty, I like you know. But as a Black man in this country right now, how proud of you about sisters for just being bosses? Man?

I love it. I mean as you went from as you said, from your boss Tiffany to to Michelle Obama home Girl, to to Kamala Harris, you know, to man so many other incredible from the Beyonces to just don't be putting all the skinny bitches up there. What about yeah, baby, she says, simple. You know, I wanna get your eximpically just working. She worked out to get more skinny or whatever. I don't know. You know, she could work keeping me over there looking good. But let me tell you something.

She'd be telling something. She'd be up at five and six oclock and moret to run toome some flames. You should go jogging me, I told her, bitch, if you want your man, exercise is good for you. I got some exercise. So like, like Stacy Abrooms is somebody that has changed the world, Like she is a figure that has changed the world literally and it ain't she ain't

doing for no hype. She showed, like I just thought about hustra today, like to lose in the race the way she did and for governor, for joy you and to take that loss and turn it into something that changes the world, that engage voters, to get more people educated, to be able to do that. That just showed you the strength of a black woman and a woman. And

I'm celebrating what where are black women are? Because at the same token, too, it's like the black women have had it the most difficult challenges in this in this country, probably maybe in the world, because being a woman has already been challenged, but then being a black person is a challenge because I mean, and not naturally, but just the way the world Jesus so to see the victory and the sea of a woman from Howard, to see where the way Michelle Obama is the one of the

most loved people to see Stacy Abrams make the changes she may. And you know, even let's give it the old phision. Could they continue to do stuff? And and it's young black women that you know, just doing things also, And you see the black man and the black woman handed that same situation very differently because Stay Abrams lost the government and took over the state, Andrew Gilliam lost Florida and went to the hotel with them boys. Yeah, hey,

you know, I still like his politics. Coming I'm talking ship, but I still like his politics. I hate that he had to live in shame because of the world won't allow people to be who they are openly without being jealous, so he had to sneak around. But I was making a point to say that the black man went one way and the black woman went another way, but I go both ways. I'm just saying, hey, let me say, you know, Andrew Gillam went, I went to Florida, and

then he's a family you graduate. I always got respect for my love. But he was driving and working to do down there in Florida, his personal choices, like, you know, I have nothing to do with that. I just support him as what he was doing politically, and I still got love and respect for him. So that's what it is. But you know, you know, he did what he needed to do. He got he got caught with his pants

poor your payings up? Playing poor your payings up. See, that's what your guys get for walking around here sainging. Y'all need to stop all that sagon ship. Y'all know where that sag and stuff. So it came from I'm just saying what I heard on the screets. Poor your god damn pants up. But I do want to kind of switch back to the music though, because you talked earlier about arts, and I think in a lot of ways, you know, arts education is just not something that's being

afforded in like schools anymore. It's kind of, you know, it's not as important and with this pandemic hitting, you know, we really saw in a lot of ways music was at the forefront of keeping people's spirits up and just keeping them happy about life. Has your appreciation or perspective rather on music changed it all since the pandemic hit and just seeing all of the positivity it's really brought into the world. Lord, My, my appreciation and and gratitude

for music is strongly like it's been reminded. I've been reminded, I've been re birthed in it in a way. And that's that's a great question, because I didn't know I would because we were, you know, doing this pandemic, because we were all at home and I was doing my workouts and stuff. I found myself listening to only the music I really wanted to listen to. So I was putting on nineties hip hop and nineties soul music, you know, R and B, nineties, R and B, seventies soul, jazz music.

But I really found myself like people enjoying and sharing music and and and I started sitting with music more in my home, which I don't do a lot because I make music and I'm always around music. So but I was like man, this music has really touched me.

Oh and I forgot one other gospel. I love gospel music too, so like in that I love gospel music and I was playing that and it just was really inspiring my day and giving me a piece, you know, the word piece beyond understanding is what I got through

the music a lot, and and really feeling connected. And you know, you saw people, whether it was D nice DJ and or of versus where well, I would see people online and I see people musicians that I love, you know, making comments oh listen, you know, and it

was just the music that was uniting us. So and I realized too that as much as I love I love acting a lot, like I love acting a whole lot, like just you know, I would say, with as much passion as I have for music, but you can't, I can't, you know, like you can't just go make a film by yourself. You still need somebody to hold the camera out of the music. If you can play the time, you can play, you can play piano, or even if you could just sing without you can still do it.

You can care, I can rhyme and and I don't need anything. And it's just like music is such a true gift from God. I just I definitely gained a great value for it. What y'all need to know is Comming is a very spiritual man. He'd be burning his little whatever stuff when we were playing Cars because he was like Paula White calling on those African angels. Ain't none of them? Bit you showed up. I understand. I don't play no games, comment on no pace spage table

when he be burning off. Yeah, baby, he burns all his earth spices, salery, bell Pepper, all that know that ship where when we're playing Cars, because I'd been telling you that be the west side on the south side. You really act like you're a great space man. Really, you on the one game that you want? Is it because of jail. Let's be honest player, and we're gonna talk about it. We don't talk about Come on, that's

your that is your strategy. Said The reason I was because you tell the truth telling Thank you him, Jill. I'm not as gorgeous as you. I'm trying to look like your girl, look all young and stuff. Her birthday. Your birthday is on Friday. Happy early birthdays, Capricorn. Oh girl, you always got some money because y'all cheap a ship? Hey, happy comment? What's yours? All? The X same? Hi? What's your zodiac sign? I'm a pissons h February March. You good and crazy? My mom's a Pisces, so I could

say that It's okay, y'all are special people. We'll go crazy. I know what I said, good and crazy. We're good people, were good hearted people, but we're crazy because we want One day, I want to do this, the next day, I want to do that, feel like that in the same hour. You know, their fish shows opposite directions, so you know that makes sense coming. You know, I want to not want to know because your daughter is your daughter ever gonna get into acting or modeling because she's

very lovely. She had big old lashes on at the party. I said, say, girl, when you doing a dragon show, check them big bad wings off in your face. But she was so pretty. I think it was it was just it was just her birthday around the same time as man right, Yeah, birthday birthday August. Yeah, it was coming out. Yeah, so no, she she's a Lloyd. She's um on the law school. So I mean she said something about acting just to me the other day. But

I don't think she really with want to act. I told her she should take acting class being a lawyer because it takes like acting class is something to me, even if you don't want to be an actor. It gives you confidence to be in front of people and try different things. And and you know, like to be a lawyer, you gotta be able to communicate and talking like have that confidence. And that's half the battle. Where

thank you for sending her law school. We need more lawyers that look like us to represent us when we get in trouble, even when we didn't do ship. Because I'll tell you, when the police put me up, I'm putting my wig on because it's safe for me to be a training than a black man. And that's the real talk. Baby. I'm gonna let you feel these titties if it's gonna scare the ship out you and you're gonna run away from me whatever it takes, baby. And

that's what Malcolm X said about any means necessary. And the mess up part about that was Donald Trump took those words and took it to heart because this thing is trying to cheat and win and get back in here about any means necessary. We love to say the words as black folks. But we got to we got to walk it. We gotta walk. Georgia walked in last week. We have really showed up this year and common We had a conversation about what Actually we had a comment

today we're having a common conversation. We have that comments. Don't We're stealing my ship. I want to hear that in your next check. Girl called me. What was I saying? I was telling no. We were having a conversation a couple of weeks ago comment about um. They were saying they were equating racism with mental illness. That that's that new thing on the other side. Because on our side, we when John John was crazy, we sent that nigga down south for the well when he went down south

with the rest of the family. But so seventy four million or seventy five million people that voted for Trump because they are good Republicans. Understand that there are good Republicans, but voting for Trump this go around and being a Republican with two different things, seventy they want to equate that it was seventy four mental ill people in this country. They voted for Trump cause mental illness and racism ain't

the same thing. Race is is a learning behavior. To me, racism definitely is a learned behavior, but it may take some some mental help to get you out of that learned behavior and and some work on self or to know or to know pookin them on the south Side. I know that is. I know, pooky Them's gonna be a good a good ask weapon. And even that ain't going eventually because even like one thing I was thinking about when somebody brought up to the people went to

the capital, I was like, what did they accomplished? Really? What did they accomplished? Like what did they leave with? Like when you're gonna do something, like if you're in a movement, you want to leave with some something that feels like it's changing, Like they with pictures with the police, and they left with some paperwork out of the out

of the Nancy Pelosi's stand, ridiculous ship. Ridiculous ship. Yeah, but I mean, listen, Racism is a sickness that has existed for a long time and it got it and it got and it has to deal with with a fear of another person, you know, taking your position their greatness, like you're not having enough love for yourself to be able to see somebody else shine. And I mean I think throughout history because we as as original people, as original man and woman, have been shining and having these

natural things that just beautiful. Like some people just haven't been able to deal with that. And we nothing type of people to be like, yo, get out of here though, Like black people ain't go just like ostracize you just because you're not on you know, a certain level. But for whatever reason that fears and that and that and some of the things that have they have developed in their nature, they go try to conquer every place that

they they are on this planet. And they know I'm talking you know, And and that racism has been passed on, that mentality has been passed on to a lot of people. And the reason why I say it's gonna take some type of mental um wellness to help is because how do you heal disease? How do you heal mental like issues? Like issues issues? It ain't even just let's let's say we get regardless of mental let's say it's emotional issue. How do you hear that? That's the question for both

of y'all. What what what would you say? Um? You want you don't want. I've had to heal emotions, uh comming. You know, I've been through a little bit of everything. Baby, I've been a prison, I've been a prostitute. I have survived, baby, a man trying to kill me, two white boys threw me out of a car. Uh. My mental healingness to

me was I never not saw what I wanted. I've always saw what I wanted, and I knew I looked differently, and people tried to change me if I wanted to be famous just for being famous, they offered me reality shows. Now ten years ago, when they found that I was a transgender person who had children, I didn't ever want to sell my kids. And you've been with me and

the company of me and my son. Whatever I lose in this life, I will never lose my son respect for me as his father, because no matter what y'all think or what y'all see, my son respects me as his dad. And I asked that Nigga for his birthday on Sunday the ninth or Saturday, what you want for your birthday? You know what he told me. I got the greatest dad in the world. I don't need nothing. I was shook don't know Nigga shake me that nigga had me shook. I mean that's been the a but

that's the truth, and he spoke as truth. And I mean I've seen the reflection of it in your and your kids on yourself and just both girls and everybody. They were just like you're a great parent. And I just go to show you, man how respect and love and that. And that's to ask your question. That's some of them things that that one passed down in some of them communities and now they got to be checked. Sometimes to check is gonna be uh, you're gonna nothing

deal with the ride. And sometimes it's gonna be a little you know, we're gonna we're gonna work through it emotionally. But but whatever way, it's got to happen sometimes, you know, unfortunately, some just think some for some of this change that happened. We we lost some of my brothers and sisters lives. Just what it is. So some of the some of that racism going to be be down through physical things that I mean, it's gonna take some dramatic things like that,

but it's gonna be years and years of healing. They've got to take place and you know, I believe we have to set the examples and not in a way it's like we're gonna just forgive and forget all the things. But yeah, we can live in forgiveness, but were also living and teaching, and forgiveness also has it does have accountability, and it does have like it holds people responsible and you put people in check. So I feel like we we gotta be the examples of what we want to

see too. That's a good set up for me because I want to ask you, as an artist, what do you feel like it is the responsibility level of an artist? And Vesper asked me to ask you this question. I thought this was a great question. Myself included any and whatever form of entertaining you are, if your influencer, what do you feel it's the responsibility of the artist to speak about the social climate or the political times that's

happening in their lifetime in real time. Well, artists are human beings, and if you care for your family, you care for your community, you care for your people, you care, then you should use your microphone for something that is gonna uplifting and show that you can't all of it is,

don't have to be consciousness. All of it doesn't happen, But you gotta say something you know or or and do something when you've been given the opportunity to have a microphone, the opportunity to have a gift of talent that you can use. Like I said, no one is asking any artists to to be like yo. Every song needs to be about the community and need to be about love and respect for one another. But man, what

can you do? Like look at yourself and say, what can I do that will benefit people more than me? Benefit benefit people that are that are in my community, people that I know are hurting and dealing with different things. What can I do? And if you just do that, and that's that's enough for me as as an artist.

Like and they don't even have to be done all like where everybody has to see it, but sometimes it needs to be seen just so other people can know that it is being done and you can inspire others, like some of the things we were doing on the campaign when we went out. I don't promote everything I do, but this time I was like, I need people to vote. I need people to know it's it's voting is important.

So I'm putting up I'm putting that thing up like we're putting it up, and that's one of the reasons I did that. So so my thing is like, just do something that you know is benefiting something more than just yourself and use that microphone wisely, like need us to, most said artists to reflect the times. It's the duty of arts. That's our duty. I feel it's our duty as artists. And its unity. I think we got too many cowardly artists. Let me say what I see it.

Hold on because y'all know, y'all gonna come after me. But I fight back, and I come in back and be scared of this class back because it's dangerous. Um, how did there were so many people who were not politically savvy or who did not come out long before when we had twenty three candidates running for president let's just go back to that, and then they came out with all this hold the vote to vote no matter for the black agenda. Every time I ask somebody black,

what is the black agenda? Has it changed in four hundred years? Because you know, coming, I thought the irresponsibility of some of these people who had shine and power and on the microphone, like you said, use it wisely would telling black people to hold their vote in the in the state of the world that we were in, and our end was the most ridiculous Irrisbleu bill shit I ever heard. And if I never worked for you,

It's okay, I'm cute anyway, I'm still now. I mean, I think the time and of it was was was was really tough to me, Like I was like, the time and of this is is not a good because if we do have those things, we need to go at a time where it ain't about voting right now, Like if you're saying, like, man, this is this is the black agenda too, it can't be just we go to them with that when it's trying to vote. And that's one of the things that I've been like really

want to be keen on for us. Now it's like, okay, we we showed up. You just said if we showed up. Black people showed up during this election more than more than we had before, and we would have we were the people to change it. We were the people to change the point blank and like we were we were

have decided factor. Now, how in between that can we continue to educate ourselves and keep people engaged so that they can locally know who's running who and who's who's good for them and and and know like on the state side, and know eventually continue to go through the federal so we can stay engaged. And this is not just a time where things is going crazy that we go to um these elected officials of candidates and asked

for things. We need to be doing this all throughout throughout the process and not just asking, demanding, commanding things. So I do believe you know. I respect you know. I got respect for for Q. I got respect for for Wayne too, So I respect that they can speak their minds and say what they need to say. Um, I just need it for me. That meant that we

had to go even harder to get people out. I ain't saying no names, but since you mentioned dough Boy and the neggative drink call served to get hat nigga stay away from that night, Quire, you need some day Quire to wake your ways. God damn it. Look he's gonna get woke up. And unless he get this pardon from your president because they talk about he did time part little way on those gun charges that he's facing ten years on. I'm just saying this niggad and committed

all kind of cramps and y'all let him part. I want to ask you that one more question comment. I want to know this question about do you think that they should impeach him or you think that they should just invoke the twenty five Amendment which was which was stripped this fool of his rights. I'm with that one, But what do you think should they impeach him a strip him of his rights? Sound good? Members? Sound good?

I would hour to be honest, I kind of like, man, let's like, let's just get rid this is this is done like a peachment is like we only down it like nine more days before the inauguration, right, yeah, I mean, And just to intro ject really quick, my opinion is I don't think we should impeach him because what I foresee happening is Mike Penn's taking over for even if it's five days, he's gonna give him a pardon. That's

what's gonna happen. And seven years. Let me tell you something common because you know my old conspiracy theory, this bitch, you know conspiracy theory, you know that that word. I believe that the way they have put out that Mike Pence and Trump is into it. I think that's the overplay for the underplay. That's the Chicago term. That's the overplay for the underplay because I think publicly they want

us to look like they're feuding and battling. But the plan is for Pence, they become president and then pardon Donald Trump. Oh, it's all a scam to me, I'm saying when i'm I'm a fake bach. So you know I can say it because I see fake ship, you know all that. But I'm telling y'all, I think it's a ploy, and we keep taking the attention off what's really happening on that side because they keep trying to

showing something on this side. So if you throw everything to the left, naturally everybody's gonna look to the left. Some of us got to look to the right because they're on some bullshit. I'm just telling you'all pay attention. Comming. You think you'll ever get involved in politics later in life? Um sometimes always said no, And I don't think I will because I really love like being an artist, and you know, and I love acting, I love like creating, but and I feel like I can do for people

without having to be actually a politician, but who knows. Man. As we just said, like as we encourage other people to to step up and young people to step into their position and and and actually be the senators and be the district attorneys. I mean, I'm may, I'm may. It might be a position in politics that that would serve me where I can certain people better. I'm all about being able to serve the people and being my purpose. So if my purpose leads me to politics, I will

do it. But right now, I'm just doing what I can do to support those who I believe in that in politics, and we appreciate all that you're doing too. We just want to engage some of the flame maks because they are sending questions in and both my names because yeah man, he wee, wait a minute, I'll tell you how I vote for you more tell lay wait that said, Hey dude, Hey, that's my type leading my type. But tell, I don't know why I'm not the candy

lady on the chat. Let me just talk about cause you prod the shot you I used to run the city of Chicago is what you don't know? Player, I ran that city later? What up? You know? Lean out? You need I need to be the kid that ain't the round guns, say a hole, say oh candy cook, chling plates all that. It's always a candy lady in the city of Chicago. They always and the candy lady had always kept young man, kept a pistol, and kept

plenty of money in her pocket. Now I got I ain't got no young man, but I got plenty money and I got a pistol. So really quickly we want to get some people. They're asking us questions for you so specifically that the number one question is what are your beer tips? What's going on with the beer? People want to know? Just just let them know. What do you do to keep it so well groomed and so amazing looking? Well, listen, I'm not to be honest, I'm I'm not the barber. My tips is to to get

a great barber who really knows what they're doing. And I like my beard, like I really loved during this time of like when we were down, I just was letting it go and remember how much I like it to be to be raw like wolfing, like Gil Scott Hearing or somebody Marvin Game like. So my my tips is to to to keep it health. You know, eat healthy so that that's gonna get your beard she you want. But I always have a good barber or whoever do your hair around because I get my my beard done.

Like if I got stuff to do, I get it done every like three fold eights. Um yeah, if Tiffy was my boss, nigger I had about Phoe jokes up and what you can see. But I love you tell him. I ain't saying ship. I want my job. I like my job. What's y'all don't think it's common? Has the most beautiful ball here that ever that nigger ain't got no flavish is in it. It's the same color. Ain't no nix and cuts or nothing. Common the best ball

here ever, and it's the same. It ain't like you know how some people have to light around and it's the same color. The whole heat is the same color. But that they're real like that. It looks like a living head in person, like like I think a real like a light boat. What other thing people are asking is you talked about music earlier in your appreciation for it now throughout the pandemic, So who are your favorite? Who's your favorite? I would say a jazz artist and

hip hop artist. My favorite jazz artist is John Coltrane. My favorite hip hop artists would probably be the group Tribe called Quest, the Groupselves. Yeah, I'm you know, I'm in the nineties with it with the hip hop a lot. I mean, I still I listened to some of the new artists and appreciate respect what they're doing. But me growing up, I was listening to to Trial and to Gangstar in the Black Moon, which you know some of them with my peers, nas is one of my favorites.

So yeah, go ahead, go ahead, come let me ask you this with all this downtown and all these kids going to the internet, because you really are seeing a lot of talent because talked talked about that earlier. Do you get the inboxes that these people send you up their beach and that's wrapping and and do you actually go through yourself because I know a lot of people have other people go through their social media, because I know a lot of these young kids want to know

do you actually see them? Well, you know, I created this this platform, it's called Start Us Kids, And what we do is it's a collective of different artists from musicians to direct us to like visual artists, Um you can sing rap what up and and like honestly as my team between on and the co like just younger people who like check out all the stuff and then they tell me what's good and we put it on the platform and just give people a test to connect with other artists and also try to be a bridge

to be able to get artists signed. So start us kids is what I created to be that because I honestly wouldn't when listen to every DM there somebody you know, when listening to something everything that someone sends me, because I'll be sometimes working on my own stuff slash just getting my own piece of one. So I made sure that I got a team that does check it out and I hear the stuff that makes it to the next level builty and start searching built American idol. I'm sorry, no, no, no, no,

I just uh. The one thing I do want to do, want to know too is what message do you think is one that would be inspiring to the youth? Now, Like, what would you say to the youth that are coming up? You know in these we can call them to multuous times for all intents and purposes. What's a message of

inspiration you would give to them. Right now, I think, Um, it's been no better, no greater time than this time for you to really know what you care about and know what you value and know to discover what your purpose is. Because the world did stop and everything wasn't moving, you don't have to do so much. You actually have an opportunity to listen to yourself and figure out, like what is important to me in this world and what

can I contribute to this world? Like a lot of the things that seemed important pre pandemic, a lot of that got removed. So now it's up to you to say what's important to me? Like is it followers? Is it? You know? How much does that really mean to your life? For real? Like unless you translate that into something that becomes business or becomes powerful, how are you used? Like

to me? For me, it's been if I don't do something with with uh uh an oscar, if I don't like change somebody's life or use that platform that access to do greater things than what did I really get it for? So my thing is to is what I say to younger younger people, is to find what you purpose for and when you do it, pursue that with all your heart and soul and use it to better other people when you can't, like, just use it to

better other people. Flame doesn't through comedy. Flame is like yo, like and and we're learning, but we all don't laughing. So you know, Flame found web, you know, like, well, this is where I'm gonna do it. This is one of them. This is one of the ways. Like and I think it's important you find a way to to to to you know, to do something you love and contribute to the world. I love that com you know you're the man. You know, are you let me? Are

you gonna marry? Let me ask you? Are you gonna marry? Tiffany had it? Look at me, look at me? That would be a beautiful day. I would say, that would be amazing. Have a batter question. Am I gonna get invited to your wedding? Well, of course you would if you got your wedding level. You know, we would have to. It's a must, you know. I like check that. Come on the real West Side exactly exactly what high school did you go to in Chicago? I went to Lutha South.

It was over on eighty seven to Kenzie unfortunately closed down, but shout out to all my my luth of South people. I know you went to the b I stayed right by CBS. I stayed like about five blocks from CBS. You're a little older than me, though, so you had graduated LAM before I came out telling about the space. Now you're coming with us, calling on the whole armor. God, they didn't show up that they weren't. They weren't work

with this last every all the time. Come. The only reason I did because God don't want me up there because I talked too much. Ship He'd be like, dude, you gotta explain them to the first, get that story together if I even bring you this way, because God ain't ready for me. I'm coming. One other thing, can you tell us about your website and where people can go and visit you to get some more information about all of the activism and things that you're doing. Yeah,

well you know for sure. Um here I t at common um. Like my website is think common dot com. We actually have a lot of new um like gear, new clothes and stuff like this. Dope like it's common well line and we've been doing I should have had on this west shot now. But it's like from from this workout series and and and this health and wellness series I did called Common. Well we have some of the give for that. Um, but yeah, you can check me out at Common all platforms comming. I appreciate you.

I thank you for joining doing this for me because I know you're a busy man and you found other things to do. Plus you know I had to push Tiffany and she didn't even had to twist you. Um, you agreed to it right off. I appreciate you. You are you are the man coming. I'm telling you something as a friend. I appreciate you as a man. I respect you as a training I respect you for the EXPERI respecting me, and as a professional nigger. Brainer. We should have a comedy, a comedy rap concert. I can

open for you. Baby, I have on fire you know, he she will. I've asked you to write me a rap call he when on that bullsh on that bullshit a love love and Lord, it's gonna see. I'm gonna tell Rob I build with you on it. Yeah, I'm gonna call it. I'm gonna call it a little later and tell them we talked today. For sure. It's good to see you too. Hey, thank you, Colm, and thank you for what you're doing and life changing the things

that you're doing, changing people's lives. Because some of these young brothers and sisters are seeing you and watching you. Tell that killer Mike, I want to pick his brain because that's that nigga. Brilliant to me, Good God is brilliant to me. He's a He's a real dude, real and intelligent one so powerful and some respect to killing Mike.

You will, you will. You will open up a door for other men that are straight and heterosexual that just in the world to allow them to speak to me or somebody that looks like me now just because you did this, So hats off to you. I wouldn't say hal, but you ain't gonna help. It looks good though. Thank you. I appreciate you. Love you, dude. Thank you. Piece. Ladies and gentlemen. That was Oscar Warwinn and Grammy ward Win, Tony what he wanted to speaking into existence. Bring it,

Bring it. Thank you guys for loring you. I think you're sure one for politics. I vote for you. You know what. I feel like what Barack said about show. I think my mouth might be a little too reckless for it. Well, actually, after what Trump has done, is anything off? Now, well, there's a double standard. You gotta remember the double standards. So well at the last Wednesday, I think that might be good, slowly moving out the way. I think they were more embarrassed than anything else. You know,

they don't act like that. They don't do that. We don't act like that. Yes, true, But anyway, I think this is an amazing conversation. Anytime you're involved in the conversation, law, you know, it was great comment. It was dope for doing that. You guys can follow Lauren Hogan where at Lauren Armani h on Instagram and due to my instructions from this beautiful individual right here, I'm also on YouTube now at Lauren Hogan you can subscribe and see amazing

episodes of Laugh and Learn. And you can follow Nick Smith at Nick Smith News when we're on all social media platforms including YouTube. You can also follow me on YouTube with just Flaming Row. You can follow me on Instagram as Monroe Flame. I do do a of lolenge. You're doing the evenings at six thirty West Coast time when I'm feeling it. We have a great time. We play music, we break stories. It's only for a grown It's the escape hour. Don't come with politics. It's only

for grown people. And I'm not talking about growing in age. I'm talking about growing in mentality because some of you might fucking semni egg like toy. We're not talking about Trump, Okay, I just had to get that. Thank you guys so much. To my executive producer Tiffany had It. You made the magic happen. We appreciate you over here at Laugh and Learn. To our fabulous cameraman Kendall, thank you so much. Sure I produced a triple We appreciate you. To all the

flame mats. This show could not be possible without you. We thank you. I thank you Nick Smith, my partner. I think my new baby right here, Lauren Hogan. We got another job to do. Yeah, we got to go to a set in about an hour. So thank you guys for watching and subscribing. Please like, share and subscribe, Like share and subscribe. We will see you all next week. We got Ellen coming real soon, y'all. Bet we got Joe Boyd coming, We got deal Hugh. Oh yeah, come

on with it. This is laughing learning. Thank you for remember I can't no bitch do what you do because we are not trying to get you to change your mind. We are trying to get you to use your mind, and then there you go Peace two