Native Lamb Pod is a production of Iurheart Radio in partnership with Reaison Choice Media.
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome, Welcome.
Ladies and gentlemen, Welcome back to our Native Land Native Land Mini Pod.
We still have Garrison Hayes with us.
Shout out to my brother Andrew Gillup for actually joining his family and going on vacation. Much deserve, much needed for spring Break and Angela Raie. But today we're having a mini pod of great urgency because what we have is an attack on the arts. First, Timothy Challemeat took on ballet and the opera, saying who cares about those things? And now we have African American performing art centers under
attack by the NBA. Magic City Monday, as we all know, Love and Adore has has was canceled with the Atlanta Hawks. It left many people distraught, It left it left the entire community devastated. Uh, and so I wanted to make sure first we're going to pull up with Adams said about the cancelation.
Here we go, he said.
When we became aware of the Atlanta Hawks schedule promotion, we reached out to Hawk's leadership to better understand their plans.
And rationale.
While we appreciate the team's perspective and the desire to move forward, we have heard significant concerns from a broader array of league stakeholders, including fans, partners, and employees. I believe canceling this promotion is the right decision for the broader NBA community. I have not been so disappointed and a commissioner in a very long period of time. But here we are, Garrison, Angela, I mean, do you all
share the same heartbreak that I share? Magic City Monday is a part of the Atlanta lore and legacy.
Is this good? Go ahead? Angela. I want to hear from you.
No, I want to hear your question.
I was curious, I mean, just as a point of technicality, is this the first one? Or have they been doing this for a while. I'm an Atlanta Hawks fan, I've never heard of this. This is the first one.
They have sweat they were going to do wings ti I performing at halftime. I believe two change might have been there. I know Young Drove was there. It's just the whole atmosphere. I mean, and then you go celebrate the after party at Magic City. I mean, you're just reinforcing making sure the dollars reach the community.
Where they're needed, circulating in the black community.
I like that. I like that souls to the.
Polls, literally to the polls. I think that.
The thing that is interesting to me is that there's this confusion about how much like strip club culture is a part of Atlanta, Like it is so fundamental to and I don't think that kids or families are confused about that. So it would be one thing if they were like, oh, let's actually bring naked booty women to the thing and have the pole dancing for halftime. That wasn't gonna happen. But there was pole dancing at Usher's
Vegas show. Usher included it in other aspects of his show, and it was fine because what it is a part of Atlantic culture. Now here's another piece that I think is really really important here.
This is a business, this is a pastime.
These kids, some of these badass children, do listen to hip hop with cursing in the lyrics. So it's not like, oh, I cannot believe this clutched my pearls. But I think what's fascinating about this is Jamie Gertz, who is the principal owner of the Atlanta Hawks, with her husband Tony Wrestler, had a twenty twenty five Stars documentary called Magic City and American Fantasy. This docuseries is part of the reason why she has an affinity toward Magic City and probably
any interest in doing this at all. I'm sure this was remarkably disappointing for them. I think it's you know, it's not the end of the world, but I can understand why it's frustrating. Again to me, this is just a part of, you know, what Atlanta culture is, and so I just was blown away that it became such a big deal, and I was really surprised. I'd love to know what you all think or no, like why
Adam Silver felt the need to get involved. There was some blowback, but it's largely from conservatives, and let's not act like they're not involved in strip club culture.
I think part of it is on.
The deal for strip clips.
What I think happened is that Lucordine, NBA player made his statement that basically kind of blew it up around certain circles that this was inappropriate.
Right.
But to your point, Angela as a as a person who grew up in Atlanta, born and raised in Atlanta, I knew about matt I knew about the strip clubs and all this stuff, like from very very young. And it's not to say that this is a place that was like I wanted to go, none of that, but but I knew about it, and it was a part of the culture, and it was certainly a part of the lore of the city. I mean, everybody knows that when you know there's a there's a hot record that's
about to come out. They played in Magic City first, Like we know that, Like that's what we know.
That's a part of the culture. So I thought it was interesting enough.
Of course they were playing the Orlando Magic and so like there's this kind of connection there with the team name, and I thought that was kind of.
Interesting, and that.
Was the main point.
That was the main point. It kind of got blown out of proportion.
I think they were just doing a kind of an interesting play on the name and the city and the team and the lore and all that stuff, and it got kind of blown up. To your point, I highly doubt they had any anyone in there that was any more let's say, inappropriately dressed than a cheerleader or a person who was a part of the dance squad right like that that that wouldn't have, you know, risened to some level of inappropriateness, And so I did think it was a bit a bit much.
Look, Luke Cornett averaged six point seven points a game, and he was the one who kind of spurred this opposition from the San Antonio Spurs. He played at Vanderbilt. I don't know anybody that has a Luke Cornett jersey. But one of the things I.
Did, does he does he have a quote? I want to play the quote.
I don't know he wrote it. He wrote an article.
He wrote an article on Medium calling for it to be canceled.
Okay, I see this now, Oh steven A had something to say about it. You want to see that?
Absolutely not.
But you know, I think that that people need to first because they're people who aren't familiar with Atlanta, like the three of us are. I went to Morehouse. It's one of my favorite cities on Earth. I tell people all the time, Atlanta's full. They don't need nobody else moving down there. Traffic's a mess, but Atlanta is a city of great culture. All the way back from Maynard Jackson, you know, he piggybacked off.
Maryon Barry in d C.
Creating a new entire atmosphere of black wealth, what they did with Hartsville Jackson Airport, black contracting. You're talking about the epicenter of black intelligentia with itc More High School of Medicine, Morehouse, Spellman Clark, Atlanta, Morris Brown. I mean, it's just always been and people when they think of strip clubs or Magic City, they just think of something that is dinner, whereas in Atlanta it's seen as the epicenter of pop culture. Mister Magic is a real human being,
his son Juju is a real human being. They are figures in Atlanta culture. Government, I mean they play a role. They you know, politicians know who they are, government employees know who they are. And to your point, Garrison, there are there are songs like DJ's literally you have to go to Magic City to play your music first. And Magic City is more known for their food and cuisine. Shout out the MC Kitchen, who probably follow some of y'all on Instagram.
They follow me, but.
They're they're more known for their food and cuisine than actual strippers. I mean, I've been I go I don't mind saying that. Ellen goes with me it's all good. Uh. The food is phenomenal and the you know, just the it's very small only beef I do have now juju if you are listening. They charged way too much for parking, which is why everybody got a They charged about sixty
eighty dollars the park at Magic City. But I just think that it's a and shout out to Tony Wrestler because a lot of times you get these owners of organizations who don't identify with the city.
Yeah, but shout out.
To him for even they were like, we're gonna do Magic City Monday, and Tony Wrestler was like, bet I'll be there. Like, but the city, the city still showed up to y'all still perform. It wasn't Magic City Monday. It was just a Monday with the magic And I'm disappointed that I Adam Silver didn't let Atlanta be Atlanta.
Yeah, Adam Silver, we got to have a conversation about the commissioner. Okay, I really feel like he's lost his way. Pablo has been kind of blowing his spot up and so I need I need some reforms from Adam Silver. He hates I know that pet Pablo been to watch his back around. See he's better watch his back. This is what I got it. I say this about about the city of Atlanta. You're right that Atlanta is a city of culture. But Atlanta is truly a city of diversity.
And what I mean by that is it's a lot of black people, but it's a lot of different types of black people. You can find basically any kind of black person in Atlanta. And I think to some degree, if I let the Atlanta come out of me, I would say that people are very jealous of that. I think people have a lot of hate in their heart toward Atlanta because black people in Atlanta can be anything. You can grow up as a skater kid and be a very black skater kid in Atlanta. You can be
into any type of music in Atlanta. You can be into strip clubs, you can be into the arts, anything you want in Atlanta. And it's because of that diversity that a night like Magic City Night doesn't really like offend the sensibilities.
Because they had the H. J.
Russell Knight a couple of weeks ago, right like they had the moor House Night. They had the you know, spell House Night a few months ago. Like there's a little bit of everything there, and they're gonna have the Pride Night a couple of times a year, and they're gonna have everything. So it's not as though this is some special or we're honoring strippers. No, we're honoring everybody because in Atlanta you can be yourself. You can show up as yourself and be yourself, and we're very proud
of that. And it's unf fortunate that we let anyone, particularly Luke Cornett come in and dictate.
I know, but I want to know where is he from? Like from uh Louisville, like Jack Harlow. Y'all need to watch the main episode.
If you confused, Yeah, you were close.
He's from Lexington. He's from Lexington, Kentucky.
Let me turn out everybody trying to take something from black people to last couple of.
Books.
Oh lord, we do need to get Charles need to come defend himself. But all I was saying, oh.
I said, they need to vote. They need to vote for him. We need to see some changes around here.
I suppose I need to He also need to come to fan Kentucky right now because they tripped.
See yes, yes, but defend this.
N But you could be Jamal Bryant in Atlanta.
To your point, I could be Andrake Dickens in Atlanta, j Russell in Atlanta. I mean, you could go and be at Emory, or you could work at the number one trauma center in the Southeast at Grady, like you know, I just I just find you could be Stacey Abrams graduated from Swelming like the.
Bottom bottoms, and.
You could be White Chocolate, who is probably arguably the greatest ripper in the history of mankind.
But I don't, I mean, I don't want to go to.
White Chocolate.
She was in a tip drill video. You don't remember White Chocolate.
She did this, and I tried to erase the tip drill video out of my mind.
She did this.
She did this dance one time where she she danced to like a house version of Mario's Let Me Love You.
You should let Me Love You.
Just kep going anyway.
So she danced all the way up in the ceiling and like they had the ceiling pant panels removed, and when she came back down, she just dropped down and like money just rained up and came down. And she had these huge bodyguards and bouncers who helped her collect all the money. They went to like Jackson State and everybody went just to see white Chocolate dance.
I mean it was just.
I appreciate the detail with which you remember this. It's clearly left a mark. It clearly left white like Jack Barlowe.
No, but she actually actually she There was an article about her in Creative Loafing, I believe or something like that.
What is that local? It feels like it's local to Atlanta.
But maybe maybe they talked about they talked about her transforming the YEP profile White Chocolate, creative Loafing of creative uh, creative Loafing from tall pole to small screen.
And it goes into who she is.
Well, thank you for that.
I had a biographical narrative out White Chocolate. Shout out to you, White Chocolate. Clearly you've had a major impact on mccary's life.
And four, Wow, what happened? I don't know if we should.
Should Morehouse college?
Oh Lord help us. Okay, So here is the thing. You know, there are a lot of people. I grew up Catholic and then went to Baptist Church with my dad and then ended up in Koji Church. By the time I was sixteen, I know that my bishop is not going to love this mini pod.
Sorry.
I just think that we should have conversations about art skill. Uh, the the You have to be able to do a chin up to be a stripper, to climb up.
I can't do a chin up, can't twork.
All of that takes athletic ability that.
Many of us don't have.
And so I think that there is some hate going on about that too. People are mad they can't do what they do. But also I understand people not wanting to see people so naked everywhere. I have to tell you all, I'm a germophobe. I did go to the strip club. One of my good friends had a birthday, so we went for her birthday. She did three. I can only do one and a half. I was done after that second half. I was like, look, guys, lovey.
The chicken wings were great at Magic City, but I think I'm done here.
And here's the thing. Germs. I just I can't do the germs. I can't do the germs.
I can't do the germs, Like, don't shake any of that around me. And I'm sure I'm not calling them germs, but I'm calling all the people that had to like touch them and like the butts that are on seats.
It's just.
I can't do the germs. I don't even want to shake any respect. I don't even want to shake hands. I want to fist, bump and hug these days because y'all go to not y'all, but some people outside go to the bathroom and don't wash their hands, and then they're putting those hands on the sides and thighs of these and the waste of these people, these human beings that are sharing an art form. I don't want any I don't want to be anywhere near it.
I was so you weren't supposed touch I thought you were supposed to.
Look, you can't touch the people, Okay, Well I don't know. But are they sitting on laps? Because what about if the pants aren't clean? Okay, and then they're going to transfer those over to your laps.
Let me bring it home. Let me bring it home real quick.
On the things I do think is that we should not be and I'm not saying you are, but just in general, we should not be in the business of discounting people because we need all these people if we're going to organize and when I made the joke about social costs.
I'm talking.
Yeah, yeah know.
What I'm saying is that we need to make sure that I said this on TV last year. I said that Kamala Harris needed to organize from the churches to Magic City, and I agree with that wholeheart.
Karie would like to be the organizer of the strippers like he Win himself. He would like to connecting. He would like to be the organizer. He will take you, guys, just so you know, this is a former state wide candidate.
He will take a pay decrease if.
You will allow him to be pro bono organizer of the strip club.
They have stories. Somebody sign I could listen to the.
Story across America states.
Like yeah, strategy, well he might have got some years, but fifty strategies at all, Howard Dan everything.
Now yeah, yeah, Lexicon Lexington, Kentucky.
That's who we're going to start. We're gonna start. We're gonna start at Luke Cortnet's home. Anyway, Welcome homey all.
This has been another mini pod with Natives Land, and we're grateful that Garrison Hayes joined us on this auspicious day where we were able to dig into uh something that troubled us all, which is another attack and assault on the arts.
Wait a minute, can we not close the show out really quick? Because I have a question for Garrison about this. Sorry, guys, Garrett, one thing we did not say in the main show or now. Garrison is a former preacher, former so I.
Want to know. I want to know. I know that's what I'm saying.
I wanted because because I brought up church and then I meant to say this, but I got distracted on the germs because ad D. I'm sorry, but Garrison, do what do you think about So there's this like this church condemnation about this art form overall, not in every single church.
How do you square like your.
Your Christianity, your belief system with this whole kind of line of thinking and the judgment that is often attached to these folks in this art form.
So I got I have jokes right like I can, I can, I can play the game.
I will say.
I understand where church folks are coming from when it when they say, like I, you know, I don't want my kid or whatever exposed to this stuff. I think it's a little bit of fake outrage. If I'm being completely honest with you, I've never been to a strip club, in part because I was raised like a real church boy, and then I went off to seminary, and then I was a pastor, and I just couldn't be caught in one of those places, right like that just would not
be a good look. I never really had the desire for similar reasons to you, Angela. I'm a little bit of a term of folk. But what I will say is that if we are being very, very honest, right like, I think the folks who are going into the strip clubs are far more honest than the porn addicts in the pulpit.
Can we just say it? Can we just say it clearly?
And like folks, people at the very least are being honest with themselves and putting out exactly who they are. And I think that's important to say. The other side of it that always concerns me. I have a friend who was once in that life, in that world, and there is a lot of assault.
There is a lot of like drugs.
And trafficking and things of that nature that take place in you know, strip clubs across the country, gentlemen's clubs, whatever you want to call them, and I think it needs to be said that that we need to protect people. You know, if a person wants to be a stripper or be an adult entertainer more broadly, they should be able to do so. That is one of their rights to do so, but it should be safe, and as it stands today, it's not very safe for very many people.
So there's a whole nother show I want to do on that thereon and I'm gonna I'm gonna bring you back to probably talk about it on a mini pod because I want to go talk to you about how we do that and protect individuals and what public policy we need to match that and maybe eliminate some of the harm that is inherent to the injury to the to the industries that we have and we've put under the cover of darkness. But that's for another mini pod down the road of a conversation for another day.
I'm glad i'd be lined.
You didn't know. That was great. Thank you for joining us.
Make sure you like, subscribe, download, find us whatever you get your podcast. Garrison, thank you, brother, love you, Thank you for your time. Angela, love you, Andrew. We miss you brother, see you soon. And we out Welcome Home, y'all.
Welcome Home.
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