Episode 192 "DJ DRAMA"

is beautiful. We actually get a lot of love for the studio. We have a wall of great artists that come by check it out. All that in the little side of run saw that too. That's offices. We got security. I mean we've kind of decked out, but don't that. Don't get the inside joke. This is really his studio, Atlanta, Georgia. Okay, DJ Drama Grammy Award. We are not only in the room of greatness. We are in a facility that hosts a million great people. You probably had a million amazing

verses come out of the studio. A lot of amazing stuff has come out of the studio, one being the ball l podcast. Um, you know this room that we're in now actually was the first room that I built. Here. A little backstory, like, so when I first built the studio, you know, I have went to Serious XM and I

was like, yo, like maybe I should you know. I was at the time myself, Green Lantern, Nina nine Screen, We all had shows on on Serious and I was like, you know, if I build a studio, when you guys partnered with me like maybe making like a serious XM South or something, and they were like, yeah, we're down to do that. So I went ahead and built this room right here and did it. And then I was like, hey, look guys, I did it and they were like, yes, it's nice, but we don't really have any money. And

I was like damn. So I was like, you know, well, um I incurgent right. I was like, well, fun it. I'm gonna keep on building. So you know, we built the the B room which is next door and everything, and I kept going and like when I would we would do our show in here, that's how I would I would introduce people to the studio. I was like, yo, f well, I like, you know, when people were coming

as a guest and everything, um. I would show him around and just kind of get them to like, you know, try to do work or or you know, use the studio. And then I started. Then I was building. I had this beautiful building and nobody was really working out of it. And then one day I just called Metro booming and I was like, yo, bro, like you know, I got the studio. Um, I'm just give you some free time and what have you. And Metro came over here into the b room and then you know, he started working

out of there. And this is around the time when the was really but this is this is like twenty I originally started building twenty I bought. I bought the build in twenty eleven, really started building it out, and then like um, Metro came in. And then because the Metro came in, Thug. That was my first time meeting Thug, and Thug came in and that was you know, our first interaction, and he was like this this is your studio.

I like it. I like it. You know. Then Thug started working out of here, and then you know, around the same time, it was when I did my deal at Atlantic and I came on as an A and R and uh co on prey through KP was vice president of k Chard KP and you know, I was like, hey, by the way, you know, I'm building a studio in Atlanta, Um if you guys might want to partner with me, So they set KP over here um to check it out, and KP was like, yeah, it's dope, it's a great idea.

So when I came on in Atlantic, you know, we got them. I started using their money and built out the rest of the building, you know, um around the corner of the ink side and the other room. And you know, the back room actually wound up turning out to be like the Sunny Digital metro booming room at the time when they did this deal. But you know, like the room next door here, like is in the photo shoot, the photosome room, but before that was that room right there was the original room where I had

before we had all this equipment. I had all my stuff in there. I used to do radio, my my mixtapes in there. I did. I did h True Religion in that room to chains and it wasn't the anniversary. It is actually the anniversary of True Religion eleven eleven years I did. UM. I think I did Dream Chasers maybe one over there in that room and this before everything was built, and then you know, like uh, when it was when we first saw Uzi he came down

here for his first time meeting. Thug was in there, and you know, Susy did the whole Love His Rage and that b room that was his room. Nipsey, you know, the Nipsey Rest in Peace of Nipsey, the Nipsey and Thug records. Nip Nip was working out of here. Playboy Cardi, Cardi B did her whole album Invasion of Privacy a lot in this building. It's been some legendary stuff in here.

I mean, you know, just the way that the way the building is set up, like you know, people were running to people in the in the in the um in the an area and like you know, gonna gonna with just being there chilling it before he was quote unquote Ghanna um Bad and Bougie uh was made over there. It's been a lot. It's been a lot through this, but I mean Main Streets has become quite legendary, and you know, in an Atlanta fixture, So I'm pretty proud

of it as you are yourself legendary. Thank you very much. I appreciated. I want to take our time to give you your flowers. Um, your name is DJ Drama Man, Like that's a household name as a DJ in a world where DJs tend to be local. Yeah, um, and they could be popping locally. I don't want to make it seem local, like local was a bad thing. But when a DJ's recognized nationally, that's a and you globally. Um, that's such a big deal. So I just want to take our time to thank you. Flies. Are you ready

because we're gonna We're gonna know I'm here. I I wanted you to bring it to that. You should have told me. I would have brought it. Man, definitely would have brought it. I got I just built this, like you Standford case, glass case. I did. I drunk um. The first time I drunk out of it was on tour. When I first I first got it, I drunk. I think I took a shot at Cosimigos. I was when I was on the Whiz tour this summer, in front of like the whole crowd, I drunk out of it.

And then like when we dropped Snowfall, uh Me and Jeez were on Live and you know when we played the song Grammy, I took a shot out of it um on on live when I was in I was in my uh my little trophy room, well before the Grammy. I just want to take it back. I want to go back to Philly. How was hip hop growing up in hip hop at that time in Philly, you know, before Atlanta, before college and all that. It was. It

was great. Ironically enough, I just ran in the Omar Epps last week, and you know he's like one of my biggest inspirations for being a DJ. Yeah, off the movie Juice. You know I went to go see Juice when I was in about to go to high school, uh,

the summer between eighth grade and ninth grade. And you know, before I was big, before I became a DJ, I was I was really in the skateboarding, but I was I was trash and like in Philly at the time, they used to there was like this this like um this this this little scene of like black skateboarders that used to kind of congregate downtown in the spot called Love Park. Um. I'm not if you're familiar with Stevie Williams, but you know he started d G k UM internationally known.

You know, I grew up. Me and Stevie came up together and everything. So out of all the you know, young black skateboarders, I was like the worst. So I was trash, thankfully. So when I saw Juice, I was like, man, you know that that's that might be something I want to do, like, you know, as a hobby. So I started DJ and I came up, um you know, like

in Philly. Um, I literally watched the Roots like kind of that was my first example of like watching somebody really get on and like make it in the music business. Like I watched them go from like local talent to getting their record deal to turning on Rap City on two raps and seeing distortion the static video to you know, going to their um album really or signing party where you know they were on tour with the Fuji's and

opening up and you know, like, um, quest Love. I used to run into him just like downtown playing video games or Black Thought used to and Emily be Rust and Beach used to like do freestyles for me on my little mix tapes and everything. So um yeah, I mean Philly had a nice little buzzing hip hop scene.

Another person that really put me on. Was this UM female artist in Bahamadia who was actually like my next door neighbor to where my dad lived in West Philly, and she she was signed to Guru from Gang Star, and you know, she kind of took me under her wing early on and used to take me like to New York and go to like, you know, a little industry parties and everything. So I was before I came to college. I was making a little local name for myself and I was making like little local mixtapes Philly

and everything. Yeah, I got that name UM. I think I was like fifteen sixteen. Where did it come from? So I had these two friends I used to I used to work for this organization that did UM like UM. It was called Reconstruction, and it was like an outreach program for UM not for young black men who were coming out of prison and looking to you know, get back uh into society and what have you. And so I was doing like you know, kind of like internship

type work for for that organization. I had these two homeboys that worked with me there, and one was named Hakim and one was named Bakari. And Hakin was like the biggest Tupac fan ever I just always remember that he was super tuer. Bak Fan McCary was from Senegal, So his name was Baccari Drama and he used to um. He used to like sell like mixtapes and incense and like, you know, dabble a little bit in DJ. And he used to sell sell stuff on like Broad and Gerard

and Philly. So I came used to always call Bacari DJ Drama because his last name was Drama. UM, and I was like, damn, that sounds like that's a fire name. And at the time I didn't really have a DJ name, and Barry wasn't like real, he wasn't like taking his DJ ship that serious. He was like the name I asked him. I was like, yo, with what you're doing with that? You're using it? He was like, no, you can have it. So he gave me. He handed me over the name DJ Drama. The name I want to

ask about. How you feel now you gotta grammy, how do you like? Does that change? Come say hi kid? Then come on, come on hi Gollo. Yeah, speaking of Don Cannon. Uh you where y'all met? Right? We met you? So I met kennon my sophomore year. Um. He was you know this this tall lanky kid that just came on. He did he played basketball in high school ever, and play Cannon's gotta be six eight six nine. He's uh,

I think he's might never man. So Cannon used to like kind of try to like befriend me on campus and everything. And I had this other homeboy, Kyle, and then went to high school together. So Kyle had kind of put in my head that Cannon was a nut right, like he was like he was like not no, just

like that's Philly slang, like he's a nutball. Like so Cannon used to you know, you know, I had already I had a little rep on campus already, like by you know, after my freshman year, and me and me and since used to do all the parties and everything together. So finally, so finally, one day Cannon was like, Yo, I want to give you my bat C D and um, he gave me his bt c D and I went home and that ship was fired. Like ship. He was

like baby premier. And the next day I was like, Yo, this ship is hot, bro, and like we should be friends, you know what I'm saying. So um, and then you know, after that, we just you know, we were inseparable. I mean, you know, it's literally been twenty well I want to age myself too much, but you know, two decades plus that you know, we've been We've been um friends and partners, business partners and working together and everything. But yeah, we

literally met on CU campus. And I I don't think everybody knew that you went to a Yeah, yeah, I went to Clark, Atlanta. I mean that was what got me. That's that's why I came to Atlanta. Like you know, I came um to Atlanta to A ten Clark and like the way when I was in Philly, I always thought I was gonna wind up in New York, um, you know, living in Brooklyn, like on the Brownstone, you know. And but I came down to visit Atlanta a couple of times with my pop, and I just loved the culture.

Like you know, anybody that comes down here you can see like it's just a place of you know, as

we call it now, Wakonda. But you know, it was just like you can you can feel the vibrant energy of it was amazing in the nineties, like you know, just young people of color everywhere into everything, and it was it was the place to be, and I came in like the right, I came into very Tail and Freaknick and even like the first Freak Nick, so I came in ninety six, and so they say that like the last Freaknick was literally like ninety seven, and in

ninety seven for Freak Nick instaid of me, like, you know, I've always been a hustler, So like I bought, I bought a bunch of T shirts wholesale, and during Freaknick, I was hustling T shirts. So everybody used to know me as like hustle man beating back in the day. Come on us, man. So you come to Atlanta already

established as DJ Drama. You're doing the mix tapes, and we know that there's probably a lot of like Philly sounds from New York sound, but I feel like the South was still trying to figure out, like what is our staples? Now? How did you find yourself in the

mix of Atlanta music? Because you know, Atlanta is a we are a bubble, right absolutely, you know, we accept what we want to accept, right, So I mean, thankfully enough for me coming down here and becoming to school because I was very very East Coast stubborn and a lot of ways. Um I was. I had always been a big outcast fan for sure, like even you know,

even before I got here. But you know, going to school in the a u C. You have kids from everywhere, like all over the country, and everybody wants to be pleased, you know, especially in college parties like DC niggas wanting here go go Florida want to hear base at the Tom. West Coast niggas won da hear West Coach sh it. You know, Texas want to hear they ship, like Louisiana one to hear they ship like New York Try State.

Everybody wanted to hear their ship. So it trained me how to be very well rounded as a DJ in that sense. And then but I still was kind of like you know, I was. I was still I still had my backpacker roots too, So you know, there used to be this thing called Lyricist Lounge, and like you know, my my roommate at the Tom was was best friends with Live Quality. So I came up like you know, hanging out with Black Star when they would come to Atlanta.

So I was, you know, I was. I was kind of like a renaissance man in a lot of ways. So then when I started doing mix tapes, you know, um, or when I when I got back into mix tapes when I was in school. You know, I would set up on campus and you know, literally sell my own my own tapes and then turned into CD. So I would have like East Coast tape, Reggae tape, and Neil Soult tape. And then when I did I finally did a South tape, like that ship just took off like

hot cakes. And you know, I remember like my first South tape ever, the first song on there was like Bling Blaine. So this had to be about ninety and ninety nine, around the cash Money era run And when I got to Atlanta, um, it was in the midst of the Big Own dominance. So shout the Jelly Monte, you know, like Big when it came to the mixed mix tapes and mixed CDs, they ran the South and they ran Atlanta like that was that was it, Like

Big was everywhere. They had their own stores, you know, and you know that was literally like that that was

the sound of of the mixtape scene in Atlanta. So just to fast forward a little bit, when I when I started Gangster Girls, and like I remember people telling me like, yo, if you do a South mixtape, like you know, they don't want to hear people talk on there, or they don't want to hear new music or no freestyles or none of that ship like and because that was they were kind of used to a certain sound

just based off what people were doing. And even at the time, like um camping, then they didn't really have like covers or you know, they would just like have their CDs with the number, you know, whatever number CD it was and what have you. And then I kind of just went against the grain like of what people were telling me, nigga's in the South want to hear and I really like applied like up North formula to

Southern music. So I was you know at the time, like having a host was was something that was popular up north from the East Coast. So you know, I got a little John the host. That's how the Gangster Girl Drop was born. And then I started just like kind of talking on tapes and I was like getting like,

you know, local artists. Local at the time, nigga's like Tip and you know, David Banner and Killer Mike to like do freestyles and stuff, and you know, and I was putting a lot of effort into the covers and things of that nature, and the ship just took off, you know. And so basically like you know, me going against the grain of what people told me, niggas wanted

to hear, and me, you know, trying something different. It worked and at the time, nobody in Atlanta or in the South were making tapes like what Gangster Whels was and then ship took off. Okay, wait, so my big dog Jessy was on Drink Champs earlier, um, and he said you didn't want to do his mixtapes. You said he wasn't hot enough. Now you are on the Baller Show podcast. Do you have a rebuttal, sir? Or is this accurate? And yeah, that's not that's not all the

way accurate. That's not all that's not what happened. Um. So the part that's true was he definitely used to make I used to make show CDs for him, and I didn't make him charged in my hundred dollars d First, yeah, hundred dollars was driving the land but it was nothing. Then yeah, I was living in the full for it in the duplex, which is still there. Did you make him take it I didn't make him taking shoes. That

part of the story is true. I made him take I made him taking shoes off to coming to my my humble about four for and I would make I would make a show c ds for him. And everything about the part about me turning him down to do a tape, that's that's not true. What really happened was I was I was making gangster Grills and you know,

I was getting some buzz to it. And then I had did a party Shout the Cloud nine and Batty uh By we did a we did a gangster Grills party in Buckhead at the time, and that was my first gangster grills already. I had tip posting. I think Um bone Crusher was there. I think Fab was Fab was there? Um? Who else was that? Maybe maybe Scrappy? Yeah? So and Jez was there in the cut. You know he wasn't you know Jeez the superstar rapper yet so coaching jeez Um told me they wanted to take me

to lunch and have a meeting. So we went to harry AND's sons and we sat down and Jeez told me, like, yo, I was at your party. I don't know if you know, but the streets really funk with you, like and I was like, oh, were like you know, and you know, I was in the streets like doing mixtapes, but I wasn't in the streets, so he was telling me the streets funk with me. So um, he was like, look, I got this idea, like, you know, I got this

vision to do this project. And that was Jez was the first person to ever pay me to do a mix, to do like a gangst grow so so they gave me. They gave me a thousand dollars. That was the first time I got paid to do it against growth and you know, but I was like, he told me, said, I got a vision. This is what my movement is. And you know, originally the tape was called geez Up. Before it was called Streets Is Watching, but Scrappy's crew was called gee Up, so we wanted up changing the

name of it to the Streets Is Watching. But at the time, you know, I was like, all right, whatever, you know, he's trying to pay me for a mixtape. I'm cool with it, you know. Um. And then I went into the tape and then you know, my man rolled up on me on the on Glenn Iris Glenn Irish when I was on Glenn Irish after this Streets Is Watching and he was like, Yo, that new the Geez tape. That's the best gangster grills ever. And I

was like, what like the new nigga? You know, like I just did like a t I tape And I'm like, huh, And you were never paid for like t I tape. Now, I never got paid for nothing before that. I was just doing tapes like you know, I was, I was selling them, but nobody ever paid me to do just like their tape. And then, um, yeah, you know, next thing, you know, fucking Streets Is Watching is the hottest thing in the South East. You can't go nowhere without hearing

that music. And you had to hear me all over it because that was the only place that existed was on that you know, on that platform. So um so yeah. The part about the part about me telling him now you're not hot enough, he he fabricated that a little, but I'd say seventy five. So I gotta I got a question. So do you feel like DJ Kelly is duck in the smoke? Um? Yeah, is he duck in the smoke? I don't know. I mean because you've been

calling him out. I ain't been calling him out. I've been calling anybody out, like I'm just not running, you know. I guess I guess the difference in the interviews is that in the interviews that I've done, you know, his name comes up, So I guess the difference needs to be you know, whenever he gets on a platform, you know, someone specifically needs to bring my name up, you know

what I'm saying. So you know, I don't know, I you know, I mean, I don't know if my name came up and drink Champs, you know, when Nori did the interview. I don't know. We have to ask Nori. But you know, in the interviews that I've done, obviously his name has came up, and I've said that I'm with all the smoke, you know what I'm saying. So um, yeah, I think that that I've already answered it, you know what I mean. I think that's more of a question for him. Someone needs to bring my name up, and

you know, and it's all love. I think at the end of the day, like it would be great for the culture, you know what I'm saying, to see DJ's on our level, like you know, as we know, versus to be a celebration, you know what I'm saying, Like you know, and it's all you know, hip hop is a very competitive sport. I don't I don't care where it is. Like I'm I'm I'm coming a ball, you know what I mean? Like you know, like I haven't an extreme catalog, you know, um as does calid. You

know what I'm saying. So um I think it just it would be a great time, you know what I mean. So I'm with I'm with all, I'm with all the fun, and I'm with all the smoke, so we can go whatever way with it, you know what I mean. I'm I'm ready to bless anybody else. There are so many people that just don't understand why mixtapes were so big, so important in two thous and for those of you that don't know, you didn't really need clearance like you can.

It was like the wild West. Yeah it was. It was a free for all and that's what mixtapes so great because you did not have to go through the regality or not. And it was great until the cop came. It was crazy back then. Why were they on you as hard as they were? Um? I mean, you know, I was the top of the food chain, like you know I was like when I was the mixtape king,

Like yeah, it was. You know I was when you when you watch the footage and they came and confiscated fifties six thousand CDs like you know, we were, we was getting to it, you know what I'm saying. So, um, I don't know why they want me so hard because at the time, like I was, you know, I was working directly with the artists, Like I wasn't a bootlegger, you know what I'm saying. It wasn't like I was stealing Nigga's music and putting it out or labels couldn't

control it. They couldn't exactly, and and the labels weren't all the way into cahoots. So like the promotions department, um, and you know the marketing department I was, you know, they haraled to me, but you know, the legal department or the other side probably didn't understand, like why are we giving this guy this music or allowing our artists to you know, use his platform and put these CDs out that are not you know, sanctioned by us. You

know what I'm saying. So um, yeah, it was. I think it was just at a time, um, in the space where the music industry was going through a lot of hits and you know they were watching like their their bottom dollar kind of um, kind of not making sense, and you know they came after me, you know what I mean. And yeah, it was. It was a crazy time. You know. Um it was the gay the day the

game change, you know, the mixtape game. And I was like, you know, for me, like because growing up such a fan of mix tapes and mixtape culture, like you know, I felt a lot of guilt at first, like damn, I can't watch this culture like die on my shoulders that I you know that I that I grew up loving so much. And then I become you know that guy and then here they try to you know, destroy it or take it down while while I'm in control. So um, but yeah, I mean, you know, and it

was crazy. It's like if you watch the reports sty you know, when they're going to news, the cops says, normally, any situations we find guns and drugs. Um, this circumstance we didn't like. Thankfully, they came on like a Monday morning, like when we just got back from m oka weekend.

They didn't find one split, one handgun, no nothing, just CD s, you know, so they tried to make it out obviously you know the criminalization of hip hop and like, you know, I don't know if they thought they was gonna really like come us some big ass, you know, crime organization, like because you know, they really hit me with the rico, like you some real ship, you know what I'm saying. And I was like, what making I'm making mixtapes. Yeah, I'm a sucking DJ. Like what are

you talking about until monetize? I do have a question. Um, we never really I don't know. I haven't seen anyone to ask you this question. Affiliates, Okay, I always wanted an affiliate change because I was I remember I was around at the time, and I was like, damn, that was actually one of the reasons why I wanted to. I started doing mixtapes watching You have a Crew, and I remember I was at compound. Um. I wasn't supposed to be there. Um, I was old, had to be eighteen,

crazy um. And I saw all these affiliate change in the building. Then I saw you walk past me. I was like, whole ship, that's DJ drama and I've just seen everybody needs affiliate change. Where did that name come from? And like, I want to talk about that era because that was a that was a nice little era in the pocket you was in on that they were all they were colorful and long. There was the Long Change. Um yeah. So basically it was actually after the CU days.

We were out of school and at the time we were part of uh crew called the super Friends. UM where that was you know shout the DJ Mars, DJ Trauma, UM, DJ Doc, uh Cowboy Rock Fahrenheit. Um. Yeah, it was so and they were like older than us, so they were like, you know, they were pretty much to go to DJ's in Atlanta, you know, um um, and you know Mars, Mars and Trauma were like kind of we were me Cannon and sense kind of like looked up

to them in a lot of ways. You know, they were like somewhat mentors in a sense and what have you. And and we they made us part of the super Friends, so we became like kind of the youngest members of the super Friends, and we were you know, super friends were on fire in Atlanta, like I guess from like you know, good Oh one too. You know, those those those years formidable years before the Affiliates came along, So at the time we were having some differences with them,

and um, the main fallout. Um. Then my version of the story, um was that basically Jacob York offered the super Friends opportunity to do an album and he was going to give them like fifty grand or something to like do a super Friends album, and we were so I remember we used to have meetings and everything. So then when they when they came to the table, they were like, all right, well, if we do an album, we need to we should call it Gangster Grills because

that's like the hottest brand, you know. But they were like really party like, like very focused on parties, and we were trying we were focused on mixtapes, and you know, at the time, they like kind of told us like yo, like Jelly Monte oomed camp, like they got the mix tape ship, like when it comes to like getting sponsorships and everything, we need to use this money towards parties. So we were kind of like, damn, we can't get no money to sponsor our mix tapes because all the

money was going to the parties. So I didn't really want to use Gangster Grills as the title for the album because I was, you know, feeling somewhat indifferent at the time, and um, they pretty much kicked me out. They were like, well, we can't use Gangster Girls you know for the title, like, you know, they removed they

don't come to the bowling party. The next we were having we were having some with some I was having some issues with them the management at the time of you know, just just the management of of the super Friends, Like I just was kind of, you know, we weren't seeing eye to eye, and I just was like, yo, you know, gangs Girls was my baby, Like I didn't want the super Friends album to be the Gangster Girls album. So yeah, so they pretty much like you know, kind

of kicked me out. And then you know, Sentin Cannon, you know, those being my brothers, you know, they were like, yo, if job goes, we go. So we left. We had we had this other friend of ours that I've known literally since like sixth grade. His name is Ace McLeod E's from Philly two and he was pretty much like, man, funk that ship. We don't need them, Like, let's do our own ship, Like we could start our own group.

And he came up with the Affiliates, and the A was for Atlanta and Affiliates spelled it, yeah for pH I L L was that was tipped to debt. So we started so because because we left the super Friends, we started the Affiliates. And interestingly enough, there was this little magazine that was coming to do a story on us being super friends, and we told him like, yo, we're not super friends no more. Like we started this new group and they were like, all right, well cool,

we'll put you all in the covers the Affiliates. So you know, like next thing, you know, it was like, um, the Affiliates were like you know, the new kids on the block, you know, and Gangster Girls was was heating up, and you know what I'm saying, and you know, super Friends and Affiliates we went. You know, we had little competitive back and forths and all types of you know, little things here and there, which again this is twenty years ago, so we're all homies now to this day.

Like but but yeah, but I mean, yeah, that was literally how we came up with the Affiliates because we wound up leaving the super Friends and starting our own ship. And then you know, around that time and it was. It was tough. I just sit on um when I when I sat on Seti's tape, like yo. It was literally around that time, I was like going broke and almost moved back to Philly because I was like, you know, Gangster Grills is lit. Gangster Grills was just getting lit.

But I wasn't seeing no real money like I was. You know, like the bootleggers was making way more money off gangs girls than I was. I was just just breaking even type ship, you know, just making them. But the Gangs girls was was still a thing. But I was like, yo' I'm not you know, yeah, I couldn't. It wasn't enough to really cover the bills. And almost, you know, I almost went home and then and then you know, one thing led to another that affiliates started,

and then Gangster Grills just like took off. I feel like with you DJ since don Kan, I think what you guys were able to accomplish is so amazing. It kind of reminds me of like Ja Big and Bigs and Dame Um how they stuck together and got their stuff together. And I just think that it's just amazing. I think your story is amazing and you have like a documentary later on or anything. I'm working on it. Um. I've had numerous production companies and numerous people come to

me about telling my story and the documentary. So, um, I'm actually in the process of doing it now, just trying to do it accurately, um and tell the right story. And there's a couple of different stories to be told, but I'm definitely working on it. But there's like, so there's an NPR, there's a Tiny Desk podcast that kind of tells somewhat in my story, but a lot of the focus is about the raid. And then like you know,

like Hip Hop Evolutions did an episode on this on Netflix. Um, so there's different pieces here and there, but like at some point I'm definitely gonna tell like the DJ drama

against the Girls story for sure. And then you know, like you said, like you know, just myself and Cannon and Sense and even Lake show, like you know, we we we all know each other since college, you know what I mean, And like we say, we're a prime example that friends and business can mix, you know what I mean, Like we've literally been friends for twenty plus years and been in business for you know, just that amount of time in so many ways, and like we

know each other's strengths, we know each other's weaknesses. We crack jokes about each other all day, Like you know, we have internal arguments and you know, don't always see eye to eye at something. You know, it was a time and space for me and Canada had fell out and then you know we came back together. But um, but yeah, I mean, you know, similar to you know, the the origins of of Rockefeller, Like you know, us coming up together like that definitely is a is a

dope story that I think needs to be told. Sure, do you feel like a new sense of energy around your career legacy? Because I don't know if it's just me, but noticing like Usher and like all these people that um, you know have had amazing careers are like really getting their flowers. Us it's on a whole run, making a whole new bag old. So right, what do you think this is? Do you think the hip hop community is just little better about giving flowers? Are we just paying

more attention to our leaders? What do you think this new energy is? Um? You know, I think everything just comes full circle or it has his moment of nostalgia, you know, So I think that you know, I'm in a space of you know, after there's a there's an error of that like literally grew up on me. You know what I'm saying that there's a there's an error that came up with me, and there's an arraa that grew up on me, like one of those being Tyler

for an example. You know. So for him, it was always a dream of him, dream of his to have a Gangster Girls or you know how influential Gangster Grills was to him, like the Farrell tape or you know the Wayane tapes and everything. So for him to make his album into Against Girls album and then for us to you know, go ahead and it you know, be

this amazing body of work. Um, and then you know the space that I'm in right now, Like I know, I feel in uh an energy, you know, just myself, you know, with what I've what I've done and accomplished. And you know, for me, it was like even when I first got on, like you know, I was like all right, like you know, and it I felt like it took me like a good Like I started DJ

at ninety two. I feel like I got on maybe like oh four oh five, like so that was like twelve years of like grinding it out, you know what I'm saying, And it was like, all right, now that I got here, like how do you stay here? Like, you know, how do you stay relevant? You know what

I'm saying. So to be in two after you know, thirty years of DJ and or after like you know, after really making a name for myself at oh five, and to be like probably like you know, we talked about this last week, like having one of the hottest moments in my career. Like he's a real testament, you

know what I'm saying. So you know, it's like it's it's like on top of all the legacy of what I've already accomplished, and then too then go after after the Affiliates and Gangster Grills and then start generation now and then you know, to be part of the success of Oozy's career and and and Jack Harlow and you know, and now just for Surgeon a gangster Grills just like

it's a whole new life. I mean, it's give your way to a lifetime achievement war you know, one day and then then I still got a lot to accomplish, you know what I mean. So I'm you know, I'm loving it. You know what I mean, I'm I'm I'm forty four years old, and even just being on it, like I said, like I went on tour Whids and

Logic this summer and I was walking. When I walk out and do my first set, these kids are literally like chanting my name and like he's like eighteen, nineteen twenty year old kids, and you know, and then my first set, I'm playing Tyler and I'm playing I'm playing stick off the dreamvill tape and everything, and you know, or my daughter, my sixteen year old daughter showing me text messages of her friends like hype off the NBA,

young Boy, Gangster Grills, you know what I mean. So um, it's it's it's a great space to be in, you know. And it's just again it's a it's a testament of how much like I love the music, I love the culture like I love what I do, you know what I mean, Like, it doesn't matter if I was making no money or you know, eight figures, nine figures, like I love hip hop like to its very core and its essence. And it was always a point for me to show how invested into the culture I am and

have been my whole life. It's a legendary DJ drama on the Boiler Show. Um, I got a question, so after I just wanna go back to Jeezy real quick. After he paid you for that, did you get paid for the Wane tape next? Or were they paying you afterwards? So I didn't I didn't pay for Wane tape? So Wayne, after I did the G I did Jeez Streets is Watching and then that popped, and then I did we did Trapper Die, and then I didn't get I didn't

get paid for Trapper Die. I don't think I gotta pay for TRAFFI paid from Trapper Do Why I made money off of trapper Dot? Oh god. So by that point we had already like made it. You know, trap was crazy? Yeah, we was. We was no, no, no no. When the dedication comes, So basically after I did Trapper Die, I was like, damn, what the funk I'm gonna do next? Like, how am I going to top this dedication and the dedication to how many years? Now there's seven dedications because

there's six and there's a six point five? So is my favorite? Yeah? She is my favorite? To two is two is incredible? Um, so yeah, so I was you know, the dedication series came. The first dedication came right after Trapper Die, like literally dropped within months of each other. But so I didn't I didn't get like I didn't charge Wayne for a tape. But then they were already like, yo, Gotti paid me for a tape. Um, so you're charging

at this particular moment. So I started charging, like people started paying me for gangster girls after after that, probably a lot. Alright, So I mean legally, can you say, like, what's the number? He was about to say, you're about go ahead? I can. Yeah, I think God mean God's first tape. I think God he gave me like sism. So that was early on, and then like the numbers went to like tens, they went to tens, they went

to fifteen, they went to twenties. Just cover to here talking some with the number now crazy all right, so what about snowfalls? How much? This is? What's the number now? Sir? What's that? The numbers now? Yesterday price? It's not two days rice snowfall? How did that have because you know that's my guy, you're my guy. How did this conversation happen? So can it happen without me, and I'm I'm perplexed.

Plex God, I'm perplexed. I I'm over here, like wait, it's been in discussions for like over a year now that we've been planning this. Um. It really started between Cannon and Jeez. They had gotten back in, you know, can came up with the title UM and you know they were you know, working on working on the music together and everything. They brought me in about a year ago and it's just like, Yo, you know, I think it's time, like you know, let's let's make it a

Gangster girls. And I was like it's been time. Um. So yeah. So then you know, we went through a little tweaked hearing are over the last maybe six seven months, and then we got back in a couple of months ago and just really like buckled down and got on the project and like you know, it's like ship feels like oh five oh six again, And it was just it's just amazing, Timmy, you know what I'm saying. Um that you know, it came out just you know when

it came out, and it's fire and it's crazy. How do you how did you link over NB A young boy that nigga just but young Boy, don't funk with nobody, man with nobody. My nigga shout the fee um on fee forever, you know from from Young Money days, and if he just randomly hit me and was like, um yo, young boy, w why do you want to haul at you?

That's crazy? So we got we got on the phone and he was just like you know, he you know, he talks in a very like um um way and everything, and he's just like, Yo, I got this new tape. I want you to do it. And I bet he was like, damn, I got like two other tapes coming out. You did Want with Snoop, I Did Want with Snoop and I did Jeezy. And then I literally got the call like the week of fuck it about it. It's

about to be Gangster Grill season. So people knew that the the Jeezy and the and the Snoop tape were dropping. Nobody knew about the Young Boy, and I was like, yeah, I was. I was the shock when that came out, Like fun, these niggas up, like Nigga's gonna be like hold on wait, Trum just want to grammy Trum just got these Yeah the year and this thing is dropping three gangster girl. No, this is not fair like this is this is this is getting unfair. That is not fair, sir.

We have a game. We have a game, a game called Baller Bliss Handler to you, oh ct are you ready? We got the legendary DJ drama. We're gonna dig into crates a little bit. I'm gonna do five songs. You're gonna let me know what sample uh is sampled out of the song. So alright, first up, Beyonce, break my soul? What is the sample? Um, isn't it Robin s is? Robin s Um? I forget the name Robin is? Alright? Cool, al alright? Second, we got Burner Boy. Last last, that's

a sample he gave he gave I didn't know that. Yeah, he gave her, He gave her the he gave her the publishing I believe too. Right, here's a clue. That's rhymes Relaxton. Oh oh Tony Braxton. Yeah, okay, man enough for me? Oh it's man oh man enough for me? Oh yeah, you're right? That is that? All right? It's sound good. Here you go, Here you go for the third one. Jack Harlow first class, Um, I wonder what that is? Furgo this ship shot, the shot the furging

on that one. Yeah. I tried to pull all the dog on that one and shout to what I am on. I thought that was glamorous life. It was glamorous. Like I'm just saying, okay, it's glam it's glamorous life. Yeah, saying her name. All right. Fourth, we got MEGANA Stallion playing b um um. Oh that's freaking you Joe to see right? Yeah all right. Last one maybe a tough one, Drake Jimmy Cooks. Damn, I don't know that yet. I don't know that one either. I don't know that one.

That is you were gone by Brook Benton six that was digging into crate with the legendary DJ. Yeah. Yeah, you gave me the toy. Yeah yeah. We'll be right back with more of the Baller Alert Show message. It is time for Baller Male Deir Baler Show. I've been married for twelve years. Beautiful kids, beautiful wife. I absolutely love her and adore her, but I believe she's cheating

on me. She texts me by accident last weekend and said that was the greatest sex ever, and her and I haven't had sex and over two weeks I applied to that text, and she wrote that she was talking about a sex scene on p Valley in her female group chat. She refused to send the screenshot to the conversation threat. What do you guys stay? Twelve years? Twelve years kids, beautiful wife. I adore her and I love her.

I mean that's not bad though, two weeks, like for married couples after twelve years, Like I thought you was gonna say, like a year or like six months. I know people that's married that don't have a lot of sex. So well, have you ever been married? Yeah, I mean you know, married, but not that long. How often do you have sex if you don't mind sex? About twice

a week? Okay, how long you've been married? Yeah, I mean, you know they say as the time, you know, everybody's different, but as the time goes, like you know, when you get married, it's a lot of other things. You gotta have kids, like you know, the kids are there, Like you know, sex is not always at the forefront. I mean it's it's a very important thing. And we're to looking at like man that like you are you saying that she'mating him? No? No, no, no no, I'm not saying

she's not cheating on him. What I'm saying is the fact that it's only been two weeks, like you know, I mean, first she should address her you know, and you know, now if she if she continues to lie on it, it might be time to hanging up. But you know, if she admits to it, you know, things happen in relationships. Maybe they should go to counseling and

you know, see if they can work through it. M Now, if she's a habitual cheater, then it's like, oh, yeah, you gotta chunk up the duce because you only get one life. Only get one life, so nobody wants to be unhappy. Your wife needs sex. Your wife wants sex, and if you're not giving it to her. But where you're saying, but two weeks is like, that's not that long. Clearly she needs sex, clearly, Like if she couldn't wait for her husband, then clearly I'm not. First of all,

she should. Yeah, she that came doing first and like y'all like, And she may have and he may have ignored it because he said, what you said, we got kids, we got jobs. Honestly, she may have said it and he may have ignored her needs. Takes a lot for a woman to cheat. It takes a lot, so you may not have been listening to her. Sir. Again, cheating is not right. If you get to some point that you feel like you gotta cheat, pull your partner to the side of that baby, I need to stick, Like,

what's the problem. I need some passion, I need some love. Where twelve years? Should they hang it up if she if he finds out she is cheating? No, I think they should work on I think that they should have a real conversation. What are her needs? What are his needs? How do as your wife? How can I make you more comfortable to want to be intimate with me? And vice versa. It's gotta be something. You say, He hasn't ejaculated at all in two weeks, like you don't think

that he may be pleasured himself. A man can go two weeks, two weeks. Mom, to you, what are your thoughts? Please speak it to the micro sir, one of two weeks for you? Two weeks, I can't go along, I can't go I can go two weeks, two weeks. I think women, y'all really just does is she cheating on him? Yes? Or no? You said, what is she cheating on him. She's definitely cheating on him. Somebody definitely pushed push that

box back. That's all I'm gonna say. If I was him and I get a text, man, she said, that's the best sex ever. Whatever guns is in the house, you might not want to come back because I'm about to be standing outside like what he had. Bring up to the house. You ain't gotta hide that baby, put the kids sleep, You tell your little friend to come home and tires up too. I'm gonna be on that bring your friend. Oh, you ain't gotta hide that baby. Doubt I doubt it was. I doubt it was a

woman that. I doubt it was a woman too. And she had the best sex ever with so. But so basically the question he's asking is, Yeah, he's just asking if she not asking us, if he needs to leave her or none of that. Yeah, she his his insecurities has spiked. Man, Listen, women do First of all, women don't make mistakes. Don't make mistakes like they're sending the

wrong text message. That's what dudes. We do something like that, that's careless like that, or she might have wanted him to She might have wanted him to investigate, dagn to it and then have toxic sex. They got a TV show about that too on Netflix. Could be toxic. What's it called sex life? For us to get up out of here, to be toxic. Women like that toxic she holds be toxic. That's why people like brad Fire asks lit because the whole want to hear that toxic ship.

They like starting fight. So you're getting mad at him and choke him out, and you choking him and so come on, you know, like, don't act like you ain't never. Don't act like you ain't ever try to make a nigga math so you grip you to funk up sounding you know you like that ship. I don't know you have to take a math for that. I thought you could just ask for it. Okay, to get up out of here. We'll be right back with more of the baller Alert Show. Thank you DJ Drama for coming. It's

a pleasure. Give us some shout out, sir. I'm man. Shout to y'all. Man shout to y'all for you know, uh, holding the ball Alert podcast down, for doing your things as a unit and individually. You know, I know all of you are very well and you know you're all doing your think uh in your respective careers, and I'm very proud of y'all. Uh. You know, skies not the limit, skies what you just stand on, the reason to be on and you know this is our first time really

interacting but the same as well. And you know, I just uh, I salute to you all man, thanks for having me appreciate that. It's it's definitely a tough week, a tough day for hip hop. We have lost yet another young man had not even seen the age of thirty. I don't want to get a baby. Um. Definitely been praying for the Megos and their families all day. Um, this is tough, praying for de Vito who lost his

three year old child. Just celebrated the third birthday. So it's an honor to have DJ Drama here and give you your flowers and the flesh. Thank you for doing what you do and for sumporting us. And please go vote, go vote, go vote, go vote, and tune into the Bothers Our Show podcast available wherever you get your podcast. I do want to say, you know Resci pieces take off for sure, um, um if anything, dedicate this to him. UM. Yeah, it's definitely a tough day, you know, another cloud over

the city. You know what I'm saying, Um, take was you know I've known him, I know him for since he was eighteen nineteen. Great kid, you know. Um. So he will be missed and you know we definitely will keep his legacy alive. Yeah. Man, I just want to shout out you Drama for coming through. We know you extremely busy and you know we appreciate you coming in rocking with us. Uh yeah, And I'm just shout out

to you Drama, so again. Um. I I don't want to have taylored my entire how you articulate yourself, how you carry yourself. But I look to you as a motivational purpose because very very seldom like because my parents didn't understand what I was trying to do. So I was like, I want to be a DJ, I want

to be on the radio. They didn't understand it, and I didn't really have anybody to look for look towards to kind of say that's who I want to be like that in my case, that was you, you d holiday um screen Um, and I saw your guys as template. You guys kind of had a template, even Cannon and so I just appreciate our friendship. We'll talk to you often, play pool, we need play I phone pool ant, but I think I was busting your ass like too much. Yeah,

because I went on a run. Remember that run right, Yeah, we're running back the hell of a run on them. But I appreciate it. It's so funny because people don't don't think that we talk as often we do, but we actually talk pretty often often. And I appreciate you just for your friendship because you have no idea how much that motivates me. Just a normal conversation and you know that means a lot to me. Bro. You know,

just just to hear stories like that. You know, I know me coming up and I tell you all my accomplishments when I get them every time I do something big, and I love to hear and so and it's like, you know, for for me to to be inspiration to someone you know, and I'm someone that loves to give flowers and to you know, to pay homage to people. So you know, for you to to to look at me for that like that, that that's part of the

greatest gift of what I do. To think that Dan somebody like I wanted to become a DJ because of what I was doing. You know what I'm saying. So you know, so to you, yes, I would definitely say your story is legendary, like just researching it. I'm just like I'm a student of the game. So I just love to I love documentaries and I can't wait when yours come out because I want to know about the drama Philly. I want to know about the hip hop

back then all the way up into now. It's just amazing and I just want to say we appreciate you. And um lastly, we have work a word from our ballers today. You are our baller and it's just an inspiration, uh speak to anybody coming up, just like a Ferrari said in your Footsteps or anything like that you can give. You know, I always I tell people this all the time, Like you know, for anybody that's coming in the game

and wanting to be in the game. You know a lot of times, uh we aspire to like you know, to reach the top or you know, the highest of the high where people have to realize, like hip hop is is built out of like you know, movements, like like organic movements, you know what I mean, And like you know now in today's world, it's very easy for someone to try to like d M, d J Drama or d M Young Jeez and say, yo, I wanna

do this with you or do that with you. But it's like, you know, look to your left, look to your right. You know, if it wasn't for people like Tip and Geez who were you know, coach ca Lib around the corner from me, like um, Jason Jeter who was tas manager, got my my number off the back of a c D you know, a mixtape in the barbershop and brought this young kid through. Like it's about

creating movements. So before you try to, you know, go and d M your favorite artist, who's you know already a list or like the people around you are the ones for you to come up with and to to make those movements with movements with And I tell people that all the time, Like that's that's out of anything what people respect about our culture and about hip hop

more than anything. Prime example, the meks you know, who would have who would have known if or if they would have known that you know, you know um uh three family members you know would create this this sound and this style that all of hip hop would go on to mimic and try to do you know some neig is from North side of Atlanta. You know what I'm saying that change the world, you know, change culture. So you know, yeah, that would be my my ball,

my ball advice. All right, did you drama the ball Alert, show the shape. I can't get enough of baller Alert. Follow us on all social media platforms at baller alert, going to baller alert dot com.