INTERVIEW: Tika Sumpter Talks Sonic, Tyler Perry's Influence, Interracial Marriage + More

Wake that ass up in the morning.

The Breakfast Club Morning, Everybody's DJ Envy Jess Hilarious, Charlamagne the guy.

We are the Breakfast Club. We got a special guest in the bill.

Indeed always quiz get the money when she's here, Ladies and gentlemen, Tika something welcome, Thank you morning, Tka.

How are you feel?

I love your show one and I'm happy to be back. I'm good.

How are you blessed? Black and holly food. I didn't know your real name was Euphemia.

Yeah, it's Euphemia. It's a Greek goddess. She was a martyr and my dad named me that.

Okay, Yeah, So Latika latique is where you get tika from?

Yes, you femia latik. My grandma somehow figured out teak. It's like a tiki bird, a black teaky bird in Florida. So you fema latik someter but sumter. But in school, I would be like, they'd be like, oh for me, I'd be like, just Tika.

Would you learn what you fema? You fema?

Met you fhemia femia?

Well I looked it up because I was like, what is that? And oh and I met some like Greek people and they were like, Faia, that's Greek. And I was like, oh, okay, cool, and I looked it up and I was like, oh, my dad kind of you know, thought of me as this beautiful human being. He saw the future confidence nothing because I thought it was I thought it was a terrible name and it was too big for me, and I'm like, I don't know what

It all worked out. And how did you get into acting? Come from queens? Like what made what was the acting bug?

Oh my gosh, it's crazy because you don't see anybody. I mean, my sisters actually were dancers, like when they danced in videos back in the day and like kid in Play like MC light all that stuff. So I like saw pictures, like I stole pictures from them and took them to school and was like she's eating this person, you know, or but so I saw it from Afar, but I didn't know that I can actually do it. Honestly, I used to love watching cartoons and things like that.

You know.

And your parents believe back then, because I mean they had to take you, right.

My parents, No, my mom didn't know what the hell I was doing was going to because I used to work at a movie theater. So I had my own money to do it and take classes. But like she trusted me. I was a very trusting child because my siblings made all the mistakes.

And she was like, okay, exactly.

And so I would go to New York and on the weekends take classes and and and it wasn't until I moved to New York to go to Marymount Manhattan College. I couldn't afford it. It was too expensive. I don't know why I chose a private college. And I told my mom that I was leaving and I'm going to try acting, and she was like, what is First of all, where's your four to one? Like, you know, I grew

Yeah, I was gonna Actually, when do you feel like you like your breakout moment? When do you feel like you actually made it?

I feel like there are many different breakout moments for different people, right. And I remember quitting my job in New York. I worked at a private members club and I was just done, Like I was done with people being inconsiderate and entitled and talking to me sideways. I literally walked out like just I didn't tell anybody. I just left and I'm like crying down the street New York moment, and the ladies like are you okay?

I'm home?

Stop.

It was a white lady, must look that bad.

Something's wrong with.

Lady.

She was like are you okay?

And I was like okay, you know, and you know, I auditioned for this show called One Life to Live at the time, and you know, my ex at the time was like, look, how about you go for your dream. This is the first time I've ever felt like I've had like a fall somebody to fall back on. And he I was like, go for my dream. He's like, yeah, I'll take care of everything.

You go for your dream.

But that only lasted a week because then I.

Can take care of you for one week.

No, it only lasted a week because I've booked.

A job for seven days. Yeah, you know.

Yeah, so I booked One Life to Live and after that I never had to like waitress or do any of those things ever.

Again.

I love that you worked at a movie theater, you know, because you know, when think back on your life, you look at all of these different moments that kind of gave you signs. Did that give you a sign back then?

Yeah, it was the closest thing I had to like what I wanted my reality to be. And so, yeah, I worked at a movie theater for a while. It was United Artists, it's not and it's no longer around. But I would get my mom some free movies. I'd give her a free candy and popcorn and all that stuff. So yeah, it was one of those things where I was that was the closest I ever got to what I wanted to be.

Yeah, that's right.

You played Michelle Obama a few years ago.

I did, Well, how was that?

Did you get to pick her brain?

And all?

I didn't.

I didn't we got the okay to do it because you know, we definitely didn't want to step on anybody's toes. But it was just from the point of view of you know, before she became Michelle, you know, like their first date. And so it was something that I produced and we took to sun Dance and we sold it to Mirrimax at the time, and you know, it worked out and my friend Richard Tanny wrote script and I got to work with my friend Parker Sawyers.

So it was it was.

Really fun to do and and I feel that that project, like it was very close to my heart.

Didn't come out before after becoming her.

Book, way after before.

Before, before before before you didn't have nothing to work on.

Well, yeah, he had, he had wrote his books already, but she also her brother wrote a book, so I got to like understand the inside of who she was before she became the Michelle Obama, you know, And so that was more fun for me because I wasn't trying to replicate who she is now. I had to kind of get an idea of who she was before that, right, and she was his boss. So the their first date was definitely like you know it was. It was walking the line.

You get canceled with that to day.

Your person got your boss, though, can't your boss you out here in the workplace?

Oh, human resources?

It was a double standing. Maybe it was different when it's a woman and the guy.

I just feel like, where do you meet your significant another nowadays? Like nobody goes to bars.

Nowadays. It's the toughest thing, Like you can't. I'm not gonna say you're not allowed to because you don't watch the human resource video that they make you watch every week. You got somebody and.

I met my man in the bar. I did, yes, yeah, two years ago.

I met guys in the bars. But I'm just saying that's when you used to go out, you know. But yeah, most of it was at work. So for me to now tell us.

About the sonic, the hedgehogging, and it.

Was that dirt installment because you're not.

It's well, it is a person, but it's not a person. It's animation.

So yeah, I mean it's it's incredible what they do and how they make them look. The first one was just like a golf tennis ball. I was like connecting with the second Sonic two, it was these huge three D cutouts of like me talking us talking to Sonic and Tails and all that stuff. And then the third one was like these huge puppeteers who actually had like talking to us as their voice as each Wress and Keanu and whoever else, And so yeah, it grow, it grew as the budget grew.

On the same room or is it like is it individually? No, they're in the same room. Okay, they're in the same room.

Not not not the voiceover part, Like they do their part separately, like Ben Schwartz who does Sonic and all that stuff, they do it in a booth. But for us to make it real, they bring these like puppeteers and like we're like, I love you Sonic or Knuckles is like I don't understand you know.

That kind of thing.

And so yeah, we get to like act across from real actors.

Do you like it?

I love it weird, like you're talking to a muppet and I know one time you're talking to a tennis ball.

I know, but it's like using your imagination, right, Like the closest thing to creativity is play. So I mean that's what you'd get to I got to do it, and I feel like I'm the coolest mom ever have daughter who's eight, is like she saw like she saw it and she's like, thank you so much, mom, And then all her friends were like, your sonic's mom. Yes, I feel like I have different street Crid. She's eight years old playing not at all with or without you?

Without you?

When they first booked you for that, did you what made you say I want to do this because it's totally different than what you've done before.

What made you want to do that?

Well, honestly, they asked me to come read at like a huge paramount table reading all the executives. Everybody was there, and I was like, do y'all y'all want me to come read with you guys? That's awesome, And so then they offered me the job. I wanted to do it because I wanted to do something that my daughter can actually watch.

I feel like everything I do is. It's like she can't really watch it. So how is it working with Jim Carrey? Oh, doctor, yes, which nobody else could play that role. And he plays two roles in this.

He plays his own grandfather and then the grandson, and so he's in First of all, I grew up watching him on in Living Color. Yeah. Same, And so to see somebody who you look up to for so long the first one, I was like, oh my god, Jim Carrey and he's like, all right, let's let's talk about the script and like all the things and what do you think about this? And help like write this joke? And I was like, what's me? No, I can't help with anything.

You write that, you know.

But it was really cool that he kind of embraced us and he's just super normal. Now it's like, oh that's Jim, you know. Yeah, it was awesome. It was awesome, a dream come true.

I wonder when you have you know yourself and then you have stars of that magnitude like Keanu and Jim, do they need to be seen clearly?

Not?

Right?

Do y'all need to be seen?

What do you mean?

And what like?

As far as like being on the screen, like it's your voices, but it's.

Not oh them, yeah, I mean you see Jim on the screen, you see what he does. I think with Keanu and Idris, you know their voices, so you don't have to. People are excited that it's Keanu and Idris, you know. And but also you know, the characters that they're playing are super iconic, so it's like they you know it, it's great that we have them, we love them. But also like the characters are the gamers are like, we're down for the ride.

But do you tell people? Is you like if somebody like I love that character, you'd be like, you know, that's me.

But you see me.

I'm not. No, I'm not a cartoon.

I have never seen it because you was talking like you were the voice actors.

I know I'm talking to like the characters on screen, like Sonic and Tails.

And Knuckles because he the only one that's not really not real. He was I'm real who so yeah, and.

Knuckles he knew Sonic wasn't real.

I know Sonic and Knuckles not.

Oh, you just thought the whole movie, the whole thing was No.

No, it's live action, like there you know, James Marson and me and you know other people are real.

Jim Carrey is real.

Yeah, so be just confused.

I never got it. I never got into the sonic thing. Actually what caught me with the trailer for Knuckle one time, but that was on TV.

Yeah that was a series. Yeah that was.

Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. I talked earlier that your mom just allowed you to go right, Yeah, that was your your son and daughter daughter. Because your daughter get older, would you let her just go and say go ahead?

These days? I mean it's hard. I do. Like we went like camping one and she's like, I just want to go. We did. We went camping.

Queens, but we went to like auto camp.

It was like a glamping Yes, it's like in a community. She's like, I want to walk over. She's very independent.

I think it's really important to allow your child to have some access to independence because I feel like or you can be kind of clobbering them and like, you know, I feel like I used to when I was in Queen's I would go down the block until the lights start and it was like Tica come home, and I just felt like, I that's how you learn, that's how you learn how to fight for yourself. I remember getting jumped by my two friends.

That day.

They're like, te could come over here. I'm like, what.

You got hit with? The come outside? You're not gonna jump you coming.

Going to somebody's house.

The girls are like, y'all gonna fight? What What did you do?

I didn't do I am I was a very sweet child. I did not do anything. I think they just wanted to. I don't know why they wanted to fight me.

She got jump.

Let me tell you my adrenaline when they told me the girl. I wish I could say her day because I remember. That's how impacted. I remember everybody's name. And I was like, I'm gonna fight her. And she was big in my big.

Like big back of like like.

Like Diesel big back, and I was like my adrenaline shot to my heart.

And I remember taking her hand.

There was a thorn bush, swinging her throwing her in the thorn bush, and she being like, I don't want to fight you. I was like what, Like it was a weird It was like I was in a dream and I don't know where the power came from.

I'm like, wasn't an angel because it was not me. It couldn't have.

Been me, yeah, and I walked away alive to jump. Well, they were all around me, so it was like it was a setup. They didn't they didn't jump me one on one, but the other my friends were around me.

And I was like, I don't understand that.

Smart you took the biggest one out first. So once they see everybody stories.

She asked me the other day, she asked me the day She's like, she did ask the other day, mom, have you ever been drunk?

And I was like, what was she watching? I want to ask all the questions. I'm just open with my child.

I really am, and not in a way where it's like inappropriate, but like I was drinking a beer at home one night and we were talking. She's like, have you ever been drunk? And I was like, my husband's like, yes, she has, and he tells her the store and she's like, wow, we want to know. I've been drunk many times. You don't want to know that was my past life.

It's funny though, because you talk about how you came up, but it's like, yo, we can't do that with our kids nowadays. I don't feel comfortable to letting my kids just go out.

And I mean, you know that lady who got arrested for letting her ten year old walk.

He was walking to the store. Yeah he's ten.

And that was in the South too. Well, he walked nothing, he walked.

He walked to the store, and they came to arrest her to say he was in Somebody called the cops he was in danger. And you know most states have that law. There's like only four that don't, Like, I.

Didn't even know that that.

Yes, yeah, it's like a child endangerment or something like that. But like I'm like, you can't even let your child walk to a store, which is crazy.

So many times.

Oh my gosh, an Astra credit, Yeah, exactly exactly.

And you worked with Tyler Party on a few projects. I did, and I noticed that, you know a lot of actors that work with him say that that was the first time that they ever got paid what they were worth.

Was that the same for you?

I I'm lucky in this industry. Like for the jobs that I have had, I've been paid very well and he has continued the process for me. And so I feel super grateful because even now, like I brought a I was trying to get a project made for five years and I had it with different production companies and I co wrote something with a friend of mine who's a writer on Pea Valley, and I brought it to him and within days he calls me. He's like, I'll direct it. This is the first time he's ever directed

Congratulations.

Kyla is a great dude, man. I don't think he really gets the flowers with a credit that he deserves.

I think he gets it, and he gets it from the people that matter to him.

You know.

I think you know, there's obviously a group of people who don't like what he does, but you don't have to watch it.

You said something very important, you said, the people that matter to him. If more of us can embrace that, like just caring about the opinions of people that actually matter to us and don't care about the pinions of the people who don't mad at us.

That means it, that's it.

My word this year was like, do not chase my words. I'm not going to chase after anything that is not for me, or nor am I going to chase people that I'm like begging you to come see me, because there are so many people who see me and love what I do and follow what I do and say it every day, you know, when I'm in the airport or whatever, and I'm like, oh my god, So just go after.

The people who are going after you. That's it.

Yeah.

I mean, you're not gonna get everybody, and you're not gonna always get the you know, the Oscar people.

Who deem that important.

Do you know remember the time at the oscars where they went on the street to everyday people and they're.

Like, do you know this movie? Do you know this movie?

They're like, no, nope, nope, no, most people don't know those movies.

You know, not that they don't matter, but the masses go.

And look at other A lot of things that YouTubers do, other people do, and so you know, not.

That they can't live in the same world. But that's not all that matters.

That's why I don't get mad when I'm watching the Oscars and like, let's say Angela Bassett doesn't win for or the Black Panther two. I didn't see the other movies, so I don't know she got right right.

You can't.

You can't have this voice of like, well they deserve It's like, well did you see everything else too?

You know?

Although she does. I mean, I think What's Love got to do what it got rob But.

I didn't. I don't even know the other movies that.

Were there neither.

Yeah, I just said the same thing that said she got around for that one.

That was too much. She did too much of a.

Oh my god, oh my god.

So speaking of going after people will go for you, I met You're a man, yes, her husband on the set of the Have and Have Not?

Who approached who I honestly I did.

Shot, which I usually do in my life anyway, but he was just making me laugh and it was a long day, and I honestly I said I will not date any more actors. Like I was like, no more, I'm done, I'm finished. And then I gave him my number and I was like call me, Like if you guys go out and he didn't. And he's like, no, there's no way, you're not married, and I was like, no, there is a way, and so yeah, we went out one night and then that was history.

Was he really making you laugh? And you just thought he was cute?

So I thought he was cute.

I thought he was cute, and then I was like, you know what, No, That's when I was like, I'm not doing this, and.

Then he really did. He's he's really funny.

Like dry humor, and I love to laugh, and so that would that's actually what really did attract me.

Why do you say you're not doing this though, Like, yeah, that's what I've dated.

I'm a quiet dater and I love that about my life.

I keep things very close to the chest and I've dated enough people in our industry where I'm like, I'm good.

You know Drake.

No, no, no, no, no, No.

I didn't date Drake.

But I hosted a show when I first came out called Best Friend's Date, and he was on it.

He was like the.

Celebrity guy on it, and I called him Aubrey during that time.

So that's probably why, Yeah.

Drake, No, I did not.

Who it pops up yes, and then you look on the screen it says right here, it's like she allegedly dated Dr No.

No, alleged he was the most impled. That's why just start trouble.

Yeah, was it insulting when he said, uh, you're not married or you know what, you're not married.

No, it was like it was a thing of like nobody like, you know, nobody asked.

You yet, like how could you be single?

It was that there's no way, there's no way you're singing and the way, you.

Know, I'm just having fun. But yeah, yeah, but I was single.

The previous actors that you had dated were you working with them? Is this was Nick the first person that you were working with that you actually dated.

No, Okay, this is why this is why you said that that would makes sense. That makes sense.

That makes sense.

Now the other people want sat Pete that like, okay, Seka and Nick over there doing something like my gosh, dude, you know during you know you're in your dressing.

Rooms, not anything crazy, Z But he had my makeup on. Well, Tyler has like a strict like you don't mess up my stuff over here, right, because if y'all don't get along, my show must go on, and so he went downstairs to go on set and his nose was brown and Tyler is like, what black girl, you been kissing?

Like He's like he knows, he literally knows. And I was like, oh my god. Then he came he called me. He's like, what are you doing? What's happened? And I was like, oh, you know, I don't know, we don't know. It's just hanging out. Person ain't got no black face sings. Was going on, what you're doing? It's crazy with Shade, It's crazy.

When I when I got pregnant, nobody knew that I was pregnant. I get a phone call, Tyler calls me, are you pregnant? I was not even showing nothing. I just found out like like literally like I was probably two months pregnant or month. So that was something early. He called me, He's like, are you pregnant? Something in my spirit is saying that.

Jesus.

I was like, and my mom didn't even know. Nobody knew except me and Nick. It's crazy. So I did confirm it. That was with Tiffany, Yeah, yeah, yeah, So who was that with? No, I don't my timelines are yeah, right, you have a child, You're like, you know it's then sick.

I don't know it was.

It was in the beginning though, So yeah, you know doctor Lumar.

I just.

First of all, Nick loves you.

He brought your bought your book, and Doctor Umer he I don't think he knows.

I know Doctor Umer. I love doctor I think. Look, I understand empowerment to our community. It's not like I haven't come from I have a black mom, a black.

Dad, I have black siblings, I have a black child.

Like I have a lot of blackness in my life.

I give back. I'm creating things for black people. So I'm like, I don't know what he wants me to do and also.

What he wants me.

To do, so I'll get to his school, Like what.

Do you want tell me? Is that is it coming out of your money or that white man's money. It's all green. You know.

One of the first time you heard of doctor Lumar video and you was like, what the You gotta feel a way when.

You first heart you're so interested in I am so interested when I hear people are like.

Black people need to keep it black.

You know, It's like I'm always interested because I understand.

I understand like a communal sense. I understand. I've dated many black men, and I get it. It's like it's it's it's a great thing.

But I feel like one I know, he would say, I'm like, people can't people fall in love with who they fall in love with. But also the percentage of black women to black men, they there's way more of us. There's not one for and there people black. Most black men are married to black women and so. But also there's a lot of single black women who are the numbers don't match.

It's just like there's not enough of y'all. Well where else are they supposed to go to? Who else? So like figure that out?

So what do you what do you tell a father of four black daughters that.

Possibly might be dating a white boy? What what would you tell that father? Look to the right.

Private school?

They go to all white schools.

Private school would what would you tell that black man?

I mean, I would say, look, the first thing I did ask Nick, I'm like, have you dated anybody other than black people?

Because I'm not your fetish you know what I mean? Like you got its? He does, and so he does.

I would just I mean, you know, if this person is a good person, just first of all, start there is he kind?

Is he?

You know?

Have him over, get to know him. Don't push it away like it's.

Not going to happen, because they probably will be the daughter will rebel.

Rebel like bring it in.

To your house.

But when you push it away, that's when it's gonna happen.

Don't put Just bring it in and allow your kids to talk to you.

You know, he she sees the amazing black man you are doesn't mean that she doesn't value that. It's just you like who you like at the moment, and it's moments in times.

So I wonder if those other brothers you were dealing with stepped up the did they, because it seemed like Nick from the beginning knew, like yeah, yeah, he knew. When you're make it statements like I can't believe you're not married, that's already on your mind.

Oh my god. Yeah, I mean I think people are. I mean, you you are where you are in life. You're either ready for more or you're not.

And I used to say, I say to women all the time, if you don't know where you stand, you stand nowhere at all? You know, with somebody, And so I knew and you're either afraid to ask the question, or you're like, where are we if you don't if you're asking that, you don't you know where you are?

Nowhere? Right?

And so you know, and and some people are ready, and then some people are not. And I was ready when I met Nick, and so and so was he. They weren't ready.

And that's okay, though, that's okay.

Because Nick got you. Nick proposed to you with a peloton bike. How true is that bike?

No?

No, no you no he he actually he proposed when I had the baby, because we already did all the things like we had the people always think like it took us a while to get married, because that was my choice. People are like, he ain't married, and see that white man, you know. I'm like, that's not even it.

It's me.

We got together, I got pregnant, we bought a house, like there was so many things happening.

I was like, slow down, I like it.

I was those men who weren't right too much, too much.

And then we he proposed on Christmas, Like around Christmas, he put the the ring under my daughter and told me to pick her up, and he had a note and he was down and I.

Was like, are you sure? Like he was like I'm a lot. He's like I am positive. I was like, okay, cool, So where did the Peloton bike come in?

At?

He just bought me a Peloton bike?

Okay?

He say like he proposed with a.

Bike, scavenger hunts during Christmas and like he pied stuff and put you know, he does all. He's thoughtful and where I'm like, what do you want for Christmas?

You know he's very thoughtful.

Yeah, you got a very black name.

If it's to James, it's Euphemia something. No, it's his.

His name is Nicholas Muscarellascrella tka Muscarella. You want to do fea Sumter Muscarella.

I have the longest name.

It doesn't even fit on like most of my when I travel, they're like the name doesn't fit definitely.

Not on tests.

When you were a kid, what did your family think when they first met him? And what did they think because they're from Queens, I know family back then, parents back then were little racist.

No, my mom my, mom my, you know, my dad passed away when I was thirteen, unfortunately, and my mom remarried a white guy actually, and so I when she first brought him.

I never saw like. I was like, what the hell is this?

What you said?

I was scared. I didn't I didn't know.

I was around black people all the time, and I was like, who is this? Like what I didn't understand. He's like, you want to go get ice C. I'm like, you're scaring me. I didn't know.

So my mom was fine with it.

My mom got a divorce and she went back and she married a black man who's amazing and they're in a great relationship.

I said, doctor Lamar frown and smiled.

So your mama dated what it's like?

No, doctor Ymar. She went back, so she was fine with it. We were fine with it. I mean it's nobody, you know. I think everybody was like, you know what, you know, what is this? And is he serious? And what does he want? And all that stuff.

But yeah, they were. They were definitely supportive.

This might be a stupid question, but is there anything you learned on mixed that you bring into your your life now?

You know?

I try not to bring any baggage that I've had onto my daughter because her her experience is going to be so different than mine in a lot of different ways, like I'll I'll be.

We homeschool our daughter now.

We took her out of private school, and she we read more than ever, We do more math than ever. But we've been reading these civil rights you know. Actually Nick reads them to her and she's like, I love history, mom, And she's like, how could somebody not let people sit where they want to sit? And one day she came home when she was in school, she's like, Mom, you know Martin Luther King junior. Right. I was like, yeah,

Damn right, damn.

I was like, well.

He looks like dad. Well, you know.

I was like, people were crazy. I was like, and yeah, I mean that's what happened. And we talked to our child how we want to give her. For me, I remember, you know, you grew up like you know, kids aren't meant to talk or just sit there and be quiet. But I think for me, what I struggled with was not understanding my own emotions as I got older, not being able to communicate with a guy and tell them what I actually want, because I'm like, what do I feel? What do I feel? And I want my daughter to

I love were just having that conversation earlier about emotions, because you know, they love to say women are more emotional than men, which I don't believe. And I believe if you are a man that doesn't know how to, you know, probably express your emotions, there's work you can go do on yourself.

Oh my god, for sure. And that's what I mean.

I started Adventures of Curiosity Code, which is a kid's podcast that maybe your hells is your You're not your twelve, he's twelve, but it's about emotional intelligence and it's about we created all these stories for kids because Ella used to be like, tell us, just tell me a story, tell me a story. And that now she's like, can you put on my podcast while she's in the bath, And but it's these stories that like help kids.

Yes, yes, yes, yes she is and she you know, it's these stories that for kids that.

Help them with understanding social emotional intelligence.

And so I'm excited about that.

Yeah, yeah, absolutely make sure she got a children's book coming out too, called I Got It from My Mama.

I got it, I got it from Mama.

I got it from my mama.

Yeah.

It comes out next year around Mom's Day Mother's Day, and you can pre order it now. But it's really about the idea of like old school parenting mixed with new school parenting and when gentle parenting is not so gentle. And so it's this idea of like this little girl being like I.

Got this from my mama.

I got this, and it shows all these things like I love how she does her hair and I try, and she sprays this perfume and then I've sprayed my dream, all these things she's gotten from her mom. Her mom one day snaps at her and she goes to school and she ends up snapping at somebody like her mom, and her mom is basically like, where'd you get that? From and she's like, I got it from you, mama. And so it's the idea of mirroring what we see

Like, I ain't apologize it, and I'm like, Mom, it's okay.

It doesn't take anything from you to just apologize, like, because you're teaching your children behavior, you know what I mean, Like when you're all, I'm not apologizing, You're a kid. They're growing up up thinking they don't need to. You're it's a cycle of you know, kao to break yes. And so for me it's me it's it's the understanding of newness and and what that means in parenting.

And so it's called I got it from my mama.

So I was like, what's the greatest piece of advice you got from yourma?

Oh man, I don't know if I got the advice, but I saw the advice. And my mom is super resilient, and I see I saw her struggle a lot, and she never gave up she knew she had my mouths to feed, and she knew that she had to work really hard. And so for me, I feel like the biggest thing a kid could have is resilience, because if you have that, I feel like you really can You're not so easy to give up on everything.

You know.

And I think nowadays even for my own daughter, teaching her like girl, no, you're gonna do this. You we made her stand piano when she didn't want to do it, and now she's like, she goes downstairs by herself and she just plays a piano and all that stuff, and I'm like, no, you gotta follow through. And so for me, it's never given up, Like my mom never gave up on us, and she never gave up on herself.

I saw you posted this on Instagram once and I thought it was good. You said, would you speak to your best friend the way you speak to you to yourself?

Oh my gosh.

I feel like and I'm I'm guilty of this, like the way we were so hard on ourselves nowadays, and especially like the hustle culture and like you know, Jess is doing this and Envy's doing that, and you're you have all these podcasts.

Like you're doing.

We look at all these people and thinking I'm not doing enough, or I'm not enough or I'm not smart enough to do what they do, or it's like do what you do and speak to yourself. You I would never just if we were best friends, I wouldn't be like, you know, I wouldn't be mean to you, right, Or if you were talking about yourself crazy, I'd be like, are you crazy?

You're you're You're amazing.

And then we go home and we're like beating ourselves up daily and it's like you're just you're literally whipping your own self, yeah, you know, into a frenzy. And so I just feel like, talk to yourself how you would talk to your best friend.

I got a home gun Nay. So she was like if she heard me talking crazy about myself, she'd be like, don't talk to my friend like that.

That's right, that's right. I agree with Rachel. Rachel and doctor.

UMARNI start doing some research, Like what you mean you agree.

With doctor be like, I'd love to have a conversation with him.

The first question, so you read black doing a silver rights.

Oh, doctor Mark gonna come after me and you want more kids?

I don't know if I don't know if that's in the cards for me. I'm older now, and we'll see what happens. My daughter wants, she wants either a dog or a She does want a sister, but we'll see.

I do, I do.

We'll check out Sonic the Hedgehog three in theaters on the twentieth of this month.

And thank you for joining us.

So much pleasure.

I love you, Thank you so much.

Y'all.

You guys do a great job.

You gotta come be together one day. I think you have doctor That would be amazing fireworks.

Actually, him and.

Doctor Umar might be best friend Nick can He somehow becomes best friends with.

People you would never think he eats. Wait.

Wait, we were at a club in Atlanta one time, this before we were together, and he's sitting there, you know, he has his drink. Is full of black people, not one was probably one other white, and it was his friend who came.

And he's comfy and I'm like, hey, you're you're good.

He's like, yeah, what what what? And I'm like, oh, no, he is comfortable. It doesn't matter who you are. He's very comfortable. So Doctor Umar, you me and him for lunch.

Please used to have.

Jesus Christ. Nick, don't have questions after this interview. Does I got it from my mama or your mama was the white guy that she look the white guy for a black guy. And you want to meet doctor Wilmot.

What's going on?

Crazy?

Took us something.

It's the Breakfast Club.

Good morning.

Wake that ass up in the morning. The Breakfast Club