Happy Thanksgiving Eve. At least that's the case for some of us, but not Drake. What the hell is going on with one of the most popular artists around This brother is going after Kendrick Lamar, not with lyrics, but with a lawsuit. Ah damn steven A Smith Show in the house, let's row. I thought this was hip hop, ladies and gentlemen. I thought this was hip hop, but evidently it's setting a little bit different. So I'm learning
something new every damn day. Welcome to the latest edition of The steven A Smith Show, coming at you as I love to do at least three times a week over the digital airwaves of YouTube and of course iHeartRadio. As always, I like to take a moment to thank my subscribers, my followers. We've now eclipsed over nine hundred and forty thousand, rapidly approaching a million subscribers. Can't thank
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Second Chances and First Takes, Now in paperback. To get yourself a copy, particularly for the holiday season, just go to straight shooterbook dot com to get yourself a copy. Once again, that straight Shooter Book dot com, Ladies and gentlemen. I got to leave the show off. Not with sports, not with politics, but with hip hop. It's supposed to be hip hop. It's supposed to be hip hop, but that is not what the hell is going on right now? Did you hear the latest news?
Did you hear it?
Drake is now dragging lawyers into his beef with Kendrick Lamar. I know y'all have heard about this by now. Drake father court petition Monday against his own record label, Universal Music Group and Spotify, by the way, accusing them of harming him by allegedly boosting Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us. Drake's petition seeks the preservation and divulgence of information that might be used as evidence in a potential lawsuit against UMG, which is the distributor for the record labels of both
Drake and Lamar. A second petition father in Texas alleges UMG engaged in a pay for play scheme with iHeartMedia to help boost the song, which the petition also claims the themed Drake you may recall, Not Like Us infers that Drake engages in pedophilia, and the song has gotten more than nine hundred million plays according to the figures listed on Spotify, who obviously declined to comment on the petition.
As for UMG, they issued the following statement saying, quote the suggestion that UMG would do anything to undermine any of its artists is offensive and untrue. We employ the highest ethical practices in our marketing and promotional campaigns. No amount of contrived and absurd legal arguments, and this pre action submission can mask the fact that fans choose the
music they want to hear. End quote. You know, it's interesting that we bring that up because before I go any further, that pre action, that preaction petition that they alluded to. Understand, that's a procedure under New York law that aims to secure information before filing a lawsuit. I just wanted to get that out the way. Okay. By the way, the lead between Drake and Kendrick, who, by the way, is set to headline the super Bowl halftime sh that was one of the biggest rap beefs in
recent years. The beef between them, it's one of the biggest rap beefs in years. This is a bad look. Let's get this out of the way right now. It's a bad look and it's all smeared on Drake, all of it. This is hip hop, man, this is hip hop. Somebody comes at you with lyrics with a song, you're supposed to come right back at them with the song with lyrics. And I'm gonna tell y'all something right now.
You know, the hip hop community prides itself on being authentic, straight up, real, in your face, let you know where they stand, how they feel, and not shine away from shit. That's the hip hop community. Let me tell you what's been happening in the hip hop community. Since last night. I've been making calls. I appreciate the bevy of information that everybody has provided me with, given me intel and letting me know what the hell is really going on,
because ladies and gentlemen, I don't cover this business. And yes, I'm a product of the hip hop generation. I grew up me Helen from Hollis Queens, New York City, y'all. I'm from Hollins Queens. Run DMC grew up in the neighborhood. Jam Master J was best friends with my late brother god Rest, both of their souls. Lllucle J grew up five minutes away in Farmers Boulevard. Fitty was just a few minutes away. John rode the same thing.
How mean.
The list goes on and on. So I understand I'm a product of all of that. I'm a product of all of that, but I've never been entrenched in it from a journalistic perspective. I don't cover it. I don't read hip hop magazines and all of this other stuff. I just listened to the music that I like and to the stations that play the music that I like. That's all I know. That's all I know. I don't know a damn thing about the industry. I'm gonna tell you this much though I know a hell of a
lot of people who do. W Here's why I bring it up. All of them want to remain nameless, all of them, the hip hop artists, I know, the radio disc jockeys that I know, the journalists that cover it. Even though I got Tor Ray coming on in a few minutes. I mean, I've never seen an industry where you got, folks yo. I'm not touching this publicly, but that ain't stop a whole bunch of them. I'm talking about ten fifteen different people. Bring let me know how
they feel. Because I'm gonna read some of this stuff. You understand, can't tell you who, but I'm gonna just let you know. They looking at Kendrick Lamar song, not like us with the nine hundred million listeners to downloads all of this other stuff, and they going like this, damn right, Drake, not like us? Did we tell you? Didn't Kendrick Lamar tell you all because of lawyers. Now, again, this is not a lawsuit, I want to make that
very very clear. Now, Yet this is a preaction petition So basically, if you're Drake, what you're doing is the procedure under New York Lord that aims to secure information before filing a lawsuit. You're trying to make sure you get access to all the information that you want because of the accusations that he's trying to say. And they looking at Drake and they're like, they don't give a shit about that. The rap artists don't care, the DJs don't care. Now, my man, funk Master Flex was on
TV or not on TV. I'm sorry. He went on social media and he was saying, Drake, ain't tell a lie that this is the game that's played in the music industry where you got cats having money funneled to them to push one product more so than the other, to push a particular song to make sure it gets airplay and stuff like that. My point is, I'm not challenging funk Master Flex in any way because I know the brother knows a gazillion times more about this industry
than I would ever know. All I'm saying is now people don't give a shit about that right now. No no no no oh no no no no no no, that don't matter right now ladies and gentlemen. What matters right now is that two lyricists have been going after each other for months and Kendrick Lamar not like us, and she was off the chain. He was off the chain.
Everybody.
Everybody been going, I mean, you got people, I mean kids, adults, senior citizens, black, white, asthetic agent at everybody, and they know the lyrics, minors remember that. I mean, they're like. But all they said was, y'all, damn Kendrick got him. Not damn Drake's a pedophile. He's just talking about the lyrics and what he brought and what he dropped and how he came at him, and we ain't hear much from Drake, and then we get this, We get this.
Look y'all, there's a several modes of thinking in this. And let me calm down a little bit because it's got me hyped. I'm not gonna even front just read it. But yo, one person wrote to me Drake throwing away his hip hop credibility to use this leverage in label negotiations. The flip side is he's also in effect helping Kendrick Lamar distance himself from Drake. In a hip hop legend, conversation.
There are rumblings that defamation, that the defamation lawsuit is an effort by Drake to stop Kendrick Lamar from performing Not Like Us at the super Bowl, because Kendrick Lamar
is the halftime show for the super Bowl. And so now we got to look at it because if you're the Nation, if you're the National Football League and you Jay Z and Rock Nation, who oversees the halftime entertainment for the super Bowl, and Kendrick Lamar doesn't perform Not Like Us, the world is gonna be in an uproar because anybody's gonna be like that, don't make no sense. Excuse my double negative from grammatically Era asked have himself.
That's what they gonna say. You gotta play this, especially now, especially now, you gotta perform that song. You can't be Kendrick Lamar at the super Bowl in New Orleans and you don't play Not Like Us. And Drake walks away from that unscathed, because I don't care who pumped what up. If the song wasn't straight fire, there's no way it would have had that many, that many hits, that many downloads, No way in hell. I don't give a damn what they try to pump. I don't care what they try
to market. Nobody's having it because you want to hear that song. And so from a legitimate perspective, that argument by Jake Drake, in the eyes of a lot of fans out there, is illegitimate. But more importantly, he comes off as very weak and very sensitive and ladies and
gentlemen as a guy that covers sports. Do you remember what happened when Damar DeRozan was returning to Toronto to play now that he's a member of the Sacramento Kings, Drake used to love Damar DeRozan, but Damar DeRozan was on stage doing Kendrick Lamar's concert in La months ago, dancing on stage with Russell Westbrook and a couple of other cats. Because they all from they all from the same they all from the same hug Off of Compton, and they were like yo. Tamar DeRozan used to be
a Toronto raptor. Drake loved him. But then when a reporter asked Drake about DeMar DeRozan's jersey being hung in the Raptors as a testament to his greatness as a Toronto raptor, during those years he played there, Drake said, Yo, I'd go down there pull it down myself. You don't believe me. Listen to this right here, look see it for yourself. Check it out speaking the National Treasure.
Yes, if you ever put up a DeRozan banner up, I'll go up there and pull it down myself.
That's the answer. You what question that what you're gonna ask?
No, I didn't know, Kyle.
Yeah, the statues are next.
Well, yeah, they are.
Gonna like this.
See what I'm saying. It's not far fetched to believe if he's gonna react like that towards Lamar Rosen, who used to be his boy. Everyone's once on a magazine cover together. If I remember correctly, If you're gonna act that way towards a cat that you once had love for, why would it be beyond the pale for you to try to get Kendrick Lenaw not to be allowed to perform that song on a halftime show for Super Bowl. That is not far fetched. That is not far fetched.
It's bad, it's bet and if that happens, I'm gonna take something right now. It's not good for Drake. Here's another thing that somebody said to me from the hip hop industry quote, it's not hip hop at all. He lost me with that shit. I'm sorry. Still love Drake, still love him, but got to stay far away from him on the low after this. Ain't no excuse for him doing this. You want to get back at Kendrick Lamar, you come up there and you come on some bars, you come with some lyrics, and you go at him.
You don't lose use lawyers to do it. That's how this is being viewed. And so I remember I was just I just went and got myself a haircut, and I ran into a couple of couple of brothers when we were in the shop, and they were like, yo, it's a legal issue. It's a legal issue. Fine, but this will detrimentally hurt Drake's credibility. And then one of the cats said, yo, he might not care. I said, why not? They said, because he ain't like us. I don't know what to make from that. I mean, he's
from Canada, Kendrick from Compton. You're seeing streets of Canada probably a lot different than Compton. I guess that's what they were alluding to. Actually I know it, but this don't look good and just to read. Just so y'all know. For those of y'all watching for the first time and didn't know, Drake initiated legal action against Universal Music Group UMG and Spotify over allegations that the two companies quote conspired to artificially inflate the popularity of Kendrick Lamar is
not like us. Nobody wants to hear that shit is an artificial inflation. Nobody believes that because everybody's loving the song. But nevertheless, I'll continue in the following Monday, November twenty fifth, and Manhattan Court, Drake's Frozen Moments LLC accuses UMG of launching quote an illegal scheme involving bots, Paola and other methods to pump up Lamar's song, a track that savagely attacked Drake omitted an ongoing few between the two stars.
He did not rely on chance or even ordinary business practices. Attorneys for Drake's company right It instead launched a campaign to manipulate and saturate the streaming services and airwaves. Drake's attorneys accused you UMG of violating a Racketeer, Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The Federal RICO statue often used in criminal cases against organized crime. They also alleged to scept the business practices and false advertising under New York state law.
The court filings are a remarkable twist in a high profile beat between the two stars, which saw Drake and Lamar exchange stinging dis tracks over a period of months. Earlier this year that such a dispute which spilled into business litigation, seemed almost unthinkable in a world of hip hop. Well, it ain't unthinkable now. It ain't unthinkable now. My next guest is a journalist that has covered the music industry for decades. He's also an author, podcaster, and television host.
You can watch his show Rap Latte on YouTube and listen to the taira show wherever you get your podcast. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome to the show to one and only to Ray, what's up Big Time? How are you man?
Thank you, Steve and Day, Thank you for that welcome.
I appreciate that man. First of all, it's good to see you man. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to do this. I really appreciate it. And I'm gonna be straight up with you. I'm as ignorant as they come with this kind of stuff to ray this is that you know, I don't cover hip hop. I listen to hip hop music, but I don't cover it at all. How big of a deal is it in your mind that Drake is actually clearly entertaining filing a lawsuit with this r what is it called, this
preaction petition? How big of a deal is it in your eyes?
You know, I find it bizarre and kind of a big deal that one of the biggest artists in the world wants to have a public conversation about whether or not Payola was used against him when certainly Paola has been used to benefit him on multiple occasions.
Right.
I mean, like, if this is the case of where you accuse somebody of doing something because you know that's what you do, right, That's what I would.
Do if I was him.
Right, Every major song has a massive expenditure behind it. Nothing goes pop by accident and it's just an organic success that had no help.
There are bots, there is payola.
There's all sorts of ways that radio stations and streamers and other ways that we get music to consumers are influenced by music industry money, and we have dealt with payola in large ways throughout our history.
In the fifties and the seventies, like it has been a huge issue.
It is something the music industry never wants us to talk about because it's unseemably. We don't want to think that somebody paid a million dollars to make.
That song number one. We want to think that the fans fell in love with the song and it's a true representation of what the people want. This is not the case.
And Drake is now saying that the company that he is a rainmaker for use it's machine to help somebody else profit on his back, so on his image, because the song predicated on dissing Drake and it robs Drake of chances to get streams. So they pushed the song up, made it large, it became gigantic, and this was personally damaging to Drake's business.
This is the.
Most unhip hop way of responding to a beef's ever.
But this is where we are, all right. So this is where we are. And why do you think Drake is doing this? Is it because he's excessively an ultra embarrassed? Is it because he's using it as a negotiating ploy against the company that he works with, or what have you, or is it incentivized primarily in an effort to stop Kendrick Lamar from performing this song during halftime of the upcoming super Bowl In February.
We had a big conversation about this on rapp Latte. My partner by co host King Green really thinks that this is part of him trying to renegotiate and perhaps even get out of the deal that he has with UMG.
I don't know if that's even possible.
I think we're really seeing more of an angry, egotistical, wealthy man not wanting to admit loss and would rather say to the people there was a systemic reason why I lost. There was a machine that pumped up the song, that made it gigantic. That's why I lost because the machine, the record company machine, made Not Like Us so huge.
I don't know if there's.
Really any way that Drake could stop Kendrick from performing Not Like Us at the super Bowl.
That's gonna happen, but the.
Song has already been one of, if not the biggest smash of the last ten years, certainly thin hip hop culture. The only thing I can think of closes and words in Paris that was this gigantic of a spec But I think Not Like Us was bigger, which is unwittingly, Drake is all reminding us of how much we loved Not Like Us at its height. So you see all these tiktoks where people are saying, well, I've played the song a million times myself, so.
I can believe it got to a billion streams.
It felt organic, it felt like it was everywhere, So of course we understand.
Yeah, we know why the record was big.
We made it big.
I'm wondering, how do you feel this will affect Drake's credibility in the hip hop industry, and how do you think it will affect him business wise overall?
I think one of the things that we see as this situation overlaps to sports. We respect a graceful loser. You get knocked out, you get beat at home, whatever, you hold your head up and say good job to the other team, and you walk off without tears, and we're like, we respect you. And maybe Steven A will go on first take and call you a dog, but you still respect him as a man because he dealt with the loss like a gentleman.
Right.
Drake seemed to be dealing with the loss like a gentleman, right and like taking on the chin, and he lost big battles before and kept it moving, and the feeling was like, Wow, Drake is so big that he can lose a battle. This makes him seem like the whiniest cry baby. Richie rich went off and deployed his money to try to get back at you, and it really does say I'm not like you.
I am not hip hop.
I did something in response to losing a battle that no rapper would ever do.
I felt like.
He's gonna survive, not like us, He's gonna survive. You know, a billion people screaming a minor all summer long. But this brings it to a different place where I think a lot of people have to start to be like, I really like the guy, and like for some people, they want to like the person, right. And what we're talking about with Drake is not being part of the hip hop culture.
Right.
That was really Kendrick's.
Main thing, and this is pushing that notion if you don't like the guy because.
You're like, he's a whiny cry baby.
And he handled it like a loser when he lost that sours you on the records because his vibe, who you think he is as a person is critical to your relationship with him, your parasocial relationship with him as a listener. You got you gotta like him. If you don't like Drake, If you think he's corny, the music doesn't work. It doesn't matter how slick the raps are and how good the beat is. If I think he's corny,
I'm not gonna be able to rock with him. And this is like taking a big stamp in like boo boom, I am corny, Like.
What are we doing here? But listen read it from the article. Man, here's one thing I want to read these two paragraphs to you. They say. In one particularly eye catching claim, the petition claims that UMG paid Apple to have its voice assistant features Siri, purposely misdirect users to Kendrick's song. Online sources reported that when users ask Siri to play the album certified lover Boy by Drake, SyRI instead played not Like Us, which contains the lyric
certified pedophile and allegation against Drake. This is what the rappers lawyer said.
What I'm asking also contains the line certified lover boy.
Right, that's right, that light's.
In there too.
So so.
But here's what I'm asking you is, do you believe that's the primary rot motivation for Drake going to this point to stop that from circulating out there any more than it already has because he was accused of being a pedophile.
I don't know if that Siri thing happened, but if it did, or any sort of manipulation, as I said, has surely been deployed on behalf of Drake multiple times throughout his career. So you know, whatever Kendrick has benefited from this situation, Drake has benefited from it many, many, many times.
You know.
I mean like this would be like the Yankees crying about the Dodgers having bigger pockets, Like what are you talking about? Like you have been the big pocket a baseball for forty years?
Like what are we talking.
About right now?
I mean, you know, it's very trumpion in that when Trump lost in twenty twenty, he was like, mm, it's the numbers, it's the counters, it's the machines. And that's what Drake is he lost and He's like, Oh, they miscounted all the machines.
That's what really happened here?
Well, no, dude, what do you think about this? Because when you when you think about UMG right, I got, I got some notes in front of me. According to a Business Inside An article from two thousand than sixteen, these are the top ten biggest record label deals record deals rather of all time, ranked before Drake's four hundred million dollar deal. This is before Drake's four hundred million
dollar deal in twenty twenty two. Michael Jackson at two hundred and fifty million in twenty ten, U two at two hundred million in nineteen ninety three, Lil Wayne at one hundred and fifty million and twenty twelve, Jay Z at one hundred and fifty million in two thousand and eight, Bruce Springsteen at one hundred and fifty million in two thousand and five, A Dell at one hundred and thirty million in twenty sixteen, Robbie Williams at one hundred and
twenty five million in two thousand and two, Madonna at one hundred and twenty million in twenty twelve, Whitney Houston at one hundred million in two thousand and one, and Prints at one hundred million in nineteen ninety Two, when you considered Drake's four hundred million dollar Universal deal, which was reported as being one of the biggest deals of
not the biggest deal in music history. Is it possible that UMG and others may be guilty of what he is asserting and because of the money he gets from now and the money he was in line to get from them, that indeed nego it was a negotiating ploy on their part which forced Drake's hand. Is that is that a sensible argument for Drake to try and make.
I don't I really don't know.
I really don't know.
You have gone beyond by understanding of the legal parameters of all this to be able to.
Assess something like that.
I think part of what we see with Drake's deal is two things. One thing is inflation, right, it's a different time. But also there are fewer superstars in the music world than there have been in the past, So somebody like Drake is even more valuable to a UMG than he would have been ten or twenty years ago. There are fewer people who can move gigantic units, and he's basically taken care of the company, right. He is the big rain maker. I mean, like they aren't going
broke on the salary. So if they're paying Drake five hundred million, how much are they profiting off of drink?
Right?
Like, it's got to be a multiple above that. And everybody in the music business gets fleeced nobody because this is how much an artist told me this This is how you can pay. The music business is it's like your boss gets your check.
You don't get to see it.
Your boss tells you this is what you made and then pays you out of that because you could never ever see the actual accounting from the from the actual numbers. Like you, that would never ever happen, so you never really know. One famous artist told me once the label owes me between five and ten million dollars, and I'm like, wait a minute, that.
Is a giganton outrage.
Between obi five or ten Like those are two entirely different conversations.
Yeahs, last couple of questions because I gotta get down of here, and I thank you so much for you Tom tour Ray, How does this all make Kendrick Lamar look at this particular moment in time and do you feel there's no way on earth that he cannot perform? Not like us at the super Bowl after this, of course.
He's gonna perform not like us. It is the biggest song of the year. It's the biggest song he's ever had. You know, they might do it three or four times in a row, like they did it the Pop Out. I think Kendrick thinks this is hysterical. He's got an album that was that's fresh out. The album is hot to death. Hip hop heads are like, this album is incredible.
We're grinding on this album.
We're doing the knowledge on this album because when Kendrick dropped the project, you gotta like dive deep and pull out the dictionary and Google and try to figure out all these things to see like what he's doing, and like you gotta have it like a literature degree. So we're doing all that knowledge on Kendrick. Well, Drake is doing this. He's at a courthouse, so filing a suit.
What do you do it, buddy? He could not have played this worse. It's you know, it's giving. I'd like to speak to the manager.
It's giving.
I'm gonna snitch on the corporation. I'm gonna call hr on Kendrick, Like it's just the cordeiest move ever in the history of battling.
And what kind of thing and what kind of consequences do you think Drake will pay for this? Last question, what kind of consequences do you think healing curve for this in the hip hop community? From the hip hop community directly, I.
Don't think you see it like right away, Like it doesn't happen like a lightning bolt, But it just erodes the fan base. It erodes the fan base and more, like you know, like a rock on the ocean, Like it just erodes more and more over time. A famous rapper one said to me, you don't retire from hip hop, the audience retires you. And I imagine at some point it'll be like there just isn't the energy in the air for Drake anymore.
He's still a big artist.
He's gonna drop an album probably some point next year. It'll go platinum. He'll still be able to tour. But you know, it just starts to shrink a little bit, Like you get the core fan base, but not other people because they're like, yo, this this man is corny.
Yeah, it was weak. It's weak, Torrey. I appreciate you, my brother, thank you so much for taking time out of your schedule to hop on with me at the last moment. Notice, man, I really appreciate you taking you all right, thank you? Peace?
All right.
The one and only tore right here with Steven A. Remember to check out rap Latte on YouTube and The Torey Show wherever you get your podcast coming up. He's an actor who start alongside some of the baddest women in Hollywood. I've got Tay Diggs in the house and we'll break down his latest project in some of his favorite leading ladies. But first, the NBA is considering a change to the all Star game format, and I'm placing the blame squarely on the play as Yes I am.
That's next right here on the Steven Nate Smith Show. Be back in a minute. Okay, everybody, you know what Tom it is. It's Tom for steven A Sports Picks. If you're like me, that probably means you live and breathe sports. It probably also means you need to be in the middle of all the big time game action. But how do you solve that problem? Exactly? I'll tell you how you use Prize Picks. You see, Prize pects is the largest daily fantasy sports platform in all the land,
with over three million members With Prize Picks. You just choose two, three, or even up to six of your favorite players and then pick more or less when they projected stats for the game or contest. Choose any of the players you love to watch, Cooper Cup, Steph Curry, Travis Hunter, Cooper Flag, all in the same entry. All right, and now, since we're only a day away from Thanksgiving, Prizepects is preparing for picks Giving. That's where users to
participate for a chance to win a free lineup. Oh yeah, everybody eats on picks Giving. And that's not all. If you sign up right now and use the code that say yes, Prospects will give you fifty dollars instantly play your first five dollar lineup. You don't need to win your lineup to receive the fifty dollars bonus. It's guaranteed. All you have to do is play a five dollar lineup on Prospects and you'll get fifty dollars instantly. Now,
let's look at my winning pixelka today. Of course, I'll be choosing from the Thanksgiving games that we'll all be watching. First up, Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff up against the Chicago Bears defense more or less than two hundred and forty nine and a half passing yards. It's Jared Goff. He's still varing for League MVP honors. He's got a balance running attack, he's got balance at the wide receiver spot,
and Lo Portie's got an elite tight end. I'm gonna go with him more on this particular situation because Detroit's the best team in football, and even though the Chicago Bears are up and coming, I don't know if they're ready for that yet. Next up, Bears signal caller Caleb Williams, the number one overall pick facing the line, second deary more or less than two hundred and twenty eight and a half passing yards. I'm gonna go with more on this one too. I don't know about everybody else, but
I like Kayleib Williams. The brothers got size, he's got mobility, he's got a strong arm. He can make all the requisite throws. I think the head coach lost at least two games for them, at least two games they came down to the wire, hell Mary against Washington and than obviously the other week. I look at them, I think they got a chance and I tell you something right now. I like Kayler Williams a lot. I think he's got a lot of problems. Jaden Daniels is no joke with
the Commanders, and I get that part. But Kayler Williams can ball, and I think his future looks bright. Okay, let me move on to the next one. We have Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush playing the New York Giants more or less the toryges seven and a half passing yards. It's against the Giants, y'all, don't ask me silly asked questions. It's against the Giants. Hell I could possibly throw for
more than two hundred and seven yards against the Giants. Finally, we have Tommy d as in Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito facing the Cowboys more or less than one hundred and seventy seven and a half yards passing for him. I'm gonna go less. You got a wide receiver in neighbors that is disgusted with the team. You don't have any other requisite weapons to point to. Okay, you're going up against the Cowboy team feeling themselves because they just beat
the Commanders. You're just looking at things in the way they're unfolding right now. Everything is nose diving for the New York Giants. By the way, idulations to Daniel Jones, I don't know why the hell ESPN called it breaking news. Daniel Jones going to the Minnesota Vikings as a backup to Sam Donald, that's breaking news, damn. That tells you what we need to know about the industry. But nevertheless, having said all of that, the video against the Cowboys,
I think they're feeling themselves. They're gonna show up and they're gonna limit him the less passing yards than that. That's it for this edition of Prospects. I hope y'all enjoyed it. Remember more and more and more and less. There's more than less when we're talking about prospects. That's the way we do it on the stephen A. Smith Show. You heard me, Welcome back to the stephen Ate Smith Show. I want to get to the NBA and the changes
reportedly coming to the All Star Game. Sources tell ESPN the league wants to introduce a new fourteen tournament style format this season that's expected to have two semi final games played to forty, with the winners advancing to the final match played to twenty five. The event would be the first of its kind. Expect to have competition that resembles pick up games in an effort to curtail lackluster
performances seen in recent years. Again, according to ESPN, the NBA was in serious discussions to have three All Star teams of eight players each and the winner of the Rising Stars Game take part in an All Star Game tournament. I hate it. I have no use for it. It means absolutely positively nothing to me. Matter of fact, I don't even want to go. I'm gonna call it what
it is. It's straight bullshit, it really is. Let me tell y'all something, Okay, Nobody should expect the players on All Stars Sunday to play as hard as they play during the regular season or the playoffs. I understand that. But you're trying to tell me you can't play as hard as you play in the summer time, when you're working out to get yourself. You can't do that. We've seen plenty of footage for the just of NBA players working out in the offseason, practicing in gyms, going up
against one of the one another. They play harder than we see what we see on Sundays for All Star weekend. How come you can't do that for the All Star Game? Now, from everything that I'm being told, you know what the problem is, y'all. It's the sponsors and advertisers because the league caters to them, and the NBA players don't get anything out of it. I had somebody text me this, so I'm gonna share with y'all right now to make sure that we go with it. Okay, to make sure
that y'all know what I'm talking about. Okay, it says here is deeper than that. Stephen A. Players know that the league does all of this for their corporate partners. They're paid heavily for this weekend, and the players can't even get decent seats for their families. They feel like this is some bullshit. They're like, we have to show up for this stuff, but we don't have to play. Okay, that's what he said. They got fifty one different part and it's fair enough to school and the players want
to talk about, well, we ain't getting any of that. Well, one hundred thousand dollars a piece goes to the winner of the All Star Game. Twenty five thousand dollars go to the loser according to the CBA. I guess you can bring stuff like that up, but that ain't even a point. There's a multi billion dollar league. You got cats in the league worth over one hundred million dollars worth of a five hundred million dollars worth of a
billion dollars. You can't show just a little bit of effort in front of a packed house, inside of arena, nineteen twenty thousand press stars at press roll all over the place. You can't just play ball like you playing ball in the offseason. That's where it gets a bit extreme. That's where it gets a bit extreme. This's an eleven year, seventy seven billion dollar deal that was just agreed to that kicks in for next season. Players are getting that fifty percent of that. You can't show up. I mean,
the effort has been lackluster. And don't get me started with that sorry ass slam dunk contest. I swear to Lord, I want to sponsor my own slam dunk contest station wide. I could do a better job. And I'm not blaming the NBA one bit. I'm blaming the players. You can't play as hard as you play while working out in the summer. Really, you're just gonna have a glorified layup
line all Star weekend. Really, really, That's why I was so proud of Steph Curry when he went over against the Brina and Escuul in a three point shooting contests. He didn't have to do that, but he's the elite shoot of the game has ever seen, and he was going up against one of the great shooters in the WNBA. And I hope Caitlyn Clark does it in the future and Klay Thompson gets in on it and other people. I hope all of that happens. It promotes the game.
Rising tide lifts all boats. But when you think about previous players, when you think about Jordan and Dominique and and and and Isaiah and Magic and everybody else, and how they will perform for All Star Weekends, and then you see the absence of pride and fervor and vigor from today's players. You got yours, Huh, You got yours so you don't have to care. And see, then I'm an asshole, I'm a clown. I'm a jerk because I point stuff like this out facts. But I'm the bad guy.
It's just ridiculous, just ridiculous jump shots from half court. Even though Damian Lilla made one, steph Curry made another. But damn, it's a joke. I have no desire. I love basketball. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for the NBA. I am incredibly grateful and I love the job that Adam Silva has done. I love him as a commissioner, I love well, you know what the NBA has done overall. But there's a lot of people out there that have been turned off by
the NBA product. It's still big time and social media. It's still big time in the digital stratosphere, but on linear television is a reason for that. People got better things to do with their time because they can tell when people ain't giving max effort. I'm just saying, y'all, somebody got to say it, so I said it. Coming up my interview with the superstar of Stage and Screen, the one and only Ta Diggs. You do not want to miss this, y'all. Your boy with Ta Digs up next,
don't go away. Let me just take a second to make sure everyone out there knows I play to win and if you anything like us here at the Steven Nismith Show. You do two and that's why We've decided to team up with Prize Picks, America's number one fantasy sports app with over three million members. Tell turn all your sports knowledge and it's some big time cash you see.
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Welcome back to the Steven A. Smith Show. I couldn't wait to have my next guest next to me in studio. You see him or you've seen them more Broadway, in television, in film, How Stella Got up? Groove back All American? Okay, the Best Man one two, as far as the one two and three, because I don't think codemn it is one, two and three right. The list goes on. Brown Sugar can't forget all of that. He's here to talk about some new projects he's involved in as well. The one
and Only Tay Diggs in the house, My brother. What an influences man. How's it really going, man, it's going well.
I've heard that you own all this and that that makes me that that warms my heart. Manly, Yes, yes, Now that we are coming up as a group and starting to take responsibility and ownership, that's good for you, man.
I appreciate man, Thank you so much. But you know what, you too damn shabby yourself. You're doing some big things. Talk to me about what you're about to do. Right now. I'm hearing something about a new talent competition series coming up. Talk about that for a second, Yes, sir, thank you.
I've always loved watching you know, American Idol and The Voice and America's Got Talent. I've always wanted to be a judge on one of these programs because I think I have what it takes to uh to uh, you know, to lend my my talent and experience never been asked and uh, miraculously this this uh, this, this opportunity presented itself. It's called Second Chance Stage. And me and two other judges, we are blessed enough to watch all these people who
have another opportunity at their big dream. So for whatever reason, they had to postpone whatever talents they were gifted and uh and deal with life. Some people had to take care of you know, sick family members or you know people that that had died, or you know, they ran into money issues, so they have to postpone their.
Dream or dream deferred.
We give them another chance, and the stories are amazing. You know, we get to judge them, we get to give them suggestions, but to hear the stories that these people have been through, it's quite emotional and I'm very excited about the show.
What kind of a judge is you going to be? Because remember, you know, back in the day when they had American I m stuff like youse sees simic collus he just looking at people you don't have it. I mean, you just don't have no chance whatsoever, and stuff like that. What kind of judge are you gonna be? I won't lie.
I want it to be that kind of judge, but I'm too emotional. I don't know if it's my age or the fact that i'm my father. I just I hear these people's stories in it, and it gives me a completely different perspective. So I'm far more empathetic than I thought I would be. I mean, I tell them like it is, but you know, I can't help it.
Be affected by what these people have to say and what kind of stories. I mean when you talk about being a storytell and telling their stories, because you basically justifying the fact that they're getting the second change essentially right. These stories give us an idea of how compelling some of these stories are. One art, it's heartbreaking.
There was this one woman who she's a stand up comic and was everything was going her way. She was hitting other clubs in the city and then her mother, I think she was hit with dementia, so she had to completely pull out. And it's also just a testament to you know, the quality of life that these people have where they put themselves second and they put their you know, the people that are important to them first.
So she, uh, this comedian, she just you know, stopped doing what she was doing and started living with her mother. And finally, once her mother was on the right track and she she started to have those thoughts again, maybe I should give this another shot.
When would you what's your most memorable second chance? All of us have receeen second chances in life in some point, in some capacity. When you think about yourself, your life, what would you what would you qualify as a second chance.
I was, I thought you stumped me just now.
But my son, my son, to me, is is the ultimate second chance, because uh, you know, just living life with with my first marriage and these relationships, I can see where where I could have maybe stepped differently or or or or you know, acted more a little bit more intelligently or with my heart and my son is that is that second chance. He's he represents to me all of all of the good So thank you for asking me that that that makes me look at that relationship and in a different Well, you.
Can't just met you your son. I mean that brother wants to shine. How digs little hooper, little point guard.
He's uh, you know, we reclassed so we could get bigger. You know he's got as private private coach James and you know training his muscles.
Jay.
We we got a hold. He's got a whole crew behind him.
That's actually going to be very very helpful because when you're young and you're doing it. When you're young, they not only teach you how to build muscle, get streacted, what have you. They also teach you about stuff you need to avoid. I walk around in my fifties down with knee injuries because I was playing on cement all of those years and stuff like that. You know, they guard you against that in this day and age. So
I think that's very very helpful. But getting back to you, I want you to take a moment to really reflect on all the work that you have done. As you reflect on your career and what you've been able to achieve, how do you feel about where you are now and the road you had to travel to get here?
You're good man good, I feel I feel good. It took me a minute because you know, in my day and age, we grew.
Up and it was like white Hollywood and black Hollywood.
And for the longest time, you know, we were taught Black Hollywood wasn't enough so I would be making it.
But then I would and.
I would be proud and I would have pride. But then it was always like, Okay, I want to be like Wilson. I got a break, I got a cross over, got a cross over. And it wasn't until just recently where now I'm old enough to really appreciate, you know, young people coming up to me saying you were in the classics, like, you know, I grew up watching my mother watch you, and now I'm watching you and now I want to be an actor, or now I want
to do this or that. But but realizing that, you know, the work that we've done has an effect on people, and now I'm proud of that. You know, where it used to just be let's climb, let's climb, let's climb until I'm I'm I'm good, as they say, But now it's different, and I'm very very proud.
I'm very proud so you never took time to smell the roses until.
No, we were taught, you know, you know, just keep moving, you know, just uh, you know, my mom would say, And now I'm realizing other other parents would tell their children this. You gotta be like you gotta be five times as good as as they are. And if you're trying to be five times as good, there's no time.
To smell the roses. You're too You're you're too.
Busy trying to be five times as good as the next person.
So now I'm still on my hustle.
But but I'm not I'm not letting that pass. I'm I'm appreciating. I'm listening, you know, to the to the compliment.
Did you ever take a moment to define or classify what exactly was five times better as you were on that grind? Because a lot of times I feel, I know, in my life, when I'm on that grind, just like you just finished talking about, you get lost because all of a sudden it's like, well, what's really what's really success? I thought this was success and then I achieved it, but I don't feel fulfilled. All right, I'm gonna go after this, but damn it, I got it, but it
doesn't feel fulfilling. What is it? What? What did qualify that five.
Times better for me? Another great question for me? What I could control was and I used to get fun of it. I used to I used to get made fun of how I how I presented myself. So my mother was a teacher, so I would listen to how she would speak. She made sure I was reading all the right books. I would watch how they they would talk and interact.
With each other. So I had that. I had that down.
No one was ever gonna come to me saying, you know, well he doesn't really speak. I got made fun of people just say I spoke white. But if you put me in a room with white people and they could have mess with me, you know what I mean? I knew I held myself accordingly. And you know what I looked about. My mother She used you know, prominent African Americans, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, you know, and she was like, you need to be like this, you need to be
like these people. That's that's that's that's that is what is required of you. So so once I got that under my belt, it was a trip with you know, my identity because the casts from the hood they didn't really get it at the time, you know, so I was there was always this disparity of I'm like you, but you're not accepting me. But then you think I'm trying to be like them, but I'm trying to move
us forward. There was a whole bunch of that, and it was thanks to people like you, me seeing cats that you know are cool but then still articulate, and you know, growing up it was it was rough, but luckily the right people were in front of me.
And you know, I really feel.
Like the universe, you know, kind of laid a path for me that everything now is starting to make sense and I can, you know, relay this to my son and he gets it.
I'm thinking about what you just finished explaining, and depression and what you do to really qualify, just establishing yourself as one of the best, if not the best, having that peer pressure trying to sort of pull you back and stuff like that. There's a lot of cats out there who wish they accomplished half of what you've accomplished, particularly in the act, you know, in the world of
acting and what have you. I'm wondering what advice would you give to them based on the experience that you've had to endure and ultimately overcome in order for them to have a chance at succeeding in today's day and work because times have changed so much over the last.
Couple of decades.
I would say, keep your head down, keep moving, and I would say listen to your uh, your inner voice, and keep the energy, keep keep moving forward, because a lot of people will stop me, you know, at a street corner, outside of an interview whatever, and say do you have any advice for someone? And I never asked anybody, and we didn't have time. We just moved forward. So part of me wants to say, if you're worried about what somebody else is going to tell you, your head's
not in the right place, keep moving. When you keep moving, you'll you'll find yourself, you know, next to other people that well, you can just watch them. You don't have to ask, you can just watch. I like how this cat's moving, I like how this category it was. This dude is talking about sports. Listen to his vocabulary. Okay, I can speak like.
That, you know what I mean. But when people are it's sedentary. What's that mean? When you're when you don't, when you staggering.
Those are the ones that are like, well, what can I do?
What can you do? You should be already doing it, you know what I mean.
I like the cats that are like I see you at the top.
I like them cat. I don't like the cat that's say I'm gonna take your spot. See now you're ignorance. Now, I ain't doing a damn thing to help you because you're trying to take my job. You ain't trying to join me, You're trying to replace me. That's just a dumb thing to it, don't you What did you say? What you say? Hey?
Man?
You know I like that better than not moving at all. That's fair, you know what I mean? I like that. And then then they're not not moving at all.
At least you're moving because you know energy will come back to you.
What's the best role you've played?
Man?
It's corny, but I'm like, oh, father, you know what I had to play?
Uh?
I had to play the dressing drag headwigging the angry inch, this crazy play where it had to be in high heels and a wig and make it was. I had to sing, I had to dance I had to act. It was on Broadway. That was crazy. And then uh, but then there's the you know the best man that just that crew.
It's like going back to school.
Morris Chestnut, you know, I mean, Lord, have mercy. I mean, just bring it back. Memories, you just bring it back memories. Stella House, Stella got a groove back. That was the first one. I mean, that was with Angela. I mean it was we must we must acknowledge. That was with Angela Basseid you understand.
What did that do for your Carol Man? Well, that I was right on I was right on schedule. For me, that was like the universe telling me, all, I keep moving, You're you're on the right path. I learned so much from from her and whoopy and uh and I just knew the keep to keep going, mm to keep going.
What when you say you learned so much from them? What was it? S?
They acted like they belonged there, you know, and this was Uh. I wasn't used to that, you know what I mean, you know, we were raised you know, not not not to say that they weren't polite, but when they when they were on set, it you could tell it was their set and and you know, it's it's tough coming up where y you want to be polite and you wanna make sure you're humble. You know, you read the Bible and you say turn the other cheek and you don't wanna speak too loudly or come off rude.
But you know, I saw at that early age that.
These were strong, black, prominent women who uh were to be taken very seriously.
And that was that that mental life.
It's interesting that you bring that up because obviously I know Na Long a little bit. She's been absolutely wonderful to my daughter. I really really treasure her. Angela Bassett is a legend in this business. And you would hear like you just said, you know, they owned the set and like they didn't take any mess, they didn't play any they didn't play any games. You weren't going to bully them push them around. That You hear the same thing about the Denzels of the world, the Morgan Freeman's
of the world. You know, you hear stuff like that. I've even heard stuff like that about you. And I used to go like this, that meaning brother don't play. I mean that mean he about his business and you better, you better be about your business. Don't be a prop all right? I mean, do you like having that reputation? Is this something that an actor or you know or an actress is leery about because it could potentially affect your work? What about that? It could?
It could, especially with women, you know what I mean? And then with with black women. You know, there's this there's this idea that you know when when a woman is uh direct, that she is a be you know what I mean. But but it's slowly, it's slowly changing, and I love to see it. I love to see it. I love I love a strong Let's.
Get back to the best Man because it's one of my favorite vocal I mean, I mean my favorite, my favorite. I don't mean to throw this at you. My favorite scene was when Morris what Morris Chestnut? Who check you're saying in the first one right and about to throw you over the damn balcony. His wife was my favorite seed because Terrence Hower comes up and.
There he and he goes like this, al bab, al bab, you ain't gonna do that, baby, you ain't gonna do that. You gonna marry a beautiful woman, a woman that loves you and only you.
I mean it was like, yo, I mean you, I mean that was my favorite character and the best man because he was he said, coming, don't come back, desk Joe lbab. Oh, it's hilarious. It was hilarious, you know that. I love I absolutely love that movie. How do you compare the three the three best minutes? Oh?
Man, they they they It happens on its own, it really does. Once I get in the same room with them, we immediately just uh it's like riding a bike, you know what I mean? And uh, we those characters just come right back to it. And thank god, the writing is such that, you know, we just have to say the words and and and show up and everything else kind of happens.
Is it true that the wonderful, nice, mild mannered Neil Lounge slapped the living in that scene? That is that true?
So true? That was that was That was a good lesson for me to Yeah, a lesson to be now just.
For everybody to notice or try to interject. But that was after you got your ass kicked by more right, and then you were because you were supposed to be getting with Nere that night. You understand, you were supposed to be cheating on Sonati and then and then after that you came back to the house, but you were all beat up and she was all in the mood, ready to go friends, you know, and you just ruined everything. So she really slapped you.
She did.
And it wasn't it wasn't scripted.
Wow, And you know, I just come out of drama school and I was just so so so she.
Would not tell me ahead of time.
But it was one of the best choices, one of the best choices that was made in that film. I think, Yeah, sometimes you just gotta, you know, improvise and go with you what you feel.
You brought up black women, and you talked about the roles and the perceptions that they have in the stigmas they have to fight off and stuff like that. And I imagine working with your own people who look like you, share your cultural identity, et cetera, et cetera, can be a huge plus. But some would say it's also a plus to work with folks who are very, very different, because it forces you to display your range. Yes, which brings me to all American yes, okay, And I'm wondering
juxtaposon or comparing the two. Being amongst the cast and Crew with Best Man compared to All American? Was there a distinct difference. Did it call for a different challenge for you? Oh? Sure, sure, I mean it is what it is.
You know, it's different when when you're working with family, right, when you're with people that are just nice. But uh but it's always uh lending itself to to to improvement, you know what I mean.
All American was greatest because it was so diverse.
It was so diverse and a lot of what we were dealing with on the on the program, these were issues that people have to deal with in real life, having to deal with diversity and race and you know, uh, identity, all of that. So it was it was a real was a real blessing.
Did you like being a football coach?
I did?
I did you know, I consider myself athletic, not an athlete. My kid is an athlete, but I got to kind of pretend and uh and when he was coming up, we would watch the show together and he would correct me and plays.
It was. It was awesome.
How did that assist you with your parenting of your kid, who you say as an athlete? Very very much?
So, just seeing how I was forced to watch other coaches and and you know, we have a wonderful supporting cast that did stunts and hearing those stories.
My assistant Troy.
Troy Brookins played in the in the the NFL, and he had to tell me, you know what, how how.
He was raised.
And so now I have this all these different people to draw from and apply that to to parents. And because as you know, athletes they're built different, you know what I mean, And you gotta I gotta treat him different. He's got a he's got a mind, and he's hungry. So I gotta let that animal out. So I'm not you know, there are times when I'm a little bit less disciplinary and I let him get get a little big on on on the court and let you know, let him kind of roar.
And how old is he doing?
Fifteen?
Okay, so no he's not. He's not of age yet where he could drink.
Alcohol is no, no, no, no, But he can he can show he shoulders me like I can feel his weight, I can feel his way to when I'm in the kitchen and he's passing me.
I was asking that question. I was asking that question because I'm reading about some bourbon that you got right now, I mean I was wondering about that. I mean, because you know, you you out there doing that thing, and Dan's got some bourbon to market and promote. People gonna take a sip of that. But you know that's what I'm asking about. I appreciate that.
Yes, me, Harold's Parano, More's chesting up uh and uh and Malcolm malcolmy Lee we uh ownership. We we have this, this this bourbon sable.
More smooth brothers over the bourbon la y'all do y'all what y'all trying to do?
Man?
What trying to do out there?
Trying to explore, you know, stretch out you know what I mean, expand I'm thinking.
I know that. And one of the other things that I wanted to bring up with something that you got going on with Anthony Anderson, because I mean, this is this is the whole, the real, the fox is the real full Monty. I need you to talk about that for a quick second too, because I mean, literally, there's no exaggeration these people showing the ass. It's showing the ass. I mean, explain explain this what's going over.
Us all for a good cause for cancer awareness? Me, Anthony Anderson, you know, Tyler Posy, you know, a bunch of people got together and we do a dance that's choreographed where it's the striptease. But we're doing it to make people more aware and to hopefully convince folks to get out there and get tested for testicular and colon cancer or nothing.
Of course, we need it.
We needed the thing that really, you know, I remember when it was a scene and you know, in the Best Man, when you had your shirt off and stuff like that, and neo lungs just looking at you like, Lord, have mercy. And I often wondered where people like yourself and others who are in Hollywood and in shape, you know, the male model, I call them Zoolander. It's more age chest nothing. This is a true story. I'm at an event right and literally this is the true More's chestnut.
Michael Ealy, Boris Kojo, Lord Jesse Williams and me not damn it. If there was ever a place that I found out a place, it was that I'm like I said, you know what I said, Man, I look horrible compared to this crowd right here. I don't want to be around any of y'all. Right, Now, you got that height. Man, do y'all ever think about, I mean, being a sex symbol. Do the Fellas pay attention to that? Do you like that? Does that make you more money in Hollywood? I'm sure it does. I'm sure it does.
But you know, like I said, I was raised in the church and you were always taught to be humbled, don't don't think too highly of yourself. And you know, I started out really scrawny and skinny and insecure. So I've had to build myself up. And then sometimes you know when when when you're really successful or when you're you're you're blessed enough to be successful, you wonder if you're even supposed to be there. So I've had to do that opposite and just like talk myself up and yeah,
I'm somebody. I deserve to be here. Does it deserve to be standing next to Boris Kojo?
Does it inspire you to be in the best physical condition possible? Is it the work? Is it the perception of how you're looked at? Is it the artistry? Or is it being a parent to an athlete?
It's that?
Is that?
It's that? Yeah, my son inspires me.
And now he's old enough to kind of poke me in my little right minute?
What's six pack that?
So let me get this right. You work out so you can eat right? And I said, yeah, I said, that's that's not the way to do it.
Pop, leave me.
Alone, exactly exactly. Look, man, I couldn't let you leave out of here because without bringing up a list, because I've sort of put together my own list of the leading ladies that have worked with Tay Dagg's and I sort of rated them in my favorite would you mind if I did that? If I did that in front of you, we're gonna we're gonna put it right up on the board right here. Give me number five on
the lift, please that I got right there, please. One of the elite actresses in the business, no question about it. She's hilarious. Yes, she and Regina and Phenomena. Yeah, and Phenomena. Oh you see that right there, Lisa Ray. Okay, second movie, I got it. But but Lisa Ray was somebody. Now you're saying the wood, I'm saying what. I love the scene when Pops threatened you he was sitting there when he walked up there. Because that's how I'm gonna be.
That's how I'm gonna be that's right now. That Lisa, she's something special, right, Okay, let me show you the next one right here? Please give it to me. Now you see this.
One, Yeah, you gotta do another something together.
Here's the problem. How do you have the best man one the best man Holi Limbs two and then the series on Peacock, a eight part series and no time then y'all get together. How does that happen?
Man?
That's good, righting. They keep you feeding for it, They keep you feeding for it. That's a lot of that's a lot of feeling. Two movies in an eight part series. This is my I thought I.
Was going to marry her at one point.
In real life before I met her.
Right, Yes, she is special. I've always been a sonnilated fan. She's a marvelous actress, beautiful woman. Now, no, that's number one. Okay, that's number one, right there, that's number one. Angela. She's in the sixties. That's crazy, she's in her sixties. Courtney Evans, brother man, love them, Billy, always shake his hand. Man, you're a very he That was my order right there. Understand In terms of it could fluctual, it's.
Fluid, of course, because they are I'm fluid too.
Yo.
There we go. I understand with them, understand, I understand what's next for you? Oh man?
Uh, hopefully the second season for this uh second second chance stage and Sable getting Sable out there. Uh.
And we're producing, producing a bunch of stuff.
So so producer has become important, yes, like creating ownership right, yeah, where I gotta get on that bus. Do you feel like Hollywood has sort of opened the doors for those opportunities for African Americans in this country?
I think we kick are kicking it down, you know what I mean? And uh, and slowly, you know, it's changing. It's changing. It's not going to be pretty though.
What could be done by those outside of Hollywood to assist in helping them kick those doors.
In getting on the same side, getting on the same team, putting putting your money back, you know, but back into into ourselves, you know what I mean? Ownership, like you said, making it so we don't have to ask permission.
We can just show up. Oh, I bought this, this is mine. Here we go, we got it.
You know what I'm saying, Billy babs Man, Yes, I'm saying almost other things. The one and Only Tay Digs in the house right here was keeping it on and the plage to talk to you, proud of you, proud of all.
The work that you're doing. You've been an incredible role model to so many, so many cats out there with the wonderful work that you've been doing throughout your illustrious career. And the thing about it for me is, as long as you've been around, I think you just getting started.
Man.
I think big things in the club. So there you go. I like to lay that there we go walking up here that working your game, work on your game. Your pops, regardless of what you want to say, your pops are ready to do this thing. You got to do your thing, okay, which I know you well, my man. All of that one of the only t Digs in the house right here and the steven A. Smithshaw. That's it for this
edition to steven A. Smithshaw. I want to take a moment to thank thank Torrey again for coming on and talking to us about the whole Drake Kendrick Lamar situation. Really really appreciate his level of expertise and of course the one and only Tay Digs for sitting right here in studio or with me in my studio. Obviously, I thoroughly enjoyed that conversation. He is big time. I want you to have a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I'm about to. I know I'm about to some turkey wings or some
candy yams. The stuffing, we love the stuffing. The macaroni and cheese, that's automatic. And my Mama biscuits by Abigail, my sister Abiga, my Mama biscuits, my my sister abigil did absolutely positively delicious. That was some football. I can't wait now. I'm not excited about the football games in Detroit in Dallas, of course, but I do love the notion of Green Bay and Miami playing tomorrow night together.
I kind of like that. I kind of like that. Okay, either way you slice it, it's football, so there's no loss there. And I can't wait to enjoy my Thanksgiving watching some football and eating some food. You know what I'm saying. I mean, it's never ever, ever a bad thing. I hope your stomachs are gonna be as full as mine because I intend to eat a lot. That's why I got exercise right now. But if y'all see me with a pot belly over the weekend. Don't hold it
against me. It's gonna take a little time to get that stuff out of my system the way I'm gonna eat over the next couple of days. I tell that this is Stephen, a signing off piece of love everybody, Talk to you later, Happy Thanksgiving,