Get ready to dive into the heart of hip-hop history with "Joe Clair: The Legend Behind BET's Hip-Hop Revolution." Join us on "Sway In The Morning" as we sit down with the iconic Joe Clair, the pioneering voice of BET's "Rap City," who transformed the landscape of hip-hop on television. In this exclusive interview, Joe Clair takes us back to 1994, sharing behind-the-scenes stories of his time at BET, the birth of the legendary BET Cipher, and how he maintained his integrity and passion for the culture despite the industry's challenges.
From his beginnings as a comedian to becoming a beloved radio host and television personality, Joe Clair's journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. Discover how his love for hip-hop and his dynamic presence on shows like "Rap City" and "The Joe Clair Morning Show" on WPGC shaped a generation and paved the way for future hip-hop correspondents.
Don't miss out on this deep dive into hip-hop history and culture! Subscribe to "Sway's Universe" for more exclusive interviews, groundbreaking reveals, and engaging content. Follow us on social media and stay connected for all things hip-hop.
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CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Joe Clair Is Here
1:01 - Joe Clair’s Impact on Hip-Hop Culture
6:25 - The Mixtape Era & Street Life in the DMV Area
11:00 - Growing Up In DC
16:17 - Callers
19:59 - Chris Thomas
22:15 - The Importance of Chris Thomas
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
W the microphone when I spit get this
0:03
quick Joe CLA with a big black shoe in
0:05
your face I switched up the pace y'all
0:08
thought I was going somewhere y' ain't
0:11
know come on man wow wow was going to do
0:16
that ladies and gentlemen going do that
0:20
we got the icon in this building we got
0:23
the legend in this building ladies and
0:26
gentlemen he's the first he's the
0:28
innovator he's the Genesis w give it up
0:30
for the one and only Joe Claire
0:35
wow thank you thank you thank you thank
0:38
you good brother thank you thank you
0:40
thank you thank you thank you thank
0:41
thank you in the building and then they
0:44
took it back to me and you how about
0:46
that that was a clip we played from Rap
0:48
City on BET back in what year that had
0:51
to be 96 or seven I'm thinking 90 yeah
0:55
96 977
1:01
you had the you had the Broncos jersey
1:03
was that the Broncos jersey yeah that
1:04
was the Broncos jersey that I had on I
1:07
think I who was um the running back and
1:10
and and um I know that guy cuz then I
1:12
ended up seeing him later on in the
1:14
elevator was crazy enough he all know
1:16
him well when it comes to you let let us
1:19
know come off the
1:21
top Joe Joe CLA is here citizens and
1:24
let's put this in perspective at a time
1:26
what you just heard was him in a booth
1:28
in a studio y freestyling what have it
1:31
be who had a project right M yeah yeah
1:35
and um this is what Joe CLA brought to
1:38
TV you know um that that component that
1:41
element with bet back in
1:44
1994 um and what you was seeing was just
1:49
raw hip-hop culture at its finest what
1:53
you saw is somebody who really loved the
1:55
culture and put himself in a position
1:57
when he got into a position that was
1:59
rare none of us could get on TV right
2:03
right TV was not an option for hip-hop
2:06
correspondents like that not at all it
2:08
was not an option and when he got there
2:11
he didn't
2:13
allow the the boundaries in TV to change
2:16
him and compromise his integrity and
2:19
what he was there for who he was in 1994
2:23
is who he is today you know what I mean
2:25
which uh evolved though today he's multi
2:28
he's layers of himself but I want to
2:31
thank you you know at we were out at
2:33
that time we we came to radio in 1990 so
2:35
we were doing similar things prior to
2:38
bet you and tiger were already doing
2:40
this right yeah me and tiger had the
2:42
Sunday night hip-hop show in on
2:44
WPGC and we would uh they would give us
2:47
the the radio for two hours on Sunday
2:49
nights and what me and tiger would do
2:51
was make sure that we put in some some
2:53
off the Dome freestyle and a written so
2:56
we were both write one during the week
2:58
or whatever and then we were both both
3:00
go off the Dome and DJ Flex shout out to
3:02
DJ Flex who's still at
3:04
WPGC um would Spin and we would go off
3:06
the Dome and I never one of the best
3:08
times was the Million Man March it was
3:10
the Sunday night before the Million Man
3:11
March uhhuh buses are coming into DC and
3:15
they they're tell turn tune in the WPGC
3:17
so me and tiger were like the soundtrack
3:20
for The
3:21
Million yeah real talk real tough what
3:25
was that time period like where y'all
3:26
playing what would you do we play We man
3:29
you know how much how many Chuck D
3:31
records I played that you know how many
3:34
fky joint poor right teach all the point
3:38
right got man I came conscious speeching
3:41
them right P I played PM D you play PM D
3:46
just the even of course we played tons
3:48
of KRS and one because you know Chris
3:52
Chris Chris changed my life and I was I
3:54
was a student of you know that era so we
3:57
played all of those kinds of things but
3:59
then we were in Washington DC and
4:01
Hip-Hop wasn't PR it was go go right n
4:04
so I'm a goo I'm a go go kid I'm a goo
4:07
head I grew up on still goto still
4:09
listen to top five Legends out of go go
4:11
oh me and me and me and me and me okay
4:15
we going to say Chuck we G I mean it's
4:17
all the regulars I got shout out to Lil
4:19
Benny shout out to Chuck Brown shout out
4:21
to Funk shout out to Big G shout out to
4:24
bugs from backyard shout out to Sugar
4:27
Bear from EU I just saw sugar bear two
4:29
weeks ago he's still in great shape and
4:31
he's still killing it still doing the
4:33
butt still doing the butt but doing like
4:35
everything like go go still evolves even
4:38
though it's still that old pocket like
4:40
they will hit a let let Kendrick and
4:43
Drake put out something that's in his
4:45
beef and one of them records be cranking
4:48
oh you going to hear Sugar Bay hit that
4:49
jum tomorrow for real they going to redo
4:52
it right yeah we going to redo itell
4:53
yeah we gonna redo it as fast as we can
4:55
any record that crank you gonna hear a
4:57
go go bang redo it real fast we it's
5:00
that's just how it goes some some go go
5:02
bands will do rap songs some go go bands
5:04
won't touch them okay some go go bands
5:06
will just take a R&B record drop that
5:09
pocket in that jint and get a female
5:11
singer or a male singer to sing in front
5:13
now that we ow it that sound good but I
5:14
still like the hard you like the why
5:16
won't they touch some rap records is I
5:18
mean just because that's the the the
5:19
nature of that band okay you know just
5:22
that band but then you got you know
5:23
other bands that's like they they
5:25
gravitate straight to like the hardcore
5:27
if you come to DC you'll hear us doing
5:29
records that y'all done forgot all the
5:32
way about like you know like uh Records
5:35
that were hits years ago records that
5:37
were hits years ago became go go
5:39
standards like you have to hit that like
5:41
what give me an example uh uh uh do you
5:44
know what time is about Kumo do you know
5:46
what time it is tell me do you know if
5:49
Rare Essence does a show without doing
5:51
do you know what time it is if if like
5:54
they have a regular Friday and Saturday
5:56
night go go but then they'll be at like
5:58
you know they'll have the all black
5:59
party all all white party or you know
6:01
whatever if they don't do do you know
6:03
what time it is we going to tellar that
6:05
[ __ ] out you crazy you cannot
6:07
not do you cannot not play that we've
6:10
been listening to that since
6:12
1987 wow with red Essence and so when we
6:15
go see them if I ain't seen Essence in
6:17
two years and I come out to the all
6:19
black party and I want to have a good
6:20
time y'all better hit do you know but
6:23
they they know to do that they know to
6:24
do that oh yeah they know let me ask you
6:26
this cuz when I think of the D being
6:27
from Cali I only knew what I heard heard
6:29
about the DMV area so I'm I'm curious I
6:33
know in the when you talk about the
6:35
mixtape era that went hand in hand with
6:38
the streets right like that that
6:40
actually went hand in hand with drug
6:42
dealers you know early on in New York
6:45
drug dealers would pay DJs to make
6:47
mixtapes and then shout them out on
6:49
those mixtapes so they can play it in
6:51
their neighborhoods and be the man y now
6:53
DMV has a crazy history when it comes to
6:57
Street Life yes we do
7:00
okay so what what was happening because
7:02
when you watch these documentaries so at
7:05
that time in '94 what was happening it
7:07
was the same thing so so it was the same
7:09
thing um we used to go to the go go and
7:12
to get shout outs you want to hear your
7:13
name so we would make a tape of the go
7:15
go the next day uhhuh so just like a
7:18
mixtap when you go to the go go they say
7:21
oh I got the I got that uh I got that
7:22
Essence from last night yeah if you got
7:25
the essence from last night you playing
7:27
it because you got shouted out last
7:28
night at the the the Ence on last and if
7:30
you are let's say drug dealer or
7:33
whatever you in your car waiting for
7:34
your shout out to come in the tape and
7:36
the tape you know it's not like a
7:38
mixtape it's a go- go band so the the
7:41
the band is playing the whole two sides
7:44
of that 45 minute 90 minute cassette
7:46
uhhuh and so you playing that joint all
7:48
day long all day long or you and if you
7:50
was vicious you go to get the PA tape so
7:53
when we was kids we would take our tape
7:55
recorders to the go go and sit it at the
7:58
at the speaker
7:59
cuz you couldn't there wasn't no go- go
8:01
records you wasn't you know it was only
8:03
a few records and the records was
8:04
sounded like the studio you wanted the
8:06
jump that sound likeo you wanted to
8:08
sound like at you at the jump so you
8:11
would take your tape recorder and put it
8:12
right there on the speaker right then
8:14
then they was like all they out all that
8:16
they like n you can't do that no more
8:17
you got to buy the tape now from the PA
8:19
guy the sound guy uhuh and so the sound
8:21
guy would he buy multiple tape
8:24
duplicator so you'll wait around to get
8:27
that PA tape right after so red Ence
8:30
just finished at 2:00 in the morning you
8:31
waiting till 2:30 so you get the or you
8:34
hopping up and going to PA Palace or
8:36
wherever where they had the outlets for
8:37
the tape and you going to get that tape
8:40
or you going and then when they move the
8:41
CD same thing we not playing around I
8:43
need to have it and I need to have it
8:45
today right now while we here on the
8:46
radio there is still a core group of
8:49
people in Washington in the DMV area
8:52
uhuh that you know are still goo heads
8:55
like right today like they going to the
8:57
go go tonight where the goo heads at
8:59
call in 888 742 3345 break it down to us
9:04
this is this is great we it's it's so
9:06
let me let me explain I'm glad I'm here
9:08
yes just like any other place has a
9:10
regional music you know the Bay has its
9:12
sound and it's different than La Sound
9:15
New Orleans has its own sound and it's
9:17
completely different than anything else
9:19
but it influences you can hear how New
9:21
Orleans influences like uh uh East Texas
9:24
and Alabama and Mississippi and you can
9:27
hear how Atlanta is different than New
9:29
Orleans mhm well DC had its own thing
9:32
and our own thing was we if you if you
9:34
look at us we are the top of the South
9:37
and the bottom of the north uhhuh if you
9:39
look at Maryland's flag Maryland's flag
9:41
is split in half between the South and
9:43
the north if you ever look at Mar wonder
9:46
why it look so crazy it split between
9:48
two families one was Southern and one
9:50
was Northern the calvs and I think the
9:53
calv and the baltimores and I can't
9:55
remember their name somebody fact check
9:57
for me but we so we are in the middle
10:00
and if you look at Washington DC the
10:02
actual city was taken they took a part
10:04
of Maryland and a part of Virginia
10:06
Maryland was was was where Harriet
10:09
Tubman is from oh [ __ ]
10:12
what see everybody don't know harri
10:15
Tubman is from the Easter show America
10:16
we never think about that part like she
10:19
was running so so like y'all I thought
10:21
she was running yeah I got to keep it
10:23
real I thought she was running from
10:24
South Carolina too I thought I was like
10:26
she was she a la how she get through all
10:29
these stat she would she ran from
10:30
Maryland to Pennsylvania and then went
10:32
on from from there but it was still a TR
10:36
and you still had to get through all she
10:37
we not taking nothing away from what she
10:39
did but what I'm saying is to prove to
10:41
to say my point is we are the top of the
10:45
south in the bottom of the north and you
10:46
could tell about how we we talk when you
10:48
come to DC you can't tell if you in the
10:50
South if people from the north be like
10:52
man this show is down south and people
10:53
from the South be like man Yu is up
10:55
north it's that's how we are so we
10:57
formed our own thing uh-huh and DC
11:01
growing up in DC in Progressive
11:04
Washington DC a lot of those people
11:06
wanted to shake off the things that they
11:07
had in the South the the the the uh the
11:10
the Jim Crow all of those things so you
11:12
had people we can go you your college
11:14
educated it's a white collar town you
11:16
have Howard University George Washington
11:18
University so you can become those
11:20
people those who who my parents were my
11:22
parents were that group of progressives
11:24
my mom's work with the Panthers okay
11:27
handing out sickle sale uh kids cuz the
11:30
the Children's Hospital wouldn't give
11:31
them out to the go into the black
11:33
community to do Sickle Cell screening so
11:36
the Panthers had a um they had a clinic
11:40
you know they was all about the
11:41
community so my moms helped them out but
11:43
Meanwhile my pops worked on the hill
11:45
with Ron delum Ron delum now I know you
11:48
knowon Bay he was U he was the first
11:51
black congressman from the from the bay
11:53
in California and he was uh he like he
11:56
set the standard for blacks in at at
11:59
that time for Progressive moving blacks
12:02
and my pops worked on the hill with him
12:04
so I got the Panthers at home and the
12:08
the H cleaned up but then but the flip
12:10
so did well y'all well go ahead I'm want
12:12
to hear the flip go I just want to say
12:13
the flip is that my my my mom's was an
12:16
in intellect was an intellectual she
12:18
comes from Academia she was very smart
12:20
very bright she's an author and
12:22
professor and all that other stuff she
12:24
went on to do that my pops was an
12:25
attorney and the weed man the weed
12:29
yes indeed did he grow he I don't know
12:33
what he did I just know I don't I don't
12:35
know when you say the weed man that
12:36
implicates a whole lot no well he let's
12:39
keep it a buck I'mma keep it a buck with
12:40
you I asked him when I was in my 20s I
12:42
said pop how you how you got weed and
12:44
you a loyer he said this America man
12:47
America been playing games with us for
12:49
forever you think I'm about to turn down
12:50
this money that I make and he only you
12:53
know he only had weed for you know he
12:56
had a clientele of upwardly mobile black
12:58
folks who came through who I knew who
13:00
wanted to medicate you through the they
13:02
smoking weed Canabis they smoking
13:06
re oh they smoking re Miss Johnson Miss
13:09
whoever Miss Johnson was
13:11
smoking that's what she was doing
13:13
outside on the wild part is these people
13:16
are doctors lawyers judges teachers
13:20
business owners and and the like just
13:22
like they are now just like they are now
13:24
so it was nothing new and so out of that
13:27
DC had just this mix
13:29
of of of pride in who we are y pride in
13:34
what we get to do pride in that we are
13:37
uh uh we Aspire for the better things in
13:39
life we were a white collar town so you
13:42
know there's a big uh debate between who
13:44
wore what first because in DC we like to
13:46
take all we like to take credit for well
13:48
let's talk about New Balance I did a
13:51
whole panel discussion about down there
13:54
somewhere I was in DC and it almost got
13:56
into it people were because from
13:58
Baltimore and what is exactly so yo joe
14:02
yo I was people were mad at me man like
14:04
I was just moderating the discussion yes
14:07
about sneakers about sneakers sneakers
14:09
mean a lot to everybody in every city so
14:13
when when in the in the 80s when drug
14:16
dealers start making money they want to
14:19
look like the lawyer they see they want
14:21
to look like the doctor they see that's
14:24
why the BMW became the car you couldn't
14:26
drive a Jetta no more you know a Jetta
14:29
made you look like you was a dope boy
14:30
the BMW made you look like you might be
14:33
legit yeah the New Balance with the okay
14:36
the the the the yeah my pediatrician or
14:39
my my my son's pediatrician wear wears
14:41
New Balance when he goes running oh
14:42
let's get New Balance then we had we and
14:45
we that was what we were aspiring to so
14:48
when I saw like everybody started
14:49
wearing New Balance I was like oh for
14:52
real y'all 40 years late uhhuh y'all 40
14:56
this New Balance C that's 40 years ago
14:58
for me I don't even buy New Balance oh
14:59
you talking about when you see it today
15:01
today oh yes it's come back it's come
15:03
back but where did it start in Baltimore
15:06
or DC DC definitely DC everybody in
15:09
Baltimore says Baltimore I'm sure
15:10
Baltimore now here let I'm not taking
15:12
nothing away from Baltimore now I went
15:13
to school in Baltimore I'm went to
15:15
Morgan State University my wife is from
15:17
Baltimore okay now what most people
15:19
don't know in DC outside of DC Maryland
15:21
and Virginia is that Baltimore and DC do
15:24
not
15:26
coales if you will the black people from
15:29
the the the the African-American
15:31
community in Baltimore and the
15:32
African-American community in DC do not
15:35
ever for the most part come together
15:36
would it in the Wily Lynch reason why
15:38
not I I want to say that that has a lot
15:42
to do with it you could you imagine how
15:44
powerful it would be if those two M
15:46
majority black cities decided to get
15:49
their heads together and say oh we W big
15:51
superpower be over facts it be over and
15:55
and if you look now I mean Maryland's
15:57
got a black governor and a lot of
15:59
a lot of the people that's are moving
16:01
into Maryland government and DC
16:03
government went to high school and
16:05
college and everything else together
16:07
okay so there's some things forming
16:09
right now that uh that bow dwell for
16:13
blacks in both cities to unify at some
16:16
point maybe in my kids generation it
16:18
won't be such a divide well it need to
16:20
happen man Joe CLA is here the legend
16:22
the icon we going he's he co-hosting the
16:24
whole show today y'all you know so we
16:26
got callers I want to come back with
16:28
some of these callers DC is stood up man
16:30
DC is here Joe Claire is here we going
16:34
to talk about this rap city where did it
16:36
all begin we going to talk about this
16:39
bet Cipher where did it all begin and
16:42
how did he get the job
16:45
j45 with the Joe CLA Morning Show they
16:48
need that back oh let's get that back
16:50
y'all want that back they need the Joe
16:52
Clair Morning Show back in DC let's get
16:55
it well I'm on the news now every day so
16:57
where are you on the news on fo 5 every
16:59
day it's called the DMV zone I'm on 3:00
17:02
every afternoon shout out to my squad
17:04
Marina hey Marina what up Kevin what up
17:07
uh uh Hey Haley Haley our producer this
17:09
is her first hip hop shout out hey Haley
17:13
hey what's up Haley and shout out to
17:14
everybody at at at my My Fox 5 family
17:17
man yeah I do the news every day so
17:18
we're a mixture of hard news and soft
17:20
news uh we come on at 3:00 uh we we
17:23
replaced Judge Judy she used to be in
17:24
that slot yo she own that for years yeah
17:27
for years and uh you've been number one
17:29
since we got on congratulations Jo been
17:31
on since 2022 and we've been number one
17:34
since we got on he started as a rapper
17:36
become became an on a personality well
17:39
you know I but you know I started as a
17:40
comedian comedian everybody forgets that
17:42
part first yeah and and a lot of people
17:44
thought I was hosting doing a host I was
17:46
hosting the show first no I was a comic
17:48
first that's how I got out the house so
17:50
comedy came before yeah comedy that's
17:53
how I got the job but see I saw you
17:55
first rapping exactly yeah that was the
17:58
that was the you saw me first rapping
17:59
where on um on Rap City on Rap City okay
18:02
yeah so you thought so you thought I got
18:04
Rap City because I was a rapper I did I
18:07
didn't know I mean hell no but why is
18:09
that so bad being a rapper was cool back
18:12
then so for me n so for me I was too I
18:16
was too comical to be a rapper okay
18:18
meaning when I rhyme the the the real
18:20
rap [ __ ] are look at me like like come
18:21
on man you cracking jokes we don't
18:23
believe none of that [ __ ] you you know
18:24
what I'm saying it's not like how I rap
18:27
now it's like now I can rap like a grown
18:29
man but back then I as a MC it wasn't
18:31
happening as a comedian it was happening
18:34
but my Affinity for the culture and for
18:36
hip hop and for all things that was us
18:38
at that time just led me into um
18:42
television I was a comedian I wanted to
18:44
get in the television and radio and rap
18:46
city was sitting there and I decided to
18:48
start calling bet and got the job you
18:50
called them I called bet and got that
18:52
job they already had rap cuz Chris
18:54
Thomas Chris Thomas May yes yes is he
18:57
the first so Prime is actually the first
19:00
okay there was a brother named Prime
19:01
shout out to prime prime was the first
19:03
host of rap city and they said that you
19:06
know Prime knew everything about hip-hop
19:07
what year was he there Prime started I
19:09
want to say in
19:13
1990 maybe 91 okay maybe 91 right and
19:16
then and then Chris Thomas and Chris
19:18
Thomas kind of catapulted the brand it
19:21
was Chris Thomas that kind he had a he
19:24
has such a unique style of presentation
19:26
and he still does he still does me and
19:28
Chris uh Detroit if you listening me and
19:30
Chris will be in your town at Mike ep's
19:31
new comedy club on the 17th and the 18th
19:34
me and Chris Thomas three shows it's
19:35
called the Rap City Reunion me and my OG
19:38
so Chris is the OG for a lot of
19:39
comedians that you know now like okay so
19:42
the DMV has myself Don Rollins shout out
19:45
to Don what up Donell Hey Joe CLA said
19:47
he taught you how to cook d d everything
19:49
he know about cooking um uh you know the
19:51
Dave Chappelle's Martin well Chris was
19:53
telling jokes with Martin Lawrence Tommy
19:55
Davis and Teddy Carpenter and all those
19:58
and Chris so Chris was whoopy Goldberg
20:01
gave him the nod on it the the the title
20:05
yeah the stamp when he was on the young
20:07
comedian special that they used to have
20:08
every year back and I want to say Chris
20:10
did that maybe in 89 is wow so that's
20:15
where Chris comes from but then he
20:16
started touring with all of the emerging
20:19
hip-hop artists of the time he became
20:21
the host so freshfest and LL coj and
20:25
Will Smith and all them Chris was the
20:26
host okay so that's how it just he just
20:29
made the transition into rap city Rap
20:30
City really really really simply now so
20:33
both of us both have another whole
20:35
comedian Arch to our life that you know
20:38
we still go out and tell jokes every
20:40
weekend like every weekend you still
20:42
doing that you telling tonight I'm in
20:45
the souan Fuego bring your ass that's
20:48
tonight the old jimmies the old
20:51
jimmies in the Bronx hell yeah and it's
20:54
going to be packed and it's one of the
20:56
lit so they got a great venue for comedy
20:58
listen I saw Marlin we there not too
21:00
long ago Marlon wayes and all the big
21:02
Comics come through there cuz that's
21:04
still what we call a hood ass comedy
21:07
show meaning the people who come to that
21:10
show expect high energy and Death Jam
21:13
style laughs oh okay you have the other
21:16
mainstream shows where you can come out
21:19
relax and present who you are these
21:22
other shows that I do chicken the
21:24
Hennessy show you know it ain't the
21:27
chitling circuit no more it's W Chicken
21:29
in henness chicken you can smell it from
21:31
the parking lot you you be in these
21:35
little towns all up and down the East
21:37
Coast all up down the West Coast down
21:38
south in the Midwest and you go and you
21:40
do these gigs and these people love you
21:43
yeah they give you all of the love and
21:45
respect so I love doing these jumps
21:48
right I do Arenas like I just toured
21:50
with s more and and Bruce Bruce and
21:52
everybody for a year and that was
21:53
beautiful it was big Arenas and gorgeous
21:56
but like going to the Bronx yeah to tell
21:59
jokes on a Tuesday who the [ __ ] come to
22:02
a Tuesday night comedy show they got
22:05
problems yeah they got issues they need
22:07
a laugh they can't cuz they need some
22:09
[ __ ] they drinking hard brown liquor
22:11
they done smoked all the weed and you
22:13
better be funny got to be funny and so
22:16
uh yeah we still do that and Chris and I
22:18
and it's and and there's a there's a
22:19
there's a army of us who are still out
22:22
here if you see us in your town come see
22:24
us cuz we still y'all still doing it
22:26
Chris Thomas so let's let's give him his
22:28
prop he who he opened the door in the DC
22:32
the DMV area for comedians such as
22:35
comedians such as Donell Rollins
22:38
Dominique myself Dave Chappelle I don't
22:41
know if Chris and Martin are the same
22:43
age or if Chris was before Martin
22:45
Lawrence but they're around the same
22:46
time Tommy Davidson Teddy Carpenter
22:50
Pierre um let me shout out T-Rex let me
22:53
shout out Royale Watkins who's producing
22:55
everybody's joints right now Royale from
22:57
home um uh uh uh man if I forget Jay
23:00
Phillips what up um man who am I forget
23:04
I'm trying to make sure I don't forget
23:05
come back to it if you do I get it when
23:07
I come when I come back I in this
23:09
conversation it'll come to you yes it no
23:11
it's something every time we have a
23:14
comedian up here they're from that area
23:16
and then we keep saying what is it about
23:18
that area where producing so many well
23:20
area as they say the area yeah the area
23:23
he hold up so much um that's how you got
23:25
to say he hey hold up slim hey it's the
23:28
area
23:29
the area so many comedians oh why why
23:32
you think there so many funny people to
23:34
come out of
23:35
DMV I tell you why all right so you have
23:38
in the 60s and the 70s you have parents
23:42
two parent households or one parent
23:43
households but that mother has a good
23:46
job we be we became middle class kids
23:49
but we still black kids middle class
23:53
kids so once our parents send us to the
23:55
bus stop it's just us and whatever was
23:58
going to come out of that mixture of
24:00
young black kids is going to come out
24:02
well you got some kids who
24:04
can shoot that ball like is nothing you
24:07
know he he he's a sports guy and we got
24:10
right now P Prince George's County is
24:12
basketball County right you have some
24:14
kids who are going to go into music we
24:16
have tons of music that comes out of
24:18
Washington DC from from [ __ ] from
24:21
goddamn Marvin Gay to uh Duke Ellington
24:24
to genuine and and W and everybody but
24:28
then if you got a number
24:31
of middle class black kids you going to
24:35
find uh competition is real so if you
24:39
got on some better shoes than me one day
24:41
ah oh I got
24:43
jokes I got
24:45
jokes I got I'm waiting you know how it
24:48
is I'm waiting for you to say something
24:49
something I got I got I got new shoes
24:51
today I'm Wai for you to say something
24:54
and a culture of that grew out of my
24:56
brother's generation my brother's are s
24:58
years older than me so out of their
25:00
generation of culture of just [ __ ]
25:02
fun can I yeah yeah I knew I thought I
25:05
could I couldn't remember [ __ ]
25:07
hilarious out you double down on that
25:09
[ __ ] I know right hilarious comes out
25:12
and out of that comes like you have to
25:16
be funny if you open your mouth if not
25:19
shut the [ __ ] up and go over there and
25:20
learn how to slap box or something uhhuh
25:23
because [ __ ] are hilarious and we
25:25
going and you going to get mad like I
25:27
don't do
25:29
I don't do they they invited me to be
25:30
part of um um what's Nick Canon show uh
25:35
years ago salute to Nick Canon man
25:36
that's ath right there think he ain't
25:39
okay and but at that time it was a whole
25:41
bunch of go back and forth and I was
25:42
like I can't do that cuz either I'mma
25:44
hurt these [ __ ] feelings or I'm going
25:46
to steal somebody in their job steal
25:48
some that's that's how that's what we
25:52
come from like if you notice it's only a
25:54
few DC comedians who can go on like a
25:57
while and Donell was able to do it and I
25:59
when I talk I called him I said hey Y
26:01
how you do that cuz why you ain't smack
26:04
nobody on he said I just had to learn to
26:05
calm down it's not personal and you
26:08
notice you won't see no DC comedians
26:10
doing no roast you ain't about to roast
26:12
no DC comedian cuz if you do I'm going
26:15
in on what I know about your mother and
26:17
them I'm it's going to hurt person the
26:20
[ __ ] that's coming out my mouth going to
26:21
hurt so Kendrick and Drake yeah yes yes
26:24
we take it that seriously we take think
26:27
about if that's what you got to get you
26:29
out the hood is these jokes I'm not
26:31
[ __ ] playing there you go I'm serious
26:33
and I'm going to hurt your feelings you
26:34
going to feel bad you came up and they
26:37
like to test me because I'm you know I'm
26:39
I'm uh jial and amicable or whatever
26:42
[ __ ] word you want name or I'mma
26:44
light your ass up Joe CLA is here
26:46
citizen okay the lines have lit up we
26:48
got lay on the line she's from she's in
26:51
Portland but you're from Maryland
26:53
Maryland hi yeah I am I wanted to see
26:56
what's up Joe hey you just name my
26:59
morning listening to this hi guys I'm a
27:00
first time we got a first time
27:04
call yo Jo we've been here since 2011
27:07
and we get first time callers every day
27:09
crazy every that means you're growing
27:12
thank you and ladies a new member of the
27:14
tribe Le what you want to say to Joe I
27:16
just wanted to say made my morning
27:18
listening to you I grew up in Frederick
27:20
and love go go Backyard Band Northeast
27:23
gr Rare
27:25
Essence all of that just made my Mor if
27:28
you know you know if you know yes if you
27:31
know you know thank you so very much we
27:33
appreciate that love right there the go
27:35
go coach is still make sure you download
27:37
the goo royalty app all access app you
27:39
can listen to all old Essence old aray
27:42
tapes old chance band everything
27:44
prophecy everybody that absolutely yeah
27:47
you and tiger in the mornings were great
27:49
too what was that I'm sorry what you say
27:51
what you say I remember listening to
27:52
tiger and
27:54
Jo the morning the morning show that's
27:57
right uh to listen to that back on the
27:59
92.3 I think it was there you go yeah
28:02
she really been following you
28:05
Joe Joe is a icon from that area you
28:09
know right absolutely for so many
28:11
reasons and Le you a c uh you're a
28:13
citizen I all right thank you L thanks
28:16
for calling okay all right you're very
28:18
welcome man who we got on the line right
28:20
now who that who that y y'all know who
28:22
it is it's the number
28:24
one Man Dell roll
28:28
[Music]
28:30
before we
28:31
start before you start y you know can I
28:34
can I do it one time no no no no go
28:36
ahead go ahead say this is my good
28:38
friend
28:41
Ling what this is
28:43
linga
28:45
Laing when I was when I was in Korea
28:47
that's how the Koreans they don't have
28:48
to letter r they don't say ring they say
28:53
ling out we get yeah that was an inside
28:57
joke courtesy of Joe and dellac yo
29:00
darell what's up man I didn't know that
29:03
I didn't know that uh Joe was before you
29:06
yeah we was well he was before me he
29:08
beat me out of every job I ever went
29:12
for this [ __ ] used to be so happy every
29:14
time he was happy I got mad and
29:17
mad oh man I'm G be on rap city oh man
29:20
they got me on hear that good luck
29:25
[ __ ] he talking about he first off there
29:28
a couple things I want to correct
29:29
because I heard it through the grave
29:30
ground that Joe CLA said that he taught
29:32
me how to cook first off just because a
29:34
[ __ ] cut some lemons and squeezes those
29:36
vegetables that don't make you so so so
29:39
Don I got can I tell that story let me
29:41
tell you so D come to my house Don would
29:43
come he would come to my house every day
29:45
and I and I like to cook right so one
29:47
day I made some regular chicken and rice
29:49
before you so Joe before you say that I
29:51
will say Joe cleans his chicken Heather
29:53
doesn't but go ahead you lie here we go
29:55
man wow go so so so I had I took I just
30:00
made some broccoli butter salt and then
30:02
I squo a lemon on it right Don was Sting
30:04
like s i that's that's a DC word Don was
30:08
like hey man what the [ __ ] is that I
30:10
said don't worry about it just some new
30:12
[ __ ] when you get it when next time you
30:13
got a a girl over the crib make sure you
30:16
put the lemon on it she gonna [ __ ] with
30:17
it he said now let me taste it man this
30:20
[ __ ] good as M from now on Donell put
30:22
that's when he
30:23
started he even put lemon in his potato
30:26
salad oh yo yo don't even do that don't
30:28
even do that don't even do that don't
30:31
even do
30:32
thate Joe talking all that tough stuff
30:35
but but the [ __ ] had a cat the [ __ ]
30:37
had a cat oh yeah I had a cat I love my
30:39
cat used to walk the cat and I lost his
30:41
cat one time down there lost my cat let
30:43
the cat out the [ __ ]
30:45
apartment he said he said whatever you
30:47
do don't open that window cuz the cat g
30:48
go out of course I did that man I was so
30:51
nervous you know how it is to walk
30:52
around the [ __ ] the walk around the
30:55
[ __ ] neighborhood with um Missy cat
30:57
uh posters and [ __ ] like that so I wor I
31:01
was a social worker before I got into
31:02
this right and one of the kids in the
31:04
program was working with bought a cat
31:05
home one day and they couldn't keep the
31:07
cat they like what we going to do I was
31:08
like give him to me and I kept the cat
31:10
and I had a cat for years nuk was his
31:12
name for my frat did you find the cat
31:15
after darell let him out yeah hell yeah
31:16
he came back home he came back home cat
31:19
I'm walking I'm walking through the
31:20
alley you can't you trying to find a cat
31:22
the dog is different I'm walking through
31:24
the alley
31:25
talk you don't do that for no goddamn
31:30
I remember I just I just remember young
31:32
that you lost my cat I just remember
31:34
till right there yeah but um I just want
31:37
to call in correct that because y'all
31:39
know in the words of catw this is the
31:40
year of the truth and all that is
31:43
talking about they know and the words of
31:46
and the words of K is they know I'm
31:47
coming I know I'm coming and I'm going
31:50
to do the best job that I
31:52
can D where you performing um up next
31:55
where you at in black and M tour at the
31:58
black and out to if you go to Don
31:59
rollins.com that's on I got the stress
32:02
Factory coming up I think that's the
32:03
weekend of um the week of the 17th and
32:06
you know like what this is my fourth
32:07
year of doing Donell land Memorial Day
32:09
week in Ohio so if you go to Donell
32:11
rollins.com y'all can get more
32:13
information on that and also this year
32:15
down there um L I'm having a seminar
32:17
where we teach um black women how to
32:19
clean their chicken because in our
32:20
community right that's why you going to
32:23
be up there by
32:25
yourself your ass down that River
32:27
anybody is wondering if Donell has ever
32:30
is like if this is made up no Donell has
32:32
been like this since the day I met him
32:34
we met each other at the uh comedy
32:36
Connection in Green Belt in
32:38
1993 and I'm brand new and he's like the
32:42
the he's already doing it yeah and I'm
32:43
spanking brand new and I go up to like
32:45
hey man how you doing he's like I'm
32:47
doing good [ __ ] how the [ __ ] is you
32:48
doing W I was like oh that's how it Go
32:51
walked away and walked the [ __ ] away but
32:53
hold up we became friends because when
32:55
he see me get on that mic and he
32:57
realized that I wasn't no goddamn slouch
32:58
ass [ __ ] then he was like uh how you
33:01
doing CAU The Vapor that but a lot of
33:02
people don't understand when you talk
33:04
about the like the pedigree of comics
33:06
come out DC we just had a work ethics it
33:08
was like um healthy uh competition like
33:11
we would do shows and back in the day it
33:13
would be and people don't understand
33:14
this lineup it would be Dominique who
33:17
was a beast it would be Red Grant who's
33:19
a beast it would be Joe Clair who's a
33:21
beast it would be Mike AB was the Beast
33:23
and I had to come in at the and all that
33:26
and every time I do a show Joe was like
33:28
this I Ain't Gonna Leave You [ __ ] and I
33:30
was like all right because I don't want
33:31
you to leave I'm gonna take everything
33:32
we it just made us strong EC comedies
33:35
and that's what it is I'm not if you
33:37
know I'm on that they would make me the
33:39
I would be the host and so I'm like [ __ ]
33:41
all y'all that's on the show I'm trying
33:43
to make everybody remember me yeah so
33:45
I'm going up and taking the energy as
33:47
high as I possibly can as soon as I
33:49
touched the mic we had a club called the
33:51
Tacoma Station and as soon as I touch
33:53
that mic it's on and then Donell got a
33:56
he not on the mic for another hour and a
33:58
half to two hours because I got four or
34:00
five comedians coming up damn and and
34:02
everybody coming with fire and then Don
34:05
come behind on the back we call back
34:07
there and [ __ ] it it cuz the the the
34:10
consequences is if you don't kill this
34:12
[ __ ] you damn sure ain't no pun
34:15
after this okay all right okay got to
34:18
have
34:20
goals I'mma keep up but we were young
34:22
men and that's one of the things you get
34:24
in the comedy for is Mery and
34:28
you know what no no but that's true look
34:32
this this the year way it's the year of
34:35
the truth there it is so you know if you
34:37
if you're a bum ass comedian you first
34:39
you can't get no money second you can't
34:40
get no money and and I like money and
34:43
but so you better be funny and even from
34:46
then from back then into today um I just
34:49
want to let everybody know that I've
34:51
never been a mild comedian okay get off
34:55
the phone Dell let me say this Dell
34:57
before leave before you leave U while we
34:59
got Joe up here um Can Can you put in
35:03
your words the impact he made even not
35:06
just as a comedian but when he did go to
35:08
bet and he he always spoke about that
35:11
DMV area what's the impact you feel like
35:14
he's made he like he's like like I mean
35:17
we had certain icons in radio in just in
35:19
the industry one being um Donnie Simpson
35:22
yes and then for Our Generation come
35:23
Donnie was ahead of us with um with the
35:25
this classic solar night but we looked
35:28
at even though people people going to
35:29
for some reason people going to hate but
35:31
when you saw Joe and the path he was
35:33
taken it just was an example of you can
35:35
do it because he came from he came from
35:38
the same place that everybody came from
35:39
from the mud yeah and for a comic at
35:41
such a a a young age and a young partner
35:44
into career I think he probably was only
35:46
doing com like a year Max before before
35:49
he got bet and both of us was in the
35:52
same um era of Death Jam I think both of
35:54
us when we did it we didn't have no more
35:57
than a year of experience on out but and
35:59
then people like Bob Sund and Russell
36:01
Simmons and Stan Le they saw something
36:03
in us and they gave us a shot and um
36:06
kept it going and Joe was one of them
36:07
people like he I call this [ __ ]
36:09
Jamaican because he always had a job I'm
36:11
like this you ain't gonna never have a
36:13
time when you ain't working [ __ ] you
36:14
know what I'm saying it would be from
36:17
the standup which fed mostly all of us
36:19
but then he did TV he did radio and then
36:22
at that time this one I really hated
36:24
this [ __ ] I think he had a McDonald's
36:26
commercial something I'm like God man
36:28
you had remember when I started doing
36:29
the commercials I had a bunch of
36:30
commercial commercial it was like he Joe
36:33
made it he left
36:36
us he left us y hey D let me just say
36:40
this man you know I love you forever
36:42
brother you uh we will you know what I'm
36:43
saying you were there at the beginning
36:45
and and I still consider us a squad me
36:48
you Dominique and red and watching what
36:50
you doing now you know incredible and
36:53
this for me outside of the the the
36:55
comedy watching you with your son and
36:56
watching you just watching the man You'
36:58
become bro it's like we did it you know
37:00
what I'm saying like we did it out them
37:02
little out them little apartments and
37:03
[ __ ] DMV we up you should have saw you
37:06
should have saw me last night because I
37:08
was irresponsible as [ __ ] at the Netflix
37:10
Joe turned up like [ __ ] but um yeah I
37:15
appreciate you bro and and um if I don't
37:17
say it enough man I love you man keep
37:18
doing your thing you're an example just
37:20
not just for comedians but just just in
37:23
general and the type of character you
37:24
have to to to to just to be dope man
37:26
keep doing your thank you brother hey
37:28
hey Daniel have a good day man all right
37:30
Daniel
37:31
Rollins peace peace peace Yo Joe you
37:34
hanging out man I'm hanging out hosting
37:35
and when we come back I want to find
37:39
out how did the BET Cipher oh yeah I
37:43
want to know his beginnings and where it
37:46
came from before there was the BET
37:49
Cipher I got you you got me all day okay
37:52
Joe Clair is hanging out how can people
37:53
reach on your social Joe Clair j o e c l
37:56
a i r ain't no on the end of my daddy's
37:58
name there it is man we got M to slow it
38:00
down back at work DB what's the plan
38:03
well I told you guys earlier I wanted to
38:04
tap back into my creative side you know
38:07
moving forward this year I wanted to
38:08
start doing some more things
38:09
implementing some more creative
38:10
Endeavors in the show and I'm going to
38:12
Premiere a new mashup that I did that uh
38:15
it's got some movie lines and a b but
38:16
you'll figure it out as soon as you hear
38:17
it all right this is something special
38:19
and if you uh if you want to play back
38:21
these mixes you can go to Mixcloud and
38:23
look up it's really DB okay taking over
38:25
the Airways the one and only Mr it down
38:27
himself D connection to the BET Cipher
38:32
which is the most popular thing the
38:34
biggest uh Benchmark tent pole that they
38:38
have for lyricism for lyricism and and
38:41
Hip-Hop culture and Hip-Hop as a whole
38:44
that that that that Tempo is what sells
38:46
the uh the hip-hop Awards exactly that's
38:49
why people watch not only on a linear on
38:52
TV but also online right mostly online
38:56
and then TV
38:57
who created that how did it get started
39:01
what is the lineage what is the
39:02
beginning all right so I don't know who
39:05
made the actual Cipher here's what I do
39:08
know we started something called WAP rap
39:12
radio on BET before was bet the basement
39:16
and when you came on rap radio we made
39:19
it look like it was a radio station I
39:21
was a radio host because I was doing
39:23
radio at the time shout out to Russ PA
39:25
Russ PA the Legend I was on with Russ
39:28
Paul one of the people I look up to most
39:31
my man Bob shout out to Bobby Jimmy
39:33
Bobby
39:34
Jimmy AKA Russ par ex The Legend and
39:39
what we and so when the rappers would
39:40
come we'd be like you know we we going
39:43
to free style we need to hear we need to
39:44
hear that and we would go back and forth
39:47
and if you go on YouTube you can see
39:48
like there's one with me at
39:50
rasc there's uh me spitting with rayquan
39:53
and them you got some with me and De La
39:55
Soul and shout out to a couple of those
39:57
so we started with that and you what
40:00
year was this about this was this may
40:02
have started immediately I want to say
40:03
maybe 95 okay was when we I got on 94 95
40:06
is when we definitely are having
40:08
freestyling on our show and we were the
40:11
first that was the first place I ever
40:13
seen freestyling happen outside of
40:15
actually knowing people who were get in
40:16
the cipher you know in hip-hop right um
40:20
we put that on when when uh the the
40:23
management changed and me and Les were
40:25
no longer part of the show ticket now
40:27
the new host they decided to yeah big
40:29
legs what happened why y'all was so
40:32
popular we got five but why cuz man
40:35
management came in changed everything
40:37
Stephen Hill said n we got to get rid of
40:38
the old [ __ ] it's time for some new [ __ ]
40:40
so step Hill fired you pretty much Steph
40:43
Hill fired me in his office look Stephen
40:45
Hill fired me so good I know I was fir
40:48
what you mean how that happen get out I
40:51
walked in his office I walked in his
40:53
office and he's in the middle of
40:55
something and he says we're going in
40:57
another Direction I was like okay cool
40:58
what direction would go you thought you
41:00
were still a part of the direction I
41:02
thought cuz I couldn't I did I had never
41:04
heard first of all I had never heard we
41:06
moving in another Direction bet was like
41:09
a family up to that point so if you
41:11
fired you fired now it was a bit more
41:14
corporate it was a bit more that energy
41:17
came in and this was the first year so I
41:19
had never heard and I work for B bet was
41:22
my job basically fresh out of college I
41:25
worked as a social worker for a while
41:27
and then I got my job at bet like Dan
41:29
said within a year we were on so I never
41:32
heard that that speech we're moving in a
41:34
different direction I didn't know what
41:35
the [ __ ] that meant and I was like what
41:37
direction we going in where we going La
41:40
What's Up Chicago we're traveling Miami
41:43
let's go to Houston
41:45
[ __ ] and and then and then it dawned on
41:48
me like after I left his office he was
41:50
saying you're no longer a part of the
41:53
show that your fire did it Crush you n i
41:56
mean it it was was it was you don't like
41:58
to get fired okay but I'm a comedian I I
42:01
had a show that night you know what I'm
42:02
saying I'm going to make more I would
42:03
make more money in the club than I would
42:05
make on TV so you know okay wow you know
42:09
it was a pain us to be on TV that's the
42:11
only reason comedians do movies do TV do
42:14
radio is so that our club money go up
42:17
okay and that gives you the exposure you
42:20
need to get buil make sure [ __ ]
42:22
come to the show okay and your money go
42:24
up that's why you that why that's why
42:26
comedians want movie comedians wi your
42:28
podcast or some [ __ ] like that now
42:29
people come see you your money go up
42:31
okay so Walkers by so you you got fired
42:34
from be I got fired from BET St Hill one
42:36
of the best people to fire we were
42:38
talking about rap radio so we were
42:40
talking about rap prior to that though
42:42
um they I get fired and they bringing a
42:44
new new uh there's a new energy right
42:48
some of the guys who were already who
42:50
stayed on with the show were producing
42:52
when I was there so they were like we
42:54
need to don't lose this this cyer free
42:57
[ __ ] like why don't we make a booth why
42:59
don't we just make a whole [ __ ] booth
43:01
in this basement where you can go and
43:03
spit thus the booth was born what year
43:07
was that tiger took took over the booth
43:09
in 99 99 99 so from 95 to 94 95 to 99 we
43:14
were freestyle with whoever wherever we
43:17
were and then ticket took over the booth
43:19
now the booth becomes that tent pole you
43:21
were talking about it became that thing
43:23
it started to become its own thing so by
43:25
the time the hipop award awards are a
43:28
thing there's no way you going to be
43:29
able to have a BET Hip Hop Awards
43:32
without some element of freestyling on
43:35
there and therefore the BET Cipher was
43:37
born and I like to I I I don't see how I
43:41
you can't say that the BET Cipher didn't
43:43
come from what we started with WP radio
43:47
and you got it right here yep Point
43:49
Blank period has have you guys well you
43:53
I shouldn't say guys but have you been
43:54
invited back to like the bet WS it all
43:57
to maybe present an award or speak on
44:00
behalf they not calling your ass to they
44:02
not letting me present nothing the BET
44:05
hip-hop Awards we just went to me Le
44:07
ticker all of us just went to because
44:08
the BET documentary just came out back
44:10
in October and that was my first time
44:12
going to to an award show and actually
44:15
like with an invite and all that other
44:18
stuff n let's let's let let me keep it a
44:21
buck okay if you guys leave Sirius XM
44:26
tomorrow five years from now Serious XM
44:28
starts the Serious XM Awards they not
44:30
calling y'all oh they not calling no let
44:35
let me say it this way basketball
44:37
players they not calling y'all well
44:40
here's let me hit you in the head they
44:41
not calling y'all you're not going to be
44:44
there you might you may come if they
44:47
decide to do some Nostalgia yeah right
44:49
but if they not if it's not Nostalgia
44:51
they not calling your ass they not like
44:53
you know Joe CLA was so cool let's make
44:54
sure he get a pair of tickets Happ MTV
44:57
call and say Hey you know you killed the
44:59
you started reality TV they actually
45:02
call they call they do yeah they call
45:04
her they call her a
45:05
lot but no but you know what no but I'm
45:09
going tell you what but think
45:11
bet might be you and be no no no but
45:14
think about think about what that
45:16
channel MTV changed its entire format
45:20
it's no longer a music video channel
45:23
it's all reality shows so you know what
45:25
I mean it's different right is it not so
45:28
I I didn't I didn't I don't get called I
45:30
got invited to the to yeah let's go
45:32
ahead cut to the chase it's just you
45:34
yeah I don't get
45:35
called it might just be me it might be
45:37
stepen Hill don't [ __ ] with me I don't
45:39
know salute to stepen Hill though St
45:42
Hill no he took that brand and and
45:45
Stephen Hill took that brand and killed
45:46
the game with that [ __ ] so you know but
45:48
no I don't get invited but
45:51
um I don't trip yeah right that's the
45:54
most important part I think one year I
45:56
was like all right it's about time they
45:57
called me but after that you know if I
45:59
go I go if I don't I don't I'm happy
46:02
with what I was able to do when I was
46:04
able to do it and sitting there watching
46:07
the cipher I could sit there and say oh
46:08
he's a bum oh he he good he sucks you
46:11
know and that's it sometimes people call
46:13
hey man did you see the cipher you know
46:15
sometimes ex-host or people that I work
46:17
with hey man what you think and blah you
46:18
know I'mma use that next year some other
46:20
[ __ ] like that but that's just what it
46:22
is okay um Joe CLA man I'm in the house
46:24
with my wife and kids man I a think
46:26
about that [ __ ] man thanks for breaking
46:27
down how do Cipher evolve do we know the
46:31
first time the word Cipher was used
46:34
because I'm realizing right now I've
46:36
only heard it in the context of Hip Hop
46:39
is that our term yes and no so I learned
46:43
it from the the the gods and the Earths
46:46
the five% nation so I learned it from
46:48
them when I was at Morgan State uh
46:50
that's where I learned it and when I was
46:51
at so I'm at Morgan State and it in in
46:54
in the like 8990 91 we had young
46:57
brothers who were coming to school who
46:59
were 5% and they would have they would
47:02
have ciphers you know and this was this
47:04
was a serious like Circle you can't get
47:07
in unless you know how to get in and and
47:09
it ain't no [ __ ] sometimes they end
47:11
there doing the math matics yeah if they
47:14
doing the math I didn't have nothing to
47:16
do with that but other times it became
47:17
like a a freestyle Cipher and it would
47:20
be you would know that the MC's who who
47:22
were at the school or in the community
47:24
who were serious about it would be at
47:26
that site for at a certain time doing
47:27
the thing and that it was a a real thing
47:30
right and so that's why we started
47:33
calling it a cipher outside of that and
47:35
you know people taking brand new I was G
47:37
to say brand new grand you know Master d
47:42
d uh Derek angeletti had a had a group
47:44
called two kings in a cipher two kings
47:46
in a cipher we heard it there too and
47:48
then my uncle Salis um when I was
47:50
younger a lot of he used to talk with a
47:52
lot of men and I was too I I was so
47:55
young I didn't understand the word words
47:57
they were using and he used to always
47:58
say son come join the cipher join the
48:00
cipher yeah and that's when bunch of
48:02
people would get together and yeah yeah
48:05
now I'd like to say it's a it's a ktic
48:07
word that came from but I don't know oh
48:10
damn that's like you going to talk about
48:11
Kemet all right hold on we got a ktic
48:13
word that came through and the Greeks
48:15
tried to take it and then people used to
48:17
say heard black people use it then
48:19
people used to say non Cipher at some
48:20
point non yeah oh I never heard that
48:24
yeah um that ain't that ain't came about
48:27
say noner ain't proper that ain't proper
48:30
be in Minneapolis you want to say
48:31
something welcome to the show
48:34
B hey yo what up I know I'm a senior
48:36
citizen already of sway in the morning
48:39
hey
48:41
yo hey yo joe Cy what up man I just
48:45
wanted to give you your flowers man you
48:47
taught me an amazing uh uh you taught me
48:51
something one day when I first started
48:52
doing comedy you came to do a show in
48:54
Minneapolis and you were performing at
48:56
the final line and the brother rest in
48:58
peace D couldn't make it so he gave me a
49:00
check to give to you and I you were in
49:02
the basement and I came up to you and I
49:04
was like yo joe CLA is so nice to meet
49:05
you man you were like I was like yeah so
49:07
you going to be going on at this time
49:09
and you like hey bro I ain't going on
49:10
unless I got my check and I remember
49:13
that till to this day so before I even
49:15
go up on stage I always ask for that
49:17
money yeah before I go up there so I
49:20
appreciate you and you went up there and
49:22
then the joke you were telling you were
49:23
singing a song about burn of death you
49:25
were like bur of death so warm in t so I
49:28
just wanted to say thank you man I
49:30
remember you being on the radio on WPGC
49:33
so working with you was like a pleasure
49:34
and an honor man so here go your flowers
49:38
man you one of the greatest ever Yol
49:40
with hip hop and uh and comedy dude
49:43
you're the best man thank you so much I
49:45
appreciate you more than you ever know
49:47
you know that really happened he
49:49
remember the song the check everything
49:51
so so there is a there is a joke that I
49:54
have called burnard that and oddly
49:57
enough people people still request that
49:59
joke bro around the country people still
50:01
ask me if I'mma do that joke if they see
50:03
me before hey you gonna do burn that
50:05
tonight and so thank you so very much
50:07
but number one yeah if you're a comedian
50:09
you better get your money for you go up
50:10
man [ __ ] is you doing these promoters
50:13
are run away you you can't find them
50:15
after you done told do the job and has
50:16
that happened to you hell yeah that's
50:19
how that's what taught me to learn get
50:20
your money first wow B what's your name
50:23
what do you what's your stage name uh yo
50:25
I'm boa
50:27
H what Bo boa Freeman Heather I follow
50:30
you I be throwing all types of jokes
50:32
about the good chicken you be posting yo
50:35
bo
50:36
Freeman sound like uh sound like a
50:39
region near
50:41
Mongolia fre hey sway don't [ __ ] with me
50:44
I'm from Africa we don't play that [ __ ]
50:47
s from Africa too I'm
50:50
scared my brother my brother we don't
50:53
need the violence up here this morning
50:55
my brother what is hey I am a dual
50:57
citizen of sway in the morning my man I
51:00
love
51:01
it don't hang them up Joe oh man damn
51:07
Joe my brother I had to let you go okay
51:10
hey so listen Joe since we got Joe CLA
51:12
here this dude is Iconic for so many
51:14
reasons and radio is one of them man we
51:16
need you to take over you co-hosting the
51:18
show we got our next guest coming up
51:19
here brother let's get let's get it
51:21
let's get it
51:23
[Music]
#Arts & Entertainment


