Ralph McDaniels Talks The 40th Anniversary of Video Music Box | SWAY’S UNIVERSE

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jeez ladies and
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gentlemen icon walking New York's finest
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come on pollinated the seeds of rap and
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hip-hop culture all around the world
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speak the truth here to celebrate a new
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year new birth New Life new energy this
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is my brother right here I'm so honored
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I got a chance to be a part of his
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documentary and speak peace about all of
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his accolades and accomplishments and
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when I see them I I smile and I'm so
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happy that we're friends
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and we still here give it up for the
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legendary Ralph McDaniel
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citizen come on video music box is in
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the building hip hop we here weop we
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here hold up hip hop we are that's right
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we are hip hop hey look man it's always
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good to see you I feel like I'm part of
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the family with y'all now so are and
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honestly I'll be taking time off to do
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other projects I was going to ask you if
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you come in the co-host with Heather and
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Tracy some I would love to do that
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that'd be an honor we got we already
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signed up DJ Premiere man you think you
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up to it oh man DJ Premiere got the
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raspy voice I'll come with the with the
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with the Brooklyn style of it he got the
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Houston style of it I'll come with the
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Brooklyn style with the Brooklyn so what
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that mean you're gonna you're gonna
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you're gonna steal stuff out their
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purses what does that mean do that the
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Brooklyn style what does that mean Ralph
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um you know yo Ralph McDaniels is here
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congratulations man I this past
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year has been a great uh reflection
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um point for us in our culture and it's
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been great because a lot of people who
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are have been getting recognized that
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haven't been recognized in years yes
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they've been on major platforms major
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stages whether it's the Grammys on you
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know sporting events the whole nine what
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was your this past year like for you
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because you are one of those people yeah
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um you know when we did um Yankee
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Stadium on August 11th and I bought out
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K herk and we honored him um it was uh
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you know we in the Bronx it was Yankee
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Stadium it was perfect you know and I
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looked out at the crowd later on you
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know I B out Nas and I and I looked at
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the crowd and it was packed and I was
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like man this is what it's supposed to
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be you know this is what it's supposed
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to be I I do say that I wish we had more
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handson with that us as the culture and
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because hip hop is a business right now
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we I don't think we were ready and we
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weren't ready and there's plenty of
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people that are billionaires and
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Millionaires and got a whole bunch of
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money that could have had a little bit
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more say so on what and how it went but
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other than that it was a perfect night
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what kind of things would you because
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here's the thing we don't have to put a
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limitation on this celebration right
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because it's been 50 years let's keep
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celebrating until we can't celebrate no
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more what kind of things moving for
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would you had like would you like to see
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done in celebration of the culture or
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some of the people you feel should be
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identified or and what ways you feel
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like we can even extend the job we've
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done so far well I'm I'm going to send a
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rest in peace to a brother named Eddie
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chba Eddie cha Eddie Applause for Eddie
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Eddie cha man he was the first MC I ever
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saw when I went to Community College he
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was on the mic and he was rhyming and he
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had the crowd going back and forth yes
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yes y all to the beach all that that
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kind of vibe and I was like this guy is
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amazing like I want to do this how can I
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get involved you know and like I heard
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about him and then I saw him in person
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and I was like this is crazy he just
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passed away so I just want to
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acknowledge him because he's not a name
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that most people don't know he comes
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from that era of uh Hollywood and love
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bug starski and byy be and um the early
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guys Uptown they say oh that wasn't
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hip-hop then Ralph it was hipop it was
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rying it was it was it was it was the
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vibe before hip-hop really took off
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that's why we made hip-hop records
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because of those guys Hollywood and and
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them cats DJ Hollywood that's right and
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and Eddie chba and Eddie chba and love
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bug and and and and many others that
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would didn't get the popularity that
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they had but if you were on the scene
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you knew if they were on the flyer MH no
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no the flyer was it the flyer was the
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[ __ ] the flyer was the Instagram post
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that was the original IG story you know
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what I mean right if you was on that fly
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that meant a lot so you know
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acknowledging people like that um I
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always push that you know I work with
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the pyton full um Foundation we
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acknowledged um um Scarface and um rock
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Kim this past year and that was one of
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my things was to you know let's talk
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about some of the people that were you
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know on the scene that never got the
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acknowledgement and I brought up you
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know a few of those people so hopefully
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one day we'll we we'll be able to
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recognize them but moving into spaces
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like you know like I had a meeting with
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the you know the Museum of Modern Art
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and I meet with the the met and I meet
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with all of these spaces you know these
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in you know institutional spaces that
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are here forever and the audience that
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goes there clearly loves hip-hop right I
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don't care what color you are you love
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hipop you love hip hop you may not even
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know you love it but you love hip
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hop and so um just pushing it like that
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you know pushing it Forward because we
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belong in those spaces and um and and re
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look at look at what H did with the book
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of ho at Brooklyn library I work with
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the queen library and you know we were
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we were starting to do that like like
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maybe five six years ago that whole hip
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hop in the library thing and you know
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and when HOV did the thing at Brooklyn
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it was out the park so that was a good
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Mark to set because when hve does it
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everybody the door opens and even
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Brooklyn Museum right now with swiz and
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Alicia showcasing all of their art
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amazing yeah that's all from um black
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artists incredible and and and and it
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feels fun you know we want to go to
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those places but sometimes you know we
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don't see ourselves on the album cover
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on the flyer yeah on the
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flyer yeah we don't see each other on
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the flyer yeah so you don't feel invited
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yeah that that's interesting and that
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and and and I know and I'm a pivot but
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you know when in the restaurant industry
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like in my in our neighborhood where I
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live up in Harlem a lot of new a lot of
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new owners were coming in and they were
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creating these uh these um restaurants
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and these spaces that wasn't conducive
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to people in the neighborhood right so
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none of us wanted to go to the
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restaurants that were in our
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neighborhood SP of comfort place of
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comfort right um and they're in our
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neighborhood for our resources right uh
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and so a lot of times even with hip hop
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you you know the places and spaces where
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you'll see these things they wouldn't
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make it inviting for us to be there so I
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commend Brooklyn library and and queens
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they even in Oakland uh we set up a
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tribute of Oakland hip hop culture at
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the Oakland library near near Laney C
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King Tech and I was actually in there
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they featured me and Boots Riley nice uh
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you know
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boots from the coup they got some of our
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an exhibit it's an exhibit and so we we
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used to do like have Death Jam had their
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jackets we had all City record jackets
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that we did and they put all of our
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stuff in there it's it's needed you know
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the importance of you guys in that
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Community is what makes it hot that's
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what gets the gentrification to come
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yeah you know Brooklyn was hot you know
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big EJ you know everything was hot and
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then they got gentrified so why did you
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come here because it was hot we made it
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hot we made it hot that's why those
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restaurants come in we make it hot right
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but they don't want to share the
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dividends right you know it's all hey
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man how long did you work in we're going
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to talk about the book we were talking
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about it today Ralph has a new book
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Rosco learns about video music boxing
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it's pretty incredible but we were
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talking about our kids and I I want to
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know when we came into the game it took
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years before King Tech and I made money
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before anybody wanted to pay us
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especially I just started making money
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two years ago really it's been that long
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R you should have said something man I
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would have treat it to to the um but how
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long did you work before you made a
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profit how many years you say I don't
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even know when I started making money I
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couldn't even believe it probably when
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we started doing music videos uhhuh so
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that was you know that was early early
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90s I started in 83 with video music box
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okay so maybe 10 years you know we were
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still hustling for 10 years almost I
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mean you you know you got a couple of
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dollars here and there but it wasn't
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like you know like drug dealer money you
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know like when we walked in the club we
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wasn't over there y didn't have the VIP
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bottle popping money a bottle popping
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when you tell your daughter that cuz he
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he has he has an amazing Daughter by the
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way um I remember when I sat and did the
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interview she was um for your for your
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series Showtime did I mean um massal did
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yeah and I met your daughter I was uh
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flattened you know floored by her she
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she and I have a daughter like that too
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I have a daughter that daughter yeah
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these daughters walk in the room and
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just light up the room and they own the
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world and that means we did our job
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right yes but they not willing to do the
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same sacrifices that we did like my
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daughter graduated from college and got
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a job offer and the money I thought was
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great I was like yes that was that was
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back in the days Dad it's not like that
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it's not like that no more man so you
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you so how was it with your daughter and
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you passing the torch and and does she
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listen to your education she listens but
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that's not her actions her actions is
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like no you charging to less charge them
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more you this is not 198
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1995 what you doing and I'm like yeah
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but you know I don't think they really
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they got it they got this they got that
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they
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got wow I gotta get my cut Dad I'm like
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yo I hear you all right so see what they
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say she said they agreed to it I said
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okay oh snap how old is your daughter 36
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okay shout out to the daughters man
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getting their dad's paid is was she the
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inspiration behind the book no no no she
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wasn't but you know um so so the book
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was a combination of myself and a young
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lady um named sha Donaldson sha
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Donaldson is from Baltimore big up bore
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on the check-in and she is a teacher and
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worked in the public schools and she was
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introduced to me by her uncle who said
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you know my um my niece wants to do a
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book on you know on hip hop and you know
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she doesn't really know too much about
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would you be interested in doing
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something with her and we got on the
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phone we started talking and you know
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it's like anytime you meet somebody for
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the first time it's you know it's you
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know one out of 10 that it might click
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off you know and we clicked off perfect
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you know and I got her you know she was
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serious about she really didn't know too
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much about hip hop but she knew about
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education and that's the part that I
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needed help with you know and like okay
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how do we put this together and you know
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we got workbook here we got a coloring
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book how do we do that and she said let
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me do a a mock of it and then you tell
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the story about video music box and it's
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called Rosco learns about video music
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box so it's a a guy who's you know kind
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of U moved out the hood and he wants to
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show his son how it was back in the day
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takes him back to Manhattan and takes
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him to Time Square and you know his
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imaginary like break dancing going on in
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the in the street and like you know back
11:07
in the days and um and and and it's
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awesome because it's it's it's a coming
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an age for you know folks and you know
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now they've got 40 years old they got a
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family they got a house they got the
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cars and you know they don't want to let
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go of their Roots so he's taking his son
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Rosco back to to the neighborhood can I
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can I read from it I haven't read it yet
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it's a dry read so if I you know but I
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we believe in you so thank you the
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morning shined bright through Rosco's
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bedroom window was the first day of
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summer Rosco sat up in bed and yelled
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yeah it's summertime I'm out of school
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roscco reached for his cell phone and
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turned on A hip-hop song Rosal is a
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7-year-old boy he lives with his father
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and mother in apartment building in the
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Bronx New York Rosco does not have any
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pets then you go into the workbook part
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this is what I like this is this is
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where I would Excel all right it's not
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easy it's not easy I know says fill in
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the blank from the story so it starts
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the morning and it's a blank shine
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bright through rosal's bedroom so you
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got to remember the word that was in so
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this is for retention so when you read
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in comprehension so as you read these
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things that they're sticking and you
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actually know what it is you feeling
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shine bright through Rosco's bedroom I
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like this yeah keep it between the ears
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yeah you know because the kids are so
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quick and they they give up you know
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information they get it and it's that's
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going through their from their mind I
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said we originally it was supposed to be
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a coloring book I said we got to put
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something else in here they'll run
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through this coloring book like it's
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nothing so we got to put some other
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things in here and that's why we put the
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workbook part of it so that'll slow it
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down a little bit because they could do
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all you know all this on their phone but
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we want to I like the idea and when I
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was a kid and I'm not sure if the
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listeners I used to like the doodle and
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draw little thing I mean I wasn't an
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artist clearly but I was you know oh wow
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I didn't know I could create that with
12:56
my hand and and some type of crayon or
12:59
marker or something so for all of the
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people that were like that this book is
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for your kids I love it man and so you
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have this book in school curriculums
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already or where can people we're
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working on that yeah you can get it
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right now actually um we're doing um
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Barnes & Nobles so we'll be in Barnes &
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Nobles after this Saturday and um you
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know um this is the first bookstore
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we're in well there's not too many
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bookstores anymore yeah this is true
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yeah there is it mostly online right
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yeah so we we we do signups um we do
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house you know um book signing and I do
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uh children's reads in the schools um
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the schools have been um ordering them
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and that's important because we uh we
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sat down with a bunch of um principles
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of uh black school of schools who um
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were black um principles and they said
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we love it and they all were like we G
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to order it for the school for our
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schools and that was across the East
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Coast so they're in some of these
13:52
schools already yeah your daughter
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getting you money dog to her man I Ain
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mad at
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her
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hey look you know it's it's it's it's
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something that um when I was coming up
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in school you know like in my
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documentary you know when I told the
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story people used I used to be in all
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these hardcore places and hanging around
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you know how we do putting our lives on
14:12
the line every night just for a good
14:14
time good time and then I was like I
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didn't grow up you know it was I mean I
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hang around people that was in in the
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tough neighborhood but I grew up in a
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house we had a car and you know I had a
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basement you know so I had a little
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space
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to move around that's why I could DJ in
14:31
the basement for hours and hours and my
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mother would be turn it down turn it
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down and so you know I had that space
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and that was a um a blessing cuz not
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everybody had that space you know and I
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wanted to tell this my story I didn't
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want to a lot of people front when they
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talk about I'm grew up in the hood you
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you didn't no you didn't you ain't grew
14:50
up in the hood come on kids come on you
14:52
you all day grew up and was considered a
14:54
hood but had nothing to do with hood
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activities right right right right right
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right so so you know look we we we um we
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talk about our truth and everybody's
15:03
truth is what it is and that's what I
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want to do when we did the documentary
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and my my parents was always about going
15:09
to school you know and I said I don't
15:11
know if I want to go to college M my
15:12
mother said you crazy boy you better get
15:14
your butt out of here you going to
15:16
college and so I went to college I got a
15:18
degree and it helped me you know cuz you
15:21
know people say oh it doesn't help like
15:22
that's cool yeah when you get in certain
15:25
situations in a competitive situation
15:27
and you well I got that that degree
15:29
right there and they like oh okay so
15:31
that puts you in that group over there
15:33
you know you need it and so yeah there
15:35
are some people that you know are just
15:36
talented and they do their thing but you
15:38
know don't let this hip-hop thing fool
15:40
you man it's entertainment what V Fat
15:42
Joe said that all his raps was was was
15:44
not was a lie 95% of them that Jo don't
15:47
when them used you know you know they
15:50
taking them words and using them in
15:51
court hey look right that's what's going
15:53
on so you got it's it's it's amazing
15:56
what's happening right now in the world
15:57
and you know we just have have to make
15:58
sure that we move forward and take care
16:01
of our families you know
16:02
self-preservation you know is the key
16:04
don't worry about you know what the next
16:06
person is doing you know and and and
16:08
keep it moving man Ralph McDaniels icon
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tra you want to jump in on that yeah
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Ralph what would you tell the rosos of
16:14
the world in your opinion are the top
16:18
five hip-hop music videos oh music
16:24
videos it's
16:26
different okay so I'm uh I'm I'm just
16:30
going to name videos that I direct how
16:31
about
16:32
that
16:34
that okay um cream by um wuang Clan wow
16:38
Nas it ain't hard to
16:41
tell um Black Moon who got the props who
16:45
got the props look what I'm B today oh
16:48
he got the duck down Music Joint on
16:50
that's nice that is nice nice yeah um
16:54
camera's over there way oh my oh x-clan
16:57
heed the word because we Black History
16:59
Month and um and one that I produced my
17:03
partner Lono directed
17:05
self-destruction
17:06
um stop the violence movement incredible
17:10
hey man are there are
17:12
there there's some footage that keing
17:15
Tech and I got yes that we lost that
17:19
happens yeah is it what like what are
17:22
some of the the biggest lost moments you
17:26
had when a c man wasn't recording the
17:29
sound or the video
17:32
the camera
17:34
guys because you're so excited you
17:36
forget the little things we in the club
17:38
this is back in the days now we in the
17:40
club it's Smokey it's wild you know we
17:42
like okay got it he's looking at me the
17:45
girls is dancing around and he's he's
17:48
occupied and bro you didn't turn the
17:49
camera on you didn't heit
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play wow so you know so yeah we've had
17:54
those moments um it was something man I
17:57
I remember we did something with LL and
18:00
it was it was he we we he lost the whole
18:03
thing and I was like I said no it can't
18:05
be I saw you holding the camera
18:07
up and disbelief wow but yeah we've lost
18:11
some moments but you know what I've been
18:13
doing now is digitizing everything I
18:15
have so absolutely everything that was
18:17
on these tapes is now a file and people
18:19
have seen you know my my collection is
18:22
crazy all these tapes but many of them
18:25
are are digitized now and we're going to
18:27
start doing some events around around
18:28
that I'd love to do something with y'all
18:30
because people just never saw some of
18:33
these things once or twice on video
18:34
music box which is just a New York thing
18:37
you know the rest of the world was like
18:39
I didn't know that this happened or
18:40
that's where that came from you know
18:42
often I hear people say oh this was like
18:44
Jay-Z at Summer Jam and me holding the
18:46
mic and he's talking about well he know
18:48
he doesn't talk he doesn't say anything
18:49
people go oh that was the end of
18:51
Rockefeller and Jay was just overwhelmed
18:53
that night yeah when he this is a famous
18:56
clip where was that the same Michael
18:58
Jackson came out too Michael Jackson
19:00
came out on stage at Hot N Hot 97 Summer
19:03
Jam and you caught the interview right
19:05
after Dame Dash Memphis Bleak freeway
19:09
everybody's there and they going bonkers
19:10
they can't control themselves rightfully
19:13
so and Jay is just like staring off into
19:16
the clouds and you said he he was just
19:19
overwhelmed he just it was so much yeah
19:23
it took to get to that just to get to
19:24
the him to come to the to the venue
19:26
probably was a lot yeah then there then
19:29
you did it and everybody's there his
19:31
family was there like his nephews and
19:34
the whole rock you know and everybody
19:36
you know when they see these these I see
19:38
these comments they go oh man that
19:40
wasn't that was the end of of
19:42
Rockefeller and so one day and when we
19:44
shot the documentary I said Jay you see
19:46
the comments when that he says yeah I
19:47
know he's exactly what you're talking
19:48
about I said can you tell me on camera
19:51
how you felt that day he said yeah let's
19:53
do it so he did it and he said that I
19:55
was just overwhelmed man I was so I
19:57
couldn't believe that that just happened
20:00
he said none of that was true about that
20:02
was the end of you know rock Rockefeller
20:04
anything none of that was true it was
20:06
just he was just overwhelmed and he
20:08
couldn't believe that they had pulled it
20:10
off that was one of the biggest moments
20:12
in hip-hop at up to that time wow hold
20:15
on let that breathe for a second man
20:17
Jesus um I'm curious cuz I'm coming from
20:20
a behind the scen mindset I'm I'm coming
20:23
from a producer or director mindset
20:25
Michael Jackson walks in where are you
20:28
your cameraman and did you were you so
20:31
Michael
20:32
Jackson well according to the station
20:35
they said Michael Jackson is one of the
20:37
cameras I like you talking about giant
20:42
stadium so so they were like you can't
20:44
have any cameras Ralph don't pull out
20:46
that camera he's gonna get back in the
20:47
van and leave I'm like no he's not he
20:49
came all the way here
20:53
so ask for forgiveness not
20:56
permission we hipop we
20:58
hiop right he did we go get it but you
21:01
know there was so much security so many
21:03
people that when he did get out it was
21:05
like a wave of people so we couldn't get
21:07
to him ah so we got to it from the side
21:10
and then we got you know Jay after but
21:12
Michael Jackson was just it was just
21:13
like and he just pulled up like you know
21:16
it was you know like 11:30 at night like
21:18
pulled up and he was laughing in the
21:19
back and talking and Jay was on stage
21:21
like we got Michael Jackson or we got a
21:23
special guest he wasn't paying no mind
21:25
to Jay and them talking on the stage
21:27
like they like looking back like where's
21:29
Mike and Mike is in the back laughing
21:31
and playing around having a good time
21:33
having a good time he wasn't it was
21:34
nothing to Mike yeah this is light right
21:38
this is light light work Summer Jam JayZ
21:41
and Mike in the back playing playing
21:43
around wow wow what was his demeanor
21:45
like did you how close did you get to um
21:48
it was Michael Jackson it was it was it
21:50
was the icon you know you just was he
21:53
had some little some kids with him
21:54
though I'm not sure why he was out so
21:55
late but for real and I was like you
21:57
know like like where them kids come from
21:59
but you know that's how Mike moved you
22:01
know he he got the kids with him and
22:02
they all come up and they get on stage
22:04
and
22:05
stuff I'm sorry I didn't want to look at
22:08
DB I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm
22:12
telling it's Mike mik Mike come on Mike
22:15
I first of all Mike is my first hero
22:18
Mike I'm I'm I'm born a year year after
22:21
Mike okay so when I was coming up
22:23
Michael Jackson we got to get Michael
22:25
Jackson album Jackson 5 Dian Roos
22:28
presents Jackson 5 that's what he said
22:29
on it I was like this is me this is me
22:32
right here uhuh uhhuh I'm going to be
22:34
like Mike and but yeah I mean you know
22:37
it was Mike you Mike how tall was
22:40
Mike um a little bit taller than me very
22:43
very slim dude yeah very slim dude uhhuh
22:47
and clearly a lot lighter than he was
22:49
when on on the album cover
22:51
so damn come on man was he taking
22:55
pictures with anybody like were fans
22:56
coming up to him was he they were
22:58
respecting his space yeah I think
23:00
security kind of kept whoever he came
23:01
with is who he kind of was hanging with
23:04
and then when they said all right we we
23:05
got to go to the stage they all moved
23:07
and at that point it was just security
23:10
Ralph will you mind taking a couple of
23:12
questions sure we got Ralph McDaniels
23:14
here big round of applause he's the
23:16
greatest there's only one goat at this
23:19
there is only one goat at this hey big
23:22
up soulbeat big up Soul big soulbeat yes
23:25
I was just shouting them out did you
23:26
hear me shout okay there's and that's
23:29
Ralph McDaniels and then Sobe Sobe in
23:32
Oakland you know was the first show that
23:34
I heard about um there was the M it
23:37
called Bud Riser Superfest this is
23:39
before hipop and um and my my man was
23:43
doing that tour he was working on he
23:44
said you ever heard of soulbeat and I
23:46
said no and he said it's the show it's
23:48
the show in in Oakland in San Francisco
23:50
that's the show and so when I finally
23:53
met the cats from soby Big up to um um
23:56
joh yeah yeah you know I was like yeah I
23:59
heard about y she yeah because they
24:01
always talk about you video about we I
24:02
said I know y'all been here y'all been
24:04
here who was first so be the video music
24:06
I think so beat was before me jeez I
24:08
didn't even I I gota stand corrected
24:10
yeah soulbeat I mean listen Soul it was
24:13
called Soul be Soul be like train yeah
24:17
yeah wait a minute y'all I stand
24:20
corrected but they know that they know
24:22
that they know that they know that they
24:24
pay you no mind way they know they know
24:26
your heart you know where your heart is
24:28
soulbeat is where
24:29
Tracy in Oakland thank you Tracy you got
24:32
it
24:33
right Tracy is so sharp today all right
24:37
we GNA come back talk with Ralph
24:38
McDaniels 888 742 3345 Ralph McDaniels
24:43
Here video music box you got the new U
24:44
book Rosco learns about video music box
24:47
it's an opportunity for us to tell our
24:49
stories in in a great format um this is
24:52
a what kind of book would you call
24:53
learning book or uh yeah it's a learning
24:56
workbook coloring book um interactive
25:00
book yes thank you thank you see the
25:03
book it's got colors and I've been asked
25:07
that question a few times but I'm G to
25:09
take that if you don't mind interactive
25:11
book uhuh good yeah that's contributed
25:14
to the culture that's all you know Ral I
25:16
was wondering when you were talking
25:18
about sharing that story about hve and
25:20
Michael Jackson it brought to mind the
25:23
evolution of archiving and documenting
25:26
and you know there was a time where it
25:27
was few people who were given that task
25:31
yes of holding the camera of holding the
25:33
mic and we're in a day where everyone's
25:35
phone comes with a camera you can use it
25:38
as a mic um how do you feel about that
25:42
Evolution and maybe if you can give is
25:46
there a way things that folks should
25:49
think about when they are going to
25:51
documents yeah before they start so it's
25:54
not looked at as like invasive yeah I
25:57
mean I mean um I think that the phone is
26:00
awesome because one thing about your
26:02
phone it documents the time the date um
26:06
and you can download it to another
26:08
source you know we didn't have that
26:10
before back in the days you know I
26:12
wasn't able to do that um and if people
26:14
you know go to concerts or go to parties
26:18
or events or something at their college
26:20
or whatever it is you know you you you
26:22
might be the only person that will keep
26:24
it like some people may not have
26:25
interest in it and that becomes part of
26:27
hist history and history tells a story
26:29
and it tells the story of a particular
26:31
region it might be might be in um in
26:33
Chicago it might be in Baltimore it
26:35
might be in Oakland wherever it is is
26:37
there's a story that needs to be told
26:39
about that particular Community because
26:42
you're in a community you know we talked
26:44
about that a little earlier that the
26:45
community is a the culture hip hop is a
26:48
culture and the community is in is just
26:51
where you came from and and so those
26:54
moments are important so I know
26:56
everybody's not thinking about saving
26:58
you know that that that um that that
27:01
clip but if you are like me who is a
27:04
nerd about that kind of stuff I save
27:06
everything I've saved everything since I
27:08
shot since 1983 so I have like the Run
27:11
DMC dock is out that's like 30% my
27:14
footage in that new Run DMC doc because
27:16
I was there you know like I lived in
27:18
Hollis with them Russell was like I got
27:21
a group called Run DMC and listen to it
27:24
and he played it's like that and I was
27:26
like when's the Baseline coming in and
27:27
he played sucker MC's and I was like yo
27:30
this is dope and so I was like all right
27:32
and then next thing you know they were
27:34
on the radio they were at the Disco
27:36
fever in the Bronx and then they were on
27:38
stage like in front of 10,000 people I
27:39
like that was fast but you know those
27:43
moments happened so quickly that Rundy
27:45
MC just went and did what they did and
27:48
then we had we we I had the footage to
27:50
we could look at those moments back you
27:53
know in Jamaica park in holl Queens you
27:55
know so archiving is is my baby when you
27:58
said archiving that's my thing you know
28:00
um I'm not an archist technically but I
28:02
do do the work and so big up to anybody
28:04
who's an archist because that's
28:06
important to tell our story and people
28:07
want to do documentaries all the time
28:09
I'm like do you have footage of it do
28:10
you have pictures of it that's how you
28:12
tell the story that's how it begins yeah
28:14
what about concerts you know um a couple
28:16
years back we've seen a lot of different
28:19
artists come out and say yo I don't want
28:21
any cameras at my show and comedy shows
28:24
and comedy shows in particular um is
28:26
that to our detriment or is that
28:29
something that we should accept because
28:32
now everyone is a documentarian it's
28:34
important for their own memories and for
28:36
their own family yeah I know I've been
28:38
in a couple of those situations where oh
28:40
you got put your phone in some kind of
28:41
bag or something yeah and um I always
28:44
feel a little uncomfortable about that
28:46
but I get it because there's a lot of
28:49
money maybe on the line for that they're
28:51
getting to broadcast this somewhere
28:54
maybe six months from then and they want
28:56
to make sure that nobody's putting the
28:58
whole concert on IG live s for free true
29:02
yeah good ass point right and so um so I
29:06
get it you know but as long as
29:08
somebody's documenting it to even the
29:10
artist they have their own like crws you
29:12
know like they roll with now so you know
29:14
that concert films yeah yeah like the
29:17
Renaissance right I went to the
29:18
Renaissance with my my daughter back to
29:20
my daughter we going to see
29:22
Renaissance and my wife and they were
29:25
like I was like I don't know if I could
29:27
sit through that like that's like that's
29:28
for y'all you know I love Beyonce but
29:30
I'm not you know it's not really my
29:31
thing and so he's like no we're going in
29:34
and everybody was dressed up and they
29:36
were dancing around in the aisles and it
29:38
was fil right for the film and I was
29:40
like okay this is interesting uhuh I get
29:43
this I get what this is go ahead B I see
29:46
you did you ever film her coming up yeah
29:50
yeah all of the um Soul Train Awards and
29:53
all remember we used to they used to
29:54
have a press day yeah the Press day you
29:55
got all those I got all of those with
29:57
with Destiny a couple of them and
29:59
backstage when she was uh behind the
30:01
scenes like of of music videos couple of
30:03
music videos we did yeah she she she
30:05
done the work she's made herself like
30:08
she don't have to be available now she's
30:10
done it she was available she was there
30:12
you know if you wanted to do something
30:14
with her she made herself available so
30:16
she's put in a lot of work so you know
30:18
and now you know country song I'm like
30:20
yo that's country song banging Texas
30:22
hold him hot I'm learning the little
30:24
line dances all that yeah right it's a
30:26
line danc yeah I got do ly dancing when
30:29
we get to our age I'm sorry we get to
30:31
our we line dancing we line dancing
30:33
simple all right hey DB what you got
30:36
yeah um I want to go back to what you
30:37
said about um the video being the how
30:39
you tell the story the visual aspect and
30:41
that's a big component for me in terms
30:43
of like how I remember certain songs and
30:45
you know growing up with all these
30:46
different Outlets of showing music
30:47
videos um I wanted to ask you about the
30:50
evolution of the music video because you
30:52
know in the early stages of hip-hop
30:53
coming up you know you had stuff like
30:55
the message or self-destruction that
30:57
were portraying what was happening in
30:59
their surroundings and their environment
31:00
where they were growing up then it
31:01
became a little bit more flashier you
31:03
know in the 90s and things like that and
31:04
then it really went over the top where
31:06
it was like how much money can we spend
31:08
to get the you know the the nicest car
31:10
or whatever the best outfits and jewelry
31:11
and all that stuff and then now I don't
31:13
know where really where it's at in terms
31:15
of like are they doing more Grassroots
31:17
yeah because yeah because now it's like
31:18
Tik Tok and like social media as opposed
31:20
to like really people really competing
31:22
music videos for spots so I don't know I
31:24
just wanted to get your take in terms of
31:26
like how important it is not to devalue
31:29
the music video I think that the music
31:31
video gave birth to a bunch of major
31:34
directors and film feature film
31:36
directors um when you look at you know
31:39
um yeah hyp
31:41
William um G uh Gary gr you know all
31:44
these people yeah that came out of music
31:46
video and many more than that um you
31:49
know because it gives you three minutes
31:51
to tell a story with back in the days
31:53
when you'd watch Rap City and yo and all
31:56
these shows you you could tell a story
31:58
and you you learned how to tell that
32:00
story and then you started to do it with
32:01
feature films many people that was their
32:04
goal from day one to do music videos and
32:06
then go to Future films and so um I
32:09
think that taking away that opportunity
32:13
to tell stories is not good I still
32:15
think that there are some great music
32:17
videos out there that periodically
32:19
people tag me in y r check this out I'm
32:22
pretty sure they do that to you way all
32:23
the time and you know and I'm like man
32:25
but nobody's seeing this like how come
32:27
we not seeing this because there's no
32:29
show and it's on YouTube but if you
32:31
don't know it's on YouTube you ain't
32:33
looking for it I I had an executive tell
32:35
me at bet one time nobody wants to watch
32:36
music videos no more Ralph that's dead
32:39
because they can watch it on YouTube I
32:40
said but how do they know that um The
32:43
Bad Boys in featuring K Love by um
32:46
Inspector Gadget is on YouTube and he's
32:49
like what I said right ex exactly it's
32:52
going to take that show but then too I
32:54
think if if if even though they're
32:56
everywhere
32:57
right but if Ralph McDaniels curated a
33:01
hourong video show of videos of his
33:03
choice why he likes some telling the uh
33:06
giving the context to it the backstory
33:09
to these artists uh today you know I
33:12
would watch that I would want to see a
33:14
curated video playlist experience
33:17
experience right yeah and and it would
33:19
lead you to other things which is you
33:20
know what you know what happens and so I
33:23
think that is you know people ask me all
33:25
the time yo man you should bring it back
33:27
and I said well you know we have to have
33:29
some Executives somewhere you know take
33:32
get out of the Lazy Boy y'all and you
33:35
know try something a little different
33:37
get on get on the edge because hip hop
33:39
is always on the edge and it's not
33:41
costing y'all nothing but me in the
33:42
studio you know doing talking and I
33:46
don't think it would be that difficult
33:47
you know so that's that's easy it's not
33:49
an expensive job and we we pull up some
33:51
music video it helps the catalog of the
33:54
that these these people have and and it
33:56
would sell you know and I think it would
33:58
it would move some other cataloges
34:00
forward as well oh I got an idea for
34:02
that too all right Ralph McDaniel is
34:03
here 8874 I know how you can create
34:05
different vertical from that too woo
34:08
yeah the wheels is turning well you know
34:10
all these labels talk about you know oh
34:12
man I got uh we got these amazing
34:15
cataloges Ralph I said well but y'all
34:17
are selling your own catalog that's
34:19
corny we want to get the dirt like I got
34:22
let me show let me go to some footage of
34:24
wuang in Staten Island in in 19 93 MH I
34:28
got that too so we could show some of
34:31
that and then okay let's play protect
34:33
your neck now boom but y'all tell it
34:35
like it's a beautiful story everything
34:37
was not beautiful about hip-hop I me oh
34:39
yeah it's amazing album The Purple tape
34:41
BL BL yeah right but let ghost and them
34:45
say it and let let Ray and them say the
34:47
story you know that's what we need
34:49
because you got somebody sitting in the
34:50
office and they just want to no this is
34:52
the way we're going to do it we going to
34:54
keep it real simple we don't have to
34:56
have any Interac action with anyone with
34:59
anyone and we'll just put the music out
35:01
and I'm like that's corny nobody rock
35:04
and roll didn't do that come on man
35:06
don't do that to us there you go Ralph
35:07
McDaniels there you go icon talking icon
35:11
talking Kev is in Charlotte Kev what's
35:13
your question hey Kev cool and cool and
35:15
what's up y'all how y'all doing today
35:16
happy uh what is it in Tuesday just
35:19
happy Kev go ahead man
35:21
what hey I really just had a comment Mr
35:24
McDaniel appreciate you man appreciate
35:25
your contribution to the uh culture hip
35:28
hop and music and everything visually
35:30
thank you um I really am looking forward
35:33
to this uh workbook the what Tracy call
35:35
it the interactive workbook book um just
35:39
because it's implemented into literacy
35:41
if y'all remember me I'm always calling
35:43
about education absolutely that's I put
35:45
you on Sir go ahead but I love how you
35:49
are coming from the old era and I look
35:52
at it as a giant catching up to the
35:54
Future and you're bringing that to our
35:56
children you know what I mean we got
35:57
music out here now and a lot of us
35:59
adults may or may not relate to it or
36:01
adapt to it but we even got the the the
36:03
older ones yeah coming up taking that
36:06
big giant step forward saying you know
36:07
like we here we're still here and you
36:10
know this is what we're bringing to the
36:12
culture from back in the past that your
36:14
parents know about you know what I mean
36:15
as far as coming from the kids so I
36:17
definitely appreciate that being
36:18
implemented into literacy and literature
36:21
and in a fun and Interactive Learning
36:23
way so I'm definitely looking forward to
36:24
it being in Barnes & Noble you said
36:26
after this Saturday correct yeah yeah
36:28
okay all right cool well I'm definitely
36:30
looking forward to it and sway I'm also
36:31
a big fan of rap dads I actually got EST
36:34
from him a couple of months ago
36:37
promoting that so I'm always always
36:39
looking forward to adding things into my
36:41
home that I hear from you man so I
36:43
appreciate that as always man Kev you
36:45
you all right with me man come on man
36:47
Kev you are all right with me rap we got
36:49
a new episode too rap dads Ralph we have
36:52
to hit get you on rap dads I'm with it
36:54
yeah and it's just just people come from
36:56
the and they talk about their
36:57
experiences being a father kind of like
37:00
what we've been talking about today
37:01
right and daughters daughters we ain't
37:03
even talking about Sons uh and then uh
37:06
we had uh cot of the fiend on the show
37:09
uh just this week and we're featuring
37:10
cot of the fiend on the show we've had
37:12
Jim Jones we've had a lot of people just
37:14
really open up we got rap dads merch too
37:16
if you go to the rap dads show on
37:18
Instagram the rap dads show we got some
37:21
cool hoodies that we're doing and other
37:23
things that we doing around I like that
37:25
I like that one of those
37:27
seg there you like that thank you Kev
37:29
I'll put you to work baby you a super
37:30
citizen all right yes sir thank you man
37:33
love y'all love you too man oh man I
37:35
love how call great man that dude is off
37:38
Ralph thank you you're welcome brother
37:41
than you thank youal can you keep coming
37:43
back up cuz I well you know I do have a
37:46
job but you know give me a give me a
37:48
little little little heads up I'm with
37:51
it Ralph Ralph has agreed to co-host the
37:53
show on days when let's get him okay so
37:57
torch torture connect with you just so
37:59
we have your number you got Ralph's
38:00
number nope damn right torture I got it
38:04
I got it don't worry about it okay Ralph
38:06
thank you very much anything you want to
38:07
say in closing brother hey man look
38:09
thanks for the uh the the love as always
38:11
follow me at video music box um if you
38:14
out there and get Rosco learns about
38:16
video music box right now you need that
38:18
in your house you need that in your
38:19
house man all right thank you on that
38:21
not we're going to conclude our
38:25
show

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