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Dive into the heart of cinema with "Van Peebles Legacy: Beyond Hollywood’s A-List" on Sway's Universe 🎬! From the streets of Harlem to the silver screen, the Van Peebles family has carved a monumental legacy, crafting stories that transcend generations. In this exclusive sit-down, Sway welcomes Mario Van Peebles and Mandela Van Peebles for a conversation that is as enlightening as it is inspiring. Witness firsthand accounts of resilience, creativity, and the unbreakable bond of family. From the making of iconic films like "New Jack City" to the groundbreaking "Outlaw Posse," this is a journey through Hollywood’s history and its future. Don't miss the Van Peebles' candid reflections on the challenges and triumphs of keeping a legacy alive in the ever-evolving landscape of film and entertainment. Subscribe now for more exclusive interviews and unparalleled content, and follow us on social media @SwaysUniverse for the latest in hip-hop, social change, and the arts. #VanPeeblesLegacy #SwaysUniverse #HollywoodLegends
#MarioVanPeeblesDirecting #MarioVanPeeblesAndMovieLegacy #HollywoodLegacy #BlackWesterns #BlackHollywood
CHAPTERS:
0:00 - Intro
0:50 - Mario Van Peebles Introduction
1:50 - Mario & Mandela Van Peebles Collaboration
3:30 - Melvin Van Peebles Legacy
6:20 - Van Peebles Family Pressure
8:30 - Love & Relationships Insights
13:41 - Iconic Roles of Mario Van Peebles
14:25 - The Black Cowboy Representation
18:59 - "Posse" Cast Insights
20:55 - "Armed" Movie Insights by Mario Van Peebles
25:07 - Mario Van Peebles on His Father Melvin
31:55 - Terry from LA Interview
35:55 - Final Thoughts on Van Peebles Legacy
36:54 - Heather B Personal Story
40:39 - Mario Van Peebles Personal Story
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
DB would you do the honors please uh I
0:02
live in Harlem and so every day when I
0:04
walked past the building that was used
0:06
as the Carter in New Jack City I'm
0:08
constantly reminded of this man's
0:10
Brilliance when he directed that movie
0:11
and it was such an impact for so many
0:14
reasons with the actors that he had in
0:16
this film because this was at the start
0:17
of their film careers I mean IC te Chris
0:20
Rock I mean so many people that were in
0:22
this film and a part of this film even
0:23
like the the R&B singers that you had in
0:25
this film I mean it was such an
0:26
impactful film and and I love talking
0:28
about I even have the poster with me if
0:29
you don't signing that at the end of
0:31
thew but um no man you're just a great
0:33
filmmaker director actor you've done so
0:35
much and I think that the van peees is a
0:37
name that we should be talking about as
0:38
a Hollywood family just the same way we
0:40
talk about the Kardashians and the Ford
0:42
Copa family you know what I mean like we
0:44
need to be talking about van pees and
0:45
the contributions of your family yes
0:47
we're here to celebrate uh Outlaw posy
0:49
which is out on March 1st please welcome
0:51
Mario Van PE come on man Mario man
0:54
people so hold up man as you talk about
0:56
the Legacy you know definitely Melvin
1:01
and we got to speak about Mario but we
1:04
also got to speak about
1:06
Mandela Mandela is here as well give
1:08
this man a round of applause he came by
1:11
for we the party I believe it was we the
1:14
party he came and talked to us uh at
1:16
that time and we had a great
1:17
conversation you can also find him in uh
1:20
this particular movie Outlaw you an
1:22
outlaw too right Outlaw posy y Outlaw
1:24
posi um jigsaw exactly jigsaw Reginal
1:28
the Vampire Season 2 comes out H March
1:31
8th and then may of Kingston May of
1:33
Kingston yeah he may of Kingston too
1:35
with been busy since we the party yeah
1:37
bro yeah man yeah man you get yeah man
1:39
he's the star now you're the star of the
1:41
family Mandela what's up thank you
1:45
thanks for having me guys appreciate it
1:47
absolutely uh Mario is always great to
1:50
see you man I my my partner and crime
1:53
that I started in the business with u we
1:55
known each other since high school King
1:57
Tech yeah um was a music director uh for
2:01
the wuang clan Saga on Hulu right and um
2:05
and you know Mandela was on on the wuang
2:07
as well I know I know I know all of this
2:10
Riz is our our brother yes yes yes
2:12
that's what we have that in common riz's
2:14
son grew up with my nephew ke T son and
2:17
um and all they kept talking about is I
2:19
said man what was Mario like yeah man
2:22
dude the dude made us do
2:25
planks said made us do planks on the set
2:28
get that cour
2:30
well I was like was that a prere wck it
2:32
wasn't a PR wck but he made you feel
2:34
guilty if you didn't do planks cuz Mario
2:37
was obviously our senior but he looks
2:39
better than us right right right that's
2:42
true you had dudes doing planks yeah man
2:45
because because you know what we want to
2:47
keep it all together the the body the
2:49
mind it's all connected and I don't want
2:51
to I don't want to look like a lazy ass
2:53
director right so when I'm on the set
2:55
directing I still like to make my actors
2:57
get up with me if they'll do it and
2:59
often they will will and do pull-ups do
3:01
planks do push-ups we did you do your
3:03
push-ups today so we drop down and get
3:05
it you you'll see us in the in the Green
3:07
Room uh you know just like that's how
3:09
you do it otherwise really you don't get
3:11
to the gym often you know especially
3:12
when you're traveling doing touring
3:14
stuff and my daddy always said he could
3:15
lie about going to the gym but he he
3:17
can't lie about there's always a floor
3:19
there's always a floor so what if you
3:21
got a floor in five minutes go ahead and
3:22
get you a set you know so that's that's
3:25
what we like excus go ahead and get you
3:27
a set go get you a set you speak speak
3:29
about your dad let's give him a round of
3:31
applause um
3:34
meld he's U for so many reasons he's
3:37
been a Pioneer and and a a revolutionary
3:40
in the cinema industry and I I you know
3:41
I always wondered um because at at the
3:44
time that you were growing up and
3:46
because of his prowess in these fields
3:48
but his movies kind of gave Insight uh
3:50
to a whole another cultural perspective
3:53
what and at that time people had that
3:55
kind of power seemed like they were
3:56
always under monitor they were always
3:59
being served
4:00
because when you're creative you have
4:02
the ability to spark something in
4:04
people's minds you have the ability to
4:06
create movements and at that time the uh
4:10
the political scene was very volatile
4:13
did your family ever get under pressure
4:15
did oh yeah you know I was there when
4:17
they uh tried to take Dad out a couple
4:20
times so what do you mean well literally
4:23
like he came in when he made
4:26
Sweetback uh his whole crew got arrested
4:28
for making a film while multi-racial and
4:31
they threw the whole crew in jail and
4:33
they're you know white folks black folks
4:35
Latino women everybody together and they
4:37
figured with a name like Melvin Van
4:39
Peebles he probably was a Dutch
4:41
Aristocrat so he he couldn't go down
4:43
there with his black ass and bail him
4:45
out directly so he had to go down there
4:47
and they had to figure out how to get
4:48
them out and what to do but I saw him
4:51
and then he broke the unions because the
4:52
unions were all white male you know you
4:54
didn't see F like what you all have
4:56
right here that didn't exist you know
4:58
and what's beautiful is now we can make
5:00
a movie but y'all give us a voice mhm if
5:03
you don't hold that microphone up you
5:05
know we don't have we can't get on the
5:07
mic on the other hand when you do have
5:09
hold the mic up we got to have something
5:10
to say you got to have something to say
5:12
you got to have something to say if you
5:13
just become you know if you just become
5:15
like the people who would buy and sell
5:17
you as a people what have you become so
5:19
you have to look critically around you
5:21
go oh wait a minute they've been telling
5:23
us Columbus discovered America but there
5:25
was already Native Americans here that's
5:27
like me discovering your car and putting
5:28
my flag on it M and so Melvin always
5:31
looked at things with clear eyes you
5:32
know Dad Dad one one of the things I
5:34
miss about not having my Pap in my life
5:36
is we had such great conversations like
5:37
we were talking about you know the
5:39
modern day colonizer doesn't put chains
5:41
on your body the chains on your mind and
5:43
the first way to really free your mind
5:45
is to take control of your own imagery
5:48
the image of what you see and what
5:49
you're doing with radio take control of
5:51
the image of what you hear you know I
5:53
mean and once you have once you have
5:55
sense talking to you you still can have
5:57
that beat we still need the beat AE
6:00
people we still need that drum you still
6:02
got to entertain him when I made Outlaw
6:04
with Mandela I said we not preaching we
6:06
entertaining but we making entertainment
6:08
entainment you know so so give him
6:11
something fun give him some drama and
6:12
that's natural and that's the kind of
6:14
filmmaker I am but I still want to give
6:15
you some nutritional value too because
6:17
we got to keep growing as a people we
6:19
got to talk about that Outlaw Poss
6:21
that's what I love that man um I
6:23
wondering for you Mandela the name is
6:25
royalty mhm his name is royalty is what
6:27
the Jacksons are and the music scene you
6:30
know it's the are the comedy SC and it's
6:34
what the van peoples are in the film
6:37
industry and it carried way it had
6:39
nothing to do with
6:41
you tell me about it the success had
6:44
nothing to do with you but but do you
6:47
carry what do you carry when you enter
6:49
your roles and when you enter your
6:51
projects in relation to your
6:54
name [ __ ] wish name Steve yeah right
6:57
you
6:58
know stared with Mandela right I go to
7:01
Chipotle I go I go Starbucks oh Mandela
7:04
wow you got a lot to live up everywhere
7:07
I go I got that so yeah it's um it's an
7:11
interesting one it kind of
7:15
uh that's man when you put them both
7:18
together it gives a whole new A Whole
7:21
New Perspective especially with all the
7:23
the you know good good work that Nelson
7:26
Mandela did so it's one thing to honor
7:29
van pe's name and that Legacy but when
7:32
you when you put them together it's like
7:33
a lot um but for me I think what's
7:36
special about it I don't look at it as a
7:38
pressure per se yeah um I kind of see it
7:42
as a a library I can tap into a resource
7:45
I can kind of tap into I have mentors in
7:49
the family I can and and what's what's
7:52
great is I know he's pretty old but he
7:55
he remembers he remembers a lot you know
7:58
so he he could tell me stories from
8:00
Granddad or different different times
8:02
where he's he's faced a challenge or or
8:05
Granddad help him with something and I
8:07
think that's that's really special and
8:08
hopefully some of his stories and all of
8:11
that goes on through us to the Next
8:12
Generation but I think I think it's less
8:15
of a pressure and more of um a desire to
8:19
kind of add my mark to the to the to the
8:22
to the neacy right I love it man Mario
8:25
Van pebl is here son Mandela is here as
8:28
well did did did your dad give you
8:31
advice on relationship what kind of
8:33
thing did he tell you about love yeah be
8:35
honest be honest though
8:37
honestly so how how our family is we we
8:41
love we got a big family and we love
8:43
with big long arms so I my relationship
8:46
with love isn't just you know guy girl
8:49
it's it's more so loving everybody so
8:53
the the whole aspect of what we even
8:56
even this the the we're lucky enough to
8:59
sit down here with you talk about a
9:02
project we got to do together so going
9:04
back to the three loves in your life you
9:06
know you got love what you do so I get
9:08
to work with my dad I get to act and and
9:11
create a world that affects our world in
9:14
real life but but through make believe
9:17
so that's crazy loving what I do loving
9:20
who I do it with I get to do it with my
9:21
pops that's beautiful I get to do with
9:23
my sister um so we have a family where
9:26
we get to work together and it's awesome
9:28
and then loving what you say with it the
9:30
message look at this guy he got to
9:32
record you saying this because so he
9:34
because he can play it back and he just
9:36
learned how to work his
9:39
phon a filmmaker don't say that man
9:42
don't say that doing me like that crazy
9:45
goe go ahead yeah but but also doing
9:49
doing what you love doing doing it with
9:51
people you love and loving what you say
9:53
with the work you do so I I don't I'm
9:56
not the best with relationships you know
9:58
this this industry we travel a lot and
10:01
it's hard to to man yeah that love [ __ ]
10:04
is not easy but but when it comes to
10:07
family we got some love here and that's
10:08
why working with him is always a really
10:10
good time especially when we get to kind
10:12
of project that love on camera because
10:15
sometimes when we work together he's
10:17
behind the camera and if we do get the
10:18
chance to act in the same film together
10:21
it's you don't get to play your son or
10:23
your dad in the actual in Outlaw posy we
10:26
do y'all play son and Dad yeah father
10:28
and son we have to we don't have to fake
10:29
the love we don't have to fake the
10:31
conflict There's real things that we can
10:32
pull from to influence those scenes and
10:35
I think it made a difference wow black
10:37
love being represented right here in a
10:39
whole different format right I like that
10:43
well to to that let me just add to that
10:44
because that's a real key thing what you
10:45
just said is that there's a line when we
10:48
what happens is at a certain point our
10:50
horses go missing I may give you a
10:52
little bit of insight as to why that is
10:53
and we have to hit your ride and before
10:56
women could vote there was a badass
10:58
sister who who had her own Stage Coach
11:00
Line running up through Montana in 1908
11:03
uh named Stage Coach Mary Stage Coach
11:05
Mary and she was a bad sister had a big
11:07
old shotgun and a cigar ran her own line
11:09
the way she was she said Mary Stage
11:11
Coach Mary's rules so we have to hitch a
11:13
ride with Stage Coach Mary she's a
11:15
historical figure and I didn't cast
11:17
whoopy Goldberg she cast herself what do
11:19
you mean she whoy Goldberg plays Stage
11:21
Coach Mary oh and she tears it up right
11:24
so we catch a ride with her and we get
11:26
on the stage coach together and we sit
11:29
up top and she looks over at Mandela's
11:31
character playing my son he's kind of
11:33
salty about some some issues we have and
11:35
she says boy you know you're lucky
11:37
you're the first generation of black
11:39
boys that can legally have a black
11:42
father you know cuz when your daddy and
11:44
I were born enslaved you couldn't
11:46
legally have a black father that the
11:49
slave owner made all the decisions for
11:51
the property you had nothing to do with
11:53
it they would get rid of your ass they
11:56
keep the mom to nurse the product but
11:57
they'd get rid of you so it wasn't until
11:59
1863 1865 if you're in Texas that you
12:02
could even be a black father in America
12:05
so when you look at the van people's
12:07
family lineage we haven't had that long
12:09
to get our daddy game on you know so we
12:12
it takes a couple generations to get
12:13
your dedication you feel me dation
12:16
dation you know what I'm saying so so so
12:19
we've had that we've had a strong L my
12:21
grandfather put my dad to work when he
12:23
was 8 years old in Chicago my daddy then
12:26
put me to work and I'm working with my
12:28
son but even if we're not in the same
12:30
business we're learning work ethic and
12:32
we're learning also that good allies in
12:35
fact come in all colors you know if you
12:37
just serving your own thing then you
12:39
leaving a lot of money on the table you
12:41
you know so when you figure out how to
12:43
bring other people engage other people
12:45
some of my producers don't look like me
12:47
some of them don't vote like me but can
12:49
I bring out the best in them and if I
12:51
can leave the rest of that bring it
12:53
together and make a movie I love that
12:56
man Mario Van pebles you aren't you are
12:59
it was illegal to be a black dad to W
13:02
year 1865 emancipation proclam exactly
13:06
so in the course of this Western you
13:08
hear some information that we don't you
13:10
usually hear and then whoopy turns to me
13:13
and she says so listen what about you
13:14
you remember you remember your daddy and
13:16
my character Chief says yeah they hung
13:19
him for trying to teach me to read then
13:22
they told me to call some old white
13:23
priest's father and they told me to call
13:26
the slave owner master and said by law I
13:29
had to take the master's last name so I
13:32
knew with all them [ __ ] laws I was
13:34
going to grow up to be an outlaw for
13:36
sure and that's why it's called Outlaw
13:38
posi Mario Van pebles man we going to
13:40
come back let's open up these phone
13:42
lines Hey listen open up hey you want to
13:44
talk to Mario Van pebl or his son
13:47
Mandela and we going to talk more about
13:49
this movie Outlaw posi which is set to
13:51
release March 1st we have an icon up in
13:54
here yes we do 888 and listen I only one
13:56
people with great questions 8887 42 3345
14:00
way in the morning we have the be Tracy
14:02
G we got Mario Van pebl is here with us
14:04
the icon walking his son Mandela is with
14:07
us he still got a lot of Journey To Go
14:10
um before we calling him icon he got
14:14
work to do but he's he's he's on his
14:16
path Outlaw posi is the name of this
14:19
upcoming Western film it's U set to
14:21
release on March the first um I've
14:26
always been a a western fan
14:29
until I got
14:30
older and some of the western stars um
14:35
would do things offset that when I would
14:37
look at their movies it didn't feel the
14:39
same right you know what I mean because
14:41
of who they were as individuals you know
14:43
and but as I was growing up the good the
14:46
bad the ugly the shoest all these
14:48
different western films that I used to
14:50
watch I always wonder where we were
14:53
right and the story of the the the black
14:57
cowboy you know what I mean and who we
14:59
were at this time uh post Emancipation
15:02
Proclamation right who who were we in
15:05
that world of um cowboying and working
15:08
with steers and um what I read is that a
15:12
lot of people at that time what you
15:14
don't hear about were actually actually
15:16
were literate a lot of black folks were
15:18
an extraordinary people um we don't hear
15:21
enough about that who we were at that
15:23
time and I know you did you done the
15:24
knowledge who were we at that time okay
15:26
beautiful you're hitting it right right
15:28
there cuz this is a u a western but
15:30
here's the thing a lot of people don't
15:31
know almost one out of three one out of
15:33
four Cowboys was black the first 44
15:36
Settlers of Los Angeles 26 or black now
15:38
imagine if we know that heavyweight
15:40
Champs look like Jack Johnson Ali Tyson
15:44
Hollywood make him look like Rocky but
15:46
we know that's just a movie but what
15:48
happened was the name Cowboy came from
15:51
us because they call black man boys no
15:53
matter what the age white guys like
15:54
being called Rough Riders right so we
15:56
would be like yo take care of them
15:58
horses boy take care of the chickens boy
16:00
where's take care of the Cowboys and
16:02
that get got the name now once Hollywood
16:04
got the name Cowboys they started
16:06
glorifying the name they brought in
16:08
white actors to play us you feel me so
16:11
even historically black characters were
16:13
played by white actors even Nate our
16:15
Native American brothers and sisters
16:17
were played by white actors right so if
16:19
you look at the old western I know what
16:20
you're talking about you look at the the
16:21
old westerns you went see you know uh if
16:25
you're Latino you you're are Latin
16:26
brothers and sisters that you you the
16:28
oily Bandit that don't need no stinking
16:29
botches yeah if you're Chinese you're
16:32
the differential house boy hop Singh mhm
16:34
do you know what I mean if you're if
16:36
you're a woman you're pale and frail and
16:38
need rescuing and if you're only good
16:41
engine is a dead engine and if you're a
16:42
brother you're shuffling and scared but
16:44
the reality was we was out there kicking
16:46
ass in the West in fact when I did
16:48
Heartbreak Ridge with Clint Eastwood we
16:50
talked about that and that's why he put
16:52
Morgan Freeman and Unforgiven MH do you
16:55
know what I mean cuz it's like literally
16:56
one out of three Cowboys who was black
16:57
so what what I'm doing with Outlaw poliy
17:00
because I mix it up I'm paint with all
17:01
the colors is actually historically more
17:04
accurate and what's interesting is right
17:06
now you have Beyonce on the country
17:08
charts taking back that that that
17:10
reclaiming love that give that a round
17:12
of applause and that and then you have
17:14
forel with his whole Western Line you
17:16
know what I mean and you have the van
17:17
pees family and we not new to this we
17:20
True to this I did it 30 years ago
17:23
certainly with posi you feel me so with
17:26
posi I had my my dad I made that Western
17:29
and then and then uh with this one with
17:31
Outlaw posy I have my son so I get to be
17:34
the connective tissue I realized the
17:35
other day my daddy gave me my first
17:37
lines in the movie right and I gave him
17:39
his last lines in the movie do you know
17:41
what I mean I was like Wow and when I
17:43
did when I did
17:45
posi I went to Mr Woody Strode now Woody
17:48
was 84 at the time and Woody was in Once
17:51
Upon a Time in the West he was in
17:53
Sergeant red this was the first bad
17:55
brother who didn't Shuffle in a in a
17:57
western I said got to have Woody stro
18:00
start my movie so I went I called him up
18:02
he was 84 still greatl looking Regal
18:04
brother and I call I said Mr stro would
18:06
you please consider being in my Western
18:08
he said well son I I've done westerns I
18:10
know what he's thinking but I'm not
18:11
really interested in those anymore I
18:13
said sir this is a little different
18:15
could you just read a few pages so he
18:17
said all right send it to me so I sent
18:19
him the
18:20
movie and the opening of the movie says
18:22
history is a funny thing they got you
18:24
believe in Columbus discovered America
18:26
yeah but there was already people here
18:28
that's like me planting my flag on the
18:30
hood of your car and saying I discovered
18:32
your car and I'm going call you evil red
18:34
Savage if you don't get out your car
18:36
quick enough so Wy stro called me back
18:38
he said
18:39
Son are they gonna let you say all this
18:42
and I said sir in this particular case I
18:44
am the
18:45
they and then he said well he said then
18:49
I am in and that's how that happened so
18:52
I had Woody stroe from the 50s the posy
18:54
of the 50s from the posy of the 70s I
18:57
had ISAC Hayes Pam Greer Melvin vanas
19:01
Lawrence cook on and on and on and then
19:03
P POS the 90s I had tone L Big Daddy
19:06
Kane Blair Underwood Sally Richardson uh
19:09
I need a couple cool white guys so I got
19:11
the best one I could find Billy Zayn was
19:13
the finest white man on the planet at
19:14
the time I got Billy in could act his
19:16
ass off and then the there's always a
19:18
Baldwin for your budget so I got Steve
19:20
Baldwin I couldn't get Alex uh but I
19:22
bought me a Ste you know
19:24
what and he he was great he was great
19:27
you know you go who can I afford which
19:30
ball and and and we mix it up cuz you
19:33
know in my own family we got all the
19:34
flavors you know I even got a Trumper I
19:36
got a I thought he was going to call me
19:37
the budget
19:39
Mario but but but but but for this for
19:41
Outlaw policy who we tell him who we got
19:43
we DC Young Fly so DC Young Fly salute
19:47
we was just talking about him this
19:49
morning we we've got some some Heavy
19:52
Hitters we got who ENT Cedric the
19:54
Entertainer Edward James almost oh oh
19:57
man Ln y Neil MCD cam gante from
20:01
Twilight all kind of people yeah so we
20:04
mixed it up and some badass sisters cuz
20:06
there were some badass women in the west
20:07
so this time around you see that so I
20:10
figured like half of America's watching
20:12
Fox News fake news whatever and half of
20:14
us are watching MSNBC CNN whatever we're
20:17
a little divided no doubt but we've been
20:18
more divided before brother we have and
20:20
we overcame it and I figured like if we
20:23
can get everyone to come see a western
20:25
have a beer bring your expectations down
20:27
low and go out and catch it now you got
20:29
to ask your theater for it because we're
20:31
not because I made it independently I
20:33
wanted it to be if see if you take
20:35
Studio money you got to do the studio
20:37
Line yeah and I'm not going to dumb it
20:39
down okay I'm not going to water it down
20:41
at all so we give it to you straight and
20:44
so when you do that the good news is you
20:46
make the movie you want the bad news is
20:48
you don't have the big billboard so
20:49
people got to know as file law policy go
20:51
to your movie theater just like anything
20:52
else say are you showing it and they
20:54
will they will put it up let me let me
20:56
do this I need callers to call up and I
20:58
want you to ask movie theaters to make
21:01
sure they they they provide Outlaw posi
21:04
in their theaters I'm going go to
21:05
Oakland Robert is in Oakland Rob what
21:09
up good morning good morning good
21:11
morning up hey Rob Grand Lake the the
21:15
Grand Lake Theater that's a perfect
21:18
place to be carrying this movie in
21:19
Oakland right by Lake you know where
21:21
that is right by Lake Meritt so you got
21:23
to go to the Grand right where
21:26
else making moves motorcycle club has
21:29
been putting on a lot of different
21:31
events for black movies in Oakland at
21:34
the Grand Lake Theater nice such as uh
21:37
Ronda and and and and various movies
21:42
that's black movies coming to Oakland at
21:45
the Grand Lake Theater so that's
21:47
Perfect's way yeah we vote we vote with
21:50
our voice and our
21:51
money and people listen people listen to
21:54
us so if enough of us ask for it it'll
21:56
happen it'll happen so Rob you got to
21:58
get people if people in Oakland call the
22:00
Grand Lake Theater if you in the Bay
22:01
Area and ask them to carry Outlaw posi
22:04
what's your question real quick Rob go
22:06
ahead hey Mario I've been following you
22:09
for years uh you and your dad uh you
22:13
know may you rest in peace but I've been
22:16
following you guys when are you coming
22:19
back to the bay to add some of the
22:21
artists that's here cuz you know you got
22:23
Del Ro Lindo who lives here yeah you got
22:26
other various you know listen you that's
22:29
a great question my brother you know I
22:30
was in the bay for a movie that I was I
22:32
was there uh and uh tarica tarica was
22:36
there who was one of the Black Panthers
22:38
that was our advisor on the movie
22:40
Panther because after I did New Jack
22:42
City after I did posi my dad said well
22:44
what are you going to do next I said I
22:45
want to take that book on the Black
22:47
Panther Party for self-defense that you
22:48
have and make the movie on the Panthers
22:50
so we went and we worked with a lot of
22:52
the folks in Oakland to do that movie
22:55
and it was and it's one of the hardest
22:56
movies to get it's almost like the
22:58
prequel to New Jack City because it kind
23:00
of sets up how and why even though we
23:03
don't have poppy fields in the hood even
23:05
we though we don't have gun
23:06
manufacturing plants in the hood how we
23:08
get all these drugs and these guns in
23:11
our communities and why and the minute
23:13
you follow the money chain the money
23:15
very quickly leaves black hands and goes
23:17
to someone else it's not an accident
23:20
that they let our communities be
23:21
medicated now of course we knew my dad
23:23
and I knew when we made it that would be
23:24
a very controversial thing to say and do
23:27
and so consequently the movie we did
23:29
make and a large part of it in Oakland
23:32
with the Panthers is very difficult to
23:34
find my brother but if you look at you
23:35
can find Panthers somewhere that's
23:38
that's the truth too and it's going to
23:39
be the same thing with law posi because
23:41
we say stuff in this movie like there's
23:42
a bit where we're riding along and and
23:45
and we say well how did I become an
23:47
outlaw my character and my son's riding
23:49
with me and this negro's a spy I don't
23:51
even know yeah oh he may me think I
23:53
don't know but I got my he just loves to
23:54
give
23:56
spoilers minut but but but he's riding
23:59
he's riding along and and and one of my
24:02
my uh fellow Travelers says yeah you
24:04
know how your Daddy became an outlaw was
24:06
that the when Lincoln died before
24:09
Lincoln died the deal was all freed
24:12
slaves were going to get 40 acres in a
24:14
mule
24:16
reparations when Lincoln died the next
24:19
dude said no he gave the reparations
24:21
money to the white slave owners for
24:24
losing their slaves so they put the
24:26
reparations money towards the white
24:28
folks and didn't give it to us and he
24:31
said that's when your daddy started
24:32
robbing banks to get reparations for his
24:34
people and that's when he starts to
24:36
realize oh sweat my dad ain't just
24:38
robbing banks for nothing he's he's
24:41
getting his own reparations today doing
24:43
what Lincoln would have done and we say
24:45
in the movie listen slavery was legal
24:48
not letting women vote was legal right
24:51
Jim Crow was legal when the laws are
24:53
unjust the just are outlaws and then you
24:56
come with your outlaw poliy
24:58
damn another bar right there been
25:00
hanging out with a lot of rappers Mario
25:01
I see what you doing man hey hey Rob
25:03
thanks for your question you're a
25:04
citizen man in the morning all right
25:07
Tracy you got the question yeah
25:08
absolutely um Mario you are just to the
25:11
brim with so much game around history
25:14
obviously directing obviously acting
25:16
Mandela it makes me wonder has your dad
25:19
shared any advice that has helped you to
25:23
bypass some challenges in your life
25:25
could you give an example especially in
25:27
this career field to BU bypass some
25:31
challenges
25:33
um that's a good one that's a good
25:36
question I would say not not so much
25:38
bypass he's not he's not very much of a
25:42
give you the fast pass or the the easy
25:44
route kind of guy but he's he he loves
25:48
he loves being a dad and that's one of
25:50
his favorite things so if you come to
25:51
him as a son and ask for some help or
25:54
ask for some advice he's a busy guy but
25:56
he'll make time
25:58
my audition is for something small and
26:00
he's got a million other things he'll
26:01
try to try to make time to at least look
26:04
over my tapes and say which ones he felt
26:06
were stronger or why so there's there's
26:08
different areas where I wouldn't say
26:10
it's a it's a fast pass or any any kind
26:13
of trickery but it is kind of all I will
26:17
say this it does help to to be around
26:20
him because he is a writer so if I can
26:23
Inception him and plant little ideas of
26:25
what characters I want to play or what
26:27
mov I want to you know it's kind of you
26:30
can kind of do that but that's real meta
26:32
you know you really got I love the
26:34
meta it's it's funny how we we we're
26:37
still learning about each other as as
26:39
men you know the evolution goes on you
26:41
know first of all like I said it's only
26:43
since 1863 since we started getting our
26:45
father game on but it's some of the best
26:47
love you can get I mean brothers who
26:48
miss out on that don't know it's the
26:50
best doesn't mean I don't want to slap
26:53
his little lightskinn ass the room
26:54
though but let me just tell you what the
26:56
other day I didn't know
26:58
you wait you don't think you lighter
26:59
skinned lighter H he he tried to exert
27:01
his white privilege the other
27:05
day he's fraction of a
27:07
fraction no we just play we we love and
27:10
we love and tease about everything so
27:12
there's nothing we we we're not a PC
27:14
family as you could tell so uh like I he
27:17
walked by the other day he and I slapped
27:19
him on his butt he said dad you can't do
27:20
that in front of people they go read it
27:23
wrong I said that's my booty I grew it
27:29
I it I'm done but but let me tell you
27:32
what the do do okay I don't know why I
27:34
don't know how many of y'all do this but
27:36
he's one of those cats if we have to be
27:37
in the LMO to get to you guys by 8 he
27:41
start his alarm at 6:30 then hit snooze
27:44
hit it again at seven and he's sleeping
27:46
in the bed next to me I'm like he got
27:48
his own little bed I I'm like we sh we
27:50
ain't sharing the room no damn
27:52
more then he start lying on me talking
27:54
about I'm snoring and we know I'm not St
27:58
no man I don't want you lie on me oh man
28:02
man respect your dad I was trying to be
28:04
nice for the first couple hours I was
28:06
like
28:09
[ __ ] this is black love so you know
28:13
what's kind of fun is like you know if
28:14
you don't have no friends you can grow
28:16
one
28:18
yeah a that's so cute you know and and
28:22
that's a friend have no friend you grow
28:24
it's a friend for life do you know it's
28:25
like a Chila pet with them little pets
28:26
you
28:28
just grow look you wearing green and
28:30
stuff but but here's the other thing on
28:33
the on the real though what's what's
28:34
interesting is you say is there a way to
28:36
get past it you know we hear a lot of
28:38
stories about Hollywood and don't do
28:39
this and don't do this I I didn't there
28:41
were things I learned that I didn't know
28:42
I knew one is I saw Melvin Van movies do
28:45
it he was no joke I mean I didn't always
28:48
like the brother when I was a kid I
28:49
called him a paternal fascist you know I
28:51
mean he was just you you'd be on time he
28:53
was he was just like a military brother
28:55
but you had to be that guy to get paid
28:56
back in the the day right and but
28:59
growing up with him I learned so much
29:01
when I said went to Hollywood and I said
29:02
I want to act and then all the roles was
29:04
kind of reductive and marginalized I
29:07
said well I guess I need to write so who
29:09
can teach me how to write I had to go
29:11
back to pop well now I'm got the script
29:14
but there's no good directors well who
29:15
could teach me how to direct I had to go
29:17
back to pop so little by little the more
29:19
I had to walk in those shoes of doing it
29:21
all the more I understood my dad and he
29:23
was right there wow but the other thing
29:25
I understood was that if you're not
29:27
afraid of hard work and you're not
29:29
afraid to do it yourself you ain't got
29:31
to sleep with nobody you ain't got to
29:32
take no drugs you ain't got to do no
29:34
stupid stuff do you know you you got to
29:37
just use your common sense now once you
29:39
know you're empowered with that you be
29:41
like people don't even step to you with
29:44
that silly stuff yeah and I feel like
29:46
Mandela growing up seeing me do it I
29:47
don't tolerate that so he would know
29:50
instantly it's like if you grow up as
29:51
Margaret Thatcher's daughter and some
29:53
dude tells you well there's no room for
29:54
women in politics You' be like I saw a
29:56
mom do it so you're tripping mhm it
29:59
doesn't mean you want to be in politics
30:01
so but when you but but what my dad
30:02
showed me and demystified for me is that
30:05
as a people we know how to play ball we
30:09
got to learn how to own the
30:11
team right there you go rapping you know
30:13
you you you you know how to act you got
30:16
to learn how to direct produce and do
30:18
the business stuff and that's the real
30:22
value you know and when you when you
30:24
understand that and you understand how
30:25
to enlist the power of other
30:27
when you ain't got power in the game
30:29
yeah one thing my dad did so my dad
30:32
worked for my grandfather in Chicago my
30:34
Grandad had a tailor shop and my
30:36
grandfather put my daddy to work when
30:38
he's 8 years old and we wouldn't pay him
30:39
in cash she'd pay him in old clothes my
30:42
dad said just give me some money please
30:43
man I'm a little he was a little skinny
30:45
black kid in Southside of Chicago he
30:46
took had to pull a wagon of old clothes
30:49
that people left at the tailor shop down
30:50
the street and sell him and people would
30:52
flip his wagon over whoop his ass take
30:54
his clothes until he learned how to give
30:58
the gangster some free stuff to protect
31:01
him from the bullies while he sold
31:03
clothes to the
31:05
wios see you got to learn how to you got
31:07
to learn how to do this to get with that
31:09
go oh that's how we do it so it's not
31:11
that Mandela gets a fast pass but he
31:13
learns from that okay what's this dude's
31:15
agenda well he wants to meet chicks okay
31:17
so we know what that is that's this guy
31:19
over here what's he want he wants to
31:20
just look powerful and drive a long car
31:21
what about her agenda she just wants to
31:23
make good film now you got to work with
31:25
all these people you're not gonna find
31:27
perfect people it's your ability to
31:29
bring out the good in others people got
31:30
to love two things about you they got to
31:32
love who you are and who they are when
31:34
they are with you so the dude that wants
31:37
chicks I make him feel like he's the
31:38
hottest thing in the room I'm like his
31:40
wingman as far as he concern the one
31:42
that wants the long car we talk about
31:43
how much money this is going to make the
31:45
sister that wants to just make a good
31:46
movie we talk about the nutritional
31:48
value and my son gets to see it all so
31:50
he don't even know what he's
31:52
learning wow yeah Mario Van pebles I
31:56
have to take one call
31:57
and this is such an amazing conversation
32:00
cuz this guy been holding since know you
32:03
yeah you you you're Landing in it's like
32:06
yeah a lot of affirmation confirmation
32:09
I'm tell her I'mma say it after this
32:10
call okay I'mma tell you going to tell
32:12
I'm tell okay we'll take this caller
32:14
he's been holding for three hours this
32:16
is who we got on the line right now who
32:18
that R the dam bell ring it R it
32:24
back it's a family member we met we met
32:27
on air but now he's family so you know
32:29
just Terry from La T what up man up T
32:32
what up fam B I see you got him up in
32:34
the house huh yeah yeah yeah you know
32:36
what it is hey we only deal with
32:38
royalty well well he is royalty so Mario
32:41
yes sir congratulations on your success
32:43
and everything that you family done I'm
32:44
old school so everything your daddy made
32:46
I've been to but I'm I know we got some
32:48
short time so let me just ask you this
32:50
if you remember
32:52
1984 we met at an uncle Jim's Army
32:55
concert at the LA Sports Arena we took
32:57
pictures with everybody did you know
33:00
that at that time IC te was their
33:03
performing oh yeah how ironic is it that
33:06
you guys wound up doing New Jack City
33:08
wow after that because that that was
33:10
when break danc was first introduced
33:12
that's when Hip Hop was first done on
33:14
the stage and you were at that concert
33:16
backstage with us we took a gang of
33:18
pictures you took some pictures with a
33:20
gang of the homies I think out of the 25
33:22
pctures you took with all the homies 10
33:24
are still alive but how ironic your
33:27
career well you know around yeah the
33:29
trip to that is you know when I first
33:32
met Ice I was thinking about casting New
33:35
Jack City remember I had been acting
33:36
mostly right people just knew me as an
33:38
actor so I was at a club and I went into
33:41
the bathroom and I hear this dude
33:43
talking in the bathroom and he sounded
33:45
like ghetto Gothic like like negro
33:47
Shakespeare I was like who is this he
33:50
was in I was I was in the bathroom and I
33:52
heard him saying man if you could open
33:53
up my system and see one molecule of my
33:56
entire body that gave a [ __ ] I said wow
33:59
who said I came out it was iced tea I
34:01
said oh I got to have that authenticity
34:03
in my film so he was then he went over
34:06
he was talking to a bunch of girls I
34:07
came over to him I think he I was just
34:08
trying to get an intro to the ladies and
34:11
I said brother you got to come in on my
34:13
movie and I think he thought he was
34:14
coming in for the gangster he had a
34:16
movie a song coming out called cop
34:18
killer he wasn't particularly a fan of
34:20
cops that's right and I said no no you
34:21
got to bring that street authenticity
34:23
get rid of this he had some kind of
34:24
scary curls type press on his hair so we
34:27
got to lose that that stuff and and
34:29
figure that out and I said we brought
34:32
him in and did him up right and he he
34:34
played the heck out of it and what I was
34:36
amazed by iced tea I always thought like
34:38
he didn't really talk that way but
34:40
brother at 6: a.m he still talks that
34:42
way so 600 a.m. we're on the set outside
34:44
of the Carter right up you know the
34:46
Carter in in Harlem and we're up there
34:48
getting ready to shoot and icy comes to
34:50
me he goes yo hi I got an idea we should
34:53
call this movie killing up [ __ ] and make
34:55
a sequel called killing up Lots Mo
34:58
[ __ ] lot [ __ ] I said I said okay I'll be
35:00
advised then I said I see now in this
35:03
scene you've got to go in there remember
35:05
you sent Chris Rock undercover you feel
35:07
responsible for him you're GNA find him
35:09
with a bomb on his chest all the all the
35:11
the junkies that they're going it
35:13
through there like they're like lost
35:14
souls Nina's like the vampire sucking on
35:16
the blood of this people that's your
35:18
people so you feel and he killed your
35:20
mom and finally y te goes brother you
35:22
giving my face too much [ __ ] to
35:24
[Laughter]
35:25
do
35:27
I said fair enough just just play the
35:32
anxiety but brother can act he he made a
35:35
living doing that character I and he's
35:37
one of the smartest people that brother
35:38
is so smart and great work ethic he is
35:42
no joke man IC te man salute to IC te
35:44
Terry from La I'm glad you got to make
35:46
that connection brother I appreciate you
35:47
all right bam all right I love y'all man
35:50
and ring the D Bell homie
35:52
ring all right listen man good question
35:55
brother thank you U man I want to thank
35:57
you both of you Mandela it's always
35:59
great to see you you're a beautiful
36:00
individual and you man you're very
36:03
fortunate to have this man as your
36:04
father um and and the Legacy that your
36:07
family holds and you know continued
36:09
success for you um and I'm glad you got
36:11
the tutelage that's going to help keep
36:14
you you you know what I mean I
36:15
appreciate you making time for us and
36:17
reminding me yeah this is this is good
36:19
this is good moments and like you said
36:22
even some of those other times we've
36:24
been on the show together those are
36:25
special too so I'm GL you be dope is at
36:27
the end save all those moments because
36:29
one day we're going to add those up and
36:31
you'll just see the passage of time and
36:33
how we grow as human beings you know the
36:35
same if you're the same at 40 as you
36:37
were at 20 then you didn't use those 20
36:38
years to grow much and hopefully we you
36:40
know they say every time you teach
36:42
someone something you take another step
36:43
towards immortality so you know wow
36:46
there it is Mario Van pebles ladies and
36:48
gentlemen I got to hear what sister got
36:49
to say van PE hether you want to say
36:51
something wow so going in the show with
36:54
this too okay all right so I I've been
36:57
holding this since
37:00
1996 I came in for an audition and I
37:02
audition for you in front of you it may
37:06
have been for gang and blue I'm thinking
37:08
um and bu Wright was there there were a
37:10
lot of women there for this particular
37:12
role and I was unprepared I was
37:16
unprepared I remember walking into the
37:18
room and you were there with two was a
37:20
white female and a white male and you
37:23
was sitting in the middle and I had on a
37:24
Ralph Lauren t-shirt and and I walked in
37:27
he was like Ralph
37:28
Lauren I was like yeah I just put on a
37:32
T-shirt and he was like did you read I
37:35
was like well I had a show last night um
37:38
I'm kind of not prepared and I was
37:40
fumbling through the lines and I walked
37:43
out of there feeling this small that was
37:46
the last time I saw you but it taught me
37:49
such a valuable lesson about work ethic
37:52
right I have never shown up unprepared
37:54
ever again in my life right and it was
37:57
just by your face how you looked at me
37:59
and I was like I have no excuse and you
38:02
held me accountable for that and it
38:04
stayed with me since
38:06
1996 so I thank you today for my work
38:10
ethic um I grew up in the house with a
38:12
mother and father I don't have the sad
38:14
story I don't have any of that but I
38:16
think because I was already in the music
38:18
industry I was already had success doing
38:21
television doing some film you just kind
38:24
of take some things for granted right
38:26
you know but yeah we we have this thing
38:29
now show up just show up but you have to
38:30
show up
38:32
prepared that's that's really thank you
38:34
yeah sister that's beautiful let me just
38:37
say this um I've had similar
38:40
experiences um I didn't fall out of the
38:44
nest like this you know what I mean I
38:46
had to get some bumps and some scrapes
38:48
absolutely and my dad uh early on when I
38:51
was at one of the things he said your
38:54
job right now is to be the best student
38:55
possible so went to school in New York I
38:57
went to Columbia University I got a ba
38:59
in economics because he said we got to
39:02
understand the money side of the
39:03
equation because too many of us end up
39:05
broke right so when I start started to
39:08
get started getting back into the Arts
39:09
he said cool he said you know early to
39:11
bed early to rise work like H and
39:13
advertise get out there and do your
39:15
thing I'll come see you in any plays you
39:16
get you know so I was like oh he ain't
39:18
GNA help me so he didn't and I just
39:21
started doing my thing but one thing he
39:23
did was he sent me to some auditions and
39:26
at these auditions I saw Broadway people
39:28
who could dance and sing I thought I
39:31
could dance a little bit let me tell you
39:33
not I I was like everyone's going one
39:35
way in the audition and I'm going the
39:37
wrong way you're like oh sweat these
39:39
people are prepared and sometimes we
39:41
make the mistake of not being our best
39:46
and and not knowing that we may not get
39:49
three strikes at the plate like they do
39:52
do you know what I mean it's not every
39:53
day that you'll get to make a western
39:55
with people that look like like us and
39:57
show at the end that the real people in
39:59
the west look like us that takes some
40:02
not just luck it takes and here's the
40:04
thing you know you can get lucky a
40:06
couple times you ain't going to be you
40:08
ain't going to be flavor of the month
40:09
for 30 40 50 years you feel me and when
40:12
you talk about Legacy it's got to be
40:14
you're talented yes but you show up
40:16
ready and hard work and that's such a
40:19
valuable lesson and if you got that then
40:21
that's great and that's one of the
40:22
things that I hope with Mandela is that
40:24
when you're close to it sometimes it
40:25
looks easy and we forget what an
40:27
incredible opportunity is to just come
40:29
here to see y'all man and you guys get
40:32
up here and make it possible we people
40:34
do radio they don't know man you got to
40:36
get up early oh it's a whole different
40:38
type of game that's why this is so crazy
40:41
for me because the last time I saw you I
40:44
was coming to see you and now you're a
40:46
guest here at sway show it's just like
40:48
this just God is just incredible so
40:51
thank you thank you for
40:53
that and and thank you for the other
40:55
dope thing is a different Soul For Real
40:58
a different soul could have taken a
40:59
whole negative story or a spin on it but
41:02
your soul your positive Soul said how do
41:04
I learn from this and sometimes
41:07
situations that sting a little bit wind
41:09
up teaching us sometimes people that
41:11
wind up teaching us aren't in fact
41:13
perfect teachers but the message is gold
41:15
I've had people drop science on me that
41:17
were flawed people and then go well wait
41:19
a minute but what they're saying is kind
41:21
of dope do you know what I mean so you
41:23
you you have the strength to take away
41:25
something positive at keep going someone
41:27
else well he thought this I had have a
41:29
whole negative spin you know you can
41:30
meet that kind of person
41:32
too took it the right way took it the
41:34
right way and then I'mma go ahead and
41:36
add in because I'm like her um her um
41:39
self-proclaimed manager oh wow can she
41:43
get another chance at
41:45
movie hey can Heather be get another
41:48
chance she's done movie since because of
41:50
you it's time okay let's do a little
41:52
let's do a little improv right now okay
41:54
let's do a little improv okay
41:56
you're a mother okay your son got put up
41:59
for adoption years ago okay you haven't
42:03
seen him in years he's on your radio
42:06
show but he doesn't know he's your son
42:09
okay but what you don't know is that he
42:12
used to be a she and had a sex change
42:15
because when you gave the baby away you
42:16
didn't know what it was now the son is
42:18
played by
42:22
him
42:25
see
42:26
I don't know if that came across my desk
42:28
I don't think I read for this part
42:32
good all right okay I give some
42:35
complexity to play on that say okay now
42:37
wait a
42:39
minute you got the
42:41
job even her face was like what look
42:45
meanwhile I'm pinching my hip so I can
42:47
start crying with the tear coming
42:50
down and my son's looking at me like
42:52
wait a minute I didn't see that I didn't
42:54
see that wasn't in the script
42:56
like hello hey what an amazing morning
42:59
big round of applause for our guest
43:05
today
#Arts & Entertainment