Highly Melanated Podcast
Hosted by PJ, Blair & Red A safe space for you to enjoy every bit of your melanin no matter how "melanated" you are in skin tone, we are ALL Highly Melanated.Come enjoy funny and dynamic conversations that people of color face on a day to day basis with various topics such as loving ourselves, knowing who we are as a people and uplifting each other with a mix of class and rachetness (CLATCHETNESS)
Highly Melanated Podcast
Turn His TV Off: What Influence Can Do
Ever wondered what truly defines a thirst trap? We've got you covered as we explore the playful nuances of these social media phenomena. Join us on a lively journey through sweet debates over soda flavors and nostalgic cultural nods that will have you craving a trip down memory lane. As we groove into the heart of Black History Month, we share personal stories and memorable pop culture moments, celebrating the rich tapestry of melanin and authenticity that defines us.
Imagine being behind the scenes at "Saturday Night Live" with the thrill of celebrity encounters and the creativity required to bring each sketch to life. We relive the electrifying energy of working alongside icons like Meryl Streep, sharing our aspirations and the dedication it takes to illuminate the SNL stage. Our stories of turning ideas into action and reflecting on small victories remind us of the blend of challenge and excitement in our everyday lives.
Influence isn't just about numbers; it's about authenticity and impact. We untangle the concept of influence, distinguishing it from mere imitation, and delve into the responsibility that comes with affecting others. Through personal anecdotes and insights into powerful performances by artists like Kendrick Lamar, we celebrate the profound power of art and individuality. As we wrap up with humor and unity, embrace the unique expressions that make life so enriching and join us in a heartfelt farewell that radiates peace, love, and laughter.
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As the three of us, the king of the thirst traps for a period of my life, not the king Not the self-proclaimed king. Well, chris hasn't really done thirst traps. He doesn't do that many of them, he's only done like maybe five.
Speaker 2:Chris means shirtless on the internet all the time.
Speaker 1:What are you?
Speaker 2:talking about.
Speaker 1:No, but that's not a thirst trap. A thirst trap is doing isn't it though no, no, a thirst trap that's just shirtless.
Speaker 3:But a thirst trap has meaning behind it, so it's like just because you didn't get the meaning of it doesn't mean that it's not a thirst trap. We can go into my DMs and then find out. I'm just gonna sit here and drink my nigga juice. It doesn't mean that it's not a thirst trap.
Speaker 1:We can go into my DMs and then find out.
Speaker 3:I'm just going to sit here and drink my nigga juice you better drink it Watermelon.
Speaker 1:Orange, orange soda, there's watermelon, orange or grape right Grape is disgusting.
Speaker 2:First of all, grape is delicious, and it's not grape, it's purple.
Speaker 1:I have never been one of those people who like grape soda. I'm sorry. It's so good. What the fuck is wrong with you so it does not taste like grapes?
Speaker 2:It is delicious. It's not so sweet.
Speaker 1:It's purple. This tastes like orange.
Speaker 3:Orange. What though Exactly?
Speaker 1:Because when you bite into, orange lightly when you bite into it. Yes, though, exactly Because when you bite into orange, when you bite into it, yes, this gives you, this gives me naranja.
Speaker 3:Not you inhaling the sucralose?
Speaker 2:But can we get back to the school of thirst traps that you were about to? You were about to take us down this rabbit hole in.
Speaker 1:So all right. So like a thirst trap for you would be, you know everybody has.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm sorry, let me go ahead okay, here's a perfect thirst trap, right?
Speaker 1:you wake up in the morning, you do your hair and you walk over to your uh plants and you water them, but you're topless with your hair covering your breasts and you just say self-care is so important.
Speaker 4:There's a trend.
Speaker 3:Have you thought about this before?
Speaker 2:I would never Not me out here being Eve in the garden.
Speaker 1:It's biblical, so number one. I'm giving you ideas. So the idea of a thirst trap is to make it not obvious that that's what you're doing not really. Yes, it is you got like guys who walk around and their meat just show hold on a fucking second.
Speaker 3:I was about to say I was like you done, freaking, argued her out out of the picture if I was like oh, just watering my pants, that's not obvious?
Speaker 5:This is the most obvious part. What?
Speaker 2:Just watering my plants you are giving Self-care is so important, that's not obvious.
Speaker 1:You are giving very Goldie Hawn in Death. Becomes Her just now.
Speaker 2:I need to speak to Madeline at once, at once oh my god, I did a read for Meryl Streep at SNL. It was awesome.
Speaker 1:I still have to watch it, it's going to take forever to watch for real.
Speaker 3:It's long and trust me, I still have to watch it.
Speaker 1:It's going to take forever to watch For real it is.
Speaker 2:It's long, it's a long show. Trust me.
Speaker 1:It's long, but you know If you do end up watching it.
Speaker 3:Let me know what you think I have thoughts. Okay.
Speaker 1:Okay, I also. I was going to bring it up.
Speaker 2:Let's let's, let's, let's go, let's get it, let's get it, let's get it, let's get it, let's get it let's get it, let's get it, let's get it.
Speaker 1:I don't know what it is, but I just love being black BJ here.
Speaker 2:What up doe? It's your girl, Blair. You know, Mel Melanin was popping yesterday, it's popping today and it's sure enough gonna be popping tomorrow.
Speaker 3:It's your boy, red, and you're listening to the Highly Melanated Podcast.
Speaker 2:Chicken noodle soup. Chicken noodle soup. What is soda on the side? Orange, orange soda. Who loves orange?
Speaker 3:soda.
Speaker 1:I do. Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of highly melanated podcast, the safe space where it's okay to drink red, orange or purple drinks and sodas drink. Okay, you know what I'm gonna go with that drink it's, it's, it's black history month still and you know, heck, we, we, we celebrate into that but not as being extra niggerish, like what can I, can we just?
Speaker 2:can we just talk about that for a hot second? Why, whatever february rolls around, we take that as a pass to just be extra niggerish, like extra.
Speaker 1:It's the heart er for me, but because it is a pass, shit the fuck, not during Black. It's like Simone said.
Speaker 2:We always saw that on the end it's Black History Month.
Speaker 1:It's okay just like Simone said on CNN to Don Lemon she said really Don we gotta sit here and talk about Omarosa and her apology tour? That would still be one of my favorites we will not do it Not on Black. History Month, but PJ, pj just feels like, no matter what, you just gotta pop out and show out, it's okay.
Speaker 3:Okay, we're ready. I don't got it, but I'm gonna show up like I do and I'm gonna make it do what it do red, orange and purple, ooh um.
Speaker 2:Blair, um Blair, it go.
Speaker 1:Halle Berry or Hallelujah okay there, we go, there, we go um, and we're back. Sidebar pause. I'm so glad that pj is here, christopher here is here and blair tay is here who is blair tay? You wrote it what's up, blair tay?
Speaker 2:I love that y'all niggas could have told me.
Speaker 3:I didn't notice it until now.
Speaker 5:Ain't, nobody told me nothing.
Speaker 1:I don't have my glasses on, so I just seen it and I'm like let's say Ain't, nobody told me For our listening audience.
Speaker 2:we record these on Zoom. We record these on zoom and we all put our name, obviously, or like just our names, in the zoom boxes and apparently I misspelled my last name to. Ttae as opposed to TATE is just now informing me I'm weak, hey, today. Is just now informing me I'm weak, blair, today, today, hey, today. Today, saturday.
Speaker 5:Not pootie day.
Speaker 2:Saturday Tippy tippy day.
Speaker 1:Oh my God, guys, we miss you, we miss you, we miss you. We were set to record last week, we, we, okay, so it's a new year, it's 2025, and we promise we are going to try our best stop making promises.
Speaker 3:We can't keep, don't do it so here's the thing I thought we was past this. They know we were no but it's 2025.
Speaker 1:They're trying to keep hope alive okay.
Speaker 2:So wait, here's the thing. So here's the thing. So let's keep it a buck. Most of the time when we don't record, it's because I have some scheduling issue. I hold my hand up, it's me, it is me. I hold my hand, I raise my hand, it's me. But I have told these two many a time to record without me and they don't. So, to our listening audience, if you are okay with us missing weeks because it's not all three of us, let us know. Or if you would like for the show to go on, no matter who is available and who is not, let us know that too. We just want to do whatever, whatever works, whatever you know, whatever you guys want we do it for the people.
Speaker 2:We do it for the people we do it for the niggas the people need to let us know what it is they want, because we're fine either way. But that is the reason why we majority of the time don't record. It's because I have some scheduling conflicts, like last week Speaking of scheduling conflicts, let's talk about our week last week.
Speaker 1:You want to go first, blair, you want to go last?
Speaker 2:I'll go first because I'm going to get through it as quickly as I can because I'm so tired. So the week before, let's see. Let me consult my calendar. Yes, the week before we did record, but I was getting ready to travel that week, so we recorded. On Tuesday and on Thursday I made a trip to Mary O'London. It's quite lovely, it's quite fantastic. I enjoyed it very thoroughly. It was wonderful.
Speaker 1:Did you do this this whole time?
Speaker 2:I did not, actually because I thought it would be an insult to them to try to speak in the accent in front of them. I feel like that would be quite insulting, so I did not.
Speaker 1:Stupid American.
Speaker 2:We did it in the privacy of our hotel room. But yeah, no, london was great. It was a quick trip but it was wonderful, enjoyed it thoroughly and then got back late Monday night and then literally the next morning. So Tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday, um, so tuesday, wednesday, thursday, friday, saturday, sunday, from 8 am to, most nights, 12 am.
Speaker 2:So long, long, long time I'm working on the 50th anniversary special for snl. It was, it was awesome, it was great. I really I have so very much enjoyed working on that set. It is such a blessing and it's such a once in a lifetime opportunity to even be just associated with SNL in any sort of way, and the fact that I've been able to work there for the last five, six, almost seven years is crazy. It's crazy. Well, that was one of the things that, like, we all were doing when we were there. We were just kind of like reminiscing and everybody was talking about like, oh well, when did you start? When did you start? When do you start? What season did you start? What seasons you start? So I started in season 43 and the second half of season 43, because they start in August and then the season runs through about April or May of the following year. So I was in the second half of season 43 and I've been working there ever since. It was awesome.
Speaker 2:So, like this past week I was doing I'm standing work in the studio. So it was so cool because, like the first couple of days, we really just worked on like just preparing the sketches, so like helping like camera set up, helping lighting set up, helping them figure out, like you know, like cues and all of that stuff. And then on Friday, saturday and Sunday all of the celebrities started coming in. So everybody started coming in to actually like rehearse the scenes that we set up for them. And so it was just so cool because everybody was like I was really sitting there having this moment to myself, thinking I was like where else besides an award show? But what other entity brings this caliber of people together from so many different facets? You know, like we had um, al sharpton was there, peyton manning was there, kim kardashian was that like, just like. It's just just such a an interesting mix of people that would never otherwise be together in the same room and it was just awesome.
Speaker 2:I was just telling the guys that, um, I, I got to, I, I was setting up the scene, um, that Meryl Streep was in and so, um, that was epic and that was just so cool to be able to just like do the performance that she was then going to do on the show. Like that was so dope. But yeah, I am just so, I'm so blessed and I'm so grateful and I'm so thankful for the opportunity and I hope to one day host the show. That's one of my that's one of my bucket list items is to one day host the show, and then my monologue is going to be all about how I used to work on the show and that's what my monologue is going to be all about how I used to work on the show.
Speaker 1:That's what my monologue is going to be. That's a dope goal. It is, and it's obtainable. It is For someone who is excellent as you are, talented as you are and as beautiful as you are. Stop it. It would be the ultimate thirst trap. Not too tight, I'm cutting that. It would be the ultimate um thirst trap, wouldn't it be? No, you can leave that in. You can leave that in because that would be epic, but you know what? So I was watching them and I I was. I didn't get to see it all from beginning to end. I've been watching it's long too. Yeah, I've been watching clips on youtube. How?
Speaker 2:long is it, it's about three and a half hours it's long, it's a lot.
Speaker 1:I do shit and it's worth it, because number one you know this is this this episode is not sponsored by sad night live, however, you are more than welcome to, if that's ever an option. Um, I was thoroughly impressed with the production of it all and how every piece fit together, and those of us who've been watching snl for since, like chevy chase since, since like I don't want to say the beginning, you know as long I'm not 50 yet, but I've been watching it since I was like 11. And you know I'm not going to say what year that was. Well, that is good to hear.
Speaker 2:Because we definitely were working very hard on the production side of things, Like it was intense.
Speaker 1:And it was beautiful to watch. Like if anybody ever goes to YouTube and see all the celebrities that were sitting next to each other, like I, just you would find it weird, like how are they sitting next to each other? Yeah, but it was really good. I was like looking for you in the audience too.
Speaker 2:I wasn't in it, but I was just doing the pre-production stuff for it. Because they don't use background for the for the anniversary show, because they'll use, like the current cast members as background.
Speaker 3:I'm so happy for you thank you, we're waiting for a milestone, the next milestones, snl period that's what's up. I'm so happy for you. Thank you, how was your week? We're waiting for a milestone, the next milestones, snl Period.
Speaker 1:So for those of you who do not know, that was Blair screaming loudly into the mic, and you know, sometimes when she does that the sound just goes completely out mustard mustard, is that better a little bit okay cool.
Speaker 2:How was your guys' week?
Speaker 1:I'll go because I really didn't do much of anything, because I yeah you survived, didn't you? That's actually really all I really did did do, to be honest, that's a lot that's an accomplishment.
Speaker 2:It's an accomplishment. Look is rough out here.
Speaker 1:It's a compliment. But here's the thing, like I think I've I've started to if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I've been like I mean I've been, I've been really working hard on this internal, this internal monologue of me talking so much about all the stuff that I want to do and all the stuff that I'm doing, but I'm doing it here, pointing in my head, and it needs to start actually coming to fruition and it can only come to fruition after we made our dream, like we did the last episode to the wish, I mean the wish to the dream to the action. So like I've been writing and planning things out and actually physically doing that. But I have not really left this house unless I had to work. And since the kids are out of school this week, um, I haven't gone to teach, I've just been.
Speaker 2:I've just had time to yourself, huh.
Speaker 1:I've had time to myself.
Speaker 2:Must be nice, must be nice.
Speaker 1:It was.
Speaker 2:Blair's like are you complaining? Take advantage, and take full advantage, because that's a luxury To have time to yourself that's a luxury.
Speaker 1:But here's also the other thing about that. I'm a person that needs to stay busy, because if I, if I don't stay busy, then I get distracted. And if I get distracted it's the devil's playground and I don't want to go back into that person or to do anything destructive. And you know, these are the conversations that I've had with therapists.
Speaker 2:It's the emphasis on the is.
Speaker 1:Yeah, these are actual friends of mine, who are therapists, who don't mind speaking to me because they know my history and I'm not, you know.
Speaker 2:They are not your therapist.
Speaker 1:They're not my therapist, but they are a professional therapist, so they have helped me in ways that I will not say your name, don't worry.
Speaker 2:But also too, because I have to keep reminding my mother of this all the time. It's Anyway, you know what you're doing.
Speaker 1:No, tell us what do you have to remind her?
Speaker 2:Because remind me, to remind all of us, remind our listeners so in that scenario where you have friends who are therapists and they're speaking to you from a therapeutic standpoint, I know where you're going with this, but they aren't necessarily giving you therapy.
Speaker 2:You know what I mean they are not, because they also are speaking on behalf of a person who knows me yes, yes, it's different Because I have to keep reminding my mother that because we have a family friend who is a therapist and so she refers to her. Well, I talked to so I won't say her name, but I talked to so-and-so and you know she's my therapist. She's not your therapist. She's not your therapist. She is not your therapist, because if she were your therapist, she would speak to you completely differently than how she's speaking to you yeah, you need somebody that's going to be unbiased anyway, like I said, you know what you're doing yeah, I mean, it's been also like breaking down things with.
Speaker 1:I've talked about like with my mom and like our relationship. You know she had the nerve in the audacity happy, belated, uh, valentine's and galentine's day everyone um had the nerve and audacity to text me and say I'm still waiting for my flowers and my chocolates. And I said, well, you're gonna be waiting a long, I guess you're gonna be waiting. I literally text that to her, lol. And then like five minutes went by with no response and I was like but I still love you.
Speaker 2:I still love you and then, she responded.
Speaker 1:I love you too.
Speaker 3:I would do like in the businesses where they go like 7 days without injury. I would do one for them 7 days without getting any type of roses or chocolates. Let's see if we can keep this going what about you?
Speaker 1:how?
Speaker 3:was your week, chrisris um, it was cool, it was very it was. It was very chill. Um, I just kind of just did some clean. I did some writing, which which I needed to do I have this script that I'm working on, um, and I went over some scripts that I needed to work on and perform. I didn't really do anything, I just kind of like Is it a script?
Speaker 2:for what medium is it for?
Speaker 3:The script that I'm working on it's this particular piece. It's. I'm thinking I want it to be a screenplay, I think I want it to be a movie we're talking feature film or short film. I would like it to be a feature film. I only have, I think, 20-30 pages, and so it's a sci-fi romance. Oh, so we'll see what happens with that there you go Love that, we love that.
Speaker 3:Sci-fi, romance and the reading writing group that I'm in. Shout out to all the members in Tang, the actors networking group really enjoy it, so they are pushing for me to keep working on it.
Speaker 2:So is there a William Shatner as character in it.
Speaker 3:I have not gotten that far. The answer is no right now.
Speaker 2:Interesting. I just said that just because I just I know, no, not as of yet Interesting.
Speaker 3:I just said that just because I just I know, no, not as of yet no, well, that's exciting.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to read it.
Speaker 3:Oh, you want to read it, I do yeah.
Speaker 2:I do want to read it. Let me know when it's done. I know, I know.
Speaker 3:I just, you know I don't really write that much, so it's like you know, it's weird sometimes where people are like I want to read it.
Speaker 2:I'm all like really, I want to read it. You know I love me a good sci-fi.
Speaker 3:I actually because I'm working with the amazing CEO, president, head coordinator and woman in charge of hey Girl. Hey, I wanted to actually do a short of it so we can talk offline about that.
Speaker 1:You know that is actually a really great question. Like is hey Girl hey, accepting applications from hey Boy Hays? Hi Boy Hi's?
Speaker 2:Hi Boy Hi's, I'm weak. Hi Boy Hi's, hey Girl. Hey Productions is a multimedia production company that is accepting original works for production purposes. Yes.
Speaker 3:You better. I'm going to put in my application right now.
Speaker 2:Oh snap.
Speaker 3:Oh, and I guess that leads us right into question of the week.
Speaker 2:I felt like there needed to be some fanfare there.
Speaker 3:There needed to be something, because it was just an interesting transition. But question of the week question of the week. Question of the week your questions as they pertain to you prospectively and introspectively. So I actually came across this piece on Instagram recently. Piece on Instagram recently. And you know, sometimes we go through things and we forget about, like movies and shows and everything that we watch. And since it's Black History Month, and we celebrate.
Speaker 4:Black History Month.
Speaker 3:I came across a piece that was pretty inspirational to me and I'll tell you guys. But question of the week what is your favorite Black monologue, what is something that gets you going, what is a monologue that you can think of off the top of your head that is just like damn, this is dope, it is Black, it's Blackity black, my favorite.
Speaker 1:It's not one that I would perform, because I don't know how I would be able to do that, but it's the scandal Olivia Pope talking to Papa Pope or Papa Pope, both of them going back and forth, about you having to be 10 times better. You know that one, this one right here.
Speaker 6:You've gotten yourself into a bit of trouble, olivia, and I'm here to fix it. No, now listen to me. You raised your skirt and opened your knees and gave it away to a man with too much power. You're not rare, you're not special. Your story's no different than a thousand other stories in this town. So you know how this goes.
Speaker 6:You could call this in your sleep. First, they'll smile, be warm, sympathetic on your side, letting you know that they will fight you. They will lull you into a false sense of security and then, once your belly is exposed, they will gut you and everyone you know, and they will be swift about it. And by the time you realize you should be fighting back, well, you're already bleeding to death. That is the presidency versus you. Whose victory do you think they will fight for? Whose body do you think they will bury? He would never. He would never. You and I both know that he is not in charge. He is never in charge. Power is in charge. Power got him elected. I know more than you could possibly imagine about things of which you cannot dream. He told you that you would be First Lady and you believed him. Did I not raise you for better. How many times have I told you you have to be what you have to be. What, twice, what.
Speaker 6:Twice as good, twice as good, twice as good as them to get half of what they have Sleeping with that, for God's sakes. You know to aim higher. At the very least you could've aimed for Chief of Staff, secretary of State, first Lady, do you have to be so many Joker? Your staff will be taken care of financially. Your business will continue to run. Money is not a problem. There's always money. Money bought that plane, money bought the silence of the gentleman who will fly that plane. On board, you will find an envelope. It contains a passport, a Swiss bank book, a go-file, an entirely new identity. There is a very nice island waiting for you at the end of the flight. You will stay there for eight months. Then I can arrange a place for you in Brussels, thailand, if you prefer, johannesburg, any place, but here, really, as long as you disappear. What if I don't want to go? Olivia, you're getting on that plane come hell or high water and, to be clear, I am the hell and the high water.
Speaker 1:There's something so great about, there's something so reminiscent about the way that I was raised and hearing Joe Morgan, which sidebar. I remember meeting him, me and my mother and my little brother. We were walking down Flatbush and we were living in Prospect Heights and we ran into him right around the time Terminator 2 came out and he was such a nice human being. I didn't know who this man really was until, like, I got to really see Terminator and understand. I was like wait a minute. And she's like yeah, that was, that was him and he was. He looked at me and he said stay in school. You know, be somebody, make yourself proud. And that stuck with me. Not make your family proud, make yourself proud. But it was that conversation that him and her were having. Um, that always like things in my head. It's just that and the talking to me is a right Okay A privilege.
Speaker 2:Talking to me is a privilege.
Speaker 7:You do not have privileges.
Speaker 7:Why do you insist on making things so hard for yourself? Do you think I enjoy punishing you? I don't, but you don't seem to appreciate how generous I've been with you the privileges I've't, but you don't seem to appreciate how generous I've been with you, the privileges I've allowed. Olivia, do not open your mouth. Speaking to me is a privilege. Being able to work on your dinosaur is a privilege. The ability to do anything take a walk, read a book, use the bathroom by yourself is a privilege. And until you are able to prove to me that you can appreciate nice things, you will not be allowed to have them. Do you hear me? No, speaking to me is a privilege. You do not have privileges. Do you hear me? Do you hear me? Good, it's important that you hear me. It's important that you listen very, very carefully, because you are going to deliver. It's a message for me. Are you ready? Go home.
Speaker 6:What does that mean? Go home, go home. What does that mean? Go home, go back to Vermont Tonight. Don't hesitate. Don't pack a bag, just go, and once you're there, stay there. I'm going to speak to her. Don't. Speaking to Olivia is a privilege, and if you don't go home tonight, it is a privilege that you will lose permanently. I'm sorry I brought you into this, sir, and I shouldn't have done it. Now, go home, please.
Speaker 2:I literally on the Shade Room today I think it was the Shade Room they had posted you know they post like questions or polls or whatever and it was what is a, what is something that is taken for granted, or something, something along those lines. And literally the first thing that came to mind and I never like comments on like stuff, but I felt compelled to comment it immediately and I wrote exactly that. I said, speaking to me as a privilege, you do not have privileges. And then I went through and read the rest of what everybody else said and I felt so bad because everybody else is being so serious. And here's my comedic ass. Everybody else said like waking up in the morning and accepting God's grace and being able to breathe air and having a healthy relationship with your mother.
Speaker 2:I was like, okay, everybody in here is being serious and I'm over here joking and quoting quotes from a TV show that I've never seen.
Speaker 1:So You've never seen Scandal I have not.
Speaker 3:I thought we had this conversation before. There's several things that she, that she has not seen.
Speaker 2:This is correct. So anyway, to answer your question. We're just going to skirt right past that. We not seen this is correct, so anyway, to answer your question we're just going to skirt right past that we're skirt Our 22s. So when you first asked the question of the week, two things popped into my head, and then I realized that both of those things were from movies that are period pieces.
Speaker 2:So the first one that I thought of was from the Color Purple. You know all my life I had to fight. And the next one was from Hidden Figures, with Taraji P Henson and how she was, you know all my living off of coffee from a pot that none of y'all want to touch that whole monologue. And those are just like what came to my mind immediately because they are iconic. But then I really started thinking. I was like well, what is something that's from, like something that's a little more like modern, something more current? And then I immediately thought of For Colored Girls and just all of the monologues that are in that. So I have a hodgepodge of answers, but I think my favorite one from For Colored Girls is Somebody done ran off with all my stuff.
Speaker 1:I do it.
Speaker 5:Somebody almost walked off with all of my stuff and didn't care enough to send a note home saying I was late for my solo conversation, or two sizes too small for my own tacky skirts. What can anybody do with something of no value on an open market? Did you get a dime for my things, hey man, where you going with all of my stuff? This is a woman's trip and I need my stuff to ooh and ahh about. Honest to God, somebody almost ran off with all of my stuff and I didn't bring anything but the kick and sway of it the perfect ass for my man. And none of it is theirs. This is mine, juanita's own things. That's my name. Now, give me my stuff. I see you hiding my laugh and how I sit with my legs open sometimes to give my crotch some sunlight. This is some delicate leg and whimsical kiss. I gotta have to give to my choice. So you can't have me unless I give me away. And I was doing all that till you ran off on a good thing. And who is this? You left me with Some simple bitch with a bad attitude. I want my fangs. I want my arm with the hot iron scar. I want my leg with the fleabag. Yeah, I want my fangs. I want my calloused feet and quick language back in my mouth. I want my own things. How I loved them.
Speaker 5:Somebody almost ran off with all of my stuff and I was standing there looking at myself the whole time. It wasn't a spirit that ran off with my stuff. It was a man whose ego walked around like Rodan's shadow. It was a man faster than my innocence. It was a lover I made too much room for. I almost ran off with all my stuff and the one running with it don't know he got it. I'm shouting this is mine and he don't even know he got it. My stuff is the anonymous ripped off treasure of the year. Did you know? Somebody almost got away with me? Me in a plastic bag under his arm. Me, juanita Sims. Somebody almost walked off with all my stuff.
Speaker 3:Okay, with all my stuff, okay, so just before I tell you guys what it is, it doesn't have to necessarily be your favorite, but I just think. I think that it's interesting that certain things that you see sometimes that are so influential and they're so powerful. The piece that I really resonated with was a piece by Orlando Jones, and it's actually called Black History Month and we're going to put it in right here.
Speaker 4:I am not a god, to put it in right here. I am not a God in the sense that I can tolerate exploitation, oppression and repression. My worshipers know freedom ain't free. They know the most potent weapon of control for the oppressor is the mind of the oppressed. They know slavery is not a condition. Slavery is a cult. Human trafficking is a cult. Slavery got a rebrand like the alt-right and snatched another one every 30 seconds. Another chocolate, brown, caramel, high yellow, red bone refugee girl with melanin in her skin gets snatched Every 30 seconds. And to make matters worse, these dazzling new plantation owners built a pipeline to take our children from school to prison quicker than a cut can bleed. And the lucky ones go from school to the nfl, where they don't even let them niggas take a knee. They've been programmed from birth with shitty food options, contaminated contaminated drinking water, gun violence, police brutality and trauma after trauma after trauma, ptsd, no therapy, missing, no Amber Alert, alone, vulnerable, snatched.
Speaker 4:Snatched vulnerable smashed, another one gone.
Speaker 1:I love that one. I love that it's so good.
Speaker 3:So I want everybody to know I like that so much. I love that piece so much from From American Gods, when all the African gods were just talking to each other. I love this piece so much, that kind of like it's very visceral. It's kind of like people just he's just asking, like what are we doing? You know, yeah, I love it and it came up in my feed recently, so I recommend that you guys listen to it. I think that they didn't actually have him go back on the show because of that piece.
Speaker 1:There's a part we did talk about this briefly and I remember what it was when yushi was a part of the show. Um, yeah, they, he, he got permission to do this and he did it like I think he wrote it or something like that, and they were just against it all together and next you know he wasn't.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and it was one of the it was one of the worst decisions that show has ever made. Well, I mean no comments, but it definitely. It definitely. I think it lost something, because I think what people fail to realize is that you need the space to be angry.
Speaker 3:I think, people see that and they get. I don't know if they're fearful or they feel like they don't align with it, but it's like if there's been a grave injustice that's done to a group of people, any person, you have to have that space to be legitimately angry, and that's where he was coming from. He was just upset. We often feel like we don't have anything to show for for for ourselves, for our names, and he was expressing that and I just I really resonated with that because, yeah, we're gonna be pissed off. That doesn yeah, we're going to be pissed off. That doesn't mean that we can't move past it eventually. Did I do good? All right, let me take a bow.
Speaker 1:Oh, my God, Yep. So full disclosure. Guys, when Chris comes up with these questions of the week, we try to make them geared towards the conversation and then try and make a transition into the conversation and sometimes, when you have question of the week that it's like what was that one that he said, what is your? Oh, do we have, how many do you have? Do you think there are more arms than legs, or some shit? What was that one that he said? What is your? I don't remember. Do you think there are more arms than legs, or some shit? Those are important questions.
Speaker 3:Listen, keep in mind everybody. Tell the truth, though. Sometimes we're coming up with these topics very last minute, I'm all like I don't know what it's going to be.
Speaker 2:PJ's phone is ringing.
Speaker 1:It's me.
Speaker 2:PJ's phone is ringing. It's me. Pj's phone is ringing. Pj's phone is ringing. Who is?
Speaker 1:it. Hey, can I call you back?
Speaker 2:And he answered it and he answered it.
Speaker 3:Wow, how many legs is that?
Speaker 1:It's only because she called earlier and I was sleeping and I just like I saw it call and I was just like I need to sleep and but it's, she's also on my do not disturb list, just like you two are, so you always can get through when it's on do not disturb.
Speaker 3:I don't know, even though I would never do that, freaking miles will be asleep too okay but I was wondering, I was wondering where comet was comet?
Speaker 1:has gotten bigger comet is a cat it's a whole cat now yeah, he was.
Speaker 3:He was. He was staying away because me and him just had it out. I just yelled at him Because he went in the bedroom and he's not supposed to go in the bedroom.
Speaker 2:He's like you, let me do everything else.
Speaker 1:You know why he grew right? Because he sucked your soul Food, oh, while you were asleep. I'm never going to let that idea go.
Speaker 3:Anyway, all the cat people are now writing. Right, exactly.
Speaker 5:How dare you Pita?
Speaker 3:pita, pita, pita.
Speaker 1:Cat people are worse than dog people when it comes down to like don't do that to a cat, the cat does.
Speaker 3:Can I just say, yes, cat people, but just all. A lot of pet owners, a lot of people get real crazy about their pets and it's just like anything else. You can manage and discipline your cat or dog or pet or whatever, but some people just let them do whatever they want, not in this black household okay not in this nigga oh, I didn't send it.
Speaker 2:I gotta send it to y'all. But I saw this meme the other day that said, because you know, it's like oh, I wonder if my dog knows that he's black, or if my cat knows that he's black. I was like what do my plants know that they're black?
Speaker 1:there's one way to tell you wake up one morning.
Speaker 2:You wake up one morning. I cannot.
Speaker 1:And see what they see if they rise.
Speaker 2:Self-care is important.
Speaker 1:That's the inside joke. Y'all All right, so it's so important.
Speaker 1:I think, so it's crazy because Cyber no, no, no, cyber, so important, I think I. So it's crazy because, um, sidebar no, no, sidebar. I wanted to have this conversation, especially since we just uh, celebrated shout out to the city of philadelphia that, no matter what happens, they are going to tear up their city. I love you people from philly, but y'all for real, y'all for real. Y'all need to chill out. Y'all did win the Super Bowl and y'all rightfully upset, probably, that Kendrick has taken all of the attention away from your Super Bowl win. Congratulations to the Eagles, one of my favorite teams. Look, I'm actually wearing green. I actually do love the Eagles. I was not voting for Kansas City, like it's a vote. I want to say I want to give a huge shout out to Kendrick Lamar and his, in my opinion, his amazing performance.
Speaker 1:When I first saw it, I was watching it with family, who are not into all of that. I had to watch it by myself in order to see it for what it was, and we can chit chat really quick about that in a second, but it was something that he said that you know. It sparked something in me and it was like you know this, this is bigger than the music. You can't fake influence and it was like you know. This is bigger than the music you can't fake influence, and influence is so important and I was just like you know what. Let's talk about it. So, before we talk about it, what do you think?
Speaker 3:What do you think that influence is? Whether or not influence is important?
Speaker 1:About.
Speaker 2:Mr Duckworth About Mr Duckworth's halftime performance. Senor Lamar. You know what? I'm going to call him by the name that he told us to call him. He told us to call him Kendrick Lamar. That's what we're going to call him.
Speaker 1:Well, I mean Monique sure enough did go on the Breakfast Club and say Lennard.
Speaker 3:So Not Lennard.
Speaker 2:You also know Monique can be problematic at times and I don't want that title on us.
Speaker 2:I'm not saying she's problematic, I'm saying the people say that she is or can be or has been Anyway, not me this time, y'all it's not.
Speaker 2:I enjoyed it, I thought it was good, I thought it was. I think one of the things that we have come to is very interesting just how, like the caliber of, like the halftime performance of the Super Bowl just kind of gets elevated year after year, elevated year after year after year after year, and it's it's kind of like you're always looking for something to kind of wow you, you know, and if there is nothing that wows you, then you're just kind of like that wasn't a good performance or didn't meet expectations or what have you. And I think that for the people who wanted to watch and who wanted to enjoy it, everybody got something out of it. There's a whole group of people out there that would sooner erase all melanin from football altogether. So I don't know, or do I really have any insight as to what they thought of the performance, but personally me myself I loved all of the surprise guests when our good buddy, mr Blackass, samuel L Jackson, popped up in that Sam outfit.
Speaker 2:I was like yes.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, that was so good.
Speaker 2:And then I saw Serena pop up, literally because I was in London during the game and so they're five hours ahead. So by the time the halftime performance came on it was maybe like 1 am 1.30 there, and y'all know my bedtime is 10 o'clock, so I was struggling. But when I looked up and I was like, I was like is that Sarita Morgan? So the group was like what that was?
Speaker 3:it. I thought it was, I thought that was just like a lookalike. When I saw it, I was like no.
Speaker 2:And then I was like no, and then I was like oh, and my friend was like yeah, I think it was. And so then we both Googled it real quick, and first of all, whoever is working the internet, why are y'all so fast? Why are y'all so fast? Literally in my mind. Mind.
Speaker 2:I said is that Serena Williams went to my phone, typed in Serena Williams halftime show and it popped up immediately. Why is it so fast? It literally happened a millisecond ago. Anyway, I enjoyed it. I enjoyed all the symbolism, I enjoyed the messaging. I even enjoyed Not Like Us, y'all know because I have a soft spot in my heart for Drake and so I know he was somewhere upset.
Speaker 1:I want to know has anybody checked on this man?
Speaker 2:Apparently he put out an album.
Speaker 3:He put out an album, yeah.
Speaker 1:He did, he put out an album.
Speaker 3:yeah, he said he was going to release something on Valentine's album.
Speaker 1:He put out an album. Yeah, he did. He put out an album. Yeah, yeah, he said he was going to release something on Valentine's Day.
Speaker 3:Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he put out an album and I don't think people liked it.
Speaker 3:I don't think people liked it yeah the reviews have not been stellar.
Speaker 1:You're a Drake fan.
Speaker 2:I have not heard it yet. Oh, I'm not. Nor am I in a rush to hear anything. I didn't listen to Renaissance until well after a year when it came out. I'm not the barometer, for.
Speaker 1:Y'all know me, I go into these humongous YouTube rabbit holes. I need to start saying it all together instead of saying YouTube holes, because sounds really thirst-trap-ish.
Speaker 2:That's something all and does.
Speaker 1:Nasty and does. But I, you know, I fall into all of them as far as, like all these people who are breaking down what each, every single thing means. And here's a wonderful thing about art Unless the artist tells you what it's for, art is when it's done well, it's up to interpretation, by how you receive it, and there's so many different views on what this means and that means, and it could all be the same, um, and it could all be very like. That's not what he intended, but art is supposed to make you think, and I think that the actual, for those of you who don't know a moment in black history for Samuel L Jackson to play Wait let me do this, man, because it's my black nails.
Speaker 2:I said it's supposed to be my white ones.
Speaker 1:Oh, yes, come on. Yes, I like that um for samuel l jackson to do. Number one, uncle sam, which is a snub at um. Obviously it's a snub at drake, because drake made a video and said where's your uncle, here's my uncle, uncle sam. Um for also to be a snub at trump, because you know he was in the building and he hated it. Of course he would, because it was also all these white people who hated it, because there were no white people in the like calm down, oh OK.
Speaker 1:But the moment in black history when he said deduct one life. For those of you don't know, samuel L Jackson was also a pallbearer for Martin Luther King. I saw a video that was talking about that. It was just like you know, and it's just like how interesting these little things are when they add up. It's just, it digs deep and that line it takes one life.
Speaker 1:When I was originally watching it, that was the thing that stuck in my head. Obviously, I thought about George Floyd, I thought about all the, you know, sandra Bland, every name that you can think of. You know, because we use our cultural cheat code, which is we unite. So when we unite, they try to take something away from us. Shout out to Tulsa and everything else that's ever happened in black history. But when he started doing the before he did the, say Drake, so before he did that which still gets me, you know when he said you can't fake it, you know you can't fake influence. It was just like you can't fake it. You know you can't fake influence. It was just like you can't.
Speaker 3:I was just gonna say. Well, first and foremost, let me say this I enjoyed it the people that I was hanging out with we
Speaker 3:all enjoyed it, both black and white people.
Speaker 3:I think what was interesting, I think what was interesting, I think what's interesting is that people, people, the people that didn't like it, are so interesting to me because I I look at artists and I look at people who are in create, you know, who are part of creativity and all that stuff like that, and we always we're always thinking and interpreting and feeling and looking at things through a different lens.
Speaker 3:And so the people who didn't like it were just the people that just wanted to just be straight up entertained, like they wanted to like twerk, shake their ass and just be done with it. And when that didn't happen, it was like no, this is the worst. And when that didn't happen, it was like no, this is the worst Super Bowl halftime ever. And I was like, no, this was great. You didn't see the flag, you didn't see when he did this, you didn't see when, you know, serena was out there dancing. You didn't see all of these different things. And it's interesting because people are saying people who are kind of stuck in these little echo chambers of like, no, this was a garbage halftime, and saying that this was a terrible halftime show, but it was one of the most seen performances ever.
Speaker 2:Is Rihanna's terrible halftime performance still the most watched?
Speaker 4:No, his is the most watched. No.
Speaker 1:His.
Speaker 3:Kendrick.
Speaker 2:Lamar now is.
Speaker 3:His is now His is the most watched, and it's like how can you say that it was terrible? Because it did what it was supposed to do, which is to make you go? Hmm, what was he saying? Hmm, say, drake, it was meant for you to do that.
Speaker 1:With the poker face.
Speaker 3:Right side note the first of all, but have you also it.
Speaker 2:It looks like that damn smile filter on tiktok, you know, like this scary one where like it, like that's all I can see in my head. It kind of scared me a little bit, but you know it's fine, I just I, just I just I.
Speaker 3:I loved it. I love thinking and seeing from a different angle. I love the symbolism. I was entertained because I was just, I was just vested in it and I was, in a way, that is kind of my entertainment. You know, I didn't need to shake my ass if you, if you, if you want to like, look at it like that, because you could just turn on Spotify, shout out to Spotify If you would like to.
Speaker 1:Shout out to the law.
Speaker 3:If you want to do some advertisement, shout out to any music platform, you can shake your ass whenever you want to. But this is history, black history.
Speaker 2:So do you, how do?
Speaker 3:you feel like it was influential? Oh, simply by people just talking about it, freaking days later. I mean, it's when, when you have, when you have entertainment and you don't have any symbolism in it, it's just good for that moment. But when you have to talk about it and dissect things, you get deeper into it and trying to understand why people feel the way that you do so.
Speaker 2:I think. With that, I think that it definitely qualifies as a conversation starter, and there's different things that are very insightful about it, but as far as like either the influence that it has on people today, meaning it makes them think in a certain way, the performance made them commit to or start redefining the way that they think about things, there's that, and then there's also all of the things that were the influence or inspiration for the actual halftime show itself, because it was influenced by things. Therefore it becomes influential.
Speaker 1:So, before we even begin going any further, I did look, I did pull this up to our favorite. It's Black History Month, so we're going to go to Urban Dictionary. Going any further, um, I did look, I did pull this up to our favorite, it's black history month, so we're gonna go to urban dictionary, uh, and I will give them this. The first definition says the power to change, encourage and make a difference without force. And that performance, right there, didn't? It didn't seem forced, it wasn't trying to impress you, it wasn't doing all these crazy things. Um, shout out to you know who I'm gonna say. Um, right, I've been watching his performance non-stop and watching breakdowns, but I also, just just a few minutes ago, before we started recording, was like wait a minute, and I watched both beyonce performances from there she is I watched it from when she was with, when she did hers, when kelly and michelle popped up, and I watched it when she was, uh, doing with bruno mars and the the difference in the end.
Speaker 1:Well, we'll admit this, kendrick has never been an entertainer, so to speak. Right, he's a poet, he's a right, he's a rapper. You know, he's, he is hip hop. Most hip hop artists aren't true born entertainers, because that's not what they're there for. They're there to get their message out and speak the truth and tell the stories, you know, and some of them make these elaborate shows and some just get on stage and just do what Kendrick did on top of what Kendrick did was have all his double, triple, quadruple entendres, visual for all of us to see.
Speaker 1:And I, I, I think that it was. I think it was a powerful message, especially for the things that I didn't pay attention to the first time. Well, I couldn't pay attention to because the group of people I was watching with shout out to you hey, family are older and do not like. I hate it when he says this nigga shit, but he's also in his late 60s, but he doesn't even like power and all these like shows and things like that because he hates stuff like that, you know, and it's just like.
Speaker 1:I've also never seen an episode of power not even the episodes that I was on Shane.
Speaker 2:I saw your clip from your episode.
Speaker 3:I saw your segment.
Speaker 1:I saw you nothing less, but like nothing more, nothing less hey girl, hey hi, boy, hi, that is going to be coined already, so don't you out there, try to even do it. Okay, all right, um, but I I think that there was just some. There was so many different messages in there that popped in my head um later and as I've been watching it, I've been like, oh wow, oh wow.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah yeah, but let's go right on ahead and move on to the next. Since you brought up the word influencer. According to Urban Dictionary, influencer is someone with lack of intelligence and a lot of free time, followed by tons of idiots on a social network wow, that's influencer a word instagram uses to describe themselves, to make themselves feel famous and more important.
Speaker 1:We don't agree with that urban dictionary out here trying to call people, terrible yeah, horrible, right, but I think that when it comes to thinking about influence, like even when with us with this podcast, like we don't I can only speak for myself. When this was created, I didn't want to change the world in a way, um, and bring more attention and conversations amongst us, friends that we have in private. Maybe we can have them in public and other people can realize that they're not alone. And you know, we have influenced a little here and there, you know. Shout out to also because I was playing Beyonce and I was doing the dance, our ward fell.
Speaker 2:Did it break?
Speaker 5:I was doing the See.
Speaker 2:nobody told you to do all that. You cracked it I was damaged.
Speaker 1:Now I have to send it to y'all. Now I can no longer hold it in my house.
Speaker 2:You can't, you cannot be trusted with it. Lord, have mercy.
Speaker 1:But yeah. So, like I wanted to, I wanted to know really quick what. What are your major influences that make you who you are today? Yeah, like that conversation, switch right. Is he frozen?
Speaker 2:Okay, no, I mean generally speaking. I feel like you can be easily influenced by anybody.
Speaker 1:If you see somebody, uh well, you can be easily influenced but remember, you can't fake influence.
Speaker 3:I think I think the the thing with influences is that you, you, you essentially are an influencer or you have influence when you find a point that is a common ground and people and you can somehow resonate and push that thought forward. And I think that's the difference between you know people who are like true influencers versus people who aren't. They force it, but then someone like Beyonce, like all of her music, resonates with people because it's things that they've gone through or you know, have felt or you know are currently feeling. You know, I think, you know, I think somebody had called me an influencer the other day and I was like I don't know if I necessarily call myself, consider myself an influencer, but like there's a couple of things that we resonate on the same level with and that's what people are looking for. No-transcript.
Speaker 2:So I think the English major in me is having trouble with, because I feel like there's a difference between Influence and imitation. I and I and I feel like sometimes we're kind of using those words interchangeably and they're not To me, somebody who is an influencer or who has the ability to influence. It's more so based on the person who's receiving it, because there is something about the way that that person either speaks or presents something or essentially just kind of lives, their life, that makes that person they do. Or if I, um, somehow take on the same qualities that this person is exhibiting, I'll have a similar outcome as to what they are experiencing. So, like and again, this is because I'm thinking like, um, we're talking about like, social media influencers. It's like, oh, she uses this in her hair and it turns out like that. Let me also use that in my hair and my hair will also turn out like that. Um.
Speaker 2:But when we talk about influence from a more uh, general kind of term, like, I think like, for example, like my dad is a huge role model to me. I don't think that he necessarily influences me, but I think that he there are things that he does and the type of person that he is. There are qualities that he has that I want to imitate so that way I can have a certain kind of experience in my life, and not necessarily the same experience that he has, which I think is where the influence like comes into play. If that's making any sense, shout out to Black Daddy.
Speaker 1:Shout out to Black Daddy. It makes perfect sense. That's an inside joke, guys. If you've listened to us for a long time, you know.
Speaker 2:Then you will know.
Speaker 1:Every time.
Speaker 2:I say it. I think I know people are kind of like what? No, no, if you it. I think I know people are kind of like what? No, no, if you know you know. But yeah, I think that and it's very powerful to have influence or be an influencer, because you have to remember that people are looking up to you and they're holding you to a certain regard, because they're taking the words that you say for face value and there's weight to it. And that's why, going back before, that's why I was talking about with Kendrick Lamar's performance, I don't know if I would necessarily qualify for me.
Speaker 2:Somebody else is going to have a different opinion, I think for me specifically, I don't know if his performance was influential because I don't think that it necessarily changed the way that I think or change the outlook that I have on things. It was more so reaffirming. For me it was impactful because it validated so much of what I already think and feel and and how I behave. So I think that that's kind of just, for me, the difference. But somebody else, it might have been incredibly influential because maybe they didn't think like that before, maybe they didn't act like that before, maybe they didn't have that, you know, window of thought before and now. This has influenced them to think and act and behave in a different way.
Speaker 3:I think sometimes it's not just about the subject, though. Sometimes it's about being able to understand that you can express at that capacity, because while he was doing his art, essentially um, I don't think differently about the topic at hand, but I am now wondering and asking myself, how can I use my art and actually up my game?
Speaker 2:so, yes, yes, I would say that is yes, I agree, Agreed, agreed. In that regard, it was influential.
Speaker 3:He is influential. So I think the thing with influence is that it could be about imitation, like you had mentioned before, but a lot of times it's just finding that point of like what, what is inspiring to you. You know, if you see somebody and they're wearing like this, uh, uh, clothes that you would never think that in your life to ever put together, but they're making it work and they're killing it, that might influence you to now try different things. All right, well, I, I'm gonna wear a knitted crop top too, or whatever I mean. That's essentially the the crux of you now being or acting differently correct, because you talk about knitted crop tops I need to know where kendrick lamar got these extra long length flare jeans.
Speaker 1:I need to know, not even that, like when you wear flare jeans, you are constantly stepping on them.
Speaker 2:They were the perfect flare jeans and I'm extremely jealous, say Drake.
Speaker 1:No, he's going to walk into a room and just say say Drake. Every single time he turns around, say Drake. So okay, so like, even like. When it comes to like the idea of influence right, we're going to go into the negative route. Those who influence others to promote violence, to cause harm to people. For those of us, those of them who fall into the whole MAGA definition of what it means to be an American right, that's the, that's influence in in the worst way, because it it's causing you to start having to do harm to other people, to be disrespectful to people. If that's who you are, that's who you are. You just can't blame hey Comet, you can't. Every time we say hey Comet. That's when Comet just pops up on Chris's shoulder.
Speaker 2:Literally on his shoulder, Like quite literally.
Speaker 1:Just from the back Out of nowhere. Not from the back what? Not from the back, not from the back not from the back, not from the back, not well, he's comment, comment, comment you can't hear you because you're in my ear oh, okay, um, I I think that there are those that you can.
Speaker 1:The word influencer itself, I think, is a little damaging sometimes, because you're, you could be influencing people to do things that you don't even do, like the people who have these liquor brands who don't even drink the shit. You know, um, I think think it was like Wiz Khalifa, snoop, you know, a bunch of them have publicly said Lil Wayne has publicly said that they don't drink what they promote. You know, and I'm not, I'm not here to knock.
Speaker 5:They haven't once.
Speaker 1:You know, but they do. You know, like Kylie Jenner is sitting here and it's the one time she's ever going to be mentioned here out of my mouth but for her to have and I said what I said damn it. Um for her to create this lipstick brand, to and for make people think that that's how her lips became, all you know, big and plump. Um, so you can you influence people, people so much they'll buy this and think that this is what it's going to work for you. No, that's not influence, that's you're faking influence. You're not being authentic, and I think influence really comes from being your most authentic self to do have an impactful, positive, um mindset on other people.
Speaker 3:Words are not coming together, but that's exactly the point that I was trying to get at.
Speaker 3:The influence comes from the, the intrinsic value, the, the the the the thing that is, I won't say of desire, because it gives a very like, it gives something sought after. That's not necessarily that you don't always necessarily need, so it's not always that. But let's just use desire for a lesser use of terms. So it's not always that, but let's just use desire for a lesser use of terms. You're harping on what people want. So, like with the people who are selling those drinks, but they don't drink them. You're harping on the fact that people like to party, people like to want to get drunk. You're harping the person that was selling the lip products. You're harping on the fact that somebody feels like their lips are too thin or not full enough or not enough or whatever. And so this is where you go into the bad influence, ralph, because at the end of the day, everybody should just be happy with who they are. At the end of the day, everybody shouldn't want to party all the time, but people do.
Speaker 1:I just want to party all the time, but people do.
Speaker 3:I just want to party all night. Sorry, no, but listen, it's the truth, though. That's the same energy and that's how people get to sell millions and millions of dollars. You know, get millions and millions there that you just want to legitimately help.
Speaker 2:That's when we get the Kendrick Lamar's and I think that there are different kinds of influencers. Like there are people who where it's their job, their profession, to be an influencer and meaning like they have signed up to sell you, to to market X, y and Z product to you.
Speaker 1:You know, know, is that influence or is that marketing?
Speaker 2:it's both. Okay, it's both, because you can be in. Being an influencer means you need to know how to market. Uh, because, like for this, for I don't know specifically you were talking about, like, the people who like promote like alcohol but like they don't drink right, have they actually said in their you know promo, like oh, I drink this all the time, I love it. Or have they talked about the qualities that that alcohol like promotes, like, oh, it's so crisp and it's so, you know, it's so lightweight and refreshing, and like all the things that, like, they want you to know about this drink and without ever actually like admitting, like no, I haven't had it, but these are all the things that it you know, know, claims, that it possesses or that is, you know integral about it, and then getting somebody who is in the public eye, who is recognizable, to say those things has influence. But they're not necessarily perjuring themselves because they're not lying.
Speaker 2:And you know, you know I'm learning these things too, because I've started doing like social media, like marketing, like influence stuff and so like with like a lot of like the contracts that I have to sign and stuff. There's like things in there, like disclosure, like things that you can say and things that you can't say, and things that you should say and things that you shouldn't say. And I know, specifically for me, I always try to be very honest with whatever it is that I'm using and I'll tell you what I like about it. I'll tell you what I don't like about it. I'll tell you what the product is supposed to do Not necessarily that it has done it for me, but this is what it's supposed to do and I'm telling you that this is what it's supposed to do. Let's see if it does it kind of thing.
Speaker 2:But that's why, specifically in like social media, influencer marketing, the real traction comes from influencers that the audience trusts these brand deals because they've already built a relationship with their audience and their audience feels that that person is authentic, so they're more inclined to believe whatever it is that they're saying. When they're telling you oh, I love poppy, I drink it every day, you should drink poppy too. They don't even say that. You know it's, it's, it's. It's very interesting to me the power of influence hey comet comet.
Speaker 2:Do you have any thoughts on influence?
Speaker 1:he's all like I, I, you know, I, I, when I think of influence, I, I want to, I want to, I want to take it away from what social media says influence is and bring it more back home to humans, actual human beings, being themselves, or showing you that you can achieve something.
Speaker 1:Achieve something, you know, because I'll say this, one of my greatest influences, um, was meeting my heroes and hearing them say the things that I not that I needed to hear, but I needed to hear. Like they didn't say it to me, because that's what I know you need to hear, but it was powerful and it it was influential. It changed my life. It actually brought me to theater, you know, it opened my eyes, it, it, it made me reanalyze how I'm living my life and the good choices as well as the bad choices, and make decisions on what needs to go and what make room for what you know, even like pastors are are influential because you know, hello, you are very important and if you have, if and I'll use this as an example if you have a pastor like pasadilla creflo, you are more than likely gonna have a bunch of scam artists that are in your flock, because they are following a scam artist, in my opinion.
Speaker 1:um, and you, you, you get gullible people, you get people who, who just believe anything because you said it, and I think there's that's. That's that's the part of where I interpret it. You can't fake influence because you're just getting gullible people to believe the dumb shit you say hey Drake, hey Drake.
Speaker 2:Say Drake. But also, too, whose fault is that? Is it the influencer's fault, or is the person who is believing what they say without doing the research?
Speaker 1:It's a little bit of both, in my opinion, because, if you but, that ties in with integrity.
Speaker 2:I would say it's a little bit of both, if the person who is saying these things knows that they are lies and is saying them anyway.
Speaker 3:But we know, we've seen that before. Shit, we've seen that before.
Speaker 1:We're seeing that before we're seeing that right now listen, okay, we told y'all about project 2025 and here we are and like, oh my god, I can't believe this is happening. But y'all believe in the, the foolish influence that that that troll has had. Oh my god, I'm not going back there.
Speaker 3:So okay, okay, well, all right. Well, listen here's. Here's. Here's a question that maybe we should ask ourselves how do we ensure that we are a lot, a lot, because everybody's always going to be influenced. If you, as long as you inspire in a certain way, um, as long as you show up in a way that you know you desire to be, you're always going to have influencers. So I guess the question should be how do we make sure that we align ourselves with people that are influencing well and are doing good for each other, whether it be for entertainment or whether it be for things that are a little bit more serious? And how do we spread that?
Speaker 2:Because accountability, maybe I think accountability is a big part of it.
Speaker 3:I only okay Accountability, because I only say that, blair, because, like, one of the reasons why I love you as a as you, as a person, is that you are, yes, you Because, right, we already done told you we loved you so much, damn. One of the reasons why I love you so much is that because you know just how you mentioned the accountability portion you always are trying to do everything in the best interest of people. So you're going to share, you're going to share with us a hair care product, you're going to let us know for real, like how it, how it really went down, or you're not going to promote it at all, and I think that's good for the influencer. But then what do we do with the people that are being influenced? The influenced, you know what. What does that look like? How do you, how do you make someone accountable when their whole desire is just I just want to be this, I just want this to happen you know.
Speaker 1:So every year I think we've discussed this before right? Um, I make an, I make a word and that's my word for the year and my it's so funny my word for this year is realignment, because I have lost my way, I've got distracted. I have, you know, been busy and doing other things, making money, but you know cause? People got to live, but it's still walking further and further away from the creative dream that I've been. I've been influenced to know that that is there for me if I inspired it inspired, so in flu.
Speaker 1:To be an influencer in my mind, or to have actual influence, is to inspire inspire for greatness, inspire for better than where you are, versus to in in incite violence. Um, since you used a big word, I was trying to figure out how I can use parametric in a sentence right there, because it's right here, and I was here like this is the word I want to use. The word that PJ would like to use is Parametric, parametric Congratulations you did it, I didn't do it.
Speaker 2:I just said it. You said the word, you said it in a sentence. Anywho, you wanted to use it organically. Ah, ah, ah.
Speaker 1:Because you had had you influenced me and inspired me to improve my vocabulary, and which I know. That's also a thing for me that I've also been working on, um, like improving my actual vocabulary, and that comes from you know me surrounding myself with great, beautiful, like-minded, wonderful humans. I posted this today. I support, whenever I post, my friends, and I say support your friends who are doing great things. Surround yourself with people who are amazing, because that shit is and that is the influence.
Speaker 1:That's the reason why I will. I will follow someone, um, because I know, if I know their story and know how they got to where they are and they didn't stop, they didn't sell their self, sell their souls, they didn't lie to the people and make them believe one thing when they were a completely different person. Um, they have actual influence. That's positive and I know that that's where I am in my center. Like to example, today, um, and I'll make this as short as I possibly can, you know, y'all know it's hard for me out there. I worked my first Chinese funeral. I won't go into details with that, but the funeral director was a white man who normally doesn't really engage with drivers or people unless you're one of, or people you know, unless you're one of the people that make him money, which I get.
Speaker 2:With the riffraff.
Speaker 1:You know and you know he, we begin to like as we're, as I'm driving back and you know I'm talking to him and the drive down. He just was stoic as fuck, which is agitating me because I drove to Trenton, new Jersey, from Brooklyn.
Speaker 1:Anyway, longer story short, really. He said to me on the way back, because we were talking about Broadway, because I was playing my music, and he's like, I noticed you got broadway songs in there. I said, well, you know, it's a little thing about me. Um, without trying to sound too boastful, but it was. You know something? I need to get back into theater. And I lost my way because I became a funeral director. And he said listening, and he's like, listening to you talk about like your love for theater, like did I influence you? Am I an?
Speaker 1:influencer no but I like, there we go. Let's realign ourselves back with things that mean things to me, to me, and that was like he said I, I appreciate your. How did he say it? He said you know, I appreciate your, your, your energy, because it's very refreshing, um, and I was just like I. I love hearing that. I also really love that about me, um, but I also don't want to ever not be me just for the sake that. I want to leave a good impression on someone, but that's really what it's about.
Speaker 1:It's about showing up as your most authentic self. Yeah, so I think that that's for me. Pj Philip James, I want to continue to influence those to know that if I can do it, you can do it, If it's obtainable, the man air quotations is not holding you down. You are holding you down. Yes, there are systematic issues that we have in this country. Yes, that do keep us going in a hamster wheel, but there are options, opportunities, things out there. If you want it, you have to go for it. It's just not going to be handed to you.
Speaker 3:We didn't land on Plymouth Rock. Plymouth Rock landed on us.
Speaker 1:I'm going to mute him, y'all.
Speaker 2:If you want to be somebody.
Speaker 1:If you want to go somewhere.
Speaker 2:If you want to go somewhere. If you wanna go somewhere, you better what. You better wake up and pay attention. I hit my nose on the mic, I was trying to do too much and you wanna be somebody, you wanna be somewhere. You better wake up and pay attention, okay.
Speaker 1:I went first. This was his question, wasn't it? Or did I just randomly start talking like I normally do? Yes, my god, today I'm working on this because there are moments where I listen back and I'd be like shut up.
Speaker 2:I was like what was the question?
Speaker 3:I'm glad I wasn't alone.
Speaker 2:I was like, oh, did I miss it? Maybe I did, Maybe we did PJ, Maybe we did. And when you go back and edit this you'll be able to find out for sure.
Speaker 3:No, the question was Chris's. Would you say, chris, um look over there, cj.
Speaker 2:What did he ask? What did I ask?
Speaker 1:I don't know no, it was very much it. Let me just keep saying words up until.
Speaker 3:I, I, I, I remember. Now, okay, got it. My question is wow, it's like, where are we at um? My question is how do we make sure that we align ourselves with people?
Speaker 2:oh, yes, yes, and I said accountability and I said realignment is like yeah okay, there we there we all got there, we all got there oh
Speaker 2:that feels so good it does it's, it's very satisfactory. Um, yes, accountability for the person who is doing the influencing and the willingness to be held accountable, I think is important too yeah if you're going to be in a position of influence, you're going to have that power and you're going to whether you actively or passively, use that power to influence. You also have to be willing to be held accountable.
Speaker 1:Say trick sorry I keep saying it. I just wake up in the morning now and walk past the mirror and just smile.
Speaker 2:Is this beef over now? Can it just be done. Is it done? Is it over?
Speaker 1:Game over Game over.
Speaker 2:I was sick of it from the beginning.
Speaker 3:I should hope so, I cause. I mean, you even got like duolingo freaking taking oh my god, everybody taking shots, that's everybody.
Speaker 2:It's too much for my little heart. I'm not over sensitive ass. Drake, I hope that you're okay and if you're not, you can call me and we can talk about it wow, blair, wow, way to be subtle. And this is this is me posting my thirst trap for you.
Speaker 1:I was just I'm so glad I didn't say it.
Speaker 2:I'm just saying I'm, I'm, I'm a great. Shoulders cry on, I am very I, I'm I, I'm very easy. Shoulders cry on, I am very I, I'm, I, I'm very easy to talk to. I do have a degree in psychology, so if you want to treat this as a bit of a therapist session, we can do that naked whatever works for you.
Speaker 3:Whatever works for you oh, this is going amazing ladies and gentlemen, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you for playing the american highly melanated game uh, american highly melanated game listen if y'all would just like. I would urge all of you, especially those of you who have not really like I don't know anybody who hasn't yet. I don't know if either one of you two have but really look at some of these breakdowns, and it's not all about Drake, it's literally about the state of America, and a lot of his content has been about that.
Speaker 2:America. America has a problem.
Speaker 1:Okay, you know, and a lot of his work has been about that and within our community, and how do we build each other up and how do we not? You know, I asked the one thing I can always appreciate, um, about him as an artist, because his music and what. What we visually see from him is not a bunch of titties bouncing and ass shaking, like it's thoughtful, it means something, it has depth, it's. It gives you a very parametric way to think about it.
Speaker 1:but shut up both of y'all he did it, y'all he did it and it was organic as fuck on that note, guys, thank you for taking the time to listen to another episode you was just waiting to do that, wasn't you?
Speaker 3:I was trying to find a way that's funny. That was excellent. That was excellent in the words from our uncle Sam you. I was trying to find a way that's funny, no, but not fine but it did good but excellent in the words from our uncle sam.
Speaker 1:Thank you for taking time. In the words of I would love you know if I can get it yo. It would be amazing.
Speaker 3:Mic drop it would be amazing.
Speaker 1:Here's, here's something that I would love to put out into the universe, for Samuel L Jackson to say highly motherfucking melanated and we can use that as a soundbite.
Speaker 2:Oh my god, samuel, I promise you, if I ever run into him, if I ever, if I ever Samuel just say this, just say it into the mic, please, please all right, thank you for taking time.
Speaker 1:Let's do another episode of highly motherfucking melanated. The safe space where it is okay to understand that your influence means something, so do it right do it right, get it right, say drake right, do it right, get it right Say.
Speaker 5:Drake, I'm so sorry.
Speaker 1:We're just checking up on you, bro.
Speaker 2:But y'all aren't, though. I myself personally, on the other hand, would really like to know how you are. You can call me, you can DM me, you can stop by my apartment, whatever.
Speaker 3:It's fine. Sounds like ulterior motives to me, but go off.
Speaker 2:I am genuinely concerned.
Speaker 1:I want to make sure that he's okay, okay, aubrey, someone's looking out for you.
Speaker 2:Aubrey Graham.
Speaker 1:At least you got one out of the three of us.
Speaker 2:Oh boy.
Speaker 1:I said what I said y'all wouldn't so here's the thing no, no, um, there's, there's. There's nothing that he can do in this present moment period that would get me to be back on his side, based on the way he reacted and the things that he said and lied and and I don't know what was said.
Speaker 2:I told you I stayed so far out of all of that. I don't know anything about anything. All I know is that one song and that's it.
Speaker 1:Oh, so the other four songs that that there are five songs. I'm going to send you. No, please don't.
Speaker 2:Because I don't care to know anymore.
Speaker 1:Not the song. I saw this one video where they did an actual full pie chart of dates, because this has been going on not for a year, not for two years, for over almost a decade I'm exhausted, didn't they?
Speaker 3:weren't they friends at one point?
Speaker 1:yes, and when kendrick first started and this was, uh, something, and then drake said something that was you know, it's always. I'm not gonna say that, um, because we, we love you light skins. I knew you going to say that because we love you, light skins.
Speaker 2:I knew you were about to say something about light skins.
Speaker 1:I'm like looking at you, like blinking, but my main question is my main question and statement is shout out to J Cole for stepping the fuck back, because he knew what was about to happen.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 1:I don't want no parts in this. Want no parts. I want no parts.
Speaker 2:It doesn't sit well with my spirit he said I, as a matter of fact, do want to be somebody and I do want to go somewhere, so I am choosing to wake up and pay. I've paid attention.
Speaker 1:That's why I'm over here okay, fuck the big three, it's just big me.
Speaker 2:Yes man, yes sir you said and it is, you got it alright peace, love. I forgot how to end it that's how you end it peace, love. And you know you want to say it go ahead. I was about to say just finish it off you know you want to say go ahead, I don't want to wop, wop, wop, wop, wop that's what I would rather say that's not what I thought you was going to say either, but I'll take it you know what I should say?
Speaker 1:say Drake wop, wop, wop, wop. A combination. Don't say either, but I'll take it. You know what I should say?
Speaker 2:Say Drake Wah wah, wah, wah, wah. Okay, all right, a combination if you will, a one-two punch, if you will.
Speaker 1:Squabble up. Wah, wah, wah wah. Five punches. Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha ha. Thank you.