Celebrating the Trailblazers of Hip Hop History

Ever wondered why a famous 90s rapper might feel let down by today's concert crowds? Join us as Your host O.G. GOAT and Shariff from Queens sheds light on the evolving landscape of hip hop and the generational divide that's causing ripples in the music world. His efforts to introduce younger adults to old-school beats to their undeniable preference for modern trap music, Shariff brings a heartfelt perspective on how every era reshapes this dynamic genre. We reflect on hip hop's journey from its marginalized roots to its current status as a cultural powerhouse, all while keeping alive the spirit of its legendary forebears.

https://youtu.be/4j4M9-uy9gI?si=tas9Na7MC9VONpb5

Switching gears, we tackle the pressing issue of modernizing education to foster safer communities. Despite lottery funds supposedly earmarked for schools, our institutions often lag behind in technology and resources. Smart boards and tablets are simply not enough; we need a curriculum that genuinely engages students. With comparisons drawn from both public schools and the healthcare sector, we delve into the challenges and potential solutions for making education a catalyst for reducing crime rates. Join our debate on the reliability of technology in these crucial sectors and how updated learning tools can better stimulate young minds.

We wrap up with a nostalgic homage to hip hop's pioneers and an appreciation for the technological strides that have transformed the industry. Remembering the high costs and rarity of early cell phones, we pay tribute to icons like Nas, Jay-Z, and Biggie Smalls, who climbed the heights of success through sheer grit and innovation. We also highlight Ralph McDaniels’ invaluable contributions via his live Instagram sessions and Video Music Box shows. Special thanks to Sharif for his insights, and a heartfelt shoutout to our audience for tuning in. Don't miss out on this rich tapestry of hip hop history and modern-day reflections!

We want to hear from you,  Introduce yourself the way you would like it aired, where your calling from State and City is fine as well as which Season, Podcast title and episode. Call the Studio at 212-718-0330 and leave your comments

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Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:12

This is your pod host, og GOAT, with another segment from. What Part of the Game is that? And we have Sharif from Queens gets the money on the line today, and we're going to be talking about an interesting topic of misplaced feelings. Let's say feelings, let's say and uh, sharif, you wrote in earlier this week and you had a topic that you wanted to discuss about a concert. Tell us more about that.

Speaker 2: 0:49

Well, good morning everyone. Let me say that first, my name is Sharif. Queens Gets the Money. Official Queens representative. And the topic that I heartfelt for me was, you know, reading the news and seeing that you know a famous rapper who is very much known in the industries, you know, early 90s, not only as a group but also as a solo rapper, coming from my era, you know and him just expressing some anger or disappointment, and crowd participation as far as it was concerned, with him performing, as far as being on their phones and sitting in their seats. So just chopping that up and trying to understand it in all angles, not just one way, just not being a lover of hip hop and jumping on the bandwagon of this famous rapper's thought because he's part of my era, and saying you know what he's right, he's right, he's right and, looking at it on, you know what side of the game is this? So that is what I guess we're diving into today or this morning.

Speaker 1: 2:13

Right, right, I agree. I think that everything and we have to realize this is it comes a time when you know our era is coming to a close, just like anything else. Just like anything else. I remember one time I was in my car and I had some guests in my car young, adults and I was driving.

Speaker 1: 2:54

So you know, I'm trying to put on some music and they wasn't feeling it. But you know, I had some, you know, hip hop from the 80s, 90s and they was looking at me like what is this? And I was, oh man, that's right, you guys don't even know this, whether they knew it or not. They just wasn't vibing to it, you know, and it was just something that they just really wasn't into, right? So I tried to get you know their opinion on what kind of music they would like, and one of the things that jumped out was trap music.

Speaker 1: 3:34

Now, I don't know of the term trap music. Now I don't know of the term trap music. I mean, I do now, but at this point I didn't know of the term trap music. But then I played it and I was like, wait a minute, now this sounds like a cross between EDM, house music and a little bit of rap too. Okay, so all it did was migrate into something else. But they have a definitive way of telling the difference between our typical rap music or hip hop and trap music, which I haven't quite put the nail on the head on that I it seems to me that the trap music most of it I don't know for me might be. I have a hard time understanding it. I guess that's the way they feel about our old school hip hop. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 4:36

I do definitely understand that. What was the age ratio of the family members that you were transporting? Because that'll help me understand a little bit better.

Speaker 1: 4:47

Yeah, they was under 30. They were between, I think, 20 and 30 years of age. Wow Interesting. Yeah, they were between 20 and 30 years of age. Wow Interesting. Yeah, they were between 20 and 30 years of age.

Speaker 2: 5:01

So if you were, yes, go ahead If you were to, because you know their age and you look back at our era, which I guess I should ask you what do you consider our era?

Speaker 1: 5:14

Well, my era. I come from a time when hip hop was born, you know let's say Shout out to the BX, shout out to the BX.

Speaker 2: 5:28

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1: 5:30

I came from that era and you know I watched it grow. I was there during the whole process when they just wasn't feeling it and I was saying to myself why do our people have to always do stuff that you know sends a negative light? That's the way I was feeling back then.

Speaker 1: 5:55

Really, yeah, because you know listen because it sent a negative vibe through the community and so many people was protesting. And I want our people to do things and rise to the top and make it happen. But the era of hip hop and rap enlightened me to the fact that sometimes you have to just jump out there and make things change, make things happen. If we keep going with the flow, things won't happen. There's an old saying that goes if you keep doing what you've been doing, you're going to keep getting what you've been getting. So if someone doesn't make it a point to put a spin on things, then we're going to keep listening to the same old music we've been listening to. And I applaud now the hip hop industry and I think it started to sink in early on with me that you know what these guys have done.

Speaker 1: 7:15

It this thing is they're not going to be able to stop it because there was no slowing down. It was like a freight train coming through. You know, I used to. I used to be at the Encore on Cross Street from the Terminal.

Speaker 2: 7:34

What Terminal?

Speaker 1: 7:36

Jamaica Terminal in Jamaica, Queens.

Speaker 2: 7:39

That's it.

Speaker 1: 7:40

Yeah, over there by the New York Public Library. I watched that change name several times. I actually knew the owner and I used to be at the door at Fantasia when it was on American Lending, at the door at Fantasia when it was on American Linden, and I think Curtis Blow I think it was had appeared there at that time when he was just starting out his career early on.

Speaker 2: 8:08

What year was both of them?

Speaker 1: 8:10

Ooh, I don't remember the year, but I know we're looking at early 80s, maybe late 70s, around then, you know. But see, I grew up in South Jamaica all my life, you know Really. Yeah, my mother went to Woodrow Wilson High School. Okay, you familiar with Woodrow Wilson?

Speaker 2: 8:42

The thing about it is no, because I've come via Flushing, via Left Rock City, right, so you know it's kind of funny that we might meet at mutual clubs or roller skating rinks but, that doesn't necessarily mean you go into those neighborhoods because they were still an understanding then that wasn't your place.

Speaker 1: 9:06

Right, okay, so Woodrow Wilson is on the south side of Jamaica, which name has changed to August Martin.

Speaker 2: 9:14

Oh, okay, familiar with August Martin. Yes, yes, that's Familiar with August Martin.

Speaker 1: 9:17

Yes, yes, that's what Will Joe Wilson is, and I was around there. I mean, my first job was at Rockaway Fish House.

Speaker 2: 9:34

Wow, which is still there today? Yeah, wow, but you're still there today.

Speaker 1: 9:38

Yeah, yeah, still there, not at Rockaway Fish House, but I'm still in the community yes, no, no, I'm saying, but it's a good thing Rockaway Fish House still exists.

Speaker 1: 9:48

Yes, yes, I was there. The owner passed away, though. Rest in peace, dog. He passed away but his wife knows me, all his children know me, who now run the place. The wife is still involved. But anyway, this was, this was the era that I grew up in and a lot of the they were, they were, they played a major, major part in the hip hop industry becoming to what it is. And at some point, you know, I kind of argued you know the Bronx Really. Okay, all right, but see, I was in South Jamaica so I didn't know what the Bronx was really doing when it came out in the Bronx. But I do know of Sugar Hill Gang. I think that was pretty much kind of like my first take on hip hop and rap music.

Speaker 2: 10:59

Did I tell you why that's interesting? Say it again I told you why that's interesting.

Speaker 1: 11:06

Yeah, I think that was my first. Now I've heard Wait, wait.

Speaker 2: 11:11

I don't want to lose this. I don't want to lose this. Okay, go ahead. I want to tell you why that's interesting, because dealing with the differences in our age, but being part of the same era. So, with that being said, my earliest remembrance of hip hop actually when I think about it was my mother and father. They were music lovers. They purchased albums, shout out to Jimmy Music World on Main Street. So my mom and dad purchased records and I remember hearing Curtis Blow rap the Christmas song and if I go back and think in my mind about hip hop, that was very it stands in my brain hearing that Curtis Blow, you know hip hop album for Christmas right it just rings in my head right, but I think the Sugarhill Gang if I'm not let me look this up was pre-Curtis Blow.

Speaker 2: 12:17

I think you're. I definitely know you're right, but it's funny what your mind receives or you know it chooses to hold that. So maybe just because that song it was Christmas, so I associate it with a holiday and it was very uplifting. So that's, that's probably why my brain associates with that associated with a holiday. Right, right, and it was very uplifting. Yes, it was Definitely. That's probably why my brain associates with that with hip-hop, and I know I remember seeing the Sugar Hill records in the house and I remember watching the video with them performing. But I think that because Curtis Glow has had longevity, that's another reason it stayed in my mind too.

Speaker 2: 13:04

Right, right you know, and it's not with the same song, it's. You know, he's not noted for just one song and he had accolades in being in movies, so I think that's why that resonates a little different for me.

Speaker 1: 13:17

And you know I around Christmas time I do play that Curtis Blue. You know I do play that record, you know.

Speaker 1: 13:30

And so yeah, but you know, I have to as I grow older, I have to begin to realize, like when I was in the car with these young adults, that that's what I grew up on, right, what I grew up on on them, you know, because they have what they like and they have their own, for whatever reason or whatever gives them to their type of music. They have what they like and so you know, this is, this is what makes change, this is what keeps the wheel turning from generation to generation and generation, just the same way as hip-hop, rap music, however you want to. You know that concert that was, and this might have been before his time. I'm not even sure if those artists was around the time when I used to watch Video Music Box. You remember video music?

Speaker 2: 14:59

Shout out to Queens public library, where Alfred Daniels is the hip hop director of not just Merritt Boulevard but Bayside and other libraries in Queens and I would say, definitely, guys, get on there and check out Queens public library via Instagram.

Speaker 1: 15:19

There you go Outstanding. We appreciate that, and I'm sure Mr Ralph McDaniels will as well, because I used to watch it religiously. I had to get up in the morning and watch this video music box.

Speaker 2: 15:36

Can I share something with you? You what? There was actual studies done. Video music box came on every day when kids got out of school, so kids literally rushed home to go turn to Channel U. Some of y'all don't know about that. That's right, you had to get that good tinfoil 31, if I'm not mistaken.

Speaker 1: 16:02

You are correct.

Speaker 2: 16:04

Which is public access, free TV, and you had to get that good tinfoil for your many of you don't know rabbit ears. We had antennas back then that you had to lay them right so you could see it right. So, with that being said, there was a study that was done. So myself, you and our generation, they documented us going straight home to get to video music box and the crime rate in New York City actually was down at those times and y'all can Google that because that is fact.

Speaker 1: 16:41

I believe it.

Speaker 2: 16:42

Mm-hmm, I believe it. Shout out to Ralph McDaniel Visionary, it makes sense. Innovator yes.

Speaker 1: 16:49

Yeah, it makes a lot of sense and to touch on that, not to get too far off from where we was at, but to touch on that as well. This is one of my ideas that I've always thought about to help reduce the crime in our neighborhoods, because I feel that in public schools nowadays they are not teaching in a modern sense. You know, we have this thing now, lottery, and the money, the proceeds from the lottery go to schools and so forth and so on. But if you visit your public schools, I'm really really not seeing it visit your public schools.

Speaker 2: 17:37

I'm really really not seeing it.

Speaker 1: 17:46

I mean I'm not seeing a large enough improvement on the public schools. It only seems like it's getting worse. What do you mean? Crime in the schools? Kids carrying guns? When I went to school they wasn't bringing guns to school the way they are right now.

Speaker 2: 18:00

We didn't have days.

Speaker 1: 18:02

My point I was trying to get at is the failure to occupy the children's minds Now when we grew up. Okay, books and so forth and so on. That's the thing and that's what it is the chalkboard. But in this day and age there should be a whole, totally different system. We shouldn't still be looking at the same math books that were copyrighted in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. We shouldn't be looking at that. But a lot of these math books were just recently outdated, in the past 15, 20 years, and they've slightly changed. They're even trying to change the terminology.

Speaker 2: 18:47

I'm going to share this with you. My kids are now adults. So my twins are 27. My middle son is 26 and my youngest is 20. So just because you're talking about the public school system With me being able just to speak to that, with going through it with my kids that were part of the public school system, first of all, the curriculum did change.

Speaker 2: 19:20

It changed the common core. It isn't what it was when we were in school and my kids, who were born in 96, 98, 2004, are a product of common core where things did change up a lot, because I wasn't even able to help them with math. I couldn't even do a book report with them because I came from the era of who, what, where and why. So they want these kids to think bigger out the box. So with that I'm going to agree to disagree that the public school system in my, with the years I'm telling you with my kids, has changed. It isn't what we were in the bookstore. As a matter of fact, we're not talking about books now, we're talking about these. Kids are using smart boards and using tablets. So for my kids it changed.

Speaker 1: 20:13

Okay, If I go to a public school nowadays and I'm talking about Queens I'm sure there may be some schools that might have a smart board. I'm still seeing chalkboards in some schools.

Speaker 2: 20:44

Because they didn't remove them, because those were okay. Give you an example Flushing High School is a landmark. So whatever is in Flushing High School, they cannot change that school is a landmark. So therefore, you are going to go into these schools. These schools weren't just built. Now you might see when they start adding on new schools. You might not see a chalkboard, but what I will say to you, the probability is you will see one, because if we don't have Wi-Fi connection or the Internet goes down, we have to resort back to the old way. So you're not going to see necessarily chalkboards become obsolete because of that reason.

Speaker 1: 21:23

So let me ask you a question. We've come from just about the same era and how often have you come to a? Point where you're no longer able to access the Internet. What do you mean? You're unable, just period.

Speaker 2: 21:49

You're unable to access the Internet, wi-fi being down?

Speaker 1: 21:50

Yeah, how often does that happen to you?

Speaker 2: 21:53

Well, I'll be very a matter of fact with you. I work for one of the biggest hospitals. That is a monopoly, and, with that being said, now we're talking about health care. Oftentimes I come from the times where I transcribe orders and this allows the nurse to medicate her patient based on what I put on her medic. There are often times in that hospital where the system goes down and we have to resort back to paper, so it does happen a lot.

Speaker 1: 22:29

Okay, so I have one of my careers growing up and not to create a debate on this issue, but one of my careers growing up is in the computer industry. Okay, 30, 40 years in the computer industry. When I first started out in the computer industry, I was working on systems known as the 8088s and 8286s. One of the jobs I had was working for Microsoft and we might have come across situations where a studio executive might have an issue logging in, but for the most part, my question was to access the internet where most of the data is found. I don't remember I can't remember a time when the Internet was unattainable Only if it was related to something on my, like my system.

Speaker 2: 23:42

I can just tell you in my experience at the hospital, right, honestly. So between the Internet, ok, let me. Let me say this have you ever had to be a patient in a hospital?

Speaker 1: 23:55

Sure Just had an operation recently within the last couple of months.

Speaker 2: 24:00

Okay.

Speaker 2: 24:00

So, with that being said, I want to say that there are times that patients are waiting to get discharged in the morning, right, and you know, policy is we have to go over discharge, which you explain whether you're old meds or you're new meds to you, and this stuff has to be printed out.

Speaker 2: 24:16

Still, we still are one of the hospitals that has a paper trail, because the company is deciding on, I guess, which program they want to go with. So we still have a paper trail where some hospitals don't. So, with that being said, there is a lot of times that, let's say, my nurse is working from a portable computer and she has to find the Wi-Fi to catch it to be able to complete that discharge paperwork and to print it out so that that patient could leave the hospital and that bed ready for the next one. We are met a lot of times with delays because of Wi-Fi and internet, and we got to remember something, because we're not the only people in that large, you know, building depending on the same thing, so the system gets overloaded. So, with that being said, I'm telling you that those problems do present itself and that's why those chalkboards are still there.

Speaker 1: 25:17

Right, ok, so I'm going to move on from this, but to give you a little bit of clarification as to what I was referring to, I'm not talking about what is known as a WAN and a LAN.

Speaker 1: 25:32

This is your wide area and local area networks, which is within the corporation. I'm talking about the actual internet itself, which goes beyond your hospital. You go beyond your school and this is where the data is. And this is what I'm talking about when I say the Internet itself that I know of has actually not been down. Now, your network, which is an individual school's problem, like just because your hospital may not be able to access the Internet or the wifi, doesn't mean every hospital is unable to access the internet and wifi, so that's an individual problem.

Speaker 1: 26:22

So what I'm saying is that my point to get to move on is that as time changes and we move on to bigger and better things and newer technology, the school should move right along with it at just an equal pace as life itself is moving, and it's not been the case. You may have a smart board in the school today, but there should have been. Listen, I was just in school three years ago. Three years ago I was in a college. I went back to school for my bachelor's degree and there was a whole, and I was in the school of technology. There was a whole lot of chalkboard. And I'm just talking three years ago and we have I'm a grown man in class with students 20 and 30 years ago, but this is a school of technology. So what I'm saying is that we have to learn to understand that times have changed and times are consistently changing. We have to be within ourselves. We have to have an understanding as to when it's time I hate to say it to sit down, because you don't want to sit down. It's a way to keep your memory flowing, but you have to understand when you're not relevant as the term uses, the newer generation might use it You're not relevant at this point.

Speaker 1: 28:06

If I'm not mistaken, there is a museum for hip hop. There is, and so that in itself, when I first heard of that and I went there, I said to myself well, this is, this is coming to a head right now. You know what I mean. If they feel that this belongs in a museum, then in some form or fashion someone is putting is characterizing it as before and not the future. So, with that being said, when someone does a concert and you're doing music, you have to really understand your audience. You have to understand your audience. You have to understand your audience. You have to understand who you're playing for and who you're playing to. You know, and we spoke about this before- yeah.

Speaker 1: 29:26

And you know like I use this scenario with the Chinese restaurant. You know it's hard to take an Asian person to a soulful restaurant and expect them to enjoy it Like you would someone from the South. You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 29:42

We're not saying that's a fact. That's not a fact Because we have a lot of we have a lot of Asians that are mixed with Jamaican, so we're not saying the whole population, please audience. We're not.

Speaker 1: 29:55

No, I'm not saying that, but it's just a figure of speech. Okay, this is what I'm saying. It's a figure of speech, what I'm saying. If you open a soul food restaurant, you can't expect the majority of your clients to be Asian. If you open a soul food restaurant, I wouldn't expect that, I wouldn't expect most of my customers to be Asian, I would not.

Speaker 1: 30:30

I'm not saying I wouldn't expect an Asian to come in, because I was in the supermarket the other day and you know what I mean and there was an African American male with an Asian girlfriend and brother stopped me and says hey, tell her, you know what goes with macaroni and cheese. What do you need to make a macaroni and cheese? Tell me, this is not it right here. And he pulls up a can of carnation milk and he says, like this is the main ingredient. Well, she has no idea she. He's like it's like he's talking French to her in some sort of way and she says to me she says I don't know, that's his thing, he does the cooking or whatever. So in my mind I'm laughing. But again, the point here is that things change.

Speaker 1: 31:28

You know what I mean.

Speaker 2: 31:31

And our concert. I love when you say things change, you know what I mean and our concert I love.

Speaker 1: 31:37

When you say things change, you know what I mean and our concert promoters. Concert promoters and artists have to understand that.

Speaker 2: 31:45

We're going to put a bullet point there. Audience Promoters.

Speaker 1: 31:48

Concert promoters yes.

Speaker 2: 31:50

Okay, key words in this conversation. Key words yes, yes, key words in this conversation.

Speaker 1: 31:54

Key words yes, yes. And artists you know they need to understand who they playing to. You can't fault somebody If you were getting paid to perform at a concert and they're not interested in listening to your song. Maybe they came there for someone else or lack of better words.

Speaker 2: 32:19

Lack of better words, they don't even know who you are, what your music is about. That it was probably the better way to say that when we're dealing with, when we're dealing with artists okay, going and doing concerts listen, I understand that. Back when you guys started, you didn't sign contracts with dental plans, 401k rock rough iras. You didn't at that time, what you know may have not been knowledgeable in what that. One day you were going to get old. Okay, I'm just going to say it like that one day you're going to get old. So here's the reality of the situation. One day, sheree is 19, shereef is 19 years old. The next time you turn around and look, she's's 50 years old. What does she put into her Social Security if I'm just out there rapping and those tax dollars are not going towards that? So, with that being said, that goes the same way choosing the audience and not just going for the money. Not just going for the money, because if you're going for the money because you're out here still working the circuit right, which you, you, yay, I appreciate y'all walking the circuit, but the fact of the matter is you got to get in where you fit in Bottom line, bottom line. You got to get in where you fit in. Here's the great thing.

Speaker 2: 33:52

My children, my kids, were born hearing Gangstar. They know who DJ Premier is. They recognize when a beat is produced by Premier. My kids are familiar with Nas who, in my opinion, is the chosen one. And the fact of the matter is we could go back further with hip hop, with digging in the crate. My kids are familiar with that. But you are responsible for what you pour into yours and because me and my husband God rest his soul were music people, we poured into these kids so that they are able to relate to not just their generation, to ours, and have a great appreciation and, most importantly, respect. But everybody going to these concerts, promoters, are not who my kids are. So, with that being said, you have a responsibility to say to the artists yes, I know you want to make this money, but let me explain something. You might meet this situation where people, or young people, are not familiar with your music. Don't be offended If you're here to make the money. Make the money and then introduce them to you because this is their first introduction to you.

Speaker 1: 35:10

That's all I'm saying. First introduction to you. That's all I'm saying. I like the term introduce them to you, which was more of the way it should have went down. It's more of the way it should have went down because they don't know you. You know what I mean. I like that term introduce. You should have did a whole, a whole spiel on how it got started, and you know I'm talking about the entertainer. You know what I mean. Not a spiel in terms of verbal, but a quick, elevated pitch and go right into how it began and how we started and how it started in the parks and one of the ways that I know Basically you're saying brown sugar it.

Speaker 2: 35:55

We have a movie called Brown Sugar, one of the ways and it says when did you fall in Hold on one second?

Speaker 1: 36:00

One of the ways that I came to understand and hear hip hop is from back in the days we used to go to the parks and we used to jam in the parks and there there there was uh dance to the drummer's beat and there was a lot of this 45 things right, there was a lot of this music that did not necessarily have rap to it, you and so what happened was the first to come about that I can remember was, eventually, the MC.

Speaker 1: 36:41

So the MC comes on and he wanted to get into the groove and at then, at that time, he wasn't really classified as an MC. He was just down with the DJ who was playing the song.

Speaker 2: 36:55

It was the hype man. It was the hype man.

Speaker 1: 36:58

Right, the hype man or he would be the one that would be introducing the DJ or upcoming events to get the crowd to come to the next show. And with his introduction he started to come on with a little rhythmic flavor. And that rhythmic flavor and what he said I want everybody to throw your hands up in the air. This sort of thing started to generate into a rap and then it went on from there.

Speaker 2: 37:36

I would like to say to our audience there may be some parts of this that Some of you I'll say it. I'll say it the way Jay-Z said it. Allow me to reintroduce myself. With that being said, we have wild style, crush, groove, brown sugar and B street, which are all movies. If you're not in our era that, if you want to understand what me and Leroy are speaking about here today, you can go back to those movies and they will help introduce you to what we're talking about and how we became familiar.

Speaker 1: 38:17

Right, and let me add something I like to give resources. Let me also add something to that, and this is what brought about and how what you're listening to today has migrated from, and so this is why the older generation wants you to understand. You just didn't start with what you're listening to now that migrated from the old school. Preach, preach.

Speaker 2: 38:54

Let me tell you something. Let me be very honest with you guys as an audience and I'm not talking to my era, because they're familiar Real quickly I want to shout out a large professor of Queens who is phenomenal. Not only did he have main source, this is where Nas from Queensbridge was discovered at live at the barbecue. Respecting your space. We're respecting the fact that you're not going to wave your hands in the air because you don't come up from the wave your hand in the air and the park jam era. You didn't come up in the era where we had Brooklyn Queens Day and I saw Keith Murray perform the most beautiful thing in the world.

Speaker 2: 39:42

What we're doing is what, respectfully, was not given to you guys. We're giving you an introduction into our world and why we appreciate it and we pay homage to it via through video music box which you can see on YouTube, via through going to city park concerts, via to being at hip hop, rock, the bells summer jam and we have segments where they give respect to our era. We're going to properly what me and Leroy are doing here today is introduce you so that you guys are not being forced into this being disrespectful thing, because you can't be disrespectful about something you have no clue about. Parents are having kids a lot younger. Your parent may not even have grown up in our era, so therefore you have no knowledge of it. So what we are actually doing is, if you choose, to want to understand what that famous rapper was upset about, we don't want to be upset with you, we want to introduce you. That's what's occurring here this morning, right?

Speaker 1: 40:55

Right and it's important to understand. I mean, these guys did a lot, a lot of work. You know, you just don't become famous overnight, overnight, nope, they took a lot work.

Speaker 2: 41:09

You know, you just don't become famous overnight. They took a lot. You might have been at a roller skating rink, performing For a long period of time.

Speaker 1: 41:15

At the parks, the record companies was turning you down. You had to knock on doors. Even 50 Cent, who just you, you know coming out more in the newer generation, you know, look, he had to go to the west coast at some point because he wasn't getting the type of recognition that he wanted, you know so, and he hustled hard yes, he hustled hard we didn't even get into mixtapes.

Speaker 2: 41:47

This man was putting out his even get into mixtape. This man was putting out his own music on mixtape and selling them and went out there. Guess what? He didn't have the internet like y'all had to promote himself. His promotion came from word of mouth. Our generation had to work hella hard to get notarized. Let me tell you something Nas had to work hella hard to get the credit that he did.

Speaker 2: 42:16

Jay-z came on the jazz with Hawaiian Sophie and these they worked. They worked. There was no internet to say, hey, I'm going to get up here and I'm going to say this and do this and then 5,000 people are going to like it. No, that is not the way they came. They came via 7 train. J can train F train via If. If Mr C got your record and spun it. Biggie had to work too Okay. News slash Biggie had to work too Okay. He went from ashy to classy and your generation ain't going from ashy to classy, because y'all are already coming out sporting a shirt that is in a budget that I can't afford. That's not their story. We come from humble beginnings.

Speaker 1: 43:09

The real deal. Holyfield used to run that all the time. The real deal. You know you wouldn't have your Twitter and text messaging and Facebook if it wasn't for people of my age, in my era, way back when and I say I do mean way back when in the 80, 88 and 82, 86 eras so those are chips, by the way and there was text messaging going on back there in the 70s, little do you know when systems were connected to a network. Whatever you was doing on a computer, I can break through the screen and send you a text message way in the 70s and 80s. Yeah, so this happened way in the 70s and 80s, and so don't think that you know, it just happened now and that I mean you got to tell them, you got to tell them.

Speaker 1: 44:21

Wait, wait, wait, hold on, Hold on, hold on Real real, real, real.

Speaker 2: 44:24

Hold on one second.

Speaker 1: 44:24

You're going to miss it. Hold on Real, the real, real, the real. Hold on one second. So what I'm saying is that we created this. We created this text messaging and Facebook and all this sort of stuff. It was because of what we did in the past, and this is what artists are telling you. They're telling you what they did in the past to make it possible for you to do what you're doing today.

Speaker 2: 44:56

Okay, what did we make possible? What were we using? Explain to our audience we were using reel-to-reels. Explain how we got to the internet, leroy.

Speaker 1: 45:05

Right, well, that's what I just did. I explained reel-to-reel.

Speaker 2: 45:08

What appointment did we use Reel-to-reel?

Speaker 1: 45:10

Hold on. Reel-to-reel is on the audio side, but I'm referring to the computer, the digital, analog side. When we was using computers to send text messages there wasn't cell phones. Then we wasn't using cell phones. My first cell phone and I understand what Busta Rhymes is saying my first cell phone was probably before most people, when I was walking around with a cell phone. I didn't see nobody else walking around with a cell phone Because it was so expensive they couldn't afford it.

Speaker 1: 45:42

I paid $2,500 in the mid-'80s for a cell phone, $2,500 in the mid-80s for a cell phone which required a $500 deposit and $1.50 per minute, and the cell phone company was called Mobile One. If you want to know what my cell phone looked like, watch a version. Watch an episode of Miami Vice.

Speaker 2: 46:07

I think they had it on there, an older episode of Miami Vice. I'm going to tell you who else had it Leroy Flick, rick had one in a video. You only saw a few rappers with this. You know, with this capacity, well, even if it wasn't theirs, the record companies would get it to give this imagery in a video of wealth. So if you guys Google it, and these things were huge, this wasn't like the ones you could put in your pocket.

Speaker 1: 46:36

I'm quite sure Leroy had a case that came with it A black leather case with a strap that went across my shoulder. Shout out to old school. You know, I used to always ride around in limos back in the days, and then we came out with the car phone. Oh, you was really doing something, because nobody had a phone in the car.

Speaker 1: 46:58

No, I'm sitting in the back of the limo with the window down on the phone, that's you know. I mean I'm telling my age, but I'm like you know. I mean, you're right, I'm telling my age, but I'm like. You know what?

Speaker 2: 47:08

this is crazy go ahead and tell your age because, let me tell you something, a lot of people didn't make it to his age. So I god bless leroy, because a lot of people from our era did not make it and we have lost some giants that came from our eras. If we just right now pay some homage to Heavy D, that was just from Mount Vernon, that was just a force we lost. God, let me just share this with you Mr C, okay, okay, mr C, he rightfully had the name the Finisher and I was blessed enough to be to his memorial service and meet with his family and with the community that loved him. We have lost Prince Marky D, who was on Rock the Bell Sirius Radio, where LL Cool J is given back to our era by giving them jobs on Rock the Bells, where they have 401ks and pensions and, at this age, are getting what is rightfully their due. Shout out to LL Cool J Queens gets the money. You know, we lost some giants, guys.

Speaker 1: 48:24

You don't even know about them. I got a group for you. You don't even know about them. I got a group for you. You ready, go ahead. How about the Fat Boys?

Speaker 2: 48:30

Go Good God, almighty Force. Mcs, staten Island, stand up. We've lost. They are a whole rebuilt brand. And let me tell you something. They could listen, listen, I ain't even going to talk about it. If you really that concerned about it, go google it, go youtube it. We, we listen. We had rappers that quoted bible quotes that if you ain't in the church you wouldn't even listen. Heavy d said many are called, but the chosen are few, and all I want to know is it good to you? We had giants baby. So when we win so respectfully let me back up Buster it hurts because we, because they, they worked hard.

Speaker 2: 49:21

I remember when Buster Rons was leaders of the new school, buster Rhymes was leaders of the new school. I remember Lost Boys when they were in Jamaica Queens at backyard parties performing before they got a contract. These guys work for the positions and guess what? I understand Buster Rhymes. Let's not say anger, because they like to attach us with anger. Let me not use that word. Let me say frustration. But guess what? His promoter, who is possibly much younger than him, didn't really think about how to properly put Busta Rhymes in a good situation.

Speaker 2: 50:02

And that's just my own assumption. I'm not saying that's the case. So please don't get offended by what I'm saying, but what I'm saying is when you pull up to a wedding and you've gotten a beautiful invitation, in your right mind you pull up dressed appropriately. If you got to go face that judge at court some of you younger kids don't know what my generation knows you come in there and you present yourself properly. You put on a slacks and a shirt and a tie. A lot of y'all are walking in the court with your pants hung down and sneakers on and expecting that you're going to get a pass just because you showed up. Well, if you probably talk to us from our generation, you might think we're all squares. But let me tell you something All that stuff that y'all are doing was going on in our generation and all we're trying to do is give you access to our lane so that you can do better.

Speaker 2: 51:02

We are not trying to shove nothing down your throat. I promise you that If you don't want to be part of our circle, that's okay, right, right. But what we're going to say to you is when it goes down and you run back to us and go Yo, son, and we go yes, young man. Well, this is probably why this turned out this way? Because of the way you showed up, and that's where Buster's rhymes rhymes not anger, because he's not an angry black man. Frustration, because he's really trying to give you the formula, and dr dray talked about the formula and in in in in his career, there's a formula and all we're trying to do is give you the formula from where we got the formula from and keep hip hop alive, regardless of how you want to express it. We got to keep it alive, but we always got to pay respect from where it comes from. So, because we didn't formally introduce ourselves, allow us to reintroduce ourselves.

Speaker 1: 52:07

While you was talking, you know, I said let me find out who the promoters of this show was. And I've come up with a company called the Solomon Group and if you click on the Solomon Group and then click on the About Us, they have a page there of the people involved in making the Solomon Group what it is. And let me tell you something I don't see nobody over there that look like they're under 38.

Speaker 2: 52:42

Wait, wait, wait. Say that again, say that again Under.

Speaker 1: 52:45

Under 38. None of them look like they're under 38. Maybe one person I mean over 38. I'm sorry.

Speaker 2: 52:54

Yeah, that's why I said say that again.

Speaker 1: 52:56

There's one gentleman, let me see one, two, three, maybe three that look like they could possibly be over 38.

Speaker 2: 53:06

And we can't even say that, Leroy, because these kids my mother, always used to say to me Sharif, if you play hard, you're going to look hard. And I'm going to say that to y'all and y'all generation, Y'all play so hard that by the time you get me in Leroy's age, I don't know if the fountain of youth is going to preserve you. So that's what sometimes we're trying to give to you too, is that? How do you preserve this thing called youth? Well, guess what? There's a formula to that.

Speaker 1: 53:42

Because if you play hard now, I promise you you're going to look hard later. I'm looking at the opening lines on this page the Solomon Group. Listen to what this first sentence says who we are. We are passionate teams of creators, technologists, producers and fabricators of experience who thrive on the complexity of delivering what's next. Let me repeat that, on delivering, the complexity of delivering what's next?

Speaker 2: 54:19

Well, I'm going to just say this to you Some of those artists is not what's next?

Speaker 1: 54:25

Well, I'm going to just tell you something not.

Speaker 2: 54:25

what's next? Well, I'm going to just tell you the wordage that they use to speak about the company may not, in some of our cases, even be familiar wordage to us, so just reading that tells you. We could go back and go back to Russell Simmons, who is a big deal in our community With his label. See what the words look like.

Speaker 1: 54:59

And I promise you it ain't going to sound like that. Right, Mentioning Russell Simmons. He would, in order for the crowd to be the right crowd, In order for the crowd to be the right crowd, he would have been a better promoter for an event like that for people to appreciate the old school.

Speaker 2: 55:19

Guess what, what, guess what? I'm going to give you one better guys, you who would have been an appropriate setting to help facilitate or give advice on crowd promotions, because he tends to stay, he always stays in his lane, ralph McDaniels. A lot of people are not listen, drink champs, give them his roses. I'm going to just say that, nori, I have affiliations with Left Rock City. I'm from there. Nori, give Ralph McDaniels his flowers.

Speaker 2: 55:56

And I'm going to say this to you why? Because every artist that me and Leroy have either mentioned or not mentioned today because there's too many to mention they all had to go through video Music Box in order for promotion, including Eric B and Rakim. Everybody had to go through route to get seen on TV because there was no other black platform, because MTV was not checking for us. Don't get it twisted. What happened was, with that situation, yo, mtv Raps was born because of video music. And guess what? That's? When they got the message that hip hop was a big thing and they said let me go find these young black men and put them on there. And what happened was Ralph McDaniels could have taken that lane. But guess what Ralph McDaniels does? He plays by his own rules and he wasn't about to play second to something he created.

Speaker 1: 56:58

And speaking of playing by its own rules, we also not only innovated that history of hiphop and rap, but we also brought out publications to produce and to do write-ups on our own hip-hop and rap.

Speaker 2: 57:19

There was Right On, right On.

Speaker 1: 57:22

Right On Magazine and.

Speaker 2: 57:24

The Source, remember the Source, the.

Speaker 1: 57:26

Source.

Speaker 2: 57:27

You know what I mean. Okay, how do y'all think y'all get Love Hip Hop? It came from somewhere, baby, and I know y'all my young people out there. Y'all watch Love Hip Hop. Those people that you are looking at on that show are from our generation, some of them, and if they're not from Leroy's generation, they're from mines or someone in the middle of me. It all comes out of there. You're not watching your people on love, love and hip hop. You're watching our people and y'all are keeheeheehing at these shows but yet not going back and looking to see where it came from.

Speaker 2: 58:04

So once again, I'll say this one more time Busta Rhymes' frustration comes from the fact to some ability or some source of communication or visual. You guys are in our lane but, respectfully, not knowing. You're in our lane. And I gave an example with Love Hip Hop. Y'all know who Peter Gunz is. That's our time baby, okay, and he has a son that is in y'all's age, that's got music out. So, in some way, fashion or form, whether it be through jewelry, clothes, sneakers, brands, television movies y'all are in our lane, but you brands, television movies, y'all are in our lane, but you just don't know it. That's right. So that's where the frustration comes from.

Speaker 1: 58:55

That's right, and for this reason you do owe some form of respect to the older generation. You know, I'm looking at one more thing. I'm going to bring up about this promoters of the Essence Festival, and then I'm going to back out of here. I'm looking at another paragraph and the first three words you ready, Ready Fifteen years ago. Be Jesus.

Speaker 2: 59:26

Lord.

Speaker 1: 59:28

Hold on. Let me add that 15 years ago, Solomon Group proudly opened its doors in the culture of wealth and spring that is New Orleans. So here's a company that opened 15 years ago Busta Rhymes. History goes way before that.

Speaker 2: 59:52

We're celebrating over 50 years of hip hop Over 50 years. And Ralph is doing that Over 50 years of hip hop we're paying homage to and the math ain't mapping here, Leroy, that's right and you know what, and you know what this promoters.

Speaker 1: 1:00:08

this Solomon Group wouldn't have a leg to stand on if it wasn't for old school hip hop bringing forth rap and hip hop to the masses in order for it to be a mainstream genre of music. So you wouldn't have had Solomon Group if it wasn't for old school to give you your essence festival this year Shit, so you gotta remember to the young black you. This is where it comes from 15?

Speaker 2: 1:00:47

You said 15, right, that math ain't mathin'.

Speaker 1: 1:00:50

Only 15 years ago.

Speaker 2: 1:00:52

And we are celebrating over 50 years of hip-hop. So here we go. Not trying to, we're absolutely supporting why y'all were sitting down and looking at phones, but we're actually showing you, because you are a much smarter generation from us. You have the internet where you could say you know what? Let me Google why you guys are more innovator than we ever can be. With that being said, y'all could have said listen, let me just say this because, respectfully, I have to say it.

Speaker 2: 1:01:32

So we have two other famous brought together rappers one that stars on Powers as an attorney, the other one that is a representative of New Jersey, coming via one of them through Wu-Tang Clan, them through Wu-Tang Clan. With that being said, they announced publicly that they would no longer be participating in Summer Jam because they felt disrespected. But once again, if we had the time, I'm quite sure Leroy would have Googled who was the promoters for that. And I bet you that math wouldn't have math either, because what happens is he was so disgraced, distasteful by the audience, lack of participation he has vowed that he would never go back there again. But check y'all, watch him on power. That's all I'm going to say about that.

Speaker 1: 1:02:30

I have to because of the topic and the artist that we're discussing, I must respectfully name two other people. Are you there?

Speaker 2: 1:02:43

I'm here.

Speaker 1: 1:02:44

One of the groups I want to mention is Jam Master J, Run DMC and Jam Master J.

Speaker 2: 1:02:52

Rest in peace.

Speaker 1: 1:02:53

Rest in peace and Doug E Fresh and Slick. Rick because they was creatively masterminds at what they did. You know, not only did Doug E Fresh have rap or produce rap music, but he also added a spin to it with, you know, B-Box and this generation doesn't know nothing about that, but he created something within itself that everybody wanted to be a part of and nobody knew how to do it. You just can't go on stage and beatbox.

Speaker 2: 1:03:36

Nope, you can't, you just can't do that Because there's only two famous for it, one being via the Fat Boy and Dougie Fresh. Okay, and I'm going to tell you, let me tell you something. They make the music with your mouth, biz. Rest in peace. Rest in peace. Okay, there's a lot of history, young men, young women and and let me let me just say this to you respectfully, I've said it more than once Ralph McDaniels is the director of the hip hop program at Queens Public Library where, at least twice or more times out of the week, he has performers come, speakers come, not just about hip hop, about businesses and a lot of things, and he even had the lady that started Right On Magazine there.

Speaker 2: 1:04:33

I apologize for not remembering her name at this time, but you can follow Right On on Instagram. With respectfully that being said, if you want to know something, take yourself right down to Queens Public Library. It's free, ac. I promise you you won't be disappointed. Not only will you learn the history of hip hop, but you might find a job. You, me and Leroy, or maybe even care about what me and Leroy is saying Take yourself down to Queens Public Library and see what Ralph McDaniels is doing.

Speaker 1: 1:05:26

And, on that note, this is your host, og GOAT and Sharif Queens Gets the Money. We'd like to thank you for tuning in and Sharif, before we leave, is there anything you would like to say?

Speaker 2: 1:05:43

I'd probably like to say I'm on Instagram as Sharif plus Peyton, but that's my spiritual thing going on there. I also have Simple Girls Live on IG where we just promote tricks me and my sister-in-law, where we went on and follow Queens Public Library on IG. On IG Every Saturday from 12.30 and then next session starting at 1,. Ralph McDaniels is live on there. The first segment is usually about something bringing attention to the public and the second edition at 1 is him spinning 45. So check it out y'all. Queens Public Library IG Ralph McDaniels Video Music Box still on Channel 25,. Check it out y'all. Queens Public Library IG Ralph McDaniels video music box still on channel 25 every Saturday at midnight.

Speaker 1: 1:06:35

check it out thank you and thanks for coming to the show today, sharif thank you for having me you're quite welcome and this is your pod host, og Goat, and we're out.