Realer Than Most Podcast
MANNY FOR MAYOR | FEAT MANNY215 | RTM PODCAST EP.12
Can resilience and faith uplift an entire community? Join us for an intimate conversation as we honor Manny215, our special guest who transcends mere labels and is considered family by all. We dive deep into Manny215's life, celebrating his selflessness, unwavering commitment to mental health, and steadfast religious faith. Through personal stories and heartfelt tributes, we capture the essence of his character and the rock-solid bond we share. This episode is a tribute to the enduring brotherhood, mutual respect, and the inspiring qualities that define Manny215 as a father and friend.
In another compelling segment, we explore the remarkable journey of Manny215, a serial entrepreneur from North Philadelphia. Growing up amidst the challenges of poverty, Manny215's story is a testament to his resilience and the power of community ties. Without millions in the bank, he's built three companies and remained grounded in his roots. From his formative years in the Charbain Mansion area to his rise as an entrepreneur, Manny215 reflects on how his upbringing shaped his indomitable spirit. Tune in for a narrative filled with inspiration, determination, and the shared human experiences that connect us all.
Can resilience and faith uplift an entire community? Join us for an intimate conversation as we honor Manny215, our special guest who transcends mere labels and is considered family by all. We dive deep into Manny215's life, celebrating his selflessness, unwavering commitment to mental health, and steadfast religious faith. Through personal stories and heartfelt tributes, we capture the essence of his character and the rock-solid bond we share. This episode is a tribute to the enduring brotherhood, mutual respect, and the inspiring qualities that define Manny215 as a father and friend.
In another compelling segment, we explore the remarkable journey of Manny215, a serial entrepreneur from North Philadelphia. Growing up amidst the challenges of poverty, Manny215's story is a testament to his resilience and the power of community ties. Without millions in the bank, he's built three companies and remained grounded in his roots. From his formative years in the Charbain Mansion area to his rise as an entrepreneur, Manny215 reflects on how his upbringing shaped his indomitable spirit. Tune in for a narrative filled with inspiration, determination, and the shared human experiences that connect us all.
I'm your host, rilla. I'm Cash. I'm WhiteboyD2A. Welcome to the Rilla. The Most Podcast, and today we got a special guest our brother he ain't even no guest. This is bro Like he wanna get?
Speaker 2:treated Like.
Speaker 1:Like a I was trying to.
Speaker 2:I was trying to. You know what I mean.
Speaker 1:No, but we still Gonna get my boy His just due Because he doing Magical, great things Out here. He really deserve the, the interview done In the right Light, in the right way, definitely by a relative most Because he, we, all three of us hold him close to our heart. This is our brother, so we're gonna we're gonna do this right yeah man, uh, I ain't gonna lie like you don't you?
Speaker 2:you don't know me unless you like. If you know me then you know how I feel about this dude man. Like I knew him for almost a decade and a half, like we was in elementary together and all that. But like when we really got close and stuff like and there were just certain ways how bro moved man Like Selfless, he always made sure people was you know levels around him Mindset, the mental health. When it come to the religion Islam, he like he just really one of them.
Speaker 1:Everything that people rap about and pretend to be.
Speaker 2:You feel me, but I ain't gonna go too long Co-founder. What I wish, I knew.
Speaker 1:Not co CEO, my fault.
Speaker 2:I forgot you right.
Speaker 3:And your face resources Power community.
Speaker 2:Don't get tricked Out. Your spot All over the news. Fuck the streets, fuck the streets and most importantly, most importantly man, great, great, great, great, great father like.
Speaker 1:To the max.
Speaker 2:Like to the max.
Speaker 1:Give Like to the max.
Speaker 2:Give it up, me, and the two and five my friend Give it up for my boy man.
Speaker 1:He in the building my brother my brother.
Speaker 2:I already know, yeah, how y'all feeling.
Speaker 3:Man Damn near good, Damn near good, Like you really. This our second go around for the. Yeah, it was the first episode On the joint. But you know, and that's why, you be so patient with us.
Speaker 1:I love you bro.
Speaker 2:And I just wanna thank you.
Speaker 1:I love you too, bro, cause, like you never like, put no pressure on us. Like you feel me, you never like Yo, what's up with that? What's up with our episode Like, what's up with my episode Like, cause you know that's how these be going on, like in this space, like yeah, they get on camera.
Speaker 3:What's up with their?
Speaker 1:footage. That day, white boy actually became a part of the pot yeah, yeah, I remember, yeah, because you walked up.
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah and it's crazy, like even me, like I don't. I don't need to be tripping over stuff like that, because I know, at the end of the day, it's like you're not in control, man like right, this guy's time and you feel me Like we can't, we can't out work and out hustle a lot. You feel me so like If it ain't Happen, it just wasn't in the cutter At that moment. You gotta be patient.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, no, I don't feel that way. Say no, I ain't gonna hold you. Man, like, like I always tell people Like, this dude was the first person that made me realize, like you don't probably, bro, that was trying to move a certain way and there was everybody around him with peer pressure to move the opposite way and he didn't crack Right and he always loved me for me, bro, locked up coming back. Locked up coming back. He ain't put no type of of turn it, turn that joint on, uh and put it on mute. But yeah, um, appreciate that he uh good looking, good looking me.
Speaker 2:But yeah, uh, he never like judged me or make me feel like I was less of a person like everybody else. Right, he just said this is my brother and I'm always trying to get him right. But even if he wrong, I'm going to tell him by himself, I'm going to check him. I'm not going to be like going behind. Oh, yeah, he did that, he did this and he do that. He ain't regular, he ain't normal. You feel what I'm saying. You feel what I'm saying. So, like I could sit here and talk about like a hundred reasons why me and bro close how he is.
Speaker 1:I like you a lot, man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:So like I want to start, my shit you too, bro, we normally start it off I normally start it off in a way where, like I run down your life and all that no-transcript. You're so helpful, bro. And not only is you helpful, though, like you like Push us to be like Doing the right shit to the max, and then it's like you know how, like you got one of them niggas in the hood That'll try to like Brother Sharif. You Like, no, he, he don't be on that. Like he on that, but he not on that, he not as aggressive, he not trying to like super pushing on us.
Speaker 1:He know his honors, he know like he know what we believe and we know we, we are muslim or whatever, but like he don't try to like brother sharif is bro, you know I'm saying, but he, but we know, like where his faith at and where he want us at. You know what I'm saying and the things that he do for us, the things we talk about personally and shit like that. He's just been a hell of a friend, bro. So I just wanted to start off with me just saying that, because we don't normally get that, bro, like a motherfucker. You know for real, for real, like where we from and would call that dicky, you know, whatever, like ever since we met, like yeah, like really locked in.
Speaker 3:Like you know what I'm saying, like we've known each other for years, you're the whole dicky engine. It's like even when you think about slam, like you know, you can praise people in truth you know what I'm saying, right like if, if you going outside of truth to praise somebody will be praised somebody, then they'll be talking about Dickie, you know. I'm saying but you know, when we talk about people in truth like factual things about them, even if it's factual with how we feel and our perception on it's not Dick, that's just love, and we can't be scared to spread love amongst one another you feel me like that's, that's what the, the dean is.
Speaker 1:You know, I'm saying like yeah, you just like it's not. It, like you said, be genuine, it's authentic. So like when you meet an individual like that man like me personally, I just cherish my people so it's like, definitely, when it's strong and it's genuine and authentic like that, I hold it close to me because we lose loved ones every day but like um, that's what he's doing at the school.
Speaker 3:You know I have him. You'll look to your left, look to your right. You know what I'm saying right tell a person that the reality that's, that's next to you, that you love them, and a lot of kids they like I don't know what you mean. Not, we gotta break it down like, statistically like, and we here, we here to tell y'all he gonna be in jail we somebody gonna be in jail you probably not gonna talk to her no more.
Speaker 3:You probably never gonna see her no more after y'all graduate for like another seven years she gonna strip this person yeah, so it's she going to be tricking? Is that what?
Speaker 1:you consider Unlaming the lameness.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like just giving them the reality you know what I'm saying and you know Not to push, like you know like, um, like negative stigmas on them, but just letting them know the reality.
Speaker 1:It's a harsh reality.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's just harsh Like this is what we fall victim to. You know what I'm saying and you know. You just take heed to the words. You know what I'm saying. You know we can't get nobody's body and change them, but you just take heed to the words, you know. Maybe you can think about your next decision. And do something a little bit differently. You feel me Right, right, right.
Speaker 1:Alright, so let's Get into it.
Speaker 2:Y'all ready? Yeah, my boy. Mny 215 man um first thing you got action.
Speaker 1:Who, manny? You already know, man, y'all want to play, whatever it's all, because you know he do yeah yeah yeah, man, I'm retiring man we still. This is what we do on here.
Speaker 2:He got music we banging one of them. Joints automatic start that.
Speaker 1:That's automatic. So which one we gonna?
Speaker 2:play. I ain't gonna lie bro, I don't even wanna play, no song bro. Let's just get right into it, bro. Say no more.
Speaker 3:Bro ready for it.
Speaker 2:Let's get it, let's get it.
Speaker 1:Who Manny, 215 man. Where you from who's?
Speaker 3:Manny. Oh man, I be always something they be like when you from'll be always something they had. They'd like you probably like this is my city, real right, you know what I'm saying like it's really my city tell them what is it 24, some mcdeary with a sign that you feel me like right shout out to the city. Man, but you know, I like to look at myself. You feel me as like a regular human being, like everybody else feel me.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:I know Cash probably think Like he always got some Thorough shit to say.
Speaker 2:Always bro.
Speaker 3:No, but just genuinely how I feel. Like you know I understand that. You know like God bless Whom he will With certain positions In life, and you know when I ponder over my life and where I came from To where I'm at, I know I'm in a real Favorable position, like I feel Sure that if I was To go right now I won. You know what I'm saying, even without having A million dollars In my bank account. I've never seen A million dollars. So you know, like um, I just like looking myself like a human being, like I go through the same experiences as everybody else, saying gotta overcome the same stuff that we all gotta overcome coming from poverty right you feel me, um, but you know, if you want to get into the specifics of titles, um, I like to categorize myself as a serial entrepreneur.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying, right?
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 3:You know, right now I'm currently actively building. You know three companies, the first of which is All right.
Speaker 1:Hold on, hold on, wait, you're rushing Calm down. I got you, he trying to zoom past.
Speaker 2:I got you.
Speaker 1:Skate. You know I got you All right. So my boy Manny215, from Philadelphia to North Philadelphia section, you know what I'm saying. You growing up, what were some of your early influences coming up and how was your household growing up?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm from uptown, but I got a lot of family down there too, as you said. A lot of people don't know that I got a lot of family down there, Toast K as you said it. A lot of people don't know that I got a lot of family down there, Like down at Charbain Mansion and all that.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But my early influences, bro. I was raised. I was raised by by three beautiful women who are already all unique in their own right. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:First and foremost, my homie, my godmom and you know my grandma. You know what I'm saying and these are people who have Shaped me, raised me and taught me certain stuff. It's like it's stuff that when I'm in the schools and I'm talking to certain young boys and I'm telling them the importance of looking somebody in in the eye, you know I'm saying this is something that a woman taught me. You know I'm saying like yo, look me in my eye when I'm talking to.
Speaker 3:You know I'm saying like don't don't drop your head, none of that. You know I'm saying um, you know, my, my, my resilience of like just persevere, like it's crazy. I remember like just not having a car and walking around the whole city from this place to this place, grinding, selling clothes, putting together events, and I'm walking everywhere and I can't help but say, hamdi Allah, thank you for my mom, because my mom Never had a car. So as a young boy, I walked everywhere With my mom. You know what I'm saying. So it was never Nothing for me to just Get up, you know what.
Speaker 3:I'm saying and slide yeah, like it ain't nothing for me To get on a bus. You know what I'm saying. Like you know what I mean, you might catch me on a bus on a bad day. You know what I'm saying but that ain't going to stop me from doing what I got to do to move ahead. You know what?
Speaker 2:I'm saying Right.
Speaker 1:Okay, growing up in the uptown section.
Speaker 3:And I got to say shout out to my step-pop.
Speaker 1:So shout out to my step-pop Talk about it.
Speaker 3:My brother and my sister that you feel stuff right, my brother, my brother and my, my brother and my sister, uh, that for me, he, like, he, he showed me like the importance of like showing up when you need to be there, like when a man need to be there. You know what?
Speaker 2:I'm saying like right it's time.
Speaker 3:Like you know, you probably can't get a dollar out of you, but I don't watch the crib burn down. The crib burn down, toughen out the game and he pull out. I'm like dang yeah and I'm like all right perspective on money, how it should be spent, you know when it's time, when it's when it's when it's really time.
Speaker 3:He gonna take care of it 100% and even like the role that he played in my life, like taking me to certain Like football camps, driving me to college Stuff like that. I don't know my dad, he ain't have to do that.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying, facts, you know.
Speaker 3:Even like you know the, you know the, the. Uh, you know the part that he playing while he was major man is just like he had to do it. You know what I'm saying I'll be out of pocket, not to even like you know, acknowledge that acknowledge him. You know what I'm saying as an influence in my life, because I carry that also. I'm saying when I talk about just like being there for people that you know the common person would say I won't, I don't have to be there for you know what I'm saying?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I feel that for sure. So, growing up in your house and your mother, your godmother and your grandmother and your stepfather being influences to you, influences to you so like when you growing up and you getting like to the teenage years of life maybe I'm gonna say around like high school and things is like getting a little bit more real. You know, especially growing up in philadelphia, the uptown section, and you know um, you decided to rap at what point um, I probably was like it's funny.
Speaker 3:I started out like just doing poetry for for so poetry came first.
Speaker 1:Yeah, around like okay 11, 12.
Speaker 3:I remember we had like took a trip, um, I thought I was at bethune at the time. I was going to Bethune and then we took a trip to, I think, new York, to Langston Hughes.
Speaker 1:He got a museum.
Speaker 3:He got a museum, yeah, and I went there and I was like dang, I like type, it might be in Washington, bro, I don't know if it's Washington.
Speaker 1:I just know we took a bus somewhere. I'm with you, though. I'm with you In a white box.
Speaker 3:I had that you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:I'm with you.
Speaker 3:I'm with you, so I just remember going there. And then you know, later, a couple years later, I started like writing on my own and then you know, I had a playstation 3. At the time I was just. I found out how to download movies, music and you know, my cousin dink he was like rapping and singing and he would just always kind of my crib and he was like the one that kind of like introduced me to it, of like putting it on the beat, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:And yeah, like we used to just rap back and forth, put the pen to the paper and then, like ninth grade, like eighth grade, eighth grade, I started doing, no, yeah, eighth grade. I started really writing. Ninth grade. I started going on YouTube. Shout out to my homie, oh man. Shout out to Kyle, shout out to Smith, shout out to you know everybody that was a part of this. You know what I'm saying. Like being on YouTube is like.
Speaker 1:Around. What year is this?
Speaker 3:This had to be like 20 2011. Okay, yeah, my name is Greed 2011.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you know you navigating through music and um, you know, you see yourself, you know making gaining some traction. Rather, I'll say yeah. And where did it come to you? Where it's like do I want to take this serious or is my calling something else?
Speaker 3:Man, that's a good question. Question because like I really just, I really just recently, like a couple months ago, made up my mind that like I'm not, I don't want to be a rapper, no more.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying like like it was, like always like in the back of my head, like all right, I know I'm so far away from music, but I can do it. You know what I'm saying. Um, but just find enjoyment With what it is that I do now, like being able to Put stuff together and, you know, put you know Significant amount of money In my homies pockets. That right you know what I'm saying and put them in front of a stage Of three, four hundred.
Speaker 3:And watching the college go crazy and offering that opportunity, cause I know for me I ain't had it and that's what led me to being able to do this work. So right all throughout high school. You know when I started really really dropping music going on soundcloud shout out the uh shot, northern man, that's where I really like. Fell on my sandwich started making love.
Speaker 1:She was going up, you know like she was going up.
Speaker 3:After that would you say like those type of records was, uh, a strong point for you, and and music, while like creating music yeah, I think it's still a strong point for the city because since, since I stopped, ain't nobody really like people like doubled and there ain't nobody really like, ain't nobody really like people like devil to devil, but ain't nobody really like affect that lane since I left for you know what I'm saying since I stopped dropping, ain't nobody really affect the and how I would categorize. I was like building like my own genre. I was calling it like R&B rap because I wasn't singing or nothing, I was just rapping, but it's straight R&B. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, so ain't nobody really been Feeding that lane. I think If it's a strong point for me, it's definitely a strong point for the city.
Speaker 2:So so they, them two, not In like R ever like.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:You feel me and Me and you damn near the same age, so Like even if you wasn't doing anything you're doing now, I still look at you how I look at you? Because before the what I Wish, I Knew Manny and all that, you was Manny 2 and 5 with crime music and 129 Times 3 and Sca of the rat game. You feel what I'm saying so relationships mixed emotions, three relationships.
Speaker 2:So um for you, for those of y'all that don't know, y'all might be older or younger it was one time in the city like Manny ran the whole sound call type of. He ran it Like relationships, one, two, three hundreds and thousands of listens and all that. So I wanted to ask you, right, if you seen what you can do from your talent. You've seen it. It happened before the streaming game. You've seen what you could do with it. You've seen the type of attention to bring you. And we see all these rappers getting off of Philly now. So what made you be like? You know what I'm going to take the the risk by stopping doing my talent and then go to a whole nother bag. I ain't even in Feel what I'm saying. Yeah, like what? When did it come to your mind? Like I'ma do this. You feel me?
Speaker 3:It was crazy like so. And that's a beautiful question, bro. Like One of I used to think that, like Rapping was my gift, like I thought that was my gift, like rapping. But then I understood that my gift is I got different gifts and the gift of rapping Just comes from my ability to be able to articulate words.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So even what people See on Instagram and stuff, now it's I don't want to say it's no different, but it's another form of what I was doing rapping, I was just articulating myself and my perspective on life creatively, with metaphors and stuff like that, double entendres, all of that Over a beat.
Speaker 3:You feel me? Yeah, but that point To answer your question, bro it came when I had to realize that the goal wasn't For me to be A big rapper. That was never the dream, that was never like the goal. You know what I'm saying. I thought that was like Platform, the way there. You know what I'm saying. I thought that was like the way there yeah, you know what I'm saying to do that right out of my limited experience and knowledge and information or what's accessible and possible in life that's the vessel to get me yeah, but like I had to remind myself that the goal I even only only reason why I got into rap man, because I found out all right, I can do it, I'm good.
Speaker 2:Man.
Speaker 3:I can make some money off of this. I can be rich. I still remember being in ninth grade watching Meek Mill vlogs, his 25th birthday and all that, Ross getting a brain roll.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Yeah, while laying all in minutes, I remember watching it Like I can do this Off of rapping. Alright, st Lawrence, we gonna turn up.
Speaker 1:You know what?
Speaker 3:I mean. But you know the goal wasn't that, it was to be In a position To and I don't even want to say rich, because that's subjective Like To people, but you know, like being in a position To Not have To people, but you know, like being in a position to Not have Financial worry, being able to Take care of the people around me, that's what I wanted. You know what I'm saying. And even in the rap I was like and this is your favorite joint and cut deep.
Speaker 3:I was like I never wanted to be Kobe I need parts of the Lakers I need revenue. You feel me. I just started looking at it from a different perspective. It's like, all right, I can be in the light or I can kind of like make the light. You get what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I'm with you so it's like, it's like all right. So, like like I personally personally know you, like like the audience ain't, like I personally know you and, um, I ain't gonna hold you like the reason I ain't acting how I'm usually acting because, like this interview, like this is gonna be the joint where, like we gotta just like open people eyes with certain shit you feel what I'm saying like it's certain things that we just gotta open the eyes and if they listen, they take heed and we could change this person or that person perspective on a lot of, but it's I don't like it.
Speaker 1:I'm like so, so you know, you know, you, you making a decision that you made. Okay, I'm, I'm, I'm gonna push Right to the side, but I'm gonna go ahead and put my energy Into this, right, okay, now the mindset so not so. So not only is the message going to get a little different, the mindset has to as well. So, um, in order in order for you to have a mindset to be like okay, I know my talent's here, which have made me some money, but I'm gonna go ahead and push that to the side and do this, but you also muslim, yeah, so like, islam, teach you discipline as well. So I don't want to like override you being muslim, because I know that, I know, I know that has a lot to do with everything that you're doing, period, so I don't want to just go over that. So let's go right there, right now you finding Islam, before we get to your mindset changing and everything, because I know I'm going to get my question if I ask you this in Islam.
Speaker 2:How about Islam?
Speaker 3:So give me your journey on finding this lamp it's crazy, like like the law is saying in the quran that you know he guide whom he will you feel me? You know I grew up um in a christian faith yeah and I remember.
Speaker 3:But I remember one of my earliest memories as a young boy. I probably was like my son age, like six years old, and my mom used to always like tell me and my sister, like, say your prayers before you go to bed. You know like, and still in prayer until it's like pray for yourself, pray for me, pray your family, friends, and all that. And I remember like doing it and making a sincere prayer, like for everybody that I'm ever going to meet in life. You know what I'm saying, like asking god to bless them.
Speaker 3:Yeah, like everybody that to meet in life. You know what I'm saying, asking God to bless them. Everybody that I meet in life, you know what I'm saying, even people that I don't know At that moment. At six years old, I remember, after making that prayer, just being up and just thinking I'm thinking about lineage If my mom and dad meet me and they got parents, and they got parents and they got parents trying to chase it back. I don't know why I'm thinking this deep, but I'm trying to chase it back and I'm like, yeah, six.
Speaker 3:And I'm like all right if adam is the first human being yeah and got me adam. Who's god's parents?
Speaker 2:yeah, and then?
Speaker 3:who's parents? Who's their parents, who's that? And now I'm in a rabbit hole. So as a young boy, I submitted early To the Belief and a mindset that God is this Unfathomable being. You know what I'm saying. Cause, at the end, even though I can't See God, something created all of this. You know what I'm saying? Can't nobody, can't no living being God, something created all of this. You know what I'm saying? Can't nobody, can't no living being Create A sky.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Show me where you started. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And it's like I submitted early to that. But Again, just growing up In Christianity, I think that was like Pivotal Moment that God Instilled in my heart and he shared that knowledge with me To always Be able to be in church and be in Sunday school and listening From a perspective of like Alright, jesus, clearly talking about he praying to God. Yeah so he can't be God, like Moses, prophet, jesus prophet talking about he praying to god. Yeah, yeah, so he can't be god. You know what I'm saying like moses prophet, jesus prophet.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. Like, all right, these are prophets in this book that god sent with messages. I learned I grasped that early. You know what I'm saying. But fast forward though. Um, fast forward and shout out to my homie, my homie, taki man.
Speaker 3:I remember being in college and we just had I was the bull around all my friends, all my friends was Muslim and I was the bull man. I'm Christian. Y'all tripping Like I ain't never gonna be Muslim. Like I was that bull. You feel me Like. Y'all tripping and yo, you wouldn't believe it.
Speaker 3:I was heavy on my Jesus joint. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, but then my man asked me a question. He's like all right, so you believe Jesus died for your sins? Right? Why be a good person? You know what I'm saying. Like, if you already forgiven for everything because you believe that he is, why, why be a good person? Like, would you just be a good person? Like, would you Just be a bad person? Then you could do whatever you want to do. There's no accountability for you. Yeah, I said, damn, that don't make sense. You know what I'm saying. Like, yeah, you know what I mean, because at the end of the day I still had. I'm going to get held accountable for what I do in this life. I got to answer to God after this. You know what I'm saying, for what I do and for what I don't do, and you know that just led me to and I ended up taking my shahada there, just like 2016.
Speaker 3:Fast forward, fast forward to, I want to say, like 2017. I'm locked up, shout out to my homie Weez and shout out to Duke too, man, my homie Duke, man, african brother man. So I'm watching them Muslims. I'm watching them pray in the yard every day and I remember I go in the yard and we just talking, we politicking like we is now, and the conversation go to religion, and Duke Politicking like we is now, and the conversation Go to religion and Dude he Reciting scripture From the bible, like with swiftness. I'm like there ain't no more Than this book Than I do.
Speaker 3:And I watch this boy Pray every day.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. Like I watch him pray every day.
Speaker 3:And he was like you know, so we just talking, so at the At them, them, me and him Got a one on one. You know what I'm saying. So I'm like yeah, bro, like you know, I just believe, as long as you're a good person, you know what I'm saying Like God ain't going, I don't see God wronging me for that. You know what I'm saying. As long as I'm a good person, I feel like all the religions Talk about mannerisms, love, compassion, how we should treat each other, the core values of being a human being. They speak on the same thing. And he said yeah, you right. And he said but this the question that I got For you as a Christian. He said if you believe in God, why do you pray in Jesus name? And I said, oh, and it sent me back to that moment, when I was six, of like dang the lineage.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying. I'm like because that was something, even at that moment, I never did. Growing up, like I got a song. My first project is called Autobiography and on the intro I say a prayer. At the end, mind you, I'm practicing the Christian faith At this time. I remember, like Going in that moment, like Should I say in Jesus name, amen, or should I say amen? And I just left it at amen, cause it's like I'm praying to God, I'm not praying to Jesus. You know what I'm saying. And he reminded me when he asked me that it sparked that thought. So I go back and shout out to Weed so Weed's, give me a book.
Speaker 3:So now I'm talking to him Like yeah, bro, like you know it make a little bit sense. Like you got something I can read. I just don't. You know what I'm saying. And he give me a book. Well, lord, this the only thing I got out of the book. Alright, this the. He gave me the book Within the first five.
Speaker 3:I go right to my cell and I'm reading the first five, seven minutes. I see my name in it and I'm like you know my real name, emmanuel. So I'm like and then the book, it was on like Something of, like Something to do with the companions that are prophet. I'm sorry, sorry, and I just see my name In a book and so that threw me left, because the whole time I'm growing up, I'm being told that I got a Christian name. You know what I'm saying. So what is my Christian name doing in this Muslim book? You know what I'm saying? I end up not taking my shahada and I still go on right. I end up taking my shahada two years after that.
Speaker 3:I was just at a point where I was like yo, I just want a sincere relationship with my lord, you feel me? And um, long story short, you know my cousin kyan man. Um, we just talked. I went down to the mansion. I'm talking and at this point I'm following everything in the bible. You know, I'm saying I'm like, all right, I'm to start here, like I'm going to read this door and I'm going to follow everything. So the Bible say Work for six days and keep the Sabbath holy On the seventh day. So I said, whoa, if it say this, why do we go to church On Sunday, but everybody in the club On Saturday, when Saturday is the Seventh day of the Weekend, sunday is the first day of the week, should we not be working on Sunday and be at church on Saturday? So what I start doing was I'ma just Everybody else. Clearly they probably missed the Verse or they ain't comprehending it, right? You know what I'm saying? I'ma just work, and then on Saturdays I'm fasting, I'm just in the crib, I'm not doing nothing. You feel me?
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:That's what I'm. I'm just trying to be obedient To God. From what?
Speaker 3:the text say you know what I'm saying and you know. So I end up going to my cousin, I'm talking to him and we just talking and he was like, yeah, allah is not begot or begotten. Yeah, and this is the first verse my mom had me memorize of the Bible, john 3, 16, where it say For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. Therefore, whoever believe him shall not perish but have everlasting life. I never believed that God you know what I'm saying was Jesus or he had kids. You know what I'm saying. I never read that anywhere that God had a wife, a kid none of that. I never read that anywhere. That God had a wife, a kid none of that. I never read that. So we say that I'm like the Korean say that he like, yeah, I'm like, show me it, so you show me it. Sorry, class the sincerity. Let me let willa mule of the. I said I do it, I just took my shot on the spot.
Speaker 2:I said I'll do it. I just took my shot on the spot, yeah, man, and that's crazy because a lot of people don't even like I was about to say some a couple minutes ago, like like to me, like this interview mean a lot to me because, um, I just I'm just starting to realize, bro, that people just don't know what to do, bro, like you know, in this city, maybe even well, not maybe the world too, but I'm particularly talking about this city Like people do not know what to do, bro. They don't have the guidance, they don't have a fucking blueprint, a manual, nothing. And what's getting worse is people out here that's 10, 15, 20 years older than the people I'm talking about and they don't even fucking, they didn't even have the guidance and shit like that. So that's why I just let Y'all rock out. And I just was gonna talk last, because you really like the, the, the For me it's like the trophy for that.
Speaker 2:Like I watched, bro, I didn't Went to your crib when you was living in basements and shit. We both had holes in our socks and all types of shit, bro, and I used to always be on some oh man, you got get, you got a trip, bro, oh, cash, I know what I'm. Yo Manny bro, bust these cards bank. Nah, bro, I ain't on that. And I start realizing like damn, like I'm one of them people who ain't had that guidance and you on some other shit.
Speaker 2:So it was like years and years and years. And then I just start peepingeping, like what you was doing was just like like this you feel me, I'm still here at the F somewhere or still, with all the people, the other people who don't have no guidance, lack of accountability, all that. So it's like this is one of them interviews to me or podcast to me that like I want shit to be said to the people who gonna view this and really don't know what to do. Bro, it don't matter if you depression, anxiety, it could be religion, relationships, whatever, because a lot of stuff you could be talking about about one thing, even if it's women, men, men, women you could say one thing you need to realize or that you couldn't comprehend yet and that should have fixed four or five of your problems. For example, just like the dog should I be saying Discipline on grinding?
Speaker 3:Dog.
Speaker 2:My dog, partner Dog. Give me a boom, give me a paw, real rap, and listen right. Tell them what that stands for discipline on grind bro, if my and I just made that up because I got discipline on grinding, I just started seeing it. But if a lot of people had discipline out here, bro, it would be. The homeless people were cut right in half. The people on drugs were cut right in half.
Speaker 1:We got to deprogram ourselves, to reprogram ourselves.
Speaker 3:Before we get too deep in this, I want to add to what you were saying About, like you not having guidance because we're Muslim, so I got to give you the perspective. You know what I'm saying, like the.
Speaker 3:Lord tells us in the Quran Give glad tidings to the believers of mercy. You know what I'm saying. So the Lord speaks on that. Just like he say, he whom the Lord guides, none can misguide, and he whom the Lord allows to go astray Will find no help in front. So, with me being your help in front, allah knows best. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but.
Speaker 3:I always been that. That's how you help me, I help you. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And even for you know we had a conversation and even for it to be at a point where it's like you know you growing and yeah, it's slamming, you tell me like yeah, bro, like dang, like now I'm praying more stuff like that. It's guidance all along, you know I'm saying like, because we can't never like, fathom like god's decree. You know, I'm saying like god's decree is something that we can't even like. Islam teaches that you could be like this, close from the hellfire.
Speaker 3:I'm saying that's the distance from me to you oh, it could be that, close to the hellfire, till with a law decree and the law tell us that his decree is like the blink of an eye, so subtle for you it is being it is. You can be that close to the hellfire till with a long rope from you and you turn around and walk the agenda so.
Speaker 2:so you, you, you've been arrested, you sold drugs, you went to jail, you caught felons, you and like, the thing out here now is like, once somebody do that or get in a certain situation, that's the excuse. I ain't had no dad or my mom, that's the excuse I had. So what I'm trying to say is I didn't see Manny 2 and 5 like not be around his pop, or I didn't see Manny going through this broke or over here Shit, keep happening, relationship, whatever. I didn't see allanny going through this bro or over here shit, keep happening, relationship, whatever. I didn't see all them sides of you. So I want you to like give it. And it ain't even got to be all like paragraphy or like.
Speaker 2:I just want you, in simple words, to like if you could round it up and like give us, give us 30, 60, however long, bro, but for the people out there who just don't know what to do, bro, and you as one person where a lot of people will be in the spot you in and don't know what to do, or they crack under peer pressure, you trying to eat healthy, somebody come around with fat foods, or you trying real rap, or you trying to, or you trying to change your life, be a motivational speaker and help others, but you go to the bottom block or something.
Speaker 2:I mean now you with the niggas and now you back in the mix and all that. So I ain ain't going to lie, bro, like I just was on a high school tour with you talking on stage in front of kids. That's 18 and younger, bro, real rat, 18 and younger. For you to be talking in front of them, kids, and telling them what to do and advice and just actually make them listen. Give us some steps or some some pointers that one can take to like really change the direction they going, if it's if it's for the worst yeah, so we got two aspects of it right.
Speaker 3:We got like. The first aspect is Cause I'm sure there's listeners that Probably don't share the faith that we believe in.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But Whatever your walk of faith is and your Relationship with God Start there. You know what I'm saying, right Cause that's your moral, that's your moral compass. Like what's going on Out there, people's moral compass is Whatever the streets say.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Whatever the music is saying, whatever Instagram is saying Is cool or not cool, or you should do In certain situations. Whatever your walk of faith is, whatever that book is, pick that up, read that, learn that. That's your moral compass. And then outside of that, hey look man, stop making excuses, just grind right, just grind. You gotta have the dog in you, you gotta be disciplined on grind dog can't nothing like stop you.
Speaker 3:Like I always say, like like a million dollars can be at city hall and I could be at Broughton Shelton and it's 100 degrees outside. I don't got a car. Ain't nobody trying to get me a ride and set the on strike. You know what I'm going to do. I'm going to walk the whole joint. What most people do is Ain't nobody pick me up, set the on strike. It's hot, you ain't never get the million dollars. Everybody say they want success, but not everybody.
Speaker 3:Do the things that's necessary In order to obtain the success. Because one thing about success is Hard work breeds success, and then, after you get the success, you got more hard work to do In order to keep the success. So, my mindset Is already made up.
Speaker 1:Right, I'm grinding, you know what.
Speaker 3:I'm saying Like I really don't Like Got a lot of time For other shit. You know what? I'm saying Even when it come down to like your circle. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:You gotta understand like.
Speaker 3:It's not about cutting Niggas off. It's not about that. It's not about cutting niggas off. It's not about that. It's about understanding that I can't spend that type of time with you, no more.
Speaker 1:That's the part of my life.
Speaker 3:I'm kind of like in right now yeah, because it's like when you try, like I said this in the song, I was like if you want to lead a hood, then you got to lead a block first. You want to put your niggas on, you got to get a lot first. So even if that is your motivator To put your gang on and put your homies on and all that, you gotta go outside Of those relationships In order to obtain Right.
Speaker 3:Because, if the opportunity Was within the relationship, y'all would have it, y'all would all be up.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:We all come from the hood. You know what I'm saying. Right, we got talents, we got certain stuff we can do to be able to make it out, but shout my homie to him. Man from baltimore, lord's home man. Shout out to him a year ago, probably a year today. Yes, like a year, because I just came back From Ickner in Baltimore and I met him when I was there Representing my Client Black Cedoy Gummies.
Speaker 2:Okay so.
Speaker 3:I end up going there and you know, shout out to Stokey. You know what I'm saying. Yb at School of Pop, you feel me. He got A lounge, you feel me and you know. So I went there to go meet bro. And Next thing I know Me and my homie Sitting there and this little Dude walk in and all that With his hat on. He looking at me, like I'm like who is this? Like I'm out, don't nobody know me out here. You feel me.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Mind you, this like Two, three months After we going, we done went viral For O Block Going to O Block.
Speaker 3:So, bro walk up to me Like yo, ain't you Manny, two on five. I'm like, yeah, like what's up. So he like he like yo, you went to O Block right. I'm like, yeah, he like Bro, I like how you Handle that drum, bro, that was some real shit. I like how y'all Handle that drum. So we start Politicking.
Speaker 3:So come to find out, he do what I do. You know what I'm saying. So he just do it on Another level. You know what I'm saying. Like on a corporate level I work more with, like Local businesses and stuff like that, helping him. He do it with bigger companies. You know what I'm saying. So he start telling me like yeah, bro, look, he start giving me Terminology. Bro. Like, yeah, you not a consultant, bro, you a strategic advisor. You know what I'm saying. You don't do marketing, branding, you do taste, make your career. You know what I'm saying. I'm like dang, I already bet. So now we tag, then we talking Couple. Months later he put me he facilitate A situation For me my cousin Fetty, out to Baltimore, everything paid. For my first time on a plane ever, Going somewhere.
Speaker 3:My first time I was on a plane. I went skydiving. I jumped out that bitch.
Speaker 2:But my first time taking a plane.
Speaker 3:My first time taking a plane somewhere Like what Bro facilitated the situation.
Speaker 1:How do you do your first time being on a plane? You jump out of it. Yeah, no, chizzy.
Speaker 3:But after that. But this is To the point, though. This is how important Relationships is Outside, because we be so stuck on the couple hundred people that live in a Four to six, eight block radius Of our neighborhood.
Speaker 3:There's eight billion people in the world. Not only did the bro do that, he facilitated another situation where for me to go out Atlanta A keynote speaker and be on a panel Talking to all these, you know, college students From all these HBCUs. They coming To hear me Talk about how I do what I do On the same ticket as people like Wildo267.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Right. And then we move forward. Bro, help me facilitate the biggest deal In my life today as An entrepreneur. You know what I'm saying. Talking about smack, hit the count. No ppp, no p way, no, none of that. No right in the car bank, none of that yeah you know I'm saying so. It's like you gotta go outside, it's like I. It's not. I'm not cutting you off, you just on that. I respect it. That's for you. I'm trying to tell you. You don't want to listen.
Speaker 2:All right, I'm doing right, but I'm doing a lot Right but.
Speaker 3:I'm doing this, I'm going this way yeah, and you know, that's just my mindset with everything it's like, and sometimes it can come off a little bit harsh, like even when going to end it. We got to understand this as men because it's important. I'm going this way, so I'm driven by my purpose, all that. This is what I'm on. If, as my woman, you decide to go that way, all I can do is say yo, we going this way. Remind you, yo, me ain't on that, we going this way. But as soon as you want to keep going that way, if I follow you and go that way, guess who leading them?
Speaker 1:You.
Speaker 3:She in control. I'm going this way and this my and this my mindset. When it comes to everything, it's like we going this way, we winning. You know what I'm saying? We going this way.
Speaker 1:We going this way we winning.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying? Because even when you come on not having pops, we'd be so like caught up on women and we let the emotions, the love, the way to break it down. You know what I'm saying, like to, to, to nail nate in control, and we wonder why we be in the nut.
Speaker 2:I'm going this way, baby, I'm going, and if you, shit.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I'm going this way, baby, I'm going this way and if you don't wanna go this way.
Speaker 2:Go that way.
Speaker 3:Women don't number the men. Anyway, it's another one.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. So, oh, go ahead, give me that you got it Alright. So, like I said, like you started a journey A couple years ago the power of the community. Yeah, you started a journey a couple years ago the power of the community.
Speaker 3:Don't get tricked out your spot Tord. You still out of pot. You ain't getting passes on the pot for not knowing that. That's my joint.
Speaker 2:Well, I didn't. I don't know how I ain't Corey put $25 in the bucket. Yeah, for sure, for sure, but I ain't going to lie, though Don't get tricked out your spot tour the power of the community. You did everything. You did all it is to do, and, um, I just wanted to. Uh, first of all, you know, I Congratulate you Every other day For what you're doing, and I'm proud of what you're doing.
Speaker 3:I'm proud of you, bro, for even like Doing this you know what I'm saying All the conversations yeah, I Hit bro phone, like Like I still got Screen records Of. Yeah, I hit bro's phone. Like I still got screen records of his story. Like I'm watching his story four and five minutes straight because he just going talking. I'm like, bro, you got to do a podcast, so when you're talking about this, john, you already know the conversation we have. Bro, I'm begging it, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Just don't look back. You know what I'm saying. Yeah, I appreciate that, bro, bro, more than you even know, and um, so the one that stuck out to me because, you know, we went to school together and we from the same neck of the woods and everything, but the one that stuck out to me is when you gave, uh, the young boy, the get busy grant. You feel me the money to get busy grant, so a lot of people a lot of people don't like when I say get busy grant.
Speaker 2:A lot of people don't know what that means. So I want you to break down like what the uh, who you gave the bread to, and and what that mean when we say to get get busy grant yeah, man, come D line.
Speaker 3:Man and Lord be pleased with my thought, man. I mean, you know, homie Brandon, this you know you about name get went by the name Get Busy. A lot of people know him by Get Busy in the street. He got killed like 2017. And at this time I ain't even Muslim yet. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:But you know, as you know, my life is getting better. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Allah has blessed me with different things. You know I felt that was something that was needed and important.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying right because islam teaches that you know, once we die, the, the, the only thing that that that come with us Is our deeds. So Only thing that we can do Really For our homies In the Islamic faith that passed away, rather than gun violence, whatever, is, make dua for them or we could Give something in charity. You know what I'm saying, which is called Asada Kajaria. So Even you know as a Muslim. Let's say, you, you studying, and you know you writing down Certain. Even as a Muslim, let's say you, you studying, and you writing down certain notes, and you leave that behind for your son and your son pass it down. This is Sadaqah, jerry, because they're benefiting From some knowledge that you pass down. Some people like to build wells, so I took it upon myself, with the non-profit, to say, man, I'm going to start a grant In my homie name, you know Bismillah, and let it be a set of kajaria For my homie while he in the grave. That's the best thing I could do for him.
Speaker 2:Yeah, for sure.
Speaker 3:It happened already. It's the cutter you know, what I'm saying. That was the best thing I could do and you know that, son, that Shout out to Paul man. He, like a Muay Thai boxer, he was the first recipient and you know he needed like I met him in a match, like last 10 nights.
Speaker 3:He was just locked in like every night in a match, like standing in that joint we started building a relationship and he was, like you know, he ended up hitting me Like afterwards, like yo, like bro, like you know, I got an opportunity To go pro and I need a sponsor. So I'm like, yeah, how much you need. You know what I'm saying. He like I need $3,500. So I'm like, alright, at this time, I know and this is how the idea sparked, because I know I got some money Coming in for Power Community.
Speaker 2:You know what?
Speaker 3:I'm saying I'm like, alright, i'ma start this grant in BroName and we just was able to meet him Halfway with 1750, you know, for him to be able to go do what he gotta do.
Speaker 2:That's amazing. Yeah, that's like. That's like over the top, like.
Speaker 1:I've been, I've been running around with you and we've been going to these schools. Man.
Speaker 3:How was it man? How was the tour man?
Speaker 1:Excellent, amazing man.
Speaker 2:Excellent.
Speaker 1:Amazing man.
Speaker 3:It's beautiful man, it feel good to see the vision come together, man it feel good to see it. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Cause we don't have it. So it look good to see that you know what I'm saying and touching every part of the city. It's not like you just went to one part of the city or the school that you used to, that you used to attend. No, you went to every part of the city and did the same thing. I commend you for that. That's like big. And the turnouts Been amazing. So Now that's wrapped up and as big as that was what you got in store. What's next? Excuse me.
Speaker 3:I'm more the same man Before I even get into that. Man Shout out to all the students. Man Shout out to the. Shout out to the man. Shout out to all the students. Man shout out to the. Shout out to the students. I was in meetings since january to get funded for this. Our initial idea was to do 18 schools, 9 in Philly, 9 in Baltimore. We had a budget of like $120,000 to be able to do that.
Speaker 3:I paid for travel, paid for hours. I ain't exhausting all my relationships on favors. If we got some money, we can get some money with each other and be cool too.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. I'm in meetings.
Speaker 3:City of Philadelphia In 2021 100 million dollars For gun violence. I want to say, a month before our tour started, they approved another 100 million dollars For 2025.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's crazy.
Speaker 3:Zero dollars For us to be able to do this tour came from the city of philadelphia, so we shout out to students, demand action. Shout to um every town. If you mess with me, you need to text wish w-i-s-h to six four four, three, three.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying four, three, three. You know what I'm saying Hold up, hold up. So you mean to tell me all the work you're doing in the city of Philadelphia. Don't have nothing involved in it.
Speaker 3:I mean.
Speaker 1:Not a dollar.
Speaker 3:When it comes to that tour. No, the only thing that we received since 2019, like since we started this work, all the work is like this they got something called activity grant. I do want to share this with people that's watching, that's probably like into the work and stuff like that. Um, shout out to kiasha top uh tyson. She worked under cheryl parker when cherylerelle Parker was in the 9th District, so she was like the first person that like in like local government that you know, heard what I was trying to do and was like yo, all right, this is something that you can do to help.
Speaker 3:And they got like something called an activity grant. You don't got to have a 501c3 to receive it, but you can receive up to $9,000. You know what I'm saying? Right, the 1C3 to receive it, but you can receive up to $9,000. The most I got Was like $5,000 last year and that went towards Our power community efforts. But For this tour, specifically when we talk about the gun violence Conflict resolution- you know what I'm saying Because look the tour that you put on is amazing.
Speaker 1:Gun violence yeah. Conflict resolution yes. You know what I'm saying Because, look, the tour that you put on is amazing, yeah. But I want the world, and for sure Philadelphia, to know that, like, what you're creating is what we need. These kids need to see other things. They need to know that the knowledge is the power. Y'all need to stay in here, cram these books so y'all could go out here in the real world and do what y'all gotta do because, like, like you said, statistically, this one gonna be locked up, this one gonna be in jail, this one gonna be stripping, this one gonna be hoeing and we trying to like, create, like where that don't even happen. I mean, so it's like, why wouldn't philadelphia want to be hoeing and we trying to like, create, like where that don't even happen?
Speaker 3:I mean.
Speaker 1:So it's like why wouldn't Philadelphia Want to be a part of this? Why wouldn't they want to Push the needle on this, especially if we already Getting a hundred million dollars For the city For gun Convention or gun violence Period. We just going to say gun violence.
Speaker 3:It's a bunch of.
Speaker 2:Like it's sad.
Speaker 1:Bro, because like they should be Not only reaching out to you you know what I'm saying they should be like Knocking on your door. Because already what you doing for the community Is like For real. For real, like the way and how you got your shit Already set up. All they gotta do Is come and fun.
Speaker 3:Yeah, because, like, because you do all.
Speaker 1:You done and laid the the land down For everything else, like a lot.
Speaker 3:A lot of people don't even did Like they see me, but we got a big team, yeah. It's like Over a dozen of us.
Speaker 2:Coming to every school? Yes, I was. You know what I'm saying. I was a part of it.
Speaker 3:Everybody got a role In doing something yes. Like it's bigger than just me. For you know, I don't know, bro, I get it, bro, but it's just like.
Speaker 1:See, my whole thing is like Damn, like alright, young black man Out the community. This is.
Speaker 3:This is, I honestly can say, like he one of us Like, and he like Changed his life and he doing it, not for him, he doing it for us and to share, like the message on the tour Is like you tell him Don't get checked out the spot is like Somebody asked me the other day and it was like Um, like why you going so hard? Like with this, you know what I'm saying Like why you care so much and I'm like yo, you know last year the second grader Brung a gun to school.
Speaker 1:Oh man, my son is in kindergarten.
Speaker 3:He two years removed from that. So as a man, I don't. I don't look at the cops or no other To protect and provide what's mine.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. That's for me as a man. You know what.
Speaker 3:I'm saying so this. Why this part of it? You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Why.
Speaker 3:I do what I do, so it's like the language you're giving them at the tour is like we can't get in your body and make you do nothing. Yeah, but we're gonna tell you we're gonna tell you what it is, what it ain't, what you can expect, and not only is that, we're gonna walk you through. So every student got a card. So on one side here the rule met map To being lame With a lot of.
Speaker 1:People indulging.
Speaker 3:Then we had the other side, the road map To conflict resolution, where we walked them Through each step Of how to Resolve an issue and we showed them the moment when we went to O block you know what I'm saying and we broke down and showed them. This is the difference Between we broke down and showed him. This is the difference between Someone being scared and someone being calm In the face of a threat. You know?
Speaker 2:what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Walking through it like, yeah, I had to use my head First, I had to get out my feelings. You know what I'm saying, cause when bro walked up yeah, man, who you talking to you? Know what I'm saying but I had to check that it's two in the morning we on the back block At Woodblock, the back block at woodblock. What I'm about to be mad that he mad for yeah, you gonna have a piss.
Speaker 1:I'm saying let me think, let me now.
Speaker 3:Now let me think all right, boom, he clutching. All right, I'm looking at him the whole time if he pull a gun out. He's not just about to shoot me. We gonna tussle for this joint song. You know what I'm saying right all right, I see he ain't got a gun. Now I can calm myself down. Let me talk to him in a comment. I'm not about to be Bro. I just said we only here to do concert.
Speaker 3:I what you talking about. Well, I'm about to do all that, bro. Oh, why, yeah? Oh, I, yeah. I bet you good luck.
Speaker 2:I respect that Dialogue.
Speaker 3:Take none from me. Yeah, I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Mmhmm.
Speaker 3:All the other stuff Would've took something major from me Part of my life. Right Part of my, my brother's life. That was with me, right.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:So it's like, when we talking about Like being in these positions, like you gotta think outside of yourself, you gotta think bigger than yourself. And this is the stuff that we, we breaking down To the students, that we broke down During the tour, so that Next time they, in a situation they can't say they don't know how to deal with it Right, cause we just gave it to y'all they don't know how to deal with it. Even if you had a job, we get on a date Like you had a job and somebody, you got a customer that's just having a bad day. Why, why are you about to sit there and argue with them and now they're going to go on about their day, but you might lose your job, right, and now you don't got no pick, right, you're getting tricked out your spot.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying. Facts, this is the language that we have. We have to push that agenda more.
Speaker 2:I ain't going to lie right, have to.
Speaker 2:I'm really not going to lie to you, bro. Like, sit here and say I'm proud of you and you doing your thing. Keep it up. A million times, bro. I think I probably told you that a million times. Real rap, like just when we was on the on the phone the other day. He was like bro, the reason I fuck with you the way I do is because you seen my grow me do this and that you never put no expectations On a relationship. But that's not even where I was going With it. I admire you, bro Because I'm gonna tell you this right when you look at it From this perspective, it's like damn, like Bro might be like One of the realest dudes out.
Speaker 2:So let's look at it from the perspective I'm talking about, bro. You had the relationship series right. Snap guy cut deep, hard, all that hard and all that. It was obvious and everybody knew that you was capable of making it in rap or being a rapper or whatever. Also, you have done other things streetwise before. I ain't going to say it, but that showed you and us you can do that. So the fact that you stopped being a rapper and you stopped selling what you were selling and you stopped doing the things you was doing, just to turn around and be a person who want to help everybody else and what they doing. When you look at it from that, like what Munna Ike ike. He said damn no. Cam said this. He said damn bro, you hot as shit, like you basically stopped rapping to fix other niggas career or to help other niggas bro, I ain't gonna lie bro, like that is what we lack in the city.
Speaker 2:Bro, like I'm not saying you're supposed to drop everything and be on some. I'ma help, i'ma help Manny, i'ma help Cole, not that Go chase your dream. A lot of people selfish, so you gotta be selfish sometimes. But what I'm saying is, like your whole bop Is for others, yeah, like that's your whole joy. It's never no.
Speaker 3:But what you saying is right, though, because. I remember Making this comparison About, like this thing About Philly right, alright, let's say the goal Is the biggest Box win, like the biggest. Whoever got the biggest Square Wins, alright.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Or let's say, rectangle, for this. We're gonna use this table. Alright, this is what philly will do. Philly will like philly. Let's draw a imaginary line and this is gonna split of fours. He gonna have a box right here. He gonna have a box right here. Everybody got the same size box, not understanding that If we all just come together, we got the biggest box, we all win.
Speaker 3:You know what I'm saying Like I always like, try to say that Like the A key that I believe To success, to success is being able to be selfless In a time of need. And one thing that I learned In stepping away from the streets and being at different tables and Different conversations that A lot of people they get In these positions when they can help.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:But they there with a selfish agenda.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everything.
Speaker 3:Not understanding that Service equals success. Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:Like I said, we can get money with each other and be cool. So, and like I was telling you, you know what I'm saying. Like I ain't gonna Disclose no numbers, but you know what you got For the tour and being A host and a moderator On there, representing really the most Right.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 3:I easily you ain't even ask me for that I easily could've Abused the relationship and say this my year, this cash. I know I got this coming in. I'ma just yeah, bro, just do this joint, this joint for the youth. It's for the kids. This, what niggas do, no thanks. And we wonder why we can't get a hit. You know what I'm?
Speaker 1:saying and kept his proportion.
Speaker 3:Pocketed, pocketed.
Speaker 1:For the fact that His relationship with you he wasn't even questioned it. He did the whole tour and you, so I see exactly what you're saying people don't, and I do this all day, like I'm talking about, like no like I do this, it's nothing for me like, oh, all right, all right, dang, I'm gonna call him right now.
Speaker 3:Hey yo, I want to introduce you to boo boo boo. All right, bet. See ya, now they got a meeting and they making, they making a move.
Speaker 1:It's nothing. It's that easy.
Speaker 3:That don't take nothing away from me.
Speaker 1:Right, you still gonna be doing. Everything you doing.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. You can't do still lit.
Speaker 3:Still lit. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So when we talk about you know your network is your net worth. You know Shia La network is your net worth. You know sha the wallow with the quote. We really gotta understand and live by that, because it's bigger than just saying like I got white boy number yeah, I got cash from.
Speaker 3:I got a real number, I got many number. Networking is about how can I bring value to this person. Yeah, because if a person got emotion right, it's like all right, dang. What's going to sustain our relationship is us bringing value to each other, and that can be through business, that can be through genuine conversation, that can be through just checking up.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Three times, four times a. You know, I'm just checking to make sure you're good. That's value to somebody. They could be going through something you know yeah so it's like you know. We gotta do better with that. Even when we in a position where we perceive as if we're at the top, we gotta understand those tables do turn they always turn.
Speaker 3:I always tell, but I ain't worrying about it Cause Can't nobody Black ball God, can't nobody out and I can't out work God. And can't nobody Black ball God. Those tables gonna turn and, like the saying, everybody just who stepped on Climbing up the ladder. When those tables turn and you come down the ladder, you gotta see those people. You know what I'm saying. You gotta see those people. You know I'm saying. You gotta see those people. So when you in a position like the overhand is is better than the lower hand, so when you in a position of like um affluence, or god allowed you to have a lot of provision, you should share that you know I'm saying yeah this is how.
Speaker 3:This is how we do this of like dang yo. Oh yeah, I like and I see I it's nothing you know what I'm saying? It's nothing to yo. I like what you're doing. Yo I got this for you, man, I want to introduce you yo we got this coming on. Yeah, man, yo my man gonna be. He got motion, he'll bring your brain so you can.
Speaker 1:Yeah, tap in Facts.
Speaker 3:That's nothing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, like that's nothing, we gone. I wanna ask you One more question, and we gonna do fast track and then we gonna Wrap it up. Um, I gotta ask this question Because I've been around you For a long time now and it's starting to become like daily, like on some nonstop stuff. There's a lot of people that I met through you who are important in the city. There's a lot of people you met through me. Like him, you feel me.
Speaker 2:And other people, um, so I wanted to ask you like what person, place or thing that like? Like person I mean meeting them, and thing I mean doing, and place I mean where you was at what person, place or thing when you, when you knew in your head, like like I'm somewhere now, like I'm somewhere, like I was doing this, and there was.
Speaker 3:You mean like, for example, like if I'm in music and somebody asks me like something, something and I say when I'm at Jay-Z you mean I know, jay, look, it's not a person, place or thing, it's an experience.
Speaker 3:Okay not a person, place, a thing, it's an experience. Okay, um 12 months ago, to date I had, I was getting kicked out of my crib. You feel me, mind you, when I see my crib. Let's get a context. I was living in a shared home, rent in a room and my rent was five hundred dollars a month.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I was back six months on that, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:I am.
Speaker 3:I couldn't pay $500 a month.
Speaker 2:That's crazy 12 months ago.
Speaker 3:Right yeah, the whole summer On Story Short. You know, shout out to Demblis for days, man, they a community organization down the bottom, they doing some great work down there. You know, if you to the Dembles for days, man, they, they a community Organization down the bottom, they doing some Great work down there. You know, if you support me, definitely support them.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 3:Um, they was allowing me To stay there After hours With my son Right.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Right After hours, and Then I forget Something happened. More like they budgeted Something, like Something just happened, but towards the end of the summer, I end up Having to Stay at my man Crib. He was fixing a crib. So I'm basically in a band, though, sleeping on the floor While my man fixing the rest of the crib, but but I'm outside all day Walking around. Yo Power Community 2023. Y'all already know what it is. It's the biggest joint. Bob, bob, bob, rsvp, bang. Go back To reality At the end of the night, walk all the way through that Right, and I can tell you, 12 months later, I got a family I provide for. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I got a wife, a kid. Yeah, you know my expenses is a couple thousand every month that I'm able to pay you know what I'm saying yeah, Like we ahead on our expenses right now. You know what I'm saying yeah In 12 months.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3:Yeah, in 12 months. You know what I'm saying, like Eternal.
Speaker 1:That is the moment.
Speaker 3:The moment is like Damn yeah, um yeah, not really like a, I made it, but it's like I know what I'm doing is what I'm supposed to do, right. You know what I'm saying like I gotta keep going Go harder At what it is that I'm supposed to do. You know what I'm saying, like I gotta keep going Go harder At what it is that I'm doing, because this only through God. Like I don't know how else I got out of that situation.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know what I'm saying. Right.
Speaker 3:At the end of the summer, 20,000 hit my account From like Four different Joins, like one joint I was waiting for For like Two years. Four thousand hit Bam you know what I'm saying All in the same week, you know what I'm saying. So I was able to take care Of what I needed to take care of and have a couple extra dollars.
Speaker 3:To say, to say push. You know what I'm saying and you know the blessings from there Just keep going. You know what I'm saying. I love me, my wife. You know what I'm saying. That's, that's a provision in itself. You know what I'm saying? Humpty the lion yeah, they was grinding me up On the tour Boy. They like Yo where we gonna eat at and all that, and I'm like I got a personal chef At the crib. I don't have any problems, but this 12 months after like.
Speaker 1:You being down.
Speaker 3:Me and Fetty. We walking from Point Breeze in South Philly to down the bottom Having conversations like Yo bro, look, we gotta pick up hard shit Cause the reality is this shit hard. Right now. We can stop doing what we doing and go get a job and have some financial security, but then we sacrifice the dream. Or we can keep pushing with the dream and Just go through the motions. Just deal with this hard shit right now, cause it's only right now. We gotta pick our hard shit.
Speaker 1:Either way, life gonna come with it's test, you know what I'm saying, cause when you at the top, there's only one way to go and that's down.
Speaker 3:And when you down.
Speaker 1:There's only way to go.
Speaker 3:And that's up. I never wanna look at myself as the top. You know what I'm saying. But, I told her. I said this is unreleased. I told her, I said Ain't no such thing as the top In this grand scheme. I read the walk.
Speaker 2:Amongst.
Speaker 3:The table full of big spades. We trumping the guest list. Only wills we talk it's 10 year books on investment. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Let's do these fast tracks, some fast tracks.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying? We?
Speaker 1:play on here.
Speaker 2:You pick one of the other. You know what I'm saying. Really no thought into it.
Speaker 1:I'ma be all over, cause you know you not just really like an artist. You got so much shit going on. So my first drawing gonna be Martin or Malcolm.
Speaker 3:Malcolm. Tupac or Biggie you don't mean to pick one, I I can't pick one, bro. I like it for two different reasons. Biggie storytelling is like. I love the stories in his how he tell you know what I'm saying. I can even say like Even listening to. I started listening to Biggie probably like 2016, and that kind of like shaped some of my music After 2016. Even listening to Busy Like I started listening to Biggie probably like 2016, and that kind of like Shaped some of my music After 2016.
Speaker 2:But, Pop.
Speaker 3:Like the messaging that he had in music. Like you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 3:Is. It's phenomenal Like he made, like he got songs that Still touch people and still relative To what it is that we're going through today.
Speaker 1:That's a fact. I don't normally let people get off with that answer, but I'm going to let you rock John Street or Michael Nutter.
Speaker 3:I was young. I was young when Street was around. But what I can say about Street is he was outside Like I remember he got. I think my mom Was, I don't know. Somebody had a picture with him on my block. You know what I'm saying. That was like the first Politician boy that I seen. That Was outside, touching the people. You know what I'm saying? Mmhmm, nobody see that, you don't.
Speaker 1:Alright, one more Major or independent. Independent with a Brand partnership deal with a major I say majorly independent.
Speaker 3:Majorly independent. Majorly independent.
Speaker 2:Majorly independent. Go ahead, corey, take us out. Yeah, man.
Speaker 1:I appreciate y'all, man. You know this ain't the last time. This ain't the only time Before.
Speaker 2:Corey, take us out. I'ma say this, bro, i'ma keep it a bean bro, i'ma keep it all real with you, bro. I'm not seeing nobody out here doing for the city like bro doing. Bro, I ain't saying there's not other people doing things, I'm not saying y'all ain't doing things, but I'm saying, like you ain't doing this type of things at this type of age. It's just mind-blowing man Because, like I said, I knew him since second, second, third grade and it's mind-blowing to see that, like he he taken. I done seen the the street manny and I done seen the depressed manny, the the lack of funds manny, and now this manny, and it's just like damn for a person to really be able to um itself through Islam and change his whole life around is crazy. So I just want to commend you to that, congratulate you. I appreciate it, man. I'm glad that don't get tricked out. Your spot towards successful. And now we on the power of the community.
Speaker 3:2024, man, let's get it. And I'm appreciative to be here with y' community 2024 man and I'm Appreciated to be here with y'all man. I'm part of history but really the most man Cause. I can't forget the last time To where we at now. Man, just beautiful to see.
Speaker 1:We appreciate you, bro. We appreciate you, everything you, everything you pour into this man. We really appreciate you.
Speaker 2:Really the most. Like subscribe Share.
Speaker 1:Comment Hit the bell. You're a fucking hater. Because it's free, man, it's free, so just hit it. I'm Relative, it's the Relative Moose Podcast. I'm Cash, I'm White Boy D2A. We out oh Relative Moose Podcast.